Chapter 614: Wrinkles Deepening on This Handsome Face
Chapter 614: Wrinkles Deepening on This Handsome Face
The eyes of Agency Head Ji Dae-hyeong and his escort leaders all turned toward one man.
It was Escort Leader Chung Baek, the man in charge of delivering the cargo to the Black Hand Sect.
A flash of panic crossed Chung Baek’s face. Until the moment he had followed the Agency Head here, he hadn't imagined for a second that he would be the one singled out.
“This is an absurd slander!” he cried out.
His voice trembled as much as his wavering eyes.
In contrast, Geom Mu-yang remained composed. He took slow, deliberate steps toward Chung Baek. Not only the escort leader himself, but Ji Dae-hyeong and the others tensed up.
Geom Mu-yang stopped a few paces away and stared at Chung Baek. Even without a deliberate scowl, his gaze was naturally cold.
“Do you think we have nothing better to do?”
He was asking if they really thought he would come all this way just to slander a mere escort leader.
His calm words carried a heavy weight of conviction. Ho-myeong, the Changsha Branch Leader, had come in person, and the man speaking seemed to hold even higher authority than him.
Before Chung Baek could offer an excuse, Geom Mu-yang continued. His low voice was powerful; because he wasn't being overtly rude, he sounded all the more authoritative.
“I won’t press you on the matter of deceiving your Agency Head. That is a problem for your agency to handle internally.”
Geom Mu-yang glanced at Ji Dae-hyeong once before returning his gaze to Chung Baek.
“I only want to hear one thing. Who commissioned the delivery?”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Ji Dae-hyeong did not step forward to defend Chung Baek or claim he didn't need to answer. He was overwhelmed by Geom Mu-yang’s presence, and a seed of doubt regarding Chung Baek had already begun to sprout in his mind.
“It wasn't that kind of item! Agency Head! Please believe me! They are slandering me! I am being wronged!”
Chung Baek’s excuses lacked specifics, which only made him more suspicious.
However, they couldn't simply suspect him without cause. Their accuser was the ruthless Demonic Cult, after all.
Ji Dae-hyeong stepped forward and spoke to Chung Baek in a gentler tone. He was still one of his own men, for now.
“Escort Leader Chung. Calm down and tell us exactly what happened.”
“The cargo was ordinary.”
“What was it?”
Ji Dae-hyeong had received various reports regarding recent escort missions, but he couldn't recall any items that required special attention. This meant either Chung Baek had filed a false report, or the Demonic Cult was framing him.
“The cargo was just common weaponry.”
“Who commissioned it?”
“I cannot say in the presence of outsiders.”
“It’s fine. I’m giving you permission, so speak.”
At that, words that should never have been uttered in this situation escaped his lips.
“Are you doubting me?”
Now, he was definitely suspicious.
“No. If this is a conspiracy as you say, shouldn't we clear it up?”
“Fine. Then I will tell only you, Agency Head. The person who delivered the item to me was…”
He lowered his voice and made as if to approach the Agency Head.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Chung Baek lunged toward the exit.
But someone else moved even faster.
Thwack!
A kick flew in before he could clear the doorway, sending Chung Baek tumbling across the floor. As he scrambled to get back up—
The man who had kicked him pressed down on his pressure points, sealing his Demonic Acupoints.
The one who had anticipated the escape and intercepted him was none other than the Changsha Branch Leader, Ho-myeong.
As the head of the largest branch in the Hunan region, his skills were formidable.
Ho-myeong grabbed the man by the collar and forced him to his knees before Geom Mu-yang. Not a single escort leader dared to interfere. If he weren't guilty, he wouldn't have run. The moment he tried to flee, the situation was already over.
Geom Mu-yang spoke to Ji Dae-hyeong.
“I trust you believe our words now.”
His words were polite, but his eyes remained cold. The meaning behind his gaze was clear: I have shown you enough courtesy; now it is your turn.
“I will be taking this man to the Changsha Branch.”
Ji Dae-hyeong didn't dare say no. Ho-myeong, having already displayed his prowess, was radiating a coarse Demonic Energy.
Geom Mu-yang looked down at Chung Baek and tilted his head slightly.
“Are those who make mere counterfeit weapons more terrifying than us?”
Chung Baek’s face was pale with terror. He was afraid of the Demonic Cult before him, and equally afraid of those he had dealt with.
Ho-myeong partially released Chung Baek’s pressure points, just enough so he could walk.
It was as they were leading him out of the main hall toward the front gate.
Ssh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!
A piercing whistle of wind was followed by the sickening sound of tearing flesh!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Everyone’s eyes turned toward one person.
Chung Baek looked down at his own chest with a dazed expression.
Sssssss.
His chest, riddled with hidden weapons, was melting away, leaving a gaping hole.
Chung Baek’s body slumped forward powerlessly.
Standing before him was a man aiming a cylindrical hidden weapon. He was an ordinary-looking young man.
Until a moment ago, he had been disguised as a worker, sweeping the courtyard, only to launch a sudden surprise attack.
Neither Ho-myeong, who was walking beside Chung Baek, nor Geom Mu-yang, who was following behind, could have stopped that ambush.
“You bastard!”
As Ho-myeong was about to pounce, Geom Mu-yang shouted.
“Watch out! I’ve heard of 'The Charge'!”
Ho-myeong flinched and stopped. As a Branch Leader, he knew exactly what kind of hidden weapon "The Charge" was. It was one of the Ten Great Forbidden Hidden Weapons designated by the Murim Alliance.
The man aimed The Charge, which had been pointed forward, toward Geom Mu-yang.
However, Geom Mu-yang didn't look frightened at all; his expression dared the man to fire.
At that moment, Ho-myeong drew his sword and stepped in front of Geom Mu-yang. He looked ready to block it with his own body if necessary.
The man looked at Geom Mu-yang and smirked. It was a faint, chilling grin, like that of a madman.
Then, he took The Charge he had aimed at Geom Mu-yang and pressed it under his own chin.
Whoosh!
Thud, thud, thud!
Before anyone could stop him, he committed suicide with The Charge. It seemed his goal from the start had been to kill Chung Baek and then take his own life.
Ho-myeong rushed over to check the body, but there was no way he could be alive.
Geom Mu-yang went over and picked up The Charge from the man’s hand to examine it. It was the same counterfeit Charge that had nearly killed his younger brother.
Geom Mu-yang’s eyes sank into a cold chill.
The fact that they were monitoring his arrival here, and the way the assassin committed suicide after the attack… Suicide was easy to say, but making someone kill themselves after achieving a goal was never easy. It meant the opponent was no ordinary organization.
Sensing that this was not a problem that would be easily solved, Geom Mu-yang immediately gave an order to Ho-myeong.
“Report this situation exactly as it is to Tongcheon Pavilion. And select only the elites from the branch warriors.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After that, Geom Mu-yang turned back to Agency Head Ji Dae-hyeong.
Ji Dae-hyeong shouted with a shocked and panicked face.
“That man was not one of ours! We have nothing to do with this!”
Since it happened within the agency, he was terrified they would be misunderstood as accomplices. If the Demonic Cult fabricated a crime and pinned it on them, it would be impossible to escape.
“I know.”
At Geom Mu-yang’s calm words, Ji Dae-hyeong breathed a sigh of relief.
He had harbored suspicions that the Demonic Cult might be playing some kind of trick, but this ambush had wiped those doubts clean away.
“They wouldn't have killed him to silence him just because he delivered a package once.”
Ji Dae-hyeong thought the same. If it had been a single mistake, Chung Baek would have begged for forgiveness instead of choosing to flee. In other words, he had delivered items disguised as cargo multiple times.
“Can you hand over the escort records from the time he served as an escort leader?”
In this situation, even if Geom Mu-yang had said, 'Hand them over if you don't want to die,' Ji would have had to comply. Yet, Geom Mu-yang handled the matter politely and rationally.
“Don't worry about the list being leaked. Our only goal is to find the people who killed him. An escort leader is dead; surely you want to know the truth as well?”
Ji Dae-hyeong didn't hesitate and readily agreed.
“I understand. I will give you the records.”
“Send them to the Cult’s Changsha Branch.”
“I will.”
Geom Mu-yang turned and left the premises.
Ho-myeong, following behind, asked him, “Where are we going?”
Since they had visited the side that sent the goods, it was time to visit the side that received them.
“We’re going to the Black Hand Sect.”
*
As Geom Mu-geuk was leaving the Heavenly Demon Hall, someone appeared ahead of him.
“Young Cult Leader!”
It was Seo Dae-ryong.
“My right hand! How have you been?”
When Geom Mu-geuk greeted him warmly, Seo Dae-ryong ran over with a bright smile.
“I debated a hundred times whether I should visit the Heavenly Demon Hall to pay my respects or not.”
“Why didn't you just come?”
“You’ve become the Acting Cult Leader, so I felt like I shouldn't just barge in.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked up at the Heavenly Demon Hall. The magnificent hall and the giant statue of the Heavenly Demon Soul guarding it were intimidating just to look at.
“How could I? It’s a place that’s scary just to stare at.”
Geom Mu-geuk shot him a suspicious look.
“That’s not it, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Weren't you just too busy playing with Miss Dan that you forgot about me?”
Seo Dae-ryong’s face turned slightly red. It wasn't entirely untrue. He spent every spare moment he had with Dan-ah.
The Dan sisters were all busy. The second, Dan-bi, was working hard as an enforcement martial artist for the Huangquan Pavilion, and the youngest, Dan-yeon, was the darling of the Ghost Shadow Squad.
The eldest, Dan-ah, had sought out the One Flower Sword Venerable for a lesson and was now devoted to her sword training.
Still, they found time to nurture their love late at night after Seo Dae-ryong’s duties were over. Because they only met briefly amidst their busy schedules, that time was all the more precious.
