Chapter 406: Let Yourself Be Deceived by the Young Cult Leader
Chapter 406: Let Yourself Be Deceived by the Young Cult Leader
Geom Mu-geuk could sense the cold finality in the Drunken Demon’s resolve.
The man had made up his mind: everyone involved in this matter would die.
Once a Demon Lord reached such a conclusion, it was a decision Geom Mu-geuk could not—and should not—interfere with. This was the absolute decree of a master of the Demonic Path.
Geom Mu-geuk glanced at Lee An. She was staring at the Drunken Demon, her face flushed with intensity. She felt it instinctively—the suffocating weight of his determination. The Drunken Demon’s resolve was all the more terrifying because he was stone-cold sober.
Geom Mu-geuk then turned his gaze toward Han Seol.
Can you feel it too?
How could Han Seol not sense the Drunken Demon’s emotions? However, she simply could not comprehend them.
Why go this far?
Their relationship didn't seem deep enough to warrant such extremes. If he had truly loved the woman, he wouldn't have lived apart from her. Their connection consisted of nothing more than exchanging letters and alcohol once or twice a year.
Humans were capable of deceiving and betraying one another even while staring into each other's eyes; what could possibly exist in a relationship where they hadn't even seen each other's faces?
Nevertheless, she agreed on one point.
“It is true that the Institute Head’s death is suspicious,” she admitted.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to her. “Please, help the Ice Palace take an active role in resolving this case.”
“What is it you want?”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at the Drunken Demon. He had intended to leave the specifics entirely to him.
However, the Drunken Demon gave an unexpected response.
“You decide, Young Cult Leader. A sharper mind should be the one pulling the strings.”
“Even after you just laid out that brilliant deduction?”
“That was only because I knew her well.”
The fact that the Drunken Demon could make such a judgment proved he was indeed a clever man. He looked at Geom Mu-geuk, his eyes conveying a silent message.
— Bring me to them.
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a firm gaze of his own.
— I will.
Geom Mu-geuk turned back to Han Seol.
“Grant me just one favor. I need no other help. This one thing will suffice.”
Han Seol was curious. What kind of favor was so significant that he claimed it was the only one he needed?
“I want you, Young Palace Master, to join our investigation team.”
Han Seol’s eyes widened at the unexpected request.
“Let the four of us solve this together!”
The Drunken Demon and Lee An were deeply impressed.
If Han Seol joined them, there would be no need to petition her for various favors separately. By moving with her, they could bypass almost any bureaucratic hurdle within the Ice Palace’s jurisdiction.
It was a moment akin to a devil asking, "What is your wish?" and receiving the answer, "To have you."
Furthermore, this request held a hidden motive that Lee An and the Drunken Demon were unaware of. Geom Mu-geuk wanted to keep Han Seol close because the Blood King might be targeting her next.
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
A refusal nearly climbed up Han Seol’s throat. Her instincts recoiled at the idea of mingling so closely with others.
Yet, the reason she didn't refuse immediately was her own suspicion that the Institute Head had not committed suicide. If that were the case, she had to find the culprit, if only for the sake of the Ice Palace’s honor.
“Am I not already helping you?”
“Helping as an ally is different from being part of the team, is it not?”
“...!”
He was right. She had taken it upon herself to accept his previous proposal, telling her mother she wanted to see what kind of person the Young Cult Leader truly was. To be more precise, she wanted to prove that she could see through the exaggerated rumors surrounding him.
Become allies with them?
Han Seol looked at the three of them with a fresh perspective.
It was a truly strange combination. That excessively beautiful subordinate had come all the way to the North Sea to save the husband of a woman who had merely given her a cup of water.
The Drunken Demon, who claimed to be abstaining from alcohol, sought bloody revenge for someone with whom he only occasionally exchanged wine and letters.
And this Young Cult Leader, praised as a transcendent being yet acting like a silver-tongued swindler, was asking her to join them.
Han Seol shook her head in disbelief. However, her words were the opposite of her gesture.
“Fine. I will join you. But I have a condition.”
“Name it.”
“As we handle this matter, you must not hide anything from me.”
