Chapter 453: Yeon's Heart (6)

Around six hundred years passed.

During that time, many events occurred in the cultivation world.

A young boy who found a secret manual on a cliff founded a sect called the Azure Heaven Creation Sect and opposed the Jo Clan's influence. The marriage alliance between the Jo Clan, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, and the Black Ghost Valley began to weaken as a new generation took over leadership in those two sects.

And around that time...

The head of the Jo Clan and the Council of Elders convened another meeting.

"The era of our Jo Clan has arrived."

The Heavenly Being stage cultivators of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Black Ghost Valley, and other demon race factions all ascended to the upper world with the recent opening of the Ascension Gate.

However, the Heavenly Being stage cultivators of the Jo Clan, who possessed Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent, did not ascend.

It was because of their Heavenly Punishment.

Thus, the Jo Clan naturally became the foremost power on the continent, possessing the greatest number of Heavenly Being stage cultivators.

Over the six hundred years, the number of Heavenly Being stage cultivators in the Jo Clan had increased to ten.

The Clan Head spoke confidently.

"Now, without a doubt, the Jo Clan is the greatest on the continent. We can bring any sect to its knees by force. But the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Black Ghost Valley, and others...sects with deep foundations that have senior members who ascended to the higher realms. If we forcefully annex them and those seniors descend, it would be disastrous. Therefore, we must proceed more moderately and absorb them gradually."

"What method do you think is best?"

"The mass marriage alliance we held six hundred years ago. Back then, we arranged widespread marriages between lower-ranked disciples of the clans and sects, forming a light alliance. But this time, we will establish an even stronger alliance. We will arrange marriages between Core Formation Elders from each sect and clan, slowly bringing them into the Jo Clan!"

"Hoo...that sounds good."

"As expected of the Clan Head!"

"Truly, the genius who evolved the Three-Pattern Law into the Two-Pattern Law in the shortest in record time...thanks to Clan Head, our Jo Clan is experiencing an unprecedented golden age..."

Kwang!

Inside the meeting hall where the Clan Head and the Grand Elders were gathered.

The door to the meeting hall suddenly burst open, and someone walked in.

The Clan Head furrowed his brow and shouted.

"Who do you think you are!? How dare you barge into the Elder Council meeting...?"

"Everyone, quiet!"

The hunchbacked figure who had entered the hall shouted loudly.

"From now on, I, Jo Yeon, a descendant of the Jo Clan, have something to say."

"Hmm...?"

It was Jo Yeon.

After scanning the meeting hall with glossy eyes, he ran a hand across his face.

Tststststststs!

As the pattern on Jo Yeon's face became visible, everyone in the hall was shocked.

"This, this, this..."

"One-Pattern Law Talent!!!"

They all shot to their feet, grinning with joy.

"Amazing! A One-Pattern Law Talent has appeared..."

"How many thousands of years has it been since this happened!? Haha! Hahaha! Truly, the age of the Jo Clan is upon us!"

The Clan Head, his face brimming with excitement, shouted.

"With a One-Pattern Law Talent, we don't need marriage alliances or anything else. We can just conquer everything! Haha! Well done, well done! Your name...yes, it was Jo Yeon! You've done well, this—"

"Shut up for a moment. I can't hear properly."

"...?".

But Jo Yeon, showing no interest in the clan head's words, placed a hand to his ear as if focusing on a distant voice.

Jo Yeon's eyes flashed as he spoke.

"Good, good. Then I will give you one last chance. Clan head! And members of the Elder Council! Do you remember the name of my wife, Wol Ha-eun, who died six hundred years ago?"

At those words, the clan head and the Grand Elders exchanged puzzled glances.

As the higher ups of the Jo Clan, they knew most of the Elders at the Core Formation stage and above.

But none of them remembered Jo Yeon ever being married.

"...Who is that?"

The clan head asked, puzzled.

Jo Yeon's eyes twitched.

"...Yes. Ignorance is not a sin. I will enlighten you. My wife was a martial artist. She was the disciple and adopted daughter of Wol Bi, the martial artist of Five Energies Converging to the Origin from the Wol Clan of Byeokra..."

"Wait, wait..."

The clan head shook his head as if he had a headache and interrupted Jo Yeon's words.

"What you're saying right now is...that pet from six hundred years ago was your wife? Well, I understand if you have strange preferences, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention acts like bestiality in such an official setting. After all, this is a gathering of elders, is it not?"

The clan head was displeased, but seeing the single pattern emerging on Jo Yeon's face, he gritted his teeth.

"So, if you could just show a bit more formality..."

"You all have two choices."

Jo Yeon crossed his arms and spoke confidently.

"First, you and I mobilize everything we have to find a way to see my wife again and beg for her forgiveness. Second, you go directly to where my wife is and ask for her forgiveness."

"..."

A chill spread through the meeting hall at Jo Yeon's words.

"So, you're saying we either resurrect the dead or die ourselves?"

