The Demonic Cult.
The atmosphere among the Ice Palace troops grew strange as soon as that name was mentioned.
It was a name they wished to ignore but couldn’t. Everyone was aware of the existence of these black-dressed men who had invaded the Ice Palace during the overthrow of the former Lord.
They all preferred not to delve into the matter.
However, when the name was spoken by someone from the Central Plains, no one could ignore it.
At that moment, Seol Chun-Sang spoke quietly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, pretending to be oblivious, huh?”
Chung Myung chuckled.
“Well, that works too.”
It was a clear smirk that infuriated Seol Chun-Sang.
“You! How dare you mention something so vulgar…”
“Ah, never mind.”
But Chung Myung waved his hand in annoyance, dismissing his words. This rude gesture only made Seol Chun-Sang angrier.
However, Chung Myung didn’t care about this; he actually enjoyed provoking people.
“I’ve come across various situations, and I know that words alone cannot solve problems.”
Seol Chun-Sang looked at Chung Myung in astonishment.
What was this man even talking about?
“Well, even if I say the right thing, you don’t want to listen. And we don’t have to waste our time talking when it doesn’t work, right?”
“…”
“Think about it: once you enter hell, you’ll realize something’s amiss when a blade pierces your throat.”
“You…”
Seol Chun-Sang’s eyes reddened.
Wasn’t this just a young man from the Central Plains? And he was threatening to kill him?
“…it seems the Central Plains fail to instill manners in their youth. Observing your impudent behavior…”
“Ah, manners?”
Chung Myung laughed, treating his words as a joke.
“You are quite the comedian. But since we will be engaging in sword fighting, there is no need for pleasantries, is there? Saying, ‘Oh dear, I might accidentally stab you in the stomach, so please watch out,’ would only damage our pride further, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
Seol Chun-Sang’s body trembled visibly. As he observed the young man with blue eyes sit cross-legged and speak in such a manner, his blood began to boil.
“Let’s see if you can maintain that cockiness when your body is cut open.”
“How can I speak when my body is being slashed?”
“YOUUUU!”
Seol Chun-Sang bit his lip.
Baek Cheon laughed heartily upon seeing the cracked lips of Seol Chun-Sang and the trickle of blood from his lips.
“If you lose, it won’t be a dignified death.”
“Indeed… You’re willing to kill with just a glance.”
Chung Myung could defeat his opponents with both swords and words.
The disciples of Mount Hua, who had experienced Chung Myung’s teachings for many years, knew that sometimes the impact of words could be more devastating than that of swords.
And now, Seol Chun-Sang must also be aware of it.
“To be so enraged in front of so many followers…”
Of course, for them, Seol Chun-Sang was the enemy. In this world, there was a distinction between enemies and allies.
Unfortunately, that distinction didn’t exist for Chung Myung.
“And.”
Chung Myung, who had been verbally attacking the man, glanced at the Palace troops with a strange expression.
“Even if they pretend otherwise, everyone knows it, right?”
“…”
The soldiers all averted their gaze. It wasn’t forced, but they still couldn’t face this question.
And witnessing this made Chung Myung smile.
“Right. Well. If you simply turned your head, there shouldn’t be much difficulty in living. It would be troublesome to delve into this uncomfortable truth.”
A peculiar silence descended. Everyone had mouths, but no one could speak.
“But you need to know.”
Chung Myung continued to speak,
“Leaving a wound untreated will lead to amputating the entire limb. Delaying action will result in death.”
“….”
“Now it’s time to decide. Will you amputate the arm or face death?”
The warriors of Ice Palace had a visible shift in their facial expressions. Observing this, Baek Cheon attempted to pacify Chung Myung.
Chung Myung’s statement was accurate, but Baek Cheon believed there was no need to overwhelm them with such words.
Of course, Mount Hua had a reason to stop the Demonic Sect, but wasn’t Han Yi-Myung here?
There was no need for Mount Hua to come forward and force them.
However, just as he was about to speak, Yu Yiseol pulled on his sleeve and stopped him.
“…samae?”
When he turned around, confused, she whispered.
