36th Already Loyal
Ilhwageomjeon was a beautiful woman.
He looked like he was in his twenties, but he was actually twice as old. That’s why there’s a saying at our school:
The world may change, but the sword does not change.
She even gets younger as the years go by.
However, if you are fooled by that beautiful appearance and do something foolish, your tongue will be cut out and a cold iron sword will be stabbed into your heart. The red camellia flower engraved on the scabbard of her poisonous weapon, the Ilhwageom (一花劍), is as intense as blood.
“It’s been a while, sir.”
“I never get used to hearing the word ‘elder’. How about calling me ‘senior’?”
She treated me with respect. She was famous for always being polite and courteous not only to me but also to lower-ranking warriors.
“Considering the distribution with the elderly, that is not possible.”
“You should respect someone because they are older? I don’t think so. Respect should be given to someone who is worthy of respect. Just like you should respect someone who is young but deserves respect.”
“Very well. I will follow your wishes. In return, please feel free to call me Confucius.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I introduced Seo Dae-ryong to him.
“This is the special investigator who investigated this case. I brought you here to tell you what happened.”
Seo Dae-ryong politely offered a prize to Ilhwa Geomjon.
“This is Special Investigator Seo Dae-ryong. I will report on this case.”
Then Ilhwageomjon raised his hand to stop him.
“Okay. If the Hwangcheon Pavilion has found you guilty, then you have committed a crime. Anyone who has r**ed a young girl deserves to die, so I will not take issue with anything that happened during the investigation of this case.”
I motioned for Seo Dae-ryong to step back. Seo Dae-ryong quietly went out of the cell.
Ilhwageomjon smiled faintly at me. She seemed to have noticed that there was another reason why I came to see her.
“I heard that these days, thanks to the hard work of this Confucius, a wind of change is blowing through our school.”
“They are running wild.”
“If our school can develop, how could that be so crazy?”
Ilhwageomjon was considered to be the one who did not fit in with the devil’s cult the best among the Palmajons. Just looking at this shabby moat, you can tell. It is elegantly decorated, like a place where a famous sect’s old master resides in seclusion.
“You are doing a great job.”
“This is possible because you, my senior, are a strong supporter.”
Ilhwageomjon shook his head.
“Don’t put gold on this wrinkled face.”
This is clearly intended. To lead to this statement.
“What are you talking about? You still look like you’re in your twenties.”
“Twenties! That’s ridiculous!”
A smile that couldn’t be hidden spread across her face as she waved her hand.
“This person is someone who is sufficiently aware of the truth of ignorance by stepping back.”
But she lived a life different from what she said.
After my father died at the hands of the Hwamugi and the main church was sealed, a full-scale power struggle broke out within the church. Not only Palmazone, but also the main church’s famous masters fought for the position of leader.
So who will be the first leader?
Surprisingly, the woman in front of me is none other than Ilhwageomjon. It may be hard to believe considering her gentle smile and calmness, but she was the first to move and take the position of the leader.
During that process, there was a lot of bloodshed. She was merciless. There was a lot of bloodshed throughout her short life as a cult leader. So it would have been nice if she had done well in politics, but Ilhwageomjon’s ruling power could not keep up with her greed.
She caused all the tragedies that occur when an incompetent person is greedy, and before she could even fulfill three years, she was killed by the next leader. That is why my evaluation of her cannot be anything but harsh.
“To be honest, when this incident broke out, I felt very burdened.”
“Why did you feel burdened?”
“As you may have heard, there have been many conflicts with the Namdo Order recently.”
I casually mentioned the Namdojong of the Bloodthirsty Demon. They are the two people known to be the worst offenders among the Palmajons. For that reason, the demons and the demon swordsmen were also like dogs and monkeys.
“Elder Blood Heavenly Sword Master used to put a lot of pressure on me. But this time, I have a conflict with Geomga… … .”
“I am a completely different person from Thomas!”
Even being mentioned together with the Bloodthirsty Sword Master raised his voice, feeling unpleasant.
“Of course it’s different.”
“I’m asking because we’re on the subject, but I heard that Doma recommended Jang Ho-ran as the Demon Lord from the Namdo Sect. What happened?”
Although she seemed to be practicing alone in the prison, she was aware of all the happenings in the school. As if to show that her future rise to power was not a coincidence.
“Jang-ho is a man of outstanding ability and loyalty.”
“What I’m asking is why Thomas wanted to make him the Demon Lord.”
“To be honest, Jang-ho is my person.”
Ilhwageomjon was not surprised, as she already knew. This was exactly what she was curious about.
“How did you convince Thomas?”
“It touched the elder’s pride. He is called the Demon Lord, so shouldn’t he make a choice for the sake of the religion? He should recommend someone who has real ability, not someone with close relationships or political power.”
“Toma is not persuaded by such reasons.”
“That’s right. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to let me go. Anyway, Thomas said this. He said that among the Palma Johns, he is the one who has the best heart for teaching.”
Ilhwageomjon’s expression became furrowed as if he thought it was an absurd thing to say, but I pretended not to notice and continued talking.
“Even Elder Hana seems to have a hard time making Jangho the Demon Lord. The General has suggested a method, but that is not easy either.”
“What method did the military suggest?”
“You said it would be possible if another Amazon recommended it, but the problem is that there is no Amazon to do it with.”
“Why do you think there isn’t one?”
“yes?”
“Do you think that the only devil for religion is Thomas?”
“That’s not it.”
Ilhwageomjon asked me with a cold look in his eyes.
“Isn’t the purpose of coming to see me today to hurt my pride and ask me to recommend Jangho together with Senior Doma?”
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Now is the time to be honest. When the trick and the truth are mixed together so that you can’t tell what the ingredients are, then the trick becomes delicious.
“Did you notice?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“It’s to get the Demon Army in my hands. With that influence, I want to become the successor as soon as possible.”
Ilhwageomjon stared at me quietly.
Why did that stubborn old man, Bloody Cheon Do Ma, choose me? Even if he had to throw away his brother. She must be having these doubts.
“I now understand clearly why the religious leader placed this Confucius in the throne of the underworld.”
“Why? I still don’t understand my father’s intentions.”
She came closer and stared into my eyes.
“This Confucius strangely shakes people’s hearts.”
She revealed exactly what she was feeling, as if only someone brimming with confidence could express such candid emotions.
“I will take that as a compliment.”
She thought about it for a moment and then made a decision.
“Okay, I’ll recommend Jangho too.”
“Are you sure?”
I looked surprised, but I had kind of expected her to recommend it. It was because of her special relationship with Doma.
“Can I ask why?”
“Let’s say it’s to show that the devil for teaching isn’t just Thomas.”
She turned around. I greeted her politely, knowing she was a silent guest.
“I will never forget the kindness you have shown me.”
She didn’t answer, but I knew exactly why.
The reason she’s taking on this job is entirely because of Hyeolcheon Doma.
I wonder if I am the successor and if Thomas finds out first. If so, I don’t want Thomas to monopolize me. I don’t even want to give Thomas horse manure that falls on the roadside.
Why?
Because she really, really hates cutting boards.
When she became the leader, the first person she killed was Hyeolcheon Doma.
* * *
The next day, Ilhwageomjon recommended Jangho to the Demon Lord.
The school was in an uproar at this shocking news. The Demon Lord had never been nominated as a candidate, and the two Demon Lords had never come together to recommend one person.
Especially since the two demons were Blood Heavenly Demon and Ilhwa Sword Master, who were not on good terms, how could it be otherwise? Jangho naturally became the center of attention.
In Cheonmajeon, the leader of the sect, Geom Woo-jin, and the general of the sect, Sima Myeong, were talking about this matter.
“I never thought that this Confucius would involve Geomjeon.”
“He must have taken advantage of the discord between the two.”
“Everyone knows about their feud, but no one can pull this off so easily.”
Neither Bloody Heavenly Sword nor Ilhwa Sword were easy people. If they tried to exploit the obvious discord that everyone knew about, it would only backfire.
“What about Jang Ho-ran? Can I entrust him with the Demon Army?”
“He is a man of outstanding ability. However, he is close to being a purely military man, so his political standing is weak. It was a very smart choice to choose Jang Dae-ju.”
“It’s likely that Jangho wasn’t excavated from the beginning.”
“What do you mean?”
“It must have been an emotional choice. He’s a more emotional kid than I thought.”
Sima Ming felt unfamiliar with Jianwujin’s words. He had never once told him how he evaluated his children.
“It has its pros and cons.”
In response to Sima Ming’s words, Geom Woo-jin spoke resolutely.
“That’s a drawback.”
Sima Ming held back his words with a faint smile. Everyone, including himself, felt that the cult leader had recently opened his heart to Geomwu Geuk.
However, that doesn’t mean that the leader would choose Geommu-geuk as his successor. Geom Woo-jin often makes decisions that are completely different from what is revealed. It’s still unknown.
“How will the Demon Lord problem be resolved?”
“If both of them recommended it, then I should accept it. They have to save face.”
Geum Woo-jin gave the order as if he had been waiting.
“Make Jangho the Demon Lord.”
* * *
“I don’t know how to repay this favor.”
Jangho was the first to come to me when he heard that he had become the Demon Lord. He felt both joy and worry at the same time about becoming the Demon Lord.
“Considering Jang Dae-ju’s personality, I guess he will never be able to repay the favor.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“There are two reasons why I placed Jang Dae-ju in the Demon Lord position. The first is because I thought he was the most suitable person for the position. I thought Jang Dae-ju was the right person for the position, not for Jang Dae-ju or me, but for the Demon Lord and the school.”
“I don’t know what to do with myself because I am so grateful.”
“The second reason is that I want the Demon Lord to be my strength. But don’t the first and second reasons conflict? It won’t be easy for the upright Jang Dae-ju to maintain a personal relationship. Oh, and I’ll tell you in advance that I have no intention of forcing a friendship with you, so don’t worry.”
Then Jangho said something unexpected.
“Do you remember when you first met me? I filed a complaint because of my friend’s death. It was for revenge. I risked my life. As you can see, I am an emotional person who values relationships with people the most in life. If you thought I was someone who would give up personal relationships for the sake of an organization, you were mistaken. If Confucius had not come then, I would have died then.”
That’s exactly what happened. If I hadn’t gone, he would have died in that incident.
“I want to be loyal to Confucius. No, I am already loyal. Of course, I will be loyal to the leader and the religion, and I will work hard for the devil, but the one I am most loyal to is Confucius.”
He was telling the truth. I could tell. I had acquired a much better man under my wing than I had ever imagined.
“I also want to become a person like Confucius.”
“What kind of person am I?”
“He is the kind of person who makes you feel like you can overcome any difficulty if you are together.”
“With this much flattery, I don’t have to worry about being disadvantaged because I can’t do politics.”
“Haha, I’m not that clean.”
“Please take care of me in the future.”
“I am the one who needs to be treated well.”
I held his large hand tightly. I liked the unexpectedness of this big, rough man.
