Audience with the Heavenly Demon
Sama Yul had fallen asleep while pretending to circulate her qi. It was almost absurd. How far gone did someone have to be to doze off mid-cultivation?
If she slipped into qi deviation like that, it would be a disaster. Fortunately, she had only assumed the posture and then simply drifted off.
Shin Gi-woon shook her awake. The moment he told her they had to go to the Cult Leader's Hall, Sama Yul hurriedly purged the alcohol from her system and went to wash up.
Bi So-hyang was already gone from her spot — off washing as well, he figured. For reference, this place was Shin Gi-woon's new residence, granted directly by the Cult Leader himself.
More precisely, it was the small headquarters of the Myeolcheon Squad. Five rooms in total, each person with their own. Who the last member would be needed no explanation.
Shin Gi-woon washed up himself, then finished a light session of qi circulation. When he stepped out of his room, fully put together, three clean and ready figures stood in formation waiting for him.
"You got ready fast."
"Hey. If you've got business at the Cult Leader's Hall, you should say so sooner."
"And who was it that started a drinking contest before I even had a chance to speak?"
"Haha, so you're shifting the blame now? Doesn't look like you've got any allies here."
Ma Ra-jin's eyebrows kept twitching. He looked genuinely irritated. Of course, Shin Gi-woon admitted he was partly at fault this time.
But if it was fun, wasn't that enough? Answering that way only made the atmosphere worse. He cleared his throat for no particular reason.
"Ahem! Anyway, let's go."
"Haa... Still doesn't listen to a word anyone says."
Ma Ra-jin started to say more, then just shook his head. Well, Shin Gi-woon had always been like this. As he muttered his complaint, Bi So-hyang patted his back in understanding.
Some strange camaraderie seemed to be forming between them. As they drew closer to the Cult Leader's Hall, conversation dwindled sharply.
The Cult Leader's Hall was a place most people never set foot in their entire lives. Only the Cult Leader's direct command granted the right to enter. Unless you were part of the Guangming Guard, visiting the Cult Leader's Hall simply didn't happen. And yet Shin Gi-woon was already making his third visit.
Whether that was a good sign, he wasn't sure. Once he claimed the Young Leader's seat, free access to the Cult Leader's Hall would become natural — so he decided not to dwell on it.
When they arrived at the doors, sure enough, Ma Jin-cheon was there to greet them.
"Great Protector. We have come at the Cult Leader's command."
"Are the ones behind you the members of the Myeolcheon Squad?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
Ma Jin-cheon's gaze swept over the three. Having never seen the Great Law Protector before, they met his eyes with tense faces.
"Good selection. I can see why you declared it with such confidence."
"Thank you."
"Go in. The Cult Leader is waiting."
"Yes."
As Ma Jin-cheon opened the doors, Shin Gi-woon drew a deep breath. Third time or not, nerves were inevitable. Paying respects to the sole absolute of the Demonic Cult was no easy task — not unless you had a heart of steel.
Once inside, Shin Gi-woon dropped to one knee and called out:
"May the Heavenly Demon live for a thousand years, ten thousand years! Myeolcheon Squad Leader Shin Gi-woon greets the Cult Leader!"
"May the Heavenly Demon live for a thousand years, ten thousand years! Myeolcheon Squad member Ma Ra-jin greets the Cult Leader!"
"May the Heavenly Demon live for a thousand years, ten thousand years! Myeolcheon Squad member Bi So-hyang greets the Cult Leader!"
"May the Heavenly Demon live for a thousand years, ten thousand years. Myeolcheon Squad member Sama Yul greets the Cult Leader."
"Raise your heads."
The three who had somehow managed to copy Shin Gi-woon's example swallowed dryly. The Cult Leader's voice — something most people would hear only a handful of times in their lives. For three people who had no idea what kind of man he was, this might as well have been hell.
So Shin Gi-woon spoke first.
"Squad Leader Shin Gi-woon. And members Ma Ra-jin, Bi So-hyang, and Sama Yul. These are the personnel of the Myeolcheon Squad, formed to destroy Cheongung."
"All but one at Transcendent or higher. Average at Transcendent... Not bad. Your peers truly seem to have fallen from the heavens."
Cheon Yu had probed the qi of those who would join the Myeolcheon Squad. A slight shift in the volume of his voice suggested mild surprise. It was only natural. Reaching Transcendent was no easy feat, yet the average realm of four people barely past twenty was Transcendent.
They could easily overrun any mid-sized sect that wasn't one of the Nine Great Sects. Against Cheongung, they were a well-matched force.
"Have someone explain what the Myeolcheon Squad will do. The Squad Leader is excluded."
"May I speak?"
"Do so."
Bi So-hyang raised her hand with confidence. Sama Yul had fought Cheongung the most, but with no gift for words, she stayed silent. Ma Ra-jin had only been training, so Bi So-hyang was the right choice. He'd briefed her beforehand — she should handle it fine.
Fortunately, she laid out how the Myeolcheon Squad had been formed, what it did, and its ultimate goal with crisp clarity.
"Your name was Bi So-hyang, was it? Sect Master Bi has a fine daughter."
