The Sword Lord of Ilhwa was a beautiful woman.

On the outside, she appeared to be in her twenties, but in reality, she was twice that age. And so, there is a saying in the sect.

"Though the world changes, the Sword Lord does not."

In fact, as the years went by, she seemed to grow even younger.

But if one were to be deceived by her delicate appearance and act foolishly, their tongue would be swiftly severed, and a cold steel sword would be driven into their heart. Her weapon, the Ilhwa Sword, which she crafted with her own hands, had a scabbard adorned with a red camellia flower, a symbol as intense as the blood it could spill.

"It’s been a long time, Elder."

"That word, ‘elder,’ I can never get used to it. Would you call me ‘senior’ instead?"

She addressed me politely, as she did not only with me but with even the lowliest of warriors, always respectful and never losing her composure.

"Considering my position in relation to you, that would not be appropriate."

"Is it because I’m older and should be respected? I don’t believe that’s necessary. Respect should be given to those who deserve it. Even if someone is younger, they should be respected if they are worthy of it."

"Understood. I will follow your wishes. In return, please feel free to call me ‘this scholar’ when you speak to me."

"Very well."

I introduced Seo Daeryong to her.

"This is the special investigator who has been looking into the recent incident. He came to explain the details."

Seo Daeryong respectfully cupped his hands in front of her.

"I am Special Investigator Seo Daeryong. I am here to report on the incident."

At this, the Sword Lord of Ilhwa raised her hand to stop him.

"That’s enough. If the Yellow Spring Division has ruled that a crime has been committed, then that person is guilty. If it’s someone who has violated a young girl, then they deserve to die. The matters that occurred during the investigation of this case are not something I will raise any issue about."

I gestured for Seo Daeryong to step back. He quietly withdrew outside the small room.

The Sword Lord of Ilhwa gave me a faint smile. She had already noticed that my reason for coming was not solely to discuss the matter at hand.

"I’ve heard that, thanks to your efforts, a wave of change is sweeping through the sect these days."

"It’s a chaotic mess."

"If it leads to the sect’s development, then is it really a chaotic mess?"

The Sword Lord of Ilhwa was considered the one among the Eight Demon Lords who was least suited to the demonic ways. Just look at this shabby little room. It was decorated with an elegance more fitting for a retired master of a prestigious orthodox sect.

"You’re doing great work."

"None of this would be possible without the strong support of you, Senior."

She shook her head.

"Don’t try to polish this wrinkled face."

This was clearly a statement made with intent. She was leading me to say something.

"What are you talking about? You still look like you’re in your twenties."

"In my twenties? That’s nonsense!"

She waved her hand, but I could not miss the smile creeping up her face, unable to hide it.

"This person is someone who only needs to step back and contemplate the way of the martial arts."

But her life had been very different from her words.

After her father was killed at the hands of Hwa Mugi, and the sect ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) was forced into seclusion, internal power struggles began to break out. Not just in the Eight Demon Lords, but among the famous masters of the sect who each vied for the position of Sect Leader.

So, who became the first leader?

Surprisingly, it was this woman standing before me, the Sword Lord of Ilhwa. It was hard to believe, given her gentle smile and calm demeanor, but she had been the first to take action and seize the position of Sect Leader.

The process had been drenched in blood. She was ruthless. Throughout her short-lived reign, bloodshed followed her. If only she had been better at politics, perhaps things would have gone differently. But her leadership did not follow her ambition.

A lack of ability paired with excessive ambition caused all kinds of tragedies, and before three years had passed, she lost her life to the next Sect Leader. This was why my assessment of her could not be anything but harsh.

"To be honest, when this incident occurred, I felt a great deal of pressure."

"Why was that?"

"You must have heard, but recently, there have been many conflicts with Nam Dojong."

I casually mentioned Blood Heaven Butcher’s conflict with Nam Dojong. They were known to be the two most hostile figures in the Eight Demon Lords, and as a result, their subordinates, the demonic soldiers and the martial swords, also had a fierce animosity toward each other.

"Blood Heaven Butcher put intense pressure on me. And now, there’s a new conflict with the Sword Sect..."

"I am a very different person from Butcher!"

Her voice rose at the mere mention of Blood Heaven Butcher’s name, as if she found it offensive to be associated with him.

"Of course, you are completely different."

"Now that it’s come up, I’ve heard that Butcher recommended Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord of the Demonic Army. What’s going on there?"

Although she seemed to spend all her time training alone in her room, she was fully aware of the sect’s happenings. It was as if she were showing that her quest for power was not by chance.

"Jang Ho is highly capable and loyal."

"I’m not asking about his capabilities. I’m asking why Butcher chose him as the new Demon Lord."

"To be honest, Jang Ho is someone I can trust."

She didn’t seem surprised, as she must have already known. This was exactly what she had been waiting to hear.

"How did you persuade Butcher?"

"I provoked his pride. As a Demon Lord, I said he should make a decision for the sect. It wasn’t because of personal connections or political power, but because he truly needed to recommend the most capable person."

