The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 252: I Successfully Sowed Discord

After news of my return spread, the first person to come find me wasn’t Mo Yong Baek, nor anyone I’d expected. It was someone I’d actually forgotten about.

While glancing over at the sparring match between the Sword Demon and the Drunk in front of the Ja-Ha Guest House’s clearing, Vice-Master Yong Gae of Dragon Head Forge approached me with a darker expression than usual.

“Young Master.”

“Vice-Master, you’re here. What about Uncle Geum?”

Vice-Master Yong Gae nodded, then said,

“Let’s talk while walking.”

It was a sign he wanted a private conversation, so I went for a stroll with him. As we walked around Ilyang County for the first time in a while, the Vice-Master began to speak.

“I told Big Brother that you’ve returned. But he’s bedridden right now, so he couldn’t come.”

I guessed casually without thinking much of it.

“He caught a case of fire sickness?”

Vice-Master Yong Gae tilted his head.

“Fire sickness? Yeah, probably fire sickness.”

“Let’s hear it then. What kind of fire sickness? That’s strange. Dragon Head Forge is under Haomun’s protection—there shouldn’t be any factions nearby bold enough to touch you.”

“Young Master, do you know the Woonhyang Sect?”

“The Woonhyang Sect? That tiny sect?”

“They first bought a few weapons from us at full price, then placed a bulk order because the quality was unexpectedly good. The delivery deadline was tight, but it was a big order and they paid properly, so we dropped everything else and focused on it. Just in case, forgive me, but I used your name. They freaked out. Yelled at us, asking if we were mocking them. Still, we delivered on time. But then they invited Big Brother and me over, and at their main base they smashed the blades we made by clashing them against some shoddy weapons of theirs—broke them four times.”

I looked at the Vice-Master.

“With that ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ kind of cheap trick? Why didn’t you just retrieve the rest of the shipment?”

“It’s not that simple. They said those weapons were prepared for a major upcoming battle, so they couldn’t return them, and then they only paid half the agreed price. Big Brother got mad, mentioned Haomun, and even dropped your name—but it turns out Woonhyang Sect has backing.”

“From where?”

“Dragon Gate’s First Sword. He’s claiming supremacy over Guangdong, absorbing smaller factions. Woonhyang Sect has already gone under Dragon Sword.”

“Oh ho, Dragon Sword? As in that guy, Southern Four Dragons?”

“That’s right.”

If you add him and the Lecher to the mix, you get the Southern Six Dragons. Is this how things connect? Feels like someone deliberately tugged at the edge of my faction.

“Vice-Master, did you know that I’m considered one of the Southern Six Dragons? Honestly, I didn’t even know until the Alliance Leader mentioned it.”

“I didn’t know either, but Woonhyang Sect told us. They said the Haomun Young Master is included in the Six Dragons. Then they mocked us—said that even if there’s a problem, since you’re merely the last seat of the Six Dragons, even if you went to resolve it with Dragon Gate’s First Sword directly, you wouldn’t get anywhere.”

“Huh?”

I locked eyes with Vice-Master Yong Gae and asked,

“Which bastard said I’m the last seat? I didn’t know there was a ranking order.”

By the time I realized I was pissed, I was already boiling. The Vice-Master continued.

“They said since you joined late, you’re the lowest...”

“What about Mongrang?”

“If you mean the gentleman from the Dreaming Winds Clan, they said he’s ranked fifth. Apparently, his clan still counts as prestigious.”

“Is that from Dragon Sword himself, or just Woonhyang Sect’s unpaid lackeys?”

“Of course, we’ve only met with Woonhyang Sect.”

I stopped walking.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s head back.”

As we walked back to the Ja-Ha Guest House, I tried to console the Vice-Master.

“I’ll make sure the remaining payment goes to Dragon Head Forge. Tell Uncle Geum to get well soon. Fire sickness is something that can clear up quickly, so I’ll bring good news.”

Vice-Master Yong Gae looked at me with concern.

“Young Master, even setting Woonhyang Sect aside... Dragon Gate’s First Sword acts like the Overlord of Guangdong. I’m worried this will escalate over just some payment. Honestly, more than the money, I think Big Brother collapsed out of guilt for dragging you into this.”

