Chapter 88 Guardian Ghost Bracelet
A room made entirely of metal.
Inside it, a massive figure with a burly upper body bared was moving. Thick, black iron chains were wrapped tightly around his torso.
“Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine… one hundred. Hoo!”
The giant, Cheol So Pyeong, who had been doing push-ups with just his pinky finger, let out a shout like a battle cry as he rose to his feet. When he set down the chains coiled around his body, they hit the ground with a thud! that sent vibrations echoing through the room. They were chains made heavier with special metal.
Blood rushed to his chest, making his furious pectorals bounce a few times, and he grinned in satisfaction.
“My muscles feasted well today too. As expected, true strength comes from muscle.”
Ever since the advent of cultivation methods, most martial artists believed strength came solely from building up internal energy. But not Cheol So Pyeong.
True strength comes from a sturdy body! Internal energy was just a concept born from the body's inadequacies, after all.
But internal energy wasn't an infinite spring that never ran dry.
What if it depleted? A frail body would spell disaster.
That was why Cheol So Pyeong trained his body to the extreme every day. In truth, his physique was so formidable it could rival any external art master. He could crush a first-rate expert without using a drop of internal energy.
“Hoo… even so.”
Cheol So Pyeong's face soon twisted in dissatisfaction. It was because of one face that popped into his mind.
Sado Hwan.
A kid at least fifteen years his junior.
Yet he had reached the same Super Peak realm.
Father…
Above all, he was a powerhouse acknowledged by his father, Cheol Mu Geuk.
Cheol So Pyeong knew his father grumbled and scolded him out of affection—he did the same with his own son. Still, it stung a little.
What exactly do you see in him?
His father wasn't the nicest man. Stubborn and nitpicky like any craftsman, with a gruff way of speaking. Yet Cheol Mu Geuk treated Sado Hwan like a grandson.
Of course, seeing his rejuvenated father thanks to the Flame Fire Jade filled him with gratitude toward Sado Hwan—but that was separate from this feeling.
Stray thoughts during training? I haven't pushed hard enough.
As Cheol So Pyeong reached to rewrap the chains around himself—
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
A powerful vibration shook the entire Goe Mountain Iron Family grounds, traveling through the floor.
…That direction.
It was coming from Cheol Mu Geuk's forge.
Cheol So Pyeong sighed and stepped outside. Probably something with Sado Hwan again. What could it be this time?
“Y-Young master!”
“What is it?”
“O-over there… look!”
The frantic warrior's finger pointed to—
“…A wall? A rock?”
He couldn't immediately name it. It was just a massive, black square thing towering over ten zhang high, nearly three zhang wide.
“I'll go check. Don't make a fuss.”
“Understood!”
Cheol So Pyeong bent his knees slightly and sprang forth. Not as stealthy as Sa Wol's footwork or as graceful as the Kwak family's, his was straightforward and crude, exploding from his toes.
In the blink of an eye, he covered over two hundred zhang and sighed again. Cheol Mu Geuk's forge was a total wreck—the ceiling had been punched clean through by that giant wall.
And in the center stood a flustered Cheol Mu Geuk and a calmly composed Sado Hwan.
“Father. You alright?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah. Yeah.”
“What in the world happened?”
“Well… that is…”
Cheol Mu Geuk, staring blankly at the black wall, snapped to and turned.
“You. What the hell did you do?”
“…Wasn't it nothing much?”
“What kind of internal energy level is that…? I almost had to hear you'd been crushed by your own treasure artifact—a shield, no less!”
From Cheol Mu Geuk's words, Cheol So Pyeong pieced it together. Even if he lacked smithing skill, he'd lived his life in the Iron Family.
A treasure artifact powered by internal energy… First time using it, you might not control the power.
But this was excessive. Who'd think that hulking black wall was a shield?
Soon—
Shoooink—!
Clang!
The massive wall shrank in an instant, becoming a small bracelet. Sado Hwan picked it up with a calm expression.
“A fine treasure artifact. My thanks.”
“…Hah. Guess I can't expect demos from you anymore. Be honest—aren't you some rejuvenated old monster from the Sado family? No other way to wield that much power.”
“You're the one who pulled a return to youth.”
Cheol Mu Geuk shook his head at Sado Hwan's retort.
“Take that and scram. Stay longer, and you'll shake our family's foundations.”
“Will do.”
“So Pyeong. Guest is leaving. See him off.”
“Yes, Father.”
Cheol So Pyeong couldn't fathom how Sado Hwan looked so serene after causing such chaos.
Thump, thump!
My heart felt like it would burst.
[What did you do, you monster?]
That's my line. What the hell is this?
