Chapter 9: Psychopath

After teaching me the internal circulation method, Master left without looking back, saying he had other matters to attend to.

Left alone in the manor, I started my evening routine after having dinner prepared by Jin Hayeon.

My routine during the Hour of the Dog was quite flexible as it was dedicated to reinforcing areas that I lacked in the day's practice. If the morning doctrine study was insufficient, I would focus on the missed content. The same applied if the martial arts training was insufficient, I would supplement with additional training.

Today, I decided to focus on martial arts training. Given my current progress, the combat examination seemed more pressing than the academic one, as the latter only required memorizing about five hundred pages of content.

Deepening my mastery of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword would hasten the onset of its side effect, but…

'For now, I need to build my skills enough to gain entrance to the Hall of the Demonic Way.'

The option of not learning the Demonic Art simply didn't exist.

After another half-hour of sword practice, Jin Hayeon approached.

"Young Master, your muscles and meridians must be fatigued from today's practice. Allow me to perform an acupressure treatment before your evening bath."

The massage was similar to modern massage or pressure point therapy but enhanced with internal energy manipulation rather than just using hands. Having spent over two hours exercising today, the offer of a massage was most welcome.

As I lay face down on the floor, she began methodically pressing my muscles and meridians with her fingers. Her energy flowed through her fingertips into my body. The sensation was so refreshing that a sound involuntarily escaped my lips.

“Mmm…”

This wasn't the typical relief one feels when entering a hot bath. It was genuinely cold. The energy flowing through her fingers carried a distinct chill. When I shivered, she briefly withdrew her hands and regulated her breathing before speaking. Apparently, she hadn't reached the level of mastery like Master where she could manipulate internal energy while speaking.

“The martial art I practice embodies yin energy, so it might feel cold to you, Young Master. However, rapidly cooling heated muscles with this cold energy will aid in their recovery. Please bear with it for a little while."

With that, Jin Hayeon resumed her ministrations, pressing upon various points on my body. As goosebumps rose from the cold touch, a natural curiosity arose within me.

“So, what martial art do you practice, Miss Jin?”

An art that uses yin energy couldn't be anything normal.

She retracted her hands and sighed softly before answering.

"It is the White Hand Demonic Art, Young Master.”

“Is the White Hand Demonic Art something anyone can learn?”

The question arose spontaneously. Master had implied it was among the most formidable Demonic Arts, second only to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

“Within the Divine Cult, all Demonic Arts, excluding the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, are accessible to disciples who have entered the Hall of the Demonic Way.”

“Oh!”

It made sense. Such a policy was to be expected from an institution dedicated to cultivating the future leaders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

‘Hmm. So that’s the reason why Jin Hayeon was assigned to oversee my education.'

If it's a school for training the future leaders of the cult, of course they'd have access to the good stuff. Of course, the question of why a graduate of the Demonic Cult’s highest educational institution would be serving as an attendant still remained.

But an even greater question struck me.

“Wait, the main side effect of the White Hand Demonic Art is…”

My voice trailed off involuntarily. After all, that side effect was...

Increased sexual desire...

‘D-Don’t tell me. Is that why she always has a poker face on? Is she constantly fighting off insane urges?!'

She must have misinterpreted my reaction, because she frowned a little and spoke.

“Unfortunately, the side effects of the White Hand Demonic Art differ between men and women, Young Master.”

“Ahem. I-I see. So, what’s the side effect for a woman, then?”

“When practiced by women or men with strong innate yin energy, it enhances logic over emotion, fostering a more detached and analytical mindset.”

I tilted my head at her response.

'That's a side effect? It sounds way too weak compared to the others.'

Something felt amiss.

“There’s nothing else? That’s it?”

“…I’ve heard it diminishes empathy and the ability to connect with others' emotions. However, as it is a martial art intended for purging unbelievers, I don't consider it a detrimental side effect.”

“….”

In other words, it turns you into a psychopath.

While I remained speechless, she continued.

"Please save your questions until after the massage is complete."

Saying so, Jin Hayeon resumed the massage.

An aspiring psychopath was pressing various points on my body with Qi-infused fingers.

A wave of goosebumps washed over my whole body, and I couldn't stop myself from shuddering.

* * *

Early the next morning.

Whether due to the acupressure treatment from the aspiring psychopath or because his body was truly a divine blessing, Il-mok woke up refreshed without any notable muscle soreness.

Thanks to this, he was able to perform his morning meditation and begin his routine from early on.

As the lesson progressed…

‘As expected.’

Watching Il-mok earnestly listening to her explanations, Jin Hayeon silently expressed her admiration. He was indeed a diamond in the rough.

Despite having only two days of training, his talent was evident.

Even though this was all new to him, he grasped the teachings effortlessly and frequently asked meaningful questions in return. These weren't questions born from confusion, but rather inquiries to confirm his understanding. Coupled with the physical and martial prowess he'd displayed yesterday, his potential was undeniable.

However, her admiration wasn't directed at Il-mok himself.

'The Supreme One's eye for talent is truly impeccable.’

All her admiration was for the Heavenly Demon, who had been able to spot Il-mok’s potential.

While she was internally reinforcing her faith, Il-mok suddenly raised his right hand.

"When do we begin studying the laws and historical records?"

Jin Hayeon sighed internally at his question.

‘While his talent is exceptional as the Lord predicted his laziness is a concern.’

Due to their initial confrontation, Jin Hayeon had come to view Il-mok as lazy.

This assessment was half-correct.

“Do not worry. With your intelligence, Young Master, you will find the laws and historical records no more challenging than these doctrines.”

He was simply not lazy when his life was on the line.

"I'm not concerned about the difficulty, but when we will begin."

At Il-mok's retort, Jin Hayeon internally noted her surprise and began explaining in detail.

"We'll start those after completing our first reading of the Secret Records of the Heavenly Demon. Since the Secret Records are fundamental to our faith, both the laws and historical records are deeply connected to the doctrines written within. It will be easier to understand those two after grasping the doctrine."

“I see.”

Though Il-mok nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, she continued nonetheless.

“Even after mastering the scripture, if you encounter difficulties with the laws and historical records, revisiting this scripture will prove beneficial. As I mentioned, all studies within our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult are rooted in these doctrines."

Her proud expression as she gazed at the scripture piqued Il-mok’s curiosity.

"Then, how many times has Miss Jin read this scripture?"

“How could I possibly keep count? When I was studying the other books, I had reviewed this doctrine countless times. Even now, whenever I faced troubles or doubts in my heart, reading this doctrine brought me peace."

Yet somehow, contrary to her words about finding peace...

"Now I can recite every single word, every chapter, down to the last bit of the details. Even now, rather than just reciting it mentally, I still find joy in reading the actual text."

The more her praise of the scripture continued, the deeper the madness in her eyes grew.

‘…A psychopath and a religious fanatic? What kind of cursed hybrid is this?’

Witnessing the horrifying product of a cult and Demonic Art, Il-mok belatedly realized something crucial.

He stared at the scripture before him and shivered.

This scripture was a dangerous material. Avoiding it seemed prudent for his mental well-being.

However, there was one significant problem.

‘If I fail to memorize this, my head will roll in a year…’

Worse still, without mastering this text, he couldn't even begin studying the other test subjects.

It was truly a dilemma, like falling into Zhuge Liang's trap.

As Il-mok frantically pondered how to overcome this situation, something suddenly flashed in his mind.

‘That’s it! I can use that.’

Though not perfect, he'd thought of something potentially useful. Yet a problem remained.

‘I can’t trust this psychotic zealot…’

As someone devoted to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult rather than to him as her master, this woman was both a servant and a surveillant.

While contemplating how to hide 'that' from Jin Hayeon, Il-mok changed his approach.

“Sorry to bother you, but could you bring me some ink, a brush, and a blank book? Oh, and if you can, a brush with a really fine tip, please.”

Instead of hiding, he was going to hide in plain sight.

Though puzzled by the sudden order, she went along with it. She was his servant after all,

‘He possesses exceptional qualities, but I worry about his laziness.’

She suspected he was just making an excuse to send her away so he could take a break, but she immediately squashed the disrespectful thought.

‘He is the one chosen by the Lord. Doubt is forbidden.’

Suppressing her misgivings, she returned with the requested items. Il-mok opened the Secret Record of the Heavenly Demon and began transcribing into the blank book.

Initially confused by his actions, Jin Hayeon soon understood what he was doing.

'He's transcribing the scripture's contents.'

It seemed to be a form of review, a way to solidify the day's learning.

However, it differed subtly from the review she had imagined.

He wasn't mindlessly transcribing.

Using a thin brush, he was amending the contents of the scripture.

He omitted redundant passages and emphasized key points, supplementing them with explanations she had provided during the lesson.

Unbeknownst to her, Il-mok was creating his own personalized study material while reviewing.

He'd heard that defacing the scripture was forbidden, hence the need for a separate copy.

Otherwise, he might have simply scribbled notes directly onto the original.

Then, while examining Il-mok's writing, Jin Hayeon tilted her head and spoke.

“Forgive me, Young Master, but could you explain the meaning of these markings?”

“Ah, this?”

Il-mok smiled gently.

“It’s my personal code. Continuously writing lengthy passages can be tiresome, so I devised this shorthand to represent various concepts.”

What Il-mok intended to show her...

Was actually Hangul.