Chapter 39

Chapter 39. Brocade Demon Library (4)

“What is the meaning of this, Senior?!”

The Sword Demon was the first to roar.

“My little brother entered the Brocade Demon Library under my guarantee, yet your disciple tried to kill him! This is no different from insulting the honor of the Sword Demon Clan!”

“M, misunderstanding, Junior! Why would I ever do something so ridiculous?!”

“What part of this is a misunderstanding?! Your disciple interrupted my little brother's state of selflessness! He could have suffered qi deviation and died! This Clan Head will not ignore this matter!”

When the Sword Demon released genuine killing intent, Jong Yu grabbed the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable's robe and shouted.

“M, Master, I am innocent! Did you not see the wound on my stomach? How could a mere Demon Soldier, especially one claiming to have suffered internal injuries because his state of selflessness was interrupted, leave an injury on me?! The fact that he has internal injuries at all proves he staged everything himself!”

“Are you claiming that everything Bi Anso said is a lie?”

“Yes! I admit I lost control and damaged the Brocade Demon Library, and that crime deserves my life. But only because that Demon Soldier suddenly attacked me! He became agitated after suffering from inner demons and is blaming me!”

It was a complete lie.

However, his desperate voice was enough to shake the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable.

To someone who did not know what happened, it even sounded somewhat reasonable.

“What kind of martial art is Master's Demon Suppression Brush Art? Is it not a supreme brush art personally created by Master and donated to the Brocade Demon Library? No matter how talented he might be, how could a mere Demon Soldier read that manual and immediately enter a state of selflessness?!”

The Brush Slayer Demon Venerable's eyes wavered.

Even to him, the idea that someone trained in assassin martial arts could enter a state of selflessness after reading the Demon Suppression Brush Art sounded unrealistic.

Even a Demon Venerable was still human.

Naturally, he would listen more closely to the disciple he had raised than a Demon Soldier he had just met.

“...Sword Demon. I will provide Bi Anso with a Precious Restoration Pill to treat his internal injuries. I will also personally teach him the Demon Suppression Brush Art. Let us end the matter there.”

“Your disciple committed the crime, yet as his Master you are trying to cover for him? That is nowhere near enough responsibility!”

“My disciple's argument has some reason behind it. Bi Anso practices assassin martial arts. Assassin martial arts and brush arts are completely different in nature.”

Heavy killing intent began flowing between the Sword Demon and Brush Slayer Demon Venerable.

At this rate, it would not have been strange if one of them died.

No helping it.

Time for me to step in.

“This is unfair. Having my state of selflessness interrupted is already ridiculous enough, but now I am being treated like a liar. I cannot let this end here.”

“What?”

When I suddenly spoke, the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable narrowed his eyes.

“My state of selflessness was interrupted, but if I gained that realization once, why could I not gain it again? Give me fifteen days.”

“Fifteen days? Are you planning to demonstrate the Demon Suppression Brush Art in front of me?”

“Would that be enough? Within fifteen days, I will transform the Demon Suppression Brush Art into my own martial art and fight your disciple in a duel.”

“Then the truth will become clear, will it not?”

“...What?”

Everyone's eyes widened.

Of course they did.

To them, what I just said probably sounded like ridiculous boasting.

The Brush Slayer Demon Venerable looked at his disciple, then back at me.

“If you fail to prove your words, then you attempted to falsely accuse the disciple of this Brush Slayer Demon Venerable. If you fail to win the duel, or if you fail to properly transform the Demon Suppression Brush Art into your own martial art, I will kill you.”

“Senior! Do you think I will simply stand by and allow that?!”

Bi Anso raised one hand and stopped the angry Sword Demon.

“I appreciate Brother Won's consideration, but please endure it for my sake.”

“A man's honor must be won with his own hands.”

“Little brother, you...”

“If what I said is true, what punishment will you give your disciple?”

“If your words are true, my disciple should be unable to defeat you in the duel. If you win, I will hand over the right to decide whether he lives or dies.”

“Good.”

