CHAPTER 519: EPILOGUE EARTH DEMON (16)

Crimson Demon Hall, commanding the Five Pavilions.

Hidden Demon Hall, where recluse warriors gather.

Heavenly Demon Hall, where the Cult Leader’s direct troops are stationed like an iron wall.

And the Main Demon Hall mentioned by Dok Yeo-woon was the place where the nine halls belonged.

Main Demon Hall mainly handled basic tasks.

From troop inspections to the establishment of training units, it was a huge troops overseeing the overall administrative system of the main cult.

On the surface, it seemed like a place responsible for simple administration and security, but the nine parties under its command held a distinguished status.

The troops belonging to each party were elite forces carefully selected for special missions.

They possessed top expertise in fields such as intelligence gathering, assassination, escort and protection, equipment manufacturing, medicine, and poison research.

Their abilities were so outstanding that even the main cult recruited talents from them, and their influence extended throughout the entire Demonic Cult.

Moreover, Hall Leaders sometimes surpassed the influence of the Five Pavilions.

All were warriors who had reached the pinnacle in the Peak demon realm, with some evaluated as nearing the Supreme Demon realm.

Since these powerful figures maintained a surface neutrality in the successor struggle, their direction was inevitably important.

“You have a darker side than I had heard.”

Seol-Hwi had no intention of retreating even after hearing Dok Yeo-woon’s advice mentioning Main Demon Hall.

Because Seol-Hwi had already grasped his intention behind those words.

“Under the Main Demon Hall, there are as many as nine halls. Asking me to search through all those sides for a person called Phantom… is nothing but mocking me.”

“Haha. Please don’t say that, Fourth Disciple.”

Dok Yeo-woon’s laughter was gentle, but his eyes contained a subtle warning.

“I know Elder Dok is supporting the Second sahyung. So it must be difficult to openly help.”

“…”

“Moreover, although I have allied with the Third Disciple, I am still a rookie who hasn’t grasped the main cult’s atmosphere, and have never properly demonstrated my abilities, and even bear the curse of the Heavenly Killing Star on me… You probably don’t want to share precious information with someone who could easily be discarded depending on their use.”

When Seol-Hwi spoke frankly, Dok Yeo-woon’s gaze changed. His eyes showed subtle interest and caution simultaneously.

It was like the look of a dangerous beast or someone facing an unexpected situation.

“But I must ask this.”

Seol-Hwi looked him straight in the eyes and continued.

“If I am not the Heavenly Killing Star… have you prepared for that?”

“…!”

For a moment, his gaze wavered.

He looked clearly bewildered as if hearing a shocking statement he never expected.

His voice that followed was filled with anger.

“Fourth Disciple, you can say anything here, but please do not cross the line.”

His tone sharpened.

“If you mention cards you don’t even hold, you might not be able to bear the consequences.”

His reaction was quite reasonable.

A few months ago, the Cult Leader publicly declared in front of everyone that his side was the Heavenly Killing Star along with the status of Fourth Disciple. ꞦÄ𝐍O͍𝐁ÈṢ

Denying that Seol-Hwi was the Heavenly Killing Star was tantamount to mocking the Cult Leader.

Seol-Hwi quietly pointed to blind man and continued,

“The one beside me, as I said, attacked me just a moment ago. Along with the members. If I were the Heavenly Killing Star, what do you think would have happened by now?”

At those words, Dok Yeo-woon’s gaze shifted to the blind man. It seemed he finally realized his true intention in bringing the blind man.

“Is that true?”

Dok Yeo-woon’s intimidating aura poured toward the blind man.

The blind man’s body began to tremble.

“No doubt. I attacked the Fourth Disciple under the First Disciple’s orders. And I was immediately overwhelmed. From my experience, he was beyond a Supreme Demon warrior.”

“…”

His eyes darted rapidly.

He surely knew who the blind man was and what kind of secret organization under the First Disciple he belonged to, despite it being secretly trained.

It was clear his calculations became complicated facing this unexpected turn.

“Why? Would you like to test it?”

Seol-Hwi took a step further and stared at Dok Yeo-woon who was looking at him.

“…”

For a moment, silence flowed between them. Dok Yeo-woon was a Supreme Demon warrior. It seemed he was gauging his level in his own way.

“I can’t believe it until I see it. Proof…”

“Proof? Should I break your wrist right here for you to believe?”

Drdrdrdrd.

The entire building began to tremble slightly. Nearby cabinets, desks, and tables shook uncontrollably.

Paintings hanging in the room swayed, and ripples formed in the tea bowl on the table.

Dok Yeo-woon’s eyes clearly wavered. He surely felt it—The Formless Qi. It was the qi wave that only those who have reached the realm to manifest it anytime can show.

“Huh… How, how could this…”

He couldn’t hide his embarrassment and sighed.

“Let’s be honest. Let’s put aside the nonsense about no longer craving power after a long fight.”

Seol-Hwi tapped the table and threw his last card.

“Would you like to boldly diversify your investment in a new game?”

