"The Demonic Cult?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

Cheonyeong, who had been spreading a map of the Central Plains on the table and conversing with Beakta, frowned.

Suddenly the Demonic Cult?

It was a name he had never considered. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"The Gongsun Yuan you asked me to investigate was a person from around that time, and he was a key figure in preventing the catastrophe that struck the Central Plains at that time."

"Hmm, so what about the Eight Immortals?"

"They were friends of Gongsun Yuan who saved the martial world together."

"Tell me in detail."

What Beakta had discovered was a fragment of history.

Three hundred years ago.

At that time, the Demonic Cult flourished and a massive war engulfed the martial world.

"However, looking at the records, all the people who made contributions during the war are covered with the names of the Nine Sects and Five Great Families."

"The Nine Sects and Five Great Families?"

"Yes, but there was something strange, so I dug a bit more and found that the ones who really saved the martial world were these Eight Immortals."

"What do you mean? Are you saying the records were falsified?"

"Yes."

"What's that about?"

"These Eight Immortals weren't descendants of famous families."

A hollow laugh came out.

"You know how it is. What famous family would like it? People from nameless families stepped forward and became heroes who quelled the war."

"Hmm."

Cheonyeong nodded.

History is the record of the victors.

Therefore, the victor's record is written in favor of the victor.

That's how it was hidden.

The pride of famous families couldn't bear to see people of lesser standing standing above their own names.

Damned pride.

"Because of that, most records were lost. Again, I had a really hard time finding them."

"You worked hard."

"As for Gongsun Yuan..."

"Never mind Gongsun Yuan."

"Huh?"

"I've already found out about him."

"Tsk, then you should have told me earlier! How hard did I work!"

At Cheonyeong's words, Beakta complains.

"Tell me about the rest."

"Phew, really... why do you always only think of yourself? Couldn't you at least pretend not to know for my sake, considering how hard I worked?"

"It's a waste of effort. Why would I listen again to something I already know?"

"You damned bastard."

"What? Have you forgotten whose help made you a Successor Beggar?"

"I understand, I understand. Anyway, you're hopeless. You won't reach paradise even if you die."

Paradise?

Of course, someone like me can never go there.

I've killed so many people...

Hell is fitting for me.

That will be my future too.

Cheonyeong laughed softly, and seeing this, Beakta, who had been muttering to himself for a while, continued the story.

It seemed the subsequent investigation had begun based on the name Gongsun Yuan.

Stories about the Eight Immortals.

"The strange thing is, after the war, the Demonic Cult retreated and those called the Eight Immortals all disappeared without a trace."

"They disappeared?"

"Yes. They could have boasted about it, and the Central Plains had stolen their credit, which would have been infuriating, but... there's no record of their activities afterward. If it weren't for the name Gongsun Yuan, I wouldn't have found anything."

"So? Did you find them?"

"Hmm, three of them."

"Three?"

"Yes. There are so few records after they went into seclusion... I barely managed to find information about these three."

"Hmm."

"Don't be disappointed. Others are searching too."

"Yes."

Cheonyeong nodded.

These are records from three hundred years ago. In the meantime, history lost and manipulated by those in power.

Finding three of them alone was remarkable.

He must have searched thoroughly.

And who knows what else might happen.

If he visits the descendants of these three, he might discover clues to finding the remaining people.

For now, let's start with these three.

"Who are these three?"

"The closest one is a man named Byeon Gil-tae living on Guhua Mountain in Anhui Province."

"Byeon Gil-tae?"

"Yes, a direct descendant of Byeon Yong-seong, one of the Eight Immortals. He's thirty-two years old. He seems to be living with his son after losing his wife. He runs an inn."

"An inn?"

"Yes."

It was absurd.

Even if it was in the past, no matter how quietly they disappeared, they were still descendants of the Eight Immortals who saved the martial world.

Such a person running an inn...

"But there's one thing that bothers me."

"...?"

"That inn is in the territory of the Nangong family."

"The Nangong family?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

Looking at Beakta with a furrowed brow, Cheonyeong tilted his head.

"Why would it be?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it for a moment."

"About what?"

"Has there ever been a time when things related to you were quiet? Wherever you go, incidents overflow."

"..."

"Didn't you say you fought with the Zhuge family at Dongting Lake not long ago?"

"Did Yongneng tell you?"

"Yes."

"That bastard has such a big mouth."

Cheonyeong pouted and grumbled, and Beakta suddenly shouted.

"Hey! If there's that much commotion, anyone would know without being told! Rumors have spread everywhere. And is having a big mouth the problem now?"

"..."

"What would have happened if the Zhuge Family Head hadn't just let it go?"

"What would happen?"

"The Zhuge family! One of the Five Great Families!"

"So what about that?"

"Ha! You're really going to cause a disaster!"

Beakta let out a hollow laugh with an exasperated expression.

"Cheonyeong, I know you're amazing... but please be careful too, okay? You're only living in Sichuan, so you don't know, but the Zhuge family really has tremendous power. If you're not careful, the Tang Family could disappear in an instant."

At the worried words, Cheonyeong smiled and spoke.

"Why are you always so worried?"

"What?"

"Last time you tried so hard to stop me, saying I couldn't match the Green Blue Sect. But in the end, the Tang Family won, didn't it?"

"Hey! How can the Green Blue Sect compare to the Zhuge family?!"

Beakta shouted loudly with anger, and Cheonyeong smiled.

He knew well that all these words came from worry.

But it was unnecessary concern.

He actually knew much more about the Zhuge family than Beakta did.

Driving Zhuge Wuhui away from Dongting Lake was all within his calculations.

Even though he had the power to find their branch alone and annihilate them, he didn't because of "justification."

Zhuge Changyun, the current Family Head of the Zhuge family, cares excessively about how he and his family appear in others' eyes.

