Chapter 328: Magic Mirror. (3)

My first meeting with that Jangga fellow was.

Around the time I had just passed my coming of age.

To be precise, it was after I had half-forcibly received the position of Junior Master of the Gu Clan family.

Abandoning the restrictions my father had placed.

It was when I gradually started showing my face in the Central Plains.

Probably, while holding the title of Junior Master.

It must have been around the time I ridiculously went to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering as a late-stage disciple.

Peng Woojin, who would later be called the Sword Master and reign as one of the absolute powers.

Unlike how he was no longer treated as a late-stage disciple as soon as he received the position of Junior Master.

It seemed I couldn’t do the same.

To put it more strongly.

I barely showed my face.

The Junior Master of the Gu Clan family, famous in Sanseo for being incompetent and having a shitty personality.

Should I say the significance was placed on the fact that I was showing my face for the first time?

Descendant of the chivalrous lineage.

Gu Huibi was already being called a master at that point.

And it was around the time Gu Yeonseo was starting to show off his name, praised for his outstanding talent.

It was a moment when the gazes directed at me were particularly intense.

The very embodiment of ‘good father, bad son’.

Even if it was the bad side, despite having an appearance that seemed to have inherited the chivalrous blood deeply in its own way.

The days I heard people say he hadn’t inherited the talent differently.

Amidst the generation of shooting stars, which supposedly had an unusually large number of outstanding late-stage disciples.

While being overwhelmed by inferiority complex and self-loathing.

Hiding my broken spirit from the scolding of many.

It was when I was surrounding myself with thorns, trying to hide my own inadequacy.

Everyone, holding ill feelings in their gazes.

The moment they were glancing at me.

-Nice to meet you.

From within that gap, that guy approached.

With a gentle, smiling impression.

A handsome appearance.

And even a warm voice that left a good impression on people.

In a way, it was an appearance positioned in the exact opposite way to me.

The guy who introduced himself as a native of Jangga.

-Who are you?

To my question asking who he was.

He continued speaking with a kind-looking smile, as if embarrassed to introduce his alias with his own mouth.

-Though I am lacking, I am called ‘Divine’. Please take care of me.

Divine.

No matter how much I lived cut off from the world’s information, it was an alias I had heard at least once or twice.

In the situation where monsters had started swarming the slums over the past few years.

Among the martial artists busy feeding themselves who turned a blind eye.

Saying there was a chivalrous hero braving the danger to save people.

The leader’s son, a young man famous as a promising late-stage disciple.

Rumors were also circulating that he would rise to become the commander of the sword brigade he belonged to in the near future.

If that happened, perhaps he would take the youngest position.

That means he was a late-stage disciple the Central Plains had high expectations for.

Jang Seonyeon, the Divine native of Jangga.

That was how the meeting with him went.

Ironically.

The fact that I found out Jang Seonyeon had intentionally created that situation.

Was just a few years after that.

After the Demon Realm Incident, where a large number of late-stage disciples had disappeared, occurred.

Along with the appearance of the Heavenly Demon.

Around the time I had fallen into becoming a demon, not long after.

When I was at the height of stirring up the Central Plains, turning everywhere into a sea of fire.

That guy came looking for me on his own.

-It’s been a while. Ah, should I call you by your alias now?

I had no intention of conversing.

I was thinking of spewing flames and tearing his throat immediately.

-You, Little Sword Saint, do you know about her physical condition?

Abruptly.

The reason my hand, which was about to grab his throat, stopped.

Was, damn it, because of the face of that bitch that came to mind.

My fingertips, surrounded by flames, were blazing as if ready to tear his throat right away.

But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Jang Seonyeon smiled sweetly upon confirming my state.

That smile dug into my soul.

It must have been from then.

The day another hell was created for me.

**********

Jjeojeojeok-!

Kwadeudeuk kwang-!

A crack opened in the void, widening just like a mouth opening.

Inside the torn crack, unknown colors were tangled and swirling.

The air pressure blowing from within stirred up dust on the floor far away.

After a while, something shot out from inside the crack as if being spat out.

Kung! Hududuk-!

The object that came out of the crack immediately plummeted to the floor.

The impact stirred up a dust storm around.

And not long after.

“Keohyeok… huck…!”

Someone walked out from within the wind.

Immediately after, the one lying face down on the floor, gasping and breathing heavily.

Was clearly a person.

“Oh no… oh no…!”

