Chapter 15: Blazing
‘I’ve never heard of a seven-year-old being able to use Air Walking!’
In fact, Chun-sung was riding on Bbibbi, but Jeok-un, who couldn't see Bbibbi, had no way of knowing that. He could only see Chun-sung as a genius using Air Walking.
And for good reason, Chun-sung was an absolute beginner who hadn't done even a speck of training. The Heavenly Demon wanted Seol Chun-sung to live a normal, peaceful life. She knew better than anyone that if her daughter, a child of the Heavenly Demon, entered the world of Murim, her life would be filled with constant bloodshed. Unlike her own life, she wanted Chun-sung to only experience good things. Even if her own life grew more fierce and painful, she refused to pass that burden onto Seol Chun-sung. Therefore, it was impossible for the Heavenly Demon to have taught Seol Chun-sung any martial arts.
‘Moreover, Air Walking is a highly difficult technique that even the Heavenly Demon, who is called a martial arts genius, only mastered after the age of ten... There's no way to learn it this quickly through orthodox methods. Then how on earth?’
Jeok-un tried to clear his vision, but the unbelievable sight remained. He was so stunned that he forgot to follow Chun-sung, then hurried to catch up.
“Weren't the Demonic Cult attacked by mysterious assassins a few days ago?”
There, Chun-sung confidently predicted the future, acting as if she knew everything happening within the Demonic Cult.
‘And she even said she knew who was behind the assassins who attacked the Demonic Cult.’
If that were true, Jeok-un couldn't deny that Chun-sung was essential to the Demonic Cult.
‘I thought she was a talent worth coveting just from seeing this much.’
Chun-sung's talent didn't end there.
‘The spring water from the Sipman Mountains that Chun-sung fetched.’
It was completely different from the spring water Jeok-un had been drinking.
‘Just drinking it replenished my scattered inner energy and even showed the effect of temporarily strengthening my martial arts.’
And that was from just half a cup!
‘The power to turn ordinary spring water into medicine... Seol Chun-sung is incredibly unique. Even I, the Young Leader, have never heard of such abilities.’
Now Jeok-un understood why the Heavenly Demon constantly praised her daughter as a genius.
‘I'd just assumed it was a foolish father bragging about his daughter.’
Jeok-un realized he couldn't hide Chun-sung's immense talent.
‘The only problem is that Chun-sung has no martial arts to protect herself. If she becomes too well-known in the Demonic Cult, she could be in danger.’
Jeok-un took out the red Yacha mask from the wooden drawer.
‘I have no choice but to report this to the Heavenly Demon.’
He should have reported it sooner, really.
As Jeok-un was about to put on the Yacha mask,
“It can change. The power derived from someone's death can also become the power to protect someone.”
“If you, Young Leader, truly have the heart to protect someone.”
Jeok-un was struck by Chun-sung's strong eyes looking straight at him, and
“Why are you trying so hard to stay in the Demonic Cult?”
“To save someone precious.”
Chun-sung's beautiful, bright smile flashed through his mind.
Thud.
Startled, Jeok-un dropped the Yacha mask. Just then, he heard a commotion outside.
"I'm not just 'the little ghost'! I have a name!"
Chun-sung was there, shouting in frustration.
‘She's tiny, but man, she's got a loud voice.’
Jeok-un found himself smiling slightly.
‘Why do I feel like I want to keep watching over that child?’
Jeok-un finally answered his own question.
‘Well, she's someone everyone would want. It's only natural, right?’
Jeok-un kept watching Chun-sung through the window, and noticed the brothers Jang-ryu and Chae-chae near her.
“Hey, I never got your name. What is it?”
“Seol-ch..., no. Seol!”
“Seol? That's a pretty name.”
It was just a normal conversation, but Jeok-un felt like they were closer to Chun-sung than he was.
‘When did they get so close?’
A strange feeling of discomfort washed over Jeok-un as he watched them. Jeok-un found himself constantly staring at Chun-sung.
* * *
After talking with the Young Leader, I sat on a rock between the buildings, lost in thought.
“Well then, Young Leader, it doesn't seem like you have any intention of teaching me, so I'll go find someone else.”
I'd said that so confidently, but who in the Demonic Cult would teach me martial arts? I don't know anyone!
‘Ugh... Maybe I should ask Dad?’
I have to go back home before Dad wakes up, so it's more efficient to train during that time than to waste it.
A long time ago, I'd asked Dad, just kidding around.
“Dad, how about I learn martial arts too? To use my strength to take down the bad guys who pick on the weak!”
Dad's reaction was ridiculous.
“Byeol-ah, what if you hurt your hand holding a sword?”
“If you start using martial arts, your opponents will just let you hit them because they want you to touch them. I can't stand the thought of that! Can't you learn later?”
‘Yeah, there's no way I'm learning martial arts from Dad.’
“What are you doing here alone? Little ghost.”
Just as I was starting to despair, the red-faced twins showed up.
‘Right, these guys were here.’
