Chapter 191
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Inhuman Heresy (5)
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“I see.”
“Thinking back on it still gives me chills.”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“By the way, isn't it quite peculiar?”
“What is?”
“That business similar to the Essence-Draining Demonic Art.”
Seo Ryang grumbled without realizing it.
“Sucking out a disciple's life force to elevate one's martial prowess… Setting aside the immorality of the act, I've seen quite a few of these bizarre martial arts lately. I just don't get why people live like that.”
“Bizarre?”
“Huh? You don't think so?”
Lee Cheonsang shook his head. It was a resolute gesture.
“If you find that bizarre, then your own martial art could be called the epitome of the bizarre.”
“Excuse me? I've never sucked out another person's vital essence.”
“Instead, you took the spiritual bamboo of the Solitary Bamboo Forest.”
“Ah…”
Lee Cheonsang refilled his cup and said.
“A cultivation method is a way to circulate the ki of nature through the body, remove impurities, and gain power. Through circulation, the mind settles, and when the ki is gathered in the dantian, it transforms into true ki.”
“That's right.”
“And in this great nature, there are animals, trees, and people.”
“...”
“In a broader sense, everyone cultivates their martial arts in the same way. If you remove the measure of morality, there's little difference between you and the Lord of the Beast Palace.”
Lee Cheonsang emptied his cup.
“Ultimately, the method is not important. What's important is cultivating the drive and perseverance to make your current, stronger self a mere memory of the past.”
Seo Ryang nodded.
“I understand.”
Lee Cheonsang's perspective was certainly far from ordinary. Perhaps such a broad view was the driving force that had made him who he was today.
“May I ask one more thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Does our Cult have a similar method?”
“We do.”
“...As I thought.”
“However, we merely store it. No one attempts to learn it.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I forbade it.”
Seo Ryang tilted his head.
Lee Cheonsang's eyes grew heavy.
“Essence-draining is not fundamentally a technique that suits demonic arts.”
“...?”
This was another surprise.
The method of taking another's internal energy is usually called a demonic art. But he was saying it wasn't a suitable technique for demonic arts?
“Crude demonic arts might be like that. But true demonic arts value sudden enlightenment even more than the divine arts of the righteous sects.”
Sudden enlightenment means to realize something in an instant. Typically, the martial arts of the Profound School, the Daoist School, or Buddhist martial arts emphasize sudden enlightenment.
“Sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation. It means that to achieve great enlightenment, gradual practice is necessary.”
“Correct.”
“Hmm, I think I understand.”
Demonic arts involved distorting the middle dantian to confront one's innate human desires. At its core, there was no greater form of self-cultivation.
Of course, the risk of becoming a madman or a ghost possessed by desire in the process was high.
“Anyway, that's how the matter was concluded. Strangely, there was no follow-up attack from their remaining forces.”
He was referring to the main forces of the Beast Palace, not the unit ambushed by Jangchu and the Berserk Demon Unit. When their lord was killed and a significant number of their elite troops were annihilated, they should have risen up and vowed revenge, yet they remained silent.
Lee Cheonsang nodded.
“That is why the Beast Palace was able to grow strong. If they see their opponent as a predator, they flee. If they see them as prey, they'll tear at them until they die. They see our Cult not as prey, but as an unbeatable predator.”
“Aren't other sects similar?”
“They are similar, but they combine the principle of the law of the jungle with morality, which becomes a problem. In that respect, the Beast Palace is honest. They don't have such dilemmas.”
For some reason, it felt like he was learning a lot today.
“The young master of the Ice Palace must have gone to the North Sea.”
“Ah, yes. He said we should be able to see him soon.”
Lee Cheonsang nodded.
“And the Lower Five Gates?”
The sudden question made Seo Ryang's heart sink.
“...The Lower Five Gates?”
“I know you used their help to turn the Beast Palace upside down.”
It was natural for him to think so. He knew Seo Ryang had received their help during his time as an inspector.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a chill. One could speculate, but it was difficult to be certain.
Seo Ryang slowly averted his gaze.
“It was a smooth transaction. I think we'll see some interesting results from time to time in the future.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes.”
“Did you make a deal with the Vice-Lord this time as well?”
...Dammit.
It was impossible to hide anything from this man. He was certain Lee Cheonsang didn't know he'd contacted the Young Lord, yet he was closing in as if he knew everything.
After a moment of hesitation, Seo Ryang let out a deep sigh.
“They agreed to take care of the Lord of the Tang House.”
A glint appeared in Lee Cheonsang's eyes.
“The Lower Five Gates?”
“Yes.”
“The price?”
“Is to crush the Righteous Heaven Alliance with me. They also said they'd help me become the next successor while they're at it.”
Seo Ryang confessed honestly. Now that the conversation had reached this point, trying to hide it would only incur Lee Cheonsang's wrath.
Lee Cheonsang looked at Seo Ryang with a peculiar expression.
“Quite a few people have involved themselves in your dream of bringing down the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress.”
“Those bastards are so...!”
“...”
“No, I mean, it's because those villains have done so many despicable things.”
Lee Cheonsang watched Seo Ryang in silence.
The atmosphere seemed to have grown heavier. Seo Ryang, feeling as if cold sweat was about to break out on his back, cautiously drank his liquor.
After a moment, Lee Cheonsang asked.
“What do you think?”
“Cough! Yes, sir? About what?”
“About the successor.”
