"Wow, it's dazzling," was Seo Ryang's first remark as he looked around the special room they had been guided to.
"Gold-plated walls. What a waste of money," Wei Honglian's assessment was blunt, almost rude.
"..." Ma Dongpil remained silent, his eyes closed.
Unlike Seo Ryang's desolate and barren residence, the Hongweimen's quarters were incredibly luxurious.
Wei Honglian glanced at Seo Ryang.
Seo Ryang kept looking around, seemingly fascinated by everything. There was no trace of resentment or jealousy on his face.
"Young Master," Wei Honglian called out.
"Huh? What?"
"How about decorating your residence like this?"
Seo Ryang stuck out his tongue as if he was about to vomit.
"Are you crazy? Even if I had money to burn, I couldn't live in a place like this. Sure, it's impressive at first glance, but it's so uncomfortable I wouldn't be able to eat properly."
Wei Honglian smirked.
"I thought you'd say that."
"Of course, wouldn't anyone?"
Not necessarily. At least, from what Wei Honglian had seen, most rulers enjoyed luxury. No, many didn't even realize that their luxury was excessive.
In that regard, the Third Young Master was indeed different. He seemed to prefer simplicity and comfort.
Wei Honglian frowned.
"By the way, why hasn't the Fourth Young Master arrived yet?"
It hadn't even been half a jiao (a unit of time) since they were guided to the special room. Her impatience was reaching the heavens.
Ma Dongpil, still with his eyes closed, said, "He'll come when the time is right."
"Anyone can say that. But shouldn't he hurry up when someone of higher status has arrived?"
"I advise you to watch your words. There are many ears listening."
"At least none that I can sense."
Ma Dongpil closed his eyes and mouth, interpreting her straightforwardness as a sign to be cautious.
At that moment, Seo Ryang spoke.
"He won't come, not for a while."
"Huh?"
"He won't come for a while."
Ma Dongpil's eyes widened. Wei Honglian also looked at him in surprise.
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
"I've seen this kind of behavior from an old man so many times. It's rare for someone to rush out to greet unexpected guests."
"What do you mean?"
"Simply put, it's a battle of wills. Since we weren't invited and came unannounced, they want to take their time to prepare. So, even if it's frustrating, we'll just have to wait."
Of course, the old man he was referring to was the leader of the Yitian League. Officially, it was to take control of the conversation, but privately, he enjoyed seeing the other party suffer. The Yitian League leader always arrived late.
Wei Honglian's frown deepened. The scar across her face made her look even more menacing.
"How dare they do this when the Third Young Master is here?"
"He's just a disciple of the same sect leader, right? Unless he's at the level of the Nine Great Demon Lords, he doesn't need to consider our situation, does he?"
His calm tone made it sound even more indifferent. Wei Honglian hesitated.
Ma Dongpil asked, "Young Master, what will you do?"
"Do what?"
"Send someone to urge him to come quickly."
"Why bother?"
"Huh?"
Seo Ryang leaned back in his chair. It was so soft and comfortable that it felt like lying on a bed.
"Hey, when will we ever get to stay in a place like this? It's not bad to enjoy the luxury for a day."
He even mentioned staying overnight. It seemed he really thought they might be kept waiting for a long time.
"If you're hungry, call someone and order some food."
Ma Dongpil shook his head.
"I'm fine..."
Ding!
The one who pulled the cord hanging from the ceiling was none other than Wei Honglian. Ma Dongpil looked at her sharply.
Wei Honglian shamelessly said, "Thinking about it, the Young Master is right. When will I ever get to eat a meal in a place like this? I might as well eat and sleep here."
"That's right."
A moment later, a servant entered. Though not dressed in silk, the servant's attire was far too luxurious for a mere servant.
"You called?"
Wei Honglian immediately rattled off a list of dishes.
All of them were strong-smelling foods, ordered for this single-room chamber. Ma Dongpil said, "The Young Master doesn't like strong-smelling food. If you're going to order, maybe..."
At that moment, Seo Ryang raised his hand.
"Order what you want. I don't mind."
Wei Honglian smirked at Ma Dongpil as if to say, "See?" Ma Dongpil had no choice but to sit back down.
Seo Ryang looked up at the ceiling.
His eyes grew deep.
'What would the old man do?'
Though he was a despicable old man he wouldn't want to meet even in his dreams, there were surprisingly things to learn from him in situations like this.
After becoming the leader of the Yitian League, receiving guests became his main duty, but before that, the old man had also traveled around a lot.
Countless people had been ruined because of that old man, who had worked hard to gain power.
If I were the leader of the Yitian League, and the old man's countless enemies were now the Hongweimen, what would happen?
And if I adapted the old man's methods to my own style, what would happen?
"Wei Dazhu."
Wei Honglian flinched. The Third Young Master, who had been calling her "this girl" or "that girl," had finally addressed her formally.
Seo Ryang grinned.
"How about ordering a few more dishes?"
"Huh?"
"Order some wine too, a few jars to cool off!"
