Chapter 666: Who Is That Person?
Chapter 666: Who Is That Person?
Ju So-myeong, the Chief Manager of Musojang, sprinted along the mountain path, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Wuhan.
— If the Black Pearl shatters, it means my life is forfeit.
After Hwa Yul-cheong had set out for the battle that would decide their fate, the sacred relic, the Black Pearl, had shattered.
Ju So-myeong had never dreamed that his leader, Hwa Yul-cheong, could be defeated. If the leader’s identity had been exposed, it was only a matter of time before his own role as a subordinate was revealed as well.
‘Damn that Young Cult Leader!’
This was all because of the Demonic Cult’s Young Cult Leader.
The moment he failed to sense the boy’s presence in the hallway, and when Hwa Yul-cheong mentioned that the Young Cult Leader knew about him—that had been the opportunity.
He should have persuaded Hwa Yul-cheong to leave Wuhan temporarily and return only after the Young Cult Leader had departed. His mistake was placing too much faith in Hwa Yul-cheong’s strength.
‘I will kill him, no matter what!’
Ju So-myeong vowed to avenge Hwa Yul-cheong. He intended to report back to the organization with a strong recommendation that the Young Cult Leader be eliminated first.
Even as he ran through the deserted forest trails, he remained hyper-vigilant.
Given the recent turn of events, the surveillance networks of both the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would be spread out like a spiderweb. If the two sides were actually sharing information, escaping Wuhan would be impossible. He could only pray that wasn't the case.
As he hurried along, he suddenly skidded to a halt.
Up ahead, he saw two figures gathering herbs. Their appearances were striking enough to immediately draw the eye. One was an exceptionally short older man; the other was a remarkably handsome youth with an herb pouch slung at his waist.
Ju So-myeong flinched at their conspicuous looks, but they appeared to be simple herb gatherers. They didn't even spare him a glance, completely absorbed in admiring the plants before them.
“To find a Dark Blood Herb in a place like this! Truly impressive.”
“Wuhan really is a treasure trove of poisonous herbs.”
“It’s not a treasure trove that opens for just anyone, though.”
“I was simply lucky. Go on, dig it up.”
“Are you sure?”
Perhaps there was a certain satisfaction in the act of harvesting? When the short man offered him the chance, the young man beamed with delight.
Watching them, Ju So-myeong veered off the path and leaped into the thicket. They looked like genuine herb gatherers, despite their unusual appearances. Still, there was no need to cross paths. If they had turned to look at him, he would have killed them on the spot to prevent them from alerting his pursuers.
But they were far too preoccupied with their herbs.
‘Consider that preoccupation the thing that saved your lives.’
He bypassed them and emerged from the dense woods further down the trail.
Then, he heard the voices again.
“There’s another one here!”
“This time it’s an Impermanence Flower!”
The Impermanence Flower was a poisonous herb just as rare as the Dark Blood Herb. The two men were rejoicing, but Ju So-myeong’s expression froze.
He had definitely taken a different route. Even if they were expert herb gatherers, how could they have cut through the forest and reached this spot before him?
Driven by a sudden sense of unease, Ju So-myeong doubled back and ran in a different direction. He took a completely different path, but as he ran, a chill crawled down his spine.
They were there again, right in front of him.
By now, Ju So-myeong realized exactly what was happening.
‘They’re masters!’
They were true masters whose martial status couldn't be discerned by the naked eye. Of course, the two men were the Poison King and the Demon Buddha.
“Is this really necessary?”
At the Poison King’s question, the Demon Buddha looked at Ju So-myeong and replied, “Shouldn't we at least give him one chance?”
“He looks like the stubborn type.”
Ju So-myeong knew they were talking about him. There was no need to even attempt a fight.
‘In that case...’
Without hesitation, Ju So-myeong pulled something from his robes. He aimed it at his own head—it was the counterfeit hidden weapon, Charge. It was the very same weapon used when Hwa Yul-cheong had feigned being ambushed.
“You won't get anything out of me.”
The hand holding the weapon trembled. Now that death was a real possibility, primal fear took hold of him. In contrast, the Poison King and the Demon Buddha simply watched him with blank expressions.
The Demon Buddha was the first to speak.
“That’s going to hurt.”
He gestured for Ju So-myeong to aim a little lower.
“The bone is thickest there. If it doesn't pierce through in one go and just gets stuck, you’ll feel your skull melting for a long time before you finally die.”
The Poison King added his own commentary. “The poison is low-quality, too, so it’ll hurt even more.”
From their words, Ju So-myeong realized his opponents were masters from the Demonic Cult.
“You damn Demonic Cult bastards! Do you think I’ll be intimidated by such pathetic threats? Take one more step and I’ll pull the trigger!”
A brief silence followed. The Demon Buddha and the Poison King stopped paying him any attention.
“Let’s take that ridge on the way down.”
The Demon Buddha pointed in a direction they hadn't explored yet, and the Poison King’s face lit up.
“Sounds good.”
With that, the two of them simply walked away. Left alone, Ju So-myeong was bewildered.
‘They’re letting me live? Really?’
But he quickly deduced their supposed intention.
‘Those bastards! They’re planning to tail me to find our headquarters.’
It was a tactic that showed they didn't know him at all.
‘Idiots! Did they think I’d fall for such a shallow trick and lead them back?’
Furthermore, they didn't know his organization. Even he didn't know where the headquarters was located; he only left signals to send reports.
However, there was something he didn't know either. He didn't know his opponents at all.
He tried to move, but his feet wouldn't budge.
‘Why?’
Why wouldn't his body move?
That was Ju So-myeong’s last conscious thought.
Sizzle.
In an instant, his body began to melt. There was no pain, but there were no remains left behind either.
*
The carriage arrived at the residence where Geom Mu-yang was staying.
Gwak Ju stepped out, his face flushed with excitement. His heart hammered at the thought of finally seeing his sister. Jin Ha-gun did not go inside; instead, he sent a subordinate to announce their arrival.
A moment later, Geom Mu-yang stepped outside.
“Why aren't you coming in?”
“My role ends here.”
Jin Ha-gun didn't believe he was the one who had truly saved Gwak Ju—and not just because the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord had assisted.
“The First Young Master is the one who saved this boy.”
Jin Ha-gun knew that Geom Mu-yang entrusting the task of rescuing Gwak Ju to him had not been an easy decision. That proud man had swallowed his pride and made the request because he believed the Demon Extermination Squad had a better chance of success.
It was at that moment the boy had truly been saved.
In the past, Jin Ha-gun wouldn't have considered such things. But he had changed since meeting Geom Mu-geuk. By trying to see people for who they truly were, he had come to understand Geom Mu-yang a little more deeply. He now knew that sometimes, enduring in silence could be harder than fighting on the front lines.
Geom Mu-yang looked over Jin Ha-gun and the other warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad. Their blood-soaked uniforms told the story of how difficult the battle had been.
What more needed to be said?
“Thank you. I will surely repay this debt later.”
The two men looked at each other and gave a single nod. It was enough. Their relationship would be different from this day forward.
Jin Ha-gun departed immediately. He wanted to see his grandfather as soon as possible.
As Gwak Ju entered the residence, his sister, Gwak Yeong, was waiting for him. She had originally been at the Demonic Cult’s Wuhan safe house, but upon receiving word from Jin Ha-gun that her brother had been rescued, she had been brought here immediately.
“Noona!”
Gwak Ju’s emotions surged; he couldn't remember a time in his life when he had been so happy to see her. He rushed toward her.
“Gross! What are you doing?!”
Gwak Yeong dodged his hug, but a wide, bright smile was plastered across her face. Gwak Ju immediately said the words he had been rehearsing in his head.
“I’m okay. I’m perfectly fine.”
So you can be okay too, Noona.
