Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Rumors of Red Cloud's Daughter
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People are naturally curious about information on someone they care for.
But since the distance is quite far, all the information arrives one step late.
By the time something happens over there, it takes a while before it filters into the cult.
In the midst of that, Black Peony...
...stiffened and asked back.
"...A daughter?"
On the day the uncertain information she'd heard before was confirmed.
Black Peony stood up. Black Wind, who had been delivering the information, flinched.
"I-I just relayed what I heard! D-don't raise your hand! D-don't hit me!"
"You're the one who didn't do your job properly, so I have no choice but to raise my hand, right...? Isn't that so... Ling-Ling...?"
"...Ah... Haha... Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!!"
Ling-Ling clutched her stomach and burst into laughter. She laughed so hard the room seemed about to collapse, then abruptly stopped.
"Black Wind."
"W-why...?"
"Why are you lying?"
"I-I didn't lie!"
"Red Cloud couldn't possibly have a daughter, right? Huh? You're mixing in weird information in the middle and feeding it to us...? Right...? That doesn't make sense... it doesn't..."
---Crunch.
The brush she was holding turned to powder and scattered. At the trace of that terrifying martial art, Black Wind dropped to his knees on the spot.
"I swear on the heavens! I truly never put lies in my mouth! F-from the start...! It was news that anyone who should know already knew...!"
"Ah. Fuck. Does that even make sense?"
"It's true! I'm wronged! Why would I mix lies into information for my top clients?!"
Black Wind, who had been whining, suddenly flopped down flat.
"Even when I bring you information, it's bullshit! I'm done! Leave an innocent guy alone and why bully me?! Why?! The one who fucked up and had a daughter is Red Cloud!"
"Red Cloud wouldn't do that...?"
"What kind of nonsense bullshit is that...?"
"If one of you two is spouting lies..."
"Obviously it's your fault... right...?"
"W-why me! I lived properly too! Why only pick on meeee!!!"
Black Peony took a breath. She tried to think logically.
Red Cloud's daughter. That daughter who appeared out of nowhere was definitely said to be a young girl.
An age that couldn't exist overnight. So she must have been there before...
"...He was already married?"
"B-but Red Cloud never mentioned anything like that..."
"I've never properly heard stories about his family either."
"...He really was a married man?"
A heavy word pierced through the room.
"Don't talk bullshit."
The First Demon, who had been listening with arms crossed, muttered coldly.
"I know everything about that guy. He was never married. I know all his family relations too. He's not the type to lie to me."
"B-but it's said he really has a daughter..."
"Shut your mouth."
"Yes, ma'am."
The First Demon fiddled with her mask.
"So... he couldn't have a daughter. But if such a rumor spread anyway... doesn't that mean there's a reason to embrace that rumor? Or perhaps..."
---Rumble rumble rumble...
"...he got tangled up with some bitch dog. It wouldn't be my disciple approaching first. He's not that kind of guy."
The building began to shake. The pillars themselves reacted to the flow of qi, vibrating violently as if about to be uprooted.
Black Wind let out a silent scream. Black Peony and Ling-Ling hurriedly restrained her.
"First Demon! I-it's all collapsing! Calm down!"
"Th-this is the study! It's dangerous!"
"...Hoo."
The First Demon forcibly suppressed her energy and quietly called the two.
"Black Peony. Ling-Ling."
"Y-yes!"
"C-command me!"
"Preparations should be mostly done, so head out. The plan to support Red Cloud as the rear guard-put it into action now. It's a bit early, but..."
The First Demon shrugged her shoulders and laughed.
"A reason to move has come up. He might be tangled with some vixen who doesn't even know whose disciple he is... Find her and immediately send a messenger bird. I'll lend you my blood hawks."
"Y-yes!"
"Remember this. No matter what... no matter how the mission ends..."
Her whispering voice mingled with the darkness.
Enough to make Black Peony and Ling-Ling tremble.
"Drag that bitch in front of me. For daring to attach dogshit rumors to my disciple... she must pay the price."
...
A bustling office. Inside, papers were piled up like mountains.
All of them were tasks that needed handling. With the changing situation, there were more than one or two forms that needed revision.
Eun Seol-ran, disciple of the Black Snake Sect Leader, worked diligently. She revised what existed and created what didn't.
In front of the Black Snake Sect Leader, Sama, who lay blatantly sprawled out.
"Seol-ran, why are you working so hard?"
"Since you, Master, have grown lazy, shouldn't at least I work hard?"
Eun Seol-ran neatly sorted the papers. Sama, lying down, scratched his butt.
"Lazy, huh. Think about it. I ran toward my lifelong goal. I dreamed only of becoming the Heavenly Demon. But I failed... Isn't this level of backlash natural?"
