Chapter 183. Previous-Life Villains’ Association
Baekeungji’s Cheonpung Inn.
After I ordered a heap of food and looked out over the street, Master Yukhap asked,
“Why did you order so much?”
“The food’s good here. Let’s first settle our stomachs with rock-sugar noodles, then have tofu topped with chili, dumplings, and some tangcho licheok as a drinking snack while we take a cup of Dukang wine.”
Master Yukhap replied,
“Do we not need to return at once?”
“Yukhap, have you ever lived this pathetically in your life?”
“I can say with certainty that I have not.”
“Then take this opportunity to experience it.”
I chewed on dried snacks while watching the street.
“A person… needs to live pathetically once in a while.”
Master Yukhap let out a sigh.
“You must have been terribly pathetic in the past. This suits you very well.”
“Of course. I’m the most pathetic man in the world.”
I had been about to return to Haomun, but I changed direction and arrived at Baekeungji. On the way, I discussed martial arts with Master Yukhap and often listened to his theories on the sword curtain in particular.
Of course, I was not the only one learning.
I taught Master Yukhap methods for breaking a sword curtain during combat or turning it against its user.
Thus, since the most important thing on our journey was to raise our level of martial learning by any means, there was no real difference between returning to Haomun and coming to Baekeungji to have a drink.
While eating noodles with Master Yukhap, I glanced out at the street now and then. Master Yukhap seemed to notice as well, for he asked me while eating his noodles,
“Are you looking for someone? Someone to kill?”
After drinking some broth, I answered,
“Not someone to kill.”
“Who on earth is it, then?”
I pointed at the people moving about the street and said,
“What do you think of the atmosphere here?”
Master Yukhap spoke as though slightly uncomfortable.
“There are quite a few people of the martial world. Most of them look as though they belong to righteous sects or clans. Well, Baekeungji has always been that sort of place.”
“There’s someone here you might call a rising talent. Among them, he’s the strongest.”
“And?”
“He’s probably stronger than you.”
Master Yukhap snorted as he replied,
“Listen, Sect Leader.”
“What?”
“The fact that I lost to you is already absurd enough. If he is a rising talent, then in any case, is he not around your age?”
“About the same.”
Master Yukhap asked me with a serious expression,
“And you say he is stronger than me? That cannot be.”
While eating tofu, I answered,
“Why not? Is there some law saying a young man can’t defeat you? The Grand Dukes of the Demon Cult are probably only a little older than me, or about the same age. I doubt all of them are weaker than you.”
“They are special cases.”
“What use is being special? If you fight the demonic path and lose, there’s only death.”
“Is that so?”
After drinking some Dukang wine, I said,
“When someone fights the righteous path, resentment remains. When those of the black path fight one another, the one who wins has a habit of trying to take the loser as a subordinate. But the demonic path generally leaves you no choice. One side simply dies. Or becomes a slave.”
“What about you?”
“Sometimes resentment remains, sometimes I take them as subordinates, and sometimes I kill them.”
Master Yukhap looked at me while drinking.
“You just do everything, then. How impressive. Truly.”
I burst into laughter out of nowhere and cackled for quite a while, my shoulders shaking. When I could not stop laughing, Master Yukhap must have found it funny too, for he laughed a few times along with me.
“Stop fucking laughing already. Are you mad? Everyone’s looking.”
As soon as the liquor went to my head, I wrapped an ice curtain around my right hand. When a white chill filled my palm and formed into the shape of a thin disc, Master Yukhap spoke urgently.
“Don’t. Please. Must you insist on training while drinking?”
“It’s become a habit.”
“But why do you keep struggling to manifest the ice curtain so thinly?”
“Speed.”
“Speed?”
“I’m practicing deploying it quickly.”
“I see.”
“It also seems useful when catching hidden weapons or swords. It’s a martial art with a lot to study.”
After we finished the food and I was about to slowly head for the Sword Demon’s residence, I heard a familiar voice.
“What are you doing here?”
When I turned my head, the Pervert Demon bastard, whom I had not seen in a long time, was walking over. The Pervert Demon narrowed his brow and said,
“I wondered what madman kept laughing so loudly, and it turns out that madman was this madman.”
He seemed to have been nearby.
As soon as I met the Pervert Demon, I was hit with a three-hit combo of “madman,” then pointed to an empty seat.
“Sit.”
As soon as the Pervert Demon sat down, I introduced the two of them.
“This is Master Yukhap. This is Mongrang, the second son of the Pungun Mong Clan.”
After introducing the bastards who belonged to the Previous-Life Villains’ Association, I watched the two of them.
Master Yukhap said to the Pervert Demon,
“A pleasure.”
The Pervert Demon swept a sidelong glance over Master Yukhap, then answered in a curt tone,
“Likewise.”
I crossed my arms and fell into serious thought.
How could I get to watch these two bastards fight? After pondering with the most serious attitude in the world, I picked up the Dukang wine for now.
“It’s been a while, so have a cup.”
The Pervert Demon took hold of the cup and said in an uneasy tone,
“…There isn’t any of that in it, is there?”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Since he was talking about laxatives, I poured the wine with an expressionless face. After pouring wine into Master Yukhap’s empty cup as well, I said,
“Now, let’s drink.”
The three of us drank a cup while observing one another with attitudes that were not the least bit welcoming. Everyone had quite a foul temper and was highly wary, so the drinking party was wonderfully stiff.
The Pervert Demon asked me,
“What brings you all the way here?”
While picking up and eating the tangcho licheok, I answered,
“I heard earlier that Senior Heo’s health had worsened, so I went to see him, but your master wasn’t there. So I came by to check. Is he well?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“He is almost always immersed in meditation, so I cannot disturb him.”
I studied the Pervert Demon’s expression for a moment, then nodded.
“I see.”
When I stopped speaking, Saekma and Mr. Yukhap looked at each other, then turned their heads away. It was plain as day that neither liked the other.
When I smirked slightly…….
Mr. Yukhap and Saekma spoke to me at the same time.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Why ya laughin’?”
I clicked my tongue and replied.
“But these crazy bastards make even laughing into a problem? Can’t I laugh?”
Saekma said.
“Say why you’re laughing, then laugh.”
I lightly struck the table once and spoke.
“Fine. The reason I came to Baek’eungji today was not only to meet your Master, but also to introduce the two of you. Why is that?”
“…….”
“Because among all the experts I’ve faced lately, the two of you are the most outstanding. Like a dragon and a tiger—evenly matched. Honestly, if I were told to bet money on a duel between you, I wouldn’t know whom to back.”
“…….”
Mr. Yukhap and Saekma glared at each other, then simultaneously turned to look at me.
Saekma said.
“This bastard came all the way here to start a fight?”
Mr. Yukhap also scoffed.
“Now I know why you came to Baek’eungji. Couldn’t you have said so earlier?”
I looked at the two of them with a grave expression, then withdrew with a disarming chuckle.
“It was a joke. A joke. Mongrang, ask your Master today or tomorrow, and if he says it’s fine, Mr. Yukhap and I will pay him a visit. We’ve come all this way; we ought to meet.”
Mr. Yukhap asked.
“Just who is this Master of yours?”
“You’ll know when you meet him. Still, coming to Baek’eungji like this, with Mr. Yukhap here, puts my mind greatly at ease.”
Saekma asked me.
“What’s so easy about it?”
“Your Master, me, Mr. Yukhap, and you. Even if a fairly sizable demonic force swarmed us, the four of us could handle it, no?”
Saekma nodded.
“That’s true enough.”
Saekma, who had been mulling it over, tilted his head and asked me.
“What is it? Has the Demonic Cult moved?”
“I somehow got entangled with the Third Young Master and killed quite a few of their forces.”
“The Third Young Master…….”
“You know him?”
“If anyone would know, it’s me. He’s the maternal grandson of Huan Guizi.”
Because his Master was the Sword Demon who had been in the Demonic Cult, there were few who knew the Cult’s experts better than Saekma.
I met eyes with Mr. Yukhap.
“Did we kill Huan Guizi?”
“It seems so.”
Saekma asked with a surprised expression.
“You killed Huan Guizi?”
I tilted my head.
“He was an old man who appeared after I stirred up the Third Young Master’s forces, so that must be him. Come to think of it, he died without even giving his name. Rude bastard.”
Saekma frowned.
“Don’t tell me you came here with a pursuit team on your tail.”
“Of course not. I annihilated them.”
The three of us fell silent for a moment, then drank. Even as he drank, that bastard Saekma’s head turned on its own, his eyes fixed on the backside of a passing woman.
Just then, Mr. Yukhap unexpectedly threw a remark at Saekma.
“What are you staring at so blatantly?”
Saekma cackled in reply.
“A stray cat passing by was pretty, so I looked. Why? You got a problem with that?”
Mr. Yukhap also smirked.
