Chapter 222
Chapter 222
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: The Remnants of Sacred Fire
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The area fell into a deep silence.
Everyone merely stared at Neung Un-bi and Hyang-i.
“G-Grandmother. I…”
“Do not say another word.”
As Hyang-i’s voice broke the silence, Hwayeong spoke in a low, firm voice.
Although she hadn’t raised her voice, Hyang-i immediately fell silent. This was the girl who never cared what others thought, yet a single word made her bow her head as if she had committed a mortal sin.
In the midst of that uncomfortable atmosphere, Hwayeong, who had stood ramrod straight, bent her back and bowed.
“I heard you are the Third Young Master.”
“I am Neung Un-bi. The reason I came here is…”
“It is fine. I have no intention of blaming Hyang-i. Rather, I apologize for the children’s discourtesy. However, they were acting under my orders, so if you must blame someone, blame me.”
“…”
If she had reacted the same way as those who had blocked his path, he would have argued, but her apology left him at a loss for words.
At the same time, it wasn't her aura or presence, but her tone and atmosphere alone that seemed to overwhelm him.
“Wol-yeong.”
“Yes.”
“You will greet our guest. Tend to the fallen children and repair the formation the Third Young Master destroyed.”
“Yes.”
Hwayeong spoke in a calm tone and then made way for Neung Un-bi.
“We will not permit entry to those waiting outside.”
“I understand.”
“Then, shall we go inside?”
“…Yes.”
He was a little surprised.
Wasn’t this a completely different reaction from what he had expected?
He had anticipated a tirade, questions like ‘Why did you come here?’ or ‘How dare you do such a thing?’
But she was cold and composed.
Hwayeong was a person who possessed an aura that made others feel small.
This is going to be difficult…
Wasn’t persuading someone who knew how to control their emotions an incredibly arduous task?
* * *
The place Hwayeong led Neung Un-bi to was a shabby pavilion in the center of the Sacred Fire Valley.
The interior was not just shabby but utterly decrepit, and light streamed in through unrepaired cracks here and there.
Come to think of it, the clothes they were wearing were also old and frayed in places.
Seeing this, a testament to the arduous lives they had led, Neung Un-bi felt his heart grow heavy for no reason.
Trickle.
A dejected Hyang-i poured the brewed tea.
“I heard Hyang-i accompanied you to the Central Plains.”
“Yes.”
“Although she is the Fire Master of this generation, she has many shortcomings. I hope she was not a discourtesy to you.”
“Not at all. Shortcomings? On the contrary, she was a great help.”
“I am relieved to hear that.”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Hwayeong nodded calmly and brought the teacup to her lips.
Somehow, he was running out of things to say.
In a situation like this, what could he say to change the mood…
Neung Un-bi glanced at Chungsan, who was sitting quietly to one side, and spoke.
“Ah, by any chance… are you Sir Chungsan?”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Chungsan glanced at Hwayeong before nodding.
“How do you know of Chungsan? Did Hyang-i speak of him as well?”
“Pardon? No. When I was in the Central Plains, I met a man named Dokgo Seong at Mount Hua…”
Dokgo Seong had asked him to pass on his regards to Hyang-i, but Neung Un-bi brought it up first, needing to shift the atmosphere.
“Hmm, I see. So he is still alive.”
“Yes. He is in good health. We even had something of a spar.”
“He is lucky to be alive. His feelings toward the Demonic Cult must not be good…”
“Haha, you could say I barely escaped with my life.”
It’s not like she was wishing him dead…
How could she say something so harsh in such a calm and casual manner?
As Neung Un-bi awkwardly scratched his head, Hwayeong wore an unreadable smile.
The Third Young Master, Neung Un-bi.
She had held some expectation for him.
The fact that Dam Un-cheon had let him be, despite surely knowing he was visiting this place, was enough to guess his assessment of the man.
Furthermore, hadn’t Hyang-i, who had been raised with such a fierce disposition, brought him here herself?
So, she had wanted to meet him.
But his words and actions were far too light.
So light that she was filled with disappointment.
