Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon

Faith.

Those were the values, the soul and banner, of the life one had believed in so far. 

What would happen to someone whose faith collapsed?

Some would commit suicide. 

Some would lose all will to live.

Others would be devastated. 

Of course, there were also those who broke their pre-existing notions and developed different beliefs. 

Just as people varied, so did their reactions to life-shattering information. 

And what about Sa Ryong-hui?

What did Sa Ryong-hui do when it seemed like he had been unfaithful to his moral beliefs?

Sa Ryong-hui was devastated. 

Behind the prison bars, Sa Ryong-hui sat motionlessly, his limbs still bound in solid chains. His eyes were unfocused, as if there was no life inside them. 

It was as if he had lost his soul.

At first glance, since there was almost no movement, you would think he had died. 

But he was not dead. 

He was constantly mumbling to himself, proving his survival with his voice. 

“Grand, right. Great, great. Righteous, right.” 

The porridge in the bowl placed before him was drying, the man not having even touched it. 

His mind seemed to only have the word ‘righteous’ in it. 

Seeing such a miserable Sa Ryong-hui, the demonic practitioners watching over him sneered. 

“He must have gone insane.”

“Tsk, tsk, those trained by hypocrites.” 

“But it was quite good for the enemy.”

“Hmph, that’s just what you think. He tried to cover the sky with his palm, and then this happened.”

“Puhahahaha. He was pretty good at preaching too, I thought Confucius had come back alive.”

“Did you? Puhahaha.”

The derision continued, but it seemed inaudible to Sa Ryong-hui. 

There was someone who slowly approached them. 

Bang—

The guards turned their heads towards the entrance. Seeing a boy, they hastily bowed their heads. 

“I greet the Young Master!”

“I greet the Young Master!” 

The boy who had appeared was Kang So-san.

Kang So-san waved a hand, still embarrassed and awkward in front of their polite actions. 

“Everyone, raise your head. It is burdensome.”

The guards smiled and raised their heads. 

One of the guards appraoched Kang So-san and asked, “What brings you here? The air in the prison is not very good.”

Kang So-san’s eyes shifted, focusing on Sa Ryong-hui inside. 

Seeing that, the guard shook his head. “I don’t know what you want to tell him, but I think he’s gone insane. It probably won’t go well if you try to talk to him.”

“Let me talk to him for a second. Perhaps he has not gone insane.”

The guards looked at each other, then one of them nodded. “We will be a little further away then. If there are any problems, please call us.”

“Thank you, Mr. Guard.”

Kang So-san thanked them, then patted his pockets. He pulled something out, which steamed. He held it out to the guards. “This is a potato cake noona made.”

The guards seemed to be embarrassed. 

“No, we cannot accept this!”

Kang So-san’s older sister, Kang Ye-ha, sometimes used the ingredients inside the camp to cook for the demonic soldiers. Her food was very popular. 

And Kang So-san was now offering them a potato cake. 

The guards swallowed saliva unconsciously. 

“We made plenty of them, please share them.”

“Thank you, Young Master. Tell the Miss we’ll eat well.”

The guards took the potato cake and moved away with a content expression. 

They had a mission to manage the prisons, so they did not go far. They moved to the corner, where they could still see inside. 

Immediately, they started munching on the potato pancakes.

Meanwhile, Kang So-san approached the cell Sa Ryong-hui was kept in.

“Right, right, right, right, right.”

Even until then, Sa Ryong-hui was repeating the same words, over and over again. 

Kang So-san grieved at his appearance, grabbing at the cell bars. 

“It’s me.”

Sa Ryong-hui stopped muttering, but there was still no light in his eyes. 

Kang So-san called out once again. 

“It’s me. You helped me then.”

Sa Ryong-hui’s eyes twitched. Suddenly, life began to flood back into his eyes. 

Soon, his eyes focused and he turned towards Kang So-san. 

“You……. ”

Kang So-san nodded. 

Meanwhile, slowly regaining conscious thought, Sa Ryong-hui looked around. 

Wet moisture seeped through the straw on the ground, the walls were made of lattice grates. 

There was no place for him to go; the wooden grates surrounded him, like a boundary between him and the world. 

