Chapter 120 : Greed Placed Above Righteousness - How the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult Lives

Chapter 120: Greed Placed Above Righteousness

The Great Heavenly Martial Festival ended successfully.

Ah! Of course, Iron Demon’s disappointment was great when he later realized that the key in his hand was not the key to the Treasury Throne.

However, that disappointment did not last long.

Judging from what happened afterward, it became clear that Iron Demon had never really desired authority over the Treasury Throne in the first place.

“Why did you bring that back?”

It was what the Cult Leader asked the Blood Sword Unit Commander, who had entered carrying the bundle of keys that had been handed to Iron Demon.

At the question, the Blood Sword Unit Commander answered.

“Well… he said he doesn’t need it. He told us to manage the Treasury Throne like before.”

“It’s not like that bastard doesn’t know what’s inside the Treasury Throne, right?”

“Well… he said he’s been too busy training with the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult lately to have time to look through the Treasury Throne.”

At the Blood Sword Unit Commander’s reply, the Cult Leader snorted with a faint laugh.

“I thought Iron Demon was all show and no substance, but I was wrong. At this rate, he might really surpass me.”

At the Cult Leader’s muttering, the Blood Sword Unit Commander shook his head with an expression that said it was impossible.

“Surpass you, Cult Leader? Just based on what you showed in the last sparring match, that would be absurd.”

“That’s only because you haven’t even reached the Transcendent Realm. Fine. Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you something. What’s this? Are you trying to screw me over?”

At the Cult Leader’s sudden provocation, the Blood Sword Unit Commander looked flustered.

“W-What are you saying? How could I ever—!”

“If not, why are you still stuck at that level? Don’t you see how much the Vice Cult Leader’s brats are improving? I’m too embarrassed to even say it. That Han kid’s group keeps advancing by leaps and bounds, while you, who are supposed to be my right-hand man… This won’t do. Starting this afternoon, come to my training grounds. You’re reaching the Transcendent Realm within half a year!”

“C-Cult Leader!”

“What? Touched?”

“T-That’s not it. Couldn’t I just train on my own?”

“Ah! Why?”

“I don’t want to be beaten to death.”

Because it was obvious that, under the pretext of training him, the Cult Leader would drag him into sparring and beat him senseless.

The Cult Leader, who had opened his mouth to retort, smacked his lips and trailed off instead.

It was true that the Blood Sword Unit Commander had every reason to say that.

It wasn’t once or twice that, whenever something irritated him, the Cult Leader had used training as an excuse to start a sparring match and vent his frustration by beating the Blood Sword Unit Commander.

That was why—

“I’ll treat you well. This time.”

“R-Really?”

“You saw how I trained Han. I’ll do it like that.”

“You’re… promising?”

“You little— Ahem. Hahaha. W-Well then, I promise. I promise.”

The reason the Cult Leader was going to such lengths was because of something Yul Han had said not long ago.

Only after hearing that did the Cult Leader realize he had been neglecting the Blood Sword Unit Commander.

That was why he was awkwardly talking about promises—something entirely unlike his temperament.

Perhaps thanks to that effort, as the Blood Sword Unit Commander withdrew from the Cult Leader’s Hall for the first time in a while, a deep smile lingered at the corners of his lips.

Watching him quietly, the Cult Leader muttered.

“Right. What else is there? If the ones beside me are happy, then I’m happy too.”

After saying that, he gave a faint chuckle.

For some reason, that smile seemed gentle.

It was a completely different appearance from the Demonic Cult Leader, who was described as a monster with twin heads and eight arms.

At the Martial Alliance, the leaders had gathered and were continuing a grave meeting.

It was because the influence of the Bright Cult, which had moved beyond Xinjiang and the Cheonghae Region, was spreading day after day with the force of a meteoric rise.

No matter how much Qingcheng had warned that it was not yet time to clash, the situation had become too serious to continue ignoring.

In fact, although missionary work had only recently begun in Sichuan, a considerable number of Bright Cult believers had already emerged.

And it didn’t stop there. Lately, it had extended beyond Sichuan to Shaanxi and Hubei.

The general consensus was that such momentum was due to the food the Bright Cult distributed to its believers.

