Chapter 326: It’s Because You Don’t Know Him
Chapter 326: It’s Because You Don’t Know Him
So Baek-ta turned toward the Illusion King, his lips trembling with the urge to speak. He wanted to scream at the man who had toyed with his heart.
Get lost, you bastard!
Sensing the impulse, the Illusion King spoke first.
“I’ve already heard it in your head, so don’t bother.”
The Illusion King showed no sign of tension at the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s appearance. Of course, that didn’t mean he was letting his guard down. He kept So Baek-ta positioned in front of him like a human shield, speaking from the safety of the shadows.
“Welcome, Cult Leader. Please excuse the unseemly nature of this meeting.”
Though he was acting the coward by using a disciple as a hostage, the Pungcheon Cult Leader could sense the man's true power. It wasn't just raw skill; the Illusion King was the type who would do absolutely anything to achieve his goals.
“It’s fine. Acting that terrified is a proper show of respect to me, isn’t it?”
Though they were destined to kill each other, they maintained a veneer of politeness. Perhaps they could afford to be civil precisely because they were enemies who knew only one would walk away.
Unlike Geom Mu-geuk or the Demon Buddha, nothing had blocked the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s path to this chamber. Indeed, the Illusion King had invited only him.
“Masters always die because of their pride,” the Illusion King remarked. “It would have been troublesome to deal with you if the Young Cult Leader or the Demon Buddha had come along.”
“Too many people just make a fight distracting. Besides, you only say that because you haven’t dealt with the Young Cult Leader. Before the fight even starts, he’ll make you so fuming mad that you’ll end up slamming your own head against that wall.”
As he spoke, the Pungcheon Cult Leader clasped his hands behind his back and leisurely surveyed his surroundings.
“So this was the Blood Cult’s Leader’s Palace. Oh? Was the Blood Ghost originally supposed to look like this?”
The Blood Ghost depicted on the wall was quite different from the images passed down within the Pungcheon Cult.
“This is where the true members of the Blood Cult lived,” the Illusion King replied.
“How would you know? You never lived here. I bet it was even more of a mess back then than it is now. Wouldn’t this great hall have been swarming with blood-starved lunatics running wild?”
The Illusion King’s brow furrowed slightly.
At that reaction, the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked casually, “You’re one of them, aren’t you? That secret society trying to resurrect the Blood Cult?”
“Calling it a secret society is a bit grand. I was... at first.”
“And now?”
“Resurrecting the Blood Cult is no longer my ideal.”
Only then did the Pungcheon Cult Leader turn his gaze toward his disciple.
“See that, Baek-ta? That’s how you should be. Even a man like that tries to find his own dream. You should let that talk of ‘advancing into the Central Plains’ you’ve heard since you were a kid slide just like that.”
So Baek-ta continued to stare at his master, his heart swirling with intense emotion. His only fear was that his master might die because of him.
“Are you alright, Baek-ta?”
Hearing his master call his name with such concern made So Baek-ta’s heart ache. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. In the end, only one desperate thought remained.
“Do not yield to this man because of me. I am not worth it.”
The Illusion King watched with an intrigued look, curious to see how the Pungcheon Cult Leader would respond to such self-sacrifice.
“Do you know what the Young Cult Leader said when I told him I was going in alone because it was dangerous inside these paintings?” the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked, bringing up Geom Mu-geuk.
“The Young Cult Leader said that ‘I’m going alone’ is actually a plea to go together. So, if you’re worried about me, you should say the opposite. Say, ‘Please save me! If you’re my master, you have to save me! Save me even if you have to die!’ If you say that, I might just get annoyed enough to let you live or die as you please.”
The words were spoken jokingly, but they struck a chord in So Baek-ta’s heart.
That’s right. The more I act stoically, the greater the burden on him to save me becomes.
Reaching that realization, So Baek-ta repeated his master’s words exactly.
“Please save me. Even if you die, Master, please make sure I live.”
At those shameless words, the Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded as if he had been waiting for them.
“Fine. I’ll save you.”
So Baek-ta was flustered; he hadn't expected that kind of immediate, firm response.
This isn’t right, Master...
But the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s eyes seemed to say: It’s alright. Leave it to me now, my disciple.
Because of that, So Baek-ta couldn't just stay still. He spun around quickly, attempting to slap the Illusion King across the face.
However, the Illusion King caught his hand effortlessly and restrained him.
So Baek-ta glared at him, making one last effort. “You bastard, you don’t have to let me go. Instead, kill me and fight my master properly. You won’t be able to fight at your best if you’re worried about me. I’m just a hostage holding you back. So kill me and pour out everything you’ve got!”
The Illusion King stared at So Baek-ta in silence before speaking to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“No wonder you’re so concerned about him.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded. He didn't bother hiding his thoughts from the Illusion King, who had clearly seen through the boy's bravado.
