Chapter 363
Chapter 363
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 363
>Chapter Title: Truth (3)
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“Th-then, can the alliance be maintained now?”
Il-mok nodded at Jeong-hyeon’s question.
“The possibility of maintaining the alliance has emerged. Now that a massive enemy in the form of the Imperial Court has appeared.”
No matter how much the Central Plains’ righteous sects claimed to be untouchable by the government, they didn’t view the Imperial Court as an ‘enemy.’
But if it was revealed that the Imperial Court had plotted to massacre the martial artists first, they would have no choice but to resist the court just to survive.
The maidservants, who had finally shown expressions of understanding at Il-mok’s explanation, soon tilted their heads in confusion.
As Il-mok had said, the dilemma seemed clearly resolved. So why had he worn such a complicated expression until just moments ago?
“Then what’s troubling you?”
“P-perhaps you’re w-worried about how to d-deal with the m-massive enemy that is the Imperial Court?”
As Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a and Jeong-hyeon took turns asking questions, Il-mok answered.
“I’m pondering when and how to reveal this fact.”
“C-can’t you just s-send a letter to inform them?”
Il-mok shook his head at Jeong-hyeon’s question.
“To mention the Imperial Court’s conspiracy, we must also reveal that Deung-bi, the former head of the Elder Council, was an imperial spy. On top of that, the Alliance Leader’s letter was written in the Eastern Depot’s code. To decipher it, we’d have to disclose the records of the Shadow Pavilion’s pursuit of the Eastern Depot as well. In the end, discussing this conspiracy means exposing our true identity.”
Only then did the maidservants grasp exactly what Il-mok’s concern was.
Words could differ by a single ‘ah’ or ‘eo,’ and they were interpreted differently based on the listener’s situation or mood.
From the perspective of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which had already deceived the alliance forces, revealing the truth and winning them over as allies required disclosing it at the most opportune moment.
Announcing it rashly could shatter the alliance with their own hands.
At that moment, Jin Ha-yeon, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, posed a question.
“Young Master, why are you so fixated on an alliance with those hypocritical righteous secters? Is it for our Divine Cult? Or could it be because of that woman from the Hwangbo family?”
Il-mok, momentarily stunned by her unexpected question, soon burst into laughter.
“Hahaha. Lady Jin, it seems you’re truly nearing the Transcending Demon realm now. To think you’d make such a joke.”
At Il-mok’s laughter, Jin Ha-yeon merely wore an impassive expression.
As Il-mok said, her cultivation had approached the Transcending Demon stage, and her emotions had revived to some extent.
But she hadn’t meant it as a joke. If anything, it was closer to anxiety or jealousy.
Unaware of her inner thoughts, Il-mok suppressed his laughter and continued.
“Of course it’s for the Divine Cult. If we reveal the truth and must sustain the alliance through marriage, the one marrying the Hwangbo family’s daughter wouldn’t be me, but our Cult Leader and eldest senior brother, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah….”
Only then did Jin Ha-yeon realize she had overlooked that point, letting out a faint exclamation. Though subtle, her face flushed ever so slightly.
It was embarrassment at herself for unwittingly letting emotions cloud her judgment and asking a foolish question.
But Jin Ha-yeon’s reaction didn’t stand out much. The other maidservants hadn’t considered that aspect either, so they showed even greater responses.
Seeing their reactions, Il-mok scratched his head.
‘…Did they all think I was clinging to the alliance because of Hwangbo Se-hee?’
Feeling somewhat awkward, Il-mok tossed out a light jest.
“Truth be told, I have considered this matter. Since my eldest senior brother is still unmarried, perhaps solidifying the alliance through marriage wouldn’t be bad. But it’s meaningless since he can’t marry a Daoist or a beggar.”
“Nothing but the Hwangbo family would be feasible for marriage.”
“So that’s the issue.”
Having appropriately lightened the mood, Il-mok casually turned his head to gaze out the window, muttering to himself.
“I wish some trace of the Blood Cult would turn up.”
If evidence emerged that the Blood Cult hadn’t collapsed, revealing the truth about the Imperial Court would become much easier.
They could strengthen the alliance under the pretext of the Blood Cult, and Il-mok’s credibility would rise from exposing the Blood Cult’s zombies as fakes.
* * *
Somewhere in the Central Plains. The cave serving as both the storage for the Heavenly Blood Corpses and the Blood Cult Leader’s hideout.
“How fare the followers?”
At the Blood Cult Leader’s question, the subordinate who had come to report prostrated himself on the ground and replied.
“They are all hiding in silence, obeying Your Holiness’s command.”
“Good. Until those hypocritical righteous secters start slaughtering each other. Until my command comes down, they must not move under any circumstances. Understood?”
“I shall warn them once more most sternly.”
At the subordinate’s response, the Blood Cult Leader ground his teeth and stared beyond the cave.
He had originally planned to lie low for a while, but not to hide this thoroughly.
Yet, rumors had begun circulating throughout the Central Plains that ‘the Blood Cult still lives.’
Frightened by this, the Blood Cult Leader had issued strict warnings to all followers: do not act rashly.
After hiding and enduring while gradually gathering information on the Central Plains for some time.
Recently, the Blood Cult had finally uncovered the source of those rumors.
“Maitreya Illuminated Cult….”
The Blood Cult Leader muttered lowly, as if crushing the words, his bloodshot eyes blazing with mingled murderous intent and bloodlust.
The rumors currently spreading through the Central Plains had originated from the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
No, it wasn’t just this once.
