Chapter 59: Sometimes the Shell Matters More than the Core
Chapter 59: Sometimes the Shell Matters More than the Core
To my knowledge, there are only two ways to hide the fact that I’ve used the Blood Eye Purifying Water.
The first is Body Reforging. Since the physical body is completely reconstructed during the process, it becomes impossible to tell that the Purifying Water was ever used. However, achieving that state is as difficult as reaching Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, so it isn't a viable option right now.
The second method is to alter only my eyes, rather than my entire body.
Is it possible to change one's eyes?
Yes. There is exactly one person in this era capable of it. He is even here, within the Main Cult. The only question is whether he will actually grant my request.
The man in question greeted me while reeking of blood.
“Welcome, Second Young Master.”
“Have you been well, Elder Demon Doctor?”
The man was indeed the Demon Doctor. The blood staining his clothes clearly belonged to a patient.
“I am always the same.”
“Please remember to take breaks. You look exhausted.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
I hadn't had much interaction with the Demon Doctor in the past, but after becoming the Huangquan Pavilion Master, our paths had crossed several times for work, allowing us to build a decent rapport.
“I happened upon a rare herb and thought of you,” I said, handing him the gift I had prepared. It wasn't a common herb usually found in the infirmary; it was a specimen I had specifically purchased from the outside at a high price.
“Oh, such a precious herb. Thank you.”
“It was nothing.”
“Come, let’s have some tea.”
“Yes, sir.”
I sat and drank tea with the Demon Doctor. After exchanging a few words of small talk, he asked tentatively, “It seems you’ve come because you have business with me?”
“That is correct. To be honest, I came to ask a favor.”
“Speak.”
“You are a busy man, so I won’t beat around the bush. I want you to perform the New Eye Technique on me.”
For a moment, the Demon Doctor was visibly startled.
The New Eye Technique.
It was a procedure that enhanced a martial artist’s eyes to a superhuman degree. Once performed, not only did general vision improve, but dynamic visual acuity increased exponentially. Furthermore, the eyes became resistant to external influences; they would remain unaffected by light, darkness, water, or smoke.
True to its name, the eyes were reborn. Because the effects were so extraordinary, it was often referred to as the "Godly Eye Technique."
If I received this procedure, even if the Pungcheon Cult Leader himself examined my eyes, he wouldn't be able to tell I had used the Blood Eye Purifying Water. Unfortunately, the New Eye Technique was known as a secret art that had been lost to time long ago.
The Demon Doctor’s expression turned somber. “How did you know I could perform the New Eye Technique?”
Since it wasn't something that could be guessed by chance, he didn't try to deny it. He was simply curious about how I had discovered his secret.
The truth was, I only learned of the Demon Doctor’s mastery over the New Eye Technique in the distant future.
When I had returned to the Cult to gather materials for the Great Regression Art, the Demon Doctor had already passed away. His first disciple, Ho-baek, held the position of Divine Doctor, and I learned the truth through him. At that time, Ho-baek had offered to perform the New Eye Technique for the then-Cult Leader, Ju Baek-do.
Through that incident, it was revealed that the Demon Doctor had passed down the technique and the necessary medicinal ingredients to his disciple.
I didn't reveal my source. In fact, by staying silent, I knew there was one person the Demon Doctor would naturally think of.
“Ah!”
His expression became grave. He likely assumed my father had told me. There was a good reason for him to think so.
According to Ho-baek’s recollections, my father had once refused the Demon Doctor’s offer to perform the New Eye Technique on him. Thanks to that refusal, the materials were preserved and eventually passed down to Ho-baek. Ho-baek had recalled that everything was thanks to his master’s loyalty.
Because of this, the Demon Doctor would likely grant my request. Even though my father had refused the technique, the fact that he had supposedly told me about it could be interpreted as an intent for the Demon Doctor to perform it on his son instead.
