Chapter 173
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: There's No Unsolvable Problem (3)
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Lee Cheonsang nodded as he looked down at the document.
“They’re fast.”
“Indeed.”
Ho Yoseong moistened his throat with a sip of tea and continued.
“Even with the financial support from the Thousand Treasures Golden House, the Red Snake House's recovery is unprecedentedly fast. The members of the house seem to have steeled their resolve.”
Tossing the document onto the table, Lee Cheonsang spoke languidly.
“Even if they’d grown complacent, a demon is still a demon. They were struck down in their own front yard, so of course they'd be furious.”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Is the Lord’s seat still vacant?”
“Yes. For now, the former lord's daughter, Hong Yeorin, is the most suitable successor, but she is currently receiving instruction from the Lord of the Golden House. A formal discussion will likely take place once her training is complete.”
Lee Cheonsang raised his cup and muttered.
“How interesting.”
A rusted sword isn't sharpened; it's broken. He had always lived by that creed, and he always would.
But the sword he intended to break was strangely being sharpened. It had yet to prove its worth, but it was trying to regain its utility as a ‘weapon.’
And this revival began with the Third.
‘He couldn’t have seen this far ahead.’
The Third probably intended to keep the Red Snake House under his thumb, not to revive it as it once was. His mind was consumed by a goal steeped in hatred; there was no room for sympathy for the Red Snake House.
But it was undeniable that the Red Snake House had changed since he entered the picture.
Of course, many had died in the process.
‘As long as its value as a weapon is proven once more.’
Just then, Ho Yoseong spoke cautiously.
“Cult Leader.”
“Speak.”
“About the Yunnan matter.”
“You mean the Third?”
“Yes. Even if the Third Young Master is a master who has reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, isn't the Beast Palace far too dangerous?”
So it was the Beast Palace.
Lee Cheonsang shook his head.
“I didn't know he was going to the Beast Palace.”
“Pardon?”
For once, even the great Ho Yoseong couldn't hide his surprise.
“Do you mean he didn't inform you, Cult Leader?”
“That's right.”
Ho Yoseong’s jaw dropped.
“Th-this is…”
“Why are you so surprised?”
The question of why he was surprised surprised him even more. Ho Yoseong let out an involuntary chuckle.
“Don't the candidates require the Cult Leader's permission to leave the Cult?”
“It's customary. But isn't the Office of the Grand Marshal the one that officially manages departures?”
He had a point. Still, for him to leave without a single word to his Cult Leader and master…
‘He knows that permission is a mere formality.’
The corners of Lee Cheonsang’s mouth twitched.
‘Can you bring me results that please me this time as well?’
As long as the results were good, he didn't care for trivial customs.
The Third saw right through his personality.
“Yunnan was originally within our sphere of influence. We just haven't paid it any mind. If this opportunity allows us to make that clear, then all the better.”
“Truly… there is something about the way you and the Third Young Master handle things that defies imagination.”
“…”
“My apologies. Was that a bit rude?”
“It’s fine.”
Ho Yoseong took a sip of tea, looking awkward.
Just then, a glint appeared in Lee Cheonsang’s eyes.
“If you’re done talking, you may leave.”
“Pardon?”
Ho Yoseong pouted with a hurt expression.
“I haven’t even finished my tea.”
“I have something to discuss with a disciple.”
“A disciple?”
A moment later, the voice of a cultist came from outside the grand hall’s doors.
“Cult Leader. The First Young Master requests an audience.”
* * *
In a dense forest, where sunlight filtered through in patches.
The humidity, characteristic of the southern regions, persisted, but the cool shelter provided by nature was wonderfully refreshing.
However, even such an environment seemed to have no effect on Yeo Ganghui.
“Hoo, it's still so muggy.”
Shaking his head, he wiped his brow, on which not a single drop of sweat had formed.
Seo Ryang smirked.
“Try cooling things down with your Ice Arts.”
“I've decided to refrain from that.”
“Why?”
“Making it cool when it's hot, making it warm when it's cold. Well, it's a natural survival instinct, but I was wondering if I wasn't being too fussy.”
Yeo Ganghui smacked his lips.
“I think experiencing and getting used to various environments is also a form of training.”
