Chapter 111: Protecting the Nine Demons Chamber (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Protecting the Nine Demons Chamber (1)
I was making up my mind to leave the Nine Demons Chamber when Jeok Yeong’s words made me realize I had forgotten one thing.
“I have learned both the First Three Forms and the Latter Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret, but I have yet to achieve Great Achievement in them.”
As I listened to Jeok Yeong explain how he had suddenly entered closed-door training and how he had obtained the Latter Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret, the words of the Sword Demon and the Demon of Chaos came back to me.
‘In seven days, there will be a final vote on the alliance with the Divine Light Sect.’
Why did those words keep echoing in my head?
It seemed that whenever it was time to leave, there were always so many things holding me back.
I had heard that the Fourth Chamber Leader, the Thousand-Faced Demon Seolbaek, was in favor of the alliance with the Divine Light Sect.
However, since his disciple had reportedly fallen into madness while practicing the Latter Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret, I felt like I could find a clue there.
“What is the difference between the First Three Forms and the Latter Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret? And what does that have to do with the madness?”
At my question, Jeok Yeong thought for a moment before answering.
“The First Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret explain the methods of internal energy circulation in great detail. The Latter Three Forms, however, focus primarily on the martial forms themselves. It seems the Fourth Chamber Leader’s disciple attempted the Latter Three Forms without properly mastering the energy circulation, which led to his madness. The Golden Immortal Demonic Secret earned its notorious name because, while it possesses power as great as an immortal’s martial arts, any error in energy circulation leads to Qi Deviation or madness.”
As I listened to Jeok Yeong’s explanation, a plan began to take shape in my mind.
Yet, I couldn't bring myself to act immediately.
I was still undecided on whether I should involve myself in the struggle between the Nine Demons Chamber and the Divine Light Sect.
If I stepped in, a clash with the Divine Light Sect was inevitable. If I didn't, my conscience wouldn't be at ease for various reasons. That was the problem.
“Brother, is something troubling you? You don't look well.”
I gave a bitter smile at Jeok Yeong’s words.
In a way, I envied Jeok Yeong for knowing nothing.
“I’m going to take a short walk.”
For the first time in a long while, I went out for a stroll to clear my head. Usually, I walked just to maintain my persona as a master, but right now, I desperately needed it.
I headed toward the small hill prepared behind my quarters. It was a place where a garden had been laid out specifically for walking.
As I paced, agonizing over what to do, I heard a strange sound from somewhere.
‘That sounds like a cat.’
I reflexively turned my gaze and saw Seol-a, Seo Rin’s spirit cat.
However, Seol-a was in a dire situation.
A swarm of dozens of rats had her surrounded, and the ground was already blackened with the bodies of rats she had apparently killed.
‘What? How can this be? Why is Seol-a being attacked by a swarm of rats? Usually, rats run away the moment they see her. Why are these rats attacking?’
As I approached the bizarre scene, the reason became clear.
A rat nearly the size of Seol-a was emitting a strange sound, controlling the swarm.
‘Wait, I think I’ve seen that rat somewhere before.’
Where else would you find a rat the size of a cat?
That’s right. During the Demonic Cult League’s Heaven-Earth Dragnet, the one that had pursued us was a rat called the Rat King.
It was that very same rat. But why was it here in the Nine Demons Chamber, fighting Seol-a?
In that moment, I realized the Divine Light Sect was keeping the Nine Demons Chamber in check.
Otherwise, there was no reason for the Rat King, who belonged to the Demonic Cult League, to be here.
It was undoubtedly because of the vote among the Chamber Leaders scheduled for seven days from now.
Even though Seol-a was a spirit creature, her movements had grown sluggish under the rats' overwhelming numbers.
Seeing the Rat King controlling the swarm with its squeaks, I decided to use a Lion’s Roar to mimic the sound of a rat and drown him out.
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
Then, something amazing happened. Perhaps my voice overwhelmed the Rat King’s squeaks, because the swarm fell into a panic, scurrying about in confusion.
Seizing the opportunity, Seol-a began tearing through the rats' throats with her claws.
The Rat King squeaked even louder, but it was no match for a human’s Lion’s Roar infused with internal energy.
Instead, the swarm of rats began to huddle toward me.
‘What is this? Is the rat sound I’m making actually calling them to me?’
It was absurd, but pulling Seol-a out of danger was enough.
“Seol-a, catch that leader rat!”
When the swarm crowded around me, I shouted to Seol-a. She seemed to understand and lunged toward the Rat King.
“Meow!”
The swarm of rats pressing against me was disgusting, but I endured it to lure them away until Seol-a could catch the Rat King.
