Chapter 94 – Heavenly Demon’s Disciple (16)
“Hello.”
Realizing he was only wasting throwing knives, Ma-ryong stopped attacking.
Part of me wanted to break as many of his ribs as the number of daggers he’d thrown at me, but I forced myself to approach him with a friendly greeting.
‘Hold it in. Hold it in.’
He’s a Ranuvel patient.
I can’t just kill him off like I did Nam Hae-soo.
“You lucky bastard. Winning the heart of Mi-bong , the second most beautiful woman in the Central Plains…”
[TL Note: Changing Beauty Phoenix to Mi-bong]
“You can do it too.”
“N-no, I can’t. Impossible. Absolutely not. I’d die.”
Despite his rugged, masculine appearance, Ma-ryong stuttered and shrank back like someone with zero confidence.
“……”
‘Is this really the protagonist?’
The original protagonist—whose body Mao Zhai had stolen—would be screaming blood inside his mind right now.
Once his flushed face calmed down, Ma-ryong spoke with a firm tone:
“Whether you’re the Heavenly Demon’s grandchild or not… it doesn’t matter to me.”
“Of course.”
I may be claiming to be the Heavenly Demon’s maternal grandson,
But he is the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.
One would think blood ties outweigh apprenticeship,
But in the martial world, the opposite is true.
Why?
Because martial arts hold far more value than genes.
“Don’t ever lay a hand on Emei Fairy or Emei Divine Sword.”
Whoooosh—
A gentle breeze gathered around Mao Zhai as he warned me.
‘…He’s strong.’
I could tell without even fighting seriously.
I couldn’t picture any scenario where I would win.
As expected of the protagonist.
Not wanting a pointless fight, I answered with a calm smile.
“I promise. I won’t touch your two wives.”
“Wh-who are you calling my wives?! You have to hear their feelings first… N-no, actually, there’s no way someone like me would be liked by—by anyone!”
“……”
It should be illegal to have that face and talent yet have such low self-esteem.
‘Was Mao Zhai always like this?’
No.
Absolutely not.
He obsessed over traditional martial arts and wuxia novels and wasn’t interested in women, but he wasn’t incapable around them.
There’s only one explanation.
Living through childhood again in the world of <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?> Might have changed his personality.
Anyway—
“Mr. Mao Zhai.”
“What—?”
“No wonder you’re shocked. In this world, you’re the protagonist of <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>.
“What are you talking about…”
“There’s no need to play dumb.”
“No, seriously—what the hell are you talking about? I don’t understand a single word. Are you making fun of me?”
“……”
Strange.
“Ah! I get it now!”
“So you’re finally admitting—”
“That’s how you won Mi-bong’s heart, isn’t it?! What trick did you use to stroke her head like that and survive?! Anyone could see she was seconds away from slapping you!”
“……”
Very strange.
“As I thought! The fact you’re speechless means I’ve hit the mark!”
“Ma-ryong. Aren’t you the disciple of the Heavenly Demon?”
“It’s unbelievable someone who won Mi-bong’s heart could ask such a stupid question. You must’ve seen the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, right?”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
An absolute power only the Heavenly Demon and his successor can learn!
Ma-ryong’s overwhelming strength came from the perfect synergy of the greatest talent in the martial world and the greatest teacher
“You need to answer clearly. Do you know Mao Zhai or not?”
“I don’t.”
“……”
He didn’t seem to be lying.
I’ve never met a patient who stayed calm after hearing their real name exposed.
Which made this even more confusing.
‘The protagonist’s personality is completely different, yet he isn’t a patient? How does that make sense?’
Unable to understand, I carefully scanned Ma-ryong from head to toe.
“What are you doing?”
“There is only one disciple of the Heavenly Demon, correct?”
“Of course. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art is passed down to only one successor.”
A single-successor lineage.
A sect where the master teaches only one disciple.
Something you can only do if you’re absolutely confident you won’t die before passing everything on.
“Ma-ryong, just one question—”
“I don’t want to.”
“If you cooperate, I’ll tell you how to win Emei Divine Sword’s heart.”
“…Are you serious?”
“I even know what color Mi-bong’s underwear is.”
