Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 318: The Answer Isn’t Here
It had been two days since we left the Central Plains and entered the Wilderness.
“Sandstorm incoming!” 1
At Jeokyeon’s shout from outside, I quickly stuck my head out the carriage window.
Fwoooouuuuuuush!
In the distance, a massive sandstorm was rolling toward us.
Like a colossal tidal wave, a wall of red sand surged forth. It looked so terrifying that one might imagine this is what the end of the world would look like.
“To the west! Full speed ahead!”
At my command, the carriage veered and began galloping in that direction.
As if this sort of thing was a daily occurrence, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader sat calmly with a relaxed expression.
On the other hand, the Demonic Budha and I watched nature’s fury with anxious hearts, quietly preparing ourselves in case we were swept up by the storm.
Whether it was me, Jeong Dae, or Ma Bul—any of us could endure being caught in the storm. But the horses, the carriage, and especially the guards might be flung far into the distance. Even if we had to abandon the horses and carriage, we had to ensure the people didn’t get hurt.
Fwoooouuuuuuush!
As the towering wall of sand approached, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
I wanted to block that storm by erecting the Third Form: Great Demon Wall of the Nine Calamities Demon Art.
They said that the higher the level of the Great Demon Wall, the smaller its size became.
But I wished my Demon Wall could be different. Reaching the Twelve-Star Greatness, far beyond Ten-Star, I hoped that my Great Demon Wall would be big enough to stop that sandstorm.
I imagined the little shield of Ten-Star growing ever larger, forming an immense wall—one that would never collapse no matter what struck it.
Fortunately, the carriage narrowly escaped the reach of the sandstorm. It was thanks to quick judgment and a swift decision to run.
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader turned to me and said,
“How is it? The flavor of the Wilderness.”
“It’s spicy from the very start.”
We watched the sandstorm sweep everything away behind the carriage.
I couldn't help but wonder how anyone could live in a place like this—but after traveling for a while, we saw a father and son herding livestock.
The young boy helped his father by driving the herd with a long stick. They were people who already knew the storm was coming and where they needed to go.
We stopped the carriage for a moment and watched them move along.
Jeong Dae suddenly asked,
“Have I ever told you that I didn’t want to leave the Wilderness? I keep forgetting things lately.”
“Would it matter if you did or didn’t? You can just say it again.”
“I don’t like that. Repeating myself, saying the same thing over and over. Makes me sound like a senile old man, don’t you think?” 2
“I’ll take it as a sign of your humanity.”
His gaze drifted once more to the father and son driving their livestock in the distance.
“Gowol once told me”, the previous Cult Leader began, “that I always talked big about expanding into the Central Plains, but never actually gave it any serious thought. And I couldn’t deny it at the time. To be honest, I liked living here. There’s a certain charm here that you just can’t find in the Central Plains. Ah, of course, I admit—it was probably because I lived without worries. There are no sandstorms like that near the Cult Leader’s Hall.”
That was when the Demonic Budha suddenly chimed in.
“You’re just a country bumpkin.”
The Cult Leader glanced at him, and Ma Bul continued.
“Why dress it up with so many pointless reasons when all you’re saying is you liked your hometown? How tasteless.”
His rebuke felt closer to exasperation than true criticism. He was asking why he had to tack on that last bit about living worry-free as the cult leader. Why not just say it with pride? ‘I liked it here. I didn’t want to leave.’
That’s how the two of them had been throughout the journey. They would go the whole day saying nothing, only to suddenly butt heads over something trivial. And then, just like this, they’d also look out for one another.
Though he didn’t show it on the surface, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was on edge—tense. If I could feel it, the Demonic Budha certainly did too.
That was probably why Ma Bul kept picking fights or saying things like earlier—to help ease Jeong Daer’s tension.
Someone who didn’t know him might be surprised to learn that the Demonic Budha had such a considerate side. But it wasn’t surprising at all. Among the Demon Supremes, Ma Bul was someone who valued loyalty over all and was deeply thoughtful.
That’s why I once thought of him as a small giant, loyal and devoted to my older brother.
“All right, let’s move out again.”
The carriage picked up speed, heading once more toward the place the sandstorm had swept through.
* * *
There were a number of incidents on the road to the Heavenly Wind Cult.
A group of bandits, confident in their numbers, charged at us and lost their lives. A few of the escorting martial artists suffered stomach trouble from drinking the local water.
Jeong Dae found some herbs nearby and gave them to the afflicted men. As he did, he complained that today’s youth were so weak, claiming that back in his day, even drinking water mixed with blood and poison didn’t faze him. It was hard to believe.
As always, the Demonic Budha had a line ready.
“Why so much nagging? They say old folks should shut their mouths and open their wallets.”
Of course, the Cult Leader wasn’t the type to just shut up.
“I’m just lonely, that’s all! What’s the use of knowing everything when you get old? None of the young ones ever ask anymore. ‘What’s this herb?’ ‘What’s it good for?’ ‘When did you learn it?’”
Knowing he wasn’t entirely joking, I gave him a smile.
And that wasn’t the only difficulty we faced on this journey. Jeokyeon got lost multiple times. The maps and the actual terrain often didn’t match.
Oddly enough, Ma Bul seemed to know the roads better than the Cult Leader.
“Isn’t this your territory?” he asked.
“Exactly, so I wouldn’t know. My subordinates always carried me around—how would I know the roads?”
It was the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s subtle excuse for being notoriously bad with directions. 3
Another challenge of traveling through the Wilderness was finding a place to sleep. As we ventured deeper into the region, inns became increasingly scarce.
“We’ll have to camp here for the night,” Jeokyeon said as he got down from the carriage and began preparing the campsite.
The escorts swiftly split into roles and moved with precision. While keeping an eye on the surroundings, they lit a campfire and prepared the prey they had hunted for dinner.
I personally took care of the sleeping arrangements for my master and the Demonic Budha. I laid soft grass on the ground and placed smooth animal hides on top.
Noticing I was tending to their sleeping spots, Ma Bul spoke.
“Don’t worry about us. Take care of your own bed.”
“I’m young, after all. I could sleep on a gravel patch and be fine. Here, give it a try.”
“You’re only young on the outside. Sometimes you feel more senior than that man with no sense of direction.”
When the Demonic Budha teased him, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wiggled his hips childishly on the bedding.
“Comfy. Very comfy.”
Ma Bul also looked satisfied with the setup.
Then I made my own bed even softer than theirs. Watching this, Jeong Dae gave me an incredulous look.
“You’ve got a tiger hide on yours?”
“I am the Young Cult Leader, after all.”
The Cult Leader shook his head in disbelief, while the Demonic Budha had the look of someone who’d expected this all along. For the first time in a while, the two of them were united in thought.
“Did you see that shameless face?”
“And he said he could sleep on gravel!”
I lay back on the soft hide, laughing, and asked my master,
“What kind of person is the next Cult Leader?”
“Someone I raised myself, marked from the start as my successor. A trustworthy person.”
Surely, someone trustworthy. But now that Hwan Wang had interfered, who could say if that trust would hold? That bastard was no doubt lurking somewhere near the new Cult Leader.
“Finding him is up to you, Cult Leader. You know the Heavenly Wind Cult better than anyone.”
I believed in him. There weren’t many people who could give up such a high position as Cult Leader for the sake of a friendship. I believed in what made him special.
“Don’t put too much faith in me. As you know, I’m indecisive. Emotional.”
“That’s why I like you. I don’t like people who are too rigid.”
The Cult Leader gave me a look as if to say, What kind of twisted logic are you spouting now?
“I like people who can change depending on the situation. People who do change. People like you, Cult Leader. I like someone who can admit when they don’t have confidence. That’s far better than someone pretending to know everything and charging ahead into disaster by pure stubbornness. And you’ve already shown me, haven’t you? Who you are when it comes to what you know best. Who you are in the world that’s yours.”
Jeong Dae glanced at Ma Bul and shook his head.
“When I’m with the Young Cult Leader, I feel proud to be flexible!”
And so, the night in the Wilderness grew ever deeper.
* * *
At last, we arrived at the Heavenly Wind Cult.
When we reached the front gates, a grand welcoming ceremony awaited us.
Hundreds of martial artists were lined up in formation, and a long crimson carpet had been laid out. The whole welcome was dazzling and extravagant.
Standing before them was the new Heavenly Wind Cult Leader himself—So Baekta.
“Greetings, Cult Leader,” Geom Mugeuk said with a respectful martial salute.
“Thank you for making the long journey.”
So Baekta wore the colorful and ornate ceremonial attire unique to his position as Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, his face painted in vivid, primary-toned patterns often used in Illusion Arts.
Perhaps it was because of this—if taken generously, one might interpret it as a meticulous effort to conceal his true self during the first meeting. But if viewed critically, there was something undeniably eerie about him.
“I’ve heard countless rumors that the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult possesses the greatest talent in history. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Rumors have a tendency to be exaggerated.”
“But the rumor that you’re the most handsome man seems to be entirely accurate.”
Despite his flamboyant appearance, he was an adept conversationalist.
After greeting Geom Mugeuk, he turned to greet the Demonic Budha.
“Greetings, Demon Supreme.”
“I pay my respects to the Cult Leader.”
“You greeted me the last time you were here, didn’t you?”
“I remember.”
Back then, Ma Bul hadn’t expected So Baekta to rise to the position of Cult Leader so quickly.
So Baekta finally greeted Jeong Dae. He ran forward and grasped his hand firmly.
“Master, it’s been so long.”
“Have you been well, Cult Leader?”
Now that he was the Cult Leader, even the former Cult Leader addressed him with due formality.
As the saying goes, position makes the person—this disciple, whom he hadn’t seen in some time, now carried himself with far more confidence and ease. So Baekta had been one of the disciples raised from a young age. Among them, he had the most powerful martial skills and the deepest loyalty. That’s why he had been marked early on as the successor. 4
“I was so eager to see you that I couldn’t wait in the Cult Leader’s Hall.”
It was a subtle way of saying that, had Jeong Dae not come along, he would have welcomed Geom Mugeuk at the Cult Leader’s Hall instead. After all, this was a visit from the Young Cult Leader, not the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Come now, let’s go inside.”
Following So Baekta, the three of them walked together.
As they walked, he gave Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Budha a tour of the various buildings of the Heavenly Wind Cult. He seemed cheerful and upbeat, but the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t shake a subtle sense of discomfort.
Was he always like this?
The So Baekta he had known was calm and reserved. 5
Soon, the three of them entered the Cult Leader’s Hall.
In that instant, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader flinched slightly. The interior had changed greatly since his time.
The Throne Mat was placed higher and had been replaced with a larger one. The walls had been repainted in different colors, and the statues, paintings, and decorations were all completely different.
“The interior has changed quite a bit.”
“My subordinates suggested it might be better, so I accepted their proposal.”
“You did well. New wine should go into new wineskins.”
Though Jeong Dae was careful to show no outward reaction, Geom Mugeuk could sense it clearly—he wasn’t pleased.
It was easy to understand how he felt. The position had been passed on even though it wasn’t yet time to do so. And now, barely after receiving the position, So Baekta had completely changed the Cult Leader’s Hall as he pleased—how could that sit well with him?
And So Baekta went even further.
After entering the Cult Leader’s Hall, So Baekta ascended the Throne Mat and took a seat. That put him in a position to look down on the three of us.
His words remained polite, of course.
“The Divine Cult Leader’s lineage has long refrained from visiting our Cult. But now that the Young Cult Leader has come in person, it is truly a moment worth commemorating.”
There was a sharp edge to his words—an insinuation that we had ignored them until now.
“That’s all thanks to the former Cult Leader sitting here with us, isn’t it?”
So Baekta turned his gaze toward his master.
“He is a treasure of our Cult.”
Jeong Dae kindly smiled back at him, but as Geom Mugeuk had expected, he was in no good mood.
True, the person standing before him was the Young Cult Leader, and So Baekta himself was now Cult Leader, so sitting on the Throne Mat wasn’t inappropriate—but still, wasn’t today the day his master was also present? He could have chosen to sit with them at the reception seats below, rather than choosing to look down from above.
A few formal words were exchanged between Geom Mugeuk and So Baekta. They spoke of the hope that peaceful relations between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Heavenly Wind Cult would continue long into the future. Then, So Baekta said,
“You must still be weary from your journey. Please rest for today. Tomorrow, we’ll speak more. We’ll be holding a banquet in honor of the Young Cult Leader.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
With that, Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Budha left the Cult Leader’s Hall first.
Now, only So Baekta and Jeong Dae remained.
At that moment, So Baekta stepped down from the Throne Mat.
“Please don’t be upset, Master. I merely put on an air of authority because the Young Cult Leader from the Demon Cult was here.”
“You think authority is established by looking down on others from a high seat?”
A sudden silence fell between them. Then, So Baekta bowed his head.
“My thinking was shortsighted.”
As he lowered his head, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader spoke.
“No. I didn’t mean to rebuke our Cult Leader. Raise your head. A Grand Heavenly Wind Cult Leader must not bow so easily.”
So Baekta lifted his head, his face brightening. At times like this, he still reminded one of the disciple he used to be.
“I’m so glad you’ve come, Master. Please rest well while you’re here.”
The previous Cult Leader slowly left the Cult Leader’s Hall. He still couldn’t get used to how much it had changed.
* * *
Back in the guest reception quarters, Jeong Dae’s expression made it clear that something was wrong.
“How was it?” I asked.
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader described the sense of discomfort he had felt the whole time.
“Something feels... subtly different. I can’t tell whether it’s just the natural change of becoming Cult Leader—or if it’s because something is going on behind the scenes that makes me think that way.”
I asked cautiously,
“Could it be that he’s been afflicted by the Soul Reaping Art?”
The Cult Leader shook his head firmly.
“No. That’s not it.”
If he said so, then it certainly wasn’t.
“Then from now on, there’s one thing you must do without fail.”
I told the Cult Leader the first principle I’d held to since returning by regression.
“Look at the person clearly. Don’t glance, don’t look vaguely—look properly. But do it without bias. Forget how your disciple used to be, forget what kind of person he was. Let go of all those thoughts.”
Only by doing that could we find out the truth.
“The answer doesn’t lie with you, Cult Leader. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to dig through your own heart to find it. The answer lies in that person you’re looking at.” 6
1 : Reminds me of the beginning of Wall-E.
2 : Well everyone is senile in that case. If my head wasn’t stuck to my body, I would forget it all the time.
3 : Zorro wished he had such an excuse. It would prevent him from barging into chat rooms and claim he got lost, again XDXDXD (One Piece, of course)
4 : It seems there wasn’t much of a succession war, so that means the other successors mostly agreed with the decision. Unless a few of them are allied with Hwan Wang… *Ominousness intensifies*
5 : Is he infected too ?
6 : Let’s hope it’s only the rush of having so much power at once, and not that he hid his true face for years to become the successor.