Tap the text to show or hide reading controls.
After roughly two days of work, the relocation of Hidden Cloud Pavilion was complete.I bid farewell to the old Hidden Cloud Pavilion I had grown attached to and settled into the new one.
When Gal So-ye first brought me here, the place had been a complete mess.It had been neglected for so long that cobwebs covered everything in sight, and hardly anything inside or out had remained intact.A lot of people had put in hard work.They cleaned, cleared away the cobwebs, repaired the badly cracked main gate and hall doors, and even replaced the broken flagstones in the courtyard and training ground.
‘It cost a hell of a lot of money.’
Every coin spent on the relocation had come out of my own pocket.I had burned through great chunks of the money I had painstakingly saved.Still, it was some comfort that the money had been well spent.
It was spacious, clean, and even had its own training ground.I couldn’t have asked for more.The problem was that it had become harder to manage.Before, a maid and a couple of servants had handled everything, but the place was simply too large now.So I increased the number of servants and even hired a Chief Steward.
Wang Pal.Friendly, hardworking, and quick on the uptake.In short, he was perfectly suited to being a Chief Steward.He had only been hired a few days ago, yet he already knew Hidden Cloud Pavilion’s affairs inside and out.
The same was true now.He had finished organizing and placing all the gifts we had received and was now introducing them one by one.
“And so, the Iron-Gold Wi Family Patriarch sent these to congratulate you on the move.”
The first things he showed me were a desk and chair made of ebony.They were such fine pieces that simply having them in the room seemed to elevate the entire space.As expected of Wi Geum-myeong, he had gone all out even on a gift. He really was one of the wealthiest men in the Demon Cult.
“This was sent by the Guardian Court Master.”
Next was a massive iron weapon rack standing against one wall.It was anything but ornate. Plain, but sturdy.It looked capable of holding any weapon without so much as budging.
‘You can really see their personalities in their gifts.’
And they weren’t the only ones.
-Sajae, it’s a gift. I’m giving it to you as your senior sister, so take good care of it.
Wi So-rang had personally brought me a longsword made by the Iron-Soul Workshop.My name had been engraved into the hilt.She probably hadn’t made it herself, but I could still feel the thought she had put into it.
-Drink it gratefully, Sajae.
Yuk Ja-heung had brought me a flask of liquor.Apparently, it was a rare liquor aged for more than fifty years.The aroma was impressive enough to draw admiration, but the flask was slightly empty.By exactly one mouthful.
-Did you drink some?-W-What are you talking about? I went out of my way to buy it, and now you’re accusing an innocent man.-Tsk, tsk. That’s so like you.
Either way, I felt genuinely pleased.All I had done was move residences, yet so many people had gone out of their way for me.
‘I guess I haven’t lived my life for nothing.’
Then something suddenly caught my eye.There was a bundle sitting on a windowsill in a corner of the main hall.Its neat rectangular shape made it look as though a small wooden box had been wrapped inside.
“Chief Steward Wang, what’s that?”
Wang Pal looked toward the bundle and stammered.
“Huh? Ah, i-it wasn’t there earlier. I’m not sure when it was placed there…… I’ll check it immediately.”“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it.”
I walked over and untied the bundle.To my surprise, it contained not a wooden box but a single booklet.
<Demonic Path Personnel Register, Volume II>
‘Demonic Path Personnel Register? Volume Two?’
I opened it.It contained information on people holding positions both large and small throughout the Demon Cult.Affiliation, position, approximate martial realm, disposition, and a line or two of notes.For example,
I found several names I recognized.Surprisingly, almost everything written about them matched what I knew.Perhaps because this was only Volume Two, there weren’t that many people listed.
A small slip of paper had been tucked into the final page.Only one line was written on it.
-You’ll need this later.
Gal So-ye.I stared at the note and fell into thought.
‘Why did she give me this?’
How valuable was this personnel register?Certainly not insignificant.Especially to someone like Gal So-ye, who understood the value of information better than anyone.And she had given it to me as a housewarming gift?This wasn’t just a gift.
‘This isn’t a noose, is it?’
You and I are allies now, whether you like it or not.I’ve even given you proof of it.So don’t take what I give you and start singing a different tune later. It won’t end well.That was more or less the feeling I got.
‘It should be useful, though.’
I didn’t know everyone in the Demon Cult.In fact, there were far more people I didn’t know than those I did.Since information on those people was all laid out here, I could probably make good use of it.So there was no reason to refuse it.I just had to remember that it wasn’t free.
‘I suppose I’ll have to start paying for this booklet tomorrow.’
I put the booklet away carefully and turned to Chief Steward Wang.
