Chapter 71: Taking Control
Hey, Pa Cheon.
[What's on your mind?]
It's only been a few months since I became family head, but at this rate, am I seriously going to end up as the Heavenly Demon?
[Don't talk nonsense. The title of Heavenly Demon belongs to the one at the pinnacle of the hundred thousand Heavenly Demon Divine Cult disciples.]
With this much paperwork staring me down, isn't it natural for my mind to snap and spout bullshit?
The first thing I did after becoming family head was, predictably, review the documents.
This was all the damn clichés' fault.
It was always like this. In every web novel, when the protagonist becomes family head, inherits a title, or ascends to the throne, the very first task is drowning in a mountain of paperwork and signing off on it. That's the unwritten rule of web novels.
And I was no exception.
Of course, the documents weren't literally piled like a mountain, but it was clear they weren't something I could wrap up in a day or two.
Damn, this is enough to drive anyone insane. You're the one who wanted this, right? I feel like ditching it all—your body, getting it back, everything.
[…….]
Pa Cheon had gone silent, figuring this was a losing battle for him.
Omun Pavilion... what the hell is this place even for?
I'd only ever known the family's scale and structure from the novel's lore. Seeing it all laid out in documents gave me a headache.
And as expected from a murim tale, the numbers were absurdly inflated. This wasn't some fantasy duke's estate—it was one family with over four thousand members. And that didn't even include servants or laborers handling menial tasks.
Sado Gwang, you mad bastard.
Not every one of the Mad Demon Six Families was like this. The Sado family was the freak. Their logic was simple: if you lack absolute masters, just stockpile more mid-tier ones. That's how they'd bloated their numbers.
Naturally, that meant more documents to sift through.
The task was straightforward: compare the family's official records with the ones Sado Gwang had kept separately.
Lucky he even bothered with accounting, or unlucky? Take your pick.
Back in the real world, I'd been in sales. My team was Sales Team 1—the "1" tacked on just to sound impressive, even though there was only one team.
But I'd handled accounting too. Like every shitty company, our accountant had bailed, and I'd gotten stuck with it because I was the only one with a business degree. I'd ground my teeth over it back then, but who knew it'd come in handy now? Not that I was grateful to the boss.
Did the workload increase? → Yes
Did I get paid more? → No
The company never even covered taxi fare for overtime nights when the buses stopped running. No way I was thankful. Still, the boss's management style was turning out to be a real inspiration for "current me"...
"I-I can't do this anymore..."
It was Tak Horak. His eyes were sunken deep with dark circles.
A martial squad leader handling paperwork didn't suit him at all. But excluding Sa Wol, he was my closest subordinate, and despite his simpleton vibe, he was sharp-minded.
Just learning a few moves from the sealed former Heavenly Demon, Do Il Gwang, had propelled him to the Peak realm. In this Murim Returner world, you couldn't become a master without brains unless you had freakish physical gifts.
"It's simple. Just add up the numbers and compare them."
"There are over ten thousand figures to add! How am I supposed to—"
Even a sharp mind could crumble before this deluge. Tak Horak's loyalty had been ramping up lately, so for him to whine like this said it all. But...
"Then do it. You're just lacking effort and grit."
"......"
Tak Horak had no comeback.
That was it.
The shitty company boss style shut down any complaints from underlings.
Are you watching, President Kim? Your legacy is spreading across worlds.
"I have a question."
I'd briefly channeled President Kim in a possession-within-possession and replied with a magnanimous expression.
"What is it?"
"Why not put Squad Leader Sa Wol on this? She's got a knack for numbers—she can memorize entire mission maps on the spot."
"Sa Wol has other duties."
"Isn't that favoritism?!"
"Then become a Super Peak master yourself. Do that, and I'll exempt you from paperwork."
"N-No way... not that again?"
I nodded at Tak Horak's paling face.
Sa Wol's job was simple: whenever Tak Horak or I spotted discrepancies in the numbers, she'd take the Black Shadow Corps and confront the culprit with the documents.
The process was entirely peaceful—no swords drawn. She'd just half-lid her eyes and project her simsang, and they'd spill everything in tears and snot. They could resist, of course. But resistance itself proved guilt.
The interpersonal assassination machine Sa Wol had become a portable lie detector and confession tool.
"So quit the nonsense and buckle down. The inauguration ceremony and meeting are only three days away."
My goal was to expose every scrap of corruption in the Sado family before then—not to recover illicit gains and reform the clan for the cult's benefit, or whatever.
I need those treasure artifacts and devices. No choice.
Even as family head, accessing the Sado warehouses required convening a meeting. It seemed rational and democratic at first glance, but it was Sado Gwang's scheme to pit the family head faction against the elders. He’d designed it to prevent either side from dominating.
Sure, the elders would have no choice but to approve now... but...
Who knew all the stuff I need had already been checked out?
Several treasure artifacts and devices essential for smooth cult life were already loaned out. I had to get them back.
Hence the chaos.
Plus, this might flush out any remaining Sado Gwang puppets lurking around.
Nothing so far, though...
Four days in, and no leads. I was starting to wonder if Sado Gwang was really dead.
No. Can't let my guard down.
Complacency had nearly bitten me too many times. In the murim world, "big trouble" meant death at minimum. Better to stay paranoid till the end.
