“What are you looking at so intently?”
Lady Yoon, Jo Chun-bae’s mother-in-law, approached a young man who was staring at something in a corner of the safe house’s courtyard.
The young man was watching a small insect crawl across a flowerbed. She had never seen him before during her stay here. He remained silent, his eyes fixed on the bug, and Lady Yoon quickly felt she was intruding.
“Oh, this old woman must be disturbing you. I’m so sorry, honored warrior.”
Lady Yoon was unfailingly polite to everyone working at the safe house. She treated not just the martial artists, but also the servants and maids, with the utmost respect. It wasn’t out of fear, but gratitude.
She had known nothing but hardship her entire life, yet for the past several days, she had been living in unbelievable comfort. Every meal was a feast of rare delicacies, and fresh clothes were provided for her to change into. She had worn silk for the first time in her life. She’d slept in late and even taken naps in the afternoon, luxuries she’d never once experienced. How could she not be grateful to the people here?
Just as Lady Yoon was about to turn away, the young man spoke.
“It’s called a Dragon-Poisoned Bug. You can only find them in this region.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Lady Yoon went over and squatted down beside him. Though his features were youthful, his voice and general aura felt mature.
When the insect finally crawled away and disappeared into the grass, Lady Yoon’s gaze fell to the young man’s waist.
“Your coin purses are quite cute.”
The young man had several pouches tied to his belt, each embroidered with one of the twelve zodiac animals. It was the sort of thing you’d see on merchants in the marketplace who needed to carry multiple purses for their business. Of course, since he was here, he couldn’t possibly be a merchant.
Then, the young man said something unexpected.
“I’ve had your son-in-law’s cooking before.”
Lady Yoon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How?”
“I live near there.”
“Oh, you do! Please, visit often. Our Jo is a truly kind and diligent man.”
Lady Yoon was delighted to hear he was a customer at her son-in-law’s tavern.
“Are you hungry, by any chance? There’s food in the kitchen. Shall I bring some out for you?”
Seeing how young he was, she assumed he must be tasked with menial chores around the safe house. Even if he was a warrior, he had to be a low-ranking one.
“I’m fine.”
“Nonsense, a growing young man like you needs to eat. Just wait here a moment.”
Lady Yoon scurried back toward the building.
Watching her go, the young man muttered to himself, “My growing days are long behind me.”
A short while later, Lady Yoon emerged with a tray laden with food. But the young man was gone.
“Now where could he have gone so quickly? If he’d just waited a little longer…” she murmured, clearly disappointed.
Just then, Jo Chun-bae walked out into the courtyard.
“My dear Jo, are you hungry? Shall I fix you a meal?”
It seemed every time his mother-in-law saw him, she wanted to feed him.
“I’m alright, Mother. Besides, I should be the one taking care of you.”
“Nonsense. You’ve spent your whole life taking care of others. You should rest while you have the chance.”
Aren’t you the same, Mother? he thought. You’ve worked harder than anyone.
During his stay at the safe house, Jo Chun-bae had gone through several stages of psychological change. At first, he was bewildered but happy. His only regret was that his married children, who lived far away, couldn’t be there to share it. As the days passed, however, an anxiety began to creep in. Do I deserve this luxury? Can I really leave the tavern unattended for this long?
But now, he had settled into a state of ‘to hell with it’ and was simply resting. More than anything, he was content seeing his mother-in-law, his wife, and his sister-in-law’s family so at ease. It wasn’t as if he could leave just because he wanted to, anyway.
“By the way, what’s all that food for?”
“Oh, there was a nice young man here I wanted to give it to, but he disappeared.”
“Who?”
“A cute, handsome young man.”
Jo Chun-bae tilted his head. He hadn’t seen anyone like that.
“Ah, he said he’s been to your tavern before.”
“What? My tavern? That can’t be right.”
At that very moment, the young man returned. His hands were full of unidentifiable medicinal herbs.
“Your knee looked like it was giving you trouble, ma’am.”
“At my age, there’s not a single part of me that doesn’t ache. But how did you know about my knee?”
