Jo Chunbae gazed once more at the Eight Demon Lords standing in the street before the tavern.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood tall at the center, his great dao thrust into the ground, while One Flower Sword Venerable and Drunken Demon stood to either side conversing.
Nearby, Poison King crouched looking at something, and Demon Buddha looked down at it with him.
Extreme Evil Young Demon sat perched upon the edge of the roof. He had always preferred solitude and high places.
Soul-Seizing Demon Lord looked up at that Extreme Evil Young Demon. Perhaps because she was young and could not easily mingle with the other Demon Lords, there seemed to be a sense of kinship in her eyes.
Fist Demon, who was responsible for today's security, gazed down the street with his two massive fists hanging at his sides. He wore the gauntlets that the Young Cult Leader had given him as a gift.
The image of the eight Demon Lords guarding the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was engraved upon Jo Chunbae's heart like a painting, one he would proudly boast of to guests for years to come.
Those looking at the Eight Demon Lords were not only Jo Chunbae. The merchants of the street watched them, and standing among them were the Danju.
It was the first time for the Danju as well. All of the Danju mobilized to stand guard like ordinary martial artists—they couldn't even remember the last time they had taken a shift.
Suddenly, longing surged in Jo Chunbae's heart. For the one person who had made this sight possible.
‘Young Cult Leader, where are you? I wish to see you.’
*
Father had chosen the most splendid outfit to wear for today's meeting.
The highlight of the outfit was on the back. There, the back of the Heavenly Demon Soul was depicted, standing turned away.
An outfit where, when Father walked, it looked as though the Heavenly Demon Soul was walking as well. It was truly an outfit that declared, “I am the Heavenly Demon, Geom Ujin.”
I met Father's eyes in the mirror as he changed his clothes.
“Today you look the most magnificent of all.”
Today's protagonist is neither me, nor Jo Chunbae, nor the Murim Alliance Leader, nor the Four Paths Alliance Leader.
The protagonist of today, in my mind, is Father.
But it seems Father believes that protagonist is me.
“Now, I've gathered everyone as you wished. What do you intend to do now?”
“My wish?”
“Then was it mine?”
“Of course. Why else would the two Alliance Leaders come? They came because they wished to see Father.”
Father in the mirror looked at me and sneered. Father, please look at your own expression just once. Is it acceptable to sneer so openly at someone?
Of course, I love this sneer of Father's all too much.
Because it was both a moment when my banter worked and Father's answer.
This sneer could be interpreted in many ways. Sometimes it meant, “You rascal,” and other times, “Is that so?” or “Don't be absurd.” And right now, it meant, “You shameless brat.”
Father turned to face me.
“Let's go. If we've invited guests, we must arrive first and wait.”
Today, for once, I followed quietly behind Father without dropping any banter.
The terrifying back of the Heavenly Demon Soul drawn upon his back.
Watching it resemble Father's back, I grew curious about my own Heavenly Demon Soul.
When the Nine Splendors Demon Art reaches great accomplishment, what form will my Heavenly Demon Soul take?
My older brother, Geom Muyang, was waiting before the residence.
The gaze Father directed toward Brother was gentle. On a day like today, walking out together must make him proud.
“Father, please look at me with the same eyes you show Brother right now.”
Without answering, Father strode forward. Brother and I followed from left and right.
“Father, favoring the eldest son like this is too much.”
Naturally, I thought he would ignore my words.
“When your brother was young, he once had a fever.”
Brother and I were both startled. It was the first time Father had ever spoken of such a thing.
“At the time, the Demonic Physician was away on business outside. I held your brother and ran to her using the Heavenly Demon Flight Art.”
I wanted to crack a joke—So that's when Brother became strange!—but I held back. Because Brother was listening to Father with a look of such surprise and tension. If even I am this astonished, how must Brother feel?
“Fortunately, the fever broke quickly. The Demonic Physician laughed. Said it wasn't serious enough to rush over like that.”
Even this perfect person had moments of clumsiness. Before a sick child, he was not the Heavenly Demon but a father. These were words I would never have heard if I had not regressed and changed our relationship.
Father added one more thing.
“That is why I am sorry as well.”
Because it is the first child who makes one go through all manner of trials and errors in raising them.
Brother walked quietly behind Father without saying a word. I could feel him suppressing surging emotions. I thought that Brother would probably never forget these words Father spoke today.
Yes, the fact that Brother has endured this well is thanks to Father.
“What about me? Didn't I ever have a fever?”
“You did. You burned even hotter.”
“Then you must have run even faster.”
