Chapter 60

Was that why?

His gaze was as calm as always, yet somehow I felt I could see a faint trace of joy within it.

Was it just my imagination?

[Seventh Young Lord?]

At that moment a sound transmission came from Gal So-ye. It was a signal to proceed with the next step.

I could not just keep staring into the Heavenly Demon’s eyes forever.

I knelt before the Heavenly Demon.

“I have brought the Sacred Flame back safely.”

“Was it difficult?”

He was not asking about the relay.

He meant the assassins’ ambush.

“It was enjoyable.”

The corner of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth rose the tiniest bit, truly just a fraction.

“Light the Sacred Flame.”

“Yes.”

I went down to the middle tier of the altar and opened the carrying box.

Just as it had in the Sacred Flame Cave, the Sacred Flame slid of its own accord into the brazier.

Hwaaa.

In an instant a great pillar of flame surged upward.

At the same time, a roar like the sky was about to tear open burst from the tens of thousands of followers filling the main altar.

“Waaaaah!”

“The Sacred Flame has returned!”

When the cheers died down, Gal So-ye spoke sharply toward the crowd.

“The Sacred Flame has not gone out. As long as the Sacred Flame burns, the Divine Cult and our Cult Leader’s mighty name will be eternal. Long live the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”

“Long live the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”

“Long live the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”

Earth-shaking cheers filled the Demon Cult.

Strangely, Gal So-ye’s voice was far more energetic than usual.

The crowd also responded with wild enthusiasm, and the fever did not die down until Gal So-ye raised both hands to calm them.

Then, as if she had never been loud, Gal So-ye spoke again in a small, exhausted voice.

“By custom, the Cult Leader will bestow a treasure upon the Seventh Young Lord.”

The once uproarious Ten Thousand Demons Hall fell silent as if doused with water.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath to see what treasure I would receive.

“The treasure the Cult Leader will grant to the Seventh Young Lord is-”

“Just a moment.”

I raised one hand high as I looked at the Heavenly Demon.

“What is it?”

“May I refuse the treasure?”

My question sent a murmur through the hall.

The Heavenly Demon’s brow also twitched slightly, his expression saying, ‘what is this brat up to now?’

He spoke in a low voice.

“There is no way you desire nothing. What do you want?”

I answered as if I had been waiting.

“Permission to enter the Four Great Forbidden Regions.”

The murmuring grew louder.

-The Four Great Forbidden Regions?”

-Why would the Seventh Young Lord want the Four Great Forbidden Regions?”

Voices filled with doubt rose here and there.

The Heavenly Demon looked down at me, a faint crease between his brows.

“You have been strangely fixated on the Four Great Forbidden Regions for some time.”

“I have already been to two of them. I only need to visit the other two.”

“…”

His expression said he could not guess my true intentions.

I shamelessly went on.

“A treasure and this are more or less the same thing, are they not?”

I heard people exhaling in disbelief all around.

Regardless, I waited for the Heavenly Demon’s next words.

But it was not the Heavenly Demon who spoke. It was Gal So-ye.

“May this subordinate briefly report her thoughts?”

The Heavenly Demon nodded.

I looked at Gal So-ye, curious what she would say.

“While the Seventh Young Lord’s request is extreme, in light of his merits and abilities, it is difficult to dismiss it as groundless. If we clearly ascertain his purpose for visiting the Forbidden Regions and place strict limits on his actions there, there should be no major issue.”

Unexpectedly, she was speaking in support of me.

I felt a bit grateful to Gal So-ye.

Even if the Heavenly Demon allowed it, if the Grand Strategist opposed it, the picture would become a bit awkward.

Rumors might spread that the Heavenly Demon was favoring only me.

“Do as you wish.”

The Heavenly Demon’s answer was clear.

He was granting me permission to enter the Four Great Forbidden Regions.

I rejoiced inwardly and bowed my thanks to the Heavenly Demon.

With that, the official rites of the Sacred Flame Festival were over.

All that remained was the celebration.

Everyone began to eat, drink, and make merry.

Perhaps because I was the star of the Sacred Flame Festival, many people were looking for me here and there.

‘Popular people really do have it rough.’

