novelraw Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Danmok Yeon, who had turned Danmok Muyeol into a living corpse, was frightening, but didn't it seem that even he was following Cheon Ha-seong's words?
The right to decide Danmok Muyeol's life and death was in Cheon Ha-seong's hands.
The followers forcefully calmed their pounding hearts and hurried onto the carriages.
A moment later, the procession of carriages began to move.
Thanks to Danmok Muyeol having his martial artists steal horses and carriages, the procession certainly departed quickly.
In the spot where the procession had completely left, only Danmok Muyeol and the martial artists of the Danmok Clan remained forlornly.
They could not say anything for a long while. Danmok Muyeol's condition was serious, so they should have at least asked if he was alright. However, there was no one who asked. If not for Danmok Muyeol, they wouldn't have suddenly ended up in this predicament. It was something that had happened because he had been needlessly stubborn when there was no need to be. If there had been even a little profit from it, they wouldn't have been so angry.
The martial artists of the Danmok Demonic Clan each just maintained their silence, trying to quell their anger.
There was no way Danmok Muyeol would not notice the atmosphere. But he had nothing to say. Until now, he had been able to crush and control them by bringing up the future that was guaranteed to him, but now, that no longer held any power.
“Let's go…”
After a long while, Danmok Muyeol spoke weakly, but there was no one who answered. If he said to go, they would follow, but they had no desire at all to set out enthusiastically.
Danmok Muyeol keenly felt his changed destiny as he felt the anger of those who had been closest to him.
Protect the followers.
A mission he absolutely did not want to carry out pressed down painfully on his head.
……
The guard warriors protecting the Divine Cult saw a small procession approaching.
“They're coming. It seems Head Instructor Cheon is bringing the followers.”
As the person who had first spotted the procession spoke, everyone soon became busy.
The order to report the news when Cheon Ha-seong returned had been given by the Cult Leader long ago.
One person confirmed the procession and found out that they were indeed Cheon Ha-seong's party. At that, the person with the fastest lightness skill went ahead to the Cult Leader's Hall to deliver the news.
The followers from Qinghai couldn't believe that they had really come to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, and they seemed unable to contain their emotion.
The majority of them got out of the carriages, looked around, and shed tears.
The guard warriors, who would normally have had frightening faces and questioned them about this and that, were kind to them.
There had been a command from the Cult Leader to treat well those who had suffered and come a long way.
Cheon Ha-seong was relieved that they were able to enter the border smoothly. Then he had the followers get back in the carriages and guided them.
They still had to go a little further to reach the central part of the Divine Cult, and they hadn't gone far when a large number of men and horses came rushing towards them, kicking up a cloud of dust.
There was no doubt that the person riding at the head of the group was the Cult Leader.
Behind him, Cheok Gyo-woon could also be seen.
Cheon Ha-seong, at the thought that he had finally returned, smiled without even realizing it.
Then he recalled how this whole affair had started.
Dumplings.
The dumplings from Cheonghaeru.
It had all started with the Cheonghaeru dumplings that Seo Hyo-eun had said she wanted to eat. He had gone to bring back the chef of Cheonghaeru, and the matter had grown this large.
Cheon Ha-seong, who had been watching the approaching Cult Leader from afar, turned his head and looked at Danmok Yeon.
“Did you see the Cult Leader when you came before?”
When Cheon Ha-seong asked, Danmok Yeon sighed with a complicated expression.
It seemed his worry about how to bring it up was as big as a mountain.
If so, it seemed right to assume that he hadn't spoken.
“Do not worry too much. I will explain well that you annihilated the Azure Sea Sect and rescued the followers. I may not look it, but I am receiving the Cult Leader's favor in abundance, so he will listen.”
“If so, that is a relief.”
Danmok Yeon wondered if his long wandering was ending like this.
He hadn't specifically decided what he would do from now on.
The thought of pledging loyalty to the Cult Leader or dedicating himself to the Divine Cult had not yet firmly taken root. He had originally been a person with a faint sense of loyalty to the cult or his family.
Still, he was just thinking that he should at least make a show of it from now on.
If there was one definite goal for him now, it was to teach Cheon Ha-seong the martial arts he had created. But since Cheon Ha-seong was the Cult Leader's son-in-law and seemed to have a good relationship with him, he was just thinking that he should probably do the same.
While he was having such thoughts, the Cult Leader arrived in front of him in an instant.
The Cult Leader's face was full of smiles.
He hadn't even opened his mouth yet, but a feeling of great pride could be felt.
“Welcome, son-in-law. You've worked hard. You've worked hard.”
As expected, he welcomed Cheon Ha-seong first.
After sending Cheon Ha-seong off alone, he had thought many times that he shouldn't have.
Cheon Ha-seong was grateful for the welcome and introduced the people.
It was right to introduce Danmok Yeon first, but he had such a long story that he hesitated for a moment.
So he sent a telepathic message first.
—Cult Leader, this person is named Danmok Yeon…
At that, the Cult Leader's telepathic message came back at once.
—I have heard from Hyo-eun. You do not need to trouble yourself with an explanation.
Then the Cult Leader looked at Danmok Yeon, smiled, and bowed his head. To think the Cult Leader was a person who bowed his head—a question filled the minds of the numerous onlookers. Danmok Yeon, wondering what was happening, showed his respect to the Cult Leader.
Seeing him act that way without any words being exchanged, it seemed the Cult Leader and Cheon Ha-seong had been communicating telepathically, but he couldn't know what the content of their conversation was.
After that, Cheon Ha-seong explained about the martial artists who had been active in the Central Plains, and then introduced the followers.
The Cult Leader met the eyes of each and every person Cheon Ha-seong introduced, smiled, and welcomed them.
They couldn't even believe they were facing the Cult Leader, and they couldn't contain their emotion at even being welcomed.
“You have all suffered greatly. How are your injuries? Did your wounds worsen from the long journey by carriage?”
Cheon Ha-seong felt grateful as he watched the Cult Leader check on the condition of the injured people first.
The followers, choked with emotion at the concern the Cult Leader showed, reported that they were fine.
Hadn't Danmok Muyeol intimidated and pressured them, flaunting his paltry authority for the reason that he was the Young Family Head of a prestigious Demonic Clan? Because of that, they had a fearful heart and anxiety about the Divine Cult's leadership.
But to have the Supreme One of the Divine Cult show such special concern, they couldn't help but be moved.
“Let's be on our way. A place to stay has been prepared.”
The Cult Leader said, then looked at Paeng Ga-jong meaningfully.
“Is Chef Paeng very tired?”
Paeng Ga-jong knew what he meant and smiled.
“No, sir. Not at all, Cult Leader. I came because of the dumplings, and even if I am tired, I can still make them. I cannot express how honored I am that someone remembers my dumplings.”
“Yes. Thank you for saying so. As it happens, she wanted to come with you, but I stopped her. Since it is a time when it is best to be careful with her movements.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
As they talked in a harmonious atmosphere, the procession finally began to head towards the central part of the Divine Cult.
……
While the Cult Leader was taking special care to entertain the followers and Sa Un-ak's group, Cheon Ha-seong was able to spend time with Seo Hyo-eun.
In the few days that she hadn't seen Cheon Ha-seong, Seo Hyo-eun's face seemed to have grown much thinner.
Seeing that, Cheon Ha-seong felt his heart break.
“Have you not eaten at all, Head Instructor Seo?”
“It's not that. I did eat.”
“Just wait a little. Chef Paeng said he will make dumplings. It will be ready soon.”
At that, Seo Hyo-eun looked at Cheon Ha-seong with a face full of tears.
“You don't know how much I regretted it after sending you off like that. I thought I must have been possessed by something. It was to the point where I couldn't believe how I could have sent you to Qinghai for just some dumplings.”
“What is there to think of it that way? It turned out well, didn't it? If I hadn't gone to Qinghai, I wouldn't have known about the followers' suffering either.”
However, it seemed her emotions did not calm down easily, perhaps because she had worried so much.
At a time like this, it seemed better to do something completely different than to repeat the same words, 'it's okay'. And as it happened, Cheon Ha-seong had a mountain of incredible stories that would completely captivate Seo Hyo-eun's attention.
“Head Instructor Seo, listen to what I have to say from now on. There are so many incredible things. You won't believe it. If you don't say 'Is that really true?' even once until my story is over, I will give you ten taels of gold.”
Then he remembered that he had received the money pouch from the Cult Leader.
“I was wondering if I could spend all that money when I left, but I really spent a lot, didn't I?”
Cheon Ha-seong muttered, stopping mid-sentence to take out the money pouch and check the remaining amount. Even though he skipped around and told the story, Seo Hyo-eun was able to understand what he meant.
“Tell me everything, Head Instructor Cheon.”
Cheon Ha-seong was about to say things here and there as they came to mind, but he thought that wasn't right. It felt as if he would leave something out if he spoke in that manner. So he began to tell the story of his journey from the very beginning, one by one.
Seo Hyo-eun also thought that would be better and her eyes shone.
“I only had a good impression of Qinghai, but to think something like that happened. When I went, there was no such incident, nor any such unpleasant news.”
Cheon Ha-seong thought that was understandable.
There was no way the Cult Leader would have let Seo Hyo-eun worry about such things. The personal bodyguards must have already been deployed in the surroundings, taking measures to prevent dangerous people from entering within their radius.
Cheon Ha-seong was relieved at the thought that she had lived safely under their protection until now.
And he simultaneously had the thought that he would protect her like that from now on, and that not just Seo Hyo-eun, but all the followers of the Divine Cult should be able to feel that same sense of security.
As expected, the most important matter was Danmok Yeon's wicked arts.
Cheon Ha-seong had to try his utmost to hold back from wanting to tell that story first. Seo Hyo-eun was also able to tell, and when that story finally came out, she smiled. It was because she was thinking, 'How did he hold back from wanting to tell that first?'
However, Cheon Ha-seong did not mention that Danmok Yeon had praised him or that he seemed to have a talent for that kind of thing. As a result, the story lost its flavor.
Seo Hyo-eun made up her mind that she would have to talk to Danmok Yeon directly. It was obvious that Cheon Ha-seong would have done very well in that too, and it seemed he would have understood what Danmok Yeon was saying with frightening clarity.
She was waiting to hear such words, but Cheon Ha-seong just glossed over it.
The story had, at some point, moved on to being about Danmok Muyeol.
He did not leave out the part about Danmok Muyeol trying to kill the injured followers, or the fact that he had left his group behind in Qinghai.
At that, Seo Hyo-eun's expression became serious.
Seo Hyo-eun nodded, and wore an expression that seemed bitter that things had ended up that way.