Chapter 496: You Won't Believe It, But I Was Just Passing By.
Chapter 496: You Won't Believe It, But I Was Just Passing By.
Hwi turned the carriage around.
The carriage, which had been on the verge of leaving Chongqing, pivoted back toward the heart of the city.
“I will head to the safe house first,” Hwi announced.
Throughout the journey, his father didn't utter a single word.
Geom Mu-geuk remained silent as well. This was no time for jokes or idle chatter; he could palpably feel the weight of his father’s fury.
Normally, Geom Wu-jin was not one to display emotion toward an enemy. It had been the same when they dealt with the assassins earlier. Although he despised their kind, he hadn't shown any particular agitation while executing the Murder King.
This case, however, was different. Had it simply been news of someone impersonating the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, his father would likely have ordered an immediate return to the main cult to handle it from the throne.
The problem lay in the message left behind.
Demonic Path Under Heaven.
They had uttered words that should never be spoken lightly. Furthermore, his father was currently deep in thought regarding the nature of his own Demonic Path versus his son’s. To have it mocked in such a way was an intolerable insult.
The carriage arrived at a secure location among the many safe houses in Chongqing. It was the most fortified site, accessible only through hidden paths and complex formations—the safe house reserved exclusively for the Cult Leader.
Upon arrival, Geom Wu-jin went straight to his quarters.
Geom Mu-geuk helped Hwi unload the luggage.
“Please, go inside, Young Master. I will handle this,” Hwi said.
“No, I should carry my own things.”
Mu-geuk worked alongside Hwi to move his belongings and the items retrieved from the treasure vault into his room. He neatly packed his things but kept the Black Dragon Flying Armor and the Twin Wolves on his person.
He had technically disobeyed his father’s instruction to choose items only for himself, instead taking several sets to give to his companions. Out of a lingering sense of guilt, he intended to wear the gear until they returned to the main cult.
After unpacking, Mu-geuk went straight to his father’s room.
In the meantime, a new report from Tongcheon Pavilion had arrived. Mu-geuk read the document his father had already reviewed.
“The Murim Alliance is considering a Heavenly Net centered around Chongqing.”
Deploying a Heavenly Net was no simple feat. It required the mobilization of countless martial artists and incurred massive costs. Moreover, it was a provocative act that would grate on the nerves of the other two major powers, as it involved the movement of vast numbers of troops and masters. The fact that they were considering such a measure so hastily meant only one thing.
“It means they view this incident with extreme gravity,” Mu-geuk noted.
Geom Wu-jin nodded. “What do you think of this matter?”
At his father’s prompt, Mu-geuk shared the thoughts he had gathered during the carriage ride.
“As you know, there have always been those who impersonate or attempt to slander the Cult. However, there is something bothering me about this particular case.”
“What is it?”
Mu-geuk tilted his head, answering almost as if talking to himself. “Why Yumyeong Manor, of all places?”
Had his father been thinking the same thing? Or had Mu-geuk pointed out a detail he hadn't yet weighed? A strange light flickered in his father’s eyes.
“I don't know much about Yumyeong Manor,” Mu-geuk continued, “but I do know that the Manor Lord is a man deeply respected by the Orthodox martial artists of Chongqing.”
The scale of Yumyeong Manor was no more than that of a small-to-medium sect, but the Manor Lord’s reputation was immense compared to his actual power. He had always prioritized acts of chivalry over expanding his own influence.
“Therefore, touching the Lord of Yumyeong Manor in Chongqing is equivalent to attacking the pride of the entire Orthodox faction.”
That was why talk of a Heavenly Net was already surfacing. The Murim Alliance felt they absolutely had to catch the culprit, and they intended to do so by any means necessary.
Despite the Murim Alliance’s frantic mobilization, his father did not rush. Having led the Cult alongside Strategist Sama for years, he knew better than anyone that moving hastily out of anger would only lead to playing into the enemy’s hands.
His father called Hwi and issued a cold order.
“Place all branches and offices in Chongqing on high alert. Command Tongcheon Pavilion to focus its entire information network on this matter.”
“Yes, Sire. Understood.”
His father’s anger was a freezing chill. But Mu-geuk knew that this coldness contained a core of molten lava. Any enemy who managed to endure the frost would be the one to witness the true, burning rage beneath.
*
That evening, Mu-geuk, his father, and Hwi were eating at the largest inn in the marketplace.
By nature, an inn is the source of all the world’s rumors. It was often a place where one could obtain information more useful than what was bought for a high price from a professional broker.
They took their seats and ordered simple dishes and liquor. As expected, the surrounding tables were filled with nothing but talk of Yumyeong Manor. Most conversations began with longing stories of the Manor Lord’s chivalrous deeds and ended with vitriolic curses directed at the "damned Demonic Cult."
Amidst the chatter, Mu-geuk focused on one specific detail.
“The rumors are spreading too quickly.”
Considering the reputation of the Yumyeong Manor Lord, it was natural for it to be the talk of the town, but the speed was suspicious.
“The Murim Alliance would have kept the message left on the wall as secret as possible while investigating,” Mu-geuk whispered. “Since it involved the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, they would have handled it with extreme caution. The fact that the details have already spread this far means someone is intentionally leaking them. It is very deliberate.”
Hwi asked cautiously. As the head of security, he felt he had to confirm a possibility. “Could they be targeting you, Cult Leader?”
Before answering, Mu-geuk looked at his father, who was silently tilting his cup. Though he sat comfortably, there wasn't a single opening to be found in his posture. If even Mu-geuk, with his level of martial arts, could find no flaw, it meant that no opening existed in the first place.
Eventually, Mu-geuk answered Hwi. “If it were someone that reckless, they would be easy to deal with.”
He meant that this incident was a much more calculated conspiracy.
“I have a feeling this won't end with just one occurrence.”
That premonition became reality much faster than Mu-geuk had expected.
A man burst into the inn, shouting to the rafters.
“This time, the Daejeong Sect has been hit by those Demonic Cult bastards!”
The inn erupted. The room grew deafeningly noisy. The Daejeong Sect was another pillar of the Orthodox faction in Chongqing.
At someone’s cry that the Demonic Cult must be eradicated, the enraged crowd began to shout in unison. The enemy’s intention was clear: they were inciting a total war between the Cult and the Orthodox faction.
Mu-geuk spoke cautiously to his father. “Should we not send word to the Murim Alliance?”
He was suggesting that his father should personally inform the Alliance Leader that this was not their doing. In response, Geom Wu-jin emptied his cup and stood up.
“We should verify it for ourselves first.”
*
Jin Ha-gun entered the Daejeong Sect with a grim expression.
The area was strictly controlled by Murim Alliance martial artists, but they could not block the thick scent of blood wafting from within. Orthodox martial artists of Chongqing, having already heard the rumors, were beginning to gather outside the gates.
The news was spreading too fast. It meant the nerves of the local martial artists were already at a breaking point.
Entering the main building, Jin Ha-gun came to a halt. A deep sigh escaped his lips.
The scene was a total massacre.
The martial artists of the Daejeong Sect had been killed miserably, their bodies torn and slashed with brutal efficiency. Previously, at Yumyeong Manor, no corpses had been found, which had given him a sliver of hope that the victims might still be alive. Seeing these bodies, that hope vanished.
Jin Ha-gun carefully stepped through the carnage and entered the Sect Leader’s office.
The Daejeong Sect Leader had died leaning against the wall. His chest had been completely split open; it was a death so gruesome it was hard to look at.
And above the corpse, words were written large in blood.
Demonic Path Under Heaven.
It was the same message left at Yumyeong Manor.
As Jin Ha-gun stared at it in silence, Ju Gwol, the Chongqing Branch Leader, entered the room.
“They killed every single person. Even the servants and the cooks in the kitchen were slaughtered.”
Jin Ha-gun clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. No matter how much they lived in a world of violence, there was a line that should never be crossed. Even in a blood feud, one should only target the enemy. What happened here was an atrocity.
I will never forgive this.
The Murim Alliance existed to prevent such things and to punish those who committed them.
Standing beside him, Ju Gwol wanted to ask if he still doubted this was the work of demons, but he held his tongue. “Teacher Seong is on his way.”
Teacher Seong was a martial arts researcher for the Murim Alliance who had spent his life studying demonic arts. He was more well-versed in the dark paths than anyone else. By examining bloodstains, traces of combat, and the specific nature of the wounds, he could identify exactly which demonic art had been used.
Ju Gwol intended to wait for the results. Even after seeing the message on the wall, this Demon Extermination Squad Leader still seemed to refuse to believe it was the work of the Demonic Cult.
He won't be able to doubt Teacher Seong’s findings, Ju Gwol thought.
As if reading his mind, Jin Ha-gun spoke. “If this were a few years ago, I would have also assumed it was the work of a demonic practitioner, just like you, Branch Leader Ju.”
“What has changed since then?”
Jin Ha-gun, still staring at the blood-red letters, looked at Ju Gwol. “I have changed.”
Ju Gwol understood the weight behind those words. Normally, it was something Jin Ha-gun wouldn't have admitted, but with two Orthodox sects hit in succession, the pressure was mounting. Ju Gwol voiced the concern he had been holding back.
“I have heard about the relationship between you and the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
Lately, Geom Mu-geuk was the center of every conversation in the Murim. There were even rumors that high-ranking officials of the Murim Alliance were concerned about the friendship between the two.
“You must not trust demons,” Ju Gwol warned.
After a brief pause, Jin Ha-gun replied, “I do not trust demons either.”
Two conflicting thoughts surfaced in Jin Ha-gun’s mind.
As long as he is the Young Cult Leader, there is no way the Demonic Cult would have committed such a senseless act.
Then, the darker suspicion: What if this really is their work? What if all of that was just a facade to hide these deeds?
Considering his history with Geom Mu-geuk, the second thought was a suspicion he should never have entertained. He knew he shouldn't. He knew how much he would have to apologize to Mu-geuk later. But seeing the horrific corpse of the Sect Leader and that message in blood, he couldn't help the doubt.
It was at that moment a voice drifted from the doorway.
“I’m disappointed. I, for one, trust you.”
Jin Ha-gun and Ju Gwol spun around in shock.
Geom Mu-geuk was standing at the entrance, having entered completely unnoticed.
Jin Ha-gun was so startled he couldn't speak. He had never dreamed he would see Mu-geuk here. Moreover, the shock was doubled because he had just been thinking about him.
Ju Gwol drew his sword and shouted, “An intruder!”
Dozens of subordinates were stationed outside, yet this man had slipped in. And it wasn't just local branch martial artists; there were elite warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad out there.
How did he get in?
At Ju Gwol’s shout, the martial artists came rushing in. They, too, were flustered to see Geom Mu-geuk standing right under their noses.
Jin Ha-gun finally found his voice. “He is someone I know. Put your swords away. All of you, withdraw.”
Jin Ha-gun dismissed the warriors. As Ju Gwol sheathed his sword, a realization struck him.
Could it be?
“It’s been a while, friend,” Mu-geuk said.
Lately, the only person who could call Jin Ha-gun "friend" was that man from the rumors.
This man is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult! Ju Gwol’s heart pounded. This was his first time seeing the Young Cult Leader in person.
Jin Ha-gun didn't have the mental energy for pleasantries. “What are you doing here?”
Geom Mu-geuk let out a light sigh. “You won't believe it, but I was just passing by.”
It was the truth; he had been passing through Chongqing when the incident occurred.
Ju Gwol’s expression soured. Bullshit. Passing by? With the Young Cult Leader appearing at the crime scene, he became even more convinced this was a Demonic Cult plot.
On the other hand, Jin Ha-gun finally felt the reality of the meeting. Mu-geuk was exactly the kind of person who gave such eccentric answers—and those eccentric words were always sincere.
To be honest, he was relieved to see Mu-geuk. But in this situation, he couldn't show it. His heart was too full of anger for the victims.
Mu-geuk sensed the tension and clarified his presence. “You can verify it if you investigate. We received help from your Shaanxi Branch recently. I’m on my way back to the main cult after handling matters there.”
If they investigated the travel route and timing, it would explain his presence.
Mu-geuk slowly walked toward the two men. Ju Gwol was inwardly on guard, circulating his internal energy to strike at a moment's notice.
I really can't feel a single trace of demonic energy, Ju Gwol realized. He was amazed that a demonic practitioner could hide their energy so thoroughly. In fact, Mu-geuk felt like someone who didn't know martial arts at all. It was the perfected state of Returning to the Natural State.
Mu-geuk stood before Jin Ha-gun. Their gazes locked.
“I’m this angry,” Mu-geuk said softly, “so I can't even begin to guess the fury you must be feeling.”
At the consolation, Jin Ha-gun stated his resolve. “I will never forgive the one who committed this act.”
Even if, by some slim chance, it turns out to be you.
“As you should. I intend to do the same,” Mu-geuk replied. His gaze turned toward the writing on the wall. “The one who left that message knows nothing of my father’s Demonic Path—nor mine.”
Because of that message, Jin Ha-gun had also considered that it might be a frame-up. The Heavenly Demon he saw at the Three-Party Summit, and the Mu-geuk he knew... they were not people who would slaughter innocents just to leave a calling card.
Yes, it’s not him. He’s not that kind of person.
Just then, a subordinate’s voice called out from the entrance.
“Teacher Seong has arrived.”
A white-haired old man entered the room, his eyes sharp and analytical.