Chapter 81: Chapter 75: Confrontation
Zeke looked for any emotions that could stir in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes, but he found none. The man on the throne remained as indifferent as ever. He looked remarkably similar to Zeke, especially now that Zeke was an adult. Their features were somewhat alike, but it was their shared vibe that stood out—simmering madness held back only by their indifference.
The Heavenly Demon said, "So you knew. I figured you would know someday, but I didn’t expect you to discover it this soon. Let’s talk somewhere else. It’s not every day that I get to talk to a worthy progeny of mine."
Before Zeke could blink, they had arrived at a different place. It was a gazebo, with a table, a teapot, and three teacups waiting for them. Zeke muttered, "Greater Void Shift?"
The Heavenly Demon actually smiled and said, "So you know about this as well. You continue to surprise me. Let us sit."
He sat down and poured a cup for himself. Zeke also sat down and poured himself a cup.
He asked, "Are we expecting company?"
The Heavenly Demon replied, "We are."
Zeke said, "Oh, so Grandfather is also joining us. Good to know."
The Heavenly Demon took a sip and didn’t reply. But Zeke heard a voice, "Oi, brat Seok-Jin! Is it just me, or does the little brat not respect either one of us?"
The old man from the Treasury appeared. The only difference was that his eyes were completely focused. He looked at Zeke and said, "You still owe me wine."
Zeke smirked and said, "The wine is ready. I just didn’t have a chance to give it to you... old man."
The old man’s eyes narrowed as he said, "Wow, I was just kidding before, but this brat really doesn’t respect us. I guess it’s true: like father, like son."
Zeke said, "And you’re right. I don’t. If anything, I despise you both. But I do respect your strength. After all, you don’t meet two Ultimate Demons who happen to be your blood relatives every day."
The Heavenly Demon said, "Do you have the illusion that we will not kill you just because you’re our blood?"
Zeke chuckled and said, "Oh no. I have no such fantasies. I know that you can very easily kill me. But you can’t afford to."
The Heavenly Demon said, "There is nothing that I can’t afford to do."
Zeke said, "Arrogance will be your downfall, Father."
The Heavenly Demon chuckled and said, "My downfall, you say? Tell me, how will your death lead to my downfall?"
Zeke said, "You are too boring, Father. Do you really think that I’ll just tell you that? Where is the fun in that?"
The Heavenly Demon was silent, but Zeke could tell that he was intrigued. So, he continued.
"I will correct my statement. I despise you, and I am in awe. Because I had never thought that someone could be a crazier fucker than me. That was something I truly believed. But lo and behold, I guess the predecessors were right. There will always be a higher mountain.
"I mean, you waged war on all of Murim and for what? Women? That is just low. Even for you. And that’s not even the worst part. You betrayed the Cult."
The old man directed Killing Intent towards Zeke. He said, "I might be willing to forgive your disrespect, but take that statement back. I will not allow you to tarnish a Heavenly Demon’s actions."
Zeke said, "Me taking it back won’t change a thing. Tell me, what has been the lifelong goal of the Divine Demonic Cult?"
The Heavenly Demon said, "Conquering Murim."
Zeke spat back, "And what did you do? You had the opportunity to have the entire Murim in your hands. Our enemies were at their most vulnerable and you retreated. You failed us. You are a failure, a loser who hides behind this facade of arrogance that you have created.
"You waged war, kidnapped women, and forced them to bear your children. You had more than 200 kids and then you abandoned them, leaving them to fend for themselves on the streets alone. And if that wasn’t enough, you raised them like Gu until only 10 were left. I personally killed more than 50 of my own half-siblings.
"You are a man who can’t take responsibility for his own children. That makes me wonder. You can’t even raise your own kids right, so are you really the right person to lead the Cult? Or are you a breeding stud whose only job is to pump out talented children, hoping one of them would be worthy enough to become the next Heavenly Demon? I am genuinely curious."
The Heavenly Demon remained indifferent, but the old man wasn’t.
He looked at the Heavenly Demon and said, "Damn, your son is even more ruthless than you when it comes to words."
The Heavenly Demon waved his hand and a bottle of wine appeared in his grasp. He said, "Cry me a river, will you? You might feel this way, but what do you know? Fend for themselves? You would have died in the streets multiple times if members of the Cult hadn’t secretly protected you all."
He took a swig and said, "And it’s not like I didn’t try. I had two sons before you all. They had everything from the moment they were born. But they got drunk on my power. I killed them with my own hands. That is when I realized that if I don’t do something drastic, the Cult would have no successors. I would have no successors. So I did what needed to be done. That’s it. As for the war, I did wage it for women. Talented women, to be precise. Do you know that technically, you and your squad mates are all nobility?"
Zeke looked at the old man, his eyes asking if his father was sane. He said, "Of course we are nobility. We are the Heavenly Demon’s blood."
The Heavenly Demon said, "I meant in the Righteous Alliance. Well, you aren’t. Not anymore. Your sister Woo, she is the granddaughter of the Ice Empress of the Northern Ice Palace. Woong is the grandson of the Head of the Paeng Clan, Bum is the grandson of the Head of the Namgoong Clan. And finally, there is you, grandson of the Head of the Tang Clan, son of the Poison Phoenix.
"This is also the reason for my retreat. Their daughters had disappeared without them realizing. They still think that their daughters were killed in the war. Their sons were killed, but the women were kidnapped. Then the unwilling were brainwashed. You can imagine the rest."
Zeke looked at the Heavenly Demon and said, "You disgust me."
The Heavenly Demon said, "Quit your yapping. Nobody, and I mean nobody, cares about your opinion. I like you. You are gutsy but not reckless. You must’ve known that any of your lies wouldn’t have worked on me, and I’m sure it’s the only reason that you spoke your mind. Just give me a reason as to why I shouldn’t kill you right now."
Zeke said, "There is one thing that I truly abhor. It’s when people try to use me. But in your case, it’s yet to be decided."
The Heavenly Demon asked curiously, "What is?"
Zeke said, "Who is using whom? Am I the pawn or are you?"
Under the Heavenly Demon’s surprised gaze, Zeke continued, "You must have heard of the Righteous Spearman. He is an illusion that I created. My people have already breached all the factions in Murim except for the Spirit Beast Clans, but I have a plan for them too. As soon as I give the signal, the Imperial Family will die and one of the generals will take over. The Righteous Alliance and the Iron Blood Alliance will be crippled, leaving only their highest-level forces intact.
"Similarly, if I die here, the Cult will be destroyed. Because all of our information—the identities of our spies, secret bases, etc.—will reach the leaders of these very factions, leaving the Cult vulnerable. Let me tell you, our enemies are like crazed hounds right now because you didn’t take care of them before. And they will attack the moment they smell blood. So it is your choice. Kill me now and witness the Cult fall. Or, declare me your heir. Help me with the resources that I need and in two years max, we will wage war once more. Only this time, we will win."
This time, both men were extremely shocked. They knew that Zeke would have a plan, some sort of leverage that he thought would ensure his safety, but none of them had imagined this. Zeke, who they thought of as a pawn, now had the qualifications to be a player. No, forget pawns and players, this was a whole other game.
Zeke looked at the old man and said, "As for your wine, it is in my room. You can take it yourself if you want."
