Chapter 655: Today, He is Not the Young Cult Leader
Chapter 655: Today, He is Not the Young Cult Leader
The Heaven’s End Recluse was the one who arrived at the Blue Cloud Forest.
He walked calmly through the mist-shrouded bamboo. Waiting in a distant pavilion was Geom Mu-geuk.
Leaning against the railing, Geom Mu-geuk silently watched the Heaven’s End Recluse approach. When their eyes met, he offered a casual, welcoming wave.
Geom Mu-geuk had no intention of dragging this out.
‘I’m killing him today!’
Though none of the enemies he had faced so far had been easy, the Heaven’s End Recluse was as formidable as they came. The true depth of his power remained a mystery, and there was no telling who might leap out of the shadows to aid him.
The Blue Cloud Forest.
This was the stage Geom Mu-geuk had chosen.
As it was the favorite retreat of the Murim Alliance Leader, Jin Pae-cheon, he deemed it the most fitting setting for his final confrontation with the Recluse.
There was also a more practical reason.
The mist. It flowed through the Blue Cloud Forest all year round.
And within that mist today, a specific, deadly formation had been deployed.
The Cloud Mist Concealment Formation.
Originally, the Cloud Mist Concealment Formation was a technique designed for stealth, allowing its users to vanish within rising fog. Once the formation was activated, even the greatest masters could not locate those hidden within unless they knew the specific counter-method.
Furthermore, when deployed within natural mist, it was a top-tier formation that even experts could not distinguish from the environment. It was one of the prized treasures of the Murim Alliance.
Jin Pae-cheon was currently hidden within that very formation. Thanks to this location and the fog, Geom Mu-geuk had been able to set the stage without revealing the existence of the Space-Time Displacement Technique.
This was the critical arena that would determine everyone’s fate, and Jin Pae-cheon was its most important spectator.
The Heaven’s End Recluse ascended the pavilion. After a brief greeting, Geom Mu-geuk looked out at the scenery with feigned admiration.
“I think I understand why the Alliance Leader likes this place so much. The mist flowing through the bamboo is truly fantastic.”
The Heaven’s End Recluse stared silently at Geom Mu-geuk’s back. Though the young man stood with his back turned, he didn't leave a single opening.
The Recluse raised a hand and brushed the air. Though invisible to the eye, he could feel it—the aura Geom Mu-geuk had spread out like a spiderweb.
Despite having his back turned, the Young Cult Leader had perfect control over both the Recluse and the surrounding space. And he made no effort to hide that fact.
A flicker of intense heat crossed the Recluse’s eyes, vanishing the moment Geom Mu-geuk turned around.
“Welcome, Recluse!”
The Heaven’s End Recluse took a few steps forward and stood beside Geom Mu-geuk, looking out at the bamboo forest.
“The mist is particularly thick today.”
Since he sounded like a frequent visitor, Geom Mu-geuk asked, “Have you been here before?”
“I come here occasionally. It is a place my friend is fond of.”
The two treated each other with calm composure, as if they had entirely forgotten the tension of their first meeting.
“Why don't you ask? Why the Alliance Leader isn't here, and why I am?”
Today’s meeting had been arranged by Jin Pae-cheon, who had requested to see the Heaven’s End Recluse.
The Recluse merely wore an expression that said the answer was obvious and remained silent.
“I asked the Alliance Leader for the favor of meeting you. Last time, you were so firm in saying there wouldn't be a next time, Recluse.”
The Heaven’s End Recluse turned his gaze toward Geom Mu-geuk.
“And you didn't call me here to kill me?”
His eyes and tone suggested he had come fully expecting a trap.
“If that were the case, would you have come? You came because you judged that wasn't the intent, didn't you?”
From the Recluse’s reaction, Geom Mu-geuk could tell the man had anticipated this. If so, while the invitation had come from one side, this was his stage as well.
A stage shared by the two of them.
‘What have you prepared for this performance?’
Whose preparation was more thorough would determine who walked off this stage alive.
“Even if it were to kill me, I would have to come.”
“You would come even to your death? Why?”
The Heaven’s End Recluse answered calmly.
“Because my friend called me.”
His eyes looked strangely hollow and lonely.
If Geom Mu-geuk hadn't seen the man's true form within the Space-Time Displacement Technique, he might have been deceived. That was how much sincerity the man poured into his words.
“I would even die if that friend told me to.”
They were words that would have pained Jin Pae-cheon to hear. In fact, he was likely watching this scene right now with a heavy heart.
“That’s impressive. Personally, I have no intention of dying quietly even if Ha-gun tries to kill me.”
