Chapter 80: Even if I Become a Predictable Person Someday
Chapter 80: Even if I Become a Predictable Person Someday
The newly formed trio made their way toward the Pungryu Tavern.
Lee An and Seo Dae-ryong had been quite intoxicated earlier, but the moment the Pungcheon Cult Leader flipped the table, their sobriety had returned as if by magic.
When else in their lives would they witness the Pungcheon Cult Leader flipping a table right in front of the Demon Lords? It was the kind of unbelievable tale one saves to tell their grandchildren while they sit on one's lap, beginning with, "Back when your grandfather was a young man..."
The three of them shared the same sentiment: they couldn't let a day like this end so abruptly.
Before heading out to the Ma Clan Village, Jang Ho had entrusted the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron to Guild Master Gwak, the head of the Main Cult’s iron workshop and a man known as the "Divine Hand."
Guild Master Gwak had been overjoyed, claiming he would finally get to properly stretch his skills after a long hiatus. Since he was a man who rarely expressed emotion, the three of them realized once again just how magnificent the gift they were receiving truly was.
The trio entered the Pungryu Tavern in the Ma Clan Village.
"Only the three of you today?" Jo Chun-bae greeted them warmly.
"As of today, we’ve officially formed a trio," Seo Dae-ryong joked.
Lee An added, "And we might become a quartet soon."
When Jo Chun-bae looked confused, Lee An simply smiled and said, "Just bring the alcohol first."
They took their usual seats on the second floor. The drinking session began with a comment from Jang Ho that was half-jest, half-earnest.
"I feel a bit left out sometimes."
"Why is that?"
"The two of you are the 'Heart' and the 'Right Arm,' but I’m still nothing, aren't I?"
He spoke as if joking, but a hint of genuine disappointment lingered in his voice. At that, Lee An smiled and spoke up.
"Doesn't that make it even more impressive?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just as you said, you aren't the Heart or the Right Arm, yet the Young Master is always calling for you, isn't he, Monarch?"
Jang Ho’s eyes widened, as if he had never considered it from that perspective.
"Calling someone the 'Right Arm' or the 'Heart' is just a bit of fun, but the Young Master’s trust in you is the real deal. I can tell just by looking at his eyes."
"Is that so?"
"Yes!"
"Our martial artist here certainly knows how to make a person feel good."
This time, Lee An asked, "Is that so?" and Jang Ho replied with a loud "Yes!" just as she had. The three of them laughed together.
Then, Lee An suddenly thought of the shackled man. He was someone who couldn't be left out of today's conversation.
"Who do you think that man was?"
"He didn't seem like an ordinary person," Seo Dae-ryong replied.
Jang Ho emphasized his point once more. "No matter how important or outstanding he may be, I won't let him act recklessly."
He made it clear that he intended to keep the shackled man in check.
"Thank you for stepping up for me earlier," Seo Dae-ryong said, expressing his gratitude. He was referring to when Jang Ho had intervened after the shackled man pressured him, asking what he would do if someone tried to take the position of the Right Arm.
"I hate to say this, but I didn't step up for Investigator Seo. I was serious—about there being a line of candidates for the position of Right Arm."
Lee An and Seo Dae-ryong stared at him in surprise.
"Coming from you, Commander Jang..." Seo Dae-ryong started to say, but Jang Ho cut him off.
"Don't tell me you're willing to yield. I don't believe the position of the Second Young Master's Right Arm is something to be given up so easily."
"No, I was going to say that I wouldn't yield even to you, Commander Jang."
"What? Then why did you say you'd yield earlier?"
"I was lying. The mood just didn't seem right for me to step in. To be honest, I can't yield. I absolutely won't."
Seo Dae-ryong revealed his true feelings. It wasn't just the alcohol talking. There was something he had desperately wanted to say to Lee An and Jang Ho at least once.
"My senior at the Huangquan Pavilion was killed by the previous Demon Monarch, and I was consumed by the thought of revenge. I memorized every detail about the Demon Army. But that was it. I couldn't bring myself to ask for a reinvestigation; I just let that desire for revenge burn in my heart."
Seo Dae-ryong took a drink. Jang Ho silently refilled his cup.
"Pathetic, isn't it? But that was the only way I could endure. If the Pavilion Master hadn't come as a temporary investigator back then, I probably would have lived my whole life in self-reproach, dark and depressed. Do you know what I hear most from the Pavilion Master these days? He asks why I've become so bright. Do you think I'd give up my spot as his Right Arm easily? I wouldn't yield even to you, Monarch. And my martial arts skills are improving by the day."
Having poured out his heart, Seo Dae-ryong let out a long breath.
Jang Ho, who looked like he might have something to say, simply gave a pleasant laugh. Seo Dae-ryong felt that the occasional grin from this rough man was strangely unfamiliar yet cool. He often found himself wanting to be able to smile like that.
Seo Dae-ryong spoke to the two of them. "Let's keep this group going. Please!"
The three of them talked about many things late into the night. They discussed Geom Mu-geuk and the shackled man. They talked about the Demon Lords and their own individual duties.
It was a pleasant drinking session where they said everything they needed to say without crossing lines—a place where a vague trust formed, making them feel they could share anything. Because Geom Mu-geuk wasn't there, they were able to reveal their inner thoughts even more freely.
"I'm so glad we gathered today."
As Lee An raised her glass high, the two men joined her in a vigorous toast. When the drinking ended and they stepped outside, the three of them stood side by side in front of the tavern.
Looking at the Main Headquarters in the distance, Seo Dae-ryong spoke. "The fates of many people are changing tonight, aren't they? Or perhaps they've already changed."
Lee An nodded, following up on his words. "We just need to believe in the destiny that leads those fates."
Still calling him the Second Young Master? There were people here who were sincere to the very end.
*
As the dawn light began to break, the shackled man came to find me.
Having only seen him shackled next to the Sound Thunder Bell, seeing him at my residence felt entirely new. Before even greeting him, I checked his ankles.
"Are your ankles alright?"
"Second Young Master, you defy my expectations to the very end."
His voice was low and calm. I looked up at him with a questioning expression.
"I mean that I didn't expect your first greeting to be an inquiry about my ankles."
"It's more important than a greeting."
"My ankles are fine. I may not possess grand martial arts, but I am still a martial artist."
"Can you tell me what kind of martial arts you practiced? I want to know exactly what your skill level is."
"At one time, I mastered the Famous Master Fist Technique to the seventh stage."
"Ah, that is a fine fist technique."
"You know of the Famous Master Fist Technique?"
"Is it not the unique martial art of the fist master Yang Seong, one of the Nineteen Strongest of the Outer Regions?"
"How do you know even that?"
"I have a lot of interest in miscellaneous things."
Fortunately, the man's ankles were fine. As I straightened my back and stood up, the man spoke.
"My name is Go Wol."
It was the moment I finally learned the shackled man's name. Go Wol. The name, meaning "Lonely Moon," suited his atmosphere perfectly.
"Go Wol. It's a good name."
"Thank you."
My gaze met Go Wol's in the air. Through his long, disheveled hair, I could see his clear eyes. Just as our first encounter had begun with our eyes meeting, no other words were necessary.
"Become my strategist from now on."
At my sudden proposal, Go Wol calmly asked back, "If you eventually become the Heavenly Demon, I would become the Chief Strategist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Can you entrust such a heavy responsibility to me?"
"You will take that role when you have played a major part in me becoming the Heavenly Demon. It won't be something I just give you; you'll have to earn it yourself."
After making that clear, I added a joke. "Even so, becoming the Chief Strategist of the Demonic Cult will be easier than becoming my Right Arm."
Go Wol gave a faint smile. "It certainly seemed that way earlier."
Just as I hadn't hesitated with my proposal, Go Wol didn't hesitate either. He knelt and offered a formal bow.
"I am a man of many flaws, but if you accept me as your strategist, I will serve you with all my loyalty. I swear this to the heavens and earth upon my life and honor."
I also formally accepted him. "Martial artist Go Wol, from this moment on, I appoint you as my Chief Strategist. Please, lead me well."
More than his words, I trusted the fervor in his clear eyes. I trusted the destiny that brought him before me.
"You may speak comfortably to me from now on."
"I shall do so."
This moment of welcoming Go Wol was special. It was the moment I was relieved of the burden of having to handle everything alone. I took his hand and helped him up.
"First, let's focus on recovering your health."
"I am fine."
"There's no need to rush. I will need you ten, twenty, and thirty years from now. During that time, we might have to go to war with the Murim Alliance, or we might have to appease the Unorthodox Path Alliance. Rebellions might break out, or powerful enemies might strike us. I haven't sought someone to advise me just for today, but someone to be with me through all of that."
For a moment, a strange light flickered in Go Wol's eyes.
"To think that far ahead... You truly are unpredictable, Young Master."
"I may be unpredictable now, but in the future, I might become a very predictable person. But even then, the lives of my subordinates will be no less precious. You must help me now, but you must also help me then. We have a very long road to travel."
"I will keep that in mind."
This time, Go Wol asked me a question. "May I ask one thing?"
"Ask anything."
"What will you do if you discover a strategist more brilliant than me in the future?"
"Then you shall become his deputy strategist and continue to help me. How about it? Does my answer pass?"
"It passes."
"Wouldn't you feel slighted? If I brought someone else in and said, 'As of today, this person is my strategist'?"
"I didn't come to you to build a friendship. That means there's no need for us to become close. Therefore, if such a situation arises, it must be accepted unconditionally. If I couldn't even make such an obvious choice, then I would be either a fool or a villain as a strategist. You must be decisive. For your sake, and for mine."
Go Wol certainly had exceptional insight. He knew that being swayed by sentiment eventually ruins relationships even further.
"In truth, you are so intelligent yourself, Young Master, that I wonder if you even need me."
"A person can't be smart all the time, can they? Both you and I will make mistakes. But the chances of us both making a mistake at the same time are slim, aren't they? So let's consult each other as we go."
"Just what kind of life have you lived, Young Master?"
How could I possibly explain that life to him? Instead of my own life, I shared with him what Sama Myeong had once told me.
"A strategist I respect told me this: a good strategist is one who is smarter than the opponent's strategist."
"Is my opponent the Murim Alliance's strategist? Or is it that strategist you respect?"
"Both."
Go Wol would likely guess that the respected strategist I mentioned was the Main Cult's Chief Strategist, Sama Myeong. And that my words meant he should become a strategist who surpasses him.
"There is something for you to do. Create an information organization and seize control of all information in the Central Plains. Aim for an organization superior to the Tongcheon Pavilion."
"Yes!"
"Is that something you can answer so easily?"
Go Wol asked back with a confident gaze. "Isn't that why you went through the trouble of bringing me here?"
*
A few days passed.
Go Wol focused on recovering his strength. I didn't arrange separate quarters for him; he decided to stay in the guest room of my residence for the time being. As he had since the first day, he was up early today as well.
"Are you awake?"
"Did you sleep well through the night?"
"I slept well."
"What brings you here so early?"
"Here, take this money first."
I handed him the bundle of bank notes I had found on the battlefield.
"You'll need money to build an organization, so use this."
Even after confirming it was a massive sum of one million taels, he didn't look surprised.
"What if I run away with this money?"
"I'll have to send people to catch you."
"And then?"
"I'll melt down the fan and daggers I'm having made and put you back in shackles. And then, I'll show you to the person you hate most. You'll have to act out that mysterious vibe well then, too."
Unable to hold back at this joke, he let out a small laugh.
"Let's go. Let's eat out today."
We headed out to the Ma Clan Village, and I spotted the Pungcheon Cult Leader sitting on the second floor of the Pungryu Tavern.
"The owner here informed me that the Pungcheon Cult Leader has already come here alone twice. It seems he wants to see you. What do you think? Will you meet him?"
If that weren't the case, there was no reason for the Pungcheon Cult Leader to come here and eat twice.
"Yes, I wanted to meet him anyway."
I had solved my own problem, but they still had problems of their own to solve. Yes, one might fight with a pack on their back, but one should fight with a heart free of burdens.
We slowly made our way up to the second floor.