Chapter 8

Rumors that a disciple of the Blood Heavens Saber Demon had died by my hand began to spread rapidly throughout the cult.

As the impact of this spread, Lee Ahn’s worries grew as well.

“It’s crazy. Everyone I meet is only talking about you and Yang Po.”

She sighed and added one more thing.

“…And about me too.”

Since she was the cause of the fight, there would naturally be a lot of talk about her.

“It’s good to become famous. Isn’t it our martial arts world where people do all sorts of crazy things to become famous?”

“I don’t like it.”

“You’re going to become even more famous, what will you do?”

Lee Ahn let out a light sigh, but her expression wasn’t dark. Perhaps because there was a positive element of change at the center of this commotion.

“I’m worried because the Blood Heavens Saber Demon values honor. I hope he just lets it go.”

“Who says that? That the Blood Heavens Saber Demon values honor?”

“What? Doesn’t he?”

“Would someone who values honor neglect and tolerate their disciples’ trashy behavior?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know?”

“That’s underestimating our Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s sensitivity too much.”

“You keep talking as if you know the Blood Heavens Saber Demon well, both now and before.”

“I know enough about not just the Blood Heavens Saber Demon, but the other Demon Supremes too. As the Heavenly Demon’s son, I should at least investigate that much.”

Lee Ahn stared at me with wide eyes. She probably thinks I know everything about her, so she must be wondering when I did such an investigation without her knowing.

“Then why does the Blood Heavens Saber Demon just leave his disciples’ misconduct be?”

“That’s…”

There was a definite reason, but it was something I couldn’t explain to Lee Ahn.

So I gave another reason that Lee Ahn could understand.

“Because it’s convenient.”

“What?”

“It’s easier to handle greedy and selfish guys than well-behaved disciples. The Blood Heavens Saber Demon has been making his disciples compete for a long time without designating a chief disciple. Why? Because it’s easier to use them as disposable tools that way. Watch, Yang Po’s position will be filled within days.”

“The Supreme seems to be a scary person.”

“I’m more scared of the disciples. Those guys who rush in even though they clearly know what kind of person their master is.”

“I’m glad I can serve you, Young Master.”

“Of course. How can you compare? Lee Ahn, want to have a drink after a long time?”

She looked at me with a surprised face.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“It’s not after a long time, it’s the first time.”

“It’s the first time?”

“Yes.”

You mean we haven’t had a drink together until now? What kind of motivation made you throw your body for me?

“Let’s go. Let’s drink ourselves to death today!”

I went to Demon Family Village with Lee Ahn.

Demon Family Village is a village formed in all four directions centered on our cult. What started as a small village where demon followers’ families lived has now become a big city.

I took her to the most expensive and best tavern in Demon Family Village.

“It’s a historic day, so let’s drink in a good place.”

“I’m fine with a small and shabby place too.”

She was uncomfortable with crowded places. No matter where we go, people’s gazes would focus on her first, so she probably dislikes it.

Considering her, we entered a special room in the tavern that was set aside.

“How much can you drink?”

“I can’t drink much.”

“Let’s see how much you can drink today. Don’t worry, if you get drunk, I’ll carry you on my back.”

“But… I’m heavy.”

“It’s okay. Look at these arms.”

“They’re half the size of my arms.”

“That’s because I haven’t flexed yet!”

Since it was our first drink together, I ordered plenty of good alcohol and dishes.

“I’ve never had these dishes before. This one too, and that one.”

“Try everything, and we’ll order more of what’s delicious.”

“My stomach will be surprised.”

“You’ve been eating hastily because you’re busy guarding, right? From now on, pay attention to what you eat.”

“Look, with this body, it’s okay even if I eat carelessly.”

She showed her thick arm and grinned.

“Eating carelessly makes you gain more weight. What am I eating, what ingredients is this made of. The more attention you pay to eating, the less you gain weight. To lose weight, you need to become a gourmet.”

“Ah! I didn’t know that! I’ll do that from now on.”

But I know. No matter what food she eats, even if she starves every day, her fat won’t go away. Because that fat isn’t from food.

