Chapter: 415
Flash.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I shot upright. Right after that, I spun around to check my physical condition.
Woooowung—I could finally exhale after the breath that had escaped my danjeon had circled my body.
Hah.
“Fortunately, there are no issues.”
There was no significant problem with my body, aside from a bit of a headache.
But that was just the regular headache I lived with, so it was fine.
After confirming that my condition was stable, I inwardly clicked my tongue—it was because the previous situation flashed in my mind.
Tsk… “At best, I could only lighten up my surroundings, huh?”
The previous situation referred to my attempt to push back the Dark King’s territory by using my secret skill, Red Sky.
Red Sky is also a kind of heat domain expansion.
I thought it might be worth a try, but in the end, I couldn’t push it out.
While it seemed that the Dark King’s territory barely resisted the power of Red Sky, that was all there was to it.
“How unfortunate.”
As that thought crossed my mind, I chuckled.
“‘Unfortunate,’ my foot.”
It wasn’t even close to being unfortunate, so I wondered what had me feeling that way.
Why had I displayed such unnecessary pride?
I knew full well that if I provoked the Dark King, something was bound to happen.
Had I momentarily lost my marbles?
“This temper of mine…”
I mused that if there’s something that doesn’t change as I grow older and ascended in level, it’s probably my temperament.
Just as I was about to get up while smiling at that amusing thought, a voice interrupted.
“What’s got you laughing so smugly?”
I lifted my head and looked toward the direction of the voice.
The Dark King was standing beside me with his arms crossed, and the one who spoke was the Demon King, staring at me with disbelief.
After confirming that, I spoke in a dull voice.
“Well done. I did exactly as you said.”
“Hah…”
Upon hearing my response, the Demon King frowned.
Despite my slight unease at his expression, I had to say what needed to be said.
“I reached the Dark King as you advised. What seems to be the problem?”
After hearing that, the Demon King finally responded to me in a defeated tone.
“…I told you to develop flexible thinking and coping skills because you’re putting your life on the line, yet you act even more aggressively.”
“Flexible thinking?”
That statement sounded absolutely absurd to me. What kind of flexible response can you concoct when every day is a fight for survival?
“I meant, ‘Look around you instead of just ahead.’”
“Wasn’t it a bit odd to teach it this way?”
“I didn’t expect you to shatter it like this, either.”
After enduring a month of torment under the Dark King, how was I expected to learn flexibility?
Clearly, the Demon King wanted me to realize something through this training, and while I did gain something, I wondered if it was truly useful training.
“…I told you to refrain from violent actions, yet you escalate to even more extreme methods…”
“What’s wrong with just getting it done, whatever it takes?”
“True… You’ve got a point there. It seems I’ve been thinking about this the wrong way.”
I was surprised to see the old man admit his mistake.
“Ah, but it seems you’re far crazier than I had anticipated. That was an unexpected mistake on my part.”
“…”
Who’s the crazier one here?
That was truly the most absurd thing I’d heard all year.
Should I really be referred to as a lunatic by that guy? Ridiculous!
Suppressing my disbelief, I inquired of the Demon King.
“…So what should we do now? Since it didn’t go as you wanted, shall we redo it?”
“No, no need for that. At this point, I think it’s best for me to just give up.”
Give up. The mere notion of the Demon King giving up something regarding martial arts felt alien.
“…Is that truly alright?”
“After reaching this point, you can’t help but realize that there’s a method that suits you better than this one.”
“…Hmm.”
“I won’t fuss over this anymore, so just go ahead and do as you please.”
With that, the Demon King bit back his words.
Should I be happy about that? I mean, that the Demon King is giving up?
‘Can’t be bad,’ I thought to myself.
If the Demon King deemed that I didn’t need fixing, then he probably decided to give up.
From that perspective, it was not a bad thing at all.
So does that mean I can do whatever I want?
I nodded, thinking that was probably the case.
Just then, the Demon King turned to me with another question.
“But tell me, how did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“The trick the bat guy uses differs from reality.”
“…Ah.”
What he mentioned was self-evident.
The power that the Dark King had unveiled.
Though it seemed like he simply created a domain with his energy, the truth was far more complicated.
On the night I battled the Dark King, my body was actually asleep.
I don’t know how, but the sensations I was experiencing felt dreamlike.
‘I find it strange that such a vivid dream of pain exists…’
To me, it seemed closer to a dream than anything else.
