Chapter 185
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: King of Beasts (5)
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"Urgent news!"
"One moment."
A flower was held in the hand that emerged from the flowing sleeve. The flower, cradled in a hand so neat and fine it was hard to believe it belonged to an old man, was tinged with a mystical seven-colored hue.
"Hmm, this one won't do. Let's see..."
Placing the flower in a vase on the tea table, the old man bent over again.
"Not this one either... nor this one... A-ha! There it is!"
The old man smiled brightly as he carefully plucked a flower. Despite appearing to be in his seventies, his expression was as cheerful as a child's, leaving a strong impression.
"This makes the third Ten-Colored Flower of Fortune to bloom. Truly encouraging."
The flower, which brought a sense of peace just by looking at it, wore ten different colors. What's more, its colors continuously shifted with every glance.
Its mystical appearance, impossible to find in nature, was clearly the result of artificial cultivation.
"This one should be sent to the Abbot. I heard his chronic illness has worsened and he's on his last legs. I hope this gives him some strength."
After wrapping the flower in a pre-prepared damp cloth, the old man patted his lower back.
"Tending to the flower garden is becoming difficult with age. Perhaps my time is coming too."
He muttered to himself quite freely, paying no mind to the person standing beside him.
Wiping his hands with a handkerchief and picking up a teacup, the old man finally spoke to the other man.
"Yes, what is it?"
The man bowed his head.
"The Southern King is dead."
"Oh?"
"He was killed a fortnight ago at Mount Aenoe in Yunnan. The perpetrator is believed to be from the Demonic Cult."
The old man stroked his beard.
"That is troublesome. That wild weed wasn't meant to be pulled out just yet."
The death of the Beast Palace's Lord, and the mention of the Demonic Cult, did not seem to faze him in the slightest. He wouldn't have been this composed even if he'd heard about children fighting in the next village.
"And at Mount Aenoe, you say?"
"Yes. And..."
The man hesitated for a moment before bowing his head deeply.
"It's reported that the elite forces the Beast Palace brought to Mount Aenoe clashed with forces from the Tang Clan."
"Hmm?"
The old man's eyebrow twitched. His expression showed a flicker of interest.
"They clashed with the Tang Clan?"
"...That is correct."
"The weed and the poison ivy have become entangled... I knew they were holding hands behind my back. Did something suddenly go wrong between them?"
"As of now, the exact circumstances are unknown. However, traces of the Tang Clan's Pear Blossom Rain Needles, Seven Steps Soul-Severing Powder, Piercing King Darts, and Tang Clan Iron Arrows were found."
The old man's eyes curved like crescent moons.
"The darts and arrows are one thing, but the Rain Needles and the Seven Steps Powder... Those cannot be used without the clan head's permission."
"..."
"And the culprit is presumed to be from the Demonic Cult?"
"That is correct."
After a moment of thought, the old man nodded.
"It seems information about their rendezvous at Mount Aenoe reached the Demonic Cult. That's why they were attacked. Mount Aenoe is an important place for the cult as well."
"..."
"The only question is why the Beast Palace and the Tang Clan, who were supposed to be allies, ended up fighting each other."
The old man shrugged his shoulders, looking like a mischievous child.
"Well, that's none of my business. It's not important, either."
The old man took a sip of tea and fell back into thought.
He spoke again after half an incense stick's time had passed.
"What of the Tang Clan Head?"
"About that..."
A look of bewilderment crossed the man's face.
"The Tang Clan is strictly controlling all information, but... there have been a few testimonies of sightings of the Clan Head near Yunnan. I didn't mention it as it's not confirmed information."
"Just as I thought."
The man looked at the old man with a puzzled expression.
The old man let out a small chuckle.
"Tang Jeon, that fellow, certainly possesses a rare martial art, but he is a level below the other clan heads. He became the head purely due to his lineage and cunning. That's why he has many opponents within the clan."
"..."
"He lacks both the justification and the power to purge his opposition. To someone like him, the poisonous herbs supplied from Mount Aenoe would be incredibly alluring."
