The Heavenly Demon's Steps
A grotesque hand, intent on tearing flesh, lunged toward me. If my memory served, it was a bizarre martial art created by some warrior from the Evil Faction. They said it amplified the grip strength to its absolute limit, so that once it seized anything, it could twist and snap it apart. It was so crude in every way that I hadn't even bothered learning its name, yet here it was again. How unpleasant.
I dodged the outstretched hand and lightly tapped the charging man's jaw, knocking him unconscious. Right after, hidden weapons flew in from behind, which I snatched out of the air with my bare hand. Not bad throwing skill. Every vital point they targeted would have been dangerous if struck. And the poison smeared on the tips of these needles was nothing to scoff at either. This knowledge seemed to come from the Tang Clan. The Tang Clan, huh. How tiresome.
I'd suffered quite a bit back when those bastards hunted me with poison. I returned the hidden weapons exactly as they'd come. The thrower might have been skilled at launching them, but he was terrible at receiving them; he collapsed the moment they hit him.
This time, coordinated attacks came from both sides. One side clearly used the Namgung Clan's sword style just from how they raised their blade, while the other looked like the sword techniques from the Nine Flowers School. Either way, they were merely imitating their respective sects and hadn't abandoned the original forms of their own sword arts. In that case, it would be better to just refine what they originally used.
I caught the descending swords between my fingers, twisted them until they shattered, then struck both men on the forehead with the back of my hand, laying them out. As if they'd been waiting for this, nearly a dozen warriors burst out and surrounded me.
Is this the Shaolin formation this time? Heh heh. It's practically a martial arts museum in here.
I infused my internal energy into my steps and shattered the formation. The warriors maintaining it flew far away and slammed into the walls. Looking around, I still saw plenty of bloodthirsty glares. I'd taken down quite a few already, yet so many opponents remained. Had that Corpse-Seeking Dog bastard taken over the back alleys of this slum? No matter how many I knocked down, more kept crawling out from the civilian side.
They were all a ragtag bunch, so subduing them wasn't difficult. But if I kept catching them one by one like this, there'd be no end. I glanced toward Baru. In her human form, she was tormenting Sitamgyeon's subordinates with her Taoist magic. Summoning spirits to apply mental and physical pressure simultaneously, manipulating nearby natural objects or directly creating natural phenomena to fight her enemies—this was the standard combat method of a proper Taoist practitioner.
“Baru.”
When I called her name, Baru turned her head. Her relaxed expression suggested she didn't feel the slightest bit of threat.
“Come here.”
“What is it? There are still many left, you know.”
“Isn't dealing with them one by one bothersome?”
“Do you have a way to handle them all at once?”
“I do.”
Since my body was still only at the first-class level, I wouldn't be able to unleash its full power. Still, it would be more than enough to take down these small fries.
I lifted my foot. Like my divine fist, this was one of the martial arts I'd trained in endlessly since learning the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. My body naturally traced the principles of the technique without conscious effort.
My steps shall trample not upon the earth, but upon your heavens.
The steps of the Heavenly Demon are those that reign supreme from above the sky.
The steps of the Heavenly Demon that reign from the heavens.
The moment I took the step, most of the warriors surrounding us couldn't withstand the pressure and dropped to their knees. Not all of them, though. Those with relatively higher realms managed to endure the pressure and remained standing on two legs. They were drenched in cold sweat and their legs trembled violently, so it was less "overcoming" and more "desperately clinging to consciousness." Still, enduring was enduring.
Hmm. As expected, my physical realm is too low to bring out its true power. On top of that, my internal energy is insufficient, so replicating the steps with the Heavenly Demon's Reigning Steps like before is difficult. While becoming too strong has its downsides, perhaps it's better to at least cross into the Peak Realm for convenience's sake. At that level, I should be able to enjoy decent fights against other strong martial artists of Murim.
“Min-ga. Didn't you say you would knock them all down?”
While I was lost in thought, a suspicious gaze bored into me from the side. What is it, Baru? Do you really think I've failed?
“Did you think a person's step would end with just one?”
They had endured a single step. But could they withstand the second? The third?
I didn't think so.
Hwasan has been destroyed.
Hak Yeong-chung, who called himself a martial arts researcher and was known by the derogatory nickname Sitamgyeon, paused while reading the letter from a trusted informant. Although he had abandoned Hwasan with his own two hands, the fact that it was the place that had raised him since he was very young remained unchanged. Learning that the place he had planned to visit at least once before he died had vanished filled him with regret.
From what was written in the letter, it wasn't just ruined—the entire Hwasan Sect grounds seemed to have been blown away. In that case, the secret manuals and such were probably all buried as well. Sigh. Damn it. There were still more than a few martial arts I needed to obtain. That dog-like old bastard Tae Hang-un. If only he'd released all the techniques when I was the head disciple. Then even if Hwasan fell, the sect would have lived on inside me. If I'd known this would happen, I should have suggested looting Hwasan one more time when I worked with the Heavenly Demon back then. I refrained from touching it out of lingering affection for the old days, and now look at this mess.
Wait. Even if the grounds were destroyed, it doesn't necessarily mean all the secret manuals stored there were damaged. Hwasan's manuals were usually kept underground, so with some luck, I might be able to salvage a few. I should gather my subordinates and head there before the other righteous faction bastards set their eyes on it.
Knock knock knock.
At the sound of knocking, Hak Yeong-chung lifted his head.
“It's Chu Hyeong, sir. May I enter?”
“Yes. Come in.”
The elderly Chu Hyeong, whose face was covered in deep wrinkles, entered with clearly labored breathing, as if he'd rushed here in a hurry. For someone who rarely showed panic no matter the situation, this was unusual.
“What's going on outside?”
“Some crazy bitch has broken in.”
“Alone?”
“No, sir. She's with someone who uses Taoist magic.”
“What does she do?”
“I don't know. She's an unknown individual.”
“Then handle it yourselves. If she's unknown, there shouldn't be any trouble, right?”
“Well, that's...”
Chu Hyeong dragged out the end of his sentence as if reluctant to speak. That alone was enough for Hak Yeong-chung to roughly understand the situation. Right. If you could handle it, you would have done so already. You're certainly capable enough.
“How are things developing outside?”
“The men on standby are responding, but they're completely helpless.”
That's strange. The people outside aren't just small fries, are they? There are quite a few first-class experts and even a few who have reached the Peak Realm. If a Transcendence Realm master had invaded, it wouldn't be surprising for them to get crushed, but if it were someone of that caliber, Chu Hyeong would surely have recognized them.
“Did you see what kind of martial arts she's using?”
“I couldn't tell. Her physical realm is low, but her skill is so outstanding that I couldn't even begin to analyze it.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Low physical realm but outstanding skill? So outstanding that even a Peak Realm expert like Chu Hyeong couldn't discern it? This is insane. Did some recluse hermit come down from the mountains? Why would such a person attack this place? On the surface, this is just an ordinary slum. Most people wouldn't even notice anything unusual. Did they come looking for me? Or were they looking for something to destroy and we just happened to get caught in the crossfire? Either way, if I don't go out there, this won't be resolved.
The moment Hak Yeong-chung stood up with that thought, an intangible energy crushed down on them. It was hard to breathe. The killing intent contained within the energy made maintaining composure difficult. It felt like several massive boulders had been placed on his shoulders, making it exhausting just to stand on his legs. He felt like he might lose consciousness. Even while circulating his internal energy, cold sweat kept pouring out.
Hak Yeong-chung knew this martial art. Having experienced it with his own body before, there was no way he wouldn't recognize it.
Heavenly Demon Steps. The martial art that stands above the heavens of men and reigns through its steps.
The instant the pressure from the energy stopped, Hak Yeong-chung clutched the desk with his hand and screamed inwardly.
Why? Why is someone using this technique here? The Heavenly Demon Baek Hwaryeong should be holed up in the Heavenly Demon Cult right now, shouldn't she? Has she come to punish me? But what crime have I committed? The only thing I did was betray the righteous factions to obtain their martial arts and assist you. I can understand why the righteous faction people are desperate to capture and kill me, but there should be no reason for you, Baek Hwaryeong, to attack me!
“Hak Yeong-chung, sir.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What should I do? If Baek Hwaryeong has truly come to kill me, there's no way for me to stop her. No, in the first place, if that crazy bitch goes berserk and charges in, there isn't a single person in the current Murim who can stop her. Only beings like the Supreme One or the Heavenly Venerable—who are practically considered mythical—could possibly contend with Baek Hwaryeong. How could someone like me possibly face her?
“Hak Yeong-chung, sir.”
I need to run. But where to? If the one outside is truly Baek Hwaryeong, she would have detected my presence long ago. No matter where I flee, escaping her grasp is impossible. Still, I can't just die like a dog here. There are mountains of martial arts in Murim that I haven't learned yet. Die here? I can't. I absolutely cannot.
“Hak Yeong-chung, sir!”
Only when Chu Hyeong grabbed both his shoulders did Hak Yeong-chung snap back to his senses. Seeing Chu Hyeong looking at him with worry, Hak Yeong-chung felt puzzled. How is this guy enduring? If Baek Hwaryeong used the Heavenly Demon Steps, there's no way a mere Peak Realm practitioner could withstand it.
Come to think of it, something was off. The power was far too weak for something Baek Hwaryeong had used. If she had truly employed the Heavenly Demon Steps, the entire area should have been devastated. The fact that everything inside the house remained intact was already absurd. The more he thought about it, the more strange points there were. If it were really Baek Hwaryeong attacking, Chu Hyeong wouldn't have even made it here. She would have destroyed everything before he could deliver the news. From the beginning, the fact that Chu Hyeong said he didn't know was suspicious. Chu Hyeong, a survivor of the Calamity Fire created by the Heavenly Demon, couldn't possibly not recognize Baek Hwaryeong.
Then who the hell is outside right now?
The moment Hak Yeong-chung harbored that doubt, the pressure of the Heavenly Demon Steps crushed him once again. This time, there wasn't even a moment of pause. It continued, over and over. All Hak Yeong-chung could do within that pressure was endure.
When the pressure from the reigning steps finally lifted, Hak Yeong-chung staggered to his feet. Every limb trembled, but staying here didn't seem like it would end well. Let's escape. Through the secret passage first.
“I wondered what you were doing since you wouldn't come out. So you were enduring the reigning steps.”
Following the voice, he raised his head and saw a woman dressed in black martial attire. Those eyes looking down at him with indifference were eerily similar to the eyes of Baek Hwaryeong from the past, when she had contemplated whether to kill him or not.