Chapter 665: Do Not Dwell on Who It Was
Chapter 665: Do Not Dwell on Who It Was
It was no longer a question of how much Hwa Yul-cheong loathed Jin Pae-cheon.
The veil of darkness currently being shredded before Hwa Yul-cheong’s eyes was something that should never have been torn.
Dark Heaven Heart-Shattering Art.
It was a secret technique that trapped its victim in a pathless void of darkness, forcing them to wander until they succumbed to their heart demons and exposed a fatal opening.
Fine. Even if he conceded a hundred times over that Jin Pae-cheon might find a way to dispel it, the man should not have been able to rip through it so easily.
Riiiiiiip!
Emerging from the shredded darkness, Jin Pae-cheon asked, “Why are you the one standing in the light?”
The implication was clear: You shouldn't be trying to trap me in the dark; you should be the one hiding in it.
Once he had resolved to kill his opponent, Jin Pae-cheon focused on nothing else.
Indeed, this was his true nature. If he decided to kill, he killed; if he decided to save, he saved. It was because he was such a man that he had risen to the position of Alliance Leader.
In this moment, Jin Pae-cheon felt a sense of liberation. It felt as though he had rediscovered his forgotten self, and he felt a strange euphoria from this long-awaited departure from restraint—this newfound freedom.
Sssssss.
The spot where he had torn through began to bleed light, and the descending darkness vanished completely.
With its disappearance, Geom Mu-geuk, who had been standing within the gloom, was revealed as well.
Hwa Yul-cheong asked in a trembling voice, “How did you get out?”
A single martial arts name fell from Jin Pae-cheon’s lips.
“Single Heart Light Sword.”
Shock flooded Hwa Yul-cheong’s face at those words.
“You mean… you’ve achieved the Great Achievement of the Righteous Heart Technique?”
The Righteous Heart Technique was the Murim Alliance’s signature defensive mental method used to ward off evil energy. If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art, the Murim Alliance had the Righteous Heart Technique.
The oral formula for the Righteous Heart Technique was passed down exclusively to the Murim Alliance Leader. It was notoriously difficult to master, and even among the historical leaders, those who had reached the Great Achievement could be counted on one hand.
The Single Heart Light Sword could only be manifested once that Great Achievement was reached. Jin Pae-cheon was far stronger than Hwa Yul-cheong had realized.
“You never once told me you had reached the Great Achievement of the Righteous Heart Technique.”
Hwa Yul-cheong’s gaze instantly turned predatory.
“You hid your strength.”
He thought he had investigated everything about Jin Pae-cheon during their years as friends. But he had been wrong about the most crucial part. The man had hidden his strength—hidden far too much of it.
Jin Pae-cheon replied calmly, “Surely not as much as you.”
Thinking back, it wasn't that he had hidden his strength on purpose. It was only natural for a martial artist not to reveal the full extent of their power, and since he wasn't the type to flaunt his skills, Hwa Yul-cheong simply hadn't known of his progress.
Perhaps the fact that they had known each other for so long had actually hindered Hwa Yul-cheong from truly knowing him.
“Besides, you still have something else tucked away, don’t you?”
Jin Pae-cheon’s question wasn't a mere guess. Even though the Dark Heaven Silent Sword Technique and the Dark Heaven Heart-Shattering Art had failed, Hwa Yul-cheong hadn't attempted to flee. He clearly had one last card to play.
“Phew, how stifling.”
As if truly feeling suffocated, Hwa Yul-cheong leaped into the air. He landed lightly atop a tiny leaf at the very peak of a tall bamboo tree.
Jin Pae-cheon followed suit, landing on a leaf a short distance away. Geom Mu-geuk also leaped up, perching on a bamboo tree further back from the two.
The sky above, the bamboo forest below, and the falling rain. It was a magnificent stage.
Geom Mu-geuk looked up at the sky; the rain seemed ready to stop soon. By the time it did, this fight would likely be over.
“You cannot stop our revenge. No one can,” Hwa Yul-cheong declared, certain of the path he walked. “You can understand, can’t you? You know what this emotion feels like.”
