Chapter 36

Chapter 36. Brocade Demon Library (1)

“I was clearly the one who assigned you the mission, yet I am the last person to receive your report.”

Black Blood Unit Leader Yang Gwa frowned.

Why was he looking at me like he had bitten into something rotten?

It was not like I returned late because I wanted to.

“I kept getting summoned by the higher-ups.”

“I heard. You entered the main hall, did you not?”

“The rumor has already spread?”

“Not that far. This Unit Leader has a few connections among the higher-ups, so I happened to hear about it.”

It seemed the story of me entering the main hall was already circulating among the upper ranks.

Well, if compared to the Imperial Palace, it was like an ordinary soldier walking directly into the palace.

It was understandable that the important people would be surprised.

“Fortunately, no one seems to be actively investigating your background yet. However, rumors will slowly spread. And that means...”

“The traitors may start taking an interest in me.”

“Correct. You will need to be careful about everything from now on.”

Having the rebels focus their attention on me was troublesome, but I had already accepted that possibility.

After all, my entire goal was to capture them and build my reputation.

And for the time being, they probably would not move recklessly.

I only learned this after everything was finished, but Woo Family Manor had been a fairly powerful family within the Demonic Cult.

If compared to the orthodox martial world, they were probably around the level of the Hwangbo Family or Seomun Family, just below the Five Great Families.

With a family that powerful being destroyed, what madman would dare move carelessly right now?

“You seem more relaxed than I expected.”

“A great family like Woo Family Manor was just destroyed. Unless someone is insane, would they really dare touch me now? Ah, I am going to drink some water. My throat is dry.”

“Even so, do not become careless. The corpse of the assassin you killed disappeared last night.”

Pfft!

Damn it.

I spat the water I was drinking directly into the Unit Leader's face.

“...”

“S, sorry. More importantly, what did you just say? The corpse of that archer disappeared?”

“Correct. It disappeared last night before the autopsy. There were no signs of intrusion either. He probably used a False Death Art to place himself in a deathlike state and escaped secretly.”

“What are you talking about? I definitely crushed that bastard's neck...”

I suddenly realized something.

Right.

That bastard had come from the Slaughter Dragon Hall.

And one of the Slaughter Dragon Hall's specialties was the Bone-Contraction Art.

“That crazy bastard. He must have broken his own neck before I could completely crush it, just to fake his death.”

“From his perspective, it was probably a final gamble. And it worked.”

The Unit Leader pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his clothes and handed it to me.

“Read this. It is a letter found in Lady Woo's residence.”

I will send Silent Arrow to kill the concubine Hyeonri and her son. In return, implant the Blood Gu into the Sword Demon.

“Unit Leader, this...”

“It is undoubtedly a letter from the apostate behind the Black and White Demon Venerable's rebellion.”

“And he calls the man I fought ‘Silent Arrow.’”

Silent Arrow.

A fitting name.

I should remember it.

“Either way, be careful. An assassin serving the apostate survived, and he probably bears a grudge against you.”

“That actually works in my favor.”

“What?”

“I regretted simply killing him. If I capture him alive next time, I should be able to uncover the apostate's identity.”

“...That is certainly a bold way of thinking.”

“You dislike it?”

“Anyone who dislikes that kind of thinking has no right to call themselves a member of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

The Unit Leader pulled out a wooden token and a wooden box containing an elixir, then tossed both onto the table.

“Your reward for this mission. The Six Paths Demon Pill I promised you, along with an entry token for the Strong Demon Library.”

An entry token for the Strong Demon Library.

It was definitely useful.

But what I needed now was something one level higher.

Entry into the Brocade Demon Library.

“Unit Leader, can you get me into the Brocade Demon Library instead?”

“Listen carefully. Your rank is Demon Soldier. Even the Strong Demon Library normally requires the rank of Demon Lord. Yet you are asking to enter the Brocade Demon Library, a place reserved for Demon Venerables, Demonic Clan Heads, and people personally guaranteed by them?”

As expected, entering the Brocade Demon Library as a mere Demon Soldier seemed impossible.

“Do not be greedy. Even this Unit Leader cannot enter the Brocade Demon Library. You can find plenty of high-level martial arts inside the Strong Demon Library.”

Normally, I would have accepted that.

