Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 50
>Chapter Title: Scolding (2)
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Jin Ha-yeon.
She was the eldest daughter of an ordinary family.
Of course, "ordinary" by the standards of the cult. Her parents, who lacked great talent in martial arts, were ordinary warriors of the cult.
They rarely visited the main headquarters and served as low-ranking warriors in a branch in a quiet village.
If there was anything unusual, it was that despite their average skills and aptitude, their parents were reasonably attractive.
It was almost miraculous that Jin Ha-yeon was born to such parents.
Setting aside her striking beauty that captured attention at first glance, her talent and aptitude for martial arts were both exceptional.
In the village where she was born, she was hailed as a "genius," and everyone congratulated her parents.
She was her parents' pride, the pride of their branch, and the cherished daughter of the entire village.
Fortunately, her parents were ordinary as individuals but excellent as parents.
At least, by the cult's standards.
Jin Ha-yeon's parents raised her according to the cult's doctrines from a young age.
She could have become arrogant and twisted from receiving too much love, but growing up with the doctrines allowed her to become a devout believer.
"I want to grow up to be a great person who contributes to the Divine Cult!"
As a child, these were the words she habitually shouted every night after studying the cult's scriptures with her parents before bed.
—Hohoho. I believe Ha-yeon will surely achieve it.
—Of course! She's smart, takes good care of her siblings—there's no child like our Ha-yeon!
As the eldest daughter, she looked after her younger siblings whenever her parents attended to branch matters.
While they napped, she cleaned in their stead or followed her parents to help the struggling villagers.
Once her parents finished their duties, she received instruction in demonic arts from them.
Of course, the demonic arts her ordinary low-ranking warrior parents practiced weren't particularly powerful, so the young girl suffered no serious side effects.
Around the age of fifteen.
By that young age, she had already surpassed her parents' achievements. She said to them:
—I want to enter the Demonic Path Academy!
Everyone in the village had praised her as a genius, so she was confident.
But she wasn't arrogant.
—After graduating from the Demonic Path Academy, I want to help those living difficult lives!
Her words omitted "by killing bad guys with demonic arts," but her parents understood.
It was a given in the cult.
Those with strong power who bully the weak are judged as "demons" with martial prowess.
That was why the cult revered martial arts—even risking madness. The cult even regarded it as a noble mindset.
Her parents, as cult warriors, accepted her will.
At sixteen, she took the Demonic Path Academy entrance exam and passed with flying colors.
Nineteenth out of twenty passers.
It was the first shock of her life.
The girl hailed as a genius by everyone in the village was at the bottom of the rankings in the academy.
That day, she realized she was ordinary.
But she didn't give up.
'Right. Everyone else is from the main headquarters! They've just grown fast from learning superior demonic arts from the start!'
The Demonic Path Academy, which trained the cult's future elites, openly taught all demonic arts, including the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and the signature techniques of the Five Great Families.
So, she believed that if she just learned top-tier demonic arts, she could catch up to them.
The problem was choosing which demonic art.
While pondering this, a peer named Guyang Mun approached her.
Just as Guyang Mun had fallen for her at first sight on their first day, Jin Ha-yeon knew of him too.
The top scorer of the entrance exam.
Her impression of Guyang Mun was thus:
'A guy born into a great family, succeeding easily.'
She didn't like it.
Her village was full of hardworking poor folk.
That was why the branch warriors helped the villagers, and she had followed her parents to aid the village elders.
But while she spent time like that, this guy must have leisurely focused only on training and study.
'According to the doctrines, I acted rightly, so why...'
Whether he knew of her thoughts or not.
— Ahem. Want me to help?
Guyang Mun sidled up to her and spoke casually as she trained alone.
—No thanks. I can do it myself.
Despite her sharp retort, he kept approaching her whenever he had the chance.
After that, she focused on the academy's lessons and agonized over which demonic art to learn.
— Ahem. Do it like this. Easy, right? You try.
Guyang Mun would casually offer advice as he drew near.
It infuriated her.
She struggled to keep up with the academy classes, yet he breezed through them nonchalantly.
As a devout believer, she immersed herself in the doctrine texts whenever her heart wavered.
She believed truth lay there.
And the doctrines did not betray her faith.
'Truly, all humans are evil. Even I was the same...'
She belatedly realized her emotions.
A feeling she hadn't known in the village: envy and jealousy.
She felt ugly inside.
And as expected, the doctrines held the answer.
All humans were evil anyway. And the one who judged and monitored that evil was the "Heavenly Demon."
'Heavenly Demon, please save me.'
While confessing her wicked heart to the Heavenly Demon, she attained enlightenment.
'Right. Since human hearts are ugly anyway, I'll discard my heart.'
That was why she chose the Bare Hand Demon Art.
It risked losing compassion and pity too, but she didn't care.
'Even without emotions, acting according to the doctrines is the path to saving people.'
She decided to exclude emotions entirely and let the doctrines guide her judgments, not selfish human malice.
After beginning the Bare Hand Demon Art, her skills grew rapidly.
From nineteenth out of twenty in the lower class, she soon entered the upper class.
As she thought, the others had just advanced easily from main headquarters origins. She proved she had no reason to lag behind them.
Except for one.
No matter her efforts, she couldn't claim top rank. It always went to Guyang Mun.
— Ahem. If I don't work hard, you'll catch up.
— You can do this much easily, right?
He acted like a friendly rival, subtly offering advice.
Her Bare Hand Demon Art not yet mastered, she found his attitude infuriating.
'I'm giving my all, yet he's so relaxed. Even caring for me, and still better than me.'
But what angered her most wasn't the rankings.
'Why does he keep helping me! Why!'
She wanted to be a great contributor to the Divine Cult. She'd entered the academy to help others.
Yet he kept treating her like a child left by the water's edge.
Thus, throughout her academy years, she suffered Guyang Mun's attentions.
She trained the Bare Hand Demon Art while battling the anger and jealousy he stirred.
She wanted to surpass him in skill, change his condescending gaze, prove herself a proper warrior.
But in the end, she never once took top rank from him.
So, after graduating, she headed to the Silver Guard Hall.
To become one who helps others, not receives help—as she'd aimed since childhood.
And after two years of setbacks, realizing she lacked the talent to reach the highest echelons.
In other words, since she was helping others anyway, she resolved to serve and aid the Heavenly Demon instead of common folk.
* * *
When Jin Ha-yeon's explanation ended.
Il-mok momentarily lost his words.
She hadn't detailed everything.
She skipped her childhood self or the envy and jealousy toward Guyang Mun.
Just.
"At first, he seemed to achieve easily because of his great family, so I didn't like it."
"I hated his constant attempts to help. It felt like he treated me as inferior."
A brief explanation of why she disliked Guyang Mun.
But with a mental age in the mid-thirties, Il-mok grasped the situation roughly.
'Yang Mun-ah... looks like you messed up.'
He'd suspected as much before, but Jin Ha-yeon was fiercely independent. She preferred giving help over receiving it.
In modern terms, it was like a self-made woman striving hard getting lavish gifts tossed casually by a chaebol son.
From her view, that attitude felt like mockery.
'If their backgrounds were similar, it wouldn't be like this. Who knew he was direct lineage of the Guyang Clan.'
The most surprising part hearing her story.
Guyang Clan.
One of the Five Great Demonic Families, pillars of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, like the Hyeok-ryeon Clan.
Having spent over half a year in the cult, he knew of them.
Just.
'I thought he was branch family since he only did stupid things around Jin Ha-yeon.'
He wondered if the Guyang Clan would tolerate such behavior.
From further details, he was direct lineage but not the eldest, living freely. Not even the current patriarch's eldest—just the youngest son.
A chaebol youngest son courting a hardworking pretty commoner and getting shot down.
'This is no morning drama.'
From a third party's view, it was entertaining.
* * *
That night.
Like the previous night, after bedding down with Guyang Mun, Il-mok pondered briefly then spoke.
"Young Master Guyang."
"Yes, Young Master!"
"Actually, I spoke briefly with Miss Jin this morning."
"...What about?"
"About you, Young Master Guyang."
"!! D-Did you tell Ha-yeon how I feel!?"
Seeing Guyang Mun about to freak out, Il-mok hurriedly added.
"I just asked why she dislikes you so much—don't worry!"
"...Ha-yeon hates me?"
Guyang Mun's face paled like he'd suffered a severe internal injury.
"...Hasn't she been especially cold to you before?"
"I thought she was just shy..."
"......"
At a loss for words, Il-mok sighed and said.
"There seems to be a slight misunderstanding. That's why I'm relaying this."
Il-mok relayed what he'd heard from Jin Ha-yeon, toned down so Guyang Mun wouldn't suffer internal injury.
"Don't try to help Miss Jin too much. She's proud of handling her share alone. The more you help, the more it hurts her feelings—especially since you're direct lineage of the Guyang Clan."
"...Then how do I convey my feelings without helping?"
*Don't convey them at all,* Il-mok thought, the words rising to his throat, but he held back and said.
"Don't help—just watch and acknowledge her. As a warrior in her own right."
Il-mok's advice continued, and Guyang Mun listened solemnly.
*At least he takes my words to heart,* Il-mok thought with inner relief.
Suddenly.
Having heard all, Guyang Mun bolted up and headed for the door.
"...Young Master Guyang?"
Feeling ominous, Il-mok chased after, then stopped and dry-washed his face.
"Ha-yeon!!"
The madman had run to Jin Ha-yeon's quarters in the dead of night and was calling her.
Swoosh.
"Got something to say?"
Facing the coldly expressioned Jin Ha-yeon who opened her door, Guyang Mun shouted.
"I heard from Young Master Il-mok. Why you hate me."
Dry-washing his face, Il-mok muttered unwittingly.
"Please. Dear God."
He wanted to knock Guyang Mun out and drag him away, but under Jin Ha-yeon's icy glare, he could only bow his head hurriedly.
Regardless, Guyang Mun, unusually serious-faced, shouted.
"It was all your misunderstanding. I didn't help because I pitied you or thought you inferior!"
"...Then why?"
Gazing at her even colder face, Guyang Mun declared boldly.
"Because I love you!"
Il-mok, head bowed, looked up wide-eyed. "Crazy" slipped from his lips unwittingly.
Well, if he loves her, confessing is fine.
But not now.
Oblivious to Il-mok's thoughts, Guyang Mun's confession assault continued.
He'd fallen for her at first sight. That's why he approached to help.
To clear her misunderstanding, he poured out his love story in detail.
And oddly, as his tale went on, her ever-pale face flushed red.
"So, you've done all that because you like me?"
To her question, believing his confession worked, Guyang Mun landed the finishing blow.
"Yes. All a misunderstanding! So, for you, I'd do anything. If my clan offends you, I'd leave it without hesitation!"
And right after those words.
"Cough."
Jin Ha-yeon vomited blood.
Her flushed face wasn't from shyness or love.
It was the precursor to Demonic Deviation.