177. Clash of Great Ambitions

At the heart of the Demonic Cult, in a vast conference hall shrouded in shadow, Cheongeom Mawang stood before her gathered inner circle—the Elders, the Vice Leader, and other key figures. Tension filled the room. Her recent actions had stirred discontent within the cult, and that unrest had become too great to ignore.

Cheongeom Mawang scanned the room with quiet intensity before declaring in a firm voice,

"The Demonic Cult will no longer remain in the shadows of the Murim. We shall become the rulers of the Central Plains."

A murmur spread through the hall. Several Elders visibly stiffened, and the Vice Leader was the first to object.

"Lord, the Great Yuan Empire is an immense force that already dominates the Central Plains. Provoking them would be far too dangerous."

Cheongeom Mawang cut in sharply,

"Did they not also begin as a small tribe on the fringe? There's no reason we cannot achieve what they have. How long will we remain caged within the narrow world of the Murim?"

An Elder stepped forward.

"But with the Murim Alliance and Cheonuhoe already united, antagonizing the Great Yuan will spread our forces too thin. It's too great a risk."

Cheongeom Mawang rose to her feet and slowly drew her sword. Her voice rang out cold and clear,

"Cast off your fear. I am the apex of the Demonic Cult. The fate of our sect lies in this hand. If you cannot trust me—draw your blade and take my place."

Silence fell like ice across the room. No one dared respond. The Vice Leader lowered his gaze and stepped back.

"Understood. We will follow your will. But this strategy must be executed with extreme caution."

A smirk flickered across Cheongeom Mawang's lips.

"Caution… I agree. That's why we'll proceed on two fronts."

Her first target was clear: Cheonuhoe.

"They are already our enemy. Strike at their heart while Lee Do-hyeon is away. We'll sow chaos and fracture their unity."

Though the Vice Leader again warned that such a move could ignite all-out war with the Murim Alliance, Cheongeom Mawang waved it off.

"The goal is not conquest. It's disruption. If Lee Do-hyeon loses his center, their coalition will collapse."

"And then," she said with resolute finality, "we will provoke the Great Yuan Empire."

The room stiffened again. Her ambition was now unmistakable.

"If we strike a portion of their military, the Imperial Court and the Murim Alliance will be thrown into disarray. They won't know whose side we're on."

The Vice Leader once more raised a cautious hand.

"The Empire is not just another foe. Their scale, discipline, and might are beyond anything in the Murim."

Cheongeom Mawang met his gaze, calm and unwavering.

"They are not invincible. Every empire has its cracks. And when they begin to fracture, we will rise in that opening and build a new empire of our own."

The hall fell into a stunned silence. Her charisma and strategic clarity silenced any further objection.

After the meeting, Cheongeom Mawang walked alone toward the place of restoration. The clash with Lee Do-hyeon still echoed in her body. Torn between her ambition and the resonance she felt during their duel, her thoughts churned.

'To reach Elysium, I need power. But I cannot gamble the cult's survival for that power. This… may be my final bet.'

Looking around the quiet grove, she murmured,

"Lee Do-hyeon… The power you hold may be the key to it all. Just as I tested you… now, I must test myself."

**

Chapter : The Ambition of Cheongeom Mawang and the Cracks Within

Dark Fortress—the heart of the Demonic Cult. A cold wind swept through the grand hall as Cheongeom Mawang convened with her top lieutenants. Her gaze remained calm, yet behind her eyes shimmered an unyielding resolve.

The Vice Leader and Elders watched her with tense expressions. Her increasingly audacious plans had begun to weigh heavily even on her most loyal followers.

"Did you say we're going to attack the Great Yuan Empire?"The Vice Leader's voice was calm but laced with suppressed anxiety."They are no mere royal guards. Waging war against an entire empire… that is madness."

Cheongeom Mawang rose to her feet, her black cloak fluttering behind her. Her voice was unwavering.

"Do you know why we've remained within the confines of the Murim all this time? Do you truly understand why?"

The Vice Leader hesitated before answering.

"The Demonic Cult has always been rooted in the Murim. It was for our survival."

Cheongeom Mawang let out a dry, scornful laugh.

"That narrow thinking is exactly why we've stagnated. We've never conquered the Central Plains because our ambitions were always too small. The Yuan didn't begin as an empire—they were once a nomadic tribe, no different from us."

One of the Elders spoke cautiously,

"But if we strike the Empire, their retaliation will be… overwhelming. Is it truly worth the risk?"

Her gaze sharpened.

"Worth it? Is the dream of building our own empire not worth anything to you? We've lived too long on the fringes. I will put an end to that. If we rise to power, the Central Plains will be ours."

The Vice Leader gathered his courage again,

"I understand the desire for greatness. But to turn both the Murim Alliance and the imperial court against us at once is—"

Cheongeom Mawang interrupted him coldly, drawing her sword.

"Then point your blade at me. If you think I'm wrong, come and take my place."

A chilling silence fell over the hall. Even breathing seemed forbidden. The Vice Leader, after a long moment, bowed his head and dropped to one knee.

