He smiled.
'Hehehe, you bastard. It may be your world now, but just you wait.'
The Chief Guardian glanced once over the silently marching Guardian Demon King Army before soundlessly falling back.
Although they were nominally known as the Cult's greatest elite, to him they looked like nothing more than expendable tools.
And for good reason: their true identities were children kidnapped from all over the Central Plains. Their origins were endlessly diverse. There were sons of powerful aristocratic families, and also children of lowly butchers or peasants. And of course, there were surely children of Orthodox disciples as well.
Since they kidnapped and threw anyone with sufficient talent into the training grounds regardless of background, to the Cult, losing them was not the least bit regrettable. No wonder so many of those children had died, unable to endure the training.
'They are expendable anyway. Dugu Cheng is no different...'
Though he pretended to serve Dugu Cheng outwardly, he already had a separate lord whom he truly served.
Until now, he had carried out all manner of missions according to that lord's orders.
Someone approached him where he had fallen to the very rear of the column. A middle-aged martial artist with an extremely fierce-looking face and a thick, full beard. He was none other than Zhongli Ling, the Iron Gall Evil Spirit, Supreme Commander of the Guardian Demon King Army. He was also the only member in his forties in an army composed mostly of those in their late twenties or early thirties. He pulled his horse up alongside the Chief Guardian and sent a voice transmission.
"You called for me, Chief Guardian?"
Of course, the Chief Guardian replied via voice transmission as well.
"You have worked hard. The Counselor has certainly not forgotten Commander Zhongli's labors."
"How could I not?"
The Chief Guardian glanced at the back of Dugu Cheng, who stood at the head of the column, before continuing.
Among them, there was only one person capable of eavesdropping on voice transmissions. Namely, Dugu Cheng. Therefore, they had to take ample precautions against him.
"What is his current condition?"
"No particular abnormal signs are visible. Of course, when fighting those Orthodox bastards, he rampages like a mad tiger, but he does not reveal any particularly demonic nature toward the martial artists."
"Is that so? Strange. By this point, his demonic nature should have flared up at least once..."
The Chief Guardian tilted his head as if puzzled. According to internal documents, Dongfang Lian, the founder of the Cheonja Blood Demon Art, had his first flare-up on the third year after learning the martial art.
If so, Dugu Cheng should also be having his first flare-up around now, yet he showed no signs at all, defying expectations.
"It seems there are individual differences. Very well. Commander Zhongli, take your time and observe him carefully. He will surely have a flare-up."
"Understood."
Zhongli Ling gave a slight nod and unhesitatingly distanced himself from the Chief Guardian's side. Because it was a matter requiring secrecy, they had to be extremely conscious of others' eyes.
However, when Zhongli Ling turned his head away, his face was shrouded in a somber expression. An expression containing something skeptical, a certain inner turmoil of his own. The Chief Guardian, failing to notice this, broke into a broad smile of satisfaction.
'The Cheonja Blood Demon Art is a demonic art whose terrible side effects are as dreadful as its power. Just how terrible must it be that two hundred years ago, even Dongfang Lian slaughtered his wife, children, and confidants without anyone recognizing him...'
Unbidden, the figure who had orchestrated all of this surfaced in his mind. When he thought of his lord, he shuddered involuntarily. Although he had pledged his loyalty, there were times when fear of the man rose up in him before he knew it.
'He is truly a terrifying person. To think he can orchestrate everything from start to finish. Who could look upon him as a human?'
However, he possessed the ability to provide certain rewards to those who followed him. Therefore, the Chief Guardian had no reason whatsoever to distance himself from the man.
'The Young Cult Leader will soon begin to have flare-ups. Once signs of a flare-up appear, we must move the Guardian Demon King Army as close to the Martial Alliance as possible. Exactly two days after the first flare-up, he will become a demon. In any case, not a single one of the Guardian Demon King Army will survive. And those Martial Alliance bastards will suffer an enormous blow because of it. Kuhahaha.'
The Chief Guardian continued to let out strange laughter inwardly.
"Commander."
Dugu Cheng, who had been riding his horse without a thought, turned his head. There, the deputy commander, Gwak Sang, was making a somewhat troubled expression.
"What is it?"
Gwak Sang, who had hesitated for a moment, spoke in as low a voice as possible.
"Don't you find it a bit strange?"
"What do you mean?"
Glancing around, Gwak Sang lowered his voice even further.
"This operation, sir. No, not just this one—all the recent operations."
"..."
"Honestly, I keep getting the feeling that the operations carried out recently are a bit too much for our Guardian Demon King Army. Even in this surprise raid, we only succeeded because the Commander took out three of the Orthodox leadership in one fell swoop, but it was originally an operation that would have been difficult to succeed. For our 320 Guardian Demon King Army soldiers to attack a place where one thousand elite Orthodox martial artists are gathered is something anyone can see has slim odds."
Dugu Cheng responded to Gwak Sang's words with a slight smile.
"Still, didn't we succeed?"
"But lately, the casualties keep increasing. Of course, there have been no replacements at all. Today alone, we lost 59 men. If this continues..."
Of course, Gwak Sang was excluding the severely wounded from combat strength. They would never be able to hold a sword again...
"The intentions of Counselor Sa Junhwan, to whom we belong, are highly suspicious. I can't help but think he intends to weaken our Guardian Demon King Army."
In truth, Gwak Sang's remark was excessive. Ordinary members of demonic sects could only obey orders; they could not express their opinions like this. In other words, the command structure was so strict that if told to die, they would have to bite their blades and kill themselves without hesitation. If anyone were to make such an impertinent interference like Gwak Sang, it would not have been lacking for him to be summarily executed on the spot.
But Dugu Cheng did not mind. Knowing Gwak Sang's inner heart was worrying for him, he merely let a slight smile rise to his face. Because his face was so hideous, however, it looked less like a smile and more like a grimace.
"It's excessive worry. Counselor Sa Junhwan is not someone who would do such a thing."
"But..."
"Do not worry at all... We will surely bring about the Demonic Dao's dominion over the world."
Gwak Sang had no choice but to close his mouth. Such was the firmness of Dugu Cheng's faith in Sa Junhwan.
Slowly riding his horse out, Gwak Sang looked once more at Dugu Cheng's hideous face.
Suddenly, the time when Dugu Cheng was first assigned as their commander surfaced in Gwak Sang's mind. At that time, the martial artists who had completed the hellish training each said a word upon seeing Dugu Cheng's face. It was a time when the atmosphere was rife with the sentiment that since they were fighters rigorously selected through a process of survival of the fittest, they would not acknowledge anyone as commander if they lacked skill.
"What is such an ugly-looking bastard doing as our commander?"
"Does he really have any skill?"
However, only after the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranked among the five hundred martial artists were beaten to a pulp one after another did they accept Dugu Cheng as their commander, and after that, Dugu Cheng became like the heavens themselves to them.
He possessed the leadership and skill befitting that.
Yet there was a completely different reason why Dugu Cheng had captivated their hearts... Recalling that time, a faint smile rose to Gwak Sang's face.
'Truly, it was incomprehensible. On the battlefield, he rampages like a maddened beast, yet to us he treats us like an elder brother.'
Now, none of the Guardian Demon King Army martial artists would fuss about Dugu Cheng's appearance. Although his face was incomparably hideous, to them it was the most reliable and endearing face of all. Gwak Sang let out a bitter smile and shook his head.
'Indeed, I worry about what the Counselor's intentions are. I hope nothing bad happens...'
Nor was that the only thing worrying him. Currently, in the martial world, the Guardian Demon King Army was being thoroughly denounced as an evil group. Of course, it had turned out this way because they were carrying out Sa Junhwan's orders, but the martial world's evaluation was completely different from the truth. The point was that they were being portrayed as a group composed solely of irredeemable villains.
"The Guardian Demon King Army and the Heaven-Cleaving Blood Demon Dugu Cheng who leads them are murderers who take pleasure only in blood and slaughter."
"Wherever they sweep through, not even children, dogs, or chickens survive."
Gwak Sang was deeply worried by such evaluations from the martial world. Of course, one might think Sa Junhwan deliberately spread them to instill fear in the enemy, but frankly, there were aspects that went too far.
Of course, they had rarely massacred women or children. There had been cases where they were killed unavoidably, but once the operation ended, they withdrew immediately and headed to the next destination, while the cleanup was thoroughly handled by martial artists dispatched from the main headquarters. Yet such rumors spread...
In contrast to the Guardian Demon King Army's case, the martial world's evaluation of Sa Junhwan was quite favorable. Although he was the Counselor of the Cult fighting against the Orthodox faction, he was assessed as a figure who was comparatively fair and knew the way of righteousness. Even though Gwak Sang was but an ordinary fighter in the Guardian Demon King Army, he could not help but deeply suspect Sa Junhwan's ulterior motives.
'Well, it will be fine, won't it? Our Commander is a man who can truly be called unrivaled under heaven...'
Gwak Sang forcibly hid his worries and spurred his horse on. Before long, the Sichuan branch they had been heading for was revealing itself in the distance.
"You have worked hard."
Upon seeing the lord he served, the Chief Guardian bowed his head deeply. After parting from the Guardian Demon King Army at the Sichuan branch, he had headed straight for the main headquarters and was able to arrive at Cheonsan in two days.
Before him stood a middle-aged man with an extremely refined, intellectual impression, wearing a smile. His face looked infinitely benevolent, but the Chief Guardian knew well that behind that impression lay a true nature more cold-blooded than a serpent's.
He provided certain rewards to those who followed him, but to those who did not, only a miserable death remained. The Chief Guardian had already learned this fully when he pledged his loyalty. Recalling that fact, the Chief Guardian offered only a greeting that did not violate propriety.
"I have returned, Counselor."
Originally, he would have had to perform a full prostration to prove his loyalty, but now was not the time. Performing the full prostration reserved only for the absolute ruler of the Cult before numerous subordinates was, in truth, out of the question.
Nominally, his lord was none other than the Counselor who managed the great and small affairs of the Cult; thus, the full prostration could only be performed once the Cult was firmly within his lord's grasp. Of course, that time would come before long.
"Let us go in."
His lord suggested they enter the inner hall with an infinitely bright smile. Without a word, the Chief Guardian followed him. Once they entered the inner hall and shook off the eyes of those around them, they immediately began a secret conversation. The Chief Guardian promptly reported on what he had investigated.
"According to Zhongli Ling, the bastard has never had his demonic nature flare up properly until now. Of course, on the battlefield, he indulges in merciless slaughter, intoxicated by the scent of blood."
"Of course. Just as the title Heaven-Cleaving Blood Demon suggests..."
As he listened to the report, Sa Junhwan smiled palely. In fact, he had a vague guess as to why Dugu Cheng had not yet suffered a flare-up.