The clan head shook his head in disbelief.

"Haha. You're going too far with your jokes. Just because you lost one pet..."

Crack!

In the next moment, the clan head was split in half and killed.

Not only his body, but even his Nascent Soul was cleaved in two in a single strike, leaving no possibility of revival.

"...!"

"What in the world...?"

"Is this an attack!?"

As the Grand Elders panicked, Jo Yeon shouted again.

"Everyone quiet! Quiet! Sit down!"

"You disrespectful brat, a clan elder has just died and you dare—"

Kwang!

The moment one of the Grand Elders were about to shout at Jo Yeon.

As expected, the Grand Elder's body was also split in two, just like the clan head.

Only then did the Grand Elders fall silent, staring at Jo Yeon.

It was because they could see that the Grand Elder who spoke was killed at Jo Yeon's mere gesture.

One of the Grand Elders asked in a trembling voice.

"You...you...just now. Did you kill the clan head and a Grand Eld-."

Pukwak!

The Grand Elder who opened their mouth was also split in two and killed.

Jo Yeon, his eyes gleaming wildly, looked around at the Grand Elders and muttered.

"I told you to be quiet. I can't hear [the voice] properly."

"..."

"This is your last chance. Will you help me find a way to resurrect my wife, or will you all die?"

For a moment, silence reigned over the Grand Elders.

And then—

Kwaaaang!

The ceiling of the hall was blown away, and ten Heavenly Being stage Supreme Grand Elders of the Jo Clan appeared.

"We came because the clan head was killed, and what is this...!"

The appearance of the Heavenly Being stage Supreme Grand Elders brought hope to the eyes of the Grand Elders.

"E-Elders!"

"You've arrived just in time! This madman is trying to stage a rebellion!"

"That Jo Yeon bastard killed the clan head! Please, elders, punish him!"

The Jo Clan's Heavenly Being stage cultivators glared at Jo Yeon and shouted.

"You bastard! Do you realize your crime?"

Kurururung!

The heavens roared.

Heaven and Earth spiritual energy trembled.

A terrifying pressure weighed down on the entire area.

However, even under the immense pressure, Jo Yeon sneered.

"...I definitely said this was the [last chance]. Isn't that right, dear?"

The next moment, the Heavenly Being Supreme Grand Elders and the Nascent Soul Grand Elders were startled to see a woman standing behind Jo Yeon, emerging from the shadows.

"Grand Perfection Heavenly Being!"

"When did such a high person appear...?"

Ignoring the loud Jo Clan, Jo Yeon turned around and gently stroked the woman's cheek.

The woman resembled Ha-eun.

She looked just like she did in the final moments Jo Yeon had shared with Ha-eun.

Though there was no burn scar on her face, there were pockmarks, and though she appeared intelligent, her face was angular.

Not exactly a beautiful face.

She wore a pure white robe, and like when Jo Yeon and Ha-eun had first become lovers, her face was veiled by a plain cloth, hiding her appearance.

Jo Yeon caressed her cheek.

It was cold.

He stared at the puppet in Ha-eun's form and murmured quietly.

"Just end it all for me. [Dear]."

The next moment, [She] became light and soared into the sky.

Wielding short spears in both hands, [She] rushed at a Heavenly Being Supreme Grand Elder, splitting him in half and killing him in a single strike.

"H-Heok...!"

"This is insane..."

The realm of Jo Yoen’s body was merely at the Grand Perfection Core Formation stage, but she was a puppet who partially rose to the Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage over six hundred years.

A masterpiece completed by pouring in all his obsession.

Jo Yeon, who had completed [Her], burst into maniacal laughter and shouted.

"Now, then. Let it all be annihilated! My clan!!!"

The Jo Clan burned.

And a great massacre ensued.

It was caused by just one Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage puppet.

The tragedy was wrought by the puppet known as [Her].

"P-Please, spare me! Please spare me!"

Jo Yeon smiled as he watched the clan's Elders being dragged before him.

"Throw them in."

In addition to [Her], Jo Yeon began controlling puppets at the Nascent Soul-level to systematically destroy the clan.

One Grand Perfection Core Formation Elder was thrown whole into a refining furnace by a Nascent Soul-level puppet.

"GUAAAAAAAH! Guuurgh...grk..."

After some time.

The Grand Perfection Core Formation Elder emerged from the Jo Clan's refining furnace as a single pill.

It was the Emotion Advancement Pill, the pride of the Jo Clan.

Gulp!

Jo Yeon swallowed the Emotion Advancement Pill.

It was originally a pill made from grinding down mortals, taking several years to refine, but when it was made from cultivators, the refinement was completed in an instant. Jo Yeon smiled in satisfaction as he observed the quickly finished pills.

"H-Hey, Jo Yeon. You, you remember me, right? I treated you so well..."

Jo Yeon looked at the late-stage disciple who had fed Ha-eun to him, now dragged before him.

