Chapter 130: The Sacred Flame
Yeom Yuhwa remained silent for a long time.
This was the same woman who hadn't yielded an inch even before the Ten Demons.
And yet now...
she seemed almost afraid to put what she knew into words.
That alone told me the story she was about to tell wasn't something light.
I didn't rush her.
I simply waited.
After a while...
Yeom Yuhwa finally parted her dry lips.
“Everything that happened to the Cult Leader...”
She paused.
“began with the Sacred Flame.”
I frowned.
“The Sacred Flame?”
Instead of answering immediately, Yeom Yuhwa turned her head.
Her gaze went toward the enormous brazier beside the raised platform inside the Heavenly Demon Hall.
The structure I'd originally mistaken for some kind of altar when I first entered this place.
I looked at the black brazier again.
And something immediately surfaced in the back of my mind.
The flame Goeong had mentioned earlier.
And the mysterious flame from the words Immortal Yeonha had left behind....
But I didn't hold onto that thought for long.
Right now, hearing Yeom Yuhwa's explanation came first.
“The place where we are standing is the Heavenly Demon Hall.”
Yeom Yuhwa continued carefully.
“It is where the leaders of our Divine Cult have traditionally resided and handled the affairs of the cult.”
She glanced toward the massive black seat.
“You could think of it as the Cult Leader's personal hall of governance.”
The Heavenly Demon's office....
So that was why such an enormous black seat had been placed in the middle of this vast chamber.
Yeom Yuhwa continued.
“But the Heavenly Demon Hall is also a place of immense importance to every member of our cult.”
Her expression grew solemn.
“It is something like a sacred sanctuary.”
I looked at her.
“A sanctuary?”
“What do you mean?”
Once again, Yeom Yuhwa didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she slowly turned and walked toward the brazier.
Only after standing before the cold, blackened structure did she speak again.
“Because the Heavenly Demon Hall is where the Sacred Flame is preserved.”
Her voice lowered.
“The Sacred Flame is the symbol of our Divine Cult, bestowed upon us by the god who created all things.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Sacred Flame?”
“Explain that in more detail.”
Yeom Yuhwa slowly nodded.
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was founded by the First Heavenly Demon after he received teachings from the Heavenly God, creator of all things.”
She continued in a reverent tone.
“It is said that the First Heavenly Demon received two gifts that carried the Creator's will.”
This was completely new to me.
The founding legend of the Demonic Cult.
And now there were even divine gifts from some creator god.
I couldn't help listening more carefully.
The Demonic Cult I knew was a group steeped in blood, slaughter, and destruction.
So hearing words like Creator and divine teachings from one of its members felt strangely out of place.
Still...
there was no reason to voice that thought.
I simply kept listening.
“The first of those gifts was the Sacred Flame.”
Yeom Yuhwa's gaze slowly swept across the empty brazier.
“The Sacred Flame is said to symbolize the god's love for humanity.”
A flame of compassion?
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Whenever people of the Central Plains thought of the Demonic Cult...
the first things that came to mind were blood and death.
How many people had died whenever the Demonic Cult swept across the Central Plains?
And this cult spoke of compassion?
The contradiction was almost ridiculous.
Yeom Yuhwa kept staring at the blackened brazier as she continued.
“Since the founding of our cult, the Sacred Flame had never once gone out.”
“It always illuminated the Heavenly Demon Hall and stood as the symbol of our cult's foundation.”
Then she added,
“And to become the Heavenly Demon, master of the Divine Cult, also meant taking responsibility for protecting the Sacred Flame bestowed by the Creator.”
I repeated her words inwardly.
I'd always imagined the leader of the Demonic Cult as nothing more than a blood-soaked ruler obsessed with unifying the martial world.
But apparently, the Heavenly Demon also carried a religious duty to protect the Sacred Flame.
If I only heard this part, they sound like an ordinary religious order.
Then another thought struck me.
The Sacred Flame had never gone out.
And the Heavenly Demon was its guardian.
Then...?
My gaze naturally shifted to the brazier.
Only cold black soot remained inside it.
“Then...”
I asked cautiously,
“that is where the Sacred Flame used to burn?”
Yeom Yuhwa nodded weakly.
“Yes.”
“This is the Sacred Flame Altar.”
She looked at the blackened interior.
“The Sacred Flame once burned here and illuminated the Heavenly Demon Hall.”
I frowned.
“Then why is it...”
Yeom Yuhwa's face twisted with sorrow.
For a long time, she simply stared at the Sacred Flame Altar.
Eventually...
she spoke.
“The Sacred Flame that once illuminated this hall...”
Her voice became heavy.
“eventually went out.”
I stared at her.
“Went out?”
“What happened?”
Yeom Yuhwa couldn't answer immediately.
Deep pain showed in her eyes.
Apparently, this wasn't easy for her to talk about.
So I waited quietly.
After some time...
her closed lips slowly opened again.
“The Sacred Flame...”
She swallowed with difficulty.
“was extinguished.”
Then, as though correcting herself,
“No... it disappeared entirely.”
I immediately asked,
“Extinguished?”
“Are you saying someone put it out?”
"...Yes."
“Who?”
