novelraw Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Chapter 87
The Divine Cult's absolute value of survival of the fittest.
That explained it all, and there was no need to doubt it. But he also felt he could understand that that one thing alone had been an insufficient driving force.
“So what is it that you think?”
“I believe that the martial artists of the Divine Cult exist for the sake of its followers, and that they must make it their mission to protect them. That way, the followers can proselytize with more peace of mind. In doing so, all the people of the world will come to know of the Demonic God. Then, in the future, there will be no need to proselytize, and the entire world will become the Divine Cult. That, indeed, is what a true world under the demonic path would be.”
At first, when Cheok Gyo-woon had begun to speak, Danmok Yeon had thought that Cheon Ha-seong was saying something quite soft. It wasn't that he thought it was wrong or that he wanted to find fault with it.
However, he had thought it was far removed from the radical methods the Divine Cult had taken until now. But how could he have imagined that at the end of his gentle explanation, the words 'a world under the demonic path' would emerge?
Danmok Yeon had thought that the future Cheon Ha-seong dreamed of would be a peaceful one. And he had believed that in that world, the Divine Cult would endlessly shrink in on itself. It was because he had only associated it with passively protecting the followers from persecution, not with actively stepping up to fight.
But he was speaking of a world under the demonic path.
A true world of the demonic path.
A world where everyone serves the Demonic God, to the point where proselytizing is no longer necessary.
It was a statement that he would place the entire world under the Demonic God, no longer limiting it to just the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Danmok Yeon felt his heart pound frantically without even realizing it.
“Did Cheon Ha-seong… No, did Principal Cheon say that?”
“Yes. Doesn't it make your heart pound?”
Listening to Cheok Gyo-woon's words, Danmok Yeon began to walk with long strides. He did not want to hear such words from a greenhorn like him.
When Danmok Yeon abruptly opened the door to the Principal's office and entered, Cheon Ha-seong was sitting cross-legged on a bed on one side of the room with his eyes closed. Then he slowly lifted his eyelids.
As if he had known in advance that he would come in, Danmok Yeon pulled over a chair and sat down.
“Welcome, Senior. As it happens, I was just about to go looking for you.”
“Why?”
“It is because there is something I would like you to take on. Everyone is curious about who you are, so shouldn't we decide on a title?”
“Are you trying to give this old man a job in order to prepare a title to call me by?”
Cheon Ha-seong smiled with amusement. If Danmok Yeon didn't want to do it, he could have just ignored or refused. But seeing him talk on and on like this, he was clearly interested.
“How would you like to become the Chief Head Instructor, Senior?”
Danmok Yeon was so dumbfounded that words failed him.
“How lightly do you think of me to say such a thing? Do I look like a person who would do such a trivial job?”
“Understood. Then I will take it that you are not interested and will have to choose from among other people. It is difficult to work alone with the position vacant, so I cannot leave it empty for long.”
Cheon Ha-seong turned his head as if that were all he had to say and, now that he knew his definite thoughts, that was enough.
At that, Danmok Yeon's insides boiled.
“How can a man so quickly bend his will just because he was rejected once! Shouldn't you be explaining why I must become the Chief Head Instructor!”
Cheon Ha-seong held back his laughter and looked at Danmok Yeon.
“Senior, if I didn't know you, then I wouldn't know, but now that I have met you, who else could I possibly think of? If I had my way, I would like to ask you to become the Principal of the Martial Arts Academy, but I am recommending the position of Chief Head Instructor because this position would be too hectic.”
Danmok Yeon was not one to be unaware that he was saying this to humor him. But even knowing that, the corners of his mouth were twitching.
“Hmph, even so, to think it's just a Chief Head Instructor.”
“I hope that at the words 'Chief Head Instructor of the Martial Arts Academy,' all the people of the Central Plains will be surprised and tremble. I hope that at the words 'the Chief Head Instructor of the Divine Cult's Martial Arts Academy has appeared,' all the nearby sects will bolt their doors and hide. I hope that our enemies will throw down their weapons and prostrate themselves without even trying to fight.”
“…”
Hearing the tremendous words, Danmok Yeon was at a loss.
It wasn't that Cheon Ha-seong was promising that to him; he was demanding it. It was a demand for him to become such a person.
While he was just placing Danmok Yeon in the position of Chief Head Instructor, he was telling him to soar from that position.
Danmok Yeon was truly dumbfounded. It felt like the first time he had ever encountered a bastard so willful.
In the end, he let out a maniacal laugh.
“Good. I shall do so. I will become as you wish.”
Danmok Yeon felt his body heat up. Wasn't he shamelessly demanding that he create and present something that he should have obtained himself?
It felt as if he had been told to create and present a position to be respected, when respect was something one had to earn for oneself.
“This will be amusing. Right. What must a Chief Head Instructor do?”
“Senior, I did not intend to go this far, but from now on, I too am the Principal, so I have many things to do. How about you think about such things yourself, Chief Head Instructor?”
When Cheon Ha-seong spoke, unable to hide his amusement, Danmok Yeon looked at him with a dumbfounded face.
Then he shook his head, and as if he just couldn't understand, he looked at Cheon Ha-seong and asked.
“Are you not afraid of me at all, you bastard?”
