Testing the Waters
Cheon Sohyeon kept his composure and drew up the power within his dantian.
What nonsense.
Had some trace of a monk’s nature slipped out without his realizing it?
The common saying was that love and coughs could not be hidden, but it seemed there was more truth to it than that.
He was rattled inside, but showing it was dangerous.
It felt as though Doje had deliberately thrown out a baited hook, trying to gauge his true intent.
Wooooong!
As Muryeonggi circulated through his body, the crushing pressure weighing him down eased, and his breathing gradually steadied. Even so, the discomfort remained, and a slow heat began to crawl up from within him.
Cheon Sohyeon’s tone changed.
“At least hear a man out until the end.”
Doje’s brow twitched.
The level of inner power was better than expected. No—he was surpassing the limit Doje had estimated, as if making a point of it.
Even if he had only released a sliver of his energy, it should still have been burdensome for the Third Young Master, who had only just stepped past his youth.
More surprising than that was the heat that reached the skin.
The blazing yang force?
He recognized at once that it was far beyond ordinary. At the same time, a question arose. Martial arts that manipulated blazing yang energy were extremely dangerous and difficult, and most had already been lost.
How had the Third Young Master obtained and learned a technique that even great powers like the Four Demon Families should not have possessed?
Doje narrowed his eyes.
Could he really have received the Cult Leader’s favor?
Cheon Sohyeon continued.
“There’s no special reason I care about the weak. I’ve simply been in that sort of situation myself, so I can’t help thinking about it. It’s because of a shameful experience I’d hardly even call an ideology or principle.”
“You mean when you fell into qi deviation?”
Cheon Sohyeon nodded.
“I spent a long time lying there, practically half-dead. I could barely move on my own, and I couldn’t even lift a spoonful of rice properly. The only reason I made it out of that situation, where nothing was under my control, was because of help from outside.”
It had only been possible thanks to Sama Ryang’s devoted care and Yeon Hong’s hands, which had seen to his meals and tended to him day after day.
“There must be plenty of Cult members who need help the way I did when I woke up from that bed. If war comes, there will be far more. I know better than anyone how awful that is, so I’m only saying we need to prepare for it thoroughly.”
“That’s still an overreach. Isn’t that something for the Military Council to weigh?”
“Exactly. So I told them directly. The Chief Military Strategist accepted it, since he must have thought it was reasonable. Which means I’m also free to say I oppose it like this.”
Doje leaned forward. A sinister demonic aura flickered plainly in his eyes.
“Whatever the circumstances, the point doesn’t change. Your opinion is not the sort of thinking fit for a successor to carry.”
“...”
“What’s worse is that you’re trying to drag me and Imaje into that reckless foolishness. Who would welcome holding hands and leaping into a fire pit?”
Cheon Sohyeon stared at Doje.
What the hell was this lunatic going on about? It sounded like there was a purpose behind it, but the conversation kept skidding sideways and dragging on in circles, which only made him more irritated.
“Then what sort of thinking is fit for a successor to carry?”
Doje gave a dry laugh.
“Naturally, survival of the fittest, isn’t it? The path of a tyrant who throws his whole life into crushing the strong by any means necessary. One would think he’d be red-eyed and foaming at the mouth with ambition already...”
“Then even more reason it has nothing to do with me, doesn’t it? If you say survival of the fittest, that means the important thing is becoming stronger no matter what means are used.”
“What are you saying?”
Under Doje’s sharp gaze, Cheon Sohyeon went on.
“Ever since I woke up, I’ve devoted myself entirely to martial arts. That’s because I learned the hard way that whatever your goal is, it can only be achieved if your strength backs it up.”
Doje’s lips curved into a long line.
It wasn’t an entirely absurd argument. To the madmen of the demonic path, as long as they became stronger somehow, that was enough.
The problem was that the direction was wrong.
“That’s nothing but pretty words. Such a soft-hearted outlook can’t possibly be the virtue of someone who leads the demonic martial world. Wouldn’t anyone’s heart lean less toward considering the weak and more toward swallowing the men above them in endless greed?”
“I’m not so sure. If anything, they’d lean toward the stronger side, not toward devouring the weak. Isn’t the logic that strength alone is right the very essence of tyranny?”
“...”
“You keep saying not to care about means and methods, so why do you keep judging right and wrong?”
At that brazen attitude, Doje’s expression slowly hardened.
It was far too insolent.
Even if he was a descendant of the Cheon family, he could not be this rude to the Fiend Emperor of the Divine Cult, a man who had proven his own worth through martial prowess.
It was hardly the manner one should show as a guest, yet Doje felt more than annoyance. He felt a deeper, more striking curiosity.
What is this?
From their first meeting to now, everything had gone against expectation. He had thought the boy would at least offer something plausible—if not outright sweet talk—something meant to persuade.
Yet this manner of speaking did nothing to help his case.
That was why it felt so strange. In the brief exchange so far, the Third Young Master had given no impression of being desperate or ignorant.
Then why? What’s he relying on?
Did he have some other way? Or was he simply bluffing, pretending he had no regrets—or pretending he held a decisive card in hand? Bluffing was most effective when there seemed to be no chance of victory, after all—but in a situation like this?
The questions that sprang up in an instant drew a long curve through Doje’s lips.
