Chapter 197: Struggle for Dominance
Chapter 196
The Heavenly Demon Cult was thrown into an uproar by the sudden situation.
The Heavenly Demon, Yi Gang-mu, died. Moreover, at the hands of a person he had brought in from the outside.
That alone was surprising enough, but that person smashed Yi Gang-mu’s head and claimed to be the Heavenly Demon himself.
The problem was that he displayed the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which was said to have been lost.
The leadership of the Heavenly Demon Cult was at a loss on how to judge and handle this situation.
If they did not recognize him as the Heavenly Demon, they would have to issue an immediate, massive pursuit order.
However, if they recognized him as the Heavenly Demon, a new master of the Heavenly Demon Cult would be born.
Those who wanted change and those who did not.
The situation created by Yeon Cheong-un forced a choice upon all of them.
***
Because the fake Heavenly Demon Yi Gang-mu’s control was lacking, various thoughts and positions existed within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Among them, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign, who stood at the opposite end of the fake Heavenly Demon, clapped his hands and laughed out loud at the news that had just arrived.
“No… Pfft! Puhahaha! That fool is dead? To a brat he brought in himself? Puhahahahaha!”
The Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign disparaged Yi Gang-mu by calling him a fool instead of the Heavenly Demon, but no one took issue with it.
It was only natural. Belonging to the Heaven-Rebelling Faction already meant that he did not recognize Yi Gang-mu as the Heavenly Demon.
“That is quite unexpected. I thought he would join hands with that fool.”
The members of the Heaven-Rebelling Faction showed interest in the murmurings of the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign as he stroked his chin.
“It seems it looked quite different in your eyes, Demonic Sovereign?”
“When we heard the rumors, we thought he had a rather violent personality, but how does he look to you, Demonic Sovereign?”
This was because the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign was the only one who had met him in person.
Organizing his thoughts for a moment, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign delivered his answer.
“He is a brat. He seems to have barely passed twenty.”
“Twenty…”
“Oh?”
Some frowned when his age was mentioned, but others showed even greater curiosity.
“A brat like that is the Heavenly Demon…”
“He defeated Yi Gang-mu at twenty?”
Some expressed displeasure at a green brat claiming to be the Heavenly Demon, but others focused on the fact that he had defeated Yi Gang-mu at only twenty years of age.
Even within the Heaven-Rebelling Faction, their perspectives differed.
“It seems someone might go under that brat’s shadow soon, doesn’t it?”
“Why not? The reason I joined the Heaven-Rebelling Faction in the first place was because the Heavenly Demon was not like a Heavenly Demon. Since the newly ascended Heavenly Demon shows a quite proper appearance of a Heavenly Demon, he is worth looking forward to.”
“Are you saying you are going to betray us now?”
“Hahaha! What betrayal? If he is a Heavenly Demon worthy of serving, it is only natural to serve him.”
Although they were called the Heaven-Rebelling Faction, the positions of the gathered individuals were diverse.
As if finding it amusing that the reactions clashed and sparks began to fly, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign added a word.
“One thing is certain. At the very least, he will be a fellow more like a Heavenly Demon than that fool Yi Gang-mu.”
“Gasp!”
“Oh?!”
As the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign even gave his endorsement, the reactions split even more sharply.
Even while watching those reactions, the smile did not leave the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign’s lips.
He did not seem to care much even if a proper Heavenly Demon had appeared.
The reason was clear.
“Go if you want. I told you from the very beginning. Just as the First Heavenly Demon did, I will be the shade of a great tree where everyone gathers, but I have no intention of becoming a fence.”
The Heaven-Rebelling Faction had no coercive rules from the beginning.
Even the representative of the group was like this.
The Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign’s position was clear.
Just live as you wish.
That was the reason why those gathered in the Heaven-Rebelling Faction worshiped and respected the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign.
“For now, I plan to watch.”
At the words of the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign, those who had heated up cooled down their excitement.
“Traitors!”
“Hmph!”
Those who treated them as traitors could not withdraw their fierce gazes, while regretting the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign’s declaration.
Looking down from above with the eyes of a transcendent, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign only wore an incomprehensible smile.
***
If there were entities at the opposite end of the Heaven-Rebelling Faction, it would undoubtedly be the Heaven-Obeying Faction.
Those who supported the current Heavenly Demon and followed him.
Those who had lost the Heavenly Demon, Yi Gang-mu, this time.
At their center were the blood relatives of the Heavenly Demon.
The blood relatives of the Heavenly Demon, who had built their power around the Elder Council where the old bodies of the Heavenly Demon Cult gathered, hastily assembled at this bolt-from-the-blue situation.
The meeting was hosted by the eldest of the Heavenly Demon bloodline and the head of the Elder Council, Great Elder Yi Won-gun.
“So, where is the culprit who harmed the Heavenly Demon now?”
“The Divine Maiden took him. He should be in the shrine right now.”
“Ha! The spiritual pillar of the Cult intervened in practical affairs? Are they planning to hold an inauguration ceremony among themselves at this rate?”
The aged face of Great Elder Yi Won-gun crumpled as if he had chewed on bile.
“This is driving me crazy. In a situation where the movements of the Western Region Martial World are unusual, it is already a headache that those Heaven-Rebelling Faction bastards do not listen, and now a worthless bone of unknown origin is playing the Heavenly Demon…”
Great Elder Yi Won-gun’s face flushed so red that one would wonder if he would have collapsed from a stroke if he were not a martial arts expert.
“Dark Rock Demonic Sovereign! Geuk Demonic Sovereign! You bastards should have assisted the Heavenly Demon well! For such a disastrous thing to happen even when you were right beside him!!”
“We are deeply sorry.”
“…”
At Great Elder Yi Won-gun’s reprimand, the Dark Rock Demonic Sovereign immediately bowed his head, unlike his fearsome reputation as the strongest expert of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
However, the Geuk Demonic Sovereign only listened in silence.
The wrinkles on Great Elder Yi Won-gun’s face twisted even more hideously.
“Sigh…”
However, Great Elder Yi Won-gun stopped there.
This was because the other elders of the Heavenly Demon bloodline all dissuaded him and shook their heads.
Gently nudging him not to cross the line, Great Elder Yi Won-gun also tried to compose his emotions, his lips twitching.
“Leave.”
“Yes.”
“…Yes.”
Answering reluctantly, the Geuk Demonic Sovereign walked out of the meeting room irritably.
Only after the two Demonic Sovereigns had completely gone outside did one of the elders of the Heavenly Demon bloodline sigh and speak to Great Elder Yi Won-gun.
“You should have endured a bit more. There is no benefit in pushing them in a situation like this.”
“I know. That is why I endured.”
“Tsk! Damn rebels.”
Even if the Heavenly Demon died, they could just put forward a new Heavenly Demon, so it was not a big problem.
However, the new Heavenly Demon was an outsider, not of the Heavenly Demon bloodline. A ruffian carrying different blood had appeared, claiming to be the Heavenly Demon.
The problem was that the backlash was greater than expected.
It could not be helped.
“The Heavenly Demon’s Reign Stride… A fellow who knows how to use the complete Heavenly Demon Divine Art… Not only did the Divine Maiden step forward, but even the Divine Bird of Mount Heaven followed him…”
The prestige of the Heavenly Demon bloodline had collapsed in an instant.
This was also the reason why they must not provoke the Demonic Sovereigns heedlessly right now.
If the Demonic Sovereigns, whose feelings were hurt, turned their backs and joined the ruffian claiming to be the Heavenly Demon, the Heavenly Demon bloodline would suffer a great loss.
“The best way would be to win him over, but…”
“He is a guy who beat to death even the Heavenly Demon who was on the throne. Would he be open to reason?”
Great Elder Yi Won-gun prejudged the temperament of the Heavenly Demon who came from the outside.
“Foolish guy. Not even knowing how the Cult operates… Sigh! An impatient and reckless fellow. The dead Heavenly Demon who let such a guy in front of him is equally pathetic.”
In his frustrated mind, Great Elder Yi Won-gun let out a deep sigh.
“What do you think is best to do?”
“As I have already advised, the best is to win him over.”
“Ahem! That is…!”
“Right now, he is running wild because he knows nothing, but if he finds out that the Heavenly Demon Cult he is to rule is fundamentally twisted, who knows, he might bow his head on his own, right?”
The Heavenly Demon bloodline was aware that there was a fundamental problem with the Heavenly Demon Cult.
It was a problem of such scale that they believed the outsider Heavenly Demon might cooperate with them the moment he grasped the current situation.
However, as if still displeased, Great Elder Yi Won-gun shook his head.
“The next best option?”
“It is to utilize the Heaven-Rebelling Faction.”
“Those rebels?”
Great Elder Yi Won-gun’s expression turned into one of incomprehension.
“They are not the type to listen. Above all, aren’t they the ones who would most enjoy the rampaging of the outsider Heavenly Demon?”
