Chapter 112: Can You Swim?

TL: FoodieMonster007

Bi Sayin was furious, and I knew why. The Sixth Wolf's earlier words had clearly offended him. A life spent swarming to protect a single First Young Lord—it was a deep disrespect.

Killing the Sixth Wolf might have ended the matter if he were the only one, but the real problem was the lingering suspicion. The thought that the other Thirteen Evil Wolves might feel the same would torment Bi Sayin for a long time.

I had no intention of comforting him. He was my enemy, and I planned to exploit this division and his confusion.

The First Wolf stepped forward, his voice agitated. "Shouldn't we have kept the Sixth Wolf alive as a witness?" He was clearly flustered by his comrade's betrayal and death.

Bi Sayin didn't answer.

I could guess what he heard in the First Wolf's words.

He was like a brother to me, how could you just kill him like that?

Bi Sayin's gaze shifted to the other Thirteen Evil Wolves behind the First Wolf. They stood with their usual impassive expressions, but at that moment, they must have seemed like strangers to Bi Sayin.

I stepped in. "Aren't you all witnesses? Besides Young Master Bi, the person directly involved, there are six of you who saw the Sixth Wolf's betrayal."

The First Wolf voiced his worry. "If they lump us all together as accomplices, they might not believe us."

"Are you saying the testimony of six members of the Thirteen Evil Wolves, who represent the Evil Alliance, won't be accepted? If that's the case, what's the point of being martial artists for the Evil Alliance?"

The First Wolf and the other members said nothing. They must have felt truly miserable.

Bi Sayin, who had been listening quietly, suddenly roared, "Enough of this nonsense!" His irritation was understandable.

"Who is the mastermind?"

"I can't tell you here."

I poured oil on the fire. "I wonder, was there only one traitor?"

The Thirteen Evil Wolves shot cold glares at me.

Bi Sayin should have been the first to react, but he was the last. He harbored the same suspicion.

"Wouldn't it be best to be careful until things are clear? Let's talk about this between the two of us."

I was driving a wedge between Bi Sayin and the Thirteen Evil Wolves, pushing him into a corner. I had to grab him by the scruff of his neck and drag him along. I wouldn't lose the upper hand before my plan was in motion.

Before meeting Bi Sayin alone, I spoke briefly with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon via telepathy.

I plan to separate Bi Sayin from the Thirteen Evil Wolves for now.

You must have something in mind.

I need time alone with Bi Sayin to make him move as I wish.

In truth, I had another reason I couldn't tell the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

The quick-witted Extremely Evil Smiling Demon suddenly asked, Is that really the only reason?

No, it's not.

When I answered honestly, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon smiled with his eyes.

As expected, the Second Young Lord wears the same mask as I.

That's right. No one believed me when I said I wasn't a good person, but the Smiling Demon understands. I'll see you later at the safehouse near the Evil Alliance Headquarters.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon accepted my request because the matter was serious. When it came to official business, he was more meticulous than anyone.

I stood with Bi Sayin on a hill east of the White Night Valley.

"Who is the mastermind?"

"What will you give me if I tell you? You didn't think you'd get this information for free, did you?"

Bi Sayin's expression hardened. "Damn it! Why is it so hard to hear one name? Just tell me like a man!"

"That's not being manly, that's being a fool who takes a loss for pride. I believe a deal requires a fair exchange. Problems always start when one side is dissatisfied. Let's make sure the scales are balanced."

"What do you want?"

There was something I wanted from him. After regressing, I had decided to collect several miraculous encounters if I had the chance. This was one of them.

"Let me into the Myriad Evil Cave."

The Myriad Evil Cave was a sacred place in the Evil Alliance. Only the Evil Alliance Chairman and his successor could enter.

Three hundred years ago, the Myriad Evil Sect Leader treated his injuries there after a fierce battle with the Heavenly Demon. The Evil Alliance had designated it a holy site.

Bi Sayin was startled. "Why do you want to go in there?"

"I've wanted to enter for a long time."

