Chapter 23

When we finally came back out of Demon Valley, there were people waiting for us.

It was the patrol unit of the Iron-Gold Wi Clan we had seen on the way in.

They said they had even extended their duty shift, anxiously waiting for when we would emerge.

Their job was to block entry to and exit from Demon Valley.

If anything happened to me, those who had granted passage would not escape blame, so they had been worried.

“May we ask what the situation inside Demon Valley was like?”

Their other concern was the rampaging of demons.

Earlier I had glossed things over by saying I had received a secret order from the Heavenly Demon to resolve the risk of demons bursting out of the valley.

“It will be safe for a while.”

“That is truly reassuring news. Thank you for protecting the peace of the Black Spirit Region, Seventh Young Lord.”

The patrolmen all brought their hands together in salute.

It was a bit embarrassing, but I returned the cupped-fist salute.

It was a lie for now, but it would be the truth later.

In my past life, a fairly large incident had broken out because madmen escaped from Demon Valley.

This time, I had to make sure that did not happen.

“We will be going now. Thank you for your hard work.”

After saying goodbye to the patrol, we set the carriage in motion.

Once we were more than 35 meters away, Im Yeon, who had been watching, cautiously spoke up.

“Should you not have reminded them to keep their mouths shut?”

“Why would I do that?”

“So that the fact you entered one of the Four Forbidden Regions, Demon Valley, does not spread widely. Of course, since you acted under the Cult Leader’s secret order, it would not become a major problem…”

“And if I had not received a secret order, would it be a big problem?”

“It would, but why do you ask… D-do not tell me there was no secret order?”

Im Yeon’s face drained white in shock.

That alone was answer enough.

Smirking, I spoke.

“Come on. Of course there was. Would I go in and out of Demon Valley for no reason if I did not have a secret order?”

“R-right, of course. Huu.”

As if all her strength had left her in an instant, Im Yeon let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing that, I felt a little sorry.

Because I really was a crazy bastard.

“You must have been really scared.”

“Simply entering one of the Four Forbidden Regions is already a grave crime. If the Cult Leader’s secret order had been a lie, we would not escape punishment.”

“There will be no trouble, so relax.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Anyway, there is no need to muzzle the patrol. It will just leak from somewhere else.”

“Somewhere else?”

“I mean you. You are going to report everything that happened today to the Elder Council Lord, aren’t you?”

“Ah…”

Her face, which had been white before, flushed bright red this time.

She must have briefly forgotten she had been sent to keep an eye on me.

“M-my apologies, Young Master.”

In the carriage, Im Yeon bowed deeply.

She was biting her lower lip, looking completely at a loss.

My heart softened on its own.

“There is no need to go that far. What power does a subordinate have? When those above say jump, you have to jump.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“I would not have done it, though.”

“M-my apologies.”

“Still, I can see why you did.”

“Thank you.”

“But still, if it were me—”

“I am sor… no, thank you! Is ‘I am sorry’ the right one?”

She smiled, then looked like she might cry.

Im Yeon’s expression changed freely.

It was so funny I kept teasing her a few times, then asked what I had been curious about.

“By the way, what is your relationship with the Elder Council Lord?”

“…Pardon?”

“I can see you have the right mindset as a guard, but you do not seem like the kind of person the Elder Council Lord would send.”

The Elder Council Lord is a cunning old man.

If he intended to deceive me and wring information out, he would have sent people more trustworthy.

Not a naive rookie like Im Yeon.

“I, I have no relationship whatsoever with the ‘Elder Council Lord’.”

She put an odd amount of stress on the five syllables “Elder Council Lord.”

“And with anyone else besides the Elder Council Lord?”

“N-no. I have no relationship with anyone.”

What was with that obvious reaction?

So someone did send her, but perhaps it was not the Elder Council Lord, but another’s influence?

‘No way.’

“If possible, it would be best not to get too close to the Elder Council Lord.”

