Heavenly Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

—–CROW—– 

 

Flip— Flip—

 

He flipped through the martial arts manual without pause.

 

The lines of the Jade Ring Mystic Steps flew by.

 

To anyone watching, it would have looked like a child playing with a martial arts manual, but Cheon-hwi was serious.

 

He reached the end.

 

Thud.

 

He closed the manual, shaking his head.

 

“It’s different from what that old woman used.”

 

He said with certainty. Then he flipped the manual upside down, checking for any mistakes, and looked at the corners, just in case.

 

Scratch, scratch.

 

He scratched the back of his head.

 

“What is this? Was what the old woman used not the Jade Ring Mystic Steps? But that can’t be right.”

 

He couldn’t understand it at all.

 

The cover of the manual clearly stated “Jade Ring Mystic Steps,” and the contents matched the movement technique Hyeon-ryeo had used.

 

That’s what made it strange.

 

The Jade Ring Mystic Steps was a peerless movement technique coveted even by Wudang and Shaolin.

 

He had once thought, ‘Why does a movement technique need principles and enlightenment? Just move fast.’

 

But that thought was shattered by the Heavenly Demon Reign Steps recorded in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the Kunlun Sect’s Cloud Dragon Nine Styles, and finally, this Jade Ring Mystic Steps.

 

The Heavenly Demon Reign Steps showed him that overwhelming power was possible even in movement techniques.

 

The Cloud Dragon Nine Styles demonstrated the importance of movement in executing martial arts.

 

And the Jade Ring Mystic Steps taught him that movement was the core of all martial arts. Thanks to this realization, he was able to refine and improve his previously lacking movement techniques.

 

But *this* was the Jade Ring Mystic Steps?

 

He clicked his tongue.

 

The Jade Ring Mystic Steps, still vividly etched in his mind, was a strange yet unique movement technique based on the Eight Trigrams.

 

Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth).

 

The Eight Trigrams, representing heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth, respectively, combined the two trigrams of creation, Qian and Kun, with the six trigrams of operation. And the Jade Ring Mystic Steps was a movement technique that utilized these Eight Trigrams.

 

The arms and legs represented Qian and Kun, and the principles of the remaining six trigrams were expressed through the movement.

 

‘Like this.’

 

He slowly stepped forward with his left foot.

 

Sweep—

 

The soles of Cheon-hwi’s feet touched all eight directions.

 

Deep like a lake, gentle like water.

 

Powerful like fire, swift like thunder.

 

Wavering like wind, or firm like a mountain.

 

His footwork became diverse in the blink of an eye. Dozens of footprints were imprinted on the floor where he stood.

 

Thud.

 

After a while, his feet, which had been moving restlessly in all directions, stopped.

 

He frowned as he looked at the martial arts manual.

 

Although he couldn’t fully execute it due to lack of internal energy, the eight trigrams should have merged into one at the end.

 

Creating true Qian and Kun and completing the Jade Ring.

 

That was the Jade Ring Mystic Steps he knew.

 

But in the manual, the verses describing the middle part were missing.

 

Only Heaven and Earth remained.

 

And three trigrams: Fire, Thunder, and Wind.

 

So what happened?

 

‘It became a half-baked movement technique focused solely on speed.’

 

But was it even fast?

 

Not really.

 

The original Jade Ring Mystic Steps was much faster.

 

And without the original variations, it lacked freedom.

 

‘How did that old woman execute such a Jade Ring Mystic Steps after reading this?’

 

The unanswerable question gnawed at his mind.

 

It would be difficult for anyone but him to complete the Jade Ring Mystic Steps with the middle verses missing.

 

Was that old woman a genius like him?

 

No, she wasn’t.

 

She had reached the Peak Martial Realm through relentless effort, but she was closer to being ordinary than a genius.

 

And yet, she created such a martial art?

 

That was preposterous.

 

The questions kept piling up.

 

Lost in thought about what had happened, he came up with two possible answers.

 

‘Either the missing verses were passed down orally, or they intentionally left only half the verses in the manual to prevent someone from stealing the complete Jade Ring Mystic Steps.’

 

He shrugged.

 

There were still sects that passed down martial arts orally, and there were also places where key verses of martial arts manuals were hidden separately.

 

‘There were even eccentric manuals in the Heavenly Demon Library where the verses were intentionally twisted to prevent anyone but me from learning them.’

 

Frowning, he looked at the library.

 

Countless martial arts manuals.

 

Among those numerous books, there might be many more with missing verses like the Jade Ring Mystic Steps.

 

‘But they’re useless to me anyway.’

 

Indifferently placing the manual back in its original spot, he shifted his gaze.

 

“Then shall I read the next one?”

 

With intrigued eyes, he took out the book next to the Jade Ring Mystic Steps.

 

“Hmm, this is…”

 

After placing the Jade Ring Mystic Steps back in its place, he picked up the next book.

 

He opened the book and became engrossed in its contents.

 

A long time passed.

 

Meanwhile, Hyeon-cheong, who was editing a book on the desk, stood up.

