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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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I opened my eyes.
A damp taste lingered in my mouth. As if I had fallen into a hammock, my vision swayed with every turn of my head. My fingertips brushed against pine needles, and long, sprawling branches were tangled around my legs.
Cautiously, I raised a hand and touched my cheek. Pinching it brought a sharp pain, and the sensation was vivid. I wiggled my limbs, and nothing seemed broken or damaged. Before me, a sharp fissure, like a cut made by a blade, was visible. A thick branch connected the fissure to me.
Turning my head to the side, all I saw was fog. The vast sea of fog I had seen from the cliff flashed in my mind. I was lost in the middle of nowhere.
There was no way to gauge how deep the bottom of the cliff was. However, considering the chilling wind and the height of the mountain I had been on, it was clear I had been fortunate to have landed on a ledge somewhere in the middle.
“Haa…”
Carefully, I stretched my legs, fearing the branch might break, and climbed off the pine tree.
The thought of almost dying just now sent a shiver down my spine. I trembled at the thought of dying in a more pointless way. Fortunately, the distance between the pine branches and the fissure wasn’t too great.
The tree, growing through the rocks, held firm, supporting my weight without tilting. I scanned the dark entrance to the cliff and picked up a stone, tossing it over the edge.
I waited for a sound, but nothing came back. The bottom was probably much deeper than I thought.
I surveyed my surroundings again. There were no paths to the side, only a small ledge jutting out.
And as if beckoning me to enter, a shadowy cave awaited.
Given the location, it was unlikely there were large beasts, so I confidently took my first step.
“What’s this?”
Stepping into the cave, I was greeted by a surprisingly spacious interior and something that snagged my foot. It was like a heavy fishing net, its weight stopping my movement. The sunlight filtering through the cracks in the wall clearly revealed the object’s form.
It was a human skeleton. Its clothes were tattered, and its face was mangled, showing its long time there. Leaning against the wall, the skeleton had the appearance of someone who had collapsed from exhaustion, its whole body sticking to the damp stone wall.
I pushed the leg aside, which was stretched out like a drunkard’s, and moved further inside.
The faint sunlight illuminated the cave’s interior. The sound of dripping water came from the deepest part of the cave. I found a stream trickling down the wall.
Carefully cupping some in my hands, I took a sip. It wasn’t stale, and it went down smoothly. I was certain it was safe to drink. So, the corpse didn’t die of thirst, I thought.
To the side was a separate room within the cave. Cracks similar to the entrance created doorways between the rooms. On the floor, there were marks that looked like footprints, and a large chest stood in one corner.
There was also a long iron stake and an old rope. I couldn’t figure out their purpose, so I set them aside for now.
The room also had cracks that allowed light to enter, and I used the light to open the chest.
“Oh…”
I couldn’t help but smile. Inside the chest was a stack of old books, along with round pills. How they were preserved, I didn’t know. They were completely dried out, and the book on top was in good condition.
I could tell what the pills were with just a glance. They couldn’t be elixirs, so they were likely Bigokdan.
I stepped back outside. The skeleton was still in place. There was a stream of clean water, plenty of Bigokdan, and an old book.
“Fate isn’t trying to kill me after all.”
A stroke of luck.
A story of leaping off a cliff and finding a chance encounter.
The nameless book offered no clues from its cover, but its author must have been someone important. Perhaps a peculiar master who feared his powerful martial skills would be lost, so he secretly created a martial arts manual.
Who could it have been?
Maybe a renowned expert in the martial world, or a member of a demonic sect, perhaps.
It might even be a very sinister form of martial art.
What did it matter what kind of martial art it was? A black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, and martial arts are good if they’re strong.
I had come to a place where strength was everything. I wanted the strongest strength, and this manual held what I desired.
I sat at the entrance and opened the book.
[I am the Heavenly Demon’s right hand, the lustful demon Chun-pung.]
“Lustful demon?”
I frowned and glanced at the skeleton. The skeleton had no eyes or expressions, so it meant nothing.
I stopped looking at the skeleton and refocused on the book. Even if he was called a lustful demon, there was no need to be biased. Wasn’t he the Heavenly Demon’s right-hand man? He might have used terrifying demonic techniques to manipulate women or used a vile art that absorbed women’s inner energy.
