The Sword Demon, the Lust Demon, and the Mad Demon
As Mongrang entered the quiet house, he spoke, "Master, I have arrived."
The house was too spacious for a single man to live in, yet the yard, the pavilion, and the small well were all neatly arranged.
Although Mongrang's appearance was disheveled, he had come prepared for a scolding.
After a moment, a middle-aged man appeared, and Mongrang knelt down.
The middle-aged man looked at Mongrang and said, "What kind of state are you in at this hour? You aren’t even dressed properly."
"It was difficult to return home like this, so I came late at night. Please lend me a set of clothes."
The middle-aged man stepped into the yard and replied, "Change and come out."
"Yes."
The middle-aged man sat on the pavilion, waiting for his disciple while polishing a wooden sword.
After a while, Mongrang, now dressed in black martial attire, sat down on the pavilion and sighed deeply.
The middle-aged man asked, "What happened? It seems like you got into a fight. I smell something foul."
Mongrang, with a troubled expression, sighed repeatedly before speaking, "Master, you said there would be no rivals among my peers."
The middle-aged man chuckled lightly and replied, "Is that really my opinion? You must have thought so yourself."
"That is true."
"But it seems a rival has appeared. The martial world is vast, so it’s not surprising. Which sect do they belong to?"
"They seem like just a country bumpkin."
"Not from a sect?" the middle-aged man responded, putting down the wooden sword.
"Yes."
"What about their skills?"
Mongrang recalled the duel and replied, "I couldn't grasp everything."
The middle-aged man looked at the blade of the wooden sword and asked, "Do they seem to know your identity?"
"I don't know. Would you like to meet them? If we fight again soon, I will have to give it my all."
"Using ice techniques in Baek Eung Ji will cause troublesome matters, so refrain from that."
"That’s why I’m telling you. I can’t deal with them without using ice techniques."
"Are they a disciple of the Three Calamities? If they’re just a bumpkin."
"That’s a possibility."
After a moment of contemplation, the middle-aged man said, "Lure them to a quiet place and fight. Don’t reveal your ice techniques in a crowded area. If it comes to that, lure them here. I will observe."
"Understood."
"And."
"Yes, Master."
"Is it so strange to have gained a rival? If your heart is already filled with arrogance, it will be even harder to catch up to the masters ahead of you. Always guard your heart. Go home and rest."
"Master, can I not gradually become independent from the Mong family?"
"Think of it as training your mind and keep an eye on the people of the Mong family. Observing the hearts of various characters is as important as martial arts."
"Understood. How is your health?"
"I’m recovering steadily, so there’s no need to worry. Unless the sect leader personally appears, even the masters of the sect won’t be able to do anything to me."
Mongrang bowed after stepping down from the pavilion.
"I will take my leave."
The middle-aged man gazed at his disciple for a moment before asking, "That person you mentioned earlier, is he someone to kill? Or someone useful?"
Mongrang replied, "I don’t know. If we fight again, I will establish proper discipline."
"Do that. What is this unpleasant smell that I can’t identify?"
"I was affected by that fellow’s laxative."
Mongrang suddenly noticed the corners of his master’s mouth twitching for the first time in a long while, and he made a sour expression.
The middle-aged man wiped the smile from his face and said to Mongrang, "To be caught in a bumpkin’s scheme, your opponent is not just a member of the demonic sect but also a master of the world. There are countless tales of those with strong martial arts being caught off guard. Don’t let your guard down."
"Yes."
Only after his disciple had left did the master begin to move his shoulders slightly and chuckle to himself.
"Foolish boy. Caught by a laxative. Tsk tsk tsk."
The middle-aged man resumed polishing the wooden sword with a serious expression.
I was holed up in my lodging at Baek Eung Ji, replaying the duel in my mind.
The fight had been unsatisfactory due to the laxative incident.
Such is the way of the world; things rarely go as expected.
Although both of us had concealed some of our strength during the duel, it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a master behind the opponent that I didn’t know about.
In any case, the person suspected to be the opponent's master was the Sword Demon, Doko Gyeomma, who had fought against the sect leader and left the demonic sect.
I knew of Doko Gyeomma because he had attempted to kill the sect leader before me.
What kind of person is he?
He was someone from the demonic path who had received an invitation to join the Martial Alliance.
His origins were certainly from the demonic path, yet he hadn’t committed any killings or accumulated evil deeds, so no one opposed the sect leader’s invitation.
Of course, he was a person who lived by his own stubbornness, so the possibility of him joining the Martial Alliance was nonexistent.
Thanks to the sect leader, there had been occasional exchanges with the righteous sects, and during that time, Doko Gyeomma had left a very famous remark.
When asked why he had quarreled with the sect leader, he simply replied that he was just testing who was the truer practitioner of the demonic path.
He seemed to be quite a decent man for a master of the Lust Demon, which made for a strange combination that I couldn’t understand.
In chronological order, news of Doko Gyeomma had become scarce, and the Lust Demon had appeared, so there must have been some incident in between.
He was a man without power to be called a great master of the demonic path.
However, it would be foolish to underestimate him, as he possessed formidable personal strength.
It was hard to view him as just a demonic practitioner, as he had a very dignified personality.
It was also difficult to see him as a kind and gentle person, given the rumors that he had brutally killed the sect members who tried to stop him when he escaped from the demonic sect.
In the first place, the title of Sword Demon is not easily earned in the demonic path.
It signifies a great figure.
I pondered various thoughts but couldn’t come up with a sharp plan, so I decided to sleep while only determining a general direction.
Whether it’s the Lust Demon or the Sword Demon... if I cannot recruit them to the Hao Moon, I will consider killing them.
After much contemplation.
Of course, in doing so, I might end up being killed by the Sword Demon.
But I am not the kind of man who would give up on my ambitions just because I fear death.
In my dream, I was invited to the Martial Alliance.
I dreamed of secretly adding a laxative to the feast filled with the sect leader and the masters of the Martial Alliance.
I was joyfully running around, only to be caught by the sect leader and imprisoned in the brain prison.
Why do my dreams always end in misfortune?
While trapped in the brain prison, the sect leader came to visit me and gave me some private food.
After eating it, I had a stomachache and kept dreaming of diarrhea until I woke up to find the sun already risen.
"Was the theme of the dream karma?"
I washed my face roughly and headed back to the noodle shop where I had failed yesterday.
After ordering another bowl of noodles and waiting, the Lust Demon, now dressed in clean clothes, appeared.
I instinctively pinched my nose. "…What a mood killer. You little shit."
The Lust Demon sat across from me, crossing his arms and said, "You’re eating. It might be your last meal, so eat well."
As soon as the server placed the noodles on the table, the Lust Demon asked, "Young Master Mong, what would you like?"
The Lust Demon replied, "I’m fine."
"Yes."
The server noticed the tension between us and, with wide eyes, retreated.
I took out a flash dagger from my pocket and stuck it on the table before eating my noodles.
The Lust Demon asked me, "There’s something strange, so let me ask just one thing."
I slurped the noodles and glared at the Lust Demon.
"If that wasn’t a laxative but poison, I would have died. What exactly is your purpose?"
I replied as I did yesterday, "I can’t tell you that."
The Lust Demon pondered for a moment and asked, "Did you perhaps steal a woman from me? If that’s the case, I could understand your actions."
"Don’t be ridiculous."
"It seems that’s the case. If not, you wouldn’t hold a grudge against me. You sent that broken-armed guy to investigate my whereabouts, right? Am I right?"
I answered vaguely, "Let’s say that’s correct."
The Lust Demon didn’t make any sudden moves until I finished my noodles.
I then asked him, "I saw you practicing ice techniques, but you didn’t use them properly. If there’s a quiet place, guide me. I’ll show you the difference in our skills that you didn’t see yesterday."
"Let’s go."
The two of us left Baek Eung Ji without a word and entered a quiet, serene little village.
The Lust Demon pointed to a house with high walls.
"Don’t misunderstand. This is my master’s house. I don’t know if you’ll understand, but he won’t interfere in the fights of juniors anyway. If you’re scared, I can guide you elsewhere."
I looked at the Lust Demon.
But even if this was a scheme, I couldn’t help it.
My curiosity was hard to suppress.
