Chapter 824

There were countless factions and groups scattered throughout Zhongyuan. From the Nine Great Sects to the Four Noble Clans—they were all considered factions in their own right.

Even the Martial Alliance itself was a faction, and the Demonic Cult was no different.

The important question was what roles these factions played and what intentions drove them.

To put it simply—were they orthodox or unorthodox? That was the first distinction to make.

It was the same in my past life.

Back then, I had encountered plenty of groups with bizarre names.

There were countless sects and clans that claimed grandeur, but the real problems always stemmed from—

"Groups that called themselves cults."

When chaos erupted, it was usually because of those lunatics.

Zealots who worshiped something or were fanatically obsessed.

Not that this was particularly strange.

Look at the Daoist or Buddhist sects—Wudang and Shaolin, for example.

Despite their refined appearances, they could easily be considered cults as well, if you thought about it.

In their case, they were simply well-structured and well-established.

But the ones I was talking about?

They were cults filled with madmen.

Whenever trouble brewed, it was always those kinds of groups that caused it.

Look at the Demonic Cult, for instance. Groups with “cult” in their name were never sane.

And now—

"Ilcheon Cult?"

The name alone sent a chill down my spine.

Crackle—! Crackle—!

Flames danced in the night air.

An entire small building was ablaze.

Naturally, I was the one who had set it on fire.

I was burning it down to erase every trace of the men inside.

As I watched the flames, I stroked my chin.

"This doesn’t sit well with me."

The group that had approached the Celestial Stream Sect—or had some sort of dealings with them—was called Ilcheon Cult.

And just hearing that name left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"The Celestial Stream Sect… in my past life, they got their hands on something from Golden Stream Manor’s hidden archives."

That discovery had propelled their sect leader’s cultivation level to new heights, and he even gained fame as a demonic practitioner.

I’d assumed it was because he had stumbled upon some extraordinary opportunity.

But now—

"What the hell is going on?"

I was the one who had raided Golden Stream Manor’s archives.

What I found there wasn’t nearly enough to explain the massive leap the Celestial Stream Sect’s leader had made in his cultivation.

And yet, the current sect leader—

"He wasn’t weak."

He was far stronger than his publicly known rank suggested.

I could tell just from facing him.

"He’s at least in the lower tier of the Ten Great Masters."

He wasn’t just some average Hwagyeong-level practitioner.

His energy was far more refined and intense.

And as far as I knew, he hadn’t obtained the archives.

So how had he reached that level?

"It means there’s something else."

While I was already questioning this, the name Ilcheon Cult only stirred my suspicions further.

The Celestial Stream Sect had supposedly found some miraculous opportunity from Golden Stream Manor’s archives in my past life.

And now, there was this name—

Ilcheon (一天).

“One Heaven.”

Was it a coincidence? Or something more?

Because that name bore an unsettling resemblance to a certain figure.

The master of Golden Stream Manor—the hero credited with stopping the Blood Disaster.

Yeon Ilcheon, the Greatest Under Heaven.

It was enough to set my nerves on edge.

******************

A day had passed since I burned those Ilcheon Cult bastards to death.

I hadn’t wiped them all out, and since it wasn’t their main base, the search radius needed to expand.

The problem was—

‘I’m not exactly in a position to do the searching myself.’

There were other matters that demanded my attention.

Sure, I had the Shadow King to rely on, so it wasn’t a major issue, but—

‘It doesn’t sit right leaving everything to that man.’

Especially when the man in question was already missing an arm. It didn’t feel right to keep piling tasks on him.

Not that I was about to take over the search myself either…

‘If it’s about smashing through and tearing things down, sure.’

But creeping around quietly, piecing things together? That didn’t suit me.

I could do it if I really had to, but honestly? It was more convenient to let someone better suited for it handle the task.

‘Tsk.’

I decided to look at it in a positive light.

‘Besides… the Shadow King seems like he actually wants to do it.’

He had been there when I first heard the name Ilcheon Cult.

Afterward, something about it seemed to spark his interest. He’d volunteered to dig deeper without me even asking.

It was a relief, honestly, to have someone willing to step up.

‘Sigh.’

I tapped the table and furrowed my brows.

