Chapter 564

A day had passed since training ended.

During training, where we were supposed to catch the instructors, I had gotten into a brawl with Heavenly Sword and ended up doing nothing else.

That day’s training had ended just like that.

The instructor was the most flustered one.

Since the two of us had fought and then ended it on our own, the instructor nearby had actually been the one left bewildered. We had fought by ourselves and ended it by ourselves.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue. Then I lowered the sword I was holding.

“Damn it.”

Something felt off. My whole body was tingling. The aftereffects from yesterday. Ah, this is rough.

It was a little different from muscle pain. It felt as if the backlash from applying the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts was only now arriving.

I forced my stiff body to loosen up.

My insides don’t feel great.

The application of energy. It felt like there was a problem there. Using my own martial arts wasn’t an issue, but—

Something.

The energy itself.

It felt as if spiritual energy was trying to force its way into the energy swirling inside me. I couldn’t tell whether that was a good influence or not.

Originally, I could simply use spiritual energy like inner qi.

But ever since I used the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.

There were signs that spiritual energy was gradually mixing into my martial arts itself. Was that even possible?

[Who knows.]

The Heavenly Demon expressed that he did not know either. Had he said that demonic arts were originally like that?

No.

To be exact, he had said that the very concept of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, not demonic qi, used spiritual energy by mixing it in.

That was why so few beings could use it.

And the fact that it moves toward the concept of bloodline inheritance too.

The Heaven-Slaying Star is strongly influenced by heredity, and the Heaven-Slaying Star is part of karma. Karma, in turn, is influenced by the soul.

So it means the possibility of being able to use spiritual energy is high.

But that is only a possibility. No matter how strong the hereditary influence is.

Looking at Yu Yeon, it isn’t always like that—

Even if Yu Yeon’s talent for martial arts is outstanding, from the perspective of spiritual energy, her talent in that field appears poor.

In any case, if one must use spiritual energy to apply the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts...

Then what did that bastard use?

Heavenly Sword. What did the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts that guy used feel like? According to the Heavenly Demon, it was half-baked.

[If it cannot affect the soul, then the divine arts have no value as divine arts.]

That was why what Heavenly Sword used could only remain an imitation.

The problem was—

So.

Imitation or whatever.

Where did that bastard see the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts?

Leaving aside his talent, enough to become a Heavenly Demon candidate, to imitate the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, he had to have faced the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts directly.

The Heavenly Demon is already dead.

There was no way he saw the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts from the Heavenly Demon, who was already dead.

Then where did he see them?

It was a question.

“Do you know anything?”

[As if I would.]

“I figured.”

They really are useless people.

Ah, they aren’t even people.

With a sullen face, I slid my sword into my waist.

Right after retrieving it, I returned to my residence. I had come all the way to a place with few people around, so I had to take a bit of a detour.

I was entering the residence like that when—

BOOM!

A loud sound came from inside. What the hell? I went in, puzzled.

“Urk!”

Tang Cheonil was rolling across the floor.

“...You keep pissing me off.”

And Peng Dojun was glaring at Tang Cheonil with an angry face. Ah, so that was it.

This is familiar.

As if it were anything special. It seemed like the usual situation.

I walked in with a calm expression and asked,

“What are you doing?”

“...”

Tang Cheonil and Peng Dojun looked at me.

Then Tang Cheonil growled and said,

“That bastard... No, that guy keeps ruining the whole mood.”

“What did I do?”

“What do you mean, what did you do? You’ve been sitting around all day with a face like you swallowed shit, and it’s driving me insane. Are you going to keep doing that? Are you that pissed off because you lost to that Heavenly Sword or whatever he’s called?”

“Who said I lost!”

CRAAASH! Pressure burst from Peng Dojun’s body.

“I did not lose. To begin with...”

Peng Dojun, who had been speaking, ground his teeth with a crunch.

“I never even got to fight.”

“Mm?”

At those words, I tilted my head.

“You never fought him?”

“No.”

The frustrated look on his face was impressive. What did he mean, he never even got to fight?

“Forget it. There’s nothing to say.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If there’s nothing to say, why are you so pissed off? You definitely lost—”

He couldn’t finish. Peng Dojun had grabbed a chair and was about to throw it.

Then he didn’t throw it and set it back down.

“...Grrk.”

He ground his teeth and went upstairs. What the hell is wrong with him?

“What was that?”

“...I don’t know either. Ow, damn, that hurts...”

Tang Cheonil staggered to his feet.

“Are you all right?”

“I am not all right...”

You do look like it.

Maybe because Heavenly Sword had beaten him up yesterday, there wasn’t a single part of Tang Cheonil’s body that looked intact.

Cloud Dragon seemed to have recovered somewhat since a few days had passed, but this guy looked like he would need a while to heal completely.

“Damn it. When I meet that bastard again, I need to beat him up.”

“What are you going to beat? You’re just going to get beaten more.”

“...No. Back then, I was only careless.”

“Careless, my ass.”

He had no conscience. Heavenly Sword’s realm was far higher than Tang Cheonil’s.

He was in a realm Tang Cheonil could not possibly defeat.

Which makes it even stranger.

Even so, when Heavenly Sword fought me, it had felt like he wasn’t fighting properly.

He had used the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts and other martial arts, yes.

But even so—

That was all.

He had not used his signature martial art. What was his signature martial art?

Why isn’t he using it?

Whether he imitated the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts or imitated something else, even if he used those things, he should ultimately have his own strength.

