Chapter 215
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Reforming the Divine Cult
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will now be reborn as a truly great and enlightened cult.”
“From the smallest perceptions to the very laws of this cult. I will change everything. So follow me well.”
“I will not accept any objections. Obey first, and if you have any complaints, submit them in writing.”
Immediately after becoming the Cult Leader,
Mu-heun began to reform the cult's administration.
The cult's roads, trade, agriculture and livestock, technology, and more.
This was everything Mu-heun had contemplated since the moment he first arrived at the cult,
and it was the reason he became its leader.
A request from his master, the Heavenly Demon.
The will of the first Heavenly Demon, which he had carried since he first entered the cult. He was finally bringing it to fruition.
"""We obey the command of the Cult Leader, the sky of our cult."""
A few stirred at Mu-heun's assertive demeanor.
However, no one dared to openly defy him.
His past achievements,
his immense power.
The powerful masters who supported him,
and his vast wisdom prevented it.
“That is all. I command that the reforms be carried out as I have written.”
Among these, there was one area Mu-heun changed with particular care.
The one thing he, the Divine Doctor in his past life, had poured his heart and soul into.
The medical system.
He established the Grand Enlightenment Palace's Medical Hall within the cult.
He created a system for managing medicinal herbs and pharmaceuticals.
Furthermore, he contacted every branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult throughout the Central Plains, starting with Xinjiang, and ordered them to engage in regular medical exchanges.
These medical exchanges consisted mainly of education and research.
First, the understanding of the human body.
This education was based on the anatomy Mu-heun had established in his previous life.
Second, the understanding of bodily physiological phenomena.
What constituted normal physiological activity in a living human.
How the various organs worked together to sustain life.
He taught this physiology and commanded continuous research.
Third, the understanding of diseases that affect the body.
Only after grasping normal physiological activity could one observe the abnormal.
Mu-heun created a systematically organized text on diseases, poisons, external injuries, and internal injuries from his past life, and distributed it to all the Medical Halls in the cult.
Fourth, the preparation and prescription of medicine.
Those who had mastered the understanding of bodily composition and physiological activity soon studied how diseases, poisons, and injuries worked.
Next, they researched what methods could be used to return abnormal physiological activity to a normal state.
This brought about an unprecedented development in medicine, and these exchanges soon expanded to the Central Plains.
After Mu-heun became the Cult Leader.
It took about a month to achieve these innovative reforms.
He performed the astonishing feat of processing an immense amount of work with incredible speed.
In the short span of a month, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult became a place worth living in.
The cultists praised Mu-heun with raised voices.
The warriors and scholars alike had no choice but to acknowledge him.
For Mu-heun was not only an absolute powerhouse,
but also a sage unprecedented in history.
Separately, Mu-heun treated Cheon Mu-jin with the utmost respect.
As the Grand Supreme Leader of the great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult,
and as the former leader whose days were numbered.
The Grand Supreme Leader, Cheon Mu-jin, died a week later.
Mu-heun gave him a respectful send-off.
On that day, everyone in the cult wore black.
***
Following the medical reforms, Mu-heun established several other similar systems.
The Grand Enlightenment Palace's Medical Hall.
The Grand Enlightenment Palace's Forge.
The Grand Enlightenment Palace's Academy.
The Grand Enlightenment Palace's Architectural Hall.
He only commanded continuous exchange for these four.
The rest were ordered to voluntarily create the most efficient systems for themselves.
Afterward, he also proceeded to merge and consolidate the cult's factions.
He left the Sacred Fire Palace as it was, but merged the cult's largest factions, the Killing Palace and the Law Palace, under the name Heavenly Palace.
The Heavenly Palace inherited the duties of both the Killing and Law Palaces, becoming the most powerful institution within and outside the cult, second only to the Cult Leader's Hall.
Furthermore, he appointed the Sword Demon, Cheon Jeong-mun, as the Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace,
and the Mad Demon, Wi Ryeon-gwang, as the Vice Palace Lord.
He entrusted the Blood Demon, Cheon Se-geuk, with the Dragon Demon Pavilion that Mu-heun had once led,
and the Dragon Demon Pavilion became the Blood Demon Pavilion.
And so the Sword Demon as Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace, the Mad Demon as Vice Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace, and the Blood Demon as Pavilion Lord of the Blood Demon Pavilion stood before Mu-heun.
