Chapter 295 – Everyone Has a Plan (2)

“The lady has arrived!”

Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”The lady has arrived!”

The sudden announcement jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw a woman walking towards us. She was tall and slender, with long, wavy hair that cascaded down her back. Her eyes were dark and piercing, and her lips were full and sensuous. She wore a tight-fitting dress that hugged her curves, and high heels that accentuated her long legs.

“Hello, everyone,” she said, her voice low and sultry. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all,” said the man who had been speaking to me. “We were just discussing some business matters.”

“Ah, I see,” she said, smiling. “Well, I won’t keep you then. I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Yoojin.”

“Nice to meet you, Yoojin,” I said, extending my hand.

She took my hand and gave it a firm shake. “Likewise,” she said, her eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer than necessary.

I felt a sudden surge of arousal, and I knew that she had sensed it too. There was something about her that was both alluring and dangerous, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

As she walked away, I couldn’t help but stare at her long, slender legs and the way her hips swayed with each step. I knew that I had to have her, and I was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.

I turned to the man who had been speaking to me. “Who is she?” I asked.

“That’s Yoojin,” he said. “She’s one of the most powerful women in this city. She’s also one of the most dangerous.”

“I see,” I said, my mind racing with possibilities. “Well, I think I have a plan.”

“Ah, that’s not what Sohyeop is thinking. It’s just that it’s a surprising sight, isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s true. At this point, we can’t even call it a cult anymore.”

“Hmm? What Bindo said wasn’t about the status of the Cheonma religion or their faith. No matter how great a religion is, ultimately it’s people who are involved in it.”

“Is that so?”

“Among those many people, there are those who have actually seen Cheonma, and those who have not.”

Likewise, there will be those who have received direct help and those who have not.

“But they all show respect and affection. That’s because the past was dark, and what Cheonma accomplished was noble. Salvation is one of the tasks of a monk. How can we not be respectful?”

“Uh…I’ve never thought about it that way.”

When I blinked, Myeongwoljinin nodded with a grin.

“It’s natural that you don’t see it right away. If Bindo hadn’t participated in various events as a long-time practitioner, he would have been like Sohyeop.”

“Thank you for explaining it like that.”

If it were just brute force, I would be stronger than Myeongwoljinin.

But in this aspect, I can feel the experience.

…Experience.

I looked at Hong Yeon-hwa, who was shaking her hands on the altar and enjoying the moment.

“Miss Bonnyeo has returned!”

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”Ah, that’s not what Sohyeop is thinking. It’s just that it’s a surprising sight, isn’t it?” Myeongwoljinin said.

“Well, that’s true. At this point, we can’t even call it a cult anymore,” replied Bindo.

“Hmm? What Bindo said wasn’t about the status of the Cheonma religion or their faith. No matter how great a religion is, ultimately it’s people who are involved in it,” Myeongwoljinin explained.

“Is that so?” I asked.

“Among those many people, there are those who have actually seen Cheonma, and those who have not. Likewise, there will be those who have received direct help and those who have not. But they all show respect and affection. That’s because the past was dark, and what Cheonma accomplished was noble. Salvation is one of the tasks of a monk. How can we not be respectful?” Myeongwoljinin continued.

“I’ve never thought about it that way,” I admitted.

“If Bindo hadn’t participated in various events as a long-time practitioner, he would have been like Sohyeop,” Myeongwoljinin said with a grin.

“Thank you for explaining it like that,” I said.

As we talked, I noticed Hong Yeon-hwa shaking her hands on the altar and enjoying the moment.

“Miss Bonnyeo has returned!” someone exclaimed.

Even in an era where life had become a hell of money and power, a small group of mercenaries who had managed to break free from the cycle had joined the Heavenly Demon Sect. They lived in a separate village, and people looked at them with a friendly gaze. They would even wear the Heavenly Demon Sect’s clothing to fit in.

Well, when I was called Hong Yeon-hwa’s lover, and other women were called my women, I thought I might get stoned to death, given the times of male superiority and female inferiority. But thanks to the culture of Hong Yeon-hwa being treated like a goddess, we managed to get by somehow.

There are still some people who are not happy with me, but I just need to show them a little bit at a time. That’s one of the reasons why I postponed the announcement of our marriage.

Apart from my discomfort, Hong Yeon-hwa’s speech went smoothly… or was it just a casual chat? Anyway, thanks to the audience responding to every word, Hong Yeon-hwa smiled and laughed throughout the speech. But that was it.

Now it was time to talk about the subject at hand.

“Ahem, ahem. Let’s talk about the future now.”

Her expression turned cold in an instant, and the atmosphere around her became heavy. Even a three-year-old child could tell that she was going to bring up something important.

As she had laughed and joked just a moment ago, the tense air made everyone nervous as Hong Yeon-hwa began to speak.

“I recently heard news that ghosts are wandering around. And that ghost is harming people and looking for a certain lady.”

“….”

From left to right.

Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head slowly, taking in everyone’s faces.

“Fortunately, no one died among those who were attacked, but they all suffered injuries and are lying in bed. …And even the pillar of our sect, Suragamha, was attacked by them.”

Who is Suragamha?

All the masters of the Jungpa sect had been killed by Hong Yeon-hwa, and even she had disappeared for five years. In the past five years, Suragamha had been the only Hwakyung master who had solved all sorts of problems in the sect. He was also a respected elder within the Heavenly Demon Sect.

They might have heard rumors about ghosts, but the news that Suragamha had been attacked would have been even more shocking.

It was enough to make them all feel a sense of urgency.

Hong Yeon-hwa looked down at the serious faces once again, and suddenly smiled mischievously, putting her hands on her hips. Then she even tilted her head slightly.

The sudden change in her demeanor made everyone momentarily confused.

As all eyes were on her, Hong Yeon-hwa took a deep breath and spoke again.

“However, don’t worry! I, the Lady, have decided to take care of this matter myself.”

Hong Yeon-hwa’s momentum took over the entire place in an instant.

“Judging by how quickly they found out about my return, they must be keeping an eye on this place through some means.”

The Heavenly Demon Sect’s unique form of Cheonma Shingong began to take shape to its extreme.

“Listen carefully. I will go there myself as I please. Stop any despicable acts that harm the innocent.”

The powerful aura of the giant demon figure that rose above Hong Yeon-hwa covered the sky, casting a massive shadow.

“It doesn’t matter what you have prepared. I will crush your plans to dust.”

The sky had darkened even though it was midday.

“So clean your necks and wait.”

The demon figure, now even larger and more intimidating than before, growled fiercely as Hong Yeon-hwa spoke.

“I will head to Taesan.”

It was the first time I had seen Hong Yeon-hwa’s sincere mode in a while.

I had seen it many times before, but her fierce and merciless appearance was still as intimidating as ever.

If I’m like this, how are the others feeling?

In the world, people usually tremble and panic in situations like this, but I looked around, wondering how it was here.

“Oh… Heavenly Demon Sect…”

“Cheonma reigns supreme! Long live, long live, long live!”

Yeah, I expected this much… wait, did that really just happen?