Perhaps, I was a little tired.
The metallic smell of blood and the clang of swords.
The roar of beasts and the screams of victims.
None of these are befitting of a monk who practices the way and researches the Dharma.
But the monk, known as the Holy Ascetic, had lived in such a world.
For seventy long years—three generations in a world where each generation spans twenty years—he had persevered.
There was a time when he was the rising dragon of the righteous sects, another when he was the honored venerable master, and eventually, he was recognized as one of the Five Peaks, the highest in the martial realm.
If one were to ask whether he enjoyed those times, well…
The Holy Ascetic did not enjoy flaunting his power, nor did he care for glorious titles and honors.
What he sought was only justice.
He aspired to save sentient beings who suffered through hardships.
He lived with that sole purpose for seventy long years.
Titles and names were only superficial—his one resolve never wavered.
That is, until his conviction started to tire just a little.
He sought to save even the wicked, believing it to be possible, and he had, in fact, redeemed many evil individuals.
However, it is not possible to extend mercy to all. While there are those who reform, there are also those who cannot be redeemed.
The Holy Ascetic had taken lives. Not just once or twice.
Engulfed in the world of swords and martial arts, he had massacred countless individuals.
It was no easy feat. Committing acts of killing, a strict transgression against Buddhist law, was not something to be taken lightly.
Still, he had committed these acts because they were necessary—because there was no one else who could do it. He committed the minimum amount of killing required in order to maintain balance.
“Hmm…”
The Holy Ascetic sighed, a long, weighty exhale filled with emotion.
“Heart demons arise from a tangle of various causes and conditions…”
A reflection on whether his actions were truly correct.
The resulting sense of futility and questions about the essence of his life’s path.
The resultant sensations of exhaustion and powerlessness, the lost sense of purpose.
This was what had caused the great Holy Ascetic, who had remained steadfast for seventy years, to kneel.
“Amitabha.”
Before him lay a cold corpse.
The Holy Ascetic gazed at the corpse silently.
The last moments of So So Namgung had been truly beautiful—not in appearance but in the beauty of her inner self and spirit.
How admirable it is to clearly recognize and repent for one’s errors.
Though she was much younger, to the Holy Ascetic, So So Namgung, who so vividly felt the emotion of regret born from conscience unlike himself, was truly awe-inspiring.
“Though you did not dedicate your body to the Dharma, I truly believe that you have certainly become a bodhisattva.”
The palms of his hands, which had long remained clasped, finally fell apart.
He swallows something in his throat as if making a resolution and slowly rises from his seat.
Even if his knees cry out in pain, so what?
After all, the path of the righteous is not the bright and hopeful story found in street novels.
It is about finding the best within toilsome and dark hardships—this is the path of the righteous.
This agony in his knees is merely a part of the hardships, and the heart demon that has come to him is merely a scene in a trial.
Rise above the hardships and adversities. Stand tall, and with a proud chest, shout out righteousness.
Then, vanish like a dream that fades away—after all, human life is but a fleeting dream.
Do not desire wealth or fame. Righteousness carried out with the expectation of rewards cannot be called true righteousness.
Rotate infinitely within the cycle of samsara. Unearth what is truly valuable within that.
He was old, greatly aged. Not much time was left before he entered Nirvana.
What will remain after death? Goods? Fame? All that is accumulated in life vanishes upon death.
Therefore, accumulate virtue and justice without regrets until death.
Is this not the intention of the Thus Come One?
The Holy Ascetic murmured as if subliminally hinting at himself.
The wandering state of his heart had, by now, firmly taken root.
A clear sense of purpose settled in his two weary eyes.
A fresh realization descended upon the Holy Ascetic.
*
A multitude of people bowed their heads and prostrated themselves to one spot.
They chanted a slogan with loud voices.
“The Glorious Light Religion! The Heavenly Demon Returns!”
“The demonic fire purifies the world! Myriad demons bring prosperity!”
The force of the Glorious Light Religion, said to have endured for over a thousand years.
It was their slogan.
When the Heavenly Demon of the Glorious Light Religion makes a full return, the fires of the demon path will purify the world, and myriad demons will prosper.
The sixteen-character chant reverberating through the demonic sect signifies a certain “event.”
“Ma… master… how could you return…”
Gouyang Zheng, the Bright Left Advisor, asks in a trembling voice.
