Chapter 113: Protecting the Nine Demons Chamber (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113: Protecting the Nine Demons Chamber (3)
“Finally, today, the Nine Demons Chamber shall fall into our hands.”
The envoy dispatched from the Divine Light Sect spoke while looking at the elderly man.
“Indeed. The Heavenly Lord will be most pleased.”
The envoy from the Divine Light Sect was a man who looked like a refined scholar. However, he was surely no mere academic.
“What do you think will happen to the Blood Flame Blade?”
The elderly man, known as the Blood Flame Blade, was a martial artist who had dominated the Jiangnan region thirty years ago. He was one of the Twenty-Four Guardians of the Divine Light Sect.
It was a startling fact that such a peak master was merely one of the twenty-four. Even now, when discussing the way of the blade, Mun Gang, the Blood Flame Blade, was often cited as a cold-blooded man devoid of blood or tears.
His title, which suggested his blood itself was ablaze, was well-earned. It was said that when he unleashed his blade techniques, he created a mist of blood that looked as if it were caught in a conflagration.
Mun Gang, the Blood Flame Blade, replied politely to the young man.
“We have successfully recruited four Chamber Leaders this time. Furthermore, the Ninth Chamber Leader is still suffering from Qi Deviation, so he won't be able to attend the voting. The outcome is already decided. By the way, Sixth Overlord, how did the recruitment of the First Chamber Leader go?”
The man Mun Gang addressed as the Sixth Overlord gave a thin smile and fluttered a folding fan adorned with a butterfly.
In the Divine Light Sect, the Sect Leader was called the Heavenly Lord. Beneath him were the Four Immortal Lords, followed by the Twelve Elders, then the Twenty-Four Guardians, and finally, the Seven Overlords, who served as the backbone of the sect.
Notably, the Seven Overlords were all direct disciples of the Heavenly Lord. Among them, the Sixth Overlord was the Butterfly Killing Fan, Wi Se-gun.
Even though his rank within the Divine Light Sect was technically below the Twenty-Four Guardians, the Seven Overlords were treated with the same respect as the Twelve Elders because they were the Heavenly Lord’s disciples. This was why Mun Gang, despite being a Guardian, treated the young Wi Se-gun with such politeness.
In response to the question, Wi Se-gun folded his fan and tapped it against his palm.
“He is a stubborn old man. He claims he will remain neutral. Since there are nine leaders in total, he said he would stay neutral and follow the will of the remaining Chamber Leaders.”
“How can you be certain the First Chamber Leader will remain neutral?”
“I have secured his word.”
The Blood Flame Blade nodded. If a promise had been made, his neutrality was guaranteed.
“Then victory is as good as ours.”
“That may be so, but...”
Wi Se-gun trailed off, his tone laced with uncertainty.
“It is quite bothersome that we failed to eliminate that man, Eo Ja-seo. If he tries to pull some kind of stunt...”
“What could a fellow like him possibly do? Do not worry yourself too much, Sixth Overlord. Besides, there is still plenty of time to get rid of him.”
As they conversed, a martial artist spoke from outside.
“You are requested to enter the Great Hall.”
The two men stood up with smiles on their faces.
The time for the vote had finally arrived. Wi Se-gun wore a satisfied grin, thinking that the Nine Demons Chamber would soon belong to the Divine Light Sect.
Inside the Great Hall, all nine Chamber Leaders of the Nine Demons Chamber were seated. Or, to be more precise, the seat of the Ninth Chamber Leader, Ham Jeok, was empty.
As Mun Gang and Wi Se-gun entered the Great Hall, they offered their greetings, confident that everything was proceeding according to plan.
“Seeing all the Chamber Leaders gathered like this, I truly understand why the prestige of the Nine Demons Chamber is said to pierce the heavens. The Sixth Overlord of the Divine Light Sect offers his greetings to his seniors.”
Despite the arrogance of revealing only his rank and not his name, the eight Chamber Leaders remained silent. They were merely tolerating him because he had come as an envoy of the Divine Light Sect, despite his youth.
“Take your seats over there.”
When the First Chamber Leader, the Black-Flame Palm Demon Geumjo, spoke, Mun Gang and Wi Se-gun quietly took their places.
“We shall now decide whether the Nine Demons Chamber will ally with the Divine Light Sect through a vote. I trust everyone has given this careful thought, so we will proceed immediately.”
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the entrance of the Great Hall.
“Wait! Hold your positions!”
Everyone turned toward the entrance. Some Chamber Leaders looked quite surprised, while others remained stoic.
“What? Ninth Chamber Leader, when did you recover?”
At the Second Chamber Leader’s question, Ham Jeok replied with a smile.
“Was I even ill? Today is an important day, so I have come out after completing my closed-door training.”
