Spreading the news across the entire continent through long-distance communications proceeded more smoothly than expected.
Though the Jegal Clan did their utmost despite undergoing difficult circumstances, what proved decisive was that the numerous demons of Geumodo, wearing the guise of “Mosan Sect daoists,” scattered to various regions and assisted with the ritual.
“Hah—who would have thought the Mosan Sect was capable of this. Our eyes had been clouded by the arrogance of thinking we were the best all this time. Truly, we were nothing but frogs in a well.”
The clan head of the Jegal Clan, who had come to overestimate a competitor’s capabilities because of this, let out a sigh, but it was not a bad thing, as they would take this occasion to whip themselves into working even harder.
‘Of course, simply spreading the news like this isn’t everything.’
Considering the transportation situation of the Ganghwan Realm, where crossing a single region required tremendous time and effort, this matter was undoubtedly nothing short of a miracle.
But this was merely fastening the first button.
Countless obstacles still remained.
There were those who, even after hearing the news, dismissed it as a groundless falsehood and refused to believe it; those who suspected some kind of scheme was being plotted; and those who sought to turn this matter around for their own gain.
It was only because the party responsible was the renowned Jegal Clan and because the content concerned the Demonic Cult, the enemy of all that transcended the divisions of Righteous, Evil, and Military, that they even paid attention; otherwise, most would have pretended not to hear.
‘Anyway, I’ve succeeded in drawing everyone’s attention. Active cooperation would be best, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t believe it right now. The objective has already been achieved.’
For now, it would be enough if they patrolled their own territories again out of anxious concern, or if they took notice and examined suspicious circumstances more carefully instead of letting them pass.
All of that would become a noose that restricted the movements of those hiding in the shadows and slowly strangled them.
‘Moreover, the Demonic Cult’s notoriety is greater than expected. As long as it doesn’t cause them harm, there is no reason not to provide information.’
And it did not take long for the situation to unfold as expected.
As a result—
“There have been reports of suspicious circumstances in the forest near Gopyeong of Sanseong Province. Residents reported that numerous figures seemed to be hiding there, and the Yeonggeom Sect that governed the area conducted a search, but apparently found no significant traces and the matter fizzled out…”
“The Cheolgoe Bang of Gangseo Province claims to have discovered traces of an unidentified force. They said they found signs of a group camping and gave pursuit, but lost them when they fled beyond their territory…”
“There is news that troops were seen moving under cover of night at the Gwiyang branch in Gwi Prefecture. They are demanding payment if we wish to hear the details…”
All sorts of information pouring in from across the continent began flooding into the Jegal Clan.
The sight of people busily moving about in a vast space, frantically organizing all sorts of materials, was already an excellent central control tower in and of itself.
‘Ugh, just looking at it makes my head spin.’
Hugo, who had subtly approached to survey the situation, clicked his tongue.
The arduous work of discerning the truth from the unfiltered flood of information and selecting only the necessary parts to classify them.
Even though his stats had surged, enhancing his mental strength and intellectual abilities, he could never get used to such a wave of documents.
After all, the work his other avatars usually handled mostly consisted of documents that had already been neatly organized by capable subordinates.
“The news from Gangseo Province lacks credibility. For starters, those who had been thoroughly erasing their traces until now leaving camping signs is one thing, but the fact that a mid-to-small unorthodox sect like the Cheolgoe Bang could track them…”
“The verification of the Gwi Prefecture side is complete. Around the same time, the warlord army Gyeongchinwang Army that dominates the nearby region had moved troops. It’s likely they mistook that for a secret operation…”
However, befitting those famous for their intelligence, the Jegal Clan quickly analyzed the incoming information and separated the wheat from the chaff.
They distinguished falsehoods that seemed maliciously intended to obstruct, filtered out baseless rumors stemming from minor misunderstandings, set aside intelligence that lacked realism in terms of distance and timing, and excluded content unilaterally fabricated for organizational gain.
“The Sanseong Province side seems highly plausible. For one, the location itself is quite logical, and there is supporting testimony as well…”
“Ah! The Jinju Family of Habuk said something similar! Coincidentally, the distance between the two points is not that great. Even calculating the route from Sanseong to Habuk, it isn’t strange at all!”
It was only natural that the information remaining after such processes became precious data worth its weight in gold.
Within the clan, scholars renowned for their outstanding comprehension put their heads together and began detailed analyses one by one, starting with the most likely scenarios.
