Chapter 45
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Confrontation (3)
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‘Wow, this is…’
Wi Hongryeon watched Hong Wi-mun with a subtle gaze.
Hong Wi-mun maintained his cold expression, but the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.
‘Hmm, isn’t this dangerous?’
He was getting completely torn apart by Seo Ryang in front of everyone. If it were her, she would have drawn her sword and swung it without a second thought.
That was the difference between Wi Hongryeon and Hong Wi-mun, the difference between someone who lived by madness and someone who navigated the world through politics.
Hong Wi-mun muttered coldly.
“You’re quite skilled at making a fool of people with your wicked tongue. Then again, my third brother was always like that.”
It was a statement that both denied Seo Ryang's words and mocked him.
Naturally, Seo Ryang was completely unfazed.
He had no affection for the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon in the first place. One needs a deep relationship to get angry at another's sarcasm.
“I won't waste any more words. I shall, with my great magnanimity, overlook today's rudeness…”
“How magnanimous must you be to try and kill the man you call ‘brother’ from behind? You petty bastard.”
For a moment, killing intent flashed in Hong Wi-mun's eyes. He hadn't expected Seo Ryang to bring that up in a place like this.
“You should choose your next words carefully.”
“Me? Do I have to? Why?”
“Do you really intend to turn this into a mud-slinging match?”
It was a euphemism, but from Hong Wi-mun's perspective, it was the most direct he could be. He had always avoided the topic whenever it came up.
And in many ways, that had been the right choice. It could be seen as proper conduct for a successor candidate who wanted the support of the cultists.
“And why shouldn't I?”
“...!”
“Is there anyone who doesn't know we candidates are at each other's throats? It's not like we're fooling anyone, so is this really a topic we have to avoid?”
In an instant, the atmosphere in the area grew incomparably colder.
Hong Wi-mun, who had been staring blankly at Seo Ryang, opened his mouth.
“Did you come here to declare war?”
He had decided that further persuasion or feigning ignorance was pointless.
Seo Ryang grinned.
“Now we're finally talking.”
“…”
“Not exactly a declaration of war. I came because I have a proposal for you.”
“If you truly meant that, why didn't you come to my residence sooner?”
“When an elder comes to your house, the junior should have crawled to the guest hall saying, ‘Oh, thank you.’ Aren't you the one who kicked away the courtesy I offered?”
He wasn't wrong. But Hong Wi-mun had his own retort.
“Judging by your actions, you don't seem like someone who values courtesy. If you had a purpose, why did you muster non-existent patience and wait, instead of just barging in with that rude personality of yours?”
Seo Ryang's response to that was a masterpiece.
“I wanted to cause a bit of a scene.”
“...!”
“I knew you were going to take your sweet time anyway. Since they guided me to a special room, when would I get another chance to drink and feast on good food in such a lavish place?”
“…”
“I was waiting leisurely, half for fun.”
The corner of Hong Wi-mun's eye twitched. If he had his way, he would blow that bastard's head off right now.
“So, what is it you have to say?”
His words have gotten shorter.
Glancing around, Seo Ryang dropped a bombshell.
“How about we settle this cleanly, once and for all, today?”
“…?!”
“You don't enjoy scheming behind the scenes, do you? It must be a headache. You must be pissed off about what I did to you, too.”
“Don't tell me you mean…”
Seo Ryang tapped his sword.
“I am a sword. What are you?”
It meant they should end it with a single match, whether a duel or a fight to the death.
Hong Wi-mun was dumbfounded.
“Are you joking with me right now?”
“Do you waste your precious time and effort on someone you'd only joke with?”
“If you're making a reckless move just because there are many people watching…”
“Don't assume everyone is like you. That's a bad habit.”
Seo Ryang's nonchalant attitude left not only Hong Wi-mun but everyone else speechless. Even Wi Hongryeon, who had been watching the spectacle with a wide grin, thought, ‘What a madman.’
“I'll ask one last time.”
“What?”
“Did you really come all this way with this intention?”
“What else could I do? Our dear fourth brother is hiding away, whether out of fear or shyness. I despise petty scheming. Wouldn't it be more refreshing for both of us to settle this, win or lose?”
Were these really words that someone with the status of the Third Young Master could say?
As Hong Wi-mun stared blankly at Seo Ryang, a look of disappointment gradually clouded his face.
‘Was this all he amounted to?’
He had shown such an unexpected side that I thought he must have some ulterior motive. I thought he had laid a double or triple trap within his recklessness, something others couldn't even conceive of.
But that wasn't it. That bastard was being sincere.
Hong Wi-mun turned around.
“Clean up the guest hall! Call the laborers and have them clear the debris! Raise a new building within a month!”
His voice, ringing out, was full of dignity.
He acted as if Seo Ryang's group didn't even exist. The moment he realized Seo Ryang was serious, all his interest and tension vanished.
Ma Dongpil frowned. Wi Hongryeon growled like a beast. They knew Seo Ryang had gone too far, but to be ignored like that…
Hong Wi-mun shouted again.
“What are you all doing! Get moving at once—”
It was then.
Flinch.
“...!!”
*Fwoosh!*
Hong Wi-mun spun around and lowered his stance.
Seo Ryang smiled.
“Why?”
“…”
“Did the back of your neck tingle?”
Hong Wi-mun's eyes wavered.
‘What was that?’
In an instant, his back was damp with sweat.
Just as he was about to give up and return to his residence, he had the illusion of a grotesque beast—he couldn't tell if it was a tiger or a wolf—opening its maw wide and lunging at him.
The beast's breath on his ear. The sudden stench of game and killing intent. He felt a sense of crisis, as if his life would have been forfeit had he not reacted instantly.
“You know, your reactions are first-rate. You've trained well.”
“…?”
“I thought you were addicted to some nasty herbs, but it seems that's not the case. You've increased the efficiency of your solitary training with the power of herbs mixed with a minute hallucinogenic component. Is that the way of the Red Snake House?”
“...!”
“As expected of a prestigious demonic house. Your approach to martial arts is unique.”
An expression of shock, unseen by anyone, spread across Hong Wi-mun's face.
‘How?’
The reason he always smoked his pipe was none other than for his training.
Solitary training is a method based on imagination. One sets up a virtual opponent, predicts all sorts of variables to spar against, and then understands the strengths and weaknesses of one's own martial arts to master them.
It was similar to achieving enlightenment through meditation. After all, a master who has reached a certain level can see through an opponent's strength and reactions without even crossing hands.
The Red Snake House maximized the efficiency of that training through herbs. The pipe tobacco Hong Wi-mun always smoked was something called Illusion-Overcoming Herb, which the Red Snake House developed themselves.
“Well, it's a novel method, but…”
*Shing.*
Seo Ryang drew his sword again.
Unlike before, when he was deliberately trying to cause trouble, a dense killing intent now emanated from the blade.
“In the end, it's still just a game of imagination.”
“...!”
“Let's see just how effective martial arts gained through mere fantasy can be.”
“…”
“Come on. I won't take the first move.”
*Zzzzzing!*
A thick, violet demonic energy rose from Hong Wi-mun's body like a fog.
The King of Slaughter's Demonic Arts activated on its own, driven by the shock of having one of his secrets exposed and the sense of crisis from his opponent's now-serious provocation.
*Crack.*
A strange light glinted in Seo Ryang's eyes.
A change occurred in the hands of Hong Wi-mun, who was glaring at him and gradually lowering his stance.
‘Fingernails… how strange.’
Hong Wi-mun's fingernails instantly sharpened to a point. They also turned a glossy, smooth black.
‘They say Demonic Arts have many bizarre techniques, and it's true.’
*Shhhk.*
Seo Ryang pointed his sword at Hong Wi-mun. At the same time, a magnificent wave of energy erupted from his body.
Wi Hongryeon's eyes widened.
‘Unity of Spirit and Sword.’
The same state he had reached at the Jamiru. Hong Wi-mun, facing him, probably couldn't even see Seo Ryang's form anymore.
*Whoooosh.*
The killing intent wavered in the blowing wind, and the rising chill fanned the flames of anger.
It was truly a hair-trigger moment. A direct confrontation between successor candidates, a rare event in the history of the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon, was about to unfold before everyone's eyes.
It was then.
“Stop!”
*Kugugung!*
The main gate burst open, and a group of people stormed in.
“Enough! Stop this!”
