Chapter 311: Thank You For Telling Me Your Weakness

TL: FoodieMonster007

Did my words please him?

"I shouldn't just look after my other disciple. I need to take care of this one too." The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader snapped his fingers, activating the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

When I learned the Spacetime Manipulation Technique from him, I promised to serve him as my Master, at least in this place.

"Disciple. What troubles you?"

Instead of answering the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's playful question, I looked around. We were in the middle of a battlefield. Blood flowed like a river and corpses were piled high.

"Why on earth did you open a place like this? Where are we?"

"I thought a place like this would suit you."

I knew he was not just joking, so I asked him calmly.

"Is this what my heart looks like to you, Cult Leader?"

He stared at me intently and asked back.

"Isn't the reason you get stronger every time I see you because your heart is a constant battlefield?"

This was the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader without his playful demeanor. He was a man who could instinctively smell blood.

"I'm sorry, but my heart is like this."

This time, I imitated the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and snapped my fingers. He always liked to snap his fingers when he opened the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

"……"

The scene changed. Now, we stood in a beautiful field where white petals scattered in the wind.

"My heart is like this."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked around, then smiled and asked.

"Isn't this the kind of place you dream of?"

I did not argue and just smiled faintly.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader picked up a fallen petal and said, "Sometimes when I'm here, I get confused about which world is real. It's probably because I want to stay in the space I created. What about you?"

"It's the same for me. Sometimes I want to forget everything and escape here. It feels so good to rest in this place."

The sun, the sea, a sandy beach, and a comfortable chair under a broad-leafed tree. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader probably had his own personal space, just like me.

"If this place becomes a sanctuary, it's a paradise. If it becomes a refuge, it's a hell. Both here and in the outside world."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader tossed the petals in his hand into the air.

"Now, I'll ask again. What's on your mind? What are you trying to find out from the mastermind?"

A flicker of worry crossed his face. I appreciated his concern, but I could not tell him about the Illusion King.

"You're a man who stirs up storms. To think you'd even attract those who cast Soul-Stealing Arts on the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme."

"Anyone hearing that would think they appeared because of me."

"Wouldn't this have gone unnoticed if not for you? In that case, you can say they were revealed to the world because of you."

It was sophistry, but he had a point. If it were not for me, Hwan Yeo would have simply been remembered as the flower shop owner before disappearing.

"Still, this is related to the Blood Cult, so I'll handle it."

He was trying to protect me. He intended to take responsibility for this incident that began with the Soul-Stealing Art and see it to the end. I was grateful he cared so much.

"Cult Leader, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"What is the weakness of those who have mastered the Soul-Stealing Art?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader stared at me with a bewildered expression, as if asking what kind of question that was.

"Are you now asking me to reveal my own weakness?"

"Isn't it better to get rid of bad things quickly?"

"Go Wol! Look, this is the Young Cult Leader you admire so much. Didn't I tell you? He's not just the Young Cult Leader, he's a wicked Young Cult Leader."

Though he joked, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader must have realized my question was aimed at finding the flower shop woman's weakness.

"You can just leave it to me. What on earth are you trying to find out from that woman?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader began to walk slowly. I followed him down the path carpeted with flower petals. With each step, he seemed to travel back in time, recalling a moment from long ago.

"I can't forget the first time I succeeded with the Soul-Stealing Art. Anyone who's mastered it would feel the same. How fascinating is it to make people move according to your will? But after a few successes, a sudden fear creeps in. What if someone stronger than me controls me just like this?"

This was why Seo Daeryong once said the former Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme was the most fearsome of all the Demon Supremes. He said it was better to die cleanly by a blade than to be controlled like a jiangshi and die miserably.

"Do you know what happens after that phase passes?"

I listened quietly to his words.

"The human mind starts to look ridiculous. You see even the strongest-willed people fall to the Soul-Stealing Art and think human will is nothing special. Do you know what happens then?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader paused and looked at me.

"People start to look ridiculous."

Was he ashamed of his past self? His gaze shifted from me to the distant mountains beyond the path.

