Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: That's What the Orthodox Faction Calls It
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Je Wiryong searched his memories.
In truth, he had spent more time outside the Heavenly Demonic Cult than within it.
But during that time, he had to keep a close watch on the cult, his senses sharp, to stay on the run.
He watched to see who was gaining power and keenly observed any changes.
That was how he'd been able to find out right away that the Heaven-Sealing Formation had been activated in the cult.
Of course, it wasn't as if he had cultivated his own intelligence network.
What Je Wiryong did was far more subtle.
He gathered information by observing the trading companies, clans, and organizations that had even the slightest connection to the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Through long hours and great effort, he had established a method for extracting relatively accurate information while ensuring his own safety, allowing him to grasp the changes within the cult in detail.
As a result, he had a good idea of who the important figures in the Heavenly Demonic Cult were.
However, as far as Je Wiryong knew, there was no one that young who held significant influence within the cult.
'No. That man is outside the cult.'
Considering the types of people who left the Heavenly Demonic Cult, there was a possibility he was less significant than he seemed.
First, there was the Secret Heaven Group.
While the Secret Heaven Group was not to be underestimated, they were still a step below the warrior squads or intelligence networks operated by the cult.
Since the Secret Heaven Group operated out of the public eye, their ability to blend into the world was more important than their martial arts or information-gathering skills.
Then there were fugitives like himself.
There weren't many of them. Most who had caused trouble and fled were caught and killed.
Besides, it was unlikely that such a person would brazenly show up and declare they were here to catch a runaway.
The last group consisted of those who had left to carry out missions.
They had come out on a mission, only to be unable to return to the cult because the Heaven-Sealing Formation had been activated.
In Je Wiryong's eyes, they were the luckiest of the lot. Though he didn't know how they themselves felt about it.
'Is the third possibility... the most likely?'
But even that was a bit unsettling, as the man was too young.
The Heavenly Demonic Cult rarely sent someone that young on a mission.
Je Wiryong cautiously raised his head and looked at Byeok Taesan again.
"Um..."
Byeok Taesan looked down at Je Wiryong with a peculiar gaze.
Je Wiryong swallowed dryly before continuing.
"My... my knowledge is limited, so I'm not sure who you are."
"What would you do with that information?"
"No, I just..."
Je Wiryong couldn't continue. He was anxious, but a thought crept into his mind that if he played his cards right, he might find a way out of this situation.
Just then, he heard movement from outside. The sounds were so blatant that even Je Wiryong, whose martial arts were practically nonexistent, could clearly tell.
'Oh no, this could get messy.'
The men moving outside were the warriors he had gathered at the manor. They were skilled enough, but they were no match for a warrior of the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
'Bad luck.'
If he'd had just a few more years, he could have trained those warriors into an elite force.
Then he might not have been prostrating himself on the floor like this.
Byeok Taesan paid no mind to the movements outside.
"Do you know why I remember you?"
"Pardon?"
"Honestly, isn't it strange that I'd remember the name of a mere disciple of Sama Jin?"
Je Wiryong's expression twisted bizarrely.
Something about what he was saying was strange.
"Uh... I-I don't know."
Come to think of it, it was strange. The man was very young. Had he even been born when Je Wiryong fled?
Yet he knew he was Sama Jin's disciple and even knew his name.
"You were impressive."
Je Wiryong stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
"Wasn't it you who proposed its creation?"
Je Wiryong's eyes widened as if they would tear.
'V-very few people know about that.'
And while Je Wiryong was the one who first proposed it, it was Sama Jin who became known for it.
Therefore, besides Sama Jin and himself, very few people knew that Je Wiryong had been the one to propose it.
Je Wiryong looked at Byeok Taesan with fearful eyes.
All the suspicions he'd had until now vanished completely.
To know such a thing, he had to be no ordinary person. Or perhaps the successor to someone extraordinary.
"For someone who made such a proposal, you were too quiet afterward. Ah, did Sama Jin steal your ideas after that too?"
Byeok Taesan tilted his head as he spoke.
"That timid fool Sama Jin wouldn't have done that."
Je Wiryong's jaw dropped.
Who was Sama Jin? He was the man handpicked by the Heavenly Demonic Cult to lead all its strategists.
While not quite second only to one and above all others, there were very few within the cult who could speak to Sama Jin so disrespectfully.
The number of people in the Heavenly Demonic Cult who could pull rank on Sama Jin was no more than five.
And yet this man called him a fool.
Je Wiryong's face darkened.
"A-are you going to kill me?"
That was the only conclusion he could draw. If he wasn't killed, the fact that this man had said such things might leak out.
If he were in that man's position, he would surely make the same decision.
Byeok Taesan looked at him and tilted his head.
"Why would I kill you? I went to great lengths to find you."
Despite hearing this, Je Wiryong slammed his forehead to the ground.
"I will never repeat what I just heard to anyone. No, I will simply forget it!"
Byeok Taesan said with a sullen expression.
"What a strange fellow. Say it or don't, do as you please. Do I look like someone who cares about such things?"
"Pardon?"
Je Wiryong's expression went blank again.
"Uh... wh-who are you?"
That was all Je Wiryong could say.
Now he was truly curious about his identity.
Of course, Byeok Taesan was more interested in saying what he wanted than in satisfying his curiosity.
"Now, tell me what you've been doing since you ran away. Surely the one who proposed it didn't just abandon the idea?"
"A-are you talking about the Demonic Brain?"
Byeok Taesan frowned slightly.
"That's what the Orthodox Faction calls it."
"Pardon?"
Je Wiryong wondered what he meant. It had been called the Demonic Brain even when he was there.
It referred to the collective of strategists.
Countless strategists would devise plans, which were then gathered, discarded, and refined into a single, unified strategy.
Je Wiryong had devised a process to create brilliant ideas not from a single genius, but from a multitude of talented individuals.
It was a system where numerous strategists acted as parts of a single brain, churning out thoughts.
At the time, it was called the Demonic Brain.
Sama Jin was the head of the Demonic Brain, and the world called him the Demonic Brain.
As Je Wiryong was thinking this, Byeok Taesan's words reached his ears.
"We call it the Heavenly Brain."
Je Wiryong looked at Byeok Taesan and swallowed dryly.
"Yes. I understand. I-I will also call it the Heavenly Brain from now on."
Byeok Taesan smiled and asked Je Wiryong.
"Have you created a Heavenly Brain?"
His expression and tone suggested he fully expected him to have done so. It seemed that any other answer would not allow him to leave this place in one piece.
Je Wiryong answered quickly.
"I-I've only conceptualized it!"
Byeok Taesan's expression became impassive.
But to Je Wiryong, it seemed to have grown cold. His heart sank.
"When will it be complete?"
"Ah, I haven't gathered all the necessary strategists yet. I'm building the structure, but it will take more time to perfect it!"
Je Wiryong confessed everything truthfully.
To form the Demonic Brain—no, the Heavenly Brain—he had long been selecting and raising bright children.
He had given them a proper education, steadily teaching them what they needed to know as strategists.
In the process, he had weeded out the underperforming children and brought in new ones to fill their places.
In just a few more years, the children who joined later would grow up to become capable strategists in their own right.
Only then would the Heavenly Brain be complete.
Je Wiryong explained the process in great detail. He felt an urge to speak passionately, as if his life depended on it.
After hearing the full explanation, Byeok Taesan nodded.
"So you were building one. I knew it."
With that, Byeok Taesan stared at Je Wiryong.
Je Wiryong looked back at him, his expression tense.
"W-why are you looking at me like that? D-did I make some kind of mistake...?"
"Will you run again?"
Je Wiryong, startled, shook his head violently and waved his hands in denial.
"N-never! How could I do such a thing unless I was mad!"
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"I know you're a madman, yet you say that."
Je Wiryong's face fell.
What in the world was he supposed to do?
Byeok Taesan threw out his conclusion.
"What Sama Jin was doing, you'll do it from now on."
"Pardon?"
Byeok Taesan looked straight at Je Wiryong.
"From now on, you are the Heavenly Brain."
Je Wiryong stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
"Though the Orthodox Faction will call you the Demonic Brain."
Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan stood up.
Je Wiryong could only stare blankly as Byeok Taesan walked out.
He couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening.
No, to be honest, one possibility had crossed his mind, but it was so absurd that he quickly dismissed it.
As Byeok Taesan stepped outside, he was met with the sight of dozens of warriors surrounding him.
Seeing this, Je Wiryong snapped back to his senses.
"Hey, you fools! What do you think you're doing! All of you, stand down!"
At the sight of Je Wiryong rushing out in a panic, they all awkwardly stepped back, clearing a path for Byeok Taesan to pass.
Je Wiryong quickly moved in front of Byeok Taesan and bowed as respectfully as he could.
"Please, travel safely."
Byeok Taesan looked down at him for a moment before speaking.
"You're the first one to so brazenly try to kick me out."
Je Wiryong's face turned pale.
It seemed he intended to stay here.
* * *
Two days passed in a flash.
The Underworld Sect member finished his business in Jeokgye County and returned to Jeongdeok County.
His expression was bright.
Through this task, he realized just how much he had changed in a single day.
He had run at full speed on his way from Jeokgye County to Jeongdeok County, which allowed him to arrive much earlier than his colleagues.
They probably hadn't even made it halfway yet.
He even found himself looking forward to how much more he might change if he accompanied Byeok Taesan on the return journey.
He had truly received a great fortune.
He believed the only way to repay this fortune was to do his job more diligently and thoroughly.
"But why is no one here?"
Not all the Underworld Sect members had gone to handle matters in Jeokgye County.
Those with lesser skills had remained here.
They had their own tasks to perform.
Someone was needed to identify and record any changes. They also had to keep an eye on what Byeok Taesan was doing.
Rummaging inside, he found a few recently written documents.
It seemed there were no significant changes. No new information, no new orders.
"Hmm? Looks like he's just been staying there?"
It appeared Byeok Taesan had been staying at that manor the whole time. That's what was recorded in the document.
The atmosphere when he entered the manor had been tense, so he'd worried something might happen, but it seemed nothing had occurred there either.
After skimming through the documents, the Underworld Sect member put them down and went outside.
First, he had to meet Byeok Taesan.
The Underworld Sect member quickly ran to the manor he had visited the day before yesterday.
Having perfectly adapted to his changed body, he reached his destination much faster than before, even at a light jog.
When he arrived at the manor, there was no need to knock. The main gate was wide open.
He slipped inside through the open gate, but saw no one.
An eerie silence hung in the air.
'This... I have a bad feeling about this.'
He went deeper inside, but still encountered no one.
The Underworld Sect member's pace quickened.
Even upon entering the inner courtyard, he felt no presence.
"What, where did everyone go?"
His heart raced. Pushing further in, he finally spotted someone.
It was an elderly man.
"Old man, do you happen to know where the Young Master who came to this manor the day before yesterday is?"
At the question, the old man slowly turned his head to look at him.
"They've all left."
"Pardon?"
"This manor is up for sale. I've been hired to look after it until it's sold."
The Underworld Sect member stared blankly at the old man.
His thoughts froze for a moment, then began to race furiously.
Something must have happened during the day he was gone. Otherwise, how could they have abandoned him, the one who had guided them here, and just left?
"No, it can't be."
The Underworld Sect member smiled and asked the old man.
"Did they say where they were going?"
The old man shook his head.
"I don't know anything about that. I was just told to manage the place."
The Underworld Sect member turned and used his movement technique with all his might.
First, he had to search the entire area.
'What if I still can't find them?'
What else could he do? The most likely possibility was that they had returned to Changsha, so he would have to run there.
The Underworld Sect member left Jeongdeok County exactly one hour later.