"I will follow your will, my lord."

She sheathed her sword and issued her orders.

"Rearm the cult. We strike the Yuan's border defenses first. And Cheonuhoe remains our initial target. With quick victories and calculated fear, we will silence the unrest within. We have no time left to hesitate."

Her declaration sent ripples through the cult. Many kept silent out of awe for her commanding presence, but some had begun whispering behind closed doors—questioning whether this ambition was too vast, too reckless. Still, none dared speak up. Her sheer force kept dissent buried.

Days later, the Demonic Cult launched an attack on the outer defenses of the Great Yuan. It threw the empire into confusion—but also ignited its fury.

The imperial army mobilized with speed and precision. Tensions surged between the cult, the Murim Alliance, and the imperial court. Though the cult envisioned itself at the dawn of a new era, the world now braced for a storm—a war greater than any in living memory.

That night, alone atop the Dark Fortress, Cheongeom Mawang gazed out across the Central Plains. She closed her eyes and whispered,

"The power to open the gates to Elysium… will be born from this chaos and sacrifice. I will walk this path, no matter the cost."

In her eyes burned a fierce ambition—for a new era, forged in flame.

**

Chapter : The Turmoil Within Cheonuhoe and the Empire's Response

At the headquarters of Cheonuhoe, Lee Do-hyeon stood amidst a whirlwind of confusion. The recent encounter with Cheongeom Mawang at the place of healing replayed in his mind—her cryptic references to a new world, to Elysium, and her veiled test of his resolve. But for her to follow that encounter with such reckless aggression? He couldn't make sense of it.

"Leader, urgent report. The Demonic Cult has moved. They've launched a surprise assault on one of the Empire's outer military bases."

Cheong Un-jin entered with urgency in his step, his face tense.

Do-hyeon rose from his seat.

"Are we sure? You're saying the Demonic Cult actually struck the Yuan Empire?"

Cheong Un-jin nodded gravely.

"Yes. It's reported that Cheongeom Mawang herself led the elite strike force. They breached the outer defenses and threw the imperial troops into disarray."

Baek Wol-hee exhaled quietly.

"I expected her to make a bold move eventually… but not this quickly."

Han So-yeon, arms crossed, spoke with concern.

"Commander, we need to decide our response immediately—before the Empire interprets this as a provocation from all of Murim."

Do-hyeon clenched his jaw and lowered his head, thoughts swirling.

'Cheongeom Mawang… what are you thinking? You spoke of a new world, of Elysium… and yet you plunge us into chaos. Why?'

He looked up, voice firm and resolute.

"We must contact the Empire first and clarify the situation. We need to understand Cheongeom Mawang's true motives. This can't go unanswered."

Meanwhile, deep within the imperial court of the Yuan Empire, an emergency meeting was underway. The Emperor's voice carried restrained fury.

"What is the meaning of this? We hoped for stability through a marriage alliance with Murim, and now this?"

His strategist bowed.

"Your Majesty, there is no evidence yet linking the Murim Alliance directly. However, the attackers were certainly from the Demonic Cult. We do not yet know whether this was ordered by the alliance or executed independently."

The Emperor slammed the table.

"Whether they act in Murim's name or not, the Demonic Cult is still part of that world. Trust in Murim has been fractured. What does their leader, Lee Do-hyeon, say of this?"

Another official responded,

"The Alliance has not issued a formal statement yet. It appears they are still assessing the situation."

The Emperor paused, then gave his order.

"Send an envoy to the Murim Alliance immediately. I want their position stated clearly. If Lee Do-hyeon refuses to take a firm stance, we will consider Murim as a whole an enemy of the Empire."

Back at Cheonuhoe, Do-hyeon began working on two fronts—seeking a way to contact the Demonic Cult to uncover their true intent, and preparing to communicate with the imperial court to maintain diplomatic relations. His mind was flooded with the weight of these converging crises.

In the strategy room, he met with Cheong Un-jin, Baek Wol-hee, and Han So-yeon.

"We need a channel to reach the Demonic Cult. We must learn why Cheongeom Mawang did this. At the same time, we must tread carefully to keep our ties with the Empire from collapsing."

Baek Wol-hee asked softly,

"Commander… do you really think we can control the Demonic Cult? Even if she gave us hints before, she's someone who ultimately moves for her own ambition."

Do-hyeon nodded.

"You're right. She's acting for her own ends. But if her plans put all of Murim in jeopardy, we can't just stand by."

The room fell into heavy silence. Do-hyeon let out a slow breath, his thoughts lingering on the past and future.

'Cheongeom Mawang… what is this new world you seek? And what part must I play in it?'

As tensions escalated between Cheonuhoe, the Empire, and the Demonic Cult, every faction was maneuvering to preserve its position. Yet none of them could see the greater undercurrent, moving beneath it all—one shaped by the intersecting destinies of Lee Do-hyeon and Cheongeom Mawang.

The road ahead would determine not just the fate of the Murim, but the very future of the Central Plains.