Geom Mugeuk called for Hwanyeo in the courtyard of the flower garden.
“Is the proprietress here?”
Then Hwanyeo walked out from behind the garden.
“Welcome, Young Cult Leader.”
Greeting him warmly, she had returned to being the kindly proprietress of the flower garden.
“So you were here, proprietress. I thought you might have run away and was about to call an artist to draw a wanted portrait.”
When Hwanyeo stiffened slightly, Geom Mugeuk laughed and added,
“I’m joking. You’re innocent, so why would our proprietress run away?”
As if he had grown used to the place now, Geom Mugeuk walked toward the flowerpots set in the corner.
“You have new flowers.”
“They came in just a little while ago.”
Geom Mugeuk crouched down and admired the flowers.
The Young Cult Leader’s third visit.
‘There’s clearly some intention behind this.’
Was it because of the dream she had just had? Hwanyeo felt even more uneasy than she had during his previous visits.
Her subordinate had reported that the Cult Leader Pungcheon had returned.
Perhaps he had realized that the Soul-Subjugating Demon Venerable had been caught in the Yin-Yang Soul-Reversal Art.
‘Then just seize me and kill me. What is he hesitating for?’
The Young Cult Leader before her could ambush her at any moment. She readied herself completely so she could use illusion arts at any time.
In contrast to the tension hovering in her heart, Geom Mugeuk was perfectly calm.
“I understand why that dead warrior kept coming here. For some reason, coming here seems to put the heart at ease.”
“I’m truly grateful you think so well of it.”
“Do you know anything about that warrior?”
“No. He was a man of very few words.”
When she had used Sa Ujong, she had never imagined she would be suspected this much. Since he had been in a romantic entanglement with the Soul-Subjugating Demon Venerable, she had naturally assumed they would focus on that.
‘How did things get this tangled?’
The answer to that was crouching right in front of her.
“Do you find it strange that I keep coming here?”
“No. I heard that you were close with the people of Maga Village even before this. You are especially close with the owner of the Pungryu Tavern over there, aren’t you?”
A cold smile formed on Geom Mugeuk’s lips. Beneath those seemingly casual words lay an implicit threat: I know the person you cherish.
Geom Mugeuk rose and turned toward her. In place of the cold smile from a moment ago, a pleasant grin now rested on his lips.
“You know quite a lot about me.”
“I know at least that you are someone who does not care about another person’s status. If you can be friendly with a tavern owner, then surely you can be friendly with a flower garden owner as well?”
Their gazes tangled in the air. Their conduct toward each other was utterly natural.
“Do you have family, by any chance?”
It would have been nice if she had said, I have a twin sister. But she was not such an easy opponent.
“No, I don’t.”
“You must be lonely living alone.”
“I live thinking of the flowers and trees as my family.”
Through today’s conversation, Geom Mugeuk felt it clearly. For the Illusion King to be mentioned from this flawless woman’s lips, it would take a very long time.
Even when winter passed and the spring blossoms began to bud, it would not be easy. But this woman was far too dangerous to spend a long time working on.
“I have news to tell you, proprietress.”
If it would not work in a peaceful situation, then he would have to drive her into a corner.
“What news?”
“There’s good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
“I’ll hear the bad news first.”
“To resolve this incident, the Cult Leader Pungcheon has returned. Since the Soul-Subjugating Demon Venerable is involved, the Cult Leader Pungcheon will personally investigate this matter. In a little while, he will come here in person with the demon troops and search the flower garden as well.”
Because Geom Mugeuk revealed the information without hiding it, Hwanyeo was instead confused. If he truly suspected her, he could have simply come with the Cult Leader Pungcheon.
“The Cult Leader Pungcheon was confident. He said that if he came and examined things himself, he would surely be able to find a clue.”
She was not worried about the flower garden. There was nothing here that could serve as evidence related to illusion arts or soul-subjugation arts. Nor was there any evidence that could reveal her true identity.
The problem was herself.
What if the Cult Leader Pungcheon saw her in person? If it was him, he might be able to discern her true nature. She had been able to hide it from the Young Cult Leader, but she was not confident against the Cult Leader Pungcheon.
‘I have to leave before I clash with the Cult Leader Pungcheon.’
The reason she had not left immediately even after hearing her subordinate’s report that the Cult Leader Pungcheon had returned was precisely because of this Young Cult Leader.
Could she perhaps make it so that her wanted portrait was not released and a pursuit party was not sent after her?
If he had come ahead of time to tell her this because he truly trusted her? It was still suspicious, but if that was the truth?
“I still believe you are innocent. There is no such thing as a villain who likes flowers.”
Fine, she had nothing to lose. In any case, she was confident she could escape from the Young Cult Leader.
“What is the good news?”
“Let us dine together. I will treat you.”
Hwanyeo was surprised by the unexpected proposal. Why did he want to eat with her? To poison the food? If he wanted to subdue her, there should have been easier methods.
Truly, this man was impossible to understand. Because she could not conclude whether it was this or that, she kept getting swept along.
“Isn’t that even worse news? If I eat with someone as noble as you, Young Cult Leader, I’ll get indigestion.”
Geom Mugeuk laughed loudly.
“As expected. I had a feeling our proprietress would be a rather amusing person.”
Despite Geom Mugeuk’s banter, Hwanyeo was serious.
“Young Cult Leader, you may treat me comfortably, but it is very difficult for me. Just meeting you is hard enough, but if I meet someone like the Cult Leader Pungcheon, I will collapse. If you truly believe I am innocent, please allow me to close the flower garden for a while and visit my hometown.”
Even if her wanted portrait was released and a pursuit party chased her, would she ever be caught by them?
The problem was that the person who had entrusted this task to her would consider her incompetent.
If her identity was exposed and she was hunted by the Demon Cult, then from now on, her younger sibling would take the leading role, and she would be left to support him. That was not what she wanted. She wanted to become the light, not the shadow.
“You said you trusted me.”
“Of course.”
“Then please. Please let me go.”
“I will let you go once you meet the Cult Leader Pungcheon. I will stay by your side, so do not worry.”
Hwanyeo stared fixedly at Geom Mugeuk. The look in her eyes changed.
“For someone so noble, you speak out of both sides of your mouth. You said you did not suspect me.”
“I do not suspect you.”
Now Geom Mugeuk moved the situation into its next phase.
“Suspicion is what you do when you are uncertain. But when you are definitely the culprit, why would I suspect you?”
“!”
Hwanyeo was startled. She truly had not imagined Geom Mugeuk would say such a thing.
“To think someone who likes flowers was a villain.”
By coincidence, Geom Mugeuk had said something similar to what he had said in the dream.
Hwanyeo understood.
‘He was toying with me from the very beginning!’
There was only one thing she was curious about.
“Since when did you know?”
Hwanyeo’s aura changed. Her true self emerged—the self that had cast soul-subjugation arts on the Soul-Subjugating Demon Venerable and could stand proudly even before the Young Cult Leader of the Demon Cult.
“From the beginning.”
He meant he had known from the time he came to buy flowers for a woman.
Hwanyeo sighed.
“So you were trying to find out why I set all this up.”
She thought that would naturally be the case. But Geom Mugeuk’s answer was unexpected.
“You don’t know the reason either, do you?”
In that instant, Hwanyeo’s expression hardened coldly.
“You are doing this because someone ordered you to, aren’t you? You don’t know what his purpose is, do you? Whether he is trying to kill me or kill my father, he would not have told a disposable piece like you.”
Hwanyeo’s aura grew rough. The anger contained in that changed aura confirmed Geom Mugeuk’s words.
“Until now, your position as Young Cult Leader must have been the shield protecting your life. I wonder if that shield will work on me as well.”
“I do not know that either. I do not know what kind of spear you hold.”
It was right then.
Beyond the wall of the flower garden, a group of warriors could be seen approaching from afar.
The one in the lead was the Cult Leader Pungcheon, and those following behind him were the demon troops. Since he was so large, he was easy to see even from a distance.
“While they search the flower garden, let us have a meal.”
Hwanyeo accepted the proposal coldly.
“I’ll pay for that meal.”
The moment she clapped her hands—
The surroundings changed.
* * *
A space within an illusion.
Before my eyes stood a restaurant that sold wine and food.
Guihon Restaurant.
Hwanyeo’s appearance as she stood before that restaurant had changed. Her eyes were slanted, and her lips had turned crimson. Her appearance inside the illusion and her usual appearance were polar opposites.
“If I had known you looked like this, I would never have asked to eat with you.”
At my words, Hwanyeo frowned and let out a cold sneer.
When she walked ahead, the doors of Guihon Restaurant opened wide on their own.
I followed her inside.
The restaurant was bustling with customers. As soon as I entered, the hall that had been full of laughter and chatter fell silent all at once, and everyone’s gaze turned toward me.
Their empty, unfocused eyes held no souls. They were ghost souls.
The place was filled with ghost souls, and a powerful ghostly energy permeated the restaurant. The Heavenly Demon Protective Art activated on its own and began protecting me.
I slowly walked to the seat where Hwanyeo sat. Even her eyes were relaxed. I could tell that, at least here in Guihon Restaurant, she felt absolutely safe.
An old man stood beside her.
“This is Gwisuk, the owner of Guihon Restaurant.”
Geom Mugeuk could sense it. This old man, too, was an absolute master of illusion arts.
