Episode 17
Episode 17
Translation: Godtl
The atmosphere was exceptionally lively upon returning to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Compared to the other Young Cult Leader candidates who hadn't yet returned, Cheon Mu-jin had come back quite quickly despite having faced Namgung Ju-hee, a martial artist at the Transcendent Peak Realm.
At first, bastards like Cheon Gi-baek tried to pick a fight.
That little shit openly doubted whether Mu-jin had actually fought Namgung Ju-hee, insinuating he might have just hidden somewhere and returned without doing anything.
But that suspicion soon vanished.
Thanks to the spies embedded within the Murim Alliance, it was confirmed that Namgung Ju-hee had gone completely silent.
To preempt any doubts about whether he had truly finished her off, Mu-jin explained that during their battle, she had been stabbed in the stomach and fallen off a cliff.
He added that she was either already dead or had suffered near-fatal injuries.
After that, aside from stubborn fools like Cheon Gi-baek, no one else raised any further objections.
After all, Namgung Ju-hee hadn't returned to the Murim Alliance. If she remained missing, it would soon be confirmed that she had died at the bottom of the cliff.
And she would never return. Namgung Ju-hee no longer existed in this world.
All that remained was Ye-ryeong, his personal maid.
Mu-jin immediately summoned Ju-rin. The reason was simple—he wanted to show Ye-ryeong, who was undoubtedly watching from somewhere among the trees above, what a maid's duties entailed.
Of course, Ju-rin wasn't his maid, but from a distance where their conversation wouldn't be heard, it would certainly look like she had obediently come when called.
Especially since Ju-rin was being remarkably docile.
Ye-ryeong, unaware of the truth, would simply think, Ah, so that's how a maid behaves.
"......What is it this time?"
"Your lady must be quite skilled, huh? Back already? I was worried she might not return at all."
"That's not why you called me, is it? What do you want? If you have another purpose, just get to it quickly—"
"As sharp as ever. Good. Then take off your top first."
"Tch......"
Ju-rin's face flushed red as she fumbled with her hands. Though her fingers moved busily, the humiliated expression on her face was part of her charm.
Underneath her top, she wore nothing.
She must have known she'd be summoned like this, so she hadn't bothered wearing anything in the first place.
Or perhaps she no longer wore undergarments at all now.
Mu-jin reached out and firmly grasped Ju-rin's breasts. He gently rolled the stiff nipples and areolas at the tips of her ample, soft mounds. The surrounding flesh immediately grew taut.
"Your nipples are so responsive. Were you looking forward to this?"
"O-Of course not! It's just because you're touching them!"
"'You'? Your way of addressing me seems a little off."
"I-It's because Master is touching me...!"
"Good. You remember well."
Still, as punishment for her momentary slip, he pinched her nipple hard.
"Kkh—!"
Unable to scream, Ju-rin forced herself to swallow the sound. Tears welled up slightly, thin red veins appearing in her eyes.
"You're holding back well. Then, how about taking one load in your mouth? If you do, I'll let you go for today."
As he said this, Mu-jin pressed his cock against Ju-rin's lips. Though it rubbed insistently against her mouth, she didn't refuse. Instead, she widened her eyes, meeting his gaze as her tongue slowly licked around the glans.
"Excellent. You're doing well."
"Ugh... ugh... ugh!"
While savoring the sensation of his cock inside Ju-rin's mouth, he roughly twisted her nipple again. The feeling was truly magnificent. For a while, the wet sounds of her sucking filled the air. It was fortunate no one was around to witness this. For Ye-ryeong, who was watching, it was utterly shocking. She had wondered if this so-called "Master" was lying, but then a woman emerged from the building and immediately began sucking his cock and offering up her breasts. Afterward, as if nothing had happened, she straightened her clothes and left. This alone proved the truth of the Master's words. So Ye-ryeong had no reason to doubt him. Her memories were already hazy—why would she erase the few fragments that remained?
***
Not long after, the remaining Young Cult Leader candidates all returned. The atmosphere in the Demon Path Pavilion wasn't as favorable as one might expect. The candidates who had taken longer had begun losing confidence, while the tension between the two who had returned early continued unabated. No matter what training they were undergoing, the silent battle of nerves between Cheon Mu-jin—the so-called "lowborn bastard"—and Cheon Gi-baek, the candidate with the most followers among the Young Cult Leaders, persisted relentlessly. In the end, this tension had engulfed the entire pavilion. To think the candidates are already creating such an atmosphere—how amusing!
