Chapter 156
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Return, and (2)
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Seo Ryang's explanation wasn't particularly smooth.
It was somewhat rambling, with many abrupt stops. But Lee Cheonsang somehow managed to understand him.
“So you're saying you heard the Red Snake House was taken over, and you were late because you were cleaning up the mess after wiping them out.”
To put it simply, yes.
Seo Ryang scratched his head. Even he thought it was a flimsy explanation.
Lee Cheonsang, who had been watching Seo Ryang quietly, picked up the bottle.
“Here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seo Ryang took the cup and downed the alcohol.
Lee Cheonsang spoke.
“Now, let's hear the real story.”
“Sir?”
“I said I want to hear the real reason, not just a list of the superficial circumstances.”
*Ssssk.*
An unusual energy rose from Lee Cheonsang's body. It was an aura that plainly revealed his displeasure.
*'He knows, like a ghost.'*
He might just be a man idly pouring drinks, but this monster possessed the Demonic Eye that could look down upon the world. A clumsy lie wouldn't work on him.
After a moment lost in thought, Seo Ryang spoke.
“To be honest, I caused a bit of trouble.”
“Trouble.”
“Yes. And it was quite a big incident.”
“Are you asking me to clean it up for you?”
Seo Ryang shook his head.
“Of course not. I have to take responsibility for what I've done. However, I was hoping you would grant me one favor.”
“A favor.”
“Yes. A favor.”
A glimmer of interest appeared in Lee Cheonsang's eyes. He hadn't expected to hear such a brazen request for a favor from this man's mouth.
“Let's hear it.”
“After I'm done talking, please take a look at my martial arts.”
“Martial arts?”
“Yes.”
“If you've only just reached the state of Supreme Demon, you shouldn't need my help.”
Just as he'd thought, the old man knew he had reached the state of Supreme Demon.
Even a peerless master could tell by intuition whether their opponent had reached that state. Naturally, Lee Cheonsang would have noticed the moment he saw Seo Ryang.
But Seo Ryang realized something. Lee Cheonsang had known even before they met.
*'Did Go Gu tell him?'*
Or did he just figure it out on his own?
*'Well, that's not what's important right now.'*
Seo Ryang said.
“There are quite a few parts that are out of alignment. I've managed to patch things up, but I also had to discard a lot.”
Lee Cheonsang nodded.
“It's not difficult for me to take a look. But I don't understand why you'd make such a request before telling your story.”
“Because I'm planning to go all out.”
Lee Cheonsang's eyes flashed.
The gleam in his eyes was so terrifying that even Seo Ryang, who had reached the state of Supreme Demon, momentarily flinched.
“‘Go all out’… a meaningful phrase.”
“…”
“I will decide after hearing your story.”
“Understood.”
Seo Ryang's expression turned serious.
Lee Cheonsang was a little surprised, wondering if this man was even capable of making such an expression.
“There's no point in hiding it now, so I'll tell you. I have a dream.”
“A dream.”
“Yes, a dream.”
“What kind of dream?”
“To erase the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress from the world.”
For once, even the great Lee Cheonsang couldn't hide his surprise.
“Erase? Those two?”
“That's right.”
“…”
“…”
“I see.”
Lee Cheonsang said, refilling his cup.
“I was curious why you bothered to help the Red Snake House, given the ill-fated connection between you.”
“…”
“When attacking the Alliance's fortress, the more troops, the better. So that's why you revived the Red Snake House, a family you'd be better off destroying.”
“That is correct.”
“Why?”
“Sir?”
“The Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress are certainly enemies of our Cult. But you've never shown any interest in those two groups before.”
“…”
“That was the case, at least until you went on that little trip behind my back.”
Seo Ryang's eyebrow twitched.
Lee Cheonsang drained his cup.
“Did you have some change of heart after meeting the Grand Elder of the Righteous Heaven Alliance?”
This man really did know everything.
He had tried to keep the clash with Jeong Illyong quiet. He'd thought there was no need to bring it up himself.
*'Is it any wonder?'*
The Cult's transport unit and the guards from the Hall of Protectors had been there.
Although he hadn't explicitly mentioned Jeong Illyong's name, the Hall of Protectors had already received intelligence that Jeong Illyong was heading south.
It wouldn't have been difficult to deduce the situation.
“I hate them.”
“Hate.”
“Yes.”
Seo Ryang was about to continue. He couldn't reveal everything about why he hated those two places, but he intended to at least explain the depth of his hatred.
But Lee Cheonsang's words made him close his mouth.
“A single spark can burn down an entire mountain. Trivial hatred often grows into a volcano. What's more, hatred can even arise without reason.”
“…”
“I won't ask why you've only now come to hate those two.”
Lee Cheonsang's eyes flashed.
“However, I must say that the matter with the Lord of the Poison Dragon Pavilion was rather reckless.”
“I don't think so. The Dang family…”
“I was planning to cut off the Red Snake House.”
Seo Ryang was startled.
“Cut them off?”
“That's right.”
“Uh… wasn't it just a matter of them being insolent?”
“I just told you. A single spark can burn down an entire mountain. The same goes for organizations. The Red Snake House was a family that would have undoubtedly become a major obstacle to the Cult's future.”
Lee Cheonsang shook his head.
“A rusted sword must be broken. Even if you sharpen it and use it again, it will only rust once more.”
It was a chilling statement. Did it not mean that if someone changed their mind even once, they would be cast out, even if they begged for forgiveness?
*'Terrifying.'*
He had thought Lee Cheonsang was a more humane person than his intimidating aura suggested, but that wasn't the case.
When it was time to be cold, Lee Cheonsang could become colder than anyone else in the world.
*'On the other hand, that's what gives him his own kind of humanity.'*
When he cast someone out, he never looked back. But until that point, as a god, Lee Cheonsang was someone who took care of his own.
