Chapter 57: Preparing of the Trap (2)

“It’s a relief that things worked out well.”

“Uh, yeah… I mean, they did, but…”

Bang Manhu shuddered slightly as he recalled the burning stares from the Kunlun Sect’s branch family heads who looked as though they wanted to kill him.

It probably would’ve been better if he hadn’t said that last part!

“So then, what are your plans going forward?”

“We’ll go according to the agreement. The Nine Moons Blade Hall will use this as a springboard to take flight.”

“Ahem! Hahaha, it’s all thanks to the Young Master!”

Separate from the incident at the Tomb of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, Geum Jeoksan had decided to completely withdraw from Eastern Sea Fortress.

Originally, it was a place where only small, scattered unorthodox factions were gathered. The core of this agreement was that there would be no consequences for sweeping them away.

‘Three-tenths of Eastern Sea Fortress’s unorthodox forces… This should be more than enough to satisfy them.’

They had agreed that the orthodox factions would take seven-tenths and the Nine Moons Blade Hall would take three-tenths after wiping out the disorganized unorthodox groups.

With this, the Nine Moons Blade Hall would not only restore its financial state but also gain a foothold to double its influence.

‘With this much, I’ve done my part with a clear conscience.’

“Hrr, hehehe! And if we can also secure the relics of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden…!”

I gave Bang Manhu a cold glance as he got lost in fantasies about a future that hadn’t even arrived yet.

‘Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. That reward is mine for helping out this time.’

Well, it wasn’t something I’d say aloud anyway.

“By the way, Hall Leader.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

“How’s the preparation for the Great Art coming along?”

The Nine Moons Blade Hall had inherited one secret technique that even the Heavenly Demon Cult would covet.

It was a Great Art that refined the purity of demonic qi within the body.

It was similar in some ways to the Bone Cleansing Method.

The difference was that unlike the Bone Cleansing Method, this did not involve clearing all the meridians of the body.

“Ah, it’s perfect! We can begin tomorrow.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Hahaha, I hope your subordinates recognize the generosity of the Young Master!”

“They’re going to be worked to death, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“……”

Perhaps he caught the sincerity in those words, because Bang Manhu’s gaze toward the three subordinates turned rather sentimental.

“What kind of results can we expect from the Great Art?”

“Well, achieving perfectly pure demonic qi is nearly impossible. Unless we’re talking about the absolute pinnacle of internal cultivation methods, the purity of internal energy naturally becomes tainted over time.”

“What if it’s a method on the level of the Conqueror’s Art?”

“Th-The Conqueror’s Art?!”

Bang Manhu was visibly shocked. No matter how he looked at those three, they were clearly street-level types rather than members of noble clans.

To think of passing something like the Conqueror’s Art to such people!

“Well, in that case, they should be able to last about ten years. If they manage to reach Peak Master level within that time, they won’t need an additional Great Art.”

“Hmm, that’s good.”

“Though… I think the odds of that happening are rather low. Their internal energy levels are just a bit…”

Though Bang Manhu often acted servile, he was in fact a high-level expert whose martial prowess was near Peak Master level.

With his level of insight, he could immediately tell just how lacking the three subordinates were.

“Internal energy, huh… It’s definitely something that needs to be addressed.”

“Hahaha, but with the Jin Clan’s resources, providing some elixirs should be simple, right?”

“Well, yes…”

The real issue was whether the Clan Leader would agree to supply those kinds of elixirs for those three.

‘Eh, I’ll figure that out later.’

Even if I didn’t go to Jin Gun-ak directly, I could always butter up the Chief Administrator.

If I framed it as nurturing Gu Chil’s replacement, the Chief might understand.

And so, when we returned to the Nine Moons Blade Hall—

“How arrogant. You think you’re qualified to speak on that with your level?”

“Hah, you won’t know who’s longer or shorter until you measure, right?”

Now what kind of situation was this?

***

Sa Biyeon had been Cheon Yura’s loyal confidante for a long time.

Unlike the high-level guards of the Guardian Hall who were merely assigned to serve, she had spent many years at Cheon Yura’s side, watching her grow—more like a sibling than a servant.

Because of that, she prided herself on being better than anyone else in the Heavenly Demon Cult at reading Cheon Yura’s emotional shifts.

When Cheon Yura first left the Ten Thousand Mountain Range in her life, Sa Biyeon could tell that her master was happier than ever before.

Trying to respect that joy, Sa Biyeon made a fatal mistake.

The mistake was failing to firmly insist that her master return to the mountains when she first ran off.

“Biyeon. This kind of vast grassland—this is my first time seeing one.”

“Was the sea always this close? What? It’s a lake?”

“I heard that Jin Yeomyung is somewhere around here. I wonder what that guy is up to!”

When she saw her master marveling at the wide Qinghai plains and delighting in the vastness of Qinghai Lake, Sa Biyeon couldn’t bring herself to tell her to go back.

Instead, she tried to rush the relatively harmless Wang Cheongeol.

“Wang Cheongeol, are you really okay with this? If word gets out that the Young Cult Leader is in the territory of the Evil Overlords of Heaven, it could become a huge hassle.”

At her question, Wang Cheongeol chuckled heartily and replied.

“What’s there to worry about? Even if the Evil Overlord himself shows up, he won’t be able to lay a finger on the Young Cult Leader while this Crimson-Faced Battle Demon Wang Cheongeol is around!”

“Th-That’s not the point. The fact that such a thing might happen is already a problem…”

“But we got permission from the Cult Leader, didn’t we? That’s good enough!”

“……”

True, the Cult Leader had permitted them to go “outside.”

But what he meant by “outside” was clearly outside of the Lesser Demon Hall—not outside of the entire Ten Thousand Mountain Range.

Wang Cheongeol, known as Grand Protector, was indeed a loyal follower of both the Cheon Clan and the Young Cult Leader.

However, his loyalty did not involve correcting his master’s wrongdoings. Instead, it meant supporting her no matter what—right or wrong.

By the time Sa Biyeon realized that he would be of no help in this situation, the group was already approaching Eastern Sea Fortress.

“Is that Eastern Sea Fortress? Jin Yeomyung must be there, right?”

“Mm, yes.”

In the end, Sa Biyeon resigned herself.

This outing was undoubtedly a massive incident that would likely get them summoned by the Cult Leader and the Head of the Black Gold Sa Clan for a serious scolding.

But she realized it was far too late to turn back now.

‘The moment we crossed the border of the Ten Thousand Mountains, the Heavenly Demon Hall must’ve been alerted. And yet there’s been no pursuit…’

Could it be… that the Cult Leader had given tacit approval?

Though her confidence wavered slightly at the end, there was no turning back now.

Sa Biyeon quietly let out a sigh.

‘Why did it have to be Young Master Jin…’

Though her master had yet to realize it, Sa Biyeon had already noticed.

That she had opened her heart to someone.

Of course, the first impression had been the worst.

Cheon Yura was the kind of person people said was born with the wrong gender—her very nature was that of a martial artist through and through.

As such, she admired martial artists with upright character and spirit.

She respected those who, even when overpowered, refused to give up and gave everything they had until the end.

…Though it was more a preference for martial character than for a specific type of man, which was a bit problematic.

At any rate, Jin Yeomyung had tried to hide his strength and pretended to lose with minimal effort—that alone had stirred immense fury in Cheon Yura.

It was the first time Sa Biyeon had ever seen her master unleash a killing strike on someone else.

Cheon Yura was someone who never lost her steel-like rationality and cool judgment, no matter the circumstances.

So when she went so far as to unleash her Qi Projection to drive Jin Yeomyung into a corner, Sa Biyeon had been genuinely alarmed.

If the Cult Leader hadn’t shown up, something irreversible would’ve happened.

The moment the Cult Leader appeared, she realized the exchange ceremony had completely fallen apart.

Even though Ma Jinyoon of the Ma Clan had put up a valiant fight, it was just that—a valiant effort.

From that point on, her master would be walking a lonely road as the Young Cult Leader, unable to find a match for a long, long time.

That was what she thought—until that one moment.

—

I don’t hate you.

—

That one phrase changed everything.

—

It’s not that I dislike the Young Cult Leader. No, rather… I think I actually like her, in my own way.

—

What did he mean by that?

Sa Biyeon was genuinely curious about the meaning behind those words.

If Jin Yeomyung had said that simply to toy with her master, then no matter what the Cult Leader said, she would cut him down without hesitation.

—

Then, let’s go with Cheon Yura, the young lady.

…

—

Jin Yeomyung, smiling gently as he spoke such absurd words.

Her master, blushing at that one sentence and showing a side she’d never shown before.

In that moment, the loyal retainer understood.

That spring had come to her master’s heart.

***

But even so, her master’s attitude hadn’t changed much.

Her daily life remained the same.

Seeing how she still devoted herself to training, Sa Biyeon assumed that incident would remain nothing more than a passing moment.

Until Jin Yeomyung sought her out in Black Market.

And then, until he faced off against a martial master believed to be an Elder of the Azure Star Sect at Hidden Trace Manor.

“Biyeon, what exactly does that guy know?”

“……”

Sa Biyeon couldn’t answer that question.

Because she didn’t know either.

“I’m not sure… but there’s one thing I do know.”

“What is it?”

“He’s moving for my sake.”

At that, Sa Biyeon asked back—genuinely curious.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because he keeps pushing me away.”

“…?”

“And he keeps getting involved in dangerous things.”

“…!”

“It feels like he’s trying not to drag me into danger. That’s the impression I get.”

Just the fact that he had entered the Thousand-Day Pass was strange.

Even if he had lost his chance at being heir, there was no reason for him to enter the Thousand-Day Pass, where hardship was guaranteed.

That meant Jin Yeomyung was still fighting something… or preparing for something.

As Cheon Yura calmly voiced her thoughts, her cheeks were faintly tinged with a soft peach hue.

“If my hunch is correct.”

“If it is?”

“I won’t interfere with what he’s doing.”

Clench!

Cheon Yura closed her fist tightly with one arm.

“As the Cult Leader wishes, I will reach the pinnacle that no one can touch. And when I do, the burden on his shoulders will surely become lighter.”

After that, Cheon Yura threw herself into martial arts like someone possessed.

And not long after, she made a remarkable breakthrough to Peak Master Level at the young age of barely adulthood.

Sa Biyeon had never seen talent like Cheon Yura’s before. She had no doubt that, given time, her master would succeed the current Cult Leader and inherit the title of Heavenly Demon.

Then one day—

“Biyeon.”

“Yes, Young Cult Leader?”

“Find out who the granddaughter of the Orthodox Alliance Leader is.”

Her master, who had devoted her life solely to martial prowess, now issued an order with a completely different expression than usual.

“Immediately.”

***

After the negotiations concluded, Baek Sang-ah returned to the Nine Moons Blade Hall—only to be confronted by a sudden challenge.

“So, it’s you. One of the Four Pillars of the Central Plains—was it Southern Lotus Sword Flower?”

“Who are you?”

Baek Sang-ah took a step back and quietly rested her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Since assuming the identity of a mere low-ranking official at the Thousand-Day Pass, no one had ever approached her this brazenly and mentioned her true identity.

Stillness within movement. The person in front of her hid terrifying sharpness within calm composure.

She was a mysterious figure who, at some point, had joined their group—but now revealed herself.

Or rather, should it be said—a mysterious woman?

“So you’re the one who dragged Jin Yeomyung all the way here?”

Jin Yeomyung?

If she was using his name so casually, she was likely affiliated with the Heavenly Demon Cult…

“Do you know my vice leader?”

“…‘My’?”

Crack!

The sound of teeth grinding was followed by an overwhelming aura erupting from the mysterious woman before her.

‘Kgh, what is this pressure?!’

Though she was considered a prodigy and one of the Four Pillars, Baek Sang-ah knew this opponent was on an entirely different level.

‘Judging by her voice, she doesn’t sound much older than me…’

The martial world was full of people who looked like one thing and were entirely another, but Baek Sang-ah’s instincts told her that the woman’s voice and apparent age weren’t far from her own.

“Young lady, you mustn’t fight here.”

Just then, another masked woman appeared and stopped the strange one.

“I know.”

“You clearly don’t.”

The masked woman clicked her tongue slightly.

“Apologies, Southern Lotus Sword Flower. Please forgive the rudeness of my lady.”

“Who are you people?”

“I am with the Black Gold Sa Clan. I serve the young lady.”

“Black Gold Sa Clan!”

One of the Six Great Demonic Clans and the financial lifeline of the Heavenly Demon Cult!

‘Don’t tell me that woman is a direct descendant of the Black Gold Sa Clan?’

Baek Sang-ah concluded that Cheon Yura must be a direct descendant of the Black Gold Sa Clan.

That would certainly explain how she could casually call Jin Yeomyung by name and treat him as an equal.

But the strange woman wasn’t the only problem.

‘Even the one who stopped her doesn’t seem ordinary.’

The direct heir’s aura was so fierce it bordered on terrifying, but the woman who intervened also gave off a threatening presence—maybe not quite the same level, but formidable in her own right.

She could probably win if it came to a fight, but it would take at least fifty exchanges of the sword.

‘Hmph, was the Black Gold Sa Clan always this strong? Even a mere retainer is this powerful?’

In Baek Sang-ah’s mind, her evaluation of the Demonic Cult shot up dramatically.

“Hmm? What are you three doing?”

At that moment, a familiar male voice called from a distance.

“Young Master Jin!”

Baek Sang-ah lit up and ran over to Jin Yeomyung.

The moment Cheon Yura saw that, her eyes widened like they would split apart.

“…That woman!”

Her hand instinctively reached for the sword at her waist.

Had Sa Biyeon not been so quick and desperate in stopping her, a bloodbath would’ve erupted right there in the middle of the street.

“Lady Baek. Didn’t I warn you? Even if we’re inside the city, you should never be walking around alone.”

“I-I know!”

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said this already. Clearly, words aren’t enough anymore.”

“W-What do you mean by that?”

“From now on, stay by my side.”

“……”

“……”

Sa Biyeon, unconsciously, turned her eyes slightly to gauge her master’s reaction.

Given that exchange, she wouldn’t have been surprised if her master flew into a mad rage.

But surprisingly, Cheon Yura simply watched the scene in silence.

“Oh, actually, this is perfect. I had a plan that needed some help—Lady Baek, I’d like you to assist me.”

“I’ll help!”

Baek Sang-ah responded enthusiastically without hesitation.

Having been treated like some sacred treasure this whole time, she’d been feeling stifled—so being given something to do was actually a relief.

“Jin Yeomyung.”

“Ah, Young Cult—no, Lady Cheon.”

Cheon Yura suddenly stepped forward and spoke up.

“I don’t know what kind of help you need, but… can I help too?”

“Eh? Ah, well…”

“You’re saying she can help, but I can’t?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that asking Lady Cheon to do this sort of task might be…”

She didn’t even ask what the task was—she just pushed forward insistently.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m on leave, so helping an acquaintance with something isn’t beyond reason.”

Baek Sang-ah cast an uneasy glance at the young lady from the Black Gold Sa Clan who had suddenly approached.

Her instincts were screaming at her. She didn’t know what it was, but this woman had come to interfere with her, without a doubt!

‘Wait… hang on?’

Then, a strange sense of dissonance flashed through Baek Sang-ah’s mind.

“Lady Cheon?”

Not Lady Sa?

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