Looking back, every scheme of the Blood Cult had been thwarted by that Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
In particular, they had ruined the plot against the Four Sichuan Wanderers that should have been a grand festival.
However, not all news reaching the Blood Cult was negative.
Rumors had also come of conflict between the Martial Alliance Leader, Cheok Pae-myeong, and that self-proclaimed incarnation from the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
Most delightfully, those two were the Blood Cult Leader’s greatest enemies.
“The day those two wage war—that shall herald the Blood Cult’s glorious revival. I shall quench my thirst with their blood and complete the Heavenly Blood Corpses!!”
* * *
A few days later.
Il-mok drafted several letters.
One was for the head branch of Singang, while the others were for the Hwangbo family, Qingcheng Sect, Wudang Sect, and Beggars’ Sect respectively.
The maidservants and Seo Wan-pyeong watched the scene, and Seo Wan-pyeong stepped forward to ask Il-mok.
“Have you made your decision?”
“Yes. The Imperial Court must know by now that they’ve lost the letter, so dragging this out won’t be good for us either.”
In Il-mok’s view, if the Imperial Court moved in earnest, hiding the connection between the Maitreya Illuminated Cult and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would be nearly impossible.
He had waited a few more days hoping for Blood Cult traces to emerge, but he couldn’t wait indefinitely.
Jin Ha-yeon, who had been listening to their exchange, asked Il-mok.
“If they don’t believe you, Young Master, what then?”
At her question about the alliance falling apart, Il-mok gave a bitter smile and replied.
“I’m thinking of abandoning this place and withdrawing. Holding out here and fighting the righteous sects would be no different from aiding the Imperial Court.”
Now that they knew the court was aiming to profit from mutual destruction, this was unavoidable.
Seo Wan-pyeong and the maidservants, aware of this, looked at Il-mok with bitter expressions.
“It’s heartbreaking that you must abandon a place you toiled to build.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that, senior brother.”
Nodding, Seo Wan-pyeong extended his right hand and said.
“Entrust the letter for eldest senior brother to me. I was planning to stop by the head branch anyway.”
“With senior brother stepping in, I feel truly secure.”
Il-mok handed Seo Wan-pyeong the letter for the head branch.
After Seo Wan-pyeong departed with the letter, Il-mok summoned the Maitreya Illuminated Cult warriors and distributed the four letters among them.
As they scattered to various parts of the Central Plains to deliver Il-mok’s letters.
A group of about a dozen was crossing the northern border of Shaanxi Province into the northern grasslands.
Upon entering the northern grasslands, they veered westward.
In the grassland areas near Shaanxi at first, they encountered ordinary nomadic villages, but after several days’ travel westward, they came upon nomads who had submitted to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
Just like those who had previously infiltrated the northern grasslands disguised as merchants.
But their method differed from before.
“Kill half and subdue half. Especially capture that tent-dwelling bastard alive.”
Instead of cautiously gathering information, they opted for violence.
They entered a nomadic village to rest for the night, then suddenly drew their weapons and charged at the nomads.
The nomads, caught off guard, swung spears and curved swords in resistance, but they were no match.
Slash.
The nomads’ curved swords and spears, swung in vain, were effortlessly severed by weapons infused with sword qi or saber qi.
Along with the bodies of the nomads wielding them.
“Everyone, evacuate!!”
As warriors fell dead one after another, the startled chieftain hurriedly began loading children onto horses.
Nomadic children learned to ride from a young age, so even the young ones could flee far if mounted.
But before even half the children could escape.
Slash.
The warriors blocking the enemies were all cut down, rolling across the ground.
“Maitreya has come. Salvation for all.”
The Maitreya Illuminated Cult missionary aiding the chieftain in evacuating the children realized things had gone wrong, recited the final slogan, and ground his teeth.
Crunch.
The poison pellet always kept between his teeth shattered, and toxin slid down his throat.
“Gah….”
As he collapsed vomiting blood, the expressions of those rushing to capture him alive twisted.
“Damn it!!”
While those clad in wind-rider robes bellowed in fury, the elder who had given the order snapped sharply.
“What are you doing! Don’t chase the fleeing ones!”
Despite his age, his voice rang out clear and shrill, like that of someone who had never undergone puberty.
At the elder’s command, the subordinates deployed lightness skill on horseback to pursue the escaped children, while the elder remained alone in the village to watch the survivors.
Flick.
Each time the elder flicked a finger into the air, surviving women and children in the village collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
He hadn’t killed them. He had sealed their acupoints with flicking finger technique.
After about an hour, those who had pursued the children returned with their captures.
“Have you caught them all?”
At the question, a man hesitated briefly before answering.
“…The first child to flee had too great a lead; we couldn’t catch up.”
No sooner had he finished than the elder slapped his cheek.
Smack!
“Incompetents.”
Having struck one man as representative, the elder swept his gaze over the rest and said.
“The punishment for this failure will come after the mission, lest it hinder our task. If you don’t wish punishment, perform greater feats. Understood?”
“Yes, Eunuch!”
No sooner had they replied than the elder called Eunuch issued an order.
“Investigate the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.”
At his command, the subordinates immediately began the torture, eyes blazing.
The screams of agony from the captured children who failed to escape and the women left in the village echoed ceaselessly across the vast plains.
Even torturing children and women, they showed not a shred of pity or hesitation.
In the Imperial Court, executions for a single wrong word or misstep were routine regardless of age or gender—and these very men were the ones who seized on such slips to perpetrate torture and murder.