The atmosphere changed instantly with the arrival of Blood Heaven Butcher.

Seo Daeryong, Jangho, and Yeobin stood up and respectfully bowed.

“We greet the Ma Jon.”

I poured a drink for Blood Heaven Butcher.

“How did you know to come?”

“Just passing by, so I stopped in.”

That couldn’t be true. He must have been watching my movements and came here upon hearing the news that I was drinking with Chwima.

He came for me. Worried I might be swayed by Chwima. His recent diligent martial arts training was probably part of that concern.

After drinking the liquor I poured, Blood Heaven Butcher said to Seo Daeryong, Jangho, and Yeobin,

“You three, please step outside for a while.”

Who would refuse an order like that? The three bowed politely and left.

Now only Blood Heaven Butcher, Chwima, and I remained in the room.

Chwima greeted first.

“Long time no see, senior.”

He smiled kindly, but Blood Heaven Butcher looked at him with a displeased glare.

“Cut to the chase. Step away.”

“What do you mean?”

“I said step away from Lord Lee.”

“I was only drinking with Lord Lee.”

“Don’t do that.”

“You want me to not drink with Chwima?”

“Drink with someone else.”

Chwima laughed as he drank. Blood Heaven Butcher continued to glare coldly at him. Even among Ma Jons, Blood Heaven Butcher had no close friends, and he had no reason to view Chwima, whom he found sly, favorably.

“Calm down and have a drink from me.”

Chwima filled Blood Heaven Butcher’s cup without hesitation. He showed no sign of being intimidated.

“I respect you, senior, but this seems a bit too much.”

“You always seem drunk, so I thought you had ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) no principles.”

“I have the way of liquor. Senior, please don’t hate me too much.”

He smiled pleasantly, but today Blood Heaven Butcher came determined.

“Stay away from Lord Lee. Then I won’t interfere in your life.”

Chwima picked up his glass, moved to the farthest seat from me, and sat down.

“Is this far enough?”

Blood Heaven Butcher’s expression stiffened.

“Do you think I’m joking?”

“No. You spoke so seriously I made a joke. Sorry.”

Chwima looked at me, silently asking if I had no response. I said nothing.

His gaze returned to Blood Heaven Butcher.

“Senior, you weren’t like this before. Have you ever been this immersed in someone?”

Blood Heaven Butcher snorted with a scornful expression.

“Aren’t you the one who doesn’t care about others?”

“Me?”

“A person who only cares about their own feelings when drunk?”

“That’s right. I’m a selfish guy like that.”

Chwima drank and set down his glass with a louder sound than before.

Suddenly the atmosphere grew cold. Their natural energy reflected the mood of these two men.

“Stop drinking and answer me with your mouth. Say you won’t meet Lord Lee anymore.”

But Chwima drank again. His expression behind the glass was stern, unfamiliar after seeing him laugh and joke so much.

“No.”

Blood Heaven Butcher’s aura erupted fiercely. At the same time, Chwima’s aura also flared. As their auras mixed, a force unlike anything I had ever felt enveloped us.

“Do you believe in the unspoken rule among Ma Jons never to fight?”

“Are you saying you’ll break that rule?”

“Is there a reason not to?”

“Fine. I’m always the one who likes to break the rules. Do you think I fear the rule being broken?”

“I wonder if you’re still that relaxed when your liquor is spilled.”

Their auras thickened further. As their intensity rose, I did not intervene. I simply protected myself with Heavenly Demon Tiger Protection Gong and watched quietly.

“Fine. Then tell me why. Why do you block me?”

“Because you’d be a hindrance on Lord Lee’s path.”

“Not a hindrance to you, senior?”

Blood Heaven Butcher’s cold smile curled upward. His energy was as strong as Chwima’s, but the problem was that Chwima knew his weaknesses well.

“A few days ago, I drank with Sword Sovereign Ilhwa.”

Mentioning Sword Sovereign Ilhwa brought a wave of irritation to Blood Heaven Butcher’s face.

“She’s well, still beautiful, still dignified. We talked about the Palma Assembly and various other things. Ah, she didn’t say a word about you.”

Flames ignited in Blood Heaven Butcher’s eyes. It looked like he might swing the Heaven-Cleaving Blade at any moment.

Chwima’s poison gourd bottle, strapped to his waist, was called Blood Tear. It was said that even a fine sword couldn’t cut it. I don’t know why it was named that, but if opened, blood tears would flow from someone’s eyes.

Before my regression, I had never seen the Heaven-Cleaving Blade and Blood Tear used. What would happen if those two clashed?

Even in this tense moment, Chwima continued to provoke Blood Heaven Butcher.

“You told me to step aside? Shouldn’t the one stepping aside be you? As long as you’re with Lord Lee, Sword Sovereign Ilhwa won’t help him. But I would gladly help Lord Lee. What do you think? Do you think you’re better than the two of us combined?”

With Sword Sovereign Ilhwa brought up, Blood Heaven Butcher couldn’t retort. She was his weakness.

Besides, as Ma Jons of similar power, it wouldn’t be easy to boast that he could play both roles.

At this moment, I spoke.

“He is better.”

Chwima and Blood Heaven Butcher looked at me.

“Blood Heaven Butcher, sir, is better than the two of you combined.”

Our eyes met. In those small sharp eyes, I saw gratitude and deep emotion.

Chwima smiled and drank his liquor.

“Could you say that even if Sword Sovereign Ilhwa is here?”

“Yes.”

“Could you say that even if Geukak Soma is here?”

Chwima knew about my deep emotional exchange with Geukak Soma. He was fast with information and knew the situation better than anyone.

“Yes, I can.”

“They’re not here, so you’re just bluffing.”

Chwima scoffed and stood, walking to the window. He shouted to Yeobin, waiting across the street.

“Go bring Sword Sovereign Ilhwa and Geukak Soma.”

“Yes.”

Yeobin flew off in an instant.

Chwima returned to his seat.

“Do I really have to do this? I even offered to become sworn brothers with you. Isn’t this too much?”

“I appreciate that you like me, but I don’t become sworn brothers with someone I’ve only had two drinks with. If you want, line up. Your turn hasn’t come yet.”

Perhaps I’ll become closer with Chwima in the future. He might be a big help in the great work ahead.

But Blood Heaven Butcher comes first.

I knocked earnestly on the door of his heart, and he willingly opened it for me.

No matter how dazzlingly Chwima enticed me and said nice things, it could never compare to the gratitude I felt for the heavy door, long closed and rusted shut, that he painstakingly opened.

Then Blood Heaven Butcher sent a silent message.

—When Sword Sovereign Ilhwa comes, say she’s more important.

—I won’t.

—Even if you say that, I’ll take your side.

That grumpy old man who poked my ribs and complained about misfortune was already here. He’s willing to give up his pride for me.

—I knew you’d say that.

—Then why don’t you want to?

—I don’t want to see you disrespected in front of others.

—Alright. I know your feelings now. Do as I say. The greater cause is more important than personal feelings. You know that, right?

How could I put others first in this?

—That’s why I can’t.

—Why?

—Sword Sovereign Ilhwa will realize I’m lying. You know she’s perceptive. It’s better to be honest for the greater cause.

Blood Heaven Butcher had no reply.

Mentioning Sword Sovereign Ilhwa made the seat very uncomfortable for him.

He must have wanted to storm out several times but stayed for my sake. He probably thought he had to settle this somehow.

Sword Sovereign Ilhwa arrived first.

She must have asked Yeobin if she knew who was here, because she showed no emotion even upon seeing Blood Heaven Butcher.

“Welcome, senior.”

“Lord Lee, why are you drinking with such unhelpful people?”

At her joke, Chwima laughed and said,

“Friend, why say that so harshly?”

Calling her “friend,” Chwima showed their closeness. Sword Sovereign Ilhwa described him as easygoing, but Chwima called him a friend.

This was a moment that reminded me Ma Jons never tell me everything about each other.

“Stop drinking.”

“Your sword training and my drinking are the same thing.”

“Then drink alone. You train alone.”

“It’s too fun drinking with Lord Lee.”

“That I admit. But why did you call me, who drinks poorly and isn’t fun?”

Chwima looked at Blood Heaven Butcher and said,

“Senior Butcher is trying to keep the junior in line. But senior Butcher, you hold him tightly, don’t you?”

Normally, he would have pushed me to choose in front of Sword Sovereign Ilhwa, but Chwima didn’t.

He was smart and knew me well. It would only hurt my feelings and gain him nothing.

Also, he knew Blood Heaven Butcher was the type to step forward first. Especially with Sword Sovereign Ilhwa, his reactions were even more rigid.

“I told Chwima to step away from Lord Lee.”

Blood Heaven Butcher’s words were met with Sword Sovereign Ilhwa’s cold response.

“What authority do you have?”

“I have no authority. Just my intuition that you’re no help to Lord Lee.”

“I’ve already confirmed how terrible your intuition is.”

“You don’t know me at all.”

“I don’t want to.”

They had been more restrained in their sharp words after spending more time together, but with Chwima here, their irritation toward each other resurfaced.

Chwima struck Blood Heaven Butcher’s weakness again.

“Fine. Suppose Lord Lee chooses you, senior, and we both step back. Then, are you close with Geukak Soma?”

Blood Heaven Butcher didn’t reply. He wasn’t close to anyone.

I didn’t step forward. I knew poorly timed intervention would only fuel Blood Heaven Butcher’s anger.

Chwima was hitting his weak spots well. He couldn’t be blamed. Blood Heaven Butcher had barged into this place today.

Chwima said to me with drunken eyes,

“Now you’ll hate me. I pushed the senior you like so hard. Understand, I’m only showing reality.”

“I won’t hate you.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because I won’t let go of either you or Sword Sovereign Ilhwa. I’ll make them all mine.”

Blood Heaven Butcher glared at me briefly. But with his complicated feelings, he didn’t stop me. He was forced to carry the burden of three people alone.

“Even if you see it that way, it’s impossible. I’m taking all of them with me.”

Blood Heaven Butcher shook his head.

“You’re naive to think people can all get along if they try. You might be right. You have an uncharacteristic tolerance. But you’ll eventually realize people don’t share your feelings.”

Blood Heaven Butcher glanced at Chwima and Sword Sovereign Ilhwa, then turned to the open window where Geukak Soma, wearing a white mask, hovered with his arms crossed, watching everything.

“You might pretend to get along on the surface because of you, but behind the scenes they fight, hate, and cause chaos. Amid the uproar, someone will get hurt, harbor hatred, and betray at a crucial moment, citing that pain as justification.”

The other Ma Jons looked at me as if agreeing.

“That might be true.”

“Then why?”

“If you ask why we have to go together, I’ll answer.”

I looked at the four Ma Jons and cast a prayer. I had never cast it fully for them before.

But now I showed clearly what my prayer was. It pushed aside the prayers they had made and took over the surroundings.

It wasn’t about strength. I put all my dignity and majesty into this prayer.

I spoke quietly to them.

“I will be your future Heavenly Demon.”

They all flinched. They probably never imagined I’d say such a thing.

“This is the decision of the one who will be your future Heavenly Demon. Accept whoever I bring. Fight, hate, or betray as you please, as long as you don’t kill. But only one thing!”

I looked at the four Ma Jons and declared.

“Within my walls.”

A brief silence fell.

They looked at me. The drunken eyes looked at me, the gentle eyes looked at me, the small sharp eyes looked at me, and the eyes behind the mask looked at me.

I hoped they would follow my will. I hoped someone would step up positively first.

At that moment, the Ma Jons spoke simultaneously.

“No.”

“No.”

“No.”

“No.”

At that moment, they were united.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Ah, my cute and stubborn Ma Jons!

I leaned toward the first floor and loudly called to Jo Chun-bae.

“Bring up some new drinks here!”