The Fourth Prince’s Insolence
“What is this?”
Cheon Mutan narrowed his eyes, his expression dark with displeasure.
It wasn’t because the tavern had taken on another guest. If the Military Council had come down in person, that meant the man had spoken with someone higher up as well.
No, the unease came from a voice he knew too well.
Somewhere...
A voice that stirred a sickly revulsion deep in the gut, as though it were turning his organs inside out. His face stiffened at last as he thought it over, the same feeling of disgust that came from hearing a knife dragged across iron. He had realized whose voice it was.
“...Did you, by any chance, come from meeting the Third Young Master?”
“That is correct.”
Cheon Mutan’s jaw twitched.
“Why did the Military Council meet with the Third Young Master?”
“It concerns council business. I cannot tell you.”
Veins stood out thickly on the back of Cheon Mutan’s hand. His anger surged at the Military Council chief’s gaze, which had always seemed to look down on him with contempt.
“You don’t, perhaps, have a bias toward the heirs?”
“I am always mindful of that and remain on guard. You needn’t worry.”
It was meant as a statement that he was maintaining neutrality as Military Council chief, but it struck Cheon Mutan differently. It sounded as though he’d been warning that he must be careful because he sometimes had exactly those thoughts.
Those trashy bastards...
A storm of emotion began to churn inside Cheon Mutan.
This was an unexpected development. He had heard that after awakening from qi deviation, Cheon Sohyeon had become little more than a walking corpse. They said it would take at least five years of recuperation before he could move freely again.
That was why he had paid him no attention at all. There was nothing more ridiculous than wasting thought on trash that couldn’t even take care of its own body.
And yet...
Not only had the Cult Leader met him in private, but the Military Council chief had as well?
Even in that state, he still manages to get under people’s skin, the trash.
Just as Cheon Mutan was forcibly dragging his emotions back under control, the Military Council chief’s gaze pierced through him.
Tsk.
Just mentioning the Third Young Master had been enough to harden the muscles in his face. For someone claimed to be of divine blood, he lacked an astonishing amount of self-cultivation.
For all his supposed talent as a would-be emperor who would prove himself and stand above all the Cult’s followers, the depth of his vessel was far too shallow.
I knew he resented the Third Young Master, but this much?
Suppressing the disappointment that had naturally risen in him, he said, “As you know, the Military Council has been terribly busy lately, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Cheon Mutan answered while forcing down the feelings swelling inside him.
“...Do so.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, on the second floor of Songumru, Cheon Sohyeon waited for the owner while rubbing his stomach over and over.
“What, did they decide to shut the place down or something? Why isn’t that bastard showing his face?”
Sama Ryang replied with a puzzled look. “It seems the outside has become rather noisy. Perhaps something happened? I’ll step out and check.”
“Forget it. He called me here, so he’ll come on his own. More importantly, after talking to him, it felt like the Military Council chief had some other scheme going on.”
“That would make sense. From the Military Council’s point of view, they must have had their own preparations all along. We can’t know what they are just yet, but the important thing is that a gap has opened for us to exploit.”
“A gap?”
“Yes. When pursuing a great undertaking, the crucial things are not timing but geography—and more important than that, human hearts. Since Grandfather said he would listen, the senior members can now begin to reveal dissent.”
“That’s certainly a result, but... couldn’t he just change his position later? I mean, this wasn’t even an official meeting.”
Sama Ryang shook his head.
“Grandfather is not the sort of man who takes back what he has said. If he has a proper justification in place, he will never overlook it. And even if he were to reverse his position, we can still use what was just discussed as leverage. Let us look for a way forward by finding those who will stand with us.”
Cheon Sohyeon nodded.
“So for now, we should focus on Imaje. What do you know about him?”
Sama Ryang thought for a moment before answering.
“The Senate itself rarely engages in outside activity, so there is very little known about it. As for Imaje, that man insists on living in seclusion, so unless one is part of the Cult’s upper ranks, it would be difficult to gather much information.”
“Hmm. So if it hadn’t been for the Military Council chief, I wouldn’t even have known whether he was dissenting or not. Then I guess we should just eat and head out...”
Huh?
In an instant, Cheon Sohyeon’s gaze shot toward the door.
What now?
Suddenly, a grim and vicious aura was leaking in from outside the room. His senses, faintly revived by the cultivation he had built up, reacted at once.
Soon after, heavy footsteps approached. Then, with a rattling sound, the door was shoved open wide.
And who’s this supposed to be?
A man who looked to be in his early twenties swept his eyes over the room with a tense expression. Their gazes collided, and a silent stare-down began at once.
The one to break that brief silence was Sama Ryang.
“F-Fourth Young Master?!”
Cheon Sohyeon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Fourth Young Master... so that’s Cheon Mutan? Which means he’s the Cult Leader’s son?
Now that he thought about it, there were indeed some features in the man’s face that resembled the Cult Leader’s. He didn’t know exactly what relationship he had with Cheon Sohyeon, but judging from his expression, it clearly wasn’t a friendly one.
Cheon Mutan ground his teeth and forced out a voice so strained it sounded suppressed to the point of breaking.
“I heard your body was badly damaged, but you seem unharmed. That’s a relief, Third Brother.”
“...Huh?”
“I heard you were upstairs, so I came in without even greeting you because I was glad to see you. If that offended you, I apologize.”
His tone made it sound as though he had been worried for a long time. Cheon Sohyeon looked at him, baffled.
Had he rushed here because he had been longing for news of his eldest brother all this time?
He was so flustered he even let out demonic energy?
Even among demons, blood ties were no different from those in the Central Plains—that much he had confirmed in the Cult Leader’s Palace. The only difference was whether the reunion was affectionate or whether it was followed by some bizarre reaction.
“Well, there’s no need to be offended. I’m not that petty, so don’t worry about it.”
If he could talk with another heir, that would surely help him block whatever larger scheme was underway. With that thought, Cheon Sohyeon pointed toward the empty seat across from him.
“You don’t need to stand there hurting your legs. Why don’t you sit down first?”
“Would that be all right?”
“Of course. We haven’t seen each other in a while, so we can’t just part ways right away. Sit down and get comfortable.”
“Then I’ll excuse myself.”
Cheon Mutan sat in the place the Military Council chief had just vacated. His eyes kept sweeping over Cheon Sohyeon, one detail after another. He had noticed something strange.
What is this?
Contrary to his expectations that he would look half-dead, the man’s condition was surprisingly normal. No—it was more than normal.
“You seem brighter than before. Your complexion, your energy... and I didn’t think you’d even be able to hold a conversation.”
Cheon Sohyeon nodded.
“Mental demons have a way of changing a person. Since I was lying in bed for so long, I figured I should try living differently. From now on, I’m going to face everything a little more brightly.”
“Oh? Is that so? That’s really a relief. Glad to hear it.”
Cheon Mutan’s lips curled upward. Inside, he scoffed and nodded.
He’s struggling in his own way, huh.
He knew very well what sort of situation the man was in.
For someone called an heir, he had neither the backing of wealth nor any real faction behind him. All he had was martial prowess, and even that had been ruined by qi deviation for nearly half a year.
In other words, he had fallen completely out of the succession struggle.
Pathetic bastard. You’re finished.
With a sneer in his voice, Cheon Mutan said, “You really do look better than when you were wandering around with that gloomy face. I’d been worried, believe me. So, how is your body?”
Cheon Sohyeon met his gaze.
The man’s foul way of speaking was starting to raise his temper, but the demons of this world all thought differently by nature. He quickly regained his composure.
“Don’t worry. It’s all better now. I’d even say I’m better than before.”
“Oh? Must’ve taken some effort to manage that on your own.”
“You could say that. It’s thanks to my maid, who’s helped me in every way possible, and my attending physician, who makes a huge fuss over every little thing. He brews some bizarre medicinal broth, but it works better than I expected.”
“Your attending physician?”
“Ah, I forgot to introduce him.”
When Cheon Sohyeon looked sideways, Sama Ryang bowed his head politely.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sama Ryang, and I work as a physician.”
A perfectly ordinary greeting, offered with proper manners and a self-introduction to match.
And yet.
“Sama Ryang?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re saying you’re Sama Ryang?”
“That’s correct.”
Cheon Mutan reacted in unexpected fashion. His thick brows twitched.
“If I’m not mistaken, that’s the name of the Sama family’s prodigy, isn’t it?”
Sama Ryang answered awkwardly, “It was simply a name given to me in the hope that such a small and foolish person as myself would improve.”
At that confirmation, Cheon Mutan’s expression stiffened faintly.
Prodigy—the term usually referred to someone of exceptional talent.
It was often used by seniors in a sect as encouragement toward promising younger disciples, and if an outsider used the term, that usually meant the person was widely recognized for his abilities.
But the reason Cheon Mutan knew him was not merely because he was said to possess unusually brilliant talent even among the Sama family’s bloodline.
“So you were the oddity who won first place in the state examination and then kicked away the position of government inspector. You threw away a smooth road with your own two hands, and now you’re clinging to Third Brother’s side? Why?”
“Pardon?”
Cheon Mutan narrowed his brows, his tone openly displeased.
“I’m asking what your motive is for following him around even while working as a physician. Were you more interested in personal gain than the greater cause?”
“...”
“Or are all those rumors just rumors?”
After a brief silence, Sama Ryang answered, “Rumors are only rumors. Much of it is exaggerated.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Cheon Mutan snorted and looked toward Cheon Sohyeon.
“Still, you must be pleased, Third Brother.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The Military Council chief definitely came all this way because of this fellow, didn’t he?”
“And?”
“You kept the Sama family’s prodigy at your side and even made room for him while you were unconscious for more than half a year, didn’t you? If you want to draw back a prodigy who ran away from home, then naturally even the Military Council chief would have to pay attention. You might even call it luck from heaven.”
Sama Ryang realized it all over again. So this was what an ordinary heir looked like.
Arrogant and full of himself, with no restraint whatsoever, as though that attitude were only natural. Even the way he had asked why Sama Ryang remained at the Third Young Master’s side was like that.
It was no different from mocking him outright, as if he didn’t understand that such a judgment could never reach the greater cause.
Arrogance without equal, conceit without peer—any label would fit him. And yet, at the same time, it somehow felt perfectly natural.
He was a descendant of the Cheon family. Whatever he had done until now, surely it had all been followed by only the praise of the masses. What else could one expect?
That’s probably why he feels so different.
Sama Ryang’s gaze drifted sideways. The Third Young Master had maintained a smiling face the whole time. Even with a sneering tone aimed at him throughout, he had remained calm and composed.
As expected, he’s different.
From the slowly curving corners of his lips came the stillness of a clear pool. He wasn’t agitated by such petty provocation, but let it slip by as though it were nothing.
His cultivation really is deep. Yes, there’s no need to bother sparring over words...
But before that thought could even finish forming, Cheon Sohyeon opened his mouth.
“Did you learn manners by yourself? It’s impressive how you’ve managed to grow up without even knowing basic decency.”
“...?”
“Why is this kid so damn rude?”
Cheon Mutan narrowed his eyes.
“...What did you say?”