Chapter 178

The Blood Church executive that Mukgang is chasing was a guy with a brilliant record from the Demon Sect.

‘Yaksha Monk Ojeong.’

A former member of the prestigious Righteous Faction Shaolin Temple, he stole the demonic martial arts stored at Shaolin, tearing apart numerous Shaolin monks in the process and fleeing.

After that, he joined the Heavenly Demon God Sect and made a name for himself.

He joined forces with elders who rebelled against the Heavenly Demon and executed a plan to assassinate the Heavenly Demon.

After losing the battle with the Heavenly Demon, he fled and deserted the Heavenly Demon God Sect.

He then moved his allegiance from the Heavenly Demon God Sect to the Blood Church, becoming one of the six arms of the Blood Church’s supreme executive, Asura.

Well, with Jang Do, one of Asura’s six arms, killed by the genius Sima Mantian, who even deceives the heavens, Asura now has only five arms.

…But from Shaolin Temple to the Heavenly Demon God Sect and then the Blood Church, this guy has quite the career.

At the very least, joining the Blood Church confirms he’s a lunatic.

As I was thinking this, Mukgang, who had briefly explained the guy’s background, added in a serious voice,

“Mantian, let me make this clear first. This is my business, not yours.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly drawing a line?! I tilted my head at Mukgang’s abrupt statement, but he didn’t care.

“No matter how many people he’s killed or how much of a monster he is who treats human life as trivial, that’s not a reason for you to fight him.”

“I’m chasing him to kill him as part of my duty as a guardian of the Esoteric Sect and my personal… beliefs. There’s no need for you to risk your life.”

He seemed happy when I offered to help, but apparently, he’s still worried about me getting involved.

He was serious when I first met him, and he still is.

But…

“I can’t stand injustice! – I don’t plan to be a hero who shouts that and saves people. I’m not cut out for that.”

I sighed quietly and said to Mukgang,

“But if I didn’t know, that would be one thing. Knowing there’s a crazy murderer hiding somewhere in these mountains, I can’t just sit still.”

“You’re strong, so whether I help or not doesn’t matter much, but I’ve gotten stronger too, so I’ll help.”

It’s not out of a sense of justice.

“I have as much talent as I have a uselessly wide nosiness.”

Anyway, I owe Mukgang for helping save Yeonghwa’s life when I was young. I want to help with what I can.

“Huh- You live a tiring life.”

Mukgang smiled briefly with a relaxed expression and stood up.

There’s no reason to stop someone who insists on getting involved.

“Mantian, you’ve definitely gotten stronger. But that guy is a former demon head who has fought the Heavenly Demon. Right now, he’s hiding due to the wounds I inflicted, but he’s dangerous.”

…That’s why I’m giving you a clear warning.

“Yaksha Monk Ojeong. Due to the demonic arts he’s mastered, his body regenerates even when wounded. If you find him, absolutely do not fight him and avoid the area.”

Killing the monster is important, but there’s something more important.

Kill the monster, and protect the people.

That is the role and responsibility of the Esoteric Sect’s guardian, the Immovable Vajra King, Mukgang.

***

Deep in the mountains, in a cave where few people tread.

The cave is filled with the smell of burning flesh and the roar of a beast in pain.

“Ahhhh-! Mukgang! You bastard! What the hell is this wound! The pain! The pain won’t go away!!”

A man with a fierce expression, made even more ferocious by the pain of a wound that won’t heal and continues to burn his flesh, screams.

“Ga… Ahhhh! That- Ahhhh!”

Formerly of the Heavenly Demon God Sect and one of the six arms of the Blood Church’s supreme executive, Asura.

Yaksha Monk Ojeong, with drool dripping from his mouth, gasps and yells at his incompetent subordinates.

“Haa… Haa… Pineal gland! Bring me the pineal gland!”

Of course, the ‘pineal gland’ Ojeong is looking for here isn’t some refreshing fruit punch.

“Sorry, Ojeong. We had to hunt while hiding our tracks, so we couldn’t prepare proper sacrifices.”

The Blood Church’s blood demons respectfully present a bowl containing human heads.

“These are the heads of the escorts guarding a small merchant group.”

“Ahh…!”

Ojeong immediately reaches out, grabs one of the severed heads, and bites into it.

Crunch-!

He sinks his teeth into the skull, shattering it and chewing on the brain, bones and all.

Crunch! Crunch!

He greedily scatters brain matter and blood as he consumes the pineal gland.

The pineal gland, also known as the pineal body, is a small pinecone-shaped organ located in the center of the brain, often referred to by Taoists as the third eye, equivalent to the spiritual eye.

And Ojeong believed the pineal gland was the inner elixir where a person’s spiritual power and strength gathered.

The more he consumed the pineal gland, the larger his soul’s vessel would become, allowing him to reach higher realms.

…Well, it’s not entirely wrong. Regardless of the pineal gland, the demonic arts he mastered.

The Black Maitreya Divine Art is a martial art that increases in power the more human flesh and blood it consumes.

As human flesh entered his body, the energy of the Black Maitreya Divine Art activated, and the wounds branded on his body like scars began to heal slightly, lessening the pain.

“Haa…”

But it was only for a moment.

“…Ahhhhh!”

Like throwing firewood into a bonfire, the fire wounds left by Mukgang flared up again in response to the demonic energy, burning his flesh.

This isn’t enough. These low-grade pineal glands aren’t enough.

“Ahhh… Haa… Haa…”

The demonic energy spreading through cannibalism and the pain of his flesh burning scrambled Ojeong’s brain, creating hallucinations before his eyes.

………

A towering black delusion stands, looking down at Ojeong crawling on the ground.

The shadow of the Heavenly Demon, deeply engraved in his mind.

Like that unforgettable, humiliating day, the Heavenly Demon looks down at him with arrogant, indifferent eyes, and Ojeong contorts his face, glaring at the hallucination before him.

…But his teeth only clatter against each other.

Tears of humiliation stream down his face.

“Gaaaaah-!!”

Unable to bear the physical reaction and the remembered fear, Ojeong roars and reaches for the remaining heads in the bowl.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

He consumes the pineal glands.

Eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive, eat and survive.

He will definitely survive. Keep consuming the pineal glands.

Expand the soul’s vessel and one day consume even the Heavenly Demon’s pineal gland.

Enduring the pain, he consumes all the heads prepared by the blood demons.

Forcing down the burning wounds, Ojeong exhales roughly and says,

“Haaa… This, this is only a temporary measure. Find it.”

Ojeong, who fled from Mukgang, didn’t hide in this remote mountain with only a temple for no reason. He was looking for something.

The name of the temple here is Yaksha Temple.

And the now-forgotten name of the mountain is Yaksha Mountain.

Beings with mysteries beyond human understanding.

Heaven, Dragon, Yaksha, Gandharva, Asura, Garuda, Kinnara, Mahoraga.

One of the Eight Legions of Heavenly Beings, the mountain where the Yaksha lives.

Unlike himself, who only has a nickname, he’s here to consume the pineal gland of a real Yaksha.

Consume a high-grade pineal gland to raise his level.

Heal his wounds and kill that damn Esoteric Sect guardian, Mukgang.

…Kill the Heavenly Demon.

***

Sima Family servant, guard, and assassin.

Jang Sam-i, having removed his disguise, returned to his original form, disguised as Yeonghwa’s maid, blending in with the other maids, and in the spacious carriage, he narrowed his eyes, wondering if this was right.

“………….”

Even though they’re maids, they’re all warriors from the Baehwa Church who followed Yeonghwa, guards who, like himself, hide their identities and serve their master as servants.

Disguised as a maid, it doesn’t matter. This is his original form, so it’s actually more comfortable.

The problem is that these highly skilled female guards are all from the insane inbred Baehwa Church.

A cold-faced beauty, seemingly a senior among Yeonghwa’s guards, quietly opens her mouth.

“Ah~ I want an older brother too. I want a sacred marriage.”

At the sudden declaration, the surrounding maids look at her with cold eyes.

…And the umpteenth crazy conversation begins.

“What are you suddenly talking about? …But I want an older brother too.”

“Me, me too… I want to obediently have a child with a kind older brother~ I want pure love.”

Jang Sam-i’s eyes blink.

‘What the…? What the hell? Is this really the world I live in?’

With only Baehwa Church members around, incest with an older brother is being treated as completely normal.

And in the dizzying carriage.

The saint of Zoroastrianism, Sima Yeonghwa, with her beautiful black hair hanging down, looks out the window and murmurs softly.

“…I’m coming to see you now, older brother.”

A flame flickers in her red eyes.

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And having received the assassination request for Sima Mantian from a Zoroastrian elder.

Bahram, the leader of the assassin group who arrived in the Central Plains, also moves with his assassins upon receiving information that Mantian is staying at a temple called Yaksha Temple.

In a remote mountain where only legends of the Yaksha remain.

A genius who deceives even the heavens, an Esoteric Sect guardian, a Blood Church cannibal, a Zoroastrian saint, and Middle Eastern assassins gather.