Chapter 332 : Dawn (1)
Chapter 332: Dawn (1)
The ancient monastery that was once called the Potala Palace had now become the Tibetan branch of the Maitreya Luminous Cult.
Around the time when all the women scheduled to go home had safely departed, and the women who had chosen to live at the temple instead had returned from their visits, the strike teams that had originally departed to ruthlessly hunt down and execute the remnants of the Potala Palace finally returned to the base as well.
Jeong Hyeon visited the building Il-mok was using to report her return, and Il-mok welcomed her.
"I-I've returned, Young Master."
"You've worked hard during this time. Also, congratulations, Miss Jeong."
Since Il-mok had already entered the Realm of Truth, he could easily recognize her growth.
"You've succeeded in escaping Extremity."
Jeong Hyeon answered while slightly bowing her head as if embarrassed. "I-it's thanks to the Y-Young Master's teachings."
It wasn't said out of modesty. She sincerely believed it was thanks to Il-mok's teachings.
Jeong Hyeon hadn't even thought of attempting to twist an arrow's movement using Qi.
Ever since that day, Jeong Hyeon repeated the training method whenever she had time while hunting the Potala Palace’s remnant throughout Tibet.
She would fire an arrow directly into the empty air and then change the arrow's path by operating the Ghostly Spirit Divine Bow to its limit.
At first, merely shifting the arrow's trajectory just by a fraction caused brain-burning pain. However, she was slowly but surely beginning to adapt to the immense strain.
Although her limit was still just shifting the trajectory a single time for a split second, she had finally reached a stable level where she could successfully execute the technique without instantly passing out.
"If not for the Young Master's advice, I w-wouldn't have even thought of such a training method."
"Haha. I merely sped up the timeline a tiny bit. I have no doubt you would have reached the same conclusion on your own eventually. Also, even if I told you the training method, the fact that you managed to go through it was all thanks to your own efforts and talent, Miss Jeong.”
Hearing Il-mok's shower of praise, Jeong Hyeon suddenly found herself reminiscing about their past adventures together.
"I-it's not just this. Back when you forced me to join the Theater Club, or when you forcefully made me c-cross-dress as a man for our missionary work in Gansu Province. Every single time you made me do those things, I h-hated it so much I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But thanks to those experiences I could g-grow as a person."
Il-mok laughed awkwardly upon hearing that.
"...You hated the Theater club and cross-dressing enough to want to die? Ahem. Wh-why didn't you say something?"
"...H-how could I o-object to the Young Master's words in f-front of others?"
"Ah…"
Only then did Il-mok finally realize just how completely oblivious and insensitive he had been to her in the past.
Il-mok smiled awkwardly and bowed his head to her.
"I'm sorry for all this time."
"N-not at all, Young Master! I know it was all to help me g-grow."
Il-mok felt a slight pang in his conscience.
'Well, I definitely didn't force her into that stuff because I wanted her to grow…'
Meanwhile, watching the two having a friendly conversation, Hyeokryeon Seon-ah was clenching her fists until her nails cracked.
'If only I had also grown during this journey…'
She, who was on the verge of Extremity, concluded.
To monopolise Il-mok's attention, she needed to become stronger.
* * *
Around that time.
The Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord, who had barely survived and returned to the Cult's main headquarters with severe injuries, was currently kneeling in an audience with the Heavenly Demon.
"I beg for your forgiveness, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. This servant was disloyal and failed the mission. Please kill me."
With his side heavily wrapped in bloody bandages, the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord forcefully slammed his head toward the stone floor. He banged his head with the readiness to die on that floor.
Thud.
But right before his forehead could actually smash into the floor, a certain Qi gently embraced him.
It was the Demonic Qi of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.
"I know your loyalty, so don't worry about it. It’s not like you deliberately failed your mission.”
"Supreme One..."
The Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord looked up at the Heavenly Demon with a moved expression.
"So tell me quickly. What happened that you ended up in such a state?"
The Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord calmly recounted his story.
By digging around the location where the next letter was supposed to be sent, the Dark Shadow Pavilion gradually unravelled the Eastern Depot’s connections and trails.
As a result, he ultimately succeeded in tracking down and making contact with an old monster from the Eastern Depot called the Grand Brush-Wielding Grand Eunuch.
However…
"That Grand Eunuch's skill surpassed this incompetent servant’s by a large margin; I ultimately failed to suppress and capture him."
Having been completely overpowered in his battle with the Grand Eunuch, the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord ultimately had no choice but to desperately flee for his life.
If he had followed his heart, he would have proudly chose for mutual destruction. But unfortunately, he had the important duty to report what had happened.
"Hmm. If he is an old eunuch addressed as the Grand Eunuch who's more skilled than you, it should be the Brush-Wielding Grand Eunuch."
The Brush-Wielding Grand Eunuch was a powerful political position that effectively served as the supreme commander of the Eastern Depot.
"This humble servant has also arrived at that exact same conclusion."
"It seems the Imperial Palace was seriously plotting schemes targeting us. Therefore, order the entire Dark Shadow Pavilion to prioritize investigating the Eastern Depot above all other matters."