On one knee, with fists clasped in a martial salute.
In Mu-heun's eyes.
These three were the most exceptional individuals in the cult.
That was why he had shown an overwhelming difference in skill during the tournament that day,
and why he had spared them when he could have killed them.
For men who were once candidates for Cult Leader,
there was no need for lengthy explanations.
Lying in the Medical Hall and observing the unfolding situation,
they would surely realize the truth and find their place.
“Senior Brothers. Have you been well?”
“Senior Brother, Cult Leader? That is too much. You need only address us by our titles. You are the benefactor who saved our lives. We are grateful enough for that, but to be appointed Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace... We will repay you with our loyalty.”
“That's right. You are no longer our junior brother, Cult Leader. You are the sky of our cult. I am now your subordinate, the Lord of the Blood Demon Pavilion.”
“Indeed. I, the Mad Demon, will serve you with all my loyalty to repay your grace.”
Mu-heun's prediction was correct.
There was no scent of falsehood in their words.
“How are things with the new changes?”
“We are handling everything according to the system you first established, Cult Leader.”
“When you first set up the system, we never imagined you would place undercover inspectors within the cult to prevent people from following it merely for show or in a haphazard manner.”
“By making an example of one to warn a hundred, most are now diligently following the system. As a result, everything is running smoothly.”
“Trade with the Central Plains is also proceeding smoothly. You handled things so well during your time as the Dragon Demon Pavilion Lord that there's nothing for us to fix. We can even communicate smoothly with the Orthodox Sects of the Central Plains... This is unprecedented in history.”
“Good. I've called you here today because there is something new I need you to do.”
“Please, command us anything.”
“First, I have one more thing to command of you, Lord Blood Demon. Please create a venue where the rising generation of our cult can gather, spar, and develop. This is a promise I made to them when I was the Dragon Demon Pavilion Lord.”
“Cheon Se-geuk, Lord of the Blood Demon Pavilion, accepts your command.”
“Also, have the rising generation periodically write down their innovative ideas on how the cult can further develop, and report them to me in a compiled document.”
“I accept your command.”
“And now, I will issue a command to the Palace Lord and Vice Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace.”
“Just give us the word.”
“Sword Demon, I want you to select warriors from the Killing Palace who are at the Transcendent level or higher and go to the Southern Jungles. And Mad Demon, you will go to the Northern Sea.”
“By the Southern Jungles, do you mean the Beast Palace?”
“That is correct. And by the Northern Sea, I mean the Ice Palace.”
Just then.
Mu-heun rose from his seat and gestured for the head of the Grand Enlightenment Palace's Medical Hall, the Demonic Doctor, to enter.
“Why do you all think the former Cult Leader passed away?”
“...”
The Sword Demon, Mad Demon, and Blood Demon could not speak.
They too had found this part strange.
But because the Radiant Heavenly Demon Unit and the Guardian Unit, who knew the truth, had remained silent, they could never find out.
“I will have my Demonic Doctor tell you the truth.”
Mu-heun called the Demonic Doctor and had him relay the details of his examination of the Grand Supreme Leader, Cheon Mu-jin, that day to his senior brothers.
The battle of the Grand Supreme Leader, Cheon Mu-jin.
The fact that he had suffered internal injuries from fighting the Rakshasa.
The truth of the threat that had spread not only to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but throughout the Central Plains.
“This is the situation. If the former Cult Leader had not stepped forward to protect the succession tournament, who knows what would have happened...”
“...”
The Sword Demon, Mad Demon, and Blood Demon were at a loss for words.
Setting aside whether his words were true or not,
it was difficult to grasp his intention for revealing this only now.
Just then.
Mu-heun spoke.
“There has been movement related to the Evil God in the Southern Jungles. Heavenly Palace Lord, please go to the Southern Jungles and investigate it. I will provide you with a warrior from the Southern Jungles to act as your guide.”
“...I accept the Cult Leader's command.”
The Sword Demon, Cheon Jeong-mun, couldn't help but be amazed.
How on earth had the young Mu-heun, not yet thirty, experienced all those things in the Central Plains and survived?
And how did he, only a month into his tenure as Cult Leader, know of such happenings in the distant Southern Jungles, one of the Five Palaces Beyond the Borders?
‘His intelligence network is unbelievable.’
Mu-heun nodded and calmly spoke.
“Daerang, Hyeolsa, enter.”
