The Heavenly Demon Rebuilds Mount Hua (1)
The people of Mount Hua in the afterlife would probably faint if they saw this. I killed the people who lived there. I burned all the secret manuals they possessed. I even destroyed the entire sect with my own hands. And now I’m taking the very name that would have been remembered as theirs. The thought of those bastards grinding their teeth in fury, yet unable to do a single thing about it, made a laugh bubble up from my throat.
It wasn’t just about insulting the old Mount Hua. Rebuilding the sect had several practical benefits as well. First was justification. My immediate plan was to teach the Purple Mist Divine Art to those who had originally belonged to Mount Hua. The more familiar they were with the sect’s martial arts, the easier it would be for them to grasp the underlying principles. After that, I would have them teach others, and those who learned the principles would in turn teach those below them. Gradually, the number of people who understood the importance of principles would grow. Eventually, I believed the day would come when everyone recognized their significance.
But someone might complain. Why should the people of Mount Hua receive special treatment? If I were still living in solitude like before, I wouldn’t have cared about such nonsense. I would have simply silenced anyone who dared question me and continued with my work. However, I am no longer alone. If I caused trouble now, it could negatively affect my acquaintances like Enry and Harin. That’s why I have no choice but to pay attention to public opinion. But if I do it under the name of Mount Hua, everything changes. It gives me legitimate grounds for teaching the people of Mount Hua first. Who would dare object to rebuilding Mount Hua and teaching its disciples?
The next benefit was sustainability. To carry out my plan, those who had learned the principles needed to pass them on to others. No matter how hard Si Tam-gyeon tried, he was still just one person. There was a limit to how many he could teach. Therefore, to realize my vision, I needed to increase the number of people capable of teaching the principles. But could I really trust that someone who had learned them would faithfully pass them down? They might run away after receiving instruction, or give up halfway through teaching. However, if I accepted the people of Mount Hua under the banner of rebuilding the sect? Would those who were already desperately searching the ruins of Mount Hua for the Plum Blossom Swordplay really quit just because it got difficult? Would those who had once devoted everything to rebuilding Mount Hua abandon its name after mastering its arts? In my view, the chances were low. Even if some did, there wouldn’t be many.
Finally, it gave me a sense of belonging. A faction of my own, belonging to neither the righteous path, the demonic path, nor the Heavenly Demon Cult. Why was this important? From now on, when introducing myself to others, I could use the title of Mount Hua Sect Leader instead of Mint Choco Pizza Pineapple Faction! The first two I could somehow tolerate, but this one I absolutely could not give up. Do you people even understand? The humiliation of your own mouth moving on its own and spitting out some monstrous name every time you introduce yourself to someone?! If I could refer to myself with the grand title of Mount Hua Sect Leader, I would gladly use any trick necessary to establish the Mount Hua faction!
Having made up my mind, I turned my gaze toward Si Tam-gyeon. In truth, he was the one who worried me the most. For now he was obediently saying he would follow my words, but this madman would gladly sell his soul if it meant acquiring martial arts. If I didn’t put a leash on him, there was no telling what he might do. I approached the puzzled Si Tam-gyeon and examined his body.
“From now on, I will be tampering with your body. Stay still.”
“Understood.”
This fellow was so absorbed in the martial arts I had offered that he couldn’t even see what was right in front of him. So of course he would nod no matter what I said I was going to do. Thanks to that, I was able to calmly check the flow of energy through his acupoints. After a rough inspection, I struck several points on Si Tam-gyeon’s body with precise pressure.
Even for someone who had learned countless martial arts, the pressure point technique I used seemed completely new to him, as he made no attempt to stop me. Well, how could you possibly know a technique spoken of like a legend among people? Even I hadn’t believed that the Divine Doctor was a real person until I actually met him.
When I finished sealing all the points in an instant and stepped back, Si Tam-gyeon, who had been examining his own body, looked at me with shock and fury.
“What have you done?!”
“I have blocked several of your acupoints.”
To put it bluntly, I had essentially turned him half-crippled as a martial artist. I had sealed several crucial acupoints necessary for using internal energy, so even if he used his martial arts, he would only be able to exert half—or perhaps even less—of his previous power.
“Do not worry. Once everything is finished, I will release them.”
This was nothing more than a means to put a collar around Si Tam-gyeon’s neck. So he would obediently work under me until the sect I planned to establish stabilized. Once that day came, I would remove the collar.
When I explained this, Si Tam-gyeon quickly nodded and said,
“Never mind that. Could you teach me that pressure point technique later?”
Si Tam-gyeon’s eyes sparkled. So that’s why he accepted it so easily. This insane bastard. To think that instead of getting angry after having his vital acupoints attacked, he would show interest in the technique itself.
“...I will consider it depending on how sincerely you work.”
“I will do my absolute best!... But, could you wait just a little?”
“Why?”
“I need time to organize my forces.”
Considering the people who had attacked us outside, the force he possessed was by no means small. If I took him with me, it was obvious his organization would fall into chaos, so he would need time to sort that out.
“How long do you need?”
“If you give me two days, I will definitely take care of it.”
Two days. That was not an unreasonable amount of time. Especially since he had his acupoints held hostage; it was unlikely he would harbor any foolish thoughts. And even if he did get any strange ideas, I had the scroll that could find whatever I desired. Tracking down Si Tam-gyeon would not be difficult. Since I had planned to leave teaching the people of Mount Hua to him anyway, I might as well use this time to confirm whether he would behave obediently.
“Very well. When you are finished, come to where the Mount Hua faction once stood.”
“Thank you!”
I left Si Tam-gyeon bowing deeply and exited the room. The moment I stepped out, Baru approached my side.
“Min-ga. Are you truly planning to rebuild Mount Hua?”
“That is my intention.”
“That is good. If people gather in that place, Na-yul’s awakening will come much sooner.”
Na-yul? She must mean the divine spirit who had resided on Mount Hua. To think that rebuilding the sect would have such an additional effect. This was something even I had not anticipated. Although I had told Baru I would save him, the fact that I had cut him down with my own hands had weighed on my mind. Now I had one more reason to put in effort.
“I will fully support whatever you do.”
“Actually, there is one thing I wanted to ask of you, Baru.”
“Just say the word! If it is something I can do, I will do anything!”
Baru puffing out her chest today looked quite reliable. The request I was about to make was something only she could accomplish.
I lifted Baru up and placed her on my shoulder, then manipulated the menu again to use the region movement function. The destination this time was Mount Hua.
*
The grounds of Mount Hua, which I had personally half-destroyed, were already crowded with numerous users. I had assumed they would be frantically searching for the Purple Mist Divine Art, but that was not the case. They stood in orderly rows as if waiting for me, and the moment I climbed the stairs, they all bowed deeply.
“Welcome, Heavenly Spirit.”
The person standing at the very front, representing the dozens of users, bowed his head. He was the same man I had met last night. I remembered his rather arrogant name was something like Strongest in Murim.
“I heard you plan to rebuild Mount Hua.”
“That is correct.”
“And that you were looking for users of the Purple Mist Divine Art for that purpose.”
“Were you watching the broadcast?”
“We were all watching. It was an important issue for us.”
In that case, there was no need for tedious explanations.
“I know you are all impatient, but could you wait a moment? There is something I must do first.”
“Yes. That is fine.”
After receiving Strongest in Murim’s consent, I set Baru down from my shoulder.
“Min-ga. What do you want me to do here?”
“Can you restore this place to its original form, like you did at the inn before?”
The current site of Mount Hua was half-destroyed from my battle with the former sect leader. On top of that, the users of Mount Hua had turned it into an even worse mess while frantically searching for the Purple Mist Divine Art. Since I intended to inherit the name of Mount Hua, I planned to use this site as is, but in its current state, that was impossible. Restoring it through normal means would take at least several months, or even several years in the worst case. That was where Baru came in. When I had destroyed an inn while fighting ronin before, she had restored the place as if nothing had happened. If she could do the exact same thing here on the Mount Hua grounds, I would be able to use the site without any further hassle.
“I see! Then we can restore Mount Hua!”
Strongest in Murim let out an exclamation as if he understood my intention, and murmuring rose from among the Mount Hua users. However, Baru, who had suddenly become the center of all this attention, hesitated with a troubled expression.
“...Are you serious?”
“Would it be difficult?”
“Restoring a slightly damaged inn and restoring Mount Hua, whose original form is barely recognizable, are two completely different matters.”
As expected. I had asked on the off chance it might work, but seeing Baru’s reluctant face, it seemed this would be difficult to achieve. Then there was nothing to be done. If she, who knew more about Taoist magic than anyone else here, said so, then it must be true. The other Mount Hua users also looked visibly disappointed, but they did not complain. Even to them, restoring the ruined Mount Hua grounds must have seemed like an overwhelming task.
“I didn’t say it was completely impossible!”
Perhaps finding the thick wave of disappointment filling the air too heavy to bear, Baru hurriedly shouted.
“Is it possible?”
“Weeeell… doing everything at once would be difficult, but if it’s little by little…”
“Really?!”
“You can actually do it?”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“Do you need anything?”
The moment Baru showed any possibility, the Mount Hua users swarmed around her and began bombarding her with questions. Baru’s eyes darted around frantically at the sudden flood of attention. After stuttering for a moment, she slammed her staff on the ground and shouted, releasing the unique aura of a divine spirit to press down on her surroundings.
“Eeei! Ask one at a time! One at a time! Do I look like I have three mouths?!”
Baru striking the ground with her staff seemed to be trying to show her dignity as a mountain deity for the first time in a while.
To the viewers, it probably just looked like a little girl throwing a tantrum in embarrassment.