That was a good mindset. He had broadened his perspective on experience and learning beyond mere efficiency. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would grow immensely.
Of course, Seo Ryang thought differently. But he felt no need to point it out.
“By the way.”
Yeo Ganghui glanced at the carriage.
A look of subtle admiration appeared in his eyes.
“What a magnificent carriage.”
The carriage Seo Ryang, Ma Dongpil, and Yeo Ganghui had arrived in was a six-horse, four-wheeled carriage.
The carriage, pulled by a full six horses, was so large it felt excessively spacious for just three people.
Furthermore, the frame supporting the body was made of a special steel from the Divine Cult, a masterpiece that reduced weight while increasing rigidity.
“I've seen four-horse carriages before, but never one with six. It's incredible.”
“They didn't attach six horses just to look cool.”
“Pardon?”
“It's efficient. In terms of power and speed, a six-horse carriage is the best.”
“Hmm… if you're thinking about that, wouldn't it be better to add more horses…?”
Seo Ryang said nonchalantly.
“The blockheads of the martial world think more horses make for a better carriage, but they're wrong. The fastest and most stable is a six-horse carriage. Too many horses are difficult to control, and they have trouble keeping pace with each other.”
Yeo Ganghui, who had just been labeled a blockhead, smacked his lips in embarrassment. On reflection, he realized his approach had been rather simplistic.
“Balance is what's important. In any field, balance is paramount. The same goes for martial arts; if balance is lost, they become narrow, and flaws are bound to appear later.”
He hadn't expected a conversation about carriages to turn to martial arts. Yeo Ganghui’s eyes immediately sparkled.
“So, it's because you've achieved that balance so well that you've become so strong, Third Young Master?”
“Not really.”
“Then?”
He couldn't very well say it was thanks to the experiences of his past life. Even if he did, the other man wouldn't believe him.
“But isn't that balance a curious thing?”
“What about it?”
“In a way, aren't both your cult's Demonic Arts and my palace's Ice Arts techniques that lean to one extreme? They break the principles of yin and yang.”
Seo Ryang shook his head.
“Balance refers to the distribution of power, the harmony between myself and my martial arts. There are techniques that encompass the principles of both yin and yang, but what's important is how you use them.”
“I see.”
“You already know all this, don't you?”
“How did you know that I know?”
“You're as strong as, or even stronger than, the lords of the Seven Houses. You couldn't reach such a level without understanding that much of martial theory.”
Ma Dongpil, who had been resting off to the side, was inwardly shocked. He had thought Yeo Ganghui’s level was similar to his own.
Yeo Ganghui smiled.
Within his picturesque smile, a subtle hint of competitiveness could be seen.
“One day, I would like to have a duel with you, Third Young Master. Using everything I have.”
“Just don't cry when I beat you to a pulp.”
“You have such a way with words.”
“It's my nature.”
Yeo Ganghui cleared his throat. For some reason, Seo Ryang had been consistently grumpy since leaving the Cult.
He didn't bother hiding his thoughts.
“Is something the matter?”
Seo Ryang grumbled as if he'd been waiting for the question.
“I haven't heard back yet.”
“Heard back from who?”
“The Lower Five Gates.”
“The Lower Five Gates? You mean the information network considered the best in the underworld of the Central Plains? The one that rivals the Righteous Faction's Beggars' Sect?”
“That's the one.”
Yeo Ganghui’s mouth fell open.
“You have connections with the Lower Five Gates as well?”
“There was some coercion involved, but… yeah.”
Coercion? For some reason, he felt like he understood.
While Yeo Ganghui was offering his condolences to the leader of the Lower Five Gates, whom he had never met.
Seo Ryang scowled.
‘That Vice-Leader bastard. He said he'd contact me within ten days. What's he doing?’
Going to the Beast Palace and the request he made to the Lower Five Gates weren't really related. But since he was out anyway, he was planning to take care of that business too.
‘Sichuan is nearby anyway, maybe I can make it work?’
Well, no need to force it.
Sighing, Seo Ryang looked around.
“It’s nice and cool.”
A forest in Guangxi, a place they had reached two days after leaving the Divine Cult. The coachman was keeping them on course, so there were no worries, but it would still be some time before they entered Yunnan.
Maybe he could afford to relax a little more…
“Do you think she’s alright?”
Hm?
Seo Ryang looked at Yeo Ganghui. His expression had grown strangely stiff.
“My sister, I mean.”
“How would I know?”
“You can call me a doting fool, but my sister is very beautiful. Even if they are lawless brutes, they wouldn't do anything rash unless they plan on starting a war, but… I'm worried.”
Some say the martial world is a world of romance and dreams.
Others say the martial world is merely a stage of violence where the true nature of this hellish mortal plane is laid bare.
Both were probably true. To some, it was a land of romance and a world where dreams came true, but to others, it was a hellish world bound by karma.
And most of those who felt the world was hell were the powerless.
A woman had been kidnapped. A woman who had been defeated in a direct confrontation of strength.
If it was the Beast Palace, infamous for its barbarism, it wouldn't be strange if she were subjected to unspeakable acts.
“I know. If they intended to defile my sister, they wouldn't have bothered kidnapping her. And even if they had, they wouldn't have informed our palace of the kidnapping.”
“Right. They want something. That's why they kidnapped your sister.”
“The problem is… their culture values instinct over reason. It's a world of survival of the fittest, where the strong take all and the weak are culled.”
Yeo Ganghui’s eyelids trembled.
“I'm worried they might have applied that naked instinct to my sister.”
The cold realization that rushing would not help him rescue his sister was the only thing that had sustained him so far. Despite his calm exterior, his insides must have been churning with worry.
“Don't worry. That won't happen.”
“…Yes.”
“They aren't acting alone. The Three Palaces have joined hands with the goal of advancing into the Central Plains. It's possible your sister's kidnapping wasn't the will of the Beast Palace, but the will of the Three Palaces.”
“…”
“It's a situation where they have to be careful of every falling leaf if they don't want to get stabbed by an ally. Furthermore, they can't ignore the eyes of the Central Plains.”
Yeo Ganghui tilted his head.
“The eyes of the Central Plains?”
“The martial world of the Central Plains seems open, but it has a strong conservative streak. Even if they manage to settle in the Central Plains, what happens if the immorality of a group that rapes women is exposed? They'll be utterly destroyed.”
“Ah…”
“What's more, they've allied with the Righteous Heaven Alliance, not our Cult. They wouldn't dare do such a thing, if only for fear of outside perception.”
He said that, but Seo Ryang couldn't be entirely sure. He had seen far too many instances where heinous crimes were buried with money and politics.
But if there was one thing he could count on.
‘That old geezer.’
The Alliance Leader of the Righteous Heaven Alliance was the type to overlook his own ugliness but strictly judge the morality of others. Perhaps later it would be different, but for now, the Three Palaces would never dare to displease him.
“I don't feel like resting anyway, so we might as well get movi— huh?”
“Why, what is it?”
Seo Ryang turned his head. He sensed a stealthy presence from beyond the woods.
A moment later, a small, masked man appeared.
*Click.*
Ma Dongpil, who had suddenly appeared in front of Seo Ryang, placed his thumb on the sword's guard.
“Who are you?”
The masked man knelt at the low, powerful voice.
“I come from the Lower Five Gates. I am here to deliver a letter to the Third Young Master of the Divine Cult.”
Seo Ryang sighed.
“Shit, you took your sweet time.”
After reading the letter the masked man delivered, Seo Ryang’s eyes went wide.
“Hey, messenger.”
“Yes.”
“Is this for real?”
“I am only a messenger; I do not know the contents of the letter.”
After a moment of thought, Seo Ryang spoke to the messenger.
“You guys have branches in Guangxi and Yunnan too, right?”
“We do.”
“Tell the Vice-Leader I'll reward him separately, and bring me every scrap of information on the vicinity of Mount Aenoe. We'll be moving by carriage, so you can find us on your own, right?”
“…I will find you within five days.”
The masked man vanished in an instant. His martial arts were unremarkable, but his movement technique was worthy of a supreme master.
Yeo Ganghui asked with a puzzled look.
“What is it?”
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“This might make things a little easier.”
Seo Ryang smiled wickedly.
“I was planning on playing nice and coaxing her out, but it looks like I won't have to curb my temper after all.”
What a windfall