Chapter 69: Underhanded Methods are Effective
Chapter 69: Underhanded Methods are Effective
I entered the Northern Heavenly Sword House.
As always, Sa U-jong was the one to guide me to the One Flower Sword Venerable.
“Welcome, Pavilion Master.”
“Martial Artist Sa, have you been well?”
“I have been doing well, thanks to your concern.”
He greeted me with his usual composure. Even though he had failed in his attempt to push me away using the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, he showed no sign of resentment.
Today, I intended to use Cheong-seon as bait to hook him, exploiting the hidden ambition he kept buried deep inside.
“Welcome!”
The One Flower Sword Venerable greeted me warmly. Seeing her after a short while, she seemed even more refreshed than before.
“You look younger,” I noted.
At my greeting, she led me toward the flower bed.
“Come here and look at this.”
Sprouts were budding where she pointed.
“It’s the seed you gave me as a gift.”
“Oh! It’s grown already.”
“Yes, life is truly mysterious.”
I felt the energy of Sa U-jong, who was standing behind us, sink even further. Ever since I entered the premises, I had been emitting my Qi to secretly observe him.
My mastery of this technique had become incomparably more proficient than when I first learned it from my father. I had begun to sense not just a person’s presence or appearance, but even the subtle shifts in their emotions.
I secretly sent a Voice Transmission to the Sword Venerable.
— Could you ask Sa U-jong to bring some wine and snacks? I need to leak some information to him. I’ll explain the reason later.
— Understood.
The One Flower Sword Venerable asked Sa U-jong to bring wine. As Sa U-jong bowed politely and turned away, his emotions grew even more ferocious.
She, who didn't usually drink, was having wine—and she spoke informally only to me.
Judging by the shift in his emotions, he likely felt as though I had stolen the One Flower Sword Venerable from him. I suspected his relationship with Cheong-seon wasn't normal either. His ultimate fate in my past life told me everything I needed to know.
A moment later, when Sa U-jong returned with the wine and snacks, I leaked the information. I addressed the One Flower Sword Venerable, but my words were intended for Sa U-jong’s ears.
“Currently, the strongest candidates for the next Soul-Seizing Demon Lord are the first disciple, Yang Do, and the third disciple, Cheong-seon.”
I felt Sa U-jong flinch at the mention of Cheong-seon.
“I heard Yang Do is the more likely choice,” the Sword Venerable replied.
“That is true. However, it’s not as if Cheong-seon has no options.”
“What kind of options?”
The One Flower Sword Venerable continued the conversation smoothly. She must have wondered why I was discussing this in front of Sa U-jong, but she acted naturally without showing a hint of doubt.
“Is the Pungcheon Cult Leader not currently staying at the Main Cult? The roots of the martial arts learned by the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord are the same. Therefore, if Cheong-seon can somehow receive instruction from the Pungcheon Cult Leader, she has a chance of winning.”
“Would the Pungcheon Cult Leader actually accept her?”
“The Pungcheon Cult Leader will accept her. As everyone knows, the Pungcheon Cult has long desired to advance into the Central Plains. In this situation, taking Cheong-seon as his disciple would give him a pretext to remain in the Central Plains. If anything, it’s Cheong-seon who might refuse.”
“And why is that?”
“It seems the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord has trained her disciples strictly. She likely never said anything good about her arch-rival, the Pungcheon Cult Leader.”
“I suppose so.”
“In the end, at this rate, Yang Do will ascend to the position of the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord. Regrettably, Cheong-seon will lose her chance to become a Demon Lord.”
This was the extent of what Sa U-jong heard before he finished setting the table and left. I spoke quickly, and he placed the wine and snacks down slowly. He walked away with lingering steps, catching as much of the conversation as possible before departing.
This was enough. He had heard the core of it.
I believed Sa U-jong would surely persuade Cheong-seon to become the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s disciple. An ambitious man like him wouldn't let his lover miss a chance to become the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord.
Once I confirmed he was completely gone, the One Flower Sword Venerable finally asked, “Why did you make such a request?”
“Sa U-jong and Cheong-seon are in a relationship. Did you happen to know?”
“Sa U-jong? I had no idea.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but according to my pavilion’s investigation, Sa U-jong is a man of great ambition. He is someone who might try to manipulate you from behind the scenes.”
I warned her, though I didn't go as far as to mention that Sa U-jong harbored a personal obsession with her.
“I had a vague idea,” she admitted.
“I was keeping an eye on Sa U-jong in case he became a threat to you, and I discovered their relationship. I had a reason to exploit that fact, which is why I made this request.”
“I see. Thank you for telling me.”
“I should be the one thanking you. Please remain wary in your heart, but for the time being, please treat Sa U-jong as you always have.”
“I will do that.”
I intended to repay her kindness for this help with the thing she desired most.
“Let’s have a sparring match soon.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
To be honest, I was the one looking forward to it. I wanted to see how much the New Eye Technique would help in actual combat.
But first, I had to handle the matter at hand.
As I left the premises, I looked back. I saw her standing in the yard with her hands behind her back, gazing up at the sky.
The hermitage hut no longer looked hypocritical to me.
*
Today, Sa U-jong was putting his all into their time in bed.
Thanks to that, Cheong-seon felt a pleasure she had never experienced before. Drenched in sweat, the two lay side by side on the bed.
“Is something going on today?”
“No. Why?”
“You’re not your usual self.”
“And?”
“It was wonderful.”
Sa U-jong was certainly different from usual. He pulled her into an embrace and asked, “You’ve been busy lately, haven't you?”
“There are people saying I should become the Demon Lord.”
“What do you think?”
“Who would hate the position of a Demon Lord? It’s just that I’m not confident I can beat my senior brother.”
“You must become the Demon Lord.”
“Why?”
“If your senior brother becomes the Demon Lord, he won’t let you live.”
“Senior brother... isn't that kind of person.”
“You hesitated just now, didn't you? Do you know why? You hesitated because you know deep down that he is that kind of person.”
“……”
“The moment you were mentioned as a successor to the Demon Lord, you were already standing on a sparring arena that you can only step down from through a life-and-death bloody battle.”
Sa U-jong sincerely wished for it. He wanted Cheong-seon to ascend to the position of Demon Lord. If that happened, he could pull the strings of the immense power that came with being the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord. His heart raced just thinking about it.
And at the end of this lust for power, there was still a twisted desire. To become stronger and stronger.
‘One day, I will make the Sword Venerable my woman.’
Cheong-seon quietly watched Sa U-jong’s eyes as he stared blankly at a painting of the One Flower Sword Venerable on the wall.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“About how I can put you on the throne of the Demon Lord.”
“There’s no way right now.”
“There is. One way.”
“What way?”
“The Pungcheon Cult Leader is here right now. If you receive his martial arts, you can defeat your senior brother.”
“That’s ridiculous! You know as well as I do that martial arts don’t improve that quickly.”
“You were born with natural talent, weren't you? Besides, the opponent is none other than the Pungcheon Cult Leader. Even if you only learn one secret technique, you can defeat someone like your senior brother.”
“If I become the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s disciple, the other Demon Lords will hate me.”
“It’s a matter of life and death. You have to survive first before you can worry about anything else.”
Sa U-jong pressed closer to her. He did not stop until the word "yes" finally escaped her lips.
*
“Those petty bastards! I never imagined they could be this underhanded.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader could not contain his rage.
“Does this not bother you at all?”
The shackled man merely stared at the Sound Thunder Bell in silence.
“Say something.”
“Did you not expect this? That they would try to send us back by any means necessary?”
“I did, yes, I did! But I didn't think they’d use such dirty tactics. Does this make any sense? Messing with our food?”
According to a report that had just come in, the meals provided to the subordinates waiting in the Outer Court had changed. The quantity had decreased, and the quality had plummeted. High-quality meat was replaced with chunks of fat, and the wine was replaced with cheap swill.
“Who would believe it? That the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would play such petty games with food. They might as well just feed us poison!”
The people eating that food were none other than the Pungcheon Cult’s main force—the Ten Great Demon Experts and the one hundred Blood Rakshasa soldiers. He couldn't just sit still out of sheer embarrassment for them.
