Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon Heart-Protecting Art
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After becoming the butler, Ilno's daily routine went like this.
In the early Ox Hour, he straightened the bedding and prepared water in advance for the Young Church Leader to wash.
In the early Rabbit Hour, he served breakfast to the Young Church Leader, who had returned from dawn training.
In the early Dragon Hour, he gave instructions in advance to the other butlers and servants about the day's tasks. He prepared snacks for the Young Church Leader, who was focused on Young Branch Leader duties.
In the early Snake Hour, he roamed through the White Hall, pointing out areas needing repairs, and educated the butlers and servants on their shortcomings.
.
In the early Horse Hour, he received brief martial arts guidance from the Young Church Leader. He earned admiration for the Young Church Leader's discerning eye.
In the early Rat Hour, after the Young Church Leader finished meditation training and retired early, he lit the lamps, kindled the lanterns, and prepared the next day's menu for the Young Church Leader in advance.
.
.
A continuous routine centered entirely on the Young Church Leader, tailored solely to serving him.
At one point, even the Young Church Leader had asked with a peculiar expression.
"...Don't you think you should have some personal time for yourself, Ilno?"
"This is personal time for me, no different."
"If you put it that way... well, I have nothing to say."
Ilno's words were sincere.
No, in fact, over the past few days, he had wondered several times if he even deserved to be this happy.
Hadn't the last six years been nothing but a life of constant flight?
Yet the Young Church Leader, whom he thought dead, had performed a miracle, returning from the depths of hell, and even granted him the honor of serving at his side.
For a faithful follower, what greater glory could there be?
Even the small act of transforming the Young Church Leader's residence with his own hands was a modest happiness.
Thinking that he was contributing to the blaze that would one day scorch the world left no room for fatigue.
But.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
If there was one flaw in life at the White Hall,
It was at times like this that Ilno's always vibrant eyes turned dull, like murky fish eyes.
'Here we go again! Those damn bastards!'
It was sparring time with Dang Gyujin, Yu Sumin, and Sima Seonui.
The only ones who dared harm the revered Young Church Leader!
Swoooosh—
Dang Gyujin appeared above Unhwi's head in an instant and swung her sword down viciously.
It was so brutal that one might question if it was truly aimed at her own sister.
Her sunken eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
"Sis, kill her alreadyyy!!"
"Wind-Pine Sword Technique! Wind-Pine Sword Burst!!"
Yu Sumin, watching from the side, was no different.
Even Sima Seonui, who used to enjoy chatting with Unhwi, now had her eyes filled with killing intent.
Her disheveled appearance, hollow gaze like a skull, and tattered clothes everywhere.
Anyone seeing them would think they had just emerged from a fierce battlefield.
Back when they first arrived at the Nine Dragons Branch Family, they had been dolled up with makeup and fine attire, looking pretty, but no trace of that remained now.
Ever since the training week Unhwi dubbed "Hell Week" began, they hadn't had proper meals for days, hadn't slept, and had only engaged in endless back-to-back spars day and night.
As a result, their eyes now held only grit, venom, and raw tenacity.
All that remained was the burning determination to reduce Unhwi—the one who had made them look like this—to the same state.
The problem was that the damn guy (in the three women's words) wasn't even human.
One would expect him to collapse from exhaustion first after such relentless spars.
Yet somehow, while their faces grew gaunt day by day, his stamina only improved.
They even harbored the bizarre thought that he was secretly draining their vitality.
And on top of that, his swordsmanship improved daily, which was pure agony for the three women.
Imagine how they felt: barely hanging on for dear life, while their opponent wielded an enhanced sword and lasted even longer than the day before.
If hell on earth existed, they could confidently say it was right here.
"Just die alreadyyy!!"
Dang Gyujin swung her sword with all her heart and full power.
Even the blue-masked girl, who always enjoyed battle, no longer smiled.
「Demon King! The Demon King's toying with me before eating me alive!!」
Now, just seeing Unhwi made her seize up involuntarily.
Claaang!
Unhwi swiftly deflected the strike sideways and rolled across the ground.
KABOOM!
The Qinggang Sword slammed into the ground just past where his collar had barely torn.
The earth cratered, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Huff... huff... What a shame... gonna die..."
"...That last attack felt like it had some internal energy behind it, Sis? Didn't we agree no internal energy?"
"I don't care! Just die alreadyyy!"
Flash!
Dang Gyujin was now unleashing visible sword qi in a do-or-die frenzy.
But Unhwi retreated precariously backward with Shadow Step, still refusing to activate his internal energy.
'Th-that brat!'
Meanwhile, watching from the side, Ilno was once again seething with rage.
The martial robes Ilno had neatly ironed and dressed him in that morning were now rags from prolonged combat,
His hair, combed with a brush and scented with musk deer fragrance, was a wild mess like a beggar's,
And large and small wounds visible between the torn collar completely covered his noble form.
What kind of outrageous nonsense was this for the exalted incarnation of the Demon God!
Ilno wanted to charge out, grab Dang Gyujin by the scruff, and explode in fury right then.
Yet he held back forcibly because Unhwi had repeatedly warned him not to interfere.
They were the ones who had first taught martial arts to the Young Church Leader, who hadn't learned any before, so they deserved respect?
In Cult terms, they were like Martial Saints or Dharma Protectors or something.
That only made Ilno even angrier.
He would repay the humiliations inflicted on his Young Church Leader!
That was Ilno's resolve.
