A lone crow watched the headquarters of the Sichuan Divine Cult.
Its eyes, stained a deep red, stared down below.
And through those eyes, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon watched the scene unfold.
The followers of the Sichuan Divine Cult were pretending to be crazed fanatics, shouting the names of White Horse Heaven and the Four Divine Demons.
Watching them, the Demon-Brain Divine Demon chuckled softly.
“...They may prove useful.”
They possessed little real strength, but they were fanatics willing to believe blindly and expend their own lives without hesitation.
Ideal tools to command.
SNAP—
At the snap of a finger, a masked man appeared.
“Shall I go to them?”
“They look quite useful, so go and tell them this: the true White Horse Heaven they worship and follow is not the Four Divine Demons. It is us. If they refuse to believe you, show them just enough to make them afraid.”
“Understood.”
“If they believe you, tell them that as long as they faithfully obey our will, when the new world arrives, they will be reborn in the name of White Horse Heaven.”
“I will relay your words exactly.”
“Go.”
The masked man vanished like smoke.
A smile curled across the Demon-Brain Divine Demon’s lips.
“Consider it an honor, you insects. Hehehe.”
Headquarters of the Sichuan Divine Cult.
A masked man stood before the Sichuan Godfather and the Four Heavenly Divine Guards.
“So you’re saying you’re an emissary from White Horse Heaven?”
“That’s right. You have been blessed. The Strategist of White Horse Heaven personally chose you, so recognize what a great honor this is and pay your respects at once.”
The Four Heavenly Divine Guards looked toward the Sichuan Godfather, their expressions asking what they should do.
The Sichuan Godfather spoke.
“And what proof do we have that you truly come from White Horse Heaven?”
The masked man extended a hand with a look that said he had expected the question.
“Ghk!”
In an instant, the Sichuan Godfather and the Four Heavenly Divine Guards felt their throats constrict. They struggled desperately.
“Urgh!”
“Do you still refuse to believe?”
“W-we believe you....”
The moment they said it, the pressure vanished.
THUD—
“Huff... huff...!”
The Sichuan Godfather and the Four Heavenly Divine Guards sucked in ragged breaths.
They hurriedly prostrated themselves before the masked man.
“W-we will follow you!”
“To think the White Horse Heaven we have awaited for so long has finally chosen to take us in! What greater honor could there possibly be?”
“What you are to worship is not White Horse Heaven itself. You are to worship the master of White Horse Heaven—the Lord of Heaven.”
“Oooh! Lord of Heaven!”
“We shall follow the Lord of Heaven!”
“O Lord of Heaven!”
The masked man shook his head at how abruptly their attitudes had changed.
Then the Sichuan Godfather cautiously spoke.
“Um... if you could tell us something about the Lord of Heaven... we could build a temple and worship properly.”
“You need not know anything.”
“But we must know something if we’re to persuade our followers, mustn’t we? And if I simply make things up myself, I could inadvertently bring dishonor upon the Lord of Heaven.”
The Sichuan Godfather was not entirely wrong, but the masked man had only come to deliver the words the Demon-Brain Divine Demon had ordered him to convey.
“All you need to do is believe. Then someday, when the new world arrives, you will be reborn as faithful servants of White Horse Heaven.”
“We understand. We believe. But... if you could tell us even a little about the Lord of Heaven’s great deeds or powers, I believe it would greatly strengthen the faith of our followers.”
The masked man found himself at a loss.
This was not something he could decide on his own.
He turned his head toward a crow perched in the distance.
The crow immediately flew over and landed on the masked man’s shoulder.
[Do not presume to speak of the Lord of Heaven so casually.]
The moment the crow spoke, the Sichuan Godfather and the Four Heavenly Divine Guards recoiled in shock.
“Gasp!”
[You need only consider yourselves honored to have been chosen and faithfully obey every command you are given.]
“But... unless we have some great accomplishment to proclaim, how are we supposed to keep our followers unwavering in their faith?”
[Do what you did when you made them follow the Four Divine Demons.]
