Chapter 434: The Cult Leader Wakes Up from Sleep

After returning to the cult, I headed to the Cult Leader’s Hall with the Drunken Demon.

At the thought of meeting my father, the Drunken Demon looked slightly nervous.

In the past, he had drunkenly pleaded before my father, saying, don’t hate me so much. Although the misunderstanding had been cleared up back then, it seemed that didn't make my father any more comfortable to face.

“You’re not going in first! I’ll greet him before I go.”

He clearly wanted to avoid being left alone with my father.

“Where did that mysterious and fearsome Drunken Demon from the mist go?”

“Probably crawled under some carriage and passed out drunk.”

Still, he had even brought a gift for my father. Before leaving the Northern Sea, he’d stopped by a famous brewery to buy liquor to give to him.

Come to think of it, the Drunken Demon was someone who genuinely wanted to make a good impression on my father.

And so we entered the Cult Leader’s Hall together.

Father was seated on the Throne, as always. Whenever I stepped into this place, I was always moved by the sight of him faithfully keeping that seat, unchanged.

“Father! Your son has returned!”

At the same time, a sense of fear stirred within me.

What if that Throne were ever left vacant? What if I had to be the one to guard it? Could I truly offer the same unwavering faith as my father?

It’s not the lack of confidence that makes me afraid. It’s the fact that I can do it—that’s what scares me.

Because I’ve confirmed through my past life that I too can silently protect that seat, just like Father. And because in this life, I want to live brightly and freely.

“I’ve returned after wrapping things up in the Northern Sea!”

I greeted my father loudly.

Beside me, the Drunken Demon offered a respectful bow.

“I have returned, Cult Leader.”

Looking down at him, Father immediately recognized his condition.

“Are you injured?”

“I got hurt a little, but I’m fine now.”

The Drunken Demon was already excited that father had asked about his condition. His face was flushed even without drinking.

“I heard from the strategist about what happened in the Northern Sea.”

I seized the moment and stepped forward.

“The Drunken Demon single-handedly defeated the head of a hidden force that was trying to swallow the Ice Palace.”

I had made up my mind to properly boast about him in front of Father today.

“As he should.”

At that, the Drunken Demon looked up at Father with a surprised expression.

Father, however, was looking at me as he spoke.

“He’s not someone who would lose and come back, is he?”

I could tell—Father had already known how strong the Drunken Demon was.

Even without turning to look, I could feel how moved the Drunken Demon was. Perhaps it was his first time being acknowledged like this by Father? Especially in front of others.

“Thanks to him, I made it back safely. It was my first time seeing the Drunken Demon fight, and he was truly amazing. And more than anything—”

My gaze, which had been fixed on Father, now turned toward the Drunken Demon. He, too, looked tense, wondering what I was about to say.

“You were amazing. The way you avenged your friend.”

Though I said it to praise him in front of Father, it was also the truth.

I recounted everything that had happened in the Northern Sea in detail. Of course, Father had likely already received reports on the process and outcome through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, but he wouldn’t have known the smaller details that occurred in between.

It was something I always did upon returning from a mission after expulsion. Whenever I chatted with him like this, reporting what had happened as if sharing stories, I could feel my bond with Father growing stronger.

Today, I mainly focused on the Drunken Demon’s exploits. I told it in such an entertaining way that I doubt he got bored. I made it sound even more vivid than it had been in real life.

“…So in gratitude, the Ice Palace Master bestowed the Ice Palace Chalice upon the Drunken Demon.”

Even if I hadn’t mentioned it, Father would have recognized the Ice Palace Chalice on sight. A pale white aura shimmered around the cup like a halo—it was impossible to miss.

Though I had said it was given as a token of appreciation, the Drunken Demon didn’t let the matter pass so easily.

“The Ice Palace Chalice was something the Young Cult Leader gave up his own gift to receive on my behalf.”

Father might well have turned to me with a look that said, ‘He’s not the type to give up something of his own for someone else.’ But instead, he said something unexpected.

“Would it be alright if I had a drink from that cup as well?”

“Of course. I even bought some famous Northern Sea liquor for you, Cult Leader.”

With steady steps, the Drunken Demon walked up to the Throne Mat.

He poured the liquor he had brought into the Ice Palace Chalice and offered it to Father. Every action was careful and composed. Though he had been trembling at just the mention of Father’s name before entering the Cult Leader’s Hall, in moments like this, he was still the Demon Supreme.

Father emptied the cup in a single gulp.

“The liquor is good, and the cup is fine too. The taste is excellent.”

The Drunken Demon beamed with joy at Father’s praise.

“Would you like another drink?”

“Rather than that, come have a drink with me. It’s been a while.”

The Drunken Demon’s eyes trembled in surprise. This, too, must have been a first—Father personally inviting him to drink together.

“Gladly.”

He answered with a joyful face, then glanced over at me, motioning with his eyes for me to leave.

Naturally, I wasn’t about to pass up such a golden opportunity to tease him.

―Weren’t you the one who said you had to go in first?

―Get going! Go already!

―Let’s drink the three of us. No—I'll call all the other Demon Supremes too!

―Don’t you dare! You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this!

Only after teasing him a bit did I bow respectfully to Father.

“Then I’ll take my leave. I may have badmouthed him a lot when he wasn’t around, but still—don’t you two talk behind my back while I’m gone!”

Just as I was about to turn and leave, Father suddenly spoke.

"Are you alright?"

I flinched and turned back toward him.

What did he mean by that?

My eyes met Father's. As I looked into his silent, downward gaze, I understood why he had asked that question. If he had spoken the words he left unspoken, they would have been these:

You've been staining your hands with too much blood lately—are you really alright?

I could feel the kind of worry Father held.

No matter how deserving of death the wicked might be, continuously shedding blood still left wounds on the heart and soul.

No matter how capable I appeared, to Father I was still his foolish youngest son in his twenties.

"That's why I don’t try to handle everything on my own and ask the Demon Supremes for help. I'm doing it to protect myself."

The Drunken Demon, too, was listening to my words with eyes as deep as Father's.

"I'm still alright. If it ever becomes too much, I’ll come see you."

Father gave a silent nod.

"Then I’ll take my leave now."

I walked out of the Cult Leader’s Hall at a slow pace.

Father, don’t worry. I've made it this far even with dozens of times more blood on my hands.

And more importantly—

"Young Cult Leader!"

From the distance, Seo Daeryong came running toward me with a bright smile. He was so genuinely glad to see me that I could feel his emotion even from this far away.

With people like this around me, if I still said I wasn’t alright, wouldn’t I be doing my life an injustice?

Seo Daeryong was welcoming me back as if a dead man had come back to life.

"I really wanted to see you."

He had been worried. He had missed me.

Even after becoming the Lord of the Underworld Pavilion and the disciple of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, even while trying to live his own life fully, it had felt as though life had lost its joy without Geom Mugeuk in it.

But then, he had just received the report that Geom Mugeuk had returned. Imagine how happy he must have been? He had come running straight to the Cult Leader’s Hall.

"How have you been?"

To Geom Mugeuk’s question, Seo Daeryong answered.

"Same as always. Morning training, meals, managing Underworld Pavilion business, training with Master, eating again, sleeping. Every single day is so identical that even if you mix them all up, no one could tell. Can a person's life really be this monotonous? Let me say it now—don’t start preaching that ordinary life is happiness, please."

He was such a talkative guy—how hard must it have been for him to play the dignified Lord of the Underworld Pavilion?

"Maybe you’re the only one who doesn’t know."

"Know what?"

"That every day is different. Maybe you're the only one who thinks it's all the same."

For a moment, Seo Daeryong couldn’t respond. Technically speaking, the days were the same—but also not exactly the same. Still, he didn’t admit it so easily.

"The cases I handle are all the same every day, that’s all."

"Aren’t all the prisoners different? Their personalities, the reasons they committed their crimes—"

"I deal with the same subordinates every day."

"Even those people, their moods change daily, their thoughts shift, their dreams differ, and they eat different things."

"After work, all I do is train with Master. That’s my life."

"Didn’t your martial arts improve a lot after opening the Ren-Du meridians? Naturally, your training must’ve changed too."

Geom Mugeuk was right. Lately, the techniques I’d been learning from Master were different. As I got stronger, the training became more difficult.

"See? Each of your days is different."

"It’s always the same. I’ve never once won an argument against you, Young Cult Leader."

"That’ll never change, not in this lifetime."

"Neither will your endless bragging, Young Cult Leader!"

We looked at each other and laughed.

"Now it really feels like you’re back, Young Cult Leader. No one else tells me things like this. It’s only when I hear these things that I go, ‘Ah, so that’s how it is,’ and nod along with life. Starting today, each and every day of mine is different. I’ve just decided that! I’ll start asking my subordinates—What did you eat for breakfast? Did you poop? What did you dream about yesterday? What’s been on your mind these days?"

Together, Seo Daeryong and I looked up at the sky. Beautiful, multicolored flower-clouds floated by leisurely. Seeing Daeryong again, I truly felt that I had returned to the cult.

"Go on, get back to work."

"Where are you going now?"

"Now that I’ve seen your face, I should go greet the Demon Supremes."

"You never get tired, do you, Young Cult Leader?"

Daeryong, it’s not about the number of people. Just one annoying person is enough to wear you down.

"Really, what would we have done if this cult had sixteen Demon Supremes?"

To Daeryong’s joke, Geom Mugeuk replied while striding forward.

"Then our Drunken Demon brother’s hurt feelings would’ve doubled."

*         *         *

"Elder!"

I ran toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with arms wide open.

He was reading a book in his room and instinctively held up the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber like a shield in front of him.

"You're too much!"

I heard his voice from beyond the giant blade that now stood between us.

"You should rest at home. What’s so exciting about seeing a face you see all the time?"

He always says things he doesn’t mean like that. I stepped past the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber and perched lightly at the edge of his bed.

"Then what’s so fun about reading the same books over and over?"

"That’s different."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shot me a warning look, as if telling me not to lie down on his bed.

"I’ve returned safely."

Though he didn’t ask, I told him about what had happened.

Earlier, I had told Father the story with the Drunken Demon as the main character. This time, I spoke mainly about myself.

"And so now Father and the Drunken Demon are drinking together."

"The Cult Leader is drinking with that drunkard?"

Was that jealousy? A flicker of something odd passed through the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes.

But soon enough, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned his gaze back to the book he had been reading.

“Is reading really that fun for you?”

“It is.”

“You’ve read so many—are there still things you don’t know?”

“That’s why it’s fun. The more I read, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked up and stared at Geom Mugeuk.

“When you have a kid someday, make them read a lot of books. If they take after you, they’ll already be a natural at swordsmanship anyway.”

Will I really live a life where I raise a child in this life? I have no thoughts of doing so now.

“You’re telling me to live a life you haven’t even lived yourself, Elder?”

With a look that said, ‘Fair enough,’ the Blood Heaven Blade Demon gave a faint smile.

I watched him silently turning the pages for a moment, then suddenly asked him the same thing Father had asked me.

“Do I look okay to you?”

Still staring at the book, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied.

“You don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because people who are really okay don’t ask things like that.”

Maybe that’s why—he said something completely unexpected.

“Stay the night.”

This was the same man who always told me to go home and sleep. The same man who wouldn’t even let me lie on his bed unless I washed up.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“You don’t look okay.”

I grinned and flung myself onto the bed.

“Gladly!”

I thought he’d catch me midair with Void Telekinesis, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn’t stop me.

“Ah, this is comfortable!”

Nothing beats lying in this bed. It must be the sense of comfort this person—this Blood Heaven Blade Demon—gives.

Who would’ve thought that gruff old man would be the one to make me feel most at ease? That he’d be the first person I’d want to see when I got back?

As I lay there on the bed, I gave an answer to a question he hadn’t asked.

“I’m alright, Elder.”

“I know.”

Then came a shocking line.

“The one who’s not alright is the Cult Leader.”

“!”

I shot up and stared at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I still didn’t understand what he meant.

“I get the feeling the Cult Leader has awakened from sleep and begun to stretch.”

I already knew what he was implying, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon kindly rephrased it.

“I think the Cult Leader has finally begun to act, in order to realize his dream.”

Father’s dream—unifying the martial world.

“Now that he’s chosen you as his successor, he probably thinks it’s time to move.”

“It hasn’t even been that long since the three-way summit ended.”

That moment still lingered vividly in my heart. Just hearing music from over the wall was enough to make me feel it again.

“If he were the type to care about that, he wouldn’t dream such dreams in the first place. He might have even been sure he could kill both of them that day.”

“You’re interpreting Father drinking with the Drunken Demon as a signal of that? Can’t a man just have a drink?”

If it were just about that, it felt like too much of a leap. But that wasn’t all.

“Not long ago, the Cult Leader met with the Evil Smiling Demon in private.”

“!”

Father met with the Evil Smiling Demon?

If it had been the Fist Demon King, I might not have been this suspicious. That man follows Father’s orders absolutely.

But the Evil Smiling Demon is someone who will always side with me—even if it means defying Father.

And yet, Father met with him specifically? And now he’s drinking with the Drunken Demon for the first time? Naturally, such speculation comes to mind.

“Father’s begun managing the Demon Supremes in preparation for war.”