Chapter 6: Demonic Arts (1)

Master's words were true indeed.

The moment our fates intertwined, I was destined to be hunted and killed by the Murim Alliance or to suffer the same end at the hands of the Imperial Court.

The only remaining option was to survive as Master's disciple, but even this wasn't entirely smooth. I could still die in a year.

With renewed urgency, I focused on the lesson.

The doctrines of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were entirely new to me, yet I quickly grasped her explanations.

It wasn't because I was particularly smart.

It was because I was accustomed to studying.

'Comparing it to Donghak makes it surprisingly easy to understand.'

One of the best methods for learning something new is connecting it to existing knowledge.

This is why lecturers, professors, and teachers often use analogies in their lessons.

The human brain is more adept at learning interconnected concepts than entirely isolated ones.

Of course, the doctrines of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult weren't identical to those of Donghak. And I hadn't memorized all of Donghak's principles either.

What I had studied was national history, not Donghak specifically.

But that hardly mattered. The differences actually helped. I could understand by noting that 'this part differs from Donghak' and making comparisons.

And for those parts unrelated to Donghak, I found other analogies and reference points to build understanding.

***

After finishing my morning studies, I had lunch and then began martial arts training according to the schedule.

"We'll start with the lower body, Young Master. It's a common saying, but the lower body is the foundation of all martial arts. It's common precisely because it's so vital. This is an undeniable truth."

Jin Hayeon said so with an impassive face and demonstrated the horse stance first.

While I might have excelled in academics, she was undoubtedly the expert when it came to physical training and martial arts.

So, I happily started copying her.

‘It's easier than I thought?’

I used to hit the gym every now and then back in the modern world, telling myself it was for my health. Not that I was consistent, thanks to the exhaustion from late nights at work and waging war against impossible clients.

In any case, I felt no particular discomfort in holding the horse stance.

There was no awkwardness in maintaining balance while squatting still, nor did my knees ache or muscles strain.

As I comfortably held the horse stance, Jin Hayeon, who had been observing me, suddenly picked up a sandbag and placed it on my shoulders.

‘Hmm?’

With the sandbag added, it became a bit more challenging but still manageable.

The external art training continued.

"Please stand up, Young Master. From now on, I will count to ten while you maintain the horse stance, and then you will stand up and rest briefly. We will repeat this."

We repeated actions similar to squats.

"Now, please circle the estate grounds once. I'll demonstrate first."

We also performed movements like the duck walk, a punishment from my school days.

'This is basically a lunge, isn't it?'

As I continued to train my lower body with the sandbag, I didn't realize that much time had passed.

"Huff... Huff..."

At first, I thought it was nothing, but as the repetitions increased and the number of sandbags grew, my breathing gradually became ragged.

Observing me, Jin Hayeon suddenly asked, "Have you truly never practiced martial arts before?"

“Nope.”

"Now I understand why the Heavenly Demon chose you, Young Master. I noticed it last night while attending to your bath, but you possess a truly remarkable physique."

So she was checking me out while I was in the bath last night.

A cold sweat ran down my spine as she continued,

“At least concerning the external arts, it seems there will be no major issue with you entering the Hall of the Demonic Way in a year’s time.”

I unconsciously sighed in relief at her words.

It felt as if my life had been extended.

After that, she showed me a bunch of other physical training methods and…

"It's hard to believe you've never trained in external martial arts."

...her praises poured forth each time.

"Yours is a body truly bestowed by the heavens, Young Master."

But for some reason...

"As expected, the Heavenly Demon had a plan all along."

...the more she praised...

"It seems the Heavenly Demon anticipated that you would be fully capable of entering the Hall of the Demonic Way."

...the less I could tell whether she was complimenting my body or praising the Heavenly Demon who had found me.

"The Heavenly Demon has sought you out, Young Master, rescuing you from squandering your talent."

Yeah, it was definitely the latter.

'So that's why someone who looks like a robot was suddenly laying the compliments on so thick…'

***

After two hours of intense physical training finally wrapped up, I simply rinsed the sweat from my face with water and dug into the snacks Jin Hayeon had brought.

'Hmm. Though they may not know the concept of protein, they're basically a military organization, so it makes sense.'

Surprisingly, the snacks provided weren't sweets but fruits and meat.

They must have figured out through trial and error that eating meat after a workout helps.

After consuming this rather heavy snack, I opened the notes I had organized in the morning and began to review.

There was still about an hour left until Master arrived.

I wondered if it would be better to combine the external art training time with my Master's lesson and extend the morning study time by an hour, but I thought that four hours of continuous exercise without rest might be too strenuous.

On the other hand, if I tried to get the workout done first thing in the morning and then study until my lesson with Master...

‘I'd be too exhausted to concentrate on the lesson.’

Trying to study when you're exhausted is always a waste of time.

That’s why, instead of studying new material while exhausted from the workout, I chose to use this time for review.

