Chapter 60: The Heavenly Demons Purpose
‘A problem broke out in the Demonic Cult… I see…’
When a war broke out, the most dangerous place was naturally where the boundaries between forces touched, which was the very front line.
Sichuan was one of those front lines.
What was even more of a headache was that the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic all faced one another there.
It meant that if a problem were to arise, the Sichuan region would undoubtedly be the first place chosen for things to go absolutely crazy.
“What is it?”
Since he had been extracting information from the bandits until just moments ago, it was a situation that would look like talking to himself to gather his thoughts, so he could mutter without hesitation.
[Not long ago, a fellow called the Black Wind Demonic Emperor died and came to hell.]
‘Demonic Emperor?’
A title was another name that spoke of one’s deeds and achievements.
And among them, the words treated specially were King, Emperor, and Sovereign.
Although he did not know who this person called the Black Wind Demonic Emperor was, judging by the title alone, he could guess that the man was a fairly high-ranking figure in the Demonic Cult.
“Seeing that Master mentioned it, it must not be a natural death.”
[It is internal strife. It is not even a ranking settlement to discuss who is stronger, but dying from political infighting, so he did a pathetic thing.]
The essence of the Demonic that Master Heavenly Demon thought of was pure nature.
The desire for conquest, to rise above others.
The aspiration to become stronger than anyone else.
The honest manifestation of human desires was the very beginning of the Demonic.
The foundation of Master Heavenly Demon’s extreme self-love, where only he himself was precious, began from there.
Naturally, the concept of politics would not be pleasing to Master Heavenly Demon, so it was understandable that he would be annoyed by the current situation of the Demonic Cult being in political conflict.
‘Still, is it a relief from my perspective?’
The pure Demonic moving only by primal desires. Thinking about whether the somewhat corrupted Orthodox factions could handle the power of the Demonic Cult if it returned to its original state honestly gave him goosebumps.
It was also somewhat funny that he had to consider it a relief that both the Orthodox factions and the Demonic Cult were broken in one way or another, as if someone had intentionally set it up that way.
“The Demonic Cult being a mess might be annoying to Master Heavenly Demon, but from my perspective, it seems like a relief.”
If a fellow with the word Emperor in his title died, the internal strife of the Demonic Cult must be that serious.
[Because those idiots will fight and stew among themselves?]
“To put it badly, well…”
As expected, Master Heavenly Demon had a different flavor from Master Zhang Sanfeng or Master Bodhidharma. There were times when just listening to his words felt burdensome. Since he was that ‘Heavenly Demon,’ perhaps it was a sort of psychological distance.
At my reaction of thinking that wouldn’t it be fine in its own way, Master Heavenly Demon smirked in ridicule.
[What do you think is the best way to sew up the internal confusion when things are chaotic inside?]
“That is…”
At Master Heavenly Demon’s words, the worst-case scenario he could think of came to mind.
The best way to seal internal confusion and unite them.
A common external enemy.
War.
‘Crazy!’
As he struggled to suppress the curse that was about to slip out of his mouth, Master Heavenly Demon’s words continued.
[I heard it will start in Sichuan. Sichuan is originally a chaotic place anyway, so it is a place where nothing would be strange even if something exploded.]
“Sigh…”
While the movements of the Orthodox factions were unusual, the thunder bomb that was the Demonic Cult was also lit.
Since it was in a state of internal strife, it seemed like a faction of the Demonic Cult was plotting something, but that alone was just as much of a threat. Moreover, if things flowed according to their plans, there was also a possibility that the entire Demonic Cult would move.
‘Is this what it feels like to be completely caught up in a mess?’
If he entered Sichuan now, he felt like he would be caught up in some troublesome affair.
Although he wondered if he should just give up and run away right now, judging by the actions of his grandfather who had entrusted him with the letter while avoiding the eyes of others, the importance of this task must not be small either.
‘But it’s not like I have the capability to stop the tricks of the Demonic Cult either…’
If it were the masters in the heavens, it would not be a very difficult task, but at his level, it was something he could not even dream of.
No matter how much he had achieved the third stage of the Heavy Earth Divine Art and obtained the Three Talents Unified Qi Art, with this level, he would have to prepare for a fight to the death if even a single peak expert of the Demonic Cult stepped forward.
