Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Demon and Man
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Still before sunset, in the Demon Scripture Pavilion.
Tap.
Sima Geuk set down his brush after finishing his work.
He had processed the documents far faster than usual. After tidying his desk, he rose from his seat.
He donned his outer robe and stepped outside, then spoke to Deputy Military Strategist Mo Seol.
"I'm heading back a bit early today. I have some personal business to attend to."
"Understood."
"If any urgent matters come up in the reports addressed to me, feel free to handle them on my behalf."
"Leave it to me."
Sima Geuk left Mo Seol, who bowed in response, and departed the Demon Scripture Pavilion with light steps.
He boarded a carriage that had been prepared in advance, exiting the Heavenly Demon Palace and passing through the inner and outer citadels in turn.
The carriage raced along at full speed until it finally halted at the entrance to a nearby mountain range.
Sima Geuk dismounted and sent the carriage away before continuing on foot.
'I wonder how long it's been since I ventured outside.'
The usual routine for Sima Geuk involved nothing more than traveling back and forth between his clan home and the Heavenly Demon Palace for work.
He rarely used horses or carriages, and climbing a mountain with lightness skill like this—how many years had it been?
His memory was hazy.
Clatter-clatter.
The mountain was steep, and the ascent took considerable time.
Pushing through the dense forest, Sima Geuk entered a rocky area. At its end, he stepped onto a massive boulder resembling a toad.
Having reached the midway point, he traversed a valley, following a stream upward until he spotted a silvery cascade of waterfall pouring down from above.
Gazing at its crystalline waters, Sima Geuk scaled the rocks supporting the falls, climbing toward the top.
Without pause, he pressed on against the torrent. Gradually, the surrounding foliage, trees, and wildlife thinned out, and even the roar of the water faded.
At last, upon reaching the summit, he arrived at a pine tree—a millennium pine—standing tall in the silence.
But that was not the end.
Before his eyes stretched a vast, sheer precipice riddled with myriad jagged cliffs.
A protruding ledge slanted gradually upward toward the sky, extending to a height that seemed to touch the clouds.
And at its terminus sat a man bathed in the glow of sunset.
Sima Geuk gazed at the man's back for a moment before slowly advancing.
As he drew near, Sima Geuk spoke.
"You've arrived first."
"A hungry man claims his seat first, doesn't he?"
Sima Geuk listened silently to Hyeok Mulin's words, his pupils dilating briefly.
Only upon closing the distance did he sense the change in the man's aura.
The shift was far greater than anticipated. Startled, Sima Geuk slowly parted his lips.
"...Your experience in the Demon God Realm must have been a success."
"Indeed."
In hindsight, Sima Geuk had played a part in suggesting the trip to the Demon God Realm.
Hyeok Mulin had considered it himself, but their conversation had solidified his resolve.
"Sit."
At those words, Sima Geuk settled into a seated position a short distance away.
As he did, Hyeok Mulin gazed straight ahead and asked,
"Have you ever been here before?"
"Once, decades ago."
It had been in his youth, right after assuming the role of Great Military Strategist.
He had visited to survey the terrain of Heavenly Mountain firsthand.
Of course, he barely remembered it now.
"Heaven's Fracture Cliff. A famed vantage from which one can take in the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult at a glance. Truly a breathtaking vista."
Sima Geuk slowly looked ahead and downward.
The Heavenly Demon Palace, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, and even the surrounding settlements—all encircled by Heavenly Mountain—lay in full view.
"It seems you've come here often, Cult Leader."
"Not particularly. Only occasionally, when my resolve wavered, to steady myself."
Those words stirred a faint doubt in Sima Geuk.
It had been mere years since he'd become Cult Leader, yet he spoke as if he'd worn the mantle for decades.
As that puzzlement lingered, Hyeok Mulin spoke again.
"In the half-year I was away, much transpired."
"But it has all settled down since your return."
After Hyeok Mulin vanished, the Cheon Clan had begun stirring.
They sowed chaos, obstructing anything tied to him.
Yet shortly after his return and visit to the Cheon Clan, their movements ceased as if strangled.
"What did you say to make the Cheon Clan Patriarch yield?"
There had surely been a pivotal exchange between Hyeok Mulin and Cheon Jungak.
In response, Hyeok Mulin slowly smiled.
"We've agreed to hold the Demon Martial God Tournament."
"...!"
Shock at the unexpected reply was fleeting.
Sima Geuk soon nodded in understanding.
So he's chosen that path.
It was the swiftest way to resolve the current turmoil—and the most arduous.
Yet if he braved the immense risk and succeeded, the rewards would outshine anything gained thus far.
Sima Geuk fully comprehended and respected his choice.
A brief silence followed.
Then Hyeok Mulin cut straight to the point.
"Do you still need time to decide?"
Through several deep conversations, Hyeok Mulin had patiently awaited Sima Geuk's verdict.
But with the Demon Martial God Tournament looming, he could afford no more delays.
Even full focus on preparations fell short; distractions were impossible.
Sima Geuk pondered briefly before responding measuredly.
"Cult Leader, I am the patriarch of the Sima Clan, but also the Great Military Strategist overseeing the entire cult."
As a high-ranking figure in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Sima Geuk stood foremost among the Seven Great Demon Clans' patriarchs in devotion to the cult.
Thus, when the Heavenly Demon's throne stood vacant, he had prioritized stabilizing the cult over personal gain, seeking a suitable leader.
That was why he had swiftly yielded to Hyeok Mulin upon his ascension.
'But as time passed, I began to see him anew.'
At first, he was a Heavenly Demon with nothing to his name.
Yet he awakened the latent talent of his clan's troublesome second son and methodically subjugated the Seven Great Demon Clans, expanding his influence.
No Heavenly Demon in history had matched this pace, so Sima Geuk watched with keen interest.
But the growth accelerated, soon reaching even him.
Forcing a choice upon the steadfast neutral observer.
'Refusing would bring no repercussions, of course...'
The Hyeok Mulin he knew wouldn't resent or harbor malice toward continued neutrality.
It would merely complicate dealings with the other clans.
Only the top-tier clans among the Seven Great Demon Clans remained.
Thus, Sima Geuk found himself at the crossroads.
Reject the offer and maintain the clan's neutrality as before?
Or follow Hyeok Mulin and ride the winds of change sweeping the cult?
Aware that his decision would bind the Sima Clan and Demon Scripture Pavilion, he hesitated.
"May I ask one final question, Cult Leader?"
"Speak."
With permission granted, Sima Geuk fixed his gaze and posed it.
"What do you envision as the true demon path?"
It was the most fundamental question for the Heavenly Demon who led the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Hyeok Mulin recognized this as Sima Geuk's ultimate query after long deliberation.
Silence descended like a dry sky.
The brief pause felt eternally long, then Hyeok Mulin answered.
"My demon path is demon... and man."
"Demon and man...?"
"Yes."
The unforeseen reply puzzled Sima Geuk.
Demon—the core and essence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—and man, so detached from it.
"May I ask what you mean?"
In response, Hyeok Mulin slowly turned his head and countered.
"What do you make of the cult as it stands?"
"The current cult... you mean?"
"Do you truly believe the cult's state and direction are normal?"
Sima Geuk fell silent at the weight in his voice.
A moment's reflection revealed why Hyeok Mulin said this.
The Heavenly Demon was meant to be revered by all cultists, yet enthroning a young one through political calculus was abnormal from the start.
The Seven Great Demon Clans coveting the throne, factions chasing profit in power struggles—these were aberrations.
All tangled like knotted threads, impossible to unravel.
As Sima Geuk lapsed into silence, Hyeok Mulin continued.
"You see it too. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has deviated from its origins. The demon path envisioned by the founding Heavenly Demon has faded, its glorious past eclipsed by the selfish greed of those in power."
