The Heavenly Demon Left No Martial Arts Behind

Chapter 3: Truth and Lies

'The Six Demons...'

Yu Gyeongseong studied the newly arrived figures.

They scanned the surroundings as they approached the middle-aged man called Flying Demon.

But they couldn't detect me.

'...'

Every single one of them had an extraordinary presence.

BOOM!

CRASH!

As if to prove it, their sinister ashen energy instantly shattered that thick metal door, the same door even masters couldn't break through.

Anyone who saw them even once would remember them until the day they died.

But... no matter how closely I study these Sect Masters, nothing comes to mind.

I couldn't remember anything.

And yet.

There was one thing etched into my mind as clearly as if it had been branded there.

[Grand Grotto Mystic Mantra]

'...'

Was it some kind of scripture? A martial arts manual? It was short—only 147 characters long.

I didn't know what it was or how I got it, but... in this moment, one thing became clear.

'Is this what makes it possible?'

Yu Gyeongseong's eyes lit up.

I could discern it.

Truth from lies.

***

My gaze fell on the scene in front of me.

The corpse was still floating there, spinning around in front of the Six Demons.

The man who had carried me here just moments ago.

'...'

He really had been a member of the Cult Leader's personal guard.

The words that man—now departed from this world—had spoken.

[A rebellion has broken out.]

Truth.

[The Cult Leader ordered me to protect you, so that's what I'm doing.]

Lie.

The moment he spoke, I knew immediately. That wasn't the real reason he was carrying me away.

[There are traitors targeting you.]

It felt close to the truth. But somehow, it wasn't quite clear. That was why I pressed him for details, asking precisely what he meant by ‘targeting.’

[They want to kill you, Squad Leader Yu.]

This too was a lie.

And so, a thought occurred to me.

If my pursuers weren't chasing me to kill me, then did I really need to run?

Of course, just because they didn't want me dead didn't mean they were friendly.

I didn't know why… but those projectiles had definitely been aimed at me, not just the guard.

"..."

First, I needed to assess the situation more carefully. But that didn't mean I had any reason to blindly follow the words of someone a hidden agenda.

The guard knew I would lose my memory. And he lied to me.

Why had he done that?

I had a pretty good idea what he was up to.

'He wanted to deceive me and use me however he pleased.'

The opponent was a master. If I didn't move according to his will, there was no telling how he might turn on me. This wasn't a time for half-assed moves. With so many pursuers chasing me and my memory gone, I was in no position to subdue him and carry him around.

That was why I cautiously got behind him and made my move.

***

The conversations I was overhearing suggested that the Six Demons had dealt with all of the Cult Leader's personal guards.

“This dead guard here. He was working for you, wasn't he! Trying to sneak the target away on your orders!”

"Ha! Illusion Demon! What kind of bullshit is that?! Are you high on your own illusions? Your imagination's running wild."

Yu Gyeongseong watched the scene quietly.

The young-looking man called Mind Demon was lying.

‘So he was on Mind Demon’s payroll...’

Now it all makes sense. The guard wasn’t following the Cult Leader’s orders. He was following Mind Demon’s orders to sneak me out of there.

But...

What followed was even more disturbing.

“Bullshit. You think the strongest warrior of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would get hurt that easily?"

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's strongest warrior?

'...Me?'

I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head.

They had to be talking about me.

'...'

And the Grand Grotto Mystic Mantra read their emotions—the feeling underlying all their conversations.

Doubt.

Even as they spoke, they didn't believe their own words.

Mind Demon's voice rang out.

"I couldn't be sure if the Great Law had been properly inherited!"

One thing was certain.

The Great Law I had received...

'If it's used properly, that could make me the strongest warrior?'

It was then that Yu Gyeongseong’s gaze was drawn to one side. Something had suddenly registered in his mind's eye.

It was the fair-skinned woman who had been silently keeping her mouth shut this whole time. But suddenly, her golden hair began to flutter as if alive. And from her body, something invisible bloomed.

A darkness the size of a person shot up into the sky.

It looked like...

'A crow?'

But calling it that felt somehow strange.

It was clearly pitch black, yet it was glowing?

I wasn't sure if I should even call it "light"... but that's exactly how it felt.

The crow circled in the sky above, seemingly searching for something.

And then...

The fair-skinned woman stopped the Six Demons from moving and flashed her white teeth.

"Found him."

Hearing those words, Yu Gyeongseong knew. Her words were the truth.

***

“What are you talking about, Life Demon?"

"Mind Demon, did you really think I’d just sit on my hands while you pulled your stunt?"

The Six Demons reacted immediately as if they'd figured something out.

"You cast the Shadow Bind (鉤寄追影術) on him?!"

“In that split second?”

Life Demon could accurately locate her target even in the vast desert that stretched endlessly south of the Tianshan Mountain Ranges. It doesn't matter how long it’s been or how clever their hiding spot is; once she's on them, they can't get away. All thanks to the secret spell passed down through her clan—the Shadow Bind.

"Where is he?"

Life Demon spoke slowly.

"Nearby."

The answer wasn't quite what they'd hoped for.

"Sounds like the spell wasn't properly executed?"

Otherwise, she would have given them the exact location right away.

Life Demon nodded.

"I was in a hurry casting the spell, so the hook didn't set firmly. But it’s on him, for sure. That's why I had to use quite a bit of Spiritual Power. Still, we won't lose him now."

The other Six Demons nodded as if relieved.

In the middle of them all, Life Demon's golden hair fluttered eerily.

“A shadow can’t run from the body that casts it. I can feel his actual presence in this area.”

