Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 31
>Chapter Title: Inspection (4)
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My own excuse did exist.
The only branch leader I had ever met was Ma Gang-il, the branch leader of Warm Hostel County.
And Ma Gang-il's side effect was, at worst (?), mania.
I figured that if the side effect was just constantly feeling good and laughing heartily, there wouldn't be any issues dealing with children.
But upon second thought, it was ridiculous to assume every branch leader had cultivated the same demonic art as Ma Gang-il.
On top of that.
'I forgot how frustrating it is to deal with dozens of kids!'
Even normal people often went mad from stress dealing with children, so how could mental patients endure that stress?
But right now wasn't the time to regret that.
Bang!
"Calm down!!"
Before the children could be massacred, I hurriedly flung open the door and shouted.
The eyes of the children gathered in the schoolhouse all turned to me. Naturally, so did the gaze of the principal-cum-branch leader, who was emitting demonic qi and murderous intent in waves.
"How dare you interfere with the sacred ritual of the Divine Cult!"
Perhaps already rampaging, the mad branch leader bellowed and charged at me, barreling through the children.
Murderous intent and demonic qi pouring out in streams.
To me, who had only just begun cultivating demonic arts less than four months ago, the killing intent of a middle-aged demonic practitioner came flooding in.
Ridiculously, I felt no particular discomfort.
From my master on down to the squad leader senior brother, I had experienced the killing intent of experts on a completely different level, so this felt like it didn't even reach my liver.
Like his liver was oversized compared to his skill.
Screeech!
The branch leader closed in instantly, drew the saber at his waist, and swung it.
Strangely, all his movements were crystal clear in my eyes.
Of course, I had no intention of taking a hit from an attack I could see.
Clang!
In an instant, I drew my sword using the Soul-Stealing Ready Sword technique and deflected his first attack with the Soul-Stealing Sword added on.
"Urk."
But due to the difference in internal energy we possessed, even after deflecting the force, my right arm holding the sword throbbed.
I boldly retreated while using the essence of Single Soul Flash to check his advance with a concise thrust.
Clang!
Clang!
A few steps back while checking the saber swings of the branch leader charging like a wild boar.
"Die!!"
The branch leader finally closed in and swung his saber at me, but now there was no need to retreat further.
We had passed the narrow schoolhouse entrance and come out onto the wide street.
"How dare you!"
Then, toward the branch leader who had followed me out of the schoolhouse, Jin Ha-yeon and the two escort warriors unleashed their attacks.
"Don't kill him!"
Even without my order, they apparently had no intention of killing him outright, as the three quickly sealed his acupoints instead.
"To dare oppress me in the Divine Cult's branch! Do you think you lot will get away with this!!"
The branch leader, unable to move with his pressure points sealed, let out enraged bellows.
But he had picked the wrong people to yell at.
"The branch leader is the one who dared swing a weapon, not knowing who this is!"
With that cry, Jin Ha-yeon immediately reached into her sleeve and pulled out some kind of token.
"This is Young Master Il-mok, the eighth disciple of His Supreme Holiness."
The moment he confirmed the token, the branch leader's attitude flipped completely.
"Eek...."
His face, red with rage just moments ago, turned deathly pale.
"I dared swing a weapon at the disciple of the exalted one like the heavens themselves! Please, kill me!!"
A cultist begging not for his life, but to be killed, with a face like he might burst into tears any second.
I thought I was used to the Demonic Cult by now, but stuff like this was still hard to get accustomed to.
At that moment, the children from the schoolhouse appeared, blocking the way between us and the branch leader.
"Don't bully Principal!!"
"Why are you bullying our principal!"
At the children's attitude, for some reason, the principal's face turned even darker.
Watching that for a moment, I let out a sigh and said.
"For now, let's head into the branch. Release the branch leader's acupoints."
* * *
Along with Jin Ha-yeon, the two escort warriors, and the branch leader of Go Cha-hyeon, I entered the branch.
The branch leader's thoroughly cowed demeanor made him look just like a teacher caught red-handed by a visiting school inspector.
