Chapter 172: Learning Martial Arts from the Demonic Master (1)

‘Unni never lived her life properly. She followed everything according to the plan Mother had laid out for her. We were no different. But after stepping into the Martial World and clashing with people, we came to understand the value of freedom. And the desire to protect the things we love. Perhaps when Unni saw Yong Hwarin fiercely challenge and fight to protect what was precious to him, she felt like she was seeing herself in a reflection. That must be why she couldn’t leave his side. And why she was drawn to him even more. In any case, I hope thanks to Daji, Unni can finally break through the wall she’s been feeling all this time.’

Jeong Suji felt a faint sadness stir in her heart.

The words about how Pang Cheollyeon and Mu Iso could never be together felt like they were describing her relationship with Namgung Soomyung.

Yong Hwarin, while preparing the bathwater, spoke to Bukri Sogun.

“Sogun, let’s bathe together.”

As Yong Hwarin stood up and spoke, Bukri Sogun flinched in surprise.

“Bathe?”

“Yeah. If you soak in hot water, you’ll feel a lot better.”

“Ah, I’ll pass.”

“It’s fine. I’ll scrub your back for you.”

“No, really, I’m fine. Really.”

“What are you talking about? You stink, you know.”

“Really? Then I’ll do it by myself.”

“What’s there to be shy about? You’re a man.”

“Hyung, I’ll do it alone.”

Yong Hwarin couldn’t help but laugh softly when he saw Bukri Sogun almost on the verge of tears.

“Hahaha, fine, fine. You’re so timid. The Bukri Clan is famous for its fist techniques and temper, not falling behind even the Peng Clan, but you’re way too timid.”

“That’s just my nature. What can I do?”

“Alright. Do it alone if you like.”

Yong Hwarin stood up and suddenly took off his top, making Bukri Sogun’s eyes widen as his face turned bright red.

He quickly turned his head away and tried to calm his racing heart.

Thinking Yong Hwarin must have finished changing, he cautiously turned his head back.

“Ugh!”

At that moment, Yong Hwarin was taking off his pants.

Bukri Sogun screamed in shock, and Yong Hwarin turned his body while still halfway undressed.

“What’s wrong?”

Bukri Sogun, having seen Yong Hwarin’s exposed manhood, panicked and tightly shut his eyes.

“Are you really this shy for a man?”

Yong Hwarin chuckled as he left the room.

Bukri Sogun clutched his chest, unable to calm his heart that felt like it would jump out of his mouth.

“Huuhhh! That was the first time I’ve ever seen that! But… are all men that big?”

Bukri Sogun shook his head repeatedly like someone who had seen something they shouldn’t have.

But the heat in his cheeks and ears showed no signs of cooling down.

Once he soaked himself in the hot water, it felt as though all the fatigue he had been carrying melted away.

‘Ah! This feels amazing!’

Apparently, the Demonic Master felt the same, as he murmured softly.

Yong Hwarin had something he wanted to ask, so he woke the Demonic Master, only to find the old man enjoying the bath even more than him.

When the heat from the water reached up to his Upper Dantian, the Demonic Master felt like he was in a hot spring bath.

‘There must be a reason you woke me. What is it?’

‘Elder, I’ve been taking good care of Lady Seok. She suffered mental trauma back at the Ihwa Palace Branch, but I’ve dedicated my efforts to help her regain her stability, and now she’s living just like before without any issue.’

Yong Hwarin particularly emphasized the words ‘I’ve dedicated my efforts,’ showing off a little.

‘The fact you started talking about my daughter first means you want something.’

‘Please don’t say that. I’m just informing you of her condition. Don’t get the wrong idea.’

‘Heh heh heh, do you think I wouldn’t know your scheming after all this time? Spit it out. Don’t beat around the bush.’

‘I’ll say it again, but I hope you understand that I’m the only one who can protect and look after Lady Seok right now.’

‘Fine, so tell me. What do you want?’

The Demonic Master, growing impatient, raised his voice, and Yong Hwarin smirked inwardly.

‘I want to receive your teachings.’

‘Is this about martial arts? Do you realize just how shameless you are?’

‘Hahaha, it’s been a long time since I heard that. I used to hear it all the time in my past life.’

‘Well, I guess that’s nothing for someone who even led a merchant union. What is it? What’s bothering you?’

Yong Hwarin shared the doubts and realizations he had after watching the fight between Lee Geuk and Jeung Eungang.

‘I learned a lot from watching those two fight. They both had internal energy similar to my level, around Cycle Completion Stage. Yet despite having comparable internal energy, their power felt on a completely different level. No, rather than power… each strike, each movement of theirs didn’t seem like something someone with just Cycle Completion Stage of internal energy could achieve. It felt far superior.’

Yong Hwarin had fought enough strong opponents by now to gauge their internal energy and predict how they might move.

But those two had shattered his expectations.

Even though he possessed the Tai Chi Dantian, which granted him greater raw power, their every movement had a level of refinement and mastery that he couldn’t help but acknowledge.

‘If it was simply because they had trained in their martial arts for a long time, I could have understood… but I sensed something else entirely.’

The Demonic Master fell silent for a moment.

Then he spoke again with a mocking tone.

