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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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After my little power struggle with Master, I met my two new servants that very day.
“I am Mae-hwa.”
“I am Yeon-hwa.”
A middle-aged woman and a girl who looked barely old enough for high school bowed respectfully.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
I felt uncomfortable speaking informally to someone so much older than me, but after Master scolded me for speaking formally to the Head Administrator, I had no choice.
Ugh, this felt wrong.
“We will serve you to the best of our abilities,” Mae-hwa said, bowing even lower, and Yeon-hwa, who had been standing blankly, quickly followed suit.
“Mae-hwa has been with the Cult for a long time, and Yeon-hwa is a recent addition,” the Head Administrator explained.
I observed the two women who would be assisting me.
Mae-hwa, as he said, seemed experienced.
She was composed and respectful, neither overly subservient nor overly familiar, even in the presence of the Cult’s second-in-command.
I had to give her credit for that, even if I didn’t particularly like the situation.
Yeon-hwa, on the other hand, was clearly new to this. She struggled to stand still and kept glancing around, her eyes filled with curiosity, like a little kid.
I wasn’t trying to judge them. Just making observations.
“Young Cult Leader, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Ah, do you have some work to catch up on?”
The Head Administrator always seemed busy.
“Yes. I’ll see you at dinner. Mae-hwa, take good care of the Young Cult Leader.”
“Of course.”
He bowed and left. Probably went to his office.
A few days ago, out of boredom, I had followed him there and was shocked to see a stack of documents on his desk as tall as a computer tower.
Even with me watching him, he had worked diligently and processed the paperwork.
He had even gotten a nosebleed from overwork, which was why I had asked Master to assign me servants.
Come to think of it, he had asked me to leave immediately after the nosebleed. I still wasn’t sure why.
Maybe he was just a private person.
“Young Cult Leader, where would you like to go now?”
Yeon-hwa’s cheerful voice startled me.
I turned to see her looking at me with bright, expectant eyes.
“Um…”
“Young Cult Leader, I apologize. She hasn’t been properly trained in etiquette yet.”
Mae-hwa interrupted and bowed deeply.
“It’s just a question. No need to apologize.”
“From now on, you can ask me anything you want.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yeon-hwa!”
Mae-hwa smacked Yeon-hwa on the back as she giggled.
They reminded me of a close mother and daughter, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“I was thinking of taking a walk. Do you know any good… paths?”
“I’ll guide you to the ornamental garden.”
As we strolled along a pleasant path, two more people joined us.
“Wow, I’ve only seen this garden being tended to, never actually walked through it. It’s beautiful.”
The Horse Demon.
“That’s because you’re always drunk.”
And the Shadow Demon.
The Horse Demon had spotted me and suggested we walk together. I agreed, and then Shadow Demon materialized from my shadow.
– Were you hiding in my shadow the whole time?
I asked her, but she just looked away and refused to answer.
She was a lot like Master in that regard. Or maybe that level of shamelessness was a prerequisite for being a Black Heaven Cult executive.
“Hah! You poor soul, you don’t know the joys of alcohol.”
“As always, you’re the one who’s truly pitiful, spouting such nonsense.”
Despite their bickering, they seemed to get along quite well.
“Are you two close?”
I asked bluntly, and they both jumped, staring at me in surprise.
“Young Cult Leader, certainly not! Who would be close to this uncultured drunkard?”
“Me, friends with this charmless oaf? Young Cult Leader, I’m hurt that you would even think such a thing.”
Yeah… they were totally going to end up together.
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The Heavenly Demon sat in a pavilion, sipping tea and listening to the Head Administrator’s report, when a distant sound caught her attention.
“What is it?”
“Do you see that?”
She pointed at a group of figures in the distance, barely visible as small dots.
“It looks like they’re taking a walk. Why are Shadow Demon and Horse Demon there?” the Head Administrator murmured.
“I assigned Shadow Demon to guard and observe the Young Cult Leader. But what’s that Horse Demon doing there? He should be finishing the weapons maintenance I assigned him.”
“He said he’d be done soon when I asked him this morning.”
Actually, the Horse Demon hadn’t done any of it, and the Head Administrator had ended up doing it himself, but he was the kind of person who covered for his colleagues.
“Well, I’ll be damned. The sun must be rising in the west. Horse Demon actually finished his work on time.”
The Heavenly Demon shook her head and took another sip of tea.
“The Young Cult Leader… seems to be adapting well.”
“Of course he is. He’ll be living here now.”
The Heavenly Demon chuckled, and the Head Administrator chuckled along with her.
“He used the word ‘we’,” the Head Administrator said, still watching the receding figures.
“‘We’?”
“Yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that word. It was… nice.”
He covered his mouth with his fan and smiled warmly.
The Heavenly Demon paused and then chuckled.
“That little rascal is already embracing his subordinates. He really is something.”
‘As expected of my disciple,’ she thought to herself.
“I’d forgotten the meaning of ‘we,’ buried under all this work, but the Young Cult Leader reminded me. It was… refreshing.”
The Head Administrator spoke respectfully, yet firmly. The Heavenly Demon listened in silence.
“The Black Heaven Cult is a gathering of the forsaken. We join forces to achieve our goals, to heal each other’s wounds.”
“That is the ‘we’ you spoke of. The essence of the Black Heaven Cult. The Young Cult Leader reminded us of that.”
The Heavenly Demon smiled, pleased with his words.
“Indeed. That is our definition of justice.”
She was satisfied with the Head Administrator’s accurate explanation.
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Tang Yu-yeon of the White Tiger Unit and a member of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
She was worried sick about her friend.
Ever since the incident in the training room, where Namgung So-yeon had killed the healer, her behavior had changed.
Her usually cheerful eyes had become sharp, her words harsh.
The Alliance Leader and the Divine Healer had assured her that Namgung So-yeon was fine, but she didn’t believe them.
“Lightning Sword, are you really okay?”
“Yes, perfectly fine. Better than ever, actually.”
She replied brightly, flexing her muscles, but Tang Yu-yeon’s expression only darkened.
“Tell me the truth. Where do you keep going?”
“Where? What do you mean?”
“I’m Tang Yu-yeon of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Do you think you can fool me? You’ve been sneaking off to that strange stone chamber regularly.”
“Ah… you saw? Were you supposed to see that? Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“Are you training in there or something?”
“Want to come with me? I’m actually quite hungry.”
Tang Yu-yeon hesitated.
She felt like she was about to cross a point of no return.
Her instincts told her to stay away.
But she chose friendship.
“Fine, I’ll go with you.”
“Great. Follow me.”
Tang Yu-yeon followed her into the stone chamber.
‘What could she possibly be doing in such a small, empty room?’ she wondered, but her question was soon answered.
Namgung So-yeon opened the trapdoor in the floor, revealing the staircase leading down.
“What’s down there?” Tang Yu-yeon asked as she followed her friend down the stairs.
Namgung So-yeon giggled.
“Some very wicked sinners.”
“Sinners?”
They descended further down.
Soon, they reached the underground prison, and a commotion erupted from within the cells.
“She’s… she’s here!” an old man cried.
“Please… spare me! Please!” a young woman begged.
Screams and the rattling of chains filled the air.
“What… what is this place?” Tang Yu-yeon asked, but Namgung So-yeon didn’t answer.
*Creak*
She opened a cell door and grabbed a young woman by the throat, lifting her into the air.
“Aaah! Let me go! Let go of me!”
“Isn’t she from the Black Path…?”
Tang Yu-yeon gasped, recognizing the woman.
What was a demonic martial artist doing here?
“Be quiet,” Namgung So-yeon said, her golden eyes gleaming as she tightened her grip.
*Crack*
The woman’s neck snapped, and she went limp.
“Lightning Sword! What have you done?!” Tang Yu-yeon cried out, but Namgung So-yeon remained silent.
Blood spurted from the dead woman’s neck.
It boiled and turned into a crimson mist that flowed into Namgung So-yeon.
After a few moments, she turned to Tang Yu-yeon, her expression now calm and refreshed.
“Haah… that one wasn’t very satisfying.”
“W-what did you just… Blood absorption… Could it be… the Blood Demon?”
Namgung So-yeon clapped her hands at the mention of the Blood Demon.
“Wow! You know about the Blood Demon?”
She took a step closer.
“Then this will be easy to explain. You know about blood absorption, right? I’ve been absorbing the life force of sinners every day.”
“But… how can you take a life so easily…?”
“Take a life? These are criminals who rebelled against the Alliance. I don’t know how serious their crimes are, but…”
She shrugged dismissively.
“The Heavenly Demon is strong. Even with all this blood absorption, I can still feel the gap between us.”
She stroked her stomach.
“Blood absorption is a quick way to gain power.”
Her hand, which had been stroking her stomach, moved lower.
“If I can gain the power to kill the Heavenly Demon by using these criminals who are a blight on the world… wouldn’t that give their lives some meaning?”
She moaned softly as she touched herself, her fingers moving rhythmically.
Tang Yu-yeon, disgusted by her friend’s behavior, cried out,
“This isn’t justice!”
“Justice?”
Namgung So-yeon suddenly appeared before her and her hand lightly gripped Tang Yu-yeon’s throat.
“Gah…!”
Tang Yu-yeon winced as the pressure increased, and Namgung So-yeon leaned in close, their eyes meeting.
– Listen carefully.
Namgung So-yeon’s voice, now cold and menacing, whispered in Tang Yu-yeon’s ear.
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