hapter 83 – Facade (1)
Translated by : moonchildkhz
***
The whole mountain shook violently as if it were about to collapse.
Rumble—
The ground where the meteor had fallen crumbled. A large fissure formed, leading all the way to the Divine Maiden’s Palace and collapsing the entrance.
Rumble—
Thunder shook the air.
As if that was not enough, this fallen star continued to shine for a few more seconds, its bright light forming a large crater.
The surrounding landscape tore apart like a flimsy spiderweb, shattering into pieces.
The battlefield froze.
Woon-seong wanted to raise his head, but he couldn’t.
It couldn’t be him…
What fell down was not a meteor but a man!
How could that have been a man though?
A human would have burnt to a crisp under that heavy energy.
If so, that was not a human.
Woon-seong’s eyes shook.
Joo Moon-baek was similarly dazed.
Both had been startled into near stupidity by one thing.
A being that took on the form of a human, yet performed miracles no humans could.
A being who was born as a human, yet transcended mortal limits.
“The realm of semi-divinity…”
Everyone nodded, agreeing with what Woon-seong had unknowingly murmured.
And thus everyone realized who had just appeared.
Throughout the entire Divine Cult, there was only one person who had reached that level of cultivation.
“Father!” called out Chun A-young.
“Leader,” Lee Shin-jung shouted.
“Master!” Woon-seong shouted in surprise.
“LEADER!” roared Joo Moon-baek. His loud wail of fury echoed through the now silent Divine Maiden’s Palace.
The man who had just appeared turned his gaze towards Joo Moon-baek, blank and mildly unimpressed.
Then, he reached over and ruffled Woon-seong’s hair.
“You have done very well.”
For some reason, Woon-seong felt like he was going to burst into tears. Maybe it was seeing the previously bedridden Chun Hwi regally standing there, or maybe it was the way the burden of total responsibility seemed to slide off his shoulders.
But Woon-seong bit his lips and forcefully endured the stinging in his eyes. Barely able to speak with his trembling lips, he could only say, “Master…”
Chun Hwi seemed to freeze for a millisecond, then nodded. “So, you finally call me your master.”
Woon-seong nodded. I wish I had called you so earlier…
“You have done a great job. Now leave the rest to your master.”
Meanwhile, Chun Hwi’s gaze had left Woon-seong and turned towards Chun A-young.
With a swing of his hand, A-young rose into the air and floated towards him.
Telekinesis and remote manipulation, both refined to perfection! So that’s the Heavenly Demon! Hwan Dok observed from the side. But that doesn’t mean I can just sit back and watch.
“You don’t get to have things your way just because you’re the Cult Leader!”
Blades of qi rose up into the air, aimed straight at A-young.
But…
“Don’t you dare!”
Similar to how the Heavenly Demon had crashed into the fray, one more person landed on the cliff, though in a more human-like trajectory.
Life and death were only pools of ink!
A cultured aura, like that of a scholar holding a calligraphy brush, appeared from thin air and tore space apart.
In an instant, the space around the attacking Hwan Dok collapsed in on itself, creating a vortex that pushed the man away.
“Uack!”
Surprised by the sudden attack, Hwan Dok hurriedly defended himself. However, he couldn’t stop himself from being flung into the distance and crashing into the dirt.
Boom!
Hwan Dok found himself tumbling about like a torn kite.
A few more excruciating rolls and he could see the face of the man who had attacked him.
“The Brain of the Heavenly Demon…?”
Hwan Dok became a bit more vigilant.
The man who had appeared after Chun Hwi was one to be cautious of, even if he was mainly a strategist. A set of metal pens glinted at the man’s waist. With just a moment of distraction, the could sever the life of his enemy.
Definitely one of the Ten Demonic Masters, the Senior Strategist of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon!
Sang Gwan-chuk hurried to Chun Hwi’s side and bowed.
“I apologize for being late, my Lord.”
“It’s fine.”
The Heavenly Demon shook his head.
Although the Senior Strategist was always well-informed, it would still be hard for him to show up on a moment’s notice.
Meanwhile, Chun A-young had flown into Chun Hwi’s arms.
Chun Hwi slowly patted her back. It was as if the mere presence of her father had calmed the mind of the young daughter.
