Chapter 255 - You Decide

“It worked!”

I cheered. I was truly happy—so happy that I jumped up and down on the spot.

At last, I had taken my first step in the Secret Art of Heavenly Time. The difference in time wasn't significant yet, but the fact that I had succeeded mattered.

What if I kept honing the Secret Art of Heavenly Time until I could make time pass twice as fast? I would have twice as much time to train as anyone else. Three times, four times... What would happen if I mastered the art to its utmost?

The key was internal energy. The greater the difference in time, the more internal energy it would demand.

I had to gather more internal energy and attain a higher level in the Secret Art of Heavenly Time.

It all depended on my own efforts.

* * *

The next day, I withdrew all the money I had left at the money house. I also sold all my remaining night-shining pearls.

With that money in hand, I headed to the Thousand-Poison Forest.

“My respects, young lord.”

Sang Seon came out to guide me himself that day. Apparently, he had come to pay his respects now that I was the young lord.

“You can treat me as you always have.”

“I couldn't possibly do that.”

And he wasn't the only one. Unlike before, the human poison vessels I passed along the way bowed their heads politely in greeting.

“You did a truly admirable thing by avoiding a blood feud with the First Young Master.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

We reached the Poison King's residence, and Sang Seon withdrew.

The Poison King wasn't home. When I looked around, I found him practicing his poison arts in the nearby woods.

The sight brought a smile to my lips. Two venomous snakes lay coiled beside him, watching him train. They were the snakes he had named before.

Black smoke billowed from his fingertips and took shape. Surprisingly, it formed a rabbit.

When the rabbit-shaped smoke flew forward, the snakes chased after it, looking just like puppies eagerly running after a ball their owner had thrown.

As a snake pounced on the rabbit, the black smoke vanished with a pop.

Fresh smoke rose from the Poison King's fingertips. This time, a butterfly fluttered away. Once again, the snakes slithered eagerly after it. They were incomparably faster and more agile than ordinary snakes. The smoke vanished again.

The snakes raised their heads and flicked their tongues, as though anticipating what he would send out next.

Then an enormous cloud of smoke flew from his hand. As the tiger-shaped smoke charged at the snakes, they fled into the woods in fright.

I thought he had chased them away because he'd noticed my arrival.

That wasn't it. The Poison King paced back and forth, pondering something. Even when he trained, he remained in his own little world.

Then he saw me and gave a start.

“When did you get here?”

“When the rabbit was running. Don't tell me that was real poison?”

“That would kill the little fellows.”

In other words, even these spirit snakes couldn't withstand his deadly poison.

“It's harmless stuff I use for practice. What would become of the forest if I used real poison every time I trained?”

He wasn't conserving his poison. He was protecting the Thousand-Poison Forest.

“So even you train, Poison King?”

“Didn't you say martial artists fear me the most?”

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon did it too, as did the Wicked Laughing Demon, who trained facing a wall. Each of the Demon Supremes trained in their own way. Beneath the water, a swan's feet were this busy.

The Poison King sat on a rock and wiped away his sweat as he asked,

“What brings you here?”

“I came because I missed you.”

“If you missed me, you'd have come sooner.”

“I've been busy.”

“But you had time to drink with the Drunken Demon?”

“Word has spread already? What tight-lipped people they are.”

I sat down beside him.

“How does it feel to be the young lord?”

“It's exciting. A new martial art, a new home. Everyone's polite, and I no longer have to stay on edge fighting my brother. How could it not be?”

“That's unexpected. For some reason, I thought you wouldn't be excited.”

“I like being the center of attention. Why else would I talk so much?”

In the middle of our conversation, the Poison King drifted back into his own thoughts. I couldn't tell whether he was thinking about me, the poison arts he had just performed, or the snakes that had disappeared. These moments no longer bothered me at all. It seemed I was beginning to understand his world too.

After a while, his gaze settled on the small leather pouch I was holding.

“What's that?”

I handed him the pouch full of banknotes. He checked the amount and looked startled.

“That's quite a sum.”

“Please use this money to acquire some highly poisonous elixirs for me.”

The elixirs available on the market were far too expensive. Their effects simply weren't worth their price.

Elixirs made from poisonous herbs or the spirit cores of poisonous creatures, on the other hand, were relatively cheap. That was largely because they were used only in special circumstances, or for medical treatment.

For someone immune to all poisons like me, that meant an opportunity to obtain elixirs cheaply. I already had enough internal energy, so I hadn't intended to spend money buying elixirs, but the Secret Art of Heavenly Time had changed my mind.

