Chapter 232
Chapter 232
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 232
Chapter Title: The Blood Scripture
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Yeon Jeokhwa crossed the pond where lanterns bobbed and flickered on the rippling surface.
Soon after arriving at her residence, she paused for a moment in front of the door.
Instead of going in, she just stood there, and Hyeok Mulin called out to her.
"...Is something wrong?"
A glance.
Yeon Jeokhwa turned to look at Hyeok Mulin and, after a brief moment of hesitation, spoke to him.
"Wait..."
"......?"
"Just wait here a moment. I'll open it again within an hour."
With that, Yeon Jeokhwa slipped inside alone and shut the door behind her.
The sound of hurried footsteps suggested she was rushing around inside, tidying up.
'Well, no rush.'
Hyeok Mulin leisurely scanned his surroundings as he waited for her.
The Blood Heaven Divine Palace's headquarters was no ordinary place.
Even to him, the Heavenly Demon, the world dyed entirely in crimson felt intriguing.
Not only the buildings crafted by human hands but even the natural features were all tinged with red.
Swoosh―
A single crimson leaf floated gently toward him on the wind, drifting before Hyeok Mulin's eyes.
He caught it between two fingers and examined it, then rubbed his hands together.
With a faint rustle, the leaf crumbled easily, its fragments carried away by the breeze.
As Hyeok Mulin gazed at the sight,
Creak.
The door opened, and Yeon Jeokhwa peeked out.
"Come in."
Hyeok Mulin, who had been watching the leaf remnants drift away, turned his head.
Entering Yeon Jeokhwa's residence, Hyeok Mulin took in the interior.
There were a few traces of dust, but overall, it was quite clean. Of course, there had clearly been a major cleanup just moments ago.
Swipe.
Hyeok Mulin ran a finger along the windowsill, brushing away some dust, and remarked,
"You clean it yourself, I see."
It was odd for someone of the Blood Heaven Divine Palace's Young Palace Lord's stature to clean her own quarters personally, but the reason was simple.
"There are a lot of important items here."
There was no one she could trust.
Meaning she couldn't casually let anyone into her quarters, filled with valuables.
Fair enough.
Considering she cleaned it herself, it was impressively tidy.
Hyeok Mulin thought her choice was reasonable, but it also made him realize just how isolated her life here must be.
"So, why bring me to this 'important' residence of yours?"
"...By any chance."
Yeon Jeokhwa glanced at Hyeok Mulin and cautiously asked,
"Do you know a lot about martial arts?"
Hyeok Mulin closed his eyes slowly at her question.
Do you know a lot about martial arts?
To be honest, in the past, he could have confidently said yes.
In his previous life, he had spent decades analyzing and studying martial arts in the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault, mastering most of them as a result.
Back then, he believed he had true expertise in martial arts—one unmatched by anyone.
But.
'That thing I encountered in the Demon God Realm.'
After laying eyes on its traces, his thinking had changed.
The world of martial arts was far vaster and more profound than people imagined.
What he thought was everything was merely fragments of the whole.
Could he really claim expertise after grasping just those fragments?
Hyeok Mulin could no longer say so.
He knew much, but he was still ignorant of much in the world of martial arts.
Yet Hyeok Mulin welcomed that fact.
Having many blank pages meant there was ample space left to fill, didn't it?
"Martial arts..."
As Hyeok Mulin slowly parted his lips, Yeon Jeokhwa watched him with a tense expression.
"...are something I've barely touched upon."
"...Touched upon?"
Yeon Jeokhwa tilted her head at the vague phrasing.
She wanted to ask what he meant but held back.
It might make her seem ignorant of martial arts.
Suppressing her curiosity, she pieced together the context of his words.
'Barely touched upon isn't exactly a positive assessment.'
Touching the surface wasn't the same as understanding or reaching it.
In truth, Yeon Jeokhwa hadn't even recognized the existence of what Hyeok Mulin called the 'principles' of martial arts, let alone understood them.
Unable to gauge the depth of his words, she felt a twinge of disappointment.
But Yeon Jeokhwa didn't give up that easily.
'His standards might differ from mine. This is the man who turned that pathetic Ice Stone Palm into a remarkable ice technique. He must have something.'
Not losing hope, she looked him straight in the eye and said,
"Truth be told, I brought you here to ask a favor."
"I figured as much."
"I'm sorry for deciding without telling you ahead... Huh?"
Her eyes widened for a moment as she stared at Hyeok Mulin.
"You knew?"
"Yeah. When you suddenly say 'Let's go to the Blood Heaven Divine Palace together,' anyone would guess you had an agenda."
"B-but I thought close friends invite each other to their homes casually?!"
Flustered, she raised her voice.
Hyeok Mulin stepped smoothly toward her.
"Interesting."
Yeon Jeokhwa backed away little by little.
But she soon hit the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.
"What do you think you know about me?"
Hyeok Mulin's shadow fell over Yeon Jeokhwa's face as he closed in.
"You couldn't possibly trust me that much already."
At such close range, their eyes locked, and Yeon Jeokhwa swallowed hard.
They exchanged gazes in silence for a moment.
Then, experiencing a bodily reaction she couldn't comprehend, Yeon Jeokhwa abruptly looked away.
Having Hyeok Mulin right in front of her eyes made her heart pound wildly.
'What's this? Why am I like this?'
Yeon Jeokhwa searched for a reason behind her racing heart.
It couldn't possibly be that she'd fallen for someone she'd only met twice. That would be insane.
There had to be some other cause for this reaction.
After pondering, she finally realized it.
'This is... fear!'
She was convinced it was terror from having a supreme expert right before her.
He says he's not confident in martial arts, but he's even stronger than I thought?
Glancing at Hyeok Mulin, she met his eyes again and quickly looked away.
The distance was too close to keep staring.
And the pounding in her chest only grew louder.
'Intimidating a woman by inducing fear—what a coward!'
Didn't martial artists have codes of conduct in the jianghu?
Yet here he was, acting so brazenly.
'Did I just invite a tiger into my house?'
A flicker of worry rose, and she shook her head.
As she drowned in these tangled thoughts, Hyeok Mulin broke the silence.
Slowly stepping back, he spoke.
"Fine. I'll help you."
"...!"
Her pupils dilated as Yeon Jeokhwa asked him back,
"Really?"
"No reason not to, now that I'm here."
"I haven't even told you what the favor is yet..."
Yeon Jeokhwa was surprised by his ready agreement, though inwardly grateful.
But in truth, Hyeok Mulin had already guessed what she wanted.
Her shocked reaction to the Frost White Divorce Palm and her persistent questions about martial arts.
She probably wanted him to interpret a martial arts manual.
And his guess was spot on, without a single error.
"Wait just a moment."
Heading to an inner room, she took much longer than the "moment" she mentioned.
After some time, she finally returned, holding a single martial arts manual.
Handing it over, Hyeok Mulin took it, checked the title, and quirked his lips.
"Blood?"
The title was so simple for a martial art that it almost seemed like an ordinary book.
"Yes. Please help me interpret the martial art written here."
"Interpret, huh."
That's my specialty.
Decades spent deciphering unfriendly manuals from past Great Cult Leaders and countless renowned martial artists.
Hyeok Mulin was confident his skills in researching and interpreting martial arts surpassed anyone else's.
However.
"You'll have to let go first if you want me to take it."
Yeon Jeokhwa was still gripping the manual as she offered it to him.
Under his questioning gaze, she spoke up.
"Before you look, there are rules you must absolutely follow."
Releasing one hand and raising a finger, she continued.
"First, don't show it or lend it to anyone but me."
"Got it."
"Second, you can't take it out of this residence anywhere."
It was inconvenient that he could only view it here, but not impossible to follow.
Hyeok Mulin nodded.
And the final third.
With a grave expression, Yeon Jeokhwa warned him sternly.
"You can only interpret it. Absolutely do not learn or practice it."
"I won't. I have no intention of stealing the Blood Palace's martial arts."
"That's not the issue."
Shaking her head, Yeon Jeokhwa continued with worried eyes.
"If someone who hasn't mastered the Blood Heart Method tries to learn this, their body won't endure it."
"I see."
Hyeok Mulin swiftly took the manual while she explained, her grip loosening.
As Yeon Jeokhwa's eyes widened like a startled rabbit, he said,
"I've heard everything. Shall we start now?"
Yeon Jeokhwa nodded at his words.
Confirming her assent, Hyeok Mulin settled comfortably in one corner of the floor and opened the manual, diving straight into focus.
Amazed by his sudden shift in aura, Yeon Jeokhwa quietly stepped away to let him concentrate.
Surprisingly, Hyeok Mulin immersed himself in analyzing the manual for three full days without eating or drinking.
Just before the fourth day, when Yeon Jeokhwa could no longer stand it, she approached to stop him.
This could kill him.
She appreciated his dedication, but he needed to replenish his energy.
Bringing simple food and water, she went to his side and spoke.
"Um, take a short break and have some of this..."
At that moment.
Thud.
For the first time since opening it, Hyeok Mulin closed the manual.