Chapter 22

I met the Valley Lord’s gaze before I could even come out of the afterglow of Perfect Demonic Qi.

Shock, rage, emptiness, self-loathing, jealousy, confusion and more.

Emotions that were hard to clearly name pooled in his eyes.

“Please calm down, Valley Lord.”

I spoke with a grimace.

More than anything, my shoulders hurt like they were going to break.

The Valley Lord paid it no mind and shouted.

“Answer me. Your internal energy assimilating into Perfect Demonic Qi is the third stage. How did you accomplish it in one go?”

He was more agitated than at any point so far.

It was only natural.

He himself had said I had caught up with his ten-odd years in a single stroke.

It must have felt like those years were denied in an instant.

Which meant he could go back to threatening to kill me.

So I needed to answer carefully, yet nothing came to mind.

How was I supposed to explain this?

That a Perfect Demonic Qi that had been utterly foreign suddenly felt familiar?

That I felt I had to touch his Perfect Demonic Qi to find the cause?

And that after that, even I did not know what had happened?

‘…As if he would believe that.’

Even I found it absurd when I laid it out.

What was worse was that every bit of it was true.

The biggest question was why Perfect Demonic Qi had felt familiar.

Had I encountered it somewhere in my past life, only for an accident to wipe the entire memory out?

‘Ah, whatever.’

“Why are you keeping your mouth shut?”

The Valley Lord asked again.

I met his eyes head-on.

I knew better than anyone that a half-baked answer would not satisfy him.

In that case, there was only one way.

And that was.

“It just worked?”

Playing the genius.

The best method, the one that had even left the Heavenly Demon speechless.

“It felt like Perfect Demonic Qi was calling to me. Saying, ‘Come here, come here.’ As if we were deeply connected. Maybe… I was Perfect Demonic Qi in my past life?”

At that baseless nonsense, the look in his eyes changed.

Just a moment ago his eyes had been those of a madman, now they were the eyes staring at a madman.

“That makes no sense. This is impossible unless you are an unprecedented genius.”

“Yet it made sense that I used internal energy for one tea’s time?”

“…!”

“What about how your air-seizing attacks only grazed my skin a few times and never landed a proper hit?”

“…”

“I crawled into Demon Valley, one of the Four Forbidden Regions no one can enter, and found you at once among a crowd of freaks. How about that?”

The Valley Lord went blank.

He realized that nothing about my actions had been ordinary.

At length, he spoke.

“You are… a genius without precedent!”

It worked.

“So that is it. It is not that I am mediocre, but that you are a genius who has no equal!”

“Now, that is going too far. If I am just an ordinary genius, you are a Great Grandmaster-class genius. If you had not discovered Perfect Demonic Qi, what could I have done?”

I added a few lines just in case.

Then the Valley Lord burst into wild laughter, clearly satisfied.

“I am glad you are laughing, but could you let go of my shoulders now?”

His laughter stopped with a snap.

He finally released my shoulders.

He spoke in a serious tone.

“What have you gained?”

“Well…”

Before answering, I went over the changes inside me.

There were three in total.

The instability of my Qi and blood had lessened.

The environment of my dantian had become more comfortable.

My Pure Demonic Qi had been replaced by Perfect Demonic Qi.

“That is about it.”

I told the Valley Lord as much.

He already knew my condition, including my True Blood Severed Meridians, so there was no need to hide anything.

“What about Chaotic Demonic Qi?”

“That is unchanged.”

“Because of the Nine Heavens Demon-Ascension Art, no doubt.”

The Valley Lord hit the mark at once.

Practitioners of the Nine Heavens Demon-Ascension Art form a Chaotic Demonic Qi Core, a bead of gathered Chaotic Demonic Qi.

Perhaps because of this special property, Perfect Demonic Qi could not touch the core.

He stroked his chin like a scholar.

“Interesting. Perfect Demonic Qi should integrate and completely replace Pure and Chaotic Demonic Qi, yet the Chaotic Demonic Qi Core remains.”

His mind wandered from madness at times, but this was fitting for the discoverer of Perfect Demonic Qi.

He muttered incomprehensibly for quite some time.

Feeling it might never end, I cut into his monologue.

“Valley Lord, would you throw stones like before?”

“What nonsense is that? Throw stones?”

“I want to test the changes more concretely.”

“Test you say?”

His eyes sparkled.

It seemed his interest was piqued.

“A brilliant idea. Fitting for a genius, your experimental spirit is strong.”

“I do not think it was anything special.”

“How should we conduct it? Shall I raise the number bit by bit like before?”

“That would be nice, but to be honest, you did not really increase it bit by bit. It went from one to four, then to sixteen.”

“Stop yammering and move.”

Hwik!

A stone flew at me.

“What, you are not even giving me time to brace myself?”

“Indeed. This time I will put holes in your body, so be prepared.”

“You’re gonna have a tough time doing that.”

I began the experiment with a laugh.

I had already grasped the flow of his air-seizing attacks.

I avoided them easily with footwork.

The stones never touched me, only slicing the air and making cool gusts.

“The breeze feels nice today.”

“Y-you brat!”

The Valley Lord was thoroughly provoked.

He seemed to forget it was an experiment and increased the stones to around thirty.

‘Whoops.’

Maybe I should not have run my mouth.

Even if I understood the flow, thirty was not easy.

A true swarm of stones poured down like mid-summer insects.

On edge, I pushed my footwork to the limit.

‘Huh?’

I was immediately surprised.

My body moved far too easily.

It was as if my body responded the instant my mind recalled the steps.

That meant the dispatch and return of my internal energy had become smoother.

It seemed to be thanks to the improved state of my dantian.

That was not all.

My internal energy consumption also decreased.

It was roughly thirty percent better than when I used Pure Demonic Qi.

That meant I could use three and a half years’ worth of internal energy like five years’ worth.

As the change showed itself clearly, I began to feel excited.

I dodged the stones lightly, shattered them, even snatched them out of the air.

“Brat, stop fooling around already!”

The Valley Lord shouted sharply.

I let it pass out one ear and focused solely on my Qi and blood.

Normally, after one tea’s time, I could not use internal energy at all. If I ignored that and used it anyway, my Qi and blood would go berserk and I would drop dead.

But now.

‘One tea’s time has passed!’

A tea’s time had passed, yet my Qi and blood showed no sign of rampaging.

It only grew dangerous around a quarter of an hour.

“Let’s stop now!”

I had the Valley Lord cease his assault and stood in place, panting.

A single word filled my head.

‘This is insane.’

In my past life, I had lived bound by seven minutes for a full seven years.

That limitation eased only after I met the divine physician.

Yet now I was at fifteen minutes.

I was deeply moved.

Watching me sink into emotion, the Valley Lord spoke.

“Do you know what I am thinking now?”

“No idea.”

“That I was right not to kill you.”

“Why?”

“Because now I can take revenge on Seol Yu-won.”

“…What?”

I paused.

What was that supposed to mean?

“From now on, I will take you as my disciple.”

“Yeah, no, that is a bit much.”

“You have no right to refuse. You have already received Perfect Demonic Qi from me.”

“Strictly speaking, that was more payment for our wager than a transmission.”

“Your appearance before me is heaven’s arrangement. I will steal you away and ruin Seol Yu-won’s plans!”

This old man really was not listening to human speech.

Then I had to make it clear.

“I have no intention of becoming your disciple.”

“If you refuse, I will kill you.”

“Do you get tongue sores if you stop threatening to kill me? You say it every other sentence.”

I answered calmly.

After being threatened several times, I was starting to feel he would not actually do it.

“In any case, I appreciate the offer, but no.”

I refused firmly.

Beyond anything else, I did not want to make a new master.

For me, one such being, the Heavenly Demon, was enough.

“By mastering Perfect Demonic Qi, you have already overcome your limits. The Nine Heavens Demon-Ascension Art can never fully cure you, but Perfect Demonic Qi is different. It holds boundless potential, and I know that better than anyone. Become my disciple and I will aid your achievements. Through you, I will fulfill my grand ambition.”

“You mean ruining my master’s plans?”

“That is not all. I bear the duty of seeing the end of Perfect Demonic Qi.”

For some reason, his expression grew bitter.

But soon he was being unreasonable again.

“You may well be a fitting vessel to see the end of Perfect Demonic Qi. Yet if you stubbornly refuse to become my disciple, I will have no choice but to kill you.”

“Why, exactly?”

“If I cannot have you, then Seol Yu-won must not have you either!”

“…”

I was at a loss for words.

Just how much did he hate the Heavenly Demon to go this far.

“Then, how about I make a suggestion?”

“If it is nonsense, I will kill you.”

“Let me ask first. What is more important to you, taking revenge on the Heavenly Demon or seeing the end of Perfect Demonic Qi?”

The Valley Lord crossed his arms and pondered for a long time.

The answer he finally gave was.

“Both!”

Utterly meaningless.

So I decided to ignore it.

“My suggestion is that I visit you regularly.”

“To this valley?”

“Yes.”

I had to visit Demon Valley regularly.

First, because the Demonic Qi stored in the Demon-Gathering Stones gradually faded once they left Demon Valley. Second, because I needed to search for the fortuitous chance here.

Now a third reason had been added. Researching Perfect Demonic Qi.

“For what purpose?”

“To study Perfect Demonic Qi. For our mutual benefit, yours and mine.”

“That sounds like you mean to only suck out the sweet nectar.”

“You said you wanted to see the end of Perfect Demonic Qi. Isn’t it better to walk that long, hazy road together than alone?”

“Certainly, if my years of experience and your talent are combined, we might produce astonishing results… hmm.”

He was tempted, but not entirely convinced.

I added a few more words.

“You said Perfect Demonic Qi has boundless potential, right?”

“I did.”

“Imagine it perfected. Who knows? You might gain the power to take revenge on the Heavenly Demon.”

In truth, even Perfect Demonic Qi’s grandfather would not be enough.

The Heavenly Demon was not human.

But unaware of that, the Valley Lord finally seemed deeply shaken.

“How often will you visit?”

I had finally gotten the response I wanted.

Before answering, I told him what he needed to keep in mind.

“You cannot force me by saying you will make me your disciple or kill me. How far could we get that way when we do not even know where the end lies?”

“Hmph, just answer.”

“Let’s see. I think I could come about once a month.”

“Not enough. Visit so often you wear down a rat’s fingerprints.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means come often.”

“You do know rats do not have fingerprints, right?”

“Shut it!”

“Sure, sure. I will come once every half month. I have a lot to do, so I cannot come more often than that.”

“Wait. But will Seol Yu-won let you come? Rather than that, I should just lock you in Demon Valley—”

“Then I will just die.”

The Valley Lord shut his mouth tight.

You are not the only one who can use my life as a threat.

I can threaten you with my life too!

“By the way, you will give me the Demon-Gathering Stones, right?”

“Take them. They are just useless rocks to me anyway.”

“Alright.”

It was time to leave.

I picked up the gourd I had set on the floor earlier.

The Valley Lord asked.

“Is that liquor?”

“Yes. Why?”

“…I was just curious.”

I tied the gourd firmly at my waist, as if to show him.

The Valley Lord smacked his lips in regret.

It seemed he could not snatch it by force for the sake of his dignity, though he had tried to take my life so readily.

‘That is what you get for not keeping your promises from the start.’

“Alright, let us go now.”

“Go where?”

“To dig up Demon-Gathering Stones. Then you need to move me to the boundary stone. I did not ask you to drag me here, remember?”

“…The more I look at you, the more your guts seem swollen.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“If you take that as praise, your brain must be swollen too.”

The Valley Lord roughly tucked me under his arm.

He shot out of the cave like an arrow, and outside it was already dark.

I had lost track of time inside.

‘There goes the second appointment.’

I had another place to visit after Demon Valley, but it looked like I would have to postpone.

