Chapter 130: You Are the Very Definition of Prejudice
Chapter 130: You Are the Very Definition of Prejudice
Silence fell.
It was a silence far too long and heavy for two people to endure in such a small space.
The liquor I had brought was the exact same vintage he had sought just before his death. It was sold at a small brewery near the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but no one knew why he had specifically craved this of all things. The Drunken Demon had died after drinking this very liquor.
“Why did you buy that liquor?”
His voice trembled as much as his eyes. Judging by his reaction, I was certain there was a story behind this drink. I feigned ignorance and offered a casual excuse.
“Because I was in a foul mood. You seemed to be expecting some legendary vintage, so I just stopped by a random place and picked this up. If you sent me an empty bottle to test me, you should have been prepared for common swill from the neighborhood. Didn't I tell you how I felt when I received that empty bottle?”
At my reply that I had bought it without much thought, the Drunken Demon stared at me for a moment, his gaze trying to pierce through my facade.
“What is it? Was I not supposed to buy this?”
To reduce suspicion, one must counter-question. Instead of avoiding the subject, one must dig deeper. One must ask openly.
“Does this liquor have some kind of special meaning?”
When I met his gaze with an even more suspicious look, the Drunken Demon subtly shifted the topic.
“You’ve got quite a temper.”
“Who doesn't? Everyone just lives their lives holding it in.”
The Drunken Demon relaxed his upright posture and leaned back against the headrest again.
“You said you understood the heart of someone lost in drink? How?”
“I was lost in it once myself.”
At that, he gave an overt snort of laughter.
“So, a young drunkard doesn't count as a real one?”
It was a follow-up to my previous retort about whether a young person's story didn't count as a story.
“I understand. It’s an age where everything is intense.”
“Don't mock me.”
“I’m not mocking you. I’m saying age is something you can’t help. I don’t want to act like one of those obnoxious seniors who puts on airs and tries to lecture people.”
“You’re doing exactly that right now.”
“That’s why I said age is something you can’t help, isn't it? If you’re angry, drink that liquor.”
Having said that, he gulped down his own drink as if he were the one who was angry.
“Dammit!”
He slammed the cup down. The force caused it to shatter. When he raised his hand, the broken shards floated into the air and flew into a corner. A heap of broken cups was already piled there.
The Drunken Demon poured himself a fresh cup and spoke.
“I told you to have a drink too.”
“I am angry, but I won't drink.”
“Why?”
“Because I came here today with the intention of staying sober. If I drink while dealing with the Drunken Demon, what do you think the result would be?”
“That’s a plausible thought, but have you considered the opposite? How can you deal with the Drunken Demon without drinking?”
“Then promise me one thing. That today, we will just drink.”
“Shouldn't I be the one saying that? Please don't get drunk and start asking me for favors.”
“Fine.”
I drank the liquor I brought straight from the bottle. Even a small sip made my throat burn.
“It’s strong. Would you like to try some?”
The Drunken Demon shook his head. I walked toward him with the bottle in hand and sat across from him at the low table.
“I need to eat snacks when I drink.”
“A drunkard with no sense of style.”
“Health comes before style. Besides, I’m not a drunkard.”
I pulled out a silver needle and checked the food for poison. The Drunken Demon flared up at the sight.
“Do I look like the kind of person who feeds his guests poisoned food?”
“That’s why I’m checking, isn't it? To see if you’re that kind of person or not.”
The Drunken Demon snatched up the food I was about to check and shoved it into his mouth.
“What do you take me for? There’s nothing like that! Just eat!”
“I don't want to. How can I trust you?”
When I stuck the silver needle into another dish, he ate that one first as well.
“Trust me! I loathe people who spike liquor or food with poison or drugs! I’m the type to chew those people up alive.”
I spoke calmly to the fuming man.
“You’re quite good at eating snacks. Keep eating like that from now on. Think of the effort the person who made them put in. Are the snacks flowers? Are you just going to stare at them?”
To be honest, I had come and eaten the snacks specifically to say this. There was likely no one else around him who would dare tell the Drunken Demon to eat.
My friend, if you keep going like this, you’ll die from your drinking. You love liquor so much and take such pride in it—you can’t let it be the death of you, can you?
This was a separate issue from whether he would take my side or my brother's. Even if he committed evil deeds and died by my hand, I would rather he die by the blade. If a person loves and enjoys one thing their entire life, wouldn't it be too miserable if that very thing killed them?
If he could see his future self, I was certain of one thing: he would take his own life.
“Now, let’s have a toast.”
“I won't drink if you don't eat.”
“Fine! Are you satisfied now?!”
“Good.”
We drank together. He drank even as he gave off the impression that he couldn't handle much more. He grew increasingly intoxicated. In the midst of it, I unfailingly deployed my Flattery Divine Art.
“You are the most handsome among the Eight Demon Lords.”
“That is something anyone would admit.”
The art of flattery requires a push and pull. After saying something good, you must say something bad for the compliment to shine. Like this:
“To be honest, you’re so statuesque that it actually creates a sense of distance.”
“Tell the women of the world that. Tell them to please keep their distance from me.”
“Ah! I can't stand this. I need to drink.”
Who in the world would hate being called handsome? The Drunken Demon drank happily.
“Once upon a time... women were literally lined up. Can you imagine an Orthodox heroine and an Unorthodox master fighting over me? Ah, I really miss those days.”
Suddenly caught up in the mood, he stood up and stripped off his upper garment. Then, before I could stop him, he threw himself into the lake.
He swam around like a madman for a long time before climbing back up to the pavilion. His body, dripping with water, was lean and muscular, but it was covered in scars.
Come to think of it, I had never seen the bodies of the other Demon Lords. They likely had similar scars, wouldn't they? Just as my body had been ruined while gathering materials for the Great Regression Art, these were the scars demanded by their positions.
“Ah, that sobered me up a bit. Now, let’s start drinking again.”
He returned far too composed for it to be called a drunken habit. He loosely threw his clothes back on and began to drink again. I drank slowly. He drank incessantly, but he didn't force me to keep up. I truly appreciated that one thing.
“Shall I tell you honestly why I called you?”
“Please do.”
The Drunken Demon gave a truly unexpected reason.
“Because no one seeks me out. Why do neither the First Young Master nor you look for me? You go around meeting the other Demon Lords just fine. Do you look down on me? Is that it?”
“If I did, I wouldn't have visited you today.”
“Then why? Spare me the nonsense about the protagonist appearing last.”
“If I had to give a reason, it’s because I felt like you were someone far removed from the succession struggle, Lord Drunken Demon.”
“Me?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Entirely. What does my love for liquor have to do with my struggle to stay relevant in the Cult’s power dynamics? Aren't they completely separate things? What? If you like liquor, you have to be a people person, have no ambition, and no greed? Who decided that?”
“It seems that was another prejudice of mine. You truly are the very definition of prejudice.”
“Ugh, what a tiresome world.”
The Drunken Demon drank again. Whether he was happy, angry, or feeling any emotion at all, he drank. Drinking like this, it was only natural that he would die from it.
After a few more cups, I asked the question I had been saving.
“Did you send a liquor bottle to my brother as well?”
“I did.”
“Did he come to see you?”
The Drunken Demon shook his head.
“He sent this instead.”
He reached out, and a box from the corner flew into his hand. When I opened the box, it contained the exact same liquor bottle he had sent me. But the bottle was shattered.
“Do you know what I thought when I saw this?”
“I do.”
“You do? What was I thinking?”
“'What the hell does this bastard think he’s doing?'”
When I repeated the words I had said upon seeing the empty bottle, the Drunken Demon drank, finding it hilarious.
“The Second Young Master is fun. How about we become sworn brothers? Having a fun younger brother like you would be absolutely fantastic.”
“I wish my own brother felt that way.”
The Drunken Demon laughed even louder and drank.
I felt a sense of confusion. Since three Demon Lords were already interacting with me, my brother should be desperate for even one. Yet he had so blatantly rejected the Drunken Demon’s overture? If this was true, I had to find out why he made such a choice. There had to be a reason.
“That’s an uncharacteristic reaction from my brother.”
“It might be that you’re misjudging the First Young Master.”
“There’s no one who knows him better than I do.”
“Listen, Second Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know? Those closest to you are the ones who see you the least clearly.”
He tried to say something profound, but he spilled his drink in the process. Perhaps feeling embarrassed, he tried to go for another swim.
“I need to sober up. Those arrogant little fish! They probably have a lot of prejudices against me too. I’m going to go teach them a lesson.”
I stopped him as he stood up, wobbling.
“That’s enough. I have to go now.”
Honestly, I wanted to drink more. Was it because I was drinking with the Drunken Demon? Or was it because the liquor worm sleeping inside me had awakened? I enjoyed this drinking session. However, because this was a seat with one of the people I had to be most careful of in the Murim, I intended to end it after finishing the liquor I had brought.
“I’ll be taking my leave for today.”
Unable to steady himself, the Drunken Demon leaned against the headrest and asked me.
“Will you drink with me again?”
“Whenever you call.”
“We should be sworn brothers, right?”
Instead of answering, I asked him a question. It was the very question Yeo-bin had mentioned.
“Lord Drunken Demon, when was the liquor you drank the most delicious and enjoyable?”
I believed this question was an excellent way to catch a glimpse of what kind of person he was. An unexpected answer followed.
“Now.”
“You mean our drink today? I’m honored.”
“Our Second Young Master certainly has big dreams.”
The Drunken Demon stared at the lake with unfocused eyes.
“The liquor I’m drinking right now is always the most delicious. Whether I’m drinking alone or with a stranger passing by. The liquor I drink at this very moment is the best. Even if an assassin comes to kill me after you leave, the drink I share with him will be the most delicious.”
With that, the Drunken Demon emptied his final cup. Perhaps the intoxication had finally peaked, as he closed his eyes while leaning back almost horizontally. He waved me away, his speech slurred.
“What memories could there be... in liquor that has already left as urine? Get going.”
With those words, he fell asleep. I turned and left quietly.
Yeo-bin, the Third Division Drunkard who had greeted me earlier, rowed the ferry. When we were about halfway across the lake, I looked back.
The Drunken Demon, unable to support himself, was draped over the pavilion railing like laundry, watching me. It was a distance where his expression shouldn't have been visible, but thanks to my New Eye Technique, I could see his face clearly. His face was flushed red to the point of bursting, but his eyes... were indifferent.
It was a gaze so hollow it made me wonder what all the drinking, jokes, and time we had just shared were for.
He wasn't as easygoing as the One Flower Sword Venerable had felt, nor was he as unpleasant as the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon had felt. He seemed like a drunkard yet wasn't, and he seemed easy to handle yet wasn't.
I still didn't quite know what kind of person the Drunken Demon was.
* * *
After leaving the Great Drunken Forest, I went straight to see the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He was immersed in his blade training again today.
“Why are you so focused on training lately?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon plunged the Heaven Extermination Great Blade he was swinging into the ground and leaned against it. His body was drenched in sweat.
“You might believe you can end the succession struggle without bloodshed, but I do not.”
It meant a bloody battle might break out.
“Are you going to fight for me?”
“I’m fighting for myself.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
“I drank with the Drunken Demon.”
“With the Drunken Demon?”
“Yes. He approached me first.”
I wondered how the Drunken Demon appeared in the eyes of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“The Drunken Demon is a sinister man. Do not get close to him.”
A sinister man. Another facet of the Drunken Demon was being revealed.
“Why do you only associate with such bad sorts?”
“Is there anyone who isn't bad?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon only smacked his lips.
“If you had to choose between the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon and the Drunken Demon, who would it be?”
He couldn't easily pick one.
“Is he really that sinister?”
“I hate those lost in drink. They’re one way when drunk and another when sober. Drunken habits, being a nuisance, shameless memory loss. The one standing at the extreme of that madness is the Drunken Demon.”
But that wasn't the only reason the Blood Heaven Blade Demon disliked him.
“Have you ever seen him when he was sober?”
“No, I haven't.”
“Neither have I. Probably no one has. That is why he is a sinister man.”
The decisive reason why the Blood Heaven Blade Demon disliked him came out.
“He has never once shown himself in a state that wasn't intoxicated.”
Was his drunken self his true self? Or was he real when he was sober?
“Be careful. The sinister one has begun to move.”
I didn't know with what intention he had sent me that liquor bottle. But perhaps, Drunken Demon, the time has finally come for you to sober up at least once in your life.