Rebirth of the Heavenly Demon

This place is called Qufu[2] in Shandong Province, which can be considered the outskirts of the Central Plains.

Our family is known as the Byeok Clan Sword Manor[3], a traditional prestigious family in Shandong.

My father is Byeok Dojun[4]. My mother is Lim Ye-hwa[5].

Unlike Lim Ye-hwa, who has an outgoing personality, my father, Byeok Dojun, was a calm and quiet person.

I am their only child. If I had to guess, the reason this Byeok Ri-dan grew up to be such a worthless fellow is probably because he was raised as a pampered only child.

I decided to accept the situation I found myself in.

For the first few days, I had hoped that everything would return to normal when I woke up. But that didn’t happen.

Actually, reincarnating as this young man wasn’t all bad.

In exchange for giving up my position as the Alliance Leader, what I gained was ‘youth’. It’s something precious that can’t be bought with money or power. Moreover, I was seventy years old when I died, an age where I had lived a full life.

Of course, it would have been better if this newly gained youth was in proper condition.

This Byeok Ri-dan fellow was terrible not only in his relationships but also in matters related to martial arts. For a descendant of a martial arts family, at twenty years old, he only had five years worth of internal energy in his danjeon. Even that was impure, garbage-like internal energy. Moreover, his untrained weak body seemed like it would break if touched.

The only useful thing was this yellow-mouthed fellow called Gwang-du. He had been my personal servant since childhood.

“Have you heard any rumors?”

“What kind of rumors?”

“Like a former great master named Jang Bo-do appearing, or a two-headed spiritual beast emerging or the… Alliance Leader dying.”

It had been several days since my reincarnation, so news of my death should have spread by now, but it was frighteningly quiet.

Of course, Shandong is far from the Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters, so it might take time for news to reach here. Or they might be hiding my death for now. The death of the Alliance Leader would cause a great stir in the martial world if revealed.

But they can’t hide it indefinitely, can they? Well, Gal Saryang will handle it well, I suppose.

“There are rumors about you, young master.”

“What kind?”

“That you got beaten up by Miss Song and your head went funny.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I laughed.

In my previous life, I was truly stingy with my laughter. Well, it was a position where I couldn’t laugh easily even if I wanted to. I lived in a place where kindness could quickly become a weakness.

“Is this Miss Song that pretty?”

“Yes, she was beautiful even as a child. When I saw her that day, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Didn’t you see the local good-for-nothings lining up just to catch a glimpse of her after hearing the rumors? Well, that’s also why you got more excited and tried to see the young lady. Anyway, even though she’s only been back for a short time, rumors of her being the most beautiful in Shandong are widespread.”

A woman, and a beautiful one at that.

In my previous life, I had met many women. It was a time when I was truly at my peak, so naturally, many women pursued me.

Among them were women counted among the Four Great Beauties of the Central Plains, and even the woman considered the most beautiful in the world at the time.

But I never shared true love with any of them.

It was because I became too great a master at too young an age. They treated me not as the man Cheon Hajin, but as Cheon Hajin, the greatest master under heaven. They smiled on the surface, but they feared me.

The women who didn’t fear me tried to use me to gain power. If not them, then their parents did. I cut them all down and trampled them.

Later, when I was older and had developed the discernment to properly choose a woman, I was too busy fighting the Unorthodox Sects to have time for romance. It was truly a time when I did nothing but fight, except for eating and sleeping.

“Even though you got beaten up, you still want to see Miss Song, right? I understand you, young master.”

“Enough.”

“What?”

“I said, enough with the women.”

“Good heavens! Did you just refer to Miss Song as ‘women’? She’s not just any woman, she’s Miss Song. Song Hwa-rin, the most beautiful in Shandong. The very Miss Song you almost died trying to see when you made a scene!”

“Yes, that Miss Song, the most beautiful in Shandong, is enough. Go and bring me a sword.”

“Why suddenly a sword?”

Because the sword has been my only true lover in my entire life.

“Why, you ask? Does a martial artist need a reason to seek a sword?”

“Martial artist, sword. These words don’t suit you at all, young master.”

“Insubordination, punishment, accidentally killing a subordinate. How about these? Do these words suit me?”

“Yes! I’ll bring it right away!”

Gwang-du clutched his head and ran off in a hurry.

It took quite a while for Gwang-du to bring the sword.

“I searched for a long time. You had thrown it into the storage room.”

As I held the sword in my hand, my mind became calm.

In my previous life, I was called the Martial God. I used almost all martial arts, but if I had to choose one, it would be swordsmanship.

In my later years, the realm I achieved with the sword was the realm of Sword Intent. With just a flick of my finger, my sword would fly as fast as light and pierce the opponent’s heart.

But the realm I wanted to achieve was beyond that.

The Realm of the Mind Sword[6].

It’s a realm where physical swords are no longer necessary.

Those who reach the Realm of the Mind Sword can freely use an invisible sword created by their mind.

It is said that the Mind Sword can cut anything in the world. The stronger one’s mind, the more powerful Mind Sword they can manifest.

I wanted to see what my mind’s sword would be like.

But I never reached the realm of the Mind Sword.

And now I’ve been reborn. A desire to walk the path I couldn’t in my previous life arises.

But if even Cheon Hajin, born with a perfect body optimized for martial arts, couldn’t achieve it, can I really achieve it as this Byeok Ri-dan?

Shing.

I slowly unsheathed the sword.

“It was originally a good sword.”

It was now quite damaged due to being neglected without proper care for a long time.

“Of course, it’s the sword that the family head personally gave you on your fifteenth birthday.”

“To let such a good sword rot like this. What a truly foolish fellow.”

“I’m glad you realize that, but…”

When I pointed the sword at him, he flinched and backed away.

“Just stick with being foolish! I’ll pass on crazy!”

“Haha.”

Don’t worry, boy. This is the clearest my mind has been since I was reborn.

As I held the sword, my heart beat pleasantly.

‘Come to think of it, when was the last time I unsheathed a sword?’

After crushing the Unorthodox Sects and rooting out all the rebel forces within the Martial Righteous Alliance, I only drew my sword during training. In my later years, when I realized I couldn’t achieve the Realm of the Mind Sword, I stopped touching swords altogether.

Looking at the gleaming blade, I steeled my resolve once again.

‘In this lifetime!’

I will definitely achieve the Realm of the Mind Sword.

Many factors contribute to reaching a certain realm.

Innate talent, blood-and-sweat effort, unexpected enlightenment, and even surprising twists of fate.

In my previous life, I experienced all of these.

I had talent, I put in effort, and I gained enlightenment and encountered fateful events.

As a result, I rose to the position of the greatest under heaven.

But to reach the Realm of the Mind Sword, one more thing was needed.

It was heavenly fortune.

I needed luck, or heaven’s permission, to combine all those factors at the right time to reach the result.

I will try again in this life.

We’ll see if that luck will be absent in this life as well.

“Go and bring a whetstone.”

“A whetstone? You’re not planning to crack my skull with it, are you?”

“I’m going to maintain the sword.”

“Who on earth are you planning to kill?”

When I glanced at Gwang-du as if glaring at him, he shuddered and stepped back.

“Don’t joke around.”

“Why do you think it’s a joke? Crazy people usually kill those closest to them first, don’t they?”

“How do you know that?”

How do I know? Because they were the ones I saw most often in my lifetime. I’ve seen countless people driven mad by madness, slaughtering their own families.

“But you just said I’m the closest person to you?”

“Did I say that?”

Gwang-du looked at me with a strange expression.

“In this case, let’s just say it’s the person physically closest to me.”

Gwang-du scratched his sideburns and said:

“That’s even weirder.”

A moment later, I started sharpening the sword with the whetstone Gwang-du brought.

Shik shik shik shik.

Watching my skillful hand movements, Gwang-du tilted his head.

“You’re good at it. When did you learn to maintain a sword?”

Having lived my entire life with swords, my skill in sword maintenance naturally surpassed that of even decent blacksmiths.

“If you’re this good, why haven’t you done it until now?”

“Everything has its time.”

Gwang-du, who had been quietly watching me, asked again.

“Are you really alright? When a person changes suddenly…”

My hands paused for a moment. I looked up at him. His eyes were full of concern for me. I had seen such eyes recently.

It was the look Baek Pyo gave me on the day I died. A sincere look of genuine concern for the other person.

“I’m fine.”

Sak sak sak sak.

I started sharpening the sword again.

For my previous self, it wouldn’t have mattered what sword I wielded. Whether it was a stick fallen on the ground or a precious sword, I would have produced the same result anyway.

No, even without a sword, it wouldn’t have mattered. I would kill with bare hands, and if a sword was absolutely necessary, I would take the opponent’s and use it.

But now is a time when I need a good sword. Right now, my body is in a state where I could easily meet a dog’s death.

Gwang-du carefully said while watching me:

“You’re not planning to take revenge on Miss Song with this sword, are you? You absolutely must not do that.”

It was then. Someone behind us continued Gwang-du’s words.

“Is that really the reason?”

I turned around to see my mother, Lim Ye-hwa, standing there.

Gwang-du jumped up and bowed deeply.

“Madam, welcome.”

Gwang-du stepped aside, and my mother approached.

“Won’t you answer? Are you really trying to harm Hwa-rin?”

“That’s not the reason.”

“Then why are you maintaining the sword?”

Perhaps my mother was seeing her son maintain a sword for the first time. It was natural for her to have the same concern as Gwang-du.

“From now on, I’m going to seriously train in martial arts.”

“You? Train in martial arts?”

My mother was shocked. Gwang-du beside her also gaped.

“Gwang-du, what did he just say?”

“He said he’s going to train in martial arts.”

“Has he gone mad?”

“Yes! We should call either a doctor or an exorcist, I think.”

How little must he have trained in martial arts for them to react like this?

My mother finally let out a deep sigh.

“So you are trying to take revenge on Hwa-rin after all.”

My mother’s eyes held the strength befitting a female warrior. But above that was maternal love that nothing could conceal.

In my previous life, I never had children.

Part of the reason was that I never met someone I loved, and partly because I didn’t want to see my flesh and blood get caught up in power struggles.

Since I never had children, how could I fully understand her feelings? But surely, in my seventy years of life, I gained more than just internal energy and wrinkles?

I could feel her sincere concern for her son. This woman would gladly give her life for her child.

“Would you take a look at this sword?”

I held out the freshly maintained sword to her. She was surprised when she examined the sword. It was because the maintenance was done so well.

“I don’t know what I’ll do with this sword in the future.”

Her gaze shifted from the sword to me.

“But at least, this sword will not be used to stab the woman I was betrothed to before birth. It will not be used to oppress those weaker than me. I promise you this as your son.”

A glimmer appeared in her eyes as she looked at me. It must be words she had never heard from her son before.

To be honest, I felt sorry for her.

Because I wasn’t really her son.

But despite feeling sorry for deceiving her, I can’t tell her the truth.

Because the truth doesn’t always lead to good results.

If she learns the truth, she will be unhappy. To know that her son has disappeared forever, leaving only his shell behind.

I don’t intend to tell her this cruel truth. Never, no matter how this story that began with me becoming her son ends.

Until then, I intend to live as her son.

I took back the sword I had given to her.

“Don’t worry… Mother.”

After bowing politely, I turned and left. I could feel her gaze, full of uncertainty about how to handle her son’s change, following me to the last.

***

Two more days passed.

There was still no news about my death, and I was gradually adapting to being Byeok Ri-dan.

Through Gwang-du, I learned about the people of the family one by one.

He explained who was who and what their personalities were like.

Thanks to my remarkably improved memory, I could remember everyone after hearing about them just once.

What I couldn’t adapt to was actually myself. More precisely, my body.

Living as Byeok Ri-dan after having lived as the greatest master under heaven was incredibly difficult. It felt like going from a general galloping across the plains on a heavenly steed to a sloth riding on a tortoise’s back.

Thinking I should start with what I could do right away, I went to a nearby mountain close to the house.

I walked up the mountain path covered in snow, devoid of human traces. Even wearing fur clothing, my body shivered from the cold, and I almost slipped several times while climbing. This was truly something unimaginable for my previous self. I don’t even want to think about how often I’ll be saying this from now on.

Near the summit, I found a small cave big enough for two or three adults to sit in.

I entered and sat in a cross-legged position.

The internal energy in my danjeon was five years worth. Even that was impure, garbage-like internal energy.

Fortunately, the mind technique I had mastered, the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique, was the most superior mind technique in the current martial world. I didn’t know about other people’s bodies, but I could certainly purify the internal energy in my danjeon.

I began to circulate my true qi according to the verses of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique.

As I circulated my true qi, I found that Byeok Ri-dan’s meridians were surprisingly sturdy. That was at least something to be thankful for.

Woo-woo-woo-woong.

The vast sea of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique began to purify Byeok Ri-dan’s dirty internal energy that had stagnated like sewage.

I circulated my true qi once, twice, thrice… and finally, seven times. By then, the five years of internal energy had been transformed into pure internal energy.

Although it was achieved in a short time, it was by no means an easy task. It was the result of combining the purest mind technique, the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique, with the insights of Cheon Hajin, the greatest under heaven.

Now I had five years of pure internal energy.

In my previous life, my internal energy was four epochs. Going from using two hundred and forty years of internal energy to just five years made me sigh, but at least now that the internal energy was purified, I could manipulate true qi, albeit weakly.

From now on, the task is to increase my internal energy.

The fortunate thing is that in my previous life, I had mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique.

As a result, I could circulate energy and regulate my breath anytime as long as I was conscious. I could do it while walking, even while eating.

Also, the amount of internal energy produced when investing the same amount of time was incomparably greater than with ordinary mind techniques. I could achieve at least three times the effect. If I unblocked the Ren and Du meridians, it would be five times, and if I went through bone-marrow cleansing and body reformation, it could be more than ten times the effect.

From now on, my task is to continuously increase my internal energy without rest. I plan to use the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique constantly, except when sleeping.

The next task was to seriously build up my basic physical strength.

The foundation of martial arts is internal energy, but even before that, basic physical strength is most important. With a strong physical foundation, both internal and external martial arts can exert more powerful effects.

When I returned home after coming down from the mountain, Gwang-du came running in a hurry.

“We have a big problem.”

I thought that finally, the expected news had come. It must be news about my death.

However, it was unexpected news, different from what I had anticipated.

“The Clan Leader Song has arrived.”

“Who’s that?”

“It’s Master Song Woo-gyeong[7], Miss Song’s father.”

“If he’s here, he’s here. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“Because Miss Song came with him!”

Song Hwa-rin, my betrothed since before birth, the most beautiful in Shandong, the woman who beat me up.

She was indeed a woman worth Gwang-du making a fuss over, but my heart remained calm.

“They’ve been waiting for a while now. Where on earth did you go?”

“Why are they looking for me?”

“Why, you ask? You need to go and apologize to Miss Song!”

“She’s the one who beat me up, isn’t she? Shouldn’t she be the one apologizing?”

“We were the ones who started the trouble in the first place. This is not the time for this, let’s go quickly.”

I was almost pushed by Gwang-du as we headed towards the guest hall.