After passing the first village, the mood of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance had noticeably sunk compared to before.
No one had been injured or killed, but overall, the sense of motivation had clearly been crushed.
That was only natural. The truth the old woman had revealed about the village was that shocking.
Having only ever seen the crimes the Demonic Cult had committed in the Central Plains, learning what the Central Plains' martial artists had done to Demonic Cultists must have deepened their thoughts.
It must also have been unsettling that even those they had gone out of their way to rescue were so steeped in Godok, seals, and Demonic Qi that they were beyond treatment.
However, I was thinking something a little different.
Had it been that obvious? Tang So-wol quietly approached and asked.
"Young hero Cheon. What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Hmm? Ah, it's nothing. I've just never heard of anything like what happened in that last village."
"What's there to ponder about that… Ah."
She had spoken in vague terms because of the seal, but Tang So-wol caught on right away. She nodded and continued.
"I suppose it would be strange from young hero Cheon's perspective."
That was true. Even before the regression, and even when I had experienced fragments of the Heavenly Demon's memories, I had never known that villages like this existed in the Xinjiang region…
More precisely, I hadn't known there were facilities built solely for Demonic Cultists to vent their frustrations.
All I knew was that the Demonic Cultists who had invaded the Central Plains had blindly charged at the individuals and groups they held grudges against.
Well, it's fine that I didn't know of their existence. It's not as if I can know everything about the Heavenly Demon and the Demonic Cult.
In the case of before the regression, I was too busy being pushed out of the Central Plains to have any energy to spare for matters in the Xinjiang region, where the Demonic Cult's main headquarters is located.
However, the fact that I couldn't discern their purpose was what bothered me slightly.
No matter how I looked at it, the old woman's village… those who had been forcibly turned into three-headed, six-armed monsters, killing each other and exchanging members as they fought, had existed long before the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance was formed.
This time, they used it to show us and demoralize us, but that means the original reason such a village was created in the first place was something else entirely.
I had been wondering what that could be…
"Mm? You were worrying about something like that? I thought it was a fairly simple matter."
"Is that so? I couldn't even begin to guess, so it was weighing on my mind."
"It's nothing much. At least, it's not something we need to worry about."
Tang So-wol said this with an expression she usually reserved for discussing business, not the look she showed me or those close to her, as she gazed into the air.
"The Heavenly Demon is clearly the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, its supreme sovereign. The Demonic Cultists throw away their lives without hesitation because they believe that even if they die, the Heavenly Demon will carry out the Great Undertaking… avenge them."
"That's right."
"Then where do you think that faith comes from?"
"Hm? It comes from the Heavenly Demon's power, doesn't it?"
"No. It doesn't make sense to believe in someone just because they're strong. If the Heavenly Demon chose the Demonic Cult because it was the easiest place to control according to his will, then what is the reason the Demonic Cult chose the Heavenly Demon?"
"…I've never actually thought about that part."
When I hadn't known that the Heavenly Demon was a regressor, I'd thought of him like the other Demonic Cultists—just another person who'd suffered harsh trials in the Central Plains.
But now I knew that wasn't the case.
Was it because my approach had changed? The answer came as soon as I gave it a little thought.
"He was showing hatred toward the martial artists of the Central Plains."
He must have deliberately displayed a somewhat extreme demeanor. He knew that doing so was the way to win the hearts of the Demonic Cultists.
There were probably more villages like the one we'd passed a moment ago scattered here and there.
By showing that excessive, resolute cruelty, the Heavenly Demon—whose emotions had been worn away—was able to become the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
Even though he was, in fact, the very kind of powerful martial artist they feared most of all.
"This road to the Demonic Cult is going to become quite inconvenient."
"I've heard they're considering a plan to head straight for the Demonic Cult without stopping at any villages."
"True enough. With sufficient supplies, that's also a viable option. However, I oppose it."
When too many people gather, even mere movement demands enormous resources. Setting aside the long journey, simply finding food becomes difficult.
But the story changes when dealing with martial artists selected from only the finest experts.
The weight one person can carry differs, and consuming only grain-avoidance pills would pose no problem whatsoever in battle.
Above all, with Lightness Skill, one can travel faster than a horse.
Of course, one cannot be fully prepared. And facing the Heavenly Demon while not in peak condition is madness.
Tang So-wol giggled at my words and nodded.
"Yep. So it was just talk, literally, and it was cancelled right away."
"That makes sense. …So that means we'll have no choice but to pass through uneasy villages for a while."
"Or we could brave a bit of risk and sleep outdoors."
I nodded and continued walking along the road.
And not long after, we spotted another village.
We could have ignored it and passed by, as Tang So-wol had suggested, but I decided to check it properly.
Because the Murim Alliance Leader had made a strong request.
"We are martial artists of the Orthodox Sects. If there might be innocent people inside, we cannot simply pass by."
"Hmph. Do as you please. But know this—if danger arises, the Black Alliance's martial artists will pull back."
"Have no worry. I had no intention of borrowing another's hands."
The Lord of the Black Alliance spoke roughly, yet he still followed the Murim Alliance Leader's wishes.
Well… people like the Murim Alliance Leader and Great Master Jeonghyeon truly acted for the sake of possible survivors.
The Lord of the Black Alliance, on the other hand, simply seemed curious about what a land ruled by the Heavenly Demon as its master looked like.
