Chapter 284: Bongseon Ritual (2)
Baek Sang-ah smiled brightly as she spoke.
"I'm really glad you're safe, Young Master Jin."
I replied with a dark expression.
"...Yes, though my face didn't come out unscathed."
"……."
Baek Sang-ah quietly averted her gaze.
Especially since the dark, circular bruise on my eyelid was the result of her fist.
"Haha, it's the first time I've seen the Cult Leader lose control like that."
"You are…."
It was a middle-aged man clad in a blood-red robe.
He removed the black mask he had been wearing, revealing his face to me.
If only there had been a dragon embroidery, he could easily be mistaken for an elder of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan, given the extraordinary qi emanating from him.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, First Strategist Black Thunder. I am Blood Crow, the Sect Leader of Blood Peak Sect."
"Blood Talent?"
"I'm called that as well."
This man was none other than one of the Ten Talents, a top-five figure among the demonic forces of the northern region.
And Blood Crow wasn’t the only one from the Ten Talents who had joined the Black Lotus Union.
"It's been a while, junior brother."
"You too?"
Even Wisdom Talent, Seo Muwon, who had once served under the former Venerable Buddha, was here.
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I asked Seo Muwon.
"Leaving Blood Talent aside, weren’t you part of the orthodox faction?"
"I’ve converted."
"……."
His clean and unapologetic response left me speechless.
Was conversion really something that could be done so casually?
Reading the meaning in my expression, Wisdom Talent let out a faint chuckle.
"After the Venerable Buddha passed away while trying to help you, those of us who had followed him were left with a choice. Brother Namgung decided to return to his clan, but those like me who had abandoned everything and left their sects had nowhere to go back to."
The White Heavenly Sect in Beijing, where he once belonged, still held great fame in Hebei as a prestigious orthodox sect.
But if a former Sect Leader had defected to the demonic faction, what had happened to the remaining members of that sect…?
Wisdom Talent answered my unspoken question with a broad smile.
"Like I care?"
"……."
It was obvious there was more to the story, but his expression warned me not to press further.
I nodded blankly in response to that silent threat.
Trying to lighten the mood, Wisdom Talent spoke again.
"Anyway, could you briefly explain what’s happened to you and what's going on here?"
"Hmm…"
After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I gave a general overview of the situation here.
However, aside from Baek Sang-ah and Dowang, I couldn’t fully trust the others yet.
So, I glossed over anything concerning Cheon Yujeong and focused on explaining the Bongseon Ritual and the internal strife within the Heaven-Defying Society.
When I finished by mentioning that I had defeated Gam Unbi, everyone was astonished.
"Whoa!"
"You defeated the Conqueror King?!"
"A-Amazing. That means you've at least reached the pinnacle of the Transformation Realm, doesn’t it?!"
"A new star has appeared in the martial world!"
Blood Talent clapped in admiration.
It seemed he hadn’t realized that the new star he was praising belonged to the demonic side.
After hearing my explanation, Wisdom Talent looked toward the direction of Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain, where the Conqueror had fled.
"We traveled all this way to capture the Conqueror, only to miss him. How unfortunate."
"Still, why did all of you come all the way here?"
After all, this place was much closer to Sado Castle’s territory than to the Black Lotus Union’s base in Luoyang.
Even if they had intended to ambush the Conqueror, it seemed excessive to come this far.
Wisdom Talent answered curtly.
"Isn’t it because of you?"
"…What?"
He nodded toward Baek Sang-ah with his chin.
"She threatened to fire all of us if we didn’t follow her. As mere employees, how could we possibly refuse?"
…Who is firing whom?
I blinked, and Wisdom Talent nodded as if he had expected that reaction.
"You might not know this, but there’s no better place to work right now than the Black Lotus Union. If we get fired from here, we're screwed."
I quietly turned my gaze to Baek Sang-ah.
She turned her head, blushing deeply as if embarrassed.
The others nodded in agreement, and Dowang was smirking off to the side.
Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem like she had merely threatened them with dismissal.
'Just what kind of threats did she make…?'
Wisdom Talent patted my shoulder.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're alive. Since the Grandmaster gave his life to save you, you're pretty much the living embodiment of his will now."
"…Right."
I nodded heavily.
"This actually works out well. I’ll need your help with…"
"Wait a moment."
