Chapter 62
Chapter 62
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Subduing Demon Hall
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I began learning the secret technique of Thunder Shadow Step, Heavenly Pillar Kill, starting the next day. The morning began with me sitting cross-legged in the training hall, quietly listening to Lee Gwang's explanation.
"You've seen So-cheong demonstrate Heavenly Pillar Kill. What did you think?"
"It seemed like he was skillfully and effortlessly dodging the enemy's attacks."
I gave my honest impression. Every time Jin So-cheong executed Heavenly Pillar Kill, he dodged the enemy's attacks with such speed and flair that it was hard to believe it was the Thunder Shadow Step I knew. No, it went beyond dodging—he was practically toying with them. Even the storm-like sword qi from a Jungnam Sect elite disciple was evaded as if using a body substitution technique. It was astonishing.
Lee Gwang said,
"Among all things, the footwork of Heavenly Pillar Kill is the core of the Thunder God lineage martial arts. It allows free advance and retreat, always staying one step ahead of the enemy to seize their vital points. Without mastering Heavenly Pillar Kill, no matter how diligently you train in other Thunder God lineage arts, you won't be able to unleash their true power."
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why is it called Heavenly Pillar Kill, of all things? It's too ferocious for a footwork secret technique."
Indeed.
The name Heavenly Pillar Kill read as striking dead the Heavenly Pillar acupoint. The Heavenly Pillar was the area near the Gate of Life acupoint at the back of the neck. Why would a footwork technique have such a meaning? Lee Gwang chuckled and said,
"You'll understand once you learn it. Just follow along for now."
And so his instruction began. It took me about seven weeks to grasp the form of the footwork used in Heavenly Pillar Kill, and about two months to master the qi circulation and movements. During that time, I trained relentlessly without rest, collapsing every day drenched in sweat.
Once the basics were complete, Lee Gwang said,
"Now you have the foundation to execute Heavenly Pillar Kill. Follow me for seven steps while rapidly circulating your qi."
"Yes."
Paaaat!
As I took seven steps to attempt Heavenly Pillar Kill, I felt my footwork tangle on the third step. It was strange—I was clearly circulating my qi correctly, but it kept stuttering. As I stumbled and fell, Lee Gwang clicked his tongue.
"You still don't understand the meaning of Heavenly Pillar Kill. I really have to teach you everything from start to finish."
"......"
He must have hoped I'd grasp the technique's meaning on my own while learning the basics. But if that were possible, I wouldn't be suffering like this. Grumbling inwardly, I got back up, and Lee Gwang began properly explaining Thunder Shadow Step's Heavenly Pillar Kill.
"Watch closely. With every step, spread thunder qi from the area around your Heavenly Pillar acupoint at the back of your neck. The direction can change with each execution, and the moment the thunder qi spreads, your body's reflexes accelerate sharply. The acceleration grows even faster with each step."
Pabababat!
Lee Gwang's Heavenly Pillar Kill took the form of Thunder Shadow Step but was an entirely different footwork. Only then did I understand the purpose of all my training so far. Heavenly Pillar Kill was a comprehensive martial art completed by combining the forms, qi flows, breathing, and appropriate circulations of every footwork I'd learned. It wasn't just a technique—it was a martial art in itself.
But I swallowed hard and protested.
"It's too difficult! Adding the seven steps of Heavenly Pillar Kill to Thunder Shadow Step is one thing, mixing in the breathing on top of that is another, and now I have to precisely disperse thunder qi from the Heavenly Pillar acupoint simultaneously?!"
It was a secret technique so complex and intricate it could drive you mad. It seemed simple in theory, but the maddening part was doing all those processes [simultaneously]. Each one required full concentration on its own, so attempting them together was sure to cause confusion and insanity. Seeing my dismay, Lee Gwang said indifferently,
"That's why it's a secret technique of the Thunder God lineage. In theory, the moment you master Heavenly Pillar Kill, the prowess of previous Thunder God lineage inheritors increases by at least three times. Because Heavenly Pillar Kill itself enhances all martial arts.
That's why it's so difficult, and why the teacher must choose the student carefully. Otherwise, the learner risks going mad or falling into qi deviation."
"......"
"With your talent, I wouldn't have even mentioned Heavenly Pillar Kill's existence, let alone teach it. You'd just whine about trying it and ruin yourself."
Turning his head, Lee Gwang quietly said,
"Even Jin So-cheong, with his genius talent, spent an entire month devoted solely to learning Heavenly Pillar Kill. For you to master it properly, investing ten times that—maybe a year—might barely suffice. Concentrate and give it your all."
"Understood."
