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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Pretending to be the Heavenly Demon
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"This humble believer, Hwan Cheon-hwa, greets the Heavenly Demon of our time!"
'…Huh?'
Maeng Ak wondered if, in all his past and present lives, he had ever heard anything more absurd.
In his past life, he was the Fist King of the Green Forest, the greatest master of the Unorthodox Faction. Now, he was Maeng Ak, Cadet 1390 of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But the current Heavenly Demon?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Alright, maybe the fellow next to him would know.
Maeng Ak asked Eum Cheon-myeong, who wore the same dazed expression as him.
"Hey. I think she's lost her mind."
However, Eum Cheon-myeong indicated that he didn't know either.
With no other choice, Maeng Ak muttered the most likely possibility that crossed his mind.
"Did she suffer from cultivation deviation…?"
At his words, the prostrate Hwan Cheon-hwa slammed her head to the ground again and replied.
*Thud!*
"Heavenly Demon! I am perfectly fine! Please, I beseech you to take this humble believer into your service!"
*Flinch.*
Maeng Ak recalled the stories his master, Maeng Eun-ho, had told him in his past life about the Demonic Cult.
- Maeng Ak. The terror of the Demonic Cult isn't just the power of their demonic arts. What makes them truly frightening is that every last one of them is insane.
- Every last one of them is insane, you say?
- That's right. They are madmen who worship a human called the Heavenly Demon, not a god. They treat the Heavenly Demon, a mere mortal, as a deity and mistake his commands for divine revelations.
- Worshipping a human like a god... I understand that they're mad, but why does that make them frightening?
- The Heavenly Demon was so powerful that his very existence was perceived as fear itself.
But the cultists, united around him, carried that ultimate fear on their backs, and thus had no fear of their own. That is what makes them terrifying.
- Demonic followers who worship and follow a human, casting aside fear for his sake...
Madmen who not only practiced demonic arts but also worshiped a human as a god.
When he heard it from his master, it hadn't truly sunk in. But now, thanks to Hwan Cheon-hwa before him, it finally hit home.
'This woman is definitely it. She's completely and utterly insane!'
Of course, he wasn't afraid of Hwan Cheon-hwa, whose martial skill was far inferior to his own.
But it was certain that she was a lunatic.
Acting like this even to the real Heavenly Demon would seem crazy, but doing it to him, of all people, made her seem twice as mad.
However, Maeng Ak also sensed her potential usefulness. He began to act, intending to use her.
If he could get her, one of the young heads of the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates, on his side, it would be much easier to seize control of the Demonic Cult.
"To recognize this one... you are quite perceptive."
At that, Hwan Cheon-hwa lifted her head, deeply moved.
"Ah, Heavenly Demon!"
"Who gave you permission to raise your head?"
*THUD!*
He had only said it to get into character, but Hwan Cheon-hwa slammed her head to the ground and even began to tremble.
"This humble believer has dared to commit a grave error! Please, kill me!"
"Silence. What benefit is there to this one in killing you? Repay your sin with loyalty."
"Loyalty!"
Hwan Cheon-hwa replied, overwhelmed, as if she had received a blessing from a god.
Even Maeng Ak, who was only acting, felt a chill at her words and actions.
'Is this the Demonic Cult?'
However, for the sake of his revenge, there was nothing he wouldn't do.
Maeng Ak's performance continued.
"How were you able to recognize this one?"
"This lowly one, Hwan Cheon-hwa, is the daughter of the Hwan Heavenly Pillar Gate, one of the five pillars of our cult."
"And?"
"I don't know the reason, but perhaps about the cult...?"
Hwan Cheon-hwa had answered, assuming Maeng Ak would know about the Sacred Black Flame of the Hwan Heavenly Pillar Gate.
But when he seemed not to know, she looked at Maeng Ak with questioning eyes.
It was a situation where he could easily arouse suspicion.
But Maeng Ak had far too much experience and had lived too many years for that.
"Is that a problem?"
He looked down at Hwan Cheon-hwa, frowning as if displeased.
He was simultaneously pointing out that she was the one who had hailed him as the Heavenly Demon first, and clarifying the difference in their status.
"How could that be? This lowly one was simply moved that the opportunity to be of service to the Heavenly Demon came sooner than expected..."
"Then shut up and speak."
Maeng Ak's act was incredibly coercive and aggressive.
But what was this?
To his absolute horror, Hwan Cheon-hwa shivered slightly and a blush crept onto her face.
It seemed she was well and truly insane.
Hwan Cheon-hwa, oblivious to the contempt in Maeng Ak's eyes, continued speaking.
"Since ancient times, the Hwan Heavenly Pillar Gate has had what is called the Sacred Black Flame..."
An explanation flowed from her lips. To summarize, it was this:
The Hwan Heavenly Pillar Gate deals in illusionary arts that confuse the mind, and they derive their power from the Sacred Black Flame, a culmination of spells left behind by the Heavenly Demon.
Occasionally, a prophecy descends from this Sacred Black Flame. Hwan Cheon-hwa, who received such a prophecy, saw a man with the same aura as Maeng Ak within it.
Furthermore, Hwan Cheon-hwa said that the man wielded the Heavenly Demon Sword in his right hand and performed fist techniques with his left.
Just like the current Maeng Ak.
Thus, by combining Maeng Ak's overwhelming martial prowess with the meaning of the prophecy, she had concluded that he was the Heavenly Demon.
But then, a problem arose.
"Once the Sacred Black Flame finds its master, you will be able to officially ascend to the position of the cult's current Heavenly Demon, without any of this Divine Hall of the Latent Demon nonsense."
'Damn it. I knew things were going too smoothly.'
At Hwan Cheon-hwa's last words, Maeng Ak couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Silently, of course, so as not to be found out.
Naturally, no matter what Hwan Cheon-hwa rambled on about, Maeng Ak did not think he was the Heavenly Demon.
He was nothing more than the leader of the Green Forest, who simply wanted revenge on the hypocritical bastards of the Orthodox Faction, led by the Alliance Leader.
But, whether he knew Maeng Ak's thoughts or not, Eum Cheon-myeong, who was standing beside him, began to chime in.
"I see...! So that's what it was! Yes, that's why that sound...!!"
*THUD!*
He too slammed his head to the ground like Hwan Cheon-hwa and cried out.
"This humble believer, Eum Cheon-myeong, greets the Heavenly Demon of our time!"
'How did it come to this...'
Maeng Ak pressed on his throbbing temples and gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Yes, yes."
At that simple gesture, Eum Cheon-myeong, just as Hwan Cheon-hwa had, was overcome with emotion and slammed his head to the ground again.
*THUD!*
"Thank you for accepting me! I will dedicate my entire being to helping the Heavenly Demon's official ascension!"
"Huh? Why is the conversation going that way..."
'This is a huge problem.
For some reason, it seems accepting the bows of this crazy pair is some kind of custom for taking them as subordinates.
Fine, let's say that's that.
But why are they saying they'll help with the official ascension?
There's no way I'm the Heavenly Demon, so even if I approach this Sacred Black Flame thing, it's not like it's going to recognize me as its master.'
If this continued, he might make an enemy of the entire Demonic Cult.
If that happened, his goal of taking revenge on the Orthodox Faction would become even harder to achieve.
He had to avoid that at all costs.
"I will postpone the official ascension via the Sacred Black Flame."
"Why...?"
Eum Cheon-myeong tactlessly asked for a reason.
'This little brat!'
But before Maeng Ak could come up with a plausible reason, Hwan Cheon-hwa answered for him.
"Ah, Heavenly Demon, how profound you are... Eum Cheon-myeong. The Heavenly Demon wishes to be certain."
"Certain of what?"
"Tsk, tsk. You dullard. Besides you and I, there may be no other cultist who can recognize the Heavenly Demon. But what do you think would happen if even the Sacred Black Flame failed to recognize him?"
"If that happened, it would be immediately executed for blasphemy. But there's no way the Sacred Black Flame wouldn't recognize the Heavenly Demon..."
"It's possible. Though he is far superior to us, the Heavenly Demon's physical body is not yet complete. Above all, the prophecy weighs on my mind. The Heavenly Demon must have instinctively sensed it as well."
Maeng Ak knew nothing of the prophecy Hwan Cheon-hwa mentioned, but he had no reason to discard the escape route she had created for him, so he quickly spoke up.
"That's right. It is still too soon. This one has inherited the true legacy of the founding Heavenly Demon to revive the cult in this era. I cannot speak of the details, but reclaiming the Sacred Black Flame and ascending as the Heavenly Demon is a matter for after I become the Young Cult Leader. You two are to keep my identity as the Heavenly Demon a secret."
"We obey your command!"
Eum Cheon-myeong and Hwan Cheon-hwa accepted it more easily than he'd expected. Although a few things didn't add up, it was the only way to explain Maeng Ak's impossibly high level of martial arts.
Above all, Hwan Cheon-hwa had said that the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon she saw in the prophecy were the same as Maeng Ak's.
The martial arts that the current Maeng Ak was newly establishing.
To them, that was the greatest proof that Maeng Ak was the Heavenly Demon.
Maeng Ak continued.
"You two will help this one complete all the trials of the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon and become the Young Cult Leader. Not that the trials are any challenge..."
