What Are You Doing? Look at Me Straight!
“Yong Jeong-heon! Where is Yong Jeong-heon!”
A man who had suddenly appeared from somewhere was a giant who looked nearly nine feet tall. Like the other demonic cultists, he was dressed in pitch-black uniform and wore a mask over his face.
But the direction he was pointing his sword was a bit strange.
“You bastards! Hand over the child!”
[What's this? He's not one of them?]
As Bongmareung muttered, the giant was pointing his sword at the demonic cultists who had me detained and shouting just that.
I too was in a state of shock after confirming the truth of the memory.
Meanwhile, Cheok-san Do-wang drew his massive sword without offering any response.
The next moment, the two clashed head-on.
Boom!
“……!”
It felt like a typhoon had swept through.
Several nearby cultists were flung away as bloody messes, flashes of sword light flickered amid the dust cloud, and blood sprayed in thick spurts.
But neither fell.
The giant who had appeared out of nowhere and Cheok-san Do-wang were locked in a fierce exchange, evenly matched.
[I have no idea what's going on here.]
Bongmareung scratched his head.
[Anyway, you've got 1.8 tenths left until the limit. Get ready to end the circulation.]
I knew it too.
The qi circulation using Hwalyeong-ro incense was slowly hitting its limit.
My entire body's meridians were boiling over to the point of bursting.
'If it drops below one tenth...'
[It could go berserk at any moment! Now it's 1.5 tenths!]
It felt like I'd been thrown into a pit of fire.
Inner energy was accumulating that fast.
Like lighting a firecracker on a galloping horse's tail—a ferocious momentum.
[1.3 tenths! End it now!]
Bongmareung ordered me to stop the qi circulation.
But I didn't.
Questions were swirling in my head.
A monster evenly matched with Great Protector Cheok-san Do-wang.
'Who the hell is that giant?'
He'd been looking for 'Yong Jeong-heon,' not 'Jang Ho-sam,' from the start.
And it seemed he wasn't with the cultists who had razed Seon-mong-hyeon.
Above all, judging by the circumstances, the 'Yong Jeong-heon' that mysterious giant was seeking was none other than me.
That was the biggest question.
'Why call me by that name?'
Did they give me a similar name because I look like Yong Baek-heon?
But I'd never heard that name even once in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
[You fool, it's down to 1.1 tenths! Dangerous!]
Bongmareung was yelling so loud it hurt my ears.
I wanted to end the circulation and escape this illusion right away too.
But I had a feeling that if I held out just a bit longer, I'd uncover some hidden truth.
A very crucial secret.
[Now 0.8 tenths...!]
“Urk!”
The agony of my limbs' meridians tearing apart.
Unable to withstand the rampaging Extreme Heaven Nine Wheels Art, my qi and blood began bursting forth.
Blood sprayed from my mouth as well.
[Please stop! Only 0.5 tenths left. This is really dangerous!]
We were one step away from the limit.
One wrong move, and I'd fall into qi deviation, turning into a madman.
But I gritted my teeth and endured.
Struggling to calm my mind and regain composure.
The fierce clash between the two, like dragons fighting for supremacy, ended right then.
“Enough!”
I didn't know who shouted it.
But the two figures leaped apart from each other.
And I heard Cheok-san Do-wang mutter quietly.
“Senior, I'm sorry, but this fight is one this junior cannot yield. It's an order from the Young Cult Leader himself.”
“You bastard! Aren't you ashamed before our liege in the afterlife...!”
That was it.
I wanted to hear more, but I had to end the circulation.
I couldn't hold out any longer without risking qi deviation.
The pain twisting my limbs and organs felt like it would drive me insane.
The vivid illusion cleared in an instant, and my body slowly toppled backward.
Thud.
“Hahk, haaahk...”
[0.2 tenths! Exactly 0.2 left! You lunatic! One slip and you'd have become a raving maniac for real!]
