That night.
Returning to his quarters, Seoryang looked around.
"Hmm, I wonder if Aenghwa is having fun."
He had sent Aenghwa to the annex of the Hall of Joy to enjoy a four-day vacation. Being part of the Hall of Joy herself, Aenghwa would have been extremely busy under normal circumstances, but the maids of the high-ranking demons were allowed to fully enjoy the festival of Pasunje.
Seoryang smiled.
"Come to think of it, I've been neglecting Aenghwa lately."
With martial arts training, probing the Demon Sword Clan's leader, and various other matters, he hadn't had much time to converse with her.
"Should I teach Aenghwa some martial arts too? There might not be any particular reason, but it would be good for her to have enough skills to protect herself."
He looked up at the sky.
The sky viewed from his quarters was always beautiful. Though it was dark at night, the stars twinkled as if they would pour down, and the cool moonlight was incredibly enchanting.
As he smiled and looked at the sky, Seoryang's face gradually twisted.
"…Anyway."
Perhaps because there was no one around, he found himself lamenting his situation.
"I'm too meddlesome. Even if other successors had stepped in, they could have handled it well enough."
He suddenly recalled the Hongwimun he had destroyed.
If Hongwimun were still intact, Gogu might have asked them to handle this matter first.
Though his martial arts and quick thinking were undoubtedly the best, he felt he fell far short of the other successors in understanding and knowing the Divine Sect. Seoryang thought so.
"Wouldn't it have been better to find a way to escape from here during that time?"
No, considering his dreams, that would certainly be more efficient.
Seoryang shook his head.
"Don't talk nonsense. If you didn't know, that's one thing, but ignoring it when you do know isn't right."
It's amusing for an assassin to talk about what's right, but this matter was different.
"I don't intend to be a righteous hero. But I should at least be a decent person."
This was precisely that kind of matter. If someone asks for help in such a situation, even if you can't help, you should at least know how to share their anger.
In the midst of it, Seoryang had the power. Naturally, he had to help.
Seoryang's face turned bitter.
"Idiot, when will you ever achieve your dreams at this rate?"
At that moment, a blunt voice came from behind him.
"What is the Third Young Master's dream?"
As if he had known all along, Seoryang shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows? If you're really curious, try guessing."
The moonlight slanted down on the left side of Gogu's face, who had his arms crossed.
"When I first met the Third Young Master, I thought."
"What?"
"The Third Young Master has no attachment to the Divine Sect."
"…"
"I don't know what your dream is. It doesn't concern me. But it was strange. Even though the Sect Leader personally chose you as a disciple, how could you have no ambition at all?"
"You're overestimating me."
"You sound like a righteous person. Why is having no ambition an overestimation?"
"Having ambition makes life tough. Just eating well, sleeping well, and living well is the best."
"But you didn't refuse my request. If you had just said no, you wouldn't have had to deal with this headache."
Seoryang chuckled.
"I was just bored."
"Do you know? When the Third Young Master lies, it shows."
"Thanks for the useful information."
"That's why I thought so."
"What?"
Gogu's eyes sank.
"I thought the Third Young Master was dangerous."
"That's not very convincing."
"Is it because your martial arts are strong and unpredictable? No. I realized why I thought the Third Young Master was dangerous, why I felt an inexplicable sense of discord."
"…"
"The Third Young Master doesn't fit in with our sect."
Seoryang's eyes wavered.
"If you drop a drop of ink into a clear pond, the entire pond becomes tainted. People are the same. No matter how good a person is, if they come to an extreme place like our sect, they change."
"Is it like the saying 'near ink, one becomes black'?"
"But the Third Young Master was different. Despite having the most noble status in our sect, you never tried to blend in."
Sharp indeed.
It seems that being the head of the Criminal Law Hall is not a position just anyone can hold. He realized anew that one must have unwavering principles and an excellent eye for people.
"So, are you dissatisfied?"
"Just as your dream doesn't concern me, who you are doesn't concern me either. I just do what I have to do from my position. So, I have no complaints."
"That's a good way to think. If you poke around carelessly, you'll only make more enemies."
Seoryang plopped down on the training ground.
"You haven't forgotten what I said earlier, right? Dongpil is on standby, so keep an eye on things. I'll move when the time comes."
"…"
"Go back now. I want to be alone."
"You may not know, but tomorrow is the day when the high-ranking figures of the Demonic Martial World pay their respects to the Sect Leader. After the ritual, a grand meeting for the future of the Demonic Martial World will be held."
"So what?"
"Naturally, reports on the unpleasant incidents that have occurred recently will be presented in detail."
"…"
"The incident involving the death of the Great Elder of the Justice Alliance will also be addressed."
Seoryang's eyes flashed for a moment.
"Did you know?"
"Yes."
"If you knew, why didn't you arrest me sooner? Isn't leaving the sect without permission a serious crime?"
"The Sect Leader doesn't want that."
"…"
"The Sect Leader cherishes the Third Young Master. He wouldn't like to see you imprisoned in the Criminal Law Hall over such matters."
"But he wouldn't tell you not to do it either."
"That's also true."
The two were silent for a moment.
It was Gogu who broke the strange silence.
"Just as I turned a blind eye to your leaving the sect, can you turn a blind eye to my mistake?"
"What did you do?"
"I haven't done it yet."