His son came back beaten and lost Dongting Lake, so he would certainly be angry, but as long as the justification lay with the Tang Family, he would never do anything rash. That was his assessment.

Later, he had even given Tianguang some medicine, and had already instructed Gunsan Faction Leader to watch the Zhuge family's ships using the waterways.

If Cheonyeong's understanding of Zhuge Changyun was correct, he would quietly observe the Tang Family for a while.

Well, actually, even if a full-scale war broke out, it wouldn't matter.

As Beakta said, compared to the Zhuge family, the Tang Family was nothing.

But who said he would just endure it quietly?

If necessary, he would return to being an assassin and cut off the heads of all the Zhuge family's leaders, and if needed, he would poison the water they drank.

He might not be able to win, but he would make sure they understood that touching the Tang Family meant mutual destruction.

Of course, he couldn't tell Beakta such things directly.

He would definitely try to stop him.

"Myeongson."

"Why?"

"Don't worry. We won't have any conflict with the Nangong family."

"Right?"

"Of course. As long as they don't touch me first."

"What?"

"You know? If I'm wronged, I never forgive."

At his winking smile, Beakta let out a deep sigh.

"Then how about going to Guangdong and Guangxi first?"

"Guangdong and Guangxi?"

"Yes. The descendants of the other two, besides Byeon Gil-tae, are living in seclusion there."

"Hmm, isn't that too far?"

"It seems better than the Nangong family?"

After thinking for a moment, Cheonyeong smiled and spoke.

"Your people have branches there too, right?"

"Well... yes? Why?"

"Now that you're a Successor Beggar, you have the power to give orders to each branch, don't you?"

"That's... so why!?"

"Contact that branch and ask them to discreetly observe those two people."

"From the Beggar Gang?"

"Yes."

If Jingagu knew their identities and was approaching them, it would be good to have the Beggar Gang watching.

With the Beggar Gang paying attention, they wouldn't be able to move recklessly.

"You bastard! Is the Beggar Gang a subordinate of the Tang Family?"

"No, you're my friend."

"..."

"Friends can do this much for each other, can't they? Right?"

"..."

"Hmm, looking at your expression, I think I need to remind you again who helped you become a Successor Beggar?"

"Tsk! You damned bastard. But! Anhui Province must be visited together."

At Beakta's firm words, Cheonyeong tilted his head.

"Huh? Why you?"

"Why? How can I trust you?"

"..."

"If the Zhuge become enemies and then the Nangong too, do you think the Tang Family can handle it? They'll immediately call for your expulsion at the Five Great Families' meeting."

"The issue with the Zhuge is roughly resolved, so it's fine."

"Shut up! I'm going no matter what, so remember that."

"Sigh..."

A sigh came naturally.

But since he was making such a fuss about going, he couldn't leave him behind either.

He was second to none in the martial world at tracking people, and he already knew Cheonyeong's destination anyway.

Since the Tang Family had just established Dongting Lake as a branch, and according to Gongsun Seung's words, if they were to expand the branch's scale, they couldn't take the Tang Family's martial artists with them anyway.

It might as well work out well.

After all, Cheonyeong only needed to obtain the Samyang Divine Skill.

If Beakta came along, Yamyeo would be with him too...

"Well, let's do that. Think of it as a journey for a change."

"Don't talk about journeys. Just wait and see. I'll stick right next to you and make sure you don't do anything else."

"Do as you like."

Cheonyeong shook his head.

But that night, one more person was added to the group.

"You're going to Anhui Province?"

"..."

"Ha ha! I was hoping to visit Anhui Province anyway. It's good timing!"

The person bursting into hearty laughter was Yu Seong-yeon, who had left to pay respects to the Wudang Sect and had just returned.

This is too much...

Is Wudang Mountain someone's front yard?

If he left, he should have competed with fellow Taoists, built friendships through long stays, and done such things.

Why did he come back so soon as if he found something to pick up?

Damn it, now he had a beggar and a Taoist to take along.

And both were penniless...

Sigh, what a fate.

Anyway, the Demonic Cult.

That was somewhat of a problem.

If the Samyang Divine Immortal described his opposite-standing friend as someone from the Demonic Cult...

The famous families' damned pride caused records to disappear and be manipulated, but what the Samyang Divine Immortal and the Eight Immortals stopped was the Demonic Cult.

Then what about Jingagu?

The reason they pursued the Samyang Divine Skill was...

He had never thought about it before, but increasingly the Samyang Divine Skill's secrets seemed connected to the Demonic Cult.

The Demonic Cult, which had once controlled half of the Central Plains, was stopped by the Samyang Divine Immortal and the Eight Immortals and forced to retreat.

The Samyang Divine Immortal left his secrets hoping that the descendants of the Eight Immortals would learn them and prepare for the future.

Then, could the reason the Demonic Cult sought the secrets be to completely eradicate the remnants of the Samyang Divine Immortal?

And was that why they used Jingagu?

It might be excessive thinking, but he kept wondering about how they targeted the Green Blue Sect's leader Zhang Jinghui.

Jin Yiseon had definitely said they aimed for "chaos."

If it was the Demonic Cult... couldn't they do that?

If the bomb had exploded then, the Green Blue Sect would have suffered great damage.

Moreover, at that time, unlike other times, there were many promising young talents of the orthodox sects.

Chaos, and the naturally following conflicts of the orthodox sects.

"Hmm... and even the loss of promising young talents who would become the pillars of the future orthodox sects."

This was enough to suggest the Demonic Cult was behind it.

But Cheonyeong laughed and erased all the thoughts that had filled his mind.

Who cares who it is?

Jingagu or the Demonic Cult, as long as they interfere with my life.

I will never let them go.

(End of Chapter)