-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Custom (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Late at night. Around the time the Heavenly Demon was holding a private meeting with the head of the Hyeok-ryeon Clan.
As always, Il-mok had finished his daily tasks and was leaning against a lamp in his room, doing something.
But he wasn't writing in his diary.
Il-mok, deep in the middle of his work, furrowed his brow.
"Is someone badmouthing me?"
Muttering irritably as he focused on his task, he dug into his ear.
He dug vigorously, but it didn't feel all that refreshing.
"Sigh. Trying this after so long, and I just can't get the feel for it."
Looking at the half-finished product in his hand, a sigh escaped him naturally.
'Anyway, the final deadline is until I enter the Demonic Path Academy.'
With that thought, he shook off his impatience.
No matter what, it was something he'd made once before in the past.
The only issue was that it had been quite some time ago, and as Seo Ji-hoon, he'd only experienced it once.
Staring at the bizarre half-finished item in his hand whose identity was hard to discern, Il-mok thought.
'For now, I should just think of this as practice.'
* * *
Unlike Cheong-hwa Madam, who had exuded a murderous aura, there were no particular changes at Wind Rock Hall.
I was just preparing for the entrance exam while enduring Jin Ha-yeon's torments as usual.
If there was just one change.
"Oppa~!"
That little kid who came by every day right when I finished my external martial arts training.
Since I couldn't let her visit whenever she wanted, we'd agreed she'd only come at this time each day.
Also, unlike the first day, she now came with a stern-looking man who appeared to be her escort warrior—perhaps with permission from the Hyeok-ryeon Clan.
That escort warrior, probably due to that damn custom, didn't exchange a single word with Seon-a and simply waited at the entrance to Wind Rock Hall.
"Hehehe."
Seon-a showed no interest in the escort warrior either, just trotting over and giggling by my side.
Thanks to being worked to the bone by Jin Ha-yeon under the pretext of external training, my whole body reeked of sweat, but the kid didn't seem to mind the smell at all as she approached me.
Seeing that little one's smile made my mind feel at ease.
'I did the right thing by taking her in.'
It wasn't just for Seon-a's sake. In this prison-like environment, conversing with a kid who was in a similar boat was like sweet rain to me.
People need to vent their stress to live. If you don't leave even the tiniest breathing hole, you're bound to go mad.
In a place full of madmen like this, going mad wouldn't even stand out.
'That's what makes it even more dangerous.'
Since everyone's crazy, they might just gloss over it like, "He's fine."
Anyway, it was a peaceful daily routine.
"So, what'd you do at home today?"
Listening to the little one chattering away beside me about her day.
"Today I learned how to apply the tenth form of the Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art. Hehe. If you do your nails like this and thrust like this, you can easily punch a hole right through a bad guy's heart."
I gave an awkward smile as Seon-a demonstrated with her hands, gesturing this way and that.
'What the hell are these lunatics teaching a kid?'
Anyway, it was a peaceful atmosphere. By Demonic Cult standards.
* * *
Just as I was enjoying that peaceful afternoon and blowing off steam.
A voice from beyond the main gate of Wind Rock Hall rang out—the escort warrior's.
Thud.
"I pay respects to the Master of Ten Thousand Demons."
It seemed Master's training time had arrived.
"Rise."
Master's voice came from beyond the gate, and soon the door opened, revealing his figure.
"I pay respects to the Master of Ten Thousand Demons."
Without anyone prompting, Jin Ha-yeon and Seon-a prostrated themselves before Master with utmost reverence, and I hurriedly bowed low as well.
"Hahaha. Rise. And now that it's time, the child of the Hyeok-ryeon Clan should return to her clan."
"Y-Yes, as you command."
Seon-a replied in a tense voice, got up from the floor, and toddled toward the door, glancing back slyly.
In the meantime, as I rose, I gave her a little wave, and Seon-a, who had been stiff since Master's arrival, brightly waved back with a smile and left.
Master, who had been watching the scene from beside me, suddenly brought up something odd.
"You seem to get along well with the girl from the Hyeok-ryeon Clan."
"It just sort of happened that way."
"Hahaha. 'Just sort of,' you say... Well, you must have your reasons, so do your best."
"???"
I couldn't understand what he meant by "do your best."
'No way he misunderstood it like that, right?'
Sure, our physical age difference was only three years, but still, no.
It was just like how seeing a cute puppy or kitten lifts your spirits, or finding a young niece's antics endearing—purely that kind of feeling.
'Could the old man's tastes run that way...?'
They say you see what you want to see.
I gave Master a pitiful look for a moment, but when his gaze suddenly turned to me, I hurriedly looked away.
Getting caught with that look could cost me my head.
"Then, shall we begin training now?"
"Yes, Master."
* * *
The Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword consisted of a total of twenty-two forms, divided into the front fourteen forms and the rear eight forms.
And now, nearly half a month since I began learning the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.
I had successfully mastered the forms of all fourteen front forms.
