Chapter 53
Having cleanly passed the Eight Extremities round, I watched the remaining matches.
I was curious who I would face in the Semifinals.
“It seems likely your next opponent will be that man,” Seo Ryeon remarked.
“I think so too,” I nodded, focusing on the movements of one man in the arena.
‘Jeok I-geon should open a fortune-telling business…’
He had accurately predicted not only the Eight Extremities but also the semifinal candidates based on his criteria.
It had been helpful, no doubt, but the memory of the grueling training sessions made my blood boil.
‘Still, that was way too much!’
“This time, your focus should be on Dokso Quicksilver Jin Ga-sam,” Jeok I-geon said.
“Jin Ga-sam. The name sounds ordinary.”
“What you should pay attention to is not the name but his epithet.”
Right.
In martial arts novels, epithets often carried meaningful information.
“So, since his epithet includes ‘Quicksilver,’ he uses quick attacks?”
“No.”
What? No?
“His speed is impressive, but you should focus on ‘Dokso.’”
“Dokso? Oh no, does that mean he uses poison?”
“He doesn’t.”
“Then… is his method vicious?”
“There’s a saying that his strikes are cruel. From what I’ve heard, he’s adept at handling hidden weapons.”
“Ah, hidden weapons? But this is a martial arts tournament!”
“What does a tournament have to do with hidden weapons?”
“Well…”
“As long as it doesn’t aim for a direct kill, anything is allowed.”
Ah, right. This is the Demonic Cult.
Such tactics wouldn’t fly in orthodox sects, but this wasn’t their domain.
Using hidden weapons in a tournament drove home the reality of the world I was part of.
Oh?
There was Seo Ryeon!
As Jeok I-geon explained more about Jin Ga-sam, I saw Seo Ryeon enter the arena.
Hehe.
I waved enthusiastically at her in greeting.
Wait.
But she glanced at Jeok I-geon and barely acknowledged me before walking away indifferently.
What’s going on?
Why does she seem scared of Jeok I-geon?
‘Did he discipline her while I wasn’t around?’
If it’s Jeok I-geon, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But what did she do wrong to deserve such treatment?
‘Did the author of this martial arts story really have to include a grumpy old man trope?’
I need to wrap up this tournament quickly; I can’t deal with this for long.
“Are you paying attention?”
“…Yes.”
At Jeok I-geon’s stern voice, I shifted my focus back to him.
Then I felt an ominous energy.
Seo Ryeon, who had ignored me earlier, suddenly spun around and hurled something at me.
Swoosh!
“What the—!”
Not knowing what it was, I instinctively used Demonic Phoenix Flowing Steps to dodge.
Jeok I-geon had already moved far away, clearly prioritizing his own safety.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A dozen daggers embedded themselves in the spot where I had been standing.
“Seo Ryeon, what is this—!”
I didn’t even get a chance to protest.
Whoosh!
Another volley of daggers flew toward me.
Wow, is this what a surprise attack feels like?
Dodging the daggers with my footwork, I racked my brain for a way to counter.
“What are you doing? Will you save White Jade Sleeve Demon Art for chicken noodle soup later?”
Oh, right!
I have White Jade Sleeve Demon Art!
Jeok I-geon’s telepathic prompting snapped me back to reality, and I immediately leaped backward, activating the defensive move of the art, White Jade Curtains.
Swoosh―
Crossing my arms, I drew a circle. My wide sleeves fluttered, creating a protective barrier.
Crackle!
As my inner energy surged into the sleeves, they transformed into an impenetrable shield, resembling a solid barrier.
“Seo Ryeon!”
I crossed my wide sleeves like a butterfly folding its wings, deflecting the incoming attack.
Clatter! Clatter!
The sound of hailstones echoed from my sleeves.
“Lady Seol-ha, I’m sorry!”
After a few more attempts, Seo Ryeon dashed toward me, bowing as though she had committed a grave sin.
“This was all under Second Young Master’s orders…”
I knew it. I should have realized when she avoided greeting me earlier.
Seo Ryeon would never act this way of her own accord.
“It’s fine. Think of this as training,” I replied.
Seo Ryeon wasn’t the one to blame. The person I should resent was Jeok I-geon.
‘Just wait, you psychopath!’
Even for him, this was too much.
Making a beginner like me dodge dozens of daggers—what if I had gotten hurt?
I had to suppress the urge to grab him by the collar and shake him senseless.
As if sensing my anger, Jeok I-geon added a detailed explanation about the Demon Empress’s martial art.
“To defeat Dokso Quicksilver Jin Ga-sam in the duel, you must fully master the White Jade Sleeve Demon Art.”
‘Of course, Master. Whatever you say, I’ll follow without question,’ I grumbled internally.
Outwardly, I was as respectful as ever.
“Faster than I am now, right?”
“Do you know why the Demon Empress is considered a legend?”
“I’ve heard that she once saved the Demonic Cult.”
“That’s true, but it’s not the whole story.”
“There’s more to it?”
Jeok I-geon looked at me intently before speaking with utmost seriousness.
“Yes. Every unique martial art of the Demon Empress that you’ve learned—she created them all.”
“What?”
This revelation startled me.
“The Demonic Soul Rebirth Divine Art was inspired by the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, particularly its technique of soul restoration.
The Demonic Overlord’s Sword drew from the Heavenly Demon’s Dominance Steps.
The White Jade Sleeve Demon Art combines the techniques of hand-based martial arts and sleeve-based techniques.
The footwork you’ve learned, Demonic Phoenix Flowing Steps, and the movement art Demonic Phoenix Sky Art were inspired by the majestic image of the phoenix.”
I knew how rare and impressive it was to create martial arts from scratch—being a martial arts novel enthusiast had taught me that.
The Demon Empress wasn’t just talented; she was an exceptional genius.
“She had the dignity of a true grandmaster. If she had been ambitious, she could have easily claimed the throne despite being a woman. But she chose not to.”
Wow.
The more I learned about her, the more amazing she seemed.
‘What a remarkable life she lived!’
To think that I was continuing the legacy of such an incredible figure.
It gave me a newfound resolve to focus and improve.
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