Chapter: 15
Do you know why Demonic Arts are so terrifying?
It’s because they can mingle with any martial art.
Even in comparison to the fiery arts I learned, it’s alarming.
The energy of the Gu Flame Wheel Art is a savage technique that turns the body upside down.
Surrounding oneself with its energy grants explosive physical abilities and destructive power, but ultimately, the human body is consumptive.
In the end, it’s a martial art that accelerates the period of physical deterioration by inducing an explosion.
Of course, one might experience changes as their understanding of martial arts deepens and their skills improve, but at its core, it remains a wild and destructive technique.
Now, if you were to learn Wudang’s Taiji or Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom alongside the Gu Flame Wheel Art, the clash of the two techniques would disrupt the energy pathways and ruin the circulatory flow.
This, ultimately, would lead to self-destruction.
To put it bluntly, it would mean becoming half-disabled.
But Demonic Arts are free of such consequences.
This is why traitors have sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, regardless of whether from the Orthodox or Unorthodox factions, since the emergence of the Demonic Cult.
Wudang’s ethereal technique melds with a sharper edge.
Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom turns dark but shines even more brilliantly.
Shaolin’s formidable martial arts derive further destructive force from their innate strength.
Demonic Arts can easily make up for deficiencies in martial techniques that one might have to reluctantly give up.
All of this arises from the power of the Heavenly Demon. Practicing Demonic Arts requires neither learning nor training.
Once you become a follower of the Demonic Cult, such powers come naturally.
This is the blessing—and the curse—bestowed by the Heavenly Demon.
“Damn it… What on earth is happening?”
The only Demonic Art I received from the Heavenly Demon is the Demonic Absorption Art.
I acquired this art borne from my grotesque desire to simply become stronger.
It allows me to absorb energy from demonic stones, much like absorbing inner strength from magical beasts or materials.
This art was the sole reason I managed to survive among the strong and gifted martial artists back then.
However, that was distinctly a story of my past life.
In this life, I haven’t even come near the “demon” of the Demonic Cult, let alone the Heavenly Demon.
‘Then what the hell is going on…’
When I squeezed the now-transparent demonic stone slightly, it crumbled easily in my hands.
This was the result of absorbing its entire energy with the Demonic Absorption Art. I could feel that some energy had been funneled into my own body.
Albeit small, my energy had certainly increased a bit.
Some might argue that increased internal energy is good, but…
The reason these beings are called ‘demons’ isn’t that they learned Demonic Arts.
It’s because they possess Demonic Qi.
It’s the reason why beings labeled as demonic are referred to in that manner.
This very same Demonic Qi is what causes their previously benign Qi to turn black, regardless of its original color.
The core issue lies in the damage inflicted by Demonic Qi on the user’s body.
I knew better than anyone what happened to a martial artist overtaken by Demonic Qi.
“But how…”
The energy contained within demonic stones is Demonic Qi. The Demonic Absorption technique allows me to absorb that energy into my own body.
This implies that Demonic Qi is entering my system!
I swiftly circulated flame Qi around my body to check for its presence, but—
“…Why isn’t it here?”
Surprisingly, I felt no trace of Demonic Qi.
It should have been painfully apparent the moment it entered my body!
The insidious sensation of that Qi is impossible to overlook.
Yet I couldn’t detect any Demonic Qi despite having absorbed the entire stone. I checked again, but once more, nothing.
‘Is it because the Demonic Qi was too weak?’
It was merely a green stone. Its contents barely equivalent to a fraction of a fingernail’s worth of energy.
I stood there in a daze, and Muyeon rushed over anxiously.
“Are you alright, young master? Are you injured anywhere?”
“I’m fine. Not hurt at all.”
“I told you to stay in the carriage! Why did you recklessly dive into danger? What would have happened if you got hurt?”
“Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”
This chaotic behavior surely troubled Muyeon as my escort. I sincerely apologized for acting stubbornly.
I moved closer to the corpse of the deceased green-horned hound. Its horn had been cleanly severed; this was the first creature Muyeon had taken down.
“Young master?”
Just like before, I concentrated fire Qi into my arm, stabbed it through the creature’s body, and yanked out a demonic stone.
‘I have to check, even if it feels unpleasant.’
I wanted to dismiss everything that just unfolded.
However, the fact that Demonic Qi can invade a person’s body means it can gradually take over, regardless of how little it initially was.
If Demonic Qi truly penetrated my body, then it was already too late.
I felt that prickly sensation in my palm once again.
Just like earlier, the green demonic stone faded until it became transparent. The amount of energy that seeped into my body was unchanged from before.
So far, so good. But now, a different, unwelcome sensation made itself known. The feeling of something I didn’t want.
