The Heavenly Demon Copies Martial Arts - Chapter 220
“What?”
Hoseo-ah stared at me with a dazed expression, clearly unable to process my words.
I lowered my head toward him.
And whispered close enough for only him to hear.
“You have no idea how much I’ve been holding back right now.”
“...?”
Our eyes locked.
“Has this little bastard gone mad? What the hell are you babbling about?”
I stared at him in silence.
Hoseo-ah looked back at me.
Our gazes tangled.
My pupils, which hadn’t even blinked, burned straight into Hoseo-ah’s eyes.
“Enough!”
Instructor Lee Jasuo stepped in to calm the boiling atmosphere.
“A proper warrior’s fighting spirit is admirable, but what exactly are you doing right now!”
“Hold it! Hoseo-ah. Instructor is watching—don’t you dare! You can’t even see the promotion test!”
The students of Ha-mu-gwan joined in, trying to pull him back.
“...See you later. Consider yourself lucky.”
Hoseo-ah ground his teeth and lowered his head.
Instructor Lee Jasuo’s eyes blazed as he shouted.
“Everyone, disperse! You damned brats! I’ll handle this matter with you individually later during a personal interview, so prepare yourselves!”
They all scattered like water.
Instructor Lee Jasuo walked straight toward me with the cold precision of a blade.
His fingers dug into the barely-contained rage in his fists, squeezing every word out painfully one by one.
“Moyong... Bi...! Didn’t I promise you? That you wouldn’t cause any trouble!”
“I haven’t caused any trouble yet.”
-Passt.
I brushed away the table shards crumbling in my grip.
“Not yet, that is.”
“Don’t you dare laugh!”
Instructor Lee Jasuo shouted.
“If I’d been even a second late, I would have ripped that brat’s throat out earlier!”
“I don’t think so.”
“Don’t you dare laugh!! I know your personality all too well!”
“I’m not the same person as before.”
“Stop lying! I’d rather believe that Baekryeon Magyo really defected to the Blood Sect!”
Instructor Lee Jasuo yelled in a frenzy.
“The whole world knows that even the Moyong Family calls Moyong Ryu the craziest, but I know you far better! You’re nothing compared to Moyong Ryu!”
“Hey, Hyung Ryu does have that occasional creepy side, but not to that extent—.”
Suddenly, the memory of the tense three-way confrontation between Moyong Jinryong and Moyong Ryu right after the Sichuan Tang Guardian battle flashed through my mind. I clamped my mouth shut.
“Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth! Just talking to you makes me furious!!”
Instructor Lee Jasuo hopped around like a frog in boiling water.
“Ah, yes.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo’s bald head had turned a deep, overheated red.
He kept pointing at me and shouting.
“So how exactly did you make the Disciplinary Investigation Department members so angry that they’re prioritizing you above even other sect disciples—no matter what happens—?!”
“Ah. Did such an order come down?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo quickly clamped his mouth shut.
“Damn... my loose tongue.”
I smiled faintly.
“I did think the Disciplinary Investigation Department would look after me, but I never imagined they’d think this roundabout.”
“...Grrk.”
“And there’s a misunderstanding here, Instructor Lee Jasuo. You saw it, didn’t you? No, wait—maybe I should say ‘Instructor’ in this context. I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t lash out. I didn’t run away. Correct?”
I raised my black eyes and spoke calmly toward Instructor Lee Jasuo.
Instructor Lee Jasuo rubbed his face in utter frustration.
“That’s... I mean... yes... I know that too...! Yes, well, that...!”
Instructor Lee Jasuo stared at the floor with a heavy sigh.
“Hey, Moyong Bi.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo gestured for me to follow him.
He led me to one side of the training grounds.
He motioned to a passing servant.
The servant, unfazed, brought over a cool jug of wine still beaded with dew.
He poured it and handed it to me.
“I don’t like alcohol.”
“A real man doesn’t drink?”
I furrowed my brows slightly.
“Ah, no. Men can abstain. Hah, hah.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo coughed awkwardly, meeting my gaze.
