Han Seol’s astonishment showed no sign of ending.
Fine, she could accept that she had simply arrived at the wrong time, only to find herself in the middle of a bloody fight and even forced to unleash palm force.
Fine, she could accept that the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace might speak of her ideal type in front of the successors of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions.
But now she was watching the Demon Extermination Unit and the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path—the symbols and elites of the orthodox and unorthodox factions—raising cups together in a toast. Ah, and with the Extreme Evil Young Demon and the Faceless Guest standing guard over them, no less.
This time, Han Seol was the first to send a voice transmission to the Twin Ice Swords.
—Is the Central Plains originally this kind of place? It’s so different from the Central Plains I learned about.
Of course, the Twin Ice Swords knew she was joking, but they too conveyed their own shock. In truth, they were even more astonished.
—As far as I know, in the history of the murim, the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions have never mingled this freely.
—The more it is like this, the more cautious we must be.
They almost said, This may be their scheme, but stopped themselves. To call it a scheme, the scale was far too grand. There was no way all these people had been mobilized merely to trap Han Seol.
Besides, right now, they were far too sincere.
The Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path and the Demon Extermination Unit toasted together and emptied their cups. They even exchanged names with the people seated before them.
“I am Ilrang.”
“I am Gwanghyo.”
If Geom Mugeuk had poured the first cup, this time Bisa-in and Jin Hagun stepped forward together.
Bisa-in poured for the Demon Extermination Unit, and Jin Hagun poured for the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path.
Both those pouring and the subordinates receiving the wine were experiencing something entirely new.
Had this been any other organization of the Murim Alliance or the Evil Path Alliance, such an atmosphere could never have formed. Even if they drank together, it would have been a tense occasion filled with contests of will, each side ready to attack the other at any moment.
But the Demon Extermination Unit and the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path had both overcome a life-and-death crisis with their leaders through Geom Mugeuk’s help. By now, they were also the warriors who best understood that the friendship between these men was genuine.
Next, the wine was poured as it originally should have been. Bisa-in poured for the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path, and Jin Hagun poured for the Demon Extermination Unit. In the eyes directed toward their leaders, deep loyalty and trust were contained.
It felt as though a sturdy bolt had been drawn across the emotions they had built up until now through this battle.
In human relationships, if one never experiences the moment that bolt is secured, even the oldest and finest relationship can collapse in an instant.
Because of a truly trivial word. No, precisely because it is trivial, it collapses all the more emptily.
Was that why? Bisa-in announced one fact to everyone.
“This year marks the thirtieth year since Ilrang here joined the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path.”
When Bisa-in suddenly spoke about him, Ilrang was flustered.
But Bisa-in had something he truly wanted to say here, in front of everyone.
“Leaving aside affiliation and rank, as one martial artist to another, I sincerely respect you.”
When Bisa-in raised his cup, everyone raised theirs as well.
The Thirteen Wolves loudly offered their congratulations, while the Demon Extermination Unit, with proper courtesy, raised their cups and drank in place of words.
Representing them, Jin Hagun said to Ilrang,
“I believe guarding one’s place for thirty years is a great thing. You are truly admirable.”
Because the respect of the Demon Extermination Unit’s captain could be felt, not only Ilrang himself but the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path were delighted.
“Thank you, Captain.”
After Ilrang had expressed his thanks with courtesy, he looked at Bisa-in last. He would have been grateful even if Bisa-in had told him privately, just the two of them, but for him to properly honor him like this in front of others filled him with genuine gratitude. This was an attitude and method Bisa-in had learned from Geom Mugeuk.
“When I was born and just learning to walk, Ilrang, you must already have been walking the path of the Evil Way.”
At Bisa-in’s words, Ilrang laughed, and the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path raised their cups in unison.
“The Thirteen Evil Paths, living together and dying together!”
They shouted loudly and emptied their cups together.
Watching that sight, Jin Hagun felt it.
‘You, too, are looking properly at your subordinates.’
Just as he had looked back at the men of the Demon Extermination Unit when he killed the Heavenly Fiend inside the formation. Had he not looked back then, he would never have been able to speak openly and honestly with his subordinates.
When Jin Hagun lifted his cup high, the martial artists of the Demon Extermination Unit also raised theirs. Since this was a place to congratulate Ilrang, they did not shout to raise their spirits, but merely exchanged gazes and drank.
A consideration that would have been unimaginable in the past. In the past, they would have shouted “Exterminate Demons and Break Evil” even louder than the others.
Jin Hagun looked toward the person who had created this moment.
Geom Mugeuk was speaking with Han Seol at his original seat. He had judged that in this atmosphere of unity, it was right for him to step back.
