AR Chapter 75

I crossed the final boundary of the inner court with Jo Chun-bae.

We underwent identity verification and body searches for the third time, and they inspected the various ingredients Jo Chun-bae had brought again.

Jo Chun-bae was frozen stiff. As we went deeper into the inner court, the aura of the guarding martial artists became stronger and more intimidating, so he could barely breathe properly.

Only after passing the boundary did Jo Chun-bae relax his tension.

“Whew, this is the first time in my life I’ve trembled like this.”

“You don’t need to be so tense. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Of course, if it weren’t for you, Pavilion Master, how could I have come this far? It’s my first time in the inner court.”

We were heading to the quarters where the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was staying.

“What’s your first impression of the inner court?”

“I was too scared to look properly.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. In this vast place, there are few people who live as diligently as the owner.”

“Oh, please don’t say that.”

Jo Chun-bae waved his hands as if it was nonsense, but his pleased smile grew wider with each wave.

“I must have such good fortune that you, Second Young Master, visited my tavern, and thanks to that, I got to serve food to people I couldn’t even dream of meeting, and now I’m even coming to the inner court. I never imagined this would happen.”

The reason I brought Jo Chun-bae today was to ask him to cook when I drink with the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, but in fact, it was to show him around the inner court.

Once, in passing conversation, he said he wanted to see the inner court of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, so today I was fulfilling that wish.

These days, my personal chef Im was providing meals to the Heavenly Wind Cult’s demonic cultivators waiting in the outer court with other chefs, so there was enough justification to bring Jo Chun-bae.

“I must have accumulated a lot of merit in my past life.”

“Our owner must have saved the martial arts world in his past life.”

“I might not have saved the martial arts world, but I’m sure I must have beaten down at least one Martial Righteous Alliance elder who invaded our cult with a ladle.”

I laughed pleasantly at his joke. Just then, passing martial artists from the inner court greeted me politely. Jo Chun-bae couldn’t even make eye contact with these burly, scary martial artists.

“Now that I’m here, I feel both good and scared.”

“That’s why we established a branch in Demonic Family Village. It’s a place that’s difficult for everyone to come to easily. So, owner, please take good care of the people of Demonic Family Village and the branch, and if you have anything to tell me, make sure to pass it on.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

And so we arrived at the quarters where the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was staying.

“Have you come?”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader welcomed us warmly. I had promised to treat him to a drink when the Soul-Seizing Demon was decided. He seemed to be in a very good mood, both because it was Cheong Seon and because I had refused the divine artifact.

“This is the owner of the Flowing Wind Tavern you saw last time. Rather than bringing cold dishes to serve, I wanted to eat warm food cooked by the owner, so I brought him along. Owner, please.”

“I will prepare the food with all my soul.”

“I don’t particularly want to eat the owner’s soul, so please cook as usual.”

“Yes!”

While Jo Chun-bae prepared the food, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and I went into the room.

“Congratulations on making a Demon Supreme your disciple.”

“It would never have been possible without Second Young Master. Thank you.”

“It’s because you taught your disciple well.”

“Let’s call it our victory.”

We enjoyed the victory, exchanging such pleasantries. I knew Cheong Seon would win. Once a master of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s caliber got involved, she would have achieved victory by any means necessary. First Disciple Yang Do was too small a variable against such a big shot.

Soon after, the food and drinks prepared by Jo Chun-bae came out.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was satisfied after tasting the food.

“The chef’s skills are quite good.”

“I’ll relay that exactly. The owner will be pleased.”

We enjoyed the drinks and food. As if he had made up his mind, Jo Chun-bae’s cooking was excellent today.

“Have you met my Father?”

“I’m scheduled to meet him in a few days.”

“When you meet him, emphasize this. That you’ve taken Cheong Seon as your disciple and will raise her to be an even stronger Soul-Seizing Demon than the previous one. That’s the most important point for my Father.”

“I understand what you mean. Thank you for telling me.”

“It’s nothing.”

When the drinking atmosphere had matured, I casually said to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader:

“Would it be alright if I offer a drink to the person wearing shackles over there?”

For a moment, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader flinched in surprise.

“Why do you want to give that person a drink?”

“I have no particular intention. I’ve seen him several times when I came to visit you, and on such a good day like this, I just wanted to offer him a drink.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader said with a smile:

“That person doesn’t drink alcohol at all.”

“Is that so?”

It was then that the shackled man spoke.

“I’ll have a drink.”

I was surprised, but the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was even more surprised. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s expression gradually hardened. From that unconcealed change in expression, I could guess.

That the shackled man had never accepted a drink from the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader until now.

“Then I’ll pour you one.”

Ignoring the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader who looked like he might explode at any moment, I stood up from my seat.

Then I took a wine cup and bottle and went to the shackled man.

I sat in front of him and offered the cup.

The shackled man, who had been hanging his head, raised it and accepted my cup.

I slowly filled his cup.

I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t use secret sound transmission either. I just poured him a drink.

The shackled man, with his head bowed, received the drink and drank it straight away.

Then he returned the cup to me, and this time he poured me a drink.

I also accepted the drink and emptied it cleanly.

We, who had only exchanged glances until now, finally shared a drink. We only drank without a single word of conversation, but that was enough for me.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who was watching this scene, seemed really angry. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said something like this:

“Do you know what that friend’s specialty is? He has a nose like a dog. He’s incredibly good at smelling those who come to steal divine artifacts. What do you think? Don’t those shackles look like a dog collar? Hahaha!”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader laughed loudly after spitting out words closer to contempt than a joke.

Only his laughter could be heard in the room.

And then silence followed.

That remark just now was a clear slip of the tongue that disrespected the shackled man. I didn’t cleverly respond to give him a chance to make up for his slip. This was a kind of gift his carelessness had given me.

I returned to my original seat and poured a drink into his now empty cup.

“Come, have a drink.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader drank the alcohol silently.

The shackled man was frozen like a fossil with his head bowed as usual.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader bit his lip hard as he looked at that sight. At least regarding the shackled man, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t hide or control his emotions. Just like how Blood Heavens Saber Demon was with matters related to One-Flower Sword Supreme.

Earlier than the originally planned time, I said goodbye and left the place.

I had achieved the purpose of today’s visit by giving the shackled man a drink and drinking his drink.

***

After Geom Mugeuk left, the atmosphere was chilly.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader acknowledged that he had done wrong, but he felt strangely bad. He didn’t want to apologize, but he forced himself to.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

Even with the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s apology, the shackled man didn’t say anything.

“I said I’m sorry.”

When there was still no response even after apologizing again, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader finally exploded.

“Dammit! What are you trying to do? I’m your master. You’re my subordinate. Can’t I say such things? Have you become arrogant because I’ve been too nice to you all this time? Do you wanna die? Is that it?”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader shouted. But the voice in his heart was scolding himself.

‘What are you doing now? What have you done right to be shouting like this?’

The more he blamed himself, the louder his voice became.

“Do you know how much I’ve endured until now? Five times of informal speech? What kind of madman gives such opportunities to a subordinate? It’s because it’s me! It’s because it’s someone like me that I did that, right? You don’t even appreciate such kindness. Didn’t you say you couldn’t drink? Didn’t you say you hated it even if you died? But you accept a drink from Second Young Master? Even in a situation where I said you couldn’t drink?”

No matter how angry he was, he should have stopped here.

But the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t control his rising anger and crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

The next moment, the space they were in changed.

It wasn’t the place with the blue sky and fields that he always opened.

It was in the middle of a battlefield with blood flowing and corpses scattered around. The stench of blood was so strong that it was hard to stay there even for a moment.

“This is a place that suits you perfectly. It will be the only place you can see from now on!”

