Chapter 184 : Xinjiang Five Lords

A ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍few days later, as expected, Hwayeong returned to the Golden Flower Manor following those dispatched from the Main Family.

Yul ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Han, worried that problems might arise during the return journey, sent along three from the Twenty-Seven Ghosts.

Considering ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that those who normally trained at Yul Han’s residence were involved, the Thirteen Bloods should have stepped forward, yet there was a reason why the Twenty-Seven Ghosts were deployed instead.

In ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍truth, when Yul Han said, ‘Who will escort Hwayeong to the Golden Flower Manor and return,’ not a single person stepped forward.

If ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍they moved like that, they wouldn’t be able to train, and they would fall behind companions whose progress was visible day by day.

So, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍while everyone was merely watching each other’s reactions, unexpected individuals stepped forward.

They were Evil Slaughter Ghost, Iron Flower Ghost, and Ten Thousand Slaughter Ghost among the Twenty-Seven Ghosts.

Evil Slaughter Ghost, who had come to find Lee Tae while staying at the Vice Cult Leader’s residence, and his companions volunteered when no one else stepped forward.

That was the reason why, out of nowhere, the Twenty-Seven Ghosts were mobilized to escort Hwayeong.

Thanks to that, once Iron Flower Ghost and the others returned, the Twenty-Seven Ghosts gained the qualification to participate in the training conducted at the Vice Cult Leader’s residence.

It was a kind of reward granted by Yul Han.

Instead, those who had been training at the Vice Cult Leader’s residence until now received an expulsion order.

It was a measure that came along with the somewhat shocking declaration of the Vice Cult Leader:

‘I have no intention of training together with those who only value their own interests.’

Though they belatedly stepped forward saying they would go, the result could not be changed.

Those who were driven out of the Vice Cult Leader’s residence overnight gathered near the residence with troubled expressions.

They pleaded and showed resolve that they would never act that way again, but the doors of the Vice Cult Leader’s residence did not open.

There was one person excluded from all these measures—Pageuk.

Whether it was luck, at that time he had been sweeping the yard at Seogak as usual.

Since it was the end of autumn and fallen leaves were piling up too much, he began sweeping not only in the morning but also in the afternoon when the Vice Cult Leader’s training took place.

It was because he had noticed that the Vice Cult Leader felt sorry seeing Namgung Hee-yeon personally sweeping the yard.

Because of that, Pageuk’s training was temporarily halted, but he silently went back and forth to Seogak.

Perhaps grateful for that, Yul Han subtly took better care of Pageuk.

In any case, thanks to that, Pageuk was exempt from this expulsion order.

That Pageuk, just like on other days, went to sweep the yard at Seogak during afternoon training, and Yul Han also stopped training and left his residence.

Ignoring the gazes of those who focused on him just in case, the place Yul Han headed to was the Cult Leader’s residence.

The Cult Leader, who had been in the middle of intensive afternoon training focused on the development of the Blood Sword Unit Commander, turned his gaze at Yul Han’s visit.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Are those kicked-out bastards bothering you? Should I issue a Cult Leader’s order so they can’t even come near this place?”

“No. Rather than that, Senior Brother. I have a small request.”

“A request? What request?”

“I would like to recruit a training unit.”

“A training unit?”

“Yes. I plan to select martial artists from the Eighteen Demon Sects and train together while looking after them.”

“I’m not sure there’s a need to go that far.”

To the Cult Leader’s negative reaction, Yul Han said,

“I mentioned it before, but the Hundred Paths gather strength together as multiple sects, whereas we cannot. I want to try changing that.”

“The Hundred Paths and we are different. Seeing those Hundred Paths bastards point fingers at us saying ‘demonic path this and that’ makes me want to snap all those fingers, but there are quite a few who actually commit filthy deeds in the demonic path.”

“Are you worried about betrayal?”

“Yes. After putting effort into teaching them, there will be those who stab us in the back.”

Even at the Cult Leader’s words, Yul Han merely shrugged as if it didn’t matter.

“It’s fine. Those without loyalty can simply be filtered out.”

“So you still intend to do it?”

“If Senior Brother permits it.”

At Yul Han’s answer, the Cult Leader stared at him for a moment before asking,

“Can I ask why you care about them so much?”

“According to reports from the Institute of Reason, recently the departures of some of the Eighteen Demon Sects have been accelerating. There are even movements where they try to survive on their own, and the Institute says some form of preemptive measure is needed. Before drawing the blade, I want to fulfill our responsibility as the leading sect first.”

“The departure of the Eighteen Sects isn’t something that’s only happened once or twice. Each time, it was enough to remind them why the Bright Cult is the leader of the demonic path. There are countless demonic sects eager to join the Eighteen Sects.”

In other words, those sects that tried to leave were annihilated, and the Eighteen Demon Sects were filled with new sects.

At those words, Yul Han smiled.

“That is also a method, but I want to show that we are not a group that only takes. At the very least, I don’t want the Bright Cult, led by Senior Brother, to be spoken of that way.”

“These days we don’t even take food anymore.”

“Food is supplied by the Golden Flower Manor, but other supplies are still provided by the Eighteen Demon Sects.”

“Well, that’s….”

The Cult Leader trailed off while smacking his lips, and Yul Han lowered his head.

“Please, Senior Brother.”

The Cult Leader roughly understood Yul Han’s intentions.

All the things his junior had been doing recently were converging toward a single goal.

A demonic path more just than the Hundred Paths.

At first, he had thought it worthless.

He had merely left him be because it was good enough that his junior, who had locked himself away, stepped out of his room and began moving for that.

But as results began to appear one by one, he started to think it wasn’t entirely bad.

He didn’t even need to look far.

Just stepping into Cheonghae, there were already people cheering for the Cult Leader.

How they recognized him as the Cult Leader, he did not know, but those who used to avoid even meeting his eyes out of fear now rushed over without hesitation just to grab his hand once.

Some shed tears in gratitude, some endlessly revered him as someone sent by heaven, and some even jumped around shouting strange things.

Those sights strangely tickled the Cult Leader’s heart.

He could not deny that this influence was the reason he had recently been frequently inspecting markets in Cheonghae and Xinjiang.

And now, it seemed his junior was trying to expand that even to the Eighteen Demon Sects.

If it succeeded, it wouldn’t be bad.

An Eighteen Sects that followed with sincerity, not fear, would become great strength to the Bright Cult.

The problem was the nature of the demonic path.

They swallowed what was sweet and spat out what was bitter.

There were countless individuals who, once they thought they had gained enough, would strike the back of the one who had shown them favor without hesitation.

He was worried that his junior might waste his heart and time on such people.

“Are you really okay with this? It won’t be just one or two. It’ll be lucky if you salvage even half—no, even a quarter.”

“Even if I teach a hundred and save one, it doesn’t matter. That would not be our fault, but the fault of those who betrayed us.”

No matter the outcome, it meant: we did what we had to do, or we will.

The Cult Leader understood that.

“Fine. If it’s something that must be done as the leader of the demonic path, then it should be done.”

Of course, it was outside the standard of what the Cult Leader usually considered something that “must be done,” but it didn’t matter.

It was something his one and only junior wanted to do.

He had already experienced once in the past what it meant to regret stopping someone from doing what they wanted.

Even if the Bright Cult collapsed—no, even if it did, if Yul Han wanted to do it, he had no intention of stopping him.

So…

“Alright. If that’s what you think and you want to try it, then do it. Just remember one thing.”

“I will keep it in mind. Please tell me.”

“Behind you, there is always this Senior Brother. If you feel something isn’t right, don’t hesitate even for a moment—come find me. Whatever it is, this Senior Brother will resolve it.”

That endless trust and devotion made Yul Han feel both grateful and sorry.

Because he always thought, somewhere in his mind, that he was not someone who deserved to receive it fully.

Still…

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

“If you’re that grateful, then give me a nephew! When are you planning to make progress with your wife?”

“Th-that is…”

At Yul Han’s flustered reaction, the Cult Leader asked,

“Why, is it not going well?”

“I have not yet received an answer.”

“An answer? What answer?”

To the Cult Leader’s question, Yul Han did not reply and only gave an awkward smile.

Among the Eighteen Demon Sects, without question, the highest rank belonged to the Xinjiang Five Lords, rooted in Xinjiang.

Among them, Assassination Guest House and Fire Ghost Unit had histories exceeding seven hundred years.

They were not the kind of demonic sects formed by drifters gathering and hanging up a signboard.

In particular, Assassination Guest House—also called the Killing House—was so renowned that it was classified as one of the Three Great Assassin Sects of the world alongside Assassins’ Sect and Hidden Form Killing Sect.

The reason Assassination Guest House settled in Xinjiang was because the reach of government troops and the Hundred Paths was weak there.

However, unfortunately, Xinjiang had an unfriendly neighbor so powerful that it acknowledged no overlord but itself.

That was the Bright Cult.

Assassination Guest House did not bow its head to the Bright Cult from the beginning.

It was Assassination Guest House, which held the creed: kill even gods if paid.

Naturally, an assassination attempt was made on the Bright Cult’s Cult Leader who oppressed them.

And that attempt nearly led to the destruction of Assassination Guest House.

All the elite assassins sent were killed, and the Bright Cult’s experts descended upon Assassination Guest House, turning it into a sea of blood.

They surrendered to avoid extermination, but the price was unbearably cruel.

The elders, regardless of age or gender, were stripped naked and hung upside down on stakes.

They were given not even a drop of water, let alone food, and on the day they all dried to death, the head of the House Lord was cut off.

Leaving behind such devastation, the Bright Cult’s Cult Leader said as he departed:

<That was amusing. Do not forget today, and come for revenge someday. It would be a shame for me alone to enjoy such entertainment.>

At those words, the Bright Cult martial artists who followed the Cult Leader burst into loud laughter.

Watching that, the surviving members of Assassination Guest House lost their will for revenge.

Only then did they realize that what they had risked their sect’s fate for was nothing more than a game to the Bright Cult.

After that, Assassination Guest House never resisted the Bright Cult.

If told to crawl, they crawled. If told to bark, they barked.

Thus, they lived seven hundred years of humiliation and glory.

But…

The one thousand assassins of Assassination Guest House all knelt before the King of Assassins, born once in a thousand years.

Receiving the prostration of one thousand assassins, the man standing proudly looked to be only in his early thirties.

Called Divine Slayer for being an assassin capable of killing gods, he spoke in a calm tone.

“From now on, I will settle old scores and establish Assassination Guest House as the supreme power of Xinjiang!”

“King of Assassins Descends! Divine Slayer Revered!”

The thunderous cries of one thousand assassins shook Assassination Guest House.

Not far away, an agent of the Institute of Reason watching this scene clenched his teeth.

<Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow>

It was a chant of absolute reverence permitted only for the Cult Leader of the Bright Cult.

He had no intention of forgiving the assassins of Assassination Guest House for arrogantly twisting and shouting it.

‘You’re all dead!’

Just as the Institute of Reason agent, having steeled his resolve, was about to leap out from hiding—

The air twisted, and the ground rushed up toward him.

Then the world turned completely dark.

With that, the agent’s consciousness was cut off.

At some point, the Divine Slayer had already moved and severed the agent’s neck, and the cheers of the one thousand assassins grew louder.

Waaaaaah—

Listening to their cheers, the Divine Slayer gazed toward the distant Heavenly Mountains, a cruel smile forming on his lips.

Another of the Xinjiang Five Lords, White Tiger Village, was a rather peculiar place.

Among the many small villages encountered on the path from Cheonghae into Xinjiang, the first true city was Akgang.

White Tiger Village, which had settled in Akgang, was located on the city’s right outskirts.

Though included within the city, it was structured like a separate village, and people simply called it White Tiger Village.

In other words, the sect’s name and the village’s name were the same.

In fact, White Tiger Village originally began near a lake called Napo White Tiger, hundreds of li north of Akgang.

The reason they left Napo White Tiger, where they had lived for two hundred years, was because an unprecedented torrential rain caused the lake to overflow, submerging their settlement.

What was absurd was that even after the rain stopped, the swollen lake water did not completely recede.

Half of White Tiger Village’s settlement remained submerged.

In the end, they abandoned the place filled with two hundred years of history and memories and moved to their current location on the outskirts of Akgang.

There was no longer any flat land around Napo White Tiger suitable for living.

If they could not live by the lake, there was no reason to cling to it—that was the decision of White Tiger Village’s leadership at the time.

And in that White Tiger Village, an unexpected piece of good fortune occurred.