Ten Thousand Mountains lie between Guangxi and Guangdong.
At the peak of one of the Ten Thousand Mountains, there is a shrine for the Sky Demon Order.
Annual events are held there every year at the beginning of New Year's Day.
In the shrine there are glass boxes containing the past Lords' jade plates and items.
But only a few had the opportunity to see the inside.
Among the clans in the Sky Demon Order, only the 12 high clans, the Guardian family, and the Lord's direct descendants were allowed inside.
Pure Kick Clan.
Originally, it was a decent clan, but since Baekgi became one of the Six Swords it later became a high clan.
28 years ago, all the high-ranking members of the Sky Demon Order, including the members of the Pure Kick Clan, gathered at the shrine for the last time when the Lord, Chun Wu-jin, was summoned for prosecution.
[Mom… mom…]
[Shh. Jong-so. Be quiet.]
Guem Oh-yeon hushed the young Baek Jong-so.
A meeting was progressing inside the Shrine.
The atmosphere didn't seem good, and the families of each clan, who were waiting outside the meeting hall, kept silent.
[This… look here.]
Despite her hushing, Baek Jong-so pulled her hand.
The place where he took her to was the exhibition hall where the items of the past Lords were stored.
Baek Jong-so pointed to a display and said.
[Mom. Mom. That.]
Baek Jong-so pointed to where the identity plates of the past lords were.
Inside the glass was a total of forty three jade plates, including the founder of the cult's plate.
[I think someone stole something.]
There was an empty site.
The site was where the jade plate of the 24th Lord, who succeeded the 23rd Lord Chun Yujong, was supposed to be.
[Aren't we supposed to report that to the police?]
"Aigoo. My son." (Aigoo is basically just a deep sigh)
Geum Oh-yeon hugged Baek Jong-so and said.
[It isn't that someone stole the plate of the 24th Lord.]
[Then?]
[The 24th Lord has turned into the Demon God and he's protecting the Sky Demon Order. Which is why we don't have the plate.]
[Wow!]
[Son, be quiet.]
[Hehe.]
Actually, she was kind of lying, Geum Oh-yeon also didn't know the exact reason.
If one looked at the cult's historical records, which had been handed down from generation to generation, it looked like the 24th Lord had suddenly disappeared.
He was the last Lord of the Chun family who held the title of Chun Ma (Heavenly Demon).
The people of the cult had many doubts about the disappearance of the man who was the second Chun Ma and who saved the cult.
It was said that the Six Swords believed that the 24th Lord would return, even on their deathbeds.
'If the jade was simply lost, then a new one would've been made…'
She, too, couldn't understand just what had happened.
And most cult members thought that the missing jade was a part of the Sky Demon Order's history, a legend.
Thak!
24th Lord of the Sky Demon Order, Chun Yeowun.
'!!!'
An engraved jade plate with words and the seal of the first Chun Ma fell on the floor.
Geum Oh-yeon's eyes wavered when she saw it.
Baek Jong-so was the same.
[The 24th Lord has turned into the Demon God and he's protecting the Sky Demon Order.]
He recalled his mother's words.
The jade plate that was missing from the shrine of the cult, which wasn't open to anyone.
Was now in front of them.
And the seal of the first Chun Ma proved that it was not a fake.
'Just how did... ah!'
Geum Oh-yeon, who was looking at that, suddenly remembered something.
'The 24th Lord and the last holder of the Sky Demon Sword, disappeared.'
Since he had the Sky Demon Sword, it could be explained.
If the eldest son, Chun Yu-seong, found the missing Sky Demon Sword, then there was a high chance that he found the 24th Lord's jade plate along with his body.
If one thought about it rationally, how could a person from a thousand years ago still be alive?
But she still couldn't understand why the man was angry.
That was when Chun Yeowun opened his mouth.
"Since when did the cult turn into a mess? Give me the details."
"Yes?"
She couldn't understand the question.
It didn't make sense that Chun Yu-seong, the eldest son of the chairman, didn't know why the company was dissolved.
When part of the reason was him.
Unlike her, who was puzzled by the situation, Baek Jong-so had different thoughts.
'Is-Is that really possible?'
Just one question.
Just a single affirmation was needed.
Unlike Geum Oh-yeon who was denying the possibility that he is the 24th Lord, Baek jong-so was thinking of explanations.
Everybody knows that it's impossible for humans to live for a thousand years.
But there's an exception for every rule.
Since the Gates opened, high-level people with special abilities and warriors have been able to live for over a hundred years.
'And when I saw… him for the first time…'
Chun Yeowun didn't seem like a man of the current age.
He had long hair and he was wearing a historical costume; it was a standard look of the old cult.
But besides thinking that it was weird, he didn't think too much of it
Baek Jong-so raised his head and looked at Chun Yeowun.
'And that energy…'
No, it wasn't internal energy.
It was just Chun Yeowun staring down in anger.
It was an aura that could be felt from those who were beyond the mortal plane.
Baek Jong-so lowered his head without realizing it.