“They have undeniable achievements to their name.”
The crow fell silent.
It seemed to be pondering the matter.
A brief silence passed.
[The Lord of Heaven is... the King Beyond the Heavens and master of the Demon Heaven. The Lord of Heaven brought the demon realm under control and united all demons as one. Before long, the Lord of Heaven will conquer the Central Plains, place humanity beneath their feet, and force them into submission. When that day comes, you will stand above humanity and command them with a single gesture. So do not doubt. Obey.]
“Thank you. From this day forward, this shall be a place devoted solely to the Lord of Heaven. Lord of Heaven! Long live! Long live! Long live forever!”
The Demon-Brain Divine Demon was pleased to see them bowing reverently toward the Lord of Heaven.
[Hehehe. Yes. Just keep doing exactly that.]
“What would you have us do now?”
[Continue throwing the world into chaos and wait. You will receive proper orders soon.]
“We obey!”
While the Sichuan Godfather and the Four Heavenly Divine Guards remained prostrate, the crow and the masked man disappeared without leaving a trace.
Even after they were gone, the Sichuan Godfather remained bowed for quite some time before slowly rising.
Then he carefully surveyed the surroundings.
—They’re gone. Get up.
He transmitted the words cautiously by voice transmission.
The Four Heavenly Divine Guards raised their heads and looked around.
Only after confirming that no one remained did they slowly rise.
—Everything happened exactly as our lord said. He told us they would approach us first.
—As expected, our lord is always one step ahead. He also said they might be using animals to watch us, and he was right about that too.
—Of course. We must never doubt our lord’s words.
—Naturally.
—I’ll report today’s events to our lord. You tell the followers about the Lord of Heaven and have them begin the act.
—Understood.
—Make sure they know they have to become fanatics.
—Yes!
Jeok Wigang listened to the Sichuan Godfather’s entire report.
“Master of the Demon Heaven?”
“Yes! They also said the Lord of Heaven had unified the demon realm.”
“So I was right. They came from the demon realm.”
“Truly remarkable. To think you foresaw even that.”
Jeok Wigang chuckled when he saw the Sichuan Godfather’s gaze transforming into that of a man standing before a god.
“What should we do?”
“For now, become their most loyal followers.”
“Understood. We will become fanatics.”
“Have you chosen where you’ll operate next?”
“Yes. We chose the area where the Blood Sea Gate and Heavenly Sword Gate are located.”
“No one is to get hurt.”
“Yes! I will remember that above all else. But what if those people insist on coming along to help?”
“They’re not the type to follow you around for petty work like that. The Demon-Brain Divine Demon knows better than anyone that ordering you to run around on errands would only weaken your devotion. You won’t receive an order like that.”
“Understood.”
“Still, just in case....”
Jeok Wigang held out a jewel.
“If they do insist on accompanying you, go to the location and throw this. An illusion formation will activate naturally, making it feel as though you’re actually slaughtering people.”
“What if one of them comes with us?”
“Then they’ll experience it too. I designed it to feel completely real.”
The Sichuan Godfather stared at Jeok Wigang in admiration.
“As expected of you, my lord. I can only marvel at how you are capable of creating such wondrous artifacts.”
“Enough flattery. Get going.”
“Yes!”
“Wait.”
“Yes? Is there something else?”
“What happened to your neck?”
“Ah! This? When we said we didn’t believe them, they decided to demonstrate their power and strangled us. It’s nothing serious, so please don’t concern yourself.”
“Hold still.”
Jeok Wigang muttered something beneath his breath, and the throbbing pain vanished.
The Sichuan Godfather was deeply moved.
“My lord... you needn’t trouble yourself over an injury this trivial.”
“You were hurt because you were working for me. Of course I’m going to care.”
“My lord....”
Tears welled in the Sichuan Godfather’s eyes.
This was it.
The true master he had dreamed of serving for so long.
“I shall live only for you, my lord!”
“You should live for yourself too. All right, that’s enough. Go.”
“At your command!”
Even as he withdrew, the Sichuan Godfather renewed his vow to live solely for Jeok Wigang.