"When people look ridiculous, the world eventually starts to look ridiculous too."

"How did you overcome it?"

"Overcome it? I couldn't."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader revealed his honest feelings.

"You think you change when you become a master? That's like the baseless assumption that you become wise when you get old. A wise young man becomes a wise old man."

For the first time since we met, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader sighed.

"It would have been different for you. Even if you mastered the grandfather of Soul-Stealing Arts, you wouldn't look down on others, but ordinary people like us are different. There's always a price for stealing another's mind."

Perhaps he was confessing that he had been that way when he kept Go Wol in shackles.

But I knew. He told me he had not overcome it, but he already had. When he released Go Wol from his shackles, he began to see people differently.

"Somewhere in that woman's heart, there must be arrogance, conceit, and emptiness. She'll look down on your mind, on people, and on the world. A part of her heart will be a gaping, black hole."

A gaping, black hole in her heart.

I knew exactly what that meant. In my life before regression, I had a similar hole in my own heart. It was endlessly deep, a void that nothing could fill.

Then, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader spoke abruptly.

"……"

He believed he had started to fill that hole because of me.

"If not for you, I'd still be in the Heavenly Wind Cult's main hall. I'd be looking at the same sacred object every day, living in fear of losing it, keeping Go Wol tightly bound. I thought I was living the most comfortable life in the world, but it was anything but. Looking back, I was the one in shackles."

A shower of white petals rained down on us.

"So? Was that helpful?"

How should I thank him for giving me everything, even his own weakness?

Yes, this one word will be my answer.

"Yes, Master."

As if he had never been serious, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader laughed heartily and said loudly.

"Since it's been a while, should we stay a bit longer before we go?"

I let him enjoy the feeling of being a Master to his heart's content, and we stayed for a long while before leaving. Inside was spring, but outside, winter was coming.

I entered the Demon Dragon Court, where the Demonic Army resided. Passing Demonic Army soldiers recognized me and bowed respectfully. It had been a while since I had seen these brutes.

The Demonic Army was not what it used to be. Their eyes and movements showed discipline and spirit. It was all thanks to one man.

"I heard you returned, Young Cult Leader."

The Demonic Army General Jang Ho greeted me with a commanding presence. They say the position makes the man, and the Jang Ho of today felt completely different from the man he once was. He now fit the role of the Demonic Army General better than anyone.

"I came because I wanted to see you, General Jang."

"I should have come to see you first. I apologize."

"A busy man like you doesn't need to. An idle person like me should be the one to visit."

Jang Ho laughed. He knew very well how busy I was. I was the one who was too busy to be seen, even for a greeting. In any case, seeing the gruesome scar on his face felt so welcoming that it really hit me how long it had been.

"How have you been?"

"I'm the same as always. If anything, Martial Artist Lee and Director Seo have gotten so busy we can't even meet for drinks."

"Lazy people always pretend to be busy."

Jang Ho laughed again. Like Seo Daeryong, he probably did not have many chances to laugh with his subordinates. Both organizations required their leaders to have absolute authority. Yes, you should at least laugh comfortably like that when you're with me.

It was the same with the Fist Demon and Jang Ho. When these normally stoic men laughed like this, it made me feel good too.

"You've lived up to my faith in you."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't I tell you? That you'd become the greatest Demonic Army General in history."

"You praise me too highly."

It was not excessive praise. He was already hearing such things. My words seemed to make Jang Ho recall the past.

"I still haven't achieved my wish."

"What wish?"

"When you appointed me as the Demonic Army General, I told you. I said I wanted to be a person like you, Young Cult Leader. The kind of person who makes others feel like they can overcome any difficulty just by being with them. I haven't achieved that wish."

"Haven't you already achieved that?"

I said to his puzzled expression, "I ran into a difficult problem, so I came to you, didn't I? I need your help."

Jang Ho's expression brightened. The words "I need your help" would please him more than any compliment.

"I heard the Demonic Army's training includes drills against evil arts and illusions."

