Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Returned by the Young Leader's Command
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54
We parted ways with the Kunlun Three Elders right there on the spot.
It was to allow Do Seonghyeon to slip away before the North Sea Demonic Sect's surveillance net could close in.
However, one of the elders stayed behind with me to maintain contact with them.
On the road back to the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
Only then did First Elder remove his mask and gasp in shock at the sight of my face.
"Young Leader, that face—"
"You know why I've kept it hidden all this time, right?"
I switched back to my usual casual tone, dropping the stern Young Leader speech.
First Elder nodded gravely.
"You chose the Dang Clan as the nest for our sect's revival, did you not? Best to keep the number of people who know to an absolute minimum."
If Second or Third Elder got captured on their way back, it could ruin everything.
I planned to tell the Vampire Demon only later, as well.
"I'm deeply grateful that even a worthless follower like me has been shown your true face."
"Watch your tone in the manor."
"What should I call you?"
"Young master?"
"H-How could a lowly demon like me—"
"Watch your words, too. Call me that inside, and we're all done for."
"I shall correct myself."
"And ease up on the formal speech."
First Elder broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes darting around wildly.
In the Dark Demon Mythic Sect, the Sect Leader is seen as the incarnation of the Divine King and Great Demon God.
Naturally, it would feel psychologically impossible for him to treat me, the heir to become the new incarnation, so casually.
But this was the Central Plains, and reviving the Mythic Sect required changes in many areas.
Changing First Elder's attitude was essential.
"Then... my lord... no, I'll call you that."
"Good. Much better."
Even "my lord" felt too worldly for him, though, leaving him visibly uncomfortable.
Watching his awkward expression up close was endlessly entertaining.
"If anyone asks how we met, say we bonded after I helped you fight a Black Bone Ghost Valley demon in the Black Bone Ghost Ravine—"
We were aligning our stories when—
Kee-eeek!
A raucous cry suddenly pierced the sky.
Both First Elder and I looked up.
"Some strange bird is heading this way!"
A hawk dove straight toward us.
It radiated such an ominous aura that it instinctively felt grotesque.
First Elder reflexively moved to shield me, but I held out a hand to stop him.
"It's fine."
"But—"
"It's an ally."
"??"
First Elder tilted his head in confusion.
I just smiled and extended my right arm.
The hawk landed naturally on my forearm, spreading its wings wide.
"「By the Young Leader's command, I have completed all missions and returned!!」"
A welcome face after so long.
It was Onma.
Kee-eeek!
"「Oh, you're finally back.」"
"「Your presence has completely changed. Did devouring all those ghouls cause this transformation?」"
The wraiths greeted Onma warmly but couldn't hide their jealousy at his drastic change.
This guy really looked different now.
His body had at least doubled in size since he left.
"Aren't you a bit too fat?"
"「How could that be, milord! It's just the growth spurt! All that will turn to bone and flesh... no, muscle!!」"
Growth spurt, my ass.
He definitely just gorged himself.
Why was he so full of excuses?
I shook my head.
On the other hand, I couldn't help thinking:
After wiping out the White Bone Net Demon's forces and now the ranches too...
The Black Bone Ghost Valley must be furious by now.
"「And I have a separate report, milord.」"
"A report?"
"「Something I found while raiding multiple ranches.」"
Onma's chest rumbled, and he suddenly hacked up... something.
Curious, I leaned in for a closer look.
A gleaming red gem.
Something seemed to shimmer inside it.
My face hardened instantly.
"This is...?"
* * *
"Just where the hell is that thing?!"
Gu Min-chae scanned the surroundings, frowning deeply.
After sending Baek San off, he'd been pursuing reports of Onma appearing nearby.
It was due to an urgent order delivered through the Demon Heaven Hawk's network while tracking the Dark Demon Mythic Sect remnants.
—Intelligence indicates the monster raiding Black Bone Ghost Valley's ranches has returned to Sichuan. It's tied to some unidentified force residing in the Dang Clan. Uncover its identity and capture it.
The order came directly from his father, the North Sea Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader rarely issued orders personally, usually delegating to subordinates.
For him to do so meant the matter was of utmost importance.
Gu Min-chae begrudged handing off the prey he'd chased this far, but defying the North Sea Sect Leader was impossible.
The problem? Next to no intel on the monster.
It was hawk-like, man-sized, with stamina to fly a thousand li without tiring...
How do you even track something like that?
Hawks weren't rare, and one that fast would be a blur to the naked eye.
The North Sea Sect Leader wasn't the understanding type to account for such excuses—it fell squarely on Gu Min-chae.
Who, in turn, dumped it on his subordinates.
Fortunately, the Red Bone Evil Cry from Black Bone Ghost Valley excelled at tracking ghouls, narrowing it down.
