Chapter 372
Chapter 372
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 372
>Chapter Title: Who is the Evil One? (2)
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The middle-aged man named Won-gyu had spent his entire life as a native of Golang County in Gansu Province.
When he was forced into debt by the Black Dao thugs of the Red Silk Room and his daughter was about to be sold off in his place, it was the Maitreya Divine Cult that came to his rescue.
After that, Won-gyu became a devout follower of the Maitreya Divine Cult and was now being cared for by the very daughter who had nearly been sold away, his arm broken.
"Those damn evil Taoists..."
As his daughter muttered to herself, tears welling in her eyes while tending to her father, Won-gyu put on a stern expression.
"Hey now. You never know who's listening, so be careful."
At her father's words, she turned her head sorrowfully and gazed out the window.
Several Taoists clad in plum blossom-patterned robes were periodically patrolling the streets of Golang County.
While most of the Mount Hua Sect Taoists, having finished their pillaging and torture, had moved on to other counties, some remained behind to monitor the residents.
"If only those people had stayed..."
She murmured the words she couldn't voice aloud in her mind, and the image that surfaced was that of a masked man.
The woman the village elders called Lady Won. Six years ago, Won So-cheong had been on the verge of suffering a horrific fate at the hands of the Red Silk Room's leader.
And on that very day, the masked man had repelled the leader and saved her.
Recalling that day, Won So-cheong prayed daily. Praying that he would return and save them once more.
Just then, a rough shout from a Taoist echoed from beyond the window.
"D-Demonic cult bastards!!"
Startled by the cry, Won So-cheong rushed to the window and peered outside.
Slash.
What met her eyes was the sight of a young man's swung sword severing a Taoist's neck.
It was a truly gruesome scene, yet for some reason, her first thought was one of exhilaration.
Her own father had been beaten like that, and the Taoists had killed or crippled the villagers. Her hatred was too deep to feel sorrow at the sight of one of those bastards collapsing dead.
"Father! They've come back!"
Turning to Won-gyu and shouting that, Won So-cheong supported her father and stepped out of the house.
Just then, a group was approaching the young man who had just cut down two Taoists.
"Young Master, we've dealt with all the remaining Mount Hua Sect Taoists in the village."
As the cold-faced woman reported to the young man, Won So-cheong instinctively realized it.
That young man was the very masked savior who had rescued her.
"Maitreya has arrived! Salvation for all!!"
She bowed deeply, her voice rising from the heart.
She wasn't the only one.
Whether drawn by the commotion from the dying Mount Hua Taoists, people began pouring out from all over the village, bowing to them one by one.
The young man watched the scene for a moment. Then Il-mok spoke in a calm tone.
"Now you all know, don't you? We are people of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, even before we are of the Maitreya Divine Cult."
As the villagers hesitated at Il-mok's words, Won So-cheong bowed again and shouted.
"Heavenly Demon has arrived! Blessings upon ten thousand demons!!"
Thanks to her devout faith in the Maitreya Divine Cult, she was one of the followers who had attended the faith training institute and already learned the true identity of the Maitreya Divine Cult.
Ironically, at the institute, she had been so intoxicated by faith that she accepted their teachings unconditionally, but now it was different.
The instructors at the faith training institute had taught that the Heavenly Demon was a being who ruled all the evils of the world with the evil of violence.
'Ah... how true that is.'
The sight of that man just now executing the villains who had tormented the villagers perfectly matched the doctrine.
"Heavenly Demon has arrived! Blessings upon ten thousand demons!!"
Intoxicated by the doctrine, she shouted the slogan again, and the villagers, one by one, were moved to bow to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors.
"Heavenly Demon has arrived!! Blessings upon ten thousand demons!!"
At the devout sight of the Golang County residents, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors nodded with somewhat stirred expressions or smiled contentedly.
At that moment, Won-gyu, who had been bowing with one broken arm, bellowed loudly.
"Heavenly Demon! The wicked Mount Hua Sect Taoists who tormented the common folk have all moved north!!"
At Won-gyu's ignorant shout, Il-mok gestured to calm the warriors and replied.
"First, I am not the Heavenly Demon. Second, thank you for informing us of the Mount Hua Sect Taoists' movements."
As Won-gyu tried to bow again with his broken arm at Il-mok's response, Il-mok quickly approached and stopped him.
"Your heart is enough. We must now pursue the Mount Hua Sect Taoists, so everyone, rest easy."
To allow the ailing commoners to rest comfortably, Il-mok turned and left Golang County.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors followed Il-mok north.
"We'll head to Wui County next."
"Understood!"
The warriors responded to Il-mok's order.
In truth, even without Won-gyu's shout, Il-mok and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors already knew the Mount Hua Sect Taoists had gone north.
The reason they had come first to Golang County, close to Nanzhou despite Shin River being nearer to the north, was twofold.
First, to wipe out the Mount Hua Sect in one fell swoop, and second, to avoid the righteous faction's main force.
If they cleared from the north and moved south, they risked encountering the righteous main force advancing north from Nanzhou.
Likewise, if they started attacks from the north, and the Mount Hua Sect leader fled south, they might miss him while evading the righteous main force.
Thus, Il-mok and the warriors had traveled from Shin River to Gansu’s Golang County via remote mountain paths with little traffic.
It was a choice possible only because they had controlled Gansu for years and were familiar with the terrain.
* * *
Around that time, two groups arrived in Nanzhou of Gansu Province.
One group consisted of bald monks in orange robes, the other in unified blue robes embroidered with the characters for [Azure Heaven].
The news that they were approaching the scripture hall—which had been the Maitreya Divine Cult's holy site but was now the righteous faction main force's residence—drew Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong out to greet them with a pleased face.
"Venerable One! Namgung family head! Thank you for coming."
As Cheok Pae-myeong greeted them with a fist salute, Venerable One Grandmaster Gonghwan recited a Buddhist invocation with palms together, and Namgung Jin, the Namgung family head called Sword Venerable, returned the salute.
"Amitabha."
"Long time no see, Alliance Leader."
Both were masters among the top five in the Central Plains, fitting their epithets—alongside Cheok Pae-myeong and the Tai Chi Sword Immortal.
After welcoming Shaolin and the Namgung family, Cheok Pae-myeong led Venerable One and the Namgung head inside the scripture hall.
Upon reaching the hall being used as the temporary Alliance Leader's quarters, Gong Son-hyeon arrived and briefly explained recent events.
"So, we'll wait here a few more days until reinforcements arrive, then advance on Shin River."
At Gong Son-hyeon's explanation, Namgung Jin looked bored, while Venerable One recited an invocation with a regretful expression.
"Tch. Must be dull."
"Facing the great evil of the demonic cult, yet pursuing personal gain. Truly lamentable, Amitabha."
After the brief meeting, Venerable One and the Namgung family head returned to their own followers.
"I don't know about Venerable One, but I'm worried about how the Namgung family head will act."
At Chief Strategist Gong Son-hyeon's words, Cheok Pae-myeong nodded.
If the Namgung family started acting as selfishly as Mount Hua or Zhongnan, it would cause no end of headaches.
"Sigh. We need to advance on Shin River as quickly as possible before we scatter even more."
And the next day.
To Cheok Pae-myeong, who was growing impatient in hopes of gathering allies faster, astonishing news arrived.
"Alliance Leader! It's the demonic cult!! The demonic cult bastards massacred Mount Hua Taoists in Golang County!!
* * *
Around the time the news of the demonic cult's attack reached the Martial Alliance.
Il-mok and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors had already passed Wui County and were nearing Jinchang County.
It meant they would need to ride horseback without rest for a full day to arrive.
Upon soon reaching Jinchang County, they did as they had in Golang and Wui, executing the Taoists remaining there.
The commoners who had been tormented by the Mount Hua Taoists welcomed them.
"Heavenly Demon has arrived! Blessings upon ten thousand demons!!"
After observing the scene briefly, Il-mok issued orders to the warriors.
"Divide into shifts and take turns resting."
They had secretly traversed remote mountain paths from Hapmil to Golang County, then pressed on without rest, heading north from Golang to Jinchang while cutting down Mount Hua Sect Taoists.
Even the sturdiest warriors were starting to tire.
At Il-mok's command, as the warriors began securing inn rooms or preparing to camp outside if none were available, the residents jumped forward in alarm.
"W-We have one spare room at our house!"
The residents offered even rooms they didn't have to help them.
They even brought out whatever food they could to the resting Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors.
Thanks to the commoners' aid, they rested comfortably for the day, and the next morning, they departed Jinchang County with refreshed bodies.
Moving toward the Shin River area, they visited every village and county there, executing Mount Hua Sect Taoists, and by dawn the following day, they reached Juchun County.
Juchun County was a key waypoint connected west to Dunhuang toward Shin River and north to the nomadic grasslands.
When the Maitreya Divine Cult controlled Gansu, the Heavenly Mandate Merchant Group had made final preparations in Juchun County before heading to the northern plains.
And now, the Mount Hua Sect leader, frantic to reclaim what the Maitreya Divine Cult had taken, was staying right there in Juchun County.
As Il-mok surveyed the scene of Juchun County under faint moonlight, he gestured, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors infiltrated under cover of darkness.
While the warriors split into pairs and scattered throughout Juchun County, Il-mok headed straight for a certain place.
Compared to other Central Plains cities, the somewhat underdeveloped Juchun County had one tavern that exuded a relatively upscale air.
Arriving before the tavern called 'Huangxian Pavilion', Il-mok unleashed Void Step and soared straight to the top floor, the fourth level.
Slash!
Il-mok's light sword swing tore through the window, and his shadow stretched long into the interior, backlighted by the moonlight.
There, an old Taoist was hastily rising from his bed, reaching for his sword.
As screams, shouts, and the clash of weapons began echoing throughout Juchun County, the startled old Taoist bellowed.
"W-Who the hell are you!!"
At Mount Hua Sect Leader Mok Seon-ja's shout, Il-mok smirked openly.
"Pathetic. After tormenting the commoners in our name, now you ask who I am?"
"D-Demonic cult bastard!!"
The moment Mok Seon-ja grasped Il-mok's identity and shouted.
"Sect Leader!!"
Those who noticed the attack flung open the door to the sect leader's room.
They were Mount Hua's renowned masters, the so-called Plum Blossom Sword Guards.
But despite their intrusion, Il-mok unleashed lightness skill and dove straight for the Mount Hua Sect Leader first.
"You bastard!!"
In his shock, Mok Seon-ja circulated the Mount Hua Sect Leader's signature Violet Haze Divine Art.
Right after Il-mok's Soaring Heaven Sword clashed with Mok Seon-ja's sword shrouded in purple energy.
Boom!!
With the explosion, Mok Seon-ja was flung back, vomiting blood violently.
"Cough..."
It wasn't a flaw in the Violet Haze Divine Art. The gap in their realms was too vast; he couldn't withstand the immense power behind the Soaring Heaven Sword.
Though Il-mok had inflicted internal injuries on Mok Seon-ja in one exchange, he clicked his tongue with a disappointed expression.
"Tch."
By now, seven Plum Blossom Sword Guards had surrounded him, swinging their swords.
"Execute that demonic scum at once!!"
Mok Seon-ja, bounced back in one clash, roared with a flustered face.