Blood Heaven Butcher was training. He had entered a deep training state long before I took this trial, so he had been immersed in it without rest for quite some time.

“Are you really preparing for war or something?”

Without even turning his head at my words, he answered.

“Getting old means living each day like a battle.”

“I’m back.”

This time I ran up and hugged Blood Heaven Butcher tightly.

“What the hell are you doing, you disgusting brat?”

Blood Heaven Butcher recoiled in shock and forcibly pushed me away. Honestly, I want to hug my father like this, but I’m scared I’d get hit with his Flame Demon Fist, so I haven’t tried.

“I missed you, sir.”

“You’re acting like we haven’t seen each other for ten years or so.”

Blood Heaven Butcher stabbed the Annihilation Great Sword into the ground.

Then he leaned on it. At times like this, that sword looks like his friend, and it’s really good to see.

“What about the Heavenly Fate Sect leader?”

“He’s dead.”

“There must have been a lot of people around.”

“This time, I stained my hands with a lot of blood.”

Detecting bitterness in my answer, Blood Heaven Butcher went inside, brought out some liquor, and poured me a drink.

“What can you do? That’s your fate. Drink it and shake it off.”

I emptied the cup he gave me. It felt as if Blood Heaven Butcher was washing the blood off my hands. At least, this was a drink poured by someone who understood better than anyone what it meant to kill people — a comfort.

I didn’t say thank you. As always, words can’t repay such things.

“The Grand Prince will never give up, so the future won’t be easy. His ability and talent might not match yours, but his determination to become a Celestial Demon is even stronger than yours.”

It’s tough trying to save such a brother.

“By the way, have you met the disciple?”

“He came and went a while ago.”

“You really /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ chose well for the successor.”

“We’ll see.”

“That kid will do better than anyone. By the way, I suppose you heard he won the Little Dragon Tournament?”

“He won?”

“You wrote down that if he loses, he dies. How could he not win? Even if it was the Best Martial Arts Competition in the world, he’d have to win. And whose martial art would he lose to?”

Blood Heaven Butcher’s face showed a flicker of joy, as if surprised by the victory. In moments like this, it’s clear he cares about Seo Daeryong.

“Oh, that chatterbox not bragging about it shows how much he respects you, sir. Treat him a little easier.”

“If master and disciple get too comfortable, trouble always follows. Anyway, he’s probably gotten pretty cocky. He needs hellish training.”

Ah, Investigator Seo. I hadn’t anticipated this. Sorry.

“Better get going. Don’t you have other Ma Jons to see?”

“No. I’ll see the others slowly. Today, I’m only visiting you.”

When you like someone, you have to like them clearly like this. Like the saying, someone who likes everyone actually likes no one — regardless of the person’s true feelings, that’s how everyone thinks. That person usually likes everyone, right? At least to Blood Heaven Butcher, it’s a misunderstanding he doesn’t want.

“Still flattering as always.”

But a smile appeared on Blood Heaven Butcher’s lips that he couldn’t hide. He secretly liked this kind of thing.

“Go greet the Ma Jons. Everyone stepped up for you, so it’s polite to greet them.”

“Yes, I will then.”

“You wanted to go inside all along.”

“You just have to know that the master is always the top priority.”

Leaving behind Blood Heaven Butcher wielding his sword again, I exited the place.

Before heading to Evil Song Sect, I stopped by home to grab the white mask. Isn’t it proper etiquette to wear the mask only when going to Evil Song Sect?

The masked strangers no longer watched me closely as before. The hostile glances disappeared.

I could tell from their reaction that they knew I was growing closer with Geukak Soma. If they greeted me with friendly eyes, we would be even closer than now.

Guided by the masked strangers, I entered Evil Song Sect Leader’s residence.

At first, meeting these Ma Jons felt like work as important as martial training, but now it wasn’t work — it had become relationships. Surprisingly, I genuinely wanted to see them.

Geukak Soma was staring at the white wall again today. What on earth was he thinking staring at that wall?

“I’m here.”

Raising my mask above my head, I greeted him energetically. Geukak Soma turned his body toward me.