“Shit…”
Without a doubt, it was indeed Demonic Qi. Mistaking it for something else was impossible. The tiny stream of Demonic Qi that found its way into my body slithered and attempted to consume my Qi.
But then, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
– Whoosh.
Instead of surrendering to the Demonic Qi, the Gu Flame Wheel Art I had cultivated swiftly absorbed the Demonic Qi.
“What in the world…?”
Now I understood why I didn’t sense the Demonic Qi at first.
‘Did I assimilate the Demonic Qi?’
Was “assimilate” the right term?
What I perceived was my flame Qi ravenously devouring the Demonic Qi.
This had never happened in my previous life.
I’d only witnessed Demonic Qi consuming a martial artist’s Qi, never the other way around.
Even the highest-level Qi typically fell victim to Demonic Qi—so why was I different?
I was utterly befuddled.
I couldn’t fathom why things I had never experienced before were occurring this time. Had it all derailed from the start?
Regardless, it was a relief to discover that my body wasn’t housing any Demonic Qi.
This could imply a possibility where I could purify Demonic Qi and absorb it to strengthen my own Qi.
But one question still loomed.
‘Why can I still utilize the Demonic Art bestowed upon me by the Heavenly Demon?’
That was the most perplexing issue of all.
Did this power curse bind me even beyond death?
I couldn’t afford to fall back into such turmoil again after barely escaping it.
‘…For now, let’s just appreciate that I haven’t been tainted by Demonic Qi.’
I decided to investigate later. First, I needed to stabilize the situation.
“Young master…!”
Wi Seol-Ah burst through the carriage door and dashed toward me, grasping my hand tightly.
“Oh no… everything’s gone wrong…”
All the bandages she had wrapped around my hand had unraveled in the chaotic flurry.
“Are you all right, Young Master? Any injuries…?”
“Do you see any injuries here?”
“Then you’re quite severely hurt!”
“…No, it means I’m completely fine! What’s giving you the impression I’m injured?”
“Your face…!”
“What did you just say?”
Are you making fun of my face? Just because you’re a bit too pretty, huh?
Wi Seol-Ah tentatively brushed her fingers across my cheek.
“Young Master, you look really exhausted. Like my grandpa.”
“Do I really look that ancient?”
“While you look intimidating, you aren’t old!”
“Tell the truth… you’re just mocking me, right?”
The servants, who took their time in coming out of the carriage, were shocked to see Wi Seol-Ah and hurriedly rushed over to separate us.
“Seol-Ah! You can’t touch the Young Master’s face like that!”
With an ow sound, Wi Seol-Ah was pulled away.
Getting treated that way stung a little, you know?
“Young Master.”
After Wi Seol-Ah was whisked away, Muyeon called out to me.
As I glanced back, I saw the corpses of the green-horned hounds stacked neatly.
The hides and bones of demonic creatures could earn a good sum; thus, it was customary to take them once the Gate of Demons was closed.
“The Gu swordsmen have arrived.”
“What? Already?!”
Less than an hour had passed since the ruckus started. Could they really have reached this quickly, no matter how fast they ran?
I checked the new figures and recognized familiar faces. They were the swordsmen who had appeared at the Nine Dragons Ceremony.
“I’m Hyuk Jooyum, Deputy of the fourth swordsman squad. Greetings, Young Master.”
This was one of the deputies from the squad that had previously taken part in the ceremony.
“Second Elder sent us. We rushed here as fast as we could but ended up being late… I apologize. This is my fault.”
“Second Elder?”
This was a surprising twist. I thought he was already back in the clan—what was he on about?
Hyuk Jooyum appeared shocked by my confused expression.
“Did you not hear? That the Second Elder was coming along with you…”
“What do you mean? The Second Elder didn’t come with us…?”
What kind of mess had the Second Elder gotten himself into this time?
‘Did he secretly follow us? Why on earth?’
If that were the case, he could have assisted us when the Gate of Demons was opened. Dealing with everything alone would have been much less troublesome.
One of the swordsmen approached us.
“Deputy, sir, all the hound corpses are in perfect condition. There’s nothing to discard. What should we do?”
“All eleven are fine?”
“Oh, two have punctured sides, but it doesn’t seem severe.”
…That was about the two I had stabbed, so I kept quiet.
“We can’t take everything, so just gather the hides and bones.”
“Understood.”
“And what’s left…”
Hyuk Jooyum halted mid-sentence when he made eye contact with Muyeon, who stood by my side.
Muyeon dipped his head slightly in respect to Hyuk Jooyum. Sighing, Hyuk Jooyum resumed speaking.
“I thought you’d be home resting, but here you are wielding a sword.”
Did they already have a connection?
