Chapter 179 : Su-in, Emerges

Chapter 179: Su-in, Emerges

The young man was Yeo Su-in, Yao Hong’s disciple. He had gone into closed-door cultivation for three years to master martial arts, and today he finally stepped outside.

Yao Hong greeted him with a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha, you come?”

From his markedly different attitude, it was clear that Yao Hong’s trust in Yeo Su-in ran very deep.

“You look even more vigorous, Master.”

He was the only person in the Asura Demon Sect who did not address Yao Hong with the title of Cult Leader.

Originally Yao Hong had nine disciples. Over the past ten years all of them died, and only Yeo Su-in survived.

The others died for different reasons. Some died of illness, some by accident. Some died from Qi deviation, and one took his own life. None of them were officially recorded as murdered.

Yet every Demonic Human understood the truth. Either they killed one another, or one among them killed all the rest.

The final survivor was the seventh disciple, Yeo Su-in.

The idea that he might have killed all his senior brothers was chilling, yet his face was young and handsome. He was also famed for being bright and quick, and his talent in martial arts was extraordinary.

After all the disciples died and only one remained, Yao Hong passed on his exclusive art, the Northern Sea Divine Art, to him.

Yeo Su-in reached the seventh rank in a mere five years in a technique known for its difficulty. It proved that he was a prodigy in martial arts.

Because of that, the late Elder Demon Lord and the Great Demon disliked him. Both coveted the position of the next Cult Leader, and Yeo Su-in was their strongest rival.

He had then sealed himself away for three years of cultivation, and now, at last, he emerged.

Light sparked in Yao Hong’s eyes as he looked at him.

“You achieved results I see!”

Yeo Su-in smiled as he replied.

“I gained a small insight”

He had passed the seventh rank, the hardest barrier in the Northern Sea Divine Art, and reached the realm of the eighth rank.

He was only twenty-nine. Reaching the eighth star of the Northern Sea Divine Art at such a young age was close to a miracle.

“Hahahaha.”

Yao Hong laughed in delight. The Great Demon’s face, in contrast, grew even harder.

Looking at Mountain, who was still knelt on the floor, Yeo Su-in spoke.

“I hear the Black Way Alliance finally produced someone proper.”

It seemed he had already been briefed on the events surrounding Lee Jaseung.

The Great Demon answered in his stead.

“A little brat named Lee Jaseung is making a fuss.”

“Since his name goes around even in the Cult Leader contest, he must not be a little brat.”

Displeasure flickered over the Great Demon’s face. The tone was polite, yet it felt like nitpicking, and his reply came out sharp.

“So you did not come to greet the Cult Leader the moment you emerged.”

He found fault with the fact that, after emerging, Yeo Su-in checked the inner situation before paying respects, when formal etiquette demanded an immediate visit.

Yeo Su-in smiled with easy composure and said:

“Right now a disciple who can respond quickly is more necessary than one who is simply polite. It seems no one in the sect can handle what needs to be done.”

If the Cult Leader had been properly assisted, there would have been no need for this, a remark that dug painfully at the Great Demon.

He bristled at the words, yet could not argue. Given the current state of affairs, it was hard to dodge charges of incompetence.

Yeo Su-in looked at Yao Hong and spoke.

“If the opponent is young, we should also send someone young, yes? Please entrust this matter to me.”

The Great Demon spoke quickly.

“No. He is the one who killed the Vice Cult Leader and even the Four Demon Lords. He is too much for Su-in to face.”

That was not his real reason. If Yeo Su-in resolved this matter successfully, his merit would grow, and he would draw a step closer to becoming the next Cult Leader.

“Did you not just call him a little brat yourself?”

“That’s!”

“So the Vice Cult Leader died to a brat, and the man you plan to take revenge on is someone great enough to have killed the Vice Cult Leader?”

The Great Demon’s face flushed red.

The words were open mockery, but they were not false, and Yeo Su-in spoke so calmly that taking offense would only look petty.

The Great Demon realized that pushing further would only harm him. He had always found Yeo Su-in a thorn in his eye, and three years had only made the thorn larger and sharper.

“If I was rude, I apologize.”

When Yeo Su-in apologized with courtesy, the Great Demon could not vent his anger. Losing his temper now would only make him look small.

It felt as if their ages had reversed, with Yeo Su-in managing the Great Demon. Partly this showed Yeo Su-in’s uncommon ability, and partly it was because the Great Demon was a typical Demonic Human who revered force rather than thought.

The Great Demon looked up at Yao Hong with a face that asked whether this was really acceptable.

Yao Hong, who wore an unreadable smile, spoke.

“Good. I will entrust this entirely to you.”

“Thank you.”

Yeo Su-in bowed his head to show respect.

The Great Demon did not dare to oppose Yao Hong’s decision. He only let out a small sigh to hint at his displeasure.

Yeo Su-in spoke to Mountain, who was kneeling.

“Stand up.”

At his words, Mountain rose.

“The opponent soars through the sky. Kneeling on the floor will not do.”

That single line carried many meanings.

Mountain sensed that Yeo Su-in intended to join hands with him against Lee Jaseung. Feeling that he had found someone he could truly talk to, Mountain saw a strand of hope in Yeo Su-in.

‘This one is no ordinary man.’

He felt he could not only leave alive, but might even have a chance against Lee Jaseung.

At the same time, a sense of danger rose.

‘One more formidable enemy has appeared.’

Yeo Su-in looked up at Yao Hong and spoke.

“I will withdraw for now. I should finally have a bath and get a whiff of perfume.”

* * *

“We installed Elder Pung as the new Leader of the main Alliance.”

The Elder Pung that Dan Woobin mentioned was Pung Haryang, one of the Elders of the Black Way Alliance.

His loyalty to Lee Jaseung was very deep, which made him suitable to hold the seat for a while.

“He will govern well for the time being.”

“Any unrest inside?”

“The Divine Sword Regiment and the Iron Cavalry Regiment are firmly under the two Captains. As of now, all Captains and above know the Lord is alive. The Berserk Dragon Army is firmly in Gyobeom’s hands, so there is nothing to worry about.”

Because the Berserk Dragon Army had been formed by merging the Berserk Starving Ghouls and Red Dragon Army as an external arm, the commander’s control mattered. Since Gyobeom had led the important internal unit, the Night’s Moon, he had successfully seized the Berserk Dragon Army as well.

“The problem is the ordinary warriors of the Alliance, starting with the main division. In particular, there was major unrest among the young, but Elder Pung soothed them well.”

Lee Jaseung nodded. In this world, if you gained something, you lost something. Even so, this was excellent handling.

He would announce his return later with splendor. If the grand design failed, he would be dead to them anyway, so it hardly mattered.

“Also, a spy we placed inside the Demonic Cult sent word.”

“What is it?”

“The Cult Leader’s heir, Yeo Su-in, finished his closed-door cultivation and came out.”

Yeo Su-in. Of course Lee Jaseung knew the name.

“Will he be a variable?”

“I cannot say for certain, but he is the only survivor among the nine disciples. There were even rumors from time to time that he would be the next Cult Leader. At the very least, we should keep a close eye on him. I will report any new information related to him. Then I will take my leave.”

As Dan Woobin turned to go, Lee Jaseung called to him.

“Woobin.”

“Yes.”

“Do you not want to see Lady Song?”

She was at the main branch of the Black Way Alliance. He felt sorry for forcing the two to part. The deeper his feelings for Baek Seolyoung grew, the more his guilt deepened.

Dan Woobin smiled faintly and replied.

“I believe that a period of longing will also help our relationship from here on.”

* * *

“Hap! Hyap!”

Shouts of focus echoed through the training hall.

The warriors of the Virtuous Heroes were training, and Mujin stood to one side, watching them.

“I never thought there would be a day when I train Orthodox guys.”

At that moment, a voice came from behind.

“That is why life is interesting.”

“Whoa!”

Mujin made an exaggerated show of surprise. Only one person could approach this close without a sound.

“You have really gotten a taste for scaring people I see.”

Lee Jaseung smiled and spoke.

“It is only fun if the person is at least on your level.”

“That is a compliment, right?”

“Of course.”

They looked at each other and laughed.

Lee Jaseung turned his eyes toward the training hall, and naturally Mujin’s gaze followed.

After watching the Virtuous Heroes train for a moment, Lee Jaseung spoke.

“They are very different from our guys, right?”

“Their temperament is completely different.”

“How are they?”

“Our guys take after you, my Lord. Rough and unrestrained.”

“So you mean nasty and vicious.”

“Hehehe. Our guys are quicker on the uptake too. Anyway, these guys are so kind it is frustrating. Of course a few of them are crooked. The ones who do not adapt well, the stones that stick out.”

Mujin’s eyes were deep as he watched them.

Lee Jaseung had entrusted the Virtuous Heroes to Mujin because he believed Mujin understood them best.

Like Dan Woobin, Mujin belonged to the bright side. He sometimes called his past self trash, yet he was a bright person.

Even though some on the Black Way side were stronger, Lee Jaseung centered things on people like them with the future in mind. To unite the Orthodox Faction, someone with a bright nature had to be there.

He would repay the debt for dragging bright people into darkness. That day would come.

After the grand design succeeded, he would need Mujin’s strength in a big way. His brightness would be a great help in unifying the world under one banner.

“I trust you.”

At Lee Jaseung’s words, Mujin turned his head. After studying Lee Jaseung’s profile for a moment, he blurted out a question.

“You have something for me to do, right?”

“How did you know?”

“My god! I was right.”

Lee Jaseung smiled at Mujin’s incredulous look.

“Things are getting complicated, but this must be done.”

His gaze shifted to the warriors in the training hall.

“At the very least, for now, we are walking the path of the Orthodox Faction.”