Geom Mugeuk returned to his seat at the head of the hall.
When Yeo Sogwang tried to sit beside him, Geom Mugeuk had Yakran take that seat instead.
Despite being displaced from his original seat, Yeo Sogwang did not feel offended in the slightest. On the contrary, he was filled with admiration for Geom Mugeuk.
With so many people watching, he had carried a woman into a room? And now he had openly seated her beside him? It was something Yeo Sogwang could never even have imagined doing.
In any case, everything was proceeding exactly as he had intended.
‘He’s completely fallen for it.’
If someone this unusual and impulsive could be won over, perhaps he might be able to seize the opportunity to advance to the main headquarters this time. Buoyed by that hope, Yeo Sogwang tried to sweet-talk Geom Mugeuk with even more flattering words.
“Just look at the dancer’s expression. She’s completely immersed in happiness. Then again, how could any woman not be captivated by our young cult master’s manliness?”
Yeo Sogwang’s gaze shifted toward Yakran.
Her expression was different from usual. She had always been afraid whenever she saw him, but now she looked strangely confident.
‘That foolish bitch. She thinks she’s secured the young cult master just because she shared his bed once.’
She did not realize that becoming entangled with the young cult master had shortened her life. When the young cult master eventually ended things with her, he would never leave her alive. Even if he did not deal with her himself, one of those guards would.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk asked Yeo Sogwang,
“What do our Chief Yeo hate the most?”
Yeo Sogwang racked his brains, wondering why the young cult master was asking such a question.
But he could not discern his intention. It seemed like the answer should be obvious, yet the young cult master also had an unpredictable side.
“I…”
What did he hate? Of course there were things he hated. He hated everything that obstructed his rise. He hated anything that interfered with accumulating money. And he hated it even more when someone saw through his duplicity.
Since none of those were things he could say aloud, he answered,
“I hate those righteous sect bastards who seek to bring down our cult. I hate their hypocrisy.”
“As expected! It’s reassuring to have our Chief Yeo with us. Here, in that spirit, accept a cup of my wine.”
“Thank you.”
As Geom Mugeuk poured him a drink, he casually asked,
“Chief Yeo, have you amassed a lot of money?”
Yeo Sogwang flinched inwardly, but soon let out a pained groan.
“If only that were true. As you can see, I have more than a few subordinates to support. Perhaps I simply have no affinity with money, because whatever comes in leaks right back out.”
“Chief Yeo, don’t exaggerate. Lend me some money.”
Money? Was he asking for a bribe? Or was this merely some joke over drinks?
Yeo Sogwang tried to ascertain his true intentions, but he could not fathom the young cult master’s thoughts at all.
Smiling, Yeo Sogwang took out a money pouch from his robes.
“Our young cult master needs money, so of course I must even empty my personal purse.”
He opened the pouch and said,
“I have eighty nyang. I’ll lend you this, at least.”
Geom Mugeuk accepted the money, then shook his head.
“This isn’t enough.”
Did he really want a bribe?
Yeo Sogwang had risen to his current position by offering countless bribes. From the way someone spoke, he could roughly estimate how much they wanted—or even calculate how much would satisfy them without their having to say a word.
But the young cult master wanted a bribe? And in such an open setting?
It was so far beyond common sense that no matter how hard he tried to understand the man’s intentions, he could not see what lay behind them.
‘Fine, then. Let’s see how far this goes.’
Yeo Sogwang rose with a smile.
“Please wait a moment.”
Yeo Sogwang left the main hall.
Yakran, seated beside Geom Mugeuk, looked at him with a puzzled expression, but he offered no explanation.
The guards exchanged glances as well, but none of them could guess what Geom Mugeuk had in mind.
After a short while, Yeo Sogwang returned carrying a small box.
“Here it is.”
On the way back, Yeo Sogwang had reached a conclusion. Carrying Yakran into the room, and now this.
‘The young cult master enjoys attracting attention. He likes standing out far more than I thought.’
He was the young cult master—what did he have to fear? Look at me. I take bribes this openly. He probably thought this was stylish.
‘You foolish young cult master. You’re leaving evidence of your own weakness. If this causes trouble later, do you intend to kill every person here to silence them?’
Geom Mugeuk looked inside the box.
“Oh, you’ve saved quite a lot.”
“I’m giving you everything I’ve saved.”
Geom Mugeuk closed the box and spoke again.
“Chief Yeo.”
“Yes, young cult master.”
“Give me more.”
Yeo Sogwang’s expression instantly hardened. But even faster than his features had tightened, he put on his usual good-natured smile. If keeping one’s expression from betraying one’s thoughts was a skill, then he had mastered it.
“Did I not tell you that this is every last bit of wealth I’ve saved?”
“I know you have assets set aside elsewhere.”
“I don’t.”
At the very moment Yeo Sogwang smiled and waved his hands in denial—
“You made money by joining hands with the Lord of the Cheonhwa Gate, didn’t you?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Yeo Sogwang was so startled that he nearly blurted out, How did you know that?
