Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon's Secret Training
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‘Why are all the book titles that the Heavenly Demon reads like this?’
It was a selection that even a village housewife could believe.
That's right. Most of the books on the shelves were parenting manuals.
‘No wonder I thought there was something off about the way Daddy touches my hair.’
Daddy personally styled my hair in a different way every day with different accessories.
Today, it was my hair tied into twin tails, rolled up into cute little buns.
‘The purple ribbon matches the color of Daddy's outer robe.’
I fiddled with the purple ribbon and smiled faintly. It was different from what I expected, but it didn't feel bad.
‘Daddy's been putting in so much effort for me.’
I marveled once again at Daddy's efforts.
‘I can't fall behind! I need to get better faster so I can cure Daddy's mental fragility and keep living happily together like this!’
To put my resolution into action, I needed to move my body more diligently.
I passed by the shelves full of parenting books and walked deeper inside.
‘This area's full of parenting books too. Growing Your Child Tall and Strong….’
When I opened one, I saw a note in Daddy's handwriting.
‘Boil Immortal Herb and make her drink it once a day.’
Looking at the book on height, I recalled the question I had asked Daddy recently.
"Daddy, why am I so short?"
"Who said Star is short?"
"No, Ik-seon is the same age as me but she's way taller. I want to be as tall as Ik-seon."
"Daddy likes Star just the way you are right now."
"I don't like it! Daddy and Ik-seon are both tall. I want to be tall too! Make me big!"
I remembered Daddy's troubled face as I clung to his arm and threw a tantrum.
‘Come to think of it, that's when it started. Daddy began giving me that steeped Immortal Herb tea after that….’
It was all to help me grow taller.
‘I only complained that it was bitter….’
"You've finished your tea, so here's a reward."
Whenever I finished the tea, Daddy would sweetly pop a sugar candy into my mouth like a present.
‘Daddy was steeping that bitter tea for my sake. It was pretty bitter, but from now on, I won't complain and drink it all.’
Moved by Daddy's love, I turned the page, and there was another note in the same handwriting on the section about the effects of Immortal Herb.
‘…No effect?’
Hit by a sudden fact bomb, I let out a groan.
"Even if I didn't grow taller, did he have to write it so bluntly?"
Muttering to myself, I put the book back and turned to the opposite shelf, where some words caught my eye.
[A Gift for Star.]
‘The character for "Star" in my name is exactly the same.’
Pulled by curiosity, I half-pulled out the book.
Dr-r-r-roll—bang!
With a loud noise, the bookshelf split into two halves.
At the same time, Heavenly Demon Dang Hwi quietly entered the master bedroom, secured the door, and sat cross-legged.
"Super Demon Barrier Threads."
Super Demon Barrier Threads
Purple demonic energy threads pour from fingertips, instantly enveloping the space in a barrier.
The purple threads wrapped around the space he occupied in an instant, forming a barrier.
‘I wonder how many hours I can train for today.’
Usually, Cheon-seong went to play at Ik-seon's house while Hwi worked, but just in case, Hwi always used the barrier to create a space where he could train without revealing his identity.
‘Star might come back early, so I need to hurry and finish. Is it like this—slicing it?’
The book Hwi had opened showed only a lone human head drawn on it.
Hwi scanned the illustration in the book with sharp eyes.
"It'll be easier to get the feel by touching it myself."
Setting the book aside, Hwi stood up and faced a straw doll meticulously shaped like a person, even down to the hair.
‘Will this slice nicely?’
Hwi gauged the distance to the straw doll by eye.
To an observer, it looked like his hand merely touched the sword. But in that moment, purple sword energy flared from the blade.
"Flying Spirit Quick Sword."
Flying Spirit Quick Sword
Glide forward in a straight line like gliding through air.
Faster than words, Hwi shot forward in a straight line, brushing past the straw doll.
A sword was now in Hwi's hand.
At the same time, the hair portion of the straw doll scattered in all directions.
Hwi turned and approached the straw doll.
"Perfectly straight."
