Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Six Great and Seven Small
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The Heavenly Demon's coronation brought many things to Maeng Ak.
By demonstrating that he had been chosen by the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Sacred Black Flame, he gained the justification of succeeding the true lineage.
Using the Windless Killing Curtain, he was able to decisively eliminate the opposing forces, including the Poison Heavenly Pillar and Dok Cheon-roe.
Maeng Ak used the power and authority he had gained to begin restructuring the organization, just as he had declared at his coronation.
The three powers that originally held sway over the Divine Cult—
the Cult Leader, the Great Elder, and the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates—had all either fallen by Maeng Ak's hand or had their power weakened, making this possible.
Of course, that didn't mean it was a simple matter to decide.
It had to be something everyone could accept, and it had to be fair.
In the end, Maeng Ak had to rack his brain for several days alongside the Great Guardian.
“Great Guardian, how many factions are left?”
“Yes, with the Poison and Sword Heavenly Pillar Gates eliminated, we have the remaining three Heavenly Pillar Gates, the faction of elders who support the old elder, and the small and medium-sized sects, including the Windless Killing Curtain.”
“They will all want to secure a position for themselves during this time of change...”
From the newly built Demonic Heaven Pavilion within the Cult Leader's Hall, voices of anguish could be heard day after day.
And so, several days passed.
Finally, a plan was announced today.
[From this moment on, by the order of the Heavenly Demon, the Divine Cult shall maintain the following structure. First, the existing Council of Elders and the Pillar Gates shall be abolished, and six Great Elders will be selected. Furthermore, seven Small Elders will be selected beneath them. Each family may only produce one elder, regardless of whether they are Great or Small.]
The plan was to place six Great Elders under the absolute monarch, the Heavenly Demon, and seven Small Elders beneath them.
By limiting each family to a single elder, it also prevented any one family from monopolizing power.
Finally, for the most crucial part—the selection method—they chose a martial tournament, befitting the Divine Cult's principle of survival of the fittest.
The application period for the tournament was exactly five days from now.
Those who applied for the Great Elder selection could not apply for the Small Elder selection, and vice versa.
Those who had enjoyed privileges under the old system naturally felt rebellious, but they did not dare to protest.
This was because they had seen dozens of culprits, including the Poison Heavenly Pillar, die from a single swing of his sword on the day of the coronation.
Moreover, the spirit of reform they had felt from the Heavenly Demon that day did not seem like something that could be broken by mere opposition or protest.
As long as they lacked the power and justification to seize the Heavenly Demon's throne, they had no choice but to follow.
And above all, the atmosphere surrounding this reform plan was not that bad.
Many were looking forward to the new winds of change that would blow through the Divine Cult, coinciding with the emergence of a new monarch, the Second Heavenly Demon.
Most importantly, the old elder and the three Heavenly Pillar Gates, who were expected to resist the most, took the initiative and were the first to apply on the very first day of the application period. This had a significant impact.
As one day, then two, passed, dissenting opinions became impossible to find.
Instead, wherever one went, the game of predicting who would become a Great Elder or a Small Elder continued.
Among the younger generation, in particular, a competitive spirit seemed to boil over, and it became a trend to rush to apply.
It was so common that arguments over who would become a Small Elder often escalated into physical fights.
And amidst this frenzy were Maeng Ak's five disciples.
They were sharing drinks and conversation at a place called the Summer Wine Pavilion next to the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon.
“Hey, Do Gwang, who do you think will make it?”
“Huh? Since I've applied, you can count one spot out...”
“No, you idiot. I'm talking about the Great Elder positions, not the Small Elder ones.”
“Oh. Hmm... let's see. Well, with the old elder and the three Heavenly Pillars, that's four spots already taken.”
The confident Jo Gwang-uk and Do Gwang were more curious about who would become Great Elders than worried about the Small Elder selection test.
In contrast, So-so and Ha Gyeong pledged their loyalty to each other, vowing not to face one another in the Small Elder selection test.
“Right, So-so. It's best if we don't meet.”
“We know each other's strengths and weaknesses too well, that's the problem.”
The two of them mentally drew up potential tournament brackets, searching for any scenario where they wouldn't have to fight.
“...”
Chang On, sitting between them, sipped his tea, contemplating which of the Rising Stars, aside from the four before him, would be his rival.
Just then, a man appeared before them.
He craned his neck, looking around, and confirmed the faces of the five, including Jo Gwang-uk.
“I think this is the right group... or is it?”
“Who are you?”
Jo Gwang-uk stepped forward and asked.
It had been a long time since someone their age had tried to pick a fight with them, not since the tournament at the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon.
‘Just when I was itching for a fight after all this talk about the selection test. Perfect timing.’
He was ready to throw a punch the moment a provocative tone came from the man's mouth.
But contrary to his expectations, the man had no intention of provoking Jo Gwang-uk.
He simply uttered something completely unexpected.
“Have you, by any chance, received teachings from the current Heavenly Demon?”
“...!”
The fact that they had been taught by Maeng Ak wasn't exactly a top secret.
However, they had kept it hidden, not boasting about it for fear of causing harm to Maeng Ak.
Therefore, only a few of their peers and instructors from the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon knew the truth.
So, it was quite surprising for a large man they had never seen before to approach and ask them about it.
“How do you know that?”
Jo Gwang-uk and the other four raised their auras, applying pressure just in case.
Depending on his answer, if they judged him to be a threat to Maeng Ak, they looked ready to strike at any moment.
“This energy...? I see I've come to the right place. Haha. First, please calm down. You could say I am a fellow disciple.”
“What? A fellow disciple?”
So-so, who had been listening from the back, exclaimed in surprise.
At that, everyone in the Summer Wine Pavilion turned their heads in So-so's direction.
“Huh? Look over there! Aren't those the cadets who passed the fourth test at the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon?”
“Oh? You're right!”
Thanks to that, attention and gazes began to gather on them.
Having no choice, Jo Gwang-uk and the other four, along with the mysterious man, had to leave the Summer Wine Pavilion.
Outside, they moved to the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon to continue their conversation.
The most impatient of them, Do Gwang, asked the man again.
“If you say you're a fellow disciple, does that mean you too?”
“Yes, that's right. I also received teachings from the current Heavenly Demon. If you don't believe me... Hmph!”
As if to say seeing is believing, the mysterious man raised his internal energy and projected his aura outward.
Do Gwang and the other four recognized the energy at a glance.
He had truly learned the Divine Arts of the Tiger from Maeng Ak.
‘It's slightly different, but it's definitely that same heart technique!’
The heart technique Maeng Ak had taught them was profound enough to be called a divine art.
Any martial artist could feel its uniquely noble energy.
It was certain he was a fellow disciple.
Do Gwang continued his questioning.
“In that case, what is your name?”
“I am Dang Hyeon-woo.”
“Does that mean the five of us are your senior disciples?”
“Puhahahaha.”
Dang Hyeon-woo burst into laughter instead of answering.
An uneasy feeling crept over them.
‘Could it be...?’
But the unthinkable had happened.
“Unfortunately, I was the very first to receive teachings from our Lord. Junior Disciples.”
“Keuk.”
Unfortunately, Hyeon-woo had sworn loyalty to Maeng Ak and received his teachings long before the five disciples.
Unaware of their reaction, Dang Hyeon-woo continued.
“Junior Disciple Ha Song will be here soon, so let's wait a moment.”
“W-wait. Instructor Ha Song is a junior disciple? Then that means!”
Dang Hyeon-woo surprised the five disciples once again.
They had never dreamed that Instructor Ha Song had also been taught by Maeng Ak.
“No wonder! I knew they were too close.”
So-so said, slapping her knee.
“Does that mean Instructor Ha Song could become our junior disciple?”
Chang On took So-so's words and offered a new perspective.
