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< Group call >
Manbaknogoe looked around and said with a dejected expression.
“Isn’t this the investigation room?”
The place they arrived was a cave where it was said that the first leader of the Cheonma Sect, who established the Cheonma Sect here 500 years ago, ascended to the throne.
Because it is a sacred place, entry is restricted to ordinary believers.
“Yeah. Grandpa, you can hide here.”
Manbaknogoe sighed lightly at Lily’s words.
I was wondering where to bring it with confidence…
“Yeah. I guess I won’t be looking for a place like this right away. But it’s only a matter of time.”
There were few better places to hide than here.
When Manbaknogoe mentioned another place, Lily smiled meaningfully.
“Other people will never find us. Because…”
Kyaaaa!
Abraxas, who had been wrapped around Lily’s neck, fell to the floor, then slowly crawled along the floor and disappeared into the darkness.
And after a while,
Kookung, gugugugugu-!
The floor of the cave opened up and a space I had never seen before appeared.
“What is this···.”
Manbaknogoe opened his mouth wide.
There was a space hidden inside the investigation room that even the leader of the Cheonma cult didn’t know about!
Lily said with a proud expression, placing both hands on her hips.
“Ta-da! Asrang and I found our secret room!”
[I found what I was looking for by myself?]
Kyaaaaah!
Abraxas raised his head in protest, but Lily pretended not to hear him and grabbed Manbaknokai’s arm.
“Come in quickly!”
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
A stone statue of Cheonma Josa that Daein found in North Korea in the past.
There was a place marked on the map inside, and that place was Josadong.
The man had asked them to investigate this place in detail.
[I don’t think they made a map and marked it for nothing. Please help me find out if there’s anything hidden inside.]
It was easy to get to Josadang. Lily was worshipped as an incarnation of God by the Cheonmasin cult, and this was one of the shrines where they worshipped the God.
Lily, who was going down the stairs to the basement first, looked back at Manbaknogoe and said.
“Watch out for the stairs! Should I hug you again, Grandpa?”
“···Okay. I can do things like walk by myself.”
As the two people – and the snake – descended the stairs, the door behind them slammed shut with a “kukukukuk!” sound.
Originally, in the hidden space beneath the investigation room, ominous organs and spells were installed to prevent anyone from entering.
Suddenly arrows rain down from the wall,
A welcoming circle is spread out and ghosts appear from all directions,
Like the deadly poison being emitted, etc.
The person who created this place placed various devices to prevent those without the ability from obtaining the opportunity.
but,
Kyaaaaah!
[No matter how great a human being is, he can’t do anything to me.]
All the organs and magic were useless in front of the dragon, which was full of intellectual curiosity.
The last time I was here, Abraxas had disarmed all the traps here like a puzzle.
[It was quite fun because there were some types I was seeing for the first time.]
Thanks to this, the two people – and the snake – did not encounter any traps while descending the stairs.
Manbaknogoe, who had come down the last step, stared blankly at the sight before his eyes.
“This can’t be happening···.”
There was a legacy of the Cheonma Investigation that no one had ever found before.
On one side, the wall was filled with glittering gold and silver treasures,
On the other side, there was a small pond, and around the pond were growing magical plants that gave off a mystical energy.
‘Sam, yam, and emperor mushroom that are at least hundreds of years old…?’
The area around the pond could be called a medicinal herb field, but now that I look at it, the water in the pond isn’t just ordinary groundwater.
“Huh, huh huh···.”
Manbaknogoe just laughed in vain. He no longer had the strength to be surprised.
···I thought there wouldn’t be any.
“Grandpa. This way!”
Lily took Manbaknogoe’s hand and led him inside. The path was long and narrow, but it got narrower the further inside they went.
And at the end, a mummy was sitting on the throne with her eyes closed.
“······.”
Mira was a large man. His facial features were almost intact, but he was in a deep sleep with his eyes tightly closed.
On his knees were a sword and a book.
“no way···!”
The moment he saw Mira, Manbaknogoe shivered as if he had been struck by lightning.
dump.
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Manbaknogoe knelt before Mira.
“I didn’t believe you said you were on the ship, but… you were in a place like this?”
Even without anyone explaining it to him, he knew who this mummy was.
“Our first pastor···.”
The first leader of the Cheonma cult who established the Cheonma religion on this land.
Manbaknogoe stood up from his seat after bowing with the utmost respect.
At that moment, the title of the book on Mira’s lap caught my eye.
It was the first record left by a man called Cheonma (天魔) in the martial arts world.
***
The next day.
“Sorry, I haven’t found it yet.”
At the report from the signal receiver, the face of the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult was distorted like an evil spirit.
“Are you saying that all of you are blind with your eyes open? How can you not find even one old man whose danjeon is broken?”
-Kwakwakwakwakwa!
The magical energy that burst out from the body of the Heavenly Demon Lord crushed the body of the receiver. Blood flowed out from the receiver’s nose and ears.
“Ugh, ugh···.”
The body of the receiver, who had been kneeling on one knee, gradually fell down like an insect being trampled underfoot.
The veins on his flushed face bulged, and his eyeballs bulged out as if they would fall out from the external pressure.
“···Master. Please stop.”
The one who saved him was the elder who was with the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. The leader glared at the elder and dispersed the demonic energy that was weighing down the receiving signal.
“Ugh, gasp···.”
The receiving officer was barely able to catch his breath. The leader looked down at him with contempt.
“A guy who is worse than a burrower···.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
The leader wanted to break this idiot’s skull right away. But Chimi barely suppressed her anger and gave another order.
“I’ll give you one more chance. You can search every last bit of the school’s ban. Just make sure you bring that old man to me.”
“Jeonmyeong!”
The new model of the receiver melted into the darkness like a shadow.
A master’s level of stealth. However, even such a master could not withstand the leader’s aura for even a moment.
“Phew···.”
The leader of the Cheonma cult took a deep breath to calm the rising murderous intent and looked back at the elder next to him.
“Elder. Did you break that old man out of prison?”
The gaze was fierce and rough, as if it would tear the opponent into a thousand pieces.
The elder shook his head with a dark expression.
“Don’t you know very well that it wasn’t me who did it?”
“······.”
After the leader ordered the elder to lock Cheonmu-geuk in the brain prison, the leader called him to the leader’s office and kept him by his side to monitor him ever since.
‘But who knows. What tricks could this old man have used to escape Cheonmu-geuk?’
Very few people knew that the former leader of the Jeonjeondae sect was within the Cheonmasin Church.
The leader of the Cheonmagyo sect and the elders.
And the signal guards, who are the shadows of the cult leader.
‘You don’t need to know any more, nor do you need to know any more.’
There is no need for two suns in the sky. There should be only one sun, and it has already been decided who that sun is.
‘I would have rather killed him on the spot…’
There was one reason why it couldn’t be done.
Ugh!
The leader gritted his teeth and glared at the elder.
‘If only this old man hadn’t stopped me back then!’
The spirit of life rose to my head and strength entered my hands.
The leader took a deep breath and slowly relaxed his hands.
“Phew···.”
“Reverend? Are you okay?”
“Of course.”
‘I have to endure it. I still need this old man.’
If it were any other elder, he would have killed him and Cheonmu Geuk on the spot and destroyed all evidence.
But the elder couldn’t do that.
A person who has been at the center of power in the Cheonmasin Church for 100 years.
Not only had he exerted tremendous influence here and there for a long time, but his martial arts skills were so strong that he could not be easily killed.
In short, the great elder was a powerful person who could split the Cheonmasin Church in two if he wanted to.
‘Could it be that this old man is conspiring with Cheonmu-geuk to drive me out?’
Once such suspicions began to arise, the leader became suspicious of all of the elder’s words and actions.
‘Should I just kill him?’
Tsk tsk tsk!
The leader’s eyes were filled with magic energy. His heart was beating faster and he felt extremely thirsty.
I have to drink blood to quench this thirst…
“Reverend! Are you okay?”
The leader came to his senses at the rebuke from the elder who had internal energy.
“···It’s okay. I’m a little tired though.”
The leader slowly took a deep breath. The magical energy he had absorbed from Cheonmu-geuk was running wild. Because of this, he became more easily excited and his emotions were on edge.
The elder said.
“You must be tired after all that you’ve been through. Get some rest. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
“······.”
The leader thought about capturing the elder, but decided not to. Instead, he thought he would have to tail him later.
“Okay, go in.”
The elder bowed and took a few steps back. Then he turned around and tried to leave the sect.
