Chapter 94: He Has Returned (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: He Has Returned (2)
‘It’s him. He’s back.’
Only one being occupied Jo Seong-won’s mind.
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart hammered against his ribs as a black figure approached from the east of Songjahyeon Village, the darkness seemingly encroaching along with him.
When Jo Seong-won had first met him, he never imagined the man would become such a monster. But the sight unfolding before his eyes forced anyone—regardless of who they were—to feel a primal fear.
“How can this be!”
Elder Ui Gu-saeng could not hide his bewilderment.
Dozens of Beggar’s Sect disciples were charging toward the eastern main road. They had been shouting at the top of their lungs to bolster their morale and drown out their fear, yet as they rushed into the darkness, they collapsed one by one like puppets with their strings cut.
It made no sense.
‘He hasn’t even done anything, so how…?’
The black figure was merely walking.
Yet, not a single disciple who charged at him could even get close before falling.
Even more mysterious was the behavior of the villagers who had been outside. As if possessed, they all turned around and retreated into their homes. With every step the figure took, the lanterns in the buildings flickered out.
Now, he was barely thirty yards from the house where they stood.
“Branch Leader! Whether we flee or fight, you must take action!”
Elder Ui Gu-saeng urged Jo Seong-won, who stood there dazed.
The shout finally snapped Jo Seong-won back to his senses.
‘What do I do?’
It was definitely him.
For him to approach while swallowing the eastern side of the village in darkness meant he was undoubtedly furious. If he had appeared at a Blood Cult branch only to find it abandoned, he might think Jo Seong-won had betrayed him.
‘…Damn it.’
Assuming his death had been a foolish mistake.
The man was one of the Eight Great Masters and one of the Five Great Villains. Jo Seong-won had been certain that if such a monstrous being had been missing for seven months, something fatal must have happened.
Of course, he hadn't crossed the line, just in case the unthinkable happened.
‘Will I even have a chance to explain?’
Even if he wanted to say something, the situation was precarious because the man was arriving in his capacity as the Blood Demon. The Beggar’s Sect disciples didn't know Jo Seong-won had sworn loyalty to him. If he ran out and knelt to offer an explanation now, he would have to resign as Branch Leader immediately.
‘If I run…’
That would be the worst-case scenario. It would confirm the man’s suspicion of betrayal. Besides, running was practically impossible. How could anyone escape someone capable of Sword Flight?
Elder Ui Gu-saeng pressed him again.
“Branch Leader, you must decide!”
Jo Seong-won bit his lip hard.
‘…There’s no other way.’
He was supposed to have died long ago due to the schemes of the former Branch Leader, Hong Gu-ga. It was this man who had saved him and made him the Branch Leader. Since the moment he swore loyalty to the Blood Cult Leader, he had always been prepared for the day he might have to give up everything if the Leader demanded it.
“Elder Ui.”
“Branch Leader.”
“Let’s go.”
Hearing the resolve in his voice, Elder Ui Gu-saeng assumed Jo Seong-won had steeled himself for battle. The opponent was a monster who had incapacitated their disciples without lifting a finger. He had no expectation that the two of them could do anything against such a creature.
However, as a member of the Orthodox Faction, how could he abandon his comrades? Even if it meant throwing away his life, he had to uphold his convictions.
“It seems my judgment of you was correct, Branch Leader.”
Jo Seong-won felt a pang of guilt at the Elder’s words. He wasn't going out there to fight, yet Elder Ui seemed to think he was going to burn out his life in a final stand.
‘I’m sorry to disappoint you.’
He was going to kneel. If he didn't, every Beggar’s Sect disciple here would die.
Jo Seong-won jumped down from the roof without a word. He walked through the main gate of the house and headed toward the eastern road, with Elder Ui Gu-saeng following close behind.
‘What incredible pressure.’
The silhouette walking through the darkness became clearer. As the distance closed, the face came into focus.
‘His face?’
But it wasn't the face of Jin Un-hwi that he knew. It was a stranger.
‘A human skin mask?’
There was a chance it was someone else, but it didn't seem likely. Only he could display the divine skill of taking down enemies without touching them.
Despite Elder Ui Gu-saeng watching, Jo Seong-won prepared to kneel as he had resolved.
“Jo Seong-won greets…”
Thud!
“!?”
Jo Seong-won turned his head at the sound from beside him. Elder Ui Gu-saeng was sprawled on the ground.
“Elder Ui?”
Despite the call, Elder Ui Gu-saeng didn't wake up; he was even snoring. He had fallen fast asleep in the blink of an eye.
The moment Jo Seong-won turned his head in shock—
Thwack!
“Gah!”
A kick slammed into his abdomen, sending his body flying back more than thirty yards. It happened so fast he couldn't even protect himself with internal energy. Jo Seong-won tumbled across the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
‘…He’s gotten even stronger.’
He knew the man had reached the Realm of Superhumans. However, Jo Seong-won himself had been tirelessly practicing the Descending Dragon Eighteen Palms and had stepped into the Supreme Peak Realm after consuming the elixirs passed down to the leaders of the Beggar’s Sect. He had worked like a madman to be worthy of his position, yet a single kick felt like it had twisted his internal organs into knots.
‘Is a master who broke the wall really this powerful?’
He couldn't help but wonder.
Swish.
Before he knew it, the man was standing in front of him. As Jo Seong-won looked up, he saw the man’s facial structure shift and distort. Soon, it became the face he recognized.
‘Ah!’
As expected. It was him.
Jo Seong-won hurriedly prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the ground, and shouted.
“This humble follower greets the Blood Demon, the Great Leader of the Blood Cult!”
A voice drifted down to him.
“Why do you always ask for a beating?”
Goosebumps erupted all over his body. A panicked Jo Seong-won lifted his head to offer a hasty excuse.
“My Lord. You might misunderstand, but…”
Thwack!
“Guh!”
Before he could finish, a kick caught him in the shoulder. His body soared through the air and slammed into the wall of the empty house they had been using as a temporary base.
Crash!
It felt like every bone in his body was shattered. Jo Seong-won, slumped against the wall, barely managed to lift his head. Jin Un-hwi was striding toward him with a terrifying expression.
At that sight, Jo Seong-won’s face turned pale with dread.
“M-My Lord!”
“Clench your teeth.”
Sitting on the wooden porch of the empty house, I looked down at Jo Seong-won, who was a bruised and battered mess. Kneeling before me, he looked half-delirious from exhaustion.
He had been beaten like this on the day he first swore loyalty to me, too. The memory must have been coming back to him vividly.
“You really turned him into a pulp, Young Master,” A-Song remarked, shaking his head.
While I was pummeling Jo Seong-won, I had demanded to know where A-Song was. He had personally brought him out from the warehouse where he’d been detained. Because he had been busy with his inauguration as Branch Leader, Jo Seong-won hadn't recognized A-Song. If there had been even a scratch on A-Song, I would have beaten him even worse, but fortunately, he was unharmed.
“This fellow didn't torture you or anything, did he?”
“Torture? He didn't really touch me. He didn't give me food or let me sleep, but that’s just…”
“What?”
When I raised an eyebrow, Jo Seong-won shouted in a panic.
“I truly didn't know!”
“Tsk, tsk.”
I clicked my tongue in disapproval, deciding not to punish him further. The only reason I stopped here was because he hadn't crossed the final line.
He informed me that he hadn't participated in the Martial Alliance’s large-scale operation to wipe out the Blood Cult branches and had instead leaked information to them in advance. As a result, it seemed the branches Jo Seong-won had contacted managed to escape safely before the purge. Of course, he confessed that he couldn't help every single branch.
Indeed. When I first met him, he was an amateurish spy, but he’s improved a lot since then. All of this was likely a contingency plan in case I returned, however slim the chance.
“Huff… huff…”
I watched Jo Seong-won as he constantly checked my mood. It seemed he had gone to great lengths to avoid direct conflict with the Blood Cult while maintaining his role as the Beggar’s Sect Branch Leader.
Who knows? He probably would have kept playing both sides, observing the situation. Even if I had disappeared, there were others in the Cult who knew his identity. It wasn't easy for him to defect recklessly.
His fence-sitting is annoying, but he is the Branch Leader of the Beggar’s Sect. He can obtain information from the Martial Alliance that isn't top secret, and conversely, he can be used to spread misinformation. He’s not a piece I can easily discard.
I stared at him for a moment, then walked over and stood before him.
“If you helped the branch members by leaking information, why did you set an ambush here to catch our people?”
