Chapter 373: Treason (1)

I looked at Cheon Jumyeong, who was slightly out of breath.

The fact that a master of the Extreme Demon Realm had trouble with stamina despite not being in combat was proof enough that he had rushed here in great haste.

‘So you came, after all.’

Creak.

Cheon Jumyeong’s face, drenched in sweat, was more furious than ever.

Even without going far, the crumpled iron fan in his hand made it easy to guess the extent of his rage.

“I’m sure I told you to leave quietly, didn’t I?”

“Heh heh heh….”

“I thought… that even if you’d fallen into the ways of the cult, you wouldn’t cross that line between us.”

Snap.

He pointed the iron fan toward Cheon Jumun.

“But what is this?”

Cheon Jumyeong ground his teeth.

“Why did you turn the sect into that!?”

Even if their paths had diverged, he had believed that their bond by blood remained intact.

That’s why when Cheon Juchun reappeared before him, Cheon Jumun didn’t try to kill him and merely told him to leave.

However—

The brother he met again was far more wretched than he’d expected.

Cheon Juchun tilted his head slightly and laughed.

“The line, you think such a thing still exists for me now, Jumyeong?”

“Cheon. Ju. Chun!!”

At last, a lion’s roar burst from Cheon Jumyeong’s mouth.

“Hahaha, don’t be so angry. Thanks to me, the sect will produce an invincible warrior.”

“How dare you call that a joke…!”

Cheon Jumyeong’s fury was cut off by Cheon Juchun’s next words.

“Oh, how about joining forces with me right here and now to kill that guy? If he disappears, I’ll make you the Cult Leader.”

“……?!”

Cheon Juchun’s finger pointed to none other than me.

Perhaps the term “Cult Leader” caught him off guard—Cheon Jumyeong’s anger momentarily subsided.

“…Cult Leader?”

“Yes, Cult Leader. As you know, I have no interest in power. As long as I can uncover the truth. Once that guy and the current Cult Leader are gone, your era can begin anytime.”

Tap, tap.

Cheon Juchun patted the shoulder of the motionless Cheon Jumun like tapping a stone statue.

“If the sect is the problem, I can release it anytime. Of course, only after everything is over.”

“…….”

“So, how about it? The three of us gathering again.”

Cheon Jumyeong closed his mouth.

‘Cheon Jumyeong. What choice will you make?’

In truth, if he were to betray the Cult here, things would become a little complicated.

Cheon Jumyeong’s own power aside, the real issue was the demonic warriors he had brought with him from outside.

Judging by appearances, it was clear he had brought four or five elite squads—most likely from the Thirty-Four Demon Squads.

As Cheon Jumyeong’s silence dragged on, Cheon Juchun pressed him for an answer.

“I don’t understand. Jumyeong, aren’t you aiming for the peak? Isn’t that why you joined hands with the previous Cult Leader and stepped into the light?”

“I don’t know what delusions you’re under, but—”

Finally, Cheon Jumyeong opened his mouth.

“At the very least, taking your hand right now doesn’t seem like a wise choice.”

It was a rather ambiguous statement.

“Fine, you mean the situation isn’t tempting enough for you to take my hand yet, right?”

Clap.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll create a situation so irresistible you won’t be able to help yourself.”

Cheon Juchun smacked his lips and looked around as if disappointed.

“I wanted to see a truly spectacular bloodbath, but it seems today isn’t the day… guess I’ll stop here.”

As the bastard began to vanish, I shouted toward him.

“You think I’ll just let you walk away?”

“Oh, if you want to fight, I won’t stop you. But—”

He grabbed the shoulders of Cheon Jumun and the Sword Demon.

“If we fight now, these two will definitely die. Is that what you want?”

“Cheon Juchun!!”

Cheon Jumyeong ground his teeth at Cheon Juchun’s casual hostage-taking of Cheon Jumun.

“Haha, it’s just a joke, a joke. I’ll say it again—just wait a little longer, Jumyeong… hmm?!”

Cheon Juchun had no choice but to stop speaking.

Before he knew it, I had arrived right in front of him.

Boom!

At nearly the same moment I reached him, a sound echoed in the distance as something stepped down with great force.

