Chapter 184

The Sichuan Godfather flew over the prostrate cultists and landed before the Four Divine Demons.

He immediately threw himself to the floor and bowed.

“FOUR DIVINE DEMONS! DIVINE DEMONS BENEATH HEAVEN!”

Jin Muryang took one look at his clothes and snorted.

“Judging by that ridiculous outfit, you’re the Godfather of the Sichuan Divine Cult?”

“That I am! This humble one is Ma Hosang, leader of the Sichuan Divine Cult!”

Ah.

To hear his voice with my own ears.

“Ma Hosang, huh.”

Ah.

He spoke my name.

I could die now without a single regret.

Drip. Drip.

Heavy tears splashed onto the floor.

“Why the hell are you crying?”

Ah.

That prickly temperament.

Exactly the same as when I saw him all those years ago.

“But your face looks familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

It had been so long ago.

And yet he remembered.

Ma Hosang was so overwhelmed that he nearly lost consciousness.

But he had to hold on.

One of the Divine Demons had asked him a question.

“Yes! I had the honor of meeting you long ago at the True Demon Family.”

“Ah! The True Demon Family. We owed your family quite a bit back then.”

“It is the greatest honor our family could ask for that you remember us.”

They remembered his family.

Ma Hosang was so happy he could have gone mad.

“Is Family Head Ma Jincheon doing well?”

He even remembered his father’s name.

These men were real.

“Well... my father passed away seven years ago.”

“He did? That’s a shame. He helped us a great deal.”

“Not at all. I’m sure my father would be delighted even in the afterlife to see the Divine Demons return to the martial world like this.”

“Then that’s good.”

“Are you finally beginning?”

“Beginning what?”

“The conquest of the martial world. You couldn’t do it back then because of that old man, the Heavenly Martial Emperor. If you’ve returned now, surely that means you can defeat him this time?”

At Ma Hosang’s words, Jin Muryang and Ye Yahyeon immediately pressed their index fingers to their lips, frantically signaling him to shut up.

Ma Hosang, however, seemed utterly incapable of taking a hint.

“Now you can slaughter every last bastard in Heavenly Martial Castle and cut off that old Heavenly Martial Emperor’s—”

WHACK—

“URK!”

THUD—

Jin Muryang knocked Ma Hosang unconscious on the spot.

Then he cautiously glanced at Jeok Wigang.

Sure enough, Jeok Wigang’s expression had turned cold.

The cultists flinched in alarm when one of the Four Divine Demons struck the Sichuan Godfather.

Why did he suddenly attack the Godfather?

But none of them dared step forward.

The man who had struck their Godfather was one of the Four Divine Demons themselves.

He must have done something to deserve it.

That was the conclusion the cultists reached.

“Wake him up.”

Jeok Wigang stared coldly at the unconscious Ma Hosang as he spoke.

“Yes!”

Jin Muryang sprang into action and used Body-Shattering Meridian-Severing Torture on him.

The instant unbearable agony tore through his body, Ma Hosang shot upright.

Jin Muryang nodded in satisfaction.

Nothing worked better for waking someone up.

Now conscious again, Ma Hosang stared blankly at Jin Muryang.

His eyes seemed to ask why he had been hit, and he looked rather aggrieved.

“Keep your mouth shut.”

“Yes.”

Apparently something he had said had offended them.

Ma Hosang lowered his head obediently.

Then he heard someone approaching.

“You were saying something earlier about Heavenly Martial Castle and the Heavenly Martial Emperor. Why don’t you say it again?”

“We’ll slaughter everyone in Heavenly Martial Castle and cut off the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s—”

WHACK—

“URK!”

THUD—

Foam filled Ma Hosang’s mouth as he collapsed unconscious again.

“Wake him up.”

“Yes!”

Jin Muryang used Body-Shattering Meridian-Severing Torture again.

The extreme pain jolted Ma Hosang upright once more.

The same question followed.

And Ma Hosang gave the same answer.

Watching this, Jin Muryang, Ye Yahyeon, and Baek Ryeongso shook their heads.

How could anyone be this oblivious?