His eyes were wide, his expression seemingly agitated.

He quickly looked around, perhaps not noticing the drool flowing from his lips.

“Unbelievable.”

The young man, after looking around for a short time.

Only then shouted with trembling eyes.

“Damn it all…!”

His strained cry echoed all around as if reverberating.

“Fuck… how hard I’ve worked…! Just because of some bastard like that…!”

While he was repeatedly hitting the floor and spewing curses.

Another person emerged from the wind stirred up earlier.

Unlike the young man lying face down, drooling and raging.

He was just rubbing his chest with a slightly frowning expression.

“I already feel like throwing up, so stop your noisy bullshit.”

To the words spat out by the young man, no, Gu Yangcheon.

Jang Seonyeon quickly turned his head towards Gu Yangcheon upon hearing the voice.

“This bastard….”

“Oh, it’s been a while since I heard you curse. It’s quite refreshing.”

Jang Seonyeon, who had been lying face down, immediately jumped up and charged at Gu Yangcheon.

He charged quickly, trying to draw the sword at his waist immediately, but.

Gu Yangcheon approached Jang Seonyeon and gently pressed the end of the hilt.

Blocking him from drawing it from the sheath.

“Kkeuk…!”

The force pressing with his palm was so strong, the sword wouldn’t come out.

Unable to help it, Jang Seonyeon wrapped his left hand with inner energy and tried to swing it, but.

-Jjaak!

Gu Yangcheon’s hand was already flying towards Jang Seonyeon’s cheek.

As the palm struck his cheek directly, a sharp sound echoed.

Hwiik! Kung!

Whether it hit properly, Jang Seonyeon’s body flew through the air, drawing a diagonal line.

And crashed hard onto the floor.

“Kkeureureuk…!”

Jang Seonyeon, unable to properly steady himself from the shock.

Barely managed to get up, but blood trickled down his lips.

“You incompetent bastard, even so, if you charge like that, will I just take it?”

“Heoeok…. Huk.”

Gu Yangcheon chuckled seeing Jang Seonyeon sobbing while bleeding.

And slowly approached Jang Seonyeon.

His hand was still touching his chest.

‘Doing it after a long time, my stomach feels really bad.’

Since coming to the Demon Realm through the Demon Gate was the first time after my regression.

My body couldn’t adapt, feeling nauseous like seasickness.

In the past, as soon as I was hit, I would have had to lie down for half an hour to stabilize my insides.

This time, perhaps because I was at least mentally stable.

I could endure it reasonably well.

Then, as Jang Seonyeon tried to get up again, dragging his trembling body.

I kicked his leg, knocking him off balance.

“Kkeuak!”

“Stay still. It looks better when you’re like that.”

“You bastard…!”

Then Jang Seonyeon looked at Gu Yangcheon as if he were an enemy.

His previously expressionless or smiling eyes were now bulging with veins, filled with tension.

“What on earth…! How were you able to move?”

“What do you mean ‘able to move’? I just moved.”

He replied with a smirk.

What Jang Seonyeon was asking.

Was how I was able to move above the Demon Gate that had opened on the floor.

It was strange for him to ask how.

I know that other martial artists couldn’t move on it.

I’ve experienced it and seen it myself.

I saw the Young Dragons and other martial artists at the time stiffen as if frozen and unable to move.

In that situation, only I could move.

What the reason might be, honestly, I never worried or thought about it.

I just knew it worked.

I thought this life wouldn’t be different.

And felt certain upon sensing the Demon Gate I faced just before.

That this life would be the same.

“Seeing your reaction, it seems you thought I wouldn’t be able to move. Why did you think that?”

“That’s because that guy…!”

“No, that’s not it. You’re the kind of bastard who wouldn’t believe Cheoljiseon outright when he said you can’t move on the Demon Gate.”

“…!”

As the story about Cheoljiseon came out of my mouth, Jang Seonyeon’s eyes widened.

“How could you…! You bastard, you knew…!”

The fact that Cheoljiseon could open the Demon Gate.

And the fact that he tried to use it to kill me.

He seemed to have realized I already knew.

“That’s not really important. What I said is more important.”

“How….”

“That’s what I mean. How could I be so sure of that?”

Jang Seonyeon said it with a different meaning.

But it seemed like the start of the story I was about to tell.

The fact that Cheoljiseon could use such power.

And the characteristics of the Demon Gates he opens.