However, perhaps because she had exhausted her strength fighting the swarm, Seol-a missed the Rat King.
As the Rat King escaped through a rat hole, Seol-a cried out repeatedly in frustration.
Once the Rat King was gone and I stopped making the rat sounds, the swarm scattered in all directions.
A moment later, Seol-a approached me, limping. Looking closely, she was covered in wounds from her desperate struggle against the rats.
“Come here, Seol-a.”
At my call, Seol-a leaped into my arms.
I decided it would be best to take her to Seo Rin first and began walking toward her quarters.
As I was about to leave the garden, Seo Rin happened to be approaching.
“Oh my! What happened to Seol-a?”
It seemed Seo Rin had also come out looking for her missing cat.
When I explained the situation, Seo Rin spoke with fury.
“Those wretched rats!”
Seeing the killing intent radiating from Seo Rin, I thought to myself that she truly was the descendant of the Demon of Chaos. I had thought her a modest lady, but she had more of a temper than I expected.
Just then, Bi Cheong, a junior brother of Yuk Cheong-woo who was passing by, approached us after hearing Seo Rin’s raised voice.
Upon seeing Seol-a, Bi Cheong clicked his tongue.
“How did Seol-a get injured?”
After I gave a brief explanation, Bi Cheong spoke.
“Then for now, please treat her in the medical room of the Third Refinements Pavilion.”
Since Seol-a was bleeding from her leg, Seo Rin did not refuse.
“Then I shall accept your kindness.”
“Don't mention it. If I let you go like this, my junior sister would scold me.”
Bi Cheong guided us to the medical room of the Third Refinements Pavilion.
Cradled in Seo Rin’s arms, Seol-a was treated by a physician.
After being treated quietly, Seol-a fell asleep in Seo Rin’s embrace.
*
“The order has come from the envoy of the Divine Light Sect. We are to use Eo Ja-seo to attempt to fracture the factions.”
Bi Cheong, looking grim, stared at the face of the man speaking.
“Do we really have to do this, Senior Brother?”
Bi Cheong asked, looking at Hong Myeong.
“Then what else can we do? We are already past the point of no return. We even tried to harm our Master; what is there left that we cannot do now? Besides, their eyes reach every corner of the Nine Demons Chamber—they even know that Eo Ja-seo is here.”
Hong Myeong’s face was a mixture of sorrow and venom.
“To just go on like this...”
“We might be fine, but what about our families?”
Bi Cheong clenched his fists. He gripped them so hard that his nails dug into his palms, and blood began to trickle down.
“Use the Energy Dissipating Poison and the aphrodisiac simultaneously. No matter how powerful Young Hero Eo’s internal energy is, he won't be able to resist.”
The Energy Dissipating Poison was no ordinary toxin. It was the very poison that had already caused Ham Jeok, the Sword Demon, to fall into Qi Deviation.
The drug provided by the Divine Light Sect’s envoy was said to be capable of intoxicating even a god.
“I’ll say it again: this poison won't kill him. So don't worry too much. Didn't we use the Energy Dissipating Poison on Master knowing he wouldn't die from it? Young Hero Eo won't die either.”
Those words were no longer a comfort. Even if there was no scent, their souls were already rotting and crawling with maggots.
Even if their Master hadn't died, Bi Cheong felt he had lost the right to be his disciple the moment he had harmed him.
Hong Myeong soon returned with tea he had prepared.
He then added both the Energy Dissipating Poison and the aphrodisiac to the tea.
He stirred them into the cups intended for Eo Ja-seo and Seo Rin.
The Divine Light Sect’s envoy wanted three things.
Through this incident, it would be fine if Eo Ja-seo left the Nine Demons Chamber, it would be fine if the relationship between Seo Rin and Ham Bi-hye soured, and it would be fine if the Third Chamber Leader, upon learning of this, killed Eo Ja-seo.
Since Eo Ja-seo kept interfering with the Divine Light Sect’s affairs, they had devised this plan to ruin him entirely.
In particular, they intended to eliminate Eo Ja-seo because he had recently defeated the disciples of the Chamber Leaders who had been recruited by the Divine Light Sect, thereby weakening their influence.
Bi Cheong personally carried the tea and headed toward the guest room where Eo Ja-seo and Seo Rin were.
Hong Myeong watched Bi Cheong’s retreating figure with a look of profound grief.
He, too, was not doing this because he wanted to.
*
“We were just about to leave, why did you bring tea?”
Seo Rin asked as Bi Cheong entered with the tea.
However, despite her words, she did not stand up.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
I didn't have anything particular to do, so I didn't refuse the tea either.
