Ten Days: The Day of Beginning (1)
What is justice?
A tender shoot that has endured the winter?
An ideal that has transcended the mortal world?
All wrong.
Justice is power. Overwhelming force.
Justice without power is nothing but delusion, and a delusion backed by power becomes the justice the world remembers.
So rise.
Wield your sword and fight until blood sprays.
Pierce your enemies’ hearts and chew on their blood and flesh.
Power is absolution. It shall be your justice.
Come. Prove your justice.
The Heavenly Demon Cult exists for you.
.
.
A den of demons that worships strength and tyranny. A symbol of terror so absolute that even a crying child or a weeping tiger would fall silent. The ultimate evil seeking to devour the Central Plains through sinister demonic arts. That is what the Heavenly Demon Cult is.
It was supposed to be, anyway…
“Damn my rotten luck. The fist manual I was reading yesterday vanished into thin air. You take it?”
“Fist manual? How crude and vulgar. It wasn’t me, so shut your mouth. And I enjoyed that spring book you lent me yesterday. Made the night rather entertaining.”
Why did it have to be like this?
This was not some remote temporary branch. This was the main headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult, a place where only the cult’s most renowned masters gathered.
“This is insane.”
The one ranting about the missing manual was none other than the Third Elder, Bungsan Kwonma, whose absolute fist and kick techniques were said to be capable of shattering Mount Tai itself.
The one beside him obsessing over the erotic book was the Fifth Elder, Heukdokwang, a man who could annihilate an entire army with a single drop of poison.
Every last one of them was a lunatic in their own special way.
“Ah. Right. It’s the Demonic Cult.”
Of course the strongest lunatics would gather in one place. I always seem to forget that simple fact even though I know it.
“Quiet.”
This was Manmajeon, the grand meeting hall where the most important gatherings of the Heavenly Demon Cult took place. Such noise could cause real trouble, so I urged them to be silent.
Naturally, they ignored me.
…Did I really have to lose my temper?
I infused a trace of inner energy into my voice and snapped at them.
“Kwonma. Dokwang. Shut your mouths before I roast your balls and serve them for supper.”
“….Yes.”
The two of them neatly covered their crotches with their hands and took a harmonious step back. It was almost admirable.
Only then did Manmajeon fall into proper silence. Thanks to my authoritative warning, none of the elders dared open their mouths.
“Hehe. Those two really are utterly without manners, aren’t they?”
…I told you not to speak, Cheondongyohwa.
“Shingun. When exactly does the Cult Leader say he will arrive?”
“….How should I know? His will is beyond me.”
The Cult Leader. The ruler of the hundred thousand madmen who belonged to the Heavenly Demon Cult, the absolute strongest in the current Murim, the one called Heavenly Demon.
He was also the one who had summoned us here today.
“Have you been waiting for me, Yohwa?”
A voice like scraping a heavy lump of iron. The moment its owner appeared, everyone was forced to lower their heads.
“Heavenly Demon.”
“Yes. It has been a while, all of you.”
The sound of his footsteps echoed for a long moment before finally stopping.
“Raise your heads.”
We slowly lifted our gazes toward the Heavenly Demon. High upon his throne sat a man entirely clad in black. No matter how many times I saw him, the sight still filled me with dread.
Especially that black mask he wore. I could not see what lay beneath it, but the eyes visible through its slits overwhelmed everyone present.
“I have prepared this gathering today because there is joy I wish to share with all of you.”
Joy? Had he reached a new realm?
The Heavenly Demon rarely expressed anything as “joyful,” making it difficult to guess what this was about. Since he was a martial artist, I assumed he might be celebrating his own advancement.
“I have finally captured one of the stray cats that has been troubling our cult.”
…A stray cat?
“Bring her forward.”
The Heavenly Demon shouted, and a strange ecstasy could be felt threading through his voice.
Not only had he opened Manmajeon, he was even revealing emotion. I grew curious just what kind of person could cause such a reaction.
The doors of Manmajeon opened. The guards stationed at the entrance dragged in a woman bound with dark ropes.
“….Who is that woman?”
Long, snow-white hair. Eyes the blue of rippling waves. Skin far too soft to belong to a warrior.
Though harsh torture had stolen some of their brilliance, they still radiated beauty. It told me exactly who she was.
“One of the Ten Venerables…”
That was why I could not hide my astonishment. The woman before me was not someone who should ever be captured like this.
“Welcome to the Demonic Cult.”
The Heavenly Demon shouted toward the woman who had been thrown into the center of Manmajeon, his voice thick with excitement.
“Blue Sky Sword Empress!”
The stray cat the Heavenly Demon spoke of was an absolute expert of the Wulin Alliance and a member of the Ten Venerables.
Changcheon Geomhu, Namgung Seha.
“How… did he catch her?”
I was so shocked that the words slipped out in a whisper.
I had once crossed swords with her.
It was during the attack on Sichuan. I had clashed fiercely with the Blue Sky Sword Empress atop the Tang Clan’s residence. Though I had ultimately won, her pure-white lightning had not been easy to handle.
Had Cheondongyohwa, who had been with me at the time, not assisted, I might have lost that victory.
“Vice Leader. I have recaptured what you once let slip.”
“…You handled it personally, sir?”
“Indeed.”
It made sense.
If the Heavenly Demon had moved himself, even the Blue Sky Sword Empress would have stood no chance.
“Bringing her back alive is truly impressive.”
“Well, she has her uses.”
Uses?
The Heavenly Demon flicked his fingers. The Blue Sky Sword Empress’s body immediately floated into the air and drifted toward him.
She struggled desperately to break free, but an absolute being’s mid-air manipulation could not be escaped with such feeble resistance.
“…Ugh…”
In the end, the Heavenly Demon’s hand closed completely around her throat. In the agony of suffocation, she bit her lip and let out a faint groan.
“You even prevented her from committing suicide. Impressive.”
When Heukdokwang spoke, the Heavenly Demon replied as if the comment were absurd.
“She tried. So I placed a restriction on her.”
He tightened his grip. Her pale face flushed crimson. Only when it seemed she would truly stop breathing did he finally release her.
“I intend to execute this wench in ten days, before we strike Huashan. It will serve to raise morale and engrave proper fear.”
Why? The eyes behind that mask felt especially sinister today.
“…Well, that is how it is. However, the prisoners in the underground jail reacted rather violently to her presence.”
He said “rather,” but since the words came from the Heavenly Demon, it must have been extreme.
They had probably rampaged to the point that proper management became impossible, even though they were the sort who obeyed the cult simply because they feared death.
“Therefore, I will have one of you take personal charge of her.”
The moment those words left his mouth, several faces caught my eye.
Heukdokwang, who lusted after women. Cheondongyohwa and her color techniques. The other elders were no different.
…Taking her would be an absolute pain.
She was an unprecedentedly important hostage even among those from the righteous path. She would undoubtedly demand constant attention. Any hope of training in peace would vanish.
Let someone else volunteer.
“Is there anyone willing?”
I have already fed her plenty of mountain air poison, so she cannot use her inner energy. Do not worry, the Heavenly Demon added.
Seven out of twelve raised their hands. More than I had expected.
Curious what expression the Blue Sky Sword Empress wore in this situation, I glanced at her. Surprisingly, she looked calm—or rather, she was desperately trying to appear calm.
There was no way the other bastards would miss that expression. If anything, it would only provoke them further.
“Ha…”
No, Sowoon. Don’t do it…
I had barely been suppressing the words trying to crawl up my throat, but that woman’s expression made it impossible.
“All elders, lower your hands.”
I spat the command.
I wondered if they might not have heard, but of course they had. The elders looked visibly disappointed, yet they read my mood and slowly lowered their hands one by one.
“Vice Leader. Unexpected. I thought you would find this bothersome.”
For some reason the Heavenly Demon seemed unusually interested in me today. I do not think I have ever felt irritation toward him before, but this was a first.
The atmosphere had already hardened in my favor. Since it had come to this, I was willing to accept it.
“She is the one I let escape. I will take responsibility for the end, at least.”
I bowed my head respectfully to him, then looked at the Blue Sky Sword Empress. She was now staring at me with open wariness, no longer trying to hide it.
Since I had ended up taking charge, I had no intention of harming her.
“It seems decided. With that, I declare this Manmajeon meeting concluded. Return to your positions.”
With those words the Heavenly Demon vanished. An overwhelmingly superior movement technique. The elders paid their respects and departed one by one.
“What was that about, Yohwa?”
“Hehe… I thought you had no interest in women at all. So bondage and restraint are your preference?”
“…Have you finally lost your mind? If you have nothing more to say, leave.”
“Yes!”
Finally, even Cheondongyohwa left after spouting her nonsense. Now only I and this troublesome Blue Sky Sword Empress remained in Manmajeon.
“Blue Sky Sword Empress. It is nice to meet you. I am Jin Sowoon, Vice Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult and Pacheon Shingun. I am also one of the Ten Venerables, just like you.”
No answer came.
I had not particularly expected one, so I continued immediately.
“Can you walk?”
“…..”
“I have no desire to threaten you, but I cannot use mid-air manipulation on living people. I would rather not drag a young lady around like a piece of baggage if possible.”
“…..If you would help me stand.”
Finally, I heard her precious voice.
With one hand I helped her to her feet. Though her knees were tightly bound, she could manage small steps.
Slowly, matching her pace, I led her toward the Vice Leader’s residence.
It was the rather fateful beginning of ten days.
