Chapter 340: Confess and Go to the Murim Alliance, Resist and Go to the Demonic Cult
Chapter 340: Confess and Go to the Murim Alliance, Resist and Go to the Demonic Cult
Tae Jo studied Geom Mu-geuk with a look of sheer astonishment.
What did this young brat just say?
That silencing witnesses was impossible? What a farce.
There was no one he couldn't kill if he set his mind to it. In fact, that was exactly how he had lived his life.
He mocked and slaughtered those he could defeat in the open, and those he couldn't, he stabbed in the back. If that wasn't feasible, he would hire an assassin organization or bribe a target’s inner circle to poison them.
And now, someone was telling a man who had survived through such means that silencing witnesses was impossible? It was nothing short of pathetic.
He’s bluffing. He’s just trying to trick me into a confession.
Tae Jo flashed a relaxed smile and asked, “Seeing as the Captain of the Demon Extermination Squad holds you in such high regard, you must be someone quite remarkable. Who exactly are you?”
Geom Mu-geuk revealed his identity without hesitation.
“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Tae Jo stood dazed for a moment before bursting into laughter. It was the most absurd, out-of-the-blue answer he had ever heard.
“Right. I suppose you’d have to be of that status for the Captain’s words to make any sense.”
He spoke as if he accepted it, but he didn't believe a word.
“Then let me ask you one thing. What is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult doing with the Murim Alliance’s Demon Extermination Squad—a group created specifically to eradicate demons?”
Geom Mu-geuk opened the box and looked down at the sleeping child as he answered.
“We’re here on a trash disposal operation.”
Tae Jo’s expression twitched for a split second.
Geom Mu-geuk adjusted the child, who was lying uncomfortably, and continued.
“If you ask people in the Murim who the most evil ones are, most would point to us. It’s quite unfair, really. Once you actually get out there, you find so many disgusting bastards that make you wonder if they’re even human. This case is no different. Kidnapping children to sell for profit, and then buying them for God knows what... This is the kind of filth even we don’t engage in.”
Geom Mu-geuk shifted his gaze from the child to Tae Jo.
“What exactly were you planning to do with them?”
Calling him "trash" and then asking such a question was the same as calling Tae Jo himself a piece of garbage. If it were up to him, Tae Jo wanted to rush forward and hack the boy to pieces right then and there.
But he couldn't. Since the box containing the child had been found in his warehouse, he had to find a way to talk his way out of this.
He quickly sent a Voice Transmission to Man Hong.
— You’ll have to suffer a bit. I’ll get you out as quickly as possible.
— Yes, Sect Leader.
Man Hong was truly reluctant. This was a raid led by the Captain of the Demon Extermination Squad himself; there was no telling what would happen if he was dragged away. However, he couldn't defy the Sect Leader’s orders. His only options were death or custody.
Man Hong stepped forward.
“Actually, I am the one responsible for this. I am sorry.”
Tae Jo scolded him, feigning shock. “Is that true?”
“I didn't know the child was kidnapped. I was simply told that children were needed, so I made the request.”
“You fool! You should have looked into the source properly before proceeding!”
“I apologize, Sect Leader.”
Tae Jo then put on a remorseful expression.
“It seems my subordinate didn't realize they were kidnapped children. It was my negligence for not overseeing the matter more closely.”
He tried to frame it as a minor administrative error. The subordinate would insist he didn't know the children were stolen, and the Sect Leader would claim total ignorance of the facts. Well, this is how it is, so what are you going to do about it?
Unfortunately for them, Jin Ha-gun wasn't the only person they were dealing with.
Geom Mu-geuk raised his hand.
“And that’s why we need a witness. The witness is right here. I heard everything. I even heard you tell them to call you the moment the child wakes up.”
Tae Jo glared fiercely at Geom Mu-geuk, but like a true madman, the youth wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Right, that’s why they assigned him the role of witness.
“Since there is a witness, you’ll have to come with us for now,” Jin Ha-gun stated.
“I will not go.”
A thick tension hung between Jin Ha-gun and Tae Jo. Tae Jo knew very well that the moment he was dragged away, his life would become a massive headache.
“You must go.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“If you’ve committed a crime, it’s a threat; if you’re innocent, it’s cooperation.”
Tae Jo could feel it. Words alone wouldn't make them back down.
“I intended to overlook this out of respect for Captain Jin’s chivalry in trying to save the children, but since you’re being so stubborn, I cannot allow this. Captain Jin, do you realize the gravity of this situation?”
“Do tell.”
“The Murim Alliance has attacked a sect of the Unorthodox Path. This could be the spark that ignites a Great Orthodox-Unorthodox War.”
He deliberately used the provocative term "Great Orthodox-Unorthodox War." It was time to push back hard. Tae Jo knew Jin Ha-gun’s weakness well.
“Captain Jin, you haven't officially become the successor yet. What do you think will happen if you cause such a massive conflict with the Unorthodox Path Alliance? Shouldn't you be more prudent, if only for your own sake?”
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk interjected obnoxiously.
“Are you going to be okay? Causing a conflict with the Murim Alliance?”
Finally, Tae Jo lost his temper and roared.
“You! Shut your mouth!”
Unable to endure Geom Mu-geuk’s constant pestering, his composure finally snapped. Every time he tried to maneuver, this brat would cut him off.
Seeing him explode in frustration, Jin Ha-gun chuckled inwardly. Yeah, it’s infuriating, isn't it? I know the feeling well.
Realizing that words were no longer enough, Tae Jo shouted toward the entrance.
“Come in!”
At his command, the warriors of the Flowing Sword Sect, who had been waiting outside, swarmed into the room.
The Demon Extermination Squad wasn't intimidated, confronting them with swords drawn. The number of Flowing Sword Sect warriors was greater than expected, and their momentum was unusual. A thought naturally occurred to Jin Ha-gun.
The Flowing Sword Sect commands this many masters?
This was the reason Tae Jo could remain composed. He had the confidence that he wouldn't be dragged away from this place by force.
“Did you think we would tremble just because you’re the Demon Extermination Squad?”
They weren't the only ones. The two people Tae Jo relied on most entered last—two old men in distinctive attire.
Jin Ha-gun recognized them at a glance.
“The Blue and White Dual Swords!”
As their titles suggested, they wore blue and white martial robes respectively. Their shoes and scabbards matched their colors. They were notorious masters within the Unorthodox Faction. If the Demon Extermination Squad were the rising stars of the generation, these two were weathered veterans of the Jianghu.
The aura of the Blue and White Dual Swords weighed heavily on the warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad. If they joined forces with the Flowing Sword Sect masters, it would be a grueling battle.
“I didn't expect to find you two at the Flowing Sword Sect.”
Tae Jo took Jin Ha-gun’s words as a slight.
“'You two'? These two seniors were traversing the Murim before you were even born, Captain Jin. Show some respect.”
He wanted Jin Ha-gun to treat them as seniors of the martial world, but Jin Ha-gun’s reaction was ice-cold. He hadn't the slightest intention of respecting such notorious figures.
The two old men conversed loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“How many years younger was the Murim Alliance Leader than us again?”
“I believe he was three or four years younger.”
“He’s had quite the personality since he was a boy.”
“Who would have thought he’d actually become the Murim Alliance Leader?”
They likely had never even met him, yet they spoke of his grandfather with such casual disrespect. Jin Ha-gun’s eyes turned cold.
“He is not someone for the likes of you to speak of so lightly.”
At that, the White Sword smiled and spoke in a deceptively gentle tone.
“You’re right. He is a man worthy of respect. We had no intention of insulting your grandfather. Likewise, we do not wish to be insulted ourselves. We will handle what happened here and send word, so please, withdraw.”