I shared a conversation with Seo Rin over the tea.
Seo Rin mentioned Igaryeo, who had suddenly appeared at the banquet, and spoke in a worried tone.
For about fifteen minutes, I sat there listening to her talk about the relationship between Strategist Woo and Ham Bi-hye.
“I don't know if it’s right for me to say this to you, Young Hero Eo. But I’ve watched Strategist Woo and Sister Hye for a long time, so I know them well. Strategist Woo has eyes only for her. But Sister Hye only thinks of him as a subordinate. That’s where the problem between those two lies.”
Seo Rin seemed to know the details of the relationship between Woo Cheong-rin and Ham Bi-hye and appeared to want them to end up together.
“So, Young Lady Seo, you wish for Strategist Woo and Lady Ham to be united.”
Seo Rin gave me a thin smile.
“But one day, Sister Hye went out to find a secret manual, and when she returned, she started talking about a certain man. Constantly. This sister of mine, who had never shown interest in men before.”
Realizing that the man was me, I felt my face flush.
“From what I’ve seen, that man is certainly a worthy match for her. However, that man doesn't seem particularly interested in her. That’s why I believe it’s time for him to make a decision. Only by making a decision can he save the lives of both that man and that woman. Phew, I don't know if I’m being too meddlesome.”
Seo Rin was indirectly telling me that I needed to make a firm decision for the sake of Ham Bi-hye and Woo Cheong-rin.
“Now that I’ve heard you out, it seems I really do need to make my intentions clear.”
In fact, after Igaryeo arrived, I had already realized that I needed to clarify my relationship with Ham Bi-hye before leaving.
If I left like this, I would be doing a great disservice to Strategist Woo.
But why did my lower abdomen suddenly start to ache?
Suddenly, a wave of heat surged near my dantian.
Glancing over, I saw that Seo Rin’s face was also flushed red.
After a moment’s thought, I realized it was lust.
‘They put an aphrodisiac in the tea? Who?’
“Mmm...”
Seo Rin let out a soft moan and looked at me with sultry eyes.
However, while I felt a momentary surge of lust, I felt something in my dantian sucking all of that energy away.
‘What? Did the Hyeolgo absorb it all?’
“Young Lady Seo!”
When I called out to her, infusing my voice with internal energy, Seo Rin snapped out of it.
However, her eyes were still overflowing with desire.
“Circulate your internal energy and suppress the effects of the aphrodisiac!”
When I spoke, Seo Rin answered with trembling lips.
“I... I can't gather my internal energy. Ahh!”
What? Don't tell me there was Energy Dissipating Poison too?
I tried to circulate my own energy. Without any issue, the energy from my upper dantian spread throughout my body.
‘Did the Hyeolgo suck up the Energy Dissipating Poison as well?’
In that moment, I had a realization.
Aphrodisiacs and Energy Dissipating Poisons don't just spread through the body; they intoxicate the dantian first to prevent the movement of internal energy.
They infiltrate the dantian to poison the True Qi, but the Hyeolgo, which lived as a parasite in my dantian, had absorbed both the aphrodisiac and the poison.
Thanks to that, my lower abdomen was aching slightly because the Hyeolgo was squirming after consuming the aphrodisiac in my dantian.
Just then, Bi Cheong and Hong Myeong entered. As soon as they stepped inside, Hong Myeong leveled his sword at my throat.
“Impressive, indeed. Even a peak master wouldn't be able to keep their senses after these poisons, yet you’re still conscious. Truly remarkable.”
He said this because I was sitting there perfectly fine.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Hearing their words, I knew for certain this was their doing.
“We had no choice.”
“Saying you had no choice is nonsense. Does the Ninth Chamber Leader know you are doing this?”
At my words, Hong Myeong frowned and gave an instruction to Bi Cheong.
“Junior Brother, go now and inform the Third Chamber Leader and our junior sister. By the time they arrive, Eo Ja-seo will be in the middle of ravishing Young Lady Seo.”
“Senior Brother, this man hasn't succumbed to the aphrodisiac yet. What should we do?”
“He’s holding out well for now, but he will soon be dominated by it. There’s a limit to how long one can suppress the toxicity of an aphrodisiac with internal energy.”
Hong Myeong seemed to have great faith in the potency of the Energy Dissipating Poison and the aphrodisiac.
At Hong Myeong’s words, Bi Cheong slowly walked out with a dejected expression.
My world spun. The scene that would follow played out vividly in my mind. It was as clear as day what would happen if the Third Chamber Leader and Ham Bi-hye burst in while I was in the middle of the act with Seo Rin.