A few days after the fight between Unhwi and Dokgo Ju-gwak.
Sowhere in the Central Plains, two n were facing each other across a table in a dark room.
After staring at each other for a long ti, the older-looking of the two slamd his fist on the table, making a loud noise.
He, with no intention of hiding his anger, trembled his beard, but the beardless man sitting opposite him, as if he didn't care at all, didn't even think of erasing the sneer on his lips.
"Demonic Fire Hall Master...! Are you telling to believe that?"
"If you don't believe , I have no other way to explain. First Elder."
One of the two was the Demonic Fire Hall Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Lee Gwak-sa.
And the other was the First Elder of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He is currently better known in the martial world by this title.
The na of the Evil Faction Alliance Leader.
"Dokgo Ju-gwak... my disciple really lost to that puppy, Unhwi...? And in exchange for saving Dokgo Ju-gwak's life, you decided to take him...? Are you kidding ...?"
"My. First Elder. Although I have a playful personality, I'm not brave enough to play such a joke on you. You know my personality well, don't you?"
"......"
The First Elder glared at the Demonic Fire Hall Master fiercely.
He seed to be saying, 'With your personality, it's enough to say that you're still playing a joke,' but the Demonic Fire Hall Master was just smiling broadly.
"Explain it one by one. Dokgo Ju-gwak lost to Unhwi. What does that an? Dokgo Ju-gwak's current martial arts are at a level where he can win even if he fights against an elder of the Nine Sects One Union. He's not at a level where he would lose to a re third-generation disciple of the Wudang Sect."
"Then isn't it one of two things? Either Dokgo Ju-gwak's skills were not that good, or Unhwi's skills have already surpassed that level."
"We investigated and found that his age is not even twenty yet! Is it even possible for him to have such martial arts?! Are you saying he is a prodigy of the ages to that extent?"
At the First Elder's shout-like question, the Demonic Fire Hall Master gave a very faint smile.
Although it was a smile that could not be seen unless one looked closely, the First Elder's sharp eyes saw through that smile.
That expression was like the satisfied expression of a parent who had heard soone praise their child.
But he instantly hardened his expression.
As if he wanted to hide the expression that had co out without him realizing it.
"A prodigy of the ages? From what I saw, he wasn't that much. He's definitely outstanding, but... how should I put it, it seems he fought with his life on the line and got lucky this ti."
"Lucky...?"
The First Elder asked back as if he were dumbfounded.
Although the word 'lucky' could always be said, it was because it was not a word that could always co out.
"To be honest, I don't know exactly how he won. By the ti I got there, the fight was already over. However, since Dokgo Ju-gwak just said that he would never lose if they fought again, and didn't seem to want to say anything else, I just guessed that might be the case."
"Heh heh... Dokgo Ju-gwak said he didn't want to talk?"
"Yes. Isn't he saying that because he lost so absurdly?"
The First Elder glared at the Demonic Fire Hall Master.
The Demonic Fire Hall Master is currently pretending to tell everything, but in reality, he is not telling a single thing.
"Then I'll ask sothing else..."
"Yes. Please ask anything."
"What do you an by Dokgo Ju-gwak having to go under the Demonic Fire Hall Master?"
"It's literally what I said. You know, don't you? That I won't save soone who won't beco my person."
"So... are you saying that Dokgo Ju-gwak said he would beco the Demonic Fire Hall Master's person?"
"Yes. That's it."
"That's really nonsense. I can't believe it."
"Even if you can't believe it, I can't help it. I told the dying him that if he wanted to live, he should beco my subordinate, and he begged to save him, saying he would beco my subordinate."
"Dokgo Ju-gwak... did he really say that?"
"Yes. To be honest, I refused at first. But when I was really about to leave without saving him, didn't he urgently call and ask to save him? So he promised to beco my subordinate."
The First Elder clenched his fist without realizing it.
He was filled with the thought of wanting to blow off the Demonic Fire Hall Master's head with one punch.
Whether he knew it or not, the Demonic Fire Hall Master grinned and continued, "But actually, I was a little surprised while talking."
"What is it?"
"Dokgo Ju-gwak didn't know that the Evil Faction Alliance Leader was the First Elder. Didn't you even tell your cherished subordinate and disciple such an important thing?"
"......"
"The reason Dokgo Ju-gwak was able to make the decision to betray the First Elder and join was because he thought he could leave the Evil Faction Alliance and join our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He only found out that the First Elder was the Evil Faction Alliance Leader after I treated his wounds."
"Th-that's...!"
The First Elder stuttered, as if he were a little surprised by his words.
The Demonic Fire Hall Master, with a very troubled expression, said, "Ah. By any chance, was this sothing I shouldn't have said? I just said everything without being tactful. I didn't know."
"Phew..."
The First Elder let out a deep sigh and finally opened his mouth.
"I understand the Demonic Fire Hall Master's intentions well. If you agree to one condition, I will not say anything more about taking Dokgo Ju-gwak."
"Oh. What condition?"
The First Elder, who was trying to regain his composure, frowned without realizing it at the Demonic Fire Hall Master's playful question.
But, he has to say what he has to say.
"I don't care if he becos the Demonic Fire Hall Master's subordinate or if he betrayed . However, just once. Let use the power of the Four Evils Alliance when I want."
This ti, the Demonic Fire Hall Master's eyebrows twitched.
He seed to feel so discomfort from the previous statent.
"First Elder. Is the Four Evils Alliance more important to you than Dokgo Ju-gwak?"
"That's not it."
"That's what it sounded like to ."
"Both are important to , but if I have to choose one of the two, I have no choice but to choose the Four Evils Alliance."
"You have no choice but to choose?"
The Demonic Fire Hall Master, who had sensed a strange oddity in the First Elder's words, asked back.
"That's right."
"Then I'll add one more condition. If you tell why you have no choice but to choose, I will give you a better condition."
"A better condition? What is it?"
"Telling first is the priority."
The First Elder felt the urge to make the Demonic Fire Hall Master's mouth, which was speaking so annoyingly, never open again.
The Demonic Fire Hall Master, who was speaking so smoothly, was extrely annoying.
"Phew... I'll just say this. Dokgo Ju-gwak is what I want, but the Four Evils Alliance is what the Lord wants."
"Ah...!"
He, who had nodded his head as if he understood what it ant, imdiately opened his mouth.
"Then let's do this. I'm not very interested in the Four Evils Alliance. Although Dokgo Ju-gwak is currently the master of the Four Evils Alliance, why don't you change the master of the Four Evils Alliance to soone else? Then I'll just hand over the Four Evils Alliance."
"The, the Four Evils Alliance...?!"
"Yes. Dokgo Ju-gwak is mine, the Four Evils Alliance is yours, First Elder. How about it?"
The First Elder looked at the Demonic Fire Hall Master intently.
It was an expression as if he wanted to see through what the Demonic Fire Hall Master was thinking.
However, nothing could be read from the Demonic Fire Hall Master's expression.
In a way, it was natural.
Because the Demonic Fire Hall Master was genuinely not interested in the organization called the Four Evils Alliance.
The Four Evils Alliance has currently taken control of almost all of Sichuan, and if they were to clash seriously, they have grown their power to the point where they could be mutually annihilated with one of the current Nine Sects One Union.
Nevertheless, he had no desire to take over and operate an organization.
He was already overwheld with troubleso things just by being the Hall Master of the Demonic Fire Hall.
The only thing he was interested in was one thing. It was to create the best martial artist that he could not beco.
Dokgo Ju-gwak might be a little lacking by his standards.
However, if he raised him, he thought he could make him a rival for Unhwi, and a martial artist of Unhwi's type is a martial artist who can beco even stronger if a good rival appears.
"Alright... Dokgo Ju-gwak... I'll give him up."
The First Elder, after contemplating for a long ti, said.
It seems it was a very difficult decision from his expression.
"You've thought well. Then I'll tell Dokgo Ju-gwak that."
The Demonic Fire Hall Master said that and got up from his seat.
It was an attitude as if he had gotten everything he wanted, so there was no need to talk anymore.
Although the First Elder was uncomfortable with that attitude, perhaps because the Demonic Fire Hall Master had said he would hand over the Four Evils Alliance, he did not show any particular reaction.
Just at the mont when the Demonic Fire Hall Master was about to leave the room they were in.
"But Demonic Fire Hall Master."
"Yes, Elder. Do you still have more to say?"
"No matter how big a tree is... it can fall if the wind blows a lot. Even if it seems to hold on for a long ti, in the end, it might not break, but its roots might be pulled out."
"I'm not smart, so I don't understand well when you say it like that. But I understand what you just said. Don't be too cocky, or it won't be fun later. Isn't that what you an? Thank you for the advice."
He, with an exaggerated gesture, bowed his head to express his gratitude and then left the room.
The First Elder had no choice but to grit his teeth until the end.
From beginning to end, he is a person he really doesn't like.
He thought that since he had handed over the Four Evils Alliance, he might be thinking more about the cult than himself, but no matter how much he thought about it, it didn't seem like that.
A person who only wants to do everything his own way.
No matter how much he thinks about it, he feels that he is a person who is not helpful to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
'Why on earth does Ma-noe trust that inscrutable person so much...'
He made a promise to himself.
That soday, he would drag that obnoxious person down from that position.
And that soday, he would return the humiliation he had received today to that person.
Creak!
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and the Demonic Fire Hall Master ca in again.
The First Elder, who had been thinking bad things about him, was startled inwardly, but he pretended to be nonchalant and opened his mouth.
"W-what is it?"
"Ah! I forgot to say goodbye. I'll be on my way now. I'll see you again when there's a chance. Elder."
"Y-yes. I also have sothing I haven't said yet. Tell Dokgo Ju-gwak that he doesn't need to go to the Four Evils Alliance anymore. I'll take care of changing the master of the Four Evils Alliance or sending a new person."
"Yes. I understand. I'll tell him that."
When the Demonic Fire Hall Master opened the door again.
The First Elder asked him, "But Demonic Fire Hall Master."
"Yes?"
"What on earth are you going to do with Dokgo Ju-gwak?"
"What do you an, what am I going to do?"
"I'm curious about what you're thinking of taking Dokgo Ju-gwak under your wing."
Then the Demonic Fire Hall Master smiled broadly and said, "Isn't it obvious? I'm thinking of raising him. As the best martial artist."
"The best martial artist..."
Although he left the rest of his words unsaid, the Demonic Fire Hall Master just went out of the room.
The First Elder couldn't help but feel that what he had lost might be bigger than he thought.
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)