Chapter 117 - Mugwang
It was Sado Gwang's robe. There was no doubt about it. The Asura emblem of the Sado family was embroidered right on the fabric.
That day, in Forgotten Soul Valley.
In his final moments, Sado Gwang had hurled himself off the cliff.
Sa Wol had leaped after him to seize him, but all she came back with was a torn scrap of cloth.
And the rest of it was here.
"It's definitely Sado Gwang's. Sado Gwang, I mean—"
I shot a glance at Hwang So Gun. The guy had enough sense to quietly slip away.
"To die in a place like this, like this. So pathetically."
The old man said his grandson had found the robe in the river. The owner was already dead.
Was it true?
Had that Sado Gwang really gone and died just like this?
A man who couldn't even control his own body properly would naturally die from a fall like that.
But what was this nagging feeling?
The genius who had raved maniacally that the world was wrong and he was right... to end so pointlessly... It was hard to believe.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Tears streamed from Sa Wol's eyes.
"I should have driven a blade into his heart myself. I shouldn't have let him die so easily."
[......]
Pa Cheon fell silent as he heard Sa Wol's grief-stricken words.
I couldn't even ask if she was okay.
I couldn't begin to imagine how rotten her insides must feel.
And... what made me despise myself even more...
Was the relief I felt at the fact that Sado Gwang was truly dead.
"I'll find his corpse if I have to—or at least his grave."
Sa Wol bolted out the door.
"Hm?"
Right on cue, Yu Il O returned, skewering a few rabbits on sticks. Jin Yeong Ryeong trailed behind him, smacking her lips at the sight of the rabbits like nothing else mattered.
"What happened to you two? Did you fight?"
"......No."
"Daring to take Your Excellency as your spouse while making another woman cry. You're a bad man."
"It's not like that."
"Tsk. If only you had some of this magic potion, it'd solve everything."
Yu Il O shook his liquor flask.
"That stuff. Didn't it run out ages ago?"
"Ah, this is actually a treasure artifact. Looks small, but it holds a whole jar's worth. Haha."
"Then share some with me."
"Oh? Finally in the mood to drink with me?"
The words Are you insane? Why would I drink with you? rose to the tip of my tongue.
Instead, I tapped Pa Cheon and said,
"I'll drink with my sword."
"Hoo—."
Yu Il O readily wiped off a flask he'd gotten from the old man's house and poured me a drink.
"Refusing to drink with me is rude, but drinking with your own sword has a certain flair. Head southeast from here a bit, and you'll find a lion-shaped rock. Perfect spot to pair with moonlight."
"Thanks."
"No need. I thought you were a stiff prude, but you get extra points for style."
"Hunger."
"You don't get romance, so you're out, Lady Jin."
"Mister."
"That hurts."
I had no idea how far he planned to score me, but whatever.
I headed in the direction Yu Il O mentioned.
Sure enough, there was a clearing amid the tangled woods, with a rock shaped like a lion.
I leaped up, brushed off a spot, and sat.
The full moon hung high, brightening everything without need of a fire.
Only here did Pa Cheon finally speak.
[What's gotten into you? Seeking out liquor.]
"Just felt like it."
I unstrapped Pa Cheon from my waist and set him in front of me.
For the first time since coming to this world, I took a sip of alcohol.
The rich aroma soaked my roughened tongue. A hot surge traveled down my throat.
"Figures it'd be useless after all that time holding back. Not even a buzz."
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art repels everything but its own energy.
Intoxication was no exception, it seemed.
The warmth faded quickly, with no sign of drunkenness.
On a night like this, I wanted to get wasted.
Instead, I poured some liquor onto Pa Cheon's blade.
[What are you doing?]
"Drink up."
[I can't taste it anyway.]
"It's about the vibe. You're a T, right?"
[What nonsense is this?]
I tapped Pa Cheon.
"You've been through a lot, Pa Cheon."
[......Talking nonsense again.]
"Just saying."
[Freak.]
Pa Cheon said,
[Once you get your body back, you'll return to your original world, right?]
"Probably."
[I see.]
"Why?"
[I'll miss having someone to bicker with.]
"Jerk."
I poured more liquor.
"Go harass Tak Horak."
[That could work.]
I chuckled and downed the rest.
It was truly a night perfect for moonlit drinking.
Dawn broke.
I called out to Mugyeok-i, who hovered overhead chirping piik piik.
I hadn't told them to meet Meng Wei Xue head-on without prep.
I'd asked Mugyeok-i ahead of time to scout Mulryang Village and nearby settlements.
"Any issues in the surrounding villages?"
With others around, I kept a stern tone even with Mugyeok-i.
Piik—
Mugyeok-i nodded.
"Any humans with strong auras?"
Pip pip!
Mugyeok-i shook his head.
He couldn't recognize Meng Wei Xue specifically, so I'd told him to look for anyone with a powerful aura, especially fire energy.
But none meant Meng Wei Xue had probably just taken the kid Mugwang and left.
Mission accomplished, then.
I stroked the mane-like feathers on Mugyeok-i's neck—the method Cho Ryang taught me. He seemed pleased, rubbing against my hand with closed eyes.
"Incredible. Not just understanding words, but grasping tasks and carrying them out."
Yu Il O examined house-sized Mugyeok-i closely. Mugyeok-i twisted away irritably.
"Mind if I ride?"
Piik—!
A clear no. Yu Il O looked crestfallen.
"Me. Me. Me. Take me."
Jin Yeong Ryeong pointed at herself pleadingly, but no dice.
"Sadness."
She deflated too.
Sa Wol joined us, having scoured the Baekhoe River all night.
Her headshake meant no corpse found.
—No trace. Probably dragged off by beasts, or if buried, swept away by the current.
I nodded at Sa Wol's transmission.
Meng Wei Xue aside, Sado Gwang's sudden appearance had scattered my focus, but loose ends needed tying.
"We've confirmed the truth and the villages are safe. Time to head back and report."
Everyone nodded at my declaration.
The return trip was uneventful.
Just ride the Baekhoe River's flow.
Back at the reconvened strategy council, I reported to Yi Se-ryeong.
—Thus, the Divine Cult's location likely remains unexposed to Meng Wei Xue.
Chu Tae Su added,
—Spies report no unusual activity in the jianghu.
War would show signs beforehand—troop buildups, supply surges.
Good, none of that.
Meng Wei Xue wouldn't start a war after all.
"I agree."
Yi Se-ryeong pondered my words but issued no orders.
The Six Families' heads held their tongues too.
The council ended anticlimactically.
The pre-war tension just... evaporated.
But with the second task cleared, the order to await the third was standard.
I was getting nervous.
Two of five tasks down already, just like that.
What if I cleared all five and got stuck with the obsessive yandere Heavenly Demon forever?
Trapped in Cheon Ma Gung eternally—what then?
"Sado family head."
After the meeting, Yu Il O approached.
"Something up?"
"Heard something interesting."
Interesting news, huh.
"You and Chu Tae Su don't get along, right?"
Yu Il O nodded toward Chu Tae Su floating down the stairs.
I shrugged in response.
Yu Il O chuckled.
"Word is, Chu Tae Su's contacting 'off-the-books' elements."
"Off-the-books..."
"Those guys are full of real crazies. Worse than me. Watch out."
Good to know he recognized his own madness.
"Thanks for the heads-up."
"Then drinks next time."
That damn liquor again.
At least now he knew I couldn't get drunk.
"Sure."
"Huh?"
Cheol Mu Geuk reacted instead, passing by. He grumbled indignantly,
"You punk. Refuse me every time I ask, discriminating now?"
"Keep walking."
"Aigoo. What's so great about this guy—"
"I'll bring booze when I visit."
"He's great, just great. Ahem."
Cheol Mu Geuk shuffled off.
"......You're tight with Goe Mountain Iron Family's head, huh? That grumpy old coot ignores my sword repair requests."
"Just happened."
"Anyway, see you next time. Bet you won't dodge my strike then."
Yu Il O grinned and left.
Dodge or die? Creative death threat from him.
And so I returned home.
Ah, paperwork hell again.
Time to tackle the backlog.
Meng Wei Xue rode in his carriage, in high spirits.
He'd come secretly to these remote mountains for some goal, but found nothing.
To think it was destroyed. Have to search elsewhere now. Annoying.
But he'd gained an excellent disciple.
Tall and handsome, sharp-eyed, polite.
Bold and ruthless too. Didn't flinch when the kid deliberately severed his grandfather's hand right in front of him.
A martial prodigy unlike any he'd seen lately.
A bit old, but special elixirs would fix that.
Plus, lowborn origins—no need to watch his back.
Gulp.
Meng Wei Xue masked his sinister thoughts and asked,
"For a backwater kid, you know your letters. Taught by your grandfather?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Smart kid."
Something caught Meng Wei Xue's eye.
"But what's with that Hero Sword? Seems big for you."
"Oh, this?"
The kid—Mugwang—replied,
"I found it."
"My disciple's walking around with a scavenged sword?"
Mugwang answered,
"It's mine now."
"Yours? Haha. Yes, indeed. A true warrior needs greed."
Meng Wei Xue burst out laughing.
Mugwang quietly laughed along, watching him.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon