Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: The True Target
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Once Hyeok Mulin finished speaking, a chilling silence settled over the cavern.
And as time passed, the right and left heads of the Twin Brains slowly turned to face each other.
Cluck cluck cluck...
Kek kek kek...
They let out eerie chuckles.
The Twin Brains, who had conversed calmly and composedly until now, revealed a side completely opposite to that demeanor.
He tossed aside his mask and reverted to his true nature, fixing his gaze on Hyeok Mulin.
In his previous atmosphere, both the right and left heads addressed Hyeok Mulin.
"How did you figure it out?"
"We kept it all under the surface."
The reason the Twin Brains had lured the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad and Hyeok Mulin to Dankyeong was clear.
Ordinary people usually handled such matters quietly to avoid drawing attention to their true destination.
But the Twin Brains had devised a plan that ran counter to that of mere mortals.
'I made them see the barrenness of Dankyeong with their own eyes.'
Thus, he had shown Hyeok Mulin firsthand that Dankyeong held little value, intending to reveal a greater reward and secure an alliance.
Moreover, the Twin Brains had dug a double-layered trap, proceeding without recklessness.
In truth, Dankyeong was mere bait to conceal their real aim: Shaanxi Province.
The Twin Brains believed that only figures like the Murim Alliance's Heavenly Sky Immortal or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Illusion Shadow Demon Lord could pierce the essence of his scheme.
But unexpectedly, Hyeok Mulin had unraveled it and struck at the core, leaving the Twin Brains in profound admiration.
Hyeok Mulin spoke indifferently to the Twin Brains.
"To serve as your battlefield, it had to be somewhere like Shaanxi, didn't it?"
Dankyeong, where the current battle raged, was no small territory.
But it wasn't substantial enough to satisfy the Four Black Clans, nor was it a strategic stronghold comparable to the Murim Alliance.
In the end, their target had been Shaanxi Province from start to finish.
'It was this moment.'
Beyond this logical deduction, Hyeok Mulin had recalled something while battling the Gusa Sect in Dankyeong.
A massive incident from his previous life that had shaken the Central Plains.
The Shaanxi Bloodbath, when relations between the relatively quiet Four Black Clans and the Murim Alliance had rapidly deteriorated.
And he realized that he now stood at the very starting point of that event.
'Ninety-nine out of a hundred would have been convinced by his tale.'
The Twin Brains had conducted the negotiations boldly, using his unique persuasiveness to promise satisfying terms.
Most people would naturally have taken his hand.
But due to a fact the Twin Brains neither knew nor could ever know, his plan had gone awry.
Hyeok Mulin, armed with prior memories, already knew the Four Black Clans' objectives and direction clearly.
Unaware of this, the Twin Brains gazed at Hyeok Mulin with an expression of genuine wonder.
"You saw through it all?"
"I have no choice but to acknowledge it."
Dankyeong had never been aligned with the Four Black Clans' true goal.
It was merely a bridgehead the Twin Brains had set up to meet Hyeok Mulin.
"Sacrificing the Gusa Sect just for one night's meeting. You've got some guts."
At Hyeok Mulin's words, the Twin Brains laughed in a dissonant manner.
"The Gusa Sect?"
"Losing one puny sect doesn't even register as a loss for us."
The Twin Brains actually felt relieved.
The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, known only by rumors until now.
He could confirm with his own eyes the grand spirit and ambition Hyeok Mulin possessed.
Trading the annihilation of the Gusa Sect and yielding Dankyeong for a direct encounter felt like a bargain.
"So now, you'll make your decision?"
"Our intentions remain unchanged. It's just that the scope has widened from Dankyeong to Shaanxi Province."
Staring at Hyeok Mulin with his four eyes, the Twin Brains continued.
"Can you promise not to intervene in the coming conflicts between the righteous and evil factions in Shaanxi?"
"Of course, if you agree, we'll offer compensation worthy of it."
Shrugging his shoulders, the Twin Brains casually listed the rewards.
"If you wish, we could even hand over one of the Ten Great Evil Masters."
The Twin Brains made the outrageous offer of ceding one of the era's top ten unorthodox masters.
Hyeok Mulin's response came swiftly and was succinct.
"I'll pass."
It was an unbelievably favorable deal, yet Hyeok Mulin rejected it without hesitation.
The Twin Brains, seemingly half-expecting it, asked calmly.
"May I hear the reason?"
"It would have been a win for both sides with no losses, so there's no reason to refuse."
With that, Hyeok Mulin slowly rose from his seat and spoke.
"The demons of my cult have the right to roam the world by their own free will. I have no intention of accepting a proposal that suppresses the demonic path."
Ending the conversation, Hyeok Mulin headed out of the cavern, leaving one final message.
"It was a fairly intriguing negotiation. Next time we meet, I hope you bring a different proposal."
With those words, Hyeok Mulin stepped forward.
Soon after, as he walked away, the Twin Brains called out to his back.
"Before you go, one last question."
"In your view, where do you think our next target is?"
Halt.
At the question, Hyeok Mulin stopped in his tracks.
Then, he slowly curved his lips.
"The Nine Great Righteous Sects."
The entity he named was unmistakable.
The two pillars of the righteous faction in Shaanxi Province.
Mount Hua.
And Zhongnan.
They were the next targets of the Four Black Clans.
"...!"
At those words, the Twin Brains' eyes flashed like lightning for an instant before he lowered his head and chuckled gutturally.
'He never fails to exceed expectations.'
Feeling ecstasy at Hyeok Mulin's answer, he raised his hand in satisfaction.
"Farewell."
With that farewell, Hyeok Mulin gradually faded from view.
Left alone in the cavern, the Twin Brains' right and left heads slowly met each other's gaze.
Then, baring their teeth, they grinned ear to ear.
