Chapter 334: Do You Like the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon That Much?

TL: FoodieMonster007

The next morning, an unexpected person visited my residence.

It was Jang Ho.

"Young Cult Leader."

"What brings you here this morning?"

"I heard you returned, so I came to greet you. Did you have a good trip?"

"I came back after getting a dreadful amount of sand blown in my face."

"I've never been to the Outer Regions. I'd like to go at least once."

"When you feel the grit of sand crunching in your food, you'll think, 'Ah, now I understand why our Young Cult Leader said it was so dreadful.'"

Jang Ho laughed. He rarely smiled before his subordinates, so he always reserved that wonderful laugh for me.

"Oh, and please take this."

Jang Ho held out what he had brought. I unwrapped the paper and found a painting inside.

It showed the back of a man standing on a cliff with a sword at his waist. The moment I saw the painting, I knew who it was. It was me.

"Who is this frighteningly handsome man?"

"It is you, Young Cult Leader. My skill is still a mess, but I wanted my first painting to be of you. I didn't dare to draw your esteemed face, so I drew your back instead."

When he told me he wanted to paint after retiring, I had bought him the tools artists use. I never imagined his first work would be of me.

"I didn't know you were this talented."

This was not empty flattery. It was a magnificent painting, truly like the work of a professional artist.

"This is the first time I've ever received a painting as a gift."

"It's my first time too. Giving a painting as a gift."

"I should go boast to Father. I'll tell him, 'Although the Demonic Army General receives his salary from you, Father, he gave a painting to me.'"

Though he knew I was joking, Jang Ho grew flustered, as if just imagining it made him sweat.

"Please, spare me that."

His flustered reaction amused me, so I continued to tease him.

"How much do you think I could get if I took this to the Central Plains and sold it? 'A painting by the Demonic Army General of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!' The price would be whatever I name, wouldn't it? You're not buying? Really not buying? You'd offer only that much for it?"

Jang Ho waved his hands with a troubled expression, begging me to stop.

"Thank you. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life."

"When my skills improve, I'll draw a better one for you."

"Next time, draw me from the front. It'd be a waste of this handsome face, wouldn't it?"

I did not miss Jang Ho's momentary flinch.

"What? Don't tell me you don't think I'm handsome?"

Now, Jang Ho's counterattack began.

"You have a face that the youth of today would prefer."

"But it's not a handsome face?"

He did not answer, but his expression agreed.

"Then who do you think is handsome? Pick someone we know."

Could it be the Poison King? No, the Poison King looks younger than me, so probably not. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon is handsome, but there's no way he's seen under the mask. Ah, then it must be the Drunken Demon.

I thought this, but an unexpected name came up.

"Isn't the Fist Demon handsome?"

"What? Are you crazy?"

The words 'Are you really crazy?' escaped my lips on their own.

"He's manly and cool. Isn't he handsome?"

"Do you really think so?"

"……"

Realizing he was serious, I shook my head and sighed.

"I'm truly disappointed in your taste. Please, tell me you were joking before you leave!"

Jang Ho laughed as if he had expected this reaction. However, he never changed his mind in the end.

"Well then, I'll see you again."

Jang Ho bowed politely and left the residence.

After he left, Cheokyeon and the other bodyguards came to look at the painting.

"It's a magnificent painting."

"Right? To think he was going to let such talent go to waste. You all should pick up a hobby too. For your own lives, a single brushstroke might be better than a hundred sword swings."

Knowing that I was now sincere, the bodyguards' reply was thunderous.

"Yes, Young Cult Leader!"

I spoke as I left my residence.

"I'm going to ask you about it later, so be sure to think of something. Oh, and hang the painting somewhere it can be easily seen in my room. I'm going to the Valley of Evil. You don't need to follow me."

When I entered the Valley of Evil, it was different from usual.

The place had a festive atmosphere.

Every building was lavishly decorated. The masks of the Faceless Warriors were all painted in vibrant, colorful hues. Bonfires burned in various places, with people roasting meat and carrying jars of alcohol. Their masks lacked their usual frightening feel. Today, everyone was excited.

I asked one of the Faceless Warriors who recognized me and bowed.

"What's going on?"

"Today is the Demon Supreme's birthday."

"The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's birthday?"

"That's right."

"Don't tell him I was here."

For now, I left the Valley of Evil.

I did not know it was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's birthday. It would be one thing if I had not known, but now that I did, I could not go empty-handed.

What should I give him as a gift?

In the past, I gave the Blood Heaven Blade Demon a top-grade Antitoxin Bead for his birthday. Our relationship back then was different from our relationship now, so even that was a huge gift at the time.

After pondering for a moment, I ran straight to the Heavenly Demon Hall.

"I came again because I wanted to see you, Father."

Father looked at me with suspicious eyes. Visiting again today after greeting him yesterday was undoubtedly suspicious.

"Would you like to play a game of Go?"

"I'm busy."

"Then how about a duel?"

"What is it you want?"

I spoke carefully to Father.

"Please let me take just one more treasure from the Heavenly Demon Vault."

Father did not even ask why.

"Impossible!"

Right, he had specially opened it to commemorate me becoming the Young Cult Leader. He would not just give me something if I showed up out of the blue and asked.

"What can I do for you to give it to me?"

"What can you possibly do?"

"I can massage your shoulders. I'll massage them for the rest of your life."

"I despise others touching my body."

"Am I 'others'?"

Of course, it was a futile attempt.

"I'll come to play Go with you every day."

"Playing with a novice weakens one's skill."

"I'll train diligently in martial arts every day."

"Do as you please."

"Do you happen to have a hidden daughter? A daughter you secretly hid away, concealing her identity because you were worried she'd be in danger. She's growing up somewhere with an ordinary status, right? But then, that daughter falls into peril. 'Son, go and rescue her in secret. You're the only one I can trust. I'll give you a treasure in return.'"

The corners of Father's mouth curled up, full of ridicule.

"If I were worried she was in danger, wouldn't I keep her here in our Cult?"

"Well, you might have hidden her because you were worried about my brother, who was mad with ambition."

"Looking at your current state, I'm more worried about you."

"What can I possibly give to a man who has everything in the world? Just give it to me!"

At my shameless demand, Father rose from his grand chair. I thought he was about to say something like, 'Do I need to beat you to your senses?'

"Let's walk."

I strolled through the inner garden with Father. Every cult member we passed bowed their heads respectfully.

Surprisingly, our walk led us to the Heavenly Demon Vault.

"Choose one and come out."

His easy compliance made me feel uneasy instead.

"Why are you giving it to me so readily?"

"So that you don't accumulate futile desires."

"What do you mean by that?"

"'When I become the Heavenly Demon, I'll use it as I please.' That kind of desire."

I could understand Father's heart.

"You're thinking that far ahead?"

"Because it's that important. Both you and the Heavenly Demon Vault."

The words 'both you' made my heart swell with emotion.

What was more surprising was that Father already knew.

"Do you like the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon that much?"

"So you knew."

He knew that today was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's birthday and had guessed that my visit was to get him a gift.

He could have asked what was so great about that person.

"Bring it out."

A short while later, I came out of that place with a treasure.

"No futile desires have accumulated. Instead, my respect and affection for you have piled up high…"

Father walked away with long strides without hearing me out.

I stood for a moment, watching Father's back. Usually, his back made me feel all sorts of emotions. It was large and dependable, yet lonely and desolate. Today, however, I felt a deep affection for me emanating from it.

When I first regressed, a part of me was definitely confident because I had lived longer than Father. A feeling of, I've lived longer than you, Father!

And now I feel it.

Separate from having lived longer, and separate from the kind of life I lived, there is a different kind of strength that comes from being a father.

I want to be a father like Father.

I'm someone who uses all sorts of words with others, from flattery and banter to jokes, but I want to be the kind of father who silently shows his son through his actions. I've never wanted children in my life, but in this moment, I do.

Up ahead, Father stopped and looked back at me. His gaze seemed to ask if I was coming, and I walked toward him with long strides.

"I'll visit you every day, massage your shoulders, play Go with you, and give you an allowance often, and… let's go together! I was wondering who the Demon Supremes took after, always walking off like that. Father!"

When I arrived at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's residence, he was sitting alone in a pure white room. He was just sitting there, even though it was his birthday.

"Smiling Demon!"

"Young Cult Leader!"

The two eyes within the eyeholes of the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's mask turned toward me, smiling brightly. Was it because we could communicate with just our gazes? Just looking at him, the gaze of the Smiling Demon stirred a surge of emotion in me.

"I saw you standing on the stone statue yesterday."

"I thought you might be tired from your long journey, so I intended to greet you from afar. How did your trip go?"

"I handled it well and returned. With the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Demonic Buddha there, nothing could have gone wrong even if it wanted to."

Perhaps the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was disappointed that he could not fight alongside me.

"Oh, happy birthday!"

"Thank you."

"If I had been just two days later, I would have arrived after it was over."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"It is an important day. It's the day the Smiling Demon was born."

Then, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said something unexpected.

"Actually, I don't like celebrating my birthday."

"For someone who says that, it's quite a festival outside, isn't it?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon walked to the window and looked outside. I stood beside him. The area around the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's residence was decorated even more lavishly. In front of it, the Faceless Warriors were gathered, chattering as if it were their own birthday.

"It wasn't always like this, but I told them to use my birthday as an excuse to enjoy themselves freely for the day. I also told them to share any gifts that came from the outside."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, too, was showing a different side of himself than before.

I took out what I had brought from my robes and said, "Still, this gift is not for them."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon recognized the gift I handed him at a glance.

"This is…!"

His two eyes trembled.

"It was just gathering dust in a warehouse, so I brought it in case you might need it."

What I had brought from the Heavenly Demon Vault was a pair of bracers worn on the wrists. One could feel their preciousness just by looking at them. One was embroidered with the image of a roaring black dragon, and the other with a soaring tiger.

The Black Dragon Flying Tiger Armor.

Known to be impervious to swords and blades, and even uncuttable by sword qi, it was one of the finest artifacts among wrist guards. It was an especially necessary treasure for those like the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, who do not use swords or daos, for defending in urgent situations.

The gaze of the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon deepened as he looked down at it for a moment.

"No one in the world would call the Heavenly Demon Vault a warehouse."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked at me.

"Do you know how precious this is?"

"I know that this precious thing is just gathering dust in the treasury."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon stared at me intently and said, "Didn't you say that a relationship must be as light as a feather to last a long time? That you didn't want to build an impregnable fortress with me? That you wanted our relationship to be as light as a feather so we could be comfortable until we die? If you do this, what will you give me for my next birthday? And what must I give you in return?"

I looked at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon in silence for a moment.

"Couldn't you think of it this way? That in a past life, this Young Cult Leader sinned against me, and he's trying to repay it in this life."

"You already repaid it when you saved my life."

"I must have sinned twice, then."

"Young Cult Leader!"

"Smiling Demon!"

In any case, if I were to fall into danger, he is the one who would come running first. He is a man who would willingly throw away his life.

Therefore, I did not need to worry that this gift would be a burden to him. Whether I gave it to him or not, he would act the same.

"Please accept it, Smiling Demon."

Our gazes locked in mid-air. In the end, he could not refuse my earnest wish.

"Very well."

"Ah, what a relief. If you had refused until the end, Father would have teased me about this for the rest of his life."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon rolled up his sleeves and put the Black Dragon Flying Tiger Armor on both wrists. It suited the white-masked Extremely Evil Smiling Demon perfectly.

"This is the most precious birthday gift of my entire life."

"If anyone ever breaks that record, be sure to tell me. I can't stand being second place."

His two eyes, deepened within the mask, conveyed his gratitude.

"What will you do if the other Demon Supremes find out?"

"They'll probably look forward to what I'll give them on their birthdays."

"And if you can't give them anything?"

"They'll probably think I like the Smiling Demon the best."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon laughed out loud.

It was the pleasant laugh of the Smiling Demon, which I had not heard in a long time.

After leaving the Valley of Evil, I went straight to the Demon Village.

I intended to go to the Alluring Inn to see Jo Cheonbae and have a meal.

The Demon Village, which I returned to after a long time, was no different from when I had left.

The bustling marketplace was crowded with people coming and going.

There were peddlers hawking their wares, an old man pulling a cart and shouting for people to move aside, women browsing goods, and men grabbing each other by the collar. Lovers walked hand in hand with smiles, and children ran around while a woman shouted at them not to run.

Seeing this scenery after returning from a life-or-death battle, it definitely looked different.

Only by realizing that the seemingly ordinary daily life might not be so ordinary after all, can one find happiness within it.

When I arrived at the Alluring Inn, I was so surprised that I stood there blankly for a moment.

The door of the Alluring Inn was closed. It was the first time. This place had never been closed before. Was he sick? Or did something happen?

Just then, someone came up and spoke.

"Young Cult Leader, I'm the one who runs the fruit stall down the street."

He was someone I had seen often while coming and going through the Demon Village. He was also close with Jo Cheonbae.

"The owner of the Alluring Inn left with his wife a few days ago, saying something had come up at his in-laws' place."

I knew that Jo Cheonbae had a special relationship with his wife.

"Do you happen to know what happened?"

"I didn't hear the details, but I overheard that someone in her family got involved with a martial artist."

The words 'involved with a martial artist' made my heart sink. In most cases, such situations rarely ended well. Moreover, the fact that he had closed the inn and left in such a hurry meant the situation was that urgent.

Of all times, it had to happen when I was away from the Cult. With Lee Ahn also far away, Seo Daeryong and Jang Ho probably had not been holding their gatherings at the inn recently either.

"Do you know where his in-laws live?"

After hearing the location of his in-laws' home, I immediately shot off.

Using the Swift Step, I left the Demon Village in an instant. The best-case scenario would be for me to arrive first, and the next best would be to not arrive too late.

I prayed it was nothing serious, but if he was caught up in something dangerous, the only thing to trust was the owner's experience. After all, he had gone through all sorts of things while running an inn here.

Innkeeper, just hold on until I get there!

Having reached its limit, the Swift Step began to surpass its boundaries once again.