Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Enemies Have Appeared!
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The bastards had shown up!
But the first to appear alongside the Golden Lock Chains wasn't Gu Min-chae.
"Huh, heok! Young Leader!"
"Fifteenth Brother, what the hell are you doing here?"
Fifteenth Brother hurriedly tried to hide something with his body, like a man caught red-handed in the middle of something he shouldn't be doing.
But that wasn't going to cover it up.
"You filthy cur!"
"How dare you hide something from the Young Leader!"
"Show the Young Leader what you're hiding right now!"
As the wraiths jumped up and down in a frenzy, Fifteenth Brother's face turned pale.
"Th-that's—"
"Come out."
"J-just give me a little ti-time—"
"Hey, drag him out."
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"Young Leader, please! Just give me some time! A chance! I swear I won't disappoint... Gaaack!"
After a chaotic clamor of crashing and banging, the guy was finally dragged out, revealing what he'd been hiding.
There, a dozen or so wraiths stood with eyes bulging wide, forming a tight barrier.
They showed no intention of letting anyone through.
They were the lesser earth ghosts we'd captured before.
And behind them sat Gu Min-chae in the lotus position, deep in meditation.
He didn't so much as twitch.
He looked for all the world like some high monk training under a waterfall.
Only then did the full situation become clear.
"You made all that fuss about enforcing discipline, and you still haven't done a damn thing?"
For a while, Fifteenth Brother had been thrilled about all the new recruits under him.
But that joy hadn't lasted.
Because Gu Min-chae and the lesser earth ghosts weren't pushovers.
To them, some lowly demon who'd never caught their eye in life was now trying to lord it over them. Naturally, they didn't like that one bit.
So they'd banded together to defy Fifteenth Brother.
Of course, outnumbered, Fifteenth Brother's momentum had flagged.
At times like that, his senior wraiths should have stepped in to help.
Instead, they just stood by laughing and watching the show, showing no interest in intervening.
"We didn't intend to stand by from the start, Young Leader."
"That youngest pup insisted on handling the new recruits' training all by himself and refused our help."
"So we had no choice but to let him."
"But we never dreamed it'd turn into such a mess!"
Fearing I might say something, the wraiths quickly prostrated themselves and offered their excuses.
What more could I say?
Blame Fifteenth Brother for getting greedy and letting his juniors eat him alive. Talk about your own personal tormentor.
"Step aside. I have business with your boss."
"……."
"……."
"……."
Even at my command, the lesser earth ghost wraiths showed no sign of opening their barrier.
"Young Leader, leave this to us!"
"We'll drill some sense into him proper!"
My lips twisted.
I gripped the Golden Lock Chains.
Pull hard enough, and I could turn the whole lot into soul pearls without bothering to command the wraiths separately.
"Open the way. I have urgent business with Unhwi."
At that moment, Gu Min-chae slowly opened his eyes.
A low voice.
With an attitude like he was the one who decided whether to allow it.
Only then did the lesser earth ghosts part.
Well, now.
Anyone would think Gu Min-chae was the master here and I was the guest.
"Hey, Gu Min-chae. Looks like you still don't know your place."
Did he think I'd thank him for that?
"I left you alone all this time not out of respect. It was just the most efficient way to squeeze info out of you about the North Sea Sect Leader."
I yanked hard on the Golden Lock Chains.
Instantly, all the iron chains around the lesser earth ghosts' necks went taut.
In a flash, their heads snapped sideways.
Crack!
Crunch!
"!!"
"!!"
"!!"
"N-nooo! My recruits! My juniors!!"
At the long-familiar sight, the wraiths' faces drained of color.
Fifteenth Brother's mournful scream rang out.
The lesser earth ghost wraiths collapsed as one, turning into small pearls.
In their place stood Gu Min-chae, lightly clicking his tongue.
"Those weren't protecting me. They were fanatic followers watching me even in death to stop me from betraying the Sect Leader. That's how it is with this sect. Brainwashed to the bone, no free will at all."
"So you're saying you're not brainwashed?"
"I was. And my loyalty to the Sect Leader is still there. But my sense of betrayal runs deeper, so I decided to side with you."
"Then why hold out on us until now?"
"I wasn't deliberately hiding anything. It just took time to dredge up those old memories."
"How convenient."
I twisted my lips.
"But if that info turns out to be nothing special, you know what happens, right?"
"You won't be disappointed. First off, I figure you're most curious about the Ice Soul Demonic Art and the Assembly, yeah?"
"You already gave me the incantations for the Ice Soul Demonic Art last time. Tell me about the Assembly."
I'd already finished analyzing the Ice Soul Demonic Art.
I'd refined it into an essence and merged it into the Black Dragon Heart Formula, yielding solid results.
The free manipulation of yin-yang dual qi in the spar was largely thanks to that.
"The Assembly is a kind of religious order."
"Religious?"
That was completely unexpected.
Gu Min-chae nodded with his sunken, shadowed eyes and deadened face.
"Word is they worship some Blood God or whatever. I don't know the details. But it's definitely different from the Great Demon God our cult reveres—different origins, different type."
I listened quietly to Gu Min-chae.
"Their structure has priests called Grand Apostles at the top, under whom nine Apostles form the leadership. Then various executives like bishops and cardinals below them."
"……."
