Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Liberation of the Akan Desert
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"Lord Cult Leader, what shall we do with these bandits?"
As Jang Wi asked about the fate of the captured bandits, Hyeok Mulin replied in a cold voice.
"Send them to the nearest labor camp the moment they leave the Akan Desert."
At those words, the bandits flinched, their faces turning pale as they begged desperately.
"P-Please, anything but the forced labor camps...!"
"All the atrocities we've committed were under that bastard Hwang Ak, our leader!"
"That's right! We were just following his orders!"
"Just following orders."
Hyeok Mulin sneered at the few who protested their innocence.
"Good thing, then. I've found new masters for stray dogs without an owner."
"L-Lord Cult Leader!"
"Don't worry. If you work for a few decades to pay back what you've done to our cult members, you'll be set free."
He said "a few decades," but considering the bandits' ages, it was practically a life sentence.
They collapsed to the ground, souls drained, utterly broken.
As Hyeok Mulin turned away from them, one bandit shouted desperately.
"Lord Cult Leader! Please wait a moment!"
Hyeok Mulin ignored him, feeling no need to listen further, and began to walk away.
"I know where the Mad Wind Bandits' warehouse is!"
His footsteps halted abruptly.
He beckoned with a finger.
"Lead the way."
"Y-Yes? Yes!"
The bandit sprang up and hurried ahead to the warehouse.
It was hidden among ordinary houses, nearly impossible to spot without a keen eye.
The self-proclaimed warehouse keeper unlocked the door with practiced ease before being handed back over to his comrades.
Ji Wolhon glared at him and asked Hyeok Mulin.
"What shall we do with this one?"
"What do you mean, 'do'?"
"He revealed the warehouse's location. He must be hoping for leniency..."
"Did I promise him anything?"
With hands clasped behind his back, Hyeok Mulin entered the warehouse.
"My order to guide me was a command, not a request."
Warehouse keeper or not, he was still one of the Mad Wind Bandits.
Having decided on harsh punishment for them all, Hyeok Mulin intended no exceptions.
"Hmm."
Surveying the modest warehouse—no bigger than a single room—Hyeok Mulin let out a low hum.
It was filled with miscellaneous items, silver taels, and copper coins, but nothing particularly valuable or useful.
Compared to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's finances, it wouldn't even cover a day's expenses.
Yet Hyeok Mulin felt the opposite upon seeing it.
"They've hoarded quite a bit."
A feast of silver, coins, and random goods.
It meant most of their plunder had come from ordinary folk.
In this barren desert where merchant caravans rarely passed, how much could they squeeze from residents?
To amass this much, the Mad Wind Bandits must have ruthlessly drained them until death.
"We'll extend their labor terms."
"I agree."
Forget a few decades.
"Make it a century."
"Understood."
Having amended it to life sentences, Hyeok Mulin gazed at the interior with heavy eyes before speaking again.
"Ji Wolhon."
"Yes, Lord Cult Leader."
"Does the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad have the capacity to transport these goods now?"
"Yes. We can recover most of it."
"Good. Start the operation immediately."
"Yes. I'll order the squad to move everything to the Heavenly Demon Palace right—"
"No."
Hyeok Mulin cut him off and shook his head.
"These aren't mine to begin with."
Their purpose had been decided from the start.
The next day, Hyeok Mulin turned from the warehouse and headed to a nearby village where the desert residents had been imprisoned.
Freeing the oppressed and declaring their liberation, they embraced each other, sobbing and offering tearful thanks.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"I thought we'd never escape this place...!"
As they thanked Ji Wolhon, he replied dryly.
"This is all by the Lord Cult Leader's will."
"Ah! For lowly cult members like us...!"
"Such grace!"
"Though we may never meet you in person, we'll serve you as our benefactor for life!"
"Never meet me? Aren't you looking at me right now?"
Perplexed by Ji Wolhon's words, the villagers blinked in confusion.
He turned toward the carriage in the rear.
"The Lord Cult Leader is there right now."
The villagers' shoulders trembled in shock.
With shaky legs, they advanced one step at a time toward the carriage.
Thud.
Reaching it, they knelt and bowed deeply one by one.
"Y-You came all the way to this desolate desert for us...!"
"We've received an indescribable grace we'll never repay in our lifetimes!"
Tears streaming, they kowtowed with utmost sincerity.
Hyeok Mulin descended from the carriage and spoke to them.
"Raise your heads."
They lifted their gazes cautiously toward the Cult Leader.
With the sun at his back, a brilliant halo shone, dazzling their eyes so they couldn't see his face clearly.
They simply listened quietly.
"You've suffered greatly. Had I known sooner, I'd have acted faster, but alas, I was a step late."
"No, please don't say that!"
"Since the founding of our cult, you're the only one who's cared for the Akan Desert!"
"Is that so? Then I'm glad."
As fervent cheers erupted from the villagers, Hyeok Mulin stepped back.
"I've eradicated the Mad Wind Bandits without a trace. They won't set foot on this sand again."
"Ahh! Finally...!"
"Such immense honor...!"
Waves of emotion crashed through the crowd.
