Chapter 160: House of Slaughter (1)

“Jeok Rua… she’s the one who joined the So Clan as an external recruit about twenty years ago, right?”

“At that time, she was definitely at the Master Level Realm, but considering her talent, there’s a high chance she has already broken through to the Extreme Demonic Realm by now.”

A master of the Extreme Demonic Realm!

That alone was more than enough reason to be cautious.

“As far as I know, she’s established quite a solid position within the So Clan.”

Several elders offered me their concerned advice.

A martial artist at the level of Extreme Demonic Realm, the wife of the clan leader, and steadily building her position for twenty years…

‘The second, or possibly third, most powerful person in the So Clan…’

If she was the Lord of Slaughter of the So Clan, that level of influence was plausible.

On top of that—

An absolutely crucial piece of information slipped out like a fleeting remark.

“If Jeok Rua is involved in this, it won’t be easy. That girl… will never side with Yura.”

“What… do you mean by that?”

“……”

“……”

The elders who seemed to know the circumstances all fell silent at my question.

“Oh come now, isn’t our Myeongah curious? Can’t you just tell him already?”

Some of the other elders, who were not privy to the details, tried to press them, but those in the know remained firmly tight-lipped, like a steel wall.

And yet—

Seeing them act that way, I couldn’t help but feel… consideration from them.

What they were hiding might very well be a deadly secret, one that wouldn’t be odd to protect with a restrictive seal.

‘They’re hiding only the most critical truths while trying to help me in every other way.’

To feel a kind of warmth from the elders of another family—one I never felt from my own clan’s elders…

Even if I had deliberately tried to guide the mood this way, the world truly was full of irony.

***

Of course, even if the first impression was good, expecting them to immediately fall in line with my wishes would be sheer arrogance.

I’d need to continue fostering these connections and leaving impressions over time to have a chance.

“Elders, I’ll visit again next time.”

“We know our Vice Pavilion Master is a busy man… but it would be nice if you came more often.”

They were rather coy for men of their age.

“I’ll prepare some gifts for you next time, so please look forward to it.”

Regardless of their value, with people like them, you needed something that clearly showed sincerity and effort to make a good impression.

At my words, the elders hurriedly waved their hands.

“Oh, come now!”

“What gifts!”

“You think we’re still at the age to covet wealth?”

Even though they said that…

They couldn’t hide the anticipation in their eyes.

“Of course, elders of the great Cheon Clan wouldn’t stoop to concerning themselves with mere wealth. But isn’t the sentiment behind a gift what truly matters?”

Saying something like that in the Black Gold Sa Clan would probably get me killed, but thankfully, this wasn’t that kind of family.

“Hmph. Heh heh… well, do as you like.”

Their expressions instantly softened.

“Remember what I said. I have some acquaintances in the So Clan, so mention my name. You can expect at least some minor help.”

“I will keep that in mind, Elder Soul-Hunting Slayer.”

Just as I was about to part ways on a warm note—

“Wait! Just a moment, elders!”

Cheon Eunryeong, who had been standing like a decorative prop until now, suddenly burst out.

“We haven’t even decided on the punishment for Vice Pavilion Master Jin! Have you all forgotten this is an official meeting of the Heavenly Thunder Corps?!”

“Well, I mean…”

Even at her mention of an official meeting, the elders looked indifferent.

“The victim himself said he’ll handle it.”

“What more can we do at this point?”

“Still—!”

“Isn’t it true that Brother Ilro and the Pavilion Master aren’t even here? On top of that, the leaders of the Seventeenth Party and the Nine Demon Halls under the Heavenly Thunder Corps have all been summoned to the Elder Council.”

The elders’ eyes began to grow colder.

“What can the Vice Pavilion Master possibly do with only us old geezers in the back room?”

“More importantly, Vice Pavilion Master Jin isn’t even a criminal, is he?”

“……”

That repeated use of ‘our’ was starting to seriously get on my nerves.

But each word they said was nothing but the truth, grounded in solid logic.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“…No, I do not.”

And so, the Ghostly Strategist Immortal Cheon Eunryeong had to let her target go without even revealing what she’d prepared.

Crack!

“……”

Even as I stepped out of the Heavenly Thunder Corps, I could still hear Cheon Eunryeong grinding her teeth.

***

After returning from the Heavenly Thunder Corps—

I met with Jin Gun-ak for the first time in a while.

He had just returned from the Elder Council and reported the outcome to me.

“As you expected, the mess that the bastard Murder Demon caused in Miok Fortress was wrapped up without any charges.”

“So it really ended like that.”

“The result was clear from the moment the victim—you—wasn’t even summoned to the Elder Council.”

Normally, I would have been called in to face Murder Demon at the Elder Council as well.

But had that happened, no matter the outcome, it would’ve created an awkward situation.

In the end, one of us had to be excluded.

And since I had less seniority, that person ended up being me.

“I heard Murder Demon said you agreed to visit the So Clan in person?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm…”

Jin Gun-ak stroked his chin.

I tensed up slightly on the inside.

Was he going to scold me for moving on my own without his approval?

Fortunately, his next words weren’t what I feared.

“I went to the House of Slaughter once myself when I was younger, with my mother.”

“Oh? What kind of impression did you get?”

I looked forward to what kind of information Jin Gun-ak might share next.

“Those cowards were just fluttering around trying to read the room.”

“……”

Well, I didn’t expect much from them anyway.

Jin Gun-ak should have at least a trace of the So Clan’s blood in him… Did the Jin Clan’s genes devour the So Clan’s completely while he was still in the womb?

While I was having that perfectly reasonable suspicion—

Jin Gun-ak unexpectedly said something rather convincing.

“No matter how much House of Slaughter is called the cradle of the Hidden Shadow So Clan, the best you’ll find there is someone at the level of Demon Dragon Hall.”

“True…”

House of Slaughter was, after all, merely an institution meant to raise the later-generation disciples of the So Clan.

Even if it was House of Slaughter, it couldn’t possibly compare to Demon Dragon Hall, where all the top talents of the Six Great Demonic Clans gathered.

“Hm, or am I wrong? You’re my son, but since you didn’t inherit the Jin Clan’s body… if you get caught off guard, it might be tricky for you.”

“……”

My lips jutted out instantly like they were spring-loaded.

“I’d still like to believe I’m fairly sturdy, though.”

Before entering the Pavilion of a Thousand Days, even I had to admit I was practically trash.

But the potential of the direct lineage of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan was truly immense.

By the time I graduated from the Pavilion, the only one who surpassed my stamina was San Dojeon.

Still…

“‘Sturdy’ should mean someone like your younger brother.”

“……”

“Just barely out of the ‘worthless fish’ stage, and you think you’ve made it? You’ve got a long way to go.”

…Who is this smooth-talking guy, and what did he do with the Jin Gun-ak I knew?

What really got me, though, was how the Jin blood in me was quietly agreeing with him!

“Well, I guess even someone as frail as you… if you grit your teeth and work yourself to the bone, you might move past being all bones.”

…If I’m already just bones and I grind them down, I’ll die.

That’s what I wanted to say—but even I knew joking like that in front of Jin Gun-ak was suicide.

“Still, I gave Murder Demon a firm warning. Screw the balance between the clans—if you die, the Six Great Demonic Clans will become the Five Great Demonic Clans.”

Murder Demon was certain that if I died, the bond between the three clans would break.

But even if that did happen, Murder Demon and the So Clan would still pay a devastating price for it.

“Bringing the Hidden Shadow So Clan into this would be ideal, but right now, the So Clan isn’t more important than your life.”

“…Clan Leader!”

“Don’t be an idiot and die because of some trap. Come back in one piece.”

“I’ll make sure of it.”

I bowed my head, slightly moved.

To think I’d live to hear such words from Jin Gun-ak!

“I’ve staked everything on you. If you die, my dreams die with you.”

“……”

My face twisted beneath my bowed head.

…Couldn’t he have just left out that last line?

***  

After Jin Yeomyung returned to the Naming Hall—

Unlike the overworked record-keepers on the lower floor, the upper level of the Heavenly Thunder Corps had practically become a retirement lounge for the elders.

And in some part of that upper level, a few elders had gathered even though no one had summoned them.

Soul-Hunting Slayer—the old man who had given Jin Yeomyung the information about House of Slaughter—opened his mouth.

“So, what did you think of the boy?”

“He’s quite clever. Came in well-prepared.”

The mood was completely different from the past, when he looked like he’d hand over his liver and gallbladder if asked.

“Heheh, with a silver tongue like that, I doubt he’ll ever starve anywhere.”

Still, they were supporters of Cheon Yura.

Naturally, they had a certain curiosity and fondness toward Jin Yeomyung, who had done much for her.

That was also why they had gathered like this.

“You think he’ll be all right? Surely the one from the Jeok Clan doesn’t hold good feelings toward the Young Cult Leader.”

Of course, if she hated Cheon Yura, then the same would apply to Jin Yeomyung, who was said to be her prospective match.

“It’s not that she doesn’t like her—she probably hates her. That presumptuous little brat…”

The Frozen Demon Ghost… Cheon Mireong, the Graceful Demonic Empress, sneered coldly.

It was a stark contrast from earlier, when she had flashed a smile at Jin Yeomyung and been scolded for acting too young for her age.

“Even if Murder Demon is obsessed with succession, that viper might act on her own behind his back.”

“She still hasn’t gotten over the rage of losing her master?”

“She might be ready to burn everything down… and go up in flames with it.”

They shared a past involving a certain ‘operation.’

“We only spared her life because of a request from that person… but if she dares to cross the line, we’ll have no choice but to act.”

“But if what the Sword Demon said is true, maybe we don’t have to worry so much?”

What the Sword Demon said during the previous Elder Council meeting had spread enough that it was somewhat famous among the cult’s upper echelons.

“He said something like… any ordinary Peak Demonic Stage martial artist could end up being eaten alive, didn’t he?”

If that were true, then Jin Yeomyung wasn’t just talented—he was a monster beyond the limits of talent.

“Haha, it was the Sword Demon, after all. If it were anyone else, we’d be skeptical…”

“And Murder Demon’s own disciple is traveling with the boy, isn’t he? That should keep things relatively safe inside the So Clan.”

“The only issue is…”

Suddenly, a shadow of concern settled over the elders’ faces.

“It’s the Illusion Clan, isn’t it?”

After the last incident, it had become widely known that the Illusion Clan from Heavenly Reverence harbored a grudge against Jin Yeomyung.

But even aside from that—

“The Illusion Clan’s rampage has been intensifying lately. It’s no longer just about clan dominance.”

“They’re recruiting many experts from the shadows, and I’ve heard they’re pouring massive funds into producing divine artifacts.”

“There’s been a sharp uptick in the distribution of artifacts used in unorthodox techniques too.”

It was still only a matter of strengthening their military might for now.

But at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they crossed the line.

The elders could feel it instinctively.

The Heavenly Reverence Illusion Clan was definitely preparing for war.

“What on earth is Illusion Demon planning…”

“There’s also word that envoys from the Illusion Clan have been going in and out of the So Clan recently.”

“If that boy ends up having to deal with the Illusion Clan’s forces on top of everything else…”

“Then things will definitely get difficult.”

The Illusion Clan’s true strength wasn’t in direct confrontation.

“Their magical treasures and divine weapons create the greatest variables among the Six Clans—even more than the So Clan.”

Their power reached its peak when supporting someone with solid military force.

“There’s no way someone with his level of martial talent also has a knack for handling divine artifacts.”

“Exactly. Unless he has extensive experience fighting against such tools, it’ll be tough.”

…Hoo.

A deep shadow of concern settled in the midst of the elders.

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