Chapter 16 – Brush with Death(16)
Magong. [TL/N: Demomic Arts]
Martial arts pursued by those who seek power above all else, willing to sacrifice even their own lives for its sake. If it serves their purpose, they do not hesitate to discard their own bodies.
That was the decisive reason why they were called the Evil Sect. The Orthodox Sect sought to refine both body and mind through martial arts, advancing to higher realms, while the unorthodox sects also pursued power but—
They were not reckless enough to throw away their lives or commit murder without hesitation. The Evil Sect, however, had no such restraints. Killing and breaking laws meant nothing to them.
From that perspective, Magong truly lived up to its name. Of course, the depiction of Magong and the Evil Sect varied greatly from one martial arts novel to another, so there was no definitive answer, but—
In essence, if one was willing to take immense risks, they could attain strength far faster than through orthodox martial arts. And the highest-level Magong often had almost no side effects.
However, there were undeniable limitations. The biggest drawback of Magong remained its side effects. In exchange for rapid power, one’s meridians could become twisted, preventing further progress, or—
The violent nature of its internal energy could inflict internal injuries as backlash. The nature of these side effects varied greatly across different stories. And the Family Head would be no exception.
Come to think of it, didn’t they say his personality suddenly changed a few years ago? As far as I remember, there were cases where Magong caused drastic personality shifts.
Given that learning Magong often led to violent tendencies, and Sua had testified that her father’s personality changed drastically a few years ago, it was highly likely that he had started practicing Magong around that time.
The evil internal energy of Magong and the pure internal energy of orthodox martial arts inherently conflicted.
Of course, internal energy still accumulates, so from the practitioner’s perspective, they may feel as though they are getting stronger.
But that alone does not make one an absolute master—the highest pinnacle that martial artists ultimately pursue.
Even with an infinite reserve of internal energy—
If one cannot properly wield it, it is meaningless.
Instead, they may be swallowed by their own uncontrollable power.
The level where one can be called a master simply based on the amount of internal energy they possess reaches only up to the Peak level.
From realms beyond that, martial enlightenment becomes a necessity to advance.
But even so, it cannot be denied that he is at least stronger than the Peak level.
Does that mean even I am now at least at the Peak level?
“Great warrior?”
“……”
The boundary between the Peak level and the First-Class level had always been vague. It varied depending on the story, but typically, sword aura began to manifest at the Transcendent level, though some accounts claimed it could be wielded from the Early Peak level.
By comparison, the Peak level was usually described as being able to freely control sword energy as if it were an extension of the body.
And even that was mere fodder for protagonists who started at the Transcendent level.
“Great warrior! Is something wrong?!”
“…I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
I had momentarily frozen, but thanks to Sua’s desperate shouting, I barely managed to come back to my senses.
Now was not the time to be dwelling on settings. I needed to stop that monster—immediately.
“Magong is an evil martial art that derives its power from dark energy. It is primarily practiced by those affiliated with the Evil Sect. Have you truly never heard of Magong before?”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it from the great warrior.”
“I see.”
She had never even heard the name Magong?
Did this world have a setting where the Evil Sect operated entirely in secret?
I had already thoroughly examined all martial arts novels long ago.
If there was one thing that worried me—
It was the Family Head’s life.
The warriors of the Murong Family were desperately trying to stop the Family Head, but—
It was almost impossible to return someone who had already been completely consumed by Magong back to normal.
Magong came with many risks, but its one undeniable advantage was that it allowed the practitioner to gain immense power.
Moreover, the Family Head had been accumulating internal energy for several years.
Having practiced Magong for such a long time, judging solely by his total internal energy, he could be at Early Peak—no, perhaps even at the Transcendent level or beyond.
The only fortunate thing was that he seemed to be growing weaker as time passed.
If orthodox martial arts were like slowly constructing a sturdy wall, then Magong was like building a house on sand.
It could be erected quickly—but collapsed even faster than it was built.
And the Family Head’s momentum had already begun to fade.
Not only was he burning through all his accumulated internal energy, but he was also wasting it uncontrollably.
The outcome was inevitable.
Judging that I could now win, I rose with a firm expression.
I had no desire to kill a father in front of his daughter, but there was no other choice.
“I’m sorry, Sua.”
I had no choice but to end this.
◇
Living hell.
That was the only way to describe the horrific scene unfolding before her eyes.
Warriors were being slaughtered like animals by her father’s sword, wreathed in ominous crimson sword energy.
They charged in with everything they had, hoping to stop him—
But to rush at an absolute master who had reached the Peak level was no different from smashing an egg against a boulder.
Blood flowed like a river, forming pools on the ground, while corpses piled up like mountains.
If this was not hell, then what was?
Overwhelmed by the horror, Sua could only collapse, her legs giving out beneath her.
From the start, she had never even heard of such ominous red sword energy.
“Could that be… Magong?”
“…?!”
But the answer came from a completely unexpected source.
Sua instinctively turned toward the voice.
And there, standing unwavering, was Mu-myung the great warrior.
It was natural.
Perhaps she had known all along.
From the very beginning, something had seemed off.
He behaved as if he already knew the inside details of everything, despite not having seen them firsthand.
It was too much to be explained by mere wisdom.
Moreover, he had instantly recognized that ominous power, which even she—who had studied nearly every martial arts book in the Murong Family—had never encountered before.
What did that mean?
The great warrior must have been fighting against the Evil Sect from a very young age.
Strength that had reached the Peak level at just thirty.
Experience far beyond his years.
Knowledge that even the Murong Family lacked.
At last, the puzzle pieces in her mind fell into place.
His rugged appearance, marred by signs of countless battles.
The numerous scars on his body, which she had occasionally glimpsed while living together.
Each one a mark of life-and-death struggles.
And at that moment—
Sua’s gaze locked onto Mu-myung.
Within his eyes, she saw regret.
And she knew.
“I don’t know why the great warrior has walked such a hellish path. But… I know this scene is not unrelated to him.”
“I’m sorry, Sua.”
His voice was weak—as if blaming himself for not preventing this sooner.
Like a worn-out sword, dulled from too many battles.
Unconsciously, Sua reached out toward him.
But she could not bring herself to grab hold.
Because even now—
She could only rely on the great warrior.
And so, everyone watched as Mu-myung strode toward hell itself.
