Chapter 21: He's Not There?
One person mastering the martial arts of all six Clan Lords?
Learning even one of them properly would be impossibly difficult, so how could that even make sense?
Honestly, even as his mind was rapidly processing this information, he was still having a hard time wrapping his head around it.
"So where's the Divine Demon right now? Back at his quarters?"
At Flying Demon's question, the Law Enforcement Hall Master's ears perked up sharply.
Huh?!
Divine Demon?
At the same time, a memory of Yu Gyeongseong shouting that name the moment they met flashed through his mind.
He'd thought the guy had completely lost his mind at the time.
'Wait... was he telling me that's what I should call him?'
He was obviously confused, but the Six Demons didn't seem to care and just kept talking.
“Probably. If he was just drinking with his guy, he’d have gone back there.”
"Should we check?"
"We're going to see him soon anyway."
They didn't want to look like they were panicking in front of him.
Then Life Demon called out toward the door.
“Go get Squad Leader Wu. And be quiet about it.”
The Six Demons nodded at her command.
He was the only one staying close to the Divine Demon right now. So they just needed to call him separately to confirm things.
A short while later, Wu Wonta arrived quickly. But there was something off about his expression. The others might not have noticed, but the Life Demon did.
She didn't even wait for him to bow before she asked.
"Where's the Divine Demon?"
"He said he was going to get some fresh air at Heavenly Lake and left. But he still hasn't returned, so I was actually waiting for him when you called."
"...He hasn't come back?"
“It was already late last night when the Clan Lords left first after the training… so I just figured he was spending a little more time there than usual.”
The Six Demons knew well that the Divine Demon had visited Heavenly Lake several times recently. And they knew his old self used to go there all the time, too.
Wu Wonta had reported on this before. When he'd asked the Divine Demon how it was at Heavenly Lake, he'd said it was good for calming his mind.
So they'd all just figured he was going there to calm his nerves before the life and death duel with the Sword God.
'He went to Heavenly Lake and still hasn't come back...'
So it made sense why he'd be there, but…
But maybe because that earlier sense of crisis hadn't completely faded yet...
Flying Demon suddenly spoke up.
"But why did he go to the tavern then?"
He said he was going to Heavenly Lake, but why didn't his actions match his words? The whole reason they were here at this ungodly hour was because of what happened at the bar.
And then his voice continued.
"What if Squad Leader Wu was caught in an illusion?"
"......!"
At that, Illusion Demon immediately stood up from his seat.
Despite his bewilderment, Wu Wonta quietly accepted Illusion Demon's touch at his superior's signal.
And a moment later, a voice rang out across the room.
“No trace of an illusion. He's telling the truth.”
Flying Demon tilted his head in confusion.
"So he stopped by the tavern around midnight, ran into Dong Gong's father... and then went to Heavenly Lake after that? That's why he still hasn't come back?"
If that was the case, the timeline actually added up. It's not like he'd stay at Heavenly Lake for that long anyway.
Just then, Life Demon, who had been thinking deeply, had her golden hair begin to flow as if it had come alive.
Everyone present watched her intently.
She was going to check if the Divine Demon was really there or not.
With that, the Six Demons' postures relaxed.
As long as her spell was attached to him, there was no need to worry about it. That was the whole reason they’d been able to give him so much leeway in the first place.
They thought it might take a while, but Life Demon spoke almost immediately.
"Heavenly Lake is in that direction from here, right?"
The others thought for a second and nodded.
"That's right."
"Then..."
Life Demon's voice rang out.
“He’s not there.”
"......?!!"
It took about half a second for every single one of them to go from relaxed to bolt upright.
***
Yu Gyeongseong moved quickly and decisively.
Once he changed his mindset, he saw the situation for what it really was.
The only ones pressuring him to duel the Sword God were the Six Demons.
The regular members didn’t know a thing. Not about the Great Law, and not about him.
In this situation, what if his existence became known?
The cult members would naturally come to trust and rely on him. They would revere him even more than the Cult Leader.
And that was exactly what the Six Demons didn't want.
'They just want to use me?'
Why should he risk his life on their behalf?
[If you defeat the Sword God, you will become the true Divine Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!]
Well, obviously. But there had always been something false in the way the Six Demons said it.
So what were their real intentions?
'...'
Were they planning to prevent me from becoming the Divine Demon? Even if I defeated the Sword God?
Let’s be realistic here.
Even if I won, I wouldn't be in good shape.
So then, what would the Six Demons do?
Would they really protect me?
Or...
…will they attempt to discard a sword that has outlived its usefulness?
'They say that once the hares are killed, the next one will be the hound...’
Is there any need for me to risk my life for them?
No. Absolutely not.
And more importantly—
I don’t want to become something like a Divine Demon.
That’s just the prize they're dangling in front of me for risking my life.
Now he finally understood.
'What I truly want is...'
To leave this place.
True freedom.
So that he could be the master of his own life.
'...'
As soon as he realized it, the stuffiness in his heart melted away.
And that’s how he knew he was right.
The second he made up his mind, he was moving.
Instead of heading to his current quarters, he made his way in one swift motion to his old residence where his past self had lived.
He didn't waste much time there.
He didn't waste time looking around, just grabbed what he needed.
He changed into the most ordinary-looking clothes among his few garments, threw a long cloak, wrapped a big scarf around his neck, and topped it all off with a wide, conical reed hat. The brim was so wide you couldn't see his face. Just from looking at him, no one could tell who he was anymore.
Other than that, all he had was a bag for his stuff and a waterskin.
He still had the money his squad members had given back to him.
'Let's go!'
He let loose with the Flying Demon's Ghostly Shadow Art that he polished from the hellish training of the last few days, and disappeared into the horizon.
Now that he moved with purpose, nobody could sense him. Not when he left his room, not when he grabbed food from the kitchen, not even when he slipped past the outer guards.
'Where should I go?'
He remembered what Maeng Heum had told him, back when he was telling him to run for it.
[Squad Leader, you’ve never been outside of these mountains your whole life. You wanna live like that forever? I mean, I guess I have too. Heh.]
He’d smiled and asked him where he’d go, and Maeng Heum had gotten all excited just thinking about it.
[This Tianshan Mountain Range where we are right now is right in the middle of east and west? What's so difficult about it? You just go wherever you feel like. If you want to meet beauties from the Western Regions, go west. If you want an easy life where you can just blend in, go east. See? Easy, right?]
That guy would go west, obviously. He wouldn't get that worked up about having an "easy life."
From that memory, Yu Gyeongseong thought things through.
The most troublesome situation for him now would be if the Six Demons were to latch onto him. They wouldn't give up easily. Of course, that would only be possible after they somehow survived the crisis of the Sword God closing in on them.
'Can they even survive?'
Since there were several of them... if they run for it, one or two will probably make it out alive.
And then they'll start trying to get everyone to fight the Sword God and rebuild the cult.
Ugh… it would be so annoying if they kept tracking me down, trying to get me to go fight the Sword God.
He had no intention of obediently following their demands, but either way, it was best not to run into them at all.
'I need to move fast.'
Once he got far enough away, they wouldn't be able to chase him for a while.
It's all because of that Shadow Bind spell…
So, where's the best place to go to get them off my tail?
And the answer came to him right away. He should head straight for Orthodox Faction territory.
Yu Gyeongseong nodded to himself, as if confirming to himself that the logic was sound even on second thought.
'Right… they’re terrified of the Sword God.'
Even if they came looking for him, they'd have to be careful about it, and they couldn't swagger around openly. In any case, it would be relatively much less annoying.
So, east it is.
I guess Maeng Heum and I have different tastes.
He remembered the gist of what the Six Demons had told him.
'The Righteous Alliance is approaching from the east... so I should circle way south and then head east.'
No point running straight into the Sword God, after all.
With his decision made, his feet kicked off the ground rapidly. He didn't slow down even when he left the mountains and hit the southern desert.
Yu Gyeongseong's steps were incredibly light.
The weighty feel of his money pouch made it even more so.
He'd wondered why his past self had left money behind... but maybe it wasn't just to divert the watchful eyes, but also because his past self hoped the current Yu Gyeongseong would leave the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. To convey the intent that after receiving the Great Law. To go out into the world.
He'd gotten a rough idea of how much things cost when he'd ordered food with Wu Wonta and gone to the tavern with Maeng Heum. He had no idea what prices were like in the outside world, but even if things were way more expensive, he had plenty. Not having to worry about money was going to make life a lot easier.
He had no idea what prices were like in the outside world, but even if things were way more expensive, he had plenty. Not having to worry about money was going to make life a lot easier.
Was it because he'd completely shed the suffocating feeling that had bound him tightly? His heart felt incredibly at ease. He almost felt like humming a tune.
Didn't they say all I ever did was work and train, and I had no idea how to spend money?
'Now I don't really have any work to do, so I should spend some money and live like a carefree wanderer.'
Hmm?
Just then, Yu Gyeongseong suddenly stopped walking.
Swish—
The sand seemed to get heavy all of a sudden, settling around his feet.
'...'
He thought he'd just heard something on the wind.
As he turned around, his eyes filled with the sight of the Tianshan Mountain Range.
He barely caught the words whispered in the wind...
[...to live freely, free from all shackles...]
"......"
No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out what it was.
But...
It felt somehow nostalgic.
The only existence he could trust. Had those been his words? Was he too... cheering on this path he was taking?
The heart that had been resolved to run on hesitated for a moment. It was because the thought suddenly struck him that he might be leaving without having completed the homework his past self had left for him.
'I tried, but...'
He hadn't been able to meet them.
Maybe they are dead.
Or maybe they weren't even here.
Then what came to mind was what Maeng Heum had said.
[Who knows? Your memory isn't coming back here, anyway. Maybe if you get out there and shake things up, your memory problem will shake loose too.]
He'd thought it was right for him to go outside.
Is that the reason why my past self had formed a friendship with Maeng Heum?
Yu Gyeongseong nodded.
Right, let's not hold onto lingering attachments.
If we're meant to meet, we’ll meet.
[Start over. Meet new people. Live a new life.]
He turned back around. It felt like Maeng Heum's voice was pushing him forward, and Yu Gyeongseong answered.
Yes, that’s what I'll do.
So, Maeng Heum, you'd better survive, too.
Just like you bragged you would.
***
The Clan Lords were burning with anxiety.
Life Demon stood beside them, silently performing Shadow Bind.
But...
She couldn't get a good lock on him.
The connection was really weak.
'He's already… this far away?'
The thread of Spiritual Power got weaker the farther away he was. All she could determine now was a rough direction.
'South?'
At this distance, he'd long since left the Tianshan Mountain Range that stretched east to west. He must have been well into the desert by now.
Beside her, the Clan Lords were just spewing out various things in their frustration.
"Maybe he just went out for some air?"
"Yeah, that's right. It’s not like the lake is the only place he can go.”
“Maybe… maybe he went to check out the Sword God? You know, you’d be curious about the guy you have to fight.”
That's when Life Demon's voice flowed out.
“He’s not going toward the Righteous Alliance.”
"......"
"He went south. At this distance... he's been well into the desert for a while now."
"......"
And then, she said the one thing none of them wanted to hear.
“I think… he just left.”
The Clan Lords' faces turned deathly pale.
Now? With the Sword God about to kick down our door?
What kind of fucked-up bullshit is this?!