Chapter 73: The Higher the Level, the Simpler the Answer
Chapter 73: The Higher the Level, the Simpler the Answer
After leaving the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s quarters, I went to find Lee An.
She was still immersed in her training, and her Flying Heaven Sword Technique had improved by leaps and bounds.
“Lee An.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Once you receive the Body Poison Purification Technique later on, you’re free to leave whenever you wish.”
“Pardon? Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”
The thought had occurred to me as I left the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s residence. Thinking about how ill-suited shackles were for the Shackled Man made me think of Lee An.
I wondered if perhaps there were invisible shackles fastened around her ankles as well.
After all, are shackles only those that are visible to the eye?
Even my own obsession with killing Hwa Mu-gi was a form of invisible shackle. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable were also linked by shackles of hatred that were nearly impossible to sever.
Then what about my father? Like the Shackled Man tied before the Sound Thunder Bell, perhaps my father was bound to the Grand Tutor’s Chair, carrying the heavy responsibility of protecting the Cult on his shoulders.
“I’m saying you’re free to choose your own life. You don’t have to be the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader. You could leave the Cult and travel the Central Plains. You could live as a hidden master in some peaceful village. Since you learned martial arts from me, there’s no need to repay that debt. You’ve already done more than enough for me, so I want you to feel at ease with whatever you choose.”
Lee An listened quietly before a small smile played on her lips.
“I suppose I have no choice but to reveal another tail.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I am happier and living a better life because I am by your side, Young Master. Traveling is only fun for a day or two, and being a hidden master loses its charm just as quickly. I’m happy every day under your protection. I’m not a fool; if I truly hated it here, I’m the kind of woman who would have risked her life to run away in the middle of the night. I don’t know why you insist on seeing me as such a saint.”
I let out a short laugh as I looked at her.
“How many of those hidden tails do you have left?”
“Maybe about seven?”
“That’s plenty. Get back to training, then.”
As I turned to leave, a lingering worry prompted me to add one more thing.
“Still, make sure to keep at least one tail hidden.”
In my experience, having a hidden card is just as important as a secret killing move. Seeing her expression—which seemed to say, ‘You don’t even have to tell me that’—I left the area. Right, as long as she knew.
*
The Demon Buddha went to see the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
He had come with a clear purpose, and the look in his eyes from the moment he entered was different.
“Did you just kill someone? For a man who follows the Buddhist scriptures, your body is overflowing with killing intent.”
“The Buddha I serve occasionally breaks the precept against killing.”
“A Buddha of lust one moment, a Buddha of slaughter the next—you certainly keep yourself busy.”
The Demon Buddha did not sit down. He remained standing, staring at the Pungcheon Cult Leader. Standing, he was nearly at the same height as the Pungcheon Cult Leader, who was sitting with his back straight. Given how sensitive the Cult Leader was about his height, matching eye levels like this was a clear sign that the Demon Buddha was deeply incensed.
“Listen here, Pungcheon Cult Leader!”
“What is it?”
“How long have we known each other?”
“I don’t recall exactly.”
“Exactly. Our bond is so long that we can barely remember its beginning, yet you would do this to me?”
“Sit down. Let us sit and talk.”
However, he did not sit; he glared at the Pungcheon Cult Leader instead. The golden light radiating from his body grew even more intense.
“I never imagined you would pull such a transparent stunt!”
“A stunt, you say?”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s expression hardened, but the Demon Buddha had come prepared for a confrontation.
The One Flower Sword Venerable and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had begun moving to persuade the other Demon Lords. The Demon Lords reacted differently to the Demon Buddha than they did to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. They were all individuals who lived without caring for the opinions of others, so there was no guarantee whose side they would take in the end.
That was why the Demon Buddha had come to target the Pungcheon Cult Leader directly.
“To coax the young disciple of the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord into becoming your own? What kind of scheme is this!”
“I did not coax her. The child came to me of her own volition.”
“Then you should have sent her back! As an elder, you should have turned her away!”
“And why should I have done that?”
“Why are you trying to become the master of a disciple of this Cult?”
“Because the martial arts the ghost practitioners learned are the demonic arts of the Blood Cult!”
“Are you saying you belong to the Blood Cult now? Are you serious?”
It was a known fact that the Pungcheon Cult was a successor to the Blood Cult, but one was never supposed to mention or link them to it. The Blood Cult had a history of fighting several wars against the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He had been invited strictly as the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“Are you twisting my words now?”
“Even when you put on that charade about your sacred relic being stolen, I tried to understand you to some extent. But I cannot tolerate this.”
“A charade? You come to a friend who has had his sacred relic stolen and call it a charade? I came here trusting only you, and I even lost my relic. Instead of taking responsibility, you offer such ridiculous speculation!”
“Did you think we would believe that? The Demon Lords are not fools.”
“Looking at you, you don’t seem particularly bright either.”
“What?”
“Tell me honestly, how many times in your life have you been told you were smart?”
The Demon Buddha’s expression froze instantly. He knew well enough that he wasn't the most intellectual man. His habit of snapping at others with harsh words was a means to suppress his opponent’s momentum and lead the conversation in his favor.
When the Pungcheon Cult Leader poked at his inferiority complex, the Demon Buddha chose to play a strong hand.
“Listen, my friend. Where you are right now is not the Outer Regions.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat; I’m telling you the reality. I have maintained a friendship with you for a long time, but the other Demon Lords feel differently. I have no idea how they will act.”
“With that meager imagination of yours, what could it be? They’ll probably put you in the lead to try and kill me.”
“If that were the case, at least we could say our goodbyes.”
A thick tension hung between the two men.
“Do not look down on the Demon Lords. They will seek to eliminate you in a far more miserable fashion than that.”
“You tell me not to look down on them, yet why do you look down on me so much?”
“I don’t look down on you. It’s just that you have a fatal weakness.”
“A weakness?”
“If the Demon Lords decide to get rid of you, they won’t make the foolish choice of attacking you directly. Instead, they will drive a wedge between you and the Cult Leader to make him eliminate you. Can you handle that? Our Cult Leader.”
When he used the Heavenly Demon as a threat, the Pungcheon Cult Leader fell silent. The Heavenly Demon, who loathed the Blood Cult, was indeed the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s weakness.
“Pretend to look for your relic for a few more days, and then leave. Expel that disciple. I will speak well of you to the Demon Lords.”
“And if I refuse?”
Instead of answering, the Demon Buddha let out a smirk and walked out. Perhaps finding that even more offensive, the Pungcheon Cult Leader remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
“I’ve just made up my mind.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader ground his teeth as he looked at the Shackled Man standing before the Sound Thunder Bell.
“I will make sure the Second Young Master becomes the Heavenly Demon.”
*
“What brings you here, Second Young Master?”
As always, Chief Strategist Sama Myeong was buried in work.
“I came because I wanted to hang out with you, Strategist. If you have the time, why don’t we go have some fun in Ma Clan Village?”
Sama Myeong looked startled by my suggestion.
“Ma Clan Village?”
“You are the most important person in the Cult, but the Cult won’t collapse if you slack off for just one day.”
“The sad secret is that it wouldn’t collapse even if I slacked off for a whole year.”
“Then let’s go play for just two double-hours so the secret doesn’t get out.”
“Very well.”
Sama Myeong didn’t hesitate; he closed his documents and stood up. He likely guessed that I hadn’t come just to play.
“If you aren’t here, the Murim Alliance might invade immediately.”
“You say that because you don’t know the Tongcheon Pavilion. There’s a line of brilliant strategists just waiting for me to step down.”
“They’ve chosen a very difficult path.”
We left his office with a laugh. The place I took him to was the Pungryu Tavern.
“So it was this place after all.”
His words implied he knew the Pungryu Tavern well. Then again, since he likely knew every detail about me, he would naturally be well-acquainted with my favorite haunt.
“Are you disappointed? Were you expecting to go to the finest courtesan house in Ma Clan Village?”
It was a bit of an excessive joke, but Sama Myeong took it with a smile.
“I was hoping I could pretend to be dragged along against my will.”
“This is why prejudices are scary. Next time we slack off, I’ll make a reservation right away!”
“Hahaha.”
I sat across from Sama Myeong at my usual spot on the second floor of the Pungryu Tavern. I introduced Sama Myeong to Jo Chun-bae when he came to take our order.
“This is the Chief Strategist of our Cult. Greet him.”
“Gasp!”
Jo Chun-bae bowed to Sama Myeong with a face that looked like he might faint. Lately, he had been overwhelmed by visits from high-ranking people. First Pavilion Masters, then Demon Lords, and now even the Chief Strategist. The weight of the title ‘Chief Strategist’ was different from anyone else’s.
“I have always admired you. You are the person I respect the most.”
“The person you respect the most isn’t my father?”
Jo Chun-bae jumped at my teasing.
“Of course not! I respect the Strategist second most.”
“Ah, I thought I was second.”
“No, that’s not it, actually, the Pavilion Master is the one I—”
He played along, pretending to be flustered to match the atmosphere.
“I’m joking. Bring the wine first, and please make today’s dishes delicious.”
“Yes, sir!”
After serving the wine, Jo Chun-bae dashed toward the kitchen. I poured a drink for Sama Myeong.
“This is the first time we’ve had a drink just the two of us, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“I should have invited you sooner. I apologize for being late.”
“Not at all. Haven’t you been very busy lately?”
“If anyone is busy, it’s you, Strategist. I’m always just slacking off.”
“If you say that, what are the actual slackers supposed to do?”
He was the person who knew best just how diligently I had been moving around lately. We drank while sharing various stories about daily life. Sama Myeong had a higher tolerance for alcohol than I had expected.
“You drink quite well.”
“Of course. I used to be quite the heavy drinker in my younger days.”
“That’s unexpected.”
It was hard to imagine a younger Sama Myeong drinking like a fish.
“But what is the matter?”
Sama Myeong knew I hadn’t come just to play. I didn’t beat around the bush either and got straight to the point.
“There is something I want to ask you.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“What makes a good strategist?”
Whether it was an unexpected question or not, Sama Myeong’s eyes widened as he looked at me. Soon, his gaze shifted to his wine cup.
“I used to ask myself that question a lot when I was young, but I’ve forgotten about it for a while.”
Questions like these are always difficult. If someone asked me what makes a good martial artist, what would I say? However, Sama Myeong’s answer came immediately.
“The good strategist I envision is one who is smarter than the enemy’s strategist. There’s no profound meaning; it’s just literally being smarter than the opposing strategist. That is my answer. There can be people smarter than me within our Cult. They can be here in this tavern. You can be smarter than me, Second Young Master. But…”
After a brief pause, Sama Myeong continued.
“I must be smarter than the strategist of the Murim Alliance. I must be smarter than the strategist of the Unorthodox Path Alliance. That is enough.”
It was a truly unexpected answer. As if he had anticipated my reaction, Sama Myeong asked with a smile.
“It’s a dull answer, isn’t it?”
“On the contrary, it really hit home.”
“When I was younger, I probably would have had too many thoughts and given a different answer. It might have been a more pedantic one.”
I could guess what he meant. The older you get and the higher your level, the simpler the answers tend to become.
“Martial artists moving on the field can exercise improvisation. They can change tactics depending on the situation. But a strategist cannot. If a plan is made incorrectly once, it’s total annihilation. It would be less regrettable to die by one’s own choice. But how unfair would it be to die because of a superior’s wrong judgment? That’s why I always tell the junior strategists: become smarter at all costs! Everything depends on that.”
This was the first time I had learned that Sama Myeong held such thoughts. Just as I had only just learned that he was a good drinker.
Sama Myeong spoke as he filled my empty cup.
“Now, it’s my turn to ask a question.”
In truth, I hadn’t come to hear his answer on what makes a good strategist. My meeting with him today was for the sake of hearing this very question.
“Why did you ask such a thing?”