Chapter 79: I Feel the Same
Chapter 79: I Feel the Same
As the Pungcheon Cult Leader prepared to flip the table in a fit of rage, a surge of internal energy slammed down on it, pinning it firmly in place.
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
The Blade Demon sent him a sharp message via Voice Transmission.
-Endure it. If you flip this table, people won't see the grain of the wood; they’ll see the bottom of your character.
Sensing that the restraint came from a place of genuine concern, the Pungcheon Cult Leader pulled his hands away. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes seemed to say: I understand how you feel, at least to some extent.
Geom Mu-geuk turned his attention back to the Shackled Man.
“Since you’ve been bound for so long, I thought you might want something crafted from these very shackles.”
The Shackled Man did not decline. Instead, he made a request.
“Then please, have a fan made for me.”
“Will that be enough?”
“It is more than enough.”
Geom Mu-geuk handed the shackles over to Jang Ho.
“Take these to Master Gwak at the Cult’s iron workshop. Have him craft a fan with ribs made of this Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron. With the remaining material, have him forge eight daggers—one for every person gathered here today. Let’s each take one as a memento of this occasion.”
Eight daggers meant there would be one for the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Shackled Man as well.
At that, Seo Dae-ryong spoke up, sounding hesitant.
“I don’t know about the others, but I’m not sure if I should be receiving such a precious blade.”
“Me neither,” Lee An added.
“I feel the same way,” said Jang Ho.
“Instead of wasting time being humble, work yourselves to the bone to pay me back!” Geom Mu-geuk joked.
At his words, they all bowed their heads, looking deeply moved.
“Thank you, Master.”
In contrast, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s reaction remained icy.
“Why are you including me in this?”
“Because I want to commemorate today.”
“What if I don’t want to commemorate it?”
Just then, the Shackled Man sent him a Voice Transmission.
-Just accept it graciously. I know you’re upset because of me, but don’t you have the great ambition of advancing into the Central Plains to achieve?
The Pungcheon Cult Leader felt a wave of gratitude toward the Shackled Man. Even at the very end, the man was looking out for him. It was only the Cult Leader himself who felt he was failing to live up to expectations.
“I was joking,” the Cult Leader muttered. “Give me one as well. Those shackles hold meaning for me too.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Regardless, you truly are something else,” the Cult Leader continued. “Daggers made of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron aren't easy to find even in the Central Plains. To give them away to everyone like this...”
“That is how precious these people are to me.”
“There’s no guarantee those 'precious' people will remain precious in the future, is there?”
“I’m not giving these gifts with the future in mind.”
“Then why?”
“They are gifts of gratitude for everything they have done for me until now.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was left speechless. As if understanding his heart, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon poured him a drink.
“Didn’t we tell you earlier?” the Blade Demon said softly. “We cannot control dragons as they ascend to heaven. It’s best to just let them go with a peaceful mind.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader emptied his cup in silence.
The drinking session continued, balanced on a knife's edge as if the atmosphere might explode at any moment. As they exchanged a few more rounds, the group began to get tipsy.
“Investigator Seo, stop drinking. At this rate, you’re going to end up grabbing Master’s pant legs again,” Lee An warned.
Despite her attempt to stop him, Seo Dae-ryong shouted back, “I’m perfectly sober!”
“Your tongue is already tripping over itself.”
“I told you not to worry! I’m not drunk!”
Perhaps he had been carrying a lot of stress lately, as Seo Dae-ryong began to drink aggressively. Even Lee An, who had been trying to play the voice of reason, started sipping away, making up for all the alcohol she had abstained from during her training.
Geom Mu-geuk looked at Jang Ho. Jang Ho gave him a reassuring nod, signaling that he would take care of the two.
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Mu-geuk asked. “You getting drunk while those two hold you back?”
“Tell me about it,” Jang Ho sighed.
“If they show even a hint of being a nuisance, give them a good smack with those big fists of yours.”
“That won’t be easy. Both of them have quite the momentum these days.”
Of course, Seo Dae-ryong still had a long way to go, but in Lee An’s case, it wasn't a given that Jang Ho would win. The Flying Heaven Sword Technique was a martial art that could be lethal even to Jang Ho if he grew careless.
Watching them, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke to the Demon Lords.
“The world has turned upside down. We’ve reached a point where we have to cater to the whims of our subordinates.”
He wasn't talking about Lee An or Seo Dae-ryong; it was a lament regarding the Shackled Man. He then turned to Geom Mu-geuk.
“What do you think, Second Young Master? Even if you become the Cult Leader, do you intend to run the Cult while walking on eggshells around your subordinates?”
