Chapter 5

On the way back to the Demon Cult, I had many conversations with the Heavenly Demon.

To be precise, it was less a conversation and more me talking at him.

Thinking back after my regression, I realized I didn’t actually know much about him.

That was only natural.

In my past life, I had feared and been uncomfortable around him.

Maybe that was the reason.

The Heavenly Demon wasn’t talkative, and I’d been too uneasy around him for us to ever exchange personal words.

Perhaps that was why the thin bond between master and disciple had ended in ruin.

But now, I already knew more about him than my former self ever had.

For example, like the fact that he likes alcohol.

Gulp.

The Heavenly Demon tilted back his flask and drank heartily.

“Can’t you spare me a sip?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I have no wine to give you.”

A firm answer.

Clicking my tongue, I eyed the goatskin wine pouch hanging at his side.

Ridiculous as it was, that pouch was what he seemed to care about most during our journey to the Demon Cult.

Every time we stopped at a village, he was busy refilling it.

“Why do you like alcohol so much?”

The Heavenly Demon didn’t answer.

Instead, he posed a question of his own.

“Why do you concern yourself only with trivial matters, and never ask about what you truly ought to be curious about?”

“And what’s that?”

“Who your fellow disciples are, what life in the main cult will be like, and how your future training will proceed.”

The Heavenly Demon listed them in his usual flat tone.

“Hmm, I’m not particularly curious.”

That was only natural.

I’d already lived through it all once.

And every bit of it had been dreadful.

Life at the main cult had its occasional tolerable moments—barely.

But the other two? Not at all.

Among those called fellow disciples, few were sane, and the training process was brutal beyond words.

‘Whatever else happens, the training method must change.’

In this life, I would do it my way.

The Heavenly Demon’s near-abusive method of rote drilling didn’t suit me.

I’d grown rapidly at first, but what was most important, —the mastery of the Nine Heavens Demon-Ascension Art—had stalled at the seventh stage, with no progress until my death.

This time, it had to be different.

That didn’t mean I should reject the Heavenly Demon. Nor could I.

I hadn’t absorbed even a fifth of the martial essence he’d accumulated.

In the end, what I had to surpass was the Heavenly Demon himself.

To do that, I first needed to reach the realm he’d attained—and the only one who could guide me there was him.

But I wouldn’t accept his teachings unilaterally as before.

I would limit his interference to a minimum, asking for what I needed only when I needed it.

I would keep the initiative in my training, without missing out on enlightenment.

That was the best approach I could think of.

The Heavenly Demon asked again.

“You mean to say not a single one of the things I mentioned interests you?”

“No. What I’m curious about is your thoughts, Master. For example—your evaluation of my sahyungs.”

“And why are you curious about that?”

There wasn’t any grand reason.

I simply wanted to see how closely his assessment matched the people I’d known.

Since I couldn’t say that outright, I gave a vague reply instead.

“Just because.”

“No matter what I say, you wouldn’t comprehend it at your level.”

In other words, I was too lowly to understand.

Really, even when he’s right, he has a way of making it sound unpleasant.

“What do you think is the foundation of demonic arts?”

The Heavenly Demon asked as he tilted back his flask.

He would sometimes bring up martial philosophy out of the blue like this.

I already knew everything he said, so I simply tried to show that I understood perfectly.

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be demonic qi.”

Feigning ignorance, I gave the right answer.

The Heavenly Demon gave a small nod and drank again.

And then—

“Watch closely.”

The Heavenly Demon turned one palm upward.

Fwoosh—

A clear, translucent flame bloomed.

Just looking at it filled me with a serene kind of beauty.

“This is refined demonic qi—pure demonic qi. And this—”

The Heavenly Demon opened his other hand.

A flame darker than pitch-blackness itself surged forth.

Its destructive power seemed capable of devouring the world.

“This is unrefined demonic qi—chaotic demonic qi.”

The Heavenly Demon shot both flames into the sky.

Pure and chaotic demonic qi intertwined wildly and exploded.

Puoong— Pung Pung—

It looked as if the stars in the night sky were bursting all at once.

Brilliant, dazzling light and ominous black flame filled the heavens.

As I stared in awe, the Heavenly Demon spoke.

“There is no chaotic demonic qi without pure demonic qi, and no pure demonic qi without chaotic demonic qi. The destructive power of the chaotic demonic qi enhances the stability of the pure demonic qi, and the stability of the pure demonic qi supports the destructive power of the chaotic demonic qi.”

“Yes.”

“But many demonic practitioners overlook this. Obsessed with the path of domination, they pursue only chaotic qi. That must never be done. Pure demonic qi must always be the foundation. Those most at risk are ones like you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Those with great talent or a light temperament often succumb to the temptation of chaotic qi and become demonic beings. You fall into both categories—be especially cautious.”

It felt strange.

To be the object of the Heavenly Demon’s sincere concern.

In my past life, he had only ever driven me harshly.

“Yes. I’ll be careful. So you be careful too, Master.”

I said it sincerely.

The Heavenly Demon regarded me with an unreadable gaze.

And said—

“A foolish worry.”

In other words, he believed nothing could ever go wrong with him.

But knowing the future, I couldn’t help worrying.

I wanted to ask him.

If you understand demonic qi so well—so confidently—then why were you devoured by it?

A question I could never ask, and would never receive an answer to.

“You should focus on your problem. The greater the brilliance of the sword light, the deeper the shadow it casts. Exceptional talent always brings an equally deep darkness.”

“Yes.”

In other words—don’t grow arrogant.

“Having a light temperament means lacking restraint and being rash.”

In other words—don’t be hasty.

“And great talent, by its nature—”

That sounded like another warning not to be arrogant. I tilted my head slightly.

He was repeating himself, wasn’t he?

“Hold on, Master. Are you drunk?”

Masters with deep internal energy rarely get drunk.

But if the liquor is potent enough, or they don’t bother to expel its influence, they can.

For some reason, it seemed like the latter for him.

“And why do you ask that?”

The Heavenly Demon’s brow furrowed slightly.

“You keep repeating yourself. Be honest—you’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“Silence.”

The Heavenly Demon cut off the question in a single word.

It was so cold it was freezing, I shut my mouth at once.

He lay down, eyes closed, placing the flask beside him.

‘Yep, he’s drunk.’

I muttered inwardly.

He’s out of words, so now he’s pretending to sleep.

“……”

When the Heavenly Demon fell silent, stillness settled around us.

I sat quietly, staring blankly at the campfire.

The Demon Cult wasn’t far now.

We’d probably arrive in a few days.

‘What should I do first when we arrive?’

Various thoughts surfaced.

The Demon Cult was a place riddled with internal strife and conflict.

As the Heavenly Demon’s new disciple, I wouldn’t be exempt from it.

Because of that, in my past life, I’d gone through quite a few unjust and bitter experiences.

‘This time, I won’t put up with it.’

It’s kill or be killed.

After dying and coming back to life, what’s left to fear?

‘…Is he asleep?’

I glanced at the Heavenly Demon.

I couldn’t hear clearly, but his breathing sounded steady.

I silenced my movements and crept toward him on my knees.

My target was the flask beside him.

I’d never been fond of drinking, but lately, I’d been wanting a taste.

It was probably because I’d seen the Heavenly Demon enjoy it so often.

‘Almost there.’

If I stretched my arm just a little, I could reach the flask.

The Heavenly Demon was the greatest under heaven, but I figured he wouldn’t react to intentless energy.

That assumption proved right.

Carefully, I reached out my arm.

Just as I was about to grab the flask—

“Do not touch it.”

“…There was a bug flying around.”

I waved my hand as if shooing a bug and returned to my spot.

So he wasn’t asleep after all…

Still, the journey with the Heavenly Demon hadn’t been so bad.

Time passed, and at last, we arrived at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains lies a great city.

It is home to hundreds of thousands of demonic cultists and the seat of the Demon Cult’s Main Hall.

And at the city’s boundary stood a gate dividing the inside from the outside.

The cultists called it the Divine Demon Gate.

The Heavenly Demon and I stood before it.

“Beyond this gate lies the Divine Cult.”

The Heavenly Demon said indifferently.

I looked around with mixed feelings. It had been exactly ten years.

After becoming his disciple, I had never left this gate.

Even when I escaped the Demon Cult, I’d gone by another route.

‘I remember how shocked I was the first time.’

The memory of when I first crossed this gate was still vivid.

Outside, the wind had been dry and biting, but stepping a single pace inside changed everything.

It had turned as warm and gentle as spring from winter.

There was a reason for that.

The Eighth Cult Leader had been an eccentric man.

He’d poured the Demon Cult’s entire fortune into erecting an enormous formation that enveloped the whole city.

Even that didn’t seem enough, as he’d borrowed a vast sum from the richest merchant house in the world, the Mok Family.

The debt had been so huge they were still repaying it to this day.

In any case, thanks to that, this place became a paradise.

Clear skies prevailed all year round.

Only a few areas inside the walls ever saw rain or snow.

Fweeeet—!

As we passed through the gate, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

It might have sounded like an alarm for intruders, but it was actually a signal announcing the Heavenly Demon’s return.

“We greet the Lord of All Demons.”

Men appeared like phantoms and knelt before the Heavenly Demon.

They were his bodyguards, who had awaited his return.

The Heavenly Demon passed them without a glance.

“I’ll walk to my quarters. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The bodyguards vanished once more.

They were likely hiding somewhere, guarding him from the shadows.

I thought it made more sense for them to guard the Heavenly Demon outside the Divine Cult’s borders, but he probably forbade it.

They wouldn’t have been able to disobey anyway.

Nor did they ask a single question.

Where the Heavenly Demon had been, or who I was.

“Let’s go.”

“Um, Master, can’t we ride on the horses instead?”

Beyond the Divine Demon Gate lay the city, and at its center stood the Demon Cult’s Main Hall.

Walking there would take at least two hours.

In my past life, I’d just followed orders and trudged along, but I didn’t feel like doing that now.

I was too exhausted.

“Walk.”

But the Heavenly Demon’s reply was absolute.

He really was cruel. Just why did he always have to find ways to make things hard for people?

I sighed quietly and followed him.

Soon, we entered the city’s outskirts, where people came into view.

They didn’t recognize the Heavenly Demon.

Probably because of the wide-brimmed bamboo hat he wore.

“……”

We walked for quite a while without a word.

Then, suddenly, a strange sense of dissonance crept in.

The Heavenly Demon doesn’t particularly like walking.

So why was it that both now and in my previous life, he’d chosen to walk to the Main Hall only on this occasion?

Was it just to torment his new disciple?

‘No, probably not.’

In my past life, the Heavenly Demon had tormented me plenty, but every time, he’d had a reason.

I focused on the sights around me.

Children running through the streets.

Merchants busily selling their wares.

The rhythmic clanging of a blacksmith’s hammer.

Old men chatting beneath the shade of a tree.

It was simply a scene of everyday life.

‘Wait.’

I suddenly thought I understood the Heavenly Demon’s intent.

In the Central Plains, everyone viewed the Demon Cult’s people as evil demons.

Many feared them for that reason.

But in the end, the Demon Cult was just a place where people lived.

And people’s lives looked the same anywhere.

Perhaps the Heavenly Demon wanted to show me this.

It was a way of saying to not fear life in this unfamiliar place. Could it be perhaps his own form of consideration?

‘Though maybe I’m overthinking it.’

“We’re here.”

Before I knew it, we’d reached the Main Hall.

Unlike in my past life, those two hours hadn’t felt exhausting at all.