Lee Gong-ja until the end of the 68th episode.
âSuphonmazon has five disciples in total, but among them, considering their age and ability, the strong candidates for the succession battle are the first disciple, Yang Yang, and the third disciple, Cheongseon. For your information, Cheongseon is a woman.â
I asked about Seo Daeryongâs report.
âWhat is the reputation of the two within Seo Hwan-jin?â
âGiven his age, experience and martial arts skills are more transferable, but Cheongseon is more popular within Seo Hwan-jin. Compared to her youth and beauty, Yang Yang has a vicious personality, and several demon magicians have already been injured by him. Some even died. Nevertheless, the deceased Soul Mazon cherished him and there was a high possibility that he would become his successor, but now the situation has changed.â
âInvestigate both of them one by one. Military property, ability, hobbies, and even human relationships. âEverything.â
âAll right.â
âWho will the Pungcheon religious leader choose?â
Seo Dae-ryong widened his eyes at my question.
âWill the leader of the Pungcheon Church choose one of them?â
âhuh. So, I also sent you information about the disciples of the Sub-Soul Mazon.â
âWhy?â
âBecause I told you to get involved in Seo Hwan-jinâs succession battle.â
âoh my god! What are you planning again? no way?â
Seo Dae-ryong, whose thoughts were stuck somewhere, sent a message.
âAre you going to kill the Pungcheon religious leader too? Or transfer? Even Cheongseon?
-Am I a murderer? Kill them all.
Only then did Seo Dae-ryong feel relieved.
âFortunately, the.â
âEveryone is worried that I might kill someone, thatâs how I am these days.â
âWho else cared? âMaster?â
âMaster?â
âah! âMr. Hyeolcheon Doma.â
âYou still donât call me master, right?â
âYou didnât give me permission.â
However, Seo Dae-ryong seems to be treating him as his master. I saw the word âMasterâ coming out without realizing it.
I felt that Seo Dae-ryong was falling more and more in love with Doma. In fact, Seo Dae-ryong must have already fallen in love with the sight of Hyeolcheon Doma reading a book.
âSo who will the leader of Pungcheon choose?â
âHow would I know?â
âHow can you know if you, a genius at senior admissions, donât know?â
âI studied hard and was admitted to the top of the class, but I am not a genius.â
âYou said you were a genius, right?â
âThatâs what the Lord said.â
âYou nodded your head smugly then, right?â
âI admit it. In my heart, I also have a bravado that I canât help. So please downgrade me from a genius to someone who is good at practical work. Instead, we will make sure to investigate the two people.â
Seo Dae-ryong bowed and left the office.
* * *
âSo who should we support?â
In response to the Pungcheon cult leaderâs question, the shackled man was only looking at the sound bell.
âWhy are you looking at that servant like that? âIs the evil spirit engraved on the bell a horse?â
Then the shackled man suddenly spoke.
âHow did you know?â
âWhy are you so scared?â
âSometimes he talks to me.â
âWhat are they saying?â
The shackled man said, looking blankly at the demon.
âWhy do you live like that?â
A moment of silence.
âSo what did you answer?â
âIn the past, I answered that I live like this because I am a narrow-minded and greedy person.â
ânow?â
âI answered that maybe⊠it wasnât necessarily because of that person.â
âSo what did you say?â
The man in shackles said nothing. After urging him once more, the shackled man looked pitifully at the leader of the Pungcheon Church.
âWhy do you keep asking? What does the sculpture say? âAre you crazy?â
The head of the Pungcheon Church made a bewildered expression.
âItâs strange that cancer doesnât affect me. Sooner or later Iâll be sitting there and having a conversation with that carved demon. Why are you being ignored like that? Why? âYou evil spirit, I know because youâve been watching me all this time!â
âThis is Cheongseon.â
âItâs a surprise! âPlease, at least take the riderâs approach and stab me!â
Although he was a man with unpredictable shackles, he was a valuable person who gave answers like this when needed.
âWhy Cheongseon? From what I can see, it looks like Yang Yang will be the successor.â
âThen choose that person.â
The shackled man closed his mouth as if he had nothing more to say.
The leader of Pungcheon quietly went to his side.
âWhy Cheongseon?â
âJust choose to transfer according to your confidence. âHow long will someone like a cult leader follow what others say?â
âItâs good, Iâll do my best in blue line.â
The leader of Pungcheon believed in the shackled man like a rock. There was no need for a reason. Because there was a past that he showed so far.
âYou mean Cheongseon? âThen how can I make her my disciple?â
âI donât know that.â
âWhat if you donât know?â
âWouldnât it be weirder to know that while being tied up here like this?â
âbut. âThat too.â
However, the leader of Pungcheon did not say that he would release his shackles. Even though weâve talked about all sorts of things up until now, weâve never said that one thing.
If you take off the shackles, the man will quickly leave himself. Who in the world would like someone who made something like this and stay? The moment you release it, itâs over. Therefore, the term âloosening the shacklesâ was an absolute taboo in the Pungcheon cult.
âShall I visit Cheongseon?â
âWhat are you going to say when you go?â
âBecome my disciple. Is it too overbearing? I allow you to become my disciple. how is it?â
âSo, I will become your disciple.â
âThen what should I do?â
âPlease change your situation. âAn old man whose true intentions are unknown comes and suddenly asks you to become his disciple. If you were a sect leader, would you fall for that?â
âNo problem.â
âItâs the same with everyone else. âIt just doesnât work.â
âSurely you have to pay for what you say?â
The shackled man nodded.
âWill I become your master and teach you martial arts? âIf you have to pay the price, you have to pay it there.â
âItâs an old way of thinking. âThose who are more desperate will pay the price.â
âI donât like it. Now I want to receive, not give. By nature, I am a person who much prefers receiving! Come pack a bunch of stuff to fill my stomach and tell me to learn! âTell me to be on my knees and begging in the yard all day!â
The shackled man told me to give him everything, but that was easier said than done.
âIf a price has to be paid, it should not be Cheongseon.â
âThen who?â
âGongja Lee will want more of the new items here. âLast time I was looking around at a new property, there were some things I noticed.â
âDamn it!â
âThe scientist will come with an answer this time too.â
âAre you a scientist again?â
The shackled man spoke calmly to the sighing Pungcheon religious leader.
âI will be a scientist until the end.â
* * *
As Seo Dae-ryong boasted, at least he was definitely good at practical work.
We have conducted a detailed investigation into Yangyang and Cheongseon. We investigated not only their homes and families, but also their martial arts level, personality, interpersonal relationships, and even their favorite foods.
âHowever, in the process of investigating Cheongseon, I discovered one strange thing.â
âWhat point?â
âCheongseon met Saujong a few times.â
âSaujong?â
An unexpected name popped out.
âyes. Since we have no contact, I am reporting this just in case.â
Seo Dae-ryong knew that I also had a relationship with Ilhwa Geomzon, so he is reporting separately.
I thought of Saujongâs final days.
He fell under the spell of sedition and tried to kill Ilhwa Geomzon, but ended up dying. It was a death in which it was never revealed whose magic was used.
âah! That was Cheongseonâs magic of soul-searching!â
A conclusion that comes naturally.
âYou two are dating each other!â
Seo Dae-ryong was surprised by my words. I wasnât surprised that the two of them were dating, but I was surprised that I guessed that fact in one sitting.
âHow did you know?â
Saujong liked Ilhwa Geomzon. What if you were caught in the process of dating Cheongseon? His death must have been the result of Cheongseonâs jealousy and anger. In particular, Cheongseon was young, and if her man loved an older woman, the wound to his pride would be so deep that it would pierce his body.
Thatâs not the only reason to judge that youâre dating.
The person who told me where Daebop Simâs bodies were buried earlier, and the person who stole Neunghyuâs fan and put it there, must have been Cheongseon. These were things that could not be figured out or accomplished unless one was a disciple of the Subsoul Mazon. Additionally, if she wasnât dating Saujong, thereâs no way she would have leaked such important information.
Everything seemed to fit together, but I couldnât tell Seo Dae-ryong this fact.
I suddenly got up from my seat.
âYou seem to have an idea to change the situation again.â
âhow did you know?â
âThe look in your eyes has changed. Why are you looking for a genius? âMr. Gakju is a genius.â
âIâm not a genius. Itâs just a matter of being petty and trying not to miss out on the benefits. We need someone who knows how to use a big head, not one like this. âThere is a big difference between having such a person in an organization and not having one.â
âI donât know, but anyway, youâre amazing.â
âI donât know what I donât know. I found out thanks to your research. âEven if I find a genius, I wonât exchange you for that person.â
âI guess so. Youâll have both anyway. But where are you going?â
I was already walking out of the office.
âGet sick of it!â
This too was something I couldnât tell him.
* * *
Thatâs how I met the leader of Pungcheon.
His residence was the scene of an incident, and as a member of the Netherworld, I had an official reason to come and go at any time.
âWelcome.â
âhow are you?â
âI enjoyed reading the material you sent me. âThank you.â
âyouâre welcome.â
While exchanging greetings with him, I glanced at the shackled man.
He lowered his head and didnât look at me, but every time I see him, I get the feeling that our relationship isnât just passing by like this.
My eyes turned to the head of Pungcheon Bridge again.
âHave you found a way to enter the fight for Seo Hwan-jinâs successor?â
âNot yet.â
âYou must hurry. âThe Magons will soon intervene and select a successor.â
âAs you know, I am shackled here just like that man. âItâs not easy to even meet Seo Hwan-jinâs successors.â
I nodded in understanding.
âWhich of the candidates would you like to have as your disciple?â
âThis is Cheongseon.â
Judging by the fact that he wasnât surprised by my answer, it looks like he and the shackled man have already come to that conclusion. Indeed, it was so.
âWe also decided that Cheongseon was suitable.â
I say itâs because of Saujong, but why did that shackled man choose Cheongseon?
âBut thereâs no way to convince her.â
âWhat if I can make Cheongseon come directly to the religious leader?â
âWhat if you came to visit me?â
âIâm asking you to become my disciple. âI will cook rice and feed you.â
âIf you do that, thereâs nothing more I can ask for.â
âPlease give me something new instead.â
The bright expression on Pungcheonâs face darkened again.
âYou are so shameless.â
âItâs not shameless, itâs natural. âGetting people to do work based on friendship or loyalty without receiving proper compensation was something that was common in my fatherâs time.â
âI am also from that time.â
âYou have to acknowledge that times have changed. I also know that I, the person sitting in front of me, am a person these days. âIf you donât like this, you should harden like a fossil and live only looking at the good things for yourself.â
Of course, because he did not want that kind of life, the Pungcheon religious leader hardened his impression.
I persuaded him in a gentle tone.
âThis job involves dealing with young people, so please leave it to me. âI will deliver results that are worth the effort.â
âThink about it for a moment.â
âOf course.â
I pretended not to notice and looked at the new object, giving time for communication to pass between the shackled man and the Pungcheon religious leader.
Eventually, the leader of Pungcheon Church spoke to me.
âOkay, Iâll accept your offer.â
Although he looked disapproving, he seemed to have been persuaded by the shackled man in the end.
âShe even came to me and asked me to accept her as a disciple. âIt is the leaderâs ability to elevate her to the position of Majon.â
âIf I still need help then, Iâll come back and ask for supplies. Just take it all now!â
âI wish I had the ability to do that. âFor me and for the leader.â
I got up from my seat. I politely gave a quick glance to the shackled man to the leader of Pungcheon Church and left.
Thatâs how I went to find one person.
The person who held the key to this incident was Sau Jong.