The Demon God's Vessel
"A master?"
Was he truly telling him to teach martial arts to Yeon-woo?
"Ah, of course, I'm not telling you to teach her the Namgoong Clan's mental arts. This child is going to become a martial artist of our Divine Cult, after all."
At the words martial artist of the Divine Cult, Woon-hyeon's brow twitched.
He had made a vow to Yeon-woo. He had promised to take her to the Central Plains, where she could taste every delicacy under heaven.
"I'll handle her mental cultivation myself. You just focus on forging her external arts. If you have some spare time, teaching her some swordsmanship wouldn't hurt either. You're the undisputed greatest swordsman in the Central Plains, aren't you?"
Yet Woon-hyeon's expression remained grim.
Sensing his displeasure, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord smirked and added lightly, "Or, if you don't like it... care to die instead?"
"..."
He had framed it as a choice, but Woon-hyeon had never had one from the start. He did not care what became of his own worthless life. What mattered was Yeon-woo. His only wish was that this pure, innocent child wouldn't have her life stolen away because of anyone—least of all himself.
Slowly, Woon-hyeon gave a faint nod.
The Dark Shadow Demon Lord broke into a knowing smile and rose to his feet. With a wave of his hand, martial artists clad in black robes materialized from the shadows, falling into formation behind him.
To think so many warriors were concealed nearby. Woon-hyeon felt a chill of fresh astonishment.
"Clean this mess up, will you? Ah, make sure not to kill them."
At the Demon Lord's command, the black-clad warriors hoisted the masked figures strewn across the courtyard and vanished into the night.
Watching them go, Woon-hyeon let out a ragged breath of relief.
Taking them alive means...
He intended to find out who had sent them to slaughter Yeon-woo. That was a relief. Truly...
What a relief...
Thud.
His consciousness slipped, and Woon-hyeon collapsed to the ground.
Watching his subordinates depart, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord cast a cool glance down at the fallen swordsman.
Crackle, pop.
The scent of charred meat drifted lazily on the breeze. As if the brush with death had been nothing more than an illusion, the night air settled back into undisturbed silence.
When early dawn descended with a crisp chill, Woon-hyeon was the first to open his eyes.
His gaze met a familiar ceiling—the very one he had stared at after barely clinging to life amidst the betrayal of the Central Plains.
"Did you... move me inside?" Woon-hyeon asked, his voice raw and raspy.
A soft snicker came from his right.
"Me? As if. I had my men do it."
Tearing his gaze from the ceiling, Woon-hyeon turned toward the voice. The Dark Shadow Demon Lord sat cross-legged in the corner of the room with his arms folded.
Where is Yeon-woo? Woon-hyeon tried to ask, but his throat seized, leaving his lips moving in soundless gasps.
Yet the Demon Lord understood effortlessly.
"The kid's asleep. She'll be out cold for a full day, so don't expect her to wake until tonight."
Is that so. Woon-hyeon lowered his eyes in silence.
Clack.
Something was placed beside his head. It was a small, palm-sized wooden box. Woon-hyeon looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"An elixir. Along with medicinal herbs good for soothing internal injuries."
Suspicion deepened across Woon-hyeon's face. The very man who had reduced him to this state was now handing him medicine? What kind of twisted game was this—striking a man down only to hand him a bandage?
"When I beat you, we were enemies. But now, aren't we comrades pursuing a shared goal?"
Comrades, my foot...! Wait, how did he read my thoughts?
"A person's thoughts are written all over their face, you know."
Does he know mind-reading arts? Bewilderment flickered in Woon-hyeon's eyes. Amused by the reaction, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord let out a low chuckle.
"Take the elixir right now, and brew the herbs over the next month. Your body needs to heal if you're going to teach the kid, right?"
Only then did Woon-hyeon recall the conversation they had shared before he lost consciousness: "Until the Demon Dragon Hall opens five years from now, Imperial Sword... you will become this child's master."
Though he had accepted the terms to keep Yeon-woo alive, every fiber of his being rebelled against it. It wasn't that he disliked the idea of teaching her. It was the sole purpose behind it—grooming her to be thrown into the Demon Dragon Hall in five years' time.
Teaching a child martial arts just to drive her into the jaws of death... What could be more monstrous than that?
If remaining crippled meant he could not teach her, and if that spared Yeon-woo from ever setting foot in the Demon Dragon Hall, he would rather live the rest of his days as an invalid.
"I saw that coming, too."
In that instant, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord flicked his finger. Woon-hyeon's upper body rose on its own, propped upright by an unseen force.
"...!"
Woon-hyeon tried to turn his head in shock toward the Demon Lord, but his neck was utterly paralyzed. Before his eyes, a thumbnail-sized golden pill hovered in midair.
His mouth was forced open, and the pill slipped past his lips. What followed was instantaneous; there was no need to swallow, as the pill dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, vanishing into liquid warmth. Yet Woon-hyeon could feel it.
