7 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Episode 7 Just before Hyun Ryeo arrived: Rustle― Rustle― Cheon Hwi was practicing the martial arts techniques from the manual with his right hand, while flipping the pages swiftly with his left. Then, he came across an empty page and shook his head in disbelief. "The techniques have disappeared." Staring at it with incredulous eyes, he decided to read through the remaining techniques, just in case. The core of the Orchid Flower Blood Technique lay in two components: Orchid Flower and Blood Path. "Is this how it's supposed to be done?" Swish― He raised his right hand and swung it. From top to bottom, and then bottom to top. His fingers fluttered like waves, his right hand gracefully cutting through the air, flicking the void multiple times. Two seemingly unrelated words combined to form a martial technique, yielding tangible results. "So that's it." Like handling an orchid flower, his smooth and flowing hand movements rode the rhythm. Swish― He traced the path where the pressure points lay. Liu You Dao Dao (流有道導). With flow, the path is guided. This crucial principle, heavily emphasized in the final techniques of the martial manual, was the essence piercing through the core of the Orchid Flower Blood Technique. Clap. After a brief moment, he withdrew from the Orchid Flower Blood Technique. "All the important techniques have vanished." He realized what was missing. He was familiar with the technique since he had witnessed the old lady use it multiple times in the past and understood its flow. He reminisced about the old lady who unleashed the Orchid Flower Blood Technique with the brilliance of a master. A truly sinister and vicious technique. "Then..." He sketched a human figure in the empty air and steadied his breath. Retrieving his gentle, fluttering right hand, he straightened his fingers. In an instant, the air shifted. In a fleeting moment, his right hand, embodying a sharp aura, took the form of a sword and sliced diagonally. Whoosh― He drew in the human figure, binding it. The gentle hand movements weren’t deflecting the enemy's attacks like gold defense tactics. Instead, they rotated the surrounding air to pull the enemy towards him. And the defenseless enemy was— Pierced. Clang! The shape with a hole shattered. "Yes, this is it." This was truly the Orchid Flower Blood Technique the old lady demonstrated—a ruthless tactic for pinpointing the death-spot without hesitation. "This is the Orchid Flower Blood Technique." He recalled the nickname the martial practitioners used to call the technique when the old lady demonstrated it. Although the hand movements were as soft as an orchid, as one got closer, they were as sharp and fierce as a knife drawing blood. "Of course, it's likely forgotten now." He shrugged his shoulders. Three hundred years had passed. It was natural for martial arts to evolve. In some cases, techniques changed, whereas in others, entire sections were lost, as with the Orchid Flower Blood Technique. Of course, he expected the reason behind it. This was the Mount Hua Sect. A sect following Taoist principles. "Would the Mount Hua Sect, which has built its history on Taoism, keep such a lethal martial technique around? Probably no one practiced it, and they didn’t even notice when the techniques were lost." He glanced around the library. Even the Demonic Annihilation Sword Technique, an excellent sword technique, was so neglected that it gathered dust, far removed from Taoism. "Well, that’s that." He snapped out of these thoughts. Accepting the current situation three hundred years in the future, this much was nothing. "Now that the Orchid Flower Blood Technique is complete." Clap. Just as he imprinted the properly restored techniques into his mind and was about to close the martial manual with a satisfied look— "Hwi!" He turned his head at the booming voice that shook the once quiet temple hall. "Hyun Ryeo?" He paused the Orchid Flower Blood Technique, surprised by her unexpected appearance. As he met her curious gaze with a puzzled expression— Clasp! Hyun Ryeo, who had approached him, clutched Cheon Hwi’s shoulder tightly. Her eyes wide open, she exclaimed loudly. "When did you learn martial arts?" "What?" He spoke with an incredulous tone. Cheon Hwi was confident that no one else had mastered more martial arts than he had. And yet, she was asking if he had learned martial arts. He was so taken aback he was left speechless. "I’ve been practicing martial arts since the past...” As he answered, he flinched. He locked eyes with Hyun Ryeo, whose face was marked by disbelief. Her deep, clear, black eyes reflected the incredulous face of the young monk. Oh, no! Caught up in the martial arts, he forgot he was not Dokgo Guyeon but Cheon Hwi of the Mount Hua Sect. Flustered, he glanced around until he spotted the martial manual in his left hand. He quickly lifted it with an awkward smile. "Haha, I was merely following the contents written in this manual." “...!” Suddenly, his shoulder ached. Wow, she’s strong. Enduring the pain that threatened to contort his face, Hyun Ryeo’s hand trembled. "Are you saying you mastered the Orchid Flower Blood Technique by just following the manual?" She muttered quietly, letting her hand fall in disbelief, then leaned in closer. "Then what exactly was the Orchid Flower Blood Technique you just performed? The manual has missing techniques—it's impossible to master it completely. How did you...!” Faced with her overwhelming questions, Cheon Hwi was at a loss. How should he respond to this? By saying he'd seen it before? Yeah, as if she'd believe that. Should he say he restored it by recalling the martial arts he practiced before? That would sound even crazier. As he pondered this, Hyun Ryeo, perhaps mistaking his silence for fear, began to come to her senses. "What am I doing...?" She released her grip on his shoulder. Regaining her composure, she thought: "I’ve gone mad. Badgering someone like him, who can't even perform martial arts." She shook her head in self-reproach. "Perhaps his clumsy imitation without inner strength just vaguely resembled the oral traditions." Thinking this way calmed her down. She finally met Cheon Hwi’s eyes and spoke. "I’m sorry. Without inner strength, you couldn't possibly have performed the Orchid Flower Blood Technique correctly, yet in my madness, I mistook it for something impossible and pressured you like this…." Her words reached Cheon Hwi’s ears as he remained silent, still stuck in his dilemma. I’m glad I kept my mouth shut. Relieved that he had managed to avoid what could have been a troublesome situation, Cheon Hwi was suddenly embraced by Hyun Ryeo. Sigh, not again? He shook his head internally. Every time they met, this hug would follow. Initially, he tried to resist, but eventually, he grew tired and simply accepted it. They stayed embraced for a few moments. Hyun Ryeo pulled away and locked eyes with him. “Hwi.” Her expression was conflicted as she hesitantly asked, “Do you want to learn martial arts?” “What? Yes.” Caught off guard by the sudden question, he blurted his answer without thinking. Hyun Ryeo nodded at his response. With a determined look in her eyes, she clenched her fists and firmly declared, “Understood.” Speaking as if she'd made a resolution, she turned around and descended the stairs again. Thud― Thud― As Hyun Ryeo disappeared down the stairs, Cheon Hwi stood there, dumbfounded, muttering to himself, “Did she come all this way just to ask that?” * * * Two days later, around dusk: The weather had turned noticeably warmer. The plum blossoms bloomed even more vibrantly, softly embracing the Mount Hua. It was now truly spring. Beneath the blue sky, Cheon Hwi left Mankyunggak at his usual time and walked along the mountain path towards his hut. "The orthodox techniques are quite different from the demonic techniques.” He had already gone through a hundred manuals. And in that time, he had learned a lot. Demonic techniques focused solely on attaining power, no matter the cost. But the orthodox techniques differed. They extended across the path of training. Most orthodox teachings pursued spiritual growth, seeking enlightenment and the transcendence to the ethereal realm. They predominantly sought to avoid taking lives. If that were the case, there was no need for martial techniques, just mental cultivation. But what are martial techniques? They are weapons meant to defeat foes. Yet these techniques focused only on neutralizing enemies? Followers of the Heavenly Demon Cult's doctrine of the strong reigning supreme would laugh at such an idea. However, Cheon Hwi found it intriguing. "It's interesting because it's different from what I know." Engrossed in these thoughts, he continued walking until he reached his hut. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something upon his arrival. There, on the threshold, lay a pair of unfamiliar shoes neatly placed. He had been staying here for about ten days. In that time, the only person to ever come to this hut was Hyun Ryeo, and even she never came inside. He entered cautiously, opening the door to the dimly lit room. Flash! In the darkness, two eyes shone with intensity. “You’ve arrived?” Startled by the deep voice, his head turned to see. In the center of the room, sat a massive middle-aged man, arms crossed and seated in deep meditation. "Who is this?" He scrutinized the shadowed figure. Unkempt hair hanging loosely and a faint scar crossing his cheek. For a moment, Cheon Hwi recoiled, his heart skipping a beat, thinking he saw the Ghost-Faced Demon Blade, a fearsome figure from the past. The man had fierce, upwards-tilted eyes and dark eyebrows that rivaled even the scariest faces in the Heavenly Demon Cult. If it weren't for the Mount Hua sect robe he wore, his rugged appearance would have led one to believe him to be the Demon Blade's sibling. As Cheon Hwi examined him, his eyes sparkled with interest. His presence wasn’t just intense on the outside. Among all the people he met in the Mount Hua Sect, this man had the strongest aura he’d encountered. "Stronger than even the sect leader?" One figure suddenly flashed through his mind. “Hyun Do... Elder?” Thud. Hyun Do placed his hand on the ground and stood up. As he rose, what used to be the height of Cheon Hwi’s chest now extended, nearly reaching the ceiling. Standing over six feet tall, the massive figure approached Cheon Hwi with long strides. “Hmm...” Rubbing his unruly beard, he looked down and nodded. His tightly pressed lips, as if holding stubborn resolve, slowly parted. “I heard you wish to learn martial arts.” To learn martial arts... Ah! Remembering the conversation with Hyun Ryeo two days ago, and the inadvertent answer he'd given, Cheon Hwi had no choice but to nod. “Yes, that's correct.” “That’s why I’m here.” Hyun Do thrust his chin out with pride, looking down at him with satisfaction, and straightened his back. “To teach you.” “What?” Cheon Hwi’s eyes went wide. ‘He seems overjoyed to be teaching me.’ Seeing Cheon Hwi’s surprised expression, Hyun Do nodded with a pleased smile. But did he know? That Cheon Hwi felt no such admiration. In fact, he was quite incredulous. “To learn martial arts from someone this weak?”