Chapter 23
After taking Seo Hyo-eun to the Cult Leader's Hall, Cheon Ha-seong went with Cheok Gyo-woon to the Fourth Demonic Marquis's Residence.
The Fourth Demonic Marquis hadn't thought Cheon Ha-seong would visit again and welcomed him with amusement. In her mind, there was only one reason Cheon Ha-seong would seek her out again.
She thought he wanted to raise his status by forming a connection with her Marquis Hall.
So the Fourth Demonic Marquis waited for Cheon Ha-seong with an arrogant attitude, her head held high.
But Cheok Gyo-woon entered with him.
“Why have you come?”
There was a reason why Cheok Gyo-woon was late.
The two had missed each other while Cheon Ha-seong was taking Seo Hyo-eun to the Cult Leader's Hall. Cheok Gyo-woon had been waiting for Cheon Ha-seong, but Cheon Ha-seong had entered the Fourth Demonic Marquis's Residence through a different path.
It was a path Cheok Gyo-woon didn't usually use, and it happened because he couldn't see anyone from where he was.
Cheon Ha-seong realized what had happened and looked apologetic. Cheok Gyo-woon was a little dumbfounded, but it was also fascinating that Cheon Ha-seong could make such a human-like expression.
The Fourth Demonic Marquis, thinking it was unusual for the two of them to come together at a time when the Martial Arts Academy hadn't even closed, looked back and forth between them.
“Who's going to talk?”
At that, Cheok Gyo-woon looked at Cheon Ha-seong.
“You should speak, Head Instructor. I still don't understand it well.”
The Fourth Demonic Marquis thought that was strange too. She wondered if it was really necessary for him to call him Head Instructor and speak so respectfully even here, when it was unavoidable at the Martial Arts Academy.
No matter how strongly Cheon Ha-seong had spoken outside, this was her Marquis Hall; what could Cheon Ha-seong do if he spoke informally to him here?
But looking closely, it seemed that even though Cheok Gyo-woon knew that, he was doing so out of genuine respect. This was despite Cheon Ha-seong being younger than him.
As the Fourth Demonic Marquis was looking at the two of them, thinking how strange it was, Cheon Ha-seong began to speak first.
“Fourth Demonic Marquis, an incident has occurred at the Martial Arts Academy. Assassins infiltrated, killed the Head Instructors who were guarding the Academy through the night, and erased the mnemonic verses of the Heaven-Shattering Will Art.”
“Such a thing happened?”
She asked in surprise at the news that such a thing had happened at the Martial Arts Academy, but it was strange why he was telling her this story.
“Have you told the Cult Leader?”
“No. I came here because I have something urgent to tell you, Fourth Demonic Marquis.”
That was even stranger. She couldn't understand why he would come to her first without even telling the Cult Leader.
She wondered if perhaps the assassins had infiltrated the Martial Arts Academy because Cheok Gyo-woon was currently there, but that wasn't it either. From what he was saying, didn't it seem like the incident had occurred in the middle of the night, after most of the Head Instructors and candidates had left?
If it had been an attack aimed at her adopted son, they wouldn't have done it in such a way.
Cheon Ha-seong, thinking that the more time he wasted, the more the Fourth Demonic Marquis's confusion would grow, spoke first.
“Among the Head Instructors who were there, only one person survived. The Chief Head Instructor. And the Chief Head Instructor spoke of you, Fourth Demonic Marquis. He said that the ones who sent the assassins were you.”
The Fourth Demonic Marquis tried not to miss a single word Cheon Ha-seong was saying. And in fact, she didn't miss his words. But she couldn't understand what he was saying right now.
“What… is that supposed to mean? Are you saying the Chief Head Instructor said that? That I sent assassins? And the only thing they did was erase the mnemonic verses of the Heaven-Shattering Will Art in the Martial Arts Academy?”
The Fourth Demonic Marquis's voice gradually grew louder. Then, from a certain point, the atmosphere began to distort. It seemed to have happened because she had become uncontrollably angry.
“That bastard must be crazy to die! What did he take me for, to dare say such a thing! I will go there at once and see that bastard myself!”
Cheok Gyo-woon looked at Cheon Ha-seong, wondering if it was okay to just let his mother be. He thought Cheon Ha-seong would stop her. However, from the beginning, Cheon Ha-seong had greatly hoped for things to turn out this way.
At the Martial Arts Academy, he was just a Head Instructor with the status of a commoner.
When the Principal and the Chief Head Instructor spoke, he was bound to be pushed back no matter how much he told the truth. Even while telling the truth, he had to try harder to prove that it was the truth. It couldn't be helped because the authority and power of his position were lacking. So how great was it that the Fourth Demonic Marquis was saying she would hear it herself?
“Head Instructor…”
Cheok Gyo-woon, wondering if he would really let things be, quietly called out to him. At that, Cheon Ha-seong nodded as if to ask what the problem was.
“Escort the Fourth Demonic Marquis, Candidate Cheok. The Marquis should not have to suffer such an insult.”
Cheok Gyo-woon somehow felt that Cheon Ha-seong had another ulterior motive, but there was nothing he could do. It was because while they were talking, the Fourth Demonic Marquis had already risen from her seat and was approaching the door.
Cheon Ha-seong quietly followed behind her.
He had no desire at all to return to the Martial Arts Academy; he only desperately wanted to go somewhere he could be alone and look at the commentary written on the Pattra Leaves again.
However, he was worried that people might emerge who would suspect him, knowing that the Pattra Leaves had disappeared from the wall where the mnemonic verses of the Heaven-Shattering Will Art had been written.
With that thought, Cheon Ha-seong, who had been following behind the Fourth Demonic Marquis, stopped in his tracks.
‘No. If I end up being suspected because of that, then all the more so, I won't get a chance to see that commentary again, will I?’
If the Fourth Demonic Marquis had remembered Cheon Ha-seong and told him to hurry, he might have thought about it a little more, but her figure was already nowhere to be seen.
‘Right. Since I've come this far…’
The Cult Leader had also given him permission to come to the Cult Leader's Hall and see Seo Hyo-eun anytime. So there was no need to hesitate to go and see her.
When he went to find Seo Hyo-eun, she, who had been worrying the whole time, asked what had happened.
“She was thoroughly enraged and stormed off to the Martial Arts Academy.”
“You don't have to go, Head Instructor Cheon?”
“I don't think I need to. Things are suddenly starting to blow up. We don't know what will happen later, so unless it's something we absolutely have to step in for, wouldn't it be better to train even a little? You too, Head Instructor Seo, should train harder in that Stealth Technique.”
At that, Seo Hyo-eun shook her head.
“You're really something else, Head Instructor Cheon. It seems you're not scared at all even in a situation like this.”
“We can't be shaken by something like this. Hurry up and train.”
“Then shall we go to my training ground? I have one for my exclusive use; you can train there from now on too, Head Instructor Cheon. No one is allowed to come there. And in that place, no matter how strong a martial art or how powerful an Enhanced Qi you unleash, it won't collapse.”
“…?”
Cheon Ha-seong looked at Seo Hyo-eun, thinking it was truly strange and fascinating. It was because he couldn't understand why they would have given such a good training ground to Seo Hyo-eun.
Thinking he should absolutely not let his thoughts out of his mouth, he admirably kept it shut, but it seemed she had read his eyes.
“What are you thinking right now?”
“Head Instructor Seo, do you know everything I'm thinking? How do you know?”
In the end, Cheon Ha-seong earned himself a beating with those words and got hit by Seo Hyo-eun's fist.
However, he was now able to use the training ground, so he couldn't be more satisfied.
“You know Gi Mun-yong, whom I mentioned before? I can bring him here and train him too. And I've thought of a few more people; wouldn't it be good to train them there as well?”
“Fine by me.”
“Yes. If we train together, we can motivate each other, and it will be good.”
From then on, Cheon Ha-seong was looking for a chance to take out the commentary and read it, but Seo Hyo-eun, as if excited for no reason, kept looking at him and giggling.
“What's with you, Cult Leader Seo? Are you in your right mind to be acting like that now, Head Instructor Seo? I'm not saying anything because I thought you would have already realized your own situation and become disheartened without me having to tell you.”
“Alright. Stop right there. You're so mean, anyway.”
“I haven't even started yet, and you know what I was going to say?”
“You were going to ask what I was doing all this time without training, weren't you? And you were also going to say that I should be ashamed of myself for only practicing the Stealth Technique in a situation like this, right?”
Cheon Ha-seong was truly amazed. How on earth did she know that? Had she learned how to read minds?
At that, Seo Hyo-eun smiled and said.
“You were just wondering if I learned how to read minds, weren't you? Maybe I have, but only for you, Head Instructor Cheon.”
Saying that, she smiled as if her mood had brightened up again.
“Focus up and train. So you don't regret it later.”
“Alright. But should I have them summon that person, Gi Mun-yong? There's no need to put it off.”
It seemed she felt burdened at the thought of being the only one to receive Cheon Ha-seong's focused nagging and wanted to bring a comrade over quickly.
That wasn't a bad idea either, but first, he desperately wanted to read the commentary on the Pattra Leaves.
“Head Instructor Seo, please just give me fifteen minutes. Just focus and train for that amount of time.”
“Okay. I can do that much.”
As if she were really only going to do it for exactly fifteen minutes, Seo Hyo-eun quickly complied.
Just as he was thinking he could finally look at the commentary and was fiddling with the Pattra Leaves, the door opened.
He looked at Seo Hyo-eun, about to demand what was going on since she had said no one came here, but the person who had entered was the Cult Leader.
Thinking that if the Cult Leader was entering, Seo Hyo-eun would have nothing to say either, Cheon Ha-seong had no choice but to receive him.
“It seems the incident at the Martial Arts Academy is getting serious.”
He began by saying that, then went to a chair placed on one side and sat down.
The Cult Leader's expression looked so grave that the two of them could only stare at him without saying a word.
“This is merely the beginning. They have dared to bare their fangs even while I am still going strong.”
Cheon Ha-seong could tell that the Cult Leader was trying extremely hard to suppress his rage.
“Cheon Ha-seong, I command you. Take Hyo-eun and leave the Divine Cult for a while. In the meantime, I will wipe out those arrogant bastards. As long as Hyo-eun is here, I cannot fight with a peaceful mind. Those bastards know that Hyo-eun is my weakness. And knowing that, if something were to happen to Hyo-eun, I would be swayed by them and have no choice but to do as they wish.”
At those words, Seo Hyo-eun looked at the Cult Leader with a startled face.
“Father, what are you thinking? What are you going to do all by yourself when you don't even know who to trust? I won't be taken down easily either. I won't cause you to worry, so please don't say such things. No matter how strong you are, Father, you cannot fight with all the prestigious Demonic Clans as your enemies.”
Seo Hyo-eun spoke urgently and looked at Cheon Ha-seong as if asking for help.
However, instead of saying what Seo Hyo-eun wanted, Cheon Ha-seong first thought about the Cult Leader's words.