CDF Chapter 27

“I can hardly breathe, can barely breathe!”

Seo Ryang kept grumbling after boarding the carriage heading to his residence.

Ma Dong-pil awkwardly spoke up.

“Such disrespect toward the Cult Leader…”

“How is this disrespectful? Can’t I even say with my own mouth that I can’t breathe?”

“Still…”

“Besides, I didn’t say the Cult Leader makes it hard to breathe, did I? Just that the situation was suffocating, you know? Try sitting face to face with him yourself, see if you don’t say the same thing.”

He could understand, somewhat. Though it wasn’t something he could agree with regardless.

“Tch, at least I got some alcohol out of it.”

“Alcohol?”

“Yeah.”

Seo Ryang pulled out the wine bottle from his chest.

“Seriously! This is funny too. Never mind how pathetically small it is, but if you’re going to give a gift, why give something you’ve been drinking from…”

Snap!

Seo Ryang blinked.

Ma Dong-pil had snatched the bottle away and was examining it with serious eyes.

It was incredibly rude behavior considering how excessively respectful he usually was, but he seemed unaware of it.

His eyes gradually turned bloodshot as he stared at the bottle in shock.

Blinking at him, Seo Ryang absently rubbed his hand.

“Ow, that stings.”

“…”

“That hurt.”

“…”

“Ahem! Dong-pil?”

Ma Dong-pil’s face had turned almost wooden, like a puppet. Truly, not even an eyelash moved.

Seo Ryang kicked him.

“Hey kid, what’s so special about it?”

“…Six Heavens Heart Wine.”

“What wine?”

“Th-this is Six Heavens Heart Wine!”

“You know this wine? It did taste quite good.”

Ma Dong-pil’s jaw dropped.

“You don’t know Six Heavens Heart Wine? Six Heavens Heart Wine?! It’s Six Heavens Heart Wine! I’m telling you it’s Six Heavens Heart Wine!”

“So what is it?”

“It’s the Six Heavens Heart Wine personally bestowed by the Cult Leader!”

“That’s what I’m asking about!”

“It’s such an honorable wine!”

Seo Ryang was dumbfounded.

“An honorable and tasty wine, is that all?”

Ma Dong-pil looked at him with an aghast expression. His reaction was so dramatic it almost made Seo Ryang feel sorry.

“Six Heavens Heart Wine! It’s our cult’s finest wine that only historical Cult Leaders have enjoyed! It’s specially bestowed only to demonic cult members who achieve great merit – just drinking this wine itself is an honor of three lifetimes!”

“What three lifetimes of honor for drinking some wine…”

“It depends on who gives it! Moreover, this is divine wine personally brewed by the Cult Leader! It can’t be converted to money, and shouldn’t be!”

“Still just wine, isn’t it?”

Ma Dong-pil foamed at the mouth.

“Young Master! Do you think our cult’s demonic practitioners would prefer spiritual medicine bestowed by the cult, or Six Heavens Heart Wine given by the Demon God?!”

“Spiritual medicine.”

“Urrrgh.”

There was no getting through to him.

Ma Dong-pil belonged to the Law Enforcement Court, which had the deepest loyalty and faith within the cult. Meanwhile, Seo Ryang wasn’t even originally a demonic practitioner, so naturally he had no such faith.

Seo Ryang snatched the bottle back from Ma Dong-pil.

“Whatever it is, as long as it tastes good. Anyway, I’m glad I got some decent wine.”

Heretic! He’s a heretic!

Ma Dong-pil wanted to shout that. If his companion hadn’t been the Third Young Master, he really would have.

“Young Master, what exactly happened to you?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say you lost your memories after falling into demonic possession?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then how is it you’ve only forgotten everything about our cult? Your martial arts are amazing and your experience abundant, yet why have you selectively forgotten only the important things…!”

“Stop with the useless talk and let’s just have a drink when we get to my place.”

“I cannot. My duty ends after escorting you to your residence. I must return to the Law Enforcement Court.”

Seo Ryang shook the Six Heavens Heart Wine.

“You don’t want to drink this?”

“…!”

“Well, suit yourself. The taste is exquisite though.”

Ma Dong-pil’s eyes wavered.

“Y-you would share such a precious thing… with me?”

“We’ve been through things together, how can I just send you away because your duty’s done? That’s not how human relationships work, man.”

“…!”

“Well, if you really can’t, then there’s nothing to be done. I guess organizations have their rules.”

Seo Ryang put the bottle back in his chest.

Ma Dong-pil lowered his head deeply.

In what might be fifty more years of life in the Divine Cult, this could be his greatest honor – should he just let it pass?

Did he really have to?

“…I’ll report my duty’s completion and return.”

“There’s a time for celebration. By the time you get permission and come back, it’ll all be in my belly.”

“…”

“It’s fine. There are plenty of other good wines in the world.”

Ma Dong-pil raised his head.

Seo Ryang’s expression, which was about to tease him with a grin, filled with pity.

In that brief moment of intense deliberation, he looked like he had aged ten years.

“…Would it be alright if I had just one drink here?”

Seo Ryang chuckled.

“Sure, go say you’re taking a break and come back. We’ll need to prepare some food too.”

“Th-thank you! Thank you, Young Master!”

“For someone grateful, you’ve been quite disrespectful with your words earlier.”

“Ah…!”

Ma Dong-pil bowed his head deeply.

“I apologize. I was too excited and showed disrespect to the Young Master.”

This kid, there’s quite some fun in teasing him.

As Seo Ryang laughed heartily and moved to pat his shoulder, Ma Dong-pil got down and knelt on the floor.

“Please take my life.”

…I’d better not joke with him anymore in the future.

After spending quite some time calming him down, Seo Ryang suddenly turned his gaze to the side.

“This one’s got quite the constitution.”

Next to Seo Ryang, the baby fox lay curled up in deep sleep. It hadn’t woken once since before they entered the Divine Demon Palace’s great hall.

The bridge of its nose feels nice.

As he stroked its nose bridge and tapped its nose, it blocked with its front paw. Looking at it was just unbearably cute.

Finally, the carriage reached Seo Ryang’s residence.

“Up we go.”

Stepping down from the carriage, Seo Ryang smiled bitterly at the sight before him.

“Been a while since I’ve seen this.”

The surroundings were quite desolate. Unlike other houses clustered together, this one was quite far from the inner court – perhaps the original owner of this body wanted to live in isolation.

It was a sight he had desperately wanted to return to while in the bamboo forest, yet equally dreaded seeing.

Ma Dong-pil, who had gotten down from the carriage with him, bowed his head.

“This marks the official end of my duty.”

“Ah, right.”

“I apologize once again for my inadequate protection that caused you hardship, Young Master.”

“Don’t say that.”

“And I am eternally grateful for your broad-mindedness in overlooking my failures.”

Seo Ryang waved his hands as if nauseated.

“That’s enough. Aren’t you coming back for drinks? Don’t talk like we’ll never see each other again.”

Ma Dong-pil smiled.

“Yes. Then I’ll stop by the Law Enforcement Court and return. Please rest well.”

“Alright. Take care on your way.”

After watching him board the carriage and disappear into the distance, Seo Ryang stretched broadly.

“Yap!”

At the cute yelp, he looked down to find the baby fox, now awake, sitting at his feet and looking up at him with bright eyes.

Seo Ryang grinned.

“Cute little thing. Well, since I picked you up, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Yap!”

“Hey, you can’t actually understand me, right?”

“…”

“Guess not.”

He picked up the baby fox and held it to his chest.

“Come on, let’s go in. Time for a nice clean bath and a warm bed!”

Creeak.

As Seo Ryang put one foot through the opened main gate.

That’s when it happened.

Flinch!

He stopped abruptly and cast his gaze through the open door.

…Huh?

The quiet interior.

Though it wasn’t dark yet as it was still the Hour of the Rooster, something felt odd.

The house was perfectly normal, yet it felt as if burn marks had been etched into it.

Seo Ryang tilted his head.

Why does this feel so unsettling?

It couldn’t just be because he hadn’t been home in a long time.

Hisssss.

His spiritual sense expanded rapidly.

One person. Just one. Unremarkable martial arts and minimal inner force. It’s Aenghwa.

The only human presence he sensed in this entire place was Aenghwa. Having observed with the mind’s eye of the Six Directions Heaven-Net Formula, Transcendent Body Observation^[1], it was certain.

But why did it feel like someone else was here?

…There’s definitely no one else here now.

But there had been.

There was a reason he could read past traces despite no presence, sight, or sound.

It was the smell. Strange scents that shouldn’t be here were rising from the rooms and storage areas.

Transcendent Body Observation. A miraculous technique that sharply enhances the body’s five senses to beyond bestial levels. Before it, detecting relatively recent scents was child’s play.

Given how much scent remains, it hasn’t even been half a day.

Seo Ryang’s eyes narrowed.

Someone secretly hid here and then disappeared? Why?

He couldn’t understand the reason. Since he was the house’s owner, the reason for hiding and waiting must have been related to him – so why suddenly disappear?

…Hmm.

After pondering for a while, Seo Ryang shrugged.

He hadn’t developed a hobby of worrying while sniffing the traces of disappeared people. Moreover, they weren’t even women but men.

Though he felt annoyed by the strange traces found in his house after eight months away, well, he could think about that later.

Clearing his thoughts, he entered through the main gate.

“Hey! Aenghwa!”

Instantly, the door to the main room burst open and Aenghwa came running out breathlessly.

“Y-Young Master?!”

“Yeah. I’m back.”

Aenghwa prostrated herself right there.

“Divine Cult Undefeated, Ten Thousand Demons Prosper! Aenghwa greets the Third Young Master!”

Seo Ryang scratched his head.

“Hey, do you really have to greet me like that? It’s so grand I never know what expression to make when receiving it.”

“Young Master…”

“Hehe. Get up. Good to see you.”

Aenghwa rose respectfully.

Seo Ryang’s expression softened warmly. Though those three months had been chaotic, counting the days it was almost a hundred.

Moreover, wasn’t she the one who had quietly and comfortably attended to him while he stayed here? Of course he was glad to see her.

“Huh? What’s this? You seem to have gotten a bit thin since I last saw you?”

“I apologize.”

“There you go apologizing again. Are you eating properly?”

“Yes.”

Aenghwa’s eyes reddened.

Seo Ryang scratched his head. While it was natural for him to be glad to see her, her reaction was unexpected. She must have had no end of trouble taking care of someone who was barely sane.

He thoroughly mussed up her hair.

“Kid, you’ve got your hair all artistically braided again.”

“Y-Young Master.”

“Being a bit messy makes you more human-like. From now on, be comfortable, stay comfortable. Got it?”

“Yes, yes!”

Her face instantly brightened, and after hesitating for a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“Y-Young Master has become so handsome!”

It took all her courage, existing and non-existing, to say those words. How could she dare say such things to a Cult Leader’s disciple?

But judging from her memories of eight months ago, the Young Master seemed to prefer moderate friendliness over excessive formality.

Indeed, her prediction was correct.

“Right? Man, I really went through hell and back building this body, I tell you. Nice that you noticed.”

“You’ve changed so much!”

“Do I look more impressive now?”

“Yes! You look amazing!”

“Hahaha! Thanks!”

Seo Ryang looked around.

“The house was left empty for eight months, but it’s so clean?”

“Yes! I came by every other day to clean. So you could rest comfortably whenever you returned!”

Seo Ryang’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

“Is that so.”

He was genuinely touched.

Not just Ma Dong-pil, but even Aenghwa who had been separated from him for eight months. It would have been enough just to not forget him during that long period, yet she had even cleaned regularly.

It was his first time being cared for like this by someone. He was grateful for the effort and moved by her thoughtfulness.

“I’ll close the main gate first.”

“Huh? Ah, I can do that.”

Before he finished speaking, Aenghwa was already running toward the gate. Her hurrying figure was full of energy.

A warm smile spread across Seo Ryang’s face again.

This kid, she really is hardworking.

Bang!

After closing the gate, Aenghwa quickly ran back.

“Young Master, I received the notice late so I haven’t prepared hot water yet. Would you like to eat first?”

“No, bath first.”

“Ah, yes! Please wait a moment. I’ll heat the water.”

“Shall we?”

“Yes!”

“Good. Let’s go in first.”

Aenghwa followed behind Seo Ryang with quick little steps.

While maintaining a respectful posture, she kept stealing glances at Seo Ryang.

More precisely, at the baby fox in his arms.

How cute.

Though she wanted to ask where the Young Master had brought the fox from, she’d hold back for now. She needed to prepare the hot water quickly.

Having entered the building, Aenghwa hurried off to heat the water.

Seo Ryang stretched broadly. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this relaxed.

“Alright!”

Save the thinking for later – today, let’s eat, drink, and fall into a deep sleep without any worries!