Chapter 36. What Are You Doing Without Me~?

“Huu.”

Dang Cheon-wi’s day began with a sigh and ended with a sigh.

About four months ago.

The Heavenly Divine Dragon incident had turned not only the Heavenly Martial Academy but the entire Righteous Heavenly Alliance upside down.

As Jin Yeong-in, whom he had followed like a real brother, was revealed to be a spy for the Demonic Cult, a dark shadow was cast over Dang Cheon-wi’s life, which had seemed to be a path of success.

It was no exaggeration to say that since that day, Dang Cheon-wi’s life had fallen into a bottomless pit.

First, he was dragged to the Demon Extermination Squad and subjected to intense interrogation and ideological examination for days on end, had to testify about his activities over the past few years with Jin Yeong-in on an hourly basis, and sometimes had to comply with investigations involving sorcerers.

Fortunately, thanks to his lineage as a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the intervention of his father, the clan head, he was able to avoid the misfortune of being tortured or framed as an accomplice.

But that was all.

Thanks to his family’s influence, he managed to avoid expulsion from the Heavenly Martial Academy, but since that day, Dang Cheon-wi was completely alone.

No one approached Dang Cheon-wi, nor did anyone speak to him.

The other disciples treated him as if he didn’t exist, and when he appeared, they would hastily leave as if he were carrying a plague.

The martial instructors of the academy also did not give him any training, kept their distance, and maintained a strictly business-like attitude.

Dang Cheon-wi knew all too well that he couldn’t just blame them.

‘Yes, they wouldn’t want to suffer the calamity of having their clans annihilated either.’

Although he had been released as innocent, Dang Cheon-wi was still a person of interest under surveillance.

A hidden shadow always followed him wherever he went, and sometimes when he returned to his residence, he would see signs of his room having been searched.

It was clear that the Righteous Heavenly Alliance had assigned shadows to him, thinking that Jin Yeong-in might try to contact him.

Living his academy life under everyone’s avoidance and constant surveillance, every day was nothing short of hell.

Was that all?

It was now a daily occurrence to be threatened by those who held hostility towards the Demonic Cult.

Especially the Seven Prodigies, who openly threatened him and did not hide their killing intent.

“You Tang Clan bastard, you’d better always be prepared. I’ll kill you too.”

“You think I don’t know that you’re also a spy for the Demonic Cult? When the truth is revealed one day, I will kill you with my own hands.”

“Ptui! You filthy Demonic Cult spy!”

The Seven Prodigies had suffered an indelible wound at the hands of Jin Yeong-in, so their hatred was immense.

Their wicked behavior had become much worse than before, and they were all gritting their teeth and dedicating themselves to martial arts training, vowing revenge.

With the sword scars engraved on their faces, they had become vengeful demons living solely for revenge against Jin Yeong-in.

However, what was more difficult for Dang Cheon-wi than all the neglect, contempt, threats, and intimidation was none other than his confusion.

‘Was my brother really a spy for the Demonic Cult?’

Dang Cheon-wi simply could not believe that Jin Yeong-in, whom he had trusted and followed for several years, was a spy for the Demonic Cult.

Especially since he had watched him suffer from qi deviation for the past two years, it was even more unbelievable.

However, after hearing the story that the Heavenly Demon, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God herself, had come to rescue Jin Yeong-in and the Demonic Cult members, his once firm belief began to waver.

If Jin Yeong-in was not a spy for the Demonic Cult, there would have been no reason for the Iron-Blooded Demonic God to appear and rescue him.

‘Was I really deceived?’

In the disciple’s dining hall within the Heavenly Martial Academy.

Even at the dinner table, Dang Cheon-wi could not shake off his thoughts about Jin Yeong-in.

He had pondered it thousands of times since that day, but he had yet to find an answer.

Meanwhile, no one sat near Dang Cheon-wi.

They knew what would happen if they were seen being friendly with him…

“May I sit?”

Someone approached Dang Cheon-wi’s table and asked.

“Ah.”

Dang Cheon-wi was slightly taken aback when he recognized who it was.

Yu Geon-myeong.

A later-generation prodigy of the Qingcheng Sect who had transferred to the Heavenly Martial Academy a month ago.

He was a secular disciple whom the Great Divine Physician of Immortals, Perfected Person Cheong-ryeong, had taken in late in life, and there were rumors that he had mastered the Qingcheng Sect’s divine ultimate technique, the Azure Cloud Red Mist Sword Art, at a young age.

“Getting close to me is not a very good choice.”

“They say all under heaven are comrades, but wouldn’t it be good for people from the same Sichuan to stay close?”

“Do you also wish to be suspected as a spy for the Demonic Cult, young warrior?”

“Let them suspect if they want to.”

Yu Geon-myeong smiled brightly and placed his tray in front of Dang Cheon-wi.

“If I am upright, will my sincerity change no matter who suspects me?”

“The world is not so easy.”

“That is why they say walking the Path of Chivalry is difficult.”

“…!”

“You are the Dark Dragon, Young Warrior Dang, are you not? My name is Yu Geon-myeong, a disciple of Qingcheng. I was taught by Perfect Person Cheong-ryeong.”

Yu Geon-myeong introduced himself and made a fist-and-palm salute.

* * *

The night before entering the Blood Wolf Corps.

A small banquet was being held in the backyard of Jin Yeong-in’s house.

“What is all this?”

Jin Yeong-in’s eyes widened at the magnificent feast spread before him.

“You’re entering the Blood Wolf Corps tomorrow. So I prepared this. For today, please eat to your heart’s content, Young Master.”

Baek A-rin said with a smile.

“It is a tradition of Our Cult to spend good time with relatives and friends the day before entering the Blood Wolf Corps.”

Danmok Cheong explained the reason for the grand feast.

“I’m here.”

Turning his head at the familiar voice, he saw Yeom Bi standing there holding a seemingly expensive bottle of liquor.

“What brings the Fourth Young Master here?”

“I was invited.”

“Ah?”

“It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not the body-fortifying diet, but it wouldn’t be bad to have something greasy once in a while.”

“Haha…”

As Jin Yeong-in let out a helpless chuckle, a strange event occurred where the kimchi pots in a corner of the backyard opened by themselves.

“…!”

Just as everyone was surprised.

“What are you doing without me~?”

The Blood Qilin’s head popped out from inside a kimchi pot.

“W-what are you doing in there?”

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

The Blood Qilin retorted as if it was obvious.

“Weren’t you under house arrest?”

“There are still a few days left.”

“But how did you get here…”

“It’s just a stone’s throw away, so I came out for a bit.”

The Blood Qilin said with a grin.

“But, since when have you been in there?”

“Since before sunrise.”

“…”

“You were having a grand old time without me, weren’t you? Having fun all by yourselves?”

The Blood Qilin narrowed his snake-like eyes and made a sullen face.

“…We did no such thing.”

Jin Yeong-in squeezed his eyes shut.

For the youngest disciple of the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, his actions were no different from a spoiled child.

“What are you going to do if you get caught?”

“Nagging, again?”

At Yeom Bi’s words, the Blood Qilin pouted.

“Is nagging all you have to say to your junior brother whom you haven’t seen in a long time?”

“Then do things that don’t warrant nagging.”

“What did I do now?”

“You came out of the house while under house arrest.”

“So what if I came out for a bit? It was an unjust punishment in the first place.”

“I wonder if you can say that in front of her.”

“Are you going to tattle on me?”

The Blood Qilin and Yeom Bi bickered like they were mortal enemies.

From their conversation, it didn’t seem like their relationship was bad, but it seemed their personalities just didn’t match.

Then again, it would have been stranger if the incessantly chattering and wild Blood Qilin and the quiet and blunt Yeom Bi were all friendly and cheerful.

“Stop fighting and have a drink. I’ll pour for you.”

Unable to watch any longer, Jin Yeong-in stepped in and filled Yeom Bi’s cup first to mediate the dispute between the brothers.

“It’s Baijiu? Is there no grape wine?”

“There isn’t.”

“Then what about coffee?”

“What is that?”

“Ah, you don’t know since you’re from the Central Plains, right? It’s a tea from the Western Regions. It’s made by roasting and brewing black beans from the Western Regions, and it has an exquisite bitter and savory flavor. There are also varieties with a sour taste.”

Due to its location, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had a large influx of culture from the Western Regions, so there were many things that Jin Yeong-in, who was born and raised in the Central Plains, did not know.

The Blood Qilin seemed to be very interested in and enjoyed the culture of the Western Regions.

“Just drink what you’re given. What’s with all this talk about coffee.”

“And you, Senior Brother Yeom, you usually just munch on boiled beef. Why did you come here? There’s so much greasy food.”

“I was invited. Unlike an uninvited guest like you.”

“Why am I an uninvited guest?”

They’re fighting again, again.

As Yeom Bi and the Blood Qilin started bickering again, Jin Yeong-in shook his head as if he couldn’t stop them and poured drinks for Danmok Cheong and Baek A-rin.

Still, the atmosphere itself was not bad.

Jin Yeong-in spent the time eating and drinking with them late into the night.

‘To think a day like this would come.’

A bitter smile appeared on Jin Yeong-in’s lips as he drank the Baijiu.

Spending time with the people around him was a very unfamiliar experience for Jin Yeong-in.

The only times were a few occasions when he had something like a get-together with fellow inmates while he was imprisoned in the Demonic Prison.

‘It would have been nice if he were here too.’

Jin Yeong-in thought of his only friend and younger brother, Dang Cheon-wi.

“What’s with that face?”

The Blood Qilin, who had gone out of his way to bring grape wine from the Sacred Blood Clan and was sipping it, narrowed his eyes.

“That’s the exact face of someone thinking about a lover they broke up with.”

“Pardon?”

Jin Yeong-in made a dumbfounded expression.

“What kind of nonsen… no, what are you talking about?”

“Then am I wrong?”

“I don’t have a lover I broke up with.”

“No, you do.”

“I clearly told you I don’t.”

Jin Yeong-in drew a line as if it wasn’t even worth responding to.

It was unfair enough that he had never even held a woman’s hand, and now a lover he broke up with!

* * *

The next morning.

Jin Yeong-in left the house with Danmok Cheong and Baek A-rin to enter the Blood Wolf Corps.

Almost all the training of the Blood Wolf Corps took place in a giant canyon called The Extreme Land.

In front of The Extreme Land, there was no room to set foot due to those who wished to become martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and their families.

The applicants ranged in age from boys and girls who didn’t even seem to have reached adulthood to the elderly.

This meant that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult did not discriminate in nurturing martial artists.

A system was well-established where anyone, regardless of age or gender, could become a martial artist as long as they proved themselves.

It was a completely different direction from the policy of the Central Plains sects, which were reluctant to teach martial arts to the elderly.

‘Right, the timing of entry is not that important for demonic arts.’

This martial artist nurturing policy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was thanks to the characteristics of demonic arts.

Righteous arts were slow to achieve but stable and deep, making it easier to reach a high level with consistent practice.

This was the reason why those who learned the martial arts of the Central Plains, specifically the Buddhist and Taoist schools, became stronger as they aged.

On the other hand, demonic arts were extremely unstable and relatively shallow compared to righteous arts, making it difficult to reach a high level.

However, they had the advantage of being able to become a master in a short period of time because they were quick to achieve, extremely practical, and destructive.

Therefore, the martial artist nurturing methods of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Central Plains were bound to be worlds apart.

“All applicants, enter The Extreme Land immediately! Now!”

A loud shout came from inside The Extreme Land.

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

Jin Yeong-in gave a slight bow to Baek A-rin and Danmok Cheong and started walking.

The hundred-day selection process was sure to be physically and mentally demanding, but that didn’t matter.

Once he passed the Blood Wolf Corps, he would be recognized as a martial artist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

In fact, that would be when he would start learning demonic arts in earnest, so Jin Yeong-in just wanted to get through the Blood Wolf Corps as quickly as possible.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep