Chapter 330: Silver Flower Pavilion (2) |
Star-Siphoning Ghost Demon.
As her epithet implies, she had mastered the Star-Siphoning Art.
One of the Demonic Cult’s rare peak-master experts…
Not the strongest, but unquestionably one of the most troublesome opponents.
The reason was simple.
What I fought in my previous life was a war against the Demonic Cult.
Not duels—but clashes where dozens, sometimes hundreds, of martial artists killed and were killed.
In that chaos, someone like the Star-Siphoning Ghost Demon, who never tired because of her martial art’s nature, was an absolute threat.
Star-Siphoning Art.
A forbidden art—shunned by both orthodox and unorthodox factions—classified under jin gong, forbidden cultivation.
It devoured the opponent’s inner energy and made it the user’s own.
Originally, it was a supplementary method meant to stabilize energy transfer between bodies…
But as time passed, it was simplified and abused until it became the current monstrosity that forcibly sucked away inner qi—even innate qi.
The history of the technique didn’t matter.
The problem was simple: It looks perfect on the surface.
Weakening your opponent while strengthening yourself with ease?
What martial artist wouldn’t dream of such a technique?
But the moment you actually used it, problems arose.
The purity or impurity of inner qi depended on how much foreign influence was mixed into it.
Even highly refined qi became impurity if its nature didn’t match the user’s.
And a polluted reservoir of inner qi corrupted the heart method. It dragged the user toward deviation.
As if that alone weren’t fatal enough—There was the issue of capacity.
Inner qi increased rapidly, yes.
But the dantian—the vessel holding it—did NOT expand at the same speed.
Normally, one grows the dantian gradually through training or sudden enlightenment.
And one’s total inner qi capacity depends on that size.
But the Star-Siphoning Art simply stuffed external refined energy straight into the dantian.
A little could be tolerated.
Past a certain point?
The dantian shattered.
And when the vessel breaks, that rampaging qi detonates inside the body like a bomb.
Even if one survived the catastrophic internal wounds, without a dantian, their martial life was over.
A technique with immense benefits… and equally immense danger.
No sane person would learn it. But every era has its idiots who think:
“I can do it! I’m special!”
Several arrogant fools tried.
They all died—insane, berserk, leaving bloody disasters behind.
Only after many such tragedies did both orthodox and unorthodox factions finally agree to classify it as forbidden.
The Martial Alliance and Black Lotus Sect erased every trace of the art, dissuaded or eliminated practitioners… Until eventually, the Star-Siphoning Art faded into myth.
Then Star-Siphoning Ghost Demon appeared.
She resurrected the lost art—and even overcame many of its side-effects in her own twisted way.
Heart deviation?
She was already a revenge-crazed demonic follower.
Going insane again changed nothing.
Exploding dantian?
Whether due to demonic cultivation or innate constitution, her meridians were unnaturally sturdy.
She could absorb and discharge qi simultaneously and remain intact.
By all rights—I should kill her here.
I opened my mouth with that intent.
“You do realize that woman is from the Demonic Cult?”
“Oh my? What a considerate man. You came all this way just to warn me?”
“…Damn it.”
That sultry gaze swept over me, and I instinctively reached for my sword.
But Brahma Heavenly Lust Demon merely laughed, as if used to this reaction.
“But I do know. I’m simply choosing to get fooled by a Demonic Cult girl.”
…What?
Something was off.
Before I could process it, he chuckled again and gently stroked the unconscious woman—Star-Siphoning Ghost Demon, whose real name was Dan-yul.
“Dan-yul approached me from the beginning to lure me to the Demonic Cult. I’m well aware.”
“Then why… wait. Don’t tell me you actually think the Demonic Cult can restore your manhood?”
“Of course not. You’re a Flowering Stage cultivator. You should know why my body became the way it is after rebirth.”
“…Fair.”
When I fought Poison Demon, I emptied myself completely—looked into the bottom of the well in my heart—and Tang Sowol planted the sweetest poison there.
That was how my reborn body gained poison immunity.
Every Flowering Stage master had their own reason and process.
One couldn’t mistake their own awakening; it was literally confronting oneself.
Rebirth required absolute introspection.
“So no matter what grand technique the Demonic Cult has prepared, it won’t restore what I’ve lost.”
“Then why…?”
“Simple. I wasn’t tempted by the Demonic Cult’s offer.
I merely pretended to waver so I could keep this child by my side.”
Ah.
I understood.
Despite his lifestyle, Brahma Heavenly Lust Demon liked women.
Though constantly searching for a way to restore his manhood, he also knew it was realistically impossible.
So then—
“And that girl is precious to you.”
“It’s a bit complicated, but yes.”
“And if I insist that she must die?”
“You’ll need to step over my corpse first.”
“Well, can’t be helped then.”
As subtle hostility seeped from him, I shrugged and plopped myself down onto the cushion.
“…Hm?”
“Do you know why I came here?”
“If it wasn’t to tell me Dan-yul is a demonic spy… then absolutely no clue.”
“Listen carefully. A war between the Demonic Cult and the Central Plains is coming.”
“The Demonic Cult probably always considered it a war.”
“But this won’t be a small skirmish ending with them being chased off. The entire martial world might collapse—and even then victory isn’t guaranteed.”
“Aren’t you exaggerating?”
“I’m not. You pride yourself on information, don’t you?
Have you heard that the Martial Alliance and the Black Lotus Sect are trying to ally recently?”
“…That was real?”
“Since you seem halfway informed, this will go quickly.”
I explained the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance, the Heavenly Demon, and the reason behind my Duel Journey.
He listened blankly, then let out a hollow laugh.
“Unbelievable.”
“But it’s true.”
“It matches everything I’ve learned… Why tell me this for free?”
“Two reasons.”
“Mm.”
“First: I was going to tell you anyway.”
“Right. Ultimately you want me loyal enough to the Black Lotus Sect that I won’t betray—or rather, can’t betray—when the time comes.”
“Correct. Second: There are problems I cannot solve by force.”
“That’s an unmanly way of thinking. You could at least try.”
“If I draw my blade, I will strike down not only you but also Dan-yul. I have no intention of sparing a Demonic Cult hound. Even then, would you follow me out of fear of death?”
He glared silently.
That was the core of this Duel Journey.
Most people valued their own lives above all else—so they surrendered when cornered.
Like One-Saber Asura.
But some people valued something else more than themselves.
Like how I valued Tang Sowol, Seol Liyang, Seo Mun-Hwarin.
“For those people, threatening their life means nothing.”
“…I expressed that I liked this girl, but I never said she mattered more than my life.”
“There’s a way to know.”
In my previous life, during the war…as rumors spread about the Heavenly Demon’s overwhelming might, and as every defector died horrific deaths,
Brahma Heavenly Lust Demon’s sudden defection and death always puzzled me.
I assumed he followed the Heavenly Demon hoping for a cure.
But clearly, he had NEVER believed in that.
After reaching Flowering Stage, he had scoured the world desperately for a cure.
He wouldn’t suddenly believe the Demonic Cult could do it.
So why defect?
Why die meaninglessly?
The answer was obvious now.
Dan-yul.
In this life, she showed no signs of star-siphoning cultivation yet.
Which meant that within ten years, she would not only reach peak master level but become one of the most dangerous foes in the Demonic Cult.
And recalling when she appeared on the battlefield in my previous life…
It all fit.
He must have followed her.
And died after she absorbed all his inner qi with the Star-Siphoning Art.
A tragically fitting end for a man who ruined countless households—only to be ruined himself by love.
Regardless, if he valued Dan-yul above his own life,
threats would not work on him.
Which meant I needed something stronger than force.
“Love is the only power that can win here.”
“…What are you planning?”
Sensing something, he hugged Dan-yul tighter.
Not that it mattered.
“If you care about Dan-yul’s life, then cooperate with me.”
“…?”
“After everything is over, I’ll return her unharmed. Until then, she stays in custody.”
He blinked—processing the words—then scowled deeply.
“That’s just blackmail!”
“I haven’t drawn my sword yet, so I call it negotiation.”
See?
I really am a gentle person.