Chapter 174: It Won't Work on Us
Chapter 174: It Won't Work on Us
When Jo Yi-baek reached the summit of the tallest mountain near the Murim Alliance, the Alliance Leader was already there. He stood at the very edge of the cliff, hands clasped behind his back, staring out into the distance.
"Alliance Leader."
"Manor Lord Jo, you’ve arrived? Come, stand beside me."
Jo Yi-baek took his place next to Jin Pae-cheon. From this height, the world below looked small, and the view was nothing short of spectacular.
"The scenery is magnificent," Jo Yi-baek remarked.
"That is why I come here often."
"It is only thanks to your firm leadership, Alliance Leader, that we can enjoy such beauty. Because you support the Jianghu so resolutely, the rabble of the Demonic Cult dare not stir, do they not?"
"I appreciate the kind words."
When the Alliance Leader had requested a meeting here, Jo Yi-baek secretly expected to discuss the matter of the marriage alliance. Since the meeting was called for a mountain peak rather than the Murim Alliance headquarters, he assumed Jin Pae-cheon wanted to have a candid conversation as parents, away from prying eyes and ears.
"Manor Lord Jo."
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"How long has it been since we first became acquainted?"
"I believe it has been over thirty years."
"They say time flies like a river, and indeed, it has already been so long."
The two men stood in silence for a moment, reflecting on the decades that had passed.
"Is there a specific reason you called for me today?" Jo Yi-baek eventually asked.
"I asked to see you regarding your son."
As I thought. Jo Yi-baek’s expression brightened. He assumed the topic was indeed the marriage. He had promised to provide a massive amount of funds to the Murim Alliance, yet the Leader’s attitude had remained lukewarm until now. He had worried the deal might fall through.
The sum is too great to refuse, isn't it, Alliance Leader?
Jin Pae-cheon slowly turned his head to look Jo Yi-baek in the eye. "Have you perhaps heard of the Heavenly Mandate Society?"
Despite the startling, piercing nature of the question, Jo Yi-baek answered calmly. "It is a name I am hearing for the first time."
He even went so far as to composedly ask what kind of organization it was.
"I understand it to be a group that claims to be a hidden sect, yet is involved in various nefarious deeds," Jin Pae-cheon explained.
"There is no shortage of such trash in the Murim."
"Manor Lord Jo."
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"It seems your son is involved with that trash."
Though he spoke cautiously, Jin Pae-cheon’s gaze was sharp, as if trying to peer straight through Jo Yi-baek’s soul.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I am saying that Young Master Jo has been recruited by the Heavenly Mandate Society."
Jo Yi-baek looked shocked. His reaction was so natural that it was impossible to tell if he was truly surprised or merely putting on a masterclass in acting.
"Your son, Jo Sin, was recruited by the organization known as the Heavenly Mandate Society and attempted to kidnap my granddaughter."
As his shock grew, Jo Yi-baek’s voice rose in indignation. "That is preposterous! With a marriage alliance in progress, why would that boy do something so insane unless he had lost his mind? There must be some misunderstanding!"
"I wish that were the case as well, but there is clear evidence."
"What evidence?"
"There has been a confession from the one who received Young Master Jo’s orders."
"That confession could be a ploy to frame my son!"
Jin Pae-cheon remained silent, his hands still behind his back as he stared at a distant, jagged stone mountain. At this moment, the hearts of the two men were pointed at each other, sharper than those craggy peaks.
"Alliance Leader, please let me see my son. I will meet him and hear the truth of what happened."
"According to the regulations, I cannot allow that."
"Even considering our long history together, you cannot do this to me!"
"You are right. Considering our past, I should not be doing this." Jin Pae-cheon’s cold, solemn gaze locked onto Jo Yi-baek. "Because I know that you, too, are a member of the Heavenly Mandate Society."
"!"
"Do not even think of denying it."
Jin Pae-cheon released his aura. A frost-like pressure swamped Jo Yi-baek instantly. It was as if a violent storm on the vast ocean had suddenly crashed into him. There was raw emotion embedded in that pressure—the clear intent that he could kill him, and that he wanted to kill him.
Jo Yi-baek grit his teeth and resisted the aura, but his body looked precarious, as though he might be swept off the cliff at any moment.
The storm that seemed ready to tear him apart eventually began to subside. Jo Yi-baek felt as though he had finally managed to climb onto a small island in the middle of a raging sea.
"I do not wish to end my long acquaintance with the Manor Lord in this manner. Only I and one of my subordinates know of this matter."
Just as Geom Mu-geuk had predicted, Jin Pae-cheon was giving Jo Yi-baek a chance to breathe.
By referring to him simply as a member of the society rather than pressing him on whether he was part of the leadership, and by stating that only he and one subordinate knew, Jin was implying that the matter could be covered up—if Jo Yi-baek cooperated.
Jo Yi-baek fell to his knees before the Alliance Leader. "There were things... things I could not avoid."
