Seo Daeryong was waiting in the safe house together with the Dan sisters.
Thanks to receiving treatment here continuously, their injuries had almost completely healed. Now, they only had to wait for news from Geom Mugeuk.
During that time, he spent a great deal of time with Dan A.
They talked about all sorts of things, from their pasts to martial arts.
And through those conversations, Seo Daeryong became certain.
This was the woman!
He had a feeling that if he let Dan A slip away, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
But he could not confess his feelings to her. They were recovering from their injuries in a safe house belonging to the Demonic Cult, so he could not make such a confession to her. It would be no different from pressuring her with her life as collateral.
The problem was that things would be no different even after they had fully recovered. She was a Pavilion Master of the Demonic Cult, after all. How burdensome would it be for her?
That was why this relationship was so difficult. If only he had not known her identity and could simply recite poetry to her as before. Those days had truly been wonderful.
That afternoon, a messenger from the safe house delivered a letter.
After checking its contents, Seo Daeryong went to find the Dan sisters, his face shining.
“News has arrived from the Young Cult Master. He has dealt with all of them.”
The Dan sisters rejoiced. The youngest, Dan Yeon, even let out a cheer.
“You are all safe now.”
But Dan A’s eyes soon darkened.
This news meant that she would soon have to part with Seo Daeryong.
Silence flowed through the room.
To be honest, Dan A had even considered following Seo Daeryong and living a life with him.
A Yellow Springs Pavilion Master who read poetry collections.
A man who honestly told her about his gloomy, painful past, and who strove to escape from it.
The more she spoke with him, the more she realized what a pure person he was. Somehow, she felt that she could be happy building a life together with this man. No—she wanted to.
But she could not part with her sisters. The three of them had survived by joining forces until now.
If she left them behind, would her sisters be able to survive in this martial world?
She would never be able to live happily, worrying about them every day.
Yet she could not force her sisters to become demonic practitioners as well. That would mean too great a change in their fates.
“We should be leaving now. Thank you so much for saving us.”
Seo Daeryong was flustered. Secretly, he had hoped that perhaps she might go with him to the Demonic Cult. But it seemed she had already decided to leave. He had not expected their farewell to come so suddenly.
Dan A gazed at Seo Daeryong with tender eyes.
‘I’m sorry. I have to protect my sisters.’
After all the conversations they had shared over the past few days, he knew well how she had lived. He understood how deeply she cared for her sisters.
Seo Daeryong looked away, afraid that the tears welling up from his disappointment might spill over. But in the end, tears streamed down his face.
Seeing Seo Daeryong cry, Dan A felt tears rising in her own eyes. But she clenched her teeth and held them back. If her sisters saw her grieving, their hearts would ache.
“Thank you so much, Pavilion Master Seo.”
She forced herself to bid him farewell in a bright voice.
Seo Daeryong knew that if he let her go now, it would be the end forever. If they were truly destined to meet again, then things would have worked out even now. He had to hold on to her. Even if he had to force her, even if he had to beg.
That was when he heard the youngest, Dan Yeon, call out.
“We’ll pack our things, Sister.”
The two younger sisters immediately began packing. There was hardly anything they could call luggage, but they began placing this and that into their storage pouches.
At the sight, the last of Seo Daeryong’s courage to stop Dan A collapsed.
A wave of sorrow swept over him.
He had grown close to her two sisters as well. No—he had merely mistaken himself for being close to them.
He had been so happy when the youngest lady had called him “brother-in-law.” Of course, he knew she had been joking, but he had still been delighted. He must have become intoxicated by that joke and misunderstood the situation.
‘Yes, who am I to think of taking a woman?’
The moment his heart weakened, the evil spirit whispered into his ear.
―Do you really think a wonderful woman like that could ever like you? She only pretended to like you because you were a Pavilion Master of the Cult. Are you an idiot? Did you think reciting one poem would be enough? Look at Donggyeong! Look at yourself!
Dan A’s heart ached terribly at the sight of Seo Daeryong suffering.
Unable to bear looking at him, she left the room first.
“I hope you accomplish great things! I will cheer you on from afar.”
Dan A left the room.
‘Yes, who am I to think of taking a man?’
Just as she had lived until now, she would survive in this harsh martial world by helping her sisters and receiving their help in return. She had lived well enough without a man until now.
She had just passed through the door of the safe house when—
“Where are you going?”
The one calling out to her from behind was the youngest, Dan Yeon.
When Dan A turned around, Dan Bi and Dan Yeon were standing beside the carriage.
“You have to ride this.”
“What?”
Dan Yeon spoke to Seo Daeryong, who had followed them outside and was standing there blankly.
“You’re going to the Cult in this carriage, right?”
Seo Daeryong nodded with a bewildered expression, and Dan Yeon dropped a bombshell.
“My second sister and I want to devote ourselves to the Demonic Cult.”