This might be the shakiest my composure had been since falling into the I Pretend to Be the Heavenly Demon world. Even with blades flying at me, I'd been prepared. But this? No warning at all.
A treasure artifact activating on its own! Without even channeling internal energy.
[Did your meridians open or something?]
As if.
Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Mastering the latter half of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, or an absurdly rare treatment method.
The protagonist of I Pretend to Be the Heavenly Demon resolves his blocked meridians in the finale. But was that really a resolution? Only through stacked fortunes and heavenly luck, at infinitesimal odds.
Put simply, like winning the lottery, getting struck by lightning on the way to claim it unscathed, then hit by a truck and waking as a count's wastrel son.
So, no, my blocked meridians weren't cured right now.
But… I'll have to check at home.
For now, keep calm. Cheol So Pyeong was already tilting his head curiously.
Good thing I'd pulled the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's energy to my chest—my liver was safe.
“Thanks for the escort.”
“No trouble. See you in four days.”
“The young master of Iron Family's coming too?”
“I'm the top expert in the Iron Family, after all. Speaking of which.”
Cheol So Pyeong said in a subtle tone.
“At Jan Hon Do, if possible, I'd like a spar. Up for it?”
“I don't draw my sword unless it's life or death.”
“…Hm.”
He scratched his nonexistent hair.
“We're not enemies, so no need for that.”
I just nodded without replying.
“Then, I'll be off.”
I hurried out of the Iron Family gates and back to Sado Ga. As the one who'd caused the mess, I wanted home turf fast.
“Let no one in.”
I cleared the area just in case and pulled out a few treasure artifacts Sa Wol had brought.
[What're you planning?]
“Got a hypothesis. Time to test it.”
[What hypothesis?]
“Blood.”
Panicking at the instruction to infuse internal energy, I'd grabbed the Guardian Ghost Bracelet with my still-bleeding hand. That must've triggered it.
[Blood… Well, internal energy is life's essence, after all.]
“Exactly. Same context as the Blood Cult using blood arts.”
[Then doesn't that mean your body can use internal energy?]
“We'll see… starting now.”
I examined the treasure artifacts I'd brought.
First, one that played a drum when infused: an arm-sized monkey figurine. If it reacted like before, it'd smash instead of playing.
I sliced my healed palm again. Blood dripped onto the monkey.
“…”
[…]
No change.
[Not just dripping—grab it while bleeding?]
Tried that per Pa Cheon's suggestion. Still nothing.
Same for the others.
[What the hell?]
“Your theory's right—it's blood. But one more condition.”
I smeared a tiny amount—just shy of a drop—from my flowing blood onto the Guardian Ghost Bracelet.
Swoooosh—!
It transformed into a shield, floating before me.
[Depends on blood amount, huh. Blood was the key. But what's the difference?]
“Cloud Demon Iron.”
[Ah! Pa Cheon Sword's made of it too. Makes sense it'd absorb energy via blood… Hey, monster.]
“Yeah. Testing that next.”
I drew Pa Cheon and dripped blood on the blade. Swallowing hard, I waited…
[No reaction at all.]
“Probably 'imprinted' and recognizes me as owner. Can't risk absorbing the master's energy.”
[A shame.]
“But fortunate too. If someone noticed Heavenly Demon Divine Art energy…”
Disaster.
“So, don't think I can use internal energy freely. Not many Cloud Demon Iron artifacts anyway. Still, got a lead.”
[Blood-related… The Blood Cult might know something.]
“Can't ask those schemers for help.”
Il Wol Chu Family were plotters, but predictable. Brains like Sado Gwang's lackeys at best.
But Eum Hyeol Jin Family was scarier. Sado Gwang's madness had reason—wanting healing. Theirs? Incomprehensible. I Pretend to Be the Heavenly Demon hammered home their unknowable motives.
“Lucky I got the Guardian Ghost Bracelet. Imagine going to that isolated island crawling with those lunatics.”
Now I was truly equipped to protect myself: Pa Cheon Sword to slice gang qi, Teleport Jade to leap walls, Guardian Ghost Bracelet to block it.
Plus ultimate anti-personnel interceptor Sa Wol.
Offense, evasion, defense, escort—covered. Short-term only; drag on, and instant bad end. But with Sa Wol, I could somehow manage in a pinch.
Leaps and bounds from that first cave drop.
“Next: Punishment Cave to recharge internal energy. Cool with that?”
[What?]
“Sado Mu Yeol's there.”
[Not my real father anyway… With his guts, he won't even peek out.]
“True enough.”
To pull anything off, you'd need guts—and Sado Mu Yeol had none.
Thus, I steadily prepared for the Six Families Gathering.
And finally, the day arrived.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon