Regrettably, I could not see the evil spirit’s face.
Of all things, the first evil spirit to appear had been the one directly in front of the wooden dummy.
So all I could see was its back.
Four parts of the wooden dummy were sliced away, and immediately after, the evil spirit vanished.
There was a difference between the cuts made when an evil spirit appeared and those made by sword energy alone. Once the evil spirit manifested, the speed and power became faster and stronger. Considering even the demonic energy the evil spirits emitted, along with the visual and psychological effects, the true Annihilation Form was only complete when the evil spirits appeared.
I performed the Annihilation Form again.
Saaak!
The evil spirit appeared once more. But this time, too, I could only see its back.
The joy of finally having succeeded and the disappointment came over me at the same time.
‘I wanted to see what you looked like! I worked that hard to see your face, not your back!’
Then a thought flashed through my mind.
‘Ah! I can just set up a bronze mirror!’
I was about to go get a bronze mirror, but then I changed my mind.
I felt that going that far just to see it wasn’t right. I had decided to accept the order in which the martial art manifested. If you don’t want to show me, then fine.
‘I’ll look at the other evil spirits’ faces first.’
* * *
“Did something good happen?”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable could tell that Geom Mugeuk’s expression seemed especially bright today.
“I made progress in the sword art I’d been stuck on.”
“Ah! That’s good to hear.”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable was pleased. Through sparring with Geom Mugeuk and discussing martial arts with him, she herself had achieved great progress. At the level of a Demon Venerable, attaining new insight was truly difficult.
And yet, she had never dreamed that in such a short period of time, she would gain an achievement that would raise her to the next stage.
“You truly are impossible to predict.”
When Geom Mugeuk first came to visit, she had thought he would show up for a day or two and then stop. Since he had become the Young Cult Leader, she assumed he had come as a form of networking.
But that was not the case.
What Geom Mugeuk had said on the first day had been true.
You are the only senior I can talk to about swordsmanship.
Geom Mugeuk had sincerely wanted to discuss swordsmanship with her. He had tried to teach her the profound principles of martial learning, and also to learn from her.
Though she had practiced swordsmanship all her life, this was the first time she had ever pondered, debated, and discussed the sword so seriously.
Through this opportunity, she realized it. Just how much she had longed for such time.
A sparring friend.
Geom Mugeuk had approached her as a true sparring friend. From now on, those words would carry a deeper meaning to her than any other relationship.
And so, these words were sincere.
“Young Cult Leader, you are also the only person I have to talk to.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and drew his sword.
“Then shall we share?”
When they flew up into the air, all the Demon Swords came out and watched them. Of course, since they rose so high to fight, their figures could not be seen in detail.
Only countless swift flashes of sword light flickered.
Even so, the Demon Swords became absorbed in the sight as though bewitched by something.
Whenever Geom Mugeuk finished sparring and left, he always said this to the Demon Swords he met.
“I learned much from the Sword Venerable today. I envy you.”
When Ilhwa Sword Venerable heard those words, she was happy. Whether it was flattery or sincerity. To receive such high praise from none other than Geom Mugeuk was an indescribably joyful thing.
A person who unstintingly shared his understanding of martial learning and said such words to her subordinates… how could she possibly not be won over?
* * *
My training continued.
The outside events the Young Cult Leader was supposed to attend kept being pushed back. It was Father’s consideration after hearing that I was obsessed with training.
The Demon Venerables did not seek me out either. The Drunken Demon might have come to ask me to drink, but even he did not visit.
Within the cult, all anyone talked about was the Young Cult Leader who had gone mad for martial arts.
I sparred only with the Sword Venerable, and after returning from the spar, I practiced the Annihilation Form like a madman.
So many wooden dummies were cut apart that a metal dummy arrived at my training ground. It had been made by mixing Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron and steel, a special steel dummy that would not be cut by sword energy.
Kaaang! Kang! Kaaang! Kaaang!
The refreshing sound of metal rang out again and again.
After seeing the evil spirit’s back so many times, I even began to think, Can’t you turn your head just once?
Repeating it, again and again.
And today, the gift granted by that tedious repetition arrived.
Saaaaak!
The sound of the Annihilation Form changed once more.
In that instant, I saw it.
Behind the steel dummy, another evil spirit had revealed itself.
It was the appearance of the second evil spirit.
And this time, I was able to see the evil spirit’s face. For a moment, I was startled.
It did not look frightening. Surprisingly, my first impression was this:
‘It’s handsome!’
To my astonishment, the evil spirit I had summoned was a handsome evil spirit.
It had the kind of face that might appear if I showed a painter the Poison King’s face and told him, “Draw an evil spirit based on this.”
‘Is this allowed?’
I truly was surprised.
Could it be that these evil spirits reflected the heart of the person using the martial art?
I had not thought that the evil spirit’s face needed to instill fear in the opponent. I had only focused on wanting to see the evil spirit’s face.
Was that why? Was that why this kind of evil spirit appeared instead of a terrifying one?
Now I became curious about what the evil spirit that showed me its back looked like. Did it look the same? Or did it look different?
In any case, to confirm whether all their faces were different, I would have to manifest the evil spirits on the left and right as well.
Curiosity was leading my yearning.
* * *
“I think today will have to be our last day of training.”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable nodded with an expression that said she had expected it.
“Are you planning to enter closed-door training?”
“How did you know?”
“Intuition. Recently, I could feel your fervor rising higher and higher. The moment has come for you to pour everything into it one last time.”
“As expected, you are remarkable.”
The look in the Sword Venerable’s eyes as she gazed at me was different again from when I had first come seeking a spar.
“Young Cult Leader, I truly thank you.”
“I am grateful as well.”
I had become incomparably closer to her than before. I now thought I stood two steps away from her. That distance came from her nature. No matter how much closer one became, there were people who would never allow anyone within one step.
“If I get stuck in my martial arts again, I’ll come find you.”
“I will prepare myself to receive you.”
I read determination in her eyes. If she grew once more from here, the cult would welcome a new Ilhwa Sword Venerable.
Geom Mugeuk looked around the training ground. For the time being, this place was at an end as well.
“The next time I come, it may have become the narrow yard of the thatched hut again.”
“Then it will be an even more thrilling spar with a free spirit.”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable smiled and looked over the training ground with him.
“Since it is the last day, would you spare me some time today?”
In truth, I had prepared something for her today.
“Seo Daeryong, who became the Hwangcheon Pavilion Master, is like my right arm. So I would like to hold a modest celebration for him today.”
“For something like that, I should make time.”
“I have also invited the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Since he is Seo Daeryong’s master, I thought it only right to bring him.”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable understood. He was trying to take her there in order to naturally arrange a meeting with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Would you wait a moment? I will change and come out.”
“Yes, please take your time preparing.”
Today, it took her longer than usual to wash, put on makeup, and choose her clothes.
* * *
The place Geom Mugeuk and Ilhwa Sword Venerable arrived at was a hill with a green field beneath Daecheon Mountain. Wine and food had been prepared there. It was a banquet Geom Mugeuk had asked the cooks to prepare in advance.
Ilhwa Sword Venerable looked around and said,
“Was there such a place near the cult?”
“If you search every corner, there are many wonderful places. From now on, please travel and rest as well.”
“What fun is there in doing that alone?”
At that moment, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong arrived. With their great sabers slung over their shoulders, the two now looked like master and disciple to anyone.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was wearing a neat long robe he did not usually wear. His hair was neater than usual as well.
Geom Mugeuk forcibly held back the urge to tease him.
“You’ve come?”
“What’s the point of making a fuss over a celebration?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke curtly for no reason.
“Your disciple has risen to a great position, so why are you being so ill-tempered?”
At Ilhwa Sword Venerable’s words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said nothing.
Seo Daeryong politely greeted Ilhwa Sword Venerable.
“Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Seo Daeryong poured wine for everyone.
After we had drunk a few cups like that, I went out for a walk with Seo Daeryong. I had deliberately left the two of them alone and stepped away. Today’s gathering was for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon rather than Seo Daeryong. That was why I had given Seo Daeryong a hint beforehand.
“How is the work as pavilion master?”
“For now, I’m too busy trying to adjust to think straight.”
Seo Daeryong stopped walking and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“I’ve been having nightmares lately. Dreams where I’m wandering around looking for you, Young Cult Leader, in an urgent situation. It’s something I should be handling, but in the dream, all I do is search for you. And when I finally manage to find you, you look at me coldly and say this: ‘Why did you take that position when you don’t even have the ability?’”
“Will it really only happen in your dreams?”
“Ugh, I’m being serious.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and said,
“Realistically, something like that may happen once in your lifetime, if at all. Don’t waste your mental strength on something that may never happen.”
“What if it does happen?”
“Then you solve it with this.”
Geom Mugeuk lightly tapped the handle of the great saber Seo Daeryong was carrying.
Seo Daeryong stared at the handle marked by his master’s touch and nodded.
“That must be why every day has to be hellish training.”
The two turned to head back.
“Let’s stay a little longer.”
In the distance, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Ilhwa Sword Venerable were drinking and talking. Both of their expressions were bright.
“It’s a good time for them!”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Seo Daeryong laughed.
“When I went to bring him earlier so we could come together, it looked like he was dressing up. He seemed to have tried on several outfits too. It was the first time I’d ever seen Master like that.”
Seeing the Blood Heaven Blade Demon smile put Geom Mugeuk in a good mood as well.
Yes, please forget everything that happened in the past now. Lock the door that leads to the past, and there is no need to peek into the future either. Just live happily like that.
“You should have a spring breeze blow your way too.”
“It’s hopeless for me. Please go on ahead without me. I’ve gotten even busier now. My life is going to be nothing but work and training!”
Seo Daeryong gazed enviously at the fresh, youthful feeling in the distance that had forgotten age.
“Can I really go ahead first?”
“You have to take me with you! I’m your right arm!”
* * *
Time passed quickly.
I had entered wondering when I would come out, and before I knew it, I had finished one hundred days of closed-door training and was leaving the training hall.
Without even shaving my beard, the first place I headed was the Heavenly Demon Hall.
Father was guarding the Heavenly Demon Hall, unchanged as ever.
“What is that state you’re in?”
“I wanted to see you, Father, so I came running straight here. This way, it shows how hard I worked.”
Out of gladness, I started joking first.
“I nearly went mad wanting to eat something delicious. Please develop some food that can be used for closed-door training, not fasting pills or jerky!”
Father welcomed me with that same unchanging smile.
“A lazybones training for a hundred days. Impressive.”
“Those fellows were so terribly shy, it was truly hard to get a look at them.”
I had tried to abandon my desire to be acknowledged by Father. I thought that burden was holding me back.
Even so, in this moment, my heart trembled. It seemed I had not thrown it all away after all. The desire to be acknowledged by Father through martial arts.
“I will introduce you to my friends.”
After calmly settling my mind, I performed the First Technique.
Saaak!
A crisp sound of wind.
Four strands of sword energy cleaved through the air.
Four evil spirits revealed themselves.
They were my evil spirits, the ones I had wanted so badly to see.
They looked different from the evil spirits Father had shown me. To my surprise, my evil spirits all had different appearances and impressions.
There was one that was frightening, and one that was handsome. One gave off a strange sense of mystery, and another looked clever.
Father was surprised by their differing appearances. Naturally, he must have thought they would all look the same. In truth, I was surprised too. I had not expected evil spirits with such different impressions to appear.
The four evil spirits did not vanish immediately like Father’s had.
As though they were trying to commune with me, they seemed to look at me for an instant.
Seut.
The next moment, the evil spirits disappeared in a flash, just as they had appeared.
Father had risen from his grand chair. He did not hide his surprise.
“Is this what you wished to see, Father?”
The Guhwa Demonic Art, completed through my own interpretation, different from Father’s.
Father looked down at me in silence, then slowly nodded.
“Yes. It was something like this.”
I recalled the conversation I had with Father on the day he passed the Guhwa Demonic Art on to me.
—The Guhwa Demonic Art has continued to change.
—It could not have been otherwise. In every era, fools and geniuses must have continued to appear.
I would become that genius and unfold a further developed Guhwa Demonic Art.
I felt that Father’s aura had changed. At least when it came to martial arts, Father would not simply stand by in admiration. He would strive to show his own change. He would try to compete with me and win. He would sincerely help where he meant to help, and win where he meant to win. Father was Father.
“Thank you for postponing all the external duties the Young Cult Leader was supposed to handle.”
“The first button is always important.”
It had been Father’s consideration so that I could properly learn the First Technique of the Guhwa Demonic Art. Thanks to him, I had fastened the first button well. Now, as I learned the Sicheon Secret Art, I would calmly fasten the rest one by one.
“I’ll leave the cult at once and take care of everything.”
“Before you go…”
Father stepped down from the grand chair and said to me,
“Let’s eat together. You worked hard.”
Father had personally cast even the sorcery he supposedly hated so much. Because with that single sentence, all the hardship of those hundred days vanished.