Chapter 399

Under the guidance of the maidservants, Cheon-ryang and Yang-gwang visited the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s scriptures hall.

“Come on in.”

“What brings you here?”

“Has something gone wrong, by any chance?”

In response to Cheon-ryang and Yang-gwang’s questions, Il-mok informed them about the letter that had arrived from Shaanxi.

“A message has come that our cult’s main force has toppled the Zhongnan and Huashan sects in Shaanxi.”

“Then we must seize control of Shaanxi’s government offices now.”

They had already given the bare minimum explanation during the process of persuading the Provincial Commander earlier, so both men could easily follow along.

“That’s why I’m asking—is the cleanup just about finished?”

At Il-mok’s question, both the Left Sage Master and the Provincial Commander nodded and each presented a letter with names written on it.

This was a sort of hit list, as well.

Having seized Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, they now needed to fully take over the rest of Gansu’s counties.

Among them, those likely to follow their lead, and those not deeply corrupt, would be spared. The resistors and the utterly rotten officials would be executed. Then we’ll move out starting tomorrow. And you two, select a few reliable men and send them to Shaanxi. In Il-mok nodded at the question.

Unlike Gansu, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had no connections whatsoever in Shaanxi.

From connections, they had burned Zhongnan, which had been their bases.

That was why he planned to send officials from Gansu Province, who at least had some plausible ties to them, to persuade the government.

“It’s quite different from Gansu, so it won’t be easy.”

“I know. It’s not even easy to approach them secretly like we did in Gansu. That’s why I’m thinking not of covertly contacting and recruiting high officials, but of urging them to surrender.”

“Hahaha. So that’s why you’re sending me personally?”

Il-mok nodded at Cheon-ryang’s quick-witted question.

Even those who surrendered could be entrusted with important roles.

Cheon-ryang, originating from the Left Sage Hall, could serve as a living witness and symbol.

Ideally, he’d send the Provincial Commander too, but the man still had much to handle here.

…

The next day.

From early morning, activity buzzed throughout Lanzhou.

The Provincial Commander’s government troops began moving out across Gansu alongside Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors, while the Left Sage Master set off westward, accompanied by a few military and civil officials.

Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors escorted the Left Sage Master’s group to guard against ambushes or misunderstandings from the cult’s main force—in case things got complicated.

Leaving Lanzhou, they each headed to their destinations.

The government troops stormed into local government offices across Gansu counties, practically raiding them.

“For the crime of deceiving the lawful tax rates and sucking the common people’s blood dry, you shall face the extreme penalty!!”

To the local officials in the county offices, this was like a bolt from the blue.

“W-what is the meaning of this!”

“The death penalty for something like this? D-does that even make sense?”

Naturally, they raised their voices in protest meant little.

The ones coming from Lanzhou’s Surveillance Office and Provincial Commandery outranked them to begin with. There were occasional places with fierce resistance, but they were mercilessly executed by the Provincial Commandery’s troops and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors.

On the flip side, for the local officials the Left Sage Master and Provincial Commander had decided to recruit, things wrapped up simply by visiting and handing over letters penned by the Left Sage Master or Provincial Commander.

After swiftly seizing the local government offices this way, they ransacked the corrupt officials’ treasuries, and had the government troops and Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors scatter paper, worn cloth, wooden planks, and such around villages, while hanging things on sturdy walls.

These were propaganda leaflets and posters that had started in Pyeongnyang County, multiplied dozens of times in Lanzhou.

On top of that, cultists from the ritual troupe who had come along performed hymns and plays.

“Anyone who copies these posters and leaflets even roughly will get a share of rice!”

With shouts like this in between, the common folk without exception began copying the leaflets and posters.

Once word spread that you could earn money just from drawing and writing, greedy folks even started vying for it.

“Sorry, but this is only allowed for the elderly, children, and women.”

“It’s to help with basic livelihoods, so why not stick to your farming instead?”

“If you hate farming that much, we’re recruiting people to join the war—head to Lanzhou.”

It was still decent when young men stepped up, but it was commonplace for people to grab posters or leaflets saying they’d do it alone and take them home.

Thanks to that, Heavenly Demon Divine Cult cultists had to stand guard over the leaflets and posters scattered everywhere.

In any case, the leaflets and posters were highly effective.

“They give you money just for copying stuff like this.”

“As expected of the Maitreya Cult. No, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”

“Heavenly Demon descends! Prosperity to the myriad demons!”

Beyond gratitude for handing out money like this.

“But more than that, those guys are truly vile.”

“How could they commit such shameless acts!”

Copying leaflets and posters all day meant reading phrases and drawings cursing the imperial court, which only fueled the common folk’s anger toward the imperial family.

The originals made in Pyeongnyang County passing through Lanzhou, and now spreading across all of Gansu, they began multiplying hundreds of times in just a few days.

A few days later.

As the chain letter of good fortune was copied across Gansu.

“Young Master Il-mok!!”

The Provincial Commander rushed to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s scriptures hall, even using lightness skill in his haste.

“Is there a problem?”

Il-mok asked with a puzzled expression, and the Provincial Commander shook his white beard wildly as he vigorously shook his head and thrust forward a letter.

“A letter has arrived from the Western Army Command. It’s an order to muster troops across Gansu and attack the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Western Army Command itself is assembling forces to march straight here.”

Il-mok unfolded the letter the Provincial Commander handed him, his expression turning grave.

‘…So the grace period is up, is it.’

After confirming the contents of the letter, Il-mok turned to the Provincial Commander and issued orders.

“Call in all of Gansu’s government troops. We’ll also summon all our warriors scattered across Gansu.”

The Provincial Commander nodded with a complicated look in his eyes.

He had boarded the same ship as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but facing off against the Command made him truly feel like a rebel now.

…

Shortly after the Provincial Commander left. Couriers from the Provincial Commandery mounted horses and headed across Gansu.

The couriers delivered letters stamped with the Provincial Commander’s seal to various parts of Gansu, and government troops began gathering in Lanzhou one by one.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors remaining in each county also returned to Lanzhou upon receiving the news from the couriers.

A few days later. Around fifty thousand government troops had assembled in Lanzhou.

Il-mok shook his head at the number of those gathered before Lanzhou’s gates.

“To muster this many in just a few days. This is the scale of the continent.’

Of course, even in peacetime, the real government numbered barely twenty thousand.

The remaining thirty thousand were essentially reserves—civilians called up only during slack farming seasons. Even this was only thirty thousand because they had summoned reserves matching the military supplies stockpiled in government offices and barracks across Gansu Province.

If a real war broke out and they started forced conscription, assembling over a hundred thousand strong would be no trouble. Of course, conscripting people who hadn’t even received regular training would just make a motley crew.

‘If the entire Central Plains mobilized like this, a million-strong army would be a joke.’

Even rabble, if numbering in the millions, would be truly terrifying.

The term human wave tactics wasn’t coined for nothing.

“Winning over the Provincial Commander was a stroke of genius.”

At Il-mok’s murmur, Jin Ha-yeon, standing behind him, responded.

“Facing that many government troops, and then the Western Army Command charging in afterward, would have caused heavy casualties.”

Il-mok nodded and added.

“Moreover, a good number of them are just innocent commoners moving at orders from above. Keep slaughtering them, and we’d end up depleted in every way.”

“It’s fortunate no innocent blood was spilled.”

At the conversation between Il-mok and Jin Ha-yeon, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors listening from behind nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile.

As Il-mok and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors inspected the troops, the Provincial Commander was delivering a rousing speech to the soldiers as their commander.

To boost morale ahead of war.

The Provincial Commander spoke of the horrific deeds by the Grand Eunuch Tai Gong, the Eastern Depot, and the imperial court, finally bellowing.

“With wicked eunuchs like the Ten Grand Eunuchs toying with the court, I can no longer stand by—I shall rise with you all!”

No sooner had his shout ended than the government troops gathered from across Gansu roared back.

“Drive out the eunuchs!!”

“Heavenly Demon descends!! Prosperity to the myriad demons!!!”

Bizarrely, most of them were chanting the slogan. It was only natural, really. They were people summoned from across Gansu, which had received the Maitreya. Moreover, thanks to the leaflets and posters recently scattered across Gansu, they already knew of the eunuchs’ and imperial court’s evils, even without the Provincial Commander’s words.

Seeing the reserves joining from across Gansu repeatedly chanting the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s slogan, the Provincial Commander swallowed his words and turned around.

There stood the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors and Il-mok.

“Young Master.”

Il-mok, with a slightly flustered expression, turned at Jin Ha-yeon’s voice.

A faint smile played on her lips.

“It seems they gathered not because of the Provincial Commander’s orders, but to help us.”

It was an uncharacteristic smile for her, yet utterly natural.

Nor was she alone.

Jeong-hyeon and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a standing beside her, along with Joo Seo-yeon and all the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors, wore pleased or deeply moved expressions.

Facing their smiles, Il-mok soon nodded and stepped forward.

As Il-mok approached the Provincial Commander’s side, the man yielded a step.

Standing alone on the platform, Il-mok shouted to the fifty thousand troops.

“I am Il-mok of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who once helped you all under the name of Maitreya’s incarnation!”

“!!!”

His shout, infused with internal energy, spread in all directions, and the reserves looked up at him in startled surprise.

Some even dropped to their knees, kowtowing and chanting old slogans.

“Maitreya descends!!”

“Salvation for all!!!!”

They were devout believers who had personally been saved by the Maitreya Cult in the past.

Il-mok slowly turned his head, taking in each of them, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and spoke.

“I am truly grateful that you came, risking danger to help us!! In return for your courage, I make this one promise! We will surely punish evil, open new heavens, and change this into a better place for us and our children to live!”

“Waaaaah!!”

Watching them shake unfamiliar spears and shields in their hands while roaring, Il-mok vowed inwardly.