Chapter 36: I Am Already Loyal
Chapter 36: I Am Already Loyal
The One Flower Sword Venerable was a woman of striking beauty.
Though she appeared to be in her early twenties, she was actually twice that age. Because of this, a saying had taken root within the Cult:
The world may change, but the Sword Venerable remains the same.
In fact, she seemed to grow younger with each passing year.
However, anyone fooled by her delicate appearance into acting out of turn would find their tongue sliced out and a cold steel blade driven through their heart. The red camellia engraved on the scabbard of her signature weapon, the One Flower Sword, was as vivid as fresh blood.
"It has been a long time, Elder."
"No matter how many times I hear it, I can never get used to being called 'Elder.' Why not call me 'Senior' instead?"
She treated me with courtesy. She was famous for always showing respect and maintaining etiquette, not just with me, but even with the lowest-ranking warriors.
"Considering the difference in our generational standing, I cannot do that."
"Must one show respect simply because of age? I don't think that way. Respect should be given to those who deserve it. Just as one should respect a younger person if they are worthy of it."
"Very well. I shall follow your wishes, Senior. In exchange, please feel free to call me Young Master Lee."
"I shall do so."
I introduced Seo Dae-ryong to her.
"This is the Special Investigator who looked into the recent incident. I brought him here to explain the details of what occurred."
Seo Dae-ryong performed a respectful fist salute to the One Flower Sword Venerable.
"I am Special Investigator Seo Dae-ryong. I will now report on the incident."
However, the One Flower Sword Venerable raised a hand to stop him.
"That’s enough. If the Huangquan Pavilion has judged him guilty, then he is guilty. A man who rapes a young maidservant deserves to die; therefore, this Sword House will not take issue with anything that occurred during the investigation."
I signaled Seo Dae-ryong to withdraw. He quietly exited the hermitage.
The One Flower Sword Venerable looked at me with a faint smile. She had already sensed that the true reason for my visit lay elsewhere.
"I hear a wind of change is blowing through the Cult lately, thanks to your hard work, Young Master Lee."
"I’ve just been acting quite recklessly."
"If it leads to the Cult’s development, how could that be considered reckless?"
The One Flower Sword Venerable was evaluated as the person among the Eight Demon Lords who least suited the Demonic Cult. Even this humble hut proved it; it was decorated as elegantly as the secluded residence of an old master from a prestigious Orthodox sect.
"You are doing wonderful work."
"It is only possible because you, Senior, serve as such a reliable pillar of support."
The One Flower Sword Venerable shook her head.
"Don't go gilding this wrinkled face for no reason."
This was a calculated remark—one intended to elicit a specific response.
"How can you say such a thing? Even now, you look like you're in your twenties, Senior."
"Twenties! What an absurd thing to say!"
Though she waved her hand in dismissal, a smile she couldn't hide blossomed on her face.
"A person like me is content to stay in the background and contemplate the truths of martial arts."
However, she had lived a life quite different from her words.
In my past life, after the Heavenly Demon died at the hands of Hwa Mu-gi and the Cult sealed its gates, a full-scale power struggle had erupted. Not only the Eight Demon Lords but all the renowned masters of the Cult fought one another for the position of Cult Leader.
And who was the first to take the throne?
Surprisingly, it was this woman before me—the One Flower Sword Venerable. Considering her current gentle smile and composure, it was hard to believe, but she was the first to move and seize the seat of the Cult Leader.
A bloodbath had followed. She was merciless. Throughout her brief reign, the wind always smelled of blood. It might have been different if she were a skilled politician, but her ability to govern could not keep up with her ambition.
She caused every tragedy that occurs when an incompetent person is filled with greed, and she lost her life to the next Cult Leader before even completing three years of rule. Thus, my evaluation of her could only be harsh.
"To be honest, when this incident broke out, I felt a great deal of pressure."
"Why did you feel pressured?"
"As you may have heard, there have been many clashes with the Southern Blade Sect recently."