I gave Im Yeon a heartfelt piece of advice.

Like I had just said, a subordinate cannot easily refuse a superior’s orders, but I still wanted her to keep her distance if she could.

Because the Elder Council Lord was scheduled to be crushed by me in a year or two at most.

The current would be rough, and there was no guarantee Im Yeon would not be swept away with it.

“…”

Silence settled inside the carriage.

I did not speak further and sank into thought.

Demon Valley, the Valley Lord, Perfect Demonic Qi.

One thing after another took its place in my mind.

‘I obtained an enormous fortuitous chance.’

The greatest gain from my visit to Demon Valley was Perfect Demonic Qi.

A third type of Demonic Qi I had not even known existed.

I had a feeling many things would change depending on how I handled it and how I further developed it.

Who would have thought there was another way to extend my internal energy time limit.

‘Could I perhaps extend my lifespan with Perfect Demonic Qi as well?’

There was only one way to lengthen my lifespan.

To obtain three kinds of elixirs and take them according to the method the divine physician had taught me.

In my past life, I had obtained two and gained about three years.

If Perfect Demonic Qi had undiscovered potential, perhaps I would not have to pin all hope on those elixirs.

To be honest, this time getting the elixirs would be difficult, at least as long as I stayed in the Demon Cult as the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.

As I was lost in thought, I felt Im Yeon’s gaze.

Strangely, she kept stealing glances and scanning me up and down.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“My apologies if it bothered you. You feel different from earlier, Young Master.”

“…I feel different?”

“Yes. I cannot say exactly in what way, but that is how it feels.”

I looked at Im Yeon with new eyes.

She seemed to have sensed the changes from Perfect Demonic Qi.

Im Yeon was at the peak level.

Not low, though she still had many walls to climb.

She could likely perceive the martial state of those below her, but this time she had not gauged my level, she had sensed a change in the nature of my Qi.

That meant her innate aptitude and senses were excellent.

Im Yeon had the potential to become a better martial artist than I had judged.

‘If Im Yeon can tell this much, the Heavenly Demon could probably sense it from five kilometers away.’

I made a silent joke to myself and let a faint smile show.

In talent and sense, the Heavenly Demon was beyond human limits.

He could probably grasp my condition even before facing me.

‘Hold on.’

My smile vanished in an instant.

Because I suddenly realized how serious the situation was.

Before going to Demon Valley, I had not been that worried about the Heavenly Demon.

I had some excuses I could gloss things over with.

But now the situation had changed.

I had meant to stop by briefly and just grab the Demon-Gathering Stones, but I arrived in the morning and stayed until night, spoke at length with the Valley Lord, and even received Perfect Demonic Qi from him.

I did not know exactly what lay between those two, but no matter how kindly you viewed it, their relationship could not be called amicable.

The Heavenly Demon would not like it.

On top of that, the Murim was a world with strict laws about the relationship between master and disciple.

The mere fact that I learned something from a master other than the Heavenly Demon could cause trouble.

‘…Did I create too big of a mess?’

One way or another, things had ended up like this, and now I was suddenly worried.

He would not actually try to punish me, would he?

‘I need to come up with something.’

Once this night passed, training would start right away.

If I was lucky, it would end with my training becoming several times harsher, but if I was unlucky, I could rot in a dungeon for months.

I did not think the latter would happen, but you could never predict the Heavenly Demon’s actions.

So I had to patch things up as much as possible today.

The problem was how.

‘How about this?’

A brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

Hehe, a silly laugh escaped me.

The method I thought of was so ridiculous even I found it funny.

“…?”

Im Yeon looked at me strangely.

Still smiling, I met her eyes.

“Haha.”

Not knowing why, she laughed along.

Not knowing that laugh might soon vanish.

We arrived at Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

We stacked the Demon-Gathering Stones from the carriage neatly in one corner of the yard.

Looking at Im Yeon and the guards, I spoke.

“You all worked very hard. It must have been tough.”

