Chapter 327
Chapter 327
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 327
Chapter Title: The Next Stage (2)
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The Blood Cult fundamentally operated on a point-based organization structure.
However, it wouldn't continue running the organization that way forever.
'Mark thicker points at key locations for closer management.'
Eventually, those thicker points would multiply one by one, until the Heaven-Shaking Blood Demon declared severance from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, connecting them all.
'When those points link into lines. To charge toward the Blood Demon...'
I needed to turn Dokgo Cheol from merely my man into someone who followed me perfectly.
To do that, I had to tighten the reins on Dokgo Cheol while offering him a carrot.
'If he gains division leader status plus personnel under his command, it might be good to hand over something special today as a carrot.'
What kind of carrot would be good?
[Let's see. In our cult, a division leader manages four squads, and usually, one of those four is called a special duty squad, treated higher than the other squad leaders...]
I sent a transmission to Dokgo Cheol while thinking that.
[Then you're basically a super-fast promotion jumping several ranks at once, aren't you? Won't you surpass me soon?]
I pulled out original story knowledge to sound like I was well-versed in the Blood Cult.
Dokgo Cheol chuckled awkwardly in response.
[Don't tease me. It's nothing compared to you, Chairman.]
[No, when it's just us, I should call you Division Leader.]
[...That's embarrassing. And it's division leader rank, but they won't assign all four squads. Just one squad's personnel, and authority over three squads.]
[Still, they'll send a special duty squad level, right? Anyway, even one squad is ten men. You'll need a plausible excuse to manage ten without raising suspicions, won't you?]
[The higher-ups already told me to come up with a suitable pretext considering the academy's situation and atmosphere.]
[Really?]
[Yes. So I was thinking, how about creating a subordinate organization under the student bulletin you made, Chairman?]
If I were really from the Blood Cult, it might have sounded plausible.
But there was no reason for the Blood Cult to allow a stake in an organization managing promising juniors.
[That doesn't seem like a great idea. I can handle that information anytime anyway, and it's a department with frequent long-distance business trips. We might not be able to use the assigned personnel when needed.]
[Hearing that, you're right, Chairman.]
I brushed off Dokgo Cheol's suggestion.
Then I pondered a clever plan to seize both his loyalty and the Blood Cult's personnel.
A moment later.
Dokgo Cheol cleared his throat and spoke.
[Nothing good comes to mind right now. Do you have any ideas, Chairman?]
Seeing his furrowed brow narrow further, an idea suddenly struck me.
[Let's revive the Dokgo Family.]
Dokgo Cheol panicked and spoke aloud.
"D-Dokgo Family? You're saying to revive it?"
It was fine if anyone overheard, so I nodded and replied.
"Nothing grand. Just buy a nearby small manor and hang up a family plaque. That naturally creates a need for management personnel, right?"
"......"
"We can ask Lady Yin or Lady Zhuge to arrange a suitable location at a fair price. Invite friendly professors to the plaque ceremony to make it look proper."
"......"
"Put the news in the Ye Academy Bulletin, and some surviving retainers scattered across the world might come back... How about starting like that?"
"......"
"...Are you listening?"
"Y-Yes! I heard every word without missing a thing!"
"Then why no response? If reviving the Dokgo Family in a small manor doesn't satisfy you... At your level and funds, a big estate would just be too much to manage. Your belly bigger than your spoon."
As I spoke, Dokgo Cheol vigorously shook his head.
Tears welled in his eyes as he said,
"...It's not dissatisfaction. I'm against it. Sniff. I'm just too grateful."
"No need to be grateful. Take the full four squads' worth of activity funds even for ten men. Use that for expenses. Anything left is debt you owe me."
"No. It might take me decades alone."
Dokgo Cheol kept bowing deeply.
My master, watching, chimed in.
- He's right, though. Just buying a house and hanging a plaque doesn't revive a family, does it?
'True.'
The world needed to know the family had risen again.
Permission from the local powers holding the land was required.
Often, endorsement from renowned martial artists was needed.
Hanging a plaque recklessly led straight to family annihilation.
'The locals won't leave a rolling stone alone.'
Well, it wasn't hard for me.
'Just a bit of effort.'
Dokgo Cheol's assigned organization would become my complete limb, the vanguard to swallow the Blood Cult.
No reason not to invest a little effort.
"Alright. Alright."
I patted the sniffling Dokgo Cheol's shoulder, unable to hide my leaking smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After finishing with Dokgo Cheol, I gathered my Eon juniors.
I shared the plan to revive the Dokgo Family.
Nangong Ying, Dokgo Cheol's classmate, looked at me with eyes of respect.
"Senior is truly..."
"Wow! Congrats, Cheol's friend!"
Zhang Sun jumped with joy.
"Chicks, don't you have afternoon training soon? Go prepare after hearing this."
"Yes!"
"Yep!"
"Yup!"
I sent off the three freshmen and seriously discussed hanging the Dokgo Family plaque.
