NOVEL NEXT Chapter 214
Chapter 214: I’ll Raise You
Right after my conversation with Jeonyeong.
I opened the door of Hyeoncheon Palace.
“Master!”
Outside the door was her.
Yujinhwi.
My junior sister.
Wearing women’s attire, she rushed over and grabbed my hands as soon as our eyes met.
“Master, did your private meeting with the head go well?”
Seeing my junior sister smiling innocently made my heart ache.
Why do I have to shoulder the burden of the head’s disciple?
There are benefits, but it wasn’t the direction I originally wanted.
However, seeing my junior sister smile like that melted my heart a bit.
“Yes, it went well. I also received the position of head disciple.”
Head disciple.
Mentioning that made my junior sister’s face darken slightly.
She hugged me tightly.
“I’m sorry, Master. I passed my burden onto you…”
Her voice echoed in my ears. I patted her head and said.
“It’s alright.”
Still, it seemed she had some guilt, so that’s a relief.
It’s already spilled water, so it doesn’t matter. Now that I’m nominally appointed as the head of the Gongdong Sect, I’ll maximize the benefits of being in that position.
Moreover, I’ll become a significant player who can manipulate the Orthodox Faction Martial World.
With that level of power, I should be able to enjoy the perks of Samcheosacheop, right?
There might be a slight change in plans, but it’s still a perfect life plan.
My heroically flamboyant decade-long plan has yet to crumble.
Hehehe.
I chuckled inwardly.
*
In my arms, Yujinhwi was crying.
Crying and laughing.
‘I’m so glad the Master became the head disciple.’
The Master had dedicated himself to the restoration of the sect. Not only did he win the Yongbong Society tournament, but he also triumphed in a martial arts contest against the top martial artists of the Demon Sect, shining a light on the sect’s name.
But the Master always attributed his achievements to her.
Because she was the head disciple, the best martial artist of the sect. The Master always took a step back into the shadows.
He didn’t want to stand out. The only one who knew his hard work while struggling in the dark was her.
‘That shouldn’t be.’
That must not happen. The Nine Provinces and Eight Monarchs needed to understand the Master’s true worth. Yujinhwi relinquished her position as head disciple to him for that very reason.
If the Master became the head disciple and, moreover, the head of the Gongdong Sect,
The world would no longer be able to ignore him. The leader of a faction, especially the head of a prestigious sect like the Gongdong Sect, was not a position that could be looked down upon.
Traditionally, a wife needs to support her husband.
In addition, even Yujinhwi herself thought that the Master was more suitable for being the head of the Gongdong Sect than she was.
So she immediately agreed to Jeonyeong’s words.
It should be the Master, not her, who becomes the head of the Gongdong Sect.
Of course, the position of head disciple is not all good. With power came responsibility. So she felt sorry for making him carry her burden.
‘Master, my Master. From now on, I will support you. As the head of our sect, I will raise you.’
Embraced in Lee Cheol-soo’s arms, Yujinhwi smiled.
Her eyes sank heavily.
*
In a dark cave.
Bubble bubble.
In the Blood Pond, formed from the essence of the blood and elixirs from various men and women, bubbles rose up.
“Blood Demon Rebirth! Blood Sect’s World! Long live, long live, long live! We greet the Blood Supreme!”
In a tomb chamber filled with darkness, a gaunt, middle-aged man reminiscent of a gnarled tree prostrated himself.
The Master of Hyeongyeong, who played a part in guarding the Blood Sect, was Gangsimajon.
As Gangsimajon bowed, a black shadow loomed over the surface of the Blood Pond, and soon a handsome man with long black hair emerged, his red eyes sparkling.
It was the Blood Demon.
The Blood Demon’s gaze turned toward Gangsimajon.
“I apologize for the inconvenience, but the plan has failed. Hyullumajon is dead, and the fanatics and troops sent into the Demon Sect have all been annihilated.”
Gangsimajon trembled.
A crushing defeat.
Indeed, it was an irrefutable defeat.
Two Great Masters and five fanatics were sent to conquer the Demon Sect. But they lost.
“I didn’t anticipate that Yeomwang Jeoksawol, that old hag, would disguise herself as a late-stage expert and infiltrate the Demon Sect.”
And the cause of that defeat was Yeomwang Jeoksawol.
It was her.
I never dreamed she would be lurking in the very center of the Demon Sect disguised as a late-stage expert decades her junior.
That was a blow. Gangsimajon thought.
“It was an unforgivable mistake. My lord, please forgive me with leniency!”
Gangsimajon prostrated himself.
The Blood Demon’s gaze stared at Gangsimajon.
Before Gangsimajon could report, the Blood Demon already knew of the catastrophic failure of the operation.
The Blood Demon was connected to all the sect’s members and could sense their deaths. Recognizing the casualties wasn’t difficult.
The report now was merely a formality.
Though he had lived for over a thousand years, such a tremendous defeat was rare.
The Blood Demon remained silent.
Visions of the future he had seen with prophetic powers swirled in his mind.
Originally, he should have successfully destroyed the Honwon Bidong.
Had he destroyed the Honwon Bidong, then the Diagram of Primordial Harmony, which had struck his soul directly, would have been buried in darkness forever. Thus, no matter how long it took, he would ultimately win.
But the destruction of Honwon Bidong had failed, and a successor who could inherit the Diagram of Primordial Harmony appeared.
Punishing them also failed.
The grip on the Orthodox Faction fell apart with the Cheongdam Meeting being uprooted from the start, and the same went for the Demon Sect.
All plans had failed. He could no longer read the celestial signs.
‘The future has entered a new phase. Someone is twisting the fate of the world.’
The Blood Demon clenched his fist.
Fate.
The flow of the celestial signs.
Having risen to the realm of Life and Death after living countless ages, the goal of the Blood Demon was to ascend and seize the will of the heavens.
To do that, he needed to conquer the world and make everyone loyal to the Blood Sect, offering their hearts to the Blood Demon.
Currently, the Blood Demon did not possess the heavens. However, he could glimpse the flow of fate.
Yet suddenly, he could no longer read the celestial signs. The flow of fate was hidden from view.
There was only one meaning behind this.
Someone was twisting the fate of the world. They were disrupting the celestial signs.
Clouded celestial signs bred uncertainty about the future, while uncertain futures became impossible to predict through divination.
A chaotic era arrived, where all possibilities intertwined, rendering any semblance of fate meaningless.
‘Who could it be? Is there someone born with the power to defy the heavens other than me?’
It was an impossible situation. Until now, there had never been a time when the celestial signs could not be seen. There was only one possibility.
The mere existence that disrupted the flow of celestial signs, the existence endowed with the power to defy the heavens, apart from the Blood Demon himself.
That was it.
The clash of the power of defiance generated a twisted fate and created a chaotic future.
The Blood Demon closed his eyes. He could not ascertain who the being of defiance was. But he had a plan for situations like this. His mind settled.
Three thousand years.
That was the span of time he had lived. The Blood Demon, who had lived for three thousand years, was extremely patient. He had overcome even greater adversities than this.
This was nothing significant.
The Blood Demon spoke.
“Gangsimajon.”
His voice echoed in the cave. A sinister blood light glimmered in the Blood Demon’s eyes. The Qi he emitted filled the cave.
“Did you call, my lord?”
“The celestial signs can no longer be read. The flow of fate has become clouded. So I will abandon the grand plan and commence the contingency plan.”
Upon hearing the words ‘contingency plan’, Gangsimajon’s eyes widened in shock.
His body trembled slightly.
The contingency plan.
Even Gangsimajon, a dignitary of the Blood Sect, knew of its existence.
It was the second plan executed only after failing to destroy the Honwon Bidong, failing to read the celestial signs, and failing to conquer the Central Plains.