It was also encouragement from Lee Gwang, suggesting that if I trained diligently, I might master the technique Jin So-cheong learned in a month within a year. I decided not to whine anymore, gritted my teeth, and began learning and practicing Heavenly Pillar Kill. Aside from time for meals and relieving myself, I was utterly devoted to it.
'Let's do this!'
And so half a year passed.
I realized time was slipping by without any real progress.
The one-year mark arrived.
I felt like I was starting to get a sense of Heavenly Pillar Kill, but I still got stuck at the fourth step, let alone the seventh. Around then, I even started asking Jin So-cheong questions, and he seemed eager to explain as best he could.
Time flowed on.
While training daily and working as an instructor at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, the four seasons flashed by outside the window. In the time left after practicing Heavenly Pillar Kill, I refined Heavenly Thunder Man and the other Thunder God lineage arts.
......
"It's... done."
Two and a half years.
Finally, I had grasped Heavenly Pillar Kill enough to clumsily execute the seven steps. Lee Gwang watched my demonstration with dissatisfaction and said,
"You're too slow. I was going to send you to the next spar after you finished learning Heavenly Pillar Kill, but how can it take two and a half years?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Anyway, it's done. This time, go to the Black Night Sect. Alone."
His unexpected words made my eyes widen.
Black Night Sect!
One of the Eight Demonic Sects, it was among the strongest evil factions in the current martial world. Moreover, in a past life, I'd been beheaded by the Black Night Sect assassin squad hired due to the Village Chief's grudge. The memory soured my mood, but I shook my head and said,
"Won't it be dangerous if I go alone?"
Lee Gwang looked at me coldly.
"If you execute Heavenly Pillar Kill properly, you can protect yourself in any situation. It doesn't make sense for a Thunder God lineage inheritor to fall to the likes of the Black Night Sect. You don't expect your senior brother to clean up after you from start to finish, do you?"
"No, sir."
"It's fine if you don't win the spar. If you return alive, I'll count this training as a success."
Only then did I understand Lee Gwang's intent.
In other words—this wasn't about formally challenging the Black Night Sect to a duel and deciding victory or defeat. It was about provoking the Black Night Sect, which operated assassin squads and boasted high individual prowess, and surviving a return from the tiger's den. Alone!
Lee Gwang's words stuck in my ears.
"Remember this. Just come back alive, however you manage it. Then I'll teach you the next stage of Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship."
He gave me a full half-year for the Black Night Sect sparring mission. I just needed to find the Black Night Sect within that time, have a go, and return with the results.
Over the past three years of training at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, my body had grown considerably, and my clothes no longer fit well. So, on my way out of the village, I had a comfortable outfit tailored. I'd said goodbye to Jin So-cheong separately, so there were no loose ends.
'Black Night Sect, huh.'
I instinctively knew the task Lee Gwang assigned was extremely difficult. Surviving a spar with the Black Night Sect was secondary; as an evil faction, they weren't a sect that operated openly. They secretly dominated the underworld, buying estates with illegal money, and lived by receiving commissions in secrecy.
In short, to spar with the Black Night Sect, I first had to find them.
And Lee Gwang had left even that method entirely up to me.
I sat at an inn, pondering.
'How do I find those guys?'
Various methods came to mind, but as someone with no experience commissioning the underworld, they all felt unrealistic and daunting. Shadow information brokers wouldn't carelessly reveal their identities, and if a lanky young man like me suddenly asked to commission the Black Night Sect, they'd obviously be suspicious.
I racked my brain for a moment.
A way to find the Black Night Sect—what was it?
"...That's it!!"
I realized there was a method without roundabout ways.
The Village Chief!
Right after I threatened him and looted the silver vault to flee, he'd commissioned the Black Night Sect assassin squad. Being able to commission them that quickly meant he already knew their contact methods and transaction details. If I went to the Village Chief now and asked for the Black Night Sect contact method, he likely knew it for sure.
Of course, I could gradually build underworld knowledge while leeching off the city's shadows and eventually contact them. But if there was a surefire way, better to try it first. I set my first goal as negotiating with the Village Chief and headed to my hometown village.
Clop clop.
On the way, riding a rented horse, seeing the Guanzhong mountain paths stirred fresh emotions. When a few bandits leaped out yelling, I swung my sword casually.
Shukakak!
Even from horseback, my swing precisely beheaded three bandits, their heads flying through the air. I ignored the startled shouts from the bandits behind. No need to play around long with such rabble.
'Am I changing again?'
I thought I had become quite numb to killing. Even as an escort warrior, I hadn't been averse to killing, but in this life, especially, I felt almost nothing. Perhaps because my power had grown so great that a light tap could kill someone.
It didn't take long to leave Guanzhong and reach my hometown village, since I rode without rest. Seeing the boundary stone for Soyul Village, I absently thought how often I'd seen this rock.
"Hey, Little Dung..."
"Shut your mouth."
Puk!
Thud!
Ppak!
"Kuueeek..."
The village youths who'd bullied me in the past approached to pick a fight, but I knocked them out with quick strikes before they could rile me. I realized it took considerable control to knock them out without killing. Looking down at them, I sighed.
"I don't really want to kill you. Lucky for you."
The reason I sighed in relief was my sudden worry that I might snap and massacre the village. From the intense pleasure I'd felt seeking revenge here before, I feared I might not control the urge if my inner self screamed for slaughter. Fortunately, having taken revenge through multiple reincarnations, I felt nothing now.
I headed straight up the village hill to the Village Chief's house. It was bustling with dinner preparations. I realized the scene was eerily similar to that day when I'd massacred his household and gouged out Geum Manjae's eye. The blood sea I'd created briefly overlapped with the evening cooking scenery.
As I stood silently staring at the Village Chief, he noticed and approached.
"Little Dung! Where have you been, coming back now?"
"I went to do what I had to."
"Ha! Your job is cleaning dung in this house..."
Swiik.
"......"
In an instant, I shifted my stance, closing the five-zhang distance to the Village Chief, and his face paled. The onlookers gasped in surprise. I flicked his ashen cheek with my finger and smiled.
"Let's skip that and talk something constructive."
"You... you, a martial expert..."
"Who knows. It's hard standing like this—anywhere to sit?"
The Village Chief regained his composure and replied.
"Come to the inner room."
I followed him to the inner room. He couldn't sit still, trembling anxiously, burdened by my presence. Understandable, since he knew I could take his life whenever I wanted.
"Wh-what do you want?"
"Village Chief, I heard rumors you have connections with beggars' clans and martial sects."
"Who said that? I don't mingle much with those people..."
I spoke.
"Black Night Sect."
"......"
"Help me contact them. Then I'll leave without doing anything, and I won't come back to this village."
The Village Chief scrutinized my face suspiciously, then puffed his pipe with trembling hands and nodded.
"Fine, got it. I don't know why you want to meet them, but keep your word. Don't show your face here again."
"Hoo... I wouldn't come even if called. But the info better be solid."
The Village Chief glanced outside to check for eavesdroppers. Only after a long moment did he whisper,
"To contact the Black Night Sect, go to Chaobi Village. Find a rogue named Han Gwangil there, pay five taels of silver, and say [I'm looking for the black man]. After that, the Black Night Sect will come to you."
"Sure about this?"
Trembling, the Village Chief said,
"If I weren't sure, you'd slaughter my family— of course it's accurate!"
He seemed to have sensed the dormant killing intent and madness in my eyes. I wasn't hiding it much, but he had the insight befitting the village leader. Chuckling, I said,
"Don't worry. For revenge, you've become too insignificant now."
"Heh heh... Acting like a big shot."
"Think what you want. I'll be off."
Paat!
I bid farewell and left.
Using Thunder Shadow Step to quickly distance myself from the Village Chief's house, I realized my hatred had significantly diminished compared to before. They were once bastards I'd tear limb from limb without question, but today they felt like merely annoying neighbors.
My reduced hatred wasn't because they'd reformed, but likely because more powerful and wicked enemies had appeared. Thinking of the shaman, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the horde leader made my chest tighten.
'Ha. What a hassle.'
I stopped mid-run. Chaobi Village was only about twenty li away, but something more important occurred to me.
I wanted to check.
See what had become of "that village."
It wasn't right for someone who should cherish every minute for training, but I wanted to see with my own eyes what happened to the village I'd left behind. I felt a strong desire to use it as a catalyst to steady my wavering mind.
"Shall I go?"
So, I decided to stop by Chaobi Village later and abruptly changed course toward the "Village of Great Calamity." If the Immortal of Present Heaven was still there, I wanted to talk. With half a year given, gathering more info wasn't a bad idea.
It took about ten weeks to reach the Jinghe River near the Village of Great Calamity. I gazed silently at the coldly flowing river water. Another three li, and the village would appear.
Last time, I'd confirmed it utterly burned, traces gone.
This time too, I'd rushed day and night for ten days to check.
To confirm my sin, and heighten my enmity toward the Embroidered Uniform Guard to boost training focus.
'I'm sorry...'
Thinking of that calamity sobered me.
But I noticed something off.
"Huh...?"
As I neared the village, I saw many people going about normally. Merchants too. Crucially, cooking smoke rose from the village, and a six-story pavilion stood at its center in the distance.
Waglagla.
Arriving at the village entrance, I collapsed to the ground.
"No way...!!"
The Village of Great Calamity wasn't burned to ashes or piled with corpses.
It was intact.
As if nothing had happened in the past three years, the bustling, happy villagers confused me.
What in the world had happened?