[Chapter 21]
"Hahaha!"
Father's laughter echoed loudly through the empty hall.
"Is there something to laugh about when I'm talking about killing someone?"
Father stopped laughing and said decisively.
"You might be able to kill the Demonic Army Commander, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon is out of the question."
It meant that I couldn't kill him yet.
"Then why did you make me clash with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon? Take responsibility!"
"Alright, I'll take responsibility."
As refreshing as his answer was, he took responsibility just as boldly.
"I'll appoint you as the leader of the Underworld Pavilion."
I was shocked. I had never expected, not even in my dreams, that I would be appointed as the leader of Underworld Pavilion.
"Is that even possible?"
Of course, there is nothing impossible with the Heavenly Demon's will.
"Was it possible for a mere investigator to kill the Demonic Army Commander?"
As things were turning out this way, I wondered if Father had been considering appointing me as the leader of the Underworld Pavilion from the beginning.
"You said you wanted to properly establish discipline, didn't you?"
What I heard from that was:
I'll give you a sword, so go wild.
To put it more harshly, become a shield and a sword-bearer.
There would be many obstacles if Father took action directly. But what if it was the youngest son of the Heavenly Demon who ran wild?
'Are you using me to handle the things you've put off, regardless of whether I live or die?'
I couldn't tell if this was a ruthless father's love or a decision made because he wanted to make me his successor. Yes, I shouldn't take this matter emotionally.
Father's previous words were correct.
—A person's mind is something you can never truly understand.
Instead of trying to read his mind, I should judge based on what I see and hear. It's not about reading the opponent's mind but judging by the unfolding situation.
Father had always been this kind of person. He was someone who would leave writings on the wall for his children and also someone who would throw his children into dangerous situations if they had any value.
It's actually more comfortable having such a father. I just need to give him what he wants and get what I need.
"If you send me to slaughter cattle, you should at least give me a knife."
"Is there something you want?"
The name of a place I must visit after returning came out of my mouth.
"Allow me access to the Heavenly Demon Library."
The Heavenly Demon Library was a place that gathered all sorts of valuable martial arts secrets, and only a few people, including the Heavenly Demon himself, could enter.
"Why the Heavenly Demon Library?"
Father's expression naturally turned to one of curiosity.
"If you think you can master some unparalleled martial arts just by entering there, you're gravely mistaken. You'll end up just reading the titles of the secrets."
There were that many secrets. Even if, by luck, you found the very best martial arts there, it would still be on a similar level to the Soaring Sword Art I had already mastered.
Father's eyes were filled with suspicion and reproach, as if to say, 'You should already know that.'
"I want to test my luck."
Father must have been curious. Wondering what on earth this boy was scheming.
After gazing at me for a moment, Father made a decision.
"I don't know what kind of devious intention you have."
Only after saying something unnecessary did Father finally grant permission.
"I allow you to enter the Heavenly Demon Library for seven days."
"Thank you, Father."
Seven days was an incredibly generous amount of time for someone who was not yet the successor. It also meant that entrusting me with the position of Underworld Pavilion leader was that important.
"Tell the discipline of our cult to wait just seven days!"
* * *
Lee Ahn was extremely excited about the fact that I was going to enter the Heavenly Demon Library.
"Young Master, when you enter the Heavenly Demon Library, you must memorize one martial art thoroughly. If you get greedy, you won't gain anything. Oh, and make sure to eat your meals. If you skip them to save time, your memory will worsen, and it'll be a loss in the end. Also, it's so vast in there that you might get lost…"
Watching Lee Ahn chatter on without pause, I reflected once more.
The Lee Ahn in my memory was truly a quiet person.
She was such a chatterbox now.
I must have been like that back then. Filled with nothing but the desire to become the successor, staring only at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion's roof, when the people who would actually help me achieve my dream were standing right in front of me.
That's why Lee Ahn had become silent. It was I who turned this talkative and cheerful woman into a quiet one.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes, I did. Focus on one thing and eat well."
