Night Sea
The moment I heard Master say, “Let’s stop talking about that story,” I instinctively knew the strange unease I’d felt earlier wasn’t unfounded.
Whenever I asked her for guidance on something, had she ever told me to drop it? No. Never. My master—the Heavenly Demon—had never answered me that way before.
She was the kind of person who would say, “It is not yet time,” or “Your level is too shallow to receive this teaching. Once you have earned the right yourself, ask me again.” That was exactly who my master was.
“…”
I reflexively turned around. I meant to catch her and ask what was wrong. But she had already slipped inside the tent. The feeling that she was deliberately avoiding my questions was overwhelming.
Still, I was incredibly lucky. I shared the same tent as Master. Iris couldn’t have known that detail, yet everything had lined up perfectly. It was almost as if she had foreseen it all.
I followed Master into the tent. Normally she would have stopped me right there and started chatting about all sorts of things—how long it had been since we last stayed together like this, how much she had missed it. But today she simply sat down without a single word.
Something’s wrong.
Yeah. Definitely something’s wrong.
Let me think. I need to gather every fragment I missed and complete the picture. Let me list the parts that felt off and find the connections.
First, the method for reaching the Fragment of the Demon God that I had wanted to ask her about. She was the one who had offered to show it to me. I hadn’t forced the issue.
And in the end, Master had indeed touched the Fragment of the Demon God by ignoring the world’s laws. Even though it only resulted in slicing off part of its arm, the important thing was that she had cut it. She had looked quite satisfied with that outcome.
She had exhausted her internal energy and collapsed into my arms, yes, but I still clearly remembered the faint smile on her face. The fact that she had smiled meant she was satisfied with her own achievement. And if she was satisfied, she would now point me toward the great path ahead. All I had to do was find my own way instead of simply copying hers.
So why did she suddenly refuse?
When exactly had I first felt that unease from Master? Aside from the moment she told me to stop, there was the time I thought her behavior was unlike her…
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Had she noticed something strange in my expression? Master opened her eyes and stared at me quietly. I decided to throw out a natural probe.
“I was pondering something.”
“And what might that be?”
“You seemed incredibly lively today, Master.”
“…Ahem. It was simply because I had not seen the sea in a long time.”
“The swimsuit looked incredible on you, too.”
“…”
“I know it’s a bit forward to say this, but you were truly beautiful.”
“Ahem! Hm! Enough with the empty flattery!”
“Understood. Anyway, you look a little tired. This disciple was thinking of giving you a massage. It reminded me of the old days, so I was debating whether to offer.”
One of the surefire ways to earn points with Master in the past had been to massage her shoulders, back, or feet. At first she had refused instantly, calling it improper. But after receiving a few massages, she had become completely addicted. After that, the moment I asked if she wanted one, she would accept without hesitation.
“…Not today.”
Yet the same Master who had never once refused before was now declining with an awkward smile.
“Today is a day of rest not only for this seat but for you as well. Relax.”
“…”
Thanks to that, I had lost the chance to gather concrete evidence. My plan had been to send internal energy into her body while massaging her to examine her condition. The odds of getting caught were high, but I had already prepared an excuse—that I was using internal energy to perform a perfect internal massage. I would have told her it was a new technique I had devised just for her.
But because she refused the massage, that opportunity had vanished. It was extremely disappointing, yet I had gained one piece of circumstantial evidence instead. The fact that she rejected a massage meant she was uncomfortable with me touching her body. In other words, the possibility that something was wrong with Master’s physical condition had grown even stronger.
“Is that so? I’m grateful that you’re thinking of this disciple. But I really am fine. Even so, you still refuse, Master?”
I tried persuading her one more time, just in case. She might still accept. However, Master stubbornly rejected my offer.
From her answer and her reaction, I became certain. Master’s current physical state was definitely not normal. The fact that she hadn’t noticed my approach when she used her movement technique was clearly part of the same issue.
What should I do now?
I had circumstantial evidence and was almost completely convinced, but I lacked any solid proof. The surest method was to send my internal energy into her body to examine her condition directly. Yet if I touched her without permission, she would become furious. Moreover, sending internal energy into someone meant thoroughly dissecting their inner state. In some cases, it could even be taken as a provocative act meant to analyze an opponent before attacking—an extremely rude gesture.
I couldn’t afford to grow impatient. I had to stay calm. What approach would let me learn Master’s condition with greater certainty?
While I agonized over it, the sun set and darkness swallowed the sky.
“…”
“…”
Normally we would have talked about all sorts of things, but I was too lost in my own thoughts, and Master remained silent as if she had her own worries. It was the first night since we had met that felt this quiet and empty.
