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Episode 198
The status of a king and father
The frozen body of the Japanese monk was shattered into pieces and scattered.
While Lee Shin-woo dealt with the Banilmunju with his father's help, he realized he still had a long way to go. If Seol's loneliness had been properly unfolded, the very fact that he would have been devastated like this would have been absurd.
At that moment, Danwoo Seong noticed his son's feelings and grabbed his shoulder.
“You just have to get stronger every day.”
"yes."
"You don't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter like everyone else, but that's not the case for everyone in the world. You need to understand the difference. The world is unfair, but if you can make an effort to help others, that in itself is meaningful. Let's go."
“Where are you going?”
"Now that I've left the sect, let's pay our respects to my grandfather and see Monk Gyo-gak before returning to the sect. In the meantime, I'll also frequently observe the lives of the people. Since the leader of the sect is like this, the others probably won't even realize I'm the leader."
Lee Shin-woo smiled brightly.
"All right."
As Lee Shin-woo laughed without knowing why, Dan Woo-seong spoke as if foreshadowing a difficult journey ahead.
“Since you killed the leader of the Beonilmun, move quickly and use light attack.”
Only then did Lee Shin-woo's expression change.
“Oh, I understand.”
My father didn't want to waste a single moment. Furthermore, his light-armed skills were world-class, so keeping up with him from now on would be incredibly difficult.
Danwoo Seong said.
"Direction: To the top of the galaxy. Let's run until we reach the top."
As soon as Dan Woo-seong spoke, Lee Shin-woo took off running, kicking up a cloud of dust. Dan Woo-seong, watching his son's back as he ran at breakneck speed, chuckled.
“You’re quick-witted.”
Danwoo-seong stretched and then performed light exercises.
…Galaxy Top Lee Seong-min had been lying down since early evening with a cold, when Gasol brought unexpected news from outside the door.
“My lord, the leader has arrived. Shinwoo has also arrived.”
Lee Seong-min replied with a faint smile.
"The leader? How could you come when you're busy? Come in."
"yes."
As Lee Seong-min sat up, his son and grandson came in. As soon as the two stood side by side and bowed, Lee Seong-min asked.
“Why did you come so suddenly without any notice?”
Danwoo Seong replied.
“I had a mission to attend to with Shinwoo, so I stopped by to see my father.”
“The leader is also handling the mission?”
“It’s been a long time since that happened.”
Lee Seong-min looked at his grandson.
“You’re becoming more and more like your father when you were younger. What is it? I heard you’re already called the White Dragon Lord. Is that true?”
Lee Shin-woo replied.
“That’s right. How is your cold?”
Lee Seong-min said, putting his hand on his forehead.
“I get a cold once a year, but I skipped it last year, so I’m having a bit of a hard time this year. It’s nothing serious.”
"yes."
Lee Seong-min smiled faintly as he looked at Lee Shin-woo, who was sitting quietly.
“Is it hard for our grandson to train because of your father?”
“No. Martial arts and training are more suited to my aptitude.”
"Still, it'll be tough. I know your father's personality well. Even when he was at the top, the noise was loud every time he practiced from morning to night."
When Danwoo-seong smiled faintly, Shinwoo responded.
“That is still true today.”
Suddenly, Lee Seong-min asked Dan Woo-seong about his schedule, wondering if he had anything to say.
"Anyway, welcome back. You're not planning on just showing up and leaving right away, are you?"
“I’ll sleep for a day and go.”
"Good. Then, I have something to discuss with you at the top, so Shinwoo, please rest outside."
“Okay. Get well soon.”
As his grandson quietly stepped back, Lee Seong-min looked at Dan Woo-seong blankly.
It was a father and son reuniting after a long time.
Lee Seong-min said.
“How come you don’t age at all? You look younger than before.”
“I think it’s because of the martial arts.”
“It seems that when martial arts reach their peak, they become similar to the Tao of the immortals.”
“Ultimately, it will be similar.”
Suddenly, Danwoo-seong, who was holding both hands together, asked his father.
“Father, would you like me to help you get better from your cold?”
"No. You can't come down and help me every time I get sick. I need to overcome the illness on my own to become stronger. I'll wake up sometime in the next day or two."
"yes."
Lee Seong-min called out while gesturing.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, come closer.”
Danwoo Sung got up and sat down close to Lee Sungmin, facing him. Lee Sungmin reached out his hand as if to grab it.
Danwoo Seong grabbed Lee Seongmin's hand.
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Their hands were suddenly rough and rugged. Dan Woo-seong's hands were covered in calluses from practicing martial arts, and Lee Seong-min's hands were covered in calluses from working in the upper ranks.
For a moment, Lee Seong-min closed his eyes while holding his son's hand.
Danwoo Sung couldn't bring himself to talk about this or that comfortably because his father's mood was strange today.
After a while, Lee Seong-min smiled and quietly shed a tear.
"Welcome. I've been thinking of you often these past few days. It's strange to see you like this."
Danwoo Seong asked with great embarrassment.
“Why are you crying?”
Lee Seong-min responded while wiping away tears with one hand.
"That's right. These days, when I'm thinking about something, I often shed tears like this. It must be because I'm getting old. Is everything okay with Maeng?"
"yes."
“What about your in-laws and medicine?”
“Everything is fine. Is there anything you are worried about?”
“No. Living without worry is also a blessing.”
Lee Seong-min suddenly looked outside as if observing the situation, and then asked his son.
“Is there anyone eavesdropping?”
Danwoo-seong looked around once and then shook his head.
“Nothing. Feel free to speak.”
Lee Seong-min nodded.
"Don't misunderstand, listen. I've always wanted to tell you this story."
“Please speak.”
“How is it raising Shinwoo?”
"Raising children wasn't easy. It was a different kind of challenge and mental anguish than facing the masters of the martial arts world."
“That must be the feeling of all fathers in the world.”
Only then did the quick-witted Dan Woo-seong vaguely understand what Lee Seong-min was trying to say.
I was just going to listen in silence because it wasn't going to be an easy story.
Lee Seong-min said while stroking his son's rough hand.
"What I want to say is this: I've never once thought of you as anything other than my son. You are my son, too."
Danwoo-seong swallowed without realizing it. It was something he'd expected.
“······.”
Lee Seong-min continued speaking.
"You raised Shinwoo with such care, so you should know. I do the same. How could I not know? I knew from the first day you returned from Mount Guhwa. However, I couldn't ask anyone if my thoughts were correct. No matter how you looked at it, you were my son. In Buddhism, there's reincarnation, and in the Esoteric Buddhism, there's rebirth. I believed you came to our house for that reason. Am I right? Even if others will never know, I believe I have the right to know the truth."
How can I lie in front of my father who is saying this now?
Danwoo-seong nodded.
“That’s right. As you would expect.”
Lee Seong-min said.
“That’s right. I thought that, unless you’re a god, it wouldn’t be what you wanted.”
“It wasn’t what I wanted.”
"That must have been the case. Since you returned, all the problems of the Sangho have been resolved. When I saw you then, it was like a guardian deity had entered our household. And indeed, it was. But judging by your actions since then, it seemed as if a guardian deity had descended upon this unfamiliar place called the martial world. And indeed, the results were similar. So how could I not know? My son, who used to gamble, drink, and indulge in illicit drugs, was now the guardian deity of the Sangho and the Gangho… While others might have simply considered it bizarre, I couldn't help but think differently. I couldn't help it."
Now, Danwoo Seong also closed his eyes for a moment.
Even if you fooled everyone in the world, you couldn't fool the man in front of you. Because he was your father. Of course, it wasn't your intention to deceive him with malicious intent.
Lee Seong-min continued speaking with reddened eyes.
"That's why I've always thought of myself as having four sons. That's why I happily prepared for the expansion project at Cheon Daesa Temple in Guhwasan Mountain, which you requested earlier. I even prayed for Jin-eon's soul there, alone, when no one was watching. I could have carried these things alone for the rest of my life, but I'm telling you because you, too, are my sons. Do you understand my heart?"
Danwoo-seong nodded as he opened his eyes.
"yes."
Lee Seong-min tapped his chest with one hand.
“You are my beloved son. How could I not know your true name?”
Danwoo Sung revealed his name for the first time in a long time.
“My name is Woo-seong. Father, my name is Dan Woo-seong.”
"Danwoo-seong, that's definitely the first time I've heard that name. It's a good name. By the way, you must have been so frustrated. I don't know about others, but I, your father, remember that name. That's why I gave Shinwoo a single character."
"yes."
"Jin-eon wasn't in very good health. I know for sure because I sent him to his safe house and was mentally preparing for his passing. Even if it's difficult to explain, please tell me what happened at the time."
"It all happened in a split second. I was originally a martial artist, and after facing death, I opened my eyes again in the An family of Guhwasan, in Jin-eon's body. This is the whole story. It wasn't easy for me to accept it, so I just had to live day by day, trying my best."
"I see."
Lee Seong-min continued speaking with a relieved expression.
"Then, even if the world is at peace, you are destined to continue accumulating merit. The position of leader may not be comfortable, but if you have the capacity, I think it would be best for you to continue. Isn't the world unfair? Perhaps the heavens, who have entrusted you with this destiny, also hope you continue accumulating merit. Whether it's reincarnation or rebirth, this isn't an opportunity given to just anyone. Will you continue to hold the position of leader?"
“I will do that.”
"That's right. That's how you're my son. Neither Hwa-eon nor I will work solely for the sake of making money. We plan to continue to help the poor, and I've been teaching Hwa-eon this over and over again. You just need to continue doing what a leader in the martial world should do. If you do that, our family will have no shame before Heaven. We will live with honor. We didn't acquire our wealth because of our talents. I intend to repay Heaven for bestowing our family with a guardian deity. That's why I've been working hard, even at this age."
Suddenly, Lee Seong-min and Dan Woo-seong held hands tightly.
This was a vow to heaven that no one would know about.
Dan Woo-seong, overcome with emotion, held his father's hand and kissed his lips for a long time. Frankly, he hadn't expected his father to understand such a situation.
Before Danwoo Sung's eyes lay a man far wiser than the gentleman of the demonic world. He was also a man who persevered even after hearing a story so hard to believe, and so his father's status was higher than that of a gentleman.
Lee Seong-min said.
“Son.”
"yes."
"Get some rest and come back. I need to lie down and shake off this cold."
Lee Seong-min, who was about to lie down, suddenly grabbed his forehead with his hand. The fever had already disappeared, as if washed away.
"hmm."
While Danwoo-seong held his father's hand, he infused a ray of his inner strength into Lee Seong-min, purifying his veins. There was absolutely no reason for him to have a headache or any traces of a cold.
Lee Seong-min also let out a hollow laugh, as he was so shocked.
Danwoo Seong said with a faint smile.
“Just rest for one more day. You’ll feel better starting tomorrow.”
"okay."
Dan Woo-seong bowed his head and then left Lee Seong-min's bedroom. Lee Seong-min must have felt relieved, but Dan Woo-seong felt the same way.
Because Dan Woo-seong had never actually met his father, he had always considered Lee Seong-min to be his father.
They were such a father and son.
Lee Seong-min's words, that he thought he had four sons, healed the deep, unnamed wound that had been gnawing at Dan Woo-seong's heart. It was a blessing of fate, incomparable to anything like obtaining elixirs or martial arts.