Chapter 577

## Chapter 577: The Lazy Man Bids Farewell (2)

Wei Yanho’s emotions overflowed.

How long had it been since he last felt such passion?

Unable to contain the torrent of feelings, Wei Yanho ended up shouting:

“I want to be like you, master!”

Baek Muhan smiled softly and replied:

“Nonsense.”

“……”

“Let’s talk honestly, just say what we really feel.”

“I admit I got carried away by the moment.”

Acknowledging his mistake, Wei Yanho asked again:

“Do you mean I can’t do it all alone?”

“Of course, you can do it alone. Maybe you would even get better results. But you wouldn’t gain anything from it.”

“The truth is, I’ve never done anything completely alone.”

“Can’t you trust those around you?”

Wei Yanho didn’t know how to answer.

If he were asked if he couldn’t trust them, he would say no. He could trust them. But that wasn’t the question his master was asking him.

“More than not trusting, I would say they are not helpful. At least when it comes to combat.”

“Then, is there anyone you can rely on?”

“Well……”

Wei Yanho began to reflect.

Jangil or Jegal Munin were not even an option. At that level, it was better not to have them around so you wouldn’t have to worry.

Then Musan?

No, Musan wasn’t useful either. Even Wei Jeonghan didn’t seem to be of much help in a fight.

And what about the Poison King? Or the Supreme Sovereign?

Or perhaps the Sword Saint or the Sword Sage?

‘Grandfather Sword Sage might be useful.’

But, was he someone Wei Yanho could entrust his affairs to?

No, he wasn’t.

Wei Yanho scratched his head in frustration.

“Now that I think about it…”

“You don’t have anyone to rely on, do you?”

“… That’s right.”

Wei Yanho seemed a bit shocked. For others, this process might be natural. But Wei Yanho was the biggest Lazy man in the world.

If someone fed him, he would be grateful. But not having anyone to rely on…

That was shocking. Only then did he understand why Baek Muhan had told him those words. If he continued like this, he would end up not being able to trust anyone in the world.

“When a person’s position changes, so does their perspective.”

“Ah……”

“There was a time when they were companions you could trust, people you could lean on. But when the gap starts to grow, the perception changes. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want it to change. You’ve felt it already, haven’t you?”

He couldn’t deny it.

“But, Yanho.”

Baek Muhan spoke firmly.

“If you continue like this, you won’t be any different from me. No, you’ll end up losing even more than me.”

At least the era in which Baek Muhan lived was peaceful.

Saying that the martial world was peaceful sounded ridiculous, but at least in his time there were no major wars. When Baek Muhan had not yet reached his full power, he was lucky, and after perfecting his martial arts, no one dared to challenge him.

But Wei Yanho was already living in a chaotic era. In turbulent times, things are lost even without making mistakes.

If Wei Yanho continued to change as he had been, in the end, there would be no one left by his side. If he won, he would end up alone like Baek Muhan; if he lost, he would die full of regrets.

‘That can’t happen.’

He couldn’t allow his disciple to repeat his path.

“Disciple.”

“Yes, master.”

“You can’t live in this world alone.”

“I know, but……”

Wei Yanho also had something to say.

“But I can’t let them fight those Bishops. They wouldn’t last a moment.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Master.”

Wei Yanho sighed deeply.

“Do you think I want to do it all alone? You know me. I’m a Lazy man. If I can have fun, I’ll do my best to enjoy one more minute; if I can sleep, I’ll fight to stay asleep for one more instant. But… I can’t do it.”

“Why?”

Wei Yanho hesitated.

It was hard to put into words. But he couldn’t hide it from his master.

“Because they are important to me.”

Wei Yanho revealed his deepest feelings, something he rarely did.

“Sometimes they act like fools or idiots, no, actually they always do, but they’re good guys. The one from the Beggar Sect pretends to be indifferent, but deep down he’s warm; the sword-obsessed one acts like he’s strong, but he’s actually very sensitive…”

Wei Yanho kept talking non-stop. He didn’t care if Baek Muhan listened to him or not.

“The monk sometimes seems crazy, but he has a sense of honor. The scholar is cunning, but deep down he’s sentimental.”

Thinking of his companions, Wei Yanho spoke in a calmer voice.

“And they all think of me. Honestly, even I think I’m not someone they would want to be with. But they still treat me like a friend. I can’t let them die.”

Baek Muhan listened in silence and then looked at Wei Yanho with a different expression.

‘He’s different from me.’

He had excluded others because he couldn’t trust them. But Wei Yanho excluded them to protect them. The result might be the same, but the reason was different.

In the world, only results matter. But could he tell this disciple that he was wrong?

“With that lad…”

Baek Muhan smiled briefly before speaking seriously.

“But persevering on your current path won’t be easy.”

“I’m prepared.”

“You may have to give up many things.”

“… Indeed, I’ve already been sleeping less. I never thought it would come to this.”

