So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon?

A few days prior.

Deep within the Forbidden City.

Eunuch Gong had crawled back looking like a survivor of a massacre, and the moment he finished his report, a vein bulged prominently on the Supreme Eunuch's forehead.

"The Western Military Command has fallen? What the hell do you mean by that?!”

Eunuch Gong had barely managed to drag himself off the battlefield alive, and the Supreme Eunuch's fury was not doing his nerves any favors. He swallowed hard and chose his next words very carefully.

"Th... the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's influence was far greater than we anticipated. Every single government soldier in Gansu sided with them and joined the rebellion."

"Ha. That's still only fifty or sixty thousand men at best. What exactly were you doing this whole time?"

Sensing that his life was very much on the line, Eunuch Gong had no qualms about throwing the already-dead Western Military Commander under the cart.

"It was entirely the Western Military Commander's misjudgment! He ordered the advance before the forces from the other provinces had even assembled. As a result, the border troops alone were left to fight the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult head-on."

"And what became of the Western Military Commander?"

"He died in battle."

“Sigh...”

A flicker of mixed emotions crossed the Supreme Eunuch’s face as he let out a long sigh.

‘Whether that's good news or bad news, I honestly can't tell.’

The Western Military Commander had never made any secret of his disdain for the Supreme Eunuch's methods. He had been a thorn in his side for years.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the Supreme Eunuch pressed on.

"So then, what was the extent of the rebels' casualties?”

If the Western Military Commander had managed to deal a crushing blow before dying, his death would still be a win for the Supreme Eunuch. The man had hardly been a worthy political rival, but he was still an annoying critic who was now conveniently out of the picture. But if he had died without even putting up a decent fight, it was a massive waste.

The question made Eunuch Gong's mind go completely blank.

He had bolted the moment he confirmed the Western Military Commander was dead, so he had absolutely no idea what the casualty count was. But he knew that if he stood there stammering, the Supreme Eunuch’s wrath would land on him.

Thinking fast, Eunuch Gong started spinning a lie on the spot, doing whatever it took to keep the boss from blowing a fuse.

“W-we wiped out at least half of the rebel army, Your Excellency.”

The news that the enemy had taken considerable losses smoothed out the Supreme Eunuch's expression considerably.

"Oh? So the Western Military Command actually put up a decent fight before he went down.”

"Y... yes, Your Excellency."

Eunuch Gong inwardly congratulated himself on his quick thinking.

‘Just to be safe, it’s better not to mention that one.’

He was thinking of that terrifying monster from the Demonic Cult who called himself Il-mok.

If he mentioned that freak and his absolutely monstrous arts, whatever good mood the Supreme Eunuch had recovered would evaporate immediately, and Eunuch Gong had no intention of letting that happen.

While Eunuch Gong quietly distorted the truth for his own survival, the Supreme Eunuch issued his next order.

“Very well. You must have suffered greatly traveling all the way from Gansu to deliver this urgent news, so take a few days to rest.”

"I am deeply grateful for Your Excellency’s generosity."

***

In the days following the news of the Western Military Command's collapse, reports continued to trickle into the Forbidden City at a steady pace.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's main force had seized Shaanxi. Martial Artists in Sichuan and Hubei had risen up in revolt.

‘Tch. As expected, there is no need to leave a single martial artist alive.’

How dare these thugs rebel against the Emperor and the government?

He knew they were troublemakers ever since they came up with that ridiculous excuse of a non-interference pact to justify their lawlessness.

While the Supreme Eunuch stewed in his contempt for the martial world, Eunuch Gong came calling at his hall.

After returning to the Forbidden City, Eunuch Gong had resumed his duties as the Brush-Holding Eunuch of the Eastern Depot, which involved gathering intelligence from the Eastern Depot and the government to report to the Supreme Eunuch.

“News regarding the war that broke out among the martial artists at Mount Longzhong has arrived.”

"What happened?"

"The Zhuge Family's estate has been completely destroyed. The rebels who allied with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult suffered severe casualties, and notably, both the Left and Right Guardians sent by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to support them were killed."

"Hahaha!"

The Supreme Eunuch smiled faintly at the report and stroked his beard.

"And what of those led by the Peng Family?"

"In truth, their losses were even worse. The Peng Family and Shaolin in particular had fewer than ten survivors among all who participated in the battle."

Eunuch Gong then relayed reports about the Zhuge Family's traps that spread across Mount Longzhong, culminating in an explosion that destroyed the entire Zhuge Family estate.

"It appears that the Zhuge Family had been secretly smuggling in gunpowder for some time, Your Excellency. They then seem to have combined it with their Formations and mechanical traps to amplify its destructive power severalfold."

"Hmph. I knew those martial artists were untrustworthy scum. They dare defy an imperial decree and hoard gunpowder for their own use."

