Chapter 31: Audit (4)

In my defense, I had my reasons.

The only Branch Leader I'd ever met was Ma Gang-il, the Branch Leader of Aksu County.

And Ma Gang-il's side effect was, at worst, mania.

I thought that if the side effect was just becoming increasingly cheerful and prone to booming laughter, I figured he'd be fine around kids.

But on second thought, there was no reason to assume that the leaders of every branch would have practiced the same Demonic Arts as Ma Gang-il.

Moreover...

'I forgot how infuriating it can be to deal with dozens of children!'

Even normal people often lose their minds from stress when dealing with children, so how could I forget that actual lunatics wouldn't stand a chance?

But now wasn't the time to be regretting that.

BANG!

"Calm down!!"

I burst through the door and shouted, trying to prevent the children from being massacred.

The eyes of all the children gathered in the academy focused on me. And of course, so did the gaze of the headmaster, who was practically leaking demonic energy and bloodlust.

“How dare you disrupt the sacred rites of the Divine Cult!”

Perhaps because he had already started to lose control, the deranged Branch Leader immediately shouted and charged at me through the crowd of children.

Waves of killing intent and demonic energy washed over me.

But to me, who had barely begun learning Demonic Art less than four months ago, the murderous aura of this middle-aged demonic cultivator…

Felt laughably trivial.

From my Master to the senior brothers... I had been blasted with the killing intents of masters of entirely different calibers. This level of killing intent barely registered in my mind.

You could say my guts had grown disproportionate to my actual skill.

SWOOSH!

In an instant, the Branch Leader drew the saber at his waist and swung it as he closed in.

Strangely, I could see all of his movements clearly.

And obviously, I wasn't about to get hit by an attack I could see coming a mile away.

CLANG!

In a flash, I drew my sword using the Soul-Departing Sword, while incorporating the Soul-Guiding Sword to deflect the Branch Leader's first attack.

"Ugh."

But even though I'd redirected his blow, the sheer gap in our power left my sword arm screaming in protest.

I decisively retreated, using the principles of Soul-Cutting Flash to keep the Branch Leader at bay with concise thrusts.

CLANG!

CLANG!

I parried the Branch Leader’s wild, boar-like slashes while backing away step by step.

"Die!!"

The Branch Leader had finally closed in on me and swung his saber, but there was no need to retreat any further.

I had made it past the narrow entrance of the hall and out onto the wide road.

"How dare you!"

And as the Branch Leader chased me out of the school, Jin Hayeon and the two guards launched their attack.

"Don't kill him!"

Even without my order, it seemed the three had no intention of killing. Instead, they swiftly targeted his pressure points and immobilized him.

"You dare attack me in my own branch of the Divine Cult! You think you'll walk away from this alive?!"

With his pressure points blocked, the immobilized Branch Leader just kept screaming bloody murder.

But he had chosen the wrong opponent to scream at.

"You're the one who dared to swing a sword at this person without knowing who they are!"

Jin Hayeon cut in and immediately reached into her sleeve to pull out some kind of token.

"This person is the Eighth Disciple of the Supreme One, Young Master Il-mok."

The moment he saw the token, the Branch Leader's attitude completely changed.

"Hiiik..."

His face went from beet-red with fury to ghost-white with fear.

"This lowly one had committed a grave sin! Please kill me!!"

The man looked like he was about to start crying, but he wasn't begging me to spare him. He was begging me to execute him like the true cultist he is.

I thought I was getting used to the Demonic Cult, but I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that.

Just then, the children from the school rushed out and stood between us and the Branch Leader.

"Leave our headmaster alone!"

"Stop being mean to him!"

For some reason, the headmaster's face turned even darker at the children's actions.

After watching this scene for a moment, I let out a sigh and said, “Let’s move to the branch headquarters first. Release his pressure points.”

* * *

Together with Jin Hayeon, the two escorts, and the Branch Leader, I entered the branch headquarters.

The Branch Leader's utterly dejected attitude was akin to that of a teacher who had been caught doing something wrong by a visiting school inspector.

"Teaching children is harder than you thought, isn't it?"

“No! It's all because I'm worthless! Please kill me, for I have failed to properly handle even a simple task given by the Heavenly Demon!"

It's not like I'm some Joseon Dynasty executioner, so why does he keep asking me to kill him?

But since trying to calm him down nicely wasn't working, I switched tactics.

"How do you conduct your classes?"

"Do you give them breaks?"

"How many characters do you teach per day?"

Only after I bombarded him with questions about his teaching methods did the Branch Leader start answering properly.

After grasping the current teaching methods, I gave him a few instructions.

"First, if there's a child who doesn't follow the Branch Leader's instructions during class, give them one warning, and if they still don't comply, send them home."

"!? H-How can I defy the Heavenly Demon's order and send a child home?"

"I am not telling you to send them away for good. It's a warning. A warning aimed at the children's parents. When I checked last night, all the parents were overjoyed that their children could learn to read. So, what do you think would happen if you told them their child was expelled from the school for being disobedient?"

In modern times, they might cause an uproar, saying, 'Who are you to discriminate against our child?' But this place was different.

"They'd probably come crying and begging us to forgive them, right? Either that or the kid would get a serious beating at home."

"Exactly. There's no need for you to give in to your anger. You just have to do your job. Warn them that you'll send them home, and if that doesn't work, just send them home. And when the parents come begging for forgiveness, just say you'll let it slide this once and continue teaching the child."

"Ah!!"

The Branch Leader finally seemed to understand my intention, letting out a gasp of admiration.

"As expected of the Supreme One’s disciple! Such wisdom!!"

I waved off the Branch Leader's unnecessary flattery.

I wasn't exactly thrilled with this solution myself. All it really did was pass the buck for punishment onto the parents.

It's just that...

'It’s better than letting these lunatics do it. I don’t want to imagine what might happen if, by chance, these lunatics fall into Qi Deviation while disciplining the children. So this is the only way.’

It was a second-best solution to avoid the worst-case scenario.

And of course, these measures alone wouldn't solve all the problems.

"Children’s attention spans have limits. Don't try to force-feed them too much information. It'll only make things harder for you."

"Then, how much would be appropriate?"

“Aim for just eight characters a day. You’ve got a whole year to teach the Thousand Character Classic, and at that rate, you’ll be done in about four months.”

To give you an idea, the Thousand Character Classic is basically a long poem made up of 250 four-character lines, totaling a thousand characters.

Basically, I was telling him to teach just two lines a day.

"You don't even need to teach two lines at once. Teach one line at a time, and when the children have somewhat understood and memorised it, give them a break. It's fine to let them play during break time. Then, after they've calmed down somewhat, you can teach the second line."

"I understand, Young Master."

“Patience is key. Never lose your temper with them. Do you understand?"

I emphasized the point forcefully.

Even now, I still get cold sweats thinking about it.

The thought that children all over Xinjiang might be dying or being crippled by the Demonic Cult members because of the school program I'd suggested to Master out of laziness chilled my spine.

"It seems quite late, so you may leave now."

"By your command!!"

Despite the lengthy lecture, the Branch Leader bowed to me with a moved expression and hurriedly left.

"Bring me a brush, ink, and paper."

Then I gave instructions to Jin Hayeon, who had been standing by.

* * *

As soon as Jin Hayeon brought the writing materials, Il-mok began writing furiously on the paper.

'The class schedule and pace need to be adjusted to the children's level.’

'The instructors need to be changed too. Exclude those who have learned Demonic Arts related to anger or depression, and choose those with mania like Branch Leader Ma Gang-il, or those lacking emotions like Jin Hayeon, as they're less likely to harm the children.'

He jotted down the problems he'd observed while touring the area and branch headquarters, along with potential solutions.

But even as he wrote, Il-mok didn’t feel good about any of it.

It wasn't just guilt over nearly getting a bunch of kids killed, either.

Thoughts like 'This should be enough' and 'This is probably sufficient, it's becoming troublesome' did cross his mind.

However—

—It's not perfect yet!

—What about this other scenario? You need to be more prepared!

...another voice started nagging at the back of his head.

It was the moment when the side effect of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword kicked in.

