Chapter 290: If the Demonic Cult is Cooler Than Us
Chapter 290: If the Demonic Cult is Cooler Than Us
A profound resonance stirred deep within Jin Pae-cheon’s heart.
It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in decades. As the Murim Alliance Leader, he had met countless people and endured every imaginable ordeal. By now, his emotions had become as dry as fossils, operating purely out of habit. He smiled out of habit, grew angry out of habit, and felt sorrow out of habit.
But this resonance was real.
He had spent his life trying to ignore a deep, aching wound. He had wanted to excise it, but the more he tried, the larger the scar became. Eventually, he had simply covered it up. He knew it was festering inside, but he chose to look the other way. He told himself that everyone lived with that much pain, that he had too much to do, and that he was, after all, the Murim Alliance Leader.
But now, Jin Pae-cheon felt it. The rot was being washed away, and the wound was finally beginning to knit shut.
He had told himself the same thing hundreds, thousands of times.
I wouldn't have done that.
Yet, the wound in his heart had never healed. Hearing those words from someone else caused a surge of emotion to well up within him. He felt a sudden premonition that he could finally break free from the pain.
To feel this way over a few simple words...
Normally, his pride would have been wounded. He would have tried to deny it.
But as he looked at Geom Mu-geuk, who was watching him with clear, deep eyes, the pride that had been squirming to wake up settled back into a quiet slumber.
"Thank you for saying that."
Geom Mu-geuk wore a pleasant smile. The Alliance Leader was a man capable of saying those words at this very moment. Whether or not one could acknowledge their own wounds and speak those words was truly important. The final stage of healing always belonged to the individual. The Alliance Leader had just finished wrapping the final bandage around his own heart.
"Unlike you, Alliance Leader, Baek Cheon-gyeong refused to admit it until the very end."
Geom Mu-geuk naturally steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.
"Until now, I believed the one who annihilated the Mokcheon Family was the younger brother of their sect leader," Jin Pae-cheon said. "He wasn't there on the day of the massacre, and shortly after, he was found dead by his own hand."
"In short, that corpse was not him."
Since it involved the Mokcheon Family, Jin Pae-cheon had investigated the matter with extreme care. Even so, he had been deceived.
"Then who was it that destroyed them?"
"There is someone who exploited Baek Cheon-gyeong’s desire for revenge," Geom Mu-geuk explained. "They helped him fake his death and assisted his infiltration into the Murim Alliance under a new identity. I suspect that person is the one who actually wiped out the Mokcheon Family."
Jin Pae-cheon fell into deep thought. Manipulating a corpse, infiltrating the Alliance... this wasn't mere personal enmity or malice. This was war.
The opponent wasn't just a schemer, either. By annihilating the Mokcheon Family, they had proven their martial prowess.
"You must keep in mind that someone has the Murim Alliance in their crosshairs."
Geom Mu-geuk added a word to prevent the Alliance Leader from wasting mental energy wondering if the culprit was someone from the Demonic Cult.
"This time, they even tried to kill me to incite a war with the Main Cult. Therefore, they are an enemy of our Cult as well."
Geom Mu-geuk didn't mention that the murder of the Alliance Leader’s son and daughter-in-law might have been part of the same conspiracy. That part wasn't certain yet.
"I will investigate thoroughly to find the mastermind," Jin Pae-cheon declared.
"I will find them as well. If you ever need my help, please call on me. I want to assist in capturing this mastermind, at the very least."
Geom Mu-geuk limited the offer to himself rather than the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He was reducing the Alliance Leader’s burden by suggesting a personal alliance rather than a formal, political one with the Demonic Cult.
Jin Pae-cheon accepted readily. "I shall do that."
"Then, I will see you again. I'll be leaving as soon as I meet with Young Master Jin and Miss Jin."
"Wait."
Jin Pae-cheon called out to Geom Mu-geuk as he turned to leave, then slowly approached him.
As a master of Jin Pae-cheon’s caliber drew near, Geom Mu-geuk’s Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art activated instinctively. But for this moment, at least, the technique was unnecessary.
Jin Pae-cheon pulled Geom Mu-geuk into a sudden, firm hug.
"Not as the Murim Alliance Leader, but as Ha-ryeong’s grandfather... I am truly grateful to you."
Geom Mu-geuk hugged him back. "Take care of yourself until we meet again."
Of course, he didn't forget to add a bit of banter.
"If there’s another Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult who’s been hugged by the Murim Alliance Leader, tell them to step forward!"
Jin Pae-cheon let out a hearty laugh before speaking honestly.
"I’m making do with a hug for now. In my heart, I wanted to reward you with something grand. The Alliance’s treasure vault is filled with all sorts of ancient elixirs and divine weapons."