"Guide me."
If the Sword Demon is really here and he intervenes in the fight, I would have no choice but to flee.
However, if he is truly the Sword Demon, I felt he wouldn’t interfere in the fight, as the Lust Demon said.
Upon entering the house with the Lust Demon...
I saw a middle-aged man I had never seen before sitting on the pavilion, sharpening a dagger.
The Lust Demon asked, "Master, may we spar here?"
The middle-aged man glanced at me and replied to the Lust Demon, "Do as you please."
I didn’t know the face of the Sword Demon.
The middle-aged man sitting on the pavilion had a face that was hard to guess his age, with a bit of white hair mixed in, giving off a very sharp impression.
He seemed simple yet had a strict side, making for a complex character.
He was focused on making the wooden sword and didn’t pay me much attention.
In a way, he was the very embodiment of being indifferent to others.
As I let out a short sigh without greeting, the middle-aged man said to me, "I won’t hold it against you if you kill each other, so fight to your heart's content."
Upon hearing this, I was convinced that the Lust Demon’s master was indeed Doko Gyeomma.
It seemed Doko Gyeomma looked down on me too much, so I decided to test the waters.
"This chick isn’t my match, so I’ll spar with the senior."
Doko Gyeomma looked puzzled and put down the wooden sword.
"With me?"
The Lust Demon said in a cold tone, "Are you crazy?"
I replied, hands behind my back, "Shut up, you little shit."
Only then did Doko Gyeomma stare at me intently.
It felt like he was assessing my aura, so I tried to hide it as much as possible.
Doko Gyeomma narrowed his eyes and said, "Where exactly is your sect? There are few sects in the world that I don’t know of."
"I can’t tell you."
Doko Gyeomma spoke frankly, in a calm tone that felt intimidating, "If you work hard, you may be able to compete with me, but right now, it’s impossible. I am also recovering from an injury, so it wouldn’t be wise to spar recklessly. If you have no intention of fighting Mongrang right away, come sit here."
The Lust Demon, sounding flustered, said, "Master?"
Doko Gyeomma replied to the Lust Demon, "This boy has a fearless demeanor. We will likely spar often in the future, so there’s no need to rush. Go and bring some tea. In the meantime, I’d like to guess the sect of this young guest."
The Lust Demon was about to say something but then listened to his master’s words.
"Understood."
As I sat on the pavilion, Doko Gyeomma stroked his rough beard and smiled.
"This is quite surprising."
It would be surprising.
What master in the world could guess my sect?
But I also realized that Doko Gyeomma was indeed a rare madman, based on his atmosphere, gaze, thought process, and tone.
It was even more surprising that this madman had a Daoist quality to him.
Doko Gyeomma scratched his forehead while looking at me and said, "You don’t plan to reveal your sect, do you?"
"I do not."
"That’s what I thought."
What on earth is this man seeing in me? My feelings were equally strange.
After all, I was meeting a man who had survived a fight with the sect leader.
I didn’t treat people based on their origins, but rather judged them based on their overall completion, which made Doko Gyeomma an impressive figure.
Doko Gyeomma, as if probing my thoughts, spoke in a gentle tone, "That fellow likely coated your teacup with a laxative or something similar to poison."
"Why do you think so?"
Doko Gyeomma pointed inside with his finger and said, "It’s time to bring the tea."
"That makes sense. But when the tea comes out, the teacup will be clean."
Doko Gyeomma asked me, knowing full well, "Why is that?"
"Because he would have eavesdropped and switched the teacup by now."
Doko Gyeomma nodded.
"Correct."
A moment later, the Lust Demon, who had unexpectedly been tasked with bringing tea, placed the teacups on the pavilion and said, "There’s no laxative, so drink comfortably, Master."
The Lust Demon pointed at me.
"You should drink comfortably too."
I nodded and replied, "Alright. You’ve had a hard time these past days."
The three of us each had a cup of tea.
It was an ordinary tea enjoyed on a day without incident.
I looked at the two of them and then scanned the peaceful house.
Suddenly, I took a closer look at the people sitting on the pavilion...
We were the Sword Demon, the Lust Demon, and the Mad Demon.