"But I don't know much beyond that. The Sect Leader was the one who mainly dealt with the Assembly. I just received orders."
"……."
"But the ones I occasionally crossed paths with... they were strong enough to make my teeth chatter. Even the Sect Leader couldn't handle more than a few exchanges before mastering the Ice Soul Demonic Art."
Opponents even the North Sea Sect Leader couldn't confidently beat.
"So those were the Apostles, then?"
Gu Min-chae shook his head.
"No. They were just archbishops or cardinals. Apostles are way stronger. At least... beyond Star Trajectory."
Not something to take lightly.
Star Trajectory realm.
That was a level only the shadowy top ten masters in the martial world had touched.
And those were just the rank and file?
Meaning there were at least dozens of them?
Others might dismiss it as nonsense, but I didn't.
If my deductions were right, those guys weren't even "of this world" to begin with.
"...You're not surprised at all. So you did know something."
"I'll warn you—don't test me. I'm the one asking questions here."
"...Understood. Anyway, they had enough power that even the Sect Leader had to bow his head, so he faithfully followed their commands. And with the Ice Soul Demonic Art, he finally reached the Star Trajectory realm he'd craved."
"Rising through borrowed power—nothing stupider than that."
Power easily gained crumbles just as easily.
That was something my master had always drilled into me. And I agreed.
Unless the Assembly were idiots, would they just hand over such a profound art?
No doubt they'd slapped a tight collar around the North Sea Sect Leader's neck.
He'd traded his freedom for greed alone.
All while deluding himself that he was the one using the Assembly.
What a moronic old fool.
"He was that desperate. The path to Entering Divinity had been that grueling for him."
"Desperate my ass. Just blinded by greed."
"……."
"Anyway, what next?"
"Once he entered Star Trajectory, new ambitions arose."
"Ambitions?"
"With the Heavenly Demon—an eyesore—gone, there was only one prize left to claim."
"The Leader's Throne, right?"
Gu Min-chae nodded gravely.
"You mad bastard."
The curse slipped out.
I didn't want to badmouth the father in front of his son, but this was too much.
"The cult's Leader's Throne is open to any challenger. But unable to claim it on his own, he calls in outside help? And still calls himself a cultist?"
"...But the Sect Leader wasn't the only one eyeing that seat."
"The other rebel Sect Leaders were probably just as hungry for it."
No need to see it to know.
Where would that greed go?
They were all the same breed.
"So to rack up achievements for that, he tried invading the Central Plains?"
"Yeah. That way he could claim the currently vacant Seventh Apostle seat in the Assembly too. With that rank, he'd have a clear edge over the other Sect Leaders, enough to stop them from challenging for the Throne."
Now I understood why the North Sea Sect Leader was pushing down to Sichuan so recklessly, right after his civil war ended.
Turning his sect's fate into a gamble for personal gain.
That alone disqualified him as a Sect Leader.
'Now that I know exactly what he wants, I can spin this into an entertaining game if I play it right.'
The North Sea Sect Leader had to return to the Heavenly Mountains with the Shadow Lord's head, no matter what.
Failure meant total political ruin.
So he'd thrash about desperately to make this operation succeed.
He might act all composed on the surface, but inside, he was burning up.
'Could I get another sect to stab him in the back?'
A vague idea flickered in my mind, but it needed more observation and refinement, so I shelved it for now.
Instead, there was something else to address first.
"More importantly, the Seventh Apostle seat is vacant? How'd that happen?"
"I don't know the details. But..."
"But?"
"I vaguely overheard that the Seventh Apostle's mission was pursuing the Divine Sword Heavenly Demon."
In that instant, my eyes blazed.
"Don't tell me they found Master's whereabouts?"
Gu Min-chae shook his head.
"I don't know about that. That's all I know. I only caught that bit by chance while heading into a meeting at the Sect Leader's summons."
"……."
I narrowed my eyes at Gu Min-chae for a long moment.
He protested that it was true—what reason did he have to hide anything now?
His demeanor suggested he truly had nothing left to conceal. No lies there.
In the end, the interrogation's conclusion was clear.
I had to be the one to take the North Sea Sect Leader's life.
Only then could I learn about the vacant Seventh Apostle—and get a lead on Master's whereabouts.
'I can't solo-hunt the North Sea Sect Leader now that he's hit Star Trajectory. So I need the Shadow Lord's help.'
That meant striking from behind as the Shadow Lord forced him to flee.
But even that wouldn't be easy.
Star Trajectory was the realm of superhumans beyond human limits.
I'd have to pour out my full power, delving even deeper into the Heavenly Demon Lake Heart Art and Heavenly Demon Slaughter Sword.
I'd need to unlock the Ten Battles Divine Demon Style.
That would let the newly budding Heavenly Demon Lake Heart Art root deeper in my body.
And... the Thousand Heavens Art from the Shadow Lord might be a good key.
If Master had truly mastered the Thousand Heavens Art, traces of it would surely linger in the Heavenly Demon Slaughter Sword.
Higher.
I had to climb higher.
With those thoughts, I was about to ask about the man with the Reverse Taiji Eyes when—
"...This is."
Gu Min-chae snapped his head up.
His face twisted.
Clear hostility.
I turned my gaze the same way.
"Young Leader! The bastards have appeared!"
A demon horse circled frantically overhead.
The North Sea Sect Leader was approaching.