"...All preparations for the Bojun Festival have been completed, Your Excellency. Even if minor changes arise, we will handle them immediately without any issues."
"Well done." Moo Dam knelt and bowed his head deeply.
Yi Cheon-sang gently swirled the wine cup in his hand. The remaining wine sloshed lightly.
"Care for a drink?"
"It would be an honor."
Yi Cheon-sang's fingers resting on the armrest twitched slightly.
Whoosh.
At the same time, a cup placed on a nearby table floated up and slowly flew toward Moo Dam.
A look of awe appeared on Moo Dam's face.
Using internal energy to move objects without physical contact—this was a skill known as "Void Manipulation," something Moo Dam himself could perform without difficulty. However, he could not do so while completely erasing the flow of his true energy.
Manipulating objects with sheer willpower alone, not just simple internal energy—this was a power close to what the elites called "supernatural abilities," achieved through the divine energy of the upper dantian reaching its peak.
Even after decades of serving him, Yi Cheon-sang still managed to evoke fresh astonishment in Moo Dam.
Moo Dam bowed his head deeply and accepted the cup. He felt that even uttering words of praise would diminish Yi Cheon-sang's greatness, so he remained silent.
"A fine brew. Drink up."
The two of them emptied their cups.
Swish.
Before long, the cup in Moo Dam's hand flew back to Yi Cheon-sang's table.
"And the third?"
The sudden question caught Moo Dam off guard. Yi Cheon-sang often asked questions that seemed out of context.
Moo Dam cautiously opened his mouth.
"After the incident at Jamiru, things have been quiet..."
"It's not about what the third is doing that I'm curious about."
"...Pardon?"
"It's the changes in the third that I'm curious about."
Changes? What did he mean by that?
Yi Cheon-sang, noticing the confusion on Moo Dam's face, tilted his cup and spoke.
"Seems like there's nothing noteworthy yet."
The words were hard to comprehend. Moo Dam bowed his head again.
"There has been nothing particularly remarkable about the Third Prince's condition."
"Understood. You may leave now."
Moo Dam bowed to Yi Cheon-sang and withdrew.
Left alone, the eyes of the one and only Demon God of Heaven and Earth were filled with a subtle curiosity.
"...Was it not Sir Lang who chose him, but rather he who chose Sir Lang?"
Or was it simply fate that brought them together?
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed, and one side of the special chamber's wall was blown away.
Hong Wei-men and Shin Hwi, startled by the sudden thunderous noise, turned their heads toward the window.
Their faces froze in shock.
Crash!
The shattered wall of the special chamber slammed into the adjacent building. Fortunately, it didn't collapse, but the damage was severe, and its former beauty was nowhere to be seen.
"Gasp!"
"What, what's going on?!"
"The special chamber! The special chamber has collapsed!"
"Call for help! Quickly!"
People panicked and began to make a commotion.
But they had panicked too soon.
Flash! Boom! Flash! Crash!
A crimson light surged, and without fail, the walls crumbled with each explosion. The debris flew in all directions, turning the entire hall into chaos.
Amid the screams of the panicked crowd, a distinct voice rang out.
"Damn it! How are you managing the special chamber?!"
The booming voice carried an overwhelming authority and an indescribable ferocity.
"You bastards! I tolerated it because it was my brother's residence, but this is unacceptable! I'll clean this mess up myself!"
Crash! Crash!
This time, it wasn't a flash of light. The air swirled in all directions, as if being sucked into something, and then a red whirlwind gathered toward the collapsed side of the special chamber.
Bang!
The unseen "someone."
With each step this someone took, Hong Wei-men's vast residence shook violently.
"Ugh!"
With a fierce shout, a storm of crimson sword energy surged toward the entrance of the hall.
Crash!
The entrance of the large, multi-story hall shattered into pieces.
It was fortunate that no one was nearby, as the sheer force of the attack would have left no bones intact. Moreover, the density of the demonic energy at the core of this power was so intense that even ordinary demons would lose consciousness upon contact.
The hall master, who had been staring blankly at the scene, gradually turned pale.
"What in the world is happening?!"
Crash!
Another explosion rang out, and three figures appeared.
A tall, handsome young man brandishing a sword, a middle-aged man in his early thirties with a slightly trembling cheek, and a woman with a fierce scar on her face, staggering with a swollen face.
The woman, Wei Hong-lian, shouted furiously.
"You bastards! Why aren't you making way?!"
The demons, who had been in an uproar, turned to look at her in shock.
Suddenly, a gasp was heard from somewhere.
"T-the Great Demon Lord?!"
At those words, the atmosphere turned icy. There wasn't a demon who didn't know how dangerous Wei Hong-lian was.
Wei Hong-lian smirked.
Of course, her smile wasn't because someone had recognized her.
"Which bastard was it?"
"...?"
"Which bastard dared to call me by my title so disrespectfully? Huh?"
"...!"
"If you don't come out right now, I'll rip out the tongues of every single one of you I see! Come out now!"
Her reason for anger was absurdly ridiculous.
But Wei Hong-lian was serious. No matter how chaotic the situation was, the thought that such insolent bastards were undermining the Demon Sect made her head spin.
Naturally, she didn't consider the countless atrocities and disturbances she herself had caused.
