Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Idols Can't Dance Poorly (2)
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“The Alliance Leader’s internal energy is immense?!”
“Of course, not as much as this seat’s.”
“But why are you only telling me now?”
“Didn’t you already know?”
“How would a clueless country bumpkin like me know?”
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head, his face saying he couldn’t comprehend my reaction.
“How strange. He must know that guy is the First Sword.”
That was just the Alliance Leader’s real name, but the Heavenly Demon still didn’t know?
Come to think of it, the Heavenly Demon always talked about forms whenever he saw our choreography.
Maybe from the start, our kids looked like martial artists in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes.
No, if that’s the case, then even being called the First Sword, the Alliance Leader had internal energy enough to convince the Heavenly Demon?
“If choreography builds internal energy… then not just the Alliance Leader, everyone should have it, right? Internal energy and all?”
“Yes. Except for Jaha.”
“Why’s Jaha left out?”
“Well, Jaha just couldn’t dance well…”
Ah…
So if you can’t master the choreography, your internal energy doesn’t build…
Oh, then the Beggar Clan Disciples looking so weirdly muscular makes sense too?!
“No, wait a sec! Then instead of raiding Jaha’s place, we could’ve just grabbed the CEO and checked?”
As if he’d expected me to say that, Shin Tae-eul replied indifferently.
“You still remember my withdrawal live stream, right?”
“That the CEO paid a ton to force my withdrawal?”
“Not that.”
“…That a member was bullying you?”
Shin Tae-eul nodded and continued.
“I called it a member, but actually, I don’t know who it was.”
“What do you mean? You got bullied but don’t know by whom?”
“Because that guy wore a mask.”
I furrowed my brow.
Bullying someone while wearing a mask.
No member in our Nine Great Sects had that kind of personality.
…Well, I didn’t even know they had internal energy.
“There’s a lackey by the CEO’s side.”
“A lackey?”
“I didn’t exactly avoid settling things with force, like you said. In fact, before trying to kidnap you, I tried kidnapping the CEO.”
So they did try to kidnap me at the restaurant??
“But every time, I got stopped by the Masked Expert. At Jaha’s place too. Can’t tell who because of the mask, but no one else with internal energy hangs around the CEO, so it has to be one of the Nine Great Sects.”
So the group bullying Shin Tae-eul exposed on his live stream…
Wasn’t just infighting between members.
But something had been bugging me for a while.
“…This Masked Expert, you mean like an assassin from a wuxia novel?”
“Yes.”
“Black clothes, smiling face mask? White one?”
“You know your details. Spot on.”
“No, that’s not it.”
I pointed at the shadowy figure who’d appeared behind Shin Tae-eul.
“Isn’t that him?”
“…This lunatic!”
As Shin Tae-eul shot up from the bath in a panic, the shadowy figure moved.
No, tried to.
The figure reached for Shin Tae-eul’s neck, but as if grabbed by something, his arm froze mid-air, trembling finely.
The Heavenly Demon, who’d seized him with Air Grasp, curled the corner of his mouth upward.
“To dare act up before this seat.”
“Sir Heavenly Demon, don’t kill him.”
“You always say that.”
“The mask first!”
“Fine.”
As the Heavenly Demon raised his other hand to remove the mask.
A sigh-like sound came from inside the mask.
Then, as if thrusting his arm out.
The water in the bath began surging upward.
“What the hell?!”
Shin Tae-eul had already dodged and moved behind the Heavenly Demon.
Even moving that fast, the towel around Shin Tae-eul’s waist stayed perfectly in place.
Shin Tae-eul shouted urgently.
“He’s blocking the Air Grasp by obscuring vision!”
“But surging the water up is Air Grasp too?!”
“I told you, he’s an expert!”
He didn’t say he could use Air Grasp!!
The Heavenly Demon standing beside me chuckled.
“Pulling petty tricks. But they don’t work on this seat.”
As the Heavenly Demon withdrew his outstretched right hand, the mask pierced through the surging water and flew into his grasp like it was sucked in.
But the mask wasn’t the only thing flying.
Along with the mask, several darts pierced through the water.
“Tch.”
With a small click of his tongue, the Heavenly Demon’s sleeve fluttered wide, and soon the darts clattered loudly to the floor.
At that moment.
The hooded figure burst out from within the water barrier.
Charging at the Heavenly Demon with a thrusting palm strike.
The Heavenly Demon’s mouth corner lifted crookedly.
“Pathetic.”
Meeting the palm strike head-on, the Heavenly Demon softly extended his own palm.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
A roughly thrust palm strike
The instant their palms met.
Demon-Subduing Divine Art
Absorbing Demon Energy
For a split second, the space between them seemed to warp.
“You scum!”
As the Heavenly Demon struck the figure’s chest with his other palm.
His palm pulled away, and the figure’s body slammed into the bath.
The water barrier lost its sustaining force and sank with the figure.
Withdrawing his hand and clasping them behind his back, the Heavenly Demon eyed the bath with a disgusted look.
“Using some bizarre sorcery.”
“Bizarre sorcery?”
“That punk absorbs this seat’s demonic art.”
“What?!”
Absorbing demonic art? Isn’t that a huge problem?
But the Heavenly Demon just looked annoyed.
“Looks like the CEO didn’t summon this seat on a whim.”
Then the figure slowly rose from the bath.
He’d already donned the white mask again.
Must’ve reclaimed the mask the Heavenly Demon took during their palm exchange.
The figure, with even his hair tucked tightly into the hood, stood straight, radiating pure energy.
“Hmm…”
Testing him, the Heavenly Demon floated a dart in the air and launched it. The figure casually caught it with one hand.
Then crumpled it like paper and tossed it lightly at the Heavenly Demon’s feet.
The Heavenly Demon looked somewhat impressed, but as a normal person, I was shocked.
“…You’re saying that’s really one of our members?”
“Who else could it be?”
No way.
He just crumpled a dart with one hand!
Still, the Heavenly Demon was right beside me now.
Never had he seemed more reliable.
“Then, Sir Heavenly Demon, I’m begging you!”
“Begging for what?”
“Capture that guy.”
As Shin Tae-eul said.
If this bizarre masked guy really was one of the Nine Great Sects members.
We could find out what he knew.
Why he sided with the CEO.
Why the CEO summoned the Heavenly Demon.
But instead of grabbing him, the Heavenly Demon shook his head and crossed his arms.
“Impossible.”
“Why?!”
“Annoying.”
The Heavenly Demon pointed his long, beautiful finger at the Masked Expert.
“If I touch that punk once more, I might accidentally kill him. That okay with you?”
“That okay?”
“You’re getting cheeky.”
“Anyway, no killing. No injuring either. He might be a member!”
“That’s why it’s impossible. Can’t have the schedule screwed up.”
So why, even in this mess, are you only worried about the schedule?
I still don’t get why he’s this serious about it, even if he needs fans.
Anyway, with the Heavenly Demon focused on idol activities, lingering here wasn’t good.
Hurting another member was a no-go.
And if staff came down from all this commotion, trouble.
My face getting sold off is fine, but the Heavenly Demon’s an active idol.
No need for weird eyewitness stories.
Then a thought flashed in my mind.
“Let’s head back to the rooms right now.”
The Heavenly Demon furrowed his brow at my words.
“You suggesting we run?”
“No.”
Keeping my eyes on the figure, I said.
“The member who’s not in their room right now—that’s gotta be him.”
If he really was one of our members.
“You don’t feel like tangling with that punk right now either, Sir Heavenly Demon.”
“Hmph. Even you wouldn’t hold back when swatting a mosquito.”
“I keep telling you, no killing.”
“Quit nagging. I wasn’t planning to anyway.”
The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes and muttered.
“Touching that guy feels like just what the CEO wants…”
What the CEO wants.
Yeah, it was suspicious.
Sure, they had internal energy, but at best from idol choreography.
Nothing to match the Heavenly Demon.
Even absorbing demonic art, that’s it.
If the Heavenly Demon got serious, killing him would be easy.
Yet he showed up before the Heavenly Demon…
“We can just capture him and ask his identity.”
At my words, Shin Tae-eul nodded like it made sense.
“Then we’ll hold him here.”
“We?”
Shin Tae-eul shouted loudly.
“Yu Ami!!”
In the blink of an eye, Yu Ami appeared behind Shin Tae-eul.
…Is this the vibe when I summon the Formation Breaker?
“No, wait. This is the men’s bath, right?”
“It’s just us.”
“You’re naked?!”
“Towel’s still on tight.”
Yeah… impressive.
A towel guardian of all-ages content.
“And even if the towel falls…”
Shin Tae-eul added solemnly.
“I’m fine with it.”
“…”
This guy’s definitely not right in the head.
Ami glanced at the figure, then bowed slightly to me.
Yeah, Ami definitely can’t speak.
I was just about to hear how the CEO summoned the Heavenly Demon and what happened to the withdrawn kids.
Reading my regret, Shin Tae-eul said quietly.
“I’ll contact you again. …Like this time.”
Like this time—meaning through Taegeuk again?
Beside him, Ami made some incomprehensible hand gestures.
Sign language, probably. I should learn it.
With Ami giving a thumbs-up like “don’t worry,” I had no choice but to back away.
As we showed signs of retreating, the figure seemed to catch on to whatever he was plotting and quickly blocked my path.
Blocking me, the clueless bumpkin—not the Heavenly Demon—meant he definitely knew who I was.
But the next moment, Ami slipped between me and the figure.
As Ami extended her hand, water from the bath surged like a dragon and was sucked into her grasp.
The water stream stretched long, then took the form of a sword and froze solid.
“Ice Arts?! What the hell are you guys?!”
“Ami’s one of our top experts. Leave this to us.”
Even in this insane situation, Shin Tae-eul and Ami stayed calm, like it was routine.
While I was running stages with the Nine Great Sects, what the hell had these kids been through?
“Don’t get distracted.”
Soon I felt the Heavenly Demon lightly grab my nape.
Leaving Shin Tae-eul and Ami charging at the masked guy behind us.
The Heavenly Demon and I quickly left the bathhouse.
* * *
As manager, I had sub-keys to all the kids’ rooms.
So checking was easy.
Back at the hotel main building, the first place we went was the Alliance Leader’s room.
The Heavenly Demon eyed me steadily.
“Why the Alliance Leader?”
Going first meant suspecting him most.
Shin Tae-eul and Ami said they’d hold the Masked Expert.
But from what Shin Tae-eul said about always losing to him, they could only buy us a tiny bit of time.
So check the most suspicious first.
Right now, that was the Alliance Leader.
“You said the Alliance Leader’s internal energy was… impressive, Sir Heavenly Demon.”
Suspecting the strongest makes sense, right?
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head slightly.
“By that logic, the monk’s no slouch either.”
Please spill that kind of info sooner.
“I can’t gauge internal energy like you, Sir Heavenly Demon.”
Even setting internal energy aside, the Alliance Leader always listened to the CEO.
Worth suspecting.
Though no one cherished the members more than him…
I hesitated for a split second before opening the Alliance Leader’s door.
Catching on, the Heavenly Demon indifferently flung the door open for me.
I prayed the Alliance Leader was inside.
But.
“Empty.”
My heart sank.
But not enough to confirm yet.
“Na Hani’s similar to the Alliance Leader, right?”
“Yeah. Next the monk?”
“Yes.”
Maybe.
The Alliance Leader liked strolls anyway.
Might just be out briefly.
As if my worry was for nothing, we found him right away.
Because when we opened Na Hani’s door, there was the Alliance Leader.
Sitting in a rattan chair reading a magazine, he widened his eyes and asked.
“What’s up with you two together?”
“You been here the whole time?”
“Yeah…”
“And Na Hani?”
“Meditating.”
Opening the inner door, I saw Na Hani meditating.
Checked the window behind him too, then closed the door and came out.
‘Both in their rooms, but…’
Na Hani was meditating, so wouldn’t know if the Alliance Leader was there or not.
Alliance Leader probably didn’t check if Na Hani was inside either.
‘Asking if they stepped out won’t get a straight answer.’
No point.
Exchanging looks with the Heavenly Demon, we decided.
As we turned to leave, the Alliance Leader followed, peeking.
“What’s going on? Just leaving?”
“Came to check on you. Rest up.”
The Alliance Leader went back in puzzled.
But thinking it might be acting made me uneasy.
“Both suspicious, huh.”
“Yeah, they are.”
But the next room, Namgung Jun’s, was empty too.
“Aaagh! Please stay in your rooms!!”
Was giving Namgung Jun a separate room because he disliked the others a mistake?
Or my management as manager?
No members guarding their own rooms.
Only Taegeuk and Jaha’s room left.
Masked Expert’s build definitely wasn’t Jaha, and Taegeuk seemed with Shin Tae-eul’s side, so no need to check.
But I went anyway, to talk with Taegeuk.
Before I could open the door, Taegeuk opened it from inside and came out.
Looking again knowing he could use martial arts, Taegeuk’s body felt solidly built.
“You talk okay?”
“No. Midway, that Masked Expert showed up.”
Taegeuk’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I’ve only heard of the Masked Expert… How’d he track us here?”
How’d he track us here?
…Does Taegeuk not know one of the members is the Masked Expert?
Maybe Tae-eul didn’t tell him on purpose, so I changed the subject.
“How much do you know?”
“Not details. We don’t contact regularly. Just changes in my body and what happened to them.”
“What the hell happened?”
Taegeuk stared down at me quietly for a moment.
“…You need to hear that from them directly. I don’t have the right to say.”
The right?
What happened that needs rights?
Taegeuk glanced down the hall and added quietly.
“Best drop expectations of learning from me. I’m a spy gathering intel inside, not holding it.”
So he didn’t get much from the two inside.
Staring at Taegeuk, I suddenly felt off and asked.
“But where’s Jaha?”
Taegeuk followed my gaze, scanned the room, and tilted his head.
“Dunno. Haven’t seen him since earlier. Looked like he took something out.”
“…That.”
Sounds super suspicious?
Wanted to go back to the bath and check if they were still facing off.
But the bath area was already noisy.
With that ruckus, something must’ve broken.
And we’d requested restricted access, so records exist. Going back now would be trouble.
If issues arose, the CEO would handle.
He didn’t seem keen on revealing his idols used martial arts anyway.
Act like nothing happened, finish the schedule, then meet the CEO.
On the way back to my room.
The Heavenly Demon, silent till now, spoke.
“Can I say one thing?”
“What.”
“Should’ve debuted solo.”
“…”
No words to argue that.
Hoping Shin Tae-eul and Ami got back safe, we returned to the room.
Unexpectedly, Jaha was waiting for us.