Chapter 274: Not the Great Orthodox-Unorthodox War, but the Great Demonic-Orthodox War
Chapter 274: Not the Great Orthodox-Unorthodox War, but the Great Demonic-Orthodox War
Becoming the Murim Alliance Leader had been Jin Ha-gun’s lifelong obsession.
He had grown up in his grandfather’s shadow since childhood. The words he heard most often from those around him were always the same:
“You must follow in your grandfather’s footsteps.”
Naturally, he had assumed that becoming the Murim Alliance Leader was his birthright, an inevitable destination once he reached adulthood. However, his grandfather had upended those expectations by announcing that he would pass the position to whoever possessed the necessary ability and character, regardless of bloodline.
So, Jin Ha-gun worked hard—and then he worked harder. Becoming the Murim Alliance Leader was his entire life. He couldn't even fathom an existence where he failed to achieve that goal.
And yet, what? Was he being told that he was giving up on that dream himself?
It was the most shocking thing Jin Ha-gun had heard in his entire life.
Seeing Jin Ha-gun’s expression stiffen, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon exchanged a knowing glance. They could tell that Geom Mu-geuk had sent a Voice Transmission. Having been on the receiving end of the Young Cult Leader’s silver tongue themselves, they could guess exactly what kind of mental state Jin Ha-gun was spiraling into.
Bi Sa-in, sitting across from them, also noted that look.
‘No!’
Of course, Bi Sa-in had the decorum not to cut in and interrupt their silent conversation. However, the desperate Seo Baek-jung possessed no such etiquette.
Seo Baek-jung sent a frantic Voice Transmission to Jin Ha-gun.
— What on earth are you two discussing?
He knew he shouldn't intrude, but Jin Ha-gun’s expression was far from ordinary.
— Wait a moment.
At that curt reply, Seo Baek-jung instinctively felt that something was going horribly wrong. Jin Ha-gun told him to wait, but the Sect Leader couldn't help himself.
— If the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult is trying some sort of trick, you must not fall for it!
At Seo Baek-jung’s interference, Jin Ha-gun shot him a look of pure ice. His aura as the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad—the elite vanguard of the Murim Alliance—completely overwhelmed Seo Baek-jung.
Faced with such a sharp reaction, Seo Baek-jung was forced into silence. He had a terrible feeling. His gaze shifted toward Geom Mu-geuk. From the moment they first met, the man had proven to be a formidable opponent. Could Jin Ha-gun truly handle him? Seo Baek-jung sensed that a dangerous variable had emerged.
Jin Ha-gun sent a Voice Transmission back to Geom Mu-geuk.
— Giving up on the position of Alliance Leader myself? What do you mean by that?
He tried his best to remain calm, but his voice trembled through the mental link.
— It means that if you take the Heavenly Flower Sect under your wing, you will never obtain the position of Murim Alliance Leader.
Jin Ha-gun’s heart, which he had struggled to steady, began to race again. The title of Murim Alliance Leader was his greatest weakness.
This is a cheap trick. I must not fall for it. Jin Ha-gun downed the liquor in front of him. After composing himself, he asked coldly.
— Tell me why.
Geom Mu-geuk did not answer immediately. Everyone at the table focused on the two of them. They all felt it—a pivotal conversation was taking place in the silence between them.
The Sword Line sent a Voice Transmission to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
— As long as I am here, you had better not try any futile tricks.
It seemed the Sword Line felt the growing unease. As high-level masters, they could sense the shift in the atmosphere just by the change in the surrounding air currents.
— This is an era where old men cannot interfere even if they want to. We have no choice but to watch, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied.
The Sword Line spoke with stubborn conviction. — One must interfere when the time is right.
The two certainly shared similar streaks of stubbornness.
— Is that why the Main Cult cannot strike the Orthodox Faction?
It was a compliment that acknowledged the Sword Line’s strength—implying the Cult stayed its hand because of his presence—so the Sword Line allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
— Why are you sacrificing yourself to this extent when the juniors won't even be grateful?
