Chapter 131: An Unnecessary Truths (1)

An unexpected moment where a figure from the Cheon Clan appeared.

Oddly enough, I had a feeling things might actually go well.

“I pay my respects to the One-Eyed Poisonous Demonic Warlord, Saro.”

Cheon Jeonmun, the One-Eyed Poisonous Demonic Warlord, let out a soft whistle.

“Hooh, you know who I am?”

“How could I not know one of the pillars supporting the Cheon Clan?”

“Heh heh, well, I suppose if you know about the Seven Elders Council, then it wouldn’t be strange to know my name.”

One of the Four Elders of the Seven Elders Council.

He was not listed in the official hierarchy of the Cult, but was an elite martial artist—one of the Cheon Clan’s secret weapons.

And.

As far as I knew, during this time, he was the caretaker of Iron Steed Prison Cave, the prison that held the Cult’s high-level criminals.

“What brings you, Noya, the caretaker of Iron Steed Prison Cave, to such a remote place?”

“…You even know I’m the caretaker of Iron Steed Prison Cave?”

If his mood up to this point had suggested “Not bad?”, his current reaction was one of genuine surprise—“How did he know that?”

“Shouldn’t the man destined to marry into the Cheon Clan know at least that much?”

“I heard you withdrew from the Exchange Ceremony?”

“Stepping back from the Exchange Ceremony doesn’t mean I gave up.”

“Hoh?”

Cheon Jeonmun stroked his beard, tilting his head.

“You might think it strange that I say this, but… are you sure you should be telling me this?”

“It doesn’t matter. Everyone knows we’re just pretending not to see what’s obvious anyway.”

In truth, it did matter.

I was throwing myself into this game of chance, pretending I had no choice but to play the role of the Demonic Faction Lord.

That was the bait I had tossed to the other Six Great Demonic Clans.

But if I exposed my inner thoughts like this, that bait would lose its effectiveness.

Cheon Jeonmun was pointing that out… but I showed my hand precisely because it was him.

If my hunch was right, he was definitely…

“You’re quite the entertaining fellow.”

Cheon Jeonmun swept his gaze over my body with the deep eyes unique to the elderly.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

“The things you’ve done these past few days have been quite impressive.”

“I’m glad to hear you enjoyed them.”

“Well, how could I not enjoy it? A mere late-stage energy cultivator massacred the elite of the Six Clans.”

His tone made it clear he didn’t care at all about the relationship between the Cheon Clan and the Ma Clan.

“In that spirit, I’d like to make a suggestion to you, Junior Brother.”

“I’ll respectfully listen.”

“How about stopping here and going back?”

Cheon Jeonmun let out a small sigh.

“I admit, those old bastards are greedy and shameless. But rotten as they are, they’re still the pillars of the Cheon Clan. Even if you borrow the power of the Six Clans, if you clash with them, you’ll get nothing out of it—neither porridge nor rice.”

Surprisingly, there was a tone of goodwill in Cheon Jeonmun’s voice.

“What happens if we go back now?”

“At the very least, you’ll survive. You… and the Ma Clan’s second son.”

Hooh?

In other words, if we backed off here, he was saying he’d intervene to spare Ma Chulsoo’s life.

“Then what happens if we push forward?”

“You might get attacked by someone terrifying. For example…”

Cheon Jeonmun gave a meaningful smile.

“Who’s to say a righteous faction master imprisoned in Iron Steed Prison Cave won’t suddenly escape and show up before you?”

In short, if we kept going, he would release such a martial artist to finish us off instead of acting himself.

“……”

If I turned back now, I’d gain nothing.

I might save my life, but I’d lose too much.

‘In that case, I’d rather die.’

Knowing that, I placed my bet here.

“Then, if we were to go back, what would happen to Heaven-Slaying Star?”

“…!”

At the mention of Heaven-Slaying Star, Cheon Jeonmun’s expression instantly darkened.

His voice came, low and completely different from before.

“Cheon Jumyeong. That brat told you?”

The name of the Demonic Gentleman had come out right away. It showed how the Cheon Clan viewed him.

“That’s not it. If I’d known beforehand, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

Cheon Jeonmun sighed again. A deeper sigh than before.

“That child… there’s no helping it. I regret how things turned out, but now that it’s gone this far, I have no choice but to eliminate him before it gets any bigger.”