"Yes, we conduct special training to prepare for masters from unorthodox sects."

"Including the Soul-Stealing Art?"

"We have a special unit composed of those with innately strong mental fortitude."

"Lend them to me for support."

A flash of joy crossed Jang Ho's face. He had not worked with me recently, but now he finally had a chance to be of help.

"When do you need them?"

"Right now."

A short while later, I left with Jang Ho and about twenty Demonic Army soldiers. I could feel Cheokyeon and the bodyguards waiting outside tense up. Mobilizing the Demonic Army meant that something truly dangerous was about to begin.

Hwan Yeo could not leave the flower garden. The Young Cult Leader had threatened to plaster her face across the Central Plains if she left before the investigation ended. Above all else, she could not let her identity be revealed, but she couldn't just stay here indefinitely, not knowing when the investigation would end.

Just then, a man pulling a cart entered the flower garden to deliver seedlings and pots. As he unloaded a flowerpot from the cart, he sent Hwan Yeo a telepathic message.

[I have a report. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader has returned to the Demonic Cult Headquarters.]

Hwan Yeo's expression instantly turned grave. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who had been absent, had returned at this specific moment?

Could it be?

Did he realize I used the Yin Yang Reverse Soul Art on the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme? The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader might be able to detect it. No, they must have already noticed something to have summoned him back.

[I think you should leave.]

Despite the worried telepathy, she remained calm.

[Don't make a fuss.]

[My apologies.]

After a moment of thought, she gave an order.

[Have the Hyeolryeong on standby and tell Gwisuk he might have a visitor.]

The man flinched in surprise but quickly replied respectfully.

[Understood.]

Having received his orders, the man pulled his cart and left the flower garden.

Hwan Yeo was just about to pick up and carry one of the delivered flowerpots. Just then, a wooden wind chime hanging under the eaves made a sound.

Hwan Yeo picked up a pot from the cart and headed toward the back of the garden. The moment she turned the corner, she vanished instantly.

Wuuuuuuung.

She walked through a place filled with a low hum. The surrounding walls writhed as if alive, covered in grotesque protrusions. It felt like walking through the belly of a monster.

Her appearance had also changed upon entering this place. Her lips were now crimson, and her eyes were slanted menacingly. That was not the only thing that changed. The flower in the pot she held had transformed into a carnivorous plant. Judging by its sinister aura, it likely ate more than just insects.

She passed through a complex, maze-like corridor and entered a small space. As she stepped into the eerie room, the wall in front of her began to squirm and bulge outward.

Jjiiiiiiiiik.

A man's face pushed through. It was a bizarre sight, like a face struggling to emerge through a transparent membrane. His voice was naturally strange as well.

"He wonders why you haven't returned."

It was a message from her younger brother.

"Tell him I can't return yet."

"He will ask for a reason."

"Later. Tell him I'll explain later."

"He's worr…"

Before the messenger could finish, she waved her hand. The wall grew taut as if repelling the man, and the protruding face vanished.

She threw herself back, lying down. The floor rippled and rose, enveloping her like a comfortable bed. This was her favorite place, the only space where she could truly rest.

She closed her eyes for a moment, pondering how to handle the situation. The problem was the Young Cult Leader. The fact that she could not read his thoughts irritated her.

Jjiiiiiiiiik.

Again, a face pushed out from the same wall. A face struggling to break through the membrane.

[I said I'll handle it.]

The next moment, she flinched in shock. It was not the face of the subordinate who connected her to her brother. The face pushing through the membrane looked strangely familiar.

"……"

Someone tore through the membrane and thrust his face in. To her astonishment, it was Geom Mugeuk. Their eyes met, and Geom Mugeuk grinned.

"So there are villains among flower lovers after all."

At that moment, Hwan Yeo's eyes flew open.

It was a dream.

She had briefly fallen asleep and dreamed. It was the first time she had ever dreamed about someone she was wary of.

Just then, she heard someone calling for her from the garden outside.

"Owner! Are you here, owner?"

It was the voice of the man from her nightmare.