Chapter 537: Where Death Awaits
Chapter 537: Where Death Awaits
When Geom Mu-geuk returned to the inner court of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon was standing on the roof with his arms crossed.
"The Faceless Guests are gone."
"I sent them all to a nearby safe house," Mu-geuk replied.
Now that they knew the enemy's intentions, there was no need to keep them here as stationary targets. Geom Mu-geuk leaped lightly onto the roof to join him.
"Where have you been?"
"Sending out a few urgent missives."
"I assume the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Path was among those you contacted."
"I’m actually going to go meet him in person."
The Smiling Demon knew how Geom Mu-geuk operated. He never tried to shoulder everything alone. He informed those who needed to know, discussed the situation, and prepared accordingly. To Mu-geuk, everyone’s safety was the priority. In this case, Bi Sa-in’s life was the most important factor. Because he had no desire to be a lone hero, he often ended up becoming one anyway.
"The enemy is pushing forward with this plan even though they failed to kill Miss Cho. They have another objective," the Smiling Demon said, looking at Geom Mu-geuk. "They might have shifted their target to you, Young Cult Leader."
"Perhaps."
If that were the case, the world would truly be turned upside down. The Smiling Demon knew the current state of the relationship between the Great Cult Leader and Geom Mu-geuk. It was unimaginable what would happen if something went wrong with the Young Cult Leader.
"What should I do?" the Smiling Demon asked. He knew that in difficult situations, trusting Geom Mu-geuk’s judgment was the wisest choice.
"They always plot from the shadows, try to drive wedges between us, and resort to assassination. What choice do we have? We just have to get stronger. We must ensure all their schemes become opportunities for our growth."
Mu-geuk’s gaze intensified. "I know you’ve grown stronger lately. Get even stronger."
The Smiling Demon’s eyes flashed with a similar intensity. "I understand."
"In that sense, give me a lesson once I get back."
The Smiling Demon understood the intention. Even if his martial realm had risen recently, he was still no match for Geom Mu-geuk. Ultimately, this duel would be for his own benefit.
"Very well."
The Smiling Demon accepted the offer with gratitude. With the recent breakthroughs in his cultivation, training with Geom Mu-geuk would be an immense help.
Just then, they saw the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master walking in the distance with her courtesans. She was preparing for the coming storm in her own way.
The Smiling Demon spoke softly. "Thank you for taking care of her."
He could tell that Yeo-jeong had been deeply moved, especially by Mu-geuk calling her "sister-in-law."
"Of course I should. She’s my first sister-in-law, after all."
The Smiling Demon’s eyes asked a silent question: When will I get to see my first brother-in-law's wife?
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes replied: Who knows? Will we even see that in this lifetime?
The two men stood on the wind-swept roof, looking down at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion in silence.
*
A man walked down a lavishly decorated hallway.
Rooms lined both sides of the corridor, uniquely fitted with small windows that allowed one to peer inside. Women were imprisoned within—ranging from middle-aged women to children who were little more than girls. They were all cowed and terrified. When the man peered into the rooms, they lowered their heads in fear.
The man moved on.
At the end of the hallway, an old man dressed in ornate, expensive silk robes stood against the wall. He was using a young girl as a shield, holding a dagger to her throat. The desperation of the cornered man made him extremely dangerous.
"Stop! Come any closer and the brat dies!"
At the threat, the man stopped in his tracks.
"Drop your sword!" the old man shrieked. The dagger looked ready to pierce the child’s neck at any moment. "Hurry!"
The man spoke calmly as he set his sword on the floor. "Calm down. If the child gets hurt, you die too."
Even in this crisis, the man remained perfectly composed.
The old man asked frantically, "If this girl dies, you're finished too! You'll be barred from promotion for the rest of your life!"
"That would be a problem. I still have places I need to climb to."
Because he was standing away from the lanterns, the man's face was obscured by shadows.
"Which unit are you from? Blue Dragon? White Dragon?"
"What if I am?"
"If you let me go, I'll make sure you're successful!" The old man tried to manipulate him by any means necessary.
"You kidnapped women and sold them like cattle, didn't you? Even young children. How can I let such a criminal go?"
It was a capital offense, punishable by certain execution. That was why the old man was so desperate.
"Among those who bought the girls are people with immense wealth and power!"
"Yes. Thankfully, you recorded them all in your ledgers."
"Then you should know! Do you think a mere martial artist like you can handle them? Before a day passes, you'll be assassinated, and the evidence will vanish!"
Threats were followed by enticements.
"If you let me go, I can guarantee your advancement. What rank do you want? Team Leader? Squad Leader? Unit Leader? Just say the word."
Then, the man spoke from the darkness.
"Alliance Leader."
The old man's face twitched. But now was not the time for anger; it was the time for persuasion. "Yes, you could even become the Alliance Leader someday. So, let me go—"
The old man suddenly stopped mid-sentence. The man had stepped forward into the light. The characters embroidered on his chest were:
Demon Extermination.
He was the Demon Extermination Squad Leader, Jin Ha-gun.
"Shifted two paces to the left, stepping on a stone on the floor—so one span higher!"
In the moment the old man wore a confused expression, wondering what those coordinates meant—
Kwak! Puk!
A sword burst through the back wall and accurately pierced the old man's neck.
It was the blade of a Demon Extermination Squad subordinate who had approached from behind the wall. Jin Ha-gun had been stalling for time until his men were in position.
"Don't look back. Come here."
The child walked toward Jin Ha-gun. He crouched down to meet her eyes. To the terrified girl, Jin Ha-gun spoke in a gentle tone.
"I am a high-ranking official in the Murim Alliance. There is only one person who can tell me what to do, and that is the Alliance Leader."
He said this to reassure the child after hearing the old man's threats.
"There are bad people in the world, but most are good men. And this time, I'm going to lock all those bad guys in the dungeon."
Only then did a look of relief bloom on the child's face. Jin Ha-gun believed that the relief he saw now was the true identity of the Murim Alliance. He believed the Alliance should be the name people call out after their mother when they are scared and suffering.
Jin Ha-gun held out his hand. "Shall we go out together?"
The child nodded and took it. Despite his efforts to soothe her, her hand was trembling. Jin Ha-gun squeezed it firmly.
"Let's go home now."
The Demon Extermination Squad warriors entered the building and led the imprisoned women outside. Jin Ha-gun handed the ledger he had obtained to a subordinate and commanded, "Capture every single person listed here. No exceptions!"
"Yes, sir!"
Jin Ha-gun turned back to the victims. "I am Jin Ha-gun, Leader of the Demon Extermination Squad. Not only those who captured you, but everyone involved will be punished. Do not worry about retaliation. They won't be leaving the dungeon until they die of old age."
Realizing they were finally safe, the women burst into tears. The warriors comforted them and helped them into carriages. Just then, a subordinate approached with a message.
"An urgent missive, sir."
The eyes of the Demon Extermination Squad focused on their leader. "What is it, sir?"
Jin Ha-gun tucked the missive into his robe. "It seems a friend is in danger."
*
Three men sat at a round table in a warehouse on the outskirts of town.
The two men glaring fiercely at each other were the leaders of the Black Spider Sect and the Eastern Tiger Sect. As their dispute over territory intensified, dozens had been killed or injured. Since both sects belonged to the Unorthodox Path Alliance, the Alliance had finally stepped in to mediate.
The person sitting between them was Bi Sa-in.
"Since this fight arose over interests, I will only look at the numbers to resolve this dispute."
They had heard rumors of the Young Alliance Leader's exploits, but they hadn't expected him to come in person.
"From now on, the two of you will divide the territory like this."
The two leaders were not satisfied with the ratio, but they didn't dare object.
"I know that no matter how I divide it, I cannot satisfy both of you. You were fighting to have it all, after all."
In the past, Bi Sa-in would have suppressed them with killing intent. Follow, or die. He had believed that was the only power that maintained the Unorthodox Path. But now, Bi Sa-in was Geom Mu-geuk's friend. Right. If I'm his friend, I should at least do this much.
"Let that severed greed be filled by me."
The two leaders looked at him, confused.
"I will remember you. I will remember you even after I become the Alliance Leader. That seems like a greater gain than the money you think you're losing now, doesn't it? Or am I mistaken?"
His final, cold question was laced with a chilling killing intent. The two men jumped to their feet and offered a fist salute.
"Not at all!"
"How could that be?"
He ended with a thin smile. "I will be sure to remember you both."
As the two men withdrew, Bi Sa-in leaned back in his chair. "Stop peeking and come out."
Geom Mu-geuk revealed himself from atop a stack of crates. "I didn't know you had such an intellectual side."
Mu-geuk leaped down. Since he already knew Mu-geuk had arrived, Bi Sa-in had sent a voice transmission to the 1st Wolf to have everyone else leave.
"I thought you'd say, 'Whoever wins the fight takes it all!'"
"Isn't that your way?"
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a smile, "Let's just say that was the way of my father's generation."
Mu-geuk had arrived like the wind using the Rapid Speed Step. His speed had not yet reached its limit; it grew faster as time went on. In this way, the Central Plains was becoming smaller to him.
The two men walked out of the warehouse, talking as they strolled down a path. The 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path followed at a respectful distance.
"What is it this time?"
Geom Mu-geuk stopped. "The Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Path murdered by a notorious villainess! That's the rumor about you that will soon be circulating in the marketplaces."
Bi Sa-in stared at him in silence. Mu-geuk spoke as if it were a joke, but Bi Sa-in knew he was conveying a fact. Geom Mu-geuk was not a man who joked about matters of life and death.
Mu-geuk told Bi Sa-in everything that had happened, leaving out no detail.
"It seems they intend to kill you at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion."
Bi Sa-in's fearsome face twitched. No matter how bold a person was, they couldn't help but be enraged by a plot to assassinate them.
"Actually, we were also keeping an eye on the Hundred Precepts Merchant Group."
"For what reason?"
"It hasn't been made public yet, but there were reports that the conflict between their Unit Leader and the Vice Leader has intensified."
"And yet you accepted the Vice Leader's invitation?"
"I thought that since he was fighting with the Unit Leader, he might have something to ask of me, or perhaps he wanted mediation."
Mu-geuk guessed the deeper intentions. "Perhaps they intentionally showed a divided front to invite you without raising suspicion."
Bi Sa-in wore an expression of disbelief. If that were true, they were truly determined. "But how do they plan to kill me? Poison?"
The 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path were on high alert against poisoning. Since they checked all wine and food, it was nearly impossible.
"They might have created a poison that can deceive the 13 Wolves. Or something we haven't even thought of might happen."
Bi Sa-in's gaze deepened. It meant there was a threat that could kill him and his elite guards even without poison. He looked at Mu-geuk, his eyes warming. Once again, Mu-geuk had rushed here to warn him of danger.
"Thank you."
"Next time I'm the one who needs saving, run twice as fast to come get me."
"I will."
"Oh, and I also called Captain Jin. I told him to bring Miss Jin along as well."
Bi Sa-in looked surprised. "Why did you call them?"
The identity of the enemy was still a mystery. Jin Ha-gun and Jin Ha-ryeong could be exposed to danger.
Geom Mu-geuk whispered, "We can't be the only ones in danger, can we?"
"..."
After a moment of stunned silence, Bi Sa-in raised his voice. "Stop joking around!"
Right, this is what it's like to meet Geom Mu-geuk.
Mu-geuk gave another reason. "I called them to show them! Look who steps up if you touch us! I wanted to show them that we aren't people they can just mess with."
While that might be one reason, Bi Sa-in felt there was another, truer motive. "Tell me the real reason!"
Finally, Geom Mu-geuk revealed his heart. "If a friend is in danger, isn't it only natural to let them know?"
"!"
It was an answer so obvious that it was often overlooked.
"If they're a friend, shouldn't you keep them away from dangerous places instead?" Bi Sa-in asked. He had lived his life thinking that was what a friend did.
Geom Mu-geuk’s thoughts were different. "And then what if you die while I'm not there? What am I supposed to say to others? 'My friend died because he didn't want my help. Hahaha. I guess he didn't call me because it was dangerous.' I can't stand that. I’m the type to dwell on things. I’ll stay up all night over a single event. I'll keep thinking about it forever. If that's the case, I'd rather we die together!"
Bi Sa-in was certain of one thing: he, too, would be angry forever if Geom Mu-geuk died without even asking for his help.
"I'm going to keep letting you know everything. If Captain Jin is in danger, I'll tell everyone, and if I'm in danger, I'll tell everyone too. I'll tell you to come save me. I'll even threaten to spread rumors that you're a coward if you don't come. At the very least, this isn't something to brag about by saying, 'I saved him all by myself!' I won't accept excuses like 'I didn't want to put my friend in danger,' so I'm telling you in advance."
Bi Sa-in could tell this was Mu-geuk’s sincerity. This was the kind of friendship he desired.
"Oh, and I also invited a new face, so look forward to it."
"Who on earth did you call now?"
Of course, Geom Mu-geuk wasn't one to give an easy answer. He leaped away, flying into the distance as he spoke.
"So, don't wear those drab martial robes; wear some sophisticated clothes that women will like. In a color that goes well with white! I'll see you that day!"
Before Bi Sa-in could ask anything else, Geom Mu-geuk vanished, becoming a dot in the sky. The surroundings fell quiet. It felt like a passing storm.
The 1st Wolf approached him. Bi Sa-in summarized Mu-geuk’s words.
"He says that since a notorious villainess is trying to kill me, I should wear sophisticated clothes that women like."
"Pardon?"
As the 1st Wolf looked on in confusion, Bi Sa-in’s gaze turned toward the sky. The thought that his friends would be with him in the place where death awaited brought a broad smile to his rugged face.
"In a color that goes well with white."