Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Handshake
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The principle of demonic arts was simple.
Maintaining deep contemplation, focus, and meditation to reach a state of single-minded concentration, connecting to the abyss beneath the mind and soul.
At first glance, wasn't this the perfect study for So-hyang?
After all, her depth of spirit and imagery was enough to leave even the venerable Alliance Leader in awe.
Moreover, So-hyang quite liked and was intrigued by the characteristics of demonic arts.
It delved into the innate darkness of humanity, seeking transcendence purely from within, without accumulating external power.
It was romantic, the kind of premise that set a man's heart racing. Though she wasn't a man anymore, that hardly mattered.
Yes. At first, So-hyang had wanted to learn demonic arts.
Not the newfangled versions influenced by the Martial God's synthesis of stillness and motion, but the orthodox, traditional methods of the main lineage, which didn't seem to dull the senses with rigid forms.
It had seemed like the ideal choice...
"But you couldn't even get past the entry stage...?"
Even following the manual's instructions to concentrate single-mindedly and excavate her inner self, she saw no trace of darkness.
All that existed was her pure, bleached devotion to the sword, honed over a lifetime.
She couldn't access the abyss. The abyss itself didn't exist.
Scouring various records and consulting those around her yielded no answers. The only plausible one came from the Alliance Leader himself.
"Perhaps because you're not originally from this world? I've never seen a soul from another realm before, so I can't say for sure..."
If there was any possibility, it might be that the soul now forming So-hyang originated not from the original child, but from the old man of her previous life.
Come to think of it, if demons existed among the humans of her previous life, her past self surely would have encountered them.
From this perspective, perhaps the people of the martial world and those of Earth were fundamentally different species.
Yet they were linked by reincarnation and past lives, making it a profoundly complex matter. Unable to reach a clear conclusion at the time, So-hyang didn't dwell on it long.
She tried observing specimens, but that proved difficult too. As mentioned before, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was extremely insular.
The underground Thunder Prison of the Murim Alliance, where So-hyang had stayed for a time, held various martial offenders and evildoers, but they were all fringe warriors obsessed with grudges and vital blood.
That made sense. True orthodox demonic cultivators followed rules even more strictly than the righteous sects, so they had no reason to be imprisoned.
"This is my chance to see one up close...?"
Thus, So-hyang's silvery-white eyes sparkled.
The old man before her, Yu Hyeon-oh, was the first true orthodox demonic cultivator she had ever seen.
The first move was textbook. The second similar. The third with a slight variation.
Yu Hyeon-oh's spear arts were clean and seasoned.
And So-hyang's response was equally so.
"...Impressive. You handle the spear quite well."
"Of course. Did you think I was lying?"
In that fleeting exchange of blows, they each recognized the other's skill.
Of course, a transcendent master could wield any weapon with expert proficiency.
But this girl before him showed clear signs of deep spear training beyond that.
Yu Hyeon-oh's pitch-black eyes grew more serious. He adjusted his stance and stamped the ground firmly.
His contracting muscles tensed like a drawn bowstring. He thrust his spear like a loosed arrow.
Fast and concise, a surprise stab piercing a mere breath—the pinnacle of the basic thrust technique.
"-Such clean movements!"
So-hyang let out a short exclamation but responded without flaw.
The thrust shot like a beam of light—a single point head-on, but a line from the side.
So-hyang swung her bamboo staff at the center of that line. The lines crossed, twisting Yu Hyeon-oh's thrust outward.
"Now it's my turn?"
From the parrying stance, she twisted the staff into a spiraling thrust.
"-Hup!"
Yu Hyeon-oh swiftly recovered and met the staff to deflect, but So-hyang's staff clung stubbornly, refusing to yield.
Like reeling in a great fish, she twisted and released tension in a delicate deadlock.
"...Hah."
As with most weapon clashes, especially spear versus staff, defense was key.
Not rigid blocking, but actively neutralizing attacks.
Not evasion with speed, but maneuvers paving the way for counterstrikes.
Weapons moved faster than the body and reached farther.
The orthodox way was to grapple weapons, gradually claiming space.
"Didn't you say you were a swordmaster, not a spearman...?"
The snow-white girl before him exemplified this orthodoxy better than anyone.
Though she had reached a higher realm, her experience should be lacking, and this wasn't even her main weapon—yet she dominated in spear technique.
As if peering into the future, she subtly suppressed his movements, denying even counter opportunities. It was uncanny.
"Ahaha, I'm confident with the spear too."
So, did he have nothing more to show?
Her silvery-white eyes, tinged with faint amusement, watched Yu Hyeon-oh intently.
"-Hahaha."
At the gaze mixing expectation and perhaps disappointment, Yu Hyeon-oh's wrinkled face twisted.
No warrior could ignore such a look without rising fury. His competitive spirit ignited.
And demonic power stemmed from the heart.
His subdued aura erupted, spewing pitch-black demonic qi, transforming savagely in an instant.
"Here I come."
With those short words, the surging black qi subsided—not calmed, but honed razor-sharp, tinged with icy blue.
"Come on."
A fierce barrage poured in the blink of an eye.
So-hyang blocked, deflected, and dodged them all successfully, but...
"Oh...?"
A faint crack, and hairline fractures appeared on her blocked staff.
Though ordinary bamboo reinforced with spirit energy, and while infused with demonic qi, it lacked gang qi.