These days, Jeok Rihyeon, Gate Master of the True Martial Sect, scarcely had a moment to breathe.
Sect Masters and promising young disciples from the Nine Sects kept arriving one after another.
The day before yesterday, the Kunlun Sect had arrived.
Yesterday, it had been the Kongtong Sect and the Diancang Sect.
And when he saw who had arrived today, even he was surprised.
The Sect Master of the Mount Hua Sect had come in person.
“I am Ak Jinpung, Sect Master of Mount Hua. Forgive me for arriving unannounced.”
“Welcome. I am Jeok Rihyeon, Gate Master of the True Martial Sect. It is an honor to meet the Scarlet Sword Lord, whose fame resounds beneath heaven, in person. You must have had a difficult journey to reach this humble place.”
“Hahaha. Not at all. The building itself has such dignity that merely looking at it puts my mind at ease.”
Jeok Rihyeon smiled and gave him a martial salute.
“Thank you. Please, come inside. Our accommodations may be humble, but you are most welcome.”
“Thank you.”
Just as they were about to enter, another group approached.
Ak Jinpung’s expression immediately tightened.
The person he least wanted to encounter was coming straight toward him.
The newcomers wore Daoist caps emblazoned with prominent Taiji symbols.
It was Wudang.
“Forgive us for arriving without notice. I am Hyeonjin, Sect Master of Wudang.”
“Welcome. I didn’t expect Wudang to come as well.”
“What sect anywhere in the Central Plains would turn down the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s instruction? Shameless though it may be, we have come hoping to learn from him.”
“You are most welcome. Unfortunately, my father is away at the moment, so you will need to wait several days. Will that be all right?”
“Oh? Is that so? Then we shall stay in the village below until his return.”
“There’s no need. We have plenty of rooms here. The accommodations may be humble, but please rest comfortably with us.”
Jeok Rihyeon turned toward the Mount Hua Sect.
“Everyone from Mount Hua should come inside as well. I’ll have someone show you where you can rest.”
“Ahem! Th-thank you.”
The gazes of Mount Hua Sect Master Ak Jinpung and Wudang Sect Master Hyeonjin met.
“Hahaha. If it isn’t the esteemed Sect Master of Mount Hua. It has been quite some time.”
“Ahem! Indeed it has. Have you been well?”
“Thanks to you, I have. And have you remained in good health, Sect Master?”
“Thanks to you.”
Jeok Rihyeon cut into their exchange.
“You can catch up inside. I’ll even have refreshments prepared so you can reminisce to your hearts’ content.”
“Well now. Wouldn’t that be imposing on you too much...?”
“You are honored guests. Your visit to the True Martial Sect is an honor in itself. Come now, please step inside.”
The two sects were practically herded indoors against their will.
The Sect Masters of Mount Hua and Wudang were stunned when they entered the reception hall.
Every other leader of the Nine Sects and One Gang was already gathered there.
“You’ve finally arrived? You’re much later than I expected.”
The Union Chief of the Beggars’ Union grinned at them, prompting both Sect Masters to clear their throats.
“Ahem! So everyone is already here.”
“Of course we are. This is the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s instruction we’re talking about. Who wouldn’t drop everything and come running?”
Everyone nodded at the Union Chief’s words.
There was no embarrassment on their faces.
They had felt somewhat ashamed at first, but seeing the Sect Masters of the other great sects gathered here as well had eased their minds considerably.
“I was told the Heavenly Martial Emperor will be delayed a little while he hands matters over to the new Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.”
At those words, everyone’s attention turned toward the Union Chief.
The Wudang Sect Master cautiously asked,
“Why... did the Heavenly Martial Emperor relinquish the position of Lord to someone else?”
“Why do you think?”
“Well... how could any of us claim to know his intentions? But I heard the new Lord has only just passed the age of twenty. I cannot help wondering whether someone so young can truly lead Heavenly Martial Castle properly... and whether Heavenly Martial Castle itself will accept and follow its new Lord.”

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