Everyone knew it was a blatant lie, but since he did not look like someone who had just suffered from Qi Deviation, they found themselves unable to argue. The Chamber Leaders who supported the Divine Light Sect felt their expressions stiffen.
Mun Gang and Wi Se-gun also stared at Ham Jeok with sour expressions.
That old fox... he recovered from Qi Deviation long ago and only chose to show up now. But even so, the vote count will remain the same. We’ll just have to let this go for now and recruit the First Chamber Leader later.
Wi Se-gun bit his lip, regretting his lax surveillance of Ham Jeok. Irritation flared within him as things took an unexpected turn, but he did not let his inner thoughts show in such a setting. He calmed himself, knowing that even if things were delayed, it was a problem that could be solved with time.
“Welcome, Ninth Chamber Leader. Please, take your seat.”
Ham Jeok scanned the other Chamber Leaders and nodded in greeting.
“Now that the Ninth Chamber Leader has arrived, we will vote immediately. Before we do, there is something I must say. According to the Chamber Rules of our Nine Demons Chamber, all Chamber Leaders must abide by the results of this vote. No complaints or grievances will be tolerated. This is no different from the rules we have always followed. Those Chamber Leaders who oppose the alliance with the Divine Light Sect, please raise your hands. For the record, I declare that I am neutral. I will follow the decision of the other leaders.”
At Geumjo’s words, Mun Gang and Wi Se-gun swallowed hard.
The reason the Divine Light Sect wanted to bring the Nine Demons Chamber into an alliance was to expand their influence into Yunnan and pacify the Sichuan martial world, which was known for having the most hot-blooded martial artists. To conquer Sichuan, they needed a base of operations, and the Nine Demons Chamber was the perfect fit.
Because the alliance was a crucial part of the Divine Light Sect’s grand plan, the two men were tense.
First, the Ninth Chamber Leader, Ham Jeok, raised his hand. He was followed by the Eighth Chamber Leader, Red Myung, then the Third Chamber Leader, Seo Gong, and finally the Seventh Chamber Leader, Eumhyeong.
Damn it, it’s a tie as expected.
Just as they were thinking about who to recruit next, another person raised their hand high.
It was the Fourth Chamber Leader, the Thousand-Faced Demon Seolbaek.
What? He’s the one we already recruited!
With five votes against, the opposition now held the majority.
The other Chamber Leaders were equally shocked. Even Ham Jeok stared blankly at the Fourth Chamber Leader, and the Third Chamber Leader, the Demon of Chaos Seo Gong—who was usually as stoic as a stone statue—widened his eyes in surprise.
It was that unexpected, as the Fourth Chamber Leader had been one of the most vocal supporters of the Divine Light Sect.
“Fourth Chamber Leader, are you certain you oppose the alliance with the Divine Light Sect?”
The First Chamber Leader, Geumjo, was so stunned he had to ask for confirmation.
“I am. I oppose it.”
In this place, no one asked for reasons. They were the nine pillars of the Nine Demons Chamber; their word was final.
“Hahaha...”
As Wi Se-gun let out a hollow laugh, Mun Gang jumped to his feet.
“What is the meaning of this! Are you mocking us?!”
At those words, the First Chamber Leader slammed his hand on the table and roared.
“Shut your mouth! How dare a mere brat like you utter such nonsense during our proceedings! Do you think you can see nothing because you have the prestige of the Divine Light Sect behind you? Do not forget that we are the Nine Demons! Mun Gang!”
At Geumjo’s roar, Mun Gang’s mouth snapped shut. However, he could not simply back down.
“The Heavenly Lord will not be pleased when he hears of this!”
This time, the Second Chamber Leader stepped forward and shouted.
“You must be tired of living. We are not allying to become subordinates of the Divine Light Sect. We wouldn't bat an eye even if the Nine Great Sects came knocking. Do you think the Divine Light Sect is something special? Even though I supported the alliance, did you think we were so far gone that we would abandon the spirit of the Nine Demons Chamber? The decision has been made. Leave! There will be no alliance with the Divine Light Sect!”
If even the Second Chamber Leader, who had been the primary advocate for the alliance, was reacting this way, the matter was truly settled.
Mun Gang regretted underestimating the Nine Demons Chamber Leaders. He had momentarily forgotten that they were the heart of the Unorthodox path. Furthermore, seeing how they did not utter a single word of dissent once the vote was cast, he realized why the Nine Demons Chamber had flourished despite the constant friction between the nine leaders.
Suppressing his rage, Mun Gang spoke to Wi Se-gun.
“I believe we should leave.”
Wi Se-gun bit his lip and stood up.
“You will come to regret this decision!”
“Khahaha!”
Suddenly, the Fifth Chamber Leader burst into laughter.
