“What a terrible poison. Looking at the progress, I assume he was poisoned a long time ago…I’ve helped him regain consciousness, but I don’t think it will hold out much longer.”

The one speaking was the Head of the Medical Department, the ‘Demonic Doctor of Life and Death’. He was speaking to three others: the Senior Strategist, Woon-seong, and Chun A-young. 

Sang Gwan-chuk’s expression had horribly crumpled at the doctor’s words, as had Woon-seong’s. 

Among them though, A-young looked the most distressed. She was unable to hide the trembling of her fingers. She clutched the fabric of her dress in an effort to hide it, but her entire body trembled. 

“He should still be awake for a while longer. Would you like to see him?”

“Alright.” 

At the doctor’s words, the Strategist nodded and opened the door to the room where the Leader was lying down. 

With a soft swoosh, the door opened. 

Inside, it was obvious that the man lying down was a hospital patient: strong wafts of medicinal fragrance flowed through the room. 

The Heavenly Demon lay upon the bed, a far cry from his usual appearance. 

It was a difficult scene to take in, as the Leader lay there like a tiger that had gotten its teeth knocked out. 

“My Lord…”

The Strategist took a step inside, but A-young was faster. 

“Father!”

She didn’t care that the doctor probably wouldn’t approve of her rushing in like that, kneeling by the bed and grabbing his hands. A strong wave of heat spread through the palms of her hands — how was a human’s body running so hot?

“What is this…?”

The heat almost rivaled that of a fire.

Chun Hwi smiled bitterly at his daughter. “You’re here.” 

His gaze then moved to the Strategist, who was standing a few feet away. “I’m sorry Strategist. I couldn’t withstand the poison.”

At Chun Hwi’s words, both Woon-seong and A-young turned to look at the Strategist. So Sang Gwan-chuk already knew about the poison.

“Uncle Sang. Why… why didn’t you tell me?” A-young cried. 

“…”

“If Uncle had told me, I could have looked for a cure earlier! Why didn’t you?!”

I was finally getting a chance to get closer with my father… Ever since I became the Divine Maiden, the best thing that happened was having a real talk with him…! But why does this have to happen now?

Chun A-young’s tone was desperate and emotional. 

Sang Gwan-chuk didn’t say anything. Given the situation, it was natural for him to be unable to easily explain. 

“Don’t fault him. I told him to do so.”

Chun Hwi’s voice sounded much more powerful than before, but his breathing was still rough. “Of course, the Strategist looked for a cure himself. However, this poison doesn’t exist anywhere in this world.”

Now, Woon-seong became more concerned. A poison that doesn’t exist in this world? A completely new type of poison… So it’s a poison that even the Leader, who achieved the realm of a semi-divine being, can’t withstand?

At that, Chun A-young lowered her head. “But—!”

“It’s okay.”

Chun Hwi cut off her words once more. “I won’t die that easily. It’s tough, but I can still withstand it. If I choose to, I’m sure I can live a few more years like this. And I’m sure the Senior Strategist will do something during that time.”

“…”

Chun A-young could only stay silent. She felt like she needed to say something, but there was nothing for her to say. 

As soon as Chun A-young shut up, Chun Hwi’s gaze turned towards Woon-seong, who was standing to the side. “There you are.”

“Yes, Leader…”

“I told you to call me ‘master’.”

“Master.”

At the words of Woon-seong, Chun Hwi nodded with difficulty. “That’s right. Call me ‘master’.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. It’s no good for a master to show such weakness in front of his apprentice… I shouldn’t be lying down like this.”

Chun Hwi said all of this with a bitter smile. But Woon-seong did not see the expression on the Heavenly Demon’s face.

His gaze was directed elsewhere — he had begun to examine the Leader’s body. 

I can see the signs of poison here and there. There’s dark circles under his eyes and red eruptions here and there. His eyes are also red, as though some capillaries have burst. Those red eruptions don’t seem normal either. They’re shaped like tiny handprints and there are purple dots in the middle of them. 

Wait, is this….?! 

Woon-seong’s eyes trembled. 

I’ve seen signs like these on my former master’s body. It’s the same poison that took away his health little by little and ended up with him getting killed by the hypocrites of the Orthodox sects. 

Why is that poison here…?

Woon-seong’s whole body trembled slightly, but he wasn’t given time to think because the Heavenly Demon had moved to grab his hand. Feverish heat spread from his palms. 

“My apprentice.”

Woon-seong knelt at Chun Hwi’s side, turning his head towards the voice. “Yes, Master. I’m here.”

Chun Hwi had closed his eyes because he was losing consciousness. The tremor in his voice was worse than before. 

Woon-seong remembered what the Divine Doctor had told them: I barely made him conscious right now, but I don’t think it will hold out much longer. 

“While I’m on the bed, take care of the Cult and…”

Chun Hwi’s grip slowly slackened and his hand fell onto the bed. The sound of his breathing became rougher and rougher and the room became silent. 

The Leader had lost consciousness.

Woon-seong panicked and grabbed the Leader’s wrist, feeling for a pulse. His pulse is still there! Thankfully, he’s just unconscious.

In Woon-seong’s ears, which had been by the Heavenly Demon’s mouth, rang Chun Hwi’s last words before unconsciousness. 

“Please take care of A-young. I’m sorry to leave such a burden on you.”

That’s not like you, Master… 

It wasn’t a very optimistic thing to say. 

“It’s been three months already.”

“That long already?”

The men speaking were from a delegation led by one of the Ten Demonic Masters, ‘Blade Demon of Hell’ Mo In-ryang. 

At his signal, the group stopped to take a break. Subsequently, Mo In-ryang took a moment to look up at the clear sky. 

“Three months. A lot has happened since then.”

There were murmurs of agreement. 

The incident regarding the Heavenly Demon collapsing after coughing up blood during the succession ceremony of the Divine Maiden had been three months ago. 

After it had happened, it was predicted that there would be a huge uproar inside the Cult. 

Contrary to expectations, nothing much happened. 

The only difference was that the Vice Leader, Joo Moon-baek, and the Young Leader, Hyuk Woon-seong, started leading the Cult. 

Of course, that’s what it looked like on the surface.

What the general public saw was just the tip of the iceberg. 

The very day Chun Hwi collapsed, Vice Leader Joo Moon-baek showed his hidden ambitions — his ambition of wanting to kill the Leader and rule the Cult of the Heavenly Demon himself. 

However, the Young Leader and Sang Gwan-chuk weren’t just going to let him have that position. 

Thus, it was inevitable for a split to happen. 

Anyone who had any idea of the internal politics within the Cult would know of this fact. 

As time stretched on, the confrontation between the Vice Leader and the Young Leader would steadily meet its peak. 

Tsk.

Within three months, the upper echelon had split between the factions of the Vice Leader and the Young Leader. There was no place for neutrality, since two people could not become the Heavenly Demon. 

Most of the Ten Demonic Masters had already chosen a faction, ending with an almost equal split. 

I myself have chosen the Vice Leader, Mo In-ryang thought. Considering our old relations and the fact that he has always been friendly enough to me… 

Of course, there were also those who had not set their minds upon one faction just yet, dragging out the conflict. 

Which is also why I’m moving right now. 

Mo In-ryang could only click his tongue lightly. 

So he wants me to appease the ‘Wind Demon Fist King’ Koo Jong-byuk. 

Under the orders of Joo Moon-baek, Mo In-ryang was moving to attract the Fist King to their side. Of course, he was only moving because it was the Vice Leader who had requested this, otherwise a Demonic Master like himself wouldn’t have moved. 

That guy, huh… I don’t know him much besides that he’s known to be a broad minded man. 

Mo In-ryang had brought his usual escort, but there was no relationship between them and the Fist King. Of course, it wouldn’t be bad to get to know him now. 

I just hope he doesn’t ask me to spar him out of nowhere. But considering his tendencies, I’m afraid it’s likely to happen. If it does, depending on the situation, I guess I’ll have to play along with him. If I want to satisfy him while not making myself look bad… I don’t know how much I could do, but it seems best for me to stay on level with him. 

Mo In-ryang turned his head to the side, where someone was carrying a huge bundle. Inside was a crate filled with goods sent on behalf of Joo Moon-baek. Under normal circumstances, anyone who cared about wealth or collecting goods would be swayed. 

I don’t know about other people, but I doubt he will be interested in any of these goods. Still, I presume it’s better than nothing. 

Mo In-ryang could do nothing but think as he walked towards the Wind Demon’s tower. Shortly after, one of his subordinates spoke, “I can see the Wind Demon’s tower.”

“Hmm.”

Distantly, a couple people could be seen exiting the tower. 

Mo In-ryang sighed to himself. It looks like I’m late…

As the people got closer, his subordinates also recognized the two and began to get restless. “Is that… the Young Leader and his people?”

The two who had come were indeed Hyuk Woon-seong and Great Demon Sang In-hyo, greeting the group with smug smiles. 

“You’re a step behind, ‘Blade Demon’.” 

Woon-seong was the one who spoke first.

Mo In-ryang’s brows furrowed slightly, but his voice gave nothing away. “What do you mean that I’m late?”

“Do you really need me to spell it out for you? Or are you just pretending that you don’t understand?”

The atmosphere surrounding Woon-seong was casual before this Demonic Master. 

Mo In-ryang’s thoughts were racing, as this was a complicated situation.

The Young Leader has changed. Both in competence and skill level. If he’s this much… hmm… I can hardly say he’s different from my level. He was barely a Demonic King when he first became the Young Leader, yet he has become on par with the Ten Demonic Masters… I have no idea what the Leader has done to him. 

How much of Woon-seong’s current level was due to training by the Heavenly Demon and how much of it was due to the young man’s own talent? It was hard to say, but the latter was more important.

Meanwhile, Woon-seong’s words had not stopped. “I’ll explain it for you then. The Fist King has decided to join forces with us.”

“Hmm.”

At Woon-seong’s words, the group behind Mo In-ryang grew uncomfortable. The Young Leader’s gaze turned to the procession, staring at the crowd. The young man was no fool, he knew what the group was trying to do. 

“You’re making a useless attempt. I assumed you already knew that the Wind Demon Fist King is not the type of person who would be moved by commodities…”

“Who knows. They say that seeing is wanting and that gold can even buy a ghost.”

Woon-seong snorted. “Then give it a try. We’ll see if you’re right or wrong.”

As he finished, Woon-seong began to walk away. His actions did not seem to prevent the group from actually going inside, which made the crowd frown. 

Woon-seong left one last message as he left, “I’ll see you later then.”

Since the Young Leader radiated his qi just now, Koo Jong-byuk in the Wind Demon Tower should also have an idea about what just happened. But he hasn’t shown himself at all. Which means he has already made up his mind… Damn it. I don’t know how the Young Leader convinced Koo Jong-byuk, but it’s clear that he’s not on our side. Meeting the Fist King now would just be a waste of both of our times. 

“What should we do…?” One of Mo In-ryang’s subordinates asked hesitantly. 

“Let’s head to the Flame King Tower.”