That was also why I kept coming back to life even after dying.
If he asked me how I realized this, I’d answer,
“…I only came to grasp it vaguely after enduring it for over a month.”
You naturally come to understand things after dying hundreds of times across that period.
In the first place, it doesn’t make sense for someone to die and come back to life.
‘Returning to the past after dying was one thing.’
This, however… was another entirely.
Dying and reviving dozens or even hundreds of times like this was an impossibility in reality.
Moreover,
‘The fatigue was less.’
When the sun rose and the training came to an end, I realized that upon waking, I felt only mental fatigue, not physical fatigue.
I often wondered if this was really not crazy, considering all those nights of intense training.
Looking at it that way, it seemed I managed to rest in the end.
The more I thought about this, the less I understood.
‘What kind of power is this?!’
It felt strange to call it martial arts, and it was definitely something else when referred to as a formation.
The greatest question was when I had ever fallen asleep under the Dark King’s power?
I must have done something that led me to experience the consequences, but not a single moment of that process remained in my memory.
This went to show how naturally it had occurred.
‘What could it be?’
I pondered endlessly but couldn’t find clarity.
Which method did the Dark King use? What form did that power take?
‘That’s why it’s so frightening.’
Having gone through it once, I believe I have a clearer understanding now.
The Dark King resided in a realm that I couldn’t even dare to glance at from my current level.
I threw a curious sidelong glance at the Dark King.
If he was at this level of strength, then where did the three deities stand, including the Demon King in his prime?
Where was the Celestial Horse that had slain all three?
And where is the divine sword that had defeated the Celestial Demon now?
‘…Haha.’
What a long road lies ahead.
I freshly felt how far and treacherous the path I wanted to take was.
Cautiously, I got up.
With the sun beginning to rise, I intended to prepare for some training.
My body had no issues.
Unlike the harsh treatment I received in the realm conjured by the Dark King, I had slept soundly in reality.
‘…Of course, I can’t ignore the mental fatigue, though.’
I might not know about my mind, but at the very least, my body felt liberated.
Also,
‘Was it the Demon King who loosened my muscles every night?’
Every time I awoke, I would subtly assess the changes in my muscles.
It seemed like perhaps the Demon King was conducting Chugunggwahyeol (refinement of energy through holes) on me every night.
After all, he was the only person here who would have done this for me.
I felt this during our sparring sessions too.
While he would throw me around in a fit of rage, I never expressed my discontent to him.
This was because I knew that the Demon King intentionally struck the acupoints to prevent any issues with my muscles.
Reflecting on this, I realized that it wasn’t me who suffered sleepless nights, but the demon’s workplace instead.
These factors contributed to my quietly cursing the Demon King in my heart while stubbornly adhering to his instructions.
He truly was sincere about nurturing his disciples.
‘Doing this every day must certainly be taxing for him as well.’
Chugunggwahyeol is no easy feat either.
His actions were delicate enough to avoid disrupting the opponent’s energy points while making the necessary adjustments.
Though imperfect, it must have been taxing for the body of someone who had yet to reach peak power.
Nevertheless, the Demon King infused strength into me daily, never showing signs of exhaustion.
Given that, how could I even think about taking a break from practicing? I had to keep on until it was successful.
Rising to my feet, the Demon King casually dusted himself off and rose as well.
“I see your eyes aren’t to my liking. Were you badmouthing me again in your head?”
“This time, it really was a compliment.”
“The term ‘this time’ implies you have badmouthed me before, right?”
“…”
Oops.
I fell into the old man’s wordplay.
A cold sweat trickled down my back.
Instinctively scanning around for a way to dodge, I prepared myself as the Demon King extended his fist again.
Habits are terrifying.
After so many beatings, I’d started thinking like this.
Bam!
“Crazy…!”
I turned my head to evade the oncoming fist.
At this, the Demon King looked at me, astonished.
“Oh… You dodged it. It looks like you’ve improved significantly.”
“…What are you doing?”
“Since it seemed like you anticipated me hitting you, I decided to oblige.”
“…”
With that statement, I found myself at a loss for words.
It actually was exactly as I had anticipated.
“Anyway…”
“So you’re saying you were going to hit me and then just say ‘anyway’?”
“Should we continue?”
“Please proceed with what you were saying. I shall listen attentively.”
