Chapter 113 - May the Fated One Please...

I walked slowly into the Cave of Myriad Evils.

The Unorthodox Alliance had furnished the interior well, having made it a sacred site. It was well ventilated, and night-shining pearls embedded here and there kept it brightly lit.

After walking some distance, I reached a spacious chamber. This was the Cave of Myriad Evils itself. The Sovereign of Myriad Evils’ life had been recorded in words and pictures on a newly constructed wall lining.

It chronicled his entire life, from his birth and unhappy childhood through his painstaking martial training and youthful exploits, all the way to his becoming a great grandmaster of the unorthodox factions.

But that was all. There was nothing else. This was why Bi Sain had let me in. It was merely a place recording the life of an unorthodox master who had been called a legend three hundred years ago.

The pinnacle of his life was his fight with the Heavenly Demon.

Although he had not won, surviving that battle had made him a figure people still spoke of today.

According to the record on the wall, he had stayed here for ten days treating his injuries before leaving. Fortunately, there had been water here to sustain him.

It said that he subsequently went into seclusion and never appeared in Murim again.

There was no mention of the fact that, before dying, he had left a discourse on his martial learning here.

Then how had that become known?

Ten years from now, an earthquake would strike this place, collapsing a wall and revealing a new chamber.

I drew the Black Demon Sword.

HUM.

Sky-blue sword force enveloped the Black Demon Sword.

I drove the blade into the lower part of the western wall. Following the dividing line along the bottom of the wall lining made for the text and pictures, I neatly cut an opening large enough for one person to pass through.

It was this western wall that had collapsed. The wall was not thick. After cutting deeply enough to pierce it, I used my internal energy to push the block of stone inward.

I crawled through the opening. This inner chamber was where the Sovereign of Myriad Evils had left his martial teachings before his death.

His discourse on martial learning was inscribed on the wall. Judging by how he had left it separately in a secret chamber, he apparently had not wanted anyone without a fated connection to read it.

I read it slowly.

It was a discourse on martial learning as a whole, based on the insights he had gained from fighting the Heavenly Demon.

The Sovereign of Myriad Evils’ martial understanding was extraordinarily profound and sublime. To ordinary masters, it would have been so much abstract nonsense, useless even after a hundred readings. But I was no ordinary master.

I read it again and again—the martial principles left by the greatest master of the unorthodox path in the past three hundred years. There was no need to memorize them. This was a matter of understanding.

At first, I gained insight from the differences: new lessons offered by unorthodox martial arts wholly unlike the Cult’s demonic arts.

But the more I read and reread, the more I realized that all martial arts ultimately began from a single root. I gained insight from those similarities.

They were alike, yet different. Which aspects differed, and which were the same? Understanding the profound subtleties of these minute distinctions was what determined whether one became a peerless master.

I drew my sword and swung it, then returned to the text, then performed moves like a madman once more. The experience was both fresh and intense.

Had I learned only demonic arts, or only the martial arts of the unorthodox factions, his teachings would not have struck me so powerfully.

But while demonic arts were my foundation, I had lived my entire life beyond factional boundaries. That was why the Sovereign of Myriad Evils’ final insights resonated so deeply with me.

Then, at some point while performing the moves of the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art, I realized something.

Without even noticing, I had attained twelfth-level complete mastery of the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art.

Like water flowing downhill, the Sovereign of Myriad Evils’ teachings had naturally guided me to the next stage.

Tenth-level complete mastery and twelfth-level complete mastery belonged to entirely different dimensions of attainment. A martial art had reached its ultimate height and was, at last, complete.

“Ah!”

I was overjoyed. Even in my previous life, I had never attained twelfth-level complete mastery in any martial art. Now that I had achieved it in an art as sublime as the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art, I was so happy I felt I could fly.

I prostrated myself right there and bowed. Although he had been a great grandmaster of the unorthodox factions, my gratitude was sincere.

“Thank you so much for leaving these profound teachings. Though this precious fated gift did not reach someone of the unorthodox path, it has reached someone who intends to help your successors. Please do not be too disappointed.”

As I finished bowing and was about to rise, something caught my eye.

Something was hidden in a spot visible only when prostrating oneself. Looking closer, I found a letter left by the Sovereign of Myriad Evils. Its final passage caught my eye.

“... I have realized that even if I consume this ten-thousand-year black reishi, I cannot kill the Heavenly Demon. Thus, rather than take it, I leave it for posterity. May the fated one please treasure this connection.”

“Ten-thousand-year black reishi?”

Startled, I examined the area around where the letter had lain. There was a small hole behind it. When I peered inside, a ten-thousand-year black reishi was indeed growing there.

I infused a little internal energy into the earthen wall and pushed. It crumbled, revealing a small space.

Amazingly, what grew there truly was ten-thousand-year black reishi. It was more potent than any medicinal treasure I had consumed so far.

Had I not bowed to the Sovereign of Myriad Evils in gratitude, I would never have found the letter or the ten-thousand-year black reishi. Whether he had intended this or it was mere coincidence, I had gained a second fortuitous opportunity.

'Thank you once again.'

I carefully harvested the ten-thousand-year black reishi. It was actually smaller than ordinary reishi. The wondrous qi accumulated over countless years was contained within this tiny mushroom.

I consumed it on the spot.

An enormous surge of qi spread throughout my body. It was so immense that anyone unable to withstand it might instead have their meridians burst.

But with my sturdy meridians fortified by the Thousand-Meridian Strengthening Art, and the pure internal energy accumulated from the medicinal treasures I had already consumed, I could assimilate the ten-thousand-year black reishi without any adverse effects.

I circulated my true qi once, twice, three times, concentrating on carefully assimilating the qi. After storing it in my dantian, I opened my eyes.

I did not know exactly how profound the internal energy of my father, the leader of the Orthodox Martial Alliance, or the leader of the Unorthodox Alliance was. But in terms of internal energy alone, I could now confidently say that mine was no less than theirs.

I left the letter and the Sovereign of Myriad Evils’ teachings on the wall untouched. Most of them would be destroyed when the earthquake collapsed the wall, so there was no need to erase his teachings with my own hands.

I crawled out and fitted the stone block I had cut out back into place.

There was still time before the agreed two watches were up, so I read the section about the final battle between the Heavenly Demon and the Sovereign of Myriad Evils.

The Heavenly Demon’s Soul had manifested during their battle. Since the picture had been drawn by people of the unorthodox factions, they had depicted it as something like a devil.

I studied the Heavenly Demon’s Soul closely.

Once one achieved complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, one could manifest the Heavenly Demon’s Soul.

Would I, too, be able to create a Heavenly Demon’s Soul someday? What form would mine take when it manifested? Could it appear in a small form rather than an enormous one like that?

My heart raced at the mere thought.

Just then, I had the illusion that the Heavenly Demon’s Soul in the picture subtly turned its gaze toward me.

Startled, I looked at it again, but it remained exactly as it had been in the picture.

In fact, this was the second time I had experienced this.

Once, when Father had pressured me with his demonic qi, I had felt as though something enormous was watching me from within an abyss.

This was exactly the same feeling.

Was my fervent yearning for the Nine Calamities Demonic Art making me keep seeing things?

“Next time, let us meet not in a picture, but when I manifest you myself.”

After bidding the Heavenly Demon’s Soul farewell, I left the Cave of Myriad Evils.

Bi Sain was waiting outside. He examined me with curiosity-filled eyes. But at his level, he could discern no change.

“I enjoyed reading it. It truly deserves to be called a sacred site. The Sovereign of Myriad Evils was an extraordinary man.”

“Do not even think of coming again.”

“It may be sacred to you, but to me it is only a stuffy underground cave. Seeing it once was enough. Come, let us leave.”

We left through the pool by which we had entered.

Emerging beneath the waterfall, we leaped to the top of the cliff. I reached it in a single bound, while he kicked off the cliff face once midway up.

We began running toward the Unorthodox Alliance’s headquarters.

After running without rest for some time, we decided to take a short break. As we sat side by side on a hill, Bi Sain spoke worriedly.

“There must be quite an uproar by now. The Unorthodox Alliance’s successor is missing, after all. And with the Heavenly Demon’s son, no less.”

“There may be less trouble than you think.”

Bi Sain looked at me and asked, “Why do you think so?”

“The Laughing Demon will have given First Wolf a hint. Told him there was no need to make a fuss, since nothing dangerous would have happened.”

“Did you tell the Wicked Laughing Demon to do that?”

I shook my head.

“Are there not times when something can be understood without being said?”

“This is the first time I have been apart from the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path since becoming successor. Yet I cannot predict how they will act at all.”

He could not hide his bitterness. Since I had deliberately driven a wedge between them, I felt a little sorry toward him.

“How does it feel to be on your own?”

“I do not quite know yet. I thought it would be very uncomfortable, but I am not particularly uncomfortable or anxious.”

“That must be because you are with me. I have a certain charm that puts people at ease.”

Bi Sain looked incredulous at my shameless words. Spending time with him had taught me to read the minute changes in his expression. At first, his ruined face had seemed to wear the same expression all the time, but a closer look revealed differences.

“I can read your expressions now, Young Master Bi.”

He flinched when I mentioned his expressions. Just as the Wicked Laughing Demon’s mask was a forbidden subject for him, Bi Sain’s facial scars were his own sore point. But I did not hesitate to touch on it.

“When you acquire a trustworthy subordinate, let that person take a close look at your expressions. Only then will they be able to read your feelings. The closer someone is to you, and the more they respect you, the less able they may be to read your expressions. Do not make that mistake.”

“Why are you giving me this advice?”

“Because I want the Unorthodox Alliance to function well. Because I want a balance between the Cult, your Alliance, and the Orthodox Martial Alliance. If that balance collapses... you know what will happen, do you not?”

“Is that truly all?”

“Do you think I was taught to trust people? Even so, when I must trust, I do.”

“I ask because I do not understand why you would take such risks.”

“The reason is simple. He tried to kill us. He tried to use the Laughing Demon. That is more than enough reason to kill him. But do not assume we will help you to the bitter end. We are not novices newly arrived in the martial world, maddened by vengeance. If we judge the situation is not worth it, we will pull out immediately. Ultimately, this is your problem, Young Master Bi.”

Bi Sain seemed conflicted.

“To be honest, I am rather confused about what I should do.”

The Bi Sain I had first met was clearly different from the man before me now. Wounded pride tended to blind people. But now, his determination to overcome his circumstances was plainly stronger than his pride.

“Is it not simple?”

“What do you mean?”

“All you need to do is repay them in kind. He tried to kill you, so you should kill him. He did not try to seize power by killing the leader of the Unorthodox Alliance; he tried to kill you, the successor. So do the same and kill his grandson. Discard your fear and reverence for Seok Gwanchu. He is nothing but an ugly old man lusting after power. To hell with evidence and all that shit. Just kill him.”

Bi Sain nodded emphatically.

“You are right. This truly was a simple matter.”

Something that had been firmly blocked seemed to have opened up.

“I will kill them all. And everyone who stands in my way.”

“Of course you should. Do not make a simple problem complicated.”

After looking at me for a moment, Bi Sain asked, “Can you still read my expression?”

“I can.”

“What does it say?”

“You are happy.”

“So I really did have expressions, too.”

“You did not know?”

“I did not. Everyone was too busy avoiding my face.”