Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: Rallying the Loyalists
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Suryeon clung to me.
She reached out as if to stroke my head, then rubbed her cheek against mine. Just when I thought she was sniffing my scent, she seemed dissatisfied with something and pulled me into a hug.
Rubbing and nuzzling, whispering all the while.
"Red Cloud. Red Cloud."
Her sweet voice calling my name over and over made my mind grow hazy.
"Su... Suryeon... calm down..."
"No."
"Pardon?"
"Hold me."
I lifted her up with both arms. Part of it was because she was so small that she fit perfectly in my embrace, but...
She was thin. Much thinner than before.
"Suryeon. Have you been eating properly?"
"........."
Her gaze slyly averted, so I fed her first. She opened her mouth as if asking to be fed, and I put spoonful after spoonful of food into that tiny mouth.
Gu Ok-kyeong clicked her tongue.
"What are you, her nanny?"
"She's my acquaintance. Don't complain."
"Hey! If you're doing that, feed me too! Nom nom! Nom nom nom!"
"What's gotten into you...?"
With no choice, I slipped some food into Gu Ok-kyeong's mouth as well. She sucked on my fingers with a grin.
"Nom. Nom nom."
She's regressed to infancy.
I fed the silent Suryeon, who was shooting side glances at the deranged Branch Demon Leader, one bite at a time like feeding a bird.
Number 1 rolled his eyes from nearby.
"Um... Sect Leader... I could handle that much..."
"Read the room. Don't touch the girl."
"Yes."
Song Nam-cheon clicked his tongue.
"Enough enjoying the ladies. Shouldn't we get to business?"
Ladies? What ladies?
I stepped forward anyway. In front of the pile of corpses from the Black Forest Hall, the former total manager of the Branch Demon Hall let out a sigh and whispered to me.
"The Black Forest Hall massacre will soon reach the fake Branch Demon Leader's ears. Once she senses something's off, she'll immediately devise a counterplan. If we want to rally the forces we can control, now's the time. And that's something only the Killing Gate can do."
Song Nam-cheon eyed Suryeon dubiously in my arms. Just to be sure, I asked.
"So... you're really the Killing Gate Leader?"
Suryeon hopped down to the ground. Standing demurely, she nodded with her bandage-wrapped body.
Her voice grew dry and emotionless. Her flawless demeanor, just like always, answered for her.
"Greetings from the Killing Gate Leader. To the former total manager of the Branch Demon Hall."
"...I see. I have a task I'd like to entrust."
Suryeon glanced back at me. I nodded.
Suryeon asked again.
"I want to know the full details. Quickly and concisely. Then I'll help. Of course, you'll have to pay."
"...Post-payment possible?"
"If there's collateral."
"No collateral in particular..."
"Give me that man. Lifetime transfer rights."
Song Nam-cheon sneaked a peek at me at the finger pointing my way.
"You two seem close anyway... Should be fine, right?"
"You think that'll fly?"
I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. I subtly made eye contact with Killing Gate Leader Suryeon and asked.
"Lifetime transfer is impossible... How about something else instead?"
"Like what?"
The words I'd planned to say when I met her.
I shared that thought with her.
"How about joining me? Suryeon. In the Demonic Cult."
"......!"
Suryeon turned around. She looked at the surviving Killing Gate members, then lowered her voice.
"How many can come?"
"It'll take some time since it's a large-scale initiation... but I'll ask First Demon personally. I think once is enough to part with a precious acquaintance... If it's too much, you don't have to accept."
"I..."
Suryeon tugged firmly at my sleeve. As if confirming once more, she scrutinized my face.
"...You're really Red Cloud, right?"
"Doubt it all you want and ask anything."
"...Yeah. Got it. We'll hear the backlog later. Initiation talk too."
Suryeon steadied her breath. She looked back at Song Nam-cheon.
Her slightly softened eyes grew dry again.
"Whatever it is, this is urgent for you, right? I'll handle the job first. For your sake."
......
After hearing the rough outline, Suryeon mobilized the Killing Gate that very day.
"As for lacking activity funds. I can cover some with hidden assets I've stashed."
Song Nam-cheon used concealed funds as activity money. The Killing Gate assassins departed as messengers to each sect, secretly notifying assembly points.
In response, each sect's leaders left their sects covertly, gathering in one place under cover of night when all slept.
Sects from the unorthodox world that purely and faithfully served the true Branch Demon Leader.
Song Nam-cheon described them not as purely loyal, but as warriors bound by 'gratitude.' He called them the Branch Demon Hall's few remaining consciences.
And as such...
They all answered the secret summons.
"Leader!"
"The rumors were true?!"
The unorthodox sect leaders pushed aside the tent flap and entered. Gu Ok-kyeong waved lazily.
"You made it?"
"Leader?! You remember me?! I'm...!"
"Yeah. I know. Myriad Gods Sect. Ghost Valley Sword. I taught you a few moves, right? You still swinging that sword? Use Dragon Fist. Dragon Fist."
"It's really the Leader! You know the secret only you and I share!"
"What in the world is...?!"
Song Nam-cheon organized the murmuring sect leaders. He was skilled at handling subordinates and quick to sort situations.
The command he'd shown at the mountain fortress worked on the leaders too. And half that influence came from the silently standing Greatest Sword of the Unorthodox World, Black Cloud.
"Black Hero! If you're real, then the current Branch Demon Leader is fake?!"
"With the Greatest Sword of the Unorthodox on our side... feels solid."
"The sword that's never been defeated in battle, right?"
"Yep. Fake-busting will be a breeze."
I glanced at Black Cloud's face.
He said nothing, but I saw him avert his head awkwardly.
Gu Ok-kyeong snickered and whispered.
"Dae-un. Never been defeated once, huh?"
"...From now on, I won't lose."
"What about before?"
"Ahem. Red Cloud. Look away."
"Pardon?"
"Just look away. It's annoying."
The unorthodox leaders briefly outlined the plan. They arranged troop movements and set a reassembly date.
Of course, they demanded some compensation too. Not as individuals, but as groups, they couldn't work for free.
Gu Ok-kyeong said calmly.
"Anyone who helps gets rewarded. Got it? I'm the Branch Demon Leader. I'll empty my personal vault if I have to. Just follow me."
"Yes!"
No one objected, as if her clear rewards and punishments were proven. No one even asked for guarantees. The tent was full of those who purely trusted her.
The gathered unorthodox leaders dispersed. Song Nam-cheon, counting heads, clicked his tongue.
"We can scrape together numbers somehow, but we'll lack proper warriors."
Gu Ok-kyeong twirled the sword she'd used to clean up the Black Forest Hall.
"No place to gather troops?"
"There is, but... Leader. In this urgent situation, I'm not sure we have time to assemble them."
"What're you talking about?"
"Don't we have reliable guys? Swords personally selected by the Greatest Sword of the Unorthodox."
"...Ah! The Four Black Daggers?"
Four Black Daggers?
Who's that?
Gu Ok-kyeong rubbed her chin. Lost in thought, she quietly called Black Cloud.
"Dae-un. Can you bring them all?"
"...They're in charge of regional security. Distances are vast, so I don't think we can gather them overnight."
...Regional security?
And that tone sounds familiar.
Like the Blood Demon Squad...
"But if you give me time, I'll bring them somehow. They're gathered purely from loyalty to you, Leader. If I summon them personally, they won't refuse."
"Good. Try assembling... What's that look, Red Cloud?"
"Imitating the Blood Demon Squad?"
"...Ahem. Call it a small token of respect... I just wanted something similar..."
The usually bold Gu Ok-kyeong averted her eyes slyly.
Her dives into favorites are on another level.
"Anyway! Four Black Daggers are yours. Dae-un. Gather them fast as you can. Killing Gate. I'd like their cooperation too."
"Yes."
"Good. That's settled... Giving them time means the enemy gets prep time too, right?"
"But... if we can assemble the Four Black Daggers, it's worth enduring. Elites handpicked by the Greatest Sword of the Unorthodox. Having them all would be a huge boost."
Song Nam-cheon turned to me.
"...But all this movement will make noise inevitably. People moving always does. But if we use one thing, we can silence it. Move troops without the fake noticing."
"What? How?"
"Don't we have a name to use? The guest stirring up the current Branch Demon Hall. Windless Asura's name. If we rampage under that, we can cover the incidents to some extent. Though... Windless Asura will draw more arrows."
"Hide what I've done under Windless Asura's name... Hm. Good idea, but just handing it off doesn't sit right. Feels like dumping all the work."
Gu Ok-kyeong picked up her sword.
"I like it. Been a while since I saw blood, and it was a bit light anyway."
"Ok-kyeong?"
"Alright! Assigning tasks."
Gu Ok-kyeong snapped her fingers with a giggle.
"Song Nam-cheon. Tell the leaders who came earlier the assembly's delayed. Till the Four Black Daggers gather. Meanwhile, scrape troops from everywhere possible."
"Understood."
"Dae-un. Bring all the Four Black Daggers. They have loyalty to me, but to you it's just as strong, right? You can solo it?"
"I can. They're my subordinates too."
"Red Cloud. You stick with me. We'll completely cover our moves as Windless Asura. I know some guys who deserve to die right now. To draw eyes, let's bury them all. Sound good?"
"...Hmm."
"And honestly."
Gu Ok-kyeong yanked my clothes.
Her eyes were smiling.
"Aren't you curious? What kind of massive incident a Branch Demon Leader and sword-crazed monster could cause teaming up!"