Seeing the straw doll's hair cut in a flawless straight line without deviation, Hwi smiled silently.
‘This'll suit our Star well. Well, our Star would look cute even bald. But she's at that age sensitive to trends.’
"Anything else?"
With a satisfied face, Hwi picked up the book.
At the same time, the title of the book was revealed.
How to Style Your Child's Hair the Way They Like It
‘Th-the bookshelf just split open?’
I gaped at the now-bisected bookshelf.
But that wasn't the only surprise.
‘I never imagined there'd be a hidden space behind the bookshelf.’
Unlike the outer library packed with books, there was only one bookshelf there, holding books wrapped in silk.
‘Maybe I've found something amazing? Like real martial arts manuals?’
In other wuxia novels, people gained enlightenment just from reading secret manuals…. Could this life be a genre where I level up with martial arts manuals?
With excitement, I pulled out one silk-wrapped book.
Opening it, I couldn't hide my joy.
‘Jackpot!’
It wasn't a martial arts manual like I'd hoped at first, but the book was densely filled with stories about the Demonic Cult.
‘Wait, does that mean all the books here are…?’
I quickly pulled out and flipped through the other books in the secret library.
‘It's a gold mine! This is a total gold mine!’
"I've hit the jackpot!"
Confirmed right, I raised both hands to the sky and cheered.
‘Is this how a ginseng hunter feels finding a wild ginseng patch?’
All the books in the secret library were about the Demonic Cult.
From a quick glance, if I read and organized them well, I could figure out everything from their base location to their organizational chart.
"No time to just celebrate."
‘I need to gather the info I need before Daddy's training ends. But….’
"Where do I even start reading?"
Every book in the secret library was about the Demonic Cult.
Fewer than outside, but dozens of books left me overwhelmed on how to begin.
‘Daddy said books are food for the soul. Let's think of it like eating sugar candies.’
"Alright, first, the Demonic Cult's location!"
Clenching my fist to steel my resolve, I opened the book on where and why the Demonic Cult was established.
‘This village is closer to the Demonic Cult than I thought.’
Knowing their location, I could see why Daddy chose this village as a hideout.
‘Not far from the Demonic Cult, so easy to hear news and issue orders.’
For someone of Daddy's caliber, it was a distance he could cover in one breath even if a crisis hit the Cult.
‘The problem is I'm not a powerhouse like Daddy.’
Especially with this child-sized body—not even an adult—it seemed like it'd take over a day to get to the Demonic Cult.
"Guess I should be grateful it's not farther."
Having noted the location carefully, I moved to the next book.
This one detailed how the Demonic Cult's organization was structured.
‘The Demonic Cult's leader is the Cult Leader, our Daddy, and under him is the Vice Leader…. Well, novels mention the Vice Leader too.’
Understanding that, I quickly turned to the next page.
‘What really matters to me is this part. To find a cure for mental fragility in the Demonic Cult, I need to roam freely there.’
To do that, I'd have to become a member and move around.
‘The infamous Demonic Cult won't take just anyone.’
So, I needed to find my usefulness to the Demonic Cult.
This chapter was about the Demonic Cult's lower organizations.
‘With my martial arts, getting into the Five Great Battle Squads is hopeless…. Is there no way to enter as a lowly disciple?’
Right on the next line was how the Demonic Cult recruits new disciples.
‘New disciples are selected once a year from hundreds sparring until survivors remain.’
Sparring hundreds when I can barely beat one?
With this small body, just surviving without being trampled would be lucky.
"If even lowly disciple is hard, how do I join the Demonic Cult? As a servant?"
But as a servant, freely wandering inside would be tough.
‘Days might pass just cooking and washing. I need at least enough free time to sneak around.’
For that reason, servant was impossible too.
Only three organizations left.
The elite assassination squad Black Killer Squad.
The covert inspection group Shadowless Squad.
The internal intelligence agency Three Secret Squad.
‘Which of these can I join….’
Pondering deeply, I unexpectedly thought of a solution.
Having decided, I pointed straight at the name of one of the three organizations.
"This one!"