Episode 252: That is the Nine Fire Magic Gong.
I walked down an unfamiliar path with my father.
The area behind Cheonmajeon was a road I had never walked before. Even when I returned to the main school to get Dafa materials before returning, I couldn’t come as far as this place.
When we reached the beautifully decorated flower garden, my father informed me that there was a camp here.
“Tread exactly in my footsteps and follow me.”
The formation unfolding in the flower garden is the Gucheon Evil Spirit Mirojin (九泉惡靈迷路陣). It was a terrible ordeal that meant that if you couldn’t find your exact birthmark, you would be chased by evil spirits until you died.
I followed carefully, following exactly where my father had walked.
As we left the nine heaven evil spirit labyrinth, the view ahead changed drastically. As I walked through the garden, there was a large building rising like a castle where there was nothing.
This place, more secret than any other place in the Heavenly Demon Church, was the Nine Fire Demon Palace.
My father placed his palm on the small board next to the door. As internal force was injected into that place, the huge door began to slowly open. This was a place where only people who had mastered the nine fire magic techniques could enter.
I stepped into a new world.
A sight that overwhelms me the moment I enter.
In front, there was a huge stone statue in the shape of the Heavenly Demon Spirit sitting in the seat. It looked as if my father was sitting in the royal palace.
And the Heavenly Demon Spirit was extending its hand forward. I could intuit it. That the top of that palm is a place for the Heavenly Demon.
The moment I saw the Heavenly Demon Spirit, I felt an exhilarating shiver run through my body. I felt like I wanted to climb up on that outstretched hand and stand tall. I was overcome with a desire to quickly meet my Heavenly Demon Soul. It really wasn’t easy to find composure today.
At that time, my father’s words made my heart tremble even more.
“I also learned the martial arts technique from my father here.”
Memories of the past flashed through my father’s eyes, as if he was remembering that day.
‘What kind of person was your grandfather to your father?’
My father never spoke about my grandfather.
‘I have a lot to say to my children about their father.’
I slowly looked around.
In this vast place, the past and the present coexisted.
The mural painted on one wall depicts the beginning of Demonicism. It was scary, bizarre, and primitive, but the paintings and statues were so vivid that it seemed as if they would jump out and move at any moment.
Next to it, another image of a demonic cult was drawn. As time passed, the magic system also changed. Demons and demons were depicted differently.
“As Guhwamagong has been passed down for a long time, it has been changed and improved little by little, and sometimes it has been put into practice and continued again.”
Guhwamagong was also written in detail on the wall.
There was also a record of when Guhwamagong was born, and the time when it was the nine herbivores was also written in detail.
Then, there was a time when it was divided into nine fire magic sword style, nine fire magic sword style, nine fire magic sword style, and nine fire magic fist style, and there was a time when it was buried in darkness because it was out of practice.
The entire process until it became nine herbivores was recorded in detail on the wall.
“Guhwamagong has continued to change.”
“It had to be that way. “Because in every era, idiots and geniuses would continue to emerge.”
At the same time, my father’s eyes turned again to the stone statue of the Heavenly Demon Soul.
“Even through such changes, the only thing that has not changed is the Heavenly Demon Soul.”
Even though herbivory changed over time, the spirit of the Heavenly Demon did not change.
The ultimate being that can only be summoned when the Nine Fire Magic Gong reaches great heights.
Before coming here, I had already seen the image of the Heavenly Demon Spirit several times. I felt like the spirit of the Heavenly Demon was looking at me in the cave at the end of all things, and I also saw it while withstanding the Murim Lord’s subversive prayer.
I can’t forget the way the Heavenly Demon Spirit looked at me at that time. Those eyes that seemed to feel sorry for me, seemed to miss me, and felt sorry for me.
“Have you tried calling the Heavenly Demon Spirit?”
My father nodded to my question.
It means that one can summon the Heavenly Demon Spirit by achieving the great power of Nine Fire Demonic Crafts.
Even though you summoned your father’s Heavenly Demon Spirit, did you lose it to Hwamugi? Or did you fight without calling me out? What kind of fight took place that day?
Even at this moment, the profile of my father, who looked so strong, did not easily remind me of defeat. I didn’t know whether I would ever know what happened that day or never, but one thing was certain.
It won’t happen again.
“If I achieve great success in the Nine Fire Demonic Gong, will my father and I each be able to summon the Heavenly Demon Spirit?”
“Yes. It is known that the Heavenly Demon Spirit is slightly different depending on the person who summons it. “The Heavenly Demon Spirit I summon will be different from the Heavenly Demon Spirit you summon.”
A Heavenly Demon Soul different from his father. When I imagined the two Heavenly Demon spirits standing tall and facing each other, I looked forward to that moment so much.
“My Heavenly Demon Soul… might talk a lot.”
A faint smile appeared on my father’s lips. That’s a reaction that can be seen as a roar of laughter.
“I don’t know if I’ll see it in my lifetime.”
Although it was a joke to me, it also meant that it would be difficult for Guhwamagong to become a great success.
My father jumped up and onto the palm of the statue of the Heavenly Demon Soul.
“Come up here.”
As if I had been waiting, I jumped up and got up there.
I reached out my hand and touched the stone statue’s hand. The cold touch of the stone statue.
The symbol of the Heavenly Demon Soul was engraved in the center of the palm, and a person could sit on it. It seems that my father also learned the martial arts technique here.
My father looked at me and asked again.
“Are you ready?”
I answered, looking at my father.
“I want to feel the actual touch of the Heavenly Demon Soul.”
Then the father’s majestic prayer filled the hall.
Finally, the words I had longed for came out of my father’s mouth.
“From now on, I will teach you the Nine Fire Demonic Art.”
My body naturally trembled in front of this great fate. My heart, which had sunk, began to beat again.
I sat there with my back straight and a good posture.
Although it was thin and long, it breathed steadily. Breathing and consciousness became one and I was finally ready to accept my fate.
This palm was no ordinary place. I don’t know what the principle was, but the movement of internal power and magic energy was smoother.
“Herbivory is a process for only one result, killing, and it is a movement that optimizes that process. “Your achievements will depend on how well you understand this.”
Starting with conveying the deep knowledge of martial arts, my father began reciting the nine verses of Guhwamagong.
I closed my eyes and began to recite the nine verses of the Nine Fire Magic Gong.
It was more difficult than any martial arts I’ve experienced so far. Normally, you can roughly understand it the moment you hear it, but Guhwamagong consisted of a completely new concept.
I just memorized what my father said. Understanding and interpreting the meaning came later. I memorized it with all my concentration.
“…the shrine should be cold and the water should be hot. If the lower arm is a leaf, then the geonri must become the root. Only when chaos becomes order and the roar becomes silence will the middle arm change into life and geoggeol into death. “When the courtyard is clear and quiet, Danjung…”
The incomprehensible phrase passed by endlessly. This is how the final part of the Nine Fire Magic Ball, which continued for a long time, ended like this.
“…Standing alone in this world, that is Nine Fire Magic Gong.”
As soon as my father finished speaking, I let out an exclamation without realizing it. How much I understood or not was a question later. I knew it instinctively. What a great martial art the Guhwamagong is. The majesty and grandeur of the Absolute Demon King became an overwhelming emotion and enveloped my body.
“How much did you memorize?”
“I memorized all the rules themselves.”
My father was different from usual. If it were normal times, he would have said let’s go and got up. But my father repeated his admonition.
“Now listen again.”
He was more serious than ever at this moment when he was teaching Guhwamagong. This may be because the principle of oral fire magic is to teach directly rather than to be taught at a non-level level, so if you memorize or misinterpret even a single word incorrectly, your life could be at risk.
My father repeated the phrase three times and then asked me to memorize it.
I started reciting the nine verses of Nine Fire Magic Gong.
When I memorized it accurately from beginning to end, my father looked satisfied.
“Accurate.”
I bowed deeply to my father.
“I am really very happy. “Thank you, father.”
I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I just felt happy and grateful.
I thought my martial arts training would end like this. I taught you, so now you can learn it on your own.
But no.
My father taught me some of the essentials and key points of Guhwamagong. He didn’t tell me the whole story, but only pointed out certain parts that I might have been confused about.
“Have you memorized all of this?”
“Yes, I memorized it.”
“This is to inform you so that you do not wander unnecessarily.”
“Thank you, father.”
My father sat on the tip of the Heavenly Demon Spirit’s finger. I also sat next to my father.
“My father lectured me on the entire essence of Nine Fire Magic Gong. From the beginning to the end of the story. He taught me everything about how to interpret it and how to practice it. Nevertheless, it took a very long time to achieve greatness.”
My father’s eyes turned to me.
“I’m not going to give you the whole story.”
I wasn’t that surprised because I thought he was like a father. But the reason for doing so was truly surprising.
“You probably know that even the same martial arts skill can vary greatly depending on how it is interpreted.”
And after meeting my father, he said the most amazing thing.
“I want to see your interpretation of the Nine Fire Magic Gong.”
“!”
I was surprised. I was really surprised.
And I could tell. What I just said was that my father recognized me as an unmanned person. No, it’s more than that.
“Show me your nine fire magic skills.”
He was saying that he wanted to see a martial arts technique that was better than the martial arts technique that his father had mastered. That proud father is saying those words right now.
“So engrave your history here!”
My heart was pounding. At this moment, the joy of being recognized by my father was greater than the joy of learning the Kuhwamagong technique. Because the tears that didn’t come out then were starting to come out now.
Before I could hear my answer, my father stood up.
“let’s go.”
It was the moment when I returned to my original blunt father.
I didn’t say I would show you. Because I’m really going to show you.
Thank you father.
I think I came back really well.
* * *
After leaving Cheonma Shrine, I climbed to the top of Daecheonsan Mountain.
Standing there alone, I memorized the nine words of the nine fire demons over and over again. I tried to imprint it in my mind forever.
My life was at stake here. Everyone’s life was at stake here.
And I thought over and over again the point and realization that my father had taught me. If I didn’t know this point, I would have needed much more time to learn the nine fire magic techniques.
I even forgot about my hunger and fell in love with the magic of Guhwamagong. My mind was clear and clean and I felt joy.
There is no me, no father. In the end, even Guhwamagong disappeared. In a true trance, I completely imprinted the Nine Fire Magic Gong.
* * *
The first place I went to after coming down Daecheon Mountain was Pungryu Bar.
When I entered, Cho Chun-bae ran out to greet me.
“Master Xiao! It’s really a reduction! “When I heard that you had become the head of the small school, I wanted to come to the school and meet you.”
He really looked like he wanted to hug me.
So I gave him a hug. Cho Chun-bae was so surprised that he almost fainted.
“You can’t do this to me, a lowly person.”
“This is the last time I will say something like this. “Isn’t it rude to say something like this to a friend?”
When Cho Chun-bae heard the word ‘friend’, he said ‘Oh my gosh’ and waved his hand. What more can I say? Cho Chun-bae’s wrinkled face was full of emotion.
“There has never been a person like Lord Xiao, and there will never be a person like him again.”
“Show us that impressive dish! “I’m starving to death!”
I went up to this floor.
I was looking at the wall that Mabul and the Poison King left behind in the past, and next to it, another person left behind.
Having a drink with a Hyeolcheon disciple.
Surprisingly, it was a message left by Hyeolcheondoma when he came with Seo Daeryong.
The fact that he came to drink together was amazing, and he even mentioned his student in the post he left. I smiled happily as I remembered the two people.
After a while, Cho Chun-bae came up with drinks and snacks.
He said while looking at the new writings of Hyeolcheondoma left on the wall.
“Elder Thomas came a while ago and left it behind. “It’s all thanks to Lord Xiao.”
“At first, it may have been thanks to me, but now it’s because of our owner’s taste in drinking and cooking skills. “How picky are these people?”
At the same time, he pulled Cho Chun-bae’s sleeve.
“Let’s have a drink with me.”
“Yes, I will offer you a glass of wine to celebrate.”
“You know what? “I’m receiving my first congratulatory drink.”
“Oh my! Micheon… Can you take the first drink from me?”
“Iknow, right. Above all the other mazons, the owner came to mind first. Why did they do that?”
Then Cho Chun-bae responded wittily.
“Isn’t it because you’re hungry?”
“Actually, I starved for a few days.”
We laughed together.
I am different from before.
I was a person who went from being a scholar to a minor teacher, and I even learned the art of martial arts.
But I will live an unchanged life.
I will live a life like this, sharing a glass of wine with Cho Chun-bae.
The Ten Masters of Nine Fire Demonic Crafts can be achieved in the training hall.
However, I believe that the Twelve Stars of Greatness cannot be achieved in the training hall. I believe that the path to the Twelve Stars can be found in a line drawn on the wall of Extreme Soma during a drinking party with Jo Chun-bae, or in a moonlit walk with Ian.
My absolute principle of unlearning always remains the same.
When people change, martial arts also change.
And again I know.
The magic that does not destroy a table is ten times more difficult than the magic that destroys the table. Cho Chun-bae is a milestone in the magic world that I will protect. When the smile disappears from his face, my magic will be going the wrong way.
So this is enough for my celebration. Me and him in a big way.
“Let’s have a drink, owner!”