Chapter 268: Everyone Seems to Not Know
Chapter 268: Everyone Seems to Not Know
Even when challenged to a duel, Seo Cheong did not back down, remaining rooted to the spot.
He was a man who lived and died by his pride. With Seok Pung and the others watching, he refused to sink to his knees as they had.
Geom Mu-geuk threw the very words Seo Cheong had once spoken back at him.
"You have strong pride? Well, pride is life to a martial artist, after all."
The moment he heard those words, a murderous urge surged within Seo Cheong. He envisioned himself lunging forward and running Geom Mu-geuk through with his sword. In his mind, he cut down every demonic practitioner who dared to rush him. Standing tall, drenched in blood while everyone watched in shock and awe—the mere thought of it was thrilling.
He loathed Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes—clear yet deep, as if they were peering directly into his darkest, most transparent desires.
"How could I dare to trade blows with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?"
No matter how wounded his pride was, he wasn't foolish enough to charge at the Young Cult Leader.
"When someone pleaded like that, did you grant their request?"
At first, Seo Cheong didn't understand what he meant. But soon, he remembered. Not long ago, a man he had crushed in a duel had pleaded in the exact same way. He had begged, saying he was no match, asking for forgiveness just this once.
"Just why are you doing this to me?"
"Didn't that friend of yours already explain the reason?"
"Everything that bastard says is a lie!"
At that, Seok Pung, who was still kneeling, shouted out.
"I know where he buried the bodies!"
Watching Seok Pung try to drag him down with him, Seo Cheong ground his teeth.
"You moronic piece of shit!"
The two glared at each other as if they were ready to kill. Seo Cheong’s gaze shifted back to Geom Mu-geuk.
"They were just unimportant people. A low-ranking martial artist, a passing traveler. I will compensate for everything."
Geom Mu-geuk released his aura and unleashed his Demonic Energy.
In an instant, Seo Cheong felt as if he had plunged into the depths of an unfathomable ocean. The sudden, crushing pressure took his breath away. He tried to resist, but it was futile. The internal energy cultivation he had practiced since childhood, his sword techniques, his mental discipline—none of it mattered.
A scream escaped his lips. He felt as if he were about to be crushed to death or suffocated.
You bastard! Why the hell are you doing this to me?! You must have killed all sorts of people too!
Unable to bear it any longer, Seo Cheong shrieked.
"Please, stop!"
As if it had all been a lie, the Demonic Energy weighing him down vanished.
Seo Cheong opened his eyes, which he had squeezed shut. He saw Geom Mu-geuk’s boots in front of him. In his struggle to endure the pressure, he had unknowingly fallen to his knees.
His face flushed with humiliation as he scrambled to his feet.
Honestly, Seo Cheong couldn't understand. No, he felt wronged. If it were anyone else, perhaps, but shouldn't the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult understand him better? To someone like him, those people should have been even more insignificant.
"I said I’d compensate them. I’ll give their families more money than they could ever hope to see in a lifetime. Wouldn't that make their deaths actually worth something?"
Geom Mu-geuk looked at him and smiled.
Because he didn't know what kind of person Geom Mu-geuk was, Seo Cheong naturally misunderstood that smile. He didn't realize that his fate had already been sealed—either by death or a pain far worse than death.
Right, this is it. No matter how powerful the Demonic Cult is, they can't touch our Heavenly Flower Sect.
His father had told him once: the Heavenly Flower Sect was a proud organization that the Demonic Cult, the Unorthodox Path Alliance, and even the Murim Alliance all wanted on their side.
"Call my father."
"Sure, I'll call him."
Seo Cheong felt relieved at Geom Mu-geuk’s ready agreement.
It’s done. I’m fine. It’s no big deal. Nothing’s going to happen to me just because I killed a few nobodies. That demonic practitioner was just a low-level martial artist anyway.
Thinking it was a stroke of luck that he hadn't killed anyone important, Seo Cheong shook off his fear. As always, everything would be resolved once his father arrived.
Next, Geom Mu-geuk approached Seok Pung.
Still kneeling, Seok Pung trembled in fear as Geom Mu-geuk drew near. He was confused. He couldn't tell if this situation had been caused by the Young Cult Leader, or if the Young Cult Leader had saved him from being killed by Seo Cheong. He didn't know what was what.
"You just go and testify exactly as you did just now."
Seok Pung’s gaze drifted toward Seo Cheong, who was standing further away. Geom Mu-geuk drove the point home.
"Right, you might be tempted to recant your testimony out of fear of the Heavenly Flower Sect. Well, then... who should you be more afraid of?"
Geom Mu-geuk slowly curled his hand into a fist in front of the man's face. The moment his fist clenched tight—
BOOM!
A sound like a clap of thunder erupted from his fist.
"Aaaah!"
Terrified by the thunderous sound right before his eyes, Seok Pung lost his wits. It was a genuine sound of thunder. Thunder coming from a fist? If he were hit by that, his entire body would be turned to dust.
"No, sir! I’ll tell the truth! There are even more evil deeds that bastard committed!"
He believed that if he snitched on all of Seo Cheong’s crimes, he would be able to escape unscathed. Burying bodies together, beating a young man working here so badly he was nearly crippled—he didn't even consider such things as crimes on his part. Geom Mu-geuk didn't bother to shatter that delusion.
"I knew it. You looked smart from the moment I saw you."
Watching this, Seo Cheong snorted.
Try as you might, you can't touch me. If you could have, you would have done it already.
The only ones they could threaten and touch were small fry like the Soya Guild. The sound of thunder only made him more certain.
At Geom Mu-geuk’s signal, the demonic practitioners of the Hunan Branch came forward, suppressed the internal energy of Seo Cheong, Seok Pung, and the others, and led them away.
Seo Cheong shook off the hands of the martial artists trying to grab his arms.
"I can walk on my own!"
Seo Cheong remained defiant until the very end.
Because he acted so confidently, the expressions of the others being dragged away relaxed slightly. After being paralyzed with fear, seeing that they were being taken away without being harmed made them think, 'This isn't so bad after all.' They were completely oblivious.
Once again, only Geom Mu-geuk and his guards remained in the empty banquet hall. Jeok-yeon spoke to Geom Mu-geuk.
"You resolved it without even lifting a finger."
"Didn't I tell you? This isn't a big deal."
"I thought you would crush Seo Cheong in a duel."
"His father is coming to see him. How could I do that?"
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk was thinking of two fathers.
This matter had begun with the father of Hae-jin, who had been assaulted here, and it would end with the father of Seo Cheong, the one who had committed the assault.
"Let's see how this father reacts."
*
Seo Baek-jung, the leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect, was in the middle of a meeting.
With a piercing gaze and a cold impression, he was a self-made man who had raised the Heavenly Flower Sect from a minor local sect to the greatest power in Hunan. Having spent his entire life chasing success, he was working hard even today to make his sect even stronger.
Just then, his right-hand man, Yu Maeng, rushed in and reported via Voice Transmission.
— The Young Master has been taken into custody by the Hunan Branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Seo Baek-jung showed no reaction to Yu Maeng’s report.
— Wait until the meeting is over.
Seo Baek-jung remained calm despite the news that his son had been captured. He finished the meeting to the very end. There was so little change in his emotions that it was hard to believe he had even received the report.
Only after the meeting ended and everyone else had been dismissed did he finally ask.
"Was it the Young Cult Leader who took him?"
"Yes, so I am told."
Rumors that Yeo So-gwang was dead and that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was staying at the branch had spread far and wide throughout the Hunan region.
"Did he take him knowing he was my son?"
"He did."
For a brief moment, an irrepressible flicker of annoyance crossed Seo Baek-jung’s eyes.
"How did this happen?"
Yu Maeng reported cautiously.
"It appears the Young Master committed a murder."
Seo Baek-jung wasn't surprised at all. It was impossible to tell if he had already known or if he simply didn't care about such a trivial matter.
"Who did he kill?"
"Several people, but the problem is that one of them seems to have been a martial artist from the Demonic Cult's Hunan Branch."
"Foolish boy!"
He wasn't calling him foolish for killing. He was angry that his son had killed someone and failed to clean up the mess properly.
"Since it was revealed in front of everyone, it won't be easy to hush this up."
"But why was he taken to the Demonic Cult?"
"The Young Cult Leader happened to be at the scene."
"Did my son invite him?"
"That hasn't been confirmed yet. What we do know is that a fight broke out with Young Master Seok of the Soya Guild during a banquet, and it seems Young Master Seok let everything slip in the process."
Yu Maeng was always amazed by Seo Baek-jung’s composure. Even with his son captured by the Demonic Cult, he did not react emotionally. One would expect him to show rage or murderous intent toward Seok Pung, but he showed no such sign.
What was even more remarkable was that he would remember every detail buried beneath this calm and eventually take his revenge. Once this matter was settled, Seok Pung would certainly not be safe.
"Prepare the carriage."
*
"I greet the Young Cult Leader."
Seo Baek-jung bowed politely to Geom Mu-geuk.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sect Leader."
Seo Baek-jung was inwardly surprised by Geom Mu-geuk’s appearance. First, he was surprised by how young he was, and second, by his exceptionally handsome features.
"I did not know the Young Cult Leader was such a handsome man."
"I hear that often. Fortunately, I don't take after my father."
At the mention of the Heavenly Demon, Seo Baek-jung felt a surge of tension.
