Chapter 157
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Please Cooperate
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An unprecedented broadcasting disaster.
The incident at Music Challenge could be summed up in those four words.
Not only had all the participants forfeited during the very first live broadcast, but the audience had nearly been injured in the chaos.
It was a massive blunder that no player's skill could possibly salvage.
But if one were to judge Music Challenge on its own merits, it could be summarized in yet another four words.
The greatest show ever.
The reason lay in the challenge song itself.
Its fantastical melody alone was enough to send shivers down the spine and spark massive buzz just from listening.
And with the added mystique that made it feel like you were hearing vocals just from the performance, anyone who caught it once couldn't help but be hooked.
That was why KTB was in utter pandemonium right now.
One side was scrambling to handle the live broadcast mishap, while the other fielded an onslaught of inquiries about the challenge track. Kim Seungjun's head was spinning.
But the very man responsible for dragging them into this mess?
Rimon hadn't given Music Challenge a second thought.
He was just grumbling about what had gone down at the filming location.
"Is that what happened?"
"Yeah. Figured sticking around would just make things messy, so I bailed right away."
"You must have had a rough time."
"Rough? Nah. I'm just pissed that some random accident nearly derailed the whole thing I set up."
Rimon pulled a sour face.
He'd only schemed this to screw over Moon Cheonyeop, and if someone had gotten hurt because of it, the aftertaste would've been bitter.
Li Chingwei smiled faintly as she watched him.
"Still, it's a good thing the Sword Duke was there to keep it from blowing up bigger."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"You're right, it was lucky. But something about it feels off."
"You think the accident wasn't random?"
Li Chingwei asked seriously.
For anyone else, it might've been dismissed as nerves.
But when someone with superhuman senses like Rimon felt uneasy, it wasn't something to brush off as imagination.
Still, Rimon shook his head.
"Nothing suspicious stood out. It's just a gut feeling that I missed something."
"Well, if it wasn't an accident, you'd have noticed right away, Sword Duke."
Li Chingwei nodded in understanding.
Unlike her, though, Rimon couldn't shake his dubious expression.
It had all seemed like a perfectly plausible accident, with nothing odd in the sequence of events. Yet something kept nagging at him.
Thinking it was just his dissatisfaction with the incident, Li Chingwei calmly reassured him.
"Don't dwell on it too much. You achieved what you set out to do, right?"
"Yeah, suppose so."
Rimon nodded.
The accident had soured the mood midway, but the outcome was still a success.
Music Challenge had originally been a program Moon Cheonyeop had tanked.
By propping it up like this, Yeonhwa now had leverage to crush Moon Cheonyeop, who held Claire in his grip.
Of course, getting there would involve a few more convoluted steps.
That was why Yuna Kyung hesitantly chimed in.
[Team Leader, got a question.]
"What is it?"
[Did you orchestrate this for Sister Yujin?]
"...Why do you think that?"
[It just doesn't feel like your usual style.]
Rimon was fundamentally a straight shooter with a blade.
He preferred slicing through complications rather than tangling them up.
Yet he'd escalated things this way and performed that piece at Music Challenge, which inevitably brought Yujin to Yuna Kyung's mind.
After a brief silence,
Rimon finally nodded.
"That was part of it, yeah."
[Ah, figured.]
Yuna Kyung accepted the answer.
Unlike her, Li Chingwei looked surprised.
"You mean you blew this up on purpose for the Liberation Brigade's lingering spirit?"
"Not exactly. I just couldn't stand some punk messing with her song."
"...So her personally doesn't matter, but you wanted to protect her song?"
"Let me be clear: I have no intention of defending her. She was a murderer."
Li Chingwei tilted her head.
Rimon stated it bluntly to her.
Yujin had harmed innocent people, an unforgivable sin.
Even if she were alive, he'd hunt her down and kill her without hesitation.
"But that doesn't mean she deserves to have some stranger accuse her of stealing someone else's song and get humiliated for it."
People could curse Yujin as a killer, despise her, spit on her grave—it was fine.
Those were facts, and she'd earned that judgment.
But slapping false charges on her just because she was a murderer and stealing her song to use as they pleased? That crossed the line.
It simply wasn't right.
So he'd made sure no one could steal Yujin's song ever again.
As Rimon spoke matter-of-factly, Yuna Kyung murmured with a complex look.
[...You live a complicated life, Team Leader.]
"You're the one who's too simple."
Rimon snorted and brushed it off.
Then, as if it just occurred to him, he turned to Li Chingwei.
"Princess, speaking of which, what happened to the White Dragon Princess? I thought you wanted to show her that program, but she still hasn't shown up?"
"Well... it's a bit complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"Yeah. Seems like she's already here, but she's sneaking around instead of coming out."
"...She accepts the invite and then pulls this? What the hell?"
"Who knows? I can't guess her intentions."
Li Chingwei added with a faint smile,
"She's White Dragon Clan, after all."
For any other clan, maybe.
But trying to read the White Dragon Clan's intentions was utterly pointless.
Rimon let out a scoff at how casually she said it.
In the end, the White Dragon Princess finally visited Hotel Leviathan four days after that conversation.
"Long time no see, Aynsha."
"Yes. Too long. Even longer would be better."
"That's hurtful. I wanted to see you more often."
"Liar. I don't trust Li Chingwei."
The black-haired girl in Eastern-style dress smiled faintly.
Li Chingwei continued,
"Then to figure out if I'm lying or not, we should meet more often from now on, right?"
The white-haired girl in flowing robes replied expressionlessly.
Aynsha said flatly,
"No need to check. Everyone knows Li Chingwei is a liar, even the Ancestor. Case closed."
For a guest who'd accepted an invitation, it was a bit too rude.
But Li Chingwei didn't get upset.
She just marveled,
"You've grown so much."
"Of course. I'm different now. I won't fall for your tricks anymore."
"That's a shame. I've never really tricked you."
"You did. You scammed me out of a ton of money. I got reamed for it."
"'Scammed' is a strong word. I just took a donation for something that benefited the entire Seven Dragon Society."
"You said the Sword Duke would come after us if we didn't pay. Total scam."
Aynsha trembled with indignation.
Last time she'd met Li Chingwei,
she'd been talked into forking over a fortune and became a laughingstock for the whole Seven Dragon Society.
But Li Chingwei countered earnestly,
"No, it wasn't a scam. Without your help, that really would've happened."
"...I want to know if that's true."
"Of course it is. You knew that too, which is why you donated."
"Yes."
"I'm always impressed by that. It was such a wise choice, befitting the princess of the White Dragon Clan."
"Nothing to be impressed about. It was obvious."
Aynsha puffed up stoically.
As Li Chingwei smiled at the sight,
"Ahem! Ahem!"
A loud fake cough echoed.
Aynsha whipped around at the sound, flinching at the sight of Tata glaring daggers.
She turned back to Li Chingwei and said gruffly,
"Flattery won't work. I'm not falling for it. Get to the point."
"What point?"
"Why you called me here."
"What if I just missed seeing your face?"
"Obviously not. Black Dragon Clan doesn't do anything without a purpose."
"Sorry you have such prejudices about our clan... but yes, you're right this time."
Li Chingwei nodded readily.
She explained calmly why she'd invited her.
"You know about our clan getting attacked by the Liberation Brigade, right?"
"Yes. It's famous."
"I want your help with that."
"Understood."
Aynsha nodded.
From the moment Li Chingwei had invited her amid the current tensions, she'd known the goal was her precognition.
Such requests were routine for her.
Whether as princess of the Seven Dragon Society or shrine maiden of the Immortal Alliance,
there were always those seeking the greatest seer's power.
Of course, she didn't lend it to just anyone, but Li Chingwei, Black Dragon Princess, qualified.
Except for her engagement to Rimon.
Marrying their clan's arch-enemy had put the Black Dragons in a delicate position even within the Seven Dragon Society.
It required careful political maneuvering to avoid the White Dragons being shunned too.
"Fine. I'll help."
Still, Aynsha agreed immediately, and even Tata—who'd normally cough again—stayed silent this time.
Li Chingwei accepted it as a given.
If there'd been no intent to cooperate, she wouldn't have come.
Above all, Li Chingwei had a hidden ace up her sleeve: certainty she could convince Aynsha.
"We'll provide funding if you want. Send a strike force too. But we have conditions."
"Name them."
"I want to meet the man in this video. Lend us your help."
"You want to hear his performance live, I take it?"
Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
It was just as expected: the Seven Dragon Society princess who wandered the world singing would be drawn to that playing.
That was why she'd poured massive funds into prepping Music Challenge.
The tastier the bait, the easier to secure White Dragon Clan cooperation.
She hadn't managed to show Music Challenge, but securing the promise made it worthwhile.
But right after,
Li Chingwei had to tilt her head.
"Yes. No."
"What does that mean?"
"I want to hear the performance. But that's a bonus. There's a more important matter."
"More important?"
Li Chingwei blinked at the unexpected response.
Aynsha declared to her,
"I want to meet this man and propose."
"Pardon?"
"He's my fated one. I've chosen him as my consort. So please cooperate."
"..."
Cooperate with her marriage to this man, and the White Dragon Clan would lend their full power.
Pointing at the black-haired Rimon on the tablet she'd gifted her, Aynsha spoke.
Li Chingwei rarely found herself speechless.
She murmured blankly without thinking,
"...This I didn't see coming."
The bait had been too good.
She realized it too late.