Chapter 760: I’ll Make Sure to Desecrate His Corpse.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 760: I’ll Make Sure to Desecrate His Corpse.
Step. Step.
Ma-noe began to walk briskly.
He was moving to answer the summons of the Sovereign of All Demons, the King of Devils—the Heavenly Demon.
‘What could it be?’
Ma-noe’s mind was filled with questions. He found this sudden summons quite strange.
‘I hope it’s nothing serious...’
A shadow of anxiety began to flicker across Ma-noe’s face.
Step. Step.
After walking for some time, Ma-noe finally arrived. He stood right before the Hall of the Cult Leader, where the Heavenly Demon resided.
“Whew.”
Ma-noe took a deep breath before entering the hall.
Step. Step.
He began to walk inside slowly. Soon, Ma-noe saw him—the Sovereign of All Demons, the Heavenly Demon, sitting upon the jade throne positioned at the very center of the hall.
Thud.
The moment he faced the Heavenly Demon, Ma-noe dropped to his knees.
Prostrate.
Then, he pressed his body flat against the floor. As a lowly human and a servant of the Great One, he showed the utmost etiquette.
“This humble servant greets the Great One,” Ma-noe announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the Hall of the Cult Leader.
“Raise your head.”
A voice, utterly devoid of emotion, pierced his ears. It was the voice of the Heavenly Demon.
Slowly.
Ma-noe immediately raised his head.
“Do you know why I summoned you?” the Heavenly Demon asked, looking down at Ma-noe.
“...This humble one’s meager intellect cannot fathom your reasons, My Lord.”
Ma-noe shook his head slightly as he spoke. He truly could not guess the Great One’s intentions.
“Lee Jae-won is dead.”
The Heavenly Demon spoke in a calm, detached tone.
“Pardon?!”
Upon hearing those words, Ma-noe’s face contorted in bewilderment. He couldn’t believe it. Lee Jae-won, the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, was dead? What on earth did that mean?
“Is... Is that truly the case?!” Ma-noe asked, his voice thick with shock.
“Do you doubt my word?”
The Heavenly Demon let out a faint, amused smile. It was a dangerous smile, one that felt as if it could pull anyone who looked at it into the demonic path.
“I—I apologize!”
Realizing his insolence, Ma-noe hurriedly slammed his head against the floor in apology. The sheer impossibility of the news had caused him to forget himself.
“It is fine. How could a mere human understand the words of a god?” the Heavenly Demon continued calmly. “If you cannot understand, then simply believe. Lee Jae-won is dead. He has burned out every last spark of his life’s torch.”
“I believe you, My Lord.”
Prostrate.
Ma-noe bowed low again, showing his absolute submission and faith.
“Raise your head. That is enough.”
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a satisfied expression.
“Heavenly Demon...” Ma-noe began as he looked up. “If Lee Jae-won is dead... then that means the Sword Demon...”
“He failed.”
The Heavenly Demon’s voice remained dry and hollow.
“............”
Ma-noe’s expression turned to one of pure horror. Who was the Sword Demon? Excluding the Heavenly Demon and the Yin-Yang Demon—beings who were considered more than human—he was the World’s Greatest Martial Artist. It was unimaginable for him to suffer defeat. How could such a man fail?
“He, too, burned his life’s torch to the very end. Not a single ember remains.”
“...How could this be...”
Despair began to wash over Ma-noe’s face. Aside from the Cult Leader, the Sword Demon was the Demonic Cult’s greatest asset. Hearing of his death left Ma-noe feeling hollow.
As Ma-noe sat there in a daze, the Heavenly Demon rose from his throne.
“Ma-noe.”
He looked down at the kneeling man.
“Command me, My Lord.”
Ma-noe snapped back to his senses and responded immediately.
“I must go on an excursion.”
“An... An excursion, My Lord?!”
Ma-noe asked, bewildered. The sudden mention of a trip caught him completely off guard.
“Should I not at least go and collect the bodies?”
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a meaningful smile. Then, he vanished on the spot, dissipating like a trail of smoke.
Ma-noe was left alone in the Hall of the Cult Leader, his face a mask of confusion.
*
“Sigh.”
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh, his expression one of pure exasperation.
The mountain had completely collapsed, caving in on itself. An entire peak had simply vanished. Along with it, Lee Jae-won’s corpse had disappeared, buried so deep within the abyss that it couldn’t even be detected with his senses.
How could he not laugh?
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Sun-woo felt a massive headache coming on. He had planned to cut off the head and burn the body to ensure the man was truly dead. But that plan had been ruined in an instant by a sudden earthquake.
‘Do I have to dig it all out?’
Sun-woo looked at the collapsed mountainside, trying to estimate the scale of the task. He soon shook his head. Even if he was a Transcendent, digging out an entire mountain was a daunting prospect. Even with a massive workforce, it would be a grand project taking years to complete.
‘Should I try to flip it with the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth?’
Sun-woo wondered if the technique, which was said to turn heaven and earth upside down, could flip a mountain. He enhanced his eyesight and looked down at the ground, intending to observe the flow of forces.
“Sigh.”
He sighed again. He could tell it was impossible.
The collapsed peak was subject to countless individual flows of energy. There were the flows of numerous different trees, rocks of all sizes, and an infinite amount of gravel and sand. He couldn't possibly twist all those disparate flows at once.
Though his internal energy was infinite due to his Ethereal Body, there was a clear limit to his output. He couldn't release enough energy at once to flip an entire mountain peak.
‘This is a total mess...’
Sun-woo frowned deeply. It seemed there was no way for now.
‘I should consult with So-yang or Ha Su-ryeon first.’
Sun-woo turned away without lingering. Rather than agonizing over it alone, he decided to put his head together with others—specifically, the smartest women he knew.
‘I’ll make sure to give you a post-mortem execution, no matter what.’
With that grim vow, Sun-woo began to walk.
*
Joo So-yang was dreaming.
[Ugh... Argh...]
It was a nightmare where she writhed in extreme agony. It was excruciating. She felt suffocated, as if insects were gnawing at her entire body.
[I want to be free.]
She desperately wished to be liberated from this horrific pain. But despite her prayers, the agony did not subside. It only grew more intense.
After what felt like an eternity of suffering...
Step. Step.
She heard the sound of footsteps. She slowly turned her head toward the sound.
And there he was—the man responsible for her suffering.
[Un...cle...]
It was Yoon Je-gyeom.
Step. Step.
Yoon Je-gyeom walked toward her in silence. Then, he slowly reached out his hand.
Whoosh.
The Evil Qi that had been tormenting her body began to be sucked into his palm. After a few moments, Joo So-yang felt the pain vanish. The malice-filled energy that had been gnawing at her soul was gone.
[Wha... What is this?!]
She looked at her pain-free body with a bewildered expression. The sudden relief was jarring.
[I have taken back all the Evil Qi... It will never hurt you again.]
[Un... Uncle...]
Joo So-yang spoke with a trembling voice.
[I am sorry... So-yang.]
Yoon Je-gyeom apologized slowly as he looked at her.
[...Uncle.]
Joo So-yang looked at him with a sorrowful gaze. She understood all too well why he had made the choices he did.
He had lost his son and daughter-in-law in an accident, leaving him with only one granddaughter. She was the only one who could make the stiff and stubborn Yoon Je-gyeom smile. To lose that precious granddaughter in such a horrific way... how could he have stayed sane? How could he have simply killed Lee Jae-won and been done with it?
She understood. She understood why he had been driven to such extremes.
[...I have nothing to say but that I am sorry...]
[...It’s... It’s okay... I know... why you had to make that choice...]
Joo So-yang spoke with a somber expression.
[You are still the same kind child you always were.]
Yoon Je-gyeom gave her a bright smile. Despite the damage his Sword of Suffering had dealt to her mind and body, her heart was still beautiful enough to try and understand him.
[...Please, be happy.]
Having said his piece, Yoon Je-gyeom turned around.
[Uncle... where are you going?! Uncle?]
[Jin-ah is waiting for me.]
Yoon Je-gyeom turned his head slightly and gave her a deep, radiant smile. His face was filled with pure happiness.
[...Jin-ah?!]
Joo So-yang looked at him in shock. Jin-ah was Yoon Je-gyeom’s granddaughter who had died fifteen years ago. How could he be going to meet her?
[Un... Uncle! Don’t tell me?!]
Joo So-yang’s eyes welled with tears as she cried out. The worst-case scenario flashed through her mind.
Yoon Je-gyeom simply smiled without a word. Then, he turned back and began to walk away. His gait was light, filled with a sense of liberation.
Watching him, Joo So-yang realized the truth. This moment was the last time she would ever see Yoon Je-gyeom.
Soon, his back disappeared from her sight entirely, vanishing like mist.
Drip. Drip.
Tears began to stream down Joo So-yang’s face. She, who had become a lone orphan after losing her father, realized that the man she had considered her only family was now truly gone.
[Please... be happy... wherever you are...]
Joo So-yang prayed through her tears. She prayed for Yoon Je-gyeom’s happiness in the afterlife.
*
Stroke. Stroke.
Someone was gently brushing the corners of her eyes.
Flutter.
Startled by the touch, Joo So-yang slowly opened her eyes. A familiar face came into focus. A man with a refreshing, handsome face. The man she loved more than anyone in the world.
It was Sun-woo.
She stared at him blankly. Having just woken from her dream, she was still in a daze.
“Are you awake?”
A voice, incredibly soft and tender, reached her ears. It was the voice of her beloved husband. Hearing it, Joo So-yang felt a fresh wave of tears. The sense of loss from seeing Yoon Je-gyeom leave overwhelmed her.
“...Did Uncle... pass away?”
Suppressing her emotions as best she could, she asked Sun-woo in a trembling voice. She needed to know if it was true.
“.........”
In response to her question, Sun-woo silently nodded.
Drip. Drip.
With that confirmation, tears began to pour from Joo So-yang’s eyes once more. They fell relentlessly as the reality that she would never see her uncle again finally sank in.
“Sob... hic... ugh... waaaaah...”
Joo So-yang began to sob uncontrollably. In this moment, she wasn't the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance or a dignified noblewoman. She was just a child who had lost the man she loved like a father.
“So... So-yang?!”
Sun-woo looked at her with a panicked expression. He hadn't expected her to burst into tears like this.
“Sob... ugh... sob...”
Sun-woo slowly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Pat. Pat.
He began to gently pat her back, trying to soothe her. Joo So-yang clung to him, weeping into his chest until the hollow ache of her loss began to subside.
For a long time, the room was filled with the sound of her crying.