Chomp, chomp.
"......"
Munch, munch.
"......"
"Burp! Hey, pass me that over there. Is that duck meat?"
"......Are you asking for it without even knowing what it is?"
"It looks good. Just give it to me. I'm starving."
"Ah, yes."
"Order some drinks too."
"Will one bottle be enough? I'll order five or six."
"Do as you please."
Seoryang's way of devouring all the food in front of him was reminiscent of an ascetic. For the first time, Wi Hongryeon realized that a person consumed by hunger could appear so devout. With a slightly displeased expression, she filled Seoryang's glass and asked.
"Young Master, now that you've eaten enough, can you talk?"
"I haven't eaten enough yet."
"......"
"Pass me that stir-fried vegetable too."
"Here you go."
It took less than a moment for the food meant to fill five grown men to disappear.
"Burp! Ah, now I feel alive."
"Didn't they feed you in the Criminal Law Hall?"
"They did. Tasteless stale rice with dried vegetables."
"What?! But you're the Third Young Master, and they fed you that?"
"It's only fair that prisoners receive equal treatment, right? Just because I'm the Third Young Master doesn't mean I should get special treatment."
"Even though you didn't have a good impression of them, you still say such things."
"Facts are facts."
Seoryang downed the drink in one go, rinsing his mouth a few times before swallowing. Using such strong liquor to rinse his mouth was indeed peculiar. Wi Hongryeon clicked her tongue with a face that showed she was fed up.
Madongpil asked, "So, they won't bother you anymore in the Criminal Law Hall?"
"That's right. There's nothing to bother about. The matter with Leader Wi and Leader Jinma was just related to my fight with Hongwimun."
"That's a relief."
"There's nothing to be relieved about. Life is unpredictable. This time it went smoothly, but who knows what will happen next time."
Wi Hongryeon found it fascinating once again.
'Is he really younger than me?'
The Third Young Master was said to be in his early twenties. Skill and insight don't necessarily follow age, but the Third Young Master was exceptional. The glimpses of his demeanor sometimes surpassed that of seasoned warriors.
In a word, 'Old young man.' It's not a fitting expression for a grown adult, but there's no other way to describe it.
While thinking about Seoryang, Wi Hongryeon flinched. She realized Seoryang was staring at her blankly.
"Leader Wi."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing? My glass is empty. Pour me a drink."
"Tsk, can't you pour it yourself?"
"Then why were you pouring it all this time?"
"Did I do that?"
"Never mind. Do you want a drink too?"
"Sure."
Seoryang, who was about to fill her glass, paused.
"By the way, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"Well, there haven't been any orders from above. I'm on standby."
"Can you drink while on standby?"
"This much doesn't even reach my liver. You know that."
"You're doing well, being the Leader of the Crazy Horse."
Despite his words, he filled her glass to the brim. Wi Hongryeon grumbled, saying he was being unnecessarily fussy.
Madongpil asked, "So, is everything over now?"
"Yes, for now."
"From the Fourth Young Master's side or from above..."
"Hongwimun is incapacitated, so they can't move, and the higher-ups are keeping the candidates' fights under wraps, so nothing much will happen."
Seoryang leaned back in his chair. For some reason, his face showed signs of fatigue.
"It's settled, for the time being."
"You've worked hard."
"Yes, it seems I did work hard this time."
Fighting was one thing, but the mental exhaustion was quite significant. He was inherently vulnerable to such complicated disputes. It wasn't about picking one person and beating them up, so it felt like his brain was about to explode.
"You guys worked hard too. Running around because of me."
"How can you say that?"
Wi Hongryeon nodded while tearing off a duck leg.
"We did work hard. I haven't even fully recovered from my internal injuries."
Madongpil looked at her with reproachful eyes. Considering what Wi Hongryeon did in the middle, she shouldn't have said such things, even as a joke.
Seoryang chuckled.
"Yes, you did work hard. Thanks to you, we managed to take down that guy too."
"Hehe. I knew the Young Master would recognize it."
"Alright, it's over now."
At the sudden words, the two men and women widened their eyes.
