Chapter 285: Trust for Trust
Chapter 285: Trust for Trust
Jin Pae-cheon, the Murim Alliance Leader, was deeply conflicted.
He wanted to believe in Geom Mu-geuk, but the alternative was unthinkable. How could he accept that Baek Cheon-gyeong had kidnapped his own granddaughter? This was a man he had shared tea and conversation with just yesterday.
“For now, please dismiss your subordinates,” Mu-geuk said calmly. “I can’t exactly run away while the Alliance Leader is standing right here, can I? And even if I were lucky enough to escape, it’s obvious where I’d go.”
It was a valid point. Geom Mu-geuk wasn't the type to abandon his position as the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult to hide in the mountains; his destination was certain.
Jin Pae-cheon signaled for everyone to leave, keeping only his closest personal guards.
Geom Mu-geuk slowly scanned the remaining men. Jin Pae-cheon could tell that Mu-geuk truly believed one of Baek Cheon-gyeong’s spies was embedded within his inner circle.
“What? Do you suspect these men as well?”
“No, I trust your judgment, Alliance Leader. Now, I can speak freely. I was looking into Baek Cheon-gyeong’s true nature at the request of Young Master Jin. My presence here was merely a pretext involving Miss Jin. When Young Master Jin asked for my help, we made it look as though I came because Miss Jin had invited me.”
Mu-geuk briefly explained the situation, but Jin Pae-cheon still found it difficult to swallow.
“Should I trust the man who has taught my grandson for ten years without incident, or the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? If you were in my position, who would you believe?”
“Then why are you letting me stand here?”
The answer lay in the last thing Geom Mu-geuk had said.
—If I had planned this, I would never have allowed myself to be caught in this situation.
Jin Pae-cheon knew what kind of man Geom Mu-geuk was from their previous encounters. Since then, every rumor he’d heard of Mu-geuk’s exploits always made him think, Of course he did.
Furthermore, if the Demonic Cult had kidnapped his granddaughter, it would mean they were prepared for all-out war. Yet, there were currently no signs of the Cult mobilizing for conflict.
“Is it truly Baek Cheon-gyeong’s doing?”
“It is.”
“Can I bring him here for a confrontation?”
“Certainly, but you won’t find him at his residence.”
Jin Pae-cheon sent a Voice Transmission to his fastest subordinate, ordering him to bring Baek Cheon-gyeong to them immediately.
“If what you say is true, why didn't Ha-gun ask me for help directly?”
“He likely thought you wouldn't believe him. Even now, you’re struggling to accept it, aren't you?”
“If Ha-gun had said it—!”
“You would have believed it even less,” Mu-geuk interrupted. “You would have simply assumed there was some friction between the two of them.”
Jin Pae-cheon couldn't deny it. It was exactly as Geom Mu-geuk often said: sometimes, being close to someone makes it harder to see them clearly.
“There is one more reason. Young Master Jin suspected that Baek Cheon-gyeong had eyes and ears inside the Murim Alliance. That is why I spoke to you via Voice Transmission earlier.”
Jin Pae-cheon forced himself to look at things from Mu-geuk’s perspective. The Young Cult Leader had saved his granddaughter once before; there seemed to be no reason for him to harm her now.
“Fine. Then why would Baek Cheon-gyeong kidnap Ha-ryeong?”
“At first, I thought he was targeting me. But… now I’m not so sure. No matter how much of a thorn I am in his side, I doubt he would go to such lengths just to get rid of me. He doesn't know the nature of our relationship, so he likely expected a massive battle to break out here.”
If that happened, it wouldn't just be a matter between Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Pae-cheon; it would escalate into a total war between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Murim Alliance. Baek Cheon-gyeong couldn't have been ignorant of that.
Mu-geuk felt certain there was a deeper reason he had yet to uncover.
“Let me go. I will rescue Miss Jin and find out the truth behind this.”
Jin Pae-cheon closed his eyes and remained silent. Last time, he had been forced to entrust his granddaughter’s safety to Geom Mu-geuk. Was he really going to do it again?
After some time, the subordinate sent to Baek Cheon-gyeong’s residence returned. Just as Mu-geuk had predicted, the man was gone.
“Why must it be you?” Jin Pae-cheon asked.
“Because I am the target. If you step forward, he will find a way to deny everything, and we might never find Miss Jin.”
At that, Jin Pae-cheon suddenly roared.
“How dare you threaten me! I will find my own granddaughter!”
Jin Pae-cheon launched a sudden Finger Wind, striking the Demonic Acupoints of both Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An.
Lee An, caught completely off guard, gasped in shock, but Geom Mu-geuk didn't flinch.
“Your granddaughter isn't my flesh and blood, so what more can I do? Do as you wish,” Mu-geuk spat back.
