It’s been about fifty days since my last drinking session.

During this time, I had no time, leisure, or even the thought of drinking, as I was engrossed in training with the Moonlight Cold Heart Technique. After descending from Okso Mountain, I was walking down the road when I spotted a quiet inn, so I went in. The place was filled with shabby shops that didn’t even have signs.

People who climb mountains tend to have a liking for alcohol, so our group mixed in with the regular people and drank together.

However, the people in the inn occasionally glanced at us, and as soon as they realized we were from the martial world, one by one, they started clearing their throats and leaving.

It wasn’t as though they were trying to drive us out, but that’s how it turned out.

The atmosphere of the Sword Demon was simply too intimidating and impressive to normal people.

Even though the Sword Demon looked relatively composed, it couldn’t be helped.

Seeing this, the Left Guardian spoke while drinking.

“I guess everyone is leaving because they think your appearance is too ferocious.”

“……”

I ignored the Left Guardian’s words and drank, occasionally asking the Sword Demon questions whenever I was curious.

“Senior, are you staying in Baek-eung-ji because of the Cult?”

The Sword Demon answered.

“It’s not exactly that. Wherever I am, if someone tries to kill me, I’d send people after them. It’s just that there aren’t many suitable people to send.”

“Why is that?”

The Sword Demon smiled faintly.

“Because they’d have to be prepared for significant losses.”

Now that I thought about it, he was the man who had killed cultists and escaped from the Demon Cult. This time, the Left Guardian asked something he was curious about.

“Master, you’ve fought both the Sect Leader and the Cult Leader. Do you think there’s a difference between the two?”

It was a question of who was stronger.

The Sword Demon fell into thought.

“The Sect Leader and the Cult Leader.”

Honestly, I was also curious about this. Even in my time as the Crazy Demon, neither the Cult Leader nor the Sect Leader had directly fought each other.

“They each have many subordinates, so I wonder if they’d ever face each other. From my perspective, the Cult Leader seems to have deeper internal strength. If they fought in a martial arts contest, the Cult Leader would likely win.”

The Left Guardian asked, somewhat surprised.

“What if it’s not a martial arts contest?”

The Sword Demon grinned as he answered.

“The Sect Leader would bet his life and choose to die together with the Cult Leader. A man like the Sect Leader, when he uses his self-destructive attack, the Cult Leader wouldn’t be able to shake it off so easily. Neither of them would come out of it unharmed. At the very least, they would lose an arm or a leg. So even if one wins, it wouldn’t feel like a true victory. My guess is that both of them have roughly assessed each other’s level and continue training in their spare time. That’s why the martial world has been relatively calm—because their balance is somewhat maintained. Of course, that balance includes not just their factions but also their personal strength.”

At this point, it’s clear that both sides are in a period of stockpiling power.

That also applies to the time I’ve been given.

I asked something I had been wondering about.

“Senior, have you also studied dark magic?”

The Sword Demon nodded.

“Those who learn martial arts in the Cult from a young age start with dark magic. The basic principles of the Hundred Paths and the Breathing Technique are fundamentally different.”

Since I was also training in Moonlight Cold Heart, I was curious about the differences.

“How are they different?”

“In the process of cultivating power, shortcuts are often chosen. After about twelve or thirteen years of training, internal deviation naturally occurs, and that’s the result of abusing those shortcuts, so there’s no way to avoid it.”

The Left Guardian asked.

“Twelve or thirteen years? Isn’t that too short?”

The Sword Demon nodded.

“That’s why the Cult often causes disputes at that cycle. Most of the regular cultists die in missions or disputes before their bodies break down. Their life expectancy isn’t long.”

This was something I hadn’t known about the inner workings of the Cult.

The Sword Demon continued.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“The thinking of those in power is surprisingly cold. They never really care about the lives of the lower-level cultists. They’re expendable. If one dies, they simply replace them. Among them, though, there are some smart ones who overcome the internal deviation and survive the life-threatening dangers, eventually growing older. When they survive, they naturally rise in rank. They receive recognition in the Cult, and with the benefits, money, women, and luxurious environment, their loyalty deepens. Over time, they become somewhat useful expendables who are treated well.”

I poured myself another drink and laughed.

It was strange how similar my thoughts on the Cult were to the Sword Demon’s.

The Cult Leader doesn’t view people as people.

The Sword Demon knew that well.

Noticing my expression, the Sword Demon casually asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I just laughed because it’s similar to my usual thoughts. So, is the Sect Leader any different?”

The Sword Demon nodded.

“Organizations always follow the thinking of their leaders. The Sect can easily become like the Cult, and the Cult can become like the Sect. It’s a problem with the leaders, not the organizations. If the current Sect Leader were like the Cult Leader and someone like Im Sobaek were the Cult Leader, I wouldn’t have left the Cult.”

I nodded and then asked the Sword Demon.

“Didn’t you have a hard time when you faced the Cult Leader?”

“My true defeat is only death. The Cult Leader couldn’t easily kill me.”

Hearing the Sword Demon’s words, I doubted whether my earlier guess was correct, but from what he just said, I realized some of the truth.

‘As I heard in rumors, is he really a man whose sword and blade can’t be touched?’

This time, the Sword Demon asked me.

“By the way, the Sect Leader’s mood has changed a bit. Have you learned any new martial arts?”

“Senior, how do you know such things? I don’t feel like anything’s changed.”

The Sword Demon laughed.

“It’s quite subtle.”

“Explain it to me.”

As he raised his glass, the Sword Demon spoke.

“Let’s assume that this wine glass was made by the best craftsman in the world.”

I nodded.

