The Demon’s Path (1)
I raced towards Fujian using my light-foot technique.
It was faster than riding a horse. I would run, rest, and run again. When my internal energy was depleted, I would meditate to restore it, and then continue my journey.
I was leaving Hubei at an incredible speed. If learning the Demon’s Path, as the Heavenly Demon had described, would take years or even longer, there would be no need to rush like this.
But I hurried nonetheless. Even if it took years, shaving off a few days would be worth it for those waiting for me.
“Are you tired?”
“Of course. But when someone offers to teach you the Demon’s Path in a dire situation, and you have to travel all the way to distant Fujian, what choice do you have?”
“Damn it!”
“Haha. I was planning to take a day off today anyway.”
This was when I had just crossed into Jiangxi Province, and for the first time since setting out, I entered an inn.
“Welcome!”
The innkeeper greeted me warmly. It seemed to be a popular place, bustling with people even at this late hour.
I found a seat and ordered a meal. The innkeeper was surprised at the amount of food I ordered.
“Are you expecting company?”
“No, it’s just me. I skipped a meal and now I’m starving.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll prepare it deliciously for you.”
The young women at the next table giggled as they watched me order so much food for myself.
Perhaps it was their laughter that prompted the Heavenly Demon to speak up.
“Why are you ordering so much?”
“Why? Are you embarrassed?”
“It looks unseemly.”
“Haha. You always said I lived too rigidly, but you’re no different.”
“Compare apples to apples, will you?”
“What’s the difference? Caring about appearances is just another form of constraint, isn’t it?”
“It’s different! Completely different!”
“Fine, let’s say it is. But who would say such a thing to someone who hasn’t eaten properly since dawn?”
“A true master should endure this level of hunger.”
“Maybe it’s because my body feels younger, but I get hungry quickly. I’ve held out a lot today.”
“Damn it! I’m envious.”
I could sense the Heavenly Demon was genuinely envious.
“You want a body of your own, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
A moment later, the Heavenly Demon spoke again.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Saying what?”
“Something like, ‘Don’t even dream of a new body since you’re destined to die in mine.’ You should say something spiteful.”
After a pause, I replied.
“You seem to be suffering enough already.”
“Hmph!”
Just as I finished my meal, the innkeeper approached.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“What is it?”
The innkeeper placed a bottle of wine on my table.
“It’s from those ladies over there.”
I turned to see the women who had been laughing at my order waving at me.
“They’re inviting you to join them for a drink if you’re willing.”
I was about to decline when the Heavenly Demon interjected.
“Join them.”
“What?”
“Let’s enjoy the company of women for a change.”
“Why are you acting like someone who’s been locked away for thirty years? Didn’t you see Miss Song?”
“She’s your woman.”
“Are you a lecher or a demon?”
“Stop playing around and just go!”
I stood up and told the innkeeper, “Sure, I’ll join them for a drink.”
I followed the innkeeper to their table.
I agreed because the Heavenly Demon seemed restless. I recalled something he had said before we set out.
“Let’s go out and have fun. Drink with beautiful women in scenic places!”
There were three women, all martial artists from a nearby martial arts alliance branch. I introduced myself under a different identity.
“You’re so handsome, big brother.”
“Let’s just enjoy a drink together.”
“Where are you from?”
They were fresh, cute, and innocent.
“The one on the left is nice.”
The woman on the left had an ordinary face but a voluptuous figure.
“Oh, is that your type?”
“A woman should have some substance. Only kids go for skinny, pretty faces.”
“Guess I’m still a kid then.”
“You’re into the one in the middle, right?”
“Yeah.”
Though she was pretty, she couldn’t compare to Song Hwarin. She was just the prettiest among the three.
“I thought so. It’s good that we have different tastes.”
“Is that something a demon should say?”
“A demon is still a man, isn’t he? You enjoyed their company too, right?”
“I did.”
Though I had no ulterior motives, I enjoyed their company. Maybe that made it even better.
Despite being strangers, we laughed, chatted, and drank comfortably. It was refreshing and enjoyable, like the carefree relationships young people talk about these days.
After buying a few more bottles of wine, I returned to my room and met the Heavenly Demon through the Celestial Mind Technique. The one who truly wanted to sit at that table was the Heavenly Demon.
“The one on the left was really nice.”
“You’re too old to be acting like this!”
“You liked it too, didn’t you? The womanizers always like new women, right? The one in the middle.”
“Haha. Enough!”
I laughed, finding it absurd.
I understood why the Heavenly Demon was so emotional.
He had been reincarnated over a decade ago, spending those years in children’s bodies before entering mine. His mind remained the same, but he couldn’t express his desires, leading to frustration.
Traveling away from Hubei had lifted his spirits. I felt a pang of sympathy for him.
“If only the Celestial Mind Technique were more powerful.”
The Heavenly Demon looked puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“It would be nice if you could bring the woman you liked here. Have a drink, confess your feelings.”
The Heavenly Demon looked incredulous.
“Are you crazy? Do you think she’d like an old man like me?”
“She might, if she knew you were the Heavenly Demon.”
“She’d probably faint from fear.”
“You’re quite charming as a man.”
Was that too much?
I had let my sympathy get the better of me, offering an overly transparent compliment.
The Heavenly Demon eyed me suspiciously.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing. Just speaking the truth. Now, let’s drink.”
The Heavenly Demon drank. As he set down his empty glass, he said, “Well, back in the day, women did flock to me.”
