Surviving as the Heavenly Demon’s Concubine - Chapter 5

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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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“Hmm. That’s a good question.”

Sangwan Baek stroked his beard and smiled contentedly.

He liked her attitude of wanting to take steady steps with her feet firmly planted on the ground rather than clinging to slim hopes and harboring unrealistic dreams.

“If you fail to receive the Emperor’s favor even once after five years in the palace, you lose your rank and are demoted to commoner status. At that point, you can choose between becoming a palace maid and continuing to stay in the Palace of the Concubines, or leaving the palace entirely to live as an ordinary demon cultist. In the latter case, you can even marry another man, so isn’t that truly a generous arrangement?”

Riser’s eyes widened.

‘The concubine system is more cold-hearted than I thought.’

She didn’t know how it was in actual dynasties, but at least the Palace of the Concubines in the Demon Sect wasn’t lenient enough to feed and house women who never received favor until they died of old age.

If they deemed a concubine completely hopeless, they would either convert her to a palace maid to use as labor, or simply dismiss her altogether.

‘Still, allowing marriage is definitely reasonable.’

Through this brief conversation, Riser could envision her future.

A thousand days in Cheonryeon Palace, plus five years in the Palace of the Concubines living quietly without drawing attention, then leaving the palace. During that time, she would diligently save money like a squirrel gathering acorns to use as capital for business.

“So train hard while you’re in Cheonryeon Palace. If you persevere consistently, even if you can’t fulfill your role as a concubine, you’ll find a way to survive as a demon cultist.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sangwan Baek nodded with satisfaction at Riser’s earnest response.

“I won’t say it will be easy. When you’re studying difficult and unfamiliar subjects in a place without a single friend your age, you’ll inevitably feel like running away. Whenever that happens, remember this: whatever you end up doing in the future, doing it within Mount Shiwandai is far better than outside.”

“Yes, Palace Master. Thank you for your advice.”

Riser was genuinely grateful.

* * *

A few months later.

“You said there wouldn’t be any friends my age, didn’t you?”

Riser looked up at Sangwan Baek with a puzzled expression.

Sangwan Baek avoided her gaze with an embarrassed face and cleared his throat awkwardly. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way either.

“How is it my fault that your family has loose lips?”

The situation was as follows.

Rumors had spread throughout the Central Plains martial arts world that a young girl from the Sichuan Dang Family was joining the sect, and would become a concubine immediately after completing her training at Cheonryeon Palace.

Strictly speaking, Riser had been recommended as a concubine from the start and was merely passing through Cheonryeon Palace, but the public understood it exactly the opposite way.

What! You can become the Heavenly Emperor’s concubine just by going through Cheonryeon Palace?!

“Cheonryeon Palace isn’t that kind of institution, is it?”

“Exactly.”

Sangwan Baek looked haggard, having been harassed by the great families over the past few months.

No matter how much he explained that no such system existed, those damned martial artists seemed to have their ears plugged and wouldn’t listen to reason.

“They kept squawking about why the Sichuan Dang Family was allowed but not the Namgung Household, so I had no choice but to make an exception. Then when the Namgung Household was permitted, the Hebei Peng Family started clamoring for permission too.”

“You’ve had a hard time.”

And so the Moyong Family, Seohmun Family, Jeghal Family, Jincheon Family, Hwangbo Family, Sando Akga, and Shincheong Yangga each sent one daughter. Then the Nine Sects Alliance, feeling threatened, quietly selected and sent female disciples as well.

When the orthodox martial arts world acted in such unison, could the unorthodox martial arts world just sit still?

When Haohmun, Nolimchae, and Janggang Sulochaek all started stirring, Sangwan Baek had no choice but to hastily establish a preliminary concubine training center inside Cheonryeon Palace.

“Hmph. Do you even know who started all this trouble?”

“First Wife?”

“…You’re right, but still!”

Sangwan Baek took a deep breath to cool his boiling anger.

‘Whew. Calm down.’

Who could he blame for Central Plains martial artists being ignorant and unreasonable when they hadn’t even learned the great doctrines of the Demon Sect?

Taking his anger out on innocent Riser would be pointless.

“Anyway, it’s not bad for you. You have classmates now, so you’ll be less lonely, and having someone to share the hardships of being in a strange place will make it more bearable.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

Riser answered neutrally.

She knew that having more people around wasn’t necessarily always a good thing. While Riser was generally positive, she was by no means blindly optimistic.

“What kind of child gives such an answer… No, you’ve always had an oddly mature side from the beginning.”

“Me?”

Riser’s eyes widened as if hearing this for the first time. Sangwan Baek pretended not to notice.

“I should get going now. You hurry along too and go mingle with those ignorant and disgusting little martial artists.”

“I’m also from a martial arts family though.”

“You? Hahaha!”

Sangwan Baek laughed as if he’d heard the most ridiculous thing and disappeared.

The Sichuan Dang Family was already receiving quite a few looks of ‘That’s orthodox? That’s a martial artist?’ so this stung a bit.

‘I guess being harassed by the other families has made his personality a bit strange.’

Riser thought about how scary stress could be as she trudged toward the building where the girls were gathered.

‘Oh no. I’m late.’

The assembly hall she reached after following a guide for quite a while.

Inside, roughly thirty to forty girls were sitting together in small groups, and there were already signs of similar types clustering together.

“If I’d known this would happen, I should have brought some taffy or something…”

Riser regretted not bringing soft, sweet little snacks that could melt the hearts of teenage girls as she looked around.

If she stayed silent now because it felt awkward to approach first, an irreversible situation could develop later.

‘I suppose kids from similar backgrounds would find it easier to get along.’

Among the girls from various backgrounds, a group wearing particularly expensive-looking silk clothes caught her eye.

Those girls were most likely from martial arts families.

“Hello. What are you talking about so enthusiastically?”

Riser drew on her experienced transfer student skills from her previous life, speaking in a tone that was lively but not so lively as to be burdensome, friendly but not so friendly as to seem ridiculous.

“Huh?”

A short girl in navy silk clothes looked Riser up and down. Fortunately, Riser’s appearance seemed to pass inspection, as she slowly nodded and answered.

“We were talking about whether the Sect Leader will appear at today’s banquet.”

“Ah.”

So there was a banquet.

Come to think of it, there was no way there wouldn’t be some commemorative event on the first day when daughters from renowned martial arts families across the Central Plains had been sent.

Then a girl in gorgeous white silk embroidered densely with silver and gold thread snorted and said,

“Hmph, there’s no way he’ll appear. According to information gathered by our Namgung Clan, the Sect Leader is currently in closed-door training. I can swear on my family’s name!”

Riser was startled by the Namgung girl’s boldness.

Wouldn’t the Namgung Clan lose face if the Sect Leader actually participated in the banquet?

“I-I see. But isn’t there a possibility his closed-door training might end today?”

When Riser unconsciously tried to ease the Namgung girl’s burden with her comment, the girl instead flew into a rage.

“What did you say? Who are you to dare say such a thing!”

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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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