Chapter 142: The Answer Lies with You
Chapter 142: The Answer Lies with You
Chu Saeng, the leader of the Wolpung Sect, was struggling to suppress his boiling rage.
“Please, don't worry yourself too much, Sect Leader. Several sects in Hunan have already promised to cooperate with us.”
It was precisely those words that infuriated him. Coming from the mouth of Seok Hyeong, a man he trusted deeply, they stung even more.
“Cooperate? How? Be specific. Did they say how many men they’d send? Did they give a time or a place?”
Seok Hyeong couldn't answer. While many had offered vague promises of support, not a single sect had stepped forward with a concrete plan. Despite their efforts to keep the matter quiet, rumors were already spreading that the Demonic Cult was involved.
“Think about it from their perspective. If you were in their shoes, would you send your men to die against those Demonic Cult bastards? They’ll pretend to be concerned on the surface, but they’re too busy double-locking their own doors.”
Chu Saeng bolted upright. He looked ready to smash anything in sight, prompting Seok Hyeong to try and calm him.
“Please, compose yourself.”
“How can I stay calm when I’m this furious? Those Demonic Cult sons of bitches! I’ll chew them alive!”
Boom!
Chu Saeng unleashed a palm strike, blasting a hole through the wall. Since the incident began, over twenty such holes had appeared. As soon as the disciples patched one up, he would immediately punch another.
Chu Saeng was consumed by resentment and a sense of injustice. He couldn't contain the fire rising within him. Yet, at the root of all that emotion was a primal fear.
The fear that he might return.
Chu Saeng hadn't slept in days, and his nerves were frayed to the breaking point.
“Perhaps we should ask the Murim Alliance for help now,” Seok Hyeong suggested.
The Wolpung Sect was a neutral power, belonging to neither the Murim Alliance nor the Unorthodox Path Alliance.
“If we do that, we’ll be under the Murim Alliance’s thumb forever. If they solve this, they’ll use it as an excuse to demand our absolute obedience. Even if they fail, they’ll find some pretext to absorb us into their ranks.”
Sects belonging to the Murim Alliance had to pay a fixed annual tribute. The same was true for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Path Alliance. In exchange, they received protection when trouble arose.
Tribute aside, Chu Saeng simply had no desire to be part of the Orthodox Faction.
It was then that someone voiced his exact thoughts.
“You don't want to be under the thumb of people who do nothing for you but squeeze you for money every chance they get. Isn't that right?”
Chu Saeng and Seok Hyeong spun around in shock. A young man was standing in the main hall, having entered without either of them noticing.
Seok Hyeong drew his sword instantly, stepping between his leader and the stranger.
“Who are you?”
Both men were tense, shaken by the fact that someone had managed to infiltrate this far undetected.
The young man spoke calmly.
“I am from the Divine Cult.”
The person who had just sent a chill down their spines was me.
I could have announced my arrival at the entrance, but I chose not to. The Wolpung Sect was currently a chaotic mess, crawling with martial artists from the gate to the inner chambers.
“Forgive the intrusion. I dislike crowds, so I let myself in quietly.”
Chu Saeng signaled for Seok Hyeong to step back. He was acknowledging the reality of the situation: if I had intended to assassinate them, they would already be dead.
“I am Chu Saeng, leader of the Wolpung Sect.”
Having lost his father at a young age, he was one of the youngest sect leaders in Hunan Province, likely in his late twenties.
I did not reveal my specific name or rank to him.
“I have come to handle the incident that occurred at your sect. For certain reasons, I cannot disclose my identity, but surely you recognize this?”
I showed them an identity token engraved with the image of a malevolent ghost—the symbol of the Main Cult.
Naturally, Chu Saeng was skeptical.
“Tokens can be forged. I cannot trust you based on that alone.”
“How did someone so suspicious get fooled by those impostors in the first place?”
“Watch your tongue!”
As Seok Hyeong took a step forward, I reached out my hand.
Whoosh!
The Demonic Energy erupting from me coiled around Seok Hyeong’s body like a vice.
He let out a strangled groan, unable to move. His face turned a deep crimson as the air was squeezed out of his lungs.
“Sometimes, strength serves as a better ID than a token, wouldn't you agree?”
Feeling the overwhelming Demonic Energy dominating the room, Chu Saeng spoke urgently.
“Stop! I’ve already lost many subordinates; I cannot afford to lose another. Release him!”
I withdrew my energy, and Seok Hyeong slumped to the floor, gasping for air. He glared at me with eyes full of fear, yet he still struggled to stand in front of Chu Saeng to protect him.
“I also have loyal subordinates like him. If I were to lose them, I would feel as if my heart were being ripped out. I imagine it’s the same for you, Sect Leader Chu. So, let’s both avoid doing anything rash.”
I addressed Seok Hyeong, but the message was for Chu Saeng. The quick-witted leader promptly dismissed his man.
“Wait outside.”
“But, Sect Leader—”
“Wait outside!”
Seeing him leave so obediently, I assumed Chu Saeng had sent him a voice transmission. Since the two of them couldn't handle me alone, he was likely ordering Seok Hyeong to gather all the sect’s experts outside.
Even with just the two of us left, Chu Saeng remained defiant.
“You people cause the disaster, and now you come to clean it up? What is your true intention?”
“It’s not a cleanup; it’s an investigation. The incident that occurred was not our doing.”
Chu Saeng snorted in derision. He had been targeted by the Heavenly Mandate Society, who had posed as a Demon Lord of the Main Cult, and he was firmly convinced we were the culprits.
While several similar incidents had occurred recently, the news hadn't yet spread to every sect in the Central Plains. In other words, this was a time before the Heavenly Mandate Society had fully emerged from the shadows.
“Tell me exactly what happened. If I had come here to harm you, would I be standing here wasting my breath?”
My words seemed to resonate. Finally, Chu Saeng began to recount the incident.
“A man came to us a few days ago, claiming to be from the Divine Cult.”
“Who did he claim to be?”
“He was the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon.”
I knew they were impersonating Demon Lords, but I hadn't realized they were using the Smiling Demon’s name.
I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. What were they going to do if they ran into the real Smiling Demon? Of all people, they chose to impersonate him.
“What did he look like?”
“He wore a white mask.”
Well, that made sense. Since he always wears a mask, the Smiling Demon is the easiest Demon Lord to impersonate.
“And you believed him just because of a mask?”
Chu Saeng replied with absolute certainty.
“He was the real Smiling Demon.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Suddenly, Chu Saeng was overcome with rage.
“He slaughtered my sect’s experts in an instant! His finger winds bored holes through their faces, and his palm techniques shattered their torsos into pieces. Among the dead was one of the top three experts in my sect. If he wasn't the Smiling Demon, then who the hell was he?”
It seemed they had even mimicked the Smiling Demon’s signature techniques, the Demon Extreme Wild Rage Palm and the Blood Calamity Finger. Given the circumstances, it was no wonder Chu Saeng believed it.
“After turning the place into a bloodbath by killing those who tried to protect me, the Smiling Demon demanded we submit to the Demonic Cult and swear an oath of loyalty.”
The culprit had committed unnecessary slaughter just to instill terror. That act alone marked him as an evil that deserved death.
“And do you know what else he did? I would have been less bewildered if he had just massacred us all. I would have just thought we were unlucky enough to cross paths with a monster.”
“What did he do?”
“He stole our money before leaving. He demanded every bit of cash we had on hand. He cleaned out the sect’s entire treasury. How dare you people act like common thieves!”
I could understand any insult he might throw at us after that.
“How much did he take?”
“About sixty-two thousand nyang.”
Now I understood Chu Saeng’s fury. I also understood why there were so many holes in the walls.
“I wouldn't feel this cheated if we had lost a fair fight for some other reason. Submit to the Demonic Cult? Don't make me laugh! That was just an excuse—he killed my men just to steal that money. Do you understand? My men died for a few measly coins! If he wanted money, he should have just asked for it from the start!”
He couldn't hold back and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Aaaaaargh! I’m so goddamn angry I can’t stand it! This rage is going to kill me!”
Judging by the way he spoke, Chu Saeng seemed like he was naturally a cheerful and pleasant person. At this rate, he might never return to his old self. The families of the dead, the friends, the survivors—the true number of victims hadn't even been tallied yet.
“Sect Leader Chu, you are currently so blinded by rage that you’re failing to utilize your greatest strengths.”
“And what exactly are my strengths?!”
I pulled a piece of paper from my robe and read it aloud.
“Chu Saeng, Leader of the Wolpung Sect. Highly intelligent with excellent judgment. Possesses strong pride and a hot-tempered streak.”
“What bastard wrote that evaluation?”
