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Boom—! Boom!

The cave was filled with heavy, thundering sounds, so intense that the vibrations could be felt outside. The noise persisted for quite a while.

It wasn’t terribly long by the clock, but experiencing it firsthand felt like an eternity in hell.

Boom—! Boom!

I was currently engaged in a sparring match with the Pejon.

How long had it been since we started? It felt like just a bit more than a moment had passed.

Despite that short time, I was already drenched in sweat.

Logically, this shouldn’t happen, but given how I was focusing with extreme intensity, the energy consumption was no joke.

Not to mention—

‘What kind of sparring is this…!’

Sure, it was called a sparring match, but it felt more like cruel bullying. Actually, sparring with the Pejon was generally like that, but today was especially intense.

Whoosh—! The Pejon’s shoulder moved.

Upon confirming this, there was no time to think of a method. I had to react instinctively.

I quickly pulled my head back. A punch grazed the spot where my head had just been, aimed directly at my chin.

Just when I thought I had narrowly avoided that, suddenly, my leg got caught.

I realized it was an attempt to throw off my balance. I immediately threw my body onto the ground, rolling to avoid getting knocked over by the Pejon’s foot.

I rolled and tumbled for a significant time.

Driven by defiance, I charged forward to land a hit, but my face smashed into the wall.

I was stronger and faster, yet despite that, I couldn’t even graze the hem of his outfit.

What was the difference? Even as I was thrown around, I struggled to find that difference.

I still couldn’t see it.

Not yet. So I had to search harder.

Ducking punches and avoiding kicks, my eyes darted around. I couldn’t take more than a second to look at my opponent from head to toe. I had to be quicker.

I found it.

Two openings stood out.

However—

‘That old man.’

As soon as I saw the openings, I frowned. That was a trap.

That damned old man wouldn’t just casually reveal any gaps like that.

What a pain; I couldn’t see any other openings.

He set a trap and hid the other escape routes.

If I set foot there, it would be the end. Even knowing that, my fist was already reaching out.

I thought it was better to try something rather than stop.

There was no chance to hesitate. I just had to go forward.

Reaching out for the openings, I judged the angle and speed to ensure I would reach him before he could react.

Just as my fist was about to strike the Pejon’s side—

Swish—!

An unknown sensation reversed my view.

Bang—!

My body spun once before crashing to the ground.

I gasped as the impact hit my back.

“Ha….”

And once again, it ended like this…

“…!”

Just as I was catching my breath, I dodged a punch that came barreling at me.

Right after that, Bam—! The fist slammed down at the spot where my head had been. If I hadn’t dodged, I would have been a mess.

Startled by the unexpected shock, I sprang up. As soon as I stood, I shouted at the Pejon.

“Is it not over!? You’re throwing punches out of nowhere! Who are you trying to kill?!”

The Pejon chuckled at my absurd tone and replied.

“Oh, I totally forgot.”

“Forgot…? Sir, you’re smiling right now.”

“Old age makes one smile more, you know.”

That’s a lie. He just tried to hit me for real a second ago.

The smile on the Pejon’s face definitely held a hint of regret.

That old man definitely wanted to smash my face in.

“…You’re just taking your anger out on me, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Pejon was playing dumb, but it was obvious.

When I mentioned to my father that I was his disciple, he pretended to laugh it off, but the moment the sparring began, he came at me much more aggressively than usual.

“I’ve already been suffering with one eye; do you plan to ruin the other one too?”

“Well, wouldn’t it look better to take out both rather than have one be different?”

“Better? Not a chance… ugh!”

The Pejon’s fist struck the back of my head with a sharp thud.

He didn’t seem to be putting in much effort, yet my head felt all tingly.

“Your manner of speaking is getting stranger. You definitely weren’t like that at first.”

That was just courtesy at the start. Who could possibly talk nicely after being beaten up for months?

Well, in my case, it was impossible.

“Seeing your eyes, I can tell you’re discontent. From all I see, it seems like I should be the one getting angry.”

The Pejon sighed at my response. He was talking about the issue of my father finding out I was training under him.

Looking at me in disappointment, the Pejon said,

“You couldn’t even hide that much, and you’ve escalated the situation.”

I really had no rebuttal for that.

“…It sort of happened… accidentally.”

“What sort of ‘sort of happened’ is that? I clearly said not to use it until I allowed you.”

“…Ugh.”

“I never would have thought my disciple would turn out to be such a troublemaker…”

“I just got carried away and used it without thinking.”

“Ha, well, now you know. You should be using that energy of yours instead.”

“…”

I swallowed hard at his words. The energy he was referring to was the Ma-gi (Demon Energy).

During our previous encounter with the Heavenly Demon, the Pejon had witnessed my transformation into a demon. He knew I had another power inside me.

As the Pejon said, if I used Ma-gi, it might have been better.

“That… I’d rather not use it if I can help it.”

Using Ma-gi is not the stance I want to show to others.

As I hesitated, the Pejon clicked his tongue sympathetically.

“I won’t pry too much into your circumstances, but make sure to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

“…Yes.”

