Chapter 344: Five Great Halls Conference (1)
In truth, I had never seen Hwan Jeong in my past life.
After all, the successor to Hwan Pyeong that I knew had been someone else.
I had only heard that he was about the same age as us.
It was just that he had never appeared publicly, so his identity had never been revealed to the outside world.
"Quite the bold act you’ve committed."
I slowly rose from my seat.
"Still, I didn’t expect you'd bring a criminal into our cult like this."
"……Ugh!"
Unable to withstand the pressure I emitted, Hwan Jeong dropped to one knee on the spot.
‘Considering he’s a sorcerer, his martial ability must barely reach First Rate Martial Artist at best.’
"Hur hur hur!"
With a casual wave of his hand, Heavenly Researcher blocked much of the pressure I had released.
"I hope you won’t blame me too much for this."
"……."
"Of course, bringing this child to an official setting is suicide. However, isn't it proper to consult the Demonic Faction Lord on matters the Cult Leader cannot handle officially?"
Light could not exist alone in this world.
No matter how noble a sovereign’s reign, someone had to stain their hands with blood and filth behind the scenes.
And under Yura’s rule, it seemed that role now belonged to me.
Heavenly Researcher was subtly telling me not to get hung up on such trivial formalities if I were to play that part.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I sat back down.
‘I had sent Gu Chil to initiate contact, but I didn’t expect them to show up this recklessly.’
Regardless, now that things had started, I had to respond.
I deliberately maintained an arrogant attitude as I looked down at Hwan Jeong.
"What business does the descendant of a fallen clan have with me?"
Even though I sent him a scornful glare on purpose, Hwan Jeong’s expression didn’t waver.
Was it because he had naturally thick nerves, or was he desperately enduring it?
Instead, he prostrated himself before me and spoke.
"First, let me congratulate you on ascending to your supreme position. I have prepared a small gift."
"A gift?"
"Yes, this…."
Heavenly Researcher accepted a small box from Hwan Jeong and offered it to me.
Without much suspicion, I opened the box.
And inside….
"Ho…."
A chrysanthemum shimmering in a crimson light.
No, to be precise, it was a massive ruby intricately crafted into the shape of a chrysanthemum.
‘Insane.’
I couldn't help but admire the gem that Hwan Jeong had presented.
Never mind the sheer size of the ruby—such craftsmanship simply did not exist in the current Central Plains.
No, it couldn’t exist, not in this era.
‘If it's sorcery, it might be possible… but is this really achievable with the craftsmanship of this age?’
Even without any special mystical abilities, this gem alone was priceless.
"This is the Eternal Crimson Ruby passed down in my clan, crafted by our finest artisans and sorcerers. Please, I hope you will accept it."
"……."
As far as bribes went, this was an impressive move.
‘And of all things, a chrysanthemum….’
Choosing a chrysanthemum over other lavish flowers must have been advised by Heavenly Researcher standing beside him.
‘It doesn’t seem like there’s any trick to it.’
Even if they had pulled some elaborate scheme, I was more than capable of seeing through it in my current state.
I casually slipped the gem into my inner pocket and said,
"Thank you, but this gift won’t influence our conversation in the slightest."
It would make a perfect necklace to give to Yura.
"Of course. I wouldn’t expect such a thing."
"So? What’s your reason for seeking me out?"
Though I spoke curtly, even I couldn't deny that my voice had softened a little.
As if he had been waiting for that, Hwan Jeong finally spoke.
"Heavenly Illusion Clan… no, our Illusion Clan wishes to render great service to the cult in order to be accepted back into its embrace."
"Service, you say."
I had already heard about this from Heavenly Researcher, but I remained skeptical about the Illusion Clan's reinstatement.
"What kind of service are you talking about? I can’t think of anything that would benefit the cult in its current situation. Besides…."
I shot him a cold glare.
"Even if you manage to reclaim your status, you will never be accepted as part of the Six Great Demonic Clans again."
"Of course. I have already accepted that."
Hwan Jeong bowed his head once more.
"The revival of my clan is a lifelong mission I intend to accomplish. For now, my goal is to be recognized as part of the cult once again."
‘At least he’s realistic.’
My assessment of Hwan Jeong rose slightly.
"So? What service do you intend to offer?"
"Our Illusion Clan possesses unrivaled expertise in the art of pursuit—skills even the So Clan cannot match."
"And?"
"Moreover, if the target is a sorcerer, we can kill anyone under heaven."
No martial artist would ever agree with such a claim, but when it came to sorcerers… it might actually be possible.
But then, the next words out of Hwan Jeong’s mouth left me dumbfounded.
"We will bring you the head of the Grand Heavenly Lord."
"……What?"
"Using every resource of our clan, we will kill him. If we succeed, will you accept us back into the cult?"
"……."
I furrowed my brow, deep in thought.
‘They’re going to kill the Grand Heavenly Lord?’
Having experienced Heavenly Evil myself, I found it hard to believe Hwan Jeong’s bold declaration.
No matter how formidable the Illusion Clan's sorcery might be, Heavenly Evil was not someone who could be taken down by sheer numbers.
"What, can you use Divine Sorcery or something?"
I recalled the Divine Sorcery, Five Elements Mountain Suppression, which Senior Brother Hwan Seong had once used by gathering the power of the other Senior Brothers.
If they intended to take the Grand Heavenly Lord’s head, they would at least need to be capable of something like that.
"Yes, it’s possible."
"……!"
"Of course, it requires offering a considerable price and luring the target into a trap… but if a few conditions are met, it can be done."
At his words, I slightly narrowed my eyes.