Late into the night, Cheon Yeon-hwa found it difficult to fall asleep. Normally she would have circulated her internal energy tonight as well to examine her condition. The faint throbbing she kept feeling in her dantian was extremely irritating.
She still did not know why it had been damaged. The one fortunate thing was that it had not shattered or broken apart. At this level, she could surely restore it to its original state. It would not be difficult. She could do it. No—she had to do it.
Thinking that, she had been operating her energy and performing energy circulation every night.
But…
Unfortunately, she was not alone tonight. And of all people, the one lying beside her was the most outstanding disciple she had ever taught. At first it had felt strange, but now even the Heavenly Demon herself acknowledged it. He might even know that she had not fallen asleep.
To rise in front of such a disciple, circulate her energy, and examine her body’s condition? That would be no different from confessing outright, “My body is not in a normal state.”
That cannot be allowed.
If the person in this situation had been one of Namgung Hyeon’s disciples instead of Cheon Yeon-hwa, she would have reported her condition without hesitation. Namgung Hyeon had drilled it into his disciples’ ears until they were sick of hearing it: never hide your physical condition. Report it as accurately as possible. Only then could they avoid misjudgments in future battles or when distributing forces.
But Cheon Yeon-hwa was not Namgung Hyeon’s disciple. She was his master, a woman who had once stood as the absolute ruler of the martial world. She was the one called the Heavenly Demon—the being who had reached even the heavens despite her demonic nature.
For someone like her to reveal her injuries to another was simply impossible. Even if she were injured, she had to heal herself quickly, return to her perfect condition, and then show a relaxed demeanor as if nothing had happened.
“…”
Deciding she could wait no longer, Cheon Yeon-hwa quietly rose. She completely erased her presence and glanced at Namgung Hyeon lying beside her. He happened to be facing her direction, so she couldn’t tell whether he was truly asleep or merely pretending.
…Fortunately, he seems to be in deep sleep.
Of course, if he sensed any threat he would open his eyes immediately. Therefore Cheon Yeon-hwa moved with her presence suppressed to the utmost limit. She practically crawled, slipping out of the tent with extreme caution.
Swoosh… Crash…!
The cool breath of the night sea filled her lungs. Even if she were caught leaving the tent, she could simply say she had stepped out for a short walk. The night sea was beautiful enough to make that excuse believable.
…This should be far enough.
After checking her surroundings several times, Cheon Yeon-hwa sat in the lotus position. It bothered her a little that no one was standing guard while she performed energy circulation, but she wasn’t going to enter full cultivation. She only needed to examine the state of her dantian. She would finish as quickly and briefly as possible.
“Huu…”
After steadying her breath, Cheon Yeon-hwa slowly began to circulate her internal energy. Hot and cold currents immediately started racing through her body. They spun at tremendous speed, purging waste and reorganizing her physique.
But once again, a stinging pain surged from the most critical point.
She bit her lip hard and focused every ounce of attention on each strand of energy. Using that energy, she examined the state of her dantian with extreme precision—what exactly had happened, whether it could be restored to its original state, and if so, exactly how much time and effort would be required.
She had to confirm it if she was going to help her disciple fight in this war.
“Khk…”
The more she circulated her energy, the worse the pain grew. It was a different kind of agony from physical pain—far more piercing. It felt as if her insides were being shaken violently and seared by fire. Even the leader of the Demonic Cult, the fearsome Heavenly Demon who was accustomed to pain, found this torment almost impossible to endure.
“…Khk! Cough!”
She had barely managed to grasp the extent of the damage and was trying to reinforce it somehow, but the horrific sensation overwhelmed her.
“Huu, huu.”
How ridiculous, Cheon Yeon-hwa. Are you really going to submit to something like this? Are you even worthy of being called the Heavenly Demon? Can a wretch like you still dare to call herself this seat?
Become stronger. Stronger. You must grow stronger and stronger still.
Cheon Yeon-hwa whipped herself with those thoughts and refocused her mind. She didn’t need to accomplish everything right now. If she could simply make a start, get a feel for it, she would eventually succeed. Just as she had reached the Fragment of the Demon God even after her disciple said it was unreachable. In this world, there was nothing impossible, nothing that could not be done.
“Haa, haa…”
How much time had passed? Cheon Yeon-hwa’s body was drenched in sweat.
For now… I have grasped the full situation. All that remains is restoration.
Even examining it like this brought terrible pain. She still had no idea how she was supposed to approach the repair. Yet no matter what it was, she would accomplish it. Just as she had always done, she would carve open a path and create one where none existed.
Thinking that, Cheon Yeon-hwa turned her body—
“Have you finished?”
—and found herself face to face with Namgung Hyeon, who had been standing guard right beside her.