As Hwa Yul-cheong tried once again to dig into Jin Pae-cheon’s pain, Geom Mu-geuk stepped in.
“It is different from yours.”
Hwa Yul-cheong’s cold gaze shifted to Geom Mu-geuk.
“Because your revenge is wrong. Ah, but I suppose it isn't your fault. It’s the fault of the person who raised you all to be avatars of vengeance.”
Hwa Yul-cheong’s expression hardened. Those words were even more offensive. They implied he wasn't the master of his own will, but a puppet controlled by someone else’s hand.
“Did you ask the Alliance Leader if he understands your revenge? How could he? The Alliance Leader isn't the kind of man who would put a sword in his grandson’s hand and tell him to carry out a multi-generational vendetta. That is where you all went wrong.”
Hwa Yul-cheong roared, “What does a brat like you know about revenge!”
What do I know about revenge? If Hwa Yul-cheong knew the lengths Mu-geuk had gone to for revenge against Hwa Mu-gi in his past life, he wouldn't be able to say such things.
But his heart had changed now. Though he had started with nothing but a desire for vengeance, in this life, revenge was merely a part of his existence.
Hadn't someone said that the best revenge is to live a happy life?
Geom Mu-geuk smiled and said, “You’re right. I don’t know much.”
In that moment, Jin Pae-cheon saw it. Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes were shining brighter than ever. It was a deep gaze that suggested he understood the emotion of revenge better than anyone else. Those brilliant eyes began to pierce through Hwa Yul-cheong’s intentions.
“Stop hiding behind the excuse of revenge. That isn't the truth either, is it?”
Hwa Yul-cheong flinched at Mu-geuk’s interrogative tone.
“This whole affair… it isn't about revenge, is it?”
Geom Mu-geuk knew very well what kind of lives the forces behind these men had lived in his previous life. They had become the Twelve Zodiac Kings and ruled the Murim. They had never once announced that they had killed the three leaders of Majeongsa for the sake of revenge.
“It might have started because of revenge, but at some point, it changed. It would be stranger if that heart remained unchanged after three hundred long years.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared into Hwa Yul-cheong’s eyes.
“So just say it proudly. You want to seize control of the Murim. It was because of that dream that you could hide by the Alliance Leader’s side for so long.”
Jin Pae-cheon could tell from Hwa Yul-cheong’s reaction that Mu-geuk’s words were true. Their goal was the Unification of the Murim.
Jin Pae-cheon spoke to Hwa Yul-cheong in a grave voice. “It seems there is nothing left in you for me to understand.”
Jin Pae-cheon lunged toward him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The two clashed as they ran across the tops of the bamboo. Jin Pae-cheon’s style of fighting had changed. Until a moment ago, it had been incredibly rough and domineering, but now it had returned to his usual calm and dignified swordplay.
“Why has your way of fighting changed?”
At Hwa Yul-cheong’s question, Jin Pae-cheon replied flatly, “Before, I was facing you with personal feelings.”
As an old friend who had betrayed him, as a man who tried to use his grandson’s life for revenge. But now, it was different.
“If you are those who dream of the Unification of the Murim, then it is only right that I face you as the Murim Alliance Leader.”
Perfectly refined sword lines, no longer jagged, embroidered the air. The atmosphere had shifted. He no longer just pressed forward; he retreated with certainty when necessary. The rhythm of the performance varied, accelerating and decelerating.
Did this make Jin Pae-cheon weaker? No. On the contrary, his swordsmanship was far more difficult to handle than when he had been attacking wildly. It was sturdier and left no openings.
Hwa Yul-cheong became certain that he could never defeat him through normal means.
Clang!
After violently parrying an attack, Hwa Yul-cheong dropped to the ground as if fleeing. Jin Pae-cheon landed before him with a lightness skill that was neither fast nor slow.
Hwa Yul-cheong’s hidden trump card was not a martial art.
“Don’t you want to know?” It was a question no one could have anticipated. “Who killed your son?”
Jin Pae-cheon’s expression froze instantly. The most shocking words he had heard since meeting the man had just been uttered.
When Geom Mu-geuk had killed the Wood King previously, he had heard about that incident from the Alliance Leader. Jin Pae-cheon’s son and daughter-in-law had been killed by the Mokcheon family.
When Jin Pae-cheon had rushed to the Mokcheon Manor for revenge, the clan had already been annihilated. At the time, Jin Pae-cheon said he felt it was a blessing; otherwise, he might have been the one to wipe them out himself.
Later, Baek Cheon-gyeong, the sole survivor of the Mokcheon family and the younger brother of the family head, became Jin Ha-gun’s master and dreamed of revenge.
Back then, Mu-geuk had suspected that those people had used Baek Cheon-gyeong. He suspected that the death of the Alliance Leader’s son and daughter-in-law was also related to them. And now, that suspicion had become reality.
Hwa Yul-cheong was certain that Jin Pae-cheon could never ignore this truth. At the very least, this was the strongest weapon he had for dealing with Jin Pae-cheon.
“Do you really think the Mokcheon family did it?” The question already implied that the Mokcheon family was not the culprit. “Only I know who it was.”
Hwa Yul-cheong savored this moment. He had imagined a day like this would come. How surprised would Jin Pae-cheon be? He wanted to mock him while looking at that shocked face. The man could never kill him now.
“If you don’t let me go, that secret will be buried forever.”
Jin Pae-cheon’s heart thundered violently. He could master his emotions in almost any other situation, but he could not easily compose himself when it came to his son’s death.
That was when Geom Mu-geuk stepped forward.
“It doesn't matter if you never know.”
In this moment, Geom Mu-geuk was the only person who could slow Jin Pae-cheon’s heartbeat.
“If you fall for words that may or may not be true, Alliance Leader, you will spend the rest of your life shackled by the name of revenge. That is exactly what this man wants.”
He wasn't just telling him to endure for the sake of the greater good. Mu-geuk had a solution. The gaze Mu-geuk directed at Hwa Yul-cheong was incomparably cold.
“It doesn't matter who killed them.” He had a definitive reason for saying so. “Because we’re going to kill all of you anyway. If the killers exist, they’ll be among those we kill.”
“!”
Hwa Yul-cheong’s eyes wavered. This man is speaking with absolute sincerity. And he felt Jin Pae-cheon wavering because of those words.
Hwa Yul-cheong ignored Mu-geuk and tried to shake Jin Pae-cheon again. “That man is a stranger. How could he know your grief? How could he understand the boiling blood of a father’s love?”
But Geom Mu-geuk had an even more powerful blow.
“Do not dwell on who it was. If you give it meaning, the person who will wear those shackles next will be Ha-gun.”
“!”
If he failed to find the culprit, Ha-gun would eventually spend his life searching for the enemy who killed his parents. In the end, it would be no different from the revenge of the Dark Palace.
Those words were the deciding factor.
Jin Pae-cheon nodded. It was not an easy decision, but Mu-geuk was right. Finding the culprit who killed his son was important, but the grandchildren they had left behind were more important.
Once the curtain fell on his own stage, there would be no more performances with these people. Ha-gun must never have to step onto this stage.
Yes, you will all go with me. Die on my stage.
“I will not dwell on the past.”
Knowing that once Jin Pae-cheon made a decision, he was a man who never looked back, Hwa Yul-cheong was truly enraged. Because of this damn Young Cult Leader, his plan to escape this place had been ruined. Even if he cut off that cursed neck, that loathsome mouth would probably stay alive and keep talking.
Jin Pae-cheon spoke as if making a proclamation. “I don’t need to know!”
Seeing Jin Pae-cheon’s unwavering eyes, Hwa Yul-cheong screamed. “If you thought the martial arts of the Dark Palace were only for the darkness, you were gravely mistaken!”
The moment he finished speaking!
Flash!
The entire world was filled with a brilliant, white light. It was so intense that it was impossible to keep one's eyes open.
Mad Heaven Extermination Eye.
It was his final hidden technique. Within that blinding radiance, Hwa Yul-cheong’s final attack flew forth. In a space where even vision was cut off, a silent sword lunged toward Jin Pae-cheon’s heart.
Clang!
His sword failed to reach its mark. Jin Pae-cheon had parried the incoming blade.
Hwa Yul-cheong was aghast. He wasn't shocked because Jin Pae-cheon had blocked the attack. Jin Pae-cheon had his eyes wide open within the Mad Heaven Extermination Eye.
“How… how on earth?”
The next moment!
Swish!
The refreshing sound of a brisk wind was followed by flashing sword lines before his eyes.
Click.
As Hwa Yul-cheong stared blankly at Jin Pae-cheon sheathing his sword, he felt a burning sensation in his chest. He slowly lowered his head to look at his chest. When he pulled open his collar, he saw a character carved in red lines upon his skin.
Right (正).
It was the character for "Righteousness."
Imperial Sword Arts, First Form: Path of the Martial Artist.
The most fundamental and first form of the Imperial Sword Arts had been unleashed. When Hwa Yul-cheong slowly raised his head, Jin Pae-cheon spoke with a calm gaze.
“I did not win because I am strong.” It was the lifelong belief that had sustained Jin Pae-cheon. “We won because we are in the right.”
The moment he finished speaking!
Spurt!
Blood erupted from the character carved into Hwa Yul-cheong’s chest. His body began to slowly collapse.
The last thing he saw before he died was Geom Mu-geuk standing before Jin Pae-cheon—who had already turned away—with a bright smile. Geom Mu-geuk didn't even look at the dying man.
Our failure here in the Murim Alliance is all because of that guy. And he won't even give me a glance? You bastard! Look at me! Say something!
With that final resentment, Hwa Yul-cheong’s breath ceased completely. It was the moment when all three men who had been embedded in the Murim Alliance for so long—Hwa Yul-cheong, So Jeong-rak, and Jin Hyu—met their deaths.
Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Pae-cheon’s gazes met in the air.
“Thank you.”
At Jin Pae-cheon’s gratitude, Geom Mu-geuk offered a respectful fist salute.
“I should be the one saying that. Today, you showed me a new realm, Alliance Leader. It will be a great help in the advancement of my martial arts.”
He wasn't joking; he meant it sincerely. The Alliance Leader’s battle had been dignified, a true display of the essence of the Orthodox Murim.
Jin Pae-cheon put on a mock-troubled expression. “It won't do if you keep getting stronger.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed heartily, and a smile played on Jin Pae-cheon’s lips. Just then, a guard from the Heavenly Demon Hall arrived with news.
“A message has arrived that Captain Jin and the Demon Extermination Squad are all safe.”
Jin Pae-cheon was truly relieved. Although he had trusted Mu-geuk’s word that the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord and the Pungcheon Cult Leader had gone there, he had still been worried deep down. Fortunately, they were safe.
Soon, Jin Pae-cheon reached a firm conclusion.
“Do you know why I never taught Ha-gun the Imperial Sword Arts?”
Jin Pae-cheon had not taught the powerful Imperial Sword Arts to Jin Ha-gun beforehand. That was why Jin Ha-gun had learned martial arts under the Wood King in the past. He had told the boy to become the successor fairly through his own strength without his grandfather’s techniques, but there was actually another reason he hadn't taught him.
“I was afraid the boy would become intoxicated by such powerful martial arts and lose control of himself. I intended to teach him when he was older and more mature.”
Jin Pae-cheon himself had been like that. In his youth, believing only in the strength of his martial arts, he had nearly caused major disasters several times. Fortunately, heaven’s luck had followed him to this day.
“I think it’s time to teach him now.”
Geom Mu-geuk could tell. Jin Ha-gun would now officially become the successor of the Murim Alliance.
“Ha-gun will be thrilled. We’ll have to throw a celebration among us friends.”
Geom Mu-geuk was as happy as if it were his own success. Staring at that bright face, Jin Pae-cheon looked up at the sky. The rain had stopped before he knew it.
“Stop by and see me before you return to the Cult.”