After teaching me all fourteen front forms, the pervert old man—no, Master—explained the true essence of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.
"The reason it's called the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword is exactly that—it's a sword art that steals the opponent's soul outright. Its purpose lies in captivating the foe through an endless, natural flow."
"It's similar to the Mad Soul Sword Art in emphasizing linked sequences and variations, but their conclusions are entirely different. While the Mad Soul Sword Art takes the enemy's neck through bizarre, unpredictable movements that catch them off guard, the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword gradually corners the opponent until they give up everything, claiming their neck then. That dazed, soul-lost expression, as if their spirit has been stolen away, is why it's called the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword."
He wasn't just explaining the physical movements but the deeper meaning embedded in the entire sword art.
Hearing that explanation, I vaguely grasped the most crucial point among the fourteen forms I'd learned so far.
'The lower body and waist are key. Execute demanding motions without losing balance, steadily pressuring the opponent bit by bit in a stable manner.'
Thinking it over, every form of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword could seamlessly connect to any other, regardless of order.
As long as balance wasn't lost.
Having organized my thoughts that far, I sheathed my sword, then drew it according to the principles of the Soul-Stealing Ready Sword, and executed the forms I'd learned so far in various ways.
Switching sequences between them, skipping some, linking all motions in diverse patterns.
At first, my stances felt awkward, so I swung slowly to find the rhythm, then gradually increased speed, putting strength into my arms and legs.
Naturally, once I raised the speed beyond a certain point, I felt my balance waver slightly.
'Is this my limit for now?'
Continuing to chain the motions at the exact force and speed where balance held, Master's satisfied laughter reached my ears.
"Hahaha. To grasp the core of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword from this old man's brief explanation—Ha-yeon was right; your intellect is indeed exceptional, Il-mok."
"How could it be my discernment? It's all thanks to Your Excellency the Heavenly Demon discovering Young Master Il-mok and bringing him to the Divine Cult."
I'd been the one diligently swinging the sword, yet somehow the two of them were drumming and cymballing away, creating a heartwarming atmosphere.
It felt like I was a kid performing tricks for the elders at a family holiday gathering, so embarrassed, I sheathed my sword and calmly regulated my breathing.
Observing me, Master spoke.
"The rear forms can only be learned once you've reached the realm where you can manifest sword qi, so for now, keep refining the front forms."
With that, Master approached me and placed his palm on my abdomen.
"Hmm. It seems you've been steadily practicing Qi Circulation and Breath Adjustment."
Gauging the amount of internal energy gathered in my dantian, Master suddenly turned to Jin Ha-yeon with a question.
"How is Il-mok's progress with the cult's doctrines?"
"He's advancing very quickly. It's hard to believe he's only just joined the cult. His pace is so rapid, it's as if he's already studied them to some extent."
With her businesslike tone and cold expression, she rattled off words of praise.
Well, it would be hard to badmouth him forcibly.
In just half a month, he'd already studied nearly a third of the Heavenly Demon Secret Record, the scripture.
"At this rate, within half a year at the latest, he'll have covered the scriptures, histories, and legal codes, and after that, review alone should suffice."
"Hahaha. High comprehension in studies, and rapid progress in the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword as well. That means you have plenty of time to spare."
"So far, yes."
"Hahaha."
Master's gentle laughter turned his gaze upon me.
And I felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
'Isn't this that?'
When you'd finished work quickly. Instead of letting you clock out early, they piled on more because you did it well—the uniquely Korean culture.
The dreaded "padding time."
Remembering the company dinner incident, I hurriedly spoke up.
"Ah, it's still dangerous, Master. The scriptures are progressing fast only because I just started; as the material to study piles up, review time will inevitably run short."
He had definitely said at the dinner that he'd assign me more tasks later.
And now, he was undoubtedly creating a pretext to dump additional work on me.
In a way all too familiar to me.
—Hahaha. Our Officer Seo Ji-hoon is great at work too. Since you seem to have time left anyway, how about handling this with him? It's related, so you'll knock it out quick.
The team leader's padding ploy after I'd busted my ass like a maniac from morning to secure work-life balance and early quit time flashed in my mind.
I absolutely could not end up in that same boat.
"The Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword is the same. I've learned the forms quickly, but my internal energy is still lacking, isn't it? So, wouldn't it be better to invest any spare time into more Qi Circulation and Breath Adjustment?"
You think I'll go down easy?
"Hahaha. Listening to you, that makes sense."
The battle of wits began—Master trying to pad my schedule, me trying to dodge it.
"Then, to fill that lacking internal energy, I'll instruct my pharmacy to prepare some Explosive Demon Pills to bestow upon you, Il-mok."
"…What are Explosive Demon Pills?"
"One of the secret elixirs produced by our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—a superb spiritual medicine that explosively boosts your internal energy."
And with that, the curtain fell on my defeat.
"Besides, since you'll be with Ha-yeon anyway, it won't interfere much with your studies."
Master swiftly sealed off my last escape route.