The Sword Demon puts down his teacup and says.
“You don’t have to force yourself to say anything you don’t want to reveal. But why don’t we ask each other questions we want to know and answer them in exchange for information? We’ll go slow. We should get to know each other first.”
“Are you asking me to do a Q&A relay?”
“Indeed.”
“Very well.”
“Ask me if you have any questions.”
Now that he’s allowing me to ask questions I have so much to ask. I have to sort out my questions according to priority.
As I ponder this deeply the Left Hand intervenes.
“Master may I join you?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.”
Like the generals of the kingdoms Wei Shu and Wu we choose our words carefully.
I ask the Sword Demon the first question.
“Why are you teaching a shithead like him?”
Sword Demon answers me calmly.
“I’m thinking of making him the next Heavenly Demon (天魔). Does that answer your question?”
I feel like I just got beaten down by the Sword Demon for a moment. This is an unexpected answer.
When the Sword Demon and I turn to look at the Left Hand he shakes his head.
“I’ll pass.”
The man later known as the Left Hand of Illuminating Light is a gentle sheep in front of his master. The Sword Demon then nods and throws a question at me.
“I don’t think you’re from either the Orthodox or Unorthodox Factions. I would’ve also known you if you were in the Demon Cult. That leaves three masters Seo Jang or the Three Disasters. Or though hard for me to believe you learned all of this yourself.”
I swallow back a curse.
The hairs on my arm are all standing up.
It is incredible how he could narrow the scope of possibilities without witnessing my martial arts skills.
The Sword Demon demands an answer.
“Is my prediction right?”
“Yes.”
I give him as simple of an answer as I can. That way the longer the question and answer session the more information I can get.
I look at the Sword Demon’s wooden sword and the Left Hand before asking my question.
“What are you teaching him? Shithead mastered the Ice Technique and you’re mastering the sword.”
The Sword Demon points at the Left Hand.
“He learned Ice Technique before meeting me. Look at him. He’s inexperienced with a lot to learn. Just because I’m a good swordsman doesn’t guarantee he’ll also be one. He swallowed laxatives even before he could fight. Do you have any idea how much I have to teach? It’s better to train in what we’re good at.”
Sword Demon’s words are irrefutable.
‘You’re one nasty little punk.’
I have no choice but to nod in agreement. This time the Sword Demon asks his question.
“What is the martial art you are most confident in? Your hands don’t have calluses.”
Even though I have the Black Hare’s Tooth on my waist the Sword Demon doesn’t see me as a threat.
I notice that there is no use in lying. Sword Demon can quickly determine whether it’s a lie or truth.
I answer him in my own way.
“I learned various martial arts so I don’t fight with one style. I’m confident in all of them. It depends on the situation.”
The Sword Demon nods with an indifferent expression.
“That means nothing about you stands out.”
I let out a short sigh. It feels like the Sword Demon just slashed his sword and struck my arm.
The Sword Demon then gestures.
“Ask away.”
I ask him a comprehensive question to discover why the Sword Demon is staying around in an area under the Orthodox Faction.
“What is a member of the Demon Cult doing here?”
Sword Demon answers after understanding the intent behind the question.
“I’m waiting for the right timing to fight the Cult Leader. He’s not a man I can fight anytime I want so I’ll have to wait longer. I also need to recover from my injury.”
This isn’t surprising at all. I scratch my head and nod. Sword Demon who just made a clean counterattack launches another attack.
“This is our first encounter. It seems like you knew my disciple from before. What do you want from him? Since you didn’t poison him it means you want something.”
I stare at the Sword Demon for a moment.
Is this guy using the Phantom Sword?
I suddenly feel as if invisible swords are entirely surrounding me.
If I lie the invisible swords will stab into my body.
I thought this was a question relay but it ended up with me risking my life. Even the Left Hand realizes that this is not an ordinary question relay.
I’m a man who doesn’t worry much so I only tell the truth. I’ll think about the story that doesn’t make sense later.
“All I want is the Ice Technique.”