“Honestly, I know our beginning was a bad omen between us too. Couldn’t you just lend me a hand? It’s almost New Year’s interview time. If you cause any trouble... we won’t even get to see that promotion test...!”
“It would turn you into a cripple, that’s what you mean, right?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo clapped his hands.
“That’s it! You’ve gotten so smart after passing the Disciplinary Trials! As expected from the Five Great Families! I knew it!”
“I remember you used to look down on me as the illegitimate son or whatever.”
“Whoa, let’s not dredge up the past. What are you talking about?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo turned his head.
“That Nosepyeong Sect’s Hoseo-ah who treated you so rudely? I’ll personally deal with that brat later. So let’s just drop it.”
“Since Instructor says so, I’ll stay quiet for now.”
I decided to trust the fierce light in Hoseo-ah’s eyes when he’d left before we dispersed.
Instructor Lee Jasuo patted my shoulder.
“That’s good. I specially gave you three of those Ice Jade Lotus Teams even though they weren’t originally for you. And honestly...”
He glanced around, then leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
“I still can’t believe you actually passed the Disciplinary Trials. And is that rumor true?”
“What rumor?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo swallowed hard.
“That the Patriarch of the Namgung Family—his own son, no less—personally sent a letter bearing his ‘mark’ and publicly declared protection for you, Moyong Bi.”
It seemed the news had already reached even Instructor Lee Jasuo’s ears.
He took my silence as agreement.
Instructor Lee Jasuo’s expression shifted.
The fact that a Five Great Family patriarch had stepped in directly carried enormous weight.
“But... it’s funny hearing you say that, yet strictly speaking, you’re part of the Moyong bloodline. Why is the Namgung Family Patriarch stepping forward as if he’s your own father? This would be a heavy political burden for anyone else. And recently, rumors say the Namgung Family Patriarch—or even the Murim League Chief—will visit Cheonsubaekryeonsa personally soon. Is that connected to you?”
“...?”
It was brand new information.
From the context, it was likely the Namgung Family Patriarch.
‘The Chiljong-heukjusa-gap has already shattered. What exactly was he saying about that?’
After rescuing Namgung Sogyo, the Namgung Family Patriarch had personally encouraged me—after we parted ways—to join their family if the chance arose. Among the rare people who knew my fake Biryu identity and still respected my Moyong bloodline, he was one of them. He had always been watching me.
‘But he’s coming again...? Then... surely.’
My head throbbed.
Instructor Lee Jasuo continued without knowing my thoughts.
“When you were expelled from Cheonsubaekryeonsa because of the Disciplinary Trials, your body has grown so much that it’s incomparable to the formal disciples training here... even more than I expected.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo casually rubbed my arm and shoulder, then scanned my body from head to toe.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone change this dramatically in just a year. It’s not even like a complete body transformation... but...”
Instructor Lee Jasuo opened his mouth.
“Don’t tell me it’s a real reincarnation...?”
I laughed at the absurdity.
“No way. What am I?”
While surpassing the body of Geukma, my physique is being tuned and transformed toward the realm of Talma.
Mumyeong answered instead.
Even though I knew the reply would never reach Instructor Lee Jasuo, I still jolted in shock.
[If I loosened Host’s belt right now, it would be quite a sight. The last time, the backlash force from the sudden release of the belt must have been immense. I remember adults a couple of men falling over. Though the Black Gauntlet’s qi efficiency was low, it was still an unprecedented amount of inner energy.]
‘Mumyeong...’
He was probably just saying whatever came to mind since he knew I couldn’t react to Instructor Lee Jasuo.
Instructor Lee Jasuo asked.
“Still no weapons?”
“Yes.”
“...As an instructor I must remain neutral, so I can’t get too involved. But if I were to grant you weapons and help, your return timing is rather... vague.”
“What does that mean?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo searched his pockets and pulled out a document.
“Sixty days from now, as you know, is the promotion test to move up to Chu-mu-gwan. Right now, we’re only accepting applications for the regular trials aimed at the promotion exam, and everyone else is free to train individually. The original half-year Ha-mu-gwan regular training program will start after the promotion test. In short, from now until the end of those sixty days, you’re essentially floating.”
He checked the document with my name on it.
“You’ll need to complete two regular trials before you can take the promotion exam. No rush. Use this opportunity to rest fully for sixty days, then train your body with a fresh mindset, pass the two regular trials, and take the promotion test—.”
I cut him off.
“There’s no special time gap required between regular trials, right?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo stayed silent.
“Hey, Moyong Bi. You... no... no. No way.”
I interrupted.
“I plan to pass the two remaining regular trials within the sixty days and immediately challenge the Chu-mu-gwan promotion exam.”
-Tuk.
The stack of documents in Instructor Lee Jasuo’s hand dropped to the floor.
“...Are you serious right now?”
“Yes.”
“Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo picked up the documents.
“These are the regular trials of the Nine Sects and One Gang—the elite trials that the late-stage geniuses of the Four Major Sects have been honing their skills for half a year to pass. Passing all three within that half-year grants you the qualification for the promotion exam. Yet you want to complete them in a lightning-fast sixty days?”
“Yes. So there’s no time, but I know the other two regular trials are an overstretch. If the procedures allow, could you apply as quickly as possible?”
Instructor Lee Jasuo’s mouth fell open.
“...You...”
The scorching sun beat down on our heads.
Instructor Lee Jasuo spoke flatly.
“Moyong Bi. Honestly, all the warrior pride and male ego aside, let’s talk man to man.”
He readjusted the document with my name.
“From the very first time I saw you, you were an absolute disaster. Annoying. Same now. Just looking at you makes me want to curse. No emotion whatsoever.”
“...”
“Honestly, when I saw your face again, I thought, ‘Oh no, not him again. I wished I’d never see him.’ That was fair. You, as a mere disciple, copied my martial arts and even punched me in the stomach—that was humiliating.”
He quickly scribbled something on my document.
“And honestly, when I witnessed your last Disciplinary Trial as an executor, I was relieved at first, but then felt sorry for you. ‘This is over. It’s an impossible difficulty no human can solve.’ But you somehow forced your way through and came back.”
He finally pressed his seal on the paper.
“And this time, you’re not resting on your laurels. You’re still pushing forward no matter what. At your age, I tasted a bit of frustration and immediately sat down, bitterly cursing the world. But you... you just keep going.”
“Instructor.”
“No matter what the Namgung Family Patriarch thinks of you, your face still reeks of pure disgust and has no flavor.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo looked at me.
“I do recognize you. Even someone like me, a Shaolin exile and trash, has no choice but to recognize you. Moyong Bi.”
“...”
Instructor Lee Jasuo let out a long sigh.
“Normally I would assign you a dorm and let you rest without any duties, but starting tomorrow evening, I will move five students—including you—from the previously assigned Ha-mu-gwan regular trial group to leave immediately.”
My face lit up.
“That means... the remaining deadline is only sixty days. Within that time, I must break through two regular trials and immediately pass the Chu-mu-gwan promotion exam.”
Instructor Lee Jasuo tore the signed document and handed it to me.
It was the official second regular trial challenge certificate bearing his seal as executor.
“I don’t know how this unprecedented challenge will turn out, but good luck, Moyong Bi.”
“Don’t worry.”
I accepted the certificate.
Staring at it, I whispered the words I had shouted countless times, so no one else would hear.
“I’ll show everyone how great I am.”
Time passed.
The sun set.
The sun rose again.
Time flowed once more.
I spent the days until the start of the regular trials in the individual training hall provided for me.
“Young Master, the departure is in three shijin.”
A servant found me in the private training hall and informed me of the exact start time for the second regular trial before leaving.
I tightened my martial robes.
[Nervous?]
“If I can’t do it, I’ll just lie.”
After entering Cheonsubaekryeonsa, the trials I had faced—excluding the entrance exam—were all Disciplinary Trials.
Every single one I had experienced was beyond imagination in difficulty.