Muyeon didn’t reply to Hyuk Jooyum’s comment. Nor did Hyuk Jooyum seem particularly concerned.
“Wrap things up and come back. The leader has said it wasn’t your fault either.”
“…Understood.”
After finishing with Muyeon, Hyuk Jooyum turned back to me.
“We’ll handle the rest. You can rest easy, Young Master.”
As Hyuk Jooyum departed, I turned my gaze to Muyeon. Noticing his worried expression, I ignored it and headed back to the carriage.
I was curious, but I figured he’d speak up if any additional information was necessary.
The moment I entered the carriage, Wi Seol-Ah lunged at me again with more bandages, so I instructed a servant to firmly hold her back and slumped into a chair.
It felt like a pile of more significant issues was layering over my already tangled thoughts.
“Living properly just feels so damned difficult, doesn’t it?”
Perhaps because of that nightmare from earlier, I sensed a restless few nights ahead of me.
At Gu Yangcheon’s residence.
Inside stood the Sword Emperor and the Second Elder. The Sword Emperor casually held a now-familiar broom in his hand.
As he swept the courtyard lazily, the Sword Emperor addressed the Second Elder.
“Thanks, Gu Ryoon.”
“Ahem…”
The Second Elder cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered.
“I really didn’t do much.”
“But you did act for my granddaughter.”
Usually, elders of a clan would refrain from involvement. There was no obligation for them to participate in organizing the Nine Dragons Ceremony either.
The reason the Second Elder took action this time was because of the Sword Emperor’s request.
“All I did was take a brief stroll to see my kids again.”
The Sword Emperor’s granddaughter, Wi Seol-Ah.
The incentive for the Second Elder to attend the Nine Dragons Ceremony primarily revolved around his curiosity about her.
“Since I already owe you thanks, this is the least of it.”
It was surprising enough that the Sword Emperor was residing with the Gu Clan, but both the Sword Emperor and Lord Gu had asked the Second Elder to ensure Wi Seol-Ah’s safety.
The Second Elder suggested she shouldn’t go or that Lord Gu himself should accompany her.
However, he retracted it after witnessing the Sword Emperor’s expression.
The Second Elder had never encountered such a look from the Sword Emperor even at height of his prowess.
“Even the legendary Sword Emperor has his burdens.”
Having been active during the same era as the Sword Emperor, it was disappointing to see him in such a state.
“Not that it doesn’t have its own troubles, of course.”
The Second Elder then reflected on Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Yangcheon was a problematic descendant of the Gu Clan, one that stirred discomfort on several levels.
He had the name Gu yet appeared sluggish and lethargic, often running away from the Second Elder whenever faced with him. To be candid, even the Second Elder felt he lacked the aptitude for martial arts.
If he hadn’t been the only son of the clan leader, he would’ve been long given up upon.
Now it seemed high time the Second Elder considered if it was time to abandon hope for him as well.
Yet the Gu Yangcheon he witnessed this time felt radically different.
His reaching the second realm in flame arts wasn’t exactly noteworthy, seeing that Gu Yeonseo had already achieved the third, but…
‘Yet the efficiency of his Qi was on a different level altogether.’
The Qi within Gu Yeonseo was still chaotic.
Flame Qi needed constant circulation within a martial artist’s body, even when not actively manipulated.
No matter how unparalleled her talent, Gu Yeonseo’s unstable flow and erratic pace could easily be disrupted by her emotions.
That’s not to say Gu Yeonseo was lacking; she stood above her peers.
But compared to Gu Yangcheon’s state…
Although the energy within his body was minor, the way he commanded it contrasted sharply with Gu Yeonseo’s technique.
The Second Elder was astounded when he witnessed the transformation in Gu Yangcheon.
The flame Qi rolling inside Gu Yangcheon flowed seamlessly without faltering.
Even when Gu Yangcheon was provoked by Gu Yeonseo’s jabs, his Qi maintained its steadiness throughout.
This signified an impressive mastery and understanding of his Qi.
The wisdom derived from his experiences had exceeded that of even the clan leaders themselves.
From that point, the Second Elder felt certain during their duel.
‘That child is concealing his true strength.’
Though the reasons remained unclear, he felt reassured in his certainty.
As the Second Elder organized his contemplation, the Sword Emperor spoke to him.
“On another note, Gu Ryoon.”
“Hmm?”
“I have heard word you nearly killed the Peng Clan boy and used your children for amusement. Is that alright?”
“It seems the rumors were exaggerated; I didn’t nearly kill him.”
“…So you only half-killed him. Will you be fine?”
“Fine from what, sir?”
“Lord Gu seems to be actively searching for you.”
“…”
The Second Elder promptly made his exit.
He planned to avoid the Lord for a few days.
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