“You are the face of the Murim Alliance. Is it not incredibly rude to come to the Flowing Sword Sect, a legitimate lineage of the Unorthodox Path, and act like this?”
“If you continue this, it will only make things difficult for the Alliance Leader.”
“Look here, we are people who no longer have any lingering attachments to life. If we were to fight, who do you think has more to lose?”
The two old men took turns pressuring Jin Ha-gun. Many of their words were grating, but because they were veteran masters recognized by the Unorthodox Faction, Jin Ha-gun couldn't treat them recklessly.
Of course, there was one exception.
“Obviously, you two would have more to lose.”
The one who cut in was Geom Mu-geuk. Jin Ha-gun was still too young to handle these old foxes of the Unorthodox Path.
“Just how greedy are you that you’ve appeared even in this warehouse filled with worldly desires? You should have retired with what little dignity you had left, fading away like an old painting on a folding screen. What kind of greed drove you to tear through the paper and crawl back out?”
The expressions of the two men froze, but Geom Mu-geuk continued.
“You must have a lifetime’s worth of loot piled up somewhere. I bet you don't even trust each other enough to say where or how much you’ve hidden. Am I right?”
The faces of the two old men turned beet red.
The Blue Sword asked, his killing intent laid bare, “Who is this insolent brat?”
Tae Jo smiled and replied, “He claims to be the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
When the Blue and White Dual Swords looked surprised, Tae Jo quickly added, “It’s just the ramblings of a madman.”
Only then did the two elders relax. Would any sane person dare to mock them like this?
“That man is someone the Demon Extermination Squad Leader hired as a witness to frame me.”
Tae Jo quickly sent a Voice Transmission.
— Please, just get rid of that one.
The boy had been a thorn in his side, and thankfully, he had committed an act of blatant disrespect. Now, there was plenty of justification to kill him.
As the Blue and White Dual Swords stepped forward, the Demon Extermination Squad warriors moved as one to block their path.
The White Sword spoke to Jin Ha-gun. “As you heard, Captain Jin, that boy has insulted us. Regardless of Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic affiliations, there are laws of the Murim that a martial artist must uphold. Even you must see that we cannot let this slide.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed. “Open the path. Let’s see if they really have no lingering attachments to life, just as they claimed.”
When the Demon Extermination Squad looked at Jin Ha-gun, he glanced at Geom Mu-geuk. Even in this situation, Geom Mu-geuk was overflowing with composure. To a first-time observer, he looked like a complete lunatic. But once you got to know him, you realized that his ease was thoroughly calculated.
“Open the path.”
At Jin Ha-gun’s command, the Demon Extermination Squad split to the left and right, creating a lane.
The Blue and White Dual Swords walked slowly down that path. They showed no fear even as they walked between the ranks of the elite squad.
But then, they suddenly stopped in their tracks.
The Blue Sword looked down at his hand. It was trembling violently, as if having a seizure. The White Sword looked at him with a startled face.
“What’s wrong?”
The Blue Sword shook his head. This was the first time his hand had ever trembled so suddenly.
This time, it was the Blue Sword’s turn to be shocked. The White Sword’s cheek was twitching uncontrollably.
“What about you?”
The White Sword’s entire body, not just his face, began to shake. It was the same for the Blue Sword. His legs began to wobble. This was the first time since he had entered the Murim that such a thing had happened.
— Is it poison?
— It’s not poison.
— Then what is it?
Exchanging Voice Transmissions, the two men turned their gaze toward Geom Mu-geuk.
Geom Mu-geuk had been looking at the child in the box, but then he slowly raised his head to look at them. The moment their eyes met his, the Blue and White Dual Swords knew.
It’s because of him.
It wasn't the usual abyssal aura Geom Mu-geuk exerted. The energy he was emitting toward them now was pure, concentrated killing intent. His clear intention to kill them signaled that the path opened by the Demon Extermination Squad was a road leading straight to hell.
“What are you doing? Aren't you coming?”
The Blue and White Dual Swords gulped.
Tae Jo, watching from the side, was bewildered. Since that killing intent was directed solely at the two elders, Tae Jo didn't understand why they had stopped.
“What is the matter, seniors?”
The one who answered Tae Jo’s question was Geom Mu-geuk.
“Your precious seniors are trembling.”
Tae Jo didn't know what that meant, but it was clear something was wrong. This was the moment when a thunderous roar of fury should have come from the Blue and White Dual Swords, yet they remained silent.
Geom Mu-geuk took a step toward them.
Overwhelmed by his momentum, the Blue and White Dual Swords retreated simultaneously.
“I thought you said you had no more lingering attachments to life?”
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes sank chillingly. The Blue and White Dual Swords didn't dare meet his gaze and lowered their heads.
Seeing this, Jin Ha-gun realized something.
His skills have improved again!
Geom Mu-geuk was completely overwhelming veteran Unorthodox masters. He was showing a side of himself that was different from their last meeting. It felt as if for every step Jin Ha-gun took to catch up, the other man moved ten steps further away.
“Who... who is this Great Hero?”
From the White Sword’s mouth came the term "Great Hero" instead of "Young Hero."
“Didn't that man tell you earlier?”
Startled, the White Sword quickly turned to Tae Jo and asked, “Is this man... truly the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?”
Tae Jo replied in shock, “No. What are you talking about...?”
Suddenly, Tae Jo flinched and looked at Geom Mu-geuk.
“Truly... the Young Cult Leader?”
“I told you earlier, didn't I? I’m the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Tae Jo’s voice trembled involuntarily. “Why is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult here?”
“I told you that too. I’m disposing of trash.”
The Blue and White Dual Swords rebuked Tae Jo. “You pitted us against the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?”
“I... I didn't know either.”
The Blue and White Dual Swords looked at each other, exchanged a glance, and immediately backed away.
“It seems there has been a misunderstanding. We hope the Young Cult Leader can be understanding.”
Setting aside the fact that the opponent’s skill overwhelmed them, they knew that if they crossed the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, they wouldn't even be allowed a peaceful death. Now was not the time to worry about pride.
Only now did Tae Jo understand the meaning of Jin Ha-gun’s earlier words. He understood why he couldn't argue, why he couldn't insist on his way, and why silencing witnesses was impossible.
“I heard it myself. I am the witness.”
As Geom Mu-geuk’s declaration rang out, he also understood why everyone except him would believe it. Who would dare contradict the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? Especially when even the Blue and White Dual Swords had tucked their tails and retreated.
Geom Mu-geuk said to him, “If you confess obediently, you’ll be taken to the Murim Alliance. If you resist to the end, you’ll be taken to our Cult. The choice is yours.”
Tae Jo’s heart sank. Being taken to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult instead of the Murim Alliance? At least you could negotiate with the Murim Alliance, but being taken to the Demonic Cult meant it was truly over. One look at the Young Cult Leader was enough. This guy, who hung out with the Demon Extermination Squad Leader and shouted about trash disposal, was a lunatic. He couldn't be dragged into a den of madmen.
“You are members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Murim Alliance, while I am merely the leader of a single sect.”
“You seemed to be doing a good job of intimidating us for a 'single sect' earlier.”
“A frightened dog is bound to bark the loudest.”
He was desperate enough to say such things. It was his only way to survive.
“I request that this matter be handled under the mediation of the Unorthodox Path Alliance.”
The Unorthodox Path Alliance would never abandon him or the Flowing Sword Sect. He had made significant contributions to them. He believed they would surely save him.
“I believe that is a fair way to handle this. As it stands, this is too unfair for me. Rumors will spread through the Jianghu that we were framed.”
“And if the Unorthodox Path Alliance also recognizes your guilt?”
“Then I will accept it cleanly.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared silently at Tae Jo for a moment before nodding readily.
“Fine. Call them. Let’s all three gather and see who the real villain is.”