Lee Sungmin closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes at Frau.
It was the first time he had ever heard the definition of fate, but when he heard Frau, he realized her explanation had a point.
The old yokai, Heoju, who had woken up and dwelled within his dantian and armor then his meeting with Rubia, spirit familiar. The dungeon with Baek Sogo and Wijihoyeon, the events in Travia Rubes, and his journey down South.
In fact, that wasn’t all.
He found a stone in the dungeon where he died in his previous life and returned to the past, and ended up meeting Wijihoyeon. Thus, learning there was much more to the world than he thought.
From then till now, Lee Sungmin always had ‘something to do’, or a ‘direction’ of sorts. There were also times when he didn’t know how to proceed or lost on what he wanted to do with this life.
At that time, Lee Sungmin trained himself again and again, going through arduous trials and gained newfound strength and ideals. And yet after those times of training, there was always work to be done.
At the Mountain of Mush, the next goal was meeting Denir, the god of time.
When he went down and worked as a mercenary in Behenger, he obtained Shaolin’s pills and techniques from the dead Xeon, and had a reason to go to Shaolin.
After that? Through that unofficial visit, he was told that he made a connection with Namgung Heewon and that he would have a fateful encounter in the North later on.
During his stay in Shaolin, he got an errand to go to the Volcano Sect area and met Denir that time, he also became caught up with the Solitary Blade Dokgo who became a vampire, and earned his martial nickname.
And again after that? Lee Sungmin heard the story of Envirus from Denir, and while looking for Envirus, he arrived in the sleeping forest. Where he met Heoju and Rubia.
And he had to stop Baek Sogo from dying in the dungeon. After saving her, he went North to see this ‘fateful encounter’ he was going to have.
Through that process, he went through a lot when traveling to the North. The presence of Predator became known to him and he got muddled with their affairs.
Then after he had to go to the South after meeting the Crazy Heavenly Demon to learn how to control his powers and techniques that made him go crazy and find the origin of it. During the time of learning what to do there, he finally balanced his heart, mind and body through the fight with Baek Museon, the vampire-turned Bloody Heavenly Demon.
Then, his 10 year promise in Rubes. He arrived only to find that Wijihoyeon was placed under a curse.
By killing Ironclad in Rubes, he became a rogue, and became involved with ‘Beyond the Heavens’, the transcendent group that placed the curse on Wijihoyeon.
He met the Lord of the Sama Order, Sima Ryunju. And now, he was in the City of Endless Night after separating with Aladdur as well as trying to find leads on Kumiho.
All those things that had happened, were they fate? Destiny? What were they? He felt like he was being led around his life by something greater than him or was that all just some nonsense Frau was spouting at him? It didn’t seem like it was.
Lee Sungmin rubbed his temples as his mind was throbbing with a headache.
Was this his destiny? There was no such thing as a coincidence in this world.
The words that Mush muttered, lingered in Lee Sungmin’s mind.
If Frau’s words were true, fate was a force that moved his actions in a predetermined manner. This meant that Lee Sungmin’s life so far has been within the flow of fate within this world, not a series of coincidences.
Then what the hell was his destiny supposed to be?
“You’re confused, aren’t you?”, Frau giggled and laughed.
As a great sorcerer, she was looking interestingly at Lee Sungmin to some extent.
Though she could not see the ‘apostle of the end’ and it’s influence with Lee Sungmin. Frau was a special kind of practitioner in magic, a sorcerer, who dealt with curses, abstract things and the dead. She could see a different view on Lee Sungmin than any other wizard or witch.
“Fate is forcing a string of coincidences to guide a certain distinct future. You can’t help it even if you know of it. But you know what? Fate is… It’s as vague as I just said. Maybe it’s fate or coincidence that you and I are talking like this now. No one knows that. Even God doesn’t know.”, Frau said with a mysterious smile.
“……why are these things tied to me?”, Lee Sungmin asked as he was incredibly perplexed.
“That’s not something I would know. All beings are bound by fate. So are the gods in this world. The thing that gives destiny power would be something that controls fate. It would have to be something that goes beyond even God. Human beings can never escape that fate. It’s the same even if you become transcendent. It’s like playing on someone’s palm after all.”
Lee Sungmin was having a bad headache, he pressed down on his temples.
Frau continued to speak to him, “You’re so strange. You’re a yokai, but you’re still human, aren’t you? Humanity, usually in a case like yours… Hahahaha! You have to throw away your humanity as soon as possible. You have to be a monster without any pre-existing condition like your humanity, only then will you be out of such problems.”
Lee Sungmin’s left eye seemed to throb.
“If it’s just a trivial evil spirit, I can get rid of it, but the influence it has on you is too strong. If I try to fight it carelessly, I could die from mishandling it. I don’t know what it is, but you better be careful. Human beings are meant to stay human from the time they are born till the time they die. There’s a limit for everybody, how much of a monster’s power they can consume without it destroying the balance or the vessel’s body. If you continue to try and wager in between the two, you’ll end up a mess.”, Frau spoke out flatly.
