Chapter 521: May I Cast One Last Divination?
Chapter 521: May I Cast One Last Divination?
As I watched the retreating figures of my father and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, a warrior from the Tongcheon Pavilion approached with a report.
“We have located the members of the Ungang Sect. By order of the Pavilion Master, the Demon Army has been deployed for the rescue operation.”
The very place where I had fought Gyo Cheon was the Ungang Sect. Fortunately, they had been kept alive rather than slaughtered.
Geom Mu-geuk turned to the warrior. “Send word to the Demon Extermination Squad Leader. Tell him I’ll meet him there.”
“Understood, sir!”
I couldn't leave without seeing my friend’s face. Jin Ha-gun had been a massive help in resolving this affair.
As the warrior vanished with a light, rhythmic movement, Seo Dae-ryong, who had been listening nearby, looked relieved.
“That is good news.”
“You’re the one who found them,” I said.
The last two sects Seo Dae-ryong had narrowed it down to were the Bongsan Sword Gate and the Ungang Sect. He’d said he couldn't choose between them, so I had picked the Bongsan Sword Gate. As it turned out, that side had been a trap to buy time, and the real incident had unfolded here at the Ungang Sect.
“As expected! Such is the prowess of the top student of the Huangquan Pavilion!”
At my praise, he could have puffed out his chest and acted smug, but Seo Dae-ryong simply bowed his head politely in gratitude.
“Thank you, Young Cult Leader.”
“For what?”
“Just… for everything.”
If he had met his master alone, would they have had such a wonderful reunion? I doubted it. It would have been awkward and strained, and they likely wouldn't have shared their true feelings.
“Keep a record of that gratitude! Just you wait—even a brilliant mind like yours will eventually start forgetting things the moment you turn around. You’ll probably say, ‘Oh, did the Young Cult Leader really say that? I’m pretty sure I did it all myself.’ You’ll drive me crazy with your distorted memories. Actually, never mind. I won't remember either. So, write it all down, meticulously and without leaving anything out.”
“I shall turn it into a book to be passed down through the generations,” Seo Dae-ryong replied.
In his mind, a vision of the future took shape. He saw himself with his grandchildren on his knees, telling them the story of this day.
Perhaps those grandchildren would say:
— Grandfather, are you talking about the Cult Leader again?
But he wouldn't be able to help it. His gratitude was piled as high as a mountain.
Even today was a perfect example. I could have told him to wait at the safe house, but I had brought him all the way here.
“I am also grateful that you brought me here so I could reunite with my master even a moment sooner.”
“That’s not why I brought you, though.”
“Pardon? Then why did you?”
“If we’re going to meet, it should be at the place where all the grudges and debts are settled. Waiting at a safe house versus meeting here—the feeling is completely different. The most important thing in a martial artist’s life is whether or not you were there at the decisive moment.”
He seemed to find truth in those words. The excitement he felt when he saw his master in this blood-soaked place was still vivid.
“Even if I didn't fight alongside you?” he asked.
As a martial artist, how could he not feel such regret?
“You did fight with us. Just by staying out of the way and not becoming a hostage for me to worry about while I was trying to help your master, you fought well. I’m glad you’re smart enough that I don’t have to worry about things like that.”
Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes trembled. He wondered what kind of debt he must have owed this Young Cult Leader in a past life to be treated this way.
Of course, I wasn't the type to just let Seo Dae-ryong bask in his obvious emotion.
“Besides, if I happened to die, you would have jumped in anyway, wouldn't you? How could I make that long trip to the afterlife without you? It’d be too boring.”
He talks as if he’s just being practical, Seo Dae-ryong thought, but the Young Cult Leader truly hates taking credit for his kindness.
Hiding his true feelings, Seo Dae-ryong put on an exasperated expression.
“I knew it! You had an ulterior motive. You have no idea how grateful I am that you told me to hide far away. My ultimate goal in life is to survive for a long, long time! Fortunately, I achieved my dream today. I’m not just your right-hand man anymore. I’m the right-hand man who doesn't have to do dangerous things.”
He was referring to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s earlier comment about leaving the dangerous work to the Young Cult Leader.
“Well, what can you do? Since he told me to take the dangerous jobs, you, as my right-hand man, will have to follow the rest of the body.”
“Ah… so that’s how it goes?”
I began to stride forward.
“Come on, my still-in-danger right-hand man. Let’s go.”
Seo Dae-ryong stood there for a moment.
Just as I had watched the backs of my father and the Blade Demon, Seo Dae-ryong silently watched my retreating figure.
The Young Cult Leader was always full of banter and talk, but whenever Seo Dae-ryong looked at his back, he often thought the man looked lonely. The more he got to know him, the more he felt it.
‘If you had died today, Young Cult Leader, I wouldn't have been strong enough to avenge you. But at least your journey wouldn't have been boring. The ferryman of the underworld would have probably covered his ears just to drown out our bickering.’