“While the grand plan transitions to the contingency plan, you shall go to the Mosan Sect. Go there and draw their attention.”
Upon hearing the Blood Demon’s order, Gangsimajon felt his cheeks twitch.
The Mosan Sect.
If he headed there, the probability of not returning was high.
However, bound by his loyalty to the Blood Sect and the Blood Demon, Gangsimajon could not disobey the command.
Thud.
He bowed his head and replied.
“Honorable name!”
Hearing Gangsimajon’s voice, the Blood Demon submerged himself back into the blood-filled pool of the Blood Pond.
Bubble bubble.
With bubbles rising, the Blood Demon’s physical form sank into the bloody water.
It was the Summoning Ceremony.
After seeing that, Gangsimajon stood up and exited the cave.
Before Gangsimajon’s eyes lay a rugged mountain range and vast plains.
This place was Liaodong.
A buffer zone between Joseon and the Central Plains, a battleground where numerous Jurchen tribes fought for survival.
Behind Gangsimajon, a cave in a cliff and a snow-capped mountain peak, known as the sacred mountain was visible.
The name of the sacred mountain was Baekdusan.
Also referred to as Changbai Mountain by the Jurchen, it was the boundary between Joseon and Liaodong and was now the abode of the Blood Demon.
*
Two years passed since the Demon Sect path began.
And finally, I turned nineteen.
In Korean terms, I was in my senior year of high school, reaching the time to take the college entrance exam.
One year.
In just one more year, I would finally become of legal age.
During these two years, I stayed in the Gongdong Sect and, with the authority of the head disciple, handled many matters.
First of all, the sect decided not to open its doors just yet.
The current Gongdong Sect, boasting one Master of Hyeongyeong and one Master of Hwakyung, could be deemed sufficiently restored. However, with the Blood Demon keeping a close watch, increasing the number of disciples would be meaningless.
They would all become sacrifices to the Blood Sect. Moreover, it wasn’t impossible for spies from the Blood Sect to penetrate the Gongdong Sect.
Therefore, opening the doors and accepting disciples could wait until after the Blood Sect was eradicated.
And the second piece of good news was.
“This time, in Beijing, the Third Princess has officially been appointed as Crown Princess. Gaga.”
According to the information relayed to me by Neungwolhyang, or rather, Yeomwang Jeoksawol, the Emperor had finally elevated her to the position of Crown Princess.
It took a little longer than expected, but it was a natural progression.
Since the throne originally belonged to the Emperor.
The Emperor, now acting as Crown Princess, had been entrusted with powers from the Emperor and began proxy governing.
Though it was termed ‘proxy governing,’ in reality, it was almost equivalent to having completely seized control after imprisoning the current Emperor.
The very first secret order sent by the newly crowned Emperor was…
“Attention, Martial Department of the Gongdong Sect! Crown Princess is summoning you privately, so swiftly head to Beijing and heed her orders!”
Through Dongchang’s secret order, my junior sister, not me, was summoned to Beijing.
I wondered why it had to be my junior sister but thought there must be some underlying reason.
I trust the Emperor.
If there’s someone I 100% trust in this world, it can only be the Emperor.
With that thought, I sent my junior sister off to Beijing.
Lastly, I had been researching and trying to lift the Restriction of Sosumahu for the past two years, but it showed little sign of breaking.
Even Sinseung had expressed his perplexity.
Of course, the restrictions had eased a bit, but they were far from being fully lifted.
Still, if Sosumahu recovered, it meant one more Master of Hyeongyeong would join our side. Thus, I had to ensure her curse was ultimately dispelled. Just when I was pondering this.
“Gaga, I have intelligence.”
Neungwolhyang spoke to me.
“Do you know Mosan Sect? They say there’s a secret method to completely lift the Restriction of Sosumahu there.”
The moment I heard Neungwolhyang’s words,
I made my decision.
I would take Sosumahu to the Mosan Sect.
Looks like I’m about to step out of the Gongdong Sect again after a long time.