Chapter 663: I Must Intrude Upon This Stage
Chapter 663: I Must Intrude Upon This Stage
As Jin Hyu’s breath failed, the world he had conjured began to dissolve.
Ssssssssh.
The group reappeared in the main hall where they had first arrived. The sight of Jin Hyu’s corpse sprawled on the floor finally signaled that the ordeal was over.
‘We’re finally back in our world.’
Relief washed over Jin Ha-gun as he immediately checked on his wounded comrades. He personally administered internal medicine to those severely hurt and applied golden wound salve to their gashes. Though many were injured, fortunately, no one had sustained a fatal blow.
Among those unhurt, he selected the warrior swiftest in light body techniques and sent him to find his grandfather.
“Tell him we are safe!”
Ha-gun did not intend to go help his grandfather himself. With their exhausted and battered bodies, they would only be a hindrance. Since Geom Mu-geuk was with his grandfather, delivering the news of their safety was enough.
Master Hwa Song expressed his deep regret to Jin Ha-gun.
“I am deeply ashamed to face you.”
Even if they had been victimized because their former comrade, Jin Hyu, was a villain, they had been far too helpless.
Jin Ha-gun did not rebuke him. What mattered was how they moved forward. If one falls, one must stand back up.
“We must use this incident as a catalyst to further develop the Great Correction Soul-Returning Art. Master Hwa, I want you to take charge of that.”
Hwa Song nodded, his face full of resolve.
Before leaving the area, Jin Ha-gun expressed his gratitude to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“We survived thanks to you. Truly, thank you.”
The warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad performed a fist salute in unison.
“Thank you!”
Indeed, if not for the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord and the Pungcheon Cult Leader, every warrior of the Demon Extermination Squad would have perished in this hall. Ha-gun himself would have become a hostage used to blackmail his grandfather. It was a scenario he didn't even want to imagine.
“I will never forget this kindness.”
At that, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord deflected the credit to Geom Mu-geuk.
“Repay that kindness to the Young Cult Leader instead.”
Jin Ha-gun smiled and nodded. The gaze the two shared was soft. For today, at least, they were friends and comrades-in-arms who had escaped the jaws of death together.
In particular, Ha-gun could not forget the words she had spoken to him. Back when he felt utterly powerless within the world of the Soul-Seizing Technique, she had said:
— A grown tiger fears nothing, and a serpent is no threat to it.
Those words had been a great comfort. They had forged a new resolve within him.
‘Let us meet again when I have become a true tiger.’
Just then, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s boisterous voice boomed from behind.
“Why repay the kindness to the Young Cult Leader? You should repay us! Repay me!”
Jin Ha-gun turned toward him. While he hadn't gotten to know the Pungcheon Cult Leader deeply through this incident, he could at least tell the man was jovial.
“Someday, I shall visit you with a list of everything the Young Cult Leader has taken from me,” Ha-gun joked.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader roared with laughter. He hadn't forgotten how he had teased Ha-gun when they first met, asking what the boy had been robbed of.
“Let’s start a grand association for his victims! And naturally, I shall be the head of that association!”
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord smiled as she listened. There would likely be quite a few members in such a group. Through this ordeal, she had come to truly admire her master.
There is a saying that if someone makes a difficult task look easy, they are a true master. She, perhaps more than anyone else, knew the truth. It might have looked like her master dispatched Jin Hyu with ease, but that was far from the case. He had been able to kill him only because he possessed the insight to exploit the opponent’s psychology and see through the surrounding circumstances and the heart.
The Soul-Seizing Technique was a martial art that deceived the human mind; today, her master had demonstrated its absolute essence.
The head of a victims' association in this world, and an absolute being in the other—that was her master.
“Well then, until we meet again.”
After bidding them farewell and exiting the hall, Jin Ha-gun spoke to Gwak Ju.
“Now, let’s go see your sister.”
