Chapter 570: The Sinister Schemes of Two Demons
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 570: The Sinister Schemes of Two Demons
"The... Yin-Yang Demon?"
Lee Jae-won, finally snapping out of his daze, looked at Tang Jin-seol with a skeptical expression. He was bewildered by the sudden mention of such a figure.
"Yes. The Yin-Yang Demon, the one known as the Greatest Demon Under Heaven half a century ago," Tang Jin-seol replied with a beautiful smile. "The leadership will find him a convincing culprit."
Her eyes sparkled with confidence as she continued. The Yin-Yang Demon had once been the personification of terror in the Murim, notorious for his peerless martial arts and singular cruelty. If he were named as the perpetrator, even the most stubborn members of the leadership would have to accept it.
"But that man is rumored to have vanished decades ago!" Lee Jae-won raised his voice, shouting as if the idea were preposterous. He couldn't imagine them being convinced.
The Yin-Yang Demon was known to have gone into hiding after a crushing defeat decades prior. It was highly unlikely anyone would simply believe he had suddenly resurfaced.
"He vanished; he didn't die, did he?"
"Well... that’s true, but—!"
"That fact alone is enough," Tang Jin-seol interrupted, looking satisfied. "At least, it's enough to name him as the prime suspect in this incident."
She spoke with absolute certainty.
"They won't believe it," Lee Jae-won said, shaking his head slowly. He was already backed into a corner, practically framed for the crime himself. Claiming the Yin-Yang Demon was the culprit now would sound like a desperate lie. They would surely dismiss it as a pathetic excuse and become even more suspicious.
"Then we just have to make them believe it, don't we?" Tang Jin-seol replied nonchalantly.
"How on earth are you going to make them believe that!?" Lee Jae-won asked, his face etched with confusion.
"It’s actually quite simple." Tang Jin-seol met his gaze with a serious look.
"Simple!?" Lee Jae-won asked. How could it be simple to make people believe a man who disappeared decades ago was the culprit? It made no sense to him.
"Yes. We just have to show them the Yin-Yang Demon."
"......Explain yourself." Lee Jae-won’s expression turned grave.
"As you said, Husband, no one will believe us if we just name a man who vanished decades ago as the suspect. They might even think you're playing tricks to escape the situation," Tang Jin-seol said calmly. "But if they witness him with their own eyes, they’ll have no choice but to believe. They'll be certain he's the killer."
Her eyes glittered.
"How can we make them witness him? I don't even know where he is or what he's doing."
Lee Jae-won was still lost. It was an intriguing plan, but the existence of the Yin-Yang Demon was the biggest hurdle. He didn't know the man's whereabouts, and even if he did, there was no reason for a demon like that to cooperate.
"We don't necessarily need to recruit the real Yin-Yang Demon," Tang Jin-seol said with a relaxed smile.
"You mean we use an impostor!?" Lee Jae-won asked, his eyes widening in shock.
"Yes. If we use a decoy, we can easily deceive them." Tang Jin-seol nodded slowly.
"There's no way they'll fall for a mere decoy!" Lee Jae-won shouted.
"Husband, humans are remarkably simple creatures. They have a tendency to believe exactly what they see," Tang Jin-seol replied, a seductive smile playing on her lips.
"What do you mean by that?" Lee Jae-won frowned.
Damn bitch, would it kill her to speak plainly?
This venomous woman was perfect in every other way, but she had a habit of speaking in riddles. To understand her, he had to swallow his pride and ask for clarification.
"I mean that as long as the appearance is convincing, it doesn't matter if it's real or not," Tang Jin-seol explained calmly. "With a perfect stage and talented actors, this play will be a success. Even with a decoy."
She looked at Lee Jae-won with unwavering confidence.
"So, what do you think? Are you willing to take the lead role in my play?" Tang Jin-seol offered once more, her smile radiant.
"............"
Lee Jae-won remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. He felt a natural aversion to her incredibly suspicious proposal.
"......I'll do it."
But soon enough, he accepted. He was already standing at the edge of a precipice. As suspicious as the offer was, he couldn't afford to turn down a plan that offered him a way out.
"As expected of my lovely husband. You've made a very wise choice."
Seeing him accept, Tang Jin-seol’s smile widened. She seemed deeply satisfied that he had taken the bait.
"So, what do I need to do?" Lee Jae-won asked flatly.
"Since you are the lead, Husband, you have many responsibilities."
Tang Jin-seol’s expression turned alluring as she began to explain. She laid out everything Lee Jae-won needed to execute, step by step. Lee Jae-won focused with every fiber of his being, making sure not to miss a single detail. He knew better than anyone that this plan was his only lifeline.
Inside Lee Jae-won’s room, the sinister schemes of the two demons began to take deep root.
*
"Hmm..."
Heo Sam-gwan, the Palbok Hall Master, let out a low groan. He had been waiting for quite a while, yet the guest of honor had yet to show his face.
"The Alliance Leader is going too far."
Beside him, a rugged, bald man—Du Gwak, the Mokgi Hall Master—snorted in irritation. He was clearly fuming. It had been half a shijin since they were summoned by the Alliance Leader, yet the man who called the meeting hadn't even peeked his head in. It was only natural for his temper to flare.
"Calm down, Hall Master Du," Heo Sam-gwan urged.
"Brother, it’s been half a shijin! How can I stay calm?" Du Gwak snapped back.
"I'm sure he has his reasons," Heo Sam-gwan said, maintaining a composed facade.
"Hmph, reasons? It’s obvious he’s trying to intimidate the leadership." Du Gwak scowled, his displeasure evident.
Making people wait was a grave insult. Doing it intentionally made the motive crystal clear: it was a power play. He was reminding them that they were merely subordinates who waited on his whim. It was impossible not to feel insulted.
"You're overthinking it. Why would the Alliance Leader do that to us?" Heo Sam-gwan said with a genial smile.
"Why wouldn't he? It’s obvious! He’s trying to break our spirit before we can press him about the Gu Clan massacre. He wants to make sure no one dares to question him." Du Gwak’s face was flushed with anger.
"............"
Heo Sam-gwan fell silent. He couldn't deny that Du Gwak’s logic held weight.
"Even for the Alliance Leader, this is too much."
"We aren't his lackeys, are we?"
"The word 'arrogant' was made for him."
As Heo Sam-gwan went quiet, complaints began to erupt from all sides. The pent-up resentment toward the Alliance Leader was finally boiling over.
Step. Step. Step.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the meeting hall.
"............"
The room fell into an instant, heavy silence.
Creeeeeak.
The door swung open, and a man stepped inside. It was the very man they had been disparaging: Lee Jae-won, the Cheonmu Alliance Leader.
"My apologies. I was delayed by unavoidable circumstances," Lee Jae-won said, his face full of feigned regret.
"I'm truly curious. What 'unavoidable circumstances' could possibly justify making so many people wait?" Du Gwak, the Mokgi Hall Master, asked curtly. Lee Jae-won’s apology clearly hadn't appeased him.
This little shit has a real mouth on him, Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly. He didn't appreciate Du Gwak’s abrasive attitude one bit.
Haaa... shit... endure it. Just endure it.
He forced his rising temper down. Losing his cool here would only ruin the plan.
"My stomach has been acting up. I’ve been... in and out of the latrine," Lee Jae-won said, looking appropriately embarrassed.
"How very human of you, Alliance Leader," Du Gwak replied with a sneer. He clearly didn't believe a word of it.
"Hahaha! Even as one who has reached the Profound Realm, I am still but a man." Lee Jae-won let out a jovial laugh. "Regardless, I shall be more careful in the future," he added, his expression shifting back to one of relaxed authority.
"............"
Du Gwak fell silent, begrudgingly accepting the excuse. It was awkward to keep pressing the issue when the Alliance Leader was acting so humble.
"Well then, I should take my seat."
Lee Jae-won walked slowly toward the head of the table and sat down.
"What is the reason for summoning us?" Heo Sam-gwan, the Palbok Hall Master, asked from across the table.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with you all."
"Discuss?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, sounding puzzled.
"Indeed," Lee Jae-won nodded.
"Does this discussion happen to be about the massacre of the Gu Clan?"
"No." Lee Jae-won shook his head. "What I wish to discuss is the Succession Contest."
He spoke in a calm, steady tone.
"The Succession Contest?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, looking flabbergasted. He couldn't understand Lee Jae-won’s attitude—bringing up the succession when the Gu Clan massacre hadn't even been properly resolved.
"Alliance Leader! Do you even hear yourself right now!?"
Du Gwak, the Mokgi Hall Master, slammed his hands on the table and stood up, pointing a finger at Lee Jae-won.
"Is there something wrong with what I said?" Lee Jae-won asked, feigning ignorance.
"A verdict hasn't even been reached regarding the Gu Clan massacre! How can you talk about a succession contest in this situation? You've got your priorities completely backward!" Du Gwak shouted, his face turning beet red.
To him, the situation was absurd. Gu Ja-yeop, a member of the leadership who had served the Alliance faithfully, had been murdered right under their noses. How could the Leader act as if nothing had happened?
"My priorities are not backward," Lee Jae-won replied calmly. "The investigation into the Gu Clan is currently ongoing, with significant resources dedicated to it. If new evidence is found, we will discuss it immediately. Until then, I am simply proposing we discuss other items on the agenda. I am by no means ignoring the previous matter."
Lee Jae-won met Du Gwak’s gaze with a stoic expression.
"But... it’s far too soon to speak of succession when such a horrific event just occurred!"
"Are you suggesting we wait months or even years for the case to be solved before we hold meetings on any other topic?" Lee Jae-won’s eyes turned cold as he glared at Du Gwak.
"......That’s... not what I meant.... I just believe the Gu Clan matter should be treated with more weight."
Du Gwak flinched under that gaze, his voice trailing off into a mumble.
"I disagree. I believe all agendas must be handled with equal importance. Your monthly salaries come from the pockets of our members. If the leadership stays stuck on a single issue and does nothing but waste those salaries, how can the members trust us? It’s absurd."
Lee Jae-won adopted a stern expression.
"I haven't forgotten the Gu Clan massacre. I’ve simply set it aside for a moment. We are using more than enough manpower for the investigation, so do not worry yourself too much."
"........Understood."
Du Gwak conceded with a reluctant expression. He couldn't win against the Alliance Leader’s logic and rhetoric.
"Now then, let us return to the main point."
Seeing Du Gwak back down, Lee Jae-won looked satisfied.
"I have a proposal regarding the method for the succession selection."
Lee Jae-won scanned the leadership with eyes that glinted with hidden intent.