Chapter 316: Because I Miss That Sandstorm
Chapter 316: Because I Miss That Sandstorm
The Great Regression Art had reached its final stage.
A purple energy extended from the fingertips of the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s left hand. It moved as if it were alive, beginning to extract the Spirit-Suppressing Seal engraved on Hwan-yeo’s back. Though the seal was etched into her skin like a tattoo, it was pried from her body like a stubborn nail.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader focused his entire mind, refusing to tolerate even a single moment’s mistake.
The moment the Spirit-Suppressing Seal was completely extracted, the Pungcheon Cult Leader thrust his right hand over the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s head and let out a sharp shout.
A red energy was pulled from the crown of her head, like a tree being uprooted. It was the Red Soul that had been embedded in her mind.
The Spirit-Suppressing Seal and the Red Soul, each floating at the tips of his fingers, flared up in flames and vanished into nothingness.
As if by prior agreement, both women collapsed at the same time.
"Whew."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader caught his breath and slowly withdrew his hands. The purple energy that had bloomed from his palms dissipated.
The Great Regression Art had concluded successfully.
A moment later, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, who had been collapsed on the floor, pushed herself up. Welcome news was waiting for her.
"The Red Soul in your body is gone."
"Ah! Thank you, Master."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was drenched in sweat. For a master of his caliber to be so visibly exhausted, the mental and spiritual toll of the ritual must have been immense.
"You have saved my life."
"Though I performed the ritual, it was the Young Cult Leader who uncovered this conspiracy. Do not forget that."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader gave the credit to Geom Mu-geuk. Since it was better for the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord to be close to Mu-geuk, she readily pledged her loyalty.
"I will serve the Young Cult Leader with all my heart, Master."
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s gaze turned toward Hwan-yeo. In her anger, she raised her hand; she felt she could only be satisfied if she crushed the woman's skull.
"There is no need for that. She is already dead."
The moment the Spirit-Suppressing Seal had been forcibly extracted, Hwan-yeo had perished.
"Cheong-seon."
"Yes, Master."
"In the life ahead of you, you will look into the hearts of countless people. You will manipulate many as you please. Every time you do, there is something you must look at."
"What is that?"
"The hole inside your own heart. The higher your mastery of the Soul-Seizing Technique grows, the larger that hole will become."
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord could vaguely understand what her master was worried about.
"Then, what should I do?"
Don't look down on people. Don't look down on the world. The Pungcheon Cult Leader contemplated what advice to give, but ultimately left the solution to his disciple.
"You must find your own way to fill that hole. Just do not forget that the hole exists, and look into it often. If you keep watching it, you will eventually find your own method."
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord performed a deep bow on the spot. She was grateful to her master for caring for her so deeply.
"If the day ever comes when this foolish disciple falls into that hole, please, Master... you must pull me out."
At that, the Pungcheon Cult Leader smiled.
"That is a favor I should be asking of you. I have lived to this age, so imagine how large my own hole must be."
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord was inwardly moved by his candid words. She had always felt a vague distance from her master, but this incident made her feel they had finally grown closer.
"Go out and tell the Young Cult Leader to come in."
*
I spent a long time talking with Jang Ho.
The other Demon Monarchs seemed surprised to see him engaged in such a lengthy conversation. What could be so interesting about a conversation with the stoic Jang Ho?
I was doing this to show the Demon Monarchs something: that I trusted and cherished Jang Ho this much. Unless it was someone I truly liked, I wouldn't be able to talk for so long while the Great Regression Art was being performed. It was my effort for his sake.
Thanks to that, I even learned that Jang Ho’s childhood dream was to be a painter.
"I’ve thought about trying my hand at painting once I retire," he admitted.
Hearing that, I excused myself for a moment. "Wait here a second."
I vanished in a flash using the Rapid Speed Step and returned shortly after, handing him paper, brushes, pigments, and other tools used by painters. I had gone to Ma Clan Village and bought the very best they had.
"Don't put it off; start painting today."
Jang Ho was flustered, never imagining I would have gone to buy these things. The Demon Monarchs standing behind him also wore shocked expressions.
"Start tonight. Even if it’s just for fifteen minutes before bed. If you have nothing to draw, try drawing those hulking subordinates of yours, or perhaps that impressive scar on your face."
I knew how it worked. It wasn't time that was needed for such things. When time becomes available, other tasks inevitably crop up to fill it. What was needed wasn't time, but a catalyst—for instance, a set of painting tools forced into one's hands by the Young Cult Leader.
Jang Ho bowed his head and respectfully accepted the items. "I will begin today."
"I wonder if I should have bought you a brush made of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron. I feel like those rough hands of yours might snap regular brushes like twigs."
Jang Ho laughed heartily at my joke. He was third on the list of people I wanted to see smile no matter what. My father, the Fist Demon, and then Jang Ho. I intended to keep making these stoic men, who lived their lives without knowing laughter, smile.
Just then, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord walked out of the residence. I could tell the result of the ritual just by the expression on her face.
*
Only the Pungcheon Cult Leader, Go Wol, and I remained in the residence.
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord had returned to her duties, and I had entrusted Hwan-yeo’s body to the Demon Monarchs to be buried. Perhaps because she had left her final farewell to me, her face had looked peaceful in death.
Now it was time to plan the next step: going to the Pungcheon Cult.
"Strategist Go, what do you think we should do?"
Go Wol had been thinking about it while the ritual was underway. "I recommend that you go to the Pungcheon Cult officially."
"As the return of the former Cult Leader?"
"No. As an official visit from the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
I glanced at the Pungcheon Cult Leader. He would likely want to be the protagonist upon his return. Go Wol had already anticipated that.
"If you return with the Young Cult Leader, the Cult Leader’s prestige will rise even further. It will be seen as though you were the one who arranged this visit."
At those words, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s expression brightened.
"Those infiltrators will be hiding within the leadership of the Pungcheon Cult," Go Wol continued. "Therefore, going officially will make it easier for you to operate. Since you have become the Young Cult Leader, you have a valid justification for the visit."
It made sense. Sneaking into the Pungcheon Cult and moving around in secret would not be an easy task.
"It will soon be known that Hwan-yeo has disappeared, won't it?"
"Ignore it."
"Ignore it?"
"If you move as if you know nothing, they will be conflicted. They'll wonder why you're making an official visit if you've discovered their existence. It will sow doubt."
"What if the enemy feels the danger and vanishes?"
"If the woman in the Flower Garden spent years painstakingly setting this up, the other side must be the same. Would they give up so easily?"
He was right. The Illusion King was a man whose pride pierced the heavens. He was also a man whose abilities were as outstanding as his pride.
Go Wol spoke to the Pungcheon Cult Leader. "The bastard was there since the time the Cult Leader and I were present. We just left without knowing."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s expression stiffened; he hadn't thought that far.
"He held his breath and waited for an opportunity, then began moving in earnest once the Cult Leader left."
I picked up where he left off. "Just as they moved here once the young Cheong-seon became a Demon Lord."
"Exactly."
"Fine, I’ll follow your lead. We’ll make an official visit."
I agreed with Go Wol’s plan without a second thought. Isn't the best way to empower a strategist to trust and follow them?
"I will extract whatever I can from the one under interrogation and provide support as closely as possible. Oh, and as a rule, a Demon Lord must accompany the Young Cult Leader on an official visit. Given the opponent, you must choose the accompanying Demon Lord carefully."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"It should be a Demon Lord who is strong against illusions."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader knew exactly who that was. "It’s the Demon Buddha. The Demon Buddha is strong against illusions."
Accompanying the Demon Buddha? It didn't matter to me, but the Pungcheon Cult Leader was the issue. Originally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader was the closest to the Demon Buddha among the Eight Demon Lords. It was the Demon Buddha who had brought the Pungcheon Cult Leader to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the past.
However, I knew their relationship had soured afterward, and they were now on awkward terms.
As if deciding something, the Pungcheon Cult Leader stepped forward. "I will go and speak to the Demon Buddha myself."
Yes, it was right for him to untie the knot he had tied.
"Then I will go and get permission from my father first."
Since it was an official visit, I had to report to my father and receive his approval. We each rose to attend to our respective tasks.
*
The Demon Buddha was in the Great Dharma Hall.
A golden Buddha statue of terrifying proportions looked down at him with cold eyes. In that place where not a shred of mercy could be felt, the Demon Buddha was chanting sutras alone.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader entered and sat behind him. When the chanting finished, the Demon Buddha asked without turning around.
"What brings you here?"
It was awkward. In the past, no matter what they were thinking inside, they had greeted each other with boisterous laughter.
"Have you been well?"
"Do you think I’ve been well?"
Since the Demon Buddha was famous for supporting the First Young Master, there was no way he had been doing well. The Demon Buddha turned around and looked at the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
"As you can see, I’m like a dog that lost the chicken it was chasing."
"That dog looks to be in good spirits."
It wasn't just because the golden light emanating from the Demon Buddha’s body was particularly bright. The Demon Buddha’s expression truly looked more at peace than before.
"What’s the secret?"
"Don't you already know?"
The Demon Buddha was asking: Don't you know how much more comfortable the mind becomes when you let everything go? Come to think of it, both of them were men who had relinquished their greed for power.
An awkward silence flowed for a moment. Then, the Pungcheon Cult Leader suddenly asked, "Don't you think I’ve lost some weight?"
The Demon Buddha wore an incredulous expression. "Did you come here just to brag about that?"
"That’s right. I came to tell you that just as your face has become peaceful, I have become peaceful as well."
The Demon Buddha could already feel it. The Pungcheon Cult Leader had changed a lot. He was not the man he used to be. He used to be someone who laughed on the outside while being full of schemes on the inside, but now he seemed somehow at ease.
"I came because I have a favor to ask."
"Speak."
"Some nasty bastards are playing tricks on the Pungcheon Cult. The Young Cult Leader is going there with me under the pretext of an official visit. Come with us and help."
"Why me?"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader shared his honest feelings. "A Demon Lord must accompany us, and among the Demon Lords, you are the one I’m most comfortable with."
The Demon Buddha, who had been staring at the Pungcheon Cult Leader, refused with a single word.
"I refuse."
Since he refused so flatly, the Pungcheon Cult Leader had nothing more to say. "Then it can't be helped. Be well."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader rose from his seat. He was about to leave when he spoke. One might have expected a sharp remark, but instead:
"I’m sorry for the harsh things I said to you in the past."
When their relationship had soured and they fought, the Pungcheon Cult Leader had mocked him, treating him like golden dung.
"Why are you suddenly apologizing? I’m still not going with you."
"That’s not why I’m apologizing."
"Then what is it for?"
"I learned something while spending time with the Young Cult Leader and Go Wol. That the most important thing between people is apologizing. That one apology is more important than a hundred kind words. I only realized that recently. I’ve lived my whole life without ever apologizing, so my apology is late. I am sorry."
The Demon Buddha was taken aback. Back then, the Pungcheon Cult Leader hadn't been the only one saying harsh things.
After saying that, the Pungcheon Cult Leader turned to leave, but the Demon Buddha called out to him.
"Since you’re already here, why don't you have a glass of the Wine of Defeat before you go?"
"Is there alcohol in a Dharma Hall?"
"There’s more than just alcohol. There are devils, there’s wine, and if you look around back there, there’s probably a corpse or two."
The Demon Buddha actually brought out two bottles of wine and handed one over. The two men drank straight from the bottles. The Pungcheon Cult Leader sat down so as not to look down on him.
The Demon Buddha stared at the mural of demonic monks slaughtering for a long time before revealing his inner thoughts.
"Back when I was struggling to make the First Young Master the successor, that was all I could see. When I looked at a person, I only thought about whether they would be helpful in the succession struggle or not. No matter what I did, it was about whether it would help or not. I was obsessed with it."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader listened in silence.
"I thought everything would be resolved once the First Young Master became the Young Cult Leader. I thought that even if I acted rudely or did something regrettable, I could just go and apologize later and they would understand. That’s what I thought. Looking back now, if the First Young Master had become the successor, I would never have apologized to anyone."
And now that Geom Mu-yang had failed to become the successor, he also apologized to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
"I was sorry back then, too."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader silently held out his wine bottle, and the Demon Buddha lightly clinked it before drinking.
"Let’s call this wine the Victory Wine, not the Wine of Defeat. I’ll see you next time, then."
As the Pungcheon Cult Leader was about to head out, the Demon Buddha asked from behind.
"When do we leave?"
When the Pungcheon Cult Leader turned around in surprise, the Demon Buddha added as if talking to himself.
"Because I miss that sandstorm."
*
My father was at the training ground.
In the midst of a heavy demonic energy that had settled over the area, my father stood alone, holding the Heavenly Demon Sword. Just looking at his back as he held the sword, I felt an unapproachable sense of dread.
Without turning around, my father asked, "How far have you mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art?"
"I have mastered up to the Second Form."
"Then try to block this."
My father turned toward me with blinding speed. The moment he leveled his sword at me, an Evil Ghost appeared before him.
It was an Evil Ghost with a completely different appearance from mine. Just looking at it was chilling; it was the ghost my father had summoned. I could tell instinctively: my father was about to unleash the Great Annihilation Form.
The only thing that can block the Nine Calamities Demonic Art is the Nine Calamities Demonic Art itself!
An Evil Ghost appeared before me as well. In terms of appearance alone, mine looked more terrifying. Mine was frightening, while my father’s was cold and ruthless.
Though they were ghosts born from the same martial art, they were merciless. They glared at each other with eyes that promised to annihilate the opponent, and then...
Sssssssst!
The two ghosts facing each other began to divide.
I stopped at four, but my father’s ghosts continued to multiply. The divided ghosts lined up in a row before my father. The number created by my father, who had achieved Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, was forty-four. It was a spectacle that truly made one's blood run cold.
Four against forty-four.
But my father was not one to go easy on me.
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!
Could I really block this?
Toward the wave of ghosts sweeping forward to erase everything, my four ghosts charged forward with all their might.