In this way, several movement routes were narrowed down, and the estimated destinations were organized clearly.
Seeing the place name written at the very top of the report, a strange glint came into Hugo’s eyes.
‘Bukgyeong.’
The place where the old imperial palace grounds of the Yongsim dynasty were located.
Was it not a place of considerable significance?
The other place names listed below it looked equally plausible.
‘…Excellent. To think they could accomplish this much in just a few short days.’
He could truly feel why they had maintained such a lofty reputation for so long.
Honestly, he had somewhat looked down on them until now, but now different thoughts began to circle in his head.
‘I want them.’
Hugo licked his lips, his eyes sparkling.
They were truly talents who could pull their weight splendidly no matter where they were put to use!
He knew better than anyone just how comfortable a superior could become when they had capable subordinates.
The faces of capable subordinates quickly flashed through his mind.
Jin Soran of Earth, Olivia the Banshee Queen, Mullo the True Blood Vampire, Diana of the Hubert Merchant Guild, and so on…
And beside them, Jegal Clan people began to pack in densely.
“Haha, young hero? Are you alright?”
“…Ah! I apologize. I was just organizing my thoughts for a moment…”
Hugo, who had been lost in such idle thoughts, came to his senses at the call and replied.
The place he was in now was a meeting where the core elders of the clan had gathered to discuss the analysis results.
He needed to put aside distracting thoughts and focus more for now.
“Hoo, no wonder you have much on your mind. Of all places, Bukgyeong. They are brazen beyond belief; I never imagined those bastards would return there.”
At that moment, Cheonggwan, the daoist of the Mosan Sect who had been reading the report as well, opened his mouth with a low sigh.
Strictly speaking, the only reason Hugo, a mere guest, could attend such a gathering where sensitive matters were discussed was all thanks to him.
The Mosan Sect’s representative had created a suitable excuse by claiming he had heard about Hugo’s remarkable performance at the Sorim Temple and requested that he attend.
‘Well, Cheonggwan probably only heard about me for the first time when he received this mission, though.’
Isn’t that what connections are all about?
Besides, even without that point, Hugo’s qualifications themselves were more than sufficient.
He was a martial artist who had undoubtedly reached the realm of the Supreme Peak.
He was a powerhouse who could be considered equal to the Jegal Clan’s strongest expert, as there was no one in the clan who had reached the Transcendence Realm.
‘Of course, levels differ even within the same realm, and there’s a gap in experience, so their combat power wouldn’t be equal. Still, someone at the Supreme Peak level is more than qualified to be a master representing a region.’
The truth was, it was only because he had been swimming in deep waters from the start and associated only with great figures; in most small and medium sects, there often was not even anyone who had reached the Peak, let alone the Supreme Peak.
Moreover, was he not a young expert who had barely passed his coming of age?
Considering his bright future, such treatment was nothing particularly special.
“Is it not true that it hasn’t been definitively confirmed as Bukgyeong yet?”
“But it is also true that it is the most likely location. Honestly, I consider it unsuitable as a ritual site… Hmm, though I suppose that depends on what kind of ritual they are performing.”
“That is correct. The Demonic Cult possesses many heaven-defying sorceries.”
Even so, the attendees’ meeting continued actively.
However, there was one opinion they shared.
Namely, that they had to stop those bastards somehow before the ritual was completed.
“…There is much to do. We must send scouting parties to the candidate locations to find the exact site, and to fight them and rescue the hostages, we will need support from others. If the battlefield is Bukgyeong, it must consist of only elite troops, not random rabble. Moreover, to face the Heavenly Demon, we would need at least three masters of the Profound Realm…”
“A problem from the first stage. They won’t let scouts return alive. And the Demonic Cult isn’t only home to the Heavenly Demon. When you consider the experts including the Ghost Sword Demon Lord and even the jiangshi…”
Those exchanging words fell silent all at once.
Their expressions clearly showed that they were daunted by the grim reality they faced.
But then.
“I will go to Bukgyeong.”
The confident voice of a young man echoed through the meeting hall.
It was Hugo, who had been quietly observing the situation while various opinions were exchanged.
“This matter is a race against time. We must complete reconnaissance as quickly as possible and confirm the location before we can move to the next phase, no? I have the confidence to extricate myself from any situation, so I will go and verify this personally.”
At his words, a statement that he would voluntarily enter the most likely and most dangerous location, those around him tried to dissuade him for some time.
Participating in battle was different from infiltrating an enemy lair alone, where one knew not what preparations the enemy had made.
Moreover, was that place not the Demonic Realm, infamous for being utterly hostile to the circulation of internal energy?
But the dissuasion could not last long against Hugo’s firm resolve.
In truth, who could be more anxious than them, with the clan’s young lady held captive as a sacrifice?
In such a situation, for a master of Hugo’s caliber to step forward voluntarily, they could only feel sorry yet grateful.
“Then I will depart immediately. If possible, I shall look into the hostages’ situation as well. I leave the rest in your hands in the meantime.”
“…We will devote the full strength of the clan to this side, so do not worry on this end. It is you who must take care and return safely. For you are the future pillar of the murim.”
As if there were no more time to delay, Hugo packed his bags immediately and set out from the clan after the Grand Patriarch Jegal Gun-ak’s worried words of blessing.
Swish—
With a solemn atmosphere, he unfolded his qinggong and took steps leaving Yungjung Mountain.
But that solemnity began to fade the moment he left the mountain, and after a few hours, it had changed to a lightness as if he were out for a stroll.
‘I should use this opportunity to refine my martial arts outside. As expected, experiencing real combat is the best way to master techniques.’
Along with such peaceful thoughts ill-suited to the situation, a low hum drifted from his nose.
Naturally, he had absolutely no intention of being the first to visit that Demonic Realm.
‘Let’s see. If I keep moving at this speed… it’ll take roughly a week? It’s damn far. Well, by the time I arrive, the cleanup should be perfectly finished.’
And there was a good reason for that—there was someone else who had been anxiously waiting for the target’s location to be revealed.
A candidate who could carry out the task faster, more surely, and more cleanly than anyone.
A new landlord who would chase the runaway tenants to the ends of hell to drag them back.
***
‘How much time has passed?’
Jegal Hyemi, who had been blankly gazing up at the blue sky outside the window, squeezed her eyes shut.
Contrary to her heart, the cloudless sky was incomparably clear and sunny.
‘I never dreamed I would end up in a place like this.’
The former imperial palace grounds of Bukgyeong.
This place was the infamous Demonic Realm.
A land of death that absorbed the internal energy within one’s body, preventing martial artists and sorcerers alike from exerting their abilities fully, where ordinary people would slowly wither away and die from merely staying for a while.
She already knew exactly why the Demonic Cultists had brought her here.
‘Human sacrifice… I am the offering…’
With her outstanding comprehension, she had spent some time as a prisoner of the Demonic Cult and easily found out why they had kidnapped her, what they wanted, and what they planned to do.
They had not really tried to hide it from the start, either.
‘Well, what use is there in that when I can’t even escape?’
The place she was in now was a single guest room near the former palace grounds.
A protective formation was installed to shield the interior from the hostile environment outside, but beyond that, there were no other restrictions on movement. Yet neither she nor any of the others captured with her had even attempted to escape.
‘If I took a single step out, I’d probably be subdued immediately. And after that, my treatment would only worsen.’
The cultists visible to the eye were already numerous, but there were likely far more she could not perceive.
Who knew—they were probably swarming all around her even now.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped her lips on its own.
It had become a habit so routine that she had even given up counting how many times it had happened.
“…Ah, right. I have to exercise.”
Just then, a promise she had made with someone flashed through her mind.
The time they had spent together was short beyond comparison with family, yet for some reason, whenever she was alone like this, she kept thinking of a promise with a certain person, unknowingly.
“I’ll exercise hard here, so please tell me about the things that happened there instead, Young Master Ha. It’s a promise, okay?”
Because of that, even after being captured by the Demonic Cultists, she had exercised steadily for a while to steady her mind, but as time dragged on, even that will had begun to fade.
Still, until yesterday, she had somehow finished out of habit…
‘…Does it matter? I won’t be able to hear the stories anymore anyway.’
She slowly started to get up but then flopped back down.
She had held onto hope and endured somehow until now, but that too had reached its limit.
The true end was approaching right before her eyes.
‘Ah, still, I wish I could have seen him one last time…’
In that moment, as she was lost in such idle thoughts.
“Huh?”
A sudden exclamation burst from her lips.
Having belatedly recognized some change that had occurred while she had been distracted.
‘What is that?’
Her gaze turned to the sky.
Rumble—
The sky that had been clear and sunny without a single cloud until moments ago.
Was now covered in pitch-black dark clouds.
As if foreshadowing something yet to come.