Chapter 282
Chapter 282
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 282
>Chapter Title: Return in Glory (4)
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Il-mok wore an expression of utter incomprehension once more.
‘Isn’t that obvious?’
Everyone knew that knowing something in your head was one thing, and putting it into practice with your body was another.
Just take running, for example. You could master every theory of exercise biomechanics on how to run fast, but that didn’t mean you’d automatically sprint like the wind.
‘Does Master not get it because he’s a genius?’
With that thought in mind, Il-mok circled around to express his own view.
“That’s why lately, I’ve been devoting myself to training so I can fully control my qi at will.”
“That’s a solution of sorts, but it doesn’t strike me as the fundamental answer.”
The Heavenly Demon stroked his beard as he continued.
“The Realm of Recognition and Enlightenment, as the name implies, is the state where one recognizes and comprehends something. And that ‘something’ here isn’t just referring to martial arts.”
“What must one recognize and comprehend to enter that realm, Master?”
To Il-mok’s question, the Heavenly Demon pointed at him for some reason.
“You must know yourself.”
“???”
Regardless of Il-mok’s puzzled look, the Heavenly Demon pressed on with his vague words.
“The Realm of Recognition and Enlightenment is the state achieved by fully comprehending yourself, allowing you to commune with the world. That’s why you can interfere with the world through your intent, however faintly, and undergo the shedding of bones and rebirth.”
Il-mok swallowed his questions with effort and clasped his hands in a formal bow toward the Heavenly Demon.
“I shall never forget your teachings, Master.”
Il-mok had no real clue what the Heavenly Demon was getting at.
‘He’s no ancient Western philosopher.’
Know thyself. It was an utterly vague teaching.
The Heavenly Demon didn’t seem to expect Il-mok to grasp it instantly. He nodded once and replied.
“For now, just commit my words to memory. They’ll prove a great help when the time comes. And don’t be impatient. Il-mok, you’ve reached a level few your age could attain, so bide your time calmly.”
“I shall keep that in mind.”
It sounded like an invitation to kick back and relax, so Il-mok inwardly cheered.
“Then, this disciple will take his leave…”
“Hmm. We’ve covered enough personal matters, so let’s discuss some official business now.”
“…….”
Il-mok, who’d hoped to stall for even one more day, soon gave up and bowed his head.
“Please give your command.”
The Heavenly Demon issued his order in a calm tone.
The reason he’d summoned Il-mok back to headquarters from his exploits in the Central Plains.
“I’ve heard of all you’ve done in the Central Plains, and one thought came to mind. Our cult’s aspiration is to reclaim the Central Plains, but must we limit ourselves to operations there?”
“…Then, where do you have in mind?”
Feeling an inexplicable dread, Il-mok asked in a hesitant tone. The Heavenly Demon smiled softly and answered.
“Prepare over the next few days. Then cross the Heavenly Myriad Mountains and head west.”
“…….”
Il-mok, momentarily speechless, gathered his wits and replied.
“Master. West of the Heavenly Myriad Mountains—that’s the territory of those heretics who follow the Huihui religion, isn’t it?”
The Huihui faith. Islam.
The fanatics of Allah who’d ambushed him back at the Demonic Path Academy.
To conduct missionary work among Islamic followers?
‘Master! Do you want your disciple kidnapped?!’
Unable to call him out on it, Il-mok forced a calm tone as he asked again.
“You mean to proselytize there under the name of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult?”
At Il-mok’s question, the Heavenly Demon burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha ha ha. If we could convert the Huihui followers, that’d be ideal, but proselytizing is secondary.”
“???”
“The reason I’m sending you west is because of that phrase you mentioned: ‘One day no work, one day no rice.’”
One day no work, one day no rice.
The words he’d spat during his argument with the Beggars’ Sect members. Somehow, they’d become the central doctrine of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
Why was this coming up now?
‘No way… Is he telling me to stop slacking and get to work?’
The thought crossed his mind, but after pondering a bit more, Il-mok arrived at an answer.
“Could it be… you’re thinking of the Silk Road?”
The path of exchange between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.
Crossing the deserts of the New Frontier and the Western Checkpoint, selling silk to the west and bringing back unique Western goods unavailable in the Central Plains, reaping massive profits through overseas trade.
And now, with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult established in the New Frontier, it was a trade route known mostly in name only.
The Heavenly Demon nodded at Il-mok’s question.
He intended to revive that Silk Road.
To make money and feed the cult’s followers.
“In the past, even if we bought something from the Western Regions, we couldn’t sell it in the Central Plains. No one there would buy our cult’s goods. Moreover, selling items from the barren New Frontier in the west would’ve been nearly impossible.”
Il-mok could guess the rest without hearing it.
‘Now, we can launder identities through the Maitreya Illuminated Cult in Gansu Province, so trade caravans are fully feasible.’
Even better, they could buy Central Plains goods through the Maitreya Illuminated Cult and sell them in the Western Regions.
Of course, as with all things, long tails get stepped on.
Profiting from trade between the Central Plains and west risked exposing the link between the Maitreya Illuminated Cult and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“With the Blood Cult issue drawing all eyes in the Central Plains to beyond our borders, you plan to seize this moment?”
The Heavenly Demon nodded, replying, ‘As expected, quick on the uptake.’
Now Il-mok fully understood his master’s objective.
But that was just the ‘objective.’
“Is there some reason you’re sending me specifically for this?”
He couldn’t fathom why him, of all people.
No need to pull someone thriving in the Central Plains under the Maitreya Illuminated Cult banner just for this.
The cult had more than just him, and there was no reason to throw the youngest disciple into a nightmare mission where bad luck might mean getting kidnapped.
At that question, the Heavenly Demon gazed at Il-mok with eyes full of trust and affection, for some reason.
“Because you’re the most reliable.”
“…….”
Il-mok swallowed the urge to say, ‘I don’t need that kind of trust.’ The Heavenly Demon added.
“As you know by now, if I ordered our followers to kill someone and return, they’d carry it out splendidly. But this is entirely different. Killing anyone could complicate things.”
“…So you’re sending me because it’s a mission where I must avoid killing?”
“Ha ha ha. There are many reasons besides. Just look at how you fooled the Beggars’ Sect in the Central Plains or incited the fight between the Martial Alliance and Blood Cult. No one else could mingle with Huihui followers in the west and open a trade route like you.”
Ah.
The other cult fanatics would’ve slaughtered everyone in the Central Plains, gotten branded public enemies of the martial world, and spent their time fleeing. But I racked my brains and worked hard, so now I’m getting this recognition.
‘Sigh. I should’ve just killed indiscriminately and come back to headquarters.’
Il-mok cursed himself for scheming so hard in the Central Plains.
‘Why’d I go making some weird cult like the Maitreya Illuminated Cult for fame and fortune?’
Come to think of it, seizing Gansu under the Maitreya name was what enabled this plan.
Only then did Il-mok rediscover a harsh truth of the world he’d forgotten.
The better you do your job, the more work gets piled on.
* * *
With a bundle of papers thoroughly prepared by the meticulous Heavenly Demon, Il-mok returned to Wind Rock Hall.
The papers were maps and old records.
Maps depicting the New Frontier and surrounding terrain. Records of the past Silk Road.
No sooner had Il-mok returned to Wind Rock Hall than he shut himself in his room to pore over the maps and records.
He’d rather lounge around, but with a long journey ahead, he couldn’t slack on preparations.
He didn’t want to get kidnapped, after all.
“Hmm. Back then, there were two main routes.”
One crossing the desert south of the Heavenly Myriad Mountains, the other traversing the grasslands north where nomads lived.
The Heavenly Mountains North Route and South Route. Or the Grassland Path and Desert Path.
‘The North and South Routes. Master said to cross the Heavenly Myriad Mountains—must’ve meant the North Route.’
He could guess why.
“Crossing the New Frontier to Gansu would draw too much attention.”
Even with eyes covered, the trade caravans ahead would use the Maitreya Illuminated Cult or other aliases.
But traversing the New Frontier would inevitably raise suspicions about ties to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
That’s why the Heavenly Demon planned the Heavenly Mountains North Route, bypassing the New Frontier.
“…But this route goes way out of the way.”
Circling north of the Heavenly Myriad Mountains to avoid the New Frontier doubled the distance compared to crossing it.
Plus, unlike traversing cult territory in the New Frontier, heading north meant dealing with northern heretics on top.
“First things first, I need to focus on breaking into trade with the Western Regions.”
Instead of crossing the Heavenly Myriad Mountains, Il-mok decided to head to the Western Regions via the New Frontier’s desert path first.
No point circling the Heavenly Mountains if he couldn’t secure deals anyway.
After sorting his plans and scanning the maps and papers for a good while, Jin Ha-yeon’s voice came from outside the door.
“Young Master. The eldest senior brother and Sixth Young Master are here.”
“I’ll come out right away.”
Il-mok tidied the maps and letters and stepped out.
“I greet Eldest Senior Brother. I greet Sixth Senior Brother.”
Il-mok bowed with clasped hands to the two. The eldest senior brother let out a hearty laugh.
“Ha ha ha. Sorry for coming so late. I wanted to visit sooner, but backlog held me up. Bear with me.”
“I’m grateful just for your visit.”
After bowing politely to the eldest, Il-mok turned to the sixth.
He had a dazed look and a soot-blackened face.
“A-Are you alright?”
Il-mok wondered if it was demonic deviation.
“Ha ha ha. No worries. Junior Brother Jong-ri is adapting well to Demonic Affairs Hall duties.”
‘You call that adapting?’ Il-mok wanted to retort.
Those vacant eyes looked like they were staring at illusions floating in the air.
At Wi Jin-hak’s mention of ‘Demonic Affairs Hall,’ Jong-ri Chu shuddered, his eyes sharpening.
“Ahem. I’m fine, no need to worry. My friends are helping, and I’m settling in. I always felt useless to the cult, but lately helping Eldest Senior Brother has been fulfilling.”
“Friends, you say…?”
At Il-mok’s question, Jong-ri Chu gave a dry smile and glanced at the empty air.
‘You shouldn’t get too friendly with those friends…?’ Il-mok swallowed the thought and looked to Wi Jin-hak.
- Is he really okay?
To Il-mok’s transmission, Wi Jin-hak laughed heartily.
“Ha ha ha. No worries. Not just Jong-ri Junior Brother—plenty of us have such friends.”
“???”
Il-mok stared at Wi Jin-hak in confusion. Wi Jin-hak replied casually.
“Everyone in Demonic Affairs Hall pulls all-nighters like it’s routine, so before long, they started muttering to thin air or zoning out. They all show symptoms like Jong-ri Junior Brother’s, so nothing special about his.”
“…….”
Only then did Il-mok belatedly realize a key fact.
Even the eldest senior brother, smiling normally, had bloodshot eyes from endless all-nighters.
‘A guy who reached Transcending Demon and shed his bones, reduced to bloodshot eyes from fatigue.’
Stunned, Il-mok suddenly thought.
‘Maybe heading to the Western Regions would be better.’
Demonic Affairs Hall felt like hell on earth.