Chapter 426

In a neatly carved stone cave, a young man sat slouched on a giant stone chair sculpted into the wall. His nickname was “Sikshim Magun.” According to him and his subordinates, he was also known as “Seopsim Demon King,” a sort of aging youth.

“Hey, the blood demon must be almost complete, right? Yo, monster lady, connect me with that brat.”

“That brat…? Uh huh, if the Demon King is calling someone a brat… Ah! I’ll contact the Association Head. Aah, Sahee, is that brat with you?”

“No, no, no! Hell no! Not the Association Head! Who’s she trying to kill?”

“If not the Association Head, then the Tower King? Ah, Dong-il, is that brat with you?”

“Not the Tower King! When have I ever contacted that brat?!”

“Well, if you just call him that, how am I supposed to know? Oh. Maybe it’s that Solitude Master. Hey, Cheonje, is that brat with you—”

Suddenly, a precious golden apple soared through the sky, striking the lady in the solar plexus and shattering into pieces. With the remaining force, she flew back and crashed violently against the stone wall, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

But the lady, acting as if nothing had happened, boldly propped herself up, legs outstretched, sitting back down right away.

“This is why I lack motivation. I’m just someone who helps the Demon King, not one of his subordinates, you know?”

“Monster lady, stop acting like a person. Don’t pretend I wouldn’t notice.”

“You usually call every man ‘that brat.’ I’m too dim-witted to distinguish between them.”

“Drop it. Call Bang Jeoksa.”

“Sure thing. I’ll call Bang Jeoksa. Hey, Lang-lang, is Bang Jeoksa around?”

The lady remained seated, staring blankly, before finally answering.

“I heard Bang Jeoksa died, you know?”

Sikshim Magun was taken aback.

“What!? Why? Who? What about the blood demon?”

“Startled, that ample backside lifted slightly from the throne and asked, ‘What? Why? Who? What about the blood demon?’”

“I told you to drop that damn talking-head job! Even if this monster lady tries to mess with people—”

“Grinning with her ugly teeth, she quipped, ‘I told you to drop that damn head job! This beautiful and lovely lady can mess with folks too.’”

“Ugh… Enough already.”

“Bang Jeoksa got beaten up trying to harass a lady, and afterwards, he got stabbed to death by Wang Woo, the current leader of Salwold Sect. I’ll relay Lang-lang’s response concerning the blood demon.”

The lady cleared her throat and mimicked Lang-lang’s emotionless voice.

“‘I, Lang-lang, do not know anything about the blood demon and do not wish to know. Furthermore, I agree with the Demon King’s opinion that Su-ran is beautiful and lovely.’ That’s Lang-lang for you! Only Lang-lang! I’m moved! Totally moved!”

“These monster ladies are just messing around! So, did the blood demon get finished or what!? If you don’t know, just find out!”

“With a wrinkled face, she dramatically added, ‘Dear ladies, has the blood demon been completed? What is it? If you don’t know, please find out and let me know your opinions afterward.'”

The lady, Su-ran, asked a question and answered it herself.

“‘My mission is to guard Bang Jeoksa and act as a contact. I must inform you that I am not obliged to fulfill the orders or requests of Seopsim Demon King.'”

Sikshim Magun’s expression twisted in anger.

“There’s no way such irresponsible words can fly! Do I need to confront that brat directly to make her listen?”

“Demon King, that person doesn’t use us for free when requesting something from us! Ah, how considerate! Even for half-finished failures like us, they are so warm.”

“Ha… Fine. So you want me to pay?”

“As payment for this task, they hugged me tightly for a whole hour. They even ruffled my hair and kissed me on the cheek—aw, how embarrassing!”

“What are you, seven years old?”

“And by the way, Lang-lang said that if you kneel and beg nicely, she might consider it.”

Sikshim Magun was in disbelief.

You’re telling me that a monster who said, ‘If you kneel and beg nicely’ is currently on a mission? I can’t believe I actually put my faith in that.

“Seriously, aren’t you all grown-ups? Can’t I even use the Jiangshi I made? I have to coax and soothe you like some pitiful child? Ha. Unbelievable. Well, sure, you monsters could rip apart that weak lady with just a flick of your finger if you wanted, but—”

At that, Su-ran gave a meaningfully intense smile, very openly suspicious.

“What I mean is, what we want differs for each of us. The Demon King can’t pay me because I have no wishes in mind? If it’s Lang-lang, she might just go and kneel, begging for it personally?”

With that, the Seopsim Demon King scoffed.

“Fine. Tell that monster to relay this— if that half-finished blood demon is ever discovered, it would significantly disrupt our grand mission. If you don’t want to see your precious dear take responsibility for it, get rid of that failure at once.”

“Wow. How cold-hearted. My dear, even if they are a failure, you embrace them with so much love. How can you, Demon King, not understand the concept of responsibility?”

“Heh heh, monster lady. Responsibility is for the weak. Strong people don’t need to be responsible for anything. If your precious dear was as strong as the Association Head, would she even have to pretend to take care of you monsters?”

“I’m sure that person would still be warm-hearted.”

“Yes. If you don’t want to see that awful person suffer, tell that monster to clean up those failures immediately.”

Su-ran blinked expectantly. After a moment, she finally replied.

“‘Understood. I, Lang-lang, will consider that seriously. Is this a fact? Is it me? I am communicating with a partner somewhere in the world, not an imaginary friend. And not a friend, but a partner. I do not lack friends, but rather, I simply do not need any.’ Huh? Are you and Lang-lang speaking now?” How rude. Stopped right there, leaving me curious. Could Lang-lang have made a friend?”