Since I'm a total beginner, it might be better to learn from someone who's also pretty new.
‘Okay, let's approach them naturally.’
"I'm not just 'the little ghost'! I have a name!"
“Hey, I never got your name. What is it?”
Chae-chae asked with a curious voice.
“Seol-ch..., no. Seol!”
“Seol? That's a pretty name.”
Jang-ryu, who had a more friendly personality than Chae-chae, praised my name.
“Doesn't your face feel like it's burning? I feel like someone's glaring daggers at me.”
At that moment, Chae-chae, who had been quiet, shuddered as if goosebumps had risen all over his body.
“Yeah, I feel it too, like a tingling on the back of my neck...”
Jang-ryu added.
“Maybe you trained too hard? You could just be tired.”
“Tired? I never get tired from normal training! Anyway, did you find the spring?”
Chae-chae looked me up and down and asked worriedly.
“Yeah, thanks to you, I found the spring easily. Thank you!”
“That's a relief. I was worried because I heard there's a monster that lives nearby, right around the spring.”
Chae-chae finally let out a sigh of relief.
‘Why are you only telling me this now? I could've run into that thing!’
Let's not get angry. I returned safely anyway. I need to focus on what's helpful now, not what happened before.
I hid my annoyance, forced a smile, and asked Chae-chae.
“There are monsters in the Sipman Mountains?”
“I've never seen it, but they say it's a monster with golden fur and eyes. Anyone who enters its territory has their inner core shattered and dies a cripple.”
Chae-chae continued, sounding like he was reciting an ancient legend.
“But why go into a place with such a dangerous monster? Did they not know?”
“No, they knew. They went in because they heard the monster was guarding a sacred treasure.”
“A sacred treasure?”
“Yeah, some kind of flower, I think.”
Jang-ryu's words suddenly reminded me of the lotus flower I had seen.
‘Nah, that can't be it. If it were a sacred treasure, the monster would've shown up right away. Anyway, let's get down to business.’
“I see…”
I tried to look sad.
“What's with the long face? Something bothering you?”
Kind-hearted Jang-ryu spoke to me.
‘Yes! It worked!’
“No, I do have something on my mind... but I only want to share good things with my bros. So don't worry about it.”
When I called them 'bros' and gave them a sad look, Jang-ryu and Chae-chae both clutched their chests.
“What's up? Tell us. We'll help if we can.”
“Yeah, tell us!”
Chae-chae jumped in, trying to act all cool and older-brotherly. He seemed to like being called 'bro'.
‘I hadn't expected Chae-chae to act so grown-up, since he's usually such a kid, unlike Jang-ryu.’
Jang-ryu echoed Chae-chae's words and was agitated.
‘If I keep going like this, I think it'll work?’
I have a good feeling about this.
I brought up the main point as if I had been waiting for this.
“Actually, I want to learn martial arts like you guys, but I don't have anyone to teach me... I thought maybe I could learn from you, but you're probably too busy training, right?”
I looked at them with puppy-dog eyes, trying to look dejected.
But surprisingly, instead of agreeing right away, the red-faced twins just looked at each other, looking uncomfortable.
Jang-ryu, seeming to lose their silent staring contest, finally spoke, looking troubled.
“Seol, I'm sorry. We can't teach you martial arts.”
“I knew it, it's because you guys are busy, right?”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and Jang-ryu quickly waved his hands.
“No, it's not that we don't want to. But our martial arts belong to the Demonic Cult. There's a rule – if we teach it to an outsider, we'll be executed.”
‘Ah... right. In stories, it's always forbidden to teach your sect's secret techniques to outsiders, isn't it?’
It was a long shot from the start.
Defeated, I buried my face in my knees and mumbled.
“Those Demonic Cult guys are slower than molasses... At this rate, I'll never learn any martial arts. Are they goofing off somewhere?”
I was grumbling in frustration about those nameless Demonic Cult members who were supposed to be checking my prophecy...
“Sorry, Seol-ah.”
“Don't cry, Seol-ah.”
The red-faced twins, thinking I was crying, sat down on either side of me and kept patting my back.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Demonic Cult members who were suspected by Chun-sung of slacking off were busy carrying out their duties.
“Boss, like you said, when we put salt on the wounds of the bodies, they all turned purple.”
One of the Sambi Unit reported the condition of the bodies to Bi-wang, and immediately another appeared from a different direction with his report.
“We infiltrated the Sichuan Tang Clan, confirmed the presence of Chungsacho, and when we put salt on the bodies killed by it, the wounds turned purple.”
“So it was those Tang Clan bastards?”
Bi-wang ground his teeth in fury, looking at the bodies of his comrades.
“What should we do?”
At the Sambi Unit member's question, Bi-wang's eyes sharpened.
“Find the assassins who killed our comrades and kill them all. The same way they did it.”
“Yes!”
After the Sambi Unit left, Bi-wang thought of a child. It was Chun-sung.
Confusion filled Bi-wang's face as he pictured Chun-sung.
“Who is that kid?”
