Chapter 186: Face off (1)

At a small restaurant near the Demonic Academy, there was a small room inside where only VIPs were allowed to enter. Chun Yeowun and his members were gathered there. Two men were looking at each other across the table. It was Chun Yeowun and Left Guardian Lee Hameng. They couldn’t walk into the Demonic Academy in the bright daylight, so Lee Hameng had to come out.

‘What… she went through body reconstruction?’

Lee Hameng was shocked beyond belief at Yin Moha who was standing beside Yeowun like a guard. He first was surprised by the beautiful woman standing next to Yeowun whom he had not seen until now, and didn’t think it was the 10th Elder herself.

‘It is amazing… he really did gain 10th Elder in his rank.’

Lee Hameng too thought Yeowun would fail in getting Yin Moha’s approval. She was a weird and stubborn woman after all. But she went through body reconstruction and was now staying closely by Yeowun, so Lee Hameng was surprised by how things had turned out.

“So Prince, what is that you want to know?”

Lee Hameng asked and Yeowun told the other members to stay outside the room. As they walked out, Yeowun continued speaking on the subject.

“Left Guardian. Do you know who was the one who passed the sixth test 70 years ago?”

“70 years ago? Hmm…”

Lee Hameng became surprised. After asking Yin Moha for permission, Yeowun then explained what happened to Yin Moha in recent years regarding the sword skill and Anonymous. After hearing everything, Lee Hameng became surprised. If what Yeowun had said was true, then this Anonymous was sure to have passed the sixth test and have learned the martial arst of the Sword Demon.

“He even learned the Sword Force of the Sky Demon? Hmm… this is…”

“What is it?”

“It’s been a long time, but the academy has a recording of every cadet who passed the test.”

“Then you know?”

“…Prince. The one who passed the sixth test 70 years ago is the former Lord, Chun Inji.”

Yeowun’s eyes grew large. Chun Inji, was the former Lord of the cult and Chun Yeowun’s grandfather. He was considered the most powerful warrior in the past 500 years, and had enlarged the territory of the Demonic Cult larger than anyone else and had fought against the Forces of Evil and Justice. But there was one part Yeowun was surprised about. Chun Inji had gone missing about 20 years ago.

‘Then who is this Anonymous?’

The man had learned two powerful sword skills stored within the vault and the Lord’s palace. If they were to learn both skills, then they had to have entered the Lord’s palace and also had passed the sixth test. They were all stumped.

“Huh?”

They heard the large sound of horns roaring through the entire castle of the cult. Hameng got up immediately and opened the window of the room. This meant only one thing.

“Prince!”

Yeowun nodded with a flash. The horn meant the return of the Lord of the Demonic Cult. Everyone outside on the street began to become noisy.

‘They’re already here.’

The Lord and their group who were told to arrive about two weeks, had already returned to the cult.

‘It’s good that I worked quickly.’

Yeowun’s quick action on getting approvals ahead had proved to be useful after all.

“There will be a parade for the Lord’s return out on the eastern gate. Will you go out to see?”

Lee Hameng offered Yeowun and Yeowun thought for a second and nodded. He had to head to the Palace for Lord’s return ceremony anyway, as he was a new elder now, so it was better to start from watching the parade. Yeowun and members got out of the restaurant and headed for the east gate. As for Yin Moha, she went to her mansion to pick up the skin mask that feigned her as her face before she went through body reconstruction.

The Mountain of Thousand was located at the southern side of the Jianghu so it required to walk through the northern gate to go there. But Lord and his group were told that they were coming from the east side instead. And when Yeowun’s group got to the eastern gate, there were crowds of people gathered to watch the Lord’s return.

Returning of the Lord, who was the only one said to be able to communicate with the Demonic God, was a symbolic being in the cult.

“Whoaaa! Our Lord is back!”

“He is back!”

“Praise to the Demonic Cult!”

Cultists shouted with joy and warriors above the horse as they walked through waved at cultists.

“So, it begins.”

Lee Hameng whispered to Yeowun. If the Lord is back, then it meant other elders were back too. This meant the beginning of the war for Yeowun.

“Prince?”

But Yeowun was looking at only one place. In the middle of the parade, there was a black carriage, decorated with red silk and had the word ‘SKY’ embroidered over it.

‘Lord.’

It was an open carriage, but the decorations and jewelry hid the face inside. It was the parade of King’s march. Warriors walked through valiantly and cultists cheered and chanted. It was a moment of glory, but Yeowun looked coldly.

‘Huh?’

That’s when Yeowun became surprised. Left Guardian Lee Hameng too was surprised. IN front of the black carriage, Great Guardian Marakim was walking ahead on a horse, and Right Guardian Submeng was behind the carriage. But something was off.

‘Teacher?’

He was in formal clothing unlike his regular outfits, but his face was pale and his right eye was wrapped around with linen wrapping also with over his head, as if he was injured.

‘Why?’

And Yeowun realized there were more people injured. After the carriage, warriors from other clans began walking in along with other elders. They were clothed in lavish clothing, but it couldn’t hide their injuries.

‘What happened?’

Elders came in beginning from the first elder. They seemed fine until the third elder, but starting from the fourth elder, they were heavy with injuries.

‘What?’

And with the fifth elder Hang Soyu, her left arm seemed to be missing under her clothes. And elders, which should be 8 that returned, one person was missing. Mun Ku sighed in relief as she saw her exhausted grandfather Mun Yun, still waiving at cultists who cheered for them.

Soon, the crowd then realized something was strange and began to mumble between themselves.

“I don’t see the 7th elder.”

7th Elder, Kong Sunong was missing from the parade. Lee Hameng had to stay behind as he was the Chief of the Academy, so he wasn’t told of the mission’s purpose. In usual cases, this much number of warriors would require constant contact with cult, but it was put to complete secret this time. So it was only after the Lord’s group reached proximity to the Mountain, when Huan Yi realized they were returning.

‘Well, we’ll get to know soon.’

It was secret until now, but since they were now here, it was going to be found out.

‘It’s strange. I can’t see them.’

Man looking in his mid thirtieth looked around from above the horse, scanning through crowds and he couldn’t find people he was looking for. He was the leader of the Wise clan, and the 1st Elder, Mu Jinwon. In normal circumstances, members from the Wise clan should have come out to greet the return of the Lord and the elders, but they were nowhere to be seen. There were other wives of other lords, but he couldn’t find anyone from the Wise clan.

‘Is there something going on?’

Crowds cheering the return looked very normal. He figured it was probably nothing much, as close to half of the clan’s warriors were left behind, but he came to a certain concern.

“Huh? Master, look at that!”