Jang Seonyeon’s personality was not to be sure of anything without experiencing it directly, but.

He couldn’t have dangerously tested Cheoljiseon’s Demon Gate with his own body.

It seemed there was some other information source besides Cheoljiseon’s words.

That could inform him about the guy’s existence and power.

Eudeudeuk-!

The sound of Jang Seonyeon grinding his teeth was heard.

“You bastard, you torment me until the very end!”

“What torment am I causing you, you bastard?”

“If you were going to die, you should have died alone. Why did you bring me along!”

That was truly shameless and absurd.

No matter how much Jang Seonyeon was an incorrigible piece of trash.

He wasn’t the type to say such thoughtless things.

Perhaps it was a sign that the situation had truly pushed him into a corner where he couldn’t do anything.

If so, it wasn’t bad.

Jang Seonyeon wasn’t in his right mind right now.

Of course, because this was inside ‘that’ Demon Realm.

I glanced around.

First, the sky is red.

Not night, not a sunset sky, and certainly not a bright blue sky.

It was truly a red sky tinged with crimson light.

The ground I stood on was deeply stained as if already dead.

What looked like trees were mostly rotten dead trees.

This place, which felt utterly alien, unlike the real world no matter how you looked at it.

Beyond the Demon Gate.

Causing many people.

To call it one of the places called the Demon Realm (魔境).

‘That’s fortunate.’

And.

‘Fortunately, I came here.’

This is the place I wanted to come to so badly.

In my previous life, caught up in the Demon Realm Incident.

Separated from countless late-stage disciples, I suffered for over several years in this region.

Among the types of Demon Realms recorded in the Martial Arts Alliance.

It was a Demon Realm that belonged nowhere.

Its name was Demon Realm, but.

The place name I recall.

False World.

A place that fits too well with the truth of the world.

Usually, the probability of crossing over to a Demon Realm and returning alive is close to zero.

Even that Sword Empress (劍后).

Was a place she could only return from after contracting a fatal illness.

That is the Demon Realm.

It’s a dangerous place to return from for anyone of ordinary cultivation.

The reason the late-stage disciples in my previous life could escape this world and return.

Was thanks to me desperately struggling to return alive.

If not for that, they too would have been trapped in this world and never returned.

In Jang Seonyeon’s eyes, this place.

Would seem like such a terrible Demon Realm.

It is indeed similar, but.

“I… I! This Jang Seonyeon…!”

Jang Seonyeon shouted, seemingly losing his reason to the overwhelming emotions.

It’s a different sight.

In my previous life, I hated seeing him walk around smiling benevolently, claiming to maintain dignity.

Exactly.

I wanted to see him like that.

However, perhaps it’s because it’s too late.

Or perhaps, it’s because it’s the Jang Seonyeon after regression falling apart, not the one from back then.

The excitement wasn’t that great.

“I! I must become the pillar of the Central Plains…!”

“Ah, because I’m thinking, please shut your mouth for a moment.”

I don’t like you constantly flapping your mouth.

I stomped on Jang Seonyeon’s ankle and crushed it.

Kwadeuk!

“Kkeuaaaa!”

Jang Seonyeon’s scream echoed.

I preferred hearing this.

“Why are you whining? Weren’t you trying to send me away? So I came.”

“This!”

“Ah, did you not like that I came with you?”

Chuckling once.

I stomped on his foot again.

“Kkeureureuk!”

“You have to factor that in. Since it’s lonely to go alone, you can come with me.”

Only then did Jang Seonyeon grit his teeth.

And try to unleash his inner energy.

Perhaps regaining his senses due to the crisis.

His inner energy moved more precisely than before.

Although his ankle was shattered, his sword was still fast.

What should I do? Should I break his wrist this time?

Just as I was about to reach out.

“…!”

Jang Seonyeon, who was about to swing his sword, shuddered and trembled.

“Huh?”

Seeing his reaction, I involuntarily paused.

Why is he acting like that?

As soon as the question arose, Jang Seonyeon started trembling violently.

“…Why, why is my divine energy?”

Jang Seonyeon stammered with trembling eyes.

“Why…! Why isn’t my divine energy coming out…? G-God!”

Jang Seonyeon, shouting while looking at the sky.

Looked anything but normal.

“A-Are you abandoning me!”

‘Hmm.’

Wondering why he was acting like that, I watched for a moment.

Then, an idea struck me, and I moved my energy.