Wei Honglian forced a smile. It was quite a feat.
"If that's what the Young Master wishes."
"They ordered food and wine?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Hong Weimen, who had answered briefly, puffed on a red-smoking cigar with an indifferent expression.
On the contrary, Xin Hui's face stiffened.
"What could they be thinking?"
"Seo Ryang?"
"...Yes."
"Hmm. I didn't expect them to come at us like this. And they even brought the Guangma Dazhu."
Despite his words, he seemed quite relaxed. It wasn't an act; he genuinely looked at ease.
"They're just uninvited guests who showed up during 'business' hours. I don't have to rush to meet them, do I?"
"Of course not."
"Give them what they want. If they want to drink, give them wine. If they want to eat, give them food."
A faint purple light flickered in Hong Weimen's eyes before disappearing.
"I need to see the limits of what he's capable of now."
"Ugh! It's strong."
Wei Honglian's face turned red.
Ma Dongpil clicked his tongue.
"It's no wonder you're drunk after finishing eleven bottles of Fenjiu in one shichen (two hours)."
No, it was amazing that she could even drink that much in the first place.
Though there were many heavy drinkers in the vast continent, finishing eleven bottles of Fenjiu, each as long and thick as a man's forearm, was something else.
"Whew! By the way, the Young Master is really amazing."
Perhaps because they had a common enemy, Wei Honglian had been quite friendly to Seo Ryang since they set out for this place. And now that she was drunk, she had become even more familiar.
Seo Ryang tilted his head and emptied his cup.
"What?"
"How can you drink the same amount as me and still be so composed?"
"Right? I wonder too?"
It was so strange that it was almost maddening. Even he thought his alcohol tolerance was abnormal.
He vaguely thought it might be due to the spiritual energy of the Gojuk Forest, but he wasn't sure.
Wei Honglian, who had been staring at Seo Ryang, smirked and said, "Young Master, do you know how I got this scar on my face?"
"You said it earlier. You got it while fighting off some bandits."
"This scar, you see, I got it when I encountered a spirit cat from the Tian Mountains in the northwest. It swiped at me with its front paw, and bam! That's how I got it..."
"Dongpil! Take care of her. She's starting to lose it."
Ma Dongpil quietly approached Wei Honglian.
"Wei Dazhu, it's time to rest."
"Ah, go away! I'm not drunk!"
"Anyone can see you're completely drunk."
"Hey, you!"
Now she was acting like a master. Ma Dongpil repeatedly etched the character for patience in his heart.
"The Young Master is watching."
"Who doesn't know that? I'm talking to the Young Master right now!"
"Get a grip."
"I'm fine!"
Typical drunk behavior. Seo Ryang chuckled and poured her more wine.
"Here, drink more. Drink until you pass out."
"Huh? Isn't that dangerous?"
"What?"
"Usually, men... Oh, I'm not talking about you, Young Master."
"Got it, man. So what?"
"Usually, men try to get women drunk to take advantage of them..."
"Hey! Don't drink anymore!"
"Heehee."
"What on earth is she? Just one thing, just one! Damn, it's suffocating."
Everyone has their own drinking habits, but the fact that they act differently when drunk is universal. Though her alcohol tolerance was exceptional, Wei Honglian seemed no different from ordinary people when drunk.
The lively and noisy drinking session continued for a while.
"Dongpil."
"Yes, Young Master."
"How long have we been here?"
Ma Dongpil looked out the window.
"Judging by the sun, it's been about half a day."
"Right?"
"Yes, Young Master."
"Then it's about time to start."
"Huh?"
Seo Ryang stood up calmly.
Ma Dongpil's face turned uneasy. The atmosphere around the Young Master felt unusual.
"What are you planning to do? If you tell me, I can..."
"No, I'll do it."
"Huh?"
"I'm going to adapt that crazy old man's dirty tactics to my own style. If it works, great. If it doesn't, well, that's that."
"I don't understand what you're saying..."
Clang!!
The sound of a sword being drawn was refreshing to the ears.
The sound was so clean that Ma Dongpil couldn't help but admire it. Even Wei Honglian, who had been dozing off drunk, opened her eyes wide.
Seo Ryang's eyes grew colder as he looked at the long, smooth blade.
He recalled the words of the Yitian League leader.
"Taking control isn't that hard. People who care about face often seem to have the upper hand at first, but they eventually collapse under the limits they set for themselves. On the other hand, those who push forward honestly and stubbornly may be ridiculed, but they can advance without limits. When fighting for control, honesty is always the best."
The teachings given to the eldest son of the Yitian League. Seo Ryang had heard them all while in hiding.
He planned to use that method in his own way.
"After all, I'm notorious as a tyrant, right?"
"Huh?"
"Then shouldn't I act like a temperamental tyrant and cause a scene?"
In an instant, Ma Dongpil's face turned pale, and excitement swirled on Wei Honglian's face.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a terrifying demonic energy concentrated on the blade.
Seo Ryang grinned wickedly.
"It's been a while since I drew my sword."
He swung the sword.
Flash!