Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 276

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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 276. Revealing One’s Hand (1)
“Captured, you say?”
“Yes, sir.”
Meng Ha Sung’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“It went more smoothly than I anticipated.”
Gong Sun Baek nodded in agreement.
“On the surface, perhaps.”
“Is that so?”
“From a passive observer’s perspective, it might seem rather anticlimactic, but viewed differently, it was only possible because we laid such a solid foundation.”
“In truth, this scheme wasn’t entirely of our making. In a sense, isn’t it closer to Jeon Chil Sung’s self-inflicted trap?”
“Precisely. Which is why Jeon Chil Sung won’t dare attempt any useless tricks. He can hardly suspect anyone when he himself orchestrated this entire situation.”
“That much is true.”
Had Jeon Chil Sung refrained from sending that Assassin, matters would never have unfolded so effortlessly.
Of course, this was merely the beginning.
“It seems we should begin moving soon.”
Meng Ha Sung stared at the ceiling without responding, his expression grave and contemplative.
Gong Sun Baek ventured carefully, “Is there perhaps something troubling your mind?”
“Troubling? How could there not be? I’ve already waded into the mire.”
“Then…?”
“Should we end this with Jeon Chil Sung alone?”
It was a chilling statement.
“Yi Ja Gyun’s true intentions are difficult to discern. Even I cannot fathom what lies in his heart. One thing is certain—he harbors no great fondness for Jeon Chil Sung either.”
“That is true.”
“Yet Yi Ja Gyun is not entirely unconnected to the Ho Yeon Family.”
Gong Sun Baek nodded.
“Indeed. It was Yi Ja Gyun himself who facilitated the Ho Yeon Family’s retainers settling within the Alliance.”
“A man who created no unnecessary disturbance. Which made him all the more fearsome. And his sudden, forceful action was unprecedented.”
When a habitually loud person grows louder, it draws no particular notice. But when a quiet person raises their voice even slightly, those around them take heed.
“From that single action alone, we cannot definitively conclude he has allied with the Ho Yeon Family, yet neither can we dismiss it outright.”
“Then do you intend to neutralize Yi Ja Gyun as well and sever the Ho Yeon Family’s connections within the Elder Council?”
Meng Ha Sung shook his head.
“If that would be the end of it, I would push forward regardless. But something tells me it won’t end there.”
Gong Sun Baek exhaled in sympathetic understanding.
“The Ho Yeon Family’s reach extends far and wide. If we were to excise both Yi Ja Gyun and Jeon Chil Sung simultaneously, there’s no predicting what consequences might unfold.”
Those who think strategically despise unnecessary variables. Gong Sun Baek was no exception.
Yet his concern over this chaos stemmed not from fear of variables, but from a desire to avoid needless bloodshed.
‘Some blood will inevitably spill. That is truly unavoidable sacrifice. But if we amplify the chaos and drag the innocent into this affair, the very foundation of the Martial Alliance will crumble, and we would be betraying those who have already fallen.’
At that moment, Meng Ha Sung’s eyes flashed with sudden clarity.
“Yi Ja Gyun may be unavoidable, but couldn’t we topple the other side?”
“Yi Ja Gyun can’t be helped, but couldn’t we bring down the other side?”
“…Are you referring to the Black Faction?”
“Indeed.”
Gong Sun Baek, who had fallen into thought for a moment, let out a bitter smile.
“Certainly, there are fewer risk factors compared to Yi Ja Gyun.”
The decisive factor was that Yi Ja Gyun held the position of Elder Council Chairman, while Jeon Chil Sung was Vice Chairman.
If both the principal and vice positions of the Elder Council fell simultaneously, the repercussions would extend far beyond the Elder Council itself—reaching the Martial Alliance and even the entire Orthodox Martial World.
If it were merely a matter of repercussions, I could draw my blade ten times over, but the real problem lay in how to fill that vacuum.
“Perhaps… the Ho Yeon Clan may have even extended their hand to Seo Mun Gang, the leader of the Black Faction.”
The situation was truly complicated.
Though I had remained silent to prepare for a counterattack despite knowing full well of the Ho Yeon Clan’s recklessness, moments like these made me wonder if I should have endured at all.
