Chapter 580: You Showed Your Back Twice
Chapter 580: You Showed Your Back Twice
Yeon Baek-jin had never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that he would come face-to-face with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
The three people standing before him now looked entirely different in his eyes.
The first question that sprang to his mind was asked with a newfound, profound sense of respect.
"Why is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic... no, the Divine Cult, here?"
Because of you.
To stop you from living out a destiny where you kill Seo Jin.
"As you know, Yeon Dae-hyeop, I am here because of Team Leader Seo’s business," Geom Mu-geuk replied calmly.
The Young Cult Leader himself was moving for the sake of a mere team leader? Seeing the natural doubt etched on Yeon Baek-jin’s face, Geom Mu-geuk glanced at Seo Jin and added, "Team Leader Seo is a person of great importance to me."
At his words, Seo Jin bowed her head respectfully. She felt it from time to time—that the Young Cult Leader showed her an overwhelming amount of favor. It certainly wasn't romantic interest. Was it perhaps because he cherished Lee An so much?
Yeon Baek-jin looked at Seo Jin.
If that were the case, his older brother had essentially tried to kill the childhood friend of a Ghost Shadow team leader. It didn't matter how close the two actually were. What mattered was the fact that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had personally intervened because of it.
The arrival of the Young Cult Leader was no different from the arrival of the entire Demonic Cult. With a single word from him, the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall could be annihilated overnight.
Yeon Baek-jin’s frame trembled. He had always considered himself a man of grit, but he could not hide the wave of dread washing over him.
He asked cautiously, "What... what must I do?"
Instead of an answer, Geom Mu-geuk posed a question of his own.
"What do you intend to do about your brother?"
Yeon Baek-jin’s expression hardened instantly.
Since his brother had tried to kill him, the answer was already clear. He was not the type of man to simply roll over and die just because the person trying to take his life was his own flesh and blood.
"I can't exactly just lie down and die, can I?"
He had no choice but to become cold-hearted himself.
Hearing his response, Lee An thought of the conflict between Geom Mu-geuk and the First Young Master.
Even in a mere martial arts hall, this kind of bloody strife between kin was unavoidable, yet Geom Mu-geuk had ended the succession struggle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult peacefully. She realized once again just how much effort he must have put in to achieve that.
Yeon Baek-jin remembered that Geom Mu-geuk knew about the place he was searching for.
"Is the Young Cult Leader also looking for that place?"
He asked because he couldn't truly believe the man had come all this way purely for the sake of a single team leader.
"Correct. I intend to resolve that matter as well."
Yeon Baek-jin’s fear grew. The Demonic Cult was also eyeing the place his brother was obsessed with. Would they really let him and his people live? The Demonic Cult he knew was not a merciful organization. Every story he had heard about them since childhood was stained with blood. Monsters surely lurked beneath those handsome and beautiful faces.
However, what changed his mind were the corpses of the White Snake Unit scattered across the floor.
If it weren't for them, my corpse would be the one lying there right now.
Once he accepted that he was already living on borrowed time, his fear subsided. He turned his gaze toward Geom Mu-geuk.
"What must I do so that you remain the Young Cult Leader who vanishes like smoke, rather than the cruel one?"
"Two things will suffice."
"What are they?"
"Be honest. And trust us."
Yeon Baek-jin remained silent for a moment. Knowing the other's true identity, neither was an easy task.
"I cannot trust you yet, but I will speak honestly."
This honesty stemmed half from gratitude for saving his life and half from fear.
"My brother is currently possessed by something. It is undoubtedly related to the secret construction. And the reward he was promised..."
He had a precise grasp of the situation.
"It must be a martial arts manual."
"Why do you think it's a manual?"
"My brother couldn't stand it when other Murim people looked down on our techniques as mere 'hall martial arts.' He wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation of an ultimate divine art."
Geom Mu-geuk synthesized the information he had gathered so far and reached a conclusion.
"There is a treasure vault containing an ultimate divine art beneath the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall, and the disciples who left without officially graduating—despite having the skill—are digging toward it?"
The one managing that place was the Sword King.
Given the Sword King’s level of mastery, he wouldn't go to such lengths for a mere manual.
What is it that you want?
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes deepened. The Sword King was clearly trying to use him for something.
Even if he were to dance to the man's tune for a moment, he had to stay one step ahead. If only he could sneak in there.
"Is there anyone besides your brother who might know about that place?"
"There is one person. Gi Seok, one of the Seven Masters, is my brother's right-hand man. He would know something. However, his martial arts..."
He started to say the man was far stronger than the other masters but stopped himself. Just looking at the martial arts of the woman accompanying the Young Cult Leader, he could guess the level of the Young Cult Leader himself.
"His loyalty to my brother is deep; he will never open his mouth."
"Then it must have been Gi Seok who called in the White Snake Unit."
"Since my brother wouldn't have contacted them directly, it was undoubtedly him."
Though he answered the questions readily, there was one point Yeon Baek-jin would not concede.
"My brother... I will handle the matter regarding my brother myself."
He had resolved to kill him with his own hands. He didn't want his brother to be miserably used and then killed by these people. Nor did he want him to die at the hands of the Demonic Cult.
If he couldn't kill him, he was prepared to take his brother down with him in mutual destruction.
Geom Mu-geuk, who had been staring at him quietly, spoke unexpectedly.
"Go meet your brother again."
Yeon Baek-jin was startled.
"Did you not see? He called the White Snake Unit to kill me. And their top-ranked expert at that! If it weren't for you, I would have died here today."
"That is exactly why I'm telling you to meet him."
Yeon Baek-jin speculated on the reason.
"You want me to use his guilt! If I go now, he'll think the White Snake Unit hasn't carried out the contract yet. Since I'm a brother who's about to die anyway, he might tell me something."
Geom Mu-geuk shook his head.
"That's not why. If he were the type of person to leak information out of guilt, he wouldn't have called the White Snake Unit in the first place."
"Then why?"
"Go and say everything you want to say. That way, you won't have regrets for the rest of your life."
Yeon Baek-jin wore a dazed expression for a moment.
What? He's doing this for me?
He couldn't believe it. No, he couldn't understand it.
"You expect me to believe you're looking out for me in this situation? Who am I to you?"
Geom Mu-geuk brought up something Yeon Baek-jin had forgotten.
"You showed your back twice. Once toward us, and once toward the enemy. Both times were to protect Seo Jin."
First, by blocking her path to shield her. Then, by moving to intercept the hidden weapons.
"Who are you? You're a man who risked his life to protect my subordinate."
It was a gesture of genuine consideration.
"If this ends without you saying what needs to be said, you will think of your brother for the rest of your life. Even if you live as the Hall Master of the Yellow Dragon, a shadow will always hang over your heart."
Of course, there was another reason.
If Yeon Baek-jin lived a bright life, it would be good for Seo Jin as well. Geom Mu-geuk was putting in the effort until the very end. To him, Seo Jin was a person worth that much.
"Given your relationship, you'll regret it whether you speak or not, but this time, the regret of staying silent will be greater. So, don't do it for your brother—do it for yourself. Go and say it all."
*
Yeon Baek-in stood by the window of his office, staring at the night view.
Though it was late, lights were on throughout the hall, and he could see disciples still training.
"They arrive today?"
At Yeon Baek-in’s question, Gi Seok, standing behind him, answered respectfully.
"Yes, they should have arrived by now."
Yeon Baek-in didn't ask further, but Gi Seok spoke for him.
"Yeon Dae-hyeop will likely not see tomorrow's sun."
Yeon Baek-in’s expression stiffened reflexively, but then he recalled the Sword King’s words.
— A villain walks a single path, even while being cursed.
Yes, there was no need to feel ashamed. Trying to avoid being cursed was a more shameful sight.
"The stars are bright; tomorrow will be a clear day."
A smile touched Gi Seok’s lips. He felt that a leader like this was far better than one who was indecisive and pretended to be kind.
"Is that man still attending the White Dragon Unit’s training?"
"He has been there every day recently. I heard he's teaching a version of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique that is entirely different from the original."
Gi Seok added cautiously, "I have no idea what he's thinking."
He meant it as a prompt to see if Yeon Baek-in knew, but the Hall Master said nothing. He did not tell Gi Seok about the 'devil' he had heard about from the man.
Just then, a subordinate’s voice came from outside.
"Your younger brother is here to see you."
Yeon Baek-in and Gi Seok looked at each other. It was an unexpected visit at such a late hour.
"Shall I stay?"
Yeon Baek-in shook his head at Gi Seok’s question.
"Bring him in."
The door opened, and Yeon Baek-jin entered.
As he walked in, the sharp scent of alcohol wafted through the room. He was holding a bottle in his hand. The moment he saw Gi Seok, he began drunkenly bickering instead of greeting him.
"Our Master Gi’s tail must be worn to the bone from all that wagging."
It was an insulting remark, but Gi Seok showed no sign of offense. Instead, he smiled and said, "I truly wish my loyalty were of that caliber. Well then, please enjoy your conversation."
After bowing, Gi Seok excused himself.
One might have expected a scolding for being rude to Gi Seok, but Yeon Baek-in treated him more gently than usual.
"What brings you here so late?"
The moment he saw that face, fury surged within Yeon Baek-jin. You're making that face while calling the White Snake Unit to kill me?
If he were human, shouldn't he at least look a little flustered out of guilt? Or at the very least, shouldn't he be cold as usual?
Yeon Baek-jin perched on the guest table and drank straight from the bottle. He used the alcohol to suppress his rising rage.
"Couldn't sleep. Had things to say."
The one who had advised him to have a drink before coming was Geom Mu-geuk. He said it would help him relax. It was a good thing he brought it; if not, he might have started screaming moments ago.
Yeon Baek-jin held out the bottle.
"Want some?"
Yeon Baek-in shook his head. Yeon Baek-jin took another swig alone.
"So, what is it you wanted to say?"
After sitting dazed for a moment, Yeon Baek-jin spoke the words he had prepared on the way. They were words he had held in his heart for a long time. He wasn't saying them for his brother; he was saying them for himself.
"To be honest, I thought I was 'letting' you have the position of Hall Master."
Yeon Baek-in listened in silence.
"Since we were kids, I heard people say I had more talent for martial arts. I thought if I set my mind to it, I could have become the Hall Master."
Yeon Baek-jin continued, staring down at the bottle instead of looking at his brother.
"Of course, you're much stronger now, but even then, I thought it was because I stepped back. I stopped trying to get stronger than you on purpose."
Yeon Baek-in had been completely unaware his brother felt this way. A single thought crossed his mind: Is he insane?
"It was all my own delusion. This hall was never mine to begin with."
At his brother's confession, Yeon Baek-in spoke with a kind face.
"I was only thinking of myself and failed to consider your feelings. From now on..."
"From now on?"
"Let's get along. Are we not each other's only brother?"
Was my brother always this shameless and cold-blooded?
"Thanks, Brother."
For leaving me with this image of you as the last one.
Yeon Baek-in felt his own heart grow incredibly cold. He felt as though he could say any kind word imaginable right now.
You should have acted like this from the start. You should have kept feigning ignorance like you always did, or helped me with loyalty like Gi Seok. Then it wouldn't have had to come to this, would it?
But he knew his brother was not the type of person who could do that. Once he sobered up, he would start investigating his secrets again.
"Let's have a meal together tomorrow."
What meal? My funeral offering? At those words, Yeon Baek-jin’s anger crossed the limit. Instead of exploding, he asked with a smile.
"What kind of martial art is it?"
Yeon Baek-in flinched.
"What are you talking about?"
"The martial art you're so possessed by. What kind of art is it?"
Yeon Baek-jin asked with a smile, but his eyes were ice-cold.
The smile vanished from Yeon Baek-in’s face.
Yeon Baek-jin could tell. This martial art was his brother's reverse scale. Well, he had probably staked everything on it.
"You haven't received the manual yet, have you? They probably told you they'd give it to you once the vault is fully excavated."
Yeon Baek-in’s expression hardened further, but Yeon Baek-jin kept pushing.
"Who in the world would just give away an ultimate divine art? You actually believe that? Brother, are you an idiot?"
Yeon Baek-in did not get angry until the end. He knew that once his brother left this room, they would never see each other again. In fact, this was better. Any lingering shred of guilt he felt for his brother vanished with this.
Yeon Baek-jin was truly furious. Fooled by such people, calling the White Snake Unit to kill your own brother... and in the end, you'll die by my hand. Brother, are you really a moron?!
Yeon Baek-jin stood up and, feeling stifled, threw the office window wide open.
He stood by the window for a long time, staring outside.
"If you've said your piece, leave."
Yeon Baek-jin shot a glance at his brother and walked out without a word.
Left alone, Yeon Baek-in opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle. It was an expensive liquor he usually saved. He filled a white porcelain cup to the brim and downed it.
"Now, get out of my life for good."
*
When Yeon Baek-jin met Geom Mu-geuk again, he was visibly excited.
"It's only a hunch, but I think I've found the entrance."
Earlier, when he stood by his brother's office window looking out, he had seen the night view of the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall.
There were brightly lit areas and dimmer ones. Lights were scattered everywhere, but there was one place that was exceptionally dark. Since he rarely had the chance to stand there at night, he had forgotten its existence. Usually, everyone in the hall forgot about it.
It was a place visible directly from the office, yet used only once a year. A place no one could normally approach because it was considered sacred within the hall. And above all, it was the place his brother valued most.
"It's the sparring arena where the graduation exams are held."