CHAPTER 206: Inspector (3)
I saw a man die today.
When I looked closely at him, I jumped in shock.
Because the dead man's face was mine.
That's right.
The me up until today was dead.
Now, I am reborn.
Huan Gu Tal Tae!
[…….]
If Pa Cheon had eyes, he probably would have looked at me with utter contempt.
"Ahem. So."
I asked Pa Cheon.
"You're saying I achieved Three Flowers Gather at the Summit? Me?"
[Yes. You did. Imperfect, but yes.]
"Whoa."
I felt dazed.
What was Three Flowers Gather at the Summit?
It was the bare minimum requirement to become a Super Peak master.
It meant the mind, energy, and body uniting as one, leaping to the next stage.
Did eating one elixir really make me Super Peak?
I take back what I said about the First Heavenly Demon being a hack.
The First Heavenly Demon was the light and salt of this world.
"So I'm Super Peak now?"
[As if. Get a grip.]
"Kidding. Now I get why you didn't tell me sooner. In my case, probably just the body got upgraded while mind and energy stayed the same. The opposite of you."
[Exactly. Pa Cheon got mind and energy. You got body.]
"Together, the three unite. You're truly my soul partner."
[Part… whatever. Now do you understand why Pa Cheon didn't tell a yokai like you about the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit?]
I immediately agreed with Pa Cheon's logic.
"You were guarding against me getting all excited and cocky. Right?"
[Yes.]
Pa Cheon continued.
[The one you had to face was none other than the Shaolin Abbot himself. Didn't you hear what he said? He sensed 'desperation' from you. You think that would have worked if you'd met him all buoyant and floating?]
"……Yeah. He might've thought I had some other agenda."
If I'd properly cultivated like other martial artists, maybe not. But I hadn't.
Hell, I couldn't even properly circulate a basic heart formula.
Why was it called a heart formula?
Because it tamed the mind.
Except for extreme demonic arts like Do Il Gwang's or Hyeok Mun's, even demonic arts let you calm your mind through their heart formulas.
But the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was outside that framework from the start. And trying to use another heart formula while harboring its energy would just turn me into Sado Gwang.
Plus, to fully use the Thousand Changes Face Mask, I might need to operate without a sword sometimes.
In the end, Pa Cheon was right.
Using his abilities was fine, but relying on him solely wouldn't lead to true progress.
[One more thing.]
"What's that?"
[My guess? The Abbot suspects your true identity.]
"Not Je Gal Sung, but the Abbot?"
[Yes. You know why.]
"Sa Wol."
Gong-a spilling it was impossible—he'd have to reveal his Heavenly Demon Divine Cult roots.
Gongjin wouldn't either. Even if Tak Horak called him a fool, he knew the line between public and private.
"So someone's been watching us, somehow."
[Maybe a master who's perfected the Hidden Eye Technique, observing from afar.]
"Beyond even your detection range?"
[No detection. Two possibilities: deliberately hiding their presence, or watching from outside my range.]
The Shaolin temple grounds were vast enough to exceed Pa Cheon's range, so it wasn't impossible.
Still.
"That means a ridiculous master. Shaolin lives up to the name."
Can't let my guard down in a world without CCTV.
Come to think of it, the Beggars' Sect had people who could track locations too.
All kinds of abilities out there.
Back then, I thought, What is this, a murim world turning into ability battles? Now I get it.
This world was a game to the First Heavenly Demon.
"Gotta solve the Muhonjibyeok and bail fast. Shaolin's no place for us."
[You forgot about the Muhonjibyeok for a sec. With all these gains.]
"Even so, this is too much."
High risk, high return—sure, but the risk was way too high.
This was thin ice on steroids.
[How do you plan to find the Muhonjibyeok?]
"I'm the inspector, for now. And Pa Cheon."
[What?]
"Let's get along well again."
[What nonsense.]
"Huan Gu Tal Tae means a new me. So, let's do this right."
[Whatever. You'll have downtime waiting for Je Gal Sung to summon you for the inspector badge anyway.]
"True."
[Wasting that time is a sin for a martial artist.]
Pa Cheon continued.
[Learn the Latent Blood Burst Art.]
You see it in wuxia novels all the time.
Righteous arts are complex and slow but pure, unbeatable at the endgame.
Demonic or evil arts are easy and fast but impure, hard to reach Peak or beyond.
"All bullshit."
The Latent Blood Burst Art was insanely hard.
How is a self-destruct art this tough?
Pa Cheon, watching from the side, snorted.
[Your head's the problem.]
"Treating the dantian as one axis, reversing heaven and earth's energy through 330 meridians… What the hell does that even mean?"
[Tsk tsk. Can't grasp that simple concept? Your body got remade—your brain should've too. How do you not get it?]
