Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Report to the Eldest Daughter
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, inner fortress.
A lone cultist hurried along with quick steps.
Passing by opulent shops and the residences of high-ranking demonic experts, he paused for a moment, lifting his head to gaze in one particular direction.
As one strolled through the heart of the inner fortress, there was one spot that thrust itself into view without fail, no matter how casually you looked.
It was the cluster of grand halls towering two or three times higher than any other building, gleaming with dazzling splendor.
Mangwol Plaza.
That was where the Cheon Clan's grand manor stood.
He resumed his brisk pace and soon approached the main gate.
The massive entrance was so enormous it filled his entire field of vision.
As he drew near, the guards at the gate immediately blocked his path.
"State your identity and purpose for visiting the main household."
The cultist drew a iron medallion engraved with a peony from his bosom and held it up as he replied.
"I am from the Eight Divisions."
The guards nodded and promptly opened the gate.
Rumble rumble rumble―
Sunlight poured through the widening gap like a cascade as the doors slowly swung open.
Stepping through the fully opened entrance, a vast inner courtyard unfolded before his eyes.
Ponds, trees, walls, pavilions, stone structures, sculptures.
Every element exuded monumental grandeur.
The halls were no exception.
Towering, majestic buildings rose in dense array, each at least three stories high, radiating overwhelming presence.
Step step.
This was the largest estate among the Seven Great Demon Clans' manors, so even simply walking across it took no small amount of time.
Passing annexes, inner quarters, gardens, training grounds, and martial arenas, he pressed straight ahead.
After a long trek, he finally spotted a colossal grand hall soaring toward the open sky at the far end.
Gazing up at its staggering ten-story height, he clicked his tongue in awe.
"It's breathtaking no matter how many times I see it."
The Cheon Clan's grand manor—this grand hall stood at its rearmost point.
The identity of the one residing at its pinnacle was obvious to all.
But that was not his destination today.
His gaze slowly shifted to the lower right.
A hall positioned right beside the grand hall.
Without hesitation, he headed toward the modest two-story annex—the lowest structure in the entire estate.
Creak.
Opening the door and stepping inside, he was met with dozens of household retainers busy at their tasks.
Waiting there for a moment, a maid soon approached him.
She seemed to recognize his face, greeting him warmly.
"Young Hero Cheon, it's been a while. What brings you here?"
"I've come to see the Eldest Young Lady."
"Please wait just a moment."
As the maid hurried up the stairs, he waited and glanced around the interior.
This annex was the office space for the retainers handling the Eldest Young Lady's business ventures.
Originally, she had occupied the ninth floor of the adjacent grand hall, but recently she had insisted on separating herself and built this new annex.
Declaring a direction divergent from her father's, she had brought her loyal retainers and revamped the atmosphere.
'At first, everyone thought she was mad.'
But as time passed, no one could deny the Eldest Young Lady's foresight.
She had fused martial arts with business in ways no one had imagined, seizing success.
As a result, support for her within the main household surged overwhelmingly, granting her a unique position unmatched by anyone save the Clan Patriarch himself.
"Young Hero Cheon, please come up."
At the maid's voice, he ascended the stairs.
Passing several maids lined in the corridor, he stopped before a particular office.
The maid beside him cautiously knocked on the door, and a voice came from within.
"Enter."
The maid stepped back and bowed her head.
Composing himself and steadying his breath, he opened the door with a touch of tension.
Slide.
There, opposite him, sat a refined woman immersed in her work, as if she had stepped out of a masterpiece painting.
Her skin was flawless, like fine porcelain; her alluring eyes gleamed coldly, like a winter lake.
Her high nose bridge and delicate lips accentuated her chilling beauty.
Even those unaware of her identity would instantly recognize she was no ordinary person, her noble elegance radiating naturally.
"You've arrived."
Her hands and gaze still fixed on her documents, she parted her lips.
He dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
"I pay my respects to the Eldest Young Lady of the Cheon Clan. I am Cheon Jin-hak, Captain of the Bright Fire Squad under the Eight Divisions."
The Eight Divisions were her direct subordinates, divided into eight squads based on their specialties.
The Bright Fire Squad specialized in gathering and managing intelligence.
Cheon Seohee extended her hand wordlessly, and he placed the report he had brought atop it deferentially.
"Sit."
At her command, Cheon Jin-hak took the prepared chair nearby and waited.
As Cheon Seohee reviewed the document, he swallowed hard, focusing on her icy expression.
'I've met her several times before, yet she always makes me tense.'
The Cheon Clan's Eldest Young Lady, Cheon Seohee, always bore a frosty demeanor reminiscent of the iron-blooded Clan Patriarch.
Famed for never engaging in idle chatter outside of official business, she possessed a temperament as sharp as a blade.
After silently reading through the report, she finally spoke.
