Chapter 605: What Awaits Us
Chapter 605: What Awaits Us
“What if you are the person destined to change the fate of the Murim?”
It would have been nice if he had said their relationship might change, but the Sword King remained cold and resolute.
“Even if that were true, our relationship would not change.”
Geom Mu-geuk put every ounce of earnestness into his expression, but the answer remained the same.
In truth, Mu-geuk had expected this response. Though they had formed a special bond, it hadn't reached the point where they would simply join hands.
His opponent was none other than the man who had become the First King of the Twelve Zodiac Kings—the Sword King. How could one easily sway the heart of such a man?
In fact, setting aside the matter of changing his mind, their relationship was still one where Mu-geuk could very well be killed. They had, after all, agreed to a duel in the arena.
Mu-geuk walked over to the Secret Casket and threw his arms around it dramatically.
“I’ve been forsaken! Send me back three hundred years!”
The Sword King let out a short, dry laugh as he watched the exaggerated display. It seemed he had indeed wanted to see that side of the boy again.
As he stroked the Secret Casket, Mu-geuk suddenly asked, “Is it because of the debt?”
They had spoken of it before. When asked why he had joined hands with them, the Sword King had replied that he owed them a debt.
Mu-geuk turned back to the Sword King, his expression turning serious.
“If it’s because of a debt, take this to them and pay it off in full. I will give you this sacred relic!”
At that, the Sword King leaned in close to Mu-geuk’s face and asked, “Why are you acting so generous with something that belongs to me?”
Mu-geuk shot back without backing down.
“Why is this yours, Instructor? It’s mine.”
“Yours?”
“You said you’d give me everything in this room!”
—Give me everything in this room.
Those were the words Mu-geuk had spoken just before entering this final chamber.
“I never agreed to that.”
Of course, Mu-geuk was being stubborn. He was the one who had suffered through dismantling the mechanisms in the basement of the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall to reach this Secret Casket. There was no way the Sword King would just hand it over.
“Didn’t you see earlier? I literally came out of this relic. I’m not exactly an ordinary person, you know.”
The Sword King couldn't argue with that specific point.
What if this truly was the object that would change the fate of the Murim? And what if this boy was the one chosen by the relic? Wouldn't that make the Young Cult Leader the one to change the world's fate and, simultaneously, the rightful owner of this treasure?
Seeing the man fall silent, Mu-geuk felt a bit awkward instead.
“If you act like that, I can’t keep being stubborn, can I?”
The Sword King stepped toward the Secret Casket behind Mu-geuk. He reached out and touched it. Just as it had been for the past few days, the only thing the casket allowed him to feel was its coldness.
The Sword King pulled his hand away and spoke.
“You can have it if you kill me.”
Mu-geuk said nothing.
“Why are you silent?”
“I’m thinking. I’m wondering if I want it enough to kill you for it.”
He looked like he was genuinely agonizing over the decision. Then, he spoke.
“I don’t think I want it quite that much.”
The Sword King stared at Mu-geuk. The problem was that the boy sounded entirely sincere.
“You might need this to change the fate of the Murim, though?”
“It doesn’t matter. You are more important to me than this Secret Casket, Instructor.”
The Sword King squinted at Mu-geuk with a suspicious gaze.
“Wait, don't tell me...”
He noticed the deeper look in Mu-geuk’s eyes since his return, and his more vibrant life energy.
“You gained something inside, didn't you? So you don't need this anymore. This thing is empty now, isn't it? That’s why you’re trying to give it to me.”
Mu-geuk didn't try to deceive him.
“You really are quick on the uptake.”
In truth, that was only half the truth. Mu-geuk looked at the Secret Casket and said, “It’s true that I gained something, but it’s not just an empty shell.”
The casket was clearly connected to the smaller one. He didn't know when or in what form it might surprise him again.
“Then why are you trying to give it up?”
Because he believed that if fate truly existed, this object would find its way back to him no matter where it went. Because of that belief, he could focus on his relationship with the man.
“I told you. You are more important, Instructor.”
“What do you even know about me!”
“Isn't it better when people don't know each other too well?”
As the Sword King flinched, Mu-geuk continued.
“If we knew more, we might be disappointed by things we didn't know, or we might grow bored. But not now. I wonder, 'What is inside this man? What is it about him that draws people in? Why am I trying to persuade someone who might kill me, and what am I trusting in?'”
“Enough!”
As the Sword King shouted, a shoe came flying.
Mu-geuk caught the flying shoe with one hand.
“If you had launched a surprise attack while throwing this shoe, I would be dead. You threw it like a joke before, so I caught it without thinking. But why didn't you attack? Why don't you kill me, go back, and claim that you obtained the relic and even avenged your fallen comrades? Why aren't you taking the credit?”
