Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Audience with the Twin Brains
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Swish―
A hush fell between the reeds swaying in the western wind.
Before long, Hwang Gajo parted his lips.
"My possession? What do you mean by that?"
He asked in a puzzled tone, and Hyeok Mulin stared at him intently before murmuring softly.
"It seems you truly came here knowing nothing."
"Has something happened between the Four Black Alliances and your cult?"
"Of course."
Scoffing, Hyeok Mulin provided the answer.
"They intruded on our cult's festival, caused a disturbance, and kidnapped two members of the Heavenly Demon's guard before fleeing."
It wasn't wrong.
They had entered the Martial Demon God Tournament—a festival for demonic cultivators—under the guise of unorthodox fighters, and two warriors from the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad pursuing him had vanished.
On top of that, upon arriving here, Hyeok Mulin had seen traces of the Beacon heading toward the Nine Schools, confirming his suspicions.
That the current Beacon already harbored enmity toward the Four Black Alliances.
"What...!"
Hwang Gajo couldn't hide his shock at Hyeok Mulin's words.
All he had heard from the Great Overseer was that a wanderer was interfering with the Four Black Alliances' plans in Dan County and to deal with him.
Yet the leader of those wanderers was none other than the Heavenly Demon himself, and he was even holding the Four Black Alliances accountable. It was a situation he hadn't foreseen in the slightest.
"Is that true?"
Hyeok Mulin nodded and spoke in a subdued tone.
"Beacon. You can't claim ignorance of his existence."
"...!"
"The Beacon who infiltrated our cult vanished here alongside some of our followers."
Hearing that name, Hwang Gajo instinctively knew.
Everything he was saying was true.
From the start, only a handful in the Four Black Alliances even knew of the Beacon's existence.
The reason was simple.
The Beacon belonged to a lone unit that answered solely to the Great Overseer, Twin Brains.
'The Great Overseer was the one who sent me to Dan County, too.'
Now that he thought back on it, something felt off.
To request reinforcements for a battle against a mere minor clan—not even one of the Nine Great Sects and One Clan—and immediately dispatch one of the Ten Demonic Apostles.
How could he not have questions?
Moreover, Twin Brains had sent him without hesitation, as if anticipating it.
"Haa..."
Having grasped the gist of it, Hwang Gajo let out a sigh.
They claimed we struck first, so what could he argue in this situation?
Having lost all will to fight, Hwang Gajo removed his hood, scratched his head vigorously, and said,
"Whew. I'll look into that matter separately."
"I won't wait long."
"Understood."
With no reason left to fight, Hwang Gajo cleanly withdrew.
After returning to the Danri Clan, Hyeok Mulin waited leisurely, and that wait didn't last long.
Exactly three days later.
A single letter arrived for him.
And the sender was none other than the Great Overseer of the Four Black Alliances, Twin Brains.
The dead of night, when all were asleep.
Hyeok Mulin left the manor with Danri Hyang in tow and slipped out beyond the village outskirts.
Danri Hyang wrapped thick cloth around a sturdy branch, lit it aflame, and lit the way forward.
They ventured into the mountains, navigating the winding, treacherous paths.
"To the right."
Whenever the path was blocked or split into multiple forks and Danri Hyang hesitated, Hyeok Mulin unerringly guided him from behind.
Deeper and deeper into the mountains they went, until they came upon a spot where two wisteria vines twisted together as one.
There, they halted and surveyed their surroundings.
Spotting something, Hyeok Mulin spoke up.
"Over there."
He had found a circular hole bored into the base of a mound and approached it.
It was a pitch-black cave, not a speck of light penetrating it.
Yet Hyeok Mulin entered without hesitation.
A narrow passage stretched on, low enough that his head nearly brushed the ceiling.
As they traversed the tunnel, they soon caught a faint glow emanating from within.
Pressing further, the light grew brighter, and human shadows flickered into view.
'Three of them?'
As Danri Hyang counted the heads in the shadows, Hyeok Mulin reached the end of the cave first.
And there, they came face-to-face with those who awaited them.
A small chamber the size of an ordinary villager's room.
A single candle flickered in the center.
The first to catch their eye was the Beacon, standing against the wall.
The man the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad had pursued finally revealed himself.
Danri Hyang's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the person seated on the floor nearby.
But Hyeok Mulin, recognizing him at the same time, remained utterly composed.
'So it wasn't three, but two after all.'
Danri Hyang must have been confused by the three heads in the shadows.
But the figure there was a single man with two heads.
The Great Overseer of the Four Black Alliances, Twin Brains.
Silent until now, Twin Brains glanced back and forth between Hyeok Mulin and Danri Hyang before speaking bluntly.
"Which one is the Cult Leader?"
"Are your eyes crooked? It's obviously that one!"
Alternating between his left and right heads in self-questioning, Twin Brains then fixed his gaze on Hyeok Mulin.
Thus, Hyeok Mulin and Twin Brains locked eyes across the empty space.
"Hoo?"
"Hoo."
Twin Brains regarded Hyeok Mulin with intrigued expressions, each head voicing admiration differently.
Moments later, one head turned to the Beacon, who promptly stepped out of the chamber.
Hyeok Mulin glanced at Danri Hyang.
With a nod, Danri Hyang also withdrew, leaving the space.
Now alone with Twin Brains, Hyeok Mulin slowly approached and sat across from him.
Thud.
Fixing all four eyes on the seated Hyeok Mulin, Twin Brains cleared his throat and spoke first.
"I am the Great Overseer of the Four Black Alliances, Twin Brains."