"Ah..."
"Mount Aenoe benefits both sides. It's highly likely he went there himself. But if the Tang Clan is blocking information, he's nine times out of ten either dead or missing."
The old man swirled his teacup. The cool, sloshing tea began to boil.
"With this, a storm will brew in the Tang Clan as well."
His insight was remarkable. With just a few unconfirmed pieces of information, he had deduced the events with near-perfect accuracy. It was a testament to his exceptional discernment and broad perspective.
However, the man was inwardly puzzled. He found it hard to understand why the old man was more concerned with the Tang Clan than the Demonic Cult.
"Who was the leader of the opposition faction?"
"Ah, that would be Tang Yanghwa."
"Contact him. Tell him I wish to see him."
For a moment, greed flickered in the old man's eyes, which had been filled with leisure and benevolence. It was a greed so intense that it sent a chill down the spine of the man who had served him for decades.
"It's about time we put a bridle on that wild colt's mouth."
"Understood. But what are your plans for the Demonic Cult?"
"What can we do but leave them be?"
"..."
"Starting a war wouldn't be difficult if we set our minds to it. But if we do, we won't escape unscathed. I don't wish to take such a risk when we haven't even properly managed the riffraff we've brought in from beyond the borders."
"Yes, sir."
"They are a force of nature. We shouldn't think of them as an enemy to be fought and defeated. At least, not for now."
The old man looked up at the sky.
A subtle hint of regret touched his leisurely expression.
"If only that man hadn't run away... it might have been worth a try."
***
*Crunch.*
Yeo Gang-hui stared with a grimace at Geumho, who was diligently chewing on a deer.
"Good heavens."
The deer, caught near Mount Aenoe, was nearly the size of an ox. To devour almost all of it, leaving only the neck, was truly an astonishing appetite.
"What an incredible appetite. Then again, it is a spirit beast."
Geumho glanced at Yeo Gang-hui.
Though he thought it impossible, he somehow felt the beast had understood his words. Yeo Gang-hui cleared his throat and waved a hand.
"My apologies. Carry on with your meal, friend."
*Crunch! Chomp.*
"Even the bones..."
As Yeo Gang-hui watched Geumho's meal, mesmerized, he suddenly sensed a presence and looked behind him. Wi Hongryeon was there.
She smacked her lips.
"That thing's gotten a lot bigger since I last saw it. It's bigger than most tigers now."
Yeo Gang-hui smiled.
"You've come."
"Ah, yes."
Wi Hongryeon greeted him perfunctorily. She wasn't one to be intimidated just because he was the young lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, but since he was the Young Master's guest, she had no choice.
"Shouldn't you be resting more?"
"I'd rest if I had anything to do. Besides, I can't sleep well in a place like this."
After things on Mount Aenoe were settled, the group had taken temporary shelter in a large cave at the eastern edge of the mountain.
The Fourth Demon General, Jang Chu, knew the geography of Mount Aenoe inside and out. He had been tasked with escorting spirit herbs from the Valley of a Thousand Beasts dozens of times. This cave was a resting place he had recommended.
The problem was that, no matter how large the cave was, it wasn't spacious enough to accommodate several hundred people.
In the end, the True Demon Unit and the Seventh Demon General returned to the Cult, leaving only the Fourth Demon General and the Berserk Demon Unit to guard Seo Ryang.
Wi Hongryeon grumbled.
"When are we finally going down?"
"We'll likely descend once the Third Young Master's injuries have improved a bit more."
Seo Ryang's condition was more serious than expected.
The internal injuries from the fight were one thing, but the internal and external wounds he sustained while breaking through the collapsed cliff were severe. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't even realized the extent of his injuries, which began to cause problems as soon as the battle ended.
Fortunately, the realm Seo Ryang had reached was exceptionally high, and his regenerative abilities far surpassed those of other cultists. Otherwise, he would still be lying unconscious.
Wi Hongryeon let out a low sigh.
A look of curiosity appeared on Yeo Gang-hui's face.
"What's wrong?"
"It's overwhelming."
