Blood Successor
In the first part of the novel *Record of the Heavenly Demon’s Return*, the Blood Successor primarily used a combination of two martial arts.
One was Buddhist martial arts, while the other was the Blood Rain Demon Technique, as mentioned by Mu-gyeong.
The protagonist of the first part faced this Blood Successor, speculating that he might have gone mad due to Qi Deviation from practicing a mix of Buddhist martial arts and demonic arts.
However, Mu-jin, who had spent over six years with Mu-gyeong, now understood.
Mu-gyeong explained that the Blood Successor wasn’t insane because he practiced both martial arts but because he was inherently a madman.
Combining the opposing martial arts might have been a trigger, but fundamentally, he was always ready to go mad.
“And if this Mu-gyeong’s talent is true, he wouldn’t fall into Qi Deviation just from combining the two.”
Though all the techniques were Buddhist martial arts, Mu-gyeong had already mastered more than a hundred Shaolin techniques.
Among them, he had only mastered three of the Seventy-Two Consummate Arts, but even that was enough to drive most people insane.
In addition, he had learned techniques from the Wudang Sect, the opponents he faced at the Yongbongji Conference, and those he met in Guangxi Province.
Despite stealing and learning all these techniques, he remained sane. It was an unbelievable feat.
“Maybe he’s immune to madness because he’s already a bit crazy?”
As Mu-jin pondered this while looking at Mu-gyeong, Mu-gyeong looked back at him as if he were a mad dog and asked,
“Why? What’s with the sudden anxious look?”
With both Hye-gwan and Mu-jin often causing trouble, Mu-gyeong had learned to avoid crazy people.
They stared at each other like madmen for a moment.
A strange thought crossed Mu-jin’s mind.
“Wait. If we could obtain the Blood Rain Demon Technique here, we wouldn’t need to take a roundabout route, would we?”
In a year or two, the protagonist of the first part, who would become the future Heavenly Demon, was set to graduate as the top student of the Demonic Path Institute.
After graduation, he would be assigned to the combat unit of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
“From then on, he’ll be ruthlessly driven.”
Caught in the internal power struggle of the Heavenly Demon Cult, this talented but illegitimate son would be repeatedly thrown into life-and-death battles.
But his overwhelming talent would see him grow explosively through each crisis.
With a protagonist’s sense of weight and presence, he would eventually lead the combat unit, becoming its de facto leader.
After years of surviving the frontlines with his unit, he would return to the Heavenly Demon Cult, cleanse the cult, and ascend to the position of the Heavenly Demon.
Thus, the first part of the novel was titled *Record of the Heavenly Demon’s Return*.
However, Mu-jin’s interference had created a significant issue.
When the protagonist, as a new recruit of the combat unit, faced countless life-and-death situations over a year and became the de facto leader of the unit, a new order would be given to head to a new battlefield.
On the way to this new battlefield, a crucial event would occur when he encountered the Blood Successor during a massacre in a village.
This encounter would not happen now.
This event was important for a simple reason.
The future Heavenly Demon and the Blood Successor would engage in a titanic battle, through which the Heavenly Demon would gain further enlightenment and grow.
Without this enlightenment, the Heavenly Demon would face insurmountable challenges in the next battlefield.
In short, if the future Heavenly Demon headed to the next battlefield without fighting the Blood Successor, he would die.
Therefore, Mu-jin had been contemplating various ways since realizing Mu-gyeong was the Blood Successor.
“If Mu-gyeong obtains that technique here, we won’t have to worry about such trivial things!”
Apparently, Mu-gyeong caused some trouble and was confined in the Cave of Repentance in the novel.
After obtaining the Blood Rain Demon Technique from the Blood Demon, he escaped from Shaolin and operated as the Blood Successor.
But now was not the time to deduce the Blood Successor’s past, which was not described in the novel.
“So, who exactly is this Blood Demon?”
Mu-jin asked Mu-gyeong, who still looked at him as if he were crazy, to confirm if the Blood Rain Demon Technique he knew was the same.
“They said he was a blood-crazed murderer. He had mastered a strange technique called the Celestial Blood Absorption Technique, a type of Blood-Sucking Technique, which allowed him to absorb his opponent’s blood and inner power. Thanks to that, he had an absurd amount of inner power.”
“!!!”
“The Celestial Blood Absorption Technique too!”
This was also a technique the Blood Successor in the novel had mastered. Using this technique, the Blood Successor possessed an absurd amount of inner power for his age.
“A blood-crazed murderer, indeed.”
“Why?”
“I might fall into Qi Deviation or suffer from madness.”
Mu-gyeong couldn’t trust himself. He knew he was different from others.
Being born with such a peculiar constitution, learning demonic arts might turn him into a mad killer. Mu-gyeong feared this.
Realizing what Mu-gyeong was worried about, Mu-jin felt a bit touched.
“He had been so preoccupied with his worries.”
The boy, who had always seemed childish and on the brink of madness, seemed to have matured.
So, Mu-jin spoke with conviction.
“I understand your concern, but don’t worry. You won’t have any problems mastering the Blood Rain Demon Technique.”
The Blood Successor in the novel might have gone mad due to the demonic arts, or he might have been inherently mad.
But Mu-gyeong wasn’t the Blood Successor.
“A truly mad person believes they’re normal. Just worrying about going mad means you’re halfway there. Besides, didn’t you find the trap in the Secret Techniques of Moonlight Sword Dance? You can fix the mnemonics of the Blood Rain Demon Technique if there’s a problem.”
Mu-gyeong still had a complicated expression, so
Mu-jin reassured him with a confident smile.
“You can do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Perhaps it was Mu-jin’s confidence that eased Mu-gyeong’s worries.
Though Mu-jin often caused trouble, his suggestions rarely led to failure.
So, this time too, Mu-gyeong decided to trust Mu-jin.
“Fine. I’ll try to learn it. But if there’s any problem, I’ll stop immediately.”
“Sure. If you fall into Qi Deviation or madness, I’ll take care of it.”
“How will you take care of it?”
“I’ll tie you up and beat you until you snap out of it. If needed, I’ll bring Master Uncle Hye-gwan.”
“Oh... like that?”
Mu-gyeong couldn’t help but laugh at Mu-jin’s bold plan.
Seeing Mu-gyeong laugh, Mu-jin smiled lightly.
With the atmosphere relaxed, Mu-jin led the way.
“We haven’t even met the Blood Demon yet, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves and go inside.”
“Kimchi soup? What’s that?”
“Is it delicious?”
“It’s a dish from a far eastern country. Just know it’s not from here.”
Mu-jin’s nonsensical explanation was followed by a reluctant Mu-gung and a cheerful Mu-yul and Ling-ling.
Mu-gyeong, watching them, recalled Mu-jin’s words.
“Worrying about going mad means you’re halfway there...”
But his thoughts were interrupted by Mu-jin calling him.
“What are you doing? Come on.”
“I’m coming.”
With a faint smile, Mu-gyeong joined Mu-jin, suddenly asking,
“Mu-jin.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think you’re normal?”
“Of course. Who’s more rational than me?”
At Mu-jin’s confident reply, Mu-gyeong simply nodded.
“A madman always believes he’s normal.”
Indeed, even a madman could speak some truths.