Chapter 178
Demonic Killing Arts.
The term referred to a brutal branch of demonic martial arts—like the assassins' Hundred-Kill Secret Techniques—designed solely to sever an enemy's breath.
This was utterly incomprehensible.
Demanding that her own granddaughter be taught such vicious demonic killing techniques—ones so ruthless they could earn her the title of witch?
What kind of absurd request was this?
"This child has a tender heart. She dislikes harming even plants or small insects. But as the next Pavilion Master, such mercy will only hinder her path forward."
Geuk Hye-ryeong sighed as she spoke.
"I've exhausted every possible method, but I've failed to instill in her a Poison Heart."
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a heavy breath.
Against all expectations, Geuk Hye-ryeong was dead serious about having this innocent girl learn the Demonic Killing Arts.
"This doesn't seem right, Pavilion Master."
Hyeok So-jin, who had been listening silently, shook his head.
"I agree that the future successor of Fleeting Moment Boat doesn't need to be soft-hearted or merciful. But..."
His expression twisted with disbelief as he continued.
"Is the position of Pavilion Master so treacherous that a ten-year-old child must be taught killing techniques and a Poison Heart? Personality can change as one grows older."
Geuk Hye-ryeong, who had remained silent until now, nodded with an indifferent expression.
"This Pavilion Master once held such naive thoughts as well."
A terrifying killing intent flashed in her eyes as she gazed at the distant sky.
"And because of that, this child lost her voice."
"What do you...?"
"You must have heard of it, no? The incident that occurred in this pavilion two years ago?"
Suddenly, Hyeok So-jin recalled a rumor that had secretly spread among the Demonic Path Ten Gates two years prior.
Dongbang Jung-ri—the Lustful Demon Blood Soul—a former Master of the Unorthodox Path and the notorious Flower Plucking Bandit.
The whispers that he had infiltrated Fleeting Moment Boat and was ultimately executed.
"Don't tell me... Dongbang Jung-ri, that man—"
"Correct. This child discovered that vile scoundrel hiding in our pavilion while he was wounded."
Geuk Hye-ryeong's expression darkened with anguish.
"Her heart is as pure as silk. Without hesitation, she helped that injured man. But in return, that bastard took her hostage in an attempt to escape."
A stark-white killing intent spread through her eyes as she relived the memory.
"When his escape failed, he stabbed Bin-i in the throat. A pure child who had only tried to save him."
Only then did Hyeok So-jin fully grasp Geuk Hye-ryeong's resolve.
"I see."
"And despite enduring such cruelty, Bin-i still clings to her innocence."
Geuk Hye-ryeong's eyes widened as she spoke in a near-shout.
"If time passes like this, forget becoming the next Pavilion Master—she'll only be exploited by the wicked!"
Her lips pressed tightly together, her expression one of devastation.
From the standpoint of a grandmother—not the Pavilion Master—she would want to protect her granddaughter's noble character at all costs.
But because of that very purity and gentleness, she had lost her voice...
Now, she sought to forge a Poison Heart within her, ensuring such a tragedy would never happen again.
"Originally, I intended to feed her the Extreme Flame Ghost Blaze Pill."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed with realization at her words.
'So it was the Death Command Gate.'
Only now did he understand which of the Demonic Path Ten Gates had arrived first—and why the Pavilion Master had accepted their proposal.
The Extreme Flame Ghost Blaze Pill.
It was a secret treasure of the Death Command Gate, crafted from the Ghost Gate's Demon Spirit Pill—a drug known to explosively amplify demonic nature and cruelty.
"The Extreme Flame Ghost Blaze Pill is made from the Internal Core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, so it can greatly enhance one's internal energy."
Bu Eun-seol responded to her explanation.
"You intended to use the fire qi within the Internal Core to alter this child's personality."
"Correct."
The Internal Core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp not only vastly increased internal energy but also contained intense fire qi.
That scorching energy would endlessly circulate through the body, causing the qi to reverse its flow and distort emotions.
Hadn't physicians long described the rage that erupted from within as heartfire?
"But isn't there a limit to manipulating human emotions through spirit medicine?"
"Indeed. This Pavilion Master was also deeply concerned about that. So..."
Geuk Hye-ryeong nodded.
"But now that two successors of the Demonic Path Ten Gates have joined forces, I thought perhaps they could produce a better outcome than such a pill."
She believed that the exceptional successors of the Demonic Path Ten Gates could achieve better results than forcing her granddaughter to consume a poisonous drug.
At that moment, Hyeok So-jin, who had been deep in thought, asked:
"Then do you wish for her to master only ruthless killing techniques? Or do you want your granddaughter to become cold-hearted and merciless?"
"I would be satisfied if she could master just one Demonic Killing Method. Despite all my efforts thus far, even teaching her such techniques has been impossible."
Geuk Hye-ryeong's lips curled into a faint smile.
"If she learns a killing method, her personality will gradually change as well."
Hyeok So-jin exhaled an inward sigh of relief.
Had she demanded that Geuk Hye-bin's personality be transformed into that of a ruthless assassin, it would have been utterly impossible.
'But teaching a killing method to an innocent, naive child is no easy task either.'
A killing method cannot be executed without killing intent.
As Hyeok So-jin hesitated over his answer, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward.
"Give me a month."
"A month?"
"Yes. Within that time, I will ensure she masters one Demonic Killing Art."
"Brother Bu, you should allow yourself more time. A month is..."
"It's enough. For mastering just one killing method."
"Hohoho."
At Bu Eun-seol's bold declaration, Geuk Hye-ryeong let out a dry chuckle and nodded.
"As expected of Langya Pavilion's successor—so decisive. Very well."
Rising from her seat, she nodded once more.
"If you can teach this child a killing method of the Demonic Path within a month... I will gladly support you as the successor of the Demon Hall."
The next day.
Hyeok So-jin had spent the night wide awake.
Normally, he would have practiced qi circulation, but his mind was too restless, too cluttered with distracting thoughts to focus.
'What in the world is Brother Bu thinking?'
Rising from his seat, he gazed out the window at the breaking dawn.
'Surely he isn't equating this with my own situation.'
It was true that Hyeok So-jin had shed his indolent self and been reborn with Bu Eun-seol's help.
But deep within him, the aspiration for the Martial Way had existed long before.
His meeting with Bu Eun-seol had merely been the trigger that awakened it.
'Teaching a Demonic Killing Method to a pure-hearted girl who wouldn't even harm an ant? This borders on the impossible.'
A killing method, by definition, is a martial art meant to sever an enemy's life.
It isn't about swinging a sword in prescribed forms—it requires the resolution to end a life in a single stroke.
Click.
Just then, the door opened, and a tall figure carrying a large bundle stepped inside.
Bu Eun-seol.
"What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Without a word, Bu Eun-seol set the heavy bundle down on the table with a thud.
Rustle.
Inside were stacks of empty booklets.
"What is this?"
"Starting today, you will transcribe secret manuals in this order."
Bu Eun-seol handed him a sheet of paper.
Hyeok So-jin scanned it—listed densely were forty-eight Demonic Auxiliary Arts possessed by the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sect.
"I've selected those most suitable for women to learn."
"Wait—you expect me to transcribe forty-eight manuals alone?"
"You must also demonstrate martial techniques to the disciples and teach practical applications and oral formulas. So finish transcribing within half a month."
"What a bother. Why don't you do it?"
Though his martial aspirations had masked it, Hyeok So-jin was fundamentally lazy and quick to lose interest.
Being told to transcribe manuals for half a month straight? Absolutely out of the question.
"If you refuse, then so be it."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Then I will transcribe the manuals, and you can teach the Pavilion Master's granddaughter the Demonic Killing Method."
"Given the tight schedule, I shall begin transcribing diligently at once."
As if he had never complained, Hyeok So-jin snatched up brush and paper, waving his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about me. Go on ahead."
Most martial sects' training grounds consisted of open outdoor spaces.
But the White Lotus Pavilion, Fleeting Moment Boat's training hall, was built more like a scholarly academy.
Inside, chairs and desks were packed tightly together, and one side held shelves filled with secret manuals—Mind Seizing Secret Arts, sonic techniques, and more.
Had it not been for the bluestone training platform extending beyond the shelves, Bu Eun-seol might have thought Fleeting Moment Boat had no training grounds at all.
"Ah."
And standing nervously before that platform was a girl in pale pink martial robes—Geuk Hye-bin.
'She doesn't even have proper training attire, it seems.'
Her loose robes were clearly makeshift, cut and stitched from ordinary clothing.
"Ah."
Upon seeing Bu Eun-seol, she rounded her lips in surprise and bowed.
Her appearance was so adorable and innocent that any passing elder would have exclaimed in delight.
'Hmm.'
Bu Eun-seol studied her large, dark eyes closely before exhaling a silent sigh.
'No wonder they failed.'
Geuk Hye-bin's clear, translucent pupils held nothing but purity.
