A Sudden Guest
Cheon Sohyeon was taken aback by the sudden appearance of an unexpected visitor.
“The Chief Military Counselor?”
Had the man at the very summit of the Military Council come in person?
He had heard that the Military Council was overwhelmed by the Great Plan, so he had assumed someone far lower down the ladder would be sent in his stead.
Cheon Sohyeon accepted Sama Hyeok’s greeting in a daze.
“...Likewise.”
A faint smile appeared on Sama Hyeok’s face.
“You seem quite surprised.”
“Mm. I am, yes. I didn’t expect the Chief Military Counselor to come in person.”
“When it is the request of the successor, then no matter how pressing my duties may be, I should come myself. And if it is the request of the Third Young Master, there is nothing to debate.”
“What makes my request different?”
Sama Hyeok’s eyes sharpened in an instant.
“Because after the Third Young Master awoke, I judged that changes had begun within the Divine Cult. Broadly speaking, the matter in the Cult Leader’s Palace is one such change... ”
His gaze slipped toward Sama Ryang.
“And on a smaller scale, Sama Ryang’s change of heart is another. As the head of the Military Council, these are things I cannot overlook.”
“You say a change of heart?”
“I had thought he’d grown disgusted with the family’s line of work, but then he suddenly started speaking as though he might take up the role of strategist.”
An emotion close to longing flickered in the Chief Military Counselor’s eyes. Naturally, that was directed not at Cheon Sohyeon, but at Sama Ryang.
So that’s what he came to find out.
Cheon Sohyeon looked over at Sama Ryang.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
Cheon Sohyeon gave a faint snort of laughter before speaking.
“You can never really know what’s in someone’s heart, but I don’t think ‘change of heart’ is the right way to put it.”
Sama Hyeok replied, “And why is that?”
“As you know, I haven’t been awake long. If a man could be won over and change his mind in such a short time, then there’d be no need for the Chief Military Counselor to worry so much.”
“You don’t think he was disgusted?”
“That, I can’t say. That’s just my opinion. If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong, so it’d be better to ask him directly. In the end, he’s the one who knows his own mind best.”
Seeing the slightest twitch in the Chief Military Counselor’s brow, Cheon Sohyeon decided to strike while the iron was hot and pressed on.
“Shall we get to the point now?”
“Straight to the point, then... ”
Sama Hyeok turned his head and glanced around before saying, “You do seem to have changed a great deal.”
Cheon Sohyeon also looked around as he did, but at the abrupt remark he snapped his head back up.
Sama Hyeok was staring at him with a stiff expression.
The look in those eyes sent a chill down his spine. If this man was fit to head the Military Council of the Cult, then he was undoubtedly a savage genius.
...?
He might have already noticed the difference from the original Third Young Master.
But showing that kind of reaction was dangerous. Like a deeply cultivated Buddhist, he kept his composure as best he could and smiled.
“You saw right through me. I’ve just made up my mind to live differently from now on, and I suppose it’s showing.”
The man who had been staring at him fixedly spoke in a low voice.
“It was not a light resolution, then.”
“It shouldn’t be. I made that vow the moment I got up from my sickbed. From now on, I intend to live differently than before. I nearly died, after all—shouldn’t that change a man a little?”
As if watching for his reaction, Sama Hyeok paused before asking, “Then this change of yours must also be connected to your request for a meeting with the Military Council.”
“Not unrelated, no. I had questions about the Cult’s Great Plan.”
A heavy silence settled over them.
Sama Hyeok fixed his bright, piercing gaze on Cheon Sohyeon, and then, as if he had already reached a conclusion, he asked in solemn tones, “Do you mean to oppose the Great Plan?”
“...!”
For a moment, Cheon Sohyeon had the uncanny feeling that the floor had suddenly dropped away beneath him. From what part of the conversation had that conclusion been drawn?
Unlike the earlier clash with Sama Ryang, this man seemed to be acting on certainty.
Sama Hyeok’s eyes rippled with a gray sheen.
“So it is true. As you know, this is by no means a trifling matter. If one does not possess a noble enough standing, it is not something one can even dare to raise. And yet the heir would oppose a Great Plan that is practically the lifelong wish of every member of the Cult. May I ask why?”
Having already been exposed, it would have been ridiculous to deny it now. Cheon Sohyeon kept his tone calm as he answered.
“There are plenty of reasons, really, but to put it simply: I’m thinking of the disciples. Once I came to my senses and heard about the Great Plan, that was all I could think about.”
In truth, he had spent that time searching for a way to recover his body and get out of there, but that was hardly the point now.
“You’re concerned about the damage?”
“I am.”
“There is no need for the Young Master to worry about that. The Military Council is already in the process of finalizing tactics to make full use of the Divine Cult’s forces, strategies for dealing with each martial faction, and even measures to shore up any weakness in the base’s defenses.”
“Protecting the disciples is only natural. It doesn’t even bear saying. I can imagine the Military Council has been working itself to the bone.”
“Then what exactly are you concerned about?”
Cheon Sohyeon chose his words with care before replying.
“The disciples I’m worried about aren’t all inside the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Isn’t this a time when we need to be cautious both inside and out?”
Sama Hyeok’s eyes twitched.
“You speak of the preparatory disciples?”
“Quick on the uptake, aren’t you? You also know the Scriptures of the Cult say not to commit wanton killing in the Central Plains. But if we move into the Central Plains too early, wouldn’t that amount to violating our own doctrine?”
Oddly enough, he had learned that the Cult’s scriptures instructed them to refrain from killing in the Central Plains under the pretext of protecting the preparatory disciples.
He had discovered that fact while searching for a way forward over the past half month.
Of course, it had been added as a doctrine meant to keep them from looking outward during their seclusion and to preserve their strength. As befits fanatics who worship a man as a god, adding a doctrine like that was no difficult task.
And now, at least for the moment, it had become a sliver of hope for them.
Sama Hyeok answered in a low voice, “You may think so, but what has been newly inscribed can just as easily be erased. In the current Cult, stronger than it has ever been, it is a doctrine that could vanish without consequence.”
“I wonder about that. Even if that were so, wouldn’t it still leave room for further growth?”
Sama Hyeok’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Room for growth?”
“That’s right. Some disciples are born into the Cult, yes, but not everyone can be. If the Cult wishes to expand, accepting disciples from outside is essential. And if we go out into the Central Plains and slaughter the preparatory disciples, wouldn’t that amount to weakening the Cult’s own influence?”
“...”
“The Sama Family is a perfect example. It wasn’t originally one of the Cult’s forces. And yet look at it now. Not only the Military Council, the very heart of the Cult, but even the position of Chief Military Counselor is held by the Sama Family.”
Sama Hyeok answered with a tone of disbelief. “By that logic, the Divine Cult would have to shut its gates forever. Is that what you want?”
Cheon Sohyeon shook his head.
“I’m not saying we should never go out. I’m saying it’s too early.”
“It is not. The Cult’s might is not so different from when it once sought to conquer the world of demonic ways.”
“Can you be certain of that?”
“Yes.”
Cheon Sohyeon stroked his chin and met his gaze.
“Well, that’s where we differ. In my view, the Cult as it stands is only half complete.”
Sama Hyeok’s expression gradually hardened. A deep crease formed between his brows, and in open displeasure, the gray in his pupils grew darker and darker.
It was one thing to point out that his judgment was wrong; it was another to speak in a way that bordered on insulting the Cult itself.
“I advise you to choose your words carefully.”
The clipped remark carried a fury Cheon Sohyeon had not heard from him before.
Feeling the force of his qi pressing against his skin, Cheon Sohyeon knew at once that the man’s attitude would change drastically depending on how he answered next.
“Naturally, before moving into the Central Plains, the Chief Military Counselor must have assessed the Cult’s strength. It would be the first thing you’d need to know before waging war.”
He gave a silent nod.
“And if the Cult’s power is truly equal to its former glory, then why are the disciples crying out for the Heavenly Demon’s return?”
Sama Hyeok’s eyes wavered slightly.
“...!”
“I heard it everywhere in the Cult. When I visited the Cult Leader’s Palace, when a carriage passed along the streets, even when I stepped into a tavern.”
Cheon Sohyeon swallowed once, then continued.
“In the end, what the disciples long for is not a campaign into the Central Plains, but the return of the Heavenly Demon, that unrivaled powerhouse. Isn’t that right?”
“...”
Heavy silence descended inside the tavern.
The Chief Military Counselor still wore that piercing gaze as his fingers traced the rim of his cup. After a long pause, as though weighing a thought, he turned to look at Sama Ryang.
There was regret in that look. Sama Ryang understood what it meant.
He thinks I’m the one who came up with this answer.
It was a perfectly reasonable assumption, given that Sama Ryang had indeed been coming and going from his quarters, digging through every possible scrap of information.
But he had only provided a lead that might serve as a way out, like an anecdote from the Sama family or a doctrine; he had not supplied a concrete answer.
Wasn’t this, after all, a line of reasoning that struck right at the Cult Leader’s deficiency?
— Young Master, if you state your intention regarding the Heavenly Demon’s return... everything may be for nothing before it even begins. Are you certain this is all right?
— What, am I going to die twice over? Seems like there isn’t any other answer, and I’ve been sickly for so long that I’ve lost my fear of anything I can see. We’ll have to meet it head-on.
Remembering that conversation, Sama Ryang stole a glance at Cheon Sohyeon.
As expected, you are extraordinary.
He was often praised as the greatest martial talent in the Divine Cult, but in Sama Ryang’s view, his true brilliance lay in precisely that mind unbound by fixed forms.
And because that way of thinking was backed by eloquence, by poise, and by a confidence that made him stand upright before himself, it could only come across as convincing.
Cheon Sohyeon was staring straight at Sama Hyeok.
Let’s see how that black-hearted wretch responds.
He had long since become skilled at steering a conversation after rolling around the jianghu for so long. Unlike the scraps of the Black Path, the slippery foxes of the Orthodox Path could not simply be beaten over the head and forced into enlightenment.
— Abbot, you should go ahead first. I’ll give him a short lesson through sparring and then come after you.
— You little... Sparring? What sparring! Do you think I can’t see that you’re just looking for an excuse to beat him up? Absolutely not!!
Whether among the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families, or any other power besides, his senior brother, the abbot, had always followed him around to interfere, so his gift for speech had naturally grown sharper and sharper.
What kind of idle life does a man in his position lead that he has so much time on his hands? Tch.
As he clicked his tongue inwardly, Sama Hyeok spoke in a grave voice.
“Your opinion touches on something I have also been considering. Naturally, no one doubts that the Cult Leader’s cultivation falls short of the Heavenly Demon of old... ”
As though he could not bring himself to say it outright, the Chief Military Counselor faltered, and Cheon Sohyeon spoke in his stead.
“In other words, he has not yet become the Heavenly Demon.”
“...That is correct.”
“Then let us define the issue clearly. To summarize, what the disciples long for is not expansion into the Central Plains, but the birth of a Heavenly Demon. However, no one can say when that will happen. The timing cannot be guaranteed.”
“Correct.”
“If we wait for that, it may not be forever, but it would still mean shutting our gates indefinitely.”
The Chief Military Counselor said nothing and simply looked at him. Hoping the words would land well, Cheon Sohyeon continued in a calm voice.
“But I’ve personally confirmed the Cult Leader’s martial strength not long ago. It may be presumptuous of me to say so, but ‘earth-shaking’ would not be too strong a word. I thought he had already reached the pinnacle of martial cultivation, and yet he still went further.”
In truth, since he had no way of knowing what the man’s previous level had been, he could not say exactly how far he had advanced. Still, he was confident the guess was convincing.
The Cult Leader’s martial cultivation was a realm that could not be reached unless one had long since abandoned any thought of stopping.
Fortunately, Sama Hyeok seemed to agree, nodding slowly.
Cheon Sohyeon felt a touch of relief and added with steady composure, “There is no doubt that he will not require long before reaching the next realm. And when that day comes, that will be the day the Heavenly Demon returns to the Cult. That is also why I said it is too early.”
In fact, it had been exactly that. The entire time he had stood before the Cult Leader, he had felt like he was facing the very limits of martial excellence.
But even as the conversation continued, one question kept circling in his mind.
If the reason for delaying a push into the Central Plains was this easy to identify, then why was the Chief Military Counselor hurrying the Great Plan along so aggressively?
He was clearly a man armed with a brilliant mind at a glance.
Even after discussing it with Sama Ryang, no answer had emerged.
“And another thing I’ve been curious about—why insist on moving into the Central Plains at the end of next year?”
Sama Hyeok looked at him for a moment before answering.
“...This is off the record, but since you will learn of it eventually, I may as well tell you now.”
Cheon Sohyeon nodded, and then an unexpected answer came out.
“Because I judged that the balance among the three great forces of the jianghu has been broken.”
Cheon Sohyeon felt a stir in the pit of his chest. It was an unsettling thing to hear.
“...The balance has been broken? What do you mean by that?”
“When I have observed the state of the martial world over the years and carried out repeated mock campaigns, my conclusion has been that if the Cult were to march into the Central Plains, the result would be either mutual destruction or damage so severe it would be impossible to contain.”
“So you’re saying the situation has changed? Have the Orthodox and Black Path forces weakened?”
“Precisely.”
“Why? Explain in detail.”
“There are many reasons. But if I had to name the largest, it would be that the star of Shaolin has set.”
“...!”
For an instant, his breath caught in his throat. Shaolin—did that word just come out of this man’s mouth? And at a time like this, no less?
“Sh... Shaolin?”
Cold sweat beaded at the back of his neck. At the same time, an uneasy premonition began creeping up his spine.
“You mean the star has fallen—surely not...”
And with Sama Hyeok’s answer that followed, Cheon Sohyeon could no longer collect himself, as though he had been struck squarely in a vital point.
“Yes. I have confirmed the death of the great master of Shaolin, the Divine Fist, in nirvana.”