At his call, the warriors from the Southern Jungles—Daerang, who commanded wolves, and Hyeolsa, who commanded snakes—entered.
“We greet the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
“Yes. From now on, you will follow the Heavenly Palace Lord to the Southern Jungles and cooperate with the investigation. As guides, you will investigate the inhuman beings you have seen.”
“As this investigation was originally the mission of our warriors, we thank you for your consideration, Cult Leader.”
“Vice Palace Lord of the Heavenly Palace, Mad Demon, I ask you to go to the Northern Sea and investigate. We have no information from there yet, but there will surely be signs. Please conduct a careful investigation.”
“I accept the Cult Leader's command.”
And so, the Heavenly Palace Lord and Sword Demon, Cheon Jeong-mun, headed to the Southern Jungles with the Killing Palace Lord, Cho Seon-neung, and other skilled assassins. The Mad Demon also departed for the Northern Sea, accompanied by the powerhouses of the Law Palace and the Law Palace Lord, U Mu-gyeong.
The Blood Demon, Cheon Se-geuk, was the only one who remained in the cult.
He redoubled his efforts to expand and stabilize trade with the Central Plains, including Sichuan.
***
Mu-heun summoned Chu Hon-gaha.
“You will go with me to Mount Aharabdal in Qinghai Province to investigate them. Prepare yourself.”
“Yes. Thank you for your consideration, Cult Leader.”
Chu Hon-gaha was a warrior who had originally come from the Southern Jungles to investigate the evil gods. However, she realized she lacked the power to continue the investigation in the Central Plains on her own. Mu-heun, sensing this, had offered to investigate with her.
She had no reason to refuse.
“We leave in two days. Check your poison pouch and equipment.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
Looking at Chu Hon-gaha's poison pouch, Mu-heun thought about what an exceptional spiritual creature Cheon-hyang was.
The Heavenly Fragrance Owl. This spiritual creature had undergone a drastic change after Mu-heun reached the state of Life and Death and became the Cult Leader.
It had consumed the precious spiritual medicine left by the Ice Demon, and it had also been present when Seol Ha-ryeong competed with Mi-wol in ice arts.
If one were to compare the Heavenly Fragrance Owl's power to that of a martial artist now...
From the Transcendent Demonic to the Supreme Demonic realm...
In other words, a level between Divinity and Enlightenment.
It had become absurdly strong.
Furthermore, Cheon-hyang was not the only one who had experienced such growth.
Seol Ha-ryeong, too, had taken the spiritual medicine left by the Ice Demon and the Ice Soul Demonic Fan given to her by Mu-heun, achieving rapid growth.
If Cheon-hyang was somewhere between the Transcendent and Supreme Demonic realms, Seol Ha-ryeong had definitely reached the Supreme Demonic realm.
Mu-heun selected the party that would go to Mount Aharabdal.
A small, elite group.
“Commander.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
Jin Mu, Commander of the Radiant Heavenly Demon Unit.
Grand Guardian Yu Jong.
These were masters who had reached the state of Demonic Transcendence,
and they were always by Mu-heun's side, assisting him.
“We will be departing for Mount Aharabdal. I will be going with the people I am about to name, so bring them here.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
“Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Seol Ha-ryeong, and Left Emissary Seo Deung and Right Emissary Ma Ji-seung.”
“C-Cult Leader. What about us?”
“Jin Mu, you and Yu Jong will remain at the cult and prepare for any potential invasions. With the Blood Demon, Cheon Se-geuk, you should be able to fend off an attack from the Rakshasa.”
“...We accept the Cult Leader's command.”
Mu-heun patted the shoulders of Jin Mu and Yu Jong, who had accepted his command, and said.
“We'll go together next time. For now, there are no masters here as skilled as you two.”
“O-Of course.”
Yu Jong and Jin Mu knew. Even if they went along, they would be of no help in the face of the Cult Leader's power. They also knew that the Cult Leader was a meticulous person, and that he always had a reason when he assigned personnel.
That was why they had accepted without further question and decided to obey his command.
Mu-heun soon dismissed the two and summoned Pa-sun and Un-pyo. And he saw them. Pa-sun and Un-pyo, who had grown incomparably stronger than before.
"""We greet the Cult Leader, the sky of the cult."""
“You've grown stronger.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo.
The two had already reached the peak of the Transcendent Demonic realm.