The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 98

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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 98.
Dang Gon harbored a bitter smile within his heart.
‘The old men. They came running the moment I mastered the Dang Family Poison Technique.’
Dang Pyo was one of the moderates who had supported neither Dang Ryeong nor Dang Bi.
Yet when he heard the rumor that Dang Gon had received the Transforming Flower Water Leaf from Dang Pae and entered the Secret Cave, he sought me out.
“You speak of this with less than a month remaining?”
At Dang Gon’s question, Dang Pyo smiled calmly.
“What does the date matter? It will be the Family Head’s decision regardless.”
“Still, I am taken aback that you would suddenly lend me your support.”
“Individual ability is important, certainly, but the position of Minor Family Head absolutely requires a faction to support it. Without backing, even if the Family Head chooses you, maintaining the Minor Family Head seat would prove difficult.”
He took a sip of tea before continuing.
“That is why your brothers are desperately gathering their own forces.”
“I understand.”
Even if Dang Pae wished to choose Dang Gon, without a solid faction behind him, it would be impossible.
To become the next Family Head, receiving support from at least one-third of the Dang Family’s bloodline was the minimum requirement.
“I came here because the bloodlines of Il Sung Jeon and Ui Shin Jeon have unified their stance. With this, there is nothing lacking for you to be chosen for the Minor Family Head position.”
“Surely there is a price. What do you desire?”
At Dang Gon’s direct question, Dang Pyo nodded as if pleased.
“You have truly changed. You were always courteous and good-natured.”
Dang Pyo took another sip of tea before nodding.
“But that could not be called the bearing of a Minor Family Head. Now, however, it seems you are ready.”
As Dang Gon stared intently at him, Dang Pyo spoke in a low voice.
“The condition is simple. You must prove yourself a capable fighter equal to Dang Ryeong and Dang Bi.”
He glanced subtly at Bu Eunseol and Heuk Pyo before continuing.
“Eliminate the Blood Poison Valley, which has been continuously vexing the main family of late. Then everything will be resolved.”
“Blood Poison Valley… you say?”
As Dang Pyo nodded, Dang Gon’s face darkened.
‘An unreasonable demand.’
Blood Poison Valley was originally nothing more than a small heterodox sect buried in Gwang Jung Mountain.
Yet over the past decade, its power had suddenly surged, and recently it had even cultivated poison masters who feared neither the Dang Family’s toxins nor their assassination techniques.
My current forces amounted to nothing more than Bu Eunseol and Heuk Pyo.
With only these two, it was impossible to eliminate Blood Poison Valley.
“That is….”
Dang Gon was about to shake his head when Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Accept it.”
“What are you saying? Blood Poison Valley is….”
“I have a plan.”
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s gaze and expression, confidence surged through Dang Gon.
An inexplicable faith had somehow taken root—that with Bu Eunseol at my side, even the impossible could be achieved.
“Very well. Let us do this.”
“Good.”
Dang Pyo nodded in acknowledgment.
“You must think I’m making an unreasonable demand, don’t you? But I truly wish to support you.”
Dang Pyo spoke with measured calm.
“Until now, you’ve had no backing whatsoever. If you fail to handle something as significant as Blood Poison Valley, it will be impossible to win the hearts of the Inner Quarters bloodline.”
His words held merit.
Less than a month remained before the Minor Patriarch’s decision.
Without accomplishing something this extraordinary, few of the bloodline would trust and support Dang Gon, who had always stood alone.
“Do not worry, Uncle.”
Dang Gon rose from his seat and clasped his hands respectfully.
“I will certainly resolve the matter of Blood Poison Valley. In return, I ask that you keep your promise as well.”
“Of course. If I came here to speak empty words, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”
Dang Pyo stood with a gentle smile.
“Then, I wish you good fortune.”
After Dang Pyo finally departed, Dang Gon, who had been tense the entire time, exhaled and sat down.
“The old men never miss an opportunity.”
“Old ginger is always the hottest.”
As Bu Eunseol offered her quip, Dang Gon sighed.
“I trust you, but this seems rather impossible.”
“It’s not impossible at all.”
“Blood Poison Valley isn’t some neighborhood Martial Hall—it’s a sect controlling the Heuk Su region. You’re saying the three of us should march there and attack it?”
Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“You have troops at your disposal.”
“Troops? Are you saying I have troops I don’t know about?”
“Didn’t Dang Ryeong say before that he would give you masters from the Poison Arrow Party and the Eight Arm Party?”
Dang Gon couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
“You actually believed that? Besides, the situation is different now than it was then.”
At that time, Dang Ryeong had intended to give him troops to use against Dang Bi.
But now that Dang Gon had become a legitimate Minor Patriarch candidate, would Dang Ryeong truly help him? Dang Gon thought not.
“No matter how good a man my older brother is, this time he absolutely won’t help me.”
“Not at all. He will certainly provide the troops.”
“Why?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with confidence.
“He takes pride in being the eldest of the Dang Family. At the very least, for the sake of his own honor, he will provide some troops.”
* * *
“Just one from the Poison Arrow Party, you say?”
Inside the Seo Hwa Gak, in Dang Ryeong’s Office.
Dang Gon, sitting at the table, barely suppressed his disappointment as he asked, and Dang Ryeong nodded with a smile.
“I apologize. Even with my orders, the party leaders refused….”
Originally, Dang Ryeong had promised to give both the Poison Arrow Party and the Eight Arm Party to Dang Ryeong.
Yet now, he was offering only the Poison Arrow Party—and specifically, a newly reformed Poison Arrow Party composed of freshly trained members.
‘Freshly trained members?’
Dang Gon nearly burst into laughter at the absurdity.
It was impossible to throw inexperienced soldiers directly into fierce combat.
But there was another problem.
If he brought along numerous young warriors and suffered heavy casualties, the failure would be all the more glaring.
“Do you require additional forces?”
The rumor that Dang Gon was heading to Blood Poison Valley had already spread widely throughout the Dang Family.
Yet Dang Ryeong pretended ignorance, deliberately wearing an apologetic expression.
Dang Gon no longer fell for the mask of gentleness and kindness that Dang Ryeong wore.
“Not at all, Elder Brother.”
Dang Gon shook his head with a bright smile.
“How could I ask for more when I’m already receiving support from the young members of the Poison Arrow Party thanks to you? I’m truly grateful.”
“I’m glad you see it that way.”
Dang Ryeong patted Dang Gon’s shoulder as if apologetic.
“I’ll have the Poison Arrow Party members dispatched to Cheong Yang So Chuk immediately.”
“Thank you, Elder Brother.”
Dang Gon bowed with clasped hands.
As he left with an impassive expression, the smile on Dang Ryeong’s face slowly crystallized into something else.
“An unnecessary promise I’ve made.”
With the warm smile gone, Dang Ryeong’s face resembled a serpent that had just shed its skin—venomous and cold.
“Who would have thought Father would suddenly change his mind?”
Since returning from the Secret Cave, Dang Gon had transformed completely—not just in his martial prowess, but in his very nature.
Normally, he couldn’t hide his emotions, yet now he concealed his true thoughts like a cunning fox.
“You shouldn’t have given him the Poison Arrow Party either,” Dang Seo Rin said quietly from beside him.
“Even if they’ve just completed training, the members of the Poison Arrow Party are all warriors worth a hundred men.”
“Hehehehe. Training and actual combat experience are different things.”
Dang Ryeong discarded his cold gaze and resumed his gentle smile, speaking with leisure.
“Young soldiers are all passion and no sense. Those without real combat experience are merely dead weight.”
“Is that… so?”
Dang Ryeong spoke with certainty, yet his expression betrayed no ease.
“Of course. Dang Gon will fail regardless. Only the young members of the Poison Arrow Party will be sacrificed.”
His words were confident, but tension lingered in his features.
Witnessing Dang Gon’s transformation and the way he concealed his true intentions, Dang Ryeong felt that the third son had caught up to him—nearly at his heels.
‘Am I feeling anxious about the third one, who never caught my eye before?’
Dang Ryeong shook his head and forced a smile.
‘No, it’s merely groundless worry. After all, this shouldn’t be a failure.’
No matter how much Dang Gon had improved his martial arts by mastering the Dang Family’s secret techniques, Blood Poison Valley was a major faction with independent power.
With such limited forces, he couldn’t even inflict real damage upon them.
‘That man…’
Only then did Dang Gon realize there remained one more significant variable he had overlooked.
That variable was none other than Bu Eunseol—an enigma unto herself.
A gentle breeze swept across the mountainside.
Young men clad in black martial robes moved with the fluidity of wind, their movements sharp and synchronized.
Each carried a short blade across their back, and at their waists hung pouches of deer leather—repositories for throwing stars.
They were the newly graduated members of the Poison Arrow Party, deployed for their first real engagement.
‘Hmm.’
Standing at the rear, I watched the young men of the Poison Arrow Party execute their techniques, my eyes narrowing slightly.
‘Better than I expected.’
For recruits fresh from training, their footwork was remarkably fluid and disciplined—befitting a clan renowned for the throwing star arts.
Under ordinary circumstances, I would have offered them a word of praise.
‘But real combat will be far harsher.’
In battles involving multiple opponents, nothing surpasses actual field experience.
If these youths were thrown into real combat unprepared, they would falter in confusion, stumbling about until they needlessly threw away their lives.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
At last, as we arrived at Gwang Jung Mountain where Blood Poison Valley lay, Dang Gon raised his hand from the front.
The young members of the Poison Arrow Party following behind immediately ceased their movements and crouched low.
“There lies Blood Poison Valley.”
At Dang Gon’s words, all the youths of the Poison Arrow Party lifted their heads and gazed down into the gorge below.
Most sects bearing the name “valley” typically exploit geographical advantages to transform their headquarters into fortress-like strongholds.
But Blood Poison Valley had no such need—every member was a poison master, so they feared no ambush.
“From this point forward, you will….”
Dang Gon trailed off, exhaling heavily.
The young members of the Poison Arrow Party stood rigid with tension, their bodies locked tight before their first real battle.
‘If they’re deployed like this, they’ll be annihilated.’
At that moment, I stepped forward and spoke.
“I have a strategy that may serve us well.”
“A strategy?”
I addressed the young men of the Poison Arrow Party directly.
“You lack real combat experience, but I observed earlier—your footwork is quite exceptional.”
Masters of the throwing star arts must possess swift hands and feet.
The Dang Family, renowned for throwing star techniques, excels not only in the art itself but in movement as well.
“Command them to have Heuk Pyo lead the Poison Arrow Party members in a covert infiltration of Blood Poison Valley.”
“Infiltration? And then?”
“Have them set fire to the main structures.”
“Fire? You mean…?”
“Indeed. There’s no need to burn them completely—merely draw their attention. No direct combat is necessary; simply obstruct those attempting to extinguish the flames.”
Dang Gon fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.
“We are not bandits. However wicked Blood Poison Valley may be, setting fires to strike at them is not righteous.”
“It’s merely a distraction. I’m not suggesting we actually burn the place down.”
Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“The Blood Poison Valley is also a faction that specializes in poison and assassination. There’s only one thing they need to protect.”
At that, Dang Gon’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
“You mean something like the main family’s Poison Repository.”
For sects that rely on poison, the most precious resource is poison itself.
The Sichuan Dang Family’s Poison Repository not only stored countless deadly toxins painstakingly crafted through secret family techniques, but also housed rare creatures like the White Crane Spirit Snake and the Ten-Thousand Poison Golden Tortoise—beasts that gold alone could never procure.
The Blood Poison Valley, which primarily wielded poison, surely maintained a similar repository of their own deadly arsenal.
“Such places are guarded by high-ranking officials. Set a fire, and they’ll come running immediately.”
“I see.”
Dang Gon nodded, as if grasping the entire scheme.
A feint operation.
Bu Eunseol would ignite a fire to misdirect the enemy’s attention and forces, while simultaneously striking down the leadership in one swift stroke.

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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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