Chapter 72

Shocking news struck the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

It was that the Seventh Young Lord had been ambushed.

“Heh, such a thing happened? Is the Seventh Young Lord alright?”

“More than alright. I heard that the Seventh Young Lord captured the assassin alive instead. Word is he was from Salmak.”

As the two men were talking, someone at the next table cut in.

“He was indeed from Salmak, but not just any assassin. They say he was an elite assassin, one of the best they have.”

“Oh, really? As expected of the Seventh Young Lord! To capture such an assassin alive.”

The talkative man listened to the tavern chatter with satisfaction.

His efforts that morning to spread rumors all over had been worth it. All anyone talked about was the Seventh Young Lord.

“I heard that assassin was the Assassin King’s disciple, too?”

At someone’s comment, the talkative man tilted his head.

The rumor he had spread was only this much: “The Seventh Young Lord was ambushed by an elite assassin from Salmak, and the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan is suspected to be behind it.”

He had never once mentioned the Assassin King’s disciple, so who was saying that?

At this rate, people would start saying the assassin caught by the Seventh Young Lord was the Assassin King himself.

And then—

“They say it wasn’t the disciple but the Assassin King himself. That the Seventh Young Lord personally captured that terrifying man.”

The talkative man almost spat out the drink he was swallowing.

He hadn’t thought that line would actually appear!

Even as he sat there dumbfounded, the conversation continued to flow.

“Anyway, I hear there was someone behind the assassin?”

“I hear it’s almost certainly the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan. Their Fourth Young Lord suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Seventh Young Lord not long ago.”

“Ah, that’s right! The Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan.”

“In my view, the Seventh Young Lord already saw through everything. He deliberately lured the assassin into Hidden-Cloud Pavilion, then captured him alive in order to expose the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan’s scheme to the whole world!”

“Ooh. When you put it like that, it gives me goosebumps. To think his mind is as deep as his martial prowess!”

Listening to the conversation grow more and more outrageous, the talkative man clicked his tongue.

At this point, the truth no longer mattered.

Just hearing the story people had spun was enough to almost convince even him that it was plausible.

The important thing was just one, that once again, his mission had achieved success beyond imagination.

The talkative man swallowed his drink with a satisfied look.

---

A heavy silence hung over the Patriarch of the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan’s audience hall.

Heuk Jin-pung, his face twisted like a fiend’s, growled at the subordinate standing before him.

“Say that again.”

“T-that our clan had sent an assassin after the Seventh Young Lord, and that he saw through it, and is now confirming we were behind it. That is the rumor spreading.”

The subordinate finished his report with difficulty, cold sweat dripping down his face.

Kwaang!

Heuk Jin-pung’s fist slammed into the purple sandalwood desk.

“What in hell are you all doing instead of shutting those mouths?!”

“M-my apologies. The rumor is spreading at an abnormally fast rate… All of our clan’s warriors are currently deployed trying to quell it.”

“Damn it!”

Heuk Jin-pung smashed the purple sandalwood desk to pieces with his other fist.

His rage turned toward Number Nineteen.

“An elite assassin from Salmak faints while climbing over a window? Has there ever been such a useless fool of an assassin in this world?”

Heuk Jin-pung could not believe this situation.

He had paid a fortune because they said the man was a legendary assassin, a talent who would succeed the Assassin King.

“Baek Su-gyeong…!”

The start of all this had been that brat.

Ever since Heuk Un-hwi had returned with his arm severed by Baek Su-gyeong, the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan’s prestige had plummeted.

In accordance with the Heuk Clan’s creed of repaying grudges to the end, they had attempted assassination twice, yet absurdly, both had failed.

–If you want to kill me, go ahead. The Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan is about due to step down from the Seven Demonic Houses anyway.

He remembered the words Baek Su-gyeong had said back then in front of the Divine Demon Gate.

That arrogant brat probably thought being a Little Demon made him untouchable.

This time, he would make him clearly understand how terrifying the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan was.

“I will have to use those people.”

“By those people, you mean…?”

“The Heaven Rebelling Society.”

“…!”

Those who hated the structure of the Cult.

Those who devoted themselves to their beliefs and gladly threw away their lives.

Like a plague, they had infiltrated every corner of the Divine Cult, from high positions to even the Seven Demonic Houses.

They were the Heaven Rebelling Society.

“Leak some information to the Heaven Rebelling Society. That the Cult Leader’s most cherished disciple is Baek Su-gyeong, and that he has been chosen as the successor.”

“But they could become trouble la—”

“Shut up and do as you are told!”

Heuk Jin-pung no longer had any cool reason left.

His anger toward Baek Su-gyeong had long since moved from the public realm to the personal.

‘This alone is not enough.’

Heuk Jin-pung decided to mobilize even the secret forces the Heuk Clan had been raising in secret.

If it was a double-layered trap, he would never survive.

‘This time, he will not escape.’

And if they failed again.

‘Then I will move personally.’

---

‘Things are flowing nicely according to plan.’

I wore a pleased smile.

Since rumors naming the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan were spreading far and wide, their guts had to be thoroughly twisted by now.

Heuk Jin-pung would soon be forced to make an overreach.

I had handed the assassin over to the Military Affairs Department and publicly declared I would shake out whoever was behind him, so the pressure on them would only grow.

‘He probably will not use wanderers or assassins again. Maybe he’ll send some secretly raised elites?’

It did not matter what he did.

I planned to make plenty of preparations as well.

The next morning, I climbed Demon Awakening Peak.

It was for training with the Heavenly Demon.

I asked the Heavenly Demon, who was looking down at the lake as usual.

“We’re doing physical training today again, right?”

The Heavenly Demon turned his body and replied.

“Of course. Your attainment in the five strengths is still unsatisfactory.”

In other words, my body was still not suited for using martial arts.

“I feel like I am not doing that badly, though. Look at this, I’ve even got muscles on my arms now, and my stamina has shot up. I could run nonstop for two hours, easy. No, maybe even four—”

“What scheme are you plotting this time?”

I flinched inwardly and asked back.

“What scheme?”

“Whenever you babble uselessly, you always have some other goal, do you not?.”

“…Ha. I really can’t fool you, Master. The truth is, there is something I want to learn from you.”

A faint trace of interest flickered in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes.

“And what would that be?”

“Let me ask you one thing first. If you were suddenly ambushed by a large number of masters, how would you handle it?”

“Kill them.”

The Heavenly Demon answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“No, you would kill them, but there must be… a method to do that.”

“Kill them all in a single strike.”

“…”

That answer was absolutely no help. He might be able to do it, but there was nothing there I could reference.

I rephrased my question and asked again.

“If you were me, how would you fight in a chaotic melee?”

In my previous life, I’d had many one-on-one fights.

But I lacked experience with melees, so I wanted to learn from the Heavenly Demon, the Greatest Under Heaven.

The odds were high that I would soon face a melee.

“It seems you have many worries.”

His tone sounded as if he saw through everything.

Of course, the Heavenly Demon would know everything going on.

The fact that Heuk Jin-pung was after my life, and that I had no intention of backing down.

I let out a snort and spoke.

“That is how you live long. It’ll be Heuk Jin-pung who will be the one doing it a lot more. Worries, that is.”

I knew the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan’s policy of repaying grudges without fail.

But they wouldn’t know.

That I wasn’t the type to just sit there and take it either.

“You will see in time.”

One corner of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth rose ever so slightly.

He continued.

“Attack me with all your strength.”

“Really?”

That meant he intended to teach me.

Afraid he might take it back, I instantly dropped into a stance.

“You do not show even a hint of reluctance.”

“As a disciple, it would be improper of me to refuse my master’s words.”

“Since when have you ever properly followed my words?”

“Here I come. It might hurt a little.”

Ignoring the Heavenly Demon’s comment, I charged in with bravado.

I had no intention of actually landing a hit.

Even the Lord of Demon Valley, going all out, had only managed to brush his sleeve, so what could I possibly do?

I was simply curious.

How much what I had built up since my regression would work on the Heavenly Demon, and what his teaching would be like.

Shuuuk!

I thrust my fist out hard.

It was an attack using pure strength and instinct, not martial arts.

Most of the martial arts I knew were ones I had learned from the Heavenly Demon in my past life, and I couldn’t exactly use those on him.

The Heavenly Demon easily dodged my attack.

I kept swinging my fists after him, but every time they only sliced through empty air.

The Heavenly Demon moved just outside my range in a way that was almost infuriating.

When I took one step closer, he was one and a half steps farther away. When I changed direction, he somehow ended up close behind my back.

“You charge in like a wild boar.”

“And you dodge like a slippery loach, Master.”

“You must do the same. Move ceaselessly.”

At those words, I understood.

This was the Heavenly Demon’s first teaching.

“Attack again.”

“Alright.”

I unleashed an even fiercer barrage of attacks.

I was sure he would dodge as usual, but to my surprise, he casually extended his leg and kicked out my supporting foot.

“Ah.”

I almost rolled on the ground in an unsightly way.

I caught myself with my palm, flipped over, and barely managed to land upright.

“You were so focused on hitting your opponent you did not even notice your footing was empty. You have just died once. Attack again.”

I charged at the Heavenly Demon again.

Once again, he felled me with the lightest of movements.

“Twice. Three times.”

Just like that, the number of times I ‘died’ quickly passed nineteen.

‘This is ridiculous.’

I had known from the start I was no match for him.

But I’d thought I’d improved quite a bit. For the gap to still be this overwhelming?

“This will be the twentieth time.”

I bit my lower lip.

Dying nineteen times wasn’t enough, now he was giving advance notice of my death.

I focused all my senses on the Heavenly Demon’s movements.

I refused to allow a twentieth death, if only for my pride’s sake.

‘Think.’

I quickly replayed the situations where the Heavenly Demon had struck me.

Empty footing, broken balance, unstable supporting leg…

‘Wait.’

Realization struck me.

What we had been doing was not a spar, but correction.

The Heavenly Demon had been targeting my openings.

In my previous life, it wouldn’t have been like this, but now I was revealing openings without even realizing it.

My body and internal energy were very different compared to back then.

But this time would be different.

‘Where will the twentieth be?’

I had no way of knowing.

With the Heavenly Demon, there was nowhere he wouldn’t be able to attack.

Then I just had to flip my thinking. I would make it so I knew.

As soon as I finished the thought, I hurled myself toward the Heavenly Demon, deliberately exposing an opening in my lower body.

It was a spot he’d pointed out many times but I still hadn’t fixed.

So it looked natural enough that even the Heavenly Demon would not notice anything strange.

The Heavenly Demon moved.

He aimed at my lower body, more precisely, at my front foot where my weight was concentrated.

‘Just as I expected.’

I was already prepared.

Right before his foot reached my ankle, I pushed off with my big toe and spun my body horizontally.

Hwoong!

A fierce sound of air being torn rang out where my ankle had just been.

Goosebumps broke out all over my body.

‘What’s that sound?’

Was he trying to break my leg? Weren’t we in the middle of a lesson?

Tat–

I planted my right foot to his left side.

He stretched out an arm to grab me, but I didn’t stop.

I pushed off my right ankle and spun my body again.

The Heavenly Demon’s attempt had failed twice.

Finally landing behind him, I used the rotational force to drive my knee into his waist.

‘Did I do it?’

Just when I thought I’d finally landed a blow.

Pak!

My attack was blocked by a hair’s breadth.

The Heavenly Demon’s palm was pressed against my knee.

“Ah! So close.”

“What was that just now?”

The Heavenly Demon asked with a strange expression.

Even he must not have anticipated that move.

I puffed myself up and spoke.

I had earned the right to, since I had surprised him.

“Let’s just say it’s a move I found on the boundary between life and death. How was the lesson I gave you? Don’t let your guard down!”

“I will return that lesson to you as is. Twenty times.”

“Huh? It was nineteen times though?”

“It is twenty.”

At that moment, I felt a sting in my side.

When I looked down, the index finger of the Heavenly Demon’s left hand was in front of my side.

It was much closer than the distance my knee had reached.

“…Nineteen times it is.”

As I answered dejectedly, the Heavenly Demon asked.

“What did you feel?”

“Let’s see. That your hand is pretty sharp?”

“Do not waste strength. Even with simple movements, you can kill your enemies as much as you please.”

In other words, his second teaching was to move efficiently.

“However, it was not bad.”

“…!”

It was a short sentence, but to me it felt more valuable than a hundred words.

In this way, I gained several more lessons.

Like needing to read the battlefield, or making the enemy’s rhythm conform to mine.

By the time my whole body was aching.

“This will be the last.”

With those words, the Heavenly Demon’s atmosphere suddenly changed.

The killing intent pouring out from him crushed my entire body.

I couldn’t even move a finger, my breath was so choked.

With emotionless eyes, the Heavenly Demon unleashed a killing strike at me.

I could neither dodge nor block it.

Even as I thought there was no way the Heavenly Demon would kill me, the word “death” kept flickering in my mind.

Hwoong!

I squeezed my eyes shut.

A gust of wind swept across my entire body.

It felt like not just my hair but even my eyebrows were about to be ripped out.

I opened my eyes a sliver.

The Heavenly Demon’s fingertips had stopped in front of my neck.

He spoke in a low voice.

“This is the killing intent you must carry.”

“…”

“Compassion is a luxury. Do not show leniency in your hands. Use any means necessary and survive. That is all you must do.”

The lesson was over.

Taken separately, each part was nothing special, but I felt I had gained a lot.

How well I could internalize it would depend entirely on me.

“Thank you, Master. I will do my best.”

I spoke as I steeled my resolve.

The Heuk Jin-pung matter was like the backlash of what I had set in motion since my regression.

I had to get through it with my own strength.

Relying on the Heavenly Demon this much was enough.

But then, the Heavenly Demon spoke in a cold voice.

“What are you talking about? It’s not over yet.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, the Heavenly Demon’s body multiplied into dozens, like illusions.

“Wait, didn’t you just say that was the last?”

“That was the end of instruction. From here on, this is actual combat.”

“…Actual combat? I don’t think we need to go that far.”

“We do.”

Bbeo-eok!

“Uwaagh.”

As I went flying through the air, I finally understood.

That the real teaching was only beginning now.