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I Cherished And Raised The Leader Of The Evil Cult: Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“In any situation, I will never abandon or neglect you. Be assured of that, Cheon-oh.”

“… Yes, Master.”

“In return, I hope you will always answer my questions honestly. Only then can I understand your situation fully and help you completely. Understood?”

“Yes, Master.”

The child responded more calmly. Cho-yoon, feeling proud of the child, gently tucked the child’s windblown hair behind his ear.

“Well then, turn your head and look ahead. It’s quite a view, perfect for opening up, right?”

“… Wow.”

The child, following Cho-yoon’s words, unknowingly let out an exclamation upon seeing the grand view ahead, which was so overwhelming that it left him in awe.

Cho-yoon and Cheon-oh were standing on a precipitous cliff that arose suddenly from the forest. Thick clouds veiled the deep chasm below, and a vast mountain range stretched endlessly, forming dry valleys. Occasionally, flocks of birds with black bodies and white heads flew from peak to peak. Tall trees that poked out from the clouds swayed lightly in the wind but held their ground firmly.

Taking a deep breath, the fresh, cool, and slightly moist air filled his lungs, and the unspoiled energy of nature cleared his mind.

It was truly a stunning view of the sea of clouds (雲海).

“Yeah, this kind of thing is only possible because of the vast land scale.”

Smiling contentedly, Cho-yoon put the child down. Then he adjusted his disheveled clothes and knelt upright with his back to the cliff. Cheon-oh, without a word, also sat facing Cho-yoon in a formal posture. Cho-yoon, intending to ease the child’s tension, started with a different topic.

“You may like this place, but don’t come here carelessly when I’m not around. Always come with me. Do you remember which mountain this is?”

“Yes, I remember. You said it’s Mount Dumang.”

“That’s right. This is the third mountain in the Bugwi (不歸) Mountain Range, Mount Dumang.”

Cheon-oh quickly looked up at Cho-yoon, appearing surprised as if he remembered something at the mention of the Bugwi Mountain Range.

“From your expression, it seems you’ve heard stories about the Bugwi Mountain Range.”

“Yes… My nanny occasionally mentioned it in old stories. But I never thought it actually existed.”

The Bugwi Mountain Range, meaning “the mountains of no return,” consisted of Outer Peak, Jaecheon Peak, Dumang Peak, Woonik Peak, Cheonggye Peak, and Godo Peak in order of proximity to the mundane world. It was said to be teeming with untouched natural resources, minerals, herbs, and elixirs, but no one dared to venture past Outer Peak into the mountains.

The reason was that the mountains were rumored to be filled with monsters and demons.

Even skilled martial artists in groups despaired and failed to return due to the overwhelming power. When experts in mystical barriers were brought along, they would soon go mad and die.

Such precedents had spread as massive rumors, so local herb gatherers would rather starve than enter the Bugwi Mountain Range. All malicious spirits in folktales were believed to originate from there, and irredeemable criminals were said to be thrown into Outer Peak.

Cho-yoon lived leisurely in a hut he built on the third mountain of the Bugwi Mountain Range.

“Mount Dumang is relatively quiet, but it’s true that there are many monsters and demons. I’ve placed mystical barriers in the places you frequently visit and the training hall, but not here. So, don’t wander alone.”

Fortunately, Cho-yoon was not entirely neglectful. The day they arrived at the hut, he noticed the carefully placed mystical barriers around the house.

Speaking of which, he needed to make some protective accessories for Cheon-oh. Adding another task to his already long to-do list, Cho-yoon brought up the main topic as the child nodded.

“You admitted you were wrong earlier. Do you know what you did wrong?”

“That… everything.”

Cheon-oh stiffened his shoulders and lowered his head again. He had pleaded that he was wrong, hoping Cho-yoon wouldn’t abandon him, but he wasn’t sure which part of his actions was a problem. It was always like that.