The Brush Slayer Demon Venerable used Object Manipulation through Empty Space to pull the Demon Suppression Brush Art manual from the ruined Brocade Demon Library.

The manual floated through the air and landed in Bi Anso's hand.

“Fifteen days.”

“If anyone has dared to insult this Brush Slayer Demon Venerable, that person will not survive beyond fifteen days.”

As his heavy voice echoed through the library, the sun slowly began descending beyond the mountain valley.

The surroundings were noisy.

Naturally.

The famous Sword Demon had entered the Flower Moon Inn without reserving a private room and was drinking openly with a mere Demon Soldier.

“C, crazy. Is that really the Sword Demon Clan Head? Sword Demon Won Jungyeon?”

“The head of one of the Six Great Demonic Clans has the same rank as the Eight Demon Venerables. Why is someone like him drinking here...?”

“I am more curious about the young man sitting across from the Sword Demon.”

People tried whispering quietly.

To the Sword Demon and me, every word was perfectly audible.

“Hmm. I did not expect people here to recognize my face.”

“You recently walked barefoot all the way to the Demon God Palace. Some of the people here probably saw you then.”

“Heh. They say rumors travel faster than the wind.”

The Sword Demon smiled and called over a waiter.

The young waiter approached with an extremely nervous expression.

“Y, you called for me, Sword Demon Clan Head...?”

“Embarrassingly enough, this is my first time in an ordinary inn like this. I want to order one dish and some alcohol. What do you recommend?”

“O, our chef is from Sichuan. His twice-cooked pork is excellent. We also have twenty-year-old aged liquor served only to honored guests. If you wish, I can bring an entire bottle.”

“Is that all right? Ordinary alcohol would be enough for me.”

“Please do not say that! Both an honored guest and our inn's benefactor are here. This is the least we can offer!”

“Benefactor?”

The Sword Demon looked toward me, clearly asking for an explanation.

I told him what happened months ago at the Flower Moon Inn, when I shot the bastards from the Enforcement Pavilion who were stealing money from ordinary Cult members.

“Come to think of it, I heard some noise about that incident several months ago. A Black Blood Unit member killed several branch descendants of the Six Great Demonic Clans. So that was you.”

“Thankfully, none of the Sword Demon Clan's descendants were among those bastards.”

“If anyone from my clan behaved like that, I would have killed them myself.”

He probably was not exaggerating.

The Sword Demon smiled gently and spoke to the waiter.

“If the food is good, I will return another time. Tell the chef I look forward to it.”

“O, of course! We will make the twice-cooked pork twice as delicious as normal!”

The waiter fled toward the kitchen.

The Sword Demon watched him go, tilted his head, then asked me.

“Do I look frightening? Why does he keep running away?”

“Imagine the situation from his perspective. If the Cult Leader suddenly appeared at the Sword Demon Clan without warning, would Brother Won not be frightened?”

“Hmm. Personally, I do not possess any illegally accumulated wealth. But I cannot know what I may have done while controlled by the Blood Gu. Yes, I suppose I would be nervous.”

The Sword Demon looked down toward the marketplace through the window.

“So why did you choose a place with so many people watching? I do not mind, but all this attention may become troublesome for you.”

“I will explain once the food and alcohol arrive. Should I create the sound barrier?”

“I will do it.”

The Sword Demon flicked his finger and created an invisible barrier around us.

Now our voices would not leak outside.

“So, is it true? Did you really enter a state of selflessness while reading the Demon Suppression Brush Art?”

“It is.”

“And Jong Yu truly interrupted it?”

“He tried to strike one of my death acupoints. So I released the state of selflessness and counterattacked.”

“Nonsense. A state of selflessness is one where the concept of ‘self’ disappears. How could anyone release it by their own will?”

“It is not that difficult. It feels similar to waking yourself from a light dream. If you find it hard to believe, try attacking me while I sleep sometime. I can respond to killing techniques even while unconscious.”

The Sword Demon carefully considered my ridiculous-sounding words.

Then he nodded.

“You are serious?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Then I believe you.”

At that moment, the waiter arrived with the food and alcohol.

