Chapter 120: Seok Myeong's Martial Arts (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Seok Myeong's Martial Arts (2)
The power of the mysterious woman and the Giant Demon had been overwhelming.
Countless First Generation Disciples had been killed or wounded, and even the elite Qingcheng swordsmen, renowned throughout the land, had suffered heavy losses. Even Song Hak, one of the sect’s three Great Elders, had been struck down. Among those present, Seok Jun was the one who had witnessed the entire ordeal from start to finish.
“…The masked woman recognized Senior Brother Myeong and said this: ‘Where did you hide that martial art?’ She also asked, ‘Do you think I wouldn't know you've learned a Demonic Art?’ I wasn't the only one who heard it; all the disciples nearby heard it as well.”
Seok Jun recounted the events piece by piece, gesturing toward Song Yu-jin and Song Ha-myeong as witnesses. The Sect Leader’s gaze shifted from Seok Jun to the others.
“Is what Seok Jun says true?”
“…….”
“I am asking if his words are true!”
When the normally dignified and gentle Sect Leader erupted in a thunderous roar, his momentum was staggering. The First Generation Disciples were so startled they instinctively covered their ears.
Finally, Song Ha-myeong, buckling under the pressure, stammered an answer.
“I do not believe the words of that woman, but… she did indeed say such things at the time.”
In truth, he hadn't intended to hide it. It was simply that nothing had been confirmed yet. He knew that these words could potentially tighten a noose around Seok Myeong’s neck.
“First Generation Disciple Seok Myeong.”
As expected.
Fury seeped into the Sect Leader’s voice.
Seok Myeong, who had remained silent, felt the eyes of everyone in the room converging on him. A heavy weight settled in his chest. It was a situation where one misunderstanding was snowballing into another. However, he had no way to easily explain himself.
“Are these words true?”
The Sect Leader’s question was as cold as a winter frost.
“…….”
Gulp.
Seok Myeong’s expression hardened.
The elders and First Generation Disciples present at the scene had all heard it—the mention of the Demonic Energy Absorption Art.
Seok Myeong had no intention of hiding it, but the timing was terrible. There was a vast difference between him coming forward to the Sect Leader voluntarily and being forced to confess under interrogation. At this rate, anything he said would sound like a pathetic excuse.
“Seok Myeong! Why do you not answer? Speak at once!”
Song Jeong glared at him, his face flushed with anger. The sight of Seok Myeong’s hesitation was reflected clearly in his eyes. Though he strove to be a benevolent Sect Leader, he was still a man of Qingcheng. He was more severe than anyone toward a disciple suspected of betraying the pride of the sect.
“By your master’s name! By the name of Qingcheng! Speak! Have you truly mastered a wicked art of the Demonic Path?”
Snap!
At those words, Seok Myeong snapped his head up. His face flushed with rising emotion.
“I report to the Sect Leader. My martial arts are…”
Just as Song Jeong was, Seok Myeong was a member of Qingcheng. He wanted to remain the kind Eldest Disciple, but he could not bear to hear even the Sect Leader cast doubt upon his late master.
“…unquestionably of Qingcheng.”
His eyes widened, and he held his head high. Seeing him dare to stare back at the Sect Leader, Song Hak let out a furious shout.
“You brat! How dare you show such insolence to your superiors! Do you truly wish to die?”
“…….”
Seok Myeong’s angry gaze shifted to Song Hak. Naturally, Song Hak’s face turned even redder.
“Don't you dare dream of lying! Now that I hear it, everything falls into place! If you learned a Demonic Art, it explains why your skills improved so rapidly in such a short time! That must be why that monster and that woman demanded it from you!”
“You go too far, Martial Uncle! I clearly stated that I have mastered the martial arts of Qingcheng!”
“This brat still talks back!”
Spring!
Song Hak, trembling with rage, leapt to his feet. In that moment—
“Enough! What do you think you are doing in my presence!”
Slam!
Song Jeong roared, striking the armrest of his chair.
Crack! Shatter.
Under the sudden outburst of profound internal energy, the armrest was pulverized into splinters. Song Hak flinched at the deafening shout. No matter how much he disliked Seok Myeong or how agitated he was by the boy's excuses, this meeting was presided over by the Sect Leader. For an elder to raise his voice here was an affront to the Sect Leader’s authority.
“My apologies, Sect Leader.”
“Elder Song Hak. I understand your feelings, but do not interrupt again. Unless you intend to let your personal feelings cloud my judgment!”
“…….”
Song Hak’s expression darkened. Even though he had apologized, Song Jeong’s words were laced with thorns. Just as he realized he had made a mistake—
“First Generation Disciple Seok Myeong. You have already raised many questions. Your martial arts have improved at an unnatural pace. And there was that strange qigong you displayed during your spar with Seok Jun.”
Tap. Tap.
Sect Leader Song Jeong tapped the broken armrest as he continued.
“And then there are the words left by the intruders who invaded our sect. Do you have any evidence to support your claim that you have not mastered a Demonic Art?”
“I do.”
“And what is it?”
“First, Sect Leader. Please look at these.”
Seok Myeong bowed his head to apologize for his previous rudeness. He then pulled two books from his robes and placed them on the floor. This was the last chance the Sect Leader was giving him, and he could not afford to miss it.