Seoryang stood up, leaning on the table.
"Now that everything's roughly settled, let's return to our respective organizations. Leader Wi, and especially Dongpil, you've been sticking with me too much."
"......What?"
"Aren't you just a guardian? You're not just any member, you're the leader of the third team. You should return to the field."
"Ah......"
"And Leader Wi."
Wi Hongryeon's face hardened.
"Stop wandering around and do your job as a leader properly."
"I'm doing it properly without you telling me."
"Yes, just keep doing that. Like before."
"......"
"Since we've eaten enough, I'm heading back. Anghwa might be worried."
With those words, Seoryang descended the stairs, leaving Madongpil and Wi Hongryeon alone on the fifth floor.
"......"
Breaking the strange silence, Wi Hongryeon grumbled and raised her glass.
"He's really heartless. Does he have to cut ties so coldly?"
It wasn't like he was cutting ties, but the words to return to their main jobs kept lingering in her mind.
After downing three or four more glasses, Wi Hongryeon finally revealed her true feelings.
"Tsk, it's disappointing. We shared some wild times together, but he's too much."
Well, even without the Third Young Master's words, it was bound to happen eventually.
In a way, it could be seen as the Third Young Master's own consideration. Telling them to focus on their main jobs without worrying about unnecessary things.
Wi Hongryeon spoke to Madongpil.
"Don't you think so, Ma......"
She couldn't continue her words.
Madongpil's face was as expressionless as usual. But for some reason, Wi Hongryeon found it hard to speak to him easily.
Watching Madongpil quietly, she scratched her head.
"Um...... there's still some drink left. Want a glass?"
"......"
"Hey."
"......"
"If you don't want to drink, then forget it."
"Pour me one."
"Huh? You'll drink?"
Madongpil didn't say it twice. Wi Hongryeon smacked her lips and filled his glass.
Thus, the silent rounds of drinks went around three times.
Sneaking a glance at Madongpil, Wi Hongryeon spoke.
"Are you upset?"
"It's not that."
"Then why does your face look so crumpled?"
"......Just."
Madongpil sighed. He had been sighing a lot lately.
"It's just how I feel."
It was a statement that seemed somewhat understandable. Unlike herself, Madongpil had been with the Third Young Master for almost a year.
Wi Hongryeon filled his glass again.
"They say human relationships are like that. Sure, it might feel crappy, but what can you do? There's no justification."
"......"
"We'll meet again someday. It's not like he's going anywhere."
It was then.
"Wow!!"
"Unbeatable Divine Sect! Ten Thousand Demons Bow! We greet the Third Young Master......"
"You idiots! Be quiet! The Third Young Master is passing by!"
"Oh?! Hey! Move aside! Don't block the Young Master's path!"
Startled by the booming voices, the two were taken aback.
"What, what's going on?"
A moment later.
Thud, thud!
Seoryang, who had rushed up at an incredible speed, was panting heavily.
The two were even more surprised. Seoryang's face was pale.
"Young Master! What's going on?"
"Huff, huff!"
Quickly scanning his surroundings, Seoryang's eyes lit up as he looked at the window.
"Oh, good! Over there!"
Rushing to the window, he turned back to the two and shouted.
"You guys! Stop drinking so much and go back! You can't be so irresponsible......"
Boom! Thud, thud, thud!
"Ugh! Those bastards?!"
Seoryang flung the window open and leaped out.
"Huh! Young Master?!"
Whoosh!
Like a bird, Seoryang soared through the air, plummeting straight toward the ground.
Crash!
Madongpil, shocked, ran to the window and looked down.
"Young Master!!"
Wi Hongryeon's eyes wavered.
He had fallen from the fifth floor to the ground. There wasn't even a place to land.
No matter how skilled a master, falling from such a height wouldn't end with just a broken bone.
"Is he okay......"
"Argh!"
The two were left speechless.
Seoryang, hopping on one leg, looked quite comical. His nose was bleeding, and there were scratches all over his body, but overall, he seemed surprisingly fine.
"Damn! I almost crippled my leg!"
If it weren't for his lower body trained with the Nine Heavens Footwork, it wouldn't have ended like this. He survived thanks to his agility and ability to absorb impact.
Of course, even without that, his durability was beyond human limits.
Seoryang looked up and pointed at the two.
"You guys! Drink moderately and go back! Got it?!"
With those words, Seoryang left the Flower Pavilion. Despite limping, he managed to use his footwork, which looked quite ridiculous.
Madongpil, staring blankly at Seoryang, couldn't help but chuckle.
Wi Hongryeon scratched her head.
"Somehow, it feels anticlimactic. Right?"
"Yes."
"But why all of a sudden......"
At that moment, as if on cue, people burst into the fifth floor.
They were the Demonic Cult members. Each had a different appearance and affiliation, but their expressions were all similarly filled with excitement.
"What happened? Where did the Young Master go?!"
"Did he really go out the window?"
"Gasp! Really?"
"Amazing. I heard he had a showdown with the Criminal Law Hall Leader, and his martial arts are as impressive as his personality!"
"Ugh! I really wanted to greet him personally."
The place was bustling, like a marketplace.
Watching them blankly, Wi Hongryeon grabbed a nearby cult member and asked.
"Hey."
"What!"
It was a mistake by the cult member who didn't recognize the Crazy Horse Leader. But since he was so excited, Wi Hongryeon didn't hold it against him.
"Why are you all like this? Is there a problem with the Third Young Master?"
"Problem? What problem?! Why are you saying such ominous things?!"
Wi Hongryeon's face turned sour.
"Then why are you all making such a fuss?"
"The Third Young Master slashed the Criminal Law Hall Leader!"
"Why is that......"
Wi Hongryeon was momentarily speechless. She finally understood why these simple-minded people were causing such a commotion.
Unlike the Guardian Hall, the Criminal Law Hall was notorious within the sect. If you got caught by them, you'd end up serving time with added charges, even if you were innocent.
Even rebellious cult members had to lower their eyes in front of the Criminal Law Hall members. But the Third Young Master had slashed that fearsome and annoying Criminal Law Hall Leader.
'These ridiculous people. Just for that reason......'
She was dumbfounded, but she realized that their excitement wasn't just because of that.
"He's really straightforward! That's what a demonic cult member should be!"
"Exactly. Since when did we start crawling around like orthodox sect lackeys?!"
"Ah, I'm looking forward to the Third Young Master's future actions."
Madongpil couldn't help but chuckle.
They weren't just excited because the Third Young Master slashed the notorious Criminal Law Hall Leader, but because of the thrilling life-and-death battle with the Fourth Young Master and the subsequent events.
The rumor that Seoryang was fighting with the Fourth Young Master had already spread.
Then, the spectacular fight that broke out yesterday and Seoryang's bold actions had captivated them.
'But still, he's the Third Young Master.'
When candidates passed by, it was customary to kneel and greet them reverently. These people were so excited that they forgot even the basic etiquette.
What excites them so much? Why are they so enthusiastic?
'It means the current Divine Sect is bound by strict and powerful rules.'
In the demonic martial world, the primary virtue is boldness, and if you're not fiery, you're not a demonic cult member. The strict rules introduced for the sect's growth inevitably caused dissatisfaction among the cult members.
Seoryang had broken through that blocked path this time.
The cult members, who had been watching the candidates' fights with bated breath, were excited for this reason.
Seoryang had slashed the Criminal Law Hall Leader, but in the end, he had delivered a blow to the sect's rigid strictness. At least, that's how the cult members saw it.
Wi Hongryeon turned her head back to the window.
Seoryang, who had been limping away, was now disappearing into the distance.
"Ma."
"Yes?"
"Are you still upset?"
"Yes."
A small smile appeared on Madongpil's lips.
"But it's not a bad feeling."
Wi Hongryeon grinned.
"If you have time, let's have a drink with these guys. They seem eager to hear the Young Master's heroic tales."
"But we have to return to our organizations......"
"Then you can skip it."
"......"
"Are you skipping?"
"Let's drink for just one hour."