Chapter 140
Chapter 140
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: A New Beginning
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Demonic Martial God Tournament had come to an end, but rather than closing a chapter, it marked the dawn of a new era.
From that point onward, countless young prodigies and heroes emerged, and the rising demon experts surpassed even divine strength, their names echoing as objects of vigilance all the way to the distant Central Plains.
Having fulfilled its purpose, the tournament grounds were now opened to the faithful as a tourist attraction, allowing free access.
This influx of outsiders into the outer castle steadily boosted the economy, breathing new life into it far beyond previous levels.
"Kuh, now this is living!"
"And it's all thanks to the Cult Leader's grace!"
The outer castle residents sang praises of Hyeok Mulin, their admiration for him soaring to the heavens.
No matter where one went in the outer castle, stories about Hyeok Mulin filled the air.
Not just tales of his rule, but accounts of the awe-inspiring divine might he displayed during the Demonic Martial God Tournament.
Tens of thousands of demon experts had witnessed him unleashing his martial arts firsthand, so it was only natural that his name was on everyone's lips.
The same held true within the inner castle.
Clink.
The top floor of Yin Harmony Pavilion.
A room reserved exclusively for the most esteemed guests.
Two men seated there shared drinks.
After draining his cup, Hyeok Gongun nodded approvingly.
"This wine has quite the flavor."
Yagul Hyeon, sitting across from him, replied with a matter-of-fact expression.
"With things as they are, wouldn't everything taste sweet?"
"I agree. Even cheap baijiu would go down easy right now."
The two clan patriarchs, meeting after a long time, relaxed their guards and conversed openly.
Hyeok Gongun let out a deep breath, his lips curling into a smile.
"The Demonic Martial God Tournament has finally reached its conclusion."
"And with the Cult Leader's flawless victory, no less."
It was the showdown that had drawn the attention of all demon experts, including the Seven Great Demon Clans.
The climactic duel on the tournament's final day: Hyeok Mulin versus Cheon Jungak.
With so much riding on that single confrontation, the Cult Leader must have shouldered considerable pressure entering the match.
"To be honest, I never imagined the Cult Leader would claim a complete victory."
Yagul Hyeon confided his hidden thoughts.
His expectations had aligned closely with the general consensus.
The Cult Leader's realm had risen sharply, but against a battle-hardened veteran like the Cheon Clan Patriarch, his relative lack of experience would prove a hurdle.
But those fears proved unfounded. The Cult Leader proved it himself.
Who he was.
Who the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult truly was.
"It was an epic bloodbath."
"A pure, untainted duel of true honor."
Even recalling that match now filled Hyeok Gongun with nothing but admiration.
Naturally, memories of the past flickered through his mind.
The first time he had reunited with the Cult Leader, who had left his clan, was at the last regular assembly.
Even then, the Cult Leader had acted boldly, single-handedly dissolving the gathering.
'Back then, I thought he was just acting recklessly in the heat of youth.'
As it turned out, there had been a plan all along.
Afterward, Hyeok Gongun had strived to support the Cult Leader alongside the Hyeok Clan.
Yet when he came to his senses, it was his own clan receiving aid.
Thanks to the Cult Leader's advice and backing, they overcame financial crisis, forged contracts with various merchant groups, allied with the Yagul Clan, and rebuilt what had nearly crumbled into ruin.
Even his youngest son, Hyeok Gyojin, had transformed.
Under the Cult Leader's tutelage, he progressed by leaps and bounds, becoming an exceptional swordsman. Now, Hyeok Gongun had no more worries to speak of.
'Even after leaving the clan for greater heights, we still bask in the Cult Leader's grace.'
Hyeok Gongun felt nothing but gratitude toward Hyeok Mulin.
All he could do was offer unwavering support to the Cult Leader.
"Who would have thought the Cult Leader had grown so much."
Yagul Hyeon shared similar sentiments.
He drifted into thought, recalling his fateful encounter with Hyeok Mulin at his clan home.
'I never suspected it at first.'
Who could have guessed that the nameless man his daughter brought home, introducing as a close friend, was the Cult Leader?
Of course, the fact that the Cult Leader had visited the Yagul Clan incognito was surprising enough, but what astonished Yagul Hyeon more was his profound knowledge of music.
But that wonder was short-lived.
He soon realized the Cult Leader had come specifically to meet him, evading the eyes of the world.
'That was the beginning.'
The moment he staked his clan's fate on joining hands with the Cult Leader.
It hadn't been an easy choice.
Following the Cult Leader back then meant directly opposing the Cheon Clan, leaders among the Seven Great Demon Clans.
But in hindsight...
It was the best decision of his life.
It allowed him to ally with the thriving Hyeok Clan sooner.
Together, their clan's strength grew, expanding their reach and enabling aggressive business ventures.
And now, with the Cult Leader's victory over Cheon Jungak...
He had seized firm dominance over the Seven Great Demon Clans. There were no more forces to tiptoe around.
Yes.
In this moment, they were all certain of one thing.
"We've cast our lot well."
"Indeed, we've chosen wisely."
The two clans among the Seven Great Demon Clans who were the first to be inspired by Hyeok Mulin and join him.
The risks had been immense, but with the lurking threats now eliminated...
They stood to reap rewards many times over their investment.
"I hope the Cult Leader continues on this path."
"Amen to that."
They clinked glasses once more and downed their drinks.
For some reason, the wine tasted sweeter than ever today.
With the mood soaring, Yagul Hyeon gazed at the full moon outside the window.
"I wonder what the Cult Leader is up to right now..."
"Probably celebrating his victory with his subordinates over drinks, like us."
"Heh, you're right."
"Come on, another round."
"Gladly."
