Chapter 429: The Path of the Heavenly Demon (3)
Drip! Drip!
Water droplets fell between the cracks of the cave ceiling.
Because it was so quiet, even these sounds felt loud in this cave somewhere in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Rustle! Rustle...
With the sound of something scraping against the ground, a massive half-human, half-beast appeared.
It was a demonic beast with the upper body of a human woman and the lower body of a spider, a hybrid that should not exist in the mortal world.
On the spider’s back sat a woman.
"How is it?"
The spider lowered its head as if apologetic.
"The physical restraint is perfect, but there is a strong binding seal on the mind."
"A seal?"
"Yes, because of it, her mind is actually protected."
The spider lifted one of its legs and pointed at 'that thing' wrapped tightly in spider silk.
That 'thing' was Cheon Yura.
"If sorcery doesn’t work, what about other methods?"
"I apologize. With my ability, I can’t go any further…"
No matter how strong the mind was, it was still that of a mere human.
A powerless human, once subjected to bodily torture and brain interference, would usually break quickly.
However, if someone external had performed an additional intervention, it would not act according to the subject’s own will.
The spider had been severely retaliated against while trying to bypass the seal and had since refrained from laying a hand on Cheon Yura’s body.
"Still being a nuisance... that Cheon Taejong bastard."
The woman, Grand Heavenly Lord, clicked her tongue.
In the end, it meant she had to break through that seal head-on, and in doing so, she had no way of knowing how much time it would take.
"Chaos is immobile due to injuries… Docheol is in the middle of a resurrection ritual, and Do’ol is also replenishing his power… so the only one left is Gunggi."
The problem was that this Gunggi bastard was absolutely unmanageable.
Grand Heavenly Lord rubbed her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"I sent him to kill Jin Yeomyung, and he comes back saying keeping him alive would make things more fun."
She wanted to tear him apart and kill him on the spot, but her ambitions had yet to bear fruit, and she couldn't afford to discard such a force.
"..."
The spider quietly watched for a cue.
As a mere demonic beast, it wasn’t its place to comment when it came to someone like Gunggi.
"At least the assimilation is working... Cheon Juchun did something useful for once."
In particular, capturing the anomaly known as 'Myeong-oh' was worthy of praise.
If not for that, the surprise attack on the Heavenly Demon Pavilion would’ve happened much later.
"For now, continue to stand guard."
"Yes, Grand Heavenly Lord."
"And mobilize the others. Find Heavenly Researcher at all costs. He must die."
At present, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was nearly completely brought under control by the Cheon Clan.
The Six Great Demonic Clans had kept their distance and stayed inactive, while the smaller forces had mostly been purged or had bowed their heads once again to the Cheon Clan.
Thus, the Cheon Clan had successfully taken control of the Elder’s Hall, the Golden Demon Hall, and the Heavenly Thunder Corps without significant opposition.
However—
The unexpected defection of the Supreme Demon Palace had been something even the Grand Heavenly Lord hadn’t anticipated.
Because it had rarely exerted influence within the cult, she had delayed handling it—only to get stabbed in the back.
She had attempted to pursue them hastily, but the old demons of the Supreme Demon Palace had already left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
"Given his ambition, there's no way he left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains quietly. He must be watching from somewhere."
The Grand Heavenly Lord knew well that Heavenly Researcher had a vague, undecided nature.
"Even if it means mobilizing the awakened bodies and the divine beasts, find him."
"Understood."
The spider bowed respectfully.
"Hmm."
With all presence gone again, the spider scratched her cheek lightly and muttered to herself in the cave.
"I’ve felt like someone’s been watching this area the past few days... maybe I should’ve just reported it?"
The spider’s sensory perception was among the best, even compared to the divine beasts under the Grand Heavenly Lord.
Thus, the idea that a mere human could elude her senses didn’t even cross her mind.
Especially since there were numerous children around the cave as well.
"Well, probably just my imagination. I don’t want to get scolded for reporting something uncertain."