Amid the joyful voices, Hyeok Mulin caught some sorrowful whispers.
"We're free now, but how will we survive from here...?"
"Our village is already in ruins."
"With no preparations, can we even make it through the next winter?"
Absorbing their worries silently, he ordered Ji Wolhon.
"Bring it here."
"Yes."
The Divine Demon Blood Death Squad appeared, placing the goods before the villagers.
As they stared in bewilderment, Hyeok Mulin pointed.
"These are from the Mad Wind Bandits' warehouse. I give them all to you."
"What?!"
"N-No!"
"Saving our lives is grace enough—we can't accept more!"
Dismissing their frantic refusals with a wave, Hyeok Mulin cut them short.
"These were the bandits' stolen goods—originally yours. No more refusals."
"Lord Cult Leader...!"
Their eyes brimmed with emotion.
Soon, some rose and offered hidden water and food to the guards.
"Then at least take this!"
"We want to help even a little!"
A faint smile tugged at Hyeok Mulin's lips at their earnestness.
"Very well. I'll gratefully accept."
Supplies would be needed on the return trip anyway.
And accepting would ease their burdens somewhat.
After all, they were all Heavenly Demon Divine Cult members. Hyeok Mulin wished them happiness.
Beaming contentedly at their brightened faces, he suddenly spotted a child still wearing a worried frown.
He approached slowly.
"Do worries linger?"
The child flinched violently at the Cult Leader's direct question.
"Opportunities don't come twice. Speak now if you have something to say."
His pupils trembled before he squeezed his eyes shut and cried out.
"A-Actually, other bandits are still around nearby!"
The Mad Wind Bandits were gone, but others still roamed the Akan Desert.
His parents had been taken by them, their whereabouts unknown.
Many others like him, too.
Hyeok Mulin nodded after hearing him out.
"Understood. I'll deal with them as well."
He could handle them on the way back—no great time sink.
Since they'd come this far, best to finish thoroughly.
"Th-Thank you!"
Only then did a smile bloom on the child's face.
Confirming supplies were nearly packed, Hyeok Mulin turned.
"Time to go."
Before boarding the carriage, he left final words for the villagers.
"The future of the Akan Desert rests in your hands. And I promise I won't abandon you."
"Lord Cult Leader...!"
"We'll never forget your grace, even in death!"
Hyeok Mulin and the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad departed amid the villagers' worship.
On the way back to the Heavenly Demon Palace, they wiped out every bandit group in their path.
Beyond the Mad Wind Bandits, there were the Blood River Bandits, Golden Silence Gang, Azure Wind Bandits, Mad Sound Bandits, and more.
The Divine Demon Blood Death Squad grew in sync as they exterminated them.
The Blood River Bandits led by Man Hyobom.
The Azure Wind Bandits led by Danri Hyang.
The Golden Silence Gang led by Han Baek.
And so on—they adapted to each other's styles in this precious time.
Through varied battles, they honed their coordination and grew stronger.
Ultimately, the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad achieved the monumental feat of eradicating seventeen bandit groups in the Akan Desert before returning to the Heavenly Demon Palace.
Upon arriving at the Heavenly Demon Palace, the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad enjoyed a sweet few days of rest.
Seven days and nights later, they assembled again in the training grounds.
Having completed their first mission successfully, the squad members had grown much closer, their bonds solidified.
As they chatted loosely, Ji Wolhon appeared.
They snapped to attention in perfect unison.
"It's been a while. I hope you've all been well."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Congratulations on successfully completing your first mission."
Ji Wolhon gazed at them steadily before continuing.
"What did you all feel during the mission?"
One by one, the squad members spoke up.
Some felt the Lord Cult Leader's presence.
Some admired the Captain's formidable prowess.
Some sensed the squad's immense power.
Some took pride in the villagers' gratitude.
And some recognized their own shortcomings.
Listening silently, Ji Wolhon nodded at last.
"No one is wrong. All your thoughts are correct."
"..."
"Hold onto those thoughts and grow. You must improve."
His gaze hardened as he added.
"For we are the one and only personal guard of the Lord Cult Leader in the world."
A sense of responsibility stiffened the squad's postures.
Ji Wolhon allowed a faint smile at the sight.
He knew this moment—right after their first successful mission—was when recruits relaxed most.
No need to be too harsh, but a touch of pressure was essential.
"The Lord Cult Leader has two messages."
"...!"
"First, he has personally appointed three vice-captains for the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad."
Tension rippled through the ranks.
Ji Wolhon paused to catch his breath before announcing.
First Squad.
"Vice-Captain of First Squad: Man Hyobom. Second Squad: Danri Hyang. Third Squad: Han Baek."
The squad nodded in acknowledgment, as if half-expecting it.
Danri Hyang looked slightly displeased but said nothing.
"And the second message."
Ji Wolhon pulled a heavy pouch from his bosom and bellowed.
"The Lord Cult Leader has granted a generous reward! Eat, drink, and be merry tonight!"
"Waaaaaaaaah—!"
They erupted in explosive cheers at the hearty declaration.