"Behind them was the Heavenly Wandering Hermit, Hwa Yul-cheong."
At Sama Myeong’s words, Geom Mugeuk recalled the man he had forgotten.
The Heavenly Wandering Hermit, the Martial Alliance Leader's closest friend.
In his life before regression, he was someone who had never stepped into the forefront.
Even in the era when the Twelve Zodiac Kings ruled the Martial World, he had never revealed himself to the outside world.
After the Alliance Leader's death, he had never heard any news of the Heavenly Wandering Hermit.
No rumors of him seeking revenge for the Alliance Leader, nor any rumors of him being seen anywhere.
Come to think of it, he had disappeared from the Martial World.
In Geom Mugeuk’s life before regression, the man who had been the Martial Alliance Leader's dear friend held no significance at all.
He had completely forgotten his existence, but today, he heard his name.
And the unique meaning that the single-character flag held for Geom Mugeuk.
'Now that I think about it, this man was also from the Hwa Clan.'
Looking at the flag together, Sama Myeong spoke with concern.
"There are more than a few Righteous Path masters who follow the Heavenly Wandering Hermit. If he is truly the one behind this, this fight will not be easy."
The worst-case scenario was this.
If they were to kill him without being able to reveal to the world that he was an evil man.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would be seen as having murdered the Martial Alliance Leader's closest friend and a respected elder of the Righteous Path.
If that happened, the martial artists of the Righteous Path would rise like wildfire, and the flames would only be extinguished after countless people had been burned to death.
Naturally, as the Grand Strategist, Sama Myeong knew this Heavenly Wandering Hermit well.
"He is a man who built a friendship with the Alliance Leader since their youth. I find it hard to believe that such a person was co-opted by those scoundrels."
Sama Myeong also considered the possibility that this information was wrong.
That was how unbelievable it was.
On the other hand, Geom Mugeuk was suspicious of this man who had suddenly appeared in his life.
"Perhaps he wasn't co-opted."
Sama Myeong understood the meaning behind Geom Mugeuk's words.
That he might not have been co-opted, but could be the mastermind of the conspiracy.
"Are you saying he might have approached him intentionally from the very beginning?"
He couldn't help but be surprised.
That would mean this conspiracy had been planned for decades.
"Haven't we already confirmed that the masterminds we've been dealing with have been preparing for a very long time? Perhaps the starting point of that preparation was by the Alliance Leader's side."
At Geom Mugeuk's words, Sama Myeong's expression became serious.
What if that were true? Then this fight would be more than just not easy.
'Of all times, this had to happen when the Cult Master is away!'
The two men silently watched the bustling command room for a moment.
Finally, Sama Myeong broke the silence first.
"Do you wish to go to Wuhan?"
Geom Mugeuk never thought the day would come when he would say such words, but.
"Yes, I want to go to my brother."
He wanted to run there right away.
"Will you let me go?"
Although he knew well how Geom Mugeuk felt, Sama Myeong firmly refused.
"No. I will send more Demon Sovereigns instead."
Because the situation was dangerous, Sama Myeong was even more resolved not to send Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk understood him.
But separate from that understanding, there was also a signal of fate that had been sent to Geom Mugeuk.
This news had arrived on the day his Nine Calamities Demon Art reached the Ninth Star.
"There is a reason I must go."
"What is the reason?"
"I believe the Poison King and the Demon Buddha alone are enough to protect my brother."
"Then why do you insist on going?"
Just as the reason for not sending him was clear, the reason he had to go was also clear.
"If the Heavenly Wandering Hermit is the mastermind, he will undoubtedly try to move the Martial Alliance Leader. If the Alliance Leader moves, the Martial Alliance will move, and then the entire Righteous Path of the Martial World will move."
It might be a leap in logic, but.
"It even makes me think they might have lured us in, aiming for that."
After all, they had used an artisan from the Martial Alliance's Iron Workshop to create the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect's forbidden weapons.
"They will probably complicate things."
How could Sama Myeong not know? That in such a situation, the person who could respond most flexibly was Geom Mugeuk.
Moreover, the Young Cult Master had a deep friendship with the Martial Alliance Leader, Jin Pae-cheon.
Nevertheless, Sama Myeong could not easily make a decision.
His gaze turned to the two flags on the strategic map.
Righteous and Hwa.
Around them were a dozen flags of Righteous Path masters.
Although there were only a dozen now, the moment the Martial Alliance Leader raised his banner, dozens, hundreds of flags across the Central Plains would gather to protect the Righteous Path.
He wanted to recall the First Young Master who was out, and now he was to send out Geom Mugeuk as well?
Just as the two men were stubbornly holding their ground, a new dispatch arrived from Wuhan.
"It is a dispatch from the First Young Master."
The dispatch was handed to Sama Myeong.
After confirming its contents, Sama Myeong looked at Geom Mugeuk with a surprised expression and said.
"The First Young Master has requested support from the Demon Buddha."
Not yet knowing that the Poison King and the Demon Buddha were already in Wuhan, he had requested the Demon Buddha's help from the Main Sect.
"You know my brother's personality, don't you?"
The man who would break rather than bend had asked for help, like a bamboo swaying in the wind.
The brother of old would have died before seeking anyone's help.
But now, his brother had changed.
He had become someone who could control his emotions for the greater good.
He had called for Jin Ha-gun first; perhaps that, too, stemmed from such a sentiment.
"For my brother to request support means he is certain that the Heavenly Wandering Hermit is the mastermind. It also means the pressure he's feeling on the ground is immense."
After deep contemplation, Sama Myeong finally made a decision.
"Very well. You may go. But there are conditions."
"What are they?"
"Take two more Demon Sovereigns with you."
It was a proposal steeped in Sama Myeong's resolve to ensure Geom Mugeuk's survival, even if tensions with the Righteous Path escalated to the extreme.
"Me, my brother, and four Demon Sovereigns. We could wage a full-scale war."
Sama Myeong took Geom Mugeuk's joke seriously.
"Even if a war breaks out, the Acting Cult Master must return safely."
A war could be managed, but Geom Mugeuk's death could not.
However, Geom Mugeuk declined Sama Myeong's proposal.
"I will go alone."
"Acting Cult Master!"
"The people already there are enough to provoke the Martial Alliance. If more Demon Sovereigns go, it will create problems we wouldn't have had to face."
Sama Myeong had to admit that he had no choice but to trust Geom Mugeuk.
As he said, sending more Demon Sovereigns would only create greater danger.
This was a task only Geom Mugeuk could resolve.
"Then please remember this point."
Sama Myeong walked toward the strategic map.
"The Acting Cult Master is not going there to fight them. In my judgment, this fight must not become a power struggle."
Sama Myeong picked up the Heavenly Wandering Hermit's flag from the two flags placed side by side and moved it outside the Martial Alliance's area.
"You are going for this."
It meant he was to make the Martial Alliance Leader learn the truth.
"And it must be the Martial Alliance that eliminates them."
He was telling him not to let the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect be at the center of the fight.
"You must persuade the Martial Alliance Leader and the First Young Master to make it so. This fight is the Martial Alliance's fight, not ours. It must be so, especially since the Alliance Leader and Hwa Yul-cheong are old soulmates."
Geom Mugeuk understood what Sama Myeong was worried about.
He was worried that if things went wrong, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would be misunderstood as having killed the Martial Alliance Leader's friend.
Long-standing friendships sometimes blind our eyes and make us turn away from painful truths.
"The Acting Cult Master is there, but at the same time, you are in the Heavenly Demon Scripture Pavilion of our Main Sect."
It was Sama Myeong's plea for him to stay hidden and safe, and to return.
After listening to everything, Geom Mugeuk replied respectfully.
"I will act according to the Grand Strategist's plan."
Though his expression should have relaxed a bit, Sama Myeong did not let his guard down.
"I will deploy the Demon Army as far forward as possible and send word to the Demon Sovereigns not to leave the Main Sect. If you need help, send word immediately."
Geom Mugeuk nodded obediently, but he didn't think it would come to that.
If a situation arose where he had to call for help despite his presence, it would mean a war had already broken out.
"I will be going."
"Please return safely."
Even as he was leaving, Geom Mugeuk didn't forget a joke.
"I am definitely not going because there's too much work as Acting Cult Master!"
As soon as Geom Mugeuk left, Sama Myeong immediately spoke to the military aide beside him.
"From this moment on, raise the emergency level of the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion to its highest!"
Han Wol-gaek, who hadn't slept for the past two days due to an unbearable itch, woke up in the medical hall past noon.
He had been in so much agony that he only now realized he was in a doctor's medical hall.
The itch had been so bad he thought he would die, but when he opened his eyes, it was completely gone.
The rashes that had covered his entire body had also vanished as if they were a lie.
'What on earth caused it?'
Then, he suddenly recalled the old fortune teller's words.
—You came to chase away a Demon, but you've been possessed by one.
What a crazy old man.
It was just a case of eating the wrong food and getting sick.
He felt sorry for the person who had summoned him to Wuhan.
He had already broken his promise twice.
He wasn't usually such an unreliable person.
But he couldn't say he couldn't come because of an upset stomach, and he certainly couldn't say it was because of an itch.
'I'll have to repay this by annihilating those Demon Sect scoundrels.'
That was the only way to make up for this.
Han Wol-gaek got up from his seat and opened the door to leave.
Someone was standing in front of the door.
"Hah!"
Recognizing the person, Han Wol-gaek jumped back in shock.
Who would dare make him step back, but.
Han Wol-gaek stared at the person with eyes full of fear.
He had no choice.
The man standing before him had died a long time ago.
"You are?"
Han Wol-gaek's voice trembled.
The man just looked at him with an indifferent gaze.
"What scoundrel is playing tricks!"
Han Wol-gaek shouted and thrust out a palm strike.
Swoooosh.
Craaaack.
The wall in the hallway behind was shattered, but the opponent remained standing in front of him.
Han Wol-gaek saw it.
His palm strike had passed right through him.
He was an illusion.
'A ghost?'
A ghost in broad daylight? It was hard to believe, but it was true.
And that wasn't all.
Shhhh.
Another person appeared behind the man, this time a woman.
Han Wol-gaek knew her as well.
She was the wife of the man who had just appeared.
The woman's eyes, looking at Han Wol-gaek, were filled with resentment.
Han Wol-gaek sighed, recalling the past.
After his family was killed by demonic practitioners, he had wandered the martial world like a madman, killing them.
The one called the Lustful Ghost Demon, who was committing evil acts at the time, was also a demonic practitioner.
After a pursuit that lasted several months, Han Wol-gaek found him.
That day, the fiend was in the middle of raping a woman.
He thought killing a mere lecher would be easy, but the fiend was stronger than he expected.
After a life-and-death struggle, just as he finally killed the fiend!
Someone burst into the room from behind.
Han Wol-gaek instinctively swung his sword and cut down the person who rushed at him from behind.
A line of blood appeared on the man's neck, and he collapsed, spewing blood.
The man was the woman's husband.
To cut someone down without checking who it was—thinking back now, it was an unbelievable mistake.
But that's how it was back then.
He had fought with all his focus to keep the woman from dying while they exchanged dozens of blows in that small room.
He was that skilled, so why? He still didn't know why he had done it.
He could never forget the man's face, or the woman's face as she screamed watching him, even after decades.
Suddenly, Han Wol-gaek felt his stomach churn and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
At that moment, a line of blood appeared on the neck of the man standing at the door, and blood trickled down.
Han Wol-gaek frantically unleashed a series of palm techniques.
Swoosh! Swoooosh!
Bang! Craaack!
The surrounding walls collapsed from the consecutive palm strikes.
The fortune teller's words echoed in his mind.
—Leave the land of Wuhan at once before you suffer a greater calamity.
The surrounding walls were shattered.
The collapsing ceiling also turned to dust and scattered.
The figures of the ghosts were hidden by the dust.
When the dust settled again, Han Wol-gaek stood stunned in the middle of the ruined room.
Instead of ghosts, another sight appeared before his eyes.
The people working at the medical hall were staring at him with shocked faces.
Among them, a young doctor was sitting on the ground next to a collapsed wall, having fallen on his bottom.
At that sight, Han Wol-gaek's heart sank.
In his fit of rage, he had almost killed the man.
Why did he do it back then? He was still making such mistakes now.
"Haa."
Han Wol-gaek let out a deep sigh, then took out all the promissory notes from his robes and placed them on the floor.
"I apologize for destroying your house."
Then, he staggered out of the medical hall.
He left Wuhan right then and there, without looking back.
From a tall tree far away, two people were watching him.
It was the Poison King and the Demon Buddha.
"How on earth did you do that?"
"That man was poisoned with a mushroom called the Mind Illusion Spirit Mushroom."
"What kind of hallucination did that man see?"
"I do not know. What each person sees is different."
What Han Wol-gaek saw was not a ghost, but the guilt he had buried deep in his heart his entire life.
The Demon Buddha looked at the Poison King with a new sense of wonder.
He himself had fought hard to send the Jade Mountain Sword away, but the Poison King had sent him away without even fighting.
Only the Poison King's poison could send Han Wol-gaek away like this.
Ah, there was one more.
The Young Cult Master's mouth.
"Would you like to experience it once? To see what hallucinations you see?"
When the Poison King asked seriously, the Demon Buddha shook his head.
"I'll pass. It's not like there's anything good inside me."
Just then, Sangseon flew to the tree they were on and landed.
"The First Young Master has contacted the Main Sect."
This was surprising news, especially for the Demon Buddha.
"The First Young Master has requested help from the Demon Buddha."
The moment he heard those words, the Demon Buddha was startled.
It was truly unexpected.
The Demon Buddha's usually calm eyes wavered.
The First Young Master had chosen him.
Out of so many people, he had asked for his help.
One could say it was natural, as he was once the closest Demon Sovereign to him, but considering the disappointment he would have felt if someone else had been chosen, this joy was beyond words.
Moreover, wasn't he here in Wuhan for his sake?
The Demon Buddha barely suppressed the urge to run to him at once, but he couldn't stop the faint glow that emanated from his restrained excitement.
"Tell him I will go."