We were standing atop the massive stone statue erected in the Great Training Ground, alongside Geugak Soma.

I sat perched on the outstretched finger of the demon statue, and Geugak Soma stood beside me. From there, the grand and splendid nightscape of the Cheonma Sect spread before us in full view.

Though we said we’d play all night, what exactly would we do? Being with Geugak Soma like this was itself the play.

Suddenly, I recalled our first meeting.

His figure, merged with the white room, standing alone — and the first words I spoke to him:

“What are you looking at?”

To which Geugak Soma answered:

“Nothing at all.”

Now I asked him again.

“What are you looking at?”

He replied:

“I’m watching you slack off. Do you see the guy holding a torch under the west wall? He was supposed to be patrolling back and forth from there, but he’s been squatting down resting for a while now.”

I laughed out loud at the unexpected answer. I laughed in joy at his change.

Thanks to the mind-transmission technique, I could even see the bored expression of the martial artist, who looked tiny as an ant. My telepathic message flew to him—an advanced Thousand-Li Mind Transmission Technique enabled by reaching mastery in internal energy and martial arts.

—Stop slacking off. There’s [N O V E L I G H T] someone scary watching you.

At my message, he jumped up and began moving.

“Looks like Soma-nim heard you. Keen ears.”

Even at my joke, Geugak Soma’s eyes showed surprise. He had noticed I sent the Thousand-Li Mind Transmission. After all, he knew my skills best.

Our gaze returned to the man, now fully alert. As he patrolled back and forth twice more, Geugak Soma suddenly said,

“If it weren’t for the Little Pill Master, I would have died then.”

Owing someone a debt can certainly tilt relations in your favor—especially if the debt is your life, no question there.

But with Geugak Soma, I didn’t want to create such a relationship. I thought this life debt might rather hinder us.

“If it weren’t me, you wouldn’t have been at risk of dying in the first place.”

I rose from my seat and looked at Geugak Soma.

I conveyed my sincerity.

“I hope you don’t think you owe me your life.”

“Why not?”

“Because then the relationship becomes heavy. The moment you think you owe someone, the relationship distorts somehow. You can’t lash out or curse when you want. But I want to. If you mess up, I won’t hesitate to curse you. I want you to curse me when I’m wrong. Because you saved my life. I don’t want our relationship to be one where we hold back what we want to say.”

Seeing Geugak Soma’s gaze deepen, I continued.

“I think truly lasting relationships are light like feathers. When the wind blows, they twirl and fly in the air; when the wind stops, they gently settle back down. I don’t want to build an impregnable fortress with you, Geugak Soma. At first, it might feel good—the feeling of a sturdy bond. But later, the bricks for that fortress become burdens like, ‘What do I have to do this time to impress?’ or disappointment like, ‘I thought we were closer, but you thought so little of me?’ I just want our relationship to be feather-light, so we can comfortably see each other until death.”

Geugak Soma’s eyes shone clearly.

Until death.

I hoped he understood these five words were the core of what I said—that I wanted a bond lasting to the end.

And Geugak Soma truly understood my sincerity.

“Because of the Little Pill Master, I almost died. I’ll buy you a drink later.”

That’s why I like Geugak Soma.

I smiled broadly and replied,

“That’s right. When you have time, let’s go visit Cheonhwa Ruju.”

That was exactly where Geugak Soma, as Soma, felt most at ease drinking.

There, on the demon statue’s fingertip, we watched the deepening nightscape of the Cheonma Sect.

The next morning, the first place I visited was Donggwon Gate. After seeing Father and Hyeolcheon Doma, I had to pay respects to my master.

“Master!”

At Kwonma’s residence, an unfamiliar sight awaited me, as at Hyeolcheon Doma’s garden.

Kwonma and Ian were sparring.

It wasn’t about teaching boxing; Kwonma was countering Ian’s Bicheon Sword Technique with the Byeongnyeok Surakwon.

Is there training more helpful than real combat with Kwonma? I thought Ian might master the Bicheon Sword Technique faster than expected. Once she achieves mastery, no ordinary expert but a Demon Warrior-level one could kill her.

Everyone I met was absorbed in martial arts. Perhaps fate was pushing us toward a great battle.

Familiar with both arts, watching the sparring naturally led me to wonder:

What if it were me?

I imagined myself as the protagonist of this sparring—sometimes swinging a sword as Ian, sometimes throwing punches as Kwonma. Their movements overlapped with mine. Sometimes I mirrored their motions; other times, I performed different moves.

At the end of this fantasy, I even pictured myself fighting both at once—using Bicheon Sword Technique against Kwonma, and boxing against Ian.

A fierce fight of two versus one.

When that fight ended, I gathered the insights from the fantasy. My current level gained such martial accomplishments even watching sparring without thought.

When I opened my closed eyes, Kwonma and Ian were looking at me. They probably thought I closed my eyes to avoid watching.

“Master.”

“You’re here?”

Ian greeted me warmly after I exchanged greetings with Kwonma.

“Master.”

“Ian, don’t treat me like your father!”

Ian seemed to want to retort but restrained herself before Kwonma.

If it were just the two of us, she’d joke, “Do I have to defy even fate to get stronger?”

“Father envies the Master a lot.”

“Me?”

“She said she had a daughter. Well, I would too. Me or my brother? Ian is much better.”

Ian blushed slightly.

“Did Father really say that?”

Since Father allowed Ian to learn the Bicheon Sword Technique, he was absolute to her.

“She might soon challenge Master to a duel. Saying, ‘Make that foster daughter my daughter.’”

I joked, and Kwonma responded,

“Tell her not to covet my daughter.”

Kwonma rarely said such things, so Ian’s face blushed even deeper with excitement.

“Well, have your talk.”

Ian made space.

Kwonma led me out of the residence.

“We have somewhere to go for a moment.”

We arrived at the lodging where Donggwon’s demonic martial artists stayed. Our sudden visit surprised them.

All passing demonic martial artists respectfully bowed with clenched fists.

“Tell everyone to come out.”

By Kwonma’s order, all Donggwon’s demonic martial artists gathered at the training ground—white, blue, red, and the strongest black-clad warriors. Among them was Cheon Sohee.

Since this was the first time Kwonma summoned them here, all were tense.

As Kwonma raised his aura, the surrounding air grew cold and heavy, emphasizing the importance of the announcement. At that breathless moment came a stunning declaration.

“From now on, I appoint Cheon Sohee as my second disciple and designate her as the next Kwonma.”

The unexpected announcement shocked everyone.

Cheon Sohee stood stunned, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Regaining composure, she knelt respectfully.

“I am unworthy of such a great position. I will redouble my efforts and never disappoint you.”

Her voice trembled. She was probably overwhelmed by what she had just said.

Since Ian became the foster daughter, she was naturally the most disappointed. She must have thought Ian would be Kwonma’s successor. So her shock was greater.

“I believe you will do well.”

That one phrase brought tears of gratitude to Cheon Sohee’s eyes. I could sense her determination.

Everyone cheered and congratulated her. She was the most skilled among Donggwon’s demonic martial artists. Thus, this decision followed the majority, and though some were secretly displeased, none dared show it openly.

“Congratulations, Sister.”

My congratulations would further strengthen this decision. The future Sect Leader was congratulating her.

“Thank you, Little Pill Master.”

“Now I have to call you sister.”

“...Sister.”

Having abruptly announced the successor, Kwonma quickly left. I followed him out.

“Why did you bring me?”

“So Sohee thinks you influenced this decision.”

It was consideration for me. He brought me to remind the future Kwonma to serve the future Sect Leader well.

“Our Master is meticulous!”

I realized all Demon Warriors have their own unique thoroughness. They are people who’ve put in efforts far beyond ordinary martial artists, and such a position can never be attained by the reckless.

“You did well. Sohee will be an excellent Kwonma.”

I pictured Cheon Sohee, who inherited all of Kwonma’s martial arts. She would be really amazing. She was the perfect fit for the position.

“When you returned and reported, the Sect Leader must have been pleased?”

“I also showed her Cheonma Boggo.”

“She recognized her true successor.”