Haha, such a simple man.
Though I had to listen to his exaggerated tales of romance until the wine ran out, it was a delightful evening.
From morning till night, I ran like a madman using my light-foot technique.
I pushed myself to the limit, wondering if it was necessary to go this far. But when I rested, I rested well. Every few days, I would drink with the Heavenly Demon through the Celestial Mind Technique.
Despite the rush, I often felt like I was on a journey. It was the joy of traveling with a kindred spirit.
Finally, I arrived at my destination: Mount Wuyi in Fujian Province.
We reached a small tea field at the base of the mountain. There was a small cottage, but it seemed the owner was out.
“Enter the tea field. Head to where the poles are planted.”
Following the Heavenly Demon’s guidance, I entered the tea field.
“Pull out that pole and plant it ten steps to the right. Yes, now pull out the other pole and plant it twenty steps back. Not there, a bit to the right. Yes, there.”
I followed his instructions, moving the poles in the tea field.
Suddenly, the surroundings changed, revealing a long path.
“A formation.”
“You’re familiar with formations, aren’t you?”
“Very familiar.”
“Then, let’s go.”
We walked along the path. After a while, the path behind us disappeared. The formation was intricate and sophisticated.
As we walked further, we entered a dense bamboo forest, signaling the start of the true formation.
“A formation to make you lose your way.”
“Exactly. It doesn’t attack, but finding the exit is much harder. No formation expert could find the exit.”
Considering why we were here, it didn’t seem like an exaggeration.
“Now, follow my instructions.”
The Heavenly Demon guided me through the formation. As I followed his directions, I realized how advanced this formation was. It was superior to the Black Abyss Formation. There were no daggers, flames, or tidal waves, but walking through this bamboo forest was more terrifying.
It was so peaceful and quiet, yet the solitude felt like it would consume my soul.
Even as I followed the Heavenly Demon’s instructions, I memorized the path to the exit.
How long did I walk like that?
I finally emerged from the bamboo forest.
Ahead was the entrance to the second formation. It looked like any ordinary forest.
“Now, there’s something I need to teach you.”
“What is it?”
“The Blood Thunder Heart Technique.”
The Blood Thunder Heart Technique was the key to mastering the Blood Thunder Heavenly Art, the most powerful demonic art of its time and the Heavenly Demon’s unique martial art.
“Didn’t you say it yourself? The Blood Thunder Technique operates in the exact opposite way to orthodox methods. If you try to learn it forcefully, your meridians could burst, or you might fall into a state of inner chaos.”
“I did say that.”
“So, are you planning to kill me here?”
“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have brought you all the way out here.”
Our last words were a shared joke.
When the Heavenly Demon first spoke about the Blood Thunder Technique, I thought to myself: don’t set limits prematurely.
My initial efforts to harmonize the Soul-Chasing Demon Sword Technique with the Celestial Crane Arts stemmed from that mindset. The idea that someone trained in orthodox methods couldn’t learn demonic techniques seemed like an unnecessary boundary.
That thought evolved, eventually leading me to adapt the Celestial Crane Arts in a more domineering manner.
“You can’t pass through here without mastering the Blood Thunder Technique.”
Of course, it made sense. The Demon God’s Fortress had been prepared over generations solely for the Heavenly Demon of the Blood Heaven Sect. Naturally, only the Heavenly Demon could enter the place where it was passed down.
“First, memorize the incantation.”
The Heavenly Demon began teaching me the Blood Thunder Technique. As he said, its operation was the complete opposite of my own methods. I had hoped he would show me a way to practice it without side effects, but there was no such method.
“Figure it out yourself. Someone like you should be able to manage.”
He was right. Someone like me should be able to master even the opposite principles.
“Thank you for teaching me the technique.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I didn’t know why he had changed his mind or what he wanted in return for passing on the Demon God’s legacy, but sharing his unique technique with me couldn’t have been an easy decision.
Once I had memorized the incantation, the real training began.
I asked the Heavenly Demon everything I was curious about regarding the Blood Thunder Technique, and he explained it all with the patience and detail of a master.
Every time I probed deeper into the core principles, the Heavenly Demon seemed genuinely surprised.
We didn’t just discuss the Blood Thunder Technique; we talked about the principles of both orthodox and demonic methods.
I spent an entire day with the Heavenly Demon, discussing the Blood Thunder Technique, and by the next day, I had successfully channeled it.
“Incredible! I thought it would take you at least three days.”
“Guess I’m a genius, huh?”
“I don’t know about that, but you’re definitely the most shameless in the martial world.”
“Hahaha.”
I re-entered the formation.
Following the path of life, I reached a junction and channeled the Blood Thunder Technique.
A new path appeared, and I continued walking.
I encountered several such junctions, and each time, I used the Blood Thunder Technique to create a new path. The Heavenly Demon assured me that if he had entered this place without knowing the technique, he would have died several times over. I believed him.
When I finally emerged from the labyrinthine formation, I was taken aback.
Not because of the vast plain that stretched before me.
But because of the colossal fortress that loomed beyond it.
It was a fortress unlike any I had ever seen in my life.
Larger than the main base of the Martial Alliance, more imposing than any fortress of the Black Path Thirteen Alliance I had faced, and even grander than the Blood Heaven Sect’s main stronghold.
In a low voice, the Heavenly Demon spoke.
“This is where you will receive the Demon God’s legacy.”