Demon Cult Leader, Heavenly Demon Dokgo Cheon.

As evident from the grandiose title, the Cult Leader Faction is largely divided into two.

One is a symbolic faction that maintains their own worldview centered around the ‘Heavenly Demon’, the religious focal point of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

This includes the Sun and Moon Priestesses who guard the Sun and Moon Gate, the Sacred Fire Hall that maintains the sacred fire from going out, the Emperor Hall that presides over all religious events, and the Divine Groom Battalion that judges cultists who violate the doctrines.

On the other hand, there is a faction that emphasizes the role of the practical ‘Cult Leader’.

People who revere force, involve themselves in worldly affairs, and execute all the will of the Cult Leader.

The four Dharma Protector Devas guarding the four directions and some of the halls belong to this side.

Eastern Deva, Dhrtarastra Gong Son Wu.

Western Deva, Virupaksa Sa Ma Jil.

Southern Deva, Virudhaka Gye Bok Chi.

And the last person.

The general of the Black Tortoise Battalion who was Na Rin’s rival during the Bloody Plum Blossom era and led the charge in the Great Demon Cult War.

The true power of the Cult Leader Faction who commands the largest army among the four Dharma Protector Devas.

Northern Deva, Vaisravana Jeok Gun Ak.

Blood Demon Yang Ga Ho was on her way to meet that very person.

‘How arrogant.’

There was a reason for Blood Demon’s furrowed brows.

The splendor of the Northern Heavenly Palace where Jeok Gun Ak lived seemed to surpass not only the Blood Demon Palace but even the Bright Palace.

Of course, legally, there was no issue with the construction.

If the Bright Palace had a thousand pillars, the Northern Heavenly Palace had nine hundred and ninety-nine, keeping within the line by the thickness of a sheet of paper. But anyone with eyes could see. Instead of fewer pillars, they used excessive decorations and large roof tile sculptures.

‘Ambition is like an awl, it cannot be hidden.’

Blood Demon composed herself.

She didn’t believe all the rumors circulating, but there’s no smoke without fire.

If you’re going to willingly enter a tiger’s den, you have no choice but to stay alert.

Vaisravana Jeok Gun Ak. What he dreams of is…

“Apologies for the long wait. Blood Demon. His Majesty awaits you in the audience chamber.”

Majesty? Audience chamber?

Blood Demon scoffed.

“I wasn’t aware the Jeok dynasty had been established.”

To Blood Demon’s sarcastic attitude, the Northern Heavenly Palace’s maid calmly replied without any change in expression.

“How could you not know.”

“What?”

“Vaisravana. Is this not also the name of a king?”

Yang Ga Ho’s lips pressed together tightly.

“…What is your name.”

The price for offending a Demon Venerable’s mood, even as a mere maid, must be paid clearly.

“Why do you ask. You won’t know even if I tell you.”

A sneer rose on the maid’s lips.

This was not simply misbehavior backed by the Northern Heavenly Palace.

The eyes of a pure supremacist despising the Demon Venerable Faction for serving a defeated god.

Crack.

The tiger claws adorning Blood Demon’s fingertips collided, making a sharp sound.

“Right. I don’t need to know your name.”

“Aargh!”

The maid had no choice but to collapse on the spot and scream.

Because Blood Demon’s hand, adorned with golden tiger claws, had grabbed and ripped out the maid’s hair.

Monstrous strength that didn’t match her delicate appearance. Droplets of blood were forming at the ends of the maid’s hair that had been ripped out in an instant.

“This is enough for me to punish you.”

Blood Demon handed the maid’s hair to the maid she had brought along.

Realizing how her own hair would be used, the maid clung to Blood Demon’s leg.

“P-Please don’t do that. I was wrong.”

“What will I do.”

Blood Demon’s lips, curled into a smile, shone red as if stained with the blood of a wild beast.

“You think I’ll curse you with the Blood Cult’s secret arts?”

“…!”

“That’s enough.”

A man stood before them.

A giant with a height of 8 chi (240cm) and wide shoulders.

With reddish-brown skin and upward-jutting red hair, he was truly an executioner from hell.

It was Vaisravana Jeok Gun Ak.

