Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Gifts and Grudges
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The event preceding the birthday banquet was a ceremony to praise the Cult Leader and offer him gifts.
The five disciples opened the proceedings.
As they appeared one by one, the people gathered in the banquet hall cheered enthusiastically, dreaming of a bright future for the Demonic Cult.
Of course, that wasn't the case for Neung Un-bi.
The entire venue fell deathly silent, and the faces of the crowd, twisted as if they had bitten into something foul, were filled with mockery and ridicule.
This was what Neung Un-bi had wanted. He had hoped to instill disappointment instead of expectation, and he had fervently wished for them to curse him in their hearts rather than offer zealous cheers.
And yet…
Only one person—the most important person in this place, the Cult Leader—was immensely pleased.
When he saw the snow leopard hide prepared by the Snow Mountain Manor, he praised it so lavishly it seemed a bit excessive.
No, as soon as he received it, he spread it on his seat and sat down, repeatedly exclaiming how wonderful it was, a satisfied smile never leaving his face.
It went without saying that those around him chimed in with their own words of flattery, trying to stay in the Cult Leader's good graces.
*Goddammit… This is a problem…*
But what bothered him most was the reason behind the Cult Leader's smile.
*Why the hell!*
When was it that he threw a fit about me wearing a Daoist robe and beat me up, saying I had to prove my skills!
*Why the hell!*
*For what reason! Why is he grinning like that, looking at me as if I'm the most precious thing in the world!?*
He definitely has a scheme.
Later… later… *Grrr.*
“…Hah!”
He had dozed off for a moment while standing in wait.
He had almost fallen over.
Startled, he glanced around. Wi Ji-hyeok was indifferent, while Yeo Jin-gang was watching him with a smirk.
*Is he for real?*
Neung Un-bi shot him a glare and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
Damn this sleepiness…
Since the banquet was held in the heart of the Demonic Cult, he hadn't considered any danger and had been too complacent. He had to get a grip now.
It was then.
*Splatter!*
“…Huh?”
As Neung Un-bi blinked to chase away the drowsiness, his vision was momentarily stained red.
*What… what is this now?*
He felt his sleepiness vanish in an instant.
“Master! This is a beast I caught in the south. I brought it in the freshest state possible to offer its inner core to you, Cult Leader.”
“…”
The fourth disciple, So Seon-hwa, with her slender frame, stood covered in blood, smiling as she held out her hand to the Cult Leader.
Lying collapsed beside her was a tiger the size of a house.
*That… that thing is a mountain lord…*
Just as she said, it had been brought here fresh, only to have its inner core extracted before it died.
She was truly a terrifying one.
“It’s been a while, First Brother.”
“Mm.”
“You too, Second Brother.”
“You haven’t changed.”
After offering the fresh inner core to the Cult Leader and receiving his praise, So Seon-hwa greeted her two elder brothers before standing next to Neung Un-bi.
*Thump.*
“Ugh!”
“Brother, have you been well?”
“…”
So Seon-hwa winked and greeted him with a bright smile.
Couldn't she just say hello? Did she really have to jab him in the ribs with her elbow?
“Uh, yeah… You haven’t changed either.”
“That’s… a compliment, right?”
“O-Of course!”
At her sharp, coy glare, Neung Un-bi gave an awkward laugh and looked away at a distant mountain.
*Wipe off the blood before you look at me.*
She looked no different from a nine-tailed fox that had just devoured a liver.
“I heard you’ve recovered?”
“…Not yet.”
“Come on, the rumors are everywhere.”
“Just baseless gossip spread by people who love to talk.”
“Lies.”
“…”
“I heard you took three of the Cult Leader’s strikes…”
“And I heard you threw that away and gained the support of the Snow Mountain Manor?”
“You’re well-informed.”
Of course he was. He had heard the same rumor, started by Wang Cheon, from so many different places that his ears were about to fall off.
“Anyway, I’m glad. It would be a real shame for a formidable opponent like you to be out of the running.”
“I told you I haven’t recovered.”
“Lies again. Do you think I, who grew up with you like a sister, wouldn’t know?”
“…”
*Like a sister, my ass.* His memory told him she had tried to kill him more than twenty times.
Neung Un-bi shook his head in disbelief.