“You have suffered too much.”
“Oh, Father…”
The voice of A-young, who was hugging her father, trembled.
Her father, Chun Hwi, should not be standing here. He was dying of poison!
But how did he suddenly appear here?
Of course, Chun Hwi did not answer her question.
Instead, he let go of his daughter. “Stay behind me.”
He glanced around, eyes landing on Lee Shin-jung.
“Demonic Teacher.”
“Yes, my Leader.”
“I also thank you for your hard work.”
“There is no need. I’ve simply performed my duty for my new master.”
“Your new master…”
Chun Hwi turned his head to look at Woon-seong, as if he knew what Lee Shin-jung was referring to. Then he smiled proudly, just for one moment, before his gaze returned to the Demonic Teacher.
“I am terribly sorry about your finger. There is no way to replace a lost finger, but I will never forget this debt.”
Lee Shin-jung did not respond.
Chun Hwi paid no mind and turned to look at the Fist King, who was taking the momentary lull to patch himself up.
“Fist King. You can rest now.”
“Haha. I can still keep going. Since you showed up, the only thing left is to wipe out that band of scoundrels.”
“Hmm,” Chun Hwi paused for a moment, before turning to the Senior Strategist. “The moment this is over, get the medical group to look after the Fist King. Pay anything you need to return the Fist King to his healthy self.”
Sang Gwan-chuk bowed his head. “I understand.”
A king should never forget a loyal vassal. It was only fair to reward those who had been on his side, be the truly loyal or allies of personal benefit.
Helping the Fist King recuperate faster could be considered a prize.
“The same is true of the Demonic Sword. You cannot repair a severed arm, but I will give you all the support you can get.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sang Gwan-chuk remembered the command of the Heavenly Demon, who was even rewarding a Great Demon.
Thus, the gaze of the Heavenly Demon shifted once more.
Previously, if he was looking at his allies, he was now looking at his enemies.
A cold glare swept over Joo Moon-baek, Hwan Dok, and Mo In-ryang.
The three of them felt an intense chill, like the wintry winds of the Northern Plains.
“And you, Demon Blade…”
Crushed under the immense pressure of the Heavenly Demon’s ire, Mo In-ryang struggled to speak. “L-Leader…”
His voice was cut off by words sharp like a blade.
“Blade Demon. If it was your choice to stand on that side… Do not think of making excuses even if you end up dead.”
That was also a must.
It was a king’s job to reward the meritorious and punish those who had sinned.
With one hand still behind his back, Chun Hwi pointed towards the other.
“Because I have no intention of sparing you either.”
What is this?! Mo In-ryang exclaimed to himself. This sensation, as though my whole body is being sharpened with the edge of a blade… Am I hallucinating because of the Leader’s pressure?
It was not cold, it was not hot.
It didn’t exist, yet it was tangible.
Mo In-ryang felt something foreign pass through his body like a phantom.
At that moment!
Phew!
Blood suddenly gushed out, splattering the ground.
“Ugh!”
How? Mo In-ryang looked down at his chest, which had split open. He’s at least 200 feet away from me!
Mo In-ryang would have avoided an attack from that distance, or at least been able to defend himself.
It should have been impossible to slaughter a Demonic Master in one blow from that distance.
Yet Chun Hwi had done so.
Mo In-ryang suddenly realized something.
Is it the Mind Sword?
A long time ago, he had seen Chun Hwi slicing the moon reflected within a cup — the Moon Cleaving Heavenly Demon.
Obviously he knew about the Mind Sword, but he had never thought it would be so powerful.
So he also splits my perception, causing me to believe that he can’t possibly kill me from that distance.
Mo In-ryang collapsed onto the floor, his vision blurring. That was the last thought that he would ever have.
The Mind Sword… , muttered Joo Moon-baek as he watched Mo In-ryang die. As long as one was not a fool, it was easy to guess what had caused the man’s death. He slayed a Demonic Master with a single blow.
At the same time, Joo Mooon-baek had some questions.
The Mind Sword was a sword that cut through concepts and perceptions. Then what if a person’s will or mental strength was enough to retain their ideas?
Would they be able to stop the Mind Sword from severing their thoughts?