Gwak Yeong was currently at a safe house of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Ha-gun planned to meet Geom Mu-yang first and hand Gwak Ju over to him.
Gwak Ju asked in a trembling voice, “Why... why are you doing so much for me?”
No matter how dangerous the situation became, the warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad had looked after him. Who was he? He was merely the brother of a blacksmith—a commoner who didn't know a lick of martial arts. Yet, they had prioritized his life over their own.
Jin Ha-gun turned to face him. The eyes of all the surrounding Demon Extermination warriors were fixed on Gwak Ju.
“Our mission today was to rescue you. Even if everyone here had died and only one man remained, that one man would have saved you.”
Gwak Ju looked at the warriors standing around him.
Ah, so these are the warriors of the Orthodox Faction.
The people who had silently protected him in that dazzling, chaotic world to bring him back to reality. The people who kept their promises no matter what. Gwak Ju bowed deeply to all of them in gratitude.
*
After they departed, only the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord remained.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the sky. The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord stood a step behind him, looking up as well. She was recalling the words her master had said earlier.
The effort to live differently made my world strong.
Then, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke. His face had been incredibly serious while looking at the sky, but in an instant, it was full of mischief.
“We should go meet the man who made us suffer like this and hasn't even shown his face. We need to find the man who forgets we exist until he needs something, and tell him: ‘That Cult Leader is here.’”
Despite his words, his face was full of anticipation at the thought of seeing Geom Mu-geuk. It had been a very long time.
“The Young Cult Leader must be fighting a difficult battle as well,” she noted.
When they first arrived and the Pungcheon Cult Leader had badmouthed the Young Cult Leader, Jin Ha-gun had said the exact same thing. Of course, the Pungcheon Cult Leader didn't think so at all.
“As if he’d be in trouble. Your Young Cult Leader is a kite. A kite.” The Pungcheon Cult Leader began to walk, adding, “A kite that only flies higher the harsher the wind blows.”
* * *
Hwa Yul-cheong, the Heaven’s End Recluse whose identity had been exposed, demanded that Murim Alliance Leader Jin Pae-cheon kill Geom Mu-geuk. He told him to kill the boy if he wanted to save his grandson.
However, Jin Pae-cheon rejected the proposal. He stated that he had come today as a spectator, and that at the very least, he believed Geom Mu-geuk would not let this stage end in tragedy.
And when Hwa Yul-cheong confidently claimed it was a grave mistake to think the Poison King and the Demon Buddha would save them, Geom Mu-geuk showed even greater confidence.
“Do you really think they are the ones who went to help my friend?”
Mu-geuk’s words carried the weight of absolute certainty that Jin Ha-gun would be safe.
“Stop bluffing, Young Cult Leader.”
Mu-geuk met Hwa Yul-cheong’s composure with his own.
“Bluffing is for those who have nothing. Right about now, your one remaining wing is likely being clipped.”
His words stemmed from the conviction that So Jeong-rak was already dead and the master of the Soul-Seizing Technique was being dealt with.
Hwa Yul-cheong stared at Jin Pae-cheon. His target today was, and always had been, the Alliance Leader.
“The choice is yours. Just make sure you don't regret it later.”
He knew that for Jin Pae-cheon, who had already lost his children, the safety of his grandchildren was a weakness that would inevitably shake him. But he had overlooked one fact: Jin Pae-cheon’s trust in Geom Mu-geuk was far greater than he imagined.
Jin Pae-cheon replied firmly, “I have already made my decision.”
He had already resolved to trust Geom Mu-geuk. As Jin Pae-cheon’s gaze turned toward him, Geom Mu-geuk answered confidently.
“If the people I sent cannot save Ha-gun, then neither you nor I could have saved him even if we were there.”
At those words, Jin Pae-cheon thought of one person.
“Did you send the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. A sense of relief washed over Jin Pae-cheon, followed immediately by a flicker of anxiety. Hwa Yul-cheong poked at that anxiety.
