Chapter 333: When Long-Held Desires Surface
Chapter 333: When Long-Held Desires Surface
The Drunken Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable arrived at the Great Drunken Forest.
"Leave the crate of liquor here. I’ll carry it from now on," the Drunken Demon said.
Despite his words, the One Flower Sword Venerable kept walking. "I’d like to have a drink before I head out."
"Weren't you the one acting all cold and ready to leave when I tried to hold you back earlier?"
"Well, we’ve come into some truly excellent liquor."
Of course, that wasn't the real reason. She could sense that the Drunken Demon’s mood had plummeted, and she wanted to offer some comfort. After all, he was her only friend.
The One Flower Sword Venerable spoke to Yeo-bin, the Third Division Leader of the drinkers, who had come out to greet them. "Drink with us today."
"I am fine, my lady."
"I’m asking because I want to drink with you."
Yeo-bin glanced at the Drunken Demon. He looked at the One Flower Sword Venerable for a moment before giving Yeo-bin a slight nod.
"Then I shall prepare some snacks."
The One Flower Sword Venerable and the Drunken Demon ascended the Drunken Dream Pavilion first.
"Why are you acting so out of character?" the Drunken Demon asked, though he already knew the answer.
He had been working tirelessly behind the scenes to reconcile the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable. Thanks to those efforts, much of the long-standing animosity between the two had finally dissolved.
Even though she didn't know the extent of his meddling, she was now trying to play matchmaker for him and Yeo-bin. Was life truly a cycle of giving and receiving?
"I’m just bored of doing the same things every day."
The One Flower Sword Venerable reached out her hand. A bottle of wine rose from the crate they had brought, flying through the air and into the pavilion where she sat.
"You have a golden touch. Of all that liquor, you picked the rarest and most expensive bottle. Well, I suppose it makes sense; the hand of a Sword Venerable is the most precious of all."
In the past, she might have been slightly piqued by such a joke. But now, she felt no anger. She was simply doing her best in the present.
Yes, her hands were precious now.
The One Flower Sword Venerable poured a drink for Yeo-bin, who had returned with the snacks. Yeo-bin accepted the drink politely and emptied her cup. The One Flower Sword Venerable noticed her hand trembling slightly with tension.
"Have another."
She poured a second glass, and then a third. After three consecutive drinks, Yeo-bin’s hand finally stopped shaking.
"It feels like only yesterday that you first came to the Great Drunken Forest. Time has truly flown."
"Do you remember that time?"
The One Flower Sword Venerable nodded. She remembered Yeo-bin because there weren't many women among the drinkers. Of course, that didn't mean Yeo-bin had been significant in her life back then. It was only recently, as the One Flower Sword Venerable underwent a change of heart, that the woman had truly entered her field of vision.
When life changes, so does one's martial arts.
It was the opposite of what Geom Mu-geuk used to say. Because her martial arts had changed—or more accurately, because her heart toward her martial arts had changed—her life was changing as well. In this way, life and martial arts influenced each other like two sides of the same coin.
"Back then, you were just a child, I was quite young, and your Demon Lord over there was rather dashing."
The Drunken Demon chuckled silently. Normally, he would have blustered about how he was even more handsome now or asked how one could compare youthful folly to the charm of a middle-aged man. But today, he remained calm.
The three of them drank. The One Flower Sword Venerable didn't try to force the Drunken Demon into the conversation. She simply let him drink in peace while she talked with Yeo-bin. She asked various questions, but like the seasoned veteran she was, she avoided anything that might make Yeo-bin uncomfortable.
Except for one question.
"Do you not wish to marry?"
The Drunken Demon shot her a look that said she was asking useless things, but she ignored him and waited for Yeo-bin’s answer.
"No, I have no such thoughts."
"And why is that?"
"What man would want a wife who drinks like this every day?"
"You just need to find someone who loves to drink as much as you do. Aren't there plenty of men in the Great Drunken Forest?"
Yeo-bin simply offered a faint, wistful smile.
"What about your Demon Lord?"
At that, the Drunken Demon finally interjected. "You're talking nonsense! Are you drunk?"
The One Flower Sword Venerable turned to him. "Yes, I am drunk. You drink so much, so why don't you ever get drunk? If you're the Drunken Demon, you ought to act the part!"
Their gazes locked in the air. The One Flower Sword Venerable finally said what she had intended to say all along.
"Do you know why you've been so petty and angry lately?"
The Drunken Demon bristled. Petty? Was she really going to say that in front of his subordinate?
But she pressed on.
"It's because you're holding it all in. You hold back because you're old, you hold back because you're a Demon Lord. To hell with age. To hell with dignity. Listen, friend. The older you get, the more you must learn to reveal your desires with grace. That’s the only way to stop yourself from becoming bitter and petty."
Ironically, she herself had failed to reveal her desires with grace in the past.
That was exactly why she had something to say on the matter. Whenever she fell into a moment of reflection, she was invariably reminded of her own shameful desires from days gone by.
"Stop talking nonsense and get going. Stop wasting my precious gifts."
"I don't want to."
"Fine, then I'll go."
Clutching a bottle of liquor, the Drunken Demon descended from the pavilion and set a boat out onto the lake alone. The two women watched his boat drift slowly toward the moon's reflection in the water.
"Actually, those words were meant for you. I knew that old fool wouldn't listen even if I told him a thousand times."
Yeo-bin looked at her with a startled expression.
"If you endure and endure... at first you become petty, and eventually, you become angry."
Yeo-bin understood the meaning all too well, which was why she couldn't find an answer.
"Are you afraid? Afraid that if you speak up, even this life of watching from the sidelines will vanish?"
Still, the younger woman remained silent.
"If that's the case, do not be afraid. You've watched long enough. That is nothing but lingering attachment and habit. It is time to let that life drift away."
Silence settled over the Drunken Dream Pavilion and the lake.
How much time passed? A cool breeze blew from across the water. The wind snapped the One Flower Sword Venerable out of her drunken state, and her mind cleared.
Am I really in any position to give advice? What do I even know about Yeo-bin?
She felt she had overstepped her bounds in her desire to help them. Should she blame it on the Outer Lands' liquor being too strong and pretend she didn't remember?
"I was drunk, so don't take my words too deeply."
Just as the One Flower Sword Venerable was about to stand up, Yeo-bin finally spoke.
"You saw correctly, Sword Venerable. I have already passed the stage of being petty; I am angry. I have been angry for several years now."
It was the first time she had ever revealed her inner thoughts. Because she always maintained a polite, professional demeanor, no one had realized she was harboring such rage.
"Seeing how I'm trembling even now, I suppose I am indeed terrified that even this angry life might disappear."
Yeo-bin’s eyes quivered as she bared her soul for the first time.
The One Flower Sword Venerable had no more words to give. Instead, she filled Yeo-bin’s cup to the brim with the greatest courage one could offer a drinker.
"For today, try being a true drunkard."
With those words, she took flight. With a Lightness Skill far too elegant and graceful to be called drunken, she crossed the lake. When she landed on the shore and looked back, she saw Yeo-bin flying toward the Drunken Demon’s boat with a bottle of liquor in hand.
A smile touched the One Flower Sword Venerable’s lips. She envied the woman’s youth—the ability to just go for it, even if she might regret it later.
But it was alright. She intended to live her life revealing her desires from now on, too.
Except she would do it with elegance and grace.
*
I arrived at the Eastern Fist Sect with my brother.
Since I had trained there from the White Fist rank all the way to the Black Fist rank, every person I passed recognized my face. However, the look in their eyes and their attitude toward me were completely different from before.
Receiving the respectful bows of the Iron Fists, we entered the inner court.
In the training ground of the inner court, the Fist Demon was overseeing the training of the Black Fists. He personally instructed the Black Fists, while Cheon So-hui was in charge of the rest of the Iron Fists.
"Master! I have returned."
"You're here?"
Seeing that terrifying face after so long, even the Fist Demon looked welcoming. While the Fist Demon greeted me bluntly, he met my brother with a much softer gaze.
"You've come, First Young Master. Set those heavy things down here."
I wasn't about to just let that slide. "The box I'm carrying is heavier! Are you discriminating against me?"
The reason for the "discrimination" was soon revealed.
"I heard from Guild Master Gwak several times. He said the First Young Master went through a lot of trouble to craft these gauntlets."
"It was only right that I did so," Mu-yang replied. "I have brought the completed gauntlets today."
Geom Mu-yang opened the box to reveal the gauntlets. In the meantime, Cheon So-hui, who had missed her chance to greet me and had only bowed her head, came over and whispered a greeting.
"I'm glad you returned safely, Young Cult Leader."
"I told you to call me Senior Brother when it's just us."
Cheon So-hui glanced at the Fist Demon and my brother with a look that said, 'But it's not just us right now, is it?'
I spoke up again, loud enough for both of them to hear—a shout disguised as a whisper. "I'm so glad our kind Junior Sister is here under such a cold-hearted Master."
The Fist Demon looked at me and said, "The kinder she is, the shorter your Junior Sister’s lifespan will be."
"Well, we can't have that. I take back the 'kind' part! Junior Sister, the Jianghu is a heartless place!"
The onlookers smiled. Since everyone knew my personality, the atmosphere was pleasant. The Fist Demon picked up a gauntlet and examined it.
"You put a thin steel mesh in the palm."
"That's right. It's light yet incredibly strong. The core of the Iron Workshop's technology was concentrated in that part."
The Fist Demon handed the gauntlet to Cheon So-hui. She put it on herself to test its power.
"First of all, the fit is excellent."
She ordered an Iron Fist to bring a sword. "Thrust with all your might!"
The Iron Fist lunged forward with his sword, and she blocked the blade with her palm. Despite the significant force behind the strike, her palm was perfectly fine. The watching Black Fists marveled.
The Fist Demon nodded in satisfaction. "These are magnificent gauntlets. You've worked hard."
"Right now, we have enough for fifty people, but within a few months, we will produce and send enough for every Iron Fist in the Eastern Fist Sect."
"That must be thanks to your attention to detail. Thank you."
The Fist Demon expressed his sincere gratitude, and Geom Mu-yang wore a satisfied smile, his past labors finally rewarded.
While Cheon So-hui distributed the gauntlets to the Black Fists, we walked through the inner court together. The Fist Demon spoke mostly with Geom Mu-yang rather than me. They discussed everything from the production of the gauntlets to what kind of support the Eastern Fist Sect needed. They talked about various work-related matters.
Walking beside them in silence, I felt it clearly: my brother was definitely better at this sort of thing. It was a moment where I realized once again that for a project to yield proper results, someone with a meticulous and thorough personality was required.
It was only when we were saying our goodbyes and turning to leave that the Fist Demon sent me a Voice Transmission.
— Welcome back.
— I'll stop by again later.
That single sentence was enough of a welcome from my Master. It made me feel better than if he had set off hundreds of fireworks to greet me.
At the entrance of the Eastern Fist Sect, I spoke to Geom Mu-yang.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat together."
"Since when did we start eating together?"
"Being out in the Outer Lands made me think of Father and you a lot."
After a brief pause, Geom Mu-yang spoke. "Let's have a meal with Father soon."
I knew what he meant. It was an answer to my suggestion to look after our father. It was a sign that we should move forward together.
"You're buying."
"No. You're rich, you buy."
Surprisingly, I was starting to like my brother. But I couldn't let my guard down. Mistakes in human relationships often happen exactly at times like this—when you just start to like someone. At times like these, you have to keep your eyes even wider and watch the other person closely.
I stood for a moment, watching my brother’s retreating back, before turning in the opposite direction. My destination was the Southern Blade Sect.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was at his residence.
"I'm back, Elder."
"You should be resting off your travel fatigue. Why are you here?"
"Seeing you is resting. But why are you organizing books?"
He was removing collections of poems and literature and replacing them with martial arts manuals.
"These are manuals I read when I was young. I'm going to have that rascal Dae-ryong read them."
"Everyone is just overflowing with love for their disciples."
"Everyone?"
I had originally been referring to the Pungcheon Cult Leader, but I said, "I mean that I'm also being loved by Lord Fist Demon."
"As if. You'll be lucky if you don't get beaten to a pulp."
"Shall I help you organize?"
"I'm finished."
I crouched down and flipped through the stack of books the Blade Demon had piled up. "There are a lot of books here I haven't seen before. Let me borrow some."
"Do you even have time to read?"
"I'll make time."
As I was rummaging through the books, the Blade Demon asked while tidying the shelves, "Were they the same kind of bastards as that man from the Murim Alliance?"
I had been with the Blade Demon when we captured Baek Cheon-gyeong of the Murim Alliance.
"Yes, they seem to be on the same side."
"This damn Murim never has a quiet day."
The Blade Demon didn't ask any more about it and picked out a few books for me. "I'll lend you more when you've finished those."
"I'll be back."
Tucking the books he lent me under my arm, I returned to my quarters. Jeok-yeon, who had been waiting for me, held out a bottle of liquor.
"What's this?"
"It's a gift."
"A gift?"
"When you were buying gifts for the Drunken Demon, we pooled our money and bought a bottle."
Looking at it, it was one of the more expensive bottles among the ones I had gifted the Drunken Demon. It seemed the guards had secretly bought a bottle for themselves while I was shopping.
"Where did you guys get the money?"
"You might not know who we are, but we are the guards of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. We get paid a lot."
It was Jeok-yeon’s self-deprecating joke. Since they weren't the ones protecting me, but rather felt like they were being protected by me.
"Thanks for the gift. I'll savor it."
"Then we shall take our leave."
After Jeok-yeon left, I washed up and changed into fresh clothes. Instead of turning off the lights and lying in bed, I gathered my books and the liquor.
Snap.
I opened my private space using the Space-Time Displacement Technique.
A clear sea, white sandy beach, blue sky, broad-leaved trees, and a comfortable chair beneath them.
"I missed you guys!"
I sank into the comfortable chair. "Ah, this is the life."
The sense of happiness here was truly unparalleled! The Pungcheon Cult Leader warned that those who learn illusion arts should be wary of falling into their own worlds, but I could never give up this space.
Looking back on my past life, the thing I needed most as I grew older was my own space and my own time. At least here, I could forget all the world's troubles and quietly enjoy my own rest.
Today, I added one more thing to my sanctuary. A small chair had appeared next to mine. I placed the Secret Casket on top of it.
"How is it? Do you like it?"
The Secret Casket seemed to like it, as it was smiling broadly.
Leaning back in my chair, I sipped my drink and read my book. The only sounds were the wind, the cries of seagulls, and the turning of pages. Even if someone offered me the entire Murim, I wouldn't trade it for this moment.
The first day of my return to the Cult, which had been busier than the journey itself, was finally coming to a close.