Chapter 152: The Demonic Master’s Daughter (2)

‘There is one method.’

‘And what is that?’

‘You insert a large needle under your fingernail. Then, your qi will burst out through the needle.’

‘That’s your solution?’

When I raised my voice in disbelief, the Demonic Master groaned again.

‘Kkuhng! That’s the best there is, you brat. Did you think you could learn and use the Flicking Finger Technique without paying any price? Of all the martial arts you’ve learned, was there any you gained without pain?’

‘Yes, there is. Dragon Concealment Technique.’

‘That’s a stealth technique, you fool. It’s a martial art that depends heavily on patience and mental fortitude. Without those, it won’t even work properly.’

‘Is the Flicking Finger Technique really the strongest?’

‘I can’t teach third-rate skills, not even for my daughter’s sake.’

Realizing that this was still better than pulling out my nails, I had no choice but to follow the method.

And come to think of it, even the Dragon Concealment Technique wasn’t some cheap trick.

The Demonic Master had never taught me any subpar martial arts. I happened to have recovered most of my internal energy through Circulation of Qi, so I opened my eyes and stood up.

At that moment, someone lowered her head politely in front of me.

“I heard you saved this girl. I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace.”

Even with her clothes on, the Demonic Master’s daughter couldn’t fully hide her voluptuous figure.

I struggled to keep my eyes from wandering toward her chest.

“I simply saved you along with the other ladies.”

“This girl’s name is Seok Unjeong.”

Seeing Seok Unjeong, who seemed like an ordinary maiden from a respectable household, was such a contrast to the Demonic Master that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Have I made some kind of mistake?”

Noticing me smiling foolishly while looking at her, Seok Unjeong asked cautiously.

“No, Lady Seok. I was just lost in thought for a moment. I apologize for my rudeness.”

As I greeted her, I spoke inwardly to the Demonic Master.

‘This is hard to get used to. I didn’t expect your daughter to be such a modest person.’

‘Kkuhng, you brat, this child has been ill since she was young and never had a chance to go outside. She’s only ever seen and learned about the world through books.’

Hearing that, I suddenly felt she was a lot like me in the past.

She must have learned how a lady should behave from books, turning into a well-mannered woman rarely seen in this age.

Looking at her strengthened my resolve to help her even more.

Without hesitation, I picked up the large needle and firmly pushed it under my fingernail.

“Ugh!”

The women around me flinched in shock when I suddenly inflicted what looked like torture on myself without any explanation.

Jeong Minji approached and asked in a low voice.

“Young Master Yong, what are you doing?”

Even though all I had done was pierce the needle into my index finger, sweat already formed on my forehead.

“This is the only way I can perform the hidden technique.”

The women all stared at me with curiosity upon hearing that I used such a painful method for a hidden technique.

I picked up another needle and pushed it into my middle finger and ring finger.

“Kkeuk!”

Though I tried to endure it, a groan escaped my lips.

Not just once, but again and again, I repeated the act. The women frowned at the sight.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Because the needles were so long, their ends protruded well beyond my fingernails. I snapped off the extended parts.

The snapping vibrations traveled straight to my fingernails, amplifying the pain even more.

Seeing me continue, the Demonic Master muttered to himself.

‘You’re one stubborn bastard.’

‘This level of pain doesn’t even rank among the worst in my life.’

Following the chant the Demonic Master had taught me, I circulated my energy, held the needle between my thumb and index finger, and fired the Flicking Finger Technique.

Piiing!

The needle shot out at an invisible speed and embedded itself in the wall.

A needle as long as my finger had pierced halfway into the wall.

With that level of force, most martial artists wouldn’t even see the needle before dying on the spot.

This time, I held the needle between my index and middle fingers and flicked it.

Piiiing!

The needle buried itself into the wall, leaving only a tiny bit exposed.

Though it was my first time attempting it, it worked just as I had imagined.

I tried again, this time using three fingers. The needle embedded itself so deeply that no part of it was visible.

Who could possibly block such an invisible, lightning-fast needle?

Moreover, with qi infused into the needle, it could even penetrate body-protecting qi.

Stunned by its overwhelming power, I stood there blankly for a moment.

The wall was made of packed earth, so under normal circumstances, the needle should have bounced off. But seeing it buried so deeply showed just how incredible the Flicking Finger Technique truly was.

‘Didn’t I tell you it’s the best in the world when it comes to flicking techniques?’

When Yong Hwarin expressed his admiration, the Demonic Master shrugged and spoke.

‘Not bad.’

‘What? Not bad? You damn…’

‘Watch your mouth!’

‘You damned fox-dog.’

Yong Hwarin laughed inwardly.

‘Fox-dog? Does such a thing even exist?’

‘Why wouldn’t it? A hybrid between a dog and a fox is a fox-dog.’

Yong Hwarin was so satisfied with the Flicking Finger Technique that he was willing to accept being called even a dog.

Let alone a fox-dog, he didn’t care.

‘Still, the name Flicking Finger Technique sounds so outdated. I should change it.’

At that, the Demonic Master muttered sourly.

‘What now? You’re going to slap a dragon name on it like you did with the Dragon Concealment Technique? Why not call it Dragon Scale Flick?’

The Demonic Master mocked him by randomly attaching dragon names.