"Sleep well too. I wish you the best of luck. Remember, it's a heaven-sent opportunity to enter the Heavenly Demon Library as someone who isn't the successor."
"Oh, my ears are bleeding. Ugh, they really might be."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll talk less from now on."
"No, a depressed Personal Guard would be even worse."
"Then please remember what I said, and oh, when you look for the martial arts secrets…"
"Please!"
In reality, Lee Ahn didn't need to worry so much.
Because in that vast Heavenly Demon Library, I knew exactly where I needed to go.
If I were to explain why I wanted to enter the Heavenly Demon Library, it was because I needed to go back to the time when I found the last ingredient for the Grand Return Technique, the Secret Demonic Soul.
To obtain the Secret Demonic Soul, I had returned to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult after the cult had been sealed off.
I mutilated myself with a deep scar on my face to make it unrecognizable. No one recognized me, a supposedly dead man who had left the cult decades ago with a disfigured face.
I climbed up from being a mere martial artist to a position where I could meet with the new Cult Leader alone, all on my own. It took a very long time.
In the last year I obtained the Secret Demonic Soul, I heard a story about a martial art.
Wind God's Four Steps.
The person who obtained the Wind God's Four Steps was none other than Joo Baekdo, the Cult Leader of the Sealed Cult at the time. Considering that the Cult Leader had changed six times in the decades following the Cult's sealing, one can imagine how chaotic the main cult must have been.
I vividly remembered what he told me over drinks.
"…I was able to rise to the position of Cult Leader because I found the lost Wind God's Four Steps."
Wind God's Four Steps.
A supreme footwork technique composed of only four forms.
It was said to have once complemented the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon, but it had been lost at some point and was no longer passed down. However, Joo Baekdo had obtained it.
"…Due to the sudden catastrophe that befell the previous Cult Leader and his bloodline, the Nine Calamities Demon Art, which was the unique martial art of the Heavenly Demon, was lost. The only fortunate thing was that only the Heavenly Demon Pavilion was destroyed, allowing us to seal off the Cult while preserving our main forces. After that, the Cult was in constant turmoil over the Cult Leader position. If I hadn't obtained the Wind God's Four Steps, the Cult would have continued in chaos until it collapsed from internal strife."
Just adding that footwork to his martial arts allowed him to become the Cult Leader, which showed how exceptional the Wind God's Four Steps was.
"Where did you find the Wind God's Four Steps?"
"In the Heavenly Demon Library. At that time, I was in charge of managing the Heavenly Demon Library."
"If the secret was there, why was it said to be lost?"
"Because it wasn't on the bookshelf it was supposed to be on."
"…!"
If I hadn't drunk with him that day, if he hadn't been in a good mood, if he hadn't boasted of his feats in his drunkenness, I would never have known where the Wind God's Four Steps was.
* * *
The Heavenly Demon Library was the largest library I had ever seen in my life.
Ninety-nine large bookshelves filled the library, with all sorts of secret martial arts manuals stacked on them. Scattered among them were extraordinary martial arts techniques that would make anyone's heart race, collected by our cult over countless years.
I walked slowly between the shelves, savoring the scent of old books. Endless shelves, all packed with martial arts manuals, and just reading the titles seemed like it would take all the duration of my seven days.
Of course, I didn't need to search for a needle in a haystack.
"Here it is."
I stopped in front of the nineteenth bookshelf.
This shelf housed secret manuals related to sound techniques. Of course, I wasn't planning to dedicate my new life to music.
I looked at the bottom of the bookshelf, not at the manuals on the shelf. A book had been placed under the shelf to level it, as one side had sunk under the weight of the books.
I used my inner strength to slightly lift the shelf and pulled out the book that was supporting it.
The four characters written on the cover of the old manual that emerged.
Wind God's Four Steps.
"It really was here!"
I was overjoyed.
