Chapter 78 - They're All Lunatics

Jang Ho was not normally one to step forward. But he disliked the shackled man's insolence in daring to talk about the right-hand man's position.

He had been the first to realize that the shackled man was the reason for today's gathering.

-Perhaps that shackled man is the reason we've come here today.

He had even sent Yi An and Seo Daeryong a sound transmission to that effect.

Yi An had bravely taken action, and Seo Daeryong had followed suit. With his wealth of combat experience, Jang Ho had instinctively recognized this place as a battlefield where an invisible struggle would continue.

At Jang Ho's words, the shackled man raised his head and gazed at him. The large scar on Jang Ho's face twitched.

The shackled man said, "Why are you so fixated on being the right-hand man? If it were me, I'd be the left-hand man and watch the right-hand men fight."

"I have no taste for enjoying other people's fights. I've set my sights on becoming his right-hand man, so that's what I'll work toward."

"Spoken like a man."

"Thank you."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader, who had only been watching until then, sent the shackled man a sound transmission.

-Spoken like a man? What bullshit. Since when do you say things like that?

-That's because you don't know me well. I'm capable of saying all sorts of things. I make jokes and banter, too.

-Damn it! Why say that crap in a situation like this?

-You started it, Cult Leader.

-Fine, let's leave that aside. What are these people playing at, crowding around you like this?

-Can't you see? They're all doing their best for their leader.

-It's cowardly! I'm all alone.

-What have you been doing all this time? You have so many subordinates.

-So? The Second Young Master is a leader who cares more about his subordinates?

-Even if I go to the Second Young Master, my reason will have nothing whatsoever to do with these people. The same would hold true if a hundred people came here singing his praises. So you needn't worry about them.

-Then what reason would you have for going?

But the shackled man did not tell him.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader spoke to Geom Mugeuk.

"You have good subordinates, Second Young Master."

"I'm sure you have far more good subordinates than I do, Cult Leader."

"No. I'm a lonely man. Apart from that man over there, no one understands me."

"Having someone who understands you is one of life's great blessings."

"I hope that blessing stays by my side for a long time."

Geom Mugeuk did not suggest that, in that case, he ought to remove the shackles. He knew very well that pressuring him over the shackles would only work against him.

"Here, let me pour you a drink."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader infused internal energy into the wine as he poured. Channeling internal energy without breaking the cup was something only true masters could accomplish. Unless Geom Mugeuk had internal energy equal to his own to support him, he would never be able to receive the entire cupful.

TRICKLE

Yet Geom Mugeuk's expression did not change even as the cup filled to the brim.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader was inwardly stunned.

'Could it be? His internal energy surpasses mine? Impossible!'

In contrast to his shock, Geom Mugeuk's expression was gentle. He drank the wine he had been given, then held out the cup.

"This time, let me pour you a drink."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader's expression stiffened. If he failed to withstand Geom Mugeuk's pour, he would be humiliated before all these people.

But he could not back down now.

"Very well. Let me accept a drink from our hidden dragon as he ascends to the heavens."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader received the wine. This time, too, internal energy was infused into the falling stream. He made an effort to appear untroubled as he received it. The internal energy was well within his ability to withstand.

"The wine tastes excellent."

"Let's drink until we're drunk today."

"Very well."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader triumphantly sent the shackled man a sound transmission.

-Did you see that? I withstood the wine infused with the Second Young Master's internal energy. It was nothing.

-The Second Young Master was saving your face. He probably didn't want to infuse internal energy into it at all, but he did so because you'd done it first, and pouring ordinary wine in return might have embarrassed you. That's why he didn't use all his internal energy, either.

-...

In truth, the Wind Heaven Cult Leader had sensed that before anyone else. Having exchanged internal energy directly, how could he not know? His pointless attempt to show off to the shackled man had only exposed his limits.

-Don't be discouraged. I know perfectly well that this is the sort of man you are.

-You're making me feel even smaller. I'm normally better than this, but I keep making mistakes.

-I understand that, too.

Geom Mugeuk had noticed that the Wind Heaven Cult Leader was exchanging sound transmissions with the shackled man. But he drank his wine and pretended not to know. Just then, a sound transmission arrived from the Blood Heaven Saber Demon.

-Why didn't you humiliate him?

-Wounding his pride would only make things worse.

-You should have shown what you could do when you had the chance. You should have crushed him thoroughly. People's hearts are moved by simpler things than you think.

-That man will have seen something more important than that.

-Aren't you giving him too much credit?

-Perhaps I am.

The drinking resumed.

Geom Mugeuk drank with the Wind Heaven Cult Leader and conversed calmly, but refrained from saying or doing anything that attacked him. His strategy was not to target the Wind Heaven Cult Leader.

He focused on why he had come here today: to show the shackled man his people.

"Investigator Seo. How is your martial training going these days?"

"It's hard, but I'm working diligently."

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon interjected.

"It's hard?"

"No, it isn't hard."

"Really? Then I ought to increase your training."

"No, it's killing me."

Geom Mugeuk laughed and joined their conversation.

"Keeping the elder happy must be as hard as landing a blow on one of my father's vital points."

"Master isn't quite that difficult."

"You're calling me Master again."

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon reprimanded Seo Daeryong curtly. As if to make clear that it had been no slip of the tongue, Seo Daeryong spoke with confidence.

"You haven't formally accepted me as your disciple, but I consider you my teacher. Even if you drive me away tomorrow, I will always remember you as my master."

"Who gave you permission to remember me?"

"You're not even letting him remember what he likes?"

The Single Flower Sword Supreme added her voice to Geom Mugeuk's reproach.

"He's always been like that."

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon did not flare up at her blunt remark.