‘Actually, I like that. I’ll call this technique Dragon Scale Flick. It sounds better than Flicking Finger Technique.’

‘What? Kkuhng.’

Yong Hwarin was pleased to have gained Dragon Scale Flick for free.

However, the pain rising from his fingers was something he could not ignore.

Thankfully, it was his left hand he used for Dragon Scale Flick, otherwise, he might not even have been able to grip his sword.

‘Come to think of it, I can pair Dragon Scale Flick with the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm when I use it. Combining these two might make the perfect match.’

Though he couldn’t tightly grip a sword with his left hand, holding the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm made from heavenly silkworms was not a problem.

Feeling the unexpected synergy between martial arts, Yong Hwarin cheered inwardly.

The women watching him never got bored.

His ever-changing expressions and the technique of firing the needles left them covering their mouths in amazement.

“Could it be that Young Master Yong completed a hidden weapon technique in this situation?”

“No one could survive if hit by that needle.”

“Is Young Master Yong truly a once-in-a-thousand-years genius? How could he master that so quickly?”

“Brother Hwarin is far beyond what I can measure.”

While most of the women looked at Yong Hwarin with admiration, Jegal Cheongyeong alone couldn’t be purely impressed.

It was because she considered him a rival.

She immediately steeled her resolve.

“Fine, one day I will surpass Brother Hwarin.’

Yong Hwarin looked at them and spoke.

“We’ll move now to rescue the young mistresses of the clans. All of you must follow my instructions. Only then can we save them and ourselves.”

The women nodded in unison.

“Yeong Mae, I leave Lady Seok in your care.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Jegal Cheongyeong, who was known for her pride, found it strange that none of the other daughters of prestigious clans objected to Yong Hwarin’s orders.

Yong Hwarin wrapped the leather scroll holding the needles around his waist.

It was to make them easier to draw and use.

Though the appearance looked a bit ridiculous, no one dared to laugh.

They knew full well how lethal those hidden weapons were.

Yong Hwarin heightened his hearing to sense any movement nearby as they advanced. Along the way, he silently killed guards and gathered their weapons to arm the women.

When they reached the fourth pavilion, Yong Hwarin noticed that it was guarded by the largest number of martial artists so far. He guessed this must be where the clan mistresses were being held.

“From now on, move while staying close to me. Do not fall behind. We are heading straight to where the mistresses are held.”

Quickly drawing two needles from his waist, Yong Hwarin flicked them using Dragon Scale Flick.

Ping! Ping!

The two needles precisely pierced the heads of two guards, who collapsed like rotten straw.

Witnessing it firsthand, Yong Hwarin couldn’t help but marvel at the power of Dragon Scale Flick.

On the other hand, the women watching felt a chill run down their spines.

Realizing that they couldn’t possibly block such an attack, they began to feel true fear toward Yong Hwarin.

During their infiltration of the fourth pavilion, they encountered about ten guards, but Yong Hwarin silently eliminated them all with Dragon Scale Flick.

Yong Hwarin then unleashed the energy of three cycles to expand his qi perception. He soon sensed an intense energy surging from one of the rooms.

Thinking that the mistresses might be naked like the women he had found earlier—since Ihwa Fairy had used a demonic ritual—Yong Hwarin planned to enter alone.

“Hide in that room for a moment. I’ll go alone and check things out.”

At those words, Seomun Seoseol protested angrily.

“What are you saying? My brother is in there. I can’t just sit here and wait. Besides, I know martial arts too. I won’t be a burden to you.”

“I’m going too.”

Following Seomun Seoseol, Namgung Sohong and Danmok Wan stepped forward as well.

Yong Hwarin struggled to find the right words to explain when Jeong Minji spoke up.

“Please calm down. Young Master Yong isn’t looking down on us. He’s trying to assess the danger first before we act. If we rush in blindly, the captives might be in even greater danger since there are still many experts here.”

Thanks to Jeong Minji’s timely support, the women who had stepped forward reluctantly backed down.

They realized this wasn’t the right time to act rashly.

Yong Hwarin gave Jeong Minji a grateful glance.

However, Jegal Cheongyeong felt her stomach churn for some reason when she saw that.

Yong Hwarin then entered the room, which was filled with a sinister aura.

Immediately, the Demonic Master’s voice echoed in his head.

“Moonlight Demon Art connects with the soul using yin energy, so it has no effect on men. However, it consumes a vast amount of internal energy, which is why they use Energy Harvesting Technique to absorb qi.”

“If that’s true, isn’t this a serious problem? If they’ve been gathering energy from many men in Ihwa Palace, their power must be immense…”

“That’s not quite right. You’re saying that because you don’t fully understand Energy Harvesting or Yin Absorption Techniques. Absorbing the energy of old men is actually harmful. Only the energy of the young has a high chance of becoming their own. As people age, their bodies and energy become impure. Do you think we practice Circulation of Qi daily just to strengthen our veins and increase energy? It also purifies the qi, which is why we do it so often.”

To Yong Hwarin, the Demonic Master had become a martial arts teacher.

Since he had only focused on practicing martial arts, he lacked theoretical knowledge, which the Demonic Master filled in for him.

“In that sense, the energy of the clan mistresses is as precious as an elixir.”

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