Chapter 307
Chapter 307
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 307
>Chapter Title: God (1)
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Standing near the three women absorbing the inner core, Il-mok stood guard alone, keeping watch over their conditions.
Since all three women were cultivating demonic arts, the rapid increase in their inner power was like a double-edged sword.
In fact, they struggled to fully control the surging inner power, occasionally letting the core's energy leak out around them, and there were moments when the flow of qi twisted violently.
In particular, around Jin Ha-yeon, who handled yin cold qi, strange phenomena like frost forming occasionally occurred.
Whenever their conditions seemed even slightly dangerous, Il-mok would step in, place his palm on their backs, and soothe the rampaging demonic qi, standing guard for a long while.
"Suuuuup. Hoo."
Jin Ha-yeon exhaled deeply, releasing a visibly icy chill, and was the first to open her eyes and rise.
"Thanks to you, Young Master, I was able to surpass another wall."
Was it because she had taken one step closer to Transcending Demon? A faint smile graced the corner of her lips as she spoke.
But only for a very brief moment.
Then, after a little more time passed, Jeong-hyeon gathered her demonic qi and opened her eyes, followed last by Joo Seo-yeon rising to her feet.
All three women seemed to have advanced one or two levels, so Il-mok nodded in satisfaction.
* * *
The next morning early.
Il-mok led the prisoners westward with his group.
To find the village of the Mangod Tribe that had raided the Zarchgud Tribe.
Il-mok and his group followed the prisoners' guidance and only arrived at their destination by evening.
"Hmm."
There, a village much larger than the Zarchgud Tribe's had formed.
It was not only larger than the Zarchgud Tribe's but the largest among all the villages Il-mok had encountered so far.
Perhaps because the warriors who had gone out returned in droves.
The villagers who had come out to welcome them back belatedly realized something was wrong and froze.
Not only had the number of warriors been nearly halved, but a few unfamiliar outsiders were mixed in.
Some even wearing strange masks.
Perhaps in preparation for any contingency, quite a few warriors remained in the Mangod Tribe's village.
One of them stepped forward and shouted.
"What happened to the Kagan!!"
At his question, the young nomad who had begged Il-mok to spare the women and children stepped forward and yelled.
"The Kagan is dead! Surrender if you don't want to die too!"
"You dare betray us!!"
Misunderstanding the young man's words, the Mangod Tribe warrior drew his weapon in rage.
But the method of revenge he chose was somehow flawed.
"Kill them!!"
No sooner had he shouted than the Mangod Tribe warriors remaining in the village charged at the women and children among them.
Not those native to the Mangod Tribe, but women and children from tribes subjugated in the past.
"No!!!"
The moment most of the captured prisoners cried out in despair.
Slish!
With a chilling slicing sound, the bodies of those who chose vile revenge were severed.
Whiiiiiish!!
Immediately after, sharp arrows flew, avoiding the women and children, piercing the warriors' hearts and heads.
"The Zarchgud chieftain's words were true."
As Il-mok muttered coldly while swiftly swinging Ascension Sword to slaughter the warriors in an instant.
"Slay the villains!"
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors, Jin Ha-yeon, and Joo Seo-yeon charged at the surviving Mangod Tribe warriors.
* * *
After the battle, which was close to a massacre, ended.
The young nomad man knelt before Il-mok and said.
"Thank you for saving my family, Bat'ar. As promised, I will stake my life on any task you command."
At the man's words, Il-mok clicked his tongue lightly and said.
"Tch. Not Bat'ar, call me the Incarnation of Maitreya."
"I shall, Incarnation of Maitreya."
The young man's attitude had become utterly reverent.
Il-mok gave him instructions.
"First and foremost, you must convert to our Maitreya Illuminated Cult. From this moment, you must follow the doctrines of our Maitreya Illuminated Cult."
"I shall."
Like other nomads, he had followed the Tengri faith his entire life, yet he answered resolutely without a shred of hesitation.
"Second, as followers of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult, you must settle here and aid our trade efforts."
The reason for Il-mok's second command was simple.
Turn your head sideways from the pasture where the Mangod Tribe had been stationed, and about a day's journey away stood the massive mountain range.
The entrance to the natural fortress called Heavenly Myriad Mountains.
Just as with the Ohallak Tribe, Il-mok planned to turn this place into an outpost for trade.
Once more, the young man replied with a reverent attitude.
"I shall."
A brief silence fell.
Sensing something off, the man glanced up, and the Incarnation of Maitreya was looking down at him wordlessly.
"What shall we do next?"
When the man asked, Il-mok replied indifferently.
"That's it."
"?????"
The man's eyes shook violently.
It felt utterly anticlimactic.
As the man showed signs of confusion, Il-mok chuckled.
"Now that you're a follower of our Maitreya Illuminated Cult, I'll teach you the most important first doctrine. Our Maitreya Illuminated Cult is dedicated to slaying villains who torment the innocent and protecting the diligent and kind-hearted."
"Aaah...."
At Il-mok's words, the man looked up at him with deep emotion.
It was a gaze Il-mok was quite familiar with.
'Hmm. Feels like I succeeded in proselytizing pretty easily.'
Looking down at the man, Il-mok thought he had done well to spare them.
'As expected, living kindly brings blessings.'
It was a moment when he wanted to praise himself for choosing inclusion over slaughter.
"Heh heh. Soon, I'll send people from our Maitreya Illuminated Cult here, so learn the Central Plains language and our doctrines from them, then work for the faith."
They didn't know yet.
That the followers of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult—namely, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—were being ground down by the wheels of endless tasks.
* * *
After cleaning up all traces of the battle, Il-mok and his group rested one night in that village.
And the next day.
Il-mok, the three women, and Ohallak prepared to depart with ten warriors.
The ten Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors were left behind in case of any mishaps.
In case they might turn, as a precaution.
Meanwhile, in that village, about seventy women and children native to the Mangod Tribe were separated and gathered in one corner.
"Whatever you decide for their treatment, if anyone lays a hand on them for revenge, they will be executed according to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult's laws."
At Il-mok's order, the young man who had become the village's representative—Kaisan of the Kiyat Tribe—bowed deeply and replied.
"I will ensure no such thing happens."
As Il-mok finished his warning and turned to leave, Kaisan hurriedly spoke up.
"Incarnation of Maitreya. I have something to say, if I may."
"Speak."
"Is the Incarnation of Maitreya's goal to cross into the Western Regions?"
"Indeed."
At Il-mok's answer, Kaisan hesitated a moment before cautiously speaking.
"If I may be so bold, the path to the Western Regions seems extremely perilous. Due to the mighty and brutal Oirat Tribe in the distant northwest."
The familiar name jogged Il-mok's memory, and he soon recalled where he had heard it.
'The tribe the Black Tiger Leader mentioned.'
Since the Black Tiger Squad's original mission was to patrol Heavenly Myriad Mountains and guard the north, their leader, Goo Yang-hyeok, knew the major nomadic tribes.
'Hmm. I think he said they were located in the northern part of Heavenly Myriad Mountains.'
It was quite a distance from the eastern entrance Il-mok was targeting.
While Il-mok recalled, Kaisan spoke again.
"Lately, the Oirat Tribe has been expanding, and even the Mangod Tribe was pushed back here by them."
"Are they that powerful? Enough to worry this Incarnation of Maitreya?"
"...If I may be so bold, the Oirat Tribe's Kagan is also a warrior called 'Bat'ar. Since he reached a high realm and began moving in earnest, the Oirat Tribe's territory has been growing steadily."
It was unexpected but important information.
'Not immediately, but if their territory expands further, it could become a problem someday.'
Il-mok thought he should report this to his master.
* * *
With Kaisan's advice concluded, Il-mok and his group left the village.
Having cleared the path to Heavenly Myriad Mountains, their role as the vanguard was complete.
Thus, they returned to Nanzhou to gather goods for trade and embark on the full merchant journey.
Thanks to the ten newly converted steppe warriors serving as coachmen, guides, and night watchmen, they could retrace their path relatively comfortably.
Upon arriving in Nanzhou, Il-mok met with Goo Yang-moon.
"I'm sorry, Young Master. Since my wife isn't alone anymore, I had to come by myself."
"Hahaha. Well done. Team Leader Dam should rest now too. Young Master Goo will soon be a father."
"Hahaha. Becoming a father feels strangely surreal."
"Young Master Goo will do well. Oh, calling a soon-to-be father 'Young Master' might be an issue now."
"Thanks to you, Young Master, I can become a father, so call me whatever is comfortable."
After a warm exchange with Goo Yang-moon, Il-mok got to the point.
"How are the preparations I mentioned last time?"
"I've gathered as many goods as possible to sell in the Western Regions. I've also prepared rice and wheat to send to Xinjiang, along with foods that can be stored long-term."
"Have you selected the personnel for proselytizing?"
"Yes. Only the most devout, so they will spread the name of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult even in the northern steppes."
Il-mok smiled in satisfaction at Goo Yang-moon's response.
'Indeed, unlike his usual behavior, he's quite capable.'
He had only lost his mind around Jin Ha-yeon's matters since the old days. His abilities were outstanding.
The flaw was just too big to see the merits clearly.
But now, having found stability with Dam Bin, his competence was shining through.
"No need to delay, so depart tomorrow."
With that, Il-mok handed Goo Yang-moon the items he had brought.
"And this is the horn and tendons of a spirit mountain goat I luckily caught in the north."
"To find such a rare spirit beast, as expected of you, Young Master."
"Just luck. Actually, I'd appreciate if you could find a craftsman who can make good use of this horn and tendons."
"A craftsman? What kind?"
"Find a bowyer. I want a very sturdy and powerful bow made using this spirit beast's horn and tendons."
Il-mok's temporary solution for Jeong-hyeon was simple.
If advancing in realm until Transcending Demon wouldn't make her much stronger, just make her weapon stronger.
Like how Il-mok himself had grown stronger after obtaining Ascension Sword.