Demonic Arts
I opened my eyes exactly ten days later.
My body still wasn’t sturdy enough to handle that much power, so I had lost consciousness. Moreover, this was the first time I had ever operated the demonic arts.
Simply surviving without dying or falling into qi deviation was already a blessing.
“Ugh.”
I forced myself upright. There wasn’t a single ounce of strength left in my entire body. On top of that, the bitter taste in my mouth suggested they had simply poured medicine down my throat.
The moment I rose from the bed, someone approached. At first my vision was blurry, so I couldn’t make out who it was. I only recognized them by their voice.
“Are you awake?”
It was Mong Yu-baek, the great hero.
“Yes.”
Even answering shortly was incredibly difficult. My voice was hoarse and my lips were completely dry. Just that single word caused cold sweat to pour down my entire body.
“It seems you’re still not fully recovered.”
Mong Yu-baek gently laid me back down on the bed.
“I sent word to your family. They should be sending someone from the Ju Clan soon.”
“……Ah, yes.”
I nodded. There was no way to hide this anyway. Still, there was one thing that worried me.
This was the first time I had properly drawn out my demonic arts, and everyone had witnessed it. One wrong move and I could end up with my dantian sealed.
If it’s Father… he would definitely do it.
He was the man who hated the Demonic Path more than anything else in the world. In the past, I had never been caught because I never properly operated the demonic arts. But the moment I used it, the inner energy inside my dantian had already transformed into the ferocious aura unique to demonic arts.
If this is my fate…
There was nothing I could do. I could only face it head-on. If it really came down to it… well, I’d just have to run away.
“I did not speak of your demonic arts.”
“……”
Had he read my inner thoughts? Mong Yu-baek suddenly said something unexpected.
“You seemed to have your reasons, so I kept my mouth shut.”
“Thank you, Villa Lord.”
Wow. I was saved. I couldn’t hide my relief.
“However, I must know the reason. That demonic art… how did you learn it? Does anyone in your family know about this?”
They probably did. Above all, Father and my youngest uncle had seen right through my condition. Still, since I had never properly operated the demonic energy I originally possessed, they had likely overlooked it.
Originally, unrefined martial arts were often mistaken for the crude techniques of the Black Path. So they might have simply assumed that associating with the Black Path had mixed some rough energy into me.
“Can you explain it to me?”
I slowly looked into Mong Yu-baek’s eyes. It was a worried question.
“It’s not that I deliberately learned it.”
“Then… you’re saying you learned demonic arts without even realizing it?”
“Yes.”
Demonic arts were an unknown realm to the people of the Righteous Path. No matter how I explained it, they were the kind of thing that would make people furious and call it nonsense. I couldn’t exactly say, “I tested theories I researched in my previous life,” so I felt just as frustrated.
Mong Yu-baek seemed to think I simply didn’t want to explain.
“I see. You must have your reasons.”
This was as far as Mong Yu-baek could pry. After all, he couldn’t interfere in another family’s internal affairs.
“Thank you for keeping it a secret from my family.”
“Haha, I’m not sure if I should be doing this.”
Mong Yu-baek’s gaze continued to tremble, as if he were truly conflicted.
“Please. Keep everything regarding the demonic arts a secret.”
“……”
Mong Yu-baek pondered for a moment before finally nodding.
“But couldn’t a dangerous situation arise?”
“That won’t happen. Even if it does, I will take my own life.”
Before that, I would find some way. There were countless demonic practitioners in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of Xinjiang who had learned demonic arts and remained perfectly fine. If they could do it, so could I.
Even after hearing my words, Mong Yu-baek let out a sigh, still unable to feel at ease.
“I will keep it secret. You saved my life and the lives of everyone in this villa. Consider this a small repayment.”
“Thank you. By the way……”
Suddenly, a question occurred to me.
“Do you know who those bastards were?”
“I do not. But I know what they were after.”
The worry on Mong Yu-baek’s face deepened even further.
“What were they after?”
That man had clearly said they were after me. But even before that, they had already infiltrated Mong Family Villa. Even if they knew I was coming, there was no reason for them to sneak in here just to draw me out. It would have been far safer and easier for them to meet me outside.
That meant they had been aiming for something else.
“Yeo-rin.”
“Pardon?”
“My granddaughter. Yeo-rin must have been their target.”
“What do you……?”
My face naturally crumpled into a frown. Why was Mong Yeo-rin’s name suddenly being brought up?
“That child lost her parents when she was very young. I lost both my only son and my daughter-in-law.”
Just recalling that time, Mong Yu-baek’s expression looked painful beyond mere sadness.
“It’s because of that child’s special constitution. You must have noticed it.”
“Ah, you mean… that inner energy.”
Of course I knew. The moment I first saw her, I had sensed the enormous energy crouching inside her body. That was why I thought the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly would become quite interesting because of her…….
“She has been attacked frequently since she was young. At first I thought it was the Black Path, but it wasn’t.”
The attacks grew increasingly excessive. The opponents became stronger and stronger, and Mong Family Villa fell into crisis every time. The unidentified assailants kept coming, and Mong Yu-baek had to drive them back each time.
“However, this time the opponents were people I had never seen before.”
“……”
Sura Blood Cult. If those bastards had been after Mong Yeo-rin, they wouldn’t have come so openly. With their skill, secretly kidnapping her would have been far easier and faster.
Yet they had still crawled in through the front gate.
It’s because of me.
They had shown themselves on purpose. They had simply sent an advance party to gauge me. Just as I had noticed them, they had also taken information about me.
“So that’s why you arranged the marriage……”
“It’s not only because of that. At the very least, I wanted to see that child live like a proper human being at least once. I thought that if it was the Ju Clan… she would be safe.”
“Hmm.”
I fell into thought. Hearing such a story didn’t suddenly make me want to get married. What I was curious about was what kind of constitution would cause her to be exposed to enemy attacks from such a young age. And who exactly had her parents been fighting when they died?
Those were the things I wanted to know. But there was no need to remind a father who was already grieving the death of his child by asking about it again. So I kept my mouth shut.
Mong Yu-baek remained silent for a long time before staring at my face again. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
“I do not wish to force you and Yeo-rin together. That would be nothing but my own greed.”
Mong Yu-baek turned away as he spoke.
“Please protect her. You are the only one I can ask.”
“Who am I supposed to protect? I’m busy just trying to survive……”
“How much longer do you think I have left to live? When I think about leaving my granddaughter alone in this rough and violent murim……”
“I suppose I can at least be her friend.”
I’m sorry, but I have a lot of work to do, sir. I have no intention of getting entangled in a hasty relationship.
Those words swirled in my mouth before disappearing. In any case, although Mong Yu-baek looked somewhat disappointed by my answer, he eventually nodded.
“Villa Lord, you must come out quickly.”
At that moment, a guard warrior came running and delivered a message.
“What is it?”
Mong Yu-baek immediately grabbed his sword.
“T-that is… from the Ju Clan… that……”
“Speak clearly. What about the Ju Clan?”
“The, the Sword Sovereign has come in person. The Blood Sovereign great hero is with him as well……”
Oh dear. Father and my youngest uncle had come together?
Was it all right for the two greatest powers of the family to leave at the same time?
As I was thinking that, Mong Yu-baek had already opened the door.
“Oh, please come in.”
Outside the door stood two familiar figures.
Sword Sovereign, Ju Tae-sung. He was looking this way with an indifferent expression. Blood Sovereign, my youngest uncle, came running straight toward me.
“Woo-jin!”
My uncle looked down at me lying in bed, his eyes wide.
“What happened? Let me see. Where are you hurt?”
“I’m fine……”
“Aigoo, there’s a scab… Who did this? Was it the Black Pavilion?”
“No, I’m really fine right now……”
“I’ll go kill those bastards right now. These worthless……”
“Uncle, please.”
I urgently stopped my uncle, who was getting worked up and rampaging.
“I’m all right. It wasn’t the Black Pavilion either.”
“Hmm? Really?”
Ju Tae-hwi quickly calmed his excitement. Then he sat beside me and placed his hand on my chest.
“……?”
Suddenly, my uncle’s expression hardened sharply. It seemed he had detected the traces of the demonic arts manifesting.
“This energy……”
The same was true for Father. Ju Tae-sung, who had been talking with Mong Yu-baek, instantly rushed over and grabbed my wrist.
“……”
And then he looked down at me with a cold expression.
“Demonic arts. And it’s an aura I’ve never seen before.”
The secret I had promised to keep with Mong Yu-baek looked like it was about to become completely meaningless.
“Patriarch, I will explain.”
I hurriedly sat up and spoke urgently.
“Can you control it?”
“The demonic arts… Pardon? Ah, yes.”
It was an abrupt question.
“Then it’s fine.”
At the sight of Ju Tae-sung turning away, both I and Mong Yu-baek tilted our heads in confusion. I had never dreamed he would accept it so easily.
“We’ll talk later.”
Leaving those words behind, Ju Tae-sung left the room with Mong Yu-baek.
Left alone with my youngest uncle, I opened my mouth.
“Is it all right for both of you to come together?”
“Hm? What do you mean? Ah, the family?”
My youngest uncle nodded immediately.
“What could possibly happen just because we’re not there? Who would dare retaliate against us?”
That was true, but if the opponent was one of the Twelve Demon Lords of the Demonic Cult, the story changed. A huge gap had opened in the family’s fighting power.
“Anyway, about that demonic art of yours. Even if my brother—no, the Patriarch—lets it slide, I cannot.”
“……”
“Where and how did you learn it? Did someone force it into you? Don’t tell me it happened back then at Okhwa Mountain……”
I let out a short sigh.
“Uncle, you don’t need to worry. I can control it sufficiently……”
“Control? That’s what you think. How can someone who learned the martial arts of the Righteous Path possibly be fine after learning demonic arts that are practically its polar opposite!”
His gaze pierced through me sharply. But then, in a gentle voice, he took my hand.
“Woo-jin.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“If anything happens, tell this uncle of yours. Even if it’s hard to tell the Patriarch, you still have me.”
I knew. He was the one who always stood firmly behind me. The one who would rush over before even Father to check on me whenever something happened.
“I was going to tell you anyway.”
Now… now it seemed like the time to speak. About the Demonic Cult’s aggression. And about a few truths I knew.
Now that a new enemy called the Blood Cult had appeared, it seemed difficult to face both of them alone.
“When both the Patriarch and Uncle are together. Then I will tell you everything.”
The air inside the room rapidly grew cold.