Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: A Lesson in Cruelty
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Demonic Arts of Slaughter.
Like the Hundred Kills Secret Technique of assassins, it was a term for cruel demonic martial arts designed for the sole purpose of ending an enemy’s life.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
To ask that his granddaughter be taught the vicious Demonic Arts of Slaughter, enough to be called a demoness?
What kind of absurd request was this?
“This child has a tender heart; she hates to harm even plants or small insects. But for the next Matriarch, such compassion will only be an obstacle in her path.”
Geuk Hye-ryeong said with a sigh.
“I have tried every method possible until now, but I have not been able to cultivate a heart of venom within her.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eun-seol let out a heavy breath.
He had hoped he was wrong, but Geuk Hye-ryeong genuinely wanted him to teach these demonic arts to this innocent-looking girl.
“I don’t think this is right, Matriarch.”
Hyeok So-jin, who had been listening silently, shook his head.
“I agree that the successor who will lead the Muhasuyujeong does not need to be tender-hearted and compassionate. But…”
Hyeok So-jin continued, his expression one of confusion.
“Is the position of Matriarch so perilous that a ten-year-old child must be taught killing techniques and a heart of venom? Her disposition can change as she grows.”
Geuk Hye-ryeong, who had remained silent, nodded with a stoic expression.
“In the past, I too had such complacent thoughts.”
A terrifying killing intent flashed in Geuk Hye-ryeong’s eyes as she gazed at the distant sky.
“And because of it, this child lost her voice.”
“What do you mean…”
“You must have heard, haven’t you? About the incident at our sect two years ago?”
Suddenly, Hyeok So-jin recalled an incident that had secretly spread through the Ten Demonic Sects two years prior.
Dongbang Jung-ri, a master of the old generation of the Unorthodox Faction and a notorious lecher known as the Lustful Ghost of Bloody Soul.
The rumor was that he had secretly infiltrated the Muhasuyujeong and was ultimately killed.
“Don’t tell me, that man, Dongbang Jung-ri…”
“That’s right. That vile fiend was hiding in our territory after being injured, and this child found him.”
Geuk Hye-ryeong wore a look of utter despair.
“This child’s heart is as fine as silk, so she helped the injured man without hesitation. But that monster took Bin hostage and tried to escape.”
A stark white killing intent spread in Geuk Hye-ryeong’s eyes as she recalled the memory of that time.
“When his escape failed, he ultimately stabbed Bin in the neck with his sword. The pure child who had tried to save him.”
Only then could Hyeok So-jin fully understand Geuk Hye-ryeong’s heart.
“I see.”
“And even after experiencing such a cruel event, Bin still retains her purity.”
Geuk Hye-ryeong’s eyes widened as she spoke, her voice like a roar.
“If she continues like this, she’ll never become the next Matriarch. Instead, she will be exploited by wicked men!”
Her lips were sealed, her expression wretched.
From the perspective of a grandmother, not the Matriarch, she would want to protect her granddaughter’s noble character to the very end.
But that pure and gentle nature was the reason she could no longer speak…
She intended to cultivate a heart of venom in her so that such a thing would never happen again.
“Originally, I was going to have this child consume the Pill of Extreme Ghostly Flame.”
At Geuk Hye-ryeong’s words, a strange light glinted in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
‘So it was the Ghost Spirit Sect.’
He finally understood who the successor from the Ten Demonic Sects who had come before him was, and why the Matriarch had accepted their proposal.
The Pill of Extreme Ghostly Flame.
It was a secret treasure of the Ghost Spirit Sect, created based on the Demonic Spirit Pill, which was known to explode one’s demonic nature and cruelty.
“The Pill of Extreme Ghostly Flame is made from the inner core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, so it allows one to accumulate powerful internal energy.”
Bu Eun-seol responded to her words.
“You intended to use the core’s fire energy to change the child’s personality.”
“Correct.”
The inner core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp greatly enhances internal energy and contains intense fire energy.
That scorching energy would endlessly circulate throughout the body, causing the qi to reverse its flow and alter one’s emotions.
After all, didn’t physicians of the martial world refer to the anger that erupts from within the heart as “heart-fire”?
“But isn’t there a limit to controlling human emotions with an elixir?”
“You’re right. That point troubled me greatly as well. So…”
Geuk Hye-ryeong nodded.
“But since two successors of the Ten Demonic Sects have joined forces, I thought it might produce a better result than such a medicine.”
Geuk Hye-ryeong believed that the brilliant successors of the Ten Demonic Sects could achieve a better outcome than forcing her granddaughter to take a potent medicine.
Just then, Hyeok So-jin, who had been deep in thought, asked.
“So, do you simply want her to learn a venomous killing art? Or do you want her personality to become cold and merciless?”
“I will be satisfied if she learns just one demonic killing art. Until now, no matter what I tried, it has been impossible to teach her even that much.”
A faint smile touched Geuk Hye-ryeong’s lips.
“Once she learns a killing art, her personality can gradually be changed as well.”
Hyeok So-jin breathed an inward sigh of relief.
If she had asked them to change Geuk Hye-bin’s personality into that of a cold and heartless killer, it would have been completely impossible.
‘But teaching a killing art to an innocent child is no easy task either.’
A killing art cannot be performed without killing intent.
While Hyeok So-jin hesitated to answer, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward and replied.
“Give me one month.”
“One month?”
“That’s right. Within that time, I will ensure she masters one of the Demonic Arts of Slaughter.”
“Brother Bu, take more time. One month is…”
“It’s enough. Just to learn a single killing art.”
“Hahaha.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s confident declaration, Geuk Hye-ryeong let out a dry laugh and nodded.
“As expected of a successor of Nang-ya-gak, you are quite straightforward. Very well.”
Rising from her seat, she nodded.
“If you can teach this child a demonic killing art within a month… our sect will gladly support you as the successor of the Demonic Cult.”
***
The next day.
Hyeok So-jin had spent the entire night with his eyes wide open.
Normally, he would have been cultivating his internal energy, but his mind was too troubled and filled with distracting thoughts to focus.
‘What on earth is Brother Bu thinking?’
He rose from his seat and looked out the window at the breaking dawn.
‘Surely he’s not equating my case with this.’
It was true that with Bu Eun-seol’s help, Hyeok So-jin had shed his lazy ways and become a new person.
But deep in his heart, he had long harbored a passion for the martial path.
His meeting with Bu Eun-seol had merely been the catalyst that awakened it.
‘Teaching a demonic killing art to a pure girl who can’t even kill an ant? That’s next to impossible.’
A killing art was, by its very definition, a martial art for taking an enemy’s life.
It wasn’t about swinging a sword according to set forms, but something that could only be unleashed with the resolve to instantly end an enemy’s life.
*Click.*
Just then, the door opened, and a tall figure holding a large bundle entered.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
At Hyeok So-jin’s question, Bu Eun-seol placed the large bundle he was carrying on the table.
*Rustle.*
The bundle contained books with blank pages.
“What are these?”
“From today, you are to write out the manuals in this order.”
Bu Eun-seol handed him a sheet of paper.
When Hyeok So-jin examined it, he saw a densely written list of forty-eight Auxiliary Demonic Arts possessed by the Jeolcheonmyeolji.
“I’ve selected ones that women can easily learn.”
“Wait, are you telling me to write all forty-eight manuals by myself?”
“I have to demonstrate the martial arts to the disciples and teach them the practical applications and oral secrets. So, finish writing the manuals within fifteen days.”
“What a pain. Why don’t you do it yourself, Brother Bu?”
His passion for martial arts may have masked his laziness, but at his core, Hyeok So-jin was naturally indolent and easily bored. To be told to write manuals for fifteen straight days? He would absolutely refuse.
“If you don’t want to, I can’t force you.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“Then I’ll write the manuals. You can teach the Matriarch’s granddaughter the demonic killing art.”
“Time is of the essence, so I shall start writing these manuals diligently right now.”
As if he had never protested, Hyeok So-jin picked up a brush and ink, waving his hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry about a thing and be on your way.”
The training grounds of most martial sects were typically wide, open spaces.
However, the training hall of the Muhasuyujeong, named the White Lotus Pavilion, was built more like an academy for scholars.
Inside, chairs and desks for reading were packed tightly together, and on one side stood bookshelves filled with secret arts of mesmerism and manuals of sound techniques.
If not for the bluestone courtyard outside the library, Bu Eun-seol would have thought the Muhasuyujeong had no training ground at all.
“Ah.”
And in front of that courtyard stood a girl in a light pink martial uniform, Geuk Hye-bin, her posture tense.
‘It seems she doesn’t even have a proper uniform.’
The loose-fitting uniform Geuk Hye-bin wore was clearly fashioned from everyday clothes that had been cut and sewn.
“Ah.”
Upon seeing Bu Eun-seol, she rounded her lips and bowed in greeting.
It was a gesture so cute and pure that any passing old man would have instinctively cooed in delight.
‘Hmm.’
Gazing closely at her large, dark eyes, Bu Eun-seol let out a silent sigh.
‘So this is why they failed.’
Geuk Hye-bin’s clear, transparent eyes held nothing but purity.