“Then I could've lasted 0.1 more.”
[You call that talk?!]
A glance back showed the Hwalyeong-ro incense fully burned.
It had been razor-close, but I'd squeezed out the maximum.
Thanks to that, the Extreme Heaven Nine Wheels Art had grown beyond expectations.
[Yes, you've gained two more wheels in one go. I've never seen anyone as reckless as you. Madder than most demonic brutes.]
Bongmareung shook his head with a sigh.
His words snapped me to attention.
My goal had been one more wheel.
Two?
'Does that mean the Extreme Heaven Nine Wheels Art has reached three stars?'
[Indeed.]
It was true.
The energy rings wriggling alone in my dantian had split in succession, becoming triplets.
Thus, I now had three wheels.
Circular bands of power that could be merged or split to imbue different properties.
[For a demonic talent of average gifts, it'd take at least three years to reach this point. Even a genius would need a full year.]
But I'd done it in less than a month.
Thanks to risking the absolute extreme.
[Tch. A guy pursuing the pure demonic path nearly stepped into qi deviation...]
“Hey, I survived, didn't I?”
[You idiot, stepping into qi deviation doesn't kill you. It just turns you into something worse than dead—a raving lunatic!]
“Got it. My bad.”
My head was a mess.
Blood staining my collar, I stared blankly at the weathered ceiling.
The three wheels dancing in my dantian felt exhilarating, like I could fly...
—Yong Jeong-heon! Where is he!
—Hand over the child!
—You bastard! Aren't you ashamed before our liege in the afterlife...!
The final fight and the giant's voice kept replaying in my mind.
The giant who had matched Cheok-san Do-wang blow for blow.
Why had he called me 'Yong Jeong-heon'?
And who was this 'liege in the afterlife' he mentioned at the end?
'If I could just ask Cheok-san Do-wang, it'd all be clear.'
The Great Protector had long since become a ghost, caught in the storm I'd unleashed and the Hyeol-ryeong Gye-ma-sul.
Unlike with Yong Baek-heon, none of his memories had transferred to me.
So I could only lie there, questions unresolved.
But one thing was certain.
[That giant's swordsmanship was the supreme art 'Total White Thunder God Sword.' We can track him down using that as a clue.]
At least we had a new lead.
And I was meeting Ga Bi-cheong tomorrow—maybe I'd learn something new.
* * *
“Here's the food supplies!”
“Ah, thanks.”
Baskets loaded with vegetables, fruits, meat, and more entered Wayong Hall.
Ok Geum-ran and Gyeon So-hee began checking the ingredients and carrying them inside.
But one of the servants who brought the baskets moved slyly.
“Here you go.”
Avoiding Ok Geum-ran's eyes, he approached Gyeon So-hee and slipped her a note.
Gyeon So-hee's expression hardened in an instant, and the servant vanished casually.
With trembling hands, she unfolded the note. It bore only a single short sentence.
-Hurry up.
Neat handwriting.
But the pain clawing at Gyeon So-hee's chest nearly made her collapse right there.
The 'worm' living inside her was writhing violently in response to its master's will, inflicting torment.
It was a command from the Doggo Clan Manor.
'If you don't learn about Young Master Yong Baek-heon's inner energy, you'll die.'
The visceral terror of death gripped her.
It was a fear living and moving within her body.
Right then—
“So-hee, everything okay?”
Ok Geum-ran, holding a fruit basket, was watching her closely.
The girl, trembling with the note in hand, hurriedly shook her head.
“No, nothing's wrong, Senior Sister.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Gyeon So-hee hid the note from the Doggo Clan up her sleeve and began moving the ingredients as if nothing had happened.
But Ok Geum-ran's gaze dissected every little movement.
Especially how her trembling fingertips clutched at her neck and chest.
“Alright, let's prep dinner then.”
Ok Geum-ran nodded quietly and turned away.
But in her mind, a conviction had formed.