“Not at all, Young Master. We are only glad to have helped in the slightest with your important mission.”

“You lie without even wetting your lips, Guard Im¹.”

“I-it is not a lie.”

“Shall we all have a drink together? It is the first day anyway, we should build some camaraderie.”

At those words, the guards’ faces brightened.

They had had a hard day, so a drink must have been on their minds.

But drinking on duty was forbidden for guards.

Yet when the very person they guarded suggested a drink, they could not help being delighted.

‘Let us help each other out.’

Suggesting a drinking party was not only for the sake of bonding.

I had another purpose.

It would probably be a night they would never forget.

“That is not possible.”

Im Yeon rejected the proposal outright.

“I appreciate the offer, but it does not fit my duties as a guard. I failed to show a reliable side today, and I do not wish to disappoint you further, Young Master.”

It was not me, but the guards whose faces were full of disappointment.

As if their world was about to collapse.

For their sake, and mine.

I tried to persuade Im Yeon.

“They say if water is too clear, fish cannot live in it. If you are too stiff, your men will not like it.”

The guards subtly nodded along.

Even so, Im Yeon was unmoved.

“Guard Code, Clause Two of Article Two, a guard is not to build ties with the protected beyond what is necessary. ‘Beyond what is necessary’ includes the following. Personal conversations, drinking together, and—”

“And nothing. Does the Guard Code not have a clause about not being incited by others to spy on the protected?”

“C-could you please stop bringing that up?”

“I am going to bring it up twenty more times.”

Im Yeon dropped her shoulders, clearly deflated.

Who told her to take the Elder Council Lord’s orders.

“Guard Im, you do not have to strain yourself so much. Perfect guarding is important, but flexible thinking is just as important. On a day this hard, will you really forbid your men even a single drink?”

“But your safety comes before all else, Young Master.”

Im Yeon did not seem ready to yield.

I had expected as much, so I made her an offer she could not refuse.

“What if we drank in an incredibly safe place?”

“Such a place exists?”

“Of course. The safest place in the entire Murim. Let us go there first and then talk. If you still feel uneasy, we will do as you say. How about it?”

“If such a place truly exists…”

It seemed even Im Yeon was craving a drink after all.

I had expected I would have to persuade her much longer than this.

“Alright, then let us get back in the carriage.”

After seating Im Yeon and the guards on the carriage and horses, I whispered our destination to the coachman.

His eyes went even wider than when I had mentioned Demon Valley before.

I patted his shoulder.

“Seventh Young Lord, th-that place is…”

“It is fine, so let us go. We will stop by a nearby tavern first.”

At the tavern we soon reached, I bought a few jars of liquor and some simple snacks.

The guards’ mouths practically split open with grins.

After loading everything, the carriage moved on.

The place we arrived at after a short while was.

“Y-Young Master, I think we have come to the wrong place.”

“No. This is it. Master! Your disciple that would not hurt your eyes even if you put him in them is here!”

It was none other than the Heavenly Demon’s residence.

Seated on a wooden platform, drinking alone, the Heavenly Demon was silent for a long while, then spoke quietly.

“What… is this supposed to be?”

“It is the case where I want to drink with my master. I got guards assigned today, so I brought them to celebrate. I have things to talk about too. What are you doing, not paying your respects?”

I spoke calmly, but Im Yeon and the guards could not.

They had already been half out of their minds ever since entering the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, and now even their bodies seemed beyond their control from how badly they trembled.

“W-we greet the Lord of All Demons!”

“We greet the Lord of All Demons!”

They threw themselves flat on the floor and shouted loud enough to tear their vocal cords.

Their shoulders, pressed to the ground as if one with it, were shaking violently.

The Heavenly Demon stared at me, not just dumbfounded but as if his soul had left his body.

“Drinking is more fun with a crowd. How about it? This is fine, right?”

I smiled brightly as if I did not know anything.

He would not spit at a smiling face, would he?

“Get out.”

…He would?