Chapter 264: Hainam Island (2)
The Cult Leader’s declaration of entering the Central Plains this time would, unlike before, ripple across the entire cult.
While many had previously dismissed Cheon Yura’s declaration as mere bravado from the young Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, this time was different.
The Cult Leader had summoned the cult’s senior leaders and made the declaration himself. The weight of it was on an entirely different scale.
The Cult Leader spoke to Saber Demon.
“First Elder.”
“Speak, my Lord.”
“I heard Saber King is currently staying at the main estate of the Pa Clan?”
Saber Demon answered with a slightly displeased look.
“…That’s correct.”
“Ask Saber King about Bukcheon’s intentions. I hope, if possible, that they will continue to remain neutral as they have until now.”
At the current frontline of the Grand Heavenly Demon Cult—spanning Shaanxi and Gansu—there were regions in sequential order: Gongtong, Jongnam, and Mount Hua.
But further north lay the millennia-old Bukcheon Geom Clan.
If they were to intervene, it would become the worst kind of obstacle for the Heavenly Demon Cult. However, the Bukcheon Geom Clan, despite its scale, had always been among the quietest factions in the Murim world.
Saber Demon, who had expected harsher words aimed at Saber King, breathed a quiet sigh of relief and nodded his head.
“Understood.”
“The overall commander of the expedition will be the Young Cult Leader, and the supreme military strategist will be the Lord of the Heavenly Thunder Corps. The scale and arrangement of the expedition will be jointly decided and led by the two.”
“……!?”
What… did he just say?
At those words, many turned their gaze to the curtain.
“The overall commander is the Young Cult Leader? Then, that means the Cult Leader….”
While many were struck with shock, the Cult Leader made a firm declaration.
“I will not be participating in this expedition. This expedition will be the final test of the Young Cult Leader’s capabilities.”
“F-final, you say?”
“After this expedition concludes, I will pass the position of Cult Leader to the Young Cult Leader.”
“……!!!”
An immense shock struck through the assembly.
“O-oh, Heavenly Demon… How could such a decision be made so quickly….”
“Yes, it's still far too early for that!”
It had been about twenty years since the current Cult Leader, Cheon Taejong, had ascended to his position.
And during his reign, the Heavenly Demon Cult had reached an era of unprecedented might—its absolute peak in history.
Considering his still-youthful age, it wouldn’t be strange for him to remain on the throne for another twenty years at the very least.
No, when thinking about how the Young Cult Leader had only recently passed the age of maturity, that would be the more natural course of action.
“This matter has already been decided. No further debate.”
“…….”
“…….”
At the Cult Leader’s resolute statement, everyone fell into a tense silence.
Especially considering that the Hwan Clan had just been purged not long ago.
Internal turmoil within the cult hadn’t even fully subsided yet. Such a declaration could very well cause a barely-healed wound to reopen.
“This meeting is concluded. Everyone except the Young Cult Leader may leave.”
At the Cult Leader’s dismissal, the attendees began to exit the Heavenly Demon Pavilion one by one, each carrying a heavy heart.
In time, only the Cult Leader and Cheon Yura remained in the grand hall.
“…….”
Cheon Yura had not spoken a word from the beginning to the end of the meeting.
The Cult Leader pulled aside the curtain and spoke.
From behind it emerged a man who looked so young, just barely out of his youth.
“You don’t seem too pleased.”
“To be honest, I’m not.”
“With your personality, I thought you’d leap at this opportunity.”
“…….”
Had it been the old her, she certainly would have.
She would have been eager to battle the great masters of the orthodox sects and longed to plant the cult’s flag across all of the Central Plains.
But much had changed in her.
She had come to learn truths that should have been impossible to know at this stage in life and had experienced much.
More than anything, one person had changed her life.
Cheon Yura let out a quiet sigh.
“That guy… he sacrificed a lot to prevent this war. But if things turn out this way, his will…”
“Yura.”
The Cult Leader cut her off.
“The course this expedition will take—and its outcome—depend solely on your choices.”
“W-what do you mean by that…?”
Step. Step.
The Cult Leader slowly descended from his seat of honor and said,
“This expedition holds two meanings.”
Cheon Yura quietly listened.
“I still wish for you to become a monarch of iron and blood. And as Dao Zun suggested, while I still have the strength to hold the line, unifying the Central Plains might be the wiser course in the long run.”
“…….”
Just as Cheon Yura’s expression darkened—
“But on the other hand, it doesn’t matter if you come back without doing a thing.”
Flinch!
“You mean…?”
The Cult Leader smiled faintly and said,
“You’ll have to deal with the consequences, but I won’t hold it against you. You’ve grown faster than I ever expected. You’ve reached the level where you can take responsibility for your own choices.”
Without realizing it, Cheon Yura asked,
“Do you… do you believe Jin Yeomyung is dead?”
“Hmm….”
He stroked his chin and fell into thought for a moment.
“That little brother… how should I put it… he’s a truly secretive one.”
Nod, nod!
She nodded fiercely in agreement.
“No matter how many layers you peel away, there’s always more with that mysterious brat. Above all else, I never did uncover everything he was hiding.”
“You mean…?”
“He’s alive.”
“……!”
The Cult Leader said with conviction.
“I don’t know why he’s still hesitating instead of returning, but even against me at full power, he somehow managed to escape alive. So… there’s no way someone like him would fall to the Heaven-Defying Society.”
Could it be true?
Could those words be right?
I wish they were….
Seeing his daughter once again showing signs of instability, the Cult Leader let out a silent sigh.
“Yura.”
“Yes… Father.”
“Focus on the task right in front of you.”
“…….”
“At the very least, if your mind is occupied with one thing, the wait may feel less agonizing.”
In that moment, a possibility flashed through Cheon Yura’s mind.
