Closed-Door Training
I must have slept quite deeply.
When I opened my eyes, the ceiling of my quarters came into view.
It seemed I had beheaded Sa-an Gwi-gun and then simply passed out right there.
“He can’t possibly still be alive, right?”
I remembered the sensation in my hand.
I had sliced deep into the bastard’s neck.
No matter how superhuman he was, once his throat was cut, the odds of survival were practically nonexistent.
Unless he was the Life-Death Divine Doctor who had shaken the entire Central Plains hundreds of years ago, there was no way he could have survived.
“Haa.”
I rose from my spot.
Though I had killed Sa-an Gwi-gun, the emotion I felt was strangely dull.
He may have been a demonic practitioner, but the man had his own story.
Everyone has a story, of course… but it was still a shame.
Perhaps none of this had to happen.
“Still, that doesn’t justify what he did.”
The man had clearly crossed the line.
If it had been clean revenge within reasonable bounds, maybe. But turning people into lost souls was an entirely different matter.
Not to mention dragging countless innocents into the carnage with him.
“But why was Mu-eok Village left untouched?”
Come to think of it, I had heard that Mu-eok Village was a relatively new settlement.
People had lived there for a long time, but because it was quite far from the mines, it had only recently grown into something resembling a proper village.
Regardless, Sa-an Gwi-gun was dead.
Now the Zhushan Archipelago was about to descend into absolute chaos.
“Young Master, are you awake?”
Muyoung must have sensed my presence outside, because he knocked on the door.
“Yeah. Come in.”
I had been meaning to speak with him anyway. Perfect timing.
Muyoung entered and immediately checked my physical condition.
“Are you all right, Young Master?”
“I’m fine. Actually, I feel even more energetic than before.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration. It was the truth.
It had been the same after I fought Sal-je Do-gon. For some reason, every time I poured out a massive amount of internal energy, my body became incredibly light, as if I could fly.
If that was one of the side effects of demonic energy… maybe it wasn’t so bad after all?
“Ah, I came to deliver this to you.”
Muyoung held out a small sword.
“Oh.”
It was Sa-an Gwi-gun’s small sword.
The blade had a faint crimson glow that made quite an impression.
“I thought about discarding it, but it felt like a waste…”
It certainly didn’t look like an ordinary weapon.
I took the small sword, lightly tossed it up and caught it a few times to gauge its weight.
“You did well.”
This was no ordinary blade.
When I threw it, I heard a very faint metallic clink coming from inside.
A key.
I immediately understood its purpose.
The moment the small sword touched my hand, a chilling, bone-piercing cold crawled up my wrist.
The legion of corpse soldiers that had slaughtered countless orthodox practitioners in my previous life.
The key to opening the gates of that hell was now in my grasp.
With this, I’ve cut off one of their arms in advance.
Sa-an Gwi-gun had created the lost souls.
Their numbers were beyond counting.
Those lost souls were probably swarming in the underground space that only Sa-an Gwi-gun knew about.
The silver lining was that I had killed him before they could fully become corpse soldiers. That alone lifted a massive burden from my shoulders.
“Where is the Red Dragon Unit Leader?”
“Ah, about that… the Red Dragon Unit Leader has been summoned to Geomhonjeon regarding the affairs of the Zhushan Archipelago.”
It couldn’t be helped.
The incident involving the Myoak Merchant Group and the Vice Leader of the Red Dragon Unit would naturally result in reprimands for Ju Yu-ran as well.
It seemed that process had already begun.
I touched the inside of my robe.
It was the ledger I had taken from Beom Jin.
The most crucial record listing every traitor within the family.
Even though Yu-ran was currently suffering, I had no intention of handing this over. Not yet.
I’m sorry, Yu-ran, but for the sake of the bigger picture, I have no choice. I’ll make it up to you later.
The Twelve Demon Emperors and the Four Fiends.
I had to track down and capture every single traitor who might be connected to them.
For that to happen, the Black King Faction needed to do its part.
I would have to place surveillance on each of them. There was a mountain of work ahead.
I put the small sword away for now.
I probably wouldn’t need it, but it was better to be prepared for any contingency.
“By the way, Muyoung.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
I set the small sword down in a corner of the cabinet and turned to him.
“I think I need to prepare for closed-door training.”
“…Pardon? Closed-door training?”
Muyoung’s jaw dropped at the sudden declaration.
Closed-door training at a time like this?
Besides, it wasn’t something anyone could do just because they wanted to.
“Have you already decided?”
“No, I haven’t even told Father yet.”
“Then why closed-door training…? Why now?”
“Hm. Well, you must be feeling it too.”
I shrugged.
“The demonic practitioners’ activities are growing more intense. The ones we’ll face from now on are on a completely different level from what we’ve encountered so far.”
We had taken down the troublesome Blood Hand Poison Emperor and Sa-an Gwi-gun.
That eased some of the immediate pressure, but the real problem came after.
There were still many uniquely twisted and eccentric bastards left.
And from here on, they were opponents I could no longer afford to underestimate in terms of pure martial prowess.
Therefore, the time had come for me to rapidly raise my own realm.
“They’re more cruel and far stronger. The two of us alone wouldn’t stand a chance.”
At our current level, at least.
“Besides, I need to fix the flaws in my martial arts.”
Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi and the White Dragon Sword Scripture.
No matter how fierce the energy or how peerless the sword technique that could claim to be the best under heaven, what use was it if I couldn’t wield it properly?
I had only managed a single strike.
My internal energy had bottomed out after just one attack.
I had managed to kill Sa-an Gwi-gun, but facing Cheonma or the other monstrous Twelve Demon Emperors would be far beyond my current capacity.
I need to fill it. Until it overflows.
This was clearly due to the nature of demonic energy.
Its power was incomparably stronger and more violent than before.
In exchange, it demanded an enormous amount of internal energy.
I had been too busy to pay attention until now, but I had always known I would eventually need to gain complete control over this art.
With my current vessel, I can’t even handle the upper ranks of the Twelve Demon Emperors, let alone Cheonma.
Therefore, I had to fully digest and master all the insights I had gained in my previous life.
“Hmm…”
Muyoung pondered for a moment before nodding.
“If that is what you have decided, Young Master, then I shall follow.”
“You don’t have to come with me. That’s why I’m asking.”
“Aish, why would you say that?”
Muyoung pouted, looking genuinely hurt.
“This is a good opportunity for me to review my own martial arts as well. Why are you trying to run off alone…?”
“All right. If that’s how you feel.”
In the end, Muyoung would be joining me.
Closed-door training literally meant cutting off all contact with the outside world and devoting oneself solely to cultivation.
Meals were reduced to the bare minimum while strengthening both body and mind.
Of course, Taoist immortals supposedly survived on wall-breaking pills or whatever they were called… but after trying them in my previous life, I knew I could never eat that garbage again.
It tasted absolutely foul.
The heavy, musty smell was also far from my preference.
“Then how long will the training last…?”
At Muyoung’s question, I grinned.
“Exactly four months.”
“Four months… that means we’ll come out when the snow starts falling.”
“Probably.”
It had already been four months since my regression.
Now that summer was ending and autumn was just beginning, we would finish our closed-door training at the start of the new year.
“Let’s go.”
I headed straight for Geomhonjeon.
I needed Father’s permission.
Geomhonjeon, the private hall of the Ju Family.
“I was just about to call for you.”
Sword Sovereign Ju Tae-sung said.
Before him, Ju Yu-ran knelt with her head bowed.
It looked like she had received a severe scolding.
“Yes, Father.”
I answered briefly and stood beside Yu-ran.
“You went to the Myoak Merchant Group, I hear?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know something before you went?”
“I knew that demonic practitioner would return, so I went.”
“How did you know that?”
I shrugged as if it were nothing and continued.
“The formation. The same formations I felt on the Zhushan Archipelago. You know them too, don’t you, Father?”
“You recognized them?”
For a moment, Ju Tae-sung’s eyes flashed sharply.
It wasn’t the gentle gaze of a father proud of his son’s growth.
It was the piercing stare of a fierce predator trying to see through whatever was hidden inside me.
A chill ran down my spine.
Oh no.
The level of formation knowledge I had just displayed was not something a fifteen-year-old child should have been able to recognize.
Martial arts were one thing, but this level of sensitivity… had actually grown even sharper than in my previous life.
I had spoken without thinking.
“There were traces of demonic formations. An extremely heinous ritual that used human blood as a sacrifice.”
“Yes, I saw it.”
“If the Red Dragon Unit hadn’t moved in time, not only you but your guard and the Red Dragon Unit Leader would have been buried there. Do you understand?”
“I… didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
I had passed out, so I didn’t remember anything.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t even asked Muyoung how we had escaped.
When I glanced sideways, Yu-ran’s head was tilted at an unnatural angle.
Hah.
I let out a hollow sigh.
I thought she was wallowing in self-blame… but she was actually dozing off.
Truly… so like her.
“It seems the time has come to hold you accountable for your actions.”
Father’s tone suggested he could no longer overlook my behavior.
I quickly spoke up.
“Yes, I will accept it. That’s why I have something else in mind.”
“What is it?”
“I wish to undergo closed-door training.”
At those words, Yu-ran, who had been dozing, jerked her head up and stared at me.
She then stood up and strode toward me.
“Red Dragon Unit Leader.”
At Ju Tae-sung’s stern rebuke, Yu-ran finally came to her senses and stepped back.
His gaze returned to me.
“Closed-door training? You call that taking responsibility?”
“At least while I’m in closed-door training, I won’t cause any more trouble, right? That’s why I’m suggesting it. I believe this is what you want as well, Father.”
Ju Tae-sung fell silent.
From his perspective, my words probably made sense.
Locking me away to prevent me from running around dangerously would be better for everyone’s peace of mind.
“How long?”
“I will return by the new year.”
“Ho, that’s quite long.”
Ju Tae-sung’s eyes gleamed.
His gaze was razor sharp, as if trying to see straight through me.
It was a clear warning not to even think about playing any tricks.
“I permit it.”
“Thank you, Father.”
After some deliberation, Ju Tae-sung finally gave his approval.
“By the way, what have you decided regarding the White Dragon Unit?”
I asked while the topic was fresh.
The position of White Dragon Unit Leader was vacant, and the Vice Leader was currently as good as useless.
In fact, the White Dragon Unit itself had grown considerably weaker compared to before.
“…I am handling it separately. Do not concern yourself with it.”
He was clearly sensitive about the matter.
The moment the White Dragon Unit was touched, Namgung I-hwa’s name would inevitably surface.
No matter how little affection he held for her, she was still his wife in name.
He could not punish her recklessly, nor could he treat the White Dragon Unit—which held critical information about the family—carelessly.
“Then please put it on hold for now.”
I made another proposal.
Ju Tae-sung narrowed his eyes at me.
“What do you mean?”
“After I finish my closed-door training, I will reorganize the White Dragon Unit myself.”
“You? By what means?”
“I have already planted the seeds. I cannot tell you the details yet.”
Seeds.
The well-ripened seed named Vice Leader Yang Gon.
Depending on which path that man chose, my response would change accordingly.
He was a cautious fellow, so he still seemed to be lying low.
But soon he would reveal his true colors.
After thinking it over, Ju Tae-sung nodded.
“I permit it.”
“Thank you.”
I had obtained both authority over the White Dragon Unit’s disposition and permission for closed-door training.
I had gotten everything I could.
Without lingering, I turned around.
Before entering seclusion, I wanted to visit Mother after so long.