Chapter 4: Have You Heard of the Demonic Prison?

I decided to leave immediately.

The air here was already starting to feel suffocating.

The Heavenly Martial Academy.

An educational institution directly under the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, established for the purpose of cultivating outstanding prodigies.

A place created with the intention for prodigies from various sects to interact, harmonize, and study together.

But for me, it was not a place with fond memories.

How could I have any affection for a place teeming with those who were jealous, envious, and slandered me?

Moreover, the Principal Zhongli Cheon and a few martial instructors also looked at me unfavorably, perhaps due to their awkward relationship with my master.

My master was someone who had earned the dislike of his fellow Orthodox Faction members while performing chivalrous deeds.

Perhaps because of that, I think I was more often in trouble for being my master’s disciple than I was ever treated well.

And yet, the members of the Demonic Cult even gave me a jade plaque and told me to ask for help if I was in trouble…….

Thinking about it now, my respect for my master deepened.

The fact that he was disliked by such garbage was proof of how righteously he had walked his path.

I returned to my quarters and packed my things.

I had so little that everything fit into one bag.

A spare set of martial arts uniform, some silver coins, a few emergency medicines given to me by Cheon-wi, a long wooden branch inherited from my master, chopsticks, a cloak, a bamboo hat, a ring, and a secret manual.

Flying Heaven Sword Art.

Clear Mind Heart Art.

A secret manual written in messy, crude handwriting on a blank book commonly found in the market.

There were even traces of corrections left here and there.

‘He did have terrible handwriting.’

I packed the secret manual into my bag and headed to his quarters.

He wasn’t there.

‘Should I wait and see his face… no.’

I thought I should, of course, but on the other hand, I felt I shouldn’t.

‘His path and mine are different. If it becomes known that I went to the Demonic Cult, he might get into trouble.’

Because of that, I felt like I shouldn’t even say goodbye.

Even leaving a single letter felt like a burden.

Dang Cheon-wi.

The one I became close to after saving his life.

He was the only person I had formed an attachment to here, but to think our connection would end like this.

“For everything… thank you so much. I’ll be sure to repay you for being so good to me someday.”

When would we meet again?

10 years?

Or 20 years?

I just hope that when we meet again, we won’t be pointing our swords at each other.

I put on the cloak my master had left me, wore the ring around my neck, and put on the bamboo hat, tying the chin strap.

And then, I took a step towards the vast world.

***

The farewell with Cheon-wi was bittersweet, but the new journey made me a little excited.

My first destination was the Red Moon Pavilion.

I was at a loss as to how to join the cult, so it was a relief that I knew of a secret branch of the Demonic Cult.

‘If they ask how I knew, what should I say….’

The jade plaque in my pocket didn’t reveal the Red Moon Pavilion’s true identity, so I lacked evidence.

‘I’ll have to say I figured it out by sensing demonic qi. If they don’t believe me, I’ll show them the jade plaque.’

At least the jade plaque was reassuring.

Since it was given by a high-ranking member of the Demonic Cult, it would surely be helpful rather than not.

‘Will they be at the Red Moon Pavilion?’

As I was thinking that I might reunite with the ones who gave me the jade plaque.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“…….”

As soon as I turned around, my face crumpled into a frown.

They say you meet your enemies on a narrow bridge; to think I’d run into them on the day I was leaving.

A gang of seven men and women.

Moyong Clan, Soul-Chasing Sword Dragon Moyong Hwi.

Hebei Peng Clan, Jade Blood Saber Paeng Mu-gil.

Seomoon Clan, Moon-Closing Phoenix Seomoon Seol.

Hwangbo Clan, Thunderclap Fist Hwangbo Gyun.

Beggar’s Gang, Chivalrous Beggar Sip Bang.

Diancang Sect, Slender Jade Sword Hwa Mu-rin.

Azure Dragon Silver Manor, Brocade Hero Hwang Won-pyeong.

They were the ones who called themselves the Seven Prodigies of Heavenly Martial.

Grit, my teeth ground together on their own.

Petty people who were jealous and envious of me because of my humble origins.

They even spread false rumors that I was secretly practicing demonic arts, which was why I had suffered qi deviation.

They couldn’t even make a squeak when I was healthy, but after I suffered qi deviation, the tables turned.

The thought of how much I was bullied by them after my qi deviation still makes me tremble with anger.

Cowardly, they only bullied me when Cheon-wi wasn’t by my side.

Just like now.

‘Not even training in martial arts.’

Looking at their attire, they didn’t seem to be on their way to train.

Carrying bags full of wine bottles and food, and even with a painter in tow, it looked like they were going to play on a boat and have their portraits painted.

As expected of a bunch of underachievers, enjoying themselves so early in the morning.

“I believe I asked you a question. Where are you going in such a hurry? Are you running away in the middle of the night? What’s this? Stand straight. Are you not going to answer?”

Moyong Hwi, the leader of the seven, blocked my path and glared at me.

“I’ve decided to quit.”

“Quit?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Have you finally realized your place? Well. The Heavenly Martial Academy is no place for someone with no roots like you. Isn’t that right, everyone?”

Moyong Hwi asked, looking back at his friends.

“Hohoho! Of course!”

“Hehe! That’s right!”

“I was wondering how long he’d last! Hahaha!”

They snickered and agreed with Moyong Hwi’s words.

“Are you planning to retire to some remote countryside? It’s a job that suits you perfectly. Teaching worthless, common folks like yourself in some rural martial arts hall.”

The words that I was going to the Demonic Cult, not some remote countryside, rose up to my throat.

‘Is he right?’

Thinking about it, the Ten Thousand Great Mountains where the Demonic Cult was located was the very definition of a remote frontier.

It wasn’t exactly wrong to call it the remote countryside.

“You quit, you say. Then, that means you’re no longer a disciple of the Heavenly Martial Academy.”

“I suppose so.”

“Then, if I make a cripple out of a bastard like you, I won’t get expelled. Right?”

A vile and cruel smile appeared on Moyong Hwi’s lips.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let a demonic practitioner who has learned demonic arts escape.”

“That again.”

Seeing him spout the same nonsense that had never worked before, it seemed he truly believed it.

Although I was on my way to learn demonic arts.

“By now, a complaint against you has probably reached the Alliance Leader through the Demon Extermination Squad.”

“What?”

“The Demon Extermination Squad will be coming to arrest you soon, so I can’t just let you go. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Demonic Prison.”

“……!”

“They say that after just a few days in there, you’ll be begging for them to kill you. The place you’re going isn’t some remote countryside, it’s the Demonic Prison. And there won’t be any Tang Clan bastard to look after you there.”

Snap, the thread of my reason broke.

The Demonic Prison.

I know it, I know it very well.

I’m the one who was locked up there the longest.

“You dare mention the Demonic Prison in front of me? Keukkeukkeuk!”

I was planning to leave quietly, but it seems that won’t be possible.

It looks like I’ll have to perform a sword dance before I leave.

Seuk.

I took out a white powder wrapped in paper from my pocket and tossed it into my mouth.

I took out the gourd hanging from my waist and gulped down the alcohol inside.

“Keu-eu.”

They say medicine that’s good for the body is bitter to the taste, but this stuff was bad for the body and tasted disgustingly bitter.

“Still, isn’t he quite useful in the end? Thanks to him, the fame of our Seven Prodigies of Heavenly Martial will rise even further.”

“Hahaha!”

“Hohoho!”

They made a mistake.

They were so busy laughing and talking among themselves that they didn’t pay attention to me taking the Three Lives Stimulation Powder.

“What are you doing? Seize him.”

“Alright.”

At Moyong Hwi’s words, Hwangbo Seung slowly approached me.

“Today, I will crush y….”

Chwaaa!

Puhwaaak!

Hwangbo Seung collapsed, spraying blood.

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

I could see the expressions of the seven freeze over like frost.

“I’m no longer a disciple, and I’m about to be taken to the Demonic Prison anyway, so I suppose it doesn’t matter if I cut down bastards like you.”

I said so and flicked the blood off my sword.

***

Strictly speaking, I wasn’t suffering from qi deviation.

It was just a side effect of containing orthodox arts in a Heavenly Demon’s Physique.

Of course, the side effects were as serious as qi deviation.

In any case, although I was somewhat restricted due to my paralyzed leg and stiffened meridians, it was possible to perform martial arts for a short period.

What helped with that was the white powder I had just put in my mouth.

Three Lives Stimulation Powder.

A secret medicine made with the secret formula of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

It was a kind of first-aid medicine that Cheon-wi had given me to use in times of danger.

‘Think of it as losing three-tenths and three-hundredths of your inner arts with one dose. So you have to use it carefully. For example, when your life is in danger.’

The effect of the Three Lives Stimulation Powder was to consume one-third of one’s inner arts to produce explosive power in a short time.

Moreover, it provided an immediate pain-relieving effect close to painless and helped the circulation of true qi by expanding the meridians.

It was said that when taken with alcohol, the effect spread in the blink of an eye, so it was commonly used in the past war against the Demonic Cult.

For a warrior, inner arts were like life itself, so it wasn’t something to be used carelessly, but that didn’t apply to me right now.

In fact, it was for the better.

The inner arts I had were something I had to discard anyway.

I wouldn’t regret it even if more than half of it disappeared, let alone three-tenths.

‘Ugh.’

Jjirit-jjirit!

When I circulated my true qi, I felt a pain like my qi center was being carved out with a knife.

It was a good thing I took the Three Lives Stimulation Powder; otherwise, I would have screamed and rolled on the ground the moment I circulated my true qi.

“Hey, Seung! Are you alright! Get a grip!”

“Qu-quickly, stop the bleeding first! Hurry!”

They gathered around the fallen Hwangbo Seung and stamped their feet anxiously.

“Look at this! The wound is rotting and turning black!”

“Could it be… demonic arts?”

“You vicious bastard! You finally show your true colors!”

It seemed to be a phenomenon caused by the turbid qi accumulated in my inner arts and meridians seeping into the wound, but they were mistaking it for demonic arts again.

“You dare to openly use demonic arts?”

Moyong Hwi drew his sword, his eyes flashing.

“Now that it has come to this, there’s no need to wait for the Demon Extermination Squad! I will punish you here!”

Seueueu!

A cool sword qi formed on Moyong Hwi’s sword.

Soon, the Moyong Clan’s ultimate technique, the Soul-Chasing Sword Art, unfolded.

‘Still as pathetic as ever.’

Moyong Hwi’s movements were clearly visible to me.

He was easy to deal with in the past, but he was even easier now.

Did they think all I did in the Demonic Prison was research my constitution?

The Murim Alliance used me to create counters to various demonic arts, and to do so, they needed a high level of understanding not only of demonic arts but also of orthodox arts.

In other words, I possessed a deep understanding and extensive knowledge of not only demonic arts but also various martial arts of the Orthodox Factions.

Moreover, the Moyong Clan’s Soul-Chasing Sword Art was a martial art that I had dealt with during the research process.

I could say with certainty that my understanding of the Soul-Chasing Sword Art was higher than Moyong Hwi’s, not less.

‘Dodge.’

My steps were limping and awkward, but it was enough to evade Moyong Hwi’s attack.

‘Counter.’

A slowly swung sword momentarily shot out like a barrage of arrows, striking Moyong Hwi’s weak point, the vital point of the Soul-Chasing Sword Art.

“Ack!”

Moyong Hwi let out a scream, clutching his wrist.

Thud!

The abandoned sword clattered to the ground.

Jureureureuk!

Crimson blood flowed freely from Moyong Hwi’s wrist.

A swordsman dropping his sword…….

Then, he must pay the price, right?

Ppagak!

My kick shattered Moyong Hwi’s jawbone.

Usususu!

Bloody white teeth scattered in all directions.

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