By Zephyria 
However, even after hearing those words, Seong Mu-geuk showed no sign of surprise and gazed at her with calm eyes. If anything, it was Yak Seon herself who was shaken.
“……So you knew.”
“Well. Whether my death comes first or taking the Demonic Cult into my grasp comes first…… one only knows the length of things once they are measured.”
Seong Mu-geuk had taken the Spirit Pills all this while, knowing full well that he might die. And it seemed he intended to continue doing so.
For what on earth?
Perhaps it was because of the countless eyes watching them even now.
Seong Mu-geuk had defined himself as the ‘Heavenly Demon,’ a divine being passed down through legends. To possess the persuasiveness expected by the believers, he would have had to demonstrate overwhelming martial prowess.
Or perhaps it was due to a longing for revenge that he had yearned for for a long time.
Either way, it was undoubtedly a foolish act, but since the most foolish person here was Yak Seon herself, she could only gape, unable to say a word.
“I’ve delayed a bit. Let us hurry. It will be a headache if the eldest brother returns. Just the appearance of the brother who reigned as Ilgongja for so long will send morale skyrocketing.”
Seong Mu-geuk paused for a moment before adding one more thing.
“Though it will only make things a bit tedious.”
As the saying goes, speak of the devil; the moment Seong Mu-geuk spoke, a chill ran down the back of their necks. The two turned around simultaneously.
In the distance, someone was rushing toward them at high speed. It was a presence that drew the eye instantly with a powerful force and mobility that could not be ignored. They approached rapidly, sweeping away the few dozen people who dared to block their path.
“Eldest brother…….”
Seong Mu-geuk muttered as if sighing.
Soon, Ilgongja Seong Mu-cheon revealed himself. Seong Mu-cheon’s party, which had numbered only a few dozen, had grown to hundreds as the remaining followers joined them.
Two brothers who could not coexist under the same sky stood facing each other across the plaza.
“Isn’t this a bit too noisy for a secret visit while I was away? Isn’t that right, Third?”
“…….”
Seong Mu-cheon shouted. At a glance, his attitude was bold, as if he didn’t care about the things he had done, but the boiling hot rage beneath the surface was clearly felt.
“I went to see you, but I felt it was quite unsettling to leave the fifth one alone. So, on my way back, I stopped by the Kunlun Sect just in case. And what do you know! I heard my third brother, whom I haven’t seen in years, had paid a visit.”
“Is that so?”
“Family is truly mysterious, isn’t it? Seeing how you hid in the Kunlun Sect at the perfect time, anticipating our move to escape my sight……. We really know each other too well.”
As he spoke, Seong Mu-cheon’s voice sank coldly.
“Just as you returned earlier than scheduled because you felt unsettled, brother.”
“……The second was not like this, but it seems you were raised too indulgently because you are the third. Otherwise, how could you run wild like this, not knowing to fear your elder brother? It must all be my fault.”
Eventually, Seong Mu-cheon revealed his cold fury without reservation.
“You’ve been running away like a rat all this time, and only now you show your face? Perfect. Come here. Today, I shall correct your lack of manners.”
Seong Mu-cheon kicked off the ground. As if he had already expected it, Seong Mu-geuk also launched himself.
K-boom—!
In the next instant, the two collided, and a shock that shook the ground hit the area with a thunderous roar.
“Ugh…….”
Yak Seon staggered, yet she could not take her eyes off the two.
The explosive inner force of Seong Mu-geuk, enhanced by the shortcut of Spirit Pills, was surprising, but the fact that Seong Mu-cheon did not fall behind him at all through pure physical caliber was even more shocking.
“Heavenly might of the divine cult! Demonic path under heaven!”
“Execute the traitors!”
“Advent of the heavenly demon! Submission of ten thousand demons!”
With the clash between Ilgongja and the Third Young Master as the signal, both sides became entangled and began a bloody battle. Yak Seon, suddenly placed in the middle of the fight, could not hide her bewilderment.
Chilling Sword Energy flew incessantly over her head. It was a threatening situation where blind Sword Energy could fly in at any moment.
After hesitating for a moment, she abruptly turned and ran. Taking advantage of the chaos, she headed toward the inner palace where Seong Hyeok-gwang was.
She could not predict how the situation would change once this battle ended. She thought it would be better to achieve her goal before any variables came into play.
But even that was not easy. Killing moves aiming for her life flew wildly from the front, back, left, and right. The Demonic humans swung their swords indiscriminately, as if they didn’t care who was hit by their blades.
Although Yak Seon’s martial arts level was high, she had virtually no experience since she had retired from the world before gaining proper combat experience.
She was overwhelmed just by avoiding the attacks. Consequently, even after a long time, she had barely advanced ten paces.
Luck could not last forever.
Yak Seon eventually faced a black sword energy flying in at an unavoidable angle. It was the moment she closed her eyes tightly, sensing the end.
A shadow leaped between her and the sword energy, fiercely repelling it.
“This way!”
It was the Fifth Young Master, Seong Mu-han, whose life had been saved by Yak Seon a moment ago. Seong Mu-han led her somewhere.
Below the platforms stretching across both sides of the plaza, there was a door leading indoors. The elders, who had been tied up like criminals, were guarding the area like an iron fortress.
Once inside, free from the threats pouring in from all sides, Yak Seon’s legs gave out, and she collapsed.
The Demonic humans fighting the melee outside were obsessed with the enemies before them and did not pursue her relentlessly to such a secluded place, so she could be considered safe for now.
“I owe you from earlier. I thank you for the grace of a master.”
The young man, whose face was swollen and bruised in several places, expressed his gratitude with a fairly refined manner. Had he not been in this state, he would have been quite handsome.
“……The greetings are unnecessary.”
Although she had followed Seong Mu-han to avoid danger, Yak Seon could not hide her awkwardness. Seong Mu-han had realized she was a person from the orthodox sect and that her martial arts level was higher than his, so he used the term ‘master,’ but he still seemed unaware of her identity or the fact that she had come to kill his father.
“Fifth Young Master! Please evacuate! We will take care of this place!”
One of the elders said urgently.
“How can I flee alone while my eldest brother is fighting! I will also go out and fight……. Ugh.”
Seong Mu-han, who had seemed fine, frowned as he felt an abnormality in his body the moment he became excited.
“……Since my inner force was stolen, I must not overdo it for a while until I fully recover.”
“……I understand. I won’t overdo it, so please evacuate quickly, master. I must watch the situation from nearby.”
Seong Mu-han persisted. Soon, he began to argue with the elders.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Yak Seon quietly left the place following the stairs she had spotted earlier.
As it turned out, they were stairs leading up to a platform higher than a person’s height. It seemed to be a place where guests watched when events were held in the plaza.
As she stepped onto the platform, the plaza where the bloody battle was taking place came into view along with a fierce wind.
Blood splattered everywhere, and killing moves to take lives flew wildly. Her ears were ringing from the incessant shouts and screams.
‘What on earth am I doing here?’
Yak Seon finally broke down at the carnage unfolding before her eyes. Her will vanishing rapidly, she covered her face and sank to the ground.
She had set out on this journey prepared for death, but the only death she had prepared for was her own. She was witnessing too many deaths, and someone was falling every single moment.
In the midst of it, Yak Seon felt ashamed that she was still vividly alive and breathing.
It was a life riddled with regret.
She could only fall asleep after soothing her misery with alcohol every night, and there was not a single moment when her heart was at peace.
While others were dying so futilely, she, who had not even paid the price for the sins she committed, was still living in this world.
Was it not too unfair?
“Eldest brother!”
Then, another variable appeared. This time, it wasn’t just one or two people. The ground shook as a great army, appearing to be thousands strong, rushed in all at once.
“Second brother!”
Seong Mu-han, appearing below the platform, shouted with a voice wet with overwhelming joy.
‘The Second Young Master, Seong Mu-ryong…….’
Yak Seon could find him without difficulty.
‘In the end, all your plans have fallen apart, Seong Mu-geuk.’
Those words were the same as saying her own plan had failed. In the Main Palace, where two sons of the Demonic Cult were wide awake, who could possibly avoid them and approach the Cult Leader?
But for some reason, relief came before despair.
‘……Hm?’
Yak Seon witnessed a heterogeneous sight among Seong Mu-ryong’s party.
‘Hwasan Sect……?’
Among the demonic cultists clad entirely in pitch-black Demonic Energy, familiar white clothing stood out. They had blended in so well that one could easily mistake them for demonic cultists, so she hadn’t noticed them at first. But the more she looked, the stranger it became. Not only the Hwasan Sect, but the Jegal Clan, Haoh Gate, and various other forces were mixed together.
‘Why on earth are they with the second son of the Demonic Cult……?’
Yak Seon was bewildered. But she soon shook her head to brush off the question.
‘What does that have to do with me.’
Just as Yak Seon, having lost her purpose, turned away without lingering, it happened.
“Daein? Yakseon Daein?!”
A familiar voice struck the back of her head.
“Daein! It’s me! I am Seong Mu-yeon! You were here!”