Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Over a Bowl of Noodles
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Having returned, Hyeok Mulin headed straight for Pure Heaven Pavilion.
“Cult Leader, you've arrived.”
Sima Jin rose from his seat and bowed respectfully.
“You've worked hard in my absence.”
“Not at all. There hasn't been much to do.”
Hyeok Mulin strode over to him and picked up a portion of the documents on the desk.
“I'll handle these.”
“C-Cult Leader! That's fine! I can finish them on time!”
Sima Jin jumped in alarm to stop him, but Hyeok Mulin shook his head.
“I've been focused solely on martial arts training lately, so I'm looking for a change of pace. Don't interfere.”
At Hyeok Mulin's excuse—which wasn't entirely an excuse—Sima Jin finally relented.
“Understood.”
Hyeok Mulin continued with the paperwork until nightfall.
There had been more work than expected; had he not taken some, it wouldn't have been finished that day.
Glancing over at Sima Jin, Hyeok Mulin saw that he was nearly done as well.
“You've worked hard, so I'll treat you to dinner tonight.”
“Really?”
Sima Jin didn't refuse the offer.
'He's been living off jerky and rations all this time—I thought that was his staple diet. Turns out he does eat proper meals.'
Discovering this new side of him, Sima Jin stood from his seat.
Before leaving Pure Heaven Pavilion, Hyeok Mulin pulled his bamboo hat low, covering half his face.
Sima Jin's eyes gleamed for a moment as he grasped the intent.
'He's heading outside.'
There would be no need to hide his identity with a hat if they were dining within Heavenly Demon Palace.
'I probably don't need one.'
Sima Jin hadn't been at the palace long since arriving from the Sima Clan.
Only a handful of people here even knew his face, so there was no point in hiding.
They left Pure Heaven Pavilion and strolled through the heart of Heavenly Demon Palace.
The wide avenue before them branched off in eight directions. The path they'd just taken led straight to the Heavenly Demon's quarters and housed the cult's core departments.
The other seven paths each led to the estates of the Seven Great Demon Clans.
'In a way, it's the greatest privilege the Seven Great Demon Clans enjoy.'
In the past, the Seven Great Demon Clans who had helped found the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were granted land within the inner citadel in recognition of their contributions.
They built their grand halls there, solidifying their presence and displaying their authority.
A close look at those halls revealed each clan's unique character.
Hyeok Mulin gazed toward the east, where a well-paved road stretched onward.
The halls of the Cheon Clan's Vast Moonlit Grounds blazed with brilliant lights even at night, brighter than daylight.
Every building featured at least one night-luminescent pearl, a bold display of their wealth.
Moments later, his eyes shifted to a narrow lane in the southwest.
Beyond it stood the halls under the Hyeok Clan's influence, small and weathered.
They carried an air of antiquity, but the dilapidated state reflected their current hardships, with lights out in patches.
'Just hold on a little longer.'
Having returned to the past, he had no intention of letting anything slip away.
The Hyeok Clan was his birthplace, his bloodline, his identity.
He had no plans to neglect it or stand by idly.
He would revive it with these very hands.
With that firm resolve, Hyeok Mulin turned from the avenue and kept walking.
Soon, the central inner citadel where high-ranking demon practitioners resided unfolded before them.
“Ho.”
Sima Jin, stepping out of the inner citadel for the first time, looked up at the splendid brothels nearby.
He had frequented countless such places back when he pretended to be a wastrel. Even to his experienced eye, these stood out as top-tier by height and appearance alone.
Yet Hyeok Mulin didn't stop, so this wasn't their destination either.
After reaching the end of the inner citadel and passing through another gate, they entered the outer citadel where ordinary cult members lived.
“Top quality—come check it out just once!”
“Try one of our candies! So sweet, you'd never notice if your companion dropped dead!”
Street vendors hammered ironware while calling out to customers. Cloth merchants invited passersby to feel the silk.
A peddler hawked miscellaneous trinkets from his stall, drawing eyes. Women clustered around metal jewelry, trying pieces on each other.
Others had set up food carts selling meals and snacks.
Gazing at the scene, Sima Jin murmured to himself.
“So ordinary.”
The inner citadel's streets resembled glamorous pleasure districts, but this was a lively, bustling commoners' quarter.
Still not the destination, Hyeok Mulin passed straight through.
Sima Jin's curiosity grew with every step.
'Where on earth is he headed?'
His stride was unwavering, so there had to be a goal, yet proper shops were thinning out.
They ventured to the rundown outskirts of the outer citadel.
This was where the poorer commoners scraped by.
Hyeok Mulin navigated the alleys and side paths with ease.
'It's not his first time here, but how does he know these places so well...?'