I stayed the longest at the spot where members of the Illusory Hwang Clan, part of the Seven Demonic Houses, were gathered.

The Illusory Hwang Clan was the only house that had not produced a Little Demon.

Knowing the clan head had a secret deep worry, I gave a light hint.

That I was always ready to hear their troubles, and that we might become parties who could help each other.

‘They should understand with at least this much, right?’

Even though I had not spoken at length with the clan head, I believed my intent had been clearly conveyed.

If he did not have at least that much awareness, he would not be sitting in the seat of a Seven Demonic Houses clan head.

While I was busy like that, I suddenly realized something felt missing.

The Heavenly Demon was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where has that man gone off to now.’

Barely shaking off Wi Geum-myeong, who kept insisting on one more drink, I set out to find the Heavenly Demon.

There was something I wanted to ask him.

‘He is probably in his residence as always.’

As I headed toward Ten Thousand Demons Hall, Im Yeon and Ak Mu-jin’s group trailed behind me.

They said there was a strange entertainer beyond the Western Regions, and when he played his flute, children would follow behind him in a line.¹

Right now I felt exactly like that entertainer.

Including Im Yeon and Ak Mu-jin, no less than sixteen people were following behind me.

Im Yeon was my guard, so that was one thing, but why was Ak Mu-jin doing this?

When I asked him outright, Ak Mu-jin answered bitterly.

“…There is no one who welcomes us.”

In other words, he felt too self-conscious around them.

“Why not go to the Ghost-Face Unit? I am sure they are drinking themselves silly there too.”

“If we go, they will not be able to drink at ease.”

“Tsk tsk. All right. Let’s all go together then.”

Im Yeon asked.

“Where are you going?”

“To my master. You’re coming too, right?”

“Heuk.”

Im Yeon flinched in horror and waved both hands.

“What’s wrong? It was fun last time.”

“It was not. I do not mean the Cult Leader himself was not enjoyable, I am talking about the overall atmosphere.”

Im Yeon briefly explained the previous incident to Ak Mu-jin, who did not know what she was talking about.

Except for the part where she had gotten drunk and recited the guard regulations.

Judging by how Ak Mu-jin’s jaw dropped, he seemed to understand just how daunting a drinking session with the Heavenly Demon was.

So I parted with them at the entrance to Ten Thousand Demons Hall and went inside alone.

‘Knew it.’

My prediction was spot on.

As always, the Heavenly Demon was sitting alone on the bench in front of his quarters, tilting back a wine flask.

“Master, even on a day like this you drink alone. Would it kill you to spend time with other people?”

“That again. Do you not get tired of saying it?”

“My mouth is not tired. My heart hurts because you are always chewing on solitude with no snacks.”

I plopped down near the Heavenly Demon as he drank without replying.

I raised the flask I had prepared beforehand to my lips as well.

“…”

A brief silence hung over us.

The Heavenly Demon was a truly uncomfortable person.

Almost everyone probably felt that way.

Yet why was it?

After my regression, there was no one I felt more at ease with than the Heavenly Demon.

“Master, have you ever touched the Sacred Flame?”

“I have.”

“When you were a Little Demon?”

“Yes.”

“What did you see?”

The Heavenly Demon did not answer and asked me instead.

“What did you see?”

“That…”

When I tried to say it, the words would not come out easily.

How should I put it? It felt embarrassingly awkward to say, ‘You appeared,’ right in front of the person in question.

So something else popped out of my mouth.

“Master, why did you take me as your disciple?”

“I told you before. Because I thought highly of your talent.”

“That’s clearly not the only reason.”

I spoke with certainty.

In the scene I had seen when I touched the Sacred Flame, the Heavenly Demon had felt pity for me.

There might be another reason I could not guess.

‘Maybe I am some hidden blood relative or something?’

The ridiculous thought almost made me snort.

The Heavenly Demon tossed out a single line.

“I can tell what scene you saw.”

“Really?”

I flinched.

I had not wanted him to find out.

“Do not think too deeply about it.”

“Why not?”

I expected the Heavenly Demon to give a light reply.

Something like, “Focus on your training instead of wasting time on that.”

However.

“Because even if you do, you cannot escape the predetermined end.”