Jin Pae-cheon snorted and shouted to his men.
“Finally showing your true colors, I see! Escort these two to the Alliance!”
“If you lay a hand on me, you won't be able to handle the consequences,” Mu-geuk warned.
“Shut up!”
At the Alliance Leader’s shout, the warriors in the distance turned to look at the scene.
The nearby guards approached and led the two toward a carriage. As they were being dragged away, Lee An whispered urgently.
“What do we do if we’re taken away like this?”
“I can’t exactly start a fight with the Murim Alliance Leader, can I?”
Unlike her whisper, Geom Mu-geuk spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, sounding just as furious as the Alliance Leader.
“What about Miss Jin?”
“She’s his granddaughter; let him find her himself!”
“But you have to ask him! You have to persuade him! How can we just be dragged away?”
“You saw him. He’s stubborn as a mule. There’s nothing I can do.”
The guards loaded the two into the carriage, and it immediately set off.
Lee An couldn't understand the situation. No matter how frustrating the Alliance Leader was being, would Mu-geuk really give up on Jin Ha-ryeong this easily? Would he really react with such petty irritation? It wasn't like him at all.
Inside the moving carriage, Lee An asked cautiously, “This isn't real, is it?”
Now that they were alone, the irritation vanished from Geom Mu-geuk’s face. His expression returned to its usual, cool composure.
“Of course not.”
Only then did Lee An breathe a sigh of relief. Right, of course it wasn't.
A short while later, the carriage stopped in a deserted area. When they stepped out, Jin Pae-cheon was already waiting for them.
He had put on a performance just in case one of Baek Cheon-gyeong’s spies was among the men he’d brought. If there was a spy, they would report that Geom Mu-geuk was being escorted to the Murim Alliance as a prisoner.
Jin Pae-cheon had chosen to fully trust Geom Mu-geuk’s words.
With a flick of his wrist, Jin Pae-cheon fired another Finger Wind, releasing their suppressed acupoints.
The reason Geom Mu-geuk hadn't dodged the initial strike was that he, too, had trusted the Alliance Leader.
Trust for trust. Jin Pae-cheon didn't say anything else.
“Save Ha-ryeong.”
Their gazes met in the air.
Geom Mu-geuk knew how difficult it must be for the Murim Alliance Leader to entrust his granddaughter’s life to the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult—and for the second time, no less.
Mu-geuk didn't waste words. “I will bring her back.”
Seeing the sincerity in Mu-geuk’s eyes, Jin Pae-cheon nodded once and climbed into the carriage. He felt he had made the right choice.
Of course, while he was leaving this to Geom Mu-geuk, he intended to move heaven and earth himself to find her.
Watching the carriage depart, Geom Mu-geuk turned to Lee An.
“Go straight to the Cult’s safe house and tell the two Demon Lords exactly what happened.”
“Any other instructions?”
“Leave the rest to the Demon Lords’ judgment.”
This was the extent of his trust in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon. He didn't need to tell them what to do; he trusted they would judge the situation and act accordingly. His trust in Lee An was the same—he trusted her to relay everything perfectly.
Once Lee An departed, Geom Mu-geuk leaped away in the opposite direction. From the Alliance Leader to Lee An, everyone was moving based on trust.
*
Jin Ha-ryeong opened her eyes in an unfamiliar place.
It was a house built of logs. Everything in the room was made of wood—the bed she lay on, the furniture, even the utensils.
Why am I here?
Then, her final memories returned.
She had been walking back after parting with Lee An when a gust of wind blew, showering her with falling leaves. The moment the leaves brushed against her body, everything went black. There must have been a hypnotic drug on the leaves, or perhaps some form of sorcery.
She immediately checked her condition. Her internal energy was suppressed, but she had no other injuries.
She stood up and tested the door. Even without her internal energy, she had trained in martial arts since childhood. Thinking she could easily break through a wooden door, she pushed with all her might, but the door didn't budge.
This isn't an ordinary door.
She realized it wasn't just a simple log structure.
She examined the walls, floor, and ceiling in detail, but there was no way out.
Is this Baek Cheon-gyeong’s doing?
In this situation, he was the most likely culprit. But even having been caught, it was hard to believe.
No matter how much he’s at odds with my brother, would he really kidnap me?
Just then, she heard the sound of someone approaching.
Jin Ha-ryeong lay back down and pretended to be asleep. She hoped the person entering wouldn't be Baek Cheon-gyeong. If he showed his face to her, it would mean he intended to kill her.
Please…
The door opened, and someone entered. Then, a man’s voice spoke.
“If you’re awake, get up.”
The man already knew she was conscious.
Jin Ha-ryeong sat up and looked at him. Fortunately, it was a face she didn't recognize. It was Cho-rim, Baek Cheon-gyeong’s disciple.
