Chapter 351
Chapter 351
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 351
Chapter Title: Exchange Students (2)
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The inner chamber of the Langzhong Demon Army Palace.
Ha Gwang.
He had been carrying out Song Gil-jun's secret orders, undertaking all the preparations to bring Yeonwang Manor under the control of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Then, urgent reports began pouring in from the strongholds in the Southern Jiang region.
"...The Guiyang stronghold has been turned into a wasteland, and the young master has gone missing?!"
Among the flurry of urgent messages, the most thunderous was, naturally, the news of Song Gil-jun's disappearance.
The moment he heard it, Ha Gwang halted all operations and mobilized every subordinate and contact under his command to pinpoint Song Gil-jun's location.
"Inner Secretary! The Impeccable Young Master has reappeared at Prince Chu's Residence!"
"The Impeccable Young Master visited Prince Chu's Residence a second time?"
"Yes!"
"What's the atmosphere like in Hyeongan County?"
"It's strangely heating up."
Gathering and piecing together various pieces of information.
He concluded that Song Gil-jun had fallen into the hands of the Murim Alliance Leader.
"...He's here."
The instant that judgment was made, Ha Gwang launched plans to rescue Song Gil-jun.
There were two plans in total.
One was to capture Eon Yong-un's group as bargaining chips for an exchange.
The other was to assemble a rescue team and retrieve him directly.
However, both of Ha Gwang's plans ended in failure.
The first plan was based on the expectation that the Ghost Dragon's group—believed to have been dispatched on Prince Chu's secret orders—would return for a report, but it failed when they did not return to Guangxi.
The second plan, implemented afterward, failed because they couldn't target all the dozens of carriages departing simultaneously.
'It was an opponent we could never succeed against on such short notice anyway...'
After two failures, Ha Gwang abandoned the idea of rescuing Song Gil-jun with his own hands.
'Any further attempts to retrieve the young master would be like pushing the cult's followers into the ant hell that woman Jeon Gal-hye has dug.'
Jeon Gal-hye and the Impeccable Young Master were not opponents to be trifled with using half-baked plans.
Moreover, with the Blood Demon's followers rampaging across various regions.
Considering both the orthodox Murim and the Blood Demon as enemies, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult needed to preserve every single fighter.
'Even for a rescue operation, we'd need the Demon Brain elder's assistance and the Illuminating Left Protector's approval.'
From that moment, Ha Gwang ceased all operations and raced toward the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
He prostrated himself on the icy cold floor of the Myriad Demons Hall, used as the administrative office, and reported every detail of the events.
"...Thus, the plan to plunge Prince Chu's Residence into crisis has failed. The Langzhong Demon Army is also presumed captured by the orthodox scum."
As Ha Gwang kowtowed.
Mid-level executives arriving from all over hurriedly crossed the threshold of the Myriad Demons Hall and prostrated beside him.
"Reporting from the Raksha Unit. We... have lost the Nankun Mountain stronghold."
"Reporting from the Mara Sea Breeze Unit. We defended the Fangcheng Port stronghold. However, we were exposed in the process. We've temporarily relocated the important documents, but we request orders to establish a new base."
"Dongwang Merchant Association of the Meizhou stronghold reporting. We succeeded in protecting the association's building, but we've been exposed, making further operations difficult."
The bad news kept pouring in without end.
The man who held the highest position in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains after the Cult Leader.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Illuminating Left Protector, Byeon Cheol-yeong, smashed the table in front of him and gnashed his teeth.
Bang!!!
"...Demon Brain. Is this the best you could do?"
At the Protector's words.
The ancient elder seated opposite replied in a raspy voice.
"...Protector. It's true that I took in a poor disciple and caused great harm to the cult's grand plans. But Gil-jun won't spill the information in his head even if captured by the orthodox dogs. I didn't raise him that way."
"That's not what I'm talking about! What are we going to do about that Heaven-Shaking Blood Demon?!"
