Chapter 382. A Man with Neither Blood nor Tears.
There was no sleeping in a situation like this. Big Brother was resting on the wooden platform as well, but he must have felt more uneasy than when it had only been the Seven Killers of Yunnan here.
I kept watching the troops sunk in darkness.
Because this was how one stood guard in the first place. Big Brother’s voice came from behind me.
“Come down when you get sleepy. We’ll switch.”
I only nodded.
I had no idea when I would get sleepy. The moment I saw those troops, all my drowsiness had fled.
I heard the Seven Killers of Yunnan whispering.
“……Shall we take turns sleeping for two shichen each?”
“Shut up. You can sleep?”
“We should sleep.”
“Pathetic bastard.”
Silence continued, and when the clouds briefly vacated their place, moonlight shone on the troops. To my surprise, some had their eyes closed, while some had their eyes open, all staring at me.
Closing their eyes was their rest, and it seemed they were taking turns doing that.
Perhaps the clouds had returned, for those gazes sank back into darkness.
I spoke toward the troops.
“One night remains.”
There was no madman here who would converse with me.
It didn’t matter.
Because I was a man who said what he wanted to say.
“Here, there is only the former Left Envoy, the man called the Sword Demon, and me, but if an all-out battle breaks out tomorrow, most of you will die. That means tonight may be the last night of your lives. Of course, if your Cult Leader comes, tonight may be my last night as well. Anyone here who will die tomorrow, raise your hand. No one?”
“…….”
“Of course not. I don’t intend to die either. Still, let us both acknowledge that this may be the last night of our lives. The Cult Leader is a frightening man, so I do understand you. An undefeated man, a man without equal. Is there anyone here who became a cultist because he wanted to? No? Were you captured? Dragged here? Or was your family originally one of cultists for generations? Did you join for money? Or was your clan wiped out and you were abducted? Whatever your story, you are now facing death. Was there anyone who usually respected Big Brother? For reference, by Big Brother, I mean the Sword Demon. No one? Or can you not answer?”
“…….”
“You don’t have to answer. There probably is someone. There should be. The former Left Envoy is not a narrow-minded man. The old ghost of the former main headquarters who died by our hands once said this to Big Brother: Number Thirteen. Have you heard of Number Thirteen? Number Thirteen, of all things.”
“…….”
“Not Number One, not Number Two, not Number Six Hundred Eighty-Three. Number Thirteen. You know better than I do what it means to be called by a number in the Cult. It means he was a slave senior who was rolling around in the Cult long before you. That is why I understand you. Even a man like Big Brother passed through the days when he was called Number Thirteen, survived, survived, and survived again to become the Left Envoy, then one day changed his mind and left the Cult. While deciding to set himself against the Cult Leader, whom most people fear. An astonishing choice. That is why I call him Big Brother. Which of you can make such a choice? None of you. It is not an easy thing.”
“…….”
“For a man once called Number Thirteen to become the Left Envoy was already close to a miracle. But for someone who had become the Left Envoy to kick aside the Cult and leave? Will the new Left Envoy arrive here tomorrow? What kind of person is he? Is he as strong as the man I call Big Brother? Is he a man you respect?”
Talking alone made me thirsty.
I turned my head and looked at the Seven Killers of Yunnan.
“Bring me some liquor.”
Since the Manbak Demon Lord was lying down, the Flying Sword Ghost brought liquor and climbed up onto the wall. I looked at the liquor, then said to the Flying Sword Ghost who had brought it.
“Drink.”
The Flying Sword Ghost took a sip of the liquor and held it out to me. I received it and wet my throat.
Only then did someone’s voice drift out from the Demonic Cult’s side.
“So it is the Seven Killers of Yunnan. Why are you bastards still alive?”
The Flying Sword Ghost stared into the darkness and replied.
“We’re alive because we’re still breathing. What kind of dogshit question is that?”
As soon as the Flying Sword Ghost spat those words out, he went down from the wall. The Flying Sword Ghost muttered like this.
“What do you mean, why aren’t we dead?”
I thought these people were about to start arguing, so I mediated in advance.
“All of you shut up. I will explain why the Seven Killers of Yunnan are alive. Big Brother didn’t want to eat my food, so I tried to make them cook and clean, and in the process, they ended up not being killed. What does that mean? It means Big Brother’s palate is rather refined. It is absolutely not because I cannot cook. I’m a former waiter, so there is no way I cannot cook. A master of chicken-head noodles so good that two people could eat it and not notice if one of them died—that is me.”
This was the first time even for me that so many people had no reaction whatsoever.
I ordered the Seven Killers of Yunnan.
“Make the lights brighter.”
As the grumbling fellows moved, Zaha Inn became even brighter. I asked the troops.
“Who is in charge?”
“Why do you ask?”
