“Damn those orthodox sect bastards! They’re worse than garbage!”
The man’s eyes were filled with hatred and killing intent, while a bizarre energy emanated from his body. He looked as if he had practiced demonic martial arts and gone mad.
Standing before him was Jin Hagun. The martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Squad surrounded the area behind him.
Although he had formally become the Young Alliance Leader, he still led the Demon-Slaying Squad in carrying out chivalrous deeds. He had no intention of avoiding such dangerous work simply because he was the Young Alliance Leader. He planned to continue until the day before he took the position of Alliance Leader.
“Calm down. It’s not as if you have anywhere left to run.”
Jin Hagun tried to calm his opponent. The man before him had attacked an orthodox sect and carried out a massacre. Based on everything they had uncovered so far, he had no grudge against that sect whatsoever.
“You’ll all be destroyed soon.”
Then came an astonishing cry.
“The Divine Cult is Immortal! The Heavenly Demon is Invincible!”
At the same time, black energy welled up in both of the man’s eyes. Jin Hagun hurled himself backward and shouted,
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
Kuaaaang!
A powerful explosion swept through the surroundings. The man had used a self-destruction technique.
Rumble.
Amid the fragments and clouds of dust raining down in every direction, Jin Hagun gathered his subordinates.
“Is anyone hurt?”
“No!”
Fortunately, thanks to Jin Hagun’s swift warning, no one had been injured.
Over the past several days, massacres by demonic practitioners had occurred one after another throughout the Hubei region. They had attacked orthodox sects and carried out massacres, while also assaulting and killing ordinary merchants who knew nothing of martial arts.
When even women and children became victims, the orthodox practitioners’ fury toward the demonic practitioners reached its peak.
Jin Hagun naturally believed these incidents had been the work of the people behind the scenes.
‘They’re plotting something again.’
Jin Hagun was furious. He was enraged by those who killed people without hesitation for the sake of their own goals.
If men like the one just now committed slaughter to their heart’s content and then killed themselves, how could the wrongs of the dead ever be avenged?
Once he became Alliance Leader, he would devote his entire life to minimizing such unjust deaths. He would make those who committed evil deeds live in pain and regret for the rest of their lives before dying miserable deaths.
At that moment, a martial artist of the Demon-Slaying Squad in charge of dispatches came running over and reported,
“The Alliance Leader has ordered you to return immediately.”
Jin Hagun spoke to the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Squad gathered around him.
“Let’s go back!”
He shot into the air, and the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Squad all followed after him.
* * *
When Jin Hagun returned, the Martial Alliance was in a state of emergency.
The White Tiger Order.
The Martial Alliance had four levels of emergency alert.
Starting with the lowest, the Black Tortoise Order, followed by the Vermilion Bird Order, the White Tiger Order, and finally the Azure Dragon Order.
The White Tiger Order was the emergency alert immediately below the Azure Dragon Order, which was issued during wartime. In other words, it was an alert issued when war was imminent.
This was the first time such an order had been issued since Jin Hagun became Commander of the Demon-Slaying Squad.
Although several incidents had occurred in succession recently, he had not thought the situation warranted even the White Tiger Order.
‘Could another incident have occurred?’
Jin Hagun entered the Alliance Leader’s Hall with a tense heart.
Inside were Jin Paecheon, the Martial Alliance Leader, and Jegal Hyeon, the Chief Strategist.
“Commander of the Demon-Slaying Squad, returning upon receiving the order.”
Jin Hagun respectfully saluted Jin Paecheon, then exchanged greetings with Jegal Hyeon as well.
“What happened during your mission?”
At Jin Paecheon’s question, Jin Hagun answered with an apologetic expression.
“I failed to capture him alive. And just before he died by using a self-destruction technique, he claimed that he belonged to the Divine Cult. However, I do not believe this incident was ordered by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Jin Paecheon thought so as well. The Geom Ujin he knew was not someone who would commit such an act, at least not in this manner.
“That is not important. The problem is that the orthodox practitioners will think it was.”
Jin Hagun felt an endless sense of helplessness at times like this. Only a few people had stirred things up, yet public opinion among the orthodox sects was already wavering.
Jin Hagun cautiously asked,
“Then why did you issue the White Tiger Order?”
Jegal Hyeon answered in his stead.
“The Young Cult Leader has left the Divine Cult with four Demon Venerables and the Demon Army.”
Jin Hagun had been away dealing with the recent incidents and had not yet learned of this.
“After entering Hunan, the Young Cult Leader has continued advancing north.”
From the word “advancing,” Jin Hagun could infer how Jegal Hyeon viewed this situation.
Hunan was the territory of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but if they continued north, they would enter Hubei, where the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters was located.
Moreover, there was a decisive reason they were taking this matter even more seriously.
“When we asked why they had left the Divine Cult, the Divine Cult gave us no response.”
Only then did Jin Hagun understand why the emergency had been declared and why the atmosphere in the Alliance Leader’s Hall was so heavy.
The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had left with four Demon Venerables and even the Demon Army, yet refused to reveal the reason?
It was more than enough to warrant the White Tiger Order.
This time, Jin Paecheon asked his grandson,
“Did you receive any separate message?”
“No, I did not.”
Jin Paecheon’s expression stiffened slightly. He had expected Geom Mugeuk to send his grandson a separate message.
Jin Hagun, on the other hand, did not mind at all that Geom Mugeuk had not contacted him separately.
“I think I understand now why the recent incidents occurred. They are trying to prevent us from helping the Young Cult Leader. If public opinion toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult turns sour, the Alliance will be unable to assist them.”
Jin Hagun was anxious. The fact that they were trying to sever the connection between him and Geom Mugeuk meant that something might have happened to Geom Mugeuk.
Of course, Jin Paecheon and Jegal Hyeon had also considered that possibility.
But they could not simply assume it to be true. Their opponent was the Demonic Cult, after all.
Had all the goodwill they had shown until now been for the sake of this one moment?
They always had to keep open the possibility that such a question might arise.
Especially in a situation where Jin Hagun showed such unwavering faith in Geom Mugeuk.
“If he did not send me a message, I believe that in itself is a message.”
“What do you mean?”
“If he did not trust me completely, he would have sent word. He would have explained every little detail. The fact that he did not contact me means he thought I would understand without being told. The Young Cult Leader truly trusts me as a friend.”
And he had now passed beyond the stage of simply believing without question.
“I will not be disappointed that the Young Cult Leader did not send a message. Rather, this time I will send him one first.”
“What will you say?”
Jin Hagun spoke with an expression utterly free of doubt.
“I understand your intentions well, my friend.”
At Jin Hagun’s response, Jin Paecheon said nothing. He had been worried from the beginning about his grandson trusting Geom Mugeuk too much. That concern continued even now.
“I know very well what you are worried about, Grandfather. You may worry about me, and you may even declare an emergency. However, do not limit the target of that emergency to the Young Cult Leader. You must also consider the opponent who forced him to leave in such haste with so many troops.”
Jin Paecheon was still worried, but at the same time, he felt envious.
In all the long years of his life, had he ever trusted someone to that extent?
“So? Do you intend to go help the Young Cult Leader?”
Jin Paecheon expected his grandson to ask for permission.
But Jin Hagun’s answer was unexpected.
“No. I will not go.”
“Why?”
Jin Hagun recalled what Geom Mugeuk had said on the day they met to celebrate his inauguration as Young Alliance Leader.
―If anything strange happens, contact me immediately. Understood? Never try to handle it alone!
That was what Geom Mugeuk had told him.
“If he needed my help, he would have sent word and asked me to help.”
If he had, Jin Hagun would have rushed to him. Even if he had to stake his position as Young Alliance Leader, even if he had to stake his life, he would have helped him.
If that had been all he said, Jin Paecheon would still have worried about his grandson.
However, Jin Hagun had another reason for not going to help Geom Mugeuk. It was something just as important in his life as helping Geom Mugeuk.
“And right now, I have something more important to deal with. The people behind this may carry out another massacre to drive a wedge between us and the Divine Cult.”
Innocent people might become victims of their schemes.
“Stopping that is more important. Even if that is exactly what they intend, saving people must come first.”
Jin Paecheon nodded in satisfaction.
“Raise the emergency level to the Azure Dragon Order. That way, we can prevent them from carrying out another massacre with greater certainty. And inform the Divine Cult that we issued the Azure Dragon Order for these reasons. There is no need for us to engage in a battle of nerves by refusing to contact them simply because they did not contact us.”
Jin Hagun added with a resolute gaze,
“We must act according to our principles. I believe that is the way of the orthodox sects you taught me, Grandfather.”
The worry disappeared from Jin Paecheon’s face. He had thought his grandson was so infatuated with Geom Mugeuk that he could no longer distinguish right from wrong.
But if his grandson felt this way, there was nothing to worry about.
Jin Paecheon gave Jegal Hyeon an order.
“Raise the emergency level to the Azure Dragon Order and inform the Divine Cult.”
“Yes, understood.”
Then Jin Paecheon spoke to his grandson.
“Go and do what you must.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
Jin Hagun respectfully saluted before leaving the room.
His vigorous footsteps carried his faith in Geom Mugeuk.
‘I trust you, so I’ll take care of my own work, my friend.’
* * *
The mounting tension between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Martial Alliance reached the Unorthodox Alliance as well.
“Alliance Leader Jin has no choice but to agonize over this. He is not afraid of the Young Cult Leader. He must be afraid of the Demonic Cult Leader.”
The Unorthodox Alliance Leader, Baek Jagang, also asked Bisa-in for his opinion.
“What do you think?”
Bisa-in answered confidently.
“I naturally believe this is the work of the people behind the scenes.”
“What makes you so certain?”
Bisa-in brought up something that had happened in the past.
“Do you remember the day we received the report about the treasure map?”
At Bisa-in’s words, Unorthodox Alliance Leader Baek Jagang nodded and recalled that day.
His subordinate’s report had been truly difficult to believe.
―They even summoned the souls of the dead. I saw it with my own eyes.
Yet even as he heard that unbelievable report, he had not felt a chill creep over his ears. That was when he had realized just how formidable—and how insane—those people were.
“Our current enemies are people capable of doing such things. They are beings that ordinary people, bound by ordinary destinies, can never stop. That is why I think this.”
Something rather unexpected flowed from his lips.
“I believe the instinct of survival within the martial world gave birth to the Young Cult Leader.”
“You mean the Young Cult Leader is an existence the martial world created in order to survive its destruction?”
“Yes.”
Baek Jagang laughed with an incredulous expression. He laughed because he felt no chill creep over his ears. His disciple truly believed such a thing.
“That does not mean I deify him. If anything, I pity him.”
“You pity him?”
“He has done everything so well, as if he were perfect. So if he makes even the slightest mistake, everyone will be disappointed and point fingers at him.”
The reason he could speak so comfortably with his master was all thanks to Geom Mugeuk. It was because he had struggled and struggled to look his master straight in the eye and see him clearly.
Before, that had been so difficult and burdensome. But after finally managing it, he sometimes even felt that speaking with his master was the most comfortable thing in the world.
Baek Jagang asked his disciple with an interested expression,
“What will you do if the Young Cult Leader makes a mistake?”
A faint smile appeared on Bisa-in’s frightening face.
“I’ll point fingers at him from the very front. I have some teasing to repay.”
The chill in Baek Jagang’s ears told him that, no matter how serious a mistake Geom Mugeuk made, his disciple intended to protect him.
And he made no attempt to hide those feelings.
“I want to go and help the Young Cult Leader.”
Bisa-in wanted to rush to Geom Mugeuk’s side and help him. Setting aside every other meaning, he wanted to do so simply as a friend.
Baek Jagang explained why he could not grant that request.
“As you know, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult of this era possesses the greatest power in its history. Geom Ujin will never let that power go to waste. If that power is diminished while they fight their enemies this time, then we should welcome it.”
Baek Jagang hoped for the Demonic Cult’s power to decline, and he did not hide those feelings from his disciple.
“If not, then we will have to face an enemy several times more frightening than the people behind the current conflict.”
Baek Jagang looked toward the entrance of the Alliance Leader’s Hall and pictured a certain scene.
“The Demonic Cult Leader I know will definitely open that door and try to enter this place. Will you be able to face that moment?”
Bisa-in could not answer.
Because it was something he could not bear.
“Even after the years pass, can you be certain that the Young Cult Leader you trust so much will not open that door and enter?”
Bisa-in remained silent.
He had thought Baek Jagang would tell him never to help Geom Mugeuk.
Instead, Baek Jagang readily gave his permission.
“Well, what happens later can be dealt with later. For now, you should go help your friend. Go and return safely.”
Bisa-in looked delighted at the unexpected permission.
But then—
“I will not go.”
He had changed his mind in the meantime. Baek Jagang quietly stared at his disciple and asked,
“Why?”
“Even without my help, that friend will survive.”
“Because he is the one born from the martial world’s instinct for survival?”
“No. Because he took his guards and the martial artists of the Ghost Shadow Squad with him this time.”
Bisa-in did not know everything about Geom Mugeuk, but he knew one thing for certain.
“If he had not been confident that he could protect them, he would not have brought them along. That is the kind of person he is.”
“Then why did you say earlier that you would go help him?”
After hesitating briefly, Bisa-in answered honestly.
“It was less for him than for myself. I wanted to boast that I had come to save you in such a situation. I have received too much from him until now, and I wanted to repay even a little of it.”
Bisa-in’s gaze shifted toward the entrance of the Alliance Leader’s Hall, the same place Baek Jagang had been looking at earlier.
“After hearing what you said, I realized that this is not the time to make such a show of it. This is the time to reinforce that door.”
Fighting spirit poured from Bisa-in. He would save every moment to train harder and invest himself in the Unorthodox Alliance.
“I will never allow the Demonic Cult Leader to sit in your position, Alliance Leader.”
In response to Bisa-in’s determination, Baek Jagang conveyed words he had wanted to tell him for a long time.
“Do not forget, Sain. Just as we cannot hide the unorthodox blood flowing through our veins, in the end…”
A sharp glint emerged from Baek Jagang’s small eyes.
“The Demonic Cult is the Demonic Cult!”