Chapter 357: I’ll Kill Those Bastards and Retire Today.
Chapter 357: I’ll Kill Those Bastards and Retire Today.
The moment he heard the title "Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult," the Combat King leaped into the air, scanning the surroundings in every direction.
Only after confirming once more that no one was nearby did he descend back to his original spot. This reaction alone made it clear just how much he feared and respected the power of the Demonic Cult.
"Why the Young Cult Leader?"
For the Combat King, this was a variable he had never even considered.
Hyeok Sa-gun, on the other hand, was already well aware of the relationship between Geom Mu-geuk and Bi Sa-in.
"I understand the two formed a bond while the Young Cult Leader was active outside the Cult."
The Combat King was surprised, but at the same time, all his lingering questions were answered. The massacre of the assassins, the exposure of his own identity, Gwang Seom’s failure—everything made sense once he factored the Young Cult Leader into the equation.
"I see. That explains it."
The Combat King had heard the rumors; he knew exactly how exceptional this current Young Cult Leader was.
"Do you know where they are now?"
"They are hiding in a safe house near the headquarters."
As the man acting as the Chief Strategist, Hyeok Sa-gun knew the locations of all the safe houses, as well as exactly who was staying in them.
"Is the Young Cult Leader with him?"
"No, he is currently with Goe Ak."
The Young Alliance Leader was hiding in the safe house, pretending to be dead, while the Young Cult Leader was likely out hunting for their tracks.
"What do you think we should do?"
Hyeok Sa-gun was the only person whose opinion the Combat King truly sought. He held the man’s intelligence and cold-blooded competence in high regard. Above all, Hyeok Sa-gun knew exactly what the Combat King wanted. He read his lord’s intentions and crafted plans to match them perfectly.
"Since the Young Alliance Leader wishes to be a dead man, we should grant him his wish and make it permanent."
Furthermore, Hyeok Sa-gun’s ability to execute was unparalleled. He handled matters he was certain of first and reported them later. He possessed that much confidence.
"I have already dispatched people."
"With Goe Ak there, it won't be easy. Whom did you send?"
Hyeok Sa-gun revealed the names of those sent to resolve the situation.
"I sent the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords."
They were figures just as unexpected as the Young Cult Leader.
"They’re still alive?"
The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords were individuals who had once wielded terrifying infamy within the Unorthodox Path. They, too, had been among the Seven Great Masters of the Unorthodox Path. However, after committing countless atrocities, they had been branded Public Enemies of the Murim. It was widely believed they had died after being trapped and attacked by the Murim Alliance’s Heavenly Net.
"The Alliance snatched them away just before they died. Since then, they have been used secretly by the Alliance. I only learned of this recently after taking over the duties of Chief Strategist."
If it was the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords, the Combat King felt confident they could kill Goe Ak and Bi Sa-in.
"Finding out they were in the safe house and using the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords... won't your involvement become a problem later?"
Hyeok Sa-gun dismissed the concern as mere overthinking.
"Would a man as busy as I have the time to plot such a thing?"
His meaningful smile said it all. He had already prepared someone else to take the fall. He intended to eliminate a thorn-in-the-side political rival along with his targets.
Hyeok Sa-gun’s handling of the situation wasn't limited to the Young Alliance Leader. He had already prepared for Geom Mu-geuk as well.
"The problem is the Young Cult Leader. We must not kill him under any circumstances. If we do, all our plans will go awry. We must send him back to the Divine Cult."
The Combat King nodded, his expression showing he was of the same mind.
"Do you have a method in mind?"
"There are two ways. The first is to send him back by force. To defeat him without killing him, you would have to step forth personally, my lord."
"And if he resists to the end?"
The Combat King was confident he could defeat someone of the Young Cult Leader's level. The problem was if the boy refused to leave, using the Demonic Cult as his shield.
"I doubt he is helping the Young Alliance Leader out of the goodness of his heart. He must have some sort of objective. Once he realizes his own life is in danger, he will back off."
"And the second method?"
"Using the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader to send him back. Currently, the Alliance Leader is unaware that the Young Alliance Leader maintains such a deep friendship with Geom Mu-geuk. Once he finds out, he will undoubtedly send the Young Cult Leader away. The Young Alliance Leader will face a thunderous reprimand."
Hyeok Sa-gun had been intentionally blocking the information, saving it for a decisive moment.
"Which method would you choose?"
"The second method is safer and more certain."
"Then why did you mention the first method first?"
"Because I know it is the method you desire, my lord."
The Combat King broke into a satisfied smile.
"I look forward to our future together."
What he had given the man was the position of Chief Strategist; what he expected to receive in return was the seat of the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader.
The Combat King had recruited Hyeok Sa-gun long ago. Without the Combat King’s material and spiritual support, Hyeok Sa-gun would never have risen to the position of Deputy Strategist. There had been several decisive moments in Hyeok Sa-gun’s life that altered his fate. He was brilliant, but were there not other brilliant strategists?
The Combat King had preemptively eliminated those who would have been powerful rivals. Some died of illness, others in "accidents." Because these acts were carried out carefully over a long period, they were never discovered.
"Proceed with the second method."
"Understood. I shall move the Alliance Leader and send the Young Cult Leader back first."
Hyeok Sa-gun put his bamboo hat back on.
"Then, please take care until we meet again."
Hyeok Sa-gun walked away slowly, leaving the area. Left alone, the Combat King looked up at the moon again.
"Young Alliance Leader, it seems you shall die today as you wished. Or perhaps... have you died already?"
When the moon set, the sun would rise.
*
Bi Sa-in and Goe Ak remained at the safe house.
Though it was late, neither could sleep. They sat in a small pavilion in the courtyard, drinking tea. On the surface, Bi Sa-in appeared calm, but his mind was entirely consumed by the current situation.
Would Geom Mu-geuk find the mastermind? How would the Alliance Leader view his handling of this matter? Just how strong was Hwang Seok-gyeong? All sorts of thoughts swirled, complicating his heart.
Perhaps moved by the soft moonlight, Goe Ak spoke with an air of leisure.
"When I retire, I’d like to live in seclusion in a place like this."
Goe Ak seemed to like the location. It was difficult to find from the outside, yet the interior was quiet and elegant.
"You should buy a house in a place with even better scenery," Bi Sa-in replied.
Goe Ak shook his head.
"Perhaps it's because I've lived a life that earned me many grudges, but being in a closed-off place like this where no one knows me actually puts my mind at ease."
This place certainly felt safe.
"Young Alliance Leader."
"Yes, Senior."
"Don't forget your promise."
"On the day I become the Alliance Leader, I will give you the Three-Strike Ghost Shadow Step."
This was the reason Goe Ak was risking his life to help Bi Sa-in. When Bi Sa-in answered readily, Goe Ak finally offered a piece of advice.
"Listen, Young Alliance Leader. Do not be deceived by a person's kindness. Everyone has a dark motive."
He was telling him not to trust Geom Mu-geuk. It meant that a life-debt was a life-debt, but suspicion should remain where suspicion was due.
How could Bi Sa-in not know what he was worried about? Geom Mu-geuk was someone he himself was wary of.
"I will keep that in mind."
After answering politely, Bi Sa-in asked a question of his own.
"There is something I wish to ask you, Senior."
"Speak."
"You have already reached the rank of the Seven Great Masters of the Unorthodox Path. Is there a reason you wish to become even stronger?"
He wondered if the man dreamed of being the Greatest Under Heaven or the Greatest of the Unorthodox Path, but that wasn't it. Rage flickered in Goe Ak’s eyes as he looked down at his empty teacup.
"Because there are people I want to kill."
"Who are they?"
It was at that very moment, just as Goe Ak hesitated to answer, that the door leading from the courtyard to the outer rim opened. Someone appeared—it was the martial artist managing the safe house.
The moment they saw him, Bi Sa-in and Goe Ak sprang to their feet.
The martial artist, reeking of fresh blood, collapsed where he stood. His back was drenched in crimson. Two men stepped over the corpse and walked inside.
Goe Ak’s expression froze into a cold mask as he recognized them.
"The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords!"
Bi Sa-in gasped. The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords were men who had once struck terror into the heart of the Murim.
The Yama Sword and the Thousand-Hand Sword.
Together, they were known as the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords. They looked similar, yet the auras they radiated were completely different. While the Yama Sword felt coarse and aggressive, the Thousand-Hand Sword appeared cold, precise, and utterly without openings.
Bi Sa-in wasn't just shocked because of their reputation.
How on earth did they find this place?
It should have been impossible for this secret location to be compromised. In other words, the Unorthodox Path Alliance’s intelligence system had been breached.
The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords also recognized Goe Ak.
"Has it been ten years?"
Goe Ak answered the Yama Sword’s question.
"It’s been twelve."
Goe Ak remembered their last meeting exactly.
"Since we have an old acquaintance, you should just leave, junior."
Though they were younger than him, they addressed Goe Ak as their junior. This was because they had already been among the Seven Great Masters of the Unorthodox Path when Goe Ak first ascended to that rank.
The two of them shared a single seat among the Seven Great Masters under the name Scorching Heaven Twin Swords, but each possessed the skill to hold a seat on his own. They were not two halves of a whole. That was why they were evaluated as the strongest among the Seven Great Masters. Unless their blades had dulled, there was no chance of winning this fight.