His eyes behind the mask met mine. I never imagined a day would come when meeting Geukak Soma’s gaze would fill me with such warmth.

Geukak Soma and I had twice fought life-or-death battles together. The first was against Sword Emperor Baek Mang-gi, and the second was with his Four Hundred Yang Cheogi.

Both battles were life-or-death struggles, and perhaps because of that, there was a special bond as comrades who saved each other on the battlefield.

“I heard you handled the Heavenly Fate Sect matter well.”

“Would I neglect revenge for anyone?”

In fact, this trial also involved Geukak Soma. The Heavenly Fate Sect’s Four Hundred Yang Cheogi had been recruited by them.

Geukak Soma smiled and said,

“As you know, I’m certain about my grudge.”

He was referring to the grudge he held against Chuseang from Wolpyeongmun. Geukak Soma and grudge — a mismatched pair indeed.

Geukak Soma handed me a small box.

“What is this?”

“Open it.”

Inside was a single white pill.

“It’s Baekryeongdan (White Spirit Pill), a secret elixir passed down from the sect’s scripture.”

A sharp but strong scent quickly filled the room. I could tell it wasn’t an ordinary medicine.

“It was sent by the sect. Since the Four Hundred Yang Cheogi died, peace seems to have come.”

Apparently, they sent it as thanks because we returned the sect’s warriors sent by the Four Hundred without harming any of them.

“I will give it to the Second Prince.”

“Why give such a precious thing to me?”

“Because you earned it thanks to the Second Prince.”

It was a sincere gift for me. I was surprised by the unexpected present.

“No, please take it, Soma.”

Then Geukak Soma said unexpectedly,

“I want to score some points with the Second Prince too, so stop refusing and accept it.”

“I want to score points too. Fine. How about this? Let’s split it in half.”

He was shocked by my words.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Though I’m greedy and don’t usually share elixirs, I want to make an exception this time. To celebrate surviving the fight together, let’s split it.”

Geukak Soma’s eyes shone brightly — the clearest I had ever seen them. I could feel that our relationship was crossing another turning point.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

I drew my Black Demon Sword and split the Baekryeongdan exactly in half.

Like drinking liquor, we took it simultaneously.

The Baekryeongdan slid down my throat. The burning energy filled my mouth, then melted and went down my throat.

Though it was a very potent elixir, my internal energy was deep enough that I absorbed all its effects without any problem. Even though half, the internal energy added to my dantian was considerable.

My eyes gleamed with a clear and deep light, then returned to their usual look.

Geukak Soma also finished circulating his energy and rose from his seat.

“Tastes good, doesn’t it?”

“Better than any elixir I’ve ever had.”

No more words were needed. We just smiled together.

“By the way, what if that was poison and you swallowed it so easily? What if it was a fake Baekryeongdan?”

“That’s why we split it. Let’s die together.”

Geukak Soma laughed loudly. His laughter might be habitual to everyone else, but at least to me, it carried feeling. I could sense his emotion in that laugh.

“But are you really okay staring at that wall like that?”

“I like it. I look like a madman. Madmen aren’t easily touched. Why? Worried I’ll go crazy?”

“A little.”

To my honest answer, Geukak Soma revealed an unexpected fact.

“Want me to tell you a secret? The sect’s mind method improves more effectively when training while looking at the white wall.”

“Oh, that’s why.”

I hadn’t expected Geukak Soma was training his mind method by staring at the wall. Once again, I realize that while things look unstable to me, everyone is managing their own life well.

“Did you come back to see Blood Heaven Butcher before coming here?”

“Yes.”

“Taking care of everyone must be tough.”

“There are only four for now.”

“You plan to take care of all eight, huh?”

Surprisingly, his guess was correct.

“Yes. Whether friend or foe, I will manage and take care of all eight.”

“Can you endure it?”

Of course it’s not easy. We laugh and have fun like this, but the relationships could break at any time. If you take the Ma Jons lightly, you’ll end up in trouble someday.

“I told the pretty heart that martial arts and life are connected. Who says that only applies to her? If I become the vessel that embraces all eight Pal Ma Jons, I’ll be able to overcome even the walls of martial arts that block me.”