“General.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
“If my information is correct, the Black Faction operates with Yun Hak Ja wielding more influence than Seo Mun Gang, the faction leader.”
“Based on our investigations thus far, that is accurate.”
“Seo Mun Gang is clever enough, but his ambitions are excessive. In terms of martial prowess alone, he falls short of Jeon Chil Sung.”
Gong Sun Baek grasped what Meng Ha Sung was driving at.
“Are you considering targeting Yun Hak Ja?”
“Did you observe that Jong Mu Seok had some leverage over the entire Black Faction, or specifically over Yun Hak Ja?”
“That is correct.”
Meng Ha Sung rose from his seat.
“Jeon Chil Sung possesses the intellect to adapt his plans instantaneously to circumstances. If that is the case, should we not demonstrate our own resourcefulness in response?”
* * *
The door creaked open.
Moyong Bi entered the solitary confinement cell.
Jong Mu Seok’s face twisted violently.
“You…!”
A sharp blow landed.
“Ugh!”
Jong Mu Seok, struck squarely in the abdomen, dropped to his knees.
Moyong Bi spoke coldly.
“How dare a criminal of high treason wag his tongue so freely before the Tambi Ryeong-ju of the Martial Alliance?”
“Cough! Hack!”
Even as Jong Mu Seok coughed violently, shock flooded through him.
A criminal of high treason?
“W-what are you talking about?!”
“This won’t do.”
Moyong Bi drew the Law Enforcement Hall’s suppression baton from his waist and spoke with a cold smile.
“I’ll need to educate that mouth of yours first.”
“W-what?!”
The baton descended in a flurry of strikes.
The suppression baton gleefully pounded against Jong Mu Seok’s body.
It was a possessed beating that showed no mercy to vital points or anything else. Caught off guard by the sudden violence, Jong Mu Seok could only curl up without even managing a scream.
‘Aaaaagh!’
Jong Mu Seok truly wanted to cry.
Under normal circumstances, his pride would have been wounded more than his physical body, and he would have vented his anguish.
But now the pain of his flesh far exceeded any mental suffering.
“P-please… stop…!”
Crack!
“Gasp!”
His outstretched hand was struck by the baton and broke.
“Ah, don’t move. I’m making sure not a single bone stays unbroken.”
Back when I first arrived in this body as a Great Grand Nephew, I had beaten those Black Tiger Gang bastards who had issued the usury loans.
No matter how extreme the difference in enlightenment, there was not a single person who could endure Moyong Bi’s beating.
It was not a matter of willpower or vicious aura. Moyong Bi knew precisely how much force to apply to the blood meridians where humans felt pain to cause extreme agony.
And when he hadn’t even used a shred of his Internal Power, the chaos had been tremendous. Now there was nothing more to say.
After half a quarter hour.
“I-I’m sorry!”
The cry that accompanied the tearing screams was filled with extreme terror.
“Please stop!”
“Stop? You dare give orders, you bastard?”
Crack! Thwack-thwack!
“Aaaaagh! I’m sorry! Please spare me!”
It was Jong Mu Seok’s complete collapse.
Even after raising the white flag, Moyong Bi’s beating continued for another half quarter hour.
“Phew, that was a good workout.”
Moyong Bi’s face, as he smiled and tapped the suppression baton against his left palm, was filled with genuine refreshment.
“I had set aside a quarter hour for this. I was going to use all of it before stopping.”
Jong Mu Seok foamed at the mouth.
Though the word “vicious” could not adequately describe this demon-like creature, it was difficult to even see the demon’s eyes properly.
‘I’m really going to die!’
Even in death, it would not be a simple passing but rather the end of life as a lump of meat ground in a mortar.
He was certain—truly certain—that he would die in exactly this way. In the opponent’s beating, terrifying Killing Intent and indifference were mixed together like a paradox.
He had never experienced such a frightening beating in his entire life.
“From now on, treat everyone in the Martial Alliance, including me, with respect. Don’t forget that you are a criminal.”
“Y-yes!”
“Good. You’re well kneaded now.”
