Chapter 116
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Shattering Shell (6)
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Hong Gwan’s eyebrow twitched faintly.
Seo Ryang continued in a calm tone.
“The Fourth Young Master of the Divine Cult, Hong Wi-mun, was involved in numerous cases of corruption within the cult. The reason these transgressions could be buried was that he was a disciple of the Cult Leader, a candidate for succession.”
*Clink.*
The sound of the teacup being set down seemed unusually loud.
“But the situation is different now. Having fallen into a coma with his condition worsening, Hong Wi-mun has lost his qualification as a successor.”
“...Lost his qualification, you say?”
“Did you not see for yourself at the Festival of Papiyas? The poison in his body has ruptured, and the venom has seeped not only into his organs but into his very marrow. Even the Hall of the Blood Soul, where the greatest physicians of the demonic path are gathered, has judged that nothing can be done.”
Seo Ryang smiled.
It was a smile that sent a strange chill down the spines of those who saw it.
“This is just a personal curiosity, but why haven't you brought him back to your house? Although he is a retainer of the Cult Leader, the Red Snake House knows far more about the demonic arts and poisons he cultivated. You would have been justified in making such a request at least once.”
“…”
“Well, that part doesn't matter. The important point is that Hong Wi-mun is no longer recognized as a candidate for succession.”
To hear the one who ruined his son speak so brazenly, even if he had deemed that son useless. Anyone would feel a surge of rage in such a situation.
“So, you intend to hold the family accountable for the sins my son committed?”
“If I were here to hold the family accountable, wouldn't the Head of the Hall of Punishments have come instead of me?”
Hong Gwan’s eyes narrowed.
“The Head of the Hall of Punishments? Do you think even he could do anything to me, the head of a house?”
“Are you trying to deflect? Let’s not muddy the waters with unnecessary words… is what I would like to say.”
*Bubble, bubble.*
The cold tea in the cup Seo Ryang had set down slowly began to boil.
Everyone stared, their eyes wide. It was impressive enough that someone so young could display the art of manipulating objects from a distance, but to make tea boil without even touching it?
Causing only the tea to boil through the surface it rested on was a feat several times more difficult than simple telekinesis. It was an enlightenment that practitioners of demonic arts, which focused on destruction and diffusion rather than finesse, could not easily display.
A masterful control of true energy. Even Hong Gwan couldn't help but be startled this time.
“Why do you think the Head of the Hall of Punishments cannot touch the lord of a house?”
“What?”
“Do you believe the lord of a house is not a member of the Divine Cult?”
“…?!”
“You’ve been speaking strangely for a while now. If you’ve forgotten, allow me to remind you.”
*Whoosh.*
The frigid atmosphere transformed into one of perilous heat.
“Not just the Red Snake House, but all Seven Demonic Houses are subordinate to the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon. In other words, they can be seen as branches under the cult’s command.”
“…”
“An agreement reached between the Divine Cult and your house over hundreds of years? Do not play with words. That was not an agreement; it was generosity and respect. You must not mistake a different residence for something more.”
*Slurp.*
After taking a leisurely sip of tea, the words Seo Ryang uttered shook everyone to their core.
“This is the demonic path, not the righteous faction. If you were a party that required an agreement, I wouldn’t have come for an inspection in the first place.”
The twisted expression on Hong Gwan’s face had become impassive. At a glance, it seemed he had regained his composure, but his neck was flushed a conspicuous red.
Setting the teacup aside, Seo Ryang spoke with a serious face.
“I will say it again. As stated in the letter, my inspection covers ‘all’ departments of the Red Snake House. The scope of this inspection has been expanded due to its connection with the corruption of your eldest son, Hong Wi-mun. I ask for your full cooperation.”
It was a clean finish.
Watching him from behind, Wi Hongryeon couldn't hide her astonishment.
‘He’s incredibly articulate.’
Ma Dongpil was equally surprised.
‘…This is not good.’
Before debating principles, one had to understand how dangerous this place was. They might not be able to harm an inspector, but this was still one of the Seven Demonic Houses.
Ma Dongpil tensed inwardly. If they decided to be difficult, the situation could deteriorate rapidly.
