The Mad Demon Corps. To put it simply, it meant a group swarming with crazy demons. The Celestial Demon Sect was fundamentally a religious organization. Naturally, there was no need to name the corps like that. In fact, if they chose an overly provocative name, it would only invite ridicule from others. However, both within and outside the sect, there was not a single person who looked down on the Mad Demon Corps.
“Encountering the Mad Demon Corps means certain death.” This was the saying that echoed through the land. A corps devoid of any humanity. There was no compromise, no conversation. No matter who the enemy was, they would tear them apart like beasts driven mad. The Mad Demon Corps was the worst of the worst, and their infamous reputation was known to both friend and foe alike.
Today, the Zimi Tower had entered a state of high tension since the hour of the Rooster. The Tower’s chief, Du Wei Jing, had sent all the spirits of the sect out around the hour of the Monkey, positioning the remaining members in ten rows, with himself standing in the center. It was truly a model of a merchant waiting for esteemed guests, though the tension was stronger than the solemnity.
Du Wei Jing glanced at the window. After a while, the mad demons would come rushing in. But he couldn’t just leave the children waiting, as arriving early and catching them off guard would turn the day into hell.
“Damn it, I’m sweating.” Damn it… “Why did I have to lose the bet!” Just thinking about it made him feel wronged. The moment the Mad Demon Corps announced their gathering, the owners of the luxurious taverns in the area held a meeting to decide which tavern would host the Mad Demon Corps’ feast.
The battle of wits turned into a debate, and the unfinished discussions eventually evolved into a bet. And in a battlefield where the lives of the entire tavern were at stake, Du Wei Jing ended up losing. The Mad Demon Corps only held a grand feast once every few years, which showed just how unfortunate Du Wei Jing was.
“Anyway, let’s get through this. I’ve heard that the leader of the Mad Demon Corps curses even the elder masters if things go wrong.” If he had the guts to act that way towards the elder masters of the council, one could only imagine how temperamental he was. If one misstepped, it would be better to die than to suffer.
Du Wei Jing wiped his forehead repeatedly and shouted, “You lot! Get your positions right! Hey, you there! Are you not fixing your appearance properly?!”
At that moment, a clatter! Suddenly, silence fell within the tavern. Du Wei Jing’s complexion turned pale. The sweat that had been flowing evaporated like a lie, and the hair on his body stood on end.
Creeeak. The door on the first floor slowly opened. In the eyes of the quickly straightened Du Wei Jing stood a robust man bathed in the glow of the sunset.
Gulp! The sound of swallowing echoed from all around. Not just Du Wei Jing, but even the spirits and attendants were tense.
Du Wei Jing shouted, “Welcome to Zimi Tower!”
“Welcome!” The people lined up on either side bowed in unison. Their bows were sharp as blades, and their greetings echoed loudly enough to shake the ceiling.
A moment of silence. The silence was shattered by an adorably pitiful cry.
“Aw!”
‘Huh? What was that sound?’ Du Wei Jing tilted his head. Who was making a sound like a baby beast? He slowly straightened up and looked around.
And there stood a young man. “Isn’t this welcome a bit too grand?” The young man’s face was filled with disbelief.
Du Wei Jing’s eyes shook. “Who…?”
The young man, Seolang, scratched his head. “It can’t be, right?”
“Who are you? Our Zimi Tower is not accepting any other guests today…”
“I’m Seolang.”
“Pardon?”
“Everyone I meet calls me the Third Young Master.”
What’s a Third Young Master? Is it something to eat? The sudden mention left Du Wei Jing’s mind in disarray, and the same went for the spirits and attendants.
Seolang looked around. “I heard this tavern can easily accommodate five hundred people, but why is it so empty today? Is it unpopular?”
“...Yes?”
“Well, since I’m here, I might as well stay. My feet hurt and my back aches. I can’t be bothered to go elsewhere, so just make me a spot.”
