Chapter 196
"Cult Leader!!!"
Go Eung looked at the giant who had appeared before him with wide eyes.
It was none other than the Blood Demon, Tae-ho-gong.
"Chief Elder Go..."
Go Eung thought it was unexpected.
The Blood Demon was already in the initial stage of qi deviation caused by the process of blood god transformation.
Moreover, far from the progress of the grand plan, the White Lotus Cult was in a precarious situation, so he had expected that the Cult Leader would be running wild like a half-madman.
But the Blood Demon was exuding a calm atmosphere.
"Did you perhaps come alone?"
"That's right."
"How can you be without a single attendant..."
"There is no time for that. Also, if I were to bring the cult members who are staying at the Potala Palace, I would not have been able to come so quickly, and since I have to keep an eye on the remnants of the Western Regions martial world, the movement of troops was impossible."
Go Eung's surprise grew more and more.
The side effects of the blood god transformation were serious.
Clearly, the previous Cult Leader had had difficulty thinking normally, but now he was showing a cold and rational side.
"Cult Leader. With all due respect, it seems you have regained your senses. Have you perhaps made any progress?"
"I don't know either. But the moment I saw the letter saying that the trash of the Orthodox Path was climbing Go-hap-san to subjugate Gansu, my mind became clear. Also, I felt my heart become hot and my blood boil."
"Cult Leader..."
"That's right. Perhaps I was waiting for this day."
Go Eung curled the corners of his lips.
The grand plan to swallow the world.
Even that dream of reigning over the world might not have been important to the Blood Demon in the first place.
"Chief Elder Go... I have entrusted the affairs of the cult to you and Vice-Leader No until now. Especially, I have followed whatever you have recommended. But I was frustrated. It is important to take the world in my hands, but more than that, I wanted to kill the trash of the Orthodox Path with my own hands. From the moment the God of War and the Heavenly Demon died side by side. Perhaps my soul has been dreaming of this moment."
At the Blood Demon's sincere and calm one sentence, Go Eung's heart also became much lighter.
What on earth had he been so anxious about?
'Yes. I am also a martial artist who has been in the martial world.'
In a situation where he did not even know the life or death of his sworn brother who had been with him for his entire life.
What kind of prosperity was he trying to enjoy, to be so obsessed with the grand plan?
In an instant, Go Eung's faint smile became even deeper.
"Cult Leader. Thank you."
"What do you mean, Chief Elder Go?"
"Because thanks to you, I have finally found my identity."
"Chief Elder Go..."
"I will not be afraid anymore. Because I am also a martial artist before I am the chief elder of the White Lotus Cult."
The Left Heavenly Demonic Path, Go Eung.
The Three Venerables of the Black Path who had once ruled the martial world with the nickname of the Twin Demonic Old Freaks.
How many masters of the martial world had knelt before his Heavenly Demon Emperor Saber?
'I...!'
The warrior's heart that had been dormant in the deep abyss of Go Eung's heart was constantly stirring.
'I am a martial artist.'
He clenched his fists tightly.
Seeing that sight, the Blood Demon also smiled.
"Chief Elder Go. Let's not be afraid. When the enemy arrives, we just have to cut them down. In the current era where the God of War and the Heavenly Demon have disappeared, there are no one who can stop us."
"I obey!"
The fighting spirit of the two filled the room.
***
"Ah... no!"
"W-What?!"
"Hoho. It's a truly miraculous thing!"
The subjugation force looked around with dumbfounded eyes.
At some point, the aftermath of the formation had disappeared without a trace, and the normal appearance of Go-hap-san was unfolding before their eyes.
In other words.
"It seems So-ah has done it. Isn't it because he has cornered the caster of the blood formation?"
It meant that the sorcerers of the blood formation had been beaten to a pulp by So-ah.
Everyone seemed to agree with Wi-ji Chan's one sentence.
Especially,
'As expected of our great senior brother!'
'It seems Brother Jin has done it again this time.'
'Phew! Now I can't help but admit it. Brother Jin is a bit of a psycho and has a bad temper, but he's definitely a hero born of the heavens! Kekekeke.'
So-ah's friends had a flower of laughter blooming on their faces.
How long had they been waiting for the hell instructor?
