Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: One Fish Muddies the River
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The Ice Demon, Yeon A-ryeong, spoke to the Sword Demon Family Head, Ma Yeon, with a cold smile.
“Huhu, it’s a shame about Ma Tae-pyeong at the Divine Dragon Assembly.”
“It’s fine. It happened because the fool was lacking. I don’t feel particularly strongly about it.”
The Flame Demon, Cho Yeom-wi, also chimed in with a jest.
“Oh, how heartless! But surely, the First Elder won’t be acting himself. What help have you come to offer?”
“I intend to lend you my personal unit, the Sword Demon Ghost Slaying Unit.”
“Oh! The very same Sword Demon Ghost Slaying Unit that is said to endanger even a Transcendent Master when fully mobilized?”
“As far as I know, you’ve never revealed them to the public. Why are you suddenly lending out your forces?”
“It’s nothing special. I simply intend to give the one who trampled on the Sword Demon Family’s prestige a fitting punishment.”
“Hoh.”
The Sword Demon Family Head, Ma Yeon, stroked his beard and said.
“I heard the Red Demon Pavilion Lord will be taking action this time. I am lending you the Sword Demon Ghost Slaying Unit in case the brat tries to escape.”
“Haha! How could I refuse?”
The Flame Demon laughed heartily in response, then called for Hwang Cheol-ung.
“Lord Red Demon Pavilion.”
“Yes.”
Hwang Cheol-ung answered, slightly disgruntled.
“You joined hands with the Sichuan Tang Clan, researched the Crimson Blood Demonic Arts, and used the Death Spirit Unit to attack the Heavenly Dance Family…”
“Yes…”
“Pfft! Then you must take responsibility!”
He had only been released this time because the Flame and Ice Demons had argued for his innocence.
This meant he had no idea what would happen during future investigations if the two didn't help him.
“If we hadn’t put in the effort, Lord Red Demon Pavilion, you would no longer be a person of this world.”
“I-I am grateful.”
“Grateful?”
The Flame Demon’s fiery energy flared up again.
“If you’re grateful, then you will kill that brat without fail.”
“……Yes.”
The Red Demon Pavilion Lord, Hwang Cheol-ung.
He was a supreme master, but now he was nothing more than a dog on a leash, held by the Ice and Flame Demons.
The Sword Demon Family Head, Ma Yeon, looked at the Red Demon Pavilion Lord with pity.
“Tsk, tsk.”
‘He didn’t know his place from the start, and now things have gone from bad to worse.’
Just then.
The Ice Demon, Yeon A-ryeong, spoke in a cold voice.
“The other Elders will also lend their forces. The great undertaking is tomorrow, on the night the Divine Dragon Assembly ends.”
“Yes!”
“If the brat wins, I will invite him here with his elder brothers, in the name of celebrating the sixth disciple’s victory.”
“At that time, ensure he can never return to the Heavenly Dance Family.”
“Yes!”
“I’m truly looking forward to tomorrow’s Divine Dragon Assembly.”
“You too, elder sister? So am I! Haha!”
“Shut up, you insidious bastard.”
“My, my, you wound me. You know I’ve always respected you, don’t you?”
“I’m leaving.”
The Ice Demon was the first to turn and walk away, and the other Elders and officials also gathered their belongings and left.
Just then, First Elder Ma Yeon spoke to the departing Red Demon Pavilion Lord.
“He might be stronger than you think.”
Ma Yeon’s words struck a nerve in Hwang Cheol-ung’s pride. No matter if his opponent was the winner of the Divine Dragon Assembly, how could he possibly compare to him?
“……Are you being sarcastic?”
“Sarcastic or not, this is your last chance to live, Pavilion Lord, so shut up and listen. I am telling you to absolutely not underestimate him.”
“What……!”
“To finish this without fail, you will have to use that Crimson Blood Demonic Arts you love so much. From what I can see, the brat has already entered the realm of a Transcendent Master. Furthermore, he is getting stronger in real time.”
“……”
“You must judge carefully, Lord Red Demon Pavilion.”
Ma Yeon said, his eyes narrowing.
“Do not, under any circumstances, underestimate him.”
With those final words, Ma Yeon returned to the Sword Demon Family.
‘Ma Tae-pyeong is by no means weak. He was born with a talent for martial arts, never neglected his training, and his combat senses are exceptional.’
He had expected the boy to win this Divine Dragon Assembly, but Baek Mu-heun had overturned that expectation.
‘If we don’t deal with him for certain now, we may not be able to handle him in the future.’
The secret meeting was held in stealth.
Besides the forces of the Flame and Ice Demons, the only ones who heard the contents of the meeting were the Red Demon Pavilion Lord, the First Elder, and an owl perched on the edge of the eaves.
* * *
Upon returning to the Red Demon Pavilion, the Pavilion Lord shouted at his newly appointed Vice Pavilion Lord.
“What is that brat doing now!?”
“W-Well, that is…”
“Speak at once!”
“That is…. We don’t know.”
“What did you say?”
The Vice Pavilion Lord wiped the sweat from his brow. He had good reason to, as he knew how the former Vice Pavilion Lord, Won Ju-ryong, had died.
The Red Demon Pavilion Lord’s temper had grown more violent and ruthless since the Blade Leaf Valley incident, causing the new Vice Pavilion Lord to tremble in fear.
“Well… we haven’t been able to monitor the Heavenly Dance Family since the first day of the Divine Dragon Assembly. Every watcher we send dies, and all the spies who used disguises have been caught.”
“What?”
“I-It seems the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family was letting them watch on purpose until now.”
“……!”
He was letting them watch on purpose until now?
To hide his true skills?
“……”
‘He’s a shrewder bastard than I thought.’
Hwang Cheol-ung recalled First Elder Ma Yeon’s words.
[Do not, under any circumstances, underestimate him.]
‘Does this mean… I, a Pavilion Lord of the Main Cult, have to use a forbidden demonic art against that brat….’
Until this moment, no one, including the First Elder, could have imagined the extent of the current Mu-heun’s schemes.
* * *
I was in my quarters, meditating and regulating my energy. My power had increased so rapidly that it required fine-tuning.
*Inhale—*
*Exhale—*
I steadied my breathing.
Using the Myriad Fragrance, I called the Heavenly Fragrance Owl.
On the first night of the Divine Dragon Assembly.
I had made contact with the Heavenly Fragrance Owl while bathing.
At first, I had tracked it with the Thousand-Li Subtle Fragrance.
The second time we met, I engaged it in a contest of scents and won. The creature I had subjugated proved to be quite useful.
I named the Heavenly Fragrance Owl ‘Cheon-hyang’ and linked our senses by adding the Myriad Fragrance Command Link Formation.
‘Is hearing the only sense I can share with Cheon-hyang….’
Besides fragrance, sound could also be used to communicate with the Heavenly Fragrance Owl, which could produce thousands of different sound waves. The owl could strangely speak to me using ultra-high frequency sound waves.
In other words, we were sharing the sensations from the vibrations of the sound waves.
At the end of the semi-finals, I gave Cheon-hyang its first mission.
‘The Red Demon Pavilion Lord will surely plot something. Follow him!’
*Chirp, chirp, chirp!*
Cheon-hyang tailed the Red Demon Pavilion Lord.
*Zzzzziiing*
Through Cheon-hyang’s ultrasonic waves, I could make out the shapes of the people he was meeting.
‘Hmm… the Seventh and Eighth Elders, and even the First Elder… Where are they going?’
I continued to track them.
At their destination were the Flame and Ice Demons.
‘Hoh…’
Cheon-hyang, along with other bats and birds, eavesdropped on the entire conversation from the eaves of the Flame Demon’s Palace, and I received the details through the wave patterns Cheon-hyang felt.
After the secret meeting ended.
*Srrk*
I slowly opened my eyes.
“So, that’s how it is.”
By combining a talisman with the Thousand-Li Subtle Fragrance, I had the entire Heavenly Dance Family under surveillance, so not a single watcher remained.
Using my tracking arts over a long period, I had also filtered out spies who had infiltrated using disguises. Now, there were no other factions within the Heavenly Dance Family.
I finished my meditation and communication with Cheon-hyang, then rose to my feet. A task had come up.
I quickly changed my clothes and headed for a Heavenly Dance Family storehouse. Inside, I found a small pouch of powder I had hidden. It was what I had retrieved from Ak Jin-sam’s robes after our duel.
‘With a few modifications… I should be able to create an antidote.’
I didn’t yet know what the Red Demon Pavilion Lord would do to kill me, but one thing was certain.
If a martial artist of his caliber used a demonic art, it would be difficult for me to handle, no matter how much stronger I had become.
I would devise various countermeasures, but first, I created an antidote for the demonic art. After taking Ak Jin-sam’s Crimson Blood Powder since the first day, I had been studying it constantly, so making an antidote wasn't too difficult as long as I had the ingredients.
A short while later, after completing the antidote, I headed to the warehouse.
The Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak, had already arrived.
“It’s finally complete.”
“Yes, it’s finished just in time.”
The corpse of the Golden Fang Poison Claw, which should have rotted away, was now alive as a Heavenly Demonic Corpse bound to me.
*Creek. Crack.*
There had been frequent incidents, like its neck twisting around or its arm falling off, but my father had somehow managed to make it sturdy.
The body of the Golden Fang Poison Claw, covered in various medicinal herbs and formation diagrams, had become a Heavenly Demonic Corpse capable of wielding the powerful Poison Energy Arts of Sichuan. It could now understand a certain degree of communication, making it possible to give it orders.
“Listen carefully.”
*Nod.*
Since I had been constantly communicating with it through the Myriad Fragrance, it could now understand most of what I said.
“Hold out both your hands.”
*Thrust.*
Mu-heun placed two different types of powder in the Heavenly Demonic Corpse’s hands.
“One is the Crimson Blood Powder, and the other is its antidote.”
At my words, my father exclaimed in shock.
“Wh-When did you prepare all this?”
“I took the powder from Ak Jin-sam’s robes after our duel. And I researched it in my personal warehouse.”
“You mean you made the exact same thing?”
“Yes, that’s right. Not only did I replicate the ingredients, but I also created an antidote.”
“Ha, hahaha, you’re a genius of the medical arts. You have the talent of a Divine Doctor.”
“Haha! You flatter me.”
‘Talent of a Divine Doctor? Please. I was one of the three great Divine Doctors of the Central Plains in my past life.’
I spoke to the Heavenly Demonic Corpse.
“Fuse this with your Poison Energy Arts and hold it well. Use it when I tell you to. Understand?”
*Nod.*
“Good. And I need to wrap some bandages around your body.”
Mu-heun wrapped the Heavenly Demonic Corpse’s entire body in Demon Sealing Paper.
“Whew. It’s already a corpse, so its presence is faint, but with its whole body wrapped in Demon Sealing Paper, it feels like a ghost, completely devoid of any presence.”
“This one will play a crucial role in capturing the Red Demon Pavilion Lord.”
Mu-heun placed a hand on the Heavenly Demonic Corpse’s chest and said.
“I’m giving you your first mission.”
*Nod.*
“From now on, I will connect you with Cheon-hyang. You are to follow Cheon-hyang from a distance of five li. Understood?”
*Nod.*
I took a deep breath and felt for Cheon-hyang, who was connected to me.
‘The Heavenly Fragrance Owl, which I had follow the Red Demon Pavilion Lord. Now, I will connect Cheon-hyang and the Heavenly Demonic Corpse with fragrance.’
*Fwooosh!*
The Myriad Fragrance flowed out of me and into the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, then flowed out again and shot towards the window.
“Go!”
*Boom!*
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse kicked off the floor and leaped.
*Clatter.*
The warehouse was thrown into disarray by its sudden departure. I glanced at my father and said.
“I-I’ll teach it to move more gently indoors from now on.”
“R-Right… You do that.”
I cleaned up the messy warehouse and sent my father away.
Afterward.
I returned to my room and wrote letters. There were six in total.
*Swish. Swish.*
Dipping the brush in ink, I wrote the names on the letters.
Meng'o Pavilion Lord, Bul-wi.
Ninth Elder, Yu So-jeong.
Tenth Elder, Mu-hwa.
Eleventh Elder, Ma Yun-chu.
Mi-wol of the Sacred Fire Palace.
And finally… the Blade Leaf Demon of Blade Leaf Valley.
I summoned six carrier pigeons and tied the letters to their legs.
“Deliver these for me.”
*Flutter, flutter.*
* * *
-The next day-
The masters of the Divine Cult gathered at Heaven Lake on the summit of the Heavenly Mountains, each with their own thoughts.
*Boom!*
The sound of a drum echoed.
The crowd was already buzzing with excitement. It was the largest gathering in the history of the Divine Dragon Assembly, and Heaven Lake was alive with noise.
The Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, Baek Mu-heun, and Seol Ha-ryeong of the Sacred Fire Palace ascended the well-prepared dueling stage.
It was finally time for the final match.