Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 99
>Chapter Title: Service (4)
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Moments after Il-mok departed for the Demonic Path Academy under the escort of several warriors.
Wi Jin-hak asked the Heavenly Demon.
“Master. What is that?”
He was pointing at the bundle of wooden tablets that Il-mok had handed over to the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon gazed at the bundle of wooden tablets for a moment, as if reminiscing about old memories. Then he recounted the events at Peach Blossom Ridge to Wi Jin-hak.
Naturally, the story concluded with the improvement plans for Peach Blossom Ridge that Il-mok had mentioned.
“So, from now on, you all won’t just be monitoring Peach Blossom Ridge—you’ll have to enter it directly and tend to the elders.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon handed the bundle of wooden tablets he had received from Il-mok to the leader of the Black Turtle Squad.
And the squad members who had been watching the entire scene from the side nearly turned pale in an instant.
Not just monitoring the infamous Foal Ridge, but entering it directly to care for those old monsters.
“Y-Yes, we shall obey!”
Of course, as fanatical cultists, no one could dare object to the Heavenly Demon’s orders.
The Black Turtle Squad leader, who had bowed in acknowledgment, hid his pallid face and hurriedly read through the writing on the wooden tablets that Il-mok had written.
Wi Jin-hak, who had sneakily peeked at the wooden tablets from the side, soon let out an exclamation of admiration.
“As expected of the youngest, Master.”
How could someone so young come up with such a complex and thoughtful system?
Wi Jin-hak was convinced.
‘If that child would only become my right-hand man…’
They could achieve great feats that would go down in the history of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Meanwhile, as time passed, the face of the Black Turtle Squad leader reading the wooden tablets Il-mok had given him grew darker and darker.
* * *
About half a shichen later, upon arriving at the main headquarters, they dispersed to attend to their respective duties.
Those in charge of monitoring Peach Blossom Ridge began preparations to carry out the tasks planned by Il-mok and ordered by the Heavenly Demon.
Meanwhile, around that time.
Jin Ha-yeon, as usual, was immersed in training at the Silver Shadow Pavilion.
‘…I need to clear my mind of distractions.’
But perhaps due to her worries about Il-mok, she couldn’t focus on her training.
“That’s not the demeanor of a warrior who has mastered the Bare Hand Demon Art.”
At that moment, Dam Bin, the leader of one of the Silver Shadow Pavilion’s squads, who had approached unnoticed, spoke with an amused expression.
“I’m sorry.”
“Enough. I have good news for you today, so take a short break before starting.”
“Has the Young Master returned safely, by any chance?”
“Hahaha. The first thing that comes to mind when I say good news is that?”
“…Today is the day the Supreme One promised to return, so what else could good news be?”
At Jin Ha-yeon’s response, which she delivered while struggling to maintain a straight face, the corner of Dam Bin’s mouth curled up.
“Come to think of it, the Pavilion Master who went with you said something like that.”
“???”
“The youngest Young Master seems to have grown into someone truly worth serving.”
“!!!”
Considering the taciturn nature of the Silver Shadow Pavilion Master, this was as close to high praise as it got.
Naturally, the corners of Jin Ha-yeon’s mouth shot upward.
The value of the youngest Young Master that she had recognized was now acknowledged even by the Pavilion Master.
* * *
While Jin Ha-yeon, having eased her worries about Il-mok, was wholeheartedly immersed in her training.
“Move faster! We have to be ready by tonight and head into Foal Ridge—no, Peach Blossom Ridge!”
The members of the Black Turtle Squad, assigned to monitor Peach Blossom Ridge, were scurrying about frantically.
To implement the contents written on the wooden tablets Il-mok had prepared, there was simply too much to prepare.
They had to dig through records to grasp the personal details of the surviving elders, and to procure the items needed for the tasks on the tablets, they had to run all over the main headquarters.
Thanks to running until their feet were on fire, they managed to prepare at least the bare minimum within half a shichen.
The Black Turtle Squad leader issued orders to some squad members.
“You lot stay here. Once the squad members who left to escort the Young—est. Young. Master. return, enter Peach Blossom Ridge with them six days from now. Following the Youngest Young Master’s instructions, divide into two shifts and take turns caring for the elders every day the barrier opens.”
The Black Turtle Squad leader gritted his teeth emphatically on “youngest Young Master,” producing a grinding sound.
Then, leaving behind about a dozen squad members, the squad leader headed back to Peach Blossom Ridge with around twenty others.
Upon entering Peach Blossom Ridge, they moved according to the map drawn by the Heavenly Demon and soon arrived at the clearing where the elders had gathered.
“We pay respects to the Peach Blossom Ridge Lord.”
“Peach Blossom Ridge Lord? What nonsense is that?”
When Elder Kang asked with a puzzled expression, the Black Turtle Squad leader replied.
“It is the Supreme One’s solemn decree. He has appointed Elder Kang as the Peach Blossom Ridge Lord, and we are to follow the Ridge Lord’s orders.”
With that, the Black Turtle Squad leader handed Elder Kang the wooden tablets Il-mok had prepared.
The wooden tablets served as a sort of guide for what the Peach Blossom Ridge Lord and they themselves had to follow going forward.
After carefully storing the wooden tablets in one place, they began moving according to the instructions on them.
“This way, Elders.”
“Look over there, do you see those huts? Make them like that. First, dig the ground like this….”
Some Black Turtle Squad members, just as the Silver Shadow Pavilion Master had done in the past, started building huts alongside a few relatively intact elders.
Meanwhile, others tended to the elders in the worst condition. They taught them basic letters or cleaned the bodies of those who had soiled themselves without realizing it.
The rest handled miscellaneous tasks.
They brought the records they had gathered and wrote down the elders’ personal details.
- This is Peach Blossom Ridge.
- If you’ve coughed, wash your hands first.
To help the elders regain their senses and grasp their routines, they posted papers with such writings all over the huts.
Additionally.
“Phew. Why did I say I was good at drawing….”
One Black Turtle Squad member was endlessly drawing pictures on small wooden tablets.
“Truly an unheard-of game. How on earth did the youngest Young Master think of this?”
Another was bending iron rods brought from the main headquarters and staking them into the ground around the clearing.
Of course, during this, some elders suddenly lost their memories and collapsed.
“Who are you bastards!!”
But Elder Kang, who had regained his senses and peak cultivation, along with the Black Turtle Squad members and a few elders who had somewhat held onto their sanity, banded together to subdue the rampaging ones.
After finishing the afternoon tasks like that, the group split up again.
The slightly more intact elders were given water, soap, and cloths and could wash themselves, while the frail ones were washed by the Black Turtle Squad members.
After dinner, it was a sort of rest time.
For the elders regressed to infancy, the squad members cared for them, teaching simple letters or.
“Look at these wooden pieces— they have pictures and letters written on them! The one who matches the most pairs of pictures and letters wins.”
Using wooden tablets made by the squad member who had drawn like mad, they played a picture-matching game.
Some elders also played mahjong or go that Il-mok and the Heavenly Demon had made in the past.
In one corner of the clearing, another game planned by Il-mok and crafted by the Black Turtle Squad members was underway.
“See here, there are gates numbered from one (一) to ten (十). Divide into two teams, and take turns hitting the ball with these clubs to pass through the gates. A sim.ple. game!”
The game Il-mok had thought up for the elders was gateball.
Having lived in Korea, he had often seen elders enjoying it.
“The order of passing through the gates doesn’t matter. The team that passes through all the gates first wins, and you must remember which gates your team has passed through.”
In truth, Il-mok didn’t know the exact rules of gateball. His impression was just that it was an elders’ game, and he had never played it himself.
Il-mok had simply made up rules based on vague memories, adjusted to a difficulty level suitable for elders to enjoy.
“Hoh. What an intriguing game!”
Even amidst their foggy memories, perhaps because it was something new, a few elders showed interest and began enjoying gateball.
The Black Turtle Squad members, who had been tormented by the elders all day, watched warmly as some elders entertained themselves with mahjong, go, picture-matching, gateball, and the like.
‘All this time, we feared them because we thought they were completely unreachable. That was our ignorance.’
‘To think of even this for those who devoted themselves to the Cult. Truly an extraordinary person.’
The occasional rampages or regressions to childishness were tough, but normally, they could ‘somewhat’ communicate.
Especially helpful were the papers posted around the clearing and huts describing the situation, and the letters detailing each elder’s personal information.
When they snapped out of a rampage or childish state, they would read those papers or letters and calmly regain composure.
While the Black Turtle Squad members and Elder Kang watched the elders with pleased expressions for a moment.
“Uhahaha! We’ve already passed three gates!”
“Lies! This is our first time!”
The elders playing gateball suddenly started fighting, wrapping their clubs—meant for hitting the ball—in black and blue energy as they swung at each other.
“Damn it….”
The Black Turtle Squad members, their faces darkened, sighed and rushed out to intervene.
This was the daily life awaiting them in Peach Blossom Ridge.
* * *
While the Black Turtle Squad bustled about due to the bomb Il-mok had dropped.
Il-mok arrived at the Demonic Path Academy with the escorts the Heavenly Demon had assigned.
‘Phew. At least it’s afternoon?’
Training should be over by now, so he could just report his return and rest.
‘Thanks to the outburst, it’s settled a bit, but still, rest first.’
Last night, endlessly brainstorming improvements for Peach Blossom Ridge had somewhat alleviated the side effects.
But this was only temporary. It could worsen anytime, so stabilizing body and mind was paramount.
With those thoughts, as Il-mok reached the main gate of the Demonic Path Academy, the instructor guarding it looked at him in startled surprise.
“I-I’ll open the gate, so wait just a moment.”
A reaction as if he’d seen a ghost. They must have thought Il-mok wouldn’t return alive.
As the instructor operated the mechanism, the heavy main gate of the Demonic Path Academy began to rise.
“Once inside, report to Instructor Chu Il-hwan first, then rest.”
“Understood.”
After Il-mok finished speaking with the instructor, those who had escorted him here also bowed to him.
“Young Master. We’ll head back to the main headquarters now.”
Right after they left.
Il-mok passed through the wide-open main gate and entered.
Those around the Demonic Path Academy showed similar reactions.
Trainees in the training grounds stared at Il-mok like he was a ghost and whispered among themselves.
Il-mok’s simple impression upon scanning the scene.
‘Looks like they’ve returned in the meantime.’
The training grounds held not only Il-mok’s peers but also senior cadets.
“Cadet Il-mok!”
Some rushed toward the returned Il-mok. People like Bang Mi-hwa and Dokgo Pae.
‘Damn.’
With his side effects flaring, mingling with those crazies would be exhausting, so Il-mok said to those approaching.
“I have to report my return, so come find me later.”
Then Il-mok quickened his pace toward the instructors’ office.
By dodging the leeches and moving fast, he soon reached the office.
The instructors’ reaction to Il-mok’s sudden appearance was no different from the others.
Amid reactions like seeing a ghost, Chu Il-hwan asked Il-mok with a curious look.
“You’re alive?”
“…You seem disappointed?”
That’s what Il-mok thought.
The one who had lured him toward the formation with that bell sound—could it be this guy?
At Il-mok’s curt reply, Chu Il-hwan chuckled playfully.
“Hahaha. What are you saying? I was worried, but didn’t you enter that infamous ‘Foal Ridge’? Honestly, even as an instructor, I wouldn’t be confident of surviving there.”
At Chu Il-hwan’s response, Il-mok clicked his tongue inwardly and replied.
“It’s not Foal Ridge, it’s Peach Blossom Ridge, Instructor. Master said to forbid calling it ‘Foal Ridge’ from now on. It seems the word hasn’t reached the Academy yet.”
Perhaps because the Heavenly Demon was mentioned, Chu Il-hwan and the other listening instructors grew cautious.
“I see. I’ll be careful from now on.”
At Chu Il-hwan’s unusually serious reply, Il-mok harbored his suspicions inwardly.
He hadn’t dismissed them.
Showing suspicion would only make it harder to catch them off guard, so he concealed it for now.
Unaware of Il-mok’s inner thoughts, Chu Il-hwan spoke with a serious expression.
“You must have suffered in ‘Peach Blossom Ridge’ all this time, so go rest for today. And also.”
Chu Il-hwan, who had paused mid-sentence, soon added with his usual playful grin.
“It’s regrettable you got caught up in danger, but since you reached the formation outside the exam grounds anyway, you pass the previous exam.”
“…….”