Of course, the well-seasoned Yeo Sogwang showed no sign of surprise as he responded.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Why are you acting like this between us? I understand everything. You have to look after your subordinates on a meager salary, so you need to earn some side income. Isn’t that right?”
The amount he had earned through the Cheonhwa Gate affair was far too large for that excuse to apply. Moreover, he had killed more than twenty people to bury the secret. It was something that absolutely must never come to light.
‘How much does he know?’
Yeo Sogwang flatly denied it for the time being.
“You seem to be mistaken. It’s true that I had dealings with the Cheonhwa Gate, but that was only to handle matters for the branch.”
He had prepared a false ledger for precisely such a situation. It made it appear as though the money that had come in had been spent for the branch’s sake.
Geom Mugeuk then gestured for him to bring his face closer. Yeo Sogwang leaned in, inwardly tense. He was afraid a fist might come flying at him at any moment.
Fortunately, that did not happen. But something more frightening than a fist came flying instead.
“How much did you take from the Lord of the Soya Gang?”
“!”
“Don’t remember? Then do you recall the money you received from the deputy lord of the Seochang Gate?”
Several more names followed in a steady stream.
Yakran, listening nearby, was secretly shocked. They were the names she had written down for him. When she had handed him the paper, he had seemed to glance over it casually, but he had memorized every single one precisely.
Yeo Sogwang’s pupils trembled. He was rarely flustered, but this time his composure was shattered.
‘What? How did he find out?’
No, that was not what mattered. What mattered was how he would escape this situation.
“Our Chief Yeo’s expression has stiffened. I always thought your smiling face was pleasant to look at.”
Yeo Sogwang forced a smile. This was a moment that called for quick thinking, but with so many names being brought up, his mind was in chaos, unable to decide what to say. The greatest crisis of his life had come crashing down upon him without warning.
“Now I understand what our Chief Yeo hates the most. Giving up his own money. Am I right?”
Yeo Sogwang’s lost gaze drifted toward Yakran, seated beside Geom Mugeuk.
At that moment, his eyes met hers. The instant he saw her confident gaze—
‘Damn it! That accursed bitch told him everything!’
He had done everything he was ordered to do for so many years. He had never dreamed a situation like this would arise.
“Did that dancer slander me to you?”
“Why are you suddenly saying that? Is there some connection between you and this woman, Chief Yeo?”
Yeo Sogwang realized at once that he had misspoken. He should have denied everything outright. Above all, he must never become entangled with Yakran.
But that was not the only thing tightening its grip around him.
“Where are the goods from the Hunan First Escort Agency?”
Yeo Sogwang’s vision went dark. The young cult master knew everything about his corruption.
“This is slander! Someone is plotting to bring me down!”
“Who?”
Yeo Sogwang’s gaze shifted toward Yakran again.
“Was it this dancer?”
He could not answer yes. If he did, everything would be revealed—including the times he had sent her to entertain others. More importantly, it would expose the fact that he had introduced such a woman to the young cult master. He had a better chance of surviving as a corrupt martial artist.
‘He came here already knowing everything. He came to arrest me. If so…?’
Yeo Sogwang dropped to his knees where he stood and bowed his head deeply.
The music that had filled the hall stopped, and everyone held their breath. It was an utterly unfamiliar sight to see Yeo Sogwang—the man who had wielded absolute power throughout Hunan—kneeling before someone.
“Please show mercy and forgive me. I was blinded for a moment and gave in to greed.”
He could only hope that the young cult master’s impulsive side and unique personality would reveal themselves. He prayed that Geom Mugeuk would burst into laughter and say, It’s nothing, really. Wasn’t he someone who loved standing out? Please! Forgive me, and make a spectacle of it! Act arrogant!
But at the very moment when he should have made a spectacle, Geom Mugeuk instead grew calm and cold.
“Where is the money you’ve accumulated over the years?”
“……It’s in a money house.”
“Not that. Not the money you set aside to put on a show for the inspection by the Hwangcheongak. I mean the money you scraped together with such desperation.”
Yeo Sogwang said nothing. No, he could not. To survive, he had to hand over the money immediately—but what kind of money was it?
Geom Mugeuk beckoned Hwangpyo, standing in the distance, to come over.
Hwangpyo hurried over with a taut, nervous expression and knelt beside Yeo Sogwang.
“You know where he hid the money, don’t you?”
Geom Mugeuk released killing intent at him. Every hair on Hwangpyo’s body stood on end. He felt as though blood were draining from his entire body. A chilling fear that he might truly die seized him.
“Tell me honestly, and I’ll let you live.”
Hwangpyo’s heart pounded. He had always believed he could die for Yeo Sogwang. But now that he was truly facing death, he was afraid. Had Yeo Sogwang really treated him well enough for him to die in his place?
Geom Mugeuk read his wavering heart exactly.
“You must have watched your master amass an enormous fortune. What did he give you?”
