Chapter 61: Unrestrained Realm (2)

When I rushed to the martial arts arena after hearing the other disciple's words, a scene of utter chaos was unfolding, literally.

Rising dust clouds, training dummies that had lost their shape and turned into fragments, numerous sword scars engraved on the ground.

"What on earth is going on here..."

I couldn't hide my shock at the sight. Hadn't they just met the original protagonists through a big event like the Dragon Phoenix Gathering?

Although it bothered me that we hadn't saved Seolhwa yet, and that Kang Si-woo had fallen for her tricks.

'There shouldn't be any reason for them to fight this big...'

There was no reason for my disciples, who seemed to have just started getting along, to turn the martial arts arena into a mess.

If there was anything that bothered me, it was the method the Divine Doctor had mentioned for me to escape my terminal condition.

First, we needed to expel the Outer God possessing Seolhwa's body, eliminating the substance blocking my meridians.

And because my realm was currently at the pinnacle, I needed to spend a night with someone who had reached the state of flower viewing for body nourishment.

'...I guess my indecisive behavior has made my disciples forget to fear their master.'

I sighed deeply, covering my face with my hands. The final bosses and protagonists of my novel were like children I had created with Seolhwa.

I couldn't even imagine laying hands on such children.

"......"

I frowned and glared at where I sensed a presence. I thought this had crossed a line, no matter what.

"Master...? Why are you here...?"

A girl who was about to throw a broken wooden pillar, but gently put it down upon seeing me. Bi Wol wore an expression of not knowing what to do.

It was already too late to pretend to be trying to set up the collapsed pillar, as her thoughts had already been exposed.

"Bi Wol."

I called out to her as if scolding her.

"I, I didn't do anything...! Rather, I was trying to stop my sisters from fighting...!"

Bi Wol waved her hands, saying it wasn't her doing. No matter how much she tried to make excuses, she couldn't hide the demonic energy scattered around.

"Did you think such lies would work on me?"

Originally, my sect, the Ice Dragon Flower Banquet, was a place that gathered the weak who were abandoned by society, children or parents caught up in events like wars or fires, and sick and ailing people.

It didn't make sense for such a situation to occur unless it was those girls who appeared as final bosses in the novel I wrote.

"How do you think the entire martial world would view me if disciples fight each other over personal feelings and try to disrespect their master?"

"That... we could live in a mountain valley where no one comes. If we leave for a treacherous place where neither the affairs of the Central Plains nor the strong of the martial world can find us..."

Bi Wol trailed off as she saw me speaking firmly. Perhaps the lofty Heavenly Demon who lived without caring about others' opinions might think that way.

But,

"...You're really telling me to abandon the people I've taken in. I have a sect and responsibilities to shoulder."

I am different from her. I had to minimize the number of people harmed because of me. I thought that was the last will Seolhwa had conveyed to me.

The difference between adults and children. As one grows older, the weight of responsibility is something one must shoulder alone.

Although I had discontinued three works due to lack of revenue and views, fiction and reality are different.

"Bi Wol, gather your other sisters."

I ordered her to gather the other disciples as if holding her responsible. The reason for this commotion was undoubtedly due to Bi Wol, who had the martial artist's way of trying to resolve things through fighting.

Originally, in the martial world, when conflicts arise, agreements are often reached by following the words of the strong.

"B-but, Master...! We haven't settled our match yet!"

Bi Wol, with a slight scratch on her cheek and her whole body covered in dust, tried to stop me with a startled expression.

"Is the match more important to you, or your sisters with whom you need to join forces?"

How much more fighting would satisfy them? Rather, I started to get slightly angry at Bi Wol's attitude.

We had somewhat succeeded in persuading the original protagonists, and a way for me to survive my terminal life had appeared.

Now, if we could just defeat the Outer God Shub-Niggurath, all that remained was for me to confess the truth to Bi Wol and the children and beg for forgiveness.

Is it even reasonable for disciples to have a serious martial arts match just to monopolize a man like me?

"I won't say it again. Gather your sisters immediately and tell me who first suggested fighting. I will severely punish that child."

I spoke while drawing up the cold energy, disregarding the reversal of meridians throughout my body. If necessary, I had to freeze this entire place to stop the fight.

"......!!!"

As the surrounding air grew heavy, Bi Wol's body began to tremble slightly. No matter what anyone said, she was clearly in a state of fear and dread.

Seeing this reaction, it must have been Bi Wol who first suggested fighting. My prediction seemed to be spot on.

