Chapter: 844

“Betray? Who is betraying whom, Admiral?”

“Aren’t your actions an act of betrayal and rebellion against the Empire? Isn’t that what you are doing?”

At Seo Tae-sik’s words, Ran-yeong shook her head and answered with a smirk.

“This woman in front of you, has been living for the Cult since the moment she was born. In the old days, I was ordered by the Lord of the Demonic Cult to protect the treasure in the Royal Shrine, so how can you call this betrayal?”

The word ‘betrayal’ was something Ran-yeong hated the most.

She was one of the most loyal members of the Demonic Cult.

However, even though he knew about her existence, Seo Tae-sik, the Admiral, couldn’t have known about the pact that had been made two hundred years before.

“Demonic Cult’s orders? Hold on. What absurdity are you...”

“Stop.”

That was when someone interrupted him.

“Your Majesty?”

The one who had stopped him was none other than the Emperor.

Knowing that the Lord of the Demonic Cult himself was present, he had decided to stay silent, but when he stepped forward, Admiral Seo Tae-sik had to keep his mouth shut.

The emperor made eye contact with Ran-yeong, who seemed proud of her actions, and started recalling the past.

It was when he had inherited the throne that he had been told the truth.

[Emperor, listen to us. Strictly speaking, the Qilin’s Core and Blood, the treasures kept in the Royal Shrine, actually do not belong to the Imperial family.]

[Not to our family?]

He was too shocked to understand what that actually meant.

He was later informed of the contents of the contract which had been signed by the past Emperor.

[The Great Guardian, Ran-yeong, is a member of the Demonic Cult, who signed a contract with the First Emperor at the founding of the Empire to protect the treasure.]

Originally, the first emperor had known that the men from the Demonic Cult, who were there to protect the treasures of the Royal Shrine, would disappear over time.

He’d thought that if everyone disappeared over time, the treasure would soon be forgotten by the cult.

However, something totally unexpected had happened.

The last remaining member of the cult, Mun Ran-yeong, had managed to consume the Qilin’s blood, and therefore to increase her lifespan.

‘I knew that this day might come soon.’

The first emperor hadn’t thought that its blood would be absorbed in his time.

If the core and the blood in the Royal Shrine were used by too many people, the contract between the Demonic Cult and Imperial Family would become meaningless. With that in mind, Ran-yeong had decided to stay behind and guard the core and blood.

But now, the Lord of the Demonic Cult himself had appeared.

“... the words of the Guardian hold truth. There is no doubt that she is a member of the Demonic Cult.”

“!!!”