“The Hunan Branch Leader of our cult’s Tongcheon Pavilion. Would you like to meet him?”
Chu Saeng stared at me, torn between belief and doubt, before sighing in self-reproach.
“What good is intelligence and judgment? I was still left utterly powerless.”
“Still, shouldn't you have your revenge?”
At the mention of revenge, Chu Saeng’s eyes sharpened.
“I will. I absolutely will.”
There was a time when I felt the same way.
Revenge when I slept, revenge when I ate, revenge when I looked at people. A time when my mind was so consumed by how to get even that I couldn't live a normal life.
Chu Saeng was in that same place. He was facing an enemy he couldn't defeat through normal means.
But fortunately, just as I had met Seo Jin, he had met me.
“I will help you with that revenge.”
Chu Saeng walked over to a table and gulped down cold tea straight from the pot.
“Is it truly not your doing?”
“Doesn't something feel off to you? If the real Smiling Demon wanted your money, would he have stopped at sixty-two thousand nyang? He would have stripped this place to the foundations.”
“What if it was just some sick game to him?”
“If he indulged in such 'games,' he’d be killed by the Heavenly Demon himself. And even if it were a game, do you think anyone here would still be alive?”
“To be honest, I thought it was strange too. I just assumed the Smiling Demon had gone insane.”
If he kept staring at white walls like that, he might eventually go mad, but...
“He’s perfectly sane for now. I met him not too long ago.”
Chu Saeng flinched at the mention of me meeting the Smiling Demon. However, given the skill I had displayed, he didn't seem to think I was bluffing.
“Is the Smiling Demon really at your headquarters?”
I hesitated for a moment. When I had left, the Smiling Demon wasn't at Villain Valley.
“He was.”
I didn't answer this way just to avoid an argument. I was certain it wasn't the Smiling Demon’s doing. My father used to say you can never truly know a person’s heart, but some things are predictable. No matter how much of a villain the Smiling Demon might be, he wasn't the type to do something like this.
“If that man was a fake, then the one at your cult must be a fake too.”
I wondered just how terrifying the impostor had been for Chu Saeng to say such a thing.
I walked slowly around the hall, visualizing the scene. The slaughter of the Wolpung Sect warriors, the theft of the money.
Why did they do it? For the money? Or to lure us out? I had to find a clue about them in this nonsensical incident.
“Fine. Let’s say he was a fake, just as you say. Why on earth would that fake do such a thing? To drive a wedge between us and the Murim Alliance? To start a war?”
“If that were the goal, they would have targeted an Orthodox sect belonging to the Alliance.”
“Then what is this all about?”
“That is why I am here. To find out exactly what is going on.”
Chu Saeng stared at me for a moment, then opened the door and stepped out. Outside, Seok Hyeong and dozens of Wolpung Sect warriors were standing in formation.
Chu Saeng addressed Seok Hyeong.
“Dismiss the men. Clean the guest quarters and prepare them. We will be hosting him as an honored guest for the time being.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Seok Hyeong looked relieved. It seemed he had gathered the warriors but realized they wouldn't be enough to handle me.
Chu Saeng stepped back inside.
“The thought that you might be in league with that man hasn't left my mind. But I’ve decided to trust you anyway. Do you know why? Because right now, I’m desperate enough to grab at straws.”
Suddenly, he looked up at the ceiling and shouted.
“Father! Grandfather! Please help me! Do not let me be toyed with any longer! Look down upon our sect! Save my men!”
Seeing as he was destined to meet me, his ancestors were already doing plenty.
After his outburst, he revealed his true feelings, lowering his voice so the men outside wouldn't hear.
“My life is ruined because you showed up. If he’s a fake, like you say, then I can’t give up on my revenge. If it had been the real Demonic Cult, I could have at least resigned myself to it. Because of you, I’ve stepped onto a bridge I can never turn back from. I have to cross this endless bridge of vengeance for the rest of my life!”
“I’ll make sure you cross that bridge.”
In the past, I had arrived too late and left in a hurry without a proper investigation.
Back then, I didn't look at my father, and I didn't look at Lee An. It was a time when I only looked at myself, so naturally, I hadn't looked at Chu Saeng either.
“There are countless sects in the Murim. There must be a reason they chose yours. Why you? You’re young, smart, hot-tempered, and proud. Besides what’s written on this paper, what else is there to you?”
I stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye.
“There is definitely a reason they chose you. Give me the answer!”