“Diversify…”

Dok Yeo-woon murmured the word ‘diversify’ and bowed his head in silence.

And soon when he raised his gaze, he was looking at blind man, not him.

“You, step outside for a moment.”

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After the blind man left, silence lingered for a while.

Perhaps deep in thought, Dok Yeo-woon slowly sipped tea in silence, and Seol-Hwi stared at the phoenix painting flying among clouds on the ceiling.

“I want to hear the meaning behind your talk of diversified investment.”

After some time passed, he spoke again.

His gaze, more serious than before, showed calculation instead of caution.

“I don’t intend to stop Elder Dok from helping the Second sahyung as you are doing now. I won’t intervene from the start.”

Seol-Hwi calmly continued.

“I mean to allow you to switch sides anytime if things go wrong.”

“If I do?”

“I mean to ask for support not only for the Second sahyung but also for us.”

Dok Yeo-woon was a fox-like figure.

Having survived countless power struggles as a seasoned veteran, it would be foolish to expect him to help only them.

In such a situation, it was wise to present a position beneficial to him.

“I understand what you mean. Then let me ask this—What will the elder gain if he supports us?”

By this point, he was openly stating what he wanted.

He was clearly revealing his true intentions more than before.

Seol-Hwi smiled and continued,

“Let me put it this way. How about becoming the Cult Leader once?”

“…”

Dok Yeo-woon’s eyes sharpened slightly.

As a battle-hardened veteran of countless power struggles, he suppressed his surprise and quietly observed him.

“As I said earlier, I have one goal. I just want the successor struggle to end peacefully without much bloodshed.”

On Dok Yeo-woon’s face, a mix of surprise, suspicion, and cautious interest crossed.

“To be honest, if I wanted, I could change the power balance instantly with my current strength. I don’t because I want to prevent innocent sacrifices.”

Dok Yeo-woon still didn’t look like he fully understood, but he didn’t doubt his abilities.

It was natural since he had the blind man’s testimony and just felt his Formless qi.

“Let me clarify. You know that the Third Disciple and I have allied. Elder Dok Yeo-woon, who has observed disciples for a long time, do you think her real goal is to become the Cult Leader?”

“Well…”

Dok Yeo-woon hesitated.

It was understandable; he had no certainty to conclude, and denying it would be disadvantageous in the current situation.

“The Third Disciple I have seen has a strong desire for recognition. At first glance, becoming Cult Leader seems to satisfy that desire, but I think differently. For her, winning this successor struggle is enough. She probably doesn’t want the responsibility of leading the cult as the leader.”

“That’s not wrong.”

Dok Yeo-woon agreed.

Perhaps because Seol-Hwi understood accurately, he honestly admitted it.

It was well known to those who had observed for a long time that Ah Ryeong had no interest in actual management beyond the desire for attention and recognition.

“So my proposal is this: the Third Disciple gets honor, Elder Dok gets real power, and of course, I will coordinate behind the scenes.”

Dok Yeo-woon’s gaze changed. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce through him.

“Do you accept it now?”

He looked into the void for a moment as if calculating complex thoughts.

Then he slowly nodded and said,

“I understand everything except one thing.”

“What is that one thing?”

When Seol-Hwi immediately asked back, he replied,

“I’m curious why you, Fourth Disciple, go through such a troublesome process.”

“As I said earlier…”

“If you say it’s just for peace, I will reject the proposal.”

Dok Yeo-woon cut off firmly.

“I’m just an old man in the back room now, but having lived over a hundred years, I can tell what cards are laid before me.”

‘Indeed, just as the rumors say.’

He was no easy opponent.

Just when you think you’ve persuaded him with suitable words, he strikes precisely at your weak point.

In fact, his doubt was reasonable.

If Seol-Hwi truly had such overwhelming power, the simplest solution would be to eliminate the Cult Leader and disciples and take over the cult.

‘I wonder if he can understand.’

Seol-Hwi hesitated for a moment here.

To present a convincing reason, Seol-Hwi had to bring up old matters.

The problem was whether he could understand the many stories Seol-Hwi had experienced.

“At first, it was for the peace of my precious person.”

But having come this far, there was no need to hide it.

Seol-Hwi felt Dok Yeo-woon’s expression change, but there was no reason not to mention it.

“Then at some point, I had to think not only about preserving that peace but also about their well-being.”

His voice was gentle but firm.

“Life only gains meaning when there is hope. So I tried to maintain peace by creating the soil for them to fulfill their roles.”

“…And now?”

He asked quietly.

As the shadow of the cooled teacup stretched long on the wall, Seol-Hwi answered calmly.

“I suddenly wondered if the disaster will indeed happen again in the future as planned.”

“Future?”

Dok Yeo-woon’s eyebrows twitched.

“Yes, that’s right.”

He still looked doubtful, but Seol-Hwi continued.

“And if that disaster occurs, I am only curious about which figure within the cult will cause it.”

That figure meant Jang Dal.

In this life, Seol-Hwi also had to confirm who Jang Dal’s original person was.