"It's just… the concepts are different."
Real-world studies had clear answers.
Martial arts didn't.
They varied wildly by practitioner—no single "right" way.
So manuals used metaphors.
Problem was, coming from the real world, those metaphors felt like grasping at clouds.
"Easier to memorize the Pythagorean theorem… Nah."
Pa Cheon perked up with interest.
But I wouldn't tell him.
Not some loser mindset because he's a genius who'd master it instantly.
[Can't understand the principle, huh.]
"Ah, Tak Horak. Tak Horak. I need you. Only you'd get me."
[Pfft.]
"What?"
[Tak Horak's a Peak master. He does dumb shit, but he's no idiot. He'd grasp the principle, even if memorizing takes effort. Idiots don't become masters.]
"Oh."
Pa Cheon clicked his tongue.
[Not hopeless, though.]
"How?"
[Practice.]
Pa Cheon explained.
[Practice is key anyway. Theory's just theory. You have to embody it.]
"Boils down to: bad brain, suffering body."
[Spot on.]
"Nah."
I wagged my index finger.
"My body's upgraded from Huan Gu Tal Tae, so my brain suffers less."
[Miracle logic.]
"Alright, fine. Summarize and explain at my level."
[No shame?]
"The Master said: 'Be shameless in seeking knowledge.'"
[Dumbass with a silver tongue.]
"What?"
[Sit. Pa Cheon will explain at your toddler level.]
I crossed my legs as instructed.
[Listen up. First, circulate your energy.]
The Mountain Lung Poison and Mountain Cavity Poison effects had worn off. Even with more dosage this time, it cleared way faster—definitely Huan Gu Tal Tae's doing.
[Key here: energy must flow in a perfectly steady rhythm. No jumps, perfectly even…]
"Makes sense?"
[Shut up and it'll click. Focus on your breathing rhythm—in, out.]
I focused as Pa Cheon said.
Felt the Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy passing through meridians.
Steady.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy was like a rampaging beast.
But now, leashed and muzzled.
It moved slowly as I led.
[Now, halt the flow instantly. Crucial: at the collision halt, the reverse-flow energy overlaps the original direction. Test on right arm—Diamond Needles reinforce it, it'll hold.]
I yanked the leash tight.
Energy reversed, overlapped instantly.
BOOM—!!!!
An explosion in the meridian.
"Kuh!"
It stung, but after enduring Heavenly Demon Divine Art pains and with Diamond Needle reinforcement, I held.
[How's it feel?]
"Heavy punch. And a sure suicide move."
Already ferocious Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy doubled in density instantly—had to be brutal.
"Now I see why it's demonic. Only I can use this."
[Explain.]
"Force energy overlap in a finger-width passage into fist-size? Boom. Dead."
[Blocked meridians prevent breakthrough… This your 'bittersweet' thing?]
Meant for synergy with Blood Burst Jade, but my body turned it into a reinforcement art.
Tested the Blood Burst Jade power from it too.
Over double strength, as expected.
Already amped Blood Burst Jade got stronger—looked like prime Blood Cult material.
"Bittersweet, yeah. But now it's getting scary."
[What?]
"At this rate, per your eval, I could take a Peak solo."
Attach with enhanced Flicker, then Explosive Fist with Latent Blood Burst Art spike—like One Punch Man, send 'em flying.
"Me getting stronger means my rivals are too."
[Meng Wei Xue?]
"He's the Heavenly Demon's rival, not mine."
[Then?]
"Sado Gwang."
[……Possible. That body's no ordinary vessel.]
"Genius too. Give him two years max."
[For what?]
"Hitting Super Peak."
[Impossible. Peak, maybe.]
"No. I'm abnormal, so's he."
Sado Gwang was a once-in-a-century genius back in the cult.
Plus all the arts, great laws, spells, formations he'd devoured to fix his body.
New body, same experience.
Bound to skyrocket.
"Can't get complacent just 'cause I beat a Peak. Tak Horak level at best."
[Seriously, you won't beat Tak Horak. Stop benchmarking him.]
"Miss him since he ain't around."
Tak Horak couldn't enter Shaolin—demonic arts reeked too much.
Sa Wol was fine; her Holy Fire Divine Art was far from demonic.
"Need more practice. Shorten activation like with Explosive Fist."
[Then Pa Cheon trains too. Your words sparked insight.]
"Another enlightenment?"
[Sudden realization. Per yokai you— Hm? Training postponed.]
"Why? Presence?"
[Yes. Gongjin.]
Sure enough, Gongjin burst in panting moments later.
"What is it?"
"Something fun happened. Get ready to head out!"
"What?"
Gongjin's face was beet red as he said,
"The Dao King challenged the 108 Arhats Formation!"