Chapter 157: Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon
“Hahaha.”
Paeng Yu-gun let out a somewhat hollow laugh.
“You barely showed me anything proper, and now you're saying you can mimic it after just clashing swords a few times?”
“It's still just a minor trick, mere imitation.”
“No.”
Paeng Yu-gun shook his head.
“The essence of Noe Yeong-do is controlling the irregularly flowing power of lightning. If you think of it that way, Sword Dragon, you've already mastered Noe Yeong-do.”
[The Dao King's words are correct.]
Pa Cheon spoke in a confident voice.
[You can't control the flow of thunder energy, but you can guide it. The Dao King seems to have brute-forced it into his body through experience. But not me.]
Yeah, you're great.
[Of course, you lack the experience to do much with it right now. So, you demon.]
Pa Cheon said to me.
[Spar with the Dao King. If you say you want to raise your Noe Yeong-do proficiency, he won't just let it slide given his personality.]
Sounds good. I was going to ask you anyway.
I had decided to become a true martial artist. If I could take one more step forward, I didn't care if I got hurt or broken.
“Elder.”
I stood from my seat and said to the Dao King.
“I still have much to learn. Could you bestow more guidance upon me?”
“Haha!”
Paeng Yu-gun burst into a grin such as I'd never seen before, utterly pleased.
“Are you challenging me to a spar right now?”
“Yes.”
“Hahahaha!”
He threw his head back and roared with laughter, his shoulders shaking wildly. Then.
“You don't have any more family, do you? Brothers or something. Sisters would work too.”
“……No, I don't. Why do you ask?”
“Tch, what a shame. It's rare to see a junior with such a fine mental state these days.”
“Thank you for the generous praise.”
“No, it's not generous praise. These days' lot are soaked in peace and complacency, with no drive for self-improvement.”
Paeng Yu-gun clicked his tongue softly and continued.
“Back in my day, Sword Dragon, to gain enlightenment, we'd shoulder a jar of liquor and seek out even an unorthodox master for a clash of blades. In this world of rivers and lakes, you'd kneel to anyone of lower standing if it meant gaining teachings.”
The foundation of wuxia is romance. Paeng Yu-gun was a man who had lived in that romantic era.
“But now? They form alliances and sects, all for self-preservation. Wild beasts, Sword Dragon—once caged, they become livestock.”
“You're right.”
“That's why I'm pleased. To know there are young ones like you, Sword Dragon.”
Paeng Yu-gun beckoned with his hand.
“Very well. Let's cross blades once.”
“It's an honor.”
I leaped back again, crossing my legs in a seated position. Once I'd set the concept, I had to stick with it.
“This is just training, so I won't touch your core. However.”
Paeng Yu-gun shouted in high spirits.
“I'll crank up the thunder energy a notch, no problem there, right?!”
Kruuung—!
A red tiger phantom rose like an illusion, overlaying Paeng Yu-gun's form.
“I'd love to clash gang qi on gang qi, but that'd make it hard to grasp Noe Yeong-do properly!”
Zzzzt!
The thunder energy coursing along Paeng Yu-gun's blade intensified.
[That mad old man!]
Paeng Yu-gun swung his saber broadly from left to right. Startled, Pa Cheon threw itself into the path.
Kwaang, kwaang! Shockwaves hammered the training hall repeatedly.
I felt goosebumps rising.
No, it wasn't just goosebumps.
As the thunder-wreathed swords clashed, the backlash filled the entire training hall with thunder energy.
My hair was standing on end like I'd been hit by static electricity.
Sparks from the thunder energy began singeing Paeng Yu-gun's clothes. Seemed he wore sleeveless not just to show off his muscles.
With an “Ei!”, he tore off his upper garment. His muscles were ferocious.
Not just big muscles. They were covered in scars—straight lines, burns, deep gashes.
Paeng Yu-gun wasn't some simple muscle-bound old man.
He was a true martial artist who had roamed the jianghu for decades, survived battlefields, and earned the title of Dao King.
And so.
[Hup—!]
Pa Cheon had no choice but to go all out.
[Demon! I can't guarantee what happens after—use every bit of my inner energy!]
Go for it!
Thunder and poison energy flowed from Pa Cheon Sword's blade. It was the absorbed energy from Dok Ma.
“Excellent!”
Paeng Yu-gun's movements were far from light.
Kuung! Kuung!
Yet each one carried immense power and weight, making lightness unnecessary.
[Kuhk!]
Pa Cheon, taking the hits, bounced around erratically before returning.
“Give it more, Sword Dragon!”
I bit my lip at Paeng Yu-gun's words.
At this rate, I'd be utterly overpowered.
I'd resolved to adopt a martial artist's mindset. I couldn't just get pushed back.
[It's impossible. I'm sharper, but he overpowers me in strength.]
In the end, it was a matter of mass.
Paeng Yu-gun's massive muscles let him wield weight for overwhelming force.
Pa Cheon could generate power, but it was still limited by the mass of a single sword.
Wait.
If it was a matter of mass.
Pa Cheon, Domination.
[What?]
Use Domination!
[Pressuring Paeng Yu-gun would just waste energy, demon!]
Not on Paeng Yu-gun—on yourself!
