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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Rolling Stone Catches the Eye of the Cult
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*Gulp.*
For the first time since reawakening, Maeng Ak felt a sense of crisis.
His palms grew damp with tension.
'Damn it. If he comes at me with his full strength, this won't be easy…'
Honestly, he hadn't expected to clash with the Cult's leadership so soon.
Maeng Ak had yet to regain even half of the accomplishments he'd achieved in his past life.
If the Left Guardian, Yeomje, changed his mind and attacked because of the contest for Young Cult Leader, it could be dangerous.
The reason he'd entered the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon?
Obviously, to push aside all the youngsters and rise to the position of Young Cult Leader.
But if he answered that way now, they might try to eliminate him.
He had to be cautious.
"Well, of course…"
But Maeng Ak stopped mid-sentence, grinned, and voiced his true thoughts.
For some reason, he felt it was okay to be honest with the bald man before him.
Despite the killing intent that made his entire body tingle, the man had the same grit he had sensed in the Green Forest.
"I entered to become the Young Cult Leader."
Was Maeng Ak's intuition wrong?
The Left Guardian Yeomje raised his internal energy to its peak and placed a hand on the hilt of his blade.
It felt as if the world was being sucked in toward him.
An immense presence crushed everything in his vicinity.
Maeng Ak wasn't the only one who felt it.
Ha Song, who had been merely observing their conversation, broke out in a cold sweat as the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Of all things, the master to whom he was indebted and the lord he served were facing off.
He could only wonder, *If my lord is in danger, how can I throw myself in the way to save him?* He watched for an opportunity.
*CRACK!*
The pressure intensified as Yeomje took a single step forward with his right foot.
Then he moved his left foot back, taking a stance as if he were about to strike.
An intangible energy, making it seem as if the aura and pressure he'd exuded until now were nothing, erupted violently, shaking the very ground.
Left Guardian Yeomje. His full power was a force of nature.
*Kiiing!*
He lifted the hand on his blade's hilt ever so slightly. An incredible heat radiated from the revealed blade.
It was enough to create the illusion that the sun was rising from his scabbard.
That brief process felt like an eternity. It was proof that his life was truly in danger.
But Maeng Ak didn't flinch.
He trusted his instincts.
*Clang!*
Yeomje's hand, resting on the hilt, moved again, making a sound.
The moment Ha Song heard it, he gathered all his internal energy and leaped between his master and his lord.
He had thrown himself in without a thought for the consequences.
'Somehow, I must save my lord…!'
He had tried to stop the conflict between the two by sacrificing himself.
It was a firm resolve, made at the cost of his life.
But unfortunately, just like when he had interrupted the first test, his effort was in vain.
Though Ha Song's body flew perfectly between his lord and his master, Yeomje did nothing and sheathed his blade, causing Ha Song to crash face-first onto the floor.
*Splat!*
A brief silence followed.
"…"
Maeng Ak smiled wryly at Ha Song, who had once again made a fool of himself.
'Hah. I can't even scold him since he's doing it for me…'
But Left Guardian Yeomje, the one who had created this situation, burst out laughing.
"Pwahahaha! An innocent fool gets caught up in my little prank."
He then offered Maeng Ak some playful advice.
"He may have brightened up again, but it seems his foolishness has also returned. You'll have your hands full with him."
"That, too, is part of my good fortune. Thank you for your words."
Maeng Ak clasped his fist in a polite martial salute while thinking to himself.
'He's no ordinary man. Right up until he sheathed his blade, he genuinely intended to cut me down. His boldness matches his skill.'
Yeomje accepted Maeng Ak's greeting and turned his back. This time, he offered a piece of sincere advice.
"For a mere trainee, you have considerable nerve. A vessel too large to be filled even by the title of Young Cult Leader. However, be wary of the Cult Leader and the lords of the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates. When they see you, they will surely try to make you one of their pawns. Remember that knowing when to be satisfied is the secret to a long life."
*Flutter.*
With his back still turned, he flicked his martial robes once and vanished.
His movement technique was as impressive as his swordsmanship.
'Hmph! A brat younger than my past self, lecturing me about the secret to a long life.'
Though Maeng Ak thought this inwardly, he did not forget the advice to be wary of the Cult Leader and the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates. He called out to Ha Song.
"Ha Song. You can get up now."
Still embarrassed, Ha Song lifted his reddened face and coughed repeatedly.
"Ahem. Ahem. The floor is quite slippery…"
"Enough. Let's go."
Ha Song was about to spout more nonsense out of embarrassment, but Maeng Ak cut him off sharply.
Now that the tension had broken, fatigue was setting in.
At that, Ha Song dropped the pointless chatter and instead provided information about the next test.
"Ahem-hem. You seem tired, so as your instructor, I will just give you the details of the next test and take my leave. The second test is… a joint battle."
***
In a dark room, illuminated only by a single luminous pearl.
This was the room the Cult Leader and the Guardians used to discuss important matters.
And in here, as always, the sound of a sword being carefully wiped echoed.
*Shhhring.*
It was the low cry of the Cult Leader's sword, a replica of the Heavenly Demon Sword.
Though a replica, its performance surpassed that of most treasured swords.
It had been crafted from the horn of a high-grade spirit beast by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's finest blacksmith, who had worked for ten straight days and nights.
The sword's owner spoke.
"Left Guardian. Since you put it that way, I'll let it slide. But you'll have to deal with the complaints from those old fools in the Council of Elders."
"As you command!"
"So, how was the boy?"
"If you mean So Ryong, he passed the entrance exam safely…"
*Swish.*
The Cult Leader raised his right hand, cutting the Left Guardian off mid-sentence.
"I'm not talking about that boy. I heard you crossed hands with another?"
'Has word already reached the Cult Leader's ears? I didn't expect him to show interest.'
"If you are referring to trainee number 1390, Maeng Ak, then yes. He is a child of exceptional talent. I believe he will be a great asset to the future of our cult."
"Hoh. This is the first time you've praised someone so highly since So Ryong."
For a brief moment, the Left Guardian saw a flash of greed in the Cult Leader's eyes.
He had a bad feeling.
"Well, I hope nothing that requires my attention will occur. Ensure there are no disruptions to the plan."
'Was I mistaken?'
Contrary to his expectations, the Cult Leader took no particular action, which puzzled the Left Guardian.
But he soon shook his head and left the room.
The Cult Leader had dismissed him.
"Left Guardian, you may leave."
"As you command!"
*Creeak.*
*Thud.*
Only after the Left Guardian had left and the heavy iron door had closed did the Cult Leader speak again.
"Silent Kill Squad."
Instantly, ten men materialized behind the Cult Leader, where there had been no presence at all.
They were always by the Cult Leader's side, yet even the Left Guardian, a master of his caliber, had not sensed them.
This was because they practiced a special martial art, as they were a group that followed any of the Cult Leader's orders, primarily carrying out missions like assassination.
They didn't even answer their master's call.
Looking closely, none of them had mouths. Where their mouths should have been, there were only artificial scars.
The Cult Leader continued speaking to the silent figures.
"From this moment on, monitor the Left Guardian and trainee number 1390. And if the time comes, feed it to them."
*Shush.*
Upon receiving the order, the Silent Kill Squad vanished as soundlessly as they had appeared.
In their hands, they held pouches inscribed with the words "Gu poison."
***
Two days had passed since the end of the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon's first test, the entrance exam.
Today was the day the promising Rising Stars of the Divine Hall were scheduled to meet.
Their meeting place was the third floor of the Sky Devil Inn, famous for its exorbitant prices.
As they had important matters to discuss, they had rented out the entire expensive third floor.
Finally, with So Ryong knocking on the door to the third-floor private room, everyone was gathered.
*Knock, knock.*
"Hmph! The youngest one is the last to arrive."
Geom Cheon-ha, who had never liked So Ryong, immediately rebuked him.
From the other side of the door, So Ryong replied slyly as he entered.
*Creeak.*
"My humble self was so excited at the prospect of seeing you great heroes that I couldn't sleep, and thus committed this discourtesy. I beg your generous forgiveness."
The words coming from his mouth could have belonged to a warrior of the Orthodox Faction, but the mouth they came from was curled up in a smirk.
Moreover, as he opened the door and entered, his eyes scanned the others with a probing intensity.
It seemed So Ryong had arrived late on purpose.
As if he wanted to provoke someone into a clash.
However, his plan was thwarted when Hwan Cheon-hwa rose from her seat.
"If all we're going to do is waste time like this, I see no reason to stay."
Eum Cheon-myeong, sitting beside her, held her back.
"It's not the first or second time these idiots have acted this way. Just let it go. We'll get to the main point, so don't be hasty. Sit down."
"I'll listen to the main point and then leave."
As if unable to refuse Eum Cheon-myeong's persuasion, Hwan Cheon-hwa sat back down. She knew it too.
The discussion taking place here today would change the future dynamics of the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon.
Thanks to Eum Cheon-myeong and Hwan Cheon-hwa, the atmosphere was set.
With everyone present, the meeting began.
Dok Cheon-roe spoke first.
