Chapter 314: Verification (3)
For a while, the sound of stamping seals and the rustling of brush strokes filled the hall.
It seemed she still wasn’t used to work-related conversations, as she focused all her attention on reviewing and processing the documents I handed over.
After about half a sijin of work had passed.
"Finally, I feel alive again…"
She stretched lightly, expressing her relief.
"Sa Biyeon? She usually assists you with this, doesn’t she?"
"Mm, true. Normally, Biyeon would have helped me with this."
"And?"
"Biyeon was urgently summoned back to her clan by Thunder Commander a few sijin ago. Judging by the unpleasant look on her face when she read the letter, it seems she might have been reprimanded for something."
"Reprimanded…"
Sa Biyeon’s work had never left any noticeable flaws.
With her abilities, committing a mistake significant enough to warrant a reprimand from the Clan Leader shouldn’t have been easy.
It wasn’t about the kidnapping either… that incident had already been over a year ago, so it wouldn’t be brought up again now.
"Well, since it doesn’t seem to be a capital offense, I’ll ask her about it later."
"Alright."
Honestly, now that Sa Biyeon had been officially recognized as one of Cheon Yura’s closest aides, it would be like digging their own grave for the Black Gold Sa Clan to treat her poorly.
She wouldn’t have been severely scolded unless it was something extreme.
"So? I’ve been meaning to ask, but why did you come looking for me today?"
At her words, I pouted slightly in mock disappointment.
"Mm, do I really need a reason?"
"What?"
I slowly leaned my body toward the chair where Cheon Yura sat.
"Do I need a reason to see my beloved?"
I had expected her to blush at those words, as she usually would.
However, to my surprise, she simply chuckled and leaned her head against me.
"Heh, well, I suppose that’s true."
After a brief, pleasant silence.
Cheon Yura and I locked eyes passionately.
And then, as our lips drew closer…
Clatter!
Before they could touch, the door suddenly burst open and someone appeared.
I flinched.
"Bi-Biyeon?!"
"Lady Sa?"
Standing before us, with a severely displeased expression, was none other than Sa Biyeon, who had just returned.
"…Normally, I’d apologize for interrupting, but I don’t feel like doing that right now."
As her words implied, irritation was clearly written all over her face.
Cheon Yura let out a loud, exaggerated cough before asking.
"Ahem! Did things go well?"
"Yes, fortunately, it ended with just a reprimand… but."
Sa Biyeon’s sharp gaze landed on me.
The irritation on her face gradually shifted to frustration as she stared at me.
"How on earth was I supposed to know that Young Master Jin had reached the threshold of the Transcendent Demon Realm?! I’m not some kind of deity!"
"……."
"Isn’t that something I should have been informed of immediately? Shouldn’t that have been reported right away? Do you know what happens to someone when they hear that same lecture hundreds of times over?!"
Startled by Sa Biyeon’s overwhelming pressure, I unconsciously took a step back.
"Uh, what happens?"
Sa Biyeon took a step closer and muttered under her breath.
"…It makes you want to exile someone to some remote countryside and send them an empty lunch box."
"……."
That was oddly specific.
But… surely she didn’t mean me, right?
In any case, it seemed the reason Sa Biyeon had been reprimanded by the Clan Leader was because she hadn’t properly grasped my martial strength….
"Mm, I honestly have nothing to say about that. It’s not exactly something I go around bragging about…"
Perhaps she found my response reasonable, as the irritation on her face started to ease.
"Well, I understand. But… does the Young Cult Leader know about this?"
Flinch!
Cheon Yura’s shoulders trembled slightly.
She was the type who couldn’t lie to those close to her, and the moment she tried to hide something, it always showed.
"…Young Cult Leader?"
The frustration on Sa Biyeon’s face began to turn into betrayal.
"Uh, well, she did know…"
"And?"
Avoiding the gaze of her loyal subordinate, Cheon Yura continued awkwardly.
"Ahem! I suppose… you could say I found out through a dream. I didn’t intend to know, but I somehow learned about it in my sleep."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
That might have been the first time I had ever heard Sa Biyeon speak so roughly.
"Uh, I’m sorry, Biyeon."
In the end, Cheon Yura apologized to her subordinate.
It was an extremely rare… no, practically unheard-of reversal of the master-servant dynamic.
Sa Biyeon’s sulking had terrifying consequences.
To the point where Cheon Yura, in an act of complete desperation, even resorted to clinging to her(!) in an almost pathetic display to lighten her mood.
‘Well, considering they’ve spent almost every day together for a year, it’s understandable she’d feel upset about being left in the dark.’
However, Cheon Yura had a valid excuse.
After all, who would have ever imagined she’d encounter me in her dreams?
After much effort, we finally managed to calm Sa Biyeon down.
That was when an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Young Cult Leader, the Great Elder requests an audience."
"The Great Elder? Bring her in immediately."
The Great Elder, Cheon Yeongha, known as the Thousand-Handed Witch.
A renowned eccentric of the Cheon Clan who rarely left the Heavenly Demon Pavilion had come to visit.
"It’s been a long time since we’ve met, Yura."
"Indeed, Grandmother. It’s been a while."
Cheon Yura greeted Cheon Yeongha with a rare, genuine smile.
It was a more affectionate exchange than I had expected.
‘Well, the Great Elder is one of the few supporters on the Cheon Clan’s side, after all.’
"What brings you here? You barely spoke during the last council meeting."
From her finely wrinkled lips, words of great consequence soon followed.
“I came here to deliver a warning to you.”
“A warning?”
Our expressions, including Cheon Yura’s, stiffened.
A warning coming from someone who was an absolute ally was never something to be taken lightly.
“To be precise, I wanted to warn you about Ilro.”
“…Why?”
“Hehehe…”
“You probably think Ilro made that offer to help you, don’t you?”
“Is that not the case?”
“It’s only half true.”
I flinched.
If it was only half true, that meant the other half was false.
“Currently, Ilro is concerned about the division within the Cult.”
“……?”
“……!”
Unlike the two women who looked puzzled, I immediately understood what she meant.
I had been wary of this issue myself to some extent.
“You’re talking about the extreme conflict between the Six Great Demonic Clans and the Cheon Clan.”
“That’s right, you understand well.”
“The Six Clans have never been more united than they are now.”
It was the very thing Cheon Jumyeong had warned me about before.
‘He said the excessive unity of the Six Clans might eventually overturn the power structure of the Heavenly Demon Cult, surpassing even the Cheon Clan.’
However!
I confidently declared to Cheon Yeongha.
“Such a thing will never happen.”
“And why are you so sure?”
“I’ve said the same thing to the previous Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them halfway.
“If such a thing were to happen… I would personally dismantle the Six Great Demonic Clans myself.”
“…Hoho.”
It was a statement that sounded reckless beyond bold.
However, while my previous statement had been more of a declaration filled with youthful bravado, this time, it was grounded in my current strength.
“The Six Clans will serve only as a stepping stone to support Yura’s reign.”
Cheon Yura and Sa Biyeon both looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.
In contrast, Cheon Yeongha, who had already heard my determination before, chuckled softly and patted my shoulder.
“Kuhuhu! Indeed, I did recognize someone worthwhile back then. If it had been that greenhorn from before, it would’ve been impossible. But you… as the great hero you are now, you just might pull it off.”
She took a step back and looked between me and Cheon Yura.
“But Ilro is a thorough man. Even if you possess that much strength, he’s someone who will rigorously verify your qualifications.”
“Hmm!”
“Of course, he’s not the kind of vile old man who would set up petty traps. However.”
A trace of worry appeared in Cheon Yeongha’s eyes.
“At the end of this trial… even I cannot guarantee what might emerge. So…”
Her words struck heavily in my chest.
“You’d best be careful.”
***
Luoyang City, Black Lotus Union.
“The Lotus Lord has returned!”
“Open the gates immediately!”
A sea of people bustled to make way as the Black Lotus Lord, Ma Geomhwa, returned from a brief outing.
“You’ve worked hard, Lotus Lord!”
“Welcome back, Lotus Lord!”
“…Yeah.”
Baek Sang-ah received the greetings of hundreds of martial artists with a slightly displeased expression.
Even back at her original family, the Namcheon Baek Clan, she couldn’t recall ever receiving such an enthusiastic reception, making her feel oddly conflicted.
As it had been before, her influence here in Black Lotus Union was absolute.
At her command, there were countless who would gladly charge into fire carrying bundles of wood, and during the recruitment for her personal guards, literal bloodbaths had erupted.
‘It’s good that their loyalty is high… but still….’
The source of their loyalty seemed to come not from her martial prowess or leadership, but from something else entirely, which made her feel rather uncomfortable.
‘Sigh. Well, whatever. As long as they follow orders, it’s fine.’
With half-hearted resignation, she entered the hall where her office was located.
“You’re back, Sister?”
Black Lotus Union’s strategist, Jegal… no, now fully identifying as Sama Eun of the Sama Clan, greeted her while holding a stack of documents.
Behind her, dozens of strategists from the military affairs division followed closely.
“How did it go?”
“I’ll explain once we’re in the office. By the way… is Young Master So Cheon still the same?”
Sama Eun sighed and nodded.
“…Unfortunately, yes.”
Baek Sang-ah let out a sigh as well.
“This is bad. He needs to pull himself together soon…”
Currently, So Cheon had locked himself away, rejecting everything and isolating himself like a broken man.
When they had returned to the Cult from the south following Jin Yeomyung, So Cheon had been brimming with happiness.
And Jin Yeomyung had kept his word by bringing So Cheon back.
However, the problem was…
Not even a week had passed before So Cheon had been exiled to Black Lotus Union under direct orders from the Heavenly Demon’s Decree, leaving him no room to refuse.
“Sigh, I guess time will heal it.”
Sama Eun spoke with visible unease.
“The thing is… Young Master So Cheon has been having occasional outbursts lately. He keeps raving about killing Young Master Jin and the Young Cult Leader, and then killing himself afterward…”
“…Stop him no matter what. Judging by his current state, he really might try it.”
After learning the martial arts of the Death Demon So Jeong, both So Cheon and Baek Sang-ah had become more familiar with death than anyone else in the Murim.
Though they couldn’t literally see the line between life and death, they had developed an extreme sensitivity to knowing exactly where to strike to kill someone.
‘He must have locked himself away to suppress his surging murderous intent.’
Even I, at times, had felt the urge to commit meaningless slaughter.
If I hadn’t reached the Extreme Demon Realm.
If I hadn’t overcome the emotions I felt when I believed Jin Yeomyung had died.
‘I probably would have become one of the most notorious murderers to ever stain the Murim with blood.’
She let out a silent sigh and entered her office.
Once she had confirmed that no one else was around, she whispered to Sama Eun.
“The Beggars’ Sect and the Hao Sect have completed the cross-verification.”
“…Don’t tell me?”
Sama Eun’s expression immediately turned stiff.
“That’s right.”
Baek Sang-ah delivered the confirmation blow.
“The ownership of the Evil Overlords of Heaven has changed hands. Chaos is about to descend upon the Murim once again.”