Instead of answering directly, Geom Mu-geuk asked a question of his own.
“Do you know the defining characteristic of people who are bad at their jobs?”
“Isn't it because they are incompetent and lazy?”
“That could be it. But there is a more common trait.”
“What is it?”
“They lack the sense to read the room.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s expression stiffened instantly. It was clear that Geom Mu-geuk was about to say something that contradicted him.
“Are you saying I should be mindful of my subordinates' feelings? How is the Cult supposed to function properly like that? What if we get swallowed whole by those Orthodox bastards?”
“You have to be mindful of them to know what kind of people they are. You have to read them to know what’s in their hearts. I have no interest in forced loyalty.”
“Enough!”
Finally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader flipped the table.
Everyone stared in shock as the table crashed down. Alcohol and food stained their clothes, but no one paid it any mind.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader roared, his voice thundering through the room.
“It’s all an act! It’s a facade they put on to look good to you! You talk a big game, but if you had a subordinate who didn't listen, you’d drag them off and kill them in secret. Right now, you aren't being mindful of your subordinates; they are being mindful of you! They’re putting on an act because they want you to take them with you!”
To the others, it seemed like a sudden, irrational outburst, but for him, it was the explosion of everything that had been building up.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader had held back the urge to flip the table several times. But the moment he heard the words "forced loyalty" from Geom Mu-geuk, the dam broke. Lately, he had been wallowing in self-reproach and a victim complex, feeling as though the Shackled Man—and all his other subordinates—were only offering him loyalty because they were forced to.
Silence filled the room.
Staring at the underside of the overturned table, the Pungcheon Cult Leader grit his teeth.
Damn it! What do you want me to do? This is who I am! What am I supposed to do if I hate hearing that kind of talk! Damn it!
The overturned table signaled the end of the long, drawn-out battle.
“It seems I was disrespectful. Please forgive me,” Geom Mu-geuk said calmly. “It is late, so I will visit you again tomorrow to offer my formal apologies.”
With Geom Mu-geuk’s apology, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable bid their farewells. Such behavior shouldn't be tolerated in front of Demon Lords, and the two had every right to be angry, but for Geom Mu-geuk’s sake, they showed no sign of it.
Jang Ho gathered the Shackled Man, Seo Dae-ryong, and Lee An and followed them out.
Geom Mu-geuk expressed his gratitude to everyone with a smile. If not for them, this meeting wouldn't have happened in the first place.
They parted ways at the entrance. No one spoke of the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
Jang Ho, Seo Dae-ryong, and Lee An went to the Pungryu Tavern for another drink. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable returned to their quarters, citing exhaustion, and Geom Mu-geuk headed to his own residence.
*
Back in the room, the Shackled Man stood up.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity as he watched the man walk toward him.
The Shackled Man picked up one of the wine bottles that had fallen to the floor and drank straight from it. Then, he offered the bottle to the Pungcheon Cult Leader. The Cult Leader took it and drank.
Perhaps they should have sat across from each other and shared a drink like this long ago. What had he been so afraid of?
“I kept you in those shackles because I was afraid you would kill me,” the Cult Leader admitted. “No... to be more honest, I was afraid I would kill you.”
“That’s probably not it.”
“It’s not?”
“You just didn't think about it much, Cult Leader.”
“What?”
“The reasons you just gave are things you only started thinking about recently. Before that, you lived without giving it a second thought, didn't you? You bound me at the start, so you just kept me bound. You were just stuck in a rut.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader couldn't argue. Just as the man said, he had lived without much thought. He had only realized how big of a problem these shackles were after getting involved with the Second Young Master.
Nevertheless, the Shackled Man offered him a small comfort.
“It’s fine. Everyone lives like that.”
“What do you mean it’s fine? You’re leaving because of this.”
“That’s not why I’m leaving. It’s not because you kept me in shackles.”
“Then why? Do you think you can change the world if you’re with the Second Young Master?”
“I have no such dreams of changing the world.”
“Then why? Why, damn it!”
The reason was something the Pungcheon Cult Leader never expected.
“I’m going because I couldn't get a single thing right.”
“What?”
“I handled everything related to the Murim situation in the Outer Lands alongside you.”
“You did.”
“In that process, I couldn't predict a single thing regarding the Second Young Master.”
“You did! You said he would come, and he did. You predicted he would ask for the sacred relic, and he did.”
The Shackled Man shook his head.
“Those things are meaningless. Many reports regarding the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult flew in from the Outer Lands. A significant number of them were about the Second Young Master. Every single time, he defied my expectations. I didn't know he would kill the Demon Monarch, nor did I know he would kill the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord. I certainly didn't know he would win over the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I didn't know he would bring everyone under his command here today. I didn't even know he would ask for the shackles.