Both Seo Daeryong and Dan A were startled.
“Will you accept us?”
Flustered, Seo Daeryong looked back and forth between Dan A and her two sisters.
Dan A hurriedly spoke to him.
“Don’t mind her. My sister is only joking.”
“I’m not joking, Sister.”
“Stop it! Even if you are joking, that is an improper thing to say to Pavilion Master Seo.”
Dan Yeon’s expression was serious.
“We’re not joking.”
Then Dan Bi, the second sister, spoke for the first time.
“It isn’t only because of Sister.”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Dan Bi.
“Living as wandering fighters has become too difficult. I’m tired.”
Dan A could tell that her sister was speaking sincerely. Dan Bi was not the sort of person to say something she did not mean about matters like this.
“I want to settle down and live somewhere now.”
Dan A understood Dan Bi’s feelings. How much had the three of them gone through, and how much suffering had they endured, to survive as wandering fighters? As for herself, she had been so focused on taking care of her sisters that she had not even realized her own hardships were hardships. But her sisters must have felt differently.
“Our goal was to save money and settle down, wasn’t it? The time has come.”
A brief silence followed.
Dan A looked at the youngest. In response to her gaze, which asked if Dan Yeon felt the same way, Dan Yeon answered with a question.
“Can you accept us?”
Seo Daeryong was so happy that he wanted to shout. He felt utterly pathetic for having harbored even a moment of resentment toward these sisters.
“Youngest Lady, I don’t know if you can tell from my appearance, which doesn’t make me look very authoritative, but the Pavilion Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion holds a fairly high position.”
He had called it “fairly” out of humility. The Pavilion Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion stood at the very center of power.
Dan Yeon let out a joyful cheer.
“Today is the first day of my life as a demonic practitioner!”
Even Dan Bi, who rarely showed her emotions, smiled.
Dan A knew that although her sisters truly were tired and weary, their decision to become demonic practitioners was because of her.
“Are you really sure? You will have to live as demonic practitioners from now on.”
At her calm question, Dan Bi answered,
“We survived as wandering fighters from the very bottom. Why couldn’t we live as demonic practitioners?”
Dan Yeon revealed her usual optimistic nature.
“If it gets too hard, the three of us can flee in the middle of the night! We’re incredibly good at running away, you know!”
She had meant it as a joke, but tears gathered in Dan A’s eyes. How could she not know what her sisters were feeling?
Dan Bi delivered the decisive words.
“Such a great sacrifice would burden us. What will you do when the time comes for us to leave someday? Don’t do this for our sake. We can all live well on our own.”
Dan A fell into thought for a moment before raising her head. Her expression made it clear that she had reached a decision.
Seo Daeryong looked at her with pleading eyes. He only hoped she would not say, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
After taking a deep breath, Dan A spoke with determination.
“Pavilion Master Seo, the Three Dan Sisters will devote themselves to the Demonic Cult!”
In that instant, Seo Daeryong threw both arms into the air. He was so happy that no shout would come out.
This was not simply the moment when three new disciples joined the Demonic Cult.
It was the moment when a woman had appeared who was willing to accept him as a man—while even devoting herself to the Demonic Cult for his sake.
He had never once been chosen by a woman in his life. Yet such a wonderful woman had accepted his feelings.
“I’ve already told you about myself. Knowing that I’m like this, are you still all right with me?”
Dan A gave him her characteristic, meaningful smile and replied,
“You still don’t know everything about me. I probably have plenty of bad sides I’ve kept hidden. Are you sure you’re all right with someone like me?”
Seo Daeryong nodded.
“I’m all right with it.”
The youngest, who had been listening, spoke up.
“You can’t take it back, Brother-in-law!”
At the words “brother-in-law,” Seo Daeryong’s face flushed red.
“I absolutely won’t take it back, Sister-in-law.”
He had summoned all his courage to use the word for the first time. The tips of Seo Daeryong’s ears turned red.
Then Dan Bi said impassively,
“But what if you two become this close and then break up?”
The youngest imitated a deep voice as she answered,
“We demonic practitioners do not break up. We only kill.”
Seo Daeryong waved both hands frantically.
“That’s a misunderstanding! The Cult isn’t like that!”
Dan Bi and Dan Yeon climbed into the carriage first.
Seo Daeryong conveyed his true feelings to Dan A.
“I will protect you for the rest of my life.”
Dan A smiled.
“Now we have to protect each other.”
Seo Daeryong was so happy he felt as though he could fly. It was truly like a dream. He wanted to see Geom Mugeuk at once and boast about it. He wanted to brag all night in front of Ian and Jang Ho.
As Dan A passed by Seo Daeryong to board the carriage, she spoke softly.
“And I will kill you.”
“What?”
He turned around in surprise, only to see the youngest smiling.
“I clearly said there would be no taking it back!”
