Chapter 238: Now It’s My Turn
Chapter 238: Now It’s My Turn
"Lord Smiling Demon!"
I lunged toward the Smiling Demon, closing the distance with Blink Step. Fortunately, I managed to catch his collapsing form before he hit the cold ground.
After gently laying him down, I injected a thread of internal energy into his chest to examine his condition. My heart sank. His vital energy was a tangled mess, his meridians blocked and twisted. The internal damage was catastrophic.
The situation was even more critical than I had anticipated. The moment I tried to channel more energy to begin treatment, a wave of dizziness hit me. My internal energy was completely depleted from using the Returning Heaven Form.
I squeezed out every last drop of essence remaining in my marrow. A meager trickle of internal force flowed into the Smiling Demon’s body. I tried to carefully clear the blockages, but I simply didn't have the strength. If I left him like this, his qi and blood would run wild, leading to an irreversible end.
My heart thudded against my ribs in a frantic, ragged rhythm. As I forced up the very last of my internal energy, the metallic taste of blood welled up in my throat. My own body was far from fine—battered by the fight against Ya Yul-han and pushed to the brink by mental exhaustion—but now was not the time to worry about myself.
As I managed to stabilize his internal state with everything I had left, the Smiling Demon’s eyelids fluttered. He regained consciousness and looked up at me.
I forced my voice to sound bright, just as I always did.
"That fight was incredible, wasn't it?"
My eyes crinkled in a smile behind my mask. If it hadn't been for the Smiling Demon, I would never have experienced such a magnificent battle, nor would I have achieved such a monumental result.
"…Yes. It truly was… incredible."
His voice was weak, a ghost of his usual self. He could sense his own end approaching.
"Second Young Master."
"Yes, Lord Smiling Demon."
"…I am glad… that I met you."
The moment his eyes began to drift shut, I squeezed out the absolute limit of my internal energy and forced it into him. Like a single drop of water in a parched desert, that handful of energy precariously held onto his life.
"You have to protect me once I become the Heavenly Demon."
The Smiling Demon’s pupils trembled. His eyes, filled with a profound sorrow, seemed to speak to me. He was saying he was sorry—sorry that he had to leave before seeing me ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Demon.
"You know my personality, right? I’m never giving up on you. Unless you plan on taking me with you, find the strength to stay. I can't let you go like this. So, stay focused!"
The Smiling Demon tried his best to hold on, but the situation was spiraling beyond his control.
"If you die like this, I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life. So don't you dare die!"
Suddenly, he coughed up a spray of crimson blood. His qi and blood began to surge violently. If I couldn't calm this storm, he would die right here.
"No!"
The thought that the Smiling Demon might actually die drove me to the brink of madness.
"Please! Lord Smiling Demon! Hold on!"
I squeezed and squeezed, searching for any scrap of internal energy. My only thought was to save him at any cost. I had regressed so that I wouldn't have to lose anyone ever again… I couldn't lose him like this.
But I had nothing left. The Smiling Demon’s body began to convulse even more violently. Suddenly, my vision blurred. My eyes were brimming with tears.
Had I ever cried before?
Just then, the Smiling Demon reached out and took my hand. He must have realized how much I cared for him. And I realized it too—just how much he truly meant to me.
The Smiling Demon slowly raised his hand toward his mask. He wanted to show me his face one last time. Through the eyeholes of the mask, his eyes were smiling. It was a brighter smile than any he had ever shown before.
I grabbed his hand, preventing him from removing the mask.
"I won't look! I'm not looking because I'm afraid you'll be more handsome than me! Show it to me fifty years from now!"
The Smiling Demon let out a weak, rattling laugh and coughed up blood again. Summoning his final strength, he whispered his final words to me.
"The Second Young Master… will become a good Heavenly Demon."
Even as his life force faded, he continued to smile at me until the very end.
"I do not regret… the time I spent with you."
For the first time in my life, I prayed to the heavens.
Please, let him live!
Even when I had wandered the Central Plains unable to find the materials for the Great Regression Art, even when I was so lonely and exhausted that I wanted to die, even when I faced death in the direst of crises… I had never prayed.
But now, I begged.
Please! Save him! Just this once, help me!
It was at that very moment.
Thud.
Something fell to the floor from the robes of the dead Ya Yul-han, who sat nearby with his head slumped. It was a small, ornate box. Seeing something peeking out from the slightly opened lid, I rushed toward it.
To my astonishment, it was a 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng. He must have brought it as a birthday gift for the Five Thunders Divine Sword.
With this!
I grabbed it, pulled the Smiling Demon into a sitting position, and forced the 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng into his mouth.
"Hold on with the energy of the 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng! Just hold on until I can complete one circulation!"
Under normal circumstances, this was a choice one should never make. Forcing a spirit medicine with such potent effects into someone suffering from severe internal injuries would usually cause their body to explode.
But this was the only way. I trusted the 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng, and more importantly, I trusted the Smiling Demon.
"Lord Smiling Demon, use every last bit of your strength to chew and swallow!"
Our eyes met.
Don't give up!
The Smiling Demon struggled, his jaw working with agonizing effort to chew and swallow the ginseng. I immediately began a circulation of my true qi. It was the most desperate meditation of my life. Time felt agonizingly slow.
Please! Please!
I probably said the word "please" more today than I had in my entire life.
After finishing the fastest circulation of true qi I had ever performed, I injected my energy back into the Smiling Demon to check his condition.
Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. The Smiling Demon had succeeded in using the raw energy of the 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng to suppress his rampaging qi and blood. However, he hadn't refined the energy into internal power; he had merely used its massive pressure to temporarily hold everything down.
There was no telling when his qi might flare up again. I had to get him to the Demon Doctor as quickly as possible.
"Thank you, Lord Smiling Demon."
My voice was thick with emotion. I was grateful to him. Grateful that he held on. I was truly thankful to be in a relationship where I could give someone a 10,000-Year Snow Ginseng and end up being the one saying thank you.
The Smiling Demon’s gaze spoke back to me.
Thank you, Second Young Master.
What more words were needed?
I untied the Supreme Heavenly Silkworm Thread that had been connecting our chests. Then, I hoisted the Smiling Demon onto my back and bound him tightly to me with the thread.
He had done his part; now it was my turn.
Smiling Demon, who said you could leave? Do you really think I’d let you board the boat to the afterlife on the same day a piece of trash like Ya Yul-han did?
After enveloping him in a layer of my energy to ensure his body wouldn't be jarred, I began to run. I ran with such desperation that it felt as if I had learned Rapid Speed Step solely for this moment.
*
Bi Sa-in sat in front of the manor's main gate. That was where 1st Wolf Baek Cheol-gi found him.
"You shouldn't be wandering around alone like this. You promised you wouldn't, didn't you?"
"Please overlook it just this once."
Bi Sa-in had summoned only the 1st Wolf to this location. The 1st Wolf was the only person in the world he truly trusted.
The 1st Wolf’s gaze shifted toward the manor behind them. Judging by the thick scent of blood wafting through the broken walls, a fierce battle had undoubtedly taken place.
"Don't be too shocked by whatever you see inside."
"This isn't the scent of just one or two people's blood. Where on earth are we?"
Bi Sa-in spoke softly. "The place where my future will be decided."
The 1st Wolf stepped inside as he replied, "Then I suppose my future will be decided here as well."
The site was a bloodbath, bearing the raw scars of a desperate struggle. As he looked around, the 1st Wolf discovered Ya Yul-han’s corpse and gasped in horror.
Ya Yul-han!
Overwhelmed by shock, he stared blankly at the body. He couldn't believe his eyes. Ya Yul-han was dead? That Ya Yul-han? Truly, those three words were enough to describe the man. That Ya Yul-han.
But that wasn't all. Another corpse caught the 1st Wolf’s eye.
Even the Five Thunders Divine Sword!
He already knew the man was in league with Ya Yul-han. He didn't know if he was stronger or weaker than Ya Yul-han, but one thing was certain: Ya Yul-han was the standard by which his strength was measured.
He died with his torso cleaved in two?
It was a sight difficult to believe, even with his own eyes. And the surprises didn't end there. He jumped in surprise when he saw the Blood Wheel lying on the ground.
That weapon is the Blood Wheel. The only one who uses that is the Blood Wheel Calamity…
Following the Blood Wheel Calamity, the 1st Wolf also recognized the Three Evils.
The triplets who would associate with these people are the Three Evils!
At this point, even the death of Cha Hwan was hardly surprising. The 1st Wolf stepped back out of the manor. Bi Sa-in was still sitting in front of the main gate.
"What in the world happened here?"
"Have a seat."
The 1st Wolf sat down beside him. His heart was still pounding, refusing to calm down.
"With this group, they could have declared war on the Murim Alliance."
It was an exaggeration, of course, but not an empty boast. If these people had attacked together, what Murim sect could have possibly stopped them?
When he first saw this scene, Bi Sa-in had been just as shocked as the 1st Wolf. Even when Geom Mu-geuk said he would kill Ya Yul-han, a corner of Bi Sa-in's mind had harbored doubts: Can he really kill him?
But he had actually done it. This unbelievable feat had been accomplished by the man who used to nag him to eat a balanced diet.
You truly are…!
Once again, the reality that he was the son of the Heavenly Demon hit home. He had achieved something that no successor in history could have accomplished.
"Who on earth did this?" the 1st Wolf asked.
Bi Sa-in replied, "I did."
"Pardon?" The 1st Wolf was stunned.
"I am going to handle this as if I were the one who did it."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. I promised I would take care of the aftermath."
"Then who actually killed them?"
"You don't need to know. For your own sake, it's better if you don't."
The 1st Wolf was confused, but that wasn't the important thing right now. "Fine. Let's say that's the case. But will the Alliance Leader believe that you killed Ya Yul-han?"
"That's why I called you."
"Sir?"
"We have to handle the cleanup now. We need to make it believable that I was the one who took down Ya Yul-han."
The 1st Wolf could see it. Just as Bi Sa-in had said earlier, his future and destiny depended on this.
"My lifelong nemesis is dead, but my real battle begins now."
Bi Sa-in imagined a future where the Demonic Cult might invade. Would he be able to stop a Demonic Cult led by Geom Mu-geuk as the Heavenly Demon? And where did this baseless conviction come from—the feeling that such a thing would never happen?
Bi Sa-in found himself missing Geom Mu-geuk. The man was terrifying, yet he missed him. He wanted to hear his nonsensical banter.
How was it? I told you to leave this to me, didn't I? Now it's your turn. I trust you'll do well. And eat your vegetables!
He could almost hear the man's voice in his ear. When he became the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, he definitely wanted to tell him. He wanted to show him what kind of Unorthodox Path he would lead.
So, you must become the Heavenly Demon as well.
*
Night fell, but Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon did not return. Seo Dae-ryong paced the courtyard, unable to leave out of anxiety. The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master stepped out to join him.
"Perhaps the two of them are having a drink to celebrate killing Ya Yul-han," she said.
At Seo Dae-ryong’s absurd joke, the Pavilion Master replied with a smile. "It seems so."
Her expression was actually more composed than Seo Dae-ryong’s.
"Did you perhaps have a new dream?"
"No."
"But you look so at ease."
"Investigator Seo, you said it yourself—that it wouldn't work on him."
Seo Dae-ryong let out a light sigh. "That was true until the sun went down."
The Pavilion Master asked him, "Are you worried?"
"The Pavilion Master has never failed to return on time. He’s the kind of person who always opens the door and strides back in as if nothing happened."
Just then, someone opened the door and entered. Seo Dae-ryong and the Pavilion Master looked over in surprise, but it was a martial artist of the Cult who managed the safe house.
"An urgent missive from Tongcheon Pavilion."
Startled, Seo Dae-ryong hurriedly took the letter and read it. "The Pavilion Master has headed straight for the Main Cult because Lord Smiling Demon was injured."
The Pavilion Master’s expression instantly froze. Seo Dae-ryong added cautiously, "There was no report on the severity of Lord Smiling Demon’s injuries."
Just then, the Poison King walked out from behind them. "He must be badly hurt, seeing as they went straight to the Main Cult."
The Poison King didn't offer any empty words of comfort. "You, get ready to leave immediately."
"Yes, sir."
Seo Dae-ryong was worried about the Pavilion Master, but having received the Poison King’s order, he moved quickly. Seeing the worry-filled face of the Pavilion Master, the Poison King suddenly made an unexpected suggestion.
"Let's go together."
The Pavilion Master looked at him in surprise.
"You've never been to the Main Cult, have you?"
"That is true, but…"
"Then come and have a look."
The Pavilion Master could tell. Though he didn't say it, the Poison King was telling her: Go and see him, for it might be the last time.
The Pavilion Master bowed politely. "I will follow your esteemed words. Thank you truly for your great kindness."
"Don't mention it. When that fellow Smiling Demon wakes up, he'll be happy to see you there."
"I'll be lucky if I don't get scolded for daring to show up."
"You know better than anyone that won't happen, don't you?"
The Poison King snapped his fan open with a sharp sound, fanned himself lightly, and went inside to pack. Watching his retreating back, the Pavilion Master bowed once more. She then went straight inside to bid farewell to the women they had rescued. The martial artists of the safe house would see them home safely.
A short while later, the three of them boarded a carriage. From the driver's seat, Seo Dae-ryong shouted, "Alright, we're heading out!"
The Pavilion Master’s gaze deepened as she looked out the carriage window. She was worried about the Smiling Demon. She missed him terribly. Though she was someone who could see many things, she felt nothing regarding the Smiling Demon’s fate.
At times like this, she felt frustrated. She could see the destinies of others so clearly, yet she often couldn't see her own.
Was she afraid of going to the Demonic Cult? Not at all. If it meant she could see the Smiling Demon, she would have boarded a carriage bound for hell without hesitation.
Brother, please don't die.
And the words she had always said to Geom Mu-geuk as a joke, she now said with all her heart.
Please take care of our brother.
Knowing her heart better than anyone, the man holding the reins urged the horses forward, and the carriage began to race toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult faster than ever before.