Seo Daeryong left the building and gulped down the breath he had been holding.
To think he had fallen asleep in the room of the Extreme Evil Demon. It still did not feel real, as if he were dreaming.
He could not even remember how he had gotten out of that room and made it all the way here. In any case.
‘I’m alive!’
Seo Daeryong looked up at the sunlight pouring down. It felt as if he had barely survived a battlefield.
‘Still, how could he just leave me behind like that?’
Just then, the Faceless Guest guarding the entrance to the building spoke to him.
“The Young Cult Leader left word that you should stop by his residence before you go.”
“Thank you.”
Seo Daeryong quickened his steps toward Geom Mugeuk’s residence.
‘I’m going even if he tells me not to. I’m challenging him to a duel. Master must have foreseen this and opened my Ren and Du meridians for me!’
And so Seo Daeryong ran like the wind, entering Geom Mugeuk’s residence as he shouted.
“Let’s have a bout!”
In that instant, Seo Daeryong flinched and fell silent.
When he saw the person in the courtyard turn to look at him, he cried out without realizing it.
“Good heavens!”
The person who had turned around was none other than the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign. He had just shouted a challenge to the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign.
“Pavilion Master Seo?”
“Sword Sovereign!”
Seo Daeryong respectfully cupped his fist, and the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign also greeted him with the courtesy due to a pavilion master.
“You wish to fight me? I would be glad to.”
Completely immersed in martial training, she was the sort who would run ten thousand li for a spar.
“No, no. That was not directed at you, Sword Sovereign.”
“Then was it directed at the Young Cult Leader?”
It was far too awkward to answer that it had been. He had thought he had escaped one battlefield, only to find himself on another.
‘Ah! I’ve fallen into a double trap!’
Because he felt this way, he did not notice that the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign was looking at him with admiration.
The aura he possessed when she had first seen Seo Daeryong could not compare to what he had now.
‘Has there ever been a demonic martial artist who grew this quickly?’
Moreover, as she looked at his somehow crooked yet lively eyes, one person naturally came to mind. In his younger days, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had given off exactly this sort of feeling. With that great saber at his side, the resemblance was even stronger.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk came out from inside carrying a bowl of water.
“Our Pavilion Master Seo has grown a great deal, hasn’t he? It’s about time he crossed blades with you, Sword Sovereign.”
Seo Daeryong nearly jumped out of his skin, waving his hands so fast they were almost invisible.
“No, that is a misunderstanding! What are you saying?”
Seo Daeryong looked at Geom Mugeuk and cursed him with his eyes.
‘Are you really going to do this to me?’
Geom Mugeuk handed the water he had brought out to the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign.
“Pavilion Master Seo and I are close, so we often joke around.”
The Ilhwa Sword Sovereign smiled. Of course, she knew perfectly well what their relationship was like. That was why she also knew that the person Seo Daeryong had challenged earlier had been Geom Mugeuk. It was not strange at all. After all, this Geom Mugeuk was someone who could get along familiarly even with the owner of a tavern in Maga Village.
Just then, the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign bade Geom Mugeuk farewell.
“Thank you for today’s spar.”
“Not at all. I learned a great deal.”
If only that had truly been the case. Geom Mugeuk had grown even faster than she had. Whenever she sparred with him, she felt the same emotion the Fist Demon felt when looking at a cliff.
The Ilhwa Sword Sovereign also bade Seo Daeryong farewell.
“Let us meet again, Pavilion Master Seo.”
“Until then, please take care, Sword Sovereign.”
As the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign was about to leave, she added as if something had just occurred to her.
“Ah, I heard that the flowerpot I once gave the Young Cult Leader as a gift is now being tended by Pavilion Master Seo.”
Seo Daeryong flinched when she suddenly brought up the flowerpot.
“Is it still alive?”
“Of course. It is growing well.”
In my office, it’s taller than I am. That fellow is the number one there!
The Ilhwa Sword Sovereign had not brought it up to tease him. Her gaze deepened.
“Just as the flower will bloom from that bud, Pavilion Master Seo will also bloom in full.”
It was a blessing, an expression of her hope that Seo Daeryong, who had become so remarkable that one had to look at him anew, would henceforth make his name known as a martial artist. That was why she had mentioned the flowerpot.
After the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign left, Seo Daeryong asked Geom Mugeuk in a daze.
“She just praised me, didn’t she?”
“It sounded like a warning not to kill the flower.”
“Young Cult Leader!”
Only then did Geom Mugeuk smile and nod.
“The Sword Sovereign has properly acknowledged you.”
The emotion that brushed past his eyes lasted only a moment before Seo Daeryong began to complain.
“What good does that do me? My life is over now. Do you know what it feels like to open your eyes and find the Extreme Evil Demon staring at you? Have you ever even heard of such a thing happening in your life?”
“What are you talking about?”
“She asked when on earth I was going to leave.”
“I’ve never imposed on anyone like that before.”
“Thanks to a certain someone, I had to hear that from the Extreme Evil Demon. Even hearing that from an ordinary person would be nerve-racking and burdensome. Ah! My life is ruined now. How could you do this to me? How could you leave me behind?”
“I didn’t intend to.”
“You did. You were looking forward to the moment I opened my eyes in the morning and locked gazes with the Extreme Evil Demon!”
“If I had been, I would have hidden outside the window to watch.”
“Huh? That’s true.”
Seo Daeryong blinked. The Young Cult Leader he knew would definitely have teased him right there on the spot.
“This morning, I received word that the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign would be visiting.”
“Then you should have woken me up and brought me out.”
Then came a shocking answer.
“The Extreme Evil Demon stopped me.”
“What?”
“When she saw how deeply you were sleeping, she told me to leave you there.”
Seo Daeryong was startled.
“Really? That’s a lie!”
Seo Daeryong could not believe it, but judging by Geom Mugeuk’s expression, it did not seem to be a lie.
“Why would the Extreme Evil Demon do that?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps she took a liking to you.”
“So why on earth would she?”
“I told you, I don’t know.”
Though he said that, Geom Mugeuk could guess. The Extreme Evil Demon must have liked Seo Daeryong’s life: how a mere investigator had become the pavilion master of Hwangcheon Pavilion and the chief disciple of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Of course, it was also because she knew he was someone Geom Mugeuk cherished.
Seo Daeryong looked down at the white mask he was holding.
“Then did she give me this gift out of goodwill too?”
“Ask her yourself next time.”
“Next time?”
He was about to wave his hands and say there would be no next time, but stopped. Was it because they had spent a day together? Or was it because of what Geom Mugeuk had said? The Extreme Evil Demon did not feel as frightening as she had yesterday.
“That can’t be… What am I, after all?”
As he lowered his head deeply, Geom Mugeuk spoke in a calm tone.
“You are a cold-hearted, power-oriented man, yet a real man who loves only one woman. You are a rebel who raises his hand alone when everyone else stays silent, yet a pacifist. You are the winner of the martial arts tournament, who made a life-changing decision over a drink at an inn. And you are my right arm, with a good eye besides.”
The last phrase, “with a good eye besides,” was a joke he had exchanged with Seo Daeryong before, when Seo Daeryong had discovered the hidden Ten-Thousand Poisons Ultimate Divine Pill.
“You still remember all of that.”
“They’re words that describe you. Of course I remember.”
Seo Daeryong’s chest grew hot.
The person before him never gave him a moment to rest. Was our relationship really only this much? If we went a little farther, wouldn’t something else be waiting for us? He pushed him from behind and struck at his heart. Don’t grow weary of relationships. Let’s not fall into the swamp of boredom.
He was someone who was always joking and making him flustered, but his words and actions always carried a deep meaning.
Just look at yesterday and today. In a single night, he had helped Seo Daeryong form deep ties with two Demon Venerables. If not for Geom Mugeuk, how could he ever have naturally built relationships with them? Would he even have had the chance to say a word to two Demon Venerables?
At times like this, if Geom Mugeuk boasted even a little, Seo Daeryong could joke back in turn. But Geom Mugeuk, as if he were about to go somewhere again, washed himself, changed clothes, and hurried to leave.
“Where are you going now?”
“If the cult only had about three Demon Venerables, I wouldn’t be this busy.”
Meeting the Demon Venerables itself was preparation for the tripartite summit, and at the same time, martial training. At his current level, he could now gain a new insight into martial learning from a single joke exchanged with a Demon Venerable.
“Did you tell the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign everything that happened while you were away from the cult?”
Geom Mugeuk nodded.
“You truly are diligent.”
He had to be. Had he not experienced it many times already? The side that defended was always at a disadvantage. Those who plotted schemes searched for openings in their opponents and dug relentlessly into their weaknesses.
“You must be the busiest Young Cult Leader in history.”
“You have a lot to do too, don’t you?”
“Me?”
“When they come, we must show them that the cult’s discipline is in order. You are the person most responsible for that.”
As Seo Daeryong nodded with a serious expression, messenger hawks flew one after another over their heads.
They could also see messenger hawks flying in the opposite direction. There were definitely more wings coming and going than usual.
“It has begun, hasn’t it?”
At Seo Daeryong’s question, Geom Mugeuk nodded.
While the two of them were conversing on the ground, the strategists’ exchanges for the tripartite summit were busily coming and going across that sky.
* * *
The Drunken Demon’s reaction was different from what I expected.
Ordinarily, he would have reacted like this.
—You came last again. Yes, I’m a fish you’ve already caught. No, I don’t even count as a fish. I’m just a pebble put in the fishbowl for decoration, aren’t I?
But today, his reaction was different.
“You’re here?”
What was with this relaxed response? Was he actually sober? But he reeked of alcohol.