 

“The sun is setting again today.”

 

The sun was setting over the mountain ridge.

 

The sky was gradually turning red.

 

The sunset slowly enveloped Mount Hua Sect, radiating beautiful colors.

 

As he was admiring the scenery.

 

He suddenly jumped up from his seat.

 

He had momentarily forgotten because he was so engrossed in editing.

 

That Cheon-hwi, who had entered early in the morning, hadn’t come out.

 

He hurriedly climbed the stairs.  Reaching the third floor, he stopped.

 

Cheon-hwi was sitting on the floor, absorbed in the martial arts manual in his hands.

 

“…He was starved for martial arts.”

 

A wry smile touched his lips.

 

Then he reaffirmed his resolve.

 

‘Junior Brother, although I couldn’t help you back then, if Cheon-hwi wants to learn martial arts, I will teach him everything I’ve learned in my lifetime.’

 

Hyeon-cheong’s resolve was remarkable.

 

Only the Hyeon-ja generation knew this, but he was one of the top experts in Mount Hua Sect in terms of martial prowess. The reason he became the Master of the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion was because of his youngest junior brother, Hyeon-gang’s death.

 

Hyeon-gang had perished together with Myeoljeol Sword, an expert of the Baek Gwi-seong.

 

Mount Hua Sect wanted revenge.

 

But they couldn’t.

 

The Murim Alliance, centered around the Nine Great Sects.

 

The Bicheon Society, formed by the Eight Great Clans and sects in between the righteous and demonic paths.

 

And the Saheukryeon, comprised of demonic and evil sects.

 

It was the era of the Tripartite Division of the World, the Three Hegemons of the Nine Provinces.

 

And the Baek Gwi-seong was one of the Six Royal Gates that supported the Saheukryeon.

 

If two pivotal sects of the Murim Alliance and the Saheukryeon clashed, it would inevitably lead to a war between the two massive powers, disrupting the long-maintained balance of the Central Plains.

 

It was a choice for the greater good, in a way.

 

But Hyeon-cheong was shocked.

 

What would Wudang or Shaolin have done?

 

They would have waged war without hesitation.

 

Mount Hua had backed down.

 

If their sect’s power had been like before, they would never have been treated this way.

 

So he confined himself to the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion.

 

It was all because their sect lacked an absolute expert.

 

So he delved into the martial arts in the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion, trying to revive the lost or scattered martial arts of Mount Hua Sect.

 

He spent eight years in the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion, editing and studying martial arts manuals.

 

And he had taken an interest in someone.

 

In the frail Cheon-hwi.

 

‘With that body, it would be difficult for him to become a master, so it would be enough to teach him martial arts for self-defense.’

 

Of course, his interest stemmed from pity, not expectation.

 

Thud.

 

Cheon-hwi closed the book.

 

“Hwi-ya, it’s closing time.”

 

“Alright.”

 

He smiled, seeing Cheon-hwi looking at the library with a look of regret.  Cheon-hwi turned and went down the stairs.

 

After a while, seeing Cheon-hwi leave the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion over the railing, Hyeon-cheong organized the bookshelf labeled “Movement Techniques.”

 

Thud.

 

Then his gaze fixed on the floor.

 

Footprints were scattered and overlapping.

 

“Haha, he must have been restless after reading the martial arts manual for the first time.”

 

He imagined Cheon-hwi excitedly reading the manual.

 

After smiling contentedly for a while, Hyeon-cheong passed by the spot.

 

Unaware that within those footprints lay the profound truth of the forgotten peerless martial art, the Jade Ring Mystic Steps, which he so desperately sought.

 

***

 

Thud—

 

Cheon-hwi closed the book again.

 

‘Next.’

 

Four days had already passed.

 

During that time, Cheon-hwi had been continuously searching and reading through the third floor of the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion, but he still hadn’t read most of them.

 

If it had been his former self, he wouldn’t have believed it.

 

With his outstanding intellect, he could grasp the contents and even the essence of a martial arts manual with a single read.

 

But there was a reason he couldn’t.

 

He skillfully headed towards the bookshelf again, took out a manual, and opened it.

 

Tsk tsk, this one’s a mess too.

 

The Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Technique.

 

The sword technique, which was based on Yin energy, had a completely different interpretation written here.

 

‘What? The Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Technique is an advanced version of the淑女劍 (Sooknyeogeom – Lady Sword)?’

 

He shook his head.

 

The two were completely different in nature.

 

The Lady Sword was less of a sword technique and more of a physical training method lacking practicality, unlike the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Technique, which utilized transformed Yin energy.

 

Whoever wrote this was ridiculous.

 

‘Again?’

 

“Sigh.”

 

He closed the manual with a sigh.

 

There were many manuals with incorrect information like this.

 

That’s why it took time to review each martial art one by one and identify the problems.

 

Thud.

 

He placed the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Technique back on the shelf.

 

He could skim through new, unfamiliar martial arts with interest.

 

However, he already knew or had seen some of these martial arts.

 

Therefore, he unconsciously found himself meticulously comparing and scrutinizing them.

 

“This is completely wrong.”

 

Shaking his head with a dissatisfied expression, he picked up the manual placed haphazardly next to the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Technique.

 

“Falling Blossom Sword Technique?”

 

Finding the manual of a sword technique he had only heard rumors about, he opened the book with intrigued eyes.

 

As he concentrated on reading the manual, he naturally raised his right hand and clenched his fist as if holding a sword.

 

“This part is a bit lacking. Wouldn’t it be more powerful to withdraw this move rather than extending it?”

 

He extended his right hand.

 

Whoosh—

 

His small hand shot out like lightning, ripping through the air with a sharp sound.

 

Fwoosh—

 

“It’s powerful and sharp when used like this, but they interpreted it like *that*? Is this really the Mount Hua Sect I knew?”

 

The more he read the martial arts manuals in the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion, the more questions arose.

 

The Mount Hua Sect he knew was one of the top sects among the Nine Great Sects.

 

Not inferior even to Wudang or Shaolin.

 

But what was this?

 

The martial arts were so poorly constructed that it was hard to believe they belonged to Mount Hua Sect.

 

Only a few, like the Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique and the Hidden Fragrance Drift, were outstanding techniques worthy of representing Mount Hua Sect.

 

They were comparable even to the top demonic techniques of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

 

But those were a minority.

 

Most were like this.

 

Sigh, no wonder the Sect Leader was at that level.

 

He now understood the Sect Leader’s level of martial prowess.

 

No matter how excellent the advanced martial arts were, what use were they if the foundational martial arts, the supporting pillars, were weak?

 

The seedbed had to be fertile for the fruits to bear abundantly.

 

But they had created such a barren seedbed that even if they sowed good seeds, there wouldn’t be much of a harvest.

 

He might as well change it himself. Most of the martial arts here were useless if practiced as described in the manuals.

 

As he was shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

 

Huh?

 

His eyes fell on an old book placed on the highest shelf.

 

Demon Extermination Sword Technique.

 

His hand moved involuntarily towards the domineering title, unsuitable for the Taoist path.

 

He opened the manual.

 

Oh? Reversing demonic energy?

 

He chuckled.

 

Demonic energy was an absolute power.

 

It couldn’t be defied.

 

Reversing demonic energy? That’s absurd…? Huh? What’s this? It seems possible? Don’t tell me…

 

Rustle—

 

He became completely absorbed in the contents.

 

Thud.

 

He closed the manual, staring into space.

 

A deep aftertaste lingered.

 

Especially the last sword style.

 

“This is insane. Sacrificing one’s own Prenatal True Energy for a single strike?”

 

A mutual destruction move, sacrificing one’s life.

 

It was a truly spectacular sword style.

 

While the demon-destroying sword techniques described before it were impressive, the last style was chilling in its ruthlessness.

 

But as he read, he nodded.

 

It was a formidable move, even though it could only be used once.

 

Even he could be caught off guard and fall victim to it once in a while.

 

“I probably wouldn’t die, but I could get injured… But who created this martial art?  Someone must truly despise the demonic path to even conceive of such a crazy sword technique.”

 

He carefully examined the manual to find the creator of the Demon Extermination Sword Technique.

 

And then he found it.

 

“S-Sang…un?!”

 

His eyes widened in shock.

 

Sang-un was that loud-mouthed Taoist!

 

Recalling the loud-mouthed Taoist who had constantly pestered him, Cheon-hwi hurriedly scanned the manual again.

 

The book was quite old.

 

As if a long time had passed.

 

…H-How is this possible?

 

His hands trembled.

 

After a moment of panic, he quickly sought out Hyeon-cheong to resolve the situation.

 

He soon found him writing in a martial arts manual in a corner of the Ten Thousand Classics Pavilion, as usual.

 

“Senior Uncle.”

 

At Cheon-hwi’s call, Hyeon-cheong put down his brush with anticipation.

 

“What is it?”

 

Hyeon-cheong calmly organized his thoughts.

 

How should he teach him martial arts?

 

But his thoughts were thrown into disarray by Cheon-hwi’s next words.

 

“Do… you know someone named… Sang-un Jin-in?”

 

Cheon-hwi’s face contorted.

 

‘To think I have to call that rude and obnoxious loud-mouthed Taoist a Jin-in (sage).’

 

Then Hyeon-cheong tilted his head.

 

“Sang-un Jin-in?”

 

He frowned and fell into deep thought for a moment, then, seeing the martial arts manual in Cheon-hwi’s hand, his face brightened.

 

“Ah! You’re talking about Ancestor Sang-un Jin-in, the twenty-third Sect Leader of our sect.  Three hundred years ago, when our sect was at its peak…”

 

Hyeon-cheong’s explanation continued.

 

But Cheon-hwi couldn’t hear him.

 

One word from his explanation had pierced his mind and was wreaking havoc.

 

“T-Three hundred years ago?!”

 

—–CROW—–