Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: The Blood Demon Has Come? (4)
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Young Ho-kyeong watched the unfolding scene with sparkling, intrigued eyes.
The man, Gyeong Hyeon-dong, was the son of the Third Elder and harbored a peculiar obsession with her.
He was also the only man within the Demonic Cult in a position suitable to wed her, the Young Cult Leader.
"You bastard, confess who your master is right now! I'll haul you off to the disciplinary hall!"
"Do I look like some snot-nosed brat to you? Too bad, I'm plenty old enough to take full responsibility for my actions."
He'd always been arrogant, using that as an excuse to act without restraint, but today he'd finally crossed the line. Just as she was about to put him in his place, Kang Yun stepped forward and started trading barbs with him.
"Do you even know who I am, you insolent fool? Do you really think you can handle the consequences?"
Young Ho-kyeong let out a scoffing laugh. If they were talking pure backing, it was actually Gyeong Hyeon-dong who couldn't afford to tangle with this.
The Three Elders of the Demonic Cult held positions comparable to the sect leaders of major orthodox schools, but none of them could compare to the Blood Demon.
Whether he grasped the meaning of her laugh or not, Gyeong Hyeon-dong suddenly turned his ire toward Young Ho-kyeong.
"Young Cult Leader, please explain yourself. Why did you reject the marriage proposal? Don't you know that for the cult's eternal prosperity, we absolutely need an heir?"
"The cult's eternal prosperity..."
She knew full well he wasn't thinking anything of the sort. This was a man who'd shown her that creepy fixation since she was a young girl.
As if seeing her widowed and childless, alone in the world, wouldn't give him ideas to prod his father into pushing the match. Eternal prosperity, my foot.
"Pfft."
She was just about to raise her aura and teach him a lesson when Kang Yun spoke up again.
"Hey, if you're proposing marriage, shouldn't you say something like 'I love you' or 'I want to spend my life with you'? The cult's eternal prosperity? Are you sure you even have a dick between your legs?"
"W-What did you say...!"
"Hey, people do that sometimes. If you don't think she'll accept you willingly, you hold something hostage to force the issue. But proclaiming that out loud in front of everyone? Aren't you embarrassed?"
"You wench!"
Having enjoyed the spectacle of Kang Yun hitting Gyeong Hyeon-dong right where it hurt, Young Ho-kyeong decided it was time to intervene.
"That's enough from both of you."
"But, Young Cult Leader!"
"Before we even get to who's right or wrong, do you think it's proper to barge in while I'm hosting a guest and start complaining?"
If she couldn't fulfill the cult's long-cherished wish, she might have considered taking him as a husband.
The Young Ho lineage ruled supreme over everyone in the Demonic Cult while also serving as its guardian. That bloodline had to continue until the wish was granted.
But now that the key to achieving a Demonic Cult-dominated world with minimal losses had appeared right before her eyes, the need for that had faded somewhat.
"Now, please leave. I'll hear your side of things later."
Gyeong Hyeon-dong fumed, but there was nothing more he could do. He'd always relied on his father's prestige anyway.
She could have crushed his spirit and forced him out, but after seeing Kang Yun's attitude, an idea had occurred to her, so she held back.
"Just you wait, punk. I'll make you pay for this!"
"Ah, sure. Take care."
Who knew he had this side to him? His talent for twisting people's guts was truly unparalleled under heaven.
Gyeong Hyeon-dong glared at Kang Yun with bloodshot eyes, seething with rage, before whipping his head around and storming out.
The moment the two of them were alone, she noticed Kang Yun's eyes fill with sympathy.
She wasn't sure exactly what misunderstanding he had, but it was clear he thought she was going through some kind of hardship for some reason.
'In that case, there's no reason not to use it.'
"I'm sorry, Young Cult Leader. I shouldn't have stuck my nose in..."
"Not at all. I was in a bind anyway, so it was a relief that Young Hero Kang stepped in."
Young Ho-kyeong gave a wry smile. Even she, a transcendent expert, couldn't go all out against an opponent who didn't even seem to have reached the peak realm. There had to be something holding her back.
Whether it was money or some other interest, something was tying her hands and keeping her from acting freely.
"Who the hell is this guy to act so boldly toward the Young Cult Leader?"
"Gyeong Hyeon-dong. He's the leader of the Black Demon Squad and the son of one of the Three Elders."
The Black Demon Squad sounded like a group of elite masters, but in reality, it was mostly made up of low-tier experts.
They handled security and miscellaneous tasks—like constables, basically. Being their leader was ambiguously prestigious.
But as the son of an elder, he was undoubtedly someone with a lot of pull.
"When the Cult Leader steps down, I'll have to fill that vacancy, but I don't have an heir yet."
"So that's what all that eternal prosperity talk was about? You need a child to inherit the Demonic Cult?"
"..."
Young Ho-kyeong said nothing, but her silence was as good as affirmation.
"But you rejected him, didn't you? If you're rejected, that's the end of it. Does he have the right to come complaining like this?"
"Ideally, yes... but even as the Young Cult Leader, not everything in the cult goes my way."
"..."
"It's frustrating... When we can barely afford internal divisions as it is..."
So that's why she wanted to pull me and my master into the fold?
Makes sense. From the outside, it looks rock-solid, but if it's crumbling from within, you desperately need reliable allies.
