Chapter 55. How Could Master Be…

“As you said, the sword is a balanced weapon with no rough edges. Therefore, anyone with a rational way of thinking should naturally wield a sword.”

“I do not think so to that extent.”

Jin Yeong-in raised a counterargument.

“While the sword is a balanced weapon, I believe that also means it does not excel in any one area.”

“Oh-ho.”

“Are not ten people, ten colors, not a uniform existence? Everyone has their own talents, and there is just a weapon that suits them. I believe learning fist and foot techniques without a weapon is the same.”

At Jin Yeong-in’s answer, the masters and elders who had visited the Blood Wolf Corps burst into loud laughter.

“That’s right!”

“Yes! Well said!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One also did not seem to dislike Jin Yeong-in’s bold answer.

“Heh heh. I like you very much. Your answer alone is sufficient for you to become this old man’s disciple.”

“Pardon……?”

Jin Yeong-in doubted his own ears.

A disciple, what kind of absurd talk was this?

“However, one cannot become this old man’s disciple just by having a clever tongue. This old man must see your talent with my own two eyes.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that…….”

“If you show your talent, you will be able to become this old man’s disciple.”

“I have no intention of becoming your esteemed self’s disciple…….”

It was at that moment when Jin Yeong-in was about to express his refusal out of disbelief.

“You rascal!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One swung his sword at Jin Yeong-in.

“……!”

Jin Yeong-in hastily threw himself to dodge the sword swung by the Demonic Sword Revered One, and said with a slightly grimaced face.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Can’t you tell by looking? Is it not to see your talent!”

“I have no intention of becoming your esteemed self’s disciple.”

“That is not a matter for you to decide!”

“If I do not decide, who does?”

“Whether to take you as a disciple or not is entirely up to this old man; your intentions are not important! If you do not want to, I will take you as a disciple by force, so draw your sword! If you dawdle, you will die at this old man’s hand!”

Shouting so, the Demonic Sword Revered One began to launch a fierce attack on Jin Yeong-in, swinging his sword without warning.

* * *

‘What kind of crazy old man is this!’

Jin Yeong-in was dumbfounded and flabbergasted by the Demonic Sword Revered One’s forceful insistence.

He had heard from Namgung Sin that the Demonic Sword Revered One’s personality was stubborn and foul, but to think he was such a reckless person?

However, that was just Jin Yeong-in’s thought, who had not dealt with many demonic practitioners; in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it was not a particularly strange thing.

No matter how lenient it had become since the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s reign, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

From the perspective of the Central Plains, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a den of demons teeming with eccentrics and madmen.

Learning demonic arts inevitably leads to a change in personality, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a place where at least tens of thousands of demonic practitioners lived together…….

“Do you intend to die at my hand!”

“Ugh!”

“Why don’t you draw your sword!”

“I was about to, even if you hadn’t said so!”

Jin Yeong-in hastily drew his sword and confronted the Demonic Sword Revered One.

Clang, cla-clang!

Jjeo-ong!

Jin Yeong-in’s sword and the Demonic Sword Revered One’s sword clashed incessantly, creating roars and sparks.

‘What kind of old man is this strong?’

Jin Yeong-in was quite surprised by the destructive power contained in the Demonic Sword Revered One’s sword strikes.

Every time the swords clashed, a tingling pain was felt in his palm; its ferocity was truly extraordinary.

It was at a level that could be called divine strength, unbelievable for the physical strength of an old man over eighty years old.

‘Softness overcomes hardness.’

Jin Yeong-in’s sword drew a gentle arc for a moment, deflecting the Demonic Sword Revered One’s offensive.

The Taiji Grace Sword.

The secret art of the Wudang Sect, called the number one Taoist school in the world, and the sword art containing the essence of all its teachings, was unfolded.

“H-how do you know the Taiji Grace Sword!”

“I stole and learned it!”

“What a crazy bastard!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One shouted in disbelief at Jin Yeong-in’s bold cry.

Then, the words that followed were unexpected.

