Chapter 137: Something is different here (9)

However, he did not have much time to think about the spy from the Blood Cult.

"Young master-nim-!"

The Left Guard, who had approached him at some point, had a desperate look on his face while looking at Cale. He didn't even have the time to wonder how such an expression could come from such a stoic face.

Cale immediately opened his mouth.

"Figure out who it is!"

The people around him looked confused but Cale heard Raon's voice in his mind.

– I got it, human!

Cale listened to Raon as he gave the Sage Demon an order.

"Move everybody back!"

"Kruuuuuu-"

The Heavenly Demon was staggering and releasing even more black smoke as that happened.

"Yes sir!"

The Sage Demon understood that Cale was telling him to move people away from the dead mana smoke. He had already recognized that issue as well.

"Everybody move back! And please cover your mouths!"

"Chief Advisor, what is going on?"

An uptight looking old woman walked over with a giant scowl on her face. It was the Pavilion Master of the Law and Etiquette Pavilion.

"Pavilion Master Gong-nim, let us discuss this later."

Pavilion Master Gong scowled after seeing that the Sage Demon's usual warm look was replaced with sternness. However, she slammed the cane in her hand on the ground.

Tang-!

The clear sound echoed throughout the pavilion.

Pavilion Master Gong started speaking once everybody's attention was on her.

"The rule for a situation like this is to follow the Chief Advisor's orders! Why are you all acting so disordered?!"

She then walked out of the pavilion first and stood at a spot a bit away.

Her movement was so mysterious that it made it possible to fathom the level of her martial arts.

The other Pavilion Masters, the Leaders of the Eight Battalions, and the four candidates all used their own methods to withdraw from the pavilion and formed a ring around it.

The Sage Demon saw this and slightly smiled toward Pavilion Master Gong who snorted and avoided his gaze.

However, she did send him a sound transmission.

– Is the Heavenly Demon in critical condition?

As expected, Pavilion Master Gong cherished the Heavenly Demon.

To the Sage Demon who could sense that…

– I do not know what is going on, but I will need a thorough explanation about this! This is extremely against all etiquette!

He slightly frowned after hearing her nagging.

However, he did not have time to listen to her.

"Ugggh-"

The Heavenly Demon was different.

He was groaning worse than normal.

It was a bit different from what the Sage Demon had seen until now.

The Heavenly Demon's whole body was shaking and black smoke was even coming out of his closed eyes.

'Had he been hiding this the whole time?'

The Sage Demon had not been able to see the Heavenly Demon inside the pavilion because of the formations and the black smoke.

He subconsciously started feeling anxious.

It was at that moment.

"What are you doing?"

He heard a slightly feisty voice.

"Excuse me?"

He made eye contact with young master Kim.

"Please step back."

He said that to the Sage Demon and the Guards before grabbing the Heavenly Demon's arm.

"Are you not going? It's going to be very bad if you breathe in this black smoke."

The Sage Demon wanted to say that he would still be by the Heavenly Demon's side. However, he snapped back to his senses after feeling the aura coming from young master Kim.

It was a pressure that made him feel a decent level of anxiety and suffocation. He returned to his senses after facing that aura.

"…I leave it to you, young master-nim."

The Sage Demon then withdrew to where the others were standing.

The Left and Right Guards bowed after sensing young master Kim's aura slowly getting stronger.

"We will be a bit closer."

"Please do not worry as we will avoid the smoke."

The Right Guard and Left Guard responded one after the other before withdrawing to a point halfway between the pavilion and the people. They raised their aura as if to prevent people from approaching.

As the whispers disappeared because of their vicious auras….

Cale finally felt that the area around the Pavilion was quiet and started speaking.

"Can you hear me?"

The moment he asked that, the Heavenly Demon, who had not been pushing aside Cale's hand, barely managed to open his eyes.

The areas of his eyes that should have been white were full of black blood veins.

Cale looked into those eyes and nonchalantly commented.

"Keep a firm control over your mind. I will make the black smoke subside."

He then looked up into the air for a moment.

"Raon, soundproof barrier magic."

– I understand, human. I will set the range as the pavilion!

"Yeah. And you still have a lot of magic stones, right?"

"I do!"

Raon was speaking freely since he had already cast the soundproof barrier magic.

"Then create a gust to make sure that the dead mana doesn't reach the people."

"I got it!"

Cale heard Raon's response before looking at the Heavenly Demon. He then chuckled.

"What is it? Are you a bit relieved now?"

A gust of wind slowly started to form around Cale as he shook his head.

Crack. He heard the sound of a magic stone breaking.

The magic stone that had used up a lot of its stored mana for the teleportation last time seemed to have been completely used up.

Swoooooooosh-

The gust started to capture the black smoke released from the Heavenly Demon that had left the pavilion and was trying to spread to the nearby area.

The whirlwind wrapped around the pavilion. It was not a strong gust.

The gentle gust that resembled a calmly flowing river formed a circle with the pavilion at its center. The black smoke became captured within it and could not flow out.

"Hmm. I don't think you are purifying yourself. Isn't that right?"

Cale saw the Heavenly Demon slightly nod his head and let go of his arm.

