CFZ

After the Poison King and the martial artists of the Tang Clan agreed to assist the Martial Alliance, I immediately headed to where Wi Seol-ah was.
“You’re here?”

As soon as I arrived, Wi Seol-ah greeted me warmly. I looked at her and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking if you’re tired.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”
Wi Seol-ah had been here since last night, meaning she hadn’t rested after the battle.
"…I wish I could just let her rest."

But knowing her personality, she wouldn’t sit still if something was happening. She’d likely throw herself into the fray within the branch. That’s why I had assigned her specific tasks to keep her preoccupied.
Fortunately, while she was tired, she wasn’t seriously injured. Still—
"It bothers me."
I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

"I sent Namgung Bi-ah to rest, but I made her work."
Namgung Bi-ah had been sent to the medical ward due to her significant injuries. Though her rapid recovery alleviated my concerns, I had been uneasy without the Divine Doctor’s presence.
“How’s the situation?”

“There hasn’t been any major issue so far.”
“Good. You’ve worked hard. You can head back now.”
“Master… are you staying here longer?”

“I need to finish the investigation.”
“In that case, I—”
“You should go to her.”

“…”
When I mentioned Namgung Bi-ah, Wi Seol-ah bit her lip. It seemed that was the best approach to get her to leave.
“I’ll join you shortly. It won’t take long.”

“…Understood.”
“Just to be safe, have the physician check on you. Get some rest.”
“Yes…”

In the end, I used Namgung Bi-ah as an excuse to send Wi Seol-ah away. Soon after, more members arrived. They were part of the team brought in to investigate.
“What… what is this place?”
“What kind of space is this?”

The newcomers looked around with wide-eyed astonishment. For someone seeing this for the first time, their reactions were understandable.
"Well, I’ve seen plenty of strange things, so it doesn’t faze me."
For someone unaccustomed to such sights, this would be deeply unsettling.
“Leader… what is this…?”

One of the members, staring at the golden-hued pond, asked me.
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll need to investigate further. But it’s clearly not something normal.”
I admitted my ignorance. Still, one thing was certain.

“For now, it’s clear that Cheonma was up to something.”
“…! Are you saying this is connected to Cheonma as well?”
“Most likely.”

There was no way it wasn’t connected. After all, I had worked hard to make it seem that way.
“What on earth… no, what is the Demonic Cult trying to achieve?”
“Could something like this truly be created by humans?”

“Is it even fair to call them human at this point?”
Their voices were tinged with unease.
“Taming and summoning demonic beasts… how could any human manage such a thing?”

Their minds were still grappling with what they had witnessed yesterday. Understandably so. Seeing someone open the Magyeong Gate and unleash demonic beasts would shake anyone to their core.
And this reaction was precisely what I had hoped for.
“Silence.”

“…!!”
The group flinched at my command, and I spoke firmly.
“Focus on the task at hand.”

“…Apologies.”
Chastened, the members resumed their investigation. The personnel sent by the Alliance did the same, trying to analyze any lingering formations in the space.
"Not that they’ll find anything."

Most traces would have already vanished. Even if some remained, they wouldn’t be able to make sense of them. And even if they could, it wouldn’t matter. That wasn’t the point.
“What could this pond be…?”
“There’s a demonic beast’s corpse in the depths.”

The investigation continued.

“There’s also a small tree on the lower floor, but its significance is unclear at the moment.”
“I see.”

The tree they mentioned was likely the one I had seen with white leaves. The odd part was that it was now just one floor below.
"Originally, you’d have to descend much farther."
Now, it seemed the dissolving formation had caused the space to shift.

"I’ve already removed most of the strange elements."
Still, I sharpened my senses, scanning for any remaining ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) traces. There shouldn’t be anything left. The Shadow King had assured me he’d dealt with it.
"Even the bodies have been taken care of."

The corpses of the half-transformed beings had all been removed, leaving only ordinary remains behind.
At this point, it would be impossible to discern the true purpose of this place. Watching the investigators, I decided to continue assisting with the investigation a little longer.

   ******************
   

The investigation concluded—at least the first phase of it. Despite this, the expressions on the team’s faces remained grim.
Although much had been discovered, they still couldn’t determine the purpose or intent behind the activities conducted here.
“Did you find anything useful?”

“…I’m sorry.”
The formation expert from the branch looked at me with a bitter expression.
“We detected traces of something that had been set up, but the evidence is too faint to analyze properly. It’s beyond my ability to discern.”

Admitting his own limitations seemed to sting his pride, judging by his expression.
“We may need to request assistance from the Martial Alliance.”
“That would take three months just to get a response. Hmm… Alright.”

“…I’m sorry.”
Was he apologizing because he couldn’t provide any help, or because he was frightened by what he’d heard about yesterday’s events?
Probably both. But it wasn’t worth dwelling on.

“Send a formal request to the Martial Alliance for formation-related support. Include it with the incident report.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When you return to the branch, tell Cheol to prepare everything necessary. He’ll know what to do.”

“Understood.”
“You and you—go outside and secure the perimeter. Make sure no civilians get near this place.”
“What should we do about anyone who insists on approaching?”

“Identify yourselves as members of the Martial Alliance and scare them off if necessary. If they still try to enter after being warned, kill them.”
“…Understood.”
The slight hesitation at my order to kill was noticeable.

It was obvious that anyone attempting to breach the site, even after being fully warned, would be dangerous. Such threats were best eliminated preemptively.
“We’ll start the second phase of the investigation in three days.”
I glanced around as I continued.

“Now that we’ve confirmed what we can, it’s time to move on.”
Rotating my shoulders slightly, I spoke with finality, catching the flicker of resolve in the eyes of the Azure Dragon Division members.
From this point onward—

“We’re going to clean up. Get ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
It was time to deal with the filth.

   ******************
   
Screams echoed from all directions.
“Spare me! Please!”

Flashes of light exploded intermittently amid the chaos, streaking across the air repeatedly. With each burst, the metallic scent of blood grew stronger.
Over time, the flashes of light became less frequent until, finally, silence fell. In the aftermath, countless corpses littered the ground.
“We’ve subdued three targets and eliminated the rest,” came the report.

I turned my attention to the speaker. “Our casualties?”
“Two have suffered minor wounds. Everyone else is unharmed.”
By the time the sun began to set, the cleanup was nearly complete. The Azure Dragon Division had been mobilized to sweep through and eradicate the Celestial Stream Sect.

"What a mess they’ve made, spreading their influence so far."
It wasn’t hard to guess why they’d set up so many branches, but dealing with them was an infuriatingly tedious task.
“What should we do about those who fled the area after assessing the situation?”

“Track them down. Kill them if you have to.”
“I’ll dispatch a pursuit team immediately.”
The subordinate left quickly to carry out the order, though I thought to myself it was a pointless effort.

"The Shadow King and his assassins are already handling it."
Among the four known branches, we had dealt with two. The remaining ones were being taken care of by the Shadow King, who had been eager to act. Tracking down their hideouts hadn’t been difficult, and I had deliberately allowed him to handle the rest.
I wondered if they had uncovered any new information. Honestly, I doubted there was anything left to find.

“Move to the next location.”
“Yes, sir!”
Once the cleanup was done, we immediately moved forward. The branch members and team looked visibly fatigued. After all, they had been working non-stop throughout the night. While I felt a twinge of guilt, I needed them to push through until this mission was complete.

This was partly why the Shadow King had taken the lead on certain tasks—to ease the load on the rest of us.
When we reached our next destination, a hidden space to the north, the reactions were immediate.
“What… what is this?!”

The team’s voices were filled with shock as they looked inside. The area wasn’t large, but its remote and concealed location gave it an ominous air.
“They’re… they’re all dead.”
The room was filled with corpses sprawled across the floor. A member hurried to inspect the bodies and the blood around them.

“…Judging by the condition, it’s been less than two days since they died.”
It was clear the deaths were recent.
“Who could have done something like this?”

The scene was horrifying. The bodies, mangled as if savaged by wild beasts, were scattered everywhere. While the team covered their mouths in shock and revulsion, one of them pointed and shouted.
“L-look over there!”
Beneath the shadow of a dimly lit wall, something dark and wet glistened. It was blood.

With a flick of my hand, I conjured a flame to illuminate the area.
The light revealed a grotesque sight.
“Hngh!”

“By the heavens…!”
Several corpses were impaled on the wall above. Swords pinned their bodies in place, blood still trickling down from their wounds. Beneath them, the blood had been used to paint words on the wall.
“…‘All Demons Bow Beneath the One’?”

The phrase caused the group’s expressions to twist in horror. The meaning was self-evident.
“Does this mean… this was also the work of Cheonma and the Demonic Cult?”
“How did they even…?”

“So the rumors of the Celestial Stream Sect being connected to the Demonic Cult were true… but why would they wipe out their own people?”
One of the members seemed to realize something and widened his eyes.
“Could it be… they were trying to hide something?”

“Hide something?”
“They must have realized we were starting to uncover their secrets… so they eradicated the Celestial Stream Sect in advance.”
“Cutting the problem off at the root?”

“That seems likely….”
“But still, how could they do something so…?”
Words failed them.

"…Isn’t this overkill?"
Even I, who had asked for this, felt a chill.
"The Shadow King must have been furious."

The display reeked of raw emotion. This wasn’t just efficient execution—it was vengeance. The Shadow King’s anger over the actions of Yeon Ilcheon, a descendant of the Demonic Cult, was clear.
"Perhaps I should leave him alone for a while."
With plenty of work still left to do even without him, keeping my distance for now seemed wise.

“Continue the investigation,” I ordered, scanning the room. “Stay on alert in case of any surprises.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Document everything. We’ll compile a detailed report for the Martial Alliance. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

“We’ll be thorough.”
Under my orders, the team began examining the bodies and surroundings, though a sense of unease hung over the process.
Meanwhile, the seeds that Cheol Ji-seon had sown began to take root elsewhere.

   *******************
   
As autumn gave way to the chill of early winter, a rumor began spreading across Zhongyuan. The talk was all about the Demonic Cult and Cheonma.
Word spread that the Demonic Cult had collaborated with the Celestial Stream Sect in Sichuan but were stopped by the Azure Dragon Division before their plans could proceed.

In addition, a seemingly fantastical piece of information circulated: Cheonma could open the Magyeong Gate and command demonic beasts.
The Martial Alliance officially denied the claims, stating that the information was unverified. Even the Open Clan distanced themselves, asserting they had no part in the dissemination of the rumors.
And yet, the rumors spread like wildfire.

The idea that the Demonic Cult had infiltrated both the unorthodox sects and the Sichuan branch suggested that enemies could even exist within the Martial Alliance itself. Whispers went as far as to claim that even a branch leader-level figure from the Alliance was involved.
At a time when trust in the Alliance was already waning, these rumors only deepened the unease.
Adding to the tension, the reappearance of white-rank demonic beasts after centuries only heightened fears.

And now, the idea that Cheonma could open the Magyeong Gate and wield demonic beasts with impunity drove the anxiety to its peak.
In their desperation, people began to ask:
"How strong is Cheonma?"

"How does he compare to the Three Supremes?"
Rumors claimed that even the Heavenly Elder, one of the Three Supremes, had failed to subdue Cheonma. If that was true, did it mean Cheonma was their equal—or perhaps even stronger?
If, by some chance, Cheonma was indeed stronger than the Three Supremes—
If he intended to unleash chaos, open the Magyeong Gate, and wage war like the Blood Demon of old—
Could there still be hope in this world, where even the Martial Alliance could not be trusted?

No one could answer these questions, but one unsettling notion began to circulate in Zhongyuan:
"In a world where the Three Supremes maintain balance, yet no true sovereign exists… isn’t Cheonma the one true ruler, beyond good and evil?"