Clang—

His arms and legs felt heavy, so he looked down to where they were bound in chains. Seeing as they were pretty thick, it would likely take quite a bit of effort to break them 

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

After confirming all these things, Sa Ryong-hui understood his situation. He nodded, then asked, “Why did you come to the prison? It is not a good place.” 

“I am here because I was worried.”

“Worried?” Sa Ryong-hui echoed, his brows twitching. “Worry about yourself among the demons.”

At his words, Kang So-san shook his head. “Aye, they’re not as bad as you think.”

“Not bad people, what do you mean?”

“I heard many stories about the demons before I came here. I heard from my friends in the village. I also heard it from the martial artists of Murim.”

Sa Ryong-hui asked, “But…?”

Kang So-san hesitantly continued, “The Cult of the Heavenly Demon does not eat other people. They are also not tyrants. There are some people like that, but they are also despised inside the Demonic Cult.”

“Despised….”

“What about the Evil Path? It is hard for me to say because I don’t know, but people who walk that path are also exorcized in the Demonic Cult. Even if they are Demons, they are still human…”

Perhaps it was just the unorthodox path. 

“Huh.”

“And all the people of the Cult-controlled land are saying that it is better now than it was before.”

“Is that true? ”

Kang So-san nodded. He then told Sa Ryong-hui, rambling, “Please ask for help. Master is a person who likes talent. If you are among the Demons, you’ll learn that they are all people, just the same. And if I ask Master to spare your life, he—”

“Enough.”

Sa Ryong-hui shook his head, cutting the boy off. Instead, he asked Kang So-san, “Why are you telling me this?”

Sa Ryong-hui and Kang So-san had only ever met once. 

I taught him how to increase the sharpness of his blade, but that is it.

However, Kang So-san was telling him all of this to save his life. 

Sa Ryong-hui was curious about Kang So-san’s heart. 

“Did your master tell you to go and say this? Surrender and we live?”

It was a question from the twisted mind of a man whose beliefs were crumbling. It could have been hurtful for the young Kang So-san to hear. 

But Kang So-san was not hurt. 

The boy shook his head firmly. “No, it is because you helped me.”

“What?”

“Because you helped me get here. So I want to help you.”

If he hadn’t obtained tips from Sa Ryong-hui, Kang So-san would not be here. 

Though it was on the same level as Woon-seong, Sa Ryong-hui could also be considered a benefactor. 

The young boy wanted to repay his benefactor. 

His sincerity was conveyed to Sa Ryong-hui through his eyes. 

With a bitter smile, Sa Ryong-hui muttered, “Maybe you shouldn’t be among the Demonic. You’re a kid with a hero’s heart.”

Kang So-san resolutely answered, “I am going to be a demonic practitioner.”

Sa Ryong-hui’s eyes widened. 

However, Kang So-san continued: “I heard you and Master talking from some distance. ‘There is benevolence in the demon, love within the demons, and the chivalrous amongst the demonic.’ Even the villagers say that Master is taking care of them. I want to be that kind of hero.” 

“That’s ……. ”

Sa Ryong-hui was no fool. Although he had been swayed by Woon-seong’s words for a moment, he knew that the Heavenly Demon’s actions were filled with political intent. 

And he wanted to tell Kang So-san the truth. Soon, however, he shut up. 

No matter what the intentions were, he could not deny that it had been beneficial for the people. And he didn’t want to shatter the dreams of a young boy.

Instead, he spoke of something else. 

“You know…”

“…….?”

“Breaking faith is never easy. It is a denial of everything I have seen, heard, and believed thus far. It is a literal denial of my life. That is why faith cannot be broken so easily.”

…

“Yes, but a belief is also something that can be easily changed.”

“Yes?”

When Woon-seong had said that, Kang So-san had titled his head. Faith is unbreakable, but it is also easily broken.

That was hard to understand. 

Sang Gwan-chuk explained in more detail: “No matter how firm your conviction is, it can still be shaken.”

“Ah.” 

I still don’t really understand, but somehow it makes sense. Kang So-san nodded his head. 

“So, is it possible that Mr. Sa Ryong-hui will be on Master’s side?”

Woon-seong shrugged and closed his eyes.

“Well…. ”

If something would break his faith.

Sang Gwan-chuk smiled and told Woon-seong, “That wouldn’t be too bad. Although things have happened like this, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Woon-seong nodded. 

“Maybe so.”