The Pejon didn’t ask any further questions about my powers.

What mattered to him was simply whether I could learn the Tua Pacheonmu or not.

I, too, didn’t wish to relive those memories.

When the Pejon was on the verge of being consumed by Ma-gi, I was the one who extracted it from him.

If I had left him alone, no matter how adept he was at the Bet, he wouldn’t have lasted long.

Meanwhile, I had even entertained the disgusting idea of getting rid of the Pejon since I had been caught.

Truly reviling.

If I could, I’d want to believe it was the influence of becoming a demon.

‘But that’s also me.’

That grotesque and revolting human was still part of me.

“Lost in thought again, huh? It seems like your body isn’t warmed up yet.”

“…Nope.”

The Pejon seemed to vaguely catch on to my slight touch of evil spirit.

Of course, that wouldn’t mean he could fix it.

The Pejon wasn’t that sort of character, either.

“We’ll stop chatting here.”

I focused my ears on the Pejon’s tone, which cut off the discussion.

“In the last moment, what led you to make such a choice?”

The Pejon had now started discussing the reflection on the sparring.

He was asking why I had dug into the opening, knowing it was a trap.

When you ask why…

“I couldn’t see any openings elsewhere.”

That was the only reason.

“So you made the choice to go for the trap instead?”

“Yes.”

“Then would it not have been better to choose a different spot even if it seemed there were no openings?”

“I thought you would think that, so I tried to deviate a bit. Though it didn’t work.”

“…Hmm.”

It seemed the Pejon wasn’t entirely satisfied with my answer and wore a somewhat ambiguous expression.

“While it’s not a wrong choice… Ah, I see.”

“Yes.”

“The biggest problem with your methodology is that you don’t consider the potential harm that might come to you.”

The harm that might come to me.

Just as I was about to wonder what that exactly meant—

“Whether your arms get crushed, your legs get broken, or you even lose your life, you just charge in without thinking.”

“Ah.”

“It’s great that you aren’t afraid of pain and don’t fear danger. Nevertheless, you must view reality with a different perspective during an actual battle.”

I somewhat resonated with the Pejon’s words. Just like he said, I had a habit of charging headfirst without considering the aftermath.

In a previous life, the Sleeping Dragon had even said that looking perfectly fine despite fighting like that was a sign of divine intervention.

“…In this case, yes. It’s a good thing you have a fine teacher, so you should be fine.”

“Yes? A fine teacher? Who’s teaching me…?”

“And make sure to remember, until I give permission, do not use the Tua Pacheonmu in an actual fight.”

The Pejon warned me again with a serious expression.

“Because you’re trying to use something that hasn’t been completely assimilated?”

“That’s also a reason, but the important thing is—”

Thud, thud. The Pejon stood up and looked at me.

“If you use it recklessly, your body might be damaged.”

“Yes…?”

My eyes widened at the Pejon’s words. That was something I’d never heard before.

Damaged?

Seeing the confusion on my face, the Pejon began to explain with a somewhat awkward expression.

“The pain you feel when you use martial arts is due to your body adapting and changing to fit the martial technique.”

That was something I felt since I started learning the Tua Pacheonmu.

This was one of the reasons I had thought the Pejon was a nonsensical person.

The fact that the body changes to match the martial arts is similar to forcibly undergoing a transformation of the body.

It was like artificially creating the Heavenly Martial Body.

The incomprehensible pain that came during that process was something that would be unbearable for anyone normal. But if I could endure, it would hold value higher than any other martial arts.

It was all the more astounding that the Pejon had created such a martial arts on his own.

“During that process… if you encounter unexpected shocks or use it excessively, it could lead to some… minor issues…”

“…What kind of issues?”

“It’s nothing serious.”

“From your expression, it seems like it’s definitely not nothing.”

“Just the possibility that your heart might momentarily stop or your Blood Qi might get tangled.”

“…”

What’s ‘just fine’ about that?

After hearing the Pejon’s words, a moment of dizziness swept over me. That meant I could die or fall into a state of flux if I messed up.

I immediately questioned him, speaking as if to argue.

“Why am I just hearing something so important now…?”

“And that’s why I said not to use it until I gave my permission.”

“If I had heard this, I would have used it even less!”

“Come on. How was I supposed to know? You suddenly wanted to start a fight while using that!”

The Pejon spat out his words in disbelief, and I couldn’t help but feel the same kind of surprise.

Why didn’t he tell me something so crucial?

That statement could mean I could’ve died.

‘Then… did my father foresee that much?’

The reason my father suddenly knocked my consciousness away with one hit.

At the time, I thought it was because he thought using two kinds of power was dangerous. But it might not have been just that.

“Anyhow… this time I was lucky, so I got away with it…”

“Anyhow?”

“Next time, you must be really careful.”

Though the Pejon seemed to try to brush it off casually, I had to admit I had made a mistake.

With a feeling of a bit of unfairness still lingering, I glared secretly at the Pejon as he asked me something else.

“When do you plan to depart for Sichuan?”

