Bang! The wide-open gate saw Wei Honglian entering.
"Young Master! I'm here! How about some drinks... huh?"
She blinked her eyes.
"Oh, were you cleaning?"
"......"
"Why are you so surprised all of a sudden?"
"Hiccup."
Aenghwa's face was pale. Her hands holding the broom were trembling, indicating she was more than just surprised.
Wei Honglian smacked her lips.
"Where is the Young Master?"
"......"
"Hey, maid!"
"Y-Yes!"
"Where is the Young Master? Huh? Why can't I sense anyone's presence? Is he not here right now?"
Being surprised was one thing. Aenghwa didn't know how to deal with the rudeness of the person in front of her.
How could someone just enter the residence of the Cult Leader's disciple so recklessly? There was no prior notice, and she didn't even knock on the gate.
"The Young Master... is not here right now..."
"Who doesn't know that? I said I can't sense anyone's presence!"
"......Hiccup."
"Stop hiccuping and tell me. Where is the Young Master?"
"He, he went to train."
"Training? What kind of training?"
"I'm not really sure..."
Wei Honglian grumbled.
"Damn, isn't he being too much? He's already strong, and now he's locked himself up to train again? Seriously."
Aenghwa pondered. Should she throw a fit at the rudeness towards the Young Master, or should she just hit her on the head with the broom?
Crack.
She gripped the broom tightly with determination.
At that moment, Wei Honglian brought her face close to Aenghwa's.
"Hey."
"......Yes?"
"When the Young Master returns, tell him that the Mad Demon Lord was here. Got it?"
"......"
"Got it? Why aren't you answering... huh?"
Thud.
Aenghwa fainted on the spot. She was so shocked that she only then realized the person in front of her was the Mad Demon Lord.
Wei Honglian frowned.
"Seriously, what a strange maid he has."
She grumbled as she moved Aenghwa to a room. She couldn't just leave her lying on the ground.
After roughly placing Aenghwa on the bed, Wei Honglian dusted off her hands and left.
At that moment, she noticed a sword.
'Huh?'
A four-foot-long sword leaning against the wall. It was definitely the sword Seoryang used.
"Look at this guy. He left his sword behind while claiming to train?"
Hmm.
She shrugged her shoulders while staring at the sword.
"Well, maybe he went to practice his fist techniques. Damn it! I finally had some free time to visit."
Wei Honglian grumbled as she left the residence. Since things turned out this way, she thought she might as well train the subordinates and have a drink while watching them.
If she had arrived just half a shichen earlier, it would have been quite a headache for Seoryang. She would have insisted on training together, no doubt.
At that time, the transport team from Hwanhee Institute was passing the boundary between the inner and outer quarters.
Thud, thud, thud.
The speed of the carriage was neither fast nor slow.
Unless it was an urgent matter, they didn't speed up within the cult. Especially in the inner quarters, where the Divine Palace was located, they needed to be as quiet as possible.
As a result, it took quite some time to reach the boundary between the inner and outer quarters from Hwanhee Institute.
'It's slow.'
Perhaps because he was eager to leave this place as soon as possible, it felt particularly slow.
Seoryang didn't realize his face was flushed. Of course, with half of his face covered by a bamboo hat, no one could see it.
'Finally, I'm leaving.'
The corners of his mouth naturally lifted. Until he got on the carriage, he was worried about Aenghwa and Madongpil, but now he couldn't think of anything else.
He only thought about leaving this place quickly.
While he was calming his excited heart by looking out the window, someone spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Seoryang turned his head towards Juhwa.
Juhwa was bowing her head. Even though she was sitting, her posture was very respectful.
"I didn't know you were the Third Young Master and was rude."
"Did you hear from the Headmaster?"
"Yes."
"By the way, when were you rude?"
"I'm talking about the first day."
Seoryang chuckled.
"You people make a fuss over nothing, saying it was rude or apologizing."
"......"
"Forget about it. I wasn't even thinking about it. I should be the one apologizing for barging into your room."
"That's too much for me to handle."
Whether she could handle it or not, Seoryang wasn't interested in her. He promised to check her condition on the way, but right now, he was busy calming his own heart.
'How long has it been?'
It had been nearly a year since he woke up in the body of the Third Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
A short time if short, a long time if long. For Seoryang, it felt like ten years, and after a year, he was finally breathing the outside air.
And it wasn't just a simple outing; it was a chance for a 'potential' permanent escape.
'I feel sorry for the Headmaster, but oh well.'
What can you do? In the end, the world is meaningless if 'I' don't exist.
I have to live for the world to exist, and if I apologize for everything, I can't live the life I truly want.
Seoryang rubbed his hands together.
'The destination is near Jiangxi, right?'
His nostrils flared. The corners of his mouth had been lifted for a while, his neck tingled, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
He almost wet himself for a moment.
'The destination isn't bad.'
He had two safe houses in Jiangxi Province.
Of course, both were quite far from the adjacent areas of Guangdong Province.
As you move south, you get closer to the territory of the Demonic Martial World, so there was no reason to go further south.
But it wasn't too far either. With his current skills, he could reach the adjacent area in about four days and nights without rest.
Once he got there...
"Young Master."
"Huh? What's up?"
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you again. If it weren't for you, I would have never escaped the swamp of inner demons."
Seoryang snorted.
"You don't need to thank me. I just knew the method, and it was the Headmaster who saved you with that method."
"But still..."
"Enough, just stop."
