Chapter 124
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: You Can Still Breathe Even If You Fall into a Swamp (3)
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“……”
Jong Risan’s eyes deepened as he read the letter.
Standing opposite him, Jong Richeon’s face was flushed red.
“This is a clear abuse of authority. He may be an inspector, but how dare he summon the lord of one of the Seven Houses?”
“……”
“You must not comply. It would be better to send a letter to the Cult’s headquarters.”
“And what should it say?”
“It should state exactly what the inspector sent! I have never seen such an arrogant and presumptuous inspector!”
Jong Risan shook his head.
“I cannot do that.”
“My lord!”
“The position of Inspector is bestowed directly by the Cult Leader. To harbor dissatisfaction with the Inspector is no different from harboring dissatisfaction with the Cult Leader.”
“It is entirely different! Even if the Cult Leader granted him the authority, that man is…”
“The Third Young Master.”
“……!”
“As a disciple of the Cult Leader and an Inspector, it’s safe to say he represents the will of the Divine Cult itself.”
Jong Richeon gritted his teeth.
“So, you intend to comply with this ridiculous demand?”
“I am considering it.”
“You must not! What will the other Seven Houses think of us?”
“I have never cared for the opinions of other houses.”
“Still, you must not! You may not care, my lord, but for the members of our house to be seen as a joke is…!”
In that moment, Jong Risan’s gaze turned cold.
“What did you say?”
Jong Richeon realized his mistake.
“My apologies. I misspoke.”
“……”
“However… my opinion remains unchanged. This is a clear abuse of authority. Voices of discontent will surely rise from within our house.”
“This is not an abuse of authority.”
“Pardon?”
“If the Cult Leader summons us, we must go. If the Cult Leader tells us to bow, we must bow.”
“But the Inspector is not the Cult Leader!”
“He represents the Cult Leader’s will.”
“That is…!”
“Do you think this is a game of words? It is not.”
Jong Risan shook his head.
“Even if we present a rational argument, if the Divine Cult says no, then it is no. No matter how much we cry out about the injustice of the act, with a single word commanding us to obey, we are in a position where we have no choice but to submit.”
“……”
“Everything is according to the Demonic God’s will. That is the essence of the relationship between the Divine Cult and the Seven Houses.”
Jong Richeon bit his lip.
“That makes no sense.”
“I know.”
“You know it makes no sense, yet you intend to obey?”
“I did not say I would obey. Only that it requires consideration.”
“Are you not striving to break free from that nonsensical relationship?”
Jong Risan said nothing.
Jong Richeon continued.
“The reason you wish to sever ties with the Divine Cult is for the complete independence of the Seven Houses. Is that not different from the Red Snake House, which acts for personal gain?”
“Refrain from such dangerous remarks.”
“If you comply with the Inspector’s demand here… that goal will forever remain a distant dream.”
Jong Risan shook his head.
“I need to think. You may leave.”
Jong Richeon’s fists trembled.
He trusted his older brother. But when it came to matters involving the Divine Cult, there was much he could not understand.
His brother spoke of wanting independence from the Cult, yet his actions were no different than before. No, if anything, he sometimes seemed even more bound by it.
That was what he found so frustrating.
“I will return later.”
Jong Risan did not answer. Not that Jong Richeon had expected one.
After Jong Richeon left, Jong Risan remained alone in the lord’s chambers.
‘How strange.’
A subtle confusion rippled in Jong Risan’s eyes, which were as deep and still as an abyss.
‘Bring the department ledgers? In person?’
He understood why Jong Richeon was so angry. When Jong Risan first received the letter, he too had found it difficult to suppress the surge of fury.
But at the same time, he had also wondered, ‘Why?’
‘Failure to organize and bring the ledgers will result in an unqualified judgment… It sounds good, but in the end, it’s not a proper inspection.’
To put it bluntly, what would happen if he brought falsified ledgers? An inspector with no underlying knowledge of the Giant Whale House would have no way of verifying their authenticity.
‘In other words, the Inspector did not send this letter with the intent of conducting a real inspection.’
Was it simply to insult him?
‘That’s also unlikely.’
There were many ways to deliver an insult. There was no reason to use a method like this, which essentially abandoned his own duties.
One thing was certain: if he refused this command—which was not quite a command—he would receive an unqualified judgment on the inspection.
And the Giant Whale House, having received an unqualified judgment, would be pushed to the periphery of the demonic martial world’s power dynamics before it could even begin to make a move.
“Mount Heng… He’s made it impossible for me not to go.”
The location was also close. By riding without rest, he could reach it within three days.
Now that he had decided to go, there was only one decision left to make.
Should he bring the real ledgers, or the ones prepared for such an occasion?
After a moment of thought, Jong Risan summoned his chief steward.
“You called for me, my lord.”
“Tonight, I will head to Mount Heng with the Sea King Guard.”
His eyes glinted.
“Until then, sort through the ledgers. And all of those ledgers must be…”
* * *
The journey to Mount Heng was not long.
The horses pulling the carriage were all world-class steeds, and the carriage itself was built for mobility, making it relatively light.
The problem was Geumho.
It might have been different when he was a cub, but now, Geumho’s appearance was incredibly conspicuous. Though smaller than a tiger, his tail, larger than his torso, and his auspicious golden fur would undoubtedly draw attention.
It was one thing when they were briefly away from the Red Snake House, but to travel all the way to Mount Heng, certain measures had to be taken.
However, Geumho solved the party’s dilemma himself.
“Young Master.”
“Speak.”
“Are you sure Geumho is really following us?”
Wi Hongryeon kept glancing out the window. Of course, no matter how much she looked, there was no sign of Geumho.
“Don’t worry.”
“Well, I doubt there will be any problems…”
Geumho had killed even the Red-fanged Tiger, a beast on the verge of the transcendent realm, in a single bite. Not just wild beasts, but even the most skilled master would find it difficult to harm him.
“I’m just wondering if Geumho can avoid being seen.”
“He’ll probably arrive before we do. Don’t worry.”
Wi Hongryeon shrugged.
“If you say so, I’ll put my worries aside.”
Come to think of it, there was no real need to avoid being seen. Drawing attention was a burden, but no group would dare to provoke the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon.
Since they weren't targeting other sects in the martial world, it didn’t matter if the Righteous Heaven Alliance or the Iron Blood Fortress found out.
It would just be a hassle.
“By the way.”
“What?”
“Why are we going to Mount Heng? I’ve never even heard of a place called Sohyang Valley.”
It was a wonder her curiosity hadn’t compelled her to ask sooner.
Seo Ryang let out an unconscious smirk. Wi Hongryeon’s innocent gaze, looking at him, was uncharacteristically cute.
“Are you curious?”
“Of course I am. I’m the commander of this inspection unit, you know.”
Ma Dongpil also glanced at Seo Ryang. He hadn’t said anything, but he had been curious as well.
“While we’re on the subject, let me ask one more thing. This order is a bit strange. Asking them to compile and bring their department ledgers? What will you do if they bring falsified ones?”
“They’ll pay the price.”
“That’s a given. The problem is whether we have any way of knowing. You’re not going to call them all the way to Mount Heng just to go back to the Giant Whale House and check, are you?”
“If that were the plan, I wouldn’t have told them to come to Mount Heng.”
“My point exactly.”
Seo Ryang’s eyes deepened.
“I’ve simply expanded the scope of the inspection.”
“Expanded? What does that mean?”
“Just go with it. At the very least, there won’t be any problems with the inspection. Commander Wi should just do what needs to be done in her position. Just do what you’ve been doing.”
Wi Hongryeon smacked her lips.
“If you put it that way, I understand. I won’t ask any more questions.”
“Even if you keep asking, the answer will be the same.”
“I figured as much.”
What a strangely heartwarming conversation.
Ma Dongpil found himself smiling. He had become more serious and rigid than before, but the Young Master was still the Young Master. The thought that his conversations with the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit had become more amicable than in the past was oddly amusing.
But soon, his expression hardened.
He had heard something Wi Hongryeon had not.
- I’m still confused. About how I should act. But one thing is certain.
- ……?
- I’m going to start moving properly from now on. I won’t live half-heartedly like I have been.
- Young Master, you’ve been more than enough…
- No. I didn’t truly know what I wanted. It was just an abstract goal. That’s why I just kept haphazardly checking if this place was safe, if that place was alright.
- …….
- Not anymore. I don’t know if it’s the right direction, but… I intend to advance on what I believe is the best path, at the fastest speed, and with the greatest efficiency.
Ma Dongpil didn’t know for certain what Seo Ryang had resolved to do.
But hearing those words from Seo Ryang sent a chill down his spine.
‘Once a path is chosen, he doesn’t look left or right.’
In the past, when he had been lost during training, the Young Master had said this to him. Don't worry about whether the path is right or wrong for now; just run until you're out of breath. Only after you've run so far that you can't see a breakthrough should you consider if this is the right path.
Those words had brought Ma Dongpil a great realization. Don’t question the path when you think you’ve done enough, but only when you can’t succeed no matter what you do.
It was a somewhat extreme philosophy, but he believed it was also the reason the Young Master had been able to grow so much.
It was the same this time.
Just as he trained in martial arts, it seemed the Young Master intended to charge forward once again. It seemed he was prepared to do whatever it took for a clear objective.
‘I don’t know how far you intend to go, but I will follow you to the end.’
A short while later, the carriage came to a halt.
Wi Hongryeon, returning from the driver’s seat, spoke.
“This is the place the Inspector mentioned. It’s Mount Heng, but not on a path people usually travel.”
“This is it. We found it.”
“Where do you plan to go now?”
Seo Ryang stepped out of the carriage and looked around.
His eyes sank deeply.
‘So this is how I find my way here.’
He had thought his heart would be pounding with excitement upon arriving. He had believed without a doubt that this place would be the turning point of his second life.
But now, this place had become a new starting point for achieving his goal.
“We leave the horses, the carriage, and the entire Berserk Demon Unit here.”
“What?”
“The entrance is small. It’s spacious inside, but not enough to accommodate a hundred people.”
Wi Hongryeon was flustered.
“So we have the Berserk Demon Unit wait here while just we go?”
“Yes.”
“What on earth…”
Seo Ryang looked at Wi Hongryeon.
“Commander Wi, you must come with me. So give clear orders to your unit. Tell them not to act rashly under any circumstances.”
“……”
“If the Lord of the Giant Whale House has any sense, he’ll be here within two days. We need to finish our business before then.”
“What business?”
“You’ll know when we go inside.”
Wi Hongryeon stared at Seo Ryang for a moment, then broke into a grin.
“Alright. But if things go wrong, I’m hiding behind you, Young Master, so you know.”
Young Master, not Inspector.
Seo Ryang smiled.
“Well, that depends on you.”
The two finished their conversation with a laugh.
A moment later, after positioning the Berserk Demon Unit around the area, Wi Hongryeon approached Seo Ryang.
“Well then, shall we enter the unknown?”
“Let’s.”
Seo Ryang’s eyes deepened.
“You won’t be disappointed.”
And so, the three of them entered one of the safehouses the King of Slaughter had established throughout the Central Plains.