“Could you maybe run a little more gently?”

“No.”

The Valley Lord ran like a madman.

It felt at least five times faster than when we came to the cave.

“We’re here, brat!”

He flung me away.

I rolled sideways and ended up sprawled on the ground.

“Urk.”

Nausea surged from the rough transport, so I hastily pushed myself up on my palms and knees.

I did not want to vomit while lying flat and get it all over my face.

Just then, a bright voice pierced my ears.

“You have returned, Young Master. That was a splendid landing!”

Well, that was embarrassing.

That looked like a splendid landing to him?

“Phew.”

Thankfully, I did not throw up.

I waited for my stomach to settle and turned my head.

I saw the madmen lined up on one side, and Im Yeon with the guards standing on the other.

For some reason, sweat beaded on Im Yeon and the others’ faces.

“What were you doing?”

“We were training the martial arts and movements you taught us, Young Master.”

“Oh.”

Excellent attitude.

Their spirit was properly up.

“Did your business conclude safely?”

“For the most part. Valley Lord, what about the Demon-Gathering Stones?”

The Valley Lord ordered the madmen to dig up the stones.

As they moved all at once, he glanced at me and snorted.

“It is bothersome to have them do it every time, so I will have a large batch dug up. Take them whenever you need.”

“You are surprisingly cooperative.”

“Shut up.”

Im Yeon, who did not know the context, looked puzzled.

“What is a Demon-Gathering Stone, Young Master?”

“It is just a thing.”

“Ah, yes. Um, and who is this elder? I saw him briefly earlier…”

Im Yeon sneaked glances at the Valley Lord and whispered.

Of course he would be curious.

He would never have imagined a non-demon resident in Demon Valley.

“He is the Valley Lord. The overseer of Demon Valley.”

“Ah.”

Im Yeon nodded as if convinced.

The freaks returned before long.

We divided up some of the stones they set down, Im Yeon and the others taking shares.

Snorting through his nose, the Valley Lord turned away.

“Get lost, and come back in half a month.”

“I was going to anyway, but…”

I trailed off.

I did not know why.

But seeing the old Valley Lord’s back suddenly brought my past life to mind.

This time he had worn me out in many ways, but it was true he had shown me great kindness back then.

“Valley Lord.”

“What is it?”

“Take this.”

Just like the Heavenly Demon once had, I untied the gourd at my waist and tossed it to him.

The Valley Lord caught it on reflex and asked,

“Why are you giving me this liquor?”

“I brought it on purpose. For you.”

“You brought it for me?”

“You have not tasted it in a long time, right? I was not going to give it to you since you kept breaking promises and threatening to kill me, but I went to the trouble of buying it, so here.”

“Y-you brat…”

The Valley Lord’s bark-like skin twitched.

He carefully opened the gourd and sniffed.

“Daqu liquor. It is the Daqu liquor I used to drink…”

Memories must have surged up.

During the years trapped in Demon Valley, what he missed dearly was liquor, especially Daqu liquor.

He had told me so himself in my past life, so it could not be wrong.

“Gulp.”

The Valley Lord took a big swig of the Daqu liquor.

Smiling, I asked,

“How does it taste?”

“Daqu liquor is named so because its yeast cakes are larger than those of other liquors. Thanks to that, its fermentation process is complex and produces a deep flavor. But this liquor is terrible. There is no depth of flavor at all.”

I clicked my tongue at his nonstop critique.

Right, what was I expecting.

I was only frustrating myself.

“However.”

The Valley Lord continued softly.

“This Daqu liquor tastes exactly like the one I drank with my men in the old days. Heh heh.”

At that moment, two streams of tears slid from his gently closed eyes.

“Hey now, there’s no need to cry.”

“Heh heh heh. It is that taste. The one I had forgotten.”

He laughed heartily, but his tears did not stop.

‘I should just buy him a whole barrel next time.’

Cursing myself inwardly for being stingy and bringing only a single gourd, I headed for the carriage.

And so my long first visit to Demon Valley came to an end.