The Drunken Demon's lightness arts were fast.
The speed he first showed was only a fraction of his true skill.
The more he ran, the faster he became.
‘Just how much trouble did he get into while drunk to become this fast?’
He was so fast it made one want to joke like that.
The Demon Sovereigns were like this.
They had drunk together, joked around, and even jumped into a lake to swim, yet not once had he ever mentioned that his lightness arts were this fast.
The other Demon Sovereigns were the same.
They never mentioned, let alone boasted about, their martial arts.
That was the frightening thing about true masters.
So? Did an unexpected twist occur?
Unfortunately, no such thing happened.
No matter how fast the Drunken Demon was, this side had the Swift Step, which had surpassed Ten-Star Great Mastery and reached the Eleventh Star.
“I'm going on ahead!”
They ran at a similar pace, but as they neared the destination, Geom Mugeuk increased his speed.
He didn't hold back, nor was he careless.
With Dragon Fire Wine on the line, he couldn't afford to.
Geom Mugeuk pushed his Swift Step to the limit and arrived at the designated spot first.
A moment later, the Drunken Demon arrived, panting for breath.
“What are you? Why are you so fast?”
“I was saving my strength for the final moment.”
The Drunken Demon knew that wasn't why he lost.
He was gasping for air, while Geom Mugeuk was breathing as calmly as usual.
It meant he was no match from the start.
He even thought that if Geom Mugeuk had used his full ability from the start, he probably could have gone to a nearby village, bought some food for their drinks, and had it all set out waiting.
“I've never lost when it comes to lightness arts.”
“I'm the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.”
Geom Mugeuk said boastfully as he looked around.
“Now, where would be a good place to drink our Dragon Fire Wine?”
He wondered if the Drunken Demon would actually hand over the Dragon Fire Wine.
“Follow me.”
The Drunken Demon flew off somewhere using his lightness arts.
Geom Mugeuk followed him.
This time, he followed using the Heavenly Demon Flying Technique he had been practicing in his spare time.
He flew with his back ramrod straight, arms crossed, in a deliberately haughty posture.
It was truly a lightness art that suited his father perfectly.
To fly in with such a proud posture and then slowly descend by walking on air! Ah, this was it!
This was why he couldn't give up the Heavenly Demon Flying Technique, no matter how much faster the Swift Step was.
The place the Drunken Demon took Geom Mugeuk to was a small rock protruding from a cliff that overlooked the stunning scenery.
“I sometimes stop here for a drink on my way back to the Main Sect.”
In the distance, Great Heaven Mountain was visible, and before it, a river flowed, shimmering as it broke the sunlight.
A field of reeds spread around the river, a scene as beautiful as a painting.
“If you're going to drink Dragon Fire Wine, it should be in a place like this.”
The Drunken Demon took the Dragon Fire Wine from his robes and held it out to Geom Mugeuk.
“Are you really giving it to me?”
“Of course, why wouldn't I? We made a bet.”
“But it’s Dragon Fire Wine.”
“Still, I have to give it to you.”
“You conspired with my brother, didn't you? You've laced this with Formless Fatal Poisons, right?”
“I see you don’t want to drink it. Then never mind.”
“Of course not!”
As the Drunken Demon moved to put it back in his robes, Geom Mugeuk quickly snatched the Dragon Fire Wine from him.
The Drunken Demon took out a cup from his sleeve.
“This cup will yield exactly three servings. It’s more effective to drink it in portions rather than all at once, so drink it in three parts.”
The Drunken Demon had run with all his might, but seeing that he had even brought a cup, Mugeuk thought that perhaps he had intended to give him the wine as a gift all along.
The Drunken Demon took out another cup and poured wine from the gourd-shaped Blood Tears hanging at his waist.
When he was out, he would drink any kind of wine, but he always preferred to use his own cup if possible.
“Well, I admit defeat.”
Geom Mugeuk vigorously clinked his cup against the one the Drunken Demon offered and drank the Dragon Fire Wine.
A scorching heat that felt like it would burn his insides traveled down his throat.
He understood why he was told to drink it in three parts.
Geom Mugeuk immediately began his energy circulation, starting to assimilate the fiery energy.
It was the energy of Extreme Yang among Extreme Yang, but Geom Mugeuk absorbed it into the meridians throughout his body without any difficulty.
When he had assimilated all the energy in a single cycle, the Drunken Demon was astonished.
He knew Geom Mugeuk's martial arts were profound, but he never imagined he could assimilate a cup of Dragon Fire Wine in a single cycle.
He drank the second cup after another toast.
“Ugh, this is good!”
The second time, flames engulfed his whole body.
The more he drank, the more fiercely it burned, but it wasn't to the point where his body couldn't handle it.
In this way, Geom Mugeuk drank all the Dragon Fire Wine in three portions and assimilated all the energy contained within the wine.
The pure and potent energy that circulated through his meridians became inner energy and gathered in his energy core.
It was more than he had expected.
He had always had more inner energy than anyone, but Geom Mugeuk needed more.
He was, after all, currently learning the Space-Time Displacement Art, the Heavenly Time Secret Art, and the Nine Calamities Demon Art.
The more inner energy he had, the less time his training would take, so he welcomed even a handful of it.
After circulating the energy for one cycle, a clearer and deeper light settled in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes before disappearing.
Watching this, the Drunken Demon shook his head and said.
“I’ll have to rewrite the part about the Dragon Fire Wine.”
“What do you mean?”
“The secret manual passed down through generations says it takes three days to fully absorb Dragon Fire Wine.”
The Drunken Demon had expected him to spend at least a day here circulating his energy, if not three.
But Geom Mugeuk had absorbed all the energy of the Dragon Fire Wine in less than two hours.
“What are you? What on earth are you to surprise people like this?”
To this half-joking, half-serious question, Geom Mugeuk replied in a dignified voice.
“I am the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. And who might you be?”
The Drunken Demon played along with Geom Mugeuk's jest.
“I am a drunkard who lost a bet and was cleaned out of his Dragon Fire Wine. Oh, future generations! Never make a lightness arts bet with the Heavenly Demon Hall!”
The two looked at each other and laughed.
“Brother, thank you.”
“For what? You won it in a bet.”
“What’s your request?”
“Why so suddenly?”
“Even without the bet, I should grant your request. Tell me! I’ll grant you anything.”
“Anything?”
“I’ll even grant it if you ask me to go and pour your wine on my father's bed.”
“That’s not granting a request, that’s assassination, isn't it?”
They bantered for a while, but the Drunken Demon never stated his request.
“It’s fine. I’ll tell you later when I get the chance.”
Since he didn't seem to want to say it now, Geom Mugeuk didn't press further.
“Let’s have another lightness arts bet next time.”
“I’ll ask for Longevity Wine then.”
Longevity Wine was a legendary wine that could grant inner energy on par with Dragon Fire Wine.
“Should we go to the Ice Palace first?”
Geom Mugeuk was being considerate of the Drunken Demon, but he didn't accept that either.
“I wouldn't have even thought of going if it weren't for you. Go meet your heart first. That heart, you do know where it is now, right?”
“If I knew where, I wouldn't be going. I'm going because I’m worried since I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing.”
“How do you plan to find her?”
Geom Mugeuk gazed at the river in the distance, sparkling like jewels in the sunlight.
“Don’t worry. That one… it’ll be harder not to find her.”
*
The two ran and ran, heading for the Northern Sea.
If they came across an inn, they stayed the night.
If not, they made camp.
Geom Mugeuk displayed his adept camping skills.
When he expertly prepared a hunted beast and even sprinkled his secret seasoning on it, the Drunken Demon was greatly impressed.
Seeing him rejoice that it was perfect for drinking with, Geom Mugeuk felt a pang of guilt.
He had cooked for the other Demon Sovereigns many times, and he had even taught his guards how to camp and cook.
They ran north, sharing stories they hadn't finished.
Running and camping, running and drinking.
After running relentlessly, the two finally arrived at the Northern Sea.
“Snow.”
Spring had come to the Central Plains, but the Northern Sea was covered in snow.
“I was disappointed that we didn't get much snow this year. Let’s enjoy the sight to our heart’s content before we go back.”
Watching the excited Geom Mugeuk, the Drunken Demon thought to himself.
‘Will we really be able to have fun and go back?’
Strangely, being with Geom Mugeuk gave him an instinctive sense of crisis, as if something was about to happen.
Was it just his imagination?
The place they arrived at was the village where the last news of Lee Ahn had come from.
It was a bit removed from the center of the Northern Sea, so there weren't many outsiders.
The villagers wore fur hats and clothes made from animal hides.
Trees and grasses not seen in the Central Plains grew everywhere.
There was certainly a unique mystery to the Northern Sea.
‘Why did Lee Ahn come all this way?’
She must have come for a reason.