With a gentle expression, Jo Yeon ordered the puppet.

"Rip out his tongue."

Then, taking out numerous healing pills and elixirs he had taken from the Jo Clan's treasure vault he said,

"And feed these to him, so he regenerates. Repeat it until his mind breaks."

Jo Yeon, with a relaxed gaze, began refining the entire Jo Clan into pills and swallowing them.

'They said she was turned into three hundred pills and fed to the late-stage disciples and higher ups.'

No one knew exactly who had consumed Ha-eun.

Thus, Jo Yeon made one decisive choice to retrieve Ha-eun, who had entered the bellies of his clan members.

"You will all become one with me."

A decision made to completely become one with Ha-eun.

Jo Yeon endlessly consumed the Emotion Advancement Pills, which had surpassed even the highest grade due to being made from cultivators.

"Don't worry."

And, the more Emotion Advancement Pills he ate.

The more of his clan he devoured, the greater the madness took root in Jo Yeon's mind.

"I will never forget any of you."

Jo Yeon used all his consciousness to remember every single member of his clan, screaming and wailing before him.

After all, they were his blood relatives.

"You will all...become one with my world."

Jo Yeon firmly imprinted the images of the screaming people into his consciousness.

It was to bear the original sin of devouring his clan.

And with each person he consumed.

Jo Yeon felt the noise in his head grow louder.

His mind gradually filled with endless shouting and screams.

Crunch!

At last, Jo Yeon devoured all the members of his clan.

The late-stage disciple, who had gone mad after having his tongue ripped out again and again, was the last to enter Jo Yeon's belly.

"Heh, heh heh..."

Unlike six hundred years ago when he had been half-mad, Jo Yeon was now completely insane.

Hearing the resentment and hallucinations of his clan members, he shed tears.

"Are you alright over there, dear?"

He said, hugging [Her] lovingly.

"Look, look. Didn't I tell you? That our clan members aren't truly evil people. Look. In the end, they're racking their brains with me, trying to find a way to meet you again, right? Isn't that so?"

Pretending to listen to the empty air, Jo Yeon laughed.

"Ahh, see, my clan members are responsible people. They're saying how they'll be one with me like this and meet dear again to apologize...meet dear again...again..."

Mumbling nonsense while grinning at the empty air, Jo Yeon grabbed [Her] body.

Then, he shouted.

"Again...I want to see you again!"

He raised his voice in agony, looking up at the sky.

"Again, again, if I could go back to that moment. If I could return to the moment when I met you, I would never hesitate. Even if it meant dying together, I would run away with you while holding the wedding. We swore that we would die on the same day, at the same time, didn't we? Right? So, I, I...again..."

In his eyes, the moment he first met Ha-eun was reflected.

Every moment he shared with her flashed by.

He recalled the words she had said to him.

—It's only strange because you perceive it that way...but in my eyes...yes. It's wonderfully mysterious, in a way that's quite fascinating and beautiful.

Strange (怪奇/bizarre) and wonderfully mysterious (奇妙) are, essentially, differences in perception.

For some reason, those words lingered in Jo Yeon's mind.

Jo Yeon let out a voice filled with pain.

"Again! Again, even if just once, I will...recreate that moment!"

From the ruins of the Jo Clan, one hunchback who had lost everything and gone mad,

Having consumed beyond the limits of the Emotion Advancement Pills, he reached a place transcending even the One-Pattern Law Talent and vowed to recreate the one moment that had been the most valuable in his life.

He swore before [Her].

"Even if just once!!!"

That day.

Jo Yeon hugged [Her] in his embrace and was determined.

Even though there was no difference between bizarre and wonderfully mysterious, he resolved that he would become a bizarre monster henceforth.

Recognizing himself as a monster, even if it meant pouring out countless sacrifices,

He would wait for the day he could see her again.

Only then, he believed he would return not as a bizarre monster, but as Jo Yeon from that wonderfully mysterious and beautiful time...

He made that resolution.

"I am..."

Looking at [Her] in his arms, he muttered.

"The father (父君) of monsters (怪物)"

Contemplating his bizarre and hideous self within his madness...

Jo Yeon thus became the Mad Lord (怪君).

Author's Note: In yesterday's note, I announced that the Mad Lord episode would be finished in one chapter...

However, as I added more emotional depth, the length increased, and it ended up becoming three chapters.

I have no excuse if you accuse me of indulging in a character I favor.

However, I really wanted to share about the character known as Mad Lord with my readers.

I am well aware that melodramatic elements can be seen as a drawback in regression and cultivation stories.

But even though it may be dripping with melodrama, I wanted to express this character called the Mad Lord.

You could say it was the author's inability to suppress their own desires over the consideration of the readers.

If there were any readers who found it boring, I sincerely apologize as a web novel author for not providing a faster-paced development.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and love to the readers who have read up to this point.

Always thankful, and once again, thank you.