14. Disciple of the Ghost Soul Hand (4)
"Move this kid to the infirmary!"
Hajin’s last memory was the voice of the Blade Demon, shouting at him in a panic. After the darkness had swallowed his vision, Hajin slowly opened his eyes.
"Ugh…."
An unfamiliar wooden ceiling and the pungent scent of medicinal herbs. Every joint in his body ached as if it were screaming.
'I’m dying. Where am I now…?'
As he tried to sit up, the door burst open with a flurry of urgent voices.
"Hey! Cadet, you mustn't move yet!"
The man in white robes, seeing Hajin stirring, rushed over. He pressed down gently on Hajin’s shoulders to lay him back down and shouted.
"You need to rest. What on earth happened to leave your body in this state during the first-stage exam?"
The man, who appeared to be a physician, tilted his head, genuinely curious. Hajin replied calmly.
"Well. I ended up like this while blocking a strike from the Mad Demon."
*Clatter—!*
In an instant, the silver acupuncture needle case slipped from the man’s hand and hit the floor. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What? What did you just say?"
Seeing the physician’s shocked expression, Hajin asked with a frown.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Because it’s unbelievable! That madman came to the Demonic Path Academy? For what reason?"
The physician didn't even think to pick up his fallen needle case, continuing in an agitated voice.
"What could the Heavenly Demon possibly want with a mere first-stage exam…?"
"Are those called the Heavenly Demon such impressive figures?"
At Hajin’s question, the physician furrowed his brows instead. It was as if he were asking why Hajin would pose such an obvious question.
"Hah. A cadet of the Demonic Path Academy doesn't even know that? The Heavenly Demon is impressive, but the Mad Demon is on a completely different level. In fact, this infirmary wasn't originally located here. It was on a different mountain range, but it was moved here in its entirety."
"Why?"
"Because the Mad Demon was passing by and decided the mountain was blocking her view, so she blew away the entire mountain range…."
The physician shuddered as if recalling a horrific memory.
'No wonder the building looked so brand new.'
He hadn't known there was such a tragic backstory. Hajin muttered to himself, finally understanding.
"Anyway! It’s best to avoid getting involved with that madman at all costs. Even having ten lives wouldn't be enough to…."
At that moment, Hajin’s gaze shifted to the space behind the physician. Hajin started to say something, then stopped, his eyes darting around awkwardly. "Uh, well, that…."
The moment the physician, sensing something amiss, turned his head with a puzzled look.
"A madman, am I? I’m truly sorry about that."
An ice-cold voice drifted from behind the physician.
"More importantly, could you step aside for a moment? I have something to discuss with Cadet Number 400."
The Mad Demon had been there the whole time, glaring at the physician with murderous, violet eyes. At the same time, the physician’s body began to tremble like a leaf.
"Eek!"
Before he could even let out a proper scream, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed backward, fainting on the spot.
"My, my."
Hajin thought the Mad Demon might slit the throat of the unconscious physician right then and there. But contrary to his expectations, the Mad Demon grabbed the physician by the collar, dragged him out, tossed him outside the door, and slammed it shut.
Seeing this, Hajin asked, surprised.
"You aren't going to kill him?"
"Why would you think I’d kill him?"
"Because he… insulted you…?"
Weren't martial artists known for their immense pride? To the point of engaging in a life-or-death duel over a simple insult?
However, the Mad Demon just snorted.
"I can't kill a valuable talent of the Cult for such a trivial reason. I don't handle business based on personal feelings."
Her words were so rational and reasonable that it didn't sound like the Mad Demon at all, leaving Hajin momentarily confused.
'Oh? Is she more normal than I thought?'
It was the very moment he was about to revise his assessment of the Mad Demon. She continued with a wicked smile.
"So, I’ll just have to create more patients so that fellow has to work day and night. How dare he insult me?"
Hmm, I should take that back.
Hajin immediately corrected his thoughts. This woman was definitely not normal. Seeing her plan to take revenge in a way far more vicious than killing, Hajin felt a chill run down his spine.
"More importantly, why have you come to find me? Isn't the exam still in progress?"
The Mad Demon replied with a bored expression.
"The exam? It’s already been four *shichen* (eight hours) since it ended."
"Pardon…?"
Hajin asked back involuntarily. He hadn't realized he’d been unconscious for that long. But he soon accepted it. Since his Mana Spring had suffered a direct impact, it was only natural he would have fainted for that long.
Recalling the pain of his inner foundation being shaken, four *shichen* actually felt short. Hajin nodded and waited for the Mad Demon’s next words. What business could she possibly have with him?
But the Mad Demon paused for a moment, looking away with an awkward expression. After hesitating, she pulled a small wooden box from her robes and tossed it to Hajin.
The action was so unexpected that Hajin just stared blankly at the box she had offered.
"Take it and open it."
"What is this?"
"Just take it!"
"Yes…."
Hajin kept his mouth shut and carefully opened the box. Inside was a small medicinal pill.
* * *
After the exam ended in a mess earlier, the Blade Demon had blocked the Mad Demon’s path, his face still flushed with anger.
"You don't expect to just let today’s events slide, do you?"
The Mad Demon replied surprisingly compliantly. She glanced at the ruined sparring arena and let out an annoyed sigh.
"I didn't intend to just cover it up anyway. It was my mistake, so I should provide proper compensation."
Having said that, the Mad Demon rummaged through her robes, pulled out a small wooden box, and held it in her hand. Then, as if she had no further desire to converse with the Blade Demon, she turned sharply toward the infirmary where Hajin had been taken.
And that was the box she had just handed to Hajin. Of course, Hajin had no idea of the true value of the pill.
"What is this?"
"It’s a Ghost Dragon Pill."