— It is not a sacrifice; it is living a righteous life.
— You should try living your own life for once.
If anyone else had said that, a thunderous scolding would have followed. But the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was an exception.
— What is the point now... I have lived this way my whole life. How could that change so easily?
— It can change.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s gaze naturally drifted toward Geom Mu-geuk. Wondering what those last words meant, the Sword Line also turned his attention toward the silent exchange between Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun.
At that moment, Jin Ha-gun was pressing Geom Mu-geuk for an answer.
— I told you to tell me the reason!
Geom Mu-geuk stared straight at him and replied.
— You already know the reason, don't you?
The moment he heard those words, Jin Ha-gun’s heart sank. Geom Mu-geuk had begun to dig up the very thing he had tried so hard to bury and ignore.
Jin Ha-gun’s gaze passed Geom Mu-geuk and landed on someone sitting further away: Seo Cheong.
He was a man who had murdered innocent people. Jin Ha-gun had been agonizing over how to deal with him. Even when Seo Baek-jung first introduced his son, the reason Jin Ha-gun hadn't offered a single friendly word was because of that internal struggle.
— What do you mean?
Jin Ha-gun regretted the question the moment it left his mind. He was feigning ignorance, desperately hoping it might be some other reason.
Damn it.
Even if it were another reason, he shouldn't have asked. To think that he, who dreamed of leading the Murim Alliance, was pretending not to know the truth just to avoid the consequences?
And as if to mock his desperate hope, Geom Mu-geuk struck exactly at his weakness.
— I am talking about Seo Cheong.
Jin Ha-gun grit his teeth. Get a grip! Don't let him lead you by the nose. Unfortunately, his opponent was not someone against whom mere resolve would work.
— Didn't you come here knowing exactly what crimes he committed?
— I... Jin Ha-gun replied, struggling to maintain his composure. — I intended to decide his punishment once the matter with the Heavenly Flower Sect was concluded.
— Punish him later? After a brief, heavy pause, Geom Mu-geuk asked, — Isn't that something you, of all people, shouldn't do?
Geom Mu-geuk’s words flew like a dagger and pierced him. Those were the words Jin Ha-gun should have been saying to others.
“You Demonic Cultists, you Unorthodox bastards—isn't that something you shouldn't do?”
Geom Mu-geuk could feel Jin Ha-gun’s agitation. That was why there was hope. The boy was still young. He still had much to learn and experience. If he was someone who still knew how to feel shame, then he was salvageable. The "cringing at one's past" that young people do is a sign of a conscience.
Geom Mu-geuk’s Voice Transmission continued.
— The moment you accept the Heavenly Flower Sect, you will fail the test your grandfather, the Alliance Leader, has set for you.
— A test? The word snapped Jin Ha-gun to attention.
— That’s right. This is the Alliance Leader’s test.
— How would you know that?
— Because I’ve met your grandfather.
— Are you telling me, his own grandson, that you know this because you’ve met him a few times?
— Correct. You’ve likely met him incomparably more than I have. However, Captain Jin... Geom Mu-geuk stared straight into his eyes. — Have you ever truly looked your grandfather in the eye?
Jin Ha-gun flinched. Had he looked his grandfather in the eye?
Of course I have.
But the words didn't come out. His grandfather... was someone far too daunting for him to face directly.
— What are you trying to say? Jin Ha-gun’s voice rose slightly. His composure was shattered; he was becoming visibly agitated.
— I’m saying that sometimes, because someone is close to you, you fail to see them clearly. At least, that was the case for me.
Geom Mu-geuk shared his honest feelings. He knew that no matter how much verbal trickery one used, in the end, only sincerity could move another person’s heart.
— Until recently, I couldn't see my father properly. I couldn't see him because I was afraid, and I couldn't see him because he was someone I could see at any time. It’s only recently that I’ve tried to look at him for who he really is. That’s why I said that. Even if you see someone a thousand times, if you don't look properly, you might know less than someone who has seen them only once.
