I definitely have a heart that relies on Hyeolcheon Doma.

If there is a part that relies on my father, there is a separate part that relies on Hyeolcheon Doma.

“Do what you do best.”

“What is it?”

“Kill the leader of the Pungcheon cult.”

I laughed out loud, thinking it was a joke, but Hyeolcheon Doma was serious.

“Why are you laughing? It would kill two birds with one stone. If you kill the leader of the Fengchun sect, no one will dare to oppose you becoming the successor. Plus, you’ll get the subordinates you want.”

“The leader of the Pungcheon Church will not be killed.”

"why?"

“He’s not a good person, but he’s not evil enough to warrant death.”

“That’s not why. Isn’t it because it’s your treasure trove that you can’t kill it?”

“Well, that’s one thing.”

“You are the villain.”

“I admit it.”

“Why do you admit it so easily?”

“How can I catch the bad guys if I’m so good? I’ll become a proper bad guy. Then I’ll take the karma and go to hell.”

“Hell is for people like me. You walk the flower path.”

I was secretly touched because I felt that he really meant what he said.

“Have you already made your decision?”

"yes."

After talking with General Sima Ming, I decided to make the chained man my man.

“He is a member of the Pungcheon sect, so it is not something that can be taken away carelessly.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll leave it to him. Let him come to you himself.”

“He’s a person who’s even tied up in chains?”

“You have to break those chains yourself. Isn’t he someone worth bringing in only if he shows that much ability?”

“That’s true, but I’m not sure I gave him that much confidence. We haven’t even exchanged a word yet.”

That's why I came to see Hyeolcheondoma. I believed that Hyeolcheondoma would understand my feelings, even if other people didn't.

Instead of calling him crazy, he gave me an answer I never would have thought of.

“Then give him confidence.”

“How?”

“Show him your people.”

“!”

“If I show you your people, you will know what kind of person you are. If the person you are recruiting is smart, he will be convinced of you just by seeing your people. I think he will not be able to come without learning.”

I stared at him quietly. I never thought he would give me such advice. His words were even more valuable because they were based on his own experience.

“Why do you look like that?”

“That’s the best advice I’ve ever received.”

“Honestly, it’s not that bad, is it?”

“One of my people is an elder, so that’s the best advice.”

“Then that’s the worst advice?”

This time, I laughed first, and Hyeolcheon Doma laughed along.

“People who come to see me will run away, so show them other people. You didn’t say that with me in mind either.”

I told him firmly.

“You must go too, sir.”

“I don’t like it.”

“It’s not that I want to show the old man to that person.”

"then?"

“I would also like to show you, sir, who I have chosen.”

"why?"

“Wouldn’t that help you get to know me better?”

“So why?”

“I want to give you confidence in me. I want to get closer to you. This is killing two birds with one stone.”

The corners of Hyeolcheondoma's eyes twitched. It was usually an expression he had when he was angry, but now it was an awkward reaction.

“You’re so good at saying such embarrassing things in front of others.”

“Let’s go.”

I jumped up from my seat.

"now?"

“Why delay going anyway? Let’s take everyone who has time. We’ll show each other. What kind of person I chose. And what kind of person I am.”

“As expected, you are…… crazy.”

"ha ha ha."

That's why it's so hard to make one person like me.

The same thing applies to the Bloodthirsty Horse and the Chained Man.

* * *

The air in the room was cold.

The leader of the Fengchun sect was looking out the window, and the man in chains was looking at the thunder bell. The two of them did not say a word for a long time.

Let me say this first, the winner of this fight was already decided. The Chained Man might not say a word for an entire year.

In the end, the leader of the Pungcheon sect spoke first.

"sorry."

It was a difficult apology. So I hoped the answer wouldn't come easily, but the man in the shackles spoke as if he had been waiting.

"it's okay."

It was an /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ apology that he had thought long and hard about, but the leader of the Pungcheon Church got angry again because he took it too lightly.

But it was the same before, and it is the same now. It was not a situation where he could be angry. I don't know about other things, but it was a really big mistake to open up the space where the corpses were piled up. I knew very well how much the chained man liked the space with the blue sky and the fields.

“I guess I’ve been very angry lately, as I’ve been giving the new water to the scholar. I’m sorry.”

The leader of the Pungcheon cult apologized again.

"it's okay."

The leader of the Pungcheon Church hardened his expression at the consistent tone of the answer. Not confident that he would not be caught with this expression, he continued to look out the window. He bit his lip until it bled.

All sorts of distracting thoughts tormented him.

'Is this all because I'm narrow-minded and greedy? Because I'm a small-minded person? Damn it! I can't even win the hearts of my subordinates, so how can I advance to the Central Plains? The other subordinates will do even more? They may swear loyalty on the outside, but they may be laughing at me on the inside.'

If I eat breakfast at a time like this, I'll probably get possessed by a demon.

Just then, a word was heard from behind.

“Hey, leader.”

The moment he heard those words, the leader of the Fengchun sect was overcome with emotion. He was angry and blaming himself, but deep down, he was worried that he would never hear those words again.

"why?"

“The cult leader is trying to hold me in chains and my heart. I told you before. You are not a person who has enough blessings to have everything without having to abandon the cult leader or me.”

“I am the one who rules the new world of martial arts! If I am not blessed, who will be blessed?”

“Did you take over the Saewoo martial arts world with your own power? Leader, you simply inherited it. Of course, if it is a blessing, it is a great blessing, but the blessing I am talking about is not the kind that comes through the umbilical cord.”

“Kkanjok kkankkanjok! You’re making me mad again!”

Then the chained man shut his mouth.

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

I get angry even if I talk, and I get angry even if I don't talk.

The leader of the Fengchun sect knew exactly where his anger came from today.

“Why did you accept the alcohol from the scholar?”

"just."

“Where is the reason? Tell me why. I deserve to hear it.”

The chained man didn't answer. The leader of the Fengchun sect suddenly asked. I really didn't want to ask this question.

“You don’t want to go to the science lab, do you?”

The chained man neither confirmed nor denied.

At that moment, the leader of the Pungcheon Church felt the strength leave his legs.

“Are you really going? Really?”

“Nothing has been decided yet.”

“That’s what it says!”

The eyes of the leader of the Pungcheon Church, who was screaming, were slit open.

“When did you plan this? Did you secretly share the secret with me?”

I wish the answer had been yes.

“The sound was never divided.”

“But how?”

“I read your mind. The scholar wants me.”

“Stop talking nonsense! Stop talking nonsense! Where are you imitating the Sub-Madame? What kind of mind-reading are you?”

The leader of the Fengchun sect now understood why Geommu-geuk had been so angry and upset when he had poured drinks for the chained man. It was not because he had accepted the drink of the shackled man instead of his own.

This is exactly what he had a feeling about it. His own fate, his own instincts, his own premonitions had predicted this shitty thing.

“Do you think I’ll let you go? If I had to kill you, I would have killed you. I would never let you go!”

“Then I guess I should kill you now.”

"what?"

“Kill me when you can. I won’t be able to kill you later.”

The leader of the Pungcheon sect trembled with anger all over his body.

The Chained Man was the only person who understood his heart. Killing him? Letting someone else take him away?

“Are you doing this because you think I can’t kill you? Because you’re ignoring me!”

The leader of the Pungcheon Church walked briskly towards the man in shackles.

He raised his hand in the air.

If you strike down the sword, you will be free from all suffering.

If the chained man had looked up at his face, he might have struck him down.

But the chained man kept his head down and remained still so that he would not feel pangs of conscience.

The leader of the Pungcheon sect was unable to strike him down as he meekly accepted death.

“If I don’t kill you now, I will never be able to kill you. If I decide to live, I won’t be killed by anyone. So if you’re going to kill me, you have to kill me now.”

The hand of the leader of the Pungcheon Church, raised into the air, trembled.

But in the end he couldn't get down.

The leader of the Fengchun sect slowly lowered his hand. The anger that had erupted like lava had calmed down.

“You want to run away alone from this chaotic world? So easily? No way! I won’t let you do that.”

The chained man slowly raised his head. Their gazes met in the air with complicated emotions.

The leader of the Pungcheon Church has not yet given up hope.

“Didn’t you say you haven’t decided to go yet?”

“Yeah. Not yet.”

“I just need to not lose you. I just need to become a better person than Lee Gongja.”

A smile appeared on the corner of the man's mouth. It wasn't a forced smile, it was a natural smile.

“Yes, I will continue to live like this.”

“I told you not to talk like we’re breaking up!”

“Don’t be obsessed with me. I only look bigger when others try to have me.”

“Shut up! I’ll give you a chance to persuade me and then you decide who to serve. They say that love is only as good as hate, but since we’ve spent time together, I guess I can struggle. I’ll tenaciously catch you.”

“That won’t work. He’s not your match.”

The leader of the Fengchun Church let out a sigh. The empty water was already telling him that he couldn’t handle it.

“I can’t just let you go. If you go, take me with you.”

The chained man chuckled. It was the first time he had laughed since their fight.

“Okay. Come with me to the engineer.”

"what?"

The leader of the Pungcheon sect had a blank expression on his face, as he had not expected that he would be asked to go together.

“Are you crazy?”

But what the chained man said next was even more surprising.

“You decided to make Lee Gongja a Heavenly Demon? Let’s go together and make Lee Gongja a Heavenly Demon. Then, the leader’s dream will naturally come true. If Lee Gongja were the current Lee Gongja, he would be the one to create the main branch of the Pungcheon Church next to the Cheonmasin Church.”

“You crazy bastard! You’re talking like that.”

Then the subordinate outside spoke.

“The scholars and guests have arrived.”

“Guests?”

“Yes. There are five of us in this group.”

The leader of the Pungcheon sect sighed and shook his head.

“Ah! You really push so hard.”

Originally, he would have been really annoyed, but the leader of the Pungcheon Church had a calm and composed expression on his face.

“You’re right. We talk too much about the Duke of Yi. That’s why you always come to me like a tiger that has listened to me.”

The leader of the Pungcheon Church said to his subordinates.

“Come and invite them. And prepare plenty of drinks and snacks.”

"yes!"

The leader of the Fengchun sect looked at the man in chains. His gaze was different from usual.

“It seems that fate is asking you to negotiate. Yes, let’s decide today. Whether Lee Gong-ja dies or I die. Whether you go to Lee Gong-ja or stay with me. Let’s decide everything today. Instead, judge fairly.”

“In that respect, the person with the engineering degree is at a disadvantage. As the leader said, I have more affection for you.”

“Okay, then that’s fine.”

Soon after, the Geommu Theater group entered.

The leader of the Pungcheon Church greeted the guests with a hearty laugh as if nothing had happened.

“Hahaha, come in quickly!”

Thus began the drinking party that would change their fate.