Her knee was indeed a chronic problem.
“If you brew this and drink it, it should make walking a bit easier.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have. Thank you, thank you so much.”
Lady Yoon was so moved she didn’t know what to do.
“See? Our young warrior isn’t just a handsome face. Here, put those down and have some of this.”
She treated the young man as if he were her own grandson.
Watching this scene unfold, Jo Chun-bae’s face went pale. His eyes bulged, and his jaw hung open, too shocked to even speak. His mother-in-law was patting the Poison King’s back, telling him to eat up and remarking how rare it was to find such a kind young man these days.
“Aaargh! You mustn’t!” Jo Chun-bae finally shrieked.
The Poison King and Lady Yoon both turned to look at him.
“What’s wrong with you, Jo?”
At his mother-in-law’s question, Jo Chun-bae bowed his head low to the Poison King.
“My goodness! Lord Poison King!”
How could he not recognize the legendary figure who had left his name on the wall of his tavern?
Finally realizing the young man’s high status, Lady Yoon panicked.
“Oh heavens! To not recognize such an esteemed personage! Please, kill me!”
As she tried to prostrate herself on the ground, the Poison King stopped her and pressed the herbs into her hand.
“I can’t possibly accept something so valuable.”
“Consider it payment for the debt I owe your son-in-law. Please, don’t worry about it.”
With that, the Poison King turned and walked straight into the building.
When he had arrived the day before, the Demonic Human in charge of the safe house had informed him of the Jo family’s presence. He had deliberately chosen not to reveal his arrival so they could continue to rest comfortably. He knew they would have been given the best rooms, and if Jo Chun-bae knew he was there, the man would insist on giving up his own room. Besides the room, his presence would have been an immense burden. And so, he had spent two days quietly in the guest quarters with his subordinates.
Knowing how much Geom Mugeuk cared for Jo Chun-bae, the Poison King had simply wanted to help build up the tavern owner’s prestige in front of his mother-in-law.
“Thank you, thank you so much, Lord Poison King!”
Jo Chun-bae was overwhelmed with emotion as the fearsome Poison King departed after giving him the herbs.
“My dear Jo, I hope I didn’t make a terrible mistake,” his mother-in-law fretted.
“Not at all, Mother. Would he have given you such a precious gift if you had?”
“He is a truly grateful person.”
She bowed deeply in the direction the Poison King had gone.
“To be treated like this, all thanks to you.”
“I’ll brew the herbs for you, Mother.”
Taking the herbs, Jo Chun-bae’s heart pounded in his chest. Herbs personally given by the Poison King! His hands trembled, terrified of dropping even a single leaf.
He yearned to see one person. All of this happiness, this joy, was a gift from him.
“Junior Cult Leader, please return safely. When you come back, I will—!”
It was at that exact moment.
“You will what?”
Jo Chun-bae spun around in shock to see Geom Mugeuk walking toward him. After leaving the Unorthodox Alliance, he had used his Swift Stride technique, running like the wind.
“Junior Cult Leader!”
At his shout, a window in the building slid open and the Poison King appeared.
“You’re back sooner than I expected.”
“I missed you so much, Your Majesty, I flew here like the wind.”
“I’m sure you missed the tavern owner more.”
Geom Mugeuk grinned at Jo Chun-bae.
“Of course, I missed our dear owner too.”
Seeing Geom Mugeuk back safely, Jo Chun-bae was overcome with joy. A wave of relief washed over him. It felt as if he’d been floating in a dreamlike fantasy, and was only now planting his feet back on solid ground.
“I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness.”
“There will be a way.”
“Pardon?”
“An important guest will be visiting your tavern soon. I’ll need you to show off your skills then.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s meaningful gaze, Jo Chun-bae blinked in confusion. He hadn’t said anything like this even when a Demon Supreme had visited. Who in the world could be coming?
In the meantime, Lady Yoon and the rest of Jo Chun-bae’s family had come out to greet Geom Mugeuk.
