Chapter 88 – Heavenly Demon’s Disciple (10)
“Hm… I’m screwed.”
After reading the martial arts manual I found in the cave for about thirty rounds,
There was still no sign of getting stronger,
My stomach kept growling louder,
I was wasting precious time,
And I was getting more and more tempted to swallow the Essence of Internal Energy…
So I decided to give up cleanly.
‘Let’s just eat it.’
Even if this place turned out to be a bust, there were still plenty of treasure sites I could go to.
Clinging to this one spot too long would only be a stupid decision.
Slide—
(Wait! Don’t eat that~!)
“Hm?”
Just as the pea-sized Essence of Internal Energy was about to disappear into my mouth,
A frantic voice echoed inside my head.
I quickly looked around.
(Don’t tell me—you can hear my voice?!)
“…I hear you perfectly. But where are you speaking from?”
(Really?!)
“Yes. Really.”
(Then look down. No—don’t look at your feet! Ugh, what a frustrating brat! Slightly to your left!)
“You could’ve just told me to look at the skeleton from the start.”
The owner of the voice ringing in my head was the corpse of a martial artist lying on the flat stone.
(Skeleton? What skeleton?)
“You can’t see your own appearance?”
(…I can’t see anything, can I.)
“Well, your bones are extremely well-preserved.”
(Stop talking.)
“Yes, sir.”
A ridiculous twist no wuxia novel ever dared to include—
I never imagined I’d be able to talk with a martial artist reduced to nothing but bones.
‘Is it because I’m a shaman (mu-dang)?’
Trying to rationalize this scientifically would only make my head hurt,
So I decided to simply enjoy the moment.
“But why shouldn’t I eat this?”
(How can I sit still and watch my life’s work become… worthless poop?!)
“Then what should I do?”
(Internal Energy Cultivation Method.)
“You mean… a breathing technique?”
(Be honest. You’ve never learned martial arts before, have you?)
“Yes! How did you know?”
(You look like it! Ahh… even in death I can’t rest in peace!)
“Please think positively.”
I felt oddly guilty hearing the ghost sigh so deeply.
(Bow to me nine times.)
“Why?”
(That’s… ugh, forget it. It’s not like I get anything out of this when I’m dead. From now on, call me Master.)
“Yes.”
Free private tutoring—acquired.
***
(Disciple. What in the world is wrong with that body of yours?)
“What about my body?”
I had caught and eaten the fourth pale-white fish from the underground pool when the skeleton-master said something strange.
(I haven’t even taught you how to circulate Qi yet—how did you do that?)
“You told me to try it even without learning circulation.”
(……)
“Don’t worry. I’m good at practical application.”
(Tell the truth. You learned martial arts before, didn’t you?)
“Not at all.”
(Good heavens! What kind of fate must you have been born with to have such frightening talent…)
“Master, can I eat it now?”
(Do as you like.)
The skeleton master answered in a defeated voice,
And the moment he did, I tossed the Essence of Internal Energy into my mouth in one go.
Shrrrk.
It melted instantly on my tongue—absorbing into me before I could even taste it.
“This is fascinating.”
It felt like I’d reincarnated as a completely different species—
My body felt unbelievably light, almost airy.
(…Disciple.)
“Yes?”
(For the next three years, do nothing but breathe quietly. Then every top expert under heaven will kneel before you.)
“You’re joking, right?”
(Would I joke when I’m nothing but bones? What glory would that bring me?)
“When you put it that way… true. So I really just have to breathe?”
(Believe it.)
The master’s voice was filled with more conviction than ever before.
“Becoming strong is surprisingly easy. Just breathe and that’s it.”
(You’re the strange one…)
“Please teach me more.”
(I had a decent teaching plan at first, but… there’s nothing to teach. So I dropped it.)
“Nothing at all?”
(…Seek out the Blood Demon.)
“Out of nowhere?”
The Blood Demon instead of the Heavenly Demon—from <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>
?
That felt a bit random.
(If you can hear the voice of the dead, you surely have talent for sorcery. In all of Jianghu, only the Blood Demon can teach someone like you.)
“The Blood Demon…”
Could this be an opportunity?
There is no “shaman” back on Earth who can train me. I have no teacher at all, so the only way has been running head-first into things.
But if the Blood Demon is also a shaman…?
I might finally develop the professional skills I’m lacking.
(And there’s something I want to ask of you…)
“What is it?”
(Deliver the martial arts manual I had… to the Heavenly Demon.)
“This… isn’t dangerous, right?”
(Why would he harm someone bringing back the keepsake of his runaway daughter?)
“Wha—!”
I inhaled sharply in shock.
‘His daughter? The Heavenly Demon’s daughter?!’
I couldn’t believe it.
(Hoho! Surprised that I’m the Heavenly Demon’s daughter?)
“Yes. I never imagined.”
(Of course. The Heavenly Demon is known as a lifelong bachelor…)
“I thought you were a man because… well, your bones looked thick.”
(…Be grateful I’m not alive anymore.)
“Thank you!”
(Get lost!)
“Yes!”
***
When I came in, it was pitch-black.
But heading out now, everything was crystal clear.
Stalactites, insects, pebbles, the narrow passage…
If this weren’t a straight path, I would’ve been in real danger.
“I’m alive!”
The moment I saw the blue sky and bright sun, I stretched my arms wide and celebrated surviving.
I still looked like a beggar—
But inside, I was filled to the brim with the convenient fuel known as internal energy.
‘The first step was the hardest.’
Internal energy (naegong).
The foundation of every wuxia novel.
Without internal energy, no martial arts.
Without martial arts, no martial artists.
Without martial artists, no wuxia.
That’s how important it is.
But despite its importance, very little is known about how it actually works.
“Well, of course. It doesn’t exist in reality.”
Wuxia authors are ordinary humans who’ve never used internal energy.
If they really knew how it worked, the writers themselves would’ve learned martial arts!
In other words—
“A novel is just a novel.”
Something that doesn’t exist in reality can’t be learned from fiction.
That’s why even Song Sun-young’s father—an expert in wuxia lore—can’t use martial arts.
But if a native of this world shakes my soul and literally says, “This is internal energy!”
Then only an idiot wouldn’t learn it.
“So… now then…”
After eating only pale-white fish for days, I was sick of them.
I was even more sick of the desert lizards!
I wanted real food—
Something fitting for a civilized human being.
Juicy dumplings from a street vendor,
Or steaming noodles…
“Sssuup…”
Just imagining them made my mouth flood with saliva.
‘I’ve held back long enough.’
After becoming Count Amolang in the romance fantasy I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family,
My body had grown too decadent (!) to be satisfied with cheap frozen food.
I reached my limit!
I endured hunger because I really didn’t want to work a part-time job, but now that my body was filled with internal energy, a slight confidence was starting to grow.
Wooong—
Internal energy swelled inside my chest, becoming vast and imposing.
“Master, thank you. Though… I’m still a little shocked you said you were a woman.”
(Get lost~!)
“…Ahem.”
I ran toward the city while searching for something valuable I could sell.
If I really can’t find anything, I can always sell this martial arts manual.
I felt sorry for Master, but meeting the Heavenly Demon—the strongest being in the entire universe of <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>
—right now was way too dangerous.
And if he misunderstood and thought I killed his daughter…?
I’d die instantly.
Or worse, he might torture me for revenge!
“That would be bad—hmm?”
Dudududu—
Men on horseback were charging toward me across the sandy plain.
‘Hmm. They definitely aren’t approaching for a good reason.’
With my enhanced hearing powered by internal energy, I picked up their conversation clearly.
“Damn it! He’s just a beggar?!”
“He has nothing, but he still needs to pay for wasting our time!”
“Hey, youngest. Go finish that beggar off and come back.”
“Yes, Brother!”
The one they called “youngest” broke formation and charged straight at me on his horse.
Cheng—
I grabbed the horse’s reins with my left hand and pulled out the crescent blade attached to the saddle with my right.
“…Yeah, this part is just like in wuxia novels—completely unrealistic.”
This world is full of martial artists who can smash boulders with their bare hands.
Shouldn’t they at least consider the possibility that a random lone traveler might also be a martial artist?
Their lack of caution was unbelievable.
“I’ll put this to good use.”
“…Huh?”
I crushed the man’s right hand as he reached for my neck, stole his weapon, and before the horse could pass me—
I sliced his head off.
Slash!
The headless man fell off his horse, and the horse, freed from control, panicked and ran wildly.