And above all—
"-That sting in my hands?"
A peculiar shock, like piercing needles—the attack carried an innate quality.
It was the exercise of intent, Yu Hyeon-oh's unique path of the weaponless.
Fragments of the signature ultimate technique he once perfected, infused into a fragile bamboo staff.
"Even so, it's just a crude imitation of my past power. A pathetic show boasting on lost glory."
Unlike his self-mocking words, Yu Hyeon-oh's stance sharpened further.
As if that was merely a taste, the energy in his spear honed keener, radiating menace.
In his hands now, bladeless though it was, it was a divine spear that could pierce anything.
"Wow, handled right, it could even pierce gang qi?"
Similar to So-hyang's intent-infused hand blade.
But Yu Hyeon-oh's emphasized penetration more.
Unlike So-hyang's insight-based steel-cutting without intent, qi, or brute force—a pure technical marvel—
Yu Hyeon-oh couldn't do that.
Thus, he infused intent to turn impossibility into possibility.
The spear of conviction, forged from his life, martial arts, everything unified.
So-hyang's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Witnessing a true warrior's culmination of achievements—what a treasure.
"Hmph, how romantic."
Yu Hyeon-oh's stance sank low.
It looked unbalanced at a glance, but So-hyang read its meaning.
"-Night Cloud stance, right?"
Like the companion he raised and lived with, who learned staff arts from him, Yu Hyeon-oh had drawn lessons from Night Cloud's movements.
A crouch like a tiger stalking prey.
Mimicking beastly nature, it exuded ferocity with apparent openings, but
"I named it Night Cloud Tiger Hunt Spear."
Those were dismissible—the intensity and threat were overwhelming.
So-hyang grinned ear-to-ear, mirroring his crouch to respond—
"No, let's stop the spar here."
She smacked her lips regretfully and withdrew her will to fight.
"Lady So-hyang, stopping the spar...?"
"No way...!?"
Song Seol-ryeong and Jeogal Hansang, watching like spectators, gasped in shock.
After all, this was So-hyang.
The one who smashed the Jeogal Clan gates to spar the family head, turning the house upside down in martial frenzy—surely not her?
"What on earth do you think of me...?"
So-hyang wore a somewhat aggrieved expression at their reactions, but given her past antics, she had no excuse.
Even Yu Hyeon-oh seemed dissatisfied.
"Why stop now? I was just about to unleash my full strength."
He had been ready to reveal his hidden ultimate technique for a proper fight.
Like starving before a feast or thirsting before cool water, he couldn't hide his regret.
"Well, Hero Yu's body isn't fully recovered."
"...Tch, this much is fine."
"I thought so too, but seeing it firsthand, no."
Stabilized, yes—but a body scarred enough to lose martial prowess.
Forcing his original realm in that state.
And drawing out an unrefined new art.
"I'm disappointed too... but continuing after seeing that would be wrong."
Diagnosis from subtle bodily cues, instability sensed by qi perception, soul cracks visible to her developed spirit eyes.
Not just poor condition—fundamental imbalance of essence, qi, and spirit, worse than expected.
Responding now would trigger issues needing months of recovery at minimum.
Not an enemy to push that far.
She mustn't forget the lesson from baring killing intent to the Alliance Leader upon completing her spirit sword.
So-hyang was a martial artist, not a beast.
"Haaa..."
Yu Hyeon-oh sighed deeply, deflated.
"Fine. My fault for being lacking. What can you do."
The bamboo, unable to withstand the clash and intent's backlash, crumbled to dust. His blazing fighting spirit faded.
"Once you regain your realm, let's have a proper match."
"No choice... agreed."
So-hyang naturally extended her hand for a shake. Yu Hyeon-oh blinked in momentary confusion, then smiled faintly and clasped it.
"Ah, handshakes aren't common in the Central Plains?"
A habitual gesture—had it been rude culturally? So-hyang looked flustered.
"It's fine. You're from the Western Regions?"
Having lived long, Yu Hyeon-oh was well-traveled and knew of such greetings.
"A bit different, but similar in a way."
Thus, the spar between the girl and the old man—mentally two elders—ended ambiguously.
Well, they'd just have to wait for later.
Meanwhile, Kang Pyo's eyes, immersed in meditation and consolidating his enlightenment, opened.
"Ah, you're awake?"
His haggard face from days of trance-like focus brightened as qi circulation smoothed.
His sharp gaze calmed, now deep and serene.
"...Thank you truly, Lady So-hyang."
Breaking through a decade-stuck wall.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, only profound gratitude welled up.
"Ehehe, you would've reached it eventually without me. Be proud of your efforts."
"...Still, thank you."
"Then, shall we head out now...?"
They were en route to Wudang Clan with the merchant caravan, on official duty to interrogate the blood brush's origins mixed in the gifts.
Even taking shortcuts, further delay felt burdensome.
Of course, to transcendent So-hyang, it was no issue.
Nor to Jeogal Hansang traveling with the caravan.
"N-not that I'm forcing you...!"
For caravan leader Song Seol-ryeong, voicing it while fearing to offend the expert was crucial.
"...Ah, yes. You can go."
So-hyang answered apologetically, sensing the middle-manager girl's plight.
"Phew..."
With Song Seol-ryeong's relieved sigh, the group resumed toward Wudang in Gyunhyeon.