Chapter 128: If You Could Only Ask One Question
Chapter 128: If You Could Only Ask One Question
Seo Dae-ryong led Jang Ho toward the Pungryu Tavern.
“Didn’t we agree to hold off on our drinking sessions until that martial artist returned?” Jang Ho asked.
“We did.”
“Then why are we going now?”
Work wasn't even over yet, but Seo Dae-ryong was practically dragging him along, insisting they had to go. Since this was unprecedented, Jang Ho followed without much resistance.
Though their drinking sessions had been suspended in Lee An’s absence, the two men had shared many conversations before then. Their initial awkwardness and discomfort had given way to a genuine friendship by the time she left.
“There’s someone I want to introduce to you today, Commander Jang.”
“Who?”
“You’ll see when we get there. They are important to me, so I really wanted to introduce them to you.”
“I see.”
Jang Ho caught a glimpse of a boyish, mischievous glint in Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes. However, since Seo had never played a prank on him before, Jang Ho couldn't imagine what kind of meeting this was supposed to be.
The two of them stepped into the Pungryu Tavern. The innkeeper, Jo Chun-bae, greeted them warmly.
“Ah, it’s been a while. If I’d known you two were coming, I would have saved your usual spot.”
At their regular table on the second floor, a woman wearing a veil sat with her back to them.
“It’s fine,” Seo Dae-ryong said, leading Jang Ho upstairs toward the woman.
Wine and a few simple snacks were already served, but her face remained obscured by the veil. As Seo Dae-ryong took a seat across from her, Jang Ho realized this woman was the person he was meant to meet.
Is this the woman the Second Young Master mentioned?
He recalled the Second Young Master teasing Seo Dae-ryong about a junior he liked. But if she were an investigator from the Huangquan Pavilion, she wouldn't be meeting him while wearing a veil, would she? Especially not at an introduction like this.
While Jang Ho was wondering, the veiled woman spoke first.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Commander Jang.”
It was, of course, Lee An. She was disguising her voice again. In that moment, Jang Ho recognized her instantly.
“Martial Artist Lee?”
Both Lee An and Seo Dae-ryong were caught off guard.
“How did you know it was me?” Lee An asked, surprised.
Jang Ho hesitated for a moment before answering softly.
“I am very sensitive to sound. I recognize the unique characteristics of a person’s voice and intonation quite well. No matter how much a voice I’ve heard often is disguised, I can still hear the original beneath it.”
“Ah!” Lee An and Seo Dae-ryong let out a simultaneous exclamation.
“The reason I was able to become a Demon Monarch was because this sensitivity to sound was a great help in my martial arts training and in actual combat. This is the first time I’ve ever revealed this.”
He had also revealed his childhood dream of being a painter for the first time in front of Seo Dae-ryong. When they first started drinking together, Jang Ho never imagined he would share his personal history like this. He had only started joining them because they were close to Geom Mu-geuk and he figured it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms, but now he found himself telling them everything.
Lee An removed her veil.
“It’s been a long time, Commander Jang.”
“Welcome back, Martial Artist Lee,” Jang Ho greeted her warmly.
Watching this, Seo Dae-ryong was inwardly impressed. Even in the face of Lee An’s striking beauty, Jang Ho didn't waver in the slightest. Compared to him, hadn't Seo himself made the biggest fuss in the world when he first saw her?
How can he be so composed?
He had even worried that Lee An might feel embarrassed by the lack of reaction. Of course, Lee An didn't mind at all. In fact, she looked more comfortable because Jang Ho treated her exactly as he always had.
“Alright! Today is on me, so order whatever you want!”
The three of them shared many stories. Naturally, Lee An was the star of the day. She talked about the difficulty of the Body Poison Purification Technique, the things that happened during her journey, and how interesting it was to see a wedding for the first time.
Seo Dae-ryong and Jang Ho listened, chiming in with questions. When she stepped away for a moment, Seo Dae-ryong turned to Jang Ho.
“Commander Jang. Isn't the change in Martial Artist Lee incredible?”
“It is. She has become very beautiful.”
“Is that all?”
“Pardon? Should there be something else?”
“No, it’s just… you don't seem very surprised. I almost suspected the two of you had met beforehand and were just teasing me.”
“That’s impossible. It’s not like that.”
Seo Dae-ryong lowered his voice conspiratorially. “You don't have to hold back on my account. It’s just us.”
She’s pretty, right? Please, just say she’s pretty! The sentiment was written all over Seo Dae-ryong’s face, and Jang Ho finally let out a laugh. They had reached a point where the word "us" felt natural.
“I don't know if this will sound offensive to her, but I don't place much importance on a person’s appearance. Perhaps it’s because of the scar on my own face. I feel like a man with a face like mine has no right to judge others.”
Moved by Jang Ho’s sincerity, Seo Dae-ryong shared a long-held thought.
“That scar of yours, Commander Jang… it’s cool.”
“Cool? It’s hideous.”
“No, it really is cool. Seriously. Sell it to me!”
At that, Jang Ho reached for his dagger without hesitation. “I can make you one exactly like it.”
Seo Dae-ryong jumped back in shock, stopping him. “Whoa, what are you doing?!”
“Then be honest. Tell me it’s hideous.”
“It’s cool because it has a story behind it. I’m saying I’d buy the story along with it.”
“There’s no great story. I was just wounded while fighting enemies.”
“To a martial artist, that is a great story. I don't want to get scarred by a friend’s dagger while drinking.”
Seo Dae-ryong didn't even realize he had used the word "friend."
“Let’s have a drink,” Jang Ho said, raising his glass.
Regardless of what Seo Dae-ryong thought, Jang Ho felt comfortable here. He had to maintain a perfectly composed front before the Demon Army, but coming here allowed him to finally let go of the tension and rest.
Just then, Lee An returned. “Where was I?”
Jang Ho smiled at her. “Martial Artist Lee, the night is long. You can start from the beginning if you like.”
*
At that same hour, I was meeting with the One Flower Sword Venerable. And I heard something unexpected from her.
“I know the Drunken Demon well.”
Surprisingly, the One Flower Sword Venerable had a personal acquaintance with him.
“We drink together occasionally. We actually had a drink just a few days ago.”
“A few days ago?”
“He comes to see me every now and then for a drink.”
It was an image that was hard to conjure at first, but on second thought, it made sense for the Eight Demon Lords to have their own circles of interaction.
“What kind of person is the Drunken Demon?”
“A pleasant person to drink with.”
Unlike the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, the One Flower Sword Venerable gave him a generous review.
“How long have you been close?”
“I’m not sure. Since when was it? It feels like it’s been quite a while. We just became friends while drinking.”
“What is his personality like?”
“He’s easygoing.”
If he were truly an easygoing person, the Smiling Demon wouldn't have described him the way he did. In other words, the Drunken Demon showed completely different sides of himself depending on who he was with.
“Could a Demon Lord really be easygoing? He must be hiding his claws.”
“Perhaps. But why are you asking about him?”
“One of his people caused trouble recently. The Huangquan Pavilion locked him up, but I thought the Drunken Demon might make a move.”
“And you’re looking for an excuse to move against him, Second Young Master?”
“You’re sharp as always. The Drunken Demon is the only one who hasn't chosen a side between my brother and me.”
The One Flower Sword Venerable stared at me for a moment, then smiled. “I haven't chosen a side either, have I? I haven't officially decided to stand with you yet.”
I knew her heart, so I responded with a bit of exaggeration. “Ah! And here I was, firmly believing you were on my side.”
“Of course, I like our Second Young Master. Honestly, comparing you to the First Young Master doesn't even make sense. But being close is a private matter, while the issue of the successor is a public one, isn't it?”
“I understand.”
“Don't be upset, though. It’s not like I’m choosing the First Young Master either.”
“I could never be upset with you, Senior. No, I can’t be.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you remember what I told you when we first met? I threw a bit of a tantrum, telling you to prove that you were more helpful to me than the Elder Blade Demon.”
A faint smile touched her lips. She clearly remembered.
“Now it’s your turn. You should say, ‘Prove to me that you are more helpful than the First Young Master!’”
The fact that she hadn't reacted that way was proof enough that she viewed me with favor.
“I told you back then. I despise people who try to win the hearts of their subordinates or juniors for free using things like dreams, ideals, or loyalty. I have no intention of winning your heart with such things. I must fulfill your wishes while simultaneously proving that I have the qualities of a Heavenly Demon.”
A look of admiration crossed her face at my words.
“Indeed! I’ve chosen my sparring friend well.”
Bringing up sparring at this moment meant that sparring was among the things she desired. She still possessed a burning desire to become stronger.
“I look forward to the day we spar again.”
*
After meeting the One Flower Sword Venerable, I returned to my quarters.
Go Wol, who usually stayed with me, wasn't home. He had left the Cult to carry out my order to create an information organization like the Tongcheon Pavilion. Several missives from him had arrived. They were reports that he was traveling throughout the Central Plains with the funds I gave him to establish a network.
I wasn't worried about him. As if to prove he wasn't someone I needed to worry about, he had gone out with the Pungcheon Cult Leader. Imagining the two of them bickering while carrying out this task brought a smile to my face.
Lee An dropped by later that night. I expected her to be quite drunk, but she was more sober than I thought.
“I talked so much that I sobered right up.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“They say a journey isn't about leaving, but about coming back. After talking my head off to those two, I feel like my journey is finally complete.”
Whether it was because of the opening of her Conception and Governing Vessels or some realization she had gained, she felt distinctly different from before she left the Cult.
“I made a resolution during this trip. It might sound a bit arrogant, but since I’ve brought it up, I’ll tell you. While I appreciated the attention I received, it was also a huge burden. I concluded that the only way to escape that burden is to become truly strong.”
Lee An was determined to train fiercely again. With that kind of effort, I believed she would eventually achieve whatever she set her mind to.
“But I won't just shut myself away in the training grounds. I’ll read a lot of books like the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and meet people. I won't just make my martial arts stronger; I’ll make myself stronger as a person. That’s the only way I’ll be able to make Blue Face and Seo Jin my team leaders, right? They won't follow me just because my martial arts are strong.”
I believed she would become a true master. Because the direction of her effort was aimed at becoming a true master of herself.
In martial arts, talent and effort are important. The technique matters, and the master matters. Practical experience is vital. But the moment martial arts, pushed to the extreme, cross a certain threshold, she will realize what I did.
That the end of martial studies is ultimately a battle of what kind of person you are.
I considered the process of meeting and persuading the Demon Lords as part of the process of becoming stronger. I even considered the effort to stop Gwi Ryeongja’s marriage as part of that process.
Truly understanding someone is nearly impossible. However, I had finally realized that the wider your understanding of people and the world becomes, the closer you get to the essence of martial intent.
“Well, I’ll be going now. I’m sober, but my head is throbbing.”
As she turned to leave, I called out to her.
“Lee An.”
“Yes?”
“Suppose you ended up having a drink with the Drunken Demon.”
“Suddenly? With the Drunken Demon Lord?”
“You’re quite the legend in the world of drinkers yourself, aren't you?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I want to know what kind of person he is, but you can only ask one question. What would you ask?”
Lee An seemed to think it over for a moment before coming up with an answer.
“He must have had so many drinks in his life. If that’s the case, I would ask him this.”
Lee An spoke as if the Drunken Demon were standing right in front of her.
“When, and with whom, was the most delicious drink you’ve ever had?”