The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 38
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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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Chapter 38
“Ah, Father!”
Eok Wi-baek, who had been almost losing his mind under Eok I-geon’s intimidation, spotted Cheonma and hurriedly ran over to him.
He looked just like me from earlier.
The relief of thinking ‘I’m saved now’ was transmitted even to me.
“That bastard killed all of my subordinates! He brutally and cruelly murdered innocent, loyal followers! This is clearly a grave crime! Please punish him according to the strict laws of our Main School!”
Eok Wi-baek pleaded while kneeling at Cheonma’s feet.
I was dumbfounded by his behavior of tattling while completely omitting his own wrongdoings, but I had to acknowledge his acting skills.
Even to my eyes, knowing all the circumstances, Eok Wi-baek looked genuinely wronged and indignant.
Cheonma and his party looked around the scene.
Some of them frowned at the horrific sight.
From relatively clean corpses who died instantly with their necks severed in one stroke, to terrible bodies with crushed skulls, to corpses torn all over and unrecognizable.
In that blood-reeking battlefield of slaughter, only Prince Lee Eok I-geon stood alone.
Even after being branded a beast by his own brother, he showed no emotional disturbance.
While it might appear dignified at first glance, his indifferent demeanor somehow gave off an unsettling feeling.
Indeed, only Eok I-geon was covered in blood from head to toe.
If the Eok Wi-baek and Eok Hwi-gyeom brothers were determined to frame him as the culprit, it would be quite difficult for him to escape.
Of course, since there was clearly a witness like me, that wouldn’t happen, but my status as a maid was somewhat concerning.
People in my position traditionally had difficulty gaining the right to speak, and even if they gave testimony, it was often ignored.
Still, since I was somewhat acquainted with Uncle Cheonma, wouldn’t he give me at least one chance to speak?
While I was harboring such expectations, Cheonma finally asked his second son.
“Did you truly do such a thing?”
“Yes.”
Eok I-geon immediately admitted it. The frustrating part was that he didn’t add any explanation for why he did it.
Then Eok Wi-baek flew into a rage instead.
“Look, Father! Even after creating this tragic situation, see how shameless that bastard is, showing no remorse! If he were an ordinary sect member, this would be a crime worthy of destroying his danjeon and rotting in prison for 10 years!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! If you show leniency just because he’s Cheonma’s blood, the discipline of our Main School will collapse. So please don’t be swayed by emotion and make a clear judgment on this matter!”
He’s really determined to get rid of Eok I-geon this time.
If I hadn’t known Eok Wi-baek’s true nature, I might have mistaken him for an apostle of justice seeing his current speech.
“Lord of Ghost Spirit Hall, what are your thoughts? Since you were the one who reported the situation at Geomun-gak, you must have something special to say.”
Ah, so it was you, Gong Pae-cheon, who brought Cheonma here?
If I hadn’t gone to sleep early yesterday, I would have asked Grandmother about him too.
Though it was long ago, I clearly witnessed him visiting the noodle shop and having a long conversation with Shin Geum.
Yet Grandmother seemed not to know what the Lord of Ghost Spirit Hall was.
Whether Gong Pae-cheon’s visit was mere coincidence or had another purpose, given his position, I absolutely had to find out.
“While heading to Macheondeon, I received a report of great turmoil at First Prince’s residence. Considering the situation serious, I abandoned an urgent meeting and brought the Sect Leader here first, which I’m glad we did.”
Gong Pae-cheon was looking at Eok Wi-baek, not Eok I-geon. I could well guess what he meant by being glad.
If they had been just a little later, Eok Wi-baek probably wouldn’t be alive.
In that case, regardless of right and wrong, Eok I-geon would have found it difficult to escape punishment for killing his own brother.
Thanks to his quick judgment, it hadn’t escalated into a major incident.
“I ask Second Prince. For what reason did you do this?”
“What reason could there be! He suddenly barged in and created this mess! These people all died meaningless deaths trying to protect me!”
Though Gong Pae-cheon’s question was directed at Eok I-geon, Eok Wi-baek shouted in indignation.