Their gazes locked in mid-air.
Jin Ha-gun could not deny Geom Mu-geuk’s words. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to believe them blindly either. He feared that his grandfather might not be thinking that way at all, and that he was simply falling for a Demonic Cult scheme. He was lost in confusion.
— I suspect you. How can I be sure these words aren't just a trick to take the Heavenly Flower Sect for yourself?
Then, Geom Mu-geuk struck home once again.
— If that’s the case, why are you looking at me?
— What do you mean?
— If you have doubts, you should look at your grandfather. Shouldn't you find the answer there?
— !
Suddenly, Jin Ha-gun remembered the day he went to say goodbye to his grandfather before leaving for this mission.
Come to think of it, his grandfather hadn't said a single word about the Heavenly Flower Sect. He hadn't said they must obtain it, nor how he should conduct himself.
He had simply told him to have a safe trip. That look in his eyes as he watched him go...
Was that a look that would be pleased to gain the Heavenly Flower Sect while failing to punish the unjust?
No.
Perhaps Jin Ha-gun had known all along. He had simply tried his best to ignore it because his master had proposed this for his sake. Or perhaps his master had merely said the words he himself had wanted to hear?
“Let’s achieve a great feat and secure the succession!”
Jin Ha-gun’s face flushed hot. No matter how much he pretended not to know, no matter how much he blamed his master, he knew the truth. He had done it because he wanted to.
— The person who connected you with the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect does not want you to become the Alliance Leader.
Jin Ha-gun’s expression froze instantly.
Through that reaction, Geom Mu-geuk was able to confirm one fact.
‘It’s someone close to Jin Ha-gun.’
It was definitely someone closer to Jin Ha-gun than Seo Baek-jung.
Jin Ha-gun trusted his master. He respected and followed him more than anyone else. His master had proposed this task specifically to help him become the Alliance Leader.
‘I must trust Master! I can't let him drive a wedge between us!’
Bi Sa-in was watching Jin Ha-gun’s expression change by the second. What on earth had been said to throw the stoic Jin Ha-gun into such a state of passion?
Then again, the answer was obvious if he thought about himself—about how his own emotions had changed since meeting Geom Mu-geuk. In truth, what was happening at this drinking table was not the Great Orthodox-Unorthodox War, but the Great Demonic-Orthodox War.
Bi Sa-in sent a Voice Transmission to Geom Mu-geuk.
— You truly are the greatest villain in this Murim!
— The transmissions are getting tangled, so talk to me later!
— I refuse! I hope they get tangled so you misunderstand everything.
Bi Sa-in was surprised that he was even saying such things. He never knew he was the kind of person who could joke like this. He had thought that with his hideous scar, he would never be able to have a sincere conversation with anyone again.
Meanwhile, Seo Cheong sent a Voice Transmission to Seo Baek-jung.
— Why is it so quiet?
— They are conversing via Voice Transmission.
— I will get my revenge on that Young Cult Leader someday. Father, please get revenge for me!
Seo Baek-jung found his son, who couldn't even read the room, pathetic. He didn't even say he would get revenge himself; he asked his father to do it. Compared to the three successors before him, Seo Cheong was even more pitiful.
But in the end, it was his own responsibility for raising him this way.
— Do not act rashly. Stay quiet.
He had thought that the position would make the man—that if he built a great foundation and handed it over, his son would become a person worthy of it. It was a naive thought. The effort required to raise a child was greater than all the effort he had put into growing the Heavenly Flower Sect.
The price of evading that responsibility was speaking right in front of him.
— Just in case, should I quietly run away?
Seo Baek-jung replied with a heavy sigh. — It’s already too late. Just stay still.
In the meantime, the Voice Transmission between Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun continued.
— Fine, let’s say you’re right. Then why are you telling me this? Is it just to take the Heavenly Flower Sect?
— Of course that’s part of it, but there is a greater reason.
— What is it?
— Because I want you to be a man of principle.
A cold aura radiated from Jin Ha-gun’s body. He didn't want to hear talk of principles from a Demonic Cultist.
