Will It Become a Typhoon? (4)
My palm brushed against Song Hwarin’s chest, and the soft sensation sent a shiver through my entire body.
Song Hwarin grabbed my wrist.
“Not here.”
Her words only fueled my excitement. She was determined. The affection she had steadily built for me was about to explode today.
Right, we shouldn’t be doing this here, where anyone could walk in.
Holding her tightly, I activated the Celestial Mind Technique.
Sssssss.
Previously, I had used this technique to draw in a blood merchant. At that time, the merchant had mastered a malevolent skill, allowing me to exploit the compatibility of our martial arts to succeed.
But Song Hwarin hadn’t learned such skills. This was my first attempt to draw in an ordinary person.
As I glanced around, her gaze naturally followed mine.
“Where are we?”
She was startled.
We were in the middle of an endless field.
I had successfully brought her into the world of the Celestial Mind Technique.
To avoid confusing her with the same location, I used a grassy field a little away from the training ground as a reference point and expanded it enormously.
This success was due to our close proximity, my fervent hope for success, and the significant improvement in my martial arts after inheriting the Demon God’s power.
“How is this possible?”
That wasn’t the important thing right now. I told her, “It’s a place just for us.”
She flinched at my words.
I kissed her lips again, savoring the soft touch, gently biting her lip before seeking her tongue.
Her soft moan excited me even more. Our lips parted and met repeatedly.
She had initiated it, but now my emotions were running wild.
It was a longing I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I wanted to make her mine.
In my past life, I had met many women, but never had I felt this way.
I took off my shirt and laid it on the grass.
Then I gently laid her down on it. She was tense, her eyes lowered, unable to meet mine.
My hands trembled as I undressed her. She was so beautiful, she could be called the most beautiful woman in the world.
The moment her hidden beauty was revealed to the world.
“Ah!”
I couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.
She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin was so fair and clear, it was almost transparent. Soft and smooth.
Her full chest, slender waist, firm thighs, and sleek legs stirred my heart. I had never seen such a beautiful body in my life.
We often emphasize the nobility of the mind over the body.
But at least in this moment, I could say that physical allure could surpass anything else. Her body brought as much excitement and joy as the emotional connection we shared.
I held her tightly. I could feel her warmth. Her trembling was palpable.
She whispered softly, almost inaudibly.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
And so, we became one.
After what felt like a dream, we sat side by side in the field.
The wind blew through her hair.
Was it just my imagination? She seemed more mature.
We had dressed again, but perhaps embarrassed by our recent passionate encounter, she couldn’t meet my eyes.
Love often leads to unexpected situations. I never imagined this morning that I would share such intimacy with her.
I know how many warriors have died trying to protect their loved ones. How the existence of someone you truly love can become a great burden. To an enemy, that love is the greatest weakness.
But I also know this.
Despite everything, that love is worth all the risks.
“This martial art is amazing.”
She couldn’t bring herself to talk about the love we had just shared. We were both embarrassed.
“It’s a demonic art.”
“A demonic art?”
She looked at me in surprise. I hadn’t told her about the presence of the Heavenly Demon. If she knew someone was inside me, she would be too embarrassed about what we had just done.
I trust the Heavenly Demon. At least when I’m with her, he would have put himself to sleep. Isn’t he a man too? Wouldn’t he be curious? Of course. But at the same time… he’s a friend. I trust him.
“When your martial arts reach a certain level, the distinction between righteous and demonic becomes meaningless.”
“Will that day come for me?”
“It will, as long as you don’t give up on your training.”
She nodded.
It was a conversation like any other, but I could feel it. Her gaze towards me had changed. She must have felt something similar. My deepened feelings for her must have changed my gaze as well.
“Let’s stay a little longer before we go.”
“Okay.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder. Her hair smelled nice.
She asked, “Are the enemies strong?”
“They are.”
“No matter what… don’t die. I know it’s bad luck to say such things, but… keeping it quiet only makes people more anxious. So I’ll just say it. Don’t die. Never die. If you leave me, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Okay.”
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Perhaps one day, I might be the one worrying about the opposite.
After a bittersweet farewell, I left the island and returned to the safe house where Galsaryang and Baekpyo were waiting.
Galsaryang, relieved to see me safe, asked, “Did you meet the Heavenly King?”
“I did.”
“What did you think of him?”
“He’s truly formidable. If we were to fight, the odds would be fifty-fifty.”
I needed to be precise with Galsaryang. Military strategies must always be based on clear facts.
Baekpyo was surprised by my assessment.
“I knew your achievements were great, but I didn’t expect them to be that significant.”
“I was lucky this time.”
“That’s a relief.”
As Baekpyo expressed his relief, Galsaryang spoke up.
“If you weren’t here, any strategy against them would have been pointless.”
Indeed. What strategy could work against such a monstrous foe?
Galsaryang then raised a concern.
“But there’s one thing that bothers me.”
“What is it?”
“He has the power to crush the Demon Iron Army. With such strength, he could easily claim the position of leader himself, yet he keeps the Demon Iron Army in that role. It seems he has another agenda.”
“That’s true.”
“Uncovering his true intentions should be our top priority.”
“I’ll leave that to you.”
“Understood. Oh, and take a look at this.”
Galsaryang handed me a piece of paper filled with lists and numbers.
“It’s the money Seongwangbo offered us after disposing of the Continental Merchant Group.”
I was shocked by the contents.
“This much?”
The amount exceeded two hundred million nyang.
“The Continental Merchant Group is one of the three major merchant groups in the Central Plains. Its true value can’t be measured in money. If we had taken our time to dispose of it properly, we could have gained even more, but we opted for a quick sale.”
“You did well.”
“Chief Gong worked hard during the process.”
Now we had secured an enormous amount of funds. The merchant business Gong Suchan was running would gain even more momentum.
If I wished, the Taeseong Merchant Group could become the top merchant group in the martial world in no time.
But I didn’t give Gong Suchan such an order. Since they were hiding deeply, there was no need for us to step forward.
“Where is Seongwangbo now?”
“We’ve taken him to a secure location, away from the dark world. According to him, they’ve declared bankruptcy.”
“Bankruptcy?”
“Yes. They’ve closed all their businesses and gone into hiding.”
“Finding them won’t be easy.”
“Indeed. But we’ll discreetly track their movements.”
The visible enemies were the Heavenly King and Cheonsoseon, while the hidden enemy was the Dark Merchant.
While Galsaryang planned and tracked their movements, I had one task.
“From now on, I’ll be focusing on my martial arts training. Inform me immediately if there’s an urgent situation.”
“Understood.”
The crux of this battle was whether I could kill the Heavenly King or not.
Fortunately, my mastery of the Demon God’s power was only at the third level.
I was thrilled to have so many stages left to climb.
I used the Celestial Mind Technique to create a large training ground, using the safe house’s training area as a reference point.
The Heavenly Demon appeared.
[So, you finally slept with her.]
[You weren’t spying, were you?]
[You crazy fool! What do you take me for?]
[Trust me. I trusted you, so I could sleep peacefully.]
[You sure know how to talk.]
The Heavenly Demon seemed embarrassed. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable topic for me either, so I naturally changed the subject.
[You saw the Heavenly King, right?]
[I did.]
[What did you think?]
[He’s impressive. But what kind of technique has he mastered? To sense your presence from so far away and arrive in an instant.]
[He must have learned a martial art comparable to the Demon God’s power, or a technique that allows such movement.]
[There’s no martial art like that. It must be some strange technique.]
[In any case, I need to further my mastery of the Demon God’s power. Will you help me?]
[Me?]
[Be my sparring partner.]
[Good grief! How am I supposed to handle your martial arts?]
[You’re the strongest person I know.]
[Damn it! I’m going to die a lot.]
[Thank you.]
Ten days later.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, I found myself rolling across the ground. The Celestial Illusionary Realm had failed to withstand the power of the Demon God’s Art and shattered.
I shouted urgently, “Are you okay? Hey! Cheongwang! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” came the reply from Cheonma, and I let out a sigh of relief. This was the first time something like this had happened, and I was worried that something might have gone wrong with Cheonma, who had been fighting alongside me.
“Were you worried I might have died?” he asked.
“Of course not,” I replied curtly, though in truth, I had been concerned. I didn’t want to lose Cheonma to such an absurd situation.
The Demon God’s Art, which had been at the third level, had now reached the fifth. In just ten days, I had advanced two levels. Like most martial arts, the Demon God’s Art progressed rapidly until the seventh level.
Of course, those ten days were spent in relentless effort, with barely any sleep. Cheonma’s help was invaluable during this time. He must have died a hundred times over. Even though it was within the Celestial Illusionary Realm where he could revive, dying must have been a wretched experience.
Yet, Cheonma never once showed any sign of displeasure and helped me with my training as if it were his own.
But today, a problem arose during our training.
The power of the Demon God’s Art at the fifth level was too much for the Celestial Illusionary Realm to handle.
The difference in power from the third level was unmistakable.
The Seven Forms of the Demon Sword Art:
First Form: Illusory Sword Explosion.
Second Form: Thunder Sword Strike.
Third Form: One Strike Sword Prison.
Fourth Form: True Sword Dance.
Fifth Form: Light Speed Flying Sword.
Sixth Form: Demon Sword Blood Rain.
Seventh Form: Demon God’s Sword.
Each form had become faster and stronger. Although I hadn’t mastered them all, I couldn’t yet use the Seventh Form.
However, up to the Sixth Form, the changes were noticeable.
For instance, the First Form, Illusory Sword Explosion, now conjured eight sword-shaped energies around the Suramyeongwang Sword aimed forward. These energy swords spun around the real sword, continuously launching and exploding.
The spinning speed had increased significantly. In other words, the speed at which the energy swords formed had increased. Not only that, but the explosion’s power had also grown.
The terrifying aspect of the Demon God’s Art was that as it became more powerful, the amount of internal energy it consumed actually decreased.
It felt like it was becoming more and more perfect.
“But where should I train now?” I wondered aloud.
While I could practice the other forms in secluded areas, the Sixth Form, Demon Sword Blood Rain, was too dangerous to train just anywhere.
The Celestial Illusionary Realm had been destroyed because it couldn’t withstand the Demon Sword Blood Rain.
“I do have one place in mind,” Cheonma said.
“Where’s that?” I asked.
His unexpected answer took me by surprise.
“Underwater.”