Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: 21. Become My Family, Become My Idol (3)
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“The CEO’s trying to establish the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?”
“Yeah.”
“…Is that really so surprising?”
“What?”
“I mean, isn’t the Heavenly Demon’s fandom basically the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult already?”
The Heavenly Demon’s personal fans were made up of zealots with fanatical tendencies.
They’d already formed a group called the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
My senior replied in a slightly wistful tone.
“…You’ve developed some weird quirks while I wasn’t looking. The cult the CEO wants to create is the real deal—one that truly awaits the Heavenly Demon’s return. In other words, a Demonic Cult.”
The CEO’s goal was to actually create a real Demonic Cult?
I’d thought it was just obsessive Heavenly Demon fandom.
…But when you think about it, isn’t the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult the original historic and traditional form of Heavenly Demon fandom?
Senior Hyunseong stared straight at me and added,
“But since the summoned Heavenly Demon is following you around instead of the CEO, of course it’s surprising.”
“Is that really so surprising?”
“The summoned being is bound to follow the summoner. Since the summoner’s blood is the medium that brings them into this world, they feel as close as blood kin.”
This was the first I’d heard that the summoner’s blood was the medium for the summoning.
“The Heavenly Demon never mentioned anything like that.”
“Big bro’s only interested in food and martial arts, so it makes sense he wouldn’t know the ritualistic details.”
…So he’s a foodie even in the Central Plains?
Could the item Shin Tae-eul took be that medium… something containing the CEO’s blood?
If so, just confirming whether that blood belongs to the CEO would solve most of my questions.
“Anyway, little one.”
As I sank into thought and fell silent, senior called out to me first.
“You must have come all this way for a reason, right?”
Only after he asked did I suddenly remember why I’d come here in the first place.
I’d run into Dang Sacheon right away upon arrival, and then learned my senior—my former master—was acquainted with the Heavenly Demon, so I’d completely forgotten.
“I don’t want to work under that cult-leader CEO anymore, so I’m planning to start my own agency.”
“An agency?”
“To give the excommunicated disciples another chance. Including Dang Sacheon here and the guys downstairs.”
Senior stared at my face for a moment before chuckling softly.
“You’re not telling me about stealing away the Nine Great Sects and One Clan.”
I was briefly startled that he knew, but then it made sense.
“…I see. As a martial artist yourself, senior, your physical abilities must be exceptional.”
He must have overheard Dang Sacheon talking to the Five Great Families candidates downstairs while resting here.
“Since you’re trying to hide it from me… do you suspect me?”
“A little.”
“And yet you still want to scout me for your agency?”
“Yes. Now that I know you’re a martial artist, I don’t have many other options.”
The CEO commands bizarre entities like the Masked Expert who uses the Soul-Absorbing Demonic Art, while we’re short on proper martial artists—that’s been worrying me.
I was concerned senior might have some grudge-related ties with the Heavenly Demon… but he didn’t seem to be on the CEO’s side.
“Would that be impossible?”
“No reason it couldn’t work. I’d like it, actually—lets me keep an eye on the Heavenly Demon up close. But I do have one condition.”
“A condition…?”
“The same as Na Hani’s. Go to the CEO’s residence and see for yourself before you decide.”
So Na Hani’s condition must have come from her master, senior.
“What exactly is there that you want me to see?”
“What you need to see there isn’t just the CEO.”
Not just the CEO…?
I suddenly realized something and looked at senior.
“I need to observe the Heavenly Demon’s reaction, right? Knowing the CEO’s ultimate goal is to establish the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might change his attitude.”
“Exactly. You’re as sharp as ever.”
That was something he’d often said back when I was his disciple, but what came next was odd.
“If you come back after drawing your own conclusions, I’ll release your restriction.”
“…Restriction?”
“Hm?”
Senior tilted his head.
I tilted mine too.
“The Heavenly Demon didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“The acupoint seal I placed on your body.”
The unexpected words shocked me.
“Acupoint seal??”
“You had a neat look about you from the first time we met. Bold and clever, too. I figured you’d eventually uncover the truth. So……”
Senior scratched his cheek, looking a bit embarrassed to say it himself.
“In case you ever practiced internal arts and became a sacrifice, I sealed your acupoints. That’s why you couldn’t dance.”
“…So my two left feet were because of the acupoint seal?”
“Yeah.”
“What about my singing?”
“That… was just your skill.”
Damn.
“But… was the seal really necessary? I couldn’t have become an idol anyway since I can’t sing.”
“The problem was that your practice choreography was an internal arts manual.”
Senior widened his eyes as if asking if I really didn’t know, then continued.
“The CEO scouted you first because you’re a once-in-a-century martial prodigy. Didn’t you know?”
How the hell would I know, you lunatic.
* * *
Me, who got called a clueless country bumpkin by the Heavenly Demon, was actually a once-in-a-century martial prodigy?
The seal kept me from dancing.
I’d only heard it in words, so it didn’t really sink in.
More shocking was realizing my singing really was just plain bad—not the seal’s fault.
Dang Sacheon was more excited than me.
“Brother So Ui is a once-in-a-millennium martial prodigy…!”
“…I said once-in-a-century.”
“As expected of you, brother. I respect you!”
Only after I banned further prodigy talk did Dang Sacheon quiet down.
I agreed with senior to finish our talk after visiting the CEO’s place, then headed downstairs.
The Five Great Families candidates were waiting with Oh Daese.
“Um, Brother So Ui……”
The first to speak was Paeng Habuk.
Habuk was a famous choreographer even back in high school, now teaching choreography to trainees at major agencies beyond just Kichi. A real talent.
The reason I knew him was, naturally, because the CEO saw his name and wanted to cast him for Kichi.