He couldn't even make eye contact with Chun Yeowun.
Baek Jong-so, who was confused, quietly sent a message to his mother, Geum Oh-yeon.
[Mother. I know it doesn't make sense but… it seems to be right.]
She was unable to respond because her dantian was broken, so she whispered.
"What the hell are you saying?"
[It seems like he's the 24th Lord!]
"What?"
[I-I can't believe it either…]
He was saying that it was true.
He was so excited that he could feel his heart pounding.
Thud!
With his head on the floor, Baek Jong-so asked.
"Are you really the 24th Lord?"
The man in front of him was someone who hasn't lied yet.
Geum Oh-yeon, who was bowing, also glanced up at Chun Yeowun with suspicious eyes.
Chun Yeowun said to them.
"You might be the descendants of Baekgi, seeing how many doubts you have."
'!?'
The two of them were shocked by the way he uttered Leader Baekgi's name, the 14th head of their clan, as if he was a subordinate.
The way he said it was so natural that they were slightly more convinced that he was the 24th Lord.
At that time, Geum Oh-yeon frowned and asked one more thing.
"I-I know that this could be rude, but is it okay if I ask just one more thing?"
Chun Yeowun didn't answer her.
And she continued.
"Leader Baekgi, the 14th head of our family, said that he received a favor from the 24th Lord, when you first met. Did you know that?"
It was someone only Geum Oh-yeon knew, as she was the wife of the last Pure Kick Clan head.
And it wasn't something the other clans would know either.
'Is mother trying to confirm it?'
Since Baek Jong-so has been on the run for most of his life, he didn't know many details about his clan.
Gulp!
Geum Oh-yeon looked at Chun Yeowun with tensed eyes, fearing that he might be offended.
But unexpectedly, Chun Yeowun's reaction was,
A smile!
"It isn't like him to leave a record of something like that."
The Baekgi he knew was the kind of person who didn't like other people knowing his personal stuff.
However, it seemed like Baekgi had left a record of the favor that Chun Yeowun had shown him early in the academy.
Actually, in the past he didn't expect Baekgi to take his side after that.
"Are you talking about the time when I detoxified the poison in his body during our stay at the Academy?"
"Gasp!"
Geum Oh-yeon covered her mouth with her palm.
And her eyes were wide open.
What Chun Yeowun said was almost identical to what Baekgi had written.
Baekgi himself had written it.
'How… how can this be?'
She was so startled that she was at a loss for words.
Her whole body kept shaking and she wasn't able to say anything.
"Haa… Haa…"
She began to have a hard time breathing.
When she was saved from outside the wall, she thought that she wouldn't witness another miracle in her life.
But that was no miracle.
A real miracle was happening right before her eyes.
'Demon God… Demon God… Demon God…! It is him!'
She looked at Chun Yeowun while her body shook, and then she banged her head on the floor.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Mo-Mother!"
Baek Jong-so was shocked.
Blood was dripping down from her forehead as she hit her head too hard. Then with her arms raised up and red eyes, she cried out.
"All hail the Great Sky Demon Order! Long Live the Order! A member of the insignificant Pure Kick Clan sees the legendary 2nd Generation Chun Ma, the Demon God! Please forgive me for my rudeness!"
'!!!'
Geum Oh-yeon had admitted it.
Baek Jong-so, who heard that, looked at Chun Yeowun with trembling eyes.
In front of him was the master of the jade plate, which was missing from the shrine he saw when he was a kid.
And at that, a thousand years later!
"Ahhh!"
Baek Jong-so immediately put his head down and shouted.
Thud!
"The leader of the Pure Kick Clan, Baek Jong-so! Greets the 2nd generation Chun Ma and the Demon God of the Great Sky Demon Order!"
The legend of the Sky Demon Order wasn't a lie!
The true Lord and Master of the Sky Demon Order had appeared.
The issue didn't die down easily.
When they saw the one called the legendary person of their clan, their emotions intensified.
Chun Yeowun had to stop it.
"Control yourselves."
"Huh?"
Woong!
He waved his hand, and the jade plate, which was on the ground, moved up.
Baek Jong-so's eyes lit up.
Chun Yeowun, who had been angry until a moment back, looked at Geum Oh-yeon.
Geum Oh-yeon cautiously said.
"Chun Ma. Please ask."
"… how did I die in the records?"
"Huh?"
The title these people were calling him by was different from what his descendant Chun Mu-seong called him.
It was definitely a different time axis.
However, the title he had here was Demon God.
It was the title he earned in his own time, which was changed thanks to his descendant.
"Ho-How means…"
"Answer what I asked."
"How can I say…"
"Answer me."
At the stern command, she spoke in a trembling voice.
"I-I apologize, but we don't know what happened clearly. It was recorded that Chun Ma disappeared in the western part of Liaoning while he was returning to the Cult from Changbai Mountains."
'!?'
Chun Yeowun's expression hardened.
He vaguely guessed it.
But only after hearing those words from Geum Oh-yeon he was sure.
'This… is the world I disappeared from?'