I speak to the young lord near Sword Demon’s place.
“Hya, the Cult Leader is so great. To not kill this guy and bring him all the way here….”
Because of my usual temper, I hit him on the back of his head as he is staggering ahead. I tell him,
“Keep it in mind that you are only still alive because there is a risk of many innocent ones dying if you are searched for.”
Pervert Demon also sneers.
“Enough. If you do it here, everyone here will be tortured. Even if he has to die, it has to be somewhere else. Right young lord?’
The guy glares at us, but this time Pervert Demon slaps him shut.
And he says,
“Who do you think you are looking at me with those eyes? Are you out of your mind? Fucking loser. Do not be too confident that you will make it out alive. If master changes his mind, today will be the last day of your life.”
Pervert Demon tells me to bring him to the yard and so, and I take and hit him to make him kneel.
Young lord breathes heavily and looks at Sword Demon coming out of his place.
After sitting cross-legged on the bed, Master Yukhap opens his eyes and tells the young lord.
“You are back soon. Nice to meet you.”
I look at Yukhap.
“Drunk?”
Which he replies with a blunt expression.
“That is because I am feeling so glad.”
“Master, together with Sect Leader, we managed to arrest this guy who acted so arrogantly. However, Baekga was waiting for us where we got lured. If it wasn’t for that, he would have been beaten down by us two.”
Sword Demon responds in a calm tone,
“No matter how cornered one is, how can a son of a man who has rivals all over Kangho even dare to think about making another person do their killings?”
I look at the young lord with crossed arms.
“Right.”
Somehow, the atmosphere is very heavy and serious. It wouldn’t be so strange to think he might die any second from a single hit from Sword Demon.
Young lord, who is kneeling, asks Sword Demon,
“Elder, what is the demonic way? I heard that both Cult Leader and the elder too chose any means and methods when it came to fighting. Why is it fine for you and not for me?”
Sword Demon calmly responds,
“Even the orthodox sects have hypocrites in hiding who do such things. Even a third-rate warrior from an unorthodox sect who lives the most stained life would. So how can this be called the demonic way?”
I nod at the words of Sword Demon.
“You are right.”
Sword Demon says,
“If there is a butcher, Sect Leader and my disciple must have struggled a lot but let us start by hearing why you got captured.”
The young lord sighs.
“I don’t know. I definitely thought that with his skills the guy would be better than Low-Down Sect Leader, but the two began to chase… and the one who came back alive was Low-Down Sect Leader.”
I insert myself into the conversation.
“And that is me.”
For a moment, Pervert Demon looks at me and suppresses a laugh.
Sword Demon continues to speak in a low tone.
“Even though it was a short time, there was a time when the young lords learned swordsmanship from me. I am quite embarrassed.”
“…”
“If news spread that you were conspiring with a man known as the Butcher, even if it isn’t your father, the other young lords would tear you apart limb from limb. Since you even lost your grandfather, it is as if you have already lost the battle to run for the position of Cult Leader. Is there any reason for you to live?”
The guy looks miserable as he looks down.
“Elder, please give me a chance.”
Sword Demon says,
“You shouldn’t have come and asked for all this, you should have sought the answer for yourself. Rather, I am more curious as to how the condescending guy who came first turned into such a disciplined one. Kid, what do you think is the demonic way?”
I wasn’t listening with much thought, and my eyes widened.
‘Uh?’
So, this was the Sword Demon’s last question. Depending on his answer, this guy will die here. However, if Sword Demon likes his answer, there is a high chance this guy will come out alive.
The Sword Demon that I know is such a man.
It seems like young lord isn’t an idiot either, his pale face turns paler as he tries to choose his answer. The guy was delaying his response, but no one said a thing.
It’s because this is a time of life and death, one which decides if we have an ally or an enemy.
I sit down on the bed with Pervert Demon and watch the young lord think about his answer. However, I’m suffering from a mouth which itches to speak more, so I end up speaking.
“Right… what is your interpretation of the demonic way? Make a request to kill, but it fails. Is your definition of the demonic way to insist on staying alive even at the cost of your own subordinates? What do you think?”
Pervert Demon, who looks at me, continues.
“Right. If we send him out alive right now, this time he will take more gold and silver and head to another contract assassin and ask them to kill us, right? No, wouldn’t it be better to ask him to kill your father and siblings instead? Then you can be the next Cult Leader. This guy’s demonic way is possible if he has a lot of money. What do you think Master Yukhap?”
Crazy Demon, Pervert Demon, and Ghost Demon. The three of us naturally continue the conversation and Yukhap chuckles lowly.
“Does he even have that much money? How much money would it take to kill the Cult Leader or another young lord? I don’t know if he’s done anything else with his life. If you want to kill your father or siblings you must collect the money first. Things that cannot be accomplished with martial arts alone, how can you do it… why not learn the right way and try it that way? Young lord. Shouldn’t you be saving up more money now?”
I nod my head with a serious face and mumble.
“… hold your reins. I was a server once, so I’ve tried it, and money is hard to save.”
Ghost Demon and Pervert Demon stare off in different directions.
“…”
Sword Demon is listening with a serious face, so it was clear that these two didn’t want to laugh.
And the young lord has a pale look.
“Elder, please kill me.”
Sword Demon chuckles.
“I asked you a question and now you want me to kill you? I am not asking for a perfect answer. I am asking because people have different thoughts. Disciple.”
Pervert Demon answers his call.
“Yes, master.”
“What is the demonic way?”
“I am not one who knows it. I was never interested in it.”