"We did well to meet him, didn't we?"
"We did well to meet him!"
Cluck cluck cluck!
Kek kek kek!
The Twin Brains' bizarre laughter echoed through the dark lair, resounding at length.
After Hyeok Mulin's meeting with the Twin Brains, the Gusa Sect declared closed gates and fully withdrew.
With their disappearance, the battle in Dankyeong ended in a crushing victory for the Danri Clan.
This was no ordinary achievement for them.
The balance between righteous and evil forces centered on Dankyeong had now decisively tipped toward the righteous side.
'Once a balance crumbles, it's hard to restore.'
It was only a matter of time before the Danri Clan fully seized control of Dankyeong.
Having concluded the battle on such a positive note, the Danri Clan held a grand victory feast at their estate.
It was a massive banquet inviting not only the clan's warriors and retainers but also Dankyeong's influential figures and common folk.
Though it entailed significant expense, compared to the wealth they would reap from controlling Dankyeong, it was negligible.
Thus, everyone ate, drank, chatted merrily, and enjoyed the feast at the Danri estate.
And the stars of the banquet were unmistakable.
"We truly thank you! You saved this Dankyeong!"
The Falling Dragon Guild, hailed as heroes by the Danri Clan and the locals, received their gratitude at the center of the estate.
They all knew.
Had the Falling Dragon Guild not joined the Danri Clan against the Gusa Sect, the outcome would likely have been the opposite.
Smiling broadly, they expressed their heartfelt thanks to the Falling Dragon Guild.
But not everyone shared the same thoughts.
In one corner, some sulked with crumpled faces, sullenly pouring and downing drinks.
They were the Danri Clan's young masters, excluding Danri Hyang.
They had shown little prowess in the battle against the Gusa Sect and even embarrassed themselves, leaving them completely sidelined at this feast.
Pushed overnight from the family's center to the fringes, the young masters glared at the Falling Dragon Guild and spat curses among themselves.
"Who do these nobodies think they are, playing heroes?"
"Hearing 'great hero' for the first time in their lives, they've lost all sense of place."
"I've got their faces memorized, those bootlickers."
Their glares at the Falling Dragon Guild soon shifted to Danri Hyang beside them.
"That guy's the real problem."
"Bringing in those ragtag ronin to the main house?"
"Kicking them out once was hard enough; doing it twice won't be."
"He's practically an outsider already—no way the main house accepts him."
As they took turns badmouthing Danri Hyang, the Fourth Young Master, who had been watching nervously, cautiously spoke up.
"Still, thanks to Hyang, the clan was revived from the brink..."
"What nonsense is that?!"
Instantly, the other young masters glared at him with fiery eyes.
They raised their voices at the Fourth Young Master, eyes bulging.
"If we'd had more time, we could've handled it ourselves!"
"He barged in out of nowhere and stole our credit like a coward!"
Anyone could see their claims were nonsense.
But cowed by their ferocious momentum, the Fourth Young Master swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly.
"Y-yeah. Kinda seems that way..."
The others spat in disgust at him and turned away.
As the Fourth Young Master sighed in relief, a voice rose from the estate's center.
"It's a blessing to meet you all again in Dankyeong's heart, smiling together."
All eyes turned to Danri Mae, the Danri Clan Patriarch, as he spoke.
"Dankyeong faced peril from the blades of evil, but with the clan and its people united in purpose, we overcame it. My deepest thanks."
Expressing gratitude and praise to the family's retainers and locals, Danri Mae then shifted his gaze to Hyeok Mulin.
"And those who contributed most to this victory are undoubtedly the Falling Dragon Guild. Their martial prowess, especially that of their Guild Master, was a tremendous aid to the clan."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Danri Mae continued.
"And all this was possible thanks to Hyang, who returned to us from afar."
Gazing at Danri Hyang, Danri Mae lifted the corners of his mouth.
"Thank you. And though late, welcome home once more."
"Waaaaah!"
"Fifth Young Master, thank you for not forgetting us!"
"Welcome back to the clan!"
Retainers and guests showered Danri Hyang with endless gratitude.
Soon after, Danri Mae raised his hand to quiet them.
In the restored hush, he spoke again.
"Truth be told, the clan has long wrestled with an old dilemma: who to entrust as the next Young Clan Head to lead the Danri Clan's future."
"Hm?"
"No way..."?
Some caught on, their pupils dilating.
Danri Mae pressed on with a voice firm in resolve.
"Battling the Gusa Sect has resolved that long-standing worry cleanly."
Looking at Danri Hyang, he declared.
"Fifth Young Master Danri Hyang. From this moment, I appoint you as the next Young Clan Head."
For Danri Mae, who had agonized over the other young masters' inadequacies, Danri Hyang was like a treasure that had suddenly appeared.
The gap between him and the others was vast, making the decision easier than ever.
But at those words, the young masters in the corner shot to their feet in protest.
"Father! What do you...!"
"Hold your tongues!"
Danri Mae cut them off sharply with a chilling aura.
"I never gave you leave to speak here."
Flinch.
The young masters trembled at the patriarch's warning.
Danri Mae turned back to Danri Hyang with a gentle tone.
"You alone are fit to lead the clan's future."
Everyone except the young masters nodded in full agreement.
Danri Hyang was more than qualified.
It hadn't been long since he reappeared in Dankyeong.
Yet his swordsmanship and undeniable achievements far surpassed the accomplishments the other young masters had accumulated.
"Congratulations on your ascension to Young Clan Head!"
"We entrust the Danri Clan's prosperity to you!"
The crowd cheered endlessly with applause and shouts for the new Young Clan Head.
Then, moments later.
Amid the cheers, Danri Hyang smiled faintly and spoke calmly.
"I must decline."
This blade's master is but one in all the world.