Chapter 46
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Resolution (1)
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The Demonic Lord was gone, but the embers he left behind still lingered.
Scorched, ash-colored smoke drifted up toward the sky.
Perhaps from the release of tension, the Wandering King dropped his blade to the ground.
“They say there's always a sky above the sky... Was I still so far behind?”
The Wandering King was utterly crestfallen.
In the past, while roaming the martial world, the Wandering King had faced the Yama Demonic Lord.
He had fought, and he had lost.
*Gnash!*
“I thought I had closed the gap this time...”
Since that day, grinding his teeth in determination, the Wandering King had managed to reach the sublime state of an enlightened master.
So now, he had secretly believed that even if he faced the Yama Demonic Lord again, he wouldn't lose as helplessly as he had before.
“To think it's still the same as back then.”
But, as much as the Wandering King had progressed...
...the Demonic Lord had also moved forward.
The gap he thought he had narrowed hadn't changed in the slightest.
“Dammit.”
The Wandering King's pride was crushed.
The Wandering King himself realized he still had a long way to go.
“It seems not all enlightened masters are the same. How can it be so unfair?”
The Wandering King grumbled.
No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible to close the gap created by the years the Demonic Lord had spent after reaching that state first.
“Being born early is a privilege, isn't it?”
“...”
Unlike the grumbling Wandering King,
Cheon Seonhak quietly closed his eyes, endlessly recalling the Yama Demonic Lord's blade.
‘Could I truly have withstood that blade?’
He asked himself.
But the answer was negative.
Because the only outcome he could envision was his sword being destroyed, and the heavens themselves burning.
‘I, too, am endlessly lacking.’
Because he had reached the state of an enlightened master,
he had secretly prided himself on having reached the pinnacle.
But that was nothing more than an illusion.
Those monsters who reached that state decades ago... in other words, hadn't they spent those decades struggling to advance even further from that state?
‘I must close that gap.’
Only then, it seemed, could Cheon Seonhak keep his vow.
To become Cheon Muryang's sword and shield, he could not afford to become complacent here, could he?
Just as he became aware of his own shortcomings,
*Whip!*
it was then.
The heads of the Wandering King and Cheon Seonhak turned at the same time.
It was toward Cheon Muryang.
“...!”
The two of them had been outside the wall of flames.
So, they had only seen a faint outline.
They hadn't seen it clearly.
That was why, all the more,
a question arose.
“How in the world did you manage to withstand the Demonic Lord's blade?”
“...”
How had Cheon Muryang managed to receive the blade of the Demonic Lord—a blade from a realm so profound that even they, who had reached the state of enlightenment, felt an insurmountable wall?
No, furthermore, hadn't the Demonic Lord even made a remark that seemed to admit defeat?
“I merely gained an insight.”
Cheon Muryang's legs seemed to have given out.
He was slumped on the ground.
A sense of exhaustion, too great for even his reborn body to handle, enveloped Cheon Muryang.
“An insight?”
“Yes. Just know that there was something like that.”
“You've grown stronger.”
Cheon Seonhak smiled and offered Cheon Muryang a hand.
“I'm still a long way off. I'm not yet confident I could beat you in a fight, Uncle.”
After all, Cheon Muryang had not reached the state of an enlightened master.
To be precise, he was merely at the entry level of a peak master, so there was no way he could be a match.
“In all my life, I've never seen a freak like you.”
The Wandering King clicked his tongue in amazement.
But he was certain.
Cheon Muryang was a talent worthy of the Demonic Lord's acknowledgment.
‘Staying put in the Cheon Family might not be so bad.’
It was fortunate, after all.
The Wandering Man's Pavilion in Hangzhou was nearby.
While the Wandering King was lost in thought,
Cheon Muryang was speaking with Cheon Seonhak.
“Did you understand the meaning behind the Demonic Lord's words?”
“For the most part.”
“...”
Cheon Muryang recalled the true meaning of the Demonic Lord's cryptic words.
*Are you speaking of the one who is already dead? Or of the one who is still living?*
Furthermore, through Nameless's memories, he was able to understand what it meant.
‘Certainly...’
A few days before the Cheon Family was annihilated,
a great disturbance had rocked the martial world.
It was the revelation that an elder of a prestigious orthodox sect was, in fact, a member of the Demonic Cult.
‘The one who revealed this was someone from the Beggars' Sect.’
But, before a conclusion could be reached,
the Cheon Family had suffered the calamity of annihilation.
‘In other words, could the Grand Elder also be a member of the Demonic Cult?’
Logically, it seemed impossible, but their opponent was the Demonic Cult.
Weren't they a group that used all sorts of bizarre, sinister, and fantastical methods without hesitation?
‘In fact, that's the only way it makes sense.’
The Grand Elder, Cheon Jungho.
He appeared to covet the Cheon Family's power, but in reality, he was simply driving the Cheon Family to ruin.
‘He said, "the one who is already dead." That means...’
...doesn't it mean that the original Cheon Jungho is already dead?
*Grit.*
Cheon Muryang clenched his teeth tightly.
From the very beginning, the annihilation of the Cheon Family had been a scheme of the Demonic Cult.
“A thirty-year grand plan...”
What that meant,
he now understood.
“Uncle.”
“Yes.”
“It seems our family has been played by them from the very beginning.”
“...”
“The real Grand Elder was likely met with a terrible fate... and the one claiming to be the Grand Elder now seems to be a member of the Demonic Cult.”
Cheon Seonhak remained silent.
But that silence contained a rage that had festered for decades.
“How laughable.”
“...”
“My own foolishness, for not even realizing the true nature of our enemy, is laughable.”
How could he have known?
The Grand Elder, Cheon Jungho, had been a pillar supporting the family since the previous generation.
So, even if he controlled the family as he pleased, they thought it was for the sake of gaining power.
After all, their power could only be maintained if the Cheon Family existed, right?
“To think he truly wished for the Cheon Family's destruction.”
But they were wrong.
Cheon Jungho had been intentionally leading the Cheon Family down the path of annihilation.
“But, since he is a spy from the Demonic Cult wearing the Grand Elder's mask, it wouldn't be the Grand Elder's will, to be precise.”
“Yes. That is a relief.”
It was no consolation.
If they had realized this sooner,
the Cheon Family would not have collapsed to this extent.
“I think we need to return to the family estate.”
“Yes. We must.”
“I'll leave those children in your care.”
“You're not coming with us?”
“He told me to check the Third Elder's body. It shouldn't take long.”
In the first place, there was no body.
Hadn't it turned to a pile of ash?
He wanted to point this out, but Cheon Seonhak nodded.
“...”
The Demonic Lord had clearly shown a favor.
He wouldn't have mixed in lies, at least.
So, there must be something in the clumped ashes.
“Alright. I'll go on ahead.”
“Yes. I'm counting on you.”
“Don't be late.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
The two exchanged farewells.
Then, Cheon Muryang turned his back.
*Glance.*
In the process, he definitely met the Wandering King's gaze.
‘That's right. Say your goodbyes. You have at least some basic manners, right?’
He was secretly expecting a farewell.
After all, hadn't he stepped forward for the Cheon Family?
*Whip!*
But, contrary to his expectations,
Cheon Muryang walked right past the Wandering King.
As if the Wandering King didn't even exist.
“W-Wait a minute!”
“...”
The Wandering King stopped Cheon Muryang without thinking.
He wasn't sure why, but a surge of indignation welled up inside him.
“I-I was the only one who fought his ass off! This guy here didn't actually do anything.”
“And?”
Cheon Muryang had a "so what?" look on his face.
The Wandering King's brow furrowed.
“Th-This brat! It's not 'and?'! You should at least thank me for shedding blood!”
“Ah, you wanted to hear a 'thank you'?”
*Pfft.*
Cheon Muryang said with a laugh.
“Thanks.”
Having given his perfunctory thanks, Cheon Muryang left the dumbfounded Wandering King behind and headed for the pile of ash where the Third Elder's body had burned.
“Th-This brat!”
“Let's go.”
“Dammit!”
The Wandering King, furious to the core, flew into a rage.
In that moment, Cheon Muryang's telepathic message flowed in.
*The Wandering Man's Pavilion in Hangzhou. I've sent Geumsan there. If necessary, move them.*
*The Heavenly Watch Corps... You mean those shadows that were hovering around you?*
*That's right. If Cheon Jungho has made a move, they will have noticed.*
*Why not tell your uncle?*
*Didn't you have a private meeting with the Family Head yesterday? He's likely already moved Neung Ryeoun, Cha Myeonghak, and Woryeong, no?*
*The Heavenly Watch Corps, did they tell you?*
*Something like that. I'm counting on you.*
At Cheon Muryang's brief acknowledgment, the Wandering King needlessly puffed out his chest.
