Chapter 234

Chapter 234

At Jeokyeol’s completely unexpected answer, Seomun Cheok, who was briefly stunned, stared intently at Jeokyeol. An answer impossible to understand with common sense.

“A Divine Cult spy… isn’t he?”

“There’s no one with that name among our cult’s spies that I know of.”

“Ah, perhaps you don’t know because you’re from a different faction…”

“That’s impossible.”

Jeokyeol, who snorted, shook his head. Because it was impossible.

“Among our cult’s Seven Wheels, I’m in charge of strategy against the Central Plains. Do you know what that means?”

“It means all Central Plains sects under our cult’s influence, or Central Plains people—all of them are under my management. I’m actually the one who goes to the Central Plains most often on external missions.”

Why is it that the Demonic Cult’s spies, who used to be discovered once every decade or so in the past, haven’t been discovered recently?

It’s because Jeokyeol, who’s in charge of Central Plains strategy, is a person close to the peace faction who doesn’t intend to invade the Central Plains.

Since there’s no intention to invade, there’s no need to gather sensitive information, and since there’s no need to gather sensitive information, there’s no need to do dangerous things that might reveal their identity.

“At least among the Demonic Cult’s spies, there’s no spy with the name Seogwang.”

“I’ve never made contact with such a person.”

“…But it was Seogwang who created the formation.”

“I don’t know what that formation is, but let me ask a few things. Is this Seogwang person skilled?”

“I heard he’s at a similar level to the Phantom God.”

“Similar to the Phantom God…”

Jeokyeol, who thought for a moment, crossed his arms.

“Then it’s not that the formation was stolen, and besides, there’s no record of any other Seven Wheels member besides me entering the Central Plains. Probably someone other than our cult made contact.”

“Other than the Demonic Cult… somewhere else?”

“Yes.”

Jeokyeol, who thought briefly, frowned. Several possibilities came to mind.

“The first thing that comes to mind is the Blood Cult. Those bastards love it when the Central Plains falls into chaos.”

“Ah… certainly.”

“But I think it’s too early to conclude. Their actions may seem chaotic at first glance, but they’re moving with some purpose in mind. They’re not the type to move with the simple intention of just causing chaos.”

Even when they revealed their schemes in Anhwahyeon, didn’t they unfold their strategy with the clear purpose of corrupting a divine beast into a yokai?

The Blood Cult’s actions have purpose. But the Blood Cult doesn’t have unrestricted activity in Xinjiang like the cult members.

“The probability is small.”

“Then where do you think it is?”

“Well. Wouldn’t it be a place that can profit from this transfer?”

“A place that profits from the transfer?”

She doesn’t know if everyone was transferred. But with both the Murim Alliance and the Evil Path Alliance participating, which side would profit?

“You don’t need to think that deeply. It’s a problem that won’t have an answer anyway.”

Jeokyeol, who patted the shoulder of Seomun Cheok, who had fallen into deep contemplation, shook his head. And the answer that followed.

“Well then, I should return to the cult.”

“…When you say return to the cult.”

“Just as I said. If the youngest miss was caught by cult members, the cult would be turned upside down by now. I’m going to check on that.”

“Ah.”

“What will you do? If you want, I can guide you to the edge of the Great Desert… to the Cheongha entrance. Around there, you’ll be able to join up with those Kunlun bastards and return to the Central Plains.”

Will you do that?

At Jeokyeol’s gaze conveying such meaning, Seomun Cheok, who was briefly lost in thought, deliberated deeply. And a moment later.

“…May we follow you to the cult?”

“Hm?”

At the unexpected answer, Jeokyeol frowned.

“Didn’t you hear the explanation I just gave? Right now, the mainstream opinion in the cult is the war faction.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t seem to know. With the war faction in power right now, if you Central Plains people enter our cult and get discovered, you could be immediately beheaded without it being strange. For you, our cult is literally a demon’s den.”

In Baek Risan’s case, it’s fine. Baek Risan is fundamentally the Divine Maiden’s bloodline, and even if she lacks the Divine Maiden’s abilities, since she’s one of the few remaining blood of the Gongsun clan, the peace faction will desperately try to protect her. She might be forcibly confined, but her life won’t be in danger.

But Seomun Cheok, Seohwa, and Wangpal are different. The war faction hates Central Plains people, and even the peace faction is only ‘relatively’ friendly to Central Plains people, not exactly friendly. Considering that the peace faction’s claim is ‘we shouldn’t choose for everyone to die together,’ it’s hard to say the peace faction has no hatred toward Central Plains people.

“There’s nothing but danger.”

“I can accept the danger.”

“Why on earth do you want to follow? There’s no need to take on unnecessary risk, is there?”

At Jeokyeol’s gaze, as if he couldn’t understand, Seomun Cheok gripped his spear shaft firmly. The answer that seeped through his lips soon after.

“Because she’s like a martial sister to me.”

“If what you say is true, the probability that the girl dragged into the Demonic Cult can escape on her own is zero. Since there’s already precedent of the next Divine Maiden escaping, the war faction will desperately guard against her leaving. She might even be confined. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s… true.”

“That can’t happen. Because if we don’t all return together, returning isn’t really returning.”

For a moment.

Seomun Cheok, who had his eyes closed while feeling the cool sensation of his beloved spear, quietly opened his eyes and looked at the unseen far side of the desert beyond. A scrutinizing gaze as if searching for Baek Risan, who must be somewhere.

“I don’t think we can do anything. Because we’re just rising talents of the later generation, and too weak to oppose the Demonic Cult.”

“But I know this. If we don’t move now, the probability of rescue will decrease by even one tenth, one hundredth.”

The Baek Riyun that Seomun Cheok knew wasn’t someone who would give up because his disciples were captured by the Demonic Cult. He must be preparing to come rescue them somehow.

“We want to prepare on this end too.”

Please help us.

At the sight of Seomun Cheok bowing his head, Jeokyeol, who maintained his silence while staring intently at Seomun Cheok’s crown, let out a deep sigh. And the answer that followed.

“I felt it last time too, but somehow both master and disciples are similar types. Did he brainwash you? Or do birds of a feather flock together?”

“Fine. It’s not that difficult anyway.”

“That means.”

“If you get caught being Central Plains people, it’ll be trouble, so I’ll just disguise you as something other than Central Plains people.”

Ssuuk!

With those words, when Jeokyeol grabbed his shoulder, his shoulder popped out with a dull pain. And Seomun Cheok watching that sight with a bewildered expression.

“Th-this is…?”

“I’m an assassin. Do you know what’s most important for an assassin?”

“Concealment techniques and disguise. Among them, there are even those that change body type, face, and even gender. Though once you change, you can’t return.”

There are levels to disguise techniques. If one thoroughly understands one’s own body and then raises the level further, one can reach a level where one can freely elongate or shorten others’ bodies as well.

“The skin is a bit pale, but if we tan it on the way, it should work out.”

“You’re now survivors from a small settlement destroyed by yokai.”

I’ll make you about ten years younger.

Seeing Jeokyeol approaching while cracking his fingers, Seomun Cheok’s complexion turned deathly pale. And the voice that escaped.

“…Pl-please spare my gender.”

“I’ll spare it.”

Udeudeuк!

What should be done about this?

“…Hoo.”

“What’s wrong, Sect Leader?”

“I’m troubled.”

“Ah……”

When I sighed, Ilryang, who was sitting beside me, asked, and I shook my head and waved the documents around. Documents containing the operation plan for infiltrating the Demonic Cult.

It was good to recruit volunteers to search for survivors of the Great Transfer. Xinjiang, where the Demonic Cult is located, has such a harsh environment that Central Plains people can barely survive, and since there’s no telling what might happen, it’s not easy to conscript people without motivation.

Only take those who volunteer and go quickly with an elite force. It was good up to establishing such a plan. It’s actually working out. 

“To be honest.”

“Yes.”

“…I didn’t expect there to be this many volunteers.”

Not that there aren’t volunteers, but rather there are too many.

“Is it a problem if there are many?”

“It would be a problem.”

What we need to do is go to Xinjiang and search for survivors. It doesn’t mean we’re going for all-out war with the Demonic Cult.

To begin with, if it becomes all-out war with the Demonic Cult, defeat is predetermined no matter how many we take. Considering the hostile environment and terrain for Central Plains people, we’d need to take at least eighty percent of the Central Plains’ forces to somehow settle the match. If a small search party like this engages in battle with the Demonic Cult, it’s no different from rushing to our deaths.

That’s why the search party was planned to be small. Six of the Ten Heavens and me. The Phantom God. And I was planning to take a few of the most elite masters from among the volunteers.

But what about this situation?

“The Huashan Sect Leader, most of the Qingcheng Sect Elders, the Forest Lord of the Red Forest. Shaolin’s Four Vajra Kings… even the Namgung Sword King.”

“It’s no joke.”

“If I exclude them, they’ll obviously complain about why they were excluded, but if I take them, the search party will have too many people.”

Someone might say this is a happy worry, but that doesn’t mean it’s not troublesome. I’d like to take everyone if possible, but that’s not feasible.

“To begin with, I don’t even understand the current situation where I’m sorting out the search party personnel. With six of the Ten Heavens present, does it make sense that I have to wear this hat?”

“The Ten Heavens all have forces they lead, don’t they?”

“The Indestructible One doesn’t.”

“No one wants to entrust the search party organization to an unpredictable lunatic monk.”

“Well, that’s not wrong.”

“To begin with, this search party was organized with you as the center, Sect Leader. You personally gathered all these people.”

Ilryang, who paused briefly, smiled bitterly and continued.

“At least after resolving this matter, Uicheonmun’s reputation will skyrocket. Taking the lead in such an important search party will bring tremendous prestige.”

“…I don’t want to think about reputation in the current situation.”

“The human heart is cunning. While military strategy says to always assume the worst and move accordingly, that doesn’t mean you should abandon hope. There’d be no motivation to move otherwise. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s true too.”

Understanding Ilryang’s meaning to think positively, I lowered my gaze to the documents. The names written down in a row.

‘It’s hard to distinguish superiority.’

I somehow selected about twenty people for the lead. But the thirty or so below them are hard to rank now—literally people whose victory or defeat could change depending on their physical condition that day.

They’re masters recognized anywhere, so it’s awkward to exclude them, but it’s also awkward to include them in the search party.

What should I do?

“Good. I’ve decided.”

“Yes.”

“These thirty people will be organized as a separate search party.”

“…Pardon? Separate—where?”

“The Great Desert.”

“……What do you mean? Isn’t the Great Desert the previous search party’s role?”

You’d think that.

I grinned at Ilryang, who made a strange expression as if he heard something odd at my words. And the answer that followed.

“Didn’t you know?”

“The twenty-person search party plans to infiltrate inside the Demonic Cult’s main base.”