Chapter 269: Wretched Fellow

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Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s pupils gave rise to small ripples.

Those were words they hadn’t anticipated.

A secret location related to the Heavenly Demon, the first Cult Leader and sole god.

How had he found out about it?

A moment’s question, followed by a guess.

‘Ah!’

The two women caught on.

Earlier, Gun Mu-ak and Cheol Ryu-heun had exchanged words through sound transmission.

Most likely, he had learned something at that time.

Sure enough.

“Cheol Ryu-heun.”

Gun Mu-ak spoke, continuing from that name.

“He told me.”

In an instant, thoughts that brushed past like the sound of wind in his ears.

The conversation they had through sound transmission.

-Cheol Ryu-heun, let me ask you one last thing.

-Go ahead.

-Where is the secret location you mentioned earlier?

-The place where I realized the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?

-That’s right.

-Simple curiosity?

-Yes. I also want to visit that place once.

-Demon Buddha Secret Pool. It has been called that since ancient times.

-Demon Buddha Secret Pool…

-Where the Heavenly Demon and Bodhidharma exchanged martial arts. In the Heavenly Demon Cult’s ancient texts, it is recorded as a place called the Demon Buddha Secret Pool.

-I see, so that’s how it was.

-Well, to commemorate this meeting, I’ll tell you the detailed location. That place is…

Gun Mu-ak erased his thoughts and spoke in a low but clear voice.

“According to what Cheol Ryu-heun said, entering itself will be difficult.”

“Pardon?”

“Why is that?”

“Because of a very powerful supernatural barrier formation.”

“Ah…”

The two women let out brief exclamations.

“However, I cannot lose either.”

Gun Mu-ak glanced back along with those words.

“Therefore, I will definitely look into that place. Do you understand?”

At that, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s eyes met his, and they answered in unison while nodding lightly.

“Yes.”

Indeed.

They understood what he meant.

If this body fails to accomplish what Cheol Ryu-heun accomplished, that would be problematic.

If so, how could he stand against and fight him in the future?

That was precisely the meaning of Gun Mu-ak’s words.

‘Cheol Ryu-heun is most likely the greatest variable and the greatest rival in our cult’s progress…’

Having muttered that internally, Ya Baek-ji’s gaze quietly deepened.

‘But there’s one more thing that weighs on my mind.’

That thought soon shifted to a conversation with Yeom Sang-ah.

-During the few days you were away, I also experienced something quite surprising.

-My, is that so? I’m quite curious.

-It turns out there’s a secretive helper for him. I just found out too.

-A secretive helper…? I had no idea either. To think such an existence exists…

-What if we use that to our advantage?

-Pardon? You mean…

-When I take the Cult Leader’s position, won’t I need allies other than the Asura Demon Cult?

-You’re saying you’ll make a deal with those whose identities are unknown?

-Yes. From their position, only the person in the cult leadership, who is the dealing party, changes. Moreover, if they learn that the Ximen Young Master is on my side…

-Hm… it seems like a good method.

-Now we just have to wait and see. What the battle situation will be like. It won’t be too late to think about it after that.

-Yes Young Lady.

Ya Baek-ji soon looked at Gun Mu-ak, who was in the lead, and spoke casually.

“Now that things have turned out this way, I feel a fresh sense of regret. If I had known that fact in advance…”

“You mean that secretive helper group?”

“Yes…”

“What’s past has past. Bury that pointless regret.”

“Understood.”

“What you just said is also another reason. For going to the Demon Buddha Secret Pool that Cheol Ryu-heun told me about.”

“…?”

“The person who secretly helped Aryun-nan. He says personnel under that person appeared at the Demon Buddha Secret Pool.”

Simultaneously, Ya Baek-ji and Eun Yi-bi’s complexions changed completely.

“…!”

At that moment, Gun Mu-ak stopped moving.

Along with him, the two women who had been following also slowed and stood still.

Gun Mu-ak, who had quietly turned around, opened his lips.

