Chapter 150: Graduation Ceremony (2)

How long had I been secretly biting my tongue to endure this torture?

“Hohoho. It seems my words have stretched on a bit too long. I shall end it here.”

Just as my Master finally finished his tiresome nagging and stepped down from the platform, Hall Master Yeom Ga-hwi stepped up and opened his mouth.

“Congratulations on completing your training at the Hall of the Demonic Way.”

And just like that, another festival of old-man nagging continued.

"You should take pride in the countless hardships and trials you've endured these past two years. However, as the Supreme One said, you must remember that graduating from the Hall is not the end of everything.”

Just as I was starting to feel the sinister premonition that I might actually fall into Qi Deviation from the sheer effort of fighting off sleep…

Thud.

Old Geezer Number Two finally finished his speech and stepped down.

‘Haaaah. I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind.’

But now that all the official events were over, I could finally go back to the Black Dragon Pavilion and rest, right?

Just as I was clinging to that beautiful hope, Instructor Eun Ryeo’s voice rang out.

“And now, we conclude this joyous day with a play presented by the Theater Club.”

"???"

Question marks materialized over my head.

‘Was this always part of the ceremony?’

This was my first time witnessing a graduation ceremony at this cult, but according to what Jin Hayeon told me before I entered, the graduation ceremony was supposed to be a pretty simple affair.

'Besides, the Theater Club was only created this year, wasn't it?'

Which meant this had to be a last-minute addition to the schedule.

'...So that's why Jeong Hyeon was so anxious today.'

I turned my head to see Jeong Hyeong stepping forward with a face that looked like she was ready to die.

And not only her, but the other members of the Theater Club also stepped forward.

As I watched the five members of the club walk to the front, I felt a vague sense of dread.

The feeling intensified when Instructor Eun Ryeo, having procured it from god-knows-where, slammed a wooden plank into the middle of the training grounds.

[Oblivion Ridge]

The name carved into the plank was all too familiar to me.

'No way... it can't be, right?'

I tried desperately to ignore the ominous premonition that sparked to life at the sight of that plank. But my hopes were shattered by Bang Mi-hwa’s booming declaration from the center of the training grounds.

“Hahahaha! So this is the Oblivion Ridge, teeming with the old fossils of our Divine Cult! But I am the Eighth Disciple of the Supreme One, a genius blessed by the heavens themselves! Why would I fear a place like this?!”

The play prepared by the Theater Club.

It was my story.

More specifically, it was a heavily distorted version of my story.

***

The play began with Bang Mi-hwa, playing as Il-mok, entering the Oblivion Ridge.

For the real Il-mok, it was a baffling start. He had stumbled into the Ridge after falling into a trap, but the Il-mok played by Bang Mi-hwa was delivering a monologue as if he had sought the place out willingly.

And the first opponent she encountered was Ju Seo-yeon.

"Who are you to dare trespass on the sacred territory of our Divine Cult!?"

Ju Seo-yeon, who must have prepared it beforehand, was wearing a fake white beard and had dusted her hair with white powder to look like an old man.

Clang!

After just a few exchanges of words, Ju Seo-yeon and Bang Mi-hwa drew their weapons respectively and engaged in combat.

After exchanging a few moves, Ju Seo-yeon recited her lines with all the passion of a wooden plank.

“To think you could block this old man’s spear at such a young age!”

"Hahaha! For me, the final disciple of the great Heavenly Demon and a heaven-sent genius, this much is nothing!"

That dialogue was cringeworthy enough that Il-mok wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

‘I swear to God, I never said anything remotely like that!’

The Il-mok that Bang Mi-hwa was playing shared only his name and gender. Otherwise, she was just being her usual, boisterous self.

Whether Il-mok found a hole to die in or not, the show went on.

The old man, moved by Il-mok’s talent, began following the Il-mok on the stage. That’s when another old fogey appeared—Ha Young.

“And who are you!”

Once again, Ha Young and Bang Mi-hwa exchanged a few blows before Ha Young cried out in rage.

"How dare you steal this old man's Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword!"

Saying that, Ha Young swung her sword strongly at Bang Mi-hwa, causing Bang Mi-hwa to be thrown back dramatically.

Freeze.

As if time itself had stopped, Ha Young and Ju Seo-yeon froze in place, and Bang Mi-hwa launched into another monologue.

"Ah! How pitiful! The old souls of Oblivion Ridge all live without knowing who they are!"

She acted out a deep sense of pity for the dementia-stricken elders.

“Yes! That’s it! I shall become that old man’s disciple and take care of him!”

And just like that, she gave herself a noble justification for willingly becoming another old man’s disciple.

Watching from the sidelines, Il-mok was speechless.

‘Damn it. I mean, I did tell Baek Cheon a version sort of like that but...'

Back when Baek Cheon had relentlessly pestered him about what happened on the Ridge, Il-mok had spun a heavily edited tale. He couldn’t exactly tell him he’d acted like a madman, stripped naked in a stream, and prostrated himself, tricking Elder Kang into taking him as a disciple just to survive.

"Have you forgotten me, Master!"

Bang Mi-hwa tricked Elder Kang into accepting her as his disciple, just like Il-mok had done. However, the process was completely different.

Then she began to act out the part of caring for the old man.

‘Please, make it stop…’

Watching the play, Il-mok felt like he was actually going to die. If they performed an autopsy on his corpse, the cause of death would probably be listed as shame.

But contrary to Il-mok’s desperate wishes, the audience was eating it up.

"Ahh..."

“How could something so tragic…”

Everyone watching was either sighing with pity or wearing expressions of deep admiration.

Not only had they never seen a play like this before, but Bang Mi-hwa’s over-the-top, confident acting had a certain appeal.

Just as the pity for the old folks on the Oblivion Ridge reached its peak, a new character appeared—Baek Cheon.

Only then did Il-mok understand why Bang Mi-hwa had been cast as the lead. There was no way that lunatic Baek Cheon would ever give up the starring role. The reason Baek Cheon had conceded the role of Il-mok to Bang Mi-hwa was…

“Master! It is all a misunderstanding!”

“Hohoho. Worry not, my disciple! This old man knows everything. I know that you took pity on Old Kang and are caring for him, are you not?”

It was so he could play the part of the ‘Heavenly Demon,’ the master of the cult and Il-mok’s own teacher.

As befitting an omniscient being, the Heavenly Demon knew everything.

“So, tell me. What have you learned during your five days here?”

The story was now framed as if Il-mok’s time on the Oblivion Ridge was a trial set by the Heavenly Demon himself.

To the Heavenly Demon's question, played by Baek Cheon, Bang Mi-hwa, playing Il-mok, answered.

She listed the various ways to improve the Ridge that she had supposedly considered during her five-day stay.

“Then let us begin changing this place together!”

"I shall obey your command, Master!"

After their dialogues, the two immediately sprang into action, and soon, a new character appeared.

It was the final member of the Theater Club, Jeong Hyeon.

She also had a fake white beard stuck to her face and white powder in her hair and seemed to be playing the role of someone with severe dementia who couldn't even speak properly.

She had no lines at all.

Bang Mi-hwa approached the silently shuffling Jeong Hyeon and did her best to care for her, ordering the other old-timers around and changing the Ridge. And Jeong Hyeon, under Bang Mi-hwa’s care, soon had both hands covering her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Her performance… it’s so heart-wrenching…”

Everyone watching the play was completely moved by Jeong Hyeon’s performance.

They believed they were witnessing a scene where an old woman was overcome with gratitude for Il-mok’s kindness.

‘Perhaps I really was too overprotective of her!’

Even Instructor Eun Ryeo, the club’s own advisor, was moved by the performance.

Only Il-mok saw the truth.

'She's not moved. She's dying from sheer embarrassment...'

Those tears weren't acting. You could tell just by looking at how red her face was as if about to burst. Most importantly...

‘Please, just make it stop…’

Just like Jeong Hyeon, Il-mok too, felt like he was about to die from embarrassment.

Did Il-mok's desperate wish reach them?

The play soon reached its final act.

"Hahaha. This place is no longer a demonic realm where the poor souls who have forgotten themselves wander! From now on, it shall be a place of respite for the elders who have dedicated their lives to our Divine Cult! I hereby name this place the Peach Blossom Ridge!”

With that final cry, Baek Cheon cut down the wooden board that read [Oblivion Ridge] and planted a new wooden board in the training ground.

Carved into it were the words [Peach Blossom Ridge].

The moment the grand finale ended, the audience erupted in cheers.

"Waaaah!!"

"Long live! Long live! The Lord of Ten Thousand Demons!!!"

“O Lord of Ten Thousand Demons!”

Strangely, they weren't bowing to Bang Mi-hwa or Baek Cheon, who performed the play, but to the real Heavenly Demon who was watching the play with them.

But as expected, a cult leader had a different caliber.

Unlike Il-mok, whose face was bright red and worried about dying of shame, the Heavenly Demon had a completely pleased expression.

“Hohoho. That was a truly magnificent play.”

When the Heavenly Demon praised their performance, the Theater Club's five members quickly bowed.

And Baek Cheon, who could be called the representative, spoke while bowing.

“I am ashamed that my humble performance could not possibly do justice to the greatness of the Supreme One.”

No matter how narcissistic and attention-seeking he was, he couldn't act arrogantly in front of the Heavenly Demon.

When it came down to it, he was still a faithful believer.

“Hohoho. It was a more than adequate performance. Do not worry.”

After telling them to rise, the Heavenly Demon asked Baek Cheon.

"The affairs of Peach Blossom Ridge aren't widely known to the world, so a play like this could not have existed. You must have created this yourselves.”

"That's correct, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons."

"Then, can you tell me why you prepared and performed such a play at this ceremony?”

“It was because I wished to spread the greatness of the Heavenly Demon, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons, to the world! And I was only able to conceive of this idea thanks to Young Master Il-mok.”

With his answer, everyone's gaze focused on Il-mok.

Already dying of embarrassment, Il-mok felt like he was going to snap as everyone stared at him.

But Baek Cheon, oblivious to Il-mok’s inner turmoil, continued to run his mouth.

"Therefore, I plan to create and perform various plays even after graduating from the Hall of the Demonic Way. I will turn the stories of our great Heavenly Demons into plays to preach their greatness to the masses!”

At those words, the Heavenly Demon stroked his beard with a moved expression.

"Ho. Using plays to spread the greatness of our cult and the past Heavenly Demons. I never thought of such a method. Hahaha. All this time, we have been trying to spread the doctrine using only the most conventional of methods.”

As if on cue, Hall Master Yeom Ga-hwi, who was watching beside him, exclaimed in amazement.

"Indeed! So that's why Young Master Il-mok suggested that clubs should be created in the Hall of the Demonic Way!"

It was a complete and utter misunderstanding.

He just felt sorry for the mentally ill kids suffering from Demonic Arts at such a young age and thought he’d give them a chance to enjoy a hobby.

But now, with everyone in the training ground looking at him with moved expressions, Il-mok couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Ahahaha, I-I just thought it might turn out like this."

Il-mok answered with an awkward laugh and thought.

He just wanted this terrible graduation ceremony to end quickly.