novelbin Chapter 236 : Those Who Hunt Demons
Chapter 236 : Those Who Hunt Demons
Chapter 236: Those Who Hunt Demons
At the far edge of the Central Plains, there lay a place where towering peaks pierced the heavens and stretched endlessly.
Some called it Tianshan, while the locals referred to it as the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains. Within this land, far removed from the Central Plains, the grand headquarters of the Ming Cult stood in solemn majesty.
The Ming Cult had once been meritorious founders who aided the first emperor in establishing the Central Plains.
Because of this, alongside Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, it had once flourished as one of the most powerful religious forces in the land.
However, the first emperor—who had proclaimed himself the Son of Heaven, the child of the Heavenly Emperor—cast aside his promises to them like worn-out shoes. Soon after, they were branded as a Demonic Cult and persecuted throughout the land.
Driven out again and again, the followers of the Ming Cult were eventually forced to settle in the distant Ten-Thousand Great Mountains, far removed from the Central Plains.
With such roots and history, their hostility and hatred toward the Central Plains and its emperor never faded, no matter how much time passed or how many generations changed.
“Filthy rat of the Central Plains.”
A heavy voice pressed down upon the surroundings inside the Cult Leader’s Hall—the heart of the Ming Cult, built from black stone.
A single being radiated an overwhelming presence that seized all five senses and sent chills down the spine.
As all the cultists lay prostrated on the ground, a ragged beggar placed at the center like a sacrificial offering swallowed hard, his face tense.
“Heavenly Demon…!”
A Beggars’ Union operative uttered that title—the absolute ruler of all demonic practitioners.
At those words, the man called the Heavenly Demon lowered his gaze into a depth like an abyss.
His expression twisted slightly, as if he had encountered something absurd.
“Yes, that is what your kind calls me. Even when speaking of me—the Cult Leader of the Ming Cult—you insist on attaching the word ‘demon.’”
They called the Ming Cult a Demonic Cult, treating it as a heretical sect, and degraded the one they revered as the Heavenly Demon or Demon Cult Leader.
This was the deeply ingrained prejudice and slander rooted within the Central Plains that had betrayed them.
And as time passed, rather than easing, the hostility between the two sides only grew worse.
“To slaughter Beggars’ Union members like this—what scheme are you plotting deep within these Ten-Thousand Great Mountains?! What grudge do you have against the people of the Central Plains?!”
Hwang Gu, a Six-Knot Disciple who had infiltrated as a planted spy but was discovered and captured, shouted with boiling rage.
Though he could not reveal it, he had shared a strong bond with the Beggar Heroes, united under a single cause.
Yet he had been forced to watch them die before his eyes.
They had sacrificed their lives to buy him time—so that at least he could escape this hell and warn the world of the Heavenly Demon’s danger.
But the moment the Heavenly Demon appeared, all their efforts became meaningless.
“And what about you? What grudge do you bear, that you infiltrated this place to monitor our every move?”
Despite appearing young, the man’s hair was streaked with gray, like a harsh winter wind.
Facing those eyes that seemed to sink endlessly into darkness, Hwang Gu swallowed dryly.
“That’s because you Demonic Cult bastards constantly plot revenge and the overthrow of the Central Plains! For the sake of peace in the Murim, we had no choice but to watch you!”
Though his skin prickled under the ominous pressure, the Beggars’ Union operative spoke firmly—even if it meant his head would burst and he would die here.
A cold sneer formed on the Heavenly Demon’s lips.
“Is that so? So you truly believed that… and thus you monitored us, rejected us, and slaughtered the Ming Cult followers. You filthy rat of the Beggars’ Union.”
The Heavenly Demon revealed a terrifying presence, as if he had shed the very guise of humanity.
Enduring it with great difficulty, Hwang Gu retorted.
“What nonsense…! Do you even know how many innocent civilians of the Central Plains have died at your hands?!”
“It was you who first betrayed and abandoned the Ming Cult—branding us as heretics and slaughtering our innocent followers.”
“…Th-That’s nonsense!”
Just from the killing intent and aura he emitted, Hwang Gu felt as though his entire body would be crushed to death.
The Heavenly Demon approached him step by step, as if intending to kill him in front of all the cultists.
And in that moment, as Hwang Gu faced him up close—
His mind was seized by the mad radiance shining from those eyes.
A brilliant, moonlight-like glow—yet filled with madness.
As a spy operating on the frontlines of the Beggars’ Union, Hwang Gu had heard of such phenomena before.
In the past, there had been several demonic practitioners who had gone mad and spread bloodshed across the Central Plains. Upon investigation, some of them had displayed similar traits.
Only then did Hwang Gu realize—
The existence of a Being Beyond Heaven.
The greatest intelligence organization of the Orthodox Faction had only partially uncovered its existence.
And among them, the most dangerous—Ilseong.
It seemed that influence had seeped into the Ming Cult.
A Demonic Cult combined with a Being Beyond Heaven that spread madness.
The most dangerous combination imaginable had come to pass in this era.
“This… how could this be…!”
Hwang Gu was horrified.
Until now, the conflict had merely been between factions that each believed themselves righteous.
But the war this man might bring—
It could enter an entirely new stage.
Rather than forcing the Imperial Palace to pay for its betrayal and spreading the will of the Ming Cult—
They might become a group driven by inhuman madness and slaughter.
‘I must… I must let the Central Plains know…’
But his neck was suddenly seized by the Heavenly Demon.
With overwhelming force, he was lifted effortlessly, the Heavenly Demon raising his other hand high.
“Behold. This is the end of a filthy rat.”
Thud!
The Heavenly Demon’s hand pierced through the beggar’s chest, emerging while gripping his heart.
Blood soaked the ground.
The Ming Cult followers cheered at the rat’s death.
“Ming Cult Unvanquished…! Eternal Dominion of the Cult…!”
Their mad chorus resounded throughout the hall.
“If the people of the Central Plains call us evil and name us a Demonic Cult—then so be it. I shall become exactly what you desire…! I, the Cult Leader of the Ming Cult, shall rise as the King of Ten Thousand Demons─!”
KUUUUNG—!
A lion’s roar that seemed to proclaim a heavenly decree shook the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains.
Waves of cheers erupted from all around.
Here stood the Cult Leader of the Ming Cult—
Declaring that he would become a demon himself.
Even as his vision faded and his eyes slowly closed, Hwang Gu felt sorrow.
‘Please… someone… stop this…’
For far too long, they had hated, resented, and killed each other without even remembering why.
Their blood debts and grudges had piled up to the point where the original cause no longer mattered.
With regret in his heart, Hwang Gu closed his eyes, the blazing Ten-Thousand Great Mountains his final sight.
Uncle Pak Chil seemed to have had a fruitful conversation with Hwang Geolgae.
Claiming it was all thanks to my mediation, he brought back snacks from the Eunseong Trading Company’s reception room and shared them at our office.
Among beggars, sharing food like this held more meaning than gold—it was a form of loyalty and camaraderie.
“Still, it’s a pity. It seems you’ll remain as a temporary Successor Beggar for the time being.”
He spoke regretfully, explaining that although they wanted to announce the Successor Beggar’s appearance across the Central Plains, the Dragon Head Sect Leader had refused.
“Honestly, I don’t really mind.”
If I took on an official title, I’d be tied down with duties and responsibilities.
Then I wouldn’t be able to roam around freely as a Troubleshooter.
That would slow down the accumulation of Good Karma—and shorten my lifespan.
In short, I needed to remain free, just like Hwang Geolgae.
“Remarkable… how the Sect Leader found a disciple so much like himself.”
Pak Chil muttered in disbelief.
“Hey now, even for you, Uncle, that’s crossing the line.”
I raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.
Why did Beggars’ Union people keep saying I resembled the Dragon Head Sect Leader?
I wasn’t some drunkard—I was rational, composed, and a proper chivalrous hero who didn’t go around beating people.
“Anyway, so Hwang Geolgae is returning to the Beggars’ Union, right?”
I secretly hoped he’d disappear from the Eunseong Trading Company.
But Pak Chil shook his head.
“Unfortunately not. Since the Demonic Cult is watching us, he intends to maintain the current deception.”
So officially, the Beggars’ Union would remain disorganized, even though he would secretly lead it.
“So the man who refused to return no matter what… finally moves because of the Demonic Cult.”
I only knew fragments of the Great War Between Orthodox and Demonic Factions.
Even Murong Cheongjin had only known it through rumors.
“Do you know much about the Demonic Cult, Ilhong?”
Ilhong nodded vaguely.
“Only from records. Every time they rose, a Blood Calamity rivaling the Heaven-Slaying Star occurred.”
“….”
A force whose scale and danger far surpassed others.
Unified under religion, entrenched in the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains—a natural fortress feared by both the Murim Alliance and the Imperial Court.
“But I don’t understand their motives. They claim righteousness, yet spread evil in the Central Plains.”
“The ones who believe themselves righteous are the most dangerous.”
That was true even in my past life.
Fanatics always committed acts beyond imagination.
“The Demonic Cult might be the same.”
And then—
‘It’s not the Demonic Cult… I told you…’
Right. Your former affiliation is painfully obvious.
“Will this affect us too?”
“If they invade again, Beijing will definitely be a target.”
“Well, then the court or the Murim Alliance will handle it.”
But even as I said that—
A troubling thought crossed my mind.
Wasn’t it said that the chaos of this era was caused by me disrupting the Heavenly Secrets?
“…Hmm.”
If the Heaven-Slaying Star had restored balance through indiscriminate slaughter—
Then I had to restore it consciously by eradicating evil.
“So… if they invade, should I step in?”
If I were a true hero, I wouldn’t hesitate.
But I wasn’t.
I was just a practical Beggar Hero.
‘It’s not the Demonic Cult… third time…’
“…Yeah, sure.”
Rarely did that guy fall silent like this.
Seems he really was deeply tied to them.
Near the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains, vast communities had formed—large enough to be called small nations.
No wonder both the Imperial Court and the Murim Alliance were wary.
Vice Captain of the Demon-Slaying Unit, Murong Cheonghye, who had been tracking the Demonic Cult, bit her lip as she looked at the corpse of a Beggars’ Union operative displayed in the center of a village.