“What the—how did you move so fast—ugh!”

Before the bastard could even react, I grabbed his neck.

“Y-You bastard… That form… What are you…”

By then, my entire body had turned crimson, and steam was rising from various parts of me.

“Once someone reaches the Transcendent Demon Realm, as long as the body can endure, it’s possible to move at a speed that exceeds human perception.”

It wasn’t a proper martial art technique, just a leap.

But at least for an instant, I could truly surpass sound itself.

“I-I see. Asura Spirit… You’re a direct descendant of the Jin Clan… I’d forgotten that.”

“Even in a situation like this, you don’t stop analyzing? You’re a contradictory bastard in many ways.”

Before the bastard could give any order to the Sword Demon or Cheon Jumun, I rapidly chanted the release incantation.

“Despite being just a projection, you seem to value your life quite a bit. That means your ego and personality are bloated.”

“Y-You…”

“What would happen if I used the release incantation that I personally learned from the Grand Heavenly Lord on you?”

“Gr-Grand Heavenly Lord? What are you—”

His words never reached the end.

Zzzzzzt!

Before long, the characters of the spell began to densely engrave themselves across his entire body.

‘It’s working!’

Han Yeong had said this release incantation wouldn’t work on ordinary humans.

It only responded to spiritual forces—nothing else.

‘He’s not the main body, but a projection. And that’s precisely why this release incantation works on him.’

Just as the spell was nearing completion—

“Sword… Demon. Ju…mun. Retreat…!”

“…….”

“…….”

The desperate order Cheon Juchun squeezed out finally drew a reaction from the two.

Flash!

The Sword Demon and Cheon Jumun sprang apart and began fleeing in opposite directions.

At that moment, I heard Master’s voice from afar.

“Disciple! You can only catch one of them!”

Since I was holding Cheon Juchun, it was impossible to go after both of the Transcendent Demon Realm masters fleeing in opposite directions.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure whose name to speak.

But then—

“Go after the Sword Demon first! Capture the Sword Demon!”

“…!”

At Cheon Jumyeong’s shout, I immediately made up my mind as well.

“Master! Please pursue the Sword Demon!”

“Alright!”

As Master began chasing the Sword Demon, I shouted to Gu Chil next.

“Gu Chil! Go after the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad!”

“Understood!”

Upon Gu Chil’s order, the Underworld King Unit rushed at the retreating Demonic Ghost Execution Squad.

“Jeolyeong! Where do you think you’re going?!”

“…Byeok Cheon-un.”

Jeolyeong gave a faint sneer toward Gu Chil, who was chasing after him.

“Our master does not wish for battle. It can’t be helped. There will come a day when we can settle this with life and death.”

“Shut up! I’ll tear your limbs apart and avenge the comrades you wrongfully slaughtered!”

Gu Chil’s hands summoned the Nine Heavens Chain.

“…Nine Heaven Thunder Chain? Not bad, but… hmm?”

What cloaked Gu Chil’s Nine Heavens Chain was unmistakably thunder qi.

However, the thunder qi wasn’t the usual golden color—it was stained in an eerie black.

“It’s not demonic qi…?”

Just because it was black didn’t mean it was demonic qi.

Death God’s Wail

Thread of the Netherworld

Buzzzzz!

Gu Chil’s Nine Heavens Chain let out a strange cry and struck toward the back of the fleeing Jeolyeong.

“What?!”

If Jeolyeong hadn’t accelerated in the very last moment, he surely would have been skewered full of holes.

Having barely dodged Gu Chil’s blow, Jeolyeong grimaced.

“Tch! That Byeok Cheon-un bastard… to use the Chain like this.”

The Nine Heavens Chain was originally meant to ensnare prey like a spider and devour them—not to pierce the opponent in a straight line like a hidden weapon.

Gu Chil clicked his tongue, clearly unsatisfied.

“Still not under full control yet? But…”

Gu Chil glanced at Jeolyeong’s forearm and gave a faint smile.

“At least I’ve left a mark. That’s good enough.”

“…!”

Only then did Jeolyeong realize a faint scar had been carved into his forearm.

Though it was just a small wound, the black energy clinging to Gu Chil’s Nine Heavens Chain was now seeping into the surrounding area of the scar.

“A mark…?”

Perhaps ashamed that he had been struck, a grinding sound escaped from Jeolyeong’s mouth.

“A mere mark, you say? Well, you can think that for now.”

In time, he would understand.

Just how fatal that single blow would turn out to be.

Before long, several members of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad charged at Gu Chil to protect their unit leader, Jeolyeong.

That was more than enough of a gap for Jeolyeong to escape.

***

“Thirty-five members of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad have been eliminated. The rest have fled.”

“Led by their unit leader, Cheon Jumun, the remnants of the Ghost Execution Squad have left the Ten Thousand Mountain and are heading south. We’ve sent a pursuit squad, but… it won’t be easy.”

The Demonic Ghost Execution Squad was a group unrivaled in ambushes and stealth.

And now that it included Cheon Jumun, a Transcendent Demon Realm master, even a standard Thirty-Four Demon Squad would risk annihilation if they were careless.

“There’s no need to capture them. But do not lose track of their location.”

“Understood.”

At Cheon Jumyeong’s command, the leader of the Heavenly Whirlpool Corps, one of the Thirty-Four Demon Squads, bowed his head.

I looked at Cheon Jumyeong, who was giving post-battle instructions left and right, with a strange gaze.

“Demon Gentleman, I didn’t expect you to prioritize the Sword Demon.”

“It was a matter of importance.”

Cheon Jumyeong answered plainly.

“If we lose the Sword Demon, we can’t predict how the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan will react. In the worst-case scenario, the entire clan could fall into the enemy’s hands.”

“That’s true.”

The current Clan Leader of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan was still the Sword Demon, Ma Seonghwan.

Knowing that, I too had prioritized capturing the Sword Demon.

It was only that I had held back from saying so aloud, wary of how Cheon Jumyeong would react.

But unexpectedly, thanks to Cheon Jumyeong bringing it up first, things had gone more smoothly.

However—

“For someone who can separate public and private matters so clearly, why didn’t you firmly reject his proposal instead of giving him room?”

“So that he won’t go into hiding and will appear before me again.”

“…!”

Could it be, Cheon Jumyeong—

Noticing my expression, Cheon Jumyeong let out a bitter smile.

“Seems like there’s a lot we need to talk about.”

In the chaotic surroundings, Cheon Jumyeong stepped close to me.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

“No, rather than a proposal, you could say it’s more of a transaction.”

Immediately after, Cheon Jumyeong used the Six Harmony Sound Transmission to deliver a fairly lengthy ‘deal.’

After hearing the full details, I furrowed my brow.

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

Cheon Jumyeong’s eyes reflected a distant past.

“Perhaps, ever since the day she died… I’ve been living only for this moment.”

“…This will cause far too much bloodshed.”

“No. Compared to what’s about to happen, it’ll be the bare minimum.”

He pointed his finger to the sky in the northeast.

“Look there.”

The northeast sky that Cheon Jumyeong pointed to was, for some reason, swirling with a foreboding red aura.

‘It’s even redder than before.’

Noticing this, I quietly swallowed a groan.

“I may not be a sorcerer on the level of the Hwan Clan elders, but I’m not so blind that I can’t read that ominous heavenly sign.”

“……”

“If we don’t prepare quickly, something irreversible might happen.”

Just as he said.

With no telling when the Heaven-Defying Society’s so-called celestial time would arrive, we couldn’t waste time with power struggles and political maneuvering.

‘What must be cut away, must be cut away. Even if it results in a river of blood…’

If it ultimately leads to a path for Yura—

Then I would gladly wade through that blood.

I made my decision.

“Fine. If you’re willing to go that far, then I’ll accept the proposal.”

Whether Cheon Jumyeong would truly keep his word to the end was unknown.

But—

I looked down at the projection of Cheon Juchun, now dead with his body covered in spell-script.

To completely remove the variable known as Cheon Juchun from the Cult, this was the only way.

“From now on, I will stand in the heavens.”

Not as the Cult Leader, but as the one called the sky of the Heavenly Demon Cult—

The Clan Leader of the Cheon Clan.

From this moment, Cheon Jumyeong would challenge that position.

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