“That too was something Cheol Ryu-heun said. He says he also discovered that connection only today. Anyway, he reportedly killed that entire group. It’s highly unlikely to be a lie. I just wonder how much he has found out.”

At that, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji revealed slight concern.

“Something is unsettling. Could they possibly possess a group of masters on par with our cult?”

“If their forces are larger scale than the martial world…”

At that moment, Gun Mu-ak’s previously dry eye light grew cold.

“There’s no need to worry in advance. Their position is the same. They don’t know the power we possess.”

No sooner had those words ended.

CHYUT, CHYUCHYUT…

Black haze billowed and rose from Gun Mu-ak’s left hand, playing an eerie sound.

Following that, the iron scabbard in his hand rapidly melted.

The relic of Great Heavenly Demon Lord Jeol-yeong, who had been Heavenly Demon Cult’s Grand Prelate eight hundred years ago.

It was amazing skill.

Even though it wasn’t heat-based demonic flame energy.

It was the power of wondrous Samadhi True Fire.

Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji, feeling Gun Mu-ak’s terrifying aura, flinched.

The atmosphere of the forest had completely changed.

A space where vitality had vanished.

Silence like death flowed.

The wind had abruptly stopped.

Was that all?

Not even birdsong could be heard.

As if submerged in deep, deep darkness…

No.

Before the breath of the demon god who ruled the darkness, the fresh scenery of great nature seemed to have lost its life force.

If not for the snowfall, one would have thought time in this world had stopped.

That’s how fearsome the intangible aura Gun Mu-ak had emitted was.

The scabbard had already become mushy molten metal and disappeared.

Soon, Gun Mu-ak, having sheathed his energy, declared:

“No matter how great the forces they possess, I need only crush them with my strength. There will be no more history of humiliation. At least… not while I am the Grand Prelate.”

At that, the two women trembled from a peculiar shiver.

“Yes. Those are wise words, Grand Prelate.”

“We firmly believe as well.”

Gun Mu-ak, turning his body again, commanded:

“We reach the Shaanxi regional border within today.”

The three people ran again down the path heading southwest.

Amid that, Gun Mu-ak once more conjured in his mind the conversation with Cheol Ryu-heun.

-Aryun-nan had a secretive helper group. I peeked into his mind a bit today.

-I heard the story. Through our spy within Sun Moon Demon Cult. Though I don’t know their exact identity.

-They are no ordinary matter.

-Did you discover anything separately?

-Only fragmentary parts. In any case, those bastards weren’t from the demonic path.

-Hm… but why are you suddenly bringing that up?

-I had a premonition.

-Premonition?

-Yes, that perhaps we might end up joining hands.

-…!

Soon, a faint smile passed across Gun Mu-ak’s lips.

‘Join hands? Us?’

What nonsense, that would never happen.

Because in truth, his heart was the same as Cheol Ryu-heun’s.

That if his side grasped the true identity of that group first, he would tear them to shreds and kill them…

Of course.

That group would become an obstacle to the Heavenly Demon Cult’s progress in the future.

The goal in his heart was one.

To seize the throne along with the glorious martial reputation of being this era’s Heavenly Demon.

So if anyone became an obstacle on that path, he would kill them.

With overwhelming martial power befitting the owner of the majestic epithet Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s apathetic voice surfaced once more.

-Consider it fortunate that you’re unrelated to them.

Gun Mu-ak’s smile became more pronounced.

‘The same goes for you.’

* * *

A house in Baizhou.

BEOLKEOK!

Tae Sa-ja threw open the front gate of that place and entered the courtyard.

“Mother! Mother! Where are you? I’ve come!”

At that, one person came running out of a building not far in front.

“Ah… Ja-ya! Ja-ya!”

An elderly woman letting out a voice trembling as if moved.

It was Tae Sa-ja’s mother, Ja Hyo-jeong.

“Mother!”

“Welcome, Ja-ya!”

Tae Sa-ja, who had choked up upon seeing Ja Hyo-jeong’s face, prostrated himself on the grass.

“Mother… keuhup… my greetings… are late.”

