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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Great Strategist's Return
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Sima Geuk, returning from his vacation, arrived at the Heavenly Demon Palace.
A fortnight.
A time that felt short if short, long if long.
He had enjoyed a sweet respite, but now realistic worries were crowding in.
"There must be a mountain of work piled up."
The Cult Leader had promised to approve his resignation, but selecting a successor and handling the handover would take at least another ten days or so of duty.
Having been away for a full fortnight, he had no idea how much work had accumulated.
With dragging footsteps, Sima Geuk reached his workplace before he knew it and paused at the entrance.
Hoo—
Before opening the door, he let out another deep sigh.
Overtime was inevitable now. He probably wouldn't even get near his quarters for the next few days.
His resolve crumbling at the thought of the avalanche of tasks, Sima Geuk weakly grasped the door handle.
Creak.
"Everyone, it's been a while. Any issues in my abs—"
But upon seeing the interior, Sima Geuk froze in place.
"Wha... what in the world is this?"
His workplace, the Demon Scripture Pavilion, had originally been a single consolidated space for three divisions.
The Finance Division, overseeing finances.
The Intelligence Division, handling information.
And the Protector Division, managing laws and discipline.
All three divisions had been housed together, overseen by the Deputy Military Strategist and Great Military Strategist at the far end.
Yet what met Sima Geuk's eyes now was something entirely different.
"That is...?"
Partitions had been erected between them, dividing the space into individual areas for each division.
Moreover, the offices of the Deputy and Great Military Strategists had been separated into entirely new rooms.
Flustered, Sima Geuk hesitated as he stepped inside.
His subordinates soon spotted him and greeted him brightly.
Sima Geuk managed to raise the corners of his mouth and waved back.
Something was off. Everyone's faces were relaxed.
They no longer looked exhausted to the point of collapse like before.
Recognizing that the change went beyond mere externals, Sima Geuk headed straight for the Great Military Strategist's office.
Click.
As he opened the door, documents immediately came into view.
Yet the stack on the desk was noticeably smaller than it had been a fortnight ago.
Sima Geuk glanced over them briefly.
It was obvious at a glance.
Unnecessary documents had been sharply reduced compared to before.
Flip— flip—
After leafing through a few sheets, Sima Geuk set them down and looked toward the back.
Staring intently inside, he fell into thought alone.
'It's different. Completely different from before.'
The Demon Scripture Pavilion had originally been a unified space with all personnel pooled together.
The reason was simple.
To bunch everyone in one place and stoke competitive instincts.
But now, it was subdivided by division.
The same space, the same people—but now with clear separations.
"The key is the difference in stimulation."
From the reports, it was immediately clear that the new layout was far more efficient.
Sima Geuk grasped the core reason at once.
Competition was good.
But given the Demon Scripture Pavilion's structure, the divisions handled such different fields that direct performance comparisons were difficult.
In that futile rivalry, they ended up monitoring each other, making it hard for anyone to work with peace of mind.
"By separating the spaces, that dynamic was flipped."
Checks from other organizations, the Deputy Military Strategist, and the Great Military Strategist's gaze.
It was enough to create constant mental strain and pressure.
Optimal efficiency came when work and rest were properly balanced.
But until now, even wanting a brief break would have been impossible; they couldn't set down their brushes easily.
"No need to bolster manpower like this."
Who was Sima Geuk?
The patriarch of the Sima Clan—a prestigious house renowned for military strategy that had produced countless Great Military Strategists in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's history, one of the Seven Great Demon Clans.
And the biggest reason the Murim Alliance hadn't dared provoke them during the Heavenly Demon's thirty-year absence was his role as acting regent.
He had densely arrayed illusionary formations along the borderlands adjoining the Central Plains, effortlessly deflecting the righteous sects' provocations. Earning the moniker Phantom Demon Lord, he had single-handedly quashed the Alliance's invasion ambitions.
"The more I mull it over, the more brilliant it is."
Yet even Sima Geuk, architect of such monumental feats, had never thought of spatial division.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had always operated this way, generation after generation.
It had been that way since he received the handover from the previous Great Military Strategist.
But someone else had seen differently.
Not only did he possess the wisdom to restructure relationships and boost efficiency—he also had the action to implement his ideas.
"Did Mo Seol have such talent?"
Despite serving at his side as Deputy for quite some time, Sima Geuk had failed to recognize it.
Shaking his head, he chided himself.
He headed straight for the Deputy's room.
"Ah, Great Military Strategist! You're back! How was your vacation—peaceful, I hope?"
Deputy Military Strategist Mo Seol greeted him brightly.
But Sima Geuk led with an apology instead of a greeting.
"I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
Mo Seol tilted his head at the sudden apology.
"You've reorganized the Demon Scripture Pavilion's space in multifaceted ways. Not only has efficiency improved, but the cultists' satisfaction with their work has turned positive too."
"What do you...?"
"I never realized you had such talent. After over a decade together, I failed to properly gauge my subordinate's abilities—this is undeniably my failing. But now I can step down from Great Military Strategist with peace of mind, knowing a talent like you will succeed me..."
"No, sir."
Mo Seol cut him off firmly.
"...What?"
"You seem to be under a misunderstanding, but it wasn't me who restructured the Demon Scripture Pavilion. It was Sima Jin."
"My second son!?"
Sima Geuk's usually composed voice rose sharply.
"Yes. Four days ago, Sima Jin himself visited the Demon Scripture Pavilion and gave direct instructions. He personally reworked and reformed the entire structure..."
Mo Seol calmly reported Sima Jin's contributions in detail.
Having heard it all, Sima Geuk turned away with trembling eyes.
"Thank you for telling me. I have some business to attend to briefly."
"Of course. Safe travels."
Leaving the Demon Scripture Pavilion, he made straight for the Pure Heaven Pavilion.
He walked briskly enough to leave him winded, arriving at the entrance soon after. He spoke to Jang Wi.
"I've come to see the Cult Leader. Could you put in a word?"
Jang Wi nodded, knocked on the door, and communicated with Hyeok Mulin.
Receiving permission, Jang Wi opened the door, and Sima Geuk entered with bated breath.
"A fortnight has already passed. Welcome back safe and sound."
Hyeok Mulin glanced up slightly from his work.
Meeting his gaze in the air, Sima Geuk slowly approached.
This place had changed a great deal too.
The towering piles of documents were nearly gone, and a new empty seat had appeared beside him.
As Sima Geuk's eyes drifted there, Hyeok Mulin spoke.
"Your son stepped out for a meal. If you have something to say, wait a moment."
"...Has the Cult Leader eaten?"
"I managed adequately."
Dried meat was hardly a proper meal, but it sufficed.
Hyeok Mulin answered casually while continuing his work.
But when Sima Geuk just stood there blankly, Hyeok Mulin asked,
"Do you have something to say?"
"The changes to the Pure Heaven Pavilion and Demon Scripture Pavilion—were they truly led by your second son?"
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
Hyeok Mulin's indifferent words twisted Sima Geuk's expression subtly.
"How did you know? No—how did you make it happen?"
"Make what happen?"
At the question, Hyeok Mulin's brush paused.
Raising his half-lidded eyes, he spoke slowly.
"I did nothing."
"Th-that can't be..."
"I merely acted as I always do."
Hyeok Mulin hadn't put on false airs to impress Sima Jin.
He had simply trained, honed himself, cultivated his mind, and focused on each task as usual.
'He just needed the right trigger.'
This was the perfect stage for Sima Jin's talents.
And for the aimless youth, Hyeok Mulin had merely hinted at a path forward—his role was done.
Sima Geuk's eyes widened at the response.
So his son had seen the same thing in him.
'This feeling is entirely new.'
Cult Leader Hyeok Mulin.
Just when he thought he understood, the man revealed something unfathomable.
Awakening a submerged dragon and drawing out its true worth.
He had accomplished in passing what Sima Geuk couldn't in over a decade.
'Utterly inscrutable.'
Sima Geuk shook his head faintly.
Yet for some reason, his mood wasn't bad.
"He says he'll continue as Deputy even after the fortnight. What will you do now?"
Hyeok Mulin emphasized the point.
A fortnight ago, he had indeed verbally promised to approve Sima Geuk's resignation.
But people were creatures who changed moment to moment with their circumstances.
"I withdraw my resignation. I apologize for the concern I've caused."
Once his son started wielding his talents in the cult, he'd draw scrutiny from other clans.
Wasn't it a father's duty to shield him from higher up?
And beyond that...
'This one sticks in my craw too.'
A resentful yet impossible-to-hate Cult Leader.
Setting aside awakening his son's potential, Sima Geuk wanted to observe the man's steps more closely.
'To think I'd delay my own retirement.'
With complex emotions, Sima Geuk bowed toward the front.
Hyeok Mulin nodded impassively.
"Then I reject your resignation."
"I am deeply grateful for your mercy, Cult Leader."
Expressing thanks, Sima Geuk continued,
"I'll return now. Having just come back, I need time to adjust to the changes."
"Go ahead."
With Hyeok Mulin's permission and another expression of gratitude, Sima Geuk turned toward the door.
As he gripped the handle to exit, Hyeok Mulin's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Great Military Strategist."
"Yes?"
"Why not take this chance to hear his true heart?"
Sima Geuk paused briefly.
"Not as the Sima Clan's second young master, but as the man Sima Jin."
Standing still for a moment, Sima Geuk murmured softly,
"I shall. Thank you for your gracious advice."
Finishing his words, Sima Geuk strode out of the Pure Heaven Pavilion with firm steps.
Watching him go, Hyeok Mulin slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Good."
Now he could breathe a sigh—or two or three—of relief.
Drawing in Sima Jin and retaining Sima Geuk would prove immensely helpful for the road ahead.
"Next is the Elder Council regular meeting."
Held every half-year, it gathered all the patriarchs of the Seven Great Demon Clans—the pillars upholding the cult—to discuss matters great and small.
And now, his first such gathering in this life loomed near.
"Time to see those familiar faces."
Recalling the attendees, Hyeok Mulin's eyes cooled coldly.