Chapter 99: The Master-Level’s Scheme (2)

Pa Wooryang frowned.

“Hey, old hag. You know I hate complicated talk—what are you going on about?”

“I meant no harm. It’s just… a gut feeling. That perhaps it’s thanks to that very instinct that you’ve managed to handle the Blood-Striking Pa Clan without issue all this time.”

“Hmph, my kids are good. They don’t cause any problems!”

“I’m sure they don’t. If they did, their heads would probably be smashed by your fists.”

The title of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s First Elder wasn’t earned through gambling.

The peak of tens of thousands of warriors under the direct command of the Heavenly Demon, below only the Heavenly Demon himself.

The one who stood at the pinnacle was none other than the Tyrant Saber, Saber Demon—Pa Wooryang.

“I’m bored. I think I’ll go pay a visit to Yeomra. He should still be at the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Blade Cliff.”

“Blood-Tear Spear should be there too. Pass on a message for me, will you? If he skips another elder meeting, it won’t be fun for him.”

“Hmph, even I find your warnings a bit scary, old hag. I’ll make sure he hears it.”

“Please do. And don’t go jumping out of Ten Thousand Mountain again saying you’re off to meet the Saber King.”

With that, even First Elder Pa Wooryang departed from the Elder Hall.

Following him, the lower-ranking elders from the Six Great Demonic Clans also vanished.

In the end, only the Grand Elder Cheon Yeongha and Fourth Elder Jin Gun-ak remained in the Elder Hall.

“Asura King, is there something you wish to say?”

“I’m curious about the Cult Leader’s intentions.”

Jin Gun-ak, now with arms crossed and a stoic expression, was a completely different man from the middle-aged one who had earlier teased Sa Myeongrin with flippant ease.

“Judging from how things unfolded, it looks like some trickery was pulled on the four clans… except for the Pa Clan and ours.”

“Hmph.”

“Why were the Pa Clan and we left alone?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Cheon Yeongha’s words were a roundabout way of asking if Jin Gun-ak could handle the truth.

“Normally, I’d let it slide, but this time I’m really curious.”

“Well, fine. It’s not really a big secret. At least not from you.”

“…?”

Jin Gun-ak’s eyes narrowed slightly at the cryptic response.

“The Pa Clan—well, you know them. They’re not ones to fall for schemes. Unlike foxes with bear-like frames like you, they’re actual bears. If you poke them carelessly, you might end up dealing with more trouble than expected.”

“Then what about us?”

“It’s because of your eldest son.”

“What?”

“The Cult Leader holds your eldest son in rather high regard.”

“Just for that?”

“Of course, it’s not just that. He’s done a great deal for the Young Cult Leader. The Cult Leader is taking that into account.”

“Hm…”

He had thought his son had made significant contributions to the family, but did the Cult Leader really think that highly of him?

Jin Gun-ak felt a bit conflicted.

“The Heavenly Thunder Corps Commander also wants to recruit him into the Heavenly Thunder Corps.”

“Hm, the Heavenly Thunder Corps, huh…”

One of the Five Great Halls—it wasn’t a bad choice.

Although the Cheon Clan practically dominated the Heavenly Thunder Corps, they wouldn’t assign his eldest son to some backwater post.

“But if he joins the Heavenly Thunder Corps, wouldn’t that mean saying goodbye to the position of Demonic Faction Lord?”

“That doesn’t matter, does it? It’s not like the Cult Leader ever intended to match her with anyone in the first place.”

“…?!”

Jin Gun-ak’s expression twisted grimly.

“Did you just say that out loud?!”

“Still, I’m quite fond of your son, in my own way.”

Cheon Yeongha cut off Jin Gun-ak’s outburst.

Just as he was about to explode in anger, Jin Gun-ak paused, calming down at the unexpected statement.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. The Cult Leader has no intention of pairing Yura with anyone—at least for now…”

“But the Great Elder’s opinion is different?”

“It’s just my personal support, that’s all.”

“Wordplay again.”

“I mean it. Right now, no one can oppose the Cult Leader.”

It was infuriating, but true.

In the Central Plains, people liked to speak of the Three Supremes, placing the Cult Leader on the same level as two others. But from Jin Gun-ak’s perspective, that was just the orthodox factions clinging to their pride.

That’s how absolute the current Cult Leader’s presence was.

“Damn it. So what, we’re just supposed to dance to the Cult Leader’s tune now?”

“Why would you? The ones with fires under their feet are the other four clans.”

In Cheon Yeongha’s eyes, Jin Gun-ak had it easy—he just had to sit back and watch the fireworks.

“You’re lucky. You raised a good son. If not, no matter how much merit he earned, the Cult Leader would’ve surely found an opening to strike.”

“Khm!”

They say praise could make even the Asura King dance—Jin Gun-ak, who had been acting all high and mighty, let a proud smirk slip.

Cheon Yeongha brushed it off as luck, but raising a child was a skill in itself.

While the other clans were waging bloody succession wars, the descendants of the Jin Clan remained as close as ever.

“…Feels like your thinking something a bit shameless, so I’ll shut up now.”

“So, in short, this whole situation is a golden opportunity for me.”

“Did you even hear a word I just said?”

Cheon Yeongha glared at Jin Gun-ak sharply.

“Why do you think I told you all this? There’s only one reason—don’t make a move.”

“…”

“This mess might take time to settle, but it will end without greatly disrupting the balance between the clans. But if you act now, the balance will definitely collapse.”

And once that balance collapsed, the Cult Leader—who had so far only moved from the shadows—would come forward in full force.

“When that happens, even you won’t be able to handle the Cult Leader’s wrath.”

“K-Khm! Who said I was going to do anything?!”

Even for the great Jin Gun-ak, this threat struck a nerve.

“If you really feel like interfering, just help your son a bit from the sidelines. I won’t say anything about that.”

“Well, a father supporting his son’s wishes is his duty, after all.”

“Do you have any idea how much your shamelessness hits differently today?”

Among the heads of the Six Great Demonic Clans, the only one who showed even a shred of humanity was from the Pa Clan.

And even that was just because the indifferent parents had happened to raise two twins who grew up well on their own—the rest of the five clans were just…

Cheon Yeongha felt a headache she thought had long vanished creeping back in and unconsciously pressed her forehead.

“Phew, you should get going now. I need to report this incident to the Cult Leader.”

“Do as you must.”

Having heard all the truths he wanted, Jin Gun-ak left the Elder Hall with light steps.

Left alone at last, Cheon Yeongha fell into silent contemplation for a while, until something suddenly came to mind and he spoke.

“By the way… I wonder if that guy even knows his own son has come back a monster.”

***

“Assemble everyone in the main conference hall within the hour!”

The head of the Black Gold Sa Clan, Thunder Essence Fiend Sa Myeongrin, summoned all the senior members of his clan the moment he returned home.

More than a hundred people packed into the space like sardines, and Sa Myeongrin, completely unlike his usual cold and calculated self, roared furiously.

“How the hell did you people handle this matter?!”

“……”

“……”

The elders and senior members of the Black Gold Sa Clan lowered their heads, silently enduring the wrath of their clan head.

They had thought they had resolved everything flawlessly—or so they believed—but the moment Sa Myeongrin returned from the Elder Hall, he became a living demon, unleashing his fury on his subordinates.

“One week. One week! You all need to figure out exactly why the Cult Leader gave me a week. Uncover the full extent of his intentions!”

“Could it be that he wants the matter resolved in a different way…?”

“Then what is that different way?”

“Well, I… I don’t really know—”

“You open your mouth without knowing how to fix it?!”

Crack! Crackle!

“C-Clan Head! P-Please calm—”

“Silence!”

The elder who had spoken was struck directly by Sa Myeongrin’s Heaven-Bestowed Divine Thunder Demonic Art and went flying into the corner of the hall.

