Chapter 283 : Triumphant Return (5)
Chapter 283: Triumphant Return (5)
After that, they kept up the light conversation.
"Hahaha! Since we finally finished compiling the four-year curriculum and textbooks for the Elementary Demonic Hall, we’re now gearing up to tackle the Middle Learning Hall’s curriculum."
Like corporate slaves whose lives revolve around the grind, Wi Jin-hak and Jong-ri Chu talked about nothing but work.
And Il-mok could actually follow most of what they were saying.
Makes sense, since he was the one who had designed the entire framework they were slaving over.
'...They're all living like zombies from pulling constant all-nighters. That’s… that’s not my fault, right?’
While Il-mok felt an inexplicable sense of guilt creeping up on him, Wi Jin-hak continued with a story that sounded like a mix of whining and bragging.
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention this. It’s about those hymns you spread out in the Central Plains."
"You're planning to add hymns to the curriculum?"
"That's the plan eventually, but not right now. There's a risk that what you did might spread throughout the Central Plains."
Il-mok sighed with relief on the inside.
But it wasn’t because the secret link between the Maitreya Luminous Cult and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was safe.
'Since the hymns were not included in the curriculum, the workload of the Demon-Teaching Pavilion should not have increased.’
Il-mok had been trying to ease his guilt a bit, but the words that followed from Wi Jin-hak left him speechless once again.
"Master told us that we should prepare a revised curriculum in advance so we can implement it anytime in the future. So we've already finished preparing the entire revision."
His Eldest Brother’s word made him choose to escape reality.
'Right. It's not my fault. It's all Master's doing.'
He'd never told them to put hymns in the curriculum, nor had he ordered them to make a "just-in-case" version for a future that hadn't even arrived yet.
The Demon-Teaching Pavilion people getting ground to dust was entirely Master's fault.
Besides, wasn't Il-mok himself about to be dragged off to the West because of his Master?
'Phew. Now I feel a bit better.'
As expected, blaming others is the best stress relief there is.
With his mind at ease, Il-mok chatted with Wi Jin-hak and Jong-ri Chu for a while longer.
"Oh my. Look at the time already."
When Wi Jin-hak muttered in a surprised tone, Il-mok asked. "Are you planning to head back now?"
"Seems like we'll have to."
"Have a peaceful night then."
At Il-mok's evening farewell, Jong-ri Chu, who had been looking a bit out of it, gave a bitter smile.
"We're heading back, but we won't be sleeping."
"...Are you suffering from insomnia?"
When Il-mok asked his overworked Sixth Brother, he shook his head.
"As a warrior of the Divine Cult and Master's disciple, how could I slack off on my training?"
"Hahaha! Truly wise words! Youngest, look how dependable your Sixth Brother has become!"
"Haha..."
Il-mok laughed awkwardly, finally realizing the Demon-Teaching Pavilion's biggest problem.
Or more precisely, the biggest problem with an administrative system run by Demonic Cult martial artists.
'These crazy bastards. Are they seriously cutting sleep to train every day when they’re already drowning in work?’
They were already borderline psychotic; now they were mixing work and training while being sleep-deprived.
‘I really need to go find some extra manpower or something….’
He felt a sudden dread that a riot of sleep-deprived psychos might erupt right here in the headquarters.
***
The next morning, Il-mok headed to the Heavenly Demon Palace with a stack of papers.
"Master, regarding the mission you gave me, I have a few requests."
"Requests, you say. Speak freely."
With the Heavenly Demon's permission, Il-mok first explained his plan.
Instead of crossing the Tianshan Mountain Range to open up the steppe route, he proposed opening a trade route to the West through the desert first.
"Hmm... Since there is a chance the trade will fail, it would be better to open the Northern Route later."
Seeing the Heavenly Demon accept his idea, Il-mok held back a sigh of relief and pressed on.
"Also, we need a lot more information to open up trade with the West."
"Information, you mean about the Western Regions? But we don't trade with the Western Regions, so we don't have much information."
"We don't trade with them indeed, but aren't there Central Plains people who've traveled to the Western Regions by ship?"
"The Central Plains... If we use our local branches and the Maitreya Luminous Cult, I suppose we could scrape together some intel."
"That’s the plan, Master. Among them, the top priority is finding out what products Western Region people prefer most through merchants who've traded with them. We can't just show up empty-handed and start doing business with them, can we?"
The Heavenly Demon had ruled from the top for decades, so while he came up with the big picture of a 'Silk Road,' he missed these gritty details.
Honestly, if it weren't for Il-mok, he would've been someone who valued training and cultivation over economics and money, so just thinking of the Silk Road itself was already a huge change.
"In that case, to ensure our first deal succeeds, we need to gather intel and buy the goods Westerners like from the Central Plains first and bring them here."
"That's right, Master. I think we should put off leaving for the West until we've gathered everything we need."
Il-mok was worried the Master might just tell him to shut up and go, but the Heavenly Demon stroked his beard in deep thought and nodded.
"Now that I think about it, your words seem correct. First, I'll order the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord to gather information about the Western Regions and goods to sell there from the Central Plains. You will leave as soon as the preparation is done. Do your best to get ready."
"I will follow your orders, Master."
Having successfully bought time, Il-mok returned to Windrock Palace with a much lighter heart.
And just then, a visitor arrived at Windrock Palace too.
"I greet you, Big Brother."
"Welcome."
Il-mok greeted Seon-ah, who'd come early in the morning, and asked in a worried tone. "You’ve been gone for nearly a year. Wouldn't it be better to spend some more time with your family?”
"Mother and Father are busy caring for my newborn sibling, so it doesn't really matter."
It sounded like the classic case of a firstborn losing their parents' love to a new baby, but Hyeokryeon Seon-ah sounded like she didn't care at all.
No, it felt more like she was actually relieved that they were paying attention to the baby instead of her.
While Il-mok pondered what to do about this for a moment...
An old man's voice came from the entrance.
"Seon-ah is telling the truth, so don't worry about it too much, Eighth Young Master."
Il-mok turned his head to see a familiar old man's face.
"I greet the Hyeokryeon Family Head."
When Il-mok showed respect with a cupped fist salute, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang accepted it calmly.
"I apologize for visiting without prior notice. As Seon-ah said, both my son and daughter-in-law are occupied with caring for my youngest grandchild, so I have come to accompany my granddaughter in their stead."
Il-mok felt something odd.
Compared to when they'd first met over Seon-ah's matter in the past, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang's attitude seemed somehow softer.
"I’d like to have a quick chat inside. Is that okay?"
"I'll escort you in."
When Il-mok answered that way, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang looked at his granddaughter and said. "Sorry, dear, but I need to talk to the Eighth Young Master alone. Wait here for a bit."
"Yes, Family Head."
Hyeokryeon Seon-ah showed crisp courtesy even to her own grandfather.
Il-mok watched that strange interaction for a second before guiding the old man inside.
As soon as the two entered the building, Jin Hayeon brought tea and refreshments.
After Jin Hayeon dropped off the tea and snacks and left, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang started the conversation.
"I’ll be honest with you. When you first stuck your nose into our family's business... had the Supreme One not stopped me, I intended to kill you."
"......"
Il-mok almost did a spit-take with his tea but managed to force it down and asked, "Have you changed your mind since then?"
His survival depended on the answer. Even if he was close to achieving Transcendence, he wasn't ready to fight this old monster yet.
And fortunately, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang nodded.
"As you said, it seems we didn't trust Seon-ah enough. Had we'd just kept her locked up because we were worried about side effects, that child wouldn't have grown as she has now."
Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang recalled yesterday's events.
To the moment he'd reunited with his granddaughter who'd returned after nearly a year.
His granddaughter, who'd returned having grown considerably compared to before she left, showed no signs of anxiety even when separated from the Eighth Young Master, her object of obsession.
It meant she was fully controlling the side effect of her Demonic Art.
‘When Seon-ah ran away from home to chase after you, I was worried she had lost control of the side effect.’
If she had looked unstable, he really might have come to chop off Il-mok’s head today, just like he promised the Heavenly Demon back then.
"Of course, I’m still worried about how she’ll react when she enters the Hall of the Demonic Way and can’t see you for two years. But if Seon-ah graduates without issues, I swear on my name as the Family Head that I will actively support your endeavors."
At words that could've been either a threat or a promise, Il-mok smiled gently and answered. "Seon-ah will be able to do it."
But on the inside, he was thinking something else entirely.
‘I definitely have to make her join the Meditation Club.’
On top of that, it seemed he'd need to add a doll or a few other gifts.
If Seon-ah went crazy at the Hall of the Demonic Way, that old man right there would come for his neck.
Of course, it wasn't just about saving his own skin.
He really didn't want the kid who followed him around chirping "Brother, Brother," to lose her mind.
Hearing Il-mok’s answer, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang downed his tea in one shot and stood up.
"I came today to tell you this. If I stay too long, I'll just get in the way of my granddaughter’s rest, so I’ll be going."
As Cheon-gang turned to leave, Il-mok bowed and said, "Travel safely, Family Head. And congratulations on your new grandson."
"Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell my son and his wife."
Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang answered while deliberately hiding his true feelings.
'Haah. If only my son was half as capable as this young man.’
Whenever he thought about Hyeokryeon Hwan, the Young Lord of the Hyeokryeon Family and a hopeless daughter-fool, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang got a headache.
Actually, he'd told Il-mok one lie.
The part where he said Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's words were true was a lie.
Even with a new son, Hyeokryeon Hwan's love for his daughter remained unchanged.
—Family Head! I'll go myself! I won’t let that punk get away with bewitching my precious daughter!
His rage toward the Eighth Young Master who'd encouraged (?) his daughter to run away was still burning hot. That’s why Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had come himself.
If he'd sent Hyeokryeon Hwan here, it was obvious the man would have made a total fool of himself.
His son had already been slacking off on his training to fuss over the newborn and his wife, and now that his daughter was back, it was obvious he’d give up training completely.
But what about the Eighth Young Master?
The young man wasn't even twenty yet, and he was already knocking on the door of Transcendence.
—Shut up and don't take a single step outside the family estate!
The main reason Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had stopped the doting father was because of Il-mok's realm.
Last evening, when he went at the Heavenly Demon's summons, he could tell immediately that the Eighth Young Master had already caught up to his son’s realm.
'If I'd sent that fool, he'd have just returned after disgracing the family name.'
And he picked a fight with Il-mok over his daughter and got beaten up? That would be a total humiliation to the Hyeokryeon name.
In a way, that was why Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang was being so nice to Il-mok.
'It’s probably better for Seon-ah to stick with the Eighth Young Master than be left with my idiot son.’
Before he knew it, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang trusted Il-mok more than his own doting son.