“I didn’t even use deadly force, thinking he was still blood family, but that bastard tried to kill me without a shred of mercy! That bastard is a demon! He has no brother, no younger sibling, and probably no father in his heart either!”
His actions were pathetic, but he did have some insight.
Startled by Eok Wi-baek’s rebuke, I secretly stole a glance at Eok I-geon, but his expression remained unchanged.
He neither feared nor was bewildered by nor pleased with the current situation. He was simply dignified and composed throughout.
“I asked Second Prince. Because I know he’s not someone who would do this without reason.”
“Lord of Ghost Spirit Hall! Didn’t you hear what I just said? That bastard barged in for no reason!”
“Of course I’m listening. With the Sect Leader present, First Prince surely wouldn’t dare give false testimony.”
“…Of, of course not!”
“I’m simply trying to find the cause of this situation. There might be reasons known only to Second Prince that First Prince is unaware of.”
Yes, Eok I-geon.
Now it’s your turn to refute.
I understand you’re tight-lipped, but could you please speak up now?
Eok Wi-baek’s public opinion manipulation had gone this far.
I didn’t know how much Uncle Cheonma had been swayed, but anyway, the truth started from now.
“My brother kidnapped my maid.”
Finally, Eok I-geon opened his mouth.
But why did his first words have to be about me?
Of course, that was the starting point, but it wasn’t appropriate to bring up as an opening in a situation like this.
Look.
So what?
He caused all this trouble just because one mere maid was kidnapped?
Interpreted this way, everyone had such expressions.
“What? Kidnapped whom?”
Fortunately, one person was different.
It was Cheonma. He had already frowned at my appearance the moment he saw me.
Cheonma interrogated his eldest son in a completely different tone than before.
“Is what your younger brother said true? Did you really kidnap Seolha!”
“K-kidnap! I merely brought her because I had something to ask…”
Eok Wi-baek’s voice grew smaller as he made excuses.
He seemed to have no idea why his father was suddenly angry.
“What could you possibly be curious about regarding Seolha?”
“That is…”
“Did you also tear that child’s clothes?”
“N-no! Father, it absolutely wasn’t something I did!”
Thinking he’d be beaten to death by his father if he admitted it, Eok Wi-baek violently shook his head in denial.
Then Cheonma’s fiery gaze turned to his youngest son.
“Then was it you, Hwi-gyeom?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Eok Hwi-gyeom quickly denied it.
His pupils were trembling tremendously, showing he was quite shocked as well.
And the same went for the leadership who came with Cheonma.
Because their lord’s energy had changed from the moment kidnapping was mentioned.
Just what is that child?
From what we hear, she seems to be Eok I-geon’s maid, but they couldn’t understand why father and son were making such a fuss over that child.
I was also flustered because I hadn’t expected Uncle Cheonma to be this angry.
“If neither of you did it, are you saying Seolha tore her own clothes with her own hands!”
Cheonma’s angry voice echoed thunderously throughout the room.
“How dare you not only kidnap a child I personally taught martial arts to, but even try to do terrible things to her! This is a direct provocation against me, Cheonma!”
Oh no!
How could you say that so loudly in a place like this!
I had earnestly begged you to keep it a secret between us that I learned martial arts!
At Cheonma’s bombshell confession, I unconsciously watched the leadership’s reactions.
Sure enough.
“What did the Sect Leader just say?”
“He taught martial arts to that maid! Did you truly just say that?”
“So that maid becomes the Master’s first disciple?”
Oh my god.
Now quietly resigning was completely out of the question.
Eok Yeo-gwang, the current leader of Cheonma Singyeo, had no disciples.
He had so little interest in raising disciples that he even assigned separate martial arts masters to his three sons.
And yet he had personally said with his own mouth that he taught me.
Though we hadn’t formally established a master-disciple relationship, and he hadn’t passed down Cheonma’s exclusive martial arts, this was still a major event.
Maegyo would be in an uproar for quite some time.
The fact that I was at the center of it all was absurd.
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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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