Comparing her to the Young Cult Leader who'd boldly asked if I had no intention of becoming hers, her shoulders suddenly seemed so small.
"If that guy harasses you, let me know. I'm not so powerless that I can't protect a guest."
"...I'm fine. I take responsibility for the words that come out of my own mouth."
Maybe her chest felt a little lighter thanks to what I'd said, but it could also put her in a tougher spot later.
At the very least, I couldn't leave her to clean up the mess from my words.
In the end, amid the heavy atmosphere, I finished the remaining tea and took my leave from the Young Cult Leader's quarters.
That evening, the First Elder received a quiet visit from the Young Cult Leader.
"...You're thinking of appealing to his sympathy?"
"No matter how I think about it, that seems like the only way to draw him in."
Young Ho-kyeong nodded firmly at the First Elder's dubious question.
"I figured Gyeong Hyeon-dong would stir up trouble, but I didn't expect him to treat the Young Cult Leader with such blatant disrespect."
"He believes his father's position will protect him."
Among the Demonic Cult's high families, there was no one else of marriageable age suitable for Young Ho-kyeong besides Gyeong Hyeon-dong.
If she were a man, pairing her with a young girl wouldn't raise eyebrows, but being a woman created the issue.
"We could cut his head off anytime, but let's leave him be for now."
"Cutting off his head is one thing... But does the Young Cult Leader really need to endure such humiliation just to keep him under her command?"
"I want him. He's got spirit and skill. Aside from his master, he's a captivating talent worth acquiring."
"We can't recruit subordinates based on sympathy."
"For now, let's at least bind him psychologically. If I can't make him mine even after that, then my vessel isn't big enough, right?"
The First Elder shook his head. She was always like this—seeming to yield or take the long way around, but ultimately getting exactly what she wanted.
"Test the waters with the maids by swapping them out little by little. He seems too young and focused on martial arts to chase skirts, but white cloth dyes easier."
"...Understood."
To think he'd be reduced to pimping. But given the circumstances, the First Elder had no choice but to accept.
'Certainly...'
Compared to the Blood Demon, who seemed utterly impenetrable after years in the jianghu, the young man had plenty of soft spots.
Recalling how he'd secretly waved at a child on the way into the cult, the First Elder thought there was definite potential.
"There might be one of the Second Elder's people among those maids. How should we handle that...?"
"Just leave it. After Gyeong Hyeon-dong stormed through, they'll pick up something anyway. Besides, the Second Elder has no reason to dislike this situation."
The Second Elder and his faction had various goals, but they all converged on one thing in the end.
Making the orthodox martial world pay in blood for driving the Demonic Cult all the way to the barren divine lands.
There was no reason for them to object to the Demonic Cult potentially wielding a sharp blade like the Blood Demon.
"Once his disciple defects, even the Blood Demon won't be able to just sit back and watch."
There was still plenty of time. Rushing things would only backfire.
Young Ho-kyeong planned to take it slow and secure at least Kang Yun.
"A young man, huh..."
The Second Elder frowned at the report from his subordinate.
"Yes, Lord Gyeong. He clearly saw the Young Cult Leader meeting alone with a young man."
A sturdy build and handsome face. In the jianghu, you could find hundreds or thousands matching that description.
Setting aside the useless intel from Gyeong Hyeon-dong, the Second Elder nodded to another subordinate.
"We have the results of the additional investigation on Hand Dragon Kang Yun, as ordered."
"Anything new?"
The Second Elder had ordered a probe on the mysterious young expert who'd appeared out of nowhere, feeling an inexplicable wariness.
He was like he'd dropped from the sky. There were no records before his sudden appearance at the Sichuan Tang Family, which nagged at him.
So he'd ordered a thorough dig, and here were the results.
"As expected, no issues with his past records... but there are suspicious recent activities worth reporting."
"Suspicious activities...?"
The subordinate continued his report, and by the end, the Second Elder stared in stunned disbelief.
"So, you're saying that everywhere this guy goes, women end up pregnant?"
First, Eon So-young of the Namgung family. Kang Yun had stayed at her estate in Anhui for a while, and reports suggested there might be a baby there.
Next, Zhuge Mi-ryeong of the Go Escort Agency. She'd recently given birth and left the Tang Family to return home.
Others like Peng Yeon-hwa and Tang Hye-won of the Tang Family had also vanished around the time he was there—possibly the same.
"Does that absurd nonsense even make sense? Sure, a man chasing tail is one thing. But those women are all old enough to be his mother!"
As one of the Nine Dragons, he could have his pick of younger, prettier women.
Unless he was some deranged pervert going after married women, it didn't match the upright image of the orthodox sect member who'd faced him head-on.
It was ridiculous.
"W-We couldn't find any other notable peculiarities... My apologies."
The subordinate bowed deeply, as if ashamed.
His background check was too squeaky clean; they'd dredged up every last suspicious crumb.
"Fine. Put the investigation on him on hold for now and hurry up finding out who those two staying in the Cult Leader's quarters are."
By the Cult Leader's order, access to the guests in her quarters was extremely limited.
It would be a while before the maids the Second Elder had planted could attend them, and in intelligence, sooner was better.
'Ah, right... Gyeong Hyeon-dong came back humiliated by that guy...?'
The Second Elder didn't care for his arrogant personality, but it could be useful in times like this.