It was the blood energy received from the Blood Demon.

‘I see.’

After trying to move my energy for a moment.

I could vaguely understand why Jang Seonyeon was acting like that.

‘My energy isn’t moving.’

The blood energy wouldn’t move as I willed.

Just in case, I tried moving other energies one by one.

The demonic energy was the same.

The sword energy seemed to move, and the inner energy obviously seemed to move, but.

The blood energy and demonic energy wouldn’t move.

It means I can’t use them.

‘Why?’

Separate from being able to use inner energy or sword energy.

I briefly tried to recall why these two couldn’t be used.

There was nothing specific I could figure out.

Besides, right now.

I had to focus more on something else.

“I don’t know what it is, but before that, don’t we have some business with each other?”

At my words, Jang Seonyeon flinched.

Having come this far, it seemed he could picture in his mind what I was going to do.

“Wh-what are you trying to do…?”

“Clearly, it seems you’re still young now.”

“What…?”

“That you’re already showing signs of fear. It’s fascinating.”

That he had lost a card.

Revealing his entire situation in such an incompetent manner.

It was something the Jang Seonyeon from my previous life would never do.

That means he hasn’t fully grown yet.

And that he’s a different person from the Jang Seonyeon of my previous life.

‘How boring.’

Just cooled down the excitement I was trying to muster completely.

Of course, even so.

“When I kill people, I set a few rules. Do you know what they are?”

Although I have no intention of letting him live.

At my words, Jang Seonyeon looked at me with questioning eyes.

“First, if I intend to kill someone, I try to kill them in one blow. It’s cleaner that way.”

Because I’m not a murder-crazed lunatic like that Sword Demon, I tend not to take unnecessary actions.

“Second, if there’s a situation where I have to use flames, I burn them from the head down.”

If it’s a situation requiring arson.

Or if it’s an opponent who really pissed me off, I’d grab them by the head and burn them right there.

As I said this.

Hwaleuk-!

I ignited flames in my palm.

Jang Seonyeon’s eyes, seeing that, trembled visibly.

“Do you know the third one?”

The moment I spoke, Jang Seonyeon suddenly imbued his sword with all his inner energy and unleashed a strike.

I praise him. It means he chose to fight rather than flee.

The reason I deliberately shattered his ankle.

Was because it would be a hassle to catch him if he ran away while channeling inner energy.

Was it because Jang Seonyeon knew about this too?

No, that’s not really important.

Dodging Jang Seonyeon’s sword lightly, I continued speaking.

“It’s burning them from the toes up.”

Jang Seonyeon, whose ankle was already broken, found it difficult to maintain his stance, so even with inner energy, he wasn’t very threatening.

“Adjusting appropriately and slowly. That way, the lifespan won’t be cut short and it will last longer.”

Avoiding dangerous areas like the heart or head, I burn them step by step.

So they can feel the pain.

Keeping them conscious with inner energy.

And being careful they don’t commit suicide.

“Kkeuaaaaaa!”

Jang Seonyeon, hearing my words, screamed and wildly swung his sword in a desperate frenzy.

I could feel a faint sense of fear in his movements.

I observed the sword path with a glance.

The openings visible due to his broken stance.

And sensing the emotions in Jang Seonyeon’s eyes, I let out a small sigh.

I reached out my hand.

Not very quickly.

Enough to reach the target.

And lightly extending my arm enough to achieve the goal.

Peok.

Pasak.

Through the messy sword path.

My arm dug in and struck Jang Seonyeon’s dantian directly.

With a short sound.

I felt something break.

I had destroyed his dantian.

“Kkeo…eok…!”

Jang Seonyeon let out a silent scream with a gasp.

With the emptiness of his dispersed inner energy and the intense pain, as he tried to gouge out his eyes.

I grabbed his neck and infused inner energy.

I had to keep him from losing consciousness.

“You heard the first to the third rule, right?”

This is a possible order, but.

“I’m going to use this on you in reverse order from now on. Aren’t you excited?”

I intend to use a different method on Jang Seonyeon.

“I have a lot to hear from you. Please answer quickly. Because controlling this is more troublesome than I thought.”

To get straight to the point.

All three end in death.

There was no option to spare him.

In the end, by executing the plan to kill me and opening the Demon Gate.

Jang Seonyeon had no hope or chance.

I never intended to give him any in the first place.

Seeing Jang Seonyeon trembling, still unable to even scream.

I reached out my hand.