Chronicles of the Demonic Cult Conversion-Chapter 61 : Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Isn't There Anything Fun to Do?
Sa Ha-ryeong's statement was enough to shake Cheon Bo-seong.
However, the first to react was not Cheon Bo-seong but Yeom Tak, the head of the Demonic Armament Yeom Family…….
“What do you mean by that! To think she bestowed the Nine-headed Dragon Robe!”
“It’s just as I said. The Cult Leader bestowed the Nine-headed Dragon Robe upon the Seventh Young Master.”
“I can't believe it!”
Yeom Tak strongly denied Sa Ha-ryeong's words.
“How could she bestow the Nine-headed Dragon Robe upon such a greenhorn! The Nine-headed Dragon Robe is a divine object of our cult and a symbol of the Cult Leader!”
The reason Yeom Tak reacted with something close to a seizure was that the Nine-headed Dragon Robe was the greatest masterpiece of the Demonic Armament Yeom Family.
The Nine-headed Dragon Robe was the magnum opus and final masterpiece created by the Heavenly Demon Craftsman, Yeom Cheol, who could be called the founder of the Demonic Armament Yeom Family.
Yeom Cheol was originally from Xinjiang and was a craftsman who produced weapons in the Silk Guild, which could be considered the predecessor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
He created countless divine weapons and distributed them to the martial artists of the Silk Guild, and the weapons he produced at that time were so renowned that they were still famous as divine weapons hundreds of years later.
The last thing that Yeom Cheol created in his lifetime was not a weapon, but a single robe, and that was the Nine-headed Dragon Robe.
Yeom Cheol offered such a heavenly-grade item to the First Heavenly Demon, and since then, the Nine-headed Dragon Robe has been passed down as a divine object of the Cult Leader.
For such a treasure to have fallen into Jin Cheon's hands was an utterly unacceptable event for Yeom Tak, the head of the Demonic Armament Yeom Family.
However, Yeom Tak was not the only one who was surprised.
“How could it be the Nine-headed Dragon Robe?”
“How long has it been since she took him in as a disciple?”
“Hmm.”
The leaders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, upon hearing that Jin Cheon had inherited the Nine-headed Dragon Robe, were all, without exception, in great shock.
Considering the symbolic meaning of the Nine-headed Dragon Robe, it was not at all strange to think that the line of succession might have been disrupted.
“What you just said…… is it true?”
Cheon Bo-seong asked Sa Ha-ryeong, his voice slightly tinged with anger.
He had believed without a doubt that his son, the First Young Master, would inherit the position of Little Cult Leader, so it was only natural for him to be displeased that the Cult Leader, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, had given the Nine-headed Dragon Robe to some unexpected fellow.
“I had a feeling, but it seems none of you knew?”
“How did you come to know this fact, Clan Head Sa?”
“I learned through a . My family's estate and the Seventh Young Master's house are a stone's throw away, so I can see his every move clearly.”
“I see.”
“I truly cannot fathom the Cult Leader's intentions. To bestow the Nine-headed Dragon Robe when it's only been a few days since she took him as a disciple.”
As Sa Ha-ryeong said this, clicking her tongue, Cheon Bo-seong's face hardened even further.
“How could we, as mere underlings, fathom her intentions?”
So Yong-mo, the head of the Puppet So Clan, cautiously opened his mouth.
“However, what is certain is that the Seventh Young Master's aptitude is unprecedentedly outstanding.”
“Unprecedentedly outstanding, you say……”
“Would the Cult Leader have bestowed the Nine-headed Dragon Robe upon someone without the qualifications?”
“……”
Cheon Bo-seong neither affirmed nor denied it.
To deny it would be to dare to question the judgment of the Cult Leader, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, and to affirm it would be to admit that the Seventh Young Master's aptitude was superior to the First Young Master's.
“The fact that he visits the Cult Leader's Hall every day…… it could mean that the Cult Leader is teaching the Seventh Young Master ‘that martial art’.”
“……!”
At So Yong-mo's remark, everyone flinched.
There was no one who didn't know that 'that martial art' he spoke of was the one written in the Heavenly Demon Scripture, that is, what was commonly called the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
“That’s absurd. That martial art cannot be learned just by being taught. You know that well, don't you?”
Cheon Bo-seong strongly refuted So Yong-mo's statement.
“Of course, that is so. However, is there not a one-in-a-million chance?”
“That cannot be. I believe there must have been a valid reason for bestowing the Nine-headed Dragon Robe. However, I do not believe she would have bestowed the teachings of the Heavenly Demon Scripture, so let us not mention it any further……”
Cheon Bo-seong stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
As the time for the meeting drew near, other leaders began to enter the meeting hall one by one, making it difficult to continue the conversation.
***
The Iron-Blooded Demonic God interpreted the formulas of the Heavenly Demon Scripture through Heart-voice, and thanks to her, Jin Cheon was able to learn the early parts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art without any hindrance, becoming completely engrossed in his martial training.
As a result, Jin Cheon realized that the demonic art research he had conducted in the Demonic Prison was nothing more than child's play.
‘Everything I learned was in vain.’
The reason Jin Cheon thought so was that the Heavenly Demon Scripture was not simply a martial arts manual.
The Heavenly Demon Scripture dealt with the contemplation of 'Demon', one of the elements that constitute all of creation, and how to use its power.
It was a profound and high-dimensional grimoire in which a single human being, the Heavenly Demon, had recorded hundreds of years of enlightenment.
As such, compared to the contents recorded in the Heavenly Demon Scripture, ordinary demonic arts were utterly shabby, like a firefly before the full moon.
‘Without the Cult Leader's teachings, I wouldn't have been able to properly understand a single line.’
The more he studied the Heavenly Demon Scripture, the greater his reverence for the Iron-Blooded Demonic God became.
What a high realm she must have reached to be able to see the Heavenly Demon Scripture despite not being a Heavenly Demon’s Physique, and to also understand its contents…….
At the same time, a question arose.
‘Why didn't she pass on the contents of the Heavenly Demon Scripture?’
In Jin Cheon's opinion, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God had the ability to elevate the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult by several dimensions.
If she simply revised and supplemented the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult based on the contents of the Heavenly Demon Scripture, it went without saying that their overall power would become immensely stronger.
However, since there was no way the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, who was no fool, had not thought of that, Jin Cheon did not dare to voice the question.
Just taking in the contents of the Heavenly Demon Scripture was overwhelming enough that he had to push his insight to its limits just to cram a day's worth of teaching into his head.
There was no time to talk about other things during the precious time of receiving teachings from the greatest master of all time.
“Young Master.”
As he was returning home after receiving teachings from the Iron-Blooded Demonic God as usual, Danmok Cheong cautiously spoke to him.
“I think things are going to get complicated from now on.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“The atmosphere among the higher-ups is not good.”
“Explain.”
Jin Cheon listened attentively to Danmok Cheong's words.
“It seems that talk is circulating among the leaders recently that the line of succession has changed.”
“Ah.”
“According to what I hear, there are even rumors that you, Young Master, might ascend to the position of Little Cult Leader.”
“Does that make any sense?”
Jin Cheon said, dumbfounded.
“How long has it been since I became the Cult Leader's disciple for such rumors to be circulating already?”
“It seems that being bestowed the Nine-headed Dragon Robe played a big role.”
“……”
Jin Cheon recalled the conversations he had with his senior brothers, Blood Qilin and Yeom Bi, and clutched his forehead.
They had said that being bestowed the Nine-headed Dragon Robe would cause such misunderstandings, and just as he had feared, it had really come to pass.
– The dogfight that happens because of the succession structure has nothing to do with our will. You, Senior Brother Yeom, and I. We can't be free from it.
Suddenly, the words Blood Qilin had spoken flashed through Jin Cheon's mind.
“……I hate this.”
“Pardon?”
“It's nothing, never mind.”
Jin Cheon shook his head as if to tell him not to mind.
“May I dare to say a word?”
“By all means.”
“Whatever path you choose to walk in the future, I believe it is right to focus on strengthening your foundation for the time being.”
Danmok Cheong's advice was extremely realistic and also rational.
‘I have no power and no faction.’
