Chapter 10: The Plotters (1)
The Heavenly Demon’s daughters have a condition called Nine Yin Vein Disorder.
Although the Leader of the Martial Alliance made a shocking declaration, it was something I already knew.
‘But isn’t it only one daughter?’
The Grand Princess.
Officially, the Heavenly Demon has only one daughter.
And she had Nine Yin Vein Disorder. I was aware that one of the Heavenly Demon’s daughters had this condition.
Could there be more illegitimate children I didn’t know about?
“What… what are you saying? The Heavenly Demon has three daughters…? And all three have Nine Yin Vein Disorder…?”
The monk, unaware of this information, looked at the leader with a face full of betrayal, but the leader simply shrugged in response.
“It’s intel from Kunlun, monk. He had three daughters with a master of Ice Arts, and all of them, except for the youngest, the current Grand Princess, are ‘dead’.”
Dead.
It’s a figure of speech; in reality, it’s not true.
“Officially, yes. But that’s only because of the Heavenly Demon’s cold nature. In truth, they’re still alive. The Heavenly Demon abandoned all but the current Grand Princess, but they are definitely alive.”
Ah.
They were abandoned.
Two women’s faces briefly flashed through my mind.
“And those two women seek revenge. Even while suffering from Nine Yin Vein Disorder, they crave revenge against the Heavenly Demon who discarded them.”
All but the most talented daughter were denied their familial ties—
‘Were they thrown into a cave?’
The Heavenly Demon was truly dedicated to cultivating his sleeper agents.
Two orphans, discarded by the Heavenly Demon himself, were part of these sleeper agents meant to destroy the various martial sects.
They survived tenaciously and both secured their positions.
Just as I established my place within the Murong family, others had also found their proper places.
Sleeper agents recognize each other.
We know where each of us has infiltrated.
Especially for someone like me, whose past hasn’t been thoroughly concealed, it’s likely that some of the core courtesans among the Demonic Cult spread across each brothel know that I am a disciple of the Demonic Arts.
Of course, I don’t worry.
There are things I’ve done and endured as a doctor that could balance out being from the Demonic Cult.
‘Besides, we no longer live in an era where being from the Demonic Cult means you’re someone to be hunted down and killed.’
Being from the Demonic Cult is more like a label of a loser in history.
Ever since the Heavenly Demon was one-sidedly defeated by the Sword Saint, the Demonic Cult has been nothing more than a cult in name, gradually wasting away until they had no choice but to close their doors.
But even so—
‘The Heavenly Demon used his own daughters as sleeper agents?’
Thinking about the Heavenly Demon, I felt a wave of nausea rising from within.
“In fact, this person is also not unrelated to Nine Yin Vein Disorder.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Because my eldest disciple, Kunlun’s chief disciple Jin Hyeon, is the eldest daughter of the Heavenly Demon’s three daughters.”
“…….”
The monk’s mouth dropped in shock, while the Sword Empress and the person from the Imperial Palace openly frowned.
Those who didn’t know were reacting with ‘How could that be?’, while those who did know were thinking ‘Why are you revealing that?’
Even my heart sank.
The loneliness that had settled in my heart was now startled and listening closely to that astonishing revelation.
“By practicing extreme Yang techniques, which are typically mastered by men, one can suppress some of the pain caused by Nine Yin Vein Disorder.
Therefore, I will not ask Doctor Seok to do anything—no kissing, no bedding—for the sake of alleviating my disciple’s symptoms. Not at all.”
The hostility in Murong Xue’s gaze towards the leader seemed to slightly lessen, or was that just my imagination?
“The reason I’m revealing this is not as the head of the Kunlun Sect, which is closest to the Demonic Cult and would suffer the most if the cult goes wild, but as the ‘Leader of the Martial Alliance,’ who must consider the peace of the entire martial world.”
“…Even though you’ve made the discarded daughter of the Heavenly Demon your chief disciple?”
“Monk, think broadly. Even if someone was born from evil (ma), if they cultivate the Dao and walk the path of Buddha, wouldn’t they become a Taoist or a monk?”
Despite the monk’s blatant display of disgust, the leader silenced him with sound reasoning.
“Let’s be frank. Even if the Demonic Cult goes wild, could they surpass Shaolin, where the monk resides? Could they even breach the Mount Hua Sect in Shaanxi?”
“…They could not.”
The monk replied in a pained voice.
“What this person is concerned about is not such trivial sect conflicts, but the pleas from countless sufferers of Nine Yin Vein Disorder who will flock to Doctor Seok, as the Sword Saint has done.”
The leader turned his eyes toward me.
“Doctor Seok, are you willing to kiss not only the Heavenly Demon’s daughter, but all the women suffering from Nine Yin Vein Disorder?”
“I have no such intention.”
I responded sharply to the leader’s words.
“Kissing is reserved only for Lady Murong. The ‘medicine’ that flows from me can be delivered through indirect means.”
“Exactly. That’s it. With that in mind, I, the Supreme Elder, would like to make a proposal….”
The leader pointed to the ceiling.
“Let’s deceive the world for now. We’ll say we’ve developed a miracle drug.”
“Leader.”
“It wouldn’t be bad for the Murong family either. Lady Murong, what do you think? Will you shove medicine into the mouths of patients under the guise of a new drug, or allow other women to-“
“I will never allow anyone to put their tongue into his mouth.”
Murong Xue firmly held my hand and answered.
“It’s better to deceive the world with a lie.”
Since we were already deceiving them, it wasn’t too burdensome.
At least it was better than having people come to me and ask to be kissed.
-Don’t forget. I’ll repay this favor… with my body.
…In an instant, various sleeper agents crossed my mind, but I quickly suppressed those thoughts.
-In this hell, you were the only one who treated me as a person.
Even if they were the daughters of the Heavenly Demon.
* * *
Late at night.
At the inn where people gathered, various stories were bound to be exchanged, and naturally, the topic of their conversation was the latest rumors from the martial world.
But the inn was silent.
Though the place was packed with people, so much so that regular customers, upon stepping in, would immediately turn around and leave with an ‘Oh no,’ the inn remained eerily quiet, as if making any noise would be a matter of life and death.
“Uh, do you think…”
Someone cautiously spoke.
“Is Nine Yin Vein Disorder really curable?”
That was the spark that ignited the explosion.
“Do you believe that? They’re just saying that to cover up the fact that the Murong family has developed an incredible medicine.”
“But still, can they say something like ‘they slept together’?”
“How many marriage proposals do you think have been sent to the Murong family’s cherished daughter? This is Sword Saint’s strategy to block them all.”
The people in the inn were each discussing the ‘Nine Yin Vein Disorder cure.’
And upstairs, in a space forbidden to regular customers, a black-haired woman quietly sat, occupying a table by herself, delicately picking up a xiaolongbao with her chopsticks.
A woman wearing the robes of the Kunlun Sect, Jin Hyeon, the chief disciple of Taesangjin-gun, leader of the Martial Alliance and head of the Kunlun Sect, had a xiaolongbao in her mouth. She glanced downward with slightly reddened eyes before turning her gaze away.
Step. Step.
A woman approached Jin Hyeon.
Despite the woman staring intently at her, Jin Hyeon continued to eat her xiaolongbao, only looking down.
“Sister.”
“…To what extent does the chief disciple of the Diancang Sect intend to be so familiar with me?”
At the word ‘sister’, Jin Hyeon’s expression turned cold, as if the very word disgusted her. She responded without even looking up.
“I’m eating. Even dogs aren’t disturbed while eating.”
“Woof woof.”
“…So you’ve completely lost it, haven’t you? Challenging the Sword Saint has turned you into a madwoman.”
“If I’m a madwoman, sister, then you’re one too.”
Jin Hyeon frowned at the crude words of the woman, So Yeon-jeok.
If anyone were watching, they might think the two women looked ‘similar.’
Like sisters.
“So, what’s your excuse for coming here?”
“What are you going to do? Are you just going to leave Mu-wol to be devoured by Murong Xue?”
“Devoured, huh… Seems like your pride won’t allow you to phrase it any other way?”
Jin Hyeon picked up another xiaolongbao.
“Why? Are your hands and feet trembling because Mu-wol, whom you thought would die soon, is now being taken away by another woman? Hmm?”
“Sister.”
“After leaving the Murong family, you planned to take Doctor Seok into the Diancang Sect, keep him by your side, and then build a certain relationship with him, didn’t you? But now that the plan’s fallen apart, you’re seething inside?”
“Who are you talking about? Me, or are you talking about yourself?”
At So Yeon-jeok’s snide remark, Jin Hyeon put down the xiaolongbao she was about to eat.
“Anyone listening would think I have feelings for Mu-wol like you do.”
“Don’t you? He’s your savior. You’ve been trying to steal Mu-wol away ever since before he joined the Murong family. You even went as far as becoming the chief disciple of Kunlun to do so.”
“Hah.”
Jin Hyeon scowled and tore apart the xiaolongbao with her chopsticks.
“Don’t go running your mouth carelessly. We’re in the middle of the martial world, and there are plenty of ears listening.”
“The sleeper agents embedded within the martial sects aren’t just a few. The ignorant may not know, but those in the know are well aware.”
“Everyone’s keeping quiet because they have too much to lose if this blows up. Even Diancang accepted Lady So Yeon-jeok of the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline because it benefits Diancang in the end, right?”
“…”
“If used correctly, the negative energy from Nine Yin Vein Disorder can be reversed to train someone in extreme yin-based martial arts, turning them into a top-tier martial artist in just a few years.”
Jin Hyeon pointed between herself and So Yeon-jeok with her eyes.
“Kunlun’s taken the eldest daughter of the Heavenly Demon as a secret disciple, holding her as leverage, while Diancang is trying to build the greatest martial sect in the world using the second daughter of the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline. They want to raise a swordsman even greater than the chief disciple who was killed by the Sword Saint, Murong Tian.”
Jin Hyeon sneered as she held up her chopsticks.