As his momentum stirred, the people around them tensed up instantly. The Demon Extermination Squad circulated their internal energy, while the Heavenly Demon Hall Guards and the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path raised their auras in response.
In contrast, Geom Mu-geuk remained perfectly calm.
— Later, when you and I become the Cult Leader and the Alliance Leader, the lives of thousands—tens of thousands—will depend on our decisions. At that time, I hope we do not make the wrong choices. Not you, not me, and not Young Alliance Leader Bi over there. I hope we can be people who uphold our principles.
The aura radiating from Jin Ha-gun subsided. He could feel it. Geom Mu-geuk was speaking from the heart. His eyes were saying: Become a good Alliance Leader. So that in our era, we don't have to go to war.
‘I lost.’
That was the single thought that surfaced in Jin Ha-gun’s mind.
Whether Geom Mu-geuk’s words were a lie or the truth, it was a total defeat. He had to admit it. Whether Geom Mu-geuk was a swindler or a true Demonic Hero, he was, at the very least, a man superior to himself. He was someone he could not handle.
‘I must work harder. Ten times, a hundred times harder than now!’
So that one day, when he became the Alliance Leader, he wouldn't lose the Murim Alliance to the man before him.
Jin Ha-gun spoke calmly.
— I will become a man of principle. Not because you want me to, but because that is the kind of person I’ve always wanted to be.
— I believe you will.
— Are you mocking me?
— Mockery should be reserved for a bastard like Seo Cheong over there. Or for Seo Baek-jung, who tries to protect such a son just because he’s his own. Isn't that why we exist? If not for us, who could restrain the child of a giant sect like the Heavenly Flower Sect?
— You really are...
It was a total defeat to the very end.
Jin Ha-gun’s gaze suddenly turned toward Bi Sa-in, who was sitting opposite him. Their eyes met. He hadn't even realized Bi Sa-in had been watching him because he had been so absorbed in Geom Mu-geuk.
Without a word, Bi Sa-in poured liquor into Jin Ha-gun’s empty glass. The feeling was different from when he had provocatively sat across from him at first.
Jin Ha-gun drank the liquor Bi Sa-in had poured. To think that liquor poured by an Unorthodox successor could be such a comfort.
Bi Sa-in wasn't the only one whose feeling had changed. Seo Baek-jung was staring at Jin Ha-gun with a strange, desperate look in his eyes. It was as if his gaze was asking: ‘Surely you aren't going to fall for that Demonic Cultist’s words and wash your hands of us?’
Right then, Geom Mu-geuk’s Voice Transmission arrived.
— Are you worried about your promise to the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect?
He was incredibly quick-witted. Yes, Jin Ha-gun was worried. Until just a moment ago, he had boasted that they should trust only him, and now he found it hard to open his mouth and say, “I’ve changed my mind.” Moreover, with so many people watching, it was even harder to back down.
— I’ll resolve it so you won't be in a difficult position. Is that alright?
The word "no" almost rose to Jin Ha-gun’s throat. He didn't want to be swayed by Geom Mu-geuk any further. However, he had to wash his hands of the Heavenly Flower Sect. Only then would he have something to say to his grandfather when he returned.
Just how on earth was he going to resolve it without making things difficult? He was intensely curious about the solution.
The moment Jin Ha-gun gave a slight nod, Geom Mu-geuk ended the long Voice Transmission and spoke aloud.
“Now, now, let’s all have a drink and relax.”
They all drank together. Everyone was dying to know how the silent conversation between Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun had concluded.
Geom Mu-geuk set down his glass and spoke nonchalantly.
“Originally, this matter wasn't supposed to grow this large. As everyone knows, this all started because our Sect Leader Seo here tried to protect his son, who has committed several murders. I understand it’s a matter of blood ties. However, considering the victims were innocent people...”
At that moment, someone interrupted Geom Mu-geuk.
“What do you mean by that?”
It was a man who had lived his entire life for good deeds and chivalry—the Sword Line.