Chapter 414

Chapter 414

A handful of days prior.

Deep within the innermost sanctuaries of the Forbidden City.

Upon receiving the classified briefing from Eunuch Gong, who had managed to slip back into the capital disguised as a routed infantryman, Grand Eunuch Tai’s brow throbbed with protruding veins.

“The Western Army Inspectorate has been utterly dismantled? What kind of unmitigated idiocy is this?”

Confronted by Grand Eunuch Tai’s incandescent fury, Eunuch Gong, who had barely managed to flee the slaughter and make it back alive, swallowed hard before whispering with immense caution.

“Th-the operational reach and military muscle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult far exceeded our most conservative projections. E-every single imperial garrison stationed within Gansu Province chose to align themselves with the insurgency and actively participated in the uprising.”

“Hah. Even if that were true, they represent a force of a mere sixty thousand men. What exactly did your command accomplish?”

Sensing that his very survival hung in the balance, Eunuch Gong did not hesitate to deflect all accountability onto the deceased Western Army Inspector, who was conveniently beyond the reach of reprimand.

“The catastrophe lies entirely at the feet of the Western Army Inspector’s catastrophic strategic errors. He ordered the advance long before the auxiliary units from the neighboring provinces could complete their staging, forcing us into a decisive engagement with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult utilizing nothing but our immediate frontier forces.”

“And what became of the Western Army Inspector?”

“He fell on the field of battle.”

“Hmm…”

Grand Eunuch Tai let out a slow, measured breath, his features clouding with a complex array of calculations.

‘I am at a loss as to whether this outcome favors our position or harms it.’

The Western Army Inspector had long stood as a persistent thorn in Grand Eunuch Tai’s side, routinely leveraging his position to challenge Tai’s political maneuvers.

Following a brief interlude of silent deliberation, Grand Eunuch Tai inquired,

“What was the casualty threshold inflicted upon the insurgent forces?”

If the imperial troops had managed to break the spine of the rebel army prior to the Western Army Inspector’s demise, it could be leveraged as a massive political victory for Grand Eunuch Tai.

While the inspector wasn’t a declared adversary, a prominent figure who harbored deep-seated resentment toward his faction had been permanently removed from the board.

However, if the man had allowed himself to be slaughtered without extracting a significant toll from the enemy, it would leave the capital exposed in ways that were highly problematic.

Faced with Grand Eunuch Tai’s direct interrogation, Eunuch Gong felt his cognitive faculties grind to an absolute halt.

The reality was that he had bolted the absolute instant he witnessed the Western Army Inspector’s demise, leaving him completely ignorant of the actual casualty metrics on either side.

If he failed to provide a highly definitive, satisfying metric in this moment, Grand Eunuch Tai’s simmering rage would inevitably reorient onto him. Consequently, Eunuch Gong fabricated a highly palatable narrative out of thin air.

One designed explicitly to insulate himself from Grand Eunuch Tai’s wrath.

“Approximately half of the insurgent host was wiped out alongside our forces.”

Upon hearing that the rebel forces had sustained catastrophic losses of their own, the harsh lines on Grand Eunuch Tai’s face relaxed noticeably.

“Hoh. It appears the Western Army Inspectorate at least maintained a courageous defense until the bitter end.”

“Y-yes, your eminence, that is precisely how the engagement unfolded.”

Eunuch Gong congratulated himself inwardly for having the foresight to deploy such a convenient fabrication.

‘M-moreover, to guarantee my continued safety, I must ensure that particular individual remains completely unmentioned.’

He was referring to that terrifying figure within the hierarchy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who operated under the moniker of Il-mok.

He was terrified that the mere mention of that youth’s incomprehensible, anomalous divine techniques would instantly sour Grand Eunuch Tai’s newly recovered equilibrium.

While Eunuch Gong continued to meticulously edit the strategic data for his own self-preservation, Grand Eunuch Tai delivered a direct order.

