Chapter 199: Engagement? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: Engagement? (1)
The Murim Alliance.
It was the grand coalition of the Righteous Faction.
Certain elders from the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans held concurrent positions as Alliance elders, and occasionally, individuals outside those prestigious lineages were appointed based on their exceptional martial prowess.
Surprisingly, however, the Murim Alliance functioned more as a figurehead organization. Its authority rarely penetrated the internal affairs of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, as each operated like an independent kingdom.
Because the various sects rarely saw eye to eye, the Alliance during times of peace was little more than a social club where a few elders maintained their friendships.
But in times of war, the story changed. On the rare occasions when friction between the Righteous Faction and outside forces intensified, the Murim Alliance exerted a respectable amount of influence.
The current situation was exactly that.
Because of this, Jegal Tong, the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance—whose usual daily routine consisted of sipping tea while watching the clouds—was currently buried under a mountain of work.
"The North Sea Ice Palace suffered severe damage... Is this information confirmed?"
"I'm telling you, it's certain. The Palace Master is said to have entered secluded training due to heavy injuries, and the Ice Palace itself is practically in ruins. They say that fellow Je Cheon-hyeok showed his face there, too."
"I see. So that's why the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect mobilized so urgently."
Jegal Tong nodded. He had previously issued strict instructions to their masters in the Transcendent Realm.
If a Transcendent Realm master from the Black Lotus Union leaves their post, our own Transcendent masters must move immediately to capitalize on the opening.
This time, the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect had mobilized, providing a massive boost to the offensive against the Giryeon Sect.
"Hey, Noggin."
"...I am not a child. Must you tease me with my name?"
"No, I mean, how can a person's name just be 'Tong'?"
"You should ask my father."
"I already did! He said it means 'to connect with the heavens.' The meaning is fine, but... don't you think it would have been better to add another character before or after it?"
Who was the man who dared to tease Jegal Tong, the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance, so freely? His name was Peng Chu-san, an elder of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Peng Chu-san let out a boisterous laugh and stared intently at the map spread out before Jegal Tong.
"Anyway, this is the first time I've ever felt grateful to those Demonic Cult bastards. The battlefield has shifted entirely to the west, so the Peng Clan can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
"No, it's too early to relax. In times like this, they might push through the center or the east instead."
"Surely not. Unless they're insane? If they did that, the Giryeon Sect would be completely overrun."
"I say it because they are insane. The Chief Strategist of the Black Lotus Union is not in his right mind."
Occasionally, when Jegal Tong scrutinized the man's tactics, he sensed a certain madness.
He played his moves boldly, treating the battlefield like a chessboard, discarding pieces without a hint of regret. It wasn't uncommon for him to throw away perfectly good assets just to maximize his resulting gains.
Sama Hyeon, the Chief Strategist of the Black Lotus Union. He did not view humans as actual living beings.
He was a brilliant strategist, but Jegal Tong could not hide his loathing for the man. He was someone Jegal Tong never wished to cross paths with.
"Regardless, this is a stroke of luck. With the Ice Palace weakened, we can firmly secure victory in the west."
Jegal Tong wanted to find whichever demon was responsible and give them a kiss. How could they have done exactly what he needed?
If the Righteous Faction took complete control of the west, the Giryeon Sect and the North Sea Ice Palace would be caught between the Demonic Cult and the Righteous Faction. For the Black Lotus Union, whose relationship with the Demonic Cult had surely soured after this incident, this was a scenario they desperately wanted to avoid.
The North Sea Ice Palace had already sustained massive damage. The Giryeon Sect alone would find it overwhelming to block the Demonic Cult's advance.
This meant that two of the Seven Evil Black Sects would be unable to act recklessly.
"Things in this world don't always go as planned, but it seems the heavens are siding with the Righteous Faction this time."
Jegal Tong smiled.
* * *
Sama Hyeon was not smiling.
"...I've never seen such out-of-their-mind bastards."
Staring blankly at the map, he slammed his fist down on the location of Tianshan.