Hyeok Mulin knew better than anyone that the current cult was far from normal.
He had been forced into the role to sate Cheon Jungak's desires.
As Heavenly Demon, across decades in his past life observing from afar, he realized a truth.
The cult teetered on an ambiguous path—neither this nor that—leaving even its members directionless.
Thus, Hyeok Mulin resolved:
To return the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to its essence.
"I shall walk the path of tyranny, grounded in the supremacy of the strong."
"Tyranny...!"
"Yes. The thirst for strength is human instinct. The cult embraced it openly rather than denying it, earning unwavering support."
A red gleam flickered in Hyeok Mulin's eyes as he expounded his vision.
"I will return to that. Not the current cult where all is dictated by political interests, but the great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that purely revered and exalted the strong."
"...I see."
Sima Geuk inwardly marveled at Hyeok Mulin's discourse.
An utterly unexpected answer.
To one who ascended politically, tyranny seemed the most distant notion.
Yet hearing it out, he not only grasped the intent but found himself convinced.
He too harbored discontent with the cult's state but had abandoned untangling its complexities.
Hyeok Mulin had not.
From the most precarious perch, he sought answers relentlessly.
One could scarcely imagine the deliberations shaping this philosophy.
Having listened intently, Sima Geuk's curiosity led onward.
"Then what of 'man'?"
"Have you ever stayed here till nightfall?"
"No."
"I see."
Nodding, Hyeok Mulin continued.
"The night view of our headquarters isn't so bright."
The resplendent Heavenly Demon Palace and clan estates of the Seven Great Demon Clans.
The inner citadel aglow densely.
That far, it's fine.
But extending one's gaze reveals the unseen.
The outer citadel, lights sparse.
And beyond, nearly swallowed by darkness.
"Once night falls, some can't even afford candlelight. For them, sunset means forcibly ending the day."
In his past life as Cult Leader for decades, Hyeok Mulin learned how many cultists languished.
True even at headquarters; worse across the province.
Sometimes structural flaws, other times exploitation by the powerful, or administrative neglect.
Yet past-life Hyeok Mulin witnessed the cult's ills but could not mend them.
A puppet Heavenly Demon lacked the power.
"As I tread tyranny, I will uproot every affliction plaguing the cult. And ensure all cultists live lives befitting humanity."
"Lives befitting humanity..."
"Yes. Not mere existences dozing off at dusk, but ones free to confront their desires head-on."
Aah.
So the Cult Leader's demon and man ultimately converge as one.
Sima Geuk had viewed Hyeok Mulin as a young leader gifted in martial prowess and strategy.
But delving into his thoughts revealed a deeper love for the cult and concern for its people—perhaps surpassing his own.
With this epiphany, Sima Geuk gathered his thoughts and posed the final question.
"Then, what lies at the end of the demon path you walk, Cult Leader?"
Hyeok Mulin's lips curved faintly as he replied softly.
"At the end of my demon path..."
Whoosh―
As his lips moved, a refreshing east wind blew.
The millennium pine's branches shook fiercely in the breeze.
After a long interval, as the wind died down...
"...I see."
Sima Geuk, having absorbed Hyeok Mulin's words, nodded slowly.
He then gazed ahead in silence.
Heavenly Mountain and the cult sprawled beneath the azure sky.
His choice would profoundly shape countless cultists' lives.
'I still can't be certain.'
The Cult Leader's expansion and prowess were encouraging, but no guarantee his reforms would succeed.
Yet.
Listening had ignited a new desire within him.
To stand by the current Cult Leader and walk his path together.
"Cult Leader."
Hyeok Mulin turned at his call.
Their eyes met, and Sima Geuk spoke with resolute voice.
"Entrust the preparations for the Demon Martial God Tournament to me."
"...!"
Hyeok Mulin's pupils widened at the words.
That meant...!
Sima Geuk smiled faintly, and joy lit Hyeok Mulin's eyes.