Gowol, who was sitting at the desk reading documents, still keeping his gaze downward, asked:

“Sect Leader, have you been worried about something lately?”

Pungcheon Sect Leader was leaning against the window, looking outside.

“Worried? Why all of a sudden?”

The two had been busy moving around the Central Plains building an intelligence network. Gowol was always busy, while Pungcheon Sect Leader, acting as escort and aide, was relatively free.

“You seem like you have worries.”

“Where would a free person like me have worries? None at all.”

“Busy people usually don’t have worries.”

“I said I don’t.”

At the firm answer, Gowol looked up from the documents to look at the sect leader. Indeed, the sect leader, staring out the window, looked downcast and seemed to have been troubled recently.

“Is it hard?”

“It is.”

“I’m having a hard time.”

At Gowol’s words, the sect leader turned to look at him. Gowol added earnestly,

“It’s hard. If you weren’t here helping me, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it.”

“Then who told you to work so hard? Since when did you get so loyal?”

“Should I just slack off from now on?”

“You’d be really good at slacking off.”

The sect leader turned his head back toward the window.

“It’s the sect leader who should say it’s hard and feels like dying. Not acting like the sect leader.”

“What does it mean to be ‘like me’? No, you’re just going to say disrespectful things again. Don’t!”

Gowol wasn’t one to stop just because of that.

“On the outside, you look petty, but inside you have a heart as vast as the ocean. You seem to live carelessly, but in your heart you have a grand plan. You complain a lot but have a deep soul. That’s the kind of sect leader you are.”

“Hmph! You mean the opposite? That I’m petty, careless, and complain all the time?”

“And you’re quicker-witted than anyone!”

The sect leader made a face that said ‘That figures.’ Normally he would have said many things, but he still kept looking outside. Gowol stood up from his chair and walked forward.

“Are you suffering from homesickness?”

“Speaking of homesickness, I’ve realized that I’m someone who doesn’t like my hometown. I don’t miss it at all. I don’t even think about going back. Maybe I’ll go once before I die, but it’s unlikely I’ll ever go again.”

“Then it’s not homesickness. What could it be?”

The sect leader’s lips moved slightly. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but changed the topic.

“Why hasn’t Igongja come? Did you contact him properly?”

“He’s busy, isn’t he?”

“Busy? We’ve just fallen low in his priorities. He does his own things, then suddenly the shackles sent a message saying to meet. Should I meet him? Or not?”

“If that’s so, aren’t we investing too much money in those shackles?”

Huge funds were being poured into this matter. The intelligence network in the Central Plains wasn’t fully established yet, and money was already running low.

“Money must be overflowing.”

“Sect Leader, why are you angry? Are you depressed because you’re not losing weight?”

“Hmph! If I wanted, I could lose it all in a month.”

“You said that a month ago too.”

“If you get too skinny when you’re old, you look like you don’t exist.”

“You look too much like a sect leader.”

The sect leader suddenly turned around, frowning, and Gowol pretended it was a joke.

“What’s bothering you?”

After a moment’s pause, the sect leader said,

“If I tell you the reason, you’ll tease me again, right?”

“Try me.”

“I won’t promise not to tease you.”

Eventually, the sect leader spoke.

“Do you remember Seokchung whom I met recently?”

“I do.”

Building the intelligence network in the Central Plains involved a lot of work and many people. And sometimes, people like Seokchung appear.

“That guy made careless remarks and was rude to me that day.”

Gowol nodded. If Seokchung had known the sect leader’s real identity or power, would he have acted like that? He was introduced merely as a rich man, so he puffed himself up, relying on his weak martial arts, and behaved rudely.

“Sect leader, you were patient.”

“I keep thinking about that guy. I should have smashed him then. Or at least scolded him for misbehaving. At the time, I endured it hoping things would be smooth. But now, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

The sect leader had imagined killing that guy many times. It wasn’t really a mistake worth killing for, but the anger to want to kill kept rising.