Ja Hyo-jeong, hearing his sobs, also had tears welling up.

“Oh my… enough. Get up quickly. You’ll get dirt on your clothes. Come, come, let’s go inside.”

“Yes, Mother…”

Thus mother and son entered the room of the classical inner quarters.

“Mother, the house is spacious and very nice. Are you comfortable?”

“Of course I’m comfortable. To experience such luxury in my lifetime… I still can’t believe it.”

“I only heard today that you were here.”

“I only arrived recently too. This is all thanks to Sect Leader Cheol. And also thanks to my son, who came to his senses, albeit late… I’m glad to see your face like this.”

“You’ve heard about me.”

“Yes, I heard. That you’ve left the bandit life and became a disciple of White Peak Sword Sect…”

“Yes, Mother… I was truly blessed with heaven’s fortune.”

“You met a truly benevolent person. You seem to have good fortune with people. This mother has…”

Thus Ja Hyo-jeong couldn’t finish her words due to the emotions welling up in her chest.

Tae Sa-ja, who had forcibly swallowed his tears, spoke with a gentle smile.

“Mother, please live comfortably from now on. Don’t worry about me. I’ll try to properly fulfill my duties as a son from now on.”

“Just those words are enough to be grateful for. So, is everything going well with your work? I heard you recently started martial training…”

At that, Tae Sa-ja nodded vigorously and showed the certificate of commendation with a broad smile.

“Of course, of course! Look at this! I displayed great achievements over the past few days and even received a certificate of commendation. Here, here, there’s the government seal stamped on it, right?”

But at that moment, Ja Hyo-jeong’s expression hardened.

“A certificate of commendation from the government, you say…?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“What did you do?”

“I subjugated seven bandit strongholds, and also gave a lesson to two martial sects that had been doing evil deeds…”

“How?”

Before Ja Hyo-jeong’s pressing tone, Tae Sa-ja involuntarily flinched and answered.

“Pardon? W-well, through martial power…”

“You wretched fellow! I thought you had turned over a new leaf, but it seems you’re beyond hope of ever becoming a proper person!”

At Ja Hyo-jeong’s sudden thundering, Tae Sa-ja was greatly startled.

“M-Mother! Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“Are you trying to deceive this mother of yours!”

“Deceive?”

“Though this mother has no learning, I do have sense! How long have you been learning martial arts that you’ve earned merits and received a certificate of commendation!”

“No, it’s r-really true…!”

“Shut it! Forging official documents wasn’t enough, now you’re lying too – how much of a fool do you take this mother for… Aigo, I won’t live out my natural lifespan, I won’t! The old saying says once an unfilial son, always an unfilial son…”

“Mother, please calm down! It’s all true! You see, when I see blood, ‘haak, haak’ sounds come out on their own and I get stronger…”

“‘Haak, haak’ my foot! I should have beaten you while teaching you long ago! If you truly consider me your mother, roll up your trouser legs and stand right now!”

In one of Ja Hyo-jeong’s hands, a switch had appeared before anyone knew.

Seol Pan-gyo’s voice suddenly flashed through the tearful Tae Sa-ja’s mind.

-Now, hurry and go. Your mother will spread her arms wide and embrace you. At the sight of her son who has repented of his wrongs and turned over a new leaf…

‘Damn it! Wrong! He was wrong! Spread her arms wide and embrace me my ass, I’m about to get beaten with a switch!’

* * *

That night.

People who had set foot in a forest within the Shiwan Mountains where dense darkness had fallen.

It was over thirty martial artists, each carrying a weapon.

And.

A figure standing alone on top of a cliff quietly watched that group.

As if the dark night could clearly see everything below.

The identity of that figure was a middle-aged man of towering height, a full nine chi tall.

A smooth chin without a beard, sharp facial features, a pair of pupils dyed in hazy grayish-white, snow-white skin where no trace of color could be found.

There was no vitality of a living person.

An aura like a walking corpse, perhaps.

Soon the middle-aged man grinned and spoke in a spine-chilling voice.

“Huhu. Have you come, you moths of the martial world?”