The Art of Isolation
Shortly after the Namgung Clan departed the Sun and Moon Sect, leaving Namgung Eon behind, the Sect Leader summoned me to his palace.
Seated high upon his grand armchair, the Sect Leader looked down at me, his thoughts completely unreadable.
Even after I bowed, he remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"I believe I explicitly ordered you to execute the fifth young master."
"Father. I beg your forgiveness for disobeying your command."
Although he was reprimanding me on the surface, I could tell just by his voice.
He wasn't actually angry that I had converted Namgung Eon into a disciple. He was simply curious.
He wanted to know what I was thinking, and how I planned to utilize Namgung Eon, who had gone from the fifth son of the Namgung Clan to a disciple of our sect.
"Explain yourself."
"Yes, Father."
But I was confident I could persuade him.
"Killing Namgung Eon would have been simple. However, I believed that bringing him into the fold of the Sun and Moon Sect would yield far greater benefits in the long run."
"And why is that?"
"First, by analyzing the Namgung Clan's martial arts that Namgung Eon has mastered, we can gain a significant advantage in future battles, not just against the Namgung Clan, but against the entire Orthodox faction."
"And?"
"Most importantly, it will help establish our sect's legitimacy and moral justification in our ongoing struggle against the Orthodox Murim."
The conflict between the Sun and Moon Sect and the Murim Alliance was not merely a clash of raw power.
It was a war of justification, fought to win over more factions and secure the support of the common people.
The Sun and Moon Sect exposed the righteous traditions of the Orthodox factions as mere hypocrisy.
Meanwhile, the Orthodox factions branded the Sun and Moon Sect as the 'Demonic Cult,' rejecting our doctrine of liberating and empowering the people.
The fact that the fifth young master of the Namgung Clan—one of the pillars of the Orthodox Murim—had become a disciple would serve as irrefutable proof. It would expose the hollow righteousness of the Orthodox factions and perfectly validate the legitimacy of our sect's teachings.
"Indeed. It is as you say."
The Sect Leader replied, his voice tinged with satisfaction.
"However, to achieve that, you must place him in a position of importance. Which means his loyalty must be beyond any shadow of a doubt."
"Yes, Father. I will take full responsibility for monitoring him."
"See to it. You have accomplished a remarkably great feat this time, quite unexpectedly. However..."
Just as I was starting to relax, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
If I did a good job, just leave it at that! What's with the "however"?
"Regardless of the outcome, the fact remains that you disobeyed my direct order. I cannot simply let this pass."
"I will gladly accept any punishment you deem fit."
Though I complied outwardly, my inner self was screaming in protest.
So the results were great, but I still have to get punished because I didn't follow orders?
Are they worried people will forget we're the Demonic Cult if they let one little thing slide?
Unbelievable...
"What punishment do you wish to receive?"
Surprisingly, the Sect Leader was leaving the choice of punishment to me.
I pretended to ponder it for a moment before speaking.
"I shall spend a month—no, two months—in solitary meditation at the Hall of No-Mind."
"Solitary meditation? For two whole months?"
The Sect Leader narrowed his eyes, as if asking if the punishment wasn't too severe for the offense.
"Even as the Young Sect Leader, I dared to disobey a direct command from the Sect Leader himself. A punishment of this caliber is only fitting."
"Ha... Spoken like a true successor. Very well. Since your cultivation of the Scripture of the Dark Demon has been gaining momentum, the timing is indeed perfect."
"Yes, Father."
Given the solemn atmosphere, I bowed my head with a grave expression, but...
In reality, I was grinning so hard my face practically split in two.
Hell yeah! If you're gonna be a Demonic Cult, you've gotta keep your rewards and punishments clear!
I was incredibly grateful for this unexpected, sweet-as-honey vacation.
For the first time since my reincarnation, I cheered in my heart: Long live the Demonic Cult!
Looking at the towering stone cliffs surrounding me, I felt as if I had returned to my hometown.
Had it been about a month since I last stepped into the Hall of No-Mind after my previous isolation?
"Do not concern yourself with the war against the Orthodox factions. Focus solely on your martial cultivation for now."
Those were the words the Sect Leader had left me with as I began my solitary retreat.
Between the recent assassination attempts, dealing with the Namgung Clan, and attending banquets, my mind had been in a whirlwind. He probably wanted me to clear my head and elevate my mastery of the Scripture of the Dark Demon.
However...
First, let's take a damn nap.
I immediately spread-eagled on a wide, flat boulder.
The tension drained from my body, and my mind slowly emptied.
Staring blankly at the sky, I savored the slow, languid flow of time.
From the moment the blue sky gave way to the setting sun, until the pitch-black night was painted with stars.
I had sorely missed this time—where no one looked for me, and I didn't have to look for anyone else.
It was a precious solitude that was nearly impossible to come by while living as the Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult.
Now... shall we begin?
Feeling my energy fully recharged, I suddenly pushed myself up.
The Scripture of the Dark Demon.
Sitting cross-legged, I opened the manual of the Scripture of the Dark Demon and began reading it thoroughly from the very beginning once more.
Although I had practiced the Scripture of the Dark Demon whenever I had spare time after my last retreat, it was true that I hadn't made as much progress outside of the Hall of No-Mind.
Perhaps it was because the Hall of No-Mind was one of the ancient sanctuaries of the Ming Sect, meaning Myeongjon's power, originating from the Holy Fire, could exert its influence here.
But above all, the biggest factor was likely the environment itself, which allowed me to focus entirely on my internal cultivation without a single distraction.
You just can't get this vibe on the outside.
After all, an extreme introvert like me drains energy when interacting with people and recharges when alone...
Just being by myself without having to see anyone made this the absolute best environment for cultivation.
Right then.
"So, have you rested enough?"
Ah...!
It had been a while since Myeongjon last spoke to me.
I had actually found it strange that Myeongjon hadn't shown up yet, considering I had entered the Hall of No-Mind, a sacred ground of the Ming Sect.
He must have seen how happy I was to be here and decided not to disturb me.
Myeongjon. Have you been well and in good health during my absence?
"This venerable one has no physical body, so what talk is there of health? I merely wish to impart a few words of guidance regarding the Scripture of the Dark Demon."
I was just about to begin my cultivation of the Scripture of the Dark Demon. I humbly place myself in your care once again!
Although knowing Myeongjon was watching made me a bit nervous, I began to circulate the internal energy of the Scripture of the Dark Demon that I had cultivated so far.
Rumble.
Drawing up the internal energy from my dantian and inducing the vibrations of Qi through my blood vessels and meridians was now as natural as breathing.
Thump! Thump!
Controlling these vibrations of Qi to prevent them from running wild was also no longer difficult.
I had achieved this during my first solitary retreat, and had spent the following month refining my proficiency.
The problem lay in what came next.
Whenever I tried to amplify the vibrations, they would slip out of my control. Yet, whenever I tried to control them, I couldn't amplify them.
I had absolutely no idea how to take the next step forward.
It was a hurdle for which no answer could be found, no matter how many times I pored over the manual of the Scripture of the Dark Demon.
"Hmm..."
After watching in silence for a while, Myeongjon spoke up again.
"Young Sect Leader, you possess the ability to control the vibrations of demonic arts that would normally run wild and cause deviation. This is a natural talent born from your introversion. You ought to be grateful for being blessed with the gift of introversion."
Yes, Myeongjon.
I temporarily halted the circulation of my internal energy and listened intently to Myeongjon's words.
"What do you believe is the current level of your internal energy?"
I recalled my training session with Instructor Do, where I had successfully destroyed up to the third of the ten wooden puppets but was stopped at the fourth.
I believe I have surpassed the Third-class Realm and entered the early stages of the Second-class Realm.
"By human standards of classification, that would be correct. You have reached a realm that ordinary humans must cultivate for over thirty years to attain, which is an exceedingly rare achievement for someone of your age. So, what must you do from here on?"