According to his memories, So Seon-hwa was the master of the Crescent Moon Pavilion and the granddaughter of the Beast King, So Bul-gwe.
As the greatest talent produced by the Beast Gate, one of the six great families belonging to the Council of Great Families, she was a year younger than Neung Un-bi.
Because there was barely an age gap and they had become the Cult Leader’s disciples around the same time, they were constantly compared and placed in an unspoken rivalry.
But wasn't Neung Un-bi considered a peerless natural talent?
Though their teachings were the same, their achievements were vastly different. An insurmountable gap existed between them.
Neung Un-bi’s talent for martial arts was just that exceptional.
But instead of despairing, she had relentlessly challenged him.
While others might resort to ambushes, she openly picked fights with him.
And her methods were astounding.
It wasn't just bears and tigers; suddenly, flocks of birds would attack with their beaks, or out of nowhere, stray dogs and cats would pounce on him.
Of course, Neung Un-bi was victorious every time.
One might think they would grow fond of each other through their constant fighting, as even animosity can turn to affection, but Neung Un-bi kept his distance from her more than any other disciple.
It was because of her eyes.
Her eyes, which could mesmerize even spiritual beasts.
Neung Un-bi hated her gaze, which seemed to read his mind. It was even more so because, at times, he saw a hint of pity in the eyes that looked at him.
But seeing her through Cheok Wol-rin’s eyes, it seemed that wasn't the only reason he disliked her.
She was… how to put it…
She was an absolute, one-of-a-kind psycho.
“By the way, how on earth did you manage to win over Lady So Seol-ok-su?”
“Well…”
Just as Neung Un-bi was struggling to answer the troublemaking little sister-like So Seon-hwa’s question.
“Fourth Sister, be quiet.”
“…”
Yeo Jin-gang shot them a glare, giving them a warning.
His displeasure was palpable.
But how could one not know his heart?
Perhaps it would have been different in the past, but now that Neung Un-bi knew his true intentions, he didn't want him to be friendly with So Seon-hwa.
Because he had secretly been in love with her.
Of course, she didn't just stay quiet.
“Why should I be quiet?”
“What?”
“I don’t think I’m someone who needs to ask for Second Brother’s permission to speak, am I?”
“…”
Just as expected.
So Seon-hwa scoffed as if his words were nonsense, and Yeo Jin-gang’s face instantly turned bright red.
“I heard you messed with Third Brother and got put in your place?”
“…It was the Guard Captain’s independent action.”
“Is that so? How strange. It doesn’t look that way to me.”
“…”
“I just can’t understand it. Second Brother, who has always cared so deeply for Third Brother, would never neglect to deal with a subordinate’s independent action. When I heard about this, I couldn't make any sense of it.”
“Fourth Sister, your words are harsh. The matter has already been investigated.”
“It is finished, isn't it? As always. But you know, don’t you?”
“Know what?”
As Yeo Jin-gang’s tone grew chilly, So Seon-hwa sneered with eyes that had turned just as cold.
“Have you forgotten what my martial arts are?”
“…!”
At So Seon-hwa’s words, Yeo Jin-gang flinched.
For a moment, he had forgotten.
Her eyes—the existence of those eyes that held the power to command all beasts, a power inherited through her bloodline.
Even if it was an emotion revealed for a fleeting moment, she could read much from one's eyes.
That included Yeo Jin-gang.
His feelings of affection for her, his hostility toward Neung Un-bi.
Perhaps it was different before, but now that she harbored suspicion, her eyes saw right through to Yeo Jin-gang’s true heart.
Because everyone knew of her ability, even the gaze of the ever-indifferent First Brother, Wi Ji-hyeok, had turned cold.
“Second Brother, humans are no different from beasts.”
“…”
As So Seon-hwa gave a bitter smile, Yeo Jin-gang gritted his teeth and turned his head away.
It had all crumbled in an instant—the image he had built in people’s minds over the years.
From now on, everyone would be wary of him.
His every action, his every word, would be met with suspicion.
What a relief.
Thanks to this, everyone now knew Yeo Jin-gang's ugly true nature. For Neung Un-bi, who had been secretly worried about troublesome things happening, it was a burden lifted.
Should he be grateful to Wang Cheon for this?
