Chapter 196: Become One with Me.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196: Become One with Me.
"No."
Sun-woo flatly rejected Joo So-yang’s plea.
"But why!" Joo So-yang cried out in protest.
"I told you before—you stand out too much," Sun-woo began to explain, his eyes fixed on her. "Have you forgotten your own position? You are the symbol of the Murim Alliance’s spirit and the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance. If someone like you suddenly decides to stay with the Tang Clan, how do you think people will react?"
"I don't care about what people think! I just want to be where I want to be! And where I want to be is with my beloved daughter, Seol-ah!"
Joo So-yang poured out her heart, staring back at Sun-woo. What did the public eye matter? She had always lived exactly as she pleased, never once concerning herself with the opinions of others.
"You might not care, but the Tang Clan does. Getting involved with you brings nothing but trouble and unnecessary attention!"
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Isn't Lee Ye-seol currently in the middle of a succession struggle? If both the daughter and the mother are staying at the Tang Clan, what do you think happens next?"
"............"
"All eyes will be on us. People will assume the Tang Clan is backing you."
Sun-woo was right. On the surface, the Cheonmu Alliance appeared to be a stable organization, but internally, it was a hornet's nest of vicious power struggles regarding the succession. Rival factions would seize upon any excuse to drag each other down, and it wasn't uncommon for these disputes to end in bloodshed.
If both Joo So-yang and Lee Ye-seol stayed at the Tang Clan under these circumstances, what would happen? Countless people would assume Joo So-yang and Tang Jin-seol had formed an alliance, drawing intense scrutiny to the Tang Clan. For Sun-woo, who wanted to avoid catching Lee Jae-won’s eye at all costs, this was an incredibly troublesome prospect.
"I have no desire for that kind of inconvenient attention," Sun-woo stated firmly.
"But... but..."
Joo So-yang could only stammer, unable to find a rebuttal. Sun-woo’s logic was sound. She had been so blinded by her own desires that she hadn't considered her political standing at all. She had completely forgotten the ramifications her presence would have on the Tang Clan.
"There are no 'buts.' I have made my decision, and you will follow it."
Sun-woo drove the point home, leaving no room for argument. She wasn't a child, and he felt no obligation to indulge her tantrums. He was simply stating the way things would be.
Joo So-yang’s face crumpled into a pout. She hated the situation, but she couldn't think of a single word to turn it around.
Sun-woo watched her closely. Seeing a beauty like Joo So-yang on the verge of tears stirred a faint sense of pity in him.
How annoying.
Sun-woo clicked his tongue inwardly. Perhaps it was because their energies had been linked through the circulation of Yin-Yang Harmony, but he felt himself being slightly influenced by her emotions.
"Joo So-yang."
Sun-woo spoke as he looked at her sorrowful expression.
"......Yes?" she replied, her voice laced with sadness.
"If you want to come to the Tang Clan, find a justification."
Sun-woo continued calmly.
"...A justification?"
"Yes. A reason for you to be at the Tang Clan that no one would find suspicious."
"............"
Joo So-yang lowered her head in silence.
"If you show up at the Tang Clan without a proper pretext, I won't let it slide."
"......Understood," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"And always remember: your daughter is in my hands. If you try anything foolish, I will not be merciful."
"I... I would never do that!" she cried out, feeling wronged.
Sun-woo allowed a satisfied smile to cross his lips. He figured that level of intimidation was enough to keep her in line. In truth, he didn't actually think she would do anything reckless. How could a woman who had already shared a bed with another man go back and confess everything to Lee Jae-won? Especially with her daughter being held as a hostage. She wasn't in a position to harbor any ulterior motives.
Sun-woo’s smile deepened. He felt he had successfully cleaned up all the messes he had made in Gyunhyeon. Now, all that was left was to return to the Tang Clan.
*
The Hundred Thousand Mountains.
In a region so rugged and treacherous that it was nearly uninhabitable, a massive religious organization made its home. People called it the Demonic Cult.
