Chapter 180
Chapter 180. The Heavenly Seer’s Gift
“Haha. Have you been well?”
“Welcome, my friend. Hahaha!”
Someone entered the family head’s room, bursting into hearty laughter.
A middle-aged man with a unique aura had incredibly clear eyes despite his grubby appearance.
It was none other than the Heavenly Diviner Shim Hobang.
He had visited the Peng Family once again, having previously appeared out of nowhere at Yul-i’s birthday banquet only to vanish like the wind.
Seeing him, Peng Mugang’s face lit up with immense joy.
Of course, everyone was surprised by the Heavenly Seer’s sudden visit.
But he was always like this.
He would appear without a word and disappear like the wind when he left.
Yet, one thing never changed: his visits were always welcome.
And this time, that was especially true.
“Seeing you and the Peng Family safe and sound makes me truly happy today.”
“My friend, isn’t this all thanks to you?”
Peng Mugang, who had been laughing heartily, soon put on a serious face and spoke with utmost sincerity.
“I heard everything from our friend Hwangbo Gyun… Thank you, truly. Thanks to you, the Peng Family survived.”
“I am glad if I was of help, but in truth, I did nothing. I merely gave a small hint. The ones who actually risked their lives were the family heads of the other Five Great Families, were they not?”
The Heavenly Seer acted humbly.
But Peng Mugang knew better than anyone.
If the Heavenly Seer hadn’t informed the other Five Great Families in advance to gather here in Hebei on time, they would have undoubtedly met a tragic and horrific end before Yeo Un-hwi even returned.
Yet the Heavenly Seer claimed he had done nothing, passing all the credit to others.
He was always like that.
To begin with, if someone with his special abilities truly set his mind to it, what could he not obtain?
But he never used that ability for himself.
He was a man who found satisfaction in dedicating his life to the world rather than filling his own belly.
Peng Mugang genuinely respected such a Heavenly Seer, not just as a friend, but as a human being.
But for that very reason, he also felt sorry for him.
He could have looked after his own interests moderately and enjoyed what he deserved, but he was a man who didn’t know how to do that at all.
That always made Peng Mugang feel pity for him.
And right now, while Peng Mugang and the Heavenly Seer were catching up, there was another man watching them with interest.
It was none other than the Black Emperor Dokgo Yeong.
“Hoh. So that man is the Heavenly Seer.”
Heavenly Diviner Shim Hobang.
A man with the special talent of reading fragments of the future.
He had heard that the man was so elusive that meeting him was like plucking a star from the sky, yet it was surprising to think he would meet him in a place like this.
Even for Dokgo Yeong, who had risen to the position of the Twelve Venerables and experienced and witnessed all the bizarre things in the world, it was certainly an intriguing ability.
Who wouldn’t be curious about the future?
Any human with desires would naturally wonder where people, wealth, or a fortuitous encounter was and whether it could be obtained.
Above all, they would wonder how they would live, and when and how they would die.
That was the same for Dokgo Yeong.
If he had known the future and could have prepared for it, he might have been able to prevent what happened with the Demonic Alliance this time.
But even so, he had never thought of forcing a meeting with the Heavenly Seer.
No matter what he had experienced, no matter what regrets he had.
Dokgo Yeong had realized long ago that such was human life, such was living.
Anyway, because of that, this meeting was truly unexpected and simply fascinating for Dokgo Yeong.
This was why the affairs of the world were so amusing.
Those blinded by greed who tried every means to meet the Heavenly Seer to know the future could never meet him, while only those who were faithful to their own lives ended up meeting him like this.
Soon, the Heavenly Seer, having finished his greetings with Peng Mugang, turned his gaze toward the Black Emperor.
“To think I would meet the famous Black Emperor like this.”
“I, too, have heard much of the Heavenly Seer’s reputation. But I didn’t expect to see you here. It is a pleasure.”
“Haha. More interesting people gather at the Peng Family here than you might think.”
“Indeed. Perhaps the land has good energy; I quite like this place myself.”
The Heavenly Seer and Dokgo Yeong exchanged gentle smiles.
As if they had figured out from this short encounter what kind of person the other was, despite their first meeting.
“By the way.”
Soon, the Heavenly Seer turned his head and looked at Yeo Un-hwi.
His deep eyes, which seemed to contain the sky, silently fixed on Yeo Un-hwi for a long time.
When Yeo Un-hwi eventually made a puzzled face, the Heavenly Seer offered a subtle smile.
“There shouldn’t be any need to hide it here. Would you step out and have a chat with me for a moment, Successor of the Martial God?”
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes widened at the Heavenly Seer’s words.
A little later.
Under an incredibly clear sky, Yeo Un-hwi and the Heavenly Seer were walking side by side.
However, the Heavenly Seer, who had requested the conversation first, was merely strolling through the Peng Family’s garden without a word, leisurely enjoying the scenery.
In the end, it was Yeo Un-hwi who spoke first.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Thanks to you, I didn’t lose them, my family and this place.”
Yeo Un-hwi had heard the whole story of how the Five Great Families had arrived in time to help during the Peng Family’s crisis that day.
Therefore, Yeo Un-hwi had wanted to convey these words if he ever met the Heavenly Seer again.
At those words, the Heavenly Seer smiled warmly.
“I only did what I always do; you and the others did everything else.”
