Baek Junghwa was spending yet another day watching his subordinates from the Dark Assembly spar against each other. Even as they drew blood, clawing at each other like their lives depended on it, the Demon Lord grew bored.
Nothing seemed to curb the immense feeling of ennui that had settled within him for the past few months.
The first guardian of The Guardian's Court and his right-hand man noticed his despondent attitude and sighed. "Perhaps my lord can benefit from spending some time outside?" He suggested.
Junghwa turned his gaze towards him, a hint of emotion finally appearing on his stony face. "Going outside, you say?"
Jaha nodded. "…That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps we could travel a little, venture East?" He said.
Jaha almost choked on his own saliva when he heard this. "East?!" He exclaimed.
His surprise wasn't as unfounded as the Blood Moon Sect was in the northern region. However, it had many branches; the main branch lay in the North, away from civilization, as one of the most powerful Sects that also housed some of the most unhinged disciples, and having their main base be further away from people was wise, especially during the transitioning period. Thanks to the complaints from the Martial Arts and Cultivation Association, they were forced to move elsewhere. Though they had branches throughout the country, most demon cultivators tended to avoid the East since that was where the righteous cultivators derived from.
Demonic cultivators and righteous cultivators were notoriously known for not getting along. Most demonic cultivators tended to avoid regions that openly ostracised their ways of cultivating, not out of fear but as a way to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.
Sects were divided into Righteous, Neutral/Rogue, or Demonic. Those who belonged to the righteous sects typically practiced traditional cultivations, deriving their powers using heavenly or godly means. Neutral and Rogue cultivators were not bound by heavenly rules or morals and could practice any cultivation they wished. They were neither fully righteous nor evil. Demonic cultivators, on the other hand, were not above using forbidden means and techniques to advance their powers. Usually, people who practice dark arts or ghostly cultivation fall into this category.
Of course, each individual differed regardless of what method they practiced. Still, demonic cultivation has always had a bad name, and the people who said to cultivate these arts were the kindest of people, but they didn't align their values with those of the other sects.
It was the reason Jaha couldn't understand why their Sect Leader wanted to visit such a place, but he knew rejecting his wishes would only prove deadly, so with a resigned sigh, he agreed.
They quickly headed east as per his instructions, arriving at Cheonghae, and the leader made sure to change his appearance so as not to alarm the others. On one particular day, he wanted to experience what the marketplace was like, as he had not visited one since he was a child. His eyes immediately saw a stand selling some of his favorite treats as a child—candied hawthorns.
Junghwa didn't hesitate as he reached to grab one but was obstructed by another. He looked down, and his vision was filled by a small white hand. Though smooth at first glance, it looked rough from overwork upon closer inspection. His brows furrowed, and before he could interject, he was interrupted by a boyish voice.
(Cue scene from earlier.)
"Hey! Are you blind? I clearly grabbed it first."
Junghwa paused, tilting his head slightly. "Is it such a big deal?" He said, his voice smooth, calm, almost amused.
"There are plenty more."
"That's not the point," Wooyun shot back, gripping the stick tighter. "I already touched it. Unless you want to eat my germs, let go."
Junghwa was startled by his bold attitude, but he remembered that he was in disguise, so this naive little boy didn't know whom he was talking to. His eyes glinted with amusement, and he found his antics amusing.
"I wouldn't mind ingesting your germs," he mused, "if it means I get to eat the treat I've been waiting for all day."
The young man snapped out of his trance and scowled, looking him up and down. Junghwa could tell his little man was most likely judging him by how he looked at him. He couldn't help but wonder how this little chick would act if he knew his true identity. Jaha stiffened next to him and was about to tell him off when he moved his hand in front of him, blocking his path. Though he said nothing, Jaha knew what he meant and backed off.
"You look wealthy enough," he pointed out. "Why has it taken you all day to get one?"
Junghwa raised an eyebrow. "I've been too busy." He said simply.
"Too busy to walk outside and buy food?" The young man scoffed. "Must be nice."
