Chapter 21. Sword Demon Clan (2)
Before leaving for the Sword Demon Clan's territory, I first visited the Right Envoy's safe house.
This infiltration mission would probably take at least two months.
I needed to say goodbye to Wolyeong before leaving.
I also wanted some advice about the mission.
“If the Heavenly Demon is the emperor, then the Demonic Clans are like feudal lords.”
Wolyeong spoke while eating roasted rabbit meat.
“The territory controlled by our Cult is enormous.”
“It could almost be called a country.”
“Because of that, distant border regions are ruled independently by the Demonic Clans.”
I see.
A feudal system unique to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“And the Six Great Demonic Clans are the greatest among those lords.”
“Yes.”
“Unlike ordinary Demonic Clans, which may only use warriors of their own bloodline, the Six Great Demonic Clans are allowed to maintain private armies.”
According to Wolyeong, all six Great Demonic Clans occupied strategic locations throughout the Cult.
The Sword Demon Clan, in particular, was located near Qinghai Lake.
It was an area where conflicts with the Kongtong Sect happened frequently.
“It is not a coincidence that the Black Blood Unit Leader gave you this mission now.”
“The Sword Demon Clan will soon begin hiring outside martial artists.”
“Outside martial artists?”
“People who have not learned martial arts are drafted as ordinary soldiers.”
“Those who know martial arts take an examination and can be hired as outside martial artists.”
“You can think of them as hired retainers.”
It had been a good idea to visit Wolyeong before leaving.
Of course, I also simply wanted to see her.
But more importantly, she was already helping create a path for my mission.
“Needless to say, you should enter as one of the Sword Demon Clan's outside martial artists.”
“Those warriors are often assigned as guards to blood relatives of the clan.”
“Then I should stand out during the examination and approach Lady Woo.”
“Hmm...”
“Unfortunately, that will probably be impossible.”
“Lady Woo already has excellent guards.”
“She has no reason to hire new ones.”
“Then what should I do?”
Wolyeong thought for a while.
She seemed to be considering a route that would let me approach Lady Woo.
“There is one of the Sword Demon's concubines whom I know personally.”
“Her name is Hyeonri.”
“I will send her a letter telling her to select you as one of her guards.”
“You know the Sword Demon's concubine?”
“How?”
“The Sword Demon used to bring her to banquets at the Demon God Palace.”
“It was obvious she was a favored concubine, so I deliberately built a connection with her.”
A wise person truly prepared pieces everywhere.
“You always have a plan.”
“I never expected that relationship to become useful this way.”
“But if the result is good, is that not enough?”
This was an unexpected advantage.
As long as I passed the outside martial artist examination, I could immediately be placed near the Sword Demon's favored concubine.
Then I would not need to stand out unnecessarily.
It was unfortunate that I could not approach Lady Woo directly, but there was no helping it.
“Do you know what kind of person Lady Woo is?”
“The Military Strategy Department believes she may be connected to the mastermind behind the rebellion.”
“She is a formidable woman.”
“In both good and bad ways.”
“Perhaps someone like Empress Lü of the Han Dynasty.”
Empress Lü.
Wife of Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty.
A powerful woman who wielded enormous authority.
And one of the most infamous women in Central Plains history, known for turning one of Liu Bang's concubines into a human pig after his death.
Wolyeong would not have compared Lady Woo to Empress Lü without reason.
“I see.”
“So Lady Woo is probably constantly trying to kill the concubine Hyeonri.”
“There is no wife in the world who loves her husband's concubine.”
“That means Hyeonri will actively help us if it involves finding Lady Woo's weakness.”
“Do you think Lady Woo is truly involved in the rebellion?”
“I am not certain.”
“But...”
Wolyeong's eyes became quiet and cold.
Like a tiger hiding inside grass while watching prey.
After a moment, she smiled lightly and stopped speaking.
“It is nothing.”
“You should leave quickly, Husband.”
“If you leave now, you should arrive in time for the outside martial artist examination.”
“All right.”
“I’ll be back.”
There are things only married couples can say to one another.
There are also things that cannot be said precisely because they are married.
How could someone casually reveal an ugly scheme that exposed their own coldness to the person they loved?
When rebellion occurs, central authority weakens.
Regional lords and military powers become less disciplined, and conflict spreads.
This was a chain repeated endlessly through thousands of years of history.
Wolyeong was probably thinking this.
Even if Lady Woo had no connection to the rebellion, if false evidence were created and the Sword Demon Clan punished, it could weaken the arrogance of the Demonic Clans and strengthen central authority.
The Cult Leader would likely be pleased.
And it would move me much closer to the position of Prince Consort.
However, because she was my wife, Wolyeong could not bring herself to say such a cruel scheme aloud in front of me.
It was not because she did not trust me.
This was not about trust.
It was simply because no woman wanted the man she loved to see her as ugly.
However, the Book of Changes said, things of the same kind gather together, and creatures form groups with their own kind.
Even without revealing our thoughts to each other, my wife and I had reached the exact same wicked plan.
Sharing brilliant love and shameless schemes.
Perhaps that was what it truly meant to be a match made in heaven.
Time to leave.
To the Sword Demon Clan.
This would be the first true step toward becoming the Prince Consort of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The house was extremely quiet.
Sunlight broke through the leaves and scattered across the courtyard.
A cool wind brushed across the wooden floor.
Following the breeze revealed a peaceful rear garden that was neither large nor small.
At the center of the garden stood an elegant pavilion.
It was unusually refined for such an isolated location, filled with signs of master craftsmanship.
Inside the pavilion, an ordinary-looking man carefully tended a miniature pine tree.