Geukak Soma, who had been watching me for a moment, conveyed what he had felt.

“What are you looking at? Sometimes when I look at you, I think you’re not just seeing the successor, not just the Celestial Demon, but something beyond.”

Is it because we look only into each other’s eyes? He sees what’s beyond too. Something even closer people don’t feel, Geukak Soma senses.

One day I’ll tell him about it. About my great enemy. So maybe we’ll back each other again and cross moments of life and death.

“If it’s someone other than Soma, that moment wouldn’t be so bad.”

Cutting to the chase, Geukak Soma didn’t ask what I meant.

“I’ll wait for that moment.”

“Then see you again.”

I said goodbye and left Evil Song Sect. The reunion with him was as neat as the white mask.

Ilhwa Sword Immortal and Great Drunken Demon were drinking together, so I could see them both in one place. The two friends often drank together, and today was no exception.

“Welcome, Second Prince!”

Both were drunk. It was the first time I saw Ilhwa Sword Immortal this drunk.

“You’ve fallen to the temptations of evil.”

“You came, so rescue me quickly.”

Though she said that, Ilhwa Sword Immortal poured me a drink.

“Thanks for what you did with Evil Song Sect last time.”

“What did we do? We just rushed in together.”

At that moment, Great Drunken Demon asked me with a displeased face.

“You’ve already met Blood Heaven Butcher and Geukak Soma, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why are we last? Why third and fourth? If you came, you could have visited us first?”

Ilhwa Sword Immortal joined that complaint. When they glared at me with their flushed, drunken faces, I just smiled.

“Which one is the third?”

They cheerfully accepted this sharp provocation.

“It’s me.”

With Ilhwa Sword Immortal’s confidence, Great Drunken Demon shook his head sadly.

“Friend, sorry, but that’s me. I’m on brotherly terms with the Second Prince.”

“Hey, friend, if that’s true brotherhood, you wouldn’t be fighting over third or fourth.”

“We’re friends who swim together while drinking.”

“I wasn’t going to say this, but we even fought a duel under the moonlight.”

The two quarreling people looked at me, asking me to choose who was third and who was fourth. Great Drunken Demon’s eyes were desperate.

“Brother, I’m not last, right?”

“You’re not last.”

“Right?”

At the moment he smiled brightly,

“You’re in the middle. Fourth among the eight Ma Jons.”

Ilhwa Sword Immortal drank the winner’s cup.

“Friend, not all brothers are close, right?”

Great Drunken Demon pouted and drank.

I was very grateful to these two. Would these two be people to receive such treatment? Would they be people who belong in third or fourth place? They endure it for me, willingly fighting for third and fourth place.

“Let me say something to you two today. You know the two ahead of you? They’re complicated, stubborn, and cranky. On the other hand, what about you two? Among the Ma Jons, you have the biggest hearts, right?”

“Big-hearted? Or just easygoing?”

When I made a deliberately startled face at Great Drunken Demon’s question, the two laughed heartily.

The three of us toasted and drained our cups.

As we put down our glasses, Great Drunken Demon shared some surprising news.

“A while ago, Doma, this Sword Immortal, and I had a drink together.”

It was hard to imagine the three of them drinking together.

“How was it? Was it good?”

“Good? Not really.”

Great Drunken Demon sighed.

“No stabbing, right?”

“Almost happened.”

“That’s good enough.”

Then Ilhwa Sword Immortal said,

“What good is it? Don’t ever invite me to such a place again!”

Yeah, if people who are at odds easily reconciled like this, why would there be fights in the world?

Anyway, it was meaningful. Great Drunken Demon was trying to reconcile the two.

I raised my cup and looked at them with my eyes.

Good job, brother.

Great Drunken Demon smiled and raised his cup. Sometimes, one recognition of hard work is better than a hundred good words.

“I’ve greeted my return, so I’ll be off.”

I said goodbye and stood up. Great Drunken Demon clung to my pant leg to drink more, but I forced myself to leave.

I could drink with the Ma Jons later, but hunting with my father wasn’t an opportunity that came often.

At dawn the next day, carrying a bigger bow than before, I headed toward the Celestial Demon Arena for the second hunt with my father.