Chapter 368

Chapter 368: Upheaval (1)

With the Supreme Ultimate Sword Immortal and Taoist Un-baek now gone, Il-mok exited the great chamber and cast his gaze upward toward the horizon, where the daylight was bleeding into a vivid crimson dusk.

‘I merely need to stall until the Beggars’ Gang concludes their probe.’

If he were being completely honest, the Hwangbo Family, the Beggars’ Gang, and Wudang had not genuinely pledged themselves to the cause; rather, they had simply hit the pause button on their cooperative efforts.

The Hwangbo Family and the Beggars’ Gang had given their word to return to the fold the moment the plot was definitively proven. Wudang had gone a step further, imposing a strict stipulation: they would only commit to an alliance once it was verified that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had not perpetrated any atrocities undercover while masquerading as the Maitreya Luminous Cult.

It was a grueling checklist to fulfill, but Il-mok refused to let it weigh on his mind. It simply required patience, and because he had dealt with them in absolute honesty, they would inevitably converge as allies once more when the dust settled.

‘The real variable is the speed of the Beggars’ Gang. At the absolute earliest, it might take a month…’

Il-mok resolved that he would stop at nothing to safeguard the true origin of the Maitreya Luminous Cult, buying every precious second available until that investigation bore fruit.

Yet, a mere handful of days later, a martial artist from the Dark Shadow Pavilion burst into his quarters, breathless with an overlapping crisis.

“The Martial Alliance has dispatched an emergency decree to every prominent sect! They have publicly unmasked the Maitreya Luminous Cult as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and they are actively rallying an armada to march upon us!”

Roughly ten days prior to this development, right around the time the high-ranking delegates from the Beggars’ Gang, the Hwangbo Family, Wudang, and Qingcheng were journeying toward the headquarters of the Maitreya Luminous Cult in Gansu Province, a separate event was taking place within a reinforced stronghold along the borderlands dividing the Central Plains from the Northern Steppes.

Grand Eunuch Cha was wrestling with an agonized, restless slumber.

—I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN HOW MANY YEARS IT TAKES! MARK MY WORDS, YOU SNIPPED MOCKERY OF THE IMPERIAL COURT! NO MATTER WHERE YOU HIDE, MY BLADE WILL FIND YOUR THROAT! SO YOU HAD BEST KEEP THAT NECK REASONABLY CLEAN UNTIL THAT DAY ARRIVES!!!

Even within the realm of dreams, Dokgo Ryong continued to stalk him relentlessly.

The apparition of Dokgo Ryong that haunted Grand Eunuch Cha’s sleep bore the unmistakable, terrifying visage of a ravenous fiend.

“Gah—!!”

Wrenched violently from the horrific vision, Grand Eunuch Cha sat upright, his lungs gasping for air. He was completely soaked in a chilly perspiration.

He scanned his immediate environment with eyes entirely consumed by a lingering panic.

The chamber where he lay offered a strange juxtaposition of familiarity and deep alienation. The austere, sterile ambiance characteristic of quarters reserved for state dignitaries was recognizable, yet he possessed zero recollection of ever laying his head down in this specific room.

Knitting his brows, Grand Eunuch Cha desperately retraced his steps until a faint murmur escaped his lips.

“So it actually occurred?”

A fractured, chaotic recollection began to knit itself together.

The memory of fleeing blindly while the specter of demise nipped at his heels. The fiend that continued to harass his subconscious just moments ago.

He recalled making a frantic, final push toward a distant frontier garrison.

His absolute final memory before darkness claimed his senses was drawing near the fortifications and spotting several infantrymen sprinting toward him from across the flat horizon.

Right then, the latch clicked and the heavy door groaned open.

A mature gentleman entered the space, offering Grand Eunuch Cha a respectful, disciplined salute with wrapped knuckles. “You have returned to the waking world, Director of the Eastern Depot. I am Choi Songkwan, Assistant Commander of the Western Military Command.”

The ruling Han Dynasty had partitioned the realm into five distinct military commands to manage national security.

The Northern Military Command was dug into the northeastern territories to monitor the nomadic tribes and Later Silla, whereas the Western Military Command kept vigilant watch over Xinjiang.

The Southern Military Command operated out of Yunnan to neutralize threats from the Southern Barbarians, and the Eastern Military Command functioned primarily as a maritime armada patrolling the waters of the southeastern coast.

