Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 284

In the Celestial Realm, on the fourth floor of the Core, a grand wooden structure perched atop a steep cliff would come into view as someone gazed along the mountain ridge. If compared to a traditional Korean hanok, the eaves bore a massive plaque inscribed with the words Seondo Hall. It was a place where hundreds of adventurers trained in the Dao in pursuit of the power of the immortals.

One of the immortals of the Celestial Realm, Jo Young, strolled among the trainees, his hands clasped behind his back as he guided them.

“Close your eyes and focus your mind. Rid yourself of idle thoughts. A vessel must be empty to be filled while seated in meditation; keep nothing but the ‘Path’ in your thoughts.”

The trainees were adventurers from the third floor of the Core, eagerly undergoing rigorous training to acquire the power of the immortals and make their expeditions easier. Before long, their morning session ended, and plates filled with greens were distributed to each of them.

The dishes contained Gujisin Leaves, Snow Ginseng, and Grain Grass, all neatly arranged. The taste was utterly revolting, but consuming them regularly would gradually accumulate spiritual energy within the body.

“Eat with gratitude toward nature. Only then will the Path reveal itself to you.”

Jo Young also began his meal alongside the trainees.

The sight of him casually stuffing the bitter greens into his mouth left the trainees in awe. With newfound reverence for their teacher, they strengthened their resolve to pursue the power of the Immortals with even greater dedication.

“As expected of Master.”

“One day, I’ll be like him.”

The trainees started eating, unaware of what Jo Young was truly thinking. This tastes like trash.

***

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jo Young asked Cho Yang-Un.

“I’m off to meet the Grandmaster,” Cho Yang-Un said, stroking his long, dignified white beard.

While drinking his tea beside Cho Yang-Un, Jo Young didn’t bother to hide his skepticism toward these ludicrous words. There was no way he could believe the claim that Cho Yang-Un had met the Heavenly Immortal’s master.

The Heavenly Immortal was known as the founder of Daoist magic. And yet, the founder had a master? That was absurd.

If such a person truly existed, they would have reached True Enlightenment long ago.

“Heh, you don’t believe me,” Cho Yang-Un said with a chuckle.

“If you were me, would you believe it?” Jo-Yong retorted.

“No, I didn’t believe it at first either.”

That was until he witnessed the Five Qi hovering above Do-Jun’s head.

At that moment, Jo Young noticed a parchment tucked into Cho Yang-Un’s robe. He asked, “Why are you carrying the Ink Wash Garden?”

“It’s a gift for the Grandmaster. I can’t show up empty-handed.”

The Ink Wash Garden was an artifact that could be dangerous under certain circumstances. Unlike ordinary paintings, the ink wash painting used varying shades of ink without color to depict images. On top of that, this one allowed people to enter it at will.

A world without the concept of time—if someone were trapped inside, they could wander forever.

“That aside, are you really never coming to our gatherings again?” Jo Young asked.

Among the ten immortals of the Celestial Realm, Jo Young, Cho Yang-Un, and Heo San-Ja had formed a group known as the Celestial Food Society. However, after Cho Yang-Un suddenly announced, “I’m not eating this stuff anymore,” he had completely stopped attending their gatherings.

“It’s all just luck, anyway,” Cho Yang-Un muttered.

“Luck? What is?”

“Ahem. Nothing.”

As Cho Yang-Un stood up and began to walk away, Jo Young thought, The Grandmaster, huh....

“Hey!” he called out to Cho Yang-Un.

“Hmm?”

“Where exactly is this Grandmaster of yours?”

“He’s at Hallim Hall.”

It was the dojo that Cho Yang-Un managed.

“Any more questions? If not, then I’ll be off.” With a casual wave, Cho Yang-Un strolled off toward Hallim Hall.

Watching his retreating figure, Jo Young let out a contemplative hum. Is he telling the truth...?

***

Do-Jun had once given Cho Yang-Un excerpts from Yao Ping’s literature on Daoist Magic. Naturally, Cho Yang-Un’s skills had skyrocketed, surpassing the understanding of the other immortals by a significant margin.

Whoooosh!

