The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 40

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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 40

In less than half a day, the rumor spread like wildfire.

The news that the current Cheonma had finally taken a disciple struck the interior of the Demonic Sect like lightning.

Centered around those who had been at the scene of the Geomun-gak incident, Seolha’s existence spread throughout the entire territory in an instant.

Everything about her—from her background and gender to her family relationships—was quickly shared.

Though Cheonma had three sons, none had yet been designated as his successor.

Naturally, Cheonma’s exclusive martial arts had not been passed down either.

At such a time, suddenly appearing like a comet was Cheonma’s disciple.

Seolha instantly rose to become a key figure in the Demonic Sect.

“Drink up. It should taste quite good.”

There weren’t many in the Headquarters who had the privilege of drinking tea personally brewed by Tak Joong-hak.

Who was he, after all?

As the head of the Hyeon-ma Tak Clan, one of the Mageyo Yukdae Magga, he was someone who received praise from all people that dared rival Cheonma’s prestige.

A legendary family that had stood at the forefront to fight and protect the Headquarters whenever it faced danger since the establishment of the Demonic Sect.

When the Demonic Sect stood at the crossroads of survival due to the Blood Sect’s invasion decades ago, it was also the current head of the Tak clan, Tak Joong-hak, who led them to victory after a life-or-death struggle.

The tale of how he saved the current Cheonma, who was just a child at the time, was etched in the hearts of countless demon followers, to be passed down through generations.

Though called the Six Great Demon Clans and mentioned as one group, the Hyeon-ma Tak Clan was truly the foremost prestigious family of the Demonic Sect and the most respected household.

“Your skill remains as excellent as ever, Elder.”

Sim Ui-cheon was genuinely impressed.

Though he also brewed and drank tea himself daily, he could never match this flavor.

“It’s new tea I brought in from the Western Regions last month. It hasn’t been aged long.”

“How could there be anything better than this?”

“Tea tastes different every time. That’s what makes it interesting.”

“Honestly, I don’t find it very interesting. I’m satisfied just gratefully receiving and drinking it when you occasionally brew it for me like this, Elder.”

“That’s fine by me. As long as Clan Head Sim doesn’t forget this old man and comes to visit.”

A benevolent smile spread across Tak Joong-hak’s face as he looked at Sim Ui-cheon, the young clan head leading the Demonic Blade Sim family.

“What are you saying? When you spare your precious time for me, Elder, it’s my honor.”

“What honor for an old man in the back room? I have no interest in outside affairs anymore. Young generations like you will handle things well on your own.”

“Please don’t trust your juniors too much. We still have a long way to go to match your experience and wisdom, Elder.”

“So you came here curious about my thoughts?”

Tak Joong-hak’s eyes gleamed coldly for a moment as he set down his teacup.

“He took a disciple, I hear.”

“…”

“Did he have a change of heart with age? He acted as if he’d never take a disciple in his lifetime, so I too found it unexpected.”

“She’s seventeen years old, a girl from a maid background living alone with her grandmother.”

“The granddaughter from the noodle shop, right?”

Contrary to his words about having no interest in outside affairs, he seemed to already know quite a lot.

It was only natural.

The intelligence organization that the Hyeon-ma Tak Clan had cultivated over many years was spread not only throughout the Demonic Sect but across all of Jungwon.

Its scale was said to rival even Gwihongak, so it would be stranger if he didn’t know.

Sim Ui-cheon was troubled.

Though he knew full well that Tak Joong-hak would be aware of this, he had deliberately visited for a different reason.

However, now that it came to bringing up that topic, his mouth wouldn’t open easily. It was because he knew all too well that this was like touching his reverse scale.

The moment he started the conversation, tremendous anger might pour down on him.

Nevertheless, what Sim Ui-cheon couldn’t give up was his respect for Tak Joong-hak.

And it was also for the sake of his friend.

“They say her talent is quite outstanding.”

“That’s why the Sect Leader took her as a disciple, isn’t it?”

“My thoughts are somewhat different.”

“You think there’s another reason?”

“Yes.”

Tak Joong-hak waited for a moment, but for some reason, Sim Ui-cheon held back his words.

“Strange. Unlike you to hesitate about something.”

“…She resembles her.”

“…?”

“Seon-hwa…”

“…What?”

“She looks exactly like Seon-hwa.”

Tak Joong-hak’s pupils dilated. Though he had never forgotten her for a single day, it was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time.