"M-Master. Actually, I..."

"It was me!"

Just as Bi Wol was about to confess the truth to me, a voice rang out loudly across the martial arts arena.

"I said I wanted to fight Senior Bi Wol!"

The owner of that voice was Verdandi. She rose, casually dusting off her hair.

Verdandi, who could now freely use her Holy Armor and Holy Sword, was lying with her characteristic bright smile intact.

"So if you're going to scold anyone, scold me!"

"S-Sister..."

As I watched Verdandi lying, I realized something strange. I covered my mouth with my hand to suppress the breath that was about to burst out.

In the original "A Hero Must Die," I had set her up to have such an obsessive-compulsive disorder about always telling the truth that she despised lying to death.

I had decided it would be more natural given her past of being abused and ostracized in her village, which made her hate villains and lies.

'The Verdandi now seems to have almost healed from her past wounds.'

The girls I saw before me now had lost their reasons for being final bosses.

Bi Wol had overcome her heart demon and erased the karma of the Heavenly Killing Star, Verdandi hadn't fallen into corruption as she didn't kill her mother, and Azazel's unrequited love problem had been resolved.

"...No. Sister, wasn't I the one who first proposed to fight?"

While I hesitated for a moment, Azazel was closing the distance, her tentacles wriggling.

They were all insisting that they were the first to suggest fighting, without any regard for who was actually first.

"Then, tell me why you fought like this."

I asked for their true feelings, just in case. After all, feelings of love for someone shouldn't be expressed through someone else's mouth.

"It's all to save Brother. We can't do body nourishment with someone who has no connection, can we?"

Azazel spoke while taking a posture as if offering a prayer with her hands clasped together. Unfortunately, there was nothing that deviated from my expectations.

This was surely the only reason why these girls, who had started to grow closer after the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, would suddenly fight.

"That's not for you to concern yourselves with."

I conveyed my will to Azazel and all the others.

In Bi Wol's case, she's a child I've raised like a daughter since she was young, and the other disciples are the same, I've never harbored any lecherous thoughts towards them.

Even if I had to beg a hidden female expert in this martial world, I would never touch children who haven't come of age.

"I know my body best, it's not something that can be resolved by you stepping in."

"Can't we just reach the state of flower viewing?"

"Do you think that's easy? The state of flower viewing is something that even many renowned martial artists couldn't reach."

In my original novel "The King of the Vajra Fist," only two people reach the state of flower viewing. The Heavenly Demon Bi Wol and the protagonist Kim Hyul.

Among them, Kim Hyul is a man, and he gains enlightenment at the crossroads of life and death while having his final exchange with Bi Wol, so it's different.

"No matter how much you train, it would take at least a few years of repetition to reach that level of realm."

In fact, even though I had been at the pinnacle realm for quite a long time, I still couldn't see the state of flower viewing above it.

"But we don't want to lose Master to another woman!"

"I think so too, Master."

Bi Wol and Verdandi raised their voices towards me. Seeing their unyielding attitude, I sighed deeply.

'...In the end, is it all because of me?'

Seeing such behavior, it seemed certain that they harbored romantic feelings for me.

In childhood, it's common to confuse kindness with affection. This is especially true when experiencing something as significant as having one's life saved.

'Is it... really right to accept these children's feelings?'

They are too much like children to me. Looking up to the sky, I had never once thought of my disciples as the opposite sex.

Even if I had thought of them as victims due to my inadequacies. Even if the terminal issue was resolved, I was still the one who had made them unhappy in the end.

There was no way I could be forgiven by them.

As Bing Yeon was pondering repeatedly, hesitating on how to make up his mind,

"...It's been a while, Bing Yeon."

"It has been a while."

Sieghart and Kim Hyul, carrying someone on his back, appeared before Bing Yeon. The two looked around while bowing slightly.

"How did it end up like this, surely... They haven't already discovered that we escaped, have they?"

"Look at the traces left by swords and that ominous demonic energy. The Outer God could kill us like ants with just a gesture, there's no need for such effort."

They were in a situation where they didn't understand why the martial arts arena had turned into such a mess, to the point of mistaking that they had already been tracked by the Outer God.

"It's Kim Hyul and Sieghart. The one on your back, could it be..."

"That's right. The master of the Golden Tower, Wolfram Alchemista."

Kim Hyul spoke readily as he put down the woman on his back.

"Ah, hello... It's been a while..."

Wolfram, her face bright red from physical contact with Kim Hyul, barely opened her mouth while covering her face with both hands.