NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
If there is an army in the Martial World Alliance, there is also an army in the Demon Cult.
Demon Sage.
Though it refers to martial arts, it is a title granted to the most intelligent among the ‘war’ of powers.
The demon sage of the time, Sima Jun, could only come to one conclusion.
The Demon Cult is finished.
Ever since the Heavenly Demon was brutally defeated by the Sword Saint in a duel that determined the survival of the Sun and Moon God Cult, the Demon Cult essentially fell.
They say that when a rich family falls, it takes three years to recover.
Or perhaps it’s because there are no other strong contenders in this Heavenly Mountain besides the Demon Cult.
Or maybe, even if they rotted away, the Heavenly Demon could still triumph over all other demons, even after losing to the Sword Saint.
The Demon Cult still endures.
They have to patch up their worn clothes because their finances are dwindling.
They can’t even restore the broken halls, dictating that when demons quarrel, they must take it outside.
Even though most of the Ten Demons of the Demon Cult have betrayed them, attempting to mingle in the Central Plains or are already halfway gone.
Still, the Demon Cult survives. They are indeed alive.
If the Martial World Alliance’s army weren’t just Zhuge, Sima Jun might have sneaked into the Central Plains, washed away the past, and become part of the Martial World Alliance army.
But there is still hope.
Just as the Heavenly Demon reached a rapid conclusion, if ‘now’ doesn’t work, they can always gamble on the ‘future.’
Some paths to that future have opened up.
The Demon Sage Sima Jun immediately set his course for the ‘Demon Realm Pavilion,’ the residence of the Heavenly Demon, upon hearing the report.
He headed there but…
“Where is the Heavenly Demon?”
“He is sleeping.”
Hearing the words from the man with a black tiger mask, Sima Jun lowered his head.
“It’s urgent.”
“You know, Demon Sage, if you wake him while he’s asleep, that head will be on the chopping block.”
“…Time is of the essence.”
“Shouting outside will get someone killed. We should wait until he wakes up.”
“Is he drunk?”
“Yes.”
At the words of the man, Sima Jun’s shoulders slumped.
In the end, it’s because of the Sword Saint.
The once heroic figure of the Demon Cult, full of vitality and ready to upend the world, has now become a useless piece of junk, all thanks to the Sword Saint.
But what can be done?
The White Path Martial World is thriving day by day, even developing a treatment for the Sickness of Absolute Meridians.
“I wonder how he will react when the Heavenly Demon wakes up and hears about this.”
“Indeed. I’m curious too.”
Sima Jun immediately bowed his back at the voice he heard from behind.
“Have you come, Grand Princess?”
“Yes. Is Father still sound asleep today?”
“Grand Princess, well…”
“It’s not as if this is just one or two days.”
Despite the anxious vibe, Sima Jun took a sneaky glance at the Grand Princess, who spoke the words he wished to say for him.
Her crown barely brushed against his waist.
Her stature was quite small, a girl who wouldn’t seem out of place being called a granddaughter by the old monsters around her—fellow demons who are her peers.
But this girl is the hope of the Demon Cult.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the survival of the Demon Cult rests entirely on her shoulders, which is why Sima Jun is here, barely propping up the collapsing pillars before it all crumbles.
“Demon Sage. I seek wisdom.”
“Ask away, Grand Princess.”
“The original intention of sending the Witch Doctor and her disciple to the Mo Yong Family was not only for the assassination of the Mo Yong Family’s daughter but also to find a treatment for the Sickness of Absolute Meridians, correct?”
“That’s correct, Grand Princess. That…”
“I don’t care either way.”
The Grand Princess lightly rolled her sleeves up, her red eyes sparkling.
“Those who have learned the Heavenly Demon Technique may suffer from the Sickness of Absolute Meridians, but it’s a life span question, not a pain issue.”
“……”
“It can be resolved before the age of forty, or rather if one arrives at the threshold of life and death, it becomes irrelevant. The real problem is that the Witch Doctor’s disciple might be ‘staying’ with the Mo Yong Family.”
“…Yes.”
Sima Jun is clever and knows how to survive.
“Should I send a message to the Witch Doctor, telling him to come back to the Demon Cult? Right now?”
“No. If that happens, the Sword Saint will come straight after him. At least not until I’m capable of facing the Sword Saint; it would be too difficult.”
The Grand Princess shows a negative response.
But Sima Jun knows well the true feelings behind her words.
“However, how can the Demon Cult allow one of its own to remain in the White Path Martial World? I must bring him back to the Demon Cult and place him in the vacant position of the Witch Doctor. For the normalization of the Demon Cult.”
“…Is there a way?”
The Grand Princess perked up her ears.
“A way? I’ll have to create it somehow. Even if it seems impossible, a Demon Sage must make it happen no matter what.”
Sima Jun knows how many tears the Grand Princess shed when the Witch Doctor and her disciple left, so he chooses his words carefully.
“I’ll stir up the whole Central Plains. No matter how reputable the Mo Yong Family is, once I disturb the Nine Great Families and the entire Martial World, they will have no choice but to release Physician Seok Muwol from their grasp.”
“…Alright. But as long as he is intact, I don’t mind.”
The Grand Princess passed by Sima Jun, her eyes shining fiercely.
“Even if I am sullied countless times by the depraved women of the Central Plains, as long as I am beside this ‘Heavenly Flower,’ it’s all that matters.”
“Ah, ahh…!”
Sima Jun almost burst into tears.
Isn’t this precisely the spirit of the ‘Heavenly Demon of the Sun and Moon God Cult’?
“Then… I must collect it as well.”
The Grand Princess, Tianhua, placed her hand on her chest.
“An absolute power to embrace my brother.”
The Grand Princess began to walk forward.
“Grand Princess, right now…!”
“Huh?”
“……!”
Although the Guardian Law blocked the way, he knelt at a single glance from the Grand Princess.
Creeeak.
The Grand Princess swung the doors of the Demon Realm Pavilion wide open.
A horrid stench poured out as a man in the middle of the hall lay sleeping without a proper outfit, snoring away.
“……Tsk.”
The Grand Princess openly showed a look of disgust toward the man, but he did not wake even with the door being opened and a person entering.
“It can’t be helped. I didn’t want to use this method.”
“Grand Princess. The Heavenly Demon…”
“He knows everything even while sleeping. Do you think a master like Hyeongyeong would lack such awareness?”
With quiet footsteps.
“I report! The Witch Doctor’s disciple, Seok Muwol, has treated the Sword Saint’s daughter, Mo Yongseol of the Sickness of Absolute Meridians.”
“…….”
The man didn’t wake up.
“He treated the Sickness of Absolute Meridians. I’ve come up with a way to treat my own body without needing to continue practicing the Heavenly Demon Technique?”
“…….”
Even with the Grand Princess’s urging, the man still did not wake.
The Grand Princess sighed deeply, rubbed near her nose once, and spoke.
“It seems the Witch Doctor’s disciple spent a night with Mo Yongseol.”
The Heavenly Demon flinched.
“Because of that, the Sword Saint collapsed, bleeding.”
“What?”
The man, the Heavenly Demon, slowly opened his eyes.
“The Sword Saint collapsed?”
“…Yes.”
The Grand Princess clenched her fists tightly.
“Bleeding and collapsing, is that it?”
Though his mind seemed hazy as he woke up, the Heavenly Demon rolled off the bed with an unbalanced movement.
“The daughter of the Sword Saint, her, cough, spent a night with the disciple of the Witch Doctor, and thanks to that, the Sword Saint collapsed, bleeding?”
Even with his face buried in the ground, his wide-open eyes were a deeper crimson than the Grand Princess’s face.
“Cough, haha!!”
The Heavenly Demon burst into wild laughter.
“Ah, I’ve finally seen a proper person! Among those I picked up back then, one who could look me straight in the eyes! Hahaha! He really went ahead with it! Hahaha!”
“…The Sickness of Absolute Meridians has been treated.”
“What of that?”
The Heavenly Demon, finally managing to sit up, laughed wildly.
“Tell that little brat… Ah, right! Tell the Witch Doctor’s disciple! He should keep getting drunk! Until the Sword Saint’s daughter is consumed by his passion! Ha ha ha!”
“…….”
“Guardian Law!! Bring me some wine! On such a joyful day, how could I not get drunk? Hahaha!!”
Seeing the Grand Princess clench her fists, Sima Jun quietly bowed his head.
This is why everyone chooses betrayal.
Of course.
The Demon Cult has fallen.
If there is any hope, it’s that the Grand Princess could either take down the Heavenly Demon or that someone could kill that lunatic.
-How about asking the Sword Saint to assassinate the Heavenly Demon in exchange for freeing Seok Muwol from the loneliness lodged in his body?
That thought briefly crossed his mind, but Sima Jun shook his head.
Logically, it’s a man who took his daughter’s virginity.
What could be so attractive that the Sword Saint would cross the continent, coming to Heavenly Mountain to assassinate the Heavenly Demon for the sake of the man of the Demon Cult?
* * *
Late at night.
After the Alliance Leader gathered the situation at the headquarters, once the non-Mo Yong Family members of the clan exited the estate,
“Let the two of you come with me first.”
“Dad, that…”
“There are many questions, but first, let’s go somewhere without people and talk.”
The Sword Saint led Mo Yongseol and walked towards the annex of the Mo Yong Family.
Along the way, they received various gazes from the clan’s servants, but the Sword Saint silently approached them with a commanding presence, clearing the way.
And once they arrived at the annex.
“What do you wish to ask, my daughter?”
“Why did the Martial World Alliance Leader reveal that his greatest disciple is the daughter of the Heavenly Demon?”
Mo Yongseol threw out her question.
It was also a question I had.
“If it was to threaten me… he could have simply pointed out Physician Seok’s background. Then, the New Ascendant would have assisted him.”
Why did the Martial World Alliance Leader reveal his, and Kunlun’s, weaknesses while diverting the attention?
Why did he cover the suspicious gaze directed toward me with other doubts?
“To conceal Physician Seok’s identity.”
“Pardon?”
“The Alliance Leader, contrary to appearances, is quite a righteous person.”
The Sword Saint answered without hesitation to Mo Yongseol’s inquiry.
“I owe him a great debt.”
“He concealed Seok’s identity… simply to reveal the identity of his greatest disciple?”
“Indeed.”
“Why… is that?”
“Because he owes a debt. To him, to me.”
The Sword Saint pointed to the sword strapped to his waist.
“If I hadn’t defeated the Heavenly Demon, the Kunlun Sect would have been annihilated. The Kunlun Sect is directly beneath the Demon Cult.”
“Ah….”
“I didn’t expect this past connection to resurface, but upon returning, I’m sure it will bring trouble. Especially with the New Ascendant… Hah. That monk.”
The Sword Saint openly displayed annoyance toward the New Ascendant.
“Physician Seok.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Did you know that the daughters of the Heavenly Demon have the Sickness of Absolute Meridians?”
“I knew one had it but didn’t know about the others. I knew the Heavenly Demon had one daughter, but it was the first time I found out there were two more.”
“Is that so.”
Truly.
“It was the first time I learned they were the daughters of the Heavenly Demon.”
“They… have you perhaps guessed who they are?”
“I suspect they are probably the great disciple Jin Hyeon of Kunlun, and So Yeonjeok, the disciple of the Zhenchang Sect. I never imagined the Heavenly Demon would push his daughters into a group of orphans like us.”
Truly.
“I couldn’t even imagine that someone like the Heavenly Demon would abandon their children like that.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes.”
“Then it seems I must prepare for the future.”
The Sword Saint drew his sword from its scabbard.
“Seol Ah. The Heavenly Demon will try to use those daughters to seize Physician Seok from you.”
“……!”
“No, the entirety of the Central Plains will mobilize to take Physician Seok away from you.”
“Why?”
“For revenge against me.”
“…….”
“Your pain is my pain, so the Heavenly Demon will try to hurt you from now on. Your heart more than your body.”
“……Yes.”
Mo Yongseol stepped forward.
“What will you do?”
“……I.”
Mo Yongseol reached toward the sword drawn by the Sword Saint.
“I will seriously start learning swordplay. I haven’t properly trained until now.”
Though she had not been trained properly, she was an elite master, no, a peak existence.
As she slowly drew the sword, a bluish sword aura began to flow like starlight.
‘Indeed, the Celestial Martial Body.’
Blessed by the heavens, she possessed the greatest talent in the world, making it incredibly easy for her to learn any martial art.
“To protect Physician Seok.”
That girl has decided to wield a sword in order to protect me.
The bluish hue sparkled in Mo Yongseol’s eyes.
“I will sever all those who try to take Physician Seok from me with this sword.”
The blade glinted with a fierce starlight.
* * *
And then, at midnight.
“The head of the Purple Sword Gate, Yu Gwain. I’ve come to the Mo Yong Family to treat my daughter’s Sickness of Absolute Meridians.”
A patient suffering from the Sickness of Absolute Meridians knocked on the main door of the Mo Yong Family.