I had been practicing martial arts in the training hall until late.

Right now, the most important thing for me was training. The moment I lose to Hwa Mugi, all the effort I’ve put into building this foundation would be for nothing, no matter how valuable and extraordinary it has been.

When training becomes too difficult, I often imagine such scenarios: dying at Hwa Mugi’s hands just because I was one step short in my practice. Of course, something like that isn’t likely to happen, but such despairing thoughts can help push away laziness.

Fortunately, today’s training was the most pleasant I’ve had since my regression.

A steady yet powerful internal force surged from my lower abdomen. The power of my techniques had become much stronger, and my speed had increased.

Now, my inner power was at a level where I could stand toe-to-toe with the Demon Lords in life-or-death battles. Considering my age, it was an unbelievable level of power.

‘Still not enough.’

I need more. The more, the better, when it comes to inner power.

In the continued training of the Wind God’s Divine Steps, significant progress had been made. There would come a moment when I would face a wall, but for now, at the beginning stages of my training, I felt my skills improving with every ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) movement.

The more I used the Wind God’s Divine Steps, the more I was consumed by a desire to fight. The technique constantly provoked my fighting spirit.

— Endure. Your time to reveal yourself to the world will come.

After completing a set of basic steps, someone spoke from behind.

"Your power has grown again."

Startled, I turned around to see my father standing there.

"You really are like a ghost."

The way he had come up behind me without a sound and then figured out that my inner power had grown just from watching my movements—it was uncanny.

I spoke honestly.

"I obtained the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill from Blood Heaven Butcher."

It was a huge revelation, but my father didn’t seem particularly surprised.

"Why aren’t you surprised?"

"Didn’t you say you would get something from him?"

"But it’s the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill!"

"I knew that Butcher had the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill."

I was shocked. How could my father have known? Blood Heaven Butcher had never told anyone about it.

"How did you know?"

Then came an even more shocking revelation.

"I gave it to him a long time ago."

"What?! You gave it to him?"

I suddenly recalled Blood Heaven Butcher saying that he and my father were closer than I was to him. This made it clear that their relationship had once been quite good.

"What did you wager in your bet with him?"

"I wagered myself."

"Looks like Butcher lost big."

"My turn begins now. I plan to make sure the Eight Demon Lords pay dearly."

If this had been in the past, my father would have mocked me with one line, but today, he remained silent.

"Why are you just listening?"

"Because I think you might actually pull it off."

"Now you see my true potential."

"Why do you hate the Demon Lords so much?"

"Whenever I look at them, I hear these voices in my head: 'Hey, you want to be the Heavenly Demon, don’t you? But how? You need our help to become the Heavenly Demon. Want me to back you up? Then show me you’re worth it.'"

"Isn’t that just a victim complex?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I don’t like it."

I wasn’t planning to fight this battle alone. It would be one that I would fight with my father, so I made sure to speak honestly, especially when it came to the Eight Demon Lords. I could manage relationships with others, but not with my father—my bond with him couldn’t be tangled.

"Keep training."

As my father turned to leave, I expressed my gratitude.

"Thank you for appointing Jang Ho as the new Demon Lord."

"It wasn’t just because of you. Two other Demon Lords recommended him."

I called out to him once more.

"Father."

He didn’t turn around but replied.

"Why?"

"I’ll be happy."

For a moment, I felt a slight tremble in his back. It must have been an unexpected remark for him.

"I believe that if I’m happy, those around me will also be happy, and the sect will become happy as well."

Before my father could say anything, I cut in.

"It’s the kind of cheap emotional sentiment you’d expect, right?"

"I understand now."

Just as my father was about to leave through the door, he added something.

"Forget about happiness if you plan to walk this path."

He raised his voice before closing the door.

"I refuse. I will still be happy, even while walking this path."

The door slammed shut with a thud, as if he were dismissing my words as an impossible dream.

I understood why my father resented the word "happiness." Both he and I had lived lives far from it.

Happiness was something that the defeated clung to for escape.

But Father, I’ve learned that living while striving for happiness is just as difficult as striving for success.

...No, maybe it’s even harder than just running after success. Perhaps, we’ve been escaping into success all this time.

Indeed, the Sword Lord of Ilhwa was different from Blood Heaven Butcher.

While she could have rushed over to flaunt her help in making Jang Ho the new Demon Lord, she hadn’t made a sound.

‘She wants me to come to her.’

This alone showed how much she valued face and honor. In contrast, Blood Heaven Butcher was the type to prioritize his emotions. If he were upset, he would rush over and shout, feeling satisfied afterward.

I bought a bottle of good wine and went to find the Sword Lord of Ilhwa.

She was tending to the garden in the small yard of her room.

"The flowers are beautiful."

"There’s a saying that flowers become more beautiful as you grow older. For someone like you, it’s still a distant future."

She probably wouldn’t understand that, once she grew older, even that would become a nuisance.

"I sincerely thank you for your help this time. As a token of my gratitude, I brought you some wine."

"Thank you for the gift, but I don’t drink. I’ve quit drinking for a long time."

"Oh, I see. My apologies."

"It’s fine."

I already knew this, but I purposely brought the wine to avoid the impression that I knew her too well. I didn’t want to seem too calculating. Maybe I didn’t need to go this far, but sometimes the little things matter in building relationships.

"I was taught that when you receive help, you should repay it. Is there anything you would like?"

She was still trimming the flowers as she replied in a gentle tone.

"You should sever your ties with Butcher."

Just as I expected, she raised this as the price for her help.

"May I ask why?"

"Butcher is someone who is far from the ideals you pursue."

"Forgive my impudence, but do you know what my ideals are?"

"You said you wanted to change the sect into one with strict order and discipline, right? Butcher is someone who despises being bound by discipline. You’ll have many conflicts with him."

She probably thought that her persuasion would work on me. She had an overflowing pride in herself, and compared to Butcher, she likely saw herself as a far better person.

"I’m sorry, but I cannot follow your advice."

For a moment, her expression froze.

"Why?"

"Because Butcher gave me a great gift."

I wouldn’t normally mention the gift, but I intended to drop the fact that I had received the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill from him.

I planned to make both Blood Heaven Butcher and the Sword Lord of Ilhwa my allies.

Their relationship was so deeply strained that it would be easier to handle than I thought. What mattered more was that their emotions would inevitably surface, and that would allow me to learn more about who they truly were.

Blood Heaven Butcher would be the Left, and Ilhwa the Right.

They would become the most powerful Left and Right in martial arts history, the Left Blade and Right Sword. With them by my side, I intended to shake the other Eight Demon Lords and control them.

"What gift is it?"

"It’s a personal gift, so I can’t exactly say."

"I thought our relationship had reached the point where we could discuss such matters openly, or was I mistaken?"

"Oh, it’s troublesome."

After a moment of pretending to hesitate, I spoke, as if it couldn’t be helped.

"I’ll tell you, since you’ve helped me greatly. Butcher gave me the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill."

"What?!"

She stopped tending to the flowers and turned to face me. The composed demeanor she had shown moments ago shattered in an instant.

"Did Butcher really give you the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill?"

It seemed unbelievable to her that Butcher had given me the pill. She was more shocked than I had anticipated.

"Where is the pill now?"

"I’ve already consumed it. But why are you so surprised?"

"Butcher is a greedy man. How could he give such a precious thing to you? How could I not be surprised?"

"It seems he judged me to be more valuable than the pill."

It was a light joke, but she didn’t smile. She probably believed it to be true.

"Thank you again for your help. If you ever need my assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll see you next time."

I gave a polite bow and was about to leave when she called out to me softly.

"Scholar."

When I turned around, the Sword Lord of Ilhwa spoke.

"What do you think of Butcher?"

"He's eccentric, violent, and does things his own way. I didn’t like him at first, but the more I met him, the more I understood him."

"You don’t think it’s because he gave you the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill?"

"I can’t deny that. Who wouldn’t appreciate the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill?"

"It’s just a mere elixir."

"That ‘mere elixir’ was exactly what I needed."

She had been trying so hard to sever the connection between Butcher and me.

"If you want my help in the future, you must sever ties with Butcher. He’s not the right person."

"Then prove it."

"What do you mean?"

I stared at her for a moment before speaking.

"Prove to me that you are more useful to me than Butcher."

For a brief moment, her expression tightened.

"Didn’t you say you would reform the sect and establish justice?"

"Butcher gave me the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill. If I am to sever ties with him, I need a valid reason."

"Isn’t the ideal of reforming the sect enough reason?"

I smiled lightly, as if to show her.

"Dreams, ideals, loyalty... People who try to win over their subordinates or juniors with such things, I despise them."

At that moment, she became angry, and I saw her true expression.

Her cold, sharp gaze revealed a desolate emptiness.

Her eyes felt like a barren desert.

If I had seen the blazing flames in Blood Heaven Butcher’s eyes, in Ilhwa’s eyes, I felt an unbearable thirst.

It was a striking contrast to her previously gentle demeanor.

It became clear to me, as if speaking of hindsight.

After Hwa Mugi sealed the sect, she was the first to act. Her ambition, why it was more urgent than the others, became clear. She had to fill that emptiness somehow.

Normally, I would have put down my whip and started carving a carrot, but I didn’t.

"You may not know how you see me, but I’m preparing for a great undertaking. I’ll meet many people and make many decisions along the way. I’m not sure I’ll always know what’s right and wrong. So, show me something I can easily decide."

With that, I extended my hand toward her.

"Place something more valuable than the Heaven-Defying Divine Pill in my hand."

Butcher is not the one? Absolutely not. It must be Blood Heaven Butcher. That’s why you’re shaking like this. That’s why I’m asking these questions.

"What do you want, Scholar?"

I closed my palm again as I handed it to her. I wasn’t asking for her help, not yet.

"No, nothing for now."

To her, it would sound like this.

"I already have Butcher. I’m fine."

Because I said I didn’t want anything, she would become more anxious. If I had demanded something, she would have responded rationally.

"Then I’ll see you next time. I won’t forget the favor you did for me."

I gave her a polite bow before leaving the small room.

After walking for a while, I looked back, and she was standing in the same place, staring at me.

I lowered my head slightly to her intense gaze, then continued walking.

Yes, let that resentment boil.

Only when the water boils, does the cooking begin.