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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Facing the Heavenly Demon (2)
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* * *
"I will be waiting over there."
Yang Jeon said, pointing to one side of the plaza.
A considerable number of people were gathered there, likely the subordinates of the others.
*So I wasn't the only one he summoned.*
I had thought the Mad Demon told the Heavenly Demon about me, and that I was summoned to verify the truth.
But seeing that others were called as well, it seemed that wasn't the case.
*Then why was I really summoned? I can't guess at all.*
Jinmyeong still couldn't fathom the reason.
"Young Master Jinmyeong has arrived."
As they reached the Cult Leader's hall, a warrior guarding the front of the pavilion shouted loudly and opened the doors.
*Hmm. There are certainly a lot of them.*
Quite a few people were gathered inside the hall.
They all turned to look at Jinmyeong as he entered.
"It's been a while since I've summoned you. To be late even then... you have some nerve."
A man sitting on a massive throne at the head of the hall looked down at Jinmyeong and chuckled.
"Your disciple, Jinmyeong, greets the Cult Leader."
Jinmyeong knew at once that the man was the Cult Leader, the Heavenly Demon.
He found himself dropping to one knee and exclaiming without conscious thought.
His body moved on its own, as if it remembered, independent of his will.
"Hmph. Rise."
Only after hearing the Cult Leader's words did Jinmyeong slowly get up.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
The Heavenly Demon grinned at Jinmyeong.
But Jinmyeong couldn't help but flinch at that smile.
*I thought the Vice Cult Leader was formidable, but...*
Jinmyeong glanced at the Mad Demon standing beside the Heavenly Demon.
He had felt intimidated by him as well.
But looking at the Heavenly Demon, he felt he understood why the man was called the greatest under heaven.
*I feel like I could lose my mind at any moment.*
The Heavenly Demon wasn't even projecting his aura.
He was merely looking down at Jinmyeong with a smile.
Yet, an aura naturally flowed from his body, overwhelming everyone present.
"It's just as the Vice Cult Leader said."
The Heavenly Demon had already heard about Jinmyeong from the Mad Demon, but seeing him in person was clearly more amusing.
"It seems you've learned something peculiar."
The Heavenly Demon appeared to sense something unusual from Jinmyeong.
It was only natural.
It wasn't the energy of the internal arts he had taught.
"Hmm. So it is peculiar."
He couldn't sense any demonic energy from Jinmyeong.
As the master of the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, the pinnacle of all demonic arts, the Heavenly Demon was particularly sensitive to demonic energy.
"It's not a demonic art, but it doesn't seem like a righteous art either."
At the words that it wasn't a demonic art, the eyes of those listening inside gleamed.
"Don't try anything foolish. The demonic art isn't what's important."
But at the Heavenly Demon's words, they had no choice but to lower their gazes again.
Just as he'd said, they had intended to use this to find fault.
*'It makes no sense for the Cult Leader's disciple not to practice demonic arts!'*
But they couldn't even voice the thought that came to their minds.
"It doesn't matter if it's a righteous art instead of a demonic one. In this Cult, strength is justice."
It didn't matter what kind of martial art one learned.
Even if one became the Cult Leader, they didn't necessarily have to learn the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon.
Of course, few would refuse the art that symbolized the Heavenly Demon, the greatest under heaven.
"If you really don't like it, you lot can learn other martial arts instead of demonic ones."
But they wouldn't do that.
There was nothing like demonic arts for getting stronger in a short amount of time.
And it would be difficult to learn a different martial art at this point.
*Is this the Heavenly Demon?*
No anger could be heard in the Heavenly Demon's voice.
In fact, it almost sounded like he was reasoning with them.
But Jinmyeong felt his breath catch in his throat from the aura naturally flowing from the Heavenly Demon.
He had to struggle to keep his legs from trembling.
*Hmm. Interesting.*
Having driven his point home to stop the others from getting any ideas, the Heavenly Demon quietly observed Jinmyeong.
