The Soul of the Heavenly Demon (4)
The rain poured down in front of me, its cool streams washing away my worries, leaving me feeling refreshed.
Just then, someone beside me spoke.
“If only I were ten years younger.”
I turned to see an old man standing there.
“Are you blaming your age now?”
The old man was none other than Baek Cheon-gwang, the Heavenly Demon.
Ah, now I remember where I am.
This was the place where I had fought the Heavenly Demon that day.
A sudden explosion echoed in my mind.
Boom.
Wait, wasn’t I in the chamber where the great technique was being performed? How did I end up here?
I hadn’t traveled back in time. My consciousness was separate from the me who was speaking now, as if I were merely observing my past self.
This must be a dream.
The Heavenly Demon and I conversed as we had that day.
“Isn’t it true? If I were ten years younger, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“If I were ten years older, you’d already be a goner.”
“In ten years, you’ll just be another boring old orthodox master.”
“For now, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Originally, we would have gone out to fight.
And I would have killed him with my final technique, the Great Annihilation.
But then, the Heavenly Demon suddenly asked,
“Why did you spare me?”
This was different from the past.
What? I never spared you. I was the one who killed you!
The Heavenly Demon looked at me intently and said,
“You spared me, so take responsibility.”
In the next moment, I snapped awake.
I wasn’t in the place where I had last fought the Heavenly Demon. Nor was I in the underground chamber where the great technique had been performed.
I was in a cold cell with thick iron doors. The familiar structure suggested it was the underground prison of the Martial Alliance.
My arms and legs were chained to the wall. My vital points were suppressed, and my energy center was doubly sealed, preventing me from using my internal energy.
Why was I imprisoned?
I quickly recalled the events.
There had been an explosion in the chamber, and the child and Yang Jeong-hui had died.
And then… that thing in the sky!
What was it? It had overwhelmed me, and I lost consciousness.
I guessed that Ma Cheol-gun must have regained consciousness first.
It was an unexpected turn of events.
But what happened to the Heavenly Demon’s soul that was in the child? Did it vanish with the child’s death?
Just then, a question resonated in my mind, as if answering my doubts.
[Who are you?]
I was startled. The question didn’t come from me.
There was another presence within me. It seemed to have awakened when I did.
I directed my question to that presence. As soon as I formed the thought, my words echoed in my mind.
[Who are you?]
The presence responded to my question.
[You’re not Ma Cheol-gun, are you?]
The moment I heard that, chills ran down my spine.
I realized who it was.
It was the soul of the Heavenly Demon. The thing that had descended from the sky and overwhelmed me was the Heavenly Demon’s soul.
My God! How could this happen?
The next moment, the Heavenly Demon exclaimed in shock.
[My God! You’re Cheon Hwa-jin!]
He must have been able to read my mind.
[How could this happen? How?]
While he was in shock, I remained calm. I had already experienced things related to the great technique and knew he was the Heavenly Demon. After all, I had also ended up in the body of a young man named Byeok Ri-dan.
In fact, no one could understand this situation better than the Heavenly Demon and me.
The fact that I could converse with him meant I understood.
This was different from when the Heavenly Demon had possessed the children’s bodies. Back then, it was either the child or the Heavenly Demon.
But now, I was having a conversation with the Heavenly Demon.
Perhaps my mental strength was too strong for him to dominate me, or maybe the great technique had gone awry, resulting in this outcome.
In any case, it was fortunate that he wasn’t controlling me but coexisting with me.
[How are you still alive?]
The Heavenly Demon asked in surprise. He was more shocked than when I realized his presence.
I calmly replied.
[Aren’t you alive too?]
[How could this be?]
The Heavenly Demon seemed unable to comprehend the situation.
How could we meet again in one body?
It was truly a twist of fate.
Soon, the Heavenly Demon burst into laughter.
[Hahaha.]
[Why are you laughing?]
[You killed me, and now look at you. You can’t kill me now. You’ll have to live with me forever.]
[Are you sure I can’t kill you?]
[What?]
[I can kill you.]
[How?]
I realized everything was flowing according to fate.
A single word surfaced in my mind.
[Heart Sword.]
A brief silence followed. Then the Heavenly Demon raised his voice.
[Hmph! I’ve never seen anyone reach the state of the Heart Sword in life, nor have I heard of anyone cutting a soul with it.]
The Heavenly Demon tried to deny it. Indeed, I had never heard of such a thing either. It was just a thought that had occurred to me. Perhaps the Heart Sword could cut him.
[Besides, do you think reaching the state of the Heart Sword is as easy as saying it?]
[I know very well how difficult it is.]
[Heh, it’s impossible for you.]
[Then why don’t you help me?]
[What?]
The Heavenly Demon seemed taken aback. We could read each other’s minds and share emotions.
[You madman! Why would I help you?]
After a pause, I asked.
[Would you really be happy staying in someone else’s body?]
The Heavenly Demon didn’t answer immediately.
Just then, the iron door creaked open, and someone entered.
It was Ma Cheol-gun. His arms and chest were bandaged, and his face bore scars. Though he had been caught in the explosion, he had fortunately survived.
Following him were Gwangwol Leader Joo Cheol-ryong and Iron Flag Leader Ok Dang-chu.
Ma Cheol-gun stood before me, his face filled with anger.
“Who are you?”
The old man stood on the hill, gazing at the darkening landscape.
By now, the great technique should be complete, and Cheon So-seon would return. The long-prepared plan was finally coming to an end.
But perhaps because of a nightmare, he felt uneasy. On days like this, bad things always seemed to happen. Was that why? He recalled that day long ago.
The rain poured down, and a man shouted amidst the downpour.
“What have you done to us?”
“What do you mean?”
The man glared and said,
“This is all a side effect of that experiment, isn’t it?”
The old man couldn’t answer.
“Answer me!”
“Yes, and what if it is?”
“Damn it! Damn you!”
“How dare you speak to your father like that?”
The man’s eyes burned with anger at the old man’s rebuke.
“Is the word ‘father’ so lightly used?”
The old man snapped out of his reverie, recalling those resentful eyes.
His sigh was a mix of anger and regret.
Just then, a voice called out urgently from behind.
“Something terrible has happened.”
The old man’s heart sank at the voice. The man had never sounded so urgent before.
When he turned, the man was running toward him, carrying a woman in his arms. The woman was the mysterious lady.
“So-seon!”
The old man’s voice trembled as he shouted.
“Quickly, to the Celestial Chamber!”
The two rushed into the cave. The man swiftly laid the woman in the Celestial Chamber. As he pressed a button, an unknown liquid began to fill the chamber.
The woman opened her eyes.
”…Grandfather.”
“So-seon!”
”…The great technique failed. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright! Don’t speak anymore.”
The lid of the Celestial Chamber closed with a soft click. As the man adjusted the controls, the chamber hummed and vibrated gently.
A cold aura emanated from the old man’s body. It was more intense than any killing intent.
But the old man knew that now was the time to pray for his grandson’s recovery rather than seek revenge.
“Seal this place immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
The entrance to the cave began to close.
From the outside, it was impossible to tell there was a cave there.
“Reveal your identity.”
Ma Cheol-gun’s voice was filled with hostility. If I didn’t speak, he seemed ready to resort to torture.
I was still wearing a mask. If I were tortured, it would be revealed that I wore a mask. I couldn’t let them discover I was Byeok Ri-dan. Especially not in this state.
Who should I say I am?
My mind raced.
They must have found me in the chamber. They wouldn’t know if I was friend or foe.
Then a thought struck me.
How did Ma Cheol-gun become the subject of the great technique?
Could it be?
As suspicion arose, a face came to mind. A beauty unlike any other.
“She…”
The moment I mentioned her, Ma Cheol-gun’s expression shifted.
I knew then.
She was involved!
“Who do you mean?”
“The one who led you to the Chamber of Ten Thousand Illnesses.”
Ma Cheol-gun turned to the two men and said,
“Leave us for a moment.”
Joo Cheol-ryong and Ok Dang-chu exchanged glances, then bowed and left the room.
“Yes, we’ll wait outside.”
Once they were gone, Ma Cheol-gun asked with cold eyes,
“Who are you?”
“I serve her.”
“She tried to kill me.”
“You’re gravely mistaken.”
“Mistaken?”
“She cares about you. She was trying to save you.”
“From whom?”
“The powers behind the scenes wanted to use you as a pawn in their grand scheme.”
I deliberately used the provocative word “pawn” to unsettle him. I needed to shake him up somehow.
“A grand scheme? What scheme?”
“They intended to implant another soul in you to control this realm.”
“What?”
Ma Cheol-gun was genuinely taken aback.
“What nonsense is this?”
“I’m telling the truth. If we bring in an expert on the dark arts and show them the room you were in, they’ll confirm it.”
Despite the explosion, the remnants in the room would still bear traces of the soul-binding ritual.
Once that was proven, my words would gain credibility.
“That’s why they chose your father, and then you, as their leader.”
It was something he might have suspected, and it was indeed the truth.
As he wrestled with confusion, I pressed on.
“Initially, she followed their orders. But she grew to care for you. That’s why she and I went to save you.”
I wasn’t sure if he’d buy it, but he couldn’t afford not to.
Ma Cheol-gun, his mind a whirlwind of emotions, asked the question that troubled him most.
“Where is she now?”
“I don’t know. When I came to after the explosion, I found myself here. She might have been captured, or she might have escaped.”
“How can I find her?”
“The answer to her whereabouts lies with you.”
“What?”
I looked at him intently and said, “Think carefully. How can you find her?”
At my words, a realization dawned on Ma Cheol-gun’s face.
Whether he had fallen for a forbidden love was uncertain, but he was no fool.
“If there’s even a hint of a lie in your words, you’ll die a painful death.”
With that, Ma Cheol-gun stood up and slammed the door as he left the cell.
I took a moment to catch my breath. He would first verify if the ritual had indeed taken place there. That would take at least a couple of days.
The voice of Cheonma echoed in my mind.
[You’re quite the deceitful one. Were you always like this?]
[Whose fault do you think this is?]
[A lying martial arts leader? Well, all those righteous sect types are the same.]
Cheonma seemed eager to taunt me, but I doused his playful spirit.
[Martial arts leader? I’m no longer the leader, just as you’re no longer Cheonma. The leader is that young man from earlier.]
[What kind of leader is that brat supposed to be?]
[Listen, Cheongwang.]
Cheonma was startled when I suddenly called him by his name. His real name was Baek Cheongwang.
[You insolent fool! How dare you use my name so casually!]
[You and I have lived long enough and died, haven’t we?]
[Ha! Don’t make me laugh! I’m very much alive!]
[Remember what you said? That if we met in ten years, I’d be a stuffy old man of the righteous sect. Does that ring a bell?]
[And?]
[Refusing to acknowledge the truth is a hallmark of those stuffy old men.]
[Damn it!]
Cheonma, clearly angered by my words, fell silent.
I, too, refrained from further conversation with him.
For now, I needed to find a way out of here.