Chapter 195
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: An Unpleasant Seed (1)
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The next day, at dawn.
Before the sun had even risen, Seo Ryang finished circulating his energy in the training yard and took a deep breath.
'Shall we begin?'
Rising lightly to his feet, Seo Ryang warmed up his body and lowered his stance.
He spread his feet wider than his shoulders, his toes pointing forward. After bending his knees to a right angle, he extended both arms forward, naturally straightening the four fingers of each hand, leaving out the thumbs.
This was the horse stance, with his back and neck held straight and his eyes fixed on his fingertips—the Standing Stake exercise commonly practiced by beginners just starting their martial arts journey.
The advantage of the Standing Stake was that it trained the lower body, waist, and abdomen—the very foundation of martial arts—and could be practiced anywhere.
For beginners learning internal energy arts, it was an excellent training method for another reason.
It made it easier to feel one's energy, or *qi*.
Because the stance was centered on the dantian, it was easy to sink into one's true self and convenient for drawing the abundant external energy into one's being. It was, in short, the best training for entering a state of no-self.
However, Ma Dongpil, who was watching Seo Ryang from the side, was inwardly puzzled.
'Why is he bothering with the Standing Stake?'
Someone at the level of Ma Dongpil, or even Wi Hongryeon, had no need to spend time on the Standing Stake.
Few demonic practitioners trained in it in the first place. The Standing Stake originated from Shaolin; while it was a widely known training method, there was no reason for a practitioner of demonic arts to bother with it.
'He must have his reasons.'
Ma Dongpil couldn't even begin to fathom Seo Ryang's level. For him to be doing such training, there had to be some meaning behind it.
His guess was spot on.
Gazing at his fingertips, Seo Ryang's eyes deepened.
'I really do have to discard it.'
The principles of demonic study he had felt while healing his internal injuries.
Reflecting on himself while practicing the Standing Stake for the first time in a long while, he realized that his creativity and focus could sometimes be a poison.
'Until now, I've acquired various martial studies and created new techniques and realms, but from now on, I must patiently dig down one single path.'
It meant abandoning the familiar and casting himself into a sea of discomfort.
It was a little frightening, a little nerve-wracking, and yet, at the same time, something to look forward to.
*Woooooong.*
Before he knew it, red demonic energy began to rise from his entire body.
Breaking his stance, Seo Ryang took a large step forward.
*Thud!*
The training yard rumbled as Seo Ryang's practice began.
His feet followed the steps of the Demonic Emperor's Supremacy Walk, while his arms moved with fluid freedom. The circular motions at first resembled Wudang's Tai Chi, but they were far faster, giving them an inexplicably fierce feel.
*Fwoosh!*
Just as he seemed to be gently sweeping the air, he delivered a powerful punch.
*Ruuuumble.*
A faint sound of thunder emanated from the tip of his fist. He had begun the Heavenly Demon Lightning Fist.
The look in Seo Ryang's eyes changed.
*Fwoooosh!*
His movements, which had simultaneously contained both softness and intensity, became endlessly fast and powerful.
*Whump-whump-whump!*
His sleeves fluttered, stirring up a fierce wind. The heated gust met the cool dawn air, creating a faint shimmer.
It was a feast of fist techniques that stirred up wind and clouds. The red demonic energy erupting from his arms looked like flashes of lightning. Although he held back from fully releasing his power, Seo Ryang's Lightning Fist, properly imbued with demonic energy, had already surpassed the fifth stage and was approaching the sixth.
His progress was terrifyingly fast. The enlightenment gained from his fight with the Lord of the Beast Palace and from the process of healing his internal injuries had elevated his mastery of the Lightning Fist as well.
This is how a master grows. A seemingly trivial realization could elevate one's achievement in a completely unrelated martial art.
"Hoo. That was refreshing."
It was a more difficult form of training because he dispersed the energy just before releasing it. Had he unleashed the full force of his fists, the entire area would have been utterly devastated.
Still, when was the last time he'd trained with his full demonic energy? It felt completely liberating.
Seo Ryang looked down from the training platform. Ma Dongpil was staring up at him, a dazed expression on his face.
"Dongpil."
"..."
"Dongpil!"
"Huh? Y-Yes?!"
"Why are you so out of it?"
"Ah, my apologies. I was just lost in the moment..."
Seo Ryang let out a soft chuckle.
"Is it just one surprise after another for you?"
"Yes. It is a realm I cannot even begin to imagine."
Seo Ryang's training had been more than just surprising to Ma Dongpil; it was a shock.
It wasn't the forms but the principles of operating his internal energy that were so shocking. The execution of the techniques was incredible, but the unimaginably complex circulation of internal power was maximizing their destructive force.
Having broken through the wall and ascended to a realm beyond human limits, Ma Dongpil's eyes had changed completely. He could now perceive Seo Ryang's martial arts with far greater detail than before.
"Set your amazement aside for now and open the main gate."
"Pardon?"
"It seems someone I know is coming. The sound of rolling wheels is strangely familiar."
Seo Ryang's words were true.
Through the newly opened main gate, a beautiful middle-aged woman entered.
"Oh my, you already knew?"
Seo Ryang asked grumpily.
"What brings you here so early in the morning?"
"You don't seem very happy to see me."
"Of course not."
"So you're definitely not happy to see me?"
"Think what you will. So, what's the occasion today?"
"I heard you returned from Yunnan. How could I possibly stay away? I came to pay my respects."
"At this early hour, which could still be called dawn?"
"You know how busy I am. I don't have time otherwise."
"You used to be pretty good at slacking off."
"Are you trying to leave me speechless?"
"Tch."
So Yeonsim smiled and bowed her head.
"Congratulations on your return, Third Young Master."
Seo Ryang gave a short nod.
"Thank you. In any case, you're the only one who's come to greet me upon my return to the Cult, Lord So."
"Hoho, ours is no ordinary connection."
Seo Ryang let out a chuckle.
"Have you eaten? If not, would you like to join me?"
"Ah, it's alright. I haven't been eating breakfast much lately."
"You'll collapse if you keep that up."
"There are quite a few people in our Cult who would love to see me collapse. I can't fulfill their expectations. That aside..."
So Yeonsim glanced at Ma Dongpil.
Ma Dongpil, who had been standing there blankly, gave a slight bow. A deep bow was forbidden when his master was present.
Genuine surprise colored So Yeonsim's face.
"Protector Ma's level is astonishing. It's completely different from the last time I saw you."
"Thank you."
She couldn't help but be impressed all over again.
'They're truly a pair of monsters.'
Seo Ryang was an undeniable beast, so that was to be expected, but she had never imagined Ma Dongpil would show such growth. She had vaguely thought he might one day enter the realm of the transcendent, but not this quickly.
'Is this the result of what Protector Ma mentioned before—unifying his life with the martial way?'
So Yeonsim was inwardly stunned.
'...A mere Third Team Leader of the Hall of Protectors became a transcendent master in just two or three years. In another ten years, might Protector Ma reach the realm of the ultimate demon?'
Even within the same realm, the difference in level can be extreme depending on how much one has trained. Therefore, Ma Dongpil was definitively below So Yeonsim, who was also a transcendent master.
But what about in a year? Or two?
So Yeonsim couldn't dare to think that Ma Dongpil wouldn't surpass her.
"Eating is a bit much, but would tea be alright?"
"That sounds good. Dongpil, please brew some tea."
Ma Dongpil quickly bowed his head and hurried toward the kitchen.
So Yeonsim looked around, puzzled.
"You're not having a handmaiden do it? Speaking of which, why don't I see one?"
"The girl is a bit sick."
"Sick? Didn't you personally teach her an internal energy art?"
"That's what I thought, too."
He'd expected her to shake it off in half a day, but Aeng-hwa's illness lingered longer than expected. It seemed the fatigue that had built up over time had finally burst forth because of the recent incident.
"It's nothing serious. She'll be fine after a few days of good rest."
"Shall I send a few of my girls over?"
"No, that's alright. We're managing just fine on our own."
"Understood."
A short while later, the two sat facing each other at a table set beneath the stone wall.
So Yeonsim was the first to speak.
"Word of your achievements in Yunnan has spread like wildfire throughout the Cult."
"Already?"
"Yes."
"Don't tell me Commander Wi went around blabbering about it?"
"Of course not."
Then again, while she was the type of person you wouldn't be surprised to see do anything, Wi Hongryeon was surprisingly good at separating her public and private affairs.
"You weren't the only one who weathered the crisis, were you? Rumors can start from anywhere."
"That's true."
"However, there's also an unsettling rumor mixed in with them."
"An unsettling rumor?"
After clearing her throat, So Yeonsim asked in a low voice.
"Young Master."
"Why the sudden seriousness?"
"Could it be... it's not true, is it?"
"What isn't?"
"..."
"You do know that just throwing something out there without any details to gauge a reaction is a good way to annoy someone, right?"
"I'm sorry. But the rumor is just so absurd..."
Just what kind of rumor would make So Yeonsim call it absurd?
"So just tell me. What is it?"
So Yeonsim spoke in a hesitant voice.
"I heard that the Cult Leader told the candidates to end the succession battle before the Festival of Papiyas?"
For a moment, Seo Ryang's eyes widened.
"How did you know that?"
There was no way Lee Cheonsang would have ordered that information be delivered to everyone. There was no need for it, and it wasn't in his character.
So how did So Yeonsim know?
"I heard it as a rumor."
"As a rumor?"
This is something that would leak out as a rumor? That makes no sense!
"And..."
A streak of bewilderment crossed So Yeonsim's face.
"There's also a rumor that you, Third Young Master, intend to kill the Seventh Young Mistress as a sacrifice to signal the official start of the succession battle."
"...?"
Seo Ryang's expression hardened.
"The Seventh Young Mistress... you mean Yeomin?"
"That's right."
"I'm going to kill Yeomin?"
"That's the rumor going around. It's being spread quietly, but everyone who needs to hear it has heard it."
Seo Ryang scowled.
"Why would I kill her? It would make more sense if I were going after Gwan Pyeong or Jin Gwanyong."
So Yeonsim nodded.
"I thought so, too. There's no reason for you to bother with the Seventh Young Mistress, and it's not in your character."
"But such a rumor has spread?"
"Yes. As I said, it was a rather secretive rumor. But..."
"Is the rumor spreading quickly?"
"Yes. I believe I was among the first to hear it, but by now, the leaders of the other organizations have probably all heard it as well. With more time, it will reach the ears of every member of the Cult."
"I see."
Seo Ryang's eyes glinted.
"I have no intention of doing such a thing, and of course, I didn't start that rumor. But a rumor like that wouldn't just appear for no reason."
"..."
"Someone spread it from the shadows."
So Yeonsim's face grew stern.
"Do you think it was the First Young Master?"
"Whether it was Jin Gwanyong or Gwan Pyeong, it doesn't matter who started the rumor. I don't particularly care to know."
"Why not?"
"Because I was planning on crushing them both anyway. It was just a matter of when."
The answer was so simple that So Yeonsim found herself at a loss for words.
"The problem here, however..."
Seo Ryang's eyes narrowed.
"...is that Yeomin might get hurt because of this."
Not because of him, but because the one who instigated the rumor might harm Chae Yeomin. Of course, he couldn't be certain there was someone behind it.
Lost in thought for a moment, Seo Ryang clicked his tongue.
"I'll have to think about this. In any case, thank you. I've gained some valuable information thanks to you."
"It's hardly worth calling information. Besides, to be blunt, even if the Seventh Young Mistress were to die at your hands, Third Young Master, no one would be in a position to say anything about it."
It was a cruel thing to say, but it was the truth.
This was a battle between the next generation of gods who would lead the Divine Cult. What could be more ridiculous than applying the ways of mortals to a battle of gods?
"However, there is a chance that public opinion could turn very sour."
"I suppose so."
"What are you planning to do?"
Leaning back in his chair with a languid air, Seo Ryang's eyes shone.
"I think I'll go for a cup of tea."
"Pardon? With whom?"
"There is such a person. A possessor of the marvelous ability to communicate with just a look, without a single word. And he's smart, too."
"...Don't tell me, the Grand Marshal?"
Rising from his seat, Seo Ryang pointed a thumb toward the training yard.
"But before that, what do you say? A round of the Lightning Fist, as a token of my gratitude?"