Chapter 31 - You're the Madman

My cup stopped dead in midair on its way to my lips.

He wanted me to become his water? Surely not?

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to become my man.”

I hadn't expected this from the Saber Demon. He was publicly known to support my older brother. Yet now he was abandoning my brother and choosing me? This was easily the most unexpected moment since I had met the Blood Heaven Saber Demon.

“Second Young Master.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to become the Heavenly Demon?”

“I do.”

I answered without hesitation.

“Then drink that wine. I'll be your backer.”

“But don't you support my brother, sir?”

“That was a choice I made before I knew what a madman you were.”

“First I'm a dragon, now I'm a madman. I'm certainly keeping busy.”

You're the madman.

I had killed his younger brother, crippled his disciple, and imprisoned his subordinate. Yet this old man was offering to back me. He was the sort who would sell anything to further his ambitions.

“I killed your younger brother.”

“Once you leave your parents' embrace, you're strangers. The death of your own flesh and blood brings gut-wrenching agony? Don't make me laugh. A splinter beneath one's own fingernail hurts more.”

This old man meant every word he was saying.

“I never formally joined hands with the First Young Master anyway... and even if I had, a man can always change his mind.”

“Having you at my side would be like gaining an army of thousands. However...”

“Why hesitate?”

“I'm not sure I can trust you. You might abandon me just as you're abandoning my brother now.”

“If the circumstances call for it, then I must. Do you think I'm doing this because I trust you? I've never trusted anyone in my life.”

“Then why have you chosen me?”

“Because the madness with which you push ahead so fearlessly seems worth staking my fate on.”

“So ultimately, you chose me because I'm a madman.”

“Use that madness to devour them all.”

Had I truly been a young man of this age, I might have been so flattered at being chosen that I believed everything the Blood Heaven Saber Demon said.

But I knew all too well the underhanded tricks old men used to exploit the young.

Do you want to become the Heavenly Demon?

His earlier question was one such trick. It fostered the illusion that taking his hand would make me the Heavenly Demon.

The question he asked now carried the same intent.

“If you became the Heavenly Demon, what sort would you be?”

“At the very least, in the Cult I rule, no Demon Supreme will be able to pressure the Pavilion Master of Yellow Springs Pavilion.”

“Hahaha. My judgment was right after all.”

That sly manner of his, never betraying his displeasure no matter how foul his mood, was another part of it.

All of it was the old man's masterful attempt to cloud my judgment at this moment.

For now, I politely declined. In the push and pull of human relationships, letting yourself be pulled in at the first tug made you uninteresting prey.

“I'm grateful that you think so highly of me, but right now, I believe I should attend to my duties. What would Father think? Wouldn't he say he entrusted me with an important post, only for me to neglect my work and play politics?”

“Hiding behind the Cult Leader. Is that truly a wise choice?”

“What do you mean?”

“Pavilion Master of Yellow Springs Pavilion? What happens if you do that job well? What if the Cult Leader keeps you in that position? Do you intend to rot there for the rest of your life? Your current work is merely a step along the way. There is only ever one choice you must make: which fork to take on the road to becoming his successor—or not. The moment you lose sight of that, you'll lose your way and wander through the grand-sounding forest called Yellow Springs Pavilion.”

He brought Father into it to finish his pitch.

“On the contrary, the Cult Leader will take notice of you joining hands with me. The mere fact that I've chosen you will increase your standing and draw everyone's attention.”

But there was one thing the Blood Heaven Saber Demon had overlooked.

The determination to restore discipline within the Cult. It wasn't merely my own resolve; Father's wishes were part of it as well.

“Please give me time to think. I'll drink this wine once I've made my decision.”

I set my cup back down.

Despite my postponing the decision, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon smiled in satisfaction.

“That's right. Naturally, you should. You mustn't drink like an idiot just because someone tells you to.”

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon rose and pulled out the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber planted behind him.

Using the momentum of drawing it from the ground, he swung it at me.

Rather than dodge, I drew the Black Demon Sword and blocked the incoming attack.

CLANG!

An explosive metallic crash rang out. From beyond our crossed sword and saber, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon spoke.

“I'll hear your answer tomorrow.”

“I'll give it to you in five days.”

For a moment, we glared at one another in a taut contest of wills.

“See you in three days.”

Without waiting for an answer, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon shot into the sky and vanished beyond the wall. His movement technique was astonishingly swift, without a single wasted motion.

I sheathed the Black Demon Sword and rolled my wrist.

“Damn old bastard. That hurts like hell.”

He hadn't put everything into the attack, but the internal power behind the incoming saber had been formidable enough to leave my wrist throbbing.

'This old man secretly enjoys hurting people.'

He was making sure I knew his martial arts were superior. One could dismiss it as an old man's pride or a nasty pastime, but I believed the Blood Heaven Saber Demon's behavior had a clear purpose.

He would jab someone's ribs repeatedly until deep bruises formed, or inflict pain like today's, leaving their arm numb and aching for days.

That pain planted unconscious fear in the other person. And such physical violence did a great deal to help him manipulate them as he pleased.