“There is no lie in what I say. I repeat, I have not mastered the Demonic Energy Absorption Art of the Demonic Cult. I have mastered the martial arts of Qingcheng. Following my master’s final wishes, I practiced the Qingcheng Heart Method that Azure Cloud Taoist of our sect had been researching.”
“…The Qingcheng Heart Method?”
“Hah. What nonsense…”
Song Hak clicked his tongue. He was displeased that an outlier like Azure Cloud Taoist had dared to attach the name of the sect to his research.
Rustle, rustle.
A First Generation Disciple stepped forward, picked up the books, and presented them to Song Jeong.
“Hmm…?”
While Song Jeong examined the Qingcheng Heart Method that Seok Myeong had compiled during his time in the Heaven Pillar Prison, Song Ji, who had been watching, spoke up cautiously.
“I have one question… May I ask Seok Myeong something?”
“Proceed.”
Song Jeong nodded.
“Seok Myeong. I heard you were inside the Heaven Pillar Prison for your training. At the time, the experts of the Azure Sky Pavilion who were stationed there had to rush down to deal with the enemy attack, so there was no one to open the door for you.”
Song Ji’s eyes sharpened.
“Answer me. How did you get out of there?”
At Song Ji’s question, Seok Myeong bowed his head and replied.
“I was actually going to ask for forgiveness regarding that matter. Despite my status as a disciple under reflection, I broke through the Heaven Pillar Prison in my haste to help.”
“…Broke through?”
“Yes.”
All eyes were once again fixed on Seok Myeong. Song Jeong, who had been reading the book, also looked up. With a face full of disbelief, Song Ji spoke again.
“Do you expect us to believe that? Three sides of the Heaven Pillar Prison are made of natural blue stone, over ten feet thick. Even the door is three feet thick, weighing four hundred pounds, and its frame is…”
“It was made of Black Iron. In my haste, I destroyed it. I am sorry.”
“You destroyed it? Black Iron?”
Song Ji muttered, his face blank with shock. The Heaven Pillar Prison was originally built to be an inescapable dungeon. It was a place where the most heinous criminals of the martial world were once held. A place where even the current elders of Qingcheng could not escape if they were locked inside—and a First Generation Disciple had broken through it alone? It was an unbelievable claim. However—
“It is true that Seok Myeong broke out of the Heaven Pillar Prison.”
“Yes. We have confirmed that the stone gate was destroyed and the Black Iron was torn apart.”
Surprisingly, the Silent Twin Elders of the Azure Sky Pavilion—men of few words who never spoke falsehoods—backed his claim.
“Ha!”
“Good heavens…”
Everyone inside the Grand Purity Hall was unable to hide their astonishment. Seok Myeong had destroyed the Heaven Pillar Prison. Regardless of what trickery he might have used, it was a feat that even the current Sect Leader, Song Jeong, could not guarantee he could perform.
“…Hmm.”
The Sect Leader closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought after closing Seok Myeong’s book. At this, Song Hak spoke up with a scowl.
“Sect Leader. If what Seok Myeong says is true, he is extremely dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“Yes. He was a prisoner in the Heaven Pillar Prison, yet he destroyed it and came out of his own volition. This is…”
“Hah. Elder Song Hak, you have a very strange way of speaking. The sect was in a moment of life-and-death crisis; are you saying Seok Myeong should have stayed still just because he was a prisoner?”
Song Ha-myeong interrupted, stepping forward.
“If he hadn't appeared, there would have been far more casualties. Your own son, Seok Jun, was among them. Ah, and didn't you yourself lose consciousness at the hands of those intruders during that desperate crisis, Elder?”
Song Hak glared at Song Ha-myeong and shot back.
“Are we dealing in hypotheticals now? Then I shall say this: Who was it that the black-clad woman pointed out, demanding the ‘Demonic Energy Absorption Art’?”
“It was Seok Myeong.”
“Exactly. If he hadn't mastered a Demonic Art and used it recklessly in the martial world, none of this would have happened in the first place! If Seok Myeong wasn't here, this wouldn't have occurred!”
“Ha!”
Song Ha-myeong looked at Song Hak with an expression of utter disbelief.
“Do you even hear yourself? He—”
“Do not interrupt me! Do you truly not understand the implications of Seok Myeong breaking through the Heaven Pillar Prison? Even I, Song Hak, an elder of Qingcheng, cannot break out of that place! Let me put it another way. If Seok Myeong suffers from Qi Deviation and turns into a monster like that Giant Demon, who here can stop him?”
Song Hak shouted, his eyes bulging.
“…….”
This time, even Song Ha-myeong faltered. Song Hak did not stop there and continued his interrogation.
“An incomplete mental art. A technique still under development. An unverified new internal energy. One that is suspected to be a Demonic Art, not even from the Unorthodox Faction! Is there any guarantee that such energy will not clash with the orthodox Taoist energy of our sect? If there is, speak up!”
“You…!”
Song Ha-myeong’s face flushed, but he could not find a rebuttal. This was a difficult question to answer. For someone to combine a wicked Demonic Art with the righteous arts of an Orthodox Sect without issue…
They would have to be someone on the level of Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin, or Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of Wudang.
That was the thought in everyone’s mind. But could Seok Myeong truly be placed in the same rank as such legendary figures? Even Song Ha-myeong, who wanted to defend him, could not say so with confidence.