'They planted that worm in her. The Doggo Clan controls So-hee with a Tanghyeol-go.'
* * *
The training ground after sunset.
My Gold Orchid sisters had prepared to teach me the five stances of Byeok-san-gwon and the three Bo-sin-gyeong meridians.
With the basics down, it was time for proper lower-body movement.
But first, she brought up something else.
“Ho-sam, it looks like So-hee's ensnared by a Tanghyeol-go.”
[Tanghyeol-go?]
Bongmareung reacted to her words.
I too recalled some info from Yong Baek-heon's memories.
'Right, the Tanghyeol-go.'
The Tanghyeol-go was a demonic parasite and venomous insect that resided near the host's heart, dominating their will.
If the host resisted its master's command, it thrashed inside, heating the blood to inflict pain.
“How'd you figure it out?”
“Watched her for days. Her color's bad, and she always rubs her neck or chest then. Especially when reading notes or such.”
The Tanghyeol-go was sensitive and could recognize writing or drawings.
That's how they controlled hosts from afar.
With it wriggling near the heart, she'd unconsciously touch there.
[Sound reasoning. What vicious bastards. Planting a Tanghyeol-go in such a young girl... Tch, tch, tch.]
Bongmareung clicked his tongue and added,
[If she's truly under its control, it's lucky she didn't barge into your room last night.]
I knew it well.
The Tanghyeol-go was probably active several times a day.
Each time, she'd endure excruciating pain and the fear of death.
'But she never let it show in front of me.'
Gyeon So-hee endured the Tanghyeol-go's torment steadfastly, biding her time.
Even handling Wayong Hall's chores in the meantime—a woman of remarkable mental fortitude.
Far too good to waste as a Doggo Clan pawn.
Ok Geum-ran said firmly,
“We have to draw the Tanghyeol-go out of her body. Then we can save So-hee.”
“But the way to extract that thing...”
I trailed off and glanced at Bongmareung.
The demonic spirit chuckled.
[Do you really need to ask me? You and Lady Ok already know.]
'Just want to be sure.'
[Blood of the command holder.]
As expected.
I swallowed hard inwardly.
The 'command holder's blood' Bongmareung mentioned meant the blood of the one who implanted the parasite.
In other words, the blood of whoever planted the Tanghyeol-go in Gyeon So-hee.
“We'll need Dokgo Hyeop's blood.”
“Yeah.”
Ok Geum-ran sighed.
“If we could just slice open the flesh and yank out the worm, that'd be easier.”
A chilling suggestion.
But getting Dokgo Hyeop's blood felt even harder.
And forcibly extracting a Tanghyeol-go was impossible to begin with.
Sensing harm, it burrowed deeper, rampaged, and killed the host on the spot.
“Can we pull it off...?”
I could hear the slight tremor in Ok Geum-ran's voice.
I scratched my head.
Honestly, I couldn't promise for sure.
It wasn't part of my plans.
But no need to be negative here.
“Let's try. As best we can.”
“Yeah. Let's do it.”
That was all we could say for now.
Ok Geum-ran forced a smile and changed the subject.
“Alright, shall we start today's training?”
“I'm ready.”
With that, she flung off her robe.
I couldn't help but flinch.
“S-Sis?”
“What?”
“......”
Today, she wore narrow-legged pants tied with gaiters.
Her long, slender legs' contours stood out vividly.
The cloudless sky, with moon and stars shining mischievously bright, only accentuated it.
“I-Isn't that outfit a bit too revealing...?”
I averted my eyes and cleared my throat.
[Heh, what a cute kid! Martial artists have different ideas about modesty between men and women! Especially us demons.]
Even so, this felt excessive.
But Ok Geum-ran didn't seem to care at all.
“Ho-sam, look at me straight. From this stage on, leg movements are crucial, right? Watch how I move properly.”
The five stances of Byeok-san-gwon.
And the three types of Bo-sin-gyeong began to unfold.