Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: Cultivator's Mountain (22)
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"Y-you must come back! You have to get me out of here no matter what!"
The door creaked...
Bam!
Anton let out a desperate cry through the narrowing gap as the door closed.
Chiu hadn't provided him with separate food or water.
He could survive for a while on the moss clinging to the walls and the underground water trickling nearby.
However, Chiu's expression darkened the moment the door sealed shut.
'Daring to bring a Demon King into the mountain?'
Even if it was just a corpse, it was still a Demon King.
Creating jiangshi as a Creator was unforgivable enough, but hauling a Demon King into the mountain was on an entirely different level.
In the old days of the All Gods Hall, such a thing would have been unthinkable.
No matter how much the All Gods Hall's spirit had decayed, how could they commit such an absurd act!
'...And it might not just be the Corpse Refining Sect.'
The bigger issue was whether only the Corpse Refining Sect would stoop to such madness.
Even if not the Nine Great Families, there could be others lusting after demonic power.
Of course, some might argue otherwise.
Know your enemy to defeat them, right?
Not wrong.
But when it came to demons, that was utter bullshit.
The moment you tangled with a demon, its influence seeped in.
Demonic power began corroding your mind and soul the instant you accepted it.
...Truly idiotic.
Blinded by the immediate power right in front of them, trampling the supreme Arhat spirit.
Even if they gained reverse heaven power through such folly, they'd never reach the pinnacle.
'Taebaek... You must have turned a blind eye to this.'
None of this could have happened without reason.
Taebaek had allowed the corruption of the All Gods Hall's spirit and soul.
Or perhaps even subtly encouraged it.
His power was different from that of ordinary Arhats in many ways.
The new master of the mountain, Taebaek, might be tied to demons as well.
If so, he had to die.
"What is the Heavenly Demon?"
Arisa asked cautiously all of a sudden.
It was the top inscription among those carved inside the door.
But she'd never heard the name before.
Chiu replied in a heavier voice.
"The mountain's true master."
"The mountain's true master...?"
Arisa tilted her head.
The current master of the mountain was Taebaek.
Did that mean Taebaek wasn't the real one?
She couldn't bring herself to ask more.
If what she'd seen was true, even inheriting the name wouldn't...
'Absolute Demon Lords.'
The legend passed down in the secret canon.
When the Avici Hell opened, the Absolute Demon Lords would emerge and destroy the mountain.
And these two had definitely come from Avici Hell.
They had probably inherited their martial arts from those so-called Twelve Heavenly Kings.
She'd known something was off when they used the Asura Sword, but seeing it with her own eyes was a shock beyond words.
'Are they trying to destroy the mountain like the legends? Or save it?'
Arisa hesitated.
She couldn't grasp their true intentions.
Locking up Anton made it seem like they opposed the Corpse Refining Sect at a glance, but that alone didn't reveal their motives.
Especially since they'd refused to join even with the secret canon.
"Are you really not going to join us?"
"We will."
"...?"
Park Chan-woo answered.
Arisa could only blink in surprise.
"Didn't you just refuse?"
"There were too many eyes watching. But we're not joining right away."
"...Then?"
"The secret canon owes us a favor first. We'll join after that."
Arisa's expression hardened instantly.
If they wanted to join, it meant they were proposing a deal.
Not just with her personally, but intending to move the entire secret canon.
They'd already taken a huge risk by smuggling Anton into the secret canon.
And now they wanted her to take an even bigger risk?
Park Chan-woo gave a wry smile.
"It's not a difficult request, so don't worry."
The next day.
Kang Si-chan's expression was far worse than yesterday when he came to see Park Chan-woo again.
He was trying to hide it, but his irritation leaked out subtly.
'He must have noticed Anton is gone.'
It would be weirder if he hadn't.
Anton, imprisoned for a grave crime, had vanished without a trace.
By now, they should be in an uproar searching for him, but the mountain was quieter than expected.
'The Corpse Refining Sect. Or Kang Si-chan himself pulled strings. They want to handle it quietly.'
He leaned toward the latter.
Kang Si-chan had been solely in charge of Anton-related matters.
Monitoring the Tower of Mystery, hunting for the research journal, and eliminating other variables harmful to the Corpse Refining Sect—all handled by him.
Making a big fuss would only invite trouble.
Proof that the Corpse Refining Sect wanted this buried quietly.
"I hope you've brought a decent proposal I can accept today."
"...First, I need to confirm that what you have is really the research journal."
His voice carried real urgency.
Gone was yesterday's leisure.
With Anton missing, he probably thought recovering the journal quickly would eliminate variables.