"Lady Yin and Lady Zhuge, please handle finding a suitable location and manor."
"Hm. Money's no issue... but we must consider the local powers carefully."
"Lady Ha-yeon, don't worry. Grandpa or Aunt will know a good spot."
"Yes. Let's think together. Young Master Eon, you know this needs careful handling, right?"
"...I didn't say anything?"
"Your eyes. They say to do it quickly."
"Precisely is missing. As quickly and accurately as possible."
"......"
"Once the location's set, apply for public support schedule as soothing local sentiments."
Reviving the Dokgo Family was symbolic in many ways, and Yin Ha-ryeon and Zhuge Seolji likely sensed its Blood Cult connection.
They nodded.
That wrapped up the agenda.
The rest was for reporting to the academy's operations committee.
"Ye senior."
"Yes, junior."
"Give me the minutes."
"Yes."
"Yong-gil, deliver that to the president's office."
"...Moyong. Hu. Got it."
With even Moyong Gil sent off,
only those who climbed Wudang Mountain with me out of worry for Jeong-hyeon remained in the student council room.
I told them about the trip to obtain the Inkscale Earth Dragon's inner core.
"And about the Inkscale Earth Dragon's inner core Elder Tae Yeong-ja mentioned... How about going during summer break?"
In response,
Yin Ha-seong grinned.
"Guangxi is south of the Yangtze, basically my front yard."
"Don't approach it that way. I got the map and location from the elder. It's an extreme hazard zone. Without sufficient lightness skill and internal energy, access will be denied."
I dismissed Yin Ha-seong's bravado and continued.
"Plus, as a once-in-a-millennium spirit medicine, anything could happen. From ancient times, spirit medicines' appearances often brought bloodshed. And the Demonic Cult's eyes will be watching us."
My Eon juniors nodded gravely.
I pressed on.
"Security goes without saying. We need more thorough preparation than ever. That's all for today. We'll decide who goes near the date."
The meeting ended.
The Eon juniors dove into preparations.
Including fulfilling their duties as students.
We couldn't let others think, 'Those guys ignore academy rules and run wild.'
'That would undermine discipline.'
I was no exception.
I'd skipped classes often due to business,
but with major matters settled, I attended per schedule.
"Raise hands."
"Yes!"
"Eon Yong-un... Skipping again today?"
"No!"
"No? Hm? He actually showed up in person?!"
I diligently participated in classes.
Especially in General Corpse Technique Theory, I worked on a research project with Professor Yeonghwan.
"...With this spell and control technique, we can control many corpses with relatively little internal energy! Haha. Chairman Eon, not to your level, but we've caught up a step to the Demonic Cult's corpse techniques!"
"Congratulations."
"Thanks! All thanks to you!"
"We did it together. I learned a lot too."
"Learned? Just us two, but you were the professor and I the assistant!"
'Reflections on Improving Control Techniques' succeeded largely due to my role.
But I gained too.
This era's control techniques were truly archaic spells.
'But something like the Tiger Devouring Mound spell... If researched well, it could enable high-tier black magic I couldn't use due to lacking internal energy.'
That led to thoughts of body tonics.
'Anyway, I've eaten the best things in the world, yet still can't use high-tier black magic... This world suits me in most ways, but black magic efficiency is trash.'
So, tonics were needed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Before departing for the Inkscale Earth Dragon's inner core, fulfilling student duties mattered,
but honing one's martial prowess was paramount.
Thus, I sparred in turns with my highly motivated Eon juniors.
Of course, having crossed a major wall, I had them pair up against me.
"Ha! Heu! Heu!"
"Urk."
"You okay, Lady Yin? Lady Zhuge?"
"I-I can do more."
"Doesn't look like it..."
"I'm not okay. Real monster... Even teaming with Lady Zhuge until we vomited, his breathing didn't falter. How many like Young Master Eon in martial history?"
"Ha! Who knows? Yong-un oppa maybe top ten? No, same age, top five fingers."
It helped my juniors.
And me, preparing for melee.
But none of the thrill from sparring Sword Saint.
After much deliberation, I knocked on the president's office door.
Elder Gyeong Hye welcomed me with a warm smile.
"Come in. Chairman Eon. Heard you did something meaningful lately?"
"If Dokgo Cheol's matter, it was inevitable eventually, and timing was right."
She shook her head.
"No, not that."
"Pardon?"
"Binni means you personally attended every class you enrolled in this week."
"Ah?"
"What wind blew?"
"What wind? Unavoidable circumstances before. No student obeys professors more diligently than me."
"???"
- ?
"?"
After that exchange,
silence filled the office briefly.
"...Well, whatever. You've never shirked duties anyway."
Elder Gyeong Hye sipped tea and mentioned the Dokgo matter.
"Dokgo Cheol's revival is meaningful to Binni too. I'll attend the plaque ceremony. Here for confirmation?"
This time, I shook my head.
"No. Another request."
"Request? What?"
"President. No, I wish to witness the Demon-Exterminating Elder's sword."