The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at his reflection in the bronze mirror.
He had taken off the martial robes he always wore and was dressed in ceremonial attire. It was for officiating today’s wedding.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon seemed to clear his throat for a moment.
“On this day, in this place, groom Seo Daeryong and bride Dana, brought together by a heaven-bestowed bond, shall pledge themselves to a hundred years of marriage.”
Then the Blood Heaven Blade Demon changed his tone this way and that.
“Shall pledge themselves. Shall pledge themselves, indeed.”
None of it quite rolled off his tongue, and displeasure rose over the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s face.
If he had his way, he wanted to simply say this:
“Today is the day these two make a blood oath!”
But that was not something he could do. He practiced the officiant’s speech again.
“Groom Seo Daeryong entered our cult at an early age and walked the perilous path of the demonic way…”
When he could not remember the rest, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon took a paper from his robe and read it. After muttering the written contents to himself for a moment, he spoke again.
“After serving as a special investigator of the Yellow Springs Pavilion, he rose at a young age to the position of Pavilion Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion. Bride Dana has traversed the Central Plains…”
He unfolded the paper again and memorized what came next. Just then, as his nervous voice trembled, someone spoke from behind him.
“No! What are we to do if the officiant is trembling more than the groom?”
A faint smile formed at the corners of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s mouth. The owner of the voice was Geom Mugeuk.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned toward Geom Mugeuk and said,
“Who says I’m trembling?”
“Aren’t you failing to memorize it because you’re nervous?”
“You think I can’t memorize this little thing?”
Geom Mugeuk said with a smile,
“If you try to recite it by rote like this, you’ll definitely forget it. Your mind will go completely blank, and you won’t be able to think of anything.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s brow twitched, but he could not deny it. Geom Mugeuk was right. He had been memorizing it since last night, yet it still would not stick; in front of everyone watching, he would remember even less.
“I’d rather fight a life-and-death blood battle with the Murim Alliance Leader.”
If it were something like that, he would go out and fight without blinking an eye. Why was this trifling thing making him tremble so much?
Geom Mugeuk offered a solution.
“Just say what you want to say to Daeryong. It doesn’t matter if it’s short. No, these days, guests probably prefer it short.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon admitted honestly,
“When I was young, I could memorize an entire martial arts manual on the spot. Why won’t this stick?”
“It’s because it’s your disciple’s wedding, and you want to do well for him.”
“Why don’t you just say it’s because I’m old!”
After grumbling like that,
Whoosh.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon burned the paper with the officiant’s speech using his fiery yang qi.
“I’ll just say, ‘Eat well and live well!’ One sentence and that’s it.”
“It suits you perfectly, elder. Everyone will like it.”
Then the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said something unexpected.
“Or you can give the officiant’s speech.”
“Me?”
Geom Mugeuk looked bewildered.
“Aren’t you the one who made that Daeryong fellow human and even got him married? You speak much better, too.”
“You’re the one who made Pavilion Master Seo human, elder. If you hadn’t taken him as your disciple, would the current Pavilion Master Seo exist?”
“That was because I fell for your scheming.”
“It also wasn’t me who got drunk and clung to your trouser leg, nor was I the one who let that Daeryong sleep in my bed.”
In that regard, he thought there was definitely a bond between the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong.
“You’ve worked hard, elder, making Pavilion Master Seo into a person and marrying him off.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared intently at Geom Mugeuk. Seeing how he had come to look after him, knowing he would be anxious on a day like this, he thought that Geom Mugeuk truly never changed.
“How did the fistfight with that fist-throwing master of yours turn out?”
Everyone knew that Geom Mugeuk had shut himself in the Fist Demon’s quarters to train.
Geom Mugeuk raised a tightly clenched fist.
“It went from a baby’s fist to a boy’s fist, and yesterday, I finally received acknowledgment. This fist is now an adult’s fist.”
The Thunderbolt Asura Fist had risen another level. When those whose martial arts were racing toward the ultimate essence trained while candidly sharing their attainments in martial learning, the effect was unbelievable.
It was not only Geom Mugeuk; the Fist Demon, too, had gained much from the training. At the very end, the Fist Demon had said this:
—I wonder if sound will come from my fist again.
The sound of thunder had once resounded, then ceased. If it sounded again now, what kind of sound would it be? No, what would the power of that fist be like?
“This is all thanks to you, elder.”
“Why would that be thanks to me? It’s thanks to your master teaching you well and you working hard.”
“Because you showed me the right direction. If not, I would have been running in the opposite direction. Effort made in the wrong direction would have returned as frustration in equal measure. If you don’t know which way to go, then rest instead! It’s all thanks to your teaching, elder.”
Seeing a satisfied expression appear on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s face, Geom Mugeuk smiled and added,
“Now, you must also tell Daeryong where he should go. Let’s go.”