The Recluse’s eyes flashed coldly.
“That is because you do not share a friendship; you merely sought to use Captain Jin.”
He brought up the rumors circulating in the world as if intended for someone else's ears.
“When I heard the rumors that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was approaching the Demon Extermination Squad Leader to build a friendship, I already saw through your scheme. Your intent was to use blood ties to bewitch Alliance Leader Jin.”
Geom Mu-geuk accepted the remark with ease.
“That is quite disrespectful to your friend. The Alliance Leader is not a man who would fall for such a ploy so easily.”
“Which is why you tried to use his own flesh and blood.”
The Heaven’s End Recluse continued to dig into the point.
“I know you approached Ha-ryeong as well as the Demon Extermination Squad Leader. Do you still claim you have no ulterior motive? What exactly is your goal?”
To an outsider, Geom Mu-geuk would truly seem like a villain. This was why this fight was so tricky; the man was a master of psychological manipulation.
“As you know, my goal is to reveal your true identity, Recluse.”
“Ridiculous. For the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult to come to Infinite and claim he will reveal the identity of someone like me—someone who has lived as a man of the Orthodox Faction for decades... even a passing dog would laugh.”
“Since there are no dogs passing by, I shall laugh for you.”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly. Within that leisure, a blade was hidden.
“Since it’s just the two of us, is there really a need to hide your identity to this extent?”
“I tell you again, I have no identity to hide.”
Geom Mu-geuk asked the question the man would be most curious about.
“Why don't you ask? Why I called you an avatar of revenge.”
One would expect a reaction, but the Recluse showed no curiosity at all.
“Revenge? I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Geom Mu-geuk sat on the railing and spoke as if talking to himself, piecing together a puzzle.
“Your composure broke at those words before. I wonder why you are hiding your identity so thoroughly even when we are alone?”
Geom Mu-geuk already knew the answer.
“You know, don't you? You know exactly what kind of occasion this is.”
He didn't miss the momentary, sharp glint in the Recluse’s eyes.
The man knew there was an audience. And he knew that audience was Jin Pae-cheon.
That was why he was cherry-picking words specifically designed to shake the Alliance Leader’s heart.
“You have used blood ties and all sorts of words to bewitch that man, but it will not work on me. I will protect my friend until the very end.”
Geom Mu-geuk realized then that words would not move this man—especially not when he knew Jin Pae-cheon was watching.
It was time for a different winning move.
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze sank, and a chilling atmosphere began to emanate from him.
“It doesn't matter. I can make you reveal your true self regardless.”
At those words, the Heaven’s End Recluse finally reacted. His gaze toward Geom Mu-geuk carried a specific emotion: You? How?
“There was a fastest and most certain way, but I couldn't use it for one reason.”
That reason was related to Jin Pae-cheon.
“To use that method, I needed the Alliance Leader’s permission.”
“What permission?”
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes turned frigid.
“Permission to kill you.”
The moment he finished speaking, an aura erupted from Geom Mu-geuk’s body.
In the next instant, the Heaven’s End Recluse felt as though he were standing under a vast blue sky.
No, it wasn't the sky; it was a sea. Geom Mu-geuk’s aura was so clear that it reflected the sky perfectly, making it feel as though one were standing in the heavens.
His aura had changed.
The sea was clearer. And the bottomless abyss beneath his feet was deeper and darker.
Splash.
The Heaven’s End Recluse was plunged into the sea.
An invisible force seized him, dragging him into the deep water.
His breath caught. This was too powerful to be the aura of a single martial artist.
The Recluse released his own aura in response.
His presence began to push back against Geom Mu-geuk’s.
The dark abyss brightened. Around him, he saw snow fluttering over a pure white plain.
Then, the surroundings darkened again.
He was being dragged back into the abyssal sea, suppressed by Geom Mu-geuk’s overwhelming pressure.
The Heaven’s End Recluse surged his internal energy, releasing his aura even more powerfully. The surroundings brightened, then darkened once more.
Light and darkness alternated like a flickering lamp.
Each time it brightened, the blizzard raged more violently. A single flower blooming in the snow looked incredibly precarious.
From darkness to light, back to darkness, and then to light again.
It was then.
Swish!
A sword flew toward the Recluse’s eyes in a surprise attack.
Crack!
The Heaven’s End Recluse smashed through the pavilion railing and flew backward to evade the blade. Geom Mu-geuk, while still engaged in the battle of auras, had launched a physical strike.
Standing at the edge of the pavilion, Geom Mu-geuk looked down with a chilling gaze, sword in hand.
“If you don't reveal your original aura, you will die by my hand.”
Despite the warning, the Recluse was not intimidated. Instead, a thin smile played on his lips.
“I wonder if you can handle the aftermath?”
“When have the Demonic Cult bastards you know ever worried about the aftermath before causing trouble?”
Swish!
Geom Mu-geuk leaped from the pavilion and lunged toward the Recluse.
The Recluse did not retreat; he drew his sword and met the attack head-on.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blade clashed against blade, sparks and the screech of metal erupting in rapid succession.
A dozen exchanges passed in a heartbeat.
Whoosh!
The Recluse narrowly dodged a final, erratic strike.
If he hadn't moved, his head would have been severed. The killing intent infused in Geom Mu-geuk’s sword was real.
“I told you before. For someone like you, it’s not a bad idea to kill you first and deal with the consequences later.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s swordsmanship was neither the Nine Calamities Demonic Art nor the Flying Heaven Sword Art. It was simple stabbing and slashing, yet those basic movements contained the absolute essence of his martial arts.
Geom Mu-geuk’s attacks, freed from the constraints of formal forms, were incredibly fast and fierce. The strength granted by his freedom was being displayed without reservation.
Slash!
Blood sprayed from the Recluse’s arm. He was as famous as the Alliance Leader, but not for his strength. He was famous for being Jin Pae-cheon’s friend and a hero of the people.
He could not withstand the momentum of Geom Mu-geuk, who was pressing him with terrifying, lethal force.
Even though he was cornered, he did not reveal his true form.
He had one certainty.
‘You will never kill me!’
Just as Geom Mu-geuk thought, the Heaven’s End Recluse understood exactly what kind of occasion this was.
‘Because you have to show Jin Pae-cheon my true identity. The more you try to kill me, a master of the Orthodox Faction, the more his suspicion of you will grow.’
With every drop of blood he shed, the suspicion toward the Young Cult Leader would only deepen.
The Recluse was certain of it.
And Geom Mu-geuk was equally certain.
‘You will definitely show your true self.’
Because there was no way he would accept a meaningless death here. After enduring for decades, he wouldn't let it end so hollowly.
Swish!
Geom Mu-geuk’s sword flew toward his throat.
The Heaven’s End Recluse did not dodge.
‘In the end, he will stop.’
He was convinced the boy would never actually kill him.
It was like two carriages racing toward each other. Both were speeding without stopping, each certain that the other would be the one to pull the reins.
Rumble!
And at the final moment, one of the two pulled the reins and veered away.
CLANG!
An ear-piercing screech of metal erupted.
Geom Mu-geuk was repelled backward.
At the last second, the Heaven’s End Recluse had swung his sword in a counterattack. This strike was incomparably faster and more powerful than any skill he had shown thus far.
Geom Mu-geuk, like a madman, had not withdrawn his sword until the very last moment. It wasn't because he truly intended to kill, but out of a belief that the other man would definitely dodge.
No matter how strong the Recluse’s will was, there was something that would betray it.
Survival instinct.
He believed that the survival instinct of such a powerful master would force him to survive, even if it meant ignoring his own will.
Just as the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art would not stand by even if Geom Mu-geuk himself sought death.
In the spot where the Heaven’s End Recluse had stood, another man now remained.
It was the same person, but he was radiating a completely different aura. It was Hwa Yul-cheong. Now that he had fully revealed himself, his presence was incomparable to before.
He stood in the center of a battlefield.
Instead of fluttering snow, ash from burnt corpses swirled around him.
It was different from the aura seen at the Yeo Family Manor.
If the aura back then was a war occurring in a single region, the aura visible now was a war encompassing the entire Central Plains.
Blood flowed like rivers, and corpses were piled like mountains.
In the midst of it, Hwa Yul-cheong stood with eyes as hot as lava.
“You won't step forward even when he tries to kill me?”
The person Hwa Yul-cheong addressed was not Geom Mu-geuk. He spoke toward the mist.
Then, a voice drifted out from the fog.
“I decided to trust that young man over you.”
The owner of the voice was, of course, Jin Pae-cheon.
Perhaps because he had expected it all along, Hwa Yul-cheong showed no fear even as Jin Pae-cheon appeared.
“You trust the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult over a friend of decades?”
His words held no regret or longing, only mockery and rage. After all, Jin Pae-cheon had now seen his true face.
Jin Pae-cheon’s voice grew closer.
“That man... today, he is not the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
Soon after, Jin Pae-cheon fully emerged from the mist.
“Today, he is my grandson’s friend.”