"During our ongoing investigations, we have already successfully identified several front organizations deeply entangled with the Eastern Depot, including the Silver Moon Trading Company. Furthermore, seeing as we also managed to capture several of the Eastern Depot's spies alive, this servant swore to be incredibly careful not to lose their trail this time."
"I have faith in you and the Dark Shadow Pavilion. Also, since this matter is very important, issue a strict gag order so it doesn't spread within the Cult."
Although the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord couldn't grasp the intention behind that instruction, he simply bowed his head in reverence.
"I will follow the Supreme One's will."
Because if it were the Heavenly Demon's order, following it even if it meant suicide was a cultist's duty.
"You should stop by the medical wing to recover. While you're resting, I'll leave the work to Wan-pyeong."
"I will do so. But... have the Third Young Master's condition improved?"
"Haha. According to the Demonic Physician, his mind and body have finally stabilized. That child is rapidly approaching the threshold of Transcendence now, so he shouldn't go completely berserk quite so easily anymore."
The Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord recalled the deranged look in Seo Wan-pyeong’s eyes the last time he saw him and secretly swallowed a massive sigh of relief.
After the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord showed respect and left the Heavenly Demon Palace…
"Haa..."
The Heavenly Demon let out a deep sigh.
Not only that, fatigue was thick on the Heavenly Demon's face.
It wasn't just because of the Imperial Palace matter.
Was it because he didn't have much time left? Recently, he couldn't shake the feeling of being overwhelmed.
In fact, he had already reached his physical limit. It had been long since his age passed a hundred.
Recently, the Heavenly Demon had reached a state where he moved his body through Qi rather than moving with his body's strength.
The Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord, who was always with the Heavenly Demon and was the only one who noticed this fact, could only look up at the ceiling with a bitter expression.
'O’ Supreme One...'
* * *
Time flowed quickly.
In Tibet where Il-mok had established his base, the name of the Maitreya Luminous Cult gradually swallowed the name of the Potala Palace. Not only that, but the same phenomenon also happened in Qinghai and the Northern Region.
Gansu Province had completely become the foundation of the Maitreya Luminous Cult, and recently had begun teaching young children not only letters but also basic martial arts and new doctrines written under the guise of the 'Maitreya Luminous Cult'.
It was an exact replica of the highly successful system they had originally built in Xinjiang.
And in the case of Xinjiang, the seeds planted by the Demon-Teaching Pavilion were gradually beginning to sprout.
The first batch of children who had been studying in the Elementary Demon Hall had just graduated.
Actually, they were no longer children; they were strapping sixteen-year-olds with the physical builds of young adults. And it was all thanks to these graduates finally returning to their hometowns to officially begin their duties that Xinjiang’s landscape became a bit better recently.
Since completing just the Elementary Demon Hall allowed them to learn basic martial arts and letters, they could help with each village's tasks while simultaneously serving as a powerful local militia.
Meanwhile, the students who had achieved the highest grades in the Elementary Demon Hall were sent straight to the Middle Learning Hall, where they received highly specialized education and formally began training in true Demonic Arts.
However, right in the middle of this endless stream of positive news arriving from Xinjiang and beyond...
An urgent report from Gansu Province arrived at the Heavenly Demon Palace.
"...Haa."
After reading the entire letter, the Heavenly Demon unconsciously let out a deep sigh.
"They’ve gone insane to commit such a terrible act."
It contained news about a bloody massacre that occurred in the Central Plains.
It was a blood massacre committed by the Blood Cult.
According to the report, the majority of the small and medium-sized martial sects operating within Guizhou Province had been completely annihilated by them. To make matters worse, thousands of commoners had also been swept up in the merciless slaughter.
It was a truly terrible incident with the estimated death toll easily surpassing five thousand victims.
"It appears this unprecedented tragedy has finally triggered a genuine sense of alarm among those hypocrites in the Orthodox Faction and they are now seriously gathering their strength. It seems the Imperial Palace is also showing signs of moving because the number of civilian casualties was significant."
Listening to the detailed report from the martial artist who had delivered the missive, the Heavenly Demon let out another heavy sigh.
"Haa."
If the Orthodox Faction which had been fractured by internal strifes until now were to unite into a single and cohesive force, the one who’d take the massive loss in this situation is none other than the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult which had been secretly expanding its influence into the Central Plains using the Maitreya Luminous Cult as a front.
However, that wasn't why the Heavenly Demon sighed.
"To think they would mercilessly slaughter innocent civilians as well... what a tragedy."
The Heavenly Demon felt dismayed by the Blood Cult's evil deeds.
If it were up to him, he wanted to step forward himself and punish the Blood Cult.
However, the current situation simply did not allow the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or him to step forward.
'This too is my fault... This old man will carry all these sins with him to the grave. Therefore, my disciples, you must successfully revive the Divine Cult and protect the innocent lives of this world.'
Swallowing those heavy thoughts deep into his heart, the Heavenly Demon issued a strict order to the kneeling messenger.
"Order the Maitreya Luminous Cult in Gansu Province to maintain vigilance and closely monitor every single movement made by the Martial Alliance and the Blood Cult. Furthermore, if any special developments occur, ensure they send an emergency dispatch directly to the main headquarters without a single moment of delay."
"By your command!!"
After that messenger showed respect and left, "Cough..."
The Heavenly Demon's face coughed, and dark red blood stained the black sleeve he had used to cover his mouth.
That event occurred exactly one year after Il-mok had first departed for Tibet.
* * *
About a year and a half after Il-mok began spreading the Maitreya Luminous Cult's doctrine in Tibet, a letter arrived at the ancient monastery that had now become a branch of the Maitreya Luminous Cult.
The content written in the letter was simple.
It was an order to leave all the missionary staff behind and immediately return to the main headquarters.
Faced with such an incredibly urgent letter entirely devoid of any context or explanation, Il-mok immediately departed for the main headquarters with only his maids as his escort.
After rushing while cutting back on sleeping and eating time, Il-mok arrived at the main headquarters.
"We've been waiting, Eighth Young Master."
The martial artist guarding the headquarters entrance began guiding him toward the Heavenly Demon Palace.
On the way to the Heavenly Demon Palace, Il-mok felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
'...What is this?'
The atmosphere of the headquarters was unbearably heavy.
Despite literally having the word 'Demon’ in their name, the Cult's headquarters was normally filled with activities.
Before long, Il-mok arrived at the grand entrance of the Heavenly Demon Palace, where Wi Jin-hak, Seo Wan-pyeong, and Jong-ri Chu were waiting for him.
"We have all already gone in and paid our final respects, so you should go inside now."
Hearing the incredibly solemn words Wi Jin-hak spoke on behalf of the group, Il-mok instantly realized exactly what was happening inside that room.
His intuition told him.
However, his logical mind desperately tried to reject and turn away from that intuition.
He just couldn't believe it.
'Master is... dying?'
That person who had looked so strong?
That person who displayed god-like majesty was waiting for his death beyond this door.
Completely unable to process reality, Il-mok stepped into the Heavenly Demon Pavilion with a dazed look on his face.
There, a familiar scent was drifting.
It was the distinct scent of a frail old man rapidly approaching his death, the kind of scent he had never dared to associate with the Heavenly Demon.
The sight of the Heavenly Demon always sitting upright in the Grand Throne wasn't there.
Instead, there was only a sickbed placed there.
Slowly approaching the bed, Il-mok forced his trembling lips to open.
"…Master."
An old man covered in age spots was lying on that sickbed.
Hearing Il-mok's voice, the old man who had been sleeping as if dead opened his eyes with difficulty.
"Haha. It's my youngest."
Seeing his once-invincible master completely withered and aged in the span of just a year and a half, Il-mok gritted his teeth and asked.
"Why didn't you call this disciple earlier?"
Hearing the resentment and grief unconsciously leaking from Il-mok's voice, the Heavenly Demon gently smiled.
It was the same benevolent smile as always, but it looked weak and strained.
"Haha. How could I call a disciple working hard for the people and the Cult just because I wanted to see his face?"
After giving that gentle answer, the Heavenly Demon fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking something unexpected.
"I truly... am sorry to you."
"…"
"I feel like I've made you, someone who is still so young, to carry far too many heavy burdens on your shoulders. As a teacher, I wanted to keep you by my side a bit longer. However, as the Heavenly Demon, I couldn't let your talent rot... Forgive this inadequate teacher."
Hearing the Heavenly Demon's words, Il-mok forced himself to tell a lie.
"I've never resented you even once."
"Haha. As expected of my youngest."
The Heavenly Demon, who burst into pleased laughter, soon coughed.
Dark red blood appeared at the Heavenly Demon's lips.
"Master! Please, just lie back and rest!"
As Il-mok cried out and used his own clothes to hurriedly wipe the blood from his Master's mouth, the Heavenly Demon suddenly reached out and grabbed Il-mok's wrist.
The hand revealed between the clothes was gauntly and emaciated.
"My youngest, this old man has prepared a gift and a request for you. Will you accept them?"
Completely unbefitting of his emaciated arm and blood-stained face, a magnificent energy could be felt from the Heavenly Demon's palm touching his wrist.
"…Please, give me your command."
"Thank you... If your Master remembers correctly, your name Il-mok was given by your parents."
"That's correct. Because my parents did not know that many characters, it was a name given to me using the few characters they knew."
"An old saying goes that a teacher a day is a father for a life. Therefore, as your Master, allow this old man to engrave a new meaning into your name."
"…Meaning?"
Il-mok looked down at the Heavenly Demon with an expression containing complex feelings.
"My youngest, you truly possess a heaven-sent talent. Therefore, do not hide it; show your brilliance to the entire world. Using your unique gifts, I ask that you become one massive tree (Il-mok, 一木) that can shelter and protect the lost souls of this world. And furthermore... I ask that you become the unshakable root (本) that will forever anchor and support the wavering members of our Divine Cult."
Reflected clearly within the Heavenly Demon's fading pupils was Il-mok's face painted with grief.
Despite his wrinkled face being completely covered in dark age spots, his eyes were exactly the same as the very first time Il-mok had met him.
"Your name is this old man's final gift and request."