The Sword Demon’s expression instantly changes and the invisible swords surrounding me disappear all at once.
The Sword Demon and Left Hand look at me with suspicion.
I just think to hell with all this facade and ask the Sword Demon.
“Why did you take this guy as your disciple? He’s a lady’s man.”
“Being a womanizer is his nature and nature is inherited from parents. He probably gets it from his father. While there are children wary of their parents’ nature there are those who don’t. His potential and talent for learning martial arts were rare and exceptional.”
The shocking fact about the Left Hand is that he is a man without any twist to his story. Even the Sword Demon admits that this guy was born to be the Pervert Demon.
When the Left Hand doesn’t deny anything Sword Demon then says with an awkward expression.
“I won’t stop him from playing with women. But I told him not to hurt and insult women. Still he will end up in trouble if he keeps changing lovers. If more innocent women follow him only by looking at his handsome face this guy will realize his fate.”
The Sword Demon answers my question with his predicament.
The Left Hand who is listening carefully asks the Sword Demon.
“Master what is that destiny you mentioned?”
“That destiny is…”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know either. It’s just that when you find a woman you really like she’s more likely to look down on you due to your reputation. Right now you’ll be happy to sleep with several women but affection is no simple and easy matter. But it’s like knocking on a dead man’s door. Even if I say this just live as you please. That’s fate.”
The Sword Demon’s attack drives the Left Hand to a corner.
The Left Hand looks extremely hurt so I snort at him mockingly.
‘Get the hell out shithead.’
It’s time for me to compete with the Sword Demon again.
Sword Demon asks me.
“It’s my turn to ask questions. Why do you want to learn the Ice Technique?”
I scratch my forehead for a moment. Right now whenever Sword Demon attacks I can see his tactics. This is a punch-like question. There is no way to avoid it so I block it head-on.
“To kill the cult leader.”
Even though I succeed in my defense the feeling of being cornered is still there. After some thought I ask my question in the form of a direct stab.
“What is your intention in fighting the cult leader?”
This time the Sword Demon folds his arms.
“You’re asking such an obvious question. But if you don’t know me it’s understandable you’ll be curious.”
“That’s right.”
“A man who sets foot in Kangho and fights more than 10 times isn’t a skilled man.”
Ignoring the rules I follow up with a question.
“Why not?”
“Doesn’t it mean you have 10 guys to beat up? You will compete for ego if you meet a Kangho warrior as you train. You’ll have to continue training if you’re lucky enough to survive. You won’t have enough time to continuously look for the next Kangho warrior and compete with 10 masters. A sect leader may be among the strong and next the alliance leader caught my attention.”
For a moment I am astonished by the Sword Demon’s condescending answer and keep my silence.
Sword Demon then adds.
“That is my definition of Demon (魔).”
This man is a demon who walks the path of a truth-seeker with his sword.
This time it is the Sword Demon’s turn.
“You can’t kill the cult leader by just mastering the Ice Technique. Do you have a plan?”
The answer to this question is simple so I tell him what I have in mind.
“The important thing is to have a Killing Intent (殺意) toward him so the result doesn’t matter.”
The Sword Demon stares at me with a frown as if he is mulling over my words.
“Ask your question.”
Suddenly I recall one of Grandmaster Ouyang’s eight tactics the sixth tactic the Wooden Sword Style (木劍式).
Sword Demon has a wooden sword.
I’d given up since the fifth tactic the Thunderous Sword Style. Now that the Sword Demon is holding a wooden sword I can’t help but be curious. Grandmaster Ouyang and the Dokgo Sword Demon may not come from the same faction but I still ask him the question because they might share something in common.
“Does that wooden sword represent your current cultivation level?”
“That’s a strange question. The wooden sword has been a topic for me these days. As for my level… perhaps you’re right. I can’t fully control the wooden sword yet. Does that answer your question?”
It is understandable if they have not read Ki Sung-ja’s explanation. However I can predict the Sword Demon’s level since I’ve read the synopsis of the Grandmaster Sword Technique.
