Blood Night Palace Lord laughed loudly at my sincerity.
“Palace Lord, you are laughing so loudly at the cost of your life.”
“Sorry.”
However, she is a woman who fights back.
“You pinched your thighs too.”
I nod.
“Let’s count it as a draw. But I will draw up a map and give the letter, so hurry up and bring the physician from the Moyong family.”
“It has been a long time since elder Heo met a physician.”
“It isn’t my business, just bring him. Elder Heo might be alright. However, it is up to the physician to make the right judgment and treatments. Whether one manages to live for one year or ten more. We try everything until the bodies move. And Palace Lord, there is something I have been thinking about since before.”
“Yes.”
“If the worst happens, put down the pride and surrender.”
“To the enemy?”
I glare at her.
“Did you think being a leader is easy? Survive at any cost. Until the last, last moment.”
“I can bear more of the humiliation than surrender, but I know to do both. But he is not one to accept it.”
“Surrendering well is also an ability of a leader. Think.”
She looks at me and asks,
“Are you going to surrender in the final moment when the Cult Leader wins?”
I put up two fingers, then fold them one by one.
“If there are many subordinates around then I will surrender, but if I am alone then I will fight to the death.”
The Blood Night Palace Lord nods.
“Thinking that puts me at peace.”
We have a lot to think about because we are the leaders of our groups.
“What about powers other than leader’s?”
She says,
“First, there is Sword Demon who has been helping out. If I die, there will be a new one picked. And there are candidates as young cult leaders. All are of young age or a bit over young. It means the same age as you. They are the heirs to the family that held me hostage. Children whose father lacks humanity… maybe history will repeat itself.”
“How does the Cult Leader treat his kids?”
“Might wonder who is stronger. He teaches martial arts which he says should be learned, and they learn the martial arts from the maternal side and learn the arts of Demon Cult. Their personalities are different, and their martial arts are also different. I felt it for a long time, but for those in the path of demons, they view the fights of their kids as fun.”
“If it was a normal person, all the children would be treated nicely.”
She bursts into laughter.
“Do not expect anything like that. He is the kind who likes a killer more than kids who aren’t skilled.”
After the messy meeting to make plans, I ask for writing tools to be brought along with a booklet and hand it down to the Palace Lord.
“Take this. You don’t have to tell him. It’s just that once you get there, you need to meet them at all costs.”
She looks at me and says,
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes”
“Thank you for caring about me in various ways. The first time I saw you, I wanted to pound you to death, but I never thought that my impression about you would change.”
I am a good person who is good at highlighting things about myself but someone else praising me is not something I am used to.
So, I show the wooden sword and ask her,
“How do you use this sword? It is too light.”
“Wait.”
She snaps her fingers and then a warrior appears from the side. They take the letter and map that I gave, and she says,
“Bring the physician here. A carriage of the fastest horses will be taken from the palace and leave right now. Let them know it is the leader of the Low-Down sect who is calling and be polite. He is an acquaintance of the Sect Leader.”
“I understand.”
The Palace Lord looks at her men and then tells me,
“Let us do all that we can.”
“Yes.”
And that is when she extends her hand to me.
“Give the sword.”
She extends her hand and I give the wooden sword which she holds and speaks as she walks to the center of the hall.
“This is the sword of murder. The basics of the Murder Sword is to slash at once. So, make it as light as possible. As you know, since you are learning martial arts, you should know how difficult the sword technique training is. It is endless. And I will show you.”
While holding the wooden sword in her left hand, she gazes at a place on the wall which was on the other side of the hall.
In an instant, her form moves in a straight line, she draws the sword in the middle, and brings the tip of the sword to the spot she was staring at.
“This is the first step.”
She slowly returns to her original position and gazes at the wall again. This time, she moves as if there are obstacles in her way to the wall.
Movements so light and soft.
However, like a person carrying a wooden sword with weight, she has balance in her form when she moves. The body of hers which had been moving around the battlefield constantly, pulled the sword and held it out the moment she got to the wall.
To my eyes this seemed like a single reaction.
And she asks me,
“This is the second step. How do you compare it to the first?”
“The same.”
“Right. In the end it is the same. Then I don’t have to explain more. The rest is how you use it. This is the Murder Sword.”
“A fairly difficult martial art.”
She nods.
“Martial arts combine all sorts of body movements to unleash an extremely simple sword at fast speed. In other words, start simple, practice complicated and then go back to being simple when it comes to killing. This is also the martial arts of elder Heo.”
I applaud.
“It is a really cool martial art.”
The process, however, will be painful.
It is because it is a martial art which has no power at all until training to a certain point. Literally, it is a martial art that utilizes just one hit to kill the opponent. Of course, if trained to do it right then this sword will be strong.
I received the sword back from her.
“The world is wide.”
She nods.
“And there are many obstacles. The others might have happiness at the sight of their name being spoken while there are those who want to hide. There are those who delude others. But one who wants to kill will have to drive the sword into the neck even into the one who hides in darkness.”
She speaks.
“The most horrid killer attack I have witnessed was that of a murderer who killed the opponent with their own sword.”
I shake my head.
“I cannot do that much. I cannot live in such a place at all. But I will try to understand. Anyway, since I did attract the attention of the Cult Leader, his people might come.”
