Chapter 16: Master of the Hero and Heavenly Demon (1)

* * *

The hero Verdandi was having a strange experience watching the sword debate between the two people.

- Using Heavenly Demon Divine Technique Third Form, Heavenly Demon Soul Attack, I will break Master's mind. Now, how will you counter?

- I will use the Four Heavens Gate's Dark Dragon Blood Step to retreat four steps back, using your poison as a stepping stone.

Like watching black and white pieces move on a chess board, her ability 'Eyes That See Truth' was rendering the form of the sword debate into actual visible scenes.

When one person approached, the other retreated again.

"Master is truly amazing! To use such a method to cure Senior who has turned evil!"

Verdandi could see them engaging in a tug of war of power, touching each other's territories while trying to dominate the field.

Though she didn't know what Heavenly Demon Soul Attack or Dark Dragon Blood Step meant, she could see with her special eyes how people fought.

"Verdandi, can you understand what those two are saying?"

"No! But somehow I can see their battle with my eyes!"

"...What?"

"First, Senior used invisible poison to dominate the surrounding space, and using that as a foothold, Master jumped into the sky!"

Verdandi was providing commentary for her mother and Wolfram, who had no knowledge of martial arts.

- Then this disciple will use sword techniques too! I will decide this with the Namgung Family's Flashing Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder!

- I will block that with the Point Spear Sect's Fire Dragon Sword.

"This time Senior is exploding the aura flowing through her entire body, striking down at Master with sword strikes like lightning!"

Watching two martial artists who had reached the pinnacle realm competing in martial arts through words, Verdandi could only watch with sweaty palms at this scene she had never witnessed before.

"Master is countering with an upward strike using a flame-wrapped sword! It looks like a wyvern wrapped in flames taking flight!"

Would this be how it felt if she fought the Demon King as a chosen hero? Watching Bing Yeon fighting evil for justice, there was a throbbing in her chest.

- [The person before you is an 'Extreme Villain'.]

Though her Eyes of Truth showed this information about Bi Wol who had fallen to the Heart Demon, Verdandi didn't rush to fight like before.

Rather, she believed naturally that Master would save his disciple who had come before her.

- [The person before you is a 'good person'.]

A good person who helped regardless of whether someone was good or evil, throwing himself to save others even if meeting them for the first time.

Therefore, the black-haired girl who seemed to have grown up under such a person must have changed like this due to some circumstance.

She thought this was the essence of the person who had saved her and her mother.

"Ah, Master seems to have entered Senior's heart! The surrounding scenery has changed!"

The moment she thought this, Verdandi saw the surroundings change. A large wooden building where heavy rain fell and children's screams could be heard.

"...Is this purgatory? It looks like a place where demons gather! I see evil people torturing children!"

Within it, Verdandi could glimpse Bi Wol's past.

- Ugh... urgh...

There was a child enduring torture training where fingernails and toenails were pulled out, and thigh flesh was cut away.

Training to artificially obtain the Indestructible Diamond Body.

She saw the pain of being forcibly awakened by cold water being thrown on them when they lost consciousness from pain dozens of times a day.

- Aaagh...! Aaaah!

She saw a child being made to walk on heated iron plates in an experiment to artificially obtain the Extreme Yang Body.

The smell of burning meat and the sizzling sound of charred flesh burning black, but no one except her paid any attention.

"This is horrible! Such facilities must disappear from this world! What kind of past did Senior experience, for such a hideous hell to be spread in her heart!"

Verdandi frowned watching these scenes. Even if these were mental illusions, this was a place where evil deeds beyond measure were gathered.

"There are humans injecting poison into children, and humans trying to forcibly strengthen children by burying them in snow!"

Tortures that were actually carried out in the Heavenly Demon Cult to artificially obtain Indestructible Diamond Body, Extreme Yang Body, Immunity to All Poisons, and Immunity to Cold and Heat.

If the Verdandi before meeting Bing Yeon had seen this, she would have caused an uproar claiming to execute justice immediately.

"Could you describe it in more detail, Verdandi?"

"No! Mother has already started dry heaving!"

Verdandi didn't continue describing these horrible atrocities. Her mother with a weak stomach was already vomiting up stomach acid.

"Urp. My daughter, are you okay seeing such things...?"

"Yes! A hero who doesn't ignore any sorrow or pain for the sake of justice! I learned this from Master!"

Verdandi stared wide-eyed at Bi Wol's past. Though it was a sight that would make anyone scream.

"...To become a truly good hero, one must know others' pain and try to understand everything!"

Because her master too was slowly taking in every scene without closing his eyes in that hell.

Bing Yeon, whose eyes met Verdandi's as she peeped into the mental world, smiled gently at her as if to say she was doing well, and.

Watching this, Verdandi judged that seeing, empathizing with, and understanding others' pasts was the true path to becoming a hero.

Before meeting Master Bing Yeon, she had been someone full of self-righteousness, thinking evil must be eliminated unconditionally.

She didn't know how to empathize with others' pain. She only valued her own pain, thinking she bore the most painful wounds in the world.

"It seems there are many people in this world who carry more sorrow than me and struggle with more pain! Mother!"

But the scene before her eyes now was vividly showing that this wasn't the case.

- I came from a coastal village. I used to help my dad catch and sell fish, but one day the magistrates came and demanded all our caught food as tax.

She became friends with a child whose parents died by the sword of taxation, but soon saw them turn into blood and flesh.

- My mom worked in a brothel. She sold me here because she hated having a child whose father she didn't know!

She exchanged greetings and introductions with a child who hadn't received proper love due to a mother who enjoyed a promiscuous life, but the next day found them as a cold corpse.

- I almost got eaten by some man after being switched with the neighbor's child, but barely managed to escape!

- My parents told me to eat mushrooms together, but I hid some to give to them later. But they were poisonous mushrooms, and it turned out they were trying to commit suicide with me.

- My dream is to become a strong martial artist someday! Like the Ice Dragon in the Great War between Good and Evil, I want to help people who are sick or pitiful!

A child who wanted to live just one more day, a child who wanted to save even a tiny bit of food for their parents, a child who talked about dreams for the future.

"How terrible! Were these things that really happened where Master and Senior lived!"

They all turned into cold corpses. Verdandi couldn't help but sigh.

- Hic, huuugh...

She glimpsed young Bi Wol who had developed a habit of eating sewage and dirt to avoid consuming human flesh and blood.

It was like seeing herself enduring all kinds of bullying and violence while being ostracized by the villagers.

"Senior, please endure a little longer! Master will come to save you soon!"

Verdandi couldn't help but shout words of encouragement toward her in the mental imagery.

* * *

After all the sword debate ended, I slowly opened my eyes.

Bi Wol's Heart Demon had been defeated through the sword debate I helped with. She had been someone who appeared exactly as the Heavenly Demon I had written in the original novel "The King of the Vajra Fist."

Though I didn't know how such a coincidence occurred, wasn't it fortunate that everything was resolved well in the end.

"Master, did you cough? Huhu."

Bi Wol thrust her face into my view, making happy nasal sounds while wrapping her arms around my neck in an embrace.

"Doesn't this choke you? Let go."

"I refuse. Isn't Master the good person who came to pull me out even from the hell in my heart?"

I gave Bi Wol signals to let go like tapping out in boxing, but she seemed to like that and kept rubbing her scent on my body.

"If there's a Buddha in hell, it must refer to Master. Please allow me this much spoiled behavior."

After quite some time passed, Bi Wol cleared her throat and created distance.

"Ahem, ahem. If you were truly choking, I apologize. This girl was just so happy to see Master's face again..."

Bi Wol's expression after overcoming the Heart Demon looked much lighter than before. Rather than colliding heavy emotions with me without any consideration, she was moving more carefully.

"...Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I've now surpassed the peak realm and entered the beginning of the pinnacle realm without demonic possession."

The energy I felt from Bi Wol now was like a well-forged sword. She seemed able to control it perfectly, like a sword in its scabbard.

"It's all thanks to Master. This unworthy disciple thanks you for your teachings."

Bi Wol showed her gratitude by bowing once deeply to me, like someone performing the Nine Prostrations Ceremony. Seeing her serious demeanor made me want to tease her a little.

After all, being tormented by the Heart Demon was also Bi Wol's hidden inner feelings.

"I didn't know you loved me this much. I'm sorry for not recognizing it earlier."

"P-please don't tease me. This girl did that because she knows there aren't many days left to spend with Master..."

Bi Wol's face immediately turned red. Her reddened neck made her look like a ripe persimmon, and the sweat on her forehead seemed to be steaming.

"Yes, as you know, I don't have much life left. But since you've shown your true feelings like this..."

I gestured for Bi Wol to come closer. She approached me slowly with a puzzled expression.

"...As a master, and as a man receiving romantic feelings, I can't leave without giving a proper response."

I pressed my thumb firmly against my lips like stamping a seal, and spoke with a gentle smile while looking at Bi Wol.

And then,

"For now, please be satisfied with this."

I immediately pressed that thumb against Bi Wol's lips with a soft touch. Though I couldn't give her an adult's kiss, wouldn't this much expression of affection be okay?

"Ah? Hueh?"

As if she hadn't expected me to do such a thing, Bi Wol made a strange sound like air escaping from a balloon.

She put her hand to her cheek, eyes wide open, recalling what had just happened. Her soft small lips quivered as she savored the lingering sensation of the indirect kiss.

"If your feelings haven't changed by the time you come of age, and if I'm still alive then, I'll accept your love."

"...Master."

I spoke while gently stroking Bi Wol's head, and as if that was a switch, she pushed against my chest and knocked me down.

"......?!!"

Thud.

"Mmm...♡ Mmph, huu...♡, hawup..."

Making sounds of "hawup, chu, chook, chup," Bi Wol filled my mouth with her tongue and acted as if she was devouring me.

Hot breaths mixed together, and sweet sounds of tongues and saliva intermingling echoed around.

"Please... stay still... Master was the one who seduced me first..."

She targeted my palate, rolling her tongue in circles while searching for my weak spots, almost like a succubus.

"...Puha, Master. This is how you properly kiss."

"......"

Gulp.

Bi Wol's throat moved greatly up and down.

After holding my nape to prevent escape and exploring my lips for quite a while, Bi Wol finally exhaled hot breath and.

"Brehee...♡"

She stuck out her tongue and opened her mouth wide, making me confirm with my own eyes that she had swallowed my saliva.

"...Bi Wol, hadn't your Heart Demon been resolved?"

"Yes, and therefore I won't lay hands on Master any further. Until I come of age, that is."

"Yet how could you do such an outrageous thing..."

"This girl was merely showing Master her determination."

Bi Wol narrowed her eyes like a fox and spoke clearly, making sure each word of her sentence was properly conveyed.

"This girl makes a promise. I will surely keep this love, and someday I will definitely win Master's heart."

Such tremendous words and actions that even the people around lost their words and blushed.

"As expected of Senior!"

Meanwhile, a blonde-haired hero bounced in place with sparkling eyes and clenched fists.

"If I keep my promise too, can I share such a tender kiss with Master!"

Only Verdandi felt something aching in her chest, showing a bit of jealousy toward Bi Wol in the form of praise.

"I want to make a promise with Master here too!"

"...What?"