Chapter 76

“Ugh.”

As soon as I flopped down in the carriage, a groan escaped me.

My body felt unbearably heavy.

Even though such a big incident happened yesterday, the Heavenly Demon didn’t give me a break.

He stubbornly dragged me out to the training ground and worked me over as brutally as always.

‘He really is a terrifying person.’

I shuddered.

Sometimes it felt like he saw me not as a person but as a block of iron.

As if he thought he had to keep hammering me to make me usable.

“We will return to Hidden-Cloud Pavilion, Young Lord.”

Im Yeon, sitting across from me, asked with a pitying look.

“Rather than Hidden-Cloud Pavilion, let’s go to the Strategist’s Office.”

“The Strategist’s Office, sir?”

Im Yeon asked back, puzzled.

It was only natural.

I had never gone to the Strategist’s Office until now.

I told her why, to clear up her doubts.

“I need to meet the Grand Strategist.”

Yesterday, I came up with a plan to ruin Heuk Jin-pung.

But this plan absolutely required the strength of the Grand Strategist, Gal So-ye.

So I was going to see her right away without wasting time.

Rattle, rattle.

The carriage headed for the Strategist’s Office.

It was a hastily assigned replacement for the carriage that got wrecked yesterday, so the ride was awful, but I didn’t complain.

I was just grateful to have anything to ride in at all.

After quite a while, the carriage stopped.

“We have arrived.”

I got out of the carriage.

The imposing sight of the Strategist’s Office filled my vision.

Here, tall outer walls had been built in a square to prevent outsiders from infiltrating and insiders from escaping.

The gates were practically always shut, so there was even a joke that only messenger pigeons could come and go freely.

The guards watching the main gate were unusual as well. Even their gaze was anything but ordinary.

They were sharp, not as if welcoming visitors, but as if screening who was worthy to pass.

Im Yeon approached them looking tense.

“The Seventh Young Lord has come to visit.”

“What is your purpose?”

Oh ho.

A smile tugged at my lips.

The guard’s attitude was so rigid it was hard to tell he was standing in front of a Little Demon.

It was as if he were dealing with an object.

Perhaps she felt the same way, because Im Yeon answered in a displeased tone.

“It is extremely important business. Our ‘Seventh Young Lord!’ is here to see the Grand Strategist, so please open the gate.”

“That is not possible.”

“What?”

Im Yeon blinked blankly.

She clearly had not expected to be cut off so bluntly.

The warrior continued stiffly.

“The Grand Strategist is currently handling important matters. She has ordered that no one be allowed in except the Cult Leader.”

“But…!”

“However, if the Seventh Young Lord should come, she said he is to visit after the hour of the dog.”

Im Yeon blinked again.

“So you are saying the Grand Strategist predicted our Young Lord would come, and told you we should just come after the hour of the dog?”

“That is correct.”

“Then shouldn’t you have just said that from the start?”

“It is procedure.”

“Ah. In that case, it cannot be helped.”

Im Yeon, who looked ready to argue, nodded meekly.

I let out a short laugh.

As expected of a stickler for rules, she backed down at the single word procedure.

“Young Lord, they say you must come back after the hour of the dog.”

“I heard.”

It was not just me. Anyone in the Demon Cult knew the Grand Strategist was busy.

I couldn’t see her right away, but it was enough that we had an appointment.

‘I just hadn’t expected her to predict that I would come.’

That was why she was the Grand Strategist.

“Let’s go back to Hidden-Cloud Pavilion.”

“Yes.”

When we arrived at Hidden-Cloud Pavilion, unexpected guests were waiting.

It was Wi So-rang and Yuk Ja-heung.

The two of them spoke in turn.

“Sajae, your life is in danger, where have you been wandering off to! You should be resting at home.”

“I told you. That bastard is fine enough.”

I was momentarily puzzled.

What was this about my life being in danger, and me being fine enough?

“What are you talking about?”

“They said you almost died yesterday. That you were in a state where you might stop breathing any moment.”

“Who said that?”

“People.”

Only then did I get a sense of why the two of them were here.

My collaboration with Ju Ok-hwa had ended yesterday so I had not heard, but it seemed strange rumors about me were going around.

Last time, Wi So-rang had come with an Energy-Restoring Pill because she thought I was badly hurt. Today she was here because she heard my life was in danger.

At this rate, next time they would show up to offer condolences because they thought I was dead.

‘Either way, I appreciate it.’

“Anyway, why are you so sour-faced? It’s annoying to look at.”

At my question, Yuk Ja-heung snorted.

“You try being dragged here against your will and see if you make a nice face. Samae nagged me so much about visiting you that my ears almost bled.”

“Saying you were dragged here is what is wrong. As the sahyung, visiting your sajae when he is sick is the obvious thing to do.”

“There is nothing good about being tied up with you now that the Heuk Clan has you marked. Do you have any idea how scary the Heuk Clan is?”

Wow. Everything out of this guy’s mouth rubbed me the wrong way.

That was a talent in its own way.

“Sit down first, sajae.”

Wi So-rang pulled me by the arm and sat me down in a chair as if she were in her own home.

“So what happened, sajae? Did you really kill an Extreme Demon master?”

“Extreme Demon?”

Who on earth was spreading these rumors, and how?

It seemed likely it came from the outer patrol squad, and at this rate, in a few days it would spread through the whole Demon Cult.

“He was not an Extreme Demon. He was a late-stage Transcendent.”

“Wow. That’s still incredible. As expected of you, sajae. You’re really strong.”

“It’s not like I killed him alone.”

“Exactly. You didn’t kill him alone, so what is there to brag about?”

Yuk Ja-heung cut in as if he had been waiting.

“And the Transcendent Realm is nothing special. I am right on the verge of stepping into the Transcendent Realm too. I will probably get there in a few months.”

Yuk Ja-heung was brimming with confidence, but sadly, this was a wish he would never fulfill.

In my past life, even by the time I left the Demon Cult, he still had not reached the Transcendent Realm. He spent a full seven years stuck at late Peak.

Unless something dramatic happened, it would probably be the same in this life.

“Why are you grinning like that? It’s creepy.”

“It is nothing.”

As I smiled faintly, Wi So-rang handed me something.

It was a small wooden box.

“Here, take it, sajae.”

“What is it?”

“Return-Heart Pill.”

I had heard the name before.

It was a rare medicine among internal-injury healing pills.

Unlike most pills that worked slowly, the Return-Heart Pill was famous for acting quickly and healing internal injuries just as fast.

“Why are you giving me this?”

“So you do not die.”

It was a simple line, but it carried a lot of concern for me.

I should not get used to accepting things like this, but I could not exactly refuse a gift either.

I thanked her and took it.

“I guess I should get hurt often.”

“Why?”

“Because every time I get hurt, you give me something nice.”

“Then from now on I will not give you anything. That way you will not get hurt.”

Man, listen to how sweetly she talks.

She was on a different level from Yuk Ja-heung.

“Got anything for me, Sahyung?”

“Would I?”

Yeah, I hadn’t expected anything from you.

“By the way, do you know much about the Grand Strategist?”

I asked, looking at Yuk Ja-heung and Wi So-rang.

Wi So-rang asked back.

“Why the Grand Strategist?”

“I’m supposed to meet her later, but I don’t know what she likes. Since I’ll be meeting her anyway, it’d be nice to win some favor.”

I didn’t know Gal So-ye very well.

I knew her rough personality and one huge secret, but neither of those could be used right now.

That was why I was asking the two of them for advice, just in case.

Yuk Ja-heung clicked his tongue in an irritating way.

“Tsk tsk. You must not realize this, but the Grand Strategist is not someone who has free time to listen to you. You will probably trade five sentences at most before being kicked out, so just go empty-handed.”

“Do you know what the Grand Strategist likes?”

“No.”

“Then be quiet.”

“…Uh.”

When I spoke with a scowl, Yuk Ja-heung immediately shut up.

Wi So-rang stroked her chin like an old man and spoke.

“I heard from the Clan Head that the Grand Strategist really likes Seven-Treasure Dragon King Stew.”

“Seven-Treasure Dragon King Stew? That dish is insanely expensive.”

“Right.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“The Clan Head never lies when it comes to money or food.”

I suddenly pictured Wi Geum-myeong’s sturdy figure and found myself convinced.

‘What do I do about this?’

This dish, whose very name reeked of luxury, was only sold at a high-class tavern called Yeonggeop Pavilion.

It used such rare ingredients and had such a complicated recipe that the price was whatever they felt like charging.

“Roughly how much does it cost?”

“Not sure. Maybe around twenty taels?”

My jaw nearly dropped.

I knew it was expensive, but what kind of dish cost twenty taels?

There was no way I had that kind of money. No, I did have it, but I couldn’t spend it carelessly.

I needed to save it to buy elixirs or as travel expenses for when I headed to the Central Plains later.

‘I keep getting dragged down by money.’

I let out a sigh.

The reality that even buying a single dish to win the Grand Strategist’s favor was a burden.

Where was I supposed to get that money?

It wasn’t as if a money pouch was just walking around on the street.

‘Wait. It kind of is.’

Yuk Ja-heung, picking at his ear, entered my field of view.

A sudden realization struck my mind.

Right, this was it!

“Sahyung.”

“Sahyuuung? What’s this all of a sudden? What do you want from me?”

This guy’s instincts had gotten sharper.

“Nothing much. I just got another gourd bottle from Master a while ago. Interested?”

“Not interested.”

Yuk Ja-heung answered with his arms crossed.

“Really?”

“Yeah. How much are you trying to squeeze out of me this time?”

“It’s not squeezing, it’s a fair price for a fair trade. I am only offering to you first because we already have a transaction history. It’s not like there are only one or two people who want this, you know?”

I picked up the gourd bottle sitting in one corner of my room and shook it.

“Think carefully, Sahyung. You never know how many more gourds I will get in the future. If I sell them to someone else each time, what do you think will happen? The value of the gourd you have will plummet. But if you buy them up each time, so yesterday you had this one, today you have that one, and tomorrow you walk around with two at once, how cool is that? If other people buy them, you lose out, but if you buy them, everyone else loses out. You profit twice over.”

It was nonsense.

But Yuk Ja-heung had a look like it had caught his interest.

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Soon, the corner of his mouth twitched.

He was picturing the scene I had described.

“How much are you selling it for?”

Yuk Ja-heung asked with half-lidded eyes.

“Let me think. How much did I sell it for last time?”

“A hundred and twenty taels.”

“Alright, I am in a good mood. I will knock off twenty and sell it to you for an even hundred.”

“A hundred taels?”

“What, you don’t want it?”

Yuk Ja-heung waved both hands.

“It’s not that I don’t want it. It’s just that I do. Hehe.”

Deal closed.

Since we had built up some rapport, we agreed he would pay later and I handed over the gourd first.

Yuk Ja-heung turned the gourd over and over in his hands, clearly thrilled.

I smiled in satisfaction.

The gold mine was not far away at all.

After Yuk Ja-heung and Wi So-rang left, I sent someone to Yeonggeop Pavilion.

I told them to order the dish in time for the hour of the dog.

In the meantime, I circulated my internal energy and trained.

Before I knew it, the sun was just about to set.

‘Time to head out.’

I washed up quickly and headed to Yeonggeop Pavilion.

There, I received the steaming dish and paid twenty-five taels.

It had been twenty before, but the price had gone up. Phew.

From there, I went straight to the Strategist’s Office.

Unlike earlier, the guard obediently led me inside the Strategist’s Office.

“Where are we going?”

“To the Grand Strategist’s office.”

It felt strange.

In my past life, I could count on one hand the times I had spoken with Gal So-ye, yet thanks to regression, I was now getting to see her office.

Perhaps because of internal secrets, the guard took a roundabout route to the office, avoiding going near other buildings.

“Grand Strategist, the Seventh Young Lord has arrived.”

“Tell him to come in.”

“Yes, understood.”

The guard opened the door.

As I stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was the smell of books, like in a library.

One side of the very spacious office was lined with tall bookshelves.

In the middle of the room stood a model marked with the territories and spheres of influence of the Demon Cult, the Murim Alliance, the Heretical Alliance, and the Four Outlands and Five Rivers.

It was exactly what you would expect from the Grand Strategist’s office.

Gal So-ye sat at a desk buried in stacks of documents, her face utterly steeped in exhaustion as usual.

She had so much work that it couldn’t be helped, but it was enough to make one worry she might work herself to death.

“It has been a while, Grand Strategist.”

I greeted her lightly, and Gal So-ye suddenly leapt to her feet.

She approached as if possessed by something.

“Grand Strategist?”

She didn’t answer, and her eyes were out of focus.

Gal So-ye came right up to the point where we would almost bump into each other.

As I was thrown off by the sudden situation, she bent at the waist.

“W-what are you doing?”

I tried to jump back in surprise.

“Sniff sniff.”

Gal So-ye was sniffing at the silk cloth wrapping the dish.