Chapter 40 - Grow Stronger, Yi An!

Early the next morning, I went to Heavenly Demon Hall to see Father. He was in his private training ground rather than the main hall. I was waiting outside for him to finish training when he called to me.

"Come in."

Having been informed of my visit, Father summoned me inside. I felt a flutter of nerves as I entered. This was my first time in his private training ground.

At the very moment I stepped inside, Father rushed at me from the center of the training ground. The form he used was the Underworld King's Step, and the blade flying toward me was the Heavenly Demon Sword.

The Heavenly Demon attacking someone with the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Underworld King's Step? No one could survive such an attack, no matter who they were.

In a flash, it was over. The Heavenly Demon Sword had stopped in midair. I stood right beside it, close enough for my breath to fog the blade. I had evaded Father's attack with the Flicker Step.

Had the Flicker Step beaten the Underworld King's Step? Of course not. He had calibrated the attack so that I could just barely evade it.

"You keep aiming for this handsome face."

"Those who come after you outside won't be as merciful as I am."

"Thank you for sparing my life."

I looked around Father's training ground as though nothing had happened.

"I thought there would be something special here, but there isn't."

There really wasn't. The space was empty except for a few swords, sabers, and spears propped against the wall.

"You don't even have a training dummy."

"Why keep something I don't need?"

True enough. I trained against imaginary opponents myself. Why would Father be any different?

Then I noticed an iron plate fixed to the wall. It was a handspan thick and covered in deep fist-shaped dents. Astonishingly, it was made of ten-thousand-year cold iron.

"Good heavens! Just how powerful are your fists? This is cruelty to ten-thousand-year cold iron."

"Enough nonsense. Come here."

Father had a reason for letting me into his training ground.

"Show me the Wind God's Four Steps."

"Yes, Father."

Opportunities to receive his instruction were rare, so I performed the Wind God's Four Steps to the best of my ability.

The Wind God's Four Steps consisted of four main forms, but those forms contained more than nine hundred variations in total. Depending on one's interpretation, that number could increase or decrease.

How those variations were interpreted and applied produced subtle differences in movement, ultimately changing the power of the Wind God's Four Steps. That was precisely why the same martial art could feel different and wield different power depending on who used it.

By the time I finished, Father's face was flushed with excitement. Perhaps my attainment was greater than he had expected.

We discussed the forms I had just performed. At first, it was simply a question of whether to put more force into the feet or less, and whether to turn the waist faster.

I told him exactly what I thought. Some of my opinions contradicted his, but to my surprise, Father was remarkably flexible in his thinking. He tried performing a form on the spot exactly as I had suggested.

"As you say, putting more force into the right foot seems to be the correct interpretation."

While we discussed martial arts, Father felt like a different person. He was open-minded, generous, and reasonable. We spent a long time talking about the Wind God's Four Steps.

We were so absorbed in the conversation that our discussion of martial principles only ended when I realized I was hungry. By then, I could feel that my mastery of the Wind God's Four Steps had risen another level.

"Thank you for such invaluable instruction. I will repay this kindness..."

I would repay it by killing Hwa Mugi.

"With money, later."

In response to my joking, Father abruptly said,

"Stay for a meal."

I was startled.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"It's the first time you've ever said that to me. Asked me to eat with you, I mean."

"You find the strangest things surprising."

Father left the training ground first. Much as he had said, it seemed a strange little thing to be moved by, but honestly, emotion welled up inside me.

I ate with Father. I had expected a lavish feast, but there were fewer dishes than I had imagined. It was a truly simple, neatly arranged meal.

"There's more rice, so eat your fill."

"Yes, Father."

I ate without any jokes. This opportunity would not come often, so I tried to commit the moment to memory.

Father gave me one puzzled look as I ate quietly, then continued his meal in silence. After all, I usually made a deliberate effort to tease and joke even more when I was with him.

But in this moment, it was the man I had been just before my regression who sat eating with Father. One older man with another. One martial artist with another. And yet, still father and son.

'Father... I've missed moments like this.'

I had never once missed them before. Only now, living this moment, did I realize that deep in my heart, I had longed to sit here with him.

And so my historic first meal with Father came to an end. I would never forget that first meal, during which neither of us had spoken a word.

After finishing, Father asked me,

"Were the dishes to your liking?"

It was time to return to my usual self.

"Would you like to trade cooks with me?"

Don't take it to heart, Cook Im. I'm only joking.

"No need."

"Haha."

I drank with Father, sharing the wine served with the meal.

"You drank with the Saber Demon in Demon Family Village?"

"Yes."

As expected, Father knew my every move within the Cult.

"How much do you trust him?"

"I don't."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know him. No matter how transparent someone seems, I mustn't arrogantly assume I know them."

Father looked satisfied when I answered according to his own teaching. He was worried that I might trust the Saber Demon and be stabbed in the back.

"Why did you come to see me today?"

Only after more than four double-hours had passed since my arrival did he ask that question.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Speak."

"Please let me add someone to my family."

Father's expression said he had never heard anything so absurd.

"Do you mean you wish to marry?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I wish to teach the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art to my personal bodyguard, Yi An."

I intended to pass on the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art, which I had brought to complete mastery, to Yi An. She would need an art of at least that caliber to hold her position as commander of the Ghost Shadow Squad.

The problem was that the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art was passed down only to the Heavenly Demon's blood kin. I could not teach it without Father's permission.

"You disparage your actual blood kin behind his back, yet you want to make your bodyguard family?"

"Yes. She is more precious to me than blood kin. And she will accomplish great things."

"The Heaven-Soaring Sword Art is your exclusive martial art. Are you sure?"

"My exclusive martial art will be the Nine Calamities Demonic Art."

Trying to bring the Blood Heaven Saber Demon and the Single Flower Sword Supreme into my fold, installing Jang Ho as Demon Army commander, establishing a new Demonic Path—all of it would be wasted effort if I failed to become the successor.

Ultimately, all of this was to earn Father's recognition. Only by becoming his successor and receiving the Nine Calamities Demonic Art would I be able to face Hwa Mugi.

"You're quite confident."

"She is well worth teaching."

"In what way?"

"She is a better person than I am."

Perhaps he hadn't expected that answer, for Father fell silent for a moment. After drinking a cup of wine, he asked,

"Do you intend to make that girl the head of your private organization?"

"Yes, I do. In the future, there may be Demon Supremes I eliminate. I will fill the void they leave with my private organization. So please give me your permission."

Father readily answered with a single word.

"Agreed."

At first, I thought I had misheard him. I hadn't imagined he would consent so easily.

"Are you truly saying I may teach Yi An the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art?"

I asked again to make sure, but Father merely nodded in silence. I had expected him to set some condition and grant permission only after I completed a mission... Why had he agreed so easily?

"But promise me one thing."

"Give me your command."

"The next time you decide to kill a Demon Supreme, you must tell me. No matter which Demon Supreme it is."

It was an easy promise to make. In fact, I had intended to do so even without promising. I had no intention of disposing of the Demon Supremes without Father's permission.

"Yes. I certainly will."

* * *

"You called for me?"

Having received Father's permission, I immediately summoned Yi An to my private training ground.

"Do you know why I called you?"

"Yes, I have a rough idea."

"What is it?"

"You want to test what I've learned so far, don't you?"

Since I had summoned her to the training ground, it was a natural assumption.

"Well? Are you ready?"

"I've trained as hard as I could."

"Not that."

"Pardon?"

"Are you ready to learn a new martial art?"

Yi An was startled. Her surprise soon turned to excitement. Was there any moment more thrilling or gratifying to a martial artist than learning a superior martial art?

"Yi An, commander of the Ghost Shadow Squad."

"Yes."

"From this moment on, I shall teach you the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art."

Yi An stared blankly for a moment, then let out a shocked cry.

"Aaah!"

It was the most startled I had ever seen her since we met.

"No! The Heaven-Soaring Sword Art is only passed down to the Heavenly Demon's blood kin, isn't it? If you teach it to me, the Cult Leader will kill me with a single palm strike. And you'll be in terrible trouble too, Young Master. If you're thinking of teaching me in secret, give it up. No secret stays hidden forever. Even if we could keep it secret, I cannot learn it."

After her torrent of words, I asked with a smile,

"Finished saying your piece?"

"I have more to say, but I'll leave it at this. No! Absolutely not!"

Smiling, I told her,

"I have Father's permission."

"What?"

Yi An's eyes went wide. Watching her surprise, I realized just how varied her expressions were. She had several different looks of astonishment, and this was yet another one I had never seen before.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That can't be."

"If you doubt me, come with me and ask him yourself."

Yi An, who feared Father more than anyone else in the world, backed away, waving her hands.

"You might as well kill me."

"I don't hate you enough to lie about something like this. Want to hear the decisive reason you can believe me?"

"What is it?"

"You're right. If I taught you without permission, you'd die. I would never put you in that kind of danger."

Apparently, Yi An trusted me at least that much.

"You really did get his permission?"

"Yes."

Yi An's gaze wavered.

"But the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art is your exclusive martial art, Young Master. Why would you teach it to me?"

"Because you'll need a martial art of this caliber to become commander of the Ghost Shadow Squad. And... you're as good as blood kin to me. So you may learn it."

Emotion welled up in Yi An.

"Young Master."

"I'm doing this for myself, not for you. I intend to work you hard from now on. So don't get too pleased."

"Even so, how could I dare learn your martial art?"

"My exclusive martial art will be the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. So learn this without feeling burdened."

At last, tears began to fall from Yi An's eyes.

"No one has ever... valued me this much..."

I lightly patted her back as she struggled to continue. Yi An broke into great sobs. Something that had accumulated deep inside her seemed to have suddenly burst free. I let her cry as much as she needed.

Once she had cried herself out and regained her composure, I taught her the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art. The instruction took place through sound transmission.

—The Heaven-Soaring Sword Art consists of eight forms encompassing the changes and energies of the sky. Think of your dantian as the sky, and expand it as far as possible. Your true qi must flow like the wind—sometimes like a spring breeze, sometimes as powerfully as a passing typhoon. The beginning of internal power...

The quick-witted Yi An memorized the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art's mnemonic verses perfectly after I recited them five times.

"You must know the verses well enough to recite them immediately even if someone pokes you in the side while you're asleep. Understood?"

"Yes, understood."

Yi An would work herself to the bone, and if I taught her whenever I could, her skills would improve by the day.

"And this."

I took a small wooden box from inside my robes and held it out to her.

"What is it?"

"Open it."

Inside the box she opened was a poison-warding pearl. It was one of those I had taken from the Golden Manor master's secret vault.

"What is it?"

"A poison-warding pearl."

"What? One of those incredibly rare poison-warding pearls?"

"Yes. Whenever you're at risk of poisoning or face someone who uses poison arts, hold it in your mouth while you fight."

"Why give this to me?"

"It's a gift to celebrate your formally beginning to learn the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art."

"No! You've already taught me a martial art. I can't accept something so precious as well!"

"You have to accept it."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to give one to someone I'm less close to than you. I can't give someone else something I haven't even given you."

"That's strange logic, isn't it?"

"All right, I'll come back later to test what you've learned. Don't neglect your training."

I hurried out before the place could become a sea of tears again.

Behind me, I felt a fervor that went beyond gratitude and emotion.

I looked forward to the future that passion would create. At the very least, I would not let it become a passion that made her sacrifice herself for me. So...

Grow stronger, Yi An!