Moyong Bi thrust the suppression baton into his waistband, crossed his arms, and leaned his back against the wall.
“Listen, criminal.”
“Y-yes, speak.”
“You know that Jeon Chil Sung tried to kill you, right?”
“I understand!”
Moyong Bi’s terrifying presence made me forget even my rage toward Jeon Chil Sung.
“He didn’t try to subdue the Assassin—he tried to kill him. That’s why Jeon Chil Sung was dragged into the Interrogation Room.”
“What?!”
“The problem is proving it. Frankly, if he claims he was acting on instinct because someone from his faction was in danger, how can you hold him accountable?”
Jong Mu Seok shook his head repeatedly.
Moyong Bi smiled with satisfaction.
“Right? That’s why things have gotten complicated. You want to see Jeon Chil Sung fall, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do!”
Jong Mu Seok cried out urgently.
“Please give me another chance to testify! I’ll reveal everything I know! Anything at all!”
“Are you sincere?”
“Of course!”
“Then tell me why you’ve been groveling before the Black Faction Elders.”
In that instant, Jong Mu Seok’s face turned ashen.
My mouth went dry, and my heart raced wildly. I’d expected him to ask about the Elders’ corruption, but not about my painful past.
“That is… that’s…”
“Ah? I suppose that might be a sore memory for you. Though I don’t know what it is.”
Moyong Bi retrieved his baton again.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you pay for it. Would a quarter hour and a half suffice this time?”
Jong Mu Seok’s eyes rolled back.
“No! I’ll tell you!”
“For free? You’re sure?”
“Of course!”
“Selfless devotion—I do appreciate that.”
Moyong Bi put the baton away and crouched before Jong Mu Seok.
“So, which member of the Black Faction has leverage over you?”
“Yun Hak Ja of Gon Ryun.”
“I suspected as much. So why do you grovel before him?”
Jong Mu Seok answered readily.
Moyong Bi listened with a smile, but his expression gradually became expressionless. Since he spoke with his head bowed, Jong Mu Seok couldn’t see his face.
“Thus, I had no choice but to move as Yun Hak Ja desired. In the process, I received sufficient compensation…”
“I see.”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
There was no response, no reaction in return.
The moment Jong Mu Seok cautiously lifted his head.
Crack!
A devastating slap sent my body crashing into the right wall.
Whoosh!
A Killing Intent that consumed even darkness filled the Solitary Confinement Cell.
Jong Mu Seok’s mouth was completely torn, blood streaming down his face, and he lost control of his bladder right there.
“Jong Mu Seok.”
He couldn’t even respond. Moyong Bi’s Killing Intent was so devastating that no voice could escape his throat.
“If you don’t move exactly as I command, you’ll be living with me for the rest of your life.”
“…!!”
“You won’t be able to die until I do. Of course, you won’t go mad either. Just live on like a worm, that’s all.”
A fate worse than death—to live without even the mercy of madness.
Jong Mu Seok, overwhelmed by a Killing Intent a hundred times more vicious than that of the Demon People, lost consciousness right there on the spot.
Moyong Bi’s face, as he stared down at Jong Mu Seok, twisted further and further.
“Should I just kill this bastard here?”
Creak.
The door to the Solitary Confinement Cell opened, and Meng Ha Sung entered.
“Tambi Ryeong-ju.”
“….”
“It’s time to leave.”
After glaring at Jong Mu Seok for a long while, Moyong Bi walked past Meng Ha Sung and Gong Sun Baek behind him.
But only for a moment.
“Commander.”
“Speak.”
“I understand you’ve made extensive preparations for the greater good, for the Martial Alliance’s restoration, for a distant future.”
“….”
“If you fail to restore the Martial Alliance, you’ll die by my hand first. Do you understand?”
Gong Sun Baek nodded with a troubled expression.
Meng Ha Sung spoke in a dark voice.
“Then take my head first.”
Moyong Bi glanced back at Meng Ha Sung.
“If we fail, there will be so many who must take the Alliance Leader’s head that my turn will never come.”
“….”
“I hope you’ve truly felt today what the position of Alliance Leader truly means.”

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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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