Chapter 139: Punishment for a Cowardly Drunkard!
Chapter 139: Punishment for a Cowardly Drunkard!
The Drunken Demon was fast asleep, dead to the world. He had put away so much liquor that he didn't even register my arrival.
"Lord Drunken Demon! Hey, Drunken Demon!"
I called out to him several times, but he didn't budge. At times like this, he was a drunkard through and through. Without further ado, I scooped him up and hurled him straight into the lake.
Splash!
I waited for a good while, but the Drunken Demon didn't resurface.
"I swear, he’ll be the death of me!"
I sighed and dove into the lake myself.
The Drunken Demon was sinking toward the bottom like a weighted corpse. I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back to the surface.
"Wake up!"
Only then did he crack his eyes open and recognize me.
"Second Young Master...?"
I climbed onto the boat first. The Drunken Demon didn't follow; he simply floated on his back, staring blankly up at the sky.
"Aren't you coming up?"
"I'll stay here."
"Are you going through some late-blooming rebellious phase? I can't stand to watch this. At least you're handsome enough to make the sight somewhat tolerable."
"Stop staring at my handsome face and just give me some wine."
"Are you going to show me the divine feat of drinking while treading water? Which of the Drunken Demon's secret arts is that?"
When I refused to hand him a bottle, he reached out a hand. A bottle from the boat flew through the air, pulled by an invisible force, and landed in his grip. He began to guzzle it down while still floating on his back.
"The rumors are true, aren't they?"
The Drunken Demon didn't answer.
"What on earth happened?"
As if he didn't want to face the question, he paddled away from the boat while remaining flat on the water. I grabbed the oars and rowed after him.
"I told you to make up with him, and you go and challenge him to a duel? That’s basically picking a fight with me, isn't it? Get out of the water. Let's settle this ourselves."
"It wasn't my fault. It was that old man. He threw away the wine I gave him as a gift. He did it right in the front yard for everyone to see, too."
The Drunken Demon, sensitive to smells, had realized the wine had been discarded immediately. Things had gone south from the very start.
"And do you know what that old man said to me after that?"
The Drunken Demon sat up. He tipped the empty wine bottle over and sat on top of it. Neither the bottle nor the man sank an inch.
"He asked if I enjoyed living in a drunken escape from reality. He called me the most pathetic of all the Demon Lords. So I asked him—isn't there a senior here who lives in an escape from reality even when he's sober? I asked him which of us was truly more pathetic."
"The two of you are exactly the same. You're like children. How very 'mature' of you both."
"He started it!"
"And?"
"I was going to leave it at that. But then he started comparing me."
"To the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, I assume."
The Drunken Demon nodded and began to mimic the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s gruff voice.
"You're worse than that masked fellow. At least the masked fellow only hides his face, not his heart."
His impression was uncanny; if I closed my eyes, it almost sounded like the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was standing right there.
"How dare he compare me! And to the Smiling Demon of all people! I almost lost my mind."
"And then?"
"What do you mean, 'and then'? I was pissed, so I hit back. I told him I was better than a timid man who spends his whole life suffering over one woman."
I shook my head, looking exasperated.
"You didn't just touch his reverse scale; you ripped it right out."
"If that old man has dragon scales, then what am I? Fish scales? He touched mine first!"
Splash. The Drunken Demon dove back into the water. He must have gone all the way to the bottom, as he didn't resurface for a long time.
When he finally poked his head out, I told him, "Just go and apologize. If he curses at you, just grit your teeth and take it. He won't insist on fighting if you're there to make amends."
"I don't want to. If anyone's apologizing, it should be him."
"Then you'll have to fight."
"I don't want to do that either!"
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I don't know!"
The Drunken Demon swam away again. Instead of chasing him, I rowed in the opposite direction. Seeing this, he immediately swam after me.
"The reason I'm trying not to fight the Blade Demon is because of you."
"Because of me?"
Then, words I never expected flowed from his mouth.
"Because if we fight, the Blade Demon you like so much will die."
Leaving him and his suddenly serious expression behind, I rowed even faster.
"I don't believe the words of a drunkard."
The Drunken Demon's voice echoed from behind me.
"I'm telling you, he'll die!"
"I heard you, so sober up and wait for me. I'm going to see the Elder Blade Demon. If you're still drunk when I get back, you're dead!"
*
After leaving the Great Drunken Forest, I went straight to see the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
He was training again today. His forms were rougher and more aggressive than usual. Judging by the atmosphere, it felt like the eve of a decisive battle.
"What are you training so hard for? It's just one drunkard."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sheathed his blade and sat on a rock in the yard. He was drenched in sweat.
"What happens if the unwritten rule that Demon Lords shouldn't fight each other is broken?"
"Nothing happens."
"You mean there are no sanctions?"
"Correct."
"Then why hasn't the rule been broken?"
"Because everyone knows that one person will surely die. There's a high chance of dying in battle, and even if you survive, your life as a Demon Lord is over. Who would follow a leader who lost to another Demon Lord?"
"You know that, and yet you're still going through with this duel?"
"Why? Are you worried I'll be kicked out of my position?"
"You've lived as a Demon Lord your whole life. It won't be easy to live as an ordinary demonic practitioner."
Then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said something unexpected.
"Do you think I'm the kind of fool who would wager my position as a Demon Lord over that devious fellow?"
"Then why are you trying to fight?"
"It's for your sake."
Coincidentally, both of them were claiming to act for my sake. One wouldn't fight for me, and the other would fight for me.
"The reason he's suddenly acting so kind to me is obviously because of you. You told him to make up with me, didn't you? I knew that and provoked him on purpose."
"I heard the Drunken Demon mentioned the Sword Venerable?"
"What does that matter? Everyone thinks the Sword Venerable is some great weakness of mine, but that's not really the case. In fact, at my age, one even learns to use their weaknesses."
"So you didn't challenge him out of anger, but with intention."
"Yes. I thought you could make use of this confrontation. If a problem like this arises, you'll naturally intervene. Wouldn't that make it easier for you to handle him?"
"You thought that far ahead?"
"Did I misjudge?"
"No. You did well."
"I will follow your lead on this matter. If you tell me to fight, I'll fight. If you tell me not to, I won't. This isn't my fight; it's yours."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had seen through to the essence of the situation. I was the one who wanted them to reconcile, and I was the one trying to mediate now. In the end, the Blade Demon had realized from the start that this was a matter between me and the Drunken Demon. He had likely even anticipated that I would come to see him like this.
"Don't expect me to make up with him. However, I understand that you need him. If it were anyone else, I would have stopped them to the end, but if it's you, perhaps you can even embrace that devious man. I've decided to trust you, not the Drunken Demon. So, use this opportunity to bring him to heel."
A thought suddenly occurred to me. I must never lose any fight from now on. How could I lose when a man like this was standing by my side?
So many things I wanted to say to him came to mind, but I swallowed them all.
"Thank you truly."
As I bowed politely and turned to leave, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke softly from behind.
"I have to earn the price of that tonic you gave me."
You're doing much more than earning the price of a tonic; you're paying back an elixir, I thought.
*
"I guess you didn't want to die after all."
In the meantime, the Drunken Demon had sobered up and was waiting at the Drunken Dream Pavilion, dressed in fresh clothes.
"What did that old man say? I'm sure you took his side."
"It doesn't matter what the Elder Blade Demon said."
"What? Why? Did he insult me again? He did, didn't he?"
"This is a matter between you and me, Lord Drunken Demon. This whole thing started because of my request for you to reconcile with him."
"I tried."
"This incident has made me realize one thing for certain: reconciliation between the two of you is impossible. This is strictly a matter between you and me. We should settle it ourselves."
"And how do you propose we settle it?"
I set down the wine bottles I had brought.
The Drunken Demon asked in surprise, "You want to settle it with wine?"
"Let's drink until we drop. Who needs snacks?"
The Drunken Demon stared at me blankly before bursting into laughter. It was the most boisterous laugh I had heard from him since we met.
"Good! Now that's what I'm talking about! This is why I like you, Second Young Master!"
The Drunken Demon called for Yeo-bin.
"Bring the wine! Bring every bottle I've been saving!"
I began to drink with the Drunken Demon.
A while ago, for the first time, I had sparred with my father without any restrictions. This drinking session was the same. Until now, I had been careful not to make mistakes while drinking. But today, I just drank. I returned to the days when I lived as a ronin, lost in the bottle.
"You drink so well. How did you hold back all this time?"
"The Cult can't have two Drunken Demons, can it?"
The Drunken Demon roared with laughter at my words. As I drank with full intent, he looked like he was having the time of his life.
Drinking in this pavilion had a different charm than drinking on a boat. The Drunken Demon talked about everything, from the women he met in his youth to badmouthing the other Demon Lords. I didn't hide my inner thoughts either, telling him stories about how my older brother bullied me as a child and stories about my father.
We grew increasingly intoxicated.
Though I drank boldly, my tolerance couldn't match the Drunken Demon's. He was drinking twice as much as I was.
"Ah, now I see why you dive into that lake, Lord Drunken Demon."
I dove into the lake myself. After a quick swim, I felt like I could breathe again.
"That lake is my snack," he joked.
"I'll be drinking slowly from now on."
"Stop drinking. You've had plenty."
"Do you know what? The coolest thing about you is that you don't force people to drink."
"Is that really the coolest thing about me?"
"What do you mean, 'really'? Do you know how cool that is? It's because it's you, the Drunken Demon, that makes it truly great. Ah, I'm drunk."
I sprawled out on the floor.
The Drunken Demon didn't scold me for my rudeness. He continued to drink, and I lay there listening to his stories. It was a situation some might find unbearable, as he spent a lot of time bragging about himself. But I didn't find his boasting offensive. Honestly, it was entertaining.
As we drank, I made a suggestion.
"Shall we have an arm-wrestling match?"
"Arm-wrestling? Using internal energy?"
"Without it, of course. A battle between men. What do you say?"
"Fine. But it's no fun without a stake. Let's make a bet. The winner gets a wish."
"A wish for a mere arm-wrestling match?"
"This is a real battle. Imagine our Cult Leader, the Murim Alliance Leader, and the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader gathering to settle things. A single match of arm-wrestling with the fate of the Murim on the line! People in the Murim would find that much more interesting."
"Fine. Then go jump in the water once. Don't make excuses later that you lost because you were drunk."
"I'm fine. Someone like you is no match for me!"
We cleared the table and began to arm-wrestle. How could he beat my youthful strength? But as I was pushing his arm down, I felt him secretly using his internal energy.
"I knew it! You cowardly drunkard!"
I began to use my internal energy as well.
Then, the Drunken Demon started using his in earnest. Was all the wine he had drunk turning into power? His internal energy was unexpectedly fierce and powerful. It was enough to prove that his claim about being able to kill the Blade Demon wasn't just a bluff.
However, he couldn't overcome my internal energy. Today, I hadn't hidden my drinking capacity, nor did I hide my power.
Crash!
The table broke as the match ended.
"Punishment for a cowardly drunkard! I win!"
I jumped up from my seat and hopped around like a child.
"This doesn't count! You applied force first at the start! And I drank way more than you! I'm going to jump in the water, and then we'll have a proper match!"
There was no way his stubbornness would work, especially since he was the one who used internal energy first.
I ignored his words and leaned against the railing. The setting sun was beginning to stain the world in shades of deep red. I stared at the sight for a moment before sharing my true feelings with him. Since I couldn't say it while looking at him, I spoke while watching the crimson lake.
"Everyone says you're devious and suspicious, but I enjoyed our drinking sessions."
"!"
"You know how it is. There are people everyone else dislikes, but you find them to be good. That's who you are to me. I liked your bragging, your bluffing, and even the empty look that occasionally crosses your eyes. That's why I was anxious. I wondered what your intention was for approaching me. To be honest, I thought it wouldn't matter even if your intentions were impure. Who doesn't have secrets? Who doesn't have selfish plans? I thought it was all fine. I only hoped for one thing. Please, let it be something I can understand. Please, let it not be something that prevents us from being drinking buddies."
The Drunken Demon's eyes wavered as he felt my sincerity.
"Our Second Young Master has a serious drinking habit. You say everything on your mind when you're drunk."
I finally turned to look at him.
"Brother."
The Drunken Demon's eyes widened. He looked truly shocked.
"Let's call each other brothers from today on. That is my wish."
"You won, so why...?"
"Because it's what I wanted as well."
There is a shock and passion that comes from unexpected emotion. All of that was written on the Drunken Demon's face.
"You... you're definitely a madman."
"I'm hearing that from you too, Brother. Since I've heard it from all the Demon Lords, I guess I really am a madman."
"That subtle madness of yours is even scarier."
The Drunken Demon adjusted his posture, picked up a cup, and poured me some wine.
"Little brother, have a drink."
"Yes, Brother."
I drank the wine he gave me. This time, I poured him a drink. He drank it as well.
"Don't be too moved. While it's true my heart was drawn to you, I'm also doing this because I absolutely need you to become the successor. So, only half of this is pure intention. The other half... well, let's just fill it with wine. I'll be going now."
Feeling a bit awkward, I was about to get up when the Drunken Demon suddenly spoke.
"It was because of me."
Words I never expected flowed from his lips.
"The reason the relationship between the Blade Demon and the Sword Venerable soured was because of me."
As I looked at him in shock, the Drunken Demon confessed an even more startling truth.
"I was the one who drove a wedge between them."