Chapter 264 – When People Change, Their Environment Changes Too (2)

The Demon Cult was a land where the strong were revered. Only the strong could stand at the peak, and everything moved around a single strong person.

In the Demon Cult, the strongest person meant the Cult Leader.

"The current Divine Cult's leader's name is Cheok Gwan-hyeol."

"Cheok Gwan-hyeol?"

"Yes! He's truly an extraordinary person. Because of him alone, the Demon Cult that had been completely destroyed was revived. He found talented people and transmitted martial arts to them, and called back the previous generation's great demons who had been living in seclusion back into the world."

Primordial Moon Divine Demon Cheok Gwan-hyeol.

When the Demon Cult collapsed, he was just a teenager in his late teens. Though young, he wasn't a coward. So he tried to fight the martial world to the death. But his father Cheok Mu-jeong stopped him.

Cheok Mu-jeong already sensed the tide had turned, and no matter what he did it couldn't be reversed.

"You must live. Live and take revenge. Watch with your own eyes. See the sect collapse. And survive. You must survive and rebuild the sect. That is my only wish."

Cheok Mu-jeong pressed Cheok Gwan-hyeol's acupoints and hid him in a secret place. Then he turned most of his internal energy into a seed of energy and passed it to Cheok Gwan-hyeol.

Though his acupoints were pressed and he couldn't move, he could still see. Thus Cheok Gwan-hyeol had to watch the Demon Cult's collapse from beginning to end.

He saw many who cared for him die. He saw his father die coughing blood.

Cheok Gwan-hyeol shed tears of blood. And vowed revenge.

"Cult Leader Cheok learned the sect's supreme arts based on the energy seed his father left. He was originally called a genius. Such a man was given his father's tremendous internal energy seed. It was like pouring oil on an already blazing fire."

Cheok Gwan-hyeol learned all the Demon Cult's martial arts at a terrifying speed. He learned numerous demonic techniques and gained tremendous insights. With those insights he recreated martial arts and created new techniques.

That wasn't all. He brought in the previous generation's great demons who had gone into seclusion, and gathered disciples who had scattered. And transmitted his insights to them.

Under Cheok Gwan-hyeol's powerful leadership, the Demon Cult became one again. Many previous generation great demons gathered to form the Demon Cult's backbone.

"The Cult Leader is truly the beginning and end of our sect. Because he exists, the Divine Cult can exist."

"Conversely, does that mean if the Cult Leader is gone, the Demon Cult will collapse?"

"Many think so. But the Cult Leader isn't such a simple person. He has firmly established a system so the Demon Cult can function even without him. It's just that people in the world don't know this fact."

Eum Yu-kyung's voice trembled slightly.

It was an unconscious reaction whenever mentioning Cult Leader Cheok Gwan-hyeol. It was evidence of how much she feared Cheok Gwan-hyeol.

Cheok Gwan-hyeol was such an unparalleled warrior. Cheok Gwan-hyeol was too extraordinary to be dismissed simply with the word 'demon'. And terrifying.

An existence impossible to confront.

In Eum Yu-kyung's mind, the existence of Cheok Gwan-hyeol was engraved thus. That's why she didn't dare confront him directly and tried to find the sacred object to oppose him.

Eum Yu-kyung gathered her resolve and continued speaking.

"The problem arose three years ago, when you killed four of the Seven Great Demon Masters. With four of the Seven Great Demon Masters dying at once, a huge gap in power was created. Naturally, the Divine Cult tried to fill those vacancies."

The Seven Great Demon Masters were glorious existences forming the Demon Cult's backbone. Naturally, many Demon Cult warriors challenged to become Seven Great Demon Masters.

Because of this, the Demon Cult temporarily halted its offensive and held a martial arts tournament to select the Seven Great Demon Masters. Naturally, all attention within the Demon Cult focused on the tournament.

This was true for Eum Yu-kyung too.

Since it was such a major event, Eum Yu-kyung also momentarily forgot everything and turned her attention to the tournament.

"That was my mistake."

"Mistake?"

"It was Sang Han-cheon's trap. He diverted my attention and tried to eliminate me and my helpers."

Eum Yu-kyung closed her eyes.

