Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Blood Demon Has Come? (2)
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"The Blood Demon... has come?"
In response to the secretive report from the subordinate sent by the First Elder, the Cult Leader pressed a hand to his brow.
He glanced at his daughter standing rigidly beside him, but her expression showed no sign of wavering.
"Damn it, I should have believed the eyewitness accounts... Don't get your hopes up too much."
"...I didn't say anything?"
The Cult Leader stared at his daughter for a moment before addressing the subordinate kneeling before him.
"How long until he arrives?"
"He should reach the main headquarters in about half a day."
"I see..."
The Cult Leader tapped his fingers on the armrest, then turned back to his daughter.
"Still, it's good we found out before he gets here. I don't know what that old man is thinking coming here, but it wouldn't hurt to see how far my ambitions stretch."
"...Cult Leader, pointless conflict would be troublesome."
The Cult Leader said nothing, merely closing his eyes with a smile.
Young Ho-kyeong shook her head and turned to the First Elder's subordinate.
"Is he coming through the east gate?"
"No. The First Elder thought the north gate would better avoid prying eyes..."
"I see."
Young Ho-kyeong's heart raced. With the Blood Demon's whereabouts so mysterious, she had planned to simply build a connection with his disciple for now.
She hadn't expected a direct meeting with the Blood Demon to be arranged so suddenly.
Figuring out what to say in this abruptly arranged encounter was proving exhausting.
'What conditions would satisfy that man?'
Her father, the Cult Leader, seemed to have met him before, but little was publicly known about the Blood Demon.
Probably the world's greatest master. And a lecher who preyed on any beautiful virgin without discrimination.
His actions marked him as utterly shameless, but since he wandered without any faction of his own, she couldn't think of anything to offer.
No matter what, she couldn't provide a virgin, and for someone who could take what he wanted by force, such things weren't even viable negotiation points.
By the time she reached that conclusion, Young Ho-kyeong was starting to feel troubled.
'Father... don't tell me?'
What if the Cult Leader, smiling so pleasantly, already knew they had nothing to offer to draw in the Blood Demon?
And had concluded there was no need to interfere?
"...I'd better go."
"Yes, go ahead. Since it's a guest you invited, I trust you'll treat him well."
Young Ho-kyeong shot a glance at the Cult Leader, who waved her off casually, her mind racing with anxiety.
The fact that he had come this far with his disciple meant the Blood Demon clearly cherished the boy.
If the Blood Demon himself wouldn't work, then his disciple. She had to make the Blood Demon's disciple grasp the Demonic Cult's hand.
Like master, like disciple—according to the information she had gathered, Kang Yun lived a life as pure as a Daoist ascetic.
There was no way to know what he desired.
With no women his age around him, he didn't seem to chase skirts, nor did he appear greedy for wealth.
'But no one is without desires.'
She would find out, no matter what. Whether master or disciple, she would uncover their wants and shove them down their throats if necessary.
Young Ho-kyeong couldn't even imagine that what Kang Yun desired most from her was something she already possessed.
"Whoa... it's huge..."
The Demonic Cult's main headquarters, built using sheer cliffs as natural walls, was on the scale of an entire castle.
She had visited the Tang Family, the Peng Family, and Shaolin Temple, but none matched this size.
The might of the Demonic Cult, the strongest single faction in the martial world, was palpable.
The First Elder smiled warmly at my honest impression and held out a white cloth.
"Then, the two of you... I hate to ask, but please wear this."
"This is...?"
"Only a very few in the cult know that we invited you both."
"Ha, ridiculous. So that's why we took the north gate instead of the nearby east gate?"
As my master let out a displeased chuckle, the First Elder bowed his head slightly.
"Please understand. There are those who would charge in blindly if they knew the great hero had come to our cult..."
Ah, so even Demonic Cult women get eaten? But my master stood tall.
"Isn't the Demonic Cult a place where power is everything? If they got beaten because they were weak, they should know shame!"
"Quite right. Once the great hero enters our cult, those fools will shut their mouths."
"..."
"...Is this how you wear it?"
I took the cloth from my silent master and draped it over my head. My master snatched another from my hand and covered his face similarly.
The First Elder nodded in satisfaction and led the way again.
I figured someone of his rank would hear cheers like "Long live the Demonic Cult! Eternal glory!" as we passed, but there was nothing of the sort.
Is it not a thing here?
[This place is the same as ever.]
Memories of coming here must have flooded back, as my master occasionally sent me sound transmissions about the Demonic Cult headquarters.
This wasn't comparable to any family sect or school—it was a village in itself.
Despite its vast scale, with fields inside, some areas even looked rundown.
[Living in a place like this, it's no wonder they want to invade the Central Plains, right?]
[...It must not be easy living here.]
I'd thought the Demonic Cult was full of sinister martial experts oozing demonic energy, but there were far more ordinary folk.
When a grubby-looking kid gaped at us, I absentmindedly waved, and the child waved back.
The kid's mother hurriedly grabbed his arm, and as I awkwardly turned away, I noticed the First Elder staring at me.
"Ah, sorry... I should be quiet..."
"No need. Even if those ordinary cultists see you, they won't recognize you."
Then why were you staring?
Even amid the ambiguity, we drew closer to the Demonic Cult's heart.
Toward the center, luxurious buildings began appearing, and in front of one stood a familiar face waiting.
"Greetings, Young Cult Leader."
The Demonic Cult warriors escorting us—even the elderly First Elder—raised one arm to their chest in unison and bowed to Young Ho-kyeong.
Naturally, only my master and I stood stiffly. Young Ho-kyeong looked our way with a gentle smile.
"Blood Demon, it's an honor to meet you, great hero. I am Young Ho-kyeong, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult."
"Pleased to meet you."
"Good to see you again, Young Cult Leader."
After the greetings, Young Ho-kyeong dismissed everyone except the First Elder and led us forward.
She wasn't taking us straight to the Cult Leader, but to our quarters—did she really need to handle two of us personally...?
[She's quite the beauty. A bit older, but still.]
[Master...]
My master glanced at me and sent a sound transmission, smirking. He seemed to think he knew why I'd insisted on keeping my promise and coming here.
But it was a misunderstanding. Sure, if the chance to sleep with Young Ho-kyeong arose, I probably couldn't resist an erection—but she was the Demonic Cult's Young Cult Leader.
Sleeping with her was trouble enough, but even if I succeeded, screwing up could make me the Demonic Cult's son-in-law and the vanguard of their Central Plains invasion.
'I'm here to stop weird rumors, not to bang Young Ho-kyeong!'
Breaking the promise might lead to an official declaration like "Hand Dragon Kang Yun is the Blood Demon's disciple and in a close relationship with our cult."
The only way for me to return safely and resume my milf life was to kill time here without giving any pretext.
During my stay, I would sever all lust. Become a Buddha enlightened to all.
'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form—everything is emptiness! Clinging to meaningless desires is the surest path away from worldly happiness!'
Yet even through my desire-severed eyes, Young Ho-kyeong's swaying hips ahead remained tantalizing.
The current Demonic Cult was split in two.
One side, represented by the First Elder, believed they should bide their time for Demonic Cult supremacy.
The other, led by the Second Elder, argued that with their overwhelming might, there was no need to cower.
Of course, all outwardly pledged full loyalty to the Cult Leader and quietly amassed power, awaiting his command.
But many yearned to defy orders, like in the Peng Family raid, and sow seeds of conflict in the righteous sects.
Their eyes were everywhere in the cult, and they soon noticed the First Elder bringing in outsiders.
"Two cloaked figures... The rest are definitely our people, right?"
"No doubt. They practice righteous martial arts, but we've confirmed they're all under the First Elder."
"Ah, those guys. The First Elder is too soft... taking in trash like that."
The information quickly reached the Second Elder, their representative.
"Even if they keep it secret, it'll reach the Cult Leader eventually."
Having served blindly since the previous Cult Leader's time, the First Elder surely would report it. Meaning they were connected to the Cult Leader.
"Yes, and it seems the Young Cult Leader has made contact with them too."
"The Young Cult Leader?"
At the mention of Young Ho-kyeong, the Second Elder frowned uncomfortably. Her recent distancing from him bothered him.
"I didn't expect the Young Cult Leader to turn her back on us. I don't know what happened, but..."
The Peng Family incident had been one he invested heavily in. Even if she saw through his intentions, he expected her to at least kill Peng Mu-do.
Instead, not only Peng Mu-do but that pesky young punk Hand Dragon survived, forcing their withdrawal.
"Find out who they are. Even if they're staying in the Cult Leader's quarters, bribe the servants or whatever—dig up everything you can."
Rare outsiders in the Demonic Cult, the Young Cult Leader's sudden change, the First Elder personally greeting them.
It stank.
Learning who they were would reveal why the Young Cult Leader distanced herself from the Second Elder—and what the Cult Leader was thinking.