Should I not aim to progress to the mid-stage of the Second-class Realm?
"Indeed. Now that you have set foot in this realm, your internal cultivation must show genuine progress not just quantitatively, but qualitatively. Only then can you grasp the state commonly referred to as 'Sword Qi' and ascend to the First-class Realm."
Myeongjon continued.
"An ordinary cultivator would first increase the quantity of their internal energy, and then work on heightening their control over it... But that did not work well for you, did it?"
That is correct.
It was exactly as Myeongjon said.
I had tried to increase my internal energy according to the instructions in the manual, but every single time, the vibrations would inevitably diminish and settle down.
Did Myeongjon know the path I needed to take?
Then, what should I do?
"Because of your introversion, you do not need to cultivate according to the literal text of the manual. Your control over your internal energy is incomparably greater than that of ordinary cultivators. Therefore, you must keep your internal energy under absolute control while expanding it to its absolute limit."
What do you mean by keeping it under absolute control?
"You must completely lock and seal the wild internal energy within your meridians. First, attempt to do this one by one with the six meridians of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, excluding the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel. Begin with the Penetrating Vessel."
Yes, I understand.
Hearing Myeongjon's words, a clear direction for my cultivation began to take shape.
The Penetrating Vessel was the meridian that ran from the Huiyin acupoint at the bottom of the torso, up through the abdomen, and into the chest.
After activating the Scripture of the Dark Demon, I focused all my attention on controlling and sealing the vibrations of Qi passing through each acupoint of the Penetrating Vessel.
Thump! Thump!
"Do not rush. This is not something that can be achieved overnight—"
Even now, the vibrations of Qi were being stably controlled.
To seal them even more stably...
Thump!
"It cannot be done..."
At that moment, I felt like I grasped the trick.
Ruuu... mble.
"...so easily."
It was a bizarre sensation.
While the vibrations of Qi flowing through the rest of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels remained the same, the vibrations passing through the Penetrating Vessel were rapidly weakening.
"Wait, what? Why is this...?"
The change began at the Huiyin acupoint.
It was difficult to explain, but if I had to visualize it...
The Huiyin acupoint, which originally opened in all directions, began to twist and shift its position...
Hummmm—
It felt as though the acupoint itself was reshaping, turning inward to face only the direction of the blood vessels.
It was fascinating.
Once the acupoint twisted and changed its direction, not even the faintest vibration could be felt during the circulation of Qi.
It was as quiet and serene as a calm sea, yet the flow of Qi surging through the vessels beneath was as unstoppable and majestic as a massive ocean current.
"How is he doing that on the very first try...?"
Myeongjon?
"..."
I am focusing right now, so I must ask you to remain quiet for a moment.
"R-Right..."
I could feel the Qi of the Scripture of the Dark Demon flowing silently, steadily, yet fiercely as it completed a full cycle through the twisted vessels of the Huiyin acupoint.
And after that, I didn't need Myeongjon to tell me. I knew.
The introverted nature that allowed me to control the Scripture of the Dark Demon did not originate from my physical body, but from my mind.
My extreme introversion was physically altering Baek Yeon's body.
And here I thought I needed to change my introverted personality.
I had always assumed that my introversion would be a massive obstacle to surviving in this world, especially as the Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult.
I had guessed that as I adapted to this environment, my introversion would gradually shift toward extroversion.
But the reality was the exact opposite.
By cultivating the Scripture of the Dark Demon while pushing my introversion to its absolute limits, my physical body was adapting to match it.
"Young Sect Leader, this is unbelievable. You are truly..."
Myeongjon. Is this not decent enough?
"Decent is an understatement... This venerable one has observed humans for over three hundred years, but..."
And in just three days, as the dozen or so acupoints along my Penetrating Vessel settled into their new positions, allowing me to perfectly control my Qi, I could finally say with absolute certainty:
"I have never even heard of such talent!"
My introversion was not a weakness.
It was quite the opposite.
This introversion, unique to me and different from everyone else, was my greatest strength...
...and it would become my ultimate weapon for survival in this world.