* * *
At that time, Seo Daeryong, too, was standing before a bronze mirror.
He wore red ceremonial robes embroidered with clouds and cranes, silk shoes, a floral crown, and a jade belt. His own appearance looked utterly unfamiliar to him.
Seo Daeryong asked his reflection in the bronze mirror,
“Daeryong, is it all right for you to be this happy?”
Just then, a voice came from behind him.
“It is.”
Startled, he turned around to find Demon Army Lord Jang Ho standing at the door.
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
Seo Daeryong approached him with an overwhelmed expression.
“Thank you, my lord.”
They had once had a meal together so Seo Daeryong could introduce Dana, but afterward, they had been too busy to meet separately.
“How do you feel?”
At Jang Ho’s question, Seo Daeryong answered with a smile,
“You just heard me, didn’t you?”
Jang Ho laughed as well.
“Now, let us go.”
When they went outside, four Demon Army warriors were waiting.
“For today, we have decided to escort the bride and groom.”
“You did not have to go this far.”
It might seem like nothing, but this was deeply meaningful.
For the Demon Army to move like this meant that the Demon Army Lord acknowledged his friendship with Seo Daeryong. Considering Jang Ho’s strict nature in all things, this was truly a great show of goodwill toward Seo Daeryong.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Not at all.”
If he had not met Geom Mugeuk and his life had not changed, this was someone with whom he would never have exchanged a single word in his entire life. Now, they had become this close.
They arrived at the venue where the wedding ceremony would be held.
The large training ground was decorated everywhere with red and golden cloth, as well as banners.
At its center stood a large folding screen, and in front of it, a table had been prepared for the wedding ceremony.
To its left and right were places arranged where the bride and groom would receive guests.
As he sat in the groom’s seat, Seo Daeryong was surprised. There were truly many seats prepared for the guests, and the first thought that came to him was whether all those seats could possibly be filled.
Soon after, the flower palanquin carrying the bride arrived.
When Dana stepped down from the palanquin, her heart sank. There was not a single person in the countless seats that had been prepared. Even though it was nearly time for the ceremony to begin.
With a trembling heart, she sat in the seat where the bride was to wait.
Next, Geom Mugeuk and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon arrived.
Seo Daeryong rose from his seat and greeted the two of them.
“Master! Young Cult Leader!”
Seo Daeryong was inwardly flustered because there were far too few guests.
Geom Mugeuk looked around.
“It’s almost time for the wedding to begin, but not many people have come.”
It was not simply that many had not come; aside from the Demon Army warriors who had come with them, there were truly only a few people.
“The Yellow Springs Pavilion investigators and enforcement warriors aren’t here yet?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Seo Daeryong lowered his head deeply.
“It seems I have behaved poorly in daily life.”
Seo Daeryong looked as if he might cry at any moment. He himself was fine. After all, his life had been lonely anyway.
But for Dana’s sake, at least, the wedding could not be this desolate. Ah, he had not wanted to show this kind of sight. Just twenty more people—no, even ten more people, please come!
“It’s enough if the people who truly wish to congratulate you do so. They’re all here. Your master is here, Lord Jang is here, Ian is here. Second Young Lady and Youngest Young Lady are here. And most importantly, I’m here too!”
Seo Daeryong grabbed Geom Mugeuk by the sleeve and dragged him aside. Then he whispered desperately,
“Young Cult Leader, please call even your guards. I am too ashamed in front of Lady Dan.”
“I wonder if my guards will be enough?”
“Pardon?”
Geom Mugeuk raised his hand high.
Fweeeeng! Bang! Babang!
At that signal, fireworks burst from all directions. Brilliant and beautiful fireworks exploded in the blue sky.
Bang! Babang! Babang!
Only then did the guests begin entering the place. Geom Mugeuk had made them wait for a moment in order to tease Seo Daeryong.
“Young Cult Leader!”
Seeing those who entered the venue, tears welled in Seo Daeryong’s eyes.
“The bride isn’t crying, yet the groom is about to?”
“I was truly shocked!”
“Then did you think you could get married before me and not suffer at least this much?”
The first to enter were the Yellow Springs Pavilion investigators and enforcement warriors.
“Pavilion Master! Congratulations!”
Led by the most senior investigator, Gok Myeong, the investigators poured in and offered their congratulations. Behind them, the enforcement warriors entered.
“Even though you didn’t ask, my guards came too.”
Indeed, the Young Cult Leader’s guards had also come to congratulate him.
Seo Daeryong was so busy receiving the flood of congratulations from guests that he had no time to think.
Watching this, Dana felt greatly relieved. To be honest, until just a moment ago, she had been even more nervous and flustered than Seo Daeryong.
‘Thank goodness.’
Thinking of the situation just moments ago, when there had been no one at all, the fact that she had no guests of her own was no problem at all.
But that problem, too, was soon resolved.