“Very well. You have clearly endured immense physical hardship to ride from the Gansu border with these critical updates; go and take a few days of well-deserved rest.”

“I am profoundly grateful for Grand Eunuch Tai’s boundless benevolence.”

A few days following the dissemination of the news regarding the annihilation of the Western Army Inspectorate.

A continuous stream of intelligence briefs regarding the insurgency flowed steadily into the corridors of the Forbidden City.

Reports indicated that the primary host of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had established total martial law over Shaanxi, while various martial arts factions were staging armed uprisings across Sichuan and Hubei provinces.

“Tch. It is precisely as I always maintained; there is absolutely no justification for showing a shred of leniency to these martial world ruffians.”

To dare lift their weapons against the sovereign court and its appointed magistrates. Their treasonous core had been entirely evident from the very moment they began spouting their absurd rhetoric concerning the separation of the martial world from imperial governance.

Just as Grand Eunuch Tai was whipping himself back into a fury regarding the martial world, Eunuch Gong stepped back into his private chambers.

Having reassumed his official post within the capital, Eunuch Gong was dedicating his full energy to his core administrative responsibilities as the Admiral of the Eastern Depot, collecting and sorting raw intelligence from the Eastern Depot networks and regional officials to present to Grand Eunuch Tai.

“Critical updates have arrived concerning the conflict between the martial factions at Yunzhong Mountain.”

“Give me the summary.”

“The ancestral compound of the Zhuge lineage has been reduced to absolute ash, and the insurgent factions aligned with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have sustained catastrophic losses. Most notably, the Cult’s Left and Right Protectors who arrived as a relief force were both successfully neutralized.”

“Hahaha.”

A cold smile played across Grand Eunuch Tai’s lips at the news. Stroking his silver beard, he inquired,

“And what of the contingent led by the Peng family?”

“In truth, their casualty figures are far more devastating. Specifically, for the Peng lineage and the Shaolin Sect, fewer than ten individuals who marched onto that battlefield managed to survive the engagement.”

Following that statement, Eunuch Gong detailed the widespread rumors concerning the hidden trap left behind by the Zhuge family.

He described the endless labyrinth of mechanical traps and tactical arrays that had been woven across the entire geography of Yunzhong Mountain. And finally, the apocalyptic detonation mechanism that had leveled the entire Zhuge compound in a single heartbeat.

“It appears the Zhuge clan had been illicitly hoarding massive stockpiles of military-grade gunpowder for a considerable duration. They integrated this explosive material with their tactical arrays and trap formations to multiply the concussive yield exponentially, culminating in that horrific explosion.”

“These martial artists are fundamentally incapable of loyalty. To explicitly violate imperial edicts and privately amass such quantities of black powder.”

Despite his scathing condemnation of the Zhuge clan’s actions, Grand Eunuch Tai’s countenance was visibly more radiant than it had been in weeks.

Because the scenario he had most desperately engineered behind the scenes had finally materialized.

The forces of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the orthodox martial arts world of the Central Plains were systematically tearing each other to pieces.

“Hmm. Reflecting on your report, you noted that the Peng clan’s losses were near-total. Did their family patriarch perish in the blast as well, by any chance?”

“Miraculously, Peng Mu-yeol managed to survive the explosion.”

“Hahaha. That is an even more magnificent outcome. Having witnessed the near-total extermination of his entire bloodline at the hands of the insurgents, he will now be entirely consumed by a manic desire to slaughter those Demonic Cult aberrations, completely disregarding any political arrangements.”

“Your assessment is entirely correct.”

Observing that Grand Eunuch Tai was in an exceptionally jovial frame of mind, Eunuch Gong lowered his gaze and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘Th-this specific intelligence was clearly safe to deliver.’

Capitalizing on Grand Eunuch Tai’s elevated mood, Eunuch Gong cautiously ventured further,

“Additionally, there is an incredibly bizarre rumor gaining massive traction throughout the martial world of the Central Plains.”

“A bizarre rumor, you say?”

“Indeed. Word speaks of an incomprehensibly powerful Shaolin grandmaster who single-handedly executed both the Left and Right Protectors of the Cult and walked away from the epicenter of the Zhuge family’s detonation. Within the martial community, they are already hailing this ancient monk as the Divine Monk.”

Grand Eunuch Tai’s brow furrowed in immediate displeasure.

Fortunately, having just processed a wave of exceptionally positive strategic updates, he managed to suppress any immediate outburst of rage.

“Tch. They always claim that the rivers and lakes conceal extraordinary anomalies, and it seems our strategic patience up to this point has ultimately yielded dividends for our cause.”

Muttering those words under his breath, Grand Eunuch Tai stroked his beard as if systematically organizing his next moves, speaking after a brief pause.

“If memory serves, the Central Army Inspectorate is scheduled to begin its mobilization shortly, is it not?”

“That is correct, your eminence.”

“Then you will depart for their staging ground immediately. Take direct control of coordinating the Central Army Inspectorate’s strategic deployment.”

“This unworthy servant possesses too dull an intellect to fully comprehend your precise intent. What parameters do you mean by ‘coordinate’?”

“I mean you are to carefully synchronize our movements with those self-righteous orthodox ruffians. You must ensure that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Central Plains martial community continue to relentlessly butcher one another. The Central Army Inspectorate must maintain immense military pressure on their flanks, but there is absolutely no reason to waste our own men in a reckless assault on Shaanxi Province.”

Most importantly, unlike the deceased Western Army Inspector, the commander of the Central Army Inspectorate was a staunch political ally of Grand Eunuch Tai. Should he perish on the frontier, it would trigger a massive cascade of bureaucratic vulnerabilities in the capital.

Regardless of the immediate tactical shifts, Grand Eunuch Tai’s ultimate grand objective remained completely static: the absolute liquidation of the martial community.

‘The Divine Monk, is it… It matters not how profound a master he claims to be; a single individual remains bound by physical limitations. The ultimate realization of our Grand Plan for Martial Extermination will culminate when I personally extinguish that old monk’s life with these very hands.’

…

Precisely around the hour Eunuch Gong was clearing the gates of the Forbidden City under Grand Eunuch Tai’s direct mandates to rendezvous with the Central Army Inspectorate.

Within the city walls of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, a brief, unpretentious investiture ceremony was being carried out.

Il-mok, who had found himself abruptly elevated from the status of a mere young master to the second most powerful figure within the hierarchy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—the Bright Left Protector—maintained a look of mild disbelief.

However, the corresponding office of the Right Protector, the other half of the twin executive pillars, remained open, and Wi Jin-hak had already selected the individual destined to fill it.

“Patriarch Dokgo Ryong.”

“I await your command, Cult Leader.”

“I officially invest you into the vacant office of the Bright Right Protector.”

“I shall fulfill your supremacy’s mandates with absolute devotion!”

Wi Jin-hak, having filled the paramount executive offices of the Left and Right Protectors with the speed of lightning splitting a tree, fixed his gaze upon the two men and spoke.

“From this exact moment forward, acting as the absolute proxies of the Cult Leader, the Left and Right Protectors shall operate in continuous consultation with one another to secure Shaanxi Province.”

The assembled rank-and-file of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult witnessing the transition shared an identical tactical assessment.

‘An absolute masterstroke of administrative alignment.’

Dokgo Ryong was universally notorious for his volatile, fiercely authoritarian temperament. Conversely, Il-mok was celebrated for introducing an era of unprecedented strategic innovation and fluid adaptiveness to the Cult’s operations through his brilliant mind.

Their baseline psychological profiles were diametrically opposed, yet it was precisely this contrast that promised spectacular results if they could successfully maintain an operational equilibrium.