"Clan Head, we’ve summoned all household members currently operating outside."
At the Supreme Commander’s report, Jin Gun-ak asked,
"Preparations?"
"We’re ready to move at any time."
"Any news of Un?"
"Nothing yet… Shall we investigate further?"
Jin Gun-ak shook his hand.
"No need. In our current situation, no news is good news."
In the current situation, Jin Yeowoon, holed up in the Thousand Day Pass, was ironically safer than anywhere else.
A sudden betrayal by part of the Thirty-Four Demon Squads. Then the fall of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion and the rampage of the Cheon Clan.
In this sequence of events that occurred almost in one breath, the Six Great Demonic Clans could do little but stand by and watch.
"What did the Pa Clan say?"
"They replied that, with both the Clan Head and the Young Master absent, such a grave matter could not be decided under the authority of the acting Clan Head."
"And the Ma Clan?"
"They gave a similar response."
"Tch!"
Jin Gun-ak clicked his tongue with a displeased look.
Indeed, with the clans’ main powers either away or incapacitated, it made sense they couldn’t afford to gamble recklessly.
He could understand emotionally, but it didn’t change the fact that their lack of decisiveness felt disgraceful to him.
"It can’t be helped. We’ll proceed with just our two clans."
Outwardly, the Jin Clan had declared seclusion, but internally, they were preparing for war with the fate of the clan on the line.
Jin Gun-ak clenched his fist and muttered softly.
"If we fail, we’re traitors. If we succeed, it’s a revolution…"
He had initially planned to wait for Jin Yeomyung’s return, but after about a month passed, he changed his mind.
Unlike other clans, the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan had no choice but to stake its fate with its eldest son, Jin Yeomyung.
The Jin Clan’s name was already at the top of their kill list.
'We must act before it's too late.'
Jin Gun-ak summoned all the bloodline members who held positions within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
It was an act of relinquishing the Jin Clan’s influence within the cult.
Except for the previous elders of the Supreme Demon Palace, whose whereabouts had suddenly gone dark, everyone responded to the Clan Head's call and gathered at the main household.
"How is the situation outside?"
"Still intense. It looks like they’re just waiting for us to make a move."
Currently, the vicinity of the main house was tightly surrounded by the Cheon Clan's underlings.
Especially since in a few days, the enthronement ceremony for the new Cult Leader would be held at the Ascending Demon Seal, this level of vigilance was only natural.
"Good, I’ll show them just how natural it is."
They weren’t facing the Cheon Clan’s main force—just a bunch of underlings. He could wipe them out within half a day.
"Annihilate them all and head south…!"
Jin Gun-ak was just about to give the order for a full-scale sortie.
"Clan Head! Urgent report!"
Martial artists on watch rushed in with a report.
"They’re suddenly retreating!"
"What?"
Outskirts of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, near Eunru Valley.
This place, where the lowest ranks of the cult gathered, was in turmoil for unexpected reasons.
"Why the hell is there such a crowd…?"
Due to the rebellion at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, numerous minor groups had begun migrating en masse to the outer regions to avoid being swept up in the aftermath.
But the real problem wasn't them.
Eunru Valley was a gateway that connected directly to the outside of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult clashed with external forces, this would be the first place affected.
"They’re coming!"
With someone’s cry, a strange tension began to fill the entire valley.
"The Demonic Faction Lord is coming!"
Jin Yeomyung, who had led the late-blooming prodigies of the cult on an expedition to the Central Plains.
Now, in this overturned world, he was returning.
While Eunru Valley boiled over with tension and excitement—
"Who did you say is coming?"
A young woman in tight-fitting clothing crawled out of a hut with hollow eyes.
"Ha, finally, I don’t have to keep hiding from those spider bastards."
The hardships she had endured over the past month were beyond words.
So Soryu, with her head buried in her hands, let out a deep sigh that could collapse the floor.
"Brother Byeok… so much has happened. I’m really tired."
She had every right to say that.
