Chapter 134: An Unnecessary Truth (4)
“Lord! Are you alright?!”
San Dojeon and his subordinates rushed over, desperate to check on my condition.
I waved my hand weakly, feeling a mild sense of exhaustion.
“I’m fine. The flow of my internal energy… is a bit unstable, but nothing worth worrying about.”
The moment Song Yangja died, the furious storm of the Second Heavenly Demon’s power, which had been raging like molten lava, subsided as if it had been a lie.
‘I need to be able to use this power freely…’
Of course, if I tried to accept the Second Heavenly Demon’s power in its entirety as I was now?
‘I’d probably explode and die from not being able to handle it.’
I could instinctively tell.
The power I had just manifested wasn’t even a tenth of its full strength.
This selective manifestation of power was likely due to Yoo So’s arrangement.
She did seem deeply versed in sorcery and techniques.
‘Well, that’s that… now it’s time to make a decision.’
I turned my gaze to Cheon Jeonmun, who had somehow returned to stand beside Baek Sang-ah.
He was looking at me with a rather strange expression.
He hadn’t expected me to take care of Song Yangja so easily either.
So before he could say anything, I spoke first.
“I trust you won’t go back on your word, Elder.”
“Did I say anything otherwise?”
“I figured you might if I kept my mouth shut.”
“Would I? I always keep the promises I make.”
Judging by his deflated expression, that didn’t seem entirely honest.
Cheon Jeonmun pointed toward the cave from which Song Yangja had emerged.
“Go ahead. I’ve disarmed all the mechanical formations.”
I looked toward the gloomy cave.
“May I bring some subordinates with me?”
“I’d advise against it, if possible.”
“……”
I had planned to take at least one or two people with me, but I changed my mind.
There were truths in this world so dangerous that merely knowing them could be a crime punishable by death.
No matter what lay beyond, I couldn’t risk dragging my subordinates into a burden they didn’t deserve.
However, there was one person I absolutely could not leave out of this situation.
“Ma Chulsoo.”
“…Alright.”
Ma Chulsoo nodded and stepped forward.
He was at the center of this situation.
Especially since there was a high chance that Ma Jinyoon was waiting beyond that cave, I had to take him no matter what.
“The rest of you, wait here. Do not move until Ma Chulsoo and I return…”
I glanced briefly at Cheon Jeonmun.
“In case something happens… stick close to the Elder.”
The subordinates’ eyes immediately turned toward Cheon Jeonmun.
Fortunately, he shrugged and nodded.
“Sure. I can do that much. Just don’t expect anything from me if you leave Iron Steed Prison Cave.”
“That’s more than enough.”
Who knew what Ma Jeongcheon might try next—at the very least, I had to prepare a basic safety net.
I couldn’t rely on Baek Sang-ah alone.
“Let’s go.”
I took the lead and stepped into the cave.
Ma Chulsoo swallowed nervously, clenched his fists, and followed closely behind me.
And just like that, the two of us disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
By the time Jin Yeomyung and Ma Chulsoo reached the end of the path Ma Jinyoon had led them down…
Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall, one of the Five Great Halls, was thrown into confusion by an unexpected visitor—none other than the Young Cult Leader, Cheon Yura.
“The Young Cult Leader is here!”
“Cease all activities! Prepare to receive the Young Cult Leader!”
“Where’s the Hall Lord?! Hurry up and send a message!”
In truth, Cheon Yura had never visited Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall until now.
No matter how much of a political ally Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall might have been, Cheon Yura never held it in high regard.
But this time was different.
“Hahaha, for you to come here… you must be in quite a hurry.”
“It’s been a while, Elder.”
Cheon Yura bowed politely to First Elder, who had come to greet her.
Even for her, the Young Cult Leader, there were certain formalities to observe when facing one of the Cheon Clan’s senior elders.
“This is unexpected. If you were to make a move, I’d have thought you’d rush straight to the Jin Clan brat.”
“I won’t deny that. But there’s something I have to do first.”
“Something to do… and what might that be?”
Her previously polite demeanor vanished in an instant, and Cheon Yura now stood as the Young Cult Leader.
“I’m here to reclaim what was taken from me—by my own hand.”
“Hahaha?”
“And while I’m at it, I intend to deliver a warning to the Lord of Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall.”
“A warning? A warning, you say?!”
For some reason, First Elder seemed rather pleased by Cheon Yura’s words.
“You do realize he’s your strongest supporter, don’t you?”
Cheon Yura didn’t hesitate.
“Supporter or not, if he crossed the line, he has to pay the price.”
“Hahaha! That’s more like it!”
“And I also have a favor to ask of you, First Elder.”
First Elder, who had been laughing heartily, tilted his head at her sudden statement.
“Oh? A favor, from me?”
“Would you grant it?”
“That depends on what it is. But seeing the way you are now… I feel like I could grant most things.”
First Elder was quite pleased with the spirit Cheon Yura was showing.
Until now, she had stayed holed up in the Lesser Demon Hall, focused solely on martial arts, causing many within the Cheon Clan to question her qualifications as Young Cult Leader.
So much so that most of the Seven Elder Council had already shifted their support to Cheon Yujeong, who showed more promise.
Although truthfully, that shift was likely more due to her bloodline than anything else...
“Please summon the Seven Elder Council.”
“…What?”
“I will make every one of them submit—and mend the rift within the Cheon Clan.”
First Elder was so stunned, he asked again.
“You’ll make those old men submit? Do you even have the political skill for that?”
Cheon Yura’s current path was an all-or-nothing gamble.
To forcibly subdue the Seven Elder Council?
Given the current volatile state, it might indeed lead to the best outcome.
But if she failed to subdue them?
In that moment, her authority as Young Cult Leader would be completely undermined, and the Cheon Clan would descend into even greater chaos.
“You are correct, Young Cult Leader. That was quite a hasty statement just now.”
Before Cheon Yura could even respond, a handsome man holding a folding fan stepped out from deeper inside.
“The Lord of Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall greets the Young Cult Leader.”
Demonic Gentleman, Cheon Jumyeong. As the Lord of Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall, he had come to personally greet Cheon Yura.
With his signature fan partially covering his mouth, he wore a slight smirk.
“To think that reaching the Extreme Demon Realm would be enough to make those old men yield—that’s a grave misjudgment.”
“A misjudgment, huh? Is that what you believe, Lord of Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall?”
Her tone with Cheon Jumyeong was noticeably different from the one she used with First Elder.
Though Cheon Jumyeong’s eyes twitched slightly, he didn’t show much of a reaction.
“That’s right, Young Cult Leader. Including your intention to retrieve that junior brother of yours who crawled his way into Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall…”
“……”
For a moment, their eyes met in mid-air.
Demonic Gentleman, Cheon Jumyeong.
A loyal servant of the current Cult Leader, and in a way, virtually a godfather-like figure to Cheon Yura.
Yet at present, the two shared virtually no real connection.
For that reason, Cheon Yura didn’t bear much personal resentment toward Cheon Jumyeong.
But now that the name ‘Jin Yeomyung’ had entered the picture, Cheon Jumyeong had become, in her heart, a potential enemy.
“You seem to be under a misunderstanding, Lord Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall, from its very inception, was born as a servant.”
“…!”
Cheon Jumyeong’s face contorted.
“For a servant to defy the master’s word—what else could that be but a delusion?”
It was an extreme analogy, but not inaccurate when considering Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall’s founding background.
“A servant who does not heed their master’s command should be discarded. I’m sure even the Cult Leader would permit it.”
Though Cheon Jumyeong held immense power within the cult at present…
That power came entirely from the legitimacy of supporting the Cult Leader and his daughter, Cheon Yura.
Even if it didn’t come to outright expulsion, if Cheon Yura pushed this far, it would undeniably deal a heavy blow to Cheon Jumyeong as well.
“Must you really go this far?”
For once, Cheon Jumyeong lost his composure.
“Taking in Jin Yeomyung was something permitted by the Cult Leader himself.”
“I expected as much.”
The reason Jin Yeomyung had suddenly resigned from the Exchange Ceremony and joined Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall…
The fundamental reason was likely Cheon Yujeong, but the fact that he chose Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall in particular probably meant the Cult Leader’s influence played a part.
“But you, Lord of Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall, pushed a newly arrived Jin Yeomyung straight into the jaws of death.”
That was the conclusion Cheon Yura came to after compiling the reports from the Divine Ghost Unit.
Cheon Jumyeong didn’t deny the accusation that he had driven Jin Yeomyung into a deadly situation.
“But he volunteered…”
“That boy… I heard he’s in Iron Steed Prison Cave right now.”
Cheon Jumyeong flinched!
The hand holding his fan hesitated.
Could it be… had she figured something out?
As far as Cheon Jumyeong knew, Cheon Yura didn’t know the truth. About the secret of her birth hidden somewhere within Iron Steed Prison Cave—and that fewer than five people in the entire cult were aware of it.
Whether she knew or not, Cheon Yura showed no further reaction after mentioning Iron Steed Prison Cave.
“I won’t take him right now.”
“……”
“But let this be a warning.”
Cheon Yura made a quiet yet resolute declaration.
“If anything happens to that boy, I’ll dismantle Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall myself, no matter the cost.”
“…I’ll bear that in mind.”
“The reason I came to Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall today isn’t because of you, Lord Jumyeong. My business is with First Elder, so we’ll end it here.”
Turning her gaze away from Cheon Jumyeong, Cheon Yura looked back at First Elder.
First Elder glanced between the two of them and let out a hearty laugh.
“I like your spirit.”
“……”
“But I’m afraid I can’t grant your request to summon the Seven Elder Council.”
“And why not?”
“To make them submit, you’d need the help of that fellow you just humiliated—Lord of the Heavenly Thunder Corps Hall.”
No matter how influential the Seven Elder Council was within the Cheon Clan, Cheon Jumyeong—backed by the Cult Leader—was no less powerful.
But now that she’d embarrassed him so publicly, would he really be willing to help?
Cheon Yura shook her head at First Elder’s reasoning.
“First Elder, I have no intention of maneuvering the Seven Elder Council through politics.”
“Oh? Then how do you plan to convince those old men?”
“With force.”
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
Heaven-Slaying power.
From Cheon Yura’s entire body, the Heaven-Slaying Qi—the very symbol of the Heavenly Demon—began to surge forth.
A black domain, like the incarnation of a demon, enveloped Cheon Yura. Everyone who laid eyes on her felt a pressure on an entirely different level.
“…Hmph!”
Even First Elder and Cheon Jumyeong—both at Extreme Demon Realm—had not anticipated such a power.
First Elder was stunned by the unexpected martial prowess she now displayed.
“You’ve reached the brink of mastery in the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art…!”
An unprecedented level of achievement in the entire history of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
A single tear fell from First Elder’s eye.
“At this rate, the birth of the next Heavenly Demon is all but assured.”
To witness two Heavenly Demons in one era!
It was nothing less than a blessing upon the cult.
While First Elder, thrilled by Cheon Yura’s display, was boasting that he would personally take the lead with the Elder Council…
Cheon Jumyeong, who had faded from the center of attention, quietly muttered a single word to himself, unheard by anyone.
“Divine Demon Physique…”
***
At the end of the cave, I picked up a worn-out book stained with blood.
“‘Divine Demon Physique Restoration Record’…? What is this supposed to be?”