Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 273

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 273. A Tangled Thread (4)
“….”
A small platform stood in the Enforcement Hall Inner Court Plaza.
Jong Mu Seok, having ascended the platform, swept his piercing gaze across the surroundings.
The entire inner courtyard was encircled by the iron-tight security of the Law Enforcement Hall members. And before the platform, he saw quite a few familiar faces.
Among them, the most striking figure was undoubtedly Jeon Chil Sung.
‘That treacherous bastard!’
No matter how hard I tried to conceal it, fury was inevitable.
Meanwhile, I had not brought the other faction members except Ha Sang Il. It was to minimize the chaos within the faction.
‘Cunning fox! If I could destroy you, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do!’
He shifted his gaze.
There were several figures from the White Faction present, though Yul Baek and the most severely corrupt Elders were nowhere to be seen.
‘Yi Ja Gyun.’
At the center of the White Faction members stood Yi Ja Gyun, arms crossed.
His presence was always oppressive. A man whose thoughts were inscrutable, the most evasive among the Elders.
‘Yes, you’re no different either. Let’s see you get destroyed.’
Strangely, Jong Mu Seok felt a peculiar satisfaction that didn’t match the situation.
Driven to the worst circumstances, the Elders who had been indifferent to me were now trembling with anxiety.
This moment—making those I could not suppress through martial prowess or power tremble with fear.
For Jong Mu Seok, this moment was profoundly precious.
But that thrilling satisfaction was fleeting.
‘….’
His face stiffened as he turned his head.
‘Yun Hak Ja.’
An elderly man with the appearance of an immortal, draped in an ornate Taoist robe.
At first glance, he didn’t seem vastly different from Yi Ja Gyun, but he was taller and his complexion was darker.
Even from a distance, I could feel his noble and aloof aura. If Yi Ja Gyun felt like an impenetrable mist, Yun Hak Ja felt like clouds concealing a mountain peak.
Of course, in terms of martial prowess alone, Yi Ja Gyun was clearly two steps above.
‘Becoming entangled with you was the greatest mistake of my life.’
Regret consumed me.
But in this moment, regret meant little. The deed was already done, and this place had become the judgment seat that would alter the fate of the Martial Alliance.
‘The Alliance Leader is nowhere to be seen.’
Of course—he was not the sort to attend such proceedings.
‘You must keep your promise, Alliance Leader.’
Then, Young Ho Gyeong opened his mouth.
“The prisoner Jong Mu Seok, formerly of the Elder Council and one of the Twenty-Eight Masters, known in the Jianghu by the alias Brilliant Dragon Saber, has been imprisoned for exerting external pressure on the Law Enforcement Hall, attempted murder of the faction leader, and attempted murder of Tambi Ryeong-ju.”
Jong Mu Seok’s brow furrowed involuntarily.
‘Damn it! They’ve piled every conceivable charge on me!’
Attempted murder charges, of all things?
Tambi Ryeong-ju was one thing, but the attempted murder of the faction leader was utterly unjust. I may have spoken recklessly, but I was not mad enough to actually kill the Law Enforcement Hall Master within the Martial Alliance.
“Even the prisoner Jong Mu Seok, who caused disturbances within Thunder Prison, has since admitted to all charges and humbly accepted the severity of Alliance Law. Through the subsequent investigation of Jong Mu Seok, this hall discovered that corruption among several Elders was rampant.”
A murmur rippled through the assembly.
Present were not merely some Elders, but the leadership of the Alliance’s administrative and military organizations, as well as the Captains of the elite combat units.
Before all these witnesses, the Law Enforcement Hall Master himself had directly mentioned the corruption of the Elders.
The atmosphere of the Inner Courtyard grew so heated it seemed ready to explode at any moment.
“Is that statement factual?”
At someone’s outcry, Young Ho Gyeong raised his hand.
“This is not a forum for questions from all parties. Those gathered here must exercise caution in their remarks.”
It was a statement that reinforced the authority of the Law Enforcement Hall.