The appearance of the two men in thin martial robes drew the attention of the villagers.
Passersby, shopkeepers, and people peering out of windows all watched the two strangers in silence.
“Let’s go over there.”
It was a place that was uniquely decorated as a tavern inside a cave.
When the two entered the tavern, the few customers drinking inside all turned to look at them.
Their eyes were all wary.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon paid them no mind.
As they sat down, a tavern boy came to greet them.
“Welcome!”
“Bring us some wine and something simple to eat.”
“Please wait a moment!”
The Drunken Demon, who had been looking around the interior, glanced up at the ceiling and said.
“I don't think I'll even get drunk. I don't know when those things will fall from above my head.”
At the Drunken Demon's words, Geom Mugeuk raised his head.
Icicles, long like spears, hung down from various parts of the cave ceiling.
“It would be refreshing to break one of those off and put it in our wine.”
At Geom Mugeuk's words, the Drunken Demon laughed, saying they should try it.
A short while later, the tavern boy brought wine and food.
There was no need to break the icicles.
The cups were frozen solid.
“Your wine will stay cool if you drink from these.”
Despite the cold outside, everyone was drinking cold wine rather than warmed wine.
“Hey.”
“Yes, customer.”
“Let me ask you something. Has a woman wearing a veil and carrying a sword been here?”
“No. No one like that has come here.”
But Geom Mugeuk saw it.
For a fleeting moment, the tavern boy flinched.
No matter how experienced the tavern boy was, he couldn't escape Geom Mugeuk's keen eyes.
“We are friends of that warrior. We’re not bad people, so please tell us.”
The Drunken Demon chimed in, adding a word.
“Look at our faces. Where on these faces do you see evil men?”
“In my experience, whether someone is an evil man or not has nothing to do with their looks. In any case, I have never seen such a person.”
As the tavern boy retreated, the Drunken Demon said.
“He knows, so why did he say he doesn't?”
The Drunken Demon had also noticed that the tavern boy was lying.
“He’s trying to protect her because we look like villains.”
At Geom Mugeuk's words, the Drunken Demon touched his own face.
“This face? This handsome face? Where does it look like that!”
The Drunken Demon was indeed handsome.
He had a face that would be called a handsome middle-aged man wherever he went.
The Poison King, the unmasked Evil Heart Laughing Demon, the Drunken Demon, and myself.
If the four of us traveled together, I am confident we would be called the Four Handsome Men or the Four Heavenly Kings.
“Either that, or she’s associated with dangerous people whose names should not be mentioned.”
That was probably it.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to hide the fact that he had seen Lee Ahn.
As the two were drinking a few cups of wine, the tavern boy brought out some food.
It was a dish from the Northern Sea region, not seen in the Central Plains.
As the tavern boy set down the food, Geom Mugeuk discreetly placed a silver coin on the table.
The tavern boy was startled.
The amount was too large for a tip from customers for his service.
It was money that would take him at least ten days to earn.
The quick-witted tavern boy understood.
He was meant to take it after telling them about the female warrior.
“Is this your first time here?”
“It is.”
“I’ll tell you about some places worth seeing nearby.”
The tavern boy told them about places to visit in the vicinity.
“If you go five li to the east, there’s a place where snow flowers bloom. It’s a spectacular sight you can’t see in the Central Plains."
"The temple called Suinsa Temple to the south is also worth a visit. Be careful not to slip when you go up the stairs.”
After mentioning a few more places, he added at the end.
“Ah, and never go toward the manor to the west. It’s a dangerous place.”
That was enough.
He had just told them that Lee Ahn had been here, and that she had gone to that manor.
The tavern boy took the money and went toward the kitchen.
It was a witty response.
If any trouble arose later, he had not said a single word about Lee Ahn.
Leaving the tavern, Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon headed west.
Just as the tavern boy had said, there was indeed a manor there.
Entering through the main gate, the Drunken Demon looked around and said.
“The person you’re looking for, didn’t you say she had a pretty heart?”
A single line entered their eyes.
The trees, the stone lantern in the yard, and even the wall behind them.
They had all been sliced in a long, straight line.
It was as if someone had used a ruler to make a precise cut, a sign that a clean, single move had been executed.
And on the ground, there remained bloodstains that hadn't been completely cleaned.
Presumably, anyone caught in that line had been sliced apart just like that.
The Drunken Demon clutched his collar as if he were cold and said.
“That’s not a pretty heart, that’s a terrifying heart.”