Carrying dumplings in my hand, I walked slowly through Baek Eung-ji with Sword Demon and said,

“Brother, let’s walk today.”

“Why? It'll take a while.”

“We’ll make it before sunset.”

I tried to take in as much of the mundane scenery as I could. If I thought of this day as a choice of where to focus, then doing nothing felt like the right answer.

I’m used to this kind of life.

But Sword Demon isn’t.

Today, for once, he’d spoken a lot to me. There was no need to rush off and start using light footwork just to be reminded how exhausting life is.

So I intentionally walked slowly with him all the way back.

Even once we left Baek Eung-ji, I didn’t pick up the pace. Since Sword Demon was always a man of few words, I didn’t need to say much either.

He mostly walked with his hands behind his back.

And I walked with dumplings swinging in one hand. After a while, he finally spoke, as if something had been on his mind.

“I imagine the Martial Alliance and Jecheon Alliance will invest in this... but do you think those scholar bastards will join in?”

“No idea. Second Brother doesn’t usually slip up when he talks, so he’ll explain things properly. But he’s not very persuasive. Hard to say.”

“Come to think of it, you didn’t contact the Beggars’ Sect.”

I nodded.

“You can’t squeeze money out of beggars.”

“So you purposely excluded Shin Gae from this fight?”

“When I saw him last time, he seemed to be the oldest among the Three Calamities. And he’s the kind of senior who wouldn’t think twice about dragging someone to hell with him. Best to leave him out of it. If we get pushed back, having him lead a counterattack with the Alliance Leaders at his flanks wouldn’t be so bad either.”

Sword Demon stopped walking and looked at me.

“Third.”

“Yeah?”

He stared at me for a moment before asking,

“You really have no thoughts of running away?”

“Why would I run? Unless the Cult Leader shows up, we won’t lose. And where would I even go now? Some bastard like the Right Guardian might pop out again. Honestly, I’d rather no one comes to help. That would actually be best. First, we need to fight. We owe that much to the ones we’ve killed.”

Sword Demon gave a faint smile.

“You’re right. We owe them that much.”

We started walking again.

As I stared at the wildflowers growing beside the road, I said,

“Most of the people who came at us were weaker than me. Sure, there were some ghosts and skilled ones who weren’t. But either way, I guess it’s our turn to face that same kind of end.”

I looked at him and gave a meaningless smile.

After walking for quite a while...

We arrived at the main base of Haomun, where construction hadn’t even begun yet. The inn looked abandoned, no guests, no Jomsoi. It might as well have been a shrine to failure.

Regardless, I planned to wait here—for enemies and allies alike.

...The Lecher, on his way back from the Martial Alliance, sat alone at the inn and ordered food. Next to him, a rolled-up banner stood upright, wrapped in cloth. He was carrying it himself to Haomun.

...The Drunk, having secured a promise of investment for Haomun from the Lord of Unhyang Sect, borrowed a horse and was now galloping full speed. His destination was, of course, Cheonak’s mountain villa. During their conversation, he realized that this wasn’t something to be left to letters or messengers. This had to be done in person, with a formal request.

He spurred the horse on.

...On Im Sobaek’s desk lay a large map of the area surrounding the Martial Alliance. He placed a carved wooden flag beneath Baek Eung-ji and looked over at Gongson Wol. Gongson Wol tilted his head and asked,

“You really think the Jecheon Alliance will get involved?”

Im Sobaek nodded.

...Sword Demon and I demolished and dismantled the old inn ourselves. We hauled the debris to the pit where I had once unleashed Ilwol Gwangcheon, then buried it. Since we couldn’t train all day, we prepared the foundation where the Ja-Ha Guest House would stand. The flag of the Martial Alliance, which the Lecher had brought, was the first to be planted in the center. From nothing, we were starting again.

I know full well that starting from nothing means it could all fail again.

But that’s what Haomun is.

...Gwangmyeong Usa, who had taken over Simwon Valley, was dining alone in the great hall. All the attendants were women. A feast fit for a king lay before him. As he ate, he stared at the closed doors of the hall.

Someone knocked, sighed, and stepped in to meet his gaze.

It was the second son of the Cult Leader.

Gwangmyeong Usa smiled the moment he saw him.

“...You found him?”

The second son answered,

“Not yet.”

Gwangmyeong Usa tore into a large leg bone with his hand and said,

“Didn’t find him, and you still have the gall to show up?”

“...”

Gwangmyeong Usa glanced around at the servant girls.

“I’m starting to wonder if one of you is his lover or half-sister. Can you believe this guy is the Cult Leader’s son? What do you all think?”

His tone was casual, but the maids froze in terror and all dropped to their knees.

“Please spare us, Lord Cult Leader!”

He stopped eating and chuckled.

“Why the fuss during dinner? Hey, young master.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“There’s no way Yang Daegong returned to the cult. He’s too cautious and wary of the Cult Leader’s whims. He wouldn’t walk into a tiger’s den. He’s definitely hiding in a safe house somewhere.”

“I’ve searched every safe house I know.”

“Then there’s one you don’t. Or maybe he’s gathering masters to retake Simwon Valley. If that happens, the girls here will all die. What’s your take?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t? You don’t know anything, do you? Pathetic. You probably thought being the Cult Leader’s son made you special. But you’re nothing but a mediocre piece of trash with a bit of decent martial skill. What can you do? Did you report to your father?”

“I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because if he finds out, he’ll order the death of everyone here—regardless of what happens in Simwon Valley.”

Gwangmyeong Usa burst into laughter.

“That’s the difference between you and your father. He doesn’t care if the second wife’s family dies, or if his second son does. What about Haomun’s movements?”

“There are rumors they’re staying below Baek Eung-ji.”

“What are they doing there?”

“Building an inn.”

“An inn?”

“It seems they’re rebuilding the one we took over.”

Gwangmyeong Usa looked at him.

“Oh really? So he really was a Jomsoi. Doing some weird stuff, that one.”

The second son spoke cautiously.

“Usa, it’s not too late. Rather than chasing Yang Daegong, why not regroup and kill Lord of Haomun first? That would settle everything. If you do that, you can have all the wealth in Simwon Valley. As you know, we’ve stashed quite a lot here.”

Gwangmyeong Usa smiled and replied,

“Let’s make a rule. From now on, every time you call me ‘Usa,’ one of these maids dies in your place.”

The second son looked at the kneeling maids.

Since Gwangmyeong Usa held all the women of Simwon Valley hostage, there was no point in fleeing. Worse, he sent them on errands with strict time limits. If they returned late, someone else died.

Exhausted, the second son looked up at him.

“Just kill me.”

Gwangmyeong Usa slammed the table and pointed.

“You’re not even worth killing, you piece of shit. You’re the Cult Leader’s son, and you can’t get anything done. I’ll give you fourteen days. Find out what Lord of Haomun is thinking, rebuilding that inn under Baek Eung-ji. And use money to locate Yang Daegong’s safe house. On the fifteenth day, I’ll start reducing the number of people in this household. Dismissed.”

As the second son turned away, Gwangmyeong Usa called out.

“Is that how you respond to an order? No answer? Did your father teach you that?”

The second son looked back and dipped his head.

“Understood.”

“Understood?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“My lord?”

He looked like he might lose his mind, but forced himself to respond.

“Yes, Lord Cult Leader.”

“Dumbass. Get out of my sight.”

Once he was gone, Gwangmyeong Usa said to the maids,

“Get up.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“No need to be so scared. As long as that fool behaves, I won’t harm you.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Let’s eat, then we’ll all go to the valley for a swim. Everyone, get something to eat and prepare.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Only then did the maids scurry out. But he called them again.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Lord Cult Leader?”

“If any of you know Yang Daegong’s safe house, I’ll give you a great reward. What kind of reward? Freedom. The freedom to leave Simwon Valley. Even if you don’t remember, think hard. This won’t end until Yang Daegong dies.”

“Yes, Lord Cult Leader.”

He waved his hand like swatting a fly.

...“Lord Cult Leader, the Lord of Golden Tiger Pavilion seeks an audience.”

“Let him in.”

The Pavilion Lord climbed the stairs and knelt at a respectful distance.

“What brings you?”

He clenched his teeth slightly upon seeing the head of the Myeongcheon Prestige House standing next to the Cult Leader. Kneeling suddenly had felt like a mistake.

His report began.

“My lord, it appears Gwangmyeong Usa, Lee Daegong, and Yang Daegong failed and scattered. Gwangmyeong Usa then massacred an entire Dark Faction clan for no reason and disappeared. Many witnesses saw it. Looks like all the forces they led were wiped out.”

The Cult Leader, reclining in his grand chair, replied lazily.

“Understood. Looks like the Usa’s gone rogue. Send word to the families aligned with the Outer Court to nominate a new Usa candidate.”

“Yes.”

“Once the Inner Court selects a representative, we’ll hold a life-or-death duel to choose the new Usa. Until then, let the Outer Court settle their choice.”

“Understood.”

“Anything else?”

“The traitor Sword Demon and the target Lord of Haomun remain beneath Baek Eung-ji. The construction crew is growing. Looks like they’re building something.”

“What kind of building?”

“An inn, I believe.”

“An inn?”

“Yes. There’s [N O V E L I G H T] a banner planted on the site. It reads, in order: Alliance, Jecheon, Black Cat, Namyeong, and Unhyang.”

“What does that mean?”

“Seems to be the factions participating in the inn construction.”

“Not Haomun?”

“Seems to mean the same thing.”

“Alright. If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”

“Yes.”

As the Pavilion Lord rose to leave, the Cult Leader suddenly said,

“Oh, you two know each other, right? Say hello.”

The Left Guardian nodded curtly at him.

“Lord of Golden Tiger Pavilion. It’s been a while.”

He was slightly startled but responded.

“Left Guardian Wi. An honor to see you. And belated congratulations.”

“Let’s work well together.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Cult Leader and Left Guardian silently watched him leave. As he did, the Cult Leader chuckled, and the Left Guardian asked,

“What’s funny?”

“It’s so obvious how much he dislikes you.”

“Isn’t it.”

“Did you expect the Usa to go rogue?”

The Cult Leader shook his head.

“No. But with Sword Demon gone too, it’s not that surprising.”

“Why would he leave so suddenly?”

“Probably got mocked by Lord of Haomun.”

“He left over that? I don’t understand.”

The Cult Leader looked him dead in the eyes.

“Have you ever been humiliated since becoming an adult?”

“Never.”

“Same for the Usa, I bet. He used to sneer at the Four Heavenly Kings when they failed. But now that he’s the one who failed, he’s snapped. Perfectionists who taste failure often become wrecks. Since the Second and Yang Daegong are in danger and trouble may erupt in Simwon Valley, send someone to investigate thoroughly.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

The Left Guardian hesitated, then asked cautiously,

“Ah, the item the Young Master was carrying at his side the other day... what was that?”

The Cult Leader stared at him.

“You don’t need to know that.”

“...Understood.”

The Left Guardian bowed his head and left the Cult Leader’s hall.

The Cult Leader stared silently at his back as he walked away.