Though I still had my doubts, if what he said was true, it meant we might actually have a fighting chance against the Grand Heavenly Lord.
Of course, there were still countless hurdles to overcome—finding where the Grand Heavenly Lord was, assessing the forces guarding him, and more.
While I was still contemplating, Heavenly Researcher spoke up with a chuckle.
“Hur hur hur! Why are you hesitating? Isn’t the conclusion obvious?”
“…….”
Indeed, the conclusion had already been made.
There was no reason for me to refuse such an offer.
If they were so willing to take on a task that was nearly impossible, I had no reason to reject it.
And if the Illusion Clan managed to draw the Heaven-Defying Society’s attention in the process, that would be even better.
“Fine. If you really manage to kill the Grand Heavenly Lord, not only will I allow your return to the cult, I see no reason why you couldn’t be reinstated into the Six Great Demonic Clans.”
Hwan Jeong’s face lit up.
“Is that really true?!”
“But I can’t give you much time. Once the cult stabilizes, there will undoubtedly be voices calling to purge your clan lurking in the rear.”
I raised one finger.
“I’ll give you one year.”
“Thank you!”
Hwan Jeong bowed his head repeatedly.
With that, the meeting with Hwan Jeong came to an end.
To be honest, I didn’t trust Hwan Jeong… or more precisely, I didn’t trust Heavenly Researcher, who had brought him here.
‘He, who once extended his hand to me to kill Cheon Juchun, didn’t even flinch at the mention of killing the Grand Heavenly Lord?’
Wasn’t that suspicious?
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter for now.’
Right now, I didn’t have the luxury to divert my attention outside the cult.
To put it plainly, the essence of the meeting had just been Hwan Jeong throwing a desperate gamble to regain his place in the cult.
Whatever they did, I simply had to watch the outcome.
“Lord, we’re almost there….”
I was heading deep into Ten Thousand Mountain with only three of my attendants.
Those three were none other than Gu Chil, Myeong-oh, and So Soryu.
There was a particular reason why I had brought only these three.
“I never imagined that the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad would be gathering in such a shabby place.”
Myeong-oh sneered with cold eyes.
Before us lay a settlement of slash-and-burn farmers.
But calling it a village seemed inappropriate—it was unnaturally silent and sharp.
At the entrance of the settlement, a man dressed entirely in white greeted us.
“Welcome, Lord.”
It was Jeolyeong, the Vice-Leader of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad.
He bowed politely.
“Where is your squad leader?”
“I shall guide you, this way….”
Following Jeolyeong, we moved deeper inside.
Today, I intended to negotiate with Cheon Jumun.
The Demonic Ghost Execution Squad had to be taken under my command, or if that failed, they had to be disposed of entirely.
Cheon Jumun had recommended I take them in, but honestly, I was skeptical whether they would obey me without him.
“This is the place.”
We arrived at what appeared to be the chief’s house—slightly larger than the others.
But even that was merely a facade.
Jeolyeong manipulated a mechanism on the side of the house, revealing a passage to the underground.
“No one but the Lord may enter.”
“…Alright. You all wait here.”
Gu Chil frowned and looked ready to protest, but fell silent under my command.
Leaving my subordinates behind, I descended the stairs.
Before long.
“You’re here.”
A vast cavern opened up, revealing Cheon Jumun, the Leader of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad.
I casually threw a question at him.
“Any results?”
In the center of the cavern lay two seemingly unconscious bodies.
“Not much.”
Cheon Jumun shook his head.
“However, it’s undeniable that these two are the key to finding Juchun.”
The ones lying there like corpses were none other than Gwanggeun and Seolbaek, operatives sent by the Heaven-Defying Society.
These two had tried to escape Ten Thousand Mountain and return after their companion, Akho, had been decapitated by me in a single strike.
And they had been completely subdued by So Cheon.
I poked at their cheeks and asked,
“Are they still alive?”
“I’ve forcefully implanted the Demon Qi Parasite Technique in them. Some of my men died earlier when they tried to escape.”
Cheon Jumun clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.
“Even when I shattered every joint in their bodies, they regenerated after a short time. Their appearances may be human, but their nature is the same as the creatures I fought in the past.”
“Unlike those creatures, these ones seem to retain that regeneration even during the day.”
If you didn’t sever their heads in a single blow, even a Peak Master Level expert would struggle to deal with them.
What if they had gathered more of these things?
Even beings on the level of the Extreme Demon Realm would be at risk.
“Just like how Ten Thousand Evils of the Evil Overlords of Heaven was taken down.”
“…….”
News had recently spread that one of the Evil Overlords had been defeated by a young man claiming to be the Blazing Heavenly King.
And that would be a key topic at the upcoming Five Great Halls Conference.
Looking down at Gwanggeun and Seolbaek, I swallowed hard.
‘If warriors on the level of the Ten Heavenly Lords were to undergo this procedure… it would be a complete nightmare.’
I had thought this before.
If these things could maintain their awakened state even during the day, the Heaven-Defying Society would have already unified the world.
‘And that nightmare seems to be creeping toward reality.’
Right now, there were only these three, but there could be many more hidden away somewhere, ready to be unleashed.
“Leader, as you know….”
Just as I was about to get to the main point with Cheon Jumun—
Crack! Crackle!
“Graaah!”
“Guuhhh!”
Suddenly, Seolbaek and Gwanggeun, who had been lying like lifeless corpses, started twisting grotesquely, transforming into their awakened forms!
And that wasn’t the only problem.
“L-Lord!”
Gu Chil suddenly burst into the underground chamber, shouting urgently.
“M-Myeong-oh! Something’s wrong with Myeong-oh!”
“……!”