The Sword King looked down at the remaining shoe on his foot.
“Because I still have one left. So stop talking nonsense. You really might die.”
The Sword King was angry because he realized his desire not to kill the Young Cult Leader was growing.
“And if our relationship changes? Are you going to use me as a guide to uncover all my organization's secrets? Are you going to put me at the front and kill everyone?”
“No.”
“Then what? Are you telling me to become your subordinate?”
“That’s not it either.”
“Then what!”
Mu-geuk spoke words the Sword King never expected.
“I know you aren't the type of person to stay by my side, Instructor. I know you’re the kind of man who would suddenly put on those shoes one day and wander off to some far-off place.”
“Then why? Why do you keep trying to shake me?”
As the Sword King barked the question, Mu-geuk raised his voice even louder.
“If you hated it so much, you shouldn't have appeared before me barefoot, wearing shabby martial robes with your hair tied back, carrying a worn-out iron sword you could buy anywhere in the market! You shouldn't have appeared like that before someone like me—someone who wears a Black Demonic Sword, layers of protective robes, and wraps himself in Supreme Heavenly Silkworm Thread just to survive!”
“...!”
“I can’t kill a man like that. No, I won’t kill him. For my own sake, I won’t do something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”
The Sword King was left speechless; he had never expected to hear such words.
In that moment, the emotion he felt in his heart was joy. He felt good. He didn't know why, but he felt truly happy—so happy he wondered if he had ever felt this way before.
Breaking the awkward silence, the Sword King spoke gruffly.
“Is it just because of my 'vibe'?”
Mu-geuk replied just as gruffly.
“What do you mean 'just'? That is the image I aspire to, the freedom I desire.”
“You’re a clever fool. If I looked free to you...”
“So, come to me. Pay off your debt, shake off everything that binds you, and come to me.”
“And once I’m there?”
Then, the most surprising words of their entire conversation flowed from Mu-geuk’s mouth—words that shocked the Sword King even more than the claim of visiting the world of three hundred years ago.
“Be my friend.”
The Sword King made the most bewildered face he had ever shown since they met. You crazy bastard, give it a rest! Instead of saying that, the Sword King asked, “Are you serious?”
“I am. Aren't there friends in this world who transcend age?”
“Of all the possible relationships, why a friend?”
“My Master will be waiting for me up there. So I don't need a Master. And the person who came with me is the One Flower Sword Venerable. Since I already have a Demon Lord who uses a sword, I can’t serve you as a Demon Lord either. I like traveling alone, so I don't need a personal bodyguard. As the Young Cult Leader, I have more than enough subordinates. So, be my friend. I’m often told I’m an old soul, so we’ll probably get along well.”
The Sword King could feel it. Mu-geuk was speaking from the heart.
“Be a friend I can see when I want to, help when I need to, and sometimes throw shoes at.”
With that, Mu-geuk held out the shoe again.
The Sword King stared at the shoe for a moment, then reached out to take it. But then, a thought occurred to him, and his expression hardened instantly.
“You said a Demon Lord is waiting up there?”
“Yes. He is undoubtedly waiting for me.”
The Sword King let out a sigh. It was the moment of suddenly waking up from a pleasant dream.
“For that very reason, we cannot be friends.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because there is someone waiting for me up there as well.”
In other words, it meant the Demon Lords would have been killed by him.
“When you go up there, you will be plunged into deep sorrow. In your grief over losing your Master and the Sword Venerable, you will draw your sword against me. I would understand if you did.”
He knew well how strong the Fist King was. Furthermore, there were other masters who had come with him.
“My Master and the Sword Venerable would not have lost to anyone.”
“We have assessed the Demon Lords' strength. They are not people those two can handle.”
The Sword King could not hide the sorrow in his eyes.
“What awaits us is only an empty arena where you and I must fight.”
In contrast, Mu-geuk’s eyes were filled with conviction.
“What if those two are standing safely on that arena?”
*
“Father, I’ll keep watch, so go inside and rest for a bit.”
At Lee An’s words, the Fist Demon shook his head.
“It is fine.”
Several days had passed, but Mu-geuk had not come up.
During that time, the Fist Demon had not left the arena. He ate his meals here and replaced sleep with Qi circulation.
Lee An realized anew that while she had vaguely thought of Mu-geuk and her father as just master and disciple, her father cared for Mu-geuk far more than she had imagined.
“Don’t worry too much. The Young Cult Leader will come up cracking some silly joke.”
The Fist Demon nodded silently at Lee An.
The reason he stayed and guarded this place wasn't just because he wanted to be the one waiting when Mu-geuk returned. It was also so he could react as quickly as possible if an urgent situation regarding Mu-geuk arose. He didn't want a brief absence to become a lifelong regret.
Yeon Baek-in was also in a corner of the arena.
After cleaning up the corpses and debris, he had yet to leave. It was a voluntary decision, as the Fist Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable didn't care whether he stayed or went.
Yeon Baek-in had not yet given up hope. He was waiting only for the Sword King to emerge from the underground. Where else could he go after abandoning the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall? He was holding on until the end, mistaking desperation for willpower.
Unlike the Fist Demon, the One Flower Sword Venerable moved about freely. She practiced her martial arts and slept comfortably.
Regarding Mu-geuk, she had only said one thing to Lee An.
“Who are we to worry about him?”
She spoke those words, but as the days passed without Mu-geuk’s return, she too was secretly worried.
Young Cult Leader, I know you like jokes, but don't play this kind of prank.
She decided that if Mu-geuk didn't appear by the end of the day, she would discuss going down there with the Fist Demon.
It was then.
Rumble.
The chair equipped with the mechanism began to descend.
Everyone there was startled. The One Flower Sword Venerable leaped through the air and landed behind the Fist Demon. Lee An also stood behind her father, staring intently at the spot where the chair had been.
Rumble.
A moment later, the chair rose again.
The expressions of the three onlookers froze simultaneously.
The person sitting in the chair was not Mu-geuk, but the Sword King.
The Fist Demon observed his opponent with a cold gaze.
A barefoot man with his hair tied back and an iron sword at his waist.
Though he didn't project any aura, the Fist Demon could tell at once that he was no ordinary master. To have such a presence without even revealing his aura?
The Fist Demon clenched his fists tighter than ever before.
Meanwhile, the Sword King was taken aback by the unexpected sight. Instead of the people who should have been there, the Demon Lords were present.
There were only traces of a fierce battle nearby; the Fist King was nowhere to be seen. Given the situation, it seemed he, his disciple, and the masters who came with them were all dead.
The Fist Demon asked in a low tone, “Where is the Young Cult Leader?”
The Sword King could feel it. The Fist Demon before him was stronger than he had anticipated. The same went for the One Flower Sword Venerable standing behind him. This was the reason why the Fist King was not here.
The One Flower Sword Venerable’s gaze as she looked at the Sword King also turned grave. He had more presence than any enemy she had faced thus far.
Releasing her own aura, she spoke in a cold tone.
“He asked where the Young Cult Leader is.”
Ssssssssss!
In an instant, their auras collided.
The area where the Fist Demon, the One Flower Sword Venerable, and Lee An stood—as well as the surrounding space—was filled with blade-like energy. It felt as if their flesh would be sliced if they moved even a single step.
Among those countless blades, a single edge was aimed at the Sword King.
A wind blew through those blades. It wasn't a violent wind, but one that chilled the heart and soul.
As the three auras clashed, a volatile situation unfolded, as if they might attack each other at any second. The string of tension was pulled so taut it felt like it would snap if someone even took a deep breath.
It was then!
Rumble.
The chair began to descend again.
And then, the chair rose once more, carrying a very welcome person.
“I knew this would happen.”
Feeling the terrifying aura surrounding him, Mu-geuk spoke with a smile.
“That’s why I said I should go up first.”
At that sight, the Fist Demon, the One Flower Sword Venerable, and Lee An finally felt relieved. Mu-geuk had returned, looking exactly the same as before.
Mu-geuk’s eyes met the Fist Demon’s. It was a frightening and blunt face, but Mu-geuk could tell just by looking at his eyes with what kind of heart the man had waited for him.
The One Flower Sword Venerable smiled with a look that said, 'You’re finally back,' and Lee An, whose legs gave out as the tension broke, sat huddled on the floor and smiled brightly at Mu-geuk.
Mu-geuk looked around.
The area was desolate, showing how fierce the battle had been. Seeing that only the chair leading to the basement remained, he was deeply moved. The moment he saw it, he felt the Fist Demon’s heart for him.
The Fist Demon stood in the center, with the One Flower Sword Venerable and Lee An to his left and right.
The three of them performed a formal fist salute and greeted Mu-geuk.
“We greet the Young Cult Leader.”
The Fist Demon had defeated the Fist King and guarded this place just to say this one sentence. For this very moment.
Mu-geuk returned the salute with courtesy.
“I believed you would wait for me.”
Those words were enough for the Fist Demon. To live up to that trust—that was the mission and the joy of the man known as the Fist Demon, a duty passed down since the time of the previous Cult Leader.
Mu-geuk turned back to the Sword King. The Sword King was staring at him with many emotions reflected on his face.
Mu-geuk hoped that among those complex emotions, there was also a sense of relief.
“Now then, shall we continue the conversation we were having?”