Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 160

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 160. The Source of Lingering Echoes (5)

“Contact has been lost.”

The brush drawing orchids paused momentarily.

Since it was a painting that would be difficult to praise as well-drawn even out of politeness, perhaps it would be better if it remained unfinished, Baek Cheong thought as he spoke.

“It seems we should move.”

“Couldn’t we wait a little longer?”

“The Shadow Demon does not make mistakes.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Even if it were a mistake, rules are rules. We should move as quickly as possible.”

The middle-aged man clicked his tongue.

“It’s only been two hours at most, hasn’t it? Half a day would be pushing it, but waiting about one hour should be fine.”

Though he didn’t show it, Baek Cheong felt deep disgust at this foolish man’s leisurely attitude.

That leisurely attitude was more like a packaged facade.

One hour was time that could grant the middle-aged man many things.

For instance, he could forget reality while drinking the finest liquor he’d received as a gift, or embrace several women. Perhaps he could even excitedly knead the chunks of meat selected as ‘prey’ to eliminate his anxiety.

Whatever it was, the middle-aged man was anxious.

A petty person who didn’t know what to do with his anxiety about reality rather than expectations for the future. That’s why Baek Cheong disliked this man.

“The Sacred Law is absolute.”

The middle-aged man, Jegal Myeong, frowned.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to ask for a while.”

“….”

“Do you really think I can become the master of the main family?”

“I merely follow orders from above.”

“So at least you don’t believe it.”

He was quick to catch on to such things too.

No, perhaps because of his rock-bottom self-esteem, he interpreted everything negatively.

It was incomprehensible how someone with such a personality had joined hands with the Holy Demons. Baek Cheong couldn’t understand his superiors’ choice to put such a person at the forefront.

They had to select the most abnormal yet greedy person from the Jegal Family, so in that regard he was perfect, but he had too many frustrating aspects to control and wield.

Still, Baek Cheong endured.

As he himself said, he was merely one of many components that had to follow orders from above.

“We must move immediately.”

A voice with even more emotion removed than usual.

Jegal Myeong, who let out a deep sigh, roughly grabbed the brush.

Pssss.

The brush that emitted white smoke had turned to powder in an instant.

It was remarkable internal energy mastery. It was energy manipulation arts that even a Murim Warrior evaluated as a so-called peak master couldn’t easily perform.

“Where should we start? The outer courtyard?”

“The Third Unit of the Outer Hall.”

Hesitation appeared on Jegal Myeong’s face.

His hesitation wasn’t human reluctance about having to shed blood against his own kin. Such a person wouldn’t actively lead in making family members disappear.

He was definitely anxious.

Whether this operation could truly succeed, and even if it did, whether he could completely usurp the family head position without being discovered by outsiders.

When the disgust in Baek Cheong’s eyes reached its peak.

“There’s no other choice.”

Jegal Myeong rose from his seat.

“Bring the Shin An Dan leader.”

Six hours after the Shadow Demon of Golden Crane Pavilion had died.

Another change was beginning in the Jegal Family.

* * *

“Moyong Sohyeop!”

Jegal Chung Ho was the same as before.

His cheerful voice and smile-filled face showed no signs of struggling under the weight of reality or anxiety about the future.

“How long has it been? Three years?”

“A little over three months.”

“Ah, only that long? I was so happy to see you.”

His beaming face was filled with sincere joy.

That joy changed to slight caution when he turned his gaze to Neung Hyeong.

“And….”

Neung Hyeong, with his arms crossed, frowned and said.

“Don’t act familiar with me, brat.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jegal Chung Ho grumbled and whispered to Moyong Bi.

“He’s still the same, isn’t he?”

There was no way his whisper wouldn’t be heard by Neung Hyeong, who was a master.

Neung Hyeong paid no attention and sipped his tea.

“By the way, how did you contact me? I never expected to receive personal contact through the Hubei Branch. I was truly so surprised that Moyong Sohyeop could never….”

“How is the family atmosphere?”

Knowing he would chatter alone for half an hour if left alone, Moyong Bi asked directly.

Jegal Chung Ho tilted his head.

“Our family’s atmosphere?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s the same? Why do you suddenly ask that?”

Moyong Bi, who had been staring at him intently, spoke in a lowered voice.

“There’s no need to be cautious.”

“Pardon?”

“The fact that you came here directly means you can at least move freely within the family. Frankly, even if you had sent a reply by letter, it would have been fine, but coming all the way here means you want to understand my intentions directly, doesn’t it?”

“….”

“Don’t forget that I was the one who helped capture Bang Hyo.”

Jegal Chung Ho’s face, which had been full of questions, gradually became serious.

“Moyong Sohyeop.”

“Speak.”

“Why did you come all the way here?”

It was a statement filled with various emotions.

Moyong Bi spoke while revealing as little emotion as possible.

“To resolve some incident that the Ma In are planning to commit.”

Jegal Chung Ho was greatly surprised at the mention of Ma In.

But he controlled his emotions.

“Is that all?”

“That’s right.”

“I know this is rude, but I’ll say something.”

“Go ahead.”

“At least the Moyong Sohyeop I know is the type who takes care of his own people no matter what. I don’t think you’re the type to care much about what happens to others.”

Neung Hyeong chuckled and interjected.

“Good observation.”

Jegal Chung Ho continued.

“I don’t see Moyong Sohyeop as a great chivalrous hero or someone with outstanding sense of justice.”

“….”

“Is there something you want from us?”

Moyong Bi smiled.

“Show that honesty more often in daily life. You look quite decent without packaging yourself as a chatterbox for no reason.”

Though it was praise, Jegal Chung Ho didn’t grin foolishly as usual.

“Please tell me. What is the reason Moyong Sohyeop came all the way here in person?”

“You must know about the matter between the main family and the Mu Dang Faction.”

“…A little.”

“Do you know the relationship between Great Hero Jegal Ryun and Alliance Leader Sama Jin Gung?”

“To some extent.”

“How much is ‘to some extent’? Do you also know that your uncle has been providing information from within the Jegal Clan to Sama Bu Dan Ju?”

Jegal Chung Ho’s expression changed completely.

“That… I didn’t know.”

“It would be hard not to know if you paid even a little attention. Great Hero Jegal Ryun may be particularly strict with you, but that attitude is only possible if he has affection for his blood relative, isn’t it?”

“…”

“In other words, if you had just had a proper conversation with your uncle, there would have been no reason for me to directly ask why I came all the way here.”

“…”

“Conversely, I’m also relieved that you don’t know. You said you’re treated as a nuisance by everyone in the family. The demons within the Jegal Clan probably didn’t pay proper attention to you either.”

Jegal Chung Ho realized it was time to ask the question.

“Do you think demons are running rampant in the main family?”

“It’s not a thought, it’s a certainty.”

“Wh, why…?”

Moyong Bi told him about the conversation with Jang Chun and what happened at Golden Crane Pavilion.

Jegal Chung Ho was greatly shocked.

“Then Uncle Myeong?!”

“He must be involved.”

“…!”

“Three years ago, weren’t you puzzled about Jeogal Myeong eliminating the Three Heavenly Villains?”

“Of, of course I was puzzled. But Uncle Myeong’s martial arts belonged to the main family. Since martial arts can grow through effort and enlightenment even with poor talent, I didn’t think it was too strange.”

Orthodox martial arts especially had that aspect.

Of course, not everyone becomes strong through effort, and the ways of gaining enlightenment are all different. Usually the dull remain dull, and geniuses remain geniuses.

“So the elders of the main family praised Uncle Myeong’s martial arts. I heard Uncle Myeong understood the main family’s martial arts in a somewhat different way. All the elders were greatly surprised by that approach.”

Moyong Bi’s eyes deepened.

“A different approach?”

“That’s right.”

Not everyone becomes strong by learning half-baked demonic arts.

Furthermore, understanding martial arts that developed in a completely different way doesn’t necessarily make one’s own martial arts stronger. It can be helpful, but to develop that greatly would normally require heavenly fortune.

‘This is somewhat strange.’

If the core members of the Jegal Clan thought of Jeogal Myeong that way, there are two possibilities.

Either he truly gained great understanding of Jegal martial arts, or…

‘The possibility that most of the Jegal Clan’s core members are in cahoots with Jeogal Myeong.’

Neither makes sense.

If it’s the former, Jeogal Myeong had no need to join hands with demons. But from the revealed phenomena, he clearly joined hands with demons.

The latter is the same. If the majority were in cahoots, the Jegal Clan would have been devoured by demons long ago.

Then, Neung Hyeong’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve seen this picture somewhere before.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember? Was it Anhui Huainan? Anyway, there was a sect near Mount Bagong.”

Suddenly Moyong Bi exclaimed.

“Right, that’s it.”

“We prepared quite diligently, but one damn bastard on your side went crazy and rampaged, so a card we’d prepared for a long time flew away meaninglessly. It was truly infuriating.”

“Was it the second one?”

“Probably the second one? I don’t remember that far clearly.”

Jegal Chung Ho couldn’t understand what conversation the two were having.

Moyong Bi spoke with a serious face.

“No matter how much you’re treated as a nuisance in the family, since they’re blood relatives you’ve watched for a long time, you wouldn’t be completely ignorant.”

“Yes?”

“Assuming various people in the family have colluded with demons, pick out those you’re certain are not.”

Though he couldn’t understand why such a question was suddenly thrown, Jegal Chung Ho answered obediently.

“My father and brothers. Uncle Ryun and Uncle Mun are also not that type of people.”

“What about the branch families?”

“There are a few people I’m close with, but… if you ask me to be certain, I’m not sure.”

In other words, except for the Jeogal Family Head, the three siblings including Jegal Chung Ho, and two uncles, everyone else could be suspected.

Moyong Bi asked Neung Hyeong.

“Does it seem right?”

“Isn’t it the way of the world not to know until you check directly? And as you know, that method isn’t easy.”

“Since the opponent is the Jegal Clan, they must have put their heart and soul into it.”

“That’s right. The problem is the timeframe of three years ago…”

“Bi Chang Moon.”

“Ah, right. Didn’t that bastard general manager of Bi Chang Moon also start moving in earnest around that time?”

“Just because the timing overlaps with Bi Chang Moon doesn’t mean we should view them similarly. The Jegal Clan is different.”

“But the pieces fit together somewhat.”

“That’s right.”

Jegal Chung Ho was flustered. He had difficulty following their conversation.

Moyong Bi stood up from his seat.

“Is there a way to enter the family estate?”

“What? Both Young Masters?”

“That’s right.”

“Well… it should be possible if you enter together with me.”

“So secretly is impossible.”

“That’s right.”

The most certain method was indeed for him to directly enter the Jegal estate.

‘Something is different.’

Earlier, while looking at the Female Demon who also served as a contact, though he didn’t show it, he was inwardly flustered.

The reason was that the Brain Gate Heart Technique didn’t sound an alarm.

‘The Colorless Sect’s stealth is renowned, and the level of Brain Gate Heart Technique is low, so it could happen, but…’

The reason he speculated that the superior of the Fireball Thrower might not have learned martial arts was also here.

He didn’t hear the Brain Gate Heart Technique’s scream toward demonic arts within Juru.

‘Interesting.’

As much as it was interesting, a strange uneasiness rose.

Over the past twenty-odd years, could demonic arts become this stealthy? But even if they became stealthy, could they escape the sensitivity of the Brain Gate Heart Technique that reads reverse heaven?

Moyong Bi, putting aside his thoughts, flicked his spear.

“There’s no time to consider the front and back. Let’s enter head-on.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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