Chapter 586

Heavenly Sword hesitated at my words.

I watched his reaction and smiled.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“...I heard.”

He had heard me perfectly well, yet he still had no answer.

“Then why aren’t you answering?”

“It caught me off guard. Why are you suddenly looking for my master...?”

“Because I have business with him. You should know very well why your master would have business with me.”

“...”

Heavenly Sword’s expression twisted.

He seemed to have remembered that I had not come here blindly.

But—

“I have no idea what you mean.”

He pretended not to know.

“Ah, really?”

“I do not know how my master could possibly be connected to you. Do you know something about my master?”

“Not exactly. But I know your master knows me.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we were cut from the same mold. Your master should know that better than anyone, shouldn’t he?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean, what am I talking about?”

He knew everything, yet he kept playing dumb.

I let out a quiet sigh.

It seemed that speaking indirectly only made him pretend harder, so I stopped bothering with it.

“I know your master is from the Azure Moon Sect.”

“...”

Heavenly Sword’s expression crumpled.

“So take me to him. There are some things we need to—”

“That is enough nonsense. I have no intention of entertaining it.”

Heavenly Sword cut me off, turned around, and started walking away.

He had no intention of speaking any further.

“Tch.”

I watched him go and clicked my tongue.

I shook my head.

Apparently, this was not going to work.

Was I too direct?

Maybe I should have tried another approach instead of charging straight at him.

But I had not done so because I did not think he deserved that much consideration.

Still, watching him walk away like that made me reconsider.

Should I just leave him alone?

“Hm.”

I watched Heavenly Sword trudge through the county town for a moment before making my decision.

For now...

I decided to follow him.

*****

I tailed him for quite a while.

Heavenly Sword wandered all over the county town, chatting with people here and there, then stopping at an inn for a light meal.

He was clearly spending his time leisurely.

Almost too leisurely.

I had expected a Demonic Cultist to carry himself differently.

Why was this guy so peaceful?

I followed him with a strange feeling in my chest.

Then, after some more time had passed—

Heavenly Sword abruptly stopped.

He turned around.

“...What exactly are you trying to do?”

“Ah. You caught me.”

I had been discovered while tailing him.

I raised both hands as though surprised, and Heavenly Sword’s expression twisted.

“You have been following me in plain sight. What do you mean, ‘You caught me’?”

“I thought you had not noticed, since you did not say anything even though I was following you that openly.”

“You thought that was possible?”

“No.”

Obviously not.

Still, he had not said anything.

“What is your purpose?”

“What purpose? You already know. I told you what I wanted a long time ago, didn’t I?”

“You told me, but I have no idea what you mean. My master is not from the Azure Moon Sect, and I do not have a master to begin with.”

“That is some entertaining bullshit. You have no master? At least do not start claiming you taught yourself now.”

It was not even funny.

“Besides, you should not have shown me that if you were going to deny it.”

“...”

What I meant was the power Heavenly Sword had shown against Peng Dojun.

The martial art that resembled Radiant Moon Flash Aura.

The technique that had been far too similar to Yoo Cheongil’s sword strike.

He showed me that, then claimed ignorance?

It was absurd.

“You did not show it so I would recognize it?”

“I have no idea what you mean. What did I show you?”

“That. It was Azure Moon Sect martial arts.”

“That cannot be.”

Heavenly Sword shook his head.

“I only showed it because you were curious. Were you not curious about my signature martial art?”

“That is your signature martial art? Do you even know what ‘signature martial art’ means?”

It was outright plagiarism.

He had copied it so blatantly, yet he still had the nerve to call it his signature martial art?

“Anyone could tell it was Azure Moon Sect martial arts. Other people might not know, but how could I?”

“That is nonsense. How could this possibly be Azure Moon Sect martial arts?”

FWOOSH.

Light flared around Heavenly Sword’s blade.

He drew his sword and activated his martial art.

Black energy curled around the blade as it gave off light, rising like a shimmering haze.

“Hey. Are you seriously saying that?”

I drew my sword as well and activated Radiant Moon Flash Aura.

Its distinctive Sword Aura shimmered around my blade.

The colors were clearly different.

Mine was close to brilliant white.

His was deeply black, yet it still gave off light.

The color was different, but—

“It is the same thing no matter how you look at it.”

Anyone could see they were the same martial art.

Was he going to claim that different colors made them different techniques?

Fine. Maybe that was possible.

Then—

“How do you explain the resonance?”

WOOOOONG.

WOOOOONG.

How was he going to deny the resonance that arose when the same martial arts met?

His Sword Aura and mine were resonating with one another.

There was no way he could fail to recognize it.

“Even when you lie, at least make it convincing. Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“What is so unbelievable about it?”

FWOOSH.

His Sword Aura vanished.

Heavenly Sword slid his blade back into its sheath.

“No means no. Do not concern yourself with it. You would be better off doing whatever you were doing before. It would be better for both of us.”

“What kind of bullshit is that...?”

“If you want to follow me, then follow me. I do not care as long as you do not become a nuisance.”

With that, Heavenly Sword turned around again.

He quickly resumed walking.

What was I supposed to do now?

I had not expected him to be that shameless.

It would have been easier if he had at least looked flustered or frozen up.

Should I go back? Should I think of another method?

Then—

“He told me to follow him, so I should.”

I decided to keep following.

I wanted to see how far he would take this.

But then—

“...Where the hell is this guy going?”

Not long after, Heavenly Sword left the county town and headed deeper into the outskirts.

His destination was—

A shantytown?

We had left behind the relatively clean, well-managed county town and entered an area that looked like a shantytown.

I had not known the Demonic Cult had places like this too.

Then again, no matter where one went, there always seemed to be places like this tucked away in the corners.

As I walked through the shantytown—

“Big brother...!”

“Big brother’s back!”

Children came running toward Heavenly Sword.

Boys and girls alike rushed at him all at once.

Heavenly Sword reacted as though he was used to it.

“Do not run. You will get hurt.”

“Big brother!”

One of the girls ran straight into his arms.

Heavenly Sword caught her without the slightest hesitation.

What is this now?

I looked around, trying to understand the situation.

I could not make sense of it.

Heavenly Sword began placing the things he had been carrying on the ground one by one.

He had been buying things all over the county town.

Apparently, all of it had been for these children.

“Where is Mr. Jo?”

“Dad is lying down. I think he is not feeling well today.”

“Take him the medicine. And make sure to bring some food too.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

The girl happily threw her arms around Heavenly Sword again.

There were many children like that.

And it was not only children.

Middle-aged people and elderly people appeared as well, greeting Heavenly Sword as though they knew him well.

“It has been a while.”

“I have been busy. Have you been well?”

“Things are always the same here. Heh heh... But who is that young man?”

The old man looked at me, standing behind Heavenly Sword.

“You do not need to mind him.”

“What a fine-looking young man. Is he your friend?”

“No.”

Heavenly Sword gave an awkward smile and checked on the old man’s condition.

A few more people came and went.

After some time, Heavenly Sword was finally alone.

That was when I walked up to him.

“What is this?”

“You watched the whole thing already. Why are you asking what it is?”

“You seem close to this place. That is not what I expected.”

Heavenly Sword looked like someone who had grown up without ever lacking anything.

But apparently, that was not the case.

“I was born and raised here.”

“Hm.”

So that was it.

“Is that surprising?”

“Of course it is.”

The way he took care of the children and spoke with the elderly people carried a strange feeling.

And besides—

It does not feel like this is simply the place where he was born and raised.

There seemed to be something more to it, but I did not ask.

Instead—

Children...

Watching the children cling to him reminded me of the Academy I had left behind in my hometown.

Heavenly Fist was not there either.

Were the children doing all right?

“Is it really fine to show me something like this?”

Heavenly Sword looked at me.

“What do you mean?”

“I could use this to threaten you into giving me what I want.”

“What would change if you took a bunch of people from a shantytown hostage?”

“You say that, but it looks like you deliberately showed me this.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

Heavenly Sword stared at me as he spoke.

He did not deliberately show me?

I was not so sure.

“I think you are looking at me as too much of a saint. It feels strange, like you think I would be shaken by something like this.”

“I never thought that. I merely did what I needed to do today.”

“I do not understand your intentions. I do not know what your goal is. What exactly is your goal?”

“My goal has never changed.”

Heavenly Sword’s expression grew heavier than usual.

Then he spoke to me.

“Heavenly Demon. I will become the Heavenly Demon.”

It was a simple, unmistakable goal.

“Really?”

“Yes. That has been my goal from beginning to end.”

“Hm...”

Heavenly Demon.

At those words, I heard laughter from somewhere.

It sounded like the man inside me was laughing.

“Fine. Work hard.”

He could do whatever he wanted.

I turned around as I spoke.

“Are you leaving?”

“I should. I have seen everything I needed to see.”

“You said you had something to confirm.”

“Forget it. You said no, did you not?”

He claimed he did not even know who his master was.

What was the point of saying anything more?

And after seeing the situation in the shantytown, there was nothing else to see.

“Figure it out yourself. See you next time.”

I waved a hand and started walking.

I thought of Heavenly Sword’s claim that he had no master.

Heavenly Sword would keep acting like that until the end.

Then why had he shown me that place?

I have something to protect, so I cannot say anything. Find out for yourself.

Was that not what he had meant?

It bothered me that he had shown me something like that so easily, but if that was his intention, then fine.

It is not as though I have no other way.

Heavenly Sword’s master.

Heavenly Sword was not the only way to find the old man I had been searching for.

It might even be easier.

The easiest and simplest method.

And one I did not particularly want to use.

But if there was no other way—

Then I will use it.

I frowned and drew my sword.

It was time.