episode_0143

143. Head of the Sect.

“Don’t want to?”

“······.”

The Subduing Demon Master clenched his teeth.

‘Patience, have patience. For the future of the Common Faction.’

Head of the Sect (掌門人).

Literally, it means the human who upholds (掌) the sect.

He was no longer the immature young Taoist of the past. He had to look after the whole, not just himself.

The Subduing Demon Master said as if spitting out the words.

“······Take your time to look around. There’s plenty of time.”

“I’ll do as I please. Don’t rush me.”

Twitch-

The Subduing Demon Master grabbed his right hand with his left. It was dangerous. He almost pulled it out for real this time.

‘Great Accomplisher······.’

He calmed his mind by recalling the founder of the Common Faction. It was quite effective.

The Black King smiled as he watched the agonizing Subduing Demon Master. The sadness of losing his subordinate seemed to fade a little.

Squeak-

The Black King said.

“I’ll go in now. I hope to see you at the meal.”

“I’ll think about it positively.”

“Was the value of your life insufficient?”

“······I will prepare a feast.”

“Good.”

Click-

The door to the guest hall closed. But the Subduing Demon Master stood still for a while, as if nailed to the spot.

The Common Faction warriors cautiously watched the Head of the Sect.

Knowing the Head of the Sect’s personality, they felt that the current situation was like a volcano about to erupt at any moment.

Finally, the Subduing Demon Master’s mouth opened.

“Make sure to feed those bastards as lavishly as possible.”

“······.”

The Common Faction warriors did not respond immediately. The Subduing Demon Master spoke again.

“Can’t you hear me?”

He turned his head and glared fiercely. Only then did the Common Faction warriors come to their senses.

“”Yes, yes!””

The Common Faction warriors, who answered loudly, scattered in all directions. The Subduing Demon Master, left alone, sighed deeply.

The face of an old friend came to his mind. A friend who willingly entered seclusion for the sake of supreme enlightenment.

‘Cheon-gang. The righteous martial world is waiting for you.’

The Subduing Demon Master smiled bitterly. In the end, his friend’s choice was right again. The Black Road’s forces were far more prosperous than before, and outsiders from another world were disturbing the Central Plains.

If he had been even a little more sincere in his training, would the result have been different? It was impossible to know.

The Subduing Demon Master turned away with a powerless gesture. His eyes shone resolutely.

‘I’ll stall for as much time as possible here.’

***

“As I swung my sword *SWISH*! That bastard just peed his pants, I’m telling you! It’s true!”

“Is this guy lying again? I saw you begging for your life!”

“What you little punk? You wanna go?”

“Got plenty left? Want some more?”

“This guy!”

Two warriors from the Black King Stronghold started a fistfight while eating. The other warriors playfully cheered and enlivened the atmosphere.

Johann looked at them with a look of disdain, nodding his chin. The savory smell of oil tickled his nose.

‘It’s pretty good. Not as good as ramen, though.’

The food provided by the Common Faction cooks perfectly captured the taste buds of the Black King Stronghold warriors.

The warriors were intoxicated with food and alcohol to forget the fatigue of the past battle.

At first glance, it seemed like there was no order, but the reality was different.

‘They’re controlling themselves quite a bit. Even if they’re rotten, they’re still quasi, so they’re holding back in the enemy camp?’

This was not the Black King Stronghold. It was the main base of the Common Faction, one of the pillars of the righteous martial world.

The Common Faction was bowing its head now, but it could change its attitude at any time. They always had to be careful.

It was at that moment.

Creak-

The door opened, and an old man with white hair came inside. He looked around and frowned.

He seemed displeased with the Black King Stronghold warriors’ antics.

“······Thank you for enjoying yourselves so gleefully.”

“It’s nothing. It’s the duty of a guest.”

The Black King laughed flippantly and pulled back his chair.

Tap, tap.

“Sit down. Subduing Demon Master.”

“······.”

The Subduing Demon Master didn’t bother to answer. He just glared at the Black King and sat down.

The Black King quietly played with his spoon. The warriors’ brawling sounds pleasantly rang in the Black King’s ears.

He liked this noise. It was better to be alive and noisy than to be dead and quiet.

The Black King said out of the blue.

“The food is better than I thought.”

“The cooks worked hard to prepare it. I didn’t do anything.”

“You say you didn’t do anything? That can’t be true. You must have had a great reputation, so the cooks worked hard to cook.”

The Subduing Demon Master wore an awkward expression. He couldn’t guess the Black King’s intentions at all.

Sudden praise, what did it mean?

The Black King’s story continued.

“People want heroes. And they want to follow heroes. So, as soon as the righteous warriors realized that the Divine Monk and the Alliance Leader were dead, they put down their weapons.”

“······.”

“They were weaklings. To lose their will to fight just because their leader died. There’s no bigger idiot than that.”

The Subduing Demon Master gripped his pants tightly. He said each word as if pressing down on them.

“······What, does, that, mean.”

“Ah, don’t get angry. What I want to say is simple.”

The Black King slowly turned his head. His dark eyes pierced through the Subduing Demon Master.

“Subduing Demon Master. You’re still wanting a hero. Do you really think that old man will move on to the next realm? It’s utterly ridiculous.”

“······!”

The Subduing Demon Master’s eyes widened. At the same time, a fishy murderous intent swept through the hall.

Swoosh-

The warriors who were chattering instinctively placed their hands on their swords. Some warriors even drew them slightly.

In a touch-and-go situation, the Subduing Demon Master’s mind raced.

‘Can I kill the Black King?’

‘Hoseon is here too, right?’

‘If I can’t kill him in one blow, the Common Faction is finished.’

‘Should I just beg for mercy?’

‘But maybe this is the perfect opportunity.’

At that moment, the Black King spoke, piercing through the Subduing Demon Master’s thoughts.

“Take your hands off your swords. I didn’t bring it up to threaten you.”

The Subduing Demon Master was still unmoved.

“You say that, and you say you didn’t intend to threaten me? You expect me to believe that?”

The Black King scratched his ear. He blew lightly, saying, “Hmph.”

“Believe it or not. The Common Faction will disappear into the annals of history.”

“······.”

“Maybe future generations will remember it as the Empty Hole Faction, not the Common Faction. The Empty Hole Faction, that’s funny. It’s not the Eyeball Faction.”

The Black King chuckled as if he found his pun funny. The Subduing Demon Master still had a serious expression.

The leaders of the two forces exchanged glances for a while. The winner was the Black King.

“Haaa······.”

The Subduing Demon Master let out a deep sigh and slumped his shoulders.

He said.

“How did you know? That I’m waiting for Cheon-gang?”

“The level of the food was too good. Excessively so. The intention to stall for time was too obvious.”

“Huh, you knew just from that?”

“I wouldn’t have known if the Chief Manager hadn’t told me. Having competent subordinates is also a leader’s ability.”

At the Black King’s words, the Subduing Demon Master turned his head. To find the Chief Manager.

There was an old man who was making eye contact with the Subduing Demon Master.

‘Is that him?’

He wasn’t sure. But he was the most likely person.

The Subduing Demon Master asked to resolve his curiosity.

“Then, why did you tell me this?”

“It was to prevent useless actions.”

The Black King drank his tea, “Hoorok.”

“It’s not difficult to wipe out your Common Faction. However, my subordinates are also very tired. What we need now is rest.”

“······.”

“Let’s go smoothly. Without anyone getting hurt.”

The Subduing Demon Master was filled with deep self-disgust.

Ironically, he was a little relieved. At least it seemed like the Black King Stronghold warriors wouldn’t mess with the Common Faction.

He was only thinking about the Common Faction’s fate, without thinking about the safety of the righteous martial world at all. He was so disgusting that he couldn’t stand it.

Tap, tap. The Black King lightly tapped the Subduing Demon Master’s shoulder.

“You must have understood by now. You can go now.”

“······I understand.”

“Okay.”

The Subduing Demon Master got up from his seat with a staggering gesture.

Squeak-

The sound of the door opening was unusually loud. The Subduing Demon Master, like a child who had been scolded, hunched his shoulders and went outside.

As the Subduing Demon Master closed the door, the Black King Stronghold warriors raised the subdued atmosphere again. The night was long, and the festival was not over.

“Haa······.”

The Subduing Demon Master quietly left his seat. The night was too long.

***

Three days had already passed since the Black King Stronghold warriors settled in the Common Faction.

Their daily routine was simple. They ate their fill of the food prepared by the Common Faction cooks, then lay down in their rooms and fell asleep like mice.

Physical fatigue and lost mental strength were not easily recovered. They played, ate, and recovered to their hearts’ content. Sleep was the most important thing.

And finally, the day to leave the Common Faction arrived.

“Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six······ fifty-two. Everyone’s here.”

Fifty-two people, excluding the Black King, gathered at the Common Faction training ground.

The Chief Manager lowered his hand and reported to the Black King.

“Lord. Shall we depart? No one is missing.”

“Hmm, there’s no reason to delay. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The Common Faction warriors were watching their every move with wide eyes.

It was because they were worried that they might do something mischievous.

Step- Step-

The Black King and his party slowly crossed the training ground. The massive gate was waiting for them.

In front of the gate, the Subduing Demon Master was standing with a sword on his shoulder.

The Black King grinned.

“Coming out to see us off, you’ve grown quite fond of us.”

“”Hahaha!””

The Black King Stronghold warriors burst into exaggerated laughter. To mock the Subduing Demon Master.

On the other hand, the Common Faction warriors grimaced terribly.

The Subduing Demon Master said with a strangely relieved face.

“Be careful on your way.”

The Black King tilted his head.

“······We will.”

The conversation ended there. Johann and his party left the Common Faction.