Chapter 92 - First Heavenly Demon
It was Korean.
Clear, vivid Korean.
Ever since I'd fallen into the world of Murim Returner, I'd been able to read this world's language and script naturally, as if it were one of a possessor's privileges.
But that didn't mean it was Korean. It wasn't the hanja I knew either—it was some third kind of writing.
Yet what was engraved on the Muhonjibyeok right before my eyes...
1,024 Days Since Entering the Wuxia Novel
Clear Korean, after months without seeing it.
I ignored the other family heads' drivel for a moment and read on through what the wall revealed.
It's been four years by the calendar since I entered the wuxia world. How did this happen? Why did an ordinary grad student like me end up like this?
What sin did I commit in a past life to get possessed into a wuxia novel as a grad student?
People call me the Blood Demon. Blood never stops flowing wherever I go. They come at me first with their life-or-death duels and such. Someone over there even called me the Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon sounds cooler. Blood Demon just seems too brutal.
So the First Heavenly Demon's old moniker was Blood Demon...? Come to think of it, there was a cult in Murim Returner that worshipped the Blood Demon—the Blood Cult.
This time, these people calling themselves the Clan of Holy Fire are sticking to me. What is this, some Fox Post or Sword Fox? I have no idea why they're following me around like this.
Clan of Holy Fire. That had to be the Gwangmyeongseongga.
Anyway, I just want to go back. Others envy and fear how strong I've become in just four years... but I miss the things I left behind. Even the instant ramen I scarfed down during all-nighters in the lab.
...To earn the Blood Demon title in four years, you apparently had to be that insane. Missing lab all-nighters and instant ramen.
And the moment I read the next line, I couldn't help but be stunned.
According to what the Clan of Holy Fire said, there's this guy called Cheon Gi-ja on Heavenly Mountain. They say he knows everything, so maybe he'll know what happened to me. If so, I'd turn back without a second thought.
Cheon Gi-ja. A mention of Cheon Gi-ja.
Hey, Pa Cheon. About when was the First Heavenly Demon active?
[Around 300 years ago, as I recall.]
That meant Cheon Gi-ja was at least someone whose name had been known since 300 years ago. Of course, like with the Heavenly Demon, "Cheon Gi-ja" might just be a title passed down through successors.
Either way, the key point was that even the First Heavenly Demon had speculated there might be some hint from Cheon Gi-ja.
Cheon Gi-ja...
A figure active 300 years ago, who even decades ago predicted some upheaval in this world.
The answer lay with Cheon Gi-ja, after all.
I kept reading downward.
Well, that's what I say, but these followers tailing me do get on my nerves. So I'm engraving my insights here. Even if they can't read Korean, just looking at this wall should give them some enlightenment. Take what you can get.
A curse slipped out involuntarily.
Which meant all that nonsense from the family heads I'd dismissed as bullshit... wasn't nonsense.
Even more shocking was how each person's enlightenment from the Muhon differed.
Once martial artists reached a certain realm, they faced their own personal walls. They trained their whole lives to break through to the next level, but most failed. And those walls varied wildly, making enlightenment hard to come by.
Ah, sure, everyone here except me had gained insights... but it was absolutely not easy. Because they had to find answers tailored to their unique situations. Yet the First Heavenly Demon's Muhon was providing answers to the 'diverse' problems of everyone who beheld it. In other words, he'd created a single formula that solved every puzzle.
Oh, if anyone can read this... you're Korean too, right? I've hidden stuff like this all over the world. You know that famous Hwasan? I thought there'd be a Hwasan Sect, but maybe the era's too early—didn't exist yet. Anyway, I made one there too, and hid another on a cliff near Shaolin Temple. There are more, so go find them. Might help you too? Anyway, my real insight engraved here is...
I nodded as I read the next paragraph, but paradoxically, I also had to tilt my head.
Chojindong
The true nature of the First Heavenly Demon's intent engraved on the Muhonjibyeok was Chojindong.
Then how did the cult figure out Chojindong's intent when they went to war with the murim world?
In Murim Returner, the murim world had brought out the Hwiryu technique, while the cult countered with Chojindong. Even without knowing Korean, they could grasp it—
Of course. The one who deciphered the mysteries of Chojindong was none other than the Heavenly Demon of that era, Yi Se-ryeong. That solved the puzzle.
When war broke out, they'd have revealed the Muhon to Yi Se-ryeong, regardless of the Six Families Alliance's true purpose. There was no rule saying the Heavenly Demon couldn't view the Muhon anyway.
Yi Se-ryeong would've comprehended the First Heavenly Demon's true intent from the traces alone, Korean or not.
As I stood silently, Pa Cheon spoke up.
[Monster. You know something, don't you.]
Yeah. I figured it out. The First Heavenly Demon was like me. That's writing from my homeland.
[...The First Heavenly Demon, a monster?]
Not a monster.
[What nonsense!]
Actually, the one who should be shocked at the absurdity was me.
Where did the novel end and reality begin?
Was this modern-day possessor called the First Heavenly Demon a real person like me, or just a setting the author cooked up?
I was confused myself, but what I'd realized coming here was that instead of giving up in despair, I had to do what I could.
Anyway, I'll recite the formula. Just memorize it.
[A formula...? There's a formula for the intent?]
Yeah. It's called Chojindong.
I had a rough idea of the concept. It popped up often in webnovel subculture.
Simply put, it was a technique to massively boost destructive power by vibrating a weapon at extreme speeds.
[Hmm... So everything in this world of myriad phenomena has its own unique frequency?]
There you go.
Not having modern knowledge, yet Pa Cheon grasped the concept of Chojindong effortlessly. A true cutting-edge wuxia AI.
Just as Pa Cheon finished memorizing the Chojindong formula...
"Hold on. How about we table the random chatter for later?"
No one could ignore Cheol Mu Geuk, the head of the blacksmith family who could craft treasure artifacts, despite his lower martial ranking here—and as the eldest.
At his words, the heated debate began to simmer down.
"What's important now... is that the Sado family head has done something none of us could. For decades, the Muhonjibyeok has never shown its true face."
People nodded at Cheol Mu Geuk's words.
"Even with the seal, most here probably didn't accept him as a true Six Families head. But do you still? Do you need more proof from him?"
Honestly, I'd pegged him as a cranky, sensitive old coot, but I was newly grateful for Cheol Mu Geuk. I'd have to swing by with that premium liquor from Sado Gwang's secret stash next time.
"I. Sado family head. Acknowledge."
Jin Yeong Ryeong raised her hand, her eyes unreadable.
- I acknowledge him. The Sado family head has shown true power.
"...Hmph."
Chu Tae Su nodded, having no choice in the moment. Only Hyeok Mun turned away, refusing to acknowledge it.
Getting acknowledgment now or not was laughable, but without Cheol Mu Geuk wrapping it up, I'd have faced endless tests like before. Now, this one feat freed me from all that risk.
"By the way, Sado family head."
Kwak Ri Yeon addressed me.
"As Cheol family head said, the Muhonjibyeok never reacted like that before you. What did you do?"
"Just infused it with qi."
"You think we haven't tried?"
"Not with me here before."
More precisely, no one with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's inner energy had appeared in decades.
"...Arrogant."
Kwak Ri Yeon let out a hollow chuckle.
"But true, so I can't argue."
I just shrugged. From behind, I heard Tak Horak and Kwak Jeong whispering stuff like 'As expected of the family head!' or 'Master's so cool!'—easy to ignore.
- Sado family head. Do you perhaps know what's engraved on that wall too? It has a strangely regular pattern, like some kind of script.
As expected of Chu Tae Su—or should I credit King Sejong?
Chu Tae Su had instantly recognized the short text as writing.
Of course, as the protagonist, I decided to play dumb. I couldn't hand such a powerful weapon like Chojindong to others. If real war broke out later, I could share then.
"Who knows. I got a script vibe too... but I think the intent behind it matters more than the content."
- The intent is what matters?
"Super Peak experts like you all see the same thing but say different things... That must be the First Heavenly Demon's design."
- One trace sparking different enlightenments... Impossible, but if it's his will, maybe.
Chu Tae Su clapped.
- How about this? Since this meeting's been so unusual, let's take time until the final conference on the last day to reflect on our insights freely.
"Hyeok Mun agrees."
"Fine by me, old as I am—time to loaf like a bum."
"This family head agrees too."
Nods all around.
All the family heads agreed with Chu Tae Su. Free time suited me fine.
Smooth talk aside, being surrounded by Super Peak masters was exhausting. Without the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's energy, I'd have dropped the act from sheer fatigue.
- Good. Final meeting in three days at noon, back at the conference hall.
At that, everyone scattered to their tasks like they'd been waiting. Fist specialists Kwak Ri Yeon and Cheol So Pyeong nodded to each other before the wall, Hyeok Mun glowered with arms crossed.
Even the lofty Chu Tae Su drew complex patterns on the floor and sat chanting like it was a spell.
...And the Jin folks ignored the wall entirely, staring only at me.
"What're you planning to do?"
Cheol Mu Geuk, suddenly free, asked me.
"Head back to my quarters."
"Gonna sort your insights alone, eh? Bah, was hoping for a drink."
"Next time—"
As I turned to leave, I'd forgotten one more person.
Sa Wol.
Hidden by the family heads, but she was Super Peak too. She was probably itching to sit in lotus position and consolidate her insights right now.
...What a zero-out-of-ten boss I've been.
I told Sa Wol,
"I'm gonna have a drink with Cheol family head, so you go reflect on your insights."
Once Sa Wol digested her own enlightenment, I'd teach her the Chojindong intent too.
Even for Sa Wol, mastering Chojindong in one go would be tough.
Sa Wol asked cautiously,
"Is that really okay?"
"Who's worrying about who?"
"But—"
"Besides, you getting stronger benefits me too."
At my words, Sa Wol's ears flushed slightly. Hot in here?
"Thank you for your generosity, family head."
I nodded, then told Tak Horak, who was slyly sidling up,
"Tak Horak. You follow me."
"I want insights too!"
"Staring at that at your level's a straight path to deviation into devil. That what you want?"
"Hup. No, sir!"
"Then let's go."
Cheol Mu Geuk, watching our exchange, tossed in,
"...Sado, might need to re-earn that acknowledgment."
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon