Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Test
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He stood there.
But that one act alone made it seem as if he were the only being in the world.
The dizzying pressure radiating from his indifferent gaze made one hold their breath.
The Heavenly Demon Emperor, Dam Un-cheon.
A man who stood at the apex of all demons under the heavens, his presence was as potent as his name suggested.
His head, held high, seemed to support the sky itself, while his two feet, planted firmly, seemed to press down and push away the earth.
Meanwhile, the killing intent inherent to demonic energy swirled like a vortex, churning through the training grounds.
Just the sight of him standing perfectly still was enough to make one’s knees buckle.
Standing before the name of the absolute, Neung Un-bi held on, his face contorted as he endured.
So… why?
Why?! For what reason!!
Why are you doing this to me?!
Did you regret not beating me enough yesterday?
Did it suddenly pop into your head at dawn? Huh?
Come on, a man can wear a Daoist robe!
He can sprinkle some talismans!
Was I doing it for my own good?
Wasn’t it all because I was worried about you!? Why are you being so terrifying over a simple outfit…
He couldn't understand it at all.
Wang Cheon said so!
Even madness needs a break every now and then!
You just beat me up yesterday!
So you should be resting today!
A fresh wave of indignation welled up in Neung Un-bi’s eyes.
Hadn’t there been no problems for the past year?
Excluding yesterday, the Cult Leader had merely watched in silence despite all the trouble he’d caused.
That was why he had mistakenly believed the man was the epitome of understanding and consideration. He had thought that even if his master was the standard-bearer of cunning, guile, and cruelty, he would at least be warm to his own disciple.
But why now…
“Un-bi.”
“Yes?”
“How long do you intend to stand there staring with that dazed look on your face?”
“…”
Neung Un-bi gulped at the cool, indifferent gaze.
Why do you think?
In your hand, you’ve got… huh?
As if to prove you’re from the Demonic Cult, you’ve got some kind of black aura swirling around it, and you’re glaring at me with those terrifying eyes like you want to kill me!
He had been acting dignified to imitate a Daoist priest, but he had to survive this crisis first.
He was about to die…
“Wa-Wait a minute! Cult Leader, no, Master! Please wait just a moment.”
“…?”
“Whether it’s a duel or a spar! You have to at least tell me the reason, don’t you?”
Seeing Neung Un-bi hastily hold out his hands and back away, Dam Un-cheon furrowed his brow slightly.
“My, my. You were so assertive just yesterday. How is it that you now look more pathetic than a puppy that needs to relieve itself?”
“Do you think I have time to worry about that right now?”
His nether regions felt damp, perhaps from the sweat trickling down his spine.
Or maybe he had wet himself…
Perhaps because of his firm refusal, Dam Un-cheon glanced at the Elder Council Head, sighed softly, and spoke.
“Hmph, very well. Since you ask so earnestly, I will explain.”
“…?”
At those words, Neung Un-bi swallowed again and cautiously observed the situation.
“It is a test.”
“…A test?”
“Indeed.”
“What… kind of test? I don’t recall submitting an application for anything.”
“Of course you haven’t.”
“Then why are you testing me without my consent?”
“Consent? Is that important?”
“Then what is important?”
“Proof.”
“P-Proof?”
Neung Un-bi gritted his teeth, his voice strained as his expression twisted bizarrely.
“That’s right. You are my disciple.”
“…”
“Therefore, to maintain that position, you must always be an example to all. Suspicion, doubt, distrust… you can only exist by dispelling such things from everyone’s minds.”
Hearing Dam Un-cheon’s words, Neung Un-bi looked at the Elder Council Head.
Seeing that wrinkled, smiling face, he finally understood what was going on.
“Hehehe.”
“…”
Ah, that damn old man.
No matter how much respect for the elderly was instilled in me from reading the Three Bonds and Five Relationships three times in my youth, I couldn’t stand it. I felt the urge to gently place my fist on that grinning face.
The Elder Council Head, Sama Hwimun.
A thoroughly political man. His memories told him so.
As is the case everywhere else, where power gathers, internal strife never ceases.
The Demonic Cult was no different.
No one could stand against the Cult Leader, a unique existence to whom all must bow. However, the process leading up to that point was an arena of power struggles. In other words, a fight for succession.
The Demonic Cult, known as the strongest single faction, had an internal structure as complex as its scale.
There was the Guardian Hall directly under the Cult Leader, the eight Elder Departments, the Elder Council composed of masters from the previous generation, and numerous clans scattered across the land, governing the cult’s territories.
For them, the next succession was a matter of their future fate.
So they fought relentlessly. Such battles should normally be kept private, but that rule didn’t apply in the Demonic Cult.
They fought openly. They were the kind of people who would decimate another clan and then boast about it shamelessly.
Weren’t they the ones who held survival of the fittest and the rule of the strong as their highest law?
And at the pinnacle of this were the Cult Leader’s disciples.
Locked in fierce competition, they had to step on each other to climb up and survive.
Sometimes they used poison, sometimes hidden weapons.
All sorts of conspiracies and schemes were rampant, but no one blamed them for it.
Because only a warrior who could survive such crises was considered strong enough to ascend to the position of Cult Leader.
Neung Un-bi was in such a position.
The third disciple, taken in by the Cult Leader during his travels. Worse, he was from outside the Demonic Cult and lacked any proper foundation.
Yet, he was brimming with talent, earning him the sharp scrutiny of the ghouls who fed on power. A truly pitiful disciple.
A prey, so to speak.
He felt so sorry for him when he first acquired Neung Un-bi’s memories.
Struggling to survive ever since becoming a disciple, his only friend was his guard, Wang Cheon.
He didn't know why his mother, So Seol-ok-su, also supported him, but perhaps it was thanks to them that Neung Un-bi had been able to hold on until now.
But in the end, while striving to become stronger, he fell into Qi deviation and died, and even his body was taken over by him. A pitiful bastard.
That damn old monster must have gathered his forces to slander that poor soul who deserved a helping hand.
He must have argued that he should be cast out. That he was already a wreck from Qi deviation with no chance of recovery.
And with him engaging in bizarre acts like playing a Daoist priest, he must have seized the opportunity to eliminate a competitor.
All for the sake of someone he supported.
…Damn it.
What a pitiful, miserable life.
They say an unlucky man will break his nose even if he falls backward.
My past life, constantly chasing an ideal, was like that, and now my new life is turning out the same way.
“Hoo… I see.”
Having understood everything, Neung Un-bi let out a calm sigh.
His now indifferent eyes looked at the Cult Leader, then shifted to the Elder Council Head.
“In the end, what you want from me is proof of my discipleship. Is that not correct?”
“It is.”
Dam Un-cheon accepted it nonchalantly, while a deep smile bloomed on the Elder Council Head’s lips.
That gentle smile looked so vile to Neung Un-bi that it made him want to vomit.
Damn geezer from the back rooms.
If you’ve retired from the front lines, you should be peacefully tending to your flowers, not trying to gain more wealth and glory by messing with—no, shitting all over—someone else’s life.
This test was obviously for him, or rather, for those he followed.
That was why the Cult Leader had summoned him.
To show them.
If that is your will, then I will show you. See for yourselves that Neung Un-bi is worthy of being my disciple.
That must have been why he had unleashed his aura from the very beginning.
To shut them up.
“I understand. If that is the Cult Leader’s will, then I have no choice.”
Steeling his resolve, Neung Un-bi proudly lifted his head.
He planted his feet firmly on the ground and straightened his back.
Watch closely, both of you.
I, Neung Un-bi!
Now that I’ve decided to live again, I will not be pushed around so easily.
If that is the will of the Cult Leader, the will of the Elder Council, and furthermore, the will of the Demonic Cult!
With eyes blazing, Neung Un-bi spoke without a hint of hesitation.
“Then, I won’t do it.”
“…”
“…”
A silence fell upon his proud and defiant words.
“What… won’t you do?”
Was it a reaction he hadn’t anticipated?
Sama Hwimun couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression as he asked.
What do you mean, ‘what,’ you old fool?
Have you gone deaf from spending too much time in the back rooms?
I said I won’t do it!
Did you really think I’d be a sidekick in your power struggle?
I have no interest in that crap!
“The discipleship. Since everyone wishes for it, what’s the point in me being stubborn?”
“…”
“I will give it up cleanly.”
Satisfying.
In the heart of the Demonic Cult, before that terrifying Cult Leader, he had stated his intentions proudly without the slightest bit of intimidation.
Well done, Cheok Wol-rin! No, Neung Un-bi!
“As you know, my body is already ruined by Qi deviation. There is no need for me to stubbornly create unnecessary trouble for everyone. Furthermore, I do not have the confidence to lead this great Demonic Cult.”
“…”
“Therefore, I will give it up for the sake of others.”
With a grin that seemed to say he was relieved to have let everything go, Neung Un-bi straightened his clothes and slowly bowed.
“Master. I did not know it would come to this, but your disciple no longer has any ambition. Having realized my limits, I wish to live a quiet life in seclusion. Please, grant me your generous permission. I will never forget the profound grace you have shown me.”
As Neung Un-bi bowed his head, Dam Un-cheon remained silent for a long time.
Right, the shock must be immense.
But it had to be done this way.
Of course, it was a bit rushed and an unwanted position, but as they say, one must strike while the iron is hot. You have to act when the thought occurs.
Disciple? Cult Leader?
What did any of that matter?
He had wanted to learn demonic arts, but wasn’t his most important goal to leave the Demonic Cult?
“…Un-bi.”
Dam Un-cheon’s trembling voice descended upon Neung Un-bi’s bowed head.
Well, one’s heart aches even when a pet dog runs away, so how must he feel parting with a cherished disciple?
Especially since he was blindsided by such unexpected words, the shock must be great.
Still, please don’t cry. You’ll make my heart waver.
Well, I should at least show my face.
This is the last time, after all.
“Mas… te… er?”
As he raised his head, Neung Un-bi was momentarily speechless at the sight of Dam Un-cheon, who looked completely different from what he had expected.
His face was a myriad of colors, from red to blue.
And why are you trembling like you’ve been struck by lightning?
And that aura gathering in your hand again, and the crimson demonic energy rising from your body like a heat haze…
Somehow… something felt…
“M-Master?”
“Un-bi.”
“…”
“Whether you are a disciple or not is my decision to make, not yours.”
“…!”
He stepped forward.
With a light step, Dam Un-cheon’s body seemed to push through space itself.
“Heok!”
It was instinct that made him spring up and throw himself back.
No, it was an unconscious outburst. His defense mechanisms had kicked in without him realizing it, and the demonic energy he had been hiding erupted.
He had reacted instinctively to the hand reaching out with a killing intent that felt like it could snap his neck.
He had to survive, after all.
And the fist he had swung instinctively, like someone who had lost their footing at the edge of a cliff, landed where it absolutely should not have.
KABOOM!
The moment his fist, shrouded in demonic energy, met Dam Un-cheon’s outstretched hand, a violent explosion erupted.
*Shhhk.*
“Keuk.”
He was the one who threw the punch, but he was also the one who was pushed back, the one who let out a groan.
Grimacing, Neung Un-bi looked at the long gash carved into the ground before snapping his head up.
In the spot where he had been.
There stood Dam Un-cheon, as if he had been there from the start, completely unfazed.
“Heh, heheheh!”
“…”
His reaction was completely different from before.
Dam Un-cheon burst into a satisfied laugh, as if laughing along with all the demons of the world, while Sama Hwimun’s face was twisted as if he had bitten into an unripe persimmon.
“Un-bi.”
“…”
What is it, Master?
Why do you keep calling my name?
“A very impressive fist. Enough to completely dispel any complaints about you.”
“…”
It was a mistake. You came at me so suddenly like you were going to kill me…
If you were offended, I apologize. You know it wasn’t my real intention, right? Right?
“The test begins now.”
“…!”
Demonic energy surged like a cloud and engulfed Neung Un-bi.
That day, the training grounds echoed endlessly with the sound of the earth-shattering explosions, and the Elder Council Head left in a furious huff.
Of course…
“Shit, he hit me for real…”
Neung Un-bi, beaten to a pulp by the relentless assault of a seemingly delighted Dam Un-cheon, was carried away on a stretcher.
Wasn’t your first fight supposed to be against a peer? Aren’t you supposed to build your reputation slowly by fighting bit by bit?
Why am I starting with the final boss?!
This damn life. It’s obvious it’s going to be an unlucky one.