Chapter 158
The Demonic Heavenly Cult is located in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
The Cult Leader's Hall of the Heavenly Demon Palace is deep within it.
A gaunt, middle-aged man with a long beard sat upon a throne in the grand hall, where images of Demons were carved across all the walls and the ceiling.
This was none other than the Cult Leader of the Demonic Heavenly Cult, Gwak Cheon-hu, the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Emperor.
But at this moment, his face showed clear displeasure.
Tell me. What exactly am I lacking to become the Heavenly Demon?
His cold gaze fell upon a woman standing before him.
She was a beautiful woman with a cold expression, clad in white shamaness robes.
She was Wi Seollin, the Divine Maiden who presided over the Demonic Heavenly Cult's rituals.
I have only one thing to say.
Wi Seollin opened her mouth, completely unfazed by Gwak Cheon-hu's fierce aura.
Her unwavering black eyes met Gwak Cheon-hu's.
From ancient times, those called Heavenly Demons have always lit the Heavenly Road. If the Cult Leader wishes to be called a Heavenly Demon...
...You mean I must light the Heavenly Road?
That is correct.
Wi Seollin replied with a dignified expression.
Gwak Cheon-hu's face twisted.
He had heard that answer about lighting the Heavenly Road hundreds of times already.
Only two individuals after the Founding Heavenly Demon have ever been called Heavenly Demons in the entire History of Murim by the Demonic Heavenly Cult.
All of them were hailed as the zenith of their era.
However, for over a hundred years, no Heavenly Demon has emerged.
And Gwak Cheon-hu desired to become the new Heavenly Demon.
Among the Twelve Venerables, he considered himself the strongest, believing that he was the current Zenith in the Murim.
Yet, ridiculously, this Divine Maiden kept telling him he wasn't a Heavenly Demon because of that Heavenly Road nonsense, and Gwak Cheon-hu found it utterly infuriating.
the birth of a Heavenly Demon.
That was why Gwak Cheon-hu had been pressuring her.
But such pressure had no effect on Wi Seollin, the Divine Maiden.
There was no definitive method passed down for lighting the Heavenly Road.
It was rumored that injecting Internal Qi into the Heavenly Road would work, or that offering a thousand days of prayer to the Heavenly Road would ignite it.
Of course, he had tried everything.
But no matter what he did, the Heavenly Road had never lit up.
What exactly was he lacking?
This is an ancient tradition and law established by the Founding Heavenly Demon who created the Demonic Heavenly Cult. No matter how venerable the Cult Leader may be, the Cult Leader cannot be free from this law.
Wi Seollin, having read Gwak Cheon-hu's thoughts, cut him off sharply.
Her voice was not just a simple refusal, but cold, as if to say it was utterly impossible.
Even she, despite his being the Cult Leader, could never yield on this matter.
Proclaiming a Heavenly Demon.
This was her mission.
Her life was dedicated to upholding this mission, whether she lived or died.
A tense standoff continued between the enraged Gwak Cheon-hu and the unmoving Wi Seollin.
But it was only for a moment. Soon, the expression vanished from Gwak Cheon-hu's face.
He stared blankly at Wi Seollin, then nodded.
Understood. You may leave.
Yes.
Today, too, the standoff between the Cult Leader and the Divine Maiden ended with the Cult Leader backing down.
Soon, Wi Seollin bowed her head and exited the Cult Leader's Hall.
Thud, the door closed.
Ha. That Divine Maiden, she is truly a stubborn person.
The Ten Great Demon Stars, who had been listening to their conversation, began to speak one by one.
What's so important about that tradition that she acts like that? The Cult Leader is already no different from the Zenith. Tsk, tsk.
The Divine Maiden's judgment must be failing.
All of them clicked their tongues, scolding the Divine Maiden.
And soon, their conversation, as always, ended with them taking the Cult Leader's side.
Do not worry. The Heavenly Road will soon light up, and the Cult Leader will become a Heavenly Demon that no one can deny.
However,
Usually, the Cult Leader would have continued his rage or brought up another topic, but today he remained silent.
He was still staring at the door through which Wi Seollin had exited.
Cult Leader...?
It seems...
An unbelievable statement flowed out soon from his softly opened lips.
...it's time to deal with her.
The eyes of the Ten Great Demon Stars widened.
They instantly understood the meaning of his words.
He was about to cross a line that no previous Cult Leader had ever dared to cross.
In this Demonic Heavenly Cult, the Divine Maiden was the only being whom no one could command or treat carelessly.
Indeed, in ancient times, Cult Leaders would even seek the Divine Maiden's will when the Demonic Heavenly Cult faced a crisis, showing how revered she was.
But Gwak Cheon-hu was different.
He had no need for a Divine Maiden who wouldn't acknowledge him as the Heavenly Demon.
The Ten Great Demon Stars exchanged glances.
But that lasted only a moment.
Everything will be as the Cult Leader wills it.
We will follow the Cult Leader.
As Gwak Cheon-hu saw the Ten Great Demon Stars bowing their heads to him, a sinister smile finally spread across his lips.
By the way, the task should be finished by now.
What could have happened?
Gwak Cheon-hu had not the slightest thought that those he sent to the Peng Family in Hebei would fail.
It was only natural.
Such a force was more than enough to wage an all-out war against the Murim Alliance.
He felt a thrill of anticipation.
Once this matter was concluded and it became known that the Peng Family in Hebei had vanished from the Murim, how would those Orthodox Faction bastards react?
No matter how they reacted, it would be entertaining.
Gwak Cheon-hu desired war more than anyone.
Thus, he greatly wished to start that war as the new Heavenly Demon, if possible.
War, huh?
The thought of how much blood would be shed because of it made him unable to suppress his laughter.
Soon, Gwak Cheon-hu, radiating a languid aura once more and smiling, cast his gaze towards the ceiling.
Hmm?
*At that moment, his eyes shot open.*
The decorations carved into the ceiling symbolized the Cult Leader of the Demonic Heavenly Cult and the Ten Great Demon Stars who assisted him.
But besides the already broken Black Demon stone, four other stones were severely cracked and shattered.
When did this happen?
And this could only mean one thing.
They failed? With that kind of force?
Even with the Former Cult Leader present, who had become a Mysterious Man, the situation was noteworthy.
"Hah!"
Gwak Cheon-hu involuntarily gasped in astonishment.
This was the exact opposite of what he had expected.
Gwak Cheon-hu's face filled with confusion.
It was truly unbelievable.
What in the world is happening?
And what exactly is in the Peng Family in Hebei?
Late at night.
Peng Mugang stood lost in thought, gazing out the window.
That fellow, truly...
Peng Mugang recalled Yeo Un-hwi's face.
The face of the man he had fully accepted into his family was now before him, as he had resolved the bitterness in his heart.
Certainly, he was an unsatisfactory fellow at first.
No matter how gruff he himself was, or how awkward he was at expressing love to his children, Peng Seo-yeon was a proud and beautiful daughter to Peng Mugang.
And this was the man who had eloped with his daughter in the dead of night.
So how could Yeo Un-hwi have seemed endearing to him?
Even when his daughter returned.
His heart softened because of his only granddaughter.
The bitterness with his daughter slowly began to unravel.
Peng Mugang could not easily open his heart to Yeo Un-hwi alone.
While his personality was particularly difficult, Peng Mugang believed that such feelings were never excessive for any parent with a child.
Thus, Peng Mugang had tormented Yeo Un-hwi.
He made excuses about his abilities and what not, but ultimately, placing a Scholar who knew nothing of Martial Arts in the position of Leader of the White Wolf Squad was, to put it nicely, playing a trick on him, but it was clearly torment.
Peng Mugang had wanted Yeo Un-hwi to quit quickly, hoping he would beg to be relieved of the duty.
Ultimately, that never happened.
Instead, for some unknown reason, only the White Wolf Unit under Yeo Un-hwi had undergone a Bone and Marrow Cleansing transformation.
Gradually, Peng Mugang's view of Yeo Un-hwi changed.
In happy times, the past is bound to be forgotten.
With his daughter's and granddaughter's laughter melting his heart, Yeo Un-hwi's presence slowly began to seep in.
Sometimes, Peng Mugang was surprised by how naturally he treated Yeo Un-hwi.
But there was one thing that prevented Peng Mugang from fully opening the bolt on the door of his heart until the very end.
It was his own premonition that Yeo Un-hwi seemed to be hiding something.
It doesn't feel dangerous, so why does it bother me so much?
What exactly is he hiding?
And Peng Mugang only learned that today.
At the moment of the Peng Family's desperate crisis due to the Demonic Cult.
Yeo Un-hwi appeared and saved the Peng Family and everyone else.
Displaying unbelievable Martial Prowess.
Peng Mugang had never been so surprised in his life.
And he also learned the circumstances of how he gained that power and one other secret.
It was the unbelievable story that he had returned from the past.
And normally, he would never have believed it.
If he hadn't seen Yeo Un-hwi's eyes.
He saw Yeo Un-hwi's eyes as he spoke of losing his wife and daughter.
Emptiness, anger, detachment, sorrow, resignation...
That emotion, which made even the beholder's heart ache, was clearly not something that could be feigned.
What if I had lost my wife, daughter, and son like that?
Suddenly, the thought occurred to him: This man must have lived a truly arduous life.
And only then did he accept Yeo Un-hwi.
As a member of the Peng Family, as a family member, and as a son-in-law and son.
And,
The Martial God's Fortuitous Encounter, you say?
The Foremost Person of All Time, Martial God Hyeok Jonghu.
That was a name that had already become a legend in the history of Murim.
Those who had seen him directly recorded that if he set his mind to it, nothing in heaven or on earth could stop him.
They said that when he swung his sword, the heavens split, and when he stomped his foot, the earth trembled.
He had heard legendary tales since childhood.
Naturally, Peng Mugang had believed there was exaggeration in those stories.
But after directly witnessing Yeo Un-hwi's power today, he realized.
There was not the slightest exaggeration in the stories passed down about the Martial God.
Peng Mugang was both happy and worried that Yeo Un-hwi possessed such formidable power.
His son-in-law was a man whose entire life revolved around protecting his family and loved ones.
Yet, a worry arose that the Martial God's power would not leave him alone.
Great power comes with great responsibility.
And the power of the Martial God, no less...
Hoo...
The clouds drifting across the moonlight seemed heavy.
Just like Peng Mugang's deep, profound sigh.
Dawn broke.
While his daughter, Peng Seo-yeon, and granddaughter, Yul-i, were fast asleep.
Yeo Un-hwi quietly stepped outside and headed towards the garden.
You've arrived?
Jin So-baek was waiting for him there.
His face seemed even more welcoming than usual.
While there were many other reasons, Jin So-baek had firmly made up his mind through this incident.
To bet everything on Yeo Un-hwi.
Bae Cho-jin also fully agreed with his thoughts.
No, he was even more proactive.
From now on, the Murim will revolve around him! I believe this is the time for our Hao Sect to bet everything. No. I've made up my mind. Let's proceed.
Jin So-baek didn't know the full extent of Bae Cho-jin's conviction, but he felt the same way, even if it meant a mere Disciple was so boldly deciding the future of the Hao Sect.
After all, a person should know when to bet their life.
Jin So-baek's beaming smile seemed suspicious, but Yeo Un-hwi also owed him a great deal.
He had done better than expected.
If Jin So-baek hadn't quickly delivered the news that the Demonic Cult was heading towards Hebei to Yeo Un-hwi in the first place.
And if, without being informed of this fact, the Peng Family had been caught off guard by the Demonic Cult's attack?
The situation would undoubtedly have been much worse than it is now.
Moreover, Jin So-baek had not only done that but had also hastily gathered the elites of the Hao Sect to help.
Thank you. I owe you a great debt for this.
Yeo Un-hwi felt that choosing to join hands with Jin So-baek was truly an excellent decision.
Although it cost a fair amount of money, he was a man who was well worth the price.
What are you talking about? It's only natural! Hahaha!
Oh? Natural, you say. Well, then, I was going to give you special compensation for this, but let's just forget about it...
When things are exchanged clearly, efficiency increases! As expected, our client knows what's what. I absolutely will not refuse that special compensation. Hahaha!
Yeo Un-hwi let out a chuckle at Jin So-baek's reaction.
Then Jin So-baek spoke again. Ah. And just in case, I've also deployed Hao Sect forces to the other Five Great Families. We don't know how the Demonic Cult might act.
Currently, the forces of each of the Five Great Families are gathered at the Peng Family in Hebei.
Each family was virtually defenseless.
That was why Jin So-baek had acted quickly.
Excellent, as expected.
However,
No, there's no need.
Pardon?
We can't keep living in fear of how the Demonic Cult will move from now on, can we?
Then what do you intend to do?
We must eliminate the cause.
Eliminate the cause? What does that mean...?
Jin So-baek's eyes widened.
S-surely...
Yes.
Yeo Un-hwi's gaze turned towards the distant sky.
I must repay the debt thoroughly.
There was no reason to delay any further.
And passively enduring was no longer an option.
From now on, he intended to make them clearly understand who they had provoked.
His eyes were already shining coldly.
This fight was not over yet.