It had been half a year since she returned to the Heavenly Demon Cult.
And all that time, her mental state had been far from stable.
It was serious enough that even she could recognize it herself.
She began to suspect—was it possible that the Cult Leader had intentionally initiated the Righteous-Demonic War just to divert her attention?
A rather reasonable suspicion.
But now was not the time to voice it.
“…Understood.”
Clench!
She tightly gripped the hilt of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Sword at her waist.
‘I’ve made sure to identify friend from foe.’
During the escape from the Namcheon Baek Clan—
She had clearly seen who helped them, who targeted them.
She had a solid understanding of how internal cracks had formed within the orthodox sects.
As she stepped out of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, she called someone.
“Biyeon.”
“Yes, Young Cult Leader.”
Standing beside her was Sa Biyeon, fully recovered and healthy once more.
“Send a carrier pigeon to him. I need to come to an agreement with him on how to orchestrate this situation.”
“As you command.”
Sa Biyeon, the Head of the Black Gold Sa Clan, remained a loyal servant to Cheon Yura.
Heavenly Thunder Corps, Top Floor
“Interesting. I didn’t expect the Cult Leader to actually decide on the Righteous-Demonic War.”
“…….”
“And the matter with the Black Gold Sa Clan too… Just when ascension is near, he chooses to stir inner and outer turmoil in the cult…”
“…….”
“This is very different from the nature I’ve come to understand from the Cult Leader so far. It’s surprising.”
The Lord of the Heavenly Thunder Corps, Demonic Gentleman Jumyeong, narrowed his eyes calmly.
“And also…”
He tapped the thick stack of documents in front of him with his hand.
“…I didn’t expect you to be so in tune with the Cult Leader’s intentions.”
“…….”
“Traitor—Han Mubaek.”
Standing before Cheon Jumyeong, with a perfectly straight posture and a calm demeanor, was Han Mubaek.
“Is this a predicted deployment map based on the relationships between the orthodox factions? And a counter-strategy prepared by thoroughly analyzing the structure of our martial units?”
Indeed, a diagram as complex as a magic formula lay in front of Cheon Jumyeong—showing the intricate relationships between sects and strategies.
Han Mubaek did not answer. He simply smiled faintly.
“I don’t know how you knew this war would happen, but you’ve done well. Even the content is quite convincing…”
Suddenly—
A wave of formless qi burst from Cheon Jumyeong and pressed down on Han Mubaek’s entire body.
Only then did Han Mubaek’s calm expression falter.
“…Kugh!”
“More than anything, the fact that you’ve understood so much about the cult in such a short time… that’s quite presumptuous.”
At last, Han Mubaek opened his mouth.
“Ugh… I didn’t just keep it in my heart. I revealed everything to you, Lord of Heavenly Thunder, because…”
“Because?”
“To entrust you with my sincerity and my dream… without holding anything back.”
“Hmm.”
At those words, Cheon Jumyeong withdrew his killing intent.
“Sincerity and dream, you say.”
He smiled as he asked Han Mubaek,
“That only matters if our goals align, doesn’t it?”
Han Mubaek answered without hesitation.
“The second most powerful in the new cult—and the true number one in practice.”
“…!”
“I want to share in your dream, Lord of Heavenly Thunder.”
At that, the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Thunder Corps, Ghostly Strategist Immortal Cheon Eunryeong, bared her sharp teeth.
“How dare a traitor say such—!”
Swish!
But her hostility vanished at a mere hand gesture from Cheon Jumyeong.
“Interesting.”
A smirk rose to Cheon Jumyeong’s lips.
But contrary to the curve of his mouth, his eyes were cold and sharp.
“Your ambition and confidence… it reminds me of that arrogant brat.”
“…….”
Han Mubaek silently pondered who that ‘brat’ could be.
Cheon Jumyeong clicked his tongue softly and turned his gaze out the window.
“Still… where the hell is that guy, and what’s he doing right now…”
Northernmost Hainam Island
Haegu, the only port city on Hainam Island, infamous even within the Central Plains as a place of exile.
Located just eighty li away from the mainland, it was practically the only place where one could undergo official procedures to cross back to the Central Plains.
Naturally, the famed sword sect known for its wave-like sword energy—Hainam Sect—was based in this Haegu City.
But recently, the Hainam Sect had been struggling against the cultists who had risen up all over Hainam Island.
“Uwaaaaaa!”
“Heavenly Demon Manifestation! Ten Thousand Demons’ Blessing!”
“Wipe out those Hainam Sect maggots!”
“The Saint and the Saintess are watching over us!”
Faced with a staggering horde numbering nearly a thousand, dozens of Hainam Sect disciples clenched their teeth.
“D-damned Demonic Cult lunatic bastards!”
“Sons of Hainam! We must not fall back!”
“Wipe out those heretic bastards!”
Over the past few years, a cult group known as the Cult of Heavenly Demon’s Manifestation had massively expanded its influence across Hainam Island.
And now, someone of the Jin surname, revered as a Saint within that cult, let out a thunderous roar.
“You goddamn fanatics! Just listen to me for a second!”
I desperately tried to stop the fanatics.
But the slight differences in tone and dialect compared to the northern parts of the Central Plains made it hard for them to understand me—and instead, cheers erupted in response.
“The Saint says to trust his words! Everyone, chaaaarge!”
“Uwoooooo!”
Looking at these lunatics who wouldn’t listen no matter what I said, I screamed.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
After pulling at my hair for a while, I turned and shouted toward someone.
“Lady, please say something! At this rate, because of these bastards, the empire will really brand our cult as a heretical sect!”
“…….”
“Lady!”
At the end of my gaze—
Cheon Yujeong, revered as the Saintess by the cultists, was lying down with an expression of pure indifference.