“Are you aware that the fruit of the Paradise Guanyin Herb, an essential ingredient for the New Eye Technique, is extremely difficult to obtain? The procedure can only be performed once in this generation.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“And you still want it, knowing that?”
“I do.”
The Demon Doctor fell into deep thought. I gave him time to consider. I waited while quietly sipping my tea, and eventually, he spoke.
“If I perform the New Eye Technique for you, what will you do for me, Second Young Master?”
“I have nothing to give you right now. Instead…” I looked at him with eyes full of conviction. “I will become the Cult Leader.”
“!”
“Once I am the Cult Leader, I will be able to grant whatever it is you desire.”
The Demon Doctor’s eyes wavered. I knew exactly what he wanted.
He had desired it until the day he died, but my father never permitted it. That was also why my father had refused the New Eye Technique—because accepting it would have meant he was indebted to grant the Demon Doctor’s request.
But unlike my father, I had no intention of refusing. I planned to grant his wish.
“Will you truly grant it, no matter what it is?”
“Yes. However, only one thing.”
“One request is enough.”
“I give you my word.”
Now, there was only one final judgment left for the Demon Doctor to make.
“Are you confident you can become the successor?”
“I am.” This time, I was the one to ask. “How do you see it, Elder? Do you think I will become the successor?”
Given my recent actions, the Demon Doctor must have been paying close attention.
“I believe your abilities are sufficient. In fact, they are more than enough. However… you are too clear. I am not certain if you are suited for the seat of the Cult Leader.”
“Then it’s actually for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
“Use the New Eye Technique to hide these clear eyes. Give me new ones.”
I said it like a joke, but the Demon Doctor didn't laugh. He was facing the choice of a lifetime, and he knew this decision would determine his fate.
“It is an important decision, so please consider it carefully and contact me.”
I stood up from my seat.
“Second Young Master, I will ask one last thing.”
“Yes.”
“If you become the Cult Leader, how do you plan to deal with the Murim Alliance?”
“That will depend on the political climate at the time. However, one thing is certain. Whether they are from the Orthodox or Unorthodox faction, whether they are an individual or an organization, man or woman—if I judge them to be Absolute Evil, I will surely execute them.”
Knowing this was the answer he needed to hear, I left the room with a light heart.
*
Three days later, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon visited the infirmary.
The Demon Doctor was sitting blankly in his consultation room, the fatigue of several days of deliberation etched onto his face.
Entering the room, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke bluntly. “Is it time for you to die? Why are you doing things you never used to do?”
The Demon Doctor had sent word to meet him secretly. That was why the Blade Demon had come quietly at such a late hour.
“For people like us, the time to die isn't far off.”
“Stop that unlucky talk. And leave me out of your 'us'.”
“Why do you have so many lingering attachments to this world?”
“I’ve found that those who claim to have no attachments are the ones whose insides are a living hell.”
Not many people knew that these two were such informal friends.
“What is it? Seeing as you called for me, have you finally grown tired of saving lives? Shall we go kill some people together?”
The Demon Doctor gave a faint smile. He got along surprisingly well with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who blurted out whatever was on his mind without a filter. Looking at his relationship with the Blade Demon, the saying that opposites attract made perfect sense.
There were times he had wished he could live like the Blade Demon, saying everything he wanted to say.
“I called you because I wanted to ask something.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you choose the Second Young Master?”
For a moment, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared intently at the Demon Doctor. Then, he burst into a hearty laugh.
“That brat really has his hands in everything. To think he’s even dragged a scholar like you from the infirmary onto the battlefield. Why on earth are you asking that?”
The Demon Doctor replied after a short pause. “It seems I’ve grown tired of saving lives, just as you said.”
The Blade Demon laughed triumphantly, but the Demon Doctor remained serious.
“Why the Second Young Master?”
“Why else? I chose him because I think he’ll become the Cult Leader.”
The Demon Doctor nodded. He was under the misconception that the Heavenly Demon had told Geom Mu-geuk about the New Eye Technique. Based on that fact alone, the possibility of the Second Young Master becoming the successor was high.
