“The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme has five disciples, but the most likely candidates for the succession fight, in terms of age and skill, are the first disciple, Yang Dao, and the third disciple, Cheong Seon. For reference, Cheong Seon is a woman.”
After Seo Daeryong’s report, I asked, “What are the reputations of these two within the Western Illusion Formation?”
“Due to his age, Yang Dao has more experience and martial arts skills, but Cheong Seon is more popular within the Western Illusion Formation. Yang Dao has a vicious personality and has already injured several spirit sorcerers. Some even died. Despite this, the late Soul Reaper Demon Supreme favored him, making him a likely successor. However, the situation has now changed.”
“Investigate both of them thoroughly. Martial arts, assets, abilities, hobbies, personal relationships—everything without exception.”
“Understood.”
“Who will the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult choose?”
Seo Daeryong widened his eyes at my question.
“Will the Cult Leader choose one of them?”
“Yes. That’s why I sent materials about the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme’s disciples.”
“Why?”“I told him to jump into the succession fight within the Western Illusion Formation.”
“Oh my! What are you planning this time? Surely not…?”
Seo Daeryong, his thoughts somewhere else, sent a telepathic message.
—Will you kill the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult too? Or Yang Dao? Even Cheong Seon?
—Am I a murderer? Will I kill everyone?
Only then did Seo Daeryong feel relieved.
“Thank goodness.”
“These days, it seems everyone is worried about who I’ll kill next.”
“Who else worried? Your master?”
“My master?”
“Oh! The Blood Heaven Blade Demon.”
“I still haven’t called him master, have I?”
“No, he hasn’t given permission.”
It seemed Seo Daeryong considered him his master. The word “master” slipped out unconsciously.
I could feel that Seo Daeryong was increasingly drawn to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Indeed, Seo Daeryong must have already been deeply fascinated by the sight of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon reading a book.
“So, who do you think the Cult Leader will choose?”
“How would I know?”
“If the genius who topped the entrance exam doesn’t know, then who would?”
“I got top marks by studying hard, not because I’m a genius.”
“Didn’t I call you a genius?”
“That was your word, sir.”
“But you nodded proudly back then?”
“I admit it. I can’t help but have a bit of pride in me. So please downgrade me from a genius to someone capable in practice. In exchange, I’ll ensure a thorough investigation of the two.”
With a bow, Seo Daeryong left the office.
* * *
“So, who should we support?”
At the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult’s question, the man in shackles was only staring at the Thunder Bell.
“Why are you staring at that bell? Are you saying the demon engraved on it is talking to you?”
Then the shackled man suddenly spoke.
“How did you know?”
“Why are you being so scary?”
“Sometimes it speaks to me.”
“What does it say?”
The man in shackles stared blankly at the demon and said,
“Why do you live like that?”
A moment of silence passed.
“And what did you answer?”
“Previously, I answered that I lived like this because of a narrow-minded, greedy person.”
“And now?”
“Now, I answered that maybe it’s not entirely because of that person.”
“What did it say then?”
The shackled man remained silent. After prompting him again, he looked at the Cult Leader with disdain.
“Why do you keep asking? Do you think a carving can talk? Are you mad?”
The Cult Leader looked incredulous.
“Sure, it’d be strange if I didn’t go mad. Soon, I’ll sit there and talk with that carved demon myself. ‘Why do you live so ignorantly? Why? You demon, you must know since you’ve been watching all along!’”
“It’s Cheong Seon.”
“Whoa! Please give me some warning before you speak!”
The unpredictable man in shackles was valuable because he could provide answers when needed.
“Why Cheong Seon? From what I see, Yang Dao seems like he’ll be the successor.”
“Then choose him.”
The shackled man closed his mouth as if he had nothing more to say.
The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult slowly moved next to him.
“Why Cheong Seon?”
“Just choose Yang Dao if that’s what you think. Are you, as the Cult Leader, always going to follow others’ words?”
“Fine, I’ll choose Cheong Seon based on my conviction.”
The Cult Leader trusted the man in shackles unconditionally. No reasons were needed; his past actions spoke volumes.
“Cheong Seon, huh? Then how can I take her as a disciple?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“What will we do if you don’t know?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I knew that while tied up here?”
“Indeed, that’s true.”
However, the Cult Leader never spoke of freeing him from his shackles. Despite all their conversations, that topic never came up.
If he freed him, the man would surely leave. Who would stay with the person who put them in such a state? The moment he was freed, it would be over. Thus, freeing him was an absolute taboo for the Cult Leader.
“Should I go see Cheong Seon?”
“What will you say if you go?”
“Become my disciple. Too high-handed? How about, I will permit you to be my disciple. How’s that?”
“And you think she’ll agree to that?”
“Then what should I do?”
“Put yourself in her shoes. If an old man from the outside, whose intentions are unclear, suddenly comes and says to become his disciple, would you, as the Cult Leader, accept that?”
“No way.”
“Same goes for others. It won’t work just like that.”
“Are you saying we need to pay a price?”
The man in shackles nodded.
“I’m going to be her master and teach her martial arts. If there’s a price to be paid, it should be paid by her.”
“That’s an outdated mindset. The price is paid by the one who is more desperate.”
“I don’t like it. I want to receive instead of give. I’m naturally someone who prefers receiving! Tell her to come loaded with gifts to satisfy my needs! Tell her to kneel all day in the yard and beg to learn!”
The man in shackles had said to give everything, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
“If a price has to be paid, it shouldn’t be Cheong Seon who pays it.”
“Then who?”