The phrase ‘Heavenly Demon’s right hand’ made me even more excited, and I turned the page.
[I managed to reach this place while evading the Martial Alliance’s pursuit, but my injuries are grave, and I will not live long. However, I fear the loss of my secret techniques, so I leave these words behind. If anyone finds this place, I hope you carry on my will.]
I nodded and moved on to the next paragraph.
[The Art of the Bedroom]
[The foundation of the art of the bedroom is training the fingers and lower body. Lower body training is essential for mastering lightness techniques, so it must not be neglected. Simply mastering the art of manipulating the fingers and understanding a woman’s body is a great leap toward the path of the lustful demon.
Furthermore, the waist movements….]
I quickly flipped through the pages. Practicing bedroom techniques was ridiculous when the only other being here was a skeleton. After turning several pages, I could finally move on to the next paragraph.
[Inner Energy Cultivation]
“Yes, this is it.”
Inner energy was the core of martial arts. To use powerful techniques, one needed plenty of inner energy, and a good cultivation method made it easier to gather.
What kind of cultivation method did the man known as the Heavenly Demon’s right-hand man have?
Could I experience the secrets of the demonic sect?
[Those who practice demonic inner energy can easily accumulate power, but the demonic energy emanating from them often repels women. Therefore, I learned the basics of the Shaolin cultivation method to avoid suspicion, and I have written it here.]
“…?”
Was he insane?
He learned the Shaolin method so he wouldn’t be suspected by women?
I glanced at the skeleton again. But even if I looked at him with questioning eyes, the skeleton couldn’t answer. Realizing there was no point in questioning it, I scanned the Shaolin cultivation paragraph again and moved on.
[Lightness Technique]
I glanced outside. Since I had to escape the middle of a cliff, it was something I had to master.
[Shadow Step]
[If you have come to this cliff, either you already have a talent for lightness techniques or have experienced an unexpected accident. The Shadow Step is a lightness technique specialized for climbing high walls and cliffs. It can help you escape this cliff and easily approach the ladies who live in the estates and mansions. Also, it’s very useful for stealth, as it can conceal one’s presence and travel far distances quickly.]
This was the most useful thing I had read so far. Even if I only mastered this, I could escape the cliff.
But wouldn’t it be a loss if I only learned an escape technique after coming all this way?
I quickly flipped through the pages.
A man who was this obsessed with sex would have mastered some kind of sorcery to get women. No matter what the sorcery was, it would be a reliable help to me in my future martial world life.
I skipped past the parts about concealing presence, playing dead, techniques to flee from strong opponents, and how to read expressions and understand psychology, and finally found a paragraph in the book that seemed to describe martial arts.
[Seizing Hand]
[To stop resistance, the mastery of the Seizing Hand is essential. If you utilize a body trained in the Seizing Hand and the art of the bedroom, it will be easy to subdue ruffians, the husbands, fathers, and brothers of women, and flee. If someone laughs at you even after seeing the Seizing Hand, I recommend that you do not fight but run away.
I have written the basics and advanced techniques of the Seizing Hand here. Make sure to learn these skills and use them wisely.
A lustful demon’s victory is in surviving.]
“…This guy is just a crazy rapist.”
I turned the page.
There was a picture of how to practice the Seizing Hand. Nothing followed it. I fluttered through the blank pages and then looked at the skeleton.
I looked back and forth between the book and the skeleton, then walked out to the cliff.
Fog was all around.
There was no way to go beyond the fog.
I couldn’t even see the bottom, and I had no confidence to jump or climb back up.
I was happy, thinking it was a stroke of luck, but all I got was a manual from a crazy guy obsessed with the Seizing Hand, lightness techniques, and his personal bedroom skills.
“…damn it.”
Cursing here wouldn’t change anything.
All I could do was either practice this lustful demon’s techniques or starve to death while eating Bigokdan.
Clatter.
I heard the sound of the skeleton falling over.
I clicked my tongue and walked back into the cave.
What else could I do?
I’ll just have to train.
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very interesting, very interesting indeed