The poor kid was so nervous that he did not even realize a barrier surrounded us.

“H, here you are, Sword Demon Clan Head. I do not know whether it will suit your taste, but our chef prepared everything with his greatest effort.”

“If it does not suit me, I will simply eat less. You may go.”

The Sword Demon pulled out three gold pieces and handed them to the waiter.

The waiter's eyes widened as he alternated between looking at the money and the Sword Demon.

“T, this is far too much, Clan Head. Even one gold piece would already be excessive...”

“It does not matter. Go.”

“Y, yes!”

The waiter repeatedly bowed and retreated as though fleeing.

“Now that the alcohol and food are here, tell me. Why did you choose an ordinary inn like this?”

“I intend to make this matter much bigger. Choosing a place with many witnesses was also part of spreading the rumor.”

“What do you mean?”

I poured alcohol into the Sword Demon's cup.

“Brother Won already knows this, but there is someone secretly controlling the Black and White Demon Venerable's rebellion from behind the scenes.”

“After what happened at the Sword Demon Clan, that person must have become aware of my existence.”

“Naturally. If not for you, the Sword Demon Clan would have fallen into that mastermind's hands. From the apostate's perspective, you are now a thorn in his side.”

“If my name is already becoming known, would it not be better to use that fact rather than hide halfway?”

“What do you mean...”

The Sword Demon stopped.

Then he drank from his cup.

“You intend to use yourself as bait to draw out the mastermind.”

“People die during martial duels all the time. If someone he hates is openly challenging a Demon Venerable's disciple, do you really think the apostate will ignore such a convenient opportunity?”

The Sword Demon laughed in disbelief.

“Then you are using the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable's disciple to lure out the mastermind? Was that your plan from the start?”

“Not from the start. I began drawing this picture when I saw the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable wavering after listening to his disciple.”

“My ultimate goal is to capture the rebel and earn great merit. Teaching an arrogant brat a lesson is only a bonus.”

“You are the first assassin I have ever met who actively wants attention.”

“My life as an assassin has ended.”

“Now I need to live as a man.”

Bi Anso pointed upward with one finger.

“If a man is going to live, should he not at least try to reach the very top?”

At that moment, the Sword Demon remembered something from long ago.

One of the few memories that still remained clear inside his distant past.

“How can someone who has never climbed Mount Tai speak of hegemony? Anyone who wishes to become an Overlord must conquer Mount Tai, even if they must crawl upward with a shattered body.”

I truly have grown old.

To think this young man reminds me of the Cult Leader in his youth.

The Sword Demon silently ate a piece of twice-cooked pork.

It was indeed a delicacy difficult to find in the Heavenly Mountains.

“You should discuss this with the Left Envoy. Leave spreading the rumor to me. Little brother, focus entirely on cultivation for the next fifteen days. Even if you win the duel, if your Demon Suppression Brush Art is incomplete, the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable may still kill you.”

“Do not worry. Seven days and nights are more than enough to merge it into my martial arts.”

“What?”

The Sword Demon was genuinely shocked.

He naturally assumed Bi Anso intended to fight using the Demon Suppression Brush Art itself.

The Demon Suppression Brush Art was a martial art personally created by the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable.

Learning it within fifteen days was already absurd.

Yet Bi Anso intended to go further and merge it into his own martial arts?

That meant creating a new martial art in only seven days and nights.

“Are you truly confident?”

“I asked the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable for fifteen days because I needed enough time for the rumor to spread.”

“I understand my own talent and level very well.”

“Honestly, I find that difficult to believe. I have not read the manual myself, but Senior Brush Slayer's martial arts cannot possibly be simple. Stop doing anything unnecessary and focus solely on learning the Demon Suppression Brush Art.”

“Getting a new blade does not mean I need to throw away the old one.”

“Would it not be better to melt them together and forge one larger blade?”

Bi Anso smiled and raised his cup.

“If you still doubt me, visit the Black Blood Unit seven days from now.”

“If Brother Won says the same thing after seeing me then, I will follow your advice.”