But the Demon Doctor needed more than that. He was at a crossroads, deciding whether to use the one opportunity he had in his entire life. His lifelong ambition depended on it.
“I’m asking for your specific reason.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s honest answer was this: I somehow got swept up in the kid's pace. Before I knew it, I was the one putting a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill in his mouth.
But he couldn't bring himself to say that.
“The Second Young Master said this: in his Demonic Path, he doesn't break the tables in inns. That’s why I chose him.”
The Demon Doctor stared at the Blade Demon blankly for a moment. He hadn't expected such an absurd answer, but strangely, he felt he understood the sentiment—both Geom Mu-geuk’s heart and the Blade Demon’s.
“Well, it is about time you stopped breaking them.”
The Demon Doctor stood up.
“Where are you going after calling me here? We should have a drink.”
“Next time. I’ll buy then.”
“Where is 'next time' for old men like us? Buy today!”
But the Demon Doctor had already left the room. Watching his retreating back, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon let out a hollow chuckle.
“He’s so diligent, he won’t die easily.”
Of course, he wasn't talking about the Demon Doctor, but Geom Mu-geuk.
*
I opened my eyes from sleep.
The Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art had alerted me to a visitor’s presence. I got out of bed, strapped on my sword, and went outside to find the Demon Doctor standing in the courtyard.
“Elder, you’ve come?”
“I didn't emit even a shred of Demonic Energy. How did you know I was here?”
“I just happened to open my eyes. Like it was destiny.”
The reason I added the cliché word "destiny" was because it worked incredibly well on the elderly. At that age, there were many things difficult to process unless one chalked them up to fate.
“I have spent my entire life saving people,” the Demon Doctor said.
“It is a noble pursuit.”
The Demon Doctor shook his head. “I am not a selfless person. I saved people because I wanted to kill one person.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked as if I didn't know, but I already did. That was the very reason the Demon Doctor had joined the Cult.
“For a physician to kill a person is to defy Heaven’s Will. That is why, to wash away that sin even a little, I struggled to save every life I could.” Letting out a long sigh, the Demon Doctor asked me, “If you become the Cult Leader, will you kill that person for me?”
“Yes.”
“Why don't you ask who it is?”
“If it’s someone you want to kill, they must be a villain. I trust you, Elder.”
“How do you know what’s inside me?”
“I believe that sometimes the shell matters more than the core. The 'shell' of being the Demon Doctor isn't something easily obtained. I trust the effort you put in to build that name.”
Of course, my trust wasn't based solely on that. I trusted him because I knew everything about him—his life, his death, and even the person he wanted to kill. If I didn't, I would never entrust my eyes to him.
“Killing him will not be easy. If handled poorly, many people will be caught in the crossfire. So, my wish is to kill only that man, without any other sacrifices. Can you promise me that?”
This was likely why my father had refused. To grant the request, the Heavenly Demon himself would have had to move, and the position of the Heavenly Demon was far too heavy to be used for an individual’s personal grudge.
“I will become stronger and kill only that man, without any unnecessary sacrifices.”
“Will you promise me?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I happen to die first, will you keep this promise?”
“I promise. When I plunge my sword into his heart, I will whisper to him: 'This is the blade sent by the Demon Doctor.'”
The thought seemed to please him, as a faint smile formed on the Demon Doctor’s lips. Finally, he made his decision.
“Very well. I will perform the New Eye Technique on you.”
“Thank you truly.” I bowed deeply to show my respect.
“Save your thanks for after the procedure is finished. Now, let’s go.”
“Are you planning to do it right now?”
“Once the mind is set, it must be done immediately. Who knows how I’ll feel tomorrow? Why? Do you not want to?”
“Not at all. Let’s go.”
I followed the Demon Doctor as he strode away. As I did, I took a careful look at my surroundings. This was the last time I would see the world with these eyes.