Flash!
A terrifying light shone in Gogu's eyes.
"I'm about to do it now."
Swoosh!
Seoryang's eyes wavered.
Even though they weren't that close, Gogu had already approached right in front of him.
'Fast!'
It was truly an incredible speed. Unlike when he simply tried to receive Seoryang's martial arts in the Criminal Law Hall, Gogu's movements, when he decided to unleash his martial arts, were terrifying.
Seoryang instinctively grasped the Dragon Scale Blade.
Boom!
A massive sword mark was engraved on the training ground.
It was a strike that no one could easily avoid, but Gogu evaded it with remarkable ease. He moved to the right in an instant and unleashed a palm strike.
Seoryang raised the blade of the Dragon Scale Blade.
Bang!
His body shook.
'Strong!'
He could have easily dodged, but Seoryang chose to defend.
Whoosh!
Gogu, who had leaped into the air, swung his leg towards Seoryang's crown.
It was a sharp kick that made one's hair stand on end. It felt like a blade rather than a leg being swung.
Seoryang's wrist, holding the Dragon Scale Blade, rotated.
Clang!
Gogu's body soared higher into the air. The recoil from the Dragon Scale Blade was beyond imagination, so a simple defense couldn't disrupt his power.
Boom!
Although he had never properly seen the martial arts of the Heavenly Thousand, at least in terms of footwork and movement techniques, Seoryang was undoubtedly the best in the world.
In an instant, Seoryang flew into the air and swung the Dragon Scale Blade once more.
It was the first move of the Nine Dragons Sword Technique, the Six Flames Hell Wind.
Rumble!
As the storm of sword energy raged, the sound of thunder echoed. Gogu's clothes were cut here and there.
Gogu, who had covered his face with his arms, had his eyes shining through the gap between his arms. He realized that Seoryang's sword technique had advanced far beyond what it was at that time.
Thud!
Seoryang's body fell downward. Although he blocked Gogu's fist, which aimed for an opening, the time he could stay airborne was significantly reduced.
But Seoryang didn't just take it.
Boom!
Gogu's body fell in an arc. While blocking his fist, Seoryang had delivered a strike from the Heavenly Thousand's palm technique, the Golden Silk Divine Palm.
Thud!
The two landed on the ground almost simultaneously.
And almost at the same time, they charged at each other.
Swoosh!
The speed at which the two moved was so fast that it was impossible to follow with the naked eye. Having closed the distance in no time, they unleashed their ultimate techniques without holding back.
Boom! Crash!
Explosions echoed all around, and the scattered energy flew in all directions.
And at some point.
Clang!
A stiff soft sword blocked the heavy Dragon Scale Blade.
A soft sword, less than half the weight of a heavy blade, blocked a sword thirty times heavier. It was a sight hard to believe even when seen with one's own eyes.
Seoryang grinned.
"Finally brought it out?"
"You knew?"
"The eyes glaring at me were unusually sharp."
"Even so, the Third Young Master hasn't revealed his true martial arts."
"I told you, didn't I? I feel like I shouldn't let you know too much about me."
Gogu, who was looking at Seoryang with eyes hard to understand, suddenly infused power into his soft sword.
Boom!
The two retreated a distance of one chapter each.
Seoryang frowned.
"But why the sudden swordplay in the middle of the night? Did you want to boost your morale before proceeding with your plan?"
"…"
"Anyway, it seems you want to stop the swordplay. I'll let it slide, so go and get ready."
Seoryang sheathed the Dragon Scale Blade on his back.
Gogu looked down at the soft sword he held.
"The righteous sword…?"
Buzz.
Without infusing energy, the soft sword would bend this way and that. But now, even with energy infused, it was losing strength and bending. This meant that the sword pressure emitted by the Dragon Scale Blade was immense.
Gogu sheathed the soft sword at his waist.
"I understand why the Sect Leader is interested in you."
"Who cares."
"Third Young Master."
"Ah, what!"
"Be cautious of the Sect Leader."
Seoryang paused.
Gogu's low voice circled around like flowing water and entered his ears.
"A person so dark that you can't see the end, and so bright that you can't fully look at them with human eyes. A person whose cold anger and resentment have reached the extreme, yet who doesn't hesitate to erupt like a volcano at any moment."
"…"
"A person for whom everything in the world is a game, and at the same time, who fears everything in the world. A person who stood in hell and looked up at the sky, only to find themselves on the clouds looking down at the depths of hell."
Gogu clenched his fist.
"The Sect Leader is such a person."
"I don't understand a thing."
"I didn't expect you to. But if such a moment ever comes, I hope you remember my words."
Gogu turned his body.
"You are the captain, Third Young Master. I hope you lead us in this matter."
With those words, Gogu left Seoryang's quarters.
Seoryang sighed.
"Just when I was feeling down, he's making my mind restless."
Rustle.
A faint movement. And the sound that movement made.
Madongpil, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes.
"Have you come?"
He raised his head.
Before he knew it, a strange figure was looking down at him, backlit by the bright moonlight.
Madongpil's eyes sank deeply.
"The Young Master's words were right. It really was you."
The strange figure, who was looking down at Madongpil with blue eyes, slowly raised one hand.
Buzz!!
A powerful wave of energy resonated from the fingertips.
Madongpil grasped the hilt of the Dark King Sword.
Clang!