A crowd of guests came rushing over to congratulate her. They were none other than Ghost Shadow Team Two, led by Seo Jin.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Lady Dan!”
When Seo Jin offered congratulations on behalf of them all, Danyeon stepped forward and introduced her to her older sister.
“She is the team leader of Ghost Shadow Team Two, the team I belong to.”
Dana bowed respectfully.
“My younger sister still lacks in many ways. Please guide her well from now on.”
“Yeon is already doing well. Please don’t worry.”
The other team members stepped forward and congratulated her.
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
“I am in the same team as Danyeon. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
It was not just one or two people. Almost every team member had come to congratulate her, and Dana was deeply moved.
Dana felt relieved. It was the moment the worries that had kept her from sleeping all night disappeared. This much congratulations was enough. No, it was more than enough.
They were not the only guests today.
Various unit leaders and squad leaders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came to congratulate Seo Daeryong. Given the nature of the Yellow Springs Pavilion, it did not have good relations with other organizations, yet many people had nevertheless come to congratulate him.
It was thanks to Seo Daeryong’s fair handling of affairs in ordinary times. There were many who disliked him, but there were also many who highly valued the way he did his work.
At that moment, the warriors parted all at once, forming a path.
There stood the Demon Exalt who had arrived first. The one who seemed as though he would come latest, yet had unexpectedly come first, was none other than the Vicious Little Demon.
Wearing a white mask, he led several Faceless Guests and walked over to Seo Daeryong.
The Vicious Little Demon congratulated Seo Daeryong.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you very much. I did not think you would come personally, Little Demon.”
No matter that he held the position of Pavilion Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion, he had not dared invite the Demon Exalts.
“Blade Demon invited me.”
In truth, even if the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had not invited him, the Vicious Little Demon would have attended. Seo Daeryong was Geom Mugeuk’s right-hand man, after all.
At that moment, Sipchilgyo, who stood behind Chai Ran, searched among the Faceless Guests behind the Vicious Little Demon to see whether the crescent-moon Faceless Guest was there. To her surprise, he was.
Just as she had, he too seemed to have made an effort to be part of this escort. Their gazes met in midair. Meeting not anywhere else but at a wedding ceremony made it a truly meaningful encounter.
He was not the only Demon Exalt in attendance.
The Drunken Demon and the One Flower Sword Exalt appeared there together.
Seo Daeryong was startled by their unexpected visit.
The Drunken Demon handed Seo Daeryong wine as a gift and congratulated him.
“It is a sweet fruit wine. If you later come to need strong liquor, come find me.”
The Drunken Demon called out loudly to Geom Mugeuk,
“I brought good wine for the celebration today!”
When Geom Mugeuk looked where he was looking, one of the Three Great Drunkards, Yeo Bin, was standing there with entire crates of wine stacked beside him.
Geom Mugeuk could feel it. In the time they had not seen each other, the Drunken Demon had become even freer.
Geom Mugeuk looked around at the Demon Exalts and said,
“Today, we drink all night! No one should think of going home today!”
The One Flower Sword Exalt had also brought a gift. However, the person who delivered it was not Seo Daeryong, but Danyeon.
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you, Sword Exalt.”
After coming to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Dana had once learned swordsmanship from the One Flower Sword Exalt. Though she had not formally become her disciple, in her heart, she regarded the One Flower Sword Exalt as her master.
She had desperately wanted to invite her, but had not dared invite a Demon Exalt; and yet the One Flower Sword Exalt had come like this.
The One Flower Sword Exalt gave her a potted flower as a gift. It was a flower she cherished even among the flowers she raised.
“It may seem as if flowers bloom on their own, but they take a great deal of care. They need sunlight, they need wind, and they must be repotted as well. Perhaps married life is the same, wouldn’t you say?”
Dana understood what meaning lay behind the gift.
“I will raise both well, Sword Exalt.”
Seo Daeryong, watching from the side, wanted to shout this:
The potted flower in my office—I still haven’t killed it and am raising it well!
To him, who had been thinking of such jokes, the One Flower Sword Exalt said,
“You are truly a fortunate man.”
At first, he thought she was speaking of Dana.
But now, those words were about someone else.
The One Flower Sword Exalt looked at someone. Seo Daeryong followed her gaze.
There stood the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
He was smiling brightly as he received the guests.
“!”
The instant he saw that sight, a powerful emotion rang through Seo Daeryong’s heart.
The One Flower Sword Exalt said as if surprised,
“It is my first time seeing such a face on him as well.”
His master, who never smiled in ordinary times, was beaming as he welcomed the guests.
At Demon Exalts, at unit leaders and squad leaders. He even smiled at ordinary warriors.
He was thanking them for coming. He was telling them to sit over there. They were people he normally would not have spared a single glance, yet he was telling them to be sure to eat before leaving later.
In this moment, his master was not his master.