Just then, Baek Sang-ah suddenly cut me off, extending her hand.
"There’s something that must be done before anything else."
"What? What could possibly…"
Considering the disaster that could erupt from that mountain at any moment, what could be more urgent than that?
Baek Sang-ah spoke to someone who had come with her.
"Gosun."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
A man with a sturdy yet sharp impression bowed before her.
He, too, had reached the peak of the martial world.
"I’m sorry to ask, but could you go to the Ten Thousand Mountain right away?"
Gosun nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. If it is the Cult Leader’s order."
"Ugh… this is going to be rough."
The others trembled with exhausted expressions.
Even traveling from Luoyang to here had been a journey of thousands of li.
And now, from this southernmost region of Guangdong to the Ten Thousand Mountain in Gansu Province where the Heavenly Demon Cult was located?
It was no joke—a journey well over ten thousand li, an epic trek across the entire continent.
"How long will it take?"
"Ten days should be enough."
Even for a master of lightness arts at the absolute peak, covering the entire length of the Central Plains in just ten days was no easy feat.
He would likely have to push both his body and horse to their limits without getting a wink of sleep.
"We must stop the war no matter what. If the Heavenly Demon Cult has already mobilized, you must find the Young Cult Leader at all costs."
Young Cult Leader… Yura?
"Do not worry. I understand exactly what concerns you, Cult Leader."
"Please, take this with you."
Baek Sang-ah handed her Black Heaven Mask to Gosun.
This was none other than the symbol of the Black Lotus Union’s Lord, a mask personally crafted and given to Baek Sang-ah by Cheon Yura herself.
Gosun carefully accepted the mask and tucked it into his robes.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he mounted his horse and rode off toward the north.
I, unable to hide my disbelief, pressed Baek Sang-ah for answers.
"Lady Baek, what do you mean by war? Are you saying the Cult is actually…?"
"…As expected, you really have no idea what’s going on, Young Master Jin."
Baek Sang-ah let out a heavy sigh, her face clouded with worry.
"Not long ago, the Heavenly Demon Cult officially declared war on all of the Central Plains."
"…What?"
I froze like a statue at those words.
"It’s not just an extension of what Lady Cheon announced last time. The Cult Leader personally declared through the Heavenly Demon’s decree that they would advance into the Central Plains. The Heavenly Demon Cult even sent an envoy to request our cooperation."
"……."
"We have temporarily put it on hold, but we can’t refuse them forever. As you know…"
"Our Union only exists because of the Cult’s support."
"Exactly."
Of course, in ten or so years, the Black Lotus Union would likely be strong enough to stand on its own without needing the Heavenly Demon Cult, but Baek Sang-ah didn’t bother saying that out loud.
"The Cult Leader's will is firm. They aren’t passively responding anymore. They have made it clear that they intend to establish demonic rule over the world and uproot the Heaven-Defying Society afterward."
I had expected this ever since I woke up in Hainan, but hearing it confirmed from someone I knew left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But still… did the Cult Leader really say that?
'That doesn’t make sense.'
The Cult Leader didn’t have much time left.
Even if they tore through the Central Plains like a storm, the time required for that would far exceed the Cult Leader’s remaining days.
"The immediate cause of this war is, of course, you, Young Master Jin. I heard the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan is actively supporting the Cult Leader’s decision."
"Ugh…!"
"If we can inform Lady Cheon that you are still alive, there might still be a chance to prevent this war. Though, it won’t be easy…"
Baek Sang-ah was right.
Right now, the tide within the Heavenly Demon Cult was overwhelmingly in favor of war.
Even if I had been the one to pull the trigger, stopping it was an entirely different matter.
"For now, I understand. But there’s something urgent right in front of us. I’ll need you and your people to help me first."
"Alright."
The moment Baek Sang-ah nodded, not a single word of objection came from the others.
It was a subtle yet undeniable display of how firm her authority was within the Black Lotus Union.
It was at that moment.
"Huh? Young Master Jin, look over there!"
Baek Sang-ah pointed toward a spot on Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain.
From the fifth of the nine peaks that made up Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain, a massive wave of demonic energy was rising into the sky.
'Damn it, are we too late?!'
Even I, who had reached the Transcendent Demon Realm, flinched at the sheer intensity of it.
I didn’t know if the ritual had fully begun yet, but I had an intense feeling that if we left it alone, something terrible would happen.
"Whatever the case, we have no choice but to go."
At Wisdom Talent’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Chil Cheon-gun, Lord Baek Cheong, Ju Baek Ryeo, barely managed to escape pursuit and hide deep within Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain.
"Huff, huff! Urgh!"
Lord Baek Cheong clutched her chest and collapsed on the spot.
Having forcibly unleashed her power, her entire body was on the verge of suffering a complete internal rupture.
"I-I have to hold on… until Master arrives…"
Fortunately, Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain was home to the maze formation that the Yu Clan had managed for generations.
With the power of that formation, she could hold out for at least a day or two.
Just as Lord Baek Cheong was catching her breath.
A familiar but unwelcome voice echoed.
"So you were here, after all."
Her eyes shot wide open.
"Y-You… Lady Cheon?"
Standing before her was Cheon Yujeong, who had gone missing.
Lord Baek Cheong immediately raised her guard, bracing for combat.
Especially since there was a sword hanging from Cheon Yujeong’s waist.
"I heard you disappeared. Why are you here?"
Cheon Yujeong let out a small laugh.
"I’ve been waiting. Waiting for you to show up here."
"…Waiting?"
"You’ve known all along, haven’t you? The Bongseon Ritual… was actually supposed to use me as the sacrifice."
"……."
Of course she knew.
She had received Cheon Yujeong from Ninth Heavenly Lord himself.
Cheon Yujeong smiled softly and spoke.
"Even if I’m not the sacrifice, if the ritual is carried out with you as the subject, I might still survive. Don’t you think?"
"……."
"Either way, follow me. We’re going to the ritual site."
"But…"
"If you don’t like it, I have no choice but to reveal your location to those waiting outside."
Rage flared in Lord Baek Cheong’s eyes.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Yes, I am. If you don’t want to die, follow me."
Cheon Yujeong pressed in without leaving any room for compromise.
Lord Baek Cheong bit her lip harshly.
In her current wrecked state, fighting Cheon Yujeong, who had reached the absolute peak, would only end one way.
In the end, Lord Baek Cheong had no choice but to succumb to Cheon Yujeong’s threat and follow her.
Thus, the two arrived at the fifth and central peak of Yoo Family's Sacred Mountain—Jungcheon Peak.
Everything was already prepared there for the Bongseon Ritual.
However, one thing seemed strange.
‘Where are the soldiers? Where did all the soldiers who guard this place go?’
Of course, in her current position as a marked traitor, their presence would have only caused more problems—but it was still strange.
As Cheon Yujeong stepped into the massive shrine at the center of the peak, she spoke to Lord Baek Cheong.
"Do you know why Sixth Heavenly Lord is targeting you?"
Lord Baek Cheong shook her head bitterly.
"It seems His Highness the Crown Prince finds me undesirable."
However, Cheon Yujeong let out a mocking laugh at that response.
"Ha, you must already suspect that’s just an excuse, don’t you?"
Lord Baek Cheong’s expression twisted.
Ignoring her reaction, Cheon Yujeong began lighting the candles prepared inside the shrine, one by one, as she spoke.
"Originally, the founder of the Empire was said to have been a poor farmer."
"…That’s something everyone knows."
"Right. Which means that royal blood wasn’t particularly noble to begin with."
Cheon Yujeong casually uttered what could be considered treasonous words, but Lord Baek Cheong was in no position to argue.
Cheon Yujeong continued without hesitation.
"However, over generations… the Ju Clan began to mingle with truly noble bloodlines, using their status as rulers of the Empire."
"……."
"And so, in the present age, the blood of the royal family has gained real, mystical value in sorcery."
"What are you getting at?"
After lighting every candle in the shrine, Cheon Yujeong looked down at Lord Baek Cheong.
Her face was twisted with ecstatic madness.
"Ahahaha! What else? It means your blood is more than sufficient and entirely appropriate to be used as a sacrifice for the Bongseon Ritual!"
"……!!!"
"Thank you for coming all this way."
"Y-You…!"
"Farewell."
Stab!
With lightning speed, Cheon Yujeong drew her sword and thrust it straight through Lord Baek Cheong’s heart.