Each one had demanded my life. None had been easy.
Paradoxically, I had no idea what the true difficulty of the Cheonsubaekryeonsa trials was... I had occasionally heard Pahwanggun or Moyong Ryu describe them as impossible and jump around, but honestly, I had never seen them actually fight them. I couldn’t compare the real difficulty.
Today was the first time I would experience that trial.
“Huu, huu.”
My neck had grown stiff.
“Since it’s Cheonsubaekryeonsa, I can’t wear noticeable armor... but if I could copy the martial arts, I’d want to carry every weapon imaginable.”
I barely managed to gather the minimum gear.
I brought three short daggers the length of a palm.
I fixed them at my knees and thighs.
I practiced quick draws and sheaths, adjusting positions.
This was the method Baekho from the Blood Sect had used.
I checked the three types of explosive bullets I had obtained from Sura’s training.
“I’ll have to make more later when I catch you. Especially the scatter bullets—only three left now. Smoke bombs: five. Firebombs: almost unused. Good.”
I tucked them into my waist pouch.
I also grabbed a butcher’s hook for skinning, borrowed from a passing maid.
I struck the training hall’s stone wall several times.
-Klang! Klang!
I confirmed it didn’t bend even when sparks flew.
It was as hard as the specially refined butcher’s hook that didn’t bend even when hitting pig skulls and hard ox bones. It was tougher than any cheap tool.
I wrapped fresh cowhide around the handle grip and stored it on my ankle.
“When I meet Yunheon-nim later, I’ll have to make a new one.”
I tightened the shoulder and shin guards that were almost falling apart.
I sensed movement from far away.
At first I thought it was a servant coming to report about another regular trial.
But the footsteps were too rough. I wondered.
Soon the door to the training hall rattled violently as if about to break.
I stood up.
I opened the door.
In front of me stood Hoseo-ah from the Nosepyeong Sect, radiating momentum.
“Little shit? There was something between us that a man’s heart couldn’t fully share, right?”
Hoseo-ah strode in.
He walked around the training hall and said.
“You happened to be inside your private training hall. Heaven really does help those who help themselves.”
“Hehe, that’s what I was thinking too. A perfect spot to beat you up? Let’s start a spar here, little shit Bi.”
Behind him, three large disciples who looked like their subordinates slowly entered.
I glanced behind him, then spoke sincerely to Hoseo-ah.
“Hoseo-ah, I believed in your ferocity. Thanks for coming.”
Hoseo-ah’s smiling face stiffened.
“Huh? Thanks?”
“Yeah. And a spar. Yeah. I was going to say spar.”
-Udug.
I loosened my grip.
I walked to one side of the training hall.
I kept my distance from them.
“This is clearly something you started.”
I took a deep breath, puffed out my chest to its maximum, then exhaled.
“Oh, before we start, I almost forgot. You said you were a cowardly gentleman wearing armor. What was the name again?”
I reached for my shoulder.
-Cheok.
I undid the leather belt.
-Kwa-ruk!
-Cheok! Cheok! Kwa-ruk!
The leather armor and thick martial robes slid off.
-Kuk!
I tied the martial robe at my waist, crossing it over my shoulders.
“...Crazy.”
The scars covering my entire body were now revealed, hidden no longer by the thick black martial robes.
From the trapezius in my neck, through the triangular back, down to my waist—the muscles were bursting with the intensity of desperate training.
Hoseo-ah’s subordinates muttered.
“Is that even human?”
“Isn’t inner energy training the main thing these days? How is it even possible to have a body like that in this modern era?”
I spat the words one by one.
“The special bonus for coming to find me before I came looking for you. You gave me no choice.”
Hoseo-ah hesitated.
“Ch-choice?”
I said briefly.
“The choice is weapons. Pick anything. Sword, blade, staff, bow, poison, axe—whatever. I won’t call any of them cowardly. Take what you want and come at me.”
“Then what about you?”
“Me?”
-Uuddeuk!
I clenched my fist until it felt about to burst.
“You’re not even worth it. This is more than enough for me.”