Chapter 069
"Before that, help me clean up this place. The Blood Cult's attack has left everything in disarray, so if you could help with that..."
At Baek Sugyeong's brazen request, the Sun-Moon Cult Master laughed with amusement.
"How interesting. You dare make demands of me?"
"I would have said the same even if the Blood Cult Master had come instead of you."
"What remarkable courage. A man should have that much backbone. I like it."
The Sun-Moon Cult Master smiled and turned to look at the warriors of the King of Hell Unit.
"Sugyeong is asking us to help clean up this mess. What do you think?"
"We only follow the Sacred One's commands."
"Hmm. How boring. Every single one of our cult members is just... tsk."
The Sun-Moon Cult Master clicked his tongue and ordered.
"Clean up the debris. Don't mind what those Orthodox fools say."
"We obey."
Baek Sugyeong felt deflated that his bluff had been so easily accepted by the Sun-Moon Cult Master. It was clear that the Sun-Moon Cult Master had taken a great liking to Baek Sugyeong. He had shown tremendous goodwill by not killing the Orthodox faction members gathered here for Sugyeong's sake, and even granted his unreasonable request. Sugyeong had nothing to say to that.
"Is this satisfactory, Sugyeong?"
"I don't understand why you're treating me this way..."
"It's simply respect for someone who changed our cult's ways and provided me with entertainment. You have more courage than I expected. I like that."
The Sun-Moon Cult Master smiled.
"Now that I've removed those troublesome Blood Cult fellows and provided help, let me make one request of my own."
"...If it's something I cannot accept, I won't agree even with a blade at my throat."
"I won't make such a request."
The Sun-Moon Cult Master's expression turned slightly displeased.
"What would I gain from such petty behavior? I won't ask you to join our cult. The Xinjiang region would be too harsh for someone living in the Central Plains."
"Then..."
"Sugyeong, I want to use you as a token to form an agreement with the Orthodox Murim. Of course, only for as long as you live."
'An agreement? What did that mean?'
Baek Sugyeong couldn't fathom the Sun-Moon Cult Master's intentions. Seeing Sugyeong's confused expression, the Sun-Moon Cult Master smirked.
"I'll give you time to think. I'll come back to meet you when the martial arts tournament ends. I'll lend you the King of Hell Unit."
"What do you mean—!"
Ignoring Baek Sugyeong's words, the Sun-Moon Cult Master's figure lightly soared into the sky. His voice followed from behind.
"King of Hell Unit, follow Sugyeong's orders until you receive separate instructions. If he suffers even the slightest injury, I will behead every one of you."
"We obey the Sacred One's command!"
While Baek Sugyeong stood there with a dumbfounded expression at the King of Hell Unit warriors' response, the Demon Lord from Xinjiang's laughter echoed in the sky.
"We'll meet again soon, Sugyeong!"
Watching the Sun-Moon Cult Master's retreating figure as he appeared like a storm, resolved the situation, and disappeared just as quickly, Baek Sugyeong felt a throbbing in his head.
"Heavens above..."
Despite not having completed even one novel series, why was he being subjected to such trials? Pressing his throbbing head, Baek Sugyeong closed his eyes.
"I'm going to lose my mind."
No sooner had he spoken those words than Baek Sugyeong collapsed as if fainting.
"Teacher!"
"Owner! Wake up!"
"Master Baek! Call a physician!"
The alarmed voices of three women echoed throughout the tournament grounds.
...
"The Blood Cult, you say?"
The voice carried a subtle but unmistakable anger. Though not erupting like a volcano on the surface, it was clear that the owner of the voice was sufficiently angered, as many people bowed their heads before him.
In the lavishly decorated great hall, a man wearing the imperial crown sat on the dragon throne at its center. Emperor Myeongjeong, the sole sovereign of the Zhou Dynasty, was glaring down at the officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had submitted the report.
"His Imperial Majesty is asking you a question."
At the elderly minister's prompt, the military official kneeling in the center of the hall answered.
"Yes, it was indeed the Blood Cult, Your Imperial Majesty."
"My, my..."
"How could they, when they haven't set foot in the martial world since the end of the Old Murim and the beginning of the New Murim?"
Voices discussing the martial world erupted from all around.
"Silence."
At the emperor's authoritative voice, the officials ceased their chatter.
If anyone was most angered in this gathering, it would be Emperor Myeongjeong. He had a bitter connection with the Blood Cult. Empress Sohyeon of the Tang family, who was Ju Geumye's mother, had lost her life because of the Blood Cult, so his resentment was far from small.
"Blood Cult..."
Emperor Myeongjeong's voice was filled with rage. The officials remained silent, waiting for the emperor's words. Anxiety spread among them.
'If I were to raise an army and reduce Tianshan to scorched earth, it would still not be enough...'
Emperor Myeongjeong tilted his head and placed his hand on his forehead. He wanted nothing more than to immediately dispatch troops and wage war against the Blood Cult that had nested in Tianshan. But he couldn't, because Ju Geumye's letter sent through a military official stated that he shouldn't do so.
This was tantamount to treason.
'...I am furious.'
Emperor Myeongjeong's eyebrows furrowed into a reverse figure eight.
"Haa..."
The officials flinched at his sigh, heavy with displeasure.
"Those who attempt to kill a monarch must pay the price."
He could overlook everything else. However, they had targeted the only blood relative Empress Sohyeon had left in this world. That fact angered Emperor Myeongjeong even more.
"I hereby declare the Blood Cult an enemy of the martial world and, furthermore, of the entire Central Plains. The heretical cult of the Blood Cult, which deceives and misleads the people, shall be exterminated upon discovery! However, ensure that the common people do not suffer because of this. Investigate thoroughly!"
"Your Imperial Majesty's grace is boundless!!"
It was the moment when the Blood Cult's future turned bleak, becoming not just an enemy of the martial world but an enemy of all under heaven, officially recognized by the imperial court.
...
"Mmm."
How long had he been unconscious?
Awakening from a deep sleep, Baek Sugyeong realized he was lying amidst shadows cast by flickering candles. Lifting his head slightly, he saw Namgung Somin and So Ssanga leaning against each other's shoulders, asleep. They had not left his side.
Baek Sugyeong blinked his eyes from within the soft bedding.
'How much time has passed?'
His sense of time was blurry. The last thing he remembered was stubbornly standing his ground before the Sun-Moon Cult Master, then losing consciousness and collapsing.
First the Blood Cult, now the Sun-Moon Cult...
His head throbbed.
'Somehow the scale of everything keeps growing, becoming unmanageable.'
Moreover, the Sun-Moon Cult Master seemed to have taken a liking to Baek Sugyeong himself, which made his headache even worse.
"What happened to the martial arts tournament..."
Of course, this was common in martial arts novels, but experiencing it firsthand made it even more disorienting.
"Haa..."
Having witnessed people dying before his eyes, he felt nauseated.
He carefully got up from his bed.
After rising without waking Namgung Somin and So Ssanga, he noticed that Gal Yerung was nowhere to be seen.
Hao Sect...
'She was from the Hao Sect, one of the Ten Unorthodox Sects related to the Black Brush Gang.'
An Embroidered Uniform Guard warrior blocked Baek Sugyeong's path as he left the room to get some night air.
"Lord Sugyeong, you must not leave your room carelessly."
"If I stay in that room any longer, I'll suffocate to death. I won't go anywhere, so please let me get some fresh air here."
"I cannot allow it. The Princess has strictly ordered that you remain in your room until you've fully recovered."
Baek Sugyeong's forehead creased.
"I have no intention of doing so."
"Lord Sugyeong."
"If you insist, I'll speak with the Princess myself, so please relay my message to her."
"You've only just regained consciousness. Your complexion is pale, so please go back inside and rest."
Baek Sugyeong clicked his tongue.
Come to think of it, he didn't know where he was.
"By the way, could you tell me where we are?"
"This is the Luoyang Detached Palace, located south of Luoyang."
"Detached Palace?"
Baek Sugyeong's face froze.
'A detached palace... another power I wanted to avoid.'
He covered his face with his hand and gave a hollow laugh.
Truly, nothing was going according to his wishes.