If Wang Cheon hadn't beaten up the Second Young Master’s guards that night, this would never have come to the surface.
He felt a secret satisfaction. It was as if a blockage in his chest had been cleared.
If he could, he would have loved to shower praise on So Seon-hwa for speaking nothing but the truth to her second brother.
“Second Brother, using schemes to manipulate others is a skill… but isn't this a bit too crude? We are, after all, rivals competing for the Cult Leader's seat.”
“…”
“From now on, I hope you will wield the sword in your own hands.”
Yeo Jin-gang couldn't utter a single word in response to So Seon-hwa’s icy condemnation.
Things had become truly interesting.
A major obstacle had just been thrown in the path of Yeo Jin-gang's plan to wait for the final victor, then stab the wounded survivor to claim an easy victory.
“Oops! I should be quiet now. Our cute little one is coming out.”
“…”
Where So Seon-hwa had whipped her head around, another disciple was making his appearance, and the banquet hall soon filled with cheers.
A young-faced man.
The Cult Leader's youngest disciple, Gu Yang-hwi, fifteen years old this year. He was a descendant of the Tower of Heavenly Strength, another of the families belonging to the Council of Great Families.
But… cute? Where, exactly?
Gu Yang-hwi was a man of Herculean strength, born with the power to uproot mountains.
Only fifteen. Though three years younger than Neung Un-bi, he was a head taller, and his entire body seemed to be covered in an armor of muscle.
*Look at him, showing off again.*
He was even shirtless, flexing every minute muscle.
It was a chaotic scene, with his muscles practically fighting to burst out.
*CRASH!*
“…”
Four strongmen, who clearly looked powerful themselves, struggled to carry a massive bronze brazier and set it on the floor.
He knew what was coming.
“Hoo-ahp!”
Just as he thought…
*Thud. Thud.*
With a powerful shout, he hoisted the brazier onto his shoulders and started running, the vibrations reaching all the way to where they stood.
The cultists who witnessed this feat of strength applauded with delight.
It was impressive.
To lift a brazier that four men struggled with, without even using internal energy…
“Our little one has grown so much, hasn't he? Right, Brother?”
“…”
Neung Un-bi wore a dumbfounded expression at So Seon-hwa’s admiration.
The fifth disciple had always been big. There was never a time when he was small.
At ten, at eleven, and up to his current age, Gu Yang-hwi had always been two heads taller than So Seon-hwa.
In the first place, So Seon-hwa was the only one who even called him "little one."
Thinking about it, the Cult Leader was quite remarkable.
To have gathered such a diverse group of disciples…
Well, it didn't matter.
The problem now was why the Cult Leader was so favorable toward him, who, unlike the others, had shown nothing.
Everyone else wore expressions as if they'd eaten shit, so what the hell was the Cult Leader scheming?
At that moment, Neung Un-bi glanced over and his eyes met the Cult Leader’s.
He was smiling again.
*Dammit, he's definitely up to something.*
After their introductions, the disciples moved to stand behind the Cult Leader, and the ceremony of various factions presenting their gifts continued.
Their efforts to catch the Cult Leader's eye were commendable, but Neung Un-bi spent the whole time staring at the back of the Cult Leader's head.
*What on earth is he thinking?*
But no matter how hard he racked his brain, nothing came to mind.
In the end, the first day's events concluded with him still lost in thought.
After that, it was eating, drinking, and talking… no different from any other feast.
Then again, what else was there to do?
No, perhaps this was the original purpose of this gathering.
The Demonic Cult, where fights break out daily.
A place where families that have lasted for decades, even centuries, could be shattered overnight, and new powers could emerge.
The birthday banquet was a celebration of the Cult Leader's birth, but at the same time, it was an event created for them.
However, it wasn't a place to simply stop fighting for a moment, fill their bellies with alcohol and food, and empty their minds with idle chatter, but rather another kind of battlefield.
Strong individuals expanded their influence by socializing widely, while the weak sought to be included within that influence.
How one spent these seven days of feasting would determine the future direction of the power dynamics.
Naturally, the disciples were also busy, visiting various factions and renowned masters, trying to bring them into their fold.
…All except Neung Un-bi.
“Agh! Dammit, I have no idea what he's thinking!”
*That damn inscrutable master of mine!*