The young man puffed his chest angrily, and before walking off, he yelled, "I hope you enjoy my germs."
Never before had someone taken him away like this, and never before had someone made him want to burst out laughing. Junghwa watched the little chick walk off, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Jaha hung his mouth wide open in complete and utter disbelief. "Telling the Demon Lord to enjoy your germs, does this boy have a death wish?!" He exclaimed.
He turned to look at his leader, eyes wide with anger and shock. "You're really going to let him off like that?"
"I don't wish to draw any attention right now. Plus, the boy is harmless. Why bother scaring him when he's already had a tough life." He said.
Jaha frowned. "A tough life?" He echoed, but Junghwa said nothing, focusing on the next marvel.
~*~
Jaha spent the rest of the day running after his leader and only got a moment of rest when they stopped at a bar to get some drinks. As the pair enjoyed their wine, a group behind them chatted about an upcoming tournament they looked forward to seeing.
"I hear the young master of the Yang Clan will be participating in the tournament this time around," one of them said, earning a scoff from the thinner man in the group.
"How is that news? Everyone knows the prized jewel of the Clan will be entering this year."
The man who had made the comment earlier rolled his eyes as he took a swing of his drink.
"Alright then, since you're in the mood to hear some news worth hearing, let me tell you this. That up-and-coming disciple from that martial cultivation sect—the twilight sect- will also be entering. Rumor has it he is the one who will take the reward this year."
"What's the reward this year, then?" The bigger man asked.
"The final victor can choose between the Dragon's Vein Spring Water, Heavenly Root Ginseng, or Moonshadow Kelp."
This piece of information gained the attention of the thinner man, and he nodded in approval. "Now that's something. Lord Byeok has kept him hidden for years, cultivating his strength to dominate the competition."
"Many people wish to participate this year to beat him or make a name for themselves." The chubbier man in the group added.
"Speaking of making a name for themselves, I hear Kang Choon-hee is planning on having her youngest son enter as well." The thinner man said in a hushed voice.
They all turned to him in surprise. "Really? Kang Choon-hee, as in from the Kang Clan? I thought they had gone into hiding?!"
The thin man shook his head. "Apparently, she married into the Han Clan, but after Han Beom-seok died, she took over. Their little dynasty is being passed down to her eldest son, and she hopes her youngest will start cultivating. She started to train him in martial arts. And the one training him is the talented disciple from the Radiant Sun Sect." He said.
"Wait, doesn't the Han Clan already have an heir? What happened to Han Beom-seok's son?" One of the men exclaimed.
The man shrugged. "Who knows? Nobody knows for sure if he even had a son…but if he did, it would be a shame since he wouldn't be able to inherit anything. That Choon-hee is an ambitious and calculating person…Getting such a talented disciple to teach her son. Of course, her first priority would be her true blood."
"I see. She's a well-connected woman. Looks like this tournament will be a sight to see."
They all nodded in agreement.
Baek Junghwa, who had been listening to their conversation, raised his brows in interest. He had briefly heard Jaha mention a tournament that would be happening in Gyeongmu, but he didn't have much interest in it, given how rare it was for demon cultivators to partake in such events. But hearing about the precious disciple that little snake Hwang-il was sheltering garnered his attention.
"Jaha. I've decided what we will be doing for the next three months. We will stay here in the capital and spectate this tournament." He declared.
Jaha didn't know how to respond to this. He had never anticipated staying in the East for this long. He thought the sect leader needed a breather for a week or two, would realize how boring it was to be here, and would leave. He never thought Baek Junghwa would actually like it here. And now he was talking about staying for a tournament—something he had never been interested in before. Just what was going on in the world?
Junghwa took his silence as agreement and took another swing of his drink with a pleased smile. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was destined to come here. He knew something interesting would happen and patiently awaited it.
***Important note***
The bone contraction mystical arts is a technique used to change one's bone structure and appearance. It's a form of disguised used among demonic cultivators as well as face masks (not the kind used for skin care btw)
Got this idea from a favourite murim manhwa of mine called The Chronicles of the Demon Faction