Chapter 100: The Jianghu Never Sleeps
Chapter 100: The Jianghu Never Sleeps
The carriage rattled onward toward an uncertain destination.
I was curious. Where would the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon head first?
I knew of the major incidents that occurred after his departure from the Cult, but I didn't know the finer details—where he went first or whom he met.
There must have been someone who crossed him during the last two years. Was he going to kill them? Or would he rent out an entire pavilion for a debauched banquet? Perhaps he would kill someone and then head to a pavilion.
Suddenly, the Smiling Demon spoke up.
"Why did you make that guard your 'heart'?"
He didn't seem like the type to ask about a mere guard, but since she was someone I favored, he had taken an interest.
"I made her my heart because she is alive," I replied.
"Then is the Second Young Master dead right now?"
I stared at him intently and asked, "Are we alive?"
As the Smiling Demon faltered, momentarily unsure of how to respond, I added with a smile, "Besides, she’s pretty."
"You have very peculiar taste."
"In my eyes, she is the most beautiful."
"Before we return to the Cult, I’ll have to raise the Second Young Master’s standards for women."
"I believe I’ll be the one showing you."
I wished Seo Dae-ryong were here. Investigator Seo, did you ever imagine I’d be discussing standards for women with the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon? This is what the future looks like.
Just then, Blue Face’s voice drifted in from the driver’s seat.
"We will stop at the village for a meal before continuing."
From the first day of the journey, we had eaten separately, two by two. Sometimes we ate at different inns, or the Smiling Demon would take a private room for himself.
Today, as usual, I finished my meal with Lee An and stepped out of the inn, only to see some Black Path thugs harassing a merchant at the end of the street.
I turned away, intending to walk back to the carriage as if I hadn't seen anything, when a voice came from behind me.
"So you're just going to pretend you didn't see that?"
It was the Smiling Demon, who had just finished his meal at the inn across the street.
"Was your 'justice' merely a performance to secure your succession?"
I chuckled at his mockery. "I do have a bit of a hypocritical side."
"I like that very much. That’s how a person should be. Acting righteous is just a headache."
We looked at each other and laughed.
As we walked toward the carriage, the Smiling Demon asked, "Why does the Second Young Master hate evil so much?"
"I just ignored evil and walked past it, didn't I?"
"You're leaving because if you clumsily mess with one or two of them and then depart, those people will only face retaliation later, aren't you?"
He had read my thoughts exactly. If you're going to strike, you have to uproot them entirely. I didn't have the luxury for that right now.
"This trip is about observing your world, Lord Smiling Demon."
"It's unpleasant to hear that those lowlifes are my world."
"You misunderstand."
"Then let's clear up that misunderstanding."
He gave a signal to Blue Face with a glance. Blue Face immediately strode toward the Black Path thugs.
Having heard our conversation, he would likely clean up everything, including their leader. Of course, it wouldn't be long before a new Black Path gang moved in.
I gestured for Lee An to go with them, and she moved quickly.
"I'll go as well."
Lee An followed behind Blue Face.
The Smiling Demon lightly leaped up and sat on the roof of the carriage.
"This is the perfect spot to watch."
I leaped up beside him and sat down.
"Did you enjoy your meal?"
"I just grabbed a bite."
"I've noticed during the trip that you don't seem to eat much."
"I find no joy in eating."
"Is it because of the mask?"
A flicker of irritation crossed his face. Mentioning the mask always made him flinch. However, I brought it up without hesitation. To strip that mask away, I had to drag the myth of the mask down into reality.
"I never liked eating much to begin with."
"It's likely because of the mask. Once you take it off, I'll treat you to an incredible meal."
For the first time, the Smiling Demon tilted his head. I read a specific emotion in the gaze behind those eyeholes.
What exactly are you? What is your identity that you get under my skin like this?
Just then, a scream echoed from a distance.
Our eyes naturally turned toward Lee An and Blue Face. After thoroughly beating the Black Path thugs, the two were leading them somewhere.
Watching this, the Smiling Demon spoke.
"The Second Young Master said it before, didn't he? That the only time evil is cool is when it suppresses another evil. Well? Am I cool right now?"
"You are."
"Then why don't I feel good?"
"It's probably because it feels like your own flesh is being torn away."
The Smiling Demon laughed at my joke. Then, he repeated his earlier question.
"Why do you hate evil so much?"
Since he had asked twice, I had to give some kind of answer. After a brief pause, I spoke.
"There are people who go out of their way to push the person in front of them off a cliff while walking down a path. If they want to go first, they could just walk faster and pass them. I don't ask them to help someone who has collapsed from exhaustion. I'm just asking why they have to push someone when they could just go their own way. When I see those bastards, I want to push them too. So, I plan to push them all off."
"Then you must want to push me, too."
The eyes inside the mask gleamed coldly.
Smiling Demon, how many people have you pushed into misery throughout your life?
I smiled and said to him, "So, try not to walk in front of me if you can help it."
"Then I'd have to stand behind the Second Young Master."
"Then let's walk side by side. I don't think it's bad to walk with the tension of knowing we could push each other at any moment."
This was exactly the relationship I wanted with him.
The Smiling Demon laughed loudly.
"Fine. If it's the Second Young Master, you'll make a fine companion."
A short while later, Lee An and Blue Face returned to the carriage, smelling faintly of blood after finishing their task.
Lee An’s eyes trembled slightly as she looked up at us sitting together on the carriage roof. No matter how much she trusted me, it wouldn't be easy to completely shake off the fear that the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon inspired.
The carriage set off again.
After several more days of travel, the carriage arrived at a certain manor. A man was waiting in the courtyard.
I put on the white mask I carried at my waist and followed the Smiling Demon out. I could reveal my face later after seeing how things played out.
"It has been a long time, Demon Lord."
The Smiling Demon nodded, his eyes cold.
I remembered who the man was. Im Ho, a wealthy man of Guizhou.
Originally, Guizhou was the territory assigned to the Smiling Demon. The Eight Demon Lords were each responsible for the business in their respective regions, involving themselves in or directly operating merchant groups, escort agencies, iron workshops, pavilions, and taverns. Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who seemed to do nothing but read books, had a region he was responsible for.
Im Ho was the leader of the Daeho Merchant Group, which represented Guizhou, and he was a staunch supporter of the Smiling Demon.
"You look like you've lost weight."
At that blunt remark, Im Ho bowed deeply.
"I have lost some weight recently. Thank you so much for noticing."
The Smiling Demon gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you."
Im Ho was terrified, yet deeply moved.
Lee An sent me a message via Voice Transmission.
— Did you see him pat his shoulder just now? Not slapping his face or crushing his shoulder? I thought he was a different person.
— If the Smiling Demon were merely the mad slaughterer the rumors say he is, he wouldn't have made it into the Eight Demon Lords. Watch closely how he treats and handles people. Whether it's something to learn from or a cautionary tale, it will surely help you when you lead the Ghost Shadow Squad in the future.
— Yes, Young Master.
There were many faces behind that mask. There would be faces I had seen before, and new faces emerging from meeting the current me.
Im Ho asked the Smiling Demon, "Would you like to eat first?"
"It's fine. I'll see the unit leaders first."
"Yes, then please come this way."
Im Ho didn't ask a single thing about me. He likely guessed I wasn't an ordinary subordinate since I got off the carriage with the Demon Lord, but he didn't dare ask for an introduction. That alone showed how much he feared the Smiling Demon.
Of course, that didn't mean Im Ho lacked guts or was a coward. He was a man who ran a merchant group in partnership with the Demonic Cult. Among merchants, he might be considered a 'Smiling Demon' himself.
Im Ho led us to the main hall.
Inside, about twenty people were waiting; they were all individuals who ran merchant groups of various sizes here in Guizhou.
As the Smiling Demon entered, they all prostrated themselves in unison.
"We greet the Great Demon Lord."
The Smiling Demon took the seat of honor.
One of the merchant leaders stood up and approached him, respectfully presenting a ledger. It seemed to be a ritual they always performed when the Smiling Demon visited.
The Smiling Demon slowly flipped through the pages.
Watching this, Lee An sent another Voice Transmission.
— I didn't know the Smiling Demon knew how to read ledgers.
— He doesn't.
— What?
— Blue Face, standing behind him, is relaying the contents via Voice Transmission. He's the smartest and quickest with numbers in Villain Valley. That's why he's the Smiling Demon's right-hand man.
— Ah, I see.
The Smiling Demon didn't just ask about the ledgers; he was well-versed in the personal lives of the merchant leaders. He apologized for not being able to attend a son's wedding and offered condolences to someone who had recently suffered a loss.
— So Blue Face tells him all of that too?
— No, the Smiling Demon remembers everything he was reported on.
— Really? He remembers all that and says those things? The Smiling Demon?
In my past life, I had realized one thing. Truly evil people are meticulous.
While it's not a universal rule, the great villains I encountered were all thorough. They had keen observation skills and excellent memories.
On the other hand, the great heroes of the Orthodox Faction I met were not meticulous. They were forgetful. They considered it a natural consequence of focusing on the 'Greater Good,' but I believed they were already losing to the villains because of it. A vague sense of justice cannot defeat the meticulousness of someone who counts every penny.
Meanwhile, the Smiling Demon finished his brief interviews with each of the merchant leaders. Though they feared him, they were moved that he remembered and mentioned their daily lives.
— This brief meeting, held every year, will keep those people bound to him for ten or twenty years. When the Smiling Demon asks about their family's well-being with a smile, how could they dare to betray him?
— That's terrifying.
— Yes, that's what makes him scary.
Once the greetings were over, Im Ho stepped forward to report on behalf of the group.
"As you have seen, our income has decreased significantly over the past two years. The reason is the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group."
The Hundred Precepts Merchant Group, newly established in Guizhou, had grown faster than any other. Behind them was the active support of the Unorthodox Path Alliance.
This had all started because the Smiling Demon had slaughtered warriors of the Unorthodox Path Alliance. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had not officially apologized or compensated the Alliance for that incident. Instead, they had appeased them by grounding the Smiling Demon.
However, the Unorthodox Path Alliance felt that wasn't enough. As a form of retaliation, they had established the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group in the Smiling Demon's territory and were blatantly stealing his income.
Since the Smiling Demon was being punished by the Heavenly Demon, he couldn't start a fight and had to watch them expand their territory for the past two years. In the meantime, the dissatisfaction of his affiliated merchant groups had only grown.
The Smiling Demon didn't comment on the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group, as if he were already well aware of the issue.
"Now that I can move personally, do not worry too much."
Only then did the merchant leaders' faces brighten with joy.
With those words, the Smiling Demon ended the meeting. He knew better than anyone that such gatherings could become targets for enemies. Meetings were to be kept secret and brief.
As he climbed back into the carriage, the Smiling Demon spoke to Blue Face.
"To the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group."
"Yes, sir!"
The carriage began to move.
I remarked casually to the Smiling Demon, "You were quite kind to the merchant leaders. I thought you were the Benevolent Smiling Demon, not the Extreme Evil one."
"Aren't they the ones who make money for me? If a few kind words make them earn even more, why would I treat them coldly?"
His words were a stark contrast to the Black Path thugs who harassed merchants and stole their money. Truly evil people were like this—choking the life out of their opponents while smiling, making them suffer continuously in a pleasant atmosphere.
"Even their name is wrong. 'Hundred Precepts,' as in 'punishing one to warn a hundred'? I intend to go to the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group and show them why I was given the title 'Extreme Evil'."
When I didn't respond, he spoke again.
"Aren't you worried? Do you think I won't be able to kill them all? Are you thinking, 'His restriction was just lifted, surely he won't kill them'?"
"No. I can feel that you are very angry right now, Lord Smiling Demon. The air inside the carriage has already changed."
"Then why aren't you stopping me? If trouble breaks out at the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group, the Second Young Master is the one who has to take responsibility."
"Lord Smiling Demon, please stop the carriage. Calm your anger and let's go somewhere else."
"I refuse."
"I knew you would. That's why I've been contemplating how to stop you."
"You'll have to think very hard."
With that, the Smiling Demon leaned back and closed his eyes.
I let out a deliberate sigh for him to hear, but my gaze as I looked out the window was incredibly calm. The night was deep, but the Jianghu did not sleep.