It wasn’t a large quantity, nor was it enough to survive on that alone, but the difference between having and not having it carried the power to separate life from death.

In other words, the small portions of food distributed to those who became Bright Cult believers were enabling people who would otherwise have starved to death to survive.

Those who realized that fact most keenly were the believers themselves—those who had received food and survived by clinging to it as a lifeline.

In short, it was as if they had been granted the grace of salvation.

And that wasn’t all. The Bright Cult sent physicians to its believers, providing free treatment and distributing medicinal herbs at no cost.

Those who had suffered from illnesses born of malnutrition, or from diseases contracted after eating what they should not have out of unbearable hunger, were frequently seen rising back to their feet thanks to the Bright Cult’s aid.

It was impossible for their faith not to deepen.

On top of that, saying that one must learn in order to live better, their Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had children taught how to read and write.

Those who could not even write their own names shed tears without exception when, at night, their children—who had waited for them to return home with exhausted bodies—confidently wrote not only their own names but also the names of their fathers and mothers.

Because through their children, they caught even the faintest glimpse of a future better than their own.

Yet there was no demand to pledge loyalty to the Bright Cult.

There was no request to gather information from the Orthodox Martial Sects in the regions where they lived.

The Bright Cult only said that all it desired was for them to live well and live uprightly—and the people rejoiced at those words.

And that was also why some even began to take pride in being believers of the Bright Cult.

As a result, favorable talk spread, and those who had been watching with half-doubt eventually reached the point where, without exception, they too became believers of the Bright Cult.

“The greatest problem is, after all, food. We must cut this off.”

At the words of an elder of the Peng Clan, the Strategist, Jegal Giyeon, asked,

“How do you propose we do that? I trust you are not suggesting we attack the Instructors of the Bright Cult who distribute the food.”

“Of course not. I am well aware that it is not yet time.”

“Then how do you intend to cut it off?”

“We sever the source.”

Failing to fully grasp his meaning, Jegal Giyeon looked at him questioningly, and the Peng Clan elder elaborated.

“The Bright Cult’s grain comes from Golden Flower Manor.”

“Surely you are not suggesting we strike Golden Flower Manor?”

“That is correct. They merely trade with the Bright Cult; they are not affiliated with it.”

At the Peng Clan elder’s overly simplistic remark, Jegal Giyeon squeezed his eyes shut and then shook his head.

“With respect, that would be difficult. If Golden Flower Manor is attacked, do you believe the Bright Cult will remain idle?”

“Golden Flower Manor is, at most, unrelated to the Bright Cult—”

As if the Peng Clan elder truly failed to understand, Jegal Giyeon said,

“The Northern Wind Merchant Guild of Henan supplies food to the Peng Clan. Does it belong to the Peng Clan?”

“Certainly not.”

“Then if the Green Forest were to attack it, and since it is not yours, would you simply leave it be?”

“Is that even a question! If the Northern Wind Merchant Guild fails to supply grain, the entire Peng household would starve. I would slaughter every last one of those Green Forest bastards—”

Stopping mid-sentence, the Peng Clan elder finally realized the issue and closed his mouth with an embarrassed expression.

Turning his gaze away from him, Jegal Giyeon said,

“For that very reason, we will not consider attacking Golden Flower Manor.”

“Golden Flower Manor aside, would not the situation differ for other merchant houses?”

At the question from the elder representing the Gok Clan of Shandong, Jegal Giyeon replied,

“Other merchant houses? We have no information that the Bright Cult trades with any other merchant houses in the Central Plains…”

“The Bright Cult does not. But Golden Flower Manor does. The grain it supplies to the Bright Cult is gathered from several other trading caravans.”

“And what are you suggesting?”

“We need not do much. Just three. Of the merchant houses that sell grain to Golden Flower Manor, erase just three from this world. The rest will fall in line on their own. That is the merchants’ way.”

“This could provoke collective action from the merchants, as before.”

At Jegal Giyeon’s concerned words, the elder representing the Gok Clan of Shandong replied with a meaningful smile.

“That is precisely why we must erase them. Not some half-hearted intimidation. An outright Annihilation. There will be no merchant house that fails to understand what that implies.”

The chilling implication of those words caused the atmosphere of the Council of Elders to sink heavily.

Yet no one called it excessive.

Rather—

“Hm… not bad. Our Hwangbo Clan approves.”

Perhaps because they were all among the Six Great Clans, starting with the Hwangbo Clan, the Peng Clan, the Namgung Clan, and even the Jegal Clan expressed their approval.

When the representative of Mount Emei, prompted by a glance from Jegal Giyeon, also gave consent, Shaolin, Mount Zhongnan, Mount Hua Sect, and eventually even Wudang agreed as well, and the proposal was decided.

In the end, only Kunlun Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and Mount Dian Sect said nothing.

The problem was that although they remained silent, they did not oppose it.

On the day the Martial Alliance Council of Elders reached its decision, the matter was reported to the Alliance Leader, the Shaolin Divine Monk.

“Strategist!”

At the sharp exclamation of the Shaolin Divine Monk, Jegal Giyeon responded,

“Shaolin has already consented.”

At the words that even his own sect had agreed, the Shaolin Divine Monk was rendered speechless.

Jegal Giyeon continued,

“I know it is unrighteous. Do you think those gathered there did not know? No. They knew. All of them knew. Then do you think they reached this conclusion because they possess less sense of justice than you, Alliance Leader?”

At the Strategist’s question, the Shaolin Divine Monk asked coldly,

“I do not know what you intend to say, but speak freely. I shall listen.”

“You are well aware that the current situation is no trivial matter. Righteousness and chivalry are important. They are the foundational values of the Hundred Paths. However…”

Trailing off, Jegal Giyeon lifted the teapot containing the tea leaves the Alliance Leader treasured and placed it on the table.

“This, too, requires money to purchase. And so do all the things we eat, wear, drink, and use.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Reality. Every sect is under threat. The merchant houses that form the largest pillar of our spheres of interest are beginning to waver.”

These were not empty words. In truth, merchant houses seeking to establish ties with the Bright Cult through Golden Flower Manor were increasing one by one.

Merchants were the most sensitive to the currents of the times.

The trading caravans had caught the scent that, in the coming shift of power within the Central Plains, the Bright Cult would occupy a high position.

Though still only in its early stages, the conviction had already spread enough that not a few merchant houses were making serious moves.

The leadership of the Hundred Paths understood all too well what that implied.

There were few precedents where merchant houses had predicted the future rulers of the era and failed.

Aside from when Song was destroyed by Yuan, and fifteen years ago when Kongtong made massive investments before being struck down by Emperor Salyejin, the Human Butcher—apart from those, the merchants’ predictions had mostly been correct.

Of course, individual merchants could often be wrong.

But when the majority of merchants agreed on something, it was rarely mistaken.

Especially in matters concerning who would rule the world.

After listening to Jegal Giyeon’s lengthy explanation, the Shaolin Divine Monk asked,

“Then the merchants— the world— have begun to regard the Bright Cult as the future ruler of the Central Plains?”

“Yes. That is how we see it. The spheres of interest are moving in that direction. As you know, such interests are not infinite. They are finite. If someone gains, someone else must lose. I do not wish for our Hundred Paths to be the ones who lose.”

At Jegal Giyeon’s words, the Shaolin Divine Monk could say nothing. He, too, did not wish for Shaolin to be the losing side.

Jegal Giyeon’s voice continued,

“If it must be done for that purpose, I will not hesitate to commit any deed. Therefore, if that displeases you, Alliance Leader, you must say so now. Tell me to step down as Strategist.”

In other words, dismiss him.

He had neither the authority to do so, nor could he bring himself to.

He could not disparage and condemn a man willing to walk a harsh path for the sake of not being the one stripped of everything—when he himself did not wish to be stripped either.

In the end—

“Amitabha…”

The Shaolin Divine Monk could only chant the Buddha’s name in vain.

Jegal Giyeon, firm in tone, said,

“Then I shall take it as your consent and proceed.”

“Ha… how shall I bear this sin…”

Leaving behind the Shaolin Divine Monk, who could only sigh in lament, Jegal Giyeon bowed and withdrew from the Alliance Leader’s residence.

As he walked toward his own quarters, his eyes gleamed fiercely.