Chapter 35: The Sword That Most Captivated My Heart
By absorbing the death sword of the Myriad-Year Fox Demon, I'd gained Formless Sword and restored my true demonic energy. My wounds had healed cleanly too, so I resumed training with Sister Geum-ran.
Finally, she'd passed on Cloud Sea Return Species Step, Spirit King Wind, and Sea Sky Heavenly Wing in full. To be precise, since she hadn't fully mastered them herself, I'd learned them up to the point where she had.
Sister Geum-ran examined my progress and gave her verdict.
"Cloud Sea Return Species Step and Spirit King Wind look like mid-third star... and Sea Sky Heavenly Wing is late-third star."
[Your Body Protection Scripture is already pushing toward fourth star? You're truly a monstrous one. Hohoho!]
Bongmareung laughed merrily. But Sister kept a straight face. Apparently, my growth rate didn't surprise her anymore.
"Ho-sam, you've learned everything I can teach. Now it's time for the Heavenly Demon's martial arts."
"But Sister...?"
"What?"
"Are you crying right now?"
"No. Just got some dust in my eye. Sniff."
Dust in your eye doesn't make your nose run. Bongmareung, watching, burst out laughing.
[Lady Ok seems a bit miffed. She must feel lonely now that she won't be teaching you martial arts anymore. Hohoho!]
I just smiled quietly. Truth be told, I didn't fully get women's feelings, but training under her had taught me plenty. The biggest takeaway? Gratitude.
This woman with unyielding loyalty, who'd even charged at the Young Cult Leader for my sake. I gripped her hand tightly.
"Sister, thank you so much for being my master. I'll never forget the lessons you gave me."
"......"
"And please take care of me from now on too. You've got plenty more to teach me, right?"
For some reason, her face flushed red. She yanked her hand away and blew her nose with a honk.
Then, putting on a stern face, she said, "Right. Training's over, but once a master, always a master. I'll check your progress regularly, and from now on, I won't hold back on my inner energy either. Got it?"
"Huh? No holding back on inner energy? Uh, do we have to go that far...?"
"Of course."
Honestly, her saying she'd unleash Four Demons Blood Art without restraint was a little scary. Anyway, once she'd said her piece, she bolted like she was fleeing.
Bongmareung giggled again. [She's blushing hard. What a perfect time...]
What're you talking about?
[No need to know. You dolt.]
Anyway, my initial goal of "basic training" was complete. I'd learned fundamental fist techniques and grasped the principles of Body Protection Scripture for body movement. Now it was time to learn the Heavenly Demons' arts from Bongmareung—especially the sword arts that handled King of All Diseases.
I had to start with the swordsmanship Yong Baek-heon had boasted about. The bastard wielded nine sword arts freely like a genius.
Bongmareung spoke up. [As we discussed before, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's sword arts divide into three types: Dominant Sword, Swift Sword, and Illusory Sword. Here's a question—answer it.]
Shoot.
[Of the three, which do you think suits you best?]
Suits me best...?
It was such an unexpected question that I was stumped for a moment. Knowing only White Dragon Flying Open Sword, how could I say which fit me?
How should I know? I'd have to learn them one by one to find out.
[Tch!]
Bongmareung clicked his tongue like it was absurd. He stared at me intently and spoke again. [You've already learned all three: Dominant Sword, Swift Sword, and Illusory Sword. Don't you get it?]
Me...?
I had no idea what he meant. The only sword art I'd learned was White Dragon Flying Open Sword.
Then it hit me—a small realization. Something Bongmareung had said before.
—Among the three, Dominant Sword reigns supreme. Why? Because it encompasses both Swift Sword and Illusory Sword.
And he'd called Geom-cheon-ma's White Dragon Flying Open Sword, which I'd learned, the pinnacle of Dominant Sword. In other words, I held a sword art that lorded over all others. Which meant White Dragon Flying Open Sword contained elements of Swift Sword and Illusory Sword too.
Come to think of it, it had stances with different flavors. Some for speed battles, others focused on bewildering the foe.
[Exactly. Now, which of those suits you best?]
Thanks to Yong Bi-jeong's lingering will, I had all of White Dragon Flying Open Sword's stances etched in my mind. If I had to pick the one that most captivated me...
Probably Ruin Mountain Annihilation? It's the ultimate stance, after all.
With it, I'd crushed Yong Chang-heon and severed the Guard Commander's arm. Of course it was my favorite.
But Bongmareung shook his head. [Fool! Just because it's last doesn't make it ultimate, and you can't say it suits you best simply because you used it well!]
Then what?
[Think deeper. Among all those stances, the one that most drew your heart. Ask yourself that.]
White Dragon Flying Open Sword had thirty-six stances. The one that most pulled at me...
I sank into thought, and soon one surfaced. Midway through the relentless sword sequence.
Thunder Overflowing the Azure Sky
Lightning overflowing from the blue sky. It was incredibly complex, and I had no clue how to wield it properly, yet strangely, it had lingered in my mind since the start.
