So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon?

Chapter 17: Business Trip (2)

“Savior! The Lord of Ten Thousand Demons!”

“The Heavenly Demon has graced us with his presence!”

Perhaps spurred by the initial villagers who were prostrating themselves and shouting, the number of people coming to pay their respects seemed to increase with each passing moment. At this rate, the villagers would soon overflow the narrow village entrance.

‘I can understand their ignorance, but what is Master thinking?’ I wondered. Could it be that my Master, beneath his austere facade, craved attention?

‘Well, I suppose one couldn’t be a cult leader without a penchant for the spotlight.’

While I was pondering this thought, Master walked toward the villagers with a much more solemn expression than usual, exuding an aura of authority.

“Ahhh!”

“The Heavenly Demon descends! Ten thousand demons rejoice!!”

“The Heavenly Demon has come to save us!”

The villagers, touched by my master’s energy, trembled as if intoxicated, their faces filled with awe as they uttered their fanatical chants.

Master, continuing his advance, subtly approached nearby individuals, stroking their bowed heads or gently clasping their hands pressed against the ground—a masterful display of showmanship.

The reactions of those who received Master’s blessing were truly a sight to behold. Tears streamed down their faces, some collapsed with foam at their mouths, and others convulsed, staring intently at the spot where my master’s hand had touched them.

‘What the fuck is this?’

Following closely behind Master, I found the scene less astonishing and more disturbing.

It was a bizarre scene. I had witnessed similar scenes a few times when I was Seo Ji-hoon, not in person, of course, but through the internet and YouTube. I had seen videos of cult leaders mimicking the projection of energy, causing followers to collapse dramatically, or chanting strange incantations while gripping a follower’s head, inducing convulsions and frothing at the mouth.

As Seo Ji-hoon, I would have laughed at these displays, dismissing them as the actions of fools.

But seeing it in person wasn’t funny—it was frightening.

What compelled these people to such fervent devotion to this cult?

Especially considering they were ordinary civilians, untouched by the influence of Demonic Arts.

Funnily enough, when I questioned their behavior, I began to understand my master’s attitude from a different perspective.

‘Is this why he insisted on traveling in person instead of using the carriage?’

Whatever the reason, they are fanatics, and to them, Master is a god.

A modern analogy would be the relationship between a superstar and their devoted fans.

Imagine eagerly waiting in line to see your favorite celebrity, only to have them drive by without a second glance.

Disappointing, right?

But what if that celebrity suddenly stepped out of their car and started shaking hands and taking pictures with everyone?

The fans would be completely enthralled.

With minimal effort, Master transformed casual followers into fanatics.

I couldn’t help but shiver at Master’s subtle but detailed calculations.

* * *

It took about two incense sticks’ worth of time to pass through the villagers who had come to see Master and reach the branch headquarters, our final destination.

Looking back, the village entrance wasn’t that far.

A distance that could be covered in one incense stick at a leisurely pace had taken us two incense sticks to walk.

‘They still haven’t dispersed,’ I noted, observing the thousands still prostrating themselves and speaking in tongues between the branch headquarters and the village entrance.

“The Heavenly Demon has arrived! Ten Thousand Demons submit!! Ma Gang-il, the Branch Leader of Aksu, greets the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons.”

A voice boomed, cutting through the villagers’ clamor. I turned to see a burly man prostrating himself before the building.

“Rise.”

The man who stood up at Master’s command was a middle-aged man with a fierce face.

“Let us go inside first. If this old one stays here any longer, the masses won’t be able to continue their livelihoods.”

“As the Heavenly Demon commands.”

“Tell the branch members to calm and disperse the residents after we go inside.”

“By your command!”

Master quickly gave his orders and headed inside the building with the Branch Leader.

Jin Hayeon and I followed closely behind.

“You must be hungry after your journey. I shall have a meal prepared,” Branch Leader Ma Gang-il offered as he led us inside.

Master shook his head at Branch Leader Ma Gang-il’s words.

“My youngest disciple has trained diligently on our way here and has worked up quite a sweat. It would be better to cleanse ourselves and rest before dining.”

At Master’s words, the Branch Leader’s gaze fixed on me.

“Ah, so this is the disciple the Heavenly Demon newly accepted? I have heard a lot about you. Hahaha.”

Unlike his grim face, the branch leader laughed cheerfully and acted friendly towards me.

“Then, we shall commence the meal in approximately an hour. I will instruct them to prepare warm water for bathing. In the meantime, allow me to escort the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons to his quarters.”

“Very well.”

After the conversation between Master and the Branch Leader ended, Jin Hayeon quietly spoke to Master.

“Then, until the bath water is ready, this servant will perform a massage on Young Master Il-mok’s body.”

“Go ahead.”

Jin Hayeon and I were led to a separate room where she applied acupressure and massage to soothe my exhausted muscles.

“Whew. I feel alive again.”

My body, which had been exhausted from the brutally intense qi circulation and lightness technique training, became somewhat drowsy thanks to the acupressure and warm bath.

After resting for a while, an unfamiliar Aksu County branch member guided us to the dining area. Places were set for Master, myself, and Branch Leader Ma Gang-il.

“Eat.”

Master instructed, picking up his chopsticks and taking the first bite. Our belated lunch commenced.

“Tell me, how are the teachings progressing among the people of Aksu County?”

And true to the ways of Boomer, Master wasted no time delving into business matters during the meal.

“Every day, the branch members and I go around the village and take care of the residents. In the process, we gradually teach them the doctrines written in the Secret Record of the Heavenly Demon. We would like to distribute the scriptures directly and have them study, but there are not many people who are literate, so we have no choice but to convey the teachings verbally.”

The questioning continued, with Master peppering the Branch Leader with inquiries. Observing Ma Gang-il, who could barely eat due to his nervousness, I felt a pang of sympathy.

Munch

Munch

Meanwhile, having been pushed around since morning, I was busy stuffing food into my mouth without pause.

When I was somewhat full, my Master’s barrage of questions towards the Branch Leader finally came to an end, but the target suddenly switched to me.

“What do you think, Il-mok?”

“…About what, Master?”

“Do you see any way to improve this place based on the system you previously described?”

You pushed me around since morning, and now you want to give me more work?

I hid my exasperated thoughts and answered.

“I haven’t looked around enough yet, so nothing comes to mind at the moment.”

“Haha. That’s understandable. Then after the meal, go around the county with the Branch Leader.”

“As you wish, Master.”

A tour of the county sounded like a leisurely sightseeing opportunity.

‘Even if I have ideas, I’ll feign ignorance,’ I decided. I had no desire to increase my workload.

As I reached for my chopsticks to finish the remaining food, Master’s voice interrupted my musing, “If you find nothing noteworthy in Aksu County, we shall visit other locations.”

“Where else would we…”

“There are plenty of places to go. How many villages do you think follow our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s teachings?”

“…”

In other words, if I couldn’t come up with good ideas, we’d visit different villages each time.

And in that process, I’d have to repeat what happened this morning every time.

Moreover, Xinjiang, where the Demon Cult was based, boasted an unnecessarily vast territory. Much larger than South and North Korea combined.

‘I’m fucked.’

If I didn’t come up with something brilliant today, it seemed I was destined for a nationwide tour.

And that nationwide tour would be on foot.

* * *

After the stifling meal with Master, I departed the branch headquarters with Jin Hayeon and Branch Leader Ma Gang-il.

“Hahaha. It’s an honor to be able to introduce Aksu County to you, Young Master.”

Branch Leader Ma Gang-il spoke while showing a smile on his fierce-looking face.

Despite the scene resembling a nepo baby flaunting their parent’s influence on a senior’s workplace from the modern world, he showed no signs of displeasure.

As I walked around Aksu under the guidance of Branch Leader Ma Gang-il, unlike the frenzied atmosphere when we arrived, it felt like just an ordinary county.

‘Well, it’s been over one and a half incense sticks since Master entered the headquarters.’

Under the crimson sky that was just beginning to darken, villagers busily went about their business.

“Oh my. You should have told us if you weren’t feeling well.”

Unlike his fierce appearance, Branch Leader Ma Gang-il approached village elders with a sociable attitude.

“Oh dear. How could we burden such busy people doing important work with something like this?”

“Hahaha. Helping all of you is that important work, elder.”

He effortlessly lifted the heavy bundle the hunched elder was carrying while chatting.

Watching this, I quietly asked the elder a question.

“Elder, could you tell me what kind of important work you mentioned earlier?”

At my question, the elder’s gaze turned toward Branch Leader Ma Gang-il.

A look that seemed to ask who this young fellow was to be asking such questions.

Ma Gang-il, undisturbed by my sudden interruption, smiled and said to the elder.

“Hahaha. Didn’t you see him earlier? This is the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.”

As soon as those words were uttered out of his mouth, the elder was startled and tried to kneel on the ground.

If I hadn’t reacted quickly, I would have received a bow from someone several times my age.

“That’s not necessary.”

“H-how could I not show proper respect to the Heavenly Demon’s disciple?”

“It’s fine. I’m here in secret now, so it would be more troublesome if people’s attention were drawn to us.”

Only after I said that it would be troublesome for me did the elder give up trying to bow on the ground. He still seemed a little restless, though.

No matter what I said, it seemed things would remain uncomfortable as long as I was here, so I asked another question to quickly finish my business and leave.

“Elder, could you tell me what kind of important work you mentioned earlier?”

“W-well, isn’t it the work of protecting us?”

The elder’s story that followed was simpler than expected.

Xinjiang, with its mountainous terrain and vast deserts, had always been plagued by bandits and raiders who established their bases near oases or within mountain ranges. Add to that the criminals crossing the border from neighboring countries, and the already harsh living conditions became even more unbearable.

And then, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult took root here in Xinjiang, cutting a large number of bandits and villains, making this desolate place a somewhat more livable world for ordinary people.

“I heard stories from my great-grandfather that back then, they had to worry every day about whether mountain or desert bandits would attack.”

“…Pardon?”

When I made a puzzled expression at the elder’s last words, Jin Hayeon, who had been listening beside us, spoke up.

“It’s been two hundred years since our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult took root in this region. Since then, we’ve gradually expanded our influence and, now we have complete control over the Tianshan Mountain Range.”

Thanks to her explanation, I recalled what I had heard from her before.

‘Ah, that’s right, we were branded as traitors by the Imperial Court two hundred years ago.’

It seemed that they came over to Xinjiang from the Central Plains at that time and gradually expanded the area they managed.

“Though it’s less frequent than in my great-grandfather’s time, mountain and desert bandits still appear occasionally even now. And whenever that happens, the cult’s warriors protect us. Even my son, a few years ago, encountered a group of desert bandits while traveling toward Urumqi for business. But even then, the cult’s warriors saved my son.”

“Those who rescued the elder’s son were likely part of the patrol unit from the Martial Arts Division, Young Master Il-mok,” Ma Gang-il added, ensuring credit was given where it was due.

“Actually, Aksu County rarely sees such incidents because it’s close to the main headquarters. So, we mainly focus on helping village residents with their livelihoods, like this.”

After hearing that far, I could more or less understand how things were operating.

‘The branch headquarters in each region are like parishes?’

They cared for the local population, assisted with various tasks, and spread the cult’s teachings. They also served as a security force, suppressing disturbances and combating bandits and raiders.

It now made sense why even ordinary citizens had become as fanatical as the cultists at the headquarters. For nearly two hundred years, the cult had been subtly indoctrinating them while providing aid. I doubted I could have resisted such constant influence.

But conversely speaking,

‘To think they’ve been operating with the same methods for two hundred years… The South Korean civil service system feels like a modern marvel in comparison.’

It was dizzying in many ways.

Still, it wasn’t a bad situation for me.

‘With this, there’s more than enough to change.’

With such a one-dimensional system in place, there were plenty of areas to touch.

Of course.

‘I should minimize my involvement to avoid as much work as possible.’

I had no intention of falling into work hell again.