Chapter 390

by Heavenly Cat

Chapter 390 – Storms Come Without Warning (3)

Jinzhai was a quiet city situated on the border between Anhui Province and Henan Province. It was unbelievably deserted for a city located at the crossroads connecting provinces.

"Sigh!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong let out a soft sigh while looking at such scenery of Jinzhai. Several days had already passed since she came here. During this time, she hadn't stepped outside even once, staying only in this place. She had no choice.

She turned around. Then she saw Muk Il-gwang sitting cross-legged, practicing qi cultivation.

Muk Il-gwang appeared fine. At least on the outside. But his internal condition was truly in shambles.

Divine Fire Hall Master Nam Hyeon-so's Universe Shattering Palm had thoroughly crushed Muk Il-gwang's internal organs. His organs were twisted, his energy and blood were torn and split, causing his internal power to leak out.

Muk Il-gwang desperately practiced qi cultivation trying to heal his internal injuries, but because of his constantly leaking internal power, he was barely maintaining the status quo.

"Il-gwang!"

He had ended up like this trying to protect her. That made it even more heartbreaking. But currently there was no way she could help Muk Il-gwang.

Hwang Hye-ryeong quietly left the room so as not to startle Muk Il-gwang. Coming outside, she saw a middle-aged woman in modest attire.

The middle-aged woman greeted Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Miss Hwang."

"Branch Leader."

"How is Young Hero Muk's condition?"

"Still the same. It's just not getting worse, but it's not getting better either."

"Sigh! If only we had some miraculous medicine. I feel sorry for no reason."

"Not at all. I'm just grateful that you've provided such a comfortable place to rest."

The middle-aged woman's name was Im Ju-ha. She was both the inn owner and a branch leader of Hao Sect. She was the one who had recognized the identities of the injured Muk Il-gwang and Hwang Hye-ryeong at first sight and provided them shelter. Thanks to this, Hwang Hye-ryeong had been able to recover her strength to some degree over the past few days.

Hwang Hye-ryeong came down to the first floor with Im Ju-ha. The first floor of the inn was very quiet. The only customers were a few people occupying a table in a corner.

"It's quiet."

"It's been like this for several days."

"Is it because of the Demon Cult?"

At Hwang Hye-ryeong's question, Im Ju-ha silently nodded. Her expression was very dark.

Im Ju-ha had already been running business here for ten years. Having experienced all kinds of hardships and seen countless people, she prided herself on having better insight and ability to read the times than anyone.

"Miss Hwang, you've only been staying in your room so you might not know well, but the atmosphere in Jinzhai is very serious right now. The Demon Cult isn't simply occupying Anhui Province with force alone."

"What?"

"They're really terrifying! This is the first time for something like this."

Im Ju-ha's voice naturally trembled.

Since the martial world began, how many sects had aimed to dominate it? Before the Demon Cult there was the Heavenly Evil Cult, and even before the Heavenly Evil Cult, there existed sects with powerful strength.

They tried to unify the martial world through force, and quite a few sects actually came close to achieving it. But their ambitions all failed without exception.

Because they tried to rule through force alone based on their mighty power.

It was the nature of the martial world that when pressed down with strong force, the resistance would be equally strong. Martial artists couldn't tolerate being suppressed from above and would resist with even greater force. In the end, among countless sects, none succeeded in conquering the martial world. Not even that mighty Demon Cult.

Years ago, the Demon Cult had tried to annex the martial world by blindly using force. But when they reappeared in the martial world after decades, they had changed.

"They're not simply annexing sects through force alone."

"Then?"

"Where public order becomes vacant after eliminating sects, missionaries step forward."

"Missionaries?"

"That's right! Missionaries. They spread the Demon Cult's doctrine to the people. Eventually the people become supporters of the Demon Cult."

"Is that possible? That people would believe the Demon Cult's doctrine with just a few missionary efforts."

"I didn't think it was possible either. But it turned out to be. To the people, existing martial artists and the Demon Cult aren't really different. Rather than existing sects that blindly exploit them, the Demon Cult's doctrine promising paradise and the afterlife appeals much more."

Word was openly circulating that ten percent of the people in Jinzhai had gone over to the Demon Cult. Ten percent might not seem like much, but that ten percent quickly became twenty percent, then expanded to one hundred percent.

Once public sentiment tilted, it wasn't easy to turn it back. The Demon Cult thoroughly exploited this point.

"The Jinzhai residents recruited by the Demon Cult are serving as eyes and ears. This way we can't conduct proper intelligence activities either. Perhaps the fact that this place is a Hao Sect branch may already be known."

Im Ju-ha bit her lips hard.

Hao Sect's lifeline was maintained through secrecy. If exposed publicly like this, it would inevitably become a target of attack. Hao Sect was even more in danger because unlike other sects, it didn't have many masters with outstanding martial power.

"I don't know who planned all this, but it's really spine-chilling. They're really using both swords of force and missionary work properly."

Im Ju-ha's voice contained subtle fear.

The martial world conflicts she knew were always battles of strength against strength, individual against individual, or force against force.

There might be schemes and conspiracies, fierce battles of wits involved, but at least there existed martial artists' pride and a code at the foundation. But the battle unfolding before her eyes now was different.

Ordinary people completely unrelated to the martial world had been drawn in by the enormous gravitational force emanated by the martial world and Demon Cult, becoming the Demon Cult's solid foundation. This kind of battle was unprecedented.

'The martial world and Central Plains are changing. The flow of the world has shifted.'

Im Ju-ha's eyes turned toward the window.

Though Hwang Hye-ryeong hadn't noticed yet, even at this moment there were gazes secretly observing the inn.

They weren't martial artists who had learned martial arts, but ordinary people. Though clumsy, that made them more frightening.

"Miss Hwang."

Then Im Ju-ha, who had been absently looking out the window, called Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Yes?"

"We should escape quickly."

"What do you mean?"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's gaze turned toward where Im Ju-ha was looking. Then she saw a group approaching the inn. Each of them was holding large torches.

"Who are they?"

Doubt appeared on Hwang Hye-ryeong's face.

Those approaching the inn were clearly ordinary people who knew no martial arts. Their shabby clothing and the fact that no energy could be felt from them proved this fact.

They were flocking toward the inn as if bewitched by something.

"They're residents of Jinzhai."

Im Ju-ha muttered blankly.

Among them were faces she recognized. They were nearby residents she usually knew. But now their faces had changed so menacingly that she doubted whether they were really the people she knew.

Im Ju-ha looked at Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"I don't know what's happening, but the atmosphere is very ominous. While I buy time, take Young Hero Muk and escape."

"But…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong hesitated. Not because she doubted Im Ju-ha's words, but because of Muk Il-gwang's condition.

Muk Il-gwang was currently in the middle of qi cultivation. If moved carelessly, the internal injuries he was barely maintaining might worsen. If that happened, Muk Il-gwang could never recover again.

That's when it happened.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The residents pounded violently on the inn's door.

Im Ju-ha took a deep breath and opened the door with a calm expression. Then she saw residents holding torches.

Im Ju-ha asked politely.

"What's the matter?"

"There are martial artists inside, right?"

"Pardon?"

At the residents' unexpected words, Im Ju-ha frowned. Then the middle-aged resident in front raised his voice.

"We know they're inside, so hurry up and drive them out."

"What are you talking about? Sir."

"Martial artists only bring disaster. Hurry up and drive them out."

At the middle-aged man's raised voice, Im Ju-ha momentarily looked dumbfounded. The middle-aged man was an owner of a nearby inn who usually had a close friendship with Im Ju-ha.

He was very kind and considerate. She never expected such a person to raise his voice and pressure her so aggressively.

"Jinzhai doesn't need martial artists. Hurry up and drive them out."

"That's right! The Venerable One will be angry."

"Let's drive out the martial artists."

The residents joined the middle-aged man in shouting. The front of the inn instantly became noisy with their voices.

Im Ju-ha tried to maintain a calm expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Why are you acting like this? We came knowing everything."

"Knowing what?"

"We heard it all. That martial artists are staying here."

"Who did you hear it from?"

"What's the point of knowing that? Come to think of it, you're also a martial artist, aren't you? Ha, Hao Sect?"

Instantly cracks appeared on Im Ju-ha's face.

She quickly looked around.

Somewhere here was someone inciting these people. That person had clearly informed the residents of her identity and the existence of Hwang Hye-ryeong and others.

'It's the Demon Cult.'

Im Ju-ha immediately recognized the identity of those who had incited them.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine.

That this place was a Hao Sect branch was top secret among top secrets. Except for Hao Sect's leadership, no one knew this place's identity. Yet the Demon Cult was seeing through such secrets.

"Martial artists who suck our lifeblood should leave this place."

"Get out quickly."