How is this possible? Yes, you’re right. Perhaps the Second Young Master is smarter than me, and I might be treated poorly if I go. He might be disappointed, thinking, 'I brought him on as a strategist, but he’s not as good as I thought.' But even so, I have to go and see for myself. I have to see why I couldn't predict him, and what kind of person he is to be able to make such moves. I’ve become genuinely curious.”
It was the first time the Shackled Man had spoken so much.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader knew then—he could no longer hold him back. He asked one last question.
“Can it really not be me?”
“It can. Let’s go together.”
“You crazy bastard, where do you keep saying we should go together! What would my subordinates think of me? Would they even follow me if I served under that green Second Young Master?!”
“Then let’s throw it all away and go.”
“What?”
“Hand over the position of Cult Leader to your successor and come with me. We can live a new life.”
Every curse word imaginable came to the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s mind. However, a sense of defeat preceded his anger.
“What use would I be if you stripped away the title of Pungcheon Cult Leader?”
“Once you strip away that title, you’ll become quite a decent person. You’ve lived your whole life bound to that title, living a mediocre life. I wasn't the only one living in shackles.”
“What are you even talking about?” The Pungcheon Cult Leader threw the wine bottle he was holding, shattering it. “You’re telling me to step down from the position of Cult Leader? This seat, where I can kill anyone I want with a single word, eat whatever I want, and summon any beauty I desire?”
“And are you happy?”
“Of course I’m happy! No, fine, let’s say I’m not that happy. So what? Will I become happy if I step down? Does the happiness I never had as Cult Leader just walk in on its own?”
“I wouldn't know that. You have to find it yourself.”
“You’re trying to ruin me. You’re doing everything in your power to make me miserable.”
“Maybe so.”
“Damn it! I’ll just kill you and be done with it.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“What?”
“If you were going to kill me, you should have done it before the Second Young Master arrived. If you kill me after he freed me from my shackles, how do you think he’ll feel about you? He’ll blame himself for my death, and that will turn into hatred toward you. If that happens, you’ll never be able to leave the Outer Lands. For your own sake, you shouldn't kill me.”
“Damn it!”
“Accept it as fate.”
“Don't give me that crap about fate! What kind of fate discriminates against people like this?”
“Cult Leader, you are the Pungcheon Cult Leader. You are the man who reigned over everyone in the Outer Lands while discriminating against them. How can the word 'discrimination' even come out of your mouth?”
After a long silence, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spat out a few words.
“I lost. Fine, I lost to you smart, silver-tongued bastards. Go.”
He meant it. It was the moment he truly gave up on the Shackled Man.
“Go and suffer to death. Regret leaving me today until the day you die. Just go, get out. I’m letting you go because I’m sick of looking at you.”
Finally, the Pungcheon Cult Leader truly released the shackles.
Then, the Shackled Man placed something down in front of him. Surprisingly, it was a key that looked exactly like the one used to unlock the shackles.
“What is this? No way... is this the key to the shackles?”
The Shackled Man nodded. The Pungcheon Cult Leader was aghast. The key that had been hanging from the necklace earlier had been taken by Geom Mu-geuk’s subordinate along with the shackles, yet another identical key had appeared.
“I had it forged years ago.”
“How on earth...? No, then why didn't you run away?”
The Shackled Man did not answer.
“If you could have unlocked the shackles, you would have had a chance to kill me too. Why didn't you?”
“It’s probably similar to the reason why you didn't kill me even though I cursed at you. You said it yourself, didn't you? That I’m the person who understands and knows you best. I feel the same.”
Hearing those words, the Pungcheon Cult Leader felt a surge of emotion, and his eyes grew hot. This was why. This was why this parting was so difficult and regrettable.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader looked down at the key.
“To bring this out at this very moment... I really am a loser until the very end.”
At that, the Shackled Man performed a deep, formal bow. Then, with the most respectful expression and tone he had ever shown, he offered his final greeting.
“That is not true. Not killing me, and letting me go so easily like this... To me, at least, you were a great man, Cult Leader. The reason I lived like this, even though I could have run away and even though I wanted to die so many times, was perhaps because I had grown fond of you. I will never forget the grace you showed me by releasing me today. I will look forward to the day we meet again, Cult Leader.”
With that, the Shackled Man left the room.
Left alone, the Pungcheon Cult Leader slammed his fists against the floor over and over. He felt relieved yet regretful, hollow yet joyful. And above all, he was sad.