"Do you even know me well enough to say that?"

"Perfectly well. I'm the one who wishes I could forget."

The two sparred without raising their voices.

Geom Mugeuk did not stop them. The purpose of today's visit was to show them as they truly were. Though they were being a little too true to themselves.

He silently poured them wine. The Single Flower Sword Supreme toyed with her cup, while the Blood Heaven Saber Demon drained his at once.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader watched them with a somewhat unfamiliar feeling. Apparently, he had never expected the Demon Supremes to engage in a personal quarrel before him.

He questioned the shackled man through sound transmission.

-What on earth are they playing at? What are they after?

-You already knew those two didn't get along.

-But they'd openly show their feelings and quarrel like that in front of me? Those sly old snakes? Impossible. I know what they're like.

-It probably isn't because they're in front of you.

-!

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader pressed his teeth into his lip as he looked at Geom Mugeuk and the two Demon Supremes.

Seated on either side of Geom Mugeuk like his two wings, they were freely showing their feelings without giving the Cult Leader a second thought.

Even that sight weighed on him. Loneliness swept over him, as though he stood alone on an isolated rocky island.

'This can't go on!'

When the gathering had first begun, he had felt certain he could face Geom Mugeuk with all the confidence in the world. He had thought he could bring about some magnificent reversal...

But in reality, he was outmatched in presence, internal energy, and generosity of spirit. On top of that, the people who had come along were acting nothing like he had expected.

The woman had suddenly offered the shackled man wine, the small, gloomy fellow had stepped forward to chime in, and the Demon Army commander had uncharacteristically coveted the right-hand man's position. Now the two Demon Supremes were having a personal quarrel.

'They're all fucking lunatics.'

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader wrestled with all manner of thoughts. What he wanted was to overturn the table and shout.

'You bastards! Get the hell out! Do you know who I am? How dare you come here in a pack and pull this shit! Want to go to war with the martial world beyond the frontiers? Come at me, all of you!'

But he could not. If only he had possessed that much nerve, this moment would never have come.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader refused to give up to the very end.

Pouring Geom Mugeuk wine, he spoke cheerfully.

"My cult will spare no effort in supporting you to become the next Heavenly Demon."

"Thank you. I, too, will actively help the Wind Heaven Cult expand into the Central Plains."

"Thanks to your help, my disciple has become a Demon Supreme. You asked for no reward, but I must reward you nonetheless."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader made a show of no longer begrudging his sacred relics. He wanted the shackled man to see that he had changed—to see his determination to change. To see that he would not forever remain petty and greedy.

"Choose."

"Will you truly give me what I want?"

"Yes. I'll give you anything in this room."

Everyone looked at Geom Mugeuk, eager to see what he would choose.

At last, he spoke to the Wind Heaven Cult Leader. The words that left his lips were something no one present had imagined.

"Give me those shackles."

Everyone was startled to hear that he wanted the shackles.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader's surprise, however, was the sort that came with thinking, 'So it's finally come.'

That made him all the angrier.

'How dare he make a demand like this, even after I called him my right-hand man?'

With icy eyes, the Wind Heaven Cult Leader spoke firmly.

"I will never give you that man."

But he had misunderstood Geom Mugeuk's request.

"I didn't ask for the man. I asked for the shackles made of ten-thousand-year cold iron."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader was startled. He truly had not expected that.

"What would you use the shackles for?"

"To chain up anyone who won't listen to me."

He spoke as though joking and glanced at Seo Daeryong.

Seo Daeryong pouted.

"Shackles are for people who obey you. You mustn't chain up someone disobedient like me! That's when real trouble starts."

He had meant it as a joke, but the Wind Heaven Cult Leader gave a start. It was an issue he had never considered.

Then Geom Mugeuk revealed the actual reason he had asked the Wind Heaven Cult Leader for the shackles.

"I'd like to melt down that ten-thousand-year cold iron and make something more valuable. Even among sacred relics, a treasure like this would be hard to find."

The man could be bound with another set of shackles anyway. Thus, this was a symbolic request. I was expressing my desire to set him free.

"So please give me those shackles."

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader agonized over it.

'What should I do?'

At a time like this, he wished the shackled man would offer some advice through sound transmission.

'But it's his own shackles being removed. Of course he won't send me a message.'

Just then, the shackled man sent a sound transmission.

-Refuse.

-What?

-For your own sake, this is a request you mustn't accept.

-Why are you telling me that?

-Didn't you ask me to be fair?

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader sighed without realizing it. He had expected neither Geom Mugeuk to ask for the shackles nor the shackled man to send him a sound transmission.

'Everyone's cleverer than I am. My mind just can't keep up.'

He had truly thought he could do well... The gulf between his ideals and reality drove him to despair.

Aware of the eyes upon him, the Wind Heaven Cult Leader said, "A promise must be kept."

It was not because of pride or a need to save face. He had decided that releasing the shackled man now would make him look more admirable in the man's eyes.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader took out the key attached to his necklace. Then he walked over slowly and unlocked the man's shackles. Neither of them spoke throughout. Nor did they exchange sound transmissions. He simply removed the shackles, and the man merely watched.

CLANK

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader brought the shackles and key over and set them down before me.

"Take them."

"Thank you."

The shackled man remained seated in the same position, his head bowed.

Geom Mugeuk asked him, "Is there anything you'd like made from these once they're melted down?"

Everyone's startled gaze converged on Geom Mugeuk.

They had never imagined that he would return the melted ten-thousand-year cold iron to the shackled man.

The Wind Heaven Cult Leader felt dizzy and squeezed his eyes shut.

He felt that the only thing he could do against these people was overturn the drinking table.