Bang!
The items on his desk rattled violently.
The entire plan has been thrown into disarray.
The Divine Priestess, the Sword Demon, the Greed Demon, and even some nameless demon. Did they call him the Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons?
His grand design had been unraveled by such trivial nonsense.
To make matters worse, a document bearing the Divine Priestess's seal had arrived from the Demonic Cult. It expressed "deep regret" over the interference with the Cult's ceremony.
Those lunatics. How can they be so brazen after invading our territory?
This was exactly why people said never to associate with the Demonic Cult.
"Every single one of them is a thorn in my side..."
However, he couldn't afford to make an enemy of the Demonic Cult in this situation.
The North Sea Ice Palace had already taken a major hit. If the Demonic Cult intervened further, the entire board would become far too unfavorable for the Black Lotus Union.
Amidst the chaos of countless variables, Sama Hyeon finally made a decision. It was a reckless strategy, but there was no better move to break the strangely shifting flow of events.
His eyes gleamed as he moved a piece located in the center of the Central Plains.
I will take the Righteous Faction's greatest piece.
If a star of the Murim were to fall, those greenhouse flowers wouldn't dare try to withstand the momentum of the Black Lotus Union.
* * *
"He's coming."
Chun-bong's eyes snapped open. In the pitch-black seclusion room, she flung the door open, the sudden influx of light chasing away the darkness.
Flash!
Chun-bong winced at the sunlight she hadn't seen in days.
She hadn't achieved all the goals she'd set when she entered secluded training, but she felt that staying cooped up any longer wouldn't yield much more progress anyway.
In that case, it was better to go out and greet him.
"Geum Mae?"
She happened to run into Namgung Su-ah, who was passing by. Seeing Chun-bong's grim expression, Su-ah tilted her head curiously, then walked over and leaned down.
"Is something wrong?"
She had to lean down just to meet Chun-bong's eyes. Chun-bong puffed out her cheeks at that fact and spoke curtly.
"He's coming."
"Huh? Who?"
"Lee Seo-jun."
"Eh?"
Namgung Su-ah looked puzzled, but Chun-bong was certain. She just had a feeling. Lee Seo-jun called it the 'Chun-bong Radar.' He had walked right into its range.
"Don't tell him where I went."
Leaving behind those solemn words, Chun-bong scurried away. Namgung Su-ah blinked as she watched the girl vanish in a blur.
"Seo-jun is coming...?"
After a moment of deep thought, Namgung Su-ah subtly quickened her pace.
There was something she needed to prepare.
She felt a little bad because it felt like she was pushing him too hard... but what could she do? She could hardly contain her desire to show him.
The garment she had been making bit by bit whenever she had free time.
The outfit to be worn at their engagement ceremony was finally finished.
* * *
In the end, they had failed to bring the Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons back to the Cult.
Seeing the Divine Priestess's somber mood, the Greed Demon stroked his hollow belly.
"So... is it a big problem?"
"No, nothing changes. However, I will certainly hold the Water Demon accountable for this."
"The Water Demon...? Is that even possible?"
"Because of her, we lost the Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons."
"Well, setting aside the justification..."
In truth, even as a justification, it was debatable whether it was actually the Water Demon's fault. She had simply followed the will of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons rather than the Divine Priestess.
Although he hadn't officially joined the Cult yet, in terms of hierarchy, the Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons was by no means below the Divine Priestess.
But setting all that aside, could they actually hold the Water Demon accountable?
"She was insanely strong. Even the Sword Demon here might not be able to beat her, right?"
The Sword Demon glared sharply at the Greed Demon. Flinching, the Greed Demon quickly shut his mouth.
The Divine Priestess let out a small sigh.
"I don't intend to take any drastic measures anyway. Her nature is relatively mild, so if I say a few words to her, she'll likely restrain herself on her own."
"Hmph, how boring. I thought something big would happen since we lost the Seed." The Greed Demon smacked his lips.
The Divine Priestess shook her head. There was no need to hold the Water Demon heavily accountable.
