Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: The Demon Emperor's Recommendation
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Everyone had agreed, but no one let their guard down. It was only natural to stay wary of someone potentially betraying them at the very last moment.
Yet nothing happened until noon the next day. They all stayed put in silence, showing no unusual movements.
And then noon arrived.
"Personally, I'm not pleased."
All the saints and students gathered in the center of the forest.
The Green Forest Demon Emperor, who had been asserting his presence in the forest's heart for three days straight, eyed the arriving group with a sour expression.
"I sat here without sleep for four days. Not sleeping was my choice, so no complaints there. But I do regret it."
The Green Forest Demon Emperor's face twisted. He glared at the silent crowd without another word.
"Ask me why I regret it."
"...Why do you regret it?"
As he instructed, Wi Seongcheon spoke up, and the Green Forest Demon Emperor replied in a savage tone, as if he'd been waiting.
"Because none of you even tried to plunder anything during those three days."
"..."
"I wasn't expecting much, but I did have a sliver of hope. I thought that after waiting here for three days, some bold, hot-blooded fool might charge in."
"...You're talking about challenging the Green Forest Demon Emperor?"
"That's exactly what I hoped for—a gutsy one who'd dare take me on. After all, you're the top talents from the righteous and demonic factions."
"If we'd been told from the start to challenge you and plunder the treasures, we would've racked our brains and tried all sorts of tactics."
"I didn't say to plunder, but I didn't say not to either."
"We just picked the option with the higher chance of success out of the two available."
"You little brat, talking back to your elders like that?"
The Green Forest Demon Emperor glared at Wi Seongcheon, who refused to back down. Wi Seongcheon flinched under the sudden wave of pressure, hunching his shoulders.
"I was just answering your question about why we didn't attempt it."
"Gutsless bunch."
Grumbling, the Green Forest Demon Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
He hadn't just sat there motionlessly for four days. He'd called over his subordinates, drunk fine liquor, and eaten well.
But it had been boring, no doubt. He wished someone—anyone—had tried to plunder or at least provided some noteworthy entertainment.
In the end, the Green Forest Demon Emperor was left unsatisfied.
Still, he wouldn't go back on the outcome right in front of him. It was a reasonable result they'd fought tooth and nail to reach.
Snorting derisively, the Green Forest Demon Emperor crossed his arms.
'...This must be what the Black Demon King intended too.'
If the focus had been solely on fighting and killing each other, he wouldn't have started this at the moment he let the Heavenly Academy students into the Black Forest.
The Black Demon King genuinely wanted交流 between the Heavenly Academy and the Black Forest. True exchange—learning about each other, mingling, understanding one another.
Rather than just culling the star-rated talents outright, he wanted them to grasp the concept of 'cooperation' as well.
"...We'll start with the Millennium Snow Ginseng."
If the Green Forest Demon Emperor had run this entirely on his own, he would've done it far more roughly, but he had no intention of defying the Black Demon King's will.
"You know how an auction works, right? All treasures start at one pair of Twin Stones. Lucky for you all."
Wi Seongcheon exchanged glances with Ha Jieun.
Ha Jieun gave a slight nod and gestured for him to go first, yielding the opening bid.
And so Wi Seongcheon claimed the Millennium Snow Ginseng with one pair of Twin Stones.
But the actual item didn't change hands. The Green Forest Demon Emperor rummaged under his rear, pulled a leather pouch, and tossed Wi Seongcheon a plaque labeled 'Millennium Snow Ginseng.'
"Why so surprised? You think all the real treasures are here?"
The Green Forest Demon Emperor grumbled at Wi Seongcheon, who blinked in astonishment.
"If I'd grabbed this pouch and bolted, I could've had all the treasures, huh? Don't you regret it?"
"...Who would dare snatch the pouch from under the Green Forest Demon Emperor's seat?"
"If you'd come and politely asked, I might've handed it over easily."
"Greed destroys the body."
Wi Seongcheon tucked the plaque into his robes with a sly grin. The Green Forest Demon Emperor stared at him flatly before proceeding with the auction.
"Next."
He stuck to the agreements they'd hashed out the night before.
Starting with the Millennium Snow Ginseng, the Green Forest Demon Emperor auctioned off the items the students and saints wanted most. He'd clearly heard about their nighttime deals from the 'eyes' monitoring the forest corners.
Thanks to that, everyone swiftly claimed their desired treasures.
"Pure White Jade Elixir."
The Green Forest Demon Emperor, who'd been running the auction with bored indifference, showed a hint of amusement.
The previous treasures had all gone for one pair of Twin Stones. But two people wanted the Pure White Jade Elixir.
Dang Seona and Dang Heeran.
They locked eyes without speaking first.
"...One pair."
"Two."
Dang Heeran spoke cautiously, and Dang Seona immediately upped the bid.
Dang Seona smiled gleefully as she watched her sister's brows furrow.
"...Three."
"Four."
Dang Seona replied instantly. Dang Heeran's eyes shook violently.
Dang Seona beamed, waiting for her sister's voice, but Dang Heeran couldn't raise the bid further.
"Sold for four pairs."
The Green Forest Demon Emperor tossed the plaque labeled Pure White Jade Elixir to Dang Seona.
Dang Heeran gnawed her lip, staring at the plaque in her sister's hand.
"Don't look so down."
Dang Seona tilted her head and said.
"I'll give the Pure White Jade Elixir to Grandmother for proper research. I could study it here on the island, but the facilities are lacking, and my pharmacology doesn't compare to hers. Still, I'll put in a good word for you. I'll tell her that if it weren't for me, Heeran would've gotten it."
"...I thought maybe you'd yield it this once."
"It's not some trivial item I'd yield so easily."
"Even if it were trivial, you wouldn't have yielded it to me. You've never done so since we were young."
Dang Heeran stopped biting her lip, her eyes steadying. The tension in her facial muscles eased as if it had never been there.
"I'm glad you haven't changed, Sister."
Her rising agitation settled into calm.
Dang Seona's eyes widened at how quickly Dang Heeran composed herself. Then she realized what her sister had done.
"...Pure White Jade Elixir. You weren't after it from the start."
"It wasn't my top priority, but I did want it."
Dang Heeran replied, stroking her cheek.
"If I'd gone after another treasure, you'd have snatched it from me no matter what. It was just a little ploy, but surprisingly, you fell for it easily."
A thin smile curved Dang Heeran's lips.
"You never imagined I'd do this. Then again, even a sister can't know everything about her sibling."
She'd acted. Pretended to desperately want the Pure White Jade Elixir.
She hadn't begged outright, but through her eyes, expressions, and every gesture, she'd made it seem like she craved it.
This, too, she'd learned from Cheonsal. Stealth wasn't just suppressing presence or hiding form. It was making yourself unseen even when in plain sight.
"Green Forest Demon Emperor, next is the Black Secret Token, please."
"Easy enough."
Dang Seona had no Twin Stones left. She let out a hollow laugh as Dang Heeran claimed the Black Secret Token for one pair.
"...Black Secret Token. What's that?"
"It's the key to my master's secret vault in the Black Forest's center."
Dang Heeran smiled brightly as she answered.
"Master made arrangements for her disciple. With her circumstances keeping her from returning to the Black Forest to guide me, she told me to train in the secret vault instead."
"...So you had the Black Snake Alliance Leader entrust the key to you from the start. She didn't need to pass it through this route. If she'd just given it to you directly..."
"I asked for it this way. I wanted to see your reaction."
Dang Heeran recalled the Heavenly Emperor Martial Assembly. There, in the preliminary first round, she'd faced Dang Seona and lost.
The Death Shadow Dark Formation, crafted solely to surpass Dang Seona, had left her with not even a scratch.
"You're not laughing like you did back then."
Dang Heeran gazed at Dang Seona with delight. As she said, Dang Seona wasn't smiling.
She stared at her sister with a mix of shock and anger, just like when she'd been wounded by the Death Shadow Dark Formation's technique.
It irked her to be toyed with by her little sister. Yet it thrilled her that her sister had surprised her this much.