But Habuk had turned it down, saying he’d rather create dances in various genres than debut as an idol and just dance to fit a group image.
“Is what Dang Sacheon said true? I saw the rumor that you’re starting an agency……”
That rumor—how far has it spread?
Then, Hwang Boyun, sitting next to Paeng Habuk, quickly chimed in.
“I don’t care if it’s not Kichi, as long as I can debut.”
Hwang Boyun was a Kichi trainee I’d seen a few times.
Young, but ambitious.
Dang Sacheon shook his head beside me.
“He ignores the words of this young master, your right-hand man, brother So Ui… but believes only when you come in person.”
“N-no, how can I believe you, Dang Sacheon? Can you even believe yourself?!”
“……”
Dang Sacheon had no reply.
What kind of life does someone have to live to not trust even themselves?
Anyway, I glossed over the agency talk with the Uchies.
But I planned to explain properly to Paeng Habuk and Hwang Boyun.
“It’s true I’m starting an agency. And Oh Daese fits the concept. But one thing you should know: we won’t get any support from Kichi.”
“Why?!”
“Why?!”
Did these two find it weird that my new agency wouldn’t get Kichi backing?
Was my image that much of a CEO’s pet employee?
“Well, since I’m taking the Nine Great Sects and One Clan with me… they probably won’t take kindly to it?”
“Oh……”
Hwang Boyun looked regretful and quickly changed his tune.
“Sorry. Truth is, I have a reason I need to debut under Kichi.”
“Wow, Hwang Boyun. You’re surprisingly pro-Dang Sacheon?”
“What? How can you say ‘pro-Dang Sacheon’ about a person? Unlike you all, I’m a fake. I’ve told you a million times, it’s Hwang Bo, not Hwang Bo-yun.”
“No, you just said with your own mouth that Kichi doesn’t matter~”
Their member chemistry wasn’t bad……
I quietly watched the Oh Daese candidates bicker.
And there was Zhuge Liang, who’d been staring at me intently for a while.
…But how did Zhuge Liang end up here?
Honestly, as a 10-year veteran singer, he was the most suspicious, and I hadn’t even considered recruiting him for Oh Daese.
He hadn’t pinged Dang Sacheon’s fraud radar, and he was still here instead of leaving.
‘What’s he thinking?’
“So Ui, was it?”
As if reading my mind, Zhuge Liang spoke up.
“How old?”
“Twenty-eight……”
“I’m twenty-nine, so perfect.”
Perfect for what?
Dang Sacheon eyed him warily and subtly pushed me behind him.
“Don’t hit on my brother.”
“Hit on? I’m offering help.”
Zhuge Liang rubbed above his signature thick double eyelids with his finger and said,
“So Ui, want to be my manager?”
“Huh?”
Man… manager, right?
“I just said I’m starting an agency.”
“I know. But that won’t work. If Dang Sacheon were CEO, maybe… but with you as CEO, it’s tough.”
Tough because I’m CEO?
It didn’t seem like he was just being difficult, so I asked,
“Why do you think that?”
“You’re the employee the CEO adores, right? Seems everyone in the industry knows. Even if you stab the CEO in the back and take the Nine Great Sects and One Clan… it might appeal to fans as Kichi being evil, but inside the industry, you’ll be blacklisted?”
“……”
That was a fair point.
Of course, I’d planned for that too……
But from his perspective, without knowing, he couldn’t easily commit to joining.
“So, my agency’s doomed anyway, so become Zhuge Liang’s manager?”
“Exactly? You’re leaving Kichi anyway, right?”
“And you think that because……”
“I sense grudges in your future plans. Like a burning will to screw over the CEO?”
Zhuge Liang had good instincts, as expected from 10 years in the biz.
I hadn’t planned to bring him over, but after chatting, he seemed workable.
“Zhuge Liang, want to try being an idol?”
“…Are you gonna keep saying crazy shit too, So Ui?”
Zhuge Liang’s face soured, interest vanished.
“I’ll be thirty in two days. My fandom’s mostly 30s and 40s—idol? What would young kids see in following around an old guy like me?”
“There’s a bit of demand for old guys who say stuff like that.”
“…You’re messing with me?”
Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes.
Good feedback.
Could be an idol selling point.
From his talk, age seemed to be his complex.
Debuting at 19 with a little brother concept, getting older must weigh on him.
In that case……
“You saw the boss here, right?”
“That silver-haired boss you called senior? Yeah. And their ventriloquism contest.”
To them, senior just mouthing silently while talking to the Heavenly Demon must’ve looked weird.
“How old did he seem?”
“Young? But since you use honorifics, maybe our age……?”
“Senior’s forty-three this year.”
As expected, Zhuge Liang was stunned by senior’s age.
“Forty-three? That face?”
“As you know, our CEO’s quite old this year too.”
“The CEO’s youthful too.”
After answering, Zhuge Liang muttered as if realizing something.
“Now that you mention it, all the Kichi kids are youthful. The Nine Great Sects and One Clan guys look unchanged since debut.”
“That’s it.”
“…That’s what?”
“Kichi has its own youth-preservation method.”
“And?”
“I know it. If you join my agency, I’ll share it, of course.”
“……!”
Zhuge Liang’s eyes wavered for the first time.
“Y-yeah… You’ve been at Kichi long, so you’d know the secrets……”
He visibly rattled, covering his mouth as he cautiously asked,
“I-it’s said my skin’s already aged a bit… Can that method make me younger?”
“Possible.”
I answered confidently.
“You’ll undergo a complete transformation.”
Though it’d require intense Nine Great Sects and One Clan choreography.
Anyway, I wasn’t lying.
Kichi does manage its idols with internal arts manuals, after all.