At those words, Gwak Yeong’s eyes grew misty. She had been acting as if everything was fine, but no one knew how much she had worried. She was a woman who had thrown away her honor as the Murim Alliance’s youngest master blacksmith just to save him.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s blood!”
“It’s not mine. The Demon Extermination Squad Leader saved me.”
He would never forget the gratitude he felt toward the man who had looked after him until the very end.
“Where is the Squad Leader?”
“He already left.”
Gwak Yeong felt a pang of regret. She had wanted to at least offer him her thanks. This was exactly why Jin Ha-gun had left without coming inside. He wanted all that gratitude to go to Geom Mu-yang, so that the First Young Master’s efforts to save her wouldn't be overshadowed.
Gwak Yeong walked over to Geom Mu-yang. She knew that everything had started with her meeting this First Young Master. It had all begun because he had tracked down the counterfeit hidden weapons she had made.
Gwak Yeong bowed her head to him. “Thank you.”
Geom Mu-yang deflected the credit to the absent Jin Ha-gun. “The Demon Extermination Squad Leader saved your brother. You have no reason to thank me.”
Gwak Yeong knew better. If it hadn't been for Geom Mu-yang in the first place, her brother would never have been rescued. She herself would have been used by those people until she was eventually killed.
“Now, return to the Murim Alliance with your brother.”
At Geom Mu-yang’s words, Gwak Yeong stated her resolution. “I’m going to follow you to the Divine Cult.”
Gwak Ju was shocked by his sister’s sudden declaration. Geom Mu-yang, however, was not.
“I promised, didn't I? That I would forge weapons for you.”
Geom Mu-yang replied, “There is no need for that. It’s all in the past.”
“Please, let me keep my promise.”
Her mind was already made up. Gwak Yeong turned to Gwak Ju, who was just standing there watching.
“Why aren't you stopping me?”
He must have known this was a den of demonic practitioners, yet he was just standing there.
“You’ve always made the right choices, Noona.”
“You have to come with me, you know.”
Even though she was essentially saying they were joining the Demonic Cult, Gwak Ju didn't look surprised.
“If you’re going, I’m going too.”
I can't let you go to such a dangerous place alone.
Gwak Yeong’s eyes trembled as she looked at her brother. “Hey, you!”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. Where else would you find a brother like me? I don't even resent you for getting me kidnapped, and I’m being so brave now that I’m out. Right?”
Gwak Ju had inherited Gwak Yeong’s bright personality. Gwak Yeong turned back to Geom Mu-yang.
“Please take us both. We’ll take care of our own living expenses. We won't be a burden.”
Geom Mu-yang gave her one last chance to reconsider. “If a war breaks out, the weapons you forge will kill people you once knew.”
Gwak Yeong had already steeled her heart. “Then I’ll just have to go to the Demonic Cult and make a lot of new friends.”
Geom Mu-yang looked at her, dumbfounded.
“To be honest,” she continued, sharing her true feelings, “I’m just looking for a way to survive. I abandoned my honor as a master blacksmith to forge counterfeit weapons.”
“Your brother was kidnapped. The Murim Alliance would understand.”
“Even so, I could never be a master at the Alliance’s iron workshop again.”
That was likely true. No matter the reason, the Murim Alliance wouldn't welcome back someone who had forged counterfeit hidden weapons.
“I can't go from making weapons for the Alliance’s elite to forging hoes in some back alley market. I’m clinging to you for my own sake. I was prepared to grab onto your pant legs even if you called me a selfish bitch.”
Geom Mu-yang could see her resolve was absolute. “You might have to start from the very bottom.”
“I doubt that. My skills are far too superior for that.”
She gave him a cheeky grin. Beside her, Gwak Ju pressed his palms together and bowed his head, his expression saying, I apologize for my sister’s shamelessness.
“The Main Cult’s iron workshop will be even harder to endure as a woman.”
“You’ve never worked there, have you? In a place like that, it’s hard for everyone—men, women, masters, and rookies alike. No one has enough energy left to bully anyone else.”
