Chapter 342: Taking the Long Way to Say "You're Cool"
Chapter 342: Taking the Long Way to Say "You're Cool"
Surprise is most potent when it strikes without warning.
That was exactly the case with the shock currently paralyzing Bi Sa-in.
— What do you mean?
His eyes widened, and his voice transmission trembled with disbelief.
— It is exactly as I said. The children bought by the Black Snake Unit were being sent to the Unorthodox Path Alliance. I was nothing more than a middleman.
Tae Jo truly hadn't intended to reveal this secret. However, in an atmosphere where even the Black Snake Unit Leader was about to be summoned, he couldn't afford to stay silent. He couldn't risk being dragged off to the Murim Alliance or the Demonic Cult to pay for his crimes.
— I only handled the work as I was told.
— Who told you to do it?
— I cannot say.
As far as Bi Sa-in knew, there was no organization within the Unorthodox Path Alliance that officially bought children. That meant someone was conducting this business in the shadows.
— Tell me who it is.
Bi Sa-in’s tone turned cold and low, but Tae Jo refused to budge.
— You might die by my hand if you don't speak.
He threatened Tae Jo’s life, but the intimidation failed to work.
— Even so, I cannot tell you.
Tae Jo was certain of one thing: Bi Sa-in couldn't kill him over this. After all, buying and sending those children was ultimately for the benefit of the Unorthodox Path Alliance. You can't kill me.
— Can you take responsibility for what you just said?
— How could I dare lie in your presence? First, you must send those two back.
Bi Sa-in did not respond to Tae Jo’s transmission.
— Young Alliance Leader, if this fact becomes known to the outside world, it will become a massive headache.
Bi Sa-in fell into deep thought.
As the silent conversation between the two deepened, Geom Mu-geuk guessed that the children were being sent to the Unorthodox Path Alliance. In this situation, that was the only thing that could make Bi Sa-in hesitate so visibly.
He didn't offer any advice. This was the moment a martial artist named Bi Sa-in would decide his own fate. Depending on that choice, it would affect not only Bi Sa-in’s personal destiny but also the fate of the Unorthodox Path Alliance and, by extension, the future of the Murim.
Bi Sa-in, please make the right choice.
After agonizing for a long time, Bi Sa-in finally spoke aloud.
“Just now, Sect Leader Tae confessed of his own accord. He admitted he knew that children were being bought on a regular basis.”
Tae Jo was aghast. He never imagined Bi Sa-in would speak openly. And the unexpected actions were only just beginning.
“Young Alliance Leader! Why are you doing this? Did you not understand what I told you?”
“I understood perfectly. You said you sent those children to the Unorthodox Path Alliance, didn't you?”
A heavy silence fell over the area.
Tae Jo was struck with horror. He hadn't expected Bi Sa-in to reveal such a critical secret in front of everyone—especially in a place where the Demon Extermination Squad and the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path were present.
The words Are you crazy? rose to his throat, nearly bursting out.
Geom Mu-geuk had already guessed as much, but Jin Ha-gun was genuinely stunned.
What surprised him wasn't that the children had gone to the Unorthodox Path Alliance, but that Bi Sa-in had revealed it. The Unorthodox Path Alliance he knew was always busy covering up scandals and hiding their tracks.
They were villains by their very nature. In fact, he had expected the voice transmission conversation to go more like this:
— These people are making such a big deal out of kidnapping a few measly children.
Would Bi Sa-in’s thoughts be much different? He’d probably just be worried because of his relationship with Geom Mu-geuk.
However, Bi Sa-in’s current response completely exceeded his expectations. To admit it so readily? This was something even Jin Ha-gun himself would find difficult to do in such a position.
Bi Sa-in explained his reasoning.
“To bury one secret, ten lies are required. I have no intention of hiding this matter.”
He saw Geom Mu-geuk looking at him and smiling. Seeing that smile, he felt certain that his choice was not wrong.
Yes, perhaps he was being swayed by Geom Mu-geuk. To the concerns in his head, his heart answered:
It’s okay.
Geom Mu-geuk felt a surge of satisfaction. As time passed, today’s event would become just a memory, but this choice would have a profound impact on Bi Sa-in’s life from now on. Well done, Bi Sa-in. Living like this is the only way you can establish your own path.
Jin Ha-gun sent a voice transmission to Geom Mu-geuk.
— Young Cult Leader, did you know things would turn out like this?
— I didn't know the children were sold to the Unorthodox Path Alliance. I simply believed the Young Alliance Leader wouldn't bury the truth.
Jin Ha-gun looked at Geom Mu-geuk. The Young Cult Leader's deep gaze was fixed on Bi Sa-in.
— We might be witnessing the birth of a magnificent future Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader—one who will leave his mark on the history of the Murim.
Bi Sa-in was already handling the situation with wisdom. He turned back to Tae Jo.
“When the Alliance requested children, did they tell you to kidnap them?”
“It wasn't like that.”
“Then it isn't the Alliance's fault. Why did you entrust the work to the Black Snake Unit?”
Tae Jo couldn't answer.
It was Geom Mu-geuk who saw through his inner thoughts.
“It must have been because it cost less money. In this line of work, finding talent isn't the hard part—persuading their families is. If you succeed in persuading them over such a long time, you have to provide appropriate compensation. But if you joined hands with the Black Snake Unit, the work became simple. You could just kidnap them. You could sit back and make a fortune without lifting a finger, couldn't you?”
Tae Jo couldn't refute a single word. Geom Mu-geuk spoke as if he had read his very soul.
Bi Sa-in did not miss the opening.
“You have tarnished the honor of this Alliance for your own selfish greed.”
He steered the narrative so that the incident was not the fault of the Unorthodox Path Alliance as a whole. He limited the blame to Tae Jo and the Black Snake Unit.
“I cannot understand why the Young Alliance Leader is acting this way,” Tae Jo muttered.
Bi Sa-in acknowledged the sentiment.
True, if he hadn't met Geom Mu-geuk, an incident of this magnitude might have been swept under the rug. He would have lived a completely different life.
But he had been changed by meeting Geom Mu-geuk. Decisively, at the moment Geom Mu-geuk asked him what his "path" was, his life had shifted.
“It might have been natural until now, but from now on, it is not.”
Bi Sa-in issued an order to the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path.
“Send a missive to the Black Snake Unit Leader immediately and set up a meeting.”
He showed his determination to firmly resolve the issue of child kidnapping.
“Tell him that if he doesn't show up at the meeting place, the name 'Black Snake Unit' will vanish from the Murim.”
A martial artist from the 13 Wolves ran out to deliver the message.
Tae Jo realized he had no idea what kind of person the Young Alliance Leader truly was.
Was he always like this?
Tae Jo asked with a trembling heart.
“Then... what will happen to me?”
Bi Sa-in pressured him with a calm, chilling tone.
“Sect Leader Tae. I am not that broad-minded of a person. Nor am I someone with the magnanimity to overlook those who challenge my authority.”
Bi Sa-in glanced at Geom Mu-geuk. The quick-witted Young Cult Leader realized what he had to do from that look alone.
“We will take Sect Leader Tae with us.”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s words, Tae Jo’s heart pounded wildly. He wondered if they would really send him to the Demonic Cult. Bi Sa-in nodded slightly. Before the official permission could be given, Tae Jo shouted in a panic.
“No! Absolutely not the Demonic Cult!”
Geom Mu-geuk gave a kind, unsettling smile.
“We will treat you well.”
Tae Jo knew better. If he were dragged away, his dantian would be destroyed, and he would be rotting in a dungeon after being tortured. Death would be a mercy.
“Young Alliance Leader, I beg of you!”
He pleaded, but Bi Sa-in remained cold. What was needed now was to learn the identity of the mastermind.
“If you must send me, let me go to the Murim Alliance instead!”
Jin Ha-gun joined the duo's joint operation.
“I refuse.”
“Why on earth? Please take me!”
“I don't want to. Your crimes are far too heinous for our mercy.”
In other words, he was telling him to be dragged to the Demonic Cult and suffer a far worse fate.
Geom Mu-geuk said with a feigned expression of being wronged, “Everyone is being too much. Anyone would think our Cult is a monster's den. Our Cult's dungeon is a place where people live, too. It's quite livable once you get used to it.”
The casual tone was scarier than a direct threat. In the end, Tae Jo couldn't hold out any longer. He could accept anything else, but the Demonic Cult was where hope went to die.
— Unit Leader Pyo arranged this matter.
An unexpected name surfaced.
— Unit Leader Pyo? Which Unit Leader Pyo?
There was no one named Pyo among the current Unit Leaders. Then, a memory surfaced.
— Could it be? The former Black Dragon Unit Leader?
— That's right.
Pyo Gi-gwang.
The leader of the Unorthodox Path Alliance's Black Dragon Unit, he had stepped down over ten years ago due to a severe injury. Since then, Bi Sa-in had heard he lived like a wreck, scrounging for drinks at banquets. He was someone who had long since faded from memory.
— Why him?
— He came to me several years ago. He said a secret organization was being formed within the Unorthodox Path Alliance. Because of that, they needed children with outstanding martial talent. He intimidated me, saying it was an absolute secret and that leaking it would mean death.
— He’s someone who stepped down from his position. You believed those words?
— He said the higher-ups had entrusted him with the task. He said the fate of the Unorthodox Path Alliance depended on the secret organization he was creating. He gave me a large sum of money as a down payment then—an amount Pyo Gi-gwang couldn't have gathered alone. He also promised the Alliance would take care of my interests later.
— Did he keep his promise?
— He did.
Thanks to that, the Flowing Sword Sect was able to expand its power and even invite the Blue and White Dual Swords as guests.
Bi Sa-in could tell this wasn't a simple kidnapping case. Something he didn't know about was festering inside the Unorthodox Path Alliance. Something even he, the Young Alliance Leader, was unaware of.
“We will take charge of this man's punishment,” Bi Sa-in declared.
Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun readily accepted.
“Escort Sect Leader Tae to the Alliance headquarters.”
At Bi Sa-in’s command, the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path suppressed Tae Jo’s pressure points and led him out. Tae Jo didn't dare resist.
As he was being dragged away, he looked at Bi Sa-in with a desperate gaze. At least it was a relief that he wasn't being sent to the Demonic Cult.
— If you want to live, you will help me from now on.
Bi Sa-in had secured him because he knew he would need Tae Jo’s testimony to dig into this conspiracy.
Bi Sa-in turned to the 13 Wolves.
“We are going to meet the Black Snake Unit Leader immediately.”
Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun naturally moved with him. Geom Mu-geuk had more to say to Bi Sa-in, and Jin Ha-gun wanted to see this through to the end.
The three of them rode together in one carriage. The 13 Wolves and the Demon Extermination Squad escorted them on horseback.
The martial artists of the Flowing Sword Sect, including the Blue and White Dual Swords, could only watch as the storm that had swept away their Sect Leader receded.
The Blue and White Dual Swords finally relaxed.
“The three successors of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic paths traveling together... that's a first.”
“It's likely a first in the history of the Murim.”
“Will the Sect Leader be able to return alive?”
That was something even they couldn't know.
However, they knew one thing. They had survived this long because they strictly followed one principle: when the wind and rain blow, lock the doors and stay inside.
The two turned back to the sect and ordered, “Close the gate.”
* * *
Wind blew in through the carriage window.
Bi Sa-in watched silently as the breeze fluttered the hem of Geom Mu-geuk’s clothes.
Even this morning, he never dreamed he would be riding in a carriage with these people to confront the Black Snake Unit Leader. He certainly didn't know he would be the one issuing the warning.
He felt a gnawing anxiety, unable to tell if this matter would be a curse or a blessing for his future as the leader of the Unorthodox Path Alliance.
Just then, Geom Mu-geuk spoke.
“I saw your path clearly today.”
Yes, it was because of this. The reason he made such a decision. To show that his path was one that, at the very least, protected children.
“How was my path?”
“It was cool.”
“I can't believe you, since you're so good at sweet-talking.”
It seemed he wanted to hear the word "cool" again.
Geom Mu-geuk laughed. “It was really cool.”
He even pulled in Jin Ha-gun, who was sitting beside him.
“What about you? Wasn't the Young Alliance Leader really cool?”
“I am not someone who says 'cool' to a person's face as easily as you do,” Jin Ha-gun replied, turning his head to look out the window. “But at the very least, I think today's decision and going to meet the Black Snake Unit Leader are the right things to do.”
Geom Mu-geuk chuckled. “You're taking such a long way to say 'you're cool.'”
* * *
That night, on a plain beneath a cluster of pouring stars, the three of them—Geom Mu-geuk, Bi Sa-in, and Jin Ha-gun—stood side by side.
The 13 Wolves and the Demon Extermination Squad were left at the campsite. Only the three successors were present.
It was time for Bi Sa-in to know the truth.
“A certain force is plotting a conspiracy to seize control of the Murim.”
Bi Sa-in’s eyes widened.
“They have infiltrated our Cult, and they have infiltrated the Murim Alliance. They were even in the Outer Region Pungcheon Cult.”
Bi Sa-in was startled. Judging by Jin Ha-gun’s serious expression, it wasn't a joke.
“In our Cult, they targeted the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord. In the Murim Alliance, they targeted Captain Jin here. In the Pungcheon Cult, they targeted the young new Cult Leader.”
“Could it be...?”
“That's right. I believe there are also people sent by them working secretly within the Unorthodox Path Alliance.”
It was hard to believe. If anyone other than Geom Mu-geuk had said it, he would have dismissed it as madness.
“I don't want to be defeated by such bastards. They hide in the shadows, find our weaknesses, and try to stab us in the back. The moment we doubt each other, we will be picked off one by one. Let's at least join forces when it comes to dealing with these people. Let's show them that the Jianghu isn't something to be handed over to the likes of them. For the sake of the Murim we will lead in the future.”
After a brief pause, Bi Sa-in asked suddenly, “Is that really the only reason? Aren't you the one behind that curtain?”
“If you ask so openly, do you think I'd just answer, 'Yes, I am the mastermind'?”
“If that's the case, we're doomed anyway. So tell me in advance. From today on, I'll only eat what I want and be a picky eater.”
Geom Mu-geuk felt that Bi Sa-in had certainly grown. Being able to joke comfortably meant he had gained that much peace of mind.
“There is another reason.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked up at the night sky, and the other two followed his gaze toward the crowded stars. While they were looking up, wondering which star belonged to each of them, Geom Mu-geuk calmly conveyed his true feelings.
“We are enemies, but we are also friends.”