"The Cult Leader would be saddened to hear that."
"Actually, if I looked like my father, life would be much easier. You wouldn't be able to treat me with such ease, Sect Leader."
"It seems I have committed a discourtesy upon our first meeting."
"No, please don't misunderstand. I prefer being at ease."
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly.
Seo Baek-jung sensed that the Young Cult Leader was no pushover. By throwing out such a comment before the conversation even began, he made the other party feel uncomfortable, naturally seizing the initiative and gaining the upper hand.
He’s quite something.
Then again, one shouldn't underestimate the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, no matter how young he was.
"I heard my son has caused some trouble."
"I wish I could have met you under better circumstances."
"It is my failing. I have been so busy that I neglected my son's education."
Seo Baek-jung stood up and offered a respectful fist salute. It was an apology intended to prompt the other to stand up as well, say it was fine, and that such things happen when one is young—but Geom Mu-geuk remained seated. He even said this:
"So it seems."
Seo Baek-jung bowed his head politely once more.
Look at this brat.
Though he felt slighted, his tone became even more humble.
"As you know, our Heavenly Flower Sect is the preeminent sect in Hunan. We have the most members and the most experts."
After flaunting his power like that, he apologized once more.
"Because of that, I was unable to look after my own household. I ask for your understanding and leniency."
"I would like to do that, but his crimes are too great, which makes it difficult."
"There is much my sect can do for yours. We will spend a lifetime atoning for his sins while assisting you."
He was speaking in circles, but the message was clear: he was offering money. Since he had resolved most serious problems in his life with either money or the blade, he was trying to use money again. He couldn't exactly use a blade against the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
In the end, isn't it money you want? How much? Two hundred thousand taels? Three hundred thousand?
Then, Geom Mu-geuk said something unexpected.
"I believe you’ve already done plenty of that with Unit Leader Yeo."
At the mention of the deceased Yeo So-gwang, Seo Baek-jung flinched.
So this was it.
Now Seo Baek-jung understood. Surely his son wasn't the only one in the world who had committed a crime. The reason they had specifically seized his son was to pressure him into revealing his dealings with Yeo So-gwang.
He’s not asking for a hundred or two hundred thousand taels; he wants me to cough up millions!
He did not understand Geom Mu-geuk’s true intentions. Even if told, he wouldn't have understood. That this had started for the sake of a child serving wine in a banquet hall, and that the matter regarding Yeo So-gwang was an example being made to establish discipline within the Demonic Cult's branch. Even if he were told the truth, he would have suspected some other hidden motive.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean."
"Whenever things get like this, everyone says the same thing..."
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly and added:
"Everyone seems to not know."
Their gazes locked in mid-air. Seo Baek-jung realized this wasn't a problem that could be solved this way. The other party wanted something he could not give.
"I have taken up too much of a busy man's time. I shall take my leave for today."
After a polite fist salute, Seo Baek-jung left the room. Once he was gone, Jeok-yeon entered.
Geom Mu-geuk said to him, "I should have given that Seo Cheong fellow a good thrashing."
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
"He’s leaving without even seeing his son's face."
"Isn't it because he's angry?"
Geom Mu-geuk stood up and walked to the window.
"No. It's because he didn't come here for his son."
No matter how angry or hateful one might be, if a son was captured by the Demonic Cult, a father should at least check his face to see if he was hurt. But right now, Seo Baek-jung’s mind was entirely occupied with how to deal with Geom Mu-geuk from here on out.
You two aren't looking at each other either. You really aren't looking at each other at all.
He could see Seo Baek-jung walking away in the distance.
"If he had come as a father, my fight would have been much harder."
Just then, Seo Baek-jung paused and looked back toward the window. Geom Mu-geuk waved from the window. Seo Baek-jung bowed politely and turned away.
"Instead of this meaningless greeting, you should have met your son."
Whether to scold him, beat him, or promise to save him. He should have met his son. Then again, if they had that kind of father-son relationship, perhaps this would never have happened in the first place.
*
Late at night, Seo Baek-jung sat alone by the river, fishing. Through the thick mist, the sound of footsteps approached.
Step, step.
The footsteps were steady and rhythmic, sounding as if the person would walk exactly like that no matter what happened in the world. A man emerged from the fog. His face was hidden deep beneath a bamboo hat, but he exuded a strange, unsettling presence.
Looking out at the lake where his fishing line was cast, Seo Baek-jung spoke.
"My son has been taken by the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult."
He had mentioned the Demonic Cult and the Young Cult Leader. Even though those two terms combined to form the most dangerous phrase in the Murim, the man in the bamboo hat answered without hesitation.
"We will take care of it."
The man disappeared back into the mist, his footsteps sounding exactly as they had when he arrived.