Chapter 194: Demonic Cult Commanders
Chapter 193
The meeting with the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign was shocking.
‘A monster like that is the enemy?’
He understood why a faction called the Heaven-Rebelling Faction could exist within the Demonic Cult, and why the current Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, unable to do anything about that faction, was trying to call in Old Man Jong.
The shock was so great that it had not entirely faded even by the time they continued their journey the next day.
It was to the extent that the surrounding people, who showed calmness as if this was natural, looked strange.
‘Since he must be a famous figure in the Demonic Cult, perhaps it’s natural.’
Of course, there was one more person who was shocked besides him, and that was Yi Cheon-gyeong.
It was quite a sight to see him losing his mind all day on horseback like a dazed person.
However, he did not have the luxury to lose his mind comfortably.
This was because he had to re-examine the plans that had gone awry, organize them, and establish a new scheme.
‘The most important thing here is that Master Heavenly Demon, of all people, liked him.’
The reason Master Heavenly Demon disliked the current Demonic Cult was because it had distanced itself from the essence of the demonic.
Due to the formation of power and class divisions, the laws and teachings of the demonic that Master Heavenly Demon pursued had lost their way.
The reason such a Master Heavenly Demon liked the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign was simple.
‘It means that is the appearance of the demonic that Master Heavenly Demon pursues.’
At least the direction would not be wrong.
An overwhelming individuality that did not blend in even after forming a group and establishing a collective.
It was to the extent that he, who communicated directly with Master Heavenly Demon, felt so.
With that level of authority and dominance, the number of followers would be substantial as well.
He could inwardly guess the inclination of the Heaven-Rebelling Faction.
‘I thought most of it would be resolved if I put forward the legitimacy of having inherited Master Heavenly Demon’s true lineage and the Azure Bird… but this has gone down the drain. I was naive.’
Of course, some who learned of his existence would bow their heads like Yi Hwa and Jong-geuk, but if the being leading the Heaven-Rebelling Faction had such an inclination, it would be the correct judgment not to expect much.
Furthermore, there was another problem.
The words that the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign left behind bothered him.
The words about a worthless game of seats. It was clearly said to him, but it did not seem to be said pointing only at him.
If they had kept their position while suffering under such a man, they could not be underestimated either.
‘I had already considered this part. Since they would use such a bold move to call me in. But what if that direction goes wrong?’
If sparks flew in the wrong direction, there was a high possibility that the Demonic Cult would literally become a place of death.
“Nothing ever goes easily.”
Just when he thought one thing was resolved, he got caught up in a strange place.
“Sigh…”
Although it was something that had always happened, estimating the difficulty of this task, only sighs came out.
***
Heading toward the Demonic Cult, the first things he thought of were a desolate, empty field and the Silk Road where wild sandstorms blew.
However, what he encountered through the journey ascending along the Tianshan Mountain Range was wild nature still overflowing with life.
It was around the time when the mountain features of the mountain range began to look large and rough before he knew it.
“From here on is the territory of the Divine Cult.”
While he stopped to soothe the tired horse for a moment, Yi Hwa approached and spoke.
It felt as if the quality of the air he suddenly breathed in had changed.
“It has a lot of grit.”
Yi Hwa kept her mouth closed and tilted her head.
Her face showed that she did not understand what he meant.
‘If I call her cute looking at that, she will get angry, right?’
Yi Hwa does not like being treated like a child.
When he talked about this, she tried not to show it in front of him, but it secretly showed.
“I said it’s amazing.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, perhaps taking it in a good way, Yi Hwa straightened her shoulders with a face full of pride.
She looked proud of the history of the Demonic Cult, which had lived while building a powerful force even in such a rough place.
‘I meant it was amazing that they coveted the Central Plains from this faraway place…’
Even if they were the strongest as a single force, it was not something a mere Martial World force could attempt.
Yet the Demonic Cult had done it.
And several times at that.
Crossing this distant and rough place, they made the Central Plains tremble with that mighty power.
‘Wait, thinking about it like that…’
Even if it was to Sichuan, it meant Yi Hwa had also passed through this wilderness.
Thinking so, his hand naturally rose above the head of Yi Hwa, who was looking at him with blank eyes like a puppy.
“Good girl.”
A slight wrinkle seemed to form between Yi Hwa’s brows.
As expected, she did not seem to like it very much.
Twitch, twitch.
Suddenly, he felt the nerve near his cheekbone twitching.
‘Sang-hwa?’
He did not know in what sense he should interpret this twitching.
Once they crossed the boundary of the Demonic Cult, traces of human hands began to appear along the roadside.
Sure enough, those guarding the border approached.
“Who… gasp!!”
“No abnormalities during duty!!”
The demonic practitioners who had emerged lounging froze the moment they saw Old Jong and showed respect.
“Good work.”
“Yes!!”
Although they were lower-class practitioners, it felt as though Old Jong’s authority was still alive.
Had the fact that he left the Demonic Cult in a manner close to desertion not been known?
‘It would be a possible story. If they branded and announced him as a traitor or an apostate, they would have to dispatch a pursuit squad, but the Heaven-Obeying Faction would not have the spare capacity for that.’
Through the conversation with the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign, the position of the Heaven-Obeying Faction was clearly grasped.
In other words, the current position of Old Jong within the Demonic Cult felt like he was being treated as returning after taking a long break.
Thanks to that, they were able to pass through the Demonic Cult territory comfortably.
Meanwhile, unexpected sights began to appear.
“Do they farm too?”
