novelraw Chapter 422 : Demonic Master’s Ingenious Scheme (1)
Chapter 422 : Demonic Master’s Ingenious Scheme (1)
Chapter 422: Demonic Master’s Ingenious Scheme (1)
‘She’s cultivating her qi without a single protector.’
It was fortunate that the patrol guards outside were keeping watch, but in this sort of case, it was customary for someone proficient in martial arts to stand guard.
‘No matter how hard she trains on her own, she doesn’t have a proper master, so it’s no wonder she hasn’t progressed much.’
Her passion for martial arts was great, but with her father’s opposition, learning in secret like this had its limits.
It seemed she’d learned a bit from officials who knew some martial arts, but their skills were barely second-rate and thus of little help.
Even the breathing technique Mae Yeongyeong was currently practicing was a simple To-Nap Method one could pick up on the street.
No matter how long she cultivated qi using such a method, the amount that would accumulate in the dantian would be minimal.
‘I understand now why she wasn’t exceptional in martial arts in her past life. That must be why she devoted herself to formations and medicine instead.’
Tap.
Yong Hwarin deliberately made a sound as he landed on the floor. Startled by the sudden noise, Mae Yeongyeong calmed her breathing and opened her eyes.
She was so shocked to see the man standing before her that she nearly screamed but stopped herself—the man’s face was too familiar. She instinctively covered her mouth to stifle her cry.
“Eep!”
He was the last person she expected to see.
“Lord!”
Without thinking, Mae Yeongyeong called Yong Hwarin by the same title she had used back at the Jinyang Inn.
“Oh—I'm sorry.”
Yong Hwarin smiled gently.
“Lady Mae, have you been well? Please forgive me for coming unannounced like this.”
At those words, Mae Yeongyeong replied.
“I know martial artists don’t follow strict formalities, so it’s fine. Besides, if Master Yong has come all the way to see me, I’m sure there's a reason.”
Her mindset alone was worthy of a martial artist who had roamed the jianghu.
“Do you have a way to contact Lady Cho?”
Mae Yeongyeong nodded.
“Yes, each warrior of the Muhwa Unit carries a messenger pigeon. All of those pigeons are trained to return to Strategist Cho. But why do you ask?”
“I need the power of the Muhwa Unit this time. I want to ask for their help.”
“Oh, I was actually worried too. I heard the Heavenly Central Sect is starting a war. Should I help as well?”
Yong Hwarin smiled at Mae Yeongyeong, who widened her eyes in concern.
She was still as lovely as ever.
“Then, could you send the letter?”
“Of course. The Muhwa Unit would always welcome a request from Master Yong. In fact, some even believe you’re part of the unit. Some even call you the Unit Leader.”
Because of the events at Jinyang Inn, many within the Muhwa Unit had come to think of Yong Hwarin as their leader.
“May I trouble you for a brush and ink?”
Mae Yeongyeong brought the writing tools she usually used and personally ground the ink.
As she ground it herself—something usually done for her—she noticed she was enjoying it and chuckled quietly.
She would sometimes imagine Yong Hwarin showing up out of the blue and completing some mission together.
After returning from Jinyang Inn, such daydreams had only intensified.
Now that she was facing a scene so close to her imagination, excitement welled up inside her.
Yong Hwarin wrote a letter requesting assistance to Chouhui and handed it to Mae Yeongyeong.
She retrieved a messenger pigeon from the aviary in the rear garden and tied the letter to its leg.
Flutter!
The pigeon soared into the sky.
“The letter should reach Lady Cho within a day. She’ll surely send a reply.”
“A day, huh... I can’t just sit around waiting.”
Murmuring to himself, Mae Yeongyeong almost replied thoughtlessly.
‘I wouldn’t mind if you stayed in my room all day.’
But for a proper young lady to say such a thing out loud was too shameless, so she quickly swallowed the words.
“When the pigeon returns, I’ll bring the letter to you myself, Master Yong.”
That did seem to be the best option.
There were countless things he had to take care of within the day.
“Then, Lady Mae, I’ll take my leave. I’m sorry for appearing so suddenly and leaving after just asking a favor.”
“Not at all.”
She felt disappointed, but knowing how busy Yong Hwarin must be, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
“Instead, I’ll leave behind a cultivation method I know. Stop practicing the To-Nap Method you’ve been using and follow the chant I write down. It’s not very difficult, so you should be able to cultivate qi on your own just fine.”
Yong Hwarin passed on a qi circulation method that was simple yet powerful—one that wouldn’t lead to qi deviation even if practiced alone.
Among all the methods he knew, this was the safest and most suitable.
Once Yong Hwarin left the room, Mae Yeongyeong let out deep sighs, overcome with sudden emptiness.
Meanwhile, Demonic Master was drinking heartily with Yang Gwak in a bustling tavern.
He had brought Yang Gwak along to ease the frustration weighing on his heart.
“I get the feeling First Master is siding with the Great Young Master.”
Yang Gwak muttered weakly, downing his tenth cup of liquor.
Demonic Master casually agreed, matching his tone to appease him.
“I felt the same.”
Yang Gwak’s eyes lit up at that response.
“That’s why I think we need to come up with some kind of plan.”
“Wise words indeed. If we just sit around like this, all the disciples of the main sect will accept the Great Young Master as the successor.”
“Exactly. That’s the problem.”
At that point, Demonic Master threw out the bait.
“There’s only one person who can save us now.”
“Who is that?”
“Second Master.”
“Second Master?”
“That’s right.”
“Does Second Master even hold any real power?”
The man who had always been overshadowed by First Master within the sect and never fulfilled a meaningful role was Yi Taegong, Gwan Changgi.