“But why is Sir Chungsan so quiet?”
“…Because I have not been given permission.”
“Pardon?”
As Neung Un-bi tilted his head, Hyang-i, cautiously watching the mood, spoke up.
“Grandfather Chungsan… is Grandmother’s guard.”
“Huh?”
Neung Un-bi narrowed his eyes and looked at Hyang-i.
This kid… why the sudden formal speech?
Her tone was even sweet and gentle.
No matter how fearsome a family elder was, for a girl who was the very symbol of arrogance to act this way, he could well imagine how hard they must have been on her.
Then again, that was probably necessary for her to gain her current skills.
Whatever the case, seeing Hyang-i’s attitude change completely the moment they entered the Sacred Fire Valley, it seemed hopeless to expect her help in persuading them.
“Hyang-i is correct. My guard, the former Fire Master, is Chungsan.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Neung Un-bi tear his gaze away from Hyang-i.
Right, her granddaughter is the current Fire Master…
“By the way, when you say Fire Master, are you referring to the Divine Maiden?”
“The Divine Maiden…”
Hwayeong’s answer trailed off as she gazed steadily at Neung Un-bi.
“Third Young Master, you seem to have a great interest in our Sacred Fire Valley.”
“Well, you are the originators, after all.”
“Originators?”
“Yes. I heard from Hyang-i on the way here. In the past, when it was known as the Sun Moon Divine Cult, the one who served the Sacred Fire was the Divine Maiden. Since you have inherited that lineage…”
“How amusing.”
“Pardon?”
“To hear such words from a descendant of the Demonic Cult, which abandoned the will of the Sun Moon Divine Cult and severed its very lineage.”
A faint smile formed on Hwayeong’s lips.
The first emotion she revealed to Neung Un-bi was ridicule and scorn.
“Listen here, Third Young Master.”
“…”
“The Sacred Fire was extinguished long ago. All that remains in the brazier are its dregs.”
It was the same thing Hyang-i had said.
But while Hyang-i had lamented her inability to move on from being bound by the past, Hwayeong was lamenting their current circumstances.
She was saying that their situation was no different from the dregs left after the Sacred Fire went out.
That was why her lips were curled in a cynical sneer, and her eyes, as she looked at Neung Un-bi, were filled with an inexplicable hostility.
And Neung Un-bi, perhaps because he understood their conflicting positions, found that he couldn't speak kindly.
What had he done wrong?
He hadn't extinguished the Sacred Fire, nor had he imprisoned them in the Valley of Malevolent Spirits, so why did they act as if he were responsible, simply because he was from the Demonic Cult?
Well, in the past, he would have handled it differently.
He would have humored them, appeased them, and gently coaxed them like a child.
But he had decided not to do that anymore.
“…Hmm, it seems when you become dregs, your will breaks too.”
“What did you say?”
“No, it’s just that the way you speak makes it sound that way.”
“…”
“You said you would treat me as a guest… but every word you speak is filled with thorns. When you hit a ball indirectly like this, it just bounces higher, you know.”
“You insolent whelp!”
As Neung Un-bi’s tone seemed to reprimand her, Hwayeong’s eyes blazed with fury.
“T-Third Young Master.”
“Hyang-i, you stop it too. What’s with the ‘Master’? It’s so unlike you. I didn't know before, but you're the esteemed Fire Master of this generation… How can you be so timid?”
“What do you mean?”
“Good grief, how much must you have disciplined a girl in the prime of her life for her to be unable to speak her mind and be so deferential? I wonder if you even know that’s abuse.”
“…”
As Neung Un-bi’s words lost all semblance of courtesy and grew increasingly out of line, Hyang-i kept glancing at Hwayeong’s face.
“Hey, former Fire Master.”
“…”
“I heard about your pitiful circumstances on the way here and tried to be patient, but seeing how you act, I can’t hold back any longer. A glorious past? Grudges? Revenge? How long do you intend to be shackled by such things?”
“What?”
“Well, I suppose I had times like that too. But listen. You had Hyang-i try to take the Cult Leader’s head? You thought if you did that, he would reveal everything?”
