"Demonic Arts Manuals?"
"...Yes."
Mudam tilted his head slowly. Suddenly? Why? Was he trying to gain some inspiration by looking at the manuals?
Madongpil bowed briefly and continued speaking.
"Since Young Master Seo's nameplate is kept in the Protection Hall, I thought we should retrieve that first..."
In an instant, Mudam's eyes sharpened.
"Young Master Seo?"
Madongpil realized his mistake.
"Actually..."
He recounted his conversation with Seoryang to Mudam.
Mudam furrowed his brows.
"Did the Young Master personally request this?"
"Yes."
"..."
Mudam couldn't understand. He couldn't comprehend the actions of the Third Young Master at all.
'Has he truly suffered some harm to his mind?'
Ever since awakening from the Demonic Possession, the Third Young Master's behavior had been completely different.
After hearing the Sect Leader's words, Mudam had asked the maid, Aenghwa, about various things. Among the meaningful things she had said were:
- The Third Young Master seems very different from before...
- His speech and actions seem a bit confused...
- No! It's not that he's violent... It's just that he seems unsure of what to do...
And now, with Madongpil's report...
'It's as if he's become a completely different person.'
The Third Young Master he knew was talented but excessively arrogant and greedy. Naturally, he had no regard for those he considered beneath him. He was a tyrant. If someone displeased him, he would kill them without reason. That was the kind of person the Third Young Master was.
But since awakening from the Demonic Possession, he seemed like a completely different person.
After pondering for a while, Mudam took out a golden key from his pocket.
"Take it."
"...!"
Madongpil's eyes shook.
"Sect Leader, that is..."
"As you know, the borrowing period is three days. Take a few manuals along with the others."
"...Understood. Please write out the loan permit."
Mudam quickly wrote the permit, stamped it, and handed it to him.
"Contact me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes!"
"Ah, and have you explained the Lonely Bamboo Forest to the Young Master?"
"Not yet. I plan to do so today."
Mudam frowned.
"You know how dangerous the Lonely Bamboo Forest is. While the area near the residence is safe, it's not completely secure. I trust you to handle it, but explain it to him as soon as possible."
"Yes."
"You may go now."
Madongpil bowed deeply and left.
Mudam walked to the window, his face dark.
'What did the Sect Leader see in the Third Young Master to send him to the Lonely Bamboo Forest?'
The Lonely Bamboo Forest.
It was a demonic forest that existed even before the Heavenly Demonic Sect settled in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. It was both a gift that allowed the sect, which had only one absolute powerhouse, the First Heavenly Demon, to grow into a major faction in a short time, and also the source of countless demonic lives lost over a thousand years.
For those with fate, it would grant the greatest gifts, but for those without fate, it would drag them into a pit of death. This was why only a handful of those who had resided in the Lonely Bamboo Forest had ever walked out unscathed.
"From the Demon Judgment Hall to the Lonely Bamboo Forest. The Third Young Master has already been placed on the Sect Leader's trial twice."
He passed the Demon Judgment Hall.
What would happen in the Lonely Bamboo Forest? At the crossroads of life and death, where failure means death and success means survival, which path would the Third Young Master choose?
"One, two, three, four... seventeen."
"..."
"Seventeen?!"
Madongpil bowed.
"I've selected only the best, so the number isn't too large."
Seoryang was stunned.
This isn't too many? Isn't this way too many?
'Well, does it matter?'
Having many books to reference was a good thing for him. It meant he could thoroughly explore the system of Demonic Arts.
As Seoryang stared at the manuals, his expression suddenly became uneasy.
'Damn it! Now I have to learn Demonic Arts too?'
Grumbling inwardly, he shook his head at a sudden thought.
'Don't be prejudiced. The moment you think Demonic Arts are inferior to Divine Arts, it becomes difficult to see their essence.'
Look at it clearly. Think of it as studying a new system.
...For now, at least.
'Besides, the Sect Leader also learned Demonic Arts, didn't he?'
There were many rumors about the Demonic Sect Leader, but he had always thought the number one in the world would be from the orthodox martial world.
That was a huge misconception. At least, the Demonic Sect Leader he had seen was a powerhouse far beyond any top expert from the orthodox martial world.
'This isn't a level you can reach with talent alone. There must be high-level martial arts within Demonic Arts as well.'
That was the right thought.
'And if it really doesn't work out, I can just expel it.'
I have the Limitless Art, don't I? My recovery is second to none in the world.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Seoryang immediately picked up a book.
At that moment, Madongpil spoke.
"Young Master Seo. There's something I need to tell you."
"Ah, go ahead."
"Out of the seventeen books, three must be returned in three days. If you're short on time, it might be best to read those three first."
Seoryang's eyes widened.
"Three? In three days?"
"Yes."
"What about the others?"
"Officially, it's fifteen days, but since they're all copies, you can return them in a month without any issues."
"What's so special about those three manuals that they need to be returned in three days?"
It's clear the Young Master has some memory issues.
Madongpil carefully selected the three books.
Seoryang's eyes sparkled.
'Oh?'
These clearly aren't copies.
"These three are the Ten Great Demonic Arts of our sect."
The Ten Great Demonic Arts.
Even within the Heavenly Demonic Sect, these were the top-tier Demonic Arts, each one a supreme technique that could allow one to dominate the world if mastered.
