Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 130
>Chapter Title: The Bait Tastes Best When Shaken (2)
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Ma Do-yeong, lost in deep contemplation, summoned extreme patience and asked.
“So, you’re planning to move to the theater club?”
Ma Do-yeong had considered forcing Il-mok into the meditation club or clinging to his pant leg, promising never to disturb his naps again.
But both options were bound to raise suspicions in all sorts of ways. Especially the latter—it was absolutely something an instructor could never do.
To Ma Do-yeong’s probing question, Il-mok cheerfully dangled the bait.
“Nothing’s set in stone yet. I’m thinking of trying out the other clubs one by one. Well, if none of the others suit me, I might end up back at the meditation club, right?”
Summoning extreme composure, Ma Do-yeong feigned indifference in response to Il-mok’s temptation.
“Understood. Oh, and separate from the club business, it seems there’s some misunderstanding. I scolded you not out of any personal grudge. As an in. struc. tor, I can’t overlook a cadet slacking off.”
“Even if I return to the meditation club, nothing changes?”
“You just need to stop slacking off, don’t you?”
“…I’ll think it over that far and choose a club.”
“Do that.”
Nodding, Ma Do-yeong turned and walked away.
“Phew. That should clear up the suspicions, right?”
Ma Do-yeong thought. At least he’d acted like an instructor at the end.
“Greed leads to great loss, as they say. It’d be the height of stupidity to arouse suspicion while chasing merit. For now, shaking off the doubt comes first.”
Watching Ma Do-yeong’s retreating figure from afar, Il-mok thought.
“Suspicious as ever.”
Contrary to his expectations, Ma Do-yeong hadn’t shaken off the suspicion at all.
* * *
The next day, as expected, I continued my club trial activities during club time.
Today’s destination was the Doctrine Research Club.
To put it differently, it was a cult fanatic breeding ground.
“Welcome, Cadet Il-mok.”
As I entered the hall, Jeong Gyu-seok—the club’s supervising instructor and doctrine education teacher—greeted me.
It felt odd.
“Hmm. I figured he’d be annoyed.”
The trio I’d shoved into the meditation club were originally from the Doctrine Research Club.
I didn’t know how seriously instructors took club activities, but I’d stolen three cadets from under his nose, so I’d expected some resentment.
Yet here he was, welcoming me.
“No way this guy’s another underling?”
The suspicion arose naturally.
“Welcome!”
“We welcome you, Cadet Il-mok!”
But the ensuing wave of welcomes diluted that suspicion a bit.
“What’s with all these people?”
The hall was swarming with at least ten cadets.
If the three I’d poached were still here, it would’ve been nearly twenty.
Considering each class had only about twenty cadets, that meant almost half were in the Doctrine Research Club.
“Tch. If I were the instructor, I’d be relieved those three left.”
Even with assistants, managing over ten cadets with just two people was exhausting. Regular class time was one thing.
Moreover, with all the cadets flocking to the doctrine club, the other instructors with lighter loads would be enviable.
“I’m swamped while my colleagues lounge around? That’s bullshit.”
It instantly reminded me of my civil servant days.
And the question of why so many cadets were in the Doctrine Research Club was answered almost immediately.
“Just look at Jin Ha-yeon…”
Demonic Path Academy cadets were the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s promising talents.
And the cult’s promising talents were synonymous with aspiring cult fanatics.
Thus, for Demonic Path Academy cadets without special hobbies, joining the Doctrine Research Club was the most natural thing in the world.
Freaks like Baek Cheon or Bang Mi-hwa obsessed with theater, or Dokgo Pae and Mak Ho-yeol fixated on physical beauty, were the exceptions.
And those dragged in by them—like Bang Mi-hwa, Jeong Hyeon, Joo Seo-yeon, and Gwak Sul—were the pitiful ones.
Was it because they kept getting swept up by those weirdos and unfortunates?
“How is a club with nearly half the cadets not having a single familiar face?”
It wasn’t that there were zero familiar faces. I’d been at the academy for over half a year.
Just not a single one I was even slightly close to.
It’d be easy to feel disillusioned with my social circle—nothing but ties to the craziest nutjobs—but there was no need.
“It’s just those lunatics clinging to me.”
Blaming the flexible guy and mental gymnastics were the keys to clear, healthy mental well-being.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s divide into groups. Since it’s Cadet Il-mok’s first time, you’ll join those you’re at least acquainted with.”
“???”
I didn’t grasp the situation but followed Instructor Jeong Gyu-seok’s lead.
Probably because a large group chattering at once made discussion impossible, he split the cadets into three groups.
Five or six per group.
And the ones who ended up at my table greeted me again.
“Please take care of us, Cadet Il-mok.”
“Hope you have a great time.”
I gave an awkward smile at their friendly greetings.
“…They really are just familiar faces.”
As Instructor Jeong had arranged, they were acquaintances.
Same class, maybe grouped together during exams or briefly in the same barracks squad.
“Nice to meet you. Take care of me.”
After a simple greeting.
“Today’s topic is Chapter 13, Verse 5 of the Doctrine. Begin your discussions.”
With Instructor Jeong Gyu-seok’s instruction, the club activity officially began.
“Then, let’s go around in order starting with me.”
One cadet in my group spoke up and launched into an excited rant.
“The Great Heavenly Demon Divine Being Guangxue Cheonma said that to truly eradicate evil, one needs even greater evil. Those hypocrites in Buddhism or Taoism label killing as evil, but that’s mere false virtue. Only by nipping the seeds of evil in the bud can we save sentient beings from suffering.”
A hardliner steeped in cult doctrine, arguing to slaughter all the wicked outright. Another cadet shot up a hand in rebuttal.
“You’re twisting Guangxue Cheonma’s words. Vanquishing evil with greater evil is right, but indiscriminate slaughter is dangerous. As the Jeong Clan Prophet said in Chapter 3, Verse 10, all humans harbor evil hearts. Does that mean we kill every single one?”
“I agree. As Chapter 10, Verse 3 shows, the Great Heavenly Demon Divine Being Xueyu Cheonma said ruling the world as a demon means guiding sentient beings to guard against their own evil so they don’t succumb to it.”
It started like it’d go in order, but they began vigorously spouting their views, the atmosphere crackling like a fight might break out.
And this wasn’t just my group.
“Cadet Guk is twisting the doctrine right now!”
From other tables, eyes blazing, they screamed at each other like they wanted to kill, each preaching their interpretation of the doctrine.
“Look at Chapter 5, Verse 7!”
“Hey! The Prophet said!”
Listening to the doctrine quotes flying from all directions, dizziness naturally set in.
Not because I didn’t know the material.
Damn it, I’d memorized the doctrine front and back under Jin Ha-yeon’s torment to enter the academy.
Every verse they cited popped into my head effortlessly.
For example, the Xueyu Cheonma one just mentioned by my groupmate.
“A crazy psychopath.”
He believed greater demons were needed to curb sentient beings’ evil deeds, so he periodically executed wicked people publicly to instill fear. To make them too terrified to even think of wrongdoing.
Using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, he tore evil-doers limb from limb, blood spraying everywhere—that punishment earned him the name Blood Rain Heavenly Demon later.
Even though I knew all this and they were shouting it everywhere, my head spun for a simple reason.
I knew it all too well—in reverse.
The doctrine I’d avoided since entering the academy was flooding back into my mind.
Looking at their fervently shouting faces, Jin Ha-yeon naturally came to mind.
Their eyes brimmed with madness. They believed all truth lay in the doctrine and ranted enthusiastically.
Honestly, I’d studied and memorized it too, but my stance was different.
“Ears hear rings, nose hears nose rings.”
I’d listened to Jin Ha-yeon’s explanations diligently, but it felt forcibly shoehorned. So I didn’t understand—I just memorized her explanations wholesale.
It happens often. When something occurs, people say, “As the ancient sages said, there’s no wrong in their words.”
But even those sage sayings had plenty of contradictions. Like “the more, the better” versus “excess is as bad as deficiency.”
More of something succeeds? The more, the better. Fails? Excess is as bad.
Similarly, the doctrine clearly had contradictions.
But Jin Ha-yeon never saw it that way.
When two contradictory verses, Gap and Eul, arose.
For event “Ja,” it was “See, it followed Gap as the doctrine says—truth!” For event “Chuk,” “See, it followed Eul—truth!”
It was absurd, but I’d shrugged it off as “That’s how cults work.”
Pointing it out risked being labeled a heretic and killed, or endless brainwashing until I accepted.
And now, here.
“Hey! Are you saying Guangxue Cheonma was wrong, Cadet Park?”
“That’s exaggeration! That’s not what I said? You’re the one twisting Guangxue Cheonma’s words to suit yourself!”
The aspiring fanatics bickered endlessly about doctrine, just like Jin Ha-yeon back then.
Thanks to that, my mind half-dazed.
“What does Cadet Il-mok think?”
“Come to think of it, Cadet Il-mok hasn’t said a word.”
The cult fanatics all turned their clear, mad eyes on me.
“Uh, um… so, hardliner or moderate?”
Hardliners wanted to wipe out even slightly bad people. Moderates said humans are inherently evil, so make examples of the worst by ripping them apart to warn the masses.
“…Either way, it’s kill first, ask later?”
These insane cult fanatics were all about slaughter.
But I couldn’t call them crazy.
Poor things brainwashed from childhood.
Not out of sympathy.
“One slip of the tongue, and they’ll turn into heresy inquisitors…”
The fanatic gleam in their eyes was no joke.
After agonizing, I gave a safe answer.
“Both sides have issues. Killing all humans because they’re evil is nonsense. But who decides what ‘extreme evil’ is? Only one can: the Heavenly Demon of our era.”
If they were hardliners and moderates, I was the middle path.
They seemed convinced, nodding.
“Indeed, in the end, it all follows the Supreme One’s will.”
“Indeed, thoughts worthy of the Supreme One’s disciple. But as future cult elites dreaming of the Leader’s seat someday, shouldn’t we establish our own standards?”
And they dove back into arguing their favored doctrines.
Left sitting blankly, watching the fanatics bicker, I vowed inwardly.
“…Even if I switch clubs, I’m never coming back here.”
I’d steer clear of the Doctrine Research Club forever.