Everyone clapped their hands as if they hadn't even considered the point Chang On had raised.
“Oh?! That's right!”
“What happens if our instructor becomes our junior disciple?”
They were confused, yet a smile played on their lips.
Deep down, they hoped Ha Song would become their junior disciple.
But unfortunately, that did not happen.
Because a word designating them came from the mouth of Ha Song, who arrived at just the right moment.
“Oh? You're all gathered here? First, it's been a while, Senior Brother Hyeon-woo. And how have you been, cadets—no, I suppose I should call you junior disciples now?”
“Haa... of course.”
At Ha Song's words, a deflated sigh escaped from the mouths of all five.
Ha Song looked puzzled as his plan to surprise them went awry.
“What's this? Your reactions aren't what I expected.”
“We already heard from Senior Brother Hyeon-woo. By the way, how did you two receive his teachings so early? We thought we were pretty quick to notice that our Lord was no ordinary person.”
“Hahaha, So-so. There are ways. Oh, right. Have you all applied?”
“For the Small Elder selection test? Of course.”
Since the topic came up, they rented the largest room in the Summer Wine Pavilion.
Thus, their conversation about the selection test began, and Ha Song, who had a relative advantage in information, told them many things.
Chang On, who had been listening quietly, asked Ha Song.
“Then, will the Flower Heavenly Pillar Gate be organized separately under the Heavenly Demon Squad?”
“Oh, as expected, Junior Disciple Chang On is quiet but sharp. You're right. Not only the Flower Heavenly Pillar Gate, but also the families of the Guardians have been assigned to the Heavenly Demon Squad.”
What Ha Song said was true.
The Flower Heavenly Pillar had only applied as a formality to set the mood; she planned to belong to the Heavenly Demon Squad, which Maeng Ak would manage directly.
Furthermore, the limbs of the Great, Right, and Left Guardians naturally followed suit and joined the Heavenly Demon's camp.
So, Ha Song also seemed to be looking forward to chatting with Maeng Ak after a long time.
Meanwhile, at the mention of the Heavenly Demon Squad, Do Gwang and Jo Gwang-uk muttered simultaneously.
“The Heavenly Demon Squad...”
The two of them admired Maeng Ak's strength more than anyone.
Thus, their desire to move alongside him grew stronger than their desire to become Small Elders.
But Ha Song, noticing this, strongly advised against it.
“If any of you are thinking of applying for the Heavenly Demon Squad, I want you to reconsider.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because our Lord himself told me to relay this message to you.”
As if he had been waiting for this moment, Ha Song cleared his throat and began to imitate Maeng Ak's voice.
“Ahem, ah. Gung So-so, Jo Gwang-uk, Ha Gyeong, Do Gwang, Chang On—pass the Small Elder selection test with flying colors and stand before me. If you do, I will give you a fitting reward. I know you can do it. Well then, I will be waiting.”
“...!”
Although his impression was not even remotely similar, the five of them each felt a resonance in their hearts.
It was enough that he hadn't forgotten them and still remembered them, but to hear that he trusted them...
Do Gwang and Jo Gwang-uk, who had been momentarily hesitant, were the first to state their resolve.
“Kuh, I will definitely become a Small Elder!”
“Yeah! When he holds us in such high regard, there's no need to be a burden by his side! I'll go further and become a help to him!”
The others showed similar reactions.
Seeing them, it seemed they would jump into the selection test even without a fitting reward.
Ha Song watched them with a pleased expression.
Just then, Dang Hyeon-woo carefully asked him.
“Junior Disciple Ha Song, was there perhaps any word for me...?”
“Ah, right. My apologies, Senior Brother Hyeon-woo. I should have given you this first.”
*Swish.*
Ha Song handed Dang Hyeon-woo a piece of paper with an order written on it.
Dang Hyeon-woo carefully unfolded it and read it alone.
‘Finally!’
As Dang Hyeon-woo read the order on the paper, a look of determination appeared on his face.