The Sword Demon asks me a realistic question.
“How will you acquire it if my disciple has no intention of teaching you?”
I answer without much thought.
“If not I’ll gain enlightenment on my own.”
Sword Demon scoffs nods and says.
“The relay is over. I know who your master is.”
I think ‘Oh this is how you want to play?’ This is such an odd question relay.
“Who do you think it is?”
The Sword Demon replies.
“You are influenced by a few people but don’t have an actual master. Basically you are the one-man show type who builds your own faction or becomes a grandmaster. An independent man who lives by his own disposition personality and mindset. You’re not learning the Ice Technique because you need it but more for the knowledge to explore the next step. In any case extreme Yin energy is a big part of martial arts. Those are the traits of a grandmaster. You have no affiliation but it is reasonable to see it as self-taught. You may be using what you’ve learned since you were young. The day will come when you’ll use your own martial arts if you work hard.”
I become speechless for the first time since my regression to the past.
This is a serious situation if a talkative person like me is speechless.
The Sword Demon asks for confirmation.
“Am I wrong?”
“No you’re right.”
“This rare trait itself is very invaluable.”
The Sword Demon nods without showing anything and looks at the Left Hand.
“If my disciple has offended you in any way please forgive him. Since you kept him alive it must not be a grave mistake. I’m the one to be blamed for not teaching him enough. If you forgive him you can come to find me whenever you have any questions or get stuck with training.”
“….”
The Sword Demon continues.
“Moreover the Ice Technique is like the soul of my disciple’s clan. My disciple could change his mind and teach you but killing him won’t enable you to learn the Ice Technique. However regardless of chance or coincidence we both want to kill the cult leader. Now that we’ve cleared the air why don’t we move on?”
I stare at the Left Hand with genuine surprise.
There is no change in his expression. His reaction shows that he’s not surprised at Sword Demon’s words.
‘You killing the cult leader?’
While staring at the Left Hand I recall his behavior speech and expression back at the cliff. And I then come to this conclusion.
‘Jerk he was hunting me down so I would swallow the Heavenly Pearl.’
The Pervert Demon is the Pervert Demon. There’s no unexpected side to him.
The unexpected twist is that this man hadn’t come to retrieve the Heavenly Pearl and present it to the Cult Leader. He isn’t such a great person to give rare panaceas like the Heavenly Pearl to others from the start.
Even if I killed 100 of the strongest elites of the Heavenly Demon Cult…
It means the Left Hand was just looking on as he was chasing me.
He hadn’t been interested in taking my life. All the Left Hand wanted was to get his hands on the Heavenly Pearl. Furthermore if a faction named the Okhwa Palace was destroyed by the Heavenly Demon Cult it would be more natural for their descendants to seek revenge.
The Left Hand then says with reluctance.
“Master.”
The Sword Demon answers immediately.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t be too bothered that you got spiked with laxatives. You should be relieved you weren’t poisoned. If the outcome of the match was cruel you’re already dead. Foolish I warned you to be careful.”
The Left Hand replies with a bewildered look.
“I will deeply reflect on my mistake.”
The Sword Demon points his finger and launches a finishing attack.
“You didn’t survive because of luck. You are alive because this man needs something from you. Your clan’s Ice Technique saved you. I wonder how long you’ll get drunk and sleep with women.”
The Left Hand hangs his head low and gives an unexpected response.
“I will do my best in training.”
“What about women?”
“I’ll also work hard…”
As Sword Demon’s wooden sword surges with a thud the Left Hand drops and rolls onto the floor.
I look at the Left Hand with my arms crossed. To be honest I am in awe.
‘Wow shithead you’re incredible.’
As I stare at the Sword Demon I comfort him with pure intention.
“Thank you.”
I suspected that the Sword Demon might have died of an anger disorder in his previous life.
Looking around the scenery of the yard again we are.
The Sword Demon walks on the path of a seeker of truth with his sword.
The Pervert Demon is the Pervert Demon.
And I’m the Crazy Demon.
All three of us have nicknames true to our nature.