“The successor?”
“That's right.”
Seo Ryang tilted his head.
“When you ask what I think...”
“I'm asking if there is even a sliver of desire in your heart to become my successor.”
“...!”
Seo Ryang's expression hardened noticeably.
Until now, Lee Cheonsang had never brought up the matter of the successor. To be precise, he had mentioned it, but never asked so directly.
The aggressive question made his hands turn cold in an instant.
Clenching his fists unconsciously, Seo Ryang composed his breathing.
“I don't think this is a question to be taken as a joke.”
“You're the first person to even think of brushing off my question as a joke.”
“Um, I...”
Seo Ryang swallowed hard.
“I...”
Lee Cheonsang's eyes shone. A gaze, more piercing than ever before, seemed to tighten around Seo Ryang's throat.
Seo Ryang lowered his head. His disheveled hair fell forward, hiding his expression.
“I don't want to become one.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Lee Cheonsang nodded. He seemed neither disappointed nor relieved.
“I see...”
“But I'm going to try to become one.”
*Srrk.*
Seo Ryang raised his head, his eyes filled with earnest desire.
“I'm not attracted to the position of Cult Leader itself. But if I become the Cult Leader, succeeding you, Master, it seems it will be much easier to crush those bastards.”
“...”
“So I'm going to try.”
“I see.”
“Are you disappointed by my impure motives?”
Lee Cheonsang shook his head.
“Whatever the motive, if you have a goal, it is only natural to strive to achieve it. If that is your will, then I will simply make a proposal.”
A proposal?
“This year, the Festival of Papiyas will not be held.”
“What?”
“In its place, we will hold a ceremony to announce the next successor.”
“...!!”
Seo Ryang's eyes wavered.
*Psssss.*
The cup in Lee Cheonsang's hand turned to dust and scattered. It was a mistake uncharacteristic of him, a man whose control of internal energy had reached the absolute limit.
No, perhaps it wasn't a mistake, but proof of the turmoil he was feeling.
“Finish it before the day the festival was meant to be held. If you truly wish to become my successor and lead the hundred thousand followers of the demonic path as the Great Demonic Patriarch, if you want to eliminate the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress and create a world ruled by the demonic path.”
“...”
“And I have already delivered this message to the other disciples.”
Even if one set Ju Seoyun aside, the young sixth and the youngest were also among the candidates. Announcing the successor on the day of the Festival of Papiyas was as good as saying those two disciples were eliminated.
Lee Cheonsang refilled his cup.
“This is the last cup.”
Seo Ryang downed the cup and rose to his feet.
“Then, I'll be taking my leave.”
“Do so.”
“Ah, and...”
“Is there something else you wish to say?”
Seo Ryang winked. It was a mischievous expression one should never dare to make at the master of the thousand-year-old Demonic Cult.
“I'll be back soon to learn a thing or two.”
Was it an unexpected remark? Lee Cheonsang looked at Seo Ryang with an unreadable expression.
Seo Ryang gave a deep bow, then turned and left.
Some time passed.
Lee Cheonsang shook his head and muttered.
“He doesn't even know I went easy on him because of his internal injuries.”
The slow progress of his footwork was displeasing. If he hadn't been internally injured, he would have given him a proper scolding.
“...'Come back to learn a thing or two'?”
Was that something to say to one's master and Cult Leader?
The corner of Lee Cheonsang's mouth lifted slightly.
“His fangs have grown quite a bit.”
It seemed it was about time to pick up the sword he couldn't even remember the last time he'd drawn.
***
His internal injuries were healed in an instant, and his body felt light enough to fly. But as Seo Ryang left the Palace of the Demonic God, his steps seemed much heavier than before he went in.
‘He's deciding the successor?’
Seo Ryang's eyes deepened.
‘Isn't this too soon?’
Perhaps the other disciples had given up early on. With two of the disciples having reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, they might have considered the fight already over, save for those two.
But even considering that, it was too sudden.
‘Is there a reason to decide so hastily?’
Come to think of it, while he had often looked into information about enemy factions, he had never seriously delved into the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon's own information.
‘The Cult's situation can't be bad. He's not the type to just let things slide. Besides, it's not like he's on his deathbed, is he? And yet he's suddenly deciding the succession?’
Seo Ryang frowned.
‘If there's a reason, it's not internal. It's external.’
Of course, it could just be a whim. Lee Cheonsang was a man who wouldn't surprise anyone no matter what he did.
‘In any case, he's telling me it's time to draw my sword.’
Indeed, if Jin Gwan-yong hadn't come out of seclusion before the Beast Palace matter was resolved, he would have buried Gwan Pyeong on the spot.
The fight for succession had already shifted its weight toward him and Jin Gwan-yong. Dragging it out any longer was likely meaningless.
“It's sudden, but hey, it's good for me.”
Seo Ryang grinned.
His face, devoid of any worry, was reminiscent of a wild beast.
“I'll be able to move much more aggressively.”
The moment he became the successor, he would push aggressively against the Righteous Heaven Alliance. The successor had that authority.
‘Just you wait, old man. I'm coming for your head soon.’
A wave of heat washed over him, and his heart pounded. His pace naturally quickened.
How long had he been walking?
“Stop watching and come out.”
*Shhh.*
From the dark shadows beside a building, a man walked out.
Seo Ryang grinned.
“I caught you properly this time. Unlike before.”
The man was none other than Jin Gwan-yong.