In that volatile moment.
“...I see.”
Hong Gwan spoke, striving for a calm tone.
“The inspector is correct. This house is an organization that originated from the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon, and we have served the cult for hundreds of years.”
The audience was stunned. They hadn't expected Hong Gwan to concede to Seo Ryang’s words so readily.
“However, it is also a clear fact that the Divine Cult and this house have come to ‘agreements.’ The inspector spoke of generosity and respect, but was that not a partial acknowledgment of our house’s independence?”
“Implicitly, yes.”
“Indeed. Therefore, I will contact the Divine Cult’s main headquarters again. It may take some time, but I hope you will consider our house’s circumstances.”
It was an attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. A flexible response, befitting the head of a house.
But this time, his opponent was far from easy.
“Do you know why the Cult Leader sent me, and not a seasoned veteran, for this task?”
“…?”
“I am the one who crushed your eldest son under the pretext of a succession battle. The reason being, that bastard tried to kill me first.”
Seo Ryang was no longer smiling.
His gaze, fixed on Hong Gwan, was chillingly cold.
“Do you understand? The reason I, of all people, was sent here, specifically to the Red Snake House first, is because this inspection is meant to be carried out aggressively.”
“…!”
“Commander Wi.”
Wi Hongryeon took a step forward and bowed her head.
“You called.”
“Repeat what you said before, in front of the House Lord. About the behavioral patterns of those under inspection.”
As if prepared in advance, Wi Hongryeon’s response was immediate.
“Organizations under inspection often exhibit dangerous behavior if they receive an unfavorable judgment. I suppose their reasoning is that if they are to die one way or another, they might as well go down fighting.”
“And so?”
“When conducting an inspection, the top priority is to complete the task as swiftly as possible to prevent any unforeseen incidents.”
Seo Ryang said no more. He merely watched Hong Gwan with piercing eyes.
Hong Gwan could no longer hide his feelings. His face, flushing red and pale, looked as if it would explode at any moment.
“Must you truly be so confrontational?”
“What did you expect? Did you think you could beguile a young inspector with your silver tongue and casually brush this aside?”
“You…!”
He almost spat out a curse, unable to contain his anger for a moment.
Just then, Jang Uhwi, who stood behind Hong Gwan, spoke in a gruff voice.
“Inspector, even for you, those words are too harsh.”
Seo Ryang’s gaze flickered toward Jang Uhwi.
Jang Uhwi continued in a calm tone.
“As the House Lord said, this house is certainly part of the Divine Cult. However, the House Lord is someone whom no one but the Cult Leader can treat carelessly…”
*Crack!*
With a sharp shattering sound, Jang Uhwi’s face turned pale.
He wasn't the only one. Everyone present was startled by the sudden event. The teacup that had been in front of Seo Ryang had smashed into the pavilion pillar next to Jang Uhwi.
*Drip.*
Blood trickled down Jang Uhwi’s face, cut by a sharp shard from the shattered cup.
Seo Ryang said calmly.
“This is a private meeting between me, the inspector, and the House Lord, the representative of the Red Snake House. It is not a place for an uninvolved third party to run his mouth.”
“…”
“You get one warning. If you ignore this advice, I will deal with you at my own discretion. No one is to speak unless the House Lord or I ask for an answer.”
The atmosphere, which had been on the verge of exploding, turned frigid once more, like an ice cave in the northern sea.
His ability to control the mood was masterful. Instead of coaxing or placating, he pressed down harder, creating an atmosphere of fear that left no room for complaints.
Hong Gwan’s eyes wavered.
‘This brat…’
His anger had reached its peak, but his astonishment was just as great.
It was like conversing with a seasoned politician who had seen it all. He had underestimated the boy, yet he had been unable to regain control of the situation from the start.
“An insolent fool interrupted our conversation. However, I too believe no further discussion is necessary.”
“…”
“I will examine all documents here and now. Effective immediately, please order the heads of each department to collect the ledgers from the past three years.”
Seo Ryang glanced up at the sky.
On this moonlit night, scattered clouds were slowly drifting.
