With Geom Mugeuk’s appearance, the situation entered a new phase.
Bi Sain had expected Geom Mugeuk to come, so he was not greatly surprised, but Jin Hagun was startled.
‘So that man is Geom Mugeuk!’
The warriors who had entered earlier had shields and evil spirits emblazoned on their chests. That meant they were guards of the Heavenly Demon Hall. In that case, the two demonic practitioners of extraordinary bearing who had followed them in had to be Demon Supremes.
The old man carrying a great blade larger than his own torso must be the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and that man who looked as if he had been forged from steel must be the Fist Demon. In particular, the moment he saw the Fist Demon’s face, his heart dropped. It was truly the first time he had ever seen a face so terrifying.
‘Even the Demonic Cult has appeared?’
Jin Hagun was flustered, but on the other hand, he understood. Since it had been the Demonic Cult that had tried to swallow the Cheonhwa Sect in the first place, of course they would not simply withdraw.
The person most shocked by Geom Mugeuk’s appearance was Seo Baekjung. Since he had used the power of the Murim Alliance to extract his son, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult must have been very angry. And for such a man to appear here with Demon Supremes in tow meant?
Seo Baekjung had weathered all manner of hardships, but at this very moment, his heart shriveled.
‘One wrong move and I die.’
If the Young Alliance Leader of the Evil Dao Alliance or that Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult tried to kill him, would Jin Hagun risk his life to stop them? He might make the matter public and raise an issue over it, but that would all happen after Seo Baekjung was already dead.
Until now, he had walked the line between the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions well, but now he truly had to walk it well. That line was his lifeline.
Meanwhile, Seo Cheong was feeling confused. When Bi Sain had entered earlier, he had been filled with fear, but once Geom Mugeuk appeared as well, he was bewildered, thinking, ‘Just what kind of situation is this?’
Then his eyes met Geom Mugeuk’s. Geom Mugeuk’s expression seemed to be saying this.
I told you I’d be seeing you again soon, didn’t I? You stay right there.
At that, Seo Cheong bristled inwardly.
‘Don’t make me laugh!’
Seo Cheong, who had retreated into a corner, instead walked forward.
‘Even so, they won’t be able to do anything to me!’
He did not know how the current situation was unfolding. He had lived his life with the complacent thought that whenever a crisis came, ‘Something will work out.’
Rather, now that the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions were all gathered, he felt reassured. His instincts told him this: with this many people here, surely someone would protect him.
He did not know. That all these people had come to devour the Cheonhwa Sect. That this time, nothing would work out.
Geom Mugeuk walked toward Jin Hagun. The Demon-Extermination Unit grew tense and aimed their swords. The Heavenly Demon Hall guards also aimed their swords at them. It was a situation in which their subordinates were more tense than Geom Mugeuk and Jin Hagun themselves.
Geom Mugeuk split through the ranks of the guard warriors and walked forward.
“I am Geom Mugeuk, Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Jin Hagun split through the warriors of the Demon-Extermination Unit and walked forward.
“I am Jin Hagun, captain of the Murim Alliance’s Demon-Extermination Unit.”
With only a few steps between them, the gazes of the two men tangled in the air.
A historic moment: the meeting between the certain next Heavenly Demon and the leading candidate to become the next leader of the Murim Alliance.
Jin Hagun was inwardly surprised. Geom Mugeuk was different from what he had imagined. Leaving aside the fact that he was young and handsome, his eyes were clear and deep. He did not feel evil at all. Suddenly, his younger sister’s words came to mind.
—What if he’s a demonic knight-errant?
Jin Hagun soon denied his sister’s words. It was a preconception brought on by appearance. He must never be deceived by looks.
Geom Mugeuk sensed that Jin Hagun closely resembled Jin Haryeong. Despite his young age, his eyes held chivalry and righteous energy. If one wished for the sake of murim, one should hope that Jin Hagun became the next alliance leader; if one dreamed of unifying murim, one should hope that Jin Hagun did not become the alliance leader.
Behind them, the war of nerves between the Demon-Extermination Unit and the guards lined up behind them was fierce. There was not the slightest retreat in the eyes with which they glared at one another.
Geom Mugeuk said to Jin Hagun,
“Rather than standing around like this, shall we sit down and discuss territory in earnest?”
At that, Jin Hagun turned around and walked to the table of wine. Then, as if to make a point, he sat in the seat of honor. He gestured with his hand for them to sit to his left and right.
At that sight, Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly. Not bad. Jin Hagun’s first impression passed in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes. If he had met the grandson of the Murim Alliance Leader and someone like Seo Cheong had come out, he would truly have felt quite displeased. But Jin Hagun had good eyes and good presence.
The first to move was Bi Sain. Bi Sain strode forward.
He did not sit in the seat Jin Hagun had indicated, but sat directly across from him.
And without a word, he stared at Jin Hagun. A quiet battle of wills had begun between the two.
At that sight, Geom Mugeuk’s smile deepened. That’s right. There was no way Bi Sain would meekly do as Jin Hagun wanted.
Jin Hagun may have lived his whole life as the protagonist, but here, at least, he would learn that he might become a supporting actor.
Geom Mugeuk sat in the seat Jin Hagun had offered. Naturally, he ended up sitting between Jin Hagun and Bi Sain as they faced off.
“There’s nothing more entertaining in the world than watching a fight, and a fight between the heirs of the orthodox and unorthodox factions? I’ve claimed the best seat.”
Even with Geom Mugeuk’s banter, the tension in the room did not ease.
Rather, as the three men sat close together, a war of nerves on the brink of eruption unfolded.
The Demon-Extermination Unit, the Thirteen Wolves of the Evil Dao, and the Heavenly Demon Hall guards stood lined up behind their respective masters, glaring at one another. It was only because the people who had come with them were such supreme experts, but even these men alone were truly elite warriors who knew how to fight. If a battle broke out, the place would become a sea of blood in an instant.
Jeokyeon was sending sound transmissions to the guards lined up with him.
—Do not be nervous!
—No matter what happens, we must protect the Young Cult Leader’s safety.
—Do not be afraid.
He continued sending transmissions, soothing them. In truth, they were words he was saying to himself as well. He had never imagined he would have to guard Geom Mugeuk in a situation like this. Truly, he was feeling it all over again: his master was the hardest leader in all murim to guard.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon, the Sword Immortal, Goeak and Gwangseom stood naturally a short distance away. The initial tension and the tension after the Demon Supremes joined in were completely different. Though none of them showed it, they were ready to make a move at any moment.
The eyes of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Sword Immortal met.
“It has been a long time.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon greeted the Sword Immortal first. The Sword Immortal accepted his greeting.
“About ten years, has it been?”
“I believe it has been longer.”
The Sword Immortal usually loathed the unorthodox factions and the Demonic Cult, but the look in his eyes as he regarded the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was not that bad. It seemed as though there had been some connection between the two in the past.
“To think we would meet in a place like this.”
At the Sword Immortal’s words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied,
“I am glad you look healthy.”
“You have grown even thinner.”
At that moment, Goeak stepped in.
“You are not even close, so why are you both pretending to be so friendly?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon said to him,
“You still have that habit of butting in without care.”
“Senior, you still have that habit of looking down on people.”
Goeak addressed the Blood Heaven Blade Demon as senior.
“Now that you know I am still the same, it would be best for you to keep quiet.”
Goeak snorted, but he could not bring himself to argue. Leaving martial prowess aside, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was even more difficult to deal with than the Sword Immortal. Indeed, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, murim’s spiciest old ginger, was showing why Geom Mugeuk had needed to call him this time.
Meanwhile, the Fist Demon stood with his two fists hanging at his sides, his face expressionless, and that alone made everyone there tense. It was not only because of his face. His presence was tremendous. The Fist Demon when seen ordinarily and the Fist Demon with enemies before him felt completely different.
Jin Hagun lifted the wine bottle and filled the cups. It was as if he were acting as the master of this place in Seo Baekjung’s stead. He had to deal with both the Demonic Cult and the Evil Dao Alliance, and he was trying not to be pushed back in momentum.
“I have heard many rumors about you, Young Cult Leader.”
Jin Hagun was especially wary of Geom Mugeuk. His opponent was a demonic practitioner. Not only that, he was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, said to be the greatest successor in its history, having even made the Demon Supremes his own people. Since he did not know what kind of scheme his opponent might pull, he was extremely tense.
“What sort of rumors were they?”
“Most of them were hard to believe.”
“Then what do you think, seeing me in person?”
Honestly, he had no grasp at all of what kind of person his opponent was.
Instead of answering, Jin Hagun raised his cup high. More than anyone, he knew that when one did not know, silence was the wise choice.
“Let us drink!”
The three men toasted and emptied their cups. It was truly the first drinking table of three men that would be spoken of again and again in the history of the jianghu.
As he filled the second cup, Jin Hagun asked,
“It seems the two of you are not meeting for the first time.”
He could tell from the way Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sain did not greet each other separately.
“That is right. We have met before.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Bi Sain and greeted him.
“Have you been well?”
He would not reveal that they had plotted this matter together, but he did not bother pretending this was their first meeting.
Bi Sain answered bluntly.
“I was well until you appeared.”
He reacted coldly for no reason because Jin Hagun was watching, but he was grateful to Geom Mugeuk. Thanks to him, he had been able to absorb fifteen small and mid-sized factions in Hunan into the Evil Dao Alliance. Of course, that did not mean he intended to yield the Cheonhwa Sect. They had agreed on fair competition, after all.
—I will not yield.
At Bi Sain’s sound transmission, Geom Mugeuk replied,
—I was planning to yield, though.
—How can you lie without so much as a change in expression?
—Was it that obvious?
Bi Sain turned his head away with an expression that said he was hopeless. The tension that had been taut between him and Jin Hagun immediately loosened as soon as he exchanged sound transmissions with Geom Mugeuk. If he had not known what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was, he might have taken that behavior as frivolous. But now he knew. The hardest person to deal with among all the masters here was Geom Mugeuk.
Meanwhile, sound transmissions were also passing between Jin Hagun and Seo Baekjung. At today’s gathering, everything would be decided not by the words that could be heard, but by those that could not.
—Do not be intimidated under any circumstances.
—I trust only you, Captain.
Contrary to his words, however, Seo Baekjung was inwardly uneasy. Now that the unorthodox factions and the Demonic Cult had come at him in earnest, he was even considering the possibility that he might have to change boats depending on how the situation flowed.
And finally, what had to come came.
Geom Mugeuk looked at Seo Baekjung, who was standing beside them, and said,
“Now, Sect Leader Seo, you should join us for a drink as well.”
Seo Baekjung sat beside Jin Hagun and received a cup of wine.
Bi Sain continued what he had been saying before Geom Mugeuk appeared.
“Sect Leader Seo, are you truly going to walk the same path as the Murim Alliance?”
Seo Baekjung still hesitated to answer.
The reason he had chosen the Murim Alliance was because of Baek Cheongyeong, the man in the bamboo hat and Jin Hagun’s master. It was not a relationship he could easily betray, but the same was true on this side. He could hardly say to the heir of the Evil Dao Alliance, “Yes, we betrayed you.”
Seo Baekjung glanced furtively at his rescuer, Jin Hagun.
Jin Hagun’s eyes said, There is no need to mind those people. Speak proudly.
Geom Mugeuk, who was observing the reactions of the two men, asked Jin Hagun,
“Is this your first time meeting Sect Leader Seo?”
“It is.”
He tried to show Seo Baekjung that he was confident before Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sain. But his answer gave Geom Mugeuk another question.
“How very strange. If this is your first meeting, what exactly did Sect Leader Seo trust in when he asked you for help?”
Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sain’s gazes turned toward Seo Baekjung.
Ordinarily, he should have said something along the lines of, “I have admired the orthodox factions from the beginning.”
But he could not predict how this situation would unfold. He was being careful with his words in case there came a need to attach himself to the Demonic Cult or the unorthodox factions. What if Jin Hagun grew angry because of this? It did not matter if he did. After all, all three of them wanted the Cheonhwa Sect. It was precarious, but the hilt of the blade was still in his hand.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk asked directly,
“Who was the person who served as the bridge between you two?”
This was the very point Geom Mugeuk was most interested in regarding this affair: he was asking who had planned it.
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, which struck the heart of the matter, Seo Baekjung and Jin Hagun gave no answer. They should have said that there was no such person, but the sudden question kept them from doing so.
‘There is definitely someone.’
It was the moment Geom Mugeuk’s conjecture became certainty.
‘Someone who knows both Jin Hagun and Seo Baekjung connected them.’
He had to uncover that man’s identity. Not merely because he had connected Jin Hagun and Seo Baekjung. It was because he possessed the audacity to confront the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Who in the world could he be?
Jin Hagun sensed that Seo Baekjung was wavering and immediately sent a voice transmission.
“—Sect Leader, you must trust us.”
“—I do trust you. However, as you can see, they show no signs of giving up easily.”
“—We will not give up, either.”
“—Give me your assurance.”
Seo Baekjung demanded.
Jin Hagun was in a situation where he could not abandon the Cheonhwa Gate, so he spoke decisively, as if making a proclamation.
“Now that the Cheonhwa Gate and this Alliance have joined hands, we will most certainly protect the Cheonhwa Gate. Any threat to the Cheonhwa Gate will be regarded as an attack on this Alliance.”
As if responding to that declaration, the martial artists of the Demon Annihilation Squad raised their fighting spirit.
Then Bi Sain spoke coldly.
“That is your thinking. I have yet to hear the answer from the Cheonhwa Gate Leader.”
As if they had been waiting, the Thirteen Wolves of the Demonic Path also raised their fighting spirit.
Bi Sain sent a voice transmission to Seo Baekjung.
“—All the sects that once followed you have turned away. Now, if trouble stirs in Honam, who will aid the Cheonhwa Gate? Do you think the leader of the Demon Annihilation Squad will remain here and protect you for the rest of his days? This is no threat; it is simply reality.”
How could Seo Baekjung be ignorant of that reality?
“—The best path is to walk alongside us.”
Seo Baekjung thought that, realistically, it might indeed be the wisest choice, and looked toward Geom Mugeuk.
There were three ropes. Two swayed before him, begging him to take hold. But the last rope lay far away.
Why do you not offer me yours?
As if reading that very thought, Geom Mugeuk smiled and spoke.
“I find the righteous-demonic battle at this banquet has grown interesting. So never speak of following our cult.”
At those words, every eye turned to Geom Mugeuk. All there knew full well that he would never abandon the Cheonhwa Gate so easily. Faint smiles tugged at the corners of Hyeolcheon Doma and Gwonma’s mouths.
Bi Sain felt a pang of inward unease.
‘Could it be?’
He was gripped by an ominous premonition—that when they rose from this gathering, Seo Baekjung would declare that he chose the Demonic Cult. A premonition that he would say he would follow the Demonic Cult, even against his will.
And so Geom Mugeuk’s first covert attempt to make that premonition reality began.
Geom Mugeuk sent a voice transmission to Jin Hagun.
“—Leader Jin, let me ask you one thing.”
Jin Hagun fixed his gaze on Geom Mugeuk with a look that said no ploy would work. But then came words he had never imagined.
“—Do you wish to become the Murim Alliance Leader?”
Jin Hagun was startled. He had never expected to hear such a question.
To the wide-eyed Jin Hagun, there came words that would shake him even more powerfully than before.
“—Do you know? At this very moment, you are giving up the position of Murim Alliance Leader of your own accord.”