Despite the harsh words about the Zhuge Family, the Supreme Eunuch's expression was noticeably brighter than before.

What he had wanted most of all had apparently come to pass.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Central Plains martial world had bled each other nearly dry.

"Come to think of it, you mentioned the Peng Family's losses were severe. Was Peng Muyeol himself killed as well?"

"Fortunately, Peng Muyeol is still alive, Your Excellency."

"Hahaha! Excellent! That’s even better! Now that those rebels have slaughtered his entire family, he won’t need our political deals to fight them! He will now be itching to slaughter those Demonic Cultists regardless of any political deals.”

"Indeed, Your Excellency."

The Supreme Eunuch seemed genuinely pleased, and Eunuch Gong bowed his head and exhaled quietly in relief.

‘Good. This one was safe to report.’

Keeping a careful eye on the Supreme Eunuch's mood, Eunuch Gong added one more thing. "There is also a peculiar rumor circulating through the Central Plains martial world."

"A peculiar rumor?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. Word has spread of an extraordinarily powerful Shaolin monk who not only killed both of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Guardians, but also survived the Zhuge Family's trap. The martial world has apparently taken to calling this old monk the Divine Monk."

The Supreme Eunuch's brow furrowed with visible displeasure.

Fortunately, the good news from before seemed to have softened the blow enough that he didn't immediately explode.

"Tch. They do say the martial world is full of exceptional figures. I suppose my restraint in not moving too aggressively has turned out to work in our favor."

He muttered that to himself while stroking his beard, then spoke again after a moment.

"Speaking of which, the Central Military Command is set to mobilize soon, yes?"

"That is correct."

"Then you are to make your way there. Go and coordinate their movements."

"Forgive my ignorance, Your Excellency, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean by coordinate. Coordinate with what, exactly?"

"I’m talking about coordinating with those self-righteous thugs who call themselves the Orthodox Faction. We need to make sure the Demonic Cult and the martial arts world keep tearing each other's throats out. The Central Military Command should pressure them, but there is no need to make a reckless attempt to conquer Shaanxi Province.”

Unlike the Western Military Commander, the Central Military Commander was a man loyal to the Supreme Eunuch. If he ended up dying in battle the way the Western Military Commander had, it would create all kinds of headaches.

Either way, the Supreme Eunuch's ultimate goal had always been the complete annihilation of the martial world.

‘The Divine Monk, is it? I don't care how strong he is. At the end of the day, he's just one man. The completion of my plan to annihilate the martial world will likely come the day I kill that old monk with these very hands.’

***

Right around the time Eunuch Gong was leaving the Forbidden City per the Supreme Eunuch's orders and heading toward the Central Military Command, a modest promotion ceremony was underway in Xi'an.

Il-mok had somehow gone from being the youngest young master to the second-in-command of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as the Left Guardian and was now standing there with a completely bewildered expression on his face.

But they weren't done.

The other seat of the Left and Right Guardians was still empty, and Wi Jin-hak already had someone in mind to fill it.

"Head of the Dokgo Family."

"Yes, Cult Leader."

"I hereby appoint you to the vacant position of Right Guardian."

"I will follow the Cult Leader's will!"

After appointing his Left and Right Guardians in what could only be described as a lightning-fast ceremony, Wi Jin-hak looked at the two of them and spoke.

"From this moment forward, the Left and Right Guardians act as my representatives. Consult each other and hold Shaanxi Province."

The members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who had witnessed the whole thing all had a very similar thought.

‘Now that is a hell of an inspired appointment.’

Dokgo Ryong was notorious for his hot temper and his tendency to charge headfirst into everything. Il-mok, on the other hand, was known for the sharp wit and adaptability that had brought about so many changes within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

The two of them were polar opposites in personality, which meant they could just as easily clash into a complete disaster as they could balance each other out into something formidable.

It was the kind of combination that would end in either great fortune or great catastrophe with absolutely nothing in between. But for some reason, everyone there had a gut feeling it would turn out well.

It wasn't just because of what Il-mok had accomplished so far. It was because despite their wildly different personalities, both men's loyalty to the Cult and to Wi Jin-hak was completely beyond question.

As the assembled members settled into a general mood of approval toward Wi Jin-hak's choices, one person was quietly swallowing a very different sentiment entirely.

‘Heavens, why have you forsaken me? Of all the people I had to get paired with, it had to be that insane old man.’

While the others were celebrating, Il-mok was busy weeping on the inside.

***

The quick and informal ceremony wrapped up, and Wi Jin-hak immediately departed Xi'an and headed for Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province.

He took a thousand of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's three thousand warriors with him, along with the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord and Ouyang Pae.

The following morning, Il-mok summoned all of the forces stationed in Shaanxi to Xi'an.