"Overwhelming?"
"The Third Young Master."
"Ah..."
"The last time we parted, he was on par with the heads of the Seven Houses, but now he's a complete monster. I was already about to pull a muscle trying to keep up, and now he's soared to a place I can't even see."
"I-I see."
"I wonder if the day will ever come when I can land a proper blow on him."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I was just wondering if I'll ever get the chance to have a proper fight with him. After all, I'm the commander of a combat unit. I can't fall behind everyone else."
Yeo Gang-hui was inwardly surprised.
Given Seo Ryang's personality, it wasn't strange for him to be informal with his subordinates, but it was rare for a subordinate to think of their superior in such a way.
"Commander Wi, you are truly a remarkable person."
"How so?"
"Well, in many ways."
"From what I can see, the Young Palace Lord is the more remarkable one."
"Pardon?"
"How did you end up joining hands with the Third Young Master?"
Yeo Gang-hui gave an awkward laugh.
"It just happened that way. Besides, isn't the Third Young Master the one who has stirred the greatest storm in the Cult recently? I thought it would be beneficial for both sides."
Wi Hongryeon snorted.
"Just try not to get eaten alive."
"Pardon?"
"Our Young Master seems nice enough, but when things go wrong, he'll stop at nothing. He's the kind of man who would burn down the Palace of the Demonic God for his own goals. If you get swept up in that, you won't even leave your bones behind."
Heavens, is this woman really a member of the Demonic Cult?
Setting aside her mannish way of speaking, her bluntness was no joke. To make such an assessment of the Cult Leader's disciple so openly in front of an outsider...
"Ahem, I'll keep that in mind."
"Well, no need to take it to heart. You wouldn't be able to stop it if something did happen, anyway."
"..."
"Oh, right. Look at me, forgetting."
Wi Hongryeon took a letter from her robes. The letter was grimy and looked extremely dirty.
"Here."
Yeo Gang-hui took the letter with a grimace.
"What is this?"
"I got it when I went down to get some food. It's a letter from the Young Palace Lord's younger sibling. The message was long, so I just had them write it down."
A letter from his sibling was a welcome surprise. But before that, a question arose. What on earth had she done to make the letter so filthy?
"Anyway, I've delivered it, so I'm off to rest."
"Yes. Please rest well."
It was then.
*Grrr.*
Geumho let out a low growl. It lowered its stance and glared, looking incredibly menacing.
Wi Hongryeon frowned.
"What's with that thing now?"
*Rustle.*
At the sound of movement, both of them turned their gazes to the side.
A colossal beast was emerging from the bushes, approaching them. Despite its large, heavy body, it moved so stealthily that the two masters hadn't sensed its presence.
Wi Hongryeon's jaw dropped.
"...What's this monster now?"
*Ssshaaa.*
A cold aura radiated from Yeo Gang-hui's body. His gaze instantly sharpened.
"Step back."
"Huh?"
"It's a monster called the Tiger King. The tiger raised by the Lord of the Beast Palace."
*Chiiiiik.*
Demonic energy surged from Wi Hongryeon's body as well.
"What? Is it here for revenge because we offed its master?"
*Step. Step.*
Geumho stepped in front of the two of them.
The Tiger King wrinkled its nose.
*Grrrrowl.*
The look in the Tiger King's eyes as it glared at Geumho was anything but ordinary. The killing intent radiating from its entire body made Yeo Gang-hui and Wi Hongryeon's skin crawl.
*Flash! Flash!*
Geumho's eyes, staring back at the Tiger King, shimmered with five colors. It looked ready to pounce at any moment.
A sudden war of nerves had broken out between the beasts.
Just then, a heavy voice came from one side.
"Enough."
The Tiger King turned its head.
Ma Dongpil, with the Silent King Sword resting on his shoulder, spoke calmly.
"The Young Master is calling. Come here. You too, Geumho."
The two beasts glared at each other once more.
But only for a moment. Miraculously, both beasts walked over to Ma Dongpil.
Wi Hongryeon's eyes bulged like a bull's.
"...Are they human?"