“Haha, you little rascal…”
The Demon King laughed heartily, but promptly switched to a serious demeanor.
Every single expression he had sent chills down my spine.
It was difficult to grasp what was genuine and what wasn’t.
“I understand… Even if it’s not the method I had in mind, it’s completed now, so as promised…”
He stated as he lightly tapped my chest with his fist.
“I’ll teach you the fundamentals of the Tuapacheonmu.”
Finally.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the Demon King’s words.
So it meant I could finally learn that darn martial art properly?
“When do we start?”
Given the circumstances, I assumed we would start training in the afternoon.
It felt like ages since I had learned martial arts in this manner from someone else, making it somewhat of a refreshing experience.
Even mentioning that I had learned it in my past life, I had only managed to grasp the phrases and heart techniques of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.
Other than that, I either trained alone or occasionally had a senior come by to give me pointers.
When I asked, the Demon King tilted his head.
“Since when?”
“Excuse me?”
“Of course we should start now. What’s with the when?”
“Now?”
You mean we’re starting training right now? That feels rather abrupt.
A moment of bewilderment washed over me at the Demon King’s initiative.
I also noticed a peculiar smile forming on his lips.
“Don’t worry, since it’s your first fundamental to learn, it’s not that hard.”
“…Yes.”
I wasn’t particularly worried about that.
I simply found it disconcerting that we were diving right into it out of nowhere.
Besides, the Dark King who had been beside us was nowhere in sight.
He had just been there a moment ago, hadn’t he?
“Not really liking this, huh? Shall we do it next time? If you’d like, we can arrange that.”
Hearing that, I contemplated maybe learning gently from the afternoon instead, but there’s a saying: if you want to pull the horns off a bull, do it quickly.
So I decided it was better to save time.
“No, I’ll start now.”
“Your answer satisfies me.”
Upon hearing my response, the Demon King nodded repeatedly.
So now he would start teaching me the fundamentals slowly?
But…
‘Why isn’t he stepping away?’
Contrary to the Demon King’s earlier remarks about teaching me, he remained right in front of me.
He even kept his fist against my chest.
Looking at that, I felt puzzled and asked him.
“Elder?”
“Learning the foundational techniques isn’t that difficult. I confidently assert that this is the easiest of all the martial arts techniques throughout the Central Plains.”
The Demon King kept on explaining.
“…This is it?”
Now that’s quite an unusual statement.
Anyone who has seen the Tuapacheonmu technique performed at least once is bound to marvel at its convoluted yet elegant motions.
Even I, who had nearly met my demise at the Demon King’s hands in my past life, could tell there was something extraordinary about his martial arts.
How could he claim the first foundational technique is simple?
Just as I pondered that, the Demon King spoke up again.
“It is simple. You’ll learn it quickly through body experience.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you possess a good temperament, you will be able to learn effectively.”
…What did I just hear?
“What do you mean…?”
Just as I was about to clarify, I suddenly sensed a familiar energy surging from the tip of his fist directed at me.
It was the essence of the Tuapacheonmu that the Demon King harbored.
I looked at the Demon King, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
“Oh, and just a heads up. Stay alert. This training is not like the one from that bat fellow.”
Before the Demon King fully concluded his statement, I instinctively turned my body.
At the same time, I began layering defensive techniques to shield myself.
“Because you could genuinely die.”
Right as he finished speaking, force was channeled into the Demon King’s fist.
A heavy impact resonated, sending vibrations rippling through the surroundings.
Realizing that, I understood once more.
The nightmare had ended.
An entirely new hell awaited.
When Guyangcheon began rolling around somewhere in the forest.
Shh! Shh!
The white-haired woman swung her sword alone in a silent clearing.
She moved so fiercely that a few strands of hair stuck to her sweaty cheeks.
The woman continued swinging her sword as if unaware.
Shh—!
The dark energy imbued with her spirit cut through the air, leaving traces in its wake.
It appeared somewhat beautiful against the early morning backdrop, yet the movements and emotions encapsulated by the blade told a different story.
Pah-pak!
The subsequent footwork and rapid blade strikes left observers in awe.
Yet in the gaze of the actual sword-wielding woman, dissatisfaction brewed.
‘…No.’
It was slow.
To her, her sword felt exactly that.
Furthermore,
‘Weak.’
It became exceedingly weak.
