Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 259

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

Chapter 259. The Great Demon’s Immortality (4)
Returning to his residence, Jeon Chil Sung’s brow furrowed at a troubling thought.
“Yet not a single one has reported back. How strange.”
At that moment, Black Hand entered.
“Second-in-Command.”
Jeon Chil Sung’s eyes widened slightly.
“You’re badly wounded.”
Black Hand bowed deeply as he spoke.
“The mission has been completed.”
“What of Bong Mu Geom?”
“He is dead. And….”
The words caught in his throat, but the fear of death itself dominated Black Hand’s mind if he hesitated further.
“All five members of the Black Sword Five have fallen.”
For Jeon Chil Sung, this was quite startling news.
“All of the Black Sword Five?”
“Yes.”
“Was Bong Mu Geom truly that formidable?”
“He appears to have been concealing his true strength.”
“…I see.”
Bong Mu Geom was one of Jong Mu Seok’s key connections, though he himself was capable enough that becoming an Elder would pose no great difficulty.
His martial power fell a few ranks below Jong Mu Seok’s, yet his intellect was sharp and he managed finances well.
However, his excessive fondness for women posed a serious risk of scandal. His constant indulgences had surely degraded his martial skill, yet Black Hand and the Black Sword Five had committed full force without accounting for this.
“We’ll discuss the details later. For now, see to your wounds.”
“Yes.”
Regarding the fallen Black Sword Five, he felt little emotion. Black Hand was perhaps an exception, but those subordinates were mere insects to Jeon Chil Sung.
‘This is why the world remains entertaining. Nothing ever unfolds precisely as predicted.’
Jeon Chil Sung, leaning back in his chair, smiled.
“Fascinating.”
He never imagined that Black Hand might have deceived him.
Some time passed in this manner.
“Second-in-Command… Hmm? What troubles you?”
“….”
“This is no time for this. Come, let us go to the Alliance Leader’s Residence. We must receive approval for the measures passed by the Elder Council….”
“Elder Ha.”
“Speak.”
A shadow fell across Jeon Chil Sung’s face.
“Aside from Black Hand, I’ve received no word from any of the others I sent.”
Ha Sang Il was startled.
“Not a single person?”
“Not one.”
“My goodness! Let me look into the situation. Deputy Commander, please bring the approval documents to the Alliance Leader.”
Watching Ha Sang Il hurry out of the room, Jeon Chil Sung fell into thought.
‘A world that refuses to unfold as expected?’
Just half a day ago, the world had seemed amusing. Now it felt ominous.
‘If not just one or two squads, but everyone except Black Hand fails to return….’
Shock is shock, and reality is reality.
‘Did they all fall?!’
Unbelievable, yet if the results were thus, there was no other way to interpret it.
After a moment’s deliberation, Jeon Chil Sung spoke.
“Ya Hon, are you there?”
“Yes.”
A dark form dropped from the ceiling, then instantly transformed into human shape.
“I’m heading to the Alliance Leader’s Residence now. You release the Night Butterflies to scout the troop deployments near the Alliance Leader’s Residence.”
“Understood.”
“We must be careful. Move with caution so as not to be detected by the Alliance Leader’s Qi Sensitivity.”
“Yes.”
Before the words had finished, Ya Hon vanished. His Stealth Technique was so formidable that even at Jeon Chil Sung’s realm, one could not perceive his presence.
Jeon Chil Sung, documents in hand, left the room.
“…Just a suspicion, but.”
* * *
“Alliance Leader. Deputy Commander of the Elder Council, Elder Jeon Chil Sung, requests an audience.”
“Let him in.”
Kuguguung.
The Grand Hall doors swung wide open with their familiar, weighty sound.
Jeon Chil Sung’s eyes flashed as he entered the Grand Hall.
‘Who is that young man?’
Beneath the dais, Meng Ha Sung and a young man sat at a small tea table, drinking tea.
Beside them stood a dark spear and an elongated blade.
The spear gleamed with an ethereal radiance, while the long blade, though appearing ordinary, cast an extraordinary presence.
“Elder Jeon, you’ve arrived?”
Jeon Chil Sung knelt on the spot.
“Deputy Commander of the Elder Council, Jeon Chil Sung, pays respects to the Alliance Leader.”
“Haha, please rise.”
Meng Ha Sung spoke to Moyong Bi.
“In any case, I look forward to this as well.”
“Understood.”
“Next time, leave your weapons with the guards outside the Grand Hall.”
“Why the sudden change?”
“Sudden? How long have we known each other?”
“What do you mean ‘suddenly’? How long has it been since we met?”
“I’m disappointed.”
“Stop joking around and get going. We have guests.”
Moyong Bi chuckled softly as he gathered the Bong Ma Divine Spear and Ya Soo Blade, rising to his feet.
As Moyong Bi and Jeon Chil Sung walked silently across the carpet toward the entrance of the Grand Hall, their eyes met.
Moyong Bi offered a silent bow, and Jeon Chil Sung accepted the greeting with a smile. Though he knew who the other was, there was no need for formal introductions before the Alliance Leader.
Ku-kung.
The doors of the Grand Hall closed.
Meng Ha Sung gestured with his hand toward the chair across from him.
“Come, sit here. You there—bring another cup of tea.”
Jeon Chil Sung, now seated, spoke with a smile still playing on his face.
“An extraordinary young man, it seems.”
“You could tell at a glance, apparently.”
“When one becomes a master, their gait becomes uniform. But that young man was different. His movements were natural, like an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts.”
By natural, he meant ordinary enough not to appear as a master would.
Meng Ha Sung let out a soft laugh.
“Perhaps he truly hasn’t learned martial arts at all?”
“His eyes were far too sharp for that.”
Even as he spoke, Jeon Chil Sung had already read Moyong Bi’s aura.
‘A formidable one indeed.’
He was genuinely taken aback.
‘His aura is not merely outstanding—it’s excessive. With that level of martial power, he could hold his own in a one-on-one duel against most of the Elders.’
A martial artist’s aura reveals many things: their character, their Internal Energy, their mood, and more.
Naturally, inferring actual skill from aura alone was difficult, but for masters who had reached the pinnacle, another’s aura became the benchmark of their martial power.
‘Beyond the Four Dragons and Three Phoenixes… they wouldn’t have been idle either.’
Jeon Chil Sung felt genuine admiration.
“Such a remarkable young man has become the Tambi Ryeong-ju.”
“It seems news of the Alliance Leader’s Faction has already reached the Elder Council.”
It was a pointed remark, but Jeon Chil Sung’s response remained gracious.
“That couldn’t be. I merely heard that the one who actually captured Jong Mu Seok was the Tambi Ryeong-ju from the Moyong Family.”
It was a way of saying that nearly everyone knew. In fact, rumors were already spreading quietly that the Martial Alliance’s first Tambi Ryeong-ju had appeared.
Meng Ha Sung smiled as he spoke.
“As you can see, he’s truly remarkable. Not only has he inherited the martial arts of the Previous Alliance Leader, but I cannot even fathom how much experience he has accumulated at such a young age.”
“He doesn’t seem to be merely a genius. He appears to be in his early twenties, yet his martial power seems to exceed even the Four Dragons and Three Phoenixes.”
“Is that how Elder Jeon perceives it as well?”
“Indeed. Now I understand why the nickname ‘Northern Martial Dragon’ came about.”
The conversation was quite pleasant and harmonious. Their genuine astonishment at Moyong Bi left no room for probing or testing.
But such pleasantries were short-lived.
“I merely hope he will accomplish great things for the Alliance in the future.”
“Hasn’t he already accomplished one great thing?”
A subtle edge began to form in the conversation.
Meng Ha Sung nodded and spoke.
“That’s right. We’ve arrested Jong Mu Seok.”
Jeon Chil Sung, who had been watching him intently, rose from his seat and bowed his head.
“As the Vice-Leader of the Elder Council, I have failed to properly govern the Elders under my charge. I offer my apologies.”
“Elders are positions of individual responsibility and autonomy, are they not? Even as members of the Elder Council, Jong Mu Seok’s failure stems from his own lack of self-cultivation. There is no reason for you to apologize to me, Elder.”
“Still, as the second-in-command of an organization, I must bear some responsibility.”
“Responsibility falls to the leader. You need not shoulder it, Elder.”
The conversation had taken a peculiar turn.
Jeon Chil Sung’s eyes gleamed.
‘I thought he’d probe subtly, but instead he’s dropping something laden with meaning.’
Responsibility falls to the leader.
This statement could be interpreted two ways: either a warning not to strut about as if you were a Captain when you’re not the Elder Council Leader, or literally a declaration that he would hold the true person responsible accountable.
Jeon Chil Sung weighted the latter interpretation.
To confirm it, he cast out a single remark.
“Though it may be premature, now that a vacancy has opened among the Elders, would it not be wise to recommend someone promptly?”
“Heh, already?”
“Even if there’s nothing to do immediately, learning early does no harm, does it?”
“As Elder knows, I am somewhat ignorant of Alliance affairs. If we are to select an Elder, why not have you make a recommendation?”
Jeon Chil Sung’s expression became subtle.
‘Is it true?’
Ha Sang Il had said the Alliance Leader extended his hand to them. By removing Jong Mu Seok, he had proven his own capability and drive.
He had been uncertain, but hearing him speak so directly made him wonder if it might actually be the truth.
“It is a matter to be conducted through dialogue with the other Elders. I am hesitant to handle it unilaterally on my own authority.”
“When war comes, there will be much to do first and report later.”
“This hardly seems a situation warranting such a comparison to war.”
“Is that so?”
Meng Ha Sung tilted his head.
“Has the Elder Council ever not been in a state of war?”
Eighty percent.
Jeon Chil Sung thought to himself that based on this remark alone, the probability that Meng Ha Sung was truly extending his hand to his faction was around eighty percent.
‘This is surprising.’
Though he claims ignorance of Alliance affairs, Meng Ha Sung’s personal power is no ordinary thing. He has likely investigated the various factions within the Elder Council.
The question was how much he had discovered.
‘Has he truly grasped the real strength of our faction?’
In truth, they hadn’t hidden it outright. To recruit external personnel, they had to reveal at least the hint that something was being concealed.
Naturally, this also served to create justification preventing other factions from recklessly interfering with them.
‘I don’t know how much he’s discovered, but he wouldn’t simply grasp hands just because there is power.’
Whether he was consciously aware of it or not, the position of Martial Alliance Leader was itself a justification.
Any faction joining hands with him risked a shift in the balance of power. Yet why was Meng Ha Sung so intent on extending his hand to them?
‘One more time, to be certain.’
Jeon Chil Sung spoke carefully.
“I beg your pardon, Alliance Leader, but there exist within the Elder Council certain individuals harboring impure intentions. Of course, this does not threaten the Alliance’s survival, yet among them are those of considerable power.”
Meng Ha Sung smiled faintly.
“A place where capable people gather, and yet no absolute judgment can emerge—is that not the Elder Council? If one harbors impure thoughts, they should naturally conceal themselves better. Setting aside morality, they are truly a foolish lot.”
A smile graced Jeon Chil Sung’s face.
A smile of genuine delight.
“Alliance Leader.”
“Speak.”
“Since you’ve already caught someone as reckless as Jong Mu Seok, would it not be opportune to use this moment to purge such impure elements from our ranks?”
Meng Ha Sung burst into hearty laughter.
“You voice precisely what I wished to say, Elder. If we proceed, will you not stand at the vanguard of this effort?”
The probability rose from eighty percent to ninety-nine percent.
“I am uncertain whether I possess such capability.”
“Given the weight of such a position, it is only fitting to place someone of experience and wisdom. Is there another Elder in the Council as seasoned and wise as you?”
“You honor me too greatly.”
“Since the matter is raised, let us proceed. I shall support you from behind.”
The final shred of doubt vanished in that instant.
“Ah, but Elder, there is something I must ask you.”
“Speak, Alliance Leader.”
“Did you send someone to eliminate Jong Mu Seok’s connections?”
The smile disappeared from Jeon Chil Sung’s face.

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