Chapter 180: Career Path (5)

As Hyeokryeon Hwan kept radiating murderous intent, his daughter Hyeokryeon Seon-ah, who was walking beside him, frowned.

"Father."

That single short call made Hyeokryeon Hwan flinch and quickly rein in his killing aura.

“Ahem. It seems this father of yours is a little n-nervous at the thought of meeting the famous youngest disciple."

Like the doting father he was, Hyeokryeon Hwan was completely powerless against his daughter.

The reason he was bringing his daughter along on this trip to meet the very bastard who was lusting after her was pretty much the same story.

Today was the day that damned lecher would be returning from completing his training at the Hall of the Demonic Way.

Hyeokryeon Hwan had planned to go alone, but Seon-ah had been ready to commit suicide if he tried to stop her from coming, so they ended up with this bizarre arrangement.

Still, he tried to think positively; at least he got to walk with his daughter like this, right?

After enjoying this happy time with his daughter for a while, Hyeokryeon Hwan's expression turned puzzled when they reached the vicinity of Windrock Palace.

There were already several men waiting there.

Once he recognized who they were, Hyeokryeon Hwan had to quickly bow in formal greeting.

"I pay my respects to the Family Head of the Baek Family, the First Disciple, and the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall."

Each and every one of them ranked higher than him, a mere Young Lord of the Hyeokryeon Family.

‘I already heard from my wife that the First Disciple cares for the youngest disciple, but why the hell are the Baek Family’s head and the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall here too?’

As the Young Lord of one of the Five Great Families, he held a position that commanded respect even within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

On top of that, his Demonic Art was approaching Transcendence, so there weren't many stronger than him in the cult. The only ones at a similar level would be the heads of various combat units.

And yet, to think that three masters superior to himself were gathered here...

"Haha! I heard you finished your closed-door training. Young Lord Hyeokryeon. I've been so busy with Demon-Teaching Pavilion affairs that I haven't been able to properly greet you. It's good to see you like this. You seem to have achieved great things while I wasn't looking."

First Disciple Wi Jin-hak, who was only two years older and thus somewhat familiar with him, welcomed him warmly.

"Not nearly as much as the First Disciple has achieved. Haha."

Hyeokryeon Hwan responded to his greeting with an awkward laugh, still wondering why three such big shots were gathered here.

And he wasn't the only one with questions.

‘Why is Young Lord Hyeokryeon here too? Don't tell me the Hyeokryeon Family is also eyeing the next Cult Leader position? Is this the Young Lord acting on his own, or did Hyeokryeon Cheongang order this?’

The Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall was thinking the same thing.

‘So many people coming to see our youngest. It's gratifying that others recognize his worth, but all of them might become my enemies in the future.’

The First Disciple, who was planning for life after their Master's departure, felt conflicted emotions.

All four men wore smiles on their faces while internally trying to gauge each other's purposes through meaningless pleasantries.

Only one person had no interest in the four men's conversation.

Hyeokryeon Seon-ah.

She kept turning her head this way and that, wondering when the person she was waiting for would arrive, until her eyes widened.

"Big brother!"

Even before she called out, the four men had already sensed someone approaching and turned to see Il-mok and Jin Hayeon coming their way.

Seon-ah ran toward Il-mok as if her father didn't even exist, while Wi Jin-hak laughed heartily and greeted Il-mok.

"Youngest! Come here quickly. Hahaha!"

"I pay my respects to Eldest Brother."

Il-mok bowed formally to his senior brother, then hesitated when he was about to pat the head of Seon-ah, who had run up to him.

The little kid had grown up quite a bit in two years. It felt a bit inappropriate to treat her like a child as he used to.

"It's been a while."

"I was waiting for you, big brother."

When Il-mok's hand moved toward her head but then dropped back down, Seon-ah's eyes followed it with a hint of disappointment.

But Il-mok's gaze had already moved past Seon-ah toward Windrock Palace.

‘Who the hell are those guys?’

Except for his senior brother, the other three were complete strangers.

The vibe was weird.

One looked at him like he was prey, another seemed excited, and...

‘What's up with him? Is he having a stroke?’

The last one looked completely spaced out.

That was Hyeokryeon Hwan, who had turned into a statue after his daughter abandoned him and ran to the youngest disciple.

***

Il-mok returned to Windrock Palace with Jin Hayeon, who had been waiting at the Heavenly Demon Hall, and entered with the guests who were waiting at the entrance.

Jin Hayeon, who had always been a capable maid, quickly prepared to receive guests, and Il-mok sat facing the four visitors around the refreshment table she had set up.

Since it was time for the adults to have their conversation, Seon-ah was waiting outside with Jin Hayeon.

Il-mok smiled and greeted them first.

"Thank you for coming to visit. I apologize for not having much to offer since I was away for so long. But what brings you all here today?"

Il-mok obviously hid his inner thoughts of wanting them to leave quickly.

For a moment, the four with different goals fought a strange war of nerves to measure each other's purposes.

First Disciple Wi Jin-hak was the first to break into hearty laughter and speak up.

"Hahaha! What special reason could there be? This elder brother's precious youngest completed his training at the Hall of the Demonic Way, so I came to congratulate him. Hahaha!"

"Thank you, Eldest Brother."

Il-mok bowed formally again.

He swallowed the unspoken words: Now that you've congratulated me enough, how about you leave?

The Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall, who saw Wi Jin-hak as a competitor, spoke a bit more directly than Wi Jin-hak.

"Hahaha! This Chief also came to congratulate the Eighth Disciple on completing his training. But completing the Hall of the Demonic Way is not an end but a beginning. So shouldn't the Eighth Disciple start thinking about which organization to join?"

Il-mok immediately understood his intention.

‘Phew. Good thing I got permission from Master in advance.’

Thanks to presenting the justification of wanting revenge on the Flying Dragon Pavilion Master and understanding Central Plains politics, the Heavenly Demon had responded positively to considering Il-mok's journey to the Central Plains.

"I was actually just coming back from discussing that matter with Master, but since Master has given me a specific mission, I can't really discuss it freely."

When Il-mok completely shut him down by invoking the Heavenly Demon's name, the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall couldn't say much more.

"Hmm. So Master has already assigned you work. I had hoped to lead the Demon-Teaching Pavilion together with our excellent junior brother to nurture the cult's talents. What a shame."

Unlike the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall, the First Disciple openly showed his disappointment but didn't push further.

‘Since I used Master as an excuse, they should all leave soon.’

Il-mok assumed the remaining two had the same purpose as the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall and Eldest Brother, but he was mistaken.

Baek Un-hak, who had been quietly listening to the three's conversation, suddenly spoke up.

"I came here because I absolutely wanted to thank the Eighth Disciple personally."

Since Il-mok had never met Baek Un-hak before, he couldn't help but look puzzled.

***

Over a year ago.

The day after Baek Cheon turned Baek Un-hak's world upside down and left for the Central Plains.

Baek Un-hak had been summoned to the Heavenly Demon Palace by the Heavenly Demon.

"I pay my respects to the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons."

While bowing to the Heavenly Demon, Baek Un-hak had to do his best to control his expression due to his fury toward the Eighth Disciple who had filled his precious second son’s head with nonsense

“Hahaha. You may rise.”

And right after he stood up following the Heavenly Demon's instruction, Baek Un-hak almost lost control of his expression.

"Lord Baek. You've raised your second son magnificently."

‘What kind of bullshit is this?’

His son had abandoned an important position to head to the Central Plains branch, and now the Heavenly Demon was mocking him?

Baek Un-hak managed his expression so desperately that his lips twitched before finally managing to ask the Heavenly Demon.

"I am too foolish to dare understand the Supreme One’s meaning."

"Hahaha! There's no need for such modesty. There is no need to deny of your second son’s great ambition.”

"...Great ambitions?"

Baek Un-hak asked back with a confused expression, and only then did the Heavenly Demon stroke his beard and ask with a curious face.

“Has Lord Baek not heard? The reason your second son headed to the Central Plains."

Baek Un-hak recalled yesterday's events.

His son said the Baek Family was too small and that he would head to the Central Plains. Come to think of it, he did seem to harbor some great ambition.

It's just that, as the Family Head, he had only seen it as the immature act of a still-young son.

But judging by the Heavenly Demon's reaction, that great ambition seemed to be something even the master of the cult would acknowledge.

"Hmm. Since my son said he had great ambitions, I let him go but didn't look into the details."

“Hahaha. Now that I see it, it seems the second son has inherited his father’s heroic heart."

“I am honored by your words.”

Baek Un-hak bowed formally at the Heavenly Demon's praise and carefully asked to satisfy his rising curiosity.

“Forgive my impertinence, but may I dare to ask what Cheon’s great ambition is?"

"Hehehe. Let me tell you.”

The Heavenly Demon readily showed his agreement and spoke of past events with the expression of someone recalling a fond memory.

Of what had happened at the Hall of the Demonic Way graduation ceremony.

“It was surprising enough that a play was created based on this old man and my youngest disciple, but the real show was what came after.”

Hearing that the second son of one of the Five Great Families had gotten obsessed with something as trivial as theater made Baek Un-hak's expression management even more difficult, but the following words completely reversed his feelings.

"He said he would create plays about the stories of the previous Heavenly Demons to spread their greatness to the masses."

Only then did Baek Un-hak fully understand his son's purpose, and he felt like he'd been hit with a massive club.

It wasn't just because of that great ambition.

‘Come to think of it, if what the Supreme One says is true, then Cheon also played the Heavenly Demon in the graduation ceremony play.’

If the play was meant to preach the greatness of the Heavenly Demon, then the protagonist was obviously the Heavenly Demon.

Only then did Baek Un-hak realize.

‘Our Cheon wasn't going down the wrong path after all.’

The side effect of the Baek Family's secret art, the Hundred Flower Demonic Art, was an obsessive need for attention.

He had been worried that his son, who was starved for attention, might have gone down the wrong path by rejecting even the attention of family elders.

‘Cheon, this kid was trying to get attention from the entire world by leaving the family! And by spreading the great achievements of our Divine Cult far and wide, no less!’

His second son really had found the family too small. And it was all thanks to the youngest disciple's advice.

***

"Thanks to the Eighth Disciple, our Cheon has headed to the Central Plains with great ambitions. How could I not personally thank the Eighth Disciple for giving such wonderful advice?”

Still not understanding Baek Un-hak's words, Il-mok finally asked back.

“If you are referring to my advice, what advice are you speaking of?”

“Hahaha. My, my, it seems the Eighth Disciple is also a humble one. Is it not thanks to you that our Cheon took an interest in plays and decided to preach the greatness of the Divine Cult through them?”

Only then did Il-mok recall a certain memory.

The memory of giving some advice to Baek Cheon while he was being punished and of Baek Cheon becoming a genuine madman ever since.

"I'm truly grateful for that. Eighth Disciple."

Baek Un-hak bowed formally once again to express his thanks.

Whether by age, status, or martial arts level, this was a man who was clearly Il-mok's superior in every way. Yet, here he was formally expressing his thank you.

However, the expression on Il-mok’s face as he received the greeting was peculiar.

It wasn't because of the crazy father thanking him for making his son even more insane.

After three years in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he was used to crazy behavior.

Right now, a more important problem was surfacing in Il-mok's mind.

‘Please don't tell me I'm going to run into that lunatic again in the Central Plains.’

After hearing that Baek Cheon had headed to the Central Plains, an inexplicable sense of dread crept up his spine.