“…!”

What came out of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth was something I had not expected in the slightest.

“What do you mean by that?”

What was this predetermined end?

What did he mean I could not avoid it?

However, the Heavenly Demon tilted back his flask as if he had nothing more to say.

“Master?”

Had the flask run dry.

The Heavenly Demon turned the flask upside down and shook it into his mouth.

It seemed the Heavenly Demon was human after all.

Seeing him do that just to get a few more drops of wine.

‘So I came to resolve my curiosity and just ended up getting more of it.’

To hell with it. I tilted my own flask back hard.

For today, I might as well get drunk too.

From the next day, everyday life resumed.

Which meant training with the Heavenly Demon resumed. Which meant my entire body screamed in agony.

“Ugh.”

After several days of hellish training, I returned to Hidden Cloud Pavilion and slumped into a chair in the yard.

I did not have the strength to move even one more step to my bed.

In my eyes, I saw Im Yeon, Ak Mu-jin, and the others clustered together.

Hidden Cloud Pavilion already felt small, and with so many people it gave me a sense of being crammed full.

The bigger problem was that I had to feed all these people.

Every Little Demon’s residence received a fixed operating budget each month.

However, that was truly only the bare minimum.

With Ak Mu-jin’s group joining, it was obvious Hidden Cloud Pavilion’s funds would fall far short.

Other Little Demons could make up the shortfall through their clans, but I had no such backing.

‘I really need to think of a way to make money.’

What could I do at this point to earn a large sum?

Several plans flashed quickly through my mind.

First, the easiest.

‘Should I fleece Yuk Ja-heung again?’

I would ask him if there was something he wanted and then ask the Heavenly Demon to give it to me.

I could probably sell it for two hundred nyang and cover several months easily.

‘I will store that in my head for now.’

Meanwhile, in front of me it was once again time for Im Yeon’s lecture.

Whenever she had a chance, Im Yeon tried to educate Ak Mu-jin and the others.

From narrow topics like how great I was or my preferences, to broader ones like how to readjust to life in the Demon Cult.

“Do you understand?”

“We understand.”

“Good. Next is how to serve the Young Lord wisely-”

“Guard Im.”

“Yes, Young Lord!”

I asked Im Yeon, who turned her gaze to me in an instant.

“Do you happen to have any separate operational funds you were given?”

At the word ‘separate,’ Im Yeon glanced at Ak Mu-jin and the others.

“I do not, Young Lord.”

“Hm. What about any special orders?”

“None of those either.”

“Are you submitting your regular reports on time?”

“T, that, with how busy things have been lately, I have not really…”

“So you’ve been standing the person waiting on your reports up?”

“Yes, a few times…”

“Hey, you can’t do that.”

“I, I am sorry.”

Before we knew it, it looked like I was scolding Im Yeon for not doing her spy work properly.

“Um, Young Lord.”

“What is it?”

“What should I do?”

“What do you mean? Just quietly do as they tell you.”

I did not particularly want to force anything on Im Yeon.

That would only make things awkward for her.

“If they ask for information about me, just give it. Just avoid orders like putting poison in my food. I’m not ready to die yet.”

“Yes. From now on I will never even think of such things.”

“From now on. So you mean you have thought about it until now?”

“What? Ah, no, that is not what I meant…!”

I snorted with laughter.

She really was fun to tease.

‘When are they going to bite the bait?’

I was starting to want to reel in the bait I had tossed to the Illusory Hwang Clan.

It had already been several days since the Sacred Flame Festival ended.

In that time dozens of places had sent gifts and requested meetings with me, but I had declined them all.

If I carelessly accepted them, it would only come back to bite me later.

The only ones I was waiting for were the Illusory Hwang Clan.

‘I feel like they will come soon.’

They probably had many things to weigh and consider.

That was fine.

I only needed the elixir. More precisely, the spiritual herb.

Either way, I needed it if I wanted my future plans to go smoothly.

There were many enemies I had to fight, and I had to go out into the Central Plains as well.

The Illusory Hwang Clan finally responded to me the following evening.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am the Illusory Hwang Clan’s Hwang Seung-hyu.”

At last, the one I had been waiting for appeared.