“Nothing happened when I was always with my disciple, but now that we’re apart, an opportunity like this arises.”
Opportunities—or catalysts—could be terrifying things.
Meeting Geom Mu-geuk had been the catalyst that changed his entire life. His relationship with Go Wol had changed, and ultimately, his own path had shifted. Coming to the Outer Regions this time had also significantly changed his relationship with his disciple.
In this way, a single catalyst often outweighed years of effort when it came to changing the bonds between people. Just like how he had become enemies with this Illusion King.
“I understand you killed my sister,” the Illusion King said.
“I did.”
“How did she die?”
“She died when the Spirit-Suppressing Seal was removed.”
The Illusion King nodded silently, as if he understood the situation perfectly.
“Originally, I was supposed to go to the Demonic Cult, and my sister was supposed to come here. But she was stubborn. I suppose the mission at the Demonic Cult seemed more important to her. She was like that since we were children—she wanted to beat me no matter what. Though she never succeeded once.”
There was no hint of sadness or mourning in the Illusion King's voice. The Pungcheon Cult Leader could tell: this man lived only for himself.
“It would be fair if I killed your disciple then,” the Illusion King mused.
“It’s no use trying to shake my composure like that. I’ve already sensed that you aren’t a foolish man.”
It was a retort implying that the Illusion King couldn't win in a fair fight, but the man remained unfazed.
“Since he’s a disciple willing to throw his life away like a piece of straw for his master, you must save him.”
“I’ll try.”
At that moment, So Baek-ta did not let go of the thread of hope. He was watching for an opening. He would grab the villain’s pant leg if he had to. He was willing to die if it meant saving his master—and if by some miracle he survived, he would spend the rest of his life serving him.
It was then.
Swoosh!
Thud!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader thrust his hand into the empty air to his left. Blood suddenly began to drip from the void.
A corpse tumbled to the floor, blood gushing from its throat. It was one of the Illusion King’s subordinates who had been approaching under a veil of stealth to launch a surprise attack.
Wiping the blood from his hand onto the corpse’s clothes, the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked, “By the way, why did you put the idea of Unification of the Outer Regions into my disciple’s head?”
“That was for the sake of your disciple’s dream, of course.”
So Baek-ta flinched, but the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke calmly, as if teaching him how to handle such a situation.
“Thanks to you, the boy found his true dream. I should actually be thanking you.”
If it had been his past self, he wouldn't have been able to handle this so flexibly. But after meeting Geom Mu-geuk and seeing a new side of Go Wol—after all the bickering and struggling—he had grown as well.
In a flash, the Pungcheon Cult Leader vanished and reappeared.
Squelch!
A blood-stained hand emerged from the air. He had caught another enemy approaching in stealth. Instead of criticizing the sneak attack, he remarked:
“I’ve lost some weight lately, so my movements have become faster.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was even bragging about his weight loss to the Illusion King. After scanning the area for any more hidden foes, he began walking toward the Illusion King as if to start the fight in earnest. Before that, he asked about Geom Mu-geuk.
“What about the Young Cult Leader?”
“He’ll be fine,” the Illusion King replied.
“No, I’m asking if you’ve locked him up properly.”
“He is trapped in a place he cannot escape. Even if he breaks through that, there are three more gates that are absolutely impassable.”
“Only three?”
“What do you mean, ‘only’?”
“It’s because you don’t know him.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader unleashed his aura.
Whoooooosh!
A powerful ghostly qi, unlike anything experienced before, spread in all directions. Blue flames began to flicker from the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hands.
“Then I’d better hurry. I have to look cool when the Young Cult Leader arrives.”
*
“Ah! This isn't right.”
I opened the door with great momentum, only to close it immediately.
After defeating all the evil ghosts in the banquet hall and finding the counter-dispelling method, I had located the next door. The counter-dispelling method had been hidden under the geomungo the musician was playing. It was a good thing I had experience finding hidden mechanisms; otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible for a first-timer to find.
The problem was the next room.
When I had opened the door just now, a massive snake was coiled in a room as large as a plaza.
The Blood Poison Python.
It was the king of venomous snakes, and thousands of other poisonous serpents were swarming around it. Even in that brief moment the door was open, the stench of venom and rot was overwhelming. The poison was so potent that an ordinary master would have been paralyzed just by opening the door. Besides, I absolutely loathed snakes.
“Cult Leader, fight well. I’m going back, trusting in you.”
Of course, I couldn't actually do that. If it were just a matter of catching the Illusion King, I could trust the Pungcheon Cult Leader. But now there was the variable of So Baek-ta. There was no telling what dangerous situation the master’s affection for his disciple might create.
I had to get there as quickly as possible to introduce the variable known as ‘Geom Mu-geuk.’
Suddenly, I remembered when the Pungcheon Cult Leader had come to save me when I was trapped in an illusion. I remembered the hellscape that had unfolded beyond the open door. He was the man who had fought through that path to save me.
Fine. Even if every snake in the Central Plains is here, I’m breaking through.
I drew the Black Demonic Sword and threw the door open again. The nearby poisonous snakes lunged at me instantly.
Hiss! Ssssh!
I swung the Black Demonic Sword, cutting them down. The snakes exploded, releasing clouds of noxious poison. The other snakes began to move in unison. These were no ordinary beasts; they launched their bodies through the air like arrows.
In the next instant, I unleashed a technique.
Nine Calamities Demonic Art, Third Form: Great Demonic Wall.
A massive wall of Gang Qi rose before me.
Thud! Bam! Crack!
The snakes that slammed into the wall of Gang Qi exploded into gore. A thick mist of poison spread everywhere, stimulating every other snake in the room. The Blood Poison Python raised its massive body and charged.
Boom!
The Great Demonic Wall shook with a thunderous roar. The Blood Poison Python, wounded by the Gang Qi, began to writhe violently, crushing and killing the smaller snakes around it in its thrashing.
The python spat out a stream of venom.
Sssssssss!
This atrocious poison, which would melt anything it touched, was incredibly toxic. A thick poisonous mist rose. If I didn't have a Body Immune to All Poisons, I never would have been able to endure it. The venom began to hiss as it melted the Great Demonic Wall.
Maintaining the wall consumed a massive amount of internal energy. For the first time in this fight, I tried something new. While keeping the Great Demonic Wall active, I unleashed another technique.
An evil ghost appeared in front of the wall. I had activated the Second Form: Great Annihilation Form.
Shhhhhhh.
The evil ghost split into six. My achievement in martial arts had improved, increasing the number of clones from four to six.
“Go!”
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The six evil ghosts swept through the snakes as they pushed forward.
Splat, splat, splat!
Every snake in their path was shredded. The target was the Blood Poison Python directly ahead.
The python sprayed venom at the evil ghosts, but drenched in the toxic fluid, the ghosts continued their relentless advance.
Boom, boom, boom!
Splaaaaaash!
I saw it. The six evil ghosts severed the Blood Poison Python’s torso. The severed head and tail sections began to writhe in agony, crushing the remaining snakes. The dying python lunged at the Great Demonic Wall one last time with its severed body.
CRAAAAASH!
The wall shook violently, but the dying creature couldn't overcome it. The Blood Poison Python, twitching on the floor for the last time, vanished with a Bang!, releasing a final burst of toxic energy. Then, all the other snakes began to disappear as well.
Normally, even if one defeated these creatures, they wouldn't be able to pass through this room filled with poisonous mist. But I strode across the room and opened the door behind where the python had been.
To my surprise, beyond the door was the Leader’s Palace.
The moment I saw the scene unfolding there, I froze. The place was filled with the marks of a bloody battle; everything was destroyed, and corpses were strewn about. My gaze turned toward the Grand Tutor’s Chair in the distance.
Someone familiar was sitting there.
To my shock, it was the Pungcheon Cult Leader. He was covered in blood, his head hanging low. The corpse lying before the chair was So Baek-ta. He had failed to protect his disciple in the end.
My heart began to race. I flew toward them, more shocked than I had been in years. Landing in front of the chair, I called out to him.
“Cult Leader.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader didn't move an inch.
“Cult Leader!”
Finally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader struggled to open his eyes and looked at me.
“……I couldn't kill him.”
“Cult Leader.”
“……I’m sorry.”
The light faded from his eyes as his head began to slump again.
“Cult Leader!”
Just as I reached out to support him—
Swoosh!
Thud!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hand, which had been thrust out to seize my demonic acupoints, stopped just before my chest. Conversely, my Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron dagger was buried deep in his heart.
A dark energy swirled in his eyes, and black ghostly qi began to leak out.
“……How did you know?”
He was a fake.
“Because the Cult Leader I know wouldn't have said ‘I’m sorry’ as his last words. He would have said, ‘I’m dying because of you! Give me back my sacred relic, Young Cult Leader! You and Go Wol better live well without me!’ That’s the kind of man the Pungcheon Cult Leader is.”
The moment my conviction was voiced, the fake Pungcheon Cult Leader’s body burst into black smoke and scattered. So Baek-ta’s corpse also vanished.
I believe in him.
“That man might get stabbed and die while drinking at Ma Clan Village. But he won’t die here in an illusion. This is his world.”
I strode toward the door behind the Grand Tutor’s Chair.
Just a moment ago, I had felt what it would be like if the Pungcheon Cult Leader died. Even though I suspected it was a trap, my heart had pounded as if it would explode. I must never let the scene I saw here become reality.
Drawing the Black Demonic Sword, I threw the door open and leaped inside. It didn't matter what waited beyond.
Just as you came to save me, this time, I’m coming for you!