Will I be able to stop the Mind Sword?
Mo In-ryang was unlucky. He had lost his arm to the Demonic Teacher, then lost his composure because of the sudden appearance of both the Leader and the Senior Strategist.
But Joo Moon-baek was different. He had no grevious wounds that shook his mentality.
Moreover, the loss of composure caused by the Leader had been restored by the death of Mo In-ryang.
Rather than questioning how Chun Hwi had appeared here, Joo Moon-baek had a strong willingness to fight.
Will I be able to withstand the Mind Sword?
It was unknown.
No matter how Joo Moon-baek hypothesized, he couldn’t be sure.
There was no guarantee that a strong mind was all that was needed to block the Mind Sword.
There was also no need for Joo Moon-baek to test out his theory. Instead, he snapped his fingers, calling the remaining blood jiangshi to attention.
Just as Joo Moon-baek was getting ready once more, Chun Hwi spoke up once more.
“Vice Leader. I assume you have taken that side because of your own ambitions.”
It was almost the same question he had asked Mo In-ryang.
This woke Joo Moon-baek from his musings and he nodded.
“Haha. Things didn’t turn out as clear cut as I wanted, but that’s true, Leader.”
“I see. Then are you also aware of this, Vice Leader? I put you in that position while aware of such ambitions.”
At these words, Joo Moon-baek’s eyebrows twitched. “What do you mean?”
“It is a necessity of being a good leader. You always need someone to keep yourself in check to go the right path. Otherwise, another enemy would be binding my neck.”
Chun Hwi’s face became colder and he made a choking motion.
“Hmm.”
“And that was your purpose. To keep me in check.”
At this sudden revelation, a part of Joo Moon-baek wanted to cry some indignant tears. His shoulders shook slightly.
“I see. So you made me Vice Leader despite knowing everything already. For this whole time, I’ve been dancing on top of your palm.”
Everyone thought that the Heavenly Demon would nod in agreement. Based on Chun Hwi’s words, he had predicted everything.
Unlike everyone’s expectations, Chun Hwi shook his head.
“Not always. I will admit the poison this time was quite ferocious. For a while, I thought I was actually going to die.”
“And how does any of that matter? Considering none of that worked on you anyways…”
Chun Hwi’s lips twitched upwards, reminiscent of a smirk.
“!!!”
“Then, did he finally overcome the poison?”
“Of course he did! There was no way the Leader was going to lose to some poison!”
Everyone thought that the Heavenly Demon had successfully overcome the poison.
Everyone except one.
Woon-seong knew that life could not be that perfect.
No… Something’s wrong…
His fingertips are shaking…
Woon-seong only noticed because he was standing directly behind Chun Hwi, blocking everyone else’s view.
The Heavenly Demon purposefully stood with his hands behind his back. It wasn’t because it allowed him to show a more regal disposition, but because his fingers were trembling!
In addition, the tips of the Heavenly Demon’s fingernails were tinged with black.
That was not overcoming the poison, more like barely holding the poison at bay.
Woon-seong raised his head in a hurry.
Right now, Master is…!
The Heavenly Demon was only pretending to be healthy. In fact, even though his body was likely close to death, he was still bluffing!
“Ma—”
As soon as Woon-seong tried to call out, a telepathic message cut off his words.
— I am fine. I can stand until the end, until the matter is over. So do not worry.
It seemed that Chun Hwi realized that Woon-seong, who stood closest to him, had noticed his condition.
Woon-seong clamped his mouth shut.
But he still had doubts.
If he’s really fine, why did he only show up now and not right after the Vice Leader started showing his ambitions? If he was simply acting as though he was poisoned so he can find out who was truly against him, he could’ve moved the moment the Vice Leader moved to kidnap the Divine Maiden.
There must be a reason.
The reason why he couldn’t move then but he can move now. Is it to wait for a situation where all of his enemies are gathered in one spot?
It’s not impossible, but that’s too risky of a plan.
Woon-seong glanced behind him, where A-young and the others safely stood some distance away.
If Master had shown up even a minute later, nobody here would be standing like this.
Then there must be another reason. What is it?
Woon-seong’s eyes trembled.
One thought passed through his mind.
No way…!
hapter 83 – Facade (1)
Translated by : moonchildkhz
***
The whole mountain shook violently as if it were about to collapse.
Rumble—
The ground where the meteor had fallen crumbled. A large fissure formed, leading all the way to the Divine Maiden’s Palace and collapsing the entrance.
Rumble—
Thunder shook the air.
As if that was not enough, this fallen star continued to shine for a few more seconds, its bright light forming a large crater.
The surrounding landscape tore apart like a flimsy spiderweb, shattering into pieces.
The battlefield froze.
Woon-seong wanted to raise his head, but he couldn’t.
It couldn’t be him…
What fell down was not a meteor but a man!
How could that have been a man though?
A human would have burnt to a crisp under that heavy energy.
If so, that was not a human.
Woon-seong’s eyes shook.
Joo Moon-baek was similarly dazed.
Both had been startled into near stupidity by one thing.
A being that took on the form of a human, yet performed miracles no humans could.
A being who was born as a human, yet transcended mortal limits.
“The realm of semi-divinity…”
Everyone nodded, agreeing with what Woon-seong had unknowingly murmured.
And thus everyone realized who had just appeared.
Throughout the entire Divine Cult, there was only one person who had reached that level of cultivation.
“Father!” called out Chun A-young.
“Leader,” Lee Shin-jung shouted.
“Master!” Woon-seong shouted in surprise.
“LEADER!” roared Joo Moon-baek. His loud wail of fury echoed through the now silent Divine Maiden’s Palace.
The man who had just appeared turned his gaze towards Joo Moon-baek, blank and mildly unimpressed.
Then, he reached over and ruffled Woon-seong’s hair.
“You have done very well.”
For some reason, Woon-seong felt like he was going to burst into tears. Maybe it was seeing the previously bedridden Chun Hwi regally standing there, or maybe it was the way the burden of total responsibility seemed to slide off his shoulders.
But Woon-seong bit his lips and forcefully endured the stinging in his eyes. Barely able to speak with his trembling lips, he could only say, “Master…”
Chun Hwi seemed to freeze for a millisecond, then nodded. “So, you finally call me your master.”
Woon-seong nodded. I wish I had called you so earlier…
“You have done a great job. Now leave the rest to your master.”
Meanwhile, Chun Hwi’s gaze had left Woon-seong and turned towards Chun A-young.
With a swing of his hand, A-young rose into the air and floated towards him.
Telekinesis and remote manipulation, both refined to perfection! So that’s the Heavenly Demon! Hwan Dok observed from the side. But that doesn’t mean I can just sit back and watch.
“You don’t get to have things your way just because you’re the Cult Leader!”
Blades of qi rose up into the air, aimed straight at A-young.
But…
“Don’t you dare!”
Similar to how the Heavenly Demon had crashed into the fray, one more person landed on the cliff, though in a more human-like trajectory.
Life and death were only pools of ink!
A cultured aura, like that of a scholar holding a calligraphy brush, appeared from thin air and tore space apart.
In an instant, the space around the attacking Hwan Dok collapsed in on itself, creating a vortex that pushed the man away.
“Uack!”
Surprised by the sudden attack, Hwan Dok hurriedly defended himself. However, he couldn’t stop himself from being flung into the distance and crashing into the dirt.
Boom!
Hwan Dok found himself tumbling about like a torn kite.
A few more excruciating rolls and he could see the face of the man who had attacked him.
“The Brain of the Heavenly Demon…?”
Hwan Dok became a bit more vigilant.
The man who had appeared after Chun Hwi was one to be cautious of, even if he was mainly a strategist. A set of metal pens glinted at the man’s waist. With just a moment of distraction, the could sever the life of his enemy.
Definitely one of the Ten Demonic Masters, the Senior Strategist of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon!
Sang Gwan-chuk hurried to Chun Hwi’s side and bowed.
“I apologize for being late, my Lord.”
“It’s fine.”
The Heavenly Demon shook his head.
Although the Senior Strategist was always well-informed, it would still be hard for him to show up on a moment’s notice.
Meanwhile, Chun A-young had flown into Chun Hwi’s arms.
Chun Hwi slowly patted her back. It was as if the mere presence of her father had calmed the mind of the young daughter.
“You have suffered too much.”
“Oh, Father…”
The voice of A-young, who was hugging her father, trembled.
Her father, Chun Hwi, should not be standing here. He was dying of poison!
But how did he suddenly appear here?
Of course, Chun Hwi did not answer her question.
Instead, he let go of his daughter. “Stay behind me.”
He glanced around, eyes landing on Lee Shin-jung.
“Demonic Teacher.”
“Yes, my Leader.”
“I also thank you for your hard work.”
“There is no need. I’ve simply performed my duty for my new master.”
“Your new master…”
Chun Hwi turned his head to look at Woon-seong, as if he knew what Lee Shin-jung was referring to. Then he smiled proudly, just for one moment, before his gaze returned to the Demonic Teacher.
“I am terribly sorry about your finger. There is no way to replace a lost finger, but I will never forget this debt.”
Lee Shin-jung did not respond.
Chun Hwi paid no mind and turned to look at the Fist King, who was taking the momentary lull to patch himself up.
“Fist King. You can rest now.”
“Haha. I can still keep going. Since you showed up, the only thing left is to wipe out that band of scoundrels.”
“Hmm,” Chun Hwi paused for a moment, before turning to the Senior Strategist. “The moment this is over, get the medical group to look after the Fist King. Pay anything you need to return the Fist King to his healthy self.”
Sang Gwan-chuk bowed his head. “I understand.”
A king should never forget a loyal vassal. It was only fair to reward those who had been on his side, be the truly loyal or allies of personal benefit.
Helping the Fist King recuperate faster could be considered a prize.
“The same is true of the Demonic Sword. You cannot repair a severed arm, but I will give you all the support you can get.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sang Gwan-chuk remembered the command of the Heavenly Demon, who was even rewarding a Great Demon.
Thus, the gaze of the Heavenly Demon shifted once more.
Previously, if he was looking at his allies, he was now looking at his enemies.
A cold glare swept over Joo Moon-baek, Hwan Dok, and Mo In-ryang.
The three of them felt an intense chill, like the wintry winds of the Northern Plains.
“And you, Demon Blade…”
Crushed under the immense pressure of the Heavenly Demon’s ire, Mo In-ryang struggled to speak. “L-Leader…”
His voice was cut off by words sharp like a blade.
“Blade Demon. If it was your choice to stand on that side… Do not think of making excuses even if you end up dead.”
That was also a must.
It was a king’s job to reward the meritorious and punish those who had sinned.
With one hand still behind his back, Chun Hwi pointed towards the other.
“Because I have no intention of sparing you either.”
What is this?! Mo In-ryang exclaimed to himself. This sensation, as though my whole body is being sharpened with the edge of a blade… Am I hallucinating because of the Leader’s pressure?
It was not cold, it was not hot.
It didn’t exist, yet it was tangible.
Mo In-ryang felt something foreign pass through his body like a phantom.
At that moment!
Phew!
Blood suddenly gushed out, splattering the ground.
“Ugh!”
How? Mo In-ryang looked down at his chest, which had split open. He’s at least 200 feet away from me!
Mo In-ryang would have avoided an attack from that distance, or at least been able to defend himself.
It should have been impossible to slaughter a Demonic Master in one blow from that distance.
Yet Chun Hwi had done so.
Mo In-ryang suddenly realized something.
Is it the Mind Sword?
A long time ago, he had seen Chun Hwi slicing the moon reflected within a cup — the Moon Cleaving Heavenly Demon.
Obviously he knew about the Mind Sword, but he had never thought it would be so powerful.
So he also splits my perception, causing me to believe that he can’t possibly kill me from that distance.
Mo In-ryang collapsed onto the floor, his vision blurring. That was the last thought that he would ever have.
The Mind Sword… , muttered Joo Moon-baek as he watched Mo In-ryang die. As long as one was not a fool, it was easy to guess what had caused the man’s death. He slayed a Demonic Master with a single blow.
At the same time, Joo Mooon-baek had some questions.
The Mind Sword was a sword that cut through concepts and perceptions. Then what if a person’s will or mental strength was enough to retain their ideas?
Would they be able to stop the Mind Sword from severing their thoughts?
Will I be able to stop the Mind Sword?
Mo In-ryang was unlucky. He had lost his arm to the Demonic Teacher, then lost his composure because of the sudden appearance of both the Leader and the Senior Strategist.
But Joo Moon-baek was different. He had no grevious wounds that shook his mentality.
Moreover, the loss of composure caused by the Leader had been restored by the death of Mo In-ryang.
Rather than questioning how Chun Hwi had appeared here, Joo Moon-baek had a strong willingness to fight.
Will I be able to withstand the Mind Sword?
It was unknown.
No matter how Joo Moon-baek hypothesized, he couldn’t be sure.
There was no guarantee that a strong mind was all that was needed to block the Mind Sword.
There was also no need for Joo Moon-baek to test out his theory. Instead, he snapped his fingers, calling the remaining blood jiangshi to attention.
Just as Joo Moon-baek was getting ready once more, Chun Hwi spoke up once more.
“Vice Leader. I assume you have taken that side because of your own ambitions.”
It was almost the same question he had asked Mo In-ryang.
This woke Joo Moon-baek from his musings and he nodded.
“Haha. Things didn’t turn out as clear cut as I wanted, but that’s true, Leader.”
“I see. Then are you also aware of this, Vice Leader? I put you in that position while aware of such ambitions.”
At these words, Joo Moon-baek’s eyebrows twitched. “What do you mean?”
“It is a necessity of being a good leader. You always need someone to keep yourself in check to go the right path. Otherwise, another enemy would be binding my neck.”
Chun Hwi’s face became colder and he made a choking motion.
“Hmm.”
“And that was your purpose. To keep me in check.”
At this sudden revelation, a part of Joo Moon-baek wanted to cry some indignant tears. His shoulders shook slightly.
“I see. So you made me Vice Leader despite knowing everything already. For this whole time, I’ve been dancing on top of your palm.”
Everyone thought that the Heavenly Demon would nod in agreement. Based on Chun Hwi’s words, he had predicted everything.
Unlike everyone’s expectations, Chun Hwi shook his head.
“Not always. I will admit the poison this time was quite ferocious. For a while, I thought I was actually going to die.”
“And how does any of that matter? Considering none of that worked on you anyways…”
Chun Hwi’s lips twitched upwards, reminiscent of a smirk.
“!!!”
“Then, did he finally overcome the poison?”
“Of course he did! There was no way the Leader was going to lose to some poison!”
Everyone thought that the Heavenly Demon had successfully overcome the poison.
Everyone except one.
Woon-seong knew that life could not be that perfect.
No… Something’s wrong…
His fingertips are shaking…
Woon-seong only noticed because he was standing directly behind Chun Hwi, blocking everyone else’s view.
The Heavenly Demon purposefully stood with his hands behind his back. It wasn’t because it allowed him to show a more regal disposition, but because his fingers were trembling!
In addition, the tips of the Heavenly Demon’s fingernails were tinged with black.
That was not overcoming the poison, more like barely holding the poison at bay.
Woon-seong raised his head in a hurry.
Right now, Master is…!
The Heavenly Demon was only pretending to be healthy. In fact, even though his body was likely close to death, he was still bluffing!
“Ma—”
As soon as Woon-seong tried to call out, a telepathic message cut off his words.
— I am fine. I can stand until the end, until the matter is over. So do not worry.
It seemed that Chun Hwi realized that Woon-seong, who stood closest to him, had noticed his condition.
Woon-seong clamped his mouth shut.
But he still had doubts.
If he’s really fine, why did he only show up now and not right after the Vice Leader started showing his ambitions? If he was simply acting as though he was poisoned so he can find out who was truly against him, he could’ve moved the moment the Vice Leader moved to kidnap the Divine Maiden.
There must be a reason.
The reason why he couldn’t move then but he can move now. Is it to wait for a situation where all of his enemies are gathered in one spot?
It’s not impossible, but that’s too risky of a plan.
Woon-seong glanced behind him, where A-young and the others safely stood some distance away.
If Master had shown up even a minute later, nobody here would be standing like this.
Then there must be another reason. What is it?
Woon-seong’s eyes trembled.
One thought passed through his mind.
No way…!