“Very well done! Ke-kel! I heard you were a fellow who rolled around in a place called the Heavenly Martial Academy, and it seems you have diligently stolen and learned martial arts as well!”

It was not just the Demonic Sword Revered One.

“Truly a frugal fellow!”

“Kekeke. Have you ever seen such an admirable fellow?”

“From where did such a lucky charm roll in?”

The masters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, especially the elders, showered Jin Yeong-in with praise as if they adored him to death.

Originally, stealing and learning martial arts was usually considered an act deserving of everyone’s condemnation, a heinous crime.

However, since it was the belief of all demonic practitioners that one should not distinguish between means and methods to become stronger, in the eyes of the elders, it seemed that Jin Yeong-in had faithfully fulfilled the teachings of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Furthermore, was not the martial art that Jin Yeong-in had stolen and learned that of the Righteous Faction, which all the members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult hated to no end?

“Heh heh! You are quite admirable, but this old man has faced the Taiji Grace Sword dozens of times!”

“Keuk!”

“With just the mystery of softness overcoming hardness, you cannot handle this old man’s sword…….”

At that very moment.

Shwaaaaaek!

Jin Yeong-in’s sword, with a strange speed that was both slow and fast, aimed for the Demonic Sword Revered One’s side.

Jjeo-eo-eo-eong!

The Demonic Sword Revered One’s sword and Jin Yeong-in’s sword clashed, and a truly deep sword cry that would deafen the ears of those around them rang out.

Chwararararak!

From the point of collision of the swords, ten waves of qi spread out like ripples and engulfed the Demonic Sword Revered One.

“Even the Ten-Section Brocade!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One hastily protected his body with his protective qi and shouted in great shock.

The Ten-Section Brocade was the most lethal martial art in the Wudang Sect, where ten streams of qi would burst out like silk from the point of impact.

“You rascal! Did you steal the manuals of those horse-faced bastards!”

“……Ugh!”

“Excellent! I almost got hit!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One had only almost suffered a great loss, not even a single thread of his clothes was damaged, and he pressed Jin Yeong-in even more.

‘What a monstrous old man.’

Jin Yeong-in was on the verge of being terrified by the Demonic Sword Revered One’s martial prowess.

After all, the Demonic Sword Revered One was a supreme master who had played a major role in the First Righteous-Demonic War thirty years ago, instilling fear in the Righteous Heavenly Alliance side.

To such a master, the current Jin Yeong-in would be nothing more than someone to play with.

“Excellent! Show me more! More! This old man wants to see more of the talent of the one who will be my disciple!”

The Demonic Sword Revered One pressed Jin Yeong-in even more strongly.

Thanks to that, Jin Yeong-in was in a living hell.

The Demonic Sword Revered One was not holding back moderately, and if he made a single mistake, his head would fly off.

It was not as if they were fighting a battle to the death, but he was cornered to the point where he had to exert his abilities beyond his limits!

“Damn it! I told you I have no intention of becoming your esteemed self’s disciple!”

“Ke-kel! I will beat you down and take you as my disciple by force! It is useless to run away! I will definitely chase you and make you this old man’s disciple!”

At that very moment.

“He said he does not want to!”

An old man with jet-black hands stepped forward and blocked the Demonic Sword Revered One’s path.

The Ink Blood Demonic Lord.

He was also a supreme master of the previous generation who had participated in the First Righteous-Demonic War, and although his reputation was lower than that of the Demonic Sword Revered One, the Ink Blood Demonic Art he had learned was notorious as one of the most vicious demonic arts in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

“My apologies, brother, but I must take that fellow as my disciple!”

“You crazy bastard! Whose disciple do you dare to covet?”

“Whose disciple is whose! The one who takes him first is the owner!”

But the Ink Blood Demonic Lord was not the only one rampaging to take Jin Yeong-in as his disciple.

“The one who is supposed to give the rice cake is not even thinking about it! What are you talking about! That fellow will want to become my disciple!”

“Move aside! It is a good thing since I was feeling lonely! I will just raise one more disciple at this opportunity!”

The elders belonging to the Senate, without exception, rushed to join the fray and began to fight amongst themselves, starting a full-blown brawl.