Over the past time, she had walked the edge between life and death more times than she could count.
"But I did a lot, so I believe I’ll be praised."
She had reorganized the Underworld King Unit shattered by Cheon Juchun’s ambush and tracked down the location where Myeong-oh was taken.
And… she had recently obtained information that would be most helpful to Jin Yeomyung.
"Time to move. The real work begins now."
She steadied her limp form and raised her hand.
At her gesture, the surviving Underworld Kings responded in unison.
Using the regular return route didn’t mean they intended to move leisurely.
"Then, I’ll leave the cleanup to you."
"The war is pretty much over anyway. Don’t worry and go."
The war sparked by the sudden declaration of war from the Southern Murim Alliance had ended in futility when its leadership was suddenly massacred.
The Northern Murim Alliance had emerged the victor, but that didn’t mean their fight was over.
There were still countless pressing issues piled up like mountains around us to harvest the fruits of victory just yet.
"The war isn’t the real problem. Soon…"
"Yes, I know that well, too."
Baek Sang-ah covered my mouth as if to say further words were unnecessary.
"I understand your concerns, but to Young Master Jin, Lady Cheon comes before all else, doesn’t she?"
"……"
"Go."
Though I felt guilty toward her, I could only nod.
"So Cheon."
"I know. Don’t worry about Miss Baek, worry about your wife."
"Never thought I’d see the day you look reliable."
Truly, life is long enough to see strange things.
And so, leaving the Northern Murim Alliance behind, I returned swiftly to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, leading the Supreme Demon Palace and the expeditionary force.
A day after crossing the border of Gansu Province—
'This is strange.'
Not only I, but also Pa Yeongyeong and Ma Chulsoo looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
The southern part of Gansu Province was under the Cult’s domain.
Yet even though we had entered that territory, there was unexpectedly no interference or resistance.
'If the Elder’s Hall had been seized, wouldn’t it be normal for an extermination order to have been issued?'
Originally, fierce battles should’ve begun as early as this area.
But there was none.
As if someone had forbidden any deployment.
The first resistance we met came only at the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, near Eunru Valley.
"I’m sorry, but you can’t go any further."
The squads guarding the cult’s outer regions—the Wind Demon Squad and the Fire Demon Squad—blocked our path.
I asked the two unit leaders, who had drawn their weapons a little ahead.
"Whose orders are you blocking my path under?"
"...It’s the order of the Internal Affairs Officer."
They couldn’t hide their nervousness before me.
Though the Wind Demon Squad and Fire Demon Squad together boasted over a thousand warriors—
Behind me stood twice that number, including the old demons of the Supreme Demon Palace.
Even if the entire Four Demon Squads were summoned, it would only serve as a delay tactic.
I questioned the two once more.
"Is the order of an Internal Affairs Officer more important than the command of the Demonic Faction Lord?"
They bowed their heads even deeper.
"We apologize, Lord. The Four Demon Squads are directly under the Internal Affairs Officer… we cannot obey orders from another chain of command."
"I see."
I clicked my tongue quietly.
Had they attacked first, it would’ve been easier to deal with them.
Facing people who loyally serve the Cult out of duty was uncomfortable in many ways.
"It can’t be helped. All units…"
Just as I was about to give a merciless command—
"Stoooooop!"
From within the formation of the Wind Demon Squad and Fire Demon Squad, someone’s voice rang out like a lion’s roar.
'Huh, that guy?'
A scholar in his late thirties came running, dragging someone in restraints, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Four Demon Squads, open the way right now! Unless you want to see your superior die right here!"
"……?!"
The restrained man shouted back at him with fury.
"Ex-External Affairs Officer, you bastard! Are you insane?! If they find out—"
"Silence, Internal Affairs Officer! I’ve already made up my mind!"
Recognizing who it was, I stared in disbelief.
Cheon Myeosaeng, the scholar.
He had been appointed as External Affairs Officer during Yura’s administration, and now he had appeared here with the Internal Affairs Officer bound.