Alternatively, they might completely implode through internal friction and drag the entire campaign down into ruin.

It was undeniably a structural gamble that would yield either immense fortune or absolute disaster, yet every observer present felt an inexplicable confidence in a positive outcome.

This sentiment was rooted in something far deeper than Il-mok’s impressive portfolio of past military victories.

Though their methodology differed wildly, the fundamental, unshakeable loyalty both men harbored for the Cult and the Cult Leader was entirely beyond question.

As the gathered crowd signaled their total approval of Wi Jin-hak’s executive choices,

‘Curse my luck. Out of everyone in the empire, I am forced to coordinate strategic operations with that unhinged old lunatic.’

Only Il-mok was left to silently swallow his immense dread.

…

The moment the brief promotion proceedings concluded, Wi Jin-hak evacuated Xi’an precisely as he had outlined, charting a direct course for Mount Wudang in Hubei Province.

He traveled flanked by a thousand-strong detachment carved from their three-thousand-man core of Cult veterans, accompanied by the Silver Shadow Pavilion Master and the Patriarch of the Guyang Clan, Guyang Pae.

By the dawn of the following day.

Il-mok orchestrated a mass assembly of all military detachments currently stationed within the perimeter of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

A host exceeding thirty thousand regional garrison troops drew into formation before the massive gates of Xi’an.

These were the provincial forces that Wi Jin-hak and the Cult’s core elite had systematically intimidated and integrated while sweeping through the territories of Shaanxi and Liaoning.

In reality, the baseline military numbers across Shaanxi and Liaoning had been vastly higher, but a significant portion had been put to the sword or had deserted during the forceful integration process, leaving only this remnant.

Furthermore, because they had been absorbed prior to the issuance of formalized imperial draft decrees, the vast majority consisted of active standing regiments rather than raw civilian levies. If a total regional conscription was enacted, their numbers could easily double overnight.

Il-mok, standing atop the dais to review the sea of soldiers he was now charged with commanding alongside Dokgo Ryong, focused his internal energy to project his voice across the plains.

“Greetings to you all! I am Il-mok, the Bright Left Protector of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, appointed to exercise absolute command over this host in place of our supreme Cult Leader starting today!”

Following Il-mok’s opening, Dokgo Ryong delivered a curt, forceful introduction of his own, and the pair proceeded to deliver an intense series of orations designed to fortify the morale of the rank-and-file.

Their rhetoric bitterly condemned the corruption of the imperial court and the tyranny of the eunuch factions, continuously reinforcing the narrative that their insurrection was born purely out of a desire to shield the common citizenry from ruin.

Once the formal assemblies concluded, a distinct, unsettling tension began to spread among the provincial soldiers as they filed back into their respective encampments.

“Where has the Cult Leader gone? Why have they suddenly thrust an ancient relic and a mere youth into the supreme command?”

Given that they were not originally born into the faith of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the teachings of the Maitreya Illuminati, their ideological devotion was incredibly fragile.

They had simply bent the knee when confronted by the overwhelming martial dominance of the Cult Leader and the Cult’s high masters.

“Have you caught the whispers? The primary army of the Central Army Inspectorate is currently executing a forced march directly toward our gates.”

“Hah, is that supposed to be a revelation? We have actively raised the banner of open rebellion, so it is a mathematical certainty that the capital would dispatch a pacification force to liquidate us.”

“Then have you actually processed the numbers? They are marching with a staggering two hundred thousand men! Two hundred thousand!”

At that single soldier’s exclamation, the countenances of every man within earshot paled instantly.

Their own combined forces barely scratched the thirty-thousand threshold.

Confronted by an astronomical numerical disadvantage, and coupled with the sudden departure of the supreme Cult Leader, a suffocating wave of existential dread swept through the garrisons.

That heavy dread only intensified with each passing hour, and by the afternoon of the subsequent day.

Two sentries assigned to joint watch duty along a remote parapet of the city wall conversed in hushed, panicked whispers.

