Child of the Demonic Cult
Decades ago—specifically, after the founding of the Mutual Righteousness Academy—the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic Cults had stopped their endless warring.
The academy students, who had never known the tense atmosphere of the days when a grand war between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions was on the verge of erupting, managed to get along well enough without fighting. Outside the academy walls, however, things seemed a bit different.
Honeyed words, a hidden dagger.
Those who spoke of peace with their lips while harboring thoughts of inevitable conflict in their hearts existed everywhere—among the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic Cult alike.
Perhaps because of this, a cliquey atmosphere prevailed outside the academy. Orthodox martial artists only mingled with their own, while those from the Unorthodox factions and the Demonic Cult stuck strictly to their respective sides.
I had assumed the upcoming banquet for the Beggar Sect's Chief would be no different. I figured the Demonic Cult would simply send a letter of congratulations along with a gift and call it a day.
So why on earth was Seonwoo Seol, the Little Heavenly Demon, standing right here?
This was only the second time I'd seen her disguised as a man, so the look itself wasn't shocking. What I couldn't comprehend was why she had ventured all the way inside the Beggars' Sect Headquarters.
"I suppose you had a grand old time slipping away without a word, Chef Yoon?"
Her face was frosty, her voice cold and biting. She was definitely sulking about something.
Normally, I would have coddled her and gently explained the situation, but we were currently inside the Beggars' Sect Headquarters—one of the absolute strongholds of the Orthodox faction. First, I needed to satisfy my own curiosity.
"How did you even get in here?"
"Through the front gate, obviously."
"You know that's not what I meant."
"I came as part of the Sacred Cult's delegation."
"A delegation?"
"It's the Dragon Head Sect Leader's birthday. Even if the Sacred Cult isn't on the best terms with them, we should at least deliver a letter and a gift."
"Ah. And where is the rest of your group?"
"Before I introduce them, let's settle our business first."
"What business?"
"Why did you leave without saying a word to me?"
"It was decided so suddenly. I was so busy packing my things that it slipped my mind."
"And?"
"And I believed that you, Young... Hero, would have known well in advance that the Dragon Head Sect Leader's birthday was approaching."
"Whether I knew about his birthday or not isn't the point here."
"Pardon?"
"I asked why you left without telling me. You had no trouble letting the other chefs and servants know beforehand."
"Well, that's because they're the ones who have to cover for me while I'm gone."
"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"
What is with her all of a sudden? I had a mountain of questions of my own, but she was firing hers off like the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky, leaving me absolutely no room to speak.
Just as I was about to protest, Man Hanseok poked his head out from beside me.
"Chef Yoon, who is this person you're whispering so closely with?"
"Ah, well. You see, he's..."
This is Seonwoo Seol in disguise. I don't have some weird fetish, so please understand... Yeah, there was no way in hell I could say that.
As I agonized over how to respond, Seonwoo Seol brought her hands together in a polite fist-and-palm salute and spoke in a lowered voice.
"I am Woo Jiyang."
"Ah, Young Hero Woo. I am Man Hanseok."
While Man Hanseok and Seonwoo Seol exchanged formal greetings, Gye-yeong tilted his head, his eyes widening as if he had just realized something. He pointed a finger at Seonwoo Seol.
"Huh? Wait, could it be...?"
Ah, right. Gye-yeong had already seen Seonwoo Seol in her male disguise before. I immediately jabbed him in the ribs, putting on a stern face to scold him.
"Don't go pointing your finger at people."
"But Head Chef, this person isn't Woo Jiyang, they're—"
"Hey! I know! Shut up already!"
"Oops."
Oops, my foot. I should kick you. When I hissed at him in a low but firm voice, Gye-yeong quickly clamped both hands over his mouth. This kid never listened unless I raised my voice.
Watching our exchange, Man Hanseok looked utterly bewildered, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening.
"What do you mean Young Hero Woo isn't Young Hero Woo?"
"Ugh. Let's take this outside. We're going to end up drawing a crowd at this rate."
Good grief, you guys. Why don't you just broadcast to the whole neighborhood that Seonwoo Seol is in disguise? Especially here of all places, inside the Beggar Sect, where rumors spread faster than wildfire.
We slipped out to the backyard. After double- and triple-checking that there was absolutely no one around to overhear us, I finally revealed that 'Woo Jiyang' was actually Seonwoo Seol.
Upon learning that the young man before him was actually a woman, Man Hanseok gasped in shock, his eyes darting all over Seonwoo Seol's face to examine her features.
"Wow, this is incredible... I wish I could learn the Bone-Shrinking Art too."
Feeling self-conscious under Man Hanseok's intense stare, Seonwoo Seol slightly averted her eyes as she replied.
"I'd love to teach you, but unfortunately, I received strict instructions and training from the Cult's Guardian... Though if you join the Sacred Cult, I might be able to show you a trick or two."
"Uh, I don't think I want to learn it that badly."
"Hmph. Suit yourself, then."
Oh, Lady Seonwoo. Do you think Man Hanseok is an idiot? Why would he betray his own father, a prominent Orthodox sect leader, just to learn the Bone-Shrinking Art?
"By the way, isn't it dangerous for the Young Cult Leader of the Sacred Cult to be here?"
"I felt I needed to visit the Beggars' Sect Headquarters at least once. Besides, the past is the past. We have to focus on the present and the future."
"So you disguised yourself as a man just to sneak inside?"
"...And I also came to see a certain insolent person."
"Who?"
"You. I mean you."
Seonwoo Seol pointed directly at me, her brow furrowing deeply.
"You had no problem bringing along your fellow student and your servant, so why did you leave without saying a single word to me?"
"I was so frantic that I simply didn't have the chance. Besides, wouldn't it have been a bit... awkward for me to march all the way to the Eastern Pavilion just to announce my departure?"
Doing something like that would make it seem like there was some sort of special relationship between us, wouldn't it?
"So I was waiting for a more natural opportunity to bring it up, but then I was told we had to leave immediately or we'd be late, so I had to rush out."
It would have been pretty weird to grab a busy person just to say, "Hey, I'm heading to the Beggar Sect HQ to cook some food, see ya."
That was why I had slipped away quietly, planning to buy her a nice souvenir on my way back.
But if I had known she was going to the headquarters herself, I would have suggested we meet up here. Now that things had gotten so thoroughly tangled, it was undeniably my fault.
"It was my oversight."
Seonwoo Seol's eyes still held a reproachful glint. Left with no choice, I bowed my head slightly in apology, prompting her to hurriedly reach out and grab my shoulders.
"No, don't bow your head over something like that!"
"A mistake is a mistake, isn't it?"
"Even so, a Hall Master shouldn't just bow his head so easily. And... now that I think about it, your reasoning actually makes sense."
Well, if she was going to let me off the hook, I wasn't going to argue. With that thought, I raised my head, only to find Seonwoo Seol's large, beautiful eyes just a few inches away from mine.
.......
For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still.
Her sharp, olivine-like eyes trembled ever so slightly before she let out a soft, shallow breath.
Whew...
That breath snapped both of us back to reality. With her face flushed bright red, Seonwoo Seol abruptly whipped her head away.
"......?"
"......?"
Watching our bizarre behavior, Gye-yeong and Man Hanseok exchanged a glance and shrugged.
Ah. Right. I forgot they were here.
Ahem. The atmosphere had turned incredibly awkward, but at the very least, Seonwoo Seol's anger seemed to have completely evaporated.
With her cheeks still tinged with pink, Seonwoo Seol pressed a finger to her lips and gave Gye-yeong and Man Hanseok a warning look.
"...Keep my identity a secret, everyone. From now on, I am 'Woo Jiyang,' the Commander of the Sacred Cult's Chobaek Squad. Got it?"
"The Chobaek Squad?"
"It's an organization similar to the academy. The Sacred Cult nurtures young, exceptionally talented martial artists within the Chobaek Squad."
"Since you are disguised as a young hero, it certainly fits you well, Little Heavenly Demon," Man Hanseok replied with a nod.
I nodded along with him. Just as Man Hanseok said, the disguise suited her perfectly.
"Let's go back inside. I'll introduce you to my companions."
Following Seonwoo Seol back to the room from earlier, the two middle-aged men who had been waiting with her rose from their seats.
"I am Sam Yang. I hold the humble title of 'Chojeoksu' (Crimson Hand)."
"I am Cheong Woo, Deputy Leader of the Black Wind Squad. I hear you helped our Young Cult Leader take down a grand arch-demon?"
"I merely set the table; the Little Heavenly Demon was the one who delivered the decisive blow."
They immediately dove into the tale of the Drunken King, the grand arch-demon. Normally, wouldn't people start with light pleasantries, like what they do for a living or what they've heard about each other?
But this was the Demonic Cult, where strength was the ultimate truth and the essence of life itself. I shouldn't have been surprised they threw such a direct question at me right off the bat. Still, I deflected the credit to Seonwoo Seol, just as I always did.
As we engaged in casual conversation with the Cult members, Man Hanseok spoke up, his voice laced with extreme caution.
"Speaking with members of the Sacred Cult like this, I find things are quite different from what my father told me. He always warned me to be careful because you deceive the Orthodox faction with absurd lies and slander."
"And how do we seem to you, young master?"
"Just... like normal people, like the rest of us."
Man Hanseok replied to Sam Yang's question with a slightly embarrassed look.
I wouldn't have known either if I hadn't spent so much time talking with Seonwoo Seol. As is typical with rumors surrounding the Demonic Cult, people whispered that they drank human blood or ran black markets that trafficked in human lives.
Sam Yang nodded in understanding and began to speak.
"Originally, our name was the Sun and Moon Sacred Cult. It meant using our strength for the people of the Central Plains, brightening the world like the sun and moon in the sky. In accordance with that ideal, the Cult was peaceful, and our influence flourished greatly."
Stroking his knees, Sam Yang continued his tale with a calm expression.
"However, about a century ago, our Cult Leader suffered internal injuries during his cultivation and fell into qi deviation. The madness that gripped him plunged the Central Plains into utter chaos. It was because of that tragedy that our Sacred Cult was branded the 'Demonic Cult.'"
"Are you referring to the Jeongmi Blood Incident... the very event that led to the creation of the Nine Sects, One Gang, and the Murim Alliance?"
Sam Yang nodded at Man Hanseok's words.
It was called the Jeongmi Blood Incident because, during the Jeongmi year, the Sacred Cult—which had been spread across the nation—brutally attacked innocent civilians and martial artists of the Nine Sects and One Gang, painting the land in blood.
Following the incident, the Nine Sects, One Gang, various noble clans, and minor sects banded together to form the Murim Alliance.
Afterward, the Murim Alliance joined forces with the imperial army, officially designating the Sacred Cult as the 'Demonic Cult' and driving them out to the desolate lands of Xinjiang. That was why the Sacred Cult was still referred to as the Demonic Cult to this day.
"But that is ancient history. Our previous Cult Leader personally decapitated the former leader of the Four Blood Alliance to punish them, and he reached out to the Orthodox faction in an effort to maintain friendly relations. Of course, we do not expect the bloodshed of a century ago to be forgotten so easily, but we are making our own efforts."
Contrary to the stereotype of bloodthirsty, violence-obsessed zealots, Sam Yang's explanation was surprisingly gentle.
Then again, if the envoy they sent was some lunatic shouting, "In accordance with the will of our beloved Heavenly Demon, we must crush the traitorous Orthodox dogs!" that would have been a massive diplomatic disaster.
In any case, the previous Cult Leader was the master of the Heavenly Demon, Seonwoo Dan. If not for him, the Mutual Righteousness Academy might never have existed in the first place.
After all, the Emperor, the Murim Alliance Leader, the previous Cult Leader, and the newly appointed leader of the Four Blood Alliance had all gathered to establish the Mutual Righteousness Academy as a treaty to maintain global peace.
"Hearing the Sacred Cult's perspective after only hearing the claims of the Nine Sects and One Gang is certainly eye-opening."
I could understand the Cult Leader suffering from qi deviation and issuing insane orders, but blindly following those orders seemed like a bit of a problem in itself.
Of course, I had absolutely no intention of voicing that thought aloud. What if they dragged me down to the dungeons of the Hall of the Great Grandmaster and waterboarded me with boiling-hot mala soup?
"If you wish to hear more of the details, Chef Yoon, I hope you will visit the Sacred Cult one day. Our Cult Leader would surely delight in your culinary skills."
At his words, not only Sam Yang's eyes but also Cheong Woo's and Seonwoo Seol's lit up. They looked exactly like predators that had just spotted their prey.
Uh-oh. If I give the wrong answer here, am I going to get human-trafficked straight to the Demonic Cult? I needed to give the most neutral response possible.
"I would need to obtain permission from the academy first... But I am deeply grateful that you hold my skills in such high regard."
When I basically told them, "Go negotiate with the academy first," the trio from the Demonic Cult instantly wore expressions of disappointment.
Whew. This is why you have to watch every single word you say in the Central Plains. One slip of the tongue, and you might find yourself express-shipped straight to the Demonic Cult.
After exchanging a few more words, Yuk Jeong, the three-knot beggar who had guided us earlier, returned to escort us to another building.
There were ten small buildings in total, each roughly the size of an ordinary residential home.
"Are these our lodgings?"
"That is correct. Elder Sam Yang's group will be in Room Five, and Chef Yoon's group will be in Room Six," Yuk Jeong replied, handing over wooden plaques carved with numbers.
Realizing we were staying right next door to each other, Seonwoo Seol beamed at me. Even in a male disguise, it's hard to hide how pretty she is, I thought.
Ah, right. I almost forgot something important. I immediately approached Yuk Jeong and asked.
"Would it be possible for me to inspect the kitchen we'll be using for the banquet beforehand?"
"Actually, the Beggar Sect's head chef has been waiting for you. He was very eager to ask what ingredients need to be prepared for the banquet."
"Is that so?"
A chef for the Beggar Sect. At first glance, it sounded like the most mismatched combination imaginable, but since the Beggar Sect was one of the pillars of the Nine Sects and One Gang, it made sense that they would have a proper chef at their headquarters.
"May I tag along as well?"
Seonwoo Seol raised her hand slightly as she asked. I didn't mind, but was it really okay for a member of the Demonic Cult to enter their kitchen?
"It is not my place to decide, but if Chef Yoon permits it..." Yuk Jeong replied.
I nodded in agreement.
"Young Hero Woo is a trustworthy person, so it should be fine."
"If Chef Yoon, who was recommended by Elder Oh, trusts him, then there is no issue."
As expected, connections are everything in Korea, and guanxi is king in the Central Plains. How reassuring.
I told Man Hanseok and Gye-yeong to rest in our room, and then made my way to the kitchen with Seonwoo Seol.
"So, I'm a trustworthy person?"
"A commander of the Chobaek Squad is bound to have some honor."
"Hmm."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you seem to act rather dishonorably from time to time."
"I already admitted that was my mistake."
"Then you should apologize properly for your mistake."
"What kind of apology do you want?"
"Who knows? I'll have to think about it."
What an enigmatic woman. She was truly the most unpredictable person I had ever met.
When we arrived at the kitchen, a clean-cut man dressed in pristine white rags welcomed Seonwoo Seol and me.
"Ah, you must be Chef Yoon Gomyung! I've heard so much about you!"
"Ah, yes. I am Yoon Gomyung, the Head of the Inner and Outer Dining Halls at the Mutual Righteousness Academy."
"I am Tae Pal, the one responsible for the meals here at the headquarters."
His name sounded like someone who would have a red dot right in the middle of his forehead. It was a fitting name for a kitchen worker, though.
But there was another peculiar thing about him besides his name.
Although his clothes were patched like those of any other Beggar Sect member, they looked more like a stylish fashion choice than actual rags. I recalled hearing that there were two main factions within the Beggar Sect. Was he a member of the Clean Clothes Faction?
"How do you usually manage the kitchen?"
"Well, we aren't grand enough to hire servants, so the knotless, entry-level beggars take turns helping out."
"Even considering that, you keep this place incredibly clean. In some aspects, it's actually better maintained than our academy kitchens, where we pay our staff."
The kitchen was overall quite old, but there wasn't a single speck of dirt. The walls, which would normally be caked in grease and food splatters, were completely spotless.
"It's flawless. I don't even see a single chipped bowl," Seonwoo Seol whispered in admiration as she looked around. Tae Pal seemed to catch her whisper, and a proud grin spread across his face.
As we continued our tour, Tae Pal lowered his voice and asked.
"Chef Yoon, we need to purchase the ingredients for the dishes you'll be presenting at the banquet. Could you let me know what you'll need?"
Ah, right. That was the whole reason I came here.
"Of course. They're all very common ingredients—nothing secret or hard to find. However, the quantity is quite substantial, so I'll write it down for you."
I took a brush and paper, writing down the list in one swift, flowing motion. As Tae Pal read over my shoulder, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Y-You're planning to eat that?"
"Haha, of course we won't eat it raw. This is merely the raw ingredient."
"And... the quantity is far too much. This will cost way more than the three hundred copper coins the Dragon Head Sect Leader allocated."
Tae Pal looked at me with deep concern, but I simply waved my hand dismissively. Even if it was a budget banquet, we had to prepare a proper feast. Serving just one meager dish would be terribly stingy.
"I'll take full responsibility for the cost, so please prepare exactly as I've written. If the Beggar Sect can't cover it, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket."
"A-All right, I understand. Is there anything else you require?"
"Is there a place where we can build a massive fire?"
"A fire?"
"Yes. Preparing this dish requires an immense amount of heat."
He seemed more and more bewildered by the second. The moment he heard my request, Tae Pal tilted his head in confusion.
To perfect this dish, the standard kitchen hearths simply wouldn't cut it.
Firepower. I needed far greater firepower.