I know the Heavenly Demon's goal is not domination or revenge, but annihilation. To be precise, he intends to return in the next cycle while retaining a bit more power.
But someone of the Lord of the Black Alliance's caliber—if he were to flee with his wits about him, he could probably hide until the day his lifespan ran out.
So perhaps he wants to imagine the worst-case scenario.
If it were the Lord of the Black Alliance before the regression, that might not be the case—but the current Lord has much more to protect.
Sama Yuryeon. And a child who might one day be born. With more reasons to preserve his life, it must weigh on his mind.
Well, I had similar thoughts early in my own regression, so I understand.
In the end, he'll arrive at the same conclusion.
There can be no compromise with the Heavenly Demon. If he wants to enjoy a life like before, he must bring him down.
That's also why I never joined hands with the Heavenly Demon.
If I had taken the hand the Heavenly Demon extended at Haomun and agreed to cooperate… this cycle might have been peaceful, but every cycle after would have been hell.
I steeled my resolve once more and stepped deeper into the village. And there I saw them—people endlessly devouring themselves, devouring others.
Some vomited because they could no longer swallow, while others clutched their stomachs and collapsed, their insides seemingly ruined.
Their eyes, tainted by Demonic Qi, reflected nothing but hunger.
"Hah."
I let out a long sigh and turned to the Illusion Witch, who was standing a short distance away, frowning in disgust.
"How is it? Think you can snap them back to their senses this time?"
"I'd have to examine them closely to be sure, but honestly, it's going to be tough…"
"Again?"
"Every person has an instinct to return to a normal state, to the place where they feel most comfortable. Like how wounds heal over time, or how even someone dead drunk can still remember the way home. …But there are exceptions."
"Exceptions. Surely you don't mean the Demonic Cult's sorcery is that formidable?"
"Formidable isn't quite the word… it's more like vicious. It's as if they've made these people mistake their deranged state for normalcy…"
The Illusion Witch giggled, but her eyes were cold as ice. She lightly kicked away a drooling man who had crawled up to her feet, shoving him aside as she shook her head.
"No matter how I look at it, I can't think of any way to bring them back to their senses…"
"Then there's nothing we can do."
"B-but still, I can at least remove the influence of the Demonic Qi or sorcery that the others from the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance might have absorbed in a place like this."
"Hm? Surely you're not saying that even we, who are merely passing through, are being affected by something?"
"It's a bit? For those with high martial levels like the White Moon Sword Lord, the Great Hero, there might not be any noticeable discomfort… but I think those at relatively lower realms might be somewhat swayed."
"Swayed, you say. What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Wouldn't they become overly sensitive to Demonic Qi or the sorcery that uses it…? For instance, they might resist with all their strength even against something they could easily shake off."
"Unbelievable. So it wasn't just meant to break one's spirit—it had other functions as well. Are there any other hidden effects?"
"Probably not…? In the first place, even what I just mentioned has a subtle effect, and it was so cleverly concealed that I didn't notice it at all myself. …Probably, if it weren't for this, I would never have known until the end."
As she said that, the Illusion Witch pulled out a mirror fragment she had hidden against her chest for some reason. It was so blatant that I was at a loss for words.
It was a fragment of the Sun-Moon Mirror I had given her before. I'd heard it had the ability to reveal all hidden wickedness… It seemed she had discovered this through it.
"When you pass by just one or two, it's fine, but as you pass through multiple villages and come into contact with the Demonic Qi that fills them, the effect activates little by little… By the time you realize the problem, it would already be too late."
"Since we could find out about it in advance, that's enough."
I paused there for a moment, choosing my words.
"…Well done, Illusion Witch."
"Hehehe. The Young Lady of Flying Butterfly Poison Peak said she'd reconsider if I performed well this time. I have to work hard."
The Illusion Witch nodded, looking satisfied. I made a point of ignoring the way she squinted at me from time to time, checking whether I might offer more praise.
"Then I suppose it's time to deal with the problem on this side."
If I couldn't bring them back to their senses… then in the end, I would have no choice but to grant them peace with my own hands.
Just as I had in the previous village.
Without me even needing to step in, the Murim Alliance Leader took down the only sane young man.
That child was the very one who had turned the sane martial artists into monsters and trapped them in the village.
Afterwards, I relayed what the Illusion Witch had told us, and cleared away the lingering remnants that had secretly clung to those exposed to the peculiar demonic energy filling the village.
We continued on our way. And similar incidents repeated themselves several times over.
In one place, there were people who were repeatedly devoured alive by venomous snakes and insects; in another, people could only live on scorching hot iron plates; and in yet another village, there were those forced to suffer in darkness and silence after having their eyes and ears destroyed.
And the circumstances surrounding each village were more or less the same.
…The conclusions they had crossed the line to reach were also similar, and the fact that there was no one who could be saved was also the same.
Even though we hadn't fought a single battle, I was leading people who were utterly exhausted.
Finally, a massive structure that seemed to blend a fortress and a manor in equal measure came into view in the distance.
Unlike the villages we had passed before, the atmosphere here was peaceful, with not a trace of Demonic Qi.
But the characters written on the signboard made us realize where we stood.
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
This was the main headquarters of the Demonic Cult, the place where the Heavenly Demon awaited.
The final battle was drawing close.