‘Why do you call that “your” Cycle Completion Stage of internal energy? It’s my internal energy. Don’t forget that first. And the reason you sensed that doubt… it’s because your level of insight has grown considerably. If you still can’t figure it out after thinking for another three days, ask me again.’

Yong Hwarin accepted the demand as a sign that this insight wasn’t something to be casually handed over. He believed the Demonic Master was urging him to think deeply because it wasn’t an answer one should obtain too easily.

Over those three days, aside from eating, sleeping, and training, Yong Hwarin did nothing but ponder over that single question.

After three days of deep contemplation, the answer he arrived at was ‘skill comes from practice’.

The idea that when one trains the same technique for decades, skill is born naturally through mastery.

But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still missing.

In the end, with no further progress after those three days, he called out to the Demonic Master again.

‘Three days have passed.’

‘Keh keh keh!’

The Demonic Master burst into laughter as soon as he woke.

‘So you actually waited patiently for all this time. Impressive. Let’s hear the answer you came up with.’

‘After thinking deeply, the conclusion I reached was that the answer lies in skill through practice. They had refined the same techniques over and over, naturally developing skill, which made them stronger.’

When Yong Hwarin explained, the Demonic Master laughed again with a booming voice.

‘Keh keh keh, skill through practice, huh! That’s not entirely wrong. But this is something you’ll only fully grasp after enduring for another five years.’

When the Demonic Master tried to put it off again, Yong Hwarin insisted.

‘Elder, if you teach me this, let’s consider it as me having learned one martial art from you.’

‘Do you truly think this is worth merely one martial art lesson?’

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

‘No. It’s worth far more than that.’

‘Fine. Since you’re being so open, I can’t back out any longer. I’ll treat this as one martial art lesson, as promised.’

‘Please do. And thank you.’

Yong Hwarin was desperate.

Whenever he closed his eyes, the thought of why there was such a difference between him and those two plagued his mind.

He felt like he would go insane if he didn’t learn it.

For the first time in his life, Yong Hwarin felt what it meant to fall into Qi Deviation.

His curiosity and desire to understand were burning him up inside.

‘I gave you three days because I wanted you to think even deeper about that problem. This isn’t something someone your age could normally grasp. But since you’ve already lived fifty years in your past life and you’re aware of the heights you can reach, I decided to teach you. Remember, I’m only doing this because of my daughter. If it weren’t for her, I would never share this with you so easily. Do you know why?’

‘I do not.’

Yong Hwarin, who normally responded with sly remarks, answered seriously this time, which made the Demonic Master feel proud, thinking Yong Hwarin was truly obsessed with this matter.

‘I too struggled for ten years after surpassing the Cycle Completion Stage of internal energy, unable to make any progress in martial arts. When one masters all the techniques, they inevitably hit a wall. Because there is no more progress to be made through techniques alone. That’s when people start seeking higher-level martial arts. But let me ask you, do you really think that wall can be broken just by learning higher-level martial arts? No. I tried learning all sorts of advanced techniques but couldn’t break through that wall. Why would I pass such knowledge to someone who isn’t even my disciple?’

Hearing that even the Demonic Master had taken years to reach this realization made Yong Hwarin even more curious.

This was the realization that had come to the Demonic Master, a warrior who once stood alongside the Demon King as one of the Six Demonic Generals.

Yong Hwarin’s anticipation soared, but the Demonic Master suddenly threw out an unexpected condition.

‘If you promise to protect my daughter no matter what happens, I will teach you.’

Hearing that, Yong Hwarin forgot the Demonic Master was still listening and cursed.

‘That damned old man…’

‘I can hear you loud and clear, you brat!’

‘Ah… Elder, I promise to ensure Lady Seok lives a peaceful life. I will even see to it that she marries a good man.’

Hearing more than he had hoped for, the Demonic Master began to speak in a low voice.

‘Don’t forget that promise. Those who practice martial arts first learn the techniques, then cultivate internal energy. Once both reach a certain level, they focus on building true qi. That’s the natural path.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Yong Hwarin himself had followed that same path.

‘But because of that, people begin to focus their martial arts training entirely on techniques and internal energy. Almost all martial artists go through this process. And following that path, they can eventually reach the Master Level. But when they attempt to go beyond into the realm of Transcendence—the Cycle Completion Stage—they start feeling that wall again. That’s when they realize something is missing.’

Yong Hwarin listened to the Demonic Master’s words with complete focus.

Then, something came to mind, and he asked a question.

‘Then, should I train in an even stronger higher-level martial art?’

The Demonic Master chuckled in response.

‘Your swordsmanship is already outstanding. It lacks nothing. Even so-called higher-level martial arts are ultimately the same. No matter how grand they seem, it’s all a matter of realization.’

Yong Hwarin waited for the Demonic Master to continue, knowing that the truly important answer was coming next.

‘You have enough internal energy and your martial arts are good enough to stand against anyone. Yet you still lose to opponents of similar level. What is the difference? I once lost to Mi Eungso, a swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect who was one of the Seven Kings of the Martial World. I wonder what that bastard is doing now… He was the eldest of the Five Swords of Mount Hua. Anyway, after losing to him, I spent three years searching for the reason. And I found it.’

As the Demonic Master revealed his past, Yong Hwarin felt his heart pounding faster.

His entire body tensed with the excitement of finally hearing the real truth.

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