The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 257: I Never Learned Complacency

The Lecher seemed eager to beat the First Young Master and impress the woman ranked among the One Phoenix Two Immortals, but as long as I was around, he could forget it.

I was fully prepared to let the entire Baek clan know that the Lecher was, in fact, a pants-shitter. If I put my mind to it, the name Dreaming Winds Clan could become forever associated with dung.

I glanced sidelong at the Lecher.

‘Try anything funny, and the world will know you as the Dreaming Turd Clan.’

Soon, the sound of people approaching filled the air, and four refined young men and women appeared, fixing their gazes on us.

The man standing at the center spoke.

“Lord Mong, Master of Haomun, Master of Six Harmonies. I am Wi Mu-gyeol.”

We stood and exchanged simple greetings with the members of the Wi Clan.

As Wi Mu-gyeol turned toward the Taesa Pavilion, he said,

“Our family head would have been pleased, but unfortunately, he is currently away. Go ahead and greet them. These are my younger siblings.”

After Wi Mu-gyeol sat down at the Taesa Pavilion, those who looked a year or two younger than him began introducing themselves. The men, in turn, were Wi Jung-cheon and Wi Tae-san—his younger brothers.

Finally, the woman introduced herself as Wi So-seon. Including Wi Mu-gyeol, it appeared to be three sons and one daughter.

We introduced ourselves plainly, without embellishment.

“I am Mong Yeon.”

“Yi Zaha.”

“I am Six Harmonies.”

Wi Mu-gyeol gave a sheepish smile, then looked at the Lecher, who couldn’t take his eyes off Wi So-seon.

“Lord Mong, I heard you’ve come to settle the internal ranking of the Six Dragons of the South.”

The Lecher nodded.

“Lord Wi, I’ll speak frankly. I never asked to be included among the Six Dragons. It seems I was added by someone else’s will. But to suddenly be called the youngest—that I can’t abide. Since I’m in, we might as well establish the rankings based on skill.”

Wi Mu-gyeol smiled subtly as he replied.

“That ‘someone else’ being the Alliance Leader, I take it. You seem rather displeased.”

“Indeed.”

“To be honest, we didn’t know either. It used to be the Four Dragons. Because you joined later, a rumor spread that you were the youngest. But we never spread that ourselves. If you’re here for a duel, you’re welcome. But I’d like to confirm this isn’t due to some emotional issue.”

It sounded like a jab, as if suggesting the Lecher came here to see Wi So-seon. Or maybe I was just too twisted inside and hearing things that way.

The Lecher responded,

“I have no personal feelings toward you, Lord Wi.”

Only then did Wi Mu-gyeol turn his gaze to me.

“Lately, I’ve heard more about the Master of Haomun than about the other members of the Six Dragons. So many absurd stories that I assumed gossipers were simply exaggerating. But meeting you now, it’s a pleasure.”

He seemed like a man who talked too much, so I gave the shortest answer possible.

“Don’t mention it.”

Wi So-seon turned to me and asked,

“Master of Haomun, are the rumors true?”

“What rumors might those be?”

Wi So-seon was undeniably a rare beauty, deserving of the title One Phoenix Two Immortals.

Knowing that normal beauties never take interest in me, I felt nothing in particular. She didn’t come across as insane, at least. She was a flawless beauty who, no doubt, led a tiresome life under the weight of others’ gazes.

Wi So-seon said,

“They say you didn’t even give the Namgak Gang a chance to surrender? That you slaughtered them so brutally, they surrendered out of pure terror?”

“Hm.”

“They also say you’re the most brutal young master in all of Jianghu. That even the elite fighters of the Green Forest tremble in hatred and fear at the mention of your name. I heard you were just as merciless with the Black Path.”

I couldn’t be bothered to explain, so I just admitted it all.

“Well, I suppose that’s how the stories go.”

As I finished speaking, the second brother, Wi Jung-cheon, let out a sneer. It was bold enough to draw everyone’s attention. Realizing he was now being watched, Wi Jung-cheon turned to the eldest.

“Brother, it’s fine to settle the rankings of the Six Dragons and all, but if I defeat someone here, do I get the last seat?”

Wi Mu-gyeol spoke in a calm, reprimanding tone.

“Jung-cheon, the Six Dragons is a title bestowed by the Alliance Leader himself. Do you think you can take that spot so easily? Train for a few more years before you try.”

Wi Jung-cheon replied immediately.

“It’s not a life-or-death match, just a duel. If I approach it as a learning opportunity, what’s the harm?”

Wi Tae-san, who had remained quiet, tried to intervene.

“Second Brother...”

Wi Jung-cheon snapped.

“You stay out of it.”

“Yes.”

He was so full of himself it made me want to laugh, but I held it in.

‘This lunatic wants to fight me.’

Wi Jung-cheon was the classic type of pampered young master who trained in martial arts without ever suffering real loss. Of course, sometimes even arrogant men like him are genuinely strong—skill and character don’t always align.

I accepted the challenge.

“A duel isn’t difficult. Go ahead.”

Wi Jung-cheon stared at me with an intense gaze.

“Straightforward. I like that.”

“Not that straightforward.”

“......”

But Wi Jung-cheon wasn’t the only one interested in a duel. The youngest, Wi So-seon, now addressed the Drunk. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“I’ve heard many rumors about Master of Six Harmonies as well. Since you’ve come this far, would you like to duel either Brother Tae-san or me?”

They were martial clan children through and through—talking about fighting the moment they laid eyes on someone.

The Drunk answered with disinterest.

“Sure.”

In truth, if the Lecher beat Wi Mu-gyeol, no other duels were necessary. It would only bring shame to the Wi Clan. Perhaps that’s why Wi Mu-gyeol’s face was sour.

He gestured to the main hall doors.

“Let’s move to the dueling grounds.”

We shuffled out together in a clamor.

From the look of him, Wi Mu-gyeol didn’t seem like someone the Lecher would easily overwhelm. Regardless, among the younger generation, Wi Mu-gyeol stood out even within the junior ranks of Jianghu.

As we headed to the duel grounds, Wi Jung-cheon flapped his mouth again.

“By the way, shouldn’t the stronger of Lord Mong and the Haomun Master be the one to face our eldest brother? Since both of you are part of the Six Dragons.”

Before I could answer, the Lecher spoke.

“We already fought once before but didn’t reach a conclusion. Either of us can fight.”

I muttered.

“That time, there was also the matter of sh—”

The Lecher raised his voice to cut me off.

“Will you shut up?”

“Damn, nearly blew my eardrum.”

The Lecher leaned in and hissed at me.

“Do you really have to bring that up here?”

I answered with a puzzled look.

“What? I didn’t say anything that didn’t happen.”

He grabbed my shoulder.

“Master of Haomun.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s let it go. Be civil.”

He looked about ready to explode, so I let it slide.

“Sure.”

Being a noble clan, the duel grounds were spacious and properly maintained, even equipped with chairs for spectators. A variety of weapons were neatly arranged along one side, from spears to wooden swords, along with leather protective gear. Judging by the lack of dust, the Wi clan regularly held duels among their own.

Wi Mu-gyeol approached the protective gear and asked,

“Lord Mong, I don’t see a sword. Will you be using palm techniques?”

“Yes.”

Wi Mu-gyeol turned his head to ask the Lecher,

“Protective gear is available. Will you wear it?”

“No need.”

“I figured.”

Wi Mu-gyeol strapped leather guards to his arms and knees. His attitude suggested it was standard, so no one objected.

Then he moved to the weapon rack and spoke to the Lecher.

“Pardon me, but our family is a sword clan. If you’d like to use a weapon, feel free to choose one.”

Wi Mu-gyeol pulled a sword from the rack and showed it to us.

“Look at this. We commissioned this from the Woonhyang Sect, but they passed the job to some rural smithy called Yongdu Cheolbang. I’ve seen many weapons, but I’ve never seen a grip this needlessly ornate.”

He held out the dragon-headed sword handle for us to see. Even from afar, I could tell it was the work of Dragon Head Forge.

Curious about the craftsmanship, I asked,

“Lord Wi, do you dislike the sword?”

He half-drew the blade and inspected it.

“The craftsmanship isn’t bad, but the steel feels cheap. Likely the Woonhyang Sect skimped on cost and outsourced it to a country smith. It was originally meant for low-tier guards or new warriors, but even for that, it’s lacking. So I moved it here.”

As he finished speaking, both the Lecher and the Drunk glanced at me. Because mocking the quality of Dragon Head Forge in front of me was no small thing.

I answered honestly.

“Dragon Head Forge is actually under Haomun. If the quality’s lacking, I apologize.”

Wi Mu-gyeol quickly sheathed the sword and returned it to the rack.

“Oh, I wasn’t aware. If that offended you, I apologize.”

Strangely, I felt no particular emotion. If you’re a smith, you should deliver good quality regardless of cost. Whether it was intentional or not wasn’t for me to decide. So I wasn’t angry.

I spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ll relay your feedback to the master of Dragon Head Forge. He’s a diligent man—it’ll improve.”

Wi Mu-gyeol placed his hand on the sword at his waist and looked at us.

“Do as you please. Master of Haomun, Lord Mong—either one of you, step forward. I don’t mind.”

The Lecher, who had been beside me, walked out like he was spring-loaded. He approached the weapons rack and grabbed the dragon-headed sword Wi Mu-gyeol had just returned, then turned around.

Wi Mu-gyeol smirked and said,

“There are plenty of good swords. Why that one?”

The Lecher answered blankly.

“A skilled hand doesn’t blame the brush. I don’t mind.”

He was mocking Wi Mu-gyeol’s attitude.

Wi Mu-gyeol smiled faintly and warned,

“Lord Mong’s words are true, but swords aren’t brushes. If it breaks suddenly, you might get hurt. So consider this a warning.”

The Lecher replied,

“The sword I hold won’t break so easily.”

I sighed inwardly.

‘Ah, for fuck’s sake...’

If Wi So-seon was watching and the Lecher was now choosing lines to sound cool, this bastard was beyond help. Terminal.

Even the Drunk seemed to sense the Lecher’s arrogance and spoke up.

“Don’t get cocky.”

The Lecher looked at him.

“Complacency wasn’t part of my training.”

The Drunk answered,

“Shut the fuck up already.”

The Lecher turned to Wi Mu-gyeol.

“I’m ready.”

I was curious to see how well the Lecher handled a [N O V E L I G H T] sword. His master was the Sword Demon, so he must’ve learned the basics. The real question was whether those basics would work against Wi Mu-gyeol...

Without any further words, the two clashed.

My eyes widened.

The fight began, and the Lecher immediately stepped back several times. Wi Mu-gyeol’s attacks were fierce. But looking closely, the Lecher seemed to be retreating on purpose. Wi Mu-gyeol, unable to gauge the Lecher’s power, launched a relentless offensive.

So who’s being complacent?

From where I stood, it looked like Wi Mu-gyeol was the complacent one.

The Lecher moved his limbs as if in confusion, parrying the attacks and gaining distance. Wi Mu-gyeol followed, sweeping his left foot across the ground and kicking upward, then brought his sword down vertically as if to split the Lecher in half.

The Lecher blocked the descending sword with the one from Dragon Head Forge. Just before the blades clashed, the Lecher’s sword gleamed white—and with a metallic clang, the blade shattered and flew off across the duel ground.

Shocked, Wi Mu-gyeol leapt back and stared at the sword in his hands. Half the blade was already gone.

The Lecher held the broken Dragon Head Forge sword and said casually,

“Oh? It broke? Lord Wi, maybe use a better sword. I’m more comfortable with bare hands anyway, so... should we switch to palm techniques?”

With a wicked grin, the Lecher sheathed the sword. He had likely infused the weapon with cold internal energy, breaking Wi Mu-gyeol’s sword on contact.

Wi Mu-gyeol’s face changed, his voice rigid.

“Let’s switch to palm techniques.”

The Lecher scoffed.

“Even better.”

Wi Mu-gyeol said,

“Watch your tone.”

When it came to childish bickering, the Lecher was no slouch.

“Lord Wi, save your posturing for after you beat me. I’m not your retainer.”

At that moment, Wi So-seon interrupted from the sidelines.

“Brother, Lord Mong’s technique is based on ice. Calm your mind and be careful.”

The Lecher looked at her and smiled.

“Being careful won’t help.”

Wi So-seon snapped back.

“Shut it.”

“You’re talking too and telling me to shut up?”

I burst into laughter alone and quickly covered my mouth when everyone turned to stare.

I cleared my throat and said with a serious face,

“I have an illness—I can’t hold back laughter. Let’s continue.”