The Drunken Demon and the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign arrived at the Great Drunken Forest.
“Leave the case of wine here. I'll carry it from now on.”
At the Drunken Demon's words, the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign continued walking.
“Let's have a drink before I go.”
“When I tried to make you stay, you were so heartless and tried to leave.”
“But now there's good wine.”
Of course, that was not the real reason.
She wanted to comfort the Drunken Demon, sensing his spirits were low.
After all, he was her only friend.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign spoke to Yeo Bin, one of the three great drunkards, who had come to greet them.
“Let's drink together today.”
“I am fine, thank you.”
“I am asking because I want to drink with you.”
At that, Yeo Bin looked at the Drunken Demon.
The Drunken Demon glanced at the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, then nodded at Yeo Bin.
“Then I will go get some side dishes.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign and the Drunken Demon went up to the Drunken Dream Pavilion first.
“Why are you doing something you never do?”
As he asked the question, the Drunken Demon thought of the answer himself.
He had secretly worked behind the scenes to help the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign reconcile.
Thanks to him, much of their long-standing conflict had been resolved.
Even though the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign did not know that, she was trying to set him up with Yeo Bin.
Does what goes around really come around in life?
“I am tired of doing the same thing all the time.”
When the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign extended her hand, a bottle of wine floated up from the case they had brought and flew to the pavilion where she was sitting.
“You have a golden touch. To pick the most precious and expensive bottle from all that wine. Then again, the hands of a Sword Sovereign must be the most noble.”
In the past, she might have been slightly offended by that joke.
But now, she felt no anger.
Because she was doing her best in the present.
Yes, right now, her hands were precious hands.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign poured a drink for Yeo Bin, who had brought the side dishes.
After politely receiving the drink, she emptied the cup.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign saw that her hand, holding the cup, was trembling with nervousness.
“Have another.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign poured another, and then a third.
After drinking three cups in a row, her hand no longer trembled.
“It feels like just yesterday that you came to the Great Drunken Forest. So much time has passed already.”
“Do you remember that time?”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign nodded.
She remembered because there were not many women among the drinkers.
Of course, that did not mean Yeo Bin had any significance in the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign's life.
It was only recently, as the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign underwent a change of heart, that she had noticed her.
One's life must change for their martial arts to change.
It was the opposite of what Geom Mugeuk used to say.
As her martial arts changed—or more accurately, as her heart toward her martial arts changed—her life was changing.
In this way, life and martial arts influenced each other like two sides of the same coin.
“Back then, you were young, I was quite young, and your Demon Sovereign over there was quite handsome.”
The Drunken Demon laughed silently.
Normally, he would have joked around, saying he was more handsome now and that you could not compare youthful immaturity to the charm of a middle-aged man.
But today, the Drunken Demon was calm.
The three of them drank.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign did not draw the Drunken Demon into the conversation.
She let him drink alone and talked with Yeo Bin.
She asked various questions, but like a seasoned Sword Sovereign, she did not ask anything that would make Yeo Bin uncomfortable.
Except for this one question.
“Do you not want to marry?”
The Drunken Demon looked at the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign as if she were asking a pointless question, but ignoring his gaze, the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign waited for Yeo Bin's answer.
“Yes, I have no thoughts of it.”
“Why not?”
“What man would like a wife who drinks like this every day?”
“You could just meet a man who also likes to drink. Are there not many men in the Great Drunken Forest?”
Yeo Bin merely smiled.
“What about your Demon Sovereign?”
At that, the Drunken Demon interjected.
“Do not say such nonsense! Are you drunk?”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign said to the Drunken Demon.
“Yes, I am drunk. Why are you not drunk when you drink so much? If you are the Drunken Demon, you should get drunk!”
Their gazes locked in mid-air.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign said what she had intended to say.
“Do you know why you have been so sulky and angry lately?”
The Drunken Demon flared up.
Sulky? Are you going to say that in front of my subordinate?
But the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign continued speaking.
“It is because you hold it in. You hold it in because you are older, you hold it in because you are a Demon Sovereign."
"What is this damn age? What is this dignity?"
"Look, my friend. The older you get, the more you need to know how to reveal your desires with class."
"You have to, if you want to stop being angry and sulky.”
Though she herself had failed to reveal her desires with class.
That was why.
It was why she had something to say on this matter.
Whenever she fell into thought, even for a moment, she would inevitably recall her own shameful desires from the past.
“Stop talking nonsense and go. Stop wasting someone else's precious gift.”
“No.”
“Then I will go.”
Holding a bottle of wine, the Drunken Demon descended from the Drunken Dream Pavilion and set a boat afloat on the lake by himself.
The two women watched the Drunken Demon's boat as it slowly drifted toward the reflection of the moon on the water.
“Actually, I was talking to you. I knew that friend of mine would not listen even if I said it.”
Yeo Bin looked at her with a surprised face.
“If you hold it in and keep holding it in, at first you will get sulky, and later, you will get angry.”
Knowing full well what she meant, Yeo Bin could not answer.
“Are you scared? Scared that even this life of watching from the side might disappear?”
Still, she said nothing.
“If that is the case, do not be afraid. You have watched for long enough. That is just a lingering attachment, a habit. It is time to let that life float away.”
Silence fell upon the Drunken Dream Pavilion and the lake.
How much time passed like that? A cool breeze blew from somewhere.
The wind sobered up the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, and her mind cleared.
Am I in any position to give someone advice? What do I know so well about Yeo Bin?
She felt she had gone too far, even if it was for their sake.
Should she say she did not remember because the wine from The Outlands was too strong?
“I was drunk when I said it, so do not think too deeply about it.”
Just as the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign was about to get up, Yeo Bin finally opened her mouth.
“You saw correctly, Sword Sovereign. I have already passed the sulking stage and am now angry. It has been several years since I became angry.”
It was the first time she had revealed her inner feelings.
Because she always maintained a polite demeanor, one could not sense that she was angry.
“Seeing how I am still trembling like this, I suppose I am afraid that even this angry life might disappear.”
Yeo Bin's eyes, having revealed her inner heart to someone for the first time, were trembling.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign had nothing more to say.
So she filled Yeo Bin's cup to the brim with the greatest courage a drinker could give another.
“For today, try being a real drunkard.”
After saying that, she leaped away.
For someone who claimed to be drunk, she crossed the lake with a lightness art that was too splendid and elegant.
When she landed on the shore and looked back, she saw Yeo Bin, holding a bottle of wine, flying toward the Drunken Demon's boat floating on the lake.
A smile formed on the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign's lips.
She was envious of her youth, which allowed her to act first, even if it meant regretting it later.
But it was alright.
From now on, she also planned to live while revealing her desires.
But she would do so with elegance and class.
*
I arrived at the Eastern Fist Hall with my brother.
Since I had once trained from the White Fists to the Black Fists, everyone who passed by recognized me.
Their gazes and attitudes toward me were completely different now compared to back then.
Receiving polite greetings from the Iron Fists, I entered the inner courtyard.
In the inner courtyard's Training Grounds, the Fist Demon was training the Black Fists.
He personally supervised only the training of the Black Fists; Cheon So-hee was in charge of training the rest of the Iron Fists.
“Master! I have returned.”
“You are back?”
Seeing him after a long time, even the Fist Demon's fearsome face was a welcome sight.
Compared to the Fist Demon's gruff welcome, my brother greeted me with a gentle gaze.
“You have arrived, First Young Master. Please put that heavy thing down here.”
I was not one to just let it slide.
“The case I am holding is heavier! Are you discriminating against me?”
The reason for the discrimination was quickly revealed.
“I heard it many times from Master Craftsman Guo. He said you went through a lot of trouble to make the gauntlets, First Young Master.”
“It was my duty. Today, I have brought the completed gauntlets.”
Geom Muyang opened the case and showed them the gauntlets.
In the meantime, Cheon So-hee, who had missed her chance to greet me and had only bowed her head, came over and whispered a greeting.
“I am so glad you have returned safely, Young Cult Master.”
“I told you to call me Senior Brother when it is just us.”
Cheon So-hee looked at the Fist Demon and my brother with an expression that said, ‘But it is not just us right now, is it?’
I said it again, loud enough for the two of them to hear.
It was a shout disguised as a whisper.
“I am so glad to have such a kind junior sister under such a heartless master.”
The Fist Demon looked at me and said.
“The kinder your junior sister is, the shorter her life will be.”
“That will not do. I take back the kind junior sister! Junior Sister, this is a heartless martial world!”
Those watching smiled.
Everyone knew my personality well, so the atmosphere was good.
The Fist Demon picked up a gauntlet and examined it.
“You have put a thin iron mesh in the palm.”
“That is right. It is light but incredibly strong. The Iron Workshop's skills were concentrated in that part.”
The Fist Demon handed the gauntlet to Cheon So-hee.
Cheon So-hee put on the gauntlet herself and tested its power.
“First of all, it feels very comfortable.”
She had an Iron Fist bring her a sword.
“Strike with all your might!”
The Iron Fist who brought the sword struck forcefully, and she blocked the blade with her palm.
Despite the considerable force, her palm was unscathed.
The onlooking Black Fists marveled.
The Fist Demon nodded in satisfaction.
“A fine pair of gauntlets. You have worked hard.”
“For now, fifty people can use them, but within a few months, we will produce and send enough for all the Iron Fists of the Eastern Fist Hall.”