“Thanks to you, our family has made memories we could never forget, even in death. Thank you, Junior Cult Leader.”
Geom Mugeuk took Lady Yoon’s hand, his eyes warm.
“Please, stay healthy, Elder.”
It was decided they would leave the safe house the next day, so that evening, Jo Chun-bae prepared the meal. He wanted to personally serve those who had shown them such kindness. He served food and wine not only to Geom Mugeuk, the Poison King, and his Poison Children, but to all the warriors, servants, and maids of the safe house. While Jo Chun-bae was showcasing his culinary talents, his wife went around and personally thanked everyone who had cared for them.
During the meal, the Poison King was in a daze, lost in his own world. Sang-seon, sitting next to him, poured a drink for Geom Mugeuk instead.
“Thank you for everything.”
The Poison King was changing after meeting Geom Mugeuk, a change Sang-seon had long hoped for. To be here, outside the Forest of Ten Thousand Poisons, gathering herbs with the Demonic Human and sharing a meal—these were things that would have been unimaginable before.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. Because you came with me, we averted a great danger.”
“When you return, please come visit us at the Forest of Ten Thousand Poisons.”
“Next time. I plan to greet my father and then leave the Sect immediately to visit the Martial Righteous Alliance.”
“I suppose you’ll be turning the Martial Righteous Alliance upside down this time.”
Geom Mugeuk laughed at Sang-seon’s joke.
“Not a chance. It’s a simple matter of meeting the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader and asking for his understanding on one thing.”
Suddenly, the Poison King interjected. It seemed he had been listening after all.
“Will it really be that simple?”
At the Poison King’s words, Geom Mugeuk drained the cup of wine before him. That was something even he didn’t know. How would Jin Paecheon react? This was a situation that neither he nor the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader had ever experienced before.
When the pleasant evening dinner came to an end, Geom Mugeuk said to Jo Chun-bae, “It’s time to go home.”
It was the end of the most splendid vacation of Jo Chun-bae’s life.
***
Returning to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Geom Mugeuk went first to the Hall of the Heavenly Demon.
“Father, I have returned.”
His father greeted him from his usual seat.
“I hear you stirred things up at the Unorthodox Alliance.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t get involved; I just watched from the sidelines. Though I’m sure you’ve received a full report from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.”
Geom Mugeuk recounted the events at the Unorthodox Alliance to his father. He had always made a point of reporting to his father directly like this. It didn’t matter if his father already knew everything. By speaking truthfully, it ceased to be a report and became a conversation.
“I believe the mastermind is still at large.”
As long as his father didn’t let his guard down, that was all that mattered. Even if the whole world grew complacent, as long as he and his father remained vigilant, they could stop whatever was coming.
“They may try some other trick, so you and I will have to be watchful.” He stressed the need to remain on high alert.
“Defense is not the only option.”
His father’s way is probably to find and eliminate the threat first. He had probably already given the order to the Chief Strategist.
“If that’s possible, it would be for the best.”
But given the enemy’s meticulousness so far, they wouldn’t be easy to find.
“Oh, and I’ve invited the Unorthodox Alliance Leader to the Flowing Wind Tavern.”
He said it casually, as if it were an afterthought. His father showed no reaction. Unable to look him in the eye, Geom Mugeuk mumbled with his head down.
“I know you dislike the Unorthodox Alliance’s leader, but perhaps he’ll be a surprisingly decent person once you meet him? And also…”
Still no reaction. He cautiously raised his head to look at his father.
His father’s eyes said it all.
You do know what you’re doing, don’t you?
He could have stopped by the Martial Righteous Alliance on his way back and handled that business first. But he felt it was important to tell his father now. He had to get permission, read the mood, and if his father said no, he’d have to persuade and negotiate. There was a world of difference between telling him now and presenting it as a done deal.
A slow smile spread across his father’s lips, his expression saying he saw right through him. It was a smirk he hadn’t seen in a long time. Seeing it, a sense of relief finally washed over him.
Ah, I’m home.
His father surely understood his reasons for inviting the Unorthodox Alliance’s leader. As expected, he didn’t ask why.
