The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Youngest Master of the Zhu Family (4)

Demonic Energy

Domination, arrogance, contempt, destruction, supremacy.

The final form of all chaotic, violent, and incomparably rough and ferocious energy.

We call this Demonic Energy.

It is energy that operates on principles completely opposite to the martial arts of the Righteous Martial World from Orthodox Taoist Schools.

It was also called Heaven-Defying martial arts, and the typical characteristic of Demonic Arts was that they consisted mainly of terrifying martial arts that could drive the practitioner himself to destruction.

“Ha, damn it.”

I opened my eyes.

Judging by the sound of birds chirping outside the window and the murmuring of servants, it seemed I had properly passed out last night.

I immediately got up from where I was and checked my physical condition first.

Kuwoong!

Heavy internal energy was coiled in my dantian, making it tingle.

‘3rd level… 4th level, no… at least 8th level!’

Dragon Heaven True Energy had reached the 8th level.

This was beyond common sense.

But the problem was that the energy itself that formed Dragon Heaven True Energy was destructive Demonic Energy.

‘I’m screwed.’

My mind was complicated.

How on earth should I explain this situation?

Dragon Heaven True Energy follows the natural flow.

It has no connection whatsoever with Demonic Energy, which has Heaven-Defying properties.

However, what filled my dantian was definitely Demonic Energy.

What is Demonic Energy in the first place?

It refers to Heaven-Defying energy that betrays the natural providence pursued by Orthodox Taoist sects.

The speed of accumulating power is unparalleled, but it has equally serious side effects.

For instance, it means one could become a madman or a blood-soaked killing demon.

‘Still, is it fortunate? At least I didn’t become a Soul-Lost Person.’

Right, let’s think positively.

Dragon Heaven True Energy was in harmony with the Demonic Energy.

Even though they were mixed together and becoming one, my mind was perfectly clear, so as long as I’m careful, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Moreover, the 8th level of Dragon Heaven True Energy already surpassed Ju Seung-hyeok’s level.

Of course, one cannot determine superiority based solely on mental cultivation methods, but at least in terms of internal energy alone, it was safe to say there was no one among my peers who could compare to me.

“One jiazi cycle. That’s incredible.”

What filled my dantian was internal energy at the level of one jiazi cycle.

Usually, one jiazi cycle means sixty years’ worth of cultivation.

It means an amount that can only be achieved by steadily accumulating internal energy through training and energy circulation for sixty years.

Of course, as the martial world developed and the level of mental cultivation methods also advanced, the speed and accumulated amount varied drastically depending on the types of mental cultivation methods learned by each sect and family.

“Ugh. The smell.”

When I relaxed a bit, I finally noticed the stench that was assaulting my nose.

My entire body was drenched in sweat, and inside the room, there was a terrible stench vibrating due to waste and turbid energy expelled from my body.

I first opened the window to ventilate the inside of the room.

Unlike the heavy feeling in my dantian, my body was incomparably light and nimble compared to yesterday.

“As expected.”

Feeling a reassuring sense of fullness, I smiled slightly.

My mood improved.

Of course, I would have to hide Dragon Heaven True Energy for a while and circulate Zhu Wall Divine Art, but that wasn’t too difficult.

“Should I loosen up my body after a long time?”

When I opened the window, I could see the training ground outside.

Seeing the training ground, it was true that my body felt restless.

I lightly put on martial robes and headed straight to the training ground.

* * *

‘Ah, damn it.’

Mu Ying headed to the back garden again as soon as dawn broke.

His mind was quite complicated.

He recalled what Woo Jin had said last night.

‘Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.’

And the words that followed were a series of hard-to-believe statements.

‘When I held Mother’s hand, I felt poison qi.’

‘…!’

It was an incredible statement.

Poison qi was felt from Yu Harin, the Foster Mother of the Zhu Family?

That meant someone had put poison in her food or medicine…

If not that, then someone who learned Poison Arts had poisoned her.

Only then did he understand at once why Woo Jin had ordered him to monitor the back garden.

‘Poison qi? Are you certain?’

‘Yeah. I’m certain.’

‘Then I should report this immediately…’

‘No.’

Woo Jin immediately blocked Mu Ying.

‘If we move rashly, we might completely miss the villain who administered the poison.’

‘…’

Mu Ying understood what Woo Jin meant.

If they moved clumsily, the villain who noticed might escape.

‘He means to catch them all at once and wipe them out completely.’

It was surprising that Woo Jin could even think of such a thing.

He eventually decided to observe Yu Harin’s movements for a few more days according to Woo Jin’s will.

* * *

“Hello? Uncle.”

“…”

Having come out to the training ground, I froze at the voice I heard.

It was a small, cute child.

Her hair was braided in two parts, and her cheeks were quite cute, still plump with baby fat.

On top of that, she had big eyes and skin as soft as rice cake.

But… who was this?

I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere, but my memory is quite hazy.

“Your niece is called Ju Seol-ah, Uncle.”

“Ju… Seol-ah?”

Ah, I remembered.

Eldest Brother Ju Seung-hyeok’s eldest daughter.

In my previous life, there weren’t many occasions to encounter her, so I couldn’t remember her.

“Yes, nice to meet you. Where are you going?”

I quickly lowered my posture to match eye level with Seol-ah.

Looking at her adorable expression anew, she was cute enough to want to pinch her cheeks.

“This nephew was on his way to see Father. What are you doing here, Uncle?”

How well must my elder brother and sister-in-law have taught her for a child who doesn’t even look five years old to be so clever.

Feeling newly proud, I gently stroked Seol-ah’s head.

‘This child too… must have died when the Demonic Cult rose to power.’

My heart ached.

I absolutely could not bear to see the Heavenly Demon, or the Demonic Cult, crawl back out into the world again.

If I wanted to see my family, to see this small child grow up properly.

“Uncle?”

When I didn’t answer, Seol-ah tilted her head and asked again.

“Haha, this uncle was thinking of training here. But…”

“Kyaah!”

I lifted Seol-ah up in my arms.

That’s when it happened.

“Y-Young Master!”

With a sharp voice, someone came running frantically.

Hair braided neatly to one side, large eyes resembling Seol-ah’s, and fair, delicate skin.

She was quite a beauty.

“Who might you be…”

“P-please put Seol-ah down. Young Master, please…”

Young Master?

Wait…

A woman who greatly resembled Seol-ah… and the fact that she could enter this place so naturally, where only direct family members could come…?

“Sister-in-law?”

“Yes, Young Master. I don’t know what Seol-ah did wrong, but she’s still just a child. So please…”

Now she was pleading pitifully.

Sister-in-law’s complexion had turned deathly pale.

I quietly set Seol-ah down.

‘So I’m being misunderstood like this too.’

I felt awkward for no reason.

I had lifted her up because I found her cute, but given what I’d done before, it must have looked like I was going to harm Seol-ah.

“Why, Mother? Uncle was just hugging me.”

“I’m sorry, Young Master. I have something to attend to… I’ll be going now.”

For what a sister-in-law would say to her brother-in-law, it was quite stiff and awkward.

It was clear she was afraid of me.

I could only nod my head.

The fact that things were still awkward with everyone except Mu Ying and Mother was an unavoidable reality.

‘I’ll work things out gradually.’

Even as Seol-ah held Sister-in-law’s hand and walked away, she kept looking back regretfully and waving her hand.

I waved back at Seol-ah in return.

“Mm, so now it’s time to start training?”

I slowly loosened my stiff body.

Though it was demonic energy, my internal energy was abundant and the enlightenment from my previous life hadn’t gone anywhere.

What I needed most right now was precisely my body.

I slowly extended my fists and diligently organized my combat forms.

The training I was doing was body techniques to retrace my physical strength, balance, and fundamentals.

Naturally, the Zhu Family also had body techniques.

Not just the Zhu Family, but body techniques were absolutely essential basics among basics for any family or sect that trained in martial arts.

‘But…’

I boldly abandoned the Zhu Family’s body techniques.

Because I had already experienced them countless times.

What?

‘The Zhu Family’s body techniques are honest.’

I had experienced to the point of madness in my previous life how fatal body techniques with honest combat forms could be.

Therefore, I abandoned the Zhu Family’s body techniques and learned the body techniques practiced by the Dark Path.

‘When it comes to body techniques, Wudang is the best though…’

Unfortunately, in my previous life I had no opportunity to observe Wudang’s body techniques.

Wudang’s unique Soft Fist, which redirected or deflected an opponent’s strength, could be called the finest body technique in the Central Plains.

On the other hand.

Swish! Whoosh!

My fists and feet shot out, cutting through the air.

Just before the fist reached the final striking point, twisting the wrist to change trajectory or attacking the opponent’s eyes to blur their vision…

Yes, the body technique I learned was precisely the Dark Path’s body technique.

Moreover, it was the body technique directly taught by the Black Horn Master who had been torn to shreds by the Heavenly Demon’s hands.

True to its notorious reputation, my entire body was instantly soaked with sweat.

‘Black King Assault Body.’

There was no need to grandly call it a fist technique or combat art.

This itself was a fist technique, a type of ultimate skill that was a complete body technique.

Each fist shot out as a fierce strike that tore through the atmosphere.

Though my body had returned to its former state, the enlightenment from my previous life had not disappeared.

It was when I had been absorbed in body techniques for quite a while.

Suddenly, chills ran down the back of my neck and my senses greatly expanded.

“…!”

Something was watching me.

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

And then came a voice.

A figure approaching me with subtle killing intent, clenching and unclenching their fists.

“Elder Sister.”

It was my eldest sister, Ju Seung-kyung.

“What is that fist technique?”

Seung-kyung immediately interrogated me.

“Huh?”

“The killing intent is too thick in every single movement.”

“…”

So she had been watching from far away.

Well, it didn’t matter if I was caught.

“It’s just body techniques.”

“Body techniques? The killing intent was too thick to call it body techniques.”

Thud!

She grabbed my shoulder.

Along with a strong grip, I could feel subtle internal energy too.

‘What should I do?’

It was an awkward situation.

Elder Sister was quite strong among her peers.

I could shake her off easily enough if I wanted to.

“Mm.”

Right, my pride wouldn’t allow me to just give in.

I quietly took Elder Sister’s hand and lowered it.

“Oh?”

“How about we stop here?”

There was no one watching anyway.

This is a training ground that only direct descendants can use.

“I can’t let that happen.”

My words seemed to properly strike Elder Sister’s pride.

Given Elder Sister’s personality of hating to lose more than death itself, this was a natural reaction.

“I guess all your old memories have disappeared?”

Crack!

Elder Sister clenched and unclenched her fists as she approached me.

At those words, I flinched and trembled.

‘That’s right, she always tried to kill me whenever she got the chance.’

In my previous life, I had always avoided her.

She had always found me disagreeable.

Well, I fully understand Elder Sister’s feelings.

Including me, there are only three younger siblings total.

But the other two younger siblings have the Namgung family as their maternal relatives, so their pride reaches the sky, and the only manageable one was me…

But even I didn’t listen to her and spent my days indulging in alcohol and women.

Whoosh!

I lightly drew up my breathing.

While it’s true that she’s called a prodigy among her peers, I’m already someone who achieved Mutual Destruction with the Heavenly Demon in my previous life.

I’m someone that even the Heavenly Demon acknowledged.

“Little brother, you’ve grown quite a bit?”

Seung-kyung’s eyebrows twitched.

Then she immediately threw a punch at me.

Her fists came pouring toward me in rapid succession.

I conversely rotated my body and lightly swept her feet.

Elder Sister, being a prodigy, didn’t fall for such a shallow trick.

As if conscious of it, she lightly leaped to avoid it and instead burrowed toward me.

‘Tsk.’

Such a linear combat form.

That I deliberately swept her feet to induce this kind of fight.

Elder Sister probably would never realize.

The opening was revealed all too clearly.

Whoosh!

I stopped my fist just one inch in front of Elder Sister’s exposed cheek.

“…”

The surroundings turned cold.

Seung-kyung saw this and became furious.

“What do you think you’re doing right now? Did you go easy on me? How dare you?”

I seemed to have properly scratched her pride.

Seung-kyung became even more incensed and charged at me even more aggressively.

‘Lightning Strike.’

The Zhu Family’s body techniques.

Its characteristic is to press the opponent like lightning, stealing away the initiative itself.

‘The problem is that its power is weak.’

More fundamentally, it didn’t match well with the Zhu Family’s martial arts.

Moreover, I’m already thoroughly familiar with that martial technique.

Before Elder Sister could throw her punch, I swept her feet half a breath earlier and knocked her down.

“…”

There was a moment of silence in the area.

Elder Sister stood up with an expression of disbelief.

Clang!

She placed her hand on her sword hilt.

Somehow the smile hanging on her lips seemed ominous.

“This won’t do. We need to have a proper match. You.”

“…”

Ah, damn.

I seem to have properly provoked her temper.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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