“It must be thanks to your efforts. Thank you.”
The Fist Demon expressed his sincere gratitude, and Geom Muyang smiled with satisfaction, feeling his past efforts were rewarded.
While Cheon So-hee distributed the gauntlets to the Black Fists, we walked together through the inner courtyard.
The Fist Demon spoke mainly with Geom Muyang rather than me.
They discussed various work-related topics, from the creation of these gauntlets to what kind of support the Eastern Fist Hall needed.
Walking with them in silence, I felt it clearly.
My brother was indeed better at these things.
It was a moment that made me realize anew that for work to be done properly, someone needed to have a meticulous and thorough personality.
The Fist Demon sent a telepathic message just as we were bidding farewell and turning to leave.
—Welcome back.
—I will visit again later.
This single telepathic message was a sufficient welcome from my master.
It felt better than being greeted by hundreds of exploding firecrackers.
At the entrance of the Eastern Fist Hall, I said to Geom Muyang.
“I am hungry. Let us eat together.”
“Since when did we eat together?”
“When I went to The Outlands this time, I thought a lot about Father and you.”
After a brief pause, Geom Muyang spoke.
“Let us have a meal with Father soon.”
I could tell.
It was his answer to my words about taking care of Father.
It meant we would do it together.
“You are buying.”
“No way. You are rich, you buy it.”
Surprisingly, I am starting to like my brother.
But I should not let my guard down.
Mistakes between people happen at times like this, right when you start to like them.
At times like this, I have to open my eyes wider and look at him.
I stood for a moment, watching my brother's back, then turned in the opposite direction.
I was heading to the Southern Path Sect.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was in his residence.
“I have returned, Elder.”
“You should be resting from your journey. Why did you come here?”
“Seeing you is resting, Elder. But why are you organizing books?”
He was taking out poetry and literary collections and putting martial arts manuals in their place.
“These are manuals I read when I was young. I am going to make that fellow Daeryong read them.”
“Everyone is overflowing with love for their disciples.”
“Everyone?”
I was originally referring to the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
“I mean that I, too, am loved by the Fist Demon.”
“As if. You would be lucky not to get beaten up.”
“Shall I help you organize?”
“I am done.”
I squatted down and rummaged through the books the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had piled up.
“There are a lot of new books I have not seen. Please lend me some.”
“Do you have time to read?”
“Even if I do not, I have to make time.”
As I was flipping through the books, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, still organizing the bookshelf, asked.
“Were they the same kind of people as that guy from the Martial Alliance?”
I was with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon when we caught Baek Cheon-gyeong of the Martial Alliance.
“Yes, they seem to be on the same side.”
“This damn martial world never has a peaceful day.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon did not ask any more about it and picked out a few books for me.
“When you finish these, I will lend you more.”
“I will visit again.”
Tucking the books the Blood Heaven Blade Demon lent me under my arm, I returned to my residence.
Jeok-yeon, who was waiting, handed me a bottle of wine.
“What is this?”
“It is a gift.”
“A gift?”
“When you bought the gift for the Drunken Demon, we pooled our money and bought one.”
I saw it was one of the more expensive bottles among the wines gifted to the Drunken Demon.
It seemed my guards had secretly bought a bottle for themselves when I bought his.
“Where did you guys get the money?”
“You may not know who we are, but we are none other than the guards of the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. We get paid a lot.”
It was Jeok-yeon's self-deprecating joke.
Because they probably felt they were the ones being protected, not the ones protecting me.
“Thank you for the gift. I will savor it.”
“Then we will take our leave.”
After Jeok-yeon left, I washed myself and changed into fresh clothes.
Instead of turning off the light and lying in bed, I took the books and the wine.
Snap.
I opened my personal space with the Space-Time Displacement Art.
A clear sea, a pure white sandy beach, a blue sky, and a wide-leafed tree with a comfortable chair beneath it.
“You guys, I missed you!”
I settled my body into the comfortable chair.
“Ah, this is nice.”
The happiness here is truly something else! The Wind Heaven Sect Leader said that people who learn Illusion Arts must be wary of getting lost in their own worlds, but I cannot give up this space.
Looking back on my past life, the most important and necessary things as I got older were my own space and my own time.
At least here, I could forget all the worldly affairs and quietly enjoy my own rest.
Today, I added one more thing to my sanctuary.
A small chair appeared next to mine.
I placed the Secret Vessel on top of it.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
The Secret Vessel seemed to like it too, as it was smiling brightly.
Leaning back in the chair, I sipped my wine and read my book.
The only sounds were the wind, the cry of gulls, and the turning of pages.
I would not trade this moment even for the entire martial world.
Thus, my first day back at the sect, which had been busier than the journey itself, was passing.