Jang Ho was not the type to speak out.

However, he couldn’t stand the arrogance of the man with the shackles who dared to talk about the position of the right arm.

He was the first to realize that today’s gathering was because of that shackled man.

"Perhaps our presence here today has something to do with that shackled man."

So, he sent a telepathic message to Ian and Seo Daeryong.

Ian boldly took action, and Seo Daeryong followed suit.

With his wealth of battlefield experience, Jang Ho instinctively recognized that this was a battlefield where invisible battles would continue.

At Jang Ho’s words, the shackled man raised his head and locked eyes with him. The large scar on Jang Ho’s face seemed to twitch.

The shackled man spoke to Jang Ho.

"Why are you so obsessed with the right arm? If it were me, I’d just watch the right arms fight while I use my left."

"I don’t have such a hobby of enjoying other people’s fights. I’ve aimed to become the right arm, so I’ll work to become it."

"How very manly of you."

"Thank you."

At that moment, the leader of the Wind Sky Sect, who had been watching silently, sent a telepathic message to the shackled man.

"How very manly? What a load of nonsense. When did you ever say such things?"

"I suppose you don’t know me well. I’m a person who can speak all sorts of things. I make jokes and chat about nonsense too."

"Damn! Why bring up something like that in this situation?"

"The conversation started with the sect leader, after all."

"That may be true. But what are these people doing, gathering around you now?"

"Can’t you tell? They’re all working hard for their leader."

"How cowardly! I’m alone here."

"What have you been doing? How many subordinates does the sect leader have?"

"So what? Does the Fourth Prince cherish his subordinates more than others?"

"Even if I go to the Fourth Prince, it will be for reasons that have nothing to do with them. Even if a hundred people come and praise the Fourth Prince, it would be the same. So don’t worry about them."

"Then what reason are you going for?"

But the shackled man did not explain his reason.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect spoke to Geom Muguk.

"The Fourth Prince has good subordinates."

"He’s probably got more than you, sect leader."

"No, I’m a lonely person. Aside from that one, no one understands me."

"To have someone who understands you is a great blessing in life."

"That blessing has been with me for a long time. I hope it stays by my side for a while longer."

Geom Muguk didn’t mention the shackles, knowing that pressing the issue would only work against him.

"Now, let me pour you a drink."

As the leader of the Wind Sky Sect poured the drink, he infused his internal energy into it. The ability to pour a drink without breaking the glass while infusing internal energy was a technique that only true masters could execute. Without sufficient internal energy, one would never be able to hold the drink to the end.

Drip, drip.

However, Geom Muguk showed no change in expression as the glass was filled to the brim.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect was secretly shocked.

‘No way... Has he surpassed my internal energy? That can’t be!’

Compared to his shock, Geom Muguk’s expression remained calm. He took the drink and passed the glass back.

"Now, please accept my drink."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect’s expression stiffened. If he didn’t accept Geom Muguk’s drink, he would be embarrassed in front of so many people.

But he couldn’t refuse for the sake of face.

"Alright. Let’s have the drink of the rising dragon of the sect."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect took the drink.

Once again, the drink carried internal energy. The leader tried his best to remain composed. The internal energy was strong enough to be endured.

"The taste is quite good."

"Let’s drink until we’re drunk tonight."

"Sounds good."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect sent a telepathic message to the shackled man, proudly.

"Did you see? Accepting the drink infused with the Fourth Prince’s internal energy? It was nothing."

"The Fourth Prince was just saving face for the sect leader. He probably didn’t want to, but he infused his internal energy just to make sure the sect leader wouldn’t be embarrassed. He didn’t even infuse all of it."

"...."

In fact, the leader of the Wind Sky Sect had felt that way first. They had exchanged internal energy physically, so how could he not have noticed? He had tried to show off in front of the shackled man, but had inadvertently revealed his own shortcomings.

"Don’t get disheartened. I know well what kind of person the sect leader is."

"It’s because of you that I feel more withdrawn. I’m usually better than this, but I keep making mistakes."

"I understand that too."

Geom Muguk noticed that the leader of the Wind Sky Sect was exchanging telepathic messages with the shackled man.

But he pretended not to notice and continued drinking. At that moment, a telepathic message from the Blood Heaven Butcher arrived.

"Why didn’t you humiliate him?"

"If I hurt his pride, the situation will worsen."

"You should have shown him when you had the chance. You should have trampled him properly. People’s hearts are simpler than you think."

"Maybe he saw something more important than that."

"Isn’t that a bit of an overestimation?"

"Maybe."

The drinking continued.

Geom Muguk kept his conversation calm and steady with the leader of the Wind Sky Sect, avoiding any attacks in his words or actions. His strategy was to avoid targeting the leader.

Geom Muguk focused on why he was here today. It was to show his people to the shackled man.

"Seo investigator. How’s your martial arts training going lately?"

"It’s tough, but I’m working hard."

Then the Blood Heaven Butcher cut in.

"Tough, huh?"

"No, it’s not tough."

"Really? We should increase the training load then."

"No, it’s terribly difficult."

Geom Muguk laughed and joined their conversation.

"Pleasing the elder is as tough as hitting my father’s weak spots."