I was deep in the paperwork when...
[Presence detected.]
At Pa Cheon's warning, I kept staring at the documents and said,
"You're here."
"Pardon? What do you—Gyaak!"
Tak Horak, who'd looked up at my mutter, toppled from his chair. Sa Wol had appeared like a ghost. She gazed down at him with pitying eyes.
"Argh... F-Family head. My back...!"
"I see. Hurt your back?"
"Seems like it."
"A Black Shadow Corps leader can't have back issues. You've got big things ahead. Sa Wol."
"Yes, family head."
"Send word to Dok Ma. Tell him there's an urgent patient—ask for quick treatment."
Dok Ma was a medical genius rivaling Ma Ui of the Magic Physicians Hall. But Dok Ma... who knew what he'd pull. Rumors swirled that if he disliked you, he'd poison you under the guise of treatment.
"......Circulating my qi... seems fine now."
"No. The Black Shadow Corps will soon be promoted to Black Shadow Guard. A leader can't have even minor injuries—see Dok Ma without fail."
"It really feels better!"
"Then focus."
Tak Horak slumped back to his papers with a weird expression—joy at the promotion mixed with frustration at the desk work.
The Black Shadow Corps was no longer just a martial unit; it was being elevated to a direct family head agency. A martial force and an inspection organ the head could wield freely. With a mere squad leader like Tak Horak already at Peak, the justification was solid.
"So, how'd it go?"
Sa Wol replied to my question.
"Both the Hongyeon Pavilion Master and Sawi Hall Master confessed. They're surrendering the illicit treasure artifacts and paying one thousand silver taels each in restitution."
"Guess they really hate Punishment Cave. Good work. Clean and efficient."
"The elders are next. What now?"
The family head faction that cozied up to Sado Gwang was mostly cleaned out.
"I'll handle them."
Unlike the rootless rabble that bloated the head faction, the elders were greedy but legitimate bloodline. They'd opposed me before, but now they were my support base.
I planned to leave for the cult once this mess stabilized. Only then could I hunt Cheon Gi-ja and find a way back home.
Long absences faded presence. If Pa Cheon returned or I was off in the jianghu, rebellion could brew.
Two options.
Crush them into silence, or make them dependent. Best to do both, but time was short.
If choosing one, it was obvious. This was the cult, after all.
Some major event where Cheon Gi-ja might show soon.
In Murim Returner, Cheon Gi-ja popped up at big jianghu incidents. Master of disguise, so few recognized him.
By original timeline, I had about half a year left. Only four months since I arrived—seemed ample, but with so much to do, it wasn't.
As I mulled this, Sa Wol spoke.
"Sure you don't need to check Punishment Cave?"
"No need."
"They might plot a comeback there. The ones heading in aren't even his followers... I see. So that's it."
"What?"
"Do Il Gwang. You sent him to Punishment Cave to recruit him, right? That means from the moment you declared sending me and Squad Leader Tak there—from Taeryeong County—you'd planned all this."
Sa Wol looked faintly awed.
"Following you is the best choice I've ever made."
Sa Wol spouted more of her odd nonsense. But it was positive delusion, so I let it slide.
"Me too!"
I ignored Tak Horak's raised hand and instructed Sa Wol.
"Anyway, I have plans for the elders. Just monitor—no moves yet."
"Deploy the Black Shadow Corps?"
"Do it. Squad Leader Tak, you stay."
Tak Horak, who'd perked up at the mention, deflated back into his seat.
Sado Mu Yeol gazed at the sky.
It was a piercing blue, heralding the coming winter.
While the pit he had to enter gaped black before him.
*Crunch.*
Standing before Punishment Cave, Sado Mu Yeol ground his teeth.
'They say Bi-cha lay in the brambles vowing revenge, and Gu-cheon chewed his gall to never forget the humiliation.'
The outside might be ruled by a fake, but Punishment Cave was still his domain. The allowance to pack his belongings proved it.
'Deep in Punishment Cave lies the former Heavenly Demon, Do Il Gwang.'
Sealed or not, once a Heavenly Demon. He could use him to make a comeback.
That's what he'd thought—until meeting Do Il Gwang.
"Kuhahaha! You gobbled up a whole Mad Demon family in the meantime?!"
Do Il Gwang mocked Sado Mu Yeol.
"Not knowing if your own son is a tiger—a mere fool! It's not a tiger father with dog son, but dog father with tiger son!"
"That bas—!"
"Gahak!"
Sado Mu Yeol crumpled at Do Il Gwang's ki-infused shout.
"M-My internal energy is sealed... how can you unleash such presence...?"
"Sado Hwan scoffed at my presence and didn't blink at my simsang."
"I-Impossible. That fake couldn't—!"
"Why would I believe a knot-eyed fool like you? Hahaha!"
Sado Mu Yeol fled the sealed plaza with a horrified look.
Do Il Gwang looked up. The "sky" was just the dark cave ceiling.
"Heh... Sado Hwan... aiming to truly become the Heavenly Demon."
Do Il Gwang's simsang emerged. A massive black tiger prowled at his feet.
"From this pit, I'll watch... if you can shatter that sky."
The misunderstanding deepened.