"Is teaching the children more difficult than you thought?"
"No! It's my inadequacy. Please, kill this worthless fool who couldn't even properly handle the simple task given by the Heavenly Demon!"
What was I, some Joseon-era wastrel? Why did he keep begging to be killed?
But no matter how I tried to soothe him with roundabout words, he just kept pleading for death, so I changed tactics.
"How are the lessons conducted?"
"Do you give separate break times?"
"How many characters do you teach per day?"
Once I started firing questions about the teaching methods, the branch leader finally began answering properly.
After grasping all the current lesson methods, I gave him some instructions.
"First, if a child disobeys the branch leader during class, warn them once at the start. If they still don't comply, send them home."
"!?, H-How can you ignore the Heavenly Demon's command and send a child home?"
"I'm not saying send them home for real. It's a kind of threat. A threat to send them home to their parents. From what I checked last night, the parents were all thrilled their kids could learn to read. So, what do you think the parents would do if their child got kicked out of schoolhouse for not listening?"
In modern times, they might riot with "Who are you to discriminate against my kid?" But this place was different.
"They'd come begging for forgiveness, weeping and pleading, wouldn't they? Or give the kid a thorough scolding at home."
"Exactly. There's no need for the branch leader to let anger take over. Just do your job. Warn them you'll send them home, and if it doesn't work, actually send them. Then, when the parents come begging for forgiveness, let it slide once and teach the kid again."
"Ah!!"
Only then did the branch leader seem to grasp my intent, letting out an exclamation of admiration.
"As expected of the exalted one's disciple! Such wisdom!!"
I waved off the branch leader's needless flattery.
From my perspective, this wasn't even a solution I particularly liked. It ultimately just shifted the punishment to the parents.
However.
'If these demonic art-crazed lunatics do the punishing, they'll probably kill the kid or cripple them, so no choice.'
It was a second-best to avoid the worst.
And naturally, this measure alone wouldn't solve everything.
"Also, children's concentration has limits. Don't force too much on them. It'll just tire you out needlessly."
"Then, how much would be good?"
"Think of teaching just eight characters a day. You're teaching the Thousand Character Classic for a year anyway, so at that rate, you'll finish one full read in just 125 days."
The Thousand Character Classic was structured like verses. 250 quatrains of four characters each, totaling a thousand.
In other words, teach just two quatrains a day.
"You don't even need to teach two at once. Teach one quatrain first, let the kids understand and memorize it to some degree, then give a break. Let them run around and play during break. Once they've calmed down, teach the second quatrain."
"Understood, Young Master."
"No need to rush or get angry at the kids. Got it?"
I emphasized obsessively.
My back was still crawling even now.
Just thinking that, because of the schoolhouse I suggested to my master out of laziness, kids might be dying or getting crippled by Demonic Cultists all over the province.
"Time's passed quite a bit, so you can go now."
"Your command!!"
Despite my long-winded nagging, the Go Cha-hyeon branch leader bowed gratefully and hurried off with an ecstatic face.
"Bring me a brush, ink, and paper."
Then I gave instructions to Jin Ha-yeon, who had been waiting by my side.
* * *
No sooner had Jin Ha-yeon fetched the writing materials than Il-mok began scribbling nonstop onto the paper.
'Lesson schedules and times need to match the kids' levels.'
'The instructors need changing too. Exclude those with demonic arts tied to anger or depression; go for mania types like Ma Gang-il branch leader, or emotionless ones like Jin Ha-yeon—they're less likely to harm the kids.'
The issues and improvements I'd felt while touring the village and branch yesterday and today.
But even as Il-mok wrote them down, his inner thoughts weren't at ease.
It wasn't just guilt over nearly getting the kids killed.
This should be enough. It's a hassle, but this ought to suffice.
Such thoughts did arise.
- But it's not perfect yet!
- What if this happens? Don't you need to prepare more?
They kept creeping up from a corner of his mind.
It was the side effect of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword kicking in.