Geom Mu-yang didn't deliberate for long. Their connection was deep enough that he felt comfortable accepting them.
“If you make shoddy weapons, you’ll answer to me.”
With those words, Geom Mu-yang turned away.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Geom Mu-yang entered the building without looking back. Only then did Gwak Yeong let out a long sigh—a mix of relief at being accepted and anxiety about her new life.
Once they were alone, Gwak Ju asked her, “I’m following you because it’s your decision, but...” Gwak Ju’s gaze followed Geom Mu-yang. “Who is that man that you’re so set on following?”
Judging by the aura he gave off, he was clearly no ordinary person. Gwak Yeong wondered how to explain it without scaring him.
“Well, as for who he is...”
Just as she was about to explain cautiously, someone spoke from behind them.
“He’s my brother.”
Gwak Yeong and Gwak Ju spun around in surprise to see Geom Mu-geuk walking toward them.
Gwak Yeong blinked. ‘If he’s the First Young Master’s brother...?’ Her eyes widened. She already knew that the Second Young Master was the successor to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Before she could even utter a word of shock, Geom Mu-geuk slung an arm around Gwak Ju’s shoulder, acting like a friend sharing a secret.
“My brother looks dignified on the outside, doesn't he? But he’s got a nasty temper and is full of wicked ambition. He’s especially cruel to his younger brother. So, when you get to the Main Cult, make sure you protect your sister from him! Got it?”
Having said his piece, Geom Mu-geuk vanished inside. Gwak Yeong remained standing there, dazed, having missed her chance to greet him properly.
Gwak Ju asked his sister again, “What’s with that guy? Just says whatever he wants and leaves...”
“Shh! Quiet! Shut up!” Gwak Yeong’s hand trembled as she desperately tried to cover her brother’s mouth.
“Who is he?”
Then, another person appeared.
“Who else? Just a wicked younger brother who badmouths his own sibling behind his back.”
The newcomer was someone who, at the very least, shouldn't be scolding anyone for badmouthing others. It was the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“And that’s not all. He steals any precious item he sees, works his subordinates to the bone, and just watches with his arms crossed while everyone else suffers. He’s a truly vile leader. So, protect your sister from that man! He’s the dangerous one!”
Gwak Ju had seen firsthand how incredible the Pungcheon Cult Leader was. The image of him riding a wave and soaring to its crest was still vivid in his mind.
Gwak Ju stood stiffly and answered loudly, “Yes! I will keep that in mind!”
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord followed the Pungcheon Cult Leader inside. Gwak Ju bowed so low his torso was almost parallel to the ground. He stayed that way until they had entered the building. Gwak Yeong, also bowing, whispered to her brother.
“Who was that?”
Gwak Ju replied in a trembling voice, “That person is...”
Then, yet another person appeared.
“He’s an idiot.”
A man walked past, his gaze meeting theirs as they remained bowed. It was the Demon Buddha.
“The biggest idiot in the world. A fool who gives away his heart and soul just because he likes people, and who threw away wealth and glory to come here.”
As a friend of the Pungcheon Cult Leader, he was the only one who could say such things. The Demon Buddha strode into the building.
Gwak Ju asked with a look of shock, “And who was that?”
Someone was there to answer that question as well. Finally, the Poison King passed by them and said nonchalantly, “They’re all crazy.”
Seeing Gwak Ju’s stunned expression, the Poison King added, “So, you’d better be the one to protect your sister.”
With that, the Poison King also entered the building. Gwak Ju blinked, trying to process the rapid-fire events.
“Okay, let me get this straight. The man you want to follow has a younger brother who badmouths him. Right? But then there’s a terrifying master who badmouths that younger brother—the same man who saved me. But then there’s another person who calls that terrifying master an idiot. And apparently, all of them are crazy. Did I hear all that correctly?”
As Gwak Yeong nodded, dark clouds gathered as if it were about to rain again, and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Noona... where exactly are we going?”