Chapter 28
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol felt the pain that had been tearing through his insides gradually fade.
Before he knew it, Dan Cheong had stepped forward and was deflecting the torrent of formless qi.
"That's enough."
Dan Cheong, who had been looking at Wi Hyeok-gun, scratched his disheveled hair.
"The Main Pavilion has to take at least one of them anyway, doesn't it? And as it happens, there's one who volunteered himself, so I have no choice but to accept him."
The formless qi that Wi Hyeok-gun was pouring out was of such a degree that even the masters gathered here could not lightly brush it aside.
But Dan Cheong's expression was utterly serene, as if he had stepped out for a stroll and run into an acquaintance from the neighboring village.
"Hm."
Wi Hyeok-gun, who had been staring fixedly at Dan Cheong, raised an eyebrow.
'Dan Cheong...'
Langya Pavilion, which was so short on members and whose disciples kept dying at the slightest mishap that it was called a dying sect.
The reason it nevertheless remained firmly entrenched among the Demonic Path Ten Gates was that the martial prowess of each individual member was at a formidable level.
"Hmph."
Wi Hyeok-gun, who had been staring fixedly at Dan Cheong, let out a cold snort.
"If you're going to take him, then take him and leave quickly. I feel like my sword might draw itself without my knowing."
"Thank you for your understanding, Brother Wi."
As if nothing had happened, Dan Cheong led Bu Eun-seol out of the Eternal Demon Pavilion with unhurried movements.
"Hm."
Once outside the Eternal Demon Pavilion, Dan Cheong looked at Bu Eun-seol and asked in a flat tone.
"Is your body all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Enduring it is not necessarily a virtue. From now on, when someone asks, answer honestly."
Then he grasped Bu Eun-seol's pulse gate.
At the same time, a hot warmth circulated through his entire body, and his body grew comfortable, as if he had climbed onto a cloud.
'He's healing my body.'
Bu Eun-seol stole a glance at Dan Cheong's profile as he exerted his internal energy.
A robust physique, and the appearance of a wealthy idler who had never once felt an emotion like worry.
But in reality, he was a peerless master who could easily block the formless qi of the Foremost Demonic Sword.
"Huh, there truly is no trace of you having learned martial arts."
Dan Cheong, who had removed his hand from the pulse gate, asked Bu Eun-seol.
"I hear that you learned the Way of the Beast without having learned any martial arts at all. Is that right?"
"That is correct."
In the eyes of Bu Eun-seol, who nodded his head, a flash of pride flickered past.
After all, during his time on Hell Island, there had not been a single person who was not surprised to hear that he had learned the Way of the Beast.
But Dan Cheong's reaction was different.
"That is troublesome."
"Pardon?"
"That means the only martial arts you have learned so far are the basic martial arts of the Main Pavilion and the Fire Rain Sword Sect that you learned on Hell Island."
Dan Cheong, who had been looking down at Bu Eun-seol, let out a sigh.
"You're going to have a hard time ahead."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"To describe the Main Pavilion's martial arts in a single phrase, they are the concentrated strengths of the countless martial arts scattered throughout the murim, refined for use in real combat."
Dan Cheong, who had shifted his narrow, squinting eyes to the distant sky, continued speaking.
"In other words, to learn the Main Pavilion's martial arts, one must diligently train in martial arts from childhood, build up the body, and lay the foundation."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze, filled with a puzzled expression, was completely fixed on Dan Cheong's face.
"But since you have never properly learned martial arts until now... it means you will have to learn martial arts several times harder than the other disciples."
"The harder I learn it, the more deeply it will be engraved in my body than if I had learned it easily."
"Heh heh heh. I shall look forward to it."
Dan Cheong, who had drawn a deep breath, looked at Bu Eun-seol.
"Shall we get going?"
Dan Cheong, who gave Bu Eun-seol a firm pat on the shoulder, smiled brightly.
"To Langya Pavilion."
Langya Pavilion was originally situated on the barren land of Xinjiang.
But when the Demon Hall, called the Murim Alliance of the Demonic Path, was established in the Changsha Prefecture region, Langya Pavilion likewise advanced into the Central Plains.
Sword Brow Mountain.
This place, famous for its rugged terrain, is where Langya Pavilion, known as the foremost real-combat martial arts school among the Demonic Path Ten Gates, is located.
"We've arrived."
Dan Cheong, who had been walking the rugged mountain terrain as if it were flat ground, muttered.
Midway up the mountainside, a grand mountain compound stood towering.
From a distance, it looked similar to the Green Forest Headquarters, but upon approaching closer, its grandeur and scale were beyond comparison.
'So this is Langya Pavilion.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had followed behind Dan Cheong into Langya Pavilion, opened his eyes wide.
He had initially expected an atmosphere like the Demon Hall—quiet and solemn, with countless halls erected throughout.
But once he actually entered, the interior unfolded before him like a small village.
"This is..."
Bu Eun-seol involuntarily wore a bewildered expression.
Before his eyes, people dressed in clothes of every color and style were passing by, and they showed no particular reaction even upon seeing Dan Cheong.
Moreover, those wearing weapons were rare, so at a glance it even looked like the scenery of a clan village.
"Are you surprised?"
As if he had read Bu Eun-seol's mind, Dan Cheong smiled gently.
"Unlike other sects, the Main Pavilion lives by adhering to a self-sufficient way of life."
Most Demonic Path sects take the area around their sect as their sphere of influence and seize control of commerce.
But Langya Pavilion had no interest in anything other than training in martial arts, and since they did not build up any faction, there was no source of income.
In the end, most of Langya Pavilion's masters lived a self-sufficient life, traveling back and forth between Sword Brow Mountain and the nearby villages.
"Is it necessary to be old to enter Langya Pavilion?"
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol asked an unexpected question.
This was because, among the people filling Langya Pavilion, there was no one his age, and even the youngest-looking men he saw were well past twenty.
"The war units and squad leaders who could be called the current young elite of the Main Pavilion are away at the moment."
"No. I mean people my own age."
"Well, before that... there were many young disciples who came seeking the legend of Langya Pavilion."
Dan Cheong, who had let out a dry cough, closed his mouth.
In short, those who remained here were the ones who had survived Langya Pavilion's grueling training.
Dan Cheong, who had been avoiding Bu Eun-seol's gaze, continued speaking.
"Soon, when the Pavilion Lord returns... many will seek out the Main Pavilion again."
"The Pavilion Lord is not here?"
"He is in closed-door training."
"I see."
As Bu Eun-seol nodded absently, Dan Cheong pointed to a corner at the edge of the village.
"Hmm, this place will do nicely."
It was a modest house surrounded by a bamboo fence.
However, as if no one had lived there for a long time, part of the wicker gate was broken, and there were places where the outer walls of the house had collapsed here and there.
"It will need some repairs."
Dan Cheong pointed to a forge not far from the empty house.
There, not only various tools but also all sorts of lumber were stacked up.
"I hear you have the dexterity to make fake rocks out of wood."
'So they've been watching everything from the very beginning.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize.
Now that he thought about it, the Killing Ghosts had not merely observed the Third Trial; from the First Gate to the very last, they had been observing all the boys.
'No wonder... they decided on the heirs without hesitation, based only on the Killing Ghosts' words.'
The Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament, compared to its fierce selection process, had felt somewhat lacking in the final process of choosing the heirs.
But now he understood. The Demon Hall had been meticulously watching the trainees from start to finish.
"That is the ironsmith, Elder Wang Geol. We call him Master Cheol."
At that moment, Dan Cheong pointed to a muscular old man hammering pig iron inside the forge.
"He crafts not only weapons but all sorts of tools. If you need any tools for repairs, you can ask Master Cheol."
When the man's eyes met Bu Eun-seol's, he sent a gaze as hot as the inside of a furnace.
"For your information, Master Cheol, despite his appearance, is the kindest and most knowledgeable person in the Main Pavilion. You can ask him anything."
It was impossible to tell whether that was a joke or sincere.
Dan Cheong spoke to Bu Eun-seol in a calm tone.
"Then, begin the repairs."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
Seeing him standing there so tall, it seemed he wanted to see for himself just how good Bu Eun-seol's dexterity was.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol entered the forge and pointed to a table where tools were neatly arranged.
"May I use the tools here?"
Wang Geol glared at Bu Eun-seol with blazing eyes.
"Whatever you like."
Contrary to his expression, his voice was gentle.
It seemed Dan Cheong's words were not a joke after all.
"Thank you."
Picking up the tools, Bu Eun-seol began repairing the house here and there.
Tap, tap, tap.
Every time his hands moved, the old and broken parts were neatly mended.
Bu Eun-seol was skilled enough to build a coffin by joining pieces of wood together. Before long, the small, crumbling house had been neatly repaired.
Squelch. Swish.
After finishing the repairs on the house, Bu Eun-seol began digging the ground in front of it.
Seeing the pit gradually deepening, Dan Cheong narrowed his eyes.
'That Sa-u fellow. It seems he even passed on the principles of the Void-Breaking Mind's Eye.'
He had discerned that Bu Eun-seol, by digging the earth, had grasped the method of expanding his senses through the Way of the Beast.
'So he doesn't even consider the inside of Langya Pavilion to be safe.'
A satisfied smile spread across Dan Cheong's lips.
He was utterly pleased with Bu Eun-seol's attitude of preparing for any contingency.
"Your skill is decent. With that level of ability, you won't starve anywhere."
"But is there no initiation procedure for Langya Pavilion?"
"Initiation procedure?"
"Things like bowing at the Founders' Hall, or being taught the sect's rules."
To enter the Wudang Sect, one must bow at the True Warrior Hall; to enter Shaolin, one receives the precepts from the abbot.
And in the demonic sects, one usually becomes a disciple after gaining the approval of the sect chief.
Afterward, it was customary to be taught the sect's rules or be assigned a duty.
"Bu Eun-seol."
But then, Dan Cheong suddenly uttered shocking words.
"Unfortunately, you cannot yet be called a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
He had barely become the Ten Demonic Heir after overcoming brushes with death and finally arrived at Langya Pavilion... and yet he was not a disciple of Langya Pavilion?
"It means you have become the Ten Demonic Heir, but you have not yet become a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
"Why is that?"
Dan Cheong spoke solemnly in a low voice.
"Because among the disciples of Langya Pavilion, there are no weak ones."
It was a peculiar statement.
Gazing into Dan Cheong's eyes, Bu Eun-seol could somewhat understand the meaning of those words.
He was not yet strong.
And if he gradually became stronger, he would one day be acknowledged as a disciple of Langya Pavilion.
"So if I simply become stronger, I can become a disciple of Langya Pavilion right away, without any other procedures?"
"Heh heh heh. If the procedures you speak of refer to empty formalities and vanity, then you are correct. The Main Pavilion has no such things."
Dan Cheong spoke with an expression full of pride.
"Each and every disciple of the Main Pavilion can be said to be Langya Pavilion itself. There is no need to force oaths or a sense of belonging."
This time, even Bu Eun-seol could not understand.
Langya Pavilion possessed an ideology that was utterly incomprehensible for something called a sect.
"You will come to understand after staying for a while. How the Main Pavilion, despite maintaining such small numbers, is counted among the Demonic Path Ten Gates. Its greatness, that is."
"Then what should I do here from now on?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Dan Cheong smiled gently.
"Learn martial arts. So that you may be acknowledged as a disciple of Langya Pavilion. Everyone here is your master."
Bu Eun-seol could not hide his surprise.
Did that not mean he could learn martial arts from all the masters within Langya Pavilion?
But Dan Cheong, who had been staring at Bu Eun-seol's excited expression, added one more remark.
"However, whether they teach you or not is up to them to decide."