Chapter 113 – The War Council
“Mugeuk-ah. The fire. Absorb it.”
Piiik—
The Infinite Heavenly Fla survived by eating fire. So even if it was Maeng Wihak’s fla, I believed Mugeuk-i could absorb it.
But Mugeuk-i reacted as if the idea unsettled him, refusing with a shiver.
“Sorry. But he’ll die if you don’t.”
Mugeuk-i shook his head as though sighing, then approached Hwang Sogun with an expression of resignation.
With a soft whoop, the tiny ember burning Hwang Sogun’s back was sucked into Mugeuk-i’s mouth.
Grrrk!
Mugeuk-i burped with clear displeasure.
[He’s alive. His qi is extrely faint, but alive nonetheless.]
I nodded at Skybreaker’s words. Hwang Sogun was a martial artist—his life force would be sturdy.
[If it truly is Maeng Wihak, then the situation is grave. The Baekhwae River is the passage connecting the Demon Cult and the Martial World.]
“We’ll see.”
[You’re thinking a bit too much like this is soone else’s problem, Ghost.]
“No, that's not it.”
It was simply odd that Maeng Wihak would appear here now.
“If it really is Maeng Wihak, that might actually be good.”
[Explain.]
“Because the Heavenly Demon will win.”
[…I don’t know whether to call your attitude toward the Supre One rude or reverent.]
I shrugged.
I could speak this way because I knew the lore of this world well.
At this point in ti, if Lee Seryeong fought Maeng Wihak, she would win overwhelmingly. Even later, when her innate abilities were heavily damaged to the point of losing them, she had only suffered minor losses before defeating him.
So of course I felt confident.
The only problem was this: if the Demon Cult’s location beca exposed—
A war could break out.
First things first—we needed to understand the situation. That ant waking the unconscious Hwang Sogun.
“Mugeuk-ah. Carry him too.”
I placed Hwang Sogun on Mugeuk-i’s back.
[Poison Demon Hall, or Demon dical Hall.]
For external injuries, Demon dical Hall was better. For exposure to such malignant qi, the Poison Demon might be better.
I finished weighing my options and gave Skybreaker my answer.
[Madman.]
“Thanks for the complint. Go, Mugeuk-ah.”
Mugeuk-i took off into the sky.
***
A few hours later—
News spread throughout the Demon Cult:
The transport ship had been attacked. All crew mbers were massacred. Hwang Sogun, the sole survivor, died during transport.
The Cult went into ergency mode.
Normally, mbers of the Demon Cult carried weapons at all tis—but now it was different.
The Blade-Bearing Decree.
By the Heavenly Demon’s order, all mbers—at every mont of daily life, even while sleeping—were required to carry a weapon.
This included not only martial artists, but family servants, attendants, even the farrs of the Demon Domain.
A 12-shichen ergency alert was declared, and tension filled the faces of everyone in the streets.
And in the Heavenly Demon Palace—
At the beginning of Insí (around 3 a.m.), a eting was held.
This was different from the Six Families Assembly.
The War Council.
Not only the Six Demon Families, but every leader of every group within the Demon Cult gathered.
It was convened only during events akin to war.
In the grand hall, around the central walkway that led to the Heavenly Demon, the closest seats were reserved for the heads of the Six Demon Families. The rest were organized by rank, spreading outward along both sides.
Most were indeed from the Six Families.
So they clustered among themselves, while outsiders grouped together as well.
Just the number of leaders present exceeded fifty.
The great hall resembled a chaotic market.
The diversity of the Cult—clothing, weapons, gender, age—ford a clashing storm.
Growling, grabbing each other by the collar, even drawing blades—this was the Demon Cult’s normal form of communication. But they all froze the mont I entered.
Dozens of gazes filled with suspicion, competitiveness, and jealousy locked onto .
Most belonged to outsiders; the Six Families had all been present at the House Assembly.
“Sado Clan Head!”
Soone blocked my path.
A middle-aged man with wild hair.
“Is it true!? That you found Hwang Sogun!?”
“Did you lose your tongue!? Speak at once!”
“Who are you supposed to be?”
“What?”
I sharpened my gaze. Using Black Feather Fan here was impossible, but since the Heavenly Demon hadn’t arrived yet, releasing so Heavenly Demon Divine Art qi was simple.
The wild-haired man flinched and stepped back.
“To stand before , you must first state your na.”
“You… you!”
He shook with fury as though I’d insulted him.
Skybreaker comnted:
[Judging by the twin swords on his back, rank 38—Dong Soa.]
Rank 38—likely around the late Peak Realm.
But I’d been surrounded by Transcendent Peak monsters so many tis that this level didn’t faze .
Besides, I had stopped by the Discipline Hall earlier to replenish my internal energy.
Dong Soa slid his hand behind his back—classic Demon Cult behavior, preparing to attack instantly.
“I, rank 38 Dong Soa, challenge Clan Head Sado Hwan to—”
“Enough.”
Gwak Riyeon appeared at so point and seized Dong Soa’s wrist.
“Clan Head Gwak…”
“You overstep, Dong Soa. Even if Hwang Sogun is your close friend, your behavior is discourteous.”
“My apologies.”
“You owe that apology not to , but to Clan Head Sado. Also—”
Gwak Riyeon’s eyes chilled.
“Be grateful your head remains attached.”
Oh.
Gwak Riyeon then subtly winked at .
Right, this man…
For so reason, he treated well, but among the Demon Cult, he was its number-one old-fashioned disciplinarian.
He would never let soone below him in rank and power act out like that.
“Forgive my disrespect.”
Terrified by Gwak Riyeon’s Will, Dong Soa bowed deeply. I gave a faint nod.
