Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: A Request for Guidance
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Cheon Jungak's curt voice.
Though it was just a single sentence, everyone who took in his declaration couldn't help but plunge into shock.
"Di... did he just say...?"
"He... he said it to the Cult Leader himself...?"
"That he requests guidance...?"
"Which means...!"
The patriarch of the Cheon Clan—one of the Seven Great Demon Clans.
And at this moment, with the Gu Clan sealed away, he was the foremost among them—directly requesting guidance from the Cult Leader.
Most of the cultists knew of the deep-seated grudge between Cheon Jungak and Hyeok Mulin, so they instinctively realized the truth.
The spar he requested under the pretext of seeking guidance was, in fact, a demand to stake the Heavenly Demon's throne.
Who could have foreseen such a turn when they first set foot in the Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament today?
The shrine arena brimmed with tension so thick it sent chills racing across their skin, and the spectators trembled as they alternated glances between Cheon Jungak and Hyeok Mulin.
"Cheon Jungak..."
"Do you truly intend to see this through to the end?"
They weren't the only ones stunned.
The other patriarchs of the Seven Great Demon Clans, save for Sima Geuk, also hardened their expressions as they stared at Cheon Jungak.
They had suspected he was plotting something, given how he had openly shown distrust toward Hyeok Mulin yet stubbornly remained in the Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament to the end.
But a direct challenge to the Cult Leader? No one had imagined that.
He called it a request for guidance, but everyone knew the true meaning was the polar opposite.
'To throw down the gauntlet before the Cult Leader in front of everyone.'
'What response will the Cult Leader give?'
The gauntlet had been thrown. Now it was a battle of whether to pick it up or not.
The patriarchs' gazes shifted to Hyeok Mulin.
And soon, as they took in his figure, their pupils gradually widened.
Hyeok Mulin sat silently in his chair.
With his chin propped lazily on his hand, he gazed down at the arena stage with half-lidded eyes, utterly at ease.
Even the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad guarding his surroundings looked at him with puzzled eyes at that relaxed demeanor.
'Cult Leader...?'
Hyeok Mulin and Cheon Jungak's gazes clashed sharply in midair.
Though it was merely an exchange of looks, the spectators swallowed hard, gripped by an inexplicable tension, and naturally held their breath.
And after a moment.
Thud.
Hyeok Mulin slowly rose from his seat.
All eyes turned to his mouth, and soon it began to part slowly.
"Cheon Patriarch. I have heard your request well."
There was not a trace of excitement or fluster in his voice.
He spoke in a tone that was simply calm and composed.
"Thus, I accept."
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
As the spectators' eyes widened and they flinched in surprise, Hyeok Mulin drove the nail home.
A faint smile curved his lips as he continued.
"As per your wish, I shall personally grant you guidance in the spar."
His declaration set the atmosphere inside the shrine arena ablaze in an instant.
"The Cult Leader himself is...!"
"Participating in the Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament!"
"I can't believe it even seeing it with my own eyes."
"Is this a dream or reality?"
"A life-or-death duel between the Cult Leader and the Cheon Patriarch...!"
"I wonder what the outcome will be."
The spectators' eyes gleamed with excitement, yet they couldn't hide their anxiety over what was to come.
Be it the Cult Leader or the patriarch—whoever emerged victorious, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was sure to undergo a massive upheaval.
The daily lives they had known up to now might be completely overturned.
As the cultists cast worried glances his way, Hyeok Mulin's lips moved once more.
"However."
"However...?"
In response to the puzzled murmurs rising here and there, Hyeok Mulin continued clearly, as if providing an answer.
"The grand match shall take place tomorrow, the final day of the Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament."
His words stirred the crowd once again.
Postponing the spar until tomorrow?
What could be the meaning of that?
A few who had hoped for an immediate match clicked their tongues in disappointment, but most soon understood Hyeok Mulin's intent.
"He's giving the Cheon Patriarch time to recover."
Cheon Jungak had already fought a round against Man Ho earlier.
Though it had been brief, given the opponent, he must have expended no small amount of internal energy and mental strength.
Thus, Hyeok Mulin was granting him time to recover and regroup.
Cheon Jungak stared fixedly at Hyeok Mulin before bowing his head and replying.
"I am grateful for your consideration."
Having accepted the proposal, he turned and exited the arena stage.
Confirming his departure, Seok Mae looked to the sky.
The sun was beginning to set—a bit earlier than usual.
Convinced this was the moment to conclude, he addressed the spectator stands.
"This shall conclude today's Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament."
With that, signaling the end of the sixth day, the spectators began rising from their seats in droves.
The paths back were filled with the buzz of the cultists' lively voices.
"I never dreamed the Cheon Patriarch would enter the spar."
"And who could've guessed his opponent would be the Man Patriarch."
"Only for it to end with a challenge to the Cult Leader himself."
"I can hardly wait for tomorrow."
"It's almost too much to bear."
Embracing the monumental news that the Cult Leader and Cheon Patriarch would clash tomorrow, the people dispersed throughout Heavenly Mountain.