For a moment, I thought I’d been caught glaring.

“I intend to leave within seven days at the latest.”

It wasn’t exact, so I needed to discuss it with those who would go with me, but at least I thought it would be around seven days.

In the meantime, there were a few things I had to deal with in Hanam.

Furthermore—

“Are you sure about this?”

I also intended to put an end to my worries regarding the discussion with the Pejon in this cave.

This cave had been prepared for practicing the Tua Pacheonmu.

The condition laid down by the Pejon was to dig through the cave using only the core principle of the Tua Pacheonmu, so I needed to finish it before leaving.

“Seven days will be tight, won’t it?”

He spoke as if worried, but with a smirk on his face, it was clear he was enjoying this.

Sure enough, that old man wasn’t exactly the easy-going type.

“If worst comes to worst, I can just cut down on sleep.”

“Such a carefree attitude! You don’t seem too convincing.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult…?”

“How do you think it sounds to you?”

“Sounds like an insult.”

“Correct. You’re making good guesses.”

That damned old man.

Listening to the Pejon’s pointless jokes, I got up.

It was about time to stop resting, after all. I had a busy schedule ahead.

After catching my breath from the exhausting sparring, I knocked on the cave wall.

Immediately, I drew upon the core technique of the Tua Pacheonmu, the Tua Pacheon Gong, into my body.

A searing pain surged throughout my body.

Kuuuuu—! The sensation of being tightly bound and the anguish roiling inside felt as if someone were stabbing me from within.

Adapting to this pain was still challenging.

Looking at my state, the Pejon chuckled and said,

“You keep insisting it’s hard, but your expression doesn’t change at all.”

“What difference does it make if I show it or not?”

“Such a persistently stubborn brat. Ah, that’s actually a compliment.”

“…If that’s a compliment, I don’t feel that good about it.”

I let out a deep sigh before I started punching towards the cave.

Bang—! Vibrations resonated throughout the cave, prompting the Pejon to turn his back.

“Then you keep struggling.”

As the Pejon began to walk away, I asked,

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go, of course.”

With a curt reply, the Pejon walked towards the cave’s entrance.

He then turned to glance at me, who was immersed in training, and whispered something.

“My disciple’s father is calling for a meeting. I have to go see him.”

The Pejon wore an expression of irritation as he exited the cave, leaping into the air.

His destination was certainly a place of camaraderie.

On an unnamed mountain in Sichuan, strange rumors had been spreading recently.

The rumor was that there was a demon beast that could speak human language living in the mountain.

Though it was a ridiculous rumor and few people believed it, those who encountered it were convinced it was not mere gossip.

Active only at night, the demon beast would showcase its muscular build and roar.

After wreaking havoc, only a mess was left behind as evidence of its presence.

When the sword team members arrived to check out the rumor and completed their search, they returned with a vacant, dazed expression, confirming there was no demon beast, but people just shook their heads and said:

-They must’ve seen a frightful demon beast and were paralyzed with fear! -That can’t be the case; there’s no way they’d have such expressions otherwise!

As those bizarre rumors began to circulate, an unidentified man perched on a rock in the mountain was passing the time.

For some reason, he was flaunting his impressive muscles, having discarded his upper clothes.

His face was obscured by a scruffy beard and messy hair, making it impossible to discern his age.

In one hand, he held a freshly grilled fish, evidence of his hunger, as he promptly took a big bite.

In his other hand, he held a letter, but despite chewing his food vigorously, his eyes were glued to the letter.

As he slowly read through it, the man suddenly frowned.

“Hey, when will you stop messing around with fish?”

The man seemed displeased, but there was no one around to hear his rant.

“Should a sage only graze on grass? If that’s the case, why didn’t you say anything when I ate that cow before? Ugh….”

Was it the man’s remarks that provoked it? The item fastened to his waist began to vibrate slightly.

Feeling it, the man started shouting at the empty air.

“Ah! Don’t yell! Do you think I’m holding back from yelling? Seriously, your temper is outrageous. Can’t you settle down a bit? Last time, I saved a village, and you promised to keep quiet for a while. How come you’re contradicting yourself?”

Click, click. The man kept clicking his tongue in annoyance, and the vibrating object pulsated even more.

Eventually, feeling the vibration, the man, looking annoyed, yanked the object from his waist and tossed it away.

“Just sit there and cool your head. I’ll pick it up later.”

The dropped stick started to vibrate like crazy, as if in anger.

The man snickered dismissively and resumed reading his letter.

If he were in his usual self, he’d likely argue all day, but today, he didn’t feel like it. It had been a long time since he had a good day.

Once he finished reading the letter, he neatly folded it and stuffed it haphazardly into his waist.

It was a short message, so it wasn’t very lengthy, but the content was indeed quite satisfactory.

He was in an exceptionally good mood. Perhaps the best he had felt in a long while.

And rightly so.

The man chuckled heartily and muttered,

“I’ll finally get to see your face again.”

The content of the letter was nothing less than news that his damn disciple was determined to find him.

 

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