"The Pillarbase Sword Sect has sealed its gates and recalled its sword techniques."
"Yes. It seems the sect leader divulged the main household's name while recruiting disciples."
Cheon Seohee's business was both complex and straightforward.
She approached newly forming sword sects in other regions with a proposal: provide them a copy of the Cheon Clan's sword techniques and take a cut of their profits.
These were diluted versions, mere fragments from the fringes of the Cheon Clan's forms, yet more than enough to captivate the sect leaders.
And if they later misused it or leaked the Cheon Clan's name, she personally oversaw cleanup, severing ties cleanly.
"Handle the aftermath thoroughly. Don't leave any loose ends just to save a few coins."
"Understood."
As she glossed over the reported matter without comment, Cheon Jin-hak breathed a silent sigh of relief, having passed a major hurdle.
"Any other matters?"
"Nothing major, just some minor rumors worth noting. In the Jingtan region of Singang's eastern territories, over a dozen Taoist sects have united into a single faction..."
Cheon Jin-hak selected and reported a few miscellaneous pieces of worldly gossip.
Cheon Seohee listened impassively.
To her, none seemed particularly noteworthy, making them easy enough to hear.
"...And on top of that, rumors are circulating that the Hyeok Clan and Yagul Clan have formed an alliance."
"An alliance."
"Yes. Word is the Hyeok Clan has invested heavily in the Yagul Clan's liquor house ventures, which they were running independently. They're acquiring high-end taverns in the inner fortress and bundling them into a street highlighting musical performances."
"Quite an intriguing idea. Hard to see it failing without some catastrophe."
Letting out a faint note of admiration, Cheon Seohee regarded the news lightly.
Their liquor business was fundamentally different from hers, so there was no overlap or conflict.
Thus, it neither alarmed nor concerned her; she could view it objectively, as an outsider would.
"The Hyeok and Yagul Clans joining hands... The Yagul Clan Patriarch has made an unexpected choice."
"I found it odd as well and looked into it a bit. The situation is peculiar. It seems the Cult Leader himself acted as the bridge between the two clans."
Crack.
The sound of a brush snapping echoed sharply.
"Hm? Did I hear something strange...?"
Clueless to the source, Cheon Jin-hak glanced around in confusion.
The culprit herself, Cheon Seohee, casually picked up a new brush and fixed her gaze on him.
"What did you just say?"
"That the Cult Leader seems to have connected the Hyeok Clan and Yagul Clan..."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. From the circumstances, it's clear the Cult Leader was involved, at least indirectly, in brokering the alliance."
"......"
Cheon Seohee fell silent for a moment.
After a brief hush, her lips parted once more.
"Is the Yagul Clan's young lady involved in this venture by any chance?"
"Nothing confirmed, but given how often she visits the lead liquor house as the project's figurehead, I'd surmise some connection."
"...I see."
Her heart sinking, she bit her lower lip hard.
Resuming her paperwork, she dismissed him.
"Good work. You may go."
"Farewell, and may you remain well."
After Cheon Jin-hak bowed and departed, Cheon Seohee, alone in the office, closed her eyes tightly.
"Hoo... Why on earth is he doing this?"
It was just routine business reporting.
Yet every mention of the Cult Leader drew her nerves taut involuntarily.
All because of that man—the one she had divorced.
He had shattered her peaceful routine and still sent ripples across its surface.
The Cult Leader, Hyeok Mulin.
He was the problem.
'It just happened again.'
The moment she learned the Cult Leader was behind the unlikely union of Yagul and Hyeok Clans, the Yagul Clan's young lady, Yagul Sohwa, sprang to mind.
The simplest way to ally clans was through blood ties—marriage, obviously.
True, Hyeok Mulin had ascended as Cult Leader, distancing himself from his clan, but he was still of Hyeok blood.
The thought that those two might wed for the clans' alliance made her pounding heart impossible to calm.
'Yagul Sohwa... She was certainly a radiant beauty.'
Having crossed paths several times, she knew the woman boasted looks exceptional enough to be named among the Three Beauties of the Demonic Path alongside herself.
And her renown in enchanting men with music was no small thing.
Alternating thoughts of her and Hyeok Mulin, Cheon Seohee gripped her brush backward and tapped the desk.
The taps quickened gradually.
Then, abruptly, they stopped, and she spoke.
"You there."
"Yes, Eldest Young Lady."
Summoning the waiting maid outside, Cheon Seohee issued new orders.
"Monitor the Yagul Clan's young lady's movements closely and report any peculiarities."
"As you command."
The Hyeok and Yagul Clans joining forces was no trivial matter.
To counter their new venture, she needed to gather intel in advance.
...Yes, it's purely about their business.
Repeating this to herself, Cheon Seohee nodded firmly, convincing herself as best she could.