episode_0036

***

The sound of loud instruments struck my ears.

I hurriedly followed behind Cheonma, who was a long way ahead, and the sight of people lining both sides of the road as I walked, chanting for national independence, was a little scary.

Think about it, the sight of people I’ve never met before smiling brightly and welcoming me.

I feel uncomfortable at the inconvenient kindness.

As if he knew what I was thinking, Cheonma walked ahead with a stride, sat down at the head table in the banquet hall, and patted the seat next to him with his hand.

“Why are you procrastinating so much? Hurry and sit down.”

“…Yes.”

I tried to ignore the pouring gaze and sat down next to her, and she laughed heartily.

“Okay, everyone please sit down properly.”

As soon as she spoke, the members of Heukcheongyo Church moved in unison and took their seats.

As I was going to find my seat, it felt like I was in a certain place.

After the commotion in the banquet hall subsided, servants came to where we were and poured drinks.

Clear liquor filled my glass with a gurgling sound from the gourd-like bottle. I absentmindedly watched the drink fill the glass.

The servant who poured all the wine into the glass bowed to me and left.

– Cook

When I felt my elbow touch my side, I turned to the side.

“Now, say a toast.”

Before I knew it, Cheonma, holding a glass of wine, urged me to make a toast.

“A toast?”

No, why.

“Okay, toast. Today’s banquet is for you. As the main character, shouldn’t you give a toast?”

“No, even if you suddenly say that…”

I was embarrassed and looked around, but everyone was focused on me without moving a single inch.

“Ha… Haa… Mr.”

There was too much attention to leave it out. I had no choice but to get up from my seat, raise my glass and mumble like a mosquito.

“I, get it wet….”

“Get it wet!”

A booming voice follows my lead.

At the same time, laughter erupts from all over and the sound of wind instruments playing loudly.

Many sounds came together, echoing through the mountains and passing through the banquet hall.

“Where on earth did that bizarre word “wet” come from? Hahahahaha.”

“Joe, be quiet!”

I sat down comfortably, feeling my earlobes turn red, and the Heavenly Demon giggled and spoke to me.

That’s how the banquet began.

***

As if my embarrassment didn’t matter, the atmosphere of the banquet was free and cheerful.

At the place where important religious figures gathered, individual tables were set up and filled with various types of food, and if the plate was even a little empty, it was quickly filled.

“……”

At first, it was Heavenly Demon who was watching my actions, but as he got a little drunk, he started chatting with people who seemed to be his henchmen, and it seemed like he didn’t even care about me.

I sipped the alcohol like a sack of barley, and picked up the fresh meat dish with chopsticks and put it in my mouth.

“It’s spicy.”

The spicy, spicy taste spread throughout my mouth, and I could only mutter that.

“The food is… spicy?”

But why does the atmosphere become so heavy?

I was immediately pulled out of the swamp of drunkenness by the eerie voice of the Heavenly Demon from the seat next to me.

I quickly looked to the side and saw the Heavenly Demon grinding his teeth.

His tightly clenched fist was shaking, as if he had been severely insulted.

Her anger was evident, and no one in the banquet hall missed it.

There was the same silence as before I gave the toast.

“Young Ma, I must have told you to deliver it, right?”

That’s how the interrogation began.

“Sorry. Although Lord Sogyo clearly said that he could not eat spicy food…”

Youngma, who had been drinking just moments before, was now kneeling down and bowing his head to the floor to answer her.

“Really? General Manager. Did you hear what the spirit said?”

“I heard. This is my lesson that I delivered to my master, but was not able to check properly.

“I see. Then, it would be the monk’s fault for not doing the right thing even after hearing everything. Bring him here.”

It must have been a banquet, but why did it become an execution ceremony?

Susu, who was in the kitchen, was soon caught by church members.

The eyes of the church members flashed sinisterly, and it seemed as if they were asking, ‘How dare you serve spicy food to the leader?’

Ten steps from the seat of the Heavenly Demon.

After being dragged, the sergeant fell to the ground, blaming himself for his ignorance and begging for mercy.

However, Cheonma made no concessions.

“You must have thought so funny of me that you would have made this garbage food.”

“No. Teacher. I forgot.”

“Forgot? Black and white?”

With wide eyes, she slammed the table down, causing it to split and the food to fly into the sky.

“Then is it okay for me to forget and cut out your eyes and arms?”

“Now, have mercy….”

When I saw Suksu shivering and crying, I felt like my heart was pounding.

What did I say? Should people’s lives go back and forth like this just because of what I said?

What is that spicy food?

I picked up my chopsticks and stuffed the meat on my plate into my mouth.

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes were fixed on me by the loud rattling sound.

“What are you doing?”

I didn’t respond, but poured all the food into my mouth and chewed it.

As I swallowed the piece of meat down my throat with a few chewing movements, the spicy smell made my nose tingle.

I spoke brightly to Cheonma, holding back tears from forming.

“At first I thought it was spicy, but I was wrong.”

I handed the empty bowl to the sleeping host and said,

“It was really delicious. Could you please give me another bowl?”

A gamble played in front of Cheonma.

There was an underlying calculation that the Heavenly Demon would turn a blind eye to my foolish actions.

Putting it into practice was a different matter.

I kept a smile on my face, praying inwardly that the sound of my pounding heart would not escape.

“Ha… I’m feeling dizzy. Suksoo.”

“Yes! Teacher!”

“Please bring more of that dish to Master Xiao. Make it a little less spicy.”

“Oh, I understand.”

“Okay, be careful next time. Not twice.”

“Thank you! Thank you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Suksu hurriedly leave.

“Now, let’s start the banquet again. Raise your glass.”

With the toast again, the banquet hall returned to its original appearance.

***

Murim League.

Namgung So-yeon, who was struck by a kick from the Cheonma, arrived at the Murim Alliance with the help of her colleagues.

Her always bright face was covered with gloomy rainy weather, and it was because she was pushed back without even being able to do anything by Cheonma, who was confident that she would fight with a whistle.

“Obviously…obviously… we fought with whistles last time.”

One time we faced each other, it was a whistle. No, there was a time when he overpowered the Heavenly Demon, even if it was just for a moment.

But why did this happen? She was confused.

Even when he pulled off his colleague’s arm and cut off his head, he was slow to react.

Even though he tried to fly away with Inho in his arms, he was counterattacked.

Heavenly Demon’s martial arts skills increased in a short period of time? It was a ridiculous hypothesis.

From the beginning.

“From the beginning… you were looking after me? I didn’t feel strong?”

The higher your martial arts accomplishments, the more difficult it is to hide your strength.

The smaller the differences, the easier it is to notice them.

However, Cheonma hid his martial arts skills to the extent that Namgung So-yeon, who had reached the peak, was mistaken.

The fact that she didn’t notice meant that the gap between her and the Heavenly Demon was like the difference between heaven and earth.

“No way…!”

Memories of the small defeat began to eat away at her heart.

Although there may have been defeat in the sparring match, this was the first defeat in actual combat.

She was praised as a martial artist who appeared only once in hundreds of years. This humiliation is unacceptable.

“Hurry! Bring the elixir!”

“Noegum, calm down. Geumgwon’s death may be unfortunate, but it’s not okay to be this emotional!”

Even the words of her colleague trying to stop her could not reach Namgung So-yeon’s heart.

She gritted her teeth and burned with a desire for revenge against the Heavenly Demon.

“You’re making fun of me! Kill the plutocrats! I will absolutely cut down the abominable Heavenly Demon who stole Prince Kang! I’ll cut you down!”

Even if you use any forbidden technique, by all means!

She cried like that.