Chapter 267: Winter Is Coming (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: Winter Is Coming (1)
My dantian was utterly empty, a void within me. My body felt completely drained—not just from the Demonic Qi, but from the sheer volume of my own energy that had been expended.
This was particularly telling, given my body was the kind that could unleash endless flames without showing the slightest sign of fatigue. It drove home the point: transforming someone into a Demonic Human demanded a staggering amount of power.
I contemplated this, the humid summer air heavy around me.
Should I have killed him?
I asked myself if I should have ended Namgung Cheonjun.
Honestly, it might have been the cleaner option.
It wasn't regret, merely a question.
How would I have handled the aftermath? How would I have explained it all?
Setting those practicalities aside, I wondered if it simply would have been better to kill him.
Though, in the end, I corrupted him instead.
I had injected Demonic Qi deep into the core of Namgung Cheonjun's dantian. From there, it had begun to spread, seeping through his body, staining it from the inside out.
The process wasn't so different from when he absorbed Blood Qi, or from how the Heavenly Demon transformed people into Demonic Humans in my past life.
The real problem was…
…that I was capable of doing such a thing.
Why? How?
I repeatedly opened and closed my hand, trying to grasp the sensation, but it remained elusive.
The only explanation was that it had felt entirely natural.
It's weird enough that I regressed with my Demonic Arts intact.
My body after the regression was definitely different from a true Demonic Human's, and I certainly wasn't one now. The energy flowing within me was the pure Taoist Qi from Mount Hua's treasure, with my Demonic Qi merely stored in a secluded corner of my dantian. It was a stretch to call myself a Demonic Human.
And yet, I could wield Demonic Qi with absolute freedom and control. It was strange.
It felt as though my Demonic Arts were evolving, adapting to make themselves easier for me to use. As if they were complimenting my body's growth.
It was like someone was pushing me from behind.
As if urging me to become the Heavenly Demon.
What nonsense.
It truly was.
Everything happening right now was absurd.
Controlling Namgung Cheonjun from now on would be simple. He wouldn't die unless I willed it, and he would remain silent if I commanded it. He was little more than a servant now.
If I ordered Namgung Cheonjun to die right at this moment, he would do it—by biting off his own tongue or choking himself to death.
That was the nature of the contract formed by Demonic Qi.
To be precise, that was the relationship between the Heavenly Demon and his Demonic Humans.
The problem is,
Just like the Demonic Humans created by the Heavenly Demon, there was a risk of Namgung Cheonjun succumbing to madness from the Demonic Qi.
To prevent that, I gave him a series of orders.
-Do not kill.
-Refrain from feeling killing intent.
-Do not interfere with me.
-Slap yourself on the cheek every morning.
Things like that.
I issued many commands, including an order to seal his own mouth, and thankfully, he seemed to be obeying them all.
I guess there's no need for a Shackle.
The Heavenly Demon had placed a Shackle on me and the other Demonic Humans—a device planted in our hearts that would explode if we betrayed the Demonic Cult.
But it seemed unnecessary for Namgung Cheonjun. Simple commands appeared to be sufficient for control.
Did the Heavenly Demon use such a Shackle because it granted more power?
Or was it because controlling a growing army of Demonic Humans with words alone became impossible?
If that wasn't the reason…
Perhaps there was another purpose for the shackle.
I don't understand its purpose.
Why did the Heavenly Demon do such a thing?
I was intensely curious.
The difference is,
I realized that while I could corrupt others into Demonic Humans, I couldn't bestow authority like the Heavenly Demon could.
I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or fearful that I might one day gain such an ability.
If I had to choose, it would be fear.
First… I need to decide what to do with Namgung Cheonjun.
Aside from the fact of his transformation, I was considering how to use him.
I tried to get some information out of him.
My original plan was to ask how he had gained such power, but Namgung Cheonjun responded like this:
-…I'm not sure if I remem… No, I don't remember.
"What a useless bastard…"
He just looked like a fool who had lost his memories.
He's incapable of lying, which means he's telling the truth.
Did Namgung Cheonjun lose his memories related to the Blood Qi when I absorbed it all?
However,
…That didn't happen during the tournament of the Dragons and Phoenixes. Is it because he's a Demonic Human now?
That was likely the case. I had absorbed his Qi back then, but his memories remained intact. This was different.
Could the corruption process itself damage his memories?
Well, yeah, it probably can. Which is why it happened, for fuck's sake.
I'd traveled through time; nothing was impossible. I already knew this world was full of monsters.
"Sigh."
Unfortunately, it seemed I wouldn't be gathering any easy intelligence…
Then,
What should I do?
Namgung Cheonjun's life was in my hands.
His only escape was suicide, and I hadn't forbidden him from that. The choice was his to make.
It would be easier if he killed himself.
If he didn't, it would give me a chance to observe what happens to a Demonic Human created by my Qi. There was value in watching him for a while.
Afterwards,
Once I felt I'd seen enough,
I'll get rid of him.
I had no intention of letting him live from the start. I was only keeping him alive now to satisfy my curiosity.
That was his only value.
One thing did give me pause, though.
Would she be sad?
It was only about Namgung Bi-ah.
Would she be saddened by Namgung Cheonjun's death?
That was my only hesitation in all of this.
Because I knew I wouldn't be fine if I heard that Gu Ryunghwa had died. In my past life, I burned all of Mount Hua to the ground for that very reason.
…
I set the thought aside and considered other options, but no matter how much I thought about it, Namgung Cheonjun was going to die eventually.
As I said, I was only letting him live for now.
This was a firm decision, and it likely wouldn't change.
Then,
Swoosh-
I heard the sound of a sword cutting through the air.
The noise pulled me from my thoughts.
Swish-! Swoosh-!
The movements were fast and precise. It was on a completely different level compared to the young prodigies.
If I had to guess, this was what I would expect from Namgung Cheonjun after decades of training. That was the only feeling I got from watching.
Shortly after,
"Whew…"
The man stopped swinging his sword, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked toward me. His clear blue eyes made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
He approached and asked, "How is it?"
"...Huh? How's what?"
When I responded dumbfoundedly, the man—the Lord of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Jin—repeated his question. "My movement just now. How did it seem?"
"...Oh."
I quickly schooled my expression. I was only here because Namgung Jin had sought me out first thing in the morning. His arrival had given Namgung Cheonjun permission to leave, and I'd been dragged here by a seemingly desperate Namgung Jin.
Who would have thought the lord of a noble clan, the Namgung Clan no less, would seek me out at the crack of dawn like a puppy needing to go outside? I'd been doing such a good job of avoiding him.
Furthermore,
How is it my ass… How am I supposed to know?
Namgung Jin had demonstrated his sword art, but what did I know about it?
You're good, that's just it…
Like I thought earlier, that was the extent of my analysis. I didn't know anything about swordsmanship, so I couldn't offer any real insight. Moreover, this was the sword art of a master who had reached the Fusion Realm. There was no way I could critique a swordsman of that caliber just from watching.
But one thing is certain… he seems to have changed since last time.
Namgung Jin's sword had always been sharp and quick, but now it felt different. I couldn't articulate the details, not being a swordsman myself, but Elder Shin would have definitely commented if he were here. There was clearly a difference.
The only thing I could say after watching was that…
it seemed similar to the Demonic Sword's style.
That was the only thought that came to mind.
Of course, it was a Namgung Clan sword art, so some resemblance to the Demonic Sword's style was inevitable, but…
It just feels different.
It wasn't a profound observation, but that was it. Namgung Jin's sword was beginning to resemble the one wielded by the Demonic Sword. That was all I could see.
If I had to put it into words,
How would I describe it?
What exactly had I noticed to make me feel this way?
What was the Demonic Sword's sword like?
The only Namgung sword art I knew was the one she had shown me. She would envelop her body in radiant Lightning Qi, swinging her sword while striking the ground with lightning. Her swordplay was sharp and saturated with a killing intent I'd never seen in the current Namgung Bi-ah. Just standing beside her had been enough to make me tense.
Moreover, her swordplay was perfect.
That was why she was known as the mighty Demonic Sword within the Demonic Cult. Despite her obsession with slaughter, her technique was impeccable.
As I reflected on the Demonic Sword, I heard Namgung Jin's voice again. "Please, give me some advice I can use as reference."
"…"
Advice? What advice?
…Elder Shin.
I called out to him in my mind. There was still no response.
You crazy old man! Please wake up…!
No matter how much I shouted internally, there was nothing. What was he doing that he wouldn't wake up now?
What do I do now?
Namgung Jin was waiting eagerly. I didn't know what he was hoping to hear, nor did I have anything to say… I'll say it again: I'm not a swordsman. The last time I held a sword was as a child, following Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo around with a wooden toy. After that, I never touched one again. I was fundamentally ignorant.
I could offer advice from a general martial arts perspective, but I was sure that wasn't what Namgung Jin wanted.
…What's there?
How could I get out of this situation?
Oh.
One thing crossed my mind as I thought about the Demonic Sword. It's said that the pinnacle for a swordsman is different from that of a martial artist; for them, it's about becoming one with their sword. To unite with the blade, for it to become an extension of the self. The name wasn't important—a spear user would seek unity with their spear, an archer with their bow. The name was interchangeable.
What mattered was the meaning behind it. A state where Qi flows naturally from the body into the weapon. It wasn't about Sword Resonance or Sword Force. Instead, it described the process of a person merging with their chosen weapon, much like how Qi becomes one with a martial artist who reaches the Peak Realm.
I had a basic understanding of the concept, but it was still difficult for a close-combat fighter like me. Close-combat martial artists truly begin to shine at the Peak Realm, when Qi starts to merge with the body, making them immensely powerful. I suppose it could be called 'becoming one with one's fist,' but I didn't know much about it. I wasn't even sure if I had reached that state myself. I just knew this process was different from a swordsman's path.
What did she say back then when I asked her?
I recalled the past. When I asked the Demonic Sword, she had responded:
-It just happens with time.
That's what she said. Obviously, I was the fool for asking. Of course, I pressed her further afterward, but she only said things I couldn't comprehend.
What was it…
"…To focus on the flow of lightning?"
I believe that was it. I think she gave that explanation because she herself used Lightning Qi.
But how am I supposed to understand that?
What was the 'flow of lightning'? Would staring at a thunderstorm give me insight? Whatever the case, I couldn't grasp it. No, it was stupid of me to ask the Demonic Sword in the first place. I shouldn't have expected to learn from someone who reached her level through sheer, innate talent. For someone like her, it would have been easier to ask why I couldn't do it.
But that's not important right now.
Lightning or whatever, I needed to figure out what to say to Namgung Ji-
"…Hmm?"
I began to speak, but Namgung Jin was staring at me with a completely blank expression.
"…What the, why are you staring at me lik-"
I stopped mid-sentence.
It was because of what I sensed in Namgung Jin's expression.
Wow…
That's really insane.
He looked like he was experiencing a moment of enlightenment.
Had he actually gained something? Just like that? What had I done to cause such a reaction? I hadn't done anything speci-
Wait.
A thought flashed through my mind.
Was it because I mumbled something about lightning just now?
The Demonic Sword's advice had been useless to me, but it seemed to have sparked something in Namgung Jin.
However,
This isn't an impossible concept to consider, is it?
Given that they used Lightning Qi, it wasn't unlikely that they would contemplate such things. I remembered spending days watching a bonfire, trying to learn about flames. In the end, I just got furious at my lack of progress, stomped on the fire, and got badly burned.
What a maniac…
A martial artist specializing in Flame Arts, getting burned by a fire. What kind of nonsense was that?
…Anyway.
If Namgung Jin had indeed gained enlightenment from what I said,
that meant I had helped him.
I didn't understand how thinking about the flow of lightning helped, but Namgung Jin was clearly having a breakthrough. The outcome of such enlightenment could be good or bad, but only one thing mattered to me right now.
"…Can I leave now?"
This had happened by chance, and it was true that I had inadvertently given him advice. It pricked at my conscience, but I didn't have much of one to begin with, so it should be fine. Besides, I could argue that this was enough.
I glanced at Namgung Jin, who was staring blankly into nothingness. I could perceive the clear Qi he usually kept hidden within his body. It was Lightning Qi, tingling and vibrant, moving as if it had a will of its own. It wasn't flowing quite right yet, but it was active.
…If I touched him right now, he might die just like that.
If all his focus was internal, even a simple touch from me could disrupt his energy flow and kill him.
Seeing Namgung Jin in such a state, I spoke quietly. "Uh… I'll be going now, okay?"
I spoke, but Namgung Jin gave no response. Of course he didn't; how could he in his current state? It would have been the respectful thing to stay and guard him, but I hoped he could handle it himself.
Plus,
Isn't it unfair that he gained enlightenment just from hearing about the flow of lightning?
I understood that enlightenment often came suddenly, but this felt unjust. I should have been the one to receive such a gift. It grated on me, feeling like I had practically spoon-fed it to him.
I'm getting heated all of a sudden. Maybe I should just touch him right now?
A simple tap on the shoulder could send him into Qi deviation.
Slide.
The door to the training ground opened behind me, and someone entered. I didn't need to turn my head; a familiar scent told me who it was.
"What… were you doing?"
It was Namgung Bi-ah's voice. I responded without turning around.
"…Staying by his side."
Even as I said it, I thought my tone sounded a bit too serious.