“The whole Murim knows the new Soul-Seizing Demon Lord is a mere fledgling. The Young Cult Leader is just trying to take credit, claiming he tried to save Ha-gun.”
How could Jin Pae-cheon not know of the young Soul-Seizing Demon Lord? She would surely fall short compared to the previous Demon Lord. Yet, the reason he remained unmoved was not because he trusted the young Soul-Seizing Demon Lord.
“Will it be alright?”
“Of course.”
At Mu-geuk’s firm reply, Jin Pae-cheon nodded.
Hwa Yul-cheong sighed mockingly. “Foolish! Truly foolish!”
Then, Geom Mu-geuk spoke. “The foolish one is you.”
When Hwa Yul-cheong looked at him as if asking what he meant, an unexpected statement followed.
“You didn't know that I suffer from anxiety, did you?”
“Anxiety?”
The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had anxiety? ‘Young Cult Leader’ and ‘anxiety’ were a combination that didn't fit at all.
“This anxiety is a pain that torments me, but at the same time, it is my greatest strength. It works like this: ‘Ah, what if I only send one person and they make a mistake? What if the opponent is stronger? What if another enemy comes to help? What if a variable arises?’ I’m the kind of person who worries about all those things. And the result of that worry is this.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted to Jin Pae-cheon.
“That is why I sent the Pungcheon Cult Leader along with her.”
The moment he heard that, Jin Pae-cheon’s expression relaxed. If it were just the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, then yes, honestly, he would have been worried. But if the Pungcheon Cult Leader had gone as well?
Geom Mu-geuk was right. Against an opponent using the Soul-Seizing Technique, those two were a better choice than himself or Mu-geuk.
“Then it is settled.”
The thought that everything was truly fine came naturally. On the other hand, Hwa Yul-cheong’s expression hardened.
“Bluffing again.” Hwa Yul-cheong tried to persuade Jin Pae-cheon. “The Young Cult Leader is lying right now just to survive.”
Jin Pae-cheon looked at him calmly and said, “It is you who are afraid—afraid that you might die.”
A flash of displeasure crossed Hwa Yul-cheong’s face. Since his identity had already been revealed, he no longer hid his emotions as meticulously as before.
Jin Pae-cheon continued, staring at Hwa Yul-cheong.
“I have never once tried to read your emotions until now. Thinking back, that was my arrogance.”
Was it because he was too busy as the Alliance Leader? No. It was because he didn't have to. He had lived a life where he never needed to walk on eggshells around others. Everyone else had been the ones watching his every move. He had lived a life where he only realized decades later that the Heaven’s End Recluse had never once gotten angry at him and had always catered to his moods.
“This is all my own doing.”
However, that didn't mean he intended to forgive the man who had lived behind that mask.
“The moment you plotted using my grandson’s life, all ties between us were severed.”
There was no need for further words, but he was curious about one thing.
“Let me ask this one last thing. The chivalry you practiced your whole life—what was in your heart then? Was that, too, all a facade?”
At Jin Pae-cheon’s question, a sneer formed on Hwa Yul-cheong’s lips.
“Why? Do you think your chivalry is real and mine is fake? Be honest, there must have been times you were conscious of me. Times you hated that I was revered as a hero more respected than you, the Alliance Leader. Was it not so?”
Jin Pae-cheon could not deny it. There had indeed been such times. But those were fleeting emotions. He had soon mastered his heart and treated his friend with sincerity.
Hwa Yul-cheong pressed Jin Pae-cheon even more relentlessly.
“If you kill me, what will the people who survived thanks to my help think? Will they truly believe I am a villain who hid his identity for decades? Or will they think you killed me out of jealousy? Will they still respect and follow you as they did before?”
Hwa Yul-cheong shook Jin Pae-cheon’s resolve. Having been by his side for so long, he knew better than anyone which words would act as a dagger.