“You plan to take Doctor Seok as your lover, make him contribute to Diancang’s medical knowledge, and then bear his child to raise a martial arts prodigy for the Diancang Sect. Am I wrong?”
“And what about you, sister? Why are you here in Liaodong, chasing after me instead of quietly playing the hostage role in Kunlun? Did you have a suspicion?”
“No, not at all. Since it’s you, I’ll be honest. All my plans have been completely ruined.”
Jin Hyeon let out a deep sigh.
“I was wondering how I could receive a tonic that nourishes Yang energy from Doctor Seok, but it turns out it’s not a tonic at all, but bodily fluids that I need.”
Jin Hyeon rolled up her sleeve.
Not only her fingers, but even her arms showed no signs of blood circulation.
“You’re the same. Extreme Yang Technique… We need to continually stir the energy in our bodies using an inner cultivation technique that nurtures Yang energy for people like us to survive. But it must also be connected to ‘demonic arts’.”
“…”
“Kunlun wants to perfect a cultivation technique through me that operates two energies in a Yin-Yang balance, while Diancang expects nothing but your talent and willpower. No matter how late it happens, both of us will die prematurely before we reach thirty… no, forty.”
“You…”
“But the situation has changed now. What will you do, my rival? The leader of Diancang might summon you into the bedchamber soon.”
“Don’t cross the line, you crazy woman.”
So Yeon-jeok clenched her teacup, but Jin Hyeon, her face cold and composed, picked up another xiaolongbao.
“You called me ‘sister,’ but—”
“If you pour that on me, you’re dead.”
At the moment Jin Hyeon’s eyes flashed gold, So Yeon-jeok put the cup down.
“…”
“I’m just stating reality. The situation has changed. Do you think they’ll just stand by? The Demonic Cult, which is already nothing but a shell of its former self, accepted the daughters of the Heavenly Demon purely for their talent as ‘Descendants of Xinjiang (Masters of the Supreme Realm),’ and yet one of them dares to throw her life away for a man from the Murong family without realizing the grace protecting her?”
“Throw away her life…”
“Don’t forget. Even if the Demon Cult is nothing more than a toothless tiger now, even if that cowardly, bipolar idiot up in Tianshan Mountain is too afraid to come down, Xinjiang masters are still Xinjiang masters.”
“…You speak so brazenly against your own father.”
“Shut up.”
Jin Hyeon popped the xiaolongbao into her mouth.
“So, what’s your plan? Are you going to sneak over the Murong family’s walls and attack them?”
“That’s…”
“Breaking news!!”
A man burst through the tavern doors.
“An official announcement from the Martial Alliance Leader!”
Everyone in the tavern perked up their ears at the man’s voice, including the two daughters of the Heavenly Demon, dressed in the robes of the Righteous Sects.
“It has been announced that the cure for Nine Yin Vein Disorder lies in the ‘Extreme Yang Elixir’, refined by Doctor Seok Mu-wol with his own inner energy!”
“…What?”
“…?”
So Yeon-jeok tilted her head, and Jin Hyeon raised an eyebrow.
“What is this…? Didn’t they say that sleeping with him was the cure? Now they’re saying it’s a pill? Then the whole sleeping thing was…?!”
“They’re covering it up, trying to dress it up instead of telling the truth. I wonder if it’s Master’s doing.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re disguising the truth.”
Jin Hyeon made a circle with her fingers and repeatedly pushed her chopsticks through it.
“This is the reality, but they’re too uncomfortable to publicly say that this is how it’s solved, so they’re spinning it.”
“But… if they say it like that, won’t Mu-wol…?”
“Mu-wol is going to get attention from everyone, anyway. Yeon-jeok, since you’re my ‘sister,’ let me give you some advice.”
Jin Hyeon stabbed the last xiaolongbao with her chopsticks.
“Do you think Nine Yin Vein Disorder, which has spread throughout the entire martial world, is just one of many illnesses, and that it’s a pure coincidence that the only cure is Mu-wol?”
“Sister.”
“I’m…”
“Stop pretending you’re above it all. You’re just trying to claim Mu-wol for yourself, aren’t you?”
“No. I don’t care who Mu-wol loves or where he goes, whether it’s Murong Xue or anyone else… except for one person.”
“Who?”
“Of course, it wouldn’t be just anyone.”
Jin Hyeon shrugged.
“I couldn’t bear to lose him to our youngest… I mean, the ‘Grand Princess’ of the Demonic Cult.”
* * *
The news spread, even reaching the Demonic Cult in Tianshan.
“Oh my.”
A young white-haired girl, who looked like a child, received the news from the messenger pigeon and smiled mischievously.
“So, my dear brother slept with this Murong Xue woman?”
“Grand Princess, that’s not the issue right now. The survival of the Demonic Cult is at stake….”
Crack.
“…Heh.”
“G-Grand Princess…! Please, restrain your demonic power…!”
The girl clenched the paper in her hand, her red eyes flashing.
“That old hag, who’s four years older than me, dared to steal my brother’s first…?”