“On the other hand, let’s assume that your disciple’s glass is a cheap imitation of the craftsman’s. Ordinary drinkers might find it hard to tell the difference between the real and the imitation. After all, they look exactly the same. But someone who actually made the glass would be able to tell the difference. Why do you think that is?”

The Left Guardian answered.

“Because of the difference in craftsmanship?”

The Sword Demon put his glass down.

“Martial artists are the same. The three of us are not perfected martial artists. If the imitation is heading toward being the real thing… the difference will gradually become noticeable. If you’ve noticed something different compared to before, it means the Sect Leader is progressing in the right direction. On the other hand, our busy disciple…”

The Left Guardian, his face red, responded.

“Master.”

The Sword Demon nodded.

“Consistency is good.”

“Yes.”

“But you’ll also have your awakening moment.”

It was hard to tell if the Sword Demon was teasing or being serious, so I asked.

“Why do you think that?”

The Sword Demon answered.

“Because you’re my disciple, that’s how it should be.”

The Left Guardian looked somewhat moved, but the Sword Demon’s sincerity continued.

“Even if the Cult Leader dies, the Cult won’t easily disappear. That’s because many old clans are deeply tied to it. So, we need to install the right Cult Leader, even if we have to kill all the current leaders to do so. Whether you become the Cult Leader later or someone else does, there’s no other way. Either way, the current Cult Leader must die.”

The Left Guardian, who had heard this a few times, immediately answered sharply.

“Master, I don’t want to become the Cult Leader.”

“Why?”

The Left Guardian answered.

“It’s just that they’re a bunch of crazy bastards. The very idea that all the logic of the world is contained in their doctrine. Although I’m a crazy bastard who’s fond of women, I find it hard to accept such teachings.”

As the Sword Demon laughed, the Left Guardian asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

The Sword Demon answered.

“That’s the Demon Cult. Those bastards are not the type to persuade you. They rule by force and subjugate others. Fanatics are those you should not overpower with logic, but kill and eliminate. Whether fast or slow, the day will come when we’ll face off.”

The Sword Demon looked at me.

“Sect Leader, you should also keep this in mind. Part of the world has already gone mad. It’s been like this for a long time.”

For a conversation held in such a shabby inn, this was remarkably grand in scope. I don’t even know if there’s a word like “grand in scope,” but I guess it doesn’t really matter to me.

In any case, the drinking session was enjoyable.

I learned a little more about what the Sword Demon thinks while living.

My thoughts on the “shit-eating” guy were also somewhat different now than before.

I mostly had aimless conversations with the Sword Demon as the drinking session ended, but as we were about to leave, I made a request.

“Senior, I have a favor to ask.”

“Speak.”

“I don’t know who you’re planning to fight next, but please call me then.”

“Training might take longer, so I’ll do that.”

I stared at the Sword Demon’s face for a moment. He lived every day prepared for death, so when I looked at his face, I didn’t get the impression that he had a long lifespan. He could have been ambushed by the masters sent by the Cult Leader, or he might have been unlucky and destroyed by the calamity.

But since fate had connected us, I didn’t want to see the Sword Demon die in vain. The shadow of death that clung to him, I planned to investigate it myself.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Could it be Guangseung?’

The timing of Guangseung’s appearance was a little unclear, so I couldn’t be sure. Guangseung came on the scene, causing incidents, making a name for himself, and spreading his evil reputation. The time when he dragged me around came after that, so I was a little confused.

In any case, killing the man whose sword cannot be touched isn’t easy.

It’s possible that the Cult Leader faced him personally.

After drinking moderately with the two, I got up. They were returning to Baek-eung-ji, and I had to go to the Black Cat Pavilion, so after exchanging a few words in front of the inn, we parted ways.

I walked down the road alone and immediately drew the Black Rabbit’s Fang.

I couldn’t help it; I kept thinking about the Sect Leader’s Six Combat Blade.

When a drunk man swung his sword while walking, passersby would sometimes fall on their butts or scream and run away as soon as they saw me.

I couldn’t care less.

When I unsheathed it, the Six Combat Blade truly turned out to be a ridiculous and difficult sword technique. It wasn’t the kind of swordsmanship that others could replicate just by watching.

However, I found it amusing how the blade’s color constantly changed, so I kept slashing away at the empty road.

Then, a woman walking along the road screamed and ran off.

“Ah…”

Is this really a world where one cannot practice freely?

Maybe I was being a bit too much?

I thought it was a situation where people would naturally get scared, so I reluctantly sheathed the sword again.

Then I practiced with my bare hands.

I repeatedly performed downward strikes with the edge of ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) my hand as I walked. Finally, the few people I encountered along the way didn’t scream anymore. They were slightly scared, but their expressions and eyes seemed to say, “There’s just a madman.”

Maybe being a madman is easier.

Suddenly, I wrapped the Scythe around my left hand and Ice Power around my right hand, and with both hands, I executed a downward strike with the edge.

After a few tries…

It was so terrifying, even to me, that I held myself back.

The man who doesn’t cross the line, that’s me.

I walked along mountain paths, busy streets, and quiet roads as I made my way back. Then, when I passed by the nameless lake I had noticed on my way to Myo-gae Mountain, I stopped for a moment to admire it.

“A peaceful lake, just like me.”

I carefully looked for a flat, shallow stone that would skip on the water, and as I did, wild geese began to approach, so I watched them for a while.

“…”

But suddenly, the flock of geese, which had been coming to search for food near me, turned and began moving away from the shore. As the geese moved away, various humans who didn’t seem particularly afraid of me gathered behind me.

I didn’t bother turning around and just crossed my arms.

“Who dares to interfere with my water dumplings?”

“…”

It seemed that these people had enough murderous intent to chase off a flock of geese. I wondered why they didn’t attack immediately.

Curious, I turned around.