“Why elixirs? You already have plenty of internal energy, don't you?”

“I'm greedy when it comes to internal energy.”

After a brief pause, the Poison King asked,

“Planning to conquer the martial world?”

“Yes, I am.”

He would know perfectly well that I wasn't that sort of person.

“Give me the money. I'll kill them all for you.”

A smile came naturally to my lips.

“Just hearing that is reassuring.”

“Then I'll keep the money.”

“But elixirs are even more reassuring.”

A dragon took shape at the Poison King's fingertips. It twisted and writhed in the air before flying straight at me.

POP!

Behind the smoke that struck my face and vanished, the Poison King spoke.

“Come back in twenty days.”

He would spend the money far more economically and effectively than I could.

Of course, I didn't forget to make sure.

“Don't get distracted and forget to buy the elixirs. Look at me. Look me straight in the eye. If you forget, I won't help with your poison experiments.”

Without answering, the Poison King resumed his training.

When I looked back from a distance, crows were flying in every direction this time. Watching the black smoke burst all around him, I wondered what would happen if that were real poison. No wonder everyone feared him the most.

* * *

I divided up my training time again.

Half went to the Secret Art of Heavenly Time, forty percent to the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, and the remaining ten percent alternated between the Heavenly Demon’s Body-Protection Art and the Fist Demon's fist art.

My core martial art was important, but the arts that supported it were just as vital. The Wind God's Four Steps would work in harmony with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. In a crisis when my sword left my hand, the Thunderbolt Asura Fist would protect me, and at the final moment, so would the Heavenly Demon’s Body-Protection Art. What mattered was the balance between these arts.

Ten days had already passed since I began training in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art in earnest.

My body had grown fairly accustomed to its mental cultivation method. The amount of innate true qi I accumulated through it was incomparable to my previous method, and it restored spent internal energy much faster as well.

After training, I was sitting by the window with a cup of tea when word came that I was wanted at Heavenly Demon Hall.

* * *

When I arrived at Heavenly Demon Hall, Father and Sima Myeong were waiting together.

Whenever Sima Myeong was there, it meant an assignment.

I slowly walked into the tense atmosphere.

After greeting them both, I spoke with confidence.

“Has the time finally come to show the world this handsome face I inherited from you, Father?”

The corners of Father's mouth lifted slightly.

“You never tire of your banter.”

“I might as well try to be funny. No matter how serious the world gets, we should live with a smile. Where am I going? I'll take care of everything.”

Sima Myeong smiled and replied,

“I'm afraid your handsome face will have to wait for another opportunity, young lord. We summoned you today for a different reason.”

The reason they had called me was something I hadn't considered at all.

“Now that you are the young lord, I believe you should step down as master of Yellow Springs Pavilion, and we should select a replacement.”

Lately, I had entrusted most of the pavilion master's duties to Seo Daeryong. I had been terribly busy. And I had another intention as well.

“Who do you have in mind as the new pavilion master?”

At my question, Sima Myeong looked at Father.

Father gave an unexpected answer.

“You decide.”

I was stunned. I truly hadn't expected him to tell me to choose the next master of Yellow Springs Pavilion.

“Now that you're the young lord, you ought to have that much authority.”

His words moved me deeply. He wasn't looking at me as my father now. The Heavenly Demon was looking at his successor. The cult leader was looking at his young lord.

And my choice for the master of Yellow Springs Pavilion was firm.

“I can't speak for other positions, but Yellow Springs Pavilion is the most important organization for maintaining discipline in the Cult. The right person must hold that office.”

And so, the person I recommended was none other than—

“I would like to appoint Seo Daeryong, special investigator of Yellow Springs Pavilion, as its next master.”

Neither Father nor Sima Myeong seemed particularly surprised, as though they had expected it to some extent.

“He's good at his job. He has a strong sense of responsibility. He even has excellent backing, as the Blood Heaven Saber Demon's chief disciple. Oh, that's right. He also entered Yellow Springs Pavilion at the top of his class.”

Sima Myeong cautiously interjected.

“As you say, Investigator Seo is a fine man. However, I feel he still lacks the experience to take charge of the pavilion.”

“His lack of experience won't be much of an issue within Yellow Springs Pavilion itself. He's demonstrated more than enough ability while handling my duties.”

That was also why I had entrusted my work to Seo Daeryong: to show that he was fully capable of serving as pavilion master.

“For the head of an organization, character matters more than experience. Look at the Demon Army before and after. Didn't it become a completely different organization once Jang Ho took command?”

Neither Father nor Sima Myeong could deny that. With all sincerity, I declared firmly to them both,

“I recommend Seo Daeryong! I'll vouch for him.”