At least, that was what I thought.

But he keeps not using it.

There had to be a reason.

“Anyway, rest well today.”

“...Yes.”

There was no training today. That was why I had just returned from morning training myself.

Leaving Tang Cheonil behind, I glanced at the room Peng Dojun had gone into. What was wrong with that guy?

Should I start looking into it?

I was busy with my own matters and did not want to pay attention, but since he was acting like that, it did bother me a little.

Well, for now.

That would be for later.

Thinking that, I looked for the person I had been waiting for. Not long after, someone came down the stairs.

“You’re here?”

“...”

Yu Yeon nodded. I had plans with her today.

*****

We came outside and walked through the county town. People crowded the streets, and I could feel gazes among them.

Since I had made Yu Yeon wear a face veil, I thought they were probably because of me.

I could hear whispers.

I thought I was drawing some attention because I was Yoo Cheongil’s inheritor or a figure of the orthodox faction.

“...How is he that handsome?”

“Can a face really be that pretty?”

“...What the hell is that?”

Ah.

It seemed they were staring because I was handsome. Right. Sometimes I forgot that I was good-looking.

It had been even easier to forget because there hadn’t been many times when I used this face to live my life.

As we walked carefully through all that, we met the person waiting for us in an alley over there.

“...”

The moment he saw us, his face twisted. It was Woo Young Jin.

“...Why do you keep calling me out?”

“It’s been a while.”

“I saw you yesterday, so what do you mean, it’s been a while... Grrk.”

Woo Young Jin ground his teeth as he spoke. Seeing that, I smiled awkwardly. Today’s situation made me feel a little sorry.

Yesterday, I had said we should deal with the instructor together, but no such thing happened. I had only gotten into a brawl with Gye Mun, and the whole thing ended.

My situation had gotten tangled because of the information Heavenly Sword gave me, and because of that, Woo Young Jin had failed to obtain what he was supposed to gain.

That was why he was looking at me with dissatisfied eyes.

“I’ll help you properly next time. Let it slide today, will you?”

“...Damn it.”

We were still in a cooperative relationship. Looking at Woo Young Jin, I could tell there was still more I could squeeze out of him.

“Haa.”

Woo Young Jin let out a short sigh and said to me,

“What do you need this time?”

“Ah, please come with me to a smithy.”

“...A smithy?”

“Yes.”

I pointed at Yu Yeon’s waist with my hand. The part where her sword hung.

“We’re going to repair her sword.”

“...?”

Woo Young Jin’s face crumpled.

*****

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The space rang with the sound of iron being struck.

It was filled with scorching heat that felt as if it would burn us. In the temperature that could make one’s breath catch, the place we had come to was a smithy in the county town.

“It has been a while.”

“Young Master Woo Young...! What brings you here...?”

“I have a task to request.”

When Woo Young Jin appeared, the craftsmen in the smithy came forward and greeted him. As expected.

Since this guy was the son of a powerful family in Xinjiang, I had figured he would be useful in this kind of situation.

“If you say a task...?”

“...Take it out.”

At Woo Young Jin’s words, Yu Yeon took out her sword and showed it to them.

“...You have been using this until now?”

The blacksmith was horrified when he saw Yu Yeon’s sword.

It was a sword whose edge was completely ruined and in terrible shape. I was just as surprised.

...Was it this bad?

Yu Yeon had said she thought her sword needed repairs, so I had simply brought her here.

But it was worse than I expected. At this point, couldn’t you call it a blunt weapon instead of a sword?

It looked closer to something meant for beating than cutting.

“Good heavens...”

The craftsman shook his head too.

“...No matter how I look at this, I think it would be better to buy a new sword rather than repair it. Is it perhaps a famed sword?”

At his question, Yu Yeon shook her head. Fortunately, it did not seem to be an expensive sword. It seemed to be one of the ordinary swords Mount Hua issued.

“Judging by the quality of the iron, it does seem to be a decent sword, but... at this level, repair will be difficult. Unless you bring it to an exceptional master craftsman—and even then, rather than entrusting this sword’s repair to such a master, it would be better to buy a new one.”

In terms of cost-effectiveness, that was right. It looked that way to me too.

“Yeah, if it isn’t an important sword, let’s buy one.”

“...”

Yu Yeon nodded. We gave up on repairing the sword and decided to buy a new one outright.

“Choose one.”

Fortunately, it seemed they sold swords as well. The place the blacksmith guided us to had swords lined up in abundance.

Yu Yeon looked around the area where the swords were displayed.

“Pick one. This friend here will pay for it.”

“What?”

Woo Young Jin’s eyes widened at my joke. It was a joke. Half of one, anyway.

In any case, since Yu Yeon was a swordswoman too, she looked around here and there with interest in choosing a sword. She gradually moved deeper inside.

Then—

Wooooong.

Hm?

Suddenly, I felt a vibration at my waist. The Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.

Out of nowhere, it let out a sword cry.

I quickly grabbed it and stopped the vibration.

What the hell? What’s wrong with it?

Why was it suddenly acting like this? While I was wondering—

Yu Yeon stopped in place.

[Ha.]

At the same time, the Heavenly Demon reacted.

Clink. Yu Yeon picked up a sword from the pile of weapons. It looked like an ordinary old sword.

But.

[...Why is that there?]

The Heavenly Demon seemed to know that sword.

WOOOOONG—!!

And the Divine Sword rang as if resonating with it.

Somehow.

...She picked up something strange.

It didn’t seem as if she had found an ordinary sword.