“Expression.”
“Hm?”
“Expression, behind.”
Upon hearing her words, Baek Cheon turned back and looked at the warriors of the North Sea lined up behind them.
Clearly, just a moment ago, they were nervous at the sight of the enemy. The palace warriors outnumbered them twice over, and no matter how hard they pushed themselves, the difference in numbers was overwhelming.
But now… something was different. It wasn’t just tension. There was a hint of pride in their anxious expressions.
“A justification?”
Baek Cheon pondered this.
He could think of a couple of reasons.
The warriors from the North Sea had gathered here to defeat Seol Chun-Sang and establish Seol So-Baek as the Lord of the Ice Palace.
But they didn’t have a proper reason to do that.
Even if Seol So-Baek was right about the land, it wasn’t an act of dividing good and evil because it wasn’t something that could be easily done.
But the Demonic Sect was different.
If anyone ever heard of this name, they would know how terrible it was to join hands with the Demonic Sect because it was akin to committing a cardinal sin.
And now, Chung Myung gave those standing behind him a perfect justification. People feel confident when they have a solid reason to act.
Baek Cheon’s gaze was focused on Chung Myung.
‘That one…’
He was confident in his knowledge of Chung Myung, but this man revealed another side of himself.
He didn’t assert himself or raise his voice, yet he effortlessly commanded so many people.
Baek Cheon had no option but to bite his tongue. It was something he could never do.
Me and…
How many people was he leading now?
Every time he realized this, Baek Cheon felt that the back of Chung Myung was strong and reliable, but it also felt odd.
At that time…
Seol Chun-Sang noticed the change in atmosphere and said,
“Do you speak of the North Sea with such knowledge?”
A voice of anger
“The North Sea is a barren land. What do you people living in the warm and happy Central Plains know?”
“You utter such nonsense.”
However, Chung Myung laughed again.
“Whether you are rich or poor, there are certain things you shouldn’t do. If you are going to talk about the land being barren as an excuse, you should have done something else to force out the former palace lord.”
Seol Chun-Sang’s face contorted like a demon when the ‘former palace lord’ was mentioned.
“You…”
Chung Myung turned his head slightly.
Yo Sa-Heon, who made eye contact with him, nodded and stepped forward. The stage was set, and now it was his turn to reclaim it.
The elder advanced silently, glaring at Seol Chun-Sang with icy eyes.
“Seol Chun-Sang.”
The elder addressed the man with his name instead of his title.
That single statement showed that he did not recognize the man as the Palace Lord.
“You have committed three sins.”
“….”
“One is the sin of drawing in people who should not be involved.”
His voice carried a weighty tone.
“The second was that you had the audacity to conspire and kill the previous lord in order to seize power. And the third sin is handing over innocent North Sea people to the Demonic Sect, causing immense suffering.”
Despite the humiliation of being exposed to everyone, Seol Chun-Sang’s countenance gradually became serene.
“I stand with all of us! Today, we denounce you and declare to you the rightful successor of the Ice Palace. And those despicable beings that dared to trespass the land of the North Sea will be expelled!”
Yo Sa-Heon’s voice reverberated through the walls. His gaze shifted from the palace warriors to Seol Chun-Sang.
“And so do all of you. How much longer do you intend to exist as mere pawns for that man? Behold, the true ruler of the North Sea stands before you! A genuine leader who can restore the fallen North Sea!”
Yo Sa-Heon shifted his body, revealing a young child standing before Han Yi-Myung.
“…”
The child was visible to everyone. Those who recalled the previous lord could discern the striking resemblance between the child and him.
A sense of unease permeated the air.
Tremors of whispers shook the surroundings.
And clenched jaws added to the tension.
The atmosphere within the wall grew increasingly heated.
“Mistakes can be rectified! Even at this moment, align yourself with righteousness and lend your power to vanquish the wicked. Then, everything that has been warped will be restored!”
There was a vibrant energy in Yo Sa-Heon’s voice.
His unwavering determination, even in the face of adversity, spoke volumes. It was the resolute conviction of a seasoned warrior who had sworn to vanquish Seol Chun-Sang and restore the Ice Palace to its rightful order.