Founded by a great god-man known as the Heavenly Demon, the Demonic Cult possessed a strong religious character, yet it was strictly classified as a Murim organization. This was because they had grown into a powerful martial force after receiving techniques from the Heavenly Demon to resist the Imperial Court and the Central Plains Murim.
Their fanatical devotion—willingly throwing away their lives for the Heavenly Demon—and the explosive power of their demonic arts were etched into the memories of many. Most in the Central Plains lived in fear of them.
Having retreated to the Hundred Thousand Mountains to escape the Imperial Court and the martial artists of the Central Plains, the Demonic Cult continued their desperate resistance in that extreme environment. Eventually, they reached a point where even the Imperial Court gave up on trying to subjugate them.
People believed that even the Imperial Court, boasting an army of a million, could not handle the Demonic Cult's hidden strength. Of course, the primary reason for the Court's withdrawal was the internal struggle for the throne among the princes.
However, some whispered that it was the Demonic Cult itself that had assassinated the previous Emperor to instigate that very struggle. There was no concrete evidence, but there was no reason to doubt it either. Such was the bizarre and mysterious reputation of the Demonic Cult.
*
Inside the Great Hall of the Demonic Cult.
A man with a cold, impassive face sat upon the jade throne. His eyes were closed in deep contemplation, his expression somber.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.
"Heavenly Demon, it is I, Ma-noe."
"Enter."
At the Heavenly Demon's command, Ma-noe was granted entry.
Rumble.
The heavy doors slid open, and Ma-noe stepped into the hall. Behind him, four cult warriors followed, carrying a large coffin.
Thud.
The warriors set the coffin down in the center of the hall.
"It is the body of the Spear Demon," Ma-noe said, gesturing toward the coffin.
"Is that so?"
A cold smile touched the Heavenly Demon's lips.
"Well done."
Ma-noe bowed deeply and exited the hall alone. For a moment, the warriors who had brought the coffin looked bewildered. Why was he leaving in the middle of an audience? And why was he leaving them behind?
It was then.
Whoosh!
An ominous, viscous energy began to swirl, coiling around the warriors and the coffin.
"Wh-what is this?!"
"Heavenly Demon!"
"What is happening?!"
They realized instantly that this foul energy was emanating from the Heavenly Demon himself. They stared at him with eyes full of disbelief.
"Become one with me," the Heavenly Demon said, his eyes cold and indifferent.
The energy surged, completely enveloping them.
"AAAGH!"
The screams of the warriors echoed through the Great Hall. In that moment, they finally understood why Ma-noe had left them behind. Despair clouded their faces.
.
.
.
.
.
After some time had passed, no one remained in the hall except for the Heavenly Demon. He had absorbed them all.
"The Yin-Yang Demon..."
The Heavenly Demon spoke in a low voice, radiating deep-seated fury.
Cr-crack!
The floor of the hall began to fracture, unable to withstand the pressure of his rage.
"Yin-Yang Demon...!"
Crack! Shatter!
Boom!
The floor split completely, yawning open to both sides.
Rumble.
Hearing the thunderous sound of the earth splitting, Ma-noe rushed back into the hall.
"Hea... Heavenly Demon... please, calm yourself..." Ma-noe stammered, looking at his master in alarm.
"He was strong," the Heavenly Demon said calmly. "Look at my arm."
Ma-noe slowly shifted his gaze to the Heavenly Demon's arm. Upon closer inspection, he saw only a loose sleeve fluttering where the right arm should have been.
The arm was gone. He had become one-armed.
"I don't know what trick he used, but it won't even heal."
Though he spoke calmly, his voice was thick with suppressed rage. He had entered a life-and-death duel with the Yin-Yang Demon with absolute confidence. Yet, he had lost an arm in that fight. Furthermore, for some strange reason, the wound inflicted by the Yin-Yang Demon would not regenerate. It was a permanent injury.
He couldn't help but be furious. He had absorbed and consumed countless cultists to heal his body, but the right arm showed no sign of growing back. Even the Heavenly Demon, who had reached the realm of a Demonic Immortal, could not understand the technique the Yin-Yang Demon had used. To think someone could destroy an Authority of Immortality that had remained unbroken for hundreds of years.
"B-but... did you not defeat him?" Ma-noe asked hesitantly.
"Defeat? Him?" the Heavenly Demon asked back, as if the concept was foreign to him. "Can that really be called a victory?"
A self-mocking smile appeared on his lips. The Heavenly Demon did not believe he had won. It was simply another inconclusive battle.
I feel... defeated.
Deep within his heart, the Heavenly Demon felt the sting of loss. He was a being who had died and been reborn repeatedly over centuries, priding himself on reaching a realm no human body should be able to attain. And yet, a being had appeared that he could not bend to his will.
The Yin-Yang Demon.
Though the demon had lived for nearly two hundred years, to the Heavenly Demon, who had lived several times longer, the feeling of defeat was inevitable.
The Heavenly Demon turned his head to look at his right side. The space where his arm should be was empty.
Grit.
He ground his teeth involuntarily. A sense of inferiority toward the Yin-Yang Demon welled up within him.
"Ma-noe."
The Heavenly Demon looked down at Ma-noe, who was prostrate before him.
"Bring me more bodies. Capture more masters."
His voice was heavy and commanding.
"I... I understand."
At the great Heavenly Demon's command, Ma-noe bowed until his head touched the floor.
"Hurry."
"I shall obey your command."
Ma-noe turned and hurried out of the hall to carry out his orders. Once the hall was empty again, the Heavenly Demon slowly closed his eyes. He focused entirely on his recovery, waiting for Ma-noe to bring him more sacrifices.
*
"Sigh."
Once outside the hall, Ma-noe let out a deep sigh. The Heavenly Demon’s mood had been foul ever since his battle with the Yin-Yang Demon. He didn't explode in a fit of rage, but Ma-noe could sense the inferno of fury simmering beneath that cold voice. That anger would not be quenched until the Yin-Yang Demon was torn limb from limb.
Damn that Yin-Yang Demon.
Ma-noe cursed the demon inwardly, thinking of the damage he had caused. The Demonic Cult had suffered immense losses because of him. The great Heavenly Demon had lost an arm, and the towering pavilions that once showcased the cult's grandeur were now nothing but rubble. The Demonic Cult, which had stood firm even under the persecution of the Imperial Court and the Central Plains Murim, had been shattered by the hands of a single madman.
It was enough to make anyone swear.
"Sigh."
Ma-noe sighed again, lost in thought. He had to find sacrifices for the Heavenly Demon. The martial artists he had offered today were all in the Peak Realm. Yet, the Heavenly Demon had complained that even they were too weak. He needed stronger ones. At the very least, those in the Super-Peak Realm.
The furrows on Ma-noe’s brow deepened. The number of masters within the cult had already been decimated by the Yin-Yang Demon. If he sacrificed the few remaining masters, any hope of invading the Central Plains would vanish.
He agonized over how to obtain suitable sacrifices.
I'll have to kidnap them from the outside.
He finally reached a conclusion. No matter how much the Heavenly Demon needed to recover, he couldn't sacrifice the cult's remaining military strength.
Rather than kidnapping individuals, it would be better to take an entire faction at once.
Ma-noe began to scout for a suitable target. To avoid repercussions after a mass kidnapping, the target had to be a group that didn't have the protection of the Central Plains Murim—strong warriors who had built their own independent power base.
Hmm.
Ma-noe pondered for a long time.
Flash.
Suddenly, something crossed his mind. He had thought of a group that fit the criteria perfectly. Having made his decision, Ma-noe quickened his pace. His mind was now entirely consumed with the sacrifices he would offer to the Heavenly Demon.