Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 186

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

Chapter 186. Broken Chains (1)

The wind blowing through the mountain was cold, but the mystery of life contained within it pulsed so strongly that anyone could feel it.

The face of the Taoist Priest reading a book in a sunny spot looked gentle.

His gestures turning each page were calm, and the movement of his eyes reading the text was both quick and smooth.

How much time had passed?

“Jang Moon Sa Hyeong.”

That characteristically stiff and cold voice always had the power to break concentration.

The Taoist Priest, Jo Geom Jin In, opened his mouth without even turning his head.

“What is it?”

“Did you receive the message from Yangyang County?”

“I received it.”

His calm voice showed not the slightest tremor.

Seong Geom Jin In’s voice became heavier.

“They say the Jegal Clan has suffered a great ordeal.”

“I told you I received the message.”

“Stories about demons are circulating. Do you know about that as well?”

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I already received the message. The facts you know, I know them all too.”

“But how can you be so calm?”

Jo Geom Jin In turned the page without answering.

Seong Geom Jin In also did not speak further.

After a moment.

“Reading it again, he really was an amazing person.”

“What book is it?”

“Ghost Immortal’s essays.”

Surprise appeared on Seong Geom Jin In’s face.

“Weren’t all of Ghost Immortal’s books classified as forbidden texts?”

“How many people do you think care about such old-fashioned alliance laws?”

The man whose nickname was Ghost Immortal because he was said to possess the soul of a ghost was a demon who was active after the war with Seongheolgung ended.

Though called a demon, he did not learn demonic arts. He earned the title of demon through his evil deeds alone.

“You can’t call him a good person even as empty words, but at least his abilities were remarkable. Ghost Immortal wasn’t even someone you could call a first-rate master. Yet he threw the martial world into chaos for a time.”

Seong Geom Jin In spoke with a displeased expression.

“I don’t much like using such expressions for a villain who tormented so many people.”

“I’m saying let’s evaluate him excluding the results of his actions.”

“How can you evaluate his abilities while excluding the results?”

As if he had been hit, Jo Geom Jin In burst into hearty laughter.

“Yes, you’re right. Anyway, even though he wasn’t a great master, he killed many people. It was an achievement accomplished with nothing but his own mind, not hidden weapons or explosives.”

“He was also called the Demon Brain.”

“Actually, the schemes he came up with weren’t particularly remarkable.”

Seong Geom Jin In wanted to stop talking about Ghost Immortal. Just speaking about him made his mouth feel dirty.

However, since it was obvious he wouldn’t hear the answer he wanted before this story ended, he played along appropriately.

“Not remarkable?”

“Even without specifically learning strategy and tactics, if you’re just a bit cunning, you could think of such things. Telling lies or throwing out a word that causes discord between people isn’t that difficult, is it?”

“That’s true.”

“Ghost Immortal’s greatness lies precisely there. With martial arts that didn’t reach first-rate, with knowledge that didn’t reach first-rate, he devastated an entire region. Do you know how someone who belonged to what you might call a common category achieved such a feat?”

Seong Geom Jin In couldn’t even feel pity at Jo Geom Jin In’s words calling the bloodshed that killed thousands of people a feat.

His senior brother had always been this kind of person.

“I don’t know.”

“He knew how to read people’s desires.”

A subtle heat appeared in Jo Geom Jin In’s eyes that had been gentle and deep.

“A person betrayed by someone they love is bound to show various reactions. A person who has fought with a friend to the point of an irreparable relationship also shows various responses.”

“….”

“He knew how to handle such people. Even in the same situation, each person shows different reactions based on their different upbringing and nature, but Ghost Immortal predicted their reactions like a ghost.”

“Did he have some kind of prophetic ability?”

“No.”

Jo Geom Jin In’s face was full of interest as he shook his head.

“What made such predictions possible would have been experience and analysis.”

“He must have been an extremely intelligent person.”

“He was intelligent, but I don’t think he had the insight to see through the times. If he had, he would have had the world under his feet. That was his limitation.”

Seong Geom Jin In couldn’t understand what this incorrigible senior brother was thinking.

“Someone who knows humans can think about how the human world will turn. He didn’t go that far. Ghost Immortal simply enjoyed manipulating people like chess pieces.”

“If he enjoyed manipulating them like chess pieces, he could have expanded his thinking to control the world.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. But you can’t blame him for that. Ghost Immortal was someone who was sincerely devoted to what he desired and wanted. Criticizing him for wasting such good talent wouldn’t be an appropriate question in this case.”

Jo Geom Jin In closed his eyes.

As if he wanted to become Ghost Immortal himself, as if he was savoring his writings, his expression seemed to melt into something, and you could even sense madness in it.

“He was someone fascinated by the madness that destruction brings. Like the various people he had manipulated at will, he was someone who, despite having good talent and abilities, couldn’t escape the limitations of his nature.”

Fatigue appeared on Seong Geom Jin In’s face.

“Can’t we stop that story now? There are more important matters.”

Jo Geom Jin In opened his eyes and looked at Seong Geom Jin In.

Seong Geom Jin In became uncomfortable. His senior brother’s eyes were full of the sorrow of an older brother pitying a younger brother who could only see small things due to impatience.

“Moodang Mountain hasn’t collapsed, yet you have no composure.”

“Moodang Mountain may be fine, but the Jegal Clan has certainly suffered a major blow. And there’s no guarantee that disaster won’t reach Moodang Mountain.”

“It’s a somewhat embarrassing expression, but the Jegal Clan has lived like fools for over twenty years. That’s why they were defeated so pathetically easily.”

Seong Geom Jin In’s eyes sparkled.

“Lived like fools?”

“Before that, we should establish one premise. The Jegal Clan was certainly defeated by demons.”

“That’s the problem. Rumors are gradually spreading that both Young Geom and Ho Geom were defeated by demons.”

Unlike his cold voice, Seong Geom Jin In’s eyes knew how to hold many emotions.

Now his eyes were full of vivid anger. It was clear he could not forgive the demons who dared to kill Mu Dang’s elders.

“Since demons have appeared, we can show those Ho Buk Ji Dan bastards what’s what. Young Geom aside, Ho Geom wasn’t weak enough to be defeated by mere demons.”

Ho Buk Ji Dan had even fabricated information claiming that the assassin group called Blue Horse Society had eliminated the demon who killed Ho Geom Jin In, and that Mu Dang Faction was behind commissioning them.

Naturally, from Mu Dang Faction’s perspective, this was outrageous, so they could demand an investigation of the truth, but Jo Geom Jin In had blocked it.

He knew that just being directly involved in such incidents and having rumors spread could damage Mu Dang Faction’s reputation.

Though he felt sorry for the two dead men, this matter had to be resolved thoroughly in the shadows.

That was Jo Geom Jin In’s thinking.

“Showing them what’s what isn’t difficult now, nor was it before.”

“Pardon?”

“The important thing is whether crushing Ho Buk Ji Dan, specifically the Alliance Leader and Alliance Leader, would benefit the Main Sect.”

Seong Geom Jin In’s face hardened.

Two of their sect brothers had died, and those two were even elders of Mu Dang. Jo Geom Jin In was now saying he would choose practical benefit over revenge for those two men’s deaths.

“Jang Moon Sa Hyeong. That is….”

“Shall I speak honestly? I actually think it’s fortunate that Ho Geom and Young Geom died.”

“What are you saying?!”

“Young Geom was originally a mindless fool, but Ho Geom wasn’t like that. Though he couldn’t grasp the true intention of Mu Dang martial arts, he at least knew what Mu Dang’s pride was.”

“….”

“But pride became arrogance, and arrogance soon developed into the delusion that he himself was great.”

Jo Geom Jin In smiled.

Seeing that expression close to mockery, Seong Geom Jin In felt his heart sink.

“That it wasn’t he who was great but Mu Dang that was great – he refused to acknowledge this to the very end.”

“…Then why did you send him as supervisor for the late-stage expert tournament?”

“I’ve put myself in Ghost Immortal’s position, you see.”

“What?!”

“Ho Geom’s arrogance is certainly undignified, but there are times when that arrogance benefits the main sect. Especially when dealing with worldly matters.”

“…!”

“Even setting aside Jegal, the Jin Hwa Merchant Guild and various renowned families are bound to be quick with calculations. Ho Geom is shameless enough to crush their calculations head-on. At the very least, he’s not the type to gloss over things vaguely like you or other disciples.”

Seong Geom Jin In felt chills run down his spine.

“Of course, I didn’t expect Ho Geom to die like that.”

“….”

“What? Will you despise me for this?”

“…If I were to despise Jang Moon Sa Hyeong, I’d have to despise myself as well.”

Jo Geom Jin In burst into laughter.

“Haven’t you always been someone who mocks yourself?”

“….”

“The deaths of Young Geom and Ho Geom definitely have suspicious aspects. I’ve received countless scene reports, but no matter how much I think about it, there’s something we don’t know.”

“That’s right.”

“One thing that’s certain is that while I’m not sure about Young Geom, Ho Geom wasn’t killed by a demon.”

Seong Geom Jin In’s eyes flashed.

“Are you certain?”

“Close to certain. Thinking logically, does it make sense for someone who can’t control his impulses like that to participate in a sparring tournament?”

“…?!”

“That bastard Sama Jin Gung was quite cunning. People don’t want to see the root of an incident, they only want to see the impressive ‘phenomenon.’ He’s the one who guided everyone to only wonder about the fact that Ho Geom was killed, not to think about why he was killed.”

“Is, is that so?”

“It’s not difficult to see when you step back one pace, but when you’re inside it, you only see the waves that confuse your eyes. Just like that Jegal Clan.”

“What?”

“Didn’t I say earlier? That the Jegal Clan acted foolishly.”

“Ah!”

“The Jegal Clan has an inferiority complex toward the Sama Clan. That inferiority complex ultimately became the blunder of bringing riffraff into their family. That supposedly brilliant Jegal Clan, no less.”

Seong Geom Jin In’s eyes wavered.

“Look at Ghost Immortal. He was clever, but he wasn’t a person of great intelligence. Yet alone, he devised all sorts of schemes and plunged thousands of lives into ruin.”

“….”

“He couldn’t control his own desires, but he knew how to handle others’ desires to achieve the results he wanted, which made it possible. Like this, being smart and knowing how to make good use of your smart self are completely different matters.”

“…I see.”

“So I too am thinking of understanding and manipulating others’ desires.”

“What?”

Jo Geom Jin In rose from his seat.

“Contact Sama Jin Gung separately. Tell him to have tea with me.”

“You’re planning to meet him directly?!”

“Shouldn’t we end this tedious child’s play?”

Whoosh.

Flames rising from Jo Geom Jin In’s hand burned Ghost Immortal’s essay collection.

“Let’s see that bastard Sama Jin Gung’s desires.”

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