Chapter 54: An Unexpected Visitor (3)
“Were you perhaps a merchant in your past life?”
I turned my head at the grumbling voice behind me.
Standing there was Baek Sang-ah, who had come out with me on this outing.
“Lady Baek? What did you just say?”
“Ah, no! It’s nothing!”
“Even if it’s the middle of the city during the day, don’t let your guard down. Under no circumstances should you relax your vigilance.”
“I-I know that.”
Baek Sang-ah hesitated for a moment and asked.
“By any chance, is the merchant group that sent the carrier pigeon…?”
“Shh.”
I covered my lips with my finger. Only then did Baek Sang-ah seem to realize the reason behind my actions.
“A-another scheme!”
“You’re misunderstanding, my lady.”
I glared at her, eyes wide open.
“Let’s keep things dignified. Consider it as a bit of operational funds. The better I do, the better I can assist you, don’t you think?”
“But those things were originally mine…!”
“Ahem! Do you want me to show your seal of approval here?”
Baek Sang-ah firmly shut her mouth. She looked like she wanted to argue, but overwhelmed by my presence, she lowered her gaze and turned her head away.
After that, she muttered under her breath for a while, but I ignored it.
Well, aside from a few minor incidents, I managed to inspect most of the businesses under the Nine Moons Blade Hall.
“Hmm, lastly… is it the teahouse?”
Among all the businesses, this one had the most stable profit margins.
“This one isn’t bad.”
“Y-yes! Even though tea in the Central Plains is concentrated in Guangdong and Yunnan, the tea from Qinghai and nearby regions is also of fairly good quality!”
Well, my comment wasn’t really about profitability, but about something else entirely.
---
Sea and Moon Teahouse
---
The massive five-story teahouse had over a dozen attendants stationed throughout, including members of the Three Attendants.
“L-Lord!”
“Lord-ooooo!”
“…What’s going on?”
But for some reason, as soon as I entered the teahouse, the Three Attendants approached with serious expressions.
“T-there’s! That is…!”
“This isn’t like you. Calm down and speak slowly.”
Unlike others, the Three Attendants had already adapted well to working in the teahouse.
It was thanks to their prior experience in a related industry (…somewhat similar).
The fact that they were reacting this way meant something unexpected had occurred.
I turned to Baeksa, the calmest and most level-headed among them.
“Baeksa.”
“Y-yes, my lord.”
But even Baeksa, usually reliable, seemed out of sorts.
“Did someone from the Evil Overlords of Heaven break in? What happened?”
Baeksa closed his eyes tightly and replied.
“It’s best… if you go in and see for yourself.”
“…?”
Just who could be inside that teahouse?
Following Baeksa’s lead, I stepped inside.
And the moment I saw the two women quietly drinking tea—
My thoughts… stopped.
A woman with a sharp aura and another with a calm expression.
Neither of them had any reason to be here.
“You’re late, Jin Yeomyung. I thought you’d arrive sooner.”
The woman with the sharp gaze sipped her tea as she chided me.
But before I could even answer her reprimand, I reflexively blurted out a question.
“Why are you two here?”
It was none other than the Young Cult Leader Cheon Yura and Sa Biyeon of the Black Gold Sa Clan.
The two who should have been in the Lesser Demon Hall of the main cult, were now drinking tea here in a teahouse hundreds of li away in Qinghai.
***
The one who answered was Sa Biyeon, sipping her tea on the other side.
“Lady Cheon and I were granted a vacation, Master Jin.”
“A… a vacation?”
Cheon Yura spoke curtly.
“I told you, didn’t I? That I’d be back soon.”
“I didn’t think you meant all the way here, though.”
Seeing that Wang Cheongeol was nearby, it didn’t look like they were lacking in protection.
No, more importantly… why did they really come?
Sa Biyeon smiled warmly and said.
“It’s exactly as it sounds. A proper vacation. Personally suggested by the Cult Leader.”
“Is that so?”
If Sa Biyeon said so, then it probably was true.
“Though I doubt the Cult Leader expected the vacation to take this form.”
“……”
Couldn’t she have just left that last part out?
“We’re not here to interfere with your work. We’re simply on vacation, so don’t mind us.”
I stared at Cheon Yura.
Perhaps she felt guilty after speaking, because she avoided my gaze and looked elsewhere.
After silently locking eyes with her in a subtle mental battle, I finally let out a sigh and raised the white flag.
“Haa… well, fine. I’ll take your word for it.”
To be honest, whether I believed them or not didn’t really matter.
In the Heavenly Demon Cult, where rank and strength ruled all, the outcome wouldn’t change regardless of truth or lies.
At any rate, she must’ve felt my acceptance, because Cheon Yura’s expression eased noticeably.
Looking at the people I had brought with me, she asked curiously.
“So, what are you doing right now?”
“Providing support to the Cult’s ally.”
“Support work?”
“Think of it as part of the essential training program of the Thousand-Day Pass. Although…”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Support doesn’t always have to be given in the form of force.”
“I see.”
As expected of Cheon Yura, she just nodded without much further interest.
I found their presence even more puzzling.
‘Seriously, why did they come?’
As I was thinking that, Sa Biyeon asked me a question.
“Then, what kind of support do you plan to provide if it’s not martial force?”
I explained the general situation Nine Moons Blade Hall was currently facing.
“Given the circumstances, I plan to negotiate with the secular branches of Kunlun located within Eastern Sea Fortress.”
“Oh?”
Sa Biyeon’s eyes immediately sparkled with interest.
In contrast, Bang Manhu’s jaw dropped at the thunderous remark I’d just dropped.
“Y-Young Master Jin? What are you saying? Negotiating with the Orthodox Faction?!”
“Use barbarian to control barbarian, fight poison with poison, people in the same boat. There are many such idioms applicable to our current situation.”
“B-but there’s no way those people would agree to negotiate with us!”
Bang Manhu wasn’t a complete idiot. Of course, while running Nine Moons Blade Hall, he had attempted to reach out to Orthodox factions for business expansion.
But all he had received in return were cold rejections, saying they would rather deal with filthy unorthodox sects than have anything to do with a demonic faction.
“That was then, this is now. One’s position changes depending on the situation.”
I shrugged.
“And those negotiations won’t just include the Kunlun’s secular branches.”
“Then who else?”
“Let’s save that surprise for later.”
“……”
‘Just how long has this lunatic Young Master even been here, and already he’s stirring up trouble?’
That’s exactly what Bang Manhu’s expression was saying.
But there was something I had missed while enjoying Bang Manhu’s flustered reaction.
For some reason, Cheon Yura was staring intently at me.
***
One month ago.
“They… are not to be underestimated.”
“Cult Leader, are you aware of their existence?”
The Cult Leader nodded.
“To a certain extent.”
Cheon Yura was startled by the overly simple answer.
“Who are they? Is it something I shouldn’t know?”
“That’s not it.”
The Cult Leader shook his head.
“They are the ones preparing to overturn the heavens from the lowest depths of this world.”
“Why are they trying to overturn the heavens?”
“To return this world to the environment of ancient mythological times.”
Environment?
The Cult Leader understood the confusion on his daughter’s face.
That was the appropriate reaction.
“Have you heard of the Classic of Mountains and Seas?”
“I’ve heard the name. But I’ve never read it—I’ve never been much interested in myths.”
Cheon Yura’s philosophy had always been that it was better to swing a sword one more time than read a book.
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas—said to have been written in the age before recorded history—contains the names of all kinds of divine beasts and monsters from the mythic age.”
Even in today’s world, where spiritual beasts exist, the authenticity of the Classic of Mountains and Seas was still hotly debated in academia.
“They are the descendants of that mythological era’s bloodline.”
As a truth far more bizarre than expected emerged, even Cheon Yura couldn't help but frown slightly.
“To be precise, they are a group of people whose lineage has grown so faint that they’re now barely different from humans, with only a trace of potential left.”
At that, Sa Biyeon raised her hand in surprise.
“W-wait a moment, Cult Leader. Are you saying the rebels we’ve come into contact with—the ones plotting to overthrow the Cult—are those kinds of people?”
“That’s right. Though I didn’t expect you to actually make contact with them.”
“What does that have to do with ‘environment’?”
“They want to change the world back to an ancient state—one where divine beasts and demonic creatures thrived.”
“……?”
“Hm. I’ve only read about it in records, but…”
The Cult Leader stroked his chin as he spoke.
“They say that before even the era of ancient civilization, before civilization itself was born, there existed an age when Qi and spiritual power overflowed from all directions, humans could communicate with the heavens, and there were no limits to innate talent.”
In that era, even minimal cultivation could yield results a hundred times greater than what was possible today, and ascending to the realm of the immortals was far easier.
That sounds… like a good thing, doesn’t it?
While Cheon Yura and Sa Biyeon were thinking that—
“Do you think it would’ve been easy for humans to survive in such a world? I believe, except for a handful of naturally gifted people, the majority would’ve perished and returned to the earth before long.”
“Ah…”
The two women now understood what the Cult Leader was getting at.
“But there’s no need to worry. As long as I’m alive, they won’t be able to reveal themselves in this era.”
“Why is that?”
“There’s no need for you to know that in detail right now.”
The Cult Leader waved his hand, clearly avoiding the question.
“Many in the martial world have already fallen for their sweet words—suggesting that we should restore the world to its former glory—and have joined hands with them. It’s a minor matter.”
…Is that… a minor matter?
Sa Biyeon blinked, stunned.
The Cult Leader was casually revealing an earth-shattering truth that could flip the world upside down if known publicly.
“When bugs appear, just crush them as you see them. That’s all there is to it.”
“I understand.”
Cheon Yura nodded, seemingly convinced.
Truthfully, she wasn’t particularly interested in ancient eras or any of that nonsense.
She was only curious because Jin Yeomyung was involved.
While Cheon Yura lost interest quickly, Sa Biyeon, intrigued, continued asking questions.
“Then… are there people in the martial world who know the truth about them?”
“There are. The Sect Leaders of the old sects, or the heads of the Southern and Northern Heavenly Clans, know a portion of the truth.”
Unlike the Nine Great Sects, which were more conventional forces of the martial world, the Southern and Northern Heavenly Clans had been locked in covert conflict with these beings for ages.
“The Alliance Leader entrusting his granddaughter to our Cult was also part of this plan. At the very least, regarding them, it was agreed that there would be no division between orthodox and demonic sects.”
Strictly speaking, this had been decided even before the concept of ‘orthodox’ and ‘demonic’ sects existed.
“Wait, the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader is currently here in our Cult?”
“That’s right. She should be at the Thousand-Day Pass. I was told she’s already become acquainted with a child from the Jin Clan.”
“What did you just say?”
Flinch!
The Cult Leader and Sa Biyeon turned their gaze toward the direction of the voice.
Cheon Yura, who had been wiping her sword blade with a cloth, was now staring in their direction with eyes colder than the winds of the Northern Sea.
“Who… did you say he was with?”
“Now, calm down.”
“I’m very calm, Father.”
From the eyes of a father who had observed his daughter all his life, it was clear that Cheon Yura was right on the verge of losing her temper.
“It’s not what you’re thinking. Besides, they’re not even in the same class.”
“Then what do you mean by ‘got acquainted’?”
“No matter how harsh life at the Thousand-Day Pass may be, it wouldn’t make sense for seniors and juniors to never interact. It’s nothing more than that.”
“……”
Cheon Yura scrutinized the Cult Leader’s expression with a look that clearly asked, ‘Is that really the truth?’
But with her current level of internal energy, she was nowhere near capable of detecting a single gap in the expression of the Supreme One who had led the Heavenly Demon Cult for decades.
“If that’s what you say.”
“If it’s that hard to believe, then just go see for yourself.”
No rule of the Thousand-Day Pass could outweigh the authority of the Cheon Clan.
“That won’t be necessary.”
After thinking seriously for a moment, Cheon Yura let out a sigh and shook her head.
But her expression still didn’t look entirely satisfied, as though she couldn’t completely let it go.
The Cult Leader chuckled softly at the sight.
“Wang Cheongeol.”
“Sir! I receive your command, Heavenly Demon!”
At some point, Wang Cheongeol had already dropped to his knees in salute.
“Escort the Young Cult Leader to the Thousand-Day Pass.”
“Does this mean… her disciplinary confinement is lifted?”
“Of course it is.”
“Yes, sir!”
Upon hearing that the Young Cult Leader’s confinement had been lifted, Wang Cheongeol’s face lit up with joy.
The Cult Leader spoke to Cheon Yura in a seemingly generous tone.
“Don’t just spend all your time swinging your sword in the Lesser Demon Hall. Go out once in a while and clear your head.”
His daughter, who was just as obsessed with martial arts as he was, would never truly rest even with words like that. That was why he’d spoken as if he were being indulgent.
But an unexpected response came.
“Does that mean… it’s a vacation?”
“A vacation? Hmm, sure. I suppose you could call it that. Just don’t take too long. Not that I expect you to actually listen to me.”
“Understood. Thank you, Cult Leader.”
Cheon Yura respectfully bowed her head toward the Cult Leader.
It was only after Cheon Yura had run off from the main cult that the Cult Leader realized the vacation she had taken… was not one within the Ten Thousand Mountains.