“Second Master is, in truth, an incredibly ambitious man. He just hasn’t been able to show it openly because of First Master. He knows full well that if the Great Young Master becomes the successor, he’ll forever remain in second place. So, if we propose an alliance, he’ll surely join hands with us.”
“Would that really be possible?”
Yang Gwak thought his junior brother was spouting absurd fantasies.
But Eum Sajeok had long known that Second Master had been striving to surpass First Master and become the true supreme figure of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
He’d realized this after becoming Second Master’s favored disciple and had once seen the man studying ways to dismantle First Master’s martial arts.
While Third Master expanded his influence by recruiting elites out of fear of First Master, Second Master had been working to face him directly.
In truth, the gap in martial prowess between the two wasn’t all that large, so the challenge wasn’t unrealistic.
“If you think about it carefully, the answer becomes clear. Second Master must realize that the only way for him to become the true leader is if we take the successor’s position. Since the Great Young Master is First Master’s descendant, if he takes over the sect, Second Master will have no standing left. I’m sure Second Master is well aware that once the Great Young Master inherits the Heavenly Demon Sect, he’ll likely be purged.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, I hadn’t considered that. Impressive, junior brother. You’ve thought of all that already.”
“No, not at all. I just came to that conclusion while trying to figure out how to make you the successor, Senior Brother.”
At those words, Yang Gwak smiled slightly.
“Then… should I meet with Second Master and have a word?”
“You must. But simply going empty-handed would be inappropriate. You should bring a gift.”
“A gift, huh. What would be good?”
“I haven’t quite figured that part out yet myself.”
Yang Gwak looked disappointed at that.
That’s when Demonic Master casually hinted,
“If we had a rare weapon, that would be best. Something like, say, a weapon that could fatally wound First Master. If we could present something like that, I’m sure Second Master would be far more inclined to join our cause.”
After a moment of thought, Yang Gwak glanced around and then spoke in a low voice.
“Junior brother… I actually have a rare treasured blade.”
Demonic Master looked at him in surprise—but was secretly smiling on the inside.
‘I already knew. Eum Sajeok told me you had the Thousand Blood Dagger (Cheonhyeolbi). I just had to steer the conversation until you remembered it.’
“What is it?”
“It’s the Thousand Blood Dagger.”
“You mean the legendary demonic weapon said to pierce through even the strongest Protective Energy?”
“That’s the one.”
“Oh! If it’s that, then we can definitely make Second Master support our plan.”
“Right? That dagger could break even First Master’s powerful protective qi.”
“Indeed. It’s a relief that you’re the one who holds it, Senior Brother.”
“Then I’ll take it with me and probe Second Master’s thoughts. I should go today.”
“Aren’t you coming with me, Junior Brother?”
Demonic Master shook his head.
“It’s better that you meet with Second Master alone. And please don’t mention me. You must show that you have firm intentions of becoming the successor. I’ll explain my part to him separately later. What’s urgent now is for you to earn his recognition.”
“Now that you say it, that makes sense. Second Master always favored you more than me anyway.”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. If it looks like it was all your plan, he’ll believe you. But if it comes from me, he might think less of you.”
Yang Gwak was grateful for his junior’s thoughtful consideration.
“Then let’s go get the Thousand Blood Dagger.”
What Yang Gwak didn’t realize was that everything was proceeding just as Demonic Master had predicted.
Returning to his quarters, Yang Gwak retrieved the Thousand Blood Dagger from its most secret hiding place.
The dagger, kept inside a small case, had a handle made of ivory.
Just by looking at it, one could tell it was an extraordinarily rare weapon.
“This originally belonged to the imperial family and was used in the royal palace long ago. I happened to acquire it by chance.”
The dragon etched into the ivory handle supported his claim.
Yang Gwak had kept it a secret, intending to use it only at a critical moment.
Not revealing such a dangerous weapon even to the Masters could be seen as a betrayal.
“But would giving the dagger really prompt Second Master to take action? Would he really make a move just for this?”
Still uncertain, Yang Gwak hesitated slightly.
“Senior Brother, it’s our job to make him move. We must give him the motivation.”
“Can you really do that, Junior Brother?”
“Yes. I can create a reason strong enough to make Second Master take action.”
“Very well. I trust you.”
Yang Gwak handed over the box.
“Take a look.”
The Thousand Blood Dagger didn’t emit any presence on its own.
Even Demonic Master, whose cultivation was near that of the Fourth Jiazi, couldn’t sense anything special from it.
But the moment Yang Gwak held it in his hand, a chilling aura surged forth—so cold it made Demonic Master’s hairs stand on end.
That alone was enough to prove that the Thousand Blood Dagger was no ordinary blade.
“Let me show you its power.”
Yang Gwak cloaked his left hand in Protective Energy—one at the level of a Second Jiazi.
This type of protective qi could easily block even an attack imbued with Qi Net Mastery.
And yet, despite lacking any sword qi, the dagger cut through the protective barrier and sliced Yang Gwak’s finger.
“If Second Master channels his True Qi into the dagger, he should easily be able to destroy First Master’s protective energy.”
With those words, Demonic Master could read Yang Gwak’s hidden intent.
‘So this bastard plans to use this dagger to kill the Masters and claim the Heavenly Demon Sect’s throne. He’s been waiting until he’s strong enough to break their defenses.’
Even if he became the successor, as long as the Masters lived, he would be no more than a puppet.
So Yang Gwak planned to eliminate the Masters after taking the successor's seat.
“Fortunately, Second Master’s birthday is coming up. We can use that as a pretext to give him the dagger.”
Yang Gwak clapped his hands.
“That’s right. His birthday is soon.”
With every piece falling neatly into place, Yang Gwak felt it was a sign of good fortune.