Lastly, the Central Military Command occupied the absolute core of the Central Plains, acting as the primary domestic peacekeeping force tasked with enforcing order throughout the mainland.

Presiding over each individual Command were the Left and Right Commanders, aristocratic figures holding supreme authority as Senior Rank 1 Officials. Positioned directly beneath them were the Vice Commanders, designated as Junior Rank 1 Officials. The Assistant Commander currently presenting himself to Grand Eunuch Cha held a Second Rank position, rendering him the third highest authority within the entire regional hierarchy.

By established convention, the Director of Ceremonial was accorded the identical respect and protocol due to a Rank 1 Official.

While not explicitly etched into the imperial codex, the Director of Ceremonial effectively brandished an authority that placed him immediately beneath the Sovereign and directly above the rest of civilization. Furthermore, as the newly appointed Brush-Holding Grand Eunuch and the master of the Eastern Depot, Grand Eunuch Cha was the undisputed second-in-command of the entire eunuch collective.

In strict accordance with imperial protocol, it really should have been the Vice Commander—the second highest officer of the military commission—who arrived to receive him.

Yet, even in this moment, Choi Songkwan was merely offering the bare minimum of physical etiquette. His features made absolutely no secret of his deep-seated animosity.

As a member of the civil and military bureaucracy, detesting the Eastern Depot was practically a fundamental requirement of the occupation.

After all, the entire mandate of the Eastern Depot revolved around unearthing the private corruption of state officials, breaking them through horrific interrogation techniques, and dragging them bound toward the chopping block.

The primary issue was that the vast majority of bureaucrats lived in such absolute dread of the Eastern Depot’s terrifying reach that they would never dare manifest such disdain openly, let alone directly to a director’s face.

But at this juncture, Grand Eunuch Cha lacked the energy to even acknowledge the officer’s subtle insolence.

Under normal circumstances, he would have erupted in a furious tirade on the spot or orchestrated a covert investigation to ensnare the man in a fabricated treason charge. Yet, his psychological state was simply too fractured to accommodate such schemes right now.

“For how long have I been incapacitated?”

“A span of three days, director.”

“Curse it all.”

Grand Eunuch Cha spat out a vulgar epithet in response to the Assistant Commander’s update, then barked out a frantic directive.

“Procure a pristine uniform and a swift mount this instant! I must make haste to the imperial capital without a moment’s delay.”

‘I must inform the Supreme Eunuch immediately that the fiends of the Demonic Cult are mobilizing in the Northern territories.’

The exact instant Dokgo Ryong’s terrifying expression materialized in his mind’s eye, a fresh torrent of icy sweat cascaded down Grand Eunuch Cha’s back.

“I shall give the necessary orders. However, if I may inquire, what business brings the Director of the Eastern Depot so far into the northern frontier? And looking in such a state, if you pardon the observation.”

Choi Songkwan laid an intentional, heavy emphasis on the phrase “such a state,” but Grand Eunuch Cha was trapped in too deep a state of hysteria to decode the underlying mockery.

“The operations of the Eastern Depot are strictly classified by imperial decree!”

He merely shrieked back using that peculiarly high-pitched, piercing register that felt entirely inappropriate for a man of his advanced years.

After lashing out so arrogantly against a Rank 2 Official, Grand Eunuch Cha practically sprinted out of the garrison the absolute second he received confirmation that his steed was saddled.

Observing Grand Eunuch Cha quite literally channeling his inner martial arts lightness techniques just to accelerate his exit, the sentries stationed along the perimeter began exchanging hushed remarks.

“Ha. Watch the old rat scurry like a mongrel that desperately needs to relieve its bowels.”

“What do you mean ‘needs to’? The old bastard already soiled himself thoroughly during his journey.”

It was an undeniable truth.

Grand Eunuch Cha had spent consecutive days and nights sprinting away from the ghost of Dokgo Ryong in such a blind, unadulterated panic that he had repeatedly evacuated his bowels and bladder mid-stride. When his body had finally collapsed before the iron gates of the fortress, his garments had been thoroughly caked in dried excrement. It was only when the attendants stripped those repulsive layers from his form that they discovered the official medallion identifying him as the Director of the Eastern Depot, allowing them to decipher his identity.

Predictably, the humiliating account had traveled through the ranks of the garrison like a spreading wildfire.

However, Grand Eunuch Cha was fleeing at too frantic a velocity to catch even a whisper of the mockery.

‘Faster! I must head further south! Immediately!!’

He continuously utilized the Supreme Eunuch’s standing directives as a cognitive shield to justify his flight, but the base reality was far less complicated.

He was thoroughly terrified of existing anywhere within the geographic realm where Dokgo Ryong might draw breath.

Subconsciously, his primal urge for self-preservation was screaming at him to abandon the region entirely and seek sanctuary deep within the southern provinces.

From an elevated vantage point on the training grounds, an elderly warrior silently monitored Grand Eunuch Cha as he bolted away like a panicked yearling with its coat singed.

Though advanced in winters, he possessed a massive, rugged frame complemented by a countenance weathered by countless campaigns and an aura of unyielding steel.

A brief moment later, Assistant Commander Choi Songkwan navigated his way to the veteran’s side, rendering a profound, disciplined salute.

“Assistant Commander reporting to the Commander.”

“Well? Did you extract any meaningful intelligence from our guest?”

When the old general inquired in his deep, raspy baritone, Choi Songkwan kept his gaze properly lowered as he replied.

“Regrettably, nothing of substance, Commander. He did little else but screech about returning to the imperial court like a hysterical, simple-minded crone. It was entirely impossible to engage him in a rational dialogue.”

Visualizing the spectacle of Grand Eunuch Cha practically flying away moments earlier, the Commander offered a slow nod of agreement.

“Indeed, the man was clearly empty of his faculties.”

Concluding their brief exchange, the two military leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the retreating figure of Grand Eunuch Cha fade away. As the director’s silhouette dwindled into a speck toward the southeast, the Assistant Commander muttered with a thoroughly repulsed expression.

“I simply cannot fathom what that ancient abomination inside the capital is plotting.”

“Our sole mandate is the preservation of this frontier border. Focus your intellect entirely on that task.”

While the Commander chose to admonish his subordinate, the reality was that his own thoughts mirrored those words precisely.

The Director of Ceremonial, universally referred to by the shadow collective of eunuchs as the Supreme Eunuch.

That singular individual already occupied the seat of the Director of Ceremonial when the Commander himself was a mere young officer earning his first battle honors on the field—a staggering six decades ago.

He had successfully ingratiated himself with the late Emperor, consolidating a tier of authority that answered to no earthly master. And now, even with a fresh Sovereign occupying the dragon throne following the previous monarch’s demise, absolutely nothing had shifted in the balance of power.

‘I can no longer discern whether the orders I execute originate from His Imperial Majesty, or directly from the desk of the Director of Ceremonial.’

The Eastern Depot along with the Embroidered Uniform Guard were fundamentally designed to function as the personal claws of the Sovereign. Yet, both institutions rested entirely within the palm of the Supreme Eunuch.

Furthermore, throughout the expanse of Beijing, there existed no corner where his network of eyes and ears failed to penetrate.

Consequently, the Commander was left with no alternative but to reiterate the very philosophy he had just dispensed to his officer.

The only course of action available to them was to pour their entire being into securing the northern line.

Upon vacating the military sector, Grand Eunuch Cha pushed his mount relentlessly southeast until he reached a clandestine safe house situated in Shaanxi Province, maintained specifically for operatives of the Eastern Depot.

Within those walls, he hastily penned a confidential dispatch and issued his immediate instructions.

“Convey this missive to Agent Number Two with the utmost discretion.”

With that pressing emergency temporarily managed, Grand Eunuch Cha remounted his horse and pushed forward toward the administrative heart of the empire.

Several days later, he successfully entered the Forbidden City in Beijing, where the Supreme Eunuch immediately called him to an audience.

“Well now. The reports have already crossed my desk. To think that disciples of the Demonic Cult were operating with such impunity throughout the northern territories.”

The intelligence that Grand Eunuch Cha had forwarded to Agent Number Two via the Eastern Depot infrastructure had clearly outpaced his own arrival to the Forbidden City.

“Y-yes, my lord. The organization known as the Maitreya Luminous Cult is nothing more than a deceptive masquerade for the Demonic Cult.”

As Grand Eunuch Cha offered his confirmation with an unmistakable tremor in his voice, the Supreme Eunuch dropped a seemingly casual inquiry into the conversation.

“And the entity you encountered during your mission… was it truly Dokgo Ryong of the Demonic Cult?”

“Y-yes, it was undeniably him, Supreme Eunuch.”

“Hmm.”

The Supreme Eunuch evaluated him with an intensely calculating stare, and the physical shaking did not escape his notice.

The mere articulation of Dokgo Ryong’s name caused Grand Eunuch Cha to flinch involuntarily.

‘Hmph. So the accounts were accurate.’

The thoroughly humiliating rumor detailing how Grand Eunuch Cha had collapsed in the northern wastes saturated in his own bodily waste had likewise found its way to the Supreme Eunuch’s ears. Such was the terrifying, absolute efficiency of his personal intelligence grid and widespread dominance.

“Director of the Eastern Depot.”

“Y-yes! P-please, deliver your decrees!”

The Supreme Eunuch observed the visibly panicked Grand Eunuch Cha with an entirely placid expression.

“Is this Dokgo Ryong truly an object of such absolute terror to you? Does he frighten you more than this old man standing before you?”

An oppressive, suffocating aura began to emanate from the Supreme Eunuch’s form, causing Grand Eunuch Cha to release an involuntary gasp before he could assemble a frantic response.

“H-how could I ever presume to measure a pathetic worm like Dokgo Ryong against your grand stature, Supreme Eunuch.”

The Supreme Eunuch received the frantic flattery and delivered his next instruction.

“Very well. You appear thoroughly broken in both constitution and spirit, so retire to your quarters for a few days of complete rest before returning to your administrative obligations.”

“I-I shall execute the Supreme Eunuch’s benevolent directive without fail.”

The moment Grand Eunuch Cha dropped into a frantic, clumsy bow and hurried out of the chamber like a frightened animal, the Supreme Eunuch let out a contemptuous click of his tongue.

“Tsk. A ruined tool.”

His gaze harbored absolutely no trace of human empathy.

“No matter, provided I refrain from assigning him to any theater of operations featuring Dokgo Ryong, he remains a viable instrument for alternative tasks.”

He merely experienced the minor irritation one feels when an otherwise reliable chess piece sustains structural damage.

It amounted to that, and absolutely nothing more.

In the meantime, the confidential missive authored by Grand Eunuch Cha was safely delivered by agents of the Eastern Depot directly into the hands of the Martial Alliance Leader, Cheok Pae-myeong.

Cheok Pae-myeong reviewed the text alongside Chief Strategist Gongsun Hyeon, a volatile mixture of diametrically opposed expressions shifting across his features.

The initial reaction was one of complete astonishment; he found it utterly incredible that their intelligence apparatus had failed to connect the existence of the Demonic Cult with a sudden, aggressive faction manifesting in Gansu, which sat in immediate geographic proximity to Xinjiang.

“Hah. To think those hidden snakes were actually the Demonic Cult operating right under our noses this entire time.”

“I offer my profound apologies, Alliance Leader. The Beggars Gang presented their findings with such absolute conviction that I dismissed the possibility entirely from my calculations.”

The secondary emotion that manifested was a wave of pure, unadulterated relief that they finally possessed a flawless justification to completely eradicate them from existence.

“At long last, we possess the righteous mandate required to orchestrate their annihilation. Furthermore, Alliance Leader, our ultimate objective from the very beginning was always the destruction of the Demonic Cult, was it not?”

“Hahaha. Your assessment is entirely accurate. My initial strategy involved dismantling the Maitreya Luminous Cult first before shifting our focus toward the Demonic Cult at a later date, but if we navigate this crisis intelligently, we can easily eliminate both threats in a single stroke.”

The two conspirators exchanged a knowing glance, a shared spark of dark exhilaration passing between them.

Their true directive was to force the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult into a catastrophic, full-scale confrontation, ensuring the slaughter of as many high-tier martial artists as humanly possible.

Once that bloody objective was secured, the ultimate prize for their monumental deception would finally materialize within their grasp.

They would make a triumphant return to the Imperial Palace clad in the glory of saviors, instantly ascending to the absolute pinnacle of political and administrative power within the state bureaucracy.

The two individuals allowed themselves to briefly indulge in that magnificent vision before snapping back to reality and focusing on the immediate logistics.

If they intended to claim that radiant future, they needed to flawlessly execute the piece of the puzzle directly ahead of them.

“Draft the formal mobilize dispatches for every single sect, clan, and minor family within our jurisdiction, Chief Strategist.”

“Consider it done, leader. I shall personally ensure that we drag every conceivable martial faction into this ultimate crusade against the Demonic Cult.”