Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: Three Truths of the Southern Beast Palace
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After arriving at the Southern Beast Palace and staying there for a few days, Hyeok Mulin learned various facts about the place.
These were things that could never be known from books or rumors.
Only through direct experience could they be understood.
They could be summed up in three main facts.
First.
The Southern Beast Palace was far more difficult and treacherous to reach than the world imagined.
It wasn't called the frontier murim for nothing.
To even set foot in the Southern Beast Palace, one had to plunge deep into the heart of the Southern Frontier, navigating dense jungles with no paths at all—only those who knew the way could hack through and lead the way.
'And the presence of ferocious beasts was far greater than expected.'
The deeper they ventured into the jungle and the closer they got to the Southern Beast Palace, the more the beasts multiplied dramatically.
Surprisingly, after the guide escorting the delegation—clearly someone from the Southern Beast Palace—took charge, the threatening aura vanished as if the beasts recognized him.
Thus, unless a highly experienced guide from the Southern Beast Palace led the way, most people would undoubtedly end up as beast fodder long before reaching the center.
Second.
The power structure of the Southern Beast Palace was intricately intertwined.
On the surface, it might seem like the Palace Lord ruled through sheer strength under a law of the jungle.
But the reality was a bit different.
The Southern Beast Palace was a coalition of numerous tribes.
As such, the Palace Lord was essentially the chieftain of the tribe leaders who represented them.
To seize and hold power, the support of those tribe leaders was essential, so even after ascending to the throne, one had to constantly prove and flaunt their worth right up to the end.
Suli Tae had tried to prove it through raw power, while Suma Geon sought to do so through political maneuvering.
'Unlike the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Southern Beast Palace has no fixed requirements for claiming the throne.'
Whoever won over more tribe leaders at the right moment took the seat.
In fact, Suma Geon had swayed nearly nine tribe leaders and could have peacefully ousted his father with a moderate approach.
But due to his ruthless nature—which shed no tears for blood—he refused to leave any potential threats alive and ultimately decided to kill Suli Tae.
Finally, the third.
Something Hyeok Mulin sensed the moment he arrived at the Southern Beast Palace.
It was simply this.
The place fell short of his expectations.
The Southern Beast Palace shunned contact with the outside world.
Though the current Palace Lord had intensified that policy, they had never been one to forge deep ties with other factions anyway.
Cut off from contact with the murim of the Central Plains, they were stagnating and rotting away.
Moreover, as a coalition of various tribes...
'That's the biggest problem.'
Though a collective, their roots were all different.
Thus, each tribe was reluctant to reveal their martial arts, sharing nothing with outsiders.
They didn't even properly train promising disciples—merely passing techniques down within bloodlines.
In this closed-off environment, the Southern Beast Palace was unknowingly regressing.
Like frogs in a well.
'I felt it most strongly when I saw the Palace Lord.'
When asked which group held the greatest influence in the frontier murim, the Southern Beast Palace was always among the top handful.
The leader of such a formidable organization should have reached an awe-inspiring realm.
Yet upon meeting him face-to-face, Suli Tae's level fell short of Hyeok Mulin's expectations.
'The battle just now was the same.'
Suli Tae had struggled valiantly against dozens of tribe leaders but ultimately lost.
Even if they had spent years devising formations and honing their coordination to capture him, a defeat was a defeat.
If Hyeok Mulin had been in his place, no amount of preparation would have led to defeat—he was certain of that.
So, in the end.
The path was arduous, the structure complex, and their level disappointing.
Thus, what Hyeok Mulin had said to Suma Geon was the unvarnished truth, without a shred of exaggeration.
'Should I just wipe them out?'
His initial goal in contacting them as an envoy had been to carve out a major share in the father-son power struggle.
But after assessing the Southern Beast Palace's true state, Hyeok Mulin quickly changed his mind.
The gains didn't justify the effort.
So, he shifted objectives.
From alliance to domination.
With that, Hyeok Mulin extended one final hand to the Palace Lord.
'Follow me.'
It was an offer impossible to refuse, but if rejected, Hyeok Mulin truly intended to erase the Southern Beast Palace from the map.
And the result, as seen...
"Do you finally know your place?"
Hyeok Mulin, now master of the Palace Lord, unleashed an overwhelming aura.
"Guh... ugh..."
Suma Geon, struck head-on by it, let out a deep groan.
He merely stared with chilling eyes, but meeting Hyeok Mulin's gaze made Suma Geon feel like a naked mouse before a serpent.
Those eyes seemed to pierce straight to his core.
Yet Suma Geon was no weak-willed man.
With trembling hands, he drew the dagger from his side and plunged it into his own thigh.
Puuk!
It was a bizarre act of self-harm, but he achieved his goal.
Blood poured from the wound.
The pain barely opened a breathing room for him.
Grinding his teeth, Suma Geon whipped his head around and bellowed.
"What are you all doing?!"
The tribe leaders flinched.
"Move now and kill the Heavenly Demon! There's no escape! Don't you know you'll all die if you fail?!"
Suma Geon, gifted in politics, spun his thoughts swiftly.
The Heavenly Demon had extracted a loyalty oath from the Palace Lord without even questioning him.
It was as good as denying him any chance at life.
So he turned to pressuring the surrounding tribe leaders.
Rebellion always carried risks.
Failure meant inevitable purge.
Thus, Suma Geon sought to exploit their psychology.
'Move.'
Charge at the Heavenly Demon now.
If this rebellion ends so lamely, none of you will survive anyway.
His intent was clear, and he believed the pressure would shove them into action.
But he overlooked one crucial fact.
"I... I can't..."
"I cannot..."
The tribe leaders averted their eyes from Suma Geon, expressing refusal.
Suma Geon's eyes widened in shock as he raised his voice.
Why?
If things continued like this, none of you rebels would survive—why not fight to the bitter end?
As he prepared to voice that question, Suma Geon turned back to the man before him and realized the answer alone.
'Death.'
Standing against him now meant certain death.
Even if death loomed for the rebels, no one wanted to die right then.
The immediate terror of Hyeok Mulin outweighed any foreordained fate.
Suma Geon could only gaze at them with hollow despair.
To him, Hyeok Mulin spoke.
"It seems you're all alone. Has your resolve to kill me wavered?"
"Th-that's..."
Suma Geon's eyes no longer held the cold sharpness of a viper.
Only overwhelming fear toward a superior foe remained.
Hyeok Mulin stared at the man, unable to continue, then parted his lips.
"I'll give you one last chance."
"Pardon?"
"A chance to prove yourself."
Suma Geon's pupils shook at Hyeok Mulin's sudden words.
A chance—it was tempting, no doubt.
Prove himself? What could that mean...?
"Prove your martial prowess."
Martial prowess!
Suma Geon grasped the meaning.
"Who is my opponent?"
Prove it in the fighting pit? That meant prepare for battle.
He was confident.
Politics was his strength, but his martial arts weren't lacking.
He could easily overpower most tribe leaders one-on-one.
Emboldened, he asked about his foe while praying inwardly.
'Please, not the Heavenly Demon himself!'
As long as it wasn't him, Suma Geon was sure he could win against anyone.
And moments later, his wish came true.
"Only one opponent."
Hyeok Mulin pointed behind him.
Suma Geon followed the gesture and soon grinned ear to ear.
The one Hyeok Mulin indicated was the Palace Lord, slumped like a rag.
'A fight I can't lose.'
He acknowledged the Palace Lord's strength.
But he lacked the Heavenly Demon's overwhelming might, and now he could barely stand.
Dozens of wounds covered his body, fatigue from the prolonged battle piling up.
In this state, victory was certain.
No—absolute.
Convinced, Suma Geon accepted with a sinister smile.
"Understood. As per the Cult Leader's will, I shall fight him."
Prssch!
He yanked the dagger from his thigh and sealed the acupoint to staunch the blood temporarily.
Rising, he addressed Suli Tae.
"Get up. This is embarrassing to watch."
"..."
Moments later, Suli Tae slowly rose.
Pain lingered heavily, but he stood on his battered body and began to walk.
Stopping three zhang away from Suma Geon, he looked to Hyeok Mulin.
"Cult Leader, thank you for giving me this chance."
"A chance? You still don't see it."
Suma Geon sneered, one corner of his mouth twitching, and pointed at the ground.
"This is your grave, Palace Lord."
"..."
Suli Tae's gaze shifted to him.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I raised my son poorly."
Suma Geon scoffed in disbelief.
"What nonsense are you—"
Bam!
In an instant, Suli Tae closed the three-zhang gap and unleashed a palm strike.
An illusion of a tiger's forepaw swiping appeared.
Caught off-guard with no time to block, Suma Geon flew back into the wall and crumpled.
Cough—
Internal injuries forced blood from his mouth.
Suli Tae approached, staring down at him.
"So, regarding your upbringing..."
Though wounded and weary, a surge of strength welled up inexplicably. Suli Tae clenched his fist tight.
"We'll start over from now."