Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Return to Demon Valley
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My steps back to Demon Valley were light. The situation had flowed in our favor, practically as good as if we'd handled the job perfectly.
Number 20 tugged firmly at my sleeve. There was a boldness to the gesture she hadn't shown before.
Her shoulders lifted just a touch. Her voice carried a buoyant lilt.
She spilled out her story like she was singing a song.
"So, like, when I was there, I hit him with Soul-Pulling Thrust like this...!"
Was beating Geuk Jin-myeong really that thrilling?
I didn't know much about her fight. But I knew what she'd pulled off had been a life-or-death gamble.
Number 20.
There was something oddly likable about everyone bearing that number.
"...Without Number 20, the head of the Sima family would probably be dead."
"Yeah, right? It's all thanks to me. Because I didn't give up and kept pushing forward...!"
"I heard from Myo Ye-rin of the Blood Demon Squad. She said you begged her to save me."
"...Well, that's... we're comrades, you know. Besides, you basically jumped in after the fight was already over, right?"
She turned her head away primly. I chuckled softly.
"My life hung by a thread in that instant. If I'd thrust that final sword, I might've won, but I'd have died for sure."
"......"
"I owe you my life, Number 20."
"...I-I owe you too, you know. So this evens it all out. No need for thanks. Got it?"
"Even so, thank you."
"Hmph."
Number 20 strode ahead. Then she spun around to face me.
"If you get it, then act like it."
That prickly remark laid her personality bare.
At first, I'd thought her strange, someone I could never get close to...
Guess it was just my imagination.
She didn't fit the demonic cult's vibe at all. And that's what made her great.
Her humanity seeped out through the tip of her sword.
"I'll do my best, Number 20."
"...Hmmm..."
She dragged out the end of her word. Then she blurted it out.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"Do you know Number 30's face?"
"...You saw it?"
"Had to. Blood Demon Squad rules say we can't see each other's faces, but that's not more important than our lives, right?"
"True enough, but..."
She saw my face. Was that okay?
No, wait. I'd already revealed my name from the start.
I pondered it carefully. Then I asked her straight.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Are you insane?! No way! I was just saying. I can keep a secret. I'm not the type to go blabbing about peeking at someone else's!"
For some reason, her gaze from behind the mask felt sharp.
"Does Number 30 think I'm that kind of woman?"
"No. I just asked because I didn't catch your intent. Someone who risks their life for others couldn't be that frivolous, right?"
"You sure talk smooth. That's not why I brought it up. Ahem. So..."
Number 20 stammered.
"Th-this is, well, I hate owing people, okay? I don't want you thinking I have some leverage over you. So this makes us even. Got it?"
"Pardon?"
She put a hand to her mask. She pulled it off in one go, then swept back her hair as she turned to me.
It was different from the face I'd barely glimpsed, wrapped tight in bandages. Like a hidden flower suddenly blooming, time seemed to stop for a moment.
Her disheveled silver hair. Her lovely eyes.
Her otherworldly beauty left me speechless. Those violet eyes drew you in, too refined to belong to an ordinary human.
Beyond just beautiful...
Maybe the kind of face that inspired pure admiration.
The type you'd pass on the street and never dare approach. If Silver Snow Orchid was a feral cat, this was a prickly fox.
I said awkwardly,
"Y-your face... it's not at all what I expected."
"...That's it?"
I averted my eyes a bit. Since joining the cult, I'd already laid eyes on three stunning beauties, each one a sight to behold.
Heavenly Demon Cheon So-so.
Sima's disciple, Silver Snow Orchid.
And now Number 20 Baek Mae...
"...N-no, that's not..."
"What? Spit it out."
"Well..."
I knew it wasn't the right thing to say even as the words left my mouth, but out they came anyway.
"Are all the women in our cult beauties?"
"What did you say?"
I realized how weird it sounded right after.
I tried to brush it off.
"...Forget I said anything."
"...Pfft. Ahaha! Wh-what? What did you say? Say it again. Come on, what?"
"I didn't say anything."
"You did! Come on? Deny it all you want. You're hilarious. So?"
"So what...?"
"Is that all you have to say? Number 30 Red Cloud?"
She grinned slyly, like she'd gained the upper hand, and thrust her face close. Those upturned eyes gazing from below had a bewitching allure.
Like a fox tempting her prey. It stirred my competitive spirit, and I let out a sigh.
"Number 20."
"Yes?"
"Don't tempt me. I'm already married to my sword."
"Wh-what?! I wasn't trying to! Ha! Unbelievable! M-me, seducing someone?! A guy?! I'd rather wait a hundred years! Number 30!"
Her flustered expression twisted, and only then could I relax.
Her expressions were so varied. Yep, that was Number 20.
"You're every bit Number 20, alright."
"What?! What's that weird thing supposed to mean?!"
"Exactly what I said."
"Argh! With that smug look...! Take off your mask too!"
"Against Blood Demon Squad rules."
"Hey! I took mine off!"
The charging Number 20 finally yanked off my mask. She looked up at an angle, then snorted.
"Well, anyway, it's not a face I can't look at. As expected."
"Plenty of scars, so not exactly handsome."
"What are you talking about? A few scars make a man's face look good."
"Is that your type...?"
"N-no, it's not?!"
...
We returned to Demon Valley. The Blood Demon Squad Leader didn't come to see us.
We were simply back at our nest. Number 20, glancing around cautiously, whispered to me.
"Ration these."
"Pardon?"
"One each per week. Hide them in the rock crevices."
Her pack, slightly opened, was stuffed with sweets. No wonder it looked heavy-it really was.
I laughed in disbelief. She jabbed my side.
"Why laugh? I went out of my way to think of it and grab some for you too, Number 30!"
"It's just the sweets look extra sweet. That's all."
"...Doesn't seem like it."
"Number 20 is, well..."
I popped one of the sweets she offered into my mouth.
"...probably doted on a lot by your big sister."
"What do you mean? You're not mocking me, are you?"
"I mean you're cute."
"Cute...? What?! Are you crazy?!"
"Talking to myself."
"You said it right to my face!"
The Heavenly Demon had summoned me, hadn't she? Wonder when that'll be.
I glared obliquely at my drawn sword. Was it holding up because of its sturdy make? Or because I'd infused it with qi?
It looked a bit dull, needed some maintenance, but no bends or breaks. After blocking that Soul-Releasing Sword...
That blacksmith definitely had skills.
Soon enough, I added one more training method. With the First Demon's advice in mind, I resolved to blaze a new path.
The third form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.
Hegemonic Power Demonic Path.
It wasn't a sword art or movement technique. Far from body manipulation.
A pure qi-wrapping art that amplified overall physical abilities.
I gave it a light try, but it didn't go smoothly. My veins swelled like they might burst.
Excruciating pain. Not quite on par with Heavenly Tribulation, but definitely beyond what most could endure.
A sensation like blood flowing backward. That feeling was exactly...
Reverse Blood Flow.
This third form involved deliberately defying the natural flow, going upstream.
"Aaaahhh?! It hurts!! What is this...?!"
Number 20, practicing the art alongside me, failed and rolled on the ground. She even vomited up her guts.
"Cr-crazy... feels like my blood's running backward... This thing's shaving years off my life! How do they expect anyone to learn this madness...?!"
"...Hmm."
"Doesn't it hurt you, Number 30?!"
"I can bear it."
"You monster?! I-I'll take it slow. I haven't even mastered the variations of Soul-Pulling Thrust yet..."
Number 20 sniffled. I thought it over deeply.
The sword...
I set the sword aside for a bit.
What I needed to do now was get to the starting line. Since the third form moved pure qi, the first step meant putting the sword down.
I paused my usual training. Instead, I sat still and circulated my inner energy.
Circled it again and again. Kept going. I focused. Aside from eating and sleeping, I struggled nonstop to control the energy inside me as I wished.
My qi circulation method, which I'd thought was decent at a glance.
Even when using Ghost Hand One Demon or Soul-Pulling Thrust from the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art, it seemed fine-but it had plenty of flaws. I realized I needed to refine it before even attempting Hegemonic Power Demonic Path.
Come to think of it, I'd neglected the physical fundamentals.
Obsessed with surface-level gains. I should've built a solid foundation as strong as my external skills, but I hadn't.
Didn't I see it in the fight with Soul-Releasing Sword? At first, his sword qi, as he gauged my skill, was serene. Unwavering, steady.
Compared to that...
What about mine?
It flickered wildly, shaky and unstable. My blood-red sword qi looked imposing at first glance, but one clash with his shattered it completely.
I need greater power. Can't settle here. The moment I get complacent at peak mastery, the Heavenly Demon will pull even further ahead.
Seize the goal. Catch up, no matter the method.
Even if that means...
Sitting for years, circulating energy...!
"...Hoo."
I steadied my breath. Exhaled, inhaled, repeat.
I felt my inner energy flowing through my veins. The head-splitting pain and Heavenly Tribulation's resistance gradually blended, melting into everything.
I ran the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art endlessly. Circled and circled it, even when it felt perfect, kept going.
As time passed, the formula grew natural. The teachings from the manual swirled from my fingertips through my body.
What about the old Number 20? If the Fourth Demon acknowledged her, she'd have mastered this in days.
She was a bundle of talent. What about the First Demon? As the Heavenly Demon's handpicked first disciple, she'd breezed past this stage.
Even Number 20 Baek Mae was the same. Watching me subtly as she circulated her energy, she soon succeeded in opening the path to Hegemonic Power Demonic Path before I did.
"I-I did it!"
"Congratulations."
"...You'll get it soon too, Number 30."
Who knows.
A twinge of jealousy hit me. Strange not to feel it, when she started later but overtook me.
I learned slowly. But I didn't want to chalk it up to mere timing.
If you've got time to envy, split it up and use every second to solidify what you have. Circulate again and again, push forward, grasp what you want.
I'm ordinary. No prodigy material, no real talent for martial arts.
...But even someone like me knows I can achieve something in the end.
Cling to it and strive. Now even sleep feels wasteful-pour that in too.
I can do it. It's not blind faith; look back at what you've built yourself.
And eventually...
"...Ah!"
Two months and ten days later.
I opened my eyes. On a whim that I could, I circulated Hegemonic Power Demonic Path.
Blood-red qi enveloped my fingertips. Amid the clinging ghostly afterimages, my clenched fist felt stronger.
"...It's done."
Entry into Hegemonic Power Demonic Path.
That wrapped up just as someone called for me.
"Number 30."
The Blood Demon Squad Leader had come for me.
"Follow me."