“Even if your master were here, he wouldn't dare say such things to us. Where does a child get the nerve to run his mouth so recklessly!”
Wi Se-gun’s anger flared as the Fifth Chamber Leader, whom he had worked so hard to recruit, turned on him. However, he was not so foolish as to lose his temper in enemy territory. He suppressed his rage and spoke.
“We shall take our leave.”
As Wi Se-gun clasped his hands in a formal salute and exited the Great Hall, he turned to Mun Gang.
“What is the reason the Fourth Chamber Leader suddenly changed his mind?”
Mun Gang shook his head, equally baffled.
“I will look into it.”
Wi Se-gun ground his teeth as he watched Mun Gang disappear.
“Whoever interfered with this... I will not leave them be.”
To have victory snatched away at the very last moment... how could he face the Heavenly Lord now? The thought made his blood boil with uncontrollable fury.
*
As they left the Great Hall, the Ninth Chamber Leader, Ham Jeok, approached the Fourth Chamber Leader, Seolbaek.
“I thought you were someone who supported the alliance with the Divine Light Sect. What caused your change of heart?”
Seolbaek gave a bitter smile.
“Does the Ninth Chamber Leader truly not know? Hah, well now.”
Seolbaek had assumed that all of this had been orchestrated under Ham Jeok’s orders.
“What happened to make you say that?”
Knowing that Ham Jeok was not the type of man to feign ignorance if he had actually done it, Seolbaek could only let out a hollow laugh.
“In that case, Ninth Chamber Leader, you have chosen your Acting Squad Leader very well.”
At that, Ham Jeok asked, “The Acting Squad Leader of the Blood Wind Squad? You mean Eo Ja-seo?”
“Indeed.”
Leaving it at that, the Fourth Chamber Leader hurried out of the Great Hall. His pride was too wounded to answer any more of the Ninth Chamber Leader’s questions.
Seolbaek recalled the visit from Eo Ja-seo and Jeok Yeong just one hour before the vote.
When he first saw Eo Ja-seo requesting an audience, he had thought the boy was ridiculous. On the other hand, having heard that the boy had defeated his own disciple in a duel, he had granted the meeting out of curiosity.
“What is your business?”
“I’ve come regarding your son.”
The moment the word 'son' left the boy's mouth, Seolbaek felt a surge of anxiety.
“I have a way to manage your son’s madness.”
Seolbaek had burst into wild laughter upon hearing that. His son’s madness was not something that could be cured with mere herbs. To claim he could treat it? No matter what the boy was after, it seemed pathetic.
“You are a funny one.”
“You need the First Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret, don't you?”
At those words, Seolbaek, who had been about to stand up and roar at them, felt his legs give way. It was the first time he had shown such a lapse in composure since becoming one of the nine Chamber Leaders.
“How do you know about that?”
Seolbaek glared at Eo Ja-seo as if he wanted to kill him, but the boy only gave a thin smile.
“I have the First Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret.”
Seolbaek’s body flinched.
How long had he wandered the Murim searching for that? Even now, if it weren't for the critical affairs of the Nine Demons Chamber, he would still be out there searching for that manual.
“Since you’ve come to me like this, I assume you want something in return.”
Eo Ja-seo nodded.
“That is correct. Please withdraw your support for the Divine Light Sect in the upcoming vote.”
Seolbaek did not have to think long. His reason for supporting the alliance was his ambition to bring the Nine Demons Chamber to the center of the Murim. However, if he could cure his son, he was more than willing to change his mind.
“Fine. But you wouldn't be foolish enough to carry the manual on your person. How can you prove that you actually possess the First Three Forms?”
Eo Ja-seo replied, “Brother, show him.”
Suddenly, Jeok Yeong drew his sword. Seolbaek didn't even flinch.
Jeok Yeong began to execute techniques as if performing a sword dance. As the forms unfolded, Seolbaek’s eyes widened. They were identical to the sword techniques his son had learned.
Seeing Seolbaek’s shock, I smiled and spoke.
“These are the Latter Three Forms of the Golden Immortal Demonic Secret. However, my brother does not suffer from madness. That is because the First Three Forms contain the subtle principles of internal energy circulation for this sword art. The Golden Immortal Demonic Secret is called a 'Demonic Secret' because one falls into madness if the internal energy is not managed correctly.”
Since Eo Ja-seo knew the exact details of the manual, Seolbaek had no choice but to believe him.
“I will trust your word. But if you are lying...”
Seolbaek’s eyes glowed with a blue light, as if swords were about to pour out of them.
“How could I possibly lie to the Fourth Chamber Leader of the Nine Demons Chamber? I am well aware that I only have one life.”
Recalling the boy who had stood so boldly before him, Seolbaek made his way toward the promised meeting place.