“We don't have time.”
Cheon Seonhak, who knew nothing of this, hurried the Wandering King.
At this, pretending they hadn't been talking,
the Wandering King acted angry.
“We'll see about this when I get back!”
“...”
“Anyway, that arrogant brat! Hey, if you're his uncle, you should be scolding him for acting like this!”
“Before I am that child's uncle, I am his sword and shield.”
“What?”
Cheon Seonhak shrugged.
He somehow resembled Cheon Muryang.
“That child's will is my will. So, please accept it.”
With those words, Cheon Seonhak headed down Mount Putuo.
“Hah. This one, that one. There's no one I can reason with.”
“...”
However, the Wandering King also followed Cheon Seonhak, hoisting the children onto his back.
“Hey, wait up!”
And so, the two of them left.
Before approaching the Third Elder's remains, Cheon Muryang scanned the area.
“So this is it.”
The area was littered with the bodies of Black Merchants who had likely brought the items left by the Black Merchant Lord for the Third Elder.
Naturally, scattered around them were elixirs and other items that the Third Elder hadn't managed to fully absorb.
“I didn't even have to go looking for them. What a relief.”
Normally, they would have been scattered all over Zhejiang.
But since they were all gathered here in one place, he was saved the trouble of finding them.
“I'll have the Heavenly Watch Corps collect them.”
But that was a matter for later.
His task was not yet finished.
“Before that... let's see.”
Cheon Muryang approached the pile of ash and examined it closely.
“Hm?”
Lying there was something he had definitely seen before.
“This is...?”
The energy of the orb, which glowed with a mysterious red light, was certainly similar to the energy contained in the pill that the Soeung Gang Leader had swallowed.
However, he could feel a demonic energy that was incomparably thicker and denser.
“The source...”
It was the source of the demonic energy.
The demonic energy harbored by the Soeung Gang Leader and the Third Elder was ultimately a degraded version of this energy.
*Wooooong!*
He took the orb in his hand.
As he did, he felt a cunning will trying to penetrate his consciousness.
*Ssssss.*
It felt as if hundreds of snakes were slithering up his body.
The vile whispers sought to dominate Cheon Muryang's consciousness.
“Begone.”
But Cheon Muryang absolutely did not permit the cunning will's intrusion.
Instead, he tried to peer into the source of the demonic energy.
‘As I thought...’
All sorts of negative emotions were transmitted—hatred, anger, killing intent, sorrow, screams, despair.
But the source that lay at the very bottom was chaos.
‘Chaos.’
His hypothesis became a certainty.
The fundamental principle behind the Demonic Cult's actions was chaos.
*Gnash!*
Cheon Muryang bit his lip.
Because their enmity was not directed solely at the Cheon Family.
It was likely aimed at the entire Central Plains martial world.
‘No, further still... they probably seek to annihilate all life in this world.’
Because if chaos were to arrive, the world would revert to a state before the earth and sky were divided.
Life and order would cease to exist anywhere.
“How pure.”
It was not for personal gain.
It was not a small cause, but a grand one.
That was why, in a way, the source of the demonic energy might even be considered pure.
“Who in the world is aware of this danger?”
The Central Plains martial world was complacent.
They were lost in the delusion that the golden tower of the orthodox martial world would last forever.
“They must not realize they're already frogs in a pot.”
If you put a frog in boiling water, it will react and jump out of the pot.
But if you heat it slowly in lukewarm water, the frog will be boiled without even realizing it.
The Central Plains martial world was already in the position of such a frog.
“No. There must be someone.”
There must be those who suspect the Demonic Cult.
“The one who discovered the Demonic Cult's infiltration a few days before the Cheon Family's annihilation. I must meet that person.”
There was no information.
Only that he belonged to the Beggars' Sect.
But that alone was enough.
“Once this matter is over...”
I will formally step into the martial world.
Not only to warn about the Demonic Cult,
but also to re-establish the sword of the Cheon Family as a towering presence in the martial world.
“I must make my debut in the martial world.”
Just then, a good opportunity came to mind.
“When was the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly again?”
I think it was around this time.