CDF Chapter 12

Two days had passed.

“Young Master.”

“…”

“I brought water.”

As expected, there was no response.

Ma Dong-pil inwardly sighed.

‘Did he receive some kind of shock?’

Two days ago, after entering the residence in the Bamboo Forest of Solitude, the Third Young Master had stopped eating and drinking and sat on the bed, blankly staring out the window. It would be nice if he at least slept, but he stayed awake all night.

It wasn’t that he was just sitting there absentmindedly.

With a serious expression, he seemed to be pondering something, but from the perspective of an onlooker, it was impossible to know what it was.

‘His body will suffer.’

There was nothing he could do. It was not his place to forcibly lay hands on his precious body.

Finally, as Ma Dong-pil gave up trying to talk to him and was about to turn around…

“Hmm? It’s morning?”

Ma Dong-pil looked at Cheon Hajin in surprise.

Cheon Hajin rubbed his face vigorously with both hands as if washing it.

Ma Dong-pil suddenly knelt down.

“Have you finished contemplating?”

“Huh? Well, yes. I didn’t realize it was already dawn.”

“It’s not just dawn, Young Master. Two days have passed.”

“Two days?!”

“Yes.”

“No wonder, shit, my stomach has sunken in.”

“I apologize.”

“Why are you people always so sorry…”

His face, having gone two days without sleep or water, was as gaunt as a sick person’s.

“Is there water?”

“Yes!”

Ma Dong-pil handed over the bowl placed on the table.

Cheon Hajin poured the water from the bowl directly into his mouth.

“Gulp gulp! Glug!”

Along with the gulping sound, the cold water cascaded into his mouth like a waterfall.

‘Gasp!’

Ma Dong-pil’s complexion turned pale.

He didn’t expect him to chug down such a large amount of cold water like a hero downing a cup of alcohol. Having emptied a whole bowl of cold water in his weakened state, his stomach was sure to be quite upset.

However…

“Aah! Refreshing.”

“Y-Young Master!”

“What?”

“…Are you alright?”

Cheon Hajin tilted his head.

“What wouldn’t be alright? By the way, the water here tastes good. Could I trouble you for one more bowl?”

“O-of course.”

“This time, warm it up a bit. My teeth are chattering.”

“I hear and obey!”

As soon as he darted out like an arrow, Cheon Hajin flopped down on the bed.

“Hmm, yeah. My thoughts are a bit organized now.”

Unlike his comfortable body, his face was terrifyingly stiff.

“I can’t leave.”

The words “right now” were omitted, but… well, anyway.

As he stared blankly at the ceiling, he chuckled.

“Even if I try my hardest, I can’t leave.”

Now that things had come to this, he could only helplessly laugh.

It was astonishing that he had wasted two whole days just to sort out that obvious thought. If counting from the moment he woke up, it had been over a hundred days.

He wouldn’t waver anymore. He wouldn’t waste time on pointless thoughts.

There was no time for that.

‘The Military Affairs Department? The Demon God Palace? They were all meaningless. It was impossible from the start.’

He realized the fundamental reason why he had been unnecessarily anxious and preoccupied with the thought of escaping immediately.

A dream? No.

Prejudice against the Demonic Cult? Even more no.

The real reason he thought he had to flee immediately upon learning that this body was the Third Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

“…It was because I was uncomfortable.”

And what caused that discomfort was the subtle sense of unease flowing in the air.

‘I realized it too late.’

During his time as the Assassin King, he had obtained the gift of superhuman senses.

He didn’t particularly try to obtain it. It was an ability that had blossomed from a combination of innate talent and acquired environment, something he had naturally attained after constantly facing the threat of death at every moment.

And he had created a martial art called the Heavenly Net Six Transmissions Technique to amplify those superhuman senses, becoming a legend in the world of assassination.

‘Superhuman senses are not a martial art. As I felt when I met the Cult Leader, it’s a sense engraved in my soul.’

Cheon Hajin smiled bitterly.

‘Since when did I mistakenly think it was a martial art?’

If he hadn’t made that mistake, he might have been able to more easily see through the essence of the situation.

“No, maybe I would have been even more confused. Damn it! Is this an ability that helps or doesn’t help?”