Of course, she knows well too. She’s just saying that because she thinks I don’t know about the side effects. She could have revealed the side effects and made a slightly resentful joke… She’s become an adult too early.

“From now on, learn while eating delicious things with me.”

Lee Ahn stared at me and asked:

“Tell me your secret method.”

“What secret method? Cooking?”

“No. How can a person change like this?”

I smiled faintly at her.

“Why? Do you want to change too?”

“Not really, but…”

She emptied her cup. How could she not want to change? Her childhood self will forever reside in her heart. When times are tough, she’ll recall that day, and it will make things even harder.

‘When you regain your original form, you won’t need such secret methods. Because everyone in the world will admire you.’

Politely receiving the drink I poured, Lee Ahn asked:

“Young Master, what are your plans for becoming the successor?”

The reason she’s asking a question she hadn’t asked until now is probably because she saw that possibility in me.

I raised my cup and said softly:

“Flattery is the only way to survive!”

Lee Ahn laughed and lightly clinked her cup with mine.

“Make sure to melt the Cult Leader’s heart!”

We emptied our cups together.

Despite saying she couldn’t drink well, Lee Ahn drank quite well.

Of course, I had to pay the price for making her drunk. I had to carry her back on my back.

All the way back, she shouted while being carried on my back:

“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely protect you, Young Master. Just trust me!”

“I wasn’t worried at all, but hearing you say it over and over makes me worry.”

“I said don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”

“Okay, I’m not worried.”

“You should! You should worry. But don’t worry! Because I’ll protect you!”

“Hahaha.”

Just then, a window opened and someone shouted:

“What stupid woman keeps saying the same thing?”

Looking at the man who stuck his face out the window, I said:

“Cut us some slack, for my sake.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the young master of the Heavenly Demonic Divine Cult.”

He stared blankly at me for a moment, then an apology flew out as fast as light.

“Oh my, I’m sorry, Young Master!”

The window closed even faster than it had opened.

Lee Ahn was sleeping soundly on my back, breathing deeply.

‘I’m sorry for carrying you so late.’

Returning to my quarters, I laid her down on the bed and went outside.

I sat down in the courtyard, stretching my legs, and looked up at the moon.

Thinking about it now, after the annihilation of our family, while living in hiding, I was deeply immersed in a sense of defeat. It was a deep depression where I couldn’t sustain my life without running towards the goal of regression.

What if I hadn’t met Seo Jin at that time? If I hadn’t known about the Great Regression Technique? In the end… wouldn’t I have committed suicide? Or I might have gone looking for Hwa Mu-gi, only to die miserably at the hands of his followers without even meeting him. Yes, that’s what would have happened.

As I was lost in such thoughts…

Something flashed, reflecting the moonlight right beside me.

When I slowly turned my head, there was a large blade next to my face.

My tense face was reflected in the blade of the ridiculously large saber.

As the blade slowly tilted, its owner revealed himself behind it.

The wrinkles on the rough, skinny back of the hand holding the sword were furrows of experience showing that the past years had not been easy. Beyond those valleys, sharp eyes were glaring at me.

It was the Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

I was inwardly surprised because I didn’t expect him to visit me so suddenly.

The sword pointed at my neck as if to cut it off was his unique weapon, the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber[1]. Listed among the ten great weapons of the martial arts world, the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber was nicknamed the Weapon Destroyer[2] because it would shatter any ordinary weapon upon contact.

The cold demonic energy emitted by the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber enveloped the surroundings. The chilling coldness that felt like it would stop my breath made all the hair on my body stand on end.

‘If that blade flies to cut my neck, could I dodge it?’

I couldn’t easily answer.

No matter how deep the intuition gained from my life before regression, my inner energy was overwhelmingly lacking right now.

At that moment of heightened tension, the icy energy enveloping the surroundings disappeared in an instant.

The Blood Heavens Saber Demon grinned and poked my side with the end of the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber’s handle.

“Why did you do it?”

He meant why I killed his disciple.

Just until a moment ago, his energy was like that of an assassin who came to kill me, but now he’s grinning like a friendly neighborhood old man and poking my side.

“Because he acted like an idiot.”