“Underhanded methods are the most effective. And to be precise, this isn't the work of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but the Demon Buddha. This cult's leader is the type to kick someone out with force, not someone who would do something like this.”
“That little runt shouldn't be this bold.”
“The situation pushed him to it. It’s his job to persuade you, Cult Leader. He has to send you back somehow to save face before the other Demon Lords.”
“This isn't a matter I can just overlook.”
It was directly linked to his own prestige. He couldn't let his subordinates see the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult treating him with such neglect.
“I’m going to go argue with the Cult Leader.”
“And what will you say when you get there? Are you going to ask for food?”
“I have to! Of course I have to! I’ll shout that his damn subordinate stole all my subordinates' food. I’ll roll around on the floor of the Heavenly Demon Hall and tell him I’ve never seen anything so petty in my life.”
“Then have a safe trip.”
Of course, the Pungcheon Cult Leader couldn't actually do that. The arrows of his anger turned elsewhere.
“What on earth is that blowhard Second Young Master doing? Didn't he say he’d find a way?”
“Just wait patiently.”
“I’m saying this because I can't be patient right now.”
“Those who respect you will respect you even if they starve, and those who dislike you will dislike you even if you feed them a feast for every meal. So there’s no need to worry.”
“The world doesn't work the way you think it does. Those who respect me will feel hurt, thinking, ‘I respect him this much, and yet he lets me starve?’ And those who dislike me will incite others, saying, ‘I knew this pathetic man would end up like this.’”
“Then just keep and use the people who can endure all those storms.”
“Dammit! To hell with it!”
Just then, word came from outside that Cheong-seon had arrived. The Pungcheon Cult Leader looked at the shackled man with a surprised face.
The shackled man wore a faint smile, as if he had expected this. Soon after, Cheong-seon entered and bowed politely.
“I greet the esteemed Supreme Master of the Outer Regions. I am Cheong-seon of the Seohwan Formation.”
“I have heard much about you. The number one ghost practitioner of the Seohwan Formation?”
“You flatter me. I apologize for not visiting sooner.”
“No matter. I’m glad you’ve come now.”
“I once heard from my late master that the roots of the martial arts I learned lie in the Blood Cult.”
“That’s right. In that sense, we could be considered of the same sect. So, have you inherited all the martial arts from the Demon Lord?”
“Regrettably, I have not. That is why I am here. Please take me as your disciple!”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader sent a Voice Transmission to the shackled man while looking at him.
— The Second Young Master is a madman.
— This is why. This is why we must stick with the Second Young Master until the end.
— Dammit! Just thinking about him coming to collect my sacred relic makes my stomach churn.
— Take this opportunity to broaden that narrow mind of yours.
— Shut up!
While such a conversation took place internally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s expression remained exceedingly dignified.
“It is my true wish to see the demonic arts of the Outer Regions shine in the Central Plains. However, I wonder if your Cult Leader will permit this precious connection of ours.”
“I understand there are no restrictions in our Cult regarding forming master-disciple relationships. Furthermore, since this will ultimately make the Seohwan Formation stronger, the Cult Leader will not oppose it.”
“Are you alright with this? Your senior disciple will surely make an issue of it.”
“Please teach me. Teach me the way to defeat my senior brother.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke to her in a low voice.
“Your senior brother might try to kill you.”
At that, Cheong-seon raised her head and looked at the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
The look in her eyes now was not that of a passive woman swayed by a man. The innocent woman who had shared a bed with Sa U-jong and the woman standing here now were clearly different people.
Sa U-jong did not know.
He did not know that her submissive appearance in bed was only a tiny fraction of who she was. He did not know that the feeling of her loving him didn't stem from affection, but from her intense self-love—a nature that refused to yield anything that belonged to her. He did not know she was a terrifying woman who would destroy what she could not possess. Sa U-jong knew nothing.
Cheong-seon smiled brightly and said, “But I can’t exactly let myself be the one who dies, can I?”
Reading the raw madness in her eyes that only a wicked woman could possess, the Pungcheon Cult Leader gave a satisfied smile.
“I look forward to seeing the next Soul-Seizing Demon Lord.”