As I returned to my quarters, I was faced with an unexpected visitor waiting for me.

To my surprise, it wasn’t Hyeolcheon Doma who was waiting at that spot, but Ilhwa Geomjon.

Even more surprisingly, she had set up a drinking table.

"Lord, you must have had a hard day today. Please, have a drink."

"Thank you, Senior."

I sat down in front of Ilhwa Geomjon. I smiled comfortably, just as I had when facing Hyeolcheon Doma, but inwardly, I was tense.

"Didn’t you say you don’t drink alcohol?"

"This drink isn’t for me, it’s for you, Lord."

"Thank you."

She poured me some alcohol.

I didn’t hesitate to drink it.

"What would you have done if that drink had been poisoned? You didn’t even check before drinking."

"I didn’t check, but I did prepare."

"How?"

I spat out the poison-neutralizing wine. It not only blocked the poison but also neutralized it when held in the mouth while drinking.

"When did you do this?"

"I subtly asked while greeting you earlier."

"Even though you drank the poison-neutralizing wine, why didn’t it show on your face?"

"It’s the highest-grade poison-neutralizing wine, so it’s very small, and I’ve trained to prevent any signs even when it's in my mouth."

A look of admiration briefly flashed across Ilhwa Geomjon’s face.

"With all due respect, Senior, I know you don’t have favorable feelings for me. In that situation, I couldn’t have drunk the wine you offered without hesitation, could I?"

Since I was honest about drinking the poison-neutralizing wine, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she confirmed one thing.

"Did you drink poison-neutralizing wine when Doma gave you his drink?"

"No, I didn’t."

At that moment, Ilhwa Geomjon’s expression hardened.

"You trust Doma, but you don’t trust me?"

"I’ve had many dealings with Elder Doma before the first drink, so I’m more comfortable with him."

"We’ve had dealings too, haven’t we?"

"No, we haven’t."

Ilhwa Geomjon, who had been defending herself, couldn’t continue.

"I recommended Jangho to you more than once, remember?"

"You did recommend him, but it wasn’t for me. It was to force me to cut ties with Elder Doma. Was that really for my benefit?"

I didn’t just push Ilhwa Geomjon into a corner with my answer.

"I do want to create a lot of things with you, Senior. That’s why I’ll drink the wine you offer without the poison-neutralizing wine."

"Don’t say things you don’t mean."

"Why would I say something I don’t mean?"

"Because in your heart, Doma is there, isn’t he?"

"If you were me, who would you want to have in your heart?"

With that, I drank without the poison-neutralizing wine. Ilhwa Geomjon’s expression softened at my action, showing that she trusted me.

She was someone who even rejected being compared to Doma. She had the confidence to believe that if she had to choose between the two, she would always be chosen.

"Lord."

"Yes."

"Say what you want."

"I want you to help me become the successor. But please, help me without the condition of cutting ties with Elder Doma. That’s the only thing I desire."

"Lord, there is no help in this world without conditions, except from your parents."

Ilhwa Geomjon stood up after rejecting my request. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly asked, as if something had crossed her mind.

"Is it true that you gave Doma a birthday present?"

"Yes."

Her eyes trembled. She had asked as if it was a casual thought, but she probably wanted to confirm it herself.

"Can I ask what you gave him?"

I picked up the poison-neutralizing wine on the table.

"I gave him this."

"You gave him something rare."

"Because I received something rare from him."

Ilhwa Geomjon seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.

"I’ll be having a drink at the Pungnyu Tavern later. If you think of it, come join me."

Without answering, Ilhwa Geomjon left.

When I returned to my quarters to change clothes, there was another visitor.

To my surprise, my father was waiting in the yard of my quarters. After the two Ma Jeon, now my father as well. If I were to title the day, it would be "Meetings with Great Figures."

"What brings you to this humble place?"

"I came to see how you’re living."

It was the first time my father had come to my quarters. We had never hunted together, never eaten together, and this was the first time he had come to visit me here. There were so many firsts with my father.

"Shall we go inside?"

"Why would I go into a smelly room where a man lives alone?"

"Then let me bring out a chair for you."

"No need. I’ve sat enough for today."

"True. I’ve heard from the court physician that sitting too long is the worst for your health. They say you shorten your life the more you sit. Don’t sit too long in the Taesa Office."

I went and stood beside my father, standing side by side.

"Do you want to live a long life?"

"Of course. There’s still so much I haven’t done. I want to do it all before I die."

Then I looked at my father.

"What about you? Is there anything you want to try besides being the Heavenly Demon?"

"No."

His answer was so firm that it seemed as though it meant, "There are too many things to say."

"I want to go out to the Central Plains with you someday."

My father glanced at me.

"Don’t tell me you want to go fight the Wulin Alliance?"

That joke seemed to amuse my father, and he smiled lightly.

"I just want to look around places where people live. What do you think? How about going out and seeing the world with me someday? I’ve heard the Snow Mountains are so cool in the summer."

My father didn’t respond.

We both stood silently, watching the sunset in the distance.

"I met Ilhwa Geomjon on the way. She said if I cut ties with Doma, she’d back me up."

I told my father exactly as it was.

"Who do you want to ally with?"

"I think it’d be easier to deal with Geomjon. Doma has a cute side to him."

"You’ll die if you’re too careless."

"Indeed, the old man has a knack for making people let their guard down."

My father probably knew Doma better than anyone.

"Why did you give Doma the Cheonoe Shin Dan?"

"I entrusted him with a task long ago."

My father didn’t tell me what the task was. It must have been something from their younger days.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I want both of them. The Left Sword, the Left and Right Hands."

My father turned his head and looked at me.

"It’s not just a greedy desire. My instincts are telling me that if I take those two, who are like rivals, the result will be better. It will be hard at first, but later, it will be easier. That’s what keeps whispering to me."

"Where does that confidence come from?"

"Isn’t it the confidence you passed down to me, in my blood?"

The sunset reached its peak, and the sky turned red, casting a warm glow on both my father and me.

Suddenly, my father spoke.

"Geomjon is a man with many wounds."

I looked back at him, but he didn’t say anything further. Was it a hint for me to use it to my advantage, or was it a message to be more lenient with him?

"When I first met Hyeolcheon Doma, he said that he had lived his life with misfortune and that it was better not to see him often. But recently, I see him almost as often as I see you."

I reaffirmed my determination to bring both of them with me.

"I’ve fought against misfortune, so I’ll face the wounds as well."

That evening, I drank at the Pungnyu Tavern.

I had invited both Hyeolcheon Doma and Ilhwa Geomjon. I didn’t know who would come, or if neither would show up.

"Try this."

The owner, Jo Chunbae, brought a dish and handed it to me. It seemed like he made it especially for me.

"Thank you. Sit down and have a drink with me."

"Ah, how could I sit down?"

"It seems you don’t want to drink with me."

"Not at all."

Jo Chunbae sat down.

I poured him a drink. He kept saying "Oh my, oh my" as he took the drink.

"There’s no need to be so formal."

"Not at all. I must show respect. Thanks to you, Master, we’ve become much more comfortable."

"Have you become more comfortable?"

"Of course. After the Yellow Spring Division opened a branch in this alley, the trouble with the drunken ruffians has greatly decreased. And the number of people leaving debts they won’t pay has also gone down."

"That’s good to hear."

"It’s all thanks to you, Lord."

"Please let me know if anything happens that needs my attention."

"Of course."

After drinking the wine I poured, Jo Chunbae stood up and left.

Just then, another person came and bowed.

"Thank you, Lord."

He didn’t say why he was thanking me, but he probably also received help from the Yellow Spring Division.

After he bowed and quickly returned to his spot, someone else approached and spoke.

"Seems you’re quite popular."

The person carrying a large sword on his back was none other than Hyeolcheon Doma. His appearance froze the room. Last time, when I drank with Doma, it was early and there were no guests. But today, there were many.

How could it be comfortable to drink in a place like this?

I stood up and addressed the crowd.

"Master Doma is a person of great character. So, don’t worry and drink up. Just make sure not to cause trouble."

I made a joke, and the tension eased.

I sat back down, and Hyeolcheon Doma spoke gruffly.

"Why are you lying?"

"It’s a good lie. I came here to drink, but I can’t drink while watching my back, can I?"

"If you don’t like it, you can leave."

"If you want to say that, please give money to these people first. Take this money and go somewhere else to drink. And pay the owner for the loss as well."

"Always pretending to be good."

"It’s not pretending, it’s basic."

"Is this the way of the demon?"

"What, is a demon not a person?"

"Hey, Lord. At times like this, I can’t tell if you’re from the main sect or the Wulin Alliance."

I didn’t consider myself a true disciple of the demonic sect. It was an unavoidable fact. In my past {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} life, I left the main sect and wandered the Central Plains for the rest of my life.

I met many people during that time. From my days as a wandering swordsman to the countless figures I encountered while seeking materials for the great law. I was wounded, angry, and I learned what true humanity meant.

That’s when my life philosophy was shaped. In a sense, I can say that I’m neither a practitioner of the demonic way, the orthodox way, nor the unorthodox way.

Eradicating absolute evil and building a new demonic way stemmed from that experiential background.

I raised my glass with a cheerful voice.

"Here’s to the birthday celebrations. It’s still before midnight, so my wishes are valid."

"Lower your voice."

Though he didn’t take anything seriously, it seemed that birthday celebrations were a bit burdensome to him. Honestly, it was the first time I had seen him embarrassed since we met.

Who else would celebrate like this? Of course, he must have received countless formal birthday gifts, but today’s occasion must have been different.

"Don’t do unnecessary things from now on. What’s so good about growing old that you need to celebrate it?"

"Well, I’m just using this as an excuse to drink and have fun."

"You seem to like drinking more than I thought."

"Yes, I do. I have a few ‘wine bugs’ inside me. Some come out when it rains, some when I’m feeling down or troubled. Do you like drinking, Elder?"

"I used to like it... but these days, I’ve cut back a lot."

Just then, a loud, clear voice came from behind us.

"Looks like you haven’t quit after all."

When I turned my head, Ilhwa Geomjon was standing a little distance away.