“There will be those, but not all of them will be like that. There will certainly be those who dislike that ruffian.”
“That guy?”
“What would be the desire of those Heaven-Rebelling Faction bastards?”
“…Ah, I see.”
Hearing up to that point, Great Elder Yi Won-gun’s lips curled into a smile as if he got the gist of it.
“They do not want the ascension of a proper Heavenly Demon either?”
“The Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign. If that monster had made up his mind, the history of the Heavenly Demon bloodline would have come to an end. Although there would have been mutual destruction-level damage since our strength is not light… However, the current situation where the movements of the Western Region Martial World are unusual was the perfect pretext for that monster to move. But didn’t an outsider of unknown origin roll in? So they must be anxious too. Even they did not stand there simply because they rebelled against the Heavenly Demon.”
The Heaven-Rebelling Faction. The rebels who built an independent force within the Heavenly Demon Cult, claiming they could not recognize the Heavenly Demon because he was not suited for it.
However, even they did not move out of pure intentions.
“Ah! And I heard that among those who came from the outside this time, there is one who looks exactly like the Divine Maiden. It seems she is of our bloodline who went outside in the past.”
“What does that matter?”
“…Since she is a blood relative moving with the Heavenly Demon who came from the outside… I am saying this because I think she might have been the one who taught him the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
“Oh?”
It made sense. A guy who had barely passed twenty displayed the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Naturally, there must be a master who taught him.
Although it was the third best option, it seemed a better picture would be drawn than the second.
“Good idea. Let’s make a move.”
“Well, as long as the complete Heavenly Demon Divine Art falls into our hands, promising him the seat of the Heavenly Demon for a short while wouldn’t be bad.”
“Hehehe! Indeed. We can give him at least that much.”
The greedy laughter of Great Elder Yi Won-gun, the elders of the Heavenly Demon family, and the old men of the Elder Council flowed out ominously.
***
The shrine where Yi Hwa stayed was not grand.
It was simply a stone cave.
Looking around the shrine, which did not have a single proper piece of furniture, perhaps out of concern for fire, Yi Hwa bowed her head.
“I am ashamed.”
“You know how to say such words too?”
When I asked out of curiosity, Yi Hwa, who had kept her head lowered, suddenly met my eyes.
I felt like I had made a slip of the tongue.
‘I should change the subject.’
“Thinking about it, it’s a relief.”
“…Pardon?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like that monster, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign, will move.”
When I caused trouble without a plan and only later thought about clean-up, the worst-case scenario was the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign moving to split my head open.
Some worthless bone rolling in from the outside smashed the Heavenly Demon’s head. And he babbled that he was the Heavenly Demon.
If the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign had greed for the throne, the best pretext had been created.
“He is a person who would detest the seat of the Heavenly Demon, finding it rather troublesome.”
“Right, I felt that would be the case.”
No matter how much I thought about it, the thought that if that monster had resolved to move, he would have occupied the seat of the Heavenly Demon long ago did not leave my mind.
Assuming that, it could explain to some extent why the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign settled in the Heaven-Rebelling Faction.
It could be a threat that he would overturn everything the moment they annoyed him.
“If we look at it that way, unexpectedly, we might not have to make the Heaven-Rebelling Faction our enemy.”
“That won’t be the case.”
The statement contradicting my words came not from Yi Hwa, but from someone else.
At the entrance of the cave where the voice came from, a bear-like man who looked like he could swallow a horse whole was approaching.
“This one, the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch, has come to welcome the return of the Divine Maiden.”
The bear-like man bowed toward Yi Hwa.
“Rude.”
Naturally, Yi Hwa reprimanded the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch who ignored me.
However, the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch raised his head as if it were nothing.
“Hearing you speak, it seems you do not even know the situation the Heavenly Demon Cult is running in, so wouldn’t it be too much to call you the Heavenly Demon yet?”
“Yet… you say?”
“Yes. From what I see, it appears you are in a situation where you will die a violent death before you even ascend the seat of the Heavenly Demon.”
He was quite direct.
It did not feel good, but it was better than beating around the bush.
‘He also seems to have come to say that.’
If I had a timid personality, I would have cast him out, but I am a generous person.
…Let’s leave it at that for now.
“So, what is it that I need to know?”
At my question, the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch smiled with satisfaction, as if he finally heard the words he wanted to hear.
“Do you know how twisted the Heavenly Demon Cult is right now?”
‘Twisted?’
The Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch presented a story that would give me a headache just by hearing the introduction.