“E-everyone, evacuate! Quickly!”

The startled Yi Mu-baek shouted hastily.

And that judgment was worthy of being evaluated as very appropriate.

It was called a brawl, but the elders were pouring out their signature techniques without restraint, intending to kill each other.

* * *

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wajangchang!

Warrrr!

The hall was instantly devastated by the sword qi, fist wind, strong qi, and palm wind poured out by the elders.

“Uwaaaaaaaak!”

“You crazy old geezers! Ugh!”

“Damn it all!”

Thanks to that, everyone, whether they were Blood Wolves or instructors, had to run for their lives! They had to make a run for it.

If they stood there blankly, they were likely to be hit by a stray blade and go to the underworld, so if they wanted to live, they had no choice but to flee quickly.

“Heh heh. Everyone is still vigorous.”

“Ah, greetings to the Great Guardian.”

Jin Yeong-in, who was watching the elders’ brawl, hastily clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute upon seeing the Great Guardian Yi Gyu.

“You are quite popular.”

“Pardon?”

“The esteemed elders are fighting over you like that.”

“…….”

Jin Yeong-in was dumbfounded, but he could not bring himself to badmouth the elders in front of the Great Guardian, so he just kept his mouth shut.

“Please understand. The elders are also of a certain age, so they want to leave behind a disciple in the world who will inherit the signature techniques they have polished all their lives and develop them further.”

“Is that so?”

“Unless one becomes an immortal and lives forever, a human being cannot be free from the desire to leave something behind.”

“Haha…….”

“Follow me for now. Now is the chance while the elders are distracted. Let us go quickly before things get more troublesome.”

“I understand.”

Jin Yeong-in promptly followed Yi Gyu.

He felt that if he loitered around here, he would be kidnapped and confined by one of the elders and forced to become a disciple.

In the midst of that, none of the elders noticed Jin Yeong-in slipping away.

“I let you off when you were younger, but now that you have gotten older, it seems you have no fear in your eyes!”

“I have been waiting for a chance to fix your bad habits, brother!”

The elders were engrossed in fighting among themselves as if they had never fought over Jin Yeong-in.

“By the way, may I ask where we are going?”

“That person is looking for you.”

“……!”

“Do not ask for the reason. No one knows that person’s intentions.”

It seemed that the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s words that she would call him again after he graduated from the Blood Wolf Corps were by no means empty words.

However, the place where Yi Gyu guided Jin Yeong-in was not the Cult Leader’s hall, but the backyard located behind the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

It was a garden with a very beautifully arranged landscape, with a small pavilion and even a pond where fish were playing.

The Iron-Blooded Demonic God was waiting for Jin Yeong-in there.

“Go on ahead. That person is waiting for you.”

“Ah, yes.”

At Yi Gyu’s words, Jin Yeong-in hurriedly approached the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.

“The Heavenly Demon reigns, the demonic path rules the world. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years. Greetings to the Cult Leader.”

“Yes, I heard you graduated from the Blood Wolf Corps today. Congratulations on becoming a martial artist of our cult.”

“I-I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Jin Yeong-in bowed his head.

“Follow me.”

The place where the Iron-Blooded Demonic God took Jin Yeong-in was a small shrine located on one side of the garden.

There, someone’s memorial tablet and an urn were enshrined…….

Great Heavenly Divine Warrior, Jang Guk-pyeong of the Azure Heaven Spirit Tablet

“M-master.”

Jin Yeong-in was startled to see his master’s memorial tablet, which should have been on the back hill of the Heavenly Martial Academy, enshrined here in the backyard of the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

“How could Master be here…….”

“Immediately after your defection was accomplished.”

The Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s voice pierced Jin Yeong-in’s ears.

“The Righteous Heavenly Alliance began the work of damaging his past deeds and achievements, and his grave was no exception.”

“……!”

“There were movements to exhume the grave and posthumously desecrate the body, so I had no choice but to move it here.”

“How dare they……!”

Blue ghost fire blazed in Jin Yeong-in’s two eyes.

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