The more I dealt with him, the more I realized this old man was no easy opponent. I also understood why Father had put me forward to perform this sword dance.

There wasn't just one being like the Blood Heaven Saber Demon, but eight. If they stood united under the name of the Eight Demon Supremes, even Father would have trouble dealing with them. They gossiped, talked behind each other's backs, and squabbled endlessly among themselves, but when facing Heavenly Demon Hall, they were of one mind.

Besides, they were the Cult's main fighting strength. If we wiped them out simply because we disliked them, the Orthodox Martial Alliance or the Unorthodox Alliance would invade at once.

'You like me because I'm a madman? You can only say that because you don't know how far my madness can go.'

Before going into my quarters, I stopped briefly at Yi An's private training ground.

She was so absorbed in training that she didn't even notice my arrival. As I'd instructed, she was working on her basic physical conditioning.

Though she was panting so hard she could barely breathe, she gritted her teeth and kept at it.

'Why you, you ask?'

Because when I give an order, you become a stubborn, lumbering bear. You're not normally like that, but you're willing to become one for my sake.

After watching her train for a while, I returned to my room.

I brought some wine and sat by the window to relax.

Thinking of Hwa Mugi, I couldn't afford to rest for even a quarter hour. Still, I wasn't going to do nothing but charge straight ahead. If I lost the leisure to look around me, I would inevitably miss something.

And so, with the radiant moon as my accompaniment, I enjoyed a few cups of wine for the first time in a while.

I thought of Father, of the Blood Heaven Saber Demon, and of the other Demon Supremes. I also thought about my life after killing Hwa Mugi.

* * *

Even the next day, Yang Tae remained defiant.

“Hmph! Pavilion Master, you've picked on the wrong man. Don't you know that touching me is the same as touching the entire Southern Saber Sect?”

He would threaten me like this, invoking the Blood Heaven Saber Demon, then try to coax me instead.

“If you simply release me, I'll consider this never to have happened. I'll speak to the Demon Supreme myself and make sure his anger brings you no harm.”

He had never faced such desperate circumstances in his life. According to his records, his career had been an unbroken rise from Saber Fiend to Ten-Saber Fiend to Hundred-Saber Fiend. He had never suffered hardship, and no one had ever challenged the way he lived.

So he had no idea how to conduct himself now. Rather than apologize sincerely and seek forgiveness, he merely resorted to coaxing and threats, the same methods he had used all his life.

Unlike yesterday, I treated Yang Tae calmly.

“Warrior Yang. Have a seat. Today, the Southern Saber Sect officially announced its displeasure over this incident.”

Yang Tae was beside himself with joy.

“I told you. The Demon Supreme would never abandon me. Now, release me.”

His expression softened at the thought that he would soon be free.

“Let's forget everything that's happened between us.”

He acted as though he were granting me forgiveness. I asked calmly,

“Do you know why I'm treating you politely right now?”

“Because you want to end this on good terms, of course.”

“No. Because this is the last day I'll see you.”

“Isn't that the same thing? Once I leave, we'll have no reason to see each other again.”

Yang Tae's face brimmed with joy. It was time to give that face the expression it truly ought to wear.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

“Mistaken?”

“The Southern Saber Sect expressed its displeasure not with us, but with you. With you for tarnishing its honor.”

“... What?”

“It also formally apologized for one of its martial artists causing such a disgraceful incident. It apologized to the victim and promised compensation, too. And it pledged to ensure this never happens again.”

“What sort of... bullshit is that? The Southern Saber Sect has never formally apologized for something like this. No matter what happened.”

Yang Tae's voice was trembling.

“You must be honored to have brought about such a change in the Southern Saber Sect.”

“Stop lying!”

“Well, then. I hope you enjoy your time in prison.”

I rose. Only then did Yang Tae start shouting and raging. I told them to leave him be. Today would be the last of that bullshit, too.

But he would have to answer for his conduct—for never showing sincere remorse even once, right to the end.

I gave instructions to Seo Daeryong, who was waiting outside the door.

“Contact the prison and have him sent to the harshest section.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even the comfortable sections of the Cult's prison were hell. People didn't say it was better to be beheaded than imprisoned for no reason. With his temperament, he wouldn't be able to endure prison. Neither would his son.

I felt no pity for them.

Had I not intervened, they would have lived in wealth and power for the rest of their lives, while their victims, Gwak Su and his family, would have led miserable lives. There must have been other Gwak Sus before him whom I knew nothing about, and more would have continued to appear in the future.

The rest of investigator Jong Hwa's life would also have been utterly ruined by the threats he had received.

So I felt not the slightest pity or regret.

“What on earth happened?”

“With what?”

“Why did the Southern Saber Sect issue an apology? There's never been a precedent for this.”

“Go ask them why.”

“I would if I could. With the mood they're in now, I probably wouldn't walk out if I went there.”

“No. Right now, you could dance in the Southern Saber Sect's training grounds and still walk out unharmed.”

Leaving the bewildered Seo Daeryong behind, I strode down the corridor and added,

“For the next two days, anyway.”