"You're full of vigor. We all know you just want to play."
"My body and mind both shredded to pieces... and my one disciple can't even see that. Alas!"
"Deputy Leader. You've been listening to all that?"
"...I've never seen the Sect Leader eavesdrop on others. Little Silver. Ignore him."
At the words of the Black Snake Deputy Sect Leader, the Sixth Demon, Sama freaked out.
"Even the guy I brought as Deputy Leader doesn't understand my heart! I must have lived my life wrong!"
"Sect Leader. Shouldn't you be grateful just to have survived?"
"If I'd died then, at least my heart would be at peace... Cough cough."
"Your internal injuries have all healed. I'm not falling for that anymore."
"Aigoo! Rebellion! Rebellion! Instead of worrying about the Sect Leader's body, you're just blaming me! My disciple only cares about men... I'll die alone and lonely."
"......? Is there a man paying attention to Little Silver?"
No.
Why is the conversation turning that way?!
Eun Seol-ran freaked out.
"Master! Stop! Don't say such nonsense!"
"Who is he? I'm curious. To steal the heart of the famously sharp-tongued Little Silver... what young lord is he?"
"Sharp-tongued?!"
"...That was a slip of the tongue. Sorry. Little Silver."
"Slip my ass. It's true. When guys her age approach, she shows her fangs first. I raised her, but she's a beast. A beast."
"Master!"
"That makes me even more curious. When exactly did you promise eternal marriage...?"
"It never went that far?!"
Sama waved his hand in the air.
"Simple story. Deputy Leader. The reason that kid's working so hard has that guy involved. To get my permission."
"What permission?"
"Master! Enough!"
"What else? She's been leaving the guard warrior position empty for that guy. Not something for the heir succeeding Sama's vanguard to do. Yet she insists... because she wants to take him as her guard warrior."
"Hoo...? Who is this warrior? I'm curious."
"Remember? The event at the Demon Battlefield. The warrior who guarded the Heavenly Demon there is that guy's match."
".......!"
"Aaaaaah!!!"
"Kuhuhu! Look at that reaction! That's the fun of teasing! Want me to say more?"
"Won't you shut up?!"
"Whoa?! Talking back to your master?! Aigoo! I wondered where filial piety went-it's buried in the ground! Master-disciple relations are a mess! A mess!"
The Sixth Demon stroked his chin.
"...It seemed like she was close with Little Sister too..."
"Big Sis is her backer."
"Then status-wise, it's nearly perfect. Is he someone out in the open?"
"He operates in the shadows."
"Deputy Leader! Stop!"
"Little Silver. This is a major matter. If handled well, we could connect with the Blood Squad too. Since ancient times, marriage has been a diplomatic method to tighten political ties... I can't just let it slide."
"Kuhuhu. The Deputy Leader has an eye for the big picture!"
"Little Silver. What's his character like? His skills? Beyond background, would he be helpful to us?"
"W-why ask that...?!"
"The previous generation failed, so shouldn't Little Silver at least aim for the next Heavenly Demon seat? Once the current Young Cult Leader formally ascends, it's custom for the sect leaders to become his disciples. But the current Sect Leader and Deputy survived exceptionally, so naturally becoming his disciple..."
"Ack?! Me?!"
"It's the highest possibility. The situation is so exceptional, I can't say exactly how it'll go."
The Sixth Demon spread out a sheet of white paper on the desk.
"We need to plan for the future, so it makes sense to scrutinize that spouse carefully too."
"I-I have no intention of challenging for the Heavenly Demon seat..."
"Keeping the possibility open isn't bad, right? Sect Leader?"
"Not wrong. A disciple achieving what the master couldn't-it's a pretty picture."
"Little Silver. I'm not opposing your relationship with him. I just want to know who he is. Won't you tell us?"
"F-from the start, we're not at a stage for that kind of talk?!"
"Lies. I saw you flirting."
"...Little Silver. Lying in this situation..."
"I-I'm serious! Really! J-just..."
Eun Seol-ran's voice trailed off.
"Th-that... later... who knows..."
"...Am I seeing this with my own two eyes? That sharp-tongued disciple making that face?"
"W-won't you shut up?!"
"What kind of mouth is that to your master?! Hah! The end times! End times!"
"So what kind of person is he? Character? Reliable?"
"H-he's reliable. From the start, he's so outstanding... no flaws to pick..."
"I see. What about his skills?"
"We were even before. But now..."
"Eh. Is there anyone your age better than you? Even if it's Big Sis's pick, he can't compare to you now."
"...There are. Kids on my level."
"What? Not even 'kid' but 'kids'...? Who?! You're a genius not to be missed in the world!"
The Sixth Demon's eyes gleamed.
"No way... you mean the White Bone Death God and the Soul-Stealing Enchantress?"