"...Wasn't the Blood Prince Palace's rebellion anticipated even in the Myriad Demons Hall? The timing being pulled forward is unexpected for me as well. But they aren't fully prepared either."
"How can you claim they're unprepared when our own hound has bitten us like this?"
"...That's precisely why the Blood Demon himself isn't charging across the entire front. He's stirring chaos in the Southern Jiang, centered on Yang Province. It's a warning not to touch him."
At the Demon Brain's calm response.
The Protector suppressed his anger and spoke.
"A barking dog doesn't bite... something like that?"
"We've suffered significant losses, so it's not that he won't bite—there's blood already spilled. But looking at the big picture, there are ways to handle it."
"Continue."
"There's no need to relocate the strongholds north of the Southern Jiang. As for eliminating the Blood Demon and his followers, there are several methods. Feed them to the orthodox Murim, or subjugate their core forces. Options abound. However, any of them require the Cult Leader's permission."
At the Demon Brain's words, the Protector rose and said,
"I was just about to go see him. I'll learn the Cult Leader's will, so oversee the Myriad Demons Hall in the meantime, Demon Brain."
"Understood."
"With the Langzhong Demon Army gone, prepare to step to the front lines again."
"...That as well."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Protector left the Myriad Demons Hall and headed to the Heavenly Demon Grotto, located on the highest peak of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Heavenly Demon Grotto.
This was the place where the founding Heavenly Demon, Hyeok Ryeon-geum, attained enlightenment, transforming the half-completed heart formula passed down from the revered Heavenly Demon Wi Cheol-jin into the full Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Currently, the current Cult Leader, Hyeok Ryeon-gang, was delving into interpretations of the latter half of the formula to achieve great completion of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
'The latter half of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art formula.'
That formula was notorious for its complexity.
Thus, even among the successive Cult Leaders treated as prodigies within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, none had achieved great completion.
'...Excluding the Founder and Second, all other Cult Leaders either went mad or met early deaths.'
As a result, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had seen numerous Cult Leader changes in its brief century-plus history.
'However, the current Cult Leader is on another level from his predecessors.'
The Protector unwaveringly believed that Hyeok Ryeon-gang would fulfill both the Founder's glory and the Second's long-cherished wish.
With such thoughts, upon reaching the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Grotto, he kowtowed and declared,
"Illuminating Left Protector Byeon Cheol-yeong seeks an audience with the Cult Leader."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "......"
No response came from within the Heavenly Demon Grotto to the Protector's words.
Yet he maintained his perfectly prostrated position without a twitch.
For a long while.
Thud... thud—
Footsteps began echoing from deep within the grotto.
A man with disheveled hair approached the prostrating Protector, his piercing gaze naturally emanating an overwhelming presence.
The pressure that accompanied it sent shivers through the Protector.
'...All previous failures are nothing.'
It was inevitable.
Excluding the Cult Leader and Vice Leader, the Illuminating Left Protector held the highest position.
To claim that seat, Byeon Cheol-yeong had waded through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
'He's already this formidable now... Once the Cult Leader achieves great completion of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art... Ah.'
Such an aura that made even Byeon Cheol-yeong's hair stand on end.
'We will recover all lost ground and repay our enemies manifold.'
Just as they had shouted countless times.
Once Hyeok Ryeon-gang's Heavenly Demon Divine Art reached great completion.
Once the Heavenly Demon descended again.
Be they orthodox Murim or rebels, all would bow before him.
All past failures would be more than compensated.
With that conviction, Byeon Cheol-yeong prostrated reverently once more.
"Heavenly Demon's Return, Myriad Demons in Mourning! Illuminating Left Protector Byeon Cheol-yeong greets the sun of the divine cult!"
"...Cut the useless formalities, Protector."
"My apologies."
"I told you to handle minor matters yourself. Why have you come to me?"
At Hyeok Ryeon-gang's question.
Byeon Cheol-yeong felt his breath catch as he reported the current situation point by point.