Thinking back to before my regression, the Illusion King and Hwanyeo had commanded many subordinates, just like the other Twelve Zodiac Kings. This old man named Gwisuk must have been one of them.
“Gwisuk, the person who came with me today is an honored figure of the Divine Cult, so please take special care of him.”
Gwisuk glared at me coldly.
“As if there could be anyone of noble status in the Demon Cult! They are all worthless things.”
Powerful ghostly energy could be felt in his voice. If Hwanyeo was proficient in soul-subjugation arts among illusion arts, then I could feel that the old man specialized in ghost arts.
I shouted at Gwisuk’s back as he strode away.
“See here, proprietor. Our cult has changed a great deal too, so cast aside your prejudices!”
Seeing that I was not frightened at all, Hwanyeo was impressed.
“I truly have no choice but to acknowledge it. At your age, such presence and composure are difficult to even imitate.”
From Hwanyeo’s long, slanted eyes, the energy of soul-subjugation now flowed openly. She was attempting to read my inner thoughts using soul-subjugation arts. But because the Heavenly Demon Protective Art was active, her sorcery did not work.
“If you were not trying to grasp my intentions, then why were you watching me?”
“Why, because I was curious, of course. Who could be behind you for you to commit such acts?”
“Why did you give up without finding out? If you had not mobilized the Cult Leader Pungcheon, you could have learned more about me.”
“You are not someone who would answer easily.”
As if to say I had seen correctly, she nodded.
“I judged that there was no value in spending my precious time on someone like you.”
I spoke as if I had given up on everything, but I had not given up. If this final decisive move did not work, I would take her hostage and draw in the Illusion King. I would find out even if I had to torture her. I would find out by any means necessary. This matter concerned the life and death of the Cult Leader Pungcheon. If there was truly no other way, I would turn the target of revenge toward myself and wait for the Illusion King.
This was my repayment to the Cult Leader Pungcheon, who had given me everything without reservation.
Then the waiter brought the wine first. The waiter, too, was a ghost soul with hollow eyes.
I smelled the wine.
“Isn’t this wine for the dead?”
When the words “the dead” came out, the noisy surroundings fell silent, and everyone looked this way.
Ghostly energy filled their empty eyes. If not for the Heavenly Demon Protective Art, I likely would have been seized by fear and trembling all over.
My eyes met those of a ghost soul sitting beside me. I sensed from him the desire to rush at me at any moment. But he did not dare.
Hwanyeo knew exactly why.
“Young Cult Leader, what you trust in must be the Nine Flames Demonic Art. That’s right. Since you have mastered the Nine Flames Demonic Art, you cannot be killed by illusion arts.”
This was the dignity of the Nine Flames Demonic Art. The dignity of an absolute demonic art against which no sorcery or illusion arts could prevail.
“If you knew that, why did you bring me here?”
“Because even if I cannot kill you, I can imprison you.”
I examined the surroundings with the Blood-Eye Essence and the Divine Eye Art. There was no bluish light anywhere. As in my battle with the Soul-Subjugating Demon Venerable before, finding a method to break through would not be easy.
“If I kill you, this place will disappear too.”
Even before death, she was full of confidence.
“I guarantee this. If you kill me here, Young Cult Leader, you will never escape this place. You will be trapped here with those ghost souls for eternity. The same is true if I take my own life. The moment I die, the method to break this place disappears with me.”
As if her words were true, the ghost souls all looked this way at once. Their hollow gazes seemed to say, Let us spend your whole life together.
I looked at the door we had entered through. As if reading the look in my eyes asking whether I could simply leave through that door, Hwanyeo said confidently,
“That door can never be opened from the inside.”
“The Cult Leader Pungcheon will come to rescue me.”
“Do you know what the situation is outside that door?”
With an air of leisure, Hwanyeo boasted,
“Even if the Cult Leader Pungcheon’s grandfather came, not just the Cult Leader Pungcheon, he could not open that door.”
The instant those words ended—
Creeeeeeak.
The door began to open slowly with a loud sound.
Hwanyeo, startled out of her wits, sprang to her feet. Not only she, but Gwisuk, who had stuck his head out from the kitchen, wore a grave expression as well. The ghost souls all looked toward the door at once.
The door opened, and one person stepped inside.
It was the Cult Leader Pungcheon. A ghost soul that had been clinging to his shoulder dropped to the floor with a thud. A severed ghostly hand was attached to his ankle.
“Who said that? That I couldn’t open it?”
Beyond the opened door, the outside could be seen. Just as Hwanyeo had said, the scenery was different from when we came in. It was hell itself, with flames soaring in the distance and a rain of blood falling. There, corpses of ghost souls lay endlessly all the way to the far horizon.
The Cult Leader Pungcheon had broken through those ghost souls to come find me.
“Our wicked Young Cult Leader owes me far too much for me not to collect.”