“The Martial Righteous Alliance won’t just sit by.”
“That’s why I intend to go and speak with the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader myself.”
“And you think that man, Jin Paecheon, will accept?”
Like the Poison King, his father did not see this as a simple matter.
Of course, he had one ace up his sleeve.
“I have allies on the Martial Righteous Alliance’s side. Two of them, in fact.”
***
“Master!”
The Fist Demon was looking up at the very cliff he intended to destroy.
“You’re back.”
He wanted to bring Bi Sa-in here and tease him. See? Compared to my master, your face is adorable.
“I’ve just returned from handling matters at the Unorthodox Alliance. I saw my father and came straight here.”
After making his efforts known, he stood beside him and looked up at the cliff.
“By any chance, is this cliff… growing?”
At the Fist Demon’s questioning gaze, he looked up at the cliff again and answered, “Somehow, it seems bigger and taller than before.”
A strange light flickered in the Fist Demon’s eyes.
“And it’s not that you’ve grown?”
He could guess what his master meant, but he played dumb.
“When one grows, shouldn’t their opponent feel more insignificant?”
“That’s how the third-rate think. The first-rate see their opponents more clearly the stronger they become.”
That was probably why the true masters were so humble.
Had his martial realm advanced after achieving Grand Completion in the Heavenly Demonic Defense Art? The cliff truly did feel more majestic.
“Then this cliff must look even more immense to you, Master.”
“To hear such flattery in my once-peaceful ears, someone must have truly returned.”
“Flattery isn’t all that’s returned. There’s a gift, too.”
The Fist Demon recognized the gauntlets he presented.
“The War of God!”
“You recognize them.”
“Any who have trained in the fist arts would know of them. Where did you get these?”
“I received them as a gift from the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.”
The Fist Demon looked dumbfounded for a moment, then nodded as if to say, Of course, you would.
“Why give to me what was given to you?”
“Whose hands do you think the War of God would rather be on? Mine, or yours, Master?”
He had thought his master, who had always fought with his bare fists, might refuse them, but he accepted without hesitation.
“Yes, I suppose I’ll need them to bring down that cliff.”
That’s right, Geom Mugeuk thought. I’m not the only one growing. He could tell from the way his master accepted the gift so readily, without letting pride stand in the way. The Fist Demon was growing, too.
He could also see why the War of God was considered the greatest of all gauntlets. They were flexible, fitting the Fist Demon’s massive hands perfectly.
“The saying that every treasure has its rightful owner… I think I understand it now. They suit you perfectly, Master.”
The Fist Demon simply clenched his massive fist in front of him, a gesture of thanks more powerful than words.
Yes, this is how it should be. Everyone has to get stronger. While they plot in the darkness, we will grow stronger under the sun. Let’s see who wins.
***
After bidding farewell to the Fist Demon, Geom Mugeuk entrusted the Sun-Moon Sword to his guards and left the cult’s main branch at once. Since he had to leave again immediately, he decided to greet the other Demon Supremes after his trip to the Martial Righteous Alliance.
“You’re leaving us behind again, aren’t you?”
Jeok Yeon, the head of his security detail, had reached a state of Zen-like resignation.
“It seems I must.”
Jeok Yeon tried to persuade him with a self-deprecating look that screamed, We are truly useless, but it had no effect.
Finally, Jeok Yeon shouted, “Then at least know this! If something happens to you, Junior Cult Leader, we all die!”
That’s right. If I fall, you’ll all die anyway.
“If you want to follow me, get stronger! Stronger! Even stronger!”
Passing through the Demonic Village, he saw the Flowing Wind Tavern. It was open for the first time in a while, and the people from the market had gathered, chatting with Jo Chun-bae. How many stories he must have to tell.
Not yet, owner. Save your real bragging for what’s to come.
He unleashed his Swift Stride technique and raced toward the Martial Righteous Alliance.
Even as he flowed like light through the world, he could see them: the flowers on the roadside, their buds just beginning to open.
Spring was coming.