Chapter 38: I’m Going to Overcharge Them
Chapter 38: I’m Going to Overcharge Them
I stayed late at the training grounds, honing my martial arts.
Right now, training was the most important thing in the world to me. If I were to lose to Hwa Mu-gi, every step of this process—no matter how grand or precious—would instantly become an exercise in futility.
Whenever the training felt too grueling, I indulged in a specific visualization: imagining myself dying at Hwa Mu-gi’s hands simply because I was fifteen minutes short on practice. Of course, such a thing wouldn't happen in reality, but that desperate thought was remarkably effective at crushing any lingering laziness.
Fortunately, today’s session was the most satisfying one since my regression.
A pure yet grand internal energy surged from my dantian. My forms grew more powerful, and my speed increased. My internal power had reached a level where I could hold my own in a life-and-death struggle against the Demon Lords. For someone my age, it was a level of strength that defied belief.
‘It’s still not enough.’
I had to gather more. When it came to internal energy, more was always better.
Through continuous practice, my progress with the Wind God Four Steps was substantial. I knew I would eventually hit a wall, but in these early stages, I felt my skill improving every time I performed the technique.
The more I executed the Wind God Four Steps, the more I was consumed by a burning desire to fight. The technique constantly stimulated my combative spirit.
— Be patient. The moment to reveal yourself fully to the world will come.
As I finished a set of the Wind God Four Steps, a voice spoke from behind me.
“Your internal power has grown again.”
Startled, I spun around to find my father standing there.
“You really are like a ghost, Father.”
Approaching me without a sound was one thing, but discerning that my internal power had increased just by watching my forms was another entirely.
I spoke honestly. “I obtained a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.”
It was a major event, yet Father didn't seem particularly surprised.
“Why aren't you surprised?” I asked.
“Did you not say there was something to be gained from him?”
“But it was a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill!”
“I knew Blade Demon possessed that pill.”
I was stunned. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon surely wouldn't have told anyone about it. “How did you know?”
His answer was even more shocking than the fact that he knew.
“Because I was the one who gave it to him, a long time ago.”
“My god! You gave it to him?”
Suddenly, I recalled the Blade Demon drawing a line on the ground, claiming he was closer to my father than I was. It was now certain that the two of them had once been very close.
“What did you wager in your bet with him?” Father asked.
“I wagered myself.”
“Blade Demon made a terrible deal, then.”
“My business is only just beginning,” I countered. “I intend to properly overcharge the Eight Demon Lords.”
In the past, Father would have dismissed such a statement as nonsense, but now he remained silent.
“Why are you just listening?”
“Because I think you might actually be able to do it.”
“You’re finally recognizing my true worth.”
“Why do you hate the Demon Lords so much?” Father asked.
“When I look at them, I hear voices. They whisper, ‘Hey, you want to be the Heavenly Demon, right? But what can you do? You can only become the Heavenly Demon if we back you. Want our support? Then you’d better stay on our good side.’”
“Isn't that just a victim complex?”
“Maybe. Regardless, I hate it.”
I didn't intend to fight this battle alone. Since this was a fight I would undertake alongside my father, I shared my honest feelings regarding the Eight Demon Lords. I might be calculating with others, but I couldn't afford to have a strained relationship with him.
“Go back to your training,” Father said, turning to leave.
“Thank you for appointing Jang Ho as a Demon Monarch,” I called out.
“It wasn't because of you. It was because two of the Demon Lords recommended him.”
I called out to him once more. “Father.”
He replied without turning around. “What is it?”
“I am going to be happy.”
For a moment, I felt his back tremble slightly. It must have been an unexpected thing to hear.
“I believe that only when I am happy can the people around me and the Cult itself be happy.”
Before he could retort, I beat him to the punch. “It’s the kind of cheap sentimentality that’s perfect for getting someone killed, right?”
“As long as you know.” Father, who was about to open the door, added one more thing. “If you intend to walk this path, discard any thought of happiness.”
I shouted loudly before the door could close. “I refuse! I will walk this path and be happy no matter what!”
The door slammed shut with a thud, as if to say it was an impossible dream.
I understood why Father had such an aversion to the word 'happiness.' Both he and I had lived lives that were far removed from it. We had always viewed happiness as a refuge for losers.
But Father, having lived through it once, I realized that living a happy life is just as difficult as struggling to achieve one's goals.
...No, perhaps it's even harder than a life spent only running toward success. In fact, we might have been using success as a way to escape, Father.
*
The One Flower Sword Venerable was certainly different from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Since she had helped make Jang Ho a Demon Monarch, one might expect her to come running to claim credit, but there was no word from her at all.
‘She’s telling me to come to her.’
This alone showed how much she valued face and honor. In contrast, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was a man who prioritized his emotions. If he was annoyed, he had to storm over and yell to feel satisfied.
I bought a bottle of fine liquor and went to visit the One Flower Sword Venerable. She was in the courtyard of her hermitage, tending to her flower garden.
“The flowers are quite beautiful,” I remarked.
“They say flowers become more beautiful as you age. Though that’s a long way off for our Second Young Master.”
She probably didn't know that when you get even older, even tending to them becomes a chore.
“I am truly grateful for your help this time. I brought some wine as a token of my gratitude.”
“I appreciate the gift, but I don't touch alcohol. I quit a long time ago.”
“Ah, is that so? My apologies.”
“It’s quite alright.”
Actually, I knew that, but I had brought the wine on purpose. I wanted to avoid giving the impression that I understood her too well. I wondered if I really needed to go this far, but I had to do what I could. Small things are what build a relationship, after all.
“I was taught that one must repay a favor. Is there anything you desire?”
She continued to prune the flowers, speaking in a gentle tone. “It would be best for you to cut ties with Blade Demon.”
As the Blade Demon had predicted, she brought this up as her price.
“May I ask why?”
“Because Blade Demon is far removed from the ideals you pursue.”
“Forgive the question, but do you know what my ideals are?”
“You said you wanted to change the Cult into a place of strict order and discipline, didn't you? Blade Demon is a man who hates being bound by rules more than anyone. You will clash with him often.”
The One Flower Sword Venerable likely thought her persuasion would work. She possessed an overflowing pride. In particular, she considered herself a far better person than the Blade Demon.
“I’m sorry, but I don't think I can follow your advice, Senior.”
Her body flinched for a split second. “Why?”
“Because Elder Blade Demon gave me such a magnificent gift.”
Normally, I wouldn't have mentioned the gift. However, I intended to let it slip that I had received the Heavenly Outer Divine Pill. My plan was to make the One Flower Sword Venerable one of my people, alongside the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Since the two of them had a terrible relationship, it might actually make them easier to handle. Above all, because their emotions would inevitably erupt, I would be able to understand what kind of people they were more quickly and clearly.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon as the Left Protector, and the One Flower Sword Venerable as the Right Protector.
They would become the most powerful Protectors in the history of the Murim—the Left Blade and the Right Sword. With those two by my side, I intended to grab the rest of the Eight Demon Lords by the scruff of their necks and shake them.
“What kind of gift?” she asked.
“It was a personal gift, so it’s difficult to say.”
“I thought our relationship had reached a point where we could share such things. Was I mistaken?”
“Ah, this is awkward.” After pretending to deliberate for a moment, I spoke in a tone that suggested I had no choice. “Since you have shown me great kindness this time, I will tell you. The Elder gave me a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill.”
“What?” She stopped pruning and turned toward me. The composure and nobility she had displayed until a moment ago shattered instantly. “Are you saying he truly gave the Second Young Master a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill?”
She seemed unable to believe that the Blade Demon had given me such a thing. She was even more shocked than I had anticipated.
“Where is that pill now?”
“I have already consumed it. But why are you so surprised?”
“Blade Demon is a greedy man by nature. How could I not be shocked that he gave something so precious to you?”
“It seems he judged me to be more precious than the pill.”
I threw it out as a joke, but she didn't laugh. She likely believed it was the truth.
“Thank you for your help this time. If you ever need my assistance, please send word. I shall see you again.”
As I bowed politely and prepared to leave, she called out to me softly. “Second Young Master.”
I looked back, and she asked, “What kind of person is Blade Demon in your eyes?”
“Eccentric, violent, and self-centered. I disliked him at first, but he grew on me the more we met.”
“And it’s not because he gave you the Heavenly Outer Divine Pill?”
“I can't deny that played a part. Who wouldn't like someone who gives them that? It is a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill, after all.”
“It is merely a spirit medicine.”
“That 'mere' spirit medicine was exactly what I needed.”
She tried desperately to sever the bond between the Blade Demon and me. “If you wish to receive my help in the future, cut ties with Blade Demon. He is not the one.”
“Then prove it.”
“Prove what?”
I stared at her for a moment before speaking. “Prove that you are more helpful to me than Elder Blade Demon.”
Her expression stiffened slightly. “Was all that talk about establishing discipline and justice in the Cult just nonsense?”
“Elder Blade Demon gave me a Heavenly Outer Divine Pill. If I am to cut ties with him, I need a justification.”
“Isn't the ideal of serving the Cult justification enough?”
I let out a deliberate smirk. “Dreams, ideals, loyalty... I despise people who try to win the hearts of their subordinates or juniors for free using those things.”
In that moment, she grew angry, and I saw her true self. A desolate gaze revealed itself as her composure turned cold. Her eyes felt like a barren desert.
If I had seen a smoldering fire in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes, I felt a terrible thirst from the One Flower Sword Venerable. Because it was such a stark change from her gentle appearance, this desolation felt even more intense.
Looking back... I felt I finally understood.
Why she was the first to move after Hwa Mu-gi sealed the gates. Why her ambition was more impatient than the other Demon Lords. She must have felt the need to fill that desolation with something—anything.
Normally, I would have hung the whip on the wall and started peeling a carrot, but I didn't.
“I don't know what you think of me, but I am preparing for a great undertaking. I will have to meet many people and make many decisions. I don't have the confidence to judge exactly what is right or wrong every time. So, show me something I can easily judge.”
I held out my hand to her.
“Place something more precious than the Heavenly Outer Divine Pill in this hand.”
Blade Demon isn't the one? Don't make me laugh. It has to be the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. That’s why you’re so shaken. That’s why you’re asking these questions.
“Second Young Master, what is it you want?”
I pulled back my hand. I didn't ask for her help. It wasn't time yet.
“No, I want nothing for now.”
To her, it would sound like this: I’m fine because I already have Blade Demon.
Because I said I wanted nothing, she would only become more anxious. Had I demanded something specific, she could have responded rationally.
“Then, I shall see you again. I won't forget the kindness you showed me this time.”
After a polite bow, I left the hermitage. After walking for a while, I looked back. She was still standing there, staring at me.
Toward that burning gaze, I bowed once more and continued on my way.
Yes, keep simmering.
The water has to boil before the cooking can begin.