Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: A Fragile Equilibrium
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"Isn't that a bit too much of a stretch?"
Jo Seol-yeon said the words, but her resolve was already starting to waver. In truth, the Illusion Demon wasn't wrong. It had been a long time since the demons had been holed up in Shinkang and Qinghai. They weren't called demons for nothing—they were the kind who could transcend even death through madness.
The only thing holding them back was the Golden Demon Art, a technique that shattered demonic arts. For demons, breaking their demonic arts was far more terrifying than death itself. That delicate balance was all that kept things in check.
Jo Seol-yeon had considered as much herself, so she knew there was some validity to what the Illusion Demon was saying.
"The current balance is far too precarious. To maintain it, we need to gather all the demons under one banner. We must bring them under control."
There was unshakable confidence in the Illusion Demon's voice. If Jo Seol-yeon and Dan Hyeong-u just gave the word, he seemed ready to make it happen.
"Even so... even so, letting that balance shatter might be better than having the demons unite. I know full well how terrifying they can be."
The Illusion Demon shook his head at Jo Seol-yeon's words.
"No, that's not true. A shattered balance would be far more frightening. Chaos would erupt in an instant. But if we can control the demons, we can restore the balance. Think carefully about what it means that only ten can be freed from the Golden Demon Art each year."
Jo Seol-yeon fell deep into thought at his words. From then on, she continued their conversation. The more she spoke with him, the clearer it became that he was no ordinary demon. Unlike the others, his rationality was extraordinarily strong. He even surpassed the Heavenly Demon sitting beside him in emotional control.
Gradually, the flow of the discussion tilted in the Illusion Demon's favor.
"Whew. You're truly impressive."
Jo Seol-yeon couldn't help but voice her admiration. The Illusion Demon's abilities were different from the Heavenly Demon's, but no less remarkable. She had always wondered how Heavenly Demon Fortress could hold together with nothing but demons inside—now that mystery felt resolved.
"So, you'll permit it?"
"What choice do I have? The decision rests with my brother."
Jo Seol-yeon glanced at Dan Hyeong-u as she spoke, then quietly smiled.
"As you heard, brother. The choice is yours now."
The Illusion Demon felt a sudden deflation at her words. He had worked so hard to convince her completely, only for the authority to pass right back to Dan Hyeong-u. Unlike Jo Seol-yeon, Dan Hyeong-u was beyond his influence—no, it was questionable if his persuasion would even work on him.
The Illusion Demon looked at Dan Hyeong-u with a tense expression. Those cold eyes seemed to draw him in, like they might swallow him whole with a single glance.
"What do I gain from releasing ten of them?"
At Dan Hyeong-u's question, the Illusion Demon doubted his own ears. Confusion hit him like a wave—he had never expected such a response.
Before he could reply, the Heavenly Demon jumped in. He was just as startled, but as a demon of far higher realm, his decisions came swiftly.
"You are the Demon God. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is yours. What more could you need?"
Jo Seol-yeon and the Illusion Demon both turned to him in shock, their eyes darting between the Heavenly Demon and Dan Hyeong-u, unable to hide their tension.
Dan Hyeong-u's lips curved slightly upward. He nodded.
"Interesting."
It was approval. As Dan Hyeong-u's permission fell, Jo Seol-yeon's emotions grew complicated. They were now entangled with Heavenly Demon Fortress. With him involved, she was too. They would have to tread carefully from here on. If word got out, not just the Henan Escort Bureau but everyone who aided them could vanish overnight.
The Illusion Demon understood her concerns fully and offered a solution.
"Lady Jo needn't worry. The demons—no, the followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—won't set foot near the Henan Escort Bureau. Who could detect the Demon God's movements?"
As he spoke, the Illusion Demon glanced at Dan Hyeong-u. His words reassured Jo Seol-yeon, but his true hope was for Dan Hyeong-u to take action himself.
Dan Hyeong-u nodded.
"That would be quickest. No one else can move like I do."
With Dan Hyeong-u, reaching Shinkang in a single step was feasible. Or he could establish a branch altar of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in Gansu and meet there. Either way, his task was simple: once a year, free ten demons from the Golden Demon Art.
With all their goals achieved, the Heavenly Demon and Illusion Demon rose from their seats. Their faces beamed with unbridled joy.
The true beginning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult started now.
The Heavenly Demon and Illusion Demon bowed deeply toward Dan Hyeong-u.
"Then we'll take our leave. Please take care."
The Illusion Demon offered a courteous farewell, then straightened and added,
"Once the cult's doctrines are finalized, we'll send them via messenger soon."
Dan Hyeong-u had no need for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's doctrines. But the Illusion Demon believed it necessary—a small thread binding him to the cult.
With that, the Heavenly Demon and Illusion Demon vanished from the escort bureau.
Jo Seol-yeon let out a soft sigh once they were gone.
"Haah. I never thought you'd agree so readily, brother."
Whether known to the world or not, forging ties with demons carried immense risk. Of course, with Dan Hyeong-u as the counterpart, true danger was unlikely—but worry was inevitable.
"Don't worry."
Dan Hyeong-u gently stroked her hair. Jo Seol-yeon's face flushed at his touch. His unexpectedly soft caress blew away any thoughts of demons or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Heavenly Demon and Illusion Demon left the Henan Escort Bureau and sped toward Heavenly Demon Fortress. As dusk deepened, no one spotted them.
After flying in silence for a while, the Illusion Demon spoke gravely.
"Fortress Lord, offering the cult to him was too much."