*
The Sect Leader of the Ungang Sect looked up at the sky in gratitude.
‘Thank you. Thank you so much.’
Until just a moment ago, he had been in despair.
Experts had stormed the Ungang Sect, suppressed him, his family, and his disciples, and locked them in this remote warehouse. He was a renowned expert in Chongqing, but he had been no match for the attackers.
He had recognized two of them—two people who had plunged him into hopelessness.
The Red-Eyed Young Master.
And the man with a woman tattooed on his body, the Soul-Searching Vajra.
His heart had nearly stopped when he saw the Soul-Searching Vajra. He knew all too well how many women that monster had raped and murdered.
His wife, his daughter… and there were many other women in the clan. A horde of such wicked villains had descended upon them.
‘In the end, we will all die miserably.’
Just as he was drowning in that wretched despair…
He heard the sound of a clash outside. Then came the screams.
Creeeeeak!
The massive iron door was ripped away, and a figure filled the entrance. The Sect Leader gasped when he saw the man’s face. He had never seen a martial artist so massive, nor one with such a terrifying countenance.
The giant warrior spoke in a blunt tone.
“We have come to rescue you. Everyone, come out.”
He looked more like a villain than the villains who had captured them. And yet, these were the ones who had saved them.
“I am truly grateful. I will never forget this debt.”
Even when asked for their names, these massive warriors simply told them to wait and refused to reveal their identities.
As the Sect Leader was trying to calm his racing heart, Ju Gwol, the Hunan Branch Leader, arrived with the warriors of the Murim Alliance. The Ungang Sect Leader felt a wave of complete relief upon seeing a familiar face.
After greeting the Sect Leader, Ju Gwol approached Jang Ho.
“Once again, we have received your help.”
The way he looked at Jang Ho had changed, and it wasn't just because of the rescue. Ju Gwol now knew that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was not the mastermind behind this incident.
At the Bongsan Sword Gate, he had heard that the Blue Cloud New Hero was practicing the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form and had planned this entire affair. This news had cleared his misunderstandings about the Cult.
“I apologize for misjudging you.”
Furthermore, Jin Ha-gun had informed him that these giant warriors who had saved him when the branch was attacked were actually the Demon Army of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Though he was a man who truly loathed the Demonic Cult, his gaze toward Jang Ho was soft. Not only had they saved his life and the lives of his subordinates, but they had also prevented the annihilation of the Ungang Sect.
“I am merely a man following orders,” Jang Ho replied.
Because Jang Ho didn't try to take any credit, Ju Gwol liked him even more. Perhaps it was out of guilt for his misunderstanding, but he found himself thinking that befriending such a man might not be a bad thing.
Was friendship possible between a demonic practitioner and an orthodox martial artist?
He had been deeply displeased by Jin Ha-gun’s friendship with the Young Cult Leader, but now, as if to punish him for that disapproval, he was feeling the same way.
“I hope there will be an opportunity to repay you one day,” Ju Gwol said sincerely.
Jang Ho gave a blunt nod.
Naturally, Ju Gwol’s gaze shifted to the two figures standing on the roof of a distant building. Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-gun were standing side by side, deep in conversation.
Geom Mu-geuk had told him the honest truth about why this had happened. He had laid it all out, exactly as it was.
“So that’s what happened.”
Knowing that this incident was born from a long-standing grudge, Jin Ha-gun realized once again how terrifying human resentment could be.
“On behalf of the Cult, I sincerely apologize for the clans that were destroyed because of this.”
“It was something beyond your control. Still, thanks to you, these people survived.”
If not for Geom Mu-geuk, the Ungang Sect would have been wiped out. If the conflict between the two sides had deepened because of this, there was no telling what might have happened. Thus, it wasn't just the Ungang Sect that had been saved.
“As expected, you pulled it off.”
Jin Ha-gun looked at Geom Mu-geuk. To be honest, while waiting for news at the safe house, he had believed that if anyone could solve this, it was Mu-geuk.
“It’s thanks to your consideration. If you had acted like a stubborn man obsessed with rules, this would have been several times more difficult.”
If it had been his past self, he certainly would have prioritized principles. Had he done so, he might have danced right into the hands of those who planned this.
“It’s not easy to be stubborn when dealing with you.”
“Of course. I’ll break through any wall you put up.”
Jin Ha-gun felt it. With every meeting, his bond with Geom Mu-geuk was deepening. Because he trusted him, he had allowed the demonic practitioners into the Chongqing Branch and had gone quietly to the safe house.
“Is it all over now?”
“The Blade Demon is handling the final matter. Once that’s done, we’ll be leaving immediately.”
Their gazes locked in the air.
“Let’s get the Rising Stars together soon for a drink.”
Geom Mu-geuk leaped into the air and vanished from sight in an instant. Knowing they would see each other again soon, the parting didn't feel bitter.
Jin Ha-gun watched the sky where Mu-geuk had flown, then looked down. His eyes met Ju Gwol’s, who had just turned away after seeing off the Demon Army.
Ju Gwol, who usually scowled whenever he saw Jin Ha-gun with Mu-geuk, had a remarkably gentle expression today.
‘Whatever the reason, I’m glad you’ve changed.’
He could feel that the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was growing as massive as the stature of its Demon Army.
‘If we don’t want to lose, we must keep changing as well.’
*
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat before the old fortune-teller.
The old man’s expression darkened. The news he had been waiting for hadn't come; instead, the one person who shouldn't be here had arrived.
“The location you gave was wrong.”
The fortune-teller had told the Blade Demon to go to the Bongsan Sword Gate. However, Gyo Cheon had been carrying out his plan at the Ungang Sect.
“Did you… meet the Master?” the old man asked.
The Blade Demon nodded.
The fact that he had met the Master and still appeared safely before him meant that their plan had failed.
“The knot has been untied by the one who tied it.”
Gyo Cheon should have been the one to settle the score. No matter how strong the Heavenly Demon was, the old man had believed he couldn't handle all twelve of them and still evade Gyo Cheon’s final move.
The fortune-teller let out a long sigh.
“I misinterpreted the divination.”
When he had met the Blade Demon previously, he had cast a divination for himself. The result had been: The one meant to live shall live, and the one meant to die shall die. He had assumed he was on the side of the living.
Sensing his end, the old man actually felt at peace.
“I cast countless divinations while planning this, and one thing kept bothering me. Perhaps that is the reason for our failure in the grand scheme of things.”
“What was it?”
After a brief pause, the old man spoke an unexpected name.
“Your Young Cult Leader.”
The fortune-teller sighed again.
“His divination was impossible to pin down. Sometimes it looked as if he held the fate of the Murim in his hands; other times, it showed him having no influence at all. He appeared as a Great Murderous Star causing a bloodbath, and then as a Grand Master saving the Murim. Every time I cast the sticks, his future was different. In all my years of divination, I have never seen anything like it.”
He made a request to the Blade Demon.
“May I cast one last divination regarding the Young Cult Leader’s future?”
The Blade Demon nodded.
The old man shook the bamboo tube containing the divination sticks. Knowing this was his last, his movements were deliberate and careful.
A single stick popped out.
Both men were stunned when they saw the characters written on the bamboo. Four characters were inscribed there:
— Unification Under Heaven (天下一統).
After a moment of stunned silence, the fortune-teller burst into loud laughter.
“Then my death must be the will of Heaven.”
The old man tilted the divination tube toward the Blade Demon.
Phut-phut-phut!
Hidden weapons shot out from the tube. It was both a divination tool and a weapon. At this distance, it was the old man’s unique hidden weapon technique that no one should have been able to dodge.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
However, the projectiles were all deflected. The Blade Demon had raised his Heaven Extermination Great Blade to block them.
Swish!
The Great Blade swept forward, carving a deep gash across the fortune-teller’s chest. Bone and flesh parted, and the old man collapsed. Had he truly intended to assassinate him, it would have been much harder to block, but this attack had been a plea for death.
“Since I failed because of a man chosen by Heaven… I have no regrets.”
With those final words, the fortune-teller breathed his last.
The Blade Demon picked up the bamboo stick that had fallen to the ground. He stared at it silently, intending to incinerate it with his Heat Yang True Qi. But then, he withdrew his energy and, for some reason, tucked the stick into his robes.
Just then, Geom Mu-geuk arrived.
“Ah, is it over? I ran all the way here to get my fortune told.”
“Why seek a fortune from a fraud?”
The Blade Demon began to stride away.
“Elder, wait for me!”
Mu-geuk followed behind him. Had something happened with the old man? Mu-geuk sensed a different aura from the Blade Demon than usual.
“By the way, don’t even think about going back to the Cult alone. We’re all going back together.”
He said this because he was worried the Blade Demon might slip away on his own because he found my father’s presence uncomfortable. He was exactly the type of person to do that.
After a short silence, the Blade Demon replied.
“I intended to go together.”
It seemed he had made up his mind during his conversation with my father.
“Ah, excellent. The journey back will be much more enjoyable.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Dae-ryong would be joining the journey back to the headquarters. Just as I had spent much time with my father, I hoped this would be an opportunity for the two of them as well.
“Oh, and look forward to it. There’s a real showdown waiting for us.”
“What showdown?”
The Blade Demon looked at Mu-geuk with curiosity.
But Mu-geuk didn't tell him, acting as if he’d find out later. Instead, he gave a meaningful smile.
“You’ve never tried the fish dishes my father makes, have you?”