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- 17 - A Good Dark Emperor Cultist
Chapter 17: A Good Dark Emperor Cultist
Cheol Gun-ak’s eyes widened.
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No matter how shameless the Dark Emperor Cult was, he never expected to be told to join them in such a situation.
‘I heard that the Dark Emperor Cult of Bukcheon is more vicious than the ones in the Central Plains.’
Geum Jung-tae walked toward the lantern, his shadow growing larger.
“You must know why Cheol Gaju distanced himself from the Great Lady because of her background.”
“That’s—”
Geum Jung-tae cut off Cheol Gun-ak’s words.
“Don’t you think his actions were excessive?”
That was true.
Cheol Gun-ak didn’t know much about his mother’s marriage to Cheol Gaju, but he knew it was part of the agreement made during the Northern Expedition.
‘Even if I give him a hundred excuses, treating them like this is strange.’
Even if she was from the Forest clan, this was an insult to Bukcheon and the Palmyangdaejoo, who had arranged the marriage. He never imagined she would be treated so poorly, even on her deathbed.
That’s why Cheol Gaju became a clear enemy in Cheol Gun-ak’s heart.
“Do you know about Dark Blood? To put it simply, Dark Blood grants miracles. It can make someone love only you.”
Cheol Gun-ak frowned.
It was Dark Blood that created the most bizarre transformations.
Captivating someone’s heart was an easy miracle in comparison.
“Besides, Cheol Wooseng already liked Myeong-hwa. He made sure of it.”
“…”
“We wanted to offer ‘love’ and take over Manbyeongcheolga.”
Boom—!
Lightning struck, illuminating the room in a blinding white light.
“It’s all tangled up now.”
But Geum Jung-tae’s frenzied eyes couldn’t be hidden by the flash of light.
‘So Geum Myeong-hwa was just a tool after all.’
For the Dark Emperor Cult, there were no parents, no children, no siblings.
For the resurrection of the Dark Emperor, parents would sacrifice their children, and children could kill their parents.
That’s why Cheol Gun-ak hated them—whether in the Central Plains or Bukcheon, they were treated as a cult.
Cheol Gun-ak asked Geum Jung-tae.
“Then why kill Geum Myeong-hwa? If you kept her alive, eventually Manbyeongcheolga would be neatly inherited by the second or third in line. After that, Geum Myeong-hwa would take over.”
“She spoke words she shouldn’t have.”
Cheol Gun-ak quickly understood.
—Nokmyeongdae!
—If I make contact, Nokmyeongdaeju will come!
When Cheol Gun-ak had threatened Geum Myeong-hwa, one of the Palmyangdae she screamed in fear was from Nokmyeongdae, the master of Nokju.
And Nokju’s absolute ruler, Nokmyeongdaeju Yong Jinsan.
The Dark Emperor Cult must have decided to deal with Geum Myeong-hwa, even though she was of use to them, because of that one word.
“She also said something interesting. The Third Young Master can tell a Dark Emperor Cult member just by looking at them.”
“So now you want to accept me into the Dark Emperor Cult?”
“Once we’re one, then it won’t be dangerous.”
“…”
“Don’t you want to become the leader of Manbyeongcheolga? Or perhaps you seek a miracle?”
Geum Jung-tae smiled, as though he could offer Cheol Gun-ak everything.
Cheol Gun-ak tightened his grip on Heukya.
Thump—
His heart pounded.
The cold Dark Emperor’s blood wrapped around his body.
Whoosh—
The Ultra Heat Divine Power coursed through his veins, continuously heating his body.
In the space between extreme heat and absolute limits, Cheol Gun-ak slowly twisted Heukya into a diagonal line, lowering his center of gravity.
“Do you think I’ll kill you?”
Geum Jung-tae tilted his head, realizing what Cheol Gun-ak’s posture meant.
He hadn’t expected such a quick rejection of such a sweet offer.
“My offer is quite tempting, but you’re not even considering it.”
Cheol Gun-ak placed his left foot firmly on the ground and took a deep breath.
“I will destroy the Dark Emperor Cult.”
He had fought the Dark Emperor Cult in the Central Plains for so long.
Their words were always sweet like honey, but everything was as dark as Dark Blood.
He had seen it over and over again, and now, to be asked to join them was absurd.
Geum Jung-tae asked with feigned regret.
“Surely there’s a good Dark Emperor Cultist, isn’t there?”
“A good Dark Emperor Cultist is a dead one.”
“If that’s the case—”
Thud—!
Without finishing his sentence, Geum Jung-tae kicked the lantern.
The room was instantly plunged into darkness.
Then, he stretched out his right arm and waved his sleeve.
Shh—!
A thin golden needle shot through the air.
It was an unexpected Dark Art, but Cheol Gun-ak didn’t flinch. He swung Heukya and blocked the needle.
Ting! Ting!
He deflected as many as he could, blocking the vital areas with his forearms.
“Well done.”
Phew—!
This time, it was both arms.
Countless golden needles poured down like a torrential rain.
‘Poison!’
Cheol Gun-ak frowned.
The sheer number of needles made it impossible to avoid them all.
The pain was familiar, and he could endure it, but the poison seeping into him was a different matter entirely.
His body burned as if he had drunk several bottles of poison.
“I couldn’t just carry extreme poison on me, so I only used Drunken Concubine.”
Creak.
Cheol Gun-ak gritted his teeth.
As Drunken Concubine began to wrap around his body, his vision blurred, and his eyes grew heavy.
The poison was powerful, draining his strength quickly.
Cheol Gun-ak stumbled but pressed forward desperately.
Geum Jung-tae watched coldly, his hands behind his back.
“Soon, your hands and feet will lose strength, and you’ll drop your sword. You won’t be able to walk, and your breath will become shallow. Eventually, even your tongue will stop moving.”
Thud.
Cheol Gun-ak bent his knee.
Geum Jung-tae smiled victoriously and approached.
“You’ll fall asleep, and when you wake up, it will all be over—!”
But just as Geum Jung-tae was certain of his victory.
Whoosh—!
Heukya cut through the night.
It shot up from the ground like a lightning bolt.
Slash—!
“How!?”
The sword cut across Geum Jung-tae’s chest.
Instantly, red blood spurted out in a streak.
Cheol Gun-ak smirked at him.
“When I’m finished, you’ll be finished too.”
Boom—!
Thunder struck, as if greeting Cheol Gun-ak.
Whoosh—!
In the face of Divine Fire, how could poison survive?
The Ultra Heat Divine Power exploded through his twelve meridians. The Drunken Concubine poison burned away instantly.
Even his dormant nerves screamed in pain, waking up to the scorching agony of Ultra Heat Divine Power.
Thus, Cheol Gun-ak stood completely up.
“You!”
Geum Jung-tae’s face twisted grotesquely like a devil’s. At the same time, his chest wound healed rapidly.
Cheol Gun-ak furrowed his brows.
‘Looks like he’s drunk a lot of Dark Blood.’
Whoosh—!
Geum Jung-tae swung his arm.
Once again, golden needles poured out.
Thud, thud, thud—!
The needles struck Cheol Gun-ak’s body.
The Drunken Concubine poison surged into him without restraint.
But Cheol Gun-ak did not defend himself. His only target was Geum Jung-tae’s neck, and he dashed forward.
‘I’ll burn the poison with Ultra Heat Divine Power and block only the fatal ones!’
His goal was one.
Geum Jung-tae.
If he let him live, there would surely be consequences. He had to eliminate him now.
The unnoticed Geum Myeong-hwa’s eyes watched the battle between the two.
It was as if she wanted to witness the final moments, even in death.
Chuk-yung Demon Technique.
Dourincho.
The air thick with the smell of blood, Cheol Gun-ak’s sword lunged forward.
Whirl—!
Ultra Heat Divine Power surged through his meridians.
Cheol Gun-ak, now much faster than before, moved with an intensity that far exceeded his previous pace.
And—
Whooosh.
The sword halted right in front of Geum Jung-tae’s Adam’s apple.
Thud.
At the same time, the golden needles that had pierced Cheol Gun-ak’s body couldn’t withstand the Ultra Heat Divine Power and fell out on their own.
“Impressive.”
Geum Jung-tae remained calm, even in the face of death.
He glanced down at the Heukya, which was targeting his neck.
Even though it hadn’t touched him yet, the presence of the Demon Sword was enough to make his whole body tremble.
“You couldn’t even unleash a proper sword technique.”
Like his sword, Cheol Gun-ak was ominous.
“I don’t have a sword technique that can fully contain me.”
“Heh. If you join us, I’ll tell Mu Wang to bestow the title of the world’s greatest swordmaster upon you.”
“Bullshit.”
Cheol Gun-ak lifted his right eyebrow with a smirk.
And—
Thrust—!
Geum Jung-tae’s head flew from his body.
Blood poured out, and his eyes went lifeless.
“That would never happen here if there was such a thing.”
Cheol Gun-ak pulled the Heukya out of Geum Jung-tae’s neck.
His body was once again drenched in blood.
At that moment—
Click—!
Out of Cheol Gun-ak’s line of sight, Geum Jung-tae’s finger twitched.
It was as if he was planning something.
“Dark Emperor Cult bastards, you should never let your guard down until the end.”
Thrust—!
This time, Cheol Gun-ak drove Heukya straight into Geum Jung-tae’s heart.
It was aimed precisely at the Dark Blood visible inside his heart.
“Cough—!?”
As Heukya dug into the Dark Blood in his heart, the dead Geum Jung-tae let out a blood-curdling scream.
Cheol Gun-ak shook his head in annoyance.
“Do you think I don’t know how tough you pests are?”
Ordinary cultists die the ordinary way.
But the higher the rank, the more mysterious their regenerative abilities. Those at the level of Anjisa or Anjisa had the power to resurrect through the abilities of Dark Blood.
‘I’m glad I came inside.’
Cheol Gun-ak quickly scanned the room of Geum Myeong-hwa, now drenched in a redder blood than before.
Geum Jung-tae must have used his golden needles to lure Cheol Gun-ak in here.
But Cheol Gun-ak also had plans.
When dealing with the Dark Emperor Cult, who never failed to create strange occurrences, an open space would have been dangerous.
‘I don’t know if he’ll revive and try to escape.’
It was better to finish things off indoors, where he could be sure of his death.
A lesson learned from fighting the Dark Emperor Cult over the years.
‘Huh?’
Cheol Gun-ak attempted to pull the Heukya out of Geum Jung-tae’s heart.
But something felt like it was firmly holding the blade in place. Just as he tried to use Ultra Heat Divine Power to pull it out, a cold sensation overtook his body.
Thump—
Before he could react, Dark Blood responded first.
It froze the heated meridians instantly and moved through his bloodstream like icy liquid.
Whoooooosh—
Heukya howled, as though it had found its true master, and began devouring the Dark Blood within Geum Jung-tae’s heart.
Whoosh—!
Geum Jung-tae’s body began to shrink.
Despite its appearance, the Dark Blood that entered through Heukya didn’t amount to much, but its concentration was overwhelming.
Cheol Gun-ak felt an eerie unease as it entered him.
“This…”
Finally, Heukya pulled away.
Cheol Gun-ak raised his left hand to his chest.
His heart pounded.
The cold Dark Blood, which had once raged through his body, disappeared without a trace.
The searing pain of Ultra Heat Divine Power that had been coursing through his body faded as well.
‘I’m not really becoming a Dark Emperor Cult member, am I?’
Having absorbed the energy of the Ink-Scaled Iron Python and now swallowing Dark Blood, it was no wonder Cheol Gun-ak felt uneasy.
But there was no sudden surge of miraculous power or devotion to the Dark Emperor.
He had simply absorbed Dark Blood, not become a cultist.
Whoosh—
With a sigh of relief, Cheol Gun-ak swung Heukya.
After decapitating Geum Jung-tae, he took Geum Myeong-hwa’s head and walked out.
Whoosh.
The rain had weakened by now.
It was still a dark night, but through the cracks in the clouds, the faint sky was visible—dawn must be breaking.
He gathered Cheol Wi-gang’s head, which had still been rolling on the ground, and placed it neatly.
‘You prevented my mother’s proper funeral, but I’ll still give you a proper one.’
He closed their eyes, one by one.
They weren’t worthy of peace, so he didn’t bother praying for them.
Instead, he wished them to go to a place hotter than the Ultra Heat Divine Power.
A place he hoped to meet them again when his time came.
Suddenly—
Chirp—!
A bird’s cry echoed.
‘A warning?’
Which bird cries like that in a night of rain and flame?
Even if there were a bird crying, it would be in the forest, not here in Cheolga’s manor.
It wasn’t a normal bird cry.
Then—
“Cheol Gun-ak!”
The air trembled.
A shout from a distance caused the rain to splatter sideways.
A figure flew through the night sky.
With a mace in hand, releasing an aura of bloodlust, it was Cheol Wooseng, the Cheolga head.