A faint smile formed at the corners of Father's lips. At least this smile was not a sneer, but a smile recalling that time long ago.
“I stripped you naked and wiped you down with lukewarm water to bring the fever down.”
“How could you!”
Was it Father walking ahead who laughed? I had the illusion that the Heavenly Demon Soul on his back was smiling.
All the way to Magachon, I kept picturing Father running while holding Brother, and Father soaking a cloth in lukewarm water to wipe my body and bring down my fever.
Yes, we have come this far. With each step we draw closer, we will hear more stories.
In the distance, the Pungnyu Tavern came into view.
*
Extreme Evil Young Demon, who had been on the roof, lightly leaped down to the ground.
Poison King, who had been crouching lost in thought, sprang to his feet.
Those two, who seemed least likely to emerge from their own worlds, moved first, and the remaining Demon Lords split to either side and looked toward the end of the street.
Jo Chunbae couldn't contain his curiosity. So he came out of the kitchen and poked his head out slightly.
‘Good heavens!’
Geom Ujin was walking from the end of the street. Behind him, the Young Cult Leader and the Great Young Lord fanned out to either side like wings as they followed.
‘So the Cult Leader really was attending!’
Startled, Jo Chunbae froze on the spot. He wished someone would carry his statue-like body back into the kitchen.
His feet wouldn't budge because, having seen the Cult Leader approaching, he couldn't simply slip back inside.
As Geom Ujin drew near, the Demon Lords all cupped their fists in salute at once.
“We greet the Cult Leader.”
Their voices united and rang out mightily. The merchants who had been watching outside had already gone into their buildings.
On the street, the Danju stood in a line at fixed intervals with their heads bowed, and at their head was Jang Ho.
“Rest easy, all of you.”
Geom Ujin's voice was low yet weighty, echoing to the end of the street. The Danju who had been bowing all raised their heads and presented stalwart appearances.
“Now, let us enter.”
Geom Ujin took the lead and went in, and the Demon Lords followed after him.
Jo Chunbae was prostrated flat on the ground beside the entrance.
Geom Ujin recognized him.
“Rise.”
“If I had known the Cult Leader was coming, I would have prepared with even greater care.”
Then from behind, Geom Mugeuk remarked lightly, “So you are saying you did not do your best? Innkeeper, there may be only one father, but here there are eight of us.”
Flustered, Jo Chunbae habitually waved his hands.
“No, that's not what I meant.”
Then he flinched in surprise and bowed his head again. Waving his hands before the Cult Leader—he had committed an act that would not be strange at all if someone said, “Someone should cut off that rude hand!”
Geom Ujin turned to look at Geom Mugeuk with an exasperated look, as if to say, “Must you tease the innkeeper even now?”
Seizing the opportunity, the Demon Lords all looked at Geom Mugeuk as well.
A barrage of accusatory gazes.
“No, I was just trying to ease the tension. You people are too much! You toss me aside before Father without even taking a breath!”
Of course, as if that were true.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon's frosty gaze had been saying, “You brat!” all along, and Extreme Evil Young Demon's eyes behind his mask were smiling.
Drunken Demon's eyes seemed to ask, “Did you already blab about what happened with Yeobin?” Poison King's eyes, which never retreated into his own world in front of Father, Fist Demon's stern eyes saying, “No pranks today,” Soul-Seizing Demon Lord's eyes as the vanguard of the next generation's Demon Lords, One Flower Sword Venerable's soft yet intense gaze, and Demon Buddha's unwavering eyes fixed on Brother instead of me.
Fist Demon guided Geom Ujin to the upper floor.
“Please go up.”
Geom Ujin took one of the three seats on the upper floor.
Watching Fist Demon come back down, Jo Chunbae was inwardly puzzled.
‘Why isn't anyone going up? If not the Demon Lords, who else are they meeting?’
That the other party might be the Murim Alliance Leader or the Four Paths Alliance Leader was unthinkable from the start. How could one even imagine that such a momentous meeting would take place at his tavern?
The Demon Lords stood on the first floor. None of them sat down. Moreover, they did not scatter but gathered on one side.
‘Just who is coming?’
Just then, one person entered the tavern. When Jo Chunbae saw who entered, he was shocked. It was the old man he had seen that morning.
He, who was near the entrance, hurriedly ran to the old man.
“Elder, why did you come here when I told you today wouldn't work? Hurry and leave, please hurry.”
Surprised gazes all turned to Jo Chunbae.
Jo Chunbae looked around at the nearby Demon Lords and said,
“No, no. He is someone who had an appointment at our tavern today. There was a brief misunderstanding.”