He had intentionally directed his aura at Jinmyeong, who was enduring it better than expected.
*He's definitely different.*
He had no idea what Jinmyeong's martial art was.
He wondered if it was the peculiarity of that art that allowed him to withstand his aura.
In fact, whenever he looked at his youngest disciple, his own Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon would growl and rage.
*This is the first time it's acted this way.*
The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was an art that suppressed other demonic arts and scorned righteous ones.
It was an art that looked down on all others but itself.
So for it to growl at the sight of Jinmyeong was nothing short of fascinating.
*Is the Divine Art... afraid?*
It felt like it was puffing itself up, trying to hide its fear.
"Kekeke."
Amusing.
He wanted to find out what Jinmyeong's martial art was.
The Heavenly Demon suppressed the urge to dissect his youngest disciple on the spot.
"But this one's problem was never his internal arts, was it?"
Jinmyeong had been learning internal arts for some time.
His problem wasn't his internal energy, but his body.
"Can you perform footwork now?"
Movement techniques, including footwork, are the most fundamental aspect of martial arts.
Without them, it's difficult to execute any martial art.
*As confidently as possible.*
Even though the Heavenly Demon's pressure had eased, Jinmyeong's legs were still trembling.
But Jinmyeong hid it and spoke with as much confidence as he could muster.
"It is still difficult. But I am trying."
He still couldn't properly perform footwork or movement techniques, which was why he had walked here.
And thanks to that, he was late.
"To say you can't, yet answer with such confidence."
Perhaps because of that confidence, a smile graced the Heavenly Demon's lips.
It was certainly more to his liking than trembling in fear.
In any case, if Jinmyeong had been able to use footwork, the Heavenly Demon would have taught him an art related to energy projection.
Unlike sword or saber arts that require a lot of movement, there are also palm techniques that project internal energy.
But even with such techniques, before one could project energy, one still had to strike the opponent directly.
And even after being able to project it, one still had to dodge the opponent's attacks.
In the end, no matter what martial art one learned, being able to use movement techniques was essential.
"But I heard you learned a martial art that doesn't require movement techniques?"
"There is no such thing."
At first, he had thought, just as the Heavenly Demon said, that movement techniques wouldn't be necessary.
He had especially thought so with the Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts.
He thought he could just attack with three swords and defend with two.
*What a ridiculous idea.*
It didn't take long for him to realize that was impossible.
He realized it the moment he first met the Vice Cult Leader, the Mad Demon.
Someone of the Mad Demon's caliber could easily dodge his attacks and close the distance.
No matter how he tried to defend, he didn't think he could block the Mad Demon's attacks.
*Until I master the Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts, there's nothing I can do.*
Before mastering the art, this would inevitably be a major weakness.
In fact, the first Heavenly Demon hadn't had a body like Jinmyeong's, so it was an issue he would have overlooked.
He probably couldn't have imagined someone who couldn't even perform movement techniques learning a martial art.
"And yet, I hear you've created quite a few corpses."
The ambush that occurred when he first returned to the manor had become quite the rumor.
But at the Heavenly Demon's words, sounds of stifled laughter could be heard from here and there.
"It seems they think you killed some nobodies and intentionally spread those rumors."
It appeared not many within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult actually believed the rumors.
"We'll find out soon enough. Whether you're useful or not."
The Heavenly Demon acknowledged that his internal art was special.
But that was all.
Having never actually seen Jinmyeong's martial art, he couldn't judge it.
And it wasn't something the Heavenly Demon needed to judge anyway.
"It seems there are many people after you."
Just as the Heavenly Demon said, Jinmyeong was continuously receiving stares that made his whole body tingle.
The Vice Cult Leader had sided with Jinmyeong.
That meant Jinmyeong had officially entered the competition for the position of Young Cult Leader.
"Which means it won't be as easy to stay alive as it was before."
Before he joined, there was no pressing need to kill him.
*'Easy to stay alive? I was in danger of dying the moment I opened my eyes.'*
Of course, Jinmyeong didn't believe a word of it.