“First, let me ask one thing. I was told before that you were a rather taciturn man, but was the report wrong? Or did you change after falling into qi deviation?”
“When I kicked down the bed and got back up, I decided to live differently from now on. Just think of it as being reborn.”
Doje snorted.
From the bottom rung all the way up to where he stood now, he had fought wits with all manner of people.
He had thrown himself into psychological contests of martial arts, sabers, life-and-death duels, and gambling, and each victory had sharpened his eye.
And yet he still couldn’t see through the Third Young Master clearly.
The boy was obviously a rookie, and yet his aura was concealed so unnaturally well that even his martial level could only be guessed at vaguely.
“Fine, then. I understand your intentions well enough. I also understand that you’ve got your own convictions. And I’ve gotten a fair sense of what moves a gambler like you.”
The urge to rush in and rip the hand open, to see exactly what he was holding, came surging hot and bright. Even if he was being dragged into the Third Young Master’s psychological game, it was a refreshing stimulation he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Still... I can’t shake the feeling that you’re making a reckless move.”
Doje jerked his chin toward the door.
“Shall we continue the rest of this outside?”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Following Doje, Cheon Sohyeon was led far beyond Baekmyeongok and into the woods.
“Let’s start picking up the pace.”
The instant the words left his mouth, Doje shot forward without hesitation. He pushed off the ground lightly, as if he had become a single breath of wind, and streaked ahead with fierce speed.
Thud!
Cheon Sohyeon, too, swiftly unleashed his lightness skill and gave chase.
Is he half convinced already?
Seeing the curious glint in Doje’s eyes, it seemed he had crossed half the distance at least. If so, what came next would matter even more.
“Hoo.”
At last, the two men faced each other in a broad basin with no one else in sight.
“You run quite well. I was wondering whether you’d need to stop to catch your breath a few times along the way, but that was needless concern on my part.”
“I kept up as best I could. I’m not fond of being left behind.”
“You don’t seem like the sort who’d follow quietly either, so I suppose you know why we came here.”
Cheon Sohyeon scanned the surrounding terrain before answering.
“What else is there for two martial artists standing alone in a quiet place? We’re here to have a proper match, aren’t we?”
Doje laughed heartily. At the very least, with him around, things wouldn’t be boring.
“A real match is still beyond you. Let’s just have a simple duel.”
“A duel?”
“I’ve gotten curious. I thought you’d just be a little entertainment to relieve my boredom, but you’re more interesting than expected.”
Their gazes collided in midair.
“If there’s a problem, it’s this... I still can’t see even the thinnest thread of possibility in you.”
“You want me to show you that possibility?”
Doje nodded.
“Whatever convictions you hold, however firm your spirit may be, if your strength doesn’t back it up, then as you said, it’s all useless.”
“...”
“I don’t intend to charge into a fire pit while carrying a bundle of brushwood, so prove it for yourself. Prove that you can be a rather attractive card to play.”
Crackle!
Doje let his hand hang loose at his side.
In an instant, a sound like thunder rang out, and dense inner power shimmered between the joints of his fingers.
“I’ll give you three moves. Treat this like a real fight. If that’s too much pressure, you can quit here.”
“Pressure?”
Cheon Sohyeon’s mouth curled faintly upward.
“I was just thinking that would suit me better. I’m getting tired of all the talking, anyway.”
He was the Fiend Emperor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. After training with Imaje and fully understanding that he was a powerhouse no weaker than the leaders of the Nine Orthodox Schools, Cheon Sohyeon knew all too well how unlikely it was that he could reach him even with everything he had.
Even pouring out all his strength might not be enough.
You’re dead.
So Cheon Sohyeon took this as an opportunity. It meant he could throw himself to his limit without restraint.
Fwoooosh!
Doje’s brow drew down slightly.
So he really has reached the level of mastering Sammae Jinhwa.
The white flames bursting from his palm were radiating an unusual power. Since it was a martial art he had never encountered before, his interest only deepened.
Then Cheon Sohyeon’s eyes flashed with savage light.
“You said three moves, didn’t you?”
“That’s right. Once you’re ready, just—”
Woooooooom!
Suddenly, a roar like the buzzing of tens of thousands of bees tore through the air, and a massive wave of force hurtled toward Doje.
“...!”
It was the palm force of Great Strength Palm.
As that explosive power closed in, Doje crossed both hands before him.
Thunderous Demonic Chaos Palm. With a palm art refined to the extreme, he raised a barrier to meet it.
However, the pure-white palm force kept advancing and crushed straight through his defense. It was not merely fast; it was packed with blazing yang force hot enough to sear the skin.
Is this an ultimate move unleashed at full power, leaving the rest to chance? Hm... well, I suppose it’s made some impression.
Doje threw a light punch. A line of fist energy shot out like a cannon blast and swept across the front.
With that smooth response, the white palm force scattered.
For that single instant when the white smoke filled the area and obscured Doje’s vision—
Woooooooom!
At the next deafening roar, Doje’s eyes flew wide open.
“What are you spacing out for? I told you to treat this like a real fight.”
By then, Cheon Sohyeon had already closed the distance, and his flames burned fiercer than ever. The strike slammed into Doje’s side.
Once again, it was Great Strength Palm.