I looked closely at Vice-Master Yong Gae’s face. Every time I see someone from Dragon Head Forge, it feels like their complexion’s half iron, half bruised blood.

“Vice-Master, if you work hard forging quality weapons, then you deserve proper compensation. And now they’re refusing to return the rest? There’s nothing to negotiate. We just collect the money. That’s all I care about.”

“What if things go south with Dragon Sword?”

I patted his shoulder.

“Then Dragon Sword can worry about it. We can’t keep being the only ones worrying all the time—it’s not fair. Overlord of Guangdong? That’s news to me. If he’s too weird, I’ll kill him. If he’s reasonable, we’ll rearrange the Six Dragons' ranks. Don’t worry too much.”

Only then did Vice-Master Yong Gae exhale deeply.

“Now that’s a relief. I’ll tell Big Brother exactly what you said. To be honest, I expected you’d resolve it somehow.”

Vice-Master Yong Gae took out a contract from his sleeve and handed it to me.

“This is the agreement we signed with Woonhyang Sect. Two crates, twenty-five taels of silver. I haven’t discussed it with Big Brother, but please take one of the crates. All we care about is preserving our pride. Think of it as travel money.”

As expected of someone in a general manager role—his accounting was precise. I didn’t really need the money, but something told me taking it would ease Vice-Master Yong Gae’s mind.

“Alright then. I’ll bring the crate when I visit the sickbed. Tell Uncle Geum to get up and move around like normal. What’s with this fake illness?”

The Vice-Master finally smiled.

“Got it.”

After sending him off, I stuffed the contract into my robe. When I returned to the guest house, everyone was resting and drinking water after finishing their sparring. The sharp-eyed Lecher asked me,

“What happened?”

“They received a bulk delivery from Dragon Head Forge, but they’re refusing to pay the balance. Who wants to go beat them up?”

The Drunk raised his hand.

“Me. I’ve been getting beat up by Big Brother lately and I’m in a really foul mood.”

The Lecher raised his hand too, grinning.

“Me.”

Just then, I locked eyes with Dong-su. He raised his hand as well.

“Me too.”

I shook my head.

“You’re out. Go chant your sutras. Why’s a monk always hanging around brawls? Is that what Buddha taught you?”

“That’s not it—”

I cut him off before he could start nagging again.

“Shut it. Senior?”

The Sword Demon looked at me.

“Do we all need to go? I’ll stay here. Someone should be at the guest house in case things get messy.”

“Good call. If you went, it’d turn into a massacre. No need for that. If you get bored, call Dong-su and do some repentance together.”

I reintroduced Dong-su to the Sword Demon.

“This man’s from the Demonic Cult.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Show proper respect. He’s our Big Brother.”

“Understood.”

“Also good for counseling on worldly desires and emotional turmoil.”

The Sword Demon glared at me, so I wisely shut up. Dong-su replied innocently,

“Got it.”

When the Sword Demon glared again, Dong-su flinched and quickly apologized.

“Sorry!”

Come to think of it, a Demonic Cult warrior and a monk in the same room really did feel like a powder keg ready to go off. Whether it blew up or not wasn’t my concern.

The Drunk asked me,

“When are we going?”

Woonhyang Sect isn’t far. Let’s eat first. Oh, by the way, their backing is Dragon Sword—who’s apparently part of the Southern Six Dragons with me and the Fourth. Honestly, I can see why they’d pick a fight with me. Rumor has it the lowest-ranked dragon is you.”

At that, the Lecher immediately furrowed his brow.

“Which dogshit bastard said I’m the lowest? I’m already the fourth here, and now I’m the bottom of the Six Dragons too? I ought to be the chief, not some crap nickname like ‘last seat.’ Who the hell wanted to be a dragon in the first place? Fucking bastards...”

Just like that, I successfully sowed discord.

I only laughed inwardly.

As the Lecher spat curses like he was unleashing his Swift Sword Technique, Dong-su put his hands together and chanted,

“Namu Amitabha.”

The Lecher glared.

“Namu Amitabha again? Can you stop already?!”

Dong-su retorted.

“...It’s ‘Amitabha.’”

“Wanna get smacked?”

I spoke calmly to soothe the Lecher’s rage.

“Calm down.”

“You shut up too.”

The Sword Demon sighed, and only then did the Lecher regain his senses.

“Apologies, Master.”

I shouted toward the kitchen.

“Food!”

As I sat at an outdoor table to eat, I noticed an herb gatherer walking toward us from the clearing.

“Oh... look who it is.”

Mo Yong Baek showed up with a face darker than ever. He wore a white headband and his shoes were caked in dirt.

He smiled and said,

“Young Master, Sword Demon, Master of Six Harmonies, Mong Gongja. Everyone’s doing well, I see.”

His choice of greetings was so natural, yet something felt off, so everyone turned to look at the Sword Demon.

The Sword Demon addressed him,

“Brother Mo Yong, long time no see.”

“Yes.”

It was like two long-lost brothers reuniting.

Mo Yong Baek dropped his pack, sat at the table, and caught his breath. He really had been out gathering herbs. In fact, he was well-versed not just in herbs, but poisons and elixirs too.

His sudden appearance was so natural, it felt like he’d always been with us—and even I felt a bit disoriented.

Finally noticing Dong-su, Mo Yong Baek greeted him first.

“Monk, nice to meet you. Have you been taken hostage?”

Dong-su replied,

“No, I’m a wandering monk.”

“Good to hear. I’m Mo Yong Baek.”

“Just call me Dong-su.”

I didn’t have anything else to give, so I poured Mo Yong Baek a cup of water.

“Here. Must’ve been hard gathering herbs.”

“Yes.”

After gulping the water down, he wiped his mouth and said,

“Young Master, congratulations on your return. You seem more mentally sound than before—it’s good to see.”

I nodded.

“Gonna eat and head out again.”

“Busy, I see.”

We didn’t speak for a bit, just blinking at each other. With the Four Great Villains plus the Poison Demon gathered, my chest swelled with pride.

‘This is some serious power.’

Of course, the Poison Demon’s still more of a reserve force. But since I gave him the Illusion Butterfly Heart Technique, I had high hopes for his growth.

“Any results?”

Understanding my question, Mo Yong Baek nodded.

“You gave me excellent martial arts. But with my meager internal energy, I felt I’d fall into deviation if I tried to master it too fast. I’ve studied up to the theoretical stage and am currently just gathering herbs.”

“Excellent.”

The Sword Demon looked at me and said,

“Come to think of it, Third Brother got his hands on three rare manuals and gave one each to me, Chief Cha, and Mo Yong Baek. Why didn’t you learn them all? Oh right, you did train in Baekjeon Shiptangong.”

Everyone looked at me.

I answered smoothly,

“If I’m the only one who gets strong, it’s no fun. I’ve only got one body, but too many techniques. If I leave to support the Martial Alliance, Mo Yong Baek can watch over the guest house. If I struggle alongside Alliance Leader Im, Big Brother will come help.”

The Lecher was being bratty today.

“Why didn’t I get a manual?”

The Drunk chimed in.

“Me neither. You don’t need one. Go train in ice techniques.”

The Lecher snapped back.

“You should just carry a wooden shield around. No need for a manual. A shield suits you better.”

The conversation got so childish I didn’t know where to begin fixing it. Eventually, Gongdeok emerged from the guest house and changed the subject.

“Meal’s ready.”

I nodded and told him,

“We’ve got one more herb gatherer. Bring extra food. Call everyone who’s eating.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

I looked at Mo Yong Baek.

“Master Mo Yong, stay and eat.”

He nodded calmly.

“Yes. I’ll have two bowls, Young Master.”

“....”

There was a slight edge in his tone, but I ignored it. Somehow, I got the feeling he blamed me for abandoning his physician duties to gather herbs instead.

But I did it all for his sake. No regrets.

Soon, we all sat together and ate in silence. After all the outrageous nonsense we’d spewed earlier, the meal felt more serene than ever.

At least the food was good.