When Jin Ha-ryeong stared at him in silence, Cho-rim asked, “Why aren't you saying anything?”
“If you were someone worth talking to, you wouldn't treat people like this, would you?”
She remained dignified even with her internal energy suppressed. If they had intended to kill her, she would be dead already. They were clearly keeping her alive as leverage.
“Aren't you curious who I am?”
Jin Ha-ryeong realized the man before her was the one who had kidnapped her. He carried the same scent she had smelled when the leaves fluttered around her.
“I’m not curious about who you are. What I want to know is if you realize what you’re doing. Are you prepared to put your life on the line?”
Cho-rim merely gave a relaxed smile, refusing to be provoked.
“You must be thirsty. Have some tea.”
Though her throat was parched, Jin Ha-ryeong didn't touch the kettle beside her.
“Why did you kidnap me?”
Instead of answering, Cho-rim poured a cup for himself.
“It’s a tea that’s good for the body. You can drink it.”
As if to prove it wasn't poisoned, he drank the tea first. He then poured another cup and offered it to her.
However, instead of taking the cup, Jin Ha-ryeong carefully observed the man’s face, hands, and clothes. She searched for any clue or weakness—anything that might help her escape.
Cho-rim set the teacup on the table and turned away.
“I will have a meal prepared for you shortly.”
Only after he left did Jin Ha-ryeong open the lid of the kettle. It wasn't just water; it was tea mixed with herbs.
She was so thirsty she wanted to gulp it down, but she closed the lid again. She couldn't drink it without knowing exactly what those herbs were.
But she couldn't hold out forever without food or water.
She truly hadn't dreamed that something like this could happen so close to the Murim Alliance headquarters. She had told her guard, Chu Ho, to wait at a distance so she could spar with Lee An. By now, everyone must be in a panic searching for her.
In this moment of crisis, the first person she thought of wasn't her grandfather or her brother. It was Mu-geuk.
However, Jin Ha-ryeong soon stood up and began searching the room for anything that might aid her escape. In the Murim, the ones who survived weren't those who relied on others, but those who found their own way to live.
*
I arrived at Baek Cheon-gyeong’s workshop.
The place was empty. The first thing I did was pull the cloth off the display stand.
All the dolls were gone, save for one.
Lying on the floor was the "Hero" doll that Baek Cheon-gyeong had said represented me. Every other doll had vanished.
He had undoubtedly left it there for me to find. This wasn't just a doll; it was a display of arrogance and mockery.
I took the doll and immediately left the workshop.
How would I find where Baek Cheon-gyeong had gone?
One thing was certain: he wouldn't be that far from the Murim Alliance. The fact that he had spent time with the Alliance Leader when Jin Ha-ryeong was kidnapped was an attempt to establish an alibi—meaning he had no intention of leaving the Murim Alliance for good.
Therefore, Baek Cheon-gyeong had to be nearby. And he would be in the place where he could best exercise his power. The forest.
“I’ll find you with my Rapid Speed Step!”
I ran at a terrifying speed and landed in the nearest forest. Once there, I performed Qi Emission.
I wasn't looking for Baek Cheon-gyeong. I was looking for the wooden dolls he had made.
When I first visited his workshop, I had sensed a certain energy. It was a dizzying trace of energy that no one could have felt unless they had mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
I was searching for that specific energy that flowed through those wooden dolls. Since there were so many of them, I was confident I could find them.
When I didn't sense anything, I used Rapid Speed Step to move to a new location. I emitted my Qi again, searched, and moved again. In the blink of an eye, I was ten miles away, emitting my Qi once more. My Rapid Speed Step, having reached Great Achievement, was truly showing its worth today.
After searching for who knows how long…
Found it!
I finally detected the same energy I had felt in the workshop.
I walked slowly toward the source. A dense forest blocked the path, but trees and grass couldn't stop me. I pushed through areas where it seemed impossible for a path to exist, heading deeper inside. The dizzying energy grew stronger with every step. At the end of that path was a wide space, like a plaza.
The moment I stepped inside, I was stunned. The area was laid out like a circular sparring arena, and the perimeter was packed with small wooden dolls.
They were the dolls Baek Cheon-gyeong had carved in his workshop over the last ten years. It felt as if those thousands of dolls might grow in size and lunge at me at any moment.
I set the Hero doll down in the center of the plaza. Immediately, the thousands of surrounding dolls seemed to take on a posture of attacking the lone Hero.
Then, a voice spoke.
“I told you, didn't I? That spot belongs to you.”
Baek Cheon-gyeong revealed himself, walking out slowly from the shadows.
Instead of looking at him, I looked down at the lonely Hero doll and replied.
“I figured it was me. I’ve always enjoyed being the center of attention, you see.”