At my nonchalant answer, the Blood Heavens Saber Demon stared at me. It’s a gaze similar to Father’s, but different.

If Father’s gaze is impossible to read what he’s thinking, the Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s gaze was clear.

Hostility.

I saw a blazing fire in his pupils.

“What kind of idiot in this world would come to pick a fight with the Cult Leader’s youngest son, who’s as precious as the apple of his eye?”

Swish!

The saber resting on the Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s knee flew up and pointed at my neck again.

“Should I cut off this head and take it to the Cult Leader? To see if it hurts when put in his eye?”

The fierce killing intent flowing over the blade carried the owner’s will, saying ‘It might have sounded like a joke, but it’s not’.

“I don’t think my head would fit in our Father’s fiercely slanted eyes.”

As I took a step back, the energy flowing over the blade instantly disappeared towards the handle. Impressive. To handle such powerful energy so freely with that skinny body.

This time, the Blood Heavens Saber Demon drew a long line on the ground in front of where we were sitting with the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber. Then he drew a vertical line about a span from the left end.

“From here to here is our young master, from here to that end is me.”

The line was divided in a ratio of nine to one.

“What is this?”

“The extent to which the Cult Leader cherishes us.”

The Blood Heavens Saber Demon himself was nine, and I was one.

I drew a new line with my finger at about one-third of the way.

“No matter what, I’m still his son. This side should be me, that side should be you, Elder.”

This time, I was seven and the Blood Heavens Saber Demon was three.

The Blood Heavens Saber Demon smiled slyly.

“We could test it. If I take this young master’s head to the Cult Leader, will he kill me or let me live?”

“Aren’t you underestimating the Heavenly Demon’s paternal love too much?”

“That’s why I’m saying let’s test it.”

The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber slowly moved towards me again.

I gently pressed the side of the blade with my palm, blocking it from approaching my neck. The blade was cold. No matter how brightly the Blood Heavens Saber Demon is smiling, this coldness is his essence. Forgetting that means death.

“We don’t need to test it. There are two sons, but only one of you, Elder.”

The Blood Heavens Saber Demon grinned.

“This young master isn’t an idiot like my disciple.”

“If your disciple had taken after you, he might still be alive.”

The Blood Heavens Saber Demon put his hand on my shoulder and patted it.

“Young master, this old man has lived with misfortune[3] all his life. So it’s better not to see each other often.”

With those words, the Blood Heavens Saber Demon disappeared. His body that suddenly sprang up from beside me fell far away into the darkness.

After the Blood Heavens Saber Demon disappeared like that, I checked my side first. Where he had poked me with the handle of his saber earlier, there was a dark bruise. It looked like he had playfully poked me, but the impact I received was like a bang. The same was true for when he patted my shoulder at the end.

“Damn, that old bastard.”

I had been on edge the entire time I was dealing with him. Apart from the fact that I had regressed, I always had to be careful of the dangers created by variables.

The fact that he repeated twice that he would take my head to Father means that he really might do so.

At first glance, he might seem to act on his own whims, but he’s not that kind of person. He’s someone who always calculates thoroughly and then calculates again. If it feels like he’s acting on his own whims, even that is a calculated whim. That’s why he was a tricky person to deal with.

Although I knew various information about him, knowing well doesn’t mean being able to handle well. Information is just information, and variables that can overturn this advantage can arise at any time.

‘By the way, why did he come to see me?’

Is it a warning about killing his disciple?

No. As I told Lee Ahn, he’s not someone who values reputation.

He came to see me. He must have been impressed by what I showed on the martial arts stage, and my wish to go hunting must have seemed special. On top of that, I even cut down his disciple, so he must have felt the need to test me. He came to taste for himself whether I taste sweet or like shit. To see if I could become the successor.

‘How did I taste?’

To me, he tasted spicy. Even though I just touched him with my tongue once, it was fiery. But it was a deliciously spicy taste.

‘Will the Blood Heavens Saber Demon be my first opponent?’

Maybe. After all, I was sent back to the day I had a martial arts match with his disciple.

‘Perhaps that big sword of yours caught heaven’s eye particularly well.’