“W-What?! Youngest!”
“What happened?!”
“He must be a martial artist!”
Realizing this after losing a man… Their intelligence might be on par with monkeys. Maybe even lower.
I wanted to ask them why they were so careless.
Well, I needed money anyway.
Just selling their horses and weapons would cover my food, shelter, and every daily expense I needed.
Decision made.
“He’s running toward us!”
“He’s faster than a horse?!”
“At this rate, he’ll catch us!”
“Damn it! Scatter—!”
They did exactly what I didn’t want them to do.
If they scattered in all directions, I’d lose half of them.
That was unacceptable.
If they tried to kill me…
Then they needed to risk their lives too.
Fwoom!
In wuxia novels, martial artists use body techniques—lightfoot skills—to run on water, traverse the sky, and move faster than wind.
Body technique (æ¥æ³•):
Literally “the method of stepping.”
I didn’t learn any from my skeleton master, But I am a modern sprinter— One of the monsters who aim to become the fastest humans in the world.
Bang!
I tore through the air with nothing but pure running.
“Uwaaaah?!”
“Hiiieeek?!”
The men and their horses screamed just as they were about to scatter.
Whoooosh—
A shockwave and blast of sand erupted from the air I ripped apart, sweeping them off their feet.
One by one— They flew through the air and crashed hard into the ground.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
I subdued all of them without using my hands or spilling a drop of blood.
“…I forgot.”
Combining science with martial arts seemed like a great idea, But… My calculations were off.
“Hiiiieeek?!”
“Hiiing~?!”
Crack!
The innocent horses’ legs and necks snapped helplessly.
Horses, I’m so sorry!
The few who survived fled the scene in terror, abandoning their riders.
Crunch!
The necks and legs of the innocent horses snapped helplessly.
Horses… I’m sorry!
A few lucky ones survived and ran away, abandoning their masters, but not many.
“Monster…”
Thud!
I smashed the head of the man who dared utter something so rude.
“Ugh!”
“Hiiik?!”
I wish they’d stop assuming that distance means I can’t hear them—or kill them.
Internal energy.
Its applications were countless. Throwing a pebble infused with internal energy and killing a man?
That was nothing.
However…
“…I don’t like this.”
This new power still didn’t fit me right, like wearing clothes that weren’t my size.
I definitely needed steady practice and adjustments.
I should find a more efficient method…
And fortunately, there were plenty of people around to test the killing power of martial arts on.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts—
“W-Wait! Great Hero!”
“Please, allow us to speak!”
“Do you need money?”
They suddenly tried to negotiate.
“Speak.”
“We—we are a well-known bandit group around these parts! If you take us in alive, the provincial office will offer a reward!”
The mention of reward money made my eyes gleam.
Ah, right…
In <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?> public bounties were placed on criminals and evil sects.
It was the primary fuel source for stretching the story to an insane 215 volumes.
So, yes—of course I knew about rewards.
“Alive? Must I?”
“Yes! They must conduct a public execution before the common folk, to display imperial authority and serve as a warning! If you only bring the heads, the reward is cut in half!”
“Hm…”
No way these bandits were suggesting this out of goodwill.
They were just trying to buy time to survive a bit longer.
What to do…?
Seeing the hesitation on my face, the bandits desperately added more.
“Even if we run, we know we’re trapped in Great Hero’s palm!”
“No need to dirty your hands with the filthy blood of bandits!”
“That’s right! We’ll even carry the annoying loot for you!”
There had been a similar situation in the novel.
And at that time, the protagonist chose…
“…Alright.”
I decided to play along with their little act of begging for their lives.
“Thank you, Great Hero!”
“What a wise decision!”
“As expected of a true hero!”
Slice—
Their heads fell to the ground all at once.
Thump, thump, thump—
Headless bodies collapsed as blood spurted everywhere.
“…My money…”
Who would do something so cruel?
The culprit appeared.
“For a man, you’re quite capable. To evade this lady’s sword like that.”
A martial artist who had slaughtered all the bandits I captured in a single strike.
She looked slightly older than me—mid-twenties, a young woman.
“Are you alone?”
“And if I am?”
“Well, then obviously…”
Sssring—
I drew the crescent blade, ready to avenge my stolen reward money on her.