Chapter 633: The Seat You Must Occupy in the Future
Chapter 633: The Seat You Must Occupy in the Future
The Demon Buddha emerged, parting the golden mist.
Despite his short stature, he exuded an overwhelming presence that seemed to command the very air around him. Standing below the pavilion, he looked up and pressed his palms together in a respectful greeting.
"Have you been well, Alliance Leader?"
Jin Pae-cheon returned the gesture with due courtesy. "It has been a long time."
The Demon Buddha’s appearance was unexpected, yet it wasn't entirely strange to see him wherever the First Young Master was. Jin Pae-cheon was well aware of the deep bond between the two.
After greeting the Alliance Leader, the Demon Buddha turned his gaze toward Geom Mu-yang. Their eyes met in the air.
"You have come?"
"Yes, I have."
Deep affection and loyalty were embedded within that simple exchange.
In truth, Geom Mu-yang had been at a loss after the Alliance Leader ordered him to leave Wuhan. Had it been anyone else, he would have ignored the command, but he could not simply rebuff the leader of the Murim Alliance. Seeing the Demon Buddha in this moment of indecision felt as though the monk’s radiance was illuminating a path through his predicament.
The Demon Buddha walked slowly up the steps to the pavilion. Before ascending, he exchanged greetings with Jin Ha-gun.
"I greet the Demon Lord," Jin Ha-gun said.
"Even from afar, I have heard much of Captain Jin’s chivalrous deeds. You are truly remarkable for one so young."
Jin Ha-gun was inwardly relieved by the monk's arrival. The explosive tension that had gripped the pavilion just moments ago dissipated the second he appeared.
"Here is the liquor you enjoy, Alliance Leader." The Demon Buddha handed a bottle to Jin Ha-gun and looked up at Jin Pae-cheon. "I trust your tastes haven't changed in the meantime?"
The Demon Buddha never arrived empty-handed. He was the only Demon Lord who consistently sent gifts whenever the Murim Alliance held an official event. Of course, protocol dictated that any gifts sent by the Demonic Cult be disposed of—and the Demon Buddha surely knew this—yet he never failed to send them.
Jin Pae-cheon had assumed such gestures would cease after the First Young Master was removed from the line of succession, but here he was, receiving one again.
Stepping onto the pavilion, the Demon Buddha looked around in admiration. "The scenery from up here is quite different from the view below."
The rain had already stopped, and the mist was beginning to thin, revealing the tall, straight stalks of the bamboo forest. He continued to offer words of admiration to lighten the mood, but Jin Pae-cheon’s response remained cold.
"I did not expect a Demon Lord to be present in Wuhan."
He was only being this civil because it was the Demon Buddha. It was problematic enough that the First Young Master was here, but for a Demon Lord to enter Wuhan without prior notice? This was an incident worthy of a formal protest to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"I, too, had urgent circumstances," the Demon Buddha replied.
"And what might those circumstances be?"
The answer was startling.
"I received information that someone was bold enough to target the Cult’s First Young Master."
Geom Mu-yang, who rarely showed emotion, looked surprised. This was news even to him.
"And who was it?" Jin Pae-cheon naturally assumed it was someone from the Unorthodox Faction or an individual with a personal grudge against the Cult.
"It was the Byeoksan Sword."
The moment he heard that name, Jin Pae-cheon felt a heavy thud of shock in his chest.
The Byeoksan Sword was one of the representative masters of the Orthodox Murim. The fact that such a man had tried to assassinate the First Young Master of the Demonic Cult was a far greater incident than the First Young Master simply being in Wuhan.
The Demon Buddha’s golden radiance flared as he raised his voice. "To think that madman dared to lay a hand on him!"
The Demon Buddha was genuinely enraged. Representing the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he directed that fury straight at the Alliance Leader. "An attempt on the First Young Master’s life is a challenge and an attack against our entire Cult!"
In that moment, Geom Mu-yang realized why the Demon Buddha had appeared so suddenly.
The Demon Buddha was already in Wuhan to protect me.
Because it was the Demon Buddha and no one else, Mu-yang’s heart swelled with emotion. Despite how poorly he had behaved in the past, the monk was still protecting him, unchanged.
"Fortunately, I arrived before he could commit the deed." Since he couldn't remain truly furious with the Murim Alliance Leader, the Demon Buddha’s radiance quickly subsided. His dignified posture seemed to ask: Do you still intend to question my presence in Wuhan after this?
The initiative in the conversation, which had previously been focused on forcing Mu-yang to leave, had now shifted entirely to the Demon Buddha.
"The Alliance Leader need not worry too much. I have not made this public."
Jin Pae-cheon wouldn't have asked if it were a trivial matter, but this was different. "Was it truly him?"
He found it hard to believe that a man like the Byeoksan Sword would do something so reckless without considering the consequences. He would have found it more believable if it had been Hanwolgaek.
"This was my third encounter with the man." The Demon Buddha was making it clear there was no way he had mistaken his identity. He even revealed the outcome of the encounter before Jin Pae-cheon could ask. "We agreed to share a drink during our fourth meeting."
He put it politely, but Jin Pae-cheon understood the implication. It meant the Demon Buddha had suppressed him with superior skill. The two wouldn't have ended things with a mere verbal spat.
A flicker of relief crossed Jin Pae-cheon’s face at the news that the Byeoksan Sword was alive. At the same time, he felt a sense of unease.
The Byeoksan Sword lost to this man?
Jin Pae-cheon quietly observed the Demon Buddha. He felt different from the last time they met. There was an indefinable sense of composure about him. His strength must have grown in proportion to that newfound calm.
For a moment, he thought of Geom Wu-jin, who was likely in closed-door training.
The Demonic Cult is growing stronger.
It was a moment of realizing that uncomfortable truth once again. Regardless, the Demon Buddha wouldn't lie about something that could be verified through the Byeoksan Sword.
Why would the Byeoksan Sword try to kill the Cult’s First Young Master? Could it be? Was he asked by someone?
Someone could certainly make a request of the Byeoksan Sword. But that request couldn't possibly be to kill the First Young Master of the Demonic Cult—unless it was his own request.
"Did you hear why he did it?"
"He didn't say, but it seemed he was acting on someone’s request."
Jin Pae-cheon asked probingly, "Do you have anyone in mind?"
The Demon Buddha shook his head as if he didn't know. Although he already knew through Tongcheon Pavilion that the Heaven’s End Recluse was behind it, he didn't breathe a syllable of the man's name. He simply pointed out the nature of the mastermind.
"Those who seek to sow discord between our Cult and the Murim Alliance are nothing new, are they?"
He emphasized that whoever it was, their goal was to drive a wedge between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Murim Alliance. The Demon Buddha did not mention Hanwolgaek. To explain why he had sent him away, he would have had to reveal that the Poison King was also in Wuhan.
"That is why I could not contact you in advance. I hope you can find it in your heart to understand."
"I understand perfectly."
"Thank you." The Demon Buddha looked up at the sky. The sun was peeking out from behind the receding dark clouds. "The rain has stopped, so we shall take our leave."
Following the Demon Buddha’s farewell, Geom Mu-yang also said his goodbyes. "Then, I shall see you again, Alliance Leader."
"Go safely."
They didn't exchange words about leaving Wuhan or meeting again. Future matters would have to be handled with careful judgment.
As they descended from the pavilion, Geom Mu-yang’s eyes met Jin Ha-gun’s. Mu-yang gave a slight nod, and Jin Ha-gun responded with one of his own. It was a silent exchange of their shared resolve to cooperate and handle the situation.
*
Geom Mu-yang and the Demon Buddha walked side by side through the bamboo forest.
Mu-yang hadn't expected to meet him like this outside the Cult. He never imagined a day would come when they would walk together in front of the Murim Alliance headquarters.
It was Geom Mu-yang who broke the silence first. "The mastermind is definitely the Heaven’s End Recluse."
The Demon Buddha nodded. "I know."
That was why this enemy was the most difficult they had faced so far.
"As long as the Alliance Leader trusts him, we cannot touch the Heaven’s End Recluse recklessly."
It wasn't just his friendship with the Alliance Leader; the respect he commanded from the Orthodox faction was also a problem. The moment they made a wrong move against him, the world would escalate it into a conflict between the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance.
Geom Mu-yang stopped walking, and the Demon Buddha stopped with him. The words Mu-yang wanted to say rose to his throat and settled back down. It was something he had never said to anyone before. He had never said it to his father, nor to Geom Mu-geuk.
But he said it to the Demon Buddha.
"Please help me."
How could the Demon Buddha not know how difficult those words were to utter, or how precious they were? The monk’s eyes trembled, and the radiance emanating from his body intensified. Sincerity was met with even greater sincerity.
"I will serve you with all my heart and soul, with absolute loyalty."
Enveloped in that brilliant light, Geom Mu-yang felt a pang of regret. What if he had shared this kind of relationship with him during the succession struggle? If he had treated the Demon Buddha with such sincerity back then, would the outcome of that fight have been different?
