Others might not believe it if they heard, but we really did go back just to get our pajamas.
"Is it really alright for us to do this?"
"Of course, it is!"
"Come to think of it, I have some urgent Underworld Pavilion business to attend to."
Seo Daeryong, finally coming to his senses, tried to flee from our midnight adventure, but I was not about to let him go so easily.
"When will we ever get to do this again? And think about it. He told us to go, but do you think he meant it? He's probably wondering, 'Why haven't those boys come back?' He probably feels younger and happier when he's with us."
You think so? Seo Daeryong walked on, half-convinced.
There was a reason he, who feared his master so much, was acting so recklessly today.
"I never dreamed I would open my Conception and Governor meridians."
Seo Daeryong was caught up in a fervor.
Gratitude and worry for his master, the thrill of having opened his Conception and Governor meridians, and the joy of seeing me after a long time—all these emotions were mixed together, putting him in an excited state.
It felt like if he was going to cause trouble today, he was going to do it right.
When we returned to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's residence, he was asleep.
This time, he was truly asleep.
We stood by the window, watching him sleep soundly in his bed, then quietly slipped out.
'Sleep well, Elder.'
I walked with Seo Daeryong through the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
"It's been a while. Walking with you like this, Young Cult Master."
"That's because our Pavilion Lord Seo is so busy."
"You should show your face more often before saying things like that."
I gave an awkward laugh, and Seo Daeryong laughed along.
"Time really flies. The days are hard, but before I know it, a few days have passed, and then a month. Is this how it's supposed to be?"
After asking absentmindedly, Seo Daeryong shook his head.
"I'm older than you, yet I'm asking the Young Cult Master about the passage of time."
I wanted to tell him.
The years of your youth haven't even reached half of their half-speed yet.
It's only at the third star of Swift Step.
When time achieves Great Mastery, it sweeps away all memories and runs far into the distance.
In that sense, shall we spend this precious time wisely?
"Shall we go see our Evil Heart Laughing Demon?"
Seo Daeryong let out a shriek, "Aigoo!"
"You might as well say you hate me. Just challenge me to a duel and beat me up instead!"
"Are you that scared of the Laughing Demon Sovereign?"
"Shouldn't I be?"
"You've spent time with him before."
It was when we were dealing with Yelü Han's subordinates.
While the Poison King and I carried out our plan, Seo Daeryong had stayed with the Evil Heart Laughing Demon for a short while.
He had even personally gone to the market to buy side dishes and ingredients to cook for him.
"You two got close then, didn't you?"
"Close? I couldn't even meet his eyes! I was so anxious, just waiting and waiting for you to come back, Young Cult Master."
"If you talk to him, you'll realize he's a good person. If he were that scary, would I like him so much?"
I could feel Seo Daeryong's resolve waver slightly.
"Imagine looking back on today in about ten years. 'Ah, it would have been so much fun if I had gone with the Young Cult Master to see the Evil Heart Laughing Demon back then. Why was I so hesitant and scared?'"
When I finished speaking and turned around, Seo Daeryong was already running far away.
Having opened his Conception and Governor meridians, he ran faster than before.
Well, if it were that easy, he wouldn't be the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
"At least help me move the bed before you go!"
In the distance, Seo Daeryong stopped.
"The bed? What bed?"
"You wouldn't know since you've never been, but there's nothing in the Laughing Demon Sovereign's residence. If we want to sleep there, we have to bring a bed."
Seo Daeryong blinked.
"So you're saying you're taking a bed to the Valley of the Wicked?"
"We can't just show up in the middle of the night and demand a bed, can we? And we can't sleep on the bare floor. I want to sleep comfortably in my own bed."
"But are you really taking a bed?"
We really took it.
Seo Daeryong and I carried the bed from my own residence.
I took the front, and he took the back.
The demonic practitioners on guard duty stared at us with surprised eyes.
On top of the bed were neatly folded, clean bedding and even pajamas, drawing even more attention.
"You can move this by yourself, can't you?"
"It's heavy."
"Heavy? You're someone who can float things around with your energy. I'll just carry it myself."
"I can't make the Lord of the Underworld Pavilion do such a thing."
"This is more embarrassing! Anyway, I'm only helping you move it, and then I'm leaving immediately. I've made myself clear! You can't change your mind later."
As we arrived at the entrance to the Valley of the Wicked, Seo Daeryong recalled something from the past.
"Do you remember? The first time you came to meet the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, I was waiting here."
"I remember. You even brought your sword, ready to jump in and save me if things went wrong."
"That's how it was, but now we're going right into his residence."
"Did you bring your sword?"
"Please, don't make jokes like that. My heart feels like it's going to burst as it is."
Seo Daeryong took several deep breaths, trying to calm his trembling heart.
"Don't be nervous. You're going to be a Demon Sovereign too, aren't you?"
"Saying that makes me even more nervous! The fact that I'm going to become a Demon Sovereign is still the most surprising and nerve-wracking thing in the world to me. I still have nightmares sometimes. Dreams where I'm just an Underworld Pavilion investigator, endlessly gloomy and full of complaints about the Sect. Dreams where someone else is sitting in front of me when I first went to meet you, Young Cult Master."
"It would have changed anyway."
"Pardon?"
"Your destiny wasn't changed by me. You changed it yourself."
Seo Daeryong was silent, lost in thought.
Finally, we entered the Valley of the Wicked.
The Faceless Ones guarding the entrance, as well as those passing by, stared at us with strange expressions.
"They're all looking at us strangely. That yellow-striped mask over there just laughed."
"Should I get rid of him?"
"The list of people to get rid of keeps growing."
And so, we arrived at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's residence.
*
"Laughing Demon Sovereign, I've come to impose on you for the night!"
Watching Geom Mugeuk enter so cheerfully, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's two eyes, visible through the holes in his white mask, were smiling.
Who in the world would come to him and say they wanted to stay the night? Who would show up carrying a bed and pajamas?
"Have you been kicked out of your home?"
"I've caused some major trouble recently, so I'm on the verge of it."
"The Young Cult Master is always welcome."
"If this keeps up, you might get kicked out along with me, Laughing Demon Sovereign."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon laughed out loud.
It had been a long time since I'd heard his laugh.
"Your mask has changed."
"Indeed! I knew you'd notice."
It seemed a new Faceless One had taken up making masks after Blue Mask left.
"Is the mask more comfortable?"
"Please relay this to Blue Mask. Tell him it's much more comfortable than the ones he made."
"I'll be sure to tell him."
That would be his way of conveying his longing for Blue Mask.
This time, Seo Daeryong bowed politely.
"It has been a long time."
Seo Daeryong was inwardly shocked.
He had heard there was nothing here, but he didn't think it would be so literal.
There was truly not a single speck of dust.
Ah, there was one thing that caught his eye.
A long line drawn on the wall.
A horizontal and a vertical line.
Why had that been left untouched in this otherwise immaculate room?
"Your eyes have improved."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon said this with an incredibly cold gaze, leaving Seo Daeryong confused.
'That's a compliment, right? It has to be a compliment, right?'
He was so terrified of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon that it sounded more like, 'Your eyes look good, let's have a go.'
"My master recently bestowed upon me a great teaching. It is thanks to that."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon simply nodded his head once in silence.
Geom Mugeuk asked the Laughing Demon Sovereign.
"Where should I put the bed?"
"Wherever you feel comfortable."
"Then I'll put it over here."
He placed the bed against one wall.
It was the first time a piece of furniture had been placed in the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's empty room.
Why did I bring a bed? It was because I hoped the Evil Heart Laughing Demon would start sleeping in a bed now.
The whiteness of the walls was related to the martial heart technique he had mastered, but his habit of sleeping while sitting up was for another reason.
Before my regression, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon had wanted to be my friend.
He had once said.
"How can one who bears the name Evil Heart sleep comfortably? It's the least, and only, conscience I have."
At the time, I thought it was just a boast he made because he wanted to befriend me.
I assumed he had a lavish bedchamber somewhere else.
After regressing and forming a new relationship with him, I realized he had been sincere.
I couldn't tell him back then.
No, even if I had known he was sincere, I wouldn't have.
At that time, I hadn't opened my heart to anyone.
Now, the time had come to tell him.
'Now, you can rest easy.'
Because he was living a different life.
And he would continue to live a different life from now on.
That was why today's bed was the first step in advancing my relationship with the Evil Heart Laughing Demon to another level.
"Could I perhaps borrow this entire wall from you? It seems like a bother to move it every time."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon looked at Geom Mugeuk for a moment.
At this sudden request, he readily nodded his head.
"As you wish."
"Thank you. Next time I come, I'll bring a small tea table to place next to the bed. And a small wardrobe over here to store a change of clothes. This wall is mine now."
Seo Daeryong watched this unfold with a shocked heart.
'You're moving your whole life in here? Into the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's room?'
He had originally intended to bid farewell and leave, but now he was curious about what Geom Mugeuk was up to.
Seo Daeryong spoke to the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
"If you feel this is an act of tyranny by the Young Cult Master, please report it to the Underworld Pavilion. We will investigate immediately."
It was the joke of Seo Daeryong's life.
Knowing how much courage it must have taken him, Geom Mugeuk suppressed his laughter and kept a straight face.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon just stared at him silently, with a look that said he didn't know how to take it.
'What did I just say? I joked with the Evil Heart Laughing Demon? Seo Daeryong, are you insane?'
Seo Daeryong's telepathic message flew to Geom Mugeuk.
"Save me! Please, fix this!"
Of course, Geom Mugeuk had no intention of helping in this amusing situation.
"It seems opening your Conception and Governor meridians has made you bolder. Who should we appoint as the next Lord of the Underworld Pavilion?"
Just as Seo Daeryong's panic reached its peak, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon spoke.
"It will be fine. We will paint all the furniture white as well."
At the bland reply, Seo Daeryong forced a smile and said.
"I think white would suit this room well."
With those words, he was about to hurry and bid his farewell.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon approached Seo Daeryong.
'Why is he coming over? That joke, did he finally decide he couldn't forgive it?'
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon stood next to the flinching Seo Daeryong.
"From a furniture placement perspective, it would be better to put the wardrobe over here."
"You think so?"
Just having the Evil Heart Laughing Demon standing next to him made it hard for Seo Daeryong to breathe.
'How could the Young Cult Master become so close to such a terrifying person?'
Looking at the relationship between the Young Cult Master and the Demon Sovereigns, it went beyond admiration to a sense of awe.
Seo Daeryong discreetly took a step to the side.
He wanted to go all the way to the other side of the room, but he didn't dare.
'I must be crazy, why did I even come here?'
To be honest, half of it was curiosity.
What was the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's residence really like? The other half was filled with bravado and bluff.
Now that I'm the Lord of the Underworld Pavilion and have even opened my Conception and Governor meridians, it should be fine to visit at least once, right?
Fine? What's fine about it? Why walk into hell of your own accord!
He was looking for a chance to say his goodbyes when it happened.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon glanced at Seo Daeryong.
It seemed like the two eyes within the eyeholes were smiling, but it was terrifying.
Regardless, now that their eyes met, this was his chance.
'I'll be taking my leave now!'
Just as he was about to say those words, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon spoke first.
"I was indebted to you back then."
"Pardon?"
'Have you forgotten already?' his eyes seemed to say.
Seo Daeryong's mind went blank, and he was at a loss for words.
"I'm saying you went through a lot of trouble cooking for me, a picky eater."
It was about the time he had cooked for him before.
He was talking about the moment he was caught after joking that the Sovereign was a picky eater when he wasn't around, and got scolded for it then too.
He remembered that as well?
"Not at all, it was my duty."
