At the words that came from the second floor, Yang Ho shouted irritably.
“Who the hell is that bastard?”
Then the same voice was heard again.
“You haven’t even checked who I am, and you start with curses?”
This time, a woman’s voice rang out.
“That is not courage. It is recklessness.”
The woman’s voice was so pleasant to hear that one could understand why people spoke of jade beads rolling on a tray. It seemed as though even being cursed by this woman would feel good.
“What on earth is inside that head of his to make him turn out like that?”
“His upbringing must have been poor.”
“Even when parents neglect them, some children still grow up well. So you can’t blame the parents for everything.”
“You’re right.”
Ordinarily, Yang Ho would have flown into a mad rage, but his mind was elsewhere. Right now, his head was filled with lustful thoughts.
‘Judging by her voice alone, she must be a peerless beauty under heaven, no? If things go well today, I might spend a heated night with her!’
He was thinking of tearing apart the man with her and taking the woman for himself.
There was a reason he could indulge in such fearless fantasies. In Maga Village, the inns, taverns, and pleasure houses one frequented were largely decided by one’s status or skill.
This Pungryu Tavern, run by Jo Chunbae, was a place where low-ranking martial artists came. Not only his father, but even his father’s subordinates, the Saber Ghosts, would never set foot here.
And Maga Village was not the sort of place passing martial artists of the orthodox or unorthodox factions would visit either, so he naturally concluded that the other party must be a low-ranking martial artist of the Cult.
Meanwhile, the conversation on the second floor continued.
“To think that the mere son of the Hundred Saber Ghost would commit such tyranny in broad daylight. The authority of a Saber Ghost is truly impressive.”
“It must be possible because he has the might of the Blood Heaven Saber Demon behind him.”
Yang Ho found it strange. It was the first time anyone had dared look down on his father, and now they were even mentioning the Blood Heaven Saber Demon.
“I can imagine how he must have grown up from childhood.”
“He grew up never learning to fear the world.”
Yang Ho, who had been listening, spoke politely, unlike before.
“Esteemed senior who has graced us with your presence, please reveal yourself and point out the faults of this foolish junior.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he added,
“You think I’d say that, you cripple? I don’t know what kind of bastards are pretending to be mysterious masters, but if you don’t stick your heads out right now, you’re dead.”
At that, a man poked his head out from the second floor.
Seeing how young he looked, Yang Ho’s tension eased.
“Was it you?”
“That’s right. It was me.”
“And the bitch who was chattering with you?”
This time, the woman poked her head out. At the sight of her, Yang Ho screamed.
“Eek! What the hell?”
“Why are you so surprised, young hero?”
“It was really you? You?”
The owner of the voice was not an unparalleled beauty, but a plump woman. His happy fantasy shattered, Yang Ho shouted furiously.
“You trash, get down here right now if you don’t want to die!”
* * *
“Let’s go down now.”
At Ian’s words, I emptied the rest of my drink.
The person drinking on the second floor had been me. I had come to meet Gwak Su, the victim’s father, and unexpectedly ended up hooking a big catch.
I lightly leapt down from the second floor to the first. Ian jumped down after me. Though her body was plump, she landed lightly with her movement technique.
Seeing our movements, Yang Ho flinched in surprise. He had thought we were third-rate martial artists, but our movements were far too nimble.
I helped the fallen Gwak Su to his feet and seated him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t intervene sooner. That bastard looked like his mouth was about to run wild, so I waited a bit. Thanks to that, I got his confession.”
“Second Young Master?”
“Oh, you recognize me.”
“To tell the truth, I recognized your bodyguard. She is very famous within the Cult.”
I looked at Ian and pouted.
“Does that even make sense? You’re more famous than I am!”
“How is that because I’m famous? They recognize me right away because I’m so huge. Hmph!”
At our exchange, Yang Ho’s face turned pale.
“You are… the Second Young Master?”
“Relax. Today, I’m here as the Pavilion Lord of Hwangcheon Pavilion. No, wait. That means you should be even more nervous.”