“Remember that nasty guy from before? I was patient then. But this time I’m not so patient. Ah, I know. Don’t say it. I know I’m petty. But how can I stop thinking about it?”

“I understand.”

“You do?”

“He was a fool. Even if you had beaten him, I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

“Really?”

The sect leader was pleased.

“Then maybe I should just beat him up? Should I go find him and beat him up now?”

Gowol watched silently. Only then did the sect leader’s excitement settle.

“Say what you want.”

“There’s nothing.”

“I told you to say it!”

“Everyone lives like this. You’re the sect leader, so you’ve avoided dirty situations until now. Everyone endures like this. Gets mad and beats people, beats people because they feel bad, beats people for rudeness. Few people can live like that.”

“You mean people like Igongja live like that?”

“The sect leader is the same. He lived like that. Lived comfortably all his life, then recently started enduring.”

At least in that regard, the sect leader nodded as if acknowledging.

Gowol understood the sect leader’s hardships. How hard must it be? Living a life no one envies, followed around by an escort who only acts as bodyguard. So he always thought,

‘The sect leader must have done me a great wrong in a past life.’

Gowol walked beside the sect leader and looked out together.

“It’s not because you’re petty and keep thinking about it, but because your chest is full of anger.”

“Anger?”

“Going around the Central Plains doing this work is your first time, isn’t it? Meeting people, meeting again. It seems trivial, but it quietly builds up a lot of anger. Until now, you’ve been holding back for me.”

“I’m glad you appreciate it. Even so, talking about it makes me feel relieved.”

“From now on, don’t hold back and just beat them up.”

“No. I’ll keep holding back. If I was born petty, I should at least try. We all die anyway, but I won’t end it pitifully.”

Gowol looked at him. The sect leader was sincere.

“Want to curse Igongja to clear your chest?”

“Can I?”

“Let’s do it for the first time in a while!”

The sect leader shouted loudly, as if he had been waiting.

“You lazy Igongja! If I call, why do you come so late? Did you forget us? Ever been eaten by fish in a fish trap? I’ll just swallow you whole! No matter how you treat the sect leader and the shackles back then, we’re doing fine! You bad Igongja! Ugly Igongja! Igongja who cheats with lightness skill! Ah! Shouting like this clears my chest. Officer Go, you too! It’ll clear your built-up frustration. Indeed, cursing Igongja is the most relieving.”

Then Gowol said with a serious expression.

“Sect leader, what nonsense is this?”

At Gowol’s sudden change, the sect leader blinked, wondering what was going on, then felt a presence behind him.

The sect leader slowly turned around.

Geom Mugeuk was standing there, having arrived unnoticed.

“You were cursing me again.”

Why now of all times! He had caught them before while cursing. The sect leader was flustered, but he was not one to back down.

“Igongja! Fix that timing of appearing when we curse! Though I’m no one to talk since I have an Igongja myself...”

At that moment, the Fiend entered.

At the sight of him, the sect leader’s expression immediately became serious. The playful look disappeared and he was back to being the sect leader. He lowered his voice and greeted the Fiend.

“Long time no see.”

“Pleasure to see you.”

They greeted each other with a clasped fist. The Fiend’s attitude was different from when alone with Geom Mugeuk. They were now sect leader and Ma Jon. Normally such people wouldn’t talk this way, but meeting Geom Mugeuk had changed them.

Geom Mugeuk introduced Gowol to the Fiend.

“This is my officer Gowol, who will be perfect if only he gets better at Go.”

Gowol smiled.

“I’m holding back from learning too much so I don’t clash with the General already.”

Because the Heavenly Fiend was the one teaching Go, it was a confident remark that if he learned and taught Geom Mugeuk, he could defeat the sect leader.

“Please come in.”

Geom Mugeuk and the Fiend entered and sat down.

Gowol served tea.

“This is all I can offer.”

“You’ve worked hard coming all this way.”

“I’m enjoying this work as a tour of the Central Plains.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke politely to the sect leader.

“Thank you for your hard work. Because the sect leader protects us, Officer Go has no worries.”

“I do it because I want to.”

Gowol praised the sect leader’s efforts.

“If it weren’t for the sect leader, I would have died several times already.”

Indeed, there had been several dangers, but thanks to the sect leader they were overcome.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the sect leader with soft eyes. He knew well how much sacrifice the sect leader made to come to him. Though the reason was Gowol, in the end he was the one benefiting. Every time he called him the ‘sect leader back then,’ but he had no intention of making it so.

The sect leader spoke to the Fiend.

“I heard the news that you left the sect with Igongja.”

“I was enjoying some leisure after a long time.”

The sect leader asked casually.

“Did Igongja take anything from you?”

“Take anything?”

“If you let your guard down for a moment, your things end up with Igongja. I was wondering if you, Fiend, have experienced that.”

The sect leader’s eyes seemed to say, ‘You got robbed too?’ but the Fiend shook his head decisively.

“No such thing happened.”

And he gave a look saying, ‘Do I look like someone who’d get robbed?’

In this invisible battle of nerves, the sect leader was secretly upset.

‘Am I the only one robbed by Igongja?’

He still sometimes thought of the relic he gave Geom Mugeuk. Having left the sect, he didn’t feel attachment or greed for the relic itself.

But sometimes he doubted if he was a fool who gave away everything without hesitation, losing out alone. Such feelings contributed to his recent melancholy.

Then Geom Mugeuk said,

“By the way, I have come to take the Fiend as my master.”

Upon hearing that, the sect leader was startled.

“Really?”

“Yes. From now on, the Fiend is my master.”

The sect leader couldn’t hide his surprise. Then his mood toward the Fiend improved.

‘You got robbed too! You lost yourself completely!’

What pleased the sect leader most was this thought.

‘I’m not the only one who suffers loss!’

It was a great consolation for him. Though the Fiend would never admit it.

Gowol clasped fists to congratulate.

“Congratulations on forming the master-disciple bond.”

The sect leader also congratulated the Fiend.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

The sect leader felt an itch in his mouth.

‘I hope you don’t become that master back then.’

If he had been a bit closer with the Fiend, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) he probably would have said it.

“I will go talk with Officer Go for a while.”

Geom Mugeuk and Gowol went outside.

Now only the Fiend and the sect leader remained. Breaking the awkward silence, the sect leader spoke first.

“You’ve made a big decision.”

“Somehow it happened that way.”

Indeed. Looking back, it just happened like that. A smile appeared on the sect leader’s lips.

This time the Fiend asked.

“You’ve made a big decision too, sect leader.”

“Ma Jon might find my state amusing.”

“Amusing? What do you mean?”

“Seeing you leave Pungcheon Sect and wander alone in the Central Plains.”

They would never have exchanged a word under normal circumstances. But with Geom Mugeuk as a focal point, conversations that normally wouldn’t happen took place.

“Why are you alone? Earlier you had Officer Go and your disciple, right?”

“Officer Go said you support the Great Duke.”

“That’s right.”

The sect leader said unexpectedly.

“Don’t treat my disciple carelessly.”

The sect leader showed no fear toward the Fiend.

“You only risked half, but we risked everything on your disciple.”

The Fiend said nothing and sipped his tea.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk and Gowol stepped into the courtyard. When alone, Geom Mugeuk comforted Gowol.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Less hard than becoming Fiend’s disciple, I suppose.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled without denying it.

“Before I tell you why I sent word to meet Lord, I have one request.”

“Speak.”

“The sect leader has been struggling lately.”

How? For what reason? How much?

Geom Mugeuk did not ask. The fact that Gowol spoke separately like this was enough to understand.

“I still dream of the time bound by shackles. Sometimes I talk with the Thunderbell. Escaping the past isn’t easy. The sect leader must feel the same.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled at him.

“I will talk to him separately.”

“Thank you.”

Now that he had spoken to Geom Mugeuk, Gowol no longer worried.

“Why did you want to see me?”

Then Gowol said unexpectedly.

“Have you ever heard of ‘Immortal Debt’ (Shinseonchae)?”