CHAPTER 529: EPILOGUE EARTH DEMON (26)

The Demon Lord wanted to speak with me alone.

First, we sent away the Supreme Pavilion Lord and Il-su, and we moved to the old, dilapidated hut.

Creak.

When the door opened, the creak shattered the room’s silence. Dust sparkled and danced in the sunlight.

“How is life at the Main Cult?”

The Demon Lord entered the room and leaned against the tilted window frame.

He was so composed it was hard to believe he was the one who had just cut down a Supreme Demon warrior.

It felt as if this calm was his true nature.

“It’s bearable.”

I watched the Demon Lord calmly.

In my past life’s memories, he had always been like a shadow.

I had only faced him directly once in battle.

Yet I knew painfully well what kind of man he was.

He was someone who would abandon even brothers to survive.

“Don’t just stay in your quarters; meet the people in the cult. Even elders or senior elders who seem unrelated to us can provide unexpected help.”

His voice gave the advice in a low tone.

Against the backlight, his face was shadowed, but his eyes glinted sharp as metal.

“When it comes to a succession struggle, clinging only to the goal makes you more precarious.”

“That’s my intent, but it’s not easy. If you, sahyung, would teach me, it would help.”

“Ha ha ha. You speak well. Well then….”

His laughter echoed in the empty room.

He placed his hand on the old frame and wore a look as if remembering something.

“Seeing how boldly you confronted the Eldest sahyung back then… your spirit is commendable.”

“Thank you.”

“So here’s the thing.”

The Demon Lord released the frame and walked around me.

The worn floorboards creaked with each of his steps.

“Have you thought about joining hands with me?”

For a moment the air grew heavy. His pupils swept across my face.

I did not answer.

“Heh.”

The Demon Lord broke the silence first.

“Right. It’s because you recently allied with the sago, isn’t it?”

I remained silent. He took another step closer.

He was close enough to hear his breath.

“But you know as well, even combined, there’s a clear limit. You can never beat the eldest sahyung.”

His hand drew a picture in the air, as if laying out a game board.

“The known Supreme Demon warriors went from four to three, but you must not ignore the eldest sahyung’s full strength.”

It was true.

Even from the visible number of Supreme Demon Warriors, the First Disciple was still dominant.

And he possessed the most powerful Supreme Demon.

“And you can’t view this fight only in terms of the number of Supreme Demon Warriors.”

The Demon Lord walked to the table and continued, tracing formations with his finger across the dust-covered surface.

“The number of Peak Demon warriors.”

He drew a small circle.

“The forces of Super and Peak Demon warriors.”

Several squares.

“And…”

He drew a large circle last.

“Securing advantageous positions when war breaks out, that’s the most important. These factors must interlock for elders and senior elders to move.”

He raised his head and looked at me; madness and ambition flared in his eyes.

“If we join forces, the balance changes.”

He placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.

Shadow covered his face.

“Combine what you have with what I have, and we can fight on equal terms with the eldest sahyung.”

The Demon Lord’s voice dropped to a whisper, soft like a serpent’s tongue tempting me.

“The eldest sahyung won’t show any openings now. He’ll not only manage his Supreme Demon warriors but attempt covert recruitment. Before he becomes more solid, right now is the opportune moment.” ṝÄꞐօ𝐛Ë𐌔

“This isn’t something I can decide alone.”

“You will have to decide on your own.”

The Demon Lord snorted and continued.

“Fang Spirit? She can’t make a decisive call. Isn’t that part of why she merged with you in the first place?”

“What…”

“She wants to be the protagonist of this succession struggle, but she can’t turn the tide by her own skill. So she tried to use you to first balance the power.”

Though my side had made the proposal, there was a degree of truth to his words.

She had focused on balance rather than outright victory from the start.

Accepting me aimed to create an equal power structure with the other disciples to satisfy her desire for recognition.

‘But she’s not lacking in strategy or judgment.’

Contrary to the Demon Lord’s view, Fang Spirit is capable of strategic judgment.

The difference is that she’s not meticulous.

In my past life, that flaw led to a fatal blunder.

“Unlike her, I’m recruiting you to win.”

The Demon Lord leaned even closer.

“And I can say for certain: if you take down End Demon…”

He paused for a moment, then spoke with confident tone.

“Your subordinates can all live in comfort.”

“…”

For a moment my heart raced.

I had only been here a few days, yet he had identified Earth Demon’s tendencies so precisely.

He had even seen through my concern for my followers.

‘This man is more cunning than I thought.’

So soon he had fully understood me, or rather, Earth Demon’s character.

And he even knew how to exploit it properly.

Through a pragmatic offer.

“That’s why I’m saying now is the right time for us to combine forces.”

The Demon Lord spoke with confidence.

He believed in his own proposal.

“It’s a good offer.”

I spoke slowly.

“Let me ask one thing. Why does sahyung want to become the Sect Leader?”

“Well…”

The Demon Lord’s eyes flashed. A frenzied desire showed on his face.

“To make our cult strong. And when the time comes, invade the Central Plains and place the world beneath our feet.”

He spread his arms as if to embrace the whole world.

“What do you think, don’t you want that too? To prove our banner and make the Central Plains kneel?”

I shook my head.

“That doesn’t align with me.”

“What?”