Critically, the reason the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t stop his anger was because he had been beating his own drum from start to finish. He made the mistake, and he got angry.

The shackled man hadn’t said a word. He had only accepted a drink.

‘No, he was wrong first. He shouldn’t have accepted that drink. Didn’t he tell me? That I’m narrow-minded and greedy? If he knows, why is he doing this?’

Then, as if reading his inner thoughts, the shackled man politely opened his mouth.

“My thinking was short-sighted. I apologize.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s heart sank at the extreme politeness.

His heart started pounding with anxiety that he might never hear the shackled man’s candid words again.

‘This is not right. Apologize quickly. Hurry!’

He shouted in his mind.

But the words “I’m sorry” wouldn’t come out. He had a lot pent up too.

‘Why should I apologize? I’m his master. I’m the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader!’

He had argued with him several times, but he had never experienced such a big conflict. So he was at a loss for what to do.

If it had been someone else, he would have dealt with it much more coolly. If it had been Demonic Monk, he would have been shouting outwardly while inwardly calculating.

But he couldn’t do that with the shackled man.

The sea of blood and corpses spread out before his eyes now was the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s heart. He agonized and agonized, but in the end, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t apologize.

Unaware of such feelings, only the howling of wolves that had smelled blood could be heard cruelly.

***

I watched Seo Daeryong’s training from a corner of Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s courtyard.

He had passed the basic skill training and was now practicing techniques, and his sword-wielding skills were different from before.

In the past, I told Seo Daeryong at the Flowing Wind Tavern. That it was late, but he would learn more sincerely. So it was okay. My words had become reality.

He didn’t carelessly skip even a single movement. Moreover, as smart people learn martial arts well, Seo Daeryong was making rapid progress.

At that moment, Blood Heavens Saber Demon came and stood next to me.

“Did you come to watch your subordinate working hard?”

“He’s a friend who works hard during the day too, so I don’t have such a bad hobby.”

“Then what brings you here at this hour?”

“I came to discuss something with you.”

“Come in.”

Leaving the training Seo Daeryong behind, I entered Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s quarters.

I admired the books that filled the bookshelf.

“You have so many books.”

“Add the words you want to say.”

“It doesn’t suit you.”

“They’re not books to read, they’re for decoration.”

“Even the decoration doesn’t suit you.”

“You brat! If I read all the books I read when I was young, it would be as many as the people the Divine Cult Leader has killed.”

“Then you would have become a great scholar.”

After exchanging such jokes, we got to the main point.

“What did you want to discuss?”

“There’s someone whose shackles I want to remove.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Blood Heavens Saber Demon misunderstood like this:

“Did you find someone you want to release from the underground thunder prison?”

“No. There’s one person around me.”

This time, he took it in a symbolic sense.

“Right, everyone lives with at least one shackle.”

“What kind of shackle do you have, Elder?”

“Well, I…”

Something seemed about to come out but went back in, and Blood Heavens Saber Demon asked:

“Who is this person?”

“A subordinate of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.”

“Oh my.”

His expression already showed a sense of difficulty.

“Since it’s a person you want to gain, he must be a good person. That means the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader is likely to cherish him too.”

“That’s correct.”

“Does the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader know that you want this person?”

“He doesn’t.”

“Have you talked with that subordinate?”

“No, I haven’t said a word yet. But I believe our hearts have connected.”

“Hearts? You believe? This is truly a difficult situation.”

When I thought about who to consult about the shackled man, the first person that came to mind was Blood Heavens Saber Demon. Even if he couldn’t give me an answer, I felt like I might find the answer myself while talking with him. Blood Heavens Saber Demon is that kind of person to me.

“That’s why I came to see you, Elder. Please tell me the way.”

“Did I have a way prepared?”

I smiled brightly and said confidently:

“Yes! Please give me the way you have prepared. Show me the path out of this difficult situation.”