Their urgent yet disciplined steps were impressive. A group of over thirty masters in black martial uniforms appeared, radiating an aura as sharp as a blade.
“Third Young Master, sheathe your sword! Fourth Young Master! You must also stand down!”
Seo Ryang frowned.
Who are these guys in black, throwing ash on a perfectly cooked meal?
Just then, Wi Hongryeon's face twisted. The sight of her emitting a madness akin to killing intent was quite striking.
“The Black Sun Guard of the Hall of Punishments!”
They were masters, each a match for a hundred, dispatched by the Hall of Punishments when a dispute within the cult became difficult to resolve. If the cultists of the Divine Cult were known as terrifying demons in the martial world, the Black Sun Guard of the Hall of Punishments was terror itself to the cultists.
Seo Ryang's eyes gleamed.
‘The Black Sun Guard? The Hall of Punishments' suppression squad!’
True to their notorious reputation for being the best, each and every one of them possessed martial skills no less than Wi Hongryeon's.
Uniquely, they all wore pure white masks. With only two empty eyeholes, the vacant white masks evoked a strange sense of fear in those who saw them.
One of the Black Sun Guards, a guard with a red dot engraved near the left eye of his mask, walked into the center between the two men.
“I am the Seventh Captain of the Hall of Punishments' Black Sun Guard.”
He did not kneel even when facing two men of the highest status in the cult. It was a sight that showed just how great the authority of the Black Sun Guard was.
The Seventh Captain bowed his head slightly.
“People are watching. I ask that you stop here.”
It was a gentle suggestion, but the pressure carried in his voice was extraordinary.
Hong Wi-mun, who had been watching Seo Ryang with tense eyes, suddenly sensed a presence and turned his head toward the gate.
‘Shin Hwe.’
The one who had called the Black Sun Guard was none other than Shin Hwe. It seemed he had reported to the Hall of Punishments in the middle of his investigation to prepare for a potential incident.
The Seventh Captain shouted to the cultists belonging to the guest hall.
“Quickly, clear the area!”
The startled cultists scattered. The Black Sun Guard inspired a different kind of fear than their master, the Fourth Young Master. Moreover, with a Captain-level officer present, this was no longer a place for them.
Seo Ryang, who had been quietly watching Hong Wi-mun, let out a small smirk.
“You've got a good subordinate.”
“…”
“Take good care of the life you saved thanks to him.”
*Thwack!*
Seo Ryang sheathed his sword with a sharp, disciplined motion and turned around.
“Commander Wi, Squad Leader Ma. Let's go.”
“Ah, yes!”
Without a backward glance, Seo Ryang walked out the gate. Ma Dongpil did the same.
Wi Hongryeon, however, turned her back and let out a short growl.
Surprisingly, her target was Hong Wi-mun.
“I thought you were a man of great courage. I'm disappointed.”
Hong Wi-mun's face contorted involuntarily.
The Seventh Captain stepped forward.
“Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit, you should leave as well. I advise you to return to your residence and reflect on your actions.”
Wi Hongryeon snorted briefly. But she didn't talk back.
And so, the short and violent incident came to an anticlimactic end.
Shin Hwe rushed over to Hong Wi-mun, out of breath.
“Young Master! Are you alright?”
“Shin Hwe.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Summon the Commander of the True Demon Unit at once.”
Killing intent rose in Hong Wi-mun's eyes.
“He wants a proper fight. It would be rude to refuse any longer.”
***
“Damn it! I'm embarrassed we even laughed and talked at the same drinking table! If it were me, I would've thrown the first punch out of sheer humiliation! Ugh.”
Wi Hongryeon grumbled incessantly.
To a cultist, pride was as important as life itself. To endure a situation like that meant one was not a true cultist. In other words, to Wi Hongryeon, Hong Wi-mun was no longer a cultist.
Ma Dongpil sighed.
“Still, it's a relief the fight didn't escalate.”
“What are you talking about? It's just getting started.”
“What do you mean…”
“Didn't you see that bastard's eyes? He was humiliated like that in front of all his subordinates. I bet his heart is choked with rage.”
Seo Ryang smiled faintly.
“Keep an eye on the True Demon Unit's movements. They'll definitely make a move soon, whether it's today or tomorrow.”