"The Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons is destined to return to Tianshan eventually."
"He looked like he was running away without even looking back this time, though?"
"He will definitely return."
The Divine Priestess's eyes flashed. She remembered the legends of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons passed down through the ages.
"The Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons is different from ordinary humans."
"Different how?"
"The Seed's emotions are incredibly shallow. He cannot empathize with others, and he fails to feel the emotions one should naturally feel in certain situations."
One could say he was similar to a demon, but the difference lay in the fact that the Seed of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons was naturally born with such a disposition.
"Even if he stays within the territory of the Righteous or Evil Factions, he will eventually be ostracized and return to Tianshan."
The worst-case scenario would be the Seed being branded a Public Enemy of the Murim and killed.
However, judging by his skill in breaking through two of the Seven Demons, the Divine Priestess herself, and even a Heavenly Net, that seemed unlikely.
"It's just that... the timing has been delayed a little."
The Divine Priestess sighed quietly. It looked like she would be troubled for quite a while.
* * *
My sweet home. The Namgung Clan.
Naturally, having reverted to his appearance as Lee Seo-jun, Seo-jun hummed a tune as he passed through the main gate.
"I have arrived."
The Great Archdemon of the Fire Demon Realm had returned to the Great Namgung Clan.
Walking with a confident stride, Seo-jun suddenly stopped as his Qi Sensing picked up a familiar presence.
"Huh?"
Why is she in a place like that...?
Though puzzled, he soon resumed his walk naturally.
Just as Seo-jun crossed the threshold of the gate—
"Waaagh...!"
Chun-bong, who had been hanging upside down from the top of the gate, suddenly dropped down, making tiger-like claws with her hands. (Though she probably intended to look like a fierce tiger, she looked more like a kitten).
Seo-jun's eyes met the upside-down Chun-bong's. He hesitated for a moment, then jumped in place in mock surprise.
"Aaaah...! It's a Reverse Geum Chun-bong!"
"Hehehe."
Landing lightly on the ground, Chun-bong hopped over with a proud expression. She clung to Seo-jun and peppered his lips with kisses.
"You're back?"
A crazy sense of euphoria soared past his limits and pierced the sky. Life-or-death battles? That kind of cheap dopamine couldn't even compare to a kiss from Chun-bong.
"Oppa is back, Chun-bong!"
Lifting Chun-bong high into the air, Seo-jun immediately unleashed his Lightness Skill. After finishing a lap around the Namgung Clan estate just to show her off, Seo-jun laughed and gave her a shoulder ride.
"Your Oppa managed to get some incredible deer antlers-yo."
"Deer antlers? What are you talking about? Didn't you go to Tianshan?"
"That's right. These are precious antlers that grow in Tianshan-yo."
Seo-jun pulled the Horn of Nok So-pyeong out of his luggage. As soon as the horn was revealed, a massive energy permeated the area.
Gulping at the faint tension in the air, Chun-bong asked, "Hey, hey. What is that...?"
Did this jerk pick up something weird again? Chun-bong's eyes darted around.
"It's a long story-yo."
"...This jerk learned a weird way of talking again."
"It's actually quite addictive-yo. Why don't you try it too, Chun-bong-yo?"
"I don't want to, you jerk-yo."
Sitting on his shoulders, Chun-bong squeezed her thighs tight.
"Ack...!"
Seo-jun patted Chun-bong's thighs in surrender.
Hmph. Victorious, Geum Chun-bong hopped down to the ground.
Seo-jun pouted and stuffed the 'antler' back into his bag.
"Where's Noona?"
"I don't know. Didn't you see her on your way in?"
"I didn't."
Is she in her room? Scratching his chin, Seo-jun firmly took Chun-bong's hand and started walking.
"Let's go report to Father-in-law first."
"Why me?"
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"No, I'm coming."
"Right?"
Now, it was time for his Fire Demon Realm demonstration.
He just hoped Chun-bong wouldn't burst into tears after seeing the horn again.