Even as everyone left in excitement, one woman remained unable to depart the shrine arena.
Staring at the now-empty arena stage from one corner of the spectator stands with a rigid expression—it was Yagul Sohwa, the young lady of the Yagul Clan.
"Haa..."
Overwhelmed by surging worries, she simply couldn't tear herself away from the shrine arena.
Just a few days ago, the Cult Leader had been sharing drinks with her in good cheer—how had it come to this, facing off against the Cheon Clan Patriarch?
It felt like a bolt from the blue.
"Aren't you leaving?"
Yagul Hyeon posed the question to her, frozen like a statue.
Turning to him, Yagul Sohwa spoke in an anxious voice.
"Patriarch."
"...?"
"Tomorrow... he'll be alright, won't he?"
She didn't specify who, but Yagul Hyeon immediately knew whom she meant.
Gazing at her trembling eyes, he turned his sight to the clear blue sky.
And before long, his lips slowly parted.
"That."
Yagul Hyeon's flat voice echoed through the shrine arena.
"Depends on the will of heaven."
The dead of night.
An unexpected visitor entered Pure Heaven Pavilion, where Sima Jin was handling work alone.
"Great Strategist?"
Sima Jin let out a puzzled voice upon encountering Sima Geuk, who had come seeking him.
Staring at Sima Geuk, Sima Jin continued.
"The Cult Leader is away at the moment, but..."
"It's fine. Today, I've come to see you, not the Cult Leader."
"Me... you say?"
His words left Sima Jin with a bewildered expression.
How long had it been since he'd had a private meeting with his father?
Not even during his days as a wastrel, nor after entering the Heavenly Demon Palace, had his father sought him out like this.
He had always come accompanied by strategists or merely stopped by briefly to see the Cult Leader.
Thus, Sima Jin scratched his beard and rose from his seat.
"Please wait a moment."
Sima Geuk, now seated, slowly surveyed the surroundings.
As he observed the space where Sima Jin worked, the latter returned with a teacup.
Setting down the tea, Sima Jin cautiously took the seat across from him.
Slurp—
Sima Geuk savored the tea slowly before setting it down.
"Is the work manageable?"
"There are still many shortcomings."
It was common knowledge in the Heavenly Demon Palace that Sima Jin, as the Heavenly Demon's closest aide, had been entrusted with grave responsibilities.
And since the results were exceedingly positive, he could have boasted of his achievements to the world.
Yet Sima Jin chose humility over self-praise.
And to him, it wasn't mere modesty.
Even as others saw him exceeding expectations, he still felt his own inadequacies and was steadily improving them.
Sima Geuk nodded impassively at his son's words.
"Life is a continuous path of learning. Look inward, not to others, and strive forward."
"I shall keep that in mind."
In his father's voice, after so long, Sima Jin felt a warmth.
The tone was flat and stiff, yet he could sense the parental concern beneath it.
His heart eased, Sima Jin smiled faintly and expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you for supporting the Cult Leader."
He spoke as Hyeok Mulin's confidant and deputy strategist.
The Great Strategist and Sima Clan's alliance with Hyeok Mulin had become an irreplaceable pillar of strength for him in managing the cult's affairs.
"No need to thank me. I simply wished to walk the path the Cult Leader treads."
This was sincere truth.
Had Hyeok Mulin recited a demonic path at Cheondan Cliff that was unclear or misguided, he would have abandoned it without hesitation.
But the Cult Leader's will was resolute, his convictions firm, and his words more captivating than any Sima Geuk had heard before—that was why he stood by him.
"Even so, I am grateful. I know it was no easy decision."
As Sima Jin offered thanks once more, Sima Geuk finally nodded in acceptance.
Their conversation then shifted to the cult's political maneuvers and inter-factional relations, naturally flowing to the world's hottest topic: the Demonic Martial Shrine Tournament.
"As expected, the Cheon Patriarch threw down the gauntlet to the Cult Leader."
"Yes. We anticipated it somewhat while preparing the tournament, but now that it's reality, I can't help feeling a bit nervous."
Cheon Jungak's participation and challenge to Hyeok Mulin were scenarios they had foreseen.
And now, with the confrontation less than a day away.
Sima Jin trusted the Cult Leader, yet he couldn't easily predict the victor.
Both were realms beyond what his own martial prowess could gauge.
"Who do you think holds the edge, Great Strategist?"
"Hm..."
The current Cult Leader was young. Not even a few years past his early twenties.
Yet he had already reached a level equal to the Cheon Patriarch, who had reigned as one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's top powers for decades.
"They are now nearly equals, so it's hard to predict the outcome rashly."
"As I thought."
Being a life-or-death duel made prediction all the more impossible.
With everything on the line, neither would yield until one lost their life.
And this wasn't merely a fight over the Heavenly Demon throne.
It was a battle hinging on the fate of the Sima Clan, Lone Valley Clan, Yagul Clan, Hyeok Clan standing behind Hyeok Mulin—and all forces tied to him.
"But one thing is certain."
Sima Geuk continued, his eyes gleaming sharply.
"Tomorrow, the cult's destiny will be decided."