Worry filled his voice. He knew human hearts changed easily. Time would alter Dan Hyeong-u too. Then today's promise would become a massive burden on the fledgling Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Heavenly Demon replied nonchalantly to his concern.
"You're worrying over nothing."
"Fortress Lord! This isn't something to take lightly..."
"Enough. I know exactly what troubles you. But there's no need to worry—no need to even consider it."
The Illusion Demon stared blankly. It could spark a huge problem—yet no need to even think of it?
"Fortress Lord, if things go wrong, all our hard work could..."
The Heavenly Demon raised a hand, cutting him off. He knew precisely what the Illusion Demon was thinking. He might have felt the same in his shoes. But now, it was unnecessary.
The Heavenly Demon slowed, then stopped. The Illusion Demon followed suit, halting and gazing at his face.
"If this were a month ago, I couldn't have said that."
The Illusion Demon's expression remained puzzled. The Heavenly Demon continued, looking at him.
"In all my life, I've never known fear. No matter who I faced or what came, I was confident I could overcome it. Even bleeding in the war with the Martial Alliance, or fleeing the Golden Demon Art—it was the same. Even meeting the Martial Alliance Leader back then wouldn't have shaken me."
The Illusion Demon nodded solemnly. He acknowledged it—that was a key reason he followed him. The Heavenly Demon possessed what he lacked.
"But now, I fear him."
The Illusion Demon's eyes widened in shock. He never dreamed he'd hear fear from the Heavenly Demon's lips.
"F-Fortress Lord!"
"Thanks to him, I ascended to a higher realm. That's undeniable. But from up here, he's even more unfathomably distant than I imagined. The power in his heart—or whatever it is now, I'm not sure. Either way, it still terrifies me."
The Illusion Demon fell silent. The Heavenly Demon wasn't speaking to him—he was confessing to himself. That shadow cast by Dan Hyeong-u must be immense and heavy.
"Mark my words: if he wills it, even all demons united couldn't escape hell."
The Heavenly Demon clamped his mouth shut after that. The Illusion Demon, watching him, couldn't speak. The Heavenly Demon's raging emotions washed over him fully. Enduring that storm drained him completely.
Moments later, as the Heavenly Demon's fervor subsided, the Illusion Demon regained his composure and caught his breath. He looked at him with eyes full of awe.
'The Fortress Lord's realm has reached divine entry!'
The Heavenly Demon's cultivation was beyond his guess. Awe filled him toward Dan Hyeong-u, whom even such a mighty figure feared.
Before the Illusion Demon could erase his astonishment, the Heavenly Demon resumed flight toward Shinkang at high speed. The Illusion Demon followed quietly behind.
A month passed since the Heavenly Demon and Illusion Demon departed the Henan Escort Bureau. In that time, the bureau quietly underwent changes, preparing for its next leap—all thanks to Hyeong Pyo.
Jo Seol-yeon gathered her trusted confidants and revealed what had transpired with the Heavenly Demon. Excluding Dan Hyeong-u, there were five she fully trusted.
First was Hyeong Pyo. They were practically family now, having endured near-death ordeals together.
Next came Umun Hye and Jegal Rin. Knowing their feelings for Dan Hyeong-u, she trusted them completely—believing they shared her own sentiments.
Finally, the Sword Demon and Sword King.
The Sword Demon and Sword King belonged to Dan Hyeong-u—whether they admitted it or not.
"That's no easy tale."
Jegal Rin murmured after hearing it all. Even with her sharp mind, this was no simple matter.
"First things first, we need to gauge Heavenly Demon Fortress's intentions. See how they play it. If they blow this wide open, we'll be in real trouble."
Everyone nodded at Jegal Rin's words. Jo Seol-yeon had been swept up in the moment and overlooked it, but the Heavenly Demon effectively held the knife now.
If he announced it publicly, the Henan Escort Bureau would become the martial world's enemy. Even without announcement, it was prime blackmail material.
"If they use this to coerce Young Master Dan..."
Umun Hye's mutter changed everyone's faces. That would be disastrous.
"That won't happen."
Dan Hyeong-u, silent until now, spoke. All eyes turned to him.
He said no more, but everyone trusted him. If he said so, it was true. They lacked whatever insight he had.
Silence filled the room as they pondered his words anew. Layers of meaning lay within.
Soon, a voice broke the quiet from outside.
"Visitors from the Heavenly Illusion Merchant Group seek an audience with the Bureau Chief."
Hyeong Pyo's body stiffened at the name. The Heavenly Illusion Merchant Group belonged to Heavenly Demon Fortress.
"I'll handle it."
Hyeong Pyo rose quickly and stepped out. The rest waited in silence.
He returned shortly, holding a slim booklet.
"What's that?"
The Sword King, unable to contain his curiosity, reached out. The booklet flew from Hyeong Pyo's hand into his.
The Sword King's eyes gleamed as he opened it.
"Ho. These are doctrines."
The word sparked excitement in the group. Heavenly Demon Fortress had prepared doctrines to become a true cult—and so swiftly.
The Sword King skimmed it and passed it to Jo Seol-yeon. She examined it carefully, then offered it forward.
"It's a bit vague in places."
"Isn't it?"
Curiosity mounted as the booklet made its rounds. Once everyone read it, discussion resumed.
"They vow never to enter Heochang. So how do they plan to break the Golden Demon Art?"
"Brother Dan goes personally. It's the fastest and safest way."
"True enough."
"Still, these doctrines are remarkably well-crafted. My knowledge isn't vast, but this isn't some hasty scribble by rabble."
The Sword Demon nodded at the Sword King's words.
"The Illusion Demon's work."