“There’s definitely something going on here…”

There was something about this whole situation that kept nagging at me.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it wouldn’t leave my mind.

It felt like there was a storm brewing, and I couldn’t shake the unease creeping up my spine.

Just as I was mulling it over—

Knock, knock.

“Clan Leader.”

I sensed someone standing outside the door.

“It’s Moon Dohyuk. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

A man entered—Moon Dohyuk, a member of the Serpent Dragon Division.

“What is it?”

“I came to report the results of the investigation.”

“Ah.”

I nodded.

With my permission, he carefully handed me a scroll.

Unfolding it, I saw a summary of recent developments recorded over several days.

“Hmm.”

I skimmed through it quickly before asking,

“This covers how many days?”

“Three days, sir.”

“Three days?”

I smirked.

“Got it. I’ve reviewed it, so you can go now.”

“Is there anything else you’d like me to look into?”

“Not at the moment. Just keep doing what you’re—oh, wait. Dohyuk.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Keep an eye on the Azure Dragon Division if you can.”

“The Azure Dragon Division?”

“Yeah. Nothing too detailed—just observe.”

“Understood.”

Once Moon Dohyuk left, a bitter laugh escaped me.

I laughed for a while, then suddenly stopped and let my face harden.

“…How ridiculous.”

Crack.

I crumpled the scroll and burned it on the spot.

The ashes scattered. There was no need to keep that report.

Because—

“It’s all worthless.”

The so-called intelligence Moon Dohyuk had brought me was nothing but garbage.

It looked solid enough on the surface—tracking the movements of the Celestial Stream Sect, identifying their locations, and listing their personnel.

But—

“Tsk.”

It was all fake.

I already knew the real information from the Shadow King and my own investigations.

So it was obvious that everything Moon Dohyuk had reported was fabricated.

“These bastards.”

I cursed, though I wasn’t exactly angry.

I had expected this.

If I’d wanted real intel, I wouldn’t have sent someone like him to gather it.

I could have done it myself or assigned someone I actually trusted.

But there was a reason I had deliberately used him instead.

‘It’s easier to weed them out this way.’

It was more efficient to sort out the rats like this.

That’s why I had let them handle it in the first place.

‘But to be this blatant about it?’

They didn’t even try to hide it.

‘Or maybe it’s just easier for me to see through it because I already know the truth?’

Maybe.

But whatever the reason, that wasn’t the main point.

The important part was—

‘There are traitors in the Serpent Dragon Division.’

There were definitely people I needed to root out, starting with Moon Dohyuk.

The man had originally come from the Azure Dragon Division.

From what I had learned, he’d barely avoided being kicked out due to his poor performance there.

A strange connection, indeed.

“Hmm.”

What to do with him?

I thought it over briefly before finally standing up.

It seemed there was somewhere I needed to go.

*****************

The man who had just left Gu Yangcheon’s residence—Moon Dohyuk—walked briskly, doing his best to hide his anxiousness.

As the presence of others faded around him, his expression began to surface.

It was obvious at a glance—he was rattled.

“Huff… Huff.”

He took deep breaths, trying to steady his rapidly pounding heart.

Moon Dohyuk was scared.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the eyes of Gu Yangcheon, the ones he had faced just moments ago.

“Ugh…”

What kind of person had eyes that terrifying?

Those faintly blue-tinged pupils had pierced through him as though they could see everything—every secret he was hiding.

They were the eyes of someone who knew exactly what he had done.

Just thinking about them made Moon Dohyuk exhale slowly.

Had he been found out?

It was possible.

The anxiety swelled, but he forced himself to suppress it and kept walking.

Avoiding prying eyes, he moved deeper into the branch headquarters.

And then—

“You’re here.”

Someone was already waiting at his destination.

The moment he saw the man, Moon Dohyuk immediately dropped to his knees.

Compared to how he had acted before Gu Yangcheon, this display was far more submissive and swift.

“M-Master Ilcheon! It’s an honor to see you.”

The middle-aged man gave a small nod.

It was Ilcheon Sword.

Ilcheon Sword looked down at Moon Dohyuk and waved his hand slightly.

In an instant, the air around them rippled.

Whoosh—!