Seopsim Demon King shook his head.

“I don’t care for unnecessary nonsense. Anyway, that monster said she would handle it, right?”

“She says she’s trying. Oh, by the way, Demon King…”

“Nothing.”

Su-ran pouted.

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Is that a request to be friends? Do you think I’d befriend a monster like you? Not a chance.”

“Uh, I don’t want you as a friend either! I won’t befriend a piece of trash without a sense of responsibility. Hmph!”

At that, Seopsim Demon King’s forehead tightened in anger.

—-

Though I had heard about the sad situation from Brother Jo, still, how should I put it? Lang-lang just felt somewhat uneasy.

After pondering, it must be because of her expression.

The defective doll, Gunyongi, might express emotions faintly but certainly had some expression. She would smile with upturned lips if something delicious was presented, slightly droop her eyebrows in sadness if there was no soup on the table, and her expression would become desperate, almost like a puppy begging for a treat if it got hot.

Um, thinking about it, I kind of miss Gunyongi.

Anyway, what about Lang-lang?

Like she said, she couldn’t move her facial muscles due to her emotional state, but now she was completely expressionless.

There was something eerily unsettling about her, as if she wasn’t human at all.

They say when one is shocked in their hometown, that one can become like that, or maybe it was just an old tale?

Or could it be true that emotional wounds manifest in such a way?

But regardless, there was no way to determine the facts about my hometown.

However.

Waking up early in the morning to the sound of her distinctive emotionless voice chattering away, I found Lang-lang talking with someone.

Who was she chatting with at this hour? Stepping outside, I discovered Lang-lang sitting on the veranda, muttering to herself.

“Lang-lang? Who are you talking to?”

And then, believe it or not,

She was conversing with someone who exists somewhere in this world through her mind.

“Uh… um, it’s just, like, an imaginary friend or something.”

“It’s not an imaginary friend. And it’s not a friend but a partner. I, Lang-lang, do not lack friends, but do not need them.”

That was a tear-jerking excuse.

After all, how deeply must one suffer mentally when their family has all perished, leaving them as the sole survivor?

By nature, Qing is weak against kind people, especially if they are frail and in need.

Especially, with injured gentle souls, Qing could be as warm as a briquette.

“I’ve been generous. So I’ll be your friend. Are we friends now? Can I drop the honorifics?”

“Are you referring to you and Lang-lang? What kind of popularity does Lang-lang have? If you truly want to be friends, then kneel and beg. I’ll give you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to elevate from acquaintance to friend status. Really, it’s a chance you won’t get again, Cheonhwa-geom.”

“That’s up to Lang-lang. In my heart, I’ve already upgraded you to friend status, so you can handle the elevation or downgrade as you see fit.”

Immediately, Lang-lang’s eyebrows shot up and down.

“What? Did it just move?”

“Lang-lang has a problem connecting emotions to facial expressions, not a paralysis of her facial muscles. Lang-lang’s facial muscles are under her control.”

“Are you saying you can make expressions? Then why not make them?”

“Cheonhwa-geom, how do you breathe? When do you swallow? Where do you place your tongue? What about your jaw, and how do your teeth fit together? When do you blink and how many times?”

“Eh? Lady.”

Oops. Got caught.

I realized I had fallen for her devious trick.

Breathing, tongue placement, jaw position, swallowing—these are all things that, when you relax, you do naturally and effortlessly.

But once you start thinking about them, they suddenly become cumbersome and awkward.

“That’s how making expressions is for Lang-lang. Creating an appropriate expression by monitoring every reaction is impossible, even for Lang-lang’s objectively excellent brain.”

“Uh… did I overstep?”

“If Lang-lang had a pessimistic tendency concerning her current inability to make expressions, your words would be seen as an egregiously inappropriate remark that could deeply wound her heart. Fortunately, I am not concerned about that and merely shared an objective explanation.”

“Um. This is okay, right?”

“Upon your fervent request, I will tentatively register you as a friend candidate. Elevating to friend status will require a very high level of dedication. You must devote yourself to Lang-lang. She is currently craving citrus very much.”

“Is that so? A friend who likes oranges.”

I stood up and turned away.

“Cheonhwa-geom. The kitchen is not that way.”

“Huh? I’m just going to bed? Lang-lang, stop talking to your imaginary friend and go to sleep. Sleep is what pays off.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that view. However, if Cheonhwa-geom falls asleep, who’s going to bring Lang-lang her oranges? And who will take care of the tasteless, low-sugar fruit? How can we determine if you’ll enjoy orange peels, considering your craving?”

“Maybe if I go to the kitchen and ask, there might be something?”

“Your attitude is very poor. You’ve been disqualified as a friend. You must treat Lang-lang with respect and manners again, Cheonhwa-geom.”

“I don’t wanna. Even if you say I’m disqualified as your friend, to me, I’m still passing as a friend, alright? If you really don’t want it, kneel and beg with tears begging not to consider me your friend. Otherwise—”

At that, Lang-lang clapped her hands.

“Is this the principle of the Taiji? Is this a true move of the Divine Dragon? Lang-lang has gained great insight. I’ll award you one friend point.”

“How many points is it out of?”

“Ten thousand points.”

Cheong let out a snort of laughter.

“Just a little special here and there, and she really is just a foul-tempered girl.”