A Ghost Dragon Pill. It was something usually reserved only for cadets who had performed meritorious service or achieved outstanding results, but the Mad Demon had simply taken one of her own allotted portions.
"It’s a miraculous medicine crafted by the Cult’s alchemists, so take it."
Hajin brought the dark red pill from the wooden box to his nose and sniffed it lightly.
'It smells quite bitter. A bit like herbal medicine…?'
It was unique, but not enough to be repulsive. Just as Hajin was rolling the pill around, hesitating, the Mad Demon shouted.
"You were vomiting blood earlier, so you must have suffered internal injuries. If you take that and practice circulation, you should recover somewhat."
"Can I just take it now?"
"And why not?"
"The surroundings… might be dangerous."
The Mad Demon snorted once, then sat down heavily on a chair and crossed her arms.
"I’ll stand guard for you, so hurry up and take it."
Feeling the Mad Demon’s gaze upon him, Hajin popped the pill into his mouth without hesitation. He didn't know how to practice circulation since he hadn't learned any internal arts, but if it could heal his wounds, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
The moment the pill slid down his throat, a bitter energy spread throughout his body. And then, something astonishing happened.
A warm, powerful energy flowed into his fractured mana core. Like gentle rain falling on a parched riverbed, the energy began to fill the cracks and replenish the empty space.
'What is this…?'
Hajin’s eyes widened. He had thought it was just a medicine to heal internal injuries, but its effect was manifesting in an entirely different way.
'My mana is recovering…?'
Although it was faint, the sensation of his mana, which had been completely bottomed out, was returning. For Hajin, this was more valuable than any other treasure.
A medicinal pill that restores mana?
'Could this possibly be used as a substitute for a mana potion?'
If these medicinal pills were also effective for mana recovery, he wouldn't have to struggle to find ingredients for mana potions. As if he had found a clue, Hajin’s eyes gleamed sharply.
He jumped up from his seat as if he could no longer delay.
"What is it? You didn't even practice circulation?"
The Mad Demon started to ask with a puzzled expression, but sensing something suspicious, she grabbed Hajin’s wrist. She intended to check his physical condition herself.
"Pardon me for a moment."
If he could absorb the medicine this quickly, he would naturally have an excellent constitution for learning martial arts.
As someone obsessed with martial arts, the Mad Demon couldn't help but want to know more about Hajin immediately.
'Let’s see. Are you truly a natural-born martial genius!'
But the sensation transmitted to her fingertips was completely unexpected. It was utterly empty.
There was a very faint trace of energy lingering, but she couldn't feel the deep, heavy flow of internal energy that a martial artist should naturally possess. It was like a bottomless pit—a hollow void.
The Mad Demon’s violet eyes, which rarely changed, trembled in shock.
"You… you have no internal energy?"
Her voice was filled with disbelief. She just kept holding Hajin’s wrist, staring at him with a confused expression.
"Is there a problem?"
"Do you really have no internal energy?"
This single sentence was closer to a lament over an unbelievable reality than a question.
Through the Mad Demon’s fingertips, Hajin’s pulse remained completely empty. It was a bizarre sensation, as if no martial arts whatsoever existed within him.
The Mad Demon’s mind went blank.
'No, that’s impossible. During the exam earlier, he clearly blocked my attack!'
She doubted her own eyes. No, she doubted the sensation in her fingertips. But no matter how many times she checked, the result was the same. There wasn't even a single shred of energy in this kid’s body that could be called internal energy.
'Then how did he block it?'
The scene from the exam hall flashed through her mind again. Just before her fist made contact, there had been a strange sensation, as if it had struck an invisible barrier.
It was a sensation entirely different from the heavy recoil that occurs when internal energies collide; it felt as if something had shattered and dispersed.
It was far too alien to be the martial arts of the Ghost Soul Hand.
‘Is it possible to block an attack imbued with my true energy without even having internal energy?’
It was impossible. It was something that should not happen. It was a negation of the common sense the Mad Demon had built up over her entire life.
“If you mean that I lack internal energy, then you are correct. I have never learned any martial arts.”
Hajin spoke only the truth. In any case, the person before him was the Mad Demon herself. A half-baked lie would never work.
Furthermore, she had confirmed that his words were not a lie just moments ago when she checked his pulse. That left only one possibility.
‘Ghost Soul Hand, that old geezer must have intentionally refrained from teaching this boy any martial arts.’
The Mad Demon swallowed hard.
‘Could it be that instead of internal energy, he has reached a realm where he can block my strike purely through the tempering of his physical body?’
If that were the case, blocking her attack made sense. It was absurd, of course, but didn't such oddities occasionally appear even among the monks of Shaolin? Things like the Bodhidharma Sutra, Overcoming Softness with Strength, or the Indestructible Diamond Body.
For a stubborn, eccentric old man like the Ghost Soul Hand, it was a feat he was more than capable of pulling off.
‘Ghost Soul Hand, what kind of monster have you created during your retirement?’
Her shock soon turned into admiration. A chilling yet wondrous smile spread across the Mad Demon’s lips.
‘If I were to teach my martial arts to a boy who has reached this level despite having no internal energy, he would truly become an unprecedented talent in the history of the Heavenly Demonic Cult.’
Still holding Hajin’s wrist, she scanned him with eyes that seemed to have discovered a treasure of the century and muttered.
“You, become my disciple.”
It was an extraordinary offer from the Mad Demon, the one who commanded the world, the Demonic Sovereign herself.
For any ordinary student, it would be an honor to their family, and they would have knelt on the spot without hesitation. However, Hajin’s reply was all too brief.
“I refuse.”
“What did you say…?”
Every expression vanished from the Mad Demon’s face. She blinked, as if she could not comprehend what she had just heard.
The face of the Demonic Sovereign, who ruled over the world, went blank, like a lost child.
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