“Guess the stray cat was clinging to that woman’s rear, huh?”
“What concern is it of yours when you’re stuck to the shoulder of the cat that’s clinging to the woman’s rear?”
Wow, the conversation was so childish it was almost impressive; I got goosebumps on my forearms just listening.
As expected of a filthy meeting between a ghost demon and a lust demon, I suppose.
I sighed and rapped the table.
“That’s enough. I thought I’d introduce the two of you and arrange a spar, but this is unexpectedly childish. If you’re going to start a battle of tempers from the get-go, there’s no need to fight in earnest. Let’s have a match later when the chance arises.”
Saekma looked at me.
“You shut up for a bit.”
Mr. Yukhap said to me.
“Keep your mouth shut.”
When I closed my mouth, Saekma struck Mr. Yukhap’s sore spot.
“Who told you to load such ugly eyes with scorn? It’s an eyesore.”
Seeing Mr. Yukhap rise from his seat, I waved my hand downward.
“Sit. I said sit. Tsk.”
As Mr. Yukhap stood up, Saekma also rose from his seat.
I glared at Saekma.
“Sheesh, these people…….”
Saekma said to Mr. Yukhap.
“Let’s go.”
Mr. Yukhap nodded.
“Lead the way.”
The two strode off, leaving me behind at the drinking table. I placed a bit more money on the table than I’d ordered, gathered the dried snacks and two bottles of strong wine, and chased after them.
* * *
In a wide open lot, I stood with arms crossed and officiated.
“Sparring rules. No serious injuries. Single round. Weapons at your discretion. No throwing sand.”
Saekma glared at me.
“…….”
Mr. Yukhap asked me.
“Gate Leader, if they fought with palm techniques, who do you think would win?”
I answered honestly.
“Mongrang would win.”
Hearing my words, Mr. Yukhap set down a bundle containing five long swords and drew his own blade.
“It seems he is an opponent I cannot defeat by fighting half-heartedly.”
Saekma, standing with a cocky expression, snorted.
“It seems you’re tagging along after getting thrashed by Gate Leader Hao……”
As Mr. Yukhap rushed in without warning, Saekma’s figure slid backward as if gliding.
I watched the two fight with my arms crossed.
I already knew the outcome.
Saekma was an opponent Mr. Yukhap could not defeat right now. Having fought both of them myself, there was no way I wouldn’t know. Saekma’s internal energy was deeper, and his understanding of offense and defense was superior.
The martial arts of the Six Harmonies Sect were, as the Ghost Demon of my previous life had said, slow to develop.
If the Ghost Demon lost to the Lust Demon this time, I thought a fire would kindle in his heart.
I sat comfortably on the ground and watched the fight as though I were studying. I compared the ice art the Lust Demon used with my Moon Shadow Heartless Art, and watched the Six Harmonies Sword Art the Ghost Demon used in relation to the Plum Blossom Sword Art I was cultivating.
By coincidence, the fight between the two of them was...
Every single element was connected to me.
I memorized the Lust Demon’s movements and the methods he used in attack and defense, adding them one by one to the Moon Shadow Heartless Art, while carefully observing the iron-wall defensive strategy the Ghost Demon unfolded.
Strangely enough, both of them were experts who had once lost to me...
But looking at them from the perspective of a referee, I could see far too much worth learning from them.
As the fight continued, Master Six Harmonies noticed that the Lust Demon’s internal energy was deep and began responding to the ice art by putting up an iron-wall defense.
On the other hand, despite steadily raising the intensity of his ice art, the Lust Demon found his attacks blocked time and again, and his expression grew increasingly grave.
I chewed on dried snacks and drank Dukang wine as I watched the duel. Since my posture suddenly felt uncomfortable, I placed a large stone beneath my left arm and watched the duel half-reclining at an angle.
“Wow... that was close just now. Yukgap dodged well.”
“......”
“That was a hair’s breadth.”
“......”
“Fell for it again? No, guess not.”
“......”
In an instant, a thunderous roar erupted, and the two of them retreated straight back, facing each other off. Master Six Harmonies said,
“Sect Leader, if you keep running your mouth, I won’t let it slide.”
The Lust Demon warned me as well.
“Say it in your head. You’re distracting me.”
If the Ghost Demon and the Lust Demon of my previous life joined forces and came at me, I would be in trouble too, so I answered in an indifferent tone.
“Got it. Confirmed.”
After drinking some Dukang wine, I quietly watched the fight. It was turning into a far more serious battle than I had expected.