“This is all great, but you have a explanations to make.”
And after Marakim’s pledging allegiance to Chun Yeowun, 10th Elder Yin Moha spoke to him. Yeowun also agreed. They had heard about secret of Sky Demon Sword, but they didn’t hear anything about why Marakim faked himself as Anonymous and tried to teach martial art of the Sky Demon to three clans. And why he knew the Sword Force of the Sky Demon.
“Of course. I am sure I will need to explain.”
Marakim had no intention of hiding as he decided to serve Yeowun as his master from now on. Marakim began his story .
“25 years ago, The Great High Lord suddenly got down from his position of Lord.”
It was the highest peak of the Demonic Cult in the history, so everyone was confused by the decision. The Great High Lord was one of top five warrior of the Jianghu and he wasn’t injured or old.
“It was then Great High Lord was commanding expedition into Kangsoh Castle.”
After attempting few times on attacking Kangsoh Castle, the Great High Lord suddenly stepped down from his post and locked himself in a closed room to train. It was after five years that he came out from the room. Great High Lord had become so much powerful then he ever was.
“Elder Yin. Do you remember when Great High Lord had gone missing?”
“…Wasn’t it at fall?”
At the season of harvest, Great High Lord Chun Inji went missing. He didn’t say anything or leave any words so many cultists were dispatched to find him but he was no where to be seen.
“On the night before he went missing… I saw Great High Lord.”
“What? You saw him? Why didn’t you say anything then?”
As far as Yin Moha knew, Great Guardian Marakim had served under Great High Lord Chun Inji and Lord Chun Yujong both. But he said that he does not know where Chun Inji had went.
“He ordered me to stay silent, but he didn’t tell me where he was going anyway.”
On the night before, Chun Inji came over to Marakim’s room in secret.
“The Lord told me to keep it as a secret and gave me an order.”
“What order was it?”
“If he does not return in 10 years, then I should teach ones who have connection to the Sword Family of martial art of Sky Demon. And that I should not think about the will of the Sky Demon.”
“Ah… S-so that was the order of Great High Lord?”
Chun Inji, before he became the Lord, had once entered underground treasure vault after passing the sixth test. That’s why he knew the secret of the Sky Demon.
‘I see… so Guardians maintained the Demonic Academy so they knew.’
Guardians had access to libraries and underground treasure vaults. This was why Marakim, or Anonymous knew the True Demon Sword and the Twenty Four Demon Sword. But Sword Force of the Sky Demon was still a mystery.
“And what’s with Sword Force of the Sky Demon?”
“…That was taught by Great High Lord himself.”
“What?”
It was quite shocking to hear that Great High Lord had taught others that only successor of Chun Ma can learn. Of course, the martial art required specific energy flow so it wasn’t much of use without it, but it was still a shocking decision.
“Great High Lord said he had spent five years in closed room training to create the energy flow for the Sword Force of the Sky Demon.”
Great High Lord Chun Inji, a renowned genius, went into the closed room training and tried his best to create the energy flow that will work to use Sword Force of the Sky Demon. He ultimately failed, but he did have some progress.
“He couldn’t make the energy flow to completely digest all formations, but he created a flow that will allow use of Sword Force of the Sky Demon at least in incomplete state.”
Chun Inji then taught what he studied to Marakim and ordered him to complete it. Yeowun became curious and asked.
“Wasn’t it better for him to teach Sword Force of the Sky Demon to the Lord instead?”
“…Yes, I agree. I don’t understand why he did that… but I know that Great High Lord did not like the current Lord at the time.”
“What?”
Yin Moha nodded as she too seemed to know this.
“I heard. It was told miracle that Great High Lord even allowed to have current Lord become appointed as a Lord.”
Chun Inji was born from the Wise clan. As such, he wanted his successor to come from the Wise clan, but that did not work. After the Demonic Academy was over, Chun Yujong from Sword clan had killed almost every other princes. There were only two princes left when the academy was over.
AT the time, Sword clan had two princes. One was Chun Yujong and another was Chun Yujing from different mother. Chun Yujong did not kill a brother from his same clan but had cut his arm off so that he will not have any competition. The evaluation of Chun Yujong came to be very aggressive and hostile.
“Everyone thought Great High Lord will make Chun Yuay from Loyal clan as the Crown Prince, but he suddenly made Chun Yujong as the Lord, so it was very surprising at the time.”
It seemed there was something more that went on at the background, but Great Guardian or Yin Moha did not know the details. Whatever the case, the Great High Lord taught Sword Force of the Sky Demon to Great Guardian, instead of the Lord. Marakim refused at first, but he had to listen to the order.
“The Lord told me that if he does not return in 10 years, then a great danger might come to the Demonic Cult.”
Marakim asked multiple times on what was going on, but Great High Lord did not answer. And next day, he was gone from the cult. Marakim took up the order and had kept it as a secret until today. And as Yeowun heard this, he realized that Marakim considered former Lord, Chun Inji as his master rather than Lord Chun Yujong.
“As I was ordered, I waited him for 10 years.”
He waited for Great High Lord’s safe return. But Chun Inji never returned to the Demonic Cult. When he did not return, Marakim began to proceed with the order and learned martial arts of Sword Demon for two years and called elders of three clans and tried to teach time.
“Ah… so, that’s why you made us gather at this peak.”
“Yes. What happened next… is you two probably knows.”
Yin Moha raised her eyebrows. However, the bitterness between three clans was very deep so Marakim couldn’t teach the martial art to all three of them.
“I couldn’t let those scumbags succeed the mighty Sword Demon.”
Marakim then aimed on that bitterness. As a guardian, he had been chief of the Demonic Academy multiple times and was good at teaching, so Marakim offered them a condition where they can develop True Demon Sword to a better one. And on the other hand, he trained hard to create the energy flow for Sword Force of the Sky Demon but it wasn’t easy.
“I had spent 8 years to create the energy flow for the Sword Force of the Sky Demon… but all I can do was to replicate it by using Air Sword technique.”
Sword Force of the Sky Demon was a legendary sword skill that was created by legendary warrior Chun Ma with all of his understandings and findings. That was already enough achievement on what Marakim did. When Marakim finished, Yeowun was able to understand answer to all of his questions.
“So, everything was done by Great High Lord. Do you think he knew the existence of Blade God Six Martial clan?”
“I think so.”
Yeowun asked and Marakim nodded in agreeance. Until Blade God Six Martial clan appeared, Marakim wasn’t sure what danger might come to the Demonic Cult. But after fighting against them, he was able to confirm that they were the danger that Chun Inji spoke. He also suspected that Blade God Six Martial clan might have connection with Chun Inji’s disapperanace.
“Ah.”
Yin Moha then suddenly came up with another question.
“Great Guardian. Why did you pull the promised date?”
Marakim then became serious and turned to Chun Yeowun instead and spoke.
“That is…”
AT the same time at Lord’s palace. It was time where all lights should have been gone off, but the Lord’s office was still brightly lit. Inside, Chun Yujong was listening to someone reporting to him. It was a middle aged man with black cover on his left eye.
“We lost track of the Great Guardian after he went outside to the Western gate. We are still searching the area, but our palace guards’ number aren’t enough.
There were hundreds of peaks outside the west of the Demonic Cult’s castle. Just hundreds of warriors weren’t enough to search through all those mountains.
“And about other two?”
“I have received message from the one who watch over Ghost Illusion clan, and Crown Prince have not returned yet. And it is same with Elder Yin Moha from Demonspread Sword clan.”
Surprisingly, the man had been watching Yeowun and Yin Moha too. The Lord was becoming more uncomfortable when he heard neither Yeowun or Yin Moha returned. Someone then told the Lord.
“So, it came down to this again.”
It was another middle aged man standing by the wall at the corner of the office. What’s interesting was that he didn’t seem to have right arm. The man walked slowly over to the Lord’s desk and spoke as he shook his head.
“I told you, that he is not the card we can use anymore. Wasn’t it your motto to consider a card as a card?”
“…What are you saying?”
“We should get rid of it before it becomes out of control.”
Man spoke and the Lord’s eyebrow raised. His face was full of frustration.
“I assure you, Kingbonki will not come back alive. You must know this if you have saw what he had been doing in the past.”
“…”
“If you let him stay with six clans, it will only decrease our forces. He is a poison.”
What he said was right. Chun Yujong tried to work it so that they can compete against each other in equal balance, but it was being broken. And the power was now growing to threaten Chun Yujong himself.
“He is no use as a card anymore. If you cut out the rotten area, everything else will heal.”
He meant that if Chun Yeowun was to get rid of, then his groups will dismantle. The Lord then became silent with his thoughts and spoke.
“It is time then.”
The one armed man spoke.
“Wise choice, my lord. So, what will you do?”
“Will take out his arms and legs first.”
The group had grown too powerful to take care of it directly. It was important to scatter the group.
“Pahin.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
The man with black cover on his eye answered.
“I order you as the Lord. Arrest Left Guardian Lee Hameng and Right Guardian Submeng and send them into prison right now.”
“Yes, my Lord!”