“I will give you two *i-gak*. Any department that fails to bring its ledgers within that time will receive an unfavorable judgment.”
To bring three years’ worth of ledgers within two *i-gak*. Considering the size and workload of the Red Snake House, it was a tight deadline.
He had effectively blocked even the slightest possibility of trickery. Even if they had prepared fraudulent ledgers in anticipation of an inspection, he seemed ready to find any corruption by meticulously cross-referencing them with inventory.
Staring blankly at Seo Ryang, Hong Gwan spoke in a low voice.
“Relay this to the department heads. Tell them to bring three years’ worth of ledgers here. Tell them to bring them within two *i-gak*.”
*Rustle.*
More than half of the men seated on either side hurriedly departed. Realizing the gravity of the situation, their movements naturally became urgent.
Wi Hongryeon couldn't help but admire Seo Ryang’s swift and forceful handling of the matter. He was relentless, and it seemed impossible to defend against, even if you knew what was coming.
‘He didn’t go through the departments one by one. He knows that while he’s tearing one apart, the others would have time to prepare.’
He was truly remarkable.
‘Where on earth did this man gain such experience?’
In reality, while Seo Ryang’s experience in martial arts and killing was extensive, he had none in this kind of administrative work.
The persona he was displaying now was merely an imitation of the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader's conduct in official matters. Of course, not everyone could pull it off as naturally as Seo Ryang, even if they knew how.
Strangely enough, Seo Ryang was proving his worth with skills learned from the person he hated most.
‘Hmm.’
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Seo Ryang felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
‘This is easier than I thought.’
Hong Gwan’s eyes, fixed on him, were filled with rage.
But why? Amidst the anger, there seemed to be a hint of triumph and mockery. He was surprised by his opponent, but he didn't seem overly flustered.
‘Something’s not right.’
He had been publicly humiliated in front of his own subordinates, yet he hadn’t lost his composure.
‘What is it?’
Suspicious.
Drawing a new teacup toward him with his power, Seo Ryang secretly activated the Heavenly Net Six Arts.
*Woooooong.*
A strange sound, inaudible to anyone else, resonated only in Seo Ryang’s ears.
The first form of the Heavenly Net Six Arts, Transcendent Vision, was activated for the first time in a long while. Unleashed with unparalleled demonic arts and vigorous demonic energy, Transcendent Vision was sharper and more sensitive than ever before.
Seo Ryang closed his eyes.
‘Sound, smell, the feel of the air…’
It took only a short time to acclimate to his rapidly heightened senses.
As his five senses revived, his energy sense also amplified, and the amplified energy sense activated his unique sixth sense.
*Zzzzzing!!*
Seo Ryang’s face paled in an instant.
The instantaneous warning from his extrasensory perception was so intense it made the back of his neck ache. It might have been due to Transcendent Vision, but he had never received such a powerful warning before.
‘Again…’
He couldn’t understand. What was the source of the danger this warning heralded?
At that moment, Hong Yeorin, who was sitting at the end of the left row, spoke.
“Isn’t this troublesome for you?”
“…”
“Going through three years of ledgers, not just one, won’t be good for you either, will it, Inspector?”
Those three years of ledgers contained the funds Hong Yeorin had embezzled. She was implying that he, who had consumed elixirs with her help, wouldn’t get away unscathed either.
Normally, he would have shot back a sharp retort, but Seo Ryang didn't answer. He didn't have the time.
The warning from his extrasensory perception was growing more intense with each passing moment.
“You…!”
Hong Yeorin’s face flushed. She thought she was being deliberately ignored.
Just then, Hong Gwan spoke.
“It will be difficult to just wait silently for two *i-gak*. How about a drink?”
“…”
“It seems you do not wish to drink.”
“…”
“So be it. Ah, and there is one thing I neglected to mention.”
*Rustle.*
Hong Gwan removed his upper garment. His muscles, brawny for an old man, were revealed.
“I strained myself during training, so I require daily treatment. I will call my personal physician for some acupuncture. I hope you will understand.”
Seo Ryang still did not reply. His eyes remained closed.
Hong Gwan shouted in a voice laced with internal energy.
“Physician Bang, come here.”