Before becoming Cult Leader, Hyeok Mulin had been head of the Hyeok Clan.
He never would have set foot in such low districts in his life—or so one would think—yet he moved with total familiarity.
Soon, they arrived at a shabby inn without even a signboard.
It looked even smaller than Pure Heaven Pavilion, barely enough for a few seats.
As Sima Jin eyed the crumbling exterior warily, Hyeok Mulin entered without hesitation.
With no choice, Sima Jin followed.
“...Oh.”
A gasp of admiration escaped Sima Jin as he stepped inside.
Unlike the rundown outside, the interior was impeccably clean.
Oddly, though, there were no greeters, cooks, or other patrons.
It felt like the entire inn was empty.
Even so, Hyeok Mulin sat naturally in a corner and spoke.
“They only serve plain noodles here. That alright?”
“Yes. I like noodles anyway.”
“Good.”
Hyeok Mulin turned and called out.
“Innkeeper!”
No response to the loud call.
Undeterred, he raised his voice further.
“Innkeeper—!”
Only then did a limping old woman emerge from the back, staring piercingly at them.
“Two bowls of plain noodles!”
Hyeok Mulin held up two fingers. She nodded and shuffled to the kitchen.
With the order placed, he turned back.
“Don't worry—it's worth it for the taste alone.”
In his previous life, during a particularly grueling time of constant setbacks, he had wandered the nearby areas every night.
Not to seek solutions.
Just to calm his mind and clear his head.
That was when he had stumbled upon this inn.
A nameless, rundown place run single-handedly by a hard-of-hearing old woman with a lame leg—but it was spotless inside, with fresh ingredients.
And since she could barely hear, it was perfect for muttering complaints and venting alone.
That alone had been solace enough for him.
“Fast as ever.”
The noodles arrived quicker than expected.
The clear broth was so transparent the bowl's bottom was visible.
Sima Jin swallowed hard at the aroma and took a bite with his chopsticks.
His eyes widened instantly, and he began slurping them down.
Slurp—slurrrp—
Forgetting the Heavenly Demon before him, he ate noisily with relish.
Hyeok Mulin watched him with a pleased glint in his eye.
As they ate, Hyeok Mulin casually brought it up.
“Today, I completely abolished the Elders' Council regular meetings.”
Cough! Hack!
Sima Jin, mid-slurp, choked and coughed violently.
“Why bring up something that huge here, and only now?!”
“Does the place or timing matter? As long as the intent is clear.”
Hyeok Mulin calmly explained the day's meeting to the stunned Sima Jin.
Snapping out of it, Sima Jin composed himself and listened intently.
“...That's how it went.”
Once finished, Sima Jin stroked his chin, deep in thought.
His first words after were concern for Hyeok Mulin.
“Their pressure will be incomparable to before. Without the meetings, you've given them every justification to come at you full force.”
Expressing his worry, he asked cautiously.
“May I ask what countermeasures you've prepared, Cult Leader?”
Hyeok Mulin replied confidently.
“You'll have to think of those from now on.”
“Pardon? Dumping something like that on me... I mean, entrusting it to me?”
“I'd be a bit disappointed if the Great Military Strategist's son couldn't handle it.”
Sima Jin shook his head at Hyeok Mulin's deadpan tone.
“Even my father wouldn't break this easily.”
“Sima Jin.”
Hyeok Mulin's voice suddenly carried weight, ending the banter.
Sima Jin straightened up.
“Yes.”
“It's a race from here on—no time to pause. I'm delegating my authority over documents to you. Propose actions first and foremost.”
“Understood.”
Bowing at the trust shown, Sima Jin expressed his gratitude.
“One more thing for you to do.”
“Anything.”
Sima Jin's eyes sharpened.
“I'm creating a new organization to handle intelligence.”
With the meetings gone, there was no room for leisure.
It was time to expand his power base and accelerate his plans.
While the Non-Righteousness Hall under Sima Geuk managed intelligence, they weren't fully his. Control was imperfect, risking leaks.
Moreover, Sima Geuk hadn't fully aligned with him yet, so he resolved to build something entirely new.
“An excellent decision. I've felt the same need.”
“I'm entrusting you with forming the new group—recruitment, selection, everything.”
“I'll see it done.”
Sima Jin bowed, then lifted his head cautiously.
“Since you mentioned a new organization, there's something I've been considering.”
“A guard detail?”
“You already knew.”
Sima Jin looked at him with admiration, as if to say he'd anticipated even that.
“While you're busy, I'll handle my part.”
Hyeok Mulin nodded and met his gaze squarely.
Slowly, a smile curved his lips.
“I'm reviving the Cult Leader's personal guard.”
The nightmare of the Central Plains in the past.
The Divine Demon Blood Death Squad.