Chapter 185
Chapter 185
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Return (1)
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Nestled at the foot of the Qilian Mountains in Gansu Province stood the Golden Buddha Temple.
No other temple within a thousand li could match its grand scale, and its location along the trade routes connecting East and West had drawn visitors since ancient times. It was especially renowned as a mandatory stop for merchant caravans embarking on long journeys.
Three days ago, amid an unusually fierce sandstorm, a band of warriors descended upon the Golden Buddha Temple.
The temple, rumored to be a branch of Shaolin Temple with martial prowess to match, crumbled in less than half a shichen.
A horrific massacre unfolded.
All the monks perished, save for the frail elderly monks, a few scholar monks untrained in martial arts, and the young novices.
"Seriously, what's so hard about just giving us a place to crash?"
Eum Jeokso spat out the meat in his mouth roughly as he recalled the events from three days prior, chewing on a piece in front of the main hall.
"Why's this so tough? Did you even cook it right?"
At Eum Jeokso's shout, the man grilling the meat bowed his head in haste.
"S-Sorry! I'll bring out a fresh one."
"Forget it."
Eum Jeokso waved him off irritably and grabbed a bottle of liquor.
"Damn, even the booze here is weak as hell."
He downed the bottle in one go, then hurled it away with a scowl.
The crash of the shattering bottle halted the movements of the group sprawled around their drinking setup for a moment.
A brief silence fell, but when Eum Jeokso said nothing more, they soon turned back and resumed their raucous chatter.
"Tsk tsk, what's got our Palace Lord in such a foul mood?"
"Yeah, this stuff's pretty decent liquor if you ask me. Honestly, the last booze we had was way too harsh. You've gotta have some aroma and smoothness—not like swallowing a burning stick."
Jwa Geom and Ma Uk, sitting beside Eum Jeokso and tilting their cups, chuckled together.
Their laughter drew sharp glares from those around them, but no one dared call them out. Permission had already been granted for such behavior, and earning their ire would only bring headaches.
"Anyway, shouldn't they be arriving about now?"
Jwa Geom asked, prompting Ma Uk to chew his meat thoughtfully before replying.
"We sent an escort, and based on their last reported position, yeah, around now. But the guy's not exactly in traveling shape."
"True. What a guy, huh? He could've just stayed put, but he dragged that body all the way here."
"Must be dying to see what kinda results we've got."
"Heh heh heh! After all our hard work, we could chop his head off and it'd still feel insufficient. But thanks to him, we've grown this much, so we can't."
"Same thoughts as me, brother. Man, he should've just stayed holed up instead of tagging along."
Eum Jeokso eyed their pathetic exchange with disdain before finally speaking up, unable to hold back.
"Quit your bullshit! You two should be kowtowing to him in gratitude. He turned nobodies like you into what you are now."
"Who said otherwise? We're just sayin'."
"Yeah, our Palace Lord's extra prickly today."
Jwa Geom and Ma Uk tossed out words and actions that undermined their lord's authority without a second thought, but Eum Jeokso didn't care a bit. He even joined in with his own chuckles. Only the subordinates watched on with dissatisfied expressions.
Just then, a messenger dashed up.
Before the kneeling man could even report, Eum Jeokso cut in.
"He's here?"
"Y-Yes? Ah, he just arrived."
"Bring him now."
The messenger retreated without finishing his report.
Moments later, Jong Yo shuffled forward to the front of the main hall, supported on either side, his steps weary.
Spotting Eum Jeokso, Jong Yo dropped to his knees at once.
"Strategist Jong Yo pays respects to the Palace Lord."
With a casual flick of Eum Jeokso's hand, Jong Yo's body rose against his will.
"No need for that when your body's already weak. Anyway, you must've had a rough trip getting here."
"Not at all. I rushed here with uncontainable joy."
"What do you think?"
At Eum Jeokso's question, Jong Yo scanned his surroundings.
The drinking setup had been cleared away, and pride filled Jong Yo's face as he took in the fierce gazes of the warriors lined up on either side.
"I'm proud. I always believed the Sect Leader—no, the Palace Lord—would succeed."
"Glad you're satisfied; makes me feel good too. Still, it wasn't as easy as I thought."
Eum Jeokso cast a meaningful glance at the Iron Blood Palace leaders standing in formation.
"Every day felt like walking on thin ice. Even with the Iron Blood Demon Lord's martial arts and divine artifacts, they wouldn't acknowledge me at first. Sure, they'd pay lip service to respect, but assassins slipped in every night, and some even challenged me openly. What a pain."
No one among the leaders looked surprised. Some even nodded as if it were expected.
"I figured as much. The Iron Blood Palace I know is a world where only the strong survive—not by status, but pure skill. I knew even the Demon Lord's arts and artifacts wouldn't earn easy acceptance. Of course, I trusted you'd overcome it decisively."
"I've got this sturdy body, after all. And those guys too."
Jong Yo glanced at the Poison Blood Demon standing rigidly behind before continuing.
"I managed, but my brothers suffered more."
Jong Yo's gaze shifted to Jwa Geom and Ma Uk, who grinned slyly.
In just over a year, their transformation was dramatic.
Not just their faces—countless scars peeked from their disheveled clothes.
They wore carefree smiles, but their eyes were chillingly cold, and above all, their auras had changed entirely.
An suffocating pressure emanated from them, sending chills down the spine with killing intent.
"They've changed, haven't they?"
"Yes."
"Their skills aren't even comparable to before."
"A place where you don't change, you die."
"Hey, Strategist. That rubs me wrong. You're making it sound too easy."
Jwa Geom flashed a chilling grin.
"Strictly speaking, you threw us into the lion's den. The Palace Lord, sure, but we really..."
Ma Uk trailed off, choking up at memories of near-death escapes multiple times a day.
Jong Yo remained unfazed by their intense reactions, speaking coolly instead.
"How could we scheme against the Heavenly Demon Cult without that resolve?"
Caught off guard by Jong Yo's sharp rebuke, Jwa Geom and Ma Uk had no retort.
Eum Jeokso snickered and waved them off as they stood dumbfounded.
"Enough chit-chat. Time to introduce you properly."
Standing beside Jong Yo, Eum Jeokso formally presented him to the Iron Blood Palace leaders.
"This is the man who'll serve as the Iron Blood Palace's Strategist from now on."
Jong Yo bowed expressionlessly.
"I am Jong Yo."
Eum Jeokso smiled in satisfaction at how Jong Yo stood unflinching amid the sky-piercing auras of the leaders.
The Iron Blood Palace leaders showed keen curiosity toward their new strategist, but Eum Jeokso promptly dismissed the gathering for Jong Yo's sake after his long journey and led him to his own quarters.
"I heard you screwed over the Huicheon guys and escaped, but how's the situation? Blood Slaughter Faction Leader doing okay?"
Eum Jeokso poured tea for Jong Yo, who disliked liquor.
"They're hiding in the northwestern mountains of Sichuan. Can't risk Huicheon, let alone the Tang Clan's eyes. Oh, and the Blood Slaughter Faction Leader is healthy."
"Good to hear."
"But is it really okay? Sichuan's crawling with Tang Clan watchdogs."
Jong Yo shook his head at Jwa Geom's concerned words.
"It's fine. Huicheon took heavy losses in that fight, and the Demon Buddha Temple mess will keep them distracted."
"Demon Buddha Temple?"
"While Huicheon attacked Emei Sect, Demon Buddha Temple tried ambushing the Tang Clan with Thunder Sound Temple's help. Good plan—the Tang Clan had sent forces to aid Emei. Problem was, the Sword Marquess arrived for a duel with the Poison Lord. Plus, the Divine Demon Division Leader's group was heading there too."
Eum Jeokso's eyes sharpened at the mention of Divine Demon Division Leader—a glint he hadn't shown since becoming Palace Lord. Even Jwa Geom and Ma Uk tensed slightly.
"They chased me endlessly to catch me, but looks like they turned back."
"Yes."
Jwa Geom and Ma Uk gauged Eum Jeokso's mood before speaking.
"Demon Buddha Temple's out of luck. Sword Marquess and Divine Demon Division Leader."
"Still, Thunder Sound Temple should've put up a fight, right?"
Jong Yo shook his head.
"I don't know the exact details of the battle. But not a single warrior from Thunder Sound Temple or Demon Buddha Temple who headed to the Tang Clan survived."
"Hm, lucky break anyway. Relieved everyone's safe. So why drag yourself all the way here? We'd come to you eventually."
Jong Yo grew serious at Ma Uk's question.
"As Strategist, I needed to grasp Iron Blood Palace's organization, members, their temperaments, and full strength as quickly and accurately as possible."
"Then let's start with Iron Blood Palace over anything else. It's definitely different from other places."
Eum Jeokso's chilling gaze had already softened back to normal.
"I'm all ears."
Jong Yo straightened up.
"The first surprise upon arriving was its sheer size—beyond what I imagined. Sure, as overlords of the Great Desert, it's expected, but it rivaled a mid-sized city."
"I see."
"The second was the lack of a Palace Lord."
"That I knew. After the Iron Blood Demon Lord's disappearance, a council of elders handles decisions in his stead."
"Precisely, the Elder Council—nine members total. Interestingly, even among them, ranks are strictly based on skill. Effectively, the council head wields the Palace Lord's authority. But that power sparks fierce infighting for spots. Then someone appeared who could override the council entirely: me."
"The Iron Blood Demon Lord's heir, the origin of Iron Blood Palace. Only natural."
"Right. But as I said, it wasn't easy. Heir status and divine artifacts are just symbols. Without proving raw power, they had no intention of submitting. They swarmed to seize what I had instead."
Eum Jeokso shook his head, recalling the daily brawls.
"After six months of fighting, I fully subjugated them. Honestly, without the Poison Blood Demon, it'd have been impossible. Though mastering the Iron Blood Demon Lord's arts played a big role too."
Jong Yo's eyes gleamed at the mention of Eum Jeokso mastering the arts.
Surviving the Immortal Poison Subjugation Technique without real skills already made him formidable. Add the Demon Lord's arts, and dominating a skill-obsessed place like Iron Blood Palace was inevitable.
The briefing on Iron Blood Palace continued for some time.
"...Anyway, I figured the time was right, so we moved."
Finishing up, Eum Jeokso met Jong Yo's eyes directly.
"So, what's our next move?"
"What do you desire?"
"The Heavenly Demon Cult's downfall, and vengeance for my sister."
"Is that all?"
Jong Yo asked with a hint of disappointment. Eum Jeokso smiled in response.
"Of course not. That's just my personal wish. But I'm not alone anymore."
Eum Jeokso puffed out his chest proudly.
"I am the Palace Lord of Iron Blood Palace."