“Why would I be afraid of you, Senior? It's not as if you are a monster with three heads and six arms.”
“Right. Understood.”
Thinking that he would just be drained if he talked with this bastard, Danmok Yeon was about to leave, but then he looked back at Cheon Ha-seong.
“Is it alright if I meet with any of the candidates and talk with them? I am asking if it is alright for me to specially teach the bastards who show potential.”
“Please do as you wish, Senior. However, if I judge that you have ill intentions towards a candidate, I will hold you responsible then.”
“You speak arrogantly. How long do you think I will endure it?”
“Actually, I don't think you need to endure it, Senior.”
That statement contained several meanings.
It seemed to say that even if he didn't hold back and revealed his skills, there was nothing to be afraid of.
A brilliant light shot out from Danmok Yeon's eyes.
“You have a real knack for spouting arrogant words, you bastard.”
“Senior, how about we hold my inauguration ceremony as Principal and your appointment ceremony as Chief Head Instructor together? And in conjunction with that, we can show a duel between the two of us. We can show our full power and heighten the insight of the Divine Cult's martial artists. While hoping that someone who can surpass us will emerge from among them. If we can use our full power in order not to be left behind, wouldn't that be a good thing?”
His tone, which at first had seemed provocative, gradually began to change.
It was conviction, and it was the form of the Martial Arts Academy and the Divine Cult that Cheon Ha-seong dreamed of.
Danmok Yeon had thought he would be able to answer right away. He had believed he could brush it off lightly this time as well. But he couldn't. For some reason, he found himself continuously thinking about the future of the Divine Cult that Cheon Ha-seong had spoken of.
“Wouldn't it become empty if it becomes a world where you can no longer find an opponent, Senior? If you were to raise the young people to be stronger so that they could become your opponents, wouldn't that also be meaningful? If they can heighten their insight by watching our duel in advance, won't the candidates of the Martial Arts Academy grow at an unbelievably fast rate?”
Danmok Yeon finally burst out laughing. He had never thought of it in that way, but he was drawn to the words. He also had the thought, 'Why not?'
“Right. Good. Understood. I will do so.”
“Thank you, Senior. If not for you, I would not have even been able to dream of such things.”
“When are you thinking of?”
“It's not a matter to be postponed, is it? I think it would be good even if it were in a day or two.”
“Understood. I shall do so.”
At that, Cheon Ha-seong smiled and said.
“It does not matter if you speak to me like this in private, but in front of the other Head Instructors or candidates, you must show me proper etiquette. As it is, I am a person who is lacking in many ways, so if people see you treating me lightly by my side, I think they will look down on me.”
At those words, Danmok Yeon flinched.
It was because he thought that while he seemed unable to speak properly, he was still calmly saying everything he had to.
“Getting greedy for a position in my old age, I'm experiencing all sorts of things.”
Seeing him turn away in a huff and leave, unable to bring himself to speak respectfully in that spot, Cheon Ha-seong smiled.
After Danmok Yeon left and various matters had passed busily, Seo Hyo-eun visited that place.
Next to her were Gi Mun-yong, who was in charge of her escort, and Paeng Ga-jong.
It was one thing for Seo Hyo-eun to come, but it was strange that Paeng Ga-jong had come with her, so Cheon Ha-seong looked at them.
“I'm in the middle of showing Chef Paeng around the Divine Cult. He said he wanted to see the things that grow in the cult. He said he wanted to research the ingredients that grow here and create dishes.”
Cheon Ha-seong looked at Paeng Ga-jong with eyes that asked, 'Is that really true?'
Seo Hyo-eun had really enjoyed the dumplings Paeng Ga-jong had made, but he had been creating new dishes, saying that she would soon get tired of them.
However, since she had shown little interest in anything other than the dumplings and had ignored them, it seemed a sense of alarm that this wouldn't do had arisen.
“I stopped by on my way. Since it's so hard to see your face these days.”
“I should be more considerate…”
When Cheon Ha-seong spoke, unable to hide his apologetic heart, Seo Hyo-eun brightened her expression.
“I know that you're doing this for our child, so I can't complain. When the child is born, I'll tell them everything. What you did for them, Head Instructor Cheon. The child will also be really grateful and moved when they know what you did for them. They'll know that you worked hard for the Divine Cult to change the world they will live in.”
At those words, everyone who was by her side nodded and wore a pleased expression.
The young Principal, who was trying to make the Divine Cult a better place to live for his unborn child, seemed amazing, and so did the Young Supreme One, who understood his heart completely.
They knew they were in the presence of good people. And because of that, they could not hide their pleased hearts.
Seo Hyo-eun, knowing that Cheon Ha-seong was busy, hurried on her own.
“There are many places to look around today as well. Chef Paeng said it would be good if he could trade with the merchant guilds if he gets the chance, so I have to see Father about that matter too.”
Since the Divine Cult had almost no exchange with the Central Plains, it didn't seem that matter would go as well as they thought. However, just because they hadn't done it until now didn't mean they had to give up from the beginning. As more and more things were changing, that matter too could change in the future.
After they left, a few of the Head Instructors came to see Cheon Ha-seong.
These days, there were really a lot of such occurrences.