Chapter 415 : The Woman of Eum Sajeok (2)

Chapter 415: The Woman of Eum Sajeok (2)

As expected.

Eum Sajeok returned to the Heavenly Demon Sect and was met with an unexpected reception.

Having saved Ok Girin’s life earned him significant recognition, allowing him to maintain his authority.

The Third Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect still wielded valid power.

And Yang Gwak did not receive severe punishment either.

All responsibility for the incident was pinned on the deceased Head Elder, Han Domeong.

That was the most effective way to erase the bad rumors surrounding Ok Girin within the Heavenly Demon Sect. And what Yong Hwarin had predicted came true.

Dong-oh, who had returned to the sect after releasing Hong Ahyul, was now locked up in the prison.

It was for the crime of betraying First Young Master Il.

“You foolish man. You walked straight into your death even though you knew exactly what would happen. First Master may be holding back for now, but he’ll kill Elder Dong eventually. Does he not understand First Master’s temperament?”

Upon hearing the news that Dong-oh had been imprisoned, the Demonic Master muttered to himself.

Just then, the door slid open and someone stepped in.

“My, my. Since when did the Third Young Master worry about others like this?”

A woman dressed in luxurious silk garments entered the room.

The Demonic Master flinched in surprise upon seeing her.

Even in Eum Sajeok’s memories, this woman was classified as someone to be extremely cautious of.

The problem was, instead of taking a seat, the woman sat on Eum Sajeok’s lap and began caressing his chest with her hand.

“You’ve returned after so long, yet didn’t even come see your concubine. Truly unexpected. Did you pick up another woman out there perhaps?”

Her nasal voice and flirtatious smile could melt anyone’s heart.

The Demonic Master murmured inwardly.

‘This wench… she’s using the Sound-Following Soul Technique.’

But to a Demonic Master like him, nearly at the Fourth Jiazi level, such a technique was useless.

Moreover, having already mastered soul enchantment techniques, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize this form of advanced sound arts.

‘I’d love to cast the same technique back on you right now, but everything has its proper time.’

Instead, Eum Sajeok slipped his hand into the woman’s robe and shamelessly groped her full chest.

Surprised, the woman stared directly at Eum Sajeok.

“You’ve changed.”

Eum Sajeok grinned slyly and replied.

“What has?”

“In the past, no matter how much I provoked you, you wouldn’t react at all, like a block of wood.”

“My heart’s changed.”

“Hohoho. Well, I did hear rumors that Hong Ahyul betrayed the sect and went to Yong Hwarin. I suppose the Third Young Master’s single-minded devotion no longer means anything now.”

As the woman came to her own conclusion, the Demonic Master had nothing left to hide.

“Exactly. I won’t be foolishly chasing after just one woman anymore. How could I ignore such a beautiful flower blooming so brightly before me?”

“Hohohoho! Now that’s the Third Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect I know.”

The woman pressed her chest tightly against Eum Sajeok’s body.

But Eum Sajeok did nothing beyond fondling her chest.

He knew such teasing would only ignite her desire further.

To a man like the Demonic Master, experienced in dealing with women, handling a young lady like her was easier than lifting a spoon.

‘Still, I’m surprised. That Eum Sajeok, because of Hong Ahyul, didn’t even lay a finger on her despite her advances. He really was devoted to her. Well, that explains why he gave me complete control once I promised him Hong Ahyul.’

He felt a twinge of guilt for not having been able to make Hong Ahyul Eum Sajeok’s woman.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

The Demonic Master felt like he was about to die from the woman clinging to him like an octopus.

It had been so long since he had smelled a woman’s scent this up-close that he was nearly dazed.

“Hyang Uun, why are you clinging to me so much today?”

Hyang Uun (香雨澐) was in charge of intelligence within the Heavenly Demon Sect and served as the Vice Pavilion Mistress of Unmil Pavilion, being the only daughter of Hyang Byeok (香碧), its master.

“Now that the woman who held your heart is gone, what is there for a maiden like me to hesitate over?”

At her words, Eum Sajeok let out a soft chuckle.

“That’s not the real reason. You’ve read the situation and realized that I’m still a strong contender for the heir’s seat, haven’t you? First Senior Brother is dead, and even First Master has lost all influence. So now it’s just me and the Great Young Master left. But trying to win over the Great Young Master with your looks is laughable. So instead, you’ve chosen the next best option—me.”

“Ohhohoho! Since when could the Third Young Master read hearts like that? I always knew you were extraordinary, but I never imagined I’d get to see this side of you.”

In truth, Hyang Uun had recently been analyzing the current state of Murim and noticed that Eum Sajeok’s performance outshone most others.

The first to notice this was her father, Hyang Byeok.

In the past, he hadn’t looked kindly upon Hyang Uun’s affection for Eum Sajeok.

But Eum Sajeok’s skillful maneuvering—preserving his faction while steadily increasing his recognition within the Heavenly Demon Sect—caught his attention.

And seeing both the Great Young Master and First Young Master trusting Eum Sajeok, Hyang Byeok made his decision.

He decided to back Eum Sajeok.

Given that his daughter had no chance of becoming the Great Young Master’s concubine, it would be far better for her to become the wife of the second-in-command.

And Hyang Uun, who had long held affection for Eum Sajeok, opened up her heart and body the moment her father began to actively support the relationship.

Now that Lee Yung (이융), the Second Young Master, had died, many retainers of the Heavenly Demon Sect were busy realigning their loyalties.

“But let me say this—Lord Hyang Byeok has made an excellent choice.”

At those words, Hyang Uun lifted her head from his chest and spoke.

“Just as I thought! So, all of this was part of Third Young Master’s plan.”

The Demonic Master replied with a smile instead of words.

“The only ones who truly understand me are Lord Hyang Byeok and you, Unmae.”

As he said that, Hyang Uun leaned in to find his lips.

Unable to resist any longer, the Demonic Master, who hadn’t touched a woman in quite some time, swept Hyang Uun into his arms.

But inside, Hyang Uun was deeply shocked.

Before Eum Sajeok left the Heavenly Demon Sect, she had been able to gauge his level of internal energy.

Since she herself possessed energy nearing the Second Jiazi level, she could sense the energy of someone like Eum Sajeok who was at a similar realm.

‘But today… even at this close distance, I can’t get a read on his energy at all. It feels like he has no internal energy… but the way every hair on my body is standing proves that’s not true. If anything, that must mean he’s already entered the level of Complete Reversal of Energy and Spirit. Is that even possible?’

“Lord Eum, where are you planning to go?”

Despite her thoughts, she spoke sweetly.

“I’ve been far too cold to you, Unmae. Tonight, I must show you who I really am.”

The cold and reserved Eum Sajeok had vanished. Now, he exuded the aura of a true man.

Though Hyang Uun hadn’t disliked the old Eum Sajeok, the man before her now stirred her desires even more.

And when the two became one, Hyang Uun cried out in ecstasy.

“Heavens! I regret not knowing your true self until now!”

Overwhelmed by the sensation of being completely filled by him, she began to spill the information she had originally brought for negotiation.

“To bring me such joy… I’ll share a piece of information.”

The Demonic Master thrust more vigorously and asked,

“What is it? If it’s good, you won’t be walking out of here tonight.”

Prompted by that, Hyang Uun eagerly shared.

“This time, First Young Master Il sent Ok Samgong along with Hua Yingwei to take care of the Hong girl’s matter once and for all.”

The Demonic Master pressed in harder.

“Ahhk!”

Hyang Uun moaned in a high, hazy tone and rambled,

“Since Hong Ahyul entered the Heavenly Central Sect, they can’t get to her directly… So they’re planning to use her younger sibling as a hostage to lure her out. They’ve already found out where her sibling lives. First Young Master Il really is ruthless.”

As her voice gradually weakened, the Demonic Master intensified his thrusts.

Each time he did, Hyang Uun trembled uncontrollably.

Despite the heat of their bodies, the Demonic Master’s mind remained cold and calculating.

‘If Ok Samgong’s been deployed, then it’s dangerous.’

In Eum Sajeok’s memory, Ok Samgong was a figure shrouded in fear.

Though First Young Master Il, Ok Ilhwa, didn’t lead a large group, he was followed by an overwhelming number of elite warriors.

Among them, the most renowned were those known as the Il Gong Three Guards.

The first was the Hwa Chung Guards, the second the Hua Yingwei, and the third—Ok Samgong.

These three were less like subordinates and more akin to disciples of Ok Ilhwa.

He had taught them martial techniques from a young age and trained them to give their lives for his sake.

Though he had raised them as disciples, he commanded them as subordinates, so others never considered them true disciples.

Now nearing middle age, Ok Samgong had reached a level of martial arts comparable to Ok Ilhwa, earning the “Samgong” title—Three Dukes—as a mark of respect.

They were neither Elders nor Veterans, yet held more authority than either, hence the “Samgong” designation.

Though concerned, the Demonic Master reminded himself that Hong Ahyul’s situation was still someone else’s affair.

If it involved Yong Hwarin or Seok Unjeong, he would have moved heaven and earth to get the intel to them.

But in this case, he didn’t feel any obligation.

So, he did nothing.

And that, ironically, turned out to be a tremendous stroke of luck.

“So it was just my paranoia. When Third Young Master suddenly began to stand out, I suspected he might’ve joined hands with Yong Hwarin. But this proves he had no connection to the matter.”

In truth, Hyang Byeok, Pavilion Master of Unmil Pavilion, had been suspicious of Eum Sajeok’s movements and had placed surveillance on him.

By leaking this information, he wanted to see how Eum Sajeok would respond.

“Why would Third Young Master join hands with Yong Hwarin and betray our sect without any gain?”

“I thought perhaps he’d been swayed while being held hostage by Yong Hwarin.”

“When I asked him, he said he gained a great encounter during his time in Murim. And when I spoke with him, I could tell he’d been hiding his ambition all along. There were too many competitors, so he never revealed it. But now that Lee Yung is gone, he believes no one stands in the way of his plans.”

“He’s right. There’s no one left who can keep up with Third Young Master’s schemes. The death of Mak Gyo was also a major blow to the Great Young Master.”

All of this had originally been meant to monitor Eum Sajeok, but since nothing suspicious was uncovered, Hyang Byeok dropped his doubts about him.

“From now on, you should devote yourself even more to Third Young Master. At the very least, he’ll become the second-in-command of our sect.”

“Yes, Father. Don’t worry.”

Hyang Uun was already burning with desire again.

Just thinking of Eum Sajeok made her body heat up.

‘Who would’ve guessed… he’d be so good with women.’

Within the Heavenly Demon Sect, he had avoided women so much that everyone thought he was a prude—but they were wrong.

She had never met a man who handled her the way Eum Sajeok did.

She couldn’t even remember the faces of the men before him.