“Does just thinking about it make you that happy?”
Instead of answering, Seo Dae-ryong gave a goofy grin.
He loved the fact that he now had a woman who was on his side.
“Ah, to be young and in love.”
“You say that like you’ve ever experienced it yourself, Young Cult Leader,” Seo Dae-ryong said with a shrug. “Finally, I have something I can beat you at!”
“Is it really winning, though?”
“Don't say things like that with such an ominous expression! It’s scary!”
The two men laughed together. Seeing Seo Dae-ryong always lifted Geom Mu-geuk’s spirits.
“Something’s on your mind lately, isn't it?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Am I not the right hand attached to your body? I just know.”
How could he not? In the past, they would have shared drinks at the Pungryu Tavern several times by now. As time passed, everything changed. People, situations.
But Seo Dae-ryong tried his best to slow that change. His visit today was an attempt to hold back the tide of that transformation with his whole body.
Even if everything in the world changes, I don't want my relationship with the Young Cult Leader to change! I want to keep living a life where there is someone I would gladly die for.
How could Geom Mu-geuk not know his heart? That was why he could tease him like this.
“Now that my right hand has developed a heart of its own, maybe I should start thinking about detaching it?”
“I’m sorry, but even if this right hand grows its own arms and legs, it’s not going anywhere!”
Only after exchanging such jokes did Geom Mu-geuk speak honestly to Seo Dae-ryong.
“My brother has left the cult.”
This was top-secret information that even the Huangquan Pavilion Master didn't know yet.
“Did he take on a dangerous mission?”
“I don't know. That’s why I’m more worried.”
If it were a clearly dangerous mission, he could respond accordingly. This uncertainty was what weighed most heavily on his heart.
“Should I go out and assist the First Young Master?”
“You find him difficult, don't you?”
“'Difficult' is an understatement. He’s terrifying.”
“And yet you’d go?”
“You’re worried, aren't you? Having someone as quick-witted as me by his side will surely be a help.”
He was truly willing to travel with the First Young Master if it was for the Young Cult Leader’s sake. There was nothing he wouldn't do.
“You have someone to protect now, so you should be careful with your life.”
Sensing the sincerity behind the joke, Seo Dae-ryong flinched.
“I haven't even properly started my life with her, and I already have to be careful?”
“Does happiness ever come easily? To gain one thing, you must give up another. Look at me. I gained the position of Acting Cult Leader, and now I’m riddled with anxiety. Wrinkles are deepening on this handsome face. Look, here comes a brand new wrinkle now.”
A strategist from Tongcheon Pavilion was running toward them.
“New information has arrived. You should come with me.”
As he followed the strategist, Geom Mu-geuk looked back at Seo Dae-ryong. His friend was watching him with a worried gaze.
After his regression, he had told his father:
I am going to be happy.
He remembered what his father had said then.
If you intend to walk this path, don't even think about happiness.
You were right, Father. Back then, I boasted that I would be happy, but the stronger my martial arts become and the deeper my relationships with people grow, the more I realize how difficult this path is. I realize now that it’s easier to talk big when you have nothing.
Still, just as he had done until now, he would find a way.
Geom Mu-geuk called out loudly to Seo Dae-ryong.
“I’ll go see the Elder soon. Let’s have a drink then!”
*
“The escort leader who delivered the cargo to the Black Hand Sect is dead. Fortunately, the First Young Master is safe.”
Geom Mu-geuk felt relieved at Sama Myeong’s report. He broke the frozen atmosphere with a joke.
“I told you my brother was mean, didn't I? If he caught the guy, he should have kept him alive. He’s the only one who dodged.”
Even though he knew it was a joke, Sama Myeong did not laugh.
“A counterfeit Charge was used again. The culprit committed suicide on the spot.”
Both were serious reports. This counterfeit was as powerful as the real Charge.
What if that Charge had been fired at his brother?
Furthermore, the opponent was an organization that made its assassins commit suicide.
Sama Myeong cautiously suggested, “Shall we send more reinforcements?”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze deepened as he looked at the map of the headquarters.
Various colored Demon Lord Banners were pinned to it. Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes landed on the golden flag representing the Demon Buddha.
If he sent reinforcements now, his brother would be furious. His pride was at stake. The only person who could possibly soften that anger would be the Demon Buddha.
“No, there’s no need for that.”
Even if the Demon Buddha went out, he would go to gather poisonous herbs, not to help.
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted back toward the Changsha region.
Next to his brother’s flag was a green one.
The banner of the Poison King.
The image of the Poison King standing with twelve poison pouches strapped to him overlapped with the flag.
The Poison King had stepped out of his own world, the Thousand Poison Forest, to stand in the outside world. Geom Mu-geuk knew better than anyone how powerful he became when he did that. Yes, he had to trust him.
“If 'The Charge' had been aimed at my brother, it would have melted before the trigger could even be pulled.”