I almost answer with ‘woman?’ from the side, but I barely hold back because of the atmosphere. I think that this guy is not a Pervert Demon, but a man who walks the path of being a pervert. I don’t know if there is such a thing or not, but this guy is like that.
Sword Demon asks Master Yukhap.
“Yukhap what do you think?”
To which he answers.
“Isn’t most of the demonic way the way the young lord is? Leaving them alive will never do us any good. They are ones who cannot tell the difference between grace and mercy.”
Sword Demon smiles.
“I get it. And Sect Leader?”
I look at the young lord.
“That is a difficult question. But one thing is for sure, there is no chance that this guy can be a proper Demonic Cult member. A member of the demonic way, an idiot, a piece of trash, a murderer- they are ones with no character who have no chance of being anything. And even if they do end up as Cult Leader, they still will be trash. That guy? Not a true Demonic Cult member. What does senior think?”
Sword Demon answers.
“It is true that in comparison to the demonic way, the orthodox focuses on the weak.”
I nod.
“Exactly.”
“If one is a true preacher of the demonic way, they will keep an eye on the strong ones throughout their life. Even if their entire life is focused on the sole purpose of defeating those stronger, there wouldn’t be enough time.”
Sword Demon glares at the young lord.
“Your father will live his life remembering that he couldn’t be defeated till the end. Every time I think of your father, I feel so uncomfortable. However, Murim Alliance Leader, Im So-baek must be awake every night being wary of people like me. But as long as I am locked up in such a place, he wouldn’t have to come to kill me. It is because he focuses his eyes on the weak, his colleagues, and his subordinates. The difference between the demonic way and the orthodox way is this.”
Young lord listens in silence and Sword Demon continues.
“One day, your father’s thoughts and resolutions will change. It seems that he was determined to be Heavenly Demon even if it meant to give up the weak, rather than using that to grow himself. This is where your father and I fell at odds.”
Sword Demon was obviously talking to the young lord about his story of the past, and we were all listening.
Sword Demon says,
“No matter what it is that you pursue, if you reach a position in the top, one day, those who haven’t found an opponent in the orthodox way, will pursue the demonic way. And they will enter a deserted barren land where the journey to the top is very lonely. That is what it means to be the best in the world. Their fight will not affect the weak in any manner or even bother them. No matter which path one pursues, that is what I think.”
And then young lord says,
“Then I am not a follower of the demonic way. I just didn’t choose the means and methods that I want to live.”
This feels like an honest answer, and Sword Demon says,
“If your grandfather had fallen, you should run to your mother’s house to find an answer. Your grandfather isn’t one who doesn’t know martial arts. He was trying to kill Low-Down Sect Leader, and for personal revenge, you should learn his martial arts and go against Low-Down Sect Leader. If there is a big change after today’s conversation, I will find you.”
Young lord answers.
“I understand.”
“I don’t want you to die here for many reasons. So go.”
Young lord struggles to get up and looks at Sword Demon, and us three. In the end he says,
“Elder….”
Sword Demon answers.
“Shut up and leave.”
I say to the young lord as he limps out,
“Third young lord. You are only still standing because of a miracle. But I don’t want you to die here. Also, do come down to the Low-Down Sect from now on if you want to see my face. If you are a human before being the son of the Cult Leader, you should know the shame of living a life like this.”
He turns to me and nods.
“I do.”
As soon as he disappeared, Sword Demon says,
“Sect Leader, I apologize for sending someone away who holds a grudge against you.”
I nod and accept his apology.
“Senior.”
“Go on.”
“You have apologized to quite a few people in my life.”
He sighs with a troubled expression.
“Not that many.”
“You look really apologetic though. Then let me request one thing.”
“What is it?”
I look at Sword Demon, but also at Ghost Demon and Pervert Demon.
“I heard that Butcher Baekga had a master.”
“….”
“Baek Wei, have you heard about him?”
All three of them tilt their heads at the same time and I say,
“Actually, teacher Baek Wei is more troublesome than this idiot young lord. Baekga’s body was covered in gruesome torture marks. After seeing that, I understood the cause behind his martial arts and disgusting personality. He didn’t tell me much so finding him wouldn’t be easy.”
Sword Demon says,
“But there seems to be a way to meet.”
I nod.
“Of course, there is.”
He asks curiously,
“How?”
To which I respond with a serious face.
“The guest house, the one owned by Butcher Baekga. Whether we have to spend money to spread the word or not, let the death of the guy be known all around. To reach the ears of the guy.”
I point to Pervert Demon and say,
“As this guy must know, Baekga’s skills were not inferior to us. Then his master should be someone stronger than us.”
I speak to them all.
“Let us focus on training until that guy comes and visits me.”
Pervert Demon looks puzzled.
“Not catch him together but focus on training?”
I tell him,
“You idiot, what is the demonic way?”
He sighs.
“You are doing it again, master, Low-Down Sect Leader often imitates people. He is like a mad man having his episode.”
Sword Demon tells Pervert Demon.
“Your words are what’s making me feel worse now.”
“I apologize.”
And Sword Demon asks,
“How strong do you think this Baek Wei is?”
I cannot tell as I never met the guy.
“I don’t know. But, if he had a disciple like him, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be stronger than his disciples. Otherwise, there is no way he would’ve had a disciple who was that exceptional.”
Ghost Demon asks me,
“Why do you think so?”
I answer.
“A disciple is, after all, one who learns. He cannot be the first or the last. So, to be able to destroy the character of said disciple, they have to be a terrible person themselves.”
That was the Evil Emperor I knew.