The three women in the carriage smiled as they looked at Seo Daeryong.
Seo Daeryong felt that a new life had begun. When he had left the Cult to meet his master for the first time, he had been alone. Now he was returning as four.
As he climbed onto the coachman’s seat, Seo Daeryong said,
“I won’t take it back, if only because of my sister-in-law.”
* * *
Another carriage carrying a different fate was also racing swiftly toward the Demonic Cult.
Throughout the journey, the Hanbing Twin Swords, who were responsible for Han Seol’s protection, remained tense.
The Central Plains martial world, where countless rivalries and conspiracies ran rampant, was dangerous enough. But the Demonic Cult?
They had tried to dissuade her, saying that anywhere but the Demonic Cult would be acceptable, but Han Seol had refused to listen.
The reason the Hanbing Twin Swords had not continued trying to stop her was Geom Mugeuk. They knew that Geom Mugeuk was a great benefactor of the Northern Sea Ice Palace and had earned the Palace Lord’s trust.
―Will she be all right?
―We must protect her well.
The Hanbing Twin Swords were husband and wife.
The husband was Sahan, and the wife was Sobing. The name Hanbing Twin Swords was an alias formed from their names.
They were masters who had made their name in the Northern Sea martial world as a married couple for many years.
The reason the Palace Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace trusted them was not only because of their skill, but also because they had lived as a loving couple for a very long time. The Palace Lord believed that a husband and wife who knew how to respect each other could be trusted.
Although they were returning to the Demonic Cult as quickly as possible, whenever they came upon a place with beautiful scenery, Geom Mugeuk always had the carriage stop so he could show it to Han Seol.
“It’s amazing.”
Han Seol gazed up at the sheer cliff as it curved into the sky, filled with admiration. It was truly an overwhelming spectacle.
But he did not show her only magnificent scenery.
He also took her to historic sites where famous masters had fought, and to places where she could see things unavailable in the Northern Sea.
“What you hear and what you see with your own eyes are very different. I hope this journey of yours through the Central Plains becomes one where you see many things, Miss Han.”
Han Seol clearly felt that Geom Mugeuk’s thoughtfulness was different.
If she had invited someone to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, she would have hurried to show them the palace. The Ice Palace was so magnificent, so splendid, and so powerful.
But Geom Mugeuk placed more meaning on her first journey through the Central Plains than on the fact that he had invited her to the Cult.
He sincerely wanted her to see many things before she returned home.
“Now, repeat after me! ‘I’m going to see many things!’”
When Han Seol hesitated, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“Thinking something and saying it aloud are different. Come, repeat after me.”
After he continued urging her, Han Seol finally gave in and said,
“I’m going to see many things!”
Whenever they stopped at an inn or restaurant with a cook renowned for his skills, they made sure to visit that place as well.
On such occasions, Geom Mugeuk usually invited the Hanbing Twin Swords.
“You two will enjoy this dish.”
“You needn’t trouble yourself over us.”
“Please eat food suited to the tastes of the Young Cult Master and the Young Palace Lord.”
To their refusal, Geom Mugeuk replied,
“We’re young. We can even chew on stones.”
Han Seol nodded when Geom Mugeuk looked to her for agreement. It was the moment when the picky eater became a youth capable of chewing stones.
The dishes Geom Mugeuk treated them to suited the Hanbing Twin Swords’ tastes perfectly.
They tried this, then that. Everything was something they had never tasted in the Northern Sea.
Thanks to him, they were discovering the joys of Central Plains cuisine.
―They are still demonic practitioners, so let’s remain cautious.
―Agreed. Who knows when they might turn on us after putting on such kind faces?
―We should be especially careful of poison.
At first, they exchanged such telepathic messages every time. Gradually, however, the frequency decreased, until now they were sending each other messages wondering what dish they would be eating that day.
And today, a cry of joy burst from Geom Mugeuk’s lips.
“We’ve finally returned!”
The carriage had arrived at Maga Village.
“This is where Maga Village begins. Shall we walk from here while looking around?”
Han Seol grew tense. She had heard rumors about Maga Village since she was young. There was a village where demonic practitioners lived in front of the main headquarters of the Demonic Cult, and its name was Maga Village.
They said no one who entered the village ever came out in one piece.
Some said that one person had emerged with both arms cut off, another as a madman. They said the villagers made dumplings out of human flesh, and sold dolls of the cursed Demon Venerables. All sorts of terrifying rumors abounded there.
People with sinister gazes would be coming and going along the streets, while drunken men leaned against the walls and cast gloomy looks her way. Of course, with the Young Cult Master beside her, no one would dare openly provoke her, would they?
―No matter what happens, please endure it as much as possible!
Han Seol sent this message to the Hanbing Twin Swords before following Geom Mugeuk out of the carriage. At last, she took her first step onto the grounds before the Demonic Cult.