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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Descent to Demon Valley
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Do you know what happens if you beat a scarecrow with a sword for over half a day?
Blisters form on your hands.
"...Puhuff."
I wrapped a bandage around my hand. It stung when I moved, but that level of pain was nothing.
Just stepping forward made my whole body ache like it was shattering. With pain like that repeating endlessly, what did mere blisters matter?
I moved my foot. My advancing stance was a mess. And was my extended hand any smoother?
No, it wasn't. Even striking at empty air only produced a pathetic puffing sound. Crushing agony came as a bonus.
But for some reason, I found myself laughing.
I'm improving. The first swing tore me apart with pain, but the next one was just a bit more bearable.
The air-splitting whistle that used to sound like a whip crack had now softened to a gentle breeze. I'd groaned in agony every night, but I could feel myself getting better.
Chaining together one grueling step after another.
I stepped back from the scarecrow I'd been thrashing with my sword. I steadied my breath and closed my eyes.
Heavenly Tribulation.
It was still burrowing into my body. It wouldn't allow me to draw even a single strand of qi, offering only pain in place of any help.
But that was fine. The pain hadn't dulled, but I could endure it. In fact, I was grateful for embracing Heavenly Tribulation in this changed life of mine.
Before, I'd swung my sword endlessly without a shred of progress.
What about now?
I could see it changing, even if just by the tiniest speck. A little heavier than yesterday-that's how much more I could lift.
A chance had appeared in my life, which had been nothing but despair.
A proper master. A proper path. Amid the suffocating darkness, a faint glimmer of light.
"...Puhuff."
It was a string of days I couldn't bear without laughing.
I was truly grateful. To the Heavenly Demon, and to my fate.
...To this extent.
When was the last time I'd felt such liberation?
I'll pile it up, stack it higher. Someday, I'll reach it.
Even if it's when I'm old and dying-it doesn't matter. This is the first greed I've ever harbored. The first mindset I've ever claimed.
I will become a martial artist like the Heavenly Demon.
Even if it's a dream I can never achieve...
My struggles will be etched into my soul.
"Red Cloud."
I turned at the call. A Black-Clothed Person was watching me, having appeared without a sound.
I'd never seen the face beneath that garb. But judging by the perpetually icy tone when she called me, she clearly despised me to the point of chills.
Even so, I could bow to her willingly. What wouldn't I do for power?
I was already the Heavenly Demon's dog, after all.
I was confident I could keep playing along until I became like her.
"Yes."
"I told you to put down the sword."
"I'm sorry."
"...Tch."
The Black-Clothed Person-the First Demon-stood before me.
"This isn't the time for you to wield a sword. You need to properly temper that body of yours first to even qualify. Put a heavy wooden staff on weeds, and it snaps. You're weeds. To you right now, a sword is no different from a staff you can't even hold."
She tapped the scarecrow. Red energy rippled and rose around it.
"You can't use internal energy right now. All you can train is external arts. Until Heavenly Tribulation fully takes root, your body will stay like this. What you need to do in the meantime is build your foundation. Until that pathetic body of yours is at least somewhat decent, don't even dream of touching a sword. It'll only poison you."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You're not listening at all. Stop staring at my fingertips, you pervert. Even if a lifetime of restraint exploded out of you, does it make sense to turn into a mad training maniac? It's a problem of your nature. You've been a lunatic from the start. You just suppressed it with reason. But no matter your nature, when I speak, focus on my mouth, not my fingertips. Focus on how my words end, not on watching my martial arts in action. I don't like repeating myself. If you look away again, I'll snap your neck."
"I'm sorry, First Demon. I'll focus on your words."
"...Why do you rub me the wrong way so much?"
The scarecrow's neck snapped off. It happened the instant I thought the First Demon had moved her hand.
"You can't even imitate this right now. So is what I'm showing you just to mock you-?"
"...Wasn't it to mock me?"
She kicked my shin. The First Demon growled.
"Don't get cocky just because you've seen a little. It's been barely two months since we sent you here, you idiot. Do you think you're my disciple or something? If not for the Cult Leader's orders, I'd have ground you up and fed you to the dogs."
"Do dogs eat dog meat? I don't think I would..."
"..."
I couldn't see the face under the talisman that dropped straight down like a line. But I could feel her glaring at me like she wanted to devour me alive, just from her aura.
But I had no intention of fixing my tone. She couldn't kill me, and she had to teach me.
Besides...
This felt free. When was the last time I'd felt liberation like this? I was experiencing my true self in real time.
The nature I'd hidden away tightly to protect my family.
The pent-up resentment from those days when I had to keep working without changing expression.
Even cracking jokes felt enjoyable. With learning martial arts making me so happy, how could anything feel unfortunate?
She was sharp. But at the same time, she grumbled while meticulously looking after every detail for me.
She's a good person.
Of course, that didn't change how dangerous she was.
"Red Cloud. Focus on my words. If you look away once more, I'll shatter your bones. In one month, you'll enter the Blood Demon Squad. And there, guys who can do this stuff are a dime a dozen."
"What does the Blood Demon Squad do?"
"It's a suitable place to grind you down. Normally, you train. When there's work, you head out from Demon Valley to handle it. It's no easy spot. The food is ridiculously scarce, and you'll be scrambling just to fill your belly."
"What about spy work...?"
"We found a replacement. Someone will cover your role. Or what? Can't let go of your lingering attachment to the Murim Alliance?"
I felt her piercing glare. I shook my head.
There was no reason to lie. I could proudly say not a single good memory came from my time with the righteous faction.
This side was better.
This place that gave me nourishing teachings full of meat.
"I'm the Cult Leader's dog."
"...At least you know your place. That's barely enough to keep your life. Red Cloud, redouble your training efforts. Once in the Blood Demon Squad, you operate in pairs of two. The moment someone drops out, they're instantly replaced. The Blood Demon Squad always maintains thirty members. And every month, more than ten die."
"What do they die from?"
"Usually, they die on missions. The second leading cause of death..."
The First Demon kicked the fallen scarecrow's neck.
"...is getting killed by comrades who despise incompetent allies. You're not even third-rate right now. So at least make yourself worth your keep by steadily reaching second-rate. That's your path to survival."
...
The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art consisted of nine forms.
Nine heavens. A demonic art that pierced through them.
There was a reason the First Demon called the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art a beast's martial art. It focused mostly on wearing down the enemy.
A style where, if you could kill the foe first, you'd throw your body into it even more than slashing.
With the philosophy of flesh torn and bones severed-giving flesh to carve bones-it was extremely dangerous even for the user.
Just looking at the first form, you had to execute movements without a thought for defense. That's why a sturdy body was essential.
You had to take even a single incoming attack relatively lightly.
Even if a sword strike sliced off more than half your flesh, your bones mustn't be severed-this was the art.
Pain. To learn this art, you inevitably needed the pain of having your bones carved.
But ironically, even all that pain combined was weaker than what Heavenly Tribulation inflicted.
"...Haha!"
I could gladly laugh as I dashed through hell. I pushed my body to the limit and focused on bulking up with the food the First Demon brought.
Every day was like hell. But I could endure it.
Growing accustomed to pain didn't make it enjoyable. But I could brainwash myself into liking it.
My achievements grew. They kept growing. The days when the First Demon clicked her tongue at me decreased.
I mastered the first form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art: Ghost Hand One Demon. I carved my bones to unleash variations of that stance.
Except for mealtimes, my hands were always moving. Kicking and swinging at empty air.
I woke upside down in handstands, and to drain the blood rushing to my head, I sat under a waterfall for hours.
Before bed, I always meditated. I constantly monitored the rooted Heavenly Tribulation. But it showed no signs of moving, so gathering or circulating qi was still impossible.
One month.
Three months, counting every day here.
That time, long if it felt long, was terribly short to me. Except when the First Demon brought a club because I needed to temper my bones-then it dragged on.
"This is the fastest way. Don't worry. No scars will remain. You're a freak anyway, so you can endure it, right?"