“Don’t… mind… it.”, Lee Sungmin barely managed to squeeze out his voice.
He felt terrible.
The life that he had lived to this day. The Lee Sungmin that was once dead, the Lee Sungmin from the past. In his whole life… Lee Sungmin never once thought that the life he had lived in was swayed and controlled by something like fate, not what he had chosen and acted on by himself.
That’s why Frau’s words were driving Lee Sungmin into a terrible headache.
“The way to handle a technique that balances the forces. That’s why we’re here.”.
Finally, Lee Sungmin got a hold of himself and glanced over to the Crazy Heavenly Demon, to point out his technique that was messing with his psyche.
“There’s no way to do it.”, Frau said affirmably.
“As long as you exist as a human being, there is no such technique to balance the power between a monster’s influence and a human’s. The moment you use that force or technique in earnest, you won’t be human anymore. It’ll take over slowly, and you’ll think you have a handle on it, but it’s a complete illusion if you think that.”, Frau spoke with a small frown on her face.
This was quite the problem for both Lee Sungmin and Byuk Won-Pae, as both of their cultivations had been tainted with a monster’s influence.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon’s psyche and mental state was currently being sustained and subdued down because he was in the vicinity of Heoju, an old and powerful monster. But before he even met Lee Sungmin, he had been going on rampages for over 10 years.
If he had not met Lee Sungmin, Byuk Won-Pae would have gone completely crazy, suffering from madness and never able to wake up.
“……It may sound strange to say it myself. It’s a little weird with the old man’s case.”, Frau spoke glancing at Byuk Won-Pae.
“It’s normal to be crazy at this stage with your cultivation, but you’re maintaining your humanity. So, is that what you want to ask me?”, Frau asked.
Even Frau wondered how the Crazy Heavenly Demon was still sane at this very moment, Although she would not know it was because of Heoju and Lee Sungmin were around Byuk Won-Pae, that he was still sane.
Lee Sungmin stood silent for a bit wondering if he should bring up his real question for coming here. So he decided to speak.
“I want to meet Kumiho.”
“Kumiho? The only Kumiho I know is the nine-tailed fox.”, Frau grinned.
“That is the Kumiho I’m looking for.”, responded Lee Sungmin curtly.
Frau widened her eyes in shock at Lee Sungmin’s response.
“You don’t mean to fight Kumiho, do you? No way, that can’t be possible. There’s no way the world’s fate is going to make such a crazy development, right?”
“I don’t know that. But there’s a reason I need to meet Kumiho.”, Lee Sungmin replied expressionlessly.
“Hm is that so?”, Frau stroked her chin delicately with her hand.
Her eyes glistened at Lee Sungmin, and she smiled coquettishly.
“How fun. The request itself is not very interesting, but it’s quite interesting because it’s you who’s asking. Maybe this is also fate.”
Frau nodded and spoke with a sudden serious tone.
“I’ll let you meet Kumiho.”
“……Do you know Kumiho personally?”, Lee Sungmin asked shocked.
“You’re not asking me out of curiosity, now are you?”, Frau looked at Lee Sungmin and tilted her head in confusion.
When she heard the question asked by Lee Sungmin, Frau looked rather strange. Lee Sungmin could tell himself.
Lee Sungmin asked Frau to meet Kumiho, simply because she lived in the City of Endless Night and she might know where Kumiho was, but he seriously didn’t expect her to answer as if she personally knew the nine-tailed fox.
Kumiho, who was controlling Predator behind the scenes, was an extremely powerful and mysterious existence. He was unable to locate the mysterious fox even through Erebrisa.
“More than that. How did you know I was here? Aladdur, the goddamn bastard shouldn’t know I’m here.”, Frau now eyed Lee Sungmin with suspicion.
“…I received information elsewhere.”, Lee Sungmin responded
“Are you a member of Erebrisa?”, Frau asked as she hit the nail on the head, frowning.
Lee Sungmin nodded silently.
“I don’t like them. I don’t know what the hell they are, but they’re treating people as ‘variables’ and making them members.”, Frau spoke in an agitated voice.
“First of all, you will stay here. I’ll ask Kumiho for you.”, Frau spoke in an irritated voice but still respected the request.
“What’s your relationship with Kumiho?”, asked Lee Sungmin.
Frau shrugged her shoulders at the remark.
“A long-time friend. I knew Kumiho long before she started to reign over Predator.”
That being said, Frau didn’t seem to be able to get in touch with Kumiho right away either.
Eventually, Lee Sungmin, Byuk Won-Pae and Rubia got comfortable. They got a room in the building where Frau was staying as they were now going to stay there for a while waiting on Frau’s response.
As soon as Lee Sungmin entered the room they received, he spoke to the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“If we meet Kumiho, let’s ask her about Chusung the monster who destroyed the village.”