“Heh-heh. Ask anything.”
“……”
His sudden groveling made it impossible to see him as the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.
***
“Strong one, you’d better be prepared if you’re wrong!”
“And if I’m right?”
“I’ll serve you as my lifelong benefactor!”
“Don’t forget that.”
After hearing how to win Emei Divine Sword’s heart, Ma-ryong left with dreams and hope overflowing in his eyes.
Three fair-and-square victories in an honorable duel.
Absolutely ridiculous in reality—but this world is built on the wuxia novel <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>
There are rules in place.
“If I’m wrong, then forget it.”
If Ma-ryong fails, it proves that the novel’s rules aren’t absolute.
A representative example of absolute rules?
In the romance fantasy world of I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family, the way the “Legendary Sword” was found.
No matter how hard I looked, it didn’t exist—
But once I followed the romantic progression from the original novel, the fog cleared and the hut magically appeared.
A rule of the world.
“Still… this part doesn’t make sense.”
In the wuxia novel <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>, the Heavenly Demon—the strongest being in the world—never accepted the protagonist as a disciple.
So maybe it isn’t a rule?
Handsome, talented, yet so timid he can’t even make eye contact with women…
That guy became the disciple of the Heavenly Demon?
“That means I need to meet the Heavenly Demon.”
The prologue of the original novel:
The protagonist, orphaned after a bandit attack, is taken in by the Heavenly Demon, who instantly recognizes his talent.
That’s where the story begins.
Meaning, if Mao Zhai possessed the young protagonist’s body, he would definitely have met the Heavenly Demon.
I need to ask the Heavenly Demon about Mao Zhai’s whereabouts.
“This is getting complicated…”
“Did something not go as planned, Young Master Kang?”
Mi-bong asked gently, and I nodded.
The Sichuan Martial Arts Tournament…
There was no reason to stay anymore.
My plan to lure Mao Zhai by using his love of martial arts had failed spectacularly.
Though I did get one thing.
I’m now certain Mao Zhai is the original protagonist.
Because the Heavenly Demon’s disciple has become someone completely different.
Mao Zhai must have done something stupid while possessing the protagonist, causing the story to derail.
“Fist Demon is extremely strong!”
Fist Dragon looked nervous—he had bet on Fist Demon winning, and now he feared I might defeat him.
“Give up. It’s easier.”
Only someone like Ma-ryong—weak only to women—could make me even a little nervous.
“My disciple.”
“Yes! Master!”
“Listen well. Fist Demon is no longer a match for this old man.”
“R-r-really, Master?!”
Fist Dragon’s eyes bulged at his master’s shameless statement.
“You’ll see soon enough. Fist Demon is no match for Young Master Kang.”
You aren’t either…
I wanted to point that out, but the more lies Fist King told, the more he trapped himself.
I decided to let him enjoy it.
“T-that can’t be…”
Because he believed everything his master said unconditionally, Fist Dragon was already devastated.
“I’ll be back. I’m off to defeat Fist Demon—who is weaker than Elder Fist King.”
“Haha! Go knock him flat with one punch!”
Since I played along, Fist King grinned like an idiot.
A little disappointing…
If I were a real inhabitant of this dream world, I could properly scam this old fool for life.
But who expects longevity from a dream?
“Let’s finish this quickly.”
“And don’t you kill him!”
“Yes, yes.”
What does he think I am?
Apart from the bandits earlier, I haven’t killed anyone.
Ignoring Fist Kimg’s rude warning, I headed toward the arena.
***
Fist Demon
In the world of <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>, he was an executive of the “Demonic Sect,” the organization representing evil.
Terrifyingly strong, as befits a villain—
But also a punching bag who repeatedly lost to the protagonist.
“Kang Moon-soo.”
“I am Fist Demon!”
Tap tap!
Fist Demon bumped his fists together with fiery enthusiasm as he introduced himself.
Now then… how should I handle him?
“Draining internal energy…”
As long as he didn’t break the rules like Emei Immortal Fairy, I was willing to show “martial courtesy” this time.
“Hoo…”
“Your stance has changed.”
“Yes. This one is different.”