Swish.

And just like that, Il-mok was lost in it again, searching for more solutions, his hand moving the brush nonstop.

As Il-mok buried himself in his work, Jin Hayeon, who was watching from behind, discreetly sent a voice transmission to the two bodyguards.

—We’re intruding now. Withdraw.

The guards nodded and quietly slipped out.

Just to be safe, Jin Hayeeon and the two bodyguards stood guard by the door.

Perhaps bored with the endless wait.

One of the two guard named Jang Hwi asked Jin Hayeon.

"By the way, is it true that the Young Master has been learning martial arts for less than four months?"

"That's correct."

“No prior experience?”

“None.”

The guard’s eyes lit up in interest at her answer.

"Oh my. To think that's the level of skill he achieved after only four months."

Though it was brief, Il-mok had managed to hold his own in a fight against the Branch Leader.

Of course, all three of them present were stronger than the Branch Leader. He was at best a leader among low-ranking warriors, a far cry from those who had graduated from the Hall of the Demonic Way.

However, he was still a man who had trained in Demonic Art for decades into his middle age. The fact that Il-mok had withstood his attacks alone was a testament to his remarkable talent.

To Jang Hwi’s reaction, Jin Hayeon spoke in a tone uncharacteristically filled with pride.

"Young Master Il-mok's talent for martial arts is remarkable, but his strategic mind is even more impressive."

"Strategic mind, you say."

"Even now, based on the brief audit this morning, he's writing down such a long document without rest."

To Jin Hayeon's praise, the other escort Kwan Mu-yeol, frowned and said.

"Hmm. Having many opinions isn't necessarily a good thing. What matters is whether they truly benefit the Divine Cult."

“You’re too rigid,” Jang Hwi countered.

Jin Hayeon interjected into the conversation between Kwan Mu-yeol and Jang Hwi.

"I agree with Warrior Kwan’s words. Indeed, having many opinions isn't necessarily good. However, I believe Young Master Il-mok will be different. Just watch and see."

For some reason, her face was filled with pride, just like when discussing the Heavenly Demon.

* * *

By the time Il-mok finished his work, it was already time for the children to go home.

'Damn side effect.'

Thanks to his modern-day memories mixing with the side effect of his Demonic Art, Il-mok had been stuck in a loop, endlessly dumping ideas onto paper until he barely managed to snap out of it.

But just because the kids left didn't mean he was going back to the inn he had stayed at yesterday.

Now that his cover was blown and he’d dealt with the mess, Il-mok decided to spend the day shamelessly letting the Branch Leader wait on him hand and foot.

"Young Master, is the food to your liking?"

"Oh my, haha. It is to my liking, but my arm, the one that blocked your saber earlier, is throbbing. I think I need to eat more meat to heal my muscles."

"Hiiik..."

When Il-mok answered while massaging his right arm, the Branch Leader's face turned pale as he hurriedly went to procure meat from somewhere.

"Oh dear. The back of my neck that almost got cut off feels cold. I think it would be nice to warm up in some hot~ water."

No sooner had Il-mok's words ended than bathwater hot enough to be mistaken for a hot spring appeared.

This wasn’t hospitality. This was extortion.

After observing this scene for a moment, the escorting warrior Kwan Mu-yeol frowned and spoke.

“Young master. It is wrong for a disciple of the Heavenly Demon to take advantage of a subordinate’s weakness like this. If you continue like this, I will have no choice but to report to the Supreme One."

"Ah, is that so?"

For some reason, the guard’s lecture just made Il-mok grin crookedly.

“Well, you know. I guess I’m just a little cranky from getting hurt and having to pull my own sword and fight even though my bodyguards were right here.”

“...That was because you charged in alone.”

“Ah, perfect. I’ll be sure to add that to my report to Master then. That I almost died because I acted alone despite having escort warriors with me. Hahahaha."

"……."

The two bodyguards stared at Il-mok, who was grinning like he’d just won the lottery. Then, they both slowly turned to look at Jin Hayeon.

‘Is that the man you told us to wait and see?’

She shut her eyes, refusing to acknowledge their stares.