I recalled the conversation with Joo Baekdo from the past.
"Wind God's Four Steps wasn't on a bookshelf."
"Then where was it?"
"That precious manual was used as a prop under the nineteenth bookshelf."
He had discovered it because of his obsessive-compulsive disorder. He had to place chopsticks perfectly straight and fold clothes without the slightest error. If a glass was placed on the edge of a table, he couldn't eat because he was worried it would fall.
In the Heavenly Demon Library, he noticed the unevenness of the book used as a prop and found the manual while trying to fix it.
I don't know why this precious manual ended up as a prop under the bookshelf. Even Joo Baekdo, who discovered it, didn't know.
There must have been some hidden story in the past.
An incident might have occurred that required hiding the world's greatest footwork technique here. It could have been part of a succession dispute or the result of a misguided love of a great Heavenly Demon. Or perhaps it was due to someone's misguided ambition.
In any case, thanks to that, I ended up finding the Wind God's Four Steps.
I carefully opened the first page of the manual.
Before the actual techniques, a single majestic line was written, filling me with excitement.
―Four steps to dominate the world.
Right, this is it! A martial art that competes for supremacy should have this level of grandeur.
The Wind God's Four Steps consisted of four main techniques.
The Dark Shadow Step
The Divine Lightning Step
The Underworld King Step
The Star Light Step
The first step, Dark Shadow Step, was a technique for infiltrating places.
At first, it allowed one to evade a single person's sight, but as proficiency increased, the number of people one could avoid increased. t if one mastered Dark Shadow Step, it was possible they could disappear instantly even under the watch of dozens.
The second step, the Divine Lightning Step, was a defensive technique to find a way to evade unavoidable attacks, ensuring a path to survival.
The third step, the Underworld King Step, was a technique for advancing towards the opponent, nullifying any defense or evasion.
It seemed as if the Underworld King Step was saying:
"I'll open the path to hell, all you need do, is follow."
Thus, the Underworld King Step and the Divine Lightning Step were inherently contradictory. One was a technique for unavoidable evasion, and the other was a technique for unavoidable attack. When these two techniques clashed, whether the spear would break or the shield would be pierced depended on the martial artist's skill.
The final step, the Star Light Step, demonstrated nothing less than the pinnacle of speed, since nothing goes faster and farther than the light of the stars. As one's proficiency in Star Light Step increased, the world would seem smaller. I was convinced that a master of Star Light Step could move beyond human limitations.
Ultimately, the Wind God's Four Steps said this:
Infiltrate, evade, attack, and run.
It implied that these perfect four steps were enough to face any opponent.
I sat quietly in a corner of the Heavenly Demon Library, reciting the mnemonic chants.
I faithfully adhered to Lee Ahn's advice. I made sure to eat well with the jerky I had brought, and I slept soundly when it was time to rest. While I focused all my remaining time on the Wind God's Four Steps with a clear mind.
The depth of the mnemonic chants was as profound as the sea, and the meaning contained within them was as vast as the sky.
It was a martial art designed to be adapted and used according to the situation, based on a single excellent technique. Thus, it was much more challenging to understand than a martial art tightly packed with dozens of techniques. Without the experience from my previous life, I would never have comprehended its depth.
Perhaps that was why? Each reading was different, whether it was the first time, the second time, or the tenth time.
I became so engrossed in the mnemonic chants that I lost track of time.
Seven days after entering the Heavenly Demon Library, I had perfectly memorized the mnemonic chants of the Wind God's Four Steps and could perform them. Of course, it was merely at the initial stage, and it would require continued practice to reach higher levels.
I tore out the most crucial part of the manual, swallowed it, and placed the rest back under the shelf. The Wind God's Four Steps transitioned from the world's greatest footwork technique to a bookshelf prop once more.
I didn't want another lucky person to find and learn the Wind God's Four Steps. I wanted to be honest with my desires.
Then, I stepped out of the Heavenly Demon Library.