Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Mission to the Myriad Gold Money House
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Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Heavenly Demon Palace.
A woman was crossing the Heavenly Demon Palace, following behind a demonic martial artist.
There was no hesitation in her steps, but questions lingered in her mind.
'What on earth could it be that he's summoning me personally?'
A few days earlier, a secret message had arrived at the Secret Affairs Hall.
It was an order from the Cult Leader, commanding the Head of the Secret Affairs Hall to come to the Heavenly Demon Palace.
And so, with no idea what it was about, Cho Sahyeon had headed straight for the palace, where she was met at the entrance by a demonic martial artist who led her inside.
'This feels a bit ominous.'
Unlike the usual routine of submitting reports as instructed, a personal summons like this had to mean it was no ordinary matter.
Memories of a past experience began to creep into her mind.
'There was that one time before.'
She had been called to the Heavenly Demon Palace exactly once in the past, and back then, she had been taken directly to the Cult Leader's training chamber.
From there, she had been dragged along under the Cult Leader's personal guidance to the black market in Full Moon Valley.
Thinking back on it, she couldn't help but sense something suspicious about this summons too.
Surely he wasn't planning to take her somewhere again?
There hadn't been any signs of major incidents brewing in Xinjiang lately...
As she walked, lost in various speculations, Cho Sahyeon soon arrived at her destination.
"Cult Leader, I've brought the Head of the Secret Affairs Hall as you commanded."
"Let her in."
With permission granted, the doors opened, and the demonic martial artist stepped aside.
Cho Sahyeon entered the Heavenly Demon Hall with slightly trembling resolve.
There, lounging languidly on the grand throne and gazing straight ahead, was Hyeok Mulin.
Keeping a distance of about thirty paces, Cho Sahyeon dropped to one knee and paid her respects.
"I pay my respects to the exalted Cult Leader."
"It's been a while since we've met face-to-face. No issues in the meantime?"
"None, my lord. Thanks to your generous support and attention, I've been able to focus solely on my duties without the slightest discomfort."
"I see."
Hyeok Mulin nodded and cut straight to the point without any small talk.
"There's a place you need to go."
At those words, Cho Sahyeon squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
'I knew it.'
Being personally summoned by the Cult Leader now practically guaranteed she'd be sent somewhere.
The one silver lining was that his words differed from last time.
"A place you need to go" meant he wouldn't be accompanying her this time.
That alone greatly reduced the pressure.
No matter that he concealed his identity and had escorts when venturing outside, the sheer weight of the Heavenly Demon's presence by her side was heavier than any burden.
"Command me, and it shall be done."
Having experienced it once before, Cho Sahyeon replied with a touch of relief.
But that ease lasted only a moment. His next words twisted her emotions into a complex knot.
"Go to Sichuan Province."
"...Pardon?"
The destination wasn't Xinjiang.
Nor was it the neighboring Qinghai Province.
He was sending her to Sichuan Province, several days' journey farther?
Wasn't that place practically the heart of the righteous faction's martial world?
Dry sweat beaded on Cho Sahyeon's forehead at the order to head into the enemy's midst.
"It's sudden, but why Sichuan Province...?"
"I'm planning to take over a money house."
"A money house... you say?"
"Yes. You've heard of the Myriad Gold Money House, I assume."
"Of course. Who hasn't?"
The Myriad Gold Money House was the oldest money house in the Central Plains, one of the Three Great Money Houses renowned for its massive scale.
However, a few years ago, after the house lord passed away, major problems arose.
His heir, a son, was still far too young to take over.
This plunged the Myriad Gold into chaos and disorder, sending it down a path of decline.
Gradually shrinking, they closed all their branches outside the province, leaving only the main branch and a few sub-branches in Sichuan Province barely hanging on.
"But why take over the Myriad Gold when it's on the brink of collapse?"
Her question was perfectly reasonable.
Its history and status as one of the Three Greats meant nothing now.
What mattered was the present, and survival came first.
Acquiring a debt-ridden, crumbling money house wasn't efficient, and the odds of revival seemed slim.
If the Cult Leader was interested in a money house, she thought starting a new one from scratch would be far better.
"It's merely in decline, not yet collapsed. We can fix that, can't we?"
It wasn't wrong, but...
"My lord, are you sure? Acquiring the Myriad Gold will require an enormous sum."
What he aimed to acquire was a money house.
A place of money, by money, for money.
Reviving it would demand even more capital infusion.
No matter how vast the cult's wealth, diverting that much personally would invite fierce backlash against his position.
But Hyeok Mulin dismissed her concerns outright.
"It's fine. I won't touch the cult's funds."
"Pardon? Then where will the money for the acquisition come from...?"
Even the Hyeok Clan, his family, didn't possess sums that large.
Besides, they'd recently invested in the Yagul Clan's ventures, so she couldn't fathom the source.
Hyeok Mulin spoke in an impassive tone.
"The funds of the utterly destroyed Black Dark Chamber. They're in my hands."
"...!"
Cho Sahyeon's pupils dilated at his words.
The Secret Affairs Hall had been closely monitoring the Three Evils Assassins lately.
They had coiled up like a volcano on the verge of eruption—and then exploded.
The clash between the Black Dark Chamber and the Killing Chamber.
Few in the world knew of it, but Cho Sahyeon had sensed the precursors with her sharp instincts and pieced it together early.
"Then... was it you who moved the Killing Chamber, my lord?"
"Come to think of it, I never told you. The Killing Chamber's lord will serve as my protector from now on."
"Well, now..."
She had vaguely guessed at the clash and its victor, but to learn the Cult Leader was behind it all...
A deflating sigh escaped the stunned Cho Sahyeon.
She pressed her hands to her chest and composed herself.
No point in being surprised now.
Every path the Cult Leader had walked was a chain of marvels.
"I'll acquire the money house but won't meddle deeply. The house lord position will stay as is, at least. So negotiations will be key."
The current lord of the Myriad Gold was young and brilliant.
A year ago, upon reaching adulthood and seizing real power, he had swiftly shuttered branches in other regions to focus solely on Sichuan.
Without his judgment and ability, the Myriad Gold would have fallen long ago.
They had miraculously held on this far.
The pity was his lack of experience, funds, and manpower compared to the seasoned lords of other houses.
"Negotiations, you say."
Cho Sahyeon paused, lowering her gaze.
One fundamental question still nagged at her.
The Cult Leader had the Great Military Strategist and Deputy Military Strategist at the Demon Scripture Pavilion, along with countless skilled negotiators. Why choose her?
She was curious but held back from asking.
Yet Hyeok Mulin broached it first.
"You still look like you've got questions."
"...Yes. I don't understand why you chose me as the negotiator."
Her words would now carry his authority in this mission.
Bearing that grave duty alone, she voiced her doubt.
"Three reasons."
Hyeok Mulin answered promptly.
"First, you've handled countless negotiations, large and small."
While managing the Shadow Network before, she had bargained for intelligence fees hundreds, thousands of times.
She was an information broker—and a negotiation expert.
"Second, no one in the cult matches your prowess in this arena."
It was true.
Building and raising the Shadow Network single-handedly proved her exceptional talent and skill.
"And third."
Gazing at her steadily, Hyeok Mulin's lips curved faintly.
"You're my person. I can trust you."
"...!"
Cho Sahyeon couldn't hide her emotional surge.
Her eyes widened like a rabbit's, shoulders trembling faintly, before she bowed deeply to conceal her face.
"I will successfully fulfill your command, my lord."
"I trust you."
Cho Sahyeon left the Heavenly Demon Hall at once to prepare for departure.
As she vanished, Hyeok Mulin stared into space, lost in thought.
"The Myriad Gold Money House..."
Closing his eyes, an image surfaced in his mind.
'Might end up clashing with them after all.'
In his previous life, the Myriad Gold hadn't vanished.
On the verge of total collapse, it had been absorbed by the hegemons of Sichuan.
"But I can't back down."
Hyeok Mulin intended to seize the Myriad Gold, even if it meant opposing and colliding with them.
The greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Sichuan Province lay in the western inland region of the Central Plains.
With four major rivers including the Yangtze flowing through, it had long been fertile land rich in produce, drawing many residents.
It held deep significance for martial artists too.
The Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect of the Nine Great Sects, plus the Sichuan Tang Clan of the Six Great Families, stood firm, keeping unorthodox sects at bay since ancient times.
And among them, the most renowned—the Sichuan Tang Clan's home base, home to the overwhelming majority of residents.
That was the provincial capital, Chengdu.
The historic heart of Sichuan boasted abundant resources, known as a gourmet's paradise and the origin of countless dishes.
Towering buildings packed tightly, grand avenues bustling with throngs of people.
In the midst of that crowd stood a woman who slowly raised her head.
"...It's been a while."
Having entered Chengdu, Cho Sahyeon gazed steadily at the scene before her.
Her eyes, hidden beneath a veiled hat, flickered with emotion for a moment before she set off once more.
She didn't head straight for the Myriad Gold Money House.
Instead, she entered a large inn at the street's center and took a seat in a quiet corner, ordering a bowl of noodle soup.
This was her personal strategy: visit an inn in a high-traffic hub where locals and outsiders mingled, to gauge the town's atmosphere first.
'Crowded place.'
Though not yet lunchtime, the inn was nearly full, packed with patrons.
Yet their faces were mostly grim, etched with anxiety and irritation.
Watching them until her food arrived, Cho Sahyeon smiled as the waiter set down her soup.
"Business is booming."
"Haha, thank you. But it's temporary—won't last."
"Temporary? Why do you say that...?"
"They're all here for the Myriad Gold Money House."
"Something wrong with the money house?"
Tilting her head innocently, as if clueless, she prompted the waiter to explain.
"A rumor spread recently: the Myriad Gold's funds have finally run dry."
"Is that true?"
"No idea about the source or intent. But depositors got wind of it and panicked, flocking here. With the house on shaky ground, they all want to withdraw before it collapses."
"I see. Thanks for the info."
"No trouble. Ask anytime."
Handing him a coin, she watched him smile and leave.
Cho Sahyeon ate her noodles, organizing her thoughts.
'Someone's spreading malicious rumors.'
Word like that would trigger a massive withdrawal in short order.
Fatal for the precariously hanging Myriad Gold.
Someone was clearly out to sever their lifeline completely.
'No need to linger.'
Before arriving in Chengdu, she'd already gathered most intel on the Myriad Gold via the Secret Affairs Hall.
Now with on-site info too, she decided to execute her plan without delay.
Finishing her meal, Cho Sahyeon left the inn and headed directly for the Myriad Gold's main compound.
But as she neared the lord's residence, crowds surrounding the entrance filled her view.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Open the damn doors!"
"Give me my money!"
"Get the house lord out here to explain!"
The dense mob pounded the gates furiously, veins bulging on their foreheads, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Yet the entrance remained sealed tight, admitting no one.
'No getting in through the front.'
Who would believe this was once one of the Three Great Money Houses?
Shaking her head at the hellish pandemonium, Cho Sahyeon slipped around to the right side.
Standing by the overgrown wall, she confirmed the crowds' focus on the front, then moved.
Tap, tap.
Accomplished in stealth and lightness skills, she vaulted the wall effortlessly, entering the grounds.
Catching her breath behind a pillar, she let out a wry chuckle.
"Guess I've become a proper demon now."
Back running the Shadow Network, she'd never snuck into anywhere like this.
Now infiltrating and hiding as naturally as breathing for her goals.
She felt herself changing since meeting Hyeok Mulin.
And somehow, it didn't feel bad.
"Heh, time to meet the house lord."
Her lips curved lightly as she stepped forward with ease.