And he quickly whispered into the old man's ear.
“Please hurry and leave. Everyone here is someone frightening.”
Only then did Jo Chunbae see the martial artists lined up behind the old man. They were looking at him with cold eyes.
“Oh!”
Startled, Jo Chunbae stumbled backward.
Jo Chunbae had seen all kinds of martial artists while running a tavern. But the people lined up behind the old man were not mere experts.
An overwhelming presence—the same crushing sense of existence he felt when looking at the Demon Lords—radiated from them.
Jo Chunbae looked at the old man again in surprise.
The old man's previously ordinary clothes were now splendid and luxurious. Upon his chest, the two characters “Righteous Hero” were entwined by an ascending blue dragon.
Not only had his clothes changed; his atmosphere was different as well. From the old man emanated an absolute dignity and bearing that overwhelmed even the experts behind him, and his fierce, round eyes were truly the eyes of a tiger.
“Didn't I say we would meet later?”
Jo Chunbae answered with a trembling voice.
“So you are a guest attending today's meeting.”
Geom Mugeuk, who had been observing, stepped forward and said,
“He is the Murim Alliance Leader.”
Jo Chunbae's eyes grew wider and wider. The words “Murim Alliance Leader” sounded so foreign. The Murim Alliance Leader? The leader of the orthodox Murim Alliance? Why is the Murim Alliance Leader here? Is there a war? Is this a dream?
“I invited the Alliance Leader to Pungnyu Tavern.”
The astonished Jo Chunbae stood with his mouth agape, unable to speak.
Geom Mugeuk slowly walked forward to greet Jin Paechon first.
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
“Not at all. It's been a while since I've been to this region, so the journey was quite pleasant.”
“This is the innkeeper of this place I mentioned beforehand.”
Jo Chunbae's heart pounded as if it would burst. He had mentioned him to the Murim Alliance Leader? And now he was introducing him?
“I'm counting on your finest performance, Innkeeper.”
Jo Chunbae nodded his head vigorously.
Jin Paechon said to Geom Mugeuk, “When I met the innkeeper earlier, I could see why you chose this tavern.”
He was the Murim Alliance Leader who had been scolded by Jo Chunbae. Telling him not to be so sharp and to go apologize first, since he was the elder.
“Once you've had the alcohol and the food, you will understand completely.”
Jin Paechon went up to the upper floor. He declined when Fist Demon offered to guide him and went up alone.
Among the martial artists who came with him were Jin Hagun and Jin Haryeong.
I wanted to banter with them, but since it was an official meeting, I merely cupped my fists in greeting without words.
Jin Haryeong in particular brightened upon seeing me. There was a fluttering excitement that only I could evoke.
In this world, who could stand in front of the Murim Alliance Leader just to introduce a tavern keeper?
Behind them were seven elite experts selected from the Murim Alliance.
There was an old expert with disheveled white hair, and a young expert who appeared to be in his thirties. They were the greatest experts of the past and present generations of the orthodox faction whose names were known to all.
They were people who could be honest with their emotions even before the Demon Lords. One of them openly displayed an expression of displeasure.
Great Righteous Hero Im Sanggon.
He was displeased that I had looked after Jo Chunbae before the Murim Alliance Leader earlier. Introducing some tavern innkeeper? As if they weren't being treated with contempt.
When he glared at me, a cold gaze flew toward him.
It was Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The clear warning in his eyes.
How dare you send such a look to the Young Cult Leader?
Then the old man beside Great Righteous Hero glared at Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Taiyi Divine Sword Jin Gwang.
A sword expert who had dominated the previous generation's martial world with a single blade.
Filthy demonic cult bastards.
He too revealed his emotions plainly on his face.
Then this time, One Flower Sword Venerable looked at him coldly.
Because both were people walking toward the pinnacle of the sword, they could not help but be naturally conscious of one another.
Jo Chunbae was not watching this silent war of nerves.
He watched, as if entranced, Jin Paechon slowly walking up to the upper floor.
Even though Jin Paechon displayed no martial spirit whatsoever, the moment he stepped onto the upper floor, Jo Chunbae could feel the air of the first and second floors change.
“A meeting between the demonic and orthodox factions, at my tavern! At my tavern!”
Jo Chunbae was so happy he felt he might faint.
He took a deep breath to compose himself. Now was the time to display his greatest skill.
Jo Chunbae, who had been about to head to the kitchen, whipped around and looked up at the upper floor. The remaining empty seat caught his eye.
“Huh? Then what is that seat for?”