[!?]
Paeng Yu-gun slashed diagonally with his saber. Pa Cheon took the hit and flew back.
“Hm?”
Paeng Yu-gun, wearing a tigerish grin, looked puzzled when Pa Cheon didn't return.
[Right. The subtlety of Domination is using the force that draws all things in the world. It's a law of the universe acting on all creation.]
Hovering in midair, Pa Cheon muttered.
“Not coming back? Tired already?”
“……”
I didn't answer.
Instead, I decided to buy time for Pa Cheon.
How?
Like this.
Shudder!
Still seated cross-legged, I trembled lightly as if struck by chills. My eyes half-lidded as if gazing into the distance, hands clasped over my dantian.
“Hahaha!”
Paeng Yu-gun burst into hearty laughter.
“Gaining enlightenment in the middle of this.”
That's right.
I started acting like I was having an enlightenment breakthrough.
I'd witnessed it multiple times before my eyes—like with Un Yeop Ja or Sa Wol—people achieving breakthroughs right in front of me.
Now, I could feign composure even with a blade to my throat. Mimicking that moment of enlightenment was child's play.
Even fooling Paeng Yu-gun. His usual booming voice, like boiling a train whistle, was hushed now.
For a martial artist, the moment of enlightenment was like shedding one's skin—the most vulnerable instant.
Finally.
[Got it. If it's a universal law acting on all things, it can apply to myself, not just the opponent.]
Pa Cheon began moving again.
In sync, I snapped my eyes wide open. Channeling Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy to my eyes, making them gleam like radiant light.
Paeng Yu-gun, smiling fondly, froze for an instant upon seeing my eyes. But he quickly shifted his gaze forward.
Pa Cheon was already flying back.
Pang—!
Saber and sword clashed, unleashing a burst of energy. Meaning Pa Cheon hadn't been repelled like before.
“The sword's gotten heavier!”
Paeng Yu-gun flicked his wrist. Pa Cheon, slightly pushed back, spun like a top and thrust toward Paeng Yu-gun's heart.
Paeng Yu-gun struck the side of Pa Cheon Sword with his saber flat. What should have sent it flying merely veered off course slightly.
The force acting on Pa Cheon had changed dramatically from before.
“How'd you do it? Infuse more energy into the sword?”
“Something like that. It's a fresh enlightenment, hard to explain in words—sorry.”
“No need. Wudang fools call it the ineffable Way. Enlightenment can't be taught by words.”
Of course, I knew the principle. He'd applied Domination to himself to increase his weight, converting it to power.
But I couldn't convince Paeng Yu-gun of that. Domination's subtlety required deep understanding of gravity. Only a super-genius like Pa Cheon, grasping physics from a single phrase, could get it—most geniuses wouldn't, let alone Paeng Clan blood with muscles for brains.
[Demon. My inner energy's almost depleted. As expected, Domination's subtlety consumes too much.]
Time to wrap it up. Problem was, Paeng Yu-gun was too excited to stop.
Of course, there was a very effective method. I'd used it once before.
“Kuhuk—!”
I spat blood. Paeng Yu-gun jumped in alarm.
“Another internal injury?”
“……”
“Can't speak? You were holding it in, huh. Foolish boy. Fail to consolidate after enlightenment, and you'll always suffer like this.”
Can't speak because I bit my tongue, not the injury.
[Demon clan's secret technique: tongue-biting.]
……Don't mock me.
[Your cunning grows sharper by the day—it's astounding.]
Paeng Yu-gun gave me another dose of his mysterious elixir.
“Consolidate that injury. And, ahem. Don't go blabbing about it. If Dang Mugi hears, he'll nag endlessly.”
I smiled as if to say I understood, offering a fist salute. Paeng Yu-gun grinned back, grabbed the remnants of his shredded clothes, and left the training hall.
Haa.
I sprawled out starfished on the training hall floor. Tension released.
[Still, demon, your bolder approach led to real enlightenment this time.]
See? High risk, high return.
[High ri……what's that mean?]
Anyway. Hey, Pa Cheon. My tongue hurts like hell. Can you heal it with inner energy?
A person's tongue hurts even from a pinprick—biting it hard enough to look like vomiting blood was excruciating.
[Tongues are tricky. Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy is hard to control.]
I've sent it to my eyes plenty. Isn't the eyes riskier?
[True enough.]
Convinced, Pa Cheon named some acupoints. My first martial training was memorizing them, so I knew their locations by name now.
[Still, be careful. Heavenly Demon Divine Art is hard to control.]
That's the thing. You're not the only one who gained enlightenment.
[What do you mean?]
I wasn't just sitting idle.
Red Dragon's thunder energy can't be controlled—only guided.
From that, I had my own small enlightenment.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy is the same.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy acts almost with a mind of its own. That's why in danger or urgency, it follows my will without resistance—like channeling to my eyes.
So.
I'm Sado Hwan.
Once I get the Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy moving.
Disobey, and I'll crush you flat? That'd be dangerous, right?
I could guide it too.
And at that moment.
How—
With a voice, my vision suddenly shifted.
It was enormous—
“Heok!”
[Demon, snap out of it!]
I blacked out.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon