The Lust Demon's Promise (6)

At the riverbank he had crossed, Dokgo Jin found the corpses of Bi-yeon and the old man, and his body shook with rage.

"Those fucking bastards…!"

He had promised to spare them.

He hadn't believed a word of it, but they were weak people — he'd figured there was no reason to bother with them either way.

Even in the moment he drove his blade into Bi-yeon, he'd been rattled. But Moyong Byeok and No Sunpyeong had looked so utterly calm that he'd convinced himself nothing would come of it.

What a fool he'd been.

Bitter feeling settled over him as he gathered their bodies and buried them in a sunlit spot by the river. Standing before the graves, Dokgo Jin made a vow.

"…I swear it. I will wreck those sons of bitches. Maybe not today — but someday, without fail…!"

He was not like them.

He never made a promise lightly.

With that resolve burning in him, Dokgo Jin left the grave where an old man and a young girl lay buried.

Afterward he passed through Liaoning, where the Moyong Clan's influence ran deep, and made his way to Tianjin.

It was where the Beggars' Sect — the greatest information network in all of Murim — had first taken root.

When Dokgo Jin stormed the Tianjin branch of the Beggars' Sect, what he wanted was obvious: information.

Intelligence on the Tang Clan, the murderers of his family — and on the Moyong Clan, so he could keep the promise he had made to himself.

But the Beggars' Sect belonged to the same Wulin Alliance as the Moyong Clan and the Tang Clan, and of course they refused to hand anything over. Dokgo Jin raised hell all over again.

In the middle of that chaos, he nearly died at the hands of a Beggars' Sect elder — and the one who saved him was the leader of the Hao Sect.

"…Who the hell are you?"

"I am Eun Yakbyeok — young mistress of the Hao Sect, and its next leader."

"…Why save me?"

"Because I need you."

"Ha…. This shit again."

Dokgo Jin pushed himself up and clutched at the pain flaring through his chest. Watching him, Eun Yakbyeok smiled.

"You should count yourself lucky. Surviving a fight with a Beggars' Sect elder is nothing short of heaven's favor."

"I've heard that line so many times I'm sick of it. All that crap about bad luck this, bad luck that…."

"Shall I offer you something a little more interesting, then?"

"Not interested. Thanks for saving my life, but a scheming bitch like you—"

"What about the manufacturing site of Absolute Poison — the Tang Clan's secret technique?"

"!!"

Dokgo Jin's eyes flew wide.

"…How do you know about that? No — why the hell would you tell me?"

"I am young. And the Hao Sect is weak."

"…"

The Hao Sect leader had suddenly started talking about herself. The Mad Demon tilted his head.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means we need an opening."

"An opening?"

"Our Hao Sect buys and sells the information that comes and goes. We are a sect of the people who live at the bottom of the jianghu — courtesans, coachmen, thieves."

"…So what?"

"The higher the value of information, the better… but unfortunately, everything we know, the Beggars' Sect already knows as well. Information everyone else has is worthless. And so…."

Eun Yakbyeok unfurled her fan and covered her mouth.

"I thought we might create information that only we possess — and sell it. I want to open a gap in the Beggars' Sect."

"You've lost your damn mind. I raise hell, and you sell the intel on me?"

"Precisely."

Even as Dokgo Jin's expression turned savage, Eun Yakbyeok only smiled.

"For reasons unknown, the great Mad Demon wishes to wipe out the Tang Clan. We wish to gain the upper hand over the Beggars' Sect. Our interests align, do they not?"

"…"

"I will provide you with every piece of information you desire. Only if you wish it, of course."

"Great hero, great hero…. Cut that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bullshit."

"…"

"Just call me Dokgo Jin."

"May I take that as acceptance of the contract?"

"…Fine. But remember one thing."

"I am listening."

Dokgo Jin bared his teeth and let killing intent roll off him.

"I hate bastards who break their promises. Hate them enough to kill."

"My."

Even under the weight of that ferocious aura, Eun Yakbyeok smiled with perfect composure.

"So do I."

"Looks like we'll get along just fine."

And so the contract between the Hao Sect and the Mad Demon was sealed.

"I've got a question."

"Ask."

"How strong is Moyong Byeok?"

"…Why does the Moyong Clan head suddenly come up?"

"Because I've got to wreck that son of a bitch."

"…"

Eun Yakbyeok's brow furrowed slightly.

"Great hero—"

"Dokgo Jin. If 'great hero' pisses you off that much, pick some other damn word. Just hearing it makes my whole body crawl."

"…If I may be so bold — might I ask why our guest bears a grudge against the Moyong Clan head?"

"That bastard killed the boatman who tried to burn me, and the boatman's granddaughter."

"…"

For the first time, a crack appeared in Eun Yakbyeok's unmoving mask. She forced her twisting expression back into place and continued.

"…Our guest truly does not know his place."

"What?"

"…The Moyong Clan head holds the title of Sword Venerable — one of the ranks of God, Immortal, Venerable, Emperor, King, Lord, and Saint."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The Mad Demon scrunched his face into a scowl. Eun Yakbyeok clapped her hands.

A courtesan entered from outside and brought brush and paper. Brush in hand, Eun Yakbyeok held the paper and looked at Dokgo Jin.

"Have you heard of the Hundred Great Masters of Murim?"

"That bullshit the Wulin Alliance announces once every ten years."

"But it is also a declaration to every martial artist in the jianghu."

"…A declaration?"

"Do not challenge us lightly. The martial artists of our Wulin Alliance are this strong."

"Who the hell believes a ranking they cooked up among themselves without even fighting for it, ha!"

"And yet that ranking is rather accurate, you know."

Eun Yakbyeok began writing characters from the top down, one by one.

"Orthodox martial artists cannot fight among themselves to settle strength — but if the strongest at the top assign ranks to those beneath them, there is no problem at all. That is why the previous Alliance Leader introduced this system."

"…Where do I rank?"

"You are not on the list."

Bang!

The Mad Demon slammed his fist down. Eun Yakbyeok's face crumpled again.

"…Please do not destroy the establishment."

"Sorry. I've got a madness problem."

"…You do not look sorry in the slightest."

"Anyway. Still doesn't make sense. What about No Sunpyeong, then?"

"…No Sunpyeong, the hidden blade of the Moyong Clan, holds the title of Sword King. Counting from the top, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would sit somewhere below the middle of the Hundred Great Masters."

"…"

Grit.

The evaluations of himself and No Sunpyeong were far lower than he'd expected. Even though he didn't believe in the ranking, resentment still welled up inside Dokgo Jin.

"Fuck. This is bullshit."

"…If our guest were properly ranked, I would place him around the level of a Saber Lord, at least."

"You just said I wasn't on the list."

"…It is announced by the Wulin Alliance, so martial artists who do not belong to the Alliance are naturally excluded."

"Fuck…."

He grumbled aloud, but deep down Dokgo Jin felt a little better.

"The one our guest is after is the Poison Immortal, is he not?"

"…I've dedicated my whole damn life to killing that bastard."

"You have a long road ahead."

"…"

Hearing Eun Yakbyeok speak so frankly and plainly, Dokgo Jin scowled again. But she paid no mind to his fierce expression and simply continued.

"If you charge the Tang Clan as you are now, you will die like a dog. It is safest to assume they pay you no mind yet because you are still too weak."

"…Shit thing to say — but it's true."

"…"

When Dokgo Jin admitted it so calmly, Eun Yakbyeok's eyes widened a fraction.

"Heh…. You are more interesting than I expected."

"What?"

"It is nothing. A slip of the tongue — please disregard it. And so… what I wish to recommend is this."

Eun Yakbyeok held out a book.

"…What the hell is this?"

"A register of the Hundred Great Masters of Murim. It notes their approximate places of residence."

"…Why give me this?"

"Start from the lowest Saint-rank and smash your way up, one by one."

"…And what do you get out of this?"

"Everything."

Eun Yakbyeok covered her mouth with her fan once more. Dokgo Jin found it peculiar, the way she always hid her mouth behind that fan whenever she smiled, and waited for her to go on.

"…Do you require further explanation?"

"…"

But she offered none, so Dokgo Jin simply took the book.

"So I just go beat the shit out of them and that's it?"

"If possible, stop by one of our establishments before a fight and let us know. We will cover any necessary expenses."

"Meaning I don't have to tell you if I don't want to."

"Precisely."

"…Fine. I'll do it. In exchange, hand over everything you have on the Tang Clan and the Moyong Clan."

"Very well."

Eun Yakbyeok rose and bowed her head to Dokgo Jin.

"This girl prays that our guest lives a long while yet — and raises as great a storm as he is able."

"…Looks like I've gotten tangled up with one hell of a crazy bitch."

"Our guest is quite the madman himself, heh."

"…"

"If you need anything, call for our children. That includes lonely nights, of course. Just try not to handle them too roughly."

"…Don't need it."

"Heh. Very well, then."

When Eun Yakbyeok left, Dokgo Jin lay back down in his room and flipped through the book she had left behind.

With every page he turned, his smile deepened.

"Damn. Plenty of bastards worth killing."

And so Dokgo Jin began to rewrite the ranking of the Hundred Great Masters of Murim.

Two years later, on the day he stormed the main house of the Moyong Clan —

Moyong Byeok, regrettably, was not there. But Dokgo Jin crushed some three hundred of the clan's martial artists and the Sword King No Sunpyeong himself, and from the jianghu he received a new epithet.

Dokgo Ryeong opened her eyes and took stock of where she was.

What a fucking dream….

Running into No Sunpyeong after so long must have dredged up the old memories. Her throat burned with thirst, and her head ached.

She lifted a hand to clutch her skull — and saw the bandages wrapped around it.

"…Huh?"

When did someone put these on? Only then did Dokgo Ryeong look around.

When the hell did I fall asleep?

As she focused and scanned her surroundings, a sound reached her ears.

"Hnn… ah…."

A woman's moan.

"…Fuck."

Dokgo Ryeong got to her feet. Even in the dark, a little concentration made everything sharp and clear.

Clothes strewn across the floor. Baekri Sohyeon's moans. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lust Demon nowhere in sight. A head ready to split open.

The situation from before she'd passed out came flooding back.

…Drank myself to sleep.

She remembered pouring liquor down her throat right up until she blacked out. Everything after that was a blank.

"Water…."

She moved carefully, searching the room for wherever they'd left a jug. Unfortunately, there was no water in her own chamber.

…Fuck.

She focused again and listened. Baekri Sohyeon's moans had stopped. Figuring their little session of bliss was over, Dokgo Ryeong strode over and shoved open the Lust Demon's door.

"Lust Demon, I need some wa…ter?"

The moment she stepped inside, Dokgo Ryeong slammed the door shut again. Then she yelled through it.

"Hey… hey, you crazy bastard!"

"…Young lady, raising your voice like that in the middle of the night is rather troublesome."

"No… I mean…. Fuck…."

"If you wish for water, please come in. It is right here."

"Are you insane?! You want me to go in there?!"

In that brief instant, Dokgo Ryeong had seen a great deal.

Baekri Sohyeon sprawled on the floor. Pale fluid trickling down from between her legs.

And Wi Ilcheong's absurdly enormous manhood.

Cra… crazy bastard. How the fuck is it that big….

Her heart started hammering for no good reason.

Then the door opened, and a naked Baekri Sohyeon caught hold of Dokgo Ryeong's hand.

"…Ryeong Mae, want some water?"

"Ah… no. Later."

"…Hm? Weren't you thirsty from the wine?"

"I-I'm fine, so later!"

Dokgo Ryeong was desperately trying to pry her hand free when Wi Ilcheong spoke.

"Just come in, young lady. There are things we ought to discuss as well."

"G-get lost, you maniac! Put some clothes on and call me again!"

"…You will see it eventually anyway, so you might as well get a head start… ah."

Wi Ilcheong grinned.

"Baekri young lady."

"…Hm?"

"Would you hold Dokgo young lady for me?"

"…Okay."