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Episode 148: Would You Become a Demon Warrior?
At the end of the conversation, Yang Soran casually asked a question.
"But ma’am, what does it mean that Icho-ryang and Baek San became a Demon Dragon and a Thunder God after their deaths?"
The Demon Warriors of the Yoomyung Cult had each killed at least a dozen monks. Gaining their power through such nefarious means made them highly sensitive to changes after death. They were unsure of the effects their actions would have in summoning the minions of the underworld.
After sending off Hofung, the Martial Mountain Maiden, Lee Maehwa murmured quietly.
"Recently, I’ve heard strange rumors about the Demon Warriors. It’s said they become monsters after they die. I dismissed it as nonsense, but there seems to be some truth to it. There will soon be a meeting of the Great Demon Generals, and we’ll find out more then."
"Ah, I’ve heard that too. Apparently, it’s a fairly well-known topic among merchants."
"Rumors from merchants not related to the Murim? How curious."
"They are people who travel all over the world, hearing all kinds of things. The meeting is in Wuchang next month, right? I hope we can unravel these strange rumors at that meeting."
"Don’t worry too much. They could just be absurd stories from ignorant peasants."
"That’s what I think too."
Yang Soran gave a bitter smile.
There are many dark and feared martial techniques in the world. People fear dark arts not just for their power but also for the cruel methods necessary to master them. Bathing in the blood of children or eating human hearts are some examples. Forbidden dark arts always involve horrifying methods.
Yang Soran thought that the Demon Warriors of the Yoomyung Cult were just another example of this.
"But Demon Dragon and Thunder God... they’re really just monsters."
The thought that such creatures might be nested within the bodies of the Demon Warriors made her lose her appetite.
Yang Soran left the leader’s office and headed to her room to pack. As she hurried across the garden, she heard distant laughter. She looked towards Sohore and saw the pleasure boats lit with colorful lanterns.
Seeing people enjoying themselves made her think of Baek San. He was a very strict person with himself. Of all the guests at Musansocho, he was the only one who stayed away from alcohol and women.
People say that when someone dies, they become a star. Yang Soran looked up at the night sky. "Did you manage to reunite with your wife and child?" However, the sky she saw was only darkness.
"Haa!"
A sigh escaped Yang Soran’s lips. If she had only heard that he had died, her heart would be at peace. But hearing that he had become a Thunder God disturbed her deeply.
"Suffering even after death?"
She hoped that wasn’t the case. Not just for him but for her own future as well.
Far away, the laughter of the courtesans echoed, mocking her thoughts.
Henan Province
Yoomyung Cult, Fairy Cult.
Late at night, the Lunar Fairy left her quarters. The servants waiting in the pavilion followed her silently. She walked leisurely, as if taking a stroll, but her gaze was directed towards a building at the edge of the garden.
The words "Sutra Library" shone under the moonlight. It was a place where the few texts of the Yoomyung Cult were kept, along with Buddhist and Taoist sutras.
As she approached, she saw a faint light coming from the library. The Lunar Fairy smiled and entered the building.
A middle-aged woman was deeply absorbed in reading under the light of a lamp.
It was Baek Miju.
So engrossed was she in the texts that she didn’t notice the Lunar Fairy’s entrance.
"Have you made any progress?"
Baek Miju startled and immediately stood up.
"Madame."
"It’s fine. Sit down."
With the Lunar Fairy’s permission, Baek Miju sat back down.
"What are you reading now?"
"The Chapter of the Sacred Pact."
"I thought you had already read it."
"Every time I read it, I find new meanings."
"That’s admirable."
The Lunar Fairy truly admired her. She had always seen Baek Miju as an ambitious woman, but after going through certain experiences, she had devoutly joined the Yoomyung Cult. Others were only interested in the cult’s powers, but not Baek Miju. She sincerely took refuge in the teachings of the Yoomyung Cult. She had settled in the library, reading incessantly.
A few months ago, when Baek Miju had suddenly arrived, the Lunar Fairy hadn’t thought she would change so much. A month ago, she had offered her the chance to become a Demon Warrior, and Baek Miju had asked for more time. Since then, she hadn’t missed a single day in the library.
Now, the Lunar Fairy believed that Baek Miju knew more about the Yoomyung Cult than she herself did.
"Do you need more time?"
Baek Miju didn’t respond immediately. She understood better than anyone what it meant to become a Demon Warrior. For someone who had grown up in a respectable family, killing monks wasn’t an easy task.
"Did you know that the Baek Clan was destroyed?"
"What?"
"It seems you hadn’t heard. Two months ago, a group of bandits burned down the Baek Clan. Your father, Baek Seungho, died that day. After that, the Yang Clan voluntarily dissolved. Both families have disappeared."