He even managed a smile and was about to bid farewell, but this time Geom Mugeuk started talking about what happened after he left the sect.
"I don't know where to start."
Before, he had told the story while sitting on the edge of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's bed; now, he sat on the edge of the bed he himself had brought and spoke.
How he had killed the infiltrator in the Unorthodox Alliance, how he had come to invite the Unorthodox Alliance Leader, and then how he had invited the Martial Alliance Leader as well.
Seo Daeryong had heard parts of the story before, and other parts he had missed while heating up the medicine.
Listening to it, he became so engrossed that he forgot he was supposed to leave and got lost in Geom Mugeuk's story.
During a brief pause in the conversation, Seo Daeryong sent a telepathic message.
"But why are you telling him everything in such detail?"
He asked because he thought there must be a reason, and there really was.
"So that he can handle any situation that might arise later on his own. Information is power."
He wasn't telling the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon in detail just because he wanted to chat.
He was telling them everything to prepare for the one-in-a-million chance of something happening in the future.
Anyway, I heard the story well.
And now that I've heard it twice, I definitely won't be hearing it again.
"I will..."
Just as he was about to say he would take his leave, this time the Evil Heart Laughing Demon started talking about martial arts.
After that conversation ended, Geom Mugeuk asked about the Mistress of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
The story of Yeo-jeong, the woman who loved the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, expanding her courtesan house business in the Central Plains was so interesting that he was afraid she might say, 'You may leave now.'
Then they also talked about the state of the martial world.
It was the first time Seo Daeryong had realized it.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon was surprisingly knowledgeable in various fields and was someone who enjoyed conversation.
When the topic of the Valley of the Wicked's masks came up again, Seo Daeryong couldn't hold back.
Hadn't he been trained by Geom Mugeuk's banter? His head and heart held back, but his mouth did not.
"I may not look it, but my head is small and my face is small too, so masks suit me well."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon stared at him intently.
Next to him, Geom Mugeuk put on a deliberately surprised expression, creating an atmosphere of terror.
"No, I don't mean that your face is large, Laughing Demon Sovereign."
That's not it! Geom Mugeuk's expression grew even more surprised.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon shot up from his seat and walked towards Seo Daeryong.
'I should have left earlier.'
Seo Daeryong squeezed his eyes shut.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon walked past Seo Daeryong and went outside, then soon came back in.
In his hand was a white mask.
A brand-new one.
"Try it on."
Seo Daeryong's heart pounded like crazy.
If the mask doesn't fit, does that mean he's going to tear off the parts of my face that stick out with his own hands? Is that it?
Fortunately, the mask fit.
It was a little tight, but he forced himself to pretend it was a perfect fit.
"It fits perfectly!"
"It's a gift."
"Thank you."
Seo Daeryong was bewildered.
He had never expected the Evil Heart Laughing Demon to give him a mask as a gift.
After listening to their conversation until dawn, Seo Daeryong dozed off.
He never thought he would actually fall asleep in the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's room.
He had dozed off while sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the bed.
When he woke up, Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon were standing side-by-side at the window, watching the faintly brightening dawn.
They weren't even conversing telepathically.
They were just standing there together in silence.
More than the sight of them conversing earlier, the sight of the two men standing with their backs to him, silently gazing in the same direction, was etched into Seo Daeryong's heart.
Then, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon turned around.
Startled, Seo Daeryong closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
'I have to go. Please, I have to go.'
Pretending to be asleep like that, Seo Daeryong truly fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes, the sun was high in the sky.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon was looking down at him.
He was so surprised he almost screamed.
Desperately holding it in, he looked around to find that Geom Mugeuk was already gone.
Right, that man is a demon.
A demon who would leave him behind in hell for his own amusement.
Yes, who dragged him into this white hell in the first place?
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon asked bluntly.
"When on earth are you going to leave?"
Seo Daeryong, clutching the mask he had received as a gift, finally uttered the words he had been wanting to say all night.
"I will take my leave now."