NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 53 - Foundation (3)
Chapter 53: Foundation (3)
After finishing the consultation, Il-mok rose and said, “I’ll call Miss Jin. Comparing her experiences with mine should improve accuracy.”
“That’s a good approach.”
After saying goodbye to the Demonic Physician, he instructed Jin Hayeon to enter.
“Haa.”
I let out a light sigh, thinking that I would be coming and going here often in the future, and began to look around the Pure Mind Hall.
While doing so, a familiar figure approached and greeted me.
“Greetings, Eighth Young Master.”
“Have you been well, Warrior Kwan?”
It was Kwan Mu-yeol, who had transferred from the Sacred Order to the Pure Mind Hall.
“Not bad.”
Though he said this, Kwan Mu-yeol’s expression wasn’t particularly bright.
In addition to his near-failure in protecting me, the fact that he relied on poisonous mushrooms had been revealed, leading to his transfer here. It was no different than a demotion in his eyes.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, I spoke to console him.
“Don’t think too negatively, Warrior Kwan.”
While unintentional, Kwan Mu-yeol had become something of a lab rat here.
Moreover, since he was suffering from side effects similar to mine, the more progress he made, the safer I would likely be.
Due to a bit of guilt and the need to secure my safety, it was necessary to actively appease him in a way that would resonate with a cult fanatic.
“Perhaps serving the Cult here might be a greater contribution than serving as a martial artist in the Sacred Order.”
“You mean I can be of greater help to the Divine Cult here?”
“Think about it. If the research at Pure Mind Hall succeeds, we could reduce and manage the side effects that warriors suffer from. Then, many more masters would emerge in the Divine Cult. Wouldn’t that be much more helpful than just one warrior like yourself becoming a master?”
“But that’s the work of the physicians. I’m just an experimental subject.”
Wow.
Did this guy learn the Shadowless Fourteen Moves from Third Brother? Why is he so gloomy today?
Since my current approach wasn’t working, I decided to change tactics—from consoling to scolding.
“I’m disappointed, Warrior Kwan. Have you been serving the Cult with that mindset all this time? How can a martial artist of the Cult be so narrow-minded. Is that truly the behavior of someone who has followed the Cult’s doctrines for decades?”
“!!!”
“Did you act with that thought when you were in the Sacred Order, and when you were in charge of my escort?”
“No, Young Master!” Kwan Mu-yeol exclaimed with a pale face.
“Then, were you giving your best because you could achieve merit? Were you serving the Cult, or were you just seeking to gain a high position through merit?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Then why are you acting like this now?”
“That’s….”
As Kwan Mu-yeol belatedly realized the contradiction in his words and actions, his face turned pale and he couldn’t continue speaking.
He looked like he might fall into Qi Deviation, so it seemed time to offer a carrot instead of a stick.
“From my perspective, Warrior Kwan seems afraid.”
“Afraid? What do you mean? I’m not afraid of death for the sake of the cult. Young Master!”
“I’m not talking about death. I’m saying you seem to be afraid of failure.”
“!!!”
Seeing Kwan Mu-yeol’s startled face, I moved closer and patted his shoulder as I spoke.
“Warrior Kwan, everyone fails. I’ve failed many times, and I’ll probably continue to fail in the future.”
Kwan Mu-yeol looked at me with a strange expression.
I wondered why he was making that face, then I saw my reflection in his eyes.
‘…Ah, right. I’m fifteen now.’
He probably found it absurd to hear a young boy talking about failure.
But panicking or changing my words here would only make things worse. I had to push through.
“You’re suffering from side effects similar to mine, right? In a way, that makes you my senior. There’s a saying that failure is the mother of success. Your experiences will serve as a foundation for the future generations of the Cult, including myself.”
“Failure is the mother of success…”
As if hearing this for the first time, Kwan Mu-yeol repeated the phrase to himself.
Seeing him in a daze, I continued pushing.
“So please treat this as your mission and do your best. Your efforts will brighten the future of the successors, and those successors will brighten the future of the cult.”
“…Are you saying that my task is that important?”
“Yes. And this isn’t merely for the sake of future generations.”
“???”
Seeing Kwan Mu-yeol’s puzzled expression, I moved closer and whispered in his ear.
“Haven’t your side effects worsened recently?”
“…Yes.”
Kwan Mu-yeol’s expression darkened noticeably.
This was understandable. His side effect was an obsession with perfection, and he had been experiencing failure after failure recently.
He was probably on the verge of breaking down.
“Think about it, Warrior Kwan. This place is a medical institution established to treat the side effects of Demonic Arts. If you actively participate in treatment here, you might be able to control those side effects and succeed in making a comeback.”
“!!!”
I drove the final nail as Kwan Mu-yeol looked at me with surprise.
“For the sake of future generations. And above all, for your own future, please give your all to the treatment here.”
“I will do so, Young Master.”
A hint of color had returned to Kwan Mu-yeol’s previously gloomy face.
As if to reassure him, I patted his shoulder twice and turned around.
“……”
I saw Ouyang Mun’s stupid-looking face, his mouth agape.
He really did look like a dog. I couldn’t help but imagine a dog sticking out its tongue while wagging its tail.
Kwan Mu-yeol, having regained some motivation, saluted to me and entered the hall.
Only then did Ouyang Mun come to his senses and speak with an admiring tone.
“The Young Master seems to have a truly mysterious power.”
“Mysterious power? What are you talking about?”
“Well, whenever people talk to you, their faith deepens and they feel at peace, don’t they? You seem to have a talent for preaching and convincing the masses.”
“……”
Being talented in cult recruitment—was that a compliment or an insult?
“And I too was deeply moved by Young Master’s words.”
I wondered why this guy was impressed by words meant for Kwan Mu-yeol.
As an inexplicable sense of foreboding crept up my skin, Ouyang Mun said, “The saying that failure is the mother of success. I’ll engrave it deeply in my heart and never give up, Young Master.”
As expected, my ominous feeling was never wrong.
I sighed and said, “Please just give up.”
“Pardon? But Young Master just said…”
“Just… please stop when I tell you to stop.”
“But…”
Seeing Ouyang Mun’s pitiful and desperate appearance, I sighed again and changed my words a little. “Now is not the time. There is a saying that it’s not too late for a gentleman to take revenge even ten years later, and there is also the idiom rising from the ashes. Not giving up doesn’t mean charging in right this moment.”
Ouyang Mun’s eyes brightened as if he had an epiphany. I turned my sight from those sparkling eyes,
‘Yeah, something will work out in ten years or so.’
Whether this guy falls for another woman or Jin Hayeon marries someone else, something will work out.
But whatever happens ten years from now is not my business.
***
While Il-mok was giving Kwan Mu-yeol and Ouyang Mun a profound sermon, Jin Hayeon, who was in the middle of the consultation with the Demonic Physician suddenly shuddered.
The old man asked with a puzzled tone, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“I suddenly felt a chill. I think it might be the influence of the White Hand Demonic Art.”
“Well, your level has risen rapidly recently, so your body might not have adapted yet. If the coldness persists, come see me. I’ll brew some medicine for you.”
“How could I trouble the esteemed Demonic Physician?”
The Demonic Physician burst into hearty laughter at Jin Hayeon’s unique response, which was polite but completely devoid of emotion.
“Heh, there aren’t many patients at the ward right now, so I have plenty of time. Besides, you are now my patient and the consultation isn’t over yet. When you come with the Deputy Master in the future, let’s continue our conversations.”
The Demonic Physician was emphasizing the title of ‘Deputy Master’ instead of calling Il-mok ‘Eighth Young Master’.
Due to the booklet Il-mok had handed to him and their subsequent conversation, the Demonic Physician had come to acknowledge the young Il-mok as the Deputy Master of the Pure Mind Hall.
And through his consultation with Jin Hayeon following Il-mok’s, the Demonic Physician realized one important fact.
‘Consultation is not something that can be completed in just one or two sessions.’
He couldn’t fully understand Jin Hayeon’s inner thoughts in a single session.
She did speak somewhat more in detail than when she talked to Il-mok.
She talked about the feelings of jealousy she had felt toward Ouyang Mun during their time at the Hall of the Demonic Way or the reason she chose the White Hand Demonic Art.
But that wasn’t enough. However, trying to force more information seemed to make her more guarded, so the Demonic Physician drew the line and stopped.
Yet, he didn’t feel inconvenienced or annoyed by the fact that the process was being drawn out.
‘I thought only physical illnesses were complex, but the illnesses of the mind are equally profound.’
Oddly enough, the Demonic Physician’s enthusiasm had grown even more.
From that day forward, the Demonic Physician frequently held consultation sessions with Il-mok and Jin Hayeon.
This was possible because Il-mok, who had become the temporary Deputy Master of Pure Mind Hall and visited every day.
Additionally, Il-mok kept his promise to the Demonic Physician.
“Ahem. I’ll be in your care.”
“Make yourself comfortable. For now, we’re in a patient-doctor relationship, aren’t we?”
He really sends the Heavenly Demon to the Pure Mind Hall as a mental patient.
“T-That’s preposterous! T-The Heavenly Demon has already overcome all side effects! He’s not a p-patient, but merely sharing his experiences!”
Even the best physician in the Demonic Cult could only cower in front of the Heavenly Demon.
In addition, Il-mok sent the Heavenly Demon’s disciples to the Pure Mind Hall one by one.
The First Young Master Wi Jin-hak, had now achieved Transcendence but until recently struggled with intermittent explosive disorder. The Third Young Master Seo Wan-pyeong who suffers from paranoia and even Jong-ri Chu who suffers from schizophrenia.
After continuing consultations with them for some time…
“This should be enough.”
The consultations with the Heavenly Demon and the First Young Master ended after only a few sessions.
This was natural. Both of them had already transcended the side effects of their Demonic Arts.
Unlike others who were discussing their current ‘feelings,’ the Heavenly Demon and the First Young Master were only discussing their past ‘memories.’
Furthermore…
‘This won’t be of much use.’
The Demonic Physician, with his honed intuition, realized that their cases were almost useless.
‘The Heavenly Demon is too perfect to be of help.’
He had felt it before, but through these consultations, he came to fully understand.
The current Heavenly Demon was truly a superhuman sent by heaven for the Divine Cult.
A figure who dedicated his entire life solely to martial arts and the affairs of the Divine Cult.
In his youth, he devoted all his time to martial arts, and with a talent that could be called a genius and a phenomenal mental power, he overcame the side effects of all Demonic Arts.
After overcoming the side effects of the most terrifying Demonic Art, the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, he had been working solely for the cult as the Heavenly Demon.
Because of this, he never married and had no heirs, and he only took his first disciple after turning seventy.
As a cult member, he was a perfect example that was a great example for others.
But from a physician’s perspective, he was too perfect—a case impossible to apply to others.
And as for First Young Master Wi Jin-hak…
‘Aside from his final conversation with the Deputy Master, his case isn’t about treatment, but about borrowing a knife to kill.’
In fact, the Demonic Physician knew this even before the consultation.
How Wi Jin-hak had overcome the side effects of his Demonic Art before he achieved Transcendence through his conversation with Il-mok.
Whenever his anger surged, he would go to the Central Plains and slaughter corrupt officials and martial artists.
And that method was a method that, if a thousand people tried, nine hundred and ninety-nine would go to the underworld.