"As you know, they have been permitted to the First Young Master, the Second Young Master, and now the Third Young Master."
"Really?"
"Perhaps you don't remember?"
After briefly gauging Madongpil's expression, Seoryang quickly raised both thumbs and pressed them against his temples.
"I don't. Why else would I ask for the manuals?"
As expected...
Madongpil's face showed a hint of pity.
The entire sect knew how violent the Third Young Master had been in the past. Madongpil was no exception.
But now that he had lost his memory, Madongpil felt a human sense of pity. He couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be to not remember one's past.
Of course, that pity was fleeting.
'Perhaps it's just retribution.'
Madongpil shook his head, realizing that such thoughts were disrespectful.
"Anyway, three days, right? Then I'll just read these first. Got it."
"Ah, and..."
Madongpil hesitated.
Seoryang was already reading one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts, the Blood Calamity Demonic Art.
It wasn't the right atmosphere to interrupt. His eyes were moving rapidly, completely absorbed.
After hesitating for a moment, Madongpil sighed deeply.
'What can I do?'
He had wanted to explain what the Lonely Bamboo Forest was, but this attempt had also failed. It wasn't just any manual; it was one of the top-tier manuals that had to be mastered in three days. It wouldn't be polite to break his concentration.
He looked around.
'There's no sign of anything yet, and the defenses are well set up.'
The 'things' would only start moving intensely half a month later. Moreover, this was the safest area in the Lonely Bamboo Forest. The 'things' rarely came here, and even if they did, they weren't particularly dangerous.
Grip.
Madongpil's hand tightened on the sword at his waist, a determined look on his face.
'Still, stay alert.'
He carefully left the room, not wanting to disturb Seoryang.
Some time passed.
"Huh?"
Seoryang looked around.
"What's this?"
He felt like someone was watching him.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Seoryang fixed his gaze back on the book.
These Demonic Arts, each one is vicious beyond belief, but there's a depth to them I didn't expect.
Feeling an unexpected interest, Seoryang immersed himself back into the Blood Calamity Demonic Art.
Flash!
Beyond the window, in the dense bamboo forest, a pair of blue eyes glowed.
Three days had passed.
"Have you finished reading?"
"Ah, take them."
Madongpil looked around in surprise.
Seoryang hadn't just read the three Ten Great Demonic Arts. It seemed he had also devoured over ten other Demonic Arts manuals.
"Did you... read all of these?"
"Yeah."
"..."
"Why?"
"Ah, nothing."
Did he really read all of this?
The sheer volume was hard to believe could be digested in such a short time.
And it wasn't just reading. He would have needed to analyze the characteristics of each Demonic Art.
To finish all but a few in three days? Was that even possible?
Seoryang, seeing his dazed expression, frowned.
"What are you doing? Take them."
"Ah, yes!"
"And when you come back, bring some usable weapons."
"What kind of weapons?"
"Any kind. Swords, sabers, spears—whatever seems useful, just bring them."
"Understood."
After all, to survive here, some preparation was necessary. Madongpil quickly gathered the three manuals and left the Lonely Bamboo Forest.
As he reached the entrance, Madongpil suddenly stopped and glanced back.
'Nothing will happen, right?'
So far, nothing had happened. As long as he stayed in the residence, there shouldn't be any problems.
With that, Madongpil left the Lonely Bamboo Forest...
"Ugh!"
Seoryang flopped onto the bed.
His face showed fatigue, but unlike usual, his expression was very serious.
"Demonic Arts... this is no ordinary thing."
He was genuinely impressed by the Demonic Arts.
The Shadowless Art he had learned in the past was also a top-tier martial art, though not widely known. Naturally, the Shadowless Art was created by combining secret techniques from the Nine Great Sects. While it wasn't necessarily stronger than their secret techniques, its depth and purity were unmatched in its time.
Demonic Arts were different.
Demonic Arts valued boldness over purity. They focused on output over stability, attack over defense, and direct strength over flexibility.
And that had something in common with the assassin's killing techniques.
"The Ten Great Demonic Arts..."
Seoryang slowly rubbed his lips.
"They're indeed incredible martial arts."
They were top-tier martial principles in their own right. Just by studying multiple Demonic Arts, Seoryang's understanding had grown a step beyond what it had been during his time as the Assassin King.
The problem was...
"I don't need to learn them."
He picked up the manual he had been reading earlier.
'The True Demonic Art?'
Madongpil had misunderstood one thing.
Seoryang hadn't left just a few manuals unfinished. He had already devoured all the manuals and had been rereading the True Demonic Art, which had caught his interest, for half a day.
'This one... seems decent...'
In terms of pure level, it couldn't match the Ten Great Demonic Arts.
But he had no intention of learning the Demonic Arts themselves.
Staring at the manual, Seoryang ruffled his hair.
"Ah, I don't know! Let's clear my head first."
He sat up cross-legged on the bed and activated the Limitless Art.
Whoosh.
In an instant, the air in the room cleared, and Seoryang's face relaxed.
'As expected, the Limitless Art is the best when you're feeling stuffy...'
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
'...?'
Ssshh.
There was no sound, but his instincts picked up on a faint footstep.
Slowly untangling his legs, he turned his gaze to the window.
Flash!
A pair of glowing blue eyes.
Seoryang's mouth fell open.
"What... what is that?"
Boom!
The owner of the eyes charged towards the window at an incredible speed.