Chapter 19: This Summer, We...
Chapter 19: This Summer, We...
Lee An nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the news that I had killed the Demon Monarch. To her, the how didn't matter nearly as much as the why.
"What on earth were you thinking, pulling a dangerous stunt like that?"
She was so incensed she didn't even realize she’d referred to my actions as a "stunt."
"Do you think the Blood Heaven Blade Demon is just going to sit back after his own brother was killed?"
"That’s why you need to train hard," I replied. "Make sure he can’t touch me."
"I couldn't stop him even if I spent thirty years in secluded meditation!"
"Then I’ll win by default. He’ll have died of old age by then."
Lee An let out a heavy, bone-weary sigh at my nonchalant response.
"Ever since the moment you changed, Young Master... my life has become twice as difficult."
"Haha. Well, you'll lose some weight. Look on the bright side."
"Young Master!"
It wasn't just Lee An; the entire Cult was in an uproar. The impact of this news was on a completely different level compared to when the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s disciple died by my hand.
I felt the shift the moment I stepped outside to answer my father's summons at the Heavenly Demon Hall. The way people looked at me had fundamentally changed.
Many had expected my older brother to be the undisputed successor. Now, that certainty was beginning to waver.
When I won the martial arts duel, the people were ecstatic. When I asked for a hunting trip as my reward, it became the talk of the town. When I killed the Blade Demon’s disciple, they were shocked by my audacity.
And now, I had killed the Demon Monarch.
According to Lee An, I was the only thing anyone was talking about. Since most people loathed the Demon Army for the arrogant trouble they caused, my popularity had skyrocketed overnight. There were even martial artists who approached me just to offer a greeting.
Of course, no one explicitly said, "That was impressive," or "Well done." They were still terrified of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s retaliation. Instead, they simply approached in silence, offered a fist salute, and gave me looks of profound respect. I could feel the weight of their support in those gazes. These were the people who truly hoped I would become the successor.
I acknowledged every single one of them as I made my way to the Heavenly Demon Hall.
Inside the hall, my father, Chief Strategist Sama Myeong, and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, Gu Cheon-pa, were waiting for me. I greeted my father and Sama Myeong first, then turned to the Blade Demon.
"It has been a while, Elder."
"I trust you have been well, Second Young Master."
Despite the gravity of his brother's death, the Blade Demon was remarkably calm. The eccentric, overwhelming aura he had displayed when he first visited me was nowhere to be found. I suppose he didn't dare project such an ego in front of my father.
"What exactly happened during this incident?" my father asked.
"I have detailed everything in my report," I answered.
"I wish to hear it from the Second Young Master himself," the Blade Demon interjected.
Even in my father's presence, the Blade Demon spoke with composed authority. My father and Sama Myeong didn't interfere, seemingly acknowledging this as his right.
"Through my investigation, I uncovered the Demon Monarch's serious crimes," I said, meeting his gaze. "During the attempt to arrest him, he tried to kill me, and so... I am sorry for your loss, Elder."
"It is fine. If my brother committed a crime, he deserved to be punished. However, what I find difficult to understand is this: as pathetic as my brother was, he was not so foolish as to attack the Second Young Master when his crimes had been clearly exposed."
He was implying that his brother would have surrendered and then sought his protection. He was accusing me of preventing that possibility from the start.
"I do not know why he did it. Perhaps he simply couldn't accept being captured by someone as young as me."
The Blade Demon stared at me for a long moment before speaking again. "I saw the body before coming here. You pierced him with a single strike?"
"Yes."
I didn't go into detail about the fight. When you're in a disadvantageous position, talking too much only leads to mistakes or revealing weaknesses. For now, it was best to leave it to the Blade Demon's imagination.
He couldn't grill me about the specifics here while my father watched. Deep down, every demonic artist in this Cult believed that whether you were stabbed in the back or the sole of your foot, the one who died was simply the inferior weakling.
"The Second Young Master's martial arts skills are far more exceptional than I thought."
"I believe I benefited from my father's reputation. Even in his rage, the Demon Monarch likely couldn't bring himself to use his full strength against me."
"I suppose that was it." The Blade Demon gave a soft, thin smile. "Thank you for your honesty. It puts my mind at ease."
"Don't mention it."
Having lost both his disciple and his brother, his rage must have been at its peak. We were now mortal enemies, yet the Blade Demon didn't show even a flicker of anger. It was a testament to how well he controlled his emotions.
Before leaving the hall, the Blade Demon looked at my father. When he first visited me, he had said twice that he would bring my head to my father. That showed how confident he was in their relationship.
If so, shouldn't he be saying something now?
Cult Leader, how could you do this to me? If you were going to arrest my brother, you should have called me to handle it first. I am disappointed, truly disappointed!
But there was no hint of disappointment in the Blade Demon's eyes. My father's gaze toward him was also the same as usual.
"Go and rest," my father said. "You must prepare for the funeral."
"Thank you for your consideration, Cult Leader."
The Blade Demon bowed politely and turned away. As he walked across the red carpet, he didn't spare me a single glance. Once he had withdrawn, Sama Myeong finally spoke.
"You worked hard. The evidence you gathered was so solid that we were able to conclude the case without any issues. Are you injured anywhere?"
"I am fine, thanks to your concern."
Sama Myeong surely had many questions about this unexpected outcome, but he didn't ask. Since it was my father who had ordered the investigation, he likely viewed it as a private matter between father and son.
"The Cult Leader has prepared a reward for the Second Young Master for his great achievement."
A martial artist of the Heavenly Demon Hall brought forward a long wooden case. From his cautious steps, I could guess the value of the contents. When the lid, carved with elegant and sophisticated patterns, was opened, a sword was revealed.
I was stunned. It was the Black Demonic Sword. It was the most precious blade in the Cult after the Heavenly Demon Sword itself.
"The Cult Leader bestows the Black Demonic Sword upon the Second Young Master."
I couldn't help but break into a bright smile. Unable to hide my joy, I made a playful remark. "If you were going to give me one, you should have given me the noble White Flower Sword to match my personality."
My father spoke with an expression that said 'As if.'
"The sword that suits you is the Black Demonic Sword."
"You really don't know your own son. Sword, do you agree?"
I slowly drew the blade. A chilling, cold energy surged from the steel, dominating the room. Since I hadn't infused it with any internal energy, this was the sword's pure essence. The moment I drew it, I knew. This was my sword. It suited me perfectly.
"Isn't this reward a bit too much?" I asked humbly.
Sama Myeong spoke on my father's behalf. "It is not. The issue with the Demon Monarch was the most troublesome problem in the Cult."
"So you just dumped that headache on me."
"We didn't expect the Second Young Master to handle it so cleanly, though." Sama Myeong looked at my father with renewed admiration. "Did you expect it to turn out like this, Cult Leader?"
My father shook his head. "I thought it would be a miracle if he didn't get himself killed while acting out."
I knew that wasn't true. He sent me because he trusted me. He knew I had achieved Great Achievement in the Flying Heaven Sword Technique, and since I had even consumed a Demon Essence Pill in the Small Heaven Cave, he must have believed I wouldn't be easily defeated. Though he probably didn't expect the Demon Monarch to actually die.
And I knew why my father had given me this sword. It was a message to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
I have officially recognized his merit, so do not touch my son—at least not for this matter.
It was a silent warning. A man as sharp as the Blade Demon couldn't possibly miss the meaning.
"Thank you, Father."
I offered a formal bow of gratitude with the sword held high and left the Heavenly Demon Hall. On my way back to my quarters, someone called out to me.
"Second Young Master, the sun is nice. Why don't you rest a moment before you go?"
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was sitting in an open space in front of the Flower Garden. Right. There was no way this old man was just going to leave.
I walked over slowly and sat down across from him. His gaze fell upon the Black Demonic Sword at my waist. I could feel him clenching his teeth. His grudge was deep, but he wouldn't dare do anything to me here.
"It seems this summer will be exceptionally hot," I remarked.
The moment I finished speaking, the Blade Demon roared.
"You little brat who barely has the scent of milk off his breath! You dared to ambush and kill my brother? Today, I will tear you limb from limb and scatter your remains over his grave!"
The demonic energy erupting from the Blade Demon swept through the surroundings. The flowers in the garden withered instantly. Where did that scrawny body hide such power? I circulated my internal energy to resist the pressure, struggling to maintain my composure.
The next moment, as if it had all been a lie, the demonic energy vanished. The Blade Demon gave a smirk.
"Normally, isn't that what I should have said?"
He tried to poke my side with the pommel of his Heaven Extermination Great Blade again. But this time, I blocked the incoming pommel with my palm and countered.
"You damn old man who's eaten nothing but years through his backside! Who do you think you are, undermining the discipline of this Cult and filling your own pockets? If you step forward for the sake of that corrupt brother of yours, I'll snap your scrawny body like a dry stalk!"
I also added a thin smile. "And if you had, that's likely how I would have responded."
The Blade Demon stared at me, stunned for a moment, before bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
His booming laughter was so loud that the martial artists standing guard in the distance turned to look. Then, he stopped abruptly. His face turned stoic as if he had never laughed at all; his emotions were truly mercurial.
"Still, couldn't you have shown some mercy for my sake?"
"I would have handled it peacefully if I could. I intended to end it with his resignation. But he had crossed the line by far. No, it was as if the line didn't even exist for him."
The Blade Demon nodded. Since it involved his brother, how could he not have known the situation? He wasn't someone indifferent to the Cult's internal politics.
"You knew about the corruption within the Demon Army, didn't you?" I asked.
"I knew."
"Why did you leave it be?"
"He wouldn't listen to me. Well, it's not like I'm a particularly clean person myself."
I was surprised by the Blade Demon's honesty regarding his relationship with his brother. I have to be careful at times like this. The Blade Demon was an emotional person, and he was someone who knew exactly how to use those emotions.
"To be honest, when I heard the news that my brother was dead, I felt relieved," he said. "I thought, 'Now that fellow won't be blocking my path anymore.'"
"I understand that feeling."
The Blade Demon's small, slit-like eyes widened, as if asking, 'Really? How could you?'
"Because it's the same as if I heard the news that my older brother had died," I said. "I would be relieved that I didn't have to handle it with my own hands."
Our gazes locked. I saw the fire in his eyes again. What did he see in mine? What was he looking for?
I couldn't tell what the Blade Demon was thinking. Regardless of the relief he mentioned, he was still the brother of the man I killed; he could be plotting my death even now. Or, he could have let the past drift away like the clouds.
I didn't regret it. If I cannot survive the fight against the Eight Demon Lords—if I am only worth that much—then I will eventually be killed by Hwa Mu-gi anyway. I must be able to trample over people like this to move forward. That is the only way I live.
The Blade Demon looked up at the sky, finally acknowledging the greeting I had first offered.
"Yes, it's going to be a hot one this year."
Complaining about the heat already, he began to fan himself with the massive blade of his Heaven Extermination Great Blade.
One thing was certain. The reason we would be burning up this summer wouldn't just be because of the sun. I shaded my eyes with my hand and looked up at the sky with him.
"Fortunately, I don't mind the heat."