Chapter 204: You Should Be the Ones to Endure
Chapter 204: You Should Be the Ones to Endure
When Geom Mu-geuk released the 1st Immortal’s mute acupoint, money that hadn't existed a moment ago suddenly materialized.
“I… I forgot. I have some funds stashed away in a separate account at the Continental Bank.”
“How much?”
“About four hundred thousand taels.”
“You’ve certainly been busy, haven't you?”
The 1st Immortal also revealed the code phrase for the Continental Bank. Go Wol made sure to note it down immediately.
Adding the four hundred thousand taels the 1st Immortal had hidden to the eight hundred thousand taels from the Immortal’s Debt funds, they had already secured 1.2 million taels. At that revelation, the 2nd Immortal’s eyes bulged with fury.
It was the 2nd Immortal’s turn to speak.
“You pocketed four hundred thousand for yourself while tossing us a measly fifty thousand all this time?”
Far from looking apologetic, the 1st Immortal looked ready to snap back, but he couldn't utter a sound because his mute acupoint had been resealed.
“The 1st Immortal has even more assets. I know for a fact he bought gold and hid it!”
The 1st Immortal couldn't hide his dismay. It seemed he had intended to feign ignorance about that gold until the very end. When the 2nd Immortal tried to score points by exposing the gold, the 1st Immortal blinked his eyes irritably. A silent war of frantic blinking began between the two.
It was the 1st Immortal’s turn again.
“I was just about to mention the gold! The credit for it is mine!”
“Too late for that. If you feel wronged, you should have taken better care of your secrets. Who knows, the 2nd Immortal might try to take credit for the rest of your assets too.”
The 1st Immortal completely gave up on his wealth. His only thought now was that as long as he survived, he could always gather more money later.
“I have some land I purchased.”
“How many acres?”
“Quite a bit.”
In truth, Geom Mu-geuk had started this interrogation to gain information rather than wealth, but the two men were completely misunderstanding the situation. From Geom Mu-geuk’s perspective, it was a welcome turn of events.
Meanwhile, the more of the 1st Immortal’s assets were revealed, the more the 2nd Immortal’s sense of betrayal festered.
“Brothers? You son of a bitch! You were hoarding it all for yourself!”
Actually, he had always suspected some skimming off the top. What truly enraged him was that it had been done without a single word to the rest of them.
When it was his turn, the 1st Immortal retorted.
“Don't you realize that the fifty thousand taels you earned in the first place was thanks to me? If it weren't for me, you would’ve been stabbed to death in some gambling den by now. Pah!”
The relationship had been forged through loyalty, but it crumbled in an instant.
In that manner, the two revealed all the assets of the deceased 3rd and 4th Immortals as well. Their only thought was to somehow get on Geom Mu-geuk’s good side and survive. The 2nd Immortal even harbored a burning desire for revenge, wanting to ensure the 1st Immortal died even if he did.
When there were no more assets left to reveal, Geom Mu-geuk pressed their acupoints. The two men, who had been hurling insults at each other whenever they had the chance, fell into a deep sleep.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to Go Wol.
“Tomorrow morning, take these two and hit the banks. Recover every last asset.”
“Yes, I understand.”
He intended to keep them alive until then. There was always a chance the 1st Immortal had provided the wrong code phrases.
Geom Mu-geuk then made a request to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“Please assist Strategist Go tomorrow.”
“I will.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded readily.
“I thought you’d give me a piece of your mind for squeezing money out of scum like this.”
“Do you have any idea how much trouble Go Wol and I go through because we lack that squeezed money?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn't say that to take credit. I meant that the villains' money is finally being put to good use.”
It seemed that once the funds from the Immortal’s Debt were injected, the task of organizing the information network would be mostly complete.
“I heard from Go Wol what kind of bastards they are,” the Cult Leader added. “Why let them sleep? Hang them by their heels!”
“Understood. I’ll start pulling their fingernails out once they wake up.”
Of course, it was a joke. For any evil, the end was always the gift of death. That was Geom Mu-geuk’s ironclad rule. It wasn't for their sake, but for his own peace of mind.
After finishing his conversation with the Pungcheon Cult Leader, Geom Mu-geuk approached the Fist Demon. The man was staring up at the moon, seemingly indifferent to the business at hand.
Geom Mu-geuk stood beside him and looked up at the moon as well.
“Do you know what I felt during this trip?” the Fist Demon asked. “I’ve lived a life too buried in martial arts. I’ve spent my whole life training, and my whole life fighting.”
Geom Mu-geuk had once said something similar to Lee An. He had told her not to live a life of nothing but training. The Fist Demon was feeling that same regret now.
“I realized just a moment ago. This is the first time I’ve looked up at the moon for this long. Does that make any sense? To have lived a whole life and never looked at the moon for even fifteen minutes.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze remained fixed on the silver orb.
“You should start enjoying life from now on.”
“I intend to.”
If he could keep that word—if the Fist Demon could take a step back from the obsession with martial arts—then perhaps he really could shatter the cliff. For martial arts to change, one's life had to change first.
