Chapter 329: Cheon Jumun (1)

Originally, I had intended to slowly provoke him to extract information.

However.

Heaven-Slaying (天殺).

The moment I saw those characters engraved on the white porcelain bottle,

I felt as if something inside me had snapped, and when I came back to my senses, I had already severed the head of that brat who had introduced himself as Tang Akho.

Tang Akho seemed to be quite skilled for an assassin, but avoiding my strike must have been nearly impossible for him.

Clunk!

His head rolled meaninglessly across the sparring stage.

Immediately after, his headless body collapsed powerlessly forward.

“……!!”

“D-Did he… kill him?!”

Many people were visibly shocked by the sudden killing.

Even though this was a tournament where countless victims were expected, I hadn’t killed a single one of my challengers so far.

On the contrary, I had adjusted my level to match theirs, providing what could only be described as near miraculous teachings.

That was why so many as thirty challengers had continued to step up with courage until now, wasn’t it?

However, the brief silence that hung in the air was soon shattered.

“U-UNBELIEVABLE!”

“I couldn’t even see the moment the sword was swung!”

“Uwaaah!!”

As expected of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the cult members praised my swordsmanship that had so cleanly taken down Tang Akho, rather than mourning his death.

Well, if this had been at the Southern Martial Arts Tournament, the whole event would have collapsed immediately.

“Hmph….”

Amid the roaring cheers chanting my name, I picked up the white porcelain bottle that Tang Akho had been holding.

‘So I wasn’t mistaken after all.’

Heaven-Slaying. There was no doubt.

With my eyes wide open, I stared down at the severed head of Tang Akho.

If he had been an assassin sent by the Heaven-Defying Society…

And if he had the ability to handle poisons…

It was only natural to be wary of the possibility that he might have brought out the Heaven-Slaying Poison.

However, Tang Akho’s failure lay in the fact that I was all too familiar with the deadly danger of that poison.

Well, since he was dead now, there was no need to dwell on it any longer.

The real issue before me now was one thing.

‘Can I make an antidote?’

I had experienced it once before, but the Heaven-Slaying Poison was not something created by human knowledge.

Even going to the Demon Doctor would be futile.

I had already tested his abilities once and knew.

While he could be considered top-class in his knowledge of the human body, he wasn’t so skilled that he deserved to be called a Divine Doctor.

‘I have to prepare for it somehow. I don’t know when or where I might encounter this poison again….’

With deepening concern, I clenched the bottle containing the Heaven-Slaying Poison tightly in my hand.

***

Half a day later.

As dusk began to fall, the first day known as the Endless Challenge came to an end.

Non-stop dueling that lasted ten full hours without rest.

Just today, I had faced as many as eighty challengers, and aside from Tang Akho, I had not killed a single one of them.

The mood had turned a bit grim when I killed Tang Akho… but after I returned to my usual behavior, more challengers had mustered up the courage to step up.

“Hm, well done.”

As soon as it ended, Jin Gun-ak stormed into my lodging and offered me praise, his expression carefully composed.

He seemed to be desperately trying to suppress the smile threatening to spread across his face—was it really that pleasing to him?

“The old fools of the Cheon Clan couldn’t even gather their wits.”

Even when fighters nearing the peak of First Rate Martial Artists began stepping in two hours before the end, I hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch.

“Starting tomorrow, it’s going to get dangerous. We will tighten security, so get some rest and prepare for tomorrow.”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

Currently, my lodging was surrounded tightly by warriors of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.

In addition, So Cheon had joined the guard as well, making it near impossible for an assassin to breach the defenses.

After all, the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan was practically a natural enemy to assassins.

After Jin Gun-ak left—

I stared at the ceiling and called out.

“Gu Chil.”

“You called for me?”

Thump!

Gu Chil, who had been silently lying in wait, dropped down from the ceiling.

“I have something to ask.”

Gu Chil answered energetically.

“Please, ask me anything!”

Though I had a general idea, I asked him just in case.

“Which family within the Cult is most proficient with poisons and medicines?”

Gu Chil answered without hesitation.

“Of course, it would be the Medicine Family that once served under the Heavenly Illusion Clan.”

“……As expected?”

“The Medicine Family is the best, the Lee Family comes next, and the So Family would be about third, I’d say.”

Usually, if you asked others, they would mention the Iheon Family, known for producing the Demon Doctor, but those with a certain status knew that the Medicine Family was unmatched.

Gu Chil tilted his head.

“Is there a problem? If it’s something reasonable, the So Family should be able to help. Even though they’ve closed their gates, if you request it—”

“It won’t do unless it’s the very best.”

Though I said that, showing the Heaven-Slaying Poison to the So Family, with whom I had once clashed, carried considerable risk.

“But… didn’t the Medicine Family leave the Cult along with the Illusion Clan during the Great Purge?”

“That’s right….”

Yes, that was the real problem.

The Medicine Family had been one of the Illusion Clan’s most crucial allies.

They must be hiding somewhere in Mongolia along with the remnants of the Illusion Clan.

And even if I somehow managed to find them, expecting their help was nothing more than a pipe dream.

But then—

“Hehehe! In that regard, I believe I can offer some assistance.”

“……!!”

From the far corner of the chamber, the hunchbacked old man I had seen before emerged once again, completely out of my expectations.

“What?!”

Gu Chil immediately took a combat stance, but I held up a hand to stop him and stepped forward.

“It’s been a while, old man.”

The old man smiled warmly.

“You seem rather composed despite how shocking this must be. Truly fitting for someone who has transcended the limits of an ordinary martial artist.”

I showed no reaction to the old man’s flattery.