“That’s something to be grateful for…”

I stopped briefly. I had something to say to Kwonma about Cheonma Boggo—something to say specifically to him, not to other Demon Warriors.

“Seeing the elixirs prepared there, I understood Father is preparing for war.”

Kwonma said nothing. As one trusted by Father, how could he not know? If war breaks out, Kwonma would be the vanguard.

“I have a favor to ask, Master. It might be a very difficult one.”

“Speak.”

“If Father decides to wipe out the Martial Alliance and Satan Alliance, the Demon Warriors will be the first to declare their loyalty to you.”

Kwonma silently listened.

“I’m not asking you to oppose Father’s will. Even if I asked, you wouldn’t bend. So what is the favor?”

“Please inform me. I will try to persuade and stop Father. Just let me know.”

Even this was a heavy favor—leaking such an important matter to me. Moreover, I have no idea how I’d stop Father.

Still, Kwonma accepted.

“I will tell you.”

He said no more. He didn’t boast how difficult it was. That is the true nature of Kwonma.

“Thank you.”

I nodded politely without further words.

After bidding farewell to Kwonma, Ian waited at the gate.

“I couldn’t ask comfortably earlier because Father was there. Did you handle the Gangseo Branch well?”

I approached and stared intently.

“Honestly, you didn’t worry about me at all, did you?”

“Oh! Should I have?”

She responded jokingly but I sensed no worry at all.

“I miss the days when you paced around, worried only about me.”

“Did I? I don’t really remember.”

She took my teasing as a joke too.

“The only thing I vaguely remember is someone saying, ‘Find the happiness of your life!’”

“I don’t know who said that, but it wasn’t telling you to be this happy.”

Knowing it was praise for doing well, Ian smiled brightly.

“How do you feel about Father?”

“I’m dazed. I could use your advice.”

“I’ve never been a parent either.”

But if parent-child relations are ultimately human relations, this was what I wanted to say to Ian:

“If you try too hard, Master will feel pressured. Think about it. He took you in as his daughter because he liked you. But if you try too hard, are stiff and cautious, is that good? Or if you’re bright and cheerful, make him laugh when you meet, and sometimes make mistakes? That’s okay. Because you’re his child. So don’t miss chances to make him laugh. I think the answer to their relationship lies there.”

Ian looked at me suspiciously.

“You have kids, right? Like five hidden away somewhere?”

“If five kids like me grew up, would that be terrible?”

“Why terrible? I think it’d be really reassuring.”

Ian’s careless remark made her blush. She must have imagined those kids as hers and mine.

She quickly changed the subject.

“About the Deputy Leader of the Guiyeong Corps. I’m thinking of bringing in the younger sibling of the Gui-ryeong I met before.”

“Do as you see fit.”

Finally, Seo-jin was about to enter my life. Whether she comes or not depends on Ian.

After parting with Ian and leaving Donggwon Gate, someone called from the rooftop.

“You’re so busy, when will you come to me?”

It was the Drunkard’s voice.

I walked without looking up.

“Get in line.”

I felt the Drunkard walking along the rooftop.

“The line’s too long. Where’s everyone going? Poison King? Sword Master? Great Lord? Demon Buddha? Hwangcheon Gakju? Demon Lord?”

He didn’t mention Hyeolcheon Doma, Kwonma, or Geugak Soma. He already knew I had met them.

“Were you upset? I didn’t visit you first?”

“Upset? Gotta take care of the elders first.”

“Yeah, if you wait, I’ll come. What’s the rush?”

Hyeolcheon Doma told me the Drunkard was waiting for me. That’s why he said to look after him. Doing this much meant there was definitely something to discuss with me. I threw a joke only I could make to the Drunkard.

“What’s up? Did you make a mistake while sober?”

At that, the Drunkard smiled faintly.

He looked behind me before starting to speak.

“The line is really long. See you later.”

Turning, I saw an unexpected person approaching—someone not even mentioned by the Drunkard earlier. It was Seophonmajon Cheongseon.

She slowly walked to me with a serious face and said,

“Little Pill Master, I have something urgent to discuss with you.”