Published at 29th of April 2026 8:51 am

Chapter 430

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Wooooooong----!!!!

My pupils vibrated as if they were going mad. I looked toward the owner of this sense of alienation.

'...... What's this?'

It was curious. The number and appearance were the same as those I had seen yesterday, yet there was an oddly strange feeling.

'They're different.'

They were the same, but different. The outward appearance was identical, but the aura within felt completely different.

'Who is it?'

My eyes narrowed. It was definitely an aura, but—

'It's spiritual ki (靈氣).'

Not the internal ki of a martial artist, but spiritual ki. A deep, subtle energy enveloped that demonic human's entire body.

Were they always like that? No. That couldn't be. There was no one like that in my memory. Moreover—

'To be surrounded by spiritual ki.'

It meant the person could use spiritual ki. Could it be possible that I wouldn't recognize someone like that?

'...... It's ambiguous.'

Given my current state, maybe. But—

'No.'

I shook my head inside. This wasn't just that simple.

Especially because just the feeling coming from the shadow beneath my feet was enough.

'This—'

It's ominous.

I got a bad feeling. A really bad one.

* * *

Setting aside the chilly sensation, the conversation began again.

"First off, our current desire is nothing out of the ordinary."

Once the Young Cult Leader spoke, the demonic human behind he handed over a letter.

It was the main point that hadn't been discussed yesterday.

"We wish for a meeting with the orthodox faction. For this, we desire for the Demonic Cult and the orthodox side to exchange in official dialogue and interaction—"

"...... Dialogue and interaction?"

At the Young Cult Leader's words, Heavenly Insight's eyebrows quivered in displeasure.

"That's right."

The Young Cult Leader continued, unfazed by Heavenly Insight's reaction.

"Currently, the Demonic Cult is training successors for reconstruction. Through this, I believe we can continue peaceful meetings with the orthodox side."

"What do you mean......?"

Training successors—that bothered me.

"When it comes to interaction, isn't the best method for each side to reveal their future generations to each other?"

"...... So you mean."

"Yes. From what I heard, the Murim Alliance will soon establish the Preparation Pavilion (備倫館)."

"Ha."

Upon mention of the Preparation Pavilion, Heavenly Insight's reaction was fierce.

"What are you saying? You mean to put even Demonic Cultists into the Preparation Pavilion?"

"That's correct."

"How ridiculous...!"

Heavenly Insight's gaze turned icy.

'Preparation Pavilion, huh.'

I secretly recalled it at Heavenly Insight's reaction. Preparation Pavilion. I did know about it.

It wasn't particularly impressive.

'Isn't it just a place where rising stars briefly jostle among themselves?'

In name, it was for meetings and education.

It was an educational institution run by the Murim Alliance.

Rising stars representing various familie and families would participate to receive instruction from the Alliance's experts.

'But in the end, it's just about building networks.'

Education from famous familie was never inferior to that of the Murim Alliance.

It was just a place for building relationships.

'Rising stars representing each group gather to network with each other.'

It was a space filled with intensely political and insular internal affairs.

So, it wasn't something you could afford to miss.

So in a way, you could even call it something like a festival representing the orthodox side.

'And now demonic cultists are coming there?'

I could understand Heavenly Insight's response. Of course he would be like that.

'From the start—'

The Preparation Pavilion was—

'Founded after the Great Demon War between the Orthodox and Demonic Sects.'

To ensure such events never happened again, the Murim Alliance created it to better contend with the unorthodox faction and the demonic cultists.

That was the purpose of its creation.

'And now they want to send the Demonic Cult's rising stars there?'

It was a ludicrous notion.

"Do you really not understand what you're saying by that?"

Heavenly Insight spat the words full of hostility, but the Young Cult Leader just shrugged.

"I am aware. That's why I'm taking the initiative and offering to send ours. If, conversely, you wish to send the Alliance's rising stars to the Demonic Cult, I would make no more suggestions."

"You really don't understand that such interaction could become a problem in itself. What does the Murim Alliance have to trust, to let you in here?"

"If you wish, we could even place a restriction."

"What?"

"I considered the open exchange of each side's futures as the fastest method of interaction. However, since the things we have done and our past is problematic, if you wish, I find it reasonable to place a restriction."

The Young Cult Leader brought up restrictions with an indifferent expression.

Something normally considered quite rude to martial artists.

'Hmm.'

I narrowed my eyes at the Young Cult Leader.

'What is her thinking?'

Staring at gusy's face, I thought of many things. Just what was his intention to go this far?

The important thing is—

'No matter how much he does this—'

"There is no need to accept this."

Of course, Heavenly Insight and the others of the orthodox faction had no reason to rashly accept this.

"I reject it. The orthodox faction has no need to continue relations with you—"

"If you accept these conditions, I will return the Sect Token to you."

"......"

The moment the Young Cult Leader spoke.

Wooooong.

A rough vibration rang out from somewhere. The source was over by where Divine Spear was.

"...... Sect Token?"

The air itself vibrated.

My insides churned.

Should I say it felt like I wanted to gag?

I swallowed dryly.

'What's the Sect Token, anyway.'

What was it that warranted such a response?

Divine Spear, who had hardly reacted to anything before now.

"That's right. The Sect Token......"

Clank!

The demonic humans behind he gripped their swords. I wondered at their harsh reaction.

"That thing."

Divine Spear's voice sounded heavily.

"How does the Demonic Cult even have it?"

Hostile intent?

No, not hostility or baleful energy.

It was something beyond that.

The overwhelming pressure made my hands sweat.

The Young Cult Leader was the same. Seemingly feeling the weight, cold sweat formed on he's forehead.

"There were circumstances."

"Circumstances."

It looked as if he was curious about those circumstances.

Divine Spear's expression didn't change, but the aura coming from his body did.

"Those circumstances, you must mean, were something between the previous Heavenly Demon and the Sword Saint. Furthermore."

The Young Cult Leader's smile disappeared. Wearing a blunt expression, he spoke.

"If you require the Sect Token, I can return it to you. As long as you accept my conditions, that is."

Just by mentioning the Sect Token, Heavenly Insight and surely Divine Spear's responses also changed.

What even was that thing...?

While I was puzzling over it—

"The condition is simple. As I mentioned earlier, we wish for a meeting with the Alliance. We believe that showing each other our respective futures is the best way to achieve that. And—"

The Young Cult Leader's gaze turned toward me.

"If this process is worrisome, as the Young Cult Leader, I myself will also enter the Preparation Pavilion. I hope you will see this favorably."

'Ha.'

I let out a faint laugh at the Young Cult Leader's words.

To say he would personally join the Preparation Pavilion meant—

'The enemy's leader willingly entering our stronghold.'

That also meant he was putting he's own neck on the line.

"In exchange, you'll return the Sect Token? You mean an object of the orthodox faction to begin with."

"Ahaha......"

At Heavenly Insight's words, the Young Cult Leader let out a short laugh.

"Heavenly Insight."

"What is it?"

"I'm aware that there are orthodox people who also possess traces of the Demonic Cult. In that sense, doesn't it seem meaningless to argue over who owns this and that?"

Spoils of war seized from the Demonic Cult. It'd be nonsense to say there were none.

Even—

'Take the Divine Sword, for example.'

The Divine Sword I carried around. Even that was a case in point.

"So, let's put such things aside this time, and look only at the immediate benefit. Don't you need the Sect Token? Isn't it necessary to open something important?"

"......"

Grrrrk—Heavenly Insight ground his teeth. His response was as fierce as ever.

In that moment.

Sssssss-!!!!

'Hmm?'

My head turned.

I sensed it.

Spiritual ki was moving.

The source was the person I had been wary of up until now.

'What's this?'

A tingling feeling. My eyes widened. It wasn't just spiritual ki.

No way.

'Baleful energy?'

It was as if he was releasing baleful energy.

The condensed, rapidly burrowing force was just that.

It permeated the air, digging in like a scream.

Toward Heavenly Insight.

The moment I saw it, my body moved on its own.

'Are you insane?'

Unleashing baleful energy in this situation?

And without a single movement?

That was terrifying.

Even if Heavenly Insight barely possessed any spiritual ki, getting hit by that would be dangerous.

'Damn it—'

So I moved.

There was no time to weigh the pros and cons.

Tsk.

I focused strength in my heart.

As I unraveled the restraints and tried to cut through the baleful energy—

『You don't need to bother.』

The Heavenly Demon spoke at that very moment.

Sssssss-!!!

Spiritual ki from the sword fired toward the incoming baleful energy.

Clash-!!!

The energies collided and dispersed in the air.

Amazingly, what the Heavenly Demon shot was also baleful energy.

Shatter—!!!

The baleful energies clashed and disappeared by themselves, and at that moment—

Thud-!

The demonic human who'd unleashed the baleful energy staggered.

I could see the movement in the shaking of he's shoulder.

It must've been the rebound from deflecting the baleful energy.

『Originally—』

The Heavenly Demon spoke, watching that demonic human.

『I wouldn't have gotten involved, but it bothered me too much. This time, I'll help.』

The same as back in the Death King's case, the Heavenly Demon handled things because of discomfort.

『What a disgusting wench.』

After that, I heard words tinged with malice I may have heard before.

A disgusting woman?

'...... Wait.'

That made me look at the demonic human again.

He had just straightened up after stooping over.

Acting as if nothing had happened.

Ssssh.

I could tell those hidden eyes beneath the mask were fixed on me.

I couldn't make out those eyes well, but they raked over me.

Wooooong.

The shadow moved again.

― My, my.

A voice sounded. Was it transmitted speech?

No, it was different from that.

A delicate, elegant color stood out.

Just hearing the voice gave me that strange sensation.

― So it really was you.

With those words, the shadow reared up.

Eyes shot out from the shadow and glared at me.

― Or was I mistaken? If not you, then......

With those words, the eyes dropped their gaze.

― Is it this sword?

Only after hearing that did I realize the identity of this demonic human.

'No way...'

I licked my lips inconspicuously.

'I was right.'

That demonic human—in other words, the person masquerading as a demonic human—

'It was the Bow Ghost.'

The self-proclaimed greatest beauty under heaven and the Death King's teacher, a woman known as the Bow Ghost.

It seemed to be her.

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