Baek Cheon bit his lip tightly.
'What should I do?'
Everyone has a sore spot—a part that should never be touched, a part that reveals anger even he cannot control the moment it is touched.
For Chung Myung, that sore spot is clearly the Demonic Cult.
The problem was that Chung Myung's reaction to his sore spot being stimulated was incomparably more intense than others. Chung Myung became a different person after hearing the words "Demonic Cult."
Baek Cheon didn't know why on earth Chung Myung always had to react so violently just by hearing the words "Demonic Cult." However, what was important to Baek Cheon right now was not understanding, but responding.
"Chung Myung. This is…."
Baek Cheon tried to have a conversation, but Chung Myung's cold voice cut him off without a trace.
"Answer me, sasuk."
Chung Myung's eyes were dreary.
"Who showed up?"
The overflowing killing intent was so cold. Even Baek Cheon, who knew it wasn't directed at him, trembled for a moment.
"Chung Myung. First… calm down now."
"Answer me first."
"Chung Myung."
Chung Myung's face twisted in anger for a moment. He was almost going to explode.
At that moment, someone gently grabbed his arm.
Chung Myung turned his gaze to the person who grabbed his arm. Yu Yiseol was staring at him, as usual, with a blank expression on her face.
"Calm down."
"…."
"Calm down."
At that calm voice, without wavering, Chung Myung finally let out a long breath. The blood gradually returned to his lips that he had been biting.
"… okay. Now that I have calmed down, tell me."
"…."
"Sasuk."
Baek Cheon let out a heavy sigh.
It wouldn't be a good idea to keep hiding it. Chung Myung would eventually find out.
Baek Cheon looked back at Jo Gul as if to explain it. Jo Gul, however, looked back and forth between Chung Myung and Baek Cheon, scratched the back of his head, and finally opened his mouth.
"Ugh. Well… I don't know the full situation yet, but… it seems that a messenger from the Four Sects Alliance has come."
"Four Sects Alliance?"
"That is what I heard."
Chung Myung's eyes darkened slightly.
"Go on."
"… that messenger said he wanted to meet the Sect leader and came to inform that the Demonic Cult had launched their attacks on the Southern lands."
While he was speaking, Jo Gul kept an eye on Chung Myung's expression. But it wasn't easy to read his emotions from the frozen, expressionless face.
"And?"
Jo Gul shook his head.
"That is all that I heard. Un Am senior sasuk took him to the Sect leader. Since they wanted the Tang family lord too, he must also be with them."
Jo Gul mumbled uncertainly after checking Chung Myung's expression once more.
"So, if it is something we need to know, wouldn't they tell us right away?"
"…."
Chung Myung looked at Jo Gul and the other Five Swords in silence for a moment, then turned around and began walking. Baek Cheon shouted at him immediately.
"Yah! Where are you going!"
Chung Myung replied without even looking back.
"I have to confirm it."
Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't say anything about running to the Southern Lands right away. However, the words that followed made Baek Cheon run to Chung Myung in a panic.
"From the Four Sects Alliance bastard."
"Yah, you insane bastard!"
Baek Cheon, who ran with all his might, grabbed Chung Myung's arm.
"Why are you going to confirm with the Four Sects Alliance, you brat!"
"…."
"Calm down for now! This isn't something that can be done in a hurry! Right?"
"Hurry?"
Chung Myung looked back at Baek Cheon. Baek Cheon almost let go of his arm when their eyes met. Chung Myung's eyes felt so unfamiliar to him for a moment. They were definitely Chung Myung's eyes, but they were different from the Chung Myung he knew.
"Sasuk."
"Yes?"
"Do you know what the Demonic Cult is?"
Baek Cheon kept his mouth shut.
Of course, he knew. He had already experienced the Demonic Cult.
But he couldn't answer that question. Knowing a little more about the Demonic Cult than others didn't mean he understood its essence.
"Let go."
"… No."
Baek Cheon bit his lip and shook his head.
"This won't do. You've lost your reasoning now."
"I get it, so let go."
"Damn it! Why are you ignoring me…!"
Baek Cheon grabbed Chung Myung by the collar. It was right when he was about to shout.
"What are you doing!"
A loud roar pierced his ears. Baek Cheon flinched, releasing his grip on Chung Myung's collar, and turned.
Hyun Young was glaring at them with an angry face.
"You people are doing well."
"… Hall leader, this is…."
Baek Cheon, who had nothing to say, trailed off. Hyun Young, glaring at the two of them without hiding his anger, said coldly.
"Follow me."
When the two didn't move right away, he clicked his tongue and said.
"The sect leader is calling for you."
Baek Cheon glanced back at Chung Myung. When Chung Myung, who had been silent, started walking towards Hyun Young, Baek Cheon finally let out a sigh of relief and followed him.
The Five Swords, who had been tense, also let out the breath they had been holding for so long.
Jo Gul, who wiped cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, looked back at Yoon Jong, unable to hide his anxious expression.
"What happens now, sahyung?"
"… well."
Yoon Jong's face, which was staring at Chung Myung's back, was stiffer than usual.
"First, we should see the sect leader. We need to confirm how things are going."
"… Yes, sahyung."
Yoon Jong let out a short sigh as he listened to Jo Gul's somewhat uncomfortable answer.
A heavy silence descended on the room.
Tang Gunak sat next to Hyun Jong, whose face was unusually gloomy, with the senior members of the Tang family gathered to his left and right.
It wasn't Hyun Jong or Tang Gunak who made the atmosphere in the room so tense. It was Chung Myung sitting across from them. With his stiff face and silence, no one dared to speak up as they normally would.
It was a scene that clearly demonstrated how much influence Chung Myung had on the Heavenly Friends Alliance.
"Alliance lord."
"… Yes."
Perhaps because the silence had stretched too long, Tang Gunak gently urged him. Then, Hyun Jong opened his mouth in a heavy tone.
"Four Sects Alliance…"
He paused for a moment, closing his eyes tightly. Everyone sighed two or three times before he continued.
"The Four Sects Alliance has reported the situation. It seems that those presumed to be members of the Demonic Cult have appeared in Hangzhou."
"… Demonic Cult."
Someone groaned.
Those who were silent and those who felt helpless sighed; their feelings were not so different. The weight of the word 'Demonic Cult' was heavy for everyone there.
Especially…
"Demonic Cult…."
The reactions of Mount Hua's disciples were incomparably more intense than those of the Tang family. It was only natural. Mount Hua's feelings towards the Demonic Cult were truly complicated and dark.
"Was there nothing else to say?"
Hyun Jong shook his head at Hyun Sang's question.
"For now, he said this is all. He mentioned he would provide additional details at another time."
Hyun Sang nodded with a serious expression. This time, Hyun Young spoke up.
"If it was something the Four Sects Alliance asked you to convey, it must be under Jang Ilso's instructions. Can we trust all of those words? It could be Jang Ilso's tricks."
But Tang Gunak shook his head.
"That is unlikely, elder."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because the area known to have been attacked is Hangzhou."
Tang Gunak spoke as if he was forcing his lips to part.
"The Mount Hua people will know this very well. That Demonic Cult does not discriminate between murim people and commoners. Isn't that why they became the enemies of the public?"
Hyun Jong nodded silently.
But to be honest, he didn't know that fact very well. The fall of Mount Hua didn't just make people forget Mount Hua's history. Mount Hua didn't have much information left about the Demonic Cult either.
"Hangzhou. It is a place where numerous people live. Hangzhou, in particular, is a place where people flock from all over the world. If what the Four Sects Alliance said is true, it won't take even a few days for the news to spread."
"Hmm. Yes…."
"Jang Ilso wouldn't have done something so obvious that it would be exposed."
Hyun Young nodded, thinking that what Tang Gunak said made sense.
Besides, if what Hyun Jong said is true, the Four Sects Alliance didn't really ask for anything. They just relayed the situation, didn't they? No matter how much Jang Ilso's tricks made him shiver, it was too early to suspect Jang Ilso.
"If we do that…."
At that moment, Tang Pae opened his mouth with a trembling face.
"Doesn't that mean that the information they have passed on is likely true?"
"…"
No one responded.
"Ahem."
Hyun Jong cleared the air with a loud cough.
"Anyway, that is the situation I have been told. So… first, I will inquire with the Beggars Union to find out what's going on in the Southern lands, and then I will decide on the direction the Alliance will take."
Everyone nodded. In such a situation, that was clearly the right answer.
But Hyun Jong, who said that, still had a face that was bothered by something. His gaze was fixed on the person across from him.
"Chung Myung."
As the soft voice came, Chung Myung opened his closed eyes and stared at Hyun Jong. His gaze was eerily gloomy.
Hyun Jong let out this soft sigh and asked.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
Chung Myung remained silent for a moment.
"Chung Myung?"
"I am not sure if it would make any difference even if I spoke."
He opened his mouth after being called out once more. His voice was sharper than usual.
"If you understood what emergence of the Demonic Cult means, you wouldn't have said that you would just sit here and wait for information."
"… What does that mean?"
"Heavenly Demon doesn't care about the difference in the strong and weak. He clearly said that."
This time, Chung Myung's gaze turned to Tang Gunak. That was definitely what he said. Tang Gunak slowly nodded.
"… right."
"You understand what I mean?"
The moment Tang Gunak was about ask again. Chung Myung spoke first.
"Today it was Hangzhou."
"…."
"Tomorrow it will be Suzhou."
Tang Gunak couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"The next will be Wenzhou and the next Fuzhou."
The voice was devoid of warmth. But even colder than that was the meaning behind those words.
"The village is being erased."
Someone gulped.
"A city is being erased later."
"…."
"Everything which has a life gets erased."
Hyun Jong's fingertips began to tremble at that.
"During the day that Sect leader asked us to wait."
Chung Myung's eyes stared at Hyun Jong like he was piercing through them.
"Not hundreds, but thousands of lives will be lost."
"…"
"Which is why!"
Chung Myung's voice rose for the first time.
"… There were those who fought with their lives on the line, knowing that there were those who would seek their own gain and pull their feet out from behind."
Crack.
The sound of Chung myung's teeth rang out in the silent room.
"Chung Myung…."
"I am not blaming you. Just understand it, sect leader."
"…."
"What is the price of waiting for a day like that?"
Hyun Jong closed his eyes, feeling a moment of dizziness.