Episode 1088 What sin did I commit in my past life? (3)
“⋯⋯10 times?”
Ogum’s face also hardened seriously.
Of course, I already guessed that the people I saw this time were not the main force of the Demonic Cult. Isn’t it enough to guess the existence of a thousand years old alone, without even mentioning others?
‘But…’
Baekcheon looked back at Cheongmyeong. A look of despair was evident in both eyes.
The Demonic Cultist who was there alone put the elites of the Ten Thousand Gangs and the elites of the Black Demons in danger. But what if Danjagang had just waited leisurely instead of going to the front and defeating the demonic cultists?
Perhaps everyone who entered Hangzhou had their bones buried there.
‘But ten times that power?’
It was truly a ridiculous statement.
Hyeonjong also seemed to feel the same way that Ohgeom felt, so he shook his head again and again.
“⋯⋯It’s more than I thought. No… To be honest, it’s hard to believe.”
The young bewilderment and frustration conveyed to everyone in that voice.
“Of course, the Demonic Cult… is a place that drove the powerhouses of the past to the brink of destruction. But… a hundred years have passed since then…”
“That’s why.”
Cheongmyeong’s calm answer came back. When Hyeonjong looked at him as if asking what he was saying, he elaborated.
“Taking that into account, it’s about ten times higher. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended in just ten times as much.”
Hyeonjong still had a look of disbelief. However, there was not a single wave in Cheongmyeong’s eyes. The moment Hyeonjong saw that confident expression, he had no choice but to believe all these words. Because when that kid said something with a face like that, there was always a basis for it.
“Can you explain a little bit about the reason?”
“It’s simple. “Because of the bishop.”
“bishop?”
“yes.”
Cheongmyeong nodded and continued speaking.
“The bishop we dealt with was young. What this means is that the Demonic Cult, which was driven out of the central plains, is currently expanding its ranks in some way and creating new forces.”
Cheongmyeong glanced at the people sitting around him and spoke.
“And that means… there could be as many people as that young bishop in the Demonic Church right now.”
There was silence.
Lim So-byeong, who was pressing his cheek with a fan, raised one hand.
“no. “Hold on a minute, seal.”
His brows were furrowed.
“Of course there is a possibility. There are only two bishops we have seen. There is every possibility that other bishops exist. But to simply estimate it like that…”
“There are seventeen parishes of the Demonic Cult in total.”
Lim So-byeong kept his mouth shut.
He had also heard this at first glance. It is said that in the past, Chanma led the Demon Church, which consisted of seventeen parishes, and invaded the central plains.
“And each diocese is headed by a bishop. In other words, a proper Demonic Church has seventeen bishops.”
“Seventeen…”
At that moment, Baekcheon felt goosebumps running down his spine.
The image of Danjagang spewing out magical energy like a storm flashed through my mind. It was like the embodiment of fear. That terrifying appearance that overwhelms the powerful men who commanded the world, Mangeum Daebu, Jang Il-so, and even Cheongmyeong.
‘Is that guy… seventeen?’
My fingertips were trembling.
In the suffocating silence, Cheongmyeong’s eyes darkened.
It is generally known that there are about ten bishops. However, only an approximate number is known because the Demonic Cult was unable to compensate for the bishops who died in the war in which it devoted all its efforts.
If the Demonic Cult were fully equipped, the number of bishops would be seventeen. No, for those who do not lead the diocese but only serve the Heavenly Demon, if even those who hold the most honorable position are collectively called bishops, they should be more than that.
“Uhm. But Hwasan Sword Association.”
Tanggunak also opened his mouth with a stern expression, as if he had any objection to this statement.
“The Demonic Cult of today is different from the Demonic Cult of the past. Weren’t they driven out of the midfield? “It’s hard to say that those people have regained their power…”
“And before that?”
“⋯⋯What does that mean?”
“Before that, the Demonic Cult was in the central plain?”
Tanggunak closed his mouth. It’s such an obvious logic, but it’s something I’ve never really thought about before.
Cheongmyeong said as if to look at that.
“Previously, Magyo also developed its strength in places other than the midfield. Nevertheless, they invaded the central plains with perfect strength centered around Cheonma. “Is there any guarantee that it will be different this time?”
“⋯⋯Nothing.”
When Tang Gunak acknowledged, Cheongmyeong nodded.
“They are now building up their strength to attack the midfield again. In that case, more than anything, we are putting all our efforts into nurturing proper bishops. “Because one bishop is more powerful than raising a thousand believers clumsily.”
In a strong team, it is more important to have at least one absolute expert than to simply increase the number of players.
“And they had a hundred years.”
Cheongmyeong’s eyes became a little cold.
“While Joongwon forgot the past and was intoxicated with peace, they were licking their gall and waiting for the day when they would take revenge on Joongwon. “For a hundred years.”
“⋯⋯.”
“But is he really the only new bishop? no way?”
Tang Gunak sighed deeply.
Raising an absolute expert is never easy. No matter how much effort is made at the level of the clan, if we can foster even one person per generation, it can be considered a success.
But… what if you were given a hundred years?
What if they, who were defeated in the midfield, had poured all their energy from that moment until now into nurturing their descendants? What if the Demonic Cult, which brought the entire Central Plains to the brink of destruction with a single sect, was fiercely devoted for a hundred years?
‘…I can’t believe it’s impossible to say.’