He, said by some corners to have reached the Hwa Kyung level, is someone who holds the formidable title of being second only to one man and above ten thousand others.
Yet now, the person standing before him is that “one man,” and so he, like any other human, bows his head in reverence.
“Advisor, it has been a while.”
“My lord! I pay my respects to you, my lord!”
“Cough… there’s no need to be so formal. It’s been a while since I stepped down as your master, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, yes! As you wish!”
“Hmm, it seems that even after stepping down, I still cast a shadow over the demon sect.”
Gouyang Zheng cautiously lifts his head, only to see silk as white as a delicate jade hand enter his view.
Pure white. No other color existed. But there was no sense of anything being missing.
On the summit of this whiteness stood a serene face of flesh, black ink-like tresses, and red eyes.
Exuding an extraordinary and paradoxical aura, the woman dressed in white as if in mourning garb carried a mysterious presence. It was a pure paradoxical aura, made of ten parts of pristine demonic energy that became more pure.
This woman is what the people call the Heavenly Demon.
“I see. No matter what I say, it seems you will continue this way, so I’ll quickly vanish, shall I?”
“No? Ah, no! There’s no need for you to…”
“It is settled. I’ve already prepared for the day of my death, so I see no reason to cause trouble for you who live comfortably.”
Swoosh-
“!”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon naturally took a step forward.
Her advancing steps were being swallowed by the void. Spaces folded, and the distance normally requiring step by step traversal was compacted into one.
There are fewer than four people in the world who can do this.
The Heavenly Demon was one of those rare four.
“Master…?”
Gouyang Zheng blinked with a mix of fear and worry.
There was no one standing before him anymore.
Gouyang Zheng’s eyes flickered in surprise.
And those awaiting the descent of the Heavenly Demon had similar reactions.
And just as it seemed like the demonic sect’s people were all struck dumb in unison.
Swoosh-
The Heavenly Demon, who had drawn all the attention and commotion, was already moving past everyone, heading straight toward her destination.
The Bright Light Hall, where the master of the Glorious Light Religion resides, and where all major and minor decisions of the religion are made.
Now, after her retirement as the Heavenly Demon, it was where the young master resides.
Swoosh-
The Heavenly Demon, who could easily cross spaces that physical entities would naturally have to walk, stepped into the Bright Light Hall.
There sat a young girl on the Holy Seat, observing her.
The Heavenly Demon, detecting the girl’s presence, smiled faintly.
The girl stared at her with an expressionless face.
Their gazes, crossing in the empty air, were identically crimson as though carved from the same mold.
“It’s been nearly three years, hasn’t it?”
“Have you remained peaceful, Mother? You’re still dressed in mourning robes.”
The girl spoke in an extremely emotionless, formal tone without any underlying feelings.
“Well, I haven’t been well, but I’ve been idly passing the time. Your urgent message from the heavenly realm forced me to descend personally.”
“Was it so?”
“Playing leisurely chess games with those so-called immortals up there was quite boring… And it seems our daughter still doesn’t listen much to her mother’s words.”
The Heavenly Demon said this with a hint of disappointment. Despite reaching an unsurpassable height that few could ever attain, she was still also a mother.
Moreover, this child was born from her deeply cherished “husband.” In her human relationships, if her late husband was the first, then the young master was the second.
“Tsk. How’s your solo practice of Supreme Clarifying Meditation? Is it manageable?”
“It’s just so-so. Not particularly difficult, nor particularly easy.”
“Difficult for you? In which part?”
“Not much, just that it’s hard to endure the offensive stench of these vile people. We need to cooperate, and even a small meeting makes me feel nauseous.”
“At least you refrained from purging them.”
“They’re the prized talents of the demon sect. They can’t be killed recklessly.”
‘That means they’ll be mercilessly killed when they become useless?’
The Heavenly Demon did not voice her thoughts. The daughter’s attitude stemmed from her own karmic retribution.
The Tian Ma lineage was fundamentally arrogant. It was not a misplaced emotion but rather a natural instinct of the apex predator towards those below.
Whether they wanted to or not, they naturally ruled. Regardless of what the Heavenly Demon did, the masses recognized her as the supreme one and worshipped her, placing her high above, deifying her, and following her.