It was the voice of the man who had identified himself earlier as the Golden Tiger Unit Leader. I asked what I was curious about.
“Is the Cult Leader coming too?”
“It is Cult Leader-nim.”
“So is he coming? Why is there no answer? Golden Tiger Unit Leader, someone like you, after time passed and he gained enlightenment, felt that the Cult was not a normal place and left—that person is the former Left Envoy.”
Something flashed in the darkness, and a dagger flew before my eyes. I caught it with a hand infused with ice arts, then looked at the troops.
I raised my right hand, then returned it precisely to the place it had flown from.
With a swish, the dagger flew, and at the same time, the sound of a sword being drawn rang out. When the half-drawn blade knocked the dagger away, a cultist toppled over with a thud.
The fact that there was not even a short scream made it feel all the more pitiful.
Even so, the troops were not shaken.
“It’s a little ambiguous whether I killed him or the Golden Tiger Unit Leader did.”
“…….”
“Let’s say we killed him together. At this point, I have no choice but to force myself to guess the Cult Leader’s intentions. In any case, unless the Cult Leader appears in person, you cannot kill Big Brother and me or take the sword. It simply means he is telling you all to die. Having many troops is useless. It will be the same even if the new Left Envoy has a lot of money and hires many assassins. To begin with, Big Brother became Left Envoy because he was superior to you. The Right Envoy, who at least possessed similar martial prowess, has also now left the Cult. As for the ghosts who were variables, we beat most of them to death. You are standing on a cliff. When day breaks, jump down and kill yourselves. That is what your Cult Leader wants. It seems he hates all those who have learned martial arts. He has set the board so that both enemies and allies die.”
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader opened his mouth.
“Group Nine, rise.”
The sound of cloth brushing rang out, and dozens of people stood up at once.
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader’s order fell.
“Rip the Sect Leader’s mouth apart.”
Before Group Nine could move, I estimated the positions of the standing men’s necks, and at the same time as I drew my sword, I infused it with the qi of the Flame Realm. Sword qi extending from the blade of the wooden sword, drawn while bursting with flames, stretched out in a straight line.
Thud!
The sound of blood bursting overlapped with the dull sound of heads falling.
In any case, most of Group Nine did not move. However, there must have been some still alive because they had not been within the left and right breadth of the sword qi. Just then, as the moonlight grew a little brighter, I could see that only those who still had heads were standing stiffly.
I said to the Golden Tiger Unit Leader.
“Since things have come this far, I expected countless deaths. But if your skills are so outstanding, then you ought to be the first to challenge me. Is that not the duty of a leader, whether of the Demonic Cult, an army, or some pathetic neighborhood rabble? Surely you don’t truly believe your subordinate can tear my mouth open? Golden Tiger Unit Leader, don’t get your men killed over your mood.”
“…….”
“This is a matter for the Cult Leader, me, and Eldest Brother to resolve. Perhaps it is also something that can be discussed to some extent with the new Left Envoy arriving tomorrow. So keep your mouth shut and spend the last night of your life quietly.”
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader gave no answer.
I made the Golden Tiger Unit Leader an offer.
“Of course, there is no chance you will withdraw, but even if you do, I will not pursue you. Because I know you are no match for me. Has anyone here heard of my ultimate technique?”
Once again, I was the only one who raised a hand.
“No one, right? Even if there is, there isn’t. Anyway. If you refuse my offer to spend the night quietly one more time, I will show you the rumored Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven myself.”
I raised one finger.
“When I fight the Cult Leader, I may not even have the leisure to use Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven, but if I do use it, I guarantee even your Cult Leader will avoid it first. Why? Because it is Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven.”
Eldest Brother cut in.
“Third Brother.”
“What?”
“Rest.”
I looked at Eldest Brother.
“Why?”
Eldest Brother approached me and said,
“Because if you keep prattling on by yourself like that, you seem likely to use Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven. If that goes off, even I will have to dodge it, so it would be better for you to rest.”
“Mm.”
The moment I thought Eldest Brother was right, I sprang up from the wall and landed on the wooden platform in one motion. As if we were changing shifts on guard duty, Eldest Brother rose into the air, stepped onto the wall, and sat cross-legged.
Strangely enough, once Eldest Brother appeared on the wall, the entire area grew even quieter.
After all, the former Left Envoy was looking at his old subordinates.
I lay at an angle on the wooden platform, keeping watch over the Seven Killers of Yunnan while also looking at Eldest Brother’s back as he sat cross-legged.
Amid the silence, Eldest Brother opened his mouth.
“Golden Tiger Unit Leader.”
“Speak.”
“Has your elbow fully healed? As I recall, it was pierced by a dagger, then recovered.”
“It is fine now.”
“Compared to before?”
“It can’t help but be more inconvenient than before.”