*
Jin Pae-cheon and Jin Ha-gun stood side by side in the pavilion, watching the retreating backs of Geom Mu-yang and the Demon Buddha.
"What do you think?"
Jin Ha-gun sensed that how this incident concluded would significantly impact his own selection as successor. Since this entire process could be a test from his grandfather, he had to judge and answer every word with caution.
"It is likely one of three things. Either the Cult is lying, the Heaven’s End Recluse is the true mastermind, or someone is sowing discord to make us believe so."
It wasn't the answer Jin Pae-cheon was looking for. "I asked for your thoughts."
"I believe at least one thing is certain." He knew his grandfather was worried that he might suffer a setback because he trusted Geom Mu-geuk too much. "I believe that, at the very least, the Cult is not lying."
As expected, a shadow of worry crossed Jin Pae-cheon’s face. In the past, Ha-gun might have cleverly given the answer his grandfather wanted to hear. But he was different now. He knew that an answer given just to escape a moment’s pressure was like building a bridge of sand. It might hold for now, but it would eventually collapse. And when it collapsed after more had been built, the disappointment would be even greater.
"Do you trust the First Young Master that much?"
He certainly did trust Geom Mu-yang. He could feel it instinctively—that the man had spoken the truth. But there was a more definitive reason.
"No."
"Then why?"
It was an answer that would worry his grandfather even more. "The one I trust is the Young Cult Leader."
Jin Ha-gun conveyed his honest feelings. "Since the Young Cult Leader is acting as the temporary leader, he is the current master of the Cult."
Jin Pae-cheon nodded. All decision-making power lay with him.
"He might have hidden ambitions," Ha-gun admitted readily. "He is a very clever man, so that may be true."
"Then why do you trust him?"
Ha-gun didn't know everything about the man named Geom Mu-geuk, but there was one thing he was sure of. "He is not the kind of person who would carry out a scheme by putting his own brother in danger."
Currently, the First Young Master was isolated in Wuhan and in a perilous situation. Ha-gun didn't believe Geom Mu-geuk would have forced his brother into such a spot.
"If he were that kind of man, the First Young Master would have already died during the succession struggle."
Jin Pae-cheon could not refute that. The Geom Mu-geuk he had observed was no different from what his grandson described.
"I believe we must fight while keeping all possibilities open." Ha-gun braced himself for a scolding. To say they should keep all possibilities open was to say they should suspect the Heaven’s End Recluse.
But Jin Pae-cheon did not get angry. Instead, he looked at his grandson with a gentle gaze. "Ha-gun."
"Yes, Grandfather."
"Are you worried about this old man?"
"No, I'm not."
He said that, but he was clearly worried. Worried that his grandfather’s judgment might be clouded by a long-standing friendship. Worried about the wound he would suffer if that trusted friendship was shattered.
Then, unexpected words flowed from Jin Pae-cheon’s lips. "In my heart, I have already killed him."
"Pardon?" Ha-gun’s eyes widened.
"I have driven a sword into his heart. I have already stood before his grave."
Jin Ha-gun could tell from his grandfather’s deep and bitter gaze that 'that person' meant Hwa Yul-cheong.
Ah! Grandfather was already keeping all possibilities open!
He had forgotten. His grandfather had lived his entire life upholding a chivalry that was difficult to practice even once, and he had observed all kinds of people from his seat as the Murim Alliance Leader for a long time.
"I desperately hope it isn't so... but I have already accepted the possibility that a friend of decades might betray me. Because I have staked my entire life on this position." He was telling his grandson something he had never said before. "The seat you must occupy in the future is a seat like this."
Jin Ha-gun bowed his head, looking ashamed. "I am sorry, Grandfather."
He had told himself to look properly, to see clearly, yet he still hadn't been able to see his grandfather for who he truly was. Seeing a person clearly was truly this difficult.
Jin Pae-cheon spoke in an even softer tone. "What I have felt during my long time in this seat is that our Orthodox faction can never keep pace with the Demonic Cult or the Unorthodox Faction. Even when we try to run out first and lead them, we are always a few steps behind. We are always busy cleaning up and chasing after them. Yet, do you know why we have not crumbled before their cruel and relentless desires?"
"Why is that?"
Jin Pae-cheon looked up at the blue sky where the dark clouds had vanished. Filling his eyes with that blue expanse, he spoke with strength.
"Because we are in the right."
Jin Ha-gun’s heart throbbed. His grandfather had lived his entire life with this single belief. And he had summarized the path Ha-gun must walk in a single sentence.
You, too, must walk the righteous path.
Jin Pae-cheon’s gaze turned toward his grandson. "So, trust the Young Cult Leader only after you trust this belief."