Chapter 76: If I Resolve to Live
Chapter 76: If I Resolve to Live
I definitely feel a sense of reliance on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Just as there are parts of me that lean on my father, there are separate parts of me that rely on the Elder Blade Demon.
"Solve it with what you do best," he said.
"And what is that?"
"Kill the Pungcheon Cult Leader."
I laughed heartily, thinking it was a joke, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was dead serious.
"Why are you laughing? It would kill two birds with one stone. If you kill the Pungcheon Cult Leader, no one will dare oppose you becoming the successor. As a bonus, you’ll get the subordinate you want."
"I’m not going to kill the Pungcheon Cult Leader."
"Why not?"
"He’s not a good man, but he’s not such a villain that he deserves to die."
"That’s not it. You can’t kill him because he’s your treasure vault, isn't he?"
"Well, there is that as well."
"You’re the real villain here."
"I admit it."
"Why do you admit it so easily?"
"How can someone who is too kind catch villains? I intend to be a proper villain. I’ll take the karma upon myself and go to hell."
"Hell is for people like me," the Elder replied. "You should walk a path of glory."
I felt a surge of emotion, sensing that he truly meant those words.
"You’ve already made your decision, haven't you?"
"Yes."
Following my conversation with Chief Strategist Sama Myeong, I had resolved to make the shackled man my own.
"Since he belongs to the Pungcheon Cult Leader, you can't just snatch him away recklessly."
"True."
"Then you must leave it to him. Make it so that he comes to you of his own accord."
"But he’s a man literally bound in shackles."
"He must break those shackles himself. Isn't a man only worth bringing along if he can demonstrate at least that much capability?"
"You’re right, but I’m not sure if I’ve given him enough reason to be certain of me. We haven't even exchanged a single word yet."
That was why I had sought out the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I believed that he, of all people, would understand my heart. Indeed, instead of calling me a madman, he offered an answer I hadn't even considered.
"Then give him that certainty."
"How?"
"Show him your people."
"!"
"If you show him your people, he’ll know what kind of person you are. If the man you’re trying to recruit is intelligent, he’ll gain certainty about you just by looking at those who follow you. He probably won't be able to resist coming to you."
I stared at him in silence. I never expected such advice. It was a precious piece of wisdom, steeped in his own experience.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That is the best advice I've ever heard."
"Honestly, it’s not that great, is it?"
"You are the foremost among my people, Elder. That’s why it’s the best advice."
"Then it’s the worst advice, isn't it?"
This time, I laughed first, and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon followed suit.
"If he sees me, anyone would run away, so show him the others. I wasn't even thinking of myself when I said that."
I spoke to him firmly.
"You must go as well, Elder."
"I refuse."
"It’s not because I want to show you to him."
"Then why?"
"I want to show you who I’ve chosen."
"Why?"
"Wouldn't that help you understand what kind of person I am even better?"
"I ask again, why?"
"Because I want to give you certainty about me. I want to become closer to you. This truly is killing two birds with one stone."
The corners of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes twitched. It was an expression he usually wore when angry, but now it was a reaction to his own awkwardness.
"You certainly have a knack for saying such embarrassing things with a straight face."
"Let’s go."
I stood up abruptly.
"Now?"
"Why delay what you’re going to do anyway? Let’s take everyone who’s available. I’ll show them to each other. I'll show him who I’ve chosen—and in doing so, show him who I am."
"You really are... a madman."
"Hahaha."
Indeed. Making someone mine is this difficult.
That applied to both the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the shackled man.
* * *
The air in the room was cold.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was staring out the window, while the shackled man was staring at the Sound Thunder Bell. For a long time, neither of them uttered a single word.
If it was a contest of who would speak first, the winner was decided from the start. The shackled man was capable of not saying a word for an entire year.
Eventually, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke first.
"I’m sorry."
It was an apology offered with great difficulty. He had hoped the response wouldn't come so easily, but the shackled man spoke as if he had been waiting.
"It’s fine."
The Cult Leader felt a flash of anger again because the man accepted the apology he had agonized over so dismissively.
But both then and now, he was in no position to be angry. If nothing else, opening the space filled with corpses had been a truly grave mistake. He knew full well how much the shackled man loved spaces with blue skies and open fields.
"I suppose a lot of resentment had built up inside me without me realizing it when I gave the sacred relic to the Second Young Master. I’m sorry."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader apologized again.
"It’s fine."
The Cult Leader’s expression hardened at the consistent tone of the reply. Not confident he could hide his face, he continued to stare out the window. He bit his lip until it bled.
All sorts of stray thoughts tormented him.
Is this all because I’m narrow-minded and greedy? Because I’m a petty man? Damn it! If I can’t even win the heart of one subordinate, how can I dream of advancing into the Central Plains? The other subordinates must be even worse. They might swear loyalty on the outside, but they’re probably laughing at me on the inside.
If he tried to circulate his qi now, he would surely suffer qi deviation.
Right then, a single word came from behind him.
"Cult Leader."
The moment he heard that, the Pungcheon Cult Leader felt a surge of emotion. Though he had been angry and self-reproaching, deep down, he had been terrified that he might never hear those words again.
"What is it?"
"You are trying to hold onto my heart while keeping me bound in shackles. I told you before, didn't I? Neither you nor I are blessed enough to have everything without giving anything up."
"I am the ruler of the Outer Rim Murim! If I am not blessed, then who is?"
