Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Grand Plan (2)
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"Impressive."
Ya Hul Hon, who had been unable to hide his admiration for the grand plan, suddenly darkened his expression.
"They say it's a talent bestowed from the heavens, and it truly is remarkable. But isn't it dangerous?"
"What do you mean?"
"Someone so exceptional will eventually rebel."
"Don't worry. I've completely subdued him during the treatment process. You could say I've imprinted his soul. At my command, he'd cut down even his own father without hesitation."
"That powerful?"
"Yes. So don't worry. Oh, and have you mastered the Full Evil Eye?"
"Yes."
"What I used on him is the Full Evil Soul-Sealing Grand Technique. Anyone who masters the Full Evil Eye will recognize that person as their master."
"I see. But the Full Evil Eye..."
Ya Hul Hon trailed off. Hwa Nong chuckled, knowing exactly what he meant.
"Don't worry. While it demands absolute loyalty to whoever masters the Full Evil Eye, there is a hierarchy. He'll be a blade solely for you."
"Thank you."
Ya Hul Hon gave an awkward smile. Though his inner thoughts had been seen through, he wasn't overly embarrassed.
"I've subdued him so thoroughly with the Full Evil Eye that it's more than enough, but just in case, I've added one more restraint."
"A restraint?"
"Yes."
Hwa Nong pointed to Gu Cheon Jin's Baihui acupoint.
A tiny needle was embedded there, so fine it was invisible unless examined closely.
"It's an acupuncture technique called Brain Spirit Needle. It ensures he can never betray his master, no matter the circumstances. Last night, I saw it had loosened slightly, so I reapplied it this morning with a longer, thinner golden needle. It won't come out again."
"When will he wake? I'm curious what kind of person he is."
"Hahaha! Curious, are you? It's time, so he'll regain consciousness soon."
No sooner had Hwa Nong finished speaking than Gu Cheon Jin's tightly shut eyelids began to twitch slowly.
"Are you coming to?"
"Yes, Master."
Gu Cheon Jin rose from the sickbed and bowed politely.
"Is your headache gone?"
"Yes. It's completely vanished, as if washed away. Thank you, Master."
"Good. Now, pay your respects. This is Young Master Ya Hul."
Hwa Nong introduced Ya Hul Hon to Gu Cheon Jin and quickly sent a transmission.
[Unleash the Full Evil Eye.]
In that instant, bloodlust flickered in Ya Hul Hon's eyes.
"Gu Cheon Jin of the Crimson Dragon Hall."
Gu Cheon Jin's sparkling eyes softened briefly before returning to normal.
"Ya Hul Hon."
"This is the master you'll serve from now on. Kneel."
At Hwa Nong's command, Gu Cheon Jin knelt without resistance.
"What do you think?"
"Perfect."
A smile crept across Ya Hul Hon's lips. He was genuinely thrilled to have the heaven-sent genius under his thumb like a limb.
"Now is the time."
"The time for what?"
"Didn't I just say? It's time to take over the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"Is that possible? Even if the Crimson Dragon Hall has grown stronger, the Heavenly Demon Cult is..."
Hwa Nong nodded, understanding Ya Hul Hon's skepticism.
"I'm not saying we fight them right now. It's time to prepare properly. The clash between the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Jiangnan martial world is intensifying. It's the perfect chance to expand the Crimson Dragon Hall's power. The main plan will unfold after the Heavenly Demon Cult conquers the Jiangnan martial world."
"What sort of strategy do you have in mind?"
Ya Hul Hon glanced at Gu Cheon Jin, still kneeling, as he asked.
"Don't mind him. Now that he's submitted to the Full Evil Eye, he's nothing but your slave. Anyway, once the Heavenly Demon Cult takes over the Jiangnan martial world, we'll first eliminate a few of the Crimson Dragon Hall's leaders. Actually, just taking out the next in line for hall leader should suffice. Using the Heavenly Demon Cult's methods, of course."
"Is that feasible?"
"Feasible? Haha! I was an elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult. No need for complicated schemes. A dose of one or two of their common poisons will do. They won't suspect much. Beyond the poison, the Heavenly Demon Cult's higher-ups are already wary of the Crimson Dragon Hall's growing power."
Hwa Nong gently stroked Gu Cheon Jin's bowed head as he continued.
"Once the next hall leader—his father—dies, power in the Crimson Dragon Hall will naturally shift to him. After he seizes control, we'll raise the banner against the Heavenly Demon Cult. What comes after will need some thought. Whether the Crimson Dragon Hall takes over alone or allies with our cult to strike."
"Allying might be difficult. I hear there's resistance to your cult."
Ya Hul Hon voiced his concern, but Hwa Nong shook his head.
"The martial world will soon learn that our cult is the true lineage of the Blood Sea Demon Lord. It was revealed when our Lord clashed with Sima Geon, and we'll spread it more aggressively now."
"Strictly speaking, your cult is also a branch of the demonic path, so emphasizing that kinship to dispel the aversion."
"Exactly. Lord Zuo believes that while our cult takes the Heavenly Demon Cult, using the North Sea Ice Palace and Iron Blood Palace to sow chaos in the martial world will make conquering it afterward not so difficult. Thus, he'll provide full support."
"Does Lord Zuo know the situation here?"
Ya Hul Hon asked in surprise.
"Of course. He sees a thousand—no, ten thousand—li while seated."
At that moment, a light sneer sounded, as if waiting for Hwa Nong to finish.
"What's the point of watching? You're not blind."
The sudden voice froze Hwa Nong and Ya Hul Hon in place.
Gu Cheon Jin, who had lifted his head, slowly rose to his feet.
"Urghhh."
Gu Cheon Jin twisted his body like an elderly man with aching bones, stretching and letting out a bizarre groan.
