Chapter 300 : Evil Cult (5)
Chapter 300: Evil Cult (5)
‘Jin Hayeon!!! I had no idea you were such a loose-lipped woman!!’
While Il-mok was mentally screaming at Jin Hayeon, the Heavenly Demon looked at him like a proud father.
"But why did you keep such a brilliant idea to yourself, youngest? If the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord hadn't said anything, we never would have known.”
"Th-That is... It’s such a massive goal that I didn't feel confident bringing it up in front of you, Master.”
When Il-mok barely managed to fabricate an excuse, Wi Jin-hak burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha. A man needs to dream big! I love how ambitious you are. If anyone laughs at your dream, just tell me. I’ll snap their neck for you.”
“Hohoho. Don’t worry, Jin-hak. As you probably noticed, our youngest isn't weak enough to get pushed around anymore.”
"Hahaha. That is truly so, Master. I’m a bit slow, so I didn't achieve Transcendence until my mid-forties, and even then, I needed our youngest’s help. But he’s done it already! I guess dreaming big really does make you grow faster.”
“Agreed. Sending him to the West was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. He’s broadened his horizons and even achieved Transcendence.”
The Heavenly Demon and Wi Jin-hak were acting like doting parents, praising Il-mok to the skies.
The weight of the praises they had painted on his face was so heavy that Il-mok could barely lift his head.
‘...I don't want to unify the world under the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s banner.’
Just traveling between Xinjiang, Gansu Province, and Merv was enough to make him want to retch.
World conquest? No thanks.
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon suddenly stopped laughing as if recalling something and spoke while looking between Il-mok and Wi Jin-hak.
"Wait. If we're serious about the youngest's goal, just teaching them our language isn't enough.”
Wi Jin-hak wore an expression, wondering what this meant.
‘Oh no….’
Il-mok realized where this was going. He kept his head down and prayed he was wrong.
But the Heavenly Demon was too smart. He had arrived at the same conclusion Il-mok had.
Il-mok had tried to ignore it because it was a hassle, but he had just sold a one-way ticket on the Hell Express.
“If we want to spread our teachings, we need to translate our scriptures into other languages.”
And the passengers on that train were the former slaves and those inside the Demon-Teaching Pavilion.
"From now on, the Demon-Teaching Pavilion shall not only teach those people the Central Plains language and doctrine, but also learn the languages of the Western people in return. So that in the distant future, we may spread our doctrine to the lands of those people as well."
At the Heavenly Demon's command, Wi Jin-hak bowed to him and answered reverently.
“I shall devote my body and soul until the whole world belongs to the Divine Cult!”
It was the moment when the work of the Demon-Teaching Pavilion doubled, thanks to the very people brought in to reduce it.
Perhaps knowing the root cause all too well, Wi Jin-hak finished his bow and looked at Il-mok with sparkling eyes.
"Together with our youngest, that is."
His bloodshot, overworked eyes looked terrifying.
‘…I need to get the hell out of here.’
Il-mok had planned to rest at the main headquarters for a few days, but he decided to leave first thing tomorrow morning.
***
The next day.
True to his word, Il-mok grabbed his team and headed east immediately.
For some reason, he brought Ohalak along but left the Black Tiger Corps behind.
Ouyang Hyeok and the corps members had been assigned to build an outpost near that river from before.
To coordinate with Ohalak's tribe, those who already had an acquaintance with them had no choice but to go.
Besides, they couldn't just wait idly until Il-mok returned from the Central Plains.
The Black Tiger Corps planned to wait for the guys with minor injuries to heal up before crossing the desert again.
Upon hearing that Il-mok had just departed from the main headquarters, the Heavenly Demon in his palace looked eastward with a pleased expression.
“Hahaha. He works so hard for the Cult. Everyone else should follow his example.”
The Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord added while paying his respects.
"I think so as well, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons."
Inside, he held a moment of silence for the poor souls who would be worked to death trying to keep up with Il-mok.
Meanwhile…
James and those sold as slaves were moving somewhere under the guidance of the Black Tiger Corps members.
The ones who welcomed them upon their arrival at a certain massive manor were none other than Wi Jin-hak, Jong-ri Chu, and people from the Demon-Teaching Pavilion.
James recognized Wi Jin-hak from yesterday and panic-bowed.
"I greet the Grand Teacherrrr!"
“Hahahaha! I heard you were a fast learner, my friend!”
While Wi Jin-hak burst into hearty laughter with a satisfied expression, James quickly turned his head and signaled to the slaves behind him with his eyes.
‘Hurry up and bow too!!’
Some caught on and clumsily imitated James's bow, while others just stood there blankly.
"You fools!"
When a Black Tiger Corps member shouted something with a startled expression at the sight, Wi Jin-hak stepped forward.
"Hahaha. They're still unfamiliar with our etiquette and language, so let it pass for now."
Having said that, Wi Jin-hak briefly introduced himself and his people to the former slaves.
"Starting today, these are the instructors who will teach you our doctrine and language."
When Wi Jin-hak finished speaking and looked at James, he quickly rose and translated for those who had been brought here, mixing in hand gestures.
"As you've already heard, we have no intention of treating you as slaves. As the youngest promised, you will be freed after five years, so please help us until then."
While James continued his interpretation, Wi Jin-hak turned his head to look at Jong-ri Chu.
"Then, I trust you with the rest, Sixth Brother."
“Thank you for trusting me.”
He had learned this from Il-mok.
Il-mok always came up with the big plan and then dumped the actual work on someone else.
‘Yes. If one cannot trust others and tries to do everything alone, one cannot rise to a position that oversees everyone. I wonder how our youngest came to realize such an important truth at such a young age. Hahaha.’
Wi Jin-hak understood this as a quality of leadership required to guide others.
It was absolutely not to dump work on others.
He told himself he was just doing his duty as the Grand Teacher by dumping the slave education on Jong-ri Chu before taking off.
"Now then, let’s pretend we are teaching little kids at a school. We’ll start with the basics of our language.”
Under Jong-ri Chu's direction, the education began in earnest.
The trainee instructors from the Demon-Teaching Pavilion were incredibly nice. They taught the slaves as if teaching the young children they would face in actual practice.
“Heaven, Cheon. Please repeat after me. Heaven, Cheon.”
They pointed at the sky with their fingers while teaching pronunciation.
"Now, please try writing this character here."
They also had them memorize characters so they could read and write.
Even when the slaves butchered the pronunciation, they never once lost their temper.
Faced with their kindness, James threw himself into the lessons with all his might.
It wasn't to repay their kindness.
‘I must not be deceived! This is an evil cult!’
It was out of fear that letting his guard down here might lead to something terrible happening to him.
But unlike James, there were some who were lazy.
"Yaaaawn."
They got free food, good sleep, and a promise to be freed in five years.
While some humans are grateful for kindness, others see kindness as weakness.
‘That crazy Frenchman!?’
Led by the young Frenchman who had previously asked why no one was escaping, some slaves began openly showing their annoyance.
"Hm?"
Jong-ri Chu, who had been explaining something, suddenly furrowed his brow and began glaring at empty space.
‘What is it? Is there a fly or something?’
The moment James had that thought—
"How dare an Orthodox Faction bastard enter this place!"
Jong-ri Chu suddenly started screaming nonsense and swinging his sword wildly.
"The S-Sixth Young Master is having an episode!"
"Stop him!"
"Grab him, quickly!"
The instructors who had been diligently teaching the slaves were startled and rushed toward Jong-ri Chu.
BOOM!
SLASH!
Every time Jong-ri Chu and the instructors swung their weapons, the ground around them exploded, and people flew through the air like ragdolls.
The startled slaves crouched on the ground with their heads down, not knowing what to do.
It was as if an earthquake had occurred.
"Eek."
"S-Save me."
A fierce battle raged for quite a while in the middle of the lesson.
"Whew."
Jong-ri Chu finally snapped out of it. He shook his head to clear it, then bowed politely as if nothing happened.
"Sorry for startling you."
After that, it happened every few days. Jong-ri Chu or one of the teachers would just lose it.
"Die!!"
"You bastard!!"
It couldn't be helped.
They were trying to be nice to practice for the kids, but they were all mentally unstable individuals who had trained in Demonic Arts.
Teaching people who didn't speak the language was so frustrating that it made their blood boil and their demonic energy often went haywire.
"AAARGH!!"
When another instructor went berserk again, Jong-ri Chu maintained his composure and laughed as he spoke. "Hahaha. Pay it no mind. This is common in our Cult."
He acted like it was no big deal, but James gulped in terror.
‘This… This happens all the time?’
Without a doubt, this place is a den of demons.
***
While the instructors of the Demon-Teaching Pavilion were busy teaching the former slaves at the main headquarters, Il-mok and his companions travelled for about half a month before arriving in Lanzhou.
"We greet the Eighth Young Master."
"It has been quite a long time, Squad Leader Dam."
It had been three months, and Dam Bin was now heavily pregnant.
“Shouldn't you take a break and rest?”
"My husband takes good care of me, so I'm fine."
Dam Bin smiled and leaned against Ouyang Mun beside her.
Il-mok smiled at the lovebirds and turned to Ouyang Mun.
"How is the situation in the Central Plains recently?"
The blushing Ouyang Mun cleared his throat and answered.
"The war between the Blood Cult and the Orthodox Faction is still ongoing, but it has taken a quite strange direction.”
"Let me guess, Orthodox Faction bastards are still fighting among themselves."
"Yes. The Emei Sect and the Hebei Peng Family are still pressuring the Sichuan Tang Family. While the fighting among the minor sects is almost coming to an end... Recently, the major powers have begun to move one by one."
"The Nine Sects and One Gang, and the Seven Great Families, you mean?"
“That is correct. Those who had been restraining themselves due to the Martial Alliance and other powers' watchful eyes have recently begun imitating the minor sects. They're using the Blood Cult as an excuse to swallow up smaller clans or force them to shut down.”
Il-mok clicked his tongue at the report.
‘I expected this, but they're worse than I thought.’
This meant they cared more about expanding their turf than killing the crazy bastards from the Blood Cult.
But thanks to that, their own activities had become easier.
Life is funny that way.
After listening to the updates for a while, Il-mok gave his orders.
“I brought a ton of money from the West. Use this money to purchase not only goods to sell again in the Western Regions, but also large quantities of rice and food."
The food was for the cult members starving in the desolate lands of Xinjiang.
"The preparations will take some time. Do you plan to wait here in Lanzhou until then?"
Il-mok shook his head with an openly regretful expression at Dam Bin’s question.
"In the meantime, there is a place I must visit.”
That was exactly why he had dragged Ohalak all the way here.
He planned to visit the place where countless nomads lived.
The vast grassland region north of the Central Plains.
"First, get me some masks of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
It was time to play the role of the Incarnation of Maitreya.