Chronicles of the Demonic Cult Conversion Chapter 87
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult does not fear the imperial family, the Central Plains dynasty.
That was a fact that had already been proven historically.
Since the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult established itself on Sky Mountain, the Central Plains dynasty had never once broken through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
No, in the first place, there was not even a case where they dared to send a large army to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
It was not for nothing that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had been able to accumulate vast wealth through transit trade by occupying the Silk Road, that is, the Silk Road, for the past several hundred years.
The Divine Land, the stronghold of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, was an impregnable fortress surrounded by the natural fortress of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, so it was a place that was impossible to conquer with an ordinary army.
From the perspective of the Central Plains dynasty, even if they were to attempt to subjugate the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, they would have to raise an army of ‘at least’ several hundred thousand, and there was the risk of having to send that large-scale force across the Central Plains to Xinjiang.
If they did that, the nomadic barbarians of the north would come down south, and the Japanese pirates of the south would not remain still either.
Also, those who would take this opportunity to stage a rebellion would also appear like mushrooms after a rain.
Therefore, the event of the Central Plains dynasty sending a large-scale force to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to subjugate the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was something that could not happen in the first place.
Only once.
When the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was destroyed before Jin cheon returned to the past, they had dispatched an army of about one hundred thousand.
Even that was because the Iron-Blooded Demonic God had mutually annihilated with the resurrected Heavenly Demon; if not for that, it was something that would never have been able to happen.
So, it was only natural that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult did not fear the imperial family.
While the dynasties of the Central Plains changed, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult remained steadfast; there was no reason for them to fear the imperial family now.
“If you understand, then you won’t spout nonsense like ‘are you not afraid of the imperial family’ in front of me again.”
“……”
The Prince of Ningjing could not say anything to Jin cheon’s words.
As Jin cheon had said, he was not an opponent against whom the halo of the imperial family would work…….
“I see. By the way, what is the reason for kidnapping me?”
“It’s something like a trump card.”
“A trump card……?”
“If an imperial relative is held hostage, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance won’t be able to pull any dirty tricks.”
“The Righteous Heavenly Alliance? What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll find out in due time.”
“Is that so? I understand for now. Since you say so, as a hostage, I suppose I have to go along with it.”
“An excellent choice.”
Jin cheon grinned.
“I was thinking of beating you up if you kept spouting nonsense.”
“Are you saying you were going to beat up an old man who doesn’t even know martial arts?”
“Is there any reason I shouldn't? You’re an enemy anyway.”
“Heo……”
“I don’t go easy on old people. Especially if they’re an enemy.”
“……”
At Jin cheon’s words, the Prince of Ningjing tightly shut his mouth.
It was bad enough being taken hostage, but he didn't want to suffer the humiliation of being beaten up by a young man.
“I’ll emphasize it once again, so make sure you understand. The reason the old man was kidnapped is because of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.”
“I-is that so?”
“Anyway, it’s because of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.”
Jin cheon repeatedly emphasized, and emphasized again, that it was the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s fault.
***
After arriving near Xining with the Prince of Ningjing, Jin cheon immediately headed for Gonghe County in Qinghai Province.
Gonghe County was a place where the influence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was very strong, and it was located very close to Xining, which could be called the territory of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
To the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Gonghe County was a region that served as a kind of front line.
There, Jin cheon joined up with the forces of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that were waiting for him.
“Did the matter you went for go well?”
“It went very well.”
At Danmok Cheong’s question, Jin cheon grinned and pushed the Prince of Ningjing forward.
“Who is this old man?”
“The Prince of Ningjing.”
“Yes……?”
Danmok Cheong doubted his own ears.
“By the Prince of Ningjing… are you referring to the imperial relative?”
“Yes.”
“My goodness.”
Danmok Cheong squeezed his eyes shut when Jin cheon nodded.
To think that he had gone to prepare a trump card to lead this negotiation to his advantage, and had come back with the Prince of Ningjing as a hostage.
“With this, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance won’t be able to pull any dirty tricks.”
“Is there any question?”
Danmok Cheong could absolutely agree with Jin cheon’s words.
Wasn’t the relationship between the Righteous Heavenly Alliance and the imperial family so close that they were practically allies?
As long as the imperial relative, the Prince of Ningjing, was held hostage, it was impossible for the Righteous Heavenly Alliance to backstab them in this negotiation.
If the Righteous Heavenly Alliance were to pull some dirty tricks and the Prince of Ningjing were to die, it would be as good as becoming enemies with the imperial family.
“You have truly worked hard, My Lord.”
“Don’t mention it for something like this.”
“This is not just something. Who would think of kidnapping an imperial relative? It’s something one couldn’t even dream of without considerable courage and skill.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Anyway, if things worked out well, then it’s fine. Tell everyone to sleep with their feet stretched out. And not to be unnecessarily tense.”
“Yes! My Lord!”
Now that they had succeeded in securing the Prince of Ningjing, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there would be no danger to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Normally, it would have been like walking into the land of death on their own two feet, but now the story was different.
Far from their lives being in danger, it had become possible to seize the initiative in the negotiation and even take advantage of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
The Prince of Ningjing, who had been quiet on the way to Gonghe County, opened his mouth.
“It seems you intend to use this old man to make some kind of deal with the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, but what will happen to me if things go well?”
“At least you won’t die.”
“The words ‘you won’t die’… does that mean you won’t release me?”
“Is that even a question? Old man? Even if not for this incident, the old man is useful in many ways. Especially when dealing with the imperial family. Would I be crazy to let such an old man go nicely? I have to keep you until all the sweet juice is gone.”
“Heoheo……”
The Prince of Ningjing let out a hollow laugh.
There was no flaw in Jin cheon’s words, so he had no grounds to refute them.
“Try to adapt well to your life as a prisoner. The day of your release will come eventually.”
“Are you really saying that now?”
The Prince of Ningjing was dumbfounded by Jin cheon’s words.
To adapt well to life as a prisoner…….
“If you feel wronged, you shouldn’t have been kidnapped.”
“W-what did you say?!”
“Tsk tsk. You should have learned some martial arts in your spare time. What have you been doing all your life?”
The Prince of Ningjing had to barely suppress the rising anger at Jin cheon’s shameless attitude.
The opponent was a member of the Demonic Cult.
Their way of thinking itself was different from ordinary people, so he knew that he would only be at a disadvantage if he got angry.
***
Meanwhile, Dang Cheon-wi arrived in Xining, immediately got a room at an inn, and took a rest.
Due to the tight schedule, he had been running non-stop for the past few days, so his fatigue was considerable, and he needed a rest because of it.
‘I’ll rest today and contact the alliance members tomorrow.’
Dang Cheon-wi wanted to rest for a day and clear his head.
‘What will they whisper behind my back again.’
Dang Cheon-wi was reluctant to participate in the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s events.
After the Jin Yeong-in incident, Dang Cheon-wi was firmly branded as a person to be avoided.
Although he had somehow managed to prove his innocence with the backing of his clan, that didn't make his past of being close with Jin Yeong-in disappear.
Even after he was proven innocent, the suspicious glances towards Dang Cheon-wi continued until the day he graduated from the Heavenly Martial Academy.
Wherever he went, it was common for someone to secretly follow him, and it was a frequent occurrence for a member of the Demon Extermination Squad to suddenly appear and conduct a check.
The officials would either avoid Dang Cheon-wi, fearing that even the letter ‘m’ of the Demonic Cult might rub off on him, or would openly show their hostility.
As a result, Dang Cheon-wi was naturally isolated, and eventually, he was reduced to a loner, no different from Jin Yeong-in.
Once, Dang Cheon-wi was one of the top geniuses of the Heavenly Martial Academy, and a promising up-and-coming junior…….
At that time, he was so upset that he unknowingly came to understand why Jin Yeong-in had become a spy for the Demonic Cult.
So it was only natural that he felt uncomfortable with the members of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
He didn't want to try to be acknowledged by those who treated him like a spy for the Demonic Cult and openly monitored him and showed their hostility.
‘Let’s just endure it for a few days. Once this is over, I’ll go back to the main family and do some secluded training.’
Dang Cheon-wi was thinking of going into seclusion under the pretext of secluded training.
Why?
Because if he didn't do something like that, his father, Dang Seong-yeong, would not leave him alone.
As the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Dang Seong-yeong wanted his son, Dang Cheon-wi, to clear his name.
To do so, it was needless to say that Dang Cheon-wi had to achieve a great feat under the banner of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
‘A few days feel like a few years.’
Just as Dang Cheon-wi was downing his bamboo leaf wine.
“It has been a long time, Young Master Dang.”
“……!”
When he turned his head in the direction of the voice, there was a familiar face.
“Young Master Yu?”
Dang Cheon-wi’s face brightened a little.
Yu Geon-myeong.
A direct disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, the disciple that the Great Divine Physician of Immortals, the Perfected Person Cheong-ryeong, was said to have taken late in his life.
Although he had transferred to the Heavenly Martial Academy late and had only attended for about two years, he was an up-and-coming junior who had been acknowledged by everyone by showing outstanding martial prowess, enough to be called a once-in-a-millennium genius.
Also, Yu Geon-myeong was almost the only person who had been kind to Dang Cheon-wi when he was going through a tough time.
“What brings Young Master Yu here?”
“I came on a mission.”
Yu Geon-myeong answered with a bright smile.
“If it’s a mission……”
“It is probably the same mission as Young Master Dang. It is embarrassing, but I have somehow been given the task of leading this negotiation.”
“Ah.”
Dang Cheon-wi understood Yu Geon-myeong’s meaning at once and nodded.
After graduating from the Heavenly Martial Academy, Yu Geon-myeong was appointed as the chairman of the Heavenly Net Society, one of the organizations under the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.
The Heavenly Net Society was an organization composed of young masters, and most of them were up-and-coming juniors from the Heavenly Martial Academy.
“Did the alliance entrust this mission to the Heavenly Net Society?”
“It just happened to turn out that way.”
Yu Geon-myeong answered Dang Cheon-wi’s question as if embarrassed.
“Of course, many seniors will be helping, but it seems that our Heavenly Net Society will be the ones leading the work.”
“That’s truly amazing. To think you’re leading the negotiations with the Demonic Cult.”
“Hey, not at all. I am very worried to have been given such an undeserved task.”
“Young Master Yu, you are truly humble.”
The reason Dang Cheon-wi said that was because he knew very well how difficult a decision it was for up-and-coming juniors to lead the negotiations with the Demonic Cult.
The opponent was none other than the Demonic Cult.
It was a situation where even experienced and seasoned old masters would not be enough, but they were putting forward the Heavenly Net Society, which was made up of up-and-coming juniors?
It was something they would not even dare to do without considerable trust.
It was clear that they had trust in Yu Geon-myeong, and they were also trying to give the up-and-coming juniors a chance to gain experience on this occasion.
That meant that the expectations the alliance had for Yu Geon-myeong were enormous.
Well, since Yu Geon-myeong was a disciple of the Great Divine Physician of Immortals, he had a high seniority and was a genius with outstanding martial arts, so he was a figure that the Righteous Heavenly Alliance would have no problem supporting.
A genius who had mastered the Qingcheng Sect’s divine and supreme art, the Azure Cloud Red Mist Sword Art, before he even reached the age of thirty…….
“Anyway, it is just a pleasure to meet you again, Young Master Dang.”
“The same goes for me.”
“How have you been?”
“I have been just getting by without any particular incidents. You, Young Master Yu, have been busy. I have heard many stories. They say you have executed a great number of demonic heads in that short period of time.”
Yu Geon-myeong was already accumulating achievements by executing famous demons, and his fame was well known throughout the Central Plains.
It was so much so that even Dang Cheon-wi, who had been quietly cooped up in the Sichuan Tang Clan, had heard of Yu Geon-myeong’s fame.
“There are many exaggerated stories.”
Yu Geon-myeong smiled whitely, then said to Dang Cheon-wi.
“Since we have been reunited like this, it must be fate. Would you like to come with me? I will introduce you to our comrades.”
“That is……”
Dang Cheon-wi hesitated, unable to readily accept the offer.
The comrades Yu Geon-myeong spoke of were the up-and-coming juniors belonging to the Heavenly Net Society, and Dang Cheon-wi was not on good terms with most of them.