"Did you seize the Outer Rim Murim with your own strength? Cult Leader, you simply inherited it. Granted, that is a great blessing in itself, but the blessing I’m talking about isn't the kind you receive through an umbilical cord."
"You cheeky...! You’re trying to provoke me again!"
At that, the shackled man fell silent.
An awkward silence followed.
The Cult Leader was furious whether the man spoke or stayed silent. He knew exactly where his rage had started today.
"Why did you accept the Second Young Master’s wine?"
"Just because."
"There is no such thing as 'just because.' Tell me the reason. I have the right to hear it."
The shackled man did not answer. The Pungcheon Cult Leader asked abruptly—it was the one question he truly didn't want to ask.
"Surely, it’s not that you want to go to the Second Young Master?"
The shackled man neither affirmed nor denied it.
In an instant, the Pungcheon Cult Leader felt the strength drain from his legs.
"You’re really going? Truly?"
"Nothing has been decided yet."
"That’s as good as saying yes!"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader roared, his eyes narrowing sharply.
"When did you plot this? Did you exchange voice transmissions behind my back?"
He almost wished the answer was yes.
"We have never exchanged a single voice transmission."
"Then how?"
"I read his heart. The Second Young Master wants me."
"Stop that bullshit! I said stop it! Who do you think you are, imitating the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord? Reading hearts? What kind of hearts could you two possibly read?"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader finally understood why he had been so offended and angry when Geom Mu-geuk poured wine for the shackled man earlier. It wasn't because the man had accepted the Second Young Master’s wine instead of his own.
It was because he had sensed this. His destiny, his instincts, and his premonitions had read this godforsaken turn of events.
"Do you think I’ll let you go? I’d sooner kill you than let you leave!"
"Then you should kill me now."
"What?"
"Kill me while you still can. You won't be able to later."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s entire body trembled with rage.
The shackled man was the only person who understood his heart. To kill such a person? To lose him to someone else?
"You’re doing this because you think I can’t kill you, aren't you? Because you look down on me!"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader strode toward the shackled man. He raised his hand high. One strike of his palm would free him from all this agony.
If the shackled man had looked up at his face, perhaps he would have struck. But the shackled man remained still with his head bowed, as if to spare the Cult Leader from feeling the weight of his conscience.
Seeing him accept death so submissively, the Pungcheon Cult Leader could not bring his palm down.
"If you can’t kill me now, you never will. If I resolve to live, I will die by no one's hand. So if you’re going to kill me, it must be now."
The hand the Pungcheon Cult Leader held in the air trembled violently. But in the end, he could not strike.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader slowly lowered his hand. The rage that had erupted like lava had calmed down before he knew it.
"You think you can escape this chaotic world all by yourself? Just like that? Not a chance! I won't let that happen."
The shackled man slowly raised his head. Their gazes locked in the air, thick with complex emotions. The Pungcheon Cult Leader had not yet given up hope.
"You said you haven't decided to go yet, right?"
"Yes. Not yet."
"Then I just have to make sure I don't lose you. I just have to become a greater man than the Second Young Master, don't I?"
A smile played on the shackled man’s lips. It wasn't a forced smile, but a natural one.
"Yes, this is how we should live from now on."
"I told you not to talk as if we’re parting!"
"Don't be so obsessed with me. I only seem more valuable because someone else is trying to take me."
"Shut up! Just give me a chance to persuade you before you decide who to serve. They say even a hateful bond is still a bond, and since we’ve shared a room for all these years, I should at least be allowed to struggle. I’m going to hold onto you with everything I’ve got."
"It still won't work. You are no match for him."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader let out a sigh. The fact that he was no match had already been proven by the empty space where the sacred relic used to be.
"I can't just let you go. If you’re going, take me with you."
The shackled man chuckled. It was his first laugh today after their argument.
"Fine. Let’s go to the Second Young Master together."
"What?"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader wore a dazed expression, never expecting the man to actually suggest they go together.
"Are you insane?"
But the shackled man’s next words were even more shocking.
"Didn't you say you’ve resolved to make the Second Young Master the Heavenly Demon? Let’s go together and make him the Heavenly Demon. Then your dream will naturally come true. The Second Young Master, as he is now, is the kind of person who would build a Pungcheon Cult headquarters right next to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
"You lunatic! Listen to yourself."
Just then, a subordinate spoke from outside.
"The Second Young Master and his guests have arrived."
"Guests?"
"Yes. There are five others in his party."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader sighed and shook his head.
"Ah! He really pushes forward relentlessly."
Normally, he would have snapped in irritation, but the Pungcheon Cult Leader now had a relaxed face, having let go of his burdens.
"You’re right. We talk about the Second Young Master too much. That’s why he keeps showing up like a tiger that heard its name being called."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader said to his subordinate, "Bring them in at once. And prepare a grand feast with plenty of wine."
"Yes, sir!"
The Pungcheon Cult Leader looked at the shackled man. His gaze was different than usual.
"It seems fate is telling us to settle this over you. Fine, let’s decide today. Whether the Second Young Master dies or I die. Whether you go to him or stay with me. Let’s settle it all today. But you must judge fairly."
"In that regard, the Second Young Master is actually at a disadvantage. As you said, I have a deeper bond with you."
"Good. That’s enough then."
Soon after, Geom Mu-geuk and his party entered.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader greeted his guests with a boisterous laugh, as if nothing had happened.
"Hahaha, welcome, welcome!"
And so, the decisive drinking session that would change their destinies began.