AR Chapter 38

I practiced martial arts in the training ground until late.

Training was the most important thing for me now. Because the moment I lose to Hwa Mu-gi, all this process I’m building up, no matter how valuable and excellent, would become completely futile.

When training gets too hard, I often imagine this: dying at the hands of Hwa Mu-gi because I lacked just one moment of training. Of course, realistically, such a thing wouldn’t happen, but such desperate imagination is quite helpful in overcoming laziness.

Fortunately, today’s training was the most satisfying since my regression.

Pure and magnificent energy swirled in my danjeon. The power of my techniques increased, and my speed became faster.

My internal energy has now risen to the point where I can engage in life-and-death battles with the Supreme Demons. For my age, it was an energy that no one would believe.

‘Still not enough.’

I need to gather more. The more internal energy, the better.

With continued training, the Wind God’s Four Strides had made considerable progress. There will come a time when I hit a wall, but now, in the early stages of training, I felt like my skills were improving every time I performed it.

The more I performed the Wind God’s Four Strides, the more I was overwhelmed with the desire to fight. The Wind God’s Four Strides constantly stimulated my fighting spirit.

―Be patient, the moment will come when I can fully reveal you to the world.

Just as I finished a round of Wind God’s Four Strides techniques, someone spoke from behind.

“Your energy has grown again.”

Startled, I turned around to see father standing there.

“You’re really like a ghost.”

Coming behind me without a sound, and knowing that my internal energy had increased just by watching my techniques.

I spoke honestly.

“I got the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill from Blood Heavens Saber Demon.”

Although it was a major event, father didn’t seem particularly surprised.

“Why aren’t you surprised?”

“Didn’t you say you had something to get from him?”

“But it was the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill, of all things!”

“I knew that Saber Demon had the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill.”

I was shocked. Blood Heavens Saber Demon wouldn’t have told anyone about this, would he?

“How did you know?”

Then came an even more shocking revelation than the fact that he knew.

“Because I gave it to him long ago.”

“Good heavens! You gave it to him?”

Suddenly, I remembered Blood Heavens Saber Demon drawing a line on the ground, saying he was closer to father than I was. This confirmed that the two of them were once very close.

“What did you bet in your wager with him?”

“I bet myself.”

“That Saber Demon made quite a losing deal.”

“My business starts now. I plan to properly overcharge the Eight Demon Supremes.”

In the past, father would have dismissed this as nonsense, but now he said nothing.

“Why are you just listening?”

“Because I think you might actually be able to do it.”

“You’re finally recognizing my true value.”

“Why do you hate the Supreme Demons so much?”

“When I look at them, I hear this hallucination: ‘Hey, you want to become a Heavenly Demon, right? But what can you do? You can only become a Heavenly Demon if we push you. Should I be your backing? Do you want that? Then show me your best.'”

“Isn’t that just a victim mentality?”

“Maybe. Anyway, I don’t like it.”

I don’t intend to fight this battle alone. Since it’s a fight I’ll do with father, I conveyed my honest feelings, at least regarding the Eight Demon Supremes. While I might not be clear about my relationships with others, my relationship with father must not be complicated.

“Keep training.”

As father turned to leave, I expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you for making Jang Ho the Demonic Army Commander.”

“It wasn’t because of you, but because two Supreme Demons recommended him.”

I called out to father once more.

“Father.”

Father answered without turning around.

“What is it?”

“I will be happy.”

For a moment, I felt father’s back tremble slightly. It must have been an unexpected statement.

“I believe that if I’m happy, the people around me will be happy, and the cult will be happy too.”

Before father could say anything, I preempted him.

“It’s just the kind of cheap sentimentality that’s good enough to die for, right?”

“That’s enough.”

As father was about to open the door to leave, he added one more thing.

“If you’re going to take this path, don’t even think about happiness.”

Before father closed the door, I said loudly,

“No, I will definitely be happy while walking this path.”

The door closed with a thud, as if saying it was an impossible dream.

I understand father’s aversion to the word happiness. Both father and I have lived lives far from happiness.

We considered happiness as a refuge for losers.

But father, I’ve found that living while feeling happiness is just as difficult as striving to achieve goals.

…No, it might be even more difficult than a life that only runs towards success. Perhaps we’ve actually escaped into success, father.

***

One-Flower Sword Supreme was certainly different from Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

Although she had helped make Jang Ho the Demonic Army Commander, she didn’t come running to take credit, unlike what one might expect.

‘She wants me to come to her.’

This alone showed how much she valued face and honor. In contrast, Blood Heavens Saber Demon prioritizes his own emotions. When he’s upset, he has to come running and burst out to feel satisfied.

I bought a bottle of good alcohol and went to see One-Flower Sword Supreme.

One-Flower Sword Supreme was tending to the flower garden in the yard of her thatched cottage.

“The flowers are really beautiful.”

“There’s a saying that flowers become more beautiful as you get older. It’s still a distant story for our young master.”

She probably doesn’t know that when you get even older, even that becomes bothersome.

“I sincerely thank you for your help this time. I brought some alcohol as a token of my gratitude.”

“I appreciate the gift, but I don’t drink alcohol. I quit a long time ago.”

“Ah, is that so? I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

In fact, I knew this, but I deliberately bought alcohol. It was to avoid giving the impression that I understood her too well. It might seem unnecessary to go to such lengths, but you have to do what you can. Small things accumulate to build relationships.

“I was taught that when you receive help, you should repay it. Is there anything you want?”