A gust of wind swept through, lightly shifting Moon Dohyuk’s hair.

It was a Concealment Technique.

Once the surroundings fell silent, Ilcheon Sword spoke.

“Did you take care of things properly?”

“Y-Yes! I followed your instructions exactly.”

Ilcheon Sword focused on the words, “as instructed,” and smirked slightly.

“How did the Star King react? Did he seem suspicious?”

“At first, he might have been, but… fortunately, he doesn’t appear to suspect anything now.”

“Oh?”

Ilcheon Sword raised a brow, as if surprised.

“No reaction at all?”

It was unexpected.

Sensing the mood, Moon Dohyuk hurriedly added more details.

“And… he gave me an order.”

“An order? What kind of order?”

“He told me to observe the movements of the Azure Dragon Division.”

“Hmm.”

The mention of the Azure Dragon Division made Ilcheon Sword’s eyes narrow.

So even Gu Yangcheon was paying attention to that side.

Not that it mattered. At this point, it was too late for him to change anything.

“What should I do…?”

Moon Dohyuk asked cautiously.

Ilcheon Sword’s response was calm.

“Follow the Star King’s instructions.”

“You mean… report back about the Azure Dragon Division?”

“Exactly. Just give him enough to look believable.”

“U-Understood.”

Moon Dohyuk nodded repeatedly.

Satisfied, Ilcheon Sword gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

“You catch on quickly, as expected.”

Moon Dohyuk’s eyes glimmered at the recognition.

But—

“By the way, what was your name again?”

His eyes flickered in that brief moment.

“…Moon Dohyuk.”

“Ah, right. I remember now. Moon Dohyuk.”

“…”

“I’ll be counting on you. You remember what to do, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

Moon Dohyuk clenched his fist slightly.

But an inexplicable sense of unease crept up his spine.

So he asked the question he had been holding back.

“M-Master Ilcheon.”

“Hmm?”

“Once this is over… you’ll let me return to the Azure Dragon Division, right?”

His voice trembled with desperation.

Ilcheon Sword’s brows twitched briefly.

But it was just for an instant.

He quickly regained his composure, smiled, and patted Moon Dohyuk’s shoulder again.

“Of course. Didn’t I promise? Once this is done, not only will you return to the Azure Dragon Division, but I’ll even secure you a proper position.”

The reassurance finally brought a bit of relief to Moon Dohyuk’s expression.

“Thank you! I-I’ll do my best!”

“Good. Just focus on your task. You understand how important tomorrow is, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir!”

Moon Dohyuk nodded fervently.

Seeing that, Ilcheon Sword took a step back.

Moon Dohyuk quickly rose to his feet.

“I’ll take my leave now, Master Ilcheon.”

“Good work.”

“Yes, sir…!”

Moon Dohyuk disappeared into the distance.

The moment his presence vanished beyond the Concealment Barrier—

“Tch.”

Ilcheon Sword clicked his tongue and frowned.

“Pathetic wretch.”

The irritation was plain on his face.

Gone was the kind demeanor he had shown earlier.

“How dare he…”

A mere castoff from the Azure Dragon Division—was his name Moon Hyukdo? No, Moon Dohyuk?

Not even worth remembering.

And yet that man had dared to ask, “Will you really let me go back?”

The question made Ilcheon Sword click his tongue again.

Did this fool really think he deserved anything?

He’d seemed useful enough as bait, but the moment he started acting like he had leverage, it was clear he’d gotten too full of himself.

For a moment, Ilcheon Sword considered getting rid of him immediately—but—

‘No… It doesn’t matter.’

He smirked.

There was no point in worrying about it.

After all, he had promised to let him return to the Azure Dragon Division—

‘If he makes it back alive.’

And if not?

‘Bait isn’t needed once the fish is caught.’

Moon Dohyuk was no different.

With that thought, Ilcheon Sword turned and disappeared into the night.

As the Concealment Technique faded, someone with piercing blue eyes emerged from the shadows.

It was Gu Yangcheon.

He had been watching the entire exchange from a distance.

“Well, well…”

He fixed his gaze on Ilcheon Sword’s retreating back, his expression contemplative.

“Where should I dig his grave?”

It was an amusing dilemma.