The residents' voices grew louder. At first only those gathered here were shouting, but as time passed, more residents joined the inciting group.

The number gathered reached over several hundred. They surrounded the inn while shouting.

Im Ju-ha and Hwang Hye-ryeong looked at each other's faces.

Though hundreds of residents were threatening them, they weren't afraid. Masters of their level could handle hundreds of ordinary people.

The problem was that innocent ordinary people had fallen for the Demon Cult's incitement and were following them. Though only a few hundred were in front of them now, that number could grow to thousands, tens of thousands in an instant.

Im Ju-ha and Hwang Hye-ryeong felt the terror of the Demon Cult to the bone.

'At this rate, the world will quickly be devoured by the Demon Cult. We need to devise extraordinary measures.'

That's when it happened.

"If you won't listen to us, we'll burn down this worthless inn."

Someone threw a torch with a loud shout. Then others also threw torches all at once.

"No!"

Im Ju-ha and Hwang Hye-ryeong tried to stop them but it was useless. The torches thrown at the inn numbered over dozens. Fire instantly spread to the inn.

Inn workers and Hao Sect disciples disguised as guests tried to put out the fire with buckets of water, but it was useless. The flames instantly engulfed the entire inn.

"No!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong quickly ran up to the second floor. It was to save Muk Il-gwang. Im Ju-ha also gave up putting out the fire and moved to help Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"It burns well."

There were those smiling while watching the inn burn. They had cleverly hidden among the residents and incited them.

They belonged to Middle Heaven, a missionary organization within the Demon Cult. Middle Heaven's leader was Demon Mother Dan Un-hyang.

If Cult Leader Cheok Gwan-hyeol conquered the world through force, Middle Heaven led by Dan Un-hyang played the role of drawing in ordinary people through doctrine.

Those belonging to Middle Heaven were mostly well-versed in the Demon Cult's doctrine. They had delved deeper into doctrine after the Demon Cult's defeat in the first Righteous-Demon Great War.

They thought the cause of defeat was that the Demon Cult's doctrine was disconnected from the reality ordinary people experienced. They researched doctrine that ordinary people could easily understand and become absorbed in.

The doctrine revised over decades spread among the people like a plague. This was the result.

A sense of unity that the Demon Cult's enemies were their own enemies.

For the Demon Cult's sake, they could oppose and martyr themselves without fearing even martial artists. They were filled with belief that this would allow them to reach paradise.

It was no coincidence that they targeted the inn where Hwang Hye-ryeong was staying.

Divine Fire Hall Master Nam Hyeon-so had kept his promise with Blood Wheel Witch Yo Sa-ran and released Hwang Hye-ryeong and Muk Il-gwang. Nam Hyeon-so was someone who knew honor and wouldn't break a promise once made. He didn't touch Hwang Hye-ryeong as promised, but Middle Heaven's missionary stance was different.

Though they belonged to the same Demon Cult, Middle Heaven had much stronger religious coloring. They had no mercy. They considered all who didn't believe in the Demon Cult as enemies and believed they must be punished.

Finding out that an ordinary inn was actually a Hao Sect branch wasn't too difficult. It could be known just by compiling facts reported by people who had fallen for the Demon Cult's doctrine.

"It burns well."

"How dare the likes of Hao Sect oppose our cult. All burn and return to a handful of ashes."

Middle Heaven's martial artists smiled while watching the blazing flames.

Their martial arts were nothing compared to the Demon Cult's elite, but they knew how to cleverly use people who had fallen for the Demon Cult's doctrine.

The inn that had been a Hao Sect branch was instantly engulfed in crimson flames. The fire shot up high into the sky, and the intense heat made people within dozens of zhang retreat.

"It's over."

It was the moment Middle Heaven's martial artists smiled.

Whoosh!

The flames that had been shooting high suddenly surged greatly and began being sucked into one space.

The fire demon struggled and resisted but it was useless. The tremendous gravitational force seized and pulled the flames with fearsome power.

Rumble!

"Wha, what?"

"What is this?"

Middle Heaven's martial artists and the people couldn't be free from the gravitational force. Their bodies were also dragged toward the space where the flames were being sucked.

The people and Middle Heaven's martial artists were horrified and resisted but it was useless. Their bodies were endlessly dragged, creating deep furrows in the ground.

Before the fearsome gravitational force, their struggles were meaningless.

Their faces were horribly distorted.

"What the?"

At that moment they saw.

A black silhouette standing where the fire demon was being dragged.

He was pulling everything toward himself.

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