"Excuse me, I will now touch your body. Please forgive my rudeness."
"Ah..."
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Uh..."
"I humbly await your words, Young Master."
"So, that is..."
"..."
"...Just do what you were doing."
"Yes, then."
The man, like an obedient child, quietly took hold of Tianhazhen's pulse point.
Shudder!
'It's cold.'
Where had his body temperature gone? His fingers were as cold as ice. The chill pierced through the calluses on his hand, sending shivers down his spine.
Damn it, even a corpse would feel warmer than this.
The man closed his eyes.
Hummm.
A strange resonance sound accompanied by a faint aura.
Tianhazhen's pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.
The ominous energy pouring in through his pulse point.
'It's real demonic energy!'
Demonic energy.
And not just any demonic energy that had gone awry from practicing some random martial arts.
This was the real deal, the kind that could only be produced by mastering a fully established demonic martial art, the so-called orthodox demonic arts.
His mind snapped awake.
'Damn it! So this place really is... Ugh!'
Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him. He wanted to vomit, even though he hadn't eaten anything.
I've always been curious—don't you guys feel suffocated? Carrying this disgusting energy around, don't you feel depressed or nauseous?
The man, with his eyes still closed, spoke.
"Your meridians are damaged, but the twisted energy channels have somewhat settled. Fortunately, you've passed the dangerous phase."
I know that.
"Your muscles have atrophied quite a bit, but your vitality and life force are holding strong. That's why you can move around without much discomfort."
I know, damn it.
"The disappearance of your dantian is puzzling... but it might actually be for the best. A dantian that only produces turbid energy is better off gone."
I get it, so please, get rid of this disgusting demonic energy!
The man removed his hand from Tianhazhen's pulse point. Tianhazhen finally let out a long breath, as if he could breathe again.
Afterward, the man and the physician spoke in hushed tones, discussing how to proceed with the treatment.
Tianhazhen rolled his eyes.
'Damn it! Curses!'
It's a given that his body will recover. He had some knowledge of medicine, and the Wuaigong's strange techniques were quite miraculous.
The real problem was that this place was the Demon Sect.
'Ahhh! I'm going to lose my mind, seriously!!'
The Heavenly Demon Sect.
Known as the Thousand-Year Demon Sect, it was the oldest and most evil demonic force in the history of the martial world.
In terms of sheer martial power, it was undoubtedly the strongest, and its mere existence was enough to make the entire martial world tense.
Even though the combined forces of the Righteous Alliance and the Iron Blood Sect were overwhelming in numbers, the martial world still referred to the three major powers as the Three Great Forces.
The fact that a single martial force could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these alliances spoke volumes about the danger of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
There were the Seven Great Demon Families, but they were essentially branches of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The Demon Sect and the Seven Families.
To those living in the martial world, they were considered the worst kind of evil, on par with a plague.
In short...
'I need to escape!'
Fish need to live in water. The moment they come ashore, they die, regardless of the species.
Just being related to the Seven Families would have caused an uproar, but now I'm the Young Master of the Demon Sect? I thought I was in trouble before, but now I'm really screwed.
No matter what, escape is the answer. This is no time to worry about status or anything else.
If I don't escape, I'll die!
"The speed of your recovery is quite fast. However, I believe you still need to rest. We will continue with the medicinal soup and acupuncture twice a day, so for now, it's best to stay in bed."
The man's voice was blunt and clipped, like stones tumbling down a hill. It was quite an irritating tone and voice.
For the sake of the patient's peace, you should just keep your mouth shut.
"Physician Zhang."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"From now on, prepare the Full Recovery Soup. Use the Golden Crystal Needles for acupuncture. Change his meals to regular food."
"Is... is that alright?"
"..."
"Understood."
The man referred to as the Sect Leader bowed his head slightly toward Tianhazhen.
"I will visit every two days. Please take care of yourself until we meet again."
With those words, the man left the room.
The maid stood trembling to the side, while Physician Zhang coughed awkwardly and took Tianhazhen's pulse again.
Tianhazhen turned his head away from them. This wasn't the time to worry about them.
