Chapter 158 : The Work of Demon Flower
Chapter 158: The Work of Demon Flower
Demon Flower spoke to the Poison Demon, who was standing there with his mouth hanging open in shock.
“This isn’t the time to just stand there being surprised. You heard the rumor, right? That sly Hundred Paths girl who moved into the Main Fortress. We can’t let that wench steal the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult from us. So you and I are going to push Golden Flower Manor forward.”
At Demon Flower’s words, the Poison Demon finally managed to regain his composure and asked,
“You mean the woman who came from the Namgung Clan?”
“Yeah. That one’s practically a nine-tailed fox with nine tails swishing behind her. Pretending she’s not, while seducing the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult—it’s terrifying.”
“So you’re saying the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult has already fallen for her?”
“Not yet, but it feels like he might. I mean, he smiled. That man who’s like a stone.”
“The Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult smiles a lot though.”
“Well… yeah. But he never smiled at a woman!”
“He just didn’t smile at you. The Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult smiles just fine.”
At the Poison Demon’s reply, Demon Flower narrowed her eyes and asked in a noticeably raised voice,
“So you’re saying you won’t help!”
“N-no, that’s not it. I even brought medicinal herbs and medical texts, so of course I should help. I’ll help, but… I’m just wondering whether my help will really make much difference.”
At the Poison Demon’s answer, Demon Flower suddenly smiled brightly, as though she had never raised her voice.
“It’ll be a huge help. Write one Official Letter.”
“An Official Letter? What kind of Official Letter?”
“An Official Letter asking the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult for permission—saying that Miss Hwayeong of Golden Flower Manor is seriously ill and came seeking treatment, and asking whether it’s alright to treat her.”
“You want me to lie—… Huh! Now that I look, your complexion really does look bad. Are you actually sick somewhere?”
Unable to answer the Poison Demon’s question, Hwayeong only gave an awkward smile.
Demon Flower stepped forward in her place.
“If you’re a physician and can’t even recognize an illness of the heart, what good are you!”
“An illness of the heart? What kind of heart ill—… Don’t tell me!”
As the Poison Demon’s eyes widened in realization, Demon Flower nodded.
“That’s right. Miss Hwayeong’s feelings for the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult run deep. So if this succeeds, Golden Flower Manor will all become….”
At that point, Demon Flower glanced back at Hwayeong and smiled sweetly.
Though she clearly understood the meaning, Hwayeong returned the smile.
If that was the only weapon she had, she was even prepared to cry and beg her father to hand it over.
Noticing Hwayeong’s resolve, Demon Flower turned back to the Poison Demon with an even brighter smile.
“You understand now, right?”
“It’s not exactly a lie, so I suppose I can send the Official Letter. But will it really work?”
“We don’t have the luxury of worrying about whether it’ll work or not right now. So stop talking and send it.”
Pressed by Demon Flower’s insistence, the Poison Demon eventually began writing the Official Letter.
---
Amid the Namgung Clan bustling with endless praise and support from the martial artists of the Hundred Paths, there was one person who was the only one writhing in agony.
Namgung Chang-yeon.
Unlike the Azure Dragon Sword King, who was frantically devoting himself to training despite being in a similar situation, Namgung Chang-yeon could not steady his mind and endured each day with alcohol.
He even felt disgust at himself for surviving at the cost of his younger sister.
Namgung Chang-yeon simply could not forgive himself.
Unable to watch any longer, the Azure Dragon Sword King came to see him.
“How long do you plan to stay like this? Are you truly planning to let your sister’s sacrifice become meaningless!”
“Great-Granduncle… I—I cannot endure even a moment without drinking. The fact that I’m breathing and living like this in exchange for my younger sister… it only makes me loathe myself.”
Namgung Chang-yeon’s tearful confession left the Azure Dragon Sword King unable to say anything further.
After all, he himself had survived the same way.
If Namgung Chang-yeon’s words were true, then he too was nothing but a cruel grandfather who had survived by sacrificing his grandniece.
“Haah….”
Letting out a deep sigh, the Azure Dragon Sword King hardened his resolve.
If he left things like this any longer, he feared he might never be able to raise Namgung Chang-yeon back up.
The Azure Dragon Sword King had promised Namgung Hee-yeon that he would teach Namgung Chang-yeon with all his strength.
He couldn’t leave him like this if he wanted to keep that promise.
Having made up his mind, the Azure Dragon Sword King glared fiercely and shouted,
“If it hurts that much, then go! Go and die gloriously! If you’re going to crumble like this and make your sister’s sacrifice meaningless!”
After saying that, the Azure Dragon Sword King turned sharply and left Namgung Chang-yeon’s residence.
Then he sent a Mental Voice Transmission to the nearby martial artists.
—Keep watch carefully. If he truly tries to leave the clan, inform me immediately.
After confirming the martial artists silently bowing their heads, the Azure Dragon Sword King headed toward the Training Grounds.
Raising Namgung Chang-yeon back up was important, but no matter what, he also had to push his own realm to complete maturity.
Because after experiencing it firsthand, he had realized painfully that without doing so, he wouldn’t even be able to surpass the Cult Leader—let alone the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
As the Azure Dragon Sword King trained like a madman after returning to the Training Grounds, the sun that had been high in the sky slowly tilted westward and began spilling red light.
He had spent half the day training without rest.
Even so, he could not bring himself to release the sword from his hand.
Just then, a Namgung Clan martial artist came running toward him in a hurry.
“Something terrible has happened!”
“What is it that you’re making such a fuss about?”
“Chang-yeon—Chang-yeon has disappeared.”
At that answer, the Azure Dragon Sword King vanished.
The Azure Dragon Sword King reappeared at Namgung Chang-yeon’s residence.
Inside, liquor bottles were scattered everywhere, but Namgung Chang-yeon himself—who should have been there—was nowhere to be seen.
“What happened?”
The martial artists pacing around the room answered the Azure Dragon Sword King’s furious question.
“I-it was too quiet, so we came inside to check… and he was already gone. We checked several exits, including the front gate and the rear gate, but no one saw him leave.”
“Then you’re saying Chang-yeon is still inside the clan?”
“It’s not certain, but we believe so.”
“Then what are you doing standing around for? Why aren’t you searching immediately?”
He feared Namgung Chang-yeon might have gone somewhere secluded to hang himself in despair.
But then—
“I ordered them not to.”
The one who appeared with a cold voice was the Clan Head.
“Clan Head! Why would you…!”
“There are too many eyes watching. If we cause a commotion searching for Chang-yeon, people will become curious about the reason. I cannot allow that.”
Privately, the Azure Dragon Sword King was technically the Clan Head’s uncle, but their actual ages were not that far apart.
This was because the Clan Head’s grandfather—the previous Clan Head’s predecessor—had fathered a youngest child late in life, and that child was the Azure Dragon Sword King.
Because of this awkward relationship, the two were not on good terms.
The Clan Head was uncomfortable having to respectfully call someone only a few years older than himself “uncle,” and the Azure Dragon Sword King was equally displeased with a nephew who constantly tried to treat him as an equal.
Their gazes tangled briefly before separating.
“Then I will search for him myself.”
Just as the Azure Dragon Sword King turned to leave, the Clan Head’s voice stopped him.
“That is also forbidden.”
The Azure Dragon Sword King whipped his head around, his eyes turning cold.
“Clan Head!”
“No matter how fiercely you call me, my decision will not change. Do you think I’m doing this because I want to?”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“The Namgung Clan has encountered a golden opportunity to rise as the Number One Power of the Hundred Paths. I cannot allow anything that might obstruct it.”
“But Chang-yeon—”
Before the Azure Dragon Sword King could finish, the Clan Head cut him off with a firm voice.
“The eyes of the world are upon us. This is a time when even the smallest action will be exposed. If Chang-yeon’s wandering becomes known now, people will wonder why. Will you tell them the truth?”
“Th-that…”
“I do not wish to lie either. It is true that we did not negotiate or make a deal with the Bright Cult. But it is also true that Hee-yeon made the deal herself. Do you intend to reveal that and snatch away the clan’s opportunity that lies right before us?”
“……”
At the Clan Head’s words, the Azure Dragon Sword King could say nothing.
The Clan Head drove the final nail in.
“Let me be clear. I will not tolerate any attempt to obstruct this opportunity. Even if it comes from my uncle.”
The Azure Dragon Sword King could not bring himself to reject the Clan Head’s resolute declaration.
It wasn’t because he feared the warning.
It was because he worried about the chaos that would erupt within the clan if he openly defied the Clan Head’s order.
No matter how strained his relationship with the Clan Head was, he was still a member of the Namgung Clan.
He had no intention of ruining the clan’s chance to rise as the Number One Power of the Hundred Paths.
In the end, the Azure Dragon Sword King could only grit his teeth at his own helplessness.
As the Clan Head stared at him quietly and then turned away, a Mental Voice Transmission from the Lord of the Secret Intelligence Inspection Corps reached him.
—Around the time the sun began setting, there were workers who witnessed Chang-yeon leaving through the left rear gate mainly used by servants.
—Have their mouths been sealed?
—No one will be able to speak.
—One should never be so certain about anything.
—In this case, certainty is appropriate. The dead do not speak.
At that reply, a faint smile briefly crossed the Clan Head’s lips.
—Good work.
After the Clan Head’s transmission ended, no further reports came.
---
After receiving the Official Letter from the Poison Demon, Yul Han fell into conflict.
Because the intention behind the letter was painfully obvious.
Yet ignoring it was also awkward, considering both his relationship with Golden Flower Manor and his personal connection with Hwayeong.
As Yul Han hesitated, the Cult Leader asked,
“Which one attracts you more?”
“Well, I…”
When Yul Han answered absentmindedly, the Cult Leader smiled meaningfully.
“So there is someone who attracts you.”
Only then realizing what he had just said, Yul Han jumped in shock.
“That’s not it!”
“That’d be even stranger if it weren’t. If a perfectly normal man sees girls running at him saying they like him and feels nothing, that would mean he has a serious problem.”
“They’re not running at me because they like me. It’s for their families.”
“Oh? So that means you’re more drawn to your sister-in-law.”
“Senior Brother! Could you please stop calling her sister-in-law?”
“Nope.”
The Cult Leader said that with a completely serious face.
Staring at him blankly, Yul Han suddenly let out a laugh.
“What’s with you, seriously? Are you trying to marry me off?”
“I might. Ever since I started thinking about seeing a nephew, my heart’s been in a hurry.”
“So it’s not about my marriage—you just want to see a nephew.”
“Of course!”
That’s what he said, but it wasn’t entirely true.
More than anything, he wanted to see his junior brother forget the pain from fifteen years ago and live happily with a beautiful woman.
Of course, wanting to see a nephew was also sincere.
Perhaps because of that, time—which had once felt like it flew too quickly while he trained every day—now moved unbearably slowly.
Time needed to pass quickly for his junior brother to marry and have children.
Waiting for that was unbearably boring for the Cult Leader.
That was why he asked another unnecessary question.
“You don’t happen to have a child hidden somewhere, do you? If you do, tell me. This senior brother will—”
“Senior Brother!”
“Ah, alright. Don’t glare at me like that. My weak heart might stop.”
The Cult Leader clutched his chest and pretended to collapse in an unconvincing act.
Seeing that ridiculous performance, Yul Han sighed.
“Haah….”
“Yeah, just give up. And hurry up and go. Who is it? If picking just one is too hard, how about both? If you’ve got the ability, what’s wrong with three wives and four concubines?”
Thinking that listening further would only give him a headache, Yul Han shook his head and left the Cult Leader’s residence.
Behind him, the Cult Leader shouted,
“Hey! There’s still training time left. It’s nowhere near noon ye—… Oh! Are you going to see your sister-in-law?”
Yul Han turned his head and shot him a glare.
But when he saw the Cult Leader raising both hands and chanting, “Nephew! Nephew!” he shook his head again and continued walking.
However, the direction he was heading really was toward the Pavilion Residence where Namgung Hee-yeon was staying.