Chronicles of the Demon Faction - Chapter 915



Only Noblemtl

Side story 265. Devouring desire (9)

Lee Cheon-sang couldn’t answer right away.

It wasn’t because he was scared of the leader or felt burdened. From the beginning, he was insensitive to such pressure.

What he was silent about was why Baekheon mentioned the cult leader at this point.

Seo-pil also looked at Baek-heon in surprise. It was because of the same doubts as Lee Cheon-sang.

And the two realized that Baekheon knew some truth about this incident that they didn’t know.

Lee Cheon-sang asked directly.

“Could it be that the cult leader is behind this rumor?”

“Well.”

Baekheon filled the glass with alcohol.

“Even I can’t know. If not me, then it would be difficult for anyone else to know. How many people would know the current leader’s true intentions? Even the closest ones, such as the Great Guardian or the Heavenly Demon Commander, would not know his true intentions.”

“Then why did you mention the cult leader?”

“… … .”

“If you know anything, please let me know.”

“Why me?”

Baekheon glanced at Lee Cheon-sang.

“Why should I tell you that? Because of the authority of the kidney?”

“It is gold that will be in your hands, Elder, but it is also a promissory note. I have no intention of extracting information from you because of something like that.”

“then?”

“They said there were three people who were closest to the best among the Demon Kings. Two of them were Elder and Elder Baekgol.”

“… … .”

“I heard that in the past, you were always at odds. That kind of competition led to mutual prosperity, but that’s not the case anymore. The two of you have taken different paths.”

“Watch what you say.”

“You two don’t have to compete like you used to. Now, your attitude towards life will determine who will be the winner.”

Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes deepened.

“But if the leader had intervened in this game, it would have been different. If we were to treat this as a game, it wouldn’t even be foul play. It would have just turned the game upside down.”

“… … .”

“Who is more right, who is better… I think it is pointless to argue about such things. But something that is meaningless to me may be a precious goal for someone else to devote their life to.”

“… … .”

“Elder, are you planning to end your fight with Elder Baekgol like this?”

“Wrong.”

Baekheon shook his head.

“The current situation itself is proof of Baekgol’s life. The fact that he received internal inspection authority and is suffering from these rumors is all caused by his life.”

“Then I wonder. The one who gave the authority to conduct an internal inspection was the leader. If the leader really wanted to bring down Elder Baekgol, he had a way to deal with it in one go without all these complications. But why did he spread rumors…?”

“I didn’t say for sure that the cult leader was behind this. I just asked what you would do if the cult leader was behind it.”

It was when Lee Cheon-sang was about to open his mouth.

“What do you think, Elder?”

Both people’s gazes were focused on Seo-pil.

Seo-pil’s face was truly serious. More so than Baek-heon had expected.

“The fact that you brought up something that doesn’t need to be said means nothing other than wanting to see your lord’s reaction. Now that you’ve gotten to the main topic, your Majesty is not the type to bring up topics carelessly.”

“What do you know about me?”

“Have you forgotten? When I had black wings on my back, I was the one who restrained the Ten Demon Kings together with General Heo Seong-gwan.”

“… … .”

“Please tell me. Elder, you may not be sure who is in charge of this situation, but you have an idea.”

Baekheon smiled.

That smile, so cold, seemed to be looking at the weather in the distant North Sea Ice Palace.

“Didn’t I tell you? Why should I tell you that?”

“Do you really want Elder Baekgol to fall so miserably like this?”

“It’s a cause for celebration that you’ve found a new owner, but it’s unfortunate that you’ve taken after your master’s bad habits. Did you develop the habit of questioning others without regard for rank because of your shameless master?”

Seo-pil, who had been quietly looking at Baek-heon, spoke to Lee Cheon-sang.

“The elder is certain that the leader is involved in this situation.”

At that moment, Baekheon’s eyes became bloodshot.

“You really are!”

“You’re not the type of person to just sit by and watch Elder Baekgol fall like this!”

Seo-pil’s thunderous voice echoed through the pavilion.

Baekheon glared at him as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Do you want to die?”

“The fact that such an elder has given up everything and is not moving is proof that there is someone in this situation that even the elder’s power cannot handle! Who on earth could make the elder sit down in his dwelling?!”

“this guy!!”

“The elder does not like me and my lord. Then isn’t this a good opportunity? Whether the opponent is the cult leader or not, we will move. Then speak frankly! After all, aren’t we a thorn in the elder’s side?”

Seo-pil, who spoke as if he was going to die proudly, surprised not only Baek-heon but even Lee Cheon-sang.

A voice similar to a groan came out of Baekheon’s mouth.

“Even if he’s the leader, you won’t stop?”

“My lord will certainly do so. If so, I have no choice but to follow his will as a subordinate.”

“If you want to die, bite the knife and fall down. Do you know what it means to oppose the leader? In some cases, it could be considered treason!”

“No matter what it looks like, I will run! The master I have chosen is not someone who will die easily, and even if that is the case, I will save him! If I have to die, I will die first!”

“… … !”

“So please tell me. If I can remove the handle of the young sword called Lee Cheon-sang, it will not be a loss to you either.”

He called himself a handler. He said that if I could die, the power of the two heavens could be broken, so wouldn’t it be good for you too?

It was truly a fearsome confidence and courage. Baek-heon looked into Seo-pil’s eyes and realized that this guy had truly risked his life.

He glared at Seo-pil with sharp eyes and let out a soft sigh.

“I can’t understand why you would act like an idiot with such a smart head. You must know full well that this world is built on the corpses of fools who lost their lives in pointless nonsense.”

“If you have no regrets about the path you have chosen, even if you become a fool, your life is one that no one can judge.”

Seopil’s eyes were filled with fire.

“I have decided my own life. Even if everyone is a fool, if my master and I acknowledge the life and death of a human named Seo-pil, I will be satisfied with that.”

“… … .”

“Tell me, who is behind this rumor?”

Baekheon, who was looking back and forth between Seopil and Lee Cheon-sang, filled his glass again.

Baekheon, who had been drinking three glasses of alcohol in succession in silence, looked up at the sky outside the pavilion.

“Why do you think so?”

“… … ?”

“Why do you think I would help that Baekgol guy?”

Seopil’s eyes deepened.

“I know very well that the relationship between the two of you is more special than anyone else. Even if there is now only irreparable hatred, the relationship between the two of you who have shouted at the world under one master throughout your lives is not something that can be easily broken.”

“… … .”

“Elder Baekgol declared war on you. He was determined to defeat you. However, Elder Baekgol did not use any mean or evil strategies. And that was… … .”

“… … .”

“It’s the same for you, Elder. The most I could do to pressure you was to strike down my master.”

Baekheon closed his eyes.

Seopil continued speaking.

“The fight between the two of you will end when both of you have run out of everything you have and have nothing left. Am I wrong?”

It was only after a moment that Baekheon, who had been quietly closing his eyes, opened them again.

“Do you know when I started to truly hate that Baekgol guy?”

Seo-pil shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“You can probably guess. You must have heard a lot from the military.”

“Yes.”

“Well, then you must be confident that I won’t tear that bone man to pieces and kill him.”

Baekheon held the glass with both hands.

The alcohol in the glass illuminated his face transparently.

“After the previous leader passed away, when there was talk of electing a new leader, the person who took the most active action was the current leader, Jajeonshinma Jo Baekcheon.”

“… … .”

“But the people who did not follow him wanted someone else. Jo Baek-cheon’s political power and skills were truly great, and he was not lacking as a leader, but he was too greedy and only cared about himself, so he was not suitable as a temporary leader.”

“… … .”

“However, Jo Baek-cheon’s power was strong. He had martial arts skills, but he also had enormous wealth and an unimaginable number of followers. No one could easily say that they should appoint someone else as the leader in front of that power.”

Baekheon poured the remaining alcohol into his mouth.

“But two people, exactly two people, recommended one person as the temporary leader.”

“Who is that?”

“The Great Power Demon opened his mouth to appoint Baekgol as the temporary leader.”

“… … !!”

“And then, without anyone knowing, Wu Hongbai, who was the great guardian of the time and one of the great demons at the time, swore allegiance to Baekgol.”

Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes shook.

It was a secret from the previous generation that he couldn’t understand. Who would have thought that the White Bone Demon was the one who almost became the new leader?

“From then on, I hated Baekgol. I still think the same way, but I thought I was superior to Baekgol in every way. And yet, Daeryuk and Wu Hongbai wanted to support Baekgol.”

“… … .”

“The moment those words came out, countless mines gathered beneath the bones.”

Baekheon’s face distorted slightly.

“What really made me angry was Baekgol’s attitude of refusing the position, saying that he was so lacking.”

“… … !”

“Baekgol had no intention of becoming a cult leader. At the time, he was still in shock from his master’s death, so it was only natural.”

“… … .”

“That made me even angrier. While my pride was already hurt, Baekgol’s choice to reject that coveted seat of the god tore my pride apart even more.”

“then…….”

Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes grew cold.

“The leader of the time ordered Elder Baekgol to capture the great demon and gave him the authority to conduct internal inspections.”

Baekheon looked at Lee Cheon-sang.

“Doesn’t it smell?”

“It stinks.”

“To the leader, everything is a game and a plaything. He is not the kind of person who cares about how the church is run. For more than ten years, I have often thought that the leader was crazy.”

“… … .”

“But the leader is not crazy. A crazy person does not laugh and get angry. He does not laugh and hate.”

“then?”

“The person the leader hates the most is the Baekgol Shinma. Just being on the same level as him for a moment would hurt his pride enough to kill him. In that sense, Jo Baek-cheon and I are very similar.”

“Then, if only I had killed Elder Baekgol a long time ago… … .”

“If Baekgol had been killed, half of the main church members who supported him would have fallen. There might have been a real rebellion.”

“… … !”

“Seopil, you are right. I am not the one who wants to kill the White Bone God Demon in the most petty and flashy way possible by drowning him in the mud.”

Phew.

The cup in Baekheon’s hand turned to dust.

“The only political enemy and enemy of the current religious leader, Baekcheon Jo, is Baekgolshinma.”