After being knocked unconscious and revived several more times, Ma Hosang finally realized one thing.

Whenever he talked about the Heavenly Martial Emperor, he got knocked out and then awakened in unimaginable pain.

Carefully watching their expressions, he tried again.

“The... the people of Heavenly Martial Castle...”

He glanced around.

So far, so good.

“...should be shown that the Divine Demons remain in excellent health...”

Still fine.

“...and the Heavenly Martial Emperor...”

Should I call him “sir”?

Or “old man”?

Somehow, he felt certain the second option would get him hit again.

“...should also be shown that you are alive and well... sir.”

He made it through safely.

So that was it.

He had been beaten unconscious because he insulted Heavenly Martial Castle and the Heavenly Martial Emperor.

But why?

Hadn’t they been mortal enemies?

Had fighting one another for so long somehow bred a strange sort of affection?

All manner of thoughts raced through Ma Hosang’s mind.

“Now you’re finally talking properly.”

Jeok Wigang smiled in satisfaction.

Only then did the Four Divine Demons relax.

Ma Hosang found the sight baffling.

Who in the world is that young man? Why would even the Four Divine Demons themselves be this nervous around him?

Looking around, he saw that he was far from the only one staring in confusion.

Noticing his expression, Jin Muryang grinned and raised his voice.

“You said you people worship us, right?”

HUMMMMM—

His voice, infused with inner qi, spread throughout the entire cult complex and snapped the dazed followers back to their senses.

“Yes! We do!”

“Then how long are you planning to leave us standing around out here? Should we just go?”

Chaos erupted at once.

Ma Hosang shouted.

“What are you all doing?! Prepare to receive the Divine Demons at once!”

“Yes!”

After issuing his orders to the cultists, he turned back and bowed respectfully.

“Please come inside. I will personally escort you.”

“Fine.”

*****

The sight awaiting them inside was breathtaking.

“Ah...”

Jin Muryang, Ye Yahyeon, and Baek Ryeongso stared ahead, utterly speechless.

Behind them, Jeok Wigang snickered.

“What... the hell is all this?”

“We had this chamber specially constructed to receive the Divine Demons. Do you like it?”

“You think we’d like this?!”

Jin Muryang roared.

“This is ridiculous.”

Ye Yahyeon and Baek Ryeongso simply stared ahead in disbelief.

Before them stood enormous marble statues carved in their likenesses, with chairs built directly beneath each one.

“Don’t tell me... you expect us to sit there.”

“Hehe. Indeed. We poured our hearts into making them. Please, have a seat.”

A vein bulged on Jin Muryang’s forehead.

He wanted nothing more than to smash the whole thing to pieces, but since the statue happened to be of himself, he somehow couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“What are you waiting for? Sit down. I really want to see this.”

“Elder Brother...”

“I said I’m curious. Hurry up.”

At Jeok Wigang’s urging, all three lowered their heads in resignation and sat in the chairs beneath their respective statues.

Sitting in a chair while a gigantic version of yourself loomed overhead was an experience none of them had ever imagined.

Only after sitting down did they finally notice the rest of the room.

The chairs had been so overwhelmingly absurd when they first entered that they hadn’t paid attention to anything else, but the chamber itself was no less ridiculous.

Every wall was covered with things relating to the Four Divine Demons.

And every single one was made of gold.

At first, being worshiped had seemed rather flattering.

By now, it was starting to feel frightening.

Meanwhile, the moment Ma Hosang saw the Four Divine Demons seated upon their chairs, thick tears poured from his eyes again.

“Hngh...!”

“Damn it! Stop crying, you’re creeping me out.”

“Seeing you seated there with my own eyes is simply too moving... I could die now without regret.”

“Then die.”

Jin Muryang’s vicious response only moved Ma Hosang even more.

“More! Please, say something even harsher!”

“You lunatic.”

Jin Muryang finally pressed a hand to his forehead.

A commotion arose outside.

The doors opened, and a stream of people began carrying food inside without end.

Before long, the enormous table was packed from one side to the other.

“You must be hungry. Please, have something to eat.”

At Ma Hosang’s suggestion, the Four Divine Demons looked toward Jeok Wigang.

“Elder Brother, please go first.”

“Sure. Let’s see how it tastes.”

Only after Jeok Wigang picked up his chopsticks and began eating did the three Divine Demons follow suit.

Ma Hosang watched them for a moment before cautiously asking,

“May I ask what your relationship is with that gentleman?”

“That gentleman? He’s the one we serve.”

“Pardon?”

Ma Hosang blinked.

“What are you so shocked about? Haven’t you pretty much figured it out already?”

“Y-You truly serve him?”

“From now on, the one you should be serving isn’t us. It’s him.”

Ma Hosang was thunderstruck.

There was someone whom the Four Divine Demons themselves served?

Then just how great a being was he?

“URK!”

Ma Hosang suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor.

“What now? What’s wrong with you?”

“To think... there exists someone even greater than the Divine Demons... I-I’m too overwhelmed... M-My heart... Hah... hah... hah...”

Jin Muryang clicked his tongue.

“You really never run out of ways to be ridiculous.”

After finally calming himself, Ma Hosang prostrated himself before Jeok Wigang.

“This Ma Hosang pays his respects to the Great One.”

“That’s enough. Get up.”

“Thank you!”

Ma Hosang’s eyes were shining.

Jin Muryang immediately recognized that look and grinned.

“Hey. A mountain peak suddenly disappeared today, right?”

“Yes! Nothing like it has ever happened before. A natural disaster struck out of nowhere.”

“Elder Brother did that.”

Ma Hosang merely blinked.

Then his eyes went wide.

“What? Th-That’s impossible!”

“Right? You think so too?”

Ma Hosang nodded furiously.

“He’s the kind of man who does the impossible.”

The gleam in Ma Hosang’s eyes intensified until they practically shone.

He was overcome with emotion.

Now the Central Plains will become a world ruled by the demonic path.

“What have you done since founding the Sichuan Divine Cult?”

At Jeok Wigang’s question, Ma Hosang immediately launched into his answer.

“Yes! First, I gathered all the martial artists of the demonic path who had been scattered throughout the Central Plains! They are people who were active alongside the Divine Demons in the old days. Of them, I selected the four strongest demonic masters and appointed them as the Four Heavenly Divine Guards.”

“And?”

“After that, we began bringing sects sympathetic to the demonic path under our influence. So far, we have secured thirty sects in total. You may use them as footholds for your conquest of the Central Plains.”

Jeok Wigang smirked.

“If we were going to enter the Central Plains, where should we strike first?”

Ma Hosang answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Heavenly Martial Castle! Once Heavenly Martial Castle falls, the rest of the Central Plains will collapse on its own!”

He answered with such excitement that he almost felt as though they had already conquered the martial world.

Then his joy vanished.

“We’re not conquering the Central Plains.”

“Pardon?”

Ma Hosang looked as though he had lost the entire world.

“Forget conquering it. Instead, show the Central Plains the greatness of the Four Divine Demons.”

His eyes immediately lit up again.

“That is all I have ever wanted!”

At Jeok Wigang’s words, Ye Yahyeon gave him a suspicious look.

“Don’t tell me... you’re planning to use this place to make it look as though we’ve started operating again.”

“That’s exactly what I’m planning.”

“What?”

“The Central Plains martial world has enjoyed peace for too long. It’s gotten far too complacent. It needs some tension.”

“And what exactly are you planning to do with these people?”

“We’ll teach them the Thousand-Faced Bone-Shrinking Art and weakened versions of your martial arts.”

“What?”

“If they’re going to fool people in the Central Plains, they need to use the same martial arts you did.”

“Then we’ll just do it ourselves. It’s not like that would be difficult.”

“You have too much to do at my side. And this needs to happen all across the Central Plains. Having you personally run around doing it would be far too inefficient.”

“But teaching our martial arts to these people...”

Jin Muryang suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Ma Hosang had covered his mouth with both hands and was openly sobbing.

“Hey. What the hell is wrong with you now?”

“Hngh! Hngh! Th-The martial arts of the Four Divine Demons... I-I’m just... so overwhelmed...”