Chapter 95
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Splendid Start of the Festival (4)
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The Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon, known throughout the martial world as a den of devils, boasted a more vibrant atmosphere than ever before.
“Hey! Be careful there!”
“Ugh?!”
“Phew, that was almost a huge accident… Seriously, why is that iron pillar so damn heavy?”
“You idiot! Of course an iron pillar is heavy!”
“Hehe.”
Huge stages were being set up throughout the outer sect grounds. They were for the traveling troupes said to bring joy to people of all ages, having weathered the storms of the martial world.
“Aaaah! It's hot!”
“Hey, hey! Carry it carefully!”
“I think I'm gonna die!”
“What's the point of learning martial arts if you can't even use it for this? Can't even lift a single cauldron?!”
“Grrr! Why don't you try lifting it then, Head Chef!”
“What did you say, you brat? No lunch for you today!”
“What? You're going to be that petty?”
The various taverns were in a frenzy, transporting several times their usual amount of ingredients and dishes. And those taverns were already packed to the brim with countless martial artists.
The Cult had been bustling since the crack of dawn. By the time the sun rose and noon approached, the atmosphere had become downright explosive.
Watching the scene from a distance, Wi Hongryeon shook her head.
“I guess when chaos goes beyond a certain point, it starts to feel almost charming. Good grief, it's like a blasted anthill.”
The number of demonic practitioners was so vast it was hard to count them all. It wasn't just members of the Cult; influential figures from across the entire demonic martial world had gathered.
At a time like this, with so many outsiders entering at once, problems could easily arise. If any of them were to cause trouble, cleaning up the mess would be difficult since they weren't members of the Cult.
But that was a needless worry. In fact, the Festival of Papiyas had fewer incidents than the banquets hosted by the Righteous Heaven Alliance or the Iron Blood Fortress.
The reason was simple: this was the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon.
As the headquarters of the demonic martial world, the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon was itself a sacred ground.
In fact, if a troublemaker appeared, it was common for the other demonic practitioners to deal with them before the Cult's own members were even dispatched.
But there was no need to suppress the soaring excitement.
For the next four days, the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon would be the most vibrant place on the continent.
Of course, where there is light, there are always shadows.
“Keuk!”
The sight of the middle-aged man, coughing up blood as he was dragged away, was truly gruesome.
His limbs were all broken, and he seemed to be suffering from severe internal injuries, hovering on the brink of death. The ones dragging him were members of the Hall of Punishments.
“Huh? What's going on over there?”
“They say he's a spy sent from the Iron Blood Fortress.”
“Ha! Those bastards have some nerve. Trying to plant a spy in the Cult.”
“He's not the only one. They've already caught two spies from the Righteous Heaven Alliance. Those two, bold as brass, tried to be the first ones to enter the moment the outer sect gates opened.”
“They're crazy, absolutely crazy.”
“This is why you can't trust the righteous faction guys. The bastards have no professional courtesy.”
“Either way, it's just more work for the Cult's protectors.”
Hearing this from a distance, Wi Hongryeon snickered.
“Hey, Mr. Ma. Doesn't that make you feel anything? Not even a little guilty?”
“...”
“If I were you, I'd ask the Young Master for permission and go lend a hand. My, my, what a heartless guard you are, Mr. Ma. Just living the high life next to the Young Master. Your colleagues would weep tears of blood if they knew.”
“My duty is to provide close protection for the Young Master. I know of nothing else.”
“...You cold bastard. Utterly charmless.”
“By the way, why are you here?”
Wi Hongryeon placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
“Got nothing better to do.”
Ma Dongpil felt exasperated by Wi Hongryeon's simple and clear answer.
She was a woman of endless, frustrating layers, an unfathomable abyss of a person.
“Don't your unit members say anything?”
“Say anything? I'm sure they do. But they do it where I can't hear them. They're not stupid enough to say it to my face and say goodbye to their lives.”
“Sometimes, I find that personality of yours almost admirable.”
“Well, I'm honored. By the way, where's the Young Master?”
“He went to buy some food.”
“Food? Good heavens.”
Ma Dongpil licked his lips.
“He said that even humble street food would be delicious. What a simple man he is.”
“Why are you making excuses for him?”
“It's not an excuse. I'm merely stating a fact.”
“Bullshit.”
“Watch your language.”
“It's enough if I watch it around the Young Master. Do I have to watch it around you, too?”
“The problem is that you don't watch it around the Young Master either.”
“You stiff bastard. Why does the Young Master keep such a rigid guy under him, anyway...”
It was then.
*Thwack!*
“Keuk!”
Wi Hongryeon clutched the back of her head and stumbled.
Seo Ryang, who had crept up behind her, shook his fist.
“Your head is pretty hard, too. Talking behind my back when you think I'm not around? You wanna die, for real?”
“Kngh! It's... it's not talking behind your back!”
“Then what is it? A term of endearment? A compliment? Praise?”
“...Kngh.”
“Just let me catch you one more time.”
Wi Hongryeon grumbled as she got up.
“Young Master, you're really too much. Why are you always like this only to me?”
“Aren't *you* too much? How can you be the only one who doesn't know why I do this? Is your head just for decoration?”
“Hey, that's too harsh!”
“...”
“...I'm sorry.”
Seo Ryang snorted loudly and laid out the food he had bought in front of the two.
“Hey, try some of this. They're skewers, but they've got duck, pork, vegetables, the whole works. It's crazy.”
Seo Ryang held one out, and Ma Dongpil politely accepted the skewer. Wi Hongryeon, on the other hand, had a somewhat sour expression.
Seo Ryang frowned.
“What? You don't want any? If you don't, give it back.”
“No, it's not that.”
“Then what?”
“...You just seem to be having a lot of fun.”
Seo Ryang looked at the two of them, surprised.
“So you guys aren't having fun? It's a festival! When else are we going to see a sight like this?”
*We see it every year, though.*
Ma Dongpil couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't want to spoil Seo Ryang's high spirits.
Wi Hongryeon also kept her mouth shut. However, her reason wasn't as kind as Ma Dongpil's; she simply didn't want to get hit again.
Seo Ryang pulled the two of them along.
“Hurry up and eat. Let's go see the performance!”
“A... a performance?”
“What? You don't want to see it?”
The two exclaimed in unison.
“We want to see it!”
“Great!”
An excited Seo Ryang led the way.
Having spent his entire life slitting throats in the shadows, when would he have ever had the chance to enjoy a festival like this? The most he had ever done was watch from a distance; he had never been in the middle of it, enjoying it to the fullest.
Of course he was excited.
Wi Hongryeon, who was quietly following Seo Ryang, discreetly asked Ma Dongpil.
“Hey, Mr. Ma.”
“It's Ma Dongpil.”
“The Young Master seems a little *too* excited, don't you think? Was he always like this?”
“I keep telling you to watch your mouth, but you never listen.”
“Shut up and just tell me.”
“...To be honest, I'm not sure either. I didn't expect him to get this excited.”
He played pranks often and spoke casually, but to Ma Dongpil, Seo Ryang was firmly imprinted as an untouchable master.
He sometimes showed a dazed side, but that was seen as a human touch, and his voracious appetite and incredible tolerance for alcohol were perceived as signs of a magnanimous spirit.
But today, Seo Ryang was somehow very different. It didn't seem like an act; he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself.
*Then again, the Young Master has always shown his true self.*
Ma Dongpil smiled.
*The Young Master must have needed an atmosphere like this once in a while.*
From the Solitary Bamboo Forest to the spectacular battle with the Beast Palace not long ago.
Seo Ryang hadn't had a single day of proper rest. Sleeping in or drinking until dawn didn't count as real rest.
Though he never said it, he must have lived each day with the tension only someone of high status could feel.
As he smiled and watched Seo Ryang, Ma Dongpil's expression looked much softer than before.
It was partly Seo Ryang's influence, but the ease that came from his growth in martial arts was also showing on his face.
Wi Hongryeon, however, interpreted that soft smile a little differently.
*This bastard... surely not?*
Lost in thought for a moment, Wi Hongryeon carefully opened her mouth.
“Mr. Ma.”
“What is it?”
“You're... not, right?”
“Not what?”
“...Never mind, forget it.”
“How bland of you.”
*You're too intense.*
Rubbing away the goosebumps on her arms, Wi Hongryeon quickly ran over to Seo Ryang.
“Young Master! Together...”
*Thwack!*
“Agh! Why again!”
“I told you not to call me Young Master, didn't I?”
“Do you think you're the only Young Master here? How many First Young Masters, Second Young Masters, and Third Young Masters do you think there are among the demonic practitioners who've entered?!”
“Huh? I hadn't thought of that.”
“...”
“You just cursed me in your head, didn't you?”
“Just give me a skewer.”
“You wretched girl. I'll let it slide this time.”
And so, the three of them arrived at the place where the traveling troupe was performing.
The performance had already begun.
It was a play with a common martial world story: the sole survivor of a massacred family overcomes countless hardships to finally become the greatest hero in the land.
The plot was utterly childish, but the actors' performances were incredibly solid. Perhaps that was why? Everyone watching was completely absorbed, holding their breath.
As the play reached its finale, the audience erupted in cheers.
“Waaaaah!”
“Next part! Next part!”
“What? Is that it for them?”
“Will the next performance be by them too?”
Seo Ryang was breathing heavily.
“Can't underestimate these performances, huh? That was amazing. It's been a while since I've focused this hard on something other than martial arts... Huh?”
He blinked his eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
“...”
“Hey, you crazy bitch.”
“Which son of a...!”
“...”
“I'm sorry.”
“Whatever. Why are you crying?”
“Huh?”
When Wi Hongryeon wiped her eyes, her hand came away wet with tears.
A runny nose had also moistened her lips. Wi Hongryeon scrubbed her face with her sleeve.
“Agh! Dammit, this is so embarrassing.”
Seo Ryang, who was about to frown and grumble, paused for a moment.
*Come to think of it.*
Wi Hongryeon was the one and only heir of the Wi Clan, a renowned family from Hunan that had been annihilated.
After joining the Cult, she became the youngest commander of a combat unit in the inner sect. It was unknown why she had joined. After all, it was the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon that had destroyed her family.
Seo Ryang stared at Wi Hongryeon. She kept wiping her face, seemingly embarrassed, but her emotions must have been stirred, as tears continued to stream down.
*Everyone lives with their own story... huh...*
Who in the world doesn't have a story? She usually acted so brash and energetic, but Wi Hongryeon was also someone who knew sorrow.
He patted Wi Hongryeon's shoulder.
“If you want to cry, don't force yourself to hold it back.”
“...”
“Even a crazy bitch... no, a weirdo... that's not it either. Anyway, what I mean is... life is truly...”
“Can you just stop?”
Seo Ryang scratched his head. He had never comforted a crying person before, so he didn't know what to say.
After thinking for a moment, he blurted out.
“Still, you grew up to be a girl who's damn good with a sword, right? That's what matters.”
Wi Hongryeon looked at Seo Ryang with a shocked expression.
“...That's genuinely shocking.”
“Eh?”
“Hmph! Forget it! I'm going to go buy some skewers, so go ahead and watch another show if you want!”
Wi Hongryeon quickly left. It was because she was embarrassed about crying, but Seo Ryang, not knowing this, was naturally bewildered.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“...”
“Dongpil?”
“I... will keep my mouth shut.”
Seo Ryang clicked his tongue. Thinking back, it was indeed a rather random thing to say.
“Dammit, but it's true she's good with a sword, isn't it? So picky... huh?”
Ma Dongpil scratched his head.
“Um... Young Master?”
“...”
“Ahem! I-If I may be so bold... you were a bit harsh this time.”
“Dongpil.”
“Ah, of course, I certainly don't mean to say that you were wrong, Young Master...”
“They're here.”
“Pardon?”
Seo Ryang grinned.
He was looking far off, at the gates of the outer sect.
A massive flag fluttered at the entrance of the open gates.
On that flag were emblazoned two characters: Demonic Sword.
“The real culprit's family has made their entrance.”