By Zephyria 
HF 69
===
* * *
Right Guardian Il Gang-gun snapped his fan shut with a sharp sound. A few days ago, Jangun had visited the Guardian Hall, bringing an order from the Cult Leader to prepare for an initiation ceremony. Curious, Il Gang-gun had asked who was to be initiated, and the answer was Wi Ho-yeon.
It wasn’t particularly surprising. Since Wi Ho-yeon had been by the Cult Leader’s side for some time, it was only natural that he would eventually bow his head to the Heavenly Demon’s majesty. Il Gang-gun simply thought it was about time and immediately began preparations for the ceremony.
But now, Left Guardian Ji Hyeok-gyeong was delivering some utterly unexpected news.
“What do you mean by that?”
Il Gang-gun struck Ji Hyeok-gyeong’s shoulder with his folded fan.
“The initiation ceremony has been called off. The Cult Leader has sent Wi Ho-yeon back to the Ice Palace.”
“The Ice Palace?”
“Indeed.”
Dumbfounded, Il Gang-gun glanced down at the banner tucked under his arm. The words Ten Thousand Demons Submit were embroidered upon it. The initiation ceremony was supposed to begin with Wi Ho-yeon pricking his finger and writing his name here in blood.
Following the blood oath, he was required to ingest a demon-subduing pill in the presence of the Cult Leader. The demon-subduing pill was a poison that would eventually lead to death if the antidote was not taken periodically.
The Demon Sect was not a place that accepted outsiders simply because they wished to join. Initiation was only possible with the Cult Leader’s permission. In fact, unless one was born and raised within the Demon Sect, it was extremely rare for an outsider to be initiated.
“The Ice Pal-ace?”
Still reeling, Il Gang-gun could only ask again, dragging out the last syllable. Ji Hyeok-gyeong nodded deeply.
“It seems the Cult Leader has personally accompanied Wi Ho-yeon on his journey to the Ice Palace.”
“And who on earth did you hear that from?”
“Chief Han mentioned that the Cult Leader would be away for a while.”
Il Gang-gun gnawed on the edge of his fan. His eyes burned with competitive jealousy.
“Ji Hyeok-gyeong, are we not the Cult Leader’s right and left arms!”
“Of course we are the left and right arms!”
As Ji Hyeok-gyeong stepped forward with his left arm first, Il Gang-gun glared at him fiercely. However, that wasn’t the important part right now.
“Then why was nothing said to us?”
“Chief Han had Wi Ho-yeon with him for some time. That is likely why.”
“I must meet Chief Han personally.”
Located directly beneath the Heavenly Demon Hall, the entrance to the Guardian Hall where the guardians resided stood three jang [1] high, with fierce figures of law enforcement messengers carved in the likeness of grim reapers throughout. Inside, pavilions were arranged around a wide courtyard, and the number of subordinates and maids alone totaled at least a hundred.
Though the two guardians did not belong to the Five Demonic Elders, they enjoyed immense power as the Cult Leader’s closest confidants. Consequently, they often engaged in subtle power struggles with Han Hee-ryeong of the Demonic Shadow Martial House.
Since the Cult Leader had never explicitly singled out anyone for special favor, the two guardians were anxious. Was it not a common occurrence for the Cult Leader to vanish suddenly without a word to his subordinates?
Had this been like previous times, they wouldn’t have felt this uneasy. They were well aware that the Cult Leader’s behavior had changed since Wi Ho-yeon appeared, but that should not have led to favoritism toward Chief Han.
Sharing the same thought, the two guardians hurried toward the main gate of the Guardian Hall.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Just then, Han Hee-ryeong, entering the Guardian Hall, greeted the two guardians with a smile. Abok, standing behind her, bowed deeply.
Han Hee-ryeong was still dressed in official robes with a stiff collar, carrying a heavy sword. A blood jade, looking as if red blood were flowing through it, was vividly set into the hilt. It was one of the masterpieces created by Yu Son-son, the master of demonic craftsmanship known as the father of divine weapons.