“…The Beggar’s Sect plays a vital role in the Martial Alliance. If the Sect openly opposed or refused to participate in the subjugation of the Blo—I mean, our Cult, we would have come under suspicion.”
“So you did it to avoid suspicion?”
“I am sorry. I had to give the impression that we were assisting the Alliance’s efforts, even if only slightly.”
He spoke as if he had committed a capital crime. I let out a short laugh and reached out a hand toward him.
“You’ve finally started acting like a proper spy.”
Jo Seong-won looked at me with trembling eyes.
“My Lord?”
“Your fence-sitting deserves more punishment, but since you maintained your position within your capabilities, I will let this slide.”
“……Thank you.”
Grip!
With a look of relief, he took my hand. I pulled him up from his knees and sat back down on the porch.
Jo Seong-won said to me, “I will return to the Cult with you, My Lord.”
“No. I need you to continue your role as Branch Leader right where you are.”
“……Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
If the man who is supposed to control the Beggar’s Sect moves with me, his utility drops. It was more useful for him to stay in his position and gather intelligence as he had been doing.
“Why do you think I put all those Beggar’s Sect disciples to sleep?”
“Ah!”
He let out a small gasp, finally realizing my intention. I hadn't put them to sleep just to show off the power of the Transformation Eye Scripture. I simply didn't want to harm people who could still be useful. And though it might seem like I was just venting my anger, beating Jo Seong-won to a pulp was also to ensure he wouldn't be suspected.
“We don't have much time, so let’s get to the point.”
“The point?”
“Before those beggars wake up, I need information on what has happened in the meantime. Cut out the fluff and tell me the status of the Cult and the Martial Alliance.”
I needed to know what had transpired during those seven months. Since the Songjahyeon branch had withdrawn, the best person to tell me right now was Jo Seong-won, the Branch Leader of the Beggar’s Sect.
At my command, he spoke with a troubled expression.
“I do not know the internal affairs of the Cult in great detail.”
That made sense. With the Yangtze River as the boundary, many branches had either withdrawn or been crushed by the Martial Alliance. Unless he had direct contact with them, it would be hard to get information on what was happening at the main headquarters.
‘Hmm.’
Actually, this was the mystery. Too many of the Cult’s branches had suffered damage. If it were just one or two, it would be one thing, but if nearly thirty percent of the branches had been hit as Jo Seong-won said, then information must have been leaked.
Of course, Jo Seong-won adamantly clarified that it definitely wasn't him.
‘Who leaked it?’
Most of the spies in the Cult had been rooted out. The fact that this happened meant either another spy had infiltrated or there was a genuine traitor within. I would find out the details once I returned to the Cult.
“Just tell me what you know.”
At my words, Jo Seong-won cautiously opened his mouth.
“My Lord… do you happen to know that the First Venerable is dead?”
‘!!!’
For a moment, I doubted my ears. The First Venerable was dead?
First Venerable Blood Breaking Sword Emperor Dan Wi-gang.
Excluding myself, he was the strongest person in the Cult. Before I disappeared, he had been holding back Taiji Sword Emperor Zhongxian of the Wudang Sect—one of the Eight Great Masters—at the border of Guangxi and Hunan provinces.
I was momentarily speechless from the shock.
[I will dedicate this life to protecting the new Cult you will build, My Lord. Please allow this old man to be one of its pillars.]
The words he had spoken to me echoed in my mind. He was the First Venerable who had promised to be my strength. The news of his death was so shocking that my heart felt heavy with grief.
‘…Is it my fault?’
The seven months I was gone. I had hoped nothing major would happen in that time. I never imagined such a catastrophic event would occur.
Amidst the shock and sorrow, a deep rage began to boil within me.
Grit!
“Was it the Taiji Sword Emperor?”
At my question, Jo Seong-won shook his head. Unable to contain my anger, I raised my voice.
“Then who did it?”
“…Taiji Sword Emperor Zhongxian is also dead.”
“What?”
What on earth did that mean? I thought the Taiji Sword Emperor, who had been in opposition, had killed the First Venerable, but he was dead too? I couldn't understand what was going on. What exactly had happened in those seven months?
As I stood there in disbelief, Jo Seong-won spoke in a heavy voice.
“Both of them were killed by Killing Fiend Jue Xin.”
‘!!!’
Killing Fiend Jue Xin.
He was one of the Five Great Villains, known as the worst butcher of all.