The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns Chapter 80 : It's Starting

Bang Gitae was walking towards the leader's palace with a heavy heart.

An unbelievable incident that had happened in the main headquarters last night.

Cheon Seong had been attacked by soone in the Red Demon Training Ground and had been on the verge of death.

Although it was hard to believe that such a thing had happened in the main headquarters, and that too, inside the inner castle, Bang Gitae was even more astonished after hearing the identity of the person who had attacked Cheon Seong.

'How on earth did such a thing happen?'

Hwang Dongyeong, who was in a position to protect Cheon Seong from an assassin, had instead tried to kill Cheon Seong.

When Bang Gitae had first heard that, he could not easily believe it.

Hwang Dongyeong had been in the Guardian Hall for a long ti, and it would have been at least twenty years since he himself had gotten to know Hwang Dongyeong.

Wasn't it because he had trusted Hwang Dongyeong that he had placed him in the important position of Cheon Seong's escort?

However, as a result of checking himself, he was able to find Hwang Dongyeong's cold corpse and the wound on Cheon Seong's leg.

Then he had no choice but to believe it. Hwang Dongyeong had really tried to kill Cheon Seong.

'Since when?'

From the ti he was first appointed as Cheon Seong's escort, had Hwang Dongyeong been looking for an opportunity to kill Cheon Seong?

Seeing that he had drawn his sword only now after being Cheon Seong's escort for several years, it seed highly likely that he had approached Cheon Seong with a plan from the beginning.

But to think that he had not noticed that fact at all until the accident had happened.

Since the appointnt of Hwang Dongyeong as Cheon Seong's escort was entirely his own choice, he could not say that he had no responsibility for this incident.

"..."

Currently, Cheon Seong was being treated for his wounds at the Demonic dical Hall.

Fortunately, the worst disaster of Cheon Seong dying had been avoided, but that didn't an that this incident was over.

'I'll have to... take responsibility.'

That's why Bang Gitae was currently heading to the leader's palace.

To report this incident to Cheon Jin and at the sa ti to take responsibility.

Although he had walked the corridor to the leader's palace countless tis until now, it seed that this was the first ti his steps had been so heavy.

Thump-.

Every ti he took a step, countless emotions and thoughts were crossing his mind.

After a while, Bang Gitae arrived in front of the entrance to the inner palace and stopped walking, but still, countless emotions and thoughts were crossing his mind. No, it was rather more complicated than when he was taking a step.

"...Open it."

Bang Gitae, who had been standing still without a word for a long ti, finally said to the gatekeepers.

Then, the middle gate began to open slowly.

Bang Gitae silently stared at the inner palace through the gap of the heavily opening door.

"..."

He could feel it.

Even before he had opened the door, an unusual energy had been continuously flowing from inside, but as the door opened, it seed that the trapped energy was bursting out as if it were exploding.

And a man sitting in the center of that energy.

Bang Gitae had seen that sight familiarly. But today, the energy of Cheon Jin that was filling the inner palace seed to be stabbing his whole body like a sharp dagger.

Gulp-.

Dry saliva that went down his esophagus.

His lips were already dry before he had even opened the door.

However, Bang Gitae swallowed his saliva once more, as if to show his current state, and walked into the inner palace.

Thump- thump-.

The deeper he went inside, the heavier his legs beca, as if he were walking deep into the water.

But that didn't an he could slow down his steps.

Since he had already entered the inner palace, not even a trivial mistake was allowed in front of Cheon Jin.

"I greet the leader!"

The place where he always stopped in front of Cheon Jin. His body now rembered it.

Originally, if there was soone else besides Cheon Jin in front of him, he would have finished his greeting just by making a fist and bowing his head, but as if it didn't matter, as soon as Bang Gitae was in that spot, he perford a full prostration and showed his respect to Cheon Jin.

"..."

Cheon Jin silently looked at Bang Gitae, who was lying flat on the floor.

And a silent look towards the woman who was holding the wine bottle.

The woman, who understood the aning, imdiately moved out of the way.

Creak-.

The woman left and the door to the inner palace closed.

Even until then, Bang Gitae, who was still lying on the floor.

As only the two of them were left in the inner palace, Cheon Jin opened his mouth for the first ti.

"Get up."

Only after permission was given did Bang Gitae cautiously get up from his spot.

However, for so reason, his standing appearance felt unstable, and Cheon Jin watched such a Bang Gitae for a while and then opened his mouth.

"What's the matter?"

"...Last night, there was an assassination attempt on Young Master Cheon Seong."

"..."

"Fortunately, the assassination ended in failure and the assassin is already dead, but... the identity of the assassin who targeted Young Master Cheon Seong was Hwang Dongyeong."

"...Cheon Seong's escort."

Cheon Jin muttered lowly.

At that mont, Bang Gitae, who prostrated himself on the floor again. And he said to Cheon Jin what he had been thinking before he had co here.

"This incident is entirely my responsibility."

"..."

"To take that responsibility, I will step down from the Guardian Hall myself. If that is not enough, please punish ."

This was the responsibility that Bang Gitae thought he could take to the fullest.

To think that he would step down from the position of the Head of the Guardian Hall, which he had firmly held for decades, in this way.

Although it would remain as a great dishonor as a martial artist or as a mber of the cult, it couldn't be helped.

Of course, he might not be able to take all this responsibility with just that. And at that ti, Bang Gitae would not hesitate to take his own life.

"Bang Gitae."

"Yes, leader."

"Do you really think that stepping down from the Guardian Hall is an act that can take all of your own responsibility?"

"..."

Of course he didn't think so.

So Bang Gitae was planning to accept any punishnt that Cheon Jin would give him.

"Please tell a way that I can take responsibility."

"Good."

"..."

"Remain as the Head of the Guardian Hall as you have been until now."

"...What?"

Since he had been waiting for an answer with great tension, Bang Gitae let out such a word without realizing it.

And as he realized that he had made a mistake, he swallowed his words, and Bang Gitae imdiately asked for Cheon Jin's forgiveness.

"I-I'm sorry..."

The leader's command is absolute. And to question that command was an unforgivable act.

However, even if he had asked for Cheon Jin's forgiveness, Bang Gitae still could not accept what Cheon Jin had said to him.

To remain as the Head of the Guardian Hall as before.

Since that was the sa as saying that he did not have to pay any price, it was inevitable that a question had co out of his mouth.

"With all due respect, may I ask you one question, leader?"

"Speak."

"Because of my foolishness, I did not properly understand your words, leader."

"..."

"To remain as the Head of the Guardian Hall as before... wouldn't that an that I am not taking any responsibility at all..."

Bang Gitae said carefully.

Then, Cheon Jin brought the wine cup he was holding to his lips and said.

"If you were to step down from the Guardian Hall, who would welco it the most?"

"..."

"The assassination that targeted Cheon Seong might have been for the purpose of dragging you down from that position."

"Ah...!"

A short exclamation from Bang Gitae's mouth. Bang Gitae belatedly realized that his thoughts had been too short.

If he were to step down from the Guardian Hall, the force that would welco it the most. Why on earth had he not thought that far?

Perhaps his thoughts had beco short because his head was full of the thought that he had to take responsibility.

'If I were to step down, the leader would have to fight a more lonely fight from now on.'

If he were to step down from the Guardian Hall, soone else would take his place.

Then could that person pledge loyalty to Cheon Jin as much as him?

Before that, he would have to first suspect whether that person was a force planted by the Five Great Demonic Families.

Especially since there was also a case like Hwang Dongyeong, he would not be able to easily trust anyone from now on.

"I'm sorry...!"

He had not been trying to take responsibility, but had been trying to beco comfortable.

Bang Gitae belatedly realized that fact and asked for Cheon Jin's forgiveness.

"..."

Swish-.

As Bang Gitae said that, Cheon Jin silently tilted the wine cup at his lips.

And he put down the empty cup and said.

"Did you say that Cheon Seong's escort attempted an assassination?"

"...Yes, that's right."

"Tell the detailed progress of that."

Bang Gitae had only told him the result, and had not told him what had happened in the middle.

It was not that Bang Gitae had forgotten that fact.

Since Cheon Jin had usually sought only the result and had almost never tried to hear the process, he had habitually reported only the result this ti as well.

However, since Cheon Jin was now wanting the progress, Bang Gitae began to talk about it.

"At midnight, there was an assassination attempt at the Red Demon Training Ground."

"..."

"Since Young Master Cheon Seong usually trained there until late at night, no one thought it was strange that Young Master Cheon Seong was there at that ti."

Although there were usually so guards at that ti, Hwang Dongyeong had made them all retreat before that.

It turned out that there had been quite a few tis when Hwang Dongyeong had sent the guards away early as Cheon Seong's training had been delayed. So on that day as well, the guards had left their posts early without any suspicion.

"So in the end, only the two of them were left in the Red Demon Training Ground, and it seems that Hwang Dongyeong attempted an assassination."

"I heard that Hwang Dongyeong is dead. Who killed Hwang Dongyeong?"

"That's..."

Bang Gitae, who stopped talking in the middle.

He knew who had killed Hwang Dongyeong.

But co to think of it now, isn't sothing strange?

Since the focus had been on the incident of the assassination attempt on Cheon Seong, Bang Gitae had overlooked one fact.

"It was Young Master... Cheon Seong."

Even after saying that himself, Bang Gitae was hesitant.

He knew Hwang Dongyeong's skills. And although he had not confird Cheon Seong's skills directly, there were so rumors he had heard.

'Young Master Cheon Seong... killed Hwang Dongyeong?'

Is that possible?

Although he didn't know Cheon Seong's skills accurately, even if he were to rate them highly, they would be at the level of a first-class or a little better than that.

On the other hand, Hwang Dongyeong's skills were at least beyond the peak.

If there was that much of a gap between the two, it would be generally impossible for Cheon Seong to win unless all sorts of probabilistic numbers worked in Cheon Seong's favor.

"Are you sure?"

Cheon Jin asked Bang Gitae.

And Bang Gitae answered after a slight silence.

"...Young Master Cheon Seong told so."

After all, the report that Bang Gitae was giving to Cheon Jin was all what he had heard from Cheon Seong.

Originally, more investigation would be needed, but there was no need to doubt Cheon Seong's words, right?

Since the victim was, after all, Cheon Seong's side, he had co to report right away without looking into it in more detail.

However, co to think of it now, Bang Gitae belatedly realized that sothing was strange.

"You're keeping the body, right?"

"That's right."

"I'll have to check the body with my own eyes."

As Cheon Jin said that, Bang Gitae's eyes widened slightly.

And he soon bowed his head and answered.

"As you command."

Answering so, Bang Gitae, who was leaving the leader's palace.

Cheon Jin silently looked at the empty inner palace.

"...Is it starting?"

With a mutter, a slight smile appeared on Cheon Jin's lips.

However, that was also for a mont, and Cheon Jin soon returned to his usual face.

(End of Chapter)