Crack!

The moment he said “eliminate,” blood spilled from Ma Chulsoo’s mouth beside me.

He had been overly agitated, causing his qi and blood to flow backward.

“So you’re saying Ma Jinyoon’s rampage wasn’t your intention, Noya?”

“No one involved in this mess even knew about Heaven-Slaying Star’s existence. For all we know, this might’ve been Cheon Jumyeong’s doing.”

“……!!”

The possibility I had been quietly suspecting had now come out of his mouth.

“Why do you think that?”

“If the Blood Flow Demonic Spirit Sword Art came to light, it’d throw a major wrench in his ambitions. Teaching the Ma Clan child that forbidden technique to control Heaven-Slaying Star… it was probably part of his scheme to keep himself clear of Ma Clan Leader’s wrath, even while orchestrating this mess.”

Cheon Jeonmun spoke as if I should have known all of this already, casually dropping classified information.

And hearing it only raised further questions about his identity.

‘He’s not just a normal administrator of the Cheon Clan.’

He knew information even the other elders of the Seven Elders Council didn’t know.

That meant one of two things.

‘Either he has another identity… or there’s something inside Iron Steed Prison Cave.’

Considering how desperately he was trying to keep me away from Iron Steed Prison Cave, the latter seemed more likely.

“As expected… I don’t think I can just go back.”

“Is that so? What a pity.”

Cheon Jeonmun truly seemed disappointed.

“Then let me ask you one last thing. Please answer seriously.”

Flinch!

In that moment, an overwhelming pressure unlike anything before emanated from Cheon Jeonmun.

‘Formless Qi!’

This old man… he wasn’t just a high-level martial artist!

The sheer ferocity of his energy was nearly on par with what I felt in front of the Demonic Cult Leader during the Heavenly Demon War!

But unlike back then, I didn’t collapse in disgrace.

The power of the Second Heavenly Demon flowing from my Dantian was protecting my entire body!

“Even if you come to know a truth too heavy to bear, will you still keep moving forward?”

“Ugh… Kuugh!”

“Answer me.”

I forced myself to raise my head, desperately resisting the urge to collapse to my knees.

‘W-What the hell is that old man?!’

I hadn’t felt such overwhelming presence since the Cult Leader himself.

And yet… I had this strange instinct.

The “truth” he spoke of didn’t feel related to the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan incident at all.

Still, regardless of that—

I shouted at Cheon Jeonmun with all my might.

“There is no such thing as a truth I cannot endure!”

After all, what truth could be harder to bear than the one I already carry—that I have returned through reincarnation?

No matter what truth stood in front of me, my resolve wouldn’t waver.

“Is that so?”

Cheon Jeonmun calmly nodded.

“Then it can’t be helped. I can only pray for your success.”

Swoooosh—

The formless qi that had been crushing my entire body vanished as if it had never been there.

“Huff… Huff!”

“Young Master Jin, are you alright?”

Baek Sang-ah grabbed my arm, supporting my staggering body.

“I-I’m fine, Lady.”

I appreciated the support, but the physical closeness felt just a bit too… familiar.

Perhaps Cheon Jeonmun noticed it too, because he asked with a rather disapproving tone:

“A lover?”

“She is not.”

“Well, you already have the Young Cult Leader. You wouldn’t exactly have the luxury to look elsewhere.”

For some reason, I felt Baek Sang-ah’s grip tighten slightly.

“Very well. Since this is the choice you made, I trust you’ll bear the consequences.”

“Of course.”

“One trial… should be enough, right?”

A strangely meaningful tone.

I gave a weak smile and nodded.

“If possible, I’d prefer someone from the Azure Star Sect.”

“…You knew?”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t.”

The reason I mentioned the Azure Star Sect was simple.

Elder Jeokun, from the Azure Star Sect, whom I had encountered during the Hidden Trace Manor raid in the past.

The one who referred to “that person” when speaking to Cheon Yura.

That person was definitely still hiding somewhere within the Cult even now.

“Very well. I’ll grant your wish.”

And with that, the first crisis in this incident had begun.

***

“Young Cult Leader.”

“……”

Heavenly Demon Pavilion, Lesser Demon Hall.

It had been several days since Ma Jinyoon gave his report and left, but Cheon Yura still showed no signs of ending her meditation.

Occasionally, she would receive updates through the Divine Ghost Unit regarding the Ma Clan’s movements, but aside from that, she showed no reaction.

What finally broke her silence was a message brought by Sa Biyeon, who had visited Lesser Demon Hall despite her busy schedule.

“The Sword Demon has moved.”

“……”

“And Young Master Jin has entered the Iron Steed Prison Cave.”

Cheon Yura’s gaze slowly turned toward Sa Biyeon.

“Young Master Jin doesn’t know this yet. If things continue like this, he will die.”

A simple successor conflict would’ve been tolerable.

Though Jin Yeomyung had clearly crossed the line, the politically-minded Ma Clan Leader wouldn’t have killed him for that alone.

But the fact that he acted personally… was a different story.

It meant one thing: he had declared his intent to finish this, no matter the sacrifice.

“If the Cult Leader doesn’t step in to mediate, no one will be able to stop him now.”

For one of the twin heads of the Six Great Demonic Clans, the head of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan, to act personally… it meant just that.

Cheon Yura slowly opened her mouth.

“Did the annihilation of the White Horse Sword Squad strike such a nerve with the Sword Demon?”

“Sending only the White Horse Sword Squad was clearly a mistake on Grand Heir Ma Jeongcheon’s part, but… it’s not just that.”

“There’s another reason?”

“As of now, that’s the only conclusion I can draw.”

“……”

“The entire movement of the Six Clans feels suspicious right now. I was only able to come here because the Clan Leader issued a command forbidding conflict between bloodlines until this current situation is resolved.”

This was supposed to have been a mere successor struggle within the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan.

And yet, the way things were developing felt strange.

The succession dispute had faded to the background. Instead, the story was progressing within the context of some deeper truth.

And because of that… Sa Biyeon sensed that Jin Yeomyung was walking into a completely different level of danger.

That was when—

“That damn bastard.”

Huh?

“That piece of shit. A truly rotten scumbag.”

“Y-Young Cult Leader?!”

Sa Biyeon was genuinely startled by Cheon Yura, who suddenly began swearing in a bizarrely adorable tone.

Like a child throwing a tantrum at their parents, Cheon Yura was now yelling at empty air in a way completely unlike her usual self.

“You thought I’d be happy if you stepped back to help me? You thought I’d like that? Always hiding your feelings, never showing anything—what do you mean you care?! What do you mean you’ll come back to my side?! You damn bastard! You cursed mutt!”

“……?!?!”  

Huff! Huff!

Sa Biyeon silently gave thanks that no one else was around to hear any of this.

Lately, she hadn’t even allowed guards or warrior monks within a radius of twenty jang, after all.

Then, Cheon Yura suddenly muttered something incomprehensible.

“So, Iron Steed Prison Cave, huh. I see. The Cult Leader gave him a choice.”

“A choice?”

“If that’s the case, then I need to be ready in my own way.”

Whoosh!

Cheon Yura sprang to her feet, the lifelessness that had plagued her for weeks now gone like an illusion.

“I wandered a little, but I’ve collected myself, Biyeon.”

A… a little?

She’d sat like a withered tree in the martial training hall for nearly weeks, and she calls that a little?

“I wasted too much time sympathizing with that cursed Cheon Yujeong.”

Sympathy?

Now where was that coming from?

As Sa Biyeon tilted her head, confused by the stream of baffling comments—

“Ma Jinyoon was right. If I know what the enemy wants, there’s no reason to hesitate any longer.”

Ma Jinyoon had told her not to worry too much.

But in her state of turmoil, Cheon Yura hadn’t been able to believe him.

Yet she had learned soon after.

That she had made a proposition to Jin Yeomyung… and he had rejected it.

“I can’t allow someone who dares covet what’s mine to keep breathing any longer.”

“Absolutely right, ma’am!”

Whatever the reason, Sa Biyeon cheered inwardly at seeing her master return to form.

“Follow me, Biyeon. We’re going to the Heavenly Thunder Corps.”

“T-The Heavenly Thunder Corps?!”

It was great that she’d recovered her spirit… but now she seemed ready to go on a rampage.

“Yes. And after that, I’m heading to the Iron Steed Prison Cave.”

Once Cheon Yura made up her mind, nothing could stop her.

“I’ll make those damn old men and that wretched Cheon Yujeong kneel before me… and take back what’s mine.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep