Light Novel World
Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon
Chapter 164 – Secret (2)
Translated by : moonchildkhz
***
The battle against the Sichuan Murim Union ended with a Demonic Cult victory.
Although the Cult of the Heavenly Demon had prevailed, the result was also because the Qingcheng Sect had collapsed, followed by the fall of the Sichuan Tang Clan, which led the morale of the Sichuan Murim Union to fall significantly.
Additionally, the Sichuan Tang Clan had poisoned both enemies and allies alike.
Of course, winning did not mean the Cult did not suffer damage at all.
It was an all-out war, full of brawling and carnage.
There would always be damage.
That was why they stopped marching for a few days in order to recuperate.
In the course of those few days, there was a visitor to the main camp.
“Cheon Ah-young, Captain of the White Ape Unit and Divine Maiden, greets the Leader.”
She had come to Woon-seong’s tent, bowing as she entered.
It used to be between the Young Leader and the Leader’s daughter, but now it was a meeting between the Leader and the Divine Maiden.
Formalities were more necessary.
Woon-seong nodded his head.
With his permission, Cheon Ah-young raised her head.
She zeroed in on Woon-seong’s shoulders.
News about the wounded shoulder had spread throughout the camp.
However, she was even more worried when she saw that he was actually wrapped in bandages.
Maybe it was because he could feel Cheon Ah-young’s gaze, but Woon-seong opened his collar and showed his shoulder.
Cheon Ah-young asked aloud, “Are you all right?”
A little uncomfortable, Woon-seon nodded. “It is not a large wound.”
As he said, the wound was not very large. Scarring or tissue trauma wasn’t a big deal because he was a Semi-Divine Being.
The wound, which might have taken months of healing for others, would be healed within a few days.
The problem was the poison residing in his body.
There’s no solution for that yet.
On the day Woon-seong had been poisoned, Senior Strategist Sang Gwan-chuk had kowtowed until his forehead was torn and bleeding.
It was because Sang Gwan-chuk still had not developed an antidote.
At his actions, Woon-seong helped the man up and sent him away.
There is obviously no way to cure it quickly.
Even though he knew that, Woon-seong was bitter.
First of all, Woon-seong did not intend to stop walking upon this path of vengeance.
If he did not have much life left, he would wipe out his enemies, even at the cost of burning out his life.
I have no idea what they were thinking when they poisoned me, but they have only set fire to my march.
Wooduk-
Woon-seong grip on the armrests tightened, leaving finger marks engraved into the chair.
Seeing his appearance, Cheon Ah-young let out a tearful noise. “Ah…….”
Woon-seong woke up from thought and said, “You succeeded.”
“It was not difficult compared to Sichuan, as there were not many of them.”
Woon-seong nodded.
She wasn’t wrong.
However,
“Success is still success.”
Woon-seong waved a hand.
That was the signal.
A guard, who had been waiting on one side, approached Cheon Ah-young.
He held something in his hands.
A large wooden box.
Accepting the box, Cheon Ah-young tilted her head in confusion.
It was because compared to its size, the box wasn’t very heavy.
Seeing Cheon Ah-young tilt her head, Woon-seong nodded.
It was unspoken permission for her to open the box.
With permission given, Cheon Ah-young clicked the lid open.
At that moment, her eyes widened.
“This, this…”
What was in the box was a man’s head preserved in salt.
It was an ugly sight for a woman.
However, Cheon Ah-young wasn’t surprised because it was gruesome.
As a demonic practitioner, she had seen similar things.
What surprised her was the identity of the man.
While Cheon Ah-young was still surprised by the severed head, Woon-seong said: “Now, I have brought vengeance to one enemy.”
The severed head belonged to the Demonic Emperor of Oblivion, Hwan Dok.
Woon-seong had cut off the man’s head and presented it to Cheon Ah-young.
After all, the man had been directly involved in the death of the ‘Moon Cleaving Heavenly Demon’ Cheon Hwi, leader of the Cult and Cheon Ah-young’s father.
The one who had personally suffered and seen the man during the battle in front of the Divine Maiden’s Palace.
That was why Woon-seong had cut the man’s head off.
That was why he presented it to Cheon Ah-young.
And how did she react?
Cheon Ah-young dropped the box, kneeling on the floor and bursting into tears.
Because she remembered her father’s death, she knelt before the severed head and silently cried.
Seeing Cheon Ah-young like this, Woon-seong took off his cloak and covered her with it. That way, even the smallest tears would be hidden…
After some time, Cheon Ah-young wiped away her tears.
Her eyes had turned red and puffy from crying.
“I apologize for showing you such a sorry state.”
Woon-seong shook his head.
Perhaps he would be the same as Cheon Ah-young after he achieved his revenge.
If I’m still alive.
That was why he understood her emotions.
“It’s alright.”
At his words, Cheon Ah-young chuckled softly.
“I am going to send the head to the Heavenly Mountains and place it as an offering to Master’s shrine.”
“My father will be pleased.”
Woon-seong thought so too.
“But this revenge is not over yet.”
“……”
“The forces that commanded him to poison Master. We still need to find out who is behind him and burn them to the ground, to offer up all of their heads. Until then, this revenge is not over.”
Cheon Ah-young nodded to his words with a resolute expression. She then nagged about his health for a bit, internally scolding herself.
Never forget until the moment revenge is over.
***
Following the reorganization of the army, they continued to march.
The Western Army decided to go back to Ninghai and join later.
They marched by day and set up camp to rest at night.
Meanwhile, there was a gaze hiding in the dark watching the Demonic Camp.
No, the person was completely assimilated with the darkness, watching the Demonic Army in secret.
Since the man’s skin was dark, he easily assimilated with the shadows.
It was an assassin.
More accurately, a messenger sent by Eastern Depot Chief Jo Woo-sang.
The man studied the camp for a long time, then pulled out an arrow.
After tying the letter sent by Jo Woo-sang to the end of the arrow, he yanked the bowstring back.
A tremendous amount of spiritual power poured out from the man’s body.
The string strained, looking like it was about to snap.
Right after that!
Fiwheeying-!
An arrow splits the darkness like a shot.
Pak-!
Not too long later, there was the sound of an arrow hitting something.
Confirming that it had hit a tent, the man slid back into the night.
The last thing he saw of the camp was a commotion.
Pak-!
Despite having hidden himself, the man was soon caught by Gwan Tae-ryang.
Once the chaos had started, Sang Gwan-chuk had commanded the Charred Dragon Unit to search for suspicious people.
Thus, the bowman was quickly dragged into the camp by Gwan Tae-ryang and forced to kneel before Woon-seong.
Woon-seong stared down at the man, whose name was Oh Neung, wearing his Black Dragon Robe and chin resting in his hand.
In his hand was the letter that Oh Neung had sent tied around the arrow.
You saw it. The man swallowed.
The mission was a success.
Oh Neung’s gaze lifted and met with Woon-seong’s.
At that moment, the man felt a wall of energy. Goosebumps rose on his arms and cold sweat dripped down his neck.
How can a human’s eyes be so deep and radiant….
Is this what it meant to be able to overwhelm people with your gaze alone?
It was truly terrifying.
Working with the Eastern Depot, Oh Neung had met many leaders in the empire, but not a single one of them had this kind of gaze.
While Oh Neung faced Woon-seong and began to sweat, Woon-seong was also looking at him.
“A foreigner…”
Woon-seong tossed the letter in his hands at the man.
The letter fluttered to the ground in front of Oh Neung.
“Did you send this letter to me?”
The one to answer was Gwan Tae-ryang.
“When I found the man, he had a bow and extra arrows on him. Considering they are the same as the one from the barracks, it should have been this man.”
The man did not deny it.
“That is the arrow I shot.”
“Are you the one who wrote this letter?”
Oh Neung shook his head at Woon-seong’s question. “It was my master.”
“Your master…”
Woon-seong’s gaze left the man and turned back to the letter.
Its contents were not complicated.
Instead, it was a simple cautionary note.
It warned that in a few days, an assassin would attack Woon-seong’s tent.
If it was true, it was something to be aware of.
But what if it was not true?
What if someone had created this situation on purpose?
Woon-seong was now poisoned, so he couldn’t believe anything easily.
“Who is your master?”
The man did not answer. He pressed his lips together, as if saying he would never answer.
Woon-seong smiled. “Are you not going to tell me?”
“I have been instructed by my master to not reveal his identity.”
Woon-seong rose from his seat. It was just a matter of simple torture and he would be able to make the man spill.
Moreover, Woon-seong knew a technique more effective than any other.
Even if the man’s skin was dark, the location of his blood vessels, muscle, and bones would still be the same as any other man.
“I don’t know if you can say that after you’ve endured the ‘Crushed Bones and Squeezed Muscles’.”
Woon-seong pointed one finger at Oh Neung with a cold expression.
Before anything could happen, an urgent cry came from the man’s mouth: “Quanzhen!”
Woon-seong’s expression hardened. The same was true of Gwan Tae-ryang, who was watching on.
The only ones who knew that Woon-seong had allied with the Quanzhen Sect were the executives of the Demonic Cult. But now the man in front of them had said ‘Quanzhen’.
Coincidence?
Nope.
There could be no coincidence in Kangho.
Obviously.
Woon-seong looked down at the man.
Under his gaze, Oh Neung trembled and remembered his master’s words.
— “If the Cult Leader asks about me because you have been captured, mention the Quanzhen.“
His master had foreseen this situation. Oh Neung then calmly recalled the next words.
— Then…
The man nervously wet his lips.
“Cult Leader, please give me some time.”