Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Heaven-Rivaling Nine Souls Sword
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'...What?'
In response to Hyeok Mulin's utterly unexpected reply, Hyeok Gyojeon stared blankly ahead.
He mulled over what he'd just heard, and once he grasped its true meaning, he hurriedly opened his mouth.
"Wait, what do you mean...!"
"Exactly what I said. Take your time to think it over."
Cutting him off with a curt response, Hyeok Mulin turned and walked away.
Hyeok Gyojeon watched his retreating figure in a daze until he vanished, then turned his gaze to the training ground where Hyeok Mulin had stood moments before.
He was staring at empty air, but the image of his brother's movements lingered vividly in his mind.
"The Heart Sword... will become our family's martial art?"
Before the memory faded, Hyeok Gyojeon swung his sword just as his brother had.
He hadn't mastered it yet, so it was merely a clumsy imitation, but even swinging it roughly sent chills down his spine.
Even a rough approximation revealed the immense power contained within.
'What the hell has brother created...?'
Awe.
That was his impression of the brother he was seeing after a full year.
"It seems you haven't just been playing around all this time."
Emerging from the training ground, Hyeok Mulin's lips curved into a pleased smile.
Having inspected Hyeok Gyojeon's swordsmanship, Hyeok Mulin was satisfied with his growth.
There had been a time when he'd worried his brother might abandon the sword altogether.
His brother was a swordsman with traits different from his own, yet every defeat in sparring had instinctively driven him to mimic Hyeok Mulin.
'But it was just my needless concern.'
Instead, leaving the main family after becoming Cult Leader had turned out to be a boon for him.
He'd shed the habit of shadowing others and honed his own unique swordsmanship.
His consistent passion for the sword shone through in every movement.
'He's the one who's going to become the Hyeok Clan's Patriarch. He can't afford not to.'
The current Patriarch and his uncle, Hyeok Gongun, was only interim.
Once Hyeok Gyojeon matured, he would naturally step down, and given his personality, he wouldn't cling to the position.
'In my previous life, it took about twenty years.'
At the very least, Hyeok Gyojeon needed to reach a level where he could hold his ground against the other elders' presence to take the Patriarch's seat.
In the past, it had taken quite some time to get there, and until then, Hyeok Gongun had shielded him from external pressures while holding the position.
He planned to halve that period.
He intended to hasten Hyeok Gongun's retirement from the Patriarch's seat, doing what he couldn't in his previous life.
"If he grasps even half of the family martial art, he'll gain supreme enlightenment. Assuming it takes two or three years to reach that point quickly..."
Holding his chin, Hyeok Mulin roughly gauged Hyeok Gyojeon's growth trajectory.
As he pondered deeply while heading out of the overall training grounds, he sensed a presence and looked up.
There stood Hyeok Gongun, the Hyeok Clan Patriarch, waiting ahead.
Upon meeting Hyeok Mulin's eyes, he smiled warmly before quickly composing himself and clasping his hands together in a respectful bow.
"Greetings to Your Dignified Holiness, the Cult Leader."
There was no need for such formality.
Perhaps wary of the clan members watching, he was being extra careful with etiquette toward Hyeok Mulin.
What a stubbornly formal man, Hyeok Mulin thought.
"It's been a while since I've seen you too, Patriarch. I hope you've been well."
"Yes. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"That's a relief. We'll catch up on the rest inside."
"Of course. Where would you like to go?"
"To the Patriarch's Quarters."
"Understood."
Hyeok Mulin and Hyeok Gongun began strolling through the compound together.
Along the way, he distinctly felt eyes upon him.
"......"
Several clan members were watching them from various spots in the compound.
To be precise, they were staring not at the Patriarch, but at him, the Cult Leader.
Yet they only watched from afar, none approaching.
It could be the distance created by his status as Cult Leader, but it didn't seem to be the only reason.
'The clan's atmosphere is split right down the middle.'
Among the gazes directed at him, roughly half carried warmth like respect and concern.
But the other half brimmed with resentment, betrayal, and disappointment.
And Hyeok Mulin fully understood them.
After the divorce, he'd deliberately distanced himself for the clan's sake, but from their perspective, it might feel different.
Like he'd become the Heavenly Demon, prioritized his own status, and plunged the clan into hardship right after.
For those unaware of the full circumstances, such misunderstandings were only natural.
Swipe.
As Hyeok Mulin turned his head, they hastily hid themselves.
What would they know?
He had no intention of rebuking their impertinent stares.
Their feelings were all for the clan, after all.
'Just wait a little longer.'
Now that he was here, the Hyeok Clan would change from this point on.
Continuing onward, Hyeok Mulin strode directly to the Patriarch's Quarters.
Once inside, Hyeok Mulin and Hyeok Gongun sat across from each other at a table.
On the table sat teacups that Hyeok Gongun had prepared in advance.
The tea leaves floating in the water gave off a deep yellow hue—it appeared to be premium yellow tea.
Hyeok Mulin gazed at it with a pang of regret.
'Things must be even tougher inside than they appear on the surface.'
The premium yellow tea wasn't bad in taste or aroma, but it wasn't nearly lavish enough to serve a guest of the Cult Leader's stature.
He'd already suspected as much upon entering.
The Hyeok Clan's main gate and halls retained their dignified grandeur, but the number of servants had dwindled, and cracks in some buildings had been left unrepaired.
Since outsiders couldn't see inside the compound, they'd pushed repairs to the back burner.
From these signs, he could gauge the extent of the clan's financial straits.
Hyeok Gongun, fully aware of this, opened his mouth with a bitter, ashamed expression.
"I apologize for the poor hospitality."
Hyeok Mulin, more than anyone—as former Patriarch—knew this wasn't deliberate neglect.
Sipping silently, Hyeok Mulin stared at his teacup and spoke.
"It's warm. Could I trouble you for another cup?"
"...Of course."
Hyeok Gongun's heart ached at Hyeok Mulin's consideration.
He refilled the teacup with fresh tea and sat back down.
In the slightly warmer atmosphere, Hyeok Mulin spoke first.
"It's been truly ages since I last came here."
"I can imagine."
In truth, it had only been about a year since Hyeok Mulin left the main family's halls and Patriarch's Quarters upon becoming Cult Leader—not that long.
But including his previous life, it had been decades since he'd been here.
Thus, it truly felt like an eternity, stirring unique emotions.
Hyeok Mulin calmly surveyed the Patriarch's Quarters.
Memories flooded back vividly, as if recovering lost reminiscences.
Watching him, Hyeok Gongun subtly smiled and said,
"You've come at the perfect time. No matter the external pressures, the Hyeok Clan can endure."
Hyeok Gongun knew, of course.
He was aware that Hyeok Mulin had deliberately distanced himself from the clan for its sake all this time.
But he was human too.
Handling everything alone must have been fraught with difficulties.
And now that he was expanding his influence, he'd need the main family's strength.
Even so, he'd delayed his visit out of concern for the clan.
"Is the Cheon Clan still cold-shouldering the main family?"
"Yes. We've tried everything to mend fences, but they show no willingness even to talk. Their feelings seem deeply hurt."
He'd offered monetary compensation despite their own tight finances or sent precious gifts.
But all were rejected and returned; they'd shut their gates like an iron fortress, completely cutting off the Hyeok Clan.
"I see."
"It's fine. We still have plenty of leeway, so no need to worry."
A lie.
Even when relations had been good, the Hyeok Clan had eventually crumbled.
Now that ties had soured, the deterioration must be accelerating rapidly.
The state of the walls and halls alone showed they were already struggling.
At this rate, they'd collapse in two or three years.
"You don't need to shoulder everything alone. I wish you'd share some of your burden with me."
"Cult Leader......"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Hyeok Gongun's nose stung, his eyes reddening.
He was already fighting tougher battles within the cult than the clan's mere survival—yet even there, he thought of them.
Shameless as it was, he felt sorry and grateful.
But that lasted only a moment before his expression darkened.
Realistically, an alliance between a powerless clan and a powerless Cult Leader wouldn't magically resolve the crisis.
Biting his lower lip in frustration, Hyeok Gongun—
Hyeok Mulin interjected casually.
"I've brought one alternative."
"An alternative, you say?"
As Hyeok Gongun tilted his head, Hyeok Mulin nodded and continued.
"How about allying with the Yagul Clan?"
"The Yagul Clan? We'd have no reason to refuse, of course, but..."
Among the Seven Great Demon Clans, they ranked in the top three for wealth.
Forming ties and building solid relations could extricate them from their current woes in one fell swoop.
But coldly assessing it, they had zero reason to partner with the Hyeok Clan.
"There's nothing to convince them with..."
As Hyeok Gongun sighed, Hyeok Mulin rummaged in his bosom.
He pulled out a single manual and offered it.
"......?"
Puzzled by the inexplicable gesture, Hyeok Gongun took the manual and looked down.
"Heaven-Rivaling Nine Souls Sword?"
Hyeok Gongun stared at Hyeok Mulin in bewilderment, but he merely smiled faintly.
'What is this?'
Harboring questions, Hyeok Gongun opened the manual and began reading.
And before even an incense stick had burned down, his entire body shuddered violently.
"Th-this is...!"
It was the Hyeok Clan's family martial art—or what he'd only vaguely imagined from oral traditions.
The lost family martial art, now complete.
He devoured the manual in one breathless read, noting that later sections included unfamiliar forms.
"It's not the fully intact family martial art. I've added a few things myself."
Astonishment flickered across Hyeok Gongun's face at those words.
The forms divided into early, middle, and late stages all shared a cohesive flow, without the slightest awkwardness.
Not only restored, but reinterpreted and advanced.
The word "genius" was the only one that came to mind.
"Now, the Eight Battles Heart Souls Sword will evolve into the Heaven-Rivaling Nine Souls Sword as the main family's signature swordsmanship."
Gripping the manual tightly at Hyeok Mulin's bold declaration—
"Indeed, with this...!"
It would be enough to persuade the Yagul Clan.
Only then did he understand Hyeok Mulin's confidence.
"You've endured long enough. No need to hold back any longer."
Hyeok Mulin nodded and continued.
"The time has come for the Hyeok Clan to soar."
Finishing his words, Hyeok Mulin rose slowly from his seat.
Turning, he added,
"Next time, I'll summon you and the Sixth Elder together for a meeting."
"Cult Leader, how can I ever repay this grace..."
Grace, indeed.
He'd already received ample repayment when Hyeok Gongun sided with him at the regular assembly.
Even so.
"If you speak of grace."
As Hyeok Mulin began, Hyeok Gongun tensed, swallowing hard.
Chuckling softly at the sight, Hyeok Mulin continued.
"Next time, treat me to another cup of warm tea."
"......!"
Overcome, Hyeok Gongun bowed deeply.
To hide his tears, he kept his head down and raised his voice.
"Yes...!"
Leaving him behind, Hyeok Mulin slowly exited the Patriarch's Quarters.
At the entrance waited Jang Wi and Sima Jin.
As Hyeok Mulin walked on, they naturally fell in step behind him.
Along the way through the compound, Sima Jin spoke up.
"Did the discussion conclude well?"
"Yes. The Seventh Elder is trustworthy."
Responding briefly, Hyeok Mulin kept looking ahead and asked in return,
"Have you finished with the chief steward?"
"Yes. With the Patriarch's permission, I reviewed all financial income and expenditures for the past fifty years."
Nodding, Hyeok Mulin parted his lips.
"Then, were there any anomalies?"
Sima Jin replied in a gravely sunken voice.
"Yes. Just as you said, Cult Leader."
In that instant, his eyes gleamed with sharp menace.
"There is a rat in this place."