About thirty thousand former imperial soldiers gathered outside the city gates. These were the government troops they had forcefully drafted while marching through Shaanxi.

The original numbers had been higher, but some had been killed or had fled during the absorption process, leaving only this many behind.

On the bright side, because they had been absorbed before an official conscription decree was declared, the majority were standing troops rather than reservists. If they actually started conscripting local civilians, they could easily double their army.

Il-mok swept his gaze across the soldiers he would now be leading alongside Dokgo Ryong, then channeled his internal energy into his voice.

"A pleasure to meet you all! I am Il-mok, Left Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and from this day forward, I will be leading you in place of our Cult Leader!"

Dokgo Ryong followed with a brief introduction of his own, and the two of them proceeded to deliver a rousing speech to bolster the soldiers' morale. They cursed out the Imperial Family and its eunuchs and drove home the point that they had taken up arms for the sake of the common people.

When the speech was over and the soldiers dispersed back to their posts, a strange atmosphere settled over their ranks.

“Where the hell did the Cult Leader go? Why are we being commanded by a random geezer and some kid?!”

These men had never been members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the Maitreya Luminous Cult to begin with, so their conviction was never particularly deep. They had surrendered because they had been overpowered by the Cult Leader and the Cult's elite warriors.

"Have you heard? The Central Military Command is marching this way."

"Well, of course they are. We started a rebellion, so naturally they're coming to put it down."

“No, you don't get it. Do you know how many soldiers they have? Two hundred thousand! Two hundred thousand men!”

The moment those numbers dropped, the color drained from every face within earshot.

Their own numbers were a measly thirty thousand.

They were already outnumbered to a ridiculous degree, and now the Cult Leader had vanished on top of that. A massive wave of dread rolled over the soldiers, and it only grew heavier as the hours passed.

By the following afternoon, two soldiers standing guard together on a section of the wall were exchanging hushed words.

"Are you really planning on staying here?"

"What are you suggesting, desertion?"

Both of them swallowed hard at the same time and swept their eyes around the area. If anyone had heard that, it could mean their heads would separate from their shoulders.

They quickly shut their mouths and went back to staring at the horizon. But in the heavy silence, the word "desertion" just kept getting louder and louder in the back of both their minds.

Suddenly, one of them gasped, his face twisting in panic.

"H-hey, look over there!"

The other soldier spun around to find a massive army approaching from the west.

"That... that must be the Central Military Command! They're already here?!"

The two men went white as sheets and sprinted off to make their report. Moments later, war drums began thundering through Xi'an in urgent succession.

Before long, soldiers scattered across every corner of the city came flooding toward the walls.

Their faces were either paper-white or completely dark with terror.

‘We’re dead. We can't even run away now.’

Just as collective despair was about to swallow them whole, a soldier with sharp eyes suddenly called out.

“Wait! They aren't enemies!”

Everyone looked. Sure enough, a massive banner was waving at the front of the approaching vanguard.

Though it was still too far to see clearly, the characters for [Heavenly Demon(天魔)] were inscribed upon it.

A collective wave of relief swept over the garrison as they realized it was not the enemy.

But as the army marched closer and closer, a strange chill began to ripple through the watching soldiers.

Thud.

Thud.

It started with the drums and the footsteps, both striking in an eerily identical rhythm.

There had to be at least fifty thousand men out there, yet every single one of them was stomping their boots at the exact same moment.

“GLO~RY! GLORY! O ’ DIVINE CULT!!”

They were chanting a bizarre song to that very rhythm.

As they got closer, the sheer scale of their discipline became visible to the naked eye.

Despite having marched across provinces, their ranks were perfectly aligned, and they stepped forward with forceful strides.

There was no fear in their eyes.

And there was no hesitation in their heart.

All that was left from the absence of those two concepts was morale so off-the-charts high that it felt less like courage and more like religious fanaticism.

‘Where the hell did soldiers like that come from?’

The soldiers on the walls were professionally trained soldiers, but they had never in their lives seen an army move with such terrifying discipline.

When the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's reinforcements drew near enough to the walls, someone stepped out of the interior side of Xi'an's wall and strode into thin air.

As if there were invisible footholds only he could see, the man ran across empty space and landed cleanly on top of the wall.

The moment the Gansu soldiers recognized his face, every last one of them erupted at once.

"It's Young Master Il-mok!!"

"YEAHHHHH!!!!!"

“THE ENVOY OF GOD IS HERE!!!”

"GOD MARCHES WITH US!!!!!"

The voices of the fifty thousand-strong army merged into a single roar that threatened to split the heavens and the earth.

Gulp.

Watching the fanatical display, the regular Xi'an soldiers swallowed hard as goosebumps broke out all over their bodies.

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