“…”
“And then it’s over?”
“What are you trying to say!?”
Hwayeong’s gaze turned as venomous as her raised voice.
Chungsan looked ready to draw his sword at a moment’s notice.
Regardless, Neung Un-bi didn’t stop talking.
“After the Cult Leader is dead and everyone knows your story, will the grudges in your heart be resolved? Do you think people will say, ‘Ah, so that’s how it was,’ and go back to calling it the Sun Moon Divine Cult?”
A cold sneer had crept into his voice, and Hwayeong’s eyes grew even more murderous.
“Power, you see, doesn’t work like that. Do you think those who already have it in their grasp will let it go? They’d probably be thrilled if you killed the Cult Leader for them. And do you think those already covered in filth will ever become clean? They’ll dance for joy and band together, the filthy lot of them.”
Grit.
At the scathing criticism, Hwayeong ground her teeth.
“If it were me, I would have sided with the Cult Leader. I would have helped him and moved forward, little by little. That’s what it means to change things. What you’re doing right now isn’t effort or anything of the sort. Do you understand?”
“…”
“Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have come. What great undertaking can I plan with people who have no intention of escaping their shackled past…”
Without asking for permission, Neung Un-bi shot up from his seat.
“Third Young Master!”
“Hyang-i. Think of another favor to ask. I need people who will walk forward with me, not people who will stay behind and lament their fate.”
“…”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Hyang-i’s face crumpled.
At the same time, Chungsan gripped his sword and started to draw it.
But he stopped, unable to pull it free.
The moment Neung Un-bi turned his eyes to him, his presence filled the pavilion in an instant, pressing down on Chungsan’s entire body like a great mountain.
“If you… draw that, you will truly die.”
“…”
Even with the threat-laden words, Chungsan couldn’t move a muscle.
He could feel his own aura being pushed back by Neung Un-bi’s presence. An image of his head flying off the moment he drew his sword flashed through his mind.
It was a hair-trigger situation.
Suddenly, Hwayeong burst into laughter.
“Heh, hehehehe. Interesting, truly interesting. To think you would try to lecture me.”
“…?”
Neung Un-bi looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“I had high expectations since Dam Un-cheon sent you… but you’re no different from a reckless brat who knows nothing of the world.”
“What?”
“However!”
Craaack!
Along with her shout, Hwayeong’s aura erupted, pushing back Neung Un-bi’s presence.
“Hk!”
He felt his internal energy roil slightly from the force that rebounded from its clash with Hwayeong’s aura.
Damn it, they said she was called the Heavenly Mountain Demonic Witch in the past… It seems her reputation wasn’t unearned.
“I would like to hear it once. This ‘effort’ you speak of, and this great undertaking you plan.”
Seeing Hwayeong look at him with a suddenly changed expression, Neung Un-bi gave a bitter smile.
He had been about to give up and leave… but if she was going to come out like this, that was a different story.
Ah, but I have to protect my pride. It would look pathetic to just say ‘yes’ because she told me to.
“Hah, well, fine. I did make a promise to Hyang-i, after all…”
Using Hyang-i as a convenient excuse, Neung Un-bi plopped back down in his seat.
“To get straight to the point, I want you to back me in the Dragon Ascension Ceremony.”
“Are you telling us to serve under you?”
“No.”
“…?”
“We go together. All of us.”
“And what do we gain from this?”
“You will reclaim the name of the Sun Moon Demonic Cult.”
“What? Do you think the Demonic Cult would ever allow that? And if we reclaim the name of the Sun Moon Demonic Cult, our Sacred Fire Valley, as the Divine Maiden’s lineage, will share your power. Are you saying you would acknowledge us and share your power?”
At Hwayeong’s sharp rebuttal, Neung Un-bi slowly nodded and smiled.
“Allow it? We’ll have to make them allow it. And power within the Demonic Cult? You can have that piece of trash.”
“What did you say?”
“What I want… isn’t something as petty as the Demonic Cult.”
“…?”
“After I take the Demonic Cult, I will reign over all under heaven.”