At that time, the leader of the Cheonma cult called the elder again.
“···Elder.”
“Yes, Master.”
The elder turned around with a stern expression.
Their gazes met in midair. There were no sparks, but something even more eerie exchanged.
The leader spoke in a gloomy voice.
“Do not betray my trust. I believe you know well what the path for the teaching is.”
“···I have devoted my entire life to the new religion.”
I guess those words made me feel a little relieved.
The leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect nodded, slowly regulating his breathing, which was faster than usual.
“Whew… I understand. You may go out now.”
“Take a rest.”
thud!
The expression on the elder’s face as he entered the temple was grave and hardened.
‘The leader’s condition is worse than expected.’
There were already several signs that the coinage was deepening.
Breathing more ragged than usual.
Magic that cannot be properly controlled.
Even the murderous intent that suddenly rises up.
‘Should we really leave the leader who is so obsessed with himself like that?’
The leader ordered that the fact be kept quiet. But the elder could not help but hesitate.
As I told the leader earlier, he has dedicated his entire life to the Cheonmasin Church.
Not for the leader, but for the Cheonmasingyo.
The elder recalled what Manbaknogoe had said just before he collapsed.
“Did you tell me to run away···”
How could you say something like that?
The gentleman who knows best that it can’t be done.
‘I’m confused. I don’t know what to do···.’
The elder sighed deeply as he walked down the corridor. His mind was complicated by many thoughts.
It was then that a familiar yet unfamiliar voice was heard.
[Elder Grandpa!]
The elder, who had stopped in his tracks, looked into the air. He pointed exactly in the direction from which the sound had come.
The elder said, raising his power.
“Who are you? Show yourself.”
The air was pushed away slightly, and Lily’s face appeared out of it.
[Shhh! It’s me.]
“Oh, Mazda…? Could you speak to us?”
The elder was at a loss as to what to do. Lily put her lips to her finger and sent a message.
[Shhh! I don’t want anyone to see me here, so please pretend you don’t see me!]
Although he didn’t know what was going on, the elder nodded.
[And take this!]
Lily threw something, and the elder caught it absentmindedly.
It was an unidentifiable object the size of a palm.
The elder looked down at it blankly. Lily, who had turned transparent again, sent a message.
[Put it in your ear and say it.]
“Huh? You want me to talk here···.”
At that moment, Manbaknogoe’s voice was heard through the communicator.
[Click, click. You punk. Are you running around sweating profusely trying to catch me right now?]
“···older brother!”
The elder almost screamed. Fortunately, there was no other presence around besides Lily.
The elder quickly left his seat and asked in a low voice.
“Where are you now?”
[Why? If you knew, would you come to catch me?]
“This is not the time to joke around! Where on earth have you been in that body!”
[···What happened to the cult leader? He must be very unstable because he absorbed my magic.]
“As expected, you know.”
[Click, click. I know the coin-loving horse the best.]
The elder told Manboknogoe about the unstable state of the cult leader that he had seen.
After hearing the story to the end, Manbaknogoe sighed softly.
[Yeah. As expected···.]
“I really don’t know what to do. If I leave it like this, the leader might get possessed by demons and do something, and if I tell the truth, the Murim Alliance guys might find out and come to our church, thinking it’s their chance…”
[The best thing would be to fix the leader’s obsession with money and not go to war.]
“Is it as easy as it sounds? Either one is difficult.”
[Click, click. I thought so too until yesterday… Maybe it’s possible.]
“yes?”
Manbaknogoe paused for a moment and then continued speaking.
[Let me introduce you to someone.]
“Are you a person?”
A moment later, a new voice came over the communicator. It was the voice of a young man I had never heard before.
[hello?]
The elder asked in a wary voice.
“Who are you?”
A man answered from the other end of the communicator.
[Oh, I am the landlord. I am currently the leader of the Demon Extermination Group affiliated with the Murim Alliance.]
The Demon Sect.
Just hearing the name, it seemed like it was an organization that had reserved a spot for the Cheonmasingyo and Cheolcheonjeonsu.
“Why did that Murim Alliance guy···!”
Manbaknogoe added a word to lighten the mood.
[He is my disciple.]
“yes···?”
[It just so happened.]
In this way, secret tripartite talks began ahead of the Battle of Jeongma.
< Group call > End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