“What is this? Do you have to smile like that to use the final secret technique of your exclusive martial art?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I’m asking why you aren’t angry that I came late.”
“My favorite younger brother has come to see me. Why would I be angry?”
I backed away.
“Who are you? So those bastards weren’t only targeting the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable.”
“Sit down. It’s nice to see you after so long. Let’s drink all night today.”
“This is strange. Really strange.”
Just then, Yeo Bin, one of the three great drunkards, brought food over.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk saw it. The instant the Drunken Demon glanced at her, he could tell where the change in him had come from. A subtle current flowed between the two of them.
‘Something happened between them!’
As soon as Yeo Bin withdrew, I asked the Drunken Demon.
“Did something happen with Martial Artist Yeo?”
“No.”
“You’re going to tell me anyway, aren’t you? Then start with what you want to say. As much as you like.”
“If I say it the moment you arrive, won’t I look too frivolous?”
“Don’t worry. The most talkative man in the world is sitting in front of you. What happened?”
Then the Drunken Demon told me what had happened.
“I was drinking alone on a boat I’d set afloat on the lake, and she flew over and got on. Then she asked me to drink with her.”
“And then?”
“She said she wanted to have a drinking contest with me.”
It was completely unexpected.
“Oh! How impressive. A woman challenging the Drunken Demon to a drinking contest.”
The interesting story continued.
“So I said, Do you even know who is standing before you, challenging him to a drinking contest? She said, I do. Then what will we wager? Let’s have the winner grant the loser’s wish. What are we, children? What kind of childish wager is that? Are you not confident? As if that could be! Fine. That’s how it went.”
I filled the Drunken Demon’s empty cup to the brim. As if recalling that day, the Drunken Demon emptied the cup with a deepened gaze.
“She could drink. Yes, she’s one of the top three masters among drinkers, so of course she could drink well. But when she set her mind to it, she drank even better than I expected. The two of us drank every bit of liquor in this pavilion. It wasn’t enough, so we opened the liquor storehouse and drank there.”
Imagining it, it must truly have been a magnificent sight.
“And the result?”
“Why ask? I won.”
I shook my head with an incredulous expression.
“You won? You heartless man. I can’t stand you.”
“I don’t know about other wagers, but can the Drunken Demon lose a drinking contest?”
“So? Did you make your wish too?”
“I did.”
“What did you ask for?”
The Drunken Demon silently looked down at his empty cup.
I knew he was not someone who would easily give his heart to a woman. Please, let it not have been a wish like, Never do this to me again!
“I told her to bring a spring greens dish she made herself as the side dish at our next drinking session.”
“!”
A bright smile spread across my lips.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you’re impressive, hyung.”
I filled the Drunken Demon’s cup to the brim.
“This is the most impressive you’ve been since I met you. You always looked so pitiful before. Now you finally seem like a man.”
“So you’re confessing that you looked down on me until now.”
Smiling, the Drunken Demon clinked his cup against mine.
Yeo Bin, who had liked the Drunken Demon for a long time, must have staked everything she had that day. How nervous must she have been?
I did not know how the relationship between the two of them would turn out from now on, but the Drunken Demon had understood her heart all too well.
“These days, we just drink together now and then, like friends.”
That drinking session must have given the Drunken Demon his ease.
“This is all because of you.”
“Why because of me?”
“She said the reason she found the courage was because of you and the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign. And the Ilhwa Sword Sovereign was heavily influenced by you, wasn’t she? In the end, it’s because of you. You influenced me too.”
Yes, it probably was because of me. I acknowledged it. After my regression, so many things had truly been changing. In any case, among all those changes, this was one that made me truly happy.
“When you drink with the spring greens, call me too.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Watching him act smug and show off, I laughed and emptied my cup.
Hyung, just don’t blame me later by saying, “It’s because of you!” in a different sense.
* * *
While meeting the Demon Venerables, I also devoted myself to martial training.
At the heart of my efforts there was always grueling training. I trained whether I met the Demon Venerables or not.
The reason a joke exchanged with a Demon Venerable could provide a clue to enlightenment in martial learning was because it was supported by the endless training I had accumulated every day.
The moment a single word becomes a great enlightenment is the moment one places the final ornament atop a tower painstakingly built high. Without the tower, there can be no final ornament.
I continued to cultivate the Sicheon Secret Art and gained even more time, and within that time, I practiced the Guhwa Demonic Art with all my might.
In that way, twenty-some days passed, and at last, that day arrived.
A strategist sent by Tongcheon Pavilion came to report to me.
“The date of the summit has been set.”
It was set for a date not too far away. Because the three leaders’ resolve to meet was firm, things had proceeded more quickly than expected.
I headed straight for Maga Village.
Just then, in the distance, Jo Chunbae, who had been stretching in front of Pungryu Tavern, saw me and greeted me warmly.
“Young Cult Leader, welcome!”
I walked toward him as he smiled brightly, unaware of what was to come.