Jang Ho was being led by Seo Daeryong toward Pungryu Tavern.
“Didn’t we agree to hold our drinking gatherings after Martial Artist Yi returned?”
“We did.”
“Then why are we going to drink?”
The day’s work was not even over yet, but Seo Daeryong had insisted they had to go, practically dragging him along. Since this was something that had never happened before, Jang Ho quietly went along with Seo Daeryong’s wishes.
Their drinking gatherings had been suspended because Ian was away, but before that, the two of them had shared all sorts of conversations. The awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere of their first meeting alone had, by the final day, become a fairly friendly relationship.
“There’s someone I want to introduce to Lord Jang today.”
“Who is it?”
“You’ll know when we get there. This person is important to me, so I really wanted to introduce you.”
“Very well.”
For some reason, Jang Ho saw a childish playfulness in Seo Daeryong’s expression.
But since Seo Daeryong had never once played a prank on him all this time, he could not imagine what sort of occasion today’s meeting was supposed to be.
And so the two entered Pungryu Tavern.
The owner, Jo Chunbae, welcomed them warmly.
“Ah, it’s been a long time. If I’d known you two were coming, I would have kept your seats open.”
In the second-floor seat where they always sat, a veiled woman was seated with her back turned to them.
“It’s all right.”
Seo Daeryong took Jang Ho up to the second-floor seat where the woman was sitting. She had ordered wine and a few simple side dishes, but because she was wearing a veil, her face could not be seen clearly.
When Seo Daeryong sat down before her, Jang Ho finally realized that the person he meant to introduce was this woman.
‘Is this the woman the Second Young Master mentioned?’
He had once seen the Second Young Master teasing Seo Daeryong about a junior he liked. But if she was an inspector of Hwangcheon Pavilion, she would not be meeting him while wearing a veil, would she? Especially not at a meeting like this, where she was being introduced.
Just as Jang Ho was wondering inwardly, the veiled woman greeted him first.
“I’ve heard a great deal about you, Lord Jang.”
Of course, she was Ian. This time as well, she spoke with her voice altered.
It was then.
Jang Ho recognized Ian.
“Martial Artist Yi?”
In that instant, not only Ian but Seo Daeryong beside her were startled.
“How did you know it was me?”
At Ian’s question, Jang Ho hesitated for a moment before speaking quietly.
“I am extremely sensitive to sound. I remember and recognize the unique qualities in a person’s voice and intonation very well. So if it is a voice I have heard often, no matter how much it is altered, I can discern the original voice.”
“Ah!”
Ian and Seo Daeryong exclaimed at the same time.
“The reason I was able to become the Demon Army Lord was also because this sensitivity to sound was of great help in martial training and actual combat. This is the first time I have revealed it.”
The fact that his childhood dream had been to become a painter had also been something he had first revealed in front of Seo Daeryong.
When Jang Ho had first begun attending these drinking gatherings, he had truly never imagined he would reveal his personal history here. He had started with the thought that they were people close to Geom Mugeuk, so there was no harm in becoming friendly with them, but now he was telling these two all manner of things.
Ian removed her veil.
“It’s been a while, Lord Jang.”
“Welcome back, Martial Artist Yi.”
Jang Ho greeted Ian gladly. Watching him, Seo Daeryong inwardly marveled. Even in the face of Ian’s beauty, Jang Ho did not waver in the slightest. Compared to him, had he not made every possible fuss under the sun?
‘How can he be like that?’
He was even worried that Ian might feel embarrassed.
Of course, Ian did not mind at all. Rather, she seemed more at ease because Jang Ho treated her exactly as he had before.
“Now then, today is all on me. So order as much as you like!”
The three of them talked about many things.
The star of the day was, without question, Ian. She spoke of how difficult it had been to undergo the Divine Poison Purification Art, what had happened on her travels, and how amusing the first wedding she had ever seen had been. She told them all sorts of stories.
Seo Daeryong and Jang Ho listened to her and chimed in at the right moments.
Then, when she stepped away for a moment, Seo Daeryong asked Jang Ho,
“Lord Jang. Isn’t Martial Artist Yi’s change astonishing?”