Cho-yoon nodded slightly as if he had expected this and said, “Actually, I don’t think you did anything wrong. So, there’s no reason to apologize. Of course, you startled your fellow students, so you’ll need to apologize to them when we return, but fundamentally, there’s no ‘problem’ with you. You just haven’t learned enough.”

“Yes? But…”

“Tell me, Cheon-oh. Why did you chop the tree your fellow students were climbing?”

The hesitant child glanced at Cho-yoon and then lowered his head again. He had been raised with love, so why was he so cautious? Cho-yoon felt a twinge of unease but waited patiently for the child.

Perhaps because Cho-yoon had asked him to speak honestly before coming here, Cheon-oh soon opened his mouth.

“In that situation, I thought the only way to join them was for them to come down or for me to go up. But I wasn’t confident in climbing such a big tree, so I just wanted to make them come down.”

“Didn’t you think your fellow students might be scared or get hurt?”

“Scared… I don’t know. My fellow students are agile, so I thought they wouldn’t get hurt even if the tree fell. And I didn’t think I could actually chop the tree down. I just wanted to jolt the tree so they couldn’t stay up there.”

Just as he thought.

Cho-yoon tried to control his posture. Any sign of displeasure and the child would notice instantly and remember it forever.

Even telling the child to wait here earlier might have left a lasting impression. He didn’t want to give the child any more experiences that would stick as a wedge.

It seemed Cheon-oh had traits common in fictional villains, such as a lack of empathy or certain emotions. Although not an expert, Cho-yoon thought he needed to keep this in mind.

Even at one or two years old, children would cry when someone near them cried and avoid pushing others, choosing instead to step aside.

All beings capable of intelligence and emotions tend to empathize with others’ pain and act in ways that avoid causing harm.

However, Cheon-oh didn’t even realize that wielding an axe at a tree where his fellow students were was a threat.

‘Does Cheon-oh lack the ability to feel threatened? Or does he simply not understand what emotions his fellow students experience? Or maybe both? What should be taught first?’

Handling mental issues of children is usually limited to recommending and arranging professional assistance. Deep counseling like this is difficult to manage properly.

Cho-yoon looked at the subdued child, trying to suppress a rising headache. There was no turning back now. He had to see it through to the end.

Better ask a bit more. The child didn’t seem entirely unaware of the concept of fear. Cho-yoon spoke softly.

“Your fellow students were frightened by your action. Do you know why?”

“… Were they afraid of falling from the tree?”

“Partly, but mainly because they perceived your action as a threat. Cheon-oh, an axe is a weapon. It can seriously hurt people.”

“But I had no intention of harming my fellow students!”

“Did you tell them that? Even if your strength was insignificant, anyone with a weapon underfoot is intimidating.”

Would it have been enough to simply say something? The child’s mind was visibly processing this. Figuring out how to explain this well, Cho-yoon continued.

“Didn’t you feel scared when I brought you here without saying a word? Even if I told you my intentions, if they were unclear, you would continue to misunderstand. You did the same thing to your fellow students.”

Shouldn’t I apologize for scaring you too? Realizing the inconsistency in his words, Cho-yoon felt sweat trickle down his back.

He wanted to apologize instantly, but seeing the child’s face light up as if he had an epiphany prevented him from doing so.

Cho-yoon reluctantly continued.

“So what should you have done to ensure your fellow students wouldn’t cry?”

“After explaining my intentions clearly… I should have brought the axe.”

“That’s progress, but not quite the correct answer.”

Stay away from the axe! How is he the future main villain indeed!

“If you did that, they might not have cried, but they would surely distance themselves emotionally. Wielding a weapon at someone implies such consequences. Since you’ll spend a long time with them, it’s better to avoid actions that they perceive as threatening.”

“… It seems difficult.”

“Do you think it’s easy to manage human relationships? You need to consider the nature of the relationship, how it should be, and the appropriate actions for each situation. Even if it’s not always necessary, it’s normal to think thoroughly about the consequences beforehand.”

Never underestimate a child’s understanding. When dealing with children, one should refrain from excessive simplification but explain reasons and consequences, enabling them to follow voluntarily for mental maturity.

And mental maturity is essential for characters in mass-produced novels.

“The best way to interact would have been to follow them up the tree.”

“But… I can’t climb trees yet.”

“Then find another way to make them come down until you can climb trees.”

Or simply ask them to come down to play?

Speaking casually, as if it were obvious, made Cheon-oh’s dark eyes sparkle. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Cho-yoon tried to calm himself.

‘What could possibly go wrong? I told him not to act threateningly.’

“Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will avoid causing such concerns in the future.”

“When we return, apologize to your fellow students. When apologizing, explain your reasons, state how you’ll change in the future, and ask for forgiveness.”

“Yes, Master.”

The fellow students undoubtedly grew to dislike Cheon-oh more, so after his apology, explaining it separately would be necessary. As the guardian, it was Cho-yoon’s responsibility to resolve misunderstandings and ask for understanding.

Already suspecting Song-yeong’s reaction and how to soothe him gave him a headache. Why does such a small child cause so much trouble?

“We’ve lingered too long. Let’s go back.”

When Cho-yoon stood up, Cheon-oh quickly followed suit. Starting to walk back, Cho-yoon noticed that Cheon-oh had stopped, gazing at the sea of clouds below.

‘He must have liked it a lot.’

Placing a gentle hand on the child’s shoulder, Cho-yoon saw his own reflection in Cheon-oh’s dark eyes. Cho-yoon spoke kindly.

“Let’s come back here again. I will bring you.”

“… Do the fellow students know of this place?”

Cho-yoon thought deeply for a moment.

“I did give them talismans to wander freely around the mountain, but I’m not sure if they’ve been here.”

“You’ve never brought them here yourself?”

“No, I haven’t.”

‘Cho-yoon thought that merely teaching them martial arts was enough.’

Improving the relationship with the fellow students was also urgent. Despite being the children of the person who helped them, trust was still insufficient, and he must soon concoct reasons for his previous neglect. There was much to do.

‘Cleaning up Cho-yoon’s mess and the author’s mess… What a chaos.’

“Master, let’s go quickly.”

With an inward sigh, Cho-yoon looked down and saw Cheon-oh dusting off his dirt-stained hands. As they returned to the forest, Cho-yoon briefly glanced back and noticed the word ‘crow’ (烏) drawn on the ground. Had he marked it as his territory? The cute act, akin to elementary school kids fighting for desk space, made him smile.

A few days later, the incident was amicably resolved, but when the fellow students teased Cheon-oh from the tree again, he resorted to a “different method” as taught by Cho-yoon. He ate the hidden honey (蜂蜜) from below, creating quite an uproar.

We’ve Moved! If you notice any missing, empty, or incorrect chapters, please leave a comment below, and we’ll fix it as soon as possible. Regular updates will resume on June 10th. Thank you for your patience!
I Cherished And Raised The Leader Of The Evil Cult

I Cherished And Raised The Leader Of The Evil Cult

I Cherished And Raised The Leader Of The Evil Cult, I raised the leader of the Demonic Cult with great care, 마교 교주를 애지중지 키웠다
Score 7.6
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist: , , Released: 2021 Native Language: Korean
A college graduate transmigrated into Yakseon from the martial arts novel 〈Returning Hero〉. Immediately after transmigrating, the young child he rescued turned out to be the final boss of the original work, the future leader of the evil cult. “I will raise you.” With the thought that he could raise the child better than the evil cult in the original work, which subjected the child to training bordering on child abuse, he boldly started a master-disciple relationship. “I want to rip out all of their throats. Can you raise someone like me?” “Do as you wish. Create the most cruel martial arts in the world, or do whatever you want.” However, words that differ from his intentions keep spilling out of his stern mouth, and his disciples’ eyes roll back at the slightest mistake. He gets helplessly entangled in the glamorous past and behind-the-scenes stories of Yakseon that were not revealed in the original work. “Master, please don’t abandon your disciple.” The vengeful ghost finds a new object of obsession, and the original story begins amidst the already twisted flow.

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