“Very well. I shall tell you everything without exception. In exchange, you must promise me this: do not avoid us because you don't want to hear the truth. Do not complain that your ears are hurting.”
And so, Han Seol became a member of the investigation. However, the greatest mountain she had to climb began now.
“Then move your quarters immediately. I think it would be best if you stayed with Lee An.”
“Move my quarters?”
“Why so surprised? We are one family now, so naturally, we should sleep together, eat together, and think together.”
One family? Han Seol instantly regretted her decision. Simply agreeing to be a member was already a massive step for her.
Just what do you want from me?
Despite her internal resistance, Geom Mu-geuk spoke to her as if he hadn't noticed her discomfort.
“There is a certain power found in the experience of eating and sleeping together. Take this opportunity to experience it for yourself.”
Han Seol looked at Lee An. Sleep in the same room as that woman? She had never shared her private space with another person in her life.
In the midst of this, Geom Mu-geuk turned his attention to Lee An.
“I’m sorry for deciding this without consulting you first.”
“No, I’m fine with it.” Lee An turned to Han Seol with a polite smile. “Please give me the honor of staying with you, Young Palace Master.”
The Drunken Demon added his own word. “This is an important matter to me, so please, Young Palace Master, yield just this once.”
Reluctantly, Han Seol finally gave in.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
It wasn't because of the two of them. Han Seol had only just begun her "sparring" with Geom Mu-geuk. She was determined to prove that he was a man who manipulated people with nothing but words.
“What do we do now?”
Not only Han Seol, who asked the question, but also the Drunken Demon and Lee An felt at a loss. What should they investigate next? Should they interrogate more people? Or perhaps examine the bank records?
Fortunately, Geom Mu-geuk was already standing at the start of the path.
“We must ask ourselves: why her? Of all the people in the Ice Palace, why did they have to kill the Master of the White Liquor Snowy Plains?”
Geom Mu-geuk looked toward one person for the answer. Since he was in front of Han Seol, he spoke with measured politeness.
“I believe the Demon Lord already knows the answer.”
The two women’s gazes shifted to the Drunken Demon. Everyone was surprised, but the Drunken Demon was the most shocked of all.
“I know the reason?”
“Yes. You might not know who killed her, but you likely know why.”
“I don't, though?”
The Drunken Demon looked flustered, as if he were being accused of the crime himself, but Geom Mu-geuk remained firm.
“No, you do know.”
Geom Mu-geuk had a reason for thinking so.
“The Institute Head had no problems within the White Liquor Snowy Plains, nor was she a master of powerful martial arts. She wasn't someone who held power, grudges, or secrets. If so, what could the reason be?”
The reason why he said the Drunken Demon knew was contained in his final words.
“Her death is undoubtedly related to the liquor.”
*
As the carriage entered the North Blood Sect, Yang Jung finally felt a sense of relief.
I’m home.
The carriage did not stop until it reached the Great Hall deep within the inner court.
Yang Jung stepped out. His father had not returned in the same carriage; he had expected they might have some conversation during the journey, but the silence had been absolute.
His father was angry. Yang Jung understood why. To his father, the North Blood Sect was more precious than his own flesh and blood. Since the sect had suffered great losses because of this incident, it was only natural for him to be furious.
On the other hand, now that he was back within the safety of his home, Yang Jung’s resentment toward his father began to fade.
Though his father had initially abandoned him when the hostage exchange was demanded, he had ultimately struck a deal with the North Sea Ice Palace to save him. Regardless of how it happened, he had survived, and that was enough.
His father was alone in the Great Hall. He had dismissed all the warriors who usually guarded the area.
He intends to reprimand me for my mistake in private.
He likely didn't want to damage his son’s reputation in front of his subordinates. Feeling his father’s consideration, Yang Jung’s heart softened further.
“Father.”
His father stood with his back turned, staring out the window in silence. Today, that back felt more unfamiliar and terrifying than usual.
Yang Jung immediately shifted the blame to the Demonic Cult.
“I truly had no idea those Demonic Cult bastards would interfere.”
At that, the North Blood Sect Leader asked coldly, “Why did you speak?”
“What do you mean?”
“The location of the laboratory.”
In an instant, Yang Jung’s heart sank. He had forgotten. In his desperation, he had told them every location where the kidnapped people might be held.
I said it to survive! You rejected the hostage exchange and abandoned me, so I did what I had to!
However, the two of them were not the type to share such candid thoughts.
Suppressing his surging emotions, Yang Jung spoke exactly as Geom Mu-geuk had instructed him.
“It was to lure them there and capture them. I believed that if the laboratory had been moved, you would have surely set up secret measures to defend against intruders at the new location.”
But the lie didn't work on his father.
“If you had to speak because the bastard threatened to kill you, you should have given them a location other than the laboratory. You should have insisted that was the only place you knew. You should have played dumb.”
It was a life-or-death situation, Father!
Yang Jung offered no further excuses. It would have been nice if the scolding ended there, but the real reprimand was just beginning.
“Hwang-su died because of you.”
Hwang-su was the individual who had been conducting the experiments there.
So? Is that bastard’s death more important? More important than your own son’s life!
These were words he had been bottling up, but he couldn't say them. It would only fuel his father’s rage. His father would dismiss it as a childish tantrum from someone who couldn't distinguish between public and private matters.
“I was wrong. I will never make such a mistake again.”
But his father did not offer forgiveness.
“Leave.”
“...!”
“Go to Zhejiang and do not return until I tell you to.”
Zhejiang was far—far too far from the North Sea. To be told to leave for Zhejiang was a declaration equivalent to exile, or even death, for Yang Jung.
Yang Jung was stunned. His father was trying to cast him out.
His father had made his two sons compete for the succession, never fully placing his trust in the eldest. Because of that, Yang Jung had held onto hope. He believed he, too, could become the successor.
So, he had done everything.
For the North Blood Sect, and for his father. He had done all the dark deeds that should never be revealed to the world.
But now he realized. He hadn't been dreaming with his father. He had been dreaming alone.
“I refuse. I will not leave!”
Yang Jung screamed. Until now, he had been too afraid of his father to reveal his true feelings, but he would no longer hold back.
“I did everything you ordered! If you told me to kill, I killed; if you told me to kidnap, I kidnapped! And now you’re telling me to leave? I won't!”
You used me like a hunting dog. If your child is a hunting dog, then what does that make you, Father?
These were words he couldn't bring himself to say. But considering what was about to happen, it was a resentment he might as well have voiced.
Thwack!
With the sickening sound of flesh tearing, Yang Jung’s words and movements stopped.
His head lowered, and he stared at the blood-stained blade protruding from his chest. Was it because he was in shock? It didn't even hurt yet.
He had seen swords pierce people so many times, yet this sight felt utterly alien.
Who? If it was someone who could enter this place undetected...?
Slowly turning his head, he saw the person who had stabbed him. It was the very person he had first thought of.
It was Yang-seok, the eldest son of the North Blood Sect and his older brother.
As a brother who had always viewed him as a thorn in his side during the succession struggle, he was more than capable of such a deed.
The person Yang Jung couldn't understand now was his father. His father, who was watching this scene in cold silence. His brother would never have dared to commit such an act without their father’s permission. He had been told to kill him if he refused to leave.
“...If this was the end, why did you save me?”
A cold answer flowed in response to his resentful question.
“Because I cannot allow the bloodline of the North Blood Sect to die at the hands of another. You can only die by our hands.”
That made no sense. If that were true, he should have agreed to the hostage exchange. Instead of killing him, he should have sent him to Zhejiang by any means necessary. If he wouldn't go, he should have persuaded him. He should have struck his acupoints and forced him away. If he were a father, he would have...
Yang Jung’s resentment ended there.
Schlick!
The sword was violently withdrawn. Yang Jung collapsed, blood spurting from his chest, and died instantly.
Ju Gyu and Hwang Chu, who had been kidnapped along with Yang Jung, had already been eliminated.
The North Blood Sect Leader spoke to Yang-seok.
“The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult has begun investigating this matter while staying at the Ice Palace.”
“I will cut all ties that could lead back to us.”
“This is a matter of life and death for our sect. You must handle it with extreme caution.”
“Leave it to me.”
After Yang-seok left, the North Blood Sect Leader looked down at his dead son. His heart ached, but it was a pain he could endure. If the North Blood Sect were to fall, that would be a pain he could not bear.
*
The Drunken Demon was pacing the courtyard.
I have the answer. The answer is within me.
He found Geom Mu-geuk’s deduction plausible. She wasn't the type of person to earn anyone's grudge. If she had been caught in a conspiracy, it was surely one related to alcohol.
As he paced, he took out the letters he had exchanged with her and read them. Then he would walk again, stop, and read another. He looked up at the sky, lost in thought, and then resumed his pacing.
From the window of the room, Lee An watched him.
“The Drunken Demon seems to have a lot on his mind.”
Han Seol sat on the edge of the bed without saying a word. She hadn't even unpacked her things.
“Do you regret it? Deciding to join us?”
Han Seol remained silent, offering only a cold gaze.
Lee An didn't try to push the conversation further and looked back out the window.
It was serious outside, and it was serious inside. Meanwhile, Geom Mu-geuk, the one who had burdened them with such heavy thoughts, had stepped out for a moment, saying he had an errand to run.
Suddenly, Han Seol spoke from behind her.
“Do you not think you are being deceived?”
Lee An turned her head to look at Han Seol.
“By the Young Cult Leader?”
Han Seol nodded.
Lee An could tell how Han Seol viewed her. She thought Lee An was being tricked and used by Geom Mu-geuk.
Lee An considered just giving her a smile and leaving it at that, but then she changed her mind. She didn't mind being thought of that way herself, but she couldn't stand it when people thought that of Geom Mu-geuk.
“Perhaps.”
She spoke as if admitting it, but that was only the beginning of her attempt to make Han Seol truly understand him.
“By being 'tricked' like that, I was able to cure the side effects of the martial arts I had learned. Though I didn't speak of it, those side effects were a great source of worry for me.”
Lee An did not reveal the specific details of the side effects.
“By being 'tricked' like that, I learned a sword technique I never could have dreamed of, and I became the leader of an organization I never could have imagined. By being 'tricked' like that, I even became the foster daughter of someone I never could have hoped for in my entire life.”
Han Seol wasn't curious about the sword technique or the organization, but she was curious about the father.
“Who are you talking about?”
Lee An answered honestly. It wasn't a secret, anyway.
“Lord Fist Demon, one of our Cult’s Demon Lords.”
Han Seol was shocked.
This woman is the Fist Demon’s daughter?
Was that why the Young Cult Leader cherished her? No. Lee An was saying that she was able to become the Fist Demon’s daughter because she had met the Young Cult Leader.
“By being 'tricked' like that, I became drinking buddies with the Huangquan Pavilion Master and a Demon Monarch, and the person who was supposed to become the next Demon Lord became a team leader in the organization I lead.”
Since every word that followed was extraordinary, Han Seol wondered if Lee An was lying. But would she dare lie so blatantly? About things that could easily be verified?
“And now, I am having a conversation with the Young Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace. If I hadn't been 'tricked' by our Young Cult Leader, my life would have been spent guarding a door.”
Lee An’s eyes were clearer and calmer than ever before.
“At this rate, isn't a life spent being 'tricked' quite alright?”
It wasn't just to clear up the misunderstanding about Geom Mu-geuk. If it had been anyone else, she might have just let it go.
But strangely, she felt a desire to let Han Seol know the truth. Even though this cold Young Palace Master wasn't exactly the type of person she would normally like.
“It’s hard to believe, isn't it? Sometimes I don't believe it myself. There are many times when I wonder if this is all a dream. That’s why I told you before: try believing in him once. Ah, I should say it differently now.”
After a brief pause, Lee An spoke.
“Let yourself be deceived by the Young Cult Leader, just this once.”
Their gazes locked in the air. Han Seol couldn't understand, and she couldn't believe it. But she felt no falsehood in the clear eyes of Lee An.
Just then, the Drunken Demon rushed into the room, looking for Geom Mu-geuk.
“Where is the Young Cult Leader? Where is he?”
“He went out on an errand. What is it?”
The Drunken Demon was in a state of visible excitement, and for good reason.
“The answer... it was right in front of me all along!”