What is this unrestrained familiarity? Just as Du Wei Jing was tilting his head awkwardly, someone exclaimed, “Th-Third Young Master?!”
With that one word, the strange atmosphere completely shifted.
‘Third Young Master? Which Third Young Master? What’s going on? The Third Young Master of our sect? The third disciple of the sect leader?’ In an instant, Du Wei Jing’s face turned ashen.
“Cough!”
“Ugh?!”
“Cough!”
Everyone, displaying their own extravagant reactions, knelt down.
“Unbeatable in the new sect! Ten thousand blessings! We greet the Third Young Master!” The thunderous voices seemed to shake the entire tavern.
Gumho, feeling his ears hurt, buried his head in Seolang’s neck. After patting Gumho a couple of times, Seolang lowered his hand to rub his ears.
“If you’re going to make a fuss every time we meet, I won’t be able to come to the tavern often in the future.”
“Gasp! Yes?”
“Since it’s uncomfortable, you all can get up now.”
“We will obey!”
Rustle! Everyone, led by Du Wei Jing, sprang to their feet.
As he surveyed the tables on the first floor, he walked toward a scenic spot by the window. Du Wei Jing bent deeply at the waist, following behind Seolang. His footsteps were so careful that he walked on his toes, showing extreme caution.
As soon as Seolang sat down, Du Wei Jing immediately knelt. He cried out as if he were spitting blood, “It is truly a glory of three lifetimes for the Third Young Master to visit our humble abode!”
At the same time, the spirits and attendants shouted, “It is an honor!”
Seolang frowned. Gumho, who had quickly hidden in his arms, covered his ears with his front paws.
“Enough, what’s the best food here?”
“Yes, yes?”
“I asked what the delicious food is.”
“W-well…”
“Did I come here for no reason? I didn’t come just for the good food and drinks.”
“Oh!”
From the start, no one had thought that the Third Young Master would be a ‘guest.’ Du Wei Jing stammered as he explained the dishes.
Listening quietly, Seolang sighed. “They’re all just strong-smelling dishes.”
Though it was a mutter, everyone who could hear it did. Especially the faces of the attendants turned so grim that even those suffering from a contagious disease would feel pity.
“If there’s any food you desire, I will bring it to you!” Du Wei Jing, sweating like a waterfall, prostrated himself and shouted, while the attendants nodded their heads vigorously as if their necks would break.
After a moment of thought, Seolang snapped his fingers. “Pork boiled in a pot, with some stir-fried vegetables lightly coated in oil should be fine. Make the stir-fried vegetables a bit spicy, but keep the seasoning light.”
Pat! Du Wei Jing sprang up and rushed toward the attendants. His speed was so fast that even Seolang gaped at him.
With bloodshot eyes, Du Wei Jing glared at the attendants. “Make it!”
“Yes, yes?!”
“Make the highest quality dish that wouldn’t matter if two people ate it and one died! Use all the skills you’ve built up until now! Do you understand?!”
“Gasp! Yes!”
“If the Third Young Master even frowns once, I’ll strip the bones from your bodies and boil them for soup!”
“I-I will remember!”
Though spoken in hushed tones, the sincerity and seriousness behind those words were beyond imagination. The attendants, pale-faced, dashed into the kitchen like arrows.
Seolang clicked his tongue inwardly. They were scared to death, yet they would still manage to make good dishes.
But well, it didn’t matter. ‘Even if it’s not delicious, they can pretend it is.’ After all, the food and drink were not the main purpose.
Thus, all the personnel preparing to entertain the Mad Demon Corps moved solely for Seolang. Despite having cleaned everything to perfection, the spirits picked up their cleaning cloths once more. Of course, the cleaning was done very politely and quietly, out of Seolang’s sight. They were afraid he might notice.
Naturally, Seolang didn’t spare them a glance. He was too busy playing with Gumho, who had sprawled out on the table, tapping his nose.
How much time passed like this? Gumho’s ears perked up, and a cold light flickered in Seolang’s eyes. ‘They’ve arrived.’
Whoosh. The waves of demonic energy felt from afar. ‘Just as the rumors said, no, even more than the rumors.’
They were ferocious. Each one knew how to handle demonic energy properly. But within the subtle presence they exuded, a wild madness seeped through.
‘Two hundred. All members at least top-tier. Just as the information in the organization stated.’
And one more thing. ‘They’re experienced in battle.’ Their unique sensitivity and killing intent, built up from countless battles, were thickly ingrained.
Regardless of the organization’s nature, it was clear they were warriors worth ten men. Seolang scratched his head. ‘Will they be well-prepared?’
Well, if not, it couldn’t be helped. After all, he was of the highest rank in the new sect, so there was nothing to fear.
A moment later. Bang!
With a sound so intense it seemed something had broken, a large man entered.
“We’ve come…”
Before the man could finish his sentence, he frowned. “What’s this? You haven’t even prepared yet?”
The spirits were cleaning carefully, and flames were soaring from one side of the kitchen. The atmosphere was extremely solemn yet filled with tension.
All eyes turned to the man. His face twisted more and more. It was good that the attention was focused on him, but these fools weren’t even fixing their posture…?
“Look at these guys! Hey! Where’s Luju?!” At that moment, Du Wei Jing quickly came down from the upper floor. His face was drenched in sweat and filled with urgency.
“O-oh, you’ve arrived, Corps Leader.”
“Isn’t it still not ready? I thought we announced the time for our gathering properly?”
“No! The preparations are perfect!”
The man, about to retort, suddenly tilted his head. “Why does your voice sound like that?”
“Pardon?”
“Why does your voice sound like a thief’s?”
Du Wei Jing forced a smile and said, “Is that so?”
“See? It’s still like that.”
“If it bothered you, I apologize.”
“Bothered… No, listen, Luju.”
“Yes?”
The man kicked the chair beside him. “You said everything was ready, but why is it so chaotic?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“And how are you managing your subordinates? Huh? Shouldn’t these guys be bowing and lowering their heads when guests arrive? What are they doing just standing there?”
As he spoke, his face turned red with anger. “Is this how you start a pleasant feast? If Luju comes out like this, we’ll be disappointed. Right?”
“Uh, um…”
“And.”
The man’s eyes turned toward the window on the first floor. Seolang was playing with Gumho, not even glancing this way.
A murderous intent glimmered in his eyes. “Who’s that guy?”
“…!”
“If you announced the feast, you should have sent everyone out beforehand! And you say everything is ready? Are you really trying to get yourself killed?!”
In an instant, the faces of everyone in the tavern, including Du Wei Jing, turned pale.
The man shouted, “What are you doing sitting there? Get that guy out of here right now!”
Gulp.
“Why aren’t you moving quickly? You lot really!”
He raised his fist. Judging by the excited look in his eyes, he seemed ready to smash a few things.
At that moment. Bang!
“Cough!”
The man staggered forward a couple of steps after being hit hard on the back of his head.
At the same time, a cold voice came from outside the door. “What’s all this noise?”
Seolang’s eyes sparkled. ‘They’ve arrived.’
Step by step. A figure slowly revealed itself. A person nearly six feet tall, looking to be around thirty years old.
With somewhat irritable eyes and a scar crossing diagonally across his face, he exuded an unsettling aura. But aside from those two features, he had a remarkably beautiful face.
A woman carrying a thick short sword, two feet long and nine inches wide, on her back.
“Did I tell you to clear the way, not to cause trouble? Huh?”
The man lowered his head. “D-Divine Leader.”
Seolang smiled. ‘Here she comes.’
The appearance of Wei Honglian, the leader of the internal battle corps, known to be the youngest and most ferocious among them, the leader of the Mad Demon Corps.