Chapter 469 - 469 (1/2)
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Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King headed back to the outskirts of the village.
The sun was setting over a vast expanse of the grasslands while the villagers were still working hard at harvesting on the golden fields at some distance.
Now, normally, Su-hyeun would be spectating on this scene while feeling at peace. But at the moment, their situation wasn't exactly conducive toward such a laidback atmosphere.
”So you're saying that the uncle earlier was Master Subhuti?” Su-hyeun asked.
Su-hyeun heard that the outgoing uncle who called the Roc Demon King ”Mister Wong” earlier was none other than Master Subhuti.
”That's right. Even I found out not too long ago.”
”How did you find out, though?”
”He told me himself that he went to see my older brothers not too long ago. What's the matter? Something wrong?”
”Well...”
Su-hyeun was mired in some confusion right now.
In all honesty, there was nothing wrong here. Whether Master Subhuti was a stout-figured uncle with an unkempt beard or a good-natured old man riding on some clouds to travel the world, it didn't really matter how he looked—at least in Su-hyeun's perspective.
What surprised Su-hyeun, though, was that he ended up running into Master Subhuti in a place like this and that one of the Five Godly Sages looked quite different from how he imagined him.
”Did you hear about him from First Brother?”
”Yes. He said that Master Subhuti wanted to meet me.”
”Really? In that case, what did you think he'd look like?”
”I haven't really thought about what he'd look like,” Su-hyeun replied as such while shifting his gaze over to the rice paddy currently being harvested by Master Subhuti. ”Although, if I'm honest, I didn't think he'd look like that.”
The Roc Demon King chuckled at that reply.
His eyes, usually filled with sharpness and killing intent, had become a lot more relaxed and softened, even if he was wearing his human disguise right now.
”Hah, I guess you still haven't figured it out?”
”Sorry?”
”That uncle is also in disguise, just like me. And he's been staying in this village far longer than I have.”
”Really?”
Su-hyeun felt a chill run down his spine at the Roc Demon King's explanation.
The thing was, he could clearly ”see” the original appearance of the Roc Demon King before his eyes.
A Yogoe with long wings, blue feathers, and narrow eyes—that was the true appearance of the Roc Demon King, something far removed from a villager named Mister Wong.
In other words, even without Insight's help, Su-hyeun didn't find it hard to figure out the Roc Demon King's true nature.
But now...
”I couldn't see through him at all,” Su-hyeun thought.
Would things have been different if he relied on Insight? Su-hyeun still shook his head.
Even with that ability, he didn't feel confident. There was no guarantee that Insight could help him clearly see someone that he had overlooked in the first place.
”Alright, so? Didn't you say that First Brother sent you to find me?”
”Ah, that. Yes. He said he got some booze, so—”
”That booze, it's not our big brother but me who procured it. It's actually a pretty common drink among humans. They call it Bamboo Leaf Wine.”
”It's common?”
”Yeah, but being common doesn't mean its taste is common, too. Even our Big Brother likes it, probably due to its aroma or something. I'll bring some later in the evening, so you should head back first,” the Roc Demon King explained before walking away.
He was carrying a farming tool, and it looked like he wanted to finish up what he was doing earlier.
”Second Brother?”
”Yeah?”
Su-hyeun called out to the Roc Demon King, who was already making his way to return to the field. By now, the sun had set completely to welcome the night.
”Are you happy being here?”
When Su-hyeun asked that, the Roc Demon King stood still and didn't reply right away.
But a short while later...
”Nope, not even close!”
His verbal reply was utterly at odds with his expression or what Su-hyeun could sense.
Su-hyeun watched the Roc Demon King get farther away. Then, he turned around to leave in the opposite direction.
”He's still the same.”
The mere fact that he was stuck in a dilemma for a while there was a good enough indicator for what the Roc Demon King's real answer was. If he really hated his current lifestyle, not only would he not take his time to ponder his answer, but he wouldn't have persisted with this lifestyle in the first place.
It became very dark now.
Su-hyeun sped up his steps a little.
Tap, tatap—
Whooooosh—
He lightly leaped and jumped across the forest.
But when he was about halfway over the forest...
Land—
He landed on a comparatively wide opening among the trees and turned around, ”Are you planning to keep following me?” he asked, but no reply came his way.
Shu-rururu—
The distinctive blue light swirled within Su-hyeun's eyes next. Activating his Insight allowed him to see into the dark forest. The moonlight only faintly illuminated the surrounding, but Su-hyeun could see just fine as if he had gained a pair of a wild animal's eyes.
His gaze then shifted toward the rear of a tree to the side. ”I heard that you have something to say to me?”
”Isn't using Insight now against the rules a bit?”
Step—
A large man with a thick beard walking on clogs stepped in front of the tree. It was none other than the ”uncle” who called the Roc Demon King Mister Wong.
”Are you Master Subhuti?”
”Did that kid, Roc, tell you that?” Subhuti asked with steely eyes and a face that differed significantly from his good-natured expression earlier, ”Or can you see me?”
Su-hyeun nodded slightly.
He couldn't see as clearly as with the Roc Demon King. Still, he could see something. It seemed to be due to using Insight.
”You're smaller than I thought.”
”Oh-hoh.”
”Quite wrinkled, and...the farming tool in your hand, it's actually a walking stick.”
”And what else?”
Su-hyeun didn't answer. That was all he could see.
Insight, which was supposed to allow him to peek into another's thoughts and even look into their future and past, could only let him see a part of Master Subhuti's outer appearance and not much else.
Meaning his opponent had to be the real deal.