Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Complete Defeat and Reforms
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Cheon Jungak lay gracefully upon his bedchamber.
His consciousness faintly returned, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Mm..."
A low groan escaped his lips as he opened his eyes, his blurred vision taking in the familiar ceiling above.
Cheon Jungak absorbed the sight of the ceiling depicting a black hawk beating its wings across the open sky, then slowly turned his gaze.
Through the crimson silk curtains surrounding him, the soft glow of lantern light filtered in.
Soon, his eyes shifted to the woman seated at his bedside.
She appeared to have been watching over him for a long time, her fatigued face suggesting she had dozed off briefly.
It was none other than the eldest daughter of the Cheon Clan, Cheon Seohee.
"..."
After gazing at her for a moment, Cheon Jungak's eyes moved to the Gold Orchid Fragrance incense burner beside him.
This blend of golden orchids was renowned for its remarkable efficacy in promoting wound healing.
Beyond the thick, bitter aroma that permeated the air, a faint metallic tang of blood brushed his nostrils.
"Ugh."
Only then did Cheon Jungak feel the pain surging through his entire body.
He could sense that his whole form was tightly wrapped in bandages beneath the luxurious silk quilt.
He made no effort to rise.
Instead, he simply lay comfortably on the bed and spoke calmly.
"...I lost."
It was something he hadn't even remotely anticipated before entering the Demonic Martial Shrine.
The idea that he would lose in a one-on-one duel with the Cult Leader.
He had known the Cult Leader had entered the Demon God Realm and shown remarkable growth in a short time, but he judged that such rapid advancement would leave him lacking in the experience that naturally followed.
After all, experience was something filled by time and years.
But the Cult Leader he had actually clashed with was different.
'He led the battle with the prowess of a battle-hardened veteran.'
Cheon Jungak briefly recalled and reviewed his fight with the Cult Leader.
He had crossed swords with the Cult Leader, mixing feints and variations.
He made his opponent wary of thrusts while emphasizing slashes, yet in the end, he aimed to finish with a thrust into what seemed like empty space—a feint turned real.
It was a sword technique that even renowned experts could not withstand, piercing straight through the torso.
Yet the Cult Leader had withstood it.
No, he had met it head-on.
Had he dodged or deflected the force, Cheon Jungak would never have lost outright.
But he chose the path of clashing strength against strength, and in the end, claimed victory.
"So it came to this."
Cheon Jungak accepted the outcome with a self-mocking tone.
He had neither held back nor spared his full power against his opponent.
Yet to lose regardless meant there was a clear gap between him and the Cult Leader.
Even if it was a mere hair's breadth, that sliver was enough to decide victory and defeat.
Thus, Cheon Jungak felt no regret whatsoever over his loss.
"A complete defeat."
As Cheon Jungak, having acknowledged his defeat, slowly curved his lips, a presence stirred from his side.
"You've awakened."
Cheon Seohee, who had dozed off while tending to him, came to her senses and looked at him.
Cheon Jungak nodded and spoke in a raspy voice.
"Waking from sleep, I find reality even harsher. All that remains is impenetrable darkness ahead."
Hyeok Mulin and Cheon Jungak.
The long-standing grudge between the two had finally reached its conclusion.
The battle between Cheon Jungak and Hyeok Mulin in the Demonic Martial Shrine carried profound significance.
It was a fight where Hyeok Mulin had staked his position as Cult Leader, while for Cheon Jungak, the Cheon Clan Patriarch stepping forward personally tied in the clan's prestige and momentum.
The result was Cheon Jungak's defeat, and the Cheon Clan naturally shrank back on all fronts as they focused on treating their wounded patriarch.
His loss also determined the future path of the Cheon Clan.
"I have no face left to show you."
Cheon Jungak apologized to her.
Cheon Seohee was the eldest daughter of the Cheon Clan and the most likely successor as next patriarch.
But she responded to his words, laced with remorse, with a light smile.
"Do you perhaps remember when you first taught me the sword as a child?"
"...Vaguely."
"Hehe. As a little girl, I gripped a tiny dagger and swung it wildly, staggering under its weight."
"I remember now."
"At that time, you taught me what a sword is and the mindset a swordsman must have. And your expression as you explained it was happier than ever."
Cheon Jungak listened silently as she recited the memory.
"But as time passed, things changed. The Cult Leader's absence dragged on, and before we knew it, you were chasing the position of leader among the Seven Great Demon Clans."
At some point, Cheon Jungak had become consumed by the cult's power and fame.
But it was all an illusion.
As she saw it, the Seven Great Demon Clans had no need for a supreme seat.
Only when each fulfilled their roles from their respective positions could they truly uphold the cult.
"What I felt back then, receiving your occasional guidance amid your busyness..."
Cheon Seohee met his gaze directly and continued.
"Was that you were truly immersed in something only when honing your sword yourself—not when issuing instructions to me or meeting other power holders."
"...!"
His pupils dilated slightly at her words.
Cheon Seohee knew.
Even if he had lost his way under the weight of being patriarch, he was fundamentally a martial artist who loved the sword more than anything.
"Father."
Cheon Seohee clasped his hand tightly with both of hers and smiled.
"Let's start over from the beginning, us."
Demon Scripture Pavilion.
In a side chamber where the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's organizational chart was densely drawn on the wall.
There sat the two men who held the cult's reins.
Hyeok Mulin and Sima Geuk.
Sima Geuk stared intently at the chart and spoke.
"Bringing change to an organization rigidified over decades will by no means be easy."
"Yet it must be done."
Hyeok Mulin was certain.
They had to untangle the knotted threads now, before time made it even more entangled and harder to resolve.
Confirming Hyeok Mulin's resolve once more, Sima Geuk nodded.
In truth, he too wished to walk the path of change, difficult as it might be.
"Overhauling the entire cult is the worst approach. Too many changes at once breed chaos over novelty. And fortunately, we don't need to."
"The Demon Scripture Pavilion."
"Yes, exactly."
The Finance Affairs Hall, Secret Execution Hall, and Protector Hall under the Demon Scripture Pavilion.
All three halls that supported the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had long been under Sima Geuk's command.
Thus, they were more loyal to the cult's doctrines and laws than even the Seven Great Demon Clans, and could be safely excluded from the immediate reorganization.
"Then we can focus the restructuring on the Martial Force Units."
Originally, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Martial Force Units were divided into five major armies.
Great Demon Army, Dragon Demon Army, Red Demon Army, Mad Demon Army, and Subordinate Demon Army.
And under each, assault squads, guard squads, pursuit squads, reconnaissance squads, surveillance squads, ambush squads, and more were jumbled together.
It hadn't always been this disorganized from the start, but with the Cult Leader's prolonged absence, the structure had gradually crumbled.
Smooth—
Sima Geuk moved all those units downward on the chart.
Then, at the very top, he wrote two names.
[Heavenly Demon Army]
And.
[Demon Army]
According to his plan, the Heavenly Demon Army was the direct unit under the Cult Leader, obeying only his command.
The Demon Army oversaw all the cult's martial forces.
No more subdividing into Dragon Demon Army or Red Demon Army, then further into assault or reconnaissance squads.
Instead, a simplified structure where units branched directly under the Demon Army.
"Excellent."
The intuitive connections made roles clear at a glance, fostering unity without unnecessary layers by consolidating under the Demon Army.
"And here, there are two options."
Sima Geuk continued, his hand moving.
"Group the units tied to the Gu Clan, Cheon Clan, and Man Clan—such as guard squads—separately. Or mix them with the others."
This had pros and cons.
Separating them eased immediate management but risked prolonged isolation and greater discord in overall harmony.
Thus, Hyeok Mulin's stance was clear.
"That's no concern for me. To bind the Demon Army as one, we must blur those boundaries from now on."
Sima Geuk smiled and nodded at his words.
"I share the same view. Then we'll proceed as you say, but one thing to consider."
"Speak."
"It's natural for the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad to be in the Heavenly Demon Army, and as per your orders, the new unit formed through the Wind Yang Divine Palace will join it."
"Yes."
Reports confirmed Ibija's rigorous selection for the unit, so no worries there.
However.
"The Demon Army needs a unit loyal to you as well."
Heavenly Demon Army intervention in Demon Army affairs had limits.
Even within the same cult, final affiliations differed.
To strengthen control over the Demon Army, a force loyal to Hyeok Mulin was essential.
"Have you considered any? If not, I can connect you with ties to my clan."
In truth, Sima Geuk had already shortlisted ideal candidates.
But Hyeok Mulin chuckled softly and declined.
"No need. Your words brought one to mind immediately."
Hyeok Mulin wrote characters one by one on the wall.
Soon, a unit's name appeared there.
[Sky-Shattering Black Wind Squad]
The unit he had debated with and dueled when forming the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad.
After losing the duel, they cleanly accepted defeat and quelled negative rumors about the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad.
Moreover, when the Cheon Clan directly threatened the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad upon Hyeok Mulin's entry into the Demon God Realm, they had provided aid.
And crucially, they were one of the rare units that had remained neutral, never aligning with the Seven Great Demon Clans.
"Sky-Shattering Black Wind Squad..."
They were the most renowned assault unit in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, infamous for pushing through battles riddled with casualties to always complete their missions.
Sima Geuk, well aware of their fame, nodded.
"They're the perfect choice. They hold significant standing among the cult's martial forces."
"I'll handle contact with them."
Hyeok Mulin planned to entrust the exchange to Ji Wolhon.
As ties between the units grew, Ji Wolhon knew them best.
With the sorting complete, Hyeok Mulin parted his lips.
"Is that all?"
His gaze lingered on the neatly organized chart on the wall.
Untangling the knots without cutting, it was a flawless design without excess.
'Impressive.'
Hyeok Mulin's eyes turned to Sima Geuk, the architect of it all.
"Great Military Strategist."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"I'll say it once more: I will not permit your resignation."
Recalling the past, Sima Geuk chuckled lightly.
"I no longer have such intentions."
Hyeok Mulin looked at his smiling face and reflected on his previous life.
Back then, he never imagined charting the cult's future together like this.
'Sharing the same vision with the Great Military Strategist feels this comfortable.'
A surge of deep emotion welled up in Hyeok Mulin.
Finishing the discussion, he turned to leave.
"If any issues arise later, send the Deputy Military Strategist."
"Understood. Go forth in strength."
Hyeok Mulin walked away, leaving Sima Geuk who had bowed his head.
Even as he exited the Demon Scripture Pavilion, the satisfied curve of his lips never faded.