The clear chime of clinking glasses rang out.
The revelry celebrating Hyeok Mulin's triumph stretched long into the night.
Heavenly Demon Palace, Heavenly Demon Hall.
Hyeok Mulin lay diagonally across the grand throne.
Propping his chin with an uncomfortable expression, he let out a breath.
"Hoo..."
It was a situation that naturally drew a sigh.
He desperately wanted to celebrate the Demonic Martial God Tournament victory with a drink, but that final strike from Cheon Jungak was the problem.
The wound on his waist was severe enough that he sought out Gwang Ui, who was resting. Upon inspection, the healer banned martial training for the time being and imposed a strict no-alcohol order.
A warning not to touch a drop, lest the injury reopen and worsen.
—"Surely one drink wouldn't hurt...?"
—"Do whatever you want if you're trying to die."
Hyeok Mulin had no retort and could only turn away.
Even as the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad headed en masse to the taverns that day, he was forced to remain in the Heavenly Demon Hall, unable to join them.
As Hyeok Mulin sighed deeply, Sima Jin, seated beside him, asked,
"Are you that disappointed?"
"Of course I am. I've gone nearly half a year without a drop, training nonstop in my martial arts."
Just as he thought he could finally relax, this needless injury got in the way.
Sima Jin smiled faintly.
"Still, haven't you finally overcome the greatest hurdle since ascending to Cult Leader? The biggest threat of all."
He was right.
Considering he had vanquished the Cheon Clan, a few more wounds like this were a small price to pay.
...Starting from three, maybe he'd reconsider.
In any case, Hyeok Mulin's resounding victory over Cheon Jungak in their duel had changed everything.
"The Cheon Clan has barricaded itself, halting all internal and external activities."
Starting from the patriarch's defeat, the Cheon Clan transformed.
They tightened their finances, scaled back trade, and their family members vanished into the estate.
They would pose no more threats or interference against Hyeok Mulin.
'The Seven Great Demon Clans are finally within reach.'
Of course, he hadn't fully subjugated them yet.
With the Hyeok Clan, Yagul Clan, Lone Valley Clan, and Sima Clan now aligned with him...
Even excluding the Cheon Clan, the Gu Clan and Man Clan remained.
But the Man Clan posed little concern.
Their patriarch had proven his devotion to martial arts by challenging Cheon Jungak during the tournament, and there were no grudges between them.
The other, however, warranted separate consideration.
'Time to keep an eye on the Gu Clan.'
Their absence from the Demonic Martial God Tournament was a relief.
But with so few neutral clans left among the Seven Great Demon Clans...
Who knew when they might make a move.
Their actions in his previous life had already diverged greatly due to his return and interventions.
"Deputy Strategist."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"Instruct the Secret Affairs Hall to monitor the Gu Clan's movements."
Chosa Hyeon could extract far more than a simple order implied.
After issuing the command, Hyeok Mulin discussed with Sima Jin various ways to sustain the revitalized outer castle's momentum post-tournament.
Using the tournament grounds to draw the faithful was fine, but such interest wouldn't last.
To maintain prosperity, fundamental changes to the outer castle itself were essential.
They debated numerous plans vigorously before moving to the next agenda.
Sima Jin nodded with a resolute expression.
"It's finally time to reorganize the Divine Cult's structure."
Even as Heavenly Demon, Hyeok Mulin had faced subtle constraints in the cult's organization.
The throne had been vacant for thirty years, during which the martial units pledged loyalty to the Seven Great Demon Clans, each carving their own paths.
Even units ostensibly loyal to the cult backed different factions.
Thus, summoning, disbanding, or restructuring them had been nearly impossible until now.
But with Hyeok Mulin securing clear dominance over the Seven Great Demon Clans...
'Things have changed.'
The fiercely hostile Cheon Clan had retreated, leaving only the neutral Gu and Man Clans.
Though units under their influence remained, preventing total overhaul, Hyeok Mulin could now reshape the organization to his vision.
"I have some ideas on that front."
Reorganization involved entangled factions and couldn't be rushed.
Hyeok Mulin had been sketching blueprints well in advance.
"Dividing and reconstituting units is one option, but the most urgent matter is establishing a new personal guard to back up the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad."
Hyeok Mulin understood the burdens on the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad well.
As his sole direct guard, they handled most orders independently, often stretched thin despite needing two or three bodies.
Thus, he planned a new guard unit to share the load.
"You're thinking the same as I am."
Sima Jin felt the same.
Yet he harbored one concern.
"But there's one issue that worries me."
"The lack of a suitable commander, right?"
"Yes, exactly."
Sima Jin nodded at Hyeok Mulin's words.
This was the Cult Leader's personal guard.
The leader needed exceptional martial prowess matching the role, plus unswerving loyalty solely to the Cult Leader.
Finding someone fulfilling both was exceedingly difficult.
'Can't pull from the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad's vice-commanders either.'
Their strength and loyalty were ample, but they had long synced as a unit.
Altering that would yield poor results, Sima Jin judged.
Truly, a shortage of personnel was the crux.
Unable to conjure a solution, Sima Jin sighed.
But Hyeok Mulin gazed at him calmly.
"No need to worry about that."
"Pardon?"
As Sima Jin looked puzzled, Hyeok Mulin stated flatly,
"I've brought someone from the Central Plains to handle exactly that."
"Central Plains...?"
Sima Jin tilted his head, vaguely recalling.
When the Cult Leader had gone to the Central Plains personally to fetch Gwang Ui, someone had come along...
"The man's name was..."
"Yi Bija of Fengyang Divine Bow."
Recalling him, Hyeok Mulin smiled confidently.
"He will surely bring a new wave to our Divine Cult."