"Then give them to me! Please, give them to me!"
When Geom Mu-geuk spoke without a shred of hesitation, Jin Pae-cheon laughed again.
"I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse. I’m afraid you’d use that extra power to strike us down."
"Aren't you more afraid of leaving a debt of the heart?"
Jin Pae-cheon stiffened slightly.
Geom Mu-geuk said with a smile, "That is why I decline any material reward."
Watching Geom Mu-geuk’s retreating back as he bowed politely and walked away, Jin Pae-cheon thought it was a true shame.
What if he weren't the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?
He recalled the time Jin Ha-ryeong had brought Geom Mu-geuk home, claiming she would marry an attendant.
I wish he really had been just an attendant.
It was a sincere thought that Jin Pae-cheon could never voice to anyone.
*
Jin Ha-ryeong let out a scream and bolted upright.
Looking around, she realized she was in the infirmary.
"Are you okay?" Jin Ha-gun came rushing in, startled.
"I had a dream that I died."
In the dream, the Demon Lords arrived only after she had been killed by Cho-rim. She thought they might at least shed a single tear, even if they didn't wail in grief, but Lee An was so busy talking to the Demon Lords that she didn't even care that Ha-ryeong was dead. That was more of a nightmare than the actual dying.
Was she really that upset after only seeing him three times?
But those weren't just any three times. The first was as friends, the second was a duel, and the last was a rescue. Such a connection was rare indeed.
"That won't happen anymore," Jin Ha-gun said firmly.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I'll make sure of it."
"No," she replied, a strength returning to her eyes. "I'm the one who has to make sure of it."
Though she was smiling, Jin Ha-gun felt that his sister had grown through this ordeal.
"How long was I out?"
"About an hour."
Jin Ha-ryeong stood up. She felt a surge of anxiety that Geom Mu-geuk might have left while she was sleeping. Even if he had to go, she wanted to say goodbye.
"Where is Geom Mu-geuk?"
"He’s waiting outside. He said he’d leave after saying goodbye once you woke up."
Jin Ha-ryeong was inwardly touched that he had waited for her. As she moved to go outside, Jin Ha-gun spoke.
"You know, right?"
"Know what?"
"That it can't happen. Don't go giving him your heart."
"Why? Are you worried? Worried that your only sister might lose her heart to the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?"
To her surprise, Jin Ha-gun nodded. "Yes, I am worried about that."
"In times like this, shouldn't you say something like, 'I trust my sister, I'm not worried about that'?"
"No, I'm worried."
If it had been anyone other than Geom Mu-geuk, she would have been offended, but Jin Ha-ryeong actually felt good. At least it meant he was someone worth being paired with.
"Brother, I'm not as naive as you think."
"Then that's fine."
As she headed out, Jin Ha-ryeong turned the concern back on her brother. "Are you okay, Brother?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't get swept up by him."
Jin Ha-gun then revealed an unexpected thought. "Trying too hard not to get swept up is worse. Even if I do get swept up, I just have to do it selfishly."
"Selfishly?"
"I'll take all the good influence he gives, but I won't let my core be shaken."
Jin Ha-ryeong wondered if it would really be that easy. If human relationships could be cut as cleanly as a radish, what would there be to worry about? The same applied to her. She told him not to worry because she wasn't naive, but would that be enough to withstand Geom Mu-geuk?
"I guess we really do share the same blood. You're far from naive yourself, Brother."
With that, the two of them stepped outside.
Geom Mu-geuk was standing in the courtyard of the clinic, looking up at the sky. Jin Ha-ryeong stood beside him.
"What are you looking at?"
"See that color in the sky? That's the color of my sword force."
"Better than a dull color, I suppose. If one has to be struck dead, it might as well be by a color that beautiful."
At her words, Geom Mu-geuk turned his head with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks to you."
"I waited to see your face before I left. See you next time."
Jin Ha-ryeong felt a deep pang of regret at the parting. She wanted to spend more time with him. Stay and play a little longer. Just for a few days. But those were words she couldn't bring herself to say; such was the nature of their status and their destiny.
"Tell me this before you go," she said instead. "How can I become as strong as you?"
"You train until you're on the verge of death."
"But it always looks like you're just playing around."
"Real training is done where no one can see."
Just then, Jin Ha-gun walked slowly toward them. "I heard about the mastermind from my grandfather."
He still found it hard to believe that someone had been manipulating his master.
Geom Mu-geuk gave him the credit. "It's thanks to you that this was brought to light. If you hadn't noticed that your master was acting strange, disaster might have struck later."
Jin Ha-gun shuddered at the thought. If they had remained ignorant, Baek Cheon-gyeong would have led them to ruin at a critical moment. He turned the credit back to Geom Mu-geuk.