‘Once I've adapted to the external and internal arts training to some extent, I should adjust the schedule a bit then.’

So for a little while, I let my body chill while my brain was busy rehashing everything I'd learned that morning.

"I greet the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons."

At her voice, I rose and opened the door to see Master standing in the garden with a relaxed expression and Jin Hayeon prostrating herself on the ground, showing utmost respect.

"I greet Master."

I hurriedly bowed to Master, following her example.

"Hahaha. That's enough. I hope this old man didn't interrupt anything important.”

"Not at all, Heavenly Demon. The Young Master's intellect is exceptional; he has grasped all of today's objectives."

"Oh?"

Master expressed interest in her words, which she gave while maintaining her prostrated position with her forehead on the ground.

“Hahaha. I had my hopes when I brought him here, but it looks like his intellect is truly remarkable."

With a pleased laugh, Master instructed Jin Hayeon and me to rise.

Taking the hint, I stood up, and Master spoke to me.

“If you’re a quick study with books, you should be a quick study with martial arts. I’m really looking forward to today’s training! Hahaha.”

It was a moment filled with a strange sense of anticipation.

Ever since I realized that this was a world where the jianghu truly existed, I had vowed never to set foot in it.

If you think about it, it was the kind of dangerous world where you could die ten times and it still wouldn't be enough.

But at the same time, I also longed to experience martial arts.

Shooting energy blasts, cleaving rocks with a sword, running on water...

The possibility of physically realizing feats impossible in the modern world naturally sparked my curiosity. It was just that my life took precedence over curiosity.

But since I was stuck with it now anyway, I found myself actually getting into the idea.

Maybe he saw the sparkle in my eyes, Master spoke with a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha. Before teaching you martial arts, there's something I must tell you."

"This disciple will listen attentively."

"Then let me ask. Il-mok, do you know what the unbelievers of the Central Plains call our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s martial arts?"

After pondering this unexpected question briefly, I answered with a guess.

"Don't they call it Demonic Arts (魔功)?"

"Correct. Then, do you know why they call our martial arts Demonic Arts?"

"Well, I think it's just a derogatory term the unbelievers use to slander us."

"Hahaha."

I had made a reasonable deduction, but Master burst out laughing and shook his head.

"That's half correct. Trying to give us a bad name is definitely part of it, but there’s a much bigger reason they call it Demonic Arts.”

"What is it?"

“It’s because of the extremely high risk of Qi Deviation. People call it Demonic Arts because you get powerful fast, but it comes with some seriously dangerous side effects.”

When he finished, Master looked at me with a seemingly peaceful expression. Jin Hayeon, standing beside me, also wore her usual expressionless face.

Apparently, I was the only one freaking out.

"M-Master? Does that mean the Demonic Arts I'm about to learn have dangerous side effects?"

"Indeed."

Master nodded, his face still peaceful, and Jin Hayeon remained impassive.

Unable to hide my bewilderment, I asked them, "W-Why must I learn such dangerous martial arts?"

"Hahaha. That's a very fundamental question I haven't heard in a long time."

"My deepest apologies, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. It is because this lowly one has not yet sufficiently educated the Young Master."

As soon as Master finished speaking, Jin Hayeon suddenly prostrated herself, banging her head on the ground in apology.

But just as she was about to, an intense wave of energy shot out from Master and stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I do not blame you, so think nothing of it."

Master, who had momentarily exuded a terrifying aura, helped Jin Hayeon up and looked at me with a gentle demeanor.

‘How am I supposed to survive here?’

What does it matter if he’s acting nice now?

One wrong word and my attendant tries to smash her skull open on the floor, and he stops her by flooding the room with a terrifying aura.

As I unconsciously swallowed hard from the tension, Master asked me, "Have you heard about how our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came to be?"

Master's question sent me scrambling to recall the notes I'd just reviewed.

The unnerving feeling that a wrong answer could have disastrous consequences kept my mind surprisingly sharp despite my exhaustion.

“To save the masses from corrupt officials and other villains," I responded.

"Hahaha. You know well. Now think about it. If people are suffering right now, how can anyone justify taking their sweet time learning martial arts? Isn’t the only right thing to do to get strong as fast as possible, even if you have to risk the side effects?”

"..."

"That is why those self-proclaimed righteous are nothing but hypocrites. They talk about protecting the people, but then they practice arts that take decades to master. They are merely cowards prioritizing their own safety."

Listening to this made my head spin.

'Why does this sound so convincing?'

I was so shocked by my own thought that I quickly shook my head to snap out of it.

It seemed the intensive review had deepened my indoctrination.

But there was no time to ponder as Master continued his questioning.

"Do you remember when this old man first tested you?"

"I remember."

It would be strange to forget an experience that nearly killed me.

"At that time, this old man tested your character. The reason lies here. Since you will learn martial arts with side effects, only those with righteous hearts can overcome those side effects and achieve rapid progress."

"Ah..."

'Me, having a righteous heart?'

Ah, I'm fucked.