In fact, it was absurd in itself that a fresh youngster who had not even reached twenty could achieve that much, but the blades flying to cut his neck would not care about such an age difference.
Rather, there might be people who would burn with the determination to strike down to the roots to completely eliminate him.
‘Wait, hold on…’
“You said that using the power of hell comes with a heavy burden to pay. Is the law of causality okay?”
[Well, this much is nothing. It is a disciple I have gained after so long, so why wouldn’t I provide this level of convenience?]
“I see… Thank you.”
‘Something is a bit off?’
As could be known just by looking at Master Heavenly Demon’s theory of martial arts, the path he pursued was far from altruistic.
It was somewhat uncomfortable to think that he had accepted a loss simply because he was a disciple or because he liked him.
‘He seems to have some sort of motive.’
Was there any benefit for Master Heavenly Demon to gain by conveying this information to him?
If so, what was it?
‘Everything is making my head hurt.’
His grandfather’s task, the movements of the Orthodox factions.
The movements of the Demonic Cult, and now even Master Heavenly Demon’s inner thoughts, which seemed to hide something.
There were truly so many things entangled in this matter.
“Mu-ho.”
“Yeah. Did you finish sorting out your thoughts?”
Baek Mu-ho replied calmly to his call.
It seemed this fellow had also felt that the situation was complicated from the information the bandits had given. That was why he had probably assumed that I was sorting out my thoughts while talking to myself.
‘The things that will unfold from now on will be beyond your imagination.’
The problem was that not only was it information he could not share, but even if he did, there was no countermeasure.
In the end, there was only one way to shake off his deep, deep apologetic feelings.
“I heard Sichuan cuisine is so delicious.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of that too.”
“I will buy you lots of delicious food.”
Let’s eat a lot.
We have to eat and gain strength.
“Uh, right. Thanks?”
At the sudden consideration, Baek Mu-ho looked at him with suspicious eyes.
Avoiding the gaze that stabbed at him somewhat sharply, he turned toward the bandits.
“You didn’t open your mouths smoothly, but since you told me important information anyway, I will give you at least a chance to live.”
Although he believed that trash had to be cleaned up, even if it was something that had to be done, there were uncomfortable things. More so if it was a matter of staining one’s hands with blood.
Perhaps he was thinking such naive thoughts because he was not yet fully steeped in the martial world, but he thought that becoming desensitized to killing people was also a problem.
At his words, the bandits’ eyes sparkled with hope.
‘It isn’t something to be completely happy about, though.’
He said he would give them a chance, but he did not say he would let them live unharmed.
He kicked the sword he had broken right in front of the bandits.
“Those who have learned martial arts, destroy your dantians, and the rest, cut the tendons of your hands and feet.”
“Th-that is!”
“Then how are we supposed to live from now on!”
“That is none of my business. I will let you live, but I have no intention of letting you continue being bandits.”
Confronted with the choice between two alternatives, the bandits trembled.
A few grabbed the broken swords with trembling hands and brought them near their wrists, but they could not bring themselves to slice.
[It is a futile effort.]
Master Heavenly Demon delivered a verdict that it was an obvious result.
No sooner had those words fallen than he felt the movements of the bandits’ hands going toward the ground.
They gripped the dirt.
It was not a difficult thing to guess the reason why.
“Of course they would.”
He accepted the result of the choice and the opportunity he had offered.
***
“Weak.”
Looking at the figure of Yeon Cheong-un reflected in the Meridian Mirror, the Heavenly Demon expressed his dissatisfaction.
“Do you not like him?”
“Offering options while clearly knowing the result is nothing but exposing weakness. How could I possibly like it?”
But even so, he did not just give negative evaluations.
“Still… I must acknowledge that he carried through with his own thoughts. At least he did not do the absurd thing of running away by making excuses.”
“He certainly did.”
Many people spoke.
It was unavoidable.
Everyone did that.
They created excuses for their actions and leaned on them.
Because it was comfortable.
The disciple did not do so.
“Are you saying he did not go against his nature?”
“Because that, too, is a path leading to the Demonic.”
To Zhang Sanfeng’s question mentioning nature, the Heavenly Demon wore a faint smile.