“It is astonishing. She has become very beautiful.”
“Is that all?”
“Pardon? Is something else necessary?”
“No, not exactly, but you don’t seem very surprised. I even started to suspect that the two of you had already met beforehand and were teasing me.”
“That cannot be. We have not.”
Seo Daeryong lowered his voice and spoke insinuatingly.
“Then there’s no need to hold back on purpose. It’s just us here.”
She’s beautiful, isn’t she? Please say she’s beautiful, please! Seeing those emotions written plainly all over Seo Daeryong’s face, Jang Ho finally burst into laughter. They had become close enough for the word “us” to come naturally.
“I don’t know if this might be disrespectful to Martial Artist Yi, but I attach no meaning to a person’s appearance. Perhaps I am even more like that because of the scar on my own face. I suppose there is also a feeling of, with this face, who am I to judge anyone?”
At Jang Ho’s honest words, Seo Daeryong also conveyed what he had always thought.
“Lord Jang, that scar of yours is impressive.”
“Impressive? It is hideous.”
“No, it is impressive. Truly. Sell it to me!”
At that, Jang Ho did not hesitate as he reached to draw a dagger.
“I can make you one exactly like it.”
Seo Daeryong was startled and hurriedly stopped him.
“What are you doing!”
“Then speak honestly. Say it is hideous.”
“It’s impressive because there’s a story behind it. I’m saying I want to buy that story too.”
“There is no great story. I was injured while fighting enemies.”
“For a martial artist, that is a great story. I do not want to get a scar from a friend’s dagger while drinking.”
Seo Daeryong did not even realize that he had used the word friend.
“Let us have a drink.”
Jang Ho lifted his cup.
Seo Daeryong might not know how he felt, but Jang Ho found this place comfortable. In front of the Demon Army, he maintained a flawless, unshaken bearing, but when he came here, he could finally relax and feel as though he were resting.
Just then, Ian returned.
“Where was I?”
Jang Ho said to her,
“Martial Artist Yi, this night is long. You may start again from the beginning.”
* * *
At that time, I was meeting the Ilhwa Sword Venerable.
And from her, I heard something unexpected.
“I know the Drunken Demon well.”
Unexpectedly, the Ilhwa Sword Venerable was on friendly terms with him.
“We even drink together now and then. We drank a few days ago, too.”
“You drank a few days ago?”
“He sometimes comes to see me and drinks.”
At first glance, it was hard to imagine, but thinking about it again, it was only natural that among the Eight Demon Venerables who held power, there would be exchanges of their own.
“What sort of person is the Drunken Demon?”
“Someone pleasant to drink with.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable’s assessment was the complete opposite of the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s.
“When did you become close?”
“I don’t know. When was it? It feels like it’s been quite a long time. We just became close while drinking.”
“What is the Drunken Demon’s personality like?”
“Unpretentious.”
If he truly were an unpretentious person, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon would never have described him as he did. In other words, the Drunken Demon showed completely different sides depending on the person he faced.
“How could a Demon Venerable be unpretentious? He must simply be hiding his claws.”
“That may be so. But why are you asking about the Drunken Demon?”
“This time, someone from the Drunken Demon’s side caused trouble. Hwangcheon Pavilion has locked him up, but I thought the Drunken Demon might make a move.”
“Or perhaps the Second Young Master intends to use that as an excuse to make a move?”
“As expected, you are sharp. The Drunken Demon is the only one who has yet to decide where he stands between my elder brother and me.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable stared at me, then smiled as she said,
“I have not decided where I stand either. I have not yet decided to stand on the Second Young Master’s side.”
How could I not know that this was how she felt? That was why I spoke to her in an exaggerated manner.
“Ah! And here I was, firmly believing you were on my side.”
“Of course, I like our Second Young Master. Honestly, comparing you to the Eldest Young Master is absurd to begin with. But being close is a private matter, while the issue of succession is a public one, is it not?”
“I understand.”
“That does not mean I will choose the Eldest Young Master either, so do not feel hurt.”
“I would never feel hurt by you, Sword Venerable. No, I cannot.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you remember what I told you when I met you before? I threw a rather unreasonable tantrum and told you to prove that you, Senior, would be more useful to me than Elder Blade Demon.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable gave a faint smile. Her expression said she remembered everything.
“Now it is your turn, Senior. ‘Prove that you are more useful to me than the Eldest Young Master!’ It would be your turn to say that.”
The mere fact that she had not reacted that way was proof that she was treating me with goodwill.
“I told you then, did I not? Dreams, ideals, loyalty… I said I despise those who try to gain the hearts of their subordinates or juniors for free with such things. I have no intention whatsoever of gaining your heart with things like that, either. I must grant what you want as much as I can, while at the same time showing you that I possess the qualities of the Heavenly Demon.”
At my words, a look of admiration flashed across the Ilhwa Sword Venerable’s face.
“As expected! I chose my sparring friend well.”
The fact that she brought up sparring at this moment meant that sparring was included among the things she wanted. She still possessed the desire to become stronger.
“I look forward to the day we spar again.”
* * *
After meeting the Ilhwa Sword Venerable, I returned to my residence.
Gowol, who had been staying with me, was not at home. He had already left the cult to carry out my order to create an intelligence organization like Tongcheon Pavilion.
Several letters he had sent had arrived at my residence. They were reports saying he was traveling throughout the Central Plains with the money I had given him, building an organizational network.
I was not worried about him. As if to prove that he was not someone who would make me worry, he had gone out together with the leader of the Pungcheon Cult. Imagining the two of them bickering as they carried out this task together made me smile of its own accord.
At night, Ian stopped by for a moment.
I had expected her to come thoroughly tipsy from drink, but she was not as drunk as I thought she would be.
“I chattered so much that I sobered right up.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“They say a journey is not about leaving, but about returning. After talking to those two to my heart’s content, it feels as though the journey has finally been completed.”
Whether because of the opening of the Ren and Du meridians, or because she had realized something this time, she definitely gave off a different impression than before she had left the cult.
“There was something I resolved during this journey. It may sound as if I’m showing off, so it feels a little awkward, but since I’ve brought it up, I’ll tell you. I was pleased that the attention directed at me was excessive, but it was also a great burden. And I came to the conclusion that the only way to escape that burden is for me to truly become strong.”
Ian was preparing herself to train fiercely again. Since she put in effort like this, I believed that in the end, she would accomplish something, whatever it might be.
“But that does not mean I will shut myself away in the training hall. Like the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, I will read many books and meet people as well. It will not be only my martial arts that grow stronger; I, as a person, will grow stronger. Only then will I be able to make Cheongmyeon and Seojin my squad leaders, right? Those people will not come to me simply because my martial arts are strong.”
I believed she would become a true master. Because the direction of her effort was aimed toward becoming a true master.
In martial arts, talent and effort are important. What martial art one trains in is important, and who one’s master is matters. Real combat experience is important as well.
But the moment martial arts, rushing toward the extreme, surpass a certain level, she will come to realize it, just as I did.
That the end of martial learning is ultimately a battle over what kind of person I am.
I consider the process of meeting and persuading the Demon Venerables to be part of the process of becoming stronger. I even regard my efforts to stop Gwiryeongja’s marriage as part of that process of becoming stronger.
To perfectly understand someone is nearly impossible. But I had finally realized that the broader one’s understanding of people and the world becomes, the closer one draws to the essence of martial arts.
“Then I’ll be going. I’m completely sober now, but my head is pounding.”
I asked her as she turned to leave.
“Ian.”
“Yes.”
“Suppose you ended up drinking with the Drunken Demon.”
“Suddenly, with the Drunken Demon Venerable?”
“You’re no slouch in the world of drunkards yourself, are you?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I want to know what kind of person the Drunken Demon is, but I can only ask one question. What would you ask?”
Ian seemed to think it over carefully, then came up with one thing.
“That person must have drunk a truly great amount of wine by now. If so, I would ask this.”
As if the Drunken Demon were standing before her, Ian asked,
“When, and with whom, did the wine taste best to you?”