Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Confrontation (2)
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“...And with that, all preparations for the Festival of Papiyas are complete. Should any minor changes arise, they will be handled immediately and without issue.”
“You’ve done well.”
Mu Dam knelt and bowed his head.
Lee Cheonsang gently swirled his cup. The little liquor that remained sloshed within.
“Would you care for a drink?”
“It would be my honor.”
Lee Cheonsang’s fingers, resting on the armrest, twitched.
*Whoosh.*
Simultaneously, a cup on a side table floated into the air and slowly drifted to a spot before Mu Dam.
A look of awe spread across Mu Dam’s face.
He, too, could perform the feat of moving objects with his will, using his internal energy without touching them. However, he could not do so while completely erasing the flow of his true energy, as the Heavenly Demon had just done.
It was not a simple matter of internal energy, but of controlling an object with will alone. It was a power bordering on what enthusiasts called a supernatural ability, one that utilized the divine energy of a fully mastered upper dantian.
Even after decades of service, his lord still presented him with fresh wonders.
Mu Dam bowed his head low and accepted the cup. Even the word ‘amazing’ felt like an understatement that belittled Lee Cheonsang’s greatness, so he said nothing at all.
“This is a fine liquor. Drink up.”
The two men drained their cups.
*Swoosh.*
The cup in Mu Dam’s hand had already flown back to Lee Cheonsang’s table.
“And the Third?”
It was a sudden question. Lee Cheonsang would sometimes ask things that were completely out of context like this.
Mu Dam carefully opened his mouth.
“After the incident at Jamiru, he has remained quiet…”
“I am not asking what the Third is doing.”
“…Pardon?”
“I am curious about the Third’s changes.”
Changes? What could he mean?
Reading the confusion on Mu Dam’s face, Lee Cheonsang tilted his cup and spoke.
“It seems there’s nothing of note yet.”
His words were difficult to comprehend. Mu Dam bowed his head once more.
“There have been no noteworthy developments concerning the Third Young Master.”
“I see. You may go.”
Mu Dam bowed to Lee Cheonsang and withdrew.
Left alone, a subtle curiosity flickered in the eyes of the one and only Demonic God under heaven.
“…Was it not that Cheon Hajin chose the boy, but that the boy chose Cheon Hajin?”
Or perhaps their fates were simply intertwined.
* * *
*CRRAAASSSHH!*
A tremendous explosion tore through the air as an entire wall of the VIP suite was blown away.
This sudden catastrophe startled both Hong Wi-mun and Shin-hwe, who whipped their heads toward the window.
And then, their faces froze.
*Rumble!*
The shattered wall of the suite slammed into the adjacent building. Thankfully, it didn’t collapse, but it was so severely damaged that none of its original beauty remained.
“Ugh!”
“Wh-What was that?!”
“The VIP suite! The VIP suite collapsed!”
“Get someone! Quickly!”
The people cried out in shock and confusion.
But they had been startled far too soon.
*Flash! CRACK! Flash! KABOOM!*
Every time a crimson light flared, an explosion would follow without fail, shattering another wall. Debris from the broken walls flew in every direction, turning the entire guesthouse into a scene of pandemonium.
Amidst the people who could do nothing but shriek in terror, one voice, entirely out of place, rang out.
“Shit! How the hell are you managing these VIP rooms!”
The voice, booming and resonant, carried an incredible authority and an unspeakable ferocity.
“You bastards! I was holding back because this is my little brother’s place, but not anymore! I’ll clean you all out!”
*Rumble! Rummble!*
This time, it wasn’t a flash of light. The air, swirling from all directions, seemed to be sucked toward one point before erupting into a crimson whirlwind that converged on one side of the ruined suite.
*BOOM!*
The still-unseen ‘someone’ stomped the ground.
The force of that single step shook Hong Wi-mun’s spacious residence to its very foundations.
“Hyaaaaaaah!”
With a fierce battle cry, a storm of crimson saber energy raged toward the guesthouse entrance.
*CRRAAASSSHH!*
The entrance of the large, two-story guesthouse was blown to smithereens.
It was fortunate that no one was nearby; anyone caught in that impact would have been pulverized, not even a bone fragment left behind.
Furthermore, the demonic energy that formed the basis of that power was so dense that any ordinary demon cultist would lose consciousness just by being near it.
The guesthouse master, who had been staring blankly at the scene, grew paler by the second.
“Wh-What in the world is going on?!”
*KABOOM!*
Another explosion erupted, and three figures were revealed.
A handsome, tall young man wielding a saber and seething with anger; a man in his early thirties whose cheek twitched minutely; and a woman with a menacing scar, her face flushed as she staggered.
The woman, Wi Hongryeon, bellowed.
“You sons of bitches! Are you going to clear a path or not?!”
The murmuring cultists turned to her in alarm.
Suddenly, a gasp was heard from somewhere in the crowd.
“Th-The Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit?!”
At those words, the atmosphere turned frigid. There wasn't a single cultist who didn't know how dangerous a person Wi Hongryeon was.
Wi Hongryeon grinned.
Of course, she wasn't smiling because someone had recognized her.
“Which bastard was it?”
“…?”
“Which son of a bitch had the nerve to call me by my official title? Huh?”
“…!”
“If you don't crawl out here right now, I swear I'll rip out the tongue of every last bastard I see! Get out here, now!”
For a reason to be so enraged, it was utterly insane.
But Wi Hongryeon was serious. The thought that such ill-mannered fools were rotting the Divine Cult from within, no matter the circumstances, made her vision blur with rage.
Naturally, she gave no consideration to the myriad atrocities and rampages she herself had committed over the years.
Just then, Seo Ryang took a step forward.
“I am the Third Young Master.”
He, who usually introduced himself as Seo Ryang, now called himself the Third Young Master. He had a specific goal in mind.
And his introduction had the desired effect.
“Gasp!”
“The Th-Third Young Master?!”
Wi Hongryeon’s face twisted.
*‘I guess a famous name really is all that matters.’*
For some reason, she felt as if the crowd's attention had been stolen from her. Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but she was so thoroughly drunk that every little thing was getting on her nerves.
She bellowed once more.
“Hey! You dog-like bastards! Are you all dying to die? Get on your knees, now!”
Hearing her thunderous shout, filled to the brim with internal energy, every cultist dropped to their knees.
“Invincible Divine Cult! All Demons Bow! We greet the Third Young Master!”
Their unified cry was filled with reverence. Even though they were the Fourth Young Master’s men—or perhaps because they were—they knew just how noble his station was.
Seo Ryang looked down on them with arrogant eyes.
“Where is the Fourth?”
The guesthouse master raised his head to speak for the group.
“Y-Yes, sir?!”
“I asked where the Fourth is.”
“That, I do not…”
*Flash! CRRAAASSSHH!*
A streak of light flared, and a long gash was carved into the ground. It was an incredibly long scar, stretching all the way to the shattered entrance of the guesthouse.
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
It was hard to believe that such a terrifying scene could be created with a single saber. And yet, Seo Ryang showed no signs of being out of breath as he scanned his surroundings, the very image of the tyrant from the rumors.
Seo Ryang shouted.
“Fourth! Where are you!”
His booming voice echoed past the Fourth Young Master's residence and spread to the nearby buildings.
“Aren’t your underlings a bit sloppy with managing this guesthouse? Your reputation is going to plummet at this rate, you brat!”
He sounded like a simple, boorish, and hot-headed older brother worried about his weak and delicate younger sibling. Indeed, even as they were gripped by terror, that was how the cultists perceived him.
“You brat! Come out here! How busy can you be to make your older brother wait for half a day? Did you find a girl you like these days?!”
Hearing this from afar, Hong Wi-mun’s expression hardened completely.
“Still, isn’t this too much?! Is that girl really that special? Oh, and…”
A thick smile spread across Seo Ryang’s lips.
“Why have you planted so many bugs all over the place! Did you bury a treasure in the guesthouse or something!”
*Sssss.*
Demonic energy finally surged from Hong Wi-mun’s body as he sat in his residence. It was difficult enough to endure being made a laughingstock, but Seo Ryang was now taking it a step further.
Planted bugs? Those were rather meaningful words. It sounded as if he were accusing him of secretly planting people to monitor the guesthouse’s activities.
At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before his reputation was ruined. No matter how much the demonic martial world prioritized power, there were limits. He could not afford to lose the people’s favor in such a way.
“Shin-hwe.”
“Yes, Young Master!”
“Take the side path immediately and survey the area! Make a list of all the cultists who know what’s happening here!”
“Understood!”
The moment Shin-hwe vanished, Hong Wi-mun’s face twisted into a hideous scowl.
*Wooooong!*
A violet demonic energy rose from his entire body.
It was fundamentally different from Seo Ryang’s fiery, spectacular, and bloodily ferocious demonic energy. This energy felt somewhat sinister, almost like a heretical art.
It was for this reason that this mysterious and grotesque demonic art was called the Serpent King Demonic Art.
“…So, you’re the kind of man who would commit such a reckless act, is that it?”
Hong Wi-mun smiled and licked his lips. His tongue was unusually thin, and its tip seemed to be split in two.
“I’ll make you pay dearly for your ignorance, for crawling into the tiger’s den without a clue.”
*KABOOM!*
The window shattered as Hong Wi-mun’s body shot through the opening like an arrow.
*Fwoooosh!*
Hong Wi-mun soared through the sky at an incredible speed.
Spotting him from a distance, a smile graced Seo Ryang’s lips.
*‘Finally crawling out, are you?’*
The old man had told him: to seize the initiative, push forward honestly and steadfastly.
Seo Ryang’s method was to add the element of an audience to that. He would orchestrate the stage to make even lies seem like the truth.
And his method had worked perfectly.
*Whoooosh!*
A young man descended at a terrifying speed, emitting a deep violet demonic energy that was especially vivid against the setting sun.
*BOOM!*
The impact of his landing was truly fierce.
*Shing.*
Seo Ryang slowly sheathed his saber.
And at last, Hong Wi-mun raised his head.
*Flash!*
Their Demonic Eyes, each erupting with a different light, glared at one another.
Hong Wi-mun spoke coldly.
“To cause such a ruckus in another’s home, have you no shame?”
Seo Ryang laughed heartily.
“Strangely enough, I don’t feel ashamed at all.”
“If you are the Third Young Master, you should have the dignity befitting your station…”
“Before you start lecturing me about dignity and etiquette, this foolish older brother has something to say to his beloved younger brother.”
“…”
“Where is the Commander of the True Demon Unit, plotting against us as we speak?”
“…What did you say?”
“Oh? Judging by your reaction, it must be true.”
The smile remained, but Seo Ryang’s eyes began to frost over.
“You knew the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit was here, yet you didn't call for the Commander of the True Demon Unit. Even though everyone knows their relationship is a fucking mess.”
“…!”
“On top of that, you knew your older brother was waiting, yet you stayed in your residence, leisurely stretching your legs? Hmmm… something smells fishy here.”
“Third Brother!”
“What?”
“If you insult me any further, I will not stand by idly.”
“Then why didn’t you crawl out when you were in your residence? Huh? Don’t tell me…?”
Seo Ryang wiggled his pinky finger.
“Are you shy?”