Chapter 268: Winter Is Coming (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Winter Is Coming (2)
By the time Namgung Jin opened his eyes, the sun was already setting.
Having been here since morning, I knew exactly how much time had passed. That madman had spaced out the entire day, effectively wasting my time as well.
Ugh, I should have just left him here.
And of course, she showed up at the worst possible moment.
Namgung Bi-ah crouched beside me, watching her father. I’d been about to leave, but now that she was here, I couldn’t just walk away. Then again, if I hadn’t told everyone I was standing guard, this never would have happened.
This mouth of mine is the problem.
As the sun dipped lower,
“Whew…”
Namgung Jin finally emerged from his deep focus. The aura radiating from his eyes was light, yet strikingly clear.
It’s become denser.
As a Fusion Realm martial artist, it was unrealistic to expect a full breakthrough from a single moment of enlightenment. I could only assume he was feeling more at ease now, though I had no idea how significant that felt to him.
When I looked at him blankly, Namgung Jin closed his eyes and bowed his head to me.
“…Thank you…”
His words were sincere. Was he unaware that Namgung Bi-ah was right beside me? Or had he been so absorbed that he hadn’t noticed her at all?
“…Ah, yes. Congratulations.”
That was all I could muster in reply. This whole situation was a fluke; all I did was parrot something the Demonic Sword had once told me. In the end, I’d gotten what I wanted, and now I could leave.
But is this really enough?
I knew I hadn’t fully resolved his issues. The flawed sword art of the Namgung Clan wouldn’t be restored to its former glory just because Elder Shin or I had given Namgung Jin a few pointers. It was impossible to rediscover a sword art lost for centuries so easily.
…Though of course.
Glance.
Thinking of Namgung Bi-ah beside me, maybe it wasn’t so impossible after all. I didn’t know what she had been through, but the sword art I’d witnessed through the Demonic Sword was the very same one Namgung Jin was striving to achieve.
I turned to him and spoke. “…Just don’t forget our promise.”
Hearing my words, Namgung Jin finally noticed his daughter and looked surprised, but he nodded in response.
The promise. That he would personally teach Namgung Bi-ah what he had learned. That was the deal I had struck with him.
“I will not.”
I turned to leave after his reply. I felt a flicker of satisfaction that things had turned out somewhat alright.
Ache.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue at the sudden, sharp pain flaring in my dantian. It seemed it would take longer than expected for my depleted energy to recover.
To be more precise, it was better to say I had lost my Qi. I’d used far too much when I turned Namgung Cheonjun into a Demonic Human.
I turned back to face Namgung Jin. “I presume you will continue your sword training, my Lord?”
“…Yes.”
His affirmation was as I’d expected. He’d undoubtedly want to test the changes in his sword art after his recent enlightenment.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
I walked away as I spoke. Just as I’d thought, the sun had nearly set. The day was mostly gone.
Oh, right.
Now that I thought about it, I’d said something to Namgung Cheonjun right before Namgung Jin dragged me away.
Does it matter?
It probably didn’t. It wasn’t important.
I kept walking. I noticed Namgung Bi-ah had followed me out of the training grounds, but she kept glancing back over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Was she curious because her father had achieved enlightenment? She isn’t asking me any questions, though. She must have realized I’d played a part in it, yet for some reason, she remained silent, as if it were of no consequence.
After a moment, she shook her head. “No… It’s nothing…”
She fell into step beside me again, but her eyes were still fixed in the direction we’d left Namgung Jin.
I headed back to my quarters after that, first telling Namgung Bi-ah to return to her own home. I should have been training, but it was impossible in my current state with my dantian still empty.
How long will this take?
It didn’t feel like a permanent injury, but for a martial artist, even a few days without Qi was a serious vulnerability. It meant I was effectively powerless if trouble arose—not that I expected any while staying with the Namgung Clan.
[…Grr… rr.]
The constant whining from the beast inside me was another problem. It was clearly hungry.
Stop whining. I’ve got enough on my mind.
Even if it was starving, I had no way to feed it. I couldn’t get my hands on a Demonic Stone, and I couldn’t go out hunting demons right now. The Namgung Clan might be rotting from within, but it was still a prestigious clan, with plenty of martial artists standing guard. Anhui was relatively safe; I’d have to travel far to find any demons.
Just wait a few days. I’ll feed you as soon as I can leave.
[Grr…]
Ignoring its complaints, I finally reached my quarters. Hongwa asked if I wanted to eat as soon as I entered, but I told her I’d eat later.
“You didn’t go inside the room, right?”
“Ah, yes. I did as you ordered.”
“Good.”
Once I’d confirmed, I sent her away and entered my room.
Woong.
As soon as I stepped inside, I set up a Qi barrier around the room. My dantian screamed in protest as I squeezed out the last dregs of my energy, but I had no choice.
“Ugh… Ough.”
Inside, a man was groaning in agony on the floor, his head pressed against the ground, sweat pouring from him. It was Namgung Cheonjun.
Seeing him, I offered an awkward smile. “Sorry, I forgot about you.”
“…Ugh… You… fucking…”
Clap.
With a light clap of my hands, the compulsion holding him released, and his body went limp, collapsing fully. I walked over to the bastard who had been writhing in pain.
“How was I supposed to know your father would suddenly show up and drag me away?”
“Pant… pant…”
Thanks to Namgung Jin’s unexpected appearance this morning, Namgung Cheonjun should have been kicked out. But right before I left, I’d given him one last order.
Stay here and keep your head on the floor.
And he’d been obeying it all this time.
But this is just annoying now.
Sure, I’d given the order, but the sight of his sweat soaking my floor was pissing me off.
Pow-!
I kicked his leg.
“Agh!”
“Sorry. I’m a little irritated.”
“…You… fucker…”
“Your spirit’s still not broken, huh? Want to go another round?”
“…”
He shut his mouth after that. I smirked.
“Get up if you’re done resting.”
“…I-It hasn’t even been a few minu- Ough!”
His exhausted body was forced upright, whether he wanted to or not.
I smiled. “We might as well run some tests.”
“…”
At my cheerful tone, Namgung Cheonjun’s expression soured completely.
* * *
I called it testing, but we didn’t do much. I simply verified whether Namgung Cheonjun had truly become a Demonic Human, what changes he’d undergone, and how much control I had over him.
His physical potential has increased.
His body was slightly enhanced compared to before. It might have been due to the Blood Qi, but more likely, the Demonic Qi had boosted his strength.
I need to observe the side effects as well.
The known side effect of Demonic Qi was madness. In exchange for power beyond one’s original limits, the user’s mind was consumed. Of course, one could resist this if they reached a certain level of mastery—at least the Fusion Realm or higher.
But what about Blood Qi? What was its price?
All power granted required a sacrifice. Qi and one’s cultivation level were achieved through time and effort. Demonic Qi devoured the mind. So what did Blood Qi cost?
I felt exhaustion and pain when I used it.
Judging by the recoil that felt like my dantian was cracking, I believed the side effect of Blood Qi was…
The consumption of one’s life force.
That was my theory. If it didn’t affect the mind, it had to target something more fundamental: a person’s vital energy. This wasn’t something that could be increased through mere training.
Though it doesn’t permanently decrease from a single use, either.
It was still a type of Qi, so it would recover with control and rest. But since it was tied to one’s lifespan, it couldn’t be used recklessly. Furthermore, a low-level martial artist wouldn’t even be able to access it.
But if Blood Qi uses life force as its cost…
It meant that Blood Qi consumed a martial artist’s very lifespan. That was why it could achieve such fearsome strength.
“This crazy bastard had this kind of power in his body all along.”
I nudged the nearly unconscious man on the floor with my foot. It was Namgung Cheonjun.
“Tsk.”
I’d pushed him through several tests until he collapsed, but I’d learned a great deal.
First, Namgung Cheonjun could now use Demonic Qi.
It directly affected his Lightning Qi.
I noticed his Qi was now tinged with a trace of Demonic energy. It had become more powerful, denser, and covered a wider area, but its color had changed. No one would mistake it for a normal aura now.
Thankfully, he could choose not to use it. This meant…
He can control it himself.
When I ordered him to tap into the Demonic Qi, he was visibly shocked. He seemed to realize how much stronger his Lightning Qi had become. Of course, since I’d forbidden him from using it willingly, he couldn’t activate it on his own. It wasn’t a power to be used lightly—not that this immature fool seemed to grasp that.
As for the extent of my control…
He followed my commands without question. To test the limits, I ordered him to die, and he immediately tried to choke himself to death, showing no hesitation. His horrified expression afterwards confirmed it wasn’t by his own will.
So he really will do anything.
Knowing that much was sufficient. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have succeeded. My control over him was absolute.
This was all made possible by the consumption of Demonic Qi. Whether it was enforcing my commands or enhancing his body, it all relied on me channeling my own power into him.
When I told him to kill himself, I saw the Demonic Qi being consumed rapidly. The rate must vary depending on the command.
Demonic Qi was consumed every time I gave him an order. It was also used when he actively tapped into the Demonic Qi himself.
“How annoying.”
That was my overwhelming feeling after confirming everything. It was genuinely irritating. I never wanted to learn any of this. I never expected to.
I clicked my tongue, looking down at the unconscious Namgung Cheonjun. He might have been a fool, but he was a Peak Realm martial artist. I had broken into his well-defended dantian, flooded him with Demonic Qi to turn him into a Demonic Human, and now this…
It made me think corrupting someone stronger than me might not be impossible. Would they, too, be consumed by madness, like those I’d seen in my past life? I didn’t know that part yet.
The important thing was that Namgung Cheonjun had become a Demonic Human, and I had been the one to make it happen.
…
This made me wonder if I was any different from the Heavenly Demon of my past life. What did the world want from me, to grant me such power? I wanted to ask someone, anyone.
To understand this…
I knew the beast inside me wouldn’t answer, and how could I find the Heavenly Demon when I didn’t even know where it was?
That left only one person I could ask. Thankfully, a particular bastard came to mind. There was one being I believed knew about all this.
I had met him in my past life as well. That encounter might have saved my life, but it also plunged me into destruction and hell. It was a gigantic tree that called itself the World Tree.
I needed to find that tree, the one that waited for someone in the false Abyss. I had a feeling that bastard knew everything.
To do that, I had to get to that place. Which meant I needed to find a way to open a path to the Abyss as soon as possible.
Thankfully, I knew someone who could do just that.
I don’t know where he is now, but we would meet soon. If things proceeded as I expected, he would enter the Heavenly Dragon Academy, and our paths would cross there.
This gave me one more reason to enter the Heavenly Dragon Academy.