"Then you must know. Outsiders are forbidden from entering the Myriad Evil Cave."

"That's why I'm demanding it now, isn't it? With your life as collateral."

"Don't exaggerate. I've been alive this whole time without knowing the mastermind. Don't act like you're holding something so great."

"You were alive, but it was precarious, especially with a traitor at your back. If you hadn't met me, that traitor would still be eating and sleeping right beside Young Master Bi."

Bi Sayin fell silent, unable to refute my words. He asked me, "Do you know what kind of place the Myriad Evil Cave is?"

He asked because there was nothing special there. It was just a place to commemorate where the Myriad Evil Sect Leader had treated his injuries, like a pavilion in a scenic spot.

"I heard that three hundred years ago, the Heavenly Demon and the Myriad Evil Sect Leader fought. A detailed record of that battle was left in the Myriad Evil Cave. As the next Heavenly Demon, I want to read it. Unfortunately, that record isn't in our Cult."

Bi Sayin voiced his concern. "Letting you in isn't a big problem, but if this gets out, it could become a huge problem."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll never tell anyone I entered the Myriad Evil Cave, and if I did? You can just deny it. If you say it wasn't you, who would believe me?"

He would eventually accept. The Myriad Evil Cave was nothing compared to what he would gain. Though it was a holy site, it was just a memorial hall. The secret of the Myriad Evil Cave would be revealed in about ten years, long after the Bi Sayin before me was dead.

"If you don't want to, then don't. I don't want to go in so badly that I have to beg. Let's just forget it."

"Second Young Lord, don't be so petty."

"Young Master Bi, you're the one being petty with your own life."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm saying that while others might hesitate, Young Master Bi cannot. Nothing is more important than your life, especially a life that will ascend to the seat of Evil Alliance Chairman after this crisis. Forget everything else and think only of your life!"

Finally, Bi Sayin took a deep breath and accepted. "Fine. I'll let you into the Myriad Evil Cave."

He had to find the mastermind, no matter the cost.

"But I have two conditions."

"State them."

"First, you must reveal the mastermind."

I expected this demand. "I'll tell you at the entrance of the Myriad Evil Cave."

"Fine."

We readily agreed on the first condition.

"Second brother, you only get two hours."

"That's too short. Give me six hours."

"Four hours. No more."

"Fine."

Bi Sayin drew his sword. I drew the Black Demon Sword, and we clashed them together. CLANG! The clear sound sealed our promise.

"Is the Myriad Evil Cave on the way to the Evil Alliance Headquarters?"

"It is."

"Let's leave right now, just the two of us."

Bi Sayin was startled. "Are you saying we should leave the Thirteen Evil Wolves behind?"

"That's right. Let's leave the Thirteen Evil Wolves and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon behind."

Bi Sayin started to speak but stopped. He couldn't bring himself to ask if it was dangerous. Seeing me move alone had wounded his pride, and he couldn't ask such a cowardly question.

"It'll be safest for just the two of us to go right now."

"Why is that?"

"Because your martial arts and those of the Thirteen Evil Wolves are so formidable, it's not easy to place surveillance on you. That must be why they recruited the Sixth Wolf."

Bi Sayin nodded in agreement.

"Now that the Sixth Wolf is dead, there's a gap in their surveillance, but they'll soon realize he's dead and send a new monitor. We have to leave now. Let's go to the Myriad Evil Cave, just you and me. We'll leave the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and the Thirteen Evil Wolves behind. The best way to defeat the enemy is to move unexpectedly."

Still, Bi Sayin hesitated. He finally revealed his honest feelings. "But what's the point if we end up dead?"

His conflicted face looked distorted, unable to properly convey his emotions. Perhaps this pity was one reason I wanted to save him.

"With the Thirteen Evil Wolves around, who knows if our chances of survival go up or down? Like I said before, can you be certain there isn't another spy among them?"

Bi Sayin couldn't answer confidently. There was no guarantee against double or even triple spies. He could only be certain of the First Wolf, Baek Cheolgi.

