Chapter 324: For Today, Think of Him as an Enemy
Chapter 324: For Today, Think of Him as an Enemy
So Baek-ta could not reach a decision immediately.
Instead, he asked for a moment alone with his master. This was exactly what Geom Mu-geuk had intended.
Once Geom Mu-geuk and the Demon Buddha stepped outside, only the Pungcheon Cult Leader and So Baek-ta remained in the room. It was So Baek-ta who finally broke the long silence.
“If I truly return, do you still intend to make me the next Cult Leader?”
“I do.”
“Even though I dream of the Unification of the Murim?”
“Yes. Even so, I will make you the next Cult Leader.”
Despite the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s firm answer, So Baek-ta remained skeptical. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Because I believe you are the one who will protect the Pungcheon Cult best.”
“Is starting a war your idea of protecting it?”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader conveyed his deep reflection and regret directly to his disciple.
“If I could go back, I would have asked you what your dream was. And if you had told me it was to advance into the Central Plains, I would have told you this: that dream is not ours, but a dream once dreamt by a previous generation. Then, I would have walked the wasteland with you to show you what a wonderful place the Outer Lands are, and how strong the people who live within these sandstorms truly are. I believe that you, more than anyone, can protect and cultivate these lands.”
So Baek-ta’s voice rose with anger. “You’re telling me this only now? If things hadn't turned out like this, isn't this something you never would have said?”
“Because I believed you were doing well. Because I didn't know this was how you felt. If I had known, I would have rushed to you long ago.” The Pungcheon Cult Leader stared at his disciple. “That is why I said I am sorry. I will keep saying it until your heart is at ease.”
Their gazes locked. Beyond the window behind them, the sandstorms continued to howl.
*
Geom Mu-geuk and the Demon Buddha stood side by side in the courtyard, looking up at the sky. It felt like only yesterday they were lying on a rock together watching the clouds, yet here they were, looking at the sky in the far reaches of the Outer Lands.
The Demon Buddha spoke abruptly. “That lad’s fate will change today as well.”
He was referring to So Baek-ta, but the boy's fate would also have a profound impact on the Pungcheon Cult Leader. Geom Mu-geuk hoped their relationship would reach a good conclusion, whatever form it took.
“I’m worried about the Cult Leader,” Geom Mu-geuk admitted.
The Demon Buddha, still looking at the sky, replied, “Young Cult Leader, don't get cocky! That kind of worry is for an elder to have for you.”
Geom Mu-geuk gave a faint smile. “Like how you worry about me, Demon Buddha?”
“I only worry about your brother.”
Those cold words were actually appreciated. It meant the Demon Buddha was consistently looking after his brother.
“Did you say my brother brought me up while you were drinking?” Geom Mu-geuk asked.
The Demon Buddha nodded. “He did.”
“Was he worrying about how to take the position of Young Cult Leader back from me?”
“I found myself wishing that were the case instead.” The Demon Buddha’s eyes held a trace of concern as he looked at Geom Mu-geuk. “When a person suddenly loses their goal, their life is bound to be shaken. Even if he acts composed on the outside, he must be struggling. So, don't be arrogant and worry about your elders; just take good care of your brother.”
“As I thought, you are a little giant to me, Demon Buddha.”
“More nonsense!”
The Demon Buddha turned away with an awkward expression, but Geom Mu-geuk knew that 'little giant' was the man's favorite compliment. In the past, he had stood tall through flattery, but now, the words were spoken with sincerity. To Geom Mu-geuk, the Demon Buddha truly was a little giant.
He could feel that the man who had emerged from the cave was now beginning to build his own home. He was tilling the ground by looking after Geom Mu-geuk's brother, raising the pillars by agreeing to go to the Outer Lands, and covering the roof by promising to gather medicinal herbs.
When that house was finished, Geom Mu-geuk hoped he would invite his brother, the Pungcheon Cult Leader, the Poison King, and even Geom Mu-geuk himself to hold a small banquet. He truly wished for the man to live a golden life.
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze followed the Demon Buddha’s back toward the sky. Just then, Jeok-yeon and the other guards approached to express their gratitude.
“Thank you for the swords you gave us as gifts!”
“Why are you thanking me?”
“We heard the Young Cult Leader gave them to us as presents.”
Geom Mu-geuk shook his head. “The Pungcheon Cult Leader bought those for you.”
“Ah! But the Cult Leader said the Young Cult Leader bought them.”
“He probably just didn't want to take the credit. Make sure to thank him when you see him later!”
Once they withdrew, the Demon Buddha chuckled.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Pungcheon might have paid the bill, but you were the one who intended to buy them, weren't you?”
As expected, the Demon Buddha was incredibly quick on the uptake.
“What makes you think that?”
“He isn't the type of person to look after your guards. Even if he’s changed, a person doesn't change that much all at once. He probably grumbled the whole time he was paying.”
Just as Geom Mu-geuk smiled, the Pungcheon Cult Leader and So Baek-ta walked out.
So Baek-ta walked up to Geom Mu-geuk and said, “I believe it is time to see if I am a fool to the very end or not.”
Geom Mu-geuk released the internal energy he had used to suppress the man. “Until now, you’ve likely only seen him as an ally. For today, at least, think of him as an enemy and take a good look.”
*
The Illusion King was painting.
Resembling Hwan-yeo, he was tall with a masculine and gallant appearance. However, the painting he was working on did not suit his appearance at all. It was a dark and grotesque piece, saturated with the aura of death. There was a gate reminiscent of Hell's Gate, surrounded by brutally slaughtered corpses and wild beasts.
But the true grotesqueness began then.
The painting moved. From a small path beside the gate, a painted man walked out, looked toward the Illusion King, and spoke.
—Everything is prepared.
His voice was audible only to the Illusion King.
—However, he says the Young Cult Leader must not be touched yet.
—Any other mentions?
—None. He only mentioned the Young Cult Leader.
—Is it certain that Pungcheon is the one who killed Hwan-yeo?
—Circumstantially, yes.
The Illusion King nodded, and the man, having finished his report, disappeared back into the path he had emerged from. Just then, the sound of footsteps was heard from outside, and So Baek-ta entered.
“Sifu.”
He addressed the Illusion King as his master. The Illusion King rose from his seat and offered a polite bow to So Baek-ta.
“Welcome, Cult Leader.”
“What were you painting today?”
The Illusion King showed him the painting. So Baek-ta flinched in surprise. “Your style is different than usual.”
Usually, the man painted the beautiful scenery of the Outer Lands—smiling people, dogs, and cats. But today’s painting was far too different.
“Even I feel like painting things like this occasionally.”
Was it a coincidence that he was painting such a thing on the very day So Baek-ta visited?
“Where does this gate lead?”
“It is the gate to my hell.”
At the cryptic answer, So Baek-ta stared at the Illusion King. However, despite the change in his art, the Illusion King offered his usual kind smile and served him tea as he always did.
So Baek-ta toyed with his teacup, recalling what Geom Mu-geuk had said.
—If he offers you tea or wine, there is likely some kind of drug in it.
It was one of the few things Geom Mu-geuk had told him before he came here. Come to think of it, the man always served tea whenever he visited. At first, his guards had inspected it for poison, but after he began learning martial arts from the man, that process had been skipped. He had been drinking it all this time without a shred of suspicion.
What if he thought of the man as an enemy, just as Geom Mu-geuk suggested? It was a chilling thought.
“Please, drink. A new batch of tea came in, and the flavor is excellent.”
“The scent is quite lovely.” So Baek-ta merely savored the aroma before setting the tea down. “The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult came to see me alone earlier, so I asked him to permit the Unification of the Outer Regions.”
“And what did he say?”
“He told me to show him my ability. He said he would see if I was qualified. So, I demonstrated my power using the Angcheon Blood Spirit Technique.”
The Illusion King’s expression hardened. “Did I not tell you to avoid using the Angcheon Blood Spirit Technique if possible?”
“I had no choice.” So Baek-ta mimicked Geom Mu-geuk’s words. “‘The Main Cult does not permit it. Go wash your face and come back.’ That arrogant Young Cult Leader!”
So Baek-ta, seemingly unable to contain his rage, slammed his hand down on the table. The table shattered, and the tea spilled everywhere.
“If I ever strike at the Central Plains, I want to wipe out the Demonic Cult first.”
The Illusion King calmly wiped the area and cleared the mess before brewing more tea. In the past, So Baek-ta would have felt sorry and grateful, but his heart was different now. Seeing him while thinking of him as an enemy...
‘Is he going to make me drink that tea no matter what?’
It was the same action, but the way he perceived it was entirely different. Setting the tea down on a new side table, the Illusion King asked his next question. His persistence, coupled with the lack of overt pressure, was even more terrifying.
“So, what happened?”
“The Young Cult Leader dispelled my Angcheon Blood Spirit Technique.”
“That is impossible.”
“I experienced it personally.”
“Then you must have fallen for one of his tricks.”
At the Illusion King’s assertion, So Baek-ta questioned him sharply. “Why are you so certain? It’s not as if you’ve experienced the Nine Calamities Demonic Art yourself.”
For a moment, the Illusion King’s expression froze. He usually showed discomfort whenever the Nine Calamities Demonic Art was mentioned, but today, his face looked angrier than usual.
So Baek-ta quickly apologized. “I am sorry, Sifu. I was rude and sensitive because the Angcheon Blood Spirit Technique failed.”
With his expression still cold, the Illusion King asked, “Why do you think the Young Cult Leader came to the Outer Lands?”
“I’m not sure of his ulterior motives.”
It was a lie, of course. He knew the Young Cult Leader had come to capture the man standing before him. Then, the Illusion King caught him off guard.
“He came to capture me.”
So Baek-ta flinched. The man had revealed the very thing he expected him to hide.
“How would he know of your existence?”
“I planted one of my people within the Demonic Cult. However, that person was recently captured, and my existence was revealed.”
“Why did you plant someone in the Demonic Cult?”
“Do you know why I am so sensitive regarding the Nine Calamities Demonic Art? It is because the Blood Cult fell to that very art. My cult and the Demonic Cult are sworn enemies. No amount of reconciliation can wash away that blood. As the last descendant of the Blood Cult, how could I simply stand by and watch them?”
The perfect ingredients for a lie are ninety percent truth. Because he spoke with so much fact mixed in, So Baek-ta was inwardly confused. Could this side be right and the other side wrong? So Baek-ta struggled to find the truth.
“I will never give up.”
“As you should. You will surely achieve your great ambition, Cult Leader.”
“But there is a problem. Since I rashly revealed that I learned another martial art, my Master won't leave me be, given his personality. Sifu, please help me.”
The Illusion King stared intently at So Baek-ta before pulling a small vial from his robes.
“Feed this medicine to your Master. It is colorless and odorless, so he will never notice if you mix it into his wine.”
So Baek-ta was stunned. He didn't need to ask to know. It was a poison meant to kill his master.
“It does not take effect immediately. The poison activates after three days, so he won't suspect you were the one who spiked it.”
He never imagined the man would tell him to poison and kill his master.
“It is said that one is not a true man if he is not ruthless. If you do not kill him, you will be the one who suffers.”
In an instant, So Baek-ta’s heart turned cold. What could be more cowardly than poisoning an enemy’s wine to kill them? Had he truly respected and liked such a person?
The Illusion King read his heart perfectly. “Are you disappointed in me?”
So Baek-ta answered honestly. “I didn't think you would tell me to poison his wine.”
“To face him, you must fight a battle of life and death. If you use the medicine, it is a battle you are guaranteed to win. Should you not use it then? Is there anything more precious than your life?”
After a brief pause, So Baek-ta asked with cold eyes, “Is this for my sake? Or is it to save yourself, Sifu?”
“We are already in the same boat. Is there a difference between the two?”
“You’re right. Then the boat won't sink. Though I will become the man who poisoned his master at a drinking table.”
There was no need for further comparison. It was as if the Ten Thousand Li Communication Wall had been torn; the veil was lifted from So Baek-ta’s eyes. Even so, the Illusion King remained composed.
“They have already planted the seeds of doubt in our Cult Leader’s heart.”
“They were seeds I should have planted and nurtured myself from the beginning.”
The Illusion King’s gaze turned frigid. The politeness and smiles vanished, and his face became so unfamiliar it was as if So Baek-ta were looking at a different person.
“I knew you might be swayed by them. But I didn't expect you to fold so easily.”
He had already guessed So Baek-ta’s intentions. Telling him to use the poison was the Illusion King’s test—a test to see if So Baek-ta had gone over to the Young Cult Leader’s side.
So Baek-ta lamented his past foolishness. “You truly approached me with an agenda.”
When he became the Cult Leader, he had wanted to escape the difficulties he faced. The man before him had served as an excellent refuge. He had badmouthed his master with this man. The man had brainwashed him, saying his master was a coward but that he would become a magnificent Cult Leader. Nothing provided more comfort to a weak mind than someone who joined in cursing the person they resented.
It hadn't been a refuge; it was a hell disguised as one.
‘Master!’
The person who came to So Baek-ta’s mind now was the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
‘I am sorry.’
So Baek-ta secretly gathered his internal energy. He knew the Illusion King was stronger than him, but he felt no fear. The agitation born of remorse dominated him.
However, the Illusion King’s illusion overwhelmed him.
Vroooooom!
With a deep resonance, the surroundings changed. The place where the two stood was no longer the Illusion King’s residence. Corpses were strewn about, and beasts that looked like they belonged in a painting were growling from all directions. And right in front of them was a massive gate.
‘That gate?’
It was the very gate the Illusion King had earlier called the gate to his hell. Incredibly, they were inside the painting the Illusion King had been working on.
“What do you intend to do?”
“What did you intend to do? Did you trust those humans to protect you and try to test me?”
At those words, So Baek-ta hurriedly turned his head. Far away in the sky, Geom Mu-geuk and the Pungcheon Cult Leader stood as tall as giants, and beyond the horizon, the Demon Buddha, who had become a true giant, was looking down at him.
So Baek-ta realized it. The three men who had entered the residence were looking into the painting. The Illusion King and he hadn't moved to this location; they had literally entered the painting.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was looking at him, not the Illusion King. His eyes were filled with worry. The moment he saw that gaze, So Baek-ta felt the knot in his heart completely melt away.
‘...Master!’
He felt so sorry toward his master. He had been ungrateful for the position of Cult Leader and had ruined everything by acting like a spoiled child and harboring resentment. Even so, his master had apologized to him over and over again.
‘I ruined everything. Master, I am sorry.’
As if to show that this was the result of his foolishness, the gate began to open. Standing before the open gate, the Illusion King spoke.
“Your master will know how dangerous this place is. It is a place where even the Pungcheon Cult Leader must risk his life.”
As he reached out his hand, So Baek-ta was helplessly sucked toward him. From beyond the closing gate, the Illusion King’s voice drifted out.
“I wonder, will your master open this gate to hell to save you?”
As his words ended, So Baek-ta’s desperate cry echoed through the closing gap.
“Do not come, Master! You mustn't co—!”
The gate swallowed them both and slammed shut with a thunderous roar.