“I have finished reporting on the Demon Lord’s meeting, Your Excellency.”
Mudam bowed his head silently.
Drip, drip.
The liquid that fell in a parabolic arc was clear.
The rich aroma of alcohol spread through the air, refreshing yet heavy. It was clear that this was a rather strong liquor.
The still-gorgeous cup was quite large, only filling halfway even after half the bottle had been poured.
Yi Cheonsang slowly sipped the wine.
He seemed to savor the aroma, yet he didn’t pause even once. Slowly, very slowly, he emptied the cup, exuding a wild charm and an indescribable nobility.
After finishing the cup, Yi Cheonsang spoke indifferently.
“This one isn’t bad.”
Like Geumnamchun, Jukyeopcheong (Bamboo Leaf Green) was also a rare liquor in the southern regions.
It was a medicinal wine made from Fenjiu, a liquor produced in Xinghua Village, Shanxi Province, blended with various medicinal herbs.
With its refreshing aroma and luxurious sweetness, it was highly popular among medicinal wines, and outside its place of origin, it was quite expensive.
The Ten Thousand Demon Sect was located at the southernmost tip of the Central Plains. Transporting liquor from Shanxi Province in the north was no ordinary feat.
Yi Cheonsang briefly acknowledged the efforts of the demons who had transported the liquor, then extended his hand toward Mudam.
Though his head was bowed, Mudam seemed to sense the gesture and carefully handed over the documents.
Yi Cheonsang picked up a seal from the side and stamped the documents.
“How is the Law Enforcement Hall?”
Despite the abrupt question, Mudam answered without hesitation.
“It has become quite stable. The Law Enforcers under my command are steadily building their strength.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“We are deeply grateful for Your Excellency’s boundless grace.”
Yi Cheonsang shook his head.
“If you all can exert your strength, that too is my joy.”
Mudam’s face was filled with emotion. Even if it was just lip service, the words were moving.
“I will stake my life to ensure we do not disappoint Your Excellency.”
“Do so.”
Though the conversation seemed warm, Yi Cheonsang’s gaze as he looked at Mudam remained indifferent.
His eyes, his expression—they were always like that. Setting aside his presence, few could face him without feeling flustered.
Drip, drip.
Yi Cheonsang refilled his cup and casually asked,
“What about the third?”
Mudam answered immediately.
“He has faced several dangerous moments, Your Excellency.”
“It seems he’s still alive.”
It wasn’t something a master should say about his disciple.
In truth, over the past eight months, Yi Cheonsang had never once asked about Seoryang. Mudam, too, had delayed reporting on the third prince, knowing Yi Cheonsang didn’t wish to hear it.
“Report.”
“Yes.”
It was the first report in eight months. Mudam relayed the details as thoroughly as possible.
How long did the report go on?
At one point, Yi Cheonsang’s eyes lit up.
“Wait.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. Please ask.”
“What did you just say?”
“Pardon?”
“The boy who was injured fighting a pack of猩猩 (xingxing) faced a 녹촉 (Nokchuk) three days later and survived?”
“That… is correct.”
Mudam was puzzled.
Of course, he knew well the ferocity of the Nokchuk. Even a peak expert would struggle to face one without at least three others.
But escaping shouldn’t have been too difficult. The Nokchuk was incredibly strong, but Seoryang wasn’t alone.
With Ma Dongpil, who had grown noticeably stronger recently, by his side, it shouldn’t have been impossible.
“Interesting.”
A subtle interest flickered in Yi Cheonsang’s eyes.
Seeing this, Mudam was startled.
The face that always maintained indifference. Even Mudam, who had served him for decades, could only infer his emotions from his expressions, never truly certain.
But now was different.
Yi Cheonsang was displaying his emotions as plainly as an ordinary person.
“If he had mastered the 여룡 (Yeoryong), it would have been difficult to escape the Nokchuk’s eerie cries.”
The Yeoryong Yi Cheonsang spoke of was none other than the Yeoryong Yisangong, one of the Ten Great Demon Arts.
