Chapter 56: Preparing of the Trap (1)
Geum Jeoksan, who had been engaged in a staring contest with me for some time, was the first to avert his gaze.
“Well, I may have to replace a significant number of my close aides. Quite a troublesome matter.”
“Heh, but isn't it ultimately not that serious? After all, it’s merely a private communication network using ‘external’ sources. Aren’t you overreacting a bit?”
“……”
Geum Jeoksan kept his mouth shut and glared at me.
But he knew better than anyone that this wasn't the time to argue.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, fine. Right now, we need to address how to handle our youngest’s ‘deviation’ first.”
“Deviation, huh.”
I looked Geum Jeoksan in the eyes, a faint smile forming on my lips.
“I think the scale of the mischief is a bit too large to simply call it a deviation. Doesn’t Demonic Emperor Lord feel the same?”
“Hooh?”
Geum Jeoksan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He also understood that the scale of what his youngest junior brother had done went beyond his initial assumptions.
“It wasn’t the other disciples of Lord Manakwang, was it?”
“Heh, and why are you so sure of that?”
“For starters, even if the other disciples pooled their resources, there’s no way they could come up with that kind of money. A sum in the range of a million nyang is burdensome even for our Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.”
Demonic Emperor Lord Geum Jeoksan had always been wary of the other disciples who would one day become his rivals and had suppressed them from a young age without holding back.
So even if they formed a faction, no matter how much they gathered, they could never surpass his power.
“Whether it’s collaborators, investors, or donors… whoever it is, it implies there’s an external supporter involved.”
And there was a high chance that the supporter was the one I had been aiming for.
Geum Jeoksan nodded without resistance.
“That’s right. I thoroughly checked the other disciples. This incident is solely the youngest’s doing.”
“In that case, shouldn’t we first understand why your youngest junior brother strayed? Only then can we formulate a countermeasure.”
“Hmmm.”
Geum Jeoksan hesitated to answer right away and paused for a moment.
But his silence didn’t last long.
“Well, fine. It’s something that will eventually come to light anyway, so it’s probably better to tell you now.”
Geum Jeoksan continued with a slightly regretful expression.
“Somewhere in Eastern Sea City, there’s said to be the tomb of a once-famous absolute master. The youngest recently discovered the existence of that relic and devised a plan to monopolize it.”
Huh?
My expression twisted for a moment.
Wait, don’t tell me…?
I slightly turned my head to the side and saw that Bang Manhu’s expression was also slowly distorting.
“She’s quite an old figure, but as someone from the Demonic Faction, you should know. Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. She was a female master, the greatest of the orthodox and unorthodox factions about four hundred years ago.”
***
Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, Rangrang.
A supreme expert who appeared around four hundred years ago, not from the Heavenly Demon Cult, and virtually considered the greatest female master in both past and present history.
Though her active period in the Central Plains didn’t even last five years, her achievements were nothing short of legendary.
‘She’s quite famous in our cult’s history. I’ve heard we made great efforts to recruit her at the time.’
No one knew where she came from.
She wasn’t from any of the Six Great Demonic Clans, nor was she of the Cheon Clan.
She suddenly appeared in the Central Plains and left rivers of blood in her wake, causing hundreds of sects to be annihilated or forced to close their gates.
One particularly notable case was the Kunlun Sect, one of the orthodox sects, which was pushed to the brink of destruction by her. It remained a hot topic among scholars of the time.
“You’re saying the tomb of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden is somewhere in this city?”
For those who had lived their entire lives in Eastern Sea City, it was a piece of information they could hardly believe.
“That’s right.”
“Then… the reason for manipulating things in Eastern Sea City was…”
“It must’ve been to eliminate any obstacles under the pretext of expanding their influence.”
If the tomb of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden truly existed, and it contained her martial arts or belongings?
A mere one or two million nyang would be nothing!
If this news spread even slightly, all kinds of scoundrels from across the Central Plains would swarm like wolves after the treasure.
Even if it belonged to the Demonic Faction, it was the tomb of a female master once called the best of her era.
I slowly turned to glare at Bang Manhu.
Shake shake shake!
Bang Manhu desperately shook his head as if to say there was no way that could be true.
His expression looked as if he was dying of frustration, clueless about how the information had leaked.
I composed my expression and spoke to Geum Jeoksan.
“The tomb of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden… If this is true, then the entire Central Plains will be shaken.”
“Of course. But I don’t want the Central Plains to be shaken.”
To him, this was merely a family dispute. If the situation escalated unnecessarily, the succession structure of the Evil Overlords of Heaven could change in unpredictable ways.
“That makes sense. So then, Lord Demonic Emperor Army, what is it that you want from us?”
Geum Jeoksan summarized it neatly.
“No matter what’s inside that tomb, you people can handle it.”
“……!”
At his words, everyone nearby widened their eyes.
That’s how shocking Geum Jeoksan’s statement was.
But as with all things, if you give something, you also expect something in return.
“Demonic Emperor Lord, you must be hoping for two things from us, am I right?”
At my soft-spoken question, Geum Jeoksan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Hoo, hohoho! As expected of the eldest son of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan. Quite the wise one.”
“One of them is probably to make sure word of this never gets out. Including the Kunlun Sect.”
“Of course.”
Whatever came out of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb, shares would be given to the Kunlun’s subsidiary branches.
In return, those families would not report the matter to their main sect and would quietly share the spoils among those present here.
Gulp!
Finally realizing the implications, the heads of the orthodox subsidiary families began swallowing their saliva.
I turned to the head of the Ultimate Good Sect.
“Are there currently any disciples from the Kunlun Sect’s main branch here in Eastern Sea City?”
“Ah, not yet. I’ve only informed them of the situation, but I haven’t received any message saying disciples from the main sect are coming.”
“That’s good.”
Clap!
I clapped my hands once to refresh the mood.
“If Demonic Emperor Lord is willing to step back with such generosity, then things become quite simple.”
However, while the matter may have become simple, what I had to give up wasn’t so simple.
“Demonic Emperor Lord, do you want the life of your youngest junior brother?”
Flinch!
At my words, everyone in the hall turned their eyes toward Demonic Emperor Lord.
Surprisingly, Demonic Emperor Lord slowly shook his head.
“That’s not it. No matter what outrageous thing he’s done, he’s still my junior brother.”
Right, outwardly he’d say that.
“But I would be very pleased if all the vermin who incited my youngest junior brother and led him astray were decapitated.”
In other words, he intended to wash his hands of the matter and leave it to us to deal with Cheong Museong and his lot.
“Hm, but if your youngest junior brother were to ‘accidentally’ suffer misfortune, then I suppose it couldn’t be helped.”
“Heh, indeed. In that case, there’s nothing that can be done.”
The orthodox faction's subsidiary leaders looked at me and Demonic Emperor Lord with horrified expressions.
“N-no matter what, as members of the orthodox faction, we can’t participate in something like this…”
“What are you talking about?”
I cut off one sect master who was hesitating and trying to back out.
“Didn’t I already say? If two factions join hands, it’s called an alliance. But if three factions join hands, it’s called a compromise.”
“U-urgh!”
“We are not talking about righteousness and evil right now—we’re making a compromise for mutual benefit.”
A compromise that, if handled well, could make everyone happy.
“Well, well. The Eldest Son of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan speaks my language.”
“I feel the same. Now I truly understand why you're the First Disciple of King of Ten Thousand Evils.”
“Hahaha.”
“Hahahaha!”
Geum Jeoksan and I looked at each other and laughed softly.
Watching us, the orthodox subsidiary clan leaders and Bang Manhu all had the same thought.
Now I understand why the words ‘Evil’ and ‘Demonic’ are always mentioned together!
Anyway, persuaded by my sincere words (and not at all by greed), the sect masters of the orthodox families resolved to cooperate—for the greater good, of course.
“By the way…”
After most of the negotiations had concluded, Geum Jeoksan shifted his gaze somewhere within the hall.
“Those veiled ladies over there… Are they from the cult?”
“…?”
The others in the hall followed his gaze.
‘Damn it.’
Though I didn’t show it on the outside, things were getting complicated internally.
The person he was pointing at was none other than the Young Cult Leader, Cheon Yura!
She bowed lightly, her wide-brimmed hat and veil completely concealing her face even indoors.
Standing beside her in identical attire was her attendant, Sa Biyeon.
“They’re my guards, dispatched from the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan to accompany me. Is there a problem?”
“Is that so?”
Geum Jeoksan tilted his head slightly, then let out a faint chuckle and gave me a strange look.
“You seem to have quite the fondness for beauty, Young Master of the Jin Clan.”
What did this bastard just say?
Crack.
It was just for the briefest moment, but I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of murderous intent leak through Cheon Yura’s veil.
Tap tap.
Sa Biyeon lightly tapped Cheon Yura’s arm.
In an instant, the murderous aura withdrew.
“Hm.”
Geum Jeoksan still looked somewhat dissatisfied, casting glances toward Cheon Yura.
“Was I mistaken?”
He muttered softly and stood from his seat.
“As we discussed, please handle the current situation with the Eastern Sea City business sector accordingly.”
“Thank you for your generous concession.”
“No need for thanks. If it helps correct my youngest’s bad habits, it’s well worth it.”
Geum Jeoksan flashed a friendly smile in my direction.
“I hope we meet again on good terms.”
“Of course. After all, the Demonic Cult and the Evil Overlords of Heaven share a common enemy in the orthodox faction.”
“Hahahaha! That’s true, that’s true!”
“……”
That was not something we should be saying with the orthodox faction right there.
The sect masters glared at us with rotten expressions.
***
Once all the negotiations were over.
Even atop the horse bound for Everlasting Decree Fortress, Geum Jeoksan’s expression remained dark and unsettled.
“First Disciple, is there something troubling you?”
His subordinate, noticing his expression, asked with concern.
The negotiation had gone just as Geum Jeoksan wanted. At this rate, his youngest junior brother would head to complete ruin.
“That veiled woman…”
“Yes?”
“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
There was no way a mere glance could have triggered his senses so intensely.
‘She definitely wasn’t one of mine.’
There was no way that some clan master from this backwater place like Eastern Sea City—or their disciples—could measure up to even the bottom ranks of his subordinates.
The Young Master of the Jin Clan may have some skill, but given his age, he was likely only at the edge of being a First-rate Martial Artist.
No one below Master Level could possibly pose a threat to his senses.
But that veiled woman… was different.
‘Where the hell have I seen her before?’
He had started martial arts at age five and lived over forty years as a warrior.
His sharpened instincts—honed over a lifetime—were screaming at him not to overlook her presence.
‘The Jin Clan’s Young Master was definitely not someone to take lightly. He’s a wolf with sharp fangs. But…’
Right next to him was a tiger hiding its claws—there was no way the wolf could distract him now.
“You there.”
“Yes, First Disciple!”
“Send me the compiled list of female masters recognized by the Heavenly Demon Cult. Only those ranked at least Master Level or higher.”
Right now, they were allies. But who knew when relations with the Demonic Cult might shift?
If someone of that level had come out from the Ten Thousand Mountain range, he had to uncover her identity—no matter what.
“Understood.”
The subordinate bowed.