Bongmareung grinned. [That's it. Azure Sky Overflowing Thunder blends Dominant Sword and Illusory Sword. The answer's clear.]
What answer?
[I'll teach you Asura Heavenly Chaos Sword Method first. You'll gain a sword that completely deceives the eye and strikes the unguarded vital in one breath. It'll be the root of your swordsmanship.]
The root of my swordsmanship...
[It suits you perfectly. You're a pickpocket at heart, after all.]
Now that he mentioned it, yeah. Deceiving and stabbing—that was my specialty. Bongmareung nodded in satisfaction, then grasped a long shadow like it was part of himself. A pitch-black sword.
[Watch closely. This is Asura Heavenly Chaos Sword Method.]
A flurry of sword dance unfolded. I couldn't tear my eyes away.
The black blade danced under the moonlight, mesmerizing like ink painting a flowering tree. Contrary to its name—ghosts disrupting the heavens—it was breathtakingly beautiful.
* * *
Vice Cult Leader Yong Hyeon-seok came to see me. Like Dang Cheon-gung-ma before, he brought a dozen protectors and entered Wayong Hall.
"Ordinary cultist Yong Baek-heon, step forward to receive the decree."
"Yes, Vice Cult Leader."
His demeanor was mild, and since I'd been expecting this, I stepped out meekly.
The Vice Cult Leader handed me a letter from the Grand Cult Leader. It held the same contents as before, plus one new line.
Tomorrow morning, I will send your first challenger to Wayong Hall. Prepare yourself.
There will be no more delays.
Now I had to accept Beom Se-un's challenge. That final line confirmed it—no more delays.
I bowed slightly. "Understood. I'll prepare."
"Good. I wish you luck."
Then Yong Hyeon-seok glanced back at the protectors. They were rolling their eyes, thrown off by how different I was from when Dang Cheon-gung-ma visited.
"You lot, head back. I'll have tea with my nephew and go."
"Ah, yes, Vice Cult Leader."
It was kinda funny watching them sneak glances at me before slinking away in disappointment. They'd probably come ready to borrow his authority and chew me out if I acted up again—but no such luck.
So why did Yong Hyeon-seok want tea time? What did he have to say?
As the tea set sat before us, he got to the point.
"There was an intruder in the Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum."
"......"
I poured every ounce of effort into keeping a straight face. Never expected the mausoleum to come up from the Vice Cult Leader of all people.
Still, play dumb. "Really? No way! What lunatic would break into the Ten Thousand Demons Mausoleum?"
"The losses weren't huge. Just two relics gone."
"Lucky break."
"But the Guard Commander's destruction has given us headaches. Replacing mausoleum commanders isn't easy."
He murmured quietly over his tea. I pondered.
Is he testing me? Nah, not his style.
Unlike Yong Jin-seok, Yong Hyeon-seok wasn't one for schemes. Demonic by affiliation, but good-hearted by nature.
Sure enough, he shifted topics. "Baek-heon, aren't you curious what the two missing relics are?"
"Out of all those artifacts, they picked just two. Yeah, I'm curious."
"One has nothing to do with you, but the other... it's your father's."
"My father's? What...?"
I paused, then twisted my face and spoke. "You mean that white mask?"
"Yes. You remember. Myriad Changes Ghost Face."
Time to show anger. I tensed my eyes and fists. Crack—the teacup in my hand shattered.
Yong Hyeon-seok raised a hand lightly. "Calm down. I'm working to find the culprit."
"Any leads?"
I swallowed dryly. If they had a clue, it was big trouble. I already had one worry.
I didn't recover that broken blade shard.
It could be a fatal clue to my identity. But what came next flipped everything.
"There were marks on the mausoleum ceiling from a blade embedded and pulled out. We're examining the technique used to breach the relic vault too. Superb martial arts, but a clever head on top."
Embedded and pulled out? Just marks?
Impossible. I'd fled without retrieving the broken blade. Did another thief hit the place?
As my head spun, Bongmareung chimed in. [Focus on what's important. You're not under suspicion yet, right?]
True.
If I were, Yong Hyeon-seok wouldn't be chatting like this. The man was too honest for plots.
So, pivot to the earlier topic. "Uncle, can we recover my father's lost heirloom?"
It was what Yong Baek-heon would say. Yong Hyeon-seok nodded gravely.
"Don't worry. Your uncle will do his utmost to catch the thief and retrieve the Myriad Changes Ghost Face."
"Thank you. I trust only you, Uncle."
As Yong Dae-seok's youngest brother and Yong Baek-heon's little uncle, he vowed it.
Seizing the momentum, I dropped the key question.
"But what's the Myriad Changes Ghost Face for? Grandfather never said, but do you know, Uncle?"
Even with it in hand, I hadn't figured it out. There was definitely something hidden, though.
As Yong Dae-seok's youngest and current Vice Cult Leader, surely Yong Hyeon-seok knew something. He thought a moment, then slowly spoke.
"The Myriad Changes Ghost Face is......"