Chapter 335: Their Past (2)

After grasping the situation, Cheon Jumyeong immediately went to find the Cult Leader.

However, he wasn’t able to meet the Cult Leader.

The warriors of the Guardian Hall rejected Cheon Jumyeong’s request.

Instead, he managed to meet one of the responsible figures for this incident, the Clan Leader.

“Clan Leader!”

“…You’re here.”

The Clan Leader, who had recently been unable to straighten his back properly, appeared at just the right moment as if he had been waiting for Cheon Jumyeong.

“What the hell is going on?!”

So enraged that he even forgot to speak respectfully, Cheon Jumyeong grabbed the Clan Leader by the collar and demanded answers.

“You’re saying Hawol has defected, and an execution order has been issued on Juchun? What the hell happened for something so absurd to unfold?!”

“……”

The Clan Leader, Cheon Mujae, let out a sigh and shook his head.

“Let go of me.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, I felt the strength in my grip loosen on its own.

“Damn old bastard….”

There were countless old masters in the Cheon Clan, but the only one who could truly be called an old monster was probably this man.

“No matter who you are, I can’t tell you everything. If you knew, the Cult Leader would surely try to kill you.”

“Even though the experiments are already over?”

“Oh? You figured that out?”

“At the very least, I know this situation didn’t happen because of the process itself.”

There had been some clues.

The fact that Juchun had been excessively cheerful for a while.

And that he had often disappeared, not for experiments, but seemingly to meet someone.

Cheon Mujae sighed once again.

“Juchun was seduced by that man’s scheme.”

“That man?”

“I should have noticed when they started getting too close, but I realized it too late.”

Cheon Mujae continued, hiding the man’s true identity.

“Do you know something called the Demonic Spirit Soul Control Technique?”

“…I’ve heard the name, at least.”

A type of sorcery that had been passed down since ancient times, used to suppress the human spirit.

“It’s not certain, but it seems the Priestess of the Blood Cult has fallen victim to it.”

“By whom?”

“Juchun… or that man.”

“…Why?”

“To uncover the buried truth of this world.”

“The truth?”

“Jumyeong. As you know, the so-called ‘buried truth’…”

“…is always something uncomfortable and disturbing for someone. And that someone is usually the one at the top. Do you think I don’t know that?”

“…Yes, you understand well. In this case, Juchun has essentially opened that forbidden box.”

“Did he find some dirt on the Cult Leader?”

“It’s similar, but not quite all of it.”

Frustrated by how the conversation kept skimming the surface, I burst out in anger.

“Damn it! This is no time for word games. I should be chasing after them right now!”

“Who do you mean?”

“That is…”

My expression froze.

The name of the ‘someone’ I was thinking of didn’t come easily to my lips.

“Hoo! Listen carefully.”

Cheon Mujae let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“There have been two attempts to steal the ‘results’ of the research. Juchun tried to take the successful subject, but was stopped by the Young Cult Leader, who happened to arrive just in time.”

“……”

“While the Young Cult Leader was chasing Juchun and that man, the woman under the influence of the Demonic Spirit Soul Control Technique stole the failed subject as a diversion.”

“Successful subject, failed subject…”

I asked in a trembling voice.

“You’re not talking about Hawol’s children… are you?”

“……”

He didn’t answer.

That silence was as good as confirmation.

“Clan Leader, you…!”

“The task you must do now is simple.”

He cut off my attempt to lash out with killing intent.

“Even if it’s a failed subject, that child is still a candidate for the next Cult Leader. You must bring them back no matter what.”

Bring them back?

Then what about Hawol?

As if reading my expression, he placed his hand on my shoulder.

“The young Clan Leader of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan has been appointed as the leader of the pursuit unit and is preparing to leave for the Ten Thousand Mountain. At this rate, she will almost certainly be executed on the spot.”

“…!!”

His words jolted me back to my senses.

“Ma Seonghwan rose to the position of Clan Leader of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan at a young age. He won’t miss the chance to achieve such merit.”

“What do I have to do?”

“I will use my authority to assign you as the vice-captain of the pursuit unit. And I’ll bait Ma Seonghwan with something that will prevent him from killing her easily.”

With a grave expression, Cheon Mujae spoke.

“Capture her no matter what. You must at least spare her life.”

I was certain he was hiding something more.

But my mind was too tangled to press him any further.

“I truly regret that things have come to this. But this isn’t what I wanted either.”

“Spare me the empty words. You’re one of the reasons Juchun went astray.”

“……”

His expression darkened.

But I didn’t care in the slightest.

After all, the man standing before me was the one who had neglected his own son, Juchun, by obsessing over sorcery and forbidden arts.

“Yeah, I’ll have to pay for that someday. I’m not planning to run from it. But I’ll pay the price only after everything has been set right…”

“How noble of you to twist your words to hide your cowardice.”

Despite my mockery, he didn’t respond.

Feeling the atmosphere becoming heavier, I changed the subject.

“By the way, where is Jumun right now?”

“He’s currently chasing after Juchun together with the Young Cult Leader.”

“…Damn it. Knowing that guy, he might actually try to kill Juchun.”

Cheon Jumun, ever the serious one, had once said that if Juchun ever went astray, not even beating him would be enough—he’d take his life with his own hands.

And now, those words were on the verge of becoming reality.

But at that moment, I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about Cheon Jumun.

‘Hawol….’

Even if she was a Demonic Empress, her martial arts skills were nothing to boast about.

I believed that the pursuit unit could capture her quickly with their combined strength.

Especially since the leader of the pursuit unit was someone who had reached the Extreme Demon Realm in his thirties and had earned the title of Sword Demon.

‘Will it be alright…? Capturing Hawol without harming her….’

Although Ma Seonghwan, known as the Sword Demon, appeared to be someone who didn’t care much about earning merit, people like him were usually uncompromising and difficult to negotiate with.

Just then, Ma Seonghwan suddenly spoke to me first.

“Demonic Arts Pavilion Lord.”

“Speak, Clan Leader Ma.”

“Do you, by any chance, know about Heaven-Slaying Star?”

“Heaven-Slaying Star?”

I frowned slightly at the sudden and unclear question.

“I know as much as anyone else does.”

“I see. That’s enough.”

Ma Seonghwan nodded slightly and turned away.

‘What the hell is with him?’

For a moment, I felt a faint sense of satisfaction from him.

Was I imagining things?

Though I would find out the truth about Heaven-Slaying Star later, it wasn’t my priority right now.

At that moment, a young woman with a tense expression approached me.

“…Will you be alright?”

It was Cheon Eunryeong, a promising member of a reputable branch of the Cheon Clan, currently serving as my secretary.

“What are you talking about?”

“This isn’t something you need to get involved in. If you fail, our Clan Leader might end up taking the blame…”

“Silence.”

“……”

I cut off Cheon Eunryeong’s words with an annoyed expression.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“……”

“And with your current abilities, this isn’t something you should be involved in. Return to the Demonic Arts Pavilion and wait.”

“But—!”

“That is an official order as Pavilion Lord.”

Only after I issued a formal command did Cheon Eunryeong bite her lip and lower her head.

“…I obey.”

Cheon Eunryeong returned to the Demonic Arts Pavilion with a gloomy expression.

Clicking my tongue internally as I watched her walk away, I couldn’t deny that Cheon Eunryeong’s standing within the Cheon Clan wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

If the Clan were to select candidates for the position of Demonic Empress, she would certainly rank among the top three. Her branch’s influence was that significant.

Even I couldn’t afford to push her away completely, keeping her at my side for practical reasons.

‘Hmph, why someone who could easily rise to the Four Great Halls would choose to stay in the low-ranking Demonic Arts Pavilion, I’ll never understand.’

Though the Demonic Arts Pavilion was officially one of the Nine Demon Halls, its influence was the weakest.

I had met her a few times at banquets hosted by other branches before, but since then, she had started clinging to me, even declaring her intention to follow me. I couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable about it.

‘For now, Hawol comes first.’

Shaking off thoughts of Cheon Eunryeong, I turned my gaze in the direction Jeok Hawol had fled.

I hoped I wasn’t too late.

What I thought would be an easy capture took far longer than expected.

Jeok Hawol had burned through all her Qi and life force to shake off the pursuit of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

But since she had children with her, her limits were inevitable.

After about ten days had passed—

I finally found her.

She was in ruins, her entire body’s qi channels shattered, no better than a cripple.

“H-Hawol….”

“……”

Jeok Hawol turned her head toward the sound of my voice with cloudy eyes.

Then, she mumbled blankly.

“…Cheon Clan?”

“……”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

It seemed she had lost not only her sight but even her cognitive abilities. She reached out with unfocused eyes.

She mistook me for Cheon Taejong.

“I’m sorry… I caused trouble until the very end….”

“……”

“I know it’s shameless to ask this now, but… could I ask you to look after the two children…?”

“……”

“I… I saw the future.”

Tears welled up and streamed down from her dim eyes.

“Somewhere burning… my daughter… dying miserably… impaled by countless blades….”

Honestly, I didn’t quite understand what she was talking about.

“I… want to change that future.”

I already knew what my answer had to be.

“Yes.”

I carefully took hold of Jeok Hawol’s outstretched hand.

“I will protect them. No matter what I have to overturn.”

At my words, she wept but gave a faint smile.

“Thank you… Thank you so much….”

And finally—

With her last breath, she left these words.

“And… tell Jumyeong… I’m sorry. Even though I knew how he felt… I could only turn away… Tell him to forgive this foolish me….”

“……”

With that, Jeok Hawol’s head drooped.

And with it… my heart broke.

***

After the incident had been settled, some time passed.

The Cult had fallen into internal and external turmoil, and the Cult Leader had been busy trying to cover up what had happened.

It seemed that the truth about the experiment had already begun to leak to the outside world, politically cornering the Cult Leader.

After all, the power of the Six Great Demonic Clans was at its peak these days.

Well, whether that was the case or not, it really didn’t concern me in the slightest.

And so, I spent my days rotting away like a shell in the Demonic Arts Pavilion.

Not long after, I received an unexpected visitor.

“It’s been a while.”

“…Young Cult Leader?”

The young man who already carried the overwhelming presence of an absolute ruler—

Cheon Taejong had come to see me.

“What brings you here?”

Cheon Taejong got straight to the point without wasting any words.

“Soon, I will become the third in history to ascend to the position of Heavenly Demon.”

Heavenly Demon…?

If that were true, it would indeed be something astonishing.

But even then, it still felt like someone else’s business to me.

Cheon Taejong continued.

“When I ascend to the position above all others, I plan to add one more to the existing Four Great Halls.”

“…And?”

Though the words continued to be shocking, they still weren’t enough to stir my interest, which had long since withered away.

But then—

“As you know, Yura and Yujeong were born with many inherent weaknesses. They need an independent force to protect them, someone other than me.”

“……”

“I will bring your Heavenly Brain Clan out of the shadows. I want you to become the Lord of the new Fifth Great Hall and protect those two.”

Without realizing it, I found myself asking—

“What will the name of this new Fifth Great Hall be?”

Cheon Taejong answered without hesitation.

“Heavenly Thunder Corps.”

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