The person who had opened his mouth furrowed his brow and looked at Young Ho Gyeong. It was the first time he had seen him take such a forceful stance.
Regardless, this was the Law Enforcement Hall, and with so many witnesses present, one could not speak carelessly.
Young Ho Gyeong continued.
“Therefore, based on the testimony of the prisoner Jong Mu Seok, the Law Enforcement Hall, in collaboration with the Alliance Leader’s Faction and the Military Department, shall commence a comprehensive internal investigation to expose all charges in detail. Those gathered here must recognize the gravity of this matter and ensure that this information does not leak to the outside world.”
The heated atmosphere cooled and settled.
Ordinarily, matters concerning corruption were not disclosed publicly—that was the principle.
Yet Young Ho Gyeong had summoned a minimal number of people to inform them of the corruption and announced that an internal investigation would proceed.
In essence, this was tantamount to a declaration of war. Should this information leak externally, it would mean someone present in this hall had disclosed it.
‘Why go to such lengths?!’
Those unfamiliar with the full situation were seized by bewilderment.
‘Is this meant to establish the authority of the Law Enforcement Hall?’
The moment information leaked, the Law Enforcement Hall could, wielding authority more formidable than any other organization, arrest everyone present in this hall.
Naturally, the authority of the Law Enforcement Hall, which had been inconspicuous until now, would be revived. That much was certain.
However, from a practical standpoint, this was an extraordinarily irrational way to conduct business.
‘Isn’t this essentially ordering us to conceal the information?!’
Among the Elders gathered here, there might be those who had committed corruption.
Even if not, there would certainly be those with connections to Elders under suspicion of corruption. Even if they did not release information externally, they would surely give hints to those with whom they were acquainted.
‘Could he possibly intend to confine us all here?’
Of course, he would not go that far. Alliance governance would be paralyzed.
Yet the situation was so unreasonable that such thoughts naturally arose.
“Prisoner Jong Mu Seok, step forward.”
The moment one became a prisoner, one was merely an ordinary Martial Artist stripped of rank.
No matter how high the prisoner’s status had been before confinement, the position of the Hall Master was necessarily higher within the organization. Speaking in the imperative was only natural.
Jong Mu Seok silently stepped forward three paces.
Conversely, Young Ho Gyeong retreated three paces backward and spoke.
“Prisoner Jong Mu Seok, testify.”
Damn it!
The brief moment of satisfaction was crushed to the depths of the abyss by Young Ho Gyeong’s words.
Though anger burned within, Jong Mu Seok reconsidered the situation favorably.
‘As long as I survive.’
Jong Mu Seok slowly raised his head.
His gaze turned toward Jeon Chil Sung.
‘….’
Jeon Chil Sung’s eyes blazed with intensity.
Ha Sang Il sent him a telepathic message.
– Jong Mu Seok’s expression is peculiar. Surely that bastard isn’t spouting meaningless words?
Jeon Chil Sung remained silent.
Ha Sang Il, growing impatient, continued his telepathic transmission.
– Young Ho Gyeong said something strange. Didn’t he say he would testify not about one person, but about the misconduct of several? Could it be that Jong Mu Seok didn’t understand the Deputy Alliance Leader’s meaning?
That was impossible, of course.
‘As expected.’
Jeon Chil Sung laughed coldly within his heart.
‘This is no ordinary move, Yi Ja Gyun.’
It was clear that Jong Mu Seok had been pressured in some way, and Young Ho Gyeong had been chosen as the instrument of that pressure.
‘I changed my approach on a hunch, and it seems my instinct was correct.’
For the first time in ages, his heart raced with excitement.
‘Yi Ja Gyun, you’ve launched a counterattack thinking you could catch us, but my hand is far from weak.’
Jong Mu Seok’s lips slowly parted.
“First, regarding the Elder Council….”
That was when it happened.
Whoosh!
The moment everyone’s attention was fixed on Jong Mu Seok on the platform.
Someone approached with suppressed presence, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
In that instant, Young Ho Gyeong’s eyes blazed with fury.
“Block it!”
Boom-boom-boom!
Masters hidden behind the platform erupted with fearsome Energy Waves, launching forward like arrows.
Remarkably, enormous circular shields were held in their hands. The massive shields, large enough to cover most of the upper body, appeared both incredibly light and sturdy.
Clang-clang-clang!
Whatever had been fired bounced off the shields held by the two masters.
The assembled crowd gasped in shock.
‘Poisoned needles?!’
And not ordinary ones at that.
Whether they were Assassination Techniques or something else, their flight speed far exceeded the swift sword techniques of Peak Masters. They were so secretive and swift that even a transcendent master would struggle to block them without preparation.
Whoosh!
The shadow writhing in the empty air suddenly flipped over the four masters holding shields.
Even in broad daylight, its form was indistinct. It was such an exquisite technique that it transcended mere Stealth Techniques—one might even call it sorcery.
Whoosh!
Something secretive cut across the space, advancing forward.
It was a sword. But not an ordinary one.
The transparent blade perfectly transmitted sunlight through itself. It appeared to be forged from a substance similar to ice yet entirely different.
Crash!
A master positioned low behind Jong Mu Seok swung a circular shield sideways.
The sword snapped cleanly in half against the sweeping shield.
Thud!
The master who broke the sword staggered backward, driven back by the Assassin’s kick.
“Ugh!”
The master’s face turned ashen.
It seemed more than just Leg Technique had been permitted. Whether the kick carried poisoned needles or something worse, the master dropped to his knees and coughed blood.
Everything happened before a single breath could be drawn.
Only then did the other masters cry out in alarm.
“Assassin!”
“He’s trying to kill the witness!”
Whoosh!
More than half the leadership rushed toward the platform.
Boom!
The masked man abandoned all pretense of stealth, dropping his Stealth Technique entirely as he charged toward Jong Mu Seok at tremendous speed.
The explosive power of that single movement was terrifying. From that motion alone, one could almost imagine a Peak Master’s ambush—the speed and force were extraordinary.
Jong Mu Seok’s face went pale.
‘No!’
That was when it happened.
Crash!
Someone passed beside Jong Mu Seok and knocked the Assassin away.
The method was brutally simple—a body tackle. Yet the difference lay in how the attacker had angled his upper body sideways, creating a solid shield with his stance before charging forward with a shield strike.
Whoosh!
Nearly simultaneously, Jeon Chil Sung’s spear thrust tore through the Empty Air.
Had the shield not deflected him, the Assassin’s life would have been ended by that thrust.
Jeon Chil Sung’s face hardened instantly.
‘I didn’t kill him?’
That wasn’t the real problem.
‘How!?’
The Assassin was supposed to kill Jong Mu Seok and then take his own life.
He knew well how formidable his subordinate Assassins were. Naturally, no one gathered here should have detected his presence.
That was when it happened.
“Restrain the Assassin!”
A cold, ringing voice.
In that final moment, the one who had knocked the Assassin away with that tremendous shield strike was none other than Gu Wol, Deputy Director of the Secret Law Court. And all those who appeared alongside him were among the few masters of the Secret Law Court.
Crash!
Law Enforcement Hall members rushed forward and restrained the Assassin.
The Assassin, already unconscious from the collision, hadn’t even managed to bite down on his poison pill.
Young Ho Gyeong spoke coldly.
“Someone has undoubtedly sent an assassin to silence the prisoner! From this moment forward, I will take control of everyone gathered here. Follow the guidance of the Alliance members in accordance with Alliance Law!”
“Wait, hold on!”
It was Gu Wol who cut off the panicked cry.
“I am Gu Wol, Vice Director of the Secret Law Court, a secret organization directly under the Alliance Leader, and a member of the Alliance Leader’s Faction.”
Everyone gasped in shock.
The true identity of these masters who had appeared so suddenly was none other than a secret group of elite warriors under the Martial Alliance Leader?!
“From this moment forward, this matter will be jointly managed by the Law Enforcement Hall and the Alliance Leader’s Faction. Anyone who fails to cooperate will be considered guilty of treason and executed on the spot, regardless of rank.”

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