Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: What is the Demonic Cult?
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What is the Demonic Cult?
The public enemy of the martial world, a living threat in itself. History proves it.
Whenever it seemed they'd quieted down, the righteous and demonic war would erupt. How many headaches did that give the Murim Alliance?
Ronin, warriors, civilians...
Everyone trembles at the mention of the Demonic Cult. It's a fear even passing children know.
So...
It's only natural to be afraid.
"What you learned is Demonic Cult martial arts. The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword... everyone who needs to know, knows it."
"......"
"You have to forget it, Sua. Holding onto that won't bring you anything good."
Sua blinked. She squeezed out her voice.
"...Is Daddy... a bad person...?"
"......."
It was a question I couldn't answer lightly.
Where does the line between good and evil lie? Am I a bad person?
But even so, I couldn't just dodge it half-heartedly.
Adults are children's mirrors.
I had to speak. Even if it shattered my illusions.
"...Yeah."
"...The grown-ups always said... it was the Demonic Cult's fault when they were hungry and starving."
"......."
"Even in role-playing games, it's the same. Demonic Cult warriors always have to lose. You can't even let a Demonic Cult warrior win in play. Because that's not right."
"......."
"B-But..."
Sua reached out to me. She pulled me into a hug.
"Daddy is my light. My hero. I... I admire you, Daddy."
"......"
"Demonic Cult or whatever, it doesn't matter. Daddy... I like Daddy the best. I don't need anything else. I've never seen anyone as kind as Daddy. Or as gentle. I saw how you treated the other kids. You took time to teach them martial arts yourself."
"......"
"Even if Daddy's from the Demonic Cult, it doesn't matter. The Daddy I saw was completely different from the stories. So... I don't like it. I want to be with Daddy. I want to learn what Daddy learned."
Sua sniffled.
"I want to... be like Daddy. C-Can't I...? Daddy... you're my idol..."
"......"
"I want to learn it... Daddy's martial arts..."
It was a tough request.
At the same time, it told me what feelings Sua held for me.
I rubbed my face. Thought for a moment.
I pondered what to say.
But no matter how much I reflected, I had no words for her. She was practically my mirror.
I, too, had started with admiration for the sword.
How could I, of all people, tell her not to admire someone?
In the end, I gave a wry smile.
"Do you know what my master said to me the most?"
"...No... I don't..."
"'There's no one in the world as stubborn as you.' That was it."
I stood up. Hugged Sua.
"It's not an easy path. That's for sure. Still... you okay with that?"
".......!"
Sua nodded vigorously.
"As long as I'm with Daddy, even hell is fine...!"
Where did she pick that up?
I ended up bursting into laughter.
"Like father, like daughter, huh..."
I lightly pinched Sua's cheek.
"Looks like we're both in for it."
"...Heehee."
Sua grinned through her tear-streaked face.
. . .
"I'll take Sua with me."
"What?! Why?! Isn't that dangerous?"
"Circumstances have changed. Sorry."
With things as they were, it was better to keep her close and teach her directly.
At least until she could hide her skills on her own.
For me-who had picked up the sword again out of admiration-to reject Sua's motivation felt wrong.
It would be denying myself.
Once I'd made up my mind, I decided not to waver. I'd accept her as she was.
My daughter, whom I needed to teach properly. The one to inherit my Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword.
In exchange, I asked Changseong to handle the other two.
"Could you check on Narin and Gwangyang's martial arts whenever you have time?"
"What's not to like? Leave 'em to me. I'll drill them as hard as the favor you did me."
Direct guidance from the Spear Star himself. Narin and Gwangyang jumped for joy, though they looked a bit wistful too.
"Master's guidance would be better..."
"What a shame. So the young lady's leaving with you too?"
"That's how it is. I need to watch her myself. Otherwise... things could go south."
Sua scampered over. Hugged Narin and Gwangyang once each.
"Sisters, brothers. Thank you for everything. I'll repay the favor someday."