Juhwa closed her mouth. She could sense the genuine annoyance in Seoryang's tone.
'...He's a hard person to read.'
She knew there was something hidden. She also realized that the current Third Young Master was much scarier than before.
But it was hard to grasp anything beyond that. Personality isn't something you can understand after meeting someone once or twice, but the Third Young Master was particularly ambiguous.
Thud, thud, thud.
"......"
Except for the sound of the carriage, there was silence.
How much time had passed like that?
"Huh?"
At Seoryang's sudden dumbfounded sound, Juhwa looked up.
His eyes were hidden by the bamboo hat, but it was clear he was quite surprised.
"What, what is it?"
"Young Master? What's wrong?"
Seoryang didn't hear her words. His senses were entirely focused beyond the carriage window.
'Huh? Huh?'
What is this familiar energy? This overwhelmingly heavy yet straightforward energy...
'No way... it can't be...'
A moment later.
"I am Yeon Yi, the leader of this transport team."
"I am the Third Captain. We will escort you to your destination and back with our Guardian Third Team."
"We received the official document three days ago. Please take care of us."
"Not at all. We will open the way immediately."
Rumble!
There was a sound of something massive opening. The gate leading to the outer quarters was opening.
At the same time, voices of conversation could be heard. As the gate opened, the guards were making the final authorization check.
Seoryang's mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"What? Third Captain? Guardian Third Team?"
Wasn't the transport team supposed to be escorted by the Guardian Institute? Then why is there a transport team? The transport team itself is an ad-hoc organization composed of skilled martial artists, isn't it?
No, leaving all that aside.
"Why is it Dongpil?!"
"Yes?"
Startled, Seoryang looked at Juhwa. She was looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"...No, never mind. By the way, Chief Ju, how's your body?"
"Oh, it's fine."
"Did you do your energy circulation today?"
"I did it for about an hour in the morning."
"Just in case, let's do it once more."
"Wha-what?!"
"Hey!"
Seoryang quickly grabbed Juhwa's pulse.
It was natural, but it was so fast that she couldn't avoid it. Of course, avoiding the Third Young Master's hand was unthinkable.
"I said sleep is the best medicine. Just sleep a little. Got it?"
"Th-Third Young..."
Thud!
Juhwa collapsed on the spot. The carriage was so spacious that there was plenty of room for one person to lie down.
At the same time, Seoryang, with a face full of urgency, discreetly gathered his energy.
[Hey!]
Madongpil flinched at the sharp voice shot like an arrow.
'Hmm?'
What is this familiar voice?
'...Young Master?'
Looking around, he shook his head inwardly.
'Hmm, am I hearing things?'
Well, he had been training too much lately. He was so engrossed in the joy of cultivating martial arts that he hadn't slept and kept swinging his sword.
He rested yesterday, but maybe his fatigue hadn't fully recovered.
"The confirmation of thirty-one members of the Hwanhee Institute transport team and fifty-one members of the Guardian Third Team, a total of eighty-two people, is complete. Have a safe journey."
"Thank you."
Thud, thud, thud.
Numerous carriages and riders passed through the outer quarters.
Madongpil was about to drive his horse past the carriages to the front when it happened.
[You idiot! Are you ignoring me?]
"Ugh!"
Startled, Madongpil looked around again.
'Wha-what?'
Was it another hallucination? No, this was definitely the Third Young Master's voice, but? Where on earth was he sending his voice from? He couldn't sense the Young Master's energy at all.
Then, the window of the last carriage slid open.
[You fool, where are you looking? Here, here!]
[Huh? Young Master?]
[Yeah, you idiot!]
[How is the Young Master here...? Are you participating in this transport team?]
[...Something like that. But what about you? Why is the Guardian Institute escorting the transport team?]
[Th-that can't be? The Young Master's name wasn't on the document. But why...?]
[This idiot, I'm asking you a question, and you're babbling. Hey, you! Why is the Guardian Institute escorting the transport team? Why are they escorting the transport team in the first place?!]
[Yes? Oh, that's... because the Pa-sun Festival is around the corner, and the atmosphere nearby is unusual...]
Seoryang bit his lips hard.
'Damn it!'
He felt bad for not saying goodbye, but seeing him now made him feel hopeless. With someone who knows him around, an easy escape seemed impossible!
[Young Master.]
[What!]
[Did you perhaps receive a secret mission from the Cult Leader?]
Without a position, there's no mission. Who else but the Cult Leader would allow the Third Young Master to leave? Madongpil's thought was natural.
Though reluctant, Seoryang brushed it off.
[Well... you could say it's something like that.]
[I see...]
[Anyway, you, don't tell anyone that I'm here. Got it?]
[Yes? B-but...]
[I said don't tell anyone, you idiot!]
Madongpil unknowingly answered out loud.
"Ah, yes!"
Instantly, everyone's eyes focused on Madongpil. His face turned red in an instant.
Seoryang, who quickly ducked under the window, pounded his chest.
'That fool!'
He thought it would be better to reveal it first than to be caught unexpectedly later, but what was with that ridiculously naive reaction!
'I must be crazy, I must be crazy.'
He thought everything was going smoothly. Who would have thought that the deepest connection in the cult would catch him at the last moment?
Now, even if an opportunity arises, he can't just run away!
"...Damn, life is getting tangled."
Half a shichen later, the transport team and the Guardian Third Team left the outer gate.
It was the moment when Seoryang, who had tasted hell for a year in the Heavenly Demon Cult, left the cult for the first time since his reincarnation.