The atmosphere changed in an instant with the appearance of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Seo Daeryong, Jang Ho, and Yeobin rose from their seats and respectfully cupped their fists.
“We greet the Demon Venerable.”
I poured the Blood Heaven Blade Demon a drink.
“How did you know to come here?”
“I was passing by and stopped in.”
As if that could be true. He must have been watching my movements and come here after hearing that I was drinking with the Drunken Demon.
He had come for my sake. Worried that I might be swayed by the Drunken Demon. The reason he had been training so diligently lately was likely an extension of the same concern.
After drinking the wine I had poured him, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said to Seo Daeryong, Jang Ho, and Yeobin,
“You lot, step outside for a while.”
Whose order was this that they could refuse it? The three of them bowed politely and went out.
Now only the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the Drunken Demon, and I remained there.
The Drunken Demon greeted him first.
“It has been a long time, Senior.”
He greeted him with an amiable smile, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at him with displeasure in his eyes.
“I’ll dispense with the formalities and get to the point. Withdraw.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean withdraw from the Second Young Master.”
“I have merely been drinking with the Second Young Master.”
“I’m telling you not to do that.”
“You are telling the Drunken Demon not to drink?”
“Drink with someone else.”
The Drunken Demon laughed and drank. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon still looked at him with cold eyes. He had no close acquaintances even among the Demon Venerables, and there was no way he would look favorably upon the Drunken Demon, whom he considered sinister.
“Now, calm your temper and have a cup from me.”
The Drunken Demon filled the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s cup. Even in front of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, he was not intimidated in the slightest.
“I respect you, Senior, but I do think this is going a little too far.”
“I thought a man drunk every day would have no Dao to speak of.”
“I have the Dao of Wine. Senior, please do not hate me too much.”
He smiled as he said it, with the face of a good-natured man, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had come today with his mind made up.
“Distance yourself from the Second Young Master. Then I will have no reason to interfere in your life.”
At that, the Drunken Demon picked up his cup, rose from his seat, and sat down in the place farthest from me.
“Will this much distance suffice?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s expression hardened at once.
“Do I look as though I’m joking right now?”
“No. You spoke so seriously that I made a little joke. My apologies.”
As he said that, the Drunken Demon looked at me. His eyes seemed to be asking if I had nothing to say at this point, but I said nothing.
The Drunken Demon’s gaze turned back to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Senior, you were not this sort of person, were you? Were you someone who immersed yourself this deeply in another?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon snorted with a look of contempt.
“Aren’t you the one who has no interest in others?”
“Me?”
“Were you not a man who cared only for his own drunken mood?”
“That’s right. I am that kind of selfish bastard.”
The Drunken Demon drank and set his cup down. The sound it made was louder than before.
Before I knew it, the air around us had turned cold. The auras that naturally flowed from them reflected the mood of the two men.
“Stop drinking and answer with that mouth of yours. Say that you will no longer meet the Second Young Master.”
But the Drunken Demon drank again. Beyond the cup, his expression had hardened. Having only ever seen him laughing and chattering, the sight of his serious face felt unfamiliar.
“I refuse.”
At the Drunken Demon’s refusal, demonic qi erupted from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s body. At the same time, demonic qi also surged from the Drunken Demon’s body. When the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s demonic qi and the Drunken Demon’s demonic qi mingled, an energy I had never felt in my life swept over us.
“Are you doing this because you trust the unwritten rule that Demon Venerables must never fight one another?”
“Are you saying you will break that unwritten rule?”
“Is there any reason I cannot?”
“Good. I have always preferred being on the side that breaks things. Surely you do not think I fear the breaking of an unwritten rule?”
“I wonder if you will remain so relaxed when your wine gourd breaks.”
The demonic qi of the two men grew even denser. Though it thickened by the moment, I did not stop them. I merely protected my body with the Heavenly Demon Protection Art and quietly watched.
“Fine. Then let me at least ask the reason. Why are you stopping me?”
“Because you will be an obstacle on the path the Second Young Master walks.”
“Not because I will be an obstacle to you, Senior?”
The corners of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s mouth curled upward coldly. His momentum was no less than that of the relatively younger Drunken Demon, but the problem was that the Drunken Demon knew his weakness well.
“A few days ago, I drank with the Sword Venerable.”
When the Ilhwa Sword Venerable was mentioned, irritation surged over the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s face.
“She was doing well. Still beautiful, still dignified. We spoke about the last Eight Demon Assembly, and about this and that. Ah, she did not mention you once, Senior.”
