Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Turning Misfortune into Blessing (2)
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In a mountain lodge nestled amid layers of snow-capped peaks.
A woman dressed in splendid palace attire was plying her needle.
Her figure, humming a tune under the moonlight as she worked the needle...
"Eungh."
Seemed, at first glance, like the young lady of a noble house idly embroidering for amusement.
But the truth was utterly grotesque.
Puuk!
The woman wasn't embroidering cloth with her needle.
She was stitching a livid, armless corpse to a blood-soaked crimson arm.
"Euhheung."
The woman's name was Yeon Ok-ran.
Second disciple of the Reverse Heaven Demon Gu Cheon-seo and bearer of the title Demon Jade County Princess from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
A long while passed with Yeon Ok-ran diligently working her needle.
By the time the thousand-thread silk dangling between corpse and arm had woven into a spiderweb of density...
A presence sounded from outside the room.
"Your Highness, it's Jo Gyeom."
At the voice, Yeon Ok-ran brightened and spoke up.
"Internal Officer Jo? You're back? Come in!"
As the middle-aged man called Internal Officer Jo opened the door and entered, Yeon Ok-ran asked in a lively voice.
"Ta-da! What do you think? I made this while you were away at headquarters."
"That's Elder Gyeong, isn't it?"
"Right. He was destined to become mine in the end, so why'd he stick to that Sa Hong bastard and do all those hateful things while alive? Makes me mad just thinking about it! Gotta stab him with this needle!"
Puuk! Puuk! Puk-puk-puk-puuk!
Yeon Ok-ran stabbing the corpse mercilessly amid cackles looked like a madwoman.
But her wild temperament was everyday fare to the palace servants of the Ghoul King's Residence.
Jo Gyeom showed no reaction to her manic antics and asked.
"By the way, Your Highness. I recall you fretting over the lack of a suitable arm to attach. Where did you procure that one without me?"
"...Internal Officer Jo. That's a bit much, don't you think? Are you saying I'm useless without you?"
Her grinning face hardened in an instant, as if the smile had never been.
At her expression, Jo Gyeom immediately bowed his head and said.
"Of course not. I only meant to procure one myself, so curiosity slipped into my words."
"Aha. Got it from the steppe warriors. Not a perfect constitution match, but soaked in grudge blood and refined into a blood corpse, so it should fit. What did headquarters say?"
At Yeon Ok-ran's question, Jo Gyeom straightened his posture once more.
He had to report on the Cult Leader and Heavenly Demon Divine Art, after all.
"The Leader has entered the seventh stage."
"...Oh. Then we must prepare accordingly?"
"Yes. The Reverse Heaven Demon Gu Cheon-seo left it to Your Highness. However..."
"However?"
"Beyond that, there's another matter from headquarters."
"What is it?"
"It's about Eon Yong-un."
An intriguing topic.
Yeon Ok-ran set down her needle and turned to sit properly.
"Eon Yong-un? The wastrel of the Pearl Eon Family?"
"Yes. It seems the Rogue Demon General Song Gil-jun hired the Heaven's Death Veil to deal with Eon Yong-un, but it didn't go well. They suffered heavy losses and withdrew the commission."
At those words, Yeon Ok-ran burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha! That Song Gil-jun bastard, I always said he was worthless and I'd give him a thrashing someday! Eon Yong-un did it for me?"
Then she abruptly stopped laughing and stroked her chin.
"That disciple of Master Brain getting dunked on twice means our Sa Hong deserved to die, right? Don't you think, Internal Officer Jo?"
"One could see it that way."
"Good news for us, then? Don't care what damage the Heaven's Death Veil took. No losses for our cult, and those blaming Master's failed scheme on him are silenced."
"Indeed. But when the Heaven's Death Veil canceled the commission, they said they fell to Eon Yong-un's necromantic arts."
"Hmm?"
"To quote precisely what I heard... Not jiangshi, but corpses rising plain as day—like witnessing the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
Yeon Ok-ran narrowed her eyes at Jo Gyeom's words.
"...Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. A term reserved for Master's arts. Even if clueless fools bandy it about... something's there, huh?"
"Yes. Their withdrawing the commission, earning the title Ghoul Dragon—it's evident."
"Then what Elder Gyeong said before self-immolating at Master's feet—curses lifted, freakish talents—was true..."
Yeon Ok-ran smirked and glanced at Elder Gyeong, now a blood corpse.
"Must feel wronged, huh, our Elder Gyeong? But if you'd followed me from the start, no injustice. Your own doing."
She rose, went to the bookshelf, and opened a tome titled Eon Family Soul Binding Technique, muttering to herself.
"...Nothing special here?"
Even restoring the other volume based on this, no such art seemed inscribed.
"Not restoration, but reinvention? Then he's a genius of geniuses... I'd like to meet him."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Was this what they called turning misfortune into blessing?
I'd taken a minor internal injury fending off the Heaven's Death Veil ambush.
But thanks to it, I fully absorbed the Mercy Pills from Elder Gyeong-hye's incident.
And that wasn't all.
The assault proved a blessing for the Huo Yuan Ironworks acquisition too.
Assassin groups typically vanished like mist after success or failure, revealing nothing.
The Heaven's Death Veil did just that.
'With the Heaven's Death Veil vanishing without naming their client...'
The world began buzzing over who was behind it.
The prime suspects? The Dan Gang Valley foremen opposing me till recently.
Tak Ga Iron House foremen present during the attack lent credence to the claims.
Lately, Hubei folk pointed fingers at Dan Gang Valley foremen whenever gathered.
"Those Dan Gang Valley foremen went mad tasting money! The former chief foreman of Tak Ga Iron House—that's a true craftsman!"
"You saw the gazette too, eh?"
"Sure did! Why Tak Ga Iron House, rejecting even the Southern Jiang Merchant King, followed Young Master Eon Yong-un—it's all detailed! That's craft, that's righteousness!"
The Dan Gang Valley foremen, scared shitless, raised the white flag.
Unlike before, they actively cooperated with Huo Yuan Ironworks normalization and didn't obstruct the takeover.
And today, the day we removed the Huo Yuan signboard and hung Tak Ga Iron House's...
- Huh? Aren't those Dan Gang Valley foreman bastards?
'Looks like it.'
They even came out personally to greet us from Wuchang.
"...We Dan Gang Valley foremen welcome Tak Ga Iron House's establishment. And on this occasion, we declare our innocence regarding the unfortunate incident during the journey with Tak Ga Iron House and Young Master Eon Yong-un."
"You say welcome, but why the sour faces like you bit a turd? Voices so small too. Makes me so hurt I might just 'live-die' right here."
"Ahaha! We, we welcome you!!"
"Better. I'll check how loud your applause is later. I'll be watching."
After teasing the Dan Gang Valley foremen like that.
"Alright, let's prepare the rites."
I solemnly performed the ancestral rites with Tak Ga Iron House foremen, Blue Bamboo Pavilion executives, and my Eon brothers come for sacrificial rice cakes.
After the offerings and hanging the Tak Ga Iron House signboard.
"Yong-un hyung. Can we eat the rite food now?"
"Think I'd hold out on you? You beggar?"
"Spot on, beggar here?"
"...Yeah, but said to dish into bowls."
"What, you don't know? Best grabbed and torn right off. Brother So-cheon. Grab one too."
"Breast meat."
As I dealt with Cheon Jang-ho's antics...
Tak Jang-myeong approached and spoke.
"Young Master. I've decided on a name."
"Name? Keeping Tak Ga Iron House as is, right? That's why you hauled the signboard and just hung it."
"My son's name."
Suddenly naming? What the—
He'd named his newborn.
"Aha. Usually wait till kids grow a bit... Lest jealous spirits envy?"
"True, but this name—I’m certain no stray ghosts will touch it."
"What'd you pick?"
"Geon from Father's name, Un from Young Master's—Tak Geon-un."
"Chief foreman's name makes sense... Mine? Without consulting your wife?"
"Want him to grow like Young Master Eon. Wife brought it up first. Will you permit?"
I nodded, feeling oddly touched.
Tak Jang-myeong carefully proffered fine paper.
He wanted me to write the name myself.
"...Calligraphy-wise, Dang Ok-gi or Gong Yun over there are better."
"Physician Dang's good, Young Master Namgung famed for brushwork too. But yours means more."
As I wrote Tak Geon-un.
Whispers from my Eon brothers behind.
"...Two Eon hyungs?"
"Yong-un-nim times two... Well, future stuff..."
"Future or now, one's enough of his viciousness in the world..."
"Still, just one character from Eon hyung might neutralize it?"
Sis, I saw—the late chief foreman had temper too."
"Oh dear."
"Why the fuss? He's persistent, sure, but his chivalry and spirit are unrivaled in the world..."
"See? Even Jeong-hyeon can't deny it. Right, Namgung Yun?"
"I don't think so."
"Kyaak!"
Having written the name for Tak Jang-myeong, I returned to my Eon brothers, furrowing my brow.
"Heard everything. What's wrong with me?"
- He's not truly clueless asking that, right?
Opinion leader Dang Ok-gi awkwardly averted his eyes, pointing at Dan Gang Valley foremen.
"But, our ambush—wasn't really those guys egging it on?"
His suspicion sounded genuine despite the topic shift.
Dang Ok-gi was a victim and naturally suspicious.
"Thought that too, but Great Marshal denied. Thinking on it, they lack the funds and balls."
"Hmm."
"Collude and bully—that's their level. So backers probably demonic cult. That Gil-jun punk schemed it."
As murmurs rose at my cult mention, I continued.
"Ultimately, we gotta get stronger. On that note, Silver Xiao-zhu. Alliance Leader pushing something big?"
"Yes. Expanding the Shaolin exchange match beyond student reps. Sects offering elixirs too. Backbone Society approved."
"...Shaolin. Needing to bulk up anyway—gonna sweep 'em."
For some reason, Master sighed deeply at my words.
- ......
Come to think, Brother Gyeong-ryong looked dour too.
"Chairman, why the face?"
"Shaolin dredges bad memories."
"Ah, right—Brother Gyeong-ryong did the exchange last year?"
"Me? Total rice sack. My loss stung, but others' defeats shocked."
"Seniors Mae Jin-ak and Ho Yeon-chan?"
"Right. Before you entered, Hyang Ran Pavilion's chairman Mae Jin-ak, Un Mae Pavilion's Ho Yeon-chan—dorm showdowns drew clouds of crowds. Mae-Ho Clash they called it... Both crushed by Shaolin warrior monks, couldn't even fight back."
"Whoa."
"...Whoa what?"
"You know."
I just grinned.
My Eon brothers edged away, knowing looks.
I singled out Woo So-rung fleeing farthest.
"Woo So-rung!"
"Y-yes!"
"Tell Blue Bamboo Pavilion cadets."
"...Assemble?"
"No."
"N-no?"
"Last one there gets fucked."
Time to don the red hat again.