"I'll start. First, does anyone here know anything about trainee number 1390, Maeng Ak?"
"No one would know him better than you."
Do Cheon-mu replied with a sneer.
Though it annoyed him, Dok Cheon-roe's standing had already been diminished by Maeng Ak.
He didn't bother to argue and continued.
"I believe that for us to compete fairly as we always have, we must first get rid of the rolling stone."
A venomous glint flickered in his eyes. As he spoke, Dok Cheon-roe clenched his fists, the memory of his humiliation at Maeng Ak's hands two days ago resurfacing.
But for some reason, Hwan Cheon-hwa seemed to disagree.
"Fairly… It's laughable to hear such a word from the Poison Heavenly Pillar Gate. And why should I lend my strength to your petty revenge?"
Strangely, she became much more talkative whenever Maeng Ak was mentioned.
This time was no different, and it thoroughly grated on Dok Cheon-roe's nerves.
Dok Cheon-roe didn't show it, but inwardly, he cursed her.
To him, she had transformed from a flower he wanted to possess into a flower he wanted to break.
'How dare that damn bitch!'
As Dok Cheon-roe failed to come up with a proper retort, Do Cheon-mu spoke up instead.
"I don't like Dok Cheon-roe's words, but he's not wrong. That man is certainly a nuisance."
Geom Cheon-ha sneered, disagreeing.
"Hah! Don't make me laugh. To think a mere orphan would get under your skin. Ah, but I suppose for weaklings like you, that might be the case."
"I have no desire to get into a pointless argument with you. You saw it too, didn't you? What happened to the one who underestimated him."
Do Cheon-mu's counterattack against Geom Cheon-ha only served to reopen Dok Cheon-roe's painful wound.
The venom in Dok Cheon-roe's eyes deepened.
'Every last one of them looks down on me. I'll make them regret it…'
But no one there paid him any particular mind.
So Ryong proved this by speaking up.
"Honestly, I quite like him. However, anyone who has seen his eyes would know.
If you try to contain him, you'll be the one to overflow…"
He let his words trail off, scanning everyone before breaking into a grin.
"How about we join forces to deal with him during the second test?"
He was like a sly serpent. Despite his small and youthful appearance, his dark intentions suited a serpent well.
Eum Cheon-myeong asked him.
"Is there a reason to deal with him during the second test, the joint battle, instead of the third, the combat tournament? He has no faction, so it'll be hard for him to advance in the joint battle anyway. Even if he does, we can just handle him together in the tournament."
Eum Cheon-myeong, being of a lazy disposition, questioned So Ryong's haste.
But So Ryong answered as if he had been waiting for the question, and after a brief exchange, Eum Cheon-myeong nodded.
"Quite a few were impressed by him in the first test.
If we don't keep him in check during the second test, he might form his own faction."
"Even if he does, it'll just be a bunch of losers who fell away from us, won't it? At best, they'd be from minor and mid-sized Pillar Gates…"
"Of course, but there's no reason to give him time to form a faction."
"And the reason for avoiding the third test?"
"I heard that external interference becomes difficult from that point on."
"I see."
So Ryong's last point was something the other Rising Stars had also surmised.
The Divine Hall of the Latent Demon was run by the neutral Council of Elders.
Neither the Cult Leader nor the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates could interfere recklessly, and since they would be judging the third test themselves, external intervention would be nearly impossible.
After this, the Rising Stars continued their discussion for quite some time.
They concluded that they would all work together to check Maeng Ak during the second test.
Hwan Cheon-hwa didn't seem pleased, but she didn't object either.
Thus, the day before the second test, their meeting came to an end.
***
Whether he knew of the plot to dispose of him or not, Maeng Ak had devoted the past two days solely to training.
With only two days, there were no drastic changes, but he was able to fully adapt to his new body.
In the process, he confirmed that the Heaven and Earth Body was even more exceptional than he had anticipated.
"Soon, I won't even be able to call it the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger."
The Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger had already mixed considerably with the demonic energy in his body.
Thanks to this, the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger was being reborn in his new vessel.
A Heaven and Earth Body, capable of wielding both evil and demonic energies. This achievement was possible thanks to the experience and knowledge of Maeng Ak, who had been a peerless master.
Of course, it wasn't yet perfect, but for Maeng Ak, who had reached the pinnacle in his past life, it was a new kind of stimulation.
"This feels as good as when I reached the apex of the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger, something even my master couldn't achieve in my past life."
Maeng Ak looked at his tightly clenched left fist and his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword, and he felt it.
He was growing stronger in a completely different way than in his past life.