The skill that Cho Yang-Un was using was called Void-Walking. It was a Daoist art that allowed one to soar through the skies. Though still unpolished, Cho Yang-Un used the technique to fly toward the midsection of Daeyangsan Mountain and eventually landed gracefully.

A wooden structure, similar in size to the other Immortals’ dojos, came into view. This was Hallim Hall, Cho Yang-Un’s domain. However, unlike the lively halls filled with disciples at other dojos, Hallim Hall was eerily empty. This was expected as Cho Yang-Un had no disciples.

“You’re here!” Cho Yang-Un called out to the man pacing around the courtyard of Hallim Hall.

Wei Zhongqi nodded slightly upon seeing the smiling Cho Yang-Un. This immortal had once saved him from fatal injuries during his battle against Guang Le, and in return, Wei Zhongqi had promised to repay the favor.

Cho Yang-Un had pestered him endlessly for one thing: samgyeopsal.

To help Wei Zhongqi fulfill his wish, Do-Jun had set up a camping grill in the front garden of Cho Yang-Un’s dojo. Cho Yang-Un’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as Do-Jun and Wei Zhongqi started unpacking three kilograms of samgyeopsal, charcoal, and tongs from Ivela’s pouch, getting ready for a proper barbecue.

Wei Zhongqi tilted his head. “Is it really okay for an Immortal in training to eat pork?”

“Oh, please! What’s more important: training or samgyeopsal?”

Wei Zhongqi had no answer. Now that he thought about it, even in the Central Plains, some Daoist sects consumed meat. For example, the Wudang Sect strictly adhered to vegetarianism, but the Mount Hua Sect allowed meat consumption.

Do-Jun extended his hand toward the charcoal, and flames burst to life with a whoosh. Soon, the fire settled into a steady glow, and the charcoal crackled as it burned. He then placed a grill over the fire, followed by mouth-watering sizzles as three thick slices of fresh samgyeopsal hit the grill. As they cooked, the golden-brown meat released a tantalizing aroma.

Wei Zhongqi hesitated before reaching for the tongs Do-Jun was holding. “Heavenly Demon, please, let me do it.”

“It’s alright. It’s not a difficult task.”

“But still...”

There was an unmistakable sense of hierarchy between them.

Cho Yang-Un had heard from Do-Jun about how he had once been the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect in the Central Plains. More importantly, the Heavenly Immortal himself had been a disciple of that very sect. His name was Yao Ping, known within the sect as the Demon Immortal, and he had once served as the Master of the Celestial Secret Squad. And Do-Jun... had been the Heavenly Demon, the unparalleled leader of the sect.

Wei Zhongqi was also well aware of the Demon Immortal’s reputation. Within the sect, only a few select individuals knew the identity of the Heavenly Demon, and Yao Ping was one of them.

There’s no doubt—the Heavenly Immortal was the founder of Daoist magic, Cho Yang-Un thought..

However, according to what he had heard from Wei Zhongqi, Do-Jun had learned and perfected Daoist magic solely to defeat the Heavenly Immortal and to bring him into his sect as the Master of the Celestial Secret Squad.

And in just two years, he had overpowered him using Daoist arts alone.

His talent is beyond comprehension.

Surpassing someone who had devoted their entire life to Daoist magic in just two years was nothing short of impossible.

While Cho Yang-Un was deep in thought, sizzles continued as Do-Jun flipped the samgyeopsal over, letting it cook evenly before cutting it into bite-sized pieces. On the side, fresh lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic, and homemade kimchi were prepared for wraps.

“You can eat now.”

***

“A practitioner of Daoism must not allow even the slightest mistake. One must abandon greed, hunger, and lust to become one with nature and achieve true harmony with it. Only when you fully merge with nature can you ascend as a true immortal.”

Like any teacher guiding their disciples, Jo Young spoke with eloquence and conviction to his trainees. Though in truth, even he found the concept of becoming one with nature an impossibly distant goal.

Suddenly, Cho Yang-Un’s words echoed in his mind. “I’m off to meet the Grandmaster.”

The Grandmaster—the teacher of one’s teacher. Could that eccentric’s claim possibly be true?

A ripple spread across the calm lake of Jo Young’s thoughts. I can’t keep thinking about this. I have to see for myself.

