Chapter 312: Verification (1)

"The Cheon Clan, you say?"

"Yes."

"I must say, the audacity to even suggest that is truly impressive…."

The Cheon Clan’s influence in the Heavenly Demon Cult was, of course, absolute.

Naturally, it wasn’t strange for the Chief of Internal Affairs to react this way.

However.

‘Verification, huh.’

I felt a sense of doubt as I read Cheon Yura’s letter again.

Could it be that my fight with the Sword Demon had not been reported to the Cheon Clan?

‘There’s no way something of that scale could have been kept secret, is there?’

Though the Sword Demon had distanced us from others out of consideration for me, if someone with sharp eyes had deliberately observed us, they wouldn’t have failed to witness our battle.

‘If that’s not the case… then it means they believe they have what it takes to hold me back….’

I couldn’t help but question whether the Cheon Clan currently held such a card.

Well, Han Mubaek, who should have originally become the Demonic Faction Lord, had already been completely overturned.

And the True Blood Unit, which was made up of pureblood descendants of the current generation of the Cheon Clan, had no one more talented than Cheon Yujeong, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

"What do you think, Chief? The fact that the Cheon Clan wants to verify me at this timing?"

"If I may share my humble opinion…."

The Chief twisted his signature goatee and let out a sly smile.

"It’s incredibly foolish."

It was a stark contrast to how he had been trembling at the mere mention of the Cheon Clan’s prestige.

"Why is that?"

"Whether they succeed in pushing you aside or not, to pick a fight at this timing is an unwise move, even for the Cheon Clan. Especially now, when the Cult Leader and the majority of the Six Great Demonic Clans are practically backing you."

The Illusion Clan had already been expelled, and the Hidden Shadow So Clan remained sealed away.

With the other three clans, excluding the Jin Clan, being closely tied to me, it was practically as if the entire Six Great Demonic Clans were standing with me.

‘Still, if there was one thing that bothered me….’

It was undoubtedly related to Cheon Yujeong.

From the Cult’s perspective, what Cheon Yujeong had done in the south was clearly an act of rebellion.

Yet all of her actions had been buried and left unresolved.

As a result, from the Cheon Clan’s point of view, it was no different than their kidnapped Cheon Yujeong suddenly dying a meaningless death in the south.

Though there were many complexities that made assigning blame difficult, politics was often about endlessly grabbing at someone’s ankles, even with the slightest suspicion.

‘Whatever the case, I’ll have to watch how things develop and respond accordingly.’

If only I had a connection capable of probing into the Cheon Clan’s internal affairs at a time like this, it would have been ideal. It was a shame.

‘It’s unlikely, but if I were to consider another possibility… it could mean that someone from the Cheon Clan is trying to help me… but that seems far-fetched, doesn’t it?’

Verification? If they want to try, let them.

Whoever it may be, I was fully prepared to thoroughly crush anyone daring to reach for the seat beside Cheon Yura over me.

***

Originally, all major and minor affairs of the Cult went through the Elders' Hall as a first step.

But that had only been because the Cult Leader, who despised hassle, had temporarily delegated part of his authority to the elders.

However, since Cheon Yura had begun to truly rise in power, the Cult’s meetings started to be decided not in the Elders' Hall, but in the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

Murmur! Murmur!

The Heavenly Demon Pavilion, which normally had no more than ten or so attendees at most, was bustling with nearly a hundred people today.

It had been this crowded only once before, when the Cult Leader decided on the Great Demonic War.

The Sword Demon let out a scoffing laugh.

"They sure gathered in droves."

"Haaam… Looks like they just want to have a foot in the door before any decision is made."

Saber Demon also yawned as he added.

That was when the Sword Demon suddenly snapped at Saber Demon.

"By the way, you. I heard you went to pick a fight with that guy."

There was only one person who could be that guy in this context.

"Huh? Has that rumor already spread that far?"

Usually, whenever Saber Demon yawned like that, it was because he had spent the night drinking himself stupid.

But right now, I couldn’t detect even a hint of alcohol from him.

"Others are saying you fought Jin Gun-ak, but you can’t fool my eyes."

"……."

"So, what’s the result?"

Saber Demon stared silently at the Sword Demon, who was pressing him for an answer.

‘Seriously, this guy never cared about what anyone else did….’

The Sword Demon had always been like a lone wolf, unwaveringly following his own path, never giving others so much as a glance.

Saber Demon clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Well, he didn’t fight me seriously."

"Hmm…."

"Every time I tried to push further, he would back off like a ghost. That Jin Gun-ak bastard even started acting up, so I couldn’t get much of a proper match before I just left."

"But that alone doesn’t explain why you stayed up all night, does it?"

"At the end… he showed me something interesting."

"……?"

"The Demonic Spirit Blade."

"……?!"

The weight of Saber Demon’s words was so heavy that the Sword Demon’s expression briefly faltered.

"Wasn’t that sealed away long ago?"

"It was."

The Demonic Spirit Blade had once represented the Pa Clan’s martial legacy alongside the Holy Blade.

But four hundred years ago, when the Pa Clan Leader who had accompanied the Second Heavenly Demon suddenly died from unknown causes, the technique had been lost.

"And it wasn’t just the Demonic Spirit Blade. That guy freely used several secret arts from other clans as well. I doubt he even revealed half of what the Pa Clan has when he fought you."

"……."

Though it was only for a fleeting moment, Saber Demon noticed it.

The Sword Demon’s fist clenched slightly tighter.

He spoke in a low voice.

"Looks like I’ll have to pay the Jin Clan a visit sometime."

"Heh… Go ahead, if you must."

While the two of them exchanged small talk, all the seats prepared in the Heavenly Demon Pavilion were soon filled.

"Even the old folks of the Cheon Clan and the heads of the other top clans have all shown up."

Especially the Cheon Clan, which had been politically weakened due to the rebellion of Gwangcheon Magun two years ago.

To make matters worse, the Fifth Elder had been entangled in the incident at Geum Madong and had died a tragic death, and even the usually inactive Fourth Elder had gone missing, leaving the Seven Elders’ Council on the verge of collapse.

But now, from the First Elder to the Seventh Elder, all seats at the head table were filled.

"Looks like they managed to fill all the vacant seats in the meantime."

"Well, with the Cheon Clan’s resources, it’s not surprising."

Not only the Sword Demon and Saber Demon, but even the other clan leaders of the Six Great Demonic Clans clicked their tongues lightly.

What stood out the most was that all the newly appointed elders sitting in the vacant seats were supreme masters of the Extreme Demon Realm.

Considering that even among the Six Great Demonic Clans, there were usually no more than three at that level, this was an absurd concentration of power.

At that moment, Cheon Yura appeared from the inner passage, dressed in a splendid black dragon robe, flanked by the Guardian Lions.

"Is everyone present?"

"We greet the Young Cult Leader!"

The core martial experts of the Cult all rose in unison to pay their respects.

The collective movement caused the entire Heavenly Demon Pavilion to tremble slightly.

Cheon Yura curved her lips into a slight smile as she looked over the crowd that filled her view.

"Hmph! More attendees than I expected."

“…….”

She sat down on the throne, the seat reserved solely for the Cult Leader, and raised one hand to signal the start of the meeting.

"This meeting was convened at the request of the Cheon Clan’s First Elder, Cheon Taemyung."

At her words, all eyes turned toward the First Elder seated at the head table.

"First Elder, you may speak."

"Thank you, Young Cult Leader."

The First Elder, a kindly-looking old man, bowed his head to Cheon Yura and slowly rose from his seat.

"As everyone knows, our Cult is now preparing to enter the next era under the rule of a new supreme leader."

His calm voice echoed throughout the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

"However, as one who is soon to retire, I cannot help but worry about the one who will become the Young Cult Leader’s husband."

At that moment, a voice of opposition immediately rang out from the opposite side of the head table.

"The First Elder’s concerns are understandable."

It was Sa Myeongnin, the Thunder Commander, a beautiful woman whose skin showed no signs of aging.

"But is it not too soon to worry? The Young Cult Leader is closer in age to her early twenties than to thirty."

The atmosphere in the pavilion instantly tensed at Sa Myeongnin’s rebuttal.

After all, it was never a good sign when the Head of the Black Gold Sa Clan and the First Elder of the Elders' Council started the meeting by clashing opinions.

The First Elder let out a chuckle and shook his head.

"It is by no means too soon. The Young Cult Leader is already of an age more than suitable for marriage."

"That may be true by conventional standards. However, even you must know, First Elder, that there is already a designated candidate for the Young Cult Leader’s husband."

"Hahaha! That’s right!"

The First Elder nodded eagerly as if he had been waiting for that response.

Sa Myeongnin and the other clan leaders of the Six Great Demonic Clans frowned at his reaction.

‘What’s this old fox plotting?’

The First Elder was one of the key pillars supporting the Young Cult Leader, along with the Great Elder.

But his actions now seemed nothing short of opposing her.

"Jin Yeomyung, the eldest son of the Jin Clan."

The First Elder finally spoke the name everyone had expected.

"In martial skill, family background, appearance, learning, and fame… he has proven to be outstanding in every regard."

Indeed, in terms of qualifications, there was no one in the Cult who could surpass Jin Yeomyung.

His martial prowess and reputation alone were enough to label him as the leading figure among the Six Demon Dragons.

His family background was beyond question, and even in scholarship—which wasn’t highly regarded—he had defeated Sa Cheongmun of the Black Gold Sa Clan at a scholarly exchange.

At least on the surface, the only candidate who could be compared to Jin Yeomyung in the Cult was Ma Cheolsu, the designated successor of the Pa Clan.

"However."

The First Elder raised a single finger.

"It is also true that, as of now, there are no clear public achievements that would make the later-generation disciples of the Cult recognize him as the rightful Demonic Faction Lord."

"What…?!"

While Sa Myeongnin scowled at those words, the Sword Demon and Saber Demon clicked their tongues.

"…He’s hitting where it hurts."

Whether it was the matter in Qinghai or the incident at Geum Madong.

Though Jin Yeomyung had done much for Cheon Yura, most of it couldn’t be made public.

Especially matters involving the Heaven-Defying Society were even more so.

The First Elder was taking advantage of that very point.

"So? What do you propose?"

Cheon Yura asked in a calm voice from the head table.

"He must be verified."

"Verified?"

"Yes, we need an official verification process that all Cult members can accept."

"How exactly?"

"Hahaha! Since my single opinion wouldn’t suffice, shouldn’t this be something we all discuss together starting now?"

Sinister smiles spread across the faces of the other elders.

Even those who had remained quiet in the back seats began murmuring among themselves, growing increasingly enthusiastic.

"Hmm…."

The clan leaders of the Six Great Demonic Clans quickly realized the situation was starting to take a strange turn.

While dreaming pointless dreams was harmless when done alone, it became a real problem when many people shared the same dream.

And yet.

The Sword Demon let out a faint laugh and muttered softly.

"So the old fox played his hand, huh."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Saber Demon, wide-eyed, asked from beside him.

The Sword Demon gestured toward the elders with a nod of his chin.

"Look at the faces of the Cheon Clan elders."

"……?"

Saber Demon blinked in confusion as he observed the expressions of the elders, excluding the First Elder.

All of them were wearing sly smiles, lost in their foolish fantasies.

"You still don’t see it?"

"See what?"

"If the rumor that that brat fought me on equal footing had reached their ears, could those old fools really be making faces like that right now?"

"……!!"

Realization finally dawned on Saber Demon, and his eyes widened in shock.

"They’ve controlled the information. That damn snake, the First Elder."

Even for the First Elder, it wouldn’t have been possible to pull this off alone.

But if the Great Elder, Cheon Yeongha, had cooperated… they could have sealed the mouths of the Cheon Clan’s intelligence unit, the Divine Ghost Unit.

"Still, as the one who proposed this, may I suggest one idea?"

"Permission granted."

With Cheon Yura’s approval, the First Elder cleared his throat briefly and spoke.

"Endless Challenge."

"……?"

He threw out a ludicrous proposal toward the entire assembly.

"Allow all later-generation disciples under the age of thirty to challenge the candidate for Demonic Faction Lord, regardless of who they are."

The corners of the First Elder’s lips curled slightly.

"Shouldn’t he at least be able to overcome that much to be worthy of becoming the husband of our new Cult Leader?"

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