It was the same at the dawn of the Demon Path. Back in ancient times, when a girl descended like the wind to punish all that was evil, the people followed her as though bewitched. That’s how those who were marginalized and neglected gathered together to form the Glorious Light Religion.
Of course, now it had transformed into an exceedingly explosive group far from the weak. One could say it was a congregation of wandering knights akin to the Mo School in origin.
Some quarters argue that it originated from the Xiyu foreign religion of the Ming Teaching or Manicheism, but since it’s a matter of the distant past with records that have failed to survive, it cannot be conclusively determined. The members of the Demon Sect themselves don’t give it much thought either.
In any case, the point is the inherent ‘superiority’ that runs deep in the Tian Ma lineage’s psyche.
A superiority that is neither hidden nor intentionally broadcasted.
Even without trying, they sense a gap between themselves and others from the moment of birth and naturally look down from a higher perspective.
The arrogance of the Tian Ma clan has naturally descended through their lineage, having ruled and ruled since ancient times.
Even in martial arts, for instance, in the Heavenly Demon Domination Technique.
The problem arises when this arrogance grows excessively, viewing others as less than human.
In the ruthless world of the Demon Sect, where second place doesn’t exist, no one saw this as a problem. On the contrary, it was considered natural.
To the people, the Heavenly Demon was nothing less than the sole god and supreme master.
In any case, the Heavenly Demon harbored an unspoken bitterness about this fact.
Having spent countless, near-infinite years living alone, she knew how lonesome and solitary it could be.
“Still, I have… one more person beside my husband.”
The Sword Sage, Namgung Cheolbin.
The only man who followed her across countless timelines.
Whether he would turn pale upon hearing this, fighting was also a form of connection, wasn’t it? The Heavenly Demon chuckled faintly.
Though realizing that the Sword Sage, who had become her virtually only companion in the repeated timelines due to her disposition, had suffered greatly, a hint of bitterness returned anyway.
“So, my great ladydaughter, why have you called for me, this retired mother?”
The Heavenly Demon shifted the topic lightly, posing a low and quiet question.
“It’s not anything special. There’s something I’d like to discuss. And there’s also a favor I’d like to ask.”
The young master responded curtly. However, the meaning behind those words was anything but light.
“With so many capable talents within our sect, why come to me specifically?”
“Because it’s worth it.”
The young master leaned forward. Her small back that had been touching the Holy Seat moved further away.
“Before that, I have one question.”
“Speak, what question could my daughter ask that I couldn’t answer?”
“Recently, I reached a certain ‘realm.'”
When the young master raised her hand, a refreshing gust of wind sprang forth as if the wind itself was in unison with her.
A glimmer of interest appeared in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes. Though it looked like a light spell at first glance, it actually concealed an extraordinary principle of harmonizing with nature to control airflow.
“The mother once said that you grew stronger just by breathing. I understand that feeling now.”
“Currently… about as much as a tip of the mother’s hair? Or generously, one-tenth? I think. Anyway, ever since reaching this realm, I’ve started seeing things that were invisible before.”
The girl, who was only fourteen, swung her arms rigidly like wooden logs. Her robes fluttered wildly.
“For instance, the sensation of every single silk fiber in these clothes touching my skin.”
The girl exhaled softly. A gentle breeze disturbed the air currents within the Bright Hall.
“Or the scene where a breath creates waves in the air, disrupting the flow.”
The girl clenched and unclenched her cute little fist. Sinister demonic energy of myriad colors rose and enveloped her hands.
The girl observed this with a completely expressionless gaze. In the void, countless ‘lines’ were etched into the swirling demonic energy.
“Or, the fact that this world is made up of countless overlapping worlds. The layers accumulated from countless timelines now seem visible to me.”
“Already at that level? Indeed, that is remarkable.”
“It’s not me who’s remarkable. The truly remarkable one is…”
The girl grabbed the demonic energy with her hand. Even though it was formless, the moment the girl perceived it on a material level, the energy took on a shape.
“The unknown entity that rewinds time and disrupts the order of the world.”
“…Both are remarkable.”
Once shaped, it can’t escape the girl’s grasp. As the girl tightened her grip, the demonic energy helplessly crumbled and scattered into the air.
“The one who has rewound time countless times to create the current world.”
“…”
“Tell me. Who is it?”
