Chapter 05
Namgung Cheon looked down at Changcheon and Mukhon, the two swords resting in his hands.
‘My body is still too weak to properly wield a sword.’
The soul of the Heavenly Demon had awakened, but the vessel meant to contain that soul remained crude and fragile.
At this rate, his body would shatter under the sword’s momentum before he could even swing it.
‘I need to raise my cultivation.’
He did not hesitate.
Placing both swords on the table, he sat down cross-legged once more.
His first objective was the Small Heavenly Cycle (Sojucheon).
He needed to open the major acupoints and circulate his internal energy through his entire body twelve times.
“Hu…”
A long breath escaped his lips.
Pure yet explosive energy rose from his dantian and flowed into that exhalation.
The original Namgung Cheon had never properly practiced energy circulation.
As a result, his acupoints were clogged with impurities as thick as mud at the bottom of a river.
‘It starts here.’
He compressed the internal energy gathered within his dantian.
Then, without hesitation, he launched it toward the first gate of the Small Heavenly Cycle—the Gihye Acupoint.
Thud!
The energy rebounded violently as though it had struck a solid wall.
The feeling was like throwing an egg against a boulder.
The acupoint did not budge.
But this was only the beginning.
‘Break.’
Namgung Cheon refused to give up.
If once wasn’t enough, then ten times.
If ten wasn’t enough, then a hundred.
Again and again, he drove his energy into the same point.
Crack—
At last, a faint fracture appeared in the sturdy barrier.
As his energy squeezed through the opening, the previously sealed meridians trembled as if screaming in agony.
“Urgh…”
A surge of pain swept through his entire body.
His blood vessels felt as though they would burst.
His muscles cried out in protest.
The original Namgung Cheon would have fallen into qi deviation after a single attempt.
But he was the Heavenly Demon.
‘This level of pain is nothing.’
Pain was merely proof of life.
A wall meant to be overcome.
His energy began moving continuously through his acupoints.
The first circulation was hell itself.
Each acupoint felt as though a blade was slicing through flesh.
The second circulation was even worse.
The already-damaged meridians now felt on the verge of tearing apart completely.
But the true crisis arrived during the third circulation.
Thump.
Like a lamp running out of oil, the flow of energy suddenly weakened.
‘…Not enough internal energy.’
For the first time, Namgung Cheon’s brow furrowed deeply.
It was an unexpected problem.
The total amount of energy accumulated within this body was far lower than he had anticipated.
His reckless attempts had nearly exhausted everything he possessed.
If he stopped now, the half-opened meridians would be destroyed by the backlash of reversed energy.
Qi deviation would be inevitable.
Yet with this meager amount of energy, opening the next acupoint was nearly impossible.
A dead end.
‘There is still one method.’
A secret technique of the Demonic Cult surfaced from his previous life.
Hwangobanwongong (Return Essence Through Pain).
A forbidden art that converted suffering into internal energy by inflicting pain upon the body itself.
A demonic technique born from pure madness.
No sane person would ever dare attempt it.
But Namgung Cheon did not hesitate.
‘There is no power gained without pain.’
His consciousness spread throughout his entire body.
“Urgh!”
An unbearable agony descended upon him, as if flesh were being scraped from bone.
Yet he did not stop.
‘Any pain that cannot consume me will only become fuel for my fire.’
At the very depths of that agony, a new spark ignited within his dantian.
The dying flame of his internal energy blazed back to life.
More violent than before.
Far more explosive.
Using that flame born of suffering as fuel, he resumed his circulation.
And when he reached the third cycle—
A change finally began.
The resistance weakened as though it had never existed.
The energy forged from pain melted away every obstruction in its path.
Fourth cycle.
Fifth cycle.
With each circulation, the process accelerated exponentially.
His internal energy surged wildly throughout his body.
Then at last—
The moment the twelfth circulation ended.
Wooooong—
A low resonance echoed throughout his entire body.
The completion of the Twelve Cycles.
The attainment of the Small Heavenly Cycle.
Whoooosh!
A wave of energy burst outward, causing the air inside the room to ripple.
Namgung Cheon slowly opened his eyes.
The crimson light of dawn was already streaming through the cracks in the door.
One night.
In that short span of time, he had been reborn.
This body was no longer the weak and powerless Namgung Cheon of the past.
It had become a vessel capable of containing the Heavenly Demon’s soul and the power that accompanied it.
‘This will suffice for now.’
He rose to his feet.
Every movement carried a flawless balance absent before.
‘Now it’s time to reclaim what belongs to me.’
Yesterday’s Sword Marsh was merely the beginning.
He had no expectation that the old men of the clan would willingly grant him the treatment he deserved because of that alone.
He had no intention of waiting.
Waiting for something that would never come was the privilege of fools.
Creak—
The door to his residence opened.
Baek Heon, who had been standing guard outside, startled and quickly looked up.
“Young Master, have you awakened? Huh—”
His breath caught in his throat.
The aura emanating from his master had changed yet again.
Yesterday, it had felt like a sharpened sword.
Now, it felt like staring into an endless abyss capable of devouring everything.
Namgung Cheon gave a slight nod and spoke.
“Follow me. We’re going to the main hall.”
Baek Heon asked no questions.
He simply bowed his head and followed behind him.
Turning his back on the humble residence, Namgung Cheon began walking.
To claim what was rightfully his.
Main Hall of the Namgung Clan
The conference hall where all major decisions of the Namgung Clan were made.
The seat of the Clan Head at the highest position stood empty.
Occupying that vacant position was Zhuge Hwa.
Having been granted full authority by the Clan Head, she sat calmly while observing the assembled elders.
Below her, the clan elders were seated on either side.
An oppressive tension filled the hall.
No one spoke.
Only the faint sound of fingers brushing teacups disturbed the silence.
The one who finally broke it was the Tenth Elder, Namgung Baek.
Slowly rising from his seat, he spoke.
“As everyone here knows, the Third Young Master completed the Sword Marsh yesterday.”
His gaze swept across the elders.
“And according to the laws of our clan, one who accomplishes such a feat must be granted the appropriate reward.”
Several elders’ expressions shifted subtly.
Particularly those who belonged to neither faction.
Namgung Baek did not miss the opportunity.
“The Sword Marsh exists to ensure that those blessed with great martial talent receive the status and support necessary to fully realize that talent. This is one of the iron principles of our Namgung Clan.”
His words were less a proposal and more a declaration.
When he finished speaking, silence once again settled over the hall.
The facts were difficult to dispute.
But the silence did not last long.
“I understand the Tenth Elder’s loyalty. However, following the law and determining its application are two different matters.”
It was the Seventh Elder, Namgung Do.
Leisurely taking a sip of tea, he intentionally slowed the flow of the discussion.
“What exactly do you mean by status and support?”
His gaze swept across the room.
After briefly pausing on several elders who supported the First Young Master, he continued.
“Surely we cannot recklessly grant treatment surpassing that of the eldest son merely because the Third Young Master has completed the Sword Marsh.”
The eldest son.
At those words, the atmosphere shifted.
Several elders stroked their beards and nodded.
Namgung Baek’s expression hardened.
After a brief pause, Namgung Do glanced at Zhuge Hwa before speaking again.
“I merely hope I am mistaken in thinking that the Tenth Elder’s intentions resemble those of someone planting the seeds of discord within the clan.”
It was a clever distortion of the issue.
Immediately, another elder supporting the First Young Master joined in.
“Indeed. We respect the spirit of the law, but the scale and procedure must be carefully considered. The Third Young Master’s abilities have yet to be properly verified. We do not even know whether the Sword Marsh he received truly corresponds to his talent.”
Namgung Baek refused to retreat.
His face reddened with anger.
“Verified? What absurd nonsense is this? Since when does one verify whether a Sword Marsh is deserved?”
The debate intensified.
Then Namgung Do, wearing a relaxed smile, delivered the decisive blow.
“More importantly, Tenth Elder, I find one thing particularly curious.”
He leaned back.
“The beneficiary of these rewards—the Third Young Master himself—is not even present. Why is it that you speak as though you are his representative?”
“…”
Namgung Baek’s expression froze.
Namgung Do pressed on.
“If these truly are the Third Young Master’s wishes, should he not personally come and demand his rights? We have yet to hear a single word from him directly.”
Namgung Baek fell silent.
His proposal was meant for Namgung Cheon’s benefit.
Yet the very person concerned had never voiced his opinion.
His position suddenly lacked legitimacy.
The atmosphere quickly shifted in Namgung Do’s favor.
Anxiety appeared on Namgung Baek’s face.
Just as he was about to speak—
Rumble—
A heavy grinding sound echoed through the hall as the tightly closed doors slowly opened.
As if by prior arrangement, every gaze turned toward the entrance.
A lone figure stood there, framed by the brilliant morning sunlight.
Stepping out from the shadows was the very subject of the debate.
Namgung Cheon.
His eyes calmly swept across the entire hall.
The various expressions of the seated elders.
The indifferent gaze of his mother watching everything from above.
He took it all in at a glance.
Then his eyes settled upon Namgung Do.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“So.”
His calm voice resonated throughout the hall.
“As you suggested…”
He looked directly at the Seventh Elder.
“I shall speak for myself.”