Wei Yanho smiled.

“But what does it matter. It’s what I must do.”

“I see.”

Baek Muhan looked at his disciple with eyes full of pride.

‘He’s different.’

He was different from him.

And also different from when he left the cave.

This change wasn’t necessarily positive. In the dangerous martial world, worrying about others could become a great weakness.

But Baek Muhan didn’t want to reprimand Wei Yanho for it.

Perfection, impeccability.

Those epithets were for others. They were useless in one’s own life.

His wish was for his disciple to surpass him. But if he had to choose between his happiness and his strength, he wouldn’t hesitate to choose happiness.

“It will be a cruel path.”

“I already said I’m prepared.”

“Preparation won’t be enough.”

“……”

“You’ve returned to the beginning.”

Baek Muhan slowly unsheathed his sword.

Wei Yanho’s expression turned serious.

The atmosphere hadn’t changed at all. But just seeing Baek Muhan unsheathe his sword, Wei Yanho felt an overwhelming pressure, as if his body was about to be torn apart.

Before him, a Martial God had descended.

‘No, it’s different.’

Wei Yanho clenched his lips.

His master was strong. So strong that just looking at him made him feel like he would lose his mind.

But he could see it.

He saw it.

How strong his master was.

Like a divine dragon hidden in the clouds, he had only been able to imagine his master’s strength. But now he felt it in his skin.

Was his master showing off?

No.

Wei Yanho had become stronger.

Now he could see it and feel it. How strong his master was.

“In the end, you’re incorrigible.”

His master’s sword moved slowly.

“You can’t let go of it, but you can’t hold on to it either. You can’t ignore it. You want to protect it, but you don’t have the strength. Then the solution is obvious.”

A soft arc.

But it wasn’t an arc. His master’s sword flowed like water, but it was intense like lightning; fast as light, but serene as the wind.

That’s right.

There was everything there.

The universe.

If the universe is all that exists, then that sword was the universe.

The universe of the sword.

All the swords in the world were there. And they were all concentrated in a single movement.

What to call this level?

Even Wei Yanho, who had achieved unity with the sword and entered the realm of the mental sword, couldn’t define his master’s sword.

He could only feel reverence.

“Look.”

The world entered the sword.

The universe entered the sword.

As he drew the world with his sword, the master spoke calmly:

“Can you contain the world in the tip of your sword?”

“I…”

Wei Yanho shook his head.

“I can’t.”

For Wei Yanho, it was an unattainable level.

He couldn’t even imagine getting there. It was like a dream.

No matter how hard one tries, a human cannot fly. One can use all kinds of means to float in the air for a moment, even jump through the sky, but one cannot fly like a bird.

That is the destiny with which one is born.

That his master could do it didn’t mean that Wei Yanho could too. There are things that can be overcome with effort and luck, and others that cannot.

“You can’t?”

The master’s sword moved faster.

The soft arc that drew the world stopped for an instant.

The world, Wei Yanho, everything stopped.

And then…

Cut.

The master’s sword drew a line downwards, splitting the world he had drawn.

“Ah……”

Wei Yanho felt an impact as great as if the world had collapsed.

“Then just break it.”

Baek Muhan parted the perfectly drawn world without any remorse and walked towards Wei Yanho.

“Yanho.”

“……”

“Yanho.”

“Yes… yes, master.”

“You don’t need to contain the world in your sword.”

Wei Yanho’s eyes filled with doubt.

“That’s my sword. That’s the path I chose. You don’t need to do it. I couldn’t obtain the world, so I drew it in my sword. Although I said I didn’t need it, deep down I longed for a world to which I could belong. That’s why I tried to see the world through my sword.”

He spoke calmly about something that wasn’t easy to say.

Baek Muhan’s expression was more serene and warm than ever.

“You don’t need to do it. Because you are already with the world. So don’t hold on.”

“Master.”

“That’s right.”

“What should I do then?”

“Haven’t I told you already?”

Baek Muhan reached out and stroked Wei Yanho’s head.

“Do what you want.”

“……”

“Do what you desire, what you want to do. With that, it’s enough. You are my proud disciple.”

It was warm.

Too warm.

So warm…

That he wanted to cry.

“Master.”

Wei Yanho’s voice trembled.

He knew it.

He had known it from the beginning.

“… Is this the last time?”

Baek Muhan smiled.

“I know, I knew it. That this was the last time. That today… today was the last moment in which I could see you, even if it was like this.”

His reddened eyes couldn’t contain the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

“That’s why I wanted to keep bothering you a little longer.”

“Lad.”

Baek Muhan gently stroked Wei Yanho’s head.

“I am not Baek Muhan. I am just an illusion.”

“No. Even so, it’s you, master. Even if it’s an illusion.”

Wei Yanho trembled as he spoke.

“Master, I……”

The words he couldn’t contain gushed out like a torrent.