Chapter 308
Chapter 308
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 308
>Chapter Title: God (2)
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The next day.
Il-mok set out from Lanzhou with his group.
When they had first crossed into the north, there had only been about twenty people. Now, more than fifty were traveling together.
There were goods to sell in the western regions and food to send to Xinjiang.
With so much to transport, the number of wagons had increased dramatically, and naturally, so had the number of escorts.
After several days of repeated travel toward the northwest.
They arrived at a nomadic village they had visited before.
Was it because dozens of wagons and dozens of people had flooded in?
The nomads, who had initially eyed Il-mok's group with wary and suspicious glances, belatedly recognized familiar faces and greeted them.
"Heh heh. So you were truly preparing to trade with the western regions."
"Hahaha. Just like last time, we're thinking of resting here for a day and moving on."
In response to Il-mok's reply, the chieftain looked troubled.
"Staying the night is no issue, but with so many guests, we don't have enough food to offer."
"Don't worry. We've brought simple provisions ourselves. Still, meat would be preferable, so how about selling us just one sheep? We'll pay handsomely."
"That should be manageable."
After hashing out the details with the chieftain, Il-mok subtly revealed his true purpose.
"By the way, didn't you just say you're short on food? Eating only livestock meat every day must get tiresome. Surely you could use some rice or wheat, or even dried fruit?"
"...It would be nice if we had some, but all we have to trade are livestock meat, wool, and hides."
"Hahaha. Given our history, I won't charge you. I just need you to meet a few conditions."
"...I'll hear what those conditions are first before deciding."
"Hahaha. It's nothing major. We'll be using this route often, so I'd like to entrust a few people to your tribe. Think of the food we're providing as payment for their keep."
The chieftain pondered Il-mok's proposal for a moment before nodding.
"That's not a bad deal."
"Hahaha. Wise choice. Oh, and we'll be passing through here frequently from our Mireuk Divine Cult, but I might not always be present. We'll provide food each time we trade, so in exchange, could you teach these people your language? In return, those staying here will teach you the Central Plains tongue and tend to any minor illnesses."
The promise of steady trade visits and food offerings convinced the chieftain without hesitation.
And the next morning.
Il-mok and his group rested for a day before departing the nomadic village.
Leaving behind one chest and five people.
A nomadic man approached the five, who stood around blankly.
"Teach our words."
His speech was quite halting, with only a few words at his disposal, but he was the best in the village at the Central Plains language.
For about half a shichen, the man taught them the nomads' script and tongue, and for another half, the five from the Mireuk Divine Cult taught him the Central Plains language.
Once this simple language lesson ended, a middle-aged man spoke to the nomad.
"I'm a physician. This is the nurse. Tell us if anyone's unwell."
He pointed to himself and the woman beside him as he displayed his acupuncture needles.
Perhaps because the advance party had treated patients before. Nomads flocked to him for checkups.
While the physician examined each one and the nurse assisted.
The remaining three chatted with the nomads waiting in line.
"We are Mi. Reuk. Divine. Cult."
"Please take care of us going forward."
They attempted conversation with gestures, slipping in mentions of the Mireuk Divine Cult's name and doctrines midway.
After the treatments concluded, they distributed food from the chest Il-mok had left behind.
"Hahaha. In our Mireuk Divine Cult, we offer prayers when exchanging gifts."
"Now, repeat after us. Maitreya's Arrival! Salvation for All Beings!"
The nomads who received the food mimicked their words in strange, awkward pronunciations.
Was it because they had treated illnesses and shared food?
The nomads reciprocated by sharing their own provisions, and they all enjoyed dinner together.
Once the communal meal ended.
The woman who had been carrying a pipa on her back took it in hand and began playing.
"Glo~ rious glory Mireuk Divi~ ne~ Cult~"
Along with the hymn that had echoed endlessly in Gansu Province.
To support her, the nurse joined in the hymn, and the physician and the other two men sang along awkwardly.
The other two men were Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors assigned for any eventualities.
Was it because all five sang together? Or the hymn's uniquely addictive rhythm?
A few days later, the nomads found themselves humming the hymn without realizing it.
While women cooked, or men herded livestock to water and grass.
Even though they couldn't pronounce it properly or grasp the lyrics' meaning, the words spilled from their lips.
"Glo~ rious eternal Mireuk Cul~ t!"
Gradually, the hymn of the Mireuk Divine Cult began to echo across the northern grasslands.
* * *
After stopping at nomadic villages every two days or so—leaving chests and people behind—Il-mok and his group finally reached the former Mangold tribe's village, now an outpost.
By the time they arrived, their numbers had dwindled to about half the original count.
'I hope they're all managing well.'
As he thought of the missionary-like figures left at each village.
Kaisan of the Khiyat tribe, now the outpost's leader, bowed to him.
"I see the incarnation of Maitreya."
"No issues in the meantime?"
"Thanks to those you left behind, we've had no major problems."
After receiving Kaisan's report, Il-mok stayed the night there before heading west, just as before—leaving behind a few missionaries.
Accompanied by seventy women and children from the original Mangold tribe.
After a day's travel, they reached the eastern foothills of the Heavenly Myriad Mountains, rested there, then crossed into Xinjiang via the gentler slopes.
Once in Xinjiang, travel eased as it was Heavenly Demon Divine Cult territory.
After stopping at villages along Xinjiang over several days in relative comfort, they arrived at the main headquarters.
Having completed half the journey, Il-mok headed to the Heavenly Demon Hall to report.
"Thus, rather than crossing the Tianshan North Road, I plan to use only the northern grasslands up to the eastern foothills of the Heavenly Myriad Mountains from Gansu."
"Hmm. So you're opting for a temporary measure?"
"Yes, Master. As trade grows, word will inevitably spread that the Mireuk Divine Cult is trading with the west. Even if we claim no ties to our Divine Cult, that alone will draw packs of jackals."
"Better to maximize trade while they're distracted than waste effort deceiving them."
"Exactly, Master."
The Heavenly Demon pondered briefly.
Expend more effort deceiving the enemy, or half-deceive them and focus on trade.
It was impossible to know the right answer right now.
Thus, he nodded with a convinced expression.
"Do as you see fit."
Given what Il-mok had accomplished so far, he intended to trust and delegate.
"By the way, you brought quite a few women and children."
As the Heavenly Demon smoothly shifted topics, Il-mok recounted the northern events.
"From my experiences up north, 'Bat'ar' seems to refer to a sea of corpses."
Having heard about the Zarjchigod tribe and the Blood Cult's jiangshi, the Heavenly Demon frowned momentarily.
"To go all the way north for corpses of the dead to make jiangshi. Using Lady Blood Slaughter Heavenly Demon's secret chamber, no less. No matter how I think about it, those worm-like scum are unforgivable."
Il-mok let out a hollow laugh at the Heavenly Demon's low mutter.
'Our ways of thinking are truly different.'
He had worried upon hearing of jiangshi made from peak experts' corpses, but it seemed the offense was their lowly conduct.
"I've instructed those operating as the Mireuk Divine Cult to focus more on monitoring the Central Plains and Blood Cult."
After finishing the Blood Cult report, Il-mok continued with the spirit beast capture, the Mangold tribe anecdote, and finally the Oirat tribe.
"The Oirat tribe... With our focus on Xinjiang and Gansu lately, surveillance must have lapsed. To think they've grown so much in the interim."
After a moment's reflection, the Heavenly Demon spoke.
"I'll send additional personnel north. They seem poised to disrupt your plans, so we need to bolster surveillance."
Il-mok smiled wryly.
'I don't know where they'll pull them from, but the rest will be stretched even thinner.'
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was already short-staffed from rapid expansion, so more scouts meant fewer elsewhere.
But now wasn't the time to worry about others.
Il-mok himself was busy shuttling between the west and Gansu.
"Finally, the seventy women and children who came with me this time are from the Mangold tribe. Like the slaves from the west, how about teaching them our doctrines to help with labor?"
He was about to dump more hellish work on the Demonic Cult Affairs Pavilion.
"Heh heh heh. I'll summon Jin-hak, so you can tell him yourself."
"...I need to head west to sell the goods from Gansu, so I'm planning to leave headquarters immediately."
Il-mok had a bad feeling that running into his eldest or sixth senior brother now might lead to a deathmatch.
* * *
Il-mok and his group fled headquarters and headed west.
Exiting Xinjiang via the desert path, they reached the grasslands where the Ohallak tribe had once lived.
Fences had been built there in the interim, and Black Tiger Unit members mingled with Ohallak tribesfolk.
"Long time no see, Black Tiger Unit Leader."
"Hahaha. You must have suffered going all the way to Gansu, Young Master Il-mok."
Gu Yang-hyeok, who welcomed Il-mok warmly, recounted recent events.
Mostly tales of nomads who had converted to the Huihui Cult raiding like bandits.
Gu Yang-hyeok looked utterly fed up with the Huihui Cult. He wasn't alone. Most there wore battle-weary faces.
Except for one.
"Hahaha! My martial arts seem to improve day by day here. Thank you so much for sending me, Young Master Il-mok."
A madman for battle. Dokgo Pae.
Even among the martial-obsessed Demonic Cult, Dokgo Pae was an extreme lunatic.
"Y-You mad bastard spouting nonsense again."
"Shut your mouth for once! Every time you blather, the Huihui Cult bastards come charging!"
The other Black Tiger Unit warriors glared murderously at Dokgo Pae, but none attacked.
"Hahaha! Sparring anytime, seniors!"
Likely due to his deranged response.
After resting a day at the outpost, Il-mok and his group headed west again.
Having already blazed the trade route once, no major incidents occurred.
Two bandit raids happened, but feeling routine here, Il-mok felt no particular stir.
Passing Samarkand, they reached Merv and sold five times the previous volume to local merchants.
Having reaped vast wealth in gold and silver, Il-mok bought a few slaves as before and returned to headquarters.
"Then, leave their training to the Demonic Cult Affairs Pavilion. I'll head back to Gansu, Master!"
He fled again, dodging Wi Jin-hak and Jong-ri Chu.
Thus, after nearly two months, Il-mok returned to Lanzhou in Gansu, where one piece of good news awaited.
"The bow made from the spirit beast's horn and tendons is complete, Young Master."
More precisely, welcome news for Jeong-hyeon.