Yang Ho, who had been strutting about and shouting as if the whole world belonged to him, lowered his voice and spoke respectfully.
“I failed to recognize an honored person of our Cult. I am still young and have committed discourtesy, so please forgive me.”
“Judging by what you’ve done, you don’t seem young at all.”
“No. I am a fool who knows nothing.”
Yang Ho bowed his head deeply. For such a young bastard, he was frighteningly cunning and knew exactly when to lower his head.
“May I take my leave now?”
“Wait. I came because I have business with you.”
“What business might that be?”
“I came to investigate the assault case you committed.”
“Hwangcheon Pavilion already ruled me innocent, though?”
“This case is being completely reinvestigated.”
Unlike the startled Yang Ho, Gwak Su’s face brightened. Beside him, Jo Chunbae flinched; he had been about to shout hurrah but stopped himself.
I listed Yang Ho’s crimes one by one.
“You took money every day, so that’s habitual extortion. You forced him to steal money, so that’s incitement to theft. You beat your friend and drove him to the brink of death, so that’s attempted murder. As if that weren’t enough, you even came to the victim’s father and assaulted him. Your crimes are vile—far too vile. You’ll have to spend at least twenty years in the prison dungeon.”
“Twenty years?”
Forget twenty years; he would not be able to endure even two days. Yang Ho turned deathly white.
“No, that’s not it! It happened while we were just sparring!”
“Too late. You confessed it yourself in front of the Pavilion Lord of Hwangcheon Pavilion.”
Driven into a corner, Yang Ho brought up the person who had served as a shield for all his evils until now.
“Do you know who my father is?”
“I do. The Hundred Saber Ghost.”
“If you falsely accuse me, my father will not stand by.”
“False accusation, my ass. Do you want me to show you what a false accusation really looks like?”
At my pressure, the bastard flinched and shrank back.
“And your father will be too busy to look after you. I intend to arrest him as well on charges of pressuring an investigator of Hwangcheon Pavilion.”
The teenage Yang Ho could not endure the pressure of the situation.
“My father won’t let you get away with this. He’ll come out of the prison dungeon and take revenge on you. No, he can kill you even from inside the dungeon! So you’d better think carefully—”
Thud!
Before he could finish speaking, my fist drove mercilessly into his stomach.
As Yang Ho clutched his belly and sank to the floor, another thunderbolt fell upon him.
“If I add the crime of threatening the Pavilion Lord of Hwangcheon Pavilion, that makes thirty years.”
Yang Ho raised his head in terror.
“…No, please spare me!”
“I’m feeling generous. I’ll let that slide.”
“Please forgive me.”
“Fine. Give me just one reason I should forgive you. And stop talking about your father.”
“That…”
“Have you ever saved a person? Ever helped anyone? No? Then tell me anything even resembling a good deed. Make something up if you have to.”
“…”
“You can’t even make one up, can you? Since you’ve never done anything like that, it’s hard to invent something on the spot. Why should I forgive someone like you?”
“F-from now on, I’ll live properly!”
“Good. Do that after you pay for your crimes in the prison dungeon and come back out.”
Whoosh, smack!
I struck his cheek mercilessly. His jaw snapped to the side, and he collapsed unconscious.
“Transfer him to the Pavilion.”
I could have half-killed him here, but I did not. For him, true hell would be spending twenty years locked in the prison dungeon. It had not been an empty threat. I truly intended to sentence him to twenty years and throw him in.
The Cult’s prison dungeon was a hellish place where human rights were thoroughly disregarded. I guarantee this bastard would not last even a month before taking his own life.
‘Turning over a new leaf? If he were that sort of person, he would never have done such vicious things to begin with.’
The two bastards at the entrance began backing away, trying to flee.
But there were martial artists blocking the entrance. They were Seo Daeryong and the enforcement martial artists of Hwangcheon Pavilion. Only someone on the level of a Demon Lord would dare defy them; they were known to be more frightening than any other martial artists in the Cult.