"It's thanks to you. I was able to find out because of your words—to look at the opponent directly, not just roughly."
From now on, Jin Ha-gun would strive to look directly at everyone, no matter who they were. He would reform the Demon Extermination Squad and the entire Murim Alliance organization.
Geom Mu-geuk gave his final farewell. "Be careful in everything you do."
"You as well." Jin Ha-gun offered his final thanks. "Thank you for saving my sister."
"Don't forget it, and be sure to pay me back later."
Jin Ha-gun gave a faint smile, thinking it was a very Geom Mu-geuk-like answer.
"Then, until next time."
Geom Mu-geuk also bid farewell to Jin Ha-ryeong. She spoke with a smile. "We're still friends, right?"
At her words, Geom Mu-geuk nodded. "There's a tavern near the Main Cult headquarters with great liquor and a good owner. I'll invite you there sometime."
Would such a day ever come?
The moment Jin Ha-ryeong nodded, Geom Mu-geuk kicked off the ground and soared into the air, vanishing from sight in an instant.
"Brother, I think we need to work hard," she said. "We can't have the Demonic Cult being cooler than us, can we?"
Jin Ha-gun walked away with long strides without answering.
I know my brother's personality better than anyone. He won't lose.
Following behind him, Jin Ha-ryeong looked back toward where Geom Mu-geuk had disappeared. But soon, she too began to walk with vigorous steps. Her brother wasn't the only one who had gained a new realization.
This was her first step toward becoming not just the Beauty of Hubei, but Hubei's Finest Sword.
*
In the kitchen of the safe house, Lee An was busy cooking.
She didn't know why the thought had suddenly occurred to her, but she wanted to cook for the two Demon Lords herself. She knew three or four dishes, and she was making the one she was most confident in.
"Please, enjoy the meal."
"You eat with us too," the Fist Demon said.
"I'm fine, really."
Because the Fist Demon insisted with a gesture, Lee An ended up eating with them.
Dining with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon? To anyone else, this would look like a punishment. As she sat there, stiff with tension, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke while eating.
"It's bland."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon wasn't the type to give a polite compliment for the sake of the cook.
"Ah! I'm sorry. I went light on the seasoning. I'll go and fix it right away."
Just then, the Fist Demon caught the bowl Lee An was about to take away. "I heard that eating bland food is good for your health."
"Who said that?" the Blade Demon grumbled.
"The Demon Doctor did."
Lee An was inwardly moved; she hadn't expected the Fist Demon to say something like that. She thought that the Demon Lords were quite different up close compared to how they appeared on the outside. Then again, her own outward appearance and actual personality were completely different as well.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked curiously, "Why did you suddenly cook for us?"
There was a reason, of course. She had been moved and inspired by the sight of the two Demon Lords in battle. The strength and intensity they had shown had made a great impression on her, especially now that she had begun her activities as the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader in earnest. She had wanted to serve them a meal prepared with sincerity.
"It's not an opportunity that comes often," she said. She added something Seo Dae-ryong always said over drinks. "I want to be able to tell my children later. That their mother personally cooked for Lord Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Lord Fist Demon in her youth."
"Make sure to tell them it was bland, too," the Blade Demon remarked.
Lee An laughed awkwardly. Then, the Fist Demon spoke up abruptly.
"A child who resembles both you and Mu-geuk would be extraordinary."
Lee An was startled. At first, she thought she had misheard. Flustered, she spoke quickly.
"How could I ever marry the Young Cult Leader? Even if I've become a Squad Leader, I was just an ordinary martial artist."
"What does that matter?" the Fist Demon replied. "Neither the Cult Leader nor Mu-geuk are the type to care about such things."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded in agreement.
She was truly grateful to the Fist Demon for saying that. But there was something that always weighed on her heart—the first thought that came to mind whenever marriage was mentioned. Normally, she wouldn't have brought it up, but for some reason, she felt like saying it in front of these two fearsome men.
"I don't even know who my parents are."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon threw out a word of comfort. "Family is a curse. It's better not to know."
She was grateful to him for saying that, too. Then, the Fist Demon said something completely unexpected.
"If that truly bothers you, I shall be your father."
Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was startled by that. Lee An was so stunned and flustered that she dropped her chopsticks.
She had never shared a personal conversation with the Fist Demon. So why? Had he taken a liking to her during the late-night training sessions? Or was there another reason? Was it a joke?
All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind, and she didn't know what to say. Just then, Geom Mu-geuk walked in.
"I'm back."
He immediately sensed the frozen atmosphere.
"Nothing happened to the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult even in the Alliance Leader’s hall, so what on earth happened at a dinner table in a safe house?"
It was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon who broke the silence.
"It's because the food is bland."