C131
The road to Xinjiang, however, was going to encounter obstacles as soon as he set foot in it.
"I'll go too!"
"I'll go too!"
Cale had a headache.
He stepped away from the two men lying in front of his carriage.
Sima Jung and Ha Mun.
The Second Son of the Evil Alliance Leader and the Second-in-Command of Nokrim. They were blocking the carriage and making a scene.
Cale diverted his gaze to the other two instead of those two.
"...."
Gulp~
Sima Dan, the daughter of the Evil Alliance Leader, continued to drink, with several bottles tied to her waist.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Are you drunk?"
Cale asked involuntarily, and Sima Dan smiled faintly. But there was no response.
Then Sima Gong, who was beside her, calmly said.
"She's been drinking for seventeen hours."
Wow.
Cale was impressed.
However, Sima Gong swallowed saliva as he licked his lips with his tongue. Seeing that expression on Sima Gong's face, Cale felt uncomfortable and turned his head.
Sima Gong stared at him and thought.
'What could the Brain Demon and Young Master Kim have discussed? And what will they do in the Demon Cult? This seems to be something important! If I were to make a bet with this...!'
His heart was pounding.
-Human, that human, Sima Gong, has a strange expression on his face! He seems to be enjoying something somehow!
Cale sighed.
Even without Raon telling him, from the expression on Sima Gong's face, he could tell that he was even worse than a drunken Sima Dan or a crazy Sima Jung.
"Haha."
Turning his head, Cale faced the Brain Demon, who was approaching with a loud laugh.
"No matter how virtuous you are, Young Master Kim, you have many followers."
It was then...
'Hmm.'
Cale could see the corners of the Brain Demon's lips twisting in a strange way.
The moment he thought that despite the warm smile, that smile somehow felt isolated...
The Brain Demon stomped.
Thud~
The ground rumbled.
"Argh!"
"Kugh!"
The lying Ha Mun and Sima Jung groaned and bounced off the ground. Sima Jung's eyes turned white as he yelled at the Brain Demon.
"You just attacked me, do you want to have a fight with me?"
The Brain Demon laughed as supernatural heat radiated from Sima Jung's battle-crazed eyes.
Cale could see Choi Han beside him, blinking.
Swish~
Although the Brain Demon's loose robe wasn't blown by the wind, it fluttered.
Around him, the aura crackled and writhed.
"Mmm."
Sima Dan removed the mouth of the bottle.
Sima Gong hid both hands inside his sleeves and touched the dice.
At the moment when everyone's eyes turned to the Brain Demon, he was still smiling softly.
But the weight of his words was by no means light.
"The Demon Cult considers unauthorized visits from an enemy as an attack against us."
Cale looked at his arm. He shivered.
Just like when he expressed strong resentment and anger toward the Blood Cult during their previous conversation, the fierce and violent aura erupted from the Brain Demon's entire body and spread around him.
"You can set foot in Xinjiang if you wish. But I want you to know, boy."
He called him a boy.
In response, Sima Jung didn't utter any words of refutation.
He only swallowed hard, his entire body preparing for a fight.
Everyone present could feel it.
The Brain Demon was speaking from the heart now, so his next words forced Sima Dan to make a move.
He said.
"Perhaps the Evil Faction and the Justice Faction have let you live out of concern for your father, but on the Demon's Path, there are no factions, only Demons."
And there was only one divinity on the Demon's Path for the Brain Demon: the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon is the Demon Cult, and it is the path the Demon Cult must follow.
It is also the only mark the Brain Demon left behind while he lived.
Therefore, now more than ever, he couldn't afford to waste time.
The Heavenly Demon was struggling against brainwashing. Moreover, the Blood Cult dared to play tricks on the Demon Cult.
He was on his way to bring someone who could be of great help in dealing with both issues.
On such a path, one must not dare to delay for trivial matters.
"Father! Why do you mention my father?"
Sima Jung yelled angrily, but the Brain Demon's tone remained gentle.
"Don't you realize that everyone looks at you with sympathy because they don't want to become an enemy of your father? Don't you know, kid?"
"You..."
"Big brother."
Sima Dan stopped Sima Jung. But Sima Dan's face grew fiercer and it now seemed like she was about to run without a second thought.
At that moment, the Brain Demon spoke indifferently.
"So you follow Young Master Kim, who doesn't judge you based on your position or background."
Sima Jung paused.
His gaze shifted from the Brain Demon to Young Master Kim, who was standing behind him.
There was Young Master Kim, standing there with an indifferent look as if he didn't know why they were looking at him. And there was Du Kang Daehyup, standing there with a relaxed expression.
Sima Jung bit his lip.
"It's not that I don't know!"
He liked to fight.
Even more than martial arts, he loved the chaos of hitting and fighting.
However, few dared to clash with him with all their might.
As crazy as he was, he knew that his opponent wasn't looking at him, but at his father, Sima Pyeong.
That's why the moment he met Du Kang Daehyup, he really liked him.
At the same time, he wanted to follow Young Master Kim, who was terribly stronger than him but had no respect for his father, Sima Pyeong.
With them, he thought, he could enter the real battlefield, a battlefield where there was no need to think about anything.
Just then, he heard the Brain Demon's soft voice.
"Boy, I'll say it again. The Demon Cult considers unauthorized visits as attacks against us."
"You, you-"
Sima Jung's hands were trembling.
"Big brother..."
As Sima Dan approached to grab that hand.
"I want to go to the Demon Cult. Please allow me to visit."
Sima Jung bowed and requested permission from the Brain Demon.
Sima Dan's eyes widened at this.
Sima Gong, who was watching, murmured.
"It seems like big brother was more sincere than I thought."
At that moment, the Brain Demon looked at Sima Jung without saying a word and then spoke.
"This is much better. Then it would also be good for those who have been following us to reveal their faces."
Cale paused.
'Were they following us?'
Just then, Raon's voice came.
-Human, didn't you know?
No. He didn't know.
How was he supposed to know?
Cale was stunned by Raon's words but remained silent without opening his mouth.
But no one stepped forward.
"Haha."
The Brain Demon laughed.
"It seems we'll have to set up a big battlefield when we get to Xinjiang."
And that was all he said.
Swish~. But the hem of his robe fluttered more strongly, and the momentum became fiercer.
Cale observed him in disbelief.
'He's undoubtedly one of the top three most powerful individuals in the Demon Cult, he possesses immense strength.'
The Demon Cult itself was all about strength.
In other words, there was a general atmosphere of adoration for the strongest. So, for the Brain Demon to sit in the position of General Commander, he had to be excellent in martial arts.
In a way, it might be challenging for Jegal Miryeo to catch up with the Brain Demon when it came to martial arts.
Of course, Jegal Miryeo had her own weapon called Jinbeop/진법 (Spell Formations).
"Kuhm."
Cale was perplexed when he saw the person who had appeared coughing.
'Why is that person here too?'
Byuk Sun.
She appeared while coughing.
"Haha."
Then Elder Ho smiled indifferently and calmly walked out.
'I see.'
Upon hearing that they were being followed, Cale assumed it might be from the Just Faction or the Murim Alliance.
Elder Ho, of course, would be among them, and being the open-minded man he was, he approached the Brain Demon amicably.
"Do you mind if Elder Byuk Sun and I accompany you?"
"Why should I travel with those damn people from the Demon Cult?"
"Haha, it seems Elder Byuk Sun wanted to come with me, she personally chose me and made me come here."
"Elder Ho!"
Byuk Sun shouted loudly, and her eyes met those of Elder Ho, who was smiling generously.
-Elder, do you intend to ruin everything? Don't you know the nature of the Demon Cult? Don't you know why the Brain Demon inherited the character 'Demon'?
Although he was smiling warmly, the only person who could be counted on one finger as a madman of the Demon Cult was the Brain Demon.
'A man who would bring his own blood to the brink of the abyss for the sake of the Heavenly Demon.'
That's what he was.
"......."
The Brain Demon didn't say anything, he just stared at Elder Ho and Byuk Sun.
Then he paused and looked in another direction.
From the direction they were headed, someone was rapidly approaching from the horizon.
The figures that had stood tall for a moment tensed up when they saw the man's clothes.
"Demon (魔)!"
The person who spoke instead of greeting was dressed in dark attire, covering even his face.
He was dressed the same way as the other messengers the Brain Demon had brought.
"Brain Demon-nim, I bring news from the Demon Cult."
"Ah, speak."
The Brain Demon gestured for the messenger to speak at ease. The messenger cautiously looked around before speaking to the Brain Demon.
Of course, it was obvious he was using coded language.
'Hmm?'
At that moment, Cale met the Brain Demon's gaze.
'What's wrong with him?'
The thought crossed his mind, but he had to focus on the words that came out of his mouth.
"All right."
What does he mean by "all right"?
While Cale looked at him in confusion, the Brain Demon glanced around. The killing aura had long disappeared.
"Since everyone is already here, we will go together."
His gaze landed on Cale one last time.
"The Heavenly Demon will be ready to receive Young Master Kim and his group, and he has asked us to come in a celebratory manner, so if that's the way to go, we might as well all go together."
At the Brain Demon's words, the expressions on the sides of both the Evil Faction and the Just Faction brightened. Of course, Byuk Sun reflexively tried to open her mouth but closed it shortly after.
Arguing against the Heavenly Demon's decision in front of the people of the Demon Cult was a call to fight.
However, the Brain Demon's eyes narrowed and then widened slightly.
'What's going on?'
While everyone liked the idea, only Cale didn't smile and looked in the direction of the Brain Demon.
'...Hmm?'
Then he even shook his head and avoided the Brain Demon's gaze.
The Brain Demon involuntarily swallowed his saliva.
At that moment, a Sound Transmission rang in the Brain Demon's head.
-Hoho. Looks like he recognized me.
At the same time, Cale heard Raon's voice in his head.
-Human, that messenger over there is very strong! The strongest human I've seen in the Central Plains!
Damn it!
Without saying a word, Cale ignored both the Brain Demon's side and the messenger standing beside him.
'You scared me!'
There aren't many beings stronger than the Brain Demon, let alone the strongest one in this world so far according to Raon.
Of course...
'The Heavenly Demon!'
The messenger who had traveled from Kunlun to the Demon Cult hadn't returned, but the Heavenly Demon, disguised as a messenger, had intervened.
Without saying anything else, Cale headed for his carriage.
He wanted to sort out his thoughts in a comfortable space.
The Thunderbolt's mouth dried up as he looked at him. The way he looked at him with so much indifference. He felt something sink in his stomach when he saw the Young Master Kim's eyes.
'Are you upset because the Heavenly Demon joined us while hiding your identity?'
He didn't seem so narrow-minded.
In fact, even the Brain Demon was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Heavenly Demon.
-Heavenly Demon-nim. Is it okay for you to leave the Demon Cult and come out like this?
Because the Heavenly Demon was in the middle of a fight.
But the Heavenly Demon didn't respond.
Phew~.
The Brain Demon let out a sigh.
The messenger cautiously called out to the door of the carriage that the Young Master was in.
"What's going on?"
Eunuch Euni Wi opened the carriage door and looked at the messenger, whose face was covered.
The messenger respectfully bowed and opened his mouth.
"The Heavenly Demon told me that he has a message for Young Master Kim, so I've come to see him."
Hmm.
Instead of responding directly, Eunuch Euni Wi glanced at Cale to ask him what to do.
At that moment, Cale looked up and made eye contact with the messenger.
'Eh?'
There was a red flash in the black eyes.
And then came a Sound Transmission.
-You haven't learned Martial Arts.
The tone was blunt and cold.
It was very different from when he spoke politely to Eunuch Euni Wi a moment ago.
But this was more natural.
-Kim Haeil. Can I trust you to take you to the Demon Cult?
The red energy in his black eyes was like flames.
The Heavenly Demon asked.
-I don't trust others' evaluations. I also have little time.
As an existence living in chaos and confusion called a demon. He was proving that he was the center of everything.
As if to prove that he is the only Heavenly Demon capable of sustaining the Demon Cult and the Ten Thousand Mountains*. (Note: The Ten Thousand Mountains is the location where the Demon Cult is situated.)
There was a strange aura in his eyes.
-That's why I've come to see you in person.
The Heavenly Demon looked at Cale and asked.
He didn't want to ask too many unnecessary questions.
The identity of Young Master Kim, the Blood Cult's plan, how to treat a Living Jiangshi. Those were unimportant questions, he thought.
The true essence was one thing.
-Can I trust you?
At that moment, Cale's mouth opened.
"Of course."
As the corners of the Heavenly Demon's lips twitched at the response, Cale thought to himself.
'Wow, how did he immediately know that I'm not a Martial Artist?'
More than that, why is he asking me that?
Well, if you ask me if you can trust me. What else could I respond?
Cale calmed his startled heart.