It was the same during the surprise attack of the blood zombies, and whenever an ambush followed in the middle, they had been wanting to see the gloomy smile of the hell instructor.
Moreover, when they had passed the crisis of death in the great demonic blood formation, they had keenly realized how much they had been relying on So-ah without realizing it.
In that moment.
"Phew! You brats. You died without even leaving a corpse."
The long sigh of the King of the Waterway, Jang Beon-ha, brushed past the ears of the crowd.
'Hmm...'
Abbess Hongryeon's heart became heavy.
Although it was a fortunate thing that the number of deaths and injuries of the Martial Alliance members was small, the subject of the subjugation force was strictly the Martial Alliance.
But since the side that had suffered the most casualties in the attack of the blood formation was the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress, which had participated as a helper, she could not help but feel miserable as the Alliance Leader.
"Great Hero Jang... also, I express my deep condolences to the heroes of the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress. I am grateful and sorry."
Abbess Hongryeon immediately went to the ranks of the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress and bowed her waist.
At that, all the leadership of the Martial Alliance bowed their heads and offered a polite cupped-fist salute.
"We sincerely thank the heroes of the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress and express our condolences."
"We express our condolences."
"Amitabha... I pray that you may enter nirvana."
But the dead are the dead, and the living are the living.
All of them had climbed Go-hap-san with the determination to die in the first place.
Also, the life of a martial artist was all like that.
It was the fate of a martial artist not to know when or where they would be stabbed and die.
The people of the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress, by mourning their comrades who had become ghosts for a while, scattered their sorrow.
Thus, all the members of the subjugation force looked up at the sky, honoring the souls of their respective sect members and comrades who had died.
It seemed as if the smiles of their comrades were still vividly before their eyes.
***
The subjugation force, after taking about a shichen to mourn the fallen, devoted themselves to treating the injured.
Although the loss of strength was not small, they thought that this was good enough.
Because when the illusion of the blood formation had broken through the transparent curtain, the subjugation force had thought that they might meet their end.
But fortunately, thanks to the spells of Baek In-hwa and the monks of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall, and So-ah, who had appeared at the right time and had dealt with the sorcerers of the White Lotus Cult, the subjugation force had overcome the crisis.
"Hmm... when will So-ah join the ranks?"
As soon as Abbess Hongryeon's question fell, Wi-ji Chan answered.
"To go to the Gansu cult branch, he will have to pass through here, and if it is true that the blood formation has disappeared because So-ah has dealt with the sorcerers as I guessed, he will appear within half a day, or at the latest, by the time dawn breaks the next day."
At that,
"Alliance Leader. And Young Leader Wi-ji. Then how about waiting for So-ah here and joining him to climb the cult branch together?"
Baek In-hwa asked cautiously.
"Hmm... would that be better?"
Abbess Hongryeon hesitated.
It would be a great advantage in terms of strength to join So-ah and attack the Gansu cult branch.
But on the other hand, since it would be giving the White Lotus Cult time, it was natural for her to deliberate on what decision was right as the leader.
Just then.
"Alliance Leader. Let's do that. At the moment, the morale of the late-stage masters is at rock bottom. A battle is more than 50% morale. If Young Hero Jin arrives and we advance together, not only will we be able to aim for an absolute increase in strength, but it will also be very advantageous in terms of boosting morale."
The military strategist, Zhuge Hyuk, opened his mouth, and the Dragon Head Sect Leader, Hong In-geol, and the King of the Green Forest, Jang Beon-pal, and the King of the Waterway, Jang Beon-ha, added their words.
"That's right. So-ah has clearly become the spiritual pillar of the martial world. The fact that So-ah is joining is not just a matter of an increase in strength, but will be an opportunity to raise the spirit of the crowd."
"Kehkehkeh! Chun... no, Alliance Leader. Since we have to treat the injured and give them a rest time anyway, let's do that."
"It seems like a good idea!"
Since they all agreed to wait for So-ah, Abbess Hongryeon had no reason to refuse anymore.
'Hohoho!'
In fact, the person who wanted to see So-ah the most was Abbess Hongryeon herself.
—Everyone, focus on treatment and reorganize your ranks! This subjugation force will join the great disciple of the Moyong family, Young Hero Jin, and will set out on the march again!!
Abbess Hongryeon's Six Harmonies Telepathy rushed towards the crowd.
In that moment, everyone held their pounding hearts, waiting for the return of the 'hell instructor'.
***
"Kwa-a-a-a-ak!"
A scene of a miserable personality assassination.
That devil bastard had definitely promised.
That if he revealed all the information he knew, he would spare his life.
Wasn't that the same as saying that he would give him back his lost personality?
At least, that was how the sorcerers of the White Lotus Cult had taken it...
It turned out that it was not even worth a penny.
"Does that make sense? You bastard! Are you saying that there are dozens more sorcerers like you in the White Lotus Cult?"
"Th-That's right! With the most magically powerful elder at the center, there are the guardian monks, and the chiefs and the leaders of the ten-odd battalions and pavilions can also handle demonic beasts... o-o-o-o-ot!"
Once again, a mountain peak flick was slammed into the head of the sorcerer who was struggling to continue his words.
Although he had already become a half-cripple in front of the terrible beating, it still hurt.
A tear flowed from the sorcerer's eye.
"You're speaking informally as soon as I let you go? If you speak informally one more time, I'll beat you until you piss yourself, okay?"
"I-I understand. I understand!"
Watching the scene of the interrogation, Jeon Woo-chi and Wang So-yeong had lost their minds.
'How can a brat like So-ah be a person of the Orthodox Path? What he's doing is worse than the Blood Cult.'
'When did you ever let him go, to say that you let him go? Do you have a conscience?!'
That's right.
So-ah had never treated the sorcerers loosely enough to say that he had let them go.
Isn't it the same even now?
All seven sorcerers were kneeling and had their hands raised to the sky.
Like a child who had been caught doing something bad and was being scolded by his parents.
Of course, the sorcerers were all over fifty years old.
'I'd rather die!'
'Blood God! Are you abandoning me like this!'
'This brat is a devil. Otherwise, how can this young brat be so terrible!'
The White Lotus Cult was the successor of the Blood Cult.
Not only human sacrifice, but they had prided themselves on being more advanced than any other group in torturing humans.
But that thought had completely disappeared.
By the young man in front of them.
By So-ah.
"Now! Let's go back. So what is the number of demonic beasts that the White Lotus Cult has, and what is the location and the status system of each battalion and pavilion? Speak politely, courteously, and in detail."
***
"You son of a bitch!"
"You will surely fall into hell!"
"You trashy bra-a-a-at!"
Rough curses came out of the sorcerers' mouths.
But So-ah's expression, who was listening, was not just calm, but even seemed to be enjoying it.
'I knew it would be like this.'
Jeon Woo-chi, who had known it would be like this, just let out a hollow laugh.
Although he had definitely kept his promise to spare their lives if they revealed all the information about the White Lotus Cult.
So-ah had cut off the tendons of the sorcerers' arms and legs, and then, just as he had dealt with the group of the Sichuan cult branch, he had buried them in the ground with only their heads sticking out.
"Oh! The trash is talking like a human."
Furthermore, he did not forget to ridicule them.
"Brother Woo-chi. Give me that."
"What?"
"Don't you know just by looking?"
"Ah...!"
At So-ah's words, Jeon Woo-chi, as if something had flashed in his mind, rummaged through his bag.
What he took out was a small honey jar.
"Wow! This mountain has all sorts of bugs, beasts, and ferocious animals, right? It's no joke, right?"
"W-What is it?"
"What on earth are you planning to do again?"
The sorcerers' eyes widened like lanterns.
At the same time, So-ah took the honey jar and began to spread honey on their bald heads.
Very evenly.
"Hehe, about 1,000 hornets will flock to your faces, right? This honey is a very high-quality product, you know. I bought it at a high price in the marketplace of Sichuan."
With a slapping sound, their heads were instantly covered in honey.
"H-Don't do it! Don't do it!"
"Such a wicked act... are you even human?!"
"Please... can't you just kill me instead?"
The sorcerers cried and shouted.
Thinking that hundreds of hornets would stick to their faces, they were on the verge of pissing themselves.
But,
"Let's go, Brother Woo-chi. So-yeong too!"
So-ah ignored their words.
"I'm tired now, hornet! I'm tired of waiting, hornet!"
While humming an unknown song and showing a cute appearance of jumping onto the carpet.
(End of Chapter)