"...!"
Originating from the Hundred Convergences acupoint atop his head, an immense surge of energy cascaded downward like a violent waterfall, storming into every corner of his body. It was a torrential reservoir of qi so colossal that failing to circulate it immediately would plunge him into internal deviation. An ordinary martial artist would have been pulverized on the spot by an energy this overwhelming.
Woon-hyeon's body was laid flat once more. Left with no other choice, he immediately began regulating his breath and circulating his qi. Just before he entered deep meditation, he glared at the Dark Shadow Demon Lord, who was resting his chin on his palm with a deeply satisfied smirk.
Closing his eyes, Woon-hyeon coaxed and tamed the foreign energy invading his vessels, steadily harmonizing it into his own.
The surging power rippled through his meridians. In an instant, his battered internal injuries began to mend, and his exhausted vitality rekindled at a breathtaking pace.
In Woon-hyeon's ears, the Demon Lord's voice drifted through the hum of qi. "While you were out, I took a look at the child's body."
Though all his focus was anchored in guiding his internal energy, Woon-hyeon still caught every word.
"I'm not sure if you realized, but that girl was born with the Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique."
"...!"
The shock nearly shattered his concentration, pushing him to the precipice of internal deviation. A snicker reached him.
"Judging by that reaction, you had no idea. A master like you should have sensed something unusual. Did you never bother examining her properly?"
Woon-hyeon's clamped lips trembled.
He had always known Yeon-woo was extraordinary. What ordinary child could forage rare herbs and spiritual plants almost daily, roaming perilous mountain peaks as though they were her own front yard? Setting aside her keen sense of smell, her stamina and skeletal frame vastly outstripped those of any normal child. To say she was gifted was an understatement; her body was a natural marvel.
But... the Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique?
"I'd heard legends of it, of course, but seeing it in the flesh was quite a shock even for me."
Just what kind of constitution was the Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique? It was a mythical balance achieved only when one possessed both the Blood King Demonic Bone, perfectly attuned to demonic arts, and the Heavenly King Sacred Bone, inherently aligned with orthodox martial disciplines. In short, it was a vessel capable of mastering two fundamentally opposing energies—demonic and orthodox—without conflict.
"They say anyone blessed with the Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique can practice demonic arts without their mind warping or their soul succumbing to demonic corruption."
No shifting personality under the taint of demonic qi. No succumbing to madness. No devastating rampages. From the perspective of cultivating demonic martial arts, it completely eliminated the peril of losing one's self. It was, quite literally, the physical vessel of a Demon God.
"Of course, there is one non-negotiable prerequisite: she must master orthodox arts first."
The Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique was born to maximize demonic power. However, demonic arts progressed so explosively within such a body that without an impeccably pure foundation, the practitioner would actually be swallowed by demonic qi far faster than normal. Hence, she had to cultivate orthodox arts first to anchor her foundation before touching demonic arts. Only then could the true, terrifying potential of her constitution bloom safely.
"Which brings me to my point. I need to amend our little arrangement."
Woon-hyeon's brow furrowed slightly amidst his meditation.
"You will teach the child martial arts. Not just external techniques, but your mental cultivation methods as well."
To a child destined to become the strongest entity in the Demonic Cult if only she cultivated orthodox arts, Woon-hyeon's presence was nothing short of miraculous providence. Where else could a child of the Demonic Cult be taught by an orthodox martial artist—and the undisputed greatest swordsman of the Central Plains at that?
"Whether you teach her or not, that child is going to the Demon Dragon Hall. And once she's there, she will learn demonic martial arts."
If she cultivated demonic arts without the stabilizing bedrock of an orthodox foundation, she would either die horribly or succumb to demonic qi faster than anyone in history, descending into raving madness.
"If you don't want that future for her, you'd best teach her properly. That is, if you truly want the girl to live."
As the Demon Lord finished speaking, the volatile turbulence in Woon-hyeon's qi began to smooth out, settling into tranquil order.
The board had shifted entirely.
Now that Yeon-woo was confirmed to possess the Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique, Woon-hyeon had no alternative. Failing to teach her orthodox martial arts was itself a death sentence. What he had adamantly refused to do had instantly transformed into a duty he must fulfill at all costs. Recognizing this reality, Woon-hyeon swiftly accepted his fate.
"..."
Seeing the steady, serene flow of qi, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord curled his lips into a satisfied grin.
"I'll handle the assassins targeting the child. You just devote yourself to her training."
An Extreme Demon Heavenly Gang Physique was a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. He could hardly allow such an invaluable jewel to be snuffed out before she even had the chance to shine, could he?
"I'll be counting on you from here on out, all right?"
Still resting his chin on his palm, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord chuckled softly as he watched Woon-hyeon quietly harmonize his breath.