*Ssk.*
Eum Cheon-myeong and Hwan Cheon-hwa followed Maeng Ak's gaze.
There lay the cadets who had been defeated by Maeng Ak, scattered about.
"It will be a nuisance if the people backing those brats start making a fuss. This one wishes to preserve the cult's strength as much as possible. Therefore, you two will handle it."
"We obey your command!"
"Furthermore, until this one permits it again, you are to treat me as Cadet 1390, Maeng Ak."
"…We obey your command."
The thought of daring to treat the Heavenly Demon as a fellow cadet gave Hwan Cheon-hwa and Eum Cheon-myeong a headache. Of course, they had been doing so until now, but that was when they were ignorant of his identity.
"Then I will take my leave."
*Fwoosh.*
Maeng Ak kicked off the ground, and his body vanished from sight in an instant.
Only after he was gone did Eum Cheon-myeong and Hwan Cheon-hwa straighten their bent knees.
"Hah. I never thought I'd be blessed with such an honor."
"Eum Cheon-myeong. I understand how you feel, but let's deal with these guys first."
"Of course! It's the first command he gave us!"
And they began to wake the unconscious, scattered figures one by one.
* * *
"Come out."
Maeng Ak, who everyone thought was returning to his personal quarters, stopped in a completely different place.
It was some distance from the pond where the commotion had occurred, a place dense with large trees, perfect for someone to hide.
Maeng Ak had told someone to come out because there was a person hidden there.
But at his words, only the trees swayed in the wind; no one emerged.
At this, Maeng Ak had no choice but to draw his sword.
*Shing.*
Only then did someone reveal themselves.
It was the Chief Instructor, who had been following Maeng Ak and the sixty cadets since the training grounds.
"Cadet 1390, Maeng Ak. You're certainly on a different level from the other cadets. When did you realize you were being followed?"
"Does that matter?"
"Ha! You're an audacious one."
Even as he said it, the Chief Instructor had a smile on his face, as if he didn't dislike Maeng Ak at all.
In response, Maeng Ak sheathed his sword and spoke.
"Seeing as you've come this far, I doubt your purpose was to spy. So why have you been following me since the training grounds...?"
"Hmph. So you knew from the beginning. There's no other reason. It's just that the Council of Elders has taken notice of you."
"The Council of Elders has taken notice of me?"
Maeng Ak didn't show it, but he was worried that the Council of Elders might also see him as a threat, which would be a nuisance.
Fortunately, the words that came from the Chief Instructor's mouth were the opposite.
"Yes. In truth, the Council of Elders does not view the current state of the cult favorably. The tense competition between the Cult Leader and the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates... it undermines the cult's foundation of survival of the fittest and elevates the importance of one's lineage."
"I'm relieved there is a faction within the cult that shares my sentiments."
"Yes. It's a relief to hear you think so. On behalf of the Council of Elders, I'll make you an offer. We will back you in the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon, so take the Council's hand. For an orphan like you, it's a very good..."
"I refuse."
At the unexpected reply, the Chief Instructor furrowed his brow and asked.
"Why? Do you think the Council of Elders will bind and use you to seize power later on?"
"No. I simply want fairness. I hope the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon does more than just decide the cult's future; I hope it instills in all cadets the belief that they can attain high positions through their own strength alone. But what would happen if I were to receive the Council's help?"
"Hoh. You are a child of greater caliber than I thought. Does this mean you have no desire for the position of Young Cult Leader?"
"Chief Instructor, do you covet that which you already possess?"
"...!"
A shiver ran down the Chief Instructor's entire body.
It was more than just the childish arrogance of a cadet; Maeng Ak's demeanor was far too resolute.
His confident eyes and commanding voice. And his upright posture.
The Chief Instructor could tell that Maeng Ak truly believed it.
'This child is not aiming for something like Young Cult Leader. I feel as if he's looking at something so distant that it's invisible to my humble eyes. This child's capacity is beyond what I can possibly fathom.'
For some reason, the Chief Instructor recalled the image of Ha Song, staggering drunkenly and declaring he would bet his entire fortune on Maeng Ak.
"I suppose I should place my bet before it's too late."
"Pardon?"
"Ask Ha Song. Heh heh."
*Fwip.*
The Chief Instructor uttered those cryptic words and then vanished using his lightness technique.
"What was that? Ah, whatever. Time to go in and rest... Oh, right. My team members!"
Maeng Ak thought he could finally get some rest, but he remembered the contents of the second test, which he had seen after opening the envelope.
"I guess I'll go pay a visit to those guys I looked into. Aigoo. My body aches. Let's get this over with quickly and get some rest."
With that, Maeng Ak stretched his arms toward the sky, loosening up his body before heading off somewhere.