BXBX NOVEL Chapter 46 – Returnee III
Chapter 46 – Returnee III
Chapter 46 – Returnee III
“In true friendship, there is no distinction of age; there is only the free exchange of souls,” David Hume said.
Immanuel Kant said, “From young friends, we learn vigor, and from old friends, we learn wisdom. Therefore, one should not choose friends based on age.”
The most important point here is that they never actually said such famous quotes.
But the nuances got across, didn’t they? So, isn’t that enough?
The way I befriended the Marquis and shared our friendship also followed the ‘nuance’.
“Doctor Jang!”
“Marquis!”
We emptied four bottles of makgeolli and ate rice cakes as blood brothers that day.
We could recognize each other as brothers almost just by locking eyes, so there was no need for a separate reunion like those of long-lost families. Even the three brothers of Yoo Gwanjang would have been consumed with jealousy and entered into a 500-round anger-eating session if they had witnessed our bond.
What does that even mean? Well… understand it through the ‘nuance’.
Our ‘makgeolli resolution’ didn’t just end as a one-night amusement.
“Marquis, I have something to tell you.”
“Hmm…?”
The next morning, I approached the Marquis with solemnity. By the way, the Marquis had become a furnace and was personally checking the temperature of the veranda with his left cheek.
“You wanted to say something? Huh… What is it?”
“Last night, didn’t you reveal to the senior disciple of the Mount Hua Sect that you were his predecessor?”
There was actually no such occasion.
But the Marquis nodded as if it were the most natural thing.
“Oh, right.”
“How can someone destined to be the head of the Mount Hua Sect confine themselves to a humble thatched house forever? Even though it’s a life of comfort, you can’t pursue tranquility while the world is in chaos. Return to Mount Hua and establish the pillar of the sect.”
“What are you talking about?”
The Marquis opened his mouth. His surprise was palpable.
More specifically, his surprise as a furnace was palpable.
For a moment, there was a time of giving the morning air to the furnace in the front yard. To be more precise, it was a time of letting the furnace taste the air of disguise.
I could have described this scene in more detail, but out of my benevolence for you, dear readers, I won’t provide any visual or auditory material. My goodwill for you is so affectionate and boundless.
“Phew.”
The process was skipped, leaving only the outcome. After gulping down water from a plastic water bottle (the kind you see at the springs), the Marquis looked at me seriously.
“Doctor Jang.”
He seemed to want to exude an aura of solemnity. In my personal opinion, it smelled like something, but it was closer to bad breath than inner strength.
“Is my younger brother offering to guide me back to the Mount Hua?”
“Exactly.”
“While I’m deeply grateful for your intentions, the current martial world is a playground for the cunning followers of the wicked Demonic Cult. The Tao has been cut off, righteousness has collapsed, and chivalry is nothing more than a sheath carried around by villains for show. What audacity do you have to guarantee a journey to Mount Hua?”
“I simply intend to navigate through troubled times with benevolence.”
“…!”
Do you understand what that means? I don’t. But there was indeed a nuance, and the Marquis seemed to understand everything just from that as he widened his eyes.
He pounded his knee.
“Indeed! If I can’t accomplish something alone, then I should do it with my brothers! I’ve been secluded for too long, forgetting even such a simple truth!”
“Will you trust me?”
“Returning to Mount Hua has been the lifelong wish of mine. While friendships based on gain are precarious, friendships based on wishes are steadfast. I trust only you.”
The subsequent events were like a fairy tale.
We immediately left the island. Considering he had lived on Ulleung Island all his life, the provisions the Marquis prepared were minimal. They were so sparse that within less than 40 minutes of deciding on the journey, everything was ready.
The notable item in the Marquis’s attire was the bulging pouch at his waist.
“What’s that, sir?”
The Marquis chuckled as he stroked his beard.
“It’s the essence of the Mount Hua Sect.”
It was his usual nonsense.
I shrugged and climbed onto the deck.
“Woohoo!”
Oh, by the way, on the ferry ride to the mainland, the Marquis even showcased his disguise’s scent to the East Sea.
It was as if he had painted the heavens and the earth with his own colors, a true mark of an accomplished master’s dignity.
But wait, wasn’t this guy originally from Ulleungdo? Even if he had a bit too much makgeolli, shouldn’t he be seasick? It’s embarrassing for an islander.
“Wuekk….”
On every boat ride from Ulleungdo to Gangneung, from Incheon to Shanghai, the Marquis proudly displayed his camaraderie with the railing. Thanks to him, I could have easily transitioned into a professional masseur for the Marquis’s back.
The Marquis explained somewhat sheepishly.
“The Marquis… suffered some damage to his stomach and duodenum when he was wounded. Ah-haha. This never used to happen before. It’s embarrassing.”
[PR/N: The first part of the small intestine.]
Was the duodenum connected to the stomach? It was surprising anatomical knowledge. It had as much scholarly value as investigating what material a unicorn’s horn was made of.
As a footnote, let me say that securing passage on a ship to Shanghai was itself a miracle and an accomplishment of mine.
As you know, when the Gate Incident occurred (now that everyone’s familiar with the terminology, it seems appropriate to express it as “the Void Incident” or “the Advent of the Void”), a large chunk of Seoul south of the Han River disappeared in an instant. Incheon was lucky to remain intact.
There were many people fleeing by land as well as by sea. If it weren’t for me, a seasoned traveler who had been abroad several times, we wouldn’t have been able to find a captain in the chaotic Incheon Harbor.
“Oh.”
We finally arrived in China after endless hardships.
The Marquis’s eyes reddened.
“This place… is China…! Behold! I, the Marquis, have returned!”
It sounded like he was saying the journey was over.
But I was a perpetual returner. While I mainly operated domestically, I had traveled to China several times when I once considered myself an internationalist. So I knew very well that the true ordeal was about to begin.
6
Have you ever read Greek or Norse mythology?
Perhaps you’ve been struck by this lament while reading mythologies from other countries.
“Why didn’t Korea have many systematic mythologies?”
I could talk about this for a long time, but my intention now is not to engage in academic discourse.
Rather, I want to tell you this.
“It’s damn lucky we don’t have any.”
There’s always a reason why I suddenly bring up mythology.
Because ever since the advent of the Void, characters from myths started crossing over into reality.
And they didn’t appear exactly as described in the myths. They appeared more visceral, more Lovecraftian, and therefore more misanthropic.
Now you might understand why I listed India and Japan as the most dangerous places for overseas travel.
Of course, in Asia, only India and Japan boast mythologies. As ghost-holding countries, Thailand and other Asian countries are no less dignified.
But my point is, wouldn’t it be better off than Japan, where all eight million gods have descended as humans, solving the low birthrate and aging population issues in one go?
Areas where Hinduism has spread, like India and Nepal… let’s leave those aside for now.
Have you ever seen the landscape where the Ganges River and the Himalayas paint everything red? It’s quite a spectacle, but I wouldn’t want to see it twice.
It’s truly the end times.
In a world where everyone gets along just fine together, China couldn’t possibly be left out and bullied. China also had an impressive list of formidable deities, shouting, “Me too! Let me join the fun!”
You know how when you go to a fancy Italian restaurant, the wine list is dazzling? Likewise, China boasted menus like the Shanhaijing, the Shiyouji, the Bowuzhi, and the Shen Yi Jing.
This was the transitional period when the trend in martial arts fiction was shifting from ancient to divine, from divine to righteous. Creatures like monsters and demons, which may have felt somewhat alien in traditional martial arts, received praise for being “YOUNG” and “MZ” in righteous fiction.
Naturally, in China, which could be considered the birthplace of martial arts fiction, it led the trend.
Therefore, as the leader of this journey, I made a very rational decision.
“Let’s not go straight to the Mount Hua, let’s stop by Jiang’an first.”
“Hmm? Why? Won’t that just be taking a detour for no reason?”
“There’s a very difficult monster nearby. We need to avoid them.”
Avoidance. Always avoidance.