Suddenly, I was thinking according to what I remembered but things changed drastically. Now doesn’t this mean an assassin can come when I am asleep?
‘This is fucked up….’
She asks,
“What is with that expression?”
“Because I am angry.”
“This sudden?”
“I have been controlling myself, so give me food. Come to think of it, I wasn’t even offered a glass of water.”
“I will have that prepared.”
She was about to go inside.
“Lord, wait a minute. I don’t want to eat alone, so let us eat together.”
“Uh”
For a while, I stare at her as she leaves and then look at an afterimage smiling.
‘Because of you I cannot sleep well. Let us see who wins.’
I cannot think of a way to defeat the Cult Leader, but this is not a problem that can be solved by martial arts alone.
Summoning Moyong Baek, helping the palace Lord, saving elder Heo, introducing Sword Demon to Moyong Baek…
All these actions were done to kill the Cult Leader.
Cult Leader is getting stronger by training in martial arts. And I am fighting with life slowly.
Suddenly the words of a sage resounded.
Rationalism is stronger than any expert.
‘Was it like this?’
The words I read somewhere in the past were coming into my mind now. That is why I read the book several times.
Actually, Cult Leader wasn’t an opponent who can be instantly defeated. In terms of martial arts, not just the current me, but also the Palace Lord, Sword Demon, and Im So-baek are weak.
Then, we have to beat the others instead of Cult Leader.
Since the man is living a life which isn’t right, if I want to defeat him, I have no choice but to respond by being a warrior.
‘Shocking.’
A situation which takes the breath away. It is because I am far from acting warrior-like.
A warrior?
Any passing one would laugh….
Even I would laugh but I keep thinking about how to keep the Palace Lord from being taken down by the Cult Leader.
‘Is there any way?’
I thought to find out.
I barely come up with an answer to the frustrating question as I sit with people of the Blood Night Palace around. While eating rice little by little.
“… I am shocked, and I just thought of something. Hear this.”
I put something in my mouth and then put rice and side dishes.
Palace lord sighs.
“Sect Leader, eat slowly and then speak.”
“Fine”
It is a simple task, but it seems like she isn’t used to multitasking. And it’s not for me to decide. She rules the place here.
I glance at the subordinates of hers around and say,
“Now let’s make the palace open. It is time to blend into Kangho.”
“We are a divided faction within the Demon Cult, who would want us?”
Since I cannot yell at her here, I calmly try to respond.
“It is better than death. Leave the doors open. Unleash out your things. Also, stop any work being done. There are too many intruders so just leave it open for people to move. Actually, invite people too.”
“Like?”
“First, invite our Low-Down Sect. Invite, Sword Demon senior, and notify the Murim Alliance.”
She accepts what I say without any words.
“And for what reason?”
I replied assuming this woman would be alive for another 3 years.
“Declaring war on the Unorthodox. Declaration that you will be taking a different path from the cult. An honest request for help from Kangho. A notice to abandon the name of the Blood Palace. In the end, we are being threatened by the Demon Cult Leader, and we are sharing information about how this palace can be annihilated in a year or two.”
Everyone looks at me with their chopsticks put down as if the rice got stuck in their throats.
“….”
As I drink a glass of alcohol and watch, I continue.
“… reach out if you want to survive. You will have to ask for help. Send a well-spoken man to the alliance to grab their legs and that of Im So-baek. If kicked out, send them again and do it again. Even for those proud families of martial arts, send them what they want, letters or things. Try to open up and interact with the Beggars Union. Like last time, if Alliance Leader Im asks for help in clearing out bandits, step in.”
I grinned.
“I will follow along, but this is fun. Look a lot. Anyway, this is a place from the Demon Cult, but you’re reaching out asking to be saved. Do everything you can. You should try everything.”
Everyone was silent. But I am a man who has many things to say.
“What is the meaning of living like a frog in a well only to be beaten to death by the Cult Leader? I heard that Cult Leader is desperate, but he isn’t stupid. If we will have to fight then we need to show that we are struggling to get help.”
Looking at the people around, I say,
“I made a promise to Elder Heo. Even if the land gets turned, the Low-Down Sect will help the Blood Night Palace. So, this is a matter with my life at stake. I am not going to die in vain.”
I drink mumbling that.
“There are still a lot of people I need to take down before death.”
I look at the Palace Lord.
“Senior. It is time to put down the pride. Being stubborn and dying is something strong people can do. Do you want to burn to death and take down your subordinates with you, or take revenge? Think and then decide.”
I look at the young lord1.
“Young Palace Lord.”
“Yes.”
“I heard the Cult Leader say the reason for building the palace. Said it would look good when it would get burned down. If the palace remains then the position will be handed over to you. If this place gets burned down, all your subordinates will die, and you will end up as nothing. A woman and a child who will be burned to death before turning 20.”
She looks surprised and I look at her.
‘That is what happened in the previous life.’
The Lord taps the table with her hand.
“Do not scare her.”
“That is the reality.”
She crosses her arms and says,
“… the palace doors will be opened up. Changing the name too. and a messenger will be sent.”
I sigh and drink. The food which felt clogged was coming down.
“Kuak….!”
Calming my mood, I say,
“Sorry.”
Editor’s Note
