The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 73

Chapter 73
## Chapter 73: Ominous Rumors (3)

“The leader spoke very highly of your performance. He also sent word that he expects you to maintain this level of dedication moving forward.”

“I am deeply honored. Please convey to the Vice Chairman that I will give my absolute all to the cause.”

Mak So-dong, the head of the Blood Faction, lowered his head in a display of intense gratitude, his expression radiating pride at the commendation from Nam Hwi, the Vice Chairman of the Bi Do Society.

“Listen up, everyone! Raise your bowls! This feast and this wine were provided by the Chairman himself. Drink until you can drink no more!”

Following Nam Hwi’s boisterous command, a massive roar of approval surged from the gathered members of the Blood Faction.

The accompanying Bi Do Society subordinates who had traveled with Nam Hwi joined in the celebration, though their cheers carried a distinct tone of condescension toward their hosts.

The festivities between the Bi Do Society and the Blood Faction had commenced as the sun began to set, and the energy only intensified as the night grew darker. Professional cooks, brought in specifically for this banquet, produced an endless stream of delicacies, while a small army of servants scurried back and forth with fresh bottles and platters.

The arrival of a troupe of courtesans marked the peak of the celebration, acting as the final spark that turned the party into a scene of chaotic, drunken revelry.

“By the way, I caught wind of some significant trouble in Soheung. Didn’t a medical facility burn down recently?”

Nam Hwi pushed away the women who were draped over his arms and posed the question with sudden gravity.

“Ah, you’re referring to the Clear Heart Clinic. That is correct. A massive blaze consumed the entire structure last night. The word is that no one survived—neither the physicians nor the infirm.”

“What was the origin of the fire?”

“The local authorities have been tight-lipped, so certainties are few, but it certainly didn’t look like an accidental kitchen fire.”

“You’re certain your people aren’t tied to this?”

Nam Hwi’s gaze sharpened, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.

“The constables have already paid us a visit to ask those very questions. We have no hand in it, I assure you.”

Nam Hwi maintained a steady, piercing stare at Mak So-dong for a long moment before finally giving a slow nod.

“If the leader of the Blood Faction gives his word, I shall accept it. Regardless, the fallout will be a nuisance for some time. Ensure you don’t leave any openings for them to pin it on you.”

“Please, rest easy. Consider the sheer amount of silver we’ve funneled into their pockets over the years. We are well-covered.”

Mak So-dong smirked and gave a subtle nod. The courtesans immediately swarmed Nam Hwi again, pressing a fresh cup of wine to his lips.

Nam Hwi gave a performance of being overwhelmed as he accepted the drink—but just as he tilted his head back to swallow…

A sudden explosion of shouts rang out from the courtyard, followed by the violent splintering of wood.

Nam Hwi froze with the cup at his lips, his brow furrowing in anger. Mak So-dong lunged to his feet.

“What is the meaning of this noise?”

The moment Mak So-dong’s voice boomed across the hall, the atmosphere of drunken chaos vanished into a heavy silence.

Several men stationed near the entrance scrambled to investigate the source of the commotion.

At the start, the assembly assumed it was a trivial matter—perhaps a few local rowdies causing trouble. However, when the men who had just stepped outside were hurled back into the room through the shattered remains of the door, the severity of the threat became undeniable.

Sima Geon and his companions, who had shattered the jovial mood in a heartbeat, stepped slowly into the light of the torches.

The members of the Blood Faction scrambled up, drawing weapons and shouting threats, while the courtesans fled to the corners of the room in a panic.

“What—who are you!”

Mak So-dong’s eyes didn’t settle on Sima Geon first. Instead, he locked onto the massive, intimidating frame of Cheol Woo standing behind him—and his legs gave out, dropping him back into his chair.

Only Mak So-dong truly grasped the danger Sima Geon and Cheol Woo represented. To the common person, they were merely the proprietors of Soheung’s roughest butchery—violent men, certainly, but manageable. But Mak So-dong knew better. Still, seeing his numerous subordinates around him provided a small, false sense of security.

“So… is this the man who leads the Blood Faction?”

Sima Geon cast a brief, cold glance at Nam Hwi in the seat of honor before turning his attention to Mak So-dong, who was now trembling on the floor beside the chair.

“Hic!”

As their eyes met, Mak So-dong was seized by a fit of terrified hiccups.

“Are you all just going to watch? Kill them!”

Mak Gae, the younger brother of the leader and the Blood Faction’s second-in-command, roared the order.

‘Stop! You fool! Don’t do it!’

Mak So-dong shook his head frantically, his eyes wide with a desperate, silent plea.

But with every man’s focus—including Mak Gae’s—locked onto Sima Geon, the hulking Cheol Woo, and the Lightning Bolt who was calmly observing the room, no one noticed their leader’s silent warning.

“Die!”

A warrior lunged forward with his blade raised, only to be sent flying backward at twice the speed of his charge.

He struck a support pillar with a sickening thud and slumped to the ground, dead before he could even register the impact.

The majority of the men preparing to attack Cheol Woo hesitated, their bodies going cold. However, a few who were too intoxicated to understand the shift in power continued to rush forward with mindless bellows.

Cheol Woo offered no leniency. He swung his massive fists with the casual indifference of someone swatting at gnats, snapping the necks of every attacker that came within reach.

By the time a dozen men lay broken on the floor, Sima Geon had walked directly up to Mak So-dong.

“Who do you think you are… Aaaagh!”

A piercing cry tore from Nam Hwi’s throat as he attempted to address the intruders with authority.

With a motion so fast it was nearly invisible, Sima Geon had completely severed Nam Hwi’s shoulder. He then gestured coldly to Mak So-dong.

“Stand up.”

Mak So-dong scrambled to his feet instantly, his movements jerky with fear.

“There is a specific rumor that has been spreading through Soheung recently. Are you familiar with it?”

“What rumor… Agh!”

One of Mak So-dong’s ears was sliced away, spinning through the air as the leader clutched the side of his head, howling in agony.

“Choose your next words with extreme care.”

“Y-yes, I understand! I will!”

Mak So-dong nodded with frantic energy, ignoring the blood saturated his hand and shoulder.

“The rumor claimed that the patriarch of the Hahu Clan had passed away.”

The leader of the Blood Faction went deathly still.

Seeing the confirmation written in the man’s terrified reaction, Sima Geon’s expression grew dark and lethal.

“Who was it? Who approached the Blood Faction to pay for the spread of that lie?”

Not far from the main hall where the Bi Do Society and Blood Faction were meeting, two operatives of the Hidden Dragon Squad—who had accompanied the Society to monitor the Faction but stayed out of the main party—were quietly drinking.

“Did you catch that?”

Yu Sang’s eyes narrowed as he held his cup steady.

“You heard it too?”

Sado Jong had already moved toward the window, standing up as he asked.

“Indeed. Something is happening over there.”

“Agreed. That isn’t the sound of a drunken brawl. Could the Blood Faction idiots be trying something?”

“Against the Bi Do Society? That would be suicide. The leadership knows we are here. They wouldn’t dare unless they’ve lost their minds.”

“Then it’s simple.”

Sado Jong gripped the hilt of his sword and allowed a cold smirk to touch his lips.

“It’s an external raid. Let’s move. I was looking for an excuse to get out of this chair anyway—this might be entertaining.”

The two shadows vanished through the door and arrived at the banquet hall in seconds. They were met with the sight of Cheol Woo holding back the entire Faction with a single, murderous glare, while Sima Geon loomed over a broken Mak So-dong.

“Why are you silent? Surely you aren’t waiting for those two to save you?”

Sima Geon didn’t even turn around as he sensed Sado Jong and Yu Sang entering the room.

“N-no, that’s not it. I swear it!”

Mak So-dong shook his head so hard it looked as if it might snap.

Having successfully usurped the Dongsim Society with the backing of the Bi Do Society and the lethal Hidden Dragon Squad, Mak So-dong vividly remembered the brutality of the men who had slaughtered the former Chairman and burned his legacy to the ground.

“Then answer me. Or was it perhaps not the Blood Faction that spread the word? Was it someone else?”

Sima Geon’s voice dropped to a deceptively soft tone.

Sensing an even greater trap in that softness, Mak So-dong realized the danger of lying.

“No, you’re right! We were the ones! We spread it!”

Mak So-dong cried out, bowing his head over and over in a pathetic display of submission. He had recognized the lethal lure in Sima Geon’s question and avoided it.

Though they lacked the full context, Yu Sang and Sado Jong watched with disgust as Mak So-dong groveled.

“That’s enough out of you. And you—shut your mouth.”

Sado Jong pointed his weapon at Mak So-dong and barked the command.

“Actually, the one who needs to be quiet is a piece of filth like you.”

Sado Jong’s focus shifted to the Lightning Bolt, who was stepping forward with an air of supreme arrogance.

A sudden chill ran down Sado Jong’s spine, a biological warning that the man before him was no mere thug.

“Just who do you think you are…”

The sentence remained unfinished.

Sado Jong’s eyes dilated in a moment of pure shock.

He couldn’t understand why his vocal cords had stopped working.

‘I saw a flash…’

The last thing he perceived was a silver glint in the air before his entire world was extinguished.

“No!”

Yu Sang lunged forward to catch Sado Jong as a fountain of blood erupted from his neck, but the man was already a corpse.

“You talk far too much for someone so weak.”

Lightning Bolt spoke with a lazy drawl, having decapitated Sado Jong with a strike that truly lived up to his name.

“Die, you bastard!”

Yu Sang laid his comrade’s body down and launched a desperate, high-speed strike at Lightning Bolt.

Just as Lightning Bolt prepared to meet the attack, Cheol Woo stepped into the path.

A single, effortless swing of Cheol Woo’s arm shattered Yu Sang’s masterfully forged blade into shards. A following punch caved in the warrior’s ribs and heart.

Much like Sado Jong, he expired instantly, his body being tossed like a ragdoll into a corner. The room became an icebox.

The Blood Faction members, who had already seen their friends broken by Cheol Woo, and the Bi Do Society members, who knew the legendary strength of the Hidden Dragon Squad, all bowed their heads. They were too terrified to even breathe loudly, fearing the giants would notice them.

Cheol Woo, having paralyzed both organizations through sheer, overwhelming violence, turned back to the trembling, despairing Mak So-dong.

“Why have you stopped? Keep explaining.”

“Y-yes. Right away.”

Mak So-dong nodded like a puppet, his voice thin and shaky.

“Yes… we were responsible for the rumor you mentioned.”

“The one claiming the head of the Hahu Clan was dead.”

“Yes, that is the one.”

“And your motive?”

“It was for the silver. We were hired.”

Sima Geon’s eyes turned to cold stone.

“Hired?”

“Yes. An individual approached us with a contract: circulate the story, and receive a massive payout…”

Cheol Woo watched Mak So-dong’s eyes flicker toward a man cowering on the floor. He nodded to Lightning Bolt, who walked over and kicked the man.

“Hey, get up.”

The man, whose name was Jin Po, scrambled to his feet with a speed that actually caused Lightning Bolt to blink.

“Look at this one.”

Lightning Bolt cuffed the back of Jin Po’s head—perhaps to mask his own surprise—then seized him by the throat and threw him at Sima Geon’s feet.

“You’re the one who took the deal?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“From whom?”

“Well, you see…”

As Jin Po began to stammer, Lightning Bolt brought his heel down, crushing the man’s ankle. To the man screaming on the floor, he said with terrifying calm:

“Be quiet and stand up. If your next answer isn’t direct, I’ll pull your head off your shoulders.”

Terrified by the killing intent, Jin Po choked back his sobs and managed to stand on one leg.

Lightning Bolt leaned in close.

“Who paid for the rumor?”

“It—it was Geum Wol, from the Heavenly Pavilion!”

“Geum Wol? What is this Heavenly Pavilion? Is it some kind of tavern?”

Lightning Bolt asked the questions rapidly, clearly caught off guard by the mundane name.

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is.”

“If you value your life, you won’t lie to us.”

“I’m telling the truth! It was Geum Wol of the Heavenly Pavilion who gave us the job.”

“Is he telling the truth?”

Sima Geon directed the question to Mak So-dong.

“Yes! That fool came running to me boasting about how much coin he’d secured for such an easy task.”

“A rumor that the patriarch of the Hahu Clan is dead—and you idiots just spread it without a second thought? Are you truly that brainless?”

Cheol Woo looked at them with pure disgust.

“I had my suspicions, so I looked into it. It turns out the story was already rampant in Hangzhou, so I figured there was no risk. The money was too good to pass up. Even then, we tried to spread it as quietly as possible.”

Cheol Woo and Lightning Bolt shared a derisive snort at the idea of “quietly.”

“You absolute lunatics!”

The shout didn’t come from the intruders, but from Nam Hwi, who was slumped against a wall, bleeding from his stump.

“Do you have any idea who the Hahu Clan is? To spread such a lie for a bit of silver!”

He looked as if he had lost his mind, realizing his life and limb were forfeit because the Blood Faction had been greedy and careless.

To Cheol Woo, however, Nam Hwi’s outrage was just more noise.

“Just stay down.”

With a casual, powerful punch, Nam Hwi was sent flying across the room, slamming into the far wall.

Cheol Woo hadn’t put his full weight into it, but nobody in the room believed the motionless Nam Hwi would ever wake up again.

Sima Geon snapped his fingers, pulling Mak So-dong’s gaze away from the dying Vice Chairman.

“What is the Heavenly Pavilion? I’ve lived in Soheung and never heard of it.”

“It’s a small drinking house on the northeastern edge of the city. It’s new, very small, and hasn’t made a name for itself yet.”

“A tiny shack like that is funding rumors about Great Clans? Something is very wrong here.”

Sima Geon nodded at Cheol Woo’s assessment.

“The work is sloppy, which means they aren’t the masterminds. They are just another layer of insulation, being used just like the Blood Faction, and just as destined to be thrown away.”

Sima Geon looked down at the shivering Mak So-dong.

“I left my home with a vow: no one who had even a hand in this would be forgiven.”

“P-please! Have mercy! I beg of you…”

Sima Geon turned his back on the pathetic wailing. As he walked past Cheol Woo and Lightning Bolt, he dropped a final, chilling instruction.

“Take one of them to show us the way to the Heavenly Pavilion.”

The sentence had been passed.

Would you like me to continue with the next chapter, or perhaps analyze the character dynamics between Sima Geon and his companions?