With black soot covering his body and smoke drifting off him, it was hard to tell whether he was even alive, even with the eyes of a seasoned martial artist.

“Damn that Jin Gun-ak! I was utterly humiliated. If we can’t resolve the blow to my pride—and the fate of the Black Gold Sa Clan—right here, then all of you had best be ready to strip off your robes and retire to the backroom!”

“……!!”

Everyone in the hall was stunned.

None among them held a position lower than a senior executive, whether within the clan or in the external branches.

Especially in the case of the Black Gold Sa Clan, many of them were key figures in the Heavenly Demon Cult’s economic affairs. If they were all forced to step down, over half of the Eight Great Demonic Seals would become nonfunctional and paralyzed.

In other words, while it seemed like he was threatening to purge the clan’s executives, it was in fact a veiled threat to declare war with the Cheon Clan—without any backing.

That outcome had to be avoided at all costs.

However…

“……”

“……”

No matter how much he yelled, a solution wasn’t going to magically appear out of thin air.

While the hall remained locked in a hellish silence, Sa Myeongrin turned his metaphorical gun barrel toward his own eldest son.

“Sa Bihwan! This entire mess was caused by one of your trusted subordinates! How do you plan to take responsibility?!”

“C-Clan Head! I… I—!”

Sa Bihwan stammered, unable to form a proper response.

His trusted man, Sa Cheongmun, had long since become a cripple, his dantian destroyed and his body confined in the clan’s prison.

The only reason they kept him barely alive was to avoid accusations of silencing a witness.

“Speak! If you fancy yourself close to being the Young Clan Head, then prove your capability!”

“C-Clan Head…!”

The eldest son stood there trembling, utterly unable to offer a single plan.

Beside him, the second and third sons kept their heads down, saying nothing.

‘To think I ever considered those fools fit to be heirs!’

A flicker of thinly veiled contempt showed in Sa Myeongrin’s eyes.

Still, even with the silence of the seasoned elders and council members, grilling his eldest wouldn’t magically produce a plan.

“Damn it. Damn it all!”

As Sa Myeongrin ground his teeth in frustration—

From the farthest end of the room…

Someone raised their hand.

“Clan Head.”

“…?”

The voice was so small and delicate that it could’ve easily gone unheard.

When Sa Myeongrin recognized the speaker sitting in the corner with her hand raised, he looked slightly puzzled.

“Biyeon? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the Lesser Demon Hall?”

His eldest daughter and fourth child.

Though she technically held a place in the line of succession, she had long been considered a pawn for a political marriage unless she proved herself as a direct aide to the Young Cult Leader.

“W-What’s that girl doing here?!”

Clearly caught off guard by her appearance, Sa Bihwan clenched his teeth and shot her a glare.

Receiving the full attention of the entire hall, Sa Biyeon responded calmly and smoothly.

“How could I remain comfortably in the Lesser Demon Hall while the clan faces a crisis?”

Under normal circumstances, Sa Myeongrin might have at least offered a token word of praise for her loyalty—but right now, he had no time or mental space for such things.

“So? Why did you raise your hand?”

“I have a method.”

“What?!”

“Is that true?!”

“What sort of method are you referring to?!”

The elders of the clan voiced their surprise and immediately pressed her for answers.

The previously silent hall was quickly filled with overlapping voices.

“Silence!”

Rumble!

Only after Sa Myeongrin released his thunderous qi did the chaos subside.

He then spoke, his voice far gentler than before.

“All right, my daughter. Do you truly have a way to resolve this?”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

“What is it?”

“Before I explain…”

Sa Biyeon, who had been slightly bowing her head, raised her eyes and met Sa Myeongrin’s gaze directly.

“Please grant me the responsibility and authority to resolve this matter with my own hands.”

“Responsibility and authority?”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

She was saying: I will take responsibility. So give me the authority.

“What level of authority are you asking for?”

“At the very least…”

Her eyes briefly passed over Sa Bihwan.

“…I would like authority on the level of the Young Clan Head.”

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