"Besides, for you to let me into the Myriad Evil Cave, we have to move alone, don't we? Would it be alright if they found out you let me in? Not just them, but the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would find out too."

Those words were decisive.

"Fine, let's go, just the two of us."

"A wise decision."

Bi Sayin's face filled with determination.

Normally, he shouldn't have made this decision. He shouldn't have moved so easily according to an opponent's intentions. If the opponent is a villain, you're already doomed.

However, Bi Sayin, this time you did well. I don't know how your fate will unfold, but joining me is likely the only way to turn the wheel of your tragic destiny. Pull the reins harder to change its direction.

"I'll help you become the Evil Alliance Chairman."

"The world will laugh if I become the Evil Alliance Chairman with your help."

"The world will never know the truth. Someday, when I'm the Heavenly Demon and you're the Evil Alliance Chairman, we'll meet, shake hands, and reminisce about this."

Bi Sayin stared at me as if to bore a hole through me.

How could I possibly know what's in his heart? Does he hate this moment so much he wants to kill me, or will he be truly grateful for this day and take my hand?

"Let's go."

I started running, and he followed. In an instant, we were out of the White Night Valley.

Ten days later, after running only on deserted paths, we arrived at a clifftop. Bi Sayin had realized there was no surveillance or tailing and acknowledged my judgment was correct.

SHWAAAAAA.

Looking down at the cascading waterfall, Bi Sayin asked, "Can you swim?"

"I can eat a meal underwater while fighting the Yangtze River Water Ghosts."

"Then follow me."

Bi Sayin jumped below the waterfall, and I followed right after him.

The entrance to the Myriad Evil Cave was impossible to find unless you knew its location. We swam through a narrow opening beneath the waterfall. The strong current made it hard to see, and the hole was so narrow it seemed we might get stuck forever.

We passed through the entrance and swam through a narrow passage. We went so deep that the fear of drowning gripped us before we finally emerged from the water. The waterway connected to a pond inside a cave.

"They say the Myriad Evil Sect Leader, injured in his battle with the Heavenly Demon, drifted into this place."

"For that narrow passage to lead here, heaven must have saved him."

"That's why we made this place a holy site."

We stood before the cave. It was originally a long cave, but the entrance had been blocked to create a door.

"It's a door that only opens by infusing inner arts in a specific way. If you try to force it, this place will collapse. Now, tell me. Who is the mastermind?"

I immediately told him the mastermind. "The Evil Alliance Head Elder, Seok Gwanchu."

Bi Sayin was shocked. He had clearly never expected that name.

"That can't be. Elder Seok retired long ago and joined the council of elders. Do you have proof?"

"The Black Death Leader confessed."

"Where is he now?"

"He's dead."

Bi Sayin's expression hardened. "Are you saying Elder Seok is the mastermind without any proof?"

"Why is there no proof? I, the son of the Heavenly Demon's second brother, am telling you as a witness."

"!"

"If you don't believe me, you shouldn't be standing here. What in the world are you doing?"

At my rebuke, Bi Sayin sighed deeply. "No. I believe you. I came because I believe you. It's just… the fact that it's Elder Seok is unbelievable."

Seok Gwanchu was a figure who commanded the respect of all the Evil Alliance's martial artists.

"Elder Seok is trying to make his grandson the successor."

Only then did Bi Sayin understand.

"Ah! So that was it. Elder Seok was extremely proud of his grandson. He boasted about him in front of me several times. Back then… I just thought his affection was excessive, but thinking about it now, it seems it was more than that."

A cold killing intent flickered in Bi Sayin's eyes. Seok Gwanchu, his grandson, and all the words and events he had previously overlooked now took on a new, heart-freezing meaning.

"Now, it's your turn to keep your promise."

Bi Sayin kept his promise. He placed his palm on the wall and infused his inner arts, and the door opened.

"Your entry here is a secret until the day you die, and you have exactly four hours. If you don't come out by then, I'm coming in."

Leaving him behind, I walked slowly into the Myriad Evil Cave.