Jo Young addressed his disciples, “I’ll be away for a while. Even if I’m not here, don’t slack off in your training.”

The disciples responded in unison. “Yes, Master!”

Jo Young cast a glance over them before turning to head toward the academy.

The disciples, seated cross-legged with their eyes closed, took his words to heart and threw themselves into their training with renewed focus.

***

Cho Yang-Un’s chopsticks moved so quickly they were practically invisible, and his mouth didn’t stop moving for a second. He devoured the grilled samgyeopsal with the ferocity of someone who hadn’t eaten in a month.

Would this be what it looks like if you put a plate of meat in front of a beggar from the Beggar Sect?

“What on earth are you doing right now?!” Jo Young exclaimed, his eyes seeming ready to pop out of their sockets.

Cho Yang-Un turned his head mid-bite, noticing Jo Young’s arrival.

“Mmmf, wut ah you doin’ere?”

“Y-you told me that the Grandmaster was here, so I came to see for myself, only to find a so-called immortal stuffing his face with meat in broad daylight!” Jo Young’s voice rose in indignation.

Cho Yang-Un, however, barely acknowledged him, as he was too busy wolfing down his meal.

That was when Jo Young’s gaze shifted to Wei Zhongqi.

“W-Wei Zhongqi?” he stammered in shock.

Was Wei Zhongqi the Grandmaster?

Jo Young’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. Meanwhile, Wei Zhongqi barely glanced at him before turning his attention back to the meat.

Jo Young then turned his attention to Do-Jun, who was grilling samgyeopsal next to Wei Zhongqi. No, to be precise, it wasn’t Do-Jun he was staring at—it was the glistening samgyeopsal on the grill.

His mouth was watering, and he couldn’t help but gulp.

For Jo Young, who had been subsisting on bland greens to stay devoted to his training, the aroma of grilled samgyeopsal was overwhelming. The sizzling of the meat on the grill, the tantalizing drip of fat onto the coals—it was too much.

Do-Jun, noticing Jo Young’s struggle, offered with a calm voice, “Would you like some?”

Jo Young gulped audibly.

“B-b-but...”

Do-Jun picked up a pair of chopsticks and held them out to Jo Young. But Jo Young didn’t take them. Instead, he just stood there, seemingly waging a battle within himself.

At that moment, Cho Yang-Un abruptly stood up and smacked Jo Young on the head. “If the Grandmaster offers, you take it with a bow and say, ‘Yes, please, thank you very much!’”

“W-wait, the Grandmaster? Are you saying this person is...?” Jo Young’s expression was one of utter disbelief.

But that was beside the point.

“I-I’m in the middle of training! Meat is absolutely forbidden!” he said staunchly, yet his gaze kept drifting toward the meat.

Do-Jun, observing this, calmly took a leaf of lettuce and a perilla leaf, stacked them, and placed a perfectly cooked piece of samgyeopsal on top, followed by roasted garlic and a dollop of kimchi. He wrapped it into a neat, bite-sized bundle.

“Here, please,” Do-Jun offered.

***

The disciples were diligently following Jo Young’s instructions, fully immersed in their training. Just then, the sliding door creaked open, and Cho Yang-Un stepped inside. For some reason, his expression was unusually solemn.

He looked over the disciples and said, “Everyone, open your eyes.”

The disciples opened their eyes to find Cho Yang-Un standing before them instead of Jo Young. They all appeared confused.

Cho Yang-Un began speaking. “From today onward, I will be taking over as your teacher in Jo Young’s place.”

“What? W-what do you mean by that?” one student asked.

“Your former teacher, Jo Young, has gone to a better place.”

A better place? Wait.

“D-does that mean that Master has...”

Cho Yang-Un slowly nodded. “Yes. He has attained True Enlightenment.”

The disciples’ eyes filled with awe and reverence.

“H-how do you know this, Master?”

“I witnessed it myself.”

“You saw it?”

“Indeed.”

Cho Yang-Un chose his words carefully. He couldn’t bring himself to tell them the truth that Jo Young had eaten a samgyeopsal wrap made by Do-Jun and burst into tears of joy, which supposedly led to his True Enlightenment.

He decided to take this secret to his grave.