"...I just want to keep her..."
"Young lady, call us anytime you need. We'll come running."
The fortnight passed in a flash. I prepared to leave with Sua.
I ran into some familiar faces too. Guyangdo Geumpyeong and Purple Sword Myochoa latched onto me like they'd been waiting for me to leave the Heavenly Martial Academy.
"Silent Sword. Let's talk."
"Red Cloud! Hear us out!"
I spared them some time. But their questions were empty calories.
"Why didn't you tell us first?"
"I wasn't alone on night patrol, was I? When I witnessed it, I couldn't call for help. If I hadn't stepped in, Buljon would've been overwhelmed and killed, and I'd have to shoulder that infamy alone."
"......"
"From the start, didn't both of you think my efforts pointless? So if you're saying now that I should've told you... I don't know what to say."
Guyangdo cleared his throat awkwardly. Turned his head like he had nothing to say.
Purple Sword Myochoa exploded.
"Y-You could've sent someone to call us! Do you even know what ripple your actions caused? The balance we carefully maintained...!"
"So I should've let Buljon die there?"
"N-No, that's not... There had to be a better way...!"
"Calling out Shaolin's corruption? Or turning away from those in need? I don't get it, then or now. Myochoa, I have zero interest in your 'necessary sacrifices.' I don't want to listen, and I sure as hell don't want to add to it. And now you come to me-the one who solved it-after the fact to nitpick right and wrong..."
I sighed.
"Is this your opinion, or the elders Danri Jinsu and the strategist? If it's the latter, I'm deeply disappointed. Pretending not to care in front, then sending people behind to sway opinion against me."
"......"
"......"
Guyangdo Geumpyeong and Purple Sword Myochoa shut their mouths.
I pushed past them.
"Didn't you both neglect the inspection team's duties because you thought there was no progress?"
"...That!"
"If you have something to say, say it here. I'll listen."
Myochoa, who'd opened her mouth, trembled.
I knew it. She had nothing to say.
What I'd done was irreproachable by righteous standards.
"Nothing? Then I'm off. The Alliance Leader summoned me."
"......"
I walked away, back turned to Geumpyeong and Myochoa.
I met the Murim Alliance Leader again. He grinned and slung an arm around my shoulder.
"Feeling better, Silent Sword?"
"Thanks to your concern, Alliance Leader, I can move without issue."
"Good timing then. There's work only you can handle."
Another mission.
But first, I had a place to visit.
"Alliance Leader."
"What?"
"If I may be bold, what I did wasn't small, so... I'd like to request compensation."
The Alliance Leader's eyes widened. So did the strategist sitting nearby.
They exchanged glances, then chuckled.
"Can't argue with that. What you did greatly helped spread the Murim Alliance's justice. Yeah. Too little greed can be a problem too. What do you want?"
I voiced what I'd planned all along.
Requesting Demonic Cult spy records outright would raise suspicions.
So I'd thought of a detour.
A way to investigate indirectly.
"I want access to the Hidden Manual Repository inside the Murim Alliance."
"...The repository? Where they store and preserve manuals of various martial arts?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"...I'm at a wall."
I lied. It didn't sit well, but no choice.
The First Demon hadn't called it a lie. She'd said to call it 'resourcefulness.'
...I'll follow my master's words.
"It feels like something I can't overcome alone, so I want to try another path. But pure external force arts are hard to find..."
"...Hmm. Fair enough. But if we're talking external force, aren't Shaolin's arts similar?"
"The path is different. I wanted swordsmanship, but they focus on enhancing movement techniques."
"External arts... external... Well, if that's the reason... Warriors always crave power. It's the essence of being one."
The Alliance Leader smirked.
"I'll give you three days. Explore the repository freely. Consider it my gift to you. Take what you can. Use my name, and if there's a martial art you want... I'll lend you one."
. . .
The Hidden Manual Repository.
The Murim Alliance's treasure trove of knowledge, open only with the Leader's permission.
I stepped inside. Faced an unimaginable mountain of books.
The underground vault was vast. Endless at a glance.
And every shelf between held books...
No need to say more.
The gatekeeper closed the door behind me. I surveyed the silent repository.
A dream for any warrior. But my goal wasn't martial arts.
Information.
Records of manuals brought in and taken out.
I checked the repository's ledgers. Pulled records from a few years back, in chronological order.
I wanted one thing.
Info on demonic arts brought in when Demonic Cult spies were purged en masse.
Entry and exit logs for the manuals.
"......"
I scanned with my finger. Stopped at a point.
Overlapping when I was abandoned by the Demonic Cult. Traces of demonic manuals brought in bulk.
Among the neatly organized ones, I checked for the Ghost Spirit Soul Absorption Grand Method first.
"...Not here."
Didn't that evil bastard calling himself Yeokcheon say it?
'He' and 'she.'
He'd pinpointed the remaining two. Without me naming targets, he'd mentioned them.
Those two were probably part of Yeokcheon too. But with no manual here...
Murim Alliance and Yeokcheon.
They're not one and the same. Safe to view separately. So their names likely weren't in the Alliance Leader's records either.
Unless they were Alliance spies, no records would remain.
"...Yeokcheon is everywhere under heaven, huh..."
Not allies of the Alliance. But enemies?
I recalled what the evil bastard said. From what I'd heard, Yeokcheon was a massive group infiltrating everywhere, pulling strings from the shadows.
Using blood calamities as mere warnings...
Casually eliminating transcendent realm experts...
Easy to infer their power was immense.
A plague seeping into every corner of the martial world. Would the Alliance Leader not know of them?
"...If I were the Alliance Leader..."
No way he wouldn't. I'd seen him myself.
A century-old fox of a man. Used me while never dropping his guard. Even the strategist's smile brimmed with suspicion toward me.
Such a man ignorant of Yeokcheon? Impossible.
Yet leaving them be meant...
Some benefit from it.
Temporary alliance. That fits. Which opens one option here.
"......"
The Alliance Leader who suspected me to the end, even as he used me.
If he was monitoring Yeokcheon? Tracking their moves?
Among the spies he sent, one watching the Yeokcheon member planted in the Demonic Cult?
He's paranoid, ruthless in using others.
I recalled the eyes on me multiple times. Even allies-he'd monitor Yeokcheon.
Power means you can betray when needed.
I examined the names that brought in demonic arts. Spies who returned from the Demonic Cult, stealing their arts as merit.
I memorized those names. Jotted them secretly, pocketed the note.
From my spy days, solo ops were nearly impossible. Deeper you went into enemy territory, more you needed organization to extract info.
Had to cooperate with other spies, like it or not. So they knew each other's situations well.
And among them...
The three deepest infiltrators. One might be spying on Yeokcheon's group too.
"......."
Just inference, of course. Nothing certain.
To uncover, I'd need to dig myself-but I had Alliance inspection duties...
"......."
...Wait. No.
A capable intel group. Ones who excel at tailing others.
I thought of her, parted not long ago. At least once...
Should I ask?
I grabbed a suitable external art manual as cover, left the repository a day early. Told the Leader I needed time to sort what to learn, then at dawn sent a messenger bird.
The reply came quick. Not just the bird.
A young-looking girl arrived in person.
"...We meet sooner than expected, Red Cloud."
"Suryeon."
I smiled awkwardly.
"I need your help. I'll pay... Can you dig up some info?"
"What info?"
"I have the list of Murim Alliance spies planted in the Demonic Cult. Investigate their connections and get me info on two. One man, one woman. The woman was the Heavenly Demon's guard warrior, the man called the Seventh Demon."
"...Checking the list and gathering scattered intel? Tough job. Pay?"
"Name your price. I'll match it."
Suryeon.
She looked up at me after so long. Thought deeply, then spoke.
Simple terms.
"You."
"...Pardon?"