Chapter 49
"From the outside, it may seem like the same Cho family, but I got the impression that there is considerable internal strife within the Cho family. If we use that, I think we can achieve victory more easily. I also think that the second Nether Shadow Valley must be destroyed, but I hope we can achieve victory without using too much of our strength."
Listening to Jeok Soju's words, I once again recalled how many battles he had led to victory by helping Pae Maseong in the novel.
It seemed that the strategic wisdom of the most trusted commander and the most outstanding strategist of Pae Maseong was shining now.
"I have also heard something about the Cho family, Senior Brother. I heard that the family head has four sons, and he is contemplating which of them to make the young family head, so the conflict between the sons is deep."
Such stories began to come out one by one.
At first, the children who had been boiling with anger later put their heads together and came up with a plan.
I was moved that there were such children around me.
After a long conversation, I summarized and said.
"The most important thing is to save the children who have been taken to Nether Shadow Valley. Other things can be delayed a little, but that cannot be delayed. And it would be good if we could find out who is kidnapping the children and punish them as well. I hope we can at least do that."
The children listened to my words with shining eyes.
It must have been difficult to just suppress the anger that had been boiling up from hearing the story of Nether Shadow Hall, but after hearing those words, it seemed that their motivation was burning again.
* * *
Before we went to attack Nether Shadow Valley, someone came to find us at the mountain bandit stronghold.
It was Pae Maseong.
When the child guarding the mountain gate quickly came and informed me of the news, the other children surrounded me in an instant and went out to meet Pae Maseong.
Even though it didn't seem necessary, the children seemed to think that they had to protect me.
I was a little embarrassed and sorry.
Pae Maseong would not be unaware of the expression 'we don't trust you at all' plastered on the children's faces.
"You look good, Socheong. It's been too long."
"I'm glad you look good too."
Pae Maseong looked at me in surprise at the words 'I'm glad you look good'.
It was just that Pae Maseong's actions could be a threat to the children, and I had not thought that I could never forgive him in the future.
As a result, Pae Maseong had not done anything that would be a threat to the children, and he had just come to see us again after a long time.
"I heard from Maling. So if there is anything I can do to help, I want to help."
It seemed that he had been in contact with Pae Maling.
If Pae Maseong said that, there was no reason to refuse.
In fact, I had been thinking about whether to ask for help if I could get in touch with Pae Maseong.
If I could carry out the mission while reducing the sacrifices of the children of Nether Shadow Valley, there was no reason to refuse anything.
"If you do that, of course I'd be grateful."
Pae Maseong was grateful, as if he had thought that I might not accept.
The children also, once I said that, their attitude towards Pae Maseong softened a little.
"Since you're here, take a look at the children's techniques."
"Can I still do that?"
"Spar with the children one by one in turn."
At those words, the children also showed motivation.
The children sometimes showed excessive loyalty to me, and it was similar then.
They were burning up as if they thought that losing to Pae Maseong would bring shame to me, who had been teaching them.
I thought those children were cute, but I knew that they wouldn't last long against Pae Maseong and would be severely broken.
The current Pae Maseong would be quite close to his complete form, so there would not be many people in the Heavenly Demon Sect who could compete with and win against him.
But the advantage of the children was that it was a time when they could fail as much as they wanted.
If they fell, they could just get up again, so I cheered for the children deep in my heart.
Amidst the enthusiastic cheers, the children began to spar with Pae Maseong.
But not long after, they were in a position of lying on their backs, looking at the sky.
In an instant, all fifty-seven of them had finished their sparring.
After finishing the sparring, Pae Maseong held each child one by one and told them their respective problems and the things they needed to change quickly.
The children looked at me as if they were confused about whether it was okay for them to listen to what Pae Maseong was teaching, and I nodded and told them to learn and correct it diligently.
The children had faces that said they were ashamed of having lost to Pae Maseong, but they diligently practiced what he had taught them.
It was the same for Jeok Soju, and there were no exceptions for the children who had previously followed Pae Maseong entirely.
Seeing that, Pae Maseong smiled bitterly.
"Have you eaten, Pae Maseong?"
"Not yet. I came without resting."
I set a table for Pae Maseong and sat across from him and talked.
"Recently, I received an offer from the Grandmaster to join the Heavenly Demon Force."
The Heavenly Demon Force was a place that was called the strongest martial force among the martial forces that protected the Heavenly Demon, and it was a place composed of the strongest people in the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The Heavenly Demon Force had to pledge complete obedience to the Heavenly Demon and protect him by sacrificing their lives.
It could be said to be the most glorious position for martial artists, to the extent that there was no martial artist in the Heavenly Demon Sect who did not want to join the Heavenly Demon Force.
"Congratulations, Pae Maseong. The Heavenly Demon Force is a position that is not to be envied in the Heavenly Demon Sect."
"That's right. But I said I wouldn't do it."
"Why?"
I asked, wondering if there was anyone who would refuse an offer to join the Heavenly Demon Force, and he laughed.
"If I join the Heavenly Demon Force, I have to serve the Sect Leader as my lord, and it becomes a master-servant relationship, but I don't think I can pledge absolute loyalty."
This time, I was so surprised that I looked at Pae Maseong.
Then I wondered if Pae Maseong was already revealing his ambition to become a Heavenly Demon.
"Socheong, I'm thinking of coming back here. Of course, you'll have to accept me again. And the other guys will also have to accept me, but if they don't, I'll hold on until they do."
'...?'
I looked at Pae Maseong, wondering what this situation was.
It's true that our kids are sincere and their martial prowess is not low, but I didn't understand why he was attracted to being the leader of these children, giving up the Heavenly Demon Force.
But the surprise at that time was nothing compared to the story I heard after that.
"I want to assist you by your side while you pursue your ambitions, Socheong."
Pae Maseong?
Pae Maseong, who would become a Heavenly Demon?
If it were someone else, it would be different, but I knew Pae Maseong's future.
I couldn't understand at all why Pae Maseong, who was the strongest in the world, was saying such a thing.
"Why are you doing this?"
"As time passed, I realized that what you were saying was right. Your way."
As if he couldn't tell the whole story, Pae Maseong ended his words there.
While he was active as a member of the martial force at the Heavenly Demon's close range, there must have been things he had felt.
It seemed that he had deliberately kept his mouth shut because it could become a big problem if he let it out, so I also couldn't ask any more questions.
"When I said I would attack the Cho family because of Maling's matter, you stopped me... thank you. I realized a lot from that. Just because I had a justification, I shouldn't have acted recklessly. That could have hurt other people. If it weren't for you, I would have made a big mistake. I didn't know that then. I'm sorry."
Pae Maseong had returned.
In a way I had never imagined.
Pae Maseong, who was supposed to become a Heavenly Demon, said he would assist me.
If this happens, this novel will be completely twisted...
But it seems that the novel has been twisted for a long time...
"This is delicious. Can I have another bowl?"
Not long after he returned, Pae Maseong seemed to have completely adapted.
* * *
The way the children welcomed the returned Pae Maseong was different.
The children generously gave Pae Maseong the hybrid poisonous creatures they had newly created.
Pae Maseong found it amusing. He must have thought that it was a sight that could only be seen here.
Pae Maseong had to be bitten for a while by the poisonous creatures that recognized him as an enemy, and he drove out the poison with his internal energy.
Still, he detoxified faster than those who were completely unfamiliar with the poisonous creatures here, and he tamed the unknown poisonous creatures one by one.
And as if to take revenge for being tormented by the poisonous creatures, he tormented the children of Nether Shadow Valley under the pretext of guidance and sparring.
The children, while screaming that they were going to die, clung on with tremendous perseverance to master what they had learned from Pae Maseong.
"Now it's time to experience it in a real battle."
When I found out the location of the newly created Nether Shadow Valley and said that, the children stood up proudly.
When I had rescued them from Nether Shadow Valley, I had been worried about whether they could even take care of themselves, but now they were standing up resolutely to save the children who would suffer the same fate as them.
"There will be a formation this time too. What should we do?"
When I asked Pae Maseong, he said, 'Why are you asking such a thing?', and then he said he would just trust me.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Show me your sword ki after a long time. I think your sword ki can break the formation."
I was really at a loss whenever Pae Maseong was like this.
Why on earth does Pae Maseong trust me so much?
On the way, Dan Yujong looked at me with a beaming smile.
"Senior Brother, if we include the children we will rescue from Nether Shadow Valley, we will also become quite large. How about we also make a name for ourselves like a sect?"
That child must have said it as a joke, but Pae Maseong suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Don't say such things in the future."
As Pae Maseong scolded him so fiercely, Dan Yujong pouted as if he were sad.
"What's wrong, Pae Maseong?"
It seemed there was a reason, so I asked, and Pae Maseong sighed quietly.
"Socheong, the Sect Leader knows you. There is no way the Sect Leader would not know you, whom the Cho family and the Danli family are both paying attention to. A lot has been known about you in the martial world, and there is no way that the fact that you rescued the children of Nether Shadow Valley has not reached the Sect Leader. You can assume that the Sect Leader knows most of the things that happen in the Heavenly Demon Sect."
At first, I was surprised, but later, I thought that might be the case.
Even the Danli family had surprised me with their information power beyond imagination, so why couldn't the Heavenly Demon?
In the end, the Heavenly Demon also knew everything and had just been pretending not to know out of necessity.
I even thought that perhaps the Danli family had also known that the Cho family was capturing the children of their territory even before I had said it.
'So that's what it was. They all knew. They all knew and were pretending not to know. Because the moment they acknowledged it, they would be ashamed. Because it would be uncomfortable and embarrassing to not take any measures while knowing.'
For some reason, a hollow laugh was about to come out.
I also seemed to know why Pae Maseong had said that.
(End of Chapter)