“What’s next?”“Yes, next is-”
The next day, as soon as my training with the Heavenly Demon ended, I headed to the Golden Resonance Vault to meet Gu Cheong-won.I had two objectives.
First was the Heaven Silkworm silk.Gal So-ye had said Gu Cheong-won was skilled at working with Heaven Silkworm silk.She probably wasn’t lying, but I still didn’t feel comfortable entrusting it directly to him. Gu Cheong-won was impossible to read.
‘I’ll keep it to asking for advice.’
Gu Cheong-won dealt in all kinds of rare treasures.He was bound to know who could work Heaven Silkworm silk and where to find them.
Second was to judge him.I intended to casually bring up what had happened and watch his reaction.From that, I might be able to infer the relationship between the Dark-Shadow Gu Family and the Heaven Rebelling Society, how deeply Gu Cheong-won was involved, and how seriously he had meant his declaration that he would destroy his own family.
‘No need to drag this out.’
There was the Heaven Silkworm silk to deal with, and more importantly, Gal So-ye was not the kind of person who would wait forever.If I stalled too long, she would simply overturn the whole board.
“Welcome, Seventh Young Lord.”
I arrived at the Golden Resonance Vault.The First Chief Steward greeted me in the hall on the third underground floor.His manner was as impeccably respectful as before.
“My apologies after you have come all this way, but there is no auction being held today.”“That’s fine. I’m not here for an auction. Is Third Sahyung inside?”
The First Chief Steward flinched almost imperceptibly before answering.
“Master is absent. He will not be coming here for some time.”“Why?”“By order of the Patriarch, he is presently confined to the main family estate.”
Confined?I frowned immediately.I could understand him not being at the Golden Resonance Vault. It wasn’t as though he ate and slept here every day.But he wouldn’t be coming for some time?And he was confined to the main family estate?
‘The timing is strange.’
The metal fragment had surfaced only a few days ago.That was also around when Gal So-ye had decided to strike the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.And now Gu Cheong-won had crawled back into the family estate.The timing lined up too perfectly to call it coincidence.Was it Gu Cheong-won’s decision, or the Dark-Shadow Gu Family Patriarch’s?Either way, it was suspicious.I asked the First Chief Steward,
“Do you know when his confinement will be lifted?”“I do not know either. How could someone as lowly as I possibly know? But since the order came from the Patriarch, I do not believe it will be lifted easily.”“Hmm. Is that so? All right.”
I turned away without saying anything more.He wouldn’t dare invoke the Patriarch’s name just to lie to me. There was no reason to do so in the first place.
‘I’ll have to go to the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.’
I left the Golden Resonance Vault.In the distance, I spotted a messenger pigeon taking flight.It was heading south, toward the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.
‘That was fast.’
“We’ll go too.”“Yes, Young Lord.”
After traveling for about an hour, we arrived before the main gate of the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.Im Yeon and I stepped down.The guards stationed at the gate approached calmly, as though they had already known I was coming.
“What brings you here?”“I’m here to see Third Sahyung.”“My apologies. The family is currently receiving no visitors.”“I’m hardly just another visitor.”“There are no exceptions.”“Even between fellow disciples?”“That is correct.”
Well, honestly, I felt about the same.Being fellow disciples didn’t mean we all had to be affectionate toward one another.
“Then at least tell him his Seventh Sajae came.”“I am afraid even that will be difficult, Young Lord.”“You can’t even pass along a message?”“That is correct.”
‘Well, look at this.’
I couldn’t help laughing.I had plainly seen the messenger pigeon fly here, and this was how they were going to play it?Were they begging me to get suspicious or what?
‘Fine.’
Still smiling, I said,
“It would be better to open the gates while I’m the only visitor.”“Pardon?”“Once a crowd comes knocking, it’ll be too late.”“……What do you mean by that?”
I didn’t answer.There was no need to tell them to pass it along. It would reach Gu Cheong-won’s ears regardless.
“Let’s go.”“Yes, Young Lord.”
I turned and headed back toward the carriage.I could feel the atmosphere behind me turn strangely cold.
‘I wonder how he’ll respond.’
Gu Cheong-won wasn’t stupid.He would understand the meaning behind my words.One way or another, he would react.
‘I’ll have to ask about the Heaven Silkworm silk later.’
“Shall we return to Hidden Cloud Pavilion?”“Let’s.”
I fell into thought as the carriage moved.Just what kind of man was Gu Cheong-won?I didn’t know him well.I remembered only a handful of striking things about him from my previous life, and even after crossing paths with him several times in this one, I still didn’t truly understand him.
And now I had come up empty twice, even getting turned away at the door.Maybe that was why.Even though I was certain Gu Cheong-won wouldn’t simply stay hidden like this, I still felt frustrated.If I had to put a name to it,
‘Impatience, maybe.’