Flames blazed in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes. It was a precarious situation, as though he truly might swing his Heaven-Destroying Great Saber at any moment.
The Drunken Demon’s unique weapon was the wine gourd shaped like a bottle hanging at his waist. That wine gourd, said to be impossible to cut even with a treasured sword, was named Blood Tears. I did not know why he had given it such a name, but one thing was certain: when its stopper was opened, bloody tears would flow from someone’s eyes.
Even before my regression, I had never seen the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber or Blood Tears used. What would happen if those two truly clashed?
Even in this hair-trigger situation, the Drunken Demon continued to provoke the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“You told me to withdraw? Are you not the one who should withdraw, Senior? So long as you remain with the Second Young Master, the Sword Venerable will not help him. But if it is me, the Sword Venerable would gladly help the Second Young Master. What do you think? Do you believe you are better than the two of us combined?”
Now that he had dragged the Sword Venerable into it, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon could not offer a rebuttal. The Ilhwa Sword Venerable was his weakness.
Moreover, the Demon Venerables were all similar in ability, so it was not easy to boast that he could fulfill the roles of two people by himself.
At that moment, the one who answered was me.
“He is better.”
The Drunken Demon and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at me.
“Elder Blood Heaven Blade Demon is better than the two of you combined.”
My eyes met the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s as he looked at me. What flickered in those small, sharp eyes was gratitude, and emotion.
The Drunken Demon smiled and drank the wine before him.
“Could you say that even if the Sword Venerable were here?”
“I could.”
“Could you say that even if the Extreme Evil Soma were here?”
The Drunken Demon knew that I had shared a deep emotional exchange with the Extreme Evil Soma. As expected, his information was quick, and he understood the situation better than anyone.
“I could.”
“You boast because they are not here.”
The Drunken Demon snorted, rose, and went to the window. He shouted to Yeobin, who was waiting across the street.
“Go and bring the Ilhwa Sword Venerable and the Extreme Evil Soma.”
“Yes.”
Yeobin shot away and vanished in an instant.
The Drunken Demon returned to his seat.
“Must I really go this far? I even offered to become sworn brothers with you, yet are you not being too much?”
“I am grateful that you regard me favorably, but I do not become sworn brothers with someone after drinking with him only twice. If you wish to do so, get in line. Your turn has not yet come, Drunken Demon.”
Perhaps I might become far closer to the Drunken Demon than I was now. Perhaps the Drunken Demon might become of great help in the grand undertaking to come.
Even so, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon came first.
I had diligently knocked on the door to his heart, and he had willingly opened it to me.
No matter how dazzlingly the Drunken Demon tried to bewitch me or how many good words he offered, they could not compare to my gratitude toward the man who had struggled to open that massive door, a door that had been shut for so long it had rusted and grown stiff.
Then the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent me a sound transmission.
—When the Sword Venerable comes later, say that the Sword Venerable is more important.
—I refuse.
—Even if you say that, I will take your side.
That cantankerous old man who had poked me in the side and spoken of misfortune had, before I knew it, come this far. A man who was as good as dead without his pride was trying to cast it aside because of me.
—I know you would.
—Then why refuse?
—I do not want you to be humiliated in front of others, Elder.
—I understand. I know your feelings now, so do as I say. The greater cause is more important than personal feelings. You know that, don’t you?
How could I put someone else first when he was like this?
—That is precisely why I cannot.
—Why?
—Because the Ilhwa Sword Venerable will notice that I am lying. You know, do you not? She is quick-witted. Even for the sake of the greater cause, it is better to speak honestly.
To that, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon could say nothing.
By mentioning the Ilhwa Sword Venerable, the Drunken Demon had made this seat deeply uncomfortable for him.
He must have wanted to storm out several times, yet he remained seated for my sake. He must have thought he had to settle this matter somehow.
The first to arrive was the Ilhwa Sword Venerable.
She must already have asked Yeobin who was here, for she showed no emotion at all even when she saw the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Welcome, Senior.”
“Second Young Master, why are you drinking with people who are of no help to your life?”
At her joke, the Drunken Demon laughed and said,
“Friend, how can you say something so hurtful?”
By calling her friend, the Drunken Demon flaunted his closeness with her. The Ilhwa Sword Venerable had described him merely as easygoing, yet the Drunken Demon called her friend.
It was also a moment that made me realize anew that when the Demon Venerables explained one another to me, they did not tell me everything.
“Stop drinking so much.”
“Your sword training and my drinking are one and the same.”
“Then you should drink alone too. Since training is also done alone.”
“Drinking with the Second Young Master is far too enjoyable.”
“That much I acknowledge. But why did you call me, when I cannot drink well and am not entertaining either?”
At that, the Drunken Demon looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and said,
“Senior Blade Demon was trying to discipline his junior. And you have Senior Blade Demon firmly under your thumb, don’t you?”
Ordinarily, he would have pushed me to make a choice in front of the Sword Venerable, but the Drunken Demon did not.
He was clever, and he knew me well. He knew that doing so would only hurt my feelings and bring him no benefit.
He also knew. He knew that just this much would be enough for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon to step forward first. Especially when it came to the Ilhwa Sword Venerable, he reacted all the more stiffly.
“I told the Drunken Demon to withdraw from the Second Young Master.”
At the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s words, the Ilhwa Sword Venerable responded coldly.
“By what authority?”
“I have no authority. It is simply my intuition that he will not be of help to the Second Young Master.”
“I have already confirmed that your intuition is dreadful.”
“You know nothing about me.”
“I do not wish to know.”
There had been a time when, after seeing each other often, the edge between them had lessened somewhat, but perhaps because the Drunken Demon was here, they reacted irritably to one another again.
The Drunken Demon once more struck at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s weakness.
“Good. Let us suppose the Second Young Master chooses you, Senior, and the Sword Venerable and I withdraw. Then are you close with the remaining Extreme Evil Soma?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon could make no reply. He was not close to anyone.
I did not step forward. I knew well that if I clumsily took his side at a time like this, it would only inflame the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s anger further.
The Drunken Demon was striking precisely at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s weakness. I could not blame him alone. The one who had barged into this gathering today was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
The Drunken Demon said to me with drunken eyes,
“Now you will hate me. Since I have driven Senior Blade Demon, whom you like, into such a corner. Understand me. I merely showed you reality.”
“I will not hate you.”
“Truly? Why?”
“Because I have no intention of sending either you or Senior Sword Venerable away. I will make all of you my people.”
For an instant, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at me. But with his heart in turmoil, he could not stop me. He had been pushed into a situation where he had to do the work of three people all by himself.
“Even if you look at me like that, it cannot be helped. I will take all of them with me.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head.
“You harbor the illusion that if people make an effort, everyone can become close and harmonize. Perhaps you can. You certainly possess a tolerance that does not suit your age. But in the end, you too will come to know. That people are not as your heart wishes.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at the Drunken Demon and the Sword Venerable, then turned his head toward the window. At the open window, the Extreme Evil Soma, wearing a white mask, was floating in the air with his arms crossed, watching what was happening inside. No one knew when he had arrived.
“They may pretend to harmonize on the surface because of you, but behind your back, they will fight, hate one another, and cause an uproar. Amid all that chaos, someone will be hurt, nurture hatred, and betray you at the decisive moment. Using the wound they received then as their reason.”
The other Demon Venerables also looked at me with eyes that agreed with those words.
“That may be so.”
“Then why?”
“If you ask why we must go together, I will answer you.”
I looked at the four Demon Venerables and released my presence. Until now, I had never properly shown them my presence.
But now, I showed them clearly what my presence was. It pushed away the presence they had created and took control of the surroundings.
It was not a display of strength. I imbued my presence with the greatest dignity I could muster.
Looking at them, I spoke in a low voice.
“Because from now on, I am your Heavenly Demon.”
At my words, they all flinched in surprise. They likely had never imagined I would say such a thing.
“This is the decision of the one who will become your Heavenly Demon in the future. Whoever I bring, accept them. So long as you do not kill one another, fight, hate, or betray as you please. But in exchange, just one thing!”
I looked at the four Demon Venerables and spoke as though making a proclamation.
“Do it within my fence.”
A brief silence flowed.
They were looking at me. Drunken eyes looked at me, and gentle eyes looked at me. Small, sharp eyes looked at me, and eyes behind a mask looked at me.
I hoped they would follow my will. I hoped someone would step forward first with a positive word.
Then the Demon Venerables spoke at the same time.
“I don’t want to.”
“No.”
“I refuse.”
“I won’t.”
At that moment, they were of one heart.
Unable to hold back, I burst into a small laugh. Good grief, my adorable and utterly dreadful Demon Venerables!
I stuck my head out and shouted loudly to Jo Chunbae on the first floor.
“Please prepare a new drinking table up here!”