Sang Han-cheon's schemes were truly terrifying.

Like digging out sweet potato roots, he rooted out everyone connected to Eum Yu-kyung one after another. It happened so suddenly that Eum Yu-kyung and her helpers couldn't even resist once before being cornered.

Many people died.

Cheok Gwan-hyeol and Sang Han-cheon didn't hesitate to shed blood. Even though they were all Demon Cult brothers who supposedly supported Eum Yu-kyung's path.

An untimely cold wind blew. Many people died bleeding, including Protective Teaching Hall Master Hwa Mu-ui who was Eum Yu-kyung's greatest supporter.

Hwa Mu-ui possessed such outstanding martial arts he was called the Northern Sea Demon Emperor. Having reached the absolute realm long ago, Hwa Mu-ui was an old master who couldn't be disregarded.

He valued balance and checks. He thought the Protective Teaching Hall should be able to check the Cult Leader's overreaching authority. So he secretly supported Eum Yu-kyung.

Even such a Hwa Mu-ui couldn't escape the cold wind Cheok Gwan-hyeol brought. He was dismembered by the joint attack of the Cult Leader's direct execution squad.

His severed head was hung high on a pole at the Demon Cult's main gate, his torso was thrown far away at the seaside, and his remaining limbs were scattered throughout the world to become animal food.

Hwa Mu-ui's death meant the destruction of the remaining forces within the Demon Cult that opposed Cheok Gwan-hyeol's authority.

"After Hall Master Hwa was killed, I escaped from the Divine Cult. And the Cult Leader sent pursuit squads to kill me."

Deep shadows fell on Eum Yu-kyung's eyes. Just recalling the memories made her heart ache as if being torn, so she had to bite her lip hard.

"Everyone died. Everyone…"

Eum Yu-kyung too would have met the same fate if she hadn't desperately escaped.

The pursuit squad Cheok Gwan-hyeol dispatched was truly persistent. Like hunting dogs, they tenaciously tracked Eum Yu-kyung and cornered her.

No escape route was visible. Sky, land, river – all were blocked. When she fell into despair, unexpected figures helped her.

Northern Sea Demon Emperor Hwa Mu-ui had ordered his subordinates to help her escape just before losing his life. Without their help, Eum Yu-kyung would never have escaped.

As she bit her lip firmly, the wounds all over her body that had barely been stopped from bleeding burst open and fresh blood flowed. The blood soon stained her clothes red.

"Oh no!"… Jong Ri-yeon, who was entering with tea, was startled seeing this sight. She quickly put down the tray and ran over to examine Eum Yu-kyung's wounds.

"You have severe injuries! How could you with such wounds…"

These were severe injuries where it wouldn't be strange if she had already lost consciousness. Jong Ri-yeon was shocked by Eum Yu-kyung who showed no signs despite having such injuries.

In reality, Eum Yu-kyung was on the verge of collapse. Yet she was firmly holding onto her mental strength.

"Please come with me to Sichuan Province. I beg you."

"Sichuan Province?"

"Yul-cheon said he must find you and bring you along."

"Geom Yul-cheon?"

Dam Ho's eyes sank heavily.

"He said the fate of the martial world depends on it. He said to definitely find you and bring you along. Definitely… So… Huk!"

After finishing her words, Eum Yu-kyung fainted on the spot. Jong Ri-yeon caught her collapsing body.

"Miss Eum!"

***

"Mmm!"

With a soft groan, Eum Yu-kyung opened her eyes. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a woman's face looking down at her.

Eum Yu-kyung tried to get up.

"You shouldn't strain yourself yet."

The woman restraining Eum Yu-kyung was Jong Ri-yeon.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. You shouldn't strain yourself yet. This is a physician's advice."

Jong Ri-yeon forcefully laid Eum Yu-kyung back down. Due to Jong Ri-yeon's firm attitude, Eum Yu-kyung had no choice but to lie down.

"How did you move with such injuries? Fortunately I could take measures in time, but if treatment had been delayed even a little, you would have become disabled."

"Thank you. For treating me."

"I just did what I had to do."

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three days."

"I was unconscious for that long?"

Eum Yu-kyung widened her eyes in surprise.

