Chapter 631: This Is What Happens When You Give Them an Inch
Chapter 631: This Is What Happens When You Give Them an Inch
Dark clouds gathered heavily, casting the world into a sudden, oppressive shadow.
A flash of lightning flickered in the distance, drawing closer with every heartbeat until—
Crash! Rumble!
The sky finally unleashed the thunder it had been suppressing, followed immediately by a torrential downpour.
Shhhhhhh!
Geom Mu-yang stood by the window, silently watching the rain fall.
After Jin Ha-gun departed with the Demon Extermination Squad, Geom Mu-yang and the branch warriors remained at the manor.
Jin Ha-gun had taken the White Dragon Unit Leader with him. Geom Mu-yang couldn't keep a man of that stature in his custody indefinitely; if word got out that the White Dragon Unit Leader had gone missing, the Murim Alliance would be thrown into a state of total upheaval. He wondered how Jin Ha-gun intended to handle the fallout.
If it were Geom Mu-yang, he would have taken the direct approach. He would have dragged the man before his father and forced a confession. How to deal with the collapse of a long-standing friendship would have been his father’s burden to bear.
Of course, Geom Mu-yang hadn't voiced any of this to Jin Ha-gun. He hadn't even asked how the captain intended to process the prisoner. He had entrusted Jin Ha-gun with the task of rescuing Gwak Yeong’s brother; their relationship was not one of collaboration on other matters.
Just then, Gwak Yeong spoke from behind him.
“The rain makes me crave a drink.”
In truth, the rain only deepened her yearning for her brother. Where was he? Was he eating? Was he being beaten? How terrified must he be right now? This ordeal would likely haunt the boy as a lifelong nightmare.
And what would happen to them now?
Gwak Yeong was secretly terrified. Before the name of the Heaven’s End Recluse had surfaced, she truly believed that this man—and the Captain of the Demon Extermination Squad—could save her brother.
But the Heaven’s End Recluse?
To think that a man who had spent his entire life sacrificing for the Orthodox Murim was the mastermind behind such filth?
Even though she had watched Geom Mu-yang and Jin Ha-gun uncover the truth, she still struggled to believe it. Could there be a mistake? Was it a conspiracy or a frame-up?
If she, an eyewitness, found it this hard to believe, who else would accept it? That was the weight the Heaven’s End Recluse held among the people of the Great Bright Faction.
Manufacturing counterfeit weapons for profit, kidnapping, and blackmail.
She had thought her opponent was a school of piranhas, swarming to tear away bits of flesh. Instead, she found a giant whale lurking in the depths, capable of swallowing the entire ocean.
“Why didn't you hand me over to the Demon Extermination Squad?” she asked.
He could have easily sent her away with Jin Ha-gun.
His promise to save her brother was one thing, but she had committed the ultimate sin for an iron workshop master: forging counterfeit hidden weapons. Handing her over would have been the easier path, freeing him from the burden of her presence.
Geom Mu-yang, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at her.
“Was it a lie?”
“Pardon?”
“That you would forge weapons for me.”
Looking into his cold, steady eyes, Gwak Yeong realized the truth. Ah. This man really intends to take me and put me to work.
“I didn't realize your iron workshop was suffering from such a labor shortage,” she deflected with a hollow joke.
Fortunately, Geom Mu-yang didn't press the issue and returned his gaze to the window.
She had been sincere when she said she would forge for him. She was even prepared to live as a demonic practitioner if it meant survival. But what truly terrified her was the alternative: what if she never saw her brother again?
Shhhhhhh.
She stared at the rain pouring down past Geom Mu-yang’s shoulder before hesitating.
“The mastermind is…”
The Heaven’s End Recluse is behind this. Can the Demon Extermination Squad really move against him?
The words wouldn't leave her throat. The name 'Heaven’s End Recluse' felt like lead on her tongue.
What if the Demon Extermination Squad is forced to drop the investigation because of internal pressure?
She feared that if she voiced her anxieties, they might actually manifest.
As if reading her mind, Geom Mu-yang answered without looking back.
“Nothing has changed.”
If she hadn't known he was the First Young Master of the Demonic Cult, she would have dismissed it as empty bravado. But now, she knew he meant it. He intended to face whoever was behind this, regardless of their status or power.
Those words brought her a sense of immense, grounding comfort.
Just then, Ho-myeong, the Hunan Branch Leader, entered to report.
“We received word from Tongcheon Pavilion regarding Hwa Yul-cheong’s whereabouts.”
Ho-myeong relayed the information to Geom Mu-yang.
“Hwa Yul-cheong resides at the Muso Estate in Wuhan. It is said he travels throughout the Central Plains and is away for most of the year, but he is currently back in the city.”
“He’s in Wuhan?”
“Yes, he returned a few days ago.”
A man who was away most of the year had returned to Wuhan just a few days ago? At the exact time Geom Mu-yang himself was in the city? Could it really be a coincidence?
Geom Mu-yang didn't think so. This fact alone was proof enough that the man was intimately involved in this affair.
“Tell them to send every scrap of information they have on Hwa Yul-cheong. His personality, family relations, martial arts, and even his followers.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As Ho-myeong left, Gwak Yeong asked cautiously, “Are you really going to face him?”
Geom Mu-yang nodded silently.
“You know he has many masters following him, right?”
Flash!
A bolt of lightning illuminated Geom Mu-yang’s face. His eyes mirrored the strike. He was the kind of man who would push forward in silence no matter who blocked his path, simply stating that nothing had changed.
Finally, Geom Mu-yang spoke in a low, resonant voice.
“People like that…”
He thought of those who had crossed difficult times with him, who had seen his worst moments and knew his flaws better than anyone—the people he trusted most in the world.
“I have them too.”
*
Jin Ha-gun entered the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
“Grandfather, have you been well?”
As always, Jin Ha-gun showed the proper etiquette due to the leader of the Murim.
“Come in.”
Jin Pae-cheon’s gaze toward his grandson was soft. Lately, Jin Ha-gun had been performing his duties more excellently than any previous Captain of the Demon Extermination Squad. He seemed more mature, and his reputation among his subordinates was stellar.
“I heard you changed the Demon Extermination Squad’s original schedule to return early.”
“Yes, there were circumstances.”
“What happened?”
Jin Ha-gun delivered news his grandfather hadn't expected.
“I received word from the First Young Master of the Divine Cult.”
At the mention of the First Young Master, Jin Pae-cheon’s expression stiffened slightly. Although the man had lost the succession race to Geom Mu-geuk, Jin Pae-cheon knew he was a man of dangerous ambition.
“He claimed there were those who forged their hidden weapons and distributed them in the Central Plains. He requested our cooperation while pursuing the mastermind.”
Jin Pae-cheon looked puzzled. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult never asked for help.
“For what reason?”
“A blacksmith from our side was involved.”
Jin Ha-gun reported that Gwak Yeong was involved because her brother was being held hostage.
“Because of that matter, the First Young Master is currently in Wuhan.”
Jin Pae-cheon’s face hardened completely. The First Young Master of the Demonic Cult had entered Wuhan without his permission? This did not sit well with him at all.
“Honestly, this is what happens when you give those people even an inch of slack.”
Jin Pae-cheon expressed his sharp displeasure toward the Demonic Cult.
The rudeness of not informing him in advance was one thing, but he was more angered by the fact that the Murim Alliance’s information network had lost track of Geom Mu-yang’s movements entirely.
“I assume you sent them back?”
“No. They are still in Wuhan.”
Jin Pae-cheon’s reprimand flew toward his grandson.
“You should have sent them back immediately!”
“I apologize.”
Jin Ha-gun knew his grandfather wasn't truly displeased with him, but was simply being strict. The day for him to be named successor was drawing near, and his grandfather wanted him to be a leader without a single flaw.
Jin Pae-cheon stared at Jin Ha-gun in silence for a moment before rising from his Grand Tutor’s chair and stepping down. He approached his grandson and called his name softly.
“Ha-gun.”
Jin Ha-gun could tell. In this moment, it wasn't the Alliance Leader looking at the Captain of the Demon Extermination Squad, but a grandfather addressing his grandson.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“I know you trust the Young Cult Leader.”
If even an old man like himself could be so charmed by a person like Geom Mu-geuk, how could the young Jin Ha-gun remain cold?
That was why there was something he had to emphasize—a warning he would likely have to repeat many times. Precisely because he knew Geom Mu-geuk was a good person, he had to stress this point even more.
“No matter how close you become or how deep your relationship grows in the future, you must never forget for a single moment that he is a demonic practitioner.”
No matter how good a man he was, the people surrounding him were all demonic cultists.
Jin Ha-gun understood the sentiment behind his grandfather’s words.
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Jin Pae-cheon felt he could overlook the matter since it involved Geom Mu-geuk’s brother, but then—
“I have one more thing to report.”
This report was the core reason for his visit today.
“I am currently investigating the White Dragon Unit Leader regarding this matter.”
“The White Dragon Unit Leader? Why?”
“He is one of the masterminds behind this incident.”
Jin Pae-cheon found the claim absurd.
“Do you have evidence?”
“Yes. The White Dragon Unit Leader is the one who rented the warehouse where the counterfeit hidden weapons were made. Furthermore, I have uncovered circumstances suggesting that someone else exists behind him.”
He didn't say the name directly. He wanted his grandfather to hear from the White Dragon Unit Leader’s own mouth that Hwa Yul-cheong was the mastermind.
“I must see the man myself.”
“I have him waiting outside.”
“Bring him in.”
Though it would be confusing and hard to believe at first, his grandfather was the only one who could resolve this. Only his grandfather was capable of handling the Heaven’s End Recluse.
A moment later, the warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad brought in the White Dragon Unit Leader and exited.
Jin Ha-gun had already finished his discussion with the prisoner. He had promised that if the man told the Alliance Leader the truth, he would be spared from execution and his sentence would be minimized in exchange for his confession.
In truth, seeing the White Dragon Unit Leader accept the deal had made Jin Ha-gun think: He really is the mastermind.
A part of him must have been doubting the fact until the very end. Even now, he couldn't entirely shake that doubt. Was he truly behind this? A man he had respected since childhood?
Jin Pae-cheon looked down at him and said, “Raise your head.”
The White Dragon Unit Leader looked up, trembling with visible fear.
“What is the meaning of this? Were you truly involved in this affair?”
Jin Pae-cheon asked calmly, but his eyes were as cold as frost.
The White Dragon Unit Leader opened his mouth, his voice shaking.
“This matter is…”
Unable to continue, he bowed his head deeply.
“I am truly sorry, Alliance Leader.”
He seemed too ashamed to confess and only let out a heavy sigh.
Jin Ha-gun urged him, “It’s all over, so confess already.”
Finally, the White Dragon Unit Leader revealed the truth.
“This was done under the orders of the Heaven’s End Recluse.”
Despite the shocking statement, Jin Pae-cheon didn't look surprised at all. Instead, he asked again with eerie calm.
“Who gave the orders?”
“The Heaven’s End Recluse ordered it.”
At that exact moment—
Flash!
Jin Pae-cheon’s figure blurred, and in an instant, he was gripping the White Dragon Unit Leader by the throat.
“How dare you try to play me!”
Jin Ha-gun naturally assumed his grandfather was angry because the Heaven’s End Recluse had been mentioned. But he was wrong.
Jin Pae-cheon let out a shout that sounded like a battle cry.
“Haaaaaaaap!”
A violent wind whipped around the White Dragon Unit Leader as if a typhoon had broken loose. It was a Lion’s Roar, infused with the vast internal energy of the Murim Alliance Leader.
In that moment, as the overwhelming momentum threatened to blow him away and shook his entire body—Jin Ha-gun saw it.
The White Dragon Unit Leader’s eyes rolled back and then returned to normal. It was as if his black pupils had vanished behind his eyelids and then reappeared.
“Haaaaaaaap!”
With an even louder Lion’s Roar, the man’s eyes rolled back again. This time, they didn't return; only the whites of his eyes were visible.
“Uuugh… uuuuuh.”
As a groan escaped him, a black liquid began to stream from both of his eyes. It looked as if his vanished pupils had turned into liquid and were leaking out. The White Dragon Unit Leader seemed oblivious to what was happening to him.
The next moment.
“…It was the Heaven’s End Recluse.”
The words that flowed out slowly were not in the White Dragon Unit Leader’s voice. It was an eerie, monstrous sound. After speaking—
The White Dragon Unit Leader’s body gave one violent shudder and then collapsed.
Jin Pae-cheon looked down at him with a complex expression.
“What happened?”
By the time Jin Ha-gun checked, the man was already dead. When he injected true qi to examine the body, he found that the meridians had been shredded into pieces. Since his internal energy had been suppressed, it wasn't a suicide.
Was there an evil sorcery placed on him that would sever his meridians if he confessed?
But hadn't he already confessed under Geom Mu-yang’s torture? Why hadn't they severed then?
Jin Pae-cheon spoke in a low voice.
“It is a Mind Control Technique.”
Jin Ha-gun was startled. The Mind Control Technique was an evil art used to manipulate a person’s heart and mind at will. His grandfather had realized the man was under its influence and had used the Lion’s Roar to break it.
“It was designed so that if the Mind Control Technique was forcibly broken, all his meridians would sever, killing him.”
But why?
If they had used mind control, why make him confess to the Heaven’s End Recluse? They should have hidden the mastermind’s identity…
In that instant, a chill ran down Jin Ha-gun’s spine.
Oh no!
His grandfather would now believe that someone had used mind control to frame the Heaven’s End Recluse. Because the name had been revealed this way, it made the truth look like a fabricated lie.
And naturally, Jin Pae-cheon’s suspicion turned toward only one person.
“Where is the First Young Master right now?”