Chapter 286
Chapter 286
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 286
>Chapter Title: Silk Road (3)
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The night sky over the vast, open grassland was blanketed by the Milky Way, flaunting a secretive beauty.
Il-mok, who had been momentarily captivated by that beautiful Milky Way, was quickly pulled back to reality by the shouts ringing out once more.
“Slaughter all the vermin who do not believe in Allah!”
“The women will serve as wives for our brave warriors, so kill only the men and the elderly!”
Amid the incomprehensible roars, a familiar cry mixed in.
“Allahu Akbar!”
In stark contrast to the beautiful scenery stretching high in the sky, ugly figures on horseback charged forward while bellowing.
Some of the nomads who had welcomed them earlier had hastily grabbed their bows and emerged from their tents, shouting something.
“Young Master!”
The group looked to Il-mok, as if awaiting his decision.
All but one.
“Uahaha! My body’s been itching for a fight anyway—perfect timing!”
Dokgo Pae, grinning like a madman, drew his massive sword and seemed ready to charge straight at the Huihui cultists.
It was a scene that made one wonder if the preconception that Demonic Cultists were bloodthirsty killers stemmed from fools like him constantly invading the Central Plains.
“Stop! Young Master hasn’t made a decision yet!”
Even as the squad leader who had smacked Dokgo Pae in the back of the head during their first encounter tried to restrain him, everyone else watched Il-mok with conflicted eyes.
Il-mok knew what they were agonizing over.
It was because of the Heavenly Demon’s orders, just as Jin Ha-yeon had worried.
From their perspective, needing to break through trade routes into the Western Regions, engaging in battle with the Huihui cultists might be a bad move.
To ease their concerns, Il-mok spoke in a calm tone.
“The followers of the Great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult do not repay kindness with enmity.”
As the group’s eyes widened at his words, Il-mok pointed his Ascension Sword at the Huihui cultists and continued.
“Bestow death upon those villains who attacked the ones who treated us as guests.”
As if he had been waiting only for those words, Dokgo Pae slapped away the squad leader’s hand holding him back and unleashed his lightness skill toward the enemies.
“It’s a fight!!”
No, it wasn’t just Dokgo Pae who had been waiting for Il-mok’s words.
“Kill them!”
“Bring heavenly punishment upon these villains who torment the weak!”
The moment Il-mok’s command fell, the Black Tiger Squad members charged at the Huihui cultists in unison.
Even the squad leader who had been restraining Dokgo Pae was now charging ahead with bloodshot eyes.
At that moment, some of the approaching Huihui cultists twisted in the darkness, drew bows from their saddles, and took aim.
“It seems we must guard this place.”
Blind arrows could damage the goods, and it wouldn’t be pleasant if the nomads who had welcomed them as guests got hurt.
“Please assist the Black Tiger Squad members with your bow from the rear, Jeong-hyeon.”
“Y-Yes, I will.”
While Il-mok, Jin Ha-yeon, and Joo Seo-yeon deflected blind arrows to protect the goods and nomads.
“Kill them!”
Slash.
“Gaaahhh...!”
Led by Gu Yang-hyeok, the Black Tiger Squad charged like a pack of wolves raiding a flock of sheep under the moonlight, continuing their massacre.
As the Huihui cultists were swept away by the Black Tiger Squad.
“There! Attack that spot!! If we capture the women and children as shields, we can survive!”
Someone shouted in an incomprehensible language, and soon after, some Huihui cultists spurred their horses toward the nomads’ tents.
Il-mok, who had been leisurely deflecting spells or arrows near the tents, let out a hollow chuckle at the sight of them rushing to their deaths.
“They must be dying to get killed.”
No sooner had Il-mok muttered to himself than a sharp whistle pierced the air, and the lead Huihui cultist on horseback tumbled head over heels.
It was due to Jeong-hyeon’s arrow.
Screeech!
Several more fell thanks to Jeong-hyeon’s arrows after that, but about a dozen Huihui cultists reached the vicinity of the tents alive.
And what greeted them was Joo Seo-yeon’s mad spear technique and Jin Ha-yeon’s阴寒之气.
In particular, Jin Ha-yeon’s Bare Hand Demon Art, now freed from the Extreme Demon realm, exuded a chill that seemed ready to freeze everything in the area.
By the time Jin Ha-yeon, Joo Seo-yeon, and Jeong-hyeon had finished off the Huihui cultists approaching the tents.
The Black Tiger Squad members, having dealt with their assailants, began returning to the tents.
The power gap was so vast that Il-mok didn’t even need to step in.
“I’ve instructed two squads to pursue the fleeing Huihui cultists.”
Il-mok nodded at Gu Yang-hyeok’s report upon his return.
“You’ve worked hard, Black Tiger Squad Leader.”
“Hahaha. This is hardly worth calling hard work. In terms of numbers or quality, they were inferior even to those who attacked back when you were at the Demonic Path Academy.”
Gu Yang-hyeok laughed heartily, gave a brief report, then adopted a serious expression and cautiously asked.
“But, is it truly alright to attack them? Of course, it feels good to me too, but I worry this might cause issues with the task His Supremacy assigned.”
The others, though not voicing it, wore expressions agreeing with Gu Yang-hyeok’s question.
Il-mok gathered his thoughts for a moment on how to explain, then spoke in a calm tone.
Il-mok hadn’t made the decision purely on emotion.
He had been pondering the issue ever since hearing about the Huihui cultists from the nomads, even after reassuring Jin Ha-yeon.
After a sleepless night tossing and turning, he had considered several scenarios in rough outline.
Including the possibility of combat with the Huihui cultists, just like now.
“There’s no need for concern. From what we’ve investigated, the Huihui Church has many similarities to the Orthodox factions.”
Gu Yang-hyeok furrowed his brow, drawing and redrawing a “heaven” character on his forehead, not fully grasping Il-mok’s meaning.
“You mean they’re hypocrites?”
“That’s part of it, but more precisely, it means they’re divided into multiple factions. We often lump the Central Plains’ ‘Orthodox forces’ together, but in truth, the Orthodox aren’t truly united, are they?”
Though he phrased it as from investigations, it was actually inference based on modern memories.
As a mere civil servant, Il-mok had no deep knowledge of Islam, but he had caught news stories now and then.
Especially news like this—Islamic extremists like ISIS raiding somewhere or kidnapping people for ransom.
And whenever global anti-Islam sentiment peaked, stories about other, more moderate Islamic factions living peacefully among others.
‘Meaning there are extremists for whom massacre and raids are daily life, and moderates who coexist with others to some degree.’
Of course, some claimed even the moderates were just watching their step, and all of Islam was the same at its core.
Seo Ji-hoon in the modern world had also found the distinction between “moderates” and “extremists” oddly artificial.
‘What religion in the world turns civilians into targets for slaughter, or kidnaps women and children for human shields or suicide bomb fodder just because its followers turn extremist?’
Normally, religion exists to protect the weak and respect humanity and human rights, doesn’t it?
Even as an atheist, Seo Ji-hoon had lived with that view of religion.
But right now, Islam’s reality wasn’t the point.
The key was that they were likely divided into factions.
“Think of the Central Plains’ Orthodox fools. Divided into Nine Great Sects, Seven Great Families, pretending to be friendly on the surface while always plotting to stab each other in the back.”
“You mean the Huihui cultists are the same?”
“Not certain, but the possibility is high. So what we need to do isn’t cozy up to all Huihui cultists. We just need to find those we can at least talk to. And since they’re factionalized, that makes it even easier.”
Multiple factions make it easier to find communicative ones. Gu Yang-hyeok couldn’t readily connect those dots.
For the puzzled Gu Yang-hyeok, Il-mok continued the explanation.
“With multiple factions, they’d want to eliminate or push out hostile ones. So we can build relations by trading profitably with a relatively better faction or helping them join forces to crush their rivals.”
Only then did Gu Yang-hyeok nod as if understanding. Those around who had listened gasped in admiration at Il-mok’s wisdom.
Amid that, Jin Ha-yeon’s indifferent voice pierced Il-mok’s ear.
“Young Master. What if, by any chance, all Huihui cultists are like these? If there’s not a single one we can reason with?”
She pointed at the Huihui cultist she had frozen to death.
To her question, Il-mok shrugged nonchalantly.
“Then we just abandon trade and head back. Master would surely command the same if he learned the Western Regions’ Huihui Church were all such trash.”
Jin Ha-yeon and those around her nodded in convinced agreement.
At that moment, one of the nomads approached them cautiously.
The man, pale with terror, was the middle-aged one who had spoken halting Central Plains tongue.
“Thank you, for saving. Grace. I will repay.”
Il-mok, not expecting anything in particular, was about to brush it off when something occurred to him, and he grinned.
“Grace, you say. Repay it with your body, then.”
“!?”
At Il-mok’s words, the man’s pupils shook violently.
* * *
The next morning.
Il-mok and his group left the nomads’ tents and set off westward.
Curiously, the middle-aged man who knew the Central Plains tongue was with them.
“Hahaha. Fear not. We’ll protect you.”
Il-mok laughed to soothe the ashen-faced man.
“We’ll return here after finishing trade, so just help with interpretation until then.”
That was why Il-mok had requested the middle-aged man, O-hallak, as repayment.
Though Gu Yang-hyeok knew a bit of the nomads’ language, it was lacking compared to O-hallak.
Moreover, as a local, he knew much more.
Their current journey was no different.
They headed in the direction O-hallak indicated—a village two days away where Huihui cultists had settled, he said.
After half a day’s travel, they entered a small desert area again and prepared camp at dusk.
They resumed in the morning, exited the small desert around noon, and by sunset.
They arrived at the village O-hallak mentioned.
Even as the sun dipped low, the villagers were gathered together for some reason, cooking or eating something as a group.
At the boisterous scene, Il-mok spoke with a rather pleased expression.
“Looks festive over there—must be some celebration.”
To Il-mok’s words, O-hallak scratched his head beside him and replied.
“Not celebration. Funeral.”
“…….”