Chapter 207: Demonic Arts (2)

Demonic Arts (Ma Gong).

It is the authority bestowed by the Heavenly Demon along with demonic energy (Magi).

For Demonic people (Main), it is called a blessing.

It is the fastest way to reach another world.

It was called a new power that transcended realms.

Demonic energy (Magi) strengthens the body and martial arts (Mugong), similar to vital energy (Hyeolgi).

Depending on the realm, one could become steeped in madness and turn into a lunatic.

I’ve actually seen plenty of guys who were eroded by demonic energy (Magi) and became monsters.

Demonic Arts (Ma Gong) are slightly different from this.

For the recipient, it can become an entirely new power.

The power one possesses can interlock with Demonic Arts (Ma Gong) and evolve.

The Demonic Path Heavenly Absorption Technique (Mado Cheonheupgong) I received was, as mentioned above, an entirely new power granted by the Heavenly Demon.

The ability to absorb demonic energy (Magi) from the magic stones (Maseok) of monsters (Mamul).

Thanks to that, while using fire arts (Hwagong), I resolved the problematic issue of internal energy (Naegi) capacity.

At the same time.

The demonic energy (Magi) obtained through it influenced my core technique (Simgong), strengthening the flames.

What I gained that way was the black flame (Heugyeom), mixed with demonic energy (Magi).

Thanks to that, I had to live my whole life with a shitty nickname….

‘Whoever the hell first came up with it, if I find them, I’m really going to kill them.’

Anyway, Demonic Arts (Ma Gong) are about complementing the problems and weaknesses a martial artist possesses.

And enabling one to travel the path they desire or aim for more quickly.

That is the power of Demonic Arts (Ma Gong) bestowed by the Heavenly Demon.

It’s a power that sets a faster path than anyone else and pushes you forward; how could a martial artist yearning for higher places not be tempted?

The reason many people, regardless of the orthodox path, fall into the way of the Demonic people (Main) is…

It might be the Heavenly Demon’s overwhelming strength, but…

Ultimately, there are many who couldn’t overcome their walls, and…

Because they craved power, they couldn’t shake off the temptation.

Knowing the process and results of that…

I couldn’t help but recognize the power and aura the Palace Lord (Gungju) was exuding right now.

‘Demonic Arts (Ma Gong).’

That was definitely Demonic Arts (Ma Gong).

A suffocating, disgusting aura.

The Palace Lord’s (Gungju) black mist, swelling thickly, was definitely made of demonic energy (Magi).

Having met martial artists from the Black Night Palace (Heugyagung) several times in this life…

I could tell they definitely possessed demonic energy (Magi), even if it wasn’t impure…

…but there was a sense that it wasn’t enough to call them Demonic people (Main).

That’s because the demonic energy (Magi) wasn’t fully assimilated into their bodies.

However, the Palace Lord (Gungju) is different.

‘That guy is a real Demonic person (Main).’

The Palace Lord (Gungju) was a true Demonic person (Main).

Not only was the ratio of demonic energy (Magi) higher than internal energy (Naegi) when using martial arts (Mugong)…

…but only a true Demonic person (Main) could emit such viscous demonic energy (Magi).

‘I had heard that the Palace Lord’s (Gungju) martial arts (Mugong) were similar to black mist.’

But that was just hearsay.

This was the first time I’d actually seen it.

‘I’m sure.’

There was no way I could mistake anything regarding demonic energy (Magi).

He was definitely a Demonic person (Main).

The fact that the Palace Lord (Gungju) is already a Demonic person (Main) means the Black Night Palace (Heugyagung) is definitely related to the Demonic Cult (Magyo), or the Heavenly Demon.

‘…This means the Heavenly Demon is already somewhere in this world.’

It was something I had half-expected already.

Although the Heavenly Demon’s first appearance was through a Demonic Mirror (Magyeong), tearing through the void…

…I had been thinking he might already be somewhere in this world.

‘Could the Heavenly Demon himself possibly be somewhere in this palace?’

I prayed it wouldn’t be so.

If the Heavenly Demon I knew was truly somewhere here…

…it was a story where everyone might die.

At least, the Heavenly Demon I knew was that kind of being.

Along with the secrets of the Black Night Palace (Heugyagung) and the encounter with the Blood Demon (Hyeolma)…

…this was also an expectation, wasn’t it?

‘Fuck.’

Thinking that my damn predictions never failed to come true made me endlessly anxious.

How could life be this shitty?

‘Still, the fact that the Palace Lord (Gungju) appeared means Gu Huibi is probably okay.’

The reason I deliberately broke the wall to make noise and unleashed my energy to attract the Palace Lord’s (Gungju) attention.

It was because the Heavenly Road (Cheonro) orb, which had been close to useless, suddenly activated.

Something that hadn’t worked from a certain moment started showing me a view on its own this time.

The scene I saw was precisely the moment the Palace Lord (Gungju) and Gu Huibi were conversing in the prison.

However, from my perspective, the situation wasn’t good.

‘…If I had been even a little late.’

The Palace Lord (Gungju) would surely have killed Gu Huibi.

The emotion reflected in the Palace Lord’s (Gungju) eyes, from his fingertips that hesitated even for a moment…

…I could see a thought about what to do with Gu Huibi lingering.

‘Damn it.’

It was something I did recklessly because I didn’t have time to think of another method.

Thanks to that, I could see their alertness level had sharply increased.

‘But then again, there was no other way.’

If even this hadn’t worked, it was a method that meant the end anyway.

I tightened my grip on Namgung Bi-ah’s arm.

Namgung Bi-ah seemed to instantly understand my intention in grabbing her arm.

She immediately suppressed her presence even further.

Seeing that, I inwardly gasped.

‘This isn’t something that becomes easy just because you’re told to do it.’

I was dumbfounded.

I was about to strike her dumb if she couldn’t do it, but…

She actually did it right away just because I told her to.

Anyway, thanks to that, it seems we managed to avoid attention, but…

The problem started now.

‘This is becoming too much of a headache.’

Since I attracted attention, their vigilance must be extremely high.

Furthermore, there was no guarantee the Palace Lord (Gungju) wouldn’t think of harming Gu Huibi again.

‘In the first place, if he intended to kill her like that, why did he abduct her?’

First, I need to figure out his intentions.

The problem was that no matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t know the reason he took Gu Huibi.

It wasn’t just that this hadn’t happened in my previous life; I also didn’t properly know the Black Night Palace’s (Heugyagung) objective.

‘Intruding is too dangerous.’

In the current situation, even the famous Shadow King (Amwang), the commander of the Seven Night Killer Unit (Chilyasalsudae), would be reluctant to infiltrate.

The inside of the formation (Jinbeop) looked completely different from the outside.

For starters, the mist obscuring the surroundings was gone.

Because of that, if I moved incorrectly, they would notice much faster.

Moreover, the terrain was different too.

‘How on earth did they do it?’

Not only did they obscure the inside from the outside…

…but they made it seem like a completely different world.

I’ve never seen anything like this…

‘Wait. I have seen something like this.’

As I spoke, I could recall it.

The memory of seeing such an absurd formation (Jinbeop).

Around the time I found the secret records (Bigo) of the Geumcheon Yeon Family (Geumcheollyeonga) in Sichuan…

It felt similar to the formation (Jinbeop) I saw back then.

‘Is it a coincidence?’

It was too ambiguous to say it wasn’t a coincidence.

But it was also too ambiguous to say it was a coincidence.

‘There’s a high possibility it’s the work of Taejeolgoi.’

The old man covered in liver spots who was in charge of the mechanisms (Gigwan) for the Demonic Cult (Magyo).

It was possible that man could create something like this.

Besides, the mechanism I encountered at the Mount Hua Sect (Hwasanpa) was also Taejeolgoi’s work, so I could tell that old man was currently at the Black Night Palace (Heugyagung).

‘I can’t just barge in like this.’

Even if my realm has improved, recalling how the fierce battle with the First Elder (Iljangro), who was like a walking corpse, wasn’t easy…

…this isn’t a situation where I can win against the Palace Lord (Gungju) one-on-one.

‘That’s why I’m hiding like this.’

Moreover, it’s not just the Palace Lord (Gungju); I don’t even know the exact number of martial artists currently in the Black Night Palace (Heugyagung).

Smashing through the main gate and setting everyone ablaze was something only possible in my past life.

I lacked the strength for that by a long shot right now.

Knowing that, ultimately, I just had to wait for the right time now.

The right time to exploit that narrow gap.

And that time…

‘Just a little longer.’

I think it’s really not far off.

---

Time flowed.

Day turned into night.

Inside the prison where Gu Huibi was, only silence flowed.

The Palace Lord (Gungju) disappeared with a brief noise.

That’s why he hadn’t reappeared since.

Should I consider this fortunate?

Gu Huibi was still staring out through the prison bars with wide-open eyes.

Snoreee.

Old Man Muk’s snoring constantly reached her ears, but…

…she had reached a point where she didn’t even mind it anymore.

Gu Huibi cared more about…

…observing the current situation than the old man’s snoring.

The Palace Lord (Gungju) had clearly brought her here, even appearing on the front lines because he needed her.

‘But then, why earlier?’

Gu Huibi knew she had almost died earlier.

The Palace Lord (Gungju) had definitely tried to kill her.

This wasn’t a misunderstanding.

‘Something must not have clicked.’

It must have been from the moment he saw the child and her together.

The Palace Lord’s (Gungju) demeanor had changed considerably.

The child. Yes, it seemed that child was the problem.

‘Is being too close the problem?’

The reason for provoking the Palace Lord’s (Gungju) temper for a moment.

Gu Huibi wondered if that might be it.

Was it because she had talked with the child for less than a day?

‘What exactly is the problem with that?’

She couldn’t know for sure, but in Gu Huibi’s view, it seemed likely that was close to the reason the Palace Lord (Gungju) tried to kill her.

Was it misguided paternal love? That didn’t seem right.

After all, they didn’t seem to have that kind of relationship.

If you ask why he treated the child that way amidst all this…

…it was simply because to Gu Huibi, it was just a ‘child’.

She could clearly understand the emotions reflected in the child’s eyes.

Along with memories of taking Gu Yangcheon, Gu Yeonseo, and Gu Ryeonghwa around when she was young…

…it must be because she remembered her own eyes as seen through Gu Yangcheon’s mother.

That’s why it was even more so.

The child’s starved eyes back then were clearly craving affection.

Even if she didn’t know what the Palace Lord (Gungju) desired…

…Gu Huibi simply couldn’t overlook it.

Although time was short, so they couldn’t even have a proper conversation.

‘What on earth is that child?’

She knew from the first moment she saw him that he wasn’t an ordinary child.

The gaze that instinctively looked down upon everyone…

…and the inexplicable aura felt from the child.

And Gu Huibi knew of one other being who possessed such an aura.

Moreover, for their faces to resemble each other so much…

Could this be called a coincidence?

‘No.’

Gu Huibi shook her head.

No matter what, this couldn’t be a mere coincidence.

-Snoreee.

Gu Huibi’s expression furrowed at the snoring sound coming from behind.

“…Seriously.”

She wanted to ask something, but Old Man Muk seemed to have no intention of waking up for hours.

She had even tried blocking his nose and giving him a light slap.

Perhaps because his physical abilities were severely diminished, it seemed only ticklish to Old Man Muk.

Of course, it’s uncertain whether Old Man Muk knew all about this, but…

…she somehow felt like he knew.

“Tsk.”

The situation was so frustrating that she clicked her tongue without realizing it.

She didn’t know what to do.

It was just overwhelming.

The feeling of powerlessness, being unable to do anything and knowing nothing…

…made her already heavy head feel even more stifled.

Still.

‘Pull yourself together.’

Gu Huibi straightened her increasingly sluggish gaze.

This was hardly the time to be getting like this when she should be finding a way to escape.

She shouldn’t be falling apart like this.

So, first…

“Elder Muk, please wake up.”

She had to wake that old man first, the one who seemed to know something.

No matter how much she shook him, Old Man Muk wouldn’t wake up.

Gu Huibi wondered if she really needed to wake him by properly hitting him.

How could he sleep snoring like this all day long?

Finally, resigning herself to it, she decided to wake Old Man Muk by hitting him.

As she casually raised her arm…

“Is it daytime now?”

At that moment, Old Man Muk spoke.

“…!”

Gu Huibi was startled by Old Man Muk, whom she thought was asleep, speaking in such a clear voice.

“Daytime…?”

“Yes, what time is it now?”

Gu Huibi, trying hard to hide her panic, spoke while observing the tiny window frame in the prison.

“It’s daytime, the sun is shining brightly…. Hmm?”

Gu Huibi, speaking in a rare, flustered voice…

…frowned as she looked through the gap in the window.

It was definitely daytime, but…

…something was different.

Where the blue sky should have been…

…the sky was somehow tinged slightly red.

‘…What is it?’

At first glance, it looked like a sunset, but…

…that couldn’t be the case.

Because it was early morning, not even noon yet.

“Yes, yes.”

Seeing that, Old Man Muk nodded.

Then, he sat up from his relaxed posture and said,

“It seems they’ve finally arrived.”

At Old Man Muk’s words, Gu Huibi’s eyes trembled slightly.

Only then did she seem to understand what that sky signified.

---

The Palace Lord’s (Gungju) eyes fluttered open, eyes that had been resting quietly in his seat.

The faint purple hue remained.

The Palace Lord (Gungju), having opened his eyes, slowly sat up.

“Hoooo…”

He couldn’t not know.

With such dense internal energy (Naegi) filling the surroundings, how could he not know?

“…I thought you might have changed a little, but it seems you’re still the same.”

The Palace Lord (Gungju) moved his steps towards the balustrade.

Reaching the balustrade, he could see the bright sky spread out beyond the formation (Jinbeop).

Bright. So bright it even looked red.

Seeing that, the Palace Lord (Gungju) felt cold sweat trickling down his back.

“I thought you were an old tiger who had lost all his teeth.”

A tiger that had hidden itself away in the mountains, dreaming only of the day it would die.

Its teeth all worn out and fallen…

…I thought it was just barely clinging to life, hiding in its den.

“Even though time has passed, a great tiger (Daeho) is still a great tiger.”

Seeing that red sky, the Palace Lord (Gungju) could tell.

That was purely an illusion created by vast internal energy (Naegi).

It was flames originating from a single will, rising to the sky and manifesting as intent.

It was a terrifying sight, too much to have been made by mere humans.

In other words, it meant this was created by the power of just one person.

Fwoooooosh!

The mist outside the formation (Jinbeop) was engulfed in flames.

The mist, which even Gu Yangcheon’s internal energy (Naegi) couldn’t dispel, was momentarily pushed aside by the blaze.

The flames, red to the point of being scarlet, relentlessly surged as if to melt the world.

What appeared before his eyes was like a tidal wave.

A giant wave made of flames.

Seeing that, the Palace Lord (Gungju) recalled a certain person.

A ghostly martial artist with deep red hair, dyed by internal energy (Naegi), who burned people alive with an indifferent expression.

‘Flame Ghost (Yeomgwi).’

That was undoubtedly the flame emitted by the Flame Ghost (Yeomgwi).

This meant…

…that Gu Cheolun, the Flame Ghost (Yeomgwi), had appeared in this land.

The way he confidently approached the enemy, showing his presence like that…

…showed what kind of martial artist Gu Cheolun was in itself, but…

‘However, if that’s the case….’

…the Palace Lord (Gungju) couldn’t help but frown at another thought.

It was questionable how Gu Cheolun knew about this place to appear here, but…

…there was a bigger problem than that.

The Palace Lord (Gungju) thought as he lightly leaped off the balustrade into the air.

‘Who is it that created the wall like that?’

The commotion that happened just before.

If the Flame Ghost (Yeomgwi) appeared from outside the barrier like that…

…then who was responsible for the earlier commotion?

‘Something’s twisted.’

The Palace Lord (Gungju) had a premonition.

That the situation was unfolding strangely.