Tang Gunak, who understood the situation, looked at Cheongmyeong with a stern face.
“Then… do you think that the Demonic Cult has completely recovered its strength?”
“To be honest….”
Qingming closed his mouth, pondered for a moment, and then opened his mouth again.
“In terms of numbers, I don’t think we would have reached it in the past. There are probably about ten bishops at most. “But if you look at it hopefully.”
Everyone nodded.
It’s creepy that there are ten people the size of Danjagang, but compared to seventeen, it’s a more realistic number.
“The problem is the quality of the bishops.”
“hmm?”
“The bishops who survived when the Heavenly Demon died in the past are still in the Demon Church. Do you know what that means?”
“⋯⋯The bishop from that time is still alive? “Then how old is he?”
A look of astonishment that could not be hidden appeared in Tang Gunak’s eyes.
“That’s not the point. “The important thing is that they are stronger than before.”
The body naturally declines with age.
This cannot be avoided even if you are a strong person who defies the law of heaven with his uneducated nature. However, power only accumulates over time. I had no idea what level the powerful people who had driven the world to the brink of destruction would have reached now if they had continued training for a hundred years.
“The young bishop called that bastard an immigrant.”
“…That means there is another archbishop above him. Does that mean there are at least two bishops who have survived from the past to the present?”
“Yes. “At least.”
Cheongmyeong bit his lip slightly.
“Just because of their presence, it is reasonable to think that the total strength of the bishops, including the bishops of the past, has become stronger than in the past.”
Everyone fell silent. And Cheongmyeong understood this silence.
Who would have imagined that there would be anyone who survived for that long?
When Qingming died, enough time had passed that Tang Cao Ping, who was just a child, had now become the greatest adult in the Tang family, and it was not long before he died.
But I never would have thought that the bishops, who were quite young at that time, would still be alive…
Of course, this cannot be said to be completely impossible. Didn’t Qingming already see with their own eyes the Bishop of Beihai, a survivor of the past war?
But this is a different case. The North Sea bishop was nothing more than a baby boy clumsily put in to fill the serious bishop vacuum at the time. Under normal circumstances, he would not have dared call himself a bishop, considering his age or his inaction.
But…
‘A thousand years old.’
He is very different even in different cases.
He was the most infamous among the fearsome bishops of the past. That guy is still alive. And, despite this, he did not rise to the position of archbishop.
The implications of that fact were so great.
“I can assure you.”
The moment those words came out, everyone looked at Cheongmyeong with tense faces.
“If the Demon Cult invades the central plains again this time, the power of the Demon Cult will never be as strong as in the past.”
I feel like the tip of my tongue tingles the whole time I’m talking. Even Cheongmyeong found it difficult to say these words. No, if it weren’t that long ago, I wouldn’t have even dared to say this in front of them.
An enemy of a moderate level can serve as a driving force to arouse the desire to win, but an enemy so large as to be hopeless will cut off even the little remaining motivation.
The reason Cheongmyeong avoided mentioning the Demonic Cult as much as possible was not just to hide his identity. This is because they were not ready to accept the existence of the Demonic Cult.
But it can no longer be avoided.
Since I have seen it with my own eyes and felt it with my own skin, and since I am convinced that their expulsion is not far away, it is time to know the truth.
How huge the enemy you have to fight against is and how strong it is.
‘If there is hope…’
It was that moment.
“There’s something I want to check.”
Cheongmyeong’s gaze turned to the side. It was none other than Baekcheon who opened his mouth through the heavy air.
He met Cheoyeon’s gaze directly, bit his lip slightly, and then opened his mouth.
“If what you said, and what they mentioned… didn’t they say that more than half of the Demonic Cult’s power in the past was due to that Heavenly Demon?”
“⋯⋯I guess so.”
Baekcheon asked with a frown.
“Then what you are saying that the Demonic Cult will be as good as it was in the past is possible under the assumption that the Heavenly Demon returns with the same strength as before, right? yes?”
Cheongmyeong nodded slowly.
“Are you sure?”
“⋯⋯.”
“If Jeongman Cheonma is resurrected, will he be resurrected with his past powers? No… “Resurrection is absurd, but being resurrected with all its power is even stranger.”
In response to Baekcheon’s question, everyone nodded with a sad expression.
Perhaps the most important thing in this discussion is the thousand miles. However, because I knew so little about the Heavenly Demon, I missed it.
However, Cheongmyeong’s answer was a little different from their expectations.
“I don’t know.”
“⋯⋯What?”
“I don’t know either.”
Qingming said firmly with a cold face.
“I don’t know how he is resurrected. So it’s unpredictable. “Does it take time to regain its power after being resurrected, or… does it literally become a being worthy of the name ‘Heavenly Demon’ as soon as it is resurrected?”
“⋯⋯.”
“There is only one thing that is certain. No matter how he is resurrected… if he is given time, the result will be the same.”
Hwansan Sword Association Cheongmyeong. At the same time, Plum Blossom Sword Zone and Cheongmyeon.
Words like inevitable fate flowed from his mouth as he lived two jobs with two identities.
“If we cannot stop the Heavenly Demon and the Demonic Cult, what we saw in Hangzhou will be repeated throughout the entire central plain. No, perhaps beyond the central plains to the whole world…”
Maybe a prophecy. Curse at the same time.
“Destruction is coming.”
The unavoidable reality flowed from Cheongmyeong’s mouth.