But he clearly hadn't suspected Park Chan-woo and Chiu of hiding Anton.
'The prison designated by the inquisitors is hidden in the deepest chamber of the Nine Palaces Heart Formation. Some faction broke through the constant surveillance and flawless barriers to sneak him out.'
No individual or small group could pull that off.
Likely one of the families hostile to the Corpse Refining Sect.
He needed the journal in hand ASAP to prepare countermeasures.
Park Chan-woo casually pulled the research journal from his bosom and waved it.
"This the one?"
"So, is that really the research journal...?"
"Creator of the Cradle."
"...!!"
Kang Si-chan's face twisted further.
Knowing that name meant he'd seen it in the journal.
He absolutely had to secure it.
If it fell to another family, it wouldn't end with minor ripples.
"So, what proposal do you have for me now?"
"...Three Great Returning Pills. The maximum I can offer."
Great Returning Pills!
Legendary elixirs granted only to a select few Arhats.
Rumors said they rivaled the Water of Life from Akam, but no one had ever seen one.
And he was offering three?
"That's not all, is it?"
"Greed has a way of backfiring."
"I hope you brought something better."
"...You bastard, do you really...?"
Grind!
Kang Si-chan gnashed his teeth.
Suddenly, immense pressure bore down on Park Chan-woo.
Chiu stepped forward to block it, but it didn't yield as easily as yesterday.
However, the pressure soon halted.
Kang Si-chan had regained his composure.
"...You're not from the secret canon to begin with, are you?"
He'd hit the nail on the head.
According to his separate checks, no such people existed in the secret canon.
They'd climbed the mountain under false identities.
A major issue if he decided to make it one.
If he wanted, he could force them down the mountain or toss them in prison.
That was when it happened.
"Those two are from the secret canon."
Arisa appeared as if she'd been waiting.
She, representing the Sword Sanctuary, vouched for them personally.
Kang Si-chan frowned.
"Lies. I've never heard of people like that in the secret canon..."
"You're treating our words too lightly."
"Then why aren't they joining you?"
"...We came to make a proposal ourselves."
Arisa glanced at Park Chan-woo.
Then she rummaged in her bosom and pulled out an item.
Kang Si-chan's eyes lit up at the sight.
'That is...?'
A stone emitting a subtle glow.
But incomparable to any other— the Transcendent Stone!
"A stone that can forge an Arhat's mystery. I think this makes for a pretty good recruitment offer to bring you to our side."
"I refuse."
"...You're from the secret canon too, aren't you? Why refuse us?"
"I told you. I have no intention of joining you hopeless fools."
Arisa bit her lip hard.
Then, with a resolute expression,
"I'll come back tomorrow."
She turned and left.
Kang Si-chan stared blankly after her.
'From the secret canon, yet refusing the secret canon?'
Park Chan-woo and Chiu.
He'd thought they might be the secret canon's hidden aces, but they were distancing themselves instead.
And the reason was clear.
No potential.
Meaning, not worth joining.
So they planned to join somewhere with greater value.
Fortunate, yet not.
Things could get more complicated.
Too many eyes watching to act rashly.
Arisa was even offering the secret canon's treasure, the Transcendent Stone, to recruit them.
He needed something more certain to win them over.
If three Great Returning Pills weren't enough...
This exceeded his authority.
"...I'll come back tomorrow too."
"Why should I wait until tomorrow?"
"What?"
"Arisa came for 'recruitment.' But that's not our deal."
"...If you expose the journal, you won't survive."
Even if the Corpse Refining Sect shook, those two wouldn't live.
That much he was sure of.
He'd assumed they had that much sense.
But Park Chan-woo just shrugged.
"I don't think I'll be the only one dying."
...Exactly.
Kang Si-chan would die too.
He saw right through it.
"Two Great Returning Pills."
"What?"
"I said two for keeping my mouth shut. Selling the journal is separate."
"...Are you kidding?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Park Chan-woo's expression darkened gravely.
A stance that said dying together was fine.
Keeping his mouth shut.
Not just about the journal's contents.
Everything he'd seen.
And the price was two Great Returning Pills.
Seemed exorbitant just for silence at first glance.
But Park Chan-woo was certain.
'The thirsty dig wells, and those with much to lose fear more.'
Even Anton was gone now.
Once word spread, Kang Si-chan would face even greater pressure.
In other words,
'I'm holding all the cards.'
With Anton and the journal secured, Kang Si-chan had no choice but to dance to his tune.
And that judgment hit the mark.
"...You bastard, you must keep your promise."