Heavenly Demon Divine Cult (3)

"Say that again. What did you learn?"

Cheon Wigang asked, his expression one of pure shock. Unlike his earlier emotionless demeanor, clear disturbance rippled through his voice now.

"It's the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art..."

Han Yeoreum let out a deep breath. Cheon Wigang, who had clenched his fist tightly for a moment, sat back down in his seat.

"Something impossible has occurred... Just where did you obtain it?"

His question carried heavy pressure. I couldn't leave everything to Han Yeoreum anymore. Standing at the crossroads of whether to dodge the answer or not, I once again chose to embellish the truth just enough.

"...We obtained the Martial Deity's legacy."

This time, I answered in her place.

"Was it truly that Martial Deity?"

"Yes. It was. The same one who founded the academy. We also discovered his final legacy in Namhan Mountain near the academy. It was a miracle born from layered coincidences."

This was something I'd prepared in advance—how to explain it if they ever found out what Han Yeoreum and I had learned. After all, I couldn't just say we'd casually picked up EX-rank martial arts while walking down the street.

"Should I believe those words?"

Still, suspicious eyes bored into us as expected.

"I can tell you the exact location of the legacy. If you investigate, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it'll become clear."

I spoke confidently. This part, at least, was no lie whatsoever.

Cheon Wigang stared intently into my eyes for a long while before slowly shaking his head.

"It doesn't seem to be a lie. No wonder there was no information. If it was the Martial Deity's arrangement, that makes sense. However... I cannot fathom how the Martial Deity obtained the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art."

Cheon Wigang rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. We waited silently for his next words.

"Young Sect Leader, did you know about this?"

"...I did not. Just what is the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art that you react this way?"

Tap. Tap. Cheon Wigang's fingers, which had been drumming on the desk, stopped. His gaze turned back toward us.

"You said you had no master, correct?"

"Yes."

I answered honestly. It was the truth.

"I will open a path for you. Join the sect."

The next words completely shattered my expectations. Join the sect? Just like that? My mind raced through countless calculations in an instant. The word "path" carried an implicit threat—if we didn't join, he wouldn't let us leave alive.

"Sect Leader! These two are my close friends!"

Cheon Hayeon also understood the implication and cried out urgently.

"Should I concern myself with trivial personal feelings?"

"Father...!"

"Silence."

Cheon Wigang cut off his daughter's words with a cold tone.

"I would like to hear the reason."

"Join first. Then I will tell you."

Tsk. This was beyond anything I knew how to handle. Who could've imagined that simply hearing about the martial art Han Yeoreum learned—not even mine—would press Cheon Wigang's berserk button?

"If I join the sect... can I become stronger?"

Han Yeoreum, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a low but steady voice. Even under the crushing pressure emanating from Cheon Wigang, her attitude remained remarkably calm. I hadn't realized she could be this bold.

A spark of interest flashed in Cheon Wigang's eyes.

"If by strength you mean pure martial prowess, then yes. You could aim for the title of the strongest under heaven."

His words were absolute, even with Cheon Hayeon—the once-in-a-millennium genius—standing right beside us. Han Yeoreum aiming for the top? Even I, who prided myself on knowing the game's lore inside and out, couldn't understand what he was basing that on. Cheon Hayeon looked equally confused.

"I'll join. But I have conditions."

Han Yeoreum spoke without hesitation.

My message was completely ignored. I had no idea what had gotten into her, but my head was starting to throb.

"Speak."

Surprisingly, Cheon Wigang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smiled with what seemed like genuine amusement at Han Yeoreum's bold attitude.

"I want you to take me as your disciple."

"What the—!"

Cheon Hayeon's eyes widened as she shouted. I nearly popped my own eyes out too. This crazy girl. It seemed she didn't fully understand what the term "disciple" meant in the Murim world.

"Disciple? You mean my disciple?"

"Yes."

"How interesting. However, that is impossible."

As expected, a firm rejection followed. Of course. Becoming the Heavenly Demon's disciple essentially put one on nearly equal footing with the Young Sect Leader. Not that it came with succession rights.

"Why not?"

Han Yeoreum immediately shot back. That charging bull personality of hers. I'd always known she'd cause a massive incident one day.

"One who has learned the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art cannot become my disciple."

"I see. Then what about this student, Kim Mugong?"

"Me?"

I suddenly felt like my brain had turned to mush. It was hard to keep up with Han Yeoreum's pace. This was beyond rushing ahead—it was like flooring the gas pedal of a truck.

"How interesting. So that was your goal from the beginning?"

"I won't deny it."

Han Yeoreum answered in a confident voice.

...When did she get so sharp? Had she secretly gotten some acupuncture on her Baihui point from the Heavenly Beast God or something? Or was this pure animal instinct kicking in? If it worked out, it would be an enormous benefit for me too, so I stayed quiet and listened instead of interfering.

"In exchange, return the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art to the sect. You don't need to erase what you've learned. Simply record it in a book and leave it behind."

"As much as you want."

Han Yeoreum beamed brightly. To think she'd successfully negotiate a deal with the Heavenly Demon himself.

"Good. I accept your proposal. Both of you are permitted to join the sect."

He'd even sealed the deal as a package set. Looking at the results alone, it felt like we'd gone out for a casual walk and stumbled upon a massive gold nugget. The Heavenly Demon's disciple? My mind was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reeling.

"It is an honor."

I bowed with a dazed expression. Was joining the Heavenly Demon Sect always this easy? The confusion only deepened.

No matter how it happened, it had worked out. I felt like patting her head.

From becoming Cheon Hayeon's roommate to this moment, it couldn't be explained by mere luck. It was nothing short of a miracle.

"Father, just what is the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art that you react this way? This girl cannot understand at all."

"This girl?"

Cheon Wigang stared at Cheon Hayeon with cold eyes. Since we all knew the truth anyway, I didn't see why he had to be so strict.

"This son..."

Only then did Cheon Wigang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nod. The longer I watched, the more I became convinced he was an extreme doting father. The fact that he'd accepted Han Yeoreum's reckless charge without resistance only made his personality harder to read.

"The Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art. It is about time the Young Sect Leader learned of it."

"I am listening with full attention."

Cheon Hayeon immediately knelt.

This Heavenly Demon Sect really had no consistency. Their Supreme Elder was mass-producing Mach 11 experimental aircraft, yet structurally it seemed no different from a medieval kingdom. Regardless, we followed Cheon Hayeon's lead and knelt as well.

"You must know that the Heavenly Demon Sect originally arose from the Heavenly Mountains in Xinjiang. We once advanced into the Central Plains but returned to the Heavenly Mountains for that very reason."

Cheon Wigang paused to gather his thoughts before continuing.

"This is a secret history unknown to the world, but the First Heavenly Demon had a lover. Compared to the First Heavenly Demon, who possessed the qualities of a great master unmatched in this mortal realm, she was an ordinary woman."

Cheon Wigang's gaze shifted toward Han Yeoreum once more.

"Yes, much like you. But talent is ultimately bestowed by the heavens. The First Heavenly Demon sought to break the limits set by heaven. Thus, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art was created."

...So the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art had been a technique of the Heavenly Demon Sect from the very beginning. While sharing her status window to some extent, I'd wondered why it received the transcendent EX rank. My own Unicorn Divine Art was ridiculously overpowered when you looked at its effects alone, but the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art didn't seem that way no matter how I analyzed it. If the First Heavenly Demon had created it specifically for his lover, everything made sense. After all, when it came to being the greatest of all time, the First Heavenly Demon always stood at the very front.

"Could it be that the reason the Divine Maiden Palace still exists in the sect despite the absence of a Divine Maiden is..."

Cheon Hayeon muttered as if realizing something. Cheon Wigang nodded silently.

"Correct. It is a lamentable matter, but the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art vanished without a trace at some point long ago. It was an event from the distant past. It wasn't properly recorded in the sect's historical texts, so we could not determine what happened. I never expected that the Martial Deity would be the one to discover it."

"...Is there still a chance it's simply a technique with the same name?"

I asked cautiously. Even though I was being forcibly recruited and would soon become his disciple, the Heavenly Demon still felt like an overwhelmingly distant existence to me.

"No. The sect leaders of the Heavenly Demon Sect possess a method to identify a Divine Maiden who has learned the Heavenly Mountain Divine Maiden Art. Having heard the name, there is no room for doubt."

"Then what will happen to student Han Yeoreum now?"

I couldn't hold back my curiosity. I asked immediately.

"If the Heavenly Demon symbolizes the sect's military power and the sect leader symbolizes its authority, then the Divine Maiden symbolizes the sect's miracles. In principle, the three are equal."

It wasn't for nothing that the word "Cult" had persisted into the modern era. In this regard, they still adhered to conservative doctrine.

"Therefore, the Divine Maiden cannot be placed in a superior-subordinate relationship with the sect leader. A disciple implies a clear hierarchy. She cannot become a disciple, but she may become the future owner of the Divine Maiden Palace. Of course, becoming the palace master will require extensive preparation. It is possible she may never qualify."

My status had suddenly skyrocketed like crazy. If this were a game, I'd have discovered a hidden trigger. The Heavenly Demon's disciple and the next master of the Divine Maiden Palace. The demonic path was a concern, but since it had become almost certain that the arts I'd learned were demonic in nature, there was no longer any need to cling to the righteous path. This was a tremendous stroke of fortune. A top-tier opportunity that didn't lose out even when compared to discovering the Martial Deity's treasure.

Cheon Wigang flicked a golden plaque engraved with an Asura image from within his robes toward Cheon Hayeon. She received it with both hands.

"Young Sect Leader Cheon Hayeon receives the Heavenly Demon Command of the Sect Leader."

"You two may leave now."

"You will move with me."

Cheon Hayeon, holding the golden plaque, spoke to Han Yeoreum.

Cheon Wigang watched their retreating figures intently before finally turning his gaze toward me.

"Hmm. My disciple, is it?"

When I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, I saw an intensely curious look that he hadn't shown until now. For some reason, I suddenly felt like a lab rat.