“Are you genuinely committed to holding this wall when the assault begins?”

“What are you implying? Are you openly suggesting we desert our posts?”

Both men swallowed dryly, casting frantic, paranoid glances across their immediate surroundings. If a single loyalty officer caught wind of such talk, their heads would be decorating the pikes before sunset.

Biting down on their tongues out of sheer anxiety, they forced their eyes back onto the horizon. In the heavy, suffocating silence of the afternoon, the taboo concept of ‘desertion’ loomed larger and larger in their minds.

Suddenly, one of the sentries let out an urgent, strangled cry.

“L-look out there onto the western approach!”

Jolting in surprise, his companion pivoted his gaze only to witness an immense, cloud of dust heralding a massive army advancing from the western plains.

“M-merciful heavens, the Central Army Inspectorate has already arrived at our doorstep!”

Their faces drained of all color, the two sentries scrambled down the watchtower to report the sighting, and within minutes, the heavy beat of war drums signaling an immediate siege echoed through every street of Xi’an.

Before long, soldiers who had been bivouacked throughout the sectors of Xi’an converged along the battlements.

The expressions worn by the men facing the immediate reality of total warfare were indistinguishable from those of men marching to the executioner’s block.

‘Ah. Every avenue of escape has been entirely cut off.’

Just as absolute despair was about to completely break their resolve, a scout possessing exceptionally sharp vision bellowed over the noise,

“Th-that is not the vanguard of the imperial army!”

Directly where his finger pointed, a massive command banner fluttered in the wind. Though the distance still blurred the fine details, the massive characters stitched into the fabric were unmistakably [Heavenly Demon].

Only at that precise moment did the provincial troops comprehend that they were looking at massive reinforcements, letting out a collective, involuntary sigh of pure relief.

Meanwhile, the advancing columns drew steadily closer to the city perimeter.

As the physical distance narrowed, an incredibly eerie, mesmerizing characteristic of the host began to manifest itself.

Thud.

Thud.

It commenced with the cadence of the drums and the impact of their boots, which resounded in a perfectly synchronized, singular heartbeat.

An auxiliary force that appeared to comprise at least fifty thousand fresh troops, yet they moved as though controlled by a single mind.

“Bright! Ness! Bright! Ness! Heavenly Demon!! Divine!! Cult!!”

They chanted a bizarre, rhythmic anthem that perfectly matched the cadence of their march.

As they closed the final distance to the gates, the defenders on the wall could observe them with absolute clarity.

Their formations, despite having traversed immense geographical distances without rest, displayed not a single millimeter of misalignment. Every soldier brought his boot down with absolute authority, maintaining an identical stride. There was not a single flicker of hesitation or doubt visible in their eyes.

Far from harboring fear, their collective morale bordered on an intense, almost religious mania.

‘Where in the world did the Cult conceal an elite legion of this caliber?’

The men defending Xi’an were professional standing soldiers themselves, yet they had never in their careers witnessed such flawless, terrifying discipline.

The moment the vanguard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult reinforcements arrived beneath the shadow of the main walls.

An individual from within the city walls of Xi’an launched himself directly into the open sky.

As if utilizing a flight of invisible stairs suspended in mid-air, the figure bounded across the vacuum of space and lightly touched down upon the highest parapet of the gatehouse.

The Gansu veterans who instantly identified the youth’s silhouette erupted into a deafening roar of absolute adulation all at once.

“It is Young Master Il-mok!!”

“Waaaaaaaaah!!!!”

“The Apostle of the Divine is standing with us!!!!”

The voices of the fifty thousand newly arrived fanatics fused with the cries of the defenders, generating a sonic shockwave that seemed to vibrate the very vault of heaven,

“Gulp.”

And an icy shiver ran directly down the spines of the original Xi’an garrison troops as they stared down at the manic intensity of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult reinforcements with wide, terrified eyes.