Chapter 115

After the splendid self-introduction, Jang Do, who had heard the general story from Blood Demon, spoke.

“Hmm~ So, without any strategic advantage or purpose.”

With a face that seemed to question whether this was ‘right,’ he asked for confirmation.

“Simply because you don’t like it. You want me to capture a girl named Poong Ran, who is a descendant of a thug staying where the Martial Alliance can reach if she falls.”

“Yes, do you dislike it?”

Facing the subordinate who questioned the unreasonable and excessive order, Blood Demon’s golden eyes flashed as he confidently affirmed.

“No, personally, such impulsive desires, actions driven by emotions…”

Jang Do shrugged nonchalantly at the fussy lady’s command and agreed.

“I detest it, but I don’t dislike it. Let’s go capture her.”

‘Detest? Isn’t that the same as dislike?’

Unable to understand the flow of the conversation, a question mark popped up in Ner’s head.

“However… killing someone means you can never go back to before the killing. Still, will you do it?”

…And the curious vampire girl, Ner, couldn’t help but interject at the shameless words coming from the man who had killed dozens of Martial Alliance experts to rise to the position of a Blood Church executive.

“Aren’t you here because you killed someone too? I heard you killed someone for a very personal reason. Hypocritical advice.”

“……”

At Ner’s sharp remark, Jang Do’s expression stiffened momentarily, and Blood Demon let out an annoyed sigh.

“Sigh… This is going to take a while. Erzeveta’s seed, since you brought it up, take responsibility and listen.”

“Huh? What’s that?”

Jang Do’s expression stiffened not because he was hit where it hurt or because he was angry. It was because a memory of a past misdeed he wanted to forget resurfaced.

“…Samgyetang.”

At the sudden, inexplicable word that came out of Jang Do’s mouth, Ner tilted her head in confusion. Jang Do calmly and kindly explained, even though she didn’t really want to know.

“Don’t you know? It’s a Korean dish made by boiling a young chicken with glutinous rice, ginseng, jujubes, and other healthy ingredients. It’s tasty and good for your health.”

“There was a Korean-run inn in the city where I lived. I didn’t go often, but I would buy it for health reasons.”

He spoke softly, but it was loud. Strangely, she couldn’t interrupt him.

“…Then one day, I got a call from the illustrator I had commissioned for my novel, saying they were sick and the illustrations would be delayed.”

“Worried about the illustrator, I bought samgyetang and went to visit them.”

A shadow quickly fell over Jang Do’s face. A gloomy voice flowed out.

“It wasn’t an action done expecting a reward… but still, wouldn’t they complete better illustrations if I took care of them like this? -Such a foolish delusion.”

“…I shouldn’t have gone. The illustrator was healthy.”

He rubbed his face with one hand, as if he had a headache. A bitter sigh followed.

“They were just busy drawing illustrations for another novel they were enjoying for free… so my novel’s illustrations were pushed back.”

Was all the soft-spoken talk until now for this moment? Or was it because the emotions of that time resurfaced as he spoke?

“Sigh…”

A scream erupted from Jang Do’s mouth, loud enough to echo through Asura Palace.

“Draw mine too-!!!!!!”

Whoosh-.

As the echo subsided, the stunned Ner sent a pleading look to her master, Erzeveta. But Erzeveta smiled lightly and ignored her.

Blood Demon just ate six pieces of cake.

Jang Do began to speak softly to Ner again. To be precise, he muttered to himself, regardless of who was listening.

“…I understand. I understand. The fun of a novel is not absolute, it’s relative. A novel I found really fun might be really boring to someone else. Conversely, a novel I found boring might be fun to someone else. Just like that, to the illustrator, my novel might be so boring that they didn’t want to work on it. But that doesn’t mean my novel is less fun than the novel the illustrator drew for free. Fun is relative. …But I paid. I commissioned the work. Shouldn’t they draw mine first? Did they dislike drawing mine that much? I commissioned quite a lot of work. They never drew mine for free, even simply. It’s not about the money. Is my novel that uninteresting… no, that’s a foolish thought. My novel is fun. It’s just a difference in taste. Yes, a difference in taste. It just didn’t match.”

Jang Do’s hand slowly swept over his face. Eyes filled with inferiority, like a snake filled with venom, peeked through his fingers, contrasting with his neat appearance.

“Did you say I killed someone for a personal reason? Yes. After I regained my sanity by masturbating in my head like this, everything was already over.”

A room dyed red, a blood-stained knife in hand, cold samgyetang.

“Uh… so? You killed someone just because they didn’t draw an illustration for you?!”

At the unexpected reason even a vampire couldn’t understand, Ner’s face was painted with shock. Jang Do excused himself in a gloomy voice.

“As you said… I lost my sanity in a moment of emotion and committed an irreversible sin. But please understand this.”

Jang Do’s hand crumpled his clothes as he tightly grabbed his chest where his heart was.

“My heart was more painful and agonized than the dead illustrator… because I didn’t receive the illustration I paid for while they drew free illustrations for another work.”

Yongchesashin (Dragon Body, Snake Heart) – A masterful skill with a neat appearance and a unique swordsmanship that embodies the principles of calligraphy. But inside, filled with inferiority, like dozens of venomous snakes entwined and spewing poison…

A person with the body of a dragon and the heart of a snake.

Realizing the meaning of the nickname given in the martial world, Ner quickly made a judgment.

“Erzeveta-sama! This guy is crazy! Blood Demon-sama! Let’s leave this mission to another executive! This guy is out of his mind!!”

“Munch munch~ That’s why we’re leaving it to him.”

Blood Demon, who had finished eating the cake, smiled cheerfully at Ner, who was quacking like a duckling, while wiping the cream from the corner of his mouth.

“There’s a saying in the martial world.”

It was not a human smile, but a bewitching asura’s smile.

“To become strong, you must go mad. -In that sense, that guy is strong.”

Erzeveta also playfully laughed and chimed in.

“Hoho~ Ner, don’t get too close to that guy. You might get eaten.”

…It was only natural.

The red vampire’s eyes looked at the sword hanging at Jang Do’s waist, Pure Hook.

There’s no way he would carry around a monster that sucks life without being mad.

***

Near the Martial Alliance, at the Sima Family Estate.

At the quiet estate where Sima Mantian, Yeonghwa, Poong Ran, and Wang Miaoyang had followed after being invited to the Dragon and Phoenix Association’s after-party, Sima Family Head was facing a truly troublesome uninvited guest.

Bringing Sima Mantian to the estate for protection and locking himself in his room were all preparations for this uninvited guest’s visit.

A madman with imperial ambitions who would even devour his own children.

Thunder Emperor Namgung Cheon, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World, greeted Sima Family Head warmly.

“It’s been a while, Sima Family Head. Have you been well?”

“What brings you here?”

Question for question. But Namgung Cheon, who liked skipping the formalities, smiled and answered.

“My cute granddaughter seems to like your son. As a grandfather, I couldn’t just sit still.”

“Grandson, right? How can two men get married?”

Everyone knows the prophecy that a girl from the Namgung Family will become king. Raised as a boy to avoid the imperial gaze.

Sima Family Head frowned at Namgung Cheon’s behavior of calling Namgung Sososo his granddaughter.

“…And as you know, my son is a cripple. He doesn’t match the prestigious Namgung Family.”

A sigh escaped from within.

Why do they covet the Sima Family so much? Like he did with Jiegal Yang, he politely refused with words he didn’t mean.

“Is being a cripple a big deal? What matters is ability.”

But of course, it didn’t work.

“In the Spring and Autumn period, King Wei of Qi employed the crippled Sun Bin to defeat the Wei army and become the hegemon of the east.”

“Ha! …So you’re saying you’ll make my son a general and become the hegemon of the world? With the imperial family clearly existing, that’s quite a dream.”

At the truly ridiculous statement, Sima Family Head tried to scoff and ignore it, but Namgung Cheon was different.

“Times of chaos are the best ladder. Depending on ability, one can become a duke, a king.”

With a creepy smile and lightning flashing in his eyes, he revealed his true purpose. It was clearly not the face of a grandfather looking for a match for his granddaughter.

“A brat spoiled by the eunuch’s skirt. That’s the capacity of Emperor Hwaseon of Deng. He can be a ruler in peaceful times, but never a ruler in chaotic times.”

“……!!”

At the act of casually calling the emperor by name, Sima Family Head’s eyes widened. Namgung Cheon’s mouth curved into a smile.

“Hey- Sima Family Head, a single stone can create big ripples in a calm lake.”

Like a child expecting a new toy.

It was undoubtedly the face of a madman, a man with imperial ambitions.

“Chaotic times are about to begin.”

…And Jang Sam-i, who had been silently listening while serving Sima Family Head, thought to himself.

‘Uh… since it’s a lake, wouldn’t it calm down quickly?’

Of course, if he said it out loud, he might get electrocuted, so he kept quiet.