Chapter 6. Heavenly Demon Cheon Yugi (1)
The journey to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was extremely long.
After all, the Heavenly Mountains where they were based lay in the Western Regions, connected to the Silk Road.
The Left Envoy guided us to a dock somewhere along the Yellow River.
A ship he had prepared in advance was waiting there, and thanks to that, I boarded a boat for the first time in many years.
Wolyeong later told me that people from the Demonic Cult preferred traveling along the Yellow River rather than using roads when going to and from the Central Plains.
Apparently, the Kongtong Sect watched the land routes so tightly that not even water could slip through.
Come to think of it, among the Five Great Sects, the Kongtong Sect had an especially hostile relationship with the Demonic Cult.
Was it because their territory was located right on the front line of the Central Plains martial world?
Honestly, even if the Kongtong Sect blocked the road, it probably would not have been a serious problem.
Our group included the Guangming Left Envoy and his personal elite guards.
However, because Wolyeong was pregnant, we chose the safest route possible.
Of course, that meant I was the only one who suffered.
“Uweeegh!!”
Damn it.
I had lost count of how many times I had vomited today.
I never imagined sailing upstream would be this miserable.
“Hahaha! So even our great master archer is helpless against seasickness.”
“Seeing you suffer like that somehow makes my wounded knee hurt less. Hahahaha!”
The men laughing at me were the elite soldiers accompanying the Left Envoy.
In other words, the same men I had shot with my bow.
Naturally, they knew nothing about the relationship between Wolyeong and me.
The Left Envoy had told me beforehand.
[I told the guards that you are being escorted as a guest of our Cult. It is true that you saved the Princess's life.]
Even so, I had been rather nervous at first.
He wanted me to ride on the same ship as the people I had shot.
It would not have been strange if someone smashed the back of my head while I slept.
But...
“Where did you say you got hit?”
“Right in the shoulder. I don’t think I’ll be holding a sword properly for a while.”
“Stop whining! I got shot in the knee and nearly had my cartilage destroyed! I almost ended up limping for the rest of my life! Hahahaha!”
“I got hit in the stomach. That guy from the Yu Family volunteered to act as my shield, but this gentleman’s arrow went straight through him and buried itself in my belly.”
“No wonder I haven’t seen Yu lately. Did he die?”
“He didn’t die. His injuries were serious, so he’ll return separately once his treatment is finished.”
Respect the strong.
That was the unique culture of the Demonic Cult, a culture that honored and favored the strong without question.
Perhaps because of that culture, these people were almost excessively manly.
“Great Hero, now that things have turned out this way, why not formally join the Cult?”
“You even exchanged moves with the Left Envoy. Sure, the Left Envoy is technically a civil official, but with martial arts like yours, becoming a Demon General should be easy.”
“A Demon General? If he’s reached the Transcendent Peak Realm, he could even become a Demon Lord!”
“Maybe he could even aim for the vacant Demon Venerable position... No, that might be going too far.”
These people started discussing my future as though I had already decided to join the Cult.
Not that they were wrong.
Because of Wolyeong, I intended to join anyway.
“What are all of you doing?”
The person who ended their discussion was the Left Envoy.
The moment he stepped out of the cabin, the guards who had been laughing loudly suddenly stood stiff and straight.
“Greetings, Left Envoy!”
“Instead of wasting time, go maintain your weapons. And you.”
The Left Envoy gestured for me to follow him.
I entered the cabin behind him.
“What is it?”
“Before we enter the Cult, we should make sure our stories match. Only this old man and the Cult Leader will know about your relationship with the Princess.”
“What about the physician who examined Wolyeong?”
“I made him the Princess's personal physician. Otherwise, I would have had no choice but to kill him.”
The Left Envoy let out a deep sigh.
Was it just my imagination?
It felt like this old man sighed every time he looked at me.
“If you keep sighing like that, the ground might cave in.”
“You damned bastard. Who do you think is responsible for this? If word spreads that the Princess is pregnant, there will be countless problems. Even this old man cannot guess how the Cult Leader will react.”
“Uncle Left, what kind of person is the Cult Leader?”
“How many times have I told you not to call me... Forget it. Why do you ask about the Cult Leader?”
“I’m going to meet my father-in-law. Naturally, I want to earn a few points.”
A vein bulged on the Left Envoy's forehead.
It was fascinating how visibly his veins appeared whenever he got angry.
“Carefree fool. Try behaving that insolently before the Cult Leader. Your head will definitely stop being attached to your neck.”
“Even after he learns that my child is inside Wolyeong?”
“Killing you and naming the son of another Demonic Clan as the child's father would not be difficult. If I had my way, I would do exactly that right now. But as I told you, the bloodline of the Cheon Family is not something this old man has authority over.”
The Left Envoy thought for a long moment before finally speaking.
“Our Cult follows the doctrine of Respecting the Strong. The only thing that can prove and protect a man is his own strength. Your martial arts are at least useful, so make good use of them.”
“Why are you suddenly giving me advice? Every time you see me, you act like you want to eat me alive.”
“Do not get arrogant. Even now, I want to tear off your limbs. However...”
The Left Envoy turned his back to me.
“If you die, the Princess will be saddened. Therefore, I will at least give you the minimum chance necessary to survive.”
“Uncle Left, I never knew you had such a warm side.”
“Shut up and get out! And greet the Princess before you go!”
“Yes, Uncle Left.”
“Stop calling me that!!”
“Come now, Uncle Left. No need to be embarrassed.”
A terrifying killing intent began pouring from Uncle Left.
I should probably run to Wolyeong before he really killed me.
We traveled upstream along the Yellow River for seven days and nights.
Just as I was finally becoming used to the seasickness, our ship arrived at a dock in Gansu.
Wolyeong only stepped off the ship after the guards had thoroughly scouted the surrounding area for danger.
She came down with the physician, looked toward me, and sent me a voice transmission.
[You suffered a lot on the ship.]
[How are you feeling?]
[Who is worrying about whom? You spent seven days helping make the Yellow River even more yellow.]
“Ahem!”
Apparently, the Left Envoy noticed that we were exchanging voice transmissions.
He loudly cleared his throat before sending one to me.
[Do not stare at the Princess for too long. The subordinates are watching.]
What a strict old man.
The Left Envoy immediately gathered the soldiers and began issuing orders.
“Soldiers, listen carefully. This region lies close to the Kongtong Sect's territory. We will protect the Princess while simultaneously scouting our surroundings as we return to the Cult.”
The Left Envoy divided the guards seven to three.
Seventy percent would remain with Wolyeong.
The remaining thirty percent would move ahead and scout the surroundings.
“Young Hero Bi Anso.”
Then he called me.
Officially, I was a guest of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, so the Left Envoy addressed me politely whenever others were nearby.
“What is it?”
“It is somewhat embarrassing to ask a guest of our Cult, but could Young Hero Bi also assist with the scouting?”
“Of course.”
In truth, the Left Envoy and I had already discussed this.
Whenever I stayed near Wolyeong, her eyes remained almost completely fixed on me.
Someone might become suspicious.
Until we reached the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it would be better for me to keep some distance from her.
Wolyeong herself apparently did not realize this.
She was glaring at the Left Envoy as though she wanted to kill him.
“Haha! With Great Hero Bi joining the scouting party, we won’t have to worry even if the Kongtong bastards attack us in a group.”
The soldiers assigned to scouting came over while laughing.
Every one of them had been shot by me before.
“Great Hero, take this map. You probably do not know the terrain around here.”
“Thank you.”