"Kekekeke, why the rush? We're almost there. All our Ghost Valley walking corpses carry Black Demon Essence, so they can't escape my Essence-Seeking Mourning Cry."
Among Black Bone Ghost Valley's Twelve Black Ghosts, Red Bone Evil Cry had the most unique abilities.
Where White Bone Net Demon manipulated ghouls to shake spirit sects, Red Bone Evil Cry bewitched humans and summoned ghouls with its cries.
Cries had long signified funerals—
Guides for fresh souls to find their way to the afterlife without wandering the nine heavens, marking the fragile line between life and death.
Such traits often manifested in monsters.
Red Bone Evil Cry exploited this to pursue its "host."
He bristled at Gu Min-chae's nagging about the delay.
'Hmph! Ignoramuses who know nothing of sorcery always demanding quick results.'
Irritated at being scorned by someone even his father dismissed, he focused on the task.
To recover Ghost Valley's losses, they needed the host.
Unreported to the North Sea Sect Leader yet: the host had stolen their most prized treasure.
'Recover it before that bastard notices! Or we'll draw suspicion.'
Red Bone Evil Cry's eyes gleamed coldly.
Gaaaaah!
The sound waves he'd scattered returned.
He sensed the host's aura.
"Over there!"
Paat!
But the location was utterly unexpected.
"...What the hell is this?"
"Th-This is—"
Even Red Bone Evil Cry was speechless.
The area was blanketed in ice.
A telltale sign of the North Sea Demonic Sect's Ice White Divine Art.
Signs of fierce combat: shattered ice, blade marks everywhere.
Worse, besides the host's aura, a very familiar scent lingered.
"Baek San... was here?"
It was unmistakably Baek San's energy.
To Gu Min-chae, Baek San was a mentor, a paternal figure standing in for the North Sea Sect Leader.
He'd recognize the traces anywhere.
Even signs of Heart-Consuming Ice Poison activation.
An incomplete technique requiring massive inner energy—like a bee's stinger.
Using it meant life-or-death desperation.
But Baek San was gone.
No corpse.
"Aren't you going to explain what happened?!"
Gu Min-chae's rage made Red Bone Evil Cry sweat and backpedal.
'I don't know either, damn it!'
Gu Min-chae had already drawn his blade with murderous eyes.
Srrrring!
Life-Seizing Blade.
One of the North Sea Demonic Sect's three great demonic weapons, earning him the moniker "Seven Seconds Life-Seizer."
The blade's edge gleamed icily, chillingly.
Danger!
Red Bone Evil Cry's mind raced.
"If you don't answer properly, you'll die here—"
"N-Nine Dragons Branch Family!!"
"What?"
With the blade at his neck, Red Bone Evil Cry blurted anything.
"Th-The 'host' we were chasing mutated from a ghoul we sent to assassinate the Nine Dragons Branch Family's son, for reasons unknown!"
"Nine Dragons Branch Family?"
"Y-Yes!"
The Life-Seizing Blade paused.
Blood trickled from the shallow cut.
"Tell me more."
"W-We used White Bone Net Demon as vanguard to infiltrate the Nine Dragons Branch Family alongside the South Palace Clan—"
"If you're just spouting known facts—"
"No! This is the key part!"
"What?"
"To ensure successful infiltration, we were currying favor with the family matriarch, Namgung San-yeong. Then she requested we assassinate her stepson."
Meant to buy time, but rambling helped sort his jumbled thoughts.
"The assassin we sent died mysteriously, and the ghoul suddenly mutated into the host and started raiding our ranches."
"For unknown reasons?"
"Yes! White Bone Net Demon is investigating, but as you know, we haven't fully penetrated the Nine Dragons Branch Family yet—"
"Everyone knows how insular the Dang Clan is."
"Th-That's why it's taking time. White Bone Net Demon is pressing Namgung San-yeong, but the real issue is there's no trace of any organization behind that stepson."
Red Bone Evil Cry spilled everything shared by White Bone Net Demon.
The stepson had been treated like trash by the Nine Dragons Branch Family just months ago.
Then he changed, gradually disrupting Black Bone Ghost Valley's plans.
Gu Min-chae couldn't ignore that something was off.
"...That stepson seems suspicious."
"Exactly! His backers must be tied to this!"
Gu Min-chae's eyes cooled to ice.
'Baek San vanished pursuing Mythic Sect remnants. The stepson seemingly controlling the host monster shares the same movements... Coincidence?'
Only one conclusion:
—The unidentified backers might be linked to the Dark Demon Mythic Sect somehow.
"!!!"
Realizing this, Gu Min-chae's instincts screamed not to take it lightly.
"What's the stepson's name?"
"Dang Un-hwi."
"...What?"
"Dang Un-hwi—"
Un-hwi.
Hearing those two syllables, Gu Min-chae's eyes turned frigid.
Reincarnated Demon God Chronicles