This was why being strong was great.
“Thank you, Clan Head Gwak.”
“Think nothing of it. There is no reason to cause trouble before the council. Hahaha.”
Because of Gwak Riyeon’s sharp remark, the others who were bickering began releasing each other’s collars.
I headed for the seat reserved for the head of the Six Demon Families—on the Heavenly Demon’s right.
But—
“What are you doing?”
“What? What’s wrong? The Iron Clan always sits here.”
“The Hyuk Clan will be sitting here now.”
“But that is our Gwak Clan’s seat—!”
On the right side, the Sado, Gwak, and Cheol Clans were supposed to sit. But out of nowhere, Hyuk Mun had stepped in claiming that spot.
[Idiot.]
Seems so.
I turned away. I had no reason to insist on sitting on the right—so I moved to stand on the left—
“Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary.”
Jin Yeongryeong, dark circles reaching his chin, was biting his nails at the sight of .
Beside him, Chu Taesu wore his signature gentle smile… which made want to punch him.
He must have long known the spell he cast on had been broken—and that the one on Hyuk Mun had also been dispelled.
And yet, that relaxed smile?
[The Demon Cult’s future seems bleak.]
“My thoughts exactly.”
It made realize anew how amazing it was that the Heavenly Demon had led these idiots to wage war against the entire Martial World.
I gave up and stood to the left of the Heavenly Demon’s throne.
Chu Taesu reached out as if welcoming —pointing toward the center.
And he subtly tried to brush his hand against .
[As expected.]
In that instant, Skybreaker invoked the Tiwheel Jade, slowing ti.
Then I saw it—the faint, dark-green spiral spinning rapidly around Chu Taesu’s wrist. Like the long tail of a teor.
[The Sun and Moon Chu Clan specializes in sorcery, but I had forgotten—they also mastered Seizing Hand techniques. They used it as a dium for spells.]
Seizing Hand—joint manipulation and grappling techniques used to restrain an opponent.
At a high level, you never even realized you’d been caught.
“So that’s how he got back in the Tomb of Waning Souls.”
I dodged Chu Taesu’s hand and moved to stand in front of Jin Yeongryeong, then released the Tiwheel Jade’s power.
“…”
Even without seeing their faces, I could feel their shock.
Especially Jin Yeongryeong, who recoiled so hard he nearly fainted.
“Move aside.”
Nodnodnodnodnod—
Jin Yeongryeong bobbed his head rapidly and shifted out of the way.
Chu Taesu looked slightly stunned.
And thus the order beca:
→ Jin Yeongryeong → Chu Taesu → the Throne.
Silence swept the hall.
Until now, rumors of my strength had been common—but always in private.
This was the first ti, publicly and before countless witnesses, Jin Yeongryeong had cowered before .
Gulp—
The loudest swallow ca from Dong Soa, who had picked a fight earlier.
Soon, Gu Jin-gyeong entered the hall.
“The Supre One enters.”
“Heavenly Demon Supre! Ten Thousand Demons’ Blessings!”
“Ten Thousand Demons’ Blessings!”
[They still can’t get the rhythm right.]
It’s progress.
At least this ti, instead of sounding like idiots, they were only slightly off-beat. Honestly, that was improvent.
Lee Seryeong entered the hall.
Her expression—cold even on normal days—looked like a slab of ice. It showed the gravity of the situation.
Without preamble, she spoke:
“Clan Head Sado Hwan, step forward.”
I had expected this, so I calmly stepped into the central walkway.
“Explain the matter in detail.”
I recounted everything that happened several hours earlier.
When I finished, murmuring erupted everywhere.
News of an attack had spread—but not that Maeng Wihak was involved.
“Clan Head Sado, was it truly Maeng Wihak?”
Cheol Mugeuk questioned .
I nodded.
—Can you be certain?
This ti it was Chu Taesu.
—The ship was burned, and the crew reduced to ash. Only Hwang Sogun remained, and even he died during transport.
Chu Taesu continued:
—If this truly was Maeng Wihak’s doing, do you believe any survivors could exist?
The hall nodded in agreent.
Who was Maeng Wihak?
The Sword Saint—the undisputed strongest under heaven.
If he had found Hwang Sogun, the chance of survival shouldn’t have been near zero—it should have been zero.
—I, however… hearing that it was burned brings to mind the Firebird that scorched the Red Dragon Domain. And conveniently, the first to find the scene was Clan Head Sado.
“You doubt ?”
—Of course not. I simply note the coincidence. Divine Beasts hardly obey dostication.
It was a laughably childish tactic.
Chu Taesu was using the classic “KingNimGatGo” strategy.
Oh? Sothing was burned? Maybe the Infinite Heavenly Fla did it!
Then when the truth ca out, he could just shrug and say, Never mind then.
He risked nothing—only stoked public suspicion.
But that strategy had a fatal flaw.
His opponent was .
[Pathetic.]
“No. It is the privilege of the Transmigrator.”
Such characters always paid back twice what they suffered. If I let Chu Taesu get away with this, he’d keep treating lightly.
I wanted him to embarrass himself publicly—to weaken his influence.
“There is a witness.”
—A Divine Beast cannot serve as a witness. It is still an animal.
“Supre One.”
Ignoring Chu Taesu, I addressed Lee Seryeong.
“I request to present a witness.”
“Proceed.”
I snapped my fingers.
The doors of the grand hall opened—and the Demon Physician and Poison Demon entered side by side. They clearly disliked walking together but didn’t dare show it before the Heavenly Demon.
And behind them—
“Heavenly Demon Supre, Ten Thousand Demons’ Blessings.”
Hwang Sogun entered, leaning on crutches.
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