"Thank you, Cult Leader."
A sense that the Cult Leader was in good spirits carried through. Honestly, how could he not be? The young people who would lead the Demonic Cult's future were this brilliant. How could the Cult Leader be anything but pleased? If it were Shin Gi-woon, he'd have been grinning ear to ear already.
"We still have no grasp of how deeply Cheongung has embedded itself in the martial world. But they are more meticulous and vicious than expected. Four people may not be enough."
"Which is why I will enter the Young Leader contest."
"Correct. If you successfully claim the Young Leader's seat... you will gain authority over five units under Guangming Palace."
That was why the Extreme Demon masters of the Seven Great Sects had opposed it at the Extreme Heaven Assembly. If Shin Gi-woon became Young Leader, Guangming Palace's forces could legally interfere with the Seven Great Sects.
The Myeolcheon Squad was an organization hunting Cheongung. Spies had already been confirmed within the Demonic Cult itself. Deeper investigation would require casting a wider net into the Cult's inner reaches — and in that process, friction would intensify between Guangming Palace and the sect factions, which had been strictly forbidden from interfering with each other.
The reason Shin Gi-woon had said the Myeolcheon Squad was understaffed. The reason Cheon Yu had pushed the agenda so quickly. Both moves were born of concern over internal strife within the Demonic Cult. Aside from the pro-Guangming Palace sects, plans to target Shin Gi-woon were probably already being drawn up.
The Cult Leader had made his protection visible. They wouldn't dare move openly.
"The Young Leader contest will be more dangerous than any before. With bad luck, you could die."
"But it is also the best chance to uncover Cheongung's tendrils."
"This seat trusts you, Gi-woon. That is why Guangming Palace's involvement in the Young Leader contest will be kept to a minimum. Do you understand what that means?"
"I will carve my own path through it."
Cheon Yu's lips curled upward. A satisfied smile. The thought was a little premature, but with Shin Gi-woon... perhaps he could marry off his daughter. The notion even crossed his mind.
"And there is one more critical piece of information."
"What is it?"
"It appears the entire Geom-dan Sect is a subordinate organization of Cheongung."
"..."
Cheon Yu's face hardened. At the same time, a frigid aura began to fill the Cult Leader's Hall. He stared at Shin Gi-woon with a look that demanded to know if this was truly so. Shin Gi-woon did not look away.
Grind.
The sound of teeth grinding. The good mood Cheon Yu had been in moments ago had clearly given way to rage.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. I stake everything I am on it."
"I heard you visited Ilbong this morning. Was it not solely for the sunrise?"
"At first, watching the sunrise was the purpose. But the moment I saw the Geom-dan Sect Leader, I knew. The man already understood that his identity had been exposed."
"And yet he simply let you go?"
"Yes. I believe that in this Young Leader contest... the real war with Cheongung will begin. That is my assessment."
"It's been a while, Gon Ryung."
"Have you decided to throw all caution to the wind, Seventh Martial General?"
"Throw caution? This situation only exists because of the failure in Shaanxi."
The Seventh Martial General — known in another identity as Geom-dan Sect Leader Dan Ju-hyeong — had used a treasure received from Cheongung to summon the spirit of Cheongung Apostle Gon Ryung. He still had no idea how the thing worked.
But as a devout follower of Cheongung, he did not waste time questioning principles. Apostles lacked faith; Martial Generals possessed it in extremes. That was Cheongung's criterion for dividing the Thirteen Apostles from the Eleven Martial Generals. And among them, the faith of Dan Ju-hyeong, who held the seat of Seventh Martial General, was that of a radical fanatic — a man who would commit any act for Cheongung's sake.
"The number of reinforcements you requested is absurd. Do you intend to wage war against the Demonic Cult in the heart of the Demonic Cult itself?"
"Think carefully. If not now, there is no opportunity. We've already lost one Martial General and two Apostles. Further variables must be eliminated."
"..."
Gon Ryung furrowed his brow. Only three people held the authority to move Cheongung's armies: the Heavenly Palace Lord, the Heavenly Brain ranked below him, and the Cheongung Apostles. In other words, Gon Ryung possessed the power to deploy the main palace's elite troops.
"What are the odds of victory?"
"If every soldier I requested assembles — ten out of ten."
"..."
Gon Ryung sank into thought. Was trusting the Seventh Martial General's word and dispatching troops the right call — or should he treat the Seventh Martial General as a discarded piece? His deliberation deepened. Then Dan Ju-hyeong drove the spike home.
"Trust me. It can be done. With sufficient support, we can shatter the Demonic Cult's present and its future alike."
"Is it truly possible?"
"It is."
"I will dispatch the troops. But if you fail, you understand?"
"I will never fail."
Dan Ju-hyeong revealed an iron will. Gon Ryung was currently plagued by a string of failures. To reverse that position, he had no choice but to back the Seventh Martial General's hand.
Gon Ryung made his decision.
"I will dispatch five thousand soldiers, including five Martial Generals. Prepare the Demonic Mirror."
He had decided to erase the Demonic Cult from this world.