Along with traces of human habitation inside the Demonic Cult territory, the very first thing he saw was a village and the foundation where people lived.
Houses were visible, fields were visible, and there were farming tools used when farming.
If one approached without knowing this place was the Demonic Cult, it was a sight that would make them think it was just a village settled and living in the rugged hills.
“The Divine Cult is not small. Although trade with the Western Regions and the grasslands is active, we cannot help but engage in self-production.”
“I see.”
Even if they were demonic practitioners, as long as they were humans, they had to eat to live.
Demonic practitioners and martial artists were unproductive groups.
This was a place where the demonic lived and breathed, but it was also a place where humans lived while establishing a force.
If the scale was small, there were methods of purchasing or plundering from the outside to maintain it, but it was not highly recommended.
This was because an unstable food supply was no different from exposing one’s own leash to the outside.
Furthermore, to maintain the Demonic Cult at its current scale, the self-sufficiency rate must maintain a certain level.
However,
“Their treatment wouldn’t be good.”
“Yes.”
The Demonic Cult had set divisions by class while forming its force.
It focused on raising demonic practitioners through the martial-reverential ethos of worshiping martial arts as martial artists.
In such an environment, it was easy to guess where the class in charge of production was positioned in the divided class system.
A sight proving that was seen in a secluded corner.
“Stomp him! Stomp him!”
“A guy who lives by digging the dirt!”
“Someone like you won’t make it anyway!”
Those making a fuss in the secluded place were children.
There was a difference in the attire of the child being surrounded and stomped on and the children stomping on him.
“May I step in?”
Perhaps because it was not a very pleasant sight to see, he had unconsciously narrowed his brows. Jong-geuk immediately asked for his opinion.
When he nodded, Old Jong flicked his finger.
Whack!
“Argh!”
One of the children who had been stomping on the fallen child excitedly fell down, clutching his leg.
“Finger-Flicking Art?”
“It’s that way!”
“Run!!”
Should it be said that it was worthy of the Demonic Cult? Despite their young age, they were quite knowledgeable about martial arts.
Realizing that an expert had intervened, the children scattered in a hurry.
The child who had been lying down looked around, confirmed their side, and came over to bow his head.
“Thank you for helping me.”
The child who had been trampled was calm, as if it was a familiar occurrence.
“Why did this happen?”
“My evaluation at the Minor Demonic Hall is good. They say I have talent. At this rate, they say I might catch the eye of the higher-ups. Hearing that, those guys just went into fits.”
The Minor Demonic Hall. Hearing the name, it was a place where the young rising stars of the Demonic Cult would likely belong.
Looking at his attire, he seemed like a farmer’s child. Indeed, there had been a child who told this child that he lived by digging the dirt.
A farmer’s child learning martial arts?
“The Divine Cult gives everyone a chance.”
“Hmm…”
Reading his expression, Yi Hwa explained.
‘Giving opportunities for social mobility regardless of one’s origin?’
In the past, the Qin Dynasty fairly recognized achievements in war regardless of status and gave rewards and punishments accordingly, allowing those who wished to make a name for themselves to show their talents, laying the foundation for the unification of the world.
The Demonic Cult went one step further here, and though not perfect, gave equal opportunities at least when it came to martial arts.
Those who showed talent would receive preferential treatment, and those who lagged behind due to lack of talent would see their status drop.
They could not even resent their fallen situation. Because it was they themselves who had failed to seize the given opportunity.
Endless competition was taking place.
Naturally, they had no choice but to do their utmost in practicing martial arts.
He felt as if he had caught a glimpse of the foundation upon which the potential of the Demonic Cult was created.
‘Then, if this scene were a novel, a child who grew up in a difficult and harsh environment overcomes adversity and one day become a gre…’
“I’m going to take revenge.”
‘Huh?’
He, who had been drawing a story not quite like the Demonic Cult in his mind, stopped his thoughts at the words of the child who spoke with a bright smile.
“Because I have talent. And I know exactly where the guys who bullied me live. Someday, I will make them kneel and slowly stomp their families to death in front of their eyes.”
“…”
The child spoke as if boasting.
It seemed high-purity blood of a demonic practitioner flowed inside this child’s body.
Hearing the words spoken by a child of an age that should be pure, he once again engraved in his mind that this was the Demonic Cult.
Thinking so, he seemed to understand why Old Jong had intervened in the children’s matter.
‘This place runs on a different logic.’
It seemed he wanted to show him that if he moved carelessly based on his way of thinking, which was accustomed to the ways of the outside, he might meet with disaster.
‘Since telling me directly might make it look like he is teaching and admonishing me, who is the Heavenly Demon, is he advising me in this way?’
He is inflexible.
He tells me the Demonic Cult is such a place, yet he himself does not exude such a feeling.
‘Is that why he was of the Neutral Faction?’
A nonmainstreamer who did not join either side.
It was a sight that made him understand why Old Jong was classified as a neutral in the Demonic Cult.
***
As they entered the heart of the Demonic Cult to meet the current Heavenly Demon, Im A-hyeong and her companions began to move.
Since they were people of the Heaven-Obeying Faction who claimed to be the masters of the current Demonic Cult, although they received the gazes of those around them, no one restrained them.
In the place where they advanced without blockages like that, they were able to meet one person.
“I am called Yi Gang-mu.”
A person who asserted solemnity from the very first meeting.
Even though he faced the current Heavenly Demon in person, he did not particularly feel nervous or anything.
Because of that, he was able to examine and evaluate the opponent in detail.
‘A poisoned wolf…’
Somehow, the aura felt from the first meeting was Ominous to the extreme.