Hall Master Flame Emperor observed everything with keen interest. This kind of undercurrent was, if anything, a boon for the succession competition. Above all, what delighted him was Cheon Mu-jin's astonishing growth. His martial arts were already impressive, and now this storm-like progress? Even if he's only half-blooded, the Cult Leader's lineage is still the Cult Leader's lineage, isn't it?
After watching the situation with amusement, Flame Emperor rose from the podium. It was nearly mealtime. Cheon Mu-jin was thinking the same thing. Rather than wasting energy on pointless confrontations with that fool, a good meal was infinitely more rewarding. And he had far more pressing matters to attend to than wasting his attention on someone like Cheon Gi-baek. The thought of expending even a shred of effort on him was laughable. Today's meal was a deep-fried dish similar to sweet and sour pork. The Demon Path Pavilion took great care with its cuisine, making it a rather enjoyable affair. I should save some of this.
That was the first thought that crossed Cheon Mu-jin's mind when he saw the food. He intended to set some aside for Ye-ryeong, who was waiting outside. The second-best thing about the Demon Path Pavilion? There were no restrictions on portions. Because of this, even the children of serfs occasionally entered just to avoid starvation—though most never rose beyond the rank of lowly warriors.
As he chewed his food with relish, he felt it again. There he goes again.
That persistent, glaring gaze. Since he had entered this world as if stepping into a game, he couldn't fully grasp the depth of their enmity—but he simply dismissed the other man as having too much time on his hands. Still, he could guess the reason. It was probably because of his low status and perceived weakness. The former was irrelevant, but the latter struck a nerve. The scorn and mockery he'd endured as an aspiring hunter who failed to awaken his abilities—just remembering it made his hands tremble even now. So, his current role as a Young Cult Leader candidate in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wasn't so different. If they want to trample me for being weak, then I'll trample them instead.
In this world, if you had power, nothing you did would be considered strange.
Soon, the bell signaling the end of mealtime rang. Those who had finished eating rose with their dishes in hand. Cheon Mu-jin hurriedly gathered the remaining food. Moments later, the disciples filed out of the dining hall at the martial instructor's command. Cheon Mu-jin quietly slipped away through a window. Once outside, he gave a signal, and Ye-ryeong appeared before him in an instant—truly appearing and vanishing like a ghost.
"I brought you something. Eat."
Carefully, he handed her the container of food. But Ye-ryeong chuckled.
"I already snuck into the dining hall and ate."
"...Oh?"
He hadn't expected her to have secretly helped herself.
"Good job."
The conversation lulled. There was nothing more to say.
"I took the chance to scout around the Demon Path Pavilion a bit."
"Oh? What did you find?"
"There's a female swordmaster from the Dark Ink Sword Family. Her height and build are similar to mine—with a little work, I could disguise myself as her and infiltrate. She even has white hair like me."
"What?"
That was unexpected.
He had assumed that Namgung Ju-hee—no, Ye-ryeong—would be incapable of doing anything after losing her memories. But upon reflection, she had merely forgotten her past. She was far from incompetent. Naturally sharp-witted, she hadn't just immediately devised a new plan—she had already scouted out several things that might be useful to her. No wonder she was raised hearing she was a prodigy.
At this rate, she might even start learning something new on her own before he could find her suitable martial arts. And if he gave her proper techniques instead of Demonic Arts, she might still show astonishing growth speed. In fact, if nurtured carefully, she could become not just a mere bodyguard but a true master within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. With such a figure supporting him, growing stronger would be effortless. After all, he'd be gaining an exceptional right hand.
"That's a very good idea," he said.
"Shall we prepare, then?"
"What exactly do need?"
"Hmm, if there's a martial art that can alter appearances, that would be ideal."
"The Bone Alteration Art? I think I've seen something like that in the Secret Manual Library."
One fortunate thing was that he'd soon have a reason to visit the library. "The Bone Alteration Art—would that work?"
"Then I'll retrieve the Bone Alteration Art manual. What will you do?"
"I'll gather information on the Dark Ink Sword Family. From what I glimpsed earlier, their sword techniques didn't seem too difficult to mimic."
"In that case, I'll also check if there's a manual for their sword techniques while I'm there."
"Perfect."
The plan was flawless. If he could quietly secure Ye-ryeong a position within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult like this, nothing would stand in his way.