*
The next day, Go Wol went around the banks with the Pungcheon Cult Leader, dragging the 1st and 2nd Immortals with them. The code phrases they had provided were accurate. They recovered the cash, the deposited gold, and liquidated all other assets.
The 1st Immortal had gathered this vast wealth in just a few years. It was a grim testament to how many victims he had bled dry.
The 1st and 2nd Immortals tried to say anything to get on Go Wol’s good side, but Go Wol didn't entertain a single word. Instead, the one who spoke to them was the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
Of course, he only said things they didn't want to hear—like how they would rot in the most painful depths of hell, or how he had placed a bet on which of the two would die first—so they eventually pretended not to hear him.
Once the assets were settled, Geom Mu-geuk sat the two down before him again.
“Now, shall we talk about the Mastermind?”
The 1st Immortal believed his life or death depended entirely on this answer.
I can't tell him everything! But I can't look like I'm hiding anything either!
That was the key. The problem was that he didn't actually know much about the Mastermind.
How can I spin this to survive?
The 1st Immortal glanced at the 2nd Immortal beside him. Since that guy knew nothing at all, he thought he had to be the one to score points here.
I can live. I’ve surrendered a fortune, and if I provide information about the Mastermind, I’ll live!
The 1st Immortal took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“I only saw the Mastermind once.”
“When?”
“It was when I first joined hands with him.”
“Do you know who he is?”
“I don't. There was a screen between us, so I couldn't see his face. But I could tell one thing for sure. Judging by his voice, he was a man of considerable age.”
“So I have to go looking for a man of 'considerable age.' I wonder how many of those there are in this world?”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s mockery, the 1st Immortal panicked and quickly added, “The ones the Fist Demon killed yesterday were the Eight Hands of the Ghost Sword. There’s no way the Eight Hands would move just for money, so the Mastermind isn't just someone with wealth. He’s definitely the leader of a large sect or someone with great power.”
Just then, the 2nd Immortal blinked his eyes frantically.
The 1st Immortal said quickly, “There’s no need to release his mute acupoint. That guy knows nothing about the Mastermind.”
“He says so, but what should I do? Do you have better information?”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s words, the 2nd Immortal blinked even faster.
Geom Mu-geuk sealed the 1st Immortal’s mute acupoint and released the 2nd Immortal’s. Then, words that exceeded all expectations flowed from the 2nd Immortal.
“I’ve actually spoken with that person directly. In a place without a screen.”
At that, the 1st Immortal, whose mute acupoint was sealed, blinked and made muffled groaning noises. It was a violent signal that everything being said was a lie.
“Tell me in detail.”
“It was the very day the 1st Immortal met him. I was waiting for him to come out, sitting on the driver's seat of the carriage parked in the manor's courtyard. After a while, the Mastermind came out first. But as he climbed into the carriage, I saw him bow his head slightly to the coachman. It was clearly a gesture of respect.”
The 1st Immortal was struggling and groaning so much that Geom Mu-geuk released his mute acupoint as well.
“That’s a lie! Why would the Mastermind bow to a coachman?”
“It’s the truth. I saw it clearly.”
The room became noisy as both were able to speak at once.
“He’s making it up! If such a thing had happened, he would have told me then. Why didn't you say anything?”
“And say what? That you were being fooled by a subordinate like an idiot? That the real Mastermind seemed to be the coachman? What do you think you would’ve done? You would’ve beaten me half to death, telling me not to talk bullshit. Wouldn't you?”
The 1st Immortal couldn't refute it. Because that was exactly what he would have done.
“You bastard! Where do you get off pulling this stunt? Do you want to live that cravenly?”
“Craven? Where did that word come from? Was it born from your own filthy heart?”
Geom Mu-geuk signaled for the 1st Immortal to be quiet and then spoke to the 2nd Immortal.
“Continue.”
“I even talked to that coachman while I was waiting. He was an ordinary-looking man. He had a round, friendly impression, and—ah! He had a tattoo on his chest. I saw it by chance when he leaned over.”
“What kind of tattoo?”
“It was a golden pig. It was so strange to see a pig engraved on a person's body that the image is still vivid in my mind!”
Thinking he was providing a final piece of vital information, the 1st Immortal stepped in.
“This guy is a professional liar. Don't believe him. He’s doing all sorts of shit just to live…”
Crack!
The 1st Immortal, who had been kneeling in front of the 2nd Immortal, vanished. His face crushed by a single strike, he tumbled away, a corpse.
The startled 2nd Immortal looked at Geom Mu-geuk. His shock soon turned to twisted joy.
“I… I survived!”
He was overjoyed, feeling as if he could fly.
“Since that bastard was clearly the worse of the two, it’s only right that you die second.”
For a moment, the 2nd Immortal flinched. Did "dying later" mean later in life, when he was old? But it wasn't. Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes were cold as ice.
“Please spare me!”
“The four of you committed acts for which you could never be allowed to live. Be satisfied that I’m sending you off peacefully.”
“Keep your promise! You son of a bitch! Who the hell are you? Who are you to—”
Crack!
The 2nd Immortal flew to where the 1st Immortal lay and breathed his last.
Geom Mu-geuk didn't hesitate for a second in eliminating them. He didn't hope for their reformation, nor did he grant them the grand significance of knowing they died at the hands of the 2nd Young Master of the Demonic Cult.
When he turned around, the Fist Demon was walking toward him.
“Weren't you planning to dig up the masterminds?”
“I was.”
“But is it okay to kill them all?”
“I’ve found out who’s behind this.”
A round build, a golden pig tattoo on the chest. It was someone he knew well from before his regression. Sometimes a coachman, sometimes a construction worker, sometimes a waiter at a tavern. He enjoyed hiding his identity. And at the same time, he was an extremely greedy individual.
“I’ll need Father’s permission to kill him.”
The Fist Demon was surprised by Geom Mu-geuk’s words.
“Just who is it?”
A name flowed from Geom Mu-geuk’s lips.
“It’s Ji-saeng.”
The Fist Demon immediately thought of the man.
“Surely not? That Golden Pig of the Unorthodox Path Alliance?”
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“That man is behind this?”
The Fist Demon’s expression hardened. It wasn't because the opponent was Ji-saeng. It wasn't because the opponent belonged to the Unorthodox Path Alliance. It was because Ji-saeng was the loyal servant of one particular person.
The person most favored by the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader and the head of the Extreme Blade Corps—the most elite organization of the Alliance that took orders only from the Leader himself.
The second-in-command of the Unorthodox Path Alliance, Ya Yul-han.
Ji-saeng was one of the four limbs Ya Yul-han cherished most. Those subordinates had each engraved a tattoo on their chests as they swore their loyalty; Ji-saeng had engraved a golden pig, vowing to bring in a never-ending stream of money.
“That money was ultimately going to Ya Yul-han.”
Geom Mu-geuk felt that fate had led him here. It wasn't just because of this incident.
Ya Yul-han.
He was someone’s mortal enemy. A person with a deep connection to Geom Mu-geuk as well—the Demon Doctor.
When the Demon Doctor had performed the New Eye Technique on him, the person he had asked Geom Mu-geuk to kill someday was Ya Yul-han. Though he hadn't mentioned the name directly yet, Geom Mu-geuk already knew.
Ya Yul-han had slaughtered the Demon Doctor’s family right before his eyes. Since that day, the Demon Doctor had lived for the sole purpose of killing Ya Yul-han. When he heard the Demon Doctor’s request, Geom Mu-geuk had vowed to move once he had the strength. He felt the time had come.
The Fist Demon noticed that Geom Mu-geuk had no intention of backing down.
“Not Ya Yul-han!”
“Why not?”
“If you touch him the wrong way, a war could break out.”
“A war won't happen. Though there will be an uproar and a mess.”
“You’re serious.”
In the past, the Demon Doctor had asked his father to kill him, but his father had refused. Ya Yul-han, who enjoyed the absolute trust of the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, was a figure who meant more than just a villain of the Unorthodox Faction.
“I consider the mastermind behind this to be the most vicious of all,” Geom Mu-geuk said. “Because he hid in the darkness and used pawns like the 1st Immortal to suck the lifeblood out of young people until they died. In a few days, it will be reported to Ji-saeng that the Immortals are all dead. Then Ji-saeng will just create other Immortals and repeat the same thing. Even if Ji-saeng dies, another Ji-saeng will take his place.”
These were the ones. This was the Absolute Evil Geom Mu-geuk thought of. An evil that even the Orthodox Faction couldn't touch, and that ordinary people couldn't even get close to.
Once, his father had asked him: What do you think the Demonic Path is?
He had answered: I believe it is our Cult’s unique conviction to strike down Absolute Evil.
That catching the great evils that even the Orthodox Faction could do nothing about was the Demonic Path he envisioned. That those evils should tremble at the mere mention of the Demonic Cult. That was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult he wanted to create.
“An ordinary person would have to step back, saying there’s nothing they can do. They would have to endure. But we aren't ordinary people, are we? We don't have to endure. The reason I trained and worked myself to death was so I wouldn't have to endure at times like this. Why should we be the ones to endure? They should be the ones to suffer. We should be the ones telling them to stop their bullshit and stop tormenting people.”
The Fist Demon stared at Geom Mu-geuk in silence. Geom Mu-geuk stared back at him without a word.
Given his personality, the Fist Demon was the person this persuasion would work best on, yet given his relationship with the Cult Leader, he was also the one it would least likely work on.
Finally, breaking the long silence, the Fist Demon announced the end of their journey.
“Let’s return to the Cult. This slacker’s trip ends here.”
The journey that had begun so suddenly ended just as abruptly. But it was too early for disappointment. As he turned his broad back, the Fist Demon added words Geom Mu-geuk hadn't expected.
“To get the Cult Leader’s permission, every last one of the Demon Lords will have to step forward.”