"I am the Cult Leader of the Divine Cult, Hyeok Mulin."
It was hard to believe this was the same being who had moments ago chattered to himself in a gruff tone. In an instant, he shifted to a calm, composed voice.
The gruff right head fell silent, while the left took full control of the conversation.
They were following a prearranged rule for important discussions.
"I never imagined you'd come all the way to Shaanxi Province..."
Twin Brains had dispatched the Beacon to gauge the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's movements—or more precisely, to confirm the infamous Cult Leader firsthand.
Not long after, he received unbelievable news from the Beacon.
The current Cult Leader had accepted Cheon Jungak's challenge and decisively won the duel.
'To reach such a realm at that age?'
Who was Cheon Jungak?
The patriarch of the Cheon Clan, a frontrunner among the Seven Great Demon Clans at the heart of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Yet a demonic cultivator not even thirty had bested him?
Unbelievable, even for the Cult Leader.
Thus, Twin Brains ordered the Beacon to kidnap Divine Demon Blood Death Squad members as bait.
It was a bold ploy, but even so, he hadn't been certain the Cult Leader would come here.
Predicting the free-spirited Heavenly Demon's movements required not just planning, but tremendous luck.
'Even when I heard about Dan County afterward, I couldn't be sure.'
He had confirmed that some Divine Demon Blood Death Squad members disguised as wanderers had joined the Danri Clan.
But whether the Heavenly Demon was among them?
Not enough decisive proof.
So Twin Brains boldly sent Hwang Gajo, one of the Ten Demonic Apostles, to Dan County.
If Hwang Gajo resolved the wanderer issue, it meant the Heavenly Demon hadn't come, and he had no intention of proceeding further.
But Hwang Gajo failed and returned fuming, confirming to Twin Brains that the Heavenly Demon had indeed arrived.
"......"
Hyeok Mulin stared at him before shifting his gaze to the chamber wall.
This was no ordinary cave.
It brimmed with an oppressive pressure that steadily constricted his entire body.
Noticing, Twin Brains apologized to Hyeok Mulin.
"The meeting place must be uncomfortable. This is paradise for me, so please understand."
Twin Brains abhorred places touched by the sun's bright light.
The bullying and ostracism of his childhood had driven him into darkness, and now his body was acclimated only to such shadows.
Hyeok Mulin's gaze returned from the cave wall to him.
"Where are my warriors?"
"I've already sent them back. You'll confirm it upon returning to the Danri Clan. Their lives are unharmed, of course."
As Hyeok Mulin ascended the mountain, Twin Brains had preemptively released the kidnapped Divine Demon Blood Death Squad warriors.
Hearing this, Hyeok Mulin nodded and said,
"You sent something amusing to the Martial Demon God Tournament."
"Glad you enjoyed it. Sending one of our rising stars into enemy territory was quite the gamble for us."
"And did that satisfy your curiosity about our cult's movements?"
In truth, infiltrating rival powers with spies and agents was commonplace among great factions.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult itself had plenty embedded in the Four Black Alliances and the Murim Alliance.
But getting caught in key positions could become an issue.
"I couldn't trust mere hearsay, so I had to see for myself."
To Twin Brains' words, Hyeok Mulin replied,
"Fair enough. So, what do you make of me now that you've seen me in person?"
Whoosh―
Extreme demonic energy poured from Hyeok Mulin's body, instantly filling the chamber.
Twin Brains closed his eyes silently against the wordless pressure.
Before long, he slowly parted his lips.
"I'm not sure."
Opening his eyes and regarding Hyeok Mulin, Twin Brains continued.
"You seem demonic yet not, and at the same time, your aura is more blatantly demonic than anyone I've met."
Having voiced his honest thoughts, Twin Brains concluded with intrigued eyes.
"Truly, I have no idea."
"...Enough. I didn't come for such trivial talk."
Recalling his released energy with a huff, Hyeok Mulin pressed on.
"What is the true purpose behind orchestrating this meeting with me?"
"As I said earlier, I wished to meet the Cult Leader who displayed such divine prowess at the Martial Demon God Tournament..."
"Stop. Speak your true intent."
The dispute between the Danri Clan and the Nine Schools.
And luring the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad to Dan County via the Beacon.
All schemes from the mind of Twin Brains, who manipulated the Central Plains' unorthodox forces.
There was no way this entire situation boiled down to mere curiosity.
Twin Brains ground his teeth and curled his lips.
"Sharp as ever. Very well. Allow me to state the true purpose of requesting this audience with you, Cult Leader."
As his words ended, a western wind blew in from outside the cave.
The central candle flame wavered perilously.
Their shadows on the wall swayed wildly in response, and Twin Brains spoke in a voice cold as ice.
"Our true aim is to erase the Danri Clan from the world and dominate Dan County. Therefore, do not intervene in the conflict to come."
Twin Brains' chilling voice filled the chamber.
This was the Central Plains, after all. Once the clash between orthodox and unorthodox truly erupted, no one could be certain the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wouldn't interfere.
Thus, before major action, he had orchestrated this meeting to secure a promise of non-intervention.
And Twin Brains had prepared ample compensation.
But hearing this, Hyeok Mulin chuckled lightly.
"I said once was enough for lies."
"What do you...?"
Hyeok Mulin's eyes gleamed with a piercing, frost-laced intensity.
"What you're after isn't the petty confines of Dan County."
Pointing to the chamber floor, Hyeok Mulin finished.
"But this vast Shaanxi Province itself."
"...!"
In that instant, Twin Brains' face paled as if doused in icy water.