“The Second Young Master would want more treasures here. Last time, when he was inspecting the treasures, there were things he had his eye on.”
“Damn it!”
“The Second Young Master will bring the solution again this time.”
“Again with him?”
The shackled man calmly spoke to the sighing Cult Leader.
“It will be the Second Young Master until the end.”
* * *
As Seo Daeryong boasted, he was certainly capable when it came to practical matters.
He had thoroughly investigated both Yang Dao and Cheong Seon. Not only their families and backgrounds, but also their martial arts levels, personalities, personal relationships, and even their favorite foods.
“But there is one strange thing I discovered while investigating Cheong Seon.”
“What is it?”
“Cheong Seon has met Sa Woojong a few times.”
“Sa Woojong?”
A name I hadn’t expected came up.
“Yes. Since they seem to have no connection, I thought it was worth reporting.”
Seo Daeryong knew that I had a connection with the One-Slash Sword Supreme, so he reported it separately.
I recalled the end of Sa Woojong.
He had been caught by the Soul Reaping Technique and tried to kill the One-Slash Sword Supreme but was killed instead. The death’s perpetrator had never been revealed.
‘Ah! That must have been Cheong Seon’s Soul Reaping Technique!’
A naturally drawn conclusion.
“They’re dating each other!”
At my words, Seo Daeryong was shocked. He wasn’t surprised that the two were dating; he was astonished that I had guessed it correctly just by sitting there.
“How did you know?”
Sa Woojong liked the One-Slash Sword Supreme. If he had been caught by Cheong Seon, his death was undoubtedly the result of Cheong Seon’s jealousy and anger. Especially since Cheong Seon was young, her pride would have been deeply wounded if her man loved an older woman, a wound deep enough to pierce her very soul.
That wasn’t the only reason I thought they were dating.
It was also Cheong Seon who had told me where the bodies of those who had been subjected to the Heart and Soul Reaping Technique were buried, and it was undoubtedly she who had stolen Neunghyu’s fan and placed it there. These were things that only a disciple of the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme could know or do. Additionally, if she wasn’t in a relationship with Sa Woojong, she wouldn’t have leaked such critical information.
Everything fit together perfectly, but I couldn’t tell Seo Daeryong about these details.
I suddenly stood up from my seat.
“You’re planning to change the situation again, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“Your eyes changed. Master, why do you look for geniuses? You’re a genius yourself.”
“I’m not a genius. I just have a knack for scheming and never miss out on profitable things. I need someone who can use their brain for the bigger picture. The difference between having such a person in an organization and not is significant.”
“I don’t really understand, but you’re impressive nonetheless.”
“What do you mean you don’t understand? It’s thanks to your investigation that I figured it out. Even if I find a genius, I wouldn’t replace them with you.”
“Of course. You’d have both anyway. But where are you going?”
I was already walking out of the office.
‘To gather more treasures!’
This was something I couldn’t tell him either.
* * *
I went straight to meet the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult.
His residence was the scene of the incident, and as the Leader of the Underworld Pavilion, I had official reasons to come and go as I pleased.
“Welcome.”
“Have you been well?”
“I’ve read the materials you sent. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Exchanging greetings, I glanced at the man in shackles.
He kept his head down, not looking at me, but every time I saw him, I felt he wasn’t just a fleeting acquaintance.
My gaze returned to the Cult Leader.
“Have you found a way to join the successor fight in the Western Illusion Formation?”
“Not yet.”
“You need to hurry. Soon, the Demon Supremes will intervene to select a successor.”
“As you know, in this place, I am as shackled as that man over there. It’s not easy to even meet the successors of the Western Illusion Formation.”
I nodded understandingly.
“Who do you think should be taken as a disciple from the candidates?”
“Cheong Seon.”
Seeing that he wasn’t surprised by my answer, it seemed he had already concluded the same with the shackled man. As expected.
“We also believe Cheong Seon is the most suitable.”
For me, it was because of Sa Woojong, but what reason did that shackled man have for choosing Cheong Seon?
“But there’s no way to persuade her.”
“What if I could bring Cheong Seon directly to you, Cult Leader?”
“And then?”
“She would ask to become your disciple. I’ll serve it to you on a silver platter.”
“If you can do that, I couldn’t ask for more.”
“In return, give me a treasure.”
The Cult Leader’s bright expression darkened in a split second.
“You are really shameless.”
“It’s not shameless; it’s reasonable. Relying on loyalty or personal connections to get things done without fair compensation is something from our fathers’ era.”
“I’m also from that era.”
“You have to acknowledge that times have changed. The person sitting in front of you is from the modern era. If you don’t like it, you should resign yourself to looking at only what you like, like a fossil.”
Of course, not wanting that kind of life, the Cult Leader frowned.
I persuaded him in a gentle tone.
“This matter involves dealing with young people, so leave it to me. I will produce results that will make the treasure worth it.”
“Let me think for a moment.”
“Please do.”
I pretended to examine the treasures, giving the shackled man and the Cult Leader time to exchange telepathic messages.
Finally, the Cult Leader spoke to me.
“Fine, I accept your proposal.”
He looked displeased, but it seemed he had been convinced by the shackled man.
“She has to come and ask to be accepted as a disciple. Elevating her to the position of Demon Supreme is your responsibility Cult Leader.”
“If I need help then, I’ll come to you again and you’ll demand another treasure. Just take everything now!”
“I wish I had the ability to do that. For my sake, and for yours.”
I stood up. I nodded politely to the Cult Leader and exchanged a glance with the shackled man as I left.
I went straight to find one person.
The key to this matter, Sa Woojong.
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