knife

Chapter 409 The Past of the Demonic Cult

The Demonic Sect was founded hundreds of years ago, and its most prosperous period was actually when its founder, Qingfeng, was still alive.

In that era, Qin and Chu stood side by side. The Yuan people in the north repeatedly invaded, and the southern barbarians constantly caused trouble. The two countries were exhausted from fighting each other, but they also thought about fighting each other in order to unify the world and reproduce the unified pattern of the Yong Kingdom.

However, this would cause great suffering for the common people.

Both monarchs fought to the death, believing that if they could let their people suffer for a few more years, they could then recuperate.

But neither of them could do anything about the other.

Against this backdrop, the Demonic Cult grew stronger and stronger.

The most glorious peak of the Demonic Cult was at the state funeral of Li Qing, the founding emperor of the Qin Dynasty, after his death.

The funeral procession stretched for dozens of miles, with nearly 100,000 soldiers and countless martial arts masters on guard. Yet, the Demonic Sect Leader Qingfeng entered as if he were in an empty field, and then, under the watchful eyes of millions, he abruptly ripped open Li Qing's coffin lid.

When Li Qing died, he was over seventy years old and already a very old man. But when Qingfeng appeared before the world at that time, she looked exactly the same as she did decades ago when she fought alongside Li Qing.

Before Li Qing's coffin, Qingfeng wept, and then vanished without a trace.

Since then, the Demonic Cult has been unable to find its leader.

Many people believe that Qingfeng's martial arts cultivation at that time was at least at the Divine Realm, or that he had already reached the highest level.

Because in the eyes of many people with profound martial arts skills, Qingfeng seemed to have already overcome the most feared life-and-death hurdle.

Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense why Qingfeng, who is about the same age as Li Qing, hasn't changed his appearance at all over the decades.

That's not disguise.

But it is a real existence.

Among the top noble ministers of the Qin state back then, those who were familiar with Qingfeng were numerous.

Of all things in the world, love is the most misleading.

Or perhaps the last reason Qingfeng remained in the world was to compete with Li Qing, though not in the realm of martial arts.

But Li Qing died of old age.

With Li Qing dead, Qingfeng will probably feel that there is nothing left in this world for him to cherish, and he will naturally break through the void and wander freely.

Qingfeng's final performance brought the Demonic Sect to its peak, but it was also its last moment of glory.

With the cessation of hostilities between Qin and Chu, the border regions began to calm down. People who had been embroiled in war for sixty years grew weary of it and longed for stability. The courts of both countries finally began the long-awaited period of rest and recuperation for the people.

With the war over, all resources were invested in improving people's livelihoods, and people's lives got better and better.

From simply wanting something to eat, to being able to eat one's fill.

When ordinary people start to pursue better food, the market for rebellious cults naturally shrinks.

More importantly, Qingfeng's disappearance left the Demonic Sect without its pillar of strength.

Debates over policy and strategy, struggles for power and wealth—less than a hundred years after Qingfeng left, the Demonic Sect disintegrated, with various factions going their separate ways.

Some factions within the group are even so hostile to each other that they are practically mortal enemies.

If these two factions were to meet, even if the Chu Kingdom's Tianluo were watching from the sidelines, they would certainly fight to the death first before engaging in a contest with Tianluo.

As for joining forces to create a major scandal before settling family matters, that's completely impossible.

In the eyes of both factions, Tianluo could be a potential partner, but the other side would inevitably have to be killed first.

Below the leader of the Demonic Sect is the Council of Elders.

When Qingfeng was alive, the elders in the council had immense power. Almost all matters, big and small, could be discussed and decided by the council. They only needed to report to Qingfeng, and as long as Qingfeng did not object, they could be implemented immediately.

Below the elders' council was the Five Elements Flag, the military force of the Demonic Sect.

The five banners—Sharp Metal, Giant Wood, Flood, Blazing Fire, and Thick Earth—are rooted in the common people and form the main force of the rebellion. The banner leaders of the five elements obey the orders of the elders.

After Qingfeng disappeared, the elders took power, but because no one could win over the people, the concept of a Holy Son and Holy Daughter came about, which was actually to alleviate the conflicts among them.

The sect selects exceptionally talented young men and women from across the land, who then begin practicing the highest martial arts of the Demonic Sect and undergoing various forms of training from a young age. Whoever can fulfill the long-held wish of Patriarch Qingfeng will become the sect leader.

But this is an impossible task.

Thus, the saying arose that whoever could master the Qi of Heaven and Earth would become the sect leader.

The Phoenix Fire and the Moonlight Weak Water were both brought down by the gentle breeze, said to have been adapted from the Qi of Heaven and Earth, but later on, people didn't really believe it anymore.

Because of the forced practice of the Qiankun Qi, countless people died, and almost all of them were the most outstanding talents of the Demonic Sect.

People finally realized that this was something left behind by their ancestor to harm people.

Even the founder could never have mastered this technique. After more than a hundred years, whether it is true or not is no longer important.

The important thing is that the elders in power discovered that it was actually quite good to be without a cult leader. With no one to restrain them, they could do whatever they wanted, which was great!

As a result, the Demonic Cult grew weaker and weaker, eventually degenerating from a powerful organization that openly challenged Qin Chu into a cult that everyone hated and wanted to kill.

Only when the world is in chaos will they have room to grow.

After more than three hundred years of waiting, the Demonic Sect has finally begun to show its power again.

Over the long years, the Demonic Cult itself has changed a lot, at least its methods have become more and more diverse.

He Qingqiu came from the Ruijin Banner.

Jiang Qian comes from the Fiery Banner.

Ruijinqi almost succeeded. If the Chang'an Incident had been thwarted and Li Zemin had ascended the throne, He Qingqiu would have been the empress. Given He Qingqiu's influence on Li Zemin at the time, Qingfeng's wish might have actually come true.

However, more than ten years after He Qingqiu's death, Jiang Qian, a genius girl from the Blazing Fire Banner, emerged out of nowhere, giving the Blazing Fire Banner the possibility of replicating He Qingqiu's deeds.

Over the next decade or so, the Blazing Banner devoted all its resources to this one thing, and after fully learning from He Qingqiu's failure, Jiang Qian succeeded.

However, by this time, the insistence of those in power under the Fiery Banner was completely at odds with the original principles upon which the Demonic Sect was founded.

This is also why Ke Wuji and his men from the Ruijin Banner hate the Liehuo Banner so much.

You succeeded, and you could have achieved great things and realized the dream of our religion that has lasted for hundreds of years. But for the sake of power and wealth, you abandoned your ideals and the very foundation of our religion.

The religion has become your tool, and once you've succeeded, you discard it like worn-out shoes. You even turn around and slaughter the brothers and sisters who helped you succeed. This is naturally intolerable.

The Sharp Gold Banner and the Blazing Fire Banner were two combat-oriented teams under the Demonic Sect back in the day. They were the strongest and had the most experts under their command, but of course, they also had the most conflicts.

Now they are even more irreconcilable.

The Hou Tu Banner, just like their name suggests, are honest and simple. Their main force consists of farmers who cultivate the land. As long as they have land to cultivate and food to eat, they are generally very content.

Of course, if there's no land to cultivate and no food to eat, then rebellion is inevitable.

The Flood Flag, specializing in water-based businesses, gradually merged with the Fiery Flag over the years. After the Fiery Flag successfully infiltrated and seized power, it now fully controls the Chu navy and is Jiang Qian's staunch ally.

As for the Giant Wood Banner, it was mainly composed of craftsmen who had little desire to rebel, because in any dynasty, they were always the ones who could be won over.

Their treatment is much better than that of farmers.

Therefore, Giant Wood Flag is a centrist.

He acts as a peacemaker, moving between the fiery and the metallic, hoping that everyone will refrain from killing each other out of consideration for their shared religious lineage. He suggests leaving each other a way out today so that they can meet again in the future.

However, they are now in a predicament, like Pigsy looking in a mirror, disliked by both sides. Neither the sharp metal nor the fierce fire can welcome them.

Now that the Hou Tu Banner has started a rebellion, it has naturally become closer to the Rui Jin Banner, which specializes in rebellion.

Li Dachui followed the old man to the central tent and finally saw the Hall Master Su that the old man had mentioned.

This Master Su was in his early forties, perhaps only in his thirties, but he had a dark complexion and unusually large hands covered in scars, clearly the result of rigorous external martial arts training.

Li Dachui glanced at it and estimated that it was probably at the seventh level of the Profound Origin realm.

To have mastered external martial arts to the point of internalization is quite remarkable, a true mastery of the art.

Such people are generally very resilient.

He wouldn't care much if someone of similar cultivation level punched him with all their might, but if he punched someone else, that person might not be able to withstand it.

"Chief Lu, it's been three years since we last met, and I never expected to see you again today!" Su Tangzhu's words immediately put Li Dachui on high alert.

Damn it, does this guy know Lu Xiong?
Fortunately, the guy's next sentence relieved Li Dachui: "Three years ago, I accompanied our flag master Zhan Zhao to visit Elder Ke and met you once. However, you had other matters to attend to, so you said a few words to our flag master Zhan and left. You did not return until we left."

Zhan Zhao, the flag bearer?
Li Dachui cupped his hands and smiled, "I came to Yong'an on business, but I didn't expect to run into the Hou Tu Banner uprising. How is Banner Master Zhan?"

The burly man's face immediately darkened: "Banner Chief Lu, the Hou Tu Banner's uprising this time was extremely hasty and completely unprepared. We had no choice but to do it in order to save Banner Chief Zhan."

Li Dachui was taken aback: "What's wrong with Flag Master Zhan?"

"Zhanqi has been betrayed in Yong'an County and has fallen into Lin Hong's hands!" The burly man sighed. "In order to save Zhanqi, we have no choice but to start an uprising, take over Yongxing City, capture Lin Hong's clansmen, and then plan to use them to exchange for Zhanqi."

This answer was completely unexpected by Li Dachui.

The leader of Houtu Banner was captured by Lin Hong; no wonder they're going crazy.

Can capturing Lin Hong's clansmen really bring Zhan Zhao back?
I'm afraid that's not necessarily true.

(End of this chapter)