When it came to the most challenging opponents in China, each awakened individual might have their own preferences, but personally, I wanted to point out just two: ‘Chaos’ and ‘Greed.’
As far as I knew, tens of thousands of awakened individuals had fallen to these two alone. Here, tens of thousands meant a figure close to 20,000 to nearly 100,000. The number of civilians sacrificed couldn’t even be counted, even by the awakened.
It would be a good example of what tragedy could occur when the world’s genre shifted to righteous fiction, yet no one truly reached the pinnacle of freshness.
“If we were properly equipped, it might be a different story, but attacking them in our current state is not a wise move.”
“Hmm. If my brother says so…”
It’s a rule to be courteous and keep a distance when it comes to genres one is not familiar with. My genre belonged strictly to modern fantasy, so how could I not hold back from martial arts fiction?
I carefully planned the travel route to avoid Chaos and Greed.
Instead, we often encountered other monsters, but they were all quickly dealt with under my command.
Meanwhile, the Marquis watched from behind, admiringly, occasionally letting out a sigh of amazement.
“Your level truly is astounding! You’re equal to or even greater than the Marquis in his prime!”
“…”
Something like molten lava rose deep within my chest, but I suppressed it.
“Thank you. There’s still a lot I need to learn. Please continue to guide me well, sir.”
“Haha. With that attitude, you’ll soon reach even greater heights. Keep striving.”
Originally, it was wise to designate specific responsibilities for each person during a trip. Like you look into hotels while I check out restaurants.
Any trip would quickly become tiresome if roles weren’t properly assigned. If you’ve ever traveled long-distance with family or a partner, you’ll understand what I mean.
I, Doctor Jang, though I didn’t show it, considered myself a master of travel. Naturally, I understood the importance of role distribution.
So, during our journey of about two months, my roles were as follows:
Planning the travel route, managing travel expenses, procuring groceries, scouting accommodation, engaging locals, interpreting Chinese (since the next leader of the Mount Hua Faction didn’t know Chinese), carrying luggage, firefighting, security.
Now, what did the Marquis handle? Um… alcohol?
Anyway. Among my roles, interpreting Chinese was particularly important.
No matter how much of a time-traveler I might be, this was my first time visiting Mount Hua, so inevitably, I had to rely on local guidance. Moreover, major roads were devoured by Chaos and Greed, so we couldn’t even move along well-known routes.
Every time we passed through rural roads, locals looked at us with curious eyes.
“You’re Korean? What brings you here?”
“We’re on a journey to Mount Hua.”
“What?”
“This gentleman here is my grandfather. Before he passes away, he wishes to see Mount Hua with his own eyes. So, I’ve embarked on this journey to fulfill his last wish, offering to interpret for him as he doesn’t speak Chinese.”
“Oh…”
Initially approaching with curiosity and suspicion, the locals’ eyes welled up with tears upon hearing my response.
By the way, throughout the trip, the Marquis was perched on my back. It was inevitable. If I had asked him to walk on two legs, the duration of the trip would have increased twenty-fourfold. Not a joke or an exaggeration.
“A truly rare filial child, no, filial grandson!”
“No, sir. My grandfather raised me alone after losing my parents when I was young. I consider it a natural obligation.”
“How can there be such people in this chaotic world! Well, I have nothing to offer, but please take some peanuts. The peanuts from our village are really delicious.”
Indeed, filial piety is a magical preseason pass valid anywhere in East Asia.
Despite having little, rural villagers tried to give me something extra. I barely managed to stop them from filling a bag with peanuts. To show gratitude for their kindness, I cleared the monsters near the village like weeding a garden. That’s a win-win.
As the Marquis marveled while perched on my back, “People say rural hospitality is disappearing, but it’s all nonsense. Aren’t they so kind?”
“Well, if I had said the old man I was carrying was an old Mount Hua faction leader, 99% of this kindness would have disappeared.”
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Day 62 of our journey through China.
After countless twists and turns, barely escaping a typhoon mid-journey, and all sorts of chaos, we finally arrived at the Mount Hua.
“Oh, finally… Mount Hua…!”
The prospective 261st leader of the Mount Hua Faction exclaimed as if seeing Mount Hua for the first time, much like a tourist.
Of course, I didn’t point that out. I was understanding. I just politely inquired.
“It was indeed a challenging journey. Even I would like to witness the majesty of the sect you claim to have trained under. Where is the sect’s building?”
“Unfortunately, our sect was destroyed by the Heavenly Demon’s attack 45 years ago.”
The old man deftly avoided the implied question, ‘Your sect doesn’t exist, does it? There’s no building?’ Indeed, such trivialities didn’t matter to a master who had dedicated his life to mimicking a martial arts sect.
“As the executioners were slaughtering everyone, I had no choice but to flee. Now, it’s even difficult to find the ruins.”
“It’s not that you don’t know where it is?”
“The mountain is serene and truly majestic.”
My questioning didn’t faze the Marquis.
I shook my head and continued climbing.
Mountains, you see, don’t flaunt their scenery but keep it hidden. Similarly, Mount Hua, being one of the world’s famous mountains, only revealed its true face layer by layer as I ventured deeper. With each step, the landscape expanded like a folding screen.
I surveyed the mountain range.
“People have left, but the buildings are relatively intact.”
Oh, by buildings, I didn’t mean the Mount Hua Faction’s buildings. I meant various facilities like shelters, stairs, and snack bars.
Perhaps even the cable cars that climbers used before the advent of the Void were still in good condition. Near the cable car landing site, there was a rest area, which seemed suitable as a base camp.
I checked the warehouse, but there was no food left.
Well, the living biological farm was our companion on this trip, producing food just by being alive. So, I didn’t worry too much.
“Sir, I’ll set up a base camp here.”
“Do as you wish, my friend.”
I put down my backpack and also let the Marquis down (he seemed to think it was a standard service even while climbing).
The Marquis collapsed on the floor of the rest area as if he could finally rest.
“Oh, my tired body. After decades, I’ve returned, but now I can’t even move around.”
‘If anyone saw, they’d think he climbed up here all by himself.’
I took out water, a burner, and ramen from my backpack and started cooking.
Even with just one line of description, I believe you can guess how much I suffered on this journey. Yes, indeed. I crossed the Chinese continent, carrying the Marquis on my back and embracing a one-meter backpack with my chest.
“Sir, the ramen is ready.”
“Hmm.”
The old man, who had been lying on the floor, rose like a ghost and picked up his chopsticks.
After slurping the ramen, the Marquis looked up at the ceiling of the rest area.
“Wow. I may be exaggerating, but the ramen you cooked is truly delicious. I’ve met countless ramen masters in my lifetime, but none compares to you.”
“You flatter me.”
“No, I’m serious. I don’t know how you achieve such perfection…”
Well, anyone who boils ramen for centuries will eventually reach this level.
I even tried being a chef in the 45th turn. Though I may not be the world’s greatest chef, I dared to claim the top spot when it came to cooking with ingredients from the Void. This was the essence of a Regressionist’s cuisine.
It was truly inconsequential ramen.
“Burp. That was delicious.”
I changed the subject. Anyway, what mattered now wasn’t my ramen-cooking skills, but how the Marquis would react from now on.
Until now, the Marquis had always muttered about his wish of visiting Mount Hua. In the last turn, and even before that, he always wished to visit Mount Hua.
A wish that remained constant regardless of time.
It showed the strength of his heart. It signified his beliefs.
As a Regressor, few things were as fascinating to me as a person’s mind.
“And now I’ve fulfilled his lifelong wish.”
Now that his wish had come true, only curiosity remained.
The most important curiosity in the world.
‘So, what reaction will you show, Marquis?’
Now that he had crossed off everything on his bucket list, should we return to the Korean Peninsula? Or should he fulfill his delusion and build the Mount Hua Faction’s building? Which way to go?
I watched the Marquis silently. He patted his full belly as if expressing his satisfaction, then stood up and stretched.
“I’m full and rested, so it’s time to work.”
Let’s just say, all my expectations were completely off.