'This is dangerous. Really dangerous.'
Now that I know this is the Demon Sect, I need to give up any thoughts of just recovering a bit and then leaving.
If possible, I need to leave now. No, even if it's impossible, I have to make it possible.
The eyes of the former number one assassin burned with a firm determination...
But they also looked extremely uneasy.
'Let's just get out of here first!'
Honestly, it was an unrealistic dream.
I knew this was the Demon Sect, and I knew that my current identity was extremely significant.
So what? Whether I sneak out or leave openly, I need the strength and justification to do so.
In terms of strength, I was undoubtedly at the top of the martial world, but that was in the past. Justification? There's none of that.
Who in their right mind would let a frail patient like me go outside?
In other words, Tianhazhen had no way to escape from this place.
How can I get out of here? Is there any way to escape without being noticed?
After much deliberation, Tianhazhen decided to first assess the situation.
And he despaired.
"Compared to two days ago, your vitality has greatly increased. This is truly an encouraging result.
The reason is that vitality is similar to the accumulation of internal energy, so the more it is stimulated, the faster it builds up."
"..."
"It will take time for your internal injuries to heal, but in five more days, your body should enter a stable phase. So..."
"..."
"I earnestly request that you focus on recuperating in your quarters. Please!"
"Thanks for the advice."
"My apologies."
Apologies? You're the one who grabbed me by the back of the neck and threw me onto the bed!
Tianhazhen gritted his teeth.
I knew I'd get caught. But I had to try, at least to gather some basic information about the nearby terrain.
I need to know where the exits are, where this path leads, before I can even take the first step.
I was confident that my ability to assess the terrain was second to none.
I could even draw a map in my head after just one glance.
But I couldn't do it.
The moment I tried to sneak out the door while the maid was briefly away, the man appeared at just the right time, as if he had been waiting.
The result... is as you see.
"May I take your pulse once more?"
If you say no, I won't... Ah, it's cold!
Tianhazhen grumbled inwardly.
'Why don't you just ask?'
Cold-hearted bastard. Rude beyond measure.
A moment later, the man opened his eyes.
His expression was still stiff, but there was an unmistakable look of surprise in his eyes.
"In just this short time, your damaged meridians have recovered even further."
"..."
"Not just the meridians. Your internal injuries are healing rapidly.
Although it's with the help of medicine and acupuncture, your recovery speed is truly astonishing."
The man paused and gave Tianhazhen a strange look.
What's with that look?
Tianhazhen frowned openly, and the man, realizing his mistake, quickly bowed his head.
"Please forgive my rudeness. I was just surprised by your exceptional recovery. Please understand."
"..."
"Further acupuncture won't be necessary. Instead, we'll focus on high-nutrient meals and the Full Recovery Soup to aid your recovery."
"Got it. Ah! But there's one thing I'm curious about."
"Please ask."
"What is this Full Recovery Soup? I've never heard of it."
He had been forced to learn medicine for survival.
He wasn't at the level of a renowned physician, and he was more skilled in poison arts, but he was still competent enough to handle most medical situations.
Yet, in his memory, there was no such thing as the Full Recovery Soup. Well, names for medicines can vary, but...
The man immediately bowed his head.
'Huh?'
Tianhazhen's eyes lit up.
Was it because of his previously stiff demeanor? It felt like the man was slightly flustered.
"The Full Recovery Soup is a nourishing soup that excels at revitalizing one's vitality. It's a medicine made exclusively within our sect, reserved only for the highest-ranking members."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Tianhazhen unconsciously tilted his head.
'Excels at revitalizing vitality?'
Whether it's nourishing or not, medicine is medicine. If it had any medicinal effect, I should have felt it and used that energy to speed up my recovery.
'...Maybe it's just my senses.'
Not just the five senses, but even my energy senses are extremely dull. If I hadn't paid attention, I might have missed it.
Well, that's possible.
"I will return in two days. I wish you a speedy recovery."
The man quickly left.
After some time passed, the maid spoke up in an awkward voice.
"Young Master, the wind is chilly. Shall I close the window..."
"Hey."
"Yes, yes?!"
"What's my name?"
"W-what do you mean...?"
"What's my name and what's my status? Tell me about my background."
The maid was inwardly puzzled. Why was he suddenly asking this?
Then, Tianhazhen turned his head toward her.
'...!'
The maid's face turned pale.
For the past ten days, she had never seen such a serious expression on his face.
His unwavering eyes and mask-like expression exuded a cold, transparent chill.
An atmosphere that brooked no questions.
"Young Master is..."
"Right, right. Tell me."
The maid, with her head bowed deeply, began to spill out some basic information about him.
His name was Xu Liang. He was twenty-three years old, the third disciple of the Demon Sect Leader.
As a disciple personally taken in by the Sect Leader, his martial talent was exceptional, and his senses were sharp.
Before his body fell into this state, he was a top contender among the disciples, a powerful figure.
He was considered one of the closest candidates to succeed as the next Sect Leader, but he had fallen into a state of demonic possession, losing all his martial arts and remaining unconscious for half a year.
'The third disciple of the Demon Sect?'
Among the Three Great Forces, information about the Heavenly Demon Sect was particularly scarce.
Information about the candidates was especially secretive.
Unlike the Righteous Alliance and the Iron Blood Sect, the Heavenly Demon Sect chose to thoroughly hide its candidates.
The fear of the unknown. It was an extension of the sect's reign of terror.
"Personality?"
"Huh?"
"What was my personality like?"
He had somewhat guessed that he was a disciple of the Sect Leader. How many people in the Demon Sect could be called 'Young Master'?
But what he really wanted to know was the reputation of this Xu Liang guy.
He needed to know what kind of person he was, what he had done, so he could naturally respond to any situation.
"Well..."
The maid hesitated.
Tianhazhen tried to reassure her.
"I know. I understand. It's hard to say these things in front of the person involved."
"...Yes."
"But I want to hear it honestly, without holding back. I've been a bit confused since my body ended up like this.
It feels like a lot of my memories are gone."
"Ah! I-I see."
"Yeah. So tell me. In detail and clearly."
"But..."
"If you really don't want to, that's fine. I'm not in a position to give orders..."
Suddenly, the maid stood at attention.
"By your command! You were known for your ruthless and merciless nature, feared throughout the sect!
You were particularly meticulous in handling affairs, never overlooking even the smallest mistakes! Because of this, many people were crippled or killed!"
"Uh, what?"
"If necessary, you would commit any atrocity without hesitation, and you would stop at nothing to achieve your goals!
Butcher! Monster! Bastard! These are the terms used to describe you within the sect!"
The maid panted heavily after her outburst.
Tianhazhen blinked.
Butcher? Monster? Bastard?
"...Is that true?"
"Huh?"
"Is it true?"
"Gasp!"
The maid's face turned pale in an instant.
She had automatically responded to the word 'command' and blurted it all out, but upon reflection, she realized these were things she should never have said to his face.
Tianhazhen's face fell.
"So I was basically trash-level scum?"
"N-no! That's not what I meant..."
"Sure it is."
"Please kill me!"
The maid prostrated herself on the ground.
Tianhazhen sighed. I didn't expect someone of the Demon Sect's third disciple to have a clean personality, but this is a bit much, isn't it?
If things didn't go his way, he'd cripple or kill people? A real butcher, huh?
'No. I'm not planning to stay here anyway.'
But I can't help feeling uneasy.
Looking down at the maid with a complicated expression, Tianhazhen suddenly spoke.
"But why are you like this?"
"Please kill me!"
"Why do you keep asking to be killed? Get up, damn it."
"...Huh?"
"Ugh! So frustrating!"
Tianhazhen forcibly pulled her up, and the maid, startled, quickly stood.
"Hey."
"Yes!"
"Prepare some tea."
"Huh?"
Tianhazhen's eyes sparkled.
The maid shivered under his deeper gaze.
'So he wasn't exactly timid, huh?'
Then?
'Since he was already a violent guy, moving a bit more boldly shouldn't raise suspicions, right?'
They wouldn't dare to scold the third disciple just for going out for some tea, would they?