Yes. That was exactly it.And it wasn’t only because of Gu Cheong-won.Ever since the proclamations appeared, more questions had piled up than answers.If I had my way, I would simply smash through every obstacle and continue toward the goals I had set after regressing.But because I couldn’t, frustration had been steadily building inside me.
“Guard Im.”“Yes, Young Lord.”“I changed my mind. Let’s go to the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.”“The Ten Thousand Demons Hall……? Understood.”
Im Yeon blinked, then relayed my instructions to the driver.Normally she would have peppered me with questions, but this time she asked nothing.Sometimes she could be surprisingly considerate.
On the way to the Ten Thousand Demons Hall,we stopped at a tavern, where I bought two jars of liquor.I carried them to the Heavenly Demon’s residence.As always, he was drinking alone with only the moon for company.
“Master, I’m here.”
I dropped onto the platform beside him.Without even looking at me, the Heavenly Demon asked flatly,
“Why have you come?”“Why else? I came to keep you company over a drink so you wouldn’t get lonely.”
Teok. I set one of the liquor jars beside him.
“I tell you all the time, don’t I? You’ll never find a disciple as good as me. What other disciple comes to drink with a master he finds uncomfortable? I even brought the liquor.”
The bridge of the Heavenly Demon’s nose moved ever so slightly.What was that? Did he just scoff?
“The aroma is lacking.”“Oh, come on. It’s good liquor. You’re just finding fault for no reason.”“This is not good liquor.”“Then what is?”
I asked because I was genuinely curious.
“Something like what Ja-heung gave you would qualify.”“Gasp.”
I sucked in a breath without realizing it.That answer had come completely out of nowhere.Of course, almost every piece of information eventually reached the Heavenly Demon, so it made sense that he knew. I just hadn’t expected him to bring it up like this.
“Someone’s already drunk from that one. Hardly fitting for the greatest master under heaven.”“Liquor is merely something to be drunk.”
Meaning he didn’t care who had already put their mouth to it.
“I knew you’d say that. By the way, Master, aren’t you giving me anything?”“What do you mean?”“A housewarming gift. Even the Grand Strategist sent me something, but you’re the only one who gave me nothing.”
The Heavenly Demon answered without expression.
“What do you expect from me?”“Let’s see. Maybe a precious voucher filled with love for your disciple? Around five hundred taels should do.”“Five taels should be more than enough to contain that much affection.”“Not even fifty, but five? Isn’t that a little harsh?”“What do you expect from me?”
I was genuinely impressed.The Heavenly Demon had actually made a joke with a callback!I don’t remember him being like this before.
‘The Heavenly Demon really has changed a lot.’
No, maybe this side of him had always been there.Maybe I had simply never tried to see it.
“Master, can I ask you something?”“Ask.”“If the heir to a family wanted to destroy his own family, what do you think the reason would be?”
The Heavenly Demon’s hand paused.The mouth of the liquor jar stopped just short of his lips.I continued as though making an excuse.
“It doesn’t mean anything. I just happened to wonder.”
Even the Heavenly Demon had no way to see directly into Gu Cheong-won’s mind.He probably couldn’t guess what situation I was talking about.Even so, I wanted to hear what he thought.
He took a long drink and said,
“Hatred and obsession spring from the same root. Wanting to destroy his family means he is holding on to it just as tightly.”“……!”
It felt as though someone had struck me across the head.I had been thinking about this all wrong.I had believed Gu Cheong-won wanted to abandon the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.But what if that wasn’t it?What if he cared about the family to an extreme degree instead?What if the family had strayed from the path he believed it should follow, and that was what had driven him to the extreme idea of destroying it?
‘Gu Cheong-won and the Dark-Shadow Gu Family chose different paths.’
That much was certain.Gu Cheong-won wanted to change the family.If I used that, I might be able to figure it out.Which of them had joined hands with the Heaven Rebelling Society, Gu Cheong-won or the Dark-Shadow Gu Family.
The corner of my mouth lifted slightly.
“Thanks, Master.”“For what?”“For this and that. I’m glad I came to hang out.”“I do not know what you are talking about.”“You don’t have to. Not yet.”
For some reason, the corner of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth moved ever so slightly.Much like mine had.
“Your expression looks much better.”
Im Yeon spoke carefully as we left the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.
“Does it? I can’t really tell.”
I chuckled and returned to Hidden Cloud Pavilion.Then, one day later, late at night as I was about to go to bed,Wang Pal’s voice came from outside.
“Young Lord, you have a visitor.”“Who?”“It is the Third Young Lord.”
The man I had been waiting for had come.
Reading Settings