“Well….”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon had his eyes closed and was trying to meditate, pondered for a moment whether it would be a good idea and eventually nodded his head.
He didn’t know if it was Chusung who killed the tribesman or not.
To know exactly what happened at that time, they had to meet Kumiho in person as Kumiho was the monster who drove the fire-breathing calamity away.
“Maybe … I don’t know….”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon opened his mouth with his eyes closed and continued to speak.
“If we meet Kumiho and receive information on the monster that killed the tribe, this old man will go and kill that beast in vengeance no matter where they are.”
“Yes…”, Lee Sungmin replied in a weak voice.
It seemed that the Crazy Heavenly Demon was stubbornly saying he would go crazy and kill the beast even if they were hiding in a monster den like the City of Endless Night.
“Don’t interfere with it, please.”, Byuk Won-Pae said with a calm voice and Lee Sungmin shut his mouth.
“This is my personal vendetta. It has nothing to do with you. So I’m asking you not to step forward please.”, Byuk Won-Pae continued.
“It……may be dangerous.”, Lee Sungmin tried to console the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“Haha! Maybe. But this is just what my heart wants……I don’t want your help.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon spoke warmly despite the content of the conversation.
“You helped me with my personal affairs up till now though.”, Lee Sungmin tried to speak out and reason with The Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“If you had asked me not to come forward, I wouldn’t have. So, you should respect what the other wishes. Even if I die from fighting that monster, don’t come forward.”, Byuk Won-Pae said respectfully.
“If you die, I’ll have to avenge you.”, Lee Sungmin spoke furrowing his brows.
“Will you really act out in revenge if I die?”, Byuk Won-Pae spoke surprisedly at Lee Sungmin’s determined remark.
“Yes, of course.”, Lee Sungmin’s answer made the Crazy Heavenly Demon’s lips form a heartily smile.
He opened his closed eyes slightly and looked up at Lee Sungmin.
“Do you know?”, he asked Lee Sungmin.
“……know what?”, Lee Sungmin questioned back.
“You. My impression of you has changed a lot since we first met. At the time, you seemed so emotionless and heartless……… but not now. I feel like I’ve come back to being human now that you’ve changed as well.”
At the remark, Lee Sungmin widened his eyes in realization at his personality change.
When he came out of Denir’s trial that he had been stuck in for 2100 years, Lee Sungmin’s mind state was so worn out that he had become incredibly numb to emotions and other people. Especially in perceiving the emotions from others.
Having spent such a long time alone, he couldn’t keep his old personality intact.
It got better as he spent more time outside the trial, meeting others, talking and staying together. The emotionless and dull side of him had changed naturally due to time and outside stimulations.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon smiled at Lee Sungmin, who was in a bit of shock at the revelation.
“People change. You are a better person than you were back then. I think that’s the beauty of being human right there.”.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon spoke to Lee Sungmin heartwarmingly, like a grandfather speaking to his grandchild.
“……what?”
Lee Sungmin unknowingly became a bit emotional just hearing that others had perceived his changes before himself.
“Yes, didn’t you just say you would avenge my death if I died?”, Byuk Won-Pae understood Lee Sungmin and asked a question to help him understand his changes properly.
“That’s …because there would be no reason to have met you if I didn’t at least avenge your death.”, Lee Sungmin stammered looking at the floor.
“That’s right.”, Byuk Won-Pae smiled and nodded his head as Lee Sungmin was nervous and embarrassed.
“But now I have a responsibility. That’s why this old man wants revenge, and that’s why I’m asking you to stay out of it. You have no reason to join in on my personal vengeance.”, Byuk Won-Pae spoke and closed his eyes once more. (T/ N : personally I don’t see the logic in his words but more or less I understand lol)
“So don’t come forward.”, he spoke quietly to Lee Sungmin.
Lee Sungmin closed his mouth and looked at the Crazy Heavenly Demon, which was meditating with a calm expression. Soon, Lee Sungmin sighed and sat down next to the Crazy Heavenly Demon to meditate as well.
He had become fond of the old man. Since they had traveled together for over a year and gotten to know each other slowly but surely. It was natural to be attached to each other and feel a sense of camaraderie.
It wasn’t just the Crazy Heavenly Demon, the same goes to Rubia and Heoju as well. They all grew deeply attached to each other while traveling together.
[You naughty boy, you’re embarrassing me.], Heoju spoke out suddenly as he read Lee Sungmin’s emotions and Lee Sungmin got embarrassed.
Lee Sungmin jumped to his feet and took off his armor. He was going to shove this old yokai in a pile of shit again as he obviously couldn’t read the mood and came in with his stupid sarcasm.
Heoju, who suddenly realized what Lee Sungmin was going to do, burst into a roar.
[Hey, hey! You said we were getting closer!]
Lee Sungmin strode toward the toilet ignoring him. Meanwhile, Heoju begged Lee Sungmin not to drown him in shit for a couple days.
Only after he held the armor over the toilet did Heoju promise bitterly, that he wouldn’t do it again.