Chapter 77: What If Someone Tries to Take That Spot?
Chapter 77: What If Someone Tries to Take That Spot?
I brought my entire inner circle with me today.
From the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had suggested this approach, to the One Flower Sword Venerable, Lee An, Seo Dae-ryong, and even Demon Monarch Jang Ho.
I hadn't told the others why we were visiting the Pungcheon Cult Leader. I didn't want them to act with any specific agenda. Today’s meeting didn't require calculated persuasion or desperate emotional appeals. I simply wanted to show them as they were.
“You’ve brought some distinguished guests along. Welcome, all of you!”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader welcomed us with open arms, looking more cheerful than I had ever seen him. He had made a major slip of the tongue to the Shackled Man previously; had they already reconciled?
“I felt a sudden whim to visit with my companions. Please forgive the intrusion,” I said.
“It is quite alright. Is this not a fine opportunity to mingle with the heroes of the Divine Cult?”
“Your magnanimity is as vast as the sea.”
The first among us to offer greetings was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Good to see you,” the Blade Demon said.
“You are most welcome.”
Naturally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader was well-acquainted with the Demon Lords.
“I heard news that your friendship with the Second Young Master has deepened recently,” the Cult Leader remarked.
“You heard wrong. It’s not just a deep friendship—I am the Second Young Master’s left wing.”
Among ourselves, we joked about the "wings" comfortably, but I hadn't expected the Blood Heaven Blade Demon to say such a thing to an outsider. He was likely trying to show the Shackled Man how much he trusted me. Since even I hadn't anticipated this, the One Flower Sword Venerable looked even more stunned.
I knew she wouldn't be thrilled to be here, but I had asked her to come to give her another chance to interact with the Blade Demon. It was also a reflection of my resolve to truly make her one of my people.
After staring at the Blade Demon with a startled expression for a moment, the One Flower Sword Venerable turned to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“That does not make me the right wing, however.”
It was her way of showing she didn't want to be entangled with the Blade Demon, but the Pungcheon Cult Leader took it as a witty joke and expressed his gratitude to her.
“I heard you were a great help in Cheong-seon becoming a Demon Lord.”
“I simply acted out of trust in the Second Young Master.”
She deflected the credit to me, then added one more thing.
“And the greatest help came from the Blade Demon. While I secured an abstention, Senior Blade Demon secured a full vote.”
Though she didn't mention a specific name, she made it clear that a vote had been won thanks to him. No matter how much she disliked the man, her personality wouldn't allow her to sit by while someone else's merit went overlooked.
This was news to me as well. I had assumed the One Flower Sword Venerable had secured a vote and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had managed the abstention.
But the Blade Demon had secured a vote? This eccentric old man had done that and then come to see me without breathing a word of it to claim credit.
I sent a voice transmission to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
— I thought you said you were being ostracized?
— Someone must have felt sorry for me and helped out.
— If you get ostracized twice more, you’ll have all the Demon Lords on their knees.
— I’m never going around asking for favors again.
— Thank you.
— Forget it.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader gave a fist salute to the Blade Demon, expressing his thanks.
“You are a better friend than my own.”
“Is it not strange to look for friends in the Jianghu in the first place? People meet and part as necessity dictates. Living that way keeps life clean in many respects.”
“I shall not forget that fine teaching.”
With the two Demon Lords finished with their greetings, Jang Ho stepped forward.
“I am Demon Monarch Jang Ho. It is an honor to meet you.”
“To meet the valiant Demon Monarch like this—the honor is mine.”
“I pestered the Second Young Master to let me meet the Supreme Master of the Outer Regions.”
“It is but a hollow title, so I hope you are not disappointed.”
Jang Ho had followed me without asking for a reason when I made the request. This reliability—the sense that he would silently carry out any task assigned to him—was a unique quality that only Jang Ho possessed.
Next, Seo Dae-ryong introduced himself.
“I am not sure if I belong in such company, but I am Seo Dae-ryong, an investigator for the Huangquan Pavilion.”
“I know you well. Are you not our Second Young Master’s right arm?”
Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes widened as he looked at me. His expression clearly asked, Did you really say such a thing? I smiled and replied.
“Since you know even without me saying it, I suppose everyone sees it that way.”
The last to greet him was Lee An.
“I am Lee An, and I serve the Second Young Master. It is an honor to meet you.”
“It has been a long time since I’ve seen eyes so full of spirit.”
“Thank you for the kind words.”
Immersed in her training, her aura lately was like a single blade. It was a sharp energy that felt as if it could cut anyone. How to temper this sharpness would be her challenge going forward.
“If Investigator Seo is my right arm, then Lee An here is like my very heart.”
When I said that in front of everyone, Lee An was flustered. Her face turned bright red, but I spoke as boldly as if making a proclamation.
“Let it be known to all. Lee An is my heart.”
There is a world of difference between saying something in private and saying it in front of others. If it’s something you can say when you’re alone, you should be able to say it in front of everyone. That is what a real relationship is.
However, in most cases, such relationships are not easy to find. Not easy at all.
In that sense, meeting Lee An was a great stroke of luck for me. It wasn't just because of the debt of life from before my regression. As I had told my father, it was because she was a wonderful person.
A person who, while claiming to hide nine tails, was capable of sacrificing her own life for someone else. She had revealed that truth because we had become close; otherwise, she would have hidden her fox-like nature and fulfilled her duties like a steadfast bear for her entire life.
“That said, there is no need to throw your life away for me. Just because someone values you highly doesn't mean you need to sacrifice yourself for them. You mustn't forget—those two things are entirely separate.”
This was my philosophy regarding superiors and subordinates. I was speaking to Lee An, but at the same time, I was speaking to the Shackled Man.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader looked impressed. “I envy you, having people you can praise so highly.”
Over his shoulder, I could see the Shackled Man. What was he thinking?
“Since the Second Young Master is boasting about his subordinates, I cannot simply stay quiet. Come, let me introduce someone as well. That man over there in shackles is my own right arm.”
I was inwardly surprised. The Pungcheon Cult Leader had never introduced the Shackled Man before, but he did so today. He even used the expression "right arm." Something had definitely changed between the two of them since his slip of the tongue.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked bluntly, “Why have you bound your right arm in shackles?”
“Because if I take my eyes off him for even a moment, he is the type to ascend to heaven. So, I have forcibly held him back.”
“Shouldn't a man destined for heaven be allowed to ascend?”
“It is not as easy as it sounds.”
The Blade Demon nodded as if he understood perfectly. “True. These damn imoogis are so headstrong that humans like us can't easily handle them.”
As he spoke, the Blade Demon glanced at me. While telling the Cult Leader to let go of those who should be released, he was simultaneously praising me as a dragon destined to ascend. The Blade Demon was truly quick-witted and excellent at reading the room.
If he were only ten—no, twenty years younger, I might have taken him as my strategist. Of course, he would have jumped back and flatly refused.
Meanwhile, the table was set with drinks. We sat around and poured wine for one another.
I do not believe that fate dictates everything for a human being. Fate merely provides opportunities. It is up to the person to judge and seize those opportunities.
I had done a great deal of research and preparation for this regression, but the Shackled Man had been missing from those plans—even though he might play a vital role in my life after returning.
But that was fine. In fact, it was because I hadn't known and prepared in advance that a gathering like this could take place. A place where I could show who I was, and in the end, a place that made me reflect on myself.
Lee An was the one to open the first gate of the day. After a few rounds of drinks had passed, she spoke up cautiously.
“Would it be alright if I offered that gentleman a drink?”
The person she was referring to was the Shackled Man. This was not something I had instructed her to do. Previously, because I had given him a drink, the Pungcheon Cult Leader had made a major blunder. Unaware of that fact, Lee An was making the same proposal.
Unlike his previous reaction to me, the Pungcheon Cult Leader smiled and said, “He would like that.”
He had certainly changed. What on earth had happened?
Lee An took the bottle and a cup over to him. As she poured the wine, she asked politely, “Are you guarding this bell, warrior?”
I didn't think he would answer, but surprisingly, the Shackled Man opened his mouth.
“In the beginning, I was... but now, the bell is guarding me.”
Whether she realized how precious that answer was or not, Lee An continued the conversation.
“It’s similar for me.”
The Shackled Man slightly lifted his head to look at her.
“At first, I protected the Young Master, but now, the Young Master protects me.”
I saw it. A faint smile touched the corners of the Shackled Man’s mouth. That must have been why Lee An was able to continue so naturally.
“That bell doesn't tell you to leave, does it? My Young Master keeps telling me to leave. He says he wants me to live my own life. Is that really why? Or does he want to send me away because he dislikes me?”
The Shackled Man answered her question once again.
“A man would not call someone his heart in front of everyone if he intended to send them away because he disliked them.”
This was a new side of the Shackled Man. He had already answered Lee An twice. I began to think that, just as Lee An’s questions were intended for more than just him, the Shackled Man’s answers might be directed at me rather than her.
“Ah, I suppose that’s true, right?”
Lee An looked toward me. I felt her unfurling another of her "tails." Her intuition must have kicked in, telling her that the reason I brought them here was related to this man. Otherwise, she wouldn't have engaged in such a conversation with him.
I tapped my chest twice and then pointed a finger at her. Lee An laughed brightly.
“When you act like that, it feels like a joke.”
Just then, Seo Dae-ryong, who had been sitting, picked up his cup and joined them. He moved so naturally that there was no point in trying to stop him.
Sitting down next to Lee An, Seo Dae-ryong spoke. “I believe it is because he worries for you too much.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Based on my observations of the Young Master so far, he has a strong desire for his subordinates not to die. It’s like a parent’s heart, wishing for their child to leave the treacherous Mountain of Blades and Forest of Swords to live a good life. I believe the reason he had me learn martial arts from my master was out of that same worry.”
“Ah! Perhaps that’s it.”
Lee An looked at me again. Since she was the one who had been granted the Flying Heaven Sword Technique, the words naturally sounded plausible to her.
I said to her, “It’s a misunderstanding. I’m teaching you so I can work you to the bone later. If you’re that naive, you’ll be used your whole life!”
Seo Dae-ryong answered on her behalf. “When you’re working, sometimes it’s more comfortable to be under someone who knows how to use you properly. It’s much harder to be under a leader who is clumsy and indecisive.”
Lee An held out her cup as if in agreement, and Seo Dae-ryong clinked his against hers.
“Investigator Seo, why do you like our Young Master so much?”
“Do I look like I like him?”
“If you didn't, you wouldn't have come to this place, would you?”
Lee An had seen right through Seo Dae-ryong’s personality. She was right. For a man who hated standing out and avoided danger, moving to sit beside Lee An of his own volition was an act of considerable courage.
“It’s because I’m his right arm.”
He said it like a joke, but that single sentence held many of Seo Dae-ryong’s true feelings.
It was then. The Shackled Man raised his head and asked in a low voice.
“What will you do if someone tries to take that spot as the right arm?”
It wasn't an answer to a question, but a question he initiated. His first words were incredibly provocative.
Startled by the unexpected question, Seo Dae-ryong was taken aback. The Shackled Man’s gaze, visible through his long, disheveled hair, was intense. His face betrayed his complicated thoughts as he searched for an answer, but soon, Seo Dae-ryong replied calmly.
“Since I am timid and cowardly, I don't think I could stand and fight. I would tell them to take it. I am sweating and working hard to become someone else’s right arm in preparation for such a day. Fortunately, every person has a right arm.”
At that answer, the provocative light in the Shackled Man’s eyes settled into a calm stillness.
Meanwhile, realizing that he was the subject of that banter, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon wore an incredulous expression. I looked at the Blade Demon and said, “Raise him well.”
“I refuse.”
Then, Demon Monarch Jang Ho looked toward them and spoke words I hadn't expected.
“I am standing in line as the next candidate for the right arm. Investigator Seo might give up that spot because he is a good man, but I will not hand over the position of right arm to just anyone.”
It was the moment Jang Ho revealed a new side of himself.