"...Thus, presuming upon your mercy, I seek an audience with you, Cult Leader."
"The Blood Demon has rebelled? Hasn't that punk been scheming for a while?"
"...Yes."
"I thought the Demon Brain elder would handle him at an opportune time. But with me secluded in the grotto, he couldn't find a suitable pretext."
Seeing Hyeok Ryeon-gang stroke his chin while recalling the Blood Demon.
Byeon Cheol-yeong kowtowed again and said,
"If you permit it, Cult Leader, I will launch a massive counterattack and bring you the Blood Demon's head."
"You mean all-out war?"
"By any means necessary!"
"That's not an option. It would only delight the orthodox Murim. The Blood Demon knows that, which is why he's making empty gestures... Anyway, Protector."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"Is our goal the Blood Demon? Or escaping this land to the fertile Central Plains?"
"...The latter."
"Then we can't go to full war with the Blood Demon. We must take back the underlings. Strike only the upper echelons, starting with the Blood Demon, and the rest will naturally submit."
"...The Demon Brain said something similar."
"Indeed. Discuss it well with the elder. For the Blood Demon to found his own cult, he'd need to deify himself... Unlike us, with the Founder, Second, and Sword Demon, it won't be easy. He'll fear me too."
"Yes! Of course he will!"
"He's probably frantic searching for ways to grow stronger. Release something like the Rebirth Pills under research in the Alchemy Division, and he'll move."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Three days after returning to the Righteous Martial Academy.
"Monk Won-cheol."
"Yes?"
"Why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"It can't be nothing. Have you finished copying the Diamond Sutra like you said you would?"
"I-I'm almost done."
"Tch. The Diamond Sutra must be memorized in your head by now. Can't you just move your hand faster?"
I was in the midst of helping Monk Won-cheol, who had entered the academy through the exchange student program, adapt to his duties.
"...I'm sorry."
"Hurry up. Once it's done, we promised to handle the funeral for the unaffiliated wanderer who died at the Jeon Gal family guesthouse and donate the body to the lab. Go with Yong-gil and transport it."
"...Yong-gil?"
"...That's me."
"Ah? You're referring to Young Master Mo Yong. But why Yong-gil...?"
"Don't make me repeat it two or three times. I'd have written one more character in the time you asked that."
"S-Sorry."
Watching us, Master and Dang Ok-gi spoke almost simultaneously.
- ...Won-cheol's the same. My fate, my noose.
"...Monk Won-cheol. So pitiful. Didn't he say something about a seeker accumulating inaction? He must be learning something."
Following him, Woo So-rung and Eun Ha-seong chimed in.
"...He's definitely learning life's bitterness."
"He could've just gotten special treatment like the other exchange students and been comfortable... But no, he had to ask to join Yong-un hyung. Tsk tsk tsk."
At Eun Ha-seong's words, Namgung Yeong—one of the silent chick trio diligently working—spoke up.
"And aren't you, Senior Ha-seong, sticking around because you like it? I'm fine with it. Plus, training all vacation long made my head stuffy anyway. Right, Jang-seon? Dokgo-cheol?"
"I don't know about stuffy head, but yeah, Yeong's right! Yong-un hyung is the best!"
"It felt empty without the president."
Though it was their private chatter, talk in the student council room couldn't escape my ears.
"I heard everything. Eun Ha-seong, Woo So-rung."
"!"
"!"
"And Dang Ok-gi, aren't you going to research? I'll confiscate what you dug up this time and donate it to the Medicine King Hall."
"Ack!! I'm going!!"
As I reminded Dang Ok-gi of his duties.
The student council room door opened, and a familiar bob-haired female knight poked her head in.
"Hey, everyone. Hi."
It was Paeng So-jin.
"Oh, noona?"
As I moved to greet Paeng So-jin.
Whoosh!!!
Eung-yong, who had flown from afar in Guangxi, zipped through the open door and landed on my head.
It was her way of sulking when pampered.