Swish.
Naturally, Il-mok kept finding more solutions without pause, his hand endlessly wielding the brush.
While Il-mok was thus engrossed in work.
Jin Ha-yeon, standing behind and watching the scene, quietly sent a transmission to the two escort warriors.
- It seems we might disturb him, so how about we step out?
Agreeing with Jin Ha-yeon's words, the two escort warriors carefully opened the door and went outside.
And for any eventualities, Jin Ha-yeon and the two escort warriors stood guard at the entrance.
Perhaps finding the endless wait boring.
One of the escort warriors, named Jang Hoe, asked Jin Ha-yeon.
"But is it true that the young master has been training in martial arts for less than four months?"
"Yes."
"He hadn't trained in martial arts before that?"
"This is his first time training in martial arts."
At Jin Ha-yeon's answer, Jang Hoe's eyes lit up.
"Huh. To think his skill is at that level after just four months."
It had been a short time, but Il-mok had succeeded in holding off against the branch leader.
Of course, all three here were stronger than the branch leader. He was merely a supervisor among low-level warriors, nothing compared to them from the Demonic Path Academy.
Still, he was a middle-aged man who had cultivated demonic arts for decades. For Il-mok to withstand his attacks was astonishing talent in itself.
At Jang Hoe's reaction, Jin Ha-yeon spoke in a tone laced with uncharacteristic pride.
"Young Master Il-mok's talent in martial arts is amazing, but his strategic acumen is even more outstanding."
"Strategic acumen, you say."
"He's basing this long stream of writing on just that brief morning inspection, nonstop."
At Jin Ha-yeon's praise, the other escort warrior, Gwan Mu-yeol, frowned and said.
"Hmm. Having many opinions doesn't necessarily make it good. It has to actually help the Divine Cult, right?"
"You're too nitpicky, that's your problem."
Jin Ha-yeon interjected in the exchange between Gwan Mu-yeol and Jang Hoe.
"I agree with Escort Gwan to some extent. Just having lots of opinions isn't necessarily good. However, I believe Young Master Il-mok is different. Watch and see."
For some reason, pride shone on her face. Just like when discussing the Heavenly Demon.
* * *
By the time Il-mok finished his work, the children were already heading home.
'Damn side effects.'
Thanks to his modern memories combining with the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's side effect, he had poured out endless opinions onto the paper before barely escaping that state.
However, with the kids gone, Il-mok didn't return to the inn he'd stayed at last night.
Having revealed his identity and handled some business, he boldly received the branch leader's hospitality for the day.
"Young Master. Is the food to your taste?"
"Oh dear. Haha. It tastes fine, but my arm that blocked the branch leader's saber earlier is throbbing, so I think I need more meat to heal the muscles."
"Eek...."
As Il-mok massaged his right arm in reply, the pale-faced branch leader hurriedly stepped up, fetching meat from somewhere.
"This neck that nearly got severed feels chilly, so some warm~ water to soak and relax would be nice."
No sooner had Il-mok spoken than bathing water hot enough to pass for a hot spring appeared.
It wasn't voluntary hospitality from the branch leader—it was forced hospitality by Il-mok.
Watching that for a bit, escort warrior Gwan Mu-yeol frowned and said.
"Young Master. It's unbecoming of the exalted one's disciple to seize weakness and oppress a Cult warrior. If you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to report to His Holiness."
"Oh, is that so?"
Yet for some reason, at the escort warrior's rebuke, Il-mok's lips twisted upward.
"Oh dear. Even with escort warriors by my side, I had to draw my sword myself, get hurt, and that's why I couldn't help it."
".... That was because you suddenly went in alone."
"Ah, then report that to Master too. Say how I nearly died moving alone despite having escort warriors. Hahaha."
"......"
The two escort warriors, looking at the smirking Il-mok as if he'd seized their weakness, soon turned to gaze at Jin Ha-yeon.
'Is that the sight you told us to watch?'
At the question in their eyes, Jin Ha-yeon squeezed her eyes shut.