I slightly revised my judgment that the First Demon was a good person.
She was a madwoman.
My battered body repeated regeneration and destruction. Amid it, I felt Heavenly Tribulation gradually taking root.
What would happen once it was all complete?
Mornings started feeling a bit refreshed when I woke. The excruciating pain became routine; I no longer needed to bite my tongue or tear my thigh to endure it.
My senses hadn't dulled. If anything, they sharpened. With each passing day, as Heavenly Tribulation rooted deeper, I felt myself growing a little stronger.
Second-rate martial artist.
On the final day, unleashing the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art, I confirmed I'd surpassed the wall I'd never crossed despite ten-plus years of effort.
"You barely hit the target."
The First Demon's voice softened for the first time.
"Heavenly Tribulation's influence, perhaps. Lucky. Your frame set faster than expected. But don't get your hopes up. If you walk a long path, the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art will become poison. Early progress is quick. But it slows later. Demonic arts are easy to enter but hard to master. Fail to reach the required realm in time, and the demonic nature will devour your body."
"Are you worried about me?"
"Shut your mouth. Use that time to struggle harder. I don't want to bury the dog I've raised."
The First Demon took me to a place called Demon Valley. Looking down at the bottomless pit below the cliff, I turned to her one last time.
"Am I a Blood Demon Squad member now?"
"If you survive."
"Is this what the Cult Leader's dog does?"
"The Blood Demon Squad as the Cult Leader's dog? Tch. If anything, they're ants. Assigning you here means tempering you before you become a dog. The Blood Demon Squad is a disposable lower unit within the main cult, replaceable anytime. Even though I raised you myself, it's still just expendable."
The First Demon nodded at me curtly.
"You're Number 30. Forget the name Red Cloud for now. On the day the Cult Leader calls you, emerge from here and become her dog. If she doesn't call, you'll be Blood Demon Squad for life. Don't forget that."
"...Understood."
I peered down the sheer cliff where the bottom was lost in darkness. I steadied my breath.
I turned to the First Demon.
"First Demon."
"What."
"May I ask your name?"
"What's your angle?"
"You're the first proper connection I've made since coming here."
The Eight Demons of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Unlike their fame, their names weren't fully known. They were called by numbers, and only a tiny few in the cult knew their true names.
That's why I wanted to hear it.
"As Red Cloud, not Heart-Scatter Lake."
The First Demon snorted. She placed her foot lightly on my back.
"First Demon is First Demon. No other name. I'm the Heavenly Demon's sword. Not your master, not an acquaintance, and certainly not a lover with some special bond."
It was her usual blade-sharp tone. But the end softened just a touch.
"But if the day comes when you become the Cult Leader's dog, as your overseer, I might teach you."
"I'll do my best."
"Get lost. Whatever you do down there, I won't help. Don't expect anything-now scram."
Thud.
Her foot left my back. Pushed forward, I stepped into Demon Valley.
Endless stone stairs stretched down. Midway, I pulled the black hood she'd given me over my head.
Like hers. The talisman dangling in front oddly obscured vision yet let me see clearly ahead.
Was this the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's famed 'sorcery'?
The hood felt a bit stifling at first, but I adapted quickly. My slightly dimmed vision grew familiar too.
My foot hit solid ground. After over an hour of descent, a single flickering torch awaited at the bottom.
"Number 30."
The voice was soft. The build wasn't large either.
A woman's voice. But I couldn't sense what lay beyond it.
Under the torch, she wore a black hood like mine. All I perceived was that she was small, cute, and...
"Follow me."
...terrifyingly strong.
I couldn't gauge the First Demon's strength at all. This woman was the same.
A stillness beyond a certain realm, imperceptible unless you surpassed it. To me, she was a sword yet not a sword.
Second-rate.
Was that level utterly unable to read such a realm?
I quietly followed her.
Beyond the torch, the landscape of Demon Valley came into view. Amid the suffocating rock crevices at the cliff base sprawled a semblance of nature.
The problem was that every bit of it consisted of plants and animals I'd never seen before.