She continued tending to the flowers and spoke in a gentle tone.

“It would be good to cut ties with Saber Demon.”

As Blood Heavens Saber Demon had predicted, she put this forward as a price.

“May I ask why?”

“Because Saber Demon is far from the ideals that the young master pursues.”

“It’s presumptuous of me to ask, but do you know what my ideals are?”

“Didn’t you say you would change the cult into a place with strict order and discipline? Saber Demon is someone who hates being bound by rules more than anyone. You will have many conflicts with him.”

One-Flower Sword Supreme probably thought her persuasion would work. She had overflowing self-confidence about herself. Especially, she thought she was incomparably better than Saber Demon.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can follow your words.”

For a moment, her body flinched.

“Why?”

“Because Elder Saber Demon gave me such a great gift.”

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have mentioned the gift. But I intended to let her know that I had received the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill.

I plan to make One-Flower Sword Supreme my person along with Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

Because the two of them had such a terrible relationship with each other, it might actually be easier to handle them. Above all, because their emotions would burst out in some way, I would be able to know what kind of people they are more quickly and more certainly.

Blood Heavens Saber Demon as the Left Assistant, One-Flower Sword Supreme as the Right Assistant.

They will become the strongest Left and Right Assistants in martial arts history, and will be the Left Sword and Right Sword. I plan to place these two on my left and right and shake the heads of the rest of the Eight Demon Supremes.

“What kind of gift?”

“It’s a personal gift, so it’s difficult for me to say.”

“I thought our relationship had reached a level where we could have such conversations, but was I mistaken?”

“Ah, this is troublesome.”

After pretending to ponder for a moment, I then spoke to her as if I had no choice.

“Since you’ve bestowed such a great favor on me this time, I’ll tell you. The elder gave me the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill.”

“What?”

She stopped tending to the flowers and turned to me. Her composure and loftiness from just a moment ago shattered in an instant.

“Did he really give the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill to you?”

One-Flower Sword Supreme seemed to find it hard to believe that Blood Heavens Saber Demon had given me the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill. She was more surprised than I had thought.

“Where is that spirit pill now?”

“I’ve already consumed it. But why are you so surprised?”

“Saber Demon is originally a very greedy person, how can I not be surprised that he gave such a precious thing to you?”

“It seems he judged me to be more precious than the spirit pill.”

It was a comment thrown out like a joke, but One-Flower Sword Supreme didn’t laugh. She probably thought it was actually true.

“Thank you for your help this time. If you ever need my help, please let me know. Then, I’ll see you next time.”

As I was about to leave after politely greeting her, Sword Supreme quietly called out to me.

“Young master.”

As I turned back to her, One-Flower Sword Supreme said,

“What kind of person is Saber Demon in your eyes?”

“Eccentric, violent, and willful. I didn’t like him at first, but the more I met him, the better he seemed.”

“Not because he gave you the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill?”

“I can’t deny that. Who wouldn’t like it? It’s the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill after all.”

“It’s just a mere elixir.”

“That mere elixir was exactly what I needed.”

She tried her best to sever my relationship with Saber Demon.

“If you want to receive my help in the future, cut ties with Saber Demon. Saber Demon is not the one.”

“Then prove it.”

“What do you mean?”

I stared at her for a moment and then said,

“Prove that you are more helpful to me than Elder Saber Demon.”

One-Flower Sword Supreme’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Was it all nonsense about establishing discipline and justice in the cult?”

“Elder Saber Demon gave me the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill. To cut ties, I need a justification too.”

“Isn’t the ideal of working for the cult enough justification?”

I smirked pointedly.

“Dreams, ideals, loyalty… I despise people who try to gain the hearts of their subordinates or juniors for free with such things.”

At that moment, Sword Supreme became angry, and I could see her true self.

The desolate look in her eyes as they turned cold.

Her pupils felt like a barren desert.

If I saw blazing flames in Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s eyes, I felt a terrible thirst in One-Flower Sword Supreme. Because it was a change from her gentle appearance, this barrenness came across even more intensely.

In hindsight… now I think I understand clearly.

Why she moved first after being sealed by Hwa Mu-gi. Why her ambition was more urgent than the other Eight Demon Supremes. She must have needed to fill that barrenness with something.

Normally, I would have hung up the whip I had wielded and peeled a carrot, but I didn’t.

“I don’t know how you think of me, but I’m preparing for a great undertaking. I’ll have to meet many people in the future and make many decisions. I’m not confident that I can judge exactly what’s right and wrong each time. So show me something I can easily judge.”

As I said this, I held out my hand to her.

“Place something more precious than the Heavenly Transcendent Divine Pill Elder Saber Demon gave me in this hand.”

Saber Demon is not the one? Nonsense. It must be Blood Heavens Saber Demon. That’s why you’re shaking like this now. That’s why I’m asking such questions.

“Young master, what do you want?”

I folded back the palm I had extended to her. I didn’t ask her for help. It’s not time yet.

“No, I don’t need anything right now.”

This is how it would sound to her:

I’m fine because I already have Saber Demon.

Because I said I didn’t want anything, she would become even more impatient. If I had said to give me something, she might have responded rationally.

“Then I’ll see you next time. I won’t forget the favor you’ve done for me this time.”

After politely greeting her, I left the thatched cottage.

When I turned back after walking for a while, she was still standing there, staring at me.

Towards those blazing eyes, I bowed my head once more before walking away.

Yes, seethe and boil like that.

Because cooking only starts when the water boils.