There was no interruption in her swordplay, and her footwork lacked nothing, but still, she couldn’t find satisfaction.
‘…With this…’
With this alone, she couldn’t stand beside him.
As those thoughts surfaced, Namgungbia bit her lip.
Eventually, even her sword halted.
“Hah… Hah…”
Ragged breaths escaped her lovely lips.
How long had she been moving since the beginning?
She had spent the night grasping her sword, forgetting even her drowsiness.
Yet, that choking feeling within Namgungbia remained unresolved.
The woman, who had once loved to swing her sword, was now ensnared by an inexplicable internal conflict.
‘…’
Suddenly struck by a pang of pain, Namgungbia grimaced and looked at her hand.
Could it be that she was exerting too much force?
Her palm had slightly torn.
What should she do?
What on earth is to be done?
‘…Can I… protect him…?’
Namgungbia felt her brow knit as she thought of Guyangcheon.
Because he was the very source of the distress she was experiencing.
Guyangcheon seemed infinitely pitiful and precarious.
That’s how Guyangcheon appeared to Namgungbia lately.
The Guyangcheon, who had always acted confidently and without hesitation, now seemed increasingly burdened by an unknown weight.
Even though she could perceive this clearly, she felt utterly powerless to intervene.
That heaviness weighed heavily on Namgungbia’s heart.
‘I can’t protect anything…’
When the Black Night Princess attacked Shinryongwan.
Namgungbia felt her own frailty.
At that moment, Namgungbia could do nothing.
Only after Dang So-yeol had sacrificed herself could Namgungbia escape from danger.
Eventually, she found herself repeatedly asking for his rescue.
In such a state,
‘I am…’
Who on earth was she?
The reason she swung her sword so passionately was that she longed to escape the foul miasma of the world.
Now that she stood by his side, it seemed she had escaped that miasma.
So why was Namgungbia swinging her sword now?
‘…I want to be by his side…’
Namgungbia found clarity in her self-questioning.
Yet something felt incomplete.
If she couldn’t convince herself, then that was alright; that answer sufficed.
‘I must… protect him…’
She wished to safeguard him against those lurking dangers.
Though others may perceive him as capable and strong, that was not how she viewed Guyangcheon.
To her eyes, he seemed as if he wanted to collapse at any moment.
To her perception, he was struggling to hold on due to the numerous things he needed to protect.
With that in mind, Namgungbia clutched her battered sword once more.
‘…I must….’
How on earth can she safeguard him?
It was impossible for her, being so weak.
Not only had she failed to touch the Black Night Princess, but she hadn’t even grazed the collar of the White Lotus Sword.
She had been defeated by that swordsman named Jamryong.
In this situation, who would protect whom?
Drip.
Blood dripped from Namgungbia’s bitten lip.
It was an expression of her inability to tolerate her own incompetence.
“…I can’t… continue… like this…”
A solution must be found.
A method to grow stronger.
Thus, she needed to find a way to remain by his side and protect him.
She was intent on seeking that out.
Swish.
She swung her sword again.
Despite her already exhausted body, Namgungbia didn’t halt.
As she swung, a memory surfaced.
A conversation she had with her father in Hanam, just days before departing for Sacheon.
[Your great-grandfather wishes to meet you.]
Before returning to Anhui, Namgung Jin had told Namgungbia this.
The absolute ruler of the Namgung family, one of the three Lords of the Central Plains, wished to see Namgungbia.
[Your journey has led you to Sacheon, so he said it’s a fortuitous coincidence.]
[…Why…?]
To her question on why the Heavenly Lord would feel fortunate about her travels to Sacheon,
Namgung Jin replied:
[He also mentioned having business in Sacheon. Go seek him out.]
[…]
Recalling that conversation, Namgungbia pondered.
If it was a younger sibling, she could understand, but Namgungbia was not familiar with the Heavenly Lord.
Indeed, she thought she had seen him from afar on several occasions, yet the times they had truly met face to face could be counted on one hand.
However, Namgungbia had made up her mind to meet with the Heavenly Lord.
‘I must grow stronger.’
As he was the sky of the Namgung clan, and an individual who had reached higher realms through mastery of sword arts.
Namgungbia believed if he was a heavenly being, he might offer her an alternative path.
She would grow stronger.
She needed to become significantly stronger.
To protect him, she couldn’t remain at this level.
With that thought in mind,
Namgungbia continued to swing her sword.
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