"I heard the plan, Master. You've prepared quite diligently."
"Y-you bastard..."
Hwa Nong's jaw dropped.
His instincts screamed that Gu Cheon Jin had known everything from the start—that they might have been played from the beginning.
"And from the looks of things, you're the cult leader of the Blood Death Cult, right?"
Gu Cheon Jin asked Ya Hul Hon, who was still dazed.
"Yes."
Ya Hul Hon instinctively unleashed the Full Evil Eye with his reply. Seeing the bloodlust in his eyes, a cold smirk curled Gu Cheon Jin's lips.
"No! Stop!"
Hwa Nong cried out in horror, but it was too late.
Ya Hul Hon, not Gu Cheon Jin, was the one whose pupils dilated, his face going blank in an instant.
"What have you done?"
Gu Cheon Jin shrugged at Hwa Nong's furious shout.
"Haha! It's not really 'doing' anything—just returning the favor."
Gu Cheon Jin approached Ya Hul Hon and lightly patted his shoulder.
"Kneel."
Ya Hul Hon's knees buckled instantly at the command.
"Hon!"
Hwa Nong cried out in shock, but Ya Hul Hon showed no reaction.
"Tsk tsk. That's why you shouldn't use such sorcery lightly. Trying to manipulate minds backfires."
Gu Cheon Jin reached up to his crown and slowly extracted the golden needle from his Baihui acupoint.
"Whew, it's long."
"You noticed that too."
Hwa Nong ground his teeth.
"Of course. Brain Spirit Needle, was it? Far more dangerous than the Full Evil Soul-Sealing Grand Technique, Master."
Gu Cheon Jin began inserting the golden needle into Ya Hul Hon's Baihui acupoint.
"Wh-what are you doing? Stop!"
Hwa Nong shouted in panic, but Gu Cheon Jin's hand didn't falter.
Once the needle was fully embedded, Ya Hul Hon collapsed limply.
"Hon!"
Hwa Nong scrambled to cradle him in terror.
"He's just unconscious. Doesn't the Brain Spirit Needle cause that for a while? I remember it happening to me."
Gu Cheon Jin chuckled as he sat in a chair, then picked up a teacup from the table only to set it down again.
"Nothing tastes as bad as cold tea. Hey, you there."
Moments after Gu Cheon Jin spoke, the door slowly opened.
Hwa Nong's eyes bulged like he'd seen a ghost.
"Y-you bastards, how..."
The men from the next room—who were practically vegetables—stood there with blank expressions.
"Why so surprised, Master? Did you think I'd just leave them be? Think of the effort and money I spent dragging them here. Hey, you. Go fetch some liquor."
Gu Cheon Jin ordered the man on the far left.
The man silently left the room.
"You! You! You!"
Hwa Nong could only point in shock, speechless.
"Master, how many books do you think I read while fighting illness and pain? Aside from the secret manuals you hid in your wardrobe, I daresay I've read nearly every book under heaven. Fixing my Heavenly Punishment? No. Reading let me escape the torment, if only briefly."
Gu Cheon Jin spoke calmly.
"Of course, I read medical texts too—plenty. I even spent a fortune smuggling imperial reports' worth from the palace. But I knew if heaven's fortune didn't align, it was incurable, so I gave up from the start. The Nine Yin Severed Meridians are tough, but this damned Nine Yang Severed Meridians are far worse. Well, not gave up—more like left it to fate."
Hwa Nong could only listen.
"In devouring all those books, how many martial arts manuals do you think I mastered? How many techniques do I not know? Want to hear something fun? Even the toughest manuals clicked after two full reads. My body was wrecked, so I couldn't use them, but I understood their principles perfectly."
The man returned with a bottle of liquor.
Gu Cheon Jin flashed a meaningful smile at the silent Hwa Nong and downed three cups in one go.
"One thing's certain: Master—or should I say Cult Leader—should never have taught me the Blood Sea Demon Lord's arts. I knew you'd done something strange and had countermeasures, but not perfect ones. Those arts were a ray of light. The moment everything tormenting me resolved. The Full Evil Soul-Sealing Grand Technique and Full Evil Eye you used could no longer bind me. Ah, the Brain Spirit Needle was a pain—nasty one."
Hwa Nong trembled with humiliation. It was praise, but he couldn't take it as such. Gu Cheon Jin's words were pure mockery.
"It'll go as you wish, Master. The Crimson Dragon Hall will take the Heavenly Demon Cult, and the Blood Death Cult will make its presence known in the Central Plains martial world. I'll see to it. Of course, there'll be some fun twists behind the scenes no one knows."
Gu Cheon Jin extended his foot to the kneeling Ya Hul Hon.
"Lick."
Ya Hul Hon licked it without hesitation.
"You scum!"
Hwa Nong lunged at Gu Cheon Jin. But the pockmarked physician of the Poison Horse Division wasn't a martial arts powerhouse. Gu Cheon Jin casually swept him aside.
"Kill him!"
Hwa Nong screamed in rage.
"Nah, can't do that. I'm not that ungrateful. You saved my life, intentions aside—how could I take yours? Plus, you prepared such fine gifts for me."
Gu Cheon Jin laughed, gesturing to the men by the door.
"We'll treat you well, so don't worry."
"Shut up!"
Hwa Nong could endure no more and struck at his own Tianling acupoint to end it.
"Then he'll die too."
Gu Cheon Jin's indifferent voice halted Hwa Nong's hand an inch from his skull.
"I won't keep you as a slave forever. When the time's right, I'll release the restraints. Just help me like this for now."
"Trust you?"
Hwa Nong scoffed.
"If you can't, oh well. What choice do you have? It's your only path now."
Gu Cheon Jin grinned infuriatingly. Trembling with shame, Hwa Nong said nothing.