The Demon Lord’s expression hardened.

“Even if I become Cult Leader, I won’t go beyond our domain. We’ll live protecting what is ours.”

I took a step forward. The Demon Lord’s pupils trembled slightly.

“The same goes for the succession struggle. I will minimize the cult’s sacrifices.”

“How can you do that without fighting?”

“Through dialogue and persuasion, and by building the strength to match it.”

“Ha ha ha!”

The Demon Lord laughed loudly, his laugh tinged with mockery.

“We are the Demonic Cult. We must fight. We have in the past, and everyone thinks so now, whether to grow or to prove ourselves. But you’re saying we won’t fight?”

“It’s not absolutely necessary.”

For a moment the Demon Lord’s gaze changed; he nodded as if realizing something.

“Ah… is that so?”

“…?”

“You die if you use your power.”

He turned away. The light by the window painted half his face.

“Heavenly Killing Star. The curse that says you’ll die at twenty. That’s why you want peace, right? At least for as long as you live?”

The Demon Lord turned back to me.

“But do you know something?”

Only his eyes flashed from the backlit face.

“That if I choose, I could kill you right here.”

“…!”

The air froze. As his internal qi seeped out faintly, it felt like particles rose from the floor.

It was an ambiguous murderous intent, whether genuine or a threat was unclear.

I raised a corner of my mouth. I found the situation rather entertaining.

“Well then, do you know this?”

I played along with his provocation.

“If I die, sahyung will be in trouble.”

“…?”

“I mean Fang Spirit’s sajo. She may not be meticulous, but she’ll repay you as much as she suffered. You know her better than anyone, Senior Brother.”

The Demon Lord twitched his brow.

He knew Fang Spirit better than anyone, how relentless her vengeance could be.

Clack.

The Demon Lord clicked his tongue.

As he withdrew his murderous intent, the air calmed again.

“Tch. Fine.”

He brushed his collar and turned his body.

“Still, don’t dismiss my proposal lightly. As you know, I’m not likely offering this only to you.”

“….”

He seemed to mean Fang Spirit.

It was an unspoken pressure to consider not only my own but also her potential turn.

“Then let’s give the eldest Sahyung a suitable excuse for this matter.”

He said it over his shoulder as he walked toward the door.

“You know what I mean?”

“I understand.”

The Demon Lord paused for a moment, turned his head, and looked me over once more.

His gaze mixed regret and wariness.

----------------------------------------

I took the two of them back to the quarters.

Fortunately, Il-su’s wounds weren’t severe. A few days’ recuperation would suffice, and the Supreme Pavilion Lord was ready to act immediately.

One evening later, I sensed a familiar presence.

“You did something big, didn’t you?”

Fang Spirit opened the door and entered. Her eyes glittered; true to her sensitivity to rumors, she had already heard the news.

“How did the rumor spread?”

“They say the faction of sajae and sahyung ambushed and killed Ma-gon.”

“…”

The source of the rumor was obvious: the Demon Lord.

In the corpse examination, traces of the Supreme Pavilion Lord’s Fire Demonic Art and Il-su’s psychokinesis likely remained.

But there were no traces of Jeong-yeon or the Demon Lord; the body that would reveal the cause of death had already been mutilated.

“That’s typical. The second sahyung is like that.”

Fang Spirit smiled bitterly.

I, quite surprised, asked.

“How did you know the second sahyung intervened?”

“Purely my prediction. The Peak Demon warrior capable of killing Ma-gon is only the Demon Lord.”

She seemed to deeply understand the Demon Lord’s abilities.

Especially that through a divine weapon and learned arts he could exert power beyond his natural capabilities.

Above all,

That he skillfully used the cult’s unwritten rule that a Peak Demon could kill a Supreme Demon warrior without issue.

Fang Spirit sat down and continued.

“Still, it couldn’t have been easy. Are you really the Heavenly Killing Star?”

I flinched inwardly but kept my expression steady.

“As you can see.”

“Well, I suppose so. The Cult Leader wouldn’t lie. Anyway…”

She spoke with a bright expression.

“This narrows the power gap considerably. We have hope too!”

Her voice was elated. I smiled quietly and said:

“It won’t be mere hope.”

“…?”

“We’ll seize the momentum at once and create a force equal to the eldest sahyung.”

“How?”

“The three cards you mentioned yesterday.”

Ah Ryeong’s eyes widened.

“We’ve secured two.”

“…!”

She leaned forward, as if even her breathing had stopped.

“Then could it be…”

“Yes. Now we will try to persuade the token.”

Fang Spirit nodded satisfactorily, as if pleased her judgment had been correct.

“Then it’s time to move again.”

As I was about to stand, Fang Spirit suddenly spoke.

“Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you.”

“…?”

I turned back. Her expression was strange, a mix of mischief and seriousness.

“I found her.”

“What do you mean?”

“That woman.”

Fang Spirit hesitated a moment. The corner of her mouth twitched up.

“I mean So Ryeong.”

Thud.

My heart seemed to skip a beat.

So Ryeong.

The name rang in my ears; memories from a past life surged in.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you ask me to find her?”

“Ah… yes, I did.”

I managed to utter a voice.

I tried to remain calm, but my fingers trembled slightly.

I hadn’t expected to hear that name again.

“Where is she?”

I never expected to see her again.