“Did that Wei fellow become the Left Envoy?”
“He did.”
“Why did you not stop it?”
“It was not an area I could carelessly involve myself in.”
“Do you understand why the Cult Leader keeps sending troops after me?”
“I merely carry out orders. There is no need to understand.”
Eldest Brother asked again.
“Do you know why I left the Cult?”
“I do not even wish to know.”
“You know nothing of this and nothing of that. Should you not at least know the reason you are going to die?”
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader answered.
“Is that not what it means to be a cultist? Just as you were in the past.”
“That is indeed what it means to be a cultist.”
I looked at the Manbak Demon Lord, who still could not get up, then asked Sixth Killer.
“……Is the Manbak Demon Lord dead?”
“He is still alive.”
“The way I see it, he just doesn’t want to take his turn on guard duty, so he’s sleeping like that. Listen to his breathing. He’s not unconscious. He’s asleep.”
Sixth Killer looked at the Manbak Demon Lord.
“Surely not…….”
I shook my head.
“That is absolutely not the sound of someone breathing in his sleep.”
The Manbak Demon Lord frowned, sat up, and asked his younger brothers,
“……What is going on?”
The Flying Sword Ghost grabbed the Manbak Demon Lord by the shoulder and laid him back down.
“Just sleep.”
“Understood.”
The Manbak Demon Lord let out a long sigh, then closed his eyes again.
Eldest Brother asked the Golden Tiger Unit Leader,
“Has the successor to the Right Envoy also been decided?”
“It has.”
“Who is it?”
“The Blade Demon of the Inner Hall fought the Iron-Masked Cultivator, who came forward as the representative of the Outer Hall.”
“Who died?”
“The Blade Demon died.”
“Who is this Iron-Masked Cultivator?”
“He is an expert whose identity was vouched for by the new Left Envoy, so he seems to be a guest-retainer of the Myeongcheon Wi Family or one of their people.”
Eldest Brother snorted.
“A guest-retainer taking the position of Right Envoy…….”
“However, the Iron-Masked Cultivator also suffered a grave injury, losing an arm, and refused the position of Right Envoy. The War Demon stepped forward again from the Inner Hall, and from the Outer Hall came the Pagoda King, said to be the Iron-Masked Cultivator’s senior martial brother.”
“And?”
“The Pagoda King took the position of Right Envoy.”
“Did the War Demon die as well?”
“It is the law that one who challenges for the seat of Left or Right Envoy and is defeated must die. He was still breathing, but he struck his own heavenly spirit point and took his life.”
“In the end, are you not saying that the Myeongcheon Wi Family has taken both the Left and Right Envoy positions?”
“That is so. Listen, Sword Demon.”
“What is it?”
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader spoke in an incredulous tone.
“Do you still have lingering attachment to the Cult?”
It was a rather aggressive question, but Eldest Brother answered calmly.
“Golden Tiger Unit Leader, the Blade Demon and the War Demon were men I knew. Whether I am in the Cult or not, if people I knew are defeated by experts whose epithets or rumors I had never even heard of, it is only natural for me to feel bitter.”
“You feel sorry? What a remarkable change.”
“…….”
“Were you not the very model of a man without blood or tears even within the Cult? After keeping company with the Hao Sect Master, it seems you have come to possess something like compassion, like some swordsman of the righteous path. In the end, it seems you wanted to act human. The epithet Sword Demon has become wasted on you. In particular, the Blade Demon and War Demon who died before you would find it pathetic. When the Cult Leader comes and you die, apologize to the two of them in the next world. Tell them you died after acting disgracefully.”
I had been listening to the two of them converse…….
Now that I thought about it, the Golden Tiger Unit Leader was the first man ever to hurl such harsh words at Eldest Brother.
I looked at Eldest Brother.
I could not tell whether he was silent out of anger, or whether he had simply let the words pass by.
Eldest Brother said to the Golden Tiger Unit Leader,
“You go ahead and give them my regards first. I will come a little later. And Golden Tiger Unit Leader, was I a man without blood or tears in the Cult?”
The Golden Tiger Unit Leader answered.
“Is that supposed to be a question? Anyone could see that was the kind of man you were. The only man the Right Envoy found difficult to deal with was you.”
I was looking at Eldest Brother’s profile, and when he smiled, the corners of his mouth lifted.
Eldest Brother watched the Demonic Cult’s forces and spoke in a calm tone.
“In truth, I am still the same now. A man without blood or tears—that is who I am.”
“Good grief……”
An exclamation escaped me before I knew it. His tone was so solemn that it felt strange, but when I thought about it, this was the Sword Demon’s joke. In other words, it was also one of Eldest Brother’s precious jokes, the kind that was rather hard to hear.
Of course, it wasn’t particularly funny, so I didn’t laugh.