Crumbs. And even those had come with endless displays of generosity.
Hwangpyo looked at Yeo Sogwang, kneeling beside him. Seeing how haggard he looked compared to usual, Hwangpyo understood. His loyalty had only been valid while Yeo Sogwang held the power of life and death over him.
“……The wealth is hidden at a temple called Yangho-sa.”
Geom Mugeuk sent a telepathic message to Jeokyeon.
―Notify Tongcheongak immediately and have them recover all of it!
―Yes, understood.
Hwangpyo pleaded desperately.
“I confessed everything honestly, so please let me live!”
At that very moment—
Splurch!
Yeo Sogwang drew his sword and cut through Hwangpyo’s throat. The spurting blood splashed across Yeo Sogwang’s body and face.
Yeo Sogwang wiped the blood from his face. Regret came before resentment toward Hwangpyo. He should never have trusted him. He should never have trusted him to the very end. This one, that one—he should have gotten rid of them after using them for a few years, then found new ones.
Yeo Sogwang spat on Hwangpyo’s corpse and said coldly,
“Who do you take me for, some complete idiot? Did you think you could live after spouting that garbage beside me?”
His perpetually smiling expression had changed as though a mask had been stripped away. This was his true face. He had never imagined his mask would be torn off so easily.
All because of that strange young cult master.
“You never intended to let him live from the beginning, did you?”
“After spending your whole life flattering others and watching their every move, you still tried to read someone else’s thoughts at the very end?”
The sword clenched in Yeo Sogwang’s hand trembled. He spoke with a sigh.
“It’s unfair. I never even got to spend the money I saved all my life.”
“You were addicted to making money. You should have spent it, looked at people, and seen the world. But all you ever saw was money.”
Yeo Sogwang thought that perhaps it was true. He had felt a greater thrill earning money than spending it.
“I…”
He wanted to refute him somehow, but no words came out. He had been known for his eloquence, yet in front of that damned young cult master, he could think of nothing. Could the life he had built over so many years really collapse in a single instant? Was this truly happening? It felt like a dream.
Yeo Sogwang screamed at the top of his lungs.
“So what if it was! I’m a demon cultivator—what’s wrong with killing a few worthless lowlifes?”
Under ordinary circumstances, he would never have said such a thing. That was the sort of thing only lowly thugs said.
If only Geom Muguk had replied in agreement, saying, “Yes, I’m a demon too. So what if I kill a bastard like you?”—then she would not have felt this wretched. But Geom Muguk merely gazed at her with indifferent eyes.
Yeo Sogwang screamed as though possessed.
“Uaaaargh!”
Just as Yakran had been unable to bear him, he too was unable to bear Geom Muguk.
Yeo Sogwang threw himself forward. The sword he had sent flying toward Geom Muguk as though intent on killing him suddenly changed direction. It now pointed at Yakran’s heart. He placed the blame for everything that had happened on her.
Shk!
There was the sound of flesh tearing as the sword plunged in.
Yeo Sogwang’s sword stopped just before Yakran’s heart. In its place, Geom Muguk’s Heukma Sword was buried in Yeo Sogwang’s heart.
Geom Muguk said to Yakran,
“The specter that tormented you will now disappear from this world.”
He pulled out the sword, and Yeo Sogwang fell backward, dead.
“Send away the specter in your heart along with him.”
Yakran understood why Geom Muguk had said such a thing. He meant that she should not spend the rest of her life suffering from the wounds Yeo Sogwang had inflicted on her.
As she gazed at Yeo Sogwang’s corpse, she took a deep breath and said,
“I’ll dance.”
She had been waiting for this moment alone.
Then Geom Muguk said,
“Don’t dance here. Dance on a stage later. Dancing belongs on a stage, not in a place like this, where filthy blood flows.”
“But you promised.”
From Geom Muguk’s clear, deep eyes as he silently looked at her, Yakran understood. He had made that promise so he could say these words to her.
“There’s no need to take your revenge. He isn’t worth it. Perform your greatest dance on your stage.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why are you being so kind to someone as insignificant as me?”
Geom Muguk stood facing her.
“Because the Cheonma Divine Cult wronged you.”
Looking straight at her, Geom Muguk spoke with solemn courtesy.
“I will apologize in their place. I’m sorry.”
The tears Yakran had been holding back streamed down her face. The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was apologizing to her—a worthless life that could be snuffed out with a mere crook of his finger. If this was how things were, how could she remain bound to the wounds of the past?
She bowed deeply to Geom Muguk.
“I will never forget this kindness. Please come and watch me dance someday.”
The dancers and musicians who had been there also bowed their heads.
Watching them, Jeokyeon could feel it. The demonic way of Geom Muguk, which had lingered over the meals prepared by Samho’s mother, had today lingered over that woman’s dance.
And now, she thought she could see it just a little more clearly: what it was they had to protect. Her eyes, which had hurt so badly she thought they might fall out, no longer hurt quite as much.