"……."
Baek Miju closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed. The Baek Clan, a renowned family in Jeongju (Zhengzhou), had come to an end.
"Curiously, Yeon Jeokha has a very cruel side. He destroyed his mother’s family in that way."
Baek Miju opened her eyes.
The Lunar Fairy looked at her with a meaningful expression.
"Would you become a Demon Warrior? With your devotion, even becoming a Great Demon General wouldn’t be difficult."
"Could you make me a Great Demon General?"
"Only the cult leader can do that. That’s the law of the cult. No one can break it."
"I understand."
Baek Miju murmured with a disheartened expression. She knew that simply being a Demon Warrior wouldn’t be enough to face Yeon Jeokha.
"Don’t be disappointed. Our leader is a man who can see through people. Surely he will make you a Great Demon General. But first, you must become a Demon Warrior…"
The Lunar Fairy left the sentence incomplete.
It was inappropriate to continue persuading someone to take such a coveted position.
"I’ll do it."
Finally, Baek Miju made her decision. The only way to resolve her bitter enmity with Lee Buyong and her son, Yeon Jeokha, was this.
The Lunar Fairy smiled radiantly.
Baek Miju was the perfect disciple she had found. She had not only inherited the martial techniques of the Baek Clan but also possessed true devotion. Moreover, her desire for revenge seemed to have no end.
Nanjing
Janghojin, at dawn.
Yeon Jeokha walked out of a wooden house and headed towards the river’s mist. His face was grim. Baek San’s death still weighed on his mind, and the previous night he had nightmares again.
Each breath felt heavy in the damp mist. He remembered the poisonous cloud spewed by the Human-Headed Serpent and felt growing discomfort.
He stayed at the port for a while as the day began to clear. The mist lifted, revealing the Yangtze River and the boat he had arrived on.
The thought of having to return to that boat to kill someone else made his stomach churn.
He reflected on how the Demon Warriors had killed monks and how he was killing Demon Warriors. At some point, the Old Dao of the Nine Heavens, Shim Tong, had said that to become a Great Swordmaster, one must be like a butcher of humans.
"Being a butcher of humans brings peace to the mind," he had said.
But for Yeon Jeokha, killing the wicked Demon Warriors was a heavy burden. He felt different from Namgung Cheon, Namgung Yeon, and certainly from Shim Tong, who was insensitive to killing.
If he encountered another Demon Warrior like Baek San, he wouldn’t be able to continue with this.
With a heavy heart, Yeon Jeokha walked along the riverbank, skipping stones on the water.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
He threw stone after stone, trying to beat his record of twelve skips. Gradually, the burden on his heart began to lighten.
In the midst of his concentration, he heard a cheerful laugh behind him.
"Jeje, what are you doing here?"
He turned and saw Jin Seolha approaching.
"Just skipping stones. I got it to skip twelve times, but no more."
"How fun! How do you do it?"
"Well, you need a flat stone that grips well in your hand, like this one."
He showed her a stone he held in his hand.
"Ah! And then?"
"You have to throw it just above the water."
With that, Yeon Jeokha threw the stone forcefully.
Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!
The stone skipped thirteen times before sinking.
"Wow! Thirteen times?"
"Yes, I couldn’t do it before, but with you here, I managed."
"You managed because I was here?"
Jin Seolha smiled and teased. Yeon Jeokha just laughed.
"Do you think I can do it?"
Bored of just watching, Jin Seolha approached Yeon Jeokha.
"Maybe."
Yeon Jeokha shrugged.
From a distance, Namgung Cheon was watching the house and asked Namgung Yeon.
"Where’s Jeokha? I haven’t seen him. Do you know where he is?"
"I think he went for a walk by the shore."
"Really? Last night he was pacing for a long time. He could have slept more."
"Jeokha?"
"Yes. Shim Tong says he sometimes has nightmares. He seems more sensitive than I thought. I guess he’s not used to people."
"He must be affected by Baek San’s death."
"Yes, I feel bad for him too. I suppose Jeokha feels it even more."
"I’ll go look for him."
"Could you? It would be good if you talk to him. Jeokha doesn’t have many people he can speak freely with. Take care of him, will you?"
Namgung Yeon nodded and headed towards the riverbank.
In a small port like Janghojin, it wasn’t hard to find someone. She soon saw Yeon Jeokha and Jin Seolha playing by the water.
Jin Seolha laughed cheerfully.
Namgung Cheon didn’t know that Jeokha had more friends than they did. Watching the scene, Namgung Yeon turned around and headed back.
She wanted to congratulate Jeokha on his new friend, but couldn’t find the right words. It felt as if a bolt of lightning had left her mind blank.