Han Seol set down her cup together with Geom Mugeuk. Feeling as if she would become too drunk, she had only touched it to her lips before setting it down, but Geom Mugeuk had once again emptied his cup. Geom Mugeuk neither forced her to drink nor stopped her from drinking.
“You can really hold your liquor. It doesn’t seem as if you’re driving out the intoxication with your inner energy either.”
Truly, Geom Mugeuk had been drinking with this person and that person all over the place, yet he did not look drunk.
“Why would I use inner energy to drive away this pleasant tipsiness?”
“You have quite the tolerance.”
“You know, don’t you? My elder brother is the Drunken Demon Venerable.”
Since he had once come to the North Sea with the Drunken Demon, she knew about the relationship between the two.
Pouring wine for Geom Mugeuk, Han Seol asked,
“Is Sister doing well?”
She had thought she would be able to meet Ian if she came here.
At that, Geom Mugeuk gave an unexpected answer.
“I don’t know either.”
“Pardon?”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned far out beyond them.
“Ian has gone out into the world alone.”
Knowing that he regarded Ian as his heart, Han Seol was surprised that he had let her go out on her own.
“Aren’t you worried?”
“How could I not be? She’s become a ghost and appears in my dreams every night.”
“Then why did you let her go alone?”
After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk said,
“She has to know how to walk alone too.”
They were ordinary words, but within those words of Geom Mugeuk’s lay the life he had lived before his regression.
Because he had personally experienced that the harsher the path, the stronger one returned.
The moment Han Seol heard those words, her heart began to race. She, too, felt the desire to walk the world alone.
“That’s a shame. I thought I would be able to see her this time.”
Then Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected.
“See her before you go.”
“Pardon?”
“It is about time for her to return to the main cult. She may already be back. Come to the main cult with me. I will formally invite you.”
Before she could answer, the voice transmissions of the Twin Ice Swords flew into her ears.
—The Divine Cult is absolutely out of the question!
—Our palace has never visited the Divine Cult!
Rather, those voice transmissions strengthened her decision.
—Then let my journey to the Central Plains be the first.
Han Seol wanted to visit the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Since they had come to the North Sea Ice Palace, was it not only right that she go as well?
And above all, she wanted to see Ian. She wanted to ask her what she had seen after going out into the world alone.
“I once asked my mother what kind of place the Central Plains was to her. At the time, she told me this: it was a place you wanted to return from once you went there, and once you returned, a place you wanted to go back to again. I wonder what kind of place the Central Plains will become for me.”
Because it was an official invitation, she cupped her fist respectfully and said,
“I accept your invitation. Thank you for inviting me.”
Geom Mugeuk also cupped his fist respectfully and said,
“I hope our cult can become a good memory in the Young Palace Lord’s Central Plains.”
And so Han Seol’s journey to the Divine Cult was decided.
* * *
The night deepened, and so did the drinking.
Everyone was drunk.
Of course, that did not mean the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Path or the Demon Extermination Unit made mistakes with one another. They were elite warriors, and men who served successors at that, so even while drinking, they were cautious and cautious again.
Geom Mugeuk drank with Jin Hagun and Bisa-in, while Jin Haryeong and Han Seol drank with the mistress of Cheonhwa Pavilion. Whatever conversation they were enjoying so much, those two young women were surely hearing words today that would be of great help in their lives.
Geom Mugeuk called out to the musicians playing from the second-floor railing.
“Please give us something more exciting!”
The gentle music quickened, and the mood naturally grew lively.
When Geom Mugeuk began swaying his body lightly, Bisa-in shouted first.
“Don’t even dream of it!”
But Geom Mugeuk, like someone starting his engine in earnest, slowly began to make his movements bigger.
When Geom Mugeuk looked toward Han Seol, Bisa-in beat him to the punch again.
“The moment the word dancing comes up, the Evil-Demonic War breaks out!”
Geom Mugeuk looked regretful.
“If Lady Han saw your dancing skills, she would fall for you even more.”
His words alone sounded regretful, but his body looked as if it would leap up and start shaking at any moment. Would Geom Mugeuk dance alone? If he said the true dancer was over there, there was no doubt Bisa-in would eventually be dragged out.
Driven into a corner, Bisa-in looked at Jin Hagun. His gaze said that if he did not stop this, it would not be an Evil-Demonic War but an Evil-Orthodox War that broke out, yet Jin Hagun, his face flushed with drink, said something entirely unexpected.
“If you fellows dance, I will at least perform a sword dance.”
He meant that even if he could not do an ordinary dance, he could manage a sword dance.
Bisa-in stared at Jin Hagun with a shocked expression. It was within expectations for Geom Mugeuk to tease him, but Jin Hagun said he would perform a sword dance?
“You’ve all gone mad! You’re far too drunk!”
Now that even Jin Hagun had joined in, wings had been added to Geom Mugeuk’s swaying. He would somehow create an atmosphere where dancing happened.
Bisa-in shot to his feet.
Geom Mugeuk looked at him in surprise and said,
“You’re going to dance?”
Of course, as if that would happen.
Bisa-in strode over to Han Seol and said,
“Would you step outside for some air with me?”
Since this was not something that could be solved by simply running away, he had chosen a frontal breakthrough.
At those words, Han Seol was flustered, and Jin Haryeong was even more surprised.
The Young Alliance Leader was asking a woman to take a walk?
Jin Haryeong looked at Geom Mugeuk and sent a voice transmission.
—Just what did you do?
—I’m wronged! I didn’t say anything.
—Because of you, the Young Alliance Leader has become strange.
She should have heard her elder brother say he would perform a sword dance.
Was Han Seol being considerate of the gazes watching them? Or did she truly feel like taking a walk?
After quietly looking at Bisa-in, Han Seol answered calmly.
“I was feeling stifled from the intoxication anyway.”
Han Seol rose from her seat and left the building with Bisa-in.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk’s voice transmission flew to Bisa-in.
—You’re a man. A real man!
—And whose fault is all this!
Riding on a sigh, the voice transmission reached him, and the playfulness faded from Geom Mugeuk’s reply.
—Even after many years pass, you won’t forget the thrill you felt when asking someone to take a walk.
Bisa-in knew. Geom Mugeuk truly was cheering him on and pushing him forward out of sincere concern for him.
—If war breaks out, I’m invading the Divine Cult first! To hell with the North Sea!
And so the two of them went outside.
Watching them, Geom Mugeuk raised his cup high.
“Now, let’s drink a toast to victory!”
Was it truly a toast to victory? Jin Hagun looked at Bisa-in with concern. The only thing that suited them was their clothing; he wondered if Bisa-in would even manage to say a single proper word.
After the two of them drank a few more cups like that, Jin Hagun revealed the thought he had been carrying in his heart.
“When I return this time, I intend to speak to my grandfather. I will ask him to decide on me as his successor.”
Without a word, Geom Mugeuk filled Jin Hagun’s cup. Jin Hagun’s true feelings came out calmly.
“Until now, I have lived while hiding my desires too much. I thought that was chivalry and the righteous path. I thought if I lived that way, everything would naturally come to pass. But… I began to think that this too may have been an escape from reality. An escape I postponed again and again because I did not want my grandfather to notice my greed to become the next Alliance Leader. Compared to saying those words, it was easier to become the captain of the Demon Extermination Unit and fight.”
Listening to him, Geom Mugeuk quietly drank.
Perhaps the Murim Alliance Leader felt the same.
The burden of making his grandson his successor. The burden borne by the Murim Alliance Leader, who had pursued only honor his entire life.
Because he could not endure the dishonor of making his grandson the successor when there might be someone more capable, perhaps he too had been escaping reality.
Thinking vaguely that if his grandson served for a long time as captain of the Demon Extermination Unit, a moment would come when everyone acknowledged him.
Geom Mugeuk thought Jin Hagun’s decision was a good thing.
The most dangerous relationship is one in which neither side is honest about their desires. When such a relationship goes awry, the distance between them grows beyond control.
“I also think it is time for your lava to erupt.”
Jin Hagun gained strength from Geom Mugeuk’s support.
“I intend to stake my life on it.”
“No! Are you saying you still haven’t? Even neighborhood hoodlums stake their lives to become boss, and this is about becoming the Murim Alliance Leader. You should have staked it already! Go to the Alliance Leader and shout, Please give me the successor’s seat now! If he scolds you, go flatter him the next day! Just show him your transparent heart in full!”
Jin Hagun laughed. Yes, when he spoke with Geom Mugeuk, strength came to him like this.
Just then, in the distance, they saw Bisa-in and Han Seol walking together.
“What do you think they’re talking about?”
“A secret discussion about the Evil Path Alliance and the North Sea Ice Palace joining hands to strike the Murim Alliance?”
“Didn’t you hear earlier? If they strike anyone, it’ll be you.”
“No chance of that. I’m the one who tied the red thread between them.”
Jin Hagun turned to Geom Mugeuk and said worriedly,
“What will you do if that friend ends up hurt?”
“Then he gets hurt.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Jin Hagun and said calmly,
“When we look back on our lives later, if all we remember is fighting enemies, wouldn’t we feel too sorry toward our own lives?”