Chapter 52: An Unexpected Visitor (1)

Demonic Emperor Lord, Geum Jeoksan.

He was the first disciple of the King of Ten Thousand Evils, Gu Yomyeong, and the de facto successor who had solidified an overwhelming presence within the Evil Overlords of Heaven.

There were other disciples beneath him, but due to the excessively meticulous suppression by Geum Jeoksan, they had failed to build any real power of their own.

That was why, when Cheong Museong won the civil war within Evil Overlords of Heaven following the death of the King of Ten Thousand Evils, there had been considerable speculation at the time.

‘There’s something going on.’

Even in this life, I found myself questioning Cheong Museong’s behavior and true identity.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes, please speak, Young Master!”

“Have any high-ranking members of the main Evil Overlords of Heaven force appeared within Eastern Sea Fortress?”

At my question, Bang Manhu paused briefly in thought, then shook his head.

“Ah, not yet. Only lowly unorthodox underlings affiliated with Evil Overlords of Heaven have been stirring up trouble. I haven’t seen any experts from the main force dispatched separately.”

According to Bang Manhu, a considerable amount of money had already been invested within Eastern Sea Fortress.

In this era, money and martial strength were inseparable.

The fact that the main Evil Overlords of Heaven faction hadn’t made any significant moves despite such funding meant—

‘That money must be from another source, not from Evil Overlords of Heaven.’

Evil Overlords of Heaven, from the beginning, had enough strength to confront the Kunlun Sect head-on.

There was no reason for them to resort solely to tricks using money.

‘If this faint flow is heading the way I think it is…’

Then I might be able to draw a rather satisfying picture.

I smiled to myself with satisfaction.

‘What good fortune. To have a table like this already set for me the moment I arrive in Eastern Sea Fortress.’

I didn’t know why such a butterfly effect had occurred, but not taking advantage of it would disqualify me as a strategist.

“Ah, that reminds me, Sect Leader.”

“Yes, Young Master! Please ask anything. I, Bang Manhu, a native of Eastern Sea Fortress and a close ally of the Heavenly Demon Cult, will answer any question…”

“How is the excavation of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb going?”

“…?!?!?!?”

“Pardon me, what did you just say?”

I tilted my head at Bang Manhu’s overly exaggerated reaction.

“Hm? Isn’t the tomb of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden — the female martial expert who once dominated the world four hundred years ago — located somewhere beneath this Eastern Sea Fortress?”

“H-How could you possibly know that…?”

How did I know?

Because you showed off the artifacts from there to me several years in the future, acting all proud about it.

“Has the map tablet not been fully deciphered yet?”

“Y-Yes! No, wait, that is—! A map tablet? Who on earth…?”

I looked at the flustered Bang Manhu with a tilted gaze.

‘He said it took nearly three years to fully explore that tomb, right?’

By timeline, it would have been last year when the map tablet was discovered and the excavation had just begun.

—Ha ha ha! Inner Administrator, look at this! This is the very map tablet detailing the location of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb! This lovely thing turned my entire life around!

Back when I was the Inner Administrator, Bang Manhu in his old age had a completely different demeanor than he did now.

At that time, the Nine Moons Blade Hall was even more powerful than it is now, and it was treated as one of the most crucial allies of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

As such, I, as the Inner Administrator, had to personally entertain Bang Manhu.

—Heh heh heh! Thanks to the martial arts and artifacts we obtained from that ancient site, our main hall soared like it had grown wings!

During one drinking session, I had heard directly from Bang Manhu about the reasons behind the rapid rise of the Nine Moons Blade Hall.

It had been frustrating that he had moved without informing the main cult, but since ten years had passed since the excavation by then, there was no way to take any proper action.

‘But it’s different this time.’

I had already heard everything from the future Bang Manhu about what came out of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb.

Among those were items that I absolutely had to obtain to aid the growth of myself and my subordinates.

I looked at the sweating, pale-faced Bang Manhu with a cold gaze.

‘Sorry, but in this life, you won’t be getting your share. It’s not that the current Nine Moons Blade Hall has done anything wrong, but I still hold a grudge over how you backed out during the final battle.’

During the final war against the Murim Alliance, most of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s allies had abandoned the sect and fled into the secular world.

The Nine Moons Blade Hall was one of them.

I gently smiled and patted Bang Manhu on the shoulder.

“The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb is a hellish maze guarded by eighty-four deadly formation traps. With just the power of the Nine Moons Blade Hall, it will be difficult to break through them all.”

“What? How could you possibly know that, Young Master?”

“Oh, the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan also possesses records about the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. We just never had a reason to pursue them — until now.”

I spoke the lie with complete composure.

“I-I see!”

Bang Manhu’s face gradually turned darker.

“I say this not as the member of the Thousand-Day Pass, but as the heir of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan, Jin Yeomyung.”

Gulp!

As Bang Manhu nervously swallowed, I offered my proposal with the brightest smile.

“Would you consider collaborating with the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan in excavating the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb?”

“A c-collaboration, you say?”

Bang Manhu’s face instantly twisted.

If a powerful force like the Jin Clan joined the excavation, the progress would surely accelerate.

The problem, of course, was whether the Nine Moons Blade Hall could secure its fair share of the rewards.

“Then… what would be the split?”

I answered sweetly.

“Let’s go fifty-fifty.”

“Gasp!”

Bang Manhu’s face instantly lit up.

He probably expected a seventy-thirty or even an eighty-twenty split, so this was an incredibly generous offer.

“But.”

“But?”

“I’d like to include a few ‘outsiders’ in the excavation alongside the Jin Clan and the Nine Moons Blade Hall. What do you think?”

“By outsiders, you mean…?”

“You know, the kind of people who can serve as sacrifices for the tomb’s formation traps…”

Realizing what I was suggesting, Bang Manhu’s expression began to resemble mine.

“I have no reason to object.”

We didn’t know how many would enter the tomb.

But it didn’t matter.

The dead don’t speak.

I tapped my closed fan lightly.

“But right now, what’s more important than the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s tomb is the group of unorthodox rabble causing trouble right in front of us.”

“T-That is true…”

Frustration welled up on Bang Manhu’s face. It was understandable — at a time when he should’ve been focused on deciphering the map tablet and tackling the formation traps, Evil Overlords of Heaven had suddenly begun stirring up chaos.

“What were you planning to do about it?”

At my question, Bang Manhu let out a deep sigh.

“Honestly, there’s nothing I can do. For now, the Kunlun branch families are the ones taking the hit first, but it’s only a matter of time. I need to find a way.”

“Hm.”

The simplest solution would be to counter with money.

But the current Nine Moons Blade Hall didn’t have the means for that, and I had no desire to drag the Jin Clan’s wealth into this to solve the problem.

However—

‘Just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you’re out of options.’

“Let’s first assess the situation clearly, then come up with a response.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

“Oh, and I have a personal favor to ask.”

“Yes?”

I stepped closer and whispered to Bang Manhu.

“They say the Nine Moons Blade Hall’s Earth Listening Technique is unmatched under the heavens. Is that true?”

Though he didn’t look it, Bang Manhu was a quick-witted man.

He instantly understood what I was asking.

“Who should I keep an eye on?”

Grin!

“Glad you catch on fast. Among those dispatched to Eastern Sea Fortress to the Nine Moons Blade Hall, there’s a man named Han Muyeon. And another — a young-looking girl.”

***

Everlasting Decree Fortress, known as the foremost city of Qinghai, was effectively under the thumb of Evil Overlords of Heaven to the extent that even the city lord could be considered one of their puppets.

It could rightly be called a sacred ground for the unorthodox factions, yet, contrary to expectation, it was maintained with stricter security than most territories belonging to orthodox sects.

This was only possible because of the absolute influence wielded by the King of Ten Thousand Evils, Gu Yomyeong.

That was why there were no sects within Western Tranquility; only battle units bearing the name of Evil Overlords of Heaven existed.

These battle units would ruthlessly cut down anyone who disrupted Evil Overlords of Heaven’s order, which allowed Everlasting Decree Fortress to maintain public security and flourish commercially.

Among Western Tranquility’s thriving industries, one stood out above all: the Horse Market.

To the north lay the Mongolian grasslands, to the west, the territory of Tibet, and to the east, the plains of Gansu Province — making horses an essential part of life and trade in this region.

Snort! Snort!

A Red-Blooded Steed, imported from one of the countries in the northern region of the Western Lands, exhaled sharply through its nostrils.

Holding the reins lightly stood a young man.

“I can’t believe Second Order sent word asking for help, saying he’s going to stir things up in Eastern Sea Fortress.”

The youth, strikingly attractive even to the point of radiating seductive energy, appeared to be in his late teens.

“So? Are you sure the granddaughter of the Orthodox Alliance Lord is really in Eastern Sea Fortress?”

“The information Second Order sent in advance confirms it.”

The answer came from a black-clad, masked figure standing near the youth.

“Tsk tsk! He couldn’t even manage a proper assassination, and now he’s begging for my help. And that guy outranks me? What a joke.”

Clicking his tongue, the youth spoke to the masked man.

“You’ve got it tough too, Myeong-oh.”

Myeong-oh — the man who once operated as a shadow agent within the Thousand-Day Pass — shook his head.

“Not at all, Third Order. If it’s for the grand plan of the organization, this much is nothing.”

Third Order rather liked Myeong-oh.

To be entrusted with overseeing a faction within the organization meant that the individual had proven both their competence and loyalty.

What annoyed him was that someone like Myeong-oh was stuck working under someone like Second Order.

“If I were to get the Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Sword, would I be able to take Second Order’s place?”

“It’s not impossible.”

“Oh?”

It was a throwaway comment, but the unexpected answer intrigued him.

“Lately, Second Order’s mistakes have been piling up. The Eight Commanders’ trust in him isn’t what it used to be.”

For a moment, Third Order seriously considered deliberately sabotaging the current operation.

The Ten Celestial Lords — the highest-ranking executives in the organization.

And among their joint disciples were the four holders of the title ‘Order’ — including himself.

‘First Order is undeniably brilliant, so fine, but someone like Second Order? I could probably bring him down.’

Just then, as if reading his thoughts, Myeong-oh gave him a warning.

“Best not to entertain such thoughts, Third Order. If you mess up the grand plan for personal ambition, you’ll be dragged down with it.”

“What are you talking about? What thoughts?”

Third Order feigned innocence and shrugged.

But Myeong-oh didn’t let it go.

“Remember this. Even Second Order hasn’t yet fully received the martial arts of the Ten Celestial Lords. The positions of the four ‘Order’ can be reshuffled at any time — even expanded to include a Fifth or Sixth Order.”

“Alright, alright. I get it. Besides, I’m too busy with what I’m doing now to be plotting anything else.”

If it were anyone else who’d said that, Third Order would have torn their mouth open and killed them on the spot. But Myeong-oh was one of the few who had the right to speak that way.

“So, where’s the Dark King Unit now?”

“They’re waiting outside the city.”

“Perfect. Cleanup will be easy.”

A sinister grin spread across Third Order’s face.

“I never expected Second Order to reach out to me. He probably has no idea what I’m really up to — if he finds out, he’ll be pounding the ground in regret.”

“…”

“I’m sure he won’t complain about me stealing a little credit. From your point of view, as long as the mission succeeds, it doesn’t matter who does it, right?”

“I won’t deny that.”

“Great, great. Let’s go then. Before that damned senior brother of mine throws another tantrum and comes running!”

Snort!

The Red-Blooded Steed gave a cheerful snort and stomped the ground.

Right now, Third Order stood at the edge of a tremendous opportunity.

He had been working hard in Eastern Sea Fortress to seize a chance he had stumbled across — and now, even Second Order’s target had entered the same city.

If he could truly capture both opportunities, a reshuffling of ranks wasn’t out of the question.

Third Order seemed to understand this too — the thrill of it was practically radiating from his back.

Myeong-oh silently shook his head where no one could see.

“Now that even external forces like Third Order have been brought in, failure is no longer an option.”

The organization’s strength was beyond measure.

But its power remained formidable only as long as it stayed hidden beneath the surface.

“If things fall apart now, my revenge may crumble with it.”

He had joined this organization with the sole purpose of killing one particular man.

And yet, with everything that had happened recently, Myeong-oh had begun to doubt whether his revenge could even be fulfilled.

“I’d better report the current situation to the Eight Commanders. If anyone can handle this, it’s them.”

Myeong-oh let out a deep sigh.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep