Chapter 784: I Already Have Countless Stars

TL: FoodieMonster007

Even at this late hour, the Hidden Moon's operations room bustled with activity. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was in a state of emergency, so the strategists paid keen attention to every small report.

They meticulously monitored the movements of the Murim Alliance and the Evil Alliance, as well as the various sects in the Central Plains. They especially tracked every movement along Geom Mugeuk's travel route.

The report they awaited finally arrived.

"The Young Cult Leader has arrived safely at the rendezvous point."

The flags for the Young Cult Leader and the Demon Supremes were placed on Dongting Lake. The All-Knowing Hall had written 'Little Demon' on Geom Mugeuk's flag, but the Hidden Moon used 'Little Heaven (小天)'. Go Wol had chosen the name. To Go Wol, Geom Mugeuk was no different from the heavens.

He's finally arrived.

The Young Cult Leader had left the Cult countless times, but Go Wol had never been so tense. A persistent anxiety pricked at him, a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. That was why he had gone to see Sama Myeong.

Just then, an unexpected person visited.

"The Head Strategist has arrived."

"Show him in at once."

Sama Myeong entered a moment later.

"Welcome, Head Strategist," Go Wol greeted, surprised.

"I meant to come sooner, but I'm late." Sama Myeong's hands were full of food for the strategists. It was an unexpected and uncharacteristic sight, which moved the strategists of the Hidden Moon even more. The Head Strategist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had personally brought them food.

"Thank you, Head Strategist."

Sama Myeong smiled as Go Wol thanked him on their behalf. "Give me a tour of this place."

"There probably isn't much to see. This place was meticulously modeled after the All-Knowing Hall. The Young Cult Leader made a copy of the most perfect intelligence operations room in this murim."

Sama Myeong smiled with pleasure at Go Wol's praise. It was not empty flattery. The interior truly resembled the All-Knowing Hall, as if it had been moved piece by piece.

As he looked around, his gaze fell upon the flags on the map of the Central Plains. The flags had reached Dongting Lake. In the All-Knowing Hall, those same flags would have been moved to the same position.

After the tour, Go Wol tried to lead Sama Myeong to his office. "Please, come in."

"The night air felt nice on my way here. How about we go outside and talk instead?"

"Yes, let's do that."

The two men left the Hidden Moon building. They walked through the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, enjoying the cool night air.

After a while, Sama Myeong spoke first. "The Cult Leader will not light the Demonic Flames."

Go Wol nodded, unsurprised. He had expected this. "I thought it wouldn't be an easy matter."

"It's not because of the Cult Leader's pride." Sama Myeong explained why Geom Woojin was unwilling to light the Demonic Flames.

After hearing the whole story, Go Wol asked, "Did you come here just to tell me this?"

"That's right."

Go Wol looked at Sama Myeong with a puzzled expression. The Head Strategist could have sent a messenger, or kept quiet since Go Wol would have found out eventually anyway.

Sama Myeong explained, "Others may not know, but you, at least, must know exactly what the Cult Leader thinks of the Young Cult Leader. I believe the most important thing for a Head Strategist is to know exactly what kind of person the leader you serve is. A sharp mind? Cool-headed judgment? All of that comes later."

Go Wol bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you so much for this valuable lesson."

He was also grateful for being called 'Head Strategist'. It meant Sama Myeong acknowledged him as the next Head Strategist. It was an incredibly precious moment for him.

"Don't stay cooped up in the operations room all the time. Come out for some fresh air like this. Come out and look up at the sky, too."

The words 'look at the sky' made Go Wol think of Geom Mugeuk.

Young Cult Leader, are you also looking at that night sky right now?

As the two men looked up at the stars, one star among the dense clusters shone with unusual brightness.

Sama Myeong let out a short cry of surprise. "Ah!"

Go Wol tilted his head in puzzlement. "What is it?"

Disbelief flooded Sama Myeong's face. Wondering if exhaustion made him see things, he closed his eyes and opened them again, but the stars remained unchanged.

Voice trembling, he delivered the shocking news, saying, "The Celestial Killer Star has appeared."

"!" Go Wol's eyes widened. The Celestial Killer Star was a bad omen. It was known to shine when a great harbinger of slaughter appeared in the murim.

No, it was not just an omen. Whenever the Celestial Killer Star appeared, the murim would become a sea of blood.

"Is that star really the Celestial Killer Star?" Go Wol asked again.

Sama Myeong hesitated. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing, yet he was certain. A man with his extensive knowledge of celestial phenomena could not possibly fail to recognize the Celestial Killer Star. Finally, he replied, "…It is. It's definitely the Celestial Killer Star."

"This is the first time I've actually seen the Celestial Killer Star."

"The same goes for me."

This was also the first time Sama Myeong had seen it in person. He had only ever learned about the Celestial Killer Star from books and stories.

He suddenly recalled his last conversation with Go Wol.

Could the danger the Young Cult Leader sensed possibly be…?

He voiced his question. "Could this be what the Young Cult Leader was worried about?"

Go Wol felt as if a fog clouding his mind was finally lifting. "I believe so."

If that was the case, how on earth did the Young Cult Leader know the Celestial Killer Star would appear? This was not simply a matter of being knowledgeable about celestial phenomena. The Young Cult Leader had read the secrets of the heavens.

"I will inform the Cult Leader. You must immediately relay this fact to the Young Cult Leader."

"Yes, I understand."

"Hmm?" Sama Myeong suddenly noticed that Go Wol had already regained his composure. "Aren't you worried?"

"On the contrary, I feel relieved. The Young Cult Leader predicted this exactly, didn't he?"

Go Wol smiled. Words born from his absolute faith in Geom Mugeuk continued to flow.

"It suddenly occurred to me that a Young Cult Leader like him might even be able to stop the Celestial Killer Star."

Sama Myeong was a man who believed there was no such thing as an optimistic strategist. A strategist always had to consider the negative outcomes first.

At least in this moment, though, he wanted to believe in Go Wol's positive outlook. No matter how much he thought it was just wishful thinking.

His own countermeasures, born from always considering the worst-case scenario, were what had protected the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult until now.

I can't light the Demonic Flames, but…

"We must evacuate the Demon Village at once."

"We've arrived at Dongting Lake."

In the distance, a lake stretched out, as vast as the sea. At night, the lanterns of the boats floating on the water were beautiful.

"She said to find a boat with a white flag here."

The meeting place between the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman and the Saintess was one of the boats on Dongting Lake.

Geom Mugeuk called the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, the Demon Supremes, Lee Ahn, Jang Ho, and the Ghost Shadow Squad Division Leaders to his side. "Today's meeting will be one of two scenarios. Either the Saintess truly has something to tell you secretly, Chairwoman, or she has set a trap with the Darkness Palace Lord. If the Saintess requested this meeting on her own, there's no problem. We can just enjoy a leisurely boat ride on Dongting Lake and go back."

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman nodded, but she was worried about one thing. "The Saintess told me to come alone. She said she wouldn't meet me if anyone else came along."

Geom Mugeuk smiled at her concern. "To me, that sounds like she's begging you to bring everyone."

He had a good reason for thinking so.

"Even if the Saintess acted on her own to tell you something, Chairwoman, I believe the Darkness Palace Lord would know about it."

He had confirmed in the underground tomb that the Darkness Palace Lord manipulated people's psychology. The bastard had used the Sword King's relationship with him to summon the souls of the Twelve Zodiac Kings. If he had been working with the Saintess from the beginning, he would know her well and would not miss her betrayal.

"Through our many past battles, the Darkness Palace Lord knows me well. That means he also knows about the relationship between me and the Smiling Demon."

How could the Darkness Palace Lord not know that he had fought multiple fierce battles alongside the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon? Perhaps the Demon Supreme he hated most right now was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"Therefore, both the Darkness Palace Lord and the Saintess know that I would never send the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman here alone. In other words, whether this is a trap or not, the opponent won't even entertain the thought that you would come alone, Chairwoman."

Those listening nodded in agreement.

"Even if we concede that the Saintess really did ask to meet you on her own, and the Darkness Palace Lord is unaware of it, there's still no need for you to go alone. The one in a bind is the Saintess, who contacted you first. Even if you go with someone, she won't be able to refuse the meeting."

As always, Geom Mugeuk saw right through his opponent. The conclusion was clear.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman asked, "Then, will it be just you and I at the meeting, Young Cult Leader? Or…?"

"No, I'll go with one of the Demon Supremes."

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman nodded, assuming he would take the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. However, the person Geom Mugeuk asked to go with him was someone else.

"The Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme will accompany me," he announced, then explained, "Our opponent is a user of the Pitch Black Demonic Art. The ones strongest against that Pitch Black Demonic Art are myself and the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme."

Of course, the Demonic Buddha was also strong against the Pitch Black Demonic Art, but he had another job to do.

"Yes, I will go with you," the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme replied, delighted. The Young Cult Leader was not just bringing her along. He was entrusting her with a crucial role.

Geom Mugeuk's instructions continued. "General Jang."

"Yes, Young Cult Leader?"

"Please wait on standby near the lakeshore with the Demonic Army. Operate under the assumption that the enemy already knows you guys are here."

Jang Ho's eyes glinted sharply. "Yes, I understand."

Geom Mugeuk nodded. He wasn't worried about Jang Ho and the Demonic Army. They were more reliable than anyone.

He gave an order to Lee Ahn and the four Division Captains. "The Ghost Shadow Squad and the bodyguard unit will disguise themselves as people out for a night stroll, forming male-female pairs or groups of three to five. Your task is to find any signs of an enemy ambush. If this is a trap, there will surely be traces of them somewhere. If you find anything, report it to the Demonic Army immediately and move together."

"Yes, Young Cult Leader!"

Finally, he assigned roles to the remaining three Demon Supremes.

"Demonic Buddha, Drunken Demon, what do you think about going on a boat ride after such a long time?"

The Demon Supremes' role was to take a boat out and keep watch over the area near the meeting vessel.

The Drunken Demon was thrilled at the thought of floating on the lake and drinking. "I knew this would happen, so I brought the perfect alcohol for a boat ride."

Finally, Geom Mugeuk assigned a role to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. "Smiling Demon, please take command of this operation."

The role of field commander was the most important of all. The Smiling Demon would need to oversee the big picture and respond to any variables.

"Understood," the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said.

He interpreted this order as Geom Mugeuk telling him, 'I will protect the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, so you take good care of the Ghost Shadow Squad and the Demonic Army.'

Geom Mugeuk turned back to the Ghost Shadow Squad and the bodyguards. "Listen carefully. In my demonic path, no one sacrifices themselves for the sake of the whole. Prioritize your own safety above all else. It doesn't matter if you let the enemy escape, and it's fine to be a coward. What I can't forgive is you getting hurt or killed. Above all, don't worry about me."

These were his honest feelings about his subordinates.

The Drunken Demon slyly interjected, "That applies to us too, right?"

Geom Mugeuk stared at the Demon Supremes. "Of course not. Our Demon Supremes, please prioritize the mission over your personal safety. You must never let the enemy escape. I'll tease you about it forever. Most importantly, please worry about me! The Young Cult Leader comes before your own safety!"

The two eyes within the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eye sockets smiled brightly, but the other three Demon Supremes turned their heads, pretending not to have heard anything.

Geom Mugeuk looked around at everyone and declared energetically, "Okay, everyone! Let's finish this job safely and then go for that boat ride!"

Everyone prepared to officially begin the operation.

Suddenly, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, who had been looking up at the sky and praying, cried out in surprise. "That star!"

Her eyes flew wide open in shock. It was the first time they had ever seen her so startled.

Everyone tensed and looked at the night sky.

"The Celestial Killer Star has appeared!"

Everyone was shocked at the words 'Celestial Killer Star'. They all knew what its appearance meant. It signified the arrival of a great harbinger of slaughter who would drench the jianghu in blood.

The problem was that the person signified by the Celestial Killer Star was not the Darkness Palace Lord, as he had already been living in this era for a long time.

A new villain had appeared.

The Demon Supremes exchanged grave looks. The Ghost Shadow Squad Division Leaders also exchanged glances with Lee Ahn. The relaxed atmosphere Geom Mugeuk had created instantly turned frigid.

Everyone's gaze naturally turned to Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk silently gazed at the Celestial Killer Star. Only he knew who that star signified.

So, you've finally appeared.

He had hoped the person would appear as late as possible. He had not yet achieved Twelfth Star mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, nor had he learned the final technique.

Still, he wasn't afraid. He had run his best race up to this moment, without any regrets.

This was the good thing about living with all one's might. He didn't tremble, even in the face of such a formidable enemy.

His gaze shifted from the Celestial Killer Star to his companions. "Don't worry, stars aren't only in the sky. There are stars over here, too. There's a smiling star, a drunken star, a shining star, and a bizarre star. There's a beautiful star and a reliable star. That star is one, but we are many."

"And among them is the most brilliantly shining star," the Drunken Demon added with a drunken smile.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon shook his head. "The Young Cult Leader is not a star."

Everyone stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

"The Young Cult Leader is the sky that allows all those stars to shine."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon believed that if it were not for Geom Mugeuk, they could never have become stars.

However, not even the Celestial Killer Star could stop the drunken Drunken Demon's mischief.

"Not the sky, but the darkness, I'd say. The darkness. Because it's the darkness that makes the stars shine. The pitch-black darkness that always visits me last."

Whether sky or darkness, no one denied that Geom Mugeuk had made them all shine. They had all changed so much because of Geom Mugeuk, and these days, they were shining like stars.

Geom Mugeuk did not miss this opportunity to show off.

"As expected! Only our Smiling Demon recognizes my true worth. Now, in that spirit, I, as the sky, will say a word to that Celestial Killer Star."

He turned once more to the Celestial Killer Star, his clear, deep eyes glittering brighter than the star itself.

"Since I already have countless stars… you may lose your light in my world."