The death encountered by a martial artist and the death encountered by an assassin are different.

Martial artists fight with spears and swords, but assassins fight against the “moment” of time.

For the sake of a single perfect moment, assassins endure and concentrate. Whether it takes three days or ten days, they focus solely on that.

And how well they capture that moment, how much concentration they can maintain, determines their talent as an assassin.

Cheon Hajin was a genius. At least when it came to assassination, he was a genius worthy of the title “Number One in the World.”

The Righteous cult threw such a genius into a swamp of death at every moment without properly managing him. At worst, there were times when he went out on assassination missions three times a day.

The assassin who had eliminated more targets than anyone else in history.

The assassin who had been in contact with “death” longer than anyone else in history.

Cheon Hajin’s superhuman senses were an ability he truly deserved, considering the hardships of his life.

And now.

Cheon Hajin, who had not properly realized who he was, had perfectly regained his identity as the Assassin King.

“Anyway, leaving here is the right thing to do. But it’s impossible right now.”

Directly facing the essence, understanding the situation.

“Then, for the time being, I have no choice but to live as Ma Hyo, the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult.”

Acknowledging reality, planning for the future.

“What overlaps between the desires of the Third Young Master and the desires for my future?”

Cross-validation, and…

“I need to become stronger.”

Reaching a conclusion.

Cheon Hajin’s eyes shone.

“I have to become stronger. That takes priority over anything else.”

A world where the weak are eliminated.

And the Heavenly Demon Cult was a group that upheld the survival of the fittest and adhered to that law of the jungle more thoroughly than any other force in the martial arts world.

Since passively waiting to be eliminated and expelled was not even a consideration, he had to become stronger in order to live here as Seo Ryang.

The same was true for Cheon Hajin’s future. Although he had the intention to leave the gangho, he didn’t want to give up martial arts. One never knows how things might turn out. Martial arts were necessary even for a safe life.

In the end, whether he lived or died, there was only one path he had to walk.

Martial arts.

‘I won’t use any more petty tricks. I will leave with my own feet, with my own abilities, in a dignified manner.’

At that moment, when he had firmly made up his mind, the door opened and Ma Dong-pil entered.

“Young Master, I brought water.”

“Thank you.”

Cheon Hajin, who had emptied the moderately warm water, said.

“Mr. Ma.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“From now on, when you call me, address me as Seo Young Master.”

“…Pardon?”

Swish.

Cheon Hajin silently looked up at Ma Dong-pil.

For a moment, Ma Dong-pil felt goosebumps all over his body.

The Third Young Master’s gaze as he looked at him was extremely transparent. The ambiguous light in his eyes, as if he were human or a ghost, evoked an eerie fear.

Ma Dong-pil hurriedly bowed his head.

“I hear and obey, Seo Young Master.”

Cheon Hajin nodded.

‘From now on, I am Seo Ryang.’

Until he left this place, until he could live his own life with dignity, he would live solely under the name Seo Ryang.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

“I will prepare it right away.”

Half an hour later, Cheon Hajin, who had upset his stomach due to excessive water intake and overeating, collapsed from exhaustion along with a stormy diarrhea.

***

The resolution to leave with his own abilities in a dignified manner grew stronger as time passed.

On the fifth day since entering the Bamboo Forest of Solitude.

“Done!”

Cheon Hajin, no, Seo Ryang clenched his fist with a single cry.

“My body has fully recovered.”

It had become perfectly normal, with nothing to add or subtract.

Not even a slight internal injury remained, and vitality overflowed from his muscles throughout his body. The ragged meridians had healed smoothly, and the functions of his internal organs had become healthy and active beyond his age.

The growth of the Boundless Energy was also encouraging.

‘Fourth Stage!’

The Boundless Energy had broken through to the Fourth Stage. As a result, the process of extracting turbid energy from his body had become several times faster, and the purifying ability of the Purification Technique had also greatly increased.

‘Finally!’

A look of pride spread across Seo Ryang’s face.

‘Finally, a proper foundation has been established.’

From now on, it was the true beginning of the martial arts path. If he applied the insights he had gained while living as the Assassin King to this talented body, he could quickly become strong even without elixirs.

And…

Whoooosh!!

Seo Ryang closed his eyes.

A strange resonance rising from deep within his body.

Even without opening his eyes, the world was visible. More precisely, it felt like he could see it.

The chirping of birds, the flapping of incults’ wings, and even the writhing of earthworms were vividly perceived.

The Heavenly Net Six Transmissions Technique.

It was a technique that maximized his own superhuman senses and opened his mind’s eye. With his current meager internal energy, it was difficult to utilize even a quarter of it, but the fact that he could use it at all was remarkable.

“Great! Let’s see if I can fly!”

The Boundless Energy, the Heavenly Net Six Transmissions Technique, and the Shadow Art.

Although he had abundant knowledge of other killing techniques and martial arts from his maternal family, those three martial arts could be said to be the fundamental martial arts that had created the legend of the Assassin King.

Now that he could use both the Boundless Energy and the Heavenly Net Six Transmissions Technique, if he mastered the Shadow Art, which he had pieced together from the secrets of the Nine Suns cult, he could quickly become strong.

Seo Ryang, who had started chanting the incantations of the Shadow Art with joy, buoyed by dreams and hopes.

A moment later.

“Wait.”

Seo Ryang’s eyes bulged out. He had encountered an unexpected obstacle.

“Is it okay to learn the Shadow Art?”

This is the Heavenly Demon Cult.

And I am Ha… No, the Third Young Master Seo Ryang.

Seo Ryang must have had demonic arts he originally knew. He must have had demonic arts that the Cult Leader had personally taught him.

But I don’t know what they are.

‘D-Damn it!’

Why are you so incompetent?!

After clutching his head for a moment, Seo Ryang shouted.

“Mr. Ma! Mr. Maaaaa!”

Shortly after, Ma Dong-pil darted out from somewhere in the bamboo forest like a bullet. His body, with his sleeves rolled up, was quite dirty, as if he had been doing some work.

“Did you call for me, Seo Young Master?”

“I have something I want to ask.”

“Please ask.”

“Among the Cult Leader’s disciples, in other words, my martial brothers…”

“Yes.”

Seo Ryang swallowed his saliva.

“Is there anyone who hasn’t learned demonic arts?”

Ma Dong-pil’s brows furrowed slightly, as if he couldn’t understand.

“How could that be possible? They are all cultivating powerful demonic arts personally bestowed by the Cult Leader.”

“…”

“Seo Young Master, didn’t you also have a demonic art you practiced before falling into the Demonic Deviation?”

“Th-that, ah, I know! Yes, I know!”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

“By the way.”

“Please ask.”

“What if, just what if…”

Seo Ryang asked in a tense voice.

“What would happen if a disciple of the Cult Leader practiced a martial art other than demonic arts?”

“…Pardon?”

Ma Dong-pil, who rarely showed such a reaction, was clearly dumbfounded by the question.

“I… I apologize, I don’t understand the meaning of Seo Young Master’s words.”

“It’s literally what I said! What happens if you don’t practice demonic arts?”

“Well, that’s…”

It was something he had never thought about before. A demon disciple not practicing demonic arts? Can they even be called a demon disciple?

Ma Dong-pil stammered.

“I think… such a thing… could happen…”

Seo Ryang was completely in despair. Judging from Ma Dong-pil’s reaction, it was clear that such people were considered bastards not even worthy of being called demon disciples.

Yeah, honestly, even that didn’t matter. If he was expelled because of that, it wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

The problem was!

“If anyone other than the Young Masters and Misses doesn’t practice demonic arts, I dare to… predict that the Cult Leader will be quite displeased.”

“…”

“I apologize.”

Seo Ryang lowered his head deeply.

Ma Dong-pil was perplexed. He couldn’t understand why the Young Master was acting like this again.

After some time had passed…

“Mr. Ma.”

“Yes, Seo Young Master.”

“With the authority of the Third Young Master, please gather all the secret manuals of demonic arts that can be borrowed.”

Seo Ryang raised his head.

Ma Dong-pil, who was about to speak, was startled.

From Seo Ryang’s eyes, with a bizarre expression as if smiling or crying, a stream of tears was flowing down.

“…Please hurry.”