Rebirth of the Heavenly Demon

He swung his fist towards the wall.

Thud! Clang!

The wall dented with a deep metallic sound.

Boom! Clang! Thud! Clang!

He threw punches in rapid succession, but the thick steel wall only dented without breaking or collapsing.

Thick veins bulged all over the man’s body like crawling earthworms as he struck the wall, and his breathing was as rough as if he had run ten thousand miles.

The man who had been pounding one wall suddenly turned his head towards the back. There was a hole about the size of an adult’s palm in the opposite wall, and someone was peering into the room.

Like a predator spotting prey, the man lunged towards that wall.

Thud! Boom!

After pounding the wall a few times to no avail, the man peered through the hole. He could see two people beyond the hole.

“Grrrr.”

He exuded a murderous intent, wanting to break through the wall right away and kill those two people.

In contrast, the two people watching the man from outside were calm. They were Ma Ryeong-in and Joo Do-chi.

Facing the man who was growling lowly with bloodshot eyes, Joo Do-chi spoke with slight excitement.

“He’s still so lively. I have a good feeling about this time.”

Ma Ryeong-in reminded Joo Do-chi of the reality in response to his hope.

“What’s important is from here on out.”

Joo Do-chi lit the incense he was holding with the lamp hanging on the wall. The incense began to burn, emitting smoke.

“If he can endure until this incense burns out completely from now, it’s a success.”

Tension filled Joo Do-chi’s eyes. Over the past few years, the tests had consistently failed, consuming enormous time and resources. Above all, the continued failures had worn down their spirits.

‘Please, just this once! Burn out quickly!’

Contrary to his desperate wish, the incense burned slowly.

The man who had been pacing around the room suddenly stopped.

“Urrrrrgh!”

He bulged his eyes. The whites of his eyes turned bright red. Those completely reddened eyes were like seeing a ghost.

“No! Hang in there!”

Joo Do-chi cried out anxiously. In contrast, Ma Ryeong-in, standing beside him, just watched impassively.

The man in the room started convulsing again. It was a much more severe fit than before.

Thud! Boom! Boom!

The thick steel walls dented deeply, but the man’s hands weren’t injured at all.

“Just a little more, hang on just a little longer.”

In response to Joo Do-chi’s encouragement, the man brought his face to the hole. He struggled in agony, making choking sounds as if begging to be saved.

“Endure it! You bastard! I said endure!”

“Urrrrrgh!”

The man convulsed in agony, then suddenly stopped moving.

Swoosh.

The man collapsed in a heap, bleeding from the seven apertures of his face. Silence fell in the room where he had been rampaging.

Joo Do-chi sighed and looked down at the incense he was holding. More than half of it remained.

“Damn it!”

Joo Do-chi glanced at Ma Ryeong-in beside him. Though he didn’t show it outwardly, he was furious.

Joo Do-chi quickly held up the remaining incense and said to Ma Ryeong-in:

“Still, he lasted a bit longer today.”

But those words provided no comfort at all. Rather, it seemed to be some kind of signal, as Ma Ryeong-in strode off.

He stood in front of one of the two facing rooms, the one emitting a strange energy.

He tried to pull open the door, but it was locked.

Ma Ryeong-in said quietly:

“Open the door.”

But the door didn’t open.

Joo Do-chi, who was watching, tensed inwardly. He sensed that Ma Ryeong-in was much angrier than usual.

“I said open it!”

As Ma Ryeong-in raised his voice, a man appeared from the end of the corridor.

He strode over and stood blocking the door.

“You can’t do this.”

“Move aside.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t. Didn’t we agree not to force it open if it’s not opened from inside?”

Number Two calmly explained while not budging an inch.

Ma Ryeong-in’s anger shifted towards Number Two.

“I told you to move.”

“If you keep doing this, I’ll have no choice but to report to the higher-ups.”

“Higher-ups? Then what am I? Am I lower? Am I beneath your feet?”

He burst out with murderous intent, but Number Two didn’t flinch at all.

It was then.

Tap.

A sound came from the opposite room. It wasn’t any other sound, just the sound of knocking on the door once. It was a warning to be quiet.

Number Two’s whole body trembled. He who hadn’t been intimidated by Ma Ryeong-in’s murderous intent was now scared.

Ma Ryeong-in asked quickly:

“Just who is in that room?”

Surprisingly, even Ma Ryeong-in didn’t know who was in that room emitting such powerful energy.

Only Number Two, who played the role of overseer, knew what was in that room.

“You bastards! If you couldn’t trust me, you shouldn’t have recruited me in the first place. If you recruited me, you should trust me to the end!”

Joo Do-chi, who was watching, was inwardly surprised. Not just Number Two, but Ma Ryeong-in too was someone who rarely showed his emotions.

Even with countless test failures, this was the first time he had gotten so angry.

“Please leave now.”

At Number Two’s dismissal, Ma Ryeong-in spoke coldly.

“Arrogant bastard. You’ll definitely regret this.”

As he turned to walk away, Ma Ryeong-in suddenly recalled the nameless traveler’s words.

-It seems you really have a taste for arrogant people.

“Damn it!”

Ma Ryeong-in, who had been walking towards his room, turned around again and went outside.

Joo Do-chi, who was watching, could sense it.

That Ma Ryeong-in was changing. He couldn’t yet understand why.

***

The streets of Zhengzhou began to get crowded.

Although there were still ten days left until the Golden Grand Banquet, people from all over the Central Plains had started gathering early. Especially since it was a festival for merchants, numerous traders gathered from various regions.

Goods never seen before appeared in the marketplace, and many people gathered to buy them.

I too was pushed along by the crowd, looking at the goods.

There truly was a wide variety of items.

As I wandered around, I bought a few things. There were things I needed to buy, and things I bought on impulse. Among them was some tracking incense that I thought I might use someday.

In any case, my knowledge of martial world items was put to good use, and thanks to that, I wasn’t overcharged or fooled by fakes.

I had spent almost all of the 7,000 nyang I had left after buying the Snake Wrist Guard and fishing rod. Rather than feeling like I had wasted money, I felt somehow liberated.

When I returned to the inn, Ma Ryeong-in was sitting on the first floor drinking alcohol.

“Did you come looking for me?”

“That’s right.”

He must have been there for quite a while, as there were already three or four empty bottles.

I sat down across from him and ordered more alcohol and food.

“You should have sent word ahead.”

“I drink well enough on my own.”

“You’ve come at a good time. I was just thinking of having a drink myself.”

I downed in one gulp the alcohol Ma Ryeong-in poured for me. Was it because my body had gotten younger? Or because my mind had changed? The alcohol went down better and tasted better than during my time as the Alliance Leader.

Well, back then I didn’t have time to properly enjoy alcohol. Fearing I might make a mistake while drunk, I used my inner energy to expel the alcohol as soon as it entered my body.

At that time, I thought only of my duties as Alliance Leader and the peace of the martial world. When I had any time left after being swamped with work, I devoted myself to martial arts training.

Now I think I understand a little. Why I couldn’t reach the Realm of the Mind Sword. It wasn’t because I lacked earnestness. It was because my way of life was wrong. How could I have achieved the Realm of the Mind Sword with a life so tightly bound and training done out of greed and obligation?

If only I had leisurely enjoyed drinks, traveled occasionally… If only I had known then what I know now, it would have been so much better.

“I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“They say in the martial world that those with too much curiosity die early, but damn it. I’m so curious I can’t stand it. How did you end up involved in this kind of business?”

“What kind of business?”

“The things I saw underground. The man who died bleeding, that room with the strange energy flowing out, that’s not normal, is it?”

“That man could have been a villain, couldn’t he? He could have ended up like that while being tortured by the Martial Righteous Alliance trying to uncover his background.”

I smirked.

“Do I look that naive to you? Then what about those who died by my hand at Joo Family Estate? Were they Martial Righteous Alliance martial artists too?”

Ma Ryeong-in laughed along.

“You are indeed clever.”

“If I were so clever, would I be asking these questions? Actually, I’m more curious about something else.”

“What is it?”

“Is what you’re doing now your own independent work, Young Master Ma, or is it the Alliance Leader’s doing?”

“What do you think?”

“In my opinion, it seems like something you’ve undertaken independently.”

“Why do you think that?”

Ma Ryeong-in’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“No matter what, I don’t think the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader would be involved in such shady business, would he?”

At that, Ma Ryeong-in laughed again.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Even you have a different inside and outside, don’t you? To the world, you’re known as a hero of the martial world, but in reality, you’re…”

“Just a petty person greedy for money. So does the Alliance Leader know about this?”

My eyes gleamed with interest.

“He might, or he might not.”

“So you won’t tell me after all.”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? That knowing too many secrets makes you die early. Let’s not end our connection over futile curiosity.”

Here he is, planning to use me and then kill me, yet speaking so naturally without his expression changing at all. It’s almost admirable in a way.

“Oh, please accept this.”

I took something out from my breast pocket. It was one of the things I had bought at the marketplace earlier.

“It’s a gift.”

It was a portable whetstone that could be carried around to sharpen swords. I had chosen an expensive and good quality one among portable ones, so it was very light and effective.

“It can’t compare to the kindness you’ve shown me, but I wanted to repay you somehow. I’d like to buy you something grand, but I didn’t know what to get you.”

“Do you trust me now?”

I shook my head and said:

“Your kindness still feels like a trap to me. But in life, sometimes you knowingly fall into traps, don’t you? I’m tired today, so I’ll go up and rest first. Please stay and drink.”

I fled upstairs.

Before entering my room, I glanced down and saw him still sitting there, looking down at the whetstone.

This was the moment my tactical kindness was being conveyed.

***

Two days later, Ma Ryeong-in called me to his mansion.

I couldn’t tell if it was because my show of kindness had been effective, or if it was just a coincidence.

Joo Do-chi came and blindfolded me, then took me there in a carriage.

“Aren’t we close enough that you don’t need to blindfold me?”

“Close? Did we ever have that kind of relationship?”

From his irritable response, I could tell. That he was still angry about the 20,000 nyang I had received earlier.

It’s a welcome thing when enemies’ emotions are stirred up and on edge. At times like this, I need to keep my own heart calm and composed.

I got off the carriage and entered the mansion. I focused my mind. Exactly how many steps we took, when we turned, which mechanism they triggered to open the secret door leading underground.

Thanks to that, I was able to notice Joo Do-chi adjusting the lamp on the wall to activate the mechanism that opened the door to the underground.

The door opened, and the device carrying him and me descended underground.

Whirr.

We walked down that corridor again from before. The same murderous intent could still be felt from the four mechanisms.

After passing through the corridor and turning a corner, a new corridor appeared.

We passed by the room with eight guards. Their presence meant that Ma Ryeong-in was here.

Next, we came across two rooms facing each other.

We passed by the room emitting a mysterious energy and the room exuding a powerful force.

I was guided to the last room where I had dined with him before.

When my blindfold was removed, Ma Ryeong-in was sitting with another person. It was the man who had prevented me from entering the room before.

“Greet each other.”

I greeted him first.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I have no name. You can just call me Nameless.”

The man replied gruffly:

“I too have no name.”

Then Ma Ryeong-in spoke:

“But there is a word used to refer to you, isn’t there?”

For a moment, the man’s expression stiffened slightly, then he spoke nonchalantly:

“I am called Number Two.”

Number Two. My guess was correct. He was definitely from the same organization as her.

“If you’re Number Two, you must be quite skilled. You’re right after Number One, aren’t you?”

I threw it out like a joke, but I was genuinely curious. Whether the numbers in that organization were really assigned based on skill, or if they were just assigned for convenience.

He gave no answer.

He gave off a similar feeling to Number Seven whom I had seen before, but this man was clearly a different person from her.

From Number Seven, I had sensed a kind of loneliness and emptiness. I had felt her longing to escape from her work.

But this man was not like that. He was someone satisfied with his work and trying to be faithful to it. Someone trying to do his job better. Easy to use, but also very dangerous at the same time.

“Now that this person has become one of us, why don’t you show him the room?”

Number Two’s expression stiffened slightly more.

I could see a power struggle unfolding between the two.

It was the situation I had wanted.

If my opponent had been Ma Jeong-su, I would have smiled with satisfaction.

But instead of rejoicing, I steeled myself to be even more careful.

It was certain that my recent relationship with him had created this opportunity. But while my relationship with him might be the “catalyst,” it wouldn’t be the “result.” Meaning he’s not someone who would spare my life just because we’ve gotten closer. He will try to use even this relationship somehow.

Ma Ryeong-in is like a deep, dark well whose bottom cannot be seen.

I thought that perhaps this occasion today might be to carry out “that” which they had spoken of that day.

I must be careful.

Number Two quietly looked back and forth between me and Ma Ryeong-in, then stood up without prolonging it further.

“Follow me.”

With a trembling heart, I followed him along with Ma Ryeong-in.

And so we stood in front of the room from which the mysterious energy was flowing.