Bi Sa-in could feel Goe Ak’s internal conflict. He could gauge the strength of the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords by that very hesitation.
Even Goe Ak isn't confident he can handle them.
Soon, a heartless decision was handed down.
"Young Alliance Leader, please understand."
The meaning behind those words was clear: I am leaving, so you die here.
Are you really going to be this cowardly?
He could have snapped back coldly, or he could have begged for his life. But Bi Sa-in did neither. In the past, he surely would have. Why were these words coming out of his mouth now?
"I am sorry that I won't be able to hand you the manual with my own hands. I hope you successfully kill those people you wish to kill."
He hadn't been this kind of person.
Trying to act cool even in the face of death? This was the kind of thing Geom Mu-geuk would say. Ah, perhaps he really had been influenced by that man. Geom Mu-geuk would probably survive beautifully after showing such composure, but Bi Sa-in was going to die.
Bi Sa-in didn't feel disappointed or betrayed. Such emotions were only felt toward someone one deeply trusted. In the past, he would have regretted this moment. He would have thought he should have just reported everything to the Alliance Leader from the start. But he didn't even feel that regret.
I really have changed!
That was why it was a shame. Crises of death kept coming, and each time, he felt this lingering attachment. He wanted to live longer to experience more of his changing self. He wanted to show that change to him.
And so, he found himself wishing again. Wishing that, like a miracle, Geom Mu-geuk would be perched on that wall, smiling and saying: “Let’s really dance if you survive this time.”
But today, of all days, such a thing would not happen. He was in a supposedly secure safe house. There was no reason for that man to come running here.
Goe Ak stared at Bi Sa-in for a moment, then turned his back and began to walk away. The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords watched him pass in silence.
The moment Goe Ak brushed past the two of them—
Sshhhk!
Voom!
Goe Ak and the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords turned simultaneously, launching a sword strike and twin palms at each other.
Goe Ak had pretended to abandon Bi Sa-in and leave, but he knew. He knew the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords had offered to let him go only so they could ambush him and kill him easily. He knew better than anyone that they were that kind of people.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, they were pushed back. The Scorching Heaven Twin Swords retreated three steps, while Goe Ak, who had faced the internal energy of two men, was pushed back seven.
"Your cowardly tricks are the same as ever," Goe Ak mocked.
At Goe Ak’s mockery, the Yama Sword sneered.
"And you're still as quick-witted as a rat."
Goe Ak leaped through the air and landed beside Bi Sa-in. Bi Sa-in was shocked and moved that the man hadn't fled but had come back to him.
"Why did you come back here?"
Just now, when he was being pushed back by the exchange of palms, he could have used that momentum to clear the wall and escape. Then the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords would have split up—one to chase Goe Ak, and the other to kill him. Or they might have let Goe Ak go and simply finished him off. After all, he was the target that had to die today.
No matter the scenario, Goe Ak’s chances of survival would have been higher than they were now. There was no way Goe Ak didn't know that.
"Earlier, you asked me who I wanted to kill once I got stronger, didn't you?"
Only then did Bi Sa-in realize. The people Goe Ak wanted to kill were the Scorching Heaven Twin Swords.
"Then you should have left even more urgently, shouldn't you?"
He must have wanted the Three-Strike Ghost Shadow Step because he felt he couldn't win yet.
Goe Ak let out a soft sigh. It was true. As the clash just now proved, he still couldn't defeat them. The gap between Bi Sa-in and those two would be even wider. In the end, it was an unwinnable fight.
So why did he stay? Letting the Young Alliance Leader die weighed on his conscience, but there was a bigger reason.
This is all because of Gwang Seom.
Being betrayed by Gwang Seom had left a foul taste in his mouth. He had been cursing the man ever since, and if he were to run away now, he would end up being no different. If Bi Sa-in had spoken coldly or cursed at him, perhaps he would have fled right after that exchange of palms.
But seeing the boy send him off with kind words made it impossible to leave. He should have taken his own advice and not been deceived by kindness.
"Because I want to receive that manual from you personally."
Bi Sa-in couldn't tell. Had the man changed because death was near? Or had he changed because the way Bi Sa-in treated him had changed? He realized that human affairs were truly unpredictable.
"If I had known it would come to this, I should have stolen that manual and given it to you sooner."
Goe Ak clenched his fists. A tremendous aura, born of a resolve to face death, radiated from him.
"I don't need it anymore. I'm going to kill those bastards and retire today."
Bi Sa-in slowly drew his sword. A sharp, chilling energy emanated from his blade.
"On the day you retire from the martial world, I will prepare the largest and most magnificent golden basin in the Jianghu."
And if I can just survive today... I will dance on that day as well.