Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: 18. Trap (1)
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Previously.
Saibi and the Lion rep had made a bet on whether the sword-proof phone marketing would succeed.
The winner of that bet was the Lion rep, who had wagered on it being a massive hit.
As the price of her loss, Saibi had to show Jeom So-ui to the Lion rep.
But their bet didn't end there.
They had another wager: whether Jeom So-ui would accept the Lion rep's scouting offer or reject it outright.
The winner of that bet was Saibi, who had bet on an outright rejection.
In front of Jeom So-ui, she had claimed it was in exchange for ads for other Lion products.
But in truth, what Saibi had demanded from the Lion rep was something else.
The Lion6 phones that the Lion rep had gifted to Gupailbang.
They weren't just ordinary smartphones.
They were devices that the Lion rep had embedded with location-tracking apps at Saibi's request.
What else would be the reason for engraving each phone with their individual names?
It was to track each person's location more precisely.
Having Jeom So-ui test the sword-proof phone with her phone had been unexpected.
Fortunately, the Lion rep had quickly brought a new one, so the tracking blackout wasn't long.
Thus...
"What could they all be doing out so late at night?"
From her home, Saibi watched as Gupailbang moved.
It was past midnight.
While the Murim Alliance Leader and the Shaolin Emblem stayed obediently in their dorm,
Jeom So-ui and the other Gupailbang members had slipped out and were racing down the road.
"Going out to play?"
"Play, going out?"
Left Protector and Right Protector, peering at the screens from either side of Saibi, asked in turn.
Saibi closed her eyes, murmuring as if troubled.
"It's so late, and they're going out to play... As their agency rep, I'm worried."
At the rep's mutterings, Left Protector and Right Protector chimed in innocently.
"The Heavenly Demon's with them, so it's fine!"
"Fine, since the Heavenly Demon's going too!"
The rep gazed at them fondly, but without erasing her worried expression, she said,
"You two might not know, but... there are a few disciples from my sect who've been excommunicated."
"Excommunicated disciples?"
"Yeah! Those kids were looking for excommunicated disciples!"
"But they said it wasn't us."
"Not us, but we played together."
Even hearing they'd been hunting excommunicated disciples didn't change the rep's expression in the slightest as she nodded and continued.
"I see. So that's how it is. I told them it was dangerous and not to meet..."
"Are excommunicated disciples dangerous?"
"We're excommunicated disciples too. Not dangerous."
Saibi didn't entirely agree that it wasn't dangerous—not when those two only knew "play" as something involving cutting—but.
"Those excommunicated disciples are different from you two. They harbor grudges against me, and they once came all the way to my house... It nearly burned down that time."
"R-Really?"
"Why do they hate the master?"
"They're kids I raised in my sect, but..."
Saibi trailed off, propping her chin with one hand and making a bitter face.
"I'm a Demonic Cultist who serves the Heavenly Demon... and they're from the Orthodox faction, so that must be why."
At those words, the two protectors flew into a rage, jumping up.
"Master, bullied for being a Demonic Cultist!?"
"Demonic Cultists aren't bad! Those kids are the bad ones!"
Saibi replied as if she'd been waiting.
"But with the Heavenly Demon going to meet those kids, how can I not worry?"
"Why's the Heavenly Demon going to meet those kinds of kids?"
"Because the Gupailbang members wanted to see their old friends."
Saibi spoke regretfully, then glanced at Left and Right Protector before adding,
"I'm worried about the others too, but especially about Jaha."
"Jaha? You mean the one who smells like plum blossoms!"
"Mafia told us. Said he'd do it again next time."
"They're gonna mess with even a nice kid like that?"
"As you saw, Jaha only learned Demonic Arts relatively recently. What if the excommunicated disciples spot that and target him... I'm so worried."
"That's too much! Jaha's Demonic Arts level is pathetic!"
"Yeah! How could they pick on someone that weak!!"
Saibi wore a subtle smile.
"I'd love to go with them, but as you know, I'm a frail body that can't even handle basic internal energy. I'd just be a burden."
"Master! No need to worry!"
"Yeah, Master. Right Protector and Left Protector will go check it out!"
"Yeah! Leave it to Left Protector and Right Protector!"
Saibi feigned surprise as she asked back.
"Really? You'll follow them and give those excommunicated disciples a lesson?"
"Uh, should we beat them up?"
"Beat them up?"
"Yes, you should."
"Got it, then! We'll beat 'em!"
"We'll make sure they never look down on Demonic Cultists again!"
"You're so reliable. I'm glad I have you two."
As Saibi patted her chest in apparent relief, the two protectors shouted excitedly.
"Just trust us, Master!"
The next moment, the two protectors vanished from Saibi's sight in an instant.
Saibi waited until their presences had completely faded.
Then she sneered softly.
"If only I could handle the Heavenly Demon this easily..."
As expected, something was wrong with the Heavenly Demon summoning.
Left and Right Protector wanted to return to their original world, yet they prioritized requests from their vessel, Saibi, above all else.
If she herself had summoned the Heavenly Demon, then he should be the same as them.
'The most suspicious one right now is Jeom So-ui.'
Saibi had received the unedited footage of [Southern Barbaric Beast Palace Masquerade].
In that footage, she witnessed an unbelievable scene.
When Jeom So-ui called the Heavenly Demon's name, he appeared atop the Viking ship's mast.
It was impossible.
No matter how great the Heavenly Demon, he couldn't react and rush over that quickly just from hearing his name.
Moreover, Jeom So-ui's attitude.
It was nonchalant, as if he'd done this several times before.
'Something like that is only possible for the summoner...'
Jeom So-ui had never interfered in any summoning ritual.
Until recently, he knew nothing at all.
He'd only just realized about that space on the 6th floor.
How could Jeom So-ui possibly be the Heavenly Demon's summoner?
"This is troubling..."
The suspicion that Jeom So-ui was the Heavenly Demon's summoner wasn't hers alone.
Shin Tae-eul, who had tried to drag Jeom So-ui into the excommunicated disciple matter.
And the Lion rep, who valued Jeom So-ui highly and attempted to scout him.
Those two had undoubtedly sensed something about Jeom So-ui.
With the Heavenly Demon on Jeom So-ui's side right now, even if he wasn't truly the summoner, getting Jeom So-ui in her grasp was crucially important.
Shin Tae-eul's death had only made Jeom So-ui resent her more.
If she let him meet the excommunicated disciples like this, he might even build his own faction.
'Before that happens...'
Saibi resolved to use the two protectors to deal with the excommunicated disciples.
When Left and Right Protector arrived at the secret meeting spot of Gupailbang and the excommunicated disciples.
Boom!
She planned to make them self-destruct.
Only the Heavenly Demon and Jeom So-ui, whom he protected, would emerge unscathed from the explosion.
Just those two.
The rest were a bit of a loss, but...
Since they were following Jeom So-ui, they were already thinking of leaving her fold, so better to discard them as sacrificial pawns.
What had been the point of approving projects like [Southern Barbaric Beast Palace Masquerade] in the first place?
She had deliberately created opportunities for contact with excommunicated disciples.
It was an event for Saibi to filter out members who would betray her.
In other words, it had been a trap dug from the moment she handed over the Lion6s.
"I'm looking forward to how much Jeom So-ui will blame himself over this."
Of course, she had no intention of killing the members.
Just injure them enough to make movement inconvenient.
Since they were like her own children, Jeom So-ui would surely take responsibility.
Then what she'd need was money.
In other words, she'd become indispensable to Jeom So-ui.
If he didn't want even his friend Woochi to end up like that, he might become obedient to her.
'Once Woochi realizes what I gifted him, he'll have no choice.'
Saibi waited expectantly for Jeom So-ui's submission, anticipating the moment Left and Right Protector ambushed the meeting spot of Gupailbang and the excommunicated disciples.
She had attached talismans to them that allowed communication even from afar, so they just needed to arrive and report back.
She had even instructed her own child to wake up and follow after them to quickly clean up post-explosion.
The plan was perfect.
All that remained was for Jeom So-ui to realize it was all a trap and despair.
But when the two protectors arrived at the location indicated by the tracker...
Saibi had to admit that the one who had fallen into the trap was none other than herself.
-Huh, Master... this is weird...
-No one here but Tang Clan guy?
* * *
In the basement of an abandoned building.
There stood only Tang Sacheon, arms crossed, looking bored as if he'd been waiting a long time.
Left and Right Protector asked Tang Sacheon in confusion.
"Why... why are you alone?"
"Why's only the Tang Clan guy here?"
"Th-The others are all here!"
"Yeah! The signals say they're here!"
"Oh dear, oh dear."
Tang Sacheon shook his head slowly.
"Just as So-ui hyung said. I didn't believe it, but the gifted Lion6 really had a tracker. You two, tell that rep scum to become an upright murim fanatic with dignity."
"Wh-Where are the others? Why're you alone?"
"I don't know what's happening. Right Protector, my head's dizzy..."
At that moment, someone landed between the flustered Left and Right Protector, who couldn't hide their bewilderment.
An assassin in black martial robes, wearing a white mask.
The moment they saw him, Left and Right Protector lit up and shouted.
"Little Master! You followed us!"
"You here to help, Little Master?"
The one called Little Master didn't reply to the protectors' questions, merely staring intently at Tang Sacheon.
Tang Sacheon blinked a few times, then a excited grin spread across his lips.
"I see. So you're the Masked Expert that So-ui hyung warned me about."
"......"
As if no more words were needed, the Masked Expert drew the sword from his waist and aimed it at Tang Sacheon.
Tang Sacheon furrowed his brow but didn't hesitate, drawing the sword strapped to his back.
Then he boasted swaggeringly.
"I know your internal energy is strong, but you can't beat this clan head."
Rather than the Masked Expert, it was the two protectors who got pissed at the childish taunt.
"What! Acting tough when you're weaker than Little Master!"
"Your stance is all wrong! You don't hold a sword like that!"
Though Left and Right Protector griped, Tang Sacheon just let out a leisurely chuckle.
"Want to know why you can't beat this clan head?"
"No, Tang Clan's gonna lose, right?"
"Yeah! Tang Clan's losing for sure!"
"Why's he so full of himself?!"
"Fine, whatever! Spit it out!"
Tang Sacheon sneered, lifting one corner of his mouth as if they were clueless.
"Because this clan head is more despicable than the three of you combined."
"Wh-What?"
"The Tang Clan's Orthodox faction!"
"And he says it without a shred of shame!"
"You showed up openly without even ambushing— you can't handle this clan head."
Even at Tang Sacheon's insane provocation, the Masked Expert merely twitched the tip of his sword, as if urging him to attack already, without a hint of agitation.
"No more chit-chat, come at me? Fine. If you want a lesson that badly, this clan head will show you. A whole other level of despicableness."
With that, Tang Sacheon flung open the green robe he wore.
His chest gleamed blindingly silver.
"That's...!"
The two protectors' eyes widened, and even the Masked Expert's eyes grew large.
"What... what is that?"
"What the hell is that monstrosity?!"
What Tang Sacheon wore beneath his robe.
Was a Lion6-exclusive phone harness.
And on that harness.
Seven Lion6s.
No, sword-proof phones dangled thickly.
"Seven ultra-durable sword-proof phones."
Tang Sacheon flapped the hem of his robe dramatically and declared proudly.
"Its name: the Sword-Proof Phone Vest!"