Of course, the sword called the greatest among his creations was ‘Azure Heaven.’ The sword, forged from ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, was completed the day before Yu Son-son died, and his final wish was for it to be offered to the Heavenly Demon.
Thus, Azure Heaven came into the Cult Leader’s possession, but the Cult Leader never actually used it. He was not picky about the swords he used. In fact, he rarely even drew the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, a weapon passed down only to successive Cult Leaders.
Yet, why was Azure Heaven, which should have been absorbing demonic energy in the armory of the Heavenly Demon Hall, held in Abok’s two hands? Il Gang-gun’s face crumpled as he raised his voice.
“You there! Chief Han, that sword!”
“Please calm down.”
“How dare you covet the Cult Leader’s possession!”
Far from calming down, Ji Hyeok-gyeong joined in. Han Hee-ryeong also revered the Cult Leader, but since the two guardians became irrational fools whenever the Cult Leader was involved, she simply sighed.
“How could I possibly dare to take the Cult Leader’s Azure Heaven without permission? The Cult Leader gave it to me.”
A look of utter defeat washed over the faces of Il Gang-gun and Ji Hyeok-gyeong. This time, Han Hee-ryeong openly clicked her tongue.
“Please listen until the end. He did not grant it to me as a gift, but gave a separate order because it is useful.”
“Useful?”
At the question of Il Gang-gun, who had suddenly closed the distance, Han Hee-ryeong gestured with her chin toward the Right Guardian’s pavilion. Signaling to move there, the two guardians, Han Hee-ryeong, and Abok followed. For some reason, Abok was wearing a purple blindfold beautifully embroidered with snow lotuses instead of a black cloth.
“The Cult Leader ordered me to deliver Azure Heaven to the Supreme True Human of Kunlun.”
“What?! S-surely you don’t mean Yu Cheong-pung?”
“That is correct.”
Il Gang-gun’s eyes widened as he snapped his fan open and began fanning his face frantically.
“Why give that precious Azure Heaven to a member of the orthodox sect like him?”
Ji Hyeok-gyeong also narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Are Kunlun and the Divine Cult not sworn enemies?”
Il Gang-gun asked again.
“Let us be precise. In truth, the Divine Cult may be the sworn enemy to Kunlun, but it is different for the Divine Cult.”
It was true. While the Murim Alliance had entered the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to root out the Demon Sect, they had only lost numerous members of the rising generation to the barriers and mechanical formations scattered everywhere.
It was Kunlun that had suffered unilateral attacks from the Demon Sect. Because they were geographically the closest to the Demon Sect, they had been forced to become the shield of the Central Plains.
“Is not hypocrisy more infuriating than clear hostility? Many people of Kunlun perished at the hands of the Divine Cult during the Great War of Righteous and Demonic, yet the Murim Alliance tore away Kunlun’s honor and soul, did they not?”
The two guardians, who had participated in the Great War of Righteous and Demonic, had also once been appalled by the complacent attitude of the Murim Alliance, which used Kunlun as a front. Though they wouldn’t admit it, the world called them the unorthodox sect. However, the people of the Murim Alliance behaved so poorly that they were the ones who truly deserved that title.
Until the outbreak of the Great War of Righteous and Demonic, Kunlun was originally the sect that held the most prominent position in the Murim Alliance. The Demon Sect, which attacked Kunlun first, naturally expected immediate support from the Murim Alliance. Because of that, they pushed Kunlun relentlessly, even at the cost of their own casualties.
However, it was only when Kunlun’s strength was nearly broken that news arrived that support from the Murim Alliance was coming. And right then, the Fire Dragon appeared.
“The current relationship between the Murim Alliance and Kunlun is by no means good. We all know the reason why.”
At Han Hee-ryeong’s words, Ji Hyeok-gyeong let out a hum of agreement as he entered the pavilion.
“If it weren’t for Yu Cheong-pung, the Zhuge Clan of the Alliance Leader would have already swallowed Kunlun whole.”
As long as the Haeun Express was in the Blue Sea, information reached them in real-time.
“Therefore, the Cult Leader wishes to make the Supreme True Human of Kunlun the new Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.”
Clack, the jaws of Il Gang-gun and Ji Hyeok-gyeong dropped open.
* * *
Among a hundred lives, there was one where Cheon Mu-gyeong never uttered a single word. He spent his time simply letting the days flow by, throwing himself into a thatched cottage amidst strange rocks and peaks.
He did not care that Cheon Beom-yeong became the Cult Leader, nor that the Blood Cult attempted to seize control of the Demon Sect due to the man’s incompetence. He remained stagnant for a very long time, as if he had turned into one of the rocks of the peaks, until he met his end.
Having removed his human-skin mask and returned to his original form, Mu-gyeong gazed down at Ho-yeon in his arms. Deep in sleep, Ho-yeon was instinctively burrowing into Mu-gyeong’s embrace, as always. The lips that had been moving incessantly until he fell asleep were now quiet. Perhaps even if Wi Ho-yeon lived a life like that, he would not keep his mouth still for a single moment.
“Being strong doesn’t mean one is ignorant. Being strong is a good thing. I have always wished to be strong.”
“Then did you not learn a separate demonic art? Ah, if it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to.”
“It will be your first time visiting the North Sea, right? Everyone thinks of it as a cold and barren place, but many beautiful flowers bloom there, and the animals are all pure white and very cute. Not that the animals of the Demon Sect aren’t cute, though.”
If it had been anyone else, he would have ripped out their tongue long ago, but the chattering voice was quite pleasant to hear.
Since they had not yet left the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, Tae-pyeong was guarding the outside of the cave, leaving only Mu-gyeong and Ho-yeon inside. Cheon Mu-gyeong, having reached transcending demonicity, was a being who naturally had no need for sleep.
But with someone here who could cool his fire energy, why would he need to push him away? He breathed in, pulling Ho-yeon deep into his embrace. Perhaps feeling too much pressure, Ho-yeon let out a small groan and lifted his head.
Blinking his eyes open, Ho-yeon stared blankly at the man holding him. His face would be hidden in the thick darkness, yet he did not look away for a long time.
“……I’m glad I get to see your face.”
Ho-yeon suddenly reached out and stroked Mu-gyeong’s cheek. Mu-gyeong flinched slightly, but it didn’t show on his face. Since his focus was blurred, he wasn’t fully awake; it seemed Ho-yeon was exhibiting symptoms of sleepwalking again.
Kicking me out without even a greeting……. Ho-yeon muttered again. Then, as if melting into the heat-filled embrace, he pressed his body even closer.
“Always treating me so poorly. While you… need my yin energy.”
Speaking with a hint of resentment, Ho-yeon slowly closed his eyes. Usually, he wouldn’t even recognize who he was, but for some reason, this time was different. Thus, Mu-gyeong personally provided an answer.
“I can’t be kind when you’re hiding that much yin energy in a body without any martial arts.”
“……Because I have to hide it.”
“What are you hiding?”
Mu-gyeong cupped Ho-yeon’s head with his large hand and brought his lips close to the crown of his head. However, Ho-yeon merely pressed his lips tight, as if a mystical seal had been placed on that question.
If he applied a little more pressure, Ho-yeon would wake up, but if he did, he would only become more guarded and close his mouth even tighter. Furthermore, given Wi Ho-yeon’s nature, torture would not yield good results.
Mu-gyeong asked in a very low whisper. Well, he didn’t have any special expectations.
“Does the Ice Dragon exist in the North Sea this time?”
“……No longer.”
A low sigh escaped Ho-yeon, carrying a strong yin energy.
“It doesn’t exist.”
It sounded like a firm answer, implying that it had once existed. But soon, all that remained was the sound of steady breathing.
[1] Approximately 10m.