The Six Demons' sharp gazes swept the surroundings.

"Is he hiding somewhere?"

Life Demon's voice flowed out like an incantation.

"Concealing Form, Hiding Shadow (藏形匿影). It’s easy to hide your shadow now, in the dark. But how long can you keep that up? Once the sun rises, there’s nowhere left for your shadow to hide.”

***

Yu Gyeongseong assessed the situation.

Everything in her words was true.

That woman called Life Demon had cast a spell on him. Apparently, she could track him through his shadow.

‘So, she can't pinpoint my exact location because it’s nighttime?’

It must be a spell that grew stronger when the sun’s out, since they all seem to think all they have to do is wait.

The Six Demons gave orders to their subordinates.

"Call everyone in."

They had absolutely no doubt about Life Demon's words. Their faith in that spell—the Shadow Bind—was evident.

She was still concentrating, like she was scanning the whole area with her mind. And that giant crow visible in my mind's eye continued circling in the sky above.

'...'

I had no idea how to break this spell.

But... that crow. That had to be the foundation of the tracking spell.

While I do not know how to eliminate the crow itself… But… it came out of Life Demon's body; by that logic, their connection could be cut if her Spiritual Power were to be cut off.

Yu Gyeongseong stared at Life Demon.

'Can I kill her?'

…I’m not sure.

Even if Life Demon were alone, I didn't know how close I could get without drawing her attention. And right now, there were five other Absolute Masters standing beside her.

Yu Gyeongseong thought instinctively.

'I can't hesitate for long.'

The other Six Demons had just given orders. Their subordinates are on their way. The longer I wait, the harder this is going to get. If I’m going to make a move, it has to be now.

To take out an Absolute Master in one blow, I'd need to get as close as possible, just like when I took care of the guard from behind. To do that, I needed something to mask the presence I'd generate while moving. Otherwise, I'd be detected immediately.

Throwing a rock or something would be idiotic. I'd give away my position instantly.

'Then how?'

The thought had barely formed when his body reacted. Yu Gyeongseong himself didn't know why he'd acted this way. It just felt like something that happened automatically in a moment of crisis.

Rustle

'...!?'

The Six Demons' gazes all turned in one direction at once. And Flying Demon moved there in an instant. But what he found was nothing.

"..."

Yu Gyeongseong, who had caused this disturbance, remained in the same position as before. He couldn't move. Even though he'd done it himself, he hadn't really expected it to work.

He'd simply thought—no, focused—on how nice it would be if a presence appeared over there. On that spot he wanted.

And in the next instant, a tree branch had rustled as if someone had brushed past it.

So right now, Yu Gyeongseong's feelings weren't that different from those of the Six Demons.

'What the hell...?'

No, maybe it was even harder for him to believe.

Then, he remembered something he'd just heard them say.

[Also, don’t think we don’t notice you using your Spiritual Power on our own men to help him escape?]

Wait... Spiritual Power!?

In this moment, Yu Gyeongseong wasn't just thinking. He concentrated his mind once again.

Rustle

Whoosh

Crushing Demon instantly descended on that spot. With a light gesture, all the surrounding space was completely exposed.

The moment the commotion died down, Yu Gyeongseong stopped moving. This time, he'd traveled quite a distance.

'A little more...'

Maybe just once or twice more? With that thought, he created another small disturbance.

But contrary to his expectations, the Six Demons no longer moved. Their subordinates began taking their place instead.

They all had high cultivation levels, so they were quiet and organized. Thanks to that, moving even a short distance further was all he managed.

'...'

Now was the time to decide.

Flying Demon, the greatest threat, and the gray-haired middle-aged man who'd displayed the gray sinister energy were now somewhat separated. That left three masters standing next to Life Demon.

What if I created multiple large disturbances simultaneously in different locations as a final move, then secretly closed in? Could I get behind her then?

'It's possible.'

That was his judgment, just like how he'd unconsciously wielded Spiritual Power moments ago. He didn't know exactly how it would go, but somehow, he knew he could reach Life Demon.

It was then that a thought suddenly occurred to him.

'Life Demon... huh?'

The characters before the word "Demon" in the Six Demons' names seemed to indicate their respective strengths.

Flying Demon, the first to appear, likely earned his name because of his unparalleled lightness skill. And as they'd mentioned, Illusion Demon's specialty would be illusion techniques. Mind Demon would be Spiritual Power.

So why is Life Demon have the character for ‘Life’ (活) attached to her name?

Knowing your opponent had an absolute impact on victory or defeat. And this question popped into Yu Gyeongseong's head out of pure instinct, at a moment where one wrong move meant he was dead.

A conjecture struck his mind like lightning.

No way…

Is she unkillable?!

'...'

Yu Gyeongseong stopped trying to create a disturbance.

He made the decision in a split second. Making an enemy of someone you don't know is reckless, especially when you don't even properly know yourself.

His heart started to pound. The coldness left his body as it warmed back up.

'...!?'

The Six Demons all turned their heads at once as a human presence had suddenly bloomed at close range!

Step. Step.

And then a figure calmly walked out before their eyes. He looked like he’d just rippled his way out of the darkness itself.

Yu Gyeongseong didn't run from the Six Demons.

And it wasn't just because of the tracking spell.

He believed that this was what he must do.

For two reasons.

They knew what had happened to him.

And...

The Six Demons couldn't easily harm him.

Is it because he’d become powerful?

No.

What flowed through Yu Gyeongseong's mind in this moment were the words Mind Demon had spat out.

[I did it because he was carrying our last hope. What if the target got hurt?]

Because to them, he is their last hope.