Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 105: Seeing the Insights of the Nine Chamber Leaders (3)

I stared at those marks and let out a hollow chuckle.

In a way, these so-called masters were quite innocent.

Honestly, even when martial arts are recorded in painstaking detail with words, achieving enlightenment is as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. The idea that one could gain insight just by looking at marks on a wall—not even letters, just scratches—was the kind of preposterous setup you’d only find in a wuxia novel.

Either that, or you had to be a once-in-a-millennium genius.

I was curious. What exactly did Yu Hong and Gok-yo realize here?

Could it be that they just made something up because they were embarrassed to admit they didn't understand a thing? Nine times out of ten, that was the most likely scenario.

"Starting from over there, the First Chamber Leader left his mark, followed by the Second, and so on, until the Ninth Chamber Leader finished it off."

The stone wall was riddled with gouges carved by Sword Glare.

From one perspective, it looked like mere graffiti; from another, it seemed to possess some profound meaning; and from yet another, it looked like the random scribbles of a madman.

I paid particularly close attention to the marks left by the Ninth Chamber Leader, Ham Jeok, who was a swordsman. As expected, they looked like nothing more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than roughly drawn lines.

‘He probably felt like he had to leave something behind, but since conveying true insight through mere scratches is impossible, he just hacked at the wall with his sword. That’s all.’

In wuxia novels, there are often scenes where the protagonist gains enlightenment by looking at the traces left by a founder in a meditation cave.

But looking at the Nine Demon Wall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now, I realized just how impossible that was.

Still, I couldn't just leave after coming all this way. I traced the grooves in the stone wall with my fingers, following the direction the sword must have traveled.

Bushi watched me silently, perhaps thinking my actions looked solemn.

Even if someone as diligent as Yi Dakyung were to spend all day feeling the texture of these marks and following their flow, the conclusion would remain the same.

‘It’s all a load of crap. Insights, my foot.’

I stepped back in disappointment, but then I noticed something. The final line of Ham Jeok’s sword marks was at roughly the same height as the beginning of the First Chamber Leader’s marks.

‘Wait, do these connect?’

Driven by a sudden hunch, I traced the First Chamber Leader’s marks at that same height.

‘Huh? They really do connect.’

I found the connection point between the marks of the First and Second Chamber Leaders.

It was there. The end of the First Chamber Leader’s marks aligned perfectly with the starting point of the Second’s.

The intersection was carved with the same size and depth.

And the Second’s marks led straight into the Third’s, continuing the chain.

It went on like that all the way to the Ninth Chamber Leader, and his marks didn't just end there—they hinted at a return to the First Chamber Leader’s marks.

‘I think I’ve discovered something, but is this even a type of martial art?’

No. If someone had left their insights this way, it would be as if this reality were a wuxia novel.

But this was real life.

The idea that someone could leave behind some legendary martial art through a series of connected lines in the real world was absurd.

And yet, the image of that continuous line remained burned into my mind.

It flowed on and on, but when it reached the Third Chamber Leader’s marks, the wall was gouged so deeply it looked as if it had been struck by lightning, the stone shattered and broken.

Seeing that the entire thing was one single, unbroken chain, a realization hit me.

‘Even though it looks chaotic, it’s trying to tell me something.’

I just didn't know what that "something" was.

Still, I gained one thing.

Laozi said that the Dao is that which has no beginning and no end.

The fact that the lines were continuous suggested they were demonstrating some form of the Dao, but beyond that, I didn't have the slightest clue.

At that moment, the words of Elder Third Rate came to mind.

“The world is seen and known only as much as you have studied and understood. You can only feel exactly as much as you know. The reason your sword is as limp as a dog’s balls in the heat of midsummer is because that is all you are. Don’t go blaming the innocent sword.”

Those were the words Elder Third Rate had barked at me when I threw my sword in a fit of rage because my training wasn't progressing.

Finally, I realized that there was nothing for me to gain from the Nine Demon Wall.

It was laughable to think I could attain enlightenment with my woefully inadequate level of study.

I hadn't expected much to begin with, but facing the Nine Demon Wall made me feel pathetic.

If I had looked at this wall and realized something, this moment would have turned into a wuxia novel, and I would have become its protagonist.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do that. Looking at the Nine Demon Wall left me with a bizarre, lingering unease—like a man who had visited the privy and left without wiping.

For a fleeting moment, I felt a desire to study martial arts systematically.

If I built a proper foundation and then looked at this wall again, would I feel something then?

‘Fine. For the sake of that day, I’ll memorize these marks.’

Fortunately, my memory was decent enough that I could roughly commit the patterns to heart. I figured that as I continued my martial studies, I might eventually understand their meaning.

“Acting Squad Leader, were you here?”

The squad members who had consumed the Dragon Ascending Pills entered the chamber of the Nine Demon Wall.

I had been so focused on etching those subtle lines and grooves into my mind that I hadn't realized how much time had passed.

I cursed inwardly.

I had intended to leave before the men arrived.

Based on my experience so far, they were bound to ask me what kind of enlightenment I had gained from the wall.

Thinking it best to make a quick exit, I headed toward the door as if I were in a great hurry.

However, the men kept pouring in, their voices filling the room.

“Oh? The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Acting Squad Leader is here!”

“Really? I heard on the way here that he wiped out the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests all by himself!”

“What? Is that true?”

The members who hadn't heard the news yet exchanged shocked glances.

“I heard it from the instructor. The main headquarters is in an uproar. The Fifth Chamber Leader’s side mobilized the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests to ambush and kill the Acting Squad Leader, but he just… everyone…”

As the man made a slicing motion across his throat, the surrounding warriors gasped in horror.

“Whoa! Even Squad Leader Gok-yo was beaten badly by them, and Squad Leader Yu Hong couldn't break their wheel formation, but he didn't just break the formation—he killed them all?”

The members of the Blood Wind Squad looked at me as if they were looking at a god.

It made sense. To them, Squad Leader Gok-yo of the Dragon-Slaying Blood Demon Squad and Squad Leader Yu Hong of the Black Dragon Exploding Demon Squad were practically idols.

Since the Four Wheels Twenty-Four Guests had defeated even those two, they were figures of terror within the Nine Demons Chamber.

To be honest, I had nearly wet myself when I saw their wheel attack in the training hall, so their fear was justified.

If I had relied on my actual skills to fight them, I would have been minced meat by now.

“My Lord!”

While I was listening to the men’s embarrassing praise, someone called out from behind me. I turned around instinctively and saw the Twin Heroes of Guiyang.

However, their aura and the look in their eyes now surpassed my own.

The awkwardness they once had was gone; in its place stood men who felt like well-honed blades.

The brilliant light in their eyes told me their internal power had reached nearly a full jiazi.

In fact, their power might even be greater than mine.

But there was an even more surprising sight.

“My Lord!”

Seven cats came running toward me, shouting, and performed a disciplined martial salute.

Good heavens! Are these the Seven Cats? From their appearance alone, they looked like the Black Spirit Ten Guards.

If anything, their aura seemed even more potent than that of the Twin Heroes of Guiyang.

Then, to my surprise, they suddenly began to tear up as they looked at me.

“We thank you once again, My Lord, for allowing us—who were less than rats—to live as proud warriors.”

They prostrated themselves on the ground, knocking their heads against the floor.

They weren't even members of the Demonic Cult, yet they were so quick to perform the five-point prostration.

It was embarrassing, but it also gave me a secret sense of pride.

It meant they were subordinates who served their lord with their entire being, and from a lord’s perspective, that was something to be proud of.

The tables had turned.

They used to be such eyesores, but now they had been reborn as my formidable guards.

“Rise!”

“By your command!”

I don't know where they picked it up, but they even used formal military responses without hesitation.

And strangely enough, I liked the sound of it.

They had received my Acupoint Striking, and here they had undergone more Acupoint Striking and consumed elixirs. They had truly become cats with wings.

Their internal power actually seemed higher than mine.

Life is truly full of surprises.

Since they had suffered so much, I wanted to give them a reward that would offer some comfort.

Feeling a bit guilty for how much I had bullied them in the past, I decided to be generous.

“Who would dare call you cats now? I decree that from this day forward, you are no longer the Seven Cats, but the Seven Heroes!”

My own reputation had grown; if my subordinates were nicknamed "cats," what would that say about my own dignity?

“No matter what others call you, to me, you are the Seven Heroes. Therefore, you must show conduct and chivalry worthy of that name from now on!”

At my words, the Seven Heroes wept openly, their heads thumping against the floor again.

“My Lord has given us a name to live by and a reason to exist in this world. We will remain loyal to you until the day we die.”

I didn't realize a simple nickname would move them so much.

I finally understood how much they must have suffered under the name "Seven Cats."

The fact that this wasn't a name given by others, but a title bestowed by their own lord, seemed to make it even more meaningful. They showed no sign of getting up.

“And you, Twin Heroes of Guiyang, as their seniors, lead the Seven Heroes well.”

The Twin Heroes of Guiyang also seemed moved, their eyes moist as they saluted.

“By your command!”

Hearing the word "command" spoken with such gravity—the kind of thing you only hear in wuxia novels—made my skin crawl a bit.

But it was also quite addictive; the more I heard it, the more it grew on me.

I tried to slip out of the chamber while they were distracted, but one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the squad members shouted.

“Acting Squad Leader! Please share with us the insights you gained here.”

The other members had already entered the chamber and were staring at the wall with disappointed expressions.

It seemed none of them could grasp what the marks on the stone wall meant. Well, if they could, they wouldn't be standing here.

I recited the words I had heard from Elder Third Rate.

“I, too, saw nothing. However, if you all devote yourselves to your studies, the day will come when you can understand this. For that day, commit these marks to memory.”

I tried to step back after giving that vague answer, but Bushi looked at me and spoke up.

“It seemed to me that Young Hero Eo had realized something, given how you were lost in thought. Why not say a few words?”

He was likely referring to how I had been deep in contemplation after seeing how the marks of the Chamber Leaders connected.

I let out a sigh. How was I supposed to explain something even I didn't understand?

But if I flatly denied it, I’d look like a selfish person who refused to share. I had to say something.

In times like these, the best way to dodge the issue was to use the most difficult words I knew to keep things vague.

Wait. The most difficult words I knew? Something related to martial arts?

I’d already used up all my best material. I’d told so many lies over the years that there was nothing left in the tank.

“I am sorry to say this, but do not think that you can gain anything from the Nine Demon Wall at your current level. To gain insight from this wall, you must be at the same level as the Nine Chamber Leaders. I am not lying when I say I gained nothing from looking at this. It is because I am still inferior to the Nine Chamber Leaders.”

Because I had hit the nail on the head, the squad members looked dejected.

Seeing their faces, I felt like I should at least say one thing. I racked my brain and blurted out the most plausible thing I’d heard from Ddaengcho.

“However, there is one way. There is a passage in the Diamond Sutra: ‘If one has the notion of a self, then one is not a Bodhisattva. He who understands the truth of selflessness is a true Bodhisattva.’ This means one must let go of attachment to the self and enter a state of selflessness. If you wish to gain anything from the Nine Demon Wall, you must enter a state of selflessness; only then might you grasp even a single thread. Trying to gain something when you are not yet at that level is itself an attachment. So, let go of your greed and simply appreciate the graffiti on the wall.”

A state of selflessness—the realm of immortals and Buddhas.

How could anyone achieve such a state in an instant?

I nodded to myself, thinking my words sounded quite convincing.

Come to think of it, Ddaengcho and that Taoist Tiger Malko he hung out with used to say things like that.

They often said that no matter what you believe in, it is ultimately a human belief.

In the end, they are all the same.

They used the term "All paths lead to the same destination" to justify everything.

They said it while drinking, and they said it while chasing women.

The Twin Heroes of Guiyang and the Seven Heroes were also staring intently at the Nine Demon Wall, trying to realize something.

Taking advantage of the fact that the men were now looking at the wall with fresh eyes, I slipped away.