The two collapsed where they stood, wetting themselves.
“We only did as we were told!”
“Please spare us!”
Punishment was punishment, but first, there was a role they had to play.
“If you don’t tell the truth exactly as it is, you’ll take all the blame.”
“We’ll tell you everything!”
“I’ll tell you!”
I spoke as if testifying would get them forgiven, but absolutely not. Once I received their testimony, these bastards would also be sent to the prison dungeon. Their sentences would be lighter than Yang Ho’s, who had led the evil deeds, but I intended to give them at least five years and throw them in.
If I made examples of them, would anyone at the martial academy or the learning academy dare bully their fellow students again?
“Take them to the interrogation room and get their statements!”
“Yes!”
The enforcement martial artists sealed the three men’s acupoints and transported them to the Cult.
One of the guests who had been watching could not hold back and began to clap.
Clap, clap, clap!
Then the rest of them cheered all at once. They shouted the hurrahs that Jo Chunbae had not been able to.
If it had not been me, such a reaction probably would not have come out. But was I not the son of the Heavenly Demon? It was a situation where they could cheer without fear.
I spoke loudly to them.
“If you suffer any injustice in the future, report it to Hwangcheon Pavilion. As long as I am the Pavilion Lord of Hwangcheon Pavilion, no outside pressure will work.”
The applause grew even louder. If I did not fear even a Demon Venerable, what outside pressure could they possibly think would work?
I finished with a joke.
“If anyone threatens to bring his father like that bastard did earlier, I’ll bring my father too!”
Laughter burst out from all sides.
Just then, one of my subordinates came and relayed something to me. I immediately conveyed that happy news to Gwak Su.
“Before coming here, the Demonic Physician treated your son.”
“Truly? Someone as esteemed as him treated my son?”
“To me, your son is more precious. And I was just told that he has awakened, so hurry and go see him.”
“Uaaaaah!”
So shocked, Gwak Su screamed.
“Ah! Dong-ah, Dong-ah! You’re alive! My son is alive!”
The tavern owner, Jo Chunbae, embraced him tightly.
“That’s wonderful. Wonderful.”
People who knew the two of them gathered around and congratulated him.
Gwak Su shed tears of overwhelming emotion.
“I will never forget this grace.”
I stopped him as he tried to give me a deep bow.
“Have you not devoted your whole life to the Cult? Naturally, the Cult should protect you.”
It was because people like him had devoted themselves silently somewhere within the Cult for their entire lives that the Cult had been able to endure. In the Cult as it was now, such natural gratitude had disappeared.
“The Cult is grateful to you.”
I bowed my head to him. Feeling that my heart was sincere, Gwak Su shed more tears.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
“You should hurry and go see your son.”
“Yes. I will be going now.”
He hurriedly ran off to see his son. The tavern owner, Jo Chunbae, said to me,
“Whenever you come, I will serve you wine and food free of charge.”
“Thank you. Next time I come, I’ll take a cup of your wine.”
“If you do, it will be my honor.”
Jo Chunbae bowed at the waist. All the guests with him also bowed. For them, this must have been the most satisfying thing they had ever witnessed.
After they too paid their respects and withdrew, Ian and Seo Daeryong, who had been standing behind me, walked over.
Seo Daeryong asked cautiously with a worried expression.
“But… will this really be all right?”
Since we would be arresting not only Yang Ho but also his father, the Hundred Saber Ghost, we would once again properly offend the Blood Heaven Saber Demon.
“You think it’ll be all right? There’ll be another uproar.”
“I’m worried.”
“You’re the one who brought me this case, aren’t you? To bury me under the Saber Demon’s great blade.”
“That is true, but…”
Seo Daeryong let out a sigh. His regret—perhaps he should not have brought up this case—was written plainly on his face.
To Seo Daeryong, who earnestly dreamed of change, and to Ian, who still feared change, I spoke with force.
“We haven’t even properly begun yet. So don’t let your hearts waver, and keep a firm grip on yourselves!”