Chapter 93. Not those small fry.

The reason the Righteous Heavenly Alliance sent them was because they feared that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might have set a trap and would attack.

Why?

Because if they sent outstanding masters and they were annihilated by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s trap, there would be no greater loss for the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

So they sent martial artists of a subpar level.

It was clear that they had carefully selected individuals whom it would be good if they returned alive, but whose loss wouldn’t be significant even if they were massacred.

In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that those who brought the prisoners had been abandoned by the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

“N-No, that’s not true. The Righteous Heavenly Alliance abandoning us, that’s absurd.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t try to delude us with such nonsense.”

Although he said that, there was no conviction in his expression.

The martial artists of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance who came with him also remained silent, unable to offer any proper refutation.

This was because they knew all too well that exchanging prisoners with the Demonic Cult without a single renowned master was an absurd affair.

So much so that more than a few of them had written their last wills before coming to this Gonghe County.

“Right, that must be it. If you open your mouth wrong, not only your own life but your entire sect will be in danger.”

Jincheon nodded his head as if he understood.

“I understand your position, so get lost now.”

“A-Are you not going to kill us?”

“I can’t very well kill the guys they sent to die for them. Do I look like a butcher to you?”

“N-No, that’s not it.”

“Killing a bunch of riffraff like you doesn’t seem like it would be very enjoyable, so hurry up and get lost before I change my mind.”

“Then His Highness the Prince of Ningjing…….”

“Kek!”

Jincheon laughed.

“You didn’t really think I would hand over the old man, did you?”

“……”

“If you really thought so, you have some big dreams. Why would our cult hand over the Prince of Ningjing when we have nothing to lose.”

“T-Then…….”

“Just hand over our cult’s prisoners. If you don’t want to die.”

At Jincheon’s threat, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists couldn’t say a word, as if they were mute.

That was the situation.

Right now, it was a structure where the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was bound to suffer a one-sided loss, making a fair trade impossible.

The only thing the Righteous Heavenly Alliance could do now was to hand over the prisoners and return empty-handed.

“……Let’s go.”

In the end, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists had no choice but to hand over the prisoners and turn back.

But there were those who blocked the path of such Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists…….

“How can we just let those vermin go!”

“By whose authority!”

Two grotesque men with disheveled hair shouted, opposing Jincheon’s decision.

Mad Demon Revered One and Undying Fighting Demon.

Jincheon’s former fellow inmates seemed to have no intention of letting the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists go.

***

It wasn’t just the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon who opposed Jincheon’s decision.

“We must kill them!”

“My anger will only be satisfied if we tear them all to shreds and scatter them in the marketplace!”

“My anger won’t be appeased unless they are boiled to death in water, I can’t let them go like this!”

The anger of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult martial artists who had been held captive was as immense as the suffering they had endured.

From their perspective, letting the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists in front of them go alive was an unthinkable act.

In a situation where it wouldn’t be enough to kill any members of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance on sight, to just let them go?

“D-Dammit!”

“Don’t come!”

“Ugh… Ughhh……!”

The Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists were terrified by the prisoners’ menacing aura and staggered backward.

“They’re not the ones to take your anger out on. Just let them go.”

Jincheon restrained those prisoners.

‘I understand the desire to kill, but letting them live is more advantageous, so I have no choice but to stop them.’

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the prisoners’ feelings, but killing the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists present here would be nothing more than a simple venting of anger.

Jincheon hoped that they would harbor dissatisfaction and distrust towards the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

Furthermore, he hoped that such distrust would spread throughout the Central Plains, eventually causing the trust in the Righteous Heavenly Alliance to hit rock bottom.

Jincheon knew all too well that the true strength of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance lay in the more than several thousand minor sects.

In other words, he judged that it would be beneficial in the long run for the Righteous Heavenly Alliance to lose the support of the minor sects.

“Who are you to blabber on about letting the Righteous Sect bastards go!”

An old man with gray eyes growled at Jincheon.

Mad Demon Revered One.

He was a master of a previous generation who had learned the Heavenly Killing Mad Demon Art, a demonic art said to drive even a sane person mad, and was a demon practitioner called by the alias Mad Demon Revered One because once his demonic qi started to boil, no one could stop him.

“How dare a greenhorn like you butt in!”

An old man whose face, and even his entire body, was covered in burn scars also expressed strong displeasure.

Undying Fighting Demon.

A master of a previous generation famous for the Undying Demonic Art, a martial art that granted mysterious physical recovery abilities, it was said that there was no one who could match his belligerence.

“I greet Senior Mad Demon Revered One and Senior Undying Fighting Demon. I am called the Seventh Young Master, Jincheon.”

Jincheon smiled and performed a fist-and-palm salute to them.

Jincheon’s inner sense of closeness to the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon was quite deep.

As they were the ones he had gotten along with the most during his time in the Demonic Prison, Jincheon’s gaze towards them couldn’t help but be warm.

“Seventh Young Master? Then, you’re one of His Excellency’s disciples?”

“Hoho. It seems like only yesterday that he took in the Sixth Young Master as a disciple, and it seems he has taken another disciple in the meantime.”

The attitudes of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon softened somewhat.

“Since you are His Excellency’s disciple, I will not speak harshly. However, Seventh Young Master, do not stop this old man’s venting.”

“That’s right. My anger will only be appeased after I beat those bastards to death and drag their corpses around.”

Even though Jincheon revealed his identity, the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon did not back down.

No matter how high Jincheon’s status as the Seventh Young Master was, the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon were former elders and seniors of considerable age.

Both of them were heroes of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who had participated in the First Righteous-Demonic Great War and achieved distinguished military merit, so even Jincheon could not treat them carelessly.

“Forgive my impertinence, but I cannot allow that.”

Jincheon said, still smiling.

“I understand your feelings a hundred, a thousand times over, but if you kill them, it will be nothing more than playing into the hands of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Us killing them is what the Righteous Heavenly Alliance wants.”

“Why?”

The Mad Demon Revered One asked with a look of utter incomprehension.

“Killing them will only foster animosity. From the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s perspective, it’s good for fostering fear of our cult to strengthen their internal unity, and it will also be easier for them to control the minor sects.”

“Hah.”

The Mad Demon Revered One clicked his tongue as if he was dumbfounded.

“Is that something the Seventh Young Master of our cult should be saying? At a time when you should be taking the lead in wiping out the seeds of the Righteous Sect bastards, how can you say things that sound like they came from a sheltered scholar!”

“That’s not it…….”

“Shut up!”

The Mad Demon Revered One shouted, cutting Jincheon off.

“I had expectations because you were the Seventh Young Master, but you’re just a brat who plays with petty tricks! As for the Righteous Sect bastards, the only truth is to kill, kill, and kill again!”

“……”

“If you stop this old man one more time, even if you are the Seventh Young Master, you will not be safe!”

As his demonic qi slowly began to boil, the Mad Demon Revered One’s eyes turned an even darker shade of gray.

“Do not expect me to go easy on you just because you are the Seventh Young Master. Do you understand?”

The Undying Fighting Demon, just like the Mad Demon Revered One, revealed his anger and emanated a menacing aura.

‘As expected, it’s not easy.’

Jincheon fully understood the feelings of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon, so he had fully anticipated such a reaction.

However, he could not let the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon carry out a massacre like this.

“As the Seventh Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I command you. Stand down.”

The Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon snorted.

“Try it if you dare!”

“Do you think you can stop us!”

After saying that, the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon rushed towards the Righteous Heavenly Alliance martial artists.

“Honestly.”

Jincheon quickly blocked the path of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon and unleashed a barrage of fists and kicks.

“Th-This is!”

“How do you know that martial art!”

The Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon were utterly astonished to see the martial art Jincheon was using.

As befitting the Old Demons of a previous generation, they recognized the Heavenly Demon Fighting Soul Martial Art at a single glance.

“Your bodies are not in good shape, so I would appreciate it if you would step back when I ask nicely.”

Jincheon once again tried to persuade the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon.

“If you step back, I will take responsibility for creating an opportunity for revenge.”

“How will you create it?”

The Mad Demon Revered One asked.

Having seen Jincheon use the Heavenly Demon’s exclusive martial art, the Heavenly Demon Fighting Soul Martial Art, he had no choice but to take a step back.

“Instead of those small fry, wouldn’t it be much better to kill the real big shots? For example… the sect leaders of the Kongtong Sect or the Zhongnan Sect would be about right.”

“Hmm!”

“I will let you stand at the forefront of the all-out war against the Righteous Heavenly Alliance that will happen someday. Then, you two elders will leave your names in the history of our cult as the main figures of the Demonic Dao’s rule over the world.”

“Is that really true?”

“I will promise on my life.”

At Jincheon’s bold declaration, the attitudes of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon softened.

The Demonic Dao’s rule over the world.

A long-cherished desire that every martial artist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult dreams of.

And on top of that, the sweetness of being able to leave one’s name in history?

That was a sufficient temptation to quell their immediate anger.

“You must keep that promise.”

“Of course.”

Jincheon smiled and nodded his head.

Kill when it’s time to kill.

But when there’s no need to kill, don’t lift a hand.

That was the keynote of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult since the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s reign began.

In the past, when the first Heavenly Demon reigned, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would often carry out massacres, making the entire world their enemy.

In response, the new Heavenly Demon, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, boldly carried out reforms and changed the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Jincheon intended to inherit the will of such an Iron-Blooded Demonic God and strive to prevent the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult from repeating the mistakes of the past.

Because that would be his duty as a disciple of the Iron-Blooded Demonic God and as the Seventh Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

***

Jincheon, after barely calming down the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon, paid a large sum of money to summon all the nearby physicians.

Not only had they been held captive for a long time, but they had all been tortured, so their health was in a terrible state.

In particular, the condition of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon was worse than expected.

Except for being very thin, their outward appearance was fine, but their internal injuries were severe, and their dantian was in tatters, no different from a rag.

‘This is serious.’

Jincheon examined the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon himself and hardened his face.

‘Right. They both died around this time.’

Jincheon recalled old memories.

The Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon were the ones who died the fastest during Jincheon’s twenty years in the Demonic Prison.

Both of them were old and frail, and after enduring harsh torture for several years, they eventually died of illness in prison.

‘This won’t do.’

Jincheon, thinking this wouldn’t do, called the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon separately.

“It seems the two elders’ conditions are not good, so I should take a look.”

The Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon tilted their heads.

“Is the Seventh Young Master well-versed in medicine?”

“How do you plan to look at us?”

They also knew that their bodies were not in a normal state, so they couldn’t understand what Jincheon meant by taking a look himself.

No matter how much medicine was a basic skill for a martial artist, wasn’t there a world of difference between that and a physician who had professionally studied medicine?

“There’s nothing I can do about the weakened vitality from the long imprisonment, but I think it should be possible to treat the internal injuries and restore the dantian.”

“……?”

The Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon made expressions as if they were flabbergasted.

The weakened vitality could be restored from now on by eating well, sleeping well, and supplementing with decoctions and acupuncture.

However, treating internal injuries and restoring the dantian was a much more difficult realm, something even renowned physicians could not guarantee.

“Is the Seventh Young Master trying to make fun of this old man?”

“How could that be?”

At the Mad Demon Revered One’s question, Jincheon took out two wooden boxes from his bosom.

“Even if I can’t, the Demonic Spirit Divine Pill should be able to treat the elders.”

“……!”

The eyes of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon widened like lanterns.

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