Father, who had been quietly looking down at me, spoke.

“Don't go vouching for people lightly.”

Even as the Heavenly Demon, Father was still my father.

* * *

That afternoon, Seo Daeryong came to see me in the middle of training. He was visibly flushed with excitement.

“I've just come from Heavenly Demon Hall.”

Apparently, Father and Sima Myeong had felt the need to interview him in person.

“I thought I was going to faint. I still can't breathe properly.”

He staggered over to a wooden training dummy in the corner and leaned against it.

“The chief strategist told me you recommended me as the next master of Yellow Springs Pavilion, young lord.”

He clutched his head.

“Me, a pavilion master? And the master of Yellow Springs Pavilion, at that! Ah, just thinking about it again makes it hard to breathe.”

He was gasping as though he had just fought his way through an all-encompassing net.

“If it's that hard on you, you don't have to do it. You can do it another time.”

“Right? That's right. No. No, it isn't. When will an opportunity like this ever come again? Ah! Me, a pavilion master!”

He wandered back and forth around the training ground like a madman. Then he tripped over a weapon standing nearby and fell, remaining seated on the floor with his head hanging low.

“So you told them you couldn't do it?”

He took something from inside his clothes. With his back turned, I couldn't make out what it was.

“What's that?”

“The new second-in-command.”

“What do you mean?”

“Until now, the second-in-command in the Yellow Springs Pavilion office was the potted plant the Single Flower Sword Supreme brought as a gift. Now this is the new second-in-command.”

He got up, walked over, and held out the object in his hand. It was an identification plaque, an ornate one engraved with the emblem of Heavenly Demon Hall. Written on it in bold strokes was his title:

Master of Yellow Springs Pavilion.

“They said the formal appointment ceremony will be held later.”

Seo Daeryong had been appointed master of Yellow Springs Pavilion. Father and Sima Myeong had honored my first decision as young lord.

His eyes trembled as he looked at me.

“Who am I to refuse? You're backing me, even vouching for me. Who am I to turn it down? I declared that I'd work hard and give my life to the job. I don't really remember what happened after that. I don't even know how I got out of Heavenly Demon Hall. Ah! Did I properly pay my respects to the cult leader before I left? When I came to my senses outside, this plaque was in my hand.”

I pulled him into a firm embrace.

“Congratulations, my right-hand man. Congratulations, Master of Yellow Springs Pavilion.”

His face was filled with emotion as he looked at me. A mere investigator had become the Blood Heaven Saber Demon's chief disciple, and now the master of Yellow Springs Pavilion. I could hardly presume to imagine how he felt.

“Someday, when you're facing an enemy who makes you tremble, you might resent me. You'll say, ‘Why couldn't you let me live as an ordinary investigator?’”

“You'll listen to my complaints, won't you?”

“As many as you like.”

“Then I'll give it a try.”

“Learning martial arts while serving as pavilion master will be even harder. Still, work your ass off. When you're older, even if you want to work that hard, your body won't keep up.”

“You sound as though you've experienced it yourself.”

“I'm the young lord who knows everything, aren't I?”

We looked at each other and laughed happily.

“Now I have another story to tell my grandson.”

“I didn't recommend you for your sake, or mine.”

“Then why?”

“For the people Yellow Springs Pavilion will protect under your leadership. Those who have to live with injustice simply because they have no power.”

His eyes shone. The gloomy, drab man he had once been was gone. All that remained was the man he was now, who seemed capable of handling anything I entrusted to him.

Looking at me with fervent eyes, he grinned.

“Did you know? The second-in-command I've been growing—no, the third-in-command now—has even borne fruit.”

Yes, Daeryong. Nurture Yellow Springs Pavilion just as well as that plant.

* * *

On the day I had arranged to meet the Poison King, I headed to the Thousand-Poison Forest full of anticipation.

In the meantime, I had devoted myself to martial arts training. All I did was eat and train. Sleep and train, eat and train. I slept soundly in my new bed, and each day I cooked one of my meals myself. Sometimes I brought the guards over to eat with me.

Then I trained all day. I worked hard as though this were my last chance to train. At the very least, if I failed, it mustn't be because I hadn't tried hard enough.

“Has the Poison King been well?”

Sang Seon answered my question.

“He has been busy. This is the first time he has ever spent so long away from home.”

I couldn't help feeling guilty, and emotion welled up in me. I knew very well how much he hated going out.

We reached the Poison King's residence.

As I opened the door and stepped inside, a scent unlike the usual one assailed my nose.