“That is not true. If you hadn’t stepped in, no one would have been able to prepare for it in time.”
But the Heavenly Seer shook his head.
“Because I stepped in? No. Just because I step in doesn’t mean the results are always good.”
There were many times when no matter how much he warned them, it was useless.
Most humans were always arrogant.
To the point where they seemed to blindly believe they could overcome the misfortunes about to befall them without any effort.
And it was always his burden to watch all those outcomes with a frustrated and bitter heart.
The Heavenly Seer let out a deep sigh with a face that hinted at countless untold experiences.
A brief silence flowed between the two for a moment.
A moment later, it was Yeo Un-hwi who broke the silence again.
“But I have one question.”
“Hahaha! I was the one who asked to speak privately, but it seems you have more to say. Alright. Ask away.”
The more he heard it, the more pleasant the Heavenly Seer’s laughter sounded.
Yeo Un-hwi nodded and spoke again.
“If you had known what would happen in the future, rather than preparing the other Five Great Families, you could have just told me not to accept the Demonic Alliance’s invitation…”
“Are you asking why I took the roundabout way instead of doing that?”
“I don’t mean to argue. I was just wondering.”
“No. It is a perfectly reasonable question.”
It was a question many had already asked him.
Soon, the Heavenly Seer slowly looked up at the sky.
Before his eyes, three-colored threads floating in the air came into view.
These were visible only to his eyes.
Threads of fate, each colored red, blue, and black.
The Heavenly Seer then spoke.
“Many people believe that I know the future and can change it as I please.”
“Is that not the case?”
“Of course not. If that were true, would I need to walk around looking like a beggar? Haha!”
The Heavenly Seer continued his story after a hearty laugh.
Before long, his face had become incredibly serious.
“Reading the heavenly secrets to see the future and interfering with it are two very different things.”
And at the same time, it was an incredibly painful task.
“Some fates cannot be touched at all. But other fates can be interfered with by paying a price.”
That referred to the black threads and the red threads.
“And for some things, the line of how much interference is allowed is clearly drawn. If one crosses that line, a massive misfortune far worse than not interfering at all will strike.”
Unfortunately, it was something he had already experienced several times.
And the bigger problem was that the three different threads would sometimes swap colors at unknown points in time.
“The heavenly secrets are truly unknowable. They flow into completely unexpected places, like a living creature. That is why I always pray to the heavens. I pray for them to bestow blessings instead of disasters, to please watch over this land.”
It was truly ironic.
To think that the more he read the heavenly secrets, the more desperately he ended up praying to the heavens.
“I see.”
Yeo Un-hwi vaguely understood what the Heavenly Seer was saying.
In other words, that was the absolute limit of what he could do by stepping in.
If he crossed that line, someone would have to pay the price.
At that point, he suddenly found himself wondering.
Just what exactly was the will of the heavens?
“It will be hard to fully understand just by listening for a moment like this. Even I still don’t know at all. Haha!”
Perhaps he wouldn’t understand it even until the moment he died.
Somehow, his laughter seemed sorrowful.
It was then.
“Dad!”
Yul-i, who had just returned from finishing her classes at Sowol Academy, came running into the Peng Family’s garden.
Jujak was accompanying Yul-i from behind.
“Ah. Hello!”
“Yes. Do you remember this old grandpa?”
“Yes! You came on my birthday! You’re here again! Welcome!”
“Hahaha! Yes. It’s nice to see you.”
The Heavenly Seer chuckled as he watched Yul-i greet him so cheerfully.
Then, his gaze turned toward Jujak.
At that, Jujak lightly bowed her head.
“Hoh. You’ve placed a truly reliable friend as her escort. I see. You won’t have to worry about your daughter anymore.”
He spoke as if he knew everything about her true identity.
“Yes. This is good, very good. I’m really glad I came here today. The gift I brought won’t go to waste.”
“A gift?”
Yul-i’s eyes went round at the word 'gift'.
The Heavenly Seer smiled gently and patted Yul-i’s head.
“Yes. I hope you like it, Yul-i. Would you follow me for a moment?”
As the Heavenly Seer took the lead, Yeo Un-hwi held Yul-i’s hand and followed.
Soon, stepping outside the entrance of the Peng Family estate, the Heavenly Seer asked Yeo Un-hwi.
“Could you lend me what Yul-i has for a moment?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the Guardian Mirror.”
How did he know about that?
It was simply fascinating and astonishing just how much this man knew.
Nodding, Yeo Un-hwi looked at Yul-i.
Yul-i, who had been listening to the conversation, had already taken the Guardian Mirror off her neck and handed it over.
What on earth was he trying to do?
Taking Yul-i’s Guardian Mirror in one hand, the Heavenly Seer pulled something out of his robes with the other.
“Did you know? The Guardian Mirror is actually a pair.”
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes widened when he saw what the Heavenly Seer had newly brought out.
It looked exactly like the Guardian Mirror he had obtained after defeating the Phantom Divine Monarch for the first time.
Even the aura emanating from it was the same.
To think the Guardian Mirror had another half.
That was a story completely unknown not only to Yeo Un-hwi but to the entire Murim.
“And it can be used like this.”
Soon, as the Heavenly Seer overlapped the two Guardian Mirrors and held them high toward the sky,
Fwooooosh!
Along with a blinding light, a massive curtain of light began to unfold in Yul-i’s large, round eyes.