"It’s not as tough for the master."

"Again with calling me ‘master.’"

The Blood Heaven Butcher gruffly chastised Seo Daeryong. Seo Daeryong responded confidently, as if it were no mistake.

"You may not have officially taken me as your disciple, but I consider you my master. Even if you cast me out tomorrow, I will remember you as my master forever."

"Who said you could remember me?"

"Are you saying I can’t even remember as I like?"

Geom Muguk gave a reprimanding smile.

"That’s how he is."

With that casual remark from her, the Blood Heaven Butcher didn’t get angry.

"Do you know who I really am?"

"Very clearly. I don’t want to remember you."

They didn’t raise their voices but exchanged sharp words.

Geom Muguk didn’t stop them. The goal of today’s visit was to show things as they were. The problem was that he showed too much.

Geom Muguk silently poured them drinks.

The Blood Heaven Butcher fiddled with his glass, while Seo Daeryong drank his down immediately.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect looked on with a somewhat unfamiliar emotion. He hadn’t expected the two masters to have such an emotional battle in front of him.

He sent a telepathic message to the shackled man, asking.

"What exactly are they doing? What’s their intention?"

"You knew they didn’t get along."

"But to fight openly like that in front of me? Those sly ones? That’s impossible. What kind of people are they?"

"It’s not because it’s in front of you."

"!"

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect bit his lip and looked at Geom Muguk and the two masters seated between them.

They were revealing their emotions freely, without concern for him, and it became a burden for the leader. It felt like the loneliness of standing on a desolate rock island.

‘This won’t do!’

When the meeting started, he thought he could handle Geom Muguk with confidence. He believed he could create some great reversal...

But in reality, he was losing in momentum, internal energy, and tolerance. His companions were acting in ways he hadn’t expected.

The woman suddenly offered the shackled man a drink, the little and gloomy one chimed in, and the Demon Lord was obsessing over the right arm position. And now, the two masters were fighting emotionally.

‘These people are all crazy.’

The leader of the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Wind Sky Sect sank into deep thought. He felt like flipping the table and shouting.

"Get lost! Do you know who I am? Are you all coming here to make a mess? Want to start a war with the new martial world? Bring it on!"

But he couldn’t do that. If he had that kind of boldness, this moment would never have come.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect refused to give up until the end.

As he poured a drink for Geom Muguk, he spoke with a cheerful tone.

"I’ll fully support you to become the next Heavenly Demon."

"Thank you. I will actively help the Wind Sky Sect expand into the Central Plains."

"Thanks to you, my disciple has become a master. You didn’t ask for any reward, but I must compensate you."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect showed that he no longer cared about the drink. He was trying to show a change in front of the shackled man. Trying to show his will to change. That he wasn’t a narrow-minded, greedy person anymore.

"Choose."

"Will you truly give me what I want?"

"Yes. Anything in this room is yours."

Everyone looked at Geom Muguk, waiting to see what he would choose.

Finally, Geom Muguk said something that no one expected.

"Please give me those shackles."

Everyone was shocked by his request.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect was unsurprised, thinking, ‘Here it comes.’

And with that, he became angry.

‘He dares ask for the shackles after calling himself the right arm?’

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect’s eyes grew cold as he firmly replied.

"I can never give those to you."

But he misunderstood Geom Muguk’s request.

"I didn’t ask for the person, I asked for the shackles made of eternal steel."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect was stunned. This was truly an unexpected request.

"What would you want the shackles for?"

"I plan to melt them down and make something more valuable. Such treasures are rare even among divine materials."

At that moment, Geom Muguk revealed his original purpose for wanting the shackles.

"It’s symbolic. I want to free him and show that I can."

"I want those shackles."

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect hesitated.

‘What should I do?’

At moments like this, it would have been helpful if the shackled man had sent a message.

‘But he wouldn’t send a message, it’s about unshackling him.’

At that moment, the shackled man sent a telepathic message.

"Refuse him."

"What?"

"You should not accept this request for the sake of the sect leader."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you wanted things to be fair, right?"

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect sighed without realizing it. He hadn’t expected either Geom Muguk’s request for the shackles or the shackled man’s telepathic message.

‘Everyone’s smarter than me... I can’t keep up with them.’

He thought he could handle this, but the gap between ideal and reality left him in despair.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect was very aware of the eyes on him.

"Promises must be kept."

It wasn’t out of pride or face, but because he judged that releasing the shackles would make the shackled man think more highly of him.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect took the key from his necklace and slowly approached the shackled man to release him.

They said nothing during the process. No telepathic messages were exchanged. He just unlocked the shackles, and the man merely watched.

Clink.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect placed the shackles and the key in front of Geom Muguk.

"Take them."

"Thank you."

The shackled man bowed and remained seated in the same posture.

Geom Muguk asked the shackled man.

"Is there anything you want to make with these shackles once they are melted down?"

Everyone’s eyes were on Geom Muguk in surprise. They hadn’t expected that he would return the melted down eternal steel shackles to the shackled man.

The leader of the Wind Sky Sect felt a wave of dizziness and closed his eyes tightly.

He realized that the only thing he could do against them was flip the table and scream.