"I understand. When one leads many people, one often finds themselves walking paths they never desired."
"I do not know what to say in the face of your boundless mercy, Alliance Leader. I am sorry... I am so sorry."
Tears began to stream down his face. They flowed so freely that one would think they couldn't possibly be anything but sincere.
Jin Pae-cheon’s expression as he looked down at him was merely bitter. This was a man he had known for thirty years, yet he had chosen the path of betrayal. Was it the other's fault? Or was it his own fault for making the man feel he had no choice but to leave?
"Just hand over the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society. Then, all of this will become a thing of the past."
Though he didn't say it directly, it was a promise of forgiveness. Jo Yi-baek climbed through the opening he had been given and took a breath.
"That man even recruited my son without my knowledge. That fact alone I can never forgive. I will have a meeting with the Society Leader tomorrow. Please, bring my son to that location."
"You said tomorrow?"
"The Society Leader is not far from here."
This meant the leader of the society was within a day's travel. It was truly a case of the darkness being right under the lamp; the realization was startling.
"You have made a wise decision."
"Then I shall contact you once the arrangements are made. Once again, I thank you for your grace, Alliance Leader."
He bowed deeply and turned away.
With every step he took, Jo Yi-baek's expression began to harden. It held neither warmth nor coldness. Because it was devoid of all emotion, it was impossible to guess what he was thinking, but he was certainly a different person from the man who had just been kneeling and weeping.
A short while after he disappeared, Geom Mu-geuk revealed himself.
"Is it alright to let him go without surveillance?"
"It will be fine."
Geom Mu-geuk actually preferred letting him go free, hoping he would do everything in his power. That way, everything could be settled at once.
"We must keep the possibility of betrayal in mind," Geom Mu-geuk warned. "Asking you to bring his son tomorrow is likely a move to exchange the Society Leader for his son. It means he doesn't fully trust you, Alliance Leader."
"He suspects my heart might change after the Society Leader is captured?"
"If it's only that much suspicion, it's fine. But he might join hands with the Society Leader and set a desperate trap. For now, we should view it as a fifty-fifty chance. Please leave the rest to me."
Whether Jo Yi-baek betrayed them or not, it was a dangerous situation. They were going after a Society Leader whose identity was still a mystery.
"Are you truly saying you will handle this alone?"
"If they harbor ulterior motives, it could be dangerous. It is not a matter for a person of your stature to face alone."
"And it isn't dangerous for you?"
"It was my business from the beginning."
Jin Pae-cheon stared at Geom Mu-geuk for a moment. Surprisingly, a thought occurred to him: How wonderful would it be if Geom Mu-geuk were a martial artist of the Orthodox Faction?
"Do not be too disheartened by that man's betrayal," Geom Mu-geuk said. "He was a villain from the start. He simply stayed by your side while hiding his true self. You acted out of goodwill, while he acted out of malice."
The young man was even offering him comfort. Jin Pae-cheon felt a sudden urge to share a drink with this version of Geom Mu-geuk.
"Would you care for a drink with me?"
Geom Mu-geuk had intended to leave on good terms with the Alliance Leader. He had no reason to refuse a private drink.
"Let us drink here. I will go and buy some."
"I shall wait."
"Is there a particular liquor you prefer?"
"Bring something strong."
Geom Mu-geuk vanished from the spot instantly.
A moment later, Jin Pae-cheon was startled. Geom Mu-geuk had already returned with a bottle in his hand. No matter how exceptional one's light body technique was, there hadn't been enough time to go down the mountain and back.
"Did you bury liquor on the mountain?"
"It has been a while since I've had a drink, so my liquor worm was acting up. My steps were a bit fast."
Previously, when returning from Dongho, he hadn't used his full speed to catch up so as not to wound the Leader's pride, but he saw no reason to intentionally delay today.
"I bought some nice cups as well."
He poured the liquor for him.
Ssssh.
It was then that someone appeared. It was the martial artist who had been constantly hiding in the shadows around Geom Mu-geuk. He had revealed himself for the first time.
"I will check the liquor."
He used a silver needle to check for poison.
Geom Mu-geuk had expected a sharp, angular man, but the guard had a round, warm impression.
I can tell. This man is the one the Alliance Leader trusts most. If his father had Hwi, the Leader had this man.
This loyal subordinate had been around Geom Mu-geuk long enough to know he wasn't the type to poison a drink, yet he allowed not even a hint of negligence when it came to the Leader's safety.
Only after confirming there was no poison did he vanish again.
"He could have at least said hello before leaving," Geom Mu-geuk remarked.
When Geom Mu-geuk expressed his disappointment half-jokingly, Jin Pae-cheon gave a faint smile. "He is a man devoid of flexibility, so please understand."
"I know the type well. The person I like most was once my bodyguard as well."
"Why is he no longer your bodyguard?"
"I forced him away, telling him to stop following someone else's life and to live his own."
