Chapter 294

Chapter 294

Seong-uk was currently in a rather gloomy state.

“I am the Greatest Future Expert Under Heaven candidate…….”

“A man counted among the top five in martial arts talent wherever I go…….”

His deceased master had said so. Though he hadn’t taught many people, among those he taught, Seong-uk had the greatest talent.

It was an empty compliment like saying ‘my son is the most handsome,’ but Seong-uk, who took it at face value, had believed he truly possessed once-in-a-generation talent. 

What about the current situation?

“At that age, that Lightness Art…… the precision of the techniques that annihilated demons……!”

Muttering gloomily, Seong-uk looked at the traces left by those who went ahead, then looked at his own footprints and frowned. The outcry that followed.

“Siiibal!!! Was I!!! A frog in a well!!!!!”

“……It’s surprising you only realized that now.”

“Ah!!! Elder Jangil!!!”

As Jeokyeol, who had let out a hollow laugh, approached, Seong-uk called out Jeokyeol’s alias while shedding hot tears in streams.

“This Seong-uk! Though currently frustrated, I’m a man who will someday seize the position of greatest under heaven!!! Please don’t mock me like that!!!”

“Oh, okay.”

“Did you come to mock me!!!”

“No, I came to ask about the route.”

“The route!!!”

“Yes. How much farther to the border? We’re following these people for now, but I think we should know about the schedule.”

“This Seong-uk! Though not the Greatest Future Expert Under Heaven, I’m a man who knows Yunnan’s geography close to being the greatest under heaven! If you ask how much farther!!! Hmm!”

Puffing out his chest and crossing his arms, Seong-uk looked around, gauging the scenery before quickly providing an answer.

“At this speed, we’ll soon arrive at the border village!!!”

“It seems there’s a village near the border?”

“Yes!!! Of course, it’s not completely adjacent! But still, the border is within half a shichen distance from the village, so calling it a border village isn’t wrong!!!”

“The martial artists dispatched to the border were mostly stationed around there, I suppose?”

“Probably so!!!”

“So they’re going for investigation purposes.”

Hmm, stroking his chin, Jeokyeol glanced toward Baekri Un before turning his head back and falling into thought. Now that it was becoming almost certain that Yubaek’s identity was Muhyeong, if the destination is an already ruined border village, there’s something rather odd about it.

‘Muhyeong grows stronger by devouring people.’

The demon that grows stronger by devouring people, Muhyeong.

If Muhyeong has been growing stronger that way and will continue to grow stronger that way, naturally the next destination should be somewhere with many people, not a ruined village. Only then can Muhyeong continue to increase its strength.

If it must eat people to become strong, naturally it should move toward where it can eat people. That would mean going somewhere likely to still have survivors.

Then is it acting naturally to avoid suspicion? If it were Yubaek, he would act that way, so is it moving like that?

‘That’s probably not it either.’

Even if it’s not Muhyeong but Yubaek, there’s no particular need to visit a village already ruined by demons. Given the nature of missions that prioritize the living over the dead, finding survivors would come first.

Nevertheless, Muhyeong is heading to the border village. And what that means is one thing.

‘It’s scheming something while taking such meaningless action.’

Perhaps it plans to settle things there. Because once near the border, there’s less worry about escape.

“This has gotten troublesome.”

“What do you mean!!!”

“It’s nothing.”

What to do.

Dismissing Seong-uk’s shriek with a casual wave, Jeokyeol stroked his chin before turning his head at a presence he suddenly felt. The figure of Baekri Un who had approached close at some point.

“Young Master, is something wrong?”

“I’m thinking we should split up here for a bit.”

“Split up?”

“That’s right.”

“……Why?”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous……ah.”

Recalling what he had been thinking just moments ago, Jeokyeol immediately understood Baekri Un’s words and continued.

“As expected, you think he’ll attack after entering the border village?”

“That probability is high. I heard the border village isn’t easy to escape from.”

“Is that so?”

“They say it’s terrain surrounded by cliffs on both sides. If that bastard is aiming for us, he’ll definitely attack then.”

“Hmm…….”

“The important thing is that we currently don’t have the martial power to capture Muhyeong. If we go like this, we’ll end up defeated even if we give our all.”

Among the group traveling with Baekri Un, how many could properly be considered fighting forces?

Speaking of which, there are extremely few who could be called combat personnel. Only Jeokyeol, Seomun Cheok, Seohwa, and Wangpal can fight.

“Sinui-nim has only learned enough mystical arts for self-defense, and in my case, it’s impossible to even properly interfere with the present world.”

“Hyungnim’s abilities—I don’t know their limits… but if something were possible, he wouldn’t have failed to mention it. I’m assuming proper assistance will be difficult.”

“So you want to split the personnel?”

“That’s right. After all, what Muhyeong is aiming for is me.”

Jeokyeol’s martial arts are assassin’s martial arts.

Therefore, Jeokyeol doesn’t easily reveal the level of his martial arts to others. The same goes for fellow Ten Celestials-level or higher opponents. Jeokyeol is someone who artificially achieved the realm of Anti-Demon Suppression, which is rare even if you search all of Murim.

No matter how much of a Seven Great Demon, it wouldn’t be easy to recognize Jeokyeol’s achievements. It might be different if the opponent were Sword Saint, Illyun, or Tae’ak, masters of martial studies, but if it’s Muhyeong with low martial arts knowledge, he wouldn’t be able to grasp Jeokyeol’s achievements.

[Under the lightning-struck tree on the largest hill, there is a hiding place.]

Recalling the code he had seen on the way here, Baekri Un spoke.

“I saw Sugak’s code on the way.”

“I saw Sugak’s code on the way.”

“……A code?”

“The code used in Changcheon Corps. I’ll teach you how to decode it, so quickly learn it and go around this area collecting codes. Take the disciples with you while you’re at it.”

“What are you planning to do, Young Master?”

“I’m planning to remain alone.”

“Alone?”

“That way there’ll be less risk.”

No matter how strong and bizarre a demon Muhyeong is, there are limits.

Muhyeong probably can’t kill someone already dead again, and it would also be impossible to tear away and devour Baekri Un’s soul bound to Baekriseon.

“If I remain alone, there’ll be no risk. So head to the place Sugak indicated.”

“What on earth is there that…….”

“I don’t know either.”

“You’re paying so much attention to something you don’t know?”

“Because it’s worth that much.”

The Sugak that Baekri Un knew was never a careless person. He wasn’t someone who would ruin things by getting caught up in personal feelings, nor someone who wouldn’t know what’s important. Yet.

—Essential survival.

That Sugak left a code. That we must survive by all means.

“There might be the solution to this incident there.”

Speaking quietly, Baekri Un looked directly at Jeokyeol.

“I’m asking you.”

As if it’s something that must be done, with clear will.

Originally, the more bizarre abilities demons possess, the greater their possibility of stepping up as strong ones, but in reality, not everyone is like that.

Think about it. Consider demons that control the minds of birds and other small creatures to block communications, which would be objects of fear to humans, or demons that generate darkness to cut off the five senses.

Think about it. Consider demons that control the minds of birds and other small creatures to block communications, which would be objects of fear to humans, or demons that generate darkness to cut off the five senses.

In group combat units, there are no demons better than those. However, looking at demons individually, they’re extremely weak and feeble. Because they have nothing except those abilities.

If such demons grow and become greater demons, able to utilize their abilities to the extreme, the story would be different, but in reality, the world isn’t that easy. Most demons are subjugated by humans or devoured by demons stronger than themselves before they can properly display their abilities. And.

From that perspective, Muhyeong could be said to belong to an extremely exceptional case.

Among the Seven Great Demons belonging to the pinnacle of demons, Muhyeong was one of the few demons that rose from the bottom, starting as a lowly demon.

“Huuu.”

A deep breath.

Watching the white breath expelled through breathing and disappearing into the forest, Muhyeong tilted its head before resting its chin on its hand. A strange sensation that had been encroaching on its heart area for a while now.

‘What is this?’

Fear, dread, anxiety, anticipation, happiness, sadness?

It’s not such intense emotions.

Like the feeling of leaving something unfinished, a feeling like uneasiness encroaching on the heart area—at that sensation, Muhyeong tilted its head before shaking it to shake off the thoughts. Because even though it had been thinking for several days, it oddly wouldn’t surface.

‘Things are progressing smoothly.’

As is the purpose of most demons, Muhyeong’s purpose is to become strong.

However, that’s different from other demons’ primal desires. If other demons just become strong, consumed by instinct, and gather power thinking of crushing others, Muhyeong’s reason is completely different.

‘I am not a lowly creature.’

Why is Muhyeong called Muhyeong?

Because it has no form. The beginning of Muhyeong was weaker than any lowly demon.

With a body of nothing but smoke, it couldn’t kill anyone, couldn’t receive anyone’s fear. Though it had lived thousands of years with a demon’s body, unlike other greater demons of similar age, Muhyeong remained an extremely weak existence, literally like an insect.

An inferiority complex.

Every night, wandering around demons’ vicinity, it suffered from inferiority and hunger. It starved from not receiving fear, and trembled at its own lowliness while watching those who grew strong.

It was around that time that it opened its eyes to the potential of the species called humans, who are innately far weaker than demons yet can ultimately become stronger than demons. Because they seemed similar to its own situation. Watching their success, it thought it too could do something.

And while wandering such a village, Muhyeong killed a life for the first time.

A single frail old man who fell and cracked his head in surprise upon seeing it.

‘The powerless me of the past no longer exists……’

From the old man to a sick rat, from the sick rat to a child again, from the child to an adult male, and then to a martial artist.

Devouring one by one and growing stronger, Muhyeong eventually succeeded in devouring an entire village and expanded its power exponentially. Killing people, killing demons. While receiving offerings of fear.

It thought it could reach the pinnacle of demons in no time.

Until it met Heukya.

‘A lowly thing gained form by meeting good fortune.’

Heukya, who possessed strength counted among even the Seven Great Demons, immediately tore Muhyeong in half and took away most of what Muhyeong had. The corpses it had collected, the souls it had memorized. And even the history it had possessed.

‘Never again.’

I must never experience such humiliation again. And to do that, there’s only one thing to do.

Have nothing above my head.

‘There’s no need to be anxious.’

Whatever I’ve overlooked doesn’t matter. Anyway, if only my plan rolls along properly, before long this Yunnan will fall into my hands.

I’ll devour humans.

‘I’ll kill Heukya and become the Demon King.’

Forcibly ignoring the sticky feeling of uneasiness clinging to its heart area, Muhyeong smiled broadly.

“Did you scout well?”

Baekri Un, who had disappeared, was returning from afar.