“I don’t think the esteemed Demon Venerable came all the way to the Northern Heavenly Palace to deal with a maid.”

“Of course not.”

Blood Demon kicked away the maid clinging to her and turned to face Jeok Gun Ak.

“It’s been a while, Vaisravana. I have an urgent matter to discuss, so please provide a room. Without the pretenses of an audience chamber or whatnot.”

“Very well.”

Jeok Gun Ak had a maid guide Blood Demon to a suitable room.

The two people sitting face to face in the private room immediately got to the point without any greetings.

“I’m curious about what urgent matter you came all the way here for. Did you bring a message from him?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but no.”

Jeok Gun Ak’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

As evident from the thoughts of the maid serving him, Jeok Gun Ak was also an extreme Demon Cult purist.

To Jeok Gun Ak, Blood Demon was of a lowly status who couldn’t dare have a private meeting with him unless she was an errand runner for someone he respected.

“Then what brought you to the Northern Heavenly Palace?”

With Jeok Gun Ak’s attitude instantly changing to that of speaking to an inferior, Blood Demon’s body trembled slightly.

Because it seemed like he would immediately cut off Blood Demon’s head with his prized Lunar Crescent Blade if he was displeased.

‘It’s okay. I have the upper hand.’

Blood Demon, calming her heart once more, replied calmly.

“The Blood Scripture led me here.”

Having finished speaking, Blood Demon sent a suspicious gaze toward Jeok Gun Ak.

‘It was definitely this man.’

The scene in the Blood Scripture she had seen through Na Rin’s blood.

The image of him waving a flag in the center of the Central Plains, committing slaughter, was still vivid in her eyes.

On the other hand, Jeok Gun Ak showed no sign of understanding even after hearing the words ‘Blood Scripture’.

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. Our Cult and the Central Plains severed ties a hundred years ago. How did you go to the Central Plains?”

Jeok Gun Ak’s fingertips abruptly stopped.

His reddish-brown eyes, as if holding flames, glared at Blood Demon.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb. It couldn’t have been more than 5 years ago. You were in the Central Plains. Ignoring the covenant made between the Emperor of Ming and the previous generation’s Heavenly Demon. Am I wrong?”

“Hmph.”

The sound of Jeok Gun Ak’s low and rough breathing was like the boiling of a hellish cauldron.

“…How did you know?”

Gulp.

Blood Demon felt a suffocating pressure as if her heart was being squeezed.

That was because even though Blood Demon was one of the Seven Demon Venerables, she was still young and lacked experience.

She was lacking in both experience and spirit to face Jeok Gun Ak, who was approaching his forties.

Clack.

Blood Demon barely held on to her fleeting spirit by colliding her tiger claws to make a familiar sound and opened her mouth again.

“I saw it through the Blood Scripture. There was someone who remembered Vaisravana’s face.”

“Hmm.”

Jeok Gun Ak’s gaze turned inward for a moment.

It seemed like something clicked for him.

“I was unlucky.”

“Is this a matter of luck? You made such a grandiose procession and hoped no one would see?”

“Either nag or threaten, pick one.”

Jeok Gun Ak’s way of speaking had changed back to formal speech.

It meant Blood Demon had definitely gained the upper hand.

‘I just need to keep the conversation going a little longer.’

It would be simple to report to Dokgo Cheon that Jeok Gun Ak led the Black Tortoise Battalion and turned the Central Plains upside down. But nothing could be gained from that. What Blood Demon was about to say now was her true intention.

“Make sure the Eastern Heavenly Palace’s shadow doesn’t reach the front yard of the Blood Demon Palace. Then I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Eastern Heavenly Palace?”

Jeok Gun Ak furrowed his brows.

It was a habit that appeared when the situation was not to his liking or he couldn’t understand.

“Isn’t Dhrtarastra behaving himself? He’s rarely even in the Eastern Heavenly Palace, busy searching for a way to treat the Cult Leader.”

Gong Son Wu behaving himself? What a laugh.

“The power of the Northern Heavenly Palace must be immense. Seeing as you’ve closed your eyes and ears to everything.”

“It seems there’s a story I don’t know.”

“Is that all?”

Jeok Gun Ak held out his palm as if telling her to go ahead.

Blood Demon pouted. It was originally the Blood Demon Palace’s principle not to share such information with other forces.

But to gain the Northern Heavenly Palace’s cooperation, stubbornly hiding it was not the way to go.

“There was a matter Dhrtarastra brought up at the last court meeting. About the Central Plains martial world killing the Eastern Heavenly Palace’s informant, the swallow.”

“Ah, that meeting I was absent from. I heard there was no particular conclusion.”

“Hearing only the conclusion, you missed the key point.”

“And what is that key point?”

“Who was present at that meeting.”

Blood Demon bit her lower lip.

That day when she had danced to someone else’s tune, literally.

At the court meeting, a person who had never been seen before newly appeared.

‘Ju Na Rin.’

How furious she had been when she heard that young thing had requested a private meeting with the Cult Leader to have a match as a reward for resolving the incident, and became an apprentice at the Bright Palace the very next day.

To have personally contributed to that brat recommended by the Eastern Heavenly Palace receiving the Cult Leader’s approval.

Hearing Blood Demon’s story, Jeok Gun Ak spoke as if it was trivial.

“Isn’t it an exaggeration for someone of Demon Venerable status to make a fuss over a mere apprentice?”

“Even if that apprentice is the Eastern Heavenly Palace’s chief disciple?”

Finally, Jeok Gun Ak’s expression hardened.

“…What did you say just now?”

“Hah. Informal speech, then formal speech, you’re quite busy.”

“I asked what you said!”

Kwang!

As the agitated Jeok Gun Ak unleashed his energy, the vase placed by the window shattered like a bomb.

Blood Demon tightly shut her mouth to avoid showing her shock, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from trembling.

“S-Since you’re so hard of hearing, I’ll say it again. I said the Eastern Heavenly Palace’s chief disciple.”

“Gong Son Wu, that bastard!”

Jeok Gun Ak’s face turned red and blue.

The Eastern Heavenly Palace taking in a disciple was no ordinary matter.

Blood Demon, thinking she needed to keep up the momentum, dropped another fact into the already agitated Jeok Gun Ak’s ears.

“The story doesn’t end there.”

“What else is there?”

“Have you forgotten? What led me to the Northern Heavenly Palace was the Blood Scripture.”

Clack.

Blood Demon tapped the tea table with her tiger claws as if to calm down.

“The owner of the blood shown in the Blood Scripture. It’s the same person.”

“…!”

“Now do you understand why I came to the Northern Heavenly Palace?”

This time, Jeok Gun Ak didn’t show his anger.

It wasn’t a simple situation.

‘I thought she was just a puppet wench.’

Jeok Gun Ak’s gaze toward Blood Demon changed from before.

Perhaps she could become a peer to support the Seven Demon Venerables in the future.

“You said the Eastern Heavenly Palace’s shadow was bothering you.”

A chilling smile hung on Jeok Gun Ak’s lips.

“Yeah. I’ll get rid of it for you. I was heading that way anyway.”

Sword King Hall.

Every commoner who wants to become a warrior passes through the Sword King Hall.

This statement wasn’t true in all cases, but it was true in many cases, so the scale of the Sword King Hall was incomparably vast compared to other halls.

‘At this point, it could be called the Sword King Palace.’

Eum Sa Hon, the instructor in charge of training the apprentices, let the irreverent thought that quietly arose remain and lifted the corners of his mouth.

Because he was proud.

Especially when the sky rang with the apprentices’ unified shouts, turning the blue sky resounding.

“That’s it!”

“Thank you for the guidance!”

The disciplined voices and the angle of the salute, as if cut with a knife, were most pleasing to Eum Sa Hon.

‘The ones who entered this time are particularly outstanding.’

Eum Sa Hon counted out a few he had kept an eye on, as if taking stock.

Kang San, whose physique was particularly strong, excelling in utilizing external techniques.

Yoo Un, whose body was small but had wide meridians, gathering internal energy at an astonishing speed.

Ho Cheon, whose physique and internal energy were average but had the strongest willpower.

They were all children from Bongrim Village.