Chapter 15. The Demon Realm Beyond Humanity (人外魔境) - The Solitary Bamboo Forest (孤竹林) (5)

"…This is everything I know about the Solitary Bamboo Forest."

"Tsk, tsk, is that so?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Hmm? What are you doing? Eat some, Ma. It's good to have many legs."

"I'm fine. Young Master Xie, please eat more."

"Still, why don't you try one? Even one leg would make you incredibly full. The meat is tender and has no gamey smell. It's a delicacy, a delicacy."

Ma Dongpi's face was tense.

The sight of Xie Liang chewing and swallowing the meat, his hands and mouth covered in grease, was shocking.

Over the past few years, he had managed the bamboo forest, and to him, the changfu (a type of monster) were targets to be guarded against and eliminated, not food.

'He actually thought about boiling them.'

And they were the very creatures that had tried to kill him.

Xie Liang looked incredibly happy as he chewed and swallowed the finely shredded meat. After all, he hadn't had a proper meal for a few days.

'Ugh!'

The smell of the boiled chicken, which reminded him of the scratches on his waist from the changfu's claws, made him feel even more nauseous.

Xie Liang frowned.

"What's that look for? Do you find it disgusting?"

"No, no!"

"You guys don't eat them like this?"

On the contrary, I want to ask how you can even think about boiling these vicious creatures.

"We don't particularly…"

"Sure, after completing your mission and returning, you can eat all sorts of delicious dishes. There's no need to go through the trouble of preparing them here."

"Yes, that's true."

"Tsk, tsk, but they are perfect for nourishment. Why don't you give it a try? You're not stupid, are you?"

Ma Dongpi inwardly screamed.

Stupid? There are many dishes for nourishment that don't involve these creatures! Besides, how could these creatures possibly be nourishing?

He barely managed to swallow the words that were about to burst out of his throat. Thoughts are one thing, but if such an outrageous idea were to come out of his mouth, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

However, Xie Liang's treatment of them as fools wasn't just about the taste.

"Because of the concentrated spirit energy, the bamboo has become lingzhu (spirit bamboo), right? It's said to be an incredible medicinal ingredient, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then wouldn't these creatures be similar?"

"…?"

"Look at their bodies. They are completely different from what we know. Why do you think they have changed? Isn't it because of the concentrated spirit energy, just like the bamboo?"

"…?!"

"So, their bodies must be filled with spirit energy, right? Who knows, eating them might enhance your inner strength. Even if not, they might at least restore some of your vital energy."

Ma Dongpi's eyes widened.

'I've never thought about it that way.'

But as he listened, it didn't seem so far-fetched.

"I have one more question."

"…"

"Ma?"

"Yes? Yes, Young Master Xie. What would you like to ask?"

"Why is this chicken-headed creature called a changfu?"

Ma Dongpi scratched his head. It wasn't a gesture that suited his usually stern demeanor.

"Seniors called them that, so I…"

"I see. So that's how it is."

Xie Liang wiped his hands on his clothes. Ma Dongpi's face darkened when he saw the greasy front of the clothes.

I have to wash these clothes.

They were already covered in blood, and now grease. He seriously considered asking the Huanyuan for new clothes.

'Young Master's room needs to be repaired, and the forest's defensive array needs to be rebuilt. I should also sprinkle some vinegar to repel the changfu, just in case…'

As Ma Dongpi sighed deeply, he suddenly realized Xie Liang had disappeared.

"Go… no, Young Master Xie?!"

At that moment, a voice came from the courtyard.

"I'm here. I came out to drink some water."

"Oh, yes."

Ma Dongpi, who had been squatting hesitantly, suddenly noticed the pot.

'…'

There's a lot of it.

'Enhancing inner strength?'

The tempting possibility made Ma Dongpi's nose twitch.

Why? The strong smell of the boiled chicken didn't seem as repulsive as before.

After a moment of hesitation, he tore off a piece of the breast meat. The creature was so large that even a thin piece was as long as a noodle.

Ma Dongpi put the meat in his mouth and chewed.

'Hmm?'

It's better than expected.

He thought it would be tough, but it was surprisingly tender and bland, making it easy to eat.

Ma Dongpi tore off a few more pieces of breast meat. The more he ate, the more it seemed to stick to his tongue.

'If I can just get over my prejudice, it's quite a decent dish…'

As he tore off another long piece of meat, Ma Dongpi felt a dark shadow and flinched.

He turned his head.

Xie Liang, who had entered the kitchen, was smirking.

"How does it taste?"

Ma Dongpi awkwardly replied.

"…It's excellent."

"That's what I told you, you fool."

"I apologize."

"Stop apologizing and chew properly. Try a leg."

"I'm fine now…"

"Try it, damn it."

"Yes."

Thus, the two of them squatted in the kitchen and devoured the enormous pot of boiled chicken as if it were nothing.

Even the great Li Chiangshang couldn't have imagined that his disciple would be catching and eating changfu in the Solitary Bamboo Forest.

"Ugh, I'm stuffed."

"Slurp."

"Are you going to drink the broth?"

"…"

"Drink more."

"Slurp."

* * *

The two of them entered the bamboo forest near their residence.

"You set up arrays around here?"

"Yes. A basic array that can be constructed with branches if one is familiar with the terrain, covering eight directions…"

"An octagonal array."

"Ah, you've studied array formations?"

"By chance. Still, you did a good job. Even with unconventional modifications, it's functioning well."

"You can tell?"

"Of course. It's obvious just by looking."

Ma Dongpi's eyes were filled with admiration.

Array formations are a study that differs from martial arts. It's not something that can be easily understood just by having some knowledge.

'Impressive.'

This clearly showed that the leader's disciple was no ordinary person. One had to be skilled in various areas, not just martial arts.

Moreover…

'That gaze.'

Xie Liang, carefully observing the bamboo forest.

Ma Dongpi's face was filled with confusion as he watched Xie Liang.

'What kind of person is Third Young Master?'

He seemed so carefree, yet when he became serious, he exuded an aura that was hard to approach.

His gaze alone was so impressive that it could make one believe he had already reached the pinnacle of the world. Even after losing his martial arts due to demonic possession, he showed no signs of despair. If it were him, he would have been in deep depression and unable to live a normal life.

Furthermore, his knowledge of array formations, which usually takes two to three years to master, was astonishing. Despite losing many memories of the new sect, he retained the knowledge needed for the perilous world.

The more he learned, the more mysterious he became.

"Ma."

"Yes, Young Master Xie."

"Have dinner alone tonight."

"Do you have no plans for dinner?"

"I don't have plans for dinner, but I have too many other thoughts. I need to sort them out. I'll do some repairs, and you should rest."

"Ah, I understand."

Xie Liang sauntered into his room.

Sitting on the bed, he picked up the secret manual of the True Demon Art (真魔功) and read it seriously again.

'No matter how I think about it, this is the right choice.'

Learning a demonic art again at this point?

Yes, it's possible. Although he had been a killer, he had participated in the development of the Shadow Art (暗影功). His insight into martial arts was superior to that of other great martial artists.

However, even with such insight, it was difficult to master a high-level demonic art quickly. He was not familiar with it.

He would be faster than others, but it wasn't enough.

The fastest, strongest, and most far-sighted martial art.

"Indeed, I can't give up the Shadow Art. I must pursue the Shadow Art."

Then, why not learn a demonic art?

No.

Xie Liang shook the manual.

"No matter how I look at it, this is the best choice."

True Demon Art (真魔功).

One of the two foundational arts that support the new sect, along with the Revitalizing Demon Art (魔焕功).

It wasn't because of its high level. In fact, compared to the Ten Great Demonic Arts, these two arts were like fireflies in front of the moon.

However, the True Demon Art and the Revitalizing Demon Art had one advantage that the Ten Great Demonic Arts did not.

"It's certain. I don't know about the Revitalizing Demon Art, but some of the Ten Great Demonic Arts are based on the True Demon Art."

Of the three of the Ten Great Demonic Arts that Xiang Jia had broken through, two had over eighty percent of the True Demon Art's techniques.

Although they were twisted to the point of being unrecognizable, they couldn't deceive his eyes. The Blood Catastrophe Demon Art (血祸魔功) and the Heaven Capturing Restricting Demon Art (捕天禁魔功) were clearly improved versions of the True Demon Art.

Especially the Heaven Capturing Restricting Demon Art, which was a combination of several other demonic arts.

While the Blood Catastrophe Demon Art was slightly superior, the Heaven Capturing Restricting Demon Art was more powerful. It was a high-level demonic art created by disassembling and reassembling lower-level demonic arts.

And the Shadow Art was similar.

'The Shadow Art is different from the Nine Schools' ultimate techniques, which have been perfected over generations. It's a young martial art, not even a generation old.'

It was an excellent energy technique, but an incomplete martial art. Its nature, character, and level could change depending on how it was modified.

And for that, Xie Liang chose the True Demon Art.

What would happen then?

"…It would become a demonic art."

A single drop of ink in clean water can contaminate the entire container.

Demonic arts are like that. Especially the True Demon Art, which was far ahead of the Ten Great Demonic Arts in the use of primitive demonic energy. It could be considered the parent of many demonic arts possessed by the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Xie Liang hesitated.

Was there a problem with the modification? Not at all.

On the contrary, the combination was too easy. The Shadow Art itself had room for improvement, and the True Demon Art was a perfect match.

Extremes meet, they say.

Although the two arts were at opposite ends, if one focused, they could master the techniques in ten days.

The newly created martial art would likely be more destructive than the Shadow Art and more stable than the True Demon Art.

Xie Liang bit his lip.

'Damn it! There's no other way. I've already made up my mind. If I hesitate now, I'll never get out of this.'

It's not just about not getting out. He might live as an incompetent Third Young Master and die by a random sword in a political struggle.

Most importantly, the Solitary Bamboo Forest.

It was dangerous but also an opportunity. If things went well, he could extract a large amount of medicinal bamboo here.

What if the medicinal bamboo was poisonous? Nonsense!

There was the Wu'ai Art (无碍功), which could purify even the turbid energy in the air. It would take some time, but turning it into a pure medicinal bamboo was not a problem.

"All the circumstances are pushing me to make this choice."

Xie Liang's eyes were filled with determination.

"Then, I'll do it. There's no other choice anyway."

There might be, but spending more time on complicated thoughts was a waste.

"Let's start."

Xie Liang began to modify his Shadow Art and the True Demon Art, along with a few other demonic arts that would serve as the foundation.

As expected, modifying the martial arts was not difficult. It went smoothly, almost as if he was destined to bring the Shadow Art into the Heavenly Demon Sect.

After twelve days, he created a new martial art.

The new martial art was so advanced that it made even him, who had established its system, doubt whether he could achieve great success.

He slowly adapted to the Solitary Bamboo Forest while cultivating the new martial art.

After a month of cultivating the new martial art, he repelled an attack from the changfu and easily won.

Another month later.

He entered deeper into the Solitary Bamboo Forest to explore and encountered more changfu. In that battle, he nearly died but managed to survive.

Three months passed, and with the momentum of his martial art, he ventured even deeper into the forest.

There, he found a piece of medicinal bamboo that had not yet fully matured.

After a bloody battle with the changfu guarding the area, he managed to obtain the medicinal bamboo, which he was fortunate enough to purify with the Wu'ai Art.

The adventure into deeper regions, the rapid mastery of martial arts, and the countless life-and-death experiences.

Month after month, and another month.

It had been eight months since Xie Liang entered the Solitary Bamboo Forest.