Before falling into demonic deviation, the third prince, Seoryang, had been cultivating this supreme demon art.
Yi Cheonsang looked at Mudam.
“What were the three?”
“Pardon?”
“I recall you gave the third three demon art manuals.”
“...!”
Mudam’s face turned pale.
He slightly bowed his head.
“Hyeolhwa, Pocheon, and Jeokbong, Your Excellency.”
Yi Cheonsang pursed his lips.
Though his face seemed lost in thought, the interest in his eyes didn’t fade.
“Hyeolhwa is sharp, Pocheon is heavy. Neither suits him. Jeokbong is somewhat better, but if he had any sense, he wouldn’t have mastered it either.”
It wasn’t that the demon arts were of low quality, but rather that they didn’t suit his body.
Unless one had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts and mastered all of them, it would be difficult for the third prince’s current body to handle Jeokbong. For a body that had already experienced demonic deviation, Jeokbong would only be poison.
Mudam prostrated himself.
“I opened the secret vault without Your Excellency’s permission. Please kill me.”
“You have the authority to open the vault.”
“But my judgment…”
“As long as you can bear the responsibility for your choices, any choice is a personal freedom.”
Yi Cheonsang’s expression returned to indifference.
“Do you regret your choice?”
“...No, Your Excellency.”
“Can you bear the responsibility?”
“Of course.”
“Then I respect your choice.”
Mudam bowed his head even lower without a word.
Yi Cheonsang refilled his cup and emptied it in one go, then turned his head toward the window.
He gazed out the window in silence for a moment.
“Summon the fourth.”
Confusion flickered across Mudam’s face.
Why summon the fourth prince in the middle of discussing the third?
But his confusion remained just that.
Mudam bowed his head.
“As you command.”
As he slowly rose to leave, Yi Cheonsang called out to him again.
“Great Law Enforcer.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Do you know why children’s fights are scarier than adults’?”
Yi Cheonsang wasn’t the type to ask such questions.
Thinking of the many unusual behaviors he had seen from the sect leader today, Mudam shook his head.
“I do not know, Your Excellency.”
“Children don’t know where the line is. That’s what makes them scary. They think even a glory full of wounds is still glory.”
Yi Cheonsang’s eyes deepened.
“In a fight armed with boundless ignorance, the moment they realize where the line is, that’s when a child becomes an adult.”
“Ugh, I’m dying.”
Lee Gunseong, grumbling as he entered the office, looked utterly exhausted.
As he massaged the back of his neck, Giyang handed him a teacup.
“It’s Biluochun. I brewed it for the first time in a while. I hope it suits your taste.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all.”
Lee Gunseong made a sour face.
“How was the three-day break?”
“You’ve worked so hard, Senior, I have nothing to say.”
Giyang scratched his head, his face clearly apologetic.
His honest attitude made Lee Gunseong chuckle.
“Can’t even joke with you.”
“I’m truly sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, then sit and keep me company.”
“Are you going out again?”
“I’ll have to head out in about an hour.”
Giyang sighed lightly.
“This time, I’ll go. You should rest, Senior. I’ll inform the Hall Master.”
“No need. If the guards change, the person being guarded will feel uncomfortable.”
“But still…”
“Later, when I’m tired, you can take over. You had a tough time last month too.”
Though he said that, Giyang knew. Lee Gunseong, the highest-ranking senior in the Law Enforcement Hall and the leader of the first squad, never passed his duties to others.
That’s why the hall’s enforcers liked him. He was clear in his decisions and always looked out for his subordinates.
“Then rest your eyes for a bit. I’ll wake you.”
“I’ll feel sluggish if I sleep. This is the last one anyway. I’d rather chat with you.”
“If you insist, then alright.”
As they sat facing each other, sipping tea, Giyang asked,
“By the way, why did the head of the Demon Sword Family visit?”
Lee Gunseong shook his head.
“I don’t know the exact reason.”
“I see.”
“He’s a big shot, after all. It seems he had some private matters to discuss with the higher-ups.”
The Demon Sword Family was one of the Seven Great Demon Families, the most powerful among the seven prestigious families.
Their loyalty to the sect was exceptional, and their swordsmen were on par with the sect’s demons. The sect, too, trusted the Demon Sword Family the most among the seven.
“Well… I’ve heard some rumors, though.”
“Rumors?”
Lee Gunseong scratched his head after a moment of thought.
“They’re just rumors, so I can’t say for sure. But they came from a reliable source, so there’s some credibility.”
“What are they?”
“It seems the Demon Sword Family wants to recruit a talent.”
Giyang’s eyes flickered.
Recruiting a talent for the sect could only mean one thing.
“A disciple of the Sect Leader…?”
Lee Gunseong nodded.
“Like I said, it’s not confirmed. But it makes sense. Two of the Sect Leader’s disciples are from the Seven Families. As the leading family, the Demon Sword Family couldn’t ignore that.”
“But… there are already so many. Would the Sect Leader take on another disciple? Not just one or two, but seven?”
“That’s not for us to know. Only the Sect Leader can decide.”
“That’s true, but… Ah!”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Giyang let out a small exclamation and spoke.
“If the Demon Sword Family is indeed sending a disciple, and the Sect Leader allows it…”
“Hm?”
“...Then perhaps the number seven will be maintained.”
“What do you mean?”
“The third prince, I mean.”
Lee Gunseong’s eyes deepened.
Only then did he understand what Giyang was implying.
“That’s a dangerous statement.”
“I know. But…”
“...”
“You know how dangerous Gokjuk Forest is.”
“I do. That’s why we sent Squad Leader Ma. He’s the most experienced in Gokjuk Forest among us.”
“I know Squad Leader Ma’s strength and experience, but I’m still uneasy.”
Ma Dongpil’s talent was extraordinary. Becoming the third squad leader just past thirty, right below Giyang, proved his strength.
Though not particularly quick-witted, he was more tenacious than anyone and had the determination to complete any task given to him. He was truly a monster in the Law Enforcement Hall.
But Gokjuk Forest was a place where the words “strength” and “experience” could be followed by “and such,” it was that dangerous.
No wonder the sect only sent a select few of its highest leaders twice a year to collect Youngjuk.
“And crucially, we don’t know when the third prince will return. If the Sect Leader doesn’t permit it, he might have to live there for the rest of his life.”
Lee Gunseong sighed.
Though Giyang was talking about the third prince, his real concern was Ma Dongpil. He was one of the top talents in the current Law Enforcement Hall.
“Moreover, the third prince’s body…”
“Enough.”
“...”
“Let’s stop this conversation. If someone overhears, it’ll be trouble.”
Giyang closed his mouth with a guilty expression. Though he spoke out of concern, he knew he had gone too far.
Lee Gunseong leaned back deeply into his chair.
“Squad Leader Ma was sent by the Hall Master. You know how much the Hall Master values him.”
“...Yes.”
“He’ll be fine. Let’s just think that way.”
Giyang nodded. There was no point in worrying over something that couldn’t be changed.
“By the way, I heard your deputy squad leader is getting married?”
The intention to lighten the mood was clear. Giyang played along, knowing it.
And so, their conversation shifted to ordinary daily matters. There was plenty to talk about—squad members, the movements of the martial world, and so on.
How much time passed?
Lee Gunseong was in the middle of enthusiastically recounting an encounter with a beautiful woman during a mission when—
“Squad Leader Lee.”
A hurried voice came from outside the door.
“What is it?”
“Squad Leader Ma, Squad Leader Ma is here to see you!”
Instantly, both men shot to their feet, their faces filled with surprise.
“Let him in at once!”
“Yes!”
The joy of seeing a junior they cherished like a younger brother after so long was evident on Lee Gunseong and Giyang’s faces.
A moment later.
“Squad Leader, Squad Leader Ma is here.”
“Come in!”
Creak.
The door slowly opened, and a man entered.
The smiles on the two men’s faces froze the moment they saw Ma Dongpil.