But the Cult Leader himself told me there were martial arts inside the Brocade Demon Library that suited me.

He had also ordered me to find my own method of entering.

That was definitely some kind of test.

I had to enter the Brocade Demon Library somehow.

Should I simply sneak inside?

“If you are thinking of infiltrating the Brocade Demon Library, forget it. One of the Eight Demon Venerables, the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable, personally manages the place.”

“...If I sneak in and get caught, will I die?”

“If your martial arts are stronger than the Brush Slayer Demon Venerable's, you will survive. Are they?”

“Not yet.”

“Leave. You just finished a major mission, so I will give you fifteen days of leave.”

Fifteen days.

It was far too short to properly cultivate new martial arts.

Still, the Unit Leader was probably showing me as much consideration as he could.

I would need to think of some way to enter the Brocade Demon Library during that time.

“Unit Leader, we have a huge problem!!”

Bang!

Someone threw open the door so violently it nearly broke.

There was only one person in the entire Black Blood Unit who would talk to the Unit Leader like that.

“Huh? Crazy bastard, you were here too?”

“It has been a while, Deputy Unit Leader.”

“Anyway, that is not important. Unit Leader! We have a huge problem!!”

Should I call her cheerful?

Or simply stupid?

Unlike the Deputy Unit Leader, the Unit Leader pressed his fingers against his forehead as though a headache had already started.

“I understand, but could you at least speak respectfully in front of other people? Because of you, discipline inside the unit is falling apart.”

“Why are you whining about something so small? Anyway, I said we have a huge problem!”

“The huge problem is your lack of common sense, you crazy bitch. Fine. What happened?”

“The Sword Demon Clan Head is standing outside the Black Blood Unit!!”

“...What?”

The Unit Leader's gaze slowly moved toward me.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“He obviously came because of you. Get out there.”

“How do you know he came because of me?! I am being falsely accused here.”

“Did you leave your conscience behind at the Sword Demon Clan? Stop causing trouble and get out!”

“Ah, there you are.”

When I stepped outside the barracks, the Sword Demon welcomed me with a bright expression.

The Unit Leader had been right.

He really did come looking for me.

“It has been a while... actually, not really. We saw each other in the main hall just a few days ago.”

The Sword Demon laughed loudly the moment he saw me.

“Is your body all right?”

“Yes... thanks to you. I thought you would have returned to your clan by now, but you are still staying at the main headquarters?”

“I am required to remain here until matters concerning Woo Family Manor are completely resolved. In truth, it is practically house arrest.”

Hmm.

Honestly, this was a little uncomfortable.

In the end, I had helped bring about the destruction of his wife's family.

Thankfully, he still seemed friendly toward me.

“Even now, agents from the Military Strategy Department are following me.”

“...Maybe it is just my imagination, but you look like you are enjoying yourself.”

“Hahahahaha! It has been many years since someone followed me like this. It makes me feel young again!”

If he planned to say it this loudly, why had he whispered at the start?

Whatever.

At least his expression was bright.

“More importantly, you really are a member of the Black Blood Unit. I assumed you were secretly an agent of the Military Strategy Department.”

“The Black Blood Unit is under the Military Strategy Department anyway, so you were not completely wrong.”

“That is true.”

While I exchanged meaningless conversation with the Sword Demon, I felt several sharp gazes stabbing into my back.

The Deputy Unit Leader and the other Black Blood Unit members were staring at me suspiciously.

They had only their eyes sticking out from behind the wall.

“What the hell? That crazy bastard knows the Sword Demon?”

“Is that a fake Sword Demon? How can the lunatic who bragged about aiming a bow at the Cult Leader be that friendly with the Sword Demon?”

“Exactly. Maybe he hired someone to pretend to be the Sword Demon so he could look impressive.”

“Watch your mouth, idiot! What if he is real?! If that is actually the Sword Demon, he can probably hear us from that distance!”

What a bunch of idiots.

Were they children?

Look at them suddenly ducking down.

“Hahaha. The Black Blood Unit certainly has many... unique members.”

“I have not been here very long, but I agree. We even have a Deputy Unit Leader who speaks casually to the Unit Leader.”

“And a Demon Soldier whose martial arts rival a Demon Lord. One who even endured the pain of the Spirit Returning Demon Pill.”

The Sword Demon looked me up and down.

“To be honest, I am extremely curious about your identity. Your martial arts are unusual. Your mind is sharp. You seem to possess extensive experience. And you are even receiving support from the Cheon Family.”

“Pardon? What are you talking about?”

“Are you pretending not to know? The reason I came all the way to the Black Blood Unit was because of Princess Wolyeong's request.”

Wolyeong's request?

What did he mean?

“Judging by your expression, you truly did not know.”

“P, please explain.”

“This morning, the Right Envoy personally delivered a letter from the Princess. She asked me to help you enter the Brocade Demon Library.”

“...”

“Let me ask just in case. You are not secretly the Princess's lover, are you?”

Cold.

A blade seemed to pierce my chest...

“Hahahahaha! I am joking. Why did your face suddenly become so stiff? Anyone looking at you might think it was true!”

...Never mind.

Thank goodness.

“Anyway, let us head to the Brocade Demon Library. If you want, I can even help you choose martial arts.”

“Thank you, Clan Head.”

“When we are alone, simply call me Elder Brother. If you had not risked your life to protect Madam Hyeon and Kang, I would have lost my wife and child at the same time.”

The Sword Demon laughed heartily and slapped my shoulder.

Someone comparable to the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains was telling me to call him Elder Brother.

Risking my life for Hyeonri and Won Kang really had been worthwhile.

“Let us go. To the Brocade Demon Library.”

“Yes, Brother Won.”

Honestly, I still could not completely understand why the Sword Demon treated me this warmly.

I was his benefactor, but even considering that, he seemed unusually friendly.

Still, forming a good relationship with him could only benefit me.

Building connections with influential figures inside the Demonic Cult would be a tremendous help when the time came for me to be recognized as Prince Consort.

At the same time, inside a mansion hidden deep within a forest.

“What is this? You survived?”

“I apologize, Master.”

Silent Arrow knelt before the man sitting inside the pavilion.

His voice contained rough emotions, anger, humiliation, and frustration.

“I deserve to die a hundred times for failing the mission. However, I judged that I should first report what happened to Master before dying.”

“Hahahahaha. I thought I was using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken, but I never imagined that butcher's knife itself would break.”

Silent Arrow's master smiled while rolling a Blood Gu between his fingers.

“I no longer need a rusted blade, but I will at least listen to your excuse. Tell me. How did you fail something as simple as assassinating a concubine and her brat?”

“Do you remember the Black Blood Unit member named Bi Anso, the one who killed Jang Gal in the Great Desert?”

“I do.”

“He had infiltrated the Sword Demon Clan.”

“So you and all your subordinates were defeated by that one man? Nonsense. Are you lying to your master because you are ashamed of failing?”

“He came from the Three-No Sect.”

Silence filled the pavilion.

The Three-No Sect.

A sect created by Thousand-Faced Soul-Stealing Ghost Baekro, and once considered the greatest assassin organization under heaven.

It was shocking enough that anyone survived its destruction fourteen years ago under the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Net.

Yet one of those survivors had somehow entered the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

“...You are absolutely certain?”

“This servant came from the Slaughter Dragon Hall, the organization destroyed by Thousand-Faced Soul-Stealing Ghost Baekro. There is no possibility I failed to recognize his martial arts! Please believe me!”

Silent Arrow repeatedly smashed his forehead against the ground.

He struck so hard that blood splattered every time his head hit the earth, and the ground shook with heavy thuds.

“Enough.”

The man used Object Manipulation through Empty Space to stop Silent Arrow from moving.

He restrained my body using only Object Manipulation through Empty Space! Master's martial arts have advanced even further than before!

Silent Arrow raised his head.

Whether from interest or some other emotion, his master's eyes narrowed and released a sharp light.

“Explain everything that happened.”

“Yes, Master.”

Silent Arrow began reporting everything that had happened at the Sword Demon Clan.

By the time the story ended, desire had begun filling the apostate's eyes.

“A survivor of the Three-No Sect, Bi Anso.”

“Interesting.”

“Master, if you grant this servant one more chance, I will definitely kill him...”

“No.”

“Before that, I should meet him personally.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Is it not natural that I would want to see the face of the man who stole the Sword Demon Clan from me?”

The apostate slowly licked his lips like a greedy serpent.

“Whether I kill him or make him mine, I will decide after seeing him.”