“I was also at Geomun-gak. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it. She looked so exactly like Seon-hwa in her teens that for a moment I thought she had come back to life.”

“So what you’re saying is… the disciple the Sect Leader took resembles my dead daughter Seon-hwa, is that what you mean?”

“The word ‘resembles’ is insufficient. She’s identical enough to be called twins, no, identical enough that she could be called Seon-hwa’s daughter.”

“It’s been nearly twenty years since Seon-hwa left us. Your memory must be wrong, or you’re badly mistaken.”

“Seon-hwa was my closest friend. Just because I haven’t seen her for a long time, how could I forget her? This is absolutely no exaggeration. If you were to see her yourself, Elder, you would more than understand my feelings.”

Sim Ui-cheon’s tone was more resolute than ever.

Tak Joong-hak stared quietly at such Sim Ui-cheon.

Having watched him since childhood, he was confident he knew his character better than anyone.

Though he had inherited the position of clan head at an early age and struggled a bit initially, he eventually demonstrated his innate intelligence and leadership to proudly maintain the position of the Six Great Demon Clans—he was an excellent talent.

In other words, he was at least not the type to deliberately visit and speak nonsense like today.

“Are you saying that child truly resembles her that much?”

“Would you believe it only if you entered the palace and saw for yourself?”

It had been over ten years since Tak Joong-hak last had a private audience with the Sect Leader.

Though he was the head of the Six Great Demon Clans and bore responsibility for the central pillar of the Demonic Sect, coincidentally, to Tak Joong-hak, Cheonma was the culprit who had caused him to lose his daughter.

“That damned bastard, to go so far as to take a disciple…!”

A thunderous roar erupted.

Tak Joong-hak truly despised Cheonma, who had driven his daughter to death yet still couldn’t abandon that obsession.

“Cheon-yeong.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

At Tak Joong-hak’s call, a response came from somewhere around the ceiling.

“Investigate that child thoroughly. Who her parents are, where she was born and raised, what her grandmother’s past was like. If she deliberately approached after learning about the relationship between the Sect Leader and Seon-hwa, I will not forgive that child.”

How dare she use his dead daughter to win Cheonma’s favor?

If his suspicions proved true, whether she was Cheonma’s disciple or not, Tak Joong-hak would not stand for it.

She had been his only daughter.

When he first heard of the death of his daughter, whom he had obtained late in life and raised as precious as gold and jade, he shed tears of blood for three days.

What was even more devastating was the fact that they couldn’t even find her body, so they couldn’t hold a proper funeral or even build a decent grave.

It was from that time that Tak Joong-hak’s relationship with the Sect Leader became strained.

The unprecedented chaos caused by Cheonma, whom he had raised like a son, coveting his daughter.

Though he wanted to forget, the unforgettable memories of a lifetime resurfaced, and Tak Joong-hak flew into a rage.

Crack!

The teacup that had been placed on the table shattered in his hand.

What was surprising was that though the teacup had clearly broken with a sound, it left no trace whatsoever.

The table surface was clean without a single speck of scattered powder.

Only the teacup had disappeared.

At that very moment when Tak Joong-hak was bursting with anger and steeling his resolve.

Creak.

The door of Shin Geum’s Noodle Shop opened and a middle-aged man wearing a black robe entered.

It was the busy evening business hours, so there was exactly one remaining seat.

The man naturally sat there and ordered a bowl of noodles and a plate of dumplings.

Creak.

Just then, the shop door opened again and three customers barged in.

Shin Geum, who was just bringing out noodles from the kitchen, made a fuss while apologizing.

“Oh my, what should I do? We’ve run out of ingredients for today and this is the last bowl. If you come tomorrow, I’ll steam you a whole plate of dumplings for free! So don’t forget and make sure to come back!”

Emphasizing tomorrow once more to the customers who were leaving while smacking their lips, Shin Geum flipped over the sign that read “Open for Business.”

A little while later, the customers who had been eating left one by one, leaving only the man in black robes who had been the last to order.

“What brings Military Advisor Gong here?”

The person who had come to see Shin Geum was none other than Gong Pae-cheon, the Ghostly Horned Sect leader.

“Is it perhaps about Seolha?”

Shin Geum, who urgently took a seat across from him, had a completely different atmosphere than before.

Her face was definitely that of Shin Geum, Seolha’s grandmother, but judging by her voice alone, she sounded like a woman of Gong Pae-cheon’s age or even younger.

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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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