“It must have been quite heavily guarded. How did you get in so easily?”

“Hehehe! If I couldn’t get through something like this, I would have died by the Cult Leader’s hand long ago.”

The old man chuckled lightheartedly.

“Still, I didn’t expect you to purify the specter and retrieve the sword so easily. I was sincerely impressed by your abilities, Young Master.”

“I wouldn’t say it was entirely due to my skills… but sure, let’s say that’s the case.”

“Skill isn’t limited to brute strength. Fate, too, is part of one’s ability.”

The old man, who had previously introduced himself as Heavenly Researcher, smiled subtly.

“As I mentioned before, I would like to make a proposal to you, since you have kept our promise.”

I locked eyes with Heavenly Researcher.

“Before that, I would like to offer something in return for indulging this old man’s selfish request. I can give you a way to contact the Medicine Family. What do you think?”

“…A way to contact the Medicine Family?”

Both Gu Chil and I stiffened at the same time.

Contacting the Medicine Family was no different from saying he could contact the Illusion Clan.

“Depending on what you say next, things could get very serious.”

In response to my words, he waved his hand and laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! I already know well enough that you’re not one to be bound by the Cult’s rules, Young Master.”

I momentarily found myself at a loss for words.

With a grin, he continued.

“As you suspected, I have a channel of communication with the Illusion Clan. To be exact… I am still in contact with Hwan Jeong, the current Master of the Illusion Clan.”

The moment I heard that, Gu Chil whispered to me in a low voice.

“Should I kill him?”

“…Let’s hear him out first.”

I glared at Heavenly Researcher, already feeling a headache coming on.

“You’ve managed to stay alive quite well, haven’t you?”

“Haha, it’s all thanks to the fact that I have harbored no ill intentions.”

No ill intentions, huh?

Could that really be true?

“More than anything, I myself am part of the Cheon Clan… so I’ve had plenty of ways to slip through the cracks.”

…Did he just say he was part of the Cheon Clan?

That was something I had never heard before.

“Of course, very few in the Cheon Clan know about this—barely anyone except for the Cult Leader himself.”

He tapped his head with his finger.

“I belong to the Heavenly Brain lineage.”

“……!”

An unsettling term slipped from his mouth.

“It is the original organization that gave birth to the current Heavenly Thunder Corps, a secretive and tabooed faction even within the Cheon Clan.”

His grin deepened.

“Would it really make sense to collaborate with outsiders on the Cult’s greatest secret—creating the Divine Demonic Physique—if we weren’t part of the same bloodline?”

“…….”

That made sense.

I had never thought deeply about it before, but his claim carried a certain weight.

The Six Great Demonic Clans were impossible.

The others were the same.

Both the Six Clans and the Cheon Clan had existed for over a thousand years, with countless factions emerging and vanishing over time.

This so-called Heavenly Brain lineage was probably one of them.

After all, these were the people who had created the Divine Demonic Physique, even with the help of the Grand Heavenly Lord.

“If they’re called the Heavenly Brain, they must be quite the intellectuals.”

“Hahaha, you’re not wrong. For example…”

Without giving me time to think, Heavenly Researcher continued pressing me with words.

“They produced figures like the Demon Gentleman and Death King Enforcer, who are considered the Cult Leader’s most loyal subordinates.”

“…….”

“Anyway, there are many reasons why I’m still alive. So, would you care to hear the repayment I have prepared for you once again?”

“…Go ahead.”

“Currently, the Heavenly Illusion Clan wishes to return to the Cult.”

“……!”

What?

“Not long after Illusion Demon Hwan Pyeong died suddenly, the Illusion Clan fell into a civil war. One faction sought to atone for their sins and beg for forgiveness, while the other wanted to flee and form a new power outside.”

How did he even have access to such information that even the Cult’s Divine Ghost Unit had failed to uncover?

“In the end, the faction seeking forgiveness won. But there is a problem.”

I carefully responded, hiding my complicated feelings.

“Even if they beg for forgiveness, there’s no guarantee it’ll be accepted.”

“Exactly. The Cult Leader had made up his mind to utterly crush the Heavenly Illusion Clan, so they have no path to return under the current leadership. However…”

He leaned toward me.

“That leadership is about to change, isn’t it?”

Heavenly Researcher nodded.

“Yes. Though it’s impossible now, if they appeal to the next Cult Leader, there might be hope. More importantly…”

He gave me a rather unpleasant smile as he looked straight at me.

“There exists a person who can exert great influence over that decision.”

“…….”

I glared at him in disbelief.

“So you’re not here to repay me—you’re here as an emissary.”

Heavenly Researcher shook his head.

“You could see it that way, but I’d call this a gift for you, Young Master.”

“A gift, huh…”

I sneered at his words.

Sure, it might be a gift.

He had handed me the priceless information that the Illusion Clan had gone through a civil war, and now placed the sword to deal with that information into my hands.

But in truth, it was no different from handing me an unpeeled tropical fruit from the Southern barbarian lands, without even wrapping it properly.

Depending on how I handled it, I might end up wasting all my time and effort without ever tasting its flesh.

“No matter how much their strength has been weakened by the death of their Clan Leader and the civil war, the Heavenly Illusion Clan has the potential to rise again as one of the Six Great Demonic Clans if given time. But for now, their power has undeniably been greatly reduced.”

“…….”

“More importantly, their techniques are the perfect counter to ‘those’ people’s unpredictability.”

I was starting to understand why Heavenly Researcher had been circling around the topic like this.

“…What do you want from me?”

As if he had been waiting for those words, he knelt before me.

“Take the Heavenly Illusion Clan under your command, and with their power… kill my son.”

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