It was just that his divine status was so overwhelming that no one dared to speak to him casually.
“The Sword Palace used the Dang family's poison to take over the Red Snake House. But I wasn't curious about the methods the Sword Palace would use to bring them down. The result is all that matters.”
The result being the annihilation of the Red Snake House.
For a moment, Seo Ryang's eyes wavered.
“Cult Leader, surely you weren't planning to use that as a pretext to pressure the orthodox martial world?”
“To end it with mere pressure would be to greatly underestimate the bait that is the Red Snake House.”
“…?”
“I was thinking of teaching them a lesson.”
It was a hair-raising declaration.
Demonic energy flickered in Lee Cheonsang's eyes.
“I was planning to make at least three of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families into another Red Snake House. The Office of the Grand Marshal had already perfectly laid out the strategies and countermeasures for it.”
“I… see.”
He spoke of such a bloody affair so calmly. It revealed a confidence that he could naturally make it happen if he just set his mind to it.
“Wouldn't that start a war?”
“Naive.”
“Sir?”
“A war doesn't start just because a few sects are wiped out. Even if it were ten or twenty times that number, the war drums would not sound.”
“That can't be…”
“On the other hand, a war is something that can start even if only a single sect is crushed.”
Lee Cheonsang raised his cup.
“What's important is not how many died. It's who died.”
“…!”
“If they are not at the center of the era, the trigger for war will not be pulled, no matter how many people are massacred.
But if just one of those at the center dies, the world will be shaken.”
“I see.”
“Rather, if you, as an Inspector, had been taken down by the Sword Palace, then the drums of war might have truly sounded.”
Seo Ryang let out a gasp of realization.
“Because as an Inspector, I was acting as your will.”
“Precisely. That is why the world remains quiet even though the Grand Elder of the Righteous Heaven Alliance died. That man had long since become a washed-up relic. His death held no particular value.”
What a frightening man.
Lee Cheonsang had a terrifyingly accurate insight into the world of Murim, into its very essence.
That's why he could move so boldly and remain unshaken in the face of major events.
Because to a tiger in its den, the sight of ants fighting is nothing more than a reason to yawn.
He had learned a great deal from this seemingly casual conversation.
“Returning to the story, your helping the Red Snake House means you've caused a major disruption to the Cult's plans.”
Seo Ryang's expression became awkward.
“So that's how it turned out.”
“Indeed.”
A brief silence fell between the two.
There was much he wanted to say, but Seo Ryang kept his mouth shut. He felt it would just be pointless chatter.
So he said this instead.
“I will compensate you.”
“Compensate.”
“You mentioned three places, Cult Leader.”
“I did.”
“I don't know how long it will take, but I will set the stage to ensure that task is brought to a successful conclusion.”
The corner of Lee Cheonsang's mouth lifted slightly.
It was a smile that seemed both satisfied and mocking at Seo Ryang's incredibly bold words.
“How?”
Seo Ryang's face grew cold.
“I had the Berserk Demon Unit send over that bewitching woman, Bang Ryeong. I also sent the Young Lord of the Sword Palace through the Head of the Hall of Punishments.”
“I know.”
“Are those two being interrogated at the Hall of Punishments?”
“The Young Lord is tight-lipped, so it's not easy. The girl, Bang Ryeong, is not in her right mind, so she's undergoing treatment.”
“I see.”
Seo Ryang nodded.
In that instant, a terrifying killing intent flared in his eyes.
“One of them seems to have joined hands with the Righteous Heaven Alliance, and the woman is a disciple of the Flying Demon King, who has ties to the Iron Blood Fortress.”
Lee Cheonsang's eyes glinted.
He had known for some time that the Sword Palace had a connection with the Righteous Heaven Alliance. But he hadn't known that the girl Bang Ryeong was a disciple of the Flying Demon King, or that the Iron Blood Fortress was involved.
“On top of that, I've abducted the former Lord of the Poison Dragon Pavilion of the Dang family.”
“…”
“The Lord of the Poison Dragon Pavilion belongs to the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the Young Lord belongs to the Four Foreign Palaces, and the woman Bang Ryeong is the Flying Demon King's disciple, which means she can be considered connected to the Iron Blood Fortress.
In other words, you could say we have all the influential figures in the Cult's grasp.”
“I see.”
“You said that the state of the world changes depending on who dies, didn't you?”
Lee Cheonsang's eyes flashed.
“I did.”
“Using these three, and the Lower Five Gates who are probably scurrying about right now, I will create an interesting stage.”
He spoke with confidence and dignity. Seo Ryang's eyes, flickering like flames, revealed his sincerity.
Interest once again colored Lee Cheonsang's face.
“Anyone can say anything. However, your track record as an Inspector is excellent, so I will trust you this once.”
“Thank you.”
*Shhh.*
Lee Cheonsang rose from his seat.
“Follow me.”
“Sir?”
“Did you not ask me to look at your martial arts?”
Seo Ryang blinked.
“Uh… I did. But are you sure you don't need to hear more?”
“Any more conversation would be pointless chatter. You said you would set the stage, so all you have to do is produce clear results.”
Lee Cheonsang turned his back.
“Let your results do all the talking. Until then, I will not hold you accountable for the sin of disrupting the Cult's affairs.”
Well, how grateful he should be.
*Shhh.*
The two men faced each other in the wide, open space beyond the pavilion.
*Whoooosh!*
The Dragon Scale Saber flew from some unseen, distant place and stopped, hovering right in front of Seo Ryang's nose. It was Lee Cheonsang's Telekinesis.
*Grip.*
Seo Ryang's hand tightened around the Dragon Scale Saber.
“The method is the same as before.”
Lee Cheonsang slowly extended his right hand.
“Come.”