“Because there is a God, there is a Demon. God and Demon are the pillars of truth that support this world. Our existence proves that. However, good and evil are man-made. They are merely human concepts, not the truth of the world. Our disciple is not a child who will fall into evil, but that does not mean he will not reach the Demonic Path either.”
The Demonic and evil were not the same.
If the Demonic was the truth of the world, evil was a human concept.
Yeon Cheong-un’s born nature rejected evil, but that did not mean he rejected the Demonic.
“Do not forget. That child has already touched the Demonic and achieved the Demonic. To him, the Demonic Path is no longer a path out of the question.”
“I have never denied that, though?”
“Then that is a relief.”
Hearing Zhang Sanfeng’s answer, the Heavenly Demon waved his hand and turned his body.
Watching the Heavenly Demon disappear, Zhang Sanfeng shrugged his shoulders.
It was rare for the Heavenly Demon to speak what was deep in his mind.
“He is quite sincere.”
Although he took him as a disciple, he was ultimately a being of the earth. He was merely an existence inside a mirror whose head could not be patted even once.
One could dismiss him as a playful existence who was just in a distant world.
“I thought that fellow would think so, though.”
In practice, the group known as the Demonic Cult was also closer to something created out of an impulse that was half-amusement.
He knew that among the disciples the Heavenly Demon had gathered during his lifetime, there had been none to whom he had shown actual affection.
Since he was a being who had reached heaven solely with the thought that only he himself was precious, it seemed to be an inevitable conclusion, but still.
The Heavenly Demon, who had been like that, was considerably obsessed with Cheong-un.
“I am fine with it, though.”
Zhang Sanfeng was pleased with such obsession from the Heavenly Demon. If the Heavenly Demon was sincere, that much more would be held in the disciple’s hands.
“What that fellow throws over will not be ordinary, but… well, that is a problem for Cheong-un to handle.”
Considering the talent of that disciple who had swallowed what was thrown to him in a marvelous way, he was not too worried about that part.
The problem was the Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor.
“This gentleman… went quiet after doing something crazy.”
Heaven was an old organization. Naturally, it was full of stubborn old geezers whose thoughts were rigid and could not be reasoned with.
There might be immortals who would enjoy the sight of the disciple connected to the earth with a flexible perspective, but there would be several times more immortals who would act like stubborn old geezers instead.
The reason for bringing in the Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor was to prepare for the Heavenly Demon’s dogmatism, but in reality, it was larger to prevent the nagging and interference from the higher-ups.
Of course, considering the character of the Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor, he had expected him to cause trouble at least once, but what he had tried to commit this time was beyond expectations.
Fortunately, the Meridian Mirror blocked it on its own, but it was a highly perilous act.
Zhang Sanfeng, who had caught a glimpse of what the Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor tried to do through another treasure he had separately received from the Heavenly Demon, still felt shivers down his spine just thinking about that time.
Thanks to that, he had learned something new.
The Meridian Mirror was involved in some huge flow of causality.
And it was clear that Yeon Cheong-un had stepped into that flow.
Where would the end of that flow be?
“This, too, must be what is called fate.”
Zhang Sanfeng chuckled as he looked at Yeon Cheong-un reflected in the Meridian Mirror.
***
“That rascal Sanfeng, trying to probe my mind.”
From Zhang Sanfeng’s attitude and remarks, he could easily read the degree of true intent buried within.
The reason he went out of his way to voice his inner thoughts was to convince Zhang Sanfeng, who still held wariness toward him.
“In the current situation, we must join hands anyway.”
Regrettably, he could not monopolize the disciple. Although he had a mountain of desire to monopolize him, it was impossible with a body bound to heaven.
He also acknowledged the shares of Zhang Sanfeng and Bodhidharma, who had already preempted him.
He had understood up to that point.
“But isn’t that why we should divide it fairly?”
Yeon Cheong-un was a person of the Orthodox side.
That was not fair.
“If we are to divide, we must divide thoroughly.”
The smile drawn on the Heavenly Demon’s lips deepened.
“Perhaps because his name is too gentle, it does not match well, but… well, standing is not built on a name, so once it becomes familiar, it won’t be a problem.”
Amidst the deep smile where a sense of foreboding could be felt, words that would have shocked Zhang Sanfeng or Bodhidharma if they had heard them leaked out.
“Heavenly Demon Yeon Cheong-un, indeed.”