Heavenly Demon, the Heavenly Demon Cult is Coming (3)
As soon as I spoke, Elder Lee's face creased with deep wrinkles. The heat in his breath beyond his mustache betrayed his fury. The Heavenly Demon Cult's foremost principle is that the strong reign supreme. The strong receive favor; the weak are culled. In such a world, anyone who had clawed their way to the rank of elder naturally carried immense pride in their own strength. If someone dared to cross that line, their eyes would blaze blue with rage. And if the offender was not a powerhouse comparable to themselves but someone they deemed weak, that anger would only grow more monstrous.
If it had been just the two of us here, Elder Lee would have struck without hesitation. He would have punished the fool who dared open his mouth without knowing his place. What stayed his hand now was Baek Hwaryeong standing before him. After all, he was still a follower of the Heavenly Demon Cult. He was not so brainless as to act on his own authority in the presence of his god.
Baek Hwaryeong, who had continued puffing on her pipe even as she sensed her subordinates' mood turning dangerous, finally opened her mouth just before the anger could explode.
“Elder Lee.”
Her low voice carried an authority that could dominate the entire space. Elder Lee, who had been radiating killing intent toward me, immediately bowed his head in respect the moment Baek Hwaryeong spoke.
“Heavenly Demon.”
“Do you know who this person is?”
“Judging by the way the chief disciple came to fetch them, I presume they are the Heavenly Demon’s guest.”
“Correct. Then why do you fault this person’s insolence?”
“Because this is the Heavenly Demon Cult. No matter whose guest they may be, the weak must show respect to the strong.”
“Your words are right. Then let me ask another question. Does the one standing before me now appear weak to you?”
“They do.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Elder Lee’s answer made Baek Hwaryeong bite down on her pipe once more. He kept his face expressionless, but I alone caught the fleeting smile that crossed his lips. Was he truly that eager to see his subordinate crushed, this fellow? Few people matched the word “vicious” I had recently learned quite as well as he did.
Watching the chat praise Baek Hwaryeong without knowing the truth made a wry smile escape me. I briefly considered revealing what she was actually thinking, but it would only lead to accusations of jealousy and slander, so I let it be.
“Very well, Elder Lee. Then prove that Min-ga is the weak one.”
(Min-ga. Go easy on him. I’ll let you establish your presence so you can move freely later, but don’t crush him too thoroughly.)
Baek Hwaryeong issued the order to Elder Lee while simultaneously sending me a sound transmission.
(What exactly do you mean by “easy”?)
Don’t use words whose meaning changes from person to person. How could my “easy” possibly match yours?
(…Uh. Well, you know.)
(Making him a cripple is…)
(Obviously not!)
(Then just one of his limbs—)
(This fellow is one of the Cult’s main fighting forces, you idiot. Do you have some grudge against the Cult?)
I do hold some displeasure toward the elders. However, I cannot cause trouble for you after you showed me kindness, so I shall restrain myself.
(Crushing his pride is fine?)
(That’s acceptable. In fact, I encourage it.)
Having received Baek Hwaryeong’s permission, I decided to teach him his place. When I took one step forward, Elder Lee mirrored the movement.
“It seems you are an outsider.”
“And if I am?”
“Learn your place by dying once.”
As Elder Lee spoke, he drew his inner energy outward and formed a club in his hand. A dark-red weapon born from the single-minded intent to destroy what lay before him. He was going all out from the very start. Had being ignored by me wounded his pride that deeply? From my perspective, this was actually convenient. Rather than dragging things out with half-hearted exchanges, delivering one overwhelming shock would be far simpler.
I extended my hand toward the club Elder Lee swung. The power contained in that strike was undoubtedly immense. Even if he fell short of Baek Hwaryeong, Elder Lee was clearly a powerhouse in his own right. Without such strength, he could never have risen to his current position in the Heavenly Demon Cult. But so what? There is always a higher heaven above the heavens. The gap between our bodies was vast, yet the realm I held in my heart was so lofty that Elder Lee could not even glimpse it. The weakness of my physical form was no disadvantage at all.
The moment the club Elder Lee had created touched my hand, the inner energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art bowed beneath its master. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art that had formed the weapon scattered into the air. With the weapon’s shape gone, only wind remained. Through the fluttering strands of hair, I saw eyes filled with bewilderment.
“What is this—”
“You cannot even properly control your own inner energy?”
“What trick did you use!”
A trick. I did nothing at all. The inner energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art merely recognized its true master and obeyed that will. It simply meant the gap between you and me was that wide. If you cannot even sense this much, then I must make it clearer.
Elder Lee once again formed a weapon in his hand. This time it was not meant for dealing with the weak. It was a preparation to pour his full sincerity into crushing the one before him. Seeing the dark-red, massive form brought back old memories. When I had tried to leave the Heavenly Demon Cult, this fellow had been the one who most desperately blocked my path. I could still hear him shouting that without the Heavenly Demon, the Cult could not survive. Comparing that day to this moment, he still had a long way to go. Even though he had reached an age where he could be called elderly, it was doubtful whether he could overcome his own wall before death. Well, I had no intention of granting him enlightenment either.
“This time you will not be able to use any tricks!”
I watched the strike rise high, carrying the intent to shatter even the Heavenly Demon Cult’s grounds. He might not know it, but I had fought Elder Lee many times. Sometimes it had been simple sparring; other times, duels with our lives on the line. Given the circumstances, I knew exactly how to crush this fellow’s pride.
As I stepped with the True Step, cracks spread across the stone floor. Elder Lee had reached his current position by training in both strength and weight. Naturally, he took pride in his own power. If I defeated him by exploiting his weaknesses, he would respect my strength, but his pride would remain unbroken. He would respect me, yet still believe that in a direct clash of power, he could win. But what if the very aspect he was most confident in was destroyed? Then he would have no room for excuses.
I thrust my fist toward the dark-red club descending from above. A weapon made solely of strong energy was certainly sturdy, but the moment it lost its center, it would collapse easily. No matter how much power it contained, once that single point was pierced, it would scatter while still holding its own strength.
The force of my fist, transmitted beyond the scattered inner energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, sent Elder Lee flying. After rolling once across the floor and regaining his balance, he stared at me with eyes full of shock.
“Well? Do you have any excuses this time?”
“Just who are you—”
“Come now, let me ask again. Am I your subordinate?”
“…You are not, honored guest.”
I turned my gaze from the bowing Elder Lee and looked at the people behind Baek Hwaryeong. In their flustered eyes, a subtle contempt toward Elder Lee was visible. Hmm. At this rate, simply crushing Elder Lee’s pride would not be the end of it. This was the world of the strong reigning supreme. They respected those stronger than themselves, yet at the same time harbored the desire to devour any strong person above them. If things ended here, Elder Lee would face countless challenges after the event concluded.
(Baek Hwaryeong. Shall I crush the elders’ pride equally? Or shall I leave them to fight among themselves in this state?)
As a guest, I shall follow your wishes.
(Hmm. There is still time. Make it so they have no choice but to respect you.)
(Understood.)
They were martial artists of considerable level, so they must have already guessed my realm. They would know that no matter what means they used, they could not win. But feeling it with their bodies and merely seeing it were entirely different matters.
“Are the rest of you just going to watch? Come at me.”
These were people who made struggling against the strong their profession. At the invitation to attack, I could see them flinch one by one.
“I permit it. There is still plenty of time, so feel the heavens.”
“Then I shall step forward first.”
The moment Baek Hwaryeong spoke, Elder Sa emerged from behind. A practitioner of fist techniques, he respectfully cupped his fists and assumed his stance. I knew this fellow well too. After I escaped the Cult, he had been the most persistent in pursuing me.
“I am Elder Sa, Cheon Taek-gyeol. I challenge the honored guest.”
“Come.”
*
Even as she watched Min-ga face Elder Sa, Baek Hwaryeong was replaying the moment Min-ga had confronted Elder Lee. The instant their energies first clashed. The moment Elder Lee’s inner energy touched Min-ga’s empty hand, it had scattered. Others thought Elder Lee had been careless, but Baek Hwaryeong saw differently. She had witnessed it clearly. The inner energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art had escaped Elder Lee’s control and submitted beneath Min-ga. The inner energy cultivated through the Cult’s mental technique was always thinking only of devouring everything around it, refusing to acknowledge even its own master as master. Yet that arrogant energy had bowed its head. The answer to that mystery was all too obvious. It had recognized Min-ga as its master. She was going mad. Just how high had her future self reached? She had boldly declared she would one day surpass her, yet she could not even guess how many long years it would take to reach such a realm. Still, she was grateful. Because there was now a heaven she must overcome standing before her, she herself would be able to grow even faster than Min-ga. As she thought this, Baek Hwaryeong smiled—only for Elder Sa to collapse onto the floor. Perhaps because every technique he had launched had been dismantled and broken. His eyes, gazing at the empty air, were filled with shock.
“Next.”
“I am Elder Chil, Sun Yu-ok.”
Just looking at him made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more than to challenge him right away, but doing so would cause her all sorts of trouble. Once this was over, perhaps she should suggest another match with Min-ga.