This time I took up a basic Taekwondo fighting stance.
Light footwork.
Rhythm.
The stance of someone who had truly practiced.
Perhaps the sight irritated him.
Fist Demon’s face stiffened slightly.
“Are you making light of me?”
“No. That was earlier. This time, I’m being serious.”
“You claim you were playing around against Emei Fairy and Emei Divine Sword?!”
“Yes.”
If I used the crouching start against Ma-ryong, a dagger would’ve been in my skull before I even moved.
Ping—!
The referee tossed the coin into the air.
“……”
“……”
Tap.
The moment the coin touched the ground, our eyes locked.
“Demonic Asura God Fist…!”
“Ohhh!”
Like a cannonball, Fist Demon’s fist shot forward—
And from it, a goblin-shaped specter burst forth.
Another effect of internal energy.
Visually impressive, certainly entertaining—
But my reaction went only that far.
“What a waste.”
Imagine adding a pink flower explosion every time a real bomb detonated.
To create that pink flower effect, you’d need dye or extra materials.
The bomb would become less lethal and more expensive.
More complicated process, worse results—
An inefficient mess.
Compared to that…
Modern martial arts, refined through scientific study, focus purely on practicality.
And the Taekwondo Master with the unforgettable foot odor drilled real techniques into me.
There was no wasted movement.
Whish—
Fist Demon came falling toward me in a clean, predictable arc.
Just before the fist he extended toward me could make contact, I pivoted on my right foot and whipped out a left spinning hook kick.
Internal energy included, of course.
“W–what—?”
CRACK—!
When two adults of similar height fight, it’s common sense: the leg is longer than the arm.
And something most people misunderstand—
A Taekwondo fighter’s kick is faster than a boxer’s punch.
Far stronger, too.
Though there is a downside…
A bitter memory flickered—
The time I was completely destroyed by Go Yoon-kyung, descendant of Master Go Mu-shin, the world’s No.1 female Taekwondo athlete.
Thud.
But Fist Demon didn’t possess even a fraction of her skill or technique.
If the martial art you spend your life training turns out to be a firecracker instead of a nuclear bomb…
What’s the point?
It’s a waste of time.
“It’s not too late. Find another martial art.”
“……”
Fist Demon, struck squarely on the temple by my heel, collapsed motionlessly like a corpse.
A hopelessly anticlimactic fight.
Yoon-kyung—sly enough to score and run—was far more threatening.
Will the finals at least be better…?
CRACK!
Finals — Sichuan’s Greatest Martial Tournament
The moment the coin hit the ground, Poison King immediately started running away while frantically hurling poisoned daggers.
In terms of cowardice, he was as bad as Go Yoon-kyung.
“Guhuaaa—?!”
“Too slow.”
Even when strengthened with internal energy, a thrown dagger was still slower than a bullet—
It had no hope of landing on me.
THUD.
My side kick smashed into Poison King’s face, sending him sprawling.
“My money…”
“Haa…”
“It’s over… I’m doomed…”
Lamentations echoed from every direction.
Some husbands were murmuring about being kicked out of their houses…
Thank you. I’ll use it well.
Your generous donations will be used to capture Mao Zhai—the one disturbing world peace in the wuxia world of <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>
***
“Hero Kang.”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment. The award ceremony will begin shortly.”
“That’s fine.”
The tournament official climbed back into the arena and shouted:
“Sichuan’s First Demon—Kang Moon-soo, victory!”
“…Sichuan’s First Demon?”
“Yes!”
“Why ‘Demon (é”)’ exactly?”
Calling a kind, civilized man like me a villain—
How rude!
“I—I was only following orders from above…”
Sichuan’s First Demon.
A title bestowed upon the champion of Sichuan’s greatest martial arts tournament— Me.
There’s definitely a hint of malice in that title.
“Let’s move on.”
“Right away! The award ceremony will be graciously conducted by the eternal ruler of the Central Plains, His Imperial Majesty’s most cherished azure jewel, the twenty-eighth princess, Her Highness the Blue-Eyed Princess!”
“…Huh?”
Why was the Emperor’s daughter showing up here?
It made absolutely no sense.
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