Objectively speaking, his situation was not much different from when he was at the Heavenly Martial Academy.
Of course, it wasn't the worst-case scenario like back then, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was currently as precarious as a candle in the wind.
‘If I get caught up in the internal power struggle, I'll either die in vain or be used to the fullest.’
Jin Cheon knew his situation all too well, so he readily accepted Danmok Cheong's advice.
“I wasn't planning on doing anything anyway. For the time being, I'm only going to focus on training, so you don't have to worry.”
“You are wise.”
Danmok Cheong bowed his head.
***
“You're back?”
Blood Qilin welcomed Jin Cheon who had returned home.
“Hurry up and eat.”
Yeom Bi, who was eating, offered Jin Cheon a seat.
“……Why are you two always hanging around here?”
Jin Cheon frowned as if he found it absurd.
And for good reason; recently, Blood Qilin and Yeom Bi had been frequenting Jin Cheon's house as if it were their own.
Blood Qilin would come and go at all hours of the night, constantly being a nuisance, while Yeom Bi was having all three of his meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—at Jin Cheon's house.
“Why? You don't like it?”
“It's not that I don't like it, I'm just asking why you're always at my house when you have perfectly good houses of your own. That's what I mean.”
“Because it's comfortable here.”
“Isn't one's own home the best, no matter what anyone says?”
“Not for me. This is the most comfortable place in the world.”
Blood Qilin shrugged and lay down flat on the wooden floor under the eaves.
“Then, Senior Brother Yeom……”
“I came here to eat.”
“I doubt the Demonic Armament Yeom Family would refuse to feed you, so why do you always have your meals at my house?”
“The food is delicious here.”
“……”
At first, I thought he was a good person, but it turned out he was a glutton.
‘I should at least charge him for the meals.’
Jin Cheon resolved to get not only the cost of the meals from Yeom Bi soon but also Baek A-rin's wages.
The cost of the ingredients that Yeom Bi devoured every day was already enormous, and Baek A-rin, who worked hard to prepare three meals a day, deserved fair compensation.
Moreover, Jin Cheon currently had no real income, so if this continued for a few more months, he would be reduced to just sucking on his fingers.
It was fortunate that when he first defected, the Demonic Cultists who had not forgotten the grace of his master, the Great Heavenly Divine Warrior Changcheon, had left various gifts; otherwise, he would have been out on the streets long ago.
“Hah.”
Jin Cheon looked back and forth between Blood Qilin and Yeom Bi, shaking his head, then sat at the table and picked up his chopsticks.
After finishing dinner, Jin Cheon had a simple cup of tea and then opened a book.
If he had his way, he would have wanted to devote all twenty-four hours of the day to martial arts, but as a high-ranking member of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he could not neglect studying the necessary knowledge.
“Aah. I'm bored. So booored.”
Blood Qilin rolled around next to Jin Cheon, who was looking at the book, and twisted his body.
Despite Blood Qilin's interference, Jin Cheon steadfastly focused on his studies.
For the first day or two, he couldn't concentrate at all, but after a few days, he seemed to have gotten used to it, and he could look at the book regardless of what was happening next to him.
“Isn't there anything fun to dooo.”
“If you have nothing to do, you could at least help with this.”
Yeom Bi, who was trimming vegetables nearby, chided Blood Qilin.
At least he had a conscience; Yeom Bi didn't just eat, but would help prepare the ingredients in place of Baek A-rin.
“Are you some kind of housewife, Senior Brother? Trimming vegetables so wretchedly.”
“What's wrong with this?”
“It doesn't suit you. Trimming vegetables with those pot-lid-like hands? Those hideous hands are perfect for smashing people's heads.”
“Is your head itching for a smash?”
Just as the bickering between Blood Qilin and Yeom Bi, which had been quiet for a while, was about to start.
“Y-Young Master! Young Master!”
A blood-soaked Go-bong rushed in and shouted.
“Something terrible has happened! Heok, heok!”
“What is it, what's wrong?”
“A-a fight broke out at the market.”
“A fight?”
“The martial artists of the So Clan suddenly picked a fight, and a battle ensued…… Keuk! We were no match for them……”
Go-bong clutched his chest as if in pain.