However…
His pleas were met with only silence, with only a few offering a response.
No one rallied to his cause. Only silence filled the air as if a mouse had met its demise.
Yo Sa-Heon’s expression became confused.
“… Do not waver!”
His voice resonated with strength.
“If you join us now, no one will blame you. Everything will be forgiven, and the Ice Palace will be revived.”
“Do you mean that kid?”
Seol Chun-Sang inquired.
“No, not elder Yo. It’s Yo Sa-Heon, right?”
“…Seol Chun-Sang.”
Seol Chun-Sang smirked.
“I was curious about what great plan he had to come down here so confidently. But you trusted this young boy who doesn’t even have any blood in his head?”
“You! This is the true leader of the North Sea…”
“So?”
“…”
Seol Chun-Sang shook his head while observing Yo Sa-Heon.
“You fool. If that young bastard can become the leader of the North Sea, then so can I. I also have the blood of the Seol family. And I stand here, at least on my own two feet.”
“…”
“What does that little one even possess? Did you believe that everyone would blindly follow a child solely because he has the blood of the Seol family? Did you think that mere fact would ignite their passion and turn their weapons against me, the lord? So unfortunate.”
“Do not speak nonsense, you bastard!”
Unlike the enraged Yo Sa-Heon, Seol Chun-Sang remained completely composed. And suddenly, everything changed.
“Those who have strengthened their mind often entertain such thoughts, and that is why they lose.”
“What is this evil bastard even talking about…”
Chung Myung interjected with a cold expression.
“Finished now?”
Yo Sa-Heon glared at Chung Myung with an angry expression. He knew that things had gone wrong, but he tried to control his anger as he spoke.
“What the hell have you done!?”
However, despite his anger, Yo Sa-Heon noticed Chung Myung smirking.
“This old man is quite naïve.”
“….”
“You didn’t step out because you didn’t know this, right? Even though we know it is right, we won’t step ahead. We don’t want to die. We don’t want to get hurt. And those who are silent for that very reason will suddenly wake up and take the side of a weaker faction when the situation has changed very little?”
Chung Myung’s calm voice spread around the castle walls.
“For those who believe they are on the right side, there is a great sense of self-worth. But when one stands on the other side, it doesn’t matter. That kind of value to some is less than a thorn in the foot.”
“…”
He had seen this so often to the point of feeling sick. Because war exposed the nature of humans.
A person who discussed friendship abandoned their friend to survive. The ones who sought loyalty abandoned their servitude and fled. Those who knew and supported the agreement turned away from those who sacrificed and looked after their own interests.
Chung Myung witnessed all of this.
Was he resentful?
Of course, he was.
The weak person who upheld their own values could not see the end.
Srrng.
Chung Myung slowly pulled out his sword.
“I mean, it is an agreement.”
The smile on his face, which showed his teeth, felt so eerie.
“When you don’t have the strength to follow through, you become more helpless than anything in the world.”
And the person who agreed with those words was Seol Chun-Sang.
“Right.”
He sneered at Chung Myung.
“But doesn’t that apply to you as well? It seems like there is nothing more to discuss.”
“Do not misunderstand me.”
A chilly voice came in reply.
“Because not a single thing has changed.”
After hearing those words, the disciples of Mount Hua immediately positioned themselves on Chung Myung’s right and left, indicating their unwavering support.
Sensing the presence of the disciples of Mount Hua, Chung Myung’s smile grew triumphant, as if he had already emerged victorious.
“I will demonstrate to you…”
His eyes gleamed with determination.
“… the formidable might of Mount Hua and their unwavering beliefs.”
Chang!
The disciples promptly drew their swords simultaneously, displaying their unity.
“Sasuk! Sago! Sahyung!”
“Agreed!”
“Here I come!”
Chung Myung jumped to the ground, and simultaneously, the disciples and Hae Yeon charged straight at the warriors of Ice Palace.
The enemies formed a line.
These seven black figures, resembling falling meteors, hurtled toward the snow-white Ice Palace warriors.
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