Since I'd used her relentlessly after bringing her to Prince Chu's Residence, I decided to indulge her minor tantrum.
"I get you're sulking, so hand over the letter."
At my words, Eung-yong extended her leg with the tube attached.
Inside the tube were three sheets of thinly rolled paper.
"Senior Ye Ha-su is departing too."
One was from Senior Ye Ha-su.
Another from His Highness Prince Chu.
『The contributions of the Ghost Dragon and the academy cadets are as vast as the seas, yet it's regrettable we part without sharing parting cups.
Procure good liquor, and let us meet again on a fine day in a fine place.』
The last sheet seemed drawn by the little prince with his tiny hands.
A crooked picture capturing me and the other Eon siblings.
"Short break. Everyone, put down your brushes and come look at this."
My Eon siblings gathered and began chatting animatedly.
"Hahaha. This drawing's a masterpiece. Eon gongja's drawn most diligently, but Ha-seong got squeezed out and just wrote his name."
"Puhaha."
"Primeval Heavenly Venerable. He did his best, it seems."
"Namgung Yeong. Can't you see the effort even for this big brother? That's how good I am."
"Nyeh. Nyeh. Anyway, Senior Ha-seong is hilarious. If the paper were bigger, he'd have finished it."
"Uhaha."
"...H-Hey, no laughing, everyone. Especially So-cheon hyung. You didn't come because you're a slacker, and you're laughing?!"
"Hmph. Yong-un said just the other day it wasn't because we were lacking!"
Paeng So-jin spoke up awkwardly then.
"...I only heard you all worked hard. I feel out of the loop and awkward. Should I come back later?"
I turned to her.
"We can share the details bit by bit. So, noona, are you perfectly ready for reenrollment?"
"Since you're asking if I'm perfect, it's hard to say yes boldly... But by my standards, yeah?"
"Oh ho. So you don't need time for your own studies or lecture prep?"
"...Huh?"
"See that empty seat next to Miss Jeon Gal? That's yours, noona. Grab a brush."
As Master clicked his tongue at me.
- ...Won-cheol as an exchange student, and now another young one yoked.
I asked Jeon Gal-seol.
"Miss Jeon Gal, speaking of which, how are the exchange students?"
"Thanks to your fame, Young Master Eon, way more came than during the old exchange program days. It's chaotic."
Exchange students.
Originally meant to swap junior disciples between sides for mutual understanding of academic styles and customs.
But due to my inflated reputation from various incidents.
Academy cadets didn't want to leave, and others clamored to enter, so the system changed.
"Shaolin sent just Monk Won-cheol. The four allied outer Murim schools each sent ten."
"We prepared how to integrate them into the academic schedule in advance, right?"
"Yes, but... You've seen with the Archery Palace and Ice Palace folks. Each has their pride and different lifestyles. Lots to worry about."
"True concerns, but mutual understanding will strengthen ties between the outer regions and Central Plains."
"Sure, it will."
"All arrived? I saw papers saying they got dorms, but no Ice Palace?"
"Yes. North Sea Ice Palace hasn't yet. The other three have and settled in."
At Jeon Gal-seol's words, I pondered briefly.
'Archery Palace and Ice Palace have solid ties... The issues are Southern Barbaric Beast Palace and Southern Sea Red Dragon Palace.'
The Southern Barbaric Beast Palace was a source of rare herbs and such, a key trading partner since ancient times due to Hyeon-cheol.
But the Red Dragon Palace couldn't be overlooked.
'Ten Thousand People's Blood.'
The horrific spirit pill forged from human grudges.
'In the original, Woo So-rung dies trying to stop it from reaching the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.'
It was much later in the timeline, but.
In this deviated story.
I couldn't dismiss future events lightly.
Finishing my thoughts, I spoke to Jeon Gal-seol.
"The Southern Sea Red Dragon Palace is staying at the Single River Province's top inn, right?"
"Yes, correct."
"Guess I should head there first."