The Heavenly Demon was staggering but did not fall down.

He probably could not let the people around them see him fall.

Cale immediately brought forth the Fire of Destruction.

Crack, crackle.

The rose gold fire shot up with the crackling currents.

It swirled around Cale.

He calmly commented.

"There are at least two spies from the Blood Cult here."

Cale did not stop what he was doing as he said that.

"It would be easier if I took out the divine item to purify the air around us, but… I can't let the spies know about the divine item so I am going to use this method. Heavenly Demon, you take care of the rest."

An emotion brushed past the Heavenly Demon's eyes the moment he mentioned the spies, but… Cale didn't care.

The people outside should not be able to see much of what was going on inside here because of the dead mana smoke captured by the wind.

– Should I burn it up?

The cheapskate asked.

"Yeah."

Cale gave a short response.

Craaaackle-

The fire with the rose gold current enveloped the gust of wind.

It looked as if a red animal jumped into a black swamp and started eating it up.

The wind that was flowing like a calm river slowly turned from black to a radiant rose gold color.

Grey ashes fluttered following that change.

"Raon, let's do a sweep of this whole area."

"I got it, human!"

Following Cale's will and Raon's will…

The fire and wind moved.

The rose gold wind moved past the dead mana smoke inside the pavilion and swallowed all of it, leaving only ashes behind. It then shot up into the sky and disappeared.

It looked like an imugi ascending to the sky.

Grey ashes fell from the sky as if to leave behind evidence of its ascension.

'I can't let the inside of the pavilion fill with ashes.'

Cale was satisfied that he could get rid of most of the ashes with the wind as well.

– How refreshing! It was easier than last time.

The cheapskate was right about this being easy.

Doing something like this with the power about seventy two percent unsealed was easier than going on a walk.

"Huuuuuu-"

Cale heard someone let out a deep breath.

Cale could see the Heavenly Demon seated in a lotus position trying to calm his breath.

"Young master Kim."

He was a bit more settled but his voice still sounded strained.

"What is it?"

"I'd like for you to keep that fire on."

'Hmm?

What does he mean by that?'

"The air around your fire becomes purified. Breathing it in calms the evil auras inside my body."

"Ah."

Cale nodded his head and wrapped the Fire of Destruction around both hands.

"A little more."

Cale didn't think too much about it and increased the strength of the fire after hearing the Heavenly Demon's request.

His whole body became covered in the rose gold fire and showed a decent amount of presence.

"Should I stand near you?"

Cale asked in a casual tone.

"I would be grateful if you did so."

Hearing the Heavenly Demon's voice slowly becoming more settled made him go stand right next to the seated Heavenly Demon with a blank look on his face.

It wasn't like he had anything to do while standing here.

However, he could not remove the soundproof barrier magic because the Heavenly Demon was not settled yet and he could not have people coming toward them right now.

'Let's just stand here.'

Cale started talking as he was just satisfied at the fact that the other Heavenly Demon did not appear and that two spies had shown themselves.

He spoke freely as soundproof barrier magic had been cast.

"Raon. Did you find the spies from the Blood Cult?

"I found them! There are two of them!"

However, Raon suddenly started talking into Cale's mind.

– Human! But it is difficult to hear sound transmissions right now! There are too many people using sound transmission over there! It is difficult to distinguish each of them!

Cale felt odd about the fact that Raon was talking into his mind.

– Human, the reason I am talking to you like this is because I thought that we could not have the Heavenly Demon find out that I can hear sound transmissions! Isn't this our weapon? I'm sorry if I misunderstood! But that was what I thought!

'Wow.'

He was truly amazed by Raon.

"Raon, you are an extremely intelligent Dragon."

– Did you just figure that out? I am a great and mighty Dragon!

Raon had grown up so smart and wise.

Cale could feel Raon's growth.

That four year old that had been wary that Rosalyn would steal his steak had grown up so much to the point that he did not reveal their weapon to the Heavenly Demon!

Whether it was this or his way of handling money… He had grown up quite wonderfully.

'It is probably because former Lord Sheritt-nim and Eruhaben-nim taught him well.'

The money handling was probably because of the allowance he gave Raon.

Cale smiled with satisfaction as he spoke to the Heavenly Demon.

"I'll tell you who the two spies are later so you take care of the rest."

The Heavenly Demon would take care of that issue.

Cale could tell that the Heavenly Demon agreed with what he said based on the faint gruff smile on the Heavenly Demon's face and started to think.

'Are there spies in the Orthodox faction and Unorthodox faction as well?

In that case, do I need to look into it?'

More importantly, the fact that the Heavenly Demon suddenly started acting like he had a seizure or something must mean that there was some sort of skill or device that allowed the spies to make the Heavenly Demon move as a living jiangshi.

Cale's thoughts became deeper as the Heavenly Demon became settled.

While that was going on, the atmosphere around the people waiting outside the pavilion became odd.

There wasn't much talking going on.

As Raon mentioned, they were all busy sending sound transmissions.

The Sage Demon clenched his fists.

'…This is young master Kim's power...!'

The black smoke that had been pestering the Heavenly Demon… He knew how critical and evil that aura was.

The fact that young master Kim could send that aura away in an instant was amazing.

"… Chief Advisor."

He heard Pavilion Master Gong's voice.

The old woman's eyes were wide open.

"...."

However, she could not say anything else after calling out to the Sage Demon. It was because she didn't know what to ask.

The person from the Imperial family who had the Emperor's protection and had a golden plaque with him.

This young master Kim Hae-il…

That was probably an alias and not his real name.

Either way, she had heard the rumors about how this young master Kim's martial arts level was high.

However-

'This is different from what I imagined.'

Pavilion Master Gong's hand tightened around her cane.

"It is pure and refreshing."

The top executives of the Demon Cult who were standing around her heard her mumbling. They perked their ears.

Only the Heavenly Demon knew Pavilion Master Gong's exact level of strength but they all knew that her martial arts level was the highest of everybody here.

They wanted to hear her assessment.

"However, it is violent. There is no hesitation and it is free."

People started thinking about the wind and fire that young master Kim had just created.

The sight he created could easily be called beautiful; however, the power within it was too amazing to just be called beautiful.

"That sir's power truly is different from ours, the Orthodox faction's and even the Unorthodox faction's. It is nature itself."

Pavilion Master Gong could not hide her astonishment as she caressed her cane.

The others gulped or became tense after hearing that.

It could not be helped.

The only time in the past that Pavilion Master Gong had been wowed at someone's strength was when she had shouted at the top of her lungs that the current Heavenly Demon should become the future leader of the Demon Cult.

The law of the Demon Cult…

Survival of the fittest. She said that the current Heavenly Demon was the most fitting under that law. She had pestered the former Heavenly Demon so much about how this person should lead the future of the Cult.

The people who had seen her so fiercely advocating for the Heavenly Demon couldn't help but become tense after seeing her admire someone even more than she had admired the Heavenly Demon at that time.

Young master Kim.

They realized that this person was more amazing than they had imagined.

'Mmm.'

The Sage Demon, who watched all of this, contemplated things in his mind before keeping his mouth shut.

'The Heavenly Demon said that young master Kim has not studied martial arts. He said that he carries nature inside his body.'

He might not even be human.

The Sage Demon looked around at the people quietly whispering to each about young master Kim's martial arts, the ones exchanging glances and probably speaking to each other via sound transmission, people showing all sorts of reactions, but kept his mouth shut.

'She's a scary person.'

He then looked at Pavilion Master Gong with a complicated look in his eyes.

Pavilion Master Gong never even once called young master Kim's abilities martial arts. She just called it his power.

Maybe she made a similar judgment as to what the Heavenly Demon said.

The Sage Demon recalled what the former Chief Advisor said to him.

"Old Master Gong. She is a monster, a monster I tell you. You need to be the most careful around her. Old Master Gong will swallow you whole the moment you try to do something foolish.'

However, even that Old Master Gong was truly amazed by young master Kim's power.

'Young master Kim truly was the answer.'

The Sage Demon watched the Heavenly Demon's expression settling down from a distance and suppressed his emotions.

He then slowly peeked to the side.

The four candidates who would lead the Demon Cult in the future…

The Heavenly Demon would be one of these four people.

They were all looking at young master Kim with different expressions on their faces.

They were unable to take their eyes off of the person who was still surrounded by that dazzling rose gold light.

A serious look…

A curious look…

One clicking their tongue as if their mind was a complicated mess…

And even-

'That's a completely blank look.'

One standing there with a blank look on her face as if she might drool-

"Slurp."

…At least she managed not to drool.

Anyway, the Sage Demon looked toward the oldest of the candidates, the person who seemed to be in her early twenties but was actually in her mid-twenties.

The woman was blankly watching before wiping away the drool around her mouth.

'Aigoo.'

The Sage Demon got a headache.

This woman… The fourth candidate… She was the person the Heavenly Demon had decided to be the future Heavenly Demon.

"So cool-"

The Sage Demon pretended not to hear what she mumbled.

He then flinched.

"The Chief Advisor. What is the reason the Heavenly Demon is like this? Can't you tell us now?"

The question that was asked cautiously but cheekily…

The Knowledge and Finance Pavilion. The Pavilion Master of the Pavilion in charge of the Demon Cult's finances asked the Sage Demon the question.

The Sage Demon heard an eccentric voice in his mind at that time.

It was a young voice.

– Hey Sage Demon! Our human, no, young master Kim wanted me to tell you this! The punk that just said something to you is a spy from the Blood Cult!

'What?'

As the Sage Demon's heart almost jumped…

He felt an eerie sensation. It was a familiar and welcomed aura.

The Sage Demon immediately looked toward the Pavilion.

"…Oh esteemed Heavenly Demon-"

The Heavenly Demon, who had a dark red aura around him, was standing there like his usual self, with a force fitting the master of the hundreds of thousands of great mountains that made up the Demon Cult.

As for young master Kim, he slowly withdrew his rose gold light.

Similar to how the red sky disappears and darkness descends…

It resembled the sun setting and the new moon rising.

The Sage Demon could sense intense wrath from the Heavenly Demon.

—

Translator's Comments

He angry…

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]