She could've received the secret vault key directly from Cheonsal or picked it up separately in the Black Forest.
But Dang Heeran chose otherwise. She made the key one of the treasures, feigned desire for the Pure White Jade Elixir to deceive Dang Seona.
And right in front of her, she'd brazenly revealed the ruse and claimed the key.
"Ahaha."
Dang Seona nodded, letting out a laugh.
'It means she was that obsessed with me.'
She kept that thought to herself. Swallowing her bursting laughter, Dang Seona bowed her head.
Her sister's smug expression felt utterly adorable.
Though Dang Heeran had won the Black Secret Token, the auction wasn't over.
Wi Seongcheon still had eight pairs of Twin Stones, and plenty of treasures remained.
Martial arts manuals, weapons, and more. Among them, what tempted Wi Seongcheon most were the spirit medicines.
But there weren't many left. He'd already claimed the Azure Spirit Oil, Phoenix Flower, and Blue Lotus Pill, yet he still held five pairs.
"Nothing else you want?"
He was the only one with Twin Stones left.
Wi Seongcheon nodded as he gazed at the five pairs laid out before him.
"Lots that tempt me, but few that'd truly help me for sure."
"What's with the caution, kid? Just pick something. Whatever it is, it'll be worth more than those rocks you're holding."
The Green Forest Demon Emperor spoke flatly.
"Once you leave this forest, those stones are worthless anyway. So quit agonizing and grab something."
"...No recommendations?"
"You cheeky punk. Asking me now?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
Wi Seongcheon grinned sheepishly.
The Green Forest Demon Emperor blinked, then burst into booming laughter.
"Recommendations, huh? Fine, I can do that."
He stopped laughing and stared straight at Wi Seongcheon.
"Don't pick anything."
"...Pardon?"
"Greed destroys the body. Your words from earlier, right? You've already nabbed most of the spirit medicines up for auction. You don't use weapons, so no need for artifacts. If you wanted martial manuals, you'd have gone for them already."
"...But picking nothing feels off."
"They're treasures, even if you don't need them now. Whatever you choose will outvalue your Twin Stones once you're out, and you could sell it cheap for lifelong wealth. If that's what you want, pick something."
"...Why tell me not to pick?"
"I recommended, didn't I? No need to take what you don't need. Or think hard—what do you really need besides spirit medicines?"
"Hmm."
Wi Seongcheon crossed his arms, deep in thought. He met the Green Forest Demon Emperor's steady gaze.
After a moment of eye contact, Wi Seongcheon nodded.
"Got it. I don't need anything else, so let's end it here."
"You're serious?"
Paeng Yeonhwa stared at him in surprise.
With no one else bidding, Wi Seongcheon could've taken five treasures outright. But he showed no regrets and nodded again.
"It's true—I don't need more. What tempts me is something else entirely."
"What's that?"
The Green Forest Demon Emperor smiled slyly. He knew what had transpired in this forest.
Wi Seongcheon held the most Twin Stones because he'd shone brightest here.
He'd defeated the Island Flash Jade Qilin and the Mad Dog Ancient Monk.
And for some reason, the White Flame Witch had even passed a portion of her Ghostly White Robe to the young leader of the righteous Heavenly Flower Sect.
"I want to beat the Black Heaven Young Lord."
"Figured as much. Too bad his head isn't among the treasures under my seat."
The Green Forest Demon Emperor chuckled and gripped the boulder.
Crunch!
The rock tore free in his grasp.
He crushed the fragments repeatedly, then spread his palm wide. With his fingertip, he carved letters into the center.
"Perfect timing. I was getting bored, ready to head back from this distant island anyway."
He tossed the newly made stone plaque to Wi Seongcheon.
Wandering Play (遊戱).
Wi Seongcheon tilted his head at the two characters etched in the plaque's center.
"...What's this?"
"Worth more than five treasures."
As the Green Forest Demon Emperor rose, the five pairs of Twin Stones before Wi Seongcheon crumbled to dust.
"I'll play with you myself."
Wi Seongcheon's jaw dropped at the declaration.
'I don't want that...'
The heart was brutally honest, and the thought hit him instantly.