Chapter 529: This is a Dream, a Dream.
Chapter 529: This is a Dream, a Dream.
Gang Dal leaped lightly, landing atop the wall.
“A single carriage is approaching. There is one person on the driver's seat and…”
Suddenly, his gaze shifted toward the base of the wall.
Gang Dal gasped in surprise. Someone was standing at the foot of the wall where no one should have been.
And it wasn't just one person. Massive warriors were stationed every few paces, their backs to the wall, encircling the entire perimeter.
Gang Dal threw himself backward and shouted.
“Get away from the wall!”
The branch warriors standing near the wall scrambled back in confusion.
“There are people outside!”
Gang Dal assumed they were reinforcements sent to assist Yo Goeng and the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad.
‘When did they get here? I didn't notice a thing until they had already surrounded us.’
Even if he had been distracted by the Young Cult Leader and the Huangquan Pavilion Master, it was unsettling that he had remained so oblivious. Then, a natural doubt arose.
Even if he hadn't noticed, shouldn't the Young Cult Leader or the Huangquan Pavilion Master have sensed them?
Did that mean those people were even greater masters than those two? That seemed impossible.
Gang Dal glanced at Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong. Despite his report, neither of them looked surprised. Their calm reaction told him everything he needed to know.
‘Ah! They’re the Young Cult Leader’s subordinates!’
It made sense. The Young Cult Leader wouldn't travel alone. Come to think of it, they had their backs to the wall. If they had been targeting the branch, they would have been facing it.
‘If they had launched a surprise attack, we’d all be dead.’
Once again, Gang Dal marveled at the skill of the demonic practitioners from the main headquarters.
‘Well, they are the ones protecting the Young Cult Leader, so of course they’re strong. If you’re going to live once, you should live a cool life like that.’
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the entrance.
‘Whoever it is, they picked the wrong day.’
Gang Dal stepped forward. Even with the Young Cult Leader and the Huangquan Pavilion Master present, he was still the master of this branch. He spoke to the man sitting on the driver's seat.
“We have esteemed guests at our branch today. We are not accepting any visitors, so please turn back and return another time.”
However, the carriage showed no sign of leaving.
Gang Dal scrutinized the driver. Though the man didn't project any particular aura, Gang Dal’s instincts told him he was no ordinary person. If that were the case, the person inside the carriage must be of high status as well. Even so...
‘You fools, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is here right now. If you don’t want to die, get lost!’
If he shouted that, would they flee without looking back?
“Leave while I’m still being polite.”
The carriage remained stationary.
The one who moved was one of the massive warriors standing by the wall.
‘Finally, the Young Cult Leader’s guards are moving.’
That was what Gang Dal thought. However, the warrior didn't head toward the carriage; instead, he entered the branch office.
The moment the warrior stepped inside, his frame filling the doorway, Gang Dal and the branch members all held their breath. A scar ran across his face, and his intense gaze swept over the surroundings. Just meeting his eyes made their bodies tremble.
It was Demon Monarch Jang Ho.
The Demon Army had been following the carriage carrying Geom Wu-jin at a distance as they returned to the Cult. Upon receiving word from Tongcheon Pavilion, they had come here to attend to the Heavenly Demon.
How could they not observe proper formalities when the Cult Leader was visiting a branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? Thus, the Demon Army warriors were all dressed in their official uniforms, revealing their identities.
It was then that Gang Dal saw it—the characters embroidered on Jang Ho’s chest.
Demon Army.
Gang Dal was stunned. ‘Could it be?’
At that moment, Seo Dae-ryong spoke.
“Offer your greetings. This is the Demon Monarch who leads our Cult’s Demon Army.”
At the title 'Demon Monarch,' Gang Dal was so shocked he momentarily lost his wits. He had truly thought nothing else could surprise him today.
The eyes of the branch members sparkled as they looked at Jang Ho. To ordinary demonic practitioners, the Demon Army held a special significance. They were the most elite organization of the main headquarters. Deployed for the most dangerous missions and standing at the vanguard when war broke out, the Demon Army was the dream and object of admiration for all demonic practitioners.
Gang Dal and the branch members simultaneously performed a fist salute and bowed their heads.
“We greet the Demon Monarch!”
Gang Dal still assumed the Demon Army had come to escort the Young Cult Leader. Regarding today's visit, the limit of his imagination stopped at the Young Cult Leader.
Led by Jang Ho, the Demon Army warriors began to file in. Their overwhelming momentum, with their demonic energy unsuppressed, made not only the branch members but even the kneeling members of the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad cower. Their presence alone was oppressive.
Under gazes of awe, the Demon Army entered in a line. Even one of them was terrifying, yet they seemed to enter endlessly.
The four women watched them, dazed. They didn't know much about the Demon Army, but they felt a sense of dread from the men's massive builds and intense auras. After seeing Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong, looking at these men made them feel like they were seeing real demonic practitioners.
The Demon Army warriors lined up on both sides from the entrance, creating a path.
‘They’re not trying to block the carriage?’
Gang Dal’s gaze shifted toward the carriage. As he watched with a sense of foreboding, the carriage door opened.
The first person to step out was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Jang Ho addressed the practitioners.
“This is the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, a Demon Lord of our Cult.”
At those words, the practitioners were once again struck with horror. What business would a Demon Lord have at a small rural branch office? This was the first time Gang Dal and his subordinates had ever seen a Demon Lord in person.
“We greet the Demon Lord!”
They greeted him with a thunderous shout. Gang Dal’s heart hammered against his ribs.
‘To think I’d live to see a Demon Lord with my own eyes!’
He had heard all sorts of terrifying rumors about the Demon Lords. From this moment on, one wrong breath could mean death. He used his eyes to signal his subordinates to stay in line.
‘Be careful! Watch your words and actions! Don’t even look at him!’
His well-trained subordinates replied with their eyes. ‘Don’t worry, sir!’
But their true shock was only beginning.
After stepping out, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood politely beside the carriage, waiting for someone else to descend. Finally, Geom Wu-jin stepped out of the carriage.
The moment Gang Dal saw him, he froze. He had seen many martial artists in his life, but he had never encountered a presence like this. Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had stepped out first, possessed a grand presence, but it paled in comparison to this man.
Geom Wu-jin walked slowly, passing between the rows of the Demon Army.
Watching this, Gang Dal’s eyes grew wider and wider. Who could a Demon Lord show such extreme courtesy to? Who in this Murim could walk a path cleared by the Demon Army?
Jang Ho shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Everyone, show your respect to the Cult Leader!”
One of the practitioners let out a sharp gasp before clamping a hand over his mouth. But no one paid him any mind. Gang Dal and the practitioners prostrated themselves simultaneously, shouting in unison.
“Divine Cult Undefeated! Heavenly Demon Eternal Reverence! We greet the most majestic Cult Leader!”
Gang Dal had practically lost his soul. The Cult Leader had visited his branch?
‘Is this a dream?’
The Huangquan Pavilion Master came, then the Young Cult Leader, then the Demon Army, then a Demon Lord. Even that was like a dream, but now the Cult Leader himself?
‘Yes, this is a dream. A dream.’
Even though he knew it wasn't, he couldn't help but think that for a moment.
The women, conversely, weren't as shocked as the men. To them, the Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a figure from another world. In the Murim, there was the Heavenly Demon, the Murim Alliance Leader, and the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader. It was a concept similar to how there was a sun, a moon, and stars in the sky.
Their shock didn't stem from the fact that the Demonic Cult Leader had arrived, but rather that the Demonic Cult Leader was someone they knew.
The youngest, Dan-yeon, let out a sharp breath.
“It’s him!”
The three women were truly stunned when they saw Geom Wu-jin’s face. He was the man they had seen at the inn that day. And above all else...
‘The person we served our cooking to was the Heavenly Demon?’
The three women looked at each other in shock. The youngest’s eyes seemed to say: ‘It was me! I was the one who said we should send him food.’
The youngest’s taste in men was the Heavenly Demon?
Cho-hui stood behind them. Unlike the others who were merely dazed, Cho-hui understood exactly how shocking and nonsensical this situation was.
She was a courtesan of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion. That man was the most frequent subject of the stories drunken martial artists blustered about. From the boasts of “When I met the Heavenly Demon...” to the endless terror of the “Advent of the Heavenly Demon and the Destruction of the Murim,” she had heard it all.
Listening to those stories, one thing was certain. He is someone I will never see in my entire life.
But that man was now walking toward them. Because of that, she knew better than anyone how surreal this moment was.
That surreal man walked between the Demon Army. The rough warriors of the Demon Army, who looked like they would be perfectly at home guarding the gates of hell, wore expressions more polite than ever before. Everything about the scene was unrealistic.
Once Geom Wu-jin reached the end of the line, he turned around. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood beside him like a bodyguard.
Clack, clack, clack.
The Demon Army warriors moved with disciplined precision, taking positions to guard the perimeter. A few Demon Army warriors stood before the members of the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad, who were kneeling with their internal energy suppressed. Their purpose wasn't to guard them, but to shield the Cult Leader’s vision from such wretched scum.
Under the terrifying glares of the Demon Army, the captives didn't even dare to breathe deeply, keeping their heads bowed low.
Jang Ho signaled for the kneeling branch members and the women to stand. They didn't dare meet anyone's eyes and kept their heads bowed.
Geom Mu-geuk went before his father and bowed.
“You’ve arrived?”
Geom Wu-jin nodded once and then looked at Seo Dae-ryong. His gaze asked how things had turned out.
Seo Dae-ryong reported respectfully.
“Thanks to your concern, I have safely rescued Miss Dan-ah and her sisters.”
Dan-ah’s heart throbbed when their names were mentioned. Her name was being spoken in a conversation between the Demonic Cult Leader and the Huangquan Pavilion Master. It didn't feel real. Like Gang Dal, she felt as if this moment were a dream.
Then, as if to prove it wasn't a dream, Geom Wu-jin’s calm voice asked:
“Which heroine is the one named Dan-ah?”
Dan-ah’s heart plummeted, like the sensation of falling from a great height. The Demonic Cult Leader was looking for her!
Seo Dae-ryong was even more flustered. He hadn't expected the Cult Leader to ask who she was. His gaze turned toward Dan-ah, silently asking: ‘Will you be alright?’
However, she was braver and more stout-hearted than Seo Dae-ryong had anticipated. Being shocked was one thing, but when she spoke, her voice was clear and steady.
“I am Dan-ah. It is an honor to meet such a noble personage. Under the protection of the Divine Cult and with the help of the Huangquan Pavilion Master, my sisters and I were able to save our lives. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Geom Wu-jin’s deep gaze seemed as if it could peer into a person’s soul, but he hadn't asked to see her to scrutinize her character.
“I am glad you are safe.”
Dan-ah’s eyes widened as she looked at Geom Wu-jin. How could she not be surprised? The Heavenly Demon was telling her he was glad she was safe.
“Thank you for your concern.”
At her trembling words, Geom Wu-jin simply nodded and said nothing more. That was enough.
Geom Mu-geuk could tell. This was his father’s consideration for Seo Dae-ryong. Just as he had shown her the utmost courtesy, his father was showing his trust in Seo Dae-ryong by inquiring after her well-being.
How could Seo Dae-ryong not realize this?
‘I will repay this grace with my life.’
It was the moment a wall of loyalty was completed—one as indestructible as the Great Demonic Wall of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. With a Cult Leader and a Young Cult Leader like this, he could die for them even if they spent the rest of their lives insulting and hating him.
Seo Dae-ryong silently bowed his head to Geom Wu-jin to express his gratitude.
There was also consideration from his drinking buddy, Jang Ho. Jang Ho first offered a respectful greeting to Seo Dae-ryong.
“I greet the Pavilion Master.”
“I greet the Monarch.”
Dan-ah was surprised once again to see that fearsome Demon Monarch showing such respect to Seo Dae-ryong. Today, the reality of who Seo Dae-ryong was was being firmly engraved in her heart. In fact, it was almost too much pressure—the fact that she was receiving the attention of such incredible people.
Yet, Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes were still full of bashfulness as he quickly looked away whenever their gazes met.
Gang Dal and the branch members lined up before Geom Wu-jin. Since the Cult Leader had visited, they offered a formal greeting. Standing before the Cult Leader, Gang Dal’s heart swelled with emotion. He felt he could die now with no regrets.
‘I am the only branch leader who has ever welcomed the Cult Leader to his branch!’
This was something he truly wanted to gather all the neighboring branch leaders to brag about. Then, an unexpected compliment flowed from the Cult Leader’s lips.
“Your men are well-trained.”
Geom Wu-jin had gauged the skill and spirit of the practitioners just by looking at them. Furthermore, their eyes were filled with loyalty toward the Cult and its Leader.
Moreover, Geom Wu-jin had arrived already knowing what had transpired here through the missive. From the management of the branch and situational judgment to pride in the Cult and the guts shown toward the enemy—Gang Dal was a man too talented to remain in such a small branch office.
“Thank you!”
Gang Dal had lived diligently until now. He had trained hard and pushed his subordinates to do the same. Because he wanted to escape this small branch, he had strived to become a man who was too big for it.
As a result, he had become a branch leader overflowing with confidence, and that confidence had turned into the pride of “How dare the Pursuit Squad look down on us?” It was that pride that had allowed him to take the women in. In the end, everything was connected.
Through this incident, Gang Dal realized that opportunity doesn't just fall from the sky; it ultimately stems from oneself. And Gang Dal felt that his life had finally seen the sun just by meeting the Cult Leader in person.
At that very moment, a dazzling sun shone brilliantly upon his life.
“I shall see you at the main headquarters.”