Chapter 182: Journey to the Central Plains (3)

The day before I went to see Baek Sang-ah.

I was summoned to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion and reported everything that had happened in the Sa Clan to the Cult Leader in detail.

“So the Hwan Clan even used a treasured artifact to try and kill the youngest brother.”

“They can’t pull out so easily now that we have physical evidence.”

I took out the hand mirror from my robes and handed it to the Cult Leader.

He stared silently at the mirror for a moment before nodding his head.

“As expected, it’s the Mirror of Karma.”

“Have you seen it before?”

“The Severing Nature Sword, the Sixfold Banner, and the Hell Mirror of Karma. These are collectively called the Hwan Clan’s Three Great Treasures.”

There was a faint trace of sentiment in the Cult Leader’s eyes.

“It’s also the reason why the Hwan Clan can’t be easily struck.”

Indeed.

This kind of asymmetrical power was the ultimate variable that made it difficult to clearly calculate the cost of ‘damage’.

Especially this Mirror of Karma—if used well, it could even drag a head of one of the Six Great Demonic Clans to the grave with them.

“The Hwan Clan is currently holed up in their territory, refusing any kind of communication.”

“If they’re conspiring with external forces to carry out this ‘Heaven-Defying Scheme’, then there’s bound to be a significant movement.”

“Hmm…”

But—

For some reason, the Cult Leader’s attitude was strangely lukewarm.

“In my opinion, the Heaven-Defying Scheme probably isn’t something that would shake the very roots of our Cult.”

“…Why do you think so?”

“Whether it’s the Illusion Demon I once knew, or another entirely…”

The Cult Leader continued, somewhat indifferently.

“He knows full well that as long as I’m here, he could never overturn our Cult.”

“……!”

It was a grandiose and arrogant statement, but coming from him, it was an undeniable display of confidence.

“If my guess is right, the Heaven-Defying Scheme he’s planning is likely just something like a large-scale replacement of successors in the Six Clans. Something like that.”

“Ah!”

Cheon Yujeong.

Certainly, Jeok Rua’s Heaven-Defying Scheme was driven by a desire to seize the vacant spots among the Ten Heavenly Generals, but it was also clearly tied to Cheon Yujeong.

‘Sa Clan’s Sa Bihwan, Ma Clan’s Ma Jeongcheon, So Clan… and the Cheon Clan.’

These are families that still harbor anxiety over their successors.

What if the heirs of these clans were suddenly replaced by pro-Cheon Yujeong candidates?

The current power structure of the Three Clan Alliance could be completely overturned.

“The Hwan Clan is probably stunned into silence. They must have thought they’d definitely kill the youngest brother.”

“…I see.”

“Even I was surprised that you survived after seeing the Mirror of Karma.”

“……”

I quietly lowered my head.

‘As I thought, I must never speak carelessly of my past life.’

Even if the causality had already played out, one could never predict what kind of butterfly effect another chain of causality might trigger.

I’d had suspicions before, but the incident with the Mirror of Karma confirmed it.

Whether the Cult Leader knew my inner thoughts or not, he spoke calmly.

“From the Hwan Clan’s perspective, they trusted her and bet big, but suddenly the opponent revealed a Sixfold Treasure from their hand.”

“……”

Still, comparing it to a gambling die was a bit…

“Surveillance on the Hwan Clan will continue. Since the youngest brother survived this ordeal, what’s now more important isn’t our Cult’s internal matters but the Orthodox Faction outside.”

The Cult Leader’s expression grew a bit more serious.

“The Sword King’s fall isn’t just a simple matter of a new Alliance Leader being appointed. It means that one of the pillars that’s long held the balance between North and South will collapse.”

The Twin Cheon Clans of the North and South.

Dominating even the Five Great Clans, these were the two supreme clans that had stood at the pinnacle of the Central Plains.

In truth, their role was that of guardians of the Central Plains’ hidden world, opposing the Heaven-Defying Society since ancient times.

“The succession issue within the Namcheon Baek Clan is also quite tangled. They say both the Sword King and his heir have shaky footing.”

“……”

The Cult Leader was spot on.

This was something that had happened in my previous life as well.

The Sword King, and even his successor, were ousted.

And ten years later came the Namchang Calamity, the complete annihilation of the Namcheon Baek Clan.

With his fingers interlocked, the Cult Leader gave a faint smile.

“In this situation, the Sword King won’t have the luxury to lay a hand on the youngest brother.”

“…Cult Leader.”

I was so dumbfounded that I ended up glaring at the Cult Leader, whom I respected as if he were the heavens.

The Left Guardian beside him glared at me like I’d committed a heresy, but—

I had grown a little wiser now.

“Of course, if the youngest brother handles things well this time too, that would be ideal.”

“…Cult Leader.”

I was starting to understand how he truly saw me.

“To become the son-in-law of the Cheon Clan, that much is to be expected.”

At that, I couldn’t hold back anymore and committed the grave offense of speaking out.

“Cult Leader, by any chance, are you familiar with the word ‘iron-faced shameless man’?”

He responded nonchalantly.

“I’m very well acquainted with the term ‘unashamed before heaven and earth’.”

This old man, seriously!

I bit down my fury and protested.

“No matter how much you say so, I can’t possibly handle matters of the Orthodox Faction like this!”

“Who said you had to resolve them? I just said I had high hopes.”

Any follower of the Heavenly Demon Cult would know that those ‘hopes’ were never just hopes.

In a tone that brooked no argument, the Cult Leader dismissed me.

“A journey to the Central Plains accompanied by two lovely young ladies—rare experience, isn’t it? Make the most of it.”

“……”

Yeah, rare indeed.

One misstep and that benevolent smile might twist into a devilish sneer.

“I will carry out your orders without the slightest selfish intent.”

“Oh, how reassuring. I trust you, my youngest brother.”

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, the Cult Leader nodded in satisfaction.

***

About two months later—

Huayin County, Shaanxi Province.

This was where the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, was located.

Due to the rugged mountainous terrain surrounding it, the area didn’t have much foot traffic.

At most, it was just some secular branches of the Mount Hua Sect or merchant caravans that had dealings with the sect passing through occasionally, but—

“What in the world is going on here?”

Mr. Jang, who had been running his business in Huayin for generations, trembled in unease as he witnessed the recent surge in martial artists, all armed with weapons, appearing throughout the town.

“What are the Mount Hua Taoists doing…?”

These weren’t just third-rate thugs.

They were well-dressed martial artists who clearly had some skill, roaming the streets in groups.

Ordinary folk had never fared well when involved with martial artists.

To Mr. Jang, who had lived in Mount Hua’s domain for a long time, this was an iron rule.

They called themselves martial artists, but in practice, they were sword-wielding bandits who didn’t abide by the laws of the Great Ming.

“Something’s fishy.”

Mr. Kim, who lived next door and was close with Mr. Jang, spoke gravely.

“Could Mount Hua be hosting some kind of martial arts tournament? No, if that were the case, the Taoists would’ve certainly made a public announcement beforehand.”

Just then, Mr. Go, who ran a fabric shop, approached the two.

“You two still haven’t heard the news, have you?”

“What news?”

Mr. Go cleared his throat and declared with a serious face.

“They say the Demonic Cult has appeared in the north!”

Mr. Jang and Mr. Kim tilted their heads in confusion.

“The Demonic Cult?”

“Yes, that Demonic Cult!”

“What about them?”

“Is it really that serious?”

It wasn’t surprising that the two reacted this way.

They had only ever heard distorted rumors, and for nearly a hundred years, the Demonic Cult had never once harmed them.

Of course, Mr. Go, whose son had entered Mount Hua as a secular disciple, knew a bit more about the true nature (?) of the Cult.

“You fools! They say the Demonic Cult is preparing for an invasion! Soon, the whole Central Plains will be soaked in blood! The Taoists of Mount Hua have been in a frenzy over it for a while now!”

“…Really?”

“My son says top-tier martial artists from all over the Central Plains are flocking to Xi’an.”

Xi’an referred to the central city of modern-day Shaanxi Province.

“Ah, if they’re coming from the east, they’d pass through Huayin, so that makes sense.”

“Then shouldn’t we just sit back and enjoy the show while reaping some business benefits?”

As he said, so long as the bloodstorm didn’t reach their region, it had nothing to do with them.

In fact, it might even bring a windfall from the sudden influx of people!

“Hey there, anyone home?”

“Oh, welcome!”

Even before his thoughts were complete, four men and two women clad in martial attire entered the inn.

“Bring out some decent food. And some white liquor too.”

“Right away!”

Mr. Jang glanced at their clothing and ran into the kitchen.

Unlike the typical wandering vagabonds, the men were young and robust, and the women were graceful and beautiful.

From experience, those like them usually hailed from reputable martial families.

Among the group, a fairly well-built man from the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Mun, lightly shook his collar and grumbled.

“Whew, Mount Hua or not, it’s really not a place you want to visit twice.”

Next to him, Namgung Cheong of the Namgung Clan gave a bitter smile.

“You’re the last person who should be saying that, considering your monstrous stamina.”

“Still, wasn’t meeting the famous Plum Blossom White Sword Hero a big accomplishment?”

Jegal Eun from the Jegal Clan, who had shared the hardships of this Mount Hua journey, smiled softly.

As the youngest in the group, Jegal Eun was a stunning beauty in the prime of her youth.

Naturally, Hwangbo Mun’s face melted into a goofy grin.

“Th-that’s definitely true.”

“Well then, let’s drink and rest properly tonight. We’ve got more rough roads ahead starting tomorrow.”

Peng Yunho of the Hebei Peng Clan, renowned for their sword techniques, encouraged the group.

“Once we reach Xi’an, we might even catch sight of some Demonic Cult bastards.”

At that moment, Namgung Cheong muttered quietly.

“I doubt things will unfold as drastically as everyone thinks.”

“Hm? Why do you say that?”

“I’ve heard that the Demonic Cult is preparing to send a massive diplomatic delegation to the Murim Alliance.”

“How do you know that, Namgung?”

To the question from Murong Gun of the Murong Clan, Namgung Cheong replied with subtle pride.

“My uncle is an Elder of the Murim Alliance. He whispered it to me when I dropped by the Alliance recently.”

“Whoa…”

“Heh?”

If he was an Elder of the Murim Alliance from the Namgung Clan, it could only be Namgung Chang, the Seven Thunder Sword, who was currently rising in prominence.

As attention shifted to Namgung Cheong, Peng Yunho’s mood visibly soured.

“Hmph, I heard the Seven Thunder Sword Hero isn’t exactly on good terms with the Alliance Leader these days. How’d he manage to dig up that intel?”

“Well, considering the Namgung Clan and the Namcheon Baek Clan… it’s no surprise they don’t get along.”

“Indeed, with the way things are going, it won’t be long before the Namgung name surpasses the Namcheon Baek Clan’s.”

Everyone except Peng Yunho praised Namgung Cheong and the Namgung Clan instead.

That’s how strong their momentum was these days.

“Hahaha, even if our main family is the most prestigious in the south, we’re still ‘not yet’ on par with the Namcheon Baek Clan.”

Feigning modesty, Namgung Cheong added in a lower voice.

“Though… who knows what things will look like ten years from now.”

“Bullshit.”

“…Huh?”

A voice came suddenly from a table tucked away in a corner.

It was a simple mutter, but everyone present was a direct descendant of a reputable martial clan.

There was no way they could’ve missed a voice like that.

“Who said that?”

Namgung Cheong immediately flared his killing intent and glared toward the source.

There sat a man and a woman quietly eating their meal.

No matter how he retraced it, the voice had clearly belonged to the woman.

Then Jegal Eun tilted her head as she stared at the woman.

“Wait, aren’t you Sang-ah unnie?”

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

Baek Sang-ah quickly lowered her voice and averted her gaze.

The piercing stares of Jin Yeomyung and Cheon Yura from across the table were painful to bear.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep