The Lord was unleashing his anger as if there was someone there behind the pillar. But there was no one there. Every person in the hall became shocked as they couldn’t sense or see anyone there.
‘What?’
‘W-why is he doing that?’
The Lord’s action was shocking indeed. Yeowun frowned while looking at the Lord truly doing this, and remembered the conversation from yesterday at the peak of Five Wise Peak. Yin Moha asked Marakim then.
‘Great Guardian. Why did you have to change the date to an earlier date?’
‘That is… because the Lord has been pushing me away lately.’
‘He’s pushing you away?’ Yin Moha asked back, confused. But it was true. Ever since the underground treasure vault was revealed, the Lord looked very suspiciously at the Great Guardian. When Marakim was on different missions outside the office of the Lord’s palace, he now had people watching over him. Marakim then realized he couldn’t act on his own any longer, so he had to change the date.
‘I am reluctant to say this… but there have been problems with the Lord lately. No… I should say he changed.’
‘A change? What do you mean? Did something happen to him?’
The Great Guardian’s explanation was vague so Yin Moha became curious.
‘Well, we can say something might have happened.’
Marakim was a Great Guardian who guarded the Lord by his side. That’s why he was quick to find out the change that came to the Lord. And throughout the conversation, Marakim was considering this issue very seriously.
‘The Lord has been very different from what you are seeing right now, Lord Chun Ma.’
‘…What do you mean?’
‘He may be cold hearted, but it doesn’t mean he holds affection toward the cult itself.’
‘I am not sure about that.’
Yeowun couldn’t agree with that. From what he saw in the past few days, the Lord was only making inner groups to fight against each other. With a giant enemy upon them, the Lord should be trying to have all forces to work together, but it seemed the Lord only cared about his own throne.
‘I know it is unconvincing to say it.’
‘So, what is the change?’
Yeowun asked and Marakim answered grimly.
‘The Lord has been talking to someone lately.’
‘Someone? Who?’
‘…It’s Prince Chun Yujing.’
Chun Yujing was a former candidate to the heir in the Demonic Academy, and had lost his arm in the competition, and also a brother of Chun Yujong’s. It wasn’t strange if Chun Yujong was talking to his brother a lot as he lost his trust in Marakim.
‘W-what are you talking about? He talks with Prince Chun Yujing? What nonsense!’
Yin Moha was so shocked and responded dumbfoundedly. Chun Yeowun did not know the reason why Yin Moha was reacting like that.
‘What are you talking about? Why doesn’t it make sense?’
‘….My prince. Prince Chun Yujing of the Sword clan was killed by Power King Hang Yen in the war against the forces of Evil 15 years ago.’
‘…What?’
Power King Hang Yen was the strongest warrior who still ruled the forces of Evil even to this day. He had been staying on top of the five warriors of Jianghu for the last 30 years.
’15 years ago? Was it from the Battle at the Sawin Plains?’
The war 15 years ago was quite famous. Demonic Cult tried to hide it, but when Chun Inji going missing was revealed, the forces of evil took the chance to invade into the Cult’s territory. That’s when Chun Yujong, who had not shown his power then, became one of the new top five warrior of the Jianghu.
‘Wait. So, is he talking with a ghost?’
‘…No. My guess is that he is talking to an illusion.’
‘Illusion?’
Marakim found this out at the battle at Jurkang castle. At the time, he was busy tending to his own wound, but realized that the Lord had changed at some point.
‘The Lord began talking against a wall without anyone, or a dark place. It wasn’t a long talk at the beginning but…’
Time began to grow longer and longer. Chun Yujong spoke as if his dead brother was alive and was staying with him. After witnessing this multiple times, Marakim thought this was a sign that the Lord’s mental health was going south.
‘Something is eating the Lord’s sanity away.’
‘What do you think it is?’
‘That’s…’
Marakim answered with his guess and Chun Yeowun and Yin Moha became shocked and turned to something. They were looking at the body of Kingbonki.
Chun Yeowun broke out of his thoughts as Bu Churyong carefully spoke to the Lord, who was still unleashing his fury.
“M…My Lord. If I may ask… who are you talking to right now?”
“What?”
The Lord Chun Yujong then stopped and turned. Everyone in the hall had fallen silent already. Everyone was watching the Lord with a concerned look. The Lord then became confused and spoke.
“Why are you all looking at me with those eyes?”
“…We, your servants, are not sure who you are talking to right now.”
Bu Churyong spoke hesitantly and the Lord dumbfoundedly pointed behind the pillar and spoke.
“Are you trying to fool me?! Don’t you see Master Chun Yujing standing behind that pillar?!”
“?!”
And with that, everyone including Bu Churyong became shocked. They all knew that Chun Yujing was killed in the war against forces of evil and his body was burned.
[Kekeke. This is becoming very interesting.]
“What did you say!?”
The Lord still clearly saw Chun Yujing standing by the pillar. He was cackling as if this situation was very amusing. This made the Lord become more furious.
“If you do that one more time, I will not forgive you! Be gone from the halls! You are not allowed in here!”