Teaching the Demonic Killing Arts to a girl like this... was as difficult as teaching a Shaolin monk how to commit robbery.
"Hmm."
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"Can you demonstrate your movement technique?"
"Ah."
As she nodded, Bu Eun-seol turned his body.
"Follow me."
At the western edge of the Fleeting Moment Boat was a beautiful forest where a waterfall flowed.
And beyond that lay a dense jungle where towering trees stood thickly packed.
Thud.
After running through the forest for a while, Bu Eun-seol occasionally tapped rocks and trees.
He was using the Void-Breaking Mind's Eye to meticulously scan the entire forest.
Then, as the slope gradually leveled into flat ground, he suddenly propelled himself into mid-air.
Tak.
Landing on a branch of a great tree about fifty feet high, Geuk Hye-bin also kicked off the ground and lightly landed beside him.
"From now on, you must suppress your presence."
Nod.
Geuk Hye-bin held her breath, her clear eyes sparkling.
Then, as if assimilating with nature, her presence vanished completely.
Bu Eun-seol realized one more thing.
Geuk Hye-bin—this small girl—was actually a martial arts genius no less talented than Hyeok So-jin.
To naturally conceal one's presence meant having perfect control over the energy within one's body.
If this little girl properly mastered martial arts...? There was a very real possibility that she could become the successor of the Demon Hall in the future.
'Because the possibility of her becoming the successor is high... that's why Jeong-ju accepted my proposal.'
By the time Geuk Hye-bin grew into adulthood, the struggle for the Demon Hall's succession would already be settled.
If Bu Eun-seol became the successor, he would have to grant her the right to challenge for the position, just as promised.
Whoosh.
Just then, a hawk flew down from the sky and perched on a tree roughly a hundred and twenty feet away.
Standing still as if reading the wind, the hawk finally spotted a rabbit crouching in the distance.
Tap-tap-tak.
The rabbit, noticing the hawk, immediately began to sprint.
Watching the rabbit dart swiftly in different directions, the hawk spread its wings with a whoosh and began its glide.
Shriek.
No matter how fast the rabbit was, it couldn't outpace the hawk's speed.
The hawk swiftly closed the distance and seized the rabbit's nape with its sharp talons.
Thrash-thrash-thud.
As the rabbit struggled, the two animals tumbled violently for a while.
Blood splattered in all directions, and when the rabbit was finally subdued, Geuk Hye-bin let out a soft "Ah."
"Do you want to save it?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Geuk Hye-bin frantically nodded.
"Do as you wish."
As if she had been waiting for permission, she immediately activated her movement technique, darting down and hastily pulling the rabbit from the hawk's grasp.
The rabbit, its fur torn and bloodied, fled into the bushes the moment it was freed.
Bu Eun-seol, who had silently observed the scene, activated his movement technique again.
"Follow me."
Tak. Tap-tap-tak.
After scaling the steep cliff as if climbing stairs, Bu Eun-seol arrived at a hawk's nest built beneath the cliff's edge.
Inside, starving chicks were crying as they waited for their mother to bring food.
Some were so emaciated from prolonged starvation that they couldn't even make a sound.
"If you hadn't interfered with the hunt, these chicks wouldn't have starved to death."
"Aah..."
Geuk Hye-bin's eyes darkened as she stared at the famished baby hawks.
Watching her, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"I'm not blaming you. Humans naturally feel sympathy for creatures weaker than themselves."
"..."
"But animals don't release their prey out of pity, nor do they feel compassion. Only humans impose their own standards of good and evil."
Bu Jan-yang had always said this about good and evil:
—Humans divide good and evil based on their own perspectives. That's why good can become evil, and evil can disguise itself as good...
At the time, Bu Eun-seol couldn't understand those words. He was too young, too innocent.
Just like Geuk Hye-bin was now.
"And by that standard, your actions lean closer to evil deeds."
"Aah..."
As Geuk Hye-bin blinked her large eyes in confusion, Bu Eun-seol spoke solemnly.
"From now on, I'll show you just how cruel acts of kindness can be..."
But the longer he stared into those pitch-black, oversized eyes, the more an inexplicable sense of dissonance crept up on him.
Suddenly, a scene flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
It was the moment Geuk Hye-bin had saved both the hawk and the rabbit.
'Wait... wasn't she very compassionate?'
Recalling that moment, Bu Eun-seol realized something shocking.
This child was not innocent at all.
Geuk Hye-ryeong and everyone in the Fleeting Moment Boat had completely misunderstood this girl.