Jin Pae-cheon nodded silently. “Yes, they might look at me with different eyes.”
Jin Pae-cheon seemed strangely detached. But it wasn't because Hwa Yul-cheong had shaken him.
“But that is fine. My era is coming to an end anyway.”
Hearing those words, Geom Mu-geuk knew. Jin Pae-cheon was finally preparing to establish Jin Ha-gun as his successor. He had a premonition that while Jin Ha-gun might be the last of the three at Majeongsa Temple to become a successor, he might be the first to become the Murim Alliance Leader.
“Yes, I acknowledge your chivalry. You lived a magnificent life.”
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk interjected.
“I do not acknowledge it.”
‘Where do you think you’re going, trying to shake the Alliance Leader with that pathetic silver tongue? I’ll meet your silver tongue with my own!’
“You seem to want to claim that chivalry was real, but it was fake, wasn't it? To you, accumulating chivalrous deeds was merely a mission to build trust with the Alliance Leader. You’d be better off claiming you’re a loyal and diligent servant of the Dark Palace. I’d at least acknowledge that.”
Hwa Yul-cheong’s eyes twitched as Mu-geuk hit the mark. That was exactly how he had lived.
“If that chivalry were real, you should have stopped So Jeong-rak from killing innocent people with his poison experiments. You shouldn't have harmed people with the Soul-Seizing Technique and forced them to commit suicide in the end. If you wanted to say that at least your chivalry was real, you should have targeted the Alliance Leader alone, without such subordinates.”
Hwa Yul-cheong could not refute Geom Mu-geuk’s continued onslaught. In truth, these words were not meant for him, but for Jin Pae-cheon. Mu-geuk was telling him that he didn't need to feel pain from being stabbed by a poison dagger drawn from a scabbard engraved with the word ‘Chivalry.’
“What? You say you achieved it even with fake chivalry? That it’s better than nothing? If it weren't for you, a truly great person would have been in that position practicing real chivalry. A real hero who didn't keep subordinates using poison and soul-seizing arts. So do not discuss chivalry with the Alliance Leader with that loathsome mouth of yours.”
A faint smile touched Jin Pae-cheon’s lips. He knew these words were spoken for his sake.
On the other hand, Hwa Yul-cheong glared at Geom Mu-geuk with terrifying eyes. Mu-geuk had spoken so much, yet Hwa Yul-cheong couldn't offer a single word in rebuttal. The emotion in his eyes was a dark energy deeper than mere killing intent.
“Yes, this is who you really are, isn't it?”
Hwa Yul-cheong revealed himself. The aura he now exuded was incomparable to before. He was an absolute master of the Dark Palace who had nurtured his power in the shadows for the past three hundred years.
Then, Jin Pae-cheon spoke in a calm tone.
“Though I came as a spectator, I find I must intrude upon this stage. Would that be alright?”
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a smile. “This stage was yours from the very beginning, Alliance Leader.”
Geom Mu-geuk took a step back, and Jin Pae-cheon stepped forward.
“Ah, and I shall be the one to bring the curtain down on this stage.”
Looking down at his sword, he said something unexpected.
“Since becoming the Murim Alliance Leader, I haven't been able to display my true sword style. An Alliance Leader couldn't very well use such a coarse and violent style without losing his dignity.”
One might have expected the aura he released to be equally violent, but instead, it was serene. It wasn't like the usual sea whipped by fierce winds that made it impossible to even open one's eyes. The sea in the darkness was utterly still.
And that made it even more terrifying. Because there was no telling what was about to happen in those depths.
The dark energy flowing from Hwa Yul-cheong’s body grew even more powerful. The surrounding bamboo began to wither under its influence.
“I have no intention of sending things like you into Ha-gun’s era.”
Now referring to Hwa Yul-cheong as ‘things like you,’ Jin Pae-cheon, having fully taken the stage, slowly drew his sword.
“I shall make you exit along with the closing of my own era.”