Chapter 56 : Do Not Be Afraid

Chapter 56: Do Not Be Afraid

While the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was, as usual, absorbed in training, a message was delivered to me.

It was a message sent by the Golden Flower Manor.

During the time I spent checking it, the ten former squad leaders who had earned a brief respite were sprawled across the training grounds, while Cheolma and the Profound Demon were catching their ragged breaths.

Even with two of the Five Demons included and ten squad-leader–level masters clinging to me at once, they had failed to stop my crescent blade.

They could not even block it—running away alone had been overwhelming.

To be honest, until experiencing this firsthand, Cheolma had believed he would eventually be able to catch up to me.

After all, he had been evaluated as standing on the boundary between man and transcendent.

But after colliding with me directly, I was far too distant. A vast, unreachable distance no matter how far one stretched out a hand.

Because of that, he felt neither resentment nor anger. Such emotions only arose when the opponent was someone you could actually contend with.

Simply standing there holding the crescent blade made me terrifying.

It was not that he feared death. Rather, it was despair at the realization that nothing he did would work.

If there was anything frustrating, it was that.

Perhaps that was why. As I tucked the message away after finishing it and turned around, Cheolma suddenly asked me,

“What must I do to receive Vice Cult Leader’s crescent blade?”

He had not expected an answer. It was more like a complaint.

Yet—

“Why only think about receiving it? If you cannot match me with strength, then step aside. If even that fails, then turn it around and use it instead. Borrowing Force to Amplify Energy is not something meant only for teaching disciples.”

At my reply, Cheolma looked as if he had been struck hard by something unseen. Passing him by, the Profound Demon stepped forward.

“Isn’t Borrowing Force to Amplify Energy only possible when one can at least contend to some extent?”

“Then what have you been saving Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds for?”

Even the Profound Demon fell silent, his expression stunned. As I passed the two of them, Yul Han spoke up.

“If you’ve heard it, then try it. Only by trying will you know whether it works or not.”

At those words, something like exhilaration appeared in Cheolma’s and the Profound Demon’s eyes for the first time.

If their martial arts could advance, they would laugh even while being beaten senseless—the distinctive temperament of Bright Cult members had come alive.

For the first time in a while, shouts of exertion rather than screams echoed across the training grounds.

They lasted longer than on other days, but it made no difference—Cheolma and the Profound Demon still ended up being carried away unconscious.

The ten former squad leaders had long since collapsed and been taken away as well.

After finishing training and once again filling the Medical Hall, I headed not to my own quarters but to the Cult Leader.

The Cult Leader welcomed me warmly as I entered, reeking of sweat.

“Finished training and on your way back?”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Seeing me address him once again, just as in the past, as “Senior Brother,” the Cult Leader looked like he found me unbearably endearing and hurriedly prepared tea.

“Here. This Senior Brother chilled it cold with sound energy. Drink up and cool off.”

He had clasped the teacup with both hands and raised his internal energy—I had wondered what he was doing, but it seemed he had cooled the tea itself.

Knowing that this was his affection toward his junior, I accepted it gladly.

“I will drink well.”

“Those brats still haven’t found their bearings?”

Asked as if he already knew, I smiled faintly.

“You noticed?”

“The you I know isn’t someone who would put in that much effort just to bully others.”

At the Cult Leader’s words, my eyes lowered slightly. The “you” he knew was not the me of now.

Realizing that this alone dampened my mood surprised me greatly.

‘Have I grown attached?’

As I was taken aback, the Cult Leader asked,

“So? They didn’t notice at all?”

“Today was the first time they asked. They asked how they could receive my crescent blade.”

“And?”

“I told them to use Borrowing Force to Amplify Energy and Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds.”

“You wouldn’t have stopped at just telling them.”

“Should I call it practice? I just rolled them around a bit.”

At the slight twist of my lips as I finished speaking, the Cult Leader found my expression amusing.

“Isn’t it tiring? Teaching fools with slow heads is harder on the teacher.”

“I’m fine. I don’t plan to be a teacher, but an instructor.”

At my words—that I would be an instructor who valued results and process, not a teacher accompanied by affection and care—the Cult Leader burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha! Good, good. Cheolma really met his match properly. I never liked how he kept wallowing at the boundary; now I’ll see him cross it soon enough.”

“I will do my best.”

As the Cult Leader laughed again at my reply, I took a message from my chest and handed it to him.

He read it.

“Transport unit ready. Please dispatch an escort unit. What’s this?”

“It is a message from the Golden Flower Manor.”

“Golden Flower Manor? Then they want us to send escorts again for that Western Regions trade caravan or something?”

“No. It means the rice they agreed to pay us as compensation has been prepared.”

“Rice?”

“Yes. In exchange for handling escorts twice a month, they agreed to supply the rice we consume.”

“Ho… how much?”

“The entire amount consumed by one hundred and twenty thousand people for a year.”

At my answer, the Cult Leader’s eyes widened. He knew exactly how enormous that amount was.

“Th-that was obtained through a deal?”

“Yes.”

It was unbelievable.

Even in the past, Western Regions trade caravans frequently crossed the Heavenly Mountains. But there had never been a case where such an enormous price was paid.

Of course, back then the Eighteen Demon Sects acted as intermediaries.

Naturally, they skimmed off part of the compensation, but it never exceeded thirty percent.

Anything more than that, the Bright Cult would not tolerate.

Even if all that the Eighteen Demon Sects skimmed were added together, it would not reach even a quarter of half the rice that the Golden Flower Manor was now offering.

Yet—

“How… how did you do it?”

“Monopoly. Only the Golden Flower Manor is allowed to cross the Heavenly Mountains, and their safety is guaranteed. The resulting increase in profits and trade volume is what increased the compensation they give us.”

“Then now, because of rice, going around being bled dry by the Eighteen Demon Sects…”

“You won’t have to anymore.”

At my firm answer, joy filled the Cult Leader’s face.

It was not that he had been unaware.

He knew that the Eighteen Demon Sects cursed the Bright Cult behind its back, calling it no different from bandits.

And yet, he had been unable to wipe them out in one stroke because they were the Bright Cult’s lifeline.

But now—

At once, killing intent filled the Cult Leader’s eyes and demonic energy began to overflow. I called out to him.

“Senior Brother.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I would like to reorganize the Eighteen Demon Sects.”

“Reorganize… you say?”

“There is no benefit in treating our allies harshly.”

“Allies, you say…”

“Even so, the Hundred Paths consist of several hundred sects. Wouldn’t it be better than facing them alone?”

“Well… I suppose so?”

“Yes. That is what I think.”

“Hm… if you say so, then so be it. So how do you plan to reorganize them?”

“I will gradually establish a plan and report it to you. More importantly, please send those who will escort the transport unit.”

“Ah! The Golden Flower Manor. Then of course we should send them. Send them and scrape up every— ahahaha. It’s become a habit. Ahem. We just need to bring back what’s ours.”

“Yes. It is ours, received as legitimate compensation.”

For some reason, the Cult Leader felt a subtle emotion stir at how pointedly I emphasized the words “legitimate compensation.”

The Bright Cult was abuzz.

The reason was that word had spread that a full year’s worth of rice was being transported in.

And not through plunder or seizure, at that…

“Compensation?”

At Iron Shatter Blood’s puzzled question, Cold Blade Blood nodded vigorously.

“Yes. The Vice Cult Leader made a deal with the Golden Flower Manor.”

“Then that ‘test’ was…”

“They took the test and received compensation. Two birds with one stone. Dig a ditch and catch a crayfish. Good for the sister, good for the brother-in-law. Is there another saying? Anyway, it’s something like that.”

As Cold Blade Blood bragged as if it were his own achievement, Iron Shatter Blood asked,

“How do you know all that so well?”

“Isn’t it because this very body was personally guarding the Vice Cult Leader at that historic moment? So I’ve got some credit in this matter too, you see.”

“What credit do you—”

Iron Shatter Blood’s rebuke was cut off as my voice suddenly rang out.

“Why do you say it is small? Half of this achievement belongs to Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood.”

“Oh— you have arrived, Vice Cult Leader.”

I entered amid the greetings of the Thirteen Bloods, who hurriedly rose to their feet, wearing a smile.

“At least half of the rice coming in exists thanks to Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood. You should take pride in that.”

At my words, Cold Blade Blood twisted his body shyly, prompting exasperated looks from the Thirteen Bloods. From among them, Wood Fire Blood stepped forward.

“Then half of it is the Vice Cult Leader’s achievement. Far more than those two—”

“Ah! No. That half belongs to those who undertook the escort as a test. They are the ones who endured the hardship.”

That meant it was the achievement of the elders who had stepped forward for the test.

Considering the authority of the Council of Elders, which had fallen to the ground after the incident behind the curtain, the meaning carried by my words now was considerable.

“Do you truly think so?”

At Iron Shatter Blood’s question, I nodded.

“Because it is the truth.”

As I answered calmly, Iron Shatter Blood and the Thirteen Bloods looked at me with renewed eyes.

Facing them, I spoke.

“There is something I need done. Will you do it?”

“Since we have already resolved to place ourselves under the Vice Cult Leader, please entrust us with anything. We will throw ourselves into it and see it through.”

At Iron Shatter Blood’s resolute reply, I smiled faintly.

“There is no need to go that far. It is an escort mission. The Cult Leader said he would like to go out together with me, as a sort of outing.”

“An escort mission, then…?”

“That’s right. We are going to the Golden Flower Manor to receive the rice.”

At my answer, cheers erupted from all around.

It was because they were going to receive the compensation from the largest transaction since the founding of the Bright Cult.

It was not only the Thirteen Bloods.

Since I was taking charge of this escort personally, Cheolma and the Profound Demon—who had officially been assigned under my command—as well as the ten former squad leaders were naturally included in the escort unit.

Thus, the Bright Cult’s rice escort unit was formed into a force powerful enough to clash head-on even with Shaolin.

Because the journey would lead into the territory of the Hundred Paths, the Bright Cult’s Institute of Reason sent out messages once again at my order.

Those messages were directed to the Martial Alliance in Henan, and to Kongtong, the overlord of Gansu where the Golden Flower Manor was located.

In addition, a message was also sent to Kunlun, simply because the escort unit’s lineup was so formidable that they might be frightened.

That was purely my consideration.

The problem, however, was that the Bright Cult martial artist tasked with sending the message did not know how to use tactful wording.

Because all incoming and outgoing messages passed through him as the one overseeing Kunlun’s intelligence, the Sangho Pavilion Lord stared at the message laid out before him, his tightly clenched fist trembling.

<An escort unit will be passing through. Do not be afraid. Destination: Golden Flower Manor>

Among the short contents of the message, the Sangho Pavilion Lord’s gaze was nailed to a single phrase.

‘Do not be afraid.’

He could no longer endure it.

Crushing the message in his grasp, the Sangho Pavilion Lord headed not for the Sect Master’s chamber, but for the residence of Kunlun’s hardline faction leader—the Jade Clear Pavilion Lord.