In the room were Jang Hyeon, Jo Seokjin, and Yu Eunseong.
These three being in one place could be called a rather rare combination.
Even setting aside Jang Hyeon and Jo Seokjin, it was the first time Yu Eunseong had been present in such a private gathering.
*Squeeze-*
Jo Seokjin tightened the grip of his folded arms.
'For what reason on earth did he gather us in a place like this?'
The three people here had been gathered by someone's call.
The person who had summoned them was none other than Su Yeongseong.
Since he had thought Su Yeongseong had completely vanished after his defeat against Cheon Myeong, Jo Seokjin couldn't help but be puzzled when Su Yeongseong first invited him to this place.
And it was the same now.
Rather, coming here only deepened the mystery.
"..."
To think he would call not only him but also Jang Hyeon and Yu Eunseong to this place.
Jo Seokjin was only able to confirm the presence of these two after arriving at the meeting spot.
"...Jang Hyeon, for what reason do you think Su Yeongseong has gathered us all together?"
Just then, Jo Seokjin asked Jang Hyeon, his head slightly bowed.
However, even as time passed, no answer came from Jang Hyeon, and feeling that something was strange, Jo Seokjin raised his head and looked towards where Jang Hyeon was sitting.
"...?"
*Where is that guy looking now?*
Jang Hyeon was staring intently at something, his nostrils flaring.
Since he looked like a dog in heat, Jo Seokjin followed Jang Hyeon's gaze with his own.
'...Don't tell me?'
It seemed that his suspicion was correct.
Following Jang Hyeon's gaze, he saw Yu Eunseong.
"...Hehe."
Jang Hyeon, who was grinning foolishly by himself, looking at Yu Eunseong, for whatever reason.
However, Yu Eunseong, surprisingly, wasn't giving Jang Hyeon even a sliver of her attention.
Like a single chrysanthemum blooming on a cliff.
If Yu Eunseong was a noble chrysanthemum, Jang Hyeon now looked like a fool trying to climb a rough cliff to pick it.
"...Pretty."
"..."
Seeing Jang Hyeon now muttering that while looking at Yu Eunseong, Jo Seokjin was truly dumbfounded.
*Is this guy's brain filled with nothing but women?*
No matter how beautiful Yu Eunseong was, to be lusting after a woman even in a place like this... moreover, Yu Eunseong was a competitor he had to fight for the position of Young Leader, yet it seemed such thoughts were not even on Jang Hyeon's mind.
*Sigh-*
*A guy like that wouldn't know Su Yeongseong's intentions.*
Thinking himself pathetic for having even a moment's expectation of Jang Hyeon, a sigh escaped Jo Seokjin's lips.
*Creak-*
Just then, the door opened and someone appeared.
The moment the door opened, the three of them turned their gazes in that direction.
And there stood Su Yeongseong, giving a meaningful smile to the people in the room.
"You have all gathered."
"..."
"First, I would like to express my gratitude for responding to my call and gathering here."
Su Yeongseong said so and bowed his head to the three.
However, before Su Yeongseong could even raise his head again, Jo Seokjin spoke to him in a chilly voice.
"Enough with the damn greetings."
"..."
"Why did you gather us in a place like this?"
As Jo Seokjin asked, Su Yeongseong slowly raised his head.
The smile had already vanished.
With an expressionless face, Su Yeongseong mentioned a single name.
"Cheon Myeong."
"...!"
"The reason I have called you all to this place today is because of him."
As Su Yeongseong said that, a change appeared on each of the three faces.
From Jang Hyeon, whose expression contorted so much it was obvious, to Yu Eunseong, who showed only a very slight tremor.
Jo Seokjin, if one had to say, was in the middle.
Still, for the name of Cheon Myeong to be mentioned from Su Yeongseong's mouth was quite unexpected, and Jo Seokjin's eyes widened as he was unable to say a word.
"Everyone here knows. The fact that the prestige of the name Cheon Myeong has changed a lot compared to the past."
"..."
"To the point that the name reached my ears even while I was away from the main headquarters, he seems to be on a roll, riding the momentum of victory."
As Su Yeongseong said that, no one denied his words.
Because there was nothing wrong with what he said.
Rather, it would be fair to say that Cheon Myeong's momentum was currently piercing the heavens, to the point that no expression would be enough.
"If this continues, the existence known as Cheon Myeong may rise so far up that we can no longer catch up."
"..."
"Perhaps by now, everyone is feeling the same sense of crisis. That if things continue like this, the one to become the Young Leader will be Cheon Myeong, not themselves."
Although they didn't answer, it was highly likely that not only the three people here but all the members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were thinking that way.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, where only power leads to worship.
Due to that characteristic, since Cheon Myeong was currently on a winning streak in the ranking matches against the other disciples, the members had no choice but to think of Cheon Myeong as a strong candidate for Young Leader.
There would be no other way to show power as clearly as that.
Perhaps if Cheon Myeong were to win against another candidate in a ranking match just one more time, it would become a near-established fact that Cheon Myeong would become the Young Leader.
"..."
This was also the reason why Jo Seokjin could not carelessly challenge Cheon Myeong to a ranking match.
If he were to be defeated this time, it would not be a simple defeat but could become the turning point that decides the Young Leader.
Since winning consecutively against three of the candidates would be the same as proving his qualifications as a Young Leader, any further ranking matches would likely become meaningless.
Jo Seokjin did not want to be that final stepping stone, so he had been carefully watching for an opportunity until now.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch Cheon Myeong become the Young Leader?"
"..."
"Are you going to be used as mere kindling to make Cheon Myeong's prestige shine, only to be discarded as a mere loser?"
*Twitch-*
As Su Yeongseong spoke in that manner, Jo Seokjin's gaze turned fiercely towards him.
At the same time, Jo Seokjin spoke with a raised voice.
"Su Yeongseong, you have no right to speak to us like that!"
"..."
"The one who was first defeated by Cheon Myeong in a ranking match was none other than you!"
In fact, the starting point of Cheon Myeong's prestige beginning to rise could be said to be that ranking match.
The time when Cheon Myeong first showed his power in front of the cult members.
The fact that Cheon Myeong had been hiding such power until then was one of the reasons that led to the current situation, but Jo Seokjin thought that if Su Yeongseong hadn't been defeated so pathetically, the situation would not have worsened this much.
And yet, the very person who had provided that starting point was talking about being a loser.
Hearing those words, Jo Seokjin couldn't help but get angry.
"If you hadn't laid the groundwork like that, the situation wouldn't have become like this!"
"..."
"What right does a guy who can be called a true loser have to say such things..."
It was then.
Jo Seokjin's mouth, which had been fiercely lashing out at Su Yeongseong, suddenly stopped.
What stopped Jo Seokjin's mouth was a massive demonic ki, flickering ominously.
Since it was of a different nature from the energy that flowed from Cheon Myeong's body, Jo Seokjin looked at the source of the demonic ki with eyes full of caution.
*Sss-*
The place where Jo Seokjin's gaze stopped was Su Yeongseong.
As the demonic ki flowing from Su Yeongseong's body slowly encroached upon the room and headed this way, Jo Seokjin unknowingly took a step back.
'What on earth is this energy?'
Feeling the demonic ki flowing from Su Yeongseong's body, Jo Seokjin couldn't help but be puzzled.
From what he had heard, Su Yeongseong had suffered an injury so severe in the ranking match against Cheon Myeong that his dantian was destroyed.
Although he had barely survived, he had heard that his body had become one that could no longer use martial arts.
But what on earth was this demonic ki flowing from Su Yeongseong's body now?
Just looking at that appearance, he didn't look like a person whose dantian was destroyed... no, rather, it even felt as if his demonic ki had become much richer than before.
"Su Yeongseong... what on earth are you..."
Jo Seokjin muttered, looking at Su Yeongseong.
Then, with a smile tinged with madness on his lips, Su Yeongseong spoke to Jo Seokjin.
"As you said, I had fallen to the very bottom of hell."
"..."
"I went back and forth between life and death several times a day and barely managed to survive. Do you know what I was thinking at that time to endure so much?"
No one answered his words.
No, it would be more correct to say that no one could answer due to Su Yeongseong's madness.
"Cheon Myeong! I endured tenaciously with the sole thought of getting revenge on him!"
"..."
"A true loser? No, who the loser is will only be decided when the match is over!"
*Swish-*
Just then, Su Yeongseong pointed his finger at Jo Seokjin.
Startled by the sudden gesture, Jo Seokjin flinched.
Watching him, Su Yeongseong spoke with a meaningful smile.
"I don't think it's over with Cheon Myeong yet. Therefore, I am not a loser."
"..."
"Rather, aren't you, who is just watching and cowering without doing anything, more suited for that title?"
"What did you say..."
"So I will give you a chance."
Su Yeongseong cut off Jo Seokjin's words.
In the end, Jo Seokjin could only clench his teeth and swallow his words, and Su Yeongseong looked at him and spoke in a relaxed voice.
"Cheon Myeong has currently left the main headquarters and is in the North Sea."
"...The North Sea?"
"Why he went there is not important. What's important is that Cheon Myeong is currently away from the main headquarters."
Jo Seokjin silently repeated Su Yeongseong's words to himself.
And his eyes widened.
Realizing the hidden meaning in Su Yeongseong's words, Jo Seokjin opened his mouth as if muttering.
"Don't tell me..."
Watching him, Su Yeongseong grinned.
"Don't you think that now is the chance to kill Cheon Myeong?"
"...!"
"At the main headquarters, we couldn't move carelessly because of the many watchful eyes, but if it's not the main headquarters, the story changes."
"..."
"On top of that, he left the Xinjiang region on his own accord... There will be no better opportunity than this."
Jo Seokjin knew that Cheon Myeong's presence had been missing from the main headquarters recently, but he did not know that he had left for the North Sea.
But how on earth did Su Yeongseong obtain such information?
Moreover, to think he was even planning to kill Cheon Myeong by taking this opportunity... Now Jo Seokjin understood why Su Yeongseong had gathered them in this place.
"Now, I will ask again. Are you just going to stand by and watch Cheon Myeong become the Young Leader?"
"..."
"Not only that, but everyone here, including myself, probably has their own grudges against Cheon Myeong."
It was just as puzzling how Su Yeongseong knew even such trivial matters and was speaking like that.
But Su Yeongseong's following words were so dangerous, and so sweet, that he couldn't pay attention to such things.
"Those who will kill Cheon Myeong with me, raise your hand in this place."
"..."
"Now is the time to release your pent-up grudges."
Su Yeongseong spoke to the three people, like a tempting demon.
(End of Chapter)