Chapter 297 – The Path to Finding Truth Is Always Treacherous (1)

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Geom Yul-cheon’s father was a low-ranking warrior of the Demon Cult.

His martial arts were not strong, nor was his resolve firm. He was merely a good-natured person who was excessively kind to others. Still, there was one thing he never fell behind others in. That was his loyalty to the Demon Cult.

Though the world had come to reject them because of the term “Demon Cult,” to Geom Yul-cheon’s father, the Demon Cult was everything in the world. That’s why he was more loyal to the Demon Cult than anyone, and his faith was deep.

―Son! You must always remain loyal to the Divine Cult.

He would say the same words to Geom Yul-cheon every day. Though one might have grown tired of words repeated enough to make one’s ears callous, Geom Yul-cheon didn’t dislike his father’s words.

Like his father, the Demon Cult was everything to Geom Yul-cheon as well. Even when the Demon Cult was defeated in the war with the orthodox martial world and wandered to the remote corners of the world, his love for the Demon Cult never diminished.

Hardships make people suffer but also unite them. That’s how the warriors of the Demon Cult were at that time. They were united as one to revive the fallen Demon Cult.

Geom Yul-cheon was the same. Though he was young, Geom Yul-cheon was prepared to sacrifice his body for the Demon Cult. That’s why he was more enthusiastic than anyone about learning martial arts.

Everything was enjoyable back then. Though learning martial arts was difficult, it was still a time when his heart was at ease.

The golden age of life that would never return again.

That’s how those times felt to Geom Yul-cheon.

The problem began after Geom Yul-cheon entered the Heavenly Gold Demon Palace.

That place was one of the Demon Cult’s last strongholds. The Heavenly Gold Demon Palace, created to confine the Demon Cult’s serious criminals, was a natural fortress. That’s why it was utilized as a base for revival after the Demon Cult’s downfall.

The problem was that the Heavenly Gold Demon Palace had deviated from its original purpose and become corrupted. The Demon Cult drove promising talents into it and pushed them into an infinite competition system.

An extreme ecosystem was created where one had to step on colleagues who had been laughing and chatting together just the day before in order to survive.

If you didn’t kill your comrades, you would die.

Before that absolute proposition, the talented ones despaired. Though they were called the Demon Cult from outside, they too were human. It was natural that they couldn’t easily accept the fact that they had to not merely compete with their colleagues but kill them to survive.

At first, they resisted. But the leadership relentlessly cornered the talented ones, and eventually they began to accept reality one by one.

They accepted the fact that they could only survive by killing their comrades and began to fight. From then on, each day was hell.

Yesterday’s comrade became today’s enemy. Since they never knew who might stab a knife in their back, they couldn’t let their guard down for even a moment.

Countless children died in the infinite competition. The surviving children also began to go mad one by one.

Their humanity became paralyzed, and they couldn’t think normally.

They were experiencing hell on earth.

Geom Yul-cheon was in the middle of it all. He too went mad day by day. He killed yesterday’s friends and survived desperately. It may have been natural that inner demons came to such a person.

“If I hadn’t met them, I too would have remained a monster to the end.”

“When you say them?”

“Yu-kyung, Moo-wol, Myeong-cheon… The children who had fallen into the Heavenly Gold Demon Palace with me. Because they were there, I could hold onto a thread of humanity and survive.”

“Haha! The Heavenly Gold Demon Palace… The Demon Cult is truly remarkable. To utilize that place in such a way. So what happened?”

Dan Gong-wol showed a curious expression.

“I endured.”

“Endured?”

“Day by day, I endured. Desperately…”

Though Geom Yul-cheon’s explanation was brief, the resolve and determination contained within it were fully conveyed to Dan Gong-wol.

‘This child also survived through quite a battlefield.’

Dan Gong-wol couldn’t help but be inwardly impressed.

A person’s face and eyes contain the life they have lived. Those who have lived long like Dan Gong-wol become better at reading the life contained in others’ faces.

The Geom Yul-cheon that Dan Gong-wol saw was the owner of firm resolve. The strong heart that wouldn’t yield to any hardship or adversity was clearly revealed on his face.

“While enduring day by day like that, a fateful connection was made.”

“A fateful connection?”

“I obtained my master’s martial arts.”

“Was there a warrior left in the Demon Cult at that time capable of raising a warrior of your level? Though it’s not my pride, the Four Divine Emperors and I killed quite many of those who could be called absolute masters of the Demon Cult at that time.”

A suspicious light appeared on Dan Gong-wol’s face.

The Four Divine Emperors were truly merciless at that time. They brought down the iron hammer of judgment on those who could be called absolute masters of the Demon Cult. In such a situation, he wondered if there was a warrior capable of raising a master of Geom Yul-cheon’s level.

“The history of the Divine Cult is much longer than you know, and there have been countless masters beyond counting.”

“Then why didn’t they show themselves at that time?”

“As time passed, some left the Divine Cult, and others formed independent schools. For instance, it’s like branches growing in different directions based on the great root that is the Divine Cult. They left the Divine Cult and established themselves independently.”

“Hmm!”

“The Thirteen Branches – that’s what we call the thirteen martial schools that originated from the Divine Cult. The master who transmitted martial arts to me was also continuing one of those places.”

“You’re saying there are as many as thirteen branches?”

“That’s right.”

“If that’s true, then we left behind as many as thirteen future troubles.”

Dan Gong-wol let out a sigh.

The Demon Cult’s Thirteen Branches? It was a term he had never even imagined.

‘They say the Demon Cult’s history spans a thousand years, but its roots have spread beyond imagination.’

Even at that moment, Geom Yul-cheon’s words continued.

“The thirteen branches sometimes checked each other and sometimes cooperated to maintain balance. Until recently, those who advocated peace held the upper hand, but recently the voices of the war faction have grown louder.”

“Because the main base collapsed under the total offensive of the orthodox martial artists?”

“Correct. Starting from the collapse of the main base, the voices of the war faction that had been quiet grew louder, and they began the reconstruction of the Divine Cult.”

“Hmm!”

Dan Gong-wol was at a loss for words.

If Geom Yul-cheon’s words were true, then they had rather brought out the Demon Cult’s hidden strength.

“So you’re saying your master was also one of the Thirteen Branches?”

“He was the previous successor of the Thunder Stream, one of the Thirteen Branches. At that time, my master was dying without having found a successor. In such circumstances, he happened to meet me.”

The name of the previous successor of the Thunder Stream was Go Won-gang.

When Go Won-gang met Geom Yul-cheon, he was nearly in a dying state. It wasn’t because he had been defeated by enemies or because his natural lifespan had ended. The Thunder Strike Technique, the representative ultimate skill of the Thunder Stream, was truly martial arts of supreme dominance. If one failed to master it, it would instead destroy the body from within. Because of this, successors who failed to master the Thunder Strike Technique would have their heart meridians torn apart and die before reaching the age of fifty.

Go Won-gang was in the same situation. He tried to find a successor and transmit the Thunder Strike Technique before his breath was cut off.

He met numerous talented individuals, but none among them seemed capable of completing the Thunder Strike Technique. Finally, the last place he chose was the Heavenly Gold Demon Palace.

Hiding his identity and sneaking into the Heavenly Gold Demon Palace, Go Won-gang came to meet Geom Yul-cheon.

“Just before dying, my master passed on his original manual and insights to me.”

Geom Yul-cheon’s eyes rippled heavily.

What he received was Go Won-gang’s life. By passing on the original manual, Go Won-gang lost his life, and that debt was passed on to Geom Yul-cheon in its entirety.

Dan Gong-wol asked.

“If you inherited the Thunder Stream, one of the Demon Cult’s Thirteen Branches, why are you acting against the Demon Cult?”

“I’m not walking the path of betrayal. I’m merely trying to correct what’s wrong.”

“Not betrayal? Saving me, who attacked the Demon Cult’s leader, isn’t betrayal?”

“That’s…”

Geom Yul-cheon’s eyes wavered for the first time.

It was a secret history unknown to the martial world.

Dan Gong-wol had sought out the leader Cheok Gwan-hyeol alone. And he fought a life-and-death battle, inflicting great wounds on the leader. As the price, he too suffered irreparable wounds.

With Cheok Gwan-hyeol severely wounded and entering seclusion, the Demon Cult had to stop its external activities. Such secret history was hidden behind the fact that the Demon Cult’s activities had been quiet for the past three years.

After that, Dan Gong-wol fled from the Demon Cult’s pursuit. But the Demon Cult’s pursuit was truly persistent, never giving him time to recover. Eventually, Dan Gong-wol’s wounds gradually worsened and he received an irreparable diagnosis.

It was only a month ago that Geom Yul-cheon saved such a Dan Gong-wol. He happened to discover and save him while being pursued by the Demon Cult.

To such a Geom Yul-cheon, Dan Gong-wol asked to be brought to this place.

‘All the truth is in the snowy mountains of Muli.’

Geom Yul-cheon couldn’t refuse such a request from Dan Gong-wol.

Dan Gong-wol’s expression softened somewhat.

“I’m sorry. My words were harsh. To ask for your circumstances and then get angry instead.”

“Not at all.”

“You’re right. What’s wrong must be corrected. I too risked my life for that reason, yet I reproached you. It seems I’m not in my right mind.”

“Elder!”

“When we reach the snowy mountains, all the truth will be revealed. Whether my speculation is fact, or the delusion of a crazy old man.”

“…”

“The snowy mountains aren’t far. Please bear with it just a little longer?”

Geom Yul-cheon looked directly into Dan Gong-wol’s eyes. His overwhelming presence was flowing through his two eyes. Dan Gong-wol calmly accepted the intense gaze that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to meet.

The corners of Geom Yul-cheon’s mouth twitched. He had much to say. But seeing Dan Gong-wol’s desperate expression, he could no longer speak.

Dan Gong-wol was one of the Four Divine Emperors. Though he was wounded and exhausted, his intimidating presence and skills hadn’t gone anywhere. Yet he was looking at Geom Yul-cheon with earnest eyes. Geom Yul-cheon couldn’t refuse that gaze.

“I understand.”

“Thank you!”

Dan Gong-wol expressed his gratitude.

Geom Yul-cheon turned his gaze away from him and looked at the sky. For a moment his eyes lit up. Because he saw a large bird circling in the sky.

“Crimson Dark Bird?”

“What is that?”

“It’s a spiritual creature specially raised by our cult. Befitting a spiritual creature, it’s clever and has keen eyes, making it useful for tracking.”

“Hmm!”

“The pursuit has followed right to our heels.”

“I delayed too much time because of me. To think pursuers have already caught up.”

“We must move quickly.”

“Death Cliff on the north side of the snowy mountains isn’t far. We just need to get there. Let’s go quickly.”

Dan Gong-wol raised his body.

Even then, Geom Yul-cheon couldn’t take his eyes off the Crimson Dark Bird.

The Crimson Dark Bird was a spiritual creature. Naturally, it couldn’t be handled easily.

As far as he knew, there was only one person who could handle the Crimson Dark Bird.

‘Su-hyeon… have you come here too?’

His complexion darkened.

“What are you doing? Move quickly.”

Dan Gong-wol’s voice was heard.

Geom Yul-cheon hastily left a mark on the rock and followed behind him.

The two figures quickly disappeared into the forest.

Long after they disappeared, with rustling sounds, a young woman revealed herself.

She was a woman with a pure face reminiscent of an orchid.

The woman, who had been looking around for a moment, walked precisely to where Dan Gong-wol and Geom Yul-cheon had been sitting.

“As expected, they were here.”

That’s when it happened.

“Su-hyeon.”

With a heavy voice, someone revealed themselves.

It was a man with a strong impression wearing blue warrior robes. A large scar crossed the middle of the man’s face, making him look even more frightening.

At the man’s appearance, the woman’s complexion became even darker.

“Cheon-ak.”

“Did you find their traces?”

“I found them. They were here just moments ago.”

“We’ve almost caught up.”

A grim smile appeared at the corners of the man’s mouth. Then tremendous killing intent rippled.

‘Cheon-ak!’

At the man’s killing intent, the woman’s expression became even darker.

The man’s name was Jeong Cheon-ak, the leader of the Ten Soldiers and also her lover. And the woman’s name was Ji Su-hyeon, she too was a member of the Ten Soldiers.

Jeong Cheon-ak said while looking in the direction where Geom Yul-cheon and Dan Gong-wol had disappeared.

“Yul-cheon. We’ll be able to meet soon.”

“Cheon-ak.”

“It will be very pleasant. Don’t you think so? Su-hyeon.”

“…”

Ji Su-hyeon couldn’t say anything. Because she knew well Jeong Cheon-ak’s hatred toward Geom Yul-cheon.

That’s when it happened. Another Crimson Dark Bird flew over. The Crimson Dark Bird that had been circling in the air for a moment soon descended toward Ji Su-hyeon.

A small tube was hanging from the Crimson Dark Bird’s foot. When she opened the tube, a small rolled-up letter was visible. Ji Su-hyeon quickly read the letter.

Jeong Cheon-ak’s eyes lit up.

“What is it?”

“Hwa-woon is dead.”

Ji Su-hyeon’s voice sank as she answered. The atmosphere became heavily oppressive as well.

“Who dared!”

Belatedly, Jeong Cheon-ak’s voice filled with killing intent flowed out.