Someone among them had tried to kill him.
Even when he was known to have no talent for martial arts.
*Is he pretending not to know, or does he really not know?*
To Jinmyeong, the Heavenly Demon saying such things seemed incredibly sly.
The Heavenly Demon surely knew about the attack on Jinmyeong.
That's why he could laugh so cheerfully.
"Conversely, does that not mean I can kill anyone I want?"
"Keke. I suppose you could see it that way."
The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter, as if pleased by Jinmyeong's confidence.
"Anyway, that's not why I called you here."
The Heavenly Demon looked at Jinmyeong.
"You'll need to go to the Central Plains."
"Yes."
"The Vice Cult Leader recommended you himself."
Jinmyeong felt piercing gazes on his back.
"Aren't you going to ask about the mission?"
"Won't the Cult Leader eventually tell me?"
"That's true."
The Heavenly Demon stared intently at Jinmyeong once more.
"Are you... really Jinmyeong?"
"..."
Jinmyeong maintained a composed expression under the Heavenly Demon's gaze.
But his back was growing damp with sweat.
It was because of the Heavenly Demon's gaze, which felt as if it could lay everything bare.
"I heard your personality changed when you lost your memories..."
He had already received reports about Jinmyeong.
But what the Heavenly Demon found suspicious wasn't the memory loss.
"Even if you lose your memories, a bit of your original personality is bound to remain."
The Jinmyeong before him used to be incredibly timid in his presence.
But now, there was no trace of that.
"It's as if you've become a completely different person."
The Heavenly Demon, who had been staring at Jinmyeong, let out a chuckle.
"In any case, you'll learn about the mission soon. For now, go back and prepare to head to the Central Plains."
"Yes. Understood."
The Heavenly Demon spoke as if it were a trivial mission, but Jinmyeong knew that wasn't the case.
When he said that Jinmyeong would be participating, the look in everyone else's eyes had changed.
Especially when he mentioned the Vice Cult Leader's recommendation, a palpable killing intent had filled the air.
*So this mission will affect the competition for Young Cult Leader?*
In any case, it was certainly an opportunity to make an impression on the Cult Leader.
*I have to succeed, no matter what.*
Since the Heavenly Demon had personally summoned him to give the order, it was a task that absolutely had to succeed.
A smile played on Jinmyeong's lips at the thought of being closer to his goal.
*Oh?*
A peculiar light glinted in the Heavenly Demon's eyes as he saw Jinmyeong's smile.
Soon, a smile similar to Jinmyeong's began to play on his own lips.
"Then this meeting is adjourned. Everyone, you may leave."
With those words, the Heavenly Demon rose from his throne.
He then left with the Vice Cult Leader, the Mad Demon, and the remaining people also began to depart immediately.
"Are you alright?"
"About what?"
Yang Jeon approached and asked the moment Jinmyeong came outside.
"I mean, did the Cult Leader reprimand you in there?"
"Reprimand me for what? I haven't done anything."
"Shouldn't you be reprimanded precisely because you haven't done anything?"
Jinmyeong clicked his tongue at Yang Jeon's words, then let out a chuckle.
"It seems you were the one walking on eggshells, not me."
"Urgh."
Indeed, Yang Jeon's eyes were quite sunken.
Jinmyeong didn't know what had happened, but he looked extremely tired.
"Are you curious about what happened?"
"Not at all."
"Do you perhaps have any intention of avenging your cute subordinate for being bullied by others?"
"None."
Yang Jeon pouted with a sullen expression.
He grumbled all the way back to the manor, clearly in a bad mood.
"Aren't you done yet?"
"Yes, yes. I get it."
Despite his answer, Yang Jeon still hadn't let go of his anger.
"Someone will probably come within a few days."
"Huh? What person?"
"The Cult Leader will send someone. He said he'd inform me about the mission."
And a few days later, just as Jinmyeong had said, someone came to his manor.
However, the visitor was someone completely different from who Jinmyeong had expected.