"Butcher isn’t persuaded by such things."

"True. He probably didn’t want to lose me. But, anyway, Butcher said that among the Eight Demon Lords, he is the one who cares the most for the sect."

She seemed to scowl at this, but I pretended not to notice and continued.

"However, even you, Senior, seem to be finding it difficult to appoint Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord. Although the General has suggested a method, it is still not easy."

"What method did the General propose?"

"He suggested that if another Demon Lord were to recommend him, it would be possible. The problem is, there isn’t another Demon Lord who is willing to support that."

"Why do you think that?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think Butcher is the only Demon Lord who cares for the sect?"

"Well, that’s not true, but..."

She fixed me with a cold gaze.

"Are you trying to manipulate my pride to get Butcher’s support and recommend Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord?"

Now was the time to be honest. When tricks and truths intertwine, that’s when a plot starts to take shape.

"Did you realize?"

"Why are you going this far?"

"To get my hands on the Demon Lord position. With that influence, I want to become the next Sect Leader as quickly as possible."

She gazed at me quietly.

Why had Blood Heaven Butcher chosen me? Had he sensed my potential as a successor and acted first? Perhaps, if so, it was because Butcher didn’t want me to be his sole competitor. He didn’t want to give me even a scrap.

Why?

Because she truly despised Butcher.

When she first became Sect Leader, the first person she killed was none other than Blood Heaven Butcher.

The next day, the Sword Lord of Ilhwa recommended Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord.

This shocking news caused a stir throughout the sect. It had never happened before that the new Demon Lord had been recommended by two Demon Lords, especially when those two were as hostile as Blood Heaven Butcher and the Sword Lord of Ilhwa. Naturally, Jang Ho became the center of attention.

Even in the Heavenly Demon Sect’s council, Sect Leader Geom Woojin and General Sima Myeong were discussing the matter.

"I never expected this scholar would bring Ilhwa into this."

"They must have used their conflict."

"Everyone knows about their discord, but no one could have achieved it this easily."

Both Blood Heaven Butcher and the Sword Lord of Ilhwa were formidable figures. Trying to manipulate their conflict would likely have backfired.

"What about Jang Ho? Do you think he’s suitable for the position of Demon Lord?"

"He’s highly capable. However, he is still close to being a pure martial artist and has weak political standing. His selection was a very clever move."

"He wasn’t chosen by chance."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It was an emotional choice. He’s more emotional than I thought."

Sima Myeong found Geom Woojin’s comments odd. Geom Woojin had never before expressed his opinions about his son like this.

"It’s both his strength and his weakness."

At Sima Myeong’s words, Geom Woojin spoke firmly.

"It’s a weakness."

Sima Myeong smiled lightly. It had become evident to everyone that the Sect Leader was gradually opening up to Geom Muguk.

However, that didn’t mean they thought Geom Woojin would appoint Geom Muguk as his successor. Geom Woojin often made decisions that were far from what others expected. For now, it remained uncertain.

"What will you do about the Demon Lord matter?"

"If two people have recommended him, we have no choice but to accept it. They have their dignity to maintain."

Geom Woojin gave the order as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Appoint Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord."

"I don’t know how to repay this favor."

Upon hearing that he had been appointed as the new Demon Lord, Jang Ho was the first to come to me. He was filled with both joy and concern.

"Considering Jang Ho’s personality, I doubt he’ll be able to repay this favor."

"What do you mean by that?"

"There are two reasons I appointed you as Demon Lord. The first is that you’re the most suitable person for the position. I didn’t do it for your sake or mine, but because I believed you were the best fit for the Demon Army and the sect."

"I don’t deserve such praise."

"The second reason is that I want the Demon Army to become my ally. But the first and second reasons conflict. A person as honorable as you won’t easily maintain personal relationships. And just to clarify, I don’t expect you to become close to me, so don’t worry."

Then, Jang Ho said something unexpected.

"Do you remember when we first met? I submitted a petition because of my friend’s death. I risked my life to seek revenge. As you can see, I’m someone who values relationships above all else. If I appeared to be someone who would discard personal relationships for the sake of the organization, you’ve misunderstood me. If you hadn’t come to my aid that day, I probably would have died."

And indeed, he would have. If I hadn’t intervened, he would have died during that incident.

"I want to be loyal to you, Scholar. No, I already am loyal to you. Of course, I’ll remain loyal to the Sect Leader and the sect, and I’ll strive for the Demon Army, but my highest loyalty lies with you."

He was speaking from the heart. I could tell. I had gained a far better person than I had expected.

"I want to be like you."

"What kind of person am I?"

"Someone who, when together, makes any difficult task seem achievable."

"With this much flattery, I don’t have to worry about you suffering any disadvantages in politics."

"Haha, I’m not that pure."

"Please take care of me in the future."

"I will, please take care of me as well."

I firmly shook his large hand. I liked this unexpected side of this big, rough man.