Chapter 445: It’s All Because Father is So Particular.
Chapter 445: It’s All Because Father is So Particular.
As my father spoke of how much he relied on me, I briefly envisioned myself standing amidst the carnage of a battlefield.
I thought of the countless battles I had fought before my regression, and those I had fought after. Even if I combined them all, they were mere skirmishes compared to the true face of war.
Once a total war begins, the kind of slaughter that turns an individual's life into a living hell erupts across the Central Plains every single day. The initial justification, once as vivid and red as blood, gradually fades into obscurity. People die without ever knowing why they are fighting.
What’s more horrific is that it does not end easily. It could last months, years, or even decades. War is easy to ignite but agonizingly difficult to extinguish.
Is the peace gained through such immense sacrifice truly peace? Or is it merely a breeding ground for deeper conflict, festering scars, and a thirst for revenge?
What if I faithfully fulfilled my role as the vanguard of that war?
Jin Ha-gun, the Demon Extermination Squad Leader, would die by my blade.
I could see Jin Ha-ryeong wailing over his corpse. She would scream curses at me, lunging forward with her sword in a desperate attempt to take my life. In the end, she, too, would die by my hand.
Bi Sa-in would be no different. What could I possibly say to him as I looked down at his dying form? Where would I discard all the words and moments we had shared?
Just imagining it made my chest tighten—that is the reality of a war for the unification of the Murim. This vision alone told me exactly how I would have to live for the next five years if I let it happen.
‘Father, that war will not happen. That is why I am so curious to know what your new dream will be.’
I wanted to respond honestly, but instead, I maintained my usual facade. I put on a pained expression and began to grumble.
“This is too much! You’ve been conspiring with the Demon Lords from the start just to tie me down, haven't you? Lord Blade Demon laid the bait, Master and the Demon Buddha gently shook the lure, and today, Father, you reeled me in. Right? This was a strategy cooked up by Tongcheon Pavilion, wasn't it?”
At my playfulness, Father glanced toward the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Hall.
“Ask the Strategist yourself.”
Right on cue, Chief Strategist Sama Myeong entered the hall.
His appearance confirmed it. Father had another reason for gathering all the Demon Lords today. Indeed, Father wasn't the type to summon every Demon Lord just because he missed their company.
After bowing to Father, Sama Myeong politely greeted the Demon Lords, who returned the gesture with fist salutes. Finally, Sama Myeong turned to me.
“Young Cult Leader, I am glad you returned safely from the North Sea.”
“My greetings are late. I’ve been a bit busy falling into the trap our Strategist prepared.”
Despite the sudden remark, Sama Myeong actually smiled. He knew exactly what I meant.
“The name of the trap I fell into is ‘Unification of the Murim.’ I didn't even realize I was in a snare when I opened my mouth and said I’d be the vanguard.”
Since he was well aware of my visits to the Demon Lords, he immediately understood the nature of this promise. Sama Myeong pinpointed the core of the agreement.
“Of course, you must have set a time limit on being the vanguard? How long did you negotiate?”
“I set it at five years.”
“Could it be that the name of this trap is actually ‘Five Years’? From where I stand, it looks like the Cult Leader is the one who fell into it.”
He saw right through the fact that I had bought five years of time. Just as Father had accepted the promise knowing my intent, the Strategist had already guessed my hidden motive.
Sure enough, a faint smile touched Father’s lips. He was pleased that Sama Myeong had read the situation so accurately.
Sama Myeong also realized the cleverness behind the five-year period.
“Had it been seven or ten years, I suspect it’s a trap the Cult Leader wouldn't have fallen for. Five years is an exquisite duration—one impossible to refuse.”
The Demon Lords likely understood what Sama Myeong was implying as well. A voice transmission from the Drunken Demon immediately reached me.
— So this was your plan all along. I was worried you’d made an impossible promise.
— It is an impossible promise. I’ll have to put in blood-curdling effort for the next five years. You have to help me too, Brother.
— Please, don't drag me into the Cult Leader’s business!
Meanwhile, Sama Myeong revealed the reason for his presence to the assembly.
“The reason I wished to see the Demon Lords today is to personally report the findings of Tongcheon Pavilion’s investigation. After learning of the existence of those moving behind the scenes, the Pavilion has been tracking them independently. We focused on their funding. Moving masters and organizations of this scale requires immense capital. Through a discreet investigation, we have found a clue to track them down.”
He had come to share this information and request the Demon Lords' assistance.
“Considering the strength they have shown so far, I believe the Demon Lords must step forward to handle this personally.”
Sama Myeong had likely already decided who to entrust with this task before coming here. But before he could name a specific Demon Lord, I stepped forward.
“Before that, may I say something?”
“Please, go ahead.”
Sama Myeong waited for my answer, but the person I was addressing was Father.
“I have a request for Father.”
“What is it?”
“Let Father and I handle this matter.”
Neither Father, Sama Myeong, nor the Demon Lords expected me to say such a thing; they all looked stunned. Their expressions seemed to ask if they had misheard. No, Sama Myeong looked as if he wished he had misheard.
“Let’s go out together. Just Father and I, alone.”
We had discussed going out into the Central Plains together several times, but we had never actually put it into practice. I intended to use this opportunity to spend time with him.
“Five years will pass in a flash, won't it?”
Those were the words Father had said to me earlier. Given the nature of this promise—where I had to change Father’s mind—it was only fair that I be given a chance.
The Demon Lords watched with curious faces, wondering how Father would respond.
“Why don't we go out together and finish this quickly?”
Before Father could make a decision, Sama Myeong intervened.
“That is not possible.”
He rarely interrupted a conversation with Father like this, so his refusal carried a sense of firm resolve.
“Do you realize what kind of request you are making, Young Cult Leader?” he asked in a soft tone, but his eyes were incredibly serious.
“I know.”
Sama Myeong shook his head. “No. I do not think you know. If you did, you wouldn't be able to make such a request.”
“Why not?”
A taut tension filled the room. The contest between Father and me had shifted into a contest between Sama Myeong and me. The curtain on today’s stage had not yet fallen.
“By cult law, the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader do not move together unless it is an extraordinary circumstance. You are even forbidden from sharing the same meals.”
This was to guard against ambushes or assassinations. If both were to die together, the cult would be left without a leader.
“Are you stopping us because you’re afraid Father might be in danger? Your concern is misplaced. You should be worrying about the Murim, not Father.”
Sama Myeong answered as if he had been waiting for that.
“You are correct. That is exactly why. Because if the Cult Leader moves, the Murim itself is in danger.”
This was Sama Myeong’s true concern.
“When the Cult Leader moves, the Murim becomes tense and rigid. The sense of crisis escalates to the extreme, and small incidents can spiral into catastrophes.”
I tried to persuade Sama Myeong in a gentle tone.
“We can just go secretly. We’ll say Father has entered a brief period of closed-door training.”
“If that were discovered later, the Murim would be even more shocked.”
The Heavenly Demon’s journey into the Jianghu was a move of such weight that it carried immense responsibility. Sama Myeong added a chilling thought.
“If things go wrong, the moment the Young Cult Leader has to lead the vanguard might not be five years from now, but five days from now.”
I understood his worries well, but...
“That doesn't mean Father has to stay in the Heavenly Demon Hall for the rest of his life, does it?”
Sama Myeong couldn't offer a rebuttal to that. He, more than anyone in the cult, understood the suffocating nature of Father’s position.
My gaze turned to Father.
“I respect the dream Father has. However, since that dream is for the world, I believe you must go out into the world to dream it.”
Father looked at me without a word. I spoke with my eyes.
Father, it is time for you to go out with me.
Father would know. He would know the heart behind my actions. Since this was a matter between Father and me, the Demon Lords did not interfere, watching us with their own varied expressions.
Sama Myeong let out a soft sigh and spoke.
“I got the name of the trap wrong. It wasn't ‘Five Years,’ it was ‘Leaving the Cult.’”
It was a joke implying that he was the one who had fallen into the trap. Finally, Father spoke up.
“We shall discuss this further after I have given it due thought. Let us conclude today’s meeting here.”
Father had clearly already made his decision. However, he likely refrained from announcing it here to save face for whichever side wasn't chosen.
With that, the Demon Lords and I offered our respectful farewells and left the Heavenly Demon Hall. At the entrance, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke to me.
“You really never tire, do you?”
He meant that after making a five-year promise with Father, I was already stirring up trouble with the issue of the Heavenly Demon leaving the cult.
“Five years will pass in a flash, won't it? I have to move diligently while I have the chance.”
At that, the Drunken Demon voiced what he’d been holding back.
“No matter how I think about it, I don't think you can change the Cult Leader’s mind in just five years.”
It seemed the Demon Buddha shared that sentiment.
“Didn't I say today’s gathering was a stage created by the Cult Leader?”
The radiance began to shine from his body once more. I looked at the Fist Demon. Though he said nothing, his eyes seemed to say: Didn't I tell you the Cult Leader is at war with his son?
He likely believed that the war had officially begun today.
Behind the Fist Demon’s massive frame, I saw the Poison King. If all the Demon Lords here went to war, he would be the one to protect the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He was the one Father disliked yet trusted the most.
He was also the first Demon Lord to grasp my intentions. He was the one who had sent me a voice transmission saying it was Father who had been caught when I was pretending to be the victim.
“Make sure you dig them out this time. Don't use the Cult Leader as an excuse.”
He was already certain that I would be able to go out with Father.
Standing beside him, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord bowed her head politely to me. It was an expression of apology for choosing Father over me earlier. I replied with a smile. You are Father’s Demon Lord, and you are mine.
The One Flower Sword Venerable offered a word of encouragement.
“I believe the Young Cult Leader will find a way.”
Regardless of her support for Father, I felt that those words were sincere. The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon was silently looking up at the sky. What kind of dream was he dreaming now?
I let out a sigh and lamented.
“I talked a lot and raised my voice today, but it was truly exhausting. As you know, who is my opponent? It’s my father. I have to change his long-held desire. Do you think hitting the Heavenly Demon Sword with a steel sword would even leave a scratch? You all have to help me from now on. Where are ‘Father’s Demon Lords’ or ‘my Demon Lords’? You are our Demon Lords. Now, in that spirit, since we’ve gathered for the first time in a while, let’s all have a drink together… Huh? Where is everyone going? Elder! Master! Brother!”
The Demon Lords were already scattering in eight different directions toward their respective residences.
“Hey, I said I’m exhausted! Give me some comfort, help me plan a strategy. This is really too much!”
They all vanished without looking back. However, from far away, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a voice transmission.
— Isn't there someone else you should be drinking with right now?
*
“Young Cult Leader.”
Working in his office, Sama Myeong looked as if he had expected me to come.
“It’s just about time for you to be hungry, isn't it? As expected, you’re working late.”
I had brought food and wine from the Pungryu Tavern, timed for dinner. I bought plenty so he could share it with his subordinate strategists.
“I still have work left, so I will decline the wine. But I will enjoy the food with my subordinates.”
Seeing the piles of work, I was reminded of the stacks in Go Wol’s room. The life of a strategist is truly grueling.
“You already know why I’m here. What should I do?”
Sama Myeong remained silent for a moment. I understood him. No, I was grateful to him. Because he was protecting Father like this.
“If you’re truly worried, I’ll take the Demon Lords with me.”
At that, Sama Myeong asked with a peculiar smile. “Which Demon Lords?”
“First, they shouldn't stand out, and Father needs to be comfortable.”
On the point of Father being comfortable, the Poison King and the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord were immediately disqualified. I wanted to go with the Smiling Demon, but his white mask stood out too much. The same went for the Demon Buddha.
I had recently left the cult and returned with the Drunken Demon. Even if that weren't the case, if I asked him to go with Father, he’d probably jump into the lake in front of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
In truth, the person Father would be most comfortable with is the Fist Demon, but his massive build and impression would draw attention anywhere. Even if he hid his face, how could he hide those giant fists?
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, too, would draw eyes just by carrying that massive Heaven Extermination Great Blade. The One Flower Sword Venerable was the most inconspicuous, but lately, she was chasing the ultimate principle of swordplay and wouldn't want to leave.
“……There’s no one to go with. Even though there are eight of them.”
Sama Myeong laughed as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“It’s all because my father is so particular. You really suffer a lot, looking after him.”
“You don't need to try so hard.”
A surprising fact slipped from his lips.
“The Cult Leader has already made his decision. He has decided to go out with you.”
“Did he tell you, Strategist?”
“He hasn't yet.”
The reason he was so certain was likely because he had been by Father’s side for so long.
“Word will probably reach you within a few days, so keep that in mind and rest well in the meantime. You haven't even had a chance to recover from the fatigue of your trip to the North Sea because you were busy meeting the Demon Lords.”
“Thank you, Strategist.”
If Father moved, everything would be treated as top secret. The departure, and the return.
“Are you happy to be going out with the Cult Leader?”
“My heart is already racing.”
“I could have opposed this until the very end. Do you know why I changed my mind?”
“Why?”
“I liked what you said. About showing the Cult Leader a different scenery.”
How could he not feel pity for Father, who lived confined by the name of the Heavenly Demon? It seemed those words had moved his heart.
“Go and enjoy that scenery with the Cult Leader. I will keep a good watch over the house.”
He wasn't worried at all about the hidden forces we had to face. Then again, why worry about any enemy when the Heavenly Demon himself was stepping out?
“Because you are here, I could act spoiled and pester him. Thank you, truly.”
As I turned to leave, I suddenly asked him.
“Then what about your scenery, Strategist?”
It was an abrupt question, but he understood my meaning immediately.
“I love the view from this desk. So, you don't need to worry about me.”
I responded to that devoted heart with a clear, deep gaze, then left his office. I hoped that when the day comes that he wishes to find a scenery of his own, it won't be too late.