A voice so powerful it made the air tremble.
Seo Ryang’s face twitched faintly. His senses, sharpened by Transcendent Vision, made it feel as if his eardrums would burst.
‘Damn old man. Get your acupuncture or whatever the hell you want…’
It was then.
‘Huh?’
Seo Ryang opened his eyes.
His expression was blank.
*Step, step.*
Footsteps, moving cautiously one by one.
‘This energy…?’
It was perfectly concealed. Had he not cultivated demonic arts, he might not have sensed it even with Transcendent Vision fully activated. It was that subtle.
But why? This energy… he felt he had sensed it once before. And it was at a place tied to a very bitter fate.
A moment later, a woman appeared.
Her voluptuous beauty and curvaceous figure naturally drew the eyes of men. She was a beauty rarely seen anywhere in the world.
“You called, House Lord.”
“Yes, it’s starting to ache. Give me some acupuncture.”
Hong Gwan closed his eyes. But a keen-eyed master would have noticed his lips trembling slightly.
It was a telepathic message. And its recipient was the woman called Physician Bang.
The woman smiled brightly. When she smiled, it was as if the whole world lit up.
“I understand. Thank you for your consideration… hmm?”
Hong Gwan opened his eyes again.
“…”
“Haha! It seems our inspector is stunned by Physician Bang’s beauty.”
He was mocking Seo Ryang, who was staring blankly at the woman.
But Seo Ryang couldn't react.
To be precise, his conscious mind couldn't react, but his subconscious was reacting more than enough.
*Sssssss!*
“…”
The faces of everyone gathered in the pavilion turned pale.
*Fwoosh!*
Behind the white haze of killing intent that rose up, a demonic energy more vicious than ever before flared like a wildfire.
*Step.*
Seo Ryang rose from his seat.
He finally understood.
He understood what his extrasensory perception had been warning him about, why he had felt so uneasy when leaving the Divine Cult.
And he thought he understood why he had considered himself dangerous.
‘I see.’
Even amidst the ever-thickening killing intent, Seo Ryang observed himself with crystalline clarity.
‘It wasn't that I couldn't leave the Divine Cult.’
The reason he hadn't been able to make a proper decision until now, the reason he had made mistakes time and again despite his transcendent senses and brilliant mind.
The shell he hadn't been aware of was cracking, piece by piece.
‘I didn't want to leave.’
With his abilities, he could have escaped the Divine Cult anytime he truly set his mind to it. After perfecting the Nine Hells Demonic Art, he had become too strong to be held by systems and fear.
Yet he hadn't left. In fact, he had been glad when the Cult Leader gave him an order to go out.
Even though he had the ability to leave, even with his excellent drive, he had been waiting for scraps to fall.
Why?
‘My dream, the true freedom I desire…’
*Rumble!*
An ominous precursor.
Soon, the Nine Hells Demonic Art began to boil at its peak.
*Flash! Craaaash!*
The pavilion’s railing shattered as if struck by a cannonball, and the massive roof shot into the sky as if to pierce it.
“Wha-what?!”
“This is!”
*Psssssh.*
Through the thick settling dust.
A pair of red eyes fixed upon Physician Bang, Bang Ryeong.
“You.”
Bang Ryeong, who had barely kept her balance from the sudden explosion of demonic energy, had a dark, sinister energy swirling in her eyes.
“What is your relationship with that bitch, the Flying Demon King?”
For a moment, Bang Ryeong’s expression hardened.
*Rustle.*
Through the slowly clearing dust, Seo Ryang’s face, twisted like a demon’s, was revealed.
“…Fine, I’ll hear all about that after I bring you to your knees.”
Hong Gwan shouted.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Shut up!”
*Craaaash!*
Seo Ryang charged toward Bang Ryeong at a terrifying speed.
The true freedom I desired was hiding behind my unresolved grudges.
The reason I didn't leave was because I couldn't kill them all by myself.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance, the Iron Blood Fortress.
I can't taste true freedom until I’ve slaughtered every last one of the bastards involved in my death.
*Flash!*
The killing techniques of the Heaven-Lifting Technique rained down like a storm.