At that moment, Seo Ryang stepped forward.
"I am the Third Prince."
Normally, he would introduce himself as Seo Ryang, but at this moment, he referred to himself as the Third Prince. He had a purpose.
And his introduction had the desired effect.
"Gasp!"
"T-the Third Prince?!"
Wei Hong-lian's face twisted.
'As expected, reputation matters.'
For some reason, she felt like the crowd's attention had been stolen from her. Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but the alcohol had gone to her head, and even the smallest things irritated her.
She shouted again.
"Hey! You bastards! Do you really want to die? Kneel down now!"
Every demon, hearing her booming voice filled with internal energy, immediately knelt.
"Long live the Demon Sect! May all demons prosper! We greet the Third Prince!"
Their voices, united in reverence, were filled with awe. Even though they were the Fourth Prince's people, they knew just how prestigious the Third Prince's status was.
Seo Ryang looked down at them with arrogance.
"Where is the fourth?"
The hall master, acting as the representative, raised his head.
"Y-yes?!"
"I asked where the fourth is."
"That, I don't know..."
Flash! Crash!
A streak of light surged, and a long sword mark was carved into the ground. It extended all the way to the shattered entrance of the hall, an incredible length.
Everyone's mouths hung open.
It was hard to believe that a single sword could create such a terrifying scene. Seo Ryang, sweeping his gaze around without even breaking a sweat, was the very image of the tyrant from the rumors.
Seo Ryang shouted.
"Fourth! Where are you?!"
His booming voice echoed beyond the Fourth Prince's residence, reaching nearby buildings.
"Your subordinates are managing the hall too carelessly! At this rate, your reputation will be ruined, you fool!"
It was like watching a simple-minded, boisterous older brother worrying about his delicate younger sibling. Even in their fear, the demons couldn't help but see him that way.
"You fool! Come out here! How busy can you be that you make your brother wait for half a day?! Did you find a girl you like or something?!"
From afar, Hong Wei-men's face stiffened.
"Even so, isn't this going too far?! Is that girl really that great? Ah, and..."
Seo Ryang flashed a sly smile.
"Why have you planted so many bugs all over the place? Did you bury treasure in the hall or something?"
Sss.
Demonic energy surged from Hong Wei-men's body as he sat in his residence. It was hard enough to endure being made a laughingstock, but Seo Ryang was pushing it even further.
Planting bugs? This was a rather meaningful statement. It sounded as if he had secretly planted people to monitor the hall's activities.
At this rate, his reputation would crumble in no time. Even in the demonic martial world, where strength was paramount, there were limits. Losing the people's trust like this was unacceptable.
"Shin Hwi."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Go out through the side path and investigate the surroundings! Make a list of the demons who know about the situation here!"
"Understood!"
As soon as Shin Hwi disappeared, Hong Wei-men's face twisted grotesquely.
Whoosh!
Purple demonic energy rose from his entire body.
It was fundamentally different from Seo Ryang's fiery, blood-like demonic energy. There was something sinister about it, almost as if it were an evil technique.
This mysterious and grotesque demonic art was known as the Serpent King's Demonic Art.
"...So, this is the kind of recklessness he's capable of, huh?"
Hong Wei-men licked his lips with a smile. His tongue was unusually thin and forked at the end.
"I'll make him pay dearly for his ignorance, crawling into the tiger's den like this."
Crash!
The window shattered, and Hong Wei-men shot out like an arrow through the gaping hole.
Whoosh!
Hong Wei-men flew through the sky at an incredible speed.
From afar, Seo Ryang's lips curled into a smile.
'Finally, he's coming out.'
The old man had said that to seize the initiative, one must push forward honestly and stubbornly.
Seo Ryang's method included inviting an audience. He orchestrated the stage so that even lies could be perceived as truth.
And his method worked perfectly.
Whoosh!
Even as the sunset cast its glow, the young man emitted an unusually dense purple demonic energy.
The young man descended at a terrifying speed.
Crash!
The sound of his landing was sharp.
Swish.
Seo Ryang slowly sheathed his sword.
Finally, Hong Wei-men raised his head.
Flash!
Their demonic eyes, each emitting a different light, locked onto each other.
Hong Wei-men spoke coldly.
"Aren't you ashamed to cause such a ruckus in someone else's home?"
Seo Ryang laughed heartily.
"Strangely enough, I feel no shame at all."
"As the Third Prince, you should have the dignity befitting your status..."
"Before you talk about dignity or manners, this foolish older brother has something to say to his beloved younger brother."
"..."
"Where is the True Demon Lord, who's been eyeing us with ill intent?"
"...What?"
"Oh? Your reaction tells me it's true."
Seo Ryang's smile remained, but frost began to form in his eyes.
"You knew the Great Demon Lord had arrived, yet you didn't call for the True Demon Lord. You know how messed up the relationship between the two is, yet you didn't say a word."
"..."
"Moreover, you knew your brother was waiting, yet you lounged around in your residence? Hmm... This smells fishy."
"Third Brother!"
"What?"
"If you insult me any further, I won't stand for it."
"Then why didn't you come out when you were in your residence? Huh? Are you...?"
Seo Ryang wiggled his little finger.
"Are you shy?"