"Your injuries were that severe. Fortunately the treatment went well, but you still shouldn't strain yourself."

"I can't just lie here. I…"

"No matter how urgent, Miss Eum's health comes first. You need strength to travel far."

Jong Ri-yeon's voice was soft. But it contained power that was hard to refuse.

She took out silver needles from her breast and continued speaking.

"I'll make you perfectly fine soon. Strong enough not to get tired even going to Sichuan Province."

Jong Ri-yeon unleashed her acupuncture without giving Eum Yu-kyung a chance to resist. Her acupuncture had reached divine level, and she instantly inserted over two hundred silver needles all over Eum Yu-kyung's body.

With silver needles inserted all over her body, Eum Yu-kyung instantly fell into deep sleep. Jong Ri-yeon carefully looked at the sleeping Eum Yu-kyung's face.

"You'll feel much better when you wake up."

Eum Yu-kyung woke up again two days later. This time Jong Ri-yeon didn't oppose Eum Yu-kyung moving.

Crack!

"Kuhk!"

At that moment, a dull impact sound and someone's stifled groan were heard from outside the window. Eum Yu-kyung quickly drew up her energy and became alert.

"No need to be alert."

Jong Ri-yeon quickly restrained her.

When Eum Yu-kyung looked with a puzzled expression, Jong Ri-yeon smiled.

"This happens every day."

"What's happening?"

"Want to see for yourself?"

When Eum Yu-kyung nodded, Jong Ri-yeon supported her outside. Eum Yu-kyung's eyes widened at that moment.

"Kugh!"

"Damn it!"

Many people were rolling on the ground. They were Mount Hua Sect disciples Eum Yu-kyung had seen when climbing Mount Hua. But their condition was unusual.

All of them had broken parts and wounds bleeding profusely. They were leaning against walls or lying on the ground groaning. Yet not one of them had dead eyes.

What appeared in their eyes was fierce venom.

"What in the…"

Eum Yu-kyung's gaze turned to where the Mount Hua Sect disciples were looking.

A man was standing there.

A man standing alone in the middle of the vast training ground. Around him, many Mount Hua Sect disciples were sprawled.

'Dam…ho.'

It was Dam Ho.

Between his disheveled hair, beast-like eyes were moving.

Swish!

His eyes turned toward the Mount Hua Sect disciples still standing upright.

"Next!"

As his rough, turbid voice rang out, one of the disciples rushed forward like an arrow.

He shouted making a respectful gesture toward Dam Ho.

"Disciple Won Chung. Please guide me well."

"Come!"

"Yes!"

Won Chung rushed toward Dam Ho without a moment's hesitation.

Cloud-Parting Sword, one of Mount Hua Sect's ultimate techniques, was unleashed in Won Chung's hands. True to its name of pushing away clouds, the Cloud-Parting Sword was gentle yet powerful.

Moreover, the sword Won Chung wielded was a real sword. It was a savage scene rarely seen in ordinary martial arts competitions.

Swoosh!

Won Chung unleashed the Cloud-Parting Sword with all his might.

The Cloud-Parting Sword was one of the sword techniques every Plum Blossom Swordsman learned. But becoming a Plum Blossom Swordsman was as difficult as picking stars from the sky, so it was also an ultimate technique only thirty-six people in Mount Hua Sect could learn.

Swish swish swish!

Won Chung's sword tore through the air targeting Dam Ho's vital points.

"Excellent."

Eum Yu-kyung, who had been blankly watching, couldn't help but exclaim. Won Chung's Cloud-Parting Sword was so outstanding it reminded one of Mount Hua's Plum Blossom Swordsmen in their prime.

Above all, Won Chung's swordsmanship persistently dug into Dam Ho's vital points. This desperate attacking was a sight not seen in previous Mount Hua Sect warriors.

"Hah!"

When the Cloud-Parting Sword didn't work, Won Chung changed to the Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword.

Swoosh!

Plum blossoms bloomed in the air.

Sword energy in the pattern of plum blossoms descended on Dam Ho.

At that moment Dam Ho moved. The plum blossoms instantly withered at his movement.

Swoosh!

Dam Ho appeared through the plum blossoms.

Just as Won Chung gritted his teeth, a tremendous impact struck him.

Bang!

"Kuh!"

Won Chung flew away with a short cry.

Even while rolling on the ground vomiting blood, Won Chung didn't take his eyes off Dam Ho. Despite suffering serious internal injuries, the venom in his eyes didn't diminish at all.

At that moment Dam Ho looked back.

"Next!"

"Disciple Won Gong."

Won Gong rushed toward Dam Ho.

Eum Yu-kyung's pupils wavered.

"What is this?"

"This happens every day. Today he's being a bit harsh. Ah! I should go in and make medicine for internal injuries."

Jong Ri-yeon sighed.

Only then did Eum Yu-kyung realize. The identity of the medicine Jong Ri-yeon had given to the Mount Hua Sect disciple on the first day… These disciples were risking their lives daily in real combat against Dam Ho. Without Jong Ri-yeon's medicine for internal injuries, they would have lost their lives long ago.

'Is this the true reason Mount Hua Sect regained its strength?'

Baek Li-gwon’s decapitated body fell forward, spraying blood like an endless fountain.

Yang Jeon couldn’t believe it.

Silent Dragon! Silent Dragon Baek Li-gwon!

Seeing how he didn’t hesitate to kill, he was definitely not someone who would show mercy. Then it would be Yang Jeon’s turn next.

‘Damn it!’

Yang Jeon stealthily moved his steps.

When everyone’s eyes were focused on Baek Li-gwon and Jin Ja-gang. This was the only opportunity.

Yang Jeon went behind Tang Ha-ran. He had to take Tang Ha-ran hostage to survive.

Perhaps from too much tension, cold sweat formed and his body felt heavy.

‘Damn it! What’s wrong with my body?’

Moreover, the forearm that Jin Ja-gang had pierced with holes had been numb and dull since earlier.

‘Damned bastard!’

Tang Ha-ran seemed uncomfortable as she had been frowning since earlier, and all her attention was focused on the duel between Jin Ja-gang and Baek Li-gwon. She seemed unaware of Yang Jeon approaching.

If he attacked suddenly now…!

Yang Jeon rushed at Tang Ha-ran.

However, Yang Jeon’s movements were much slower than he thought. He was reaching for Tang Ha-ran but it felt like she was far away. He couldn’t reach her at all.

Suddenly Tang Ha-ran turned around.

“Tsk!”

Yang Jeon tried to raise his spear to block. But before he could even lift his spear, Tang Ha-ran’s hand came first. Yang Jeon didn’t even know what went wrong as he was hit in the shoulder by Tang Ha-ran’s hand blade.

BANG!

His shoulder was crushed and her hand drove deep. Yang Jeon knelt on the ground.

“Kugh!”

He dropped his spear. Now he couldn’t use either hand.

Tang Ha-ran grabbed the kneeling Yang Jeon’s neck.

“Kgh, kugh!”

Tang Ha-ran glared at Yang Jeon with cold eyes.

“Trash.”

“H-how!”

“Hmph. I’ve been watching your movements since earlier. Did you think I was my husband’s weakness? That will never happen.”

Tang Ha-ran put strength into her hand. Yang Jeon barely managed to speak in a voice like air leaking.

“W-wait…”

Tang Ha-ran paused briefly. But she looked at Jin Ja-gang, not Yang Jeon. If she didn’t kill Yang Jeon, she would leave behind future trouble, and if she killed Yang Jeon, she would become enemies with the Yang family head too.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“Even if left alone, he can’t survive. From the moment I saw him kill the Qingcheng Taoist and chase Miss Tang, I had no intention of letting him live.”

‘What?’

Disbelief flashed in Yang Jeon’s eyes.

Tang Ha-ran said.

“Looking at your expression, you didn’t even know you were poisoned. Your face has been deathly black for a while now.”

Yang Jeon still couldn’t believe it. He only felt his body was somewhat heavy without any particular symptoms, yet he was so severely poisoned?

“His judgment is probably clouded by the poison.”

The holes in his forearm!

When Jin Ja-gang had made holes in Yang Jeon’s forearm with Drilling Dragon Claw, he had let the absolute poison extracted from turbid energy flow in.

Only then did Yang Jeon feel like he was noticing something wrong with his body. His body was shivering and the paralysis that started from his arm was spreading throughout his body.

Yang Jeon desperately spoke.

“P-please spare me.”

Tang Ha-ran cut off Yang Jeon’s words like a blade.

“I’ll say it once more. I don’t want to become baggage that blocks my husband’s path. And likewise, I have no intention of leaving behind someone who would become such baggage.”

“Spare…”

Tang Ha-ran immediately put strength into her hand.

CRACK.

Yang Jeon’s neck snapped. Tang Ha-ran kicked Yang Jeon’s corpse away.

Jin Ja-gang approached Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran frowned seeing Jin Ja-gang slightly injured.

“Miss…?”

Jin Ja-gang, who had expected Tang Ha-ran to be pleased, became somewhat embarrassed.

Tang Ha-ran asked coldly.

“Why did you come? If you saw what happened to the Qingcheng Taoist, you shouldn’t have chased after me.”

“I was worried about Miss…”

Jin Ja-gang stopped speaking mid-sentence and closed his mouth briefly. Then he spoke again.

“I’m sorry, my wife.”

Only then did Tang Ha-ran come close and embrace Jin Ja-gang. Tang Ha-ran, who had buried herself in Jin Ja-gang’s arms, whispered.

“I’ll forgive you this once for calling me wife. I don’t want to become your burden.”

“My wife is not a burden.”

“You’re standing on a knife’s edge. On a path where if you slip even for a moment, you can never climb back up. And as my belly grows, I’ll gradually become an uncomfortable burden to you. It’s enough for me to monopolize your attention after everything is finished and you return.”

Tang Ha-ran’s words were not wrong.

Tang Ha-ran was as desperate as Jin Ja-gang. Her wanting to distance herself from Jin Ja-gang was actually to increase even slightly the possibility of Jin Ja-gang surviving and returning.

“My wife…”

Tang Ha-ran silently embraced Jin Ja-gang. The first man she had opened her heart to and come to love. There was no way Tang Ha-ran wouldn’t want to be with him. Even briefly feeling this warmth made her so happy that she didn’t want to let go.

* * *

Tang Ha-ran also knew about the situation at Qingcheng Mountain, having heard from the Qingcheng disciple.

Tang Ha-ran washed Jin Ja-gang’s wounds by the stream and asked.

“What will you do?”

“I can’t abandon them. Elder Bian Bu, Soso, and the Fairy Maiden are people who saved me. But the siege is thick and I don’t know what to do.”

Tang Ha-ran scooped water with her hand to clean the wound on his chest.

“You must save them. You can’t face the Martial Alliance alone forever.”

“If Indestructible Heavenly Sword is dead, there might be no need to face the Martial Alliance anymore.”

“Even if you quit, the Martial Alliance won’t give up on you. That’s why you must save them even more. The reason the Martial Alliance tried to capture Fairy Maiden was because the eastern Shandong Evil Sect would be an obstacle whether they advance north or west.”

Tang Ha-ran advised again.

“If you can rescue Fairy Maiden, the Martial Alliance’s movements will be restricted and your room to maneuver will become much broader.”

Jin Ja-gang fell into thought briefly. How should he approach to rescue them from the siege?

Currently, there were virtually no methods available.

Tang Ha-ran said while watching Jin Ja-gang ponder.

“There’s a way.”

“Looking at your expression, it doesn’t seem like a good method.”

“We need to spread rumors in the martial world that you killed Silent Dragon and Swift Dragon.”

Openly announcing when it should be hidden?

“There might be better methods. But right now this is the best option.”

* * *

Jin Ja-gang stopped by the village to prepare for battle.

He obtained hundreds of sets of needles by type from the medicine shop and bought two sickles from the blacksmith.

Poison powder was unexpectedly useful in fights. Jin Ja-gang extracted poison liquid from turbid energy, mixed it with grain powder, and dried it in the shade.

Tang Ha-ran came and asked.

“What kind of poison is it?”

“It’s the turbid energy that was in my energy channels.”

“Turbid energy? The main family has techniques for storing poison in bone marrow. But I’ve never heard of carrying poison in energy channels.”

“It’s difficult for me to explain too… This poison contains the poison of Clear Gland Snake and also mixed with the poison of Crooked Vegetable I mentioned before.”

“What’s the effect?”

“Confusion, convulsions, difficulty breathing, paralysis, bleeding… It causes various symptoms, but I’m already immune so I don’t know exactly what symptoms it causes.”

“If the effects are random, it would be difficult to use.”

“That’s why I can’t use it often either. I think I need to collect poison herbs separately this time too.”

Jin Ja-gang conversed with Tang Ha-ran while climbing the mountain near the village to search for poison herbs.

He saw a wetland where water parsley grew abundantly.

Jin Ja-gang pulled up water parsley and broke the root. The inside was hollow like bamboo, and yellow sap flowed out. It wasn’t ordinary water parsley but a type of poison parsley.

“It’s Poison Parsley Flower. The toxicity is extremely strong.”

Tang Ha-ran also knew somewhat about poisons.

“Abdominal pain, vomiting, blisters, skin redness, limb paralysis, convulsions… An ordinary person could die from eating just one root of Poison Parsley Flower wrong.”

“That happens if you eat the roots and stems, but different symptoms appear if you eat the leaves.”

“What?”

“If you consume large amounts of Poison Parsley Flower leaves, you can’t see the sun. Your eyes hurt from brightness and your skin burns and stings.”

Tang Ha-ran was puzzled.

“But to extract that much poison from leaves…”

Jin Ja-gang was already digging up poison parsley and eating the leaves. He was collecting the roots and stems separately.

Anyway, with Jin Ja-gang’s method, he had no choice but to chew as much as possible.

Tang Ha-ran said with a quite serious expression.

“I think we need to think about our eating habits.”

Jin Ja-gang smiled awkwardly and said.

“I eat well without being picky, so it should be fine.”

Tang Ha-ran burst into laughter.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang looked at his clothes awkwardly.

It was because of the outfit wrapped in splendid silk.

Tang Ha-ran had insisted.

“You have finer skin than me, a woman, so if you wear clothes that are too shabby, you’ll look awkward instead. Rather, looking like a noble family’s son suits you much better.”

Indeed, Jin Ja-gang looked like a high official’s son to anyone.

“At least no one will bother you on the way to Qingcheng Mountain. Just be careful of women.”

“I understand.”

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran held hands. Now it was time to part. They had to go their separate ways again.

Having to part after meeting not long ago was not easy.

Moreover, this time if they parted, there was no telling when they would meet again.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran with a reluctant expression.

Tang Ha-ran shook her head and smiled.

“You didn’t forget what you promised me, did you?”

“I remember.”

“Good. I’ll wait.”

Tang Ha-ran stroked Jin Ja-gang’s face with her hand and smiled.

“Handsome, my husband. So you must come back alive this time too. Understood?”

* * *

Qingcheng sect’s Supreme Pure Palace.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was immersed in grief.

Having her arm cut off was nothing.

However, losing Woo-am was too heartbreaking.

She missed Woo-am’s smiling face when he would joke around for no reason. The man who had looked only at her for his entire life had died. She knew such a day would come someday, but she didn’t know it would come so quickly.

Her heart felt empty as if a hole had been punched through it.

Why had her past self made such choices?

Was it simply because she had no eye for men?

She felt like drinking alcohol until she was drunk if any was available.

Then Mang Ryo entered the great hall of Supreme Pure Palace.

Clunk, clunk.

Mang Ryo showed a gourd bottle.

“I thought it might be needed.”

“Good timing.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong didn’t refuse and drank the alcohol.

Mang Ryo said.

“That fellow killed Silent Dragon and Swift Dragon.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong stopped drinking mid-sip.

Jin Ja-gang killed Silent Dragon and Swift Dragon?

When she first met him, Jin Ja-gang had difficulty even handling Young Phoenix. Yet that same Jin Ja-gang had already surpassed Silent Dragon and Swift Dragon!

“Of course that’s not all. The Tang family just lifted the siege and withdrew.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at Mang Ryo as if asking what that suddenly meant.

Mang Ryo smiled.

“It means you’re all alive now. Because that fellow is coming.”