Jin Pae-cheon felt a strange emotion at Geom Mu-geuk's words. Because the young man's personality was so unlike a typical demonic practitioner, Jin felt a desire to recruit him, but simultaneously a strange fear. It was a fear that began with the thought: What if this man becomes the Heavenly Demon?
After filling each other's cups, the two men toasted and drank.
"Do you enjoy medicinal liquor?"
"I do not drink often. And you?"
"I drink occasionally."
Drinking after so long made him think of the Drunken Demon. Was he still swimming in that lake, perpetually intoxicated?
In a sense, it was a precarious situation on the eve of a decisive battle, yet the drinking session with the Alliance Leader was calm and peaceful.
Perhaps it was because both men knew well that the great events that change a life cannot be handled through sudden preparation, but are instead the culmination of the days one has lived.
"Is your father well?" the Murim Alliance Leader asked.
"He is well."
"Seeing you makes me want to see Cult Leader Geom. It has been quite a long time."
"I will pass on your words when I return. My father will likely be pleased."
"Hardly. Your father would likely want to kill me."
"And what about you, Alliance Leader?"
"I felt the same until now, but..." After a brief pause, Jin Pae-cheon revealed his honest feelings. "My mind has changed after seeing you."
He felt that when the current Heavenly Demon passed, Geom Mu-geuk would become the next. In fact, for the sake of the Orthodox Murim, perhaps it was better this way. It was a startling thought to have regarding the scion of the Cult.
"How is your relationship with your father?"
"It was awkward, but it has improved greatly recently."
"That is good to hear."
"It got better while playing Go with him. My father learned Go from the Cult's Chief Strategist, so he beats me every time. On the other hand, the strategist I acquired doesn't know how to play Go at all."
"A strategist who cannot play Go?"
"Aha! The same reaction! I must tell my strategist. Even the Murim Alliance Leader had the same reaction!"
Jin Pae-cheon laughed at Geom Mu-geuk's banter.
"I even went hunting in the mountains with my father. We've had drinks at an inn, too. Do you know how the innkeeper reacted when my father walked in?"
Geom Mu-geuk intentionally shared stories of the time he spent with his father. He told them as cheerfully as possible, and Jin Pae-cheon listened with a smile.
Geom Mu-geuk recognized the sadness dwelling within the Alliance Leader's smile. He was a father who had lost a son. While Geom Mu-geuk couldn't dare to guess the depth of that feeling, he knew the man was thinking of his own son right now.
And as always, Geom Mu-geuk was the type of person who believed that wounds of the heart should not be buried.
"Do you think of your son often?"
For a moment, the Alliance Leader flinched. His expression shifted rapidly. Anger, bewilderment, sadness, and longing—all sorts of emotions flickered across his face in a short span of time.
"Occasionally," Jin Pae-cheon said. He said no more and drank. Geom Mu-geuk also asked no more and drank.
Had he ever been asked this question since his son died? Likely not. Who would dare pose such a question to the Murim Alliance Leader?
"Let us go together tomorrow," Jin Pae-cheon suggested.
"No, I will go alone."
"I know you are a master without peer. However, going alone is dangerous."
"If we mobilize the experts of the Murim Alliance, there might be someone among them connected to the Heavenly Mandate Society. If the secret leaks and the Society Leader flees, we may never find him again."
"Then let the two of us go together."
Geom Mu-geuk knew Jin Pae-cheon meant it. He was truly impressed. What other Murim Alliance Leader would offer to go to a place of potential mortal peril alone with the son of the Heavenly Demon?
He felt that as long as Jin Pae-cheon remained strong, the Orthodox Murim would remain strong as well.
"You have a different task to attend to, Alliance Leader."
"What task do you mean?"
"You must prepare for the possibility that the Jinryong Manor Lord betrays us. He is facing a crisis where everything he has built over a lifetime might vanish. You said you would forgive him, but do you think he truly believes those words? If he doesn't, he will mobilize every means at his disposal."
"For example?"
"Because they tried to use Miss Jin by using the marriage as a pretext, we used Jo Sin. We used him a bit more aggressively than they did. So, how will they respond?"
Jin Pae-cheon's expression hardened as a certain scenario occurred to him.
"While you and I are moving together, they might target Miss Jin," Geom Mu-geuk continued. "Since their child was used, they'll feel the urge to make you suffer the same. Since it's a life-or-death choice for them, they'll send an extraordinary master. You must be here. Protect your family."
Seeing the worried look in Jin Pae-cheon's eyes, Geom Mu-geuk raised his cup.
"For once, trust the Demonic Path and leave it to me. No matter how poisonous that evil is, it won't work on us."
Jin Pae-cheon drank with him.
They shared only a single bottle over a short period, but it was better and more memorable than any drinking session he had ever had in his life.
Setting down the final cup, Geom Mu-geuk gave a polite bow.
"I shall offer my farewells in advance today. Until we meet again, please take care of yourself."