I subtly mentioned the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s Southern Blade Sect. The two of them were known to have the worst relationship among the Eight Demon Lords. For that reason, the Blade Ghosts and the Demon Swords were also like cats and dogs.
"Elder Blood Heaven Blade Demon has been pressuring me severely. And now, a conflict has arisen with the Sword House as well..."
"I am strictly a different person from that Blade Demon!"
The One Flower Sword Venerable’s voice sharpened, as if she found even being mentioned in the same breath as the Blood Heaven Blade Demon offensive.
"Of course. You are certainly different."
"Since we're on the subject, I heard that the Blade Demon recommended a man named Jang Ho from the Southern Blade Sect as a Demon Monarch. What is the story behind that?"
She seemed like she did nothing but meditate alone in her hut, yet she was aware of every event within the Cult—as if to prove that her future seizure of power was no accident.
"Jang Ho is a man of outstanding ability and loyalty."
"What I am asking is why the Blade Demon tried to make him a Demon Monarch."
"To be honest, Jang Ho is my man."
The One Flower Sword Venerable did not look surprised; she likely already knew. What she was curious about was this:
"How did you persuade the Blade Demon?"
"I appealed to his pride. I asked him if, as a Demon Lord, he shouldn't make a choice for the sake of the Cult. I told him he should recommend someone with actual talent, rather than based on personal ties or political power."
"The Blade Demon isn't the type to be persuaded by such reasons."
"You are right. He likely did it because he didn't want to lose me. Regardless, the Elder said this: that among the Eight Demon Lords, his heart for the Cult is the greatest."
The One Flower Sword Venerable’s expression crumpled as if she found the statement preposterous, but I ignored it and continued.
"However, it seems even the Elder is finding it difficult to install Jang Ho as a Demon Monarch. The Chief Strategist suggested a method, but that too is not easy."
"What method did the Strategist suggest?"
"He said it would be possible if another Demon Lord co-recommended him. The problem is, there is no other Demon Lord willing to join in."
"Why do you think there is no one?"
"Pardon?"
"Do you think the Blade Demon is the only Demon Lord who cares for the Cult?"
"It’s not that, but..."
The One Flower Sword Venerable looked at me with cold eyes.
"Wasn't your purpose in coming here today to prick my pride as well, so that I would recommend Jang Ho alongside Senior Blade Demon?"
It was time to show some honesty. A scheme only truly tastes right when artifice and truth are so entangled that one cannot tell what the ingredients are.
"You caught me."
"What is your reason for going this far?"
"To take the Demon Army into my hands. With that influence, I want to become the successor as soon as possible."
The One Flower Sword Venerable stared at me intently.
Why did that fastidious old man, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, choose him? Even going so far as to discard his own older brother? She was surely harboring such doubts.
"Now I clearly understand why the Cult Leader appointed you as the Huangquan Pavilion Master."
"Why is that? I still do not fully understand my father's intentions."
She stepped closer and peered into my eyes.
"You have a strange way of swaying people's hearts, Young Master Lee."
As if only a person brimming with confidence could reveal such candid feelings, she showed her current emotions exactly as they were.
"I shall take that as a compliment."
After a moment of contemplation, she finally reached a decision.
"Very well. I shall also recommend Jang Ho."
"Are you serious?"
I put on a shocked expression, though internally I had expected her to agree. Precisely because of her unique relationship with the Blade Demon.
"May I ask why?"
"Let's just say it's to show that the Blade Demon isn't the only one who cares for the Cult."
She turned away. Knowing this was a silent dismissal, I bowed politely to her.
"I will not forget this kindness."
She didn't answer, but I knew the exact reason.
Her stepping forward in this matter was entirely because of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
She feared that I might be a talent destined to be the successor, and that the Blade Demon had recognized it first. If that were the case, she didn't want him to have me all to himself. She wouldn't even give the Blade Demon a piece of horse dung found on the side of the road if she could help it.
Why?
Because she loathed the Blade Demon with a passion.
When she had become the Cult Leader in the past life, the very first person she killed was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
*
The next day, the One Flower Sword Venerable recommended Jang Ho for the position of Demon Monarch.
The Cult was thrown into an uproar by this sudden news. Never before had a Captain of the Demon Army been put forward as a candidate, and never had two Demon Lords joined forces to recommend a single person.
Especially since those two Demon Lords were the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable, who were famously on bad terms. Naturally, Jang Ho became the center of attention.
Inside the Heavenly Demon Hall, Cult Leader Geom Wu-jin and Chief Strategist Sama Myeong were discussing the matter.
"I never imagined the Young Master would manage to draw in the Sword Venerable."
"He likely exploited the discord between the two."
"Everyone knows of their discord, but no one else could have accomplished this so easily."
Neither the Blood Heaven Blade Demon nor the One Flower Sword Venerable were easy people to handle. If one tried to exploit a discord that everyone knew about, it would usually backfire.
"What about this man, Jang Ho? Is he fit to lead the Demon Army?"
"His abilities are outstanding. However, he is closer to a pure warrior, so his political standing is weak. Choosing a man like Captain Jang was a very clever move from the start."
"He probably didn't scout Jang Ho with that in mind from the beginning."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It was likely an emotional choice. He is a more emotional child than one might think."
Sama Myeong found Geom Wu-jin’s words unusual. Until now, the Cult Leader had never shared his personal evaluation of his children.
"It is both a strength and a weakness, then."
At Sama Myeong’s remark, Geom Wu-jin spoke firmly.
"It is a weakness."
Sama Myeong kept his thoughts to himself with a faint smile. Recently, everyone—not just him—could feel that the Cult Leader was opening his heart to Geom Mu-geuk.
However, he didn't think the Cult Leader would necessarily make Mu-geuk his successor because of that. Geom Wu-jin often made decisions that were completely different from what he appeared to show. It was still too early to tell.
"How shall we finalize the matter of the Demon Monarch?"
"If two of them recommended him, we must accept it. They have their dignity to maintain."
Geom Wu-jin gave the order as if he had been waiting for the moment.
"Appoint Jang Ho as the Demon Monarch."
*
"I do not know how I can ever repay this debt."
Upon hearing the news that he had become a Demon Monarch, Jang Ho came to see me first. He was feeling both joy and worry at the fact that he had been promoted.
"Knowing your personality, Captain Jang, you probably won't be able to repay it."
"Pardon? What do you mean by that?"
"There are two reasons why I placed you in the position of Demon Monarch. First, I believe you are the person best suited for the role. I deemed you the right fit not for my sake or yours, but for the sake of the Demon Army and the Cult."
"I am overwhelmed by your high praise."
"The second reason is that I want the Demon Army to become my strength. But don't the first and second reasons conflict? For a rigid man like you, it won't be easy to maintain a private relationship. Oh, and let me say this in advance: I have no intention of forcing a personal connection on you, so do not worry."
Then, Jang Ho said something unexpected.
"Do you remember when we first met? I submitted a petition because of my friend's death. It was for revenge. I staked my life on it. As you can see, I am an emotional person who values human relationships above all else in life. If you saw me as someone who would discard personal ties for the sake of the organization, you have misjudged me. If you hadn't come for me then, Young Master, I would likely have died."
And it was true. If I hadn't gone, he would have died because of that incident.
"I want to be loyal to you, Young Master. No, I am already loyal. Of course, I will be loyal to the Cult Leader and the Cult, and I will work hard for the Demon Army, but the one I am most loyal to is you."
He was speaking from the heart. I could tell. I had gained a subordinate who was a much better man than I had initially thought.
"I want to become a person like you, Young Master."
"What kind of person am I?"
"The kind of person who makes one feel like they can accomplish any difficult task just by being with them."
"With flattery like that, you won't have to worry about suffering for a lack of political skill."
"Haha, I'm not that clean of a guy."
"I look forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is mine."
I firmly gripped his large hand. I found myself liking the unexpected depth of this big, rough man.