"Yes."
"Those two, yeah, possible."
"...The warriors Big Sis recently took in? Tsk. Then no argument. Don't know where she picked them up, but she has an eye for people."
"Unexpected. Didn't think you'd say that, Master."
"Why would I lie? Those guys were all geniuses one by one. If Big Sis hadn't taken them, I'd have reached out... The Blood Squad too, she quietly scoops up all the talented ones in the cult."
"There's one more."
"One more? Who?"
"Blood Squad candidate, Baek Mae. Being raised by Myo Ye-rin, current Blood Squad member. I heard... she's already grown power matching the Blood Squad."
"...Where did you get all that information?"
"Not answering that. Let's say from an acquaintance."
"Stories not even in the Black Snake Sect's intel network...?"
The confused Sixth Demon cleared his throat.
"The talk drifted. Let me ask differently. Little Silver. Do you... truly love that man?"
Eun Seol-ran paused. She reflected on her own feelings.
She nodded.
"...Yes. Of course."
"Hmm. I see."
"Deputy. Ask something else. Probe his womanizing-that'd be fun."
"Does he have woman problems?"
"I've seen plenty myself."
"Just girls clinging to him on their own."
"Must be exceptionally handsome then..."
"Not just that, that's the problem."
"Uhaha! Talking like a doting parent! But anyway, disciple."
"Yes?"
"I did some groundwork for you. Would Sama's disciple lose to another woman? Love wars come from information. You need to know what the opponent likes, what he's doing, to gain tactical advantage."
".......?"
Sama smoothly sat up. He snapped his fingers.
A bird flying in through the open window. A letter tied to its ankle.
"Information I prepared specially for you. I haven't even peeked."
"......."
"Info on Red Cloud should be inside."
"Master..."
"Sama's disciple must obtain whatever she wants...!"
Sama grinned.
"Use that info to get one step ahead of others...! My disciple...!"
"M-Master... you can be helpful sometimes...!"
"That last bit hurt a little."
Eun Seol-ran untied the letter from the messenger bird's leg. She checked the contents.
"...Huh?"
Eun Seol-ran's body froze. Her expression was off, so Sama sneaked closer.
"No way... not a death notice, right?"
The Sixth Demon couldn't hold his curiosity and peered at the letter.
"...Sect Leader?"
"What?"
"No, that..."
The Sixth Demon glanced around.
"Was the guy... married?"
"What bullshit is that?"
"This is..."
A curse flew from Eun Seol-ran's mouth.
Because of the word 'daughter' written on the letter.
"Fuck...?!"
...
"Hey."
"Yes?"
Blood Squad's Myo Ye-rin glanced down at the dust-covered beauty wrapped in grime.
The more she looked, that appearance was truly one of the rarest in the world.
Lucky bastard. So lucky.
But still...
Who would've thought the one who stole that heart was the notorious playboy?
"You finished today's tasks?"
"I did them all. From one to ten, perfectly."
"...Yeah?"
I need to tell her, but the words won't come.
Haa...
Why do I have to deal with this dilemma?
"...Um..."
"Um what? No, if you're gonna say it, spit it out."
"The attitude you have toward your master..."
"You called me for urgent business, Master."
"Right... so..."
Myo Ye-rin sighed.
"Red Cloud."
"Yes?! News on him?! H-how's he doing?! Is he okay?!"
"......."
"T-tell me! N-no way bad news..."
"Not that kind of bad news... more like... bad news of a different flavor..."
"Huh?"
"He... has a... daughter."
"...Pardon?"
"He has a daughter. That guy. Red Cloud."
".......?"
For a moment, Baek Mae's face twisted. Thinking she misheard, she tilted her head.
"Daughter...?"
After whispering it to herself once, she lifted her head again. She was smiling, but her subtly twisted lips were scary.
Chillingly so.
"Not funny, Master. For real."
"......."
"A joke, right? He held a wedding? He never said anything like that to me?"
"......."
"For real? Master? Master?"
"...Um..."
Myo Ye-rin unwittingly stepped back.
Her disciple, whose skills had grown too high lately. Hadn't she become strong enough to threaten even her now?
If the madman Shim Sa-heun, Soul-Stealing Maniac and her enemy's foe, who had vanished, encountered her...
He'd be sliced apart in real time. No doubt. Her disciple before her had grown that strong.
A realm possible because her talent and effort were on another trajectory.
Yet such a girl smiled. Truly chillingly.
"...Fun! Ahaha! So fun! Really!"
Myo Ye-rin hiccuped involuntarily at the mad laughter.
Did I... really have to tell her?
"Big brother... really so fun... ugh...?"
...
Four women vanished from inside the cult at almost the same time.
To find someone.
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