The Demon-Brain Divine Demon sat clutching their head, face twisted in confusion.
“Damn it. Why did I feel the pain? Did that bastard Jeok Wigang do something to me?”
It was a problem the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had never anticipated.
And Wigang had focused every last blow on the head.
Grrrk—
Never before had anything been so humiliating or infuriating.
The Demon-Brain Divine Demon wanted nothing more than to rush over there at once and tear Jeok Wigang limb from limb.
But the body trembling with rage gradually stilled.
“No... If I let myself get this worked up, then I’m the one who loses. I simply need to make him suffer even more than I did.”
After calming down and taking a deep breath—
Snap—
The Demon-Brain Divine Demon flicked a finger.
The air rippled, and a figure in a black mask appeared, prostrating themselves before the Demon-Brain Divine Demon and holding something out.
“Information on Jeok Wigang.”
The Demon-Brain Divine Demon gave a faint laugh.
“This is why I like you. I don’t even have to give you orders. You know exactly where I itch and scratch it for me.”
“I merely lend a hand.”
The Demon-Brain Divine Demon accepted the documents and began reading.
A groan escaped after going through the record of Wigang’s activities.
“Is this accurate?”
“Yes.”
“So there was a reason all the people we planted disappeared. Everywhere this bastard went, we lost contact with them. He’s been interfering with us all along.”
The demons White Horse Heaven had planted throughout the Central Plains were powerful.
There had been only one person in the Central Plains capable of dealing with them.
The Heavenly Martial Emperor.
That was why there had been no concern for the safety of the infiltrators.
There was no chance they would fall to the people of the Central Plains.
Yet every demon planted in a place Jeok Wigang had visited had vanished.
Did he take them all out?
Thinking back on it, even after synchronization had been completed, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had been utterly overwhelmed.
They had already investigated every absolute expert in the Central Plains.
So where in the world had a monster like this come from?
Long ago, while investigating the Central Plains, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had heard something.
The martial world of the Central Plains possessed tremendous hidden strength because so many extraordinary masters lived in seclusion.
With a man like the Heavenly Martial Emperor already existing, there might well have been someone even stronger, so the investigation had been conducted [N O V E L I G H T] with great caution.
But the conclusion had been clear.
No one currently in the Central Plains was stronger than the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
Just as White Horse Heaven was preparing to move in earnest and begin the conquest of the Central Plains, Jeok Wigang had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
A man who seemed to have simply dropped from the sky, with no prior activity of note.
In truth, most of the information they had obtained about him was fragmentary.
He was the eldest son of the True Martial Sect Master and the grandson of the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
He had passed the imperial examination, then returned to the True Martial Sect and taken charge of the True Martial Merchant Company.
Not long afterward, he had become a candidate to succeed the Heavenly Martial Emperor and entered Heavenly Martial Castle.
They had met only twice—once while Wigang was with the True Martial Merchant Company and once at Heavenly Martial Castle.
Yet both encounters had left a powerful impression.
And now the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had experienced Jeok Wigang’s strength firsthand.
I had definitely completed synchronization... and he still subdued me with ease....
The sorcery Jeok Wigang had used came back to mind.
The barrier capable of stopping even condensed qi.
He must have done something to that body with magic.
To think there would be someone in the Central Plains who used magic.
Interesting.
A smile crept across the Demon-Brain Divine Demon’s lips.
Looking back, all the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had done since coming to the Central Plains was work.
There had been no excitement at all, and boredom had begun to set in.
Then Jeok Wigang appeared.
Right. It wouldn’t be any fun if it were too easy.
A human who had managed to cause confusion—and fury.
At first, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had been so irritated that killing him as quickly as possible had seemed best.
Not anymore.
Right. Simply killing him would be too easy. I’ll destroy everything he loves first.
From now on, this would be an entertaining battle of wits.
How many moves would Jeok Wigang manage to stop?
Things were suddenly beginning to get interesting.
So what should the opening move be?
After considering it for a moment, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon spoke to the masked figure beside them.
“It’s about time we revealed ourselves to the world.”
“I will make the preparations.”
“Do we have anyone useful?”
“There is a faction called the Sichuan Divine Cult. I believe we can make use of them.”
“The Sichuan Divine Cult?”
“They are already going around proclaiming themselves servants of White Horse Heaven.”
“Hm? How do they know about us?”
“They are a religious organization that follows the Four Divine Demons.”
“Then did the Four Divine Demons tell them about White Horse Heaven?”
“That much is unclear. Shall I investigate?”
“Where are they?”
“I’ll find out.”
“Find them. This actually works out well. Use them to announce our existence to the world.”
“Understood.”
“This is earlier than I expected, but it’s time we started shaking up the Central Plains in earnest.”
“I shall simply follow your will.”
Two men hurried along.
They were Jeok Rigeuk and Jeok Ripae.
“What do you think this is about?”
“Who knows? If Father summoned all eight of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle, this can’t be an ordinary matter.”
“Could the Four Divine Demons have resurfaced?”
“Hmm. We’ll find out when we get there. Let’s hurry.”
“Yes!”
Their destination was the grand hall where Heavenly Martial Castle’s most important affairs were handled.
By the time they arrived, the other members of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle were already there, along with the heads of every department.
And then there was—
“You’re finally here. Sit.”
“U-Uncle Geum.”
Even Master Smith Cheon, Geum Hwangryeok, who never attended meetings, was seated among them.
Realizing just how serious the situation must be, the two cautiously took their seats.
What in the world had happened?
As they wondered, the doors opened and Jeok Mugun entered with the new strategist.
The moment Jeok Mugun appeared, everyone who had been sitting rose and bowed toward him.
“Heavenly Martial, invincible! Long live! Long live! Long live forever!”
The thunderous cry nearly shook the entire hall.
Once Jeok Mugun took the seat of honor, everyone quietly sat back down and fixed their attention on him.
Jeok Mugun surveyed the hall before speaking.
“The reason I summoned all of you is to discuss the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.”
Jeok Rigeuk and Jeok Ripae both let out sighs of relief.
So the succession trial is finally beginning.
They assumed they had been summoned to discuss the trial.
“The next Lord has already been decided.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Jeok Rigeuk shot to his feet in shock.
Watching him, Jeok Ripae slowly rose as well.
“Judging by how startled my elder brother is, I suppose it isn’t Wihwang... and since I knew nothing about this either, it cannot be my son. Then who is it?”
Unlike his brother, Jeok Ripae asked in a calm voice.
“Come in.”
At Jeok Mugun’s command, the doors opened once more and a single man walked inside.
Jeok Wigang.
But something about the atmosphere in the hall was strange.
Some people brightened the moment they saw Wigang.
Others actually began to tear up.
What was this?
What in the world was going on?
Then someone abruptly rose and asked in an emotional voice,
“Have you finally made up your mind?”
Jeok Rigeuk and Jeok Ripae turned toward the speaker and froze.
It was Baek Seojin, the Azure Sword Star—one of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle, just like them.
The next person to rise was another of the Eight Stars, Noh Cheongang, the Hong Blade Star.
“Surely I’m not dreaming right now?”
He, too, sounded close to tears.
What was happening?
Judging from the atmosphere, everyone here seemed to know that boy very well.
“I’m in favor! Wasn’t I the first one to suggest putting the Young Master in the Lord’s seat?”
“What are you talking about? I was first!”
“I was the one who said it first.”
“No, I did.”
Leaving Baek Seojin and Noh Cheongang bickering behind them, Gu Yaheuk slowly stood, gave a martial salute, and spoke with a smile.
“I am simply grateful that the Young Master has made his decision! I, Gu Yaheuk, shall follow the Young Master—no, the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle!”
One after another, the other members of the Eight Stars and the department heads rose, bowed, and pledged their loyalty.
“Hahaha! Heavenly Martial Castle will now surpass merely being the greatest of all ages. We’ll become the greatest in the entire universe!”
“My heart races just thinking about sweeping across the Central Plains alongside our next Lord!”
These were supposed to be the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle, men who would never bow to anyone they did not personally acknowledge.
Yet they were heaping praise on Jeok Wigang.
And it did not stop there.
“Strategist Gongsun Cheongi! I am ready to follow you at any time!”
Even the new strategist.
It felt as though everyone in the hall had conspired to play a joke on the two brothers.
Then, amid their confusion, they spotted their third brother, Jeok Riho.
He, too, was bowing in acknowledgment.
“W-What is this?”
“S-Someone explain what is going on! What in the world is happening?”
“The succession trial hasn’t even been held yet! So why is everyone acting like this?”
“Azure Sword Star! Didn’t you tell me that if my son became Lord of the Castle, you would follow him?”
Baek Seojin answered Jeok Rigeuk with a cold expression.
“That was because I did not know at the time that Young Master Wigang had agreed to accept the position. Had I known, I would have told you then that I intended to follow Young Master Wigang.”
“The same goes for me.”
Every one of the Eight Stars nodded.
“Father!”
Jeok Rigeuk and Jeok Ripae turned toward Jeok Mugun.
Jeok Mugun rose from his seat.
“I know this must be confusing and shocking.”
“Of course it is!”
“But this is a decision I made for Heavenly Martial Castle. It is also for your sake.”
“What do you mean? How could this possibly be for our sake?”
“To keep your sons from humiliating themselves.”
“What?”
“No matter how strong Wihwang and Wisin may be, overwhelming power renders all of it meaningless. Rather than have them suffer such humiliation in front of so many people, it is better to end matters here. Besides, the trials themselves have become meaningless.”
“Explain it in a way we can understand.”
“In a way you can understand? You are looking at it with your own eyes. There is no need to test the Right of Popular Support. Every person gathered here has already said they will follow Wigang.”
“That’s only because you brought him here, Father....”
Jeok Mugun gave a faint laugh.
“You know these people well, yet you still say that? They would never bow to anyone who failed to satisfy their standards.”
That was precisely why Jeok Rigeuk had trailed off.
He and Jeok Ripae looked around the hall again.
The determination in everyone’s eyes was unmistakable.
They could feel their resolve to put Jeok Wigang in the Lord’s seat no matter what.
These people already seemed to regard Jeok Wigang as their Lord.
If that was the case, then the Right of Governance was meaningless as well.
Two of the three trials had effectively already been decided.
That left only martial might.
And if even the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle acknowledged him, then his martial prowess could hardly be ordinary.
“Do you feel the same way, Uncle Geum?”
“I do. If that boy becomes Lord of the Castle, I will devote myself to Heavenly Martial Castle even more than I do now.”
Even Master Smith Cheon was saying such a thing.
At this point, Jeok Wigang might as well have already taken control of Heavenly Martial Castle.
“Do you understand now? Do you see why I made this decision? I did it so your children would not have to endure such an ordeal.”
“Is that boy really so strong? Strong enough that all these people would follow him like this?”
Jeok Mugun grinned and nodded.
“How strong is he? Just how strong does he have to be for everyone to act this way? Is he stronger than you, Father? If he is, then I’ll accept it.”
“Brother! That is absurd—”
Jeok Ripae tried to stop him, thinking he had gone too far.
“Yes. That bastard is stronger than I am.”
Jeok Ripae’s head snapped around.
Jeok Rigeuk stared at Jeok Mugun in disbelief as well.
“And it isn’t just me. Even if every person in Heavenly Martial Castle attacked him together, we still couldn’t beat him.”

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