Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 22
>Chapter Title: Squad Leader (1)
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It had already been nearly two months since I was dragged into this damned cult.
Thanks to that, I had already finished devouring the Heavenly Demon Secret Record, which served as both scripture and doctrine, and lately, I was studying history texts.
Anyone who has experience hunkering down to study—whether in school, as a job seeker, or grinding for the civil service exam—probably knows this.
Even the same studying varies in method depending on the subject or field.
The Heavenly Demon Secret Record, as both doctrine and scripture, wasn't just rote memorization; it required a certain level of understanding.
To be precise, it wasn't about memorizing the scripture's words verbatim, but grasping the interpretations twisted to suit the cultists' tastes.
And in that process, you had to swallow their deranged mindset as a bonus.
But the history texts I was learning recently, and the legal codes I'd soon tackle, were a bit different. Sure, some understanding was needed, but "pure memorization" was far more important.
No need to worry, though.
'Pure memorization? Civil service exam all over again.'
I'd studied Korean history for the civil service exam, along with stuff like administrative law that resembled their legal codes.
Thanks to years as a student and exam grinder, I knew all sorts of memorization techniques.
From memory palaces, visualization, association methods, to the initial-letter tricks I'd used most in school.
The initial-letter method was probably familiar to most Korean high schoolers.
For liberal arts kids, it was the Joseon kings starting with Tae-jeong-tae-se-mun-dan-se. For science kids, chemical symbols like Ka-ka-l-na-ma-a-la-cheol-ni-ju-nap.
'Ah, but nowadays they integrated liberal arts and sciences, so no more split, right?'
I shook my head at the old-man thought.
Anyway, memorization was something I'd had my fill of, so my studies were progressing smoothly without issue.
So what about martial arts?
'I never imagined I'd have a body like this in my lifetime.'
Thanks to two months of rolling around under Jin Ha-yeon, my muscles were finally starting to show.
It was truly miraculous.
I'd heard somewhere that it takes at least half a year to really feel the effects of exercise and build noticeable muscle, but here it was already showing.
'Is this what overwhelming talent feels like?'
I could understand why my master, called the Heavenly Demon, coveted my body so much.
And my internal energy had grown quite a bit too.
Now, if I controlled my power properly while executing techniques, I could hold my own against a first-rate realm expert, more or less.
I'd memorized all the forms, essentials, and internal energy operations of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword, so lately I'd been training in slightly different ways.
Just like right now.
Chaeng!
I drew my sword in the initial stance of the Soul-Stealing Ready Sword to block Jin Ha-yeon's palm strike, her eyes as emotionless as ever.
A chill seeped in along her palm where it met my blade.
My internal energy still couldn't withstand that energy, so I used footwork to step back a pace and let her hand slide past.
But as if she'd anticipated my retreat, she advanced a step instead, thrusting out her left hand this time.
Instead of blocking her thrust, I countered by lunging my sword at her heart.
'A sword is longer than hands!'
Jin Ha-yeon seemed to know that too; she twisted her attacking left hand mid-motion and tried to grab my blade with her five fingers using Golden Crow Hand Technique.
If her ice arts-trained hand gripped my sword, yin energy would infiltrate along the blade, so I retracted it.
But not completely.
I only folded my shoulder and elbow halfway, pulling back just enough to avoid her grasp.
Swaeaeaeak!
Then I thrust again from a different angle.
Something I'd realized after several spars with her.
A sword's strength lies in both thrusting and slashing being useful, and while shorter than a spear, it has greater reach than bare-handed foes.
Against her ice arts, quick hit-and-run thrusts were far more effective than power-loaded slashes.
Swaeaeaeak!
Chaeng!
Concise, rapid thrusts followed one after another, and Jin Ha-yeon deflected or dodged them with minimal movement, biding her time to close in.
I adjusted my ceaselessly surging internal energy while thrusting repeatedly.
Thanks to extreme focus, sweat poured from my body nonstop despite the short time.
A sweat drop from my bangs fell, blinding my right eye for that instant.
Pat!
"!!!"
She slipped into my blind spot in a flash, her right hand already thrusting at my abdomen.
Chaeng!!
"Kuh...."
I barely blocked, but my stance crumbled, forcing me back two large steps.
"Control your internal energy, Young Master. There's risk of internal injury."
No need for her advice; I immediately sat cross-legged and entered qi circulation meditation.
She'd eased up at the end, so it wasn't a serious injury—regulating my energy didn't take long.
"Huu."
Finishing first aid, I exhaled deeply and opened my eyes. Jin Ha-yeon spoke in her usual curt tone.
"The Soul-Cleaving Flash and Spirit-Capturing Sword have become much more natural, Young Master."
No concern for my condition whatsoever—she launched straight into spar review the moment I opened my eyes.
Soul-Cleaving Flash and Spirit-Capturing Sword were the fourth and eleventh stances of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword—the endless thrusts I'd unleashed at her.
Thrusts targeting varied directions and variations, but ultimately just those two stances.
All stances of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword were like that. Like the Soul-Stealing Ready Sword, there were core forms and motions, which you had to apply diversely.
She opened the review with praise, but true to her psychopath-in-training nature, followed with icy criticism.
"But you're relying too much on just those two stances. Thrusts match well against my Bare Hand Demon Art, but repeating only them makes your next move obvious. You need more variations."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Also, getting flustered and missing me because sweat obscured your vision at the end was disappointing. You were born with exceptional eyesight and reflexes, Young Master, so you have the bad habit of reacting to what you see. Always predict your opponent's next move."
"Th-that so."
"Finally, you're too cautious. Instead of blocking my strike at the end, if you'd swung for my throat, you might not have won, but you could have tied."
"......"
She had a real talent for tearing people down.
'...If Third Senior Brother had been taught by Jin Ha-yeon as a kid, he might've hanged himself long ago.'
A true self-esteem slaughterer.
"I wanna go too!"
At that moment, the now much brighter kid waved cheerfully and shouted.
Truth be told, this was supposed to be rest time, as promised with Seon-a.
But thanks to Jin Ha-yeon's displeasure at me resting with Seon-a every time, it had become something else.
Time for me and Seon-a to study or train together?
We'd alternate spars like this, or review the morning's studies together.
"Here I go!!"
Seon-a shouted and dashed in with lightfoot skill in a 'pat'. Her approaching nails already glowed red.
The red aura around Seon-a's hair and eyes seemed to be from her Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art.
Her internal energy-infused nails clashed with my swung sword, ringing with a 'chaeng'.
Sparring with Seon-a was hugely helpful for me too.
Unlike Jin Ha-yeon's concise moves using insidious yin energy, Seon-a's Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art boasted sharp, ever-changing stances, requiring different counters.
Plus, unlike the far superior Jin Ha-yeon, Seon-a was on my level.
She'd trained in Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art for over a year, so her energy and stances had the edge.
Chaeng!!
But at our growth-spurt ages with a three-year gap, my physical prowess was superior.
'Seon-a's learning footwork too, so maintaining distance with light thrusts should work, but....'
Like with Jin Ha-yeon, I kept distance with light thrusts for a bit.
Recalling her recent advice, once Seon-a got used to them, I abruptly shifted trajectory for a lateral slash.
Chaeng!!
Her small frame dodged nimbly, but she barely blocked the surprise slash.
Unable to withstand my sword's power, she flew back.
Taat!
Well, she landed steadily like a cat.
"Hahaha. As expected of Junior Brother—your learning speed is incredible. Incorporating Miss Jin's advice in one go."
Then a familiar voice pierced my ear.
Turning curiously, there stood Third Senior Brother, as expected.
"Greetings, Third Senior Brother."
I halted the spar and bowed to Seo Wan-pyeong. Then a oddity struck me.
'He knows Jin Ha-yeon's advice? Means he's been here a while?'
What a disgustingly undetectable presence.
And that undetectable senior wore a twisted smile.
His gloomy face made it look that way, but I knew it was his genuine happy smile now.
"Hohoho. Sparring with various people is good, Junior Brother. Miss Jin and the Hyeok-ryeon girl use different arts, but both are hand-based, so how about sparring someone who uses a sword this time?"
"A sword.... You mean, Senior Brother, you'll spar with me?"
He nodded at my question.
"For my revered Senior Brother to spar with me—it's nothing short of an honor!"
At my flattery-filled shout, Third Senior Brother burst into a hearty laugh unfit for his face.
"Hahaha! No need to call it an honor."
Senior Brother, mood sky-high.
Seon-a, pouting because her playtime (spar) with me got stolen.
And Jin Ha-yeon, with her usual icy expression.
'...Feels like the crowd keeps growing.'
Hopefully no more.
An ominous thought crossed my mind.
* * *
Late at night.
In one wing of the vast estate at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's main headquarters.
Three figures held a meeting, cloaked in the faint moonlight shadows under cloud cover.
After exchanging various internal cult news for a while.
The man on the left brought up Il-mok.
"By the way, I've been hearing quite a bit lately about the Heavenly Demon's newest youngest disciple."
"Hmm. I hear the idea for the school the Heavenly Demon is pushing came from that youngest disciple's mouth too."
"Tsk. The greenhorn's up to no good."
To this uneducated rabble, as long as they toiled for food and tribute, that was enough.
Handing them knowledge would only make leading them inconvenient, thought the old man.
"Then, why not tidy up that youngest disciple before he causes more trouble?"
Disguise as accident, demonic deviation, leak info to Central Plains unbelievers for a trap. Ways to kill were endless.
But at the right-side man's suggestion, the head-seat man shook his head.
"The Heavenly Demon's age has long passed a hundred. His ascension isn't far off—no need to take such risks."
Even if the current Heavenly Demon had perfected the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to reach lofty heights, maintaining a youthful look beyond his years.
He couldn't defy his natural lifespan.
History proved it. Even if current Heavenly Demon Hyeok-ryeon Il-hwi reached a rare realm, he wasn't the only one in murim history.
"At longest, a decade. And in ten years, the only obstacle to us taking the cult leader seat will be First Disciple Wi Jin-hak."
Seo Wan-pyeong, next in realm after Wi Jin-hak, was an expert, but nothing compared to those gathered here.
To them, Seo Wan-pyeong was just a brat flailing at Extreme Demon realm.
Wi Jin-hak neared Transcending Demon, risking success by the Heavenly Demon's ascension.
"But even if Wi Jin-hak succeeds in Transcending Demon, no need to worry. He's dim-witted—we can toy with him as we please."
At the center man's confident words, the men on both sides nodded briefly.
Then the left man asked as if recalling something.
"But in those ten years, what if the youngest sticks to Wi Jin-hak instead of going solo? Seems like a sharp-minded one from the looks."
At the question, white teeth flashed through the center man's shadow.
The man revealed a sinister smile and said.
"Then, we take a slight risk and deal with the brat before he grows further—that's all."