Teaching the Demonic Arts of Slaughter to a girl like this… was as difficult as teaching a Shaolin monk to be a robber.
“Hmph.”
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
“Can you use a movement technique?”
“Ah.”
When she nodded, Bu Eun-seol turned around.
“Follow me.”
At the western edge of the Muhasuyujeong was a beautiful forest with a waterfall.
Passing through it, they entered a dense jungle of tall, tightly packed trees.
*Thump.*
As he ran through the forest for some time, Bu Eun-seol would occasionally strike a rock or a tree.
He was using his Emptiness-Breaking Mind’s Eye to meticulously scan the entire forest.
Then, as the slope gentled into a flat area, he suddenly launched himself into the air.
*Tap.*
He landed on a branch of a giant tree about five *zhang* high, and Geuk Hye-bin also kicked off the ground and landed lightly beside him.
“From now on, you must conceal your presence.”
*Nod.*
Geuk Hye-bin held her breath, her eyes bright and clear.
Instantly, her presence vanished completely, as if she had become one with nature.
Bu Eun-seol realized another thing.
Geuk Hye-bin. This small girl was, in fact, a martial arts genius on par with Hyeok So-jin.
To naturally conceal one’s presence meant that she had her body’s internal energy under perfect control.
If this little girl were to properly learn martial arts? She would have more than enough potential to become the successor of the Demonic Cult in the future.
‘Because she has enough potential to become the successor of the Demonic Cult… the Matriarch accepted my proposal.’
By the time Geuk Hye-bin reached adulthood, the fight for the succession of the Demonic Cult would be all but settled.
If Bu Eun-seol became the successor, he would have to honor his promise and give this girl the right to challenge for the position.
*Whoosh.*
Just then, a hawk swooped down from the sky and landed on a tree about a dozen *zhang* away.
The hawk stood for a long time, as if reading the wind, and finally spotted a rabbit crouching in the distance.
*Thump-thump-thump.*
The rabbit also spotted the hawk and began to run swiftly.
Watching the rabbit zigzagging and sprinting at high speed, the hawk let out a sharp cry and began to glide.
*Swoosh.*
No matter how fast the rabbit was, it could not surpass the speed of the hawk.
The hawk quickly closed the distance and seized the nape of the rabbit’s neck with its sharp talons.
*Flap, flap, flap.*
As the rabbit struggled, the two animals tumbled together for a long moment.
Blood began to spatter everywhere, and when the rabbit was finally subdued, Geuk Hye-bin let out a small “Ah.”
“Do you want to save it?”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words, Geuk Hye-bin frantically nodded.
“You may do as you wish.”
As if she had been waiting for permission, she swiftly descended using her movement technique and hastily pulled the rabbit from the hawk’s clutches.
Its fur torn and bleeding profusely, the rabbit, once freed from the hawk’s grasp, quickly scurried away into the underbrush.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching silently from the side, used his movement technique again.
“Follow me.”
*Tap. Pat-pat-pat.*
Ascending a steep cliff as if it were a staircase, Bu Eun-seol arrived at a hawk’s nest built on a ledge just below the cliff’s edge.
Inside, hungry chicks were crying, waiting for their mother to bring back food.
Some were so starved they couldn’t even make a sound, their bodies emaciated.
“If you hadn’t interfered with the hunt, these chicks would not have starved to death.”
“Ah, ah.”
Geuk Hye-bin’s eyes darkened as she looked at the starving baby hawks.
Watching her, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
“I am not blaming you for your actions. Humans naturally feel sympathy for creatures weaker than themselves.”
“…”
“However, animals do not release their prey out of sympathy, nor do they feel pity. Only humans apply the measure of good and evil.”
On the subject of good and evil, Bu Jan-yang had always said this:
—Humans divide good and evil from their own perspective. That is why good can become evil, and evil can masquerade as good…
At the time, Bu Eun-seol couldn’t understand these words. He was too young, and too innocent.
Just like Geuk Hye-bin was now.
“And if we look at it through that measure, your actions are closer to an act of evil.”
“Ah, ah.”
As Geuk Hye-bin blinked her large eyes in confusion, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a solemn voice.
“From now on, I will show you how cruel the act of helping others can be…”
But the more he looked into those large, dark eyes, the more an inexplicable sense of unease crept over him.
Suddenly, a scene flashed through Bu Eun-seol’s mind.
It was the moment Geuk Hye-bin saved the hawk and the rabbit.
‘Wait… Was it not out of compassion?’
Recalling that moment, Bu Eun-seol realized a shocking truth.
This child was not pure at all.
Geuk Hye-ryeong and everyone in the Muhasuyujeong had been completely mistaken about this girl.