* * *
"Hah! Nearly died for real. Ah, thanks."
I finished all the spars and collapsed onto the ground, gulping down the water Ilno handed me just in time.
Ice water with chunks floating in it. Perfect.
Gulp!
Love our new butler. Good job.
Once the thirst eased somewhat, I dumped the rest over my head.
Finally felt alive.
"Ah, me too—"
As Ilno passed by just then, Dang Gyujin brightened and reached for the ice water, but.
Swoosh.
Ilno deliberately strode past her indifferently, offering the tray of ice water to the other servants.
He flashed a rotten smile at the stunned group, as if saying they'd get no scraps from now on.
Dang Gyujin turned sullen and asked me.
"...Did I do something wrong?"
I burst out laughing lightly.
Well, for a Myth Cult follower whose reverence for the Church Leader bordered on worship of a god, that attitude was only natural.
I asked Ilno to share some ice water with the three as well, then wrapped up today's spars.
"Definitely feels like training goes better with you three. Less boring too. Thanks again."
Hope flickered on Yu Sumin's face for the first time.
"So the back-to-back spars are finally—"
"Please take good care of me going forward as well."
"......"
"......"
"......"
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. Nothing. Haha!"
Yu Sumin's eyes seemed to twitch.
Probably just my imagination. Heh heh heh.
「Of all people, you had to get caught in the Young Church Leader's grasp and suffer like this?」
「Didn't you beg to train with him?」
「So now it's too late to ask for a breather. You're cornered, totally cornered. Tsk tsk!」
「Ah, this must be what shared suffering feels like. Who'd have thought we'd feel this way toward the righteous faction kids.」
「Do they even realize? That their current trembling is the happiest time they'll have under the Young Church Leader's grasp from here on—」
Dang Gyujin let out a deep sigh and asked.
"But is this okay for you? You said after spars you do personal training too?"
"Yes. Correct. Need to review what I gained from the spars."
"Your bout with the Lion Gate Leader is tomorrow. You sure it's fine burning stamina like this?"
"I have my secret method."
"What's that?"
"Trade secret."
"......"
"It's nothing much. I just do it. Works fine."
I could almost see their inner thoughts flashing across their faces.
'My little sister, but... just now she was a bit—no, super annoying.'
'Total jerk.'
'Why not me... Jealous.'
I played it off casually, but I did have thoughts on the matter.
'With this guy around, stamina recovery is way too easy.'
In that instant, Black Dragon Qi flowed through my meridians and acupoints, washing away impurities and infusing vitality into fatigued cells.
Thanks to that, wounds healed, stamina recovered, and mental energy restored all at once. A good night's sleep left me refreshed like I'd bathed.
How could I not keep requesting spars?
While the three grew more haggard by the day, their swordsmanship visibly improved too.
Insights from their past battle with the Poison Ghost were finally manifesting in their techniques.
Seeing their own growth firsthand became the motivator, dragging them to spars no matter how grueling.
For martial artists, it was an addiction they could never quit, no matter how they tried.
That's right.
These three beauties were now fated never to escape my clutches. Heh heh heh.
「Not sure how they'll take it, but—」
「The Young Church Leader's virtue is ignoring the pleas of the weak—」
Anyway, thanks to them, my Mara Heaven Sword Form had reached six forms.
"Then I'll head out first to prepare for tomorrow's bout. See you then."
"Y-yeah..."
"G-good work..."
"......"
* * *
Having successfully initiated into the Heavenly Demon Ghost Sword and completed the Black Dragon Qi to fully control Mara’s killing intent, I could now advance to the next stage.
It was time for true initiation into the Cult-Protecting Divine Art.
「Ahh, finally the Young Church Leader steps into the Cult-Protecting Divine Art—」
「Many mongrels gnashed their teeth over your ascension without it, but now none will dare gossip.」
「Congratulations, Young Church Leader!」
「Congratulations!!」
「Congratulations!!!」
As the spirits said, the Cult-Protecting Divine Art had long been the root of legitimacy issues trailing me.
Successive Church Leaders of the Cult, regardless of origin sect, had to master it without fail.
Heart-Protecting Art.
Flight Art.
Dominion Step.
Fear-Exterminating Palm.
And the secret Asura Heaven-Devouring Dance born from fusing the Heavenly Demon's four ultimate arts.
Even the Heavenly Demon Ghost Sword, newly created by Master in his era and added to the Cult-Protecting Divine Art.
Only by mastering these—called the Church Leader Secrets or Six Great Secrets—could one truly reign as Church Leader.
Thus, after fierce succession battles, once the Young Church Leader was finally appointed, the reigning Church Leader personally transmitted the Cult-Protecting Divine Art as tradition.
But I shattered that.
Simply because I lacked a dantian.
Naturally, the debate "Is flatbread without red bean paste real flatbread?" rocked Cult society endlessly.
Especially the old fogeys who flipped out over tradition and history—they nitpicked endlessly.
Of course, this body crushed every complainer on sight (more accurately, they couldn't complain), but plenty still harbored doubts deep down.
Even if I'd ascended straight to Church Leader, it would've been a perennial headache.
Ambitious types who hated my guts would grab any pretext.
But now I'd finally patched that weakness.
Naturally, I was thrilled.
So I decided to go one step further while at it.
—Heavenly Demon Heart-Protecting Art.
Finally.
Time to cultivate the core heart method of the Cult-Protecting Divine Art.