Geom Mugeuk and So Baekta stood in the Cult Leader’s Hall.
The hellish world within the illusion, where blood had been rising all around them, vanished in an instant.
So Baekta stared at Geom Mugeuk with a vacant expression.
Until just moments ago, blood had been pouring into his nose and mouth. He had despaired, thinking that this was truly the end.
‘Did we die?’
But this moment was far too vivid for him to think he was dead.
So Baekta touched his own face, then looked around again. He was not dead. Geom Mugeuk, standing calmly before him, was unmistakably alive as well.
“……How did this happen?”
Earlier, when Geom Mugeuk erased the space So Baekta had created with the Angcheon Blood Spirit Art and returned to the Cult Leader’s Hall, he had cast the Space-Time Illusory Shift Art and created a space that closely resembled the place they had just been in.
Because So Baekta had no idea that Geom Mugeuk could use the Space-Time Illusory Shift Art, he naturally thought they had returned to the space he himself had made.
From the moment the Space-Time Illusory Shift Art was cast, every word and action of Geom Mugeuk’s had been an act.
It had been for the sole purpose of uncovering one fact, and now he had discovered who the Illusion King was.
Unaware of that inner truth, So Baekta could not understand this situation at all.
“I am asking what you did.”
The mission was not yet over. Resolving the conflict between So Baekta and Cult Leader Pungcheon was just as important as killing the Illusion King. No, to Geom Mugeuk, it was even more important.
“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
He did not say that he had learned the Space-Time Illusory Shift Art from Cult Leader Pungcheon. So Baekta already harbored deep resentment toward his master, and saying such a thing would only wound his feelings further.
“You are saying you unraveled it?”
Because So Baekta did not know that Geom Mugeuk’s goal had been to reveal who the Illusion King was, he paid no mind to what he had said about the painter. Right now, what So Baekta wanted to know was how they had escaped from that space.
“You said we had grown complacent, relying only on the Nine Flames Demonic Art? Who in the world told you that? Whoever said such a thing must have never met me or my father—must never have even come to our cult—so why do you believe that person’s words?”
It struck the very heart of the matter, so So Baekta could not answer.
“For now, come with me.”
“Where are you saying we should go?”
“Is there not something you must resolve with your master?”
As he had been sinking beneath the blood, he had poured out the feelings he held toward his master.
But when he thought of actually meeting his master and saying those things, So Baekta’s chest grew tight. He had spoken of his master because he had been facing death; he did not have the confidence to meet him in person and reveal his heart.
“There is nothing to resolve with my master.”
Geom Mugeuk did not force him. Once the parties involved actually met, their feelings might be different from how they were now. What mattered was taking him there somehow.
“Very well. It is between the two of you, so I will not interfere. Still, let us go. There is something I must say while everyone is present.”
So Baekta still had questions about how they had escaped from the illusion, so he nodded.
“Let us do that.”
And so he left the Cult Leader’s Hall together with So Baekta.
* * *
“These are swords your Young Cult Leader bought for you.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon handed out the swords he had bought from Sinung Ironworks to the guards. He did not take credit for them. For Geom Mugeuk, who had come all the way here for his sake, he said they had been purchased by him.
“Where is the Young Cult Leader?”
“He stopped by the Cult Leader’s Hall. He told me to bring these to you first.”
After inspecting the swords, the guards were greatly delighted. For a martial artist, what gift could be better than a weapon? Moreover, the swords they had received were better than the ones they already owned.
“Famed swords and treasured swords are all well and good, but as a rule, the best weapon is the one that fits your own hand. The only problem is that, in life, there comes at least once a time when that best weapon breaks, and you must fight with another sword. So until you reach the point where you can pick up a branch fallen on the road and fight with it like your Young Cult Leader, train with all sorts of swords. A martial artist is one who prepares in advance. A martial artist with many worries is one who lives long.”
He spoke as if offering words of blessing, but they were words imbued with Cult Leader Pungcheon’s insight.
The guards all cupped their fists at once and expressed their gratitude.
Leaving them behind, Cult Leader Pungcheon entered his residence.
Mabul was drinking tea while looking over the drawings of poisonous herbs that the Poison King had given him.
“Do you truly intend to dig those up?”
“When we finish matters here and return, I plan to try digging them up. If the weather grows any colder, there are quite a few that cannot be harvested.”
Because Cult Leader Pungcheon knew very well what kind of person Mabul had originally been, he could not get used to seeing him like this.
“I did not know you had become this close with the Poison King.”
“That is not why.”
Mabul said something unexpected.
“Have you ever tried something new? I do not mean the things you repeated while living as Cult Leader Pungcheon. I mean something entirely new.”
Of course he had. He had personally selected people to hire and bought a secret map. Most of what he had done while traveling through the Central Plains to create Gowol and Eunwol had been new.
“For me, it was digging up medicinal herbs. The joy I felt when I found the herb I was searching for was something I had never experienced before in my life.”
And because of the poisonous herb he had dug up, the Poison King had truly rejoiced. Had there ever been a time when someone had been this happy because of his actions?
Amazingly, that had been the first time. He had never seen it from his family, nor had he experienced it while living as a martial artist. It had been the same even when he became a Demon Venerable. Would anyone ever have had cause to rejoice like that because of him?
“I lived my entire life making others fear me……”
That was why he had not known. He had not known what it felt like to make someone happy. To think that he could feel greater joy from another’s happiness than from the joy of gaining something himself.
For a while, the two of them were each lost in thought. Cult Leader Pungcheon thought that if anyone could understand Mabul’s feelings best, it would be himself.
“How did the matter you went out for turn out?”
Cult Leader Pungcheon told Mabul what had happened at Sinung Ironworks.
“Your disciple has been rather busy all this time.”
“Who is there to blame?”
“You were always the sort to blame others, were you not?”
“True. And you were always the sort to say hateful things so well.”
The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Now, even such barbed words felt unfamiliar. If only one of them had changed, they would not have been able to laugh like this. But both of them had changed, and both were satisfied with that change.
The person who had exerted the decisive influence on both of their changes was the same.
“The Young Cult Leader?”
Cult Leader Pungcheon looked far out the window toward the Cult Leader’s Hall and answered.
“He went to that disciple of mine. He went with his heart steeled, so by now he must be looking into the black hole in my disciple’s heart.”
* * *
Geom Mugeuk and So Baekta entered the residence.
Seeing that his disciple had come with him, Cult Leader Pungcheon instinctively realized that Geom Mugeuk had uncovered something.
“Master.”
“Welcome, Cult Leader.”
Unlike the last time they met, So Baekta treated him awkwardly. Certain that something had happened, Cult Leader Pungcheon sent a voice transmission to Geom Mugeuk.
—Did you discover the hidden card my disciple had kept?
—I discovered even who was behind him.
As expected of the Young Cult Leader, he could not help but admire him. Then again, even he himself had been helplessly taken in, so how could his disciple have handled it?
—Why did you bring my disciple here?
—Because it seemed there was something he needed to resolve with you, Cult Leader. However, he will likely not open his heart easily.
Mabul tried to give them privacy.
“I will step out for a while.”
Then Geom Mugeuk spoke to him.
“Lord Mabul, please stay as well.”
Right now, So Baekta wanted someone to acknowledge the pain he had suffered. He had already told Geom Mugeuk, so now Geom Mugeuk thought Mabul’s presence would help him open his mouth. Sometimes, more than the person directly involved, one needed a third party to watch and bear witness.
And so Geom Mugeuk, So Baekta, Cult Leader Pungcheon, and Mabul sat around the table.
“What exactly are you planning to say that you brought me here?”
“First, I believe you should say to your master what you said to me.”
So Baekta’s expression stiffened at once.
“I clearly said there is nothing I need to resolve with my master.”
“Then your master will live his whole life without knowing how you truly feel. Is that what you want?”
Of course that was not what So Baekta wanted. But even so, he did not feel inclined to tell his master what he had felt back then. He did not want to look like a child whining to his master, and he no longer had any desire to look good in his eyes.
At that moment, Cult Leader Pungcheon spoke first.
“Did you resent me?”
“No. I do not resent you. What is there to resent? Rather, I should be grateful that you chose me as the Cult Leader.”
Everyone could feel it. A deep resentment lay within So Baekta’s words. Right now, he was saying this:
I have resented you all along, Master.
Geom Mugeuk was curious. How would Cult Leader Pungcheon react?
Cult Leader Pungcheon had resolved that if his disciple had killed Elder Seong, he would never forgive him. In this situation, when Elder Seong’s life or death was still unknown, would he truly be able to treat him gently?
After looking at So Baekta in silence for a long while, Cult Leader Pungcheon said quietly,
“I am sorry, my disciple.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon apologized sincerely.
Instead, So Baekta was flustered. He had not expected his master to apologize like this.
“Why are you apologizing? I told you, I do not resent you.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon looked at him without a word.
The moment their gazes met, emotion surged up within So Baekta. That gaze, as if it knew everything in his heart! It was precisely a gaze like that that made a person furious.
“Does everyone not simply live their own life?”
If it had been the old Cult Leader Pungcheon, he would have roared. He would have shouted, asking what sort of pathetic whining this was, saying that what he had received was the position of supreme ruler beyond the borders. He would have said that such a position was not gained so easily without any pain or sacrifice.
But Cult Leader Pungcheon apologized again.
“I am sorry.”
Geom Mugeuk could feel that Cult Leader Pungcheon had grown. So Baekta did not know. He did not know how difficult it was to make such an apology at this moment. Separate from the outcome of what he had done to Elder Seong, what required an apology had to be apologized for.
“Why do you keep saying you are sorry? I said I feel nothing!”
So Baekta shot to his feet, about to storm out.
At that moment, Cult Leader Pungcheon said,
“I had no intention of advancing into the Central Plains. I liked the lands beyond the borders.”
“Then why did you speak so much about advancing into the Central Plains?”
“Yes, I sang endlessly of advancing into the Central Plains. That was because my true feelings and my mouth were moving separately.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon let out a sigh.
“Because I, too, lived my whole life hearing only those words, just like you. My master, and my master’s master, all lived with the words that advancing into the Central Plains was our cherished desire. And so, before I knew it, it became a desire that was not truly my desire.”
“Is that the end of it? It is always like that. Master, you were always someone who thought only of yourself. After leaving for the Central Plains, you say you liked the lands beyond the borders? Do you call that something worth saying now?”
Geom Mugeuk felt it. In this moment, So Baekta was thinking of the Illusion King. He was comparing his master to him.
Now was the time for him to step forward. Unless So Baekta learned the truth about the Illusion King, this reconciliation could never take place.
“That painter is someone who approached the Cult Leader deliberately.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, So Baekta flinched in surprise. But soon he responded coldly.
“Do not speak nonsense.”
Geom Mugeuk did not try to persuade him emotionally. He conveyed only the facts.
“Not only you, but our cult and the Murim Alliance as well were infiltrated by these people.”
“!”
Because the words were shocking, So Baekta was startled.
“These are events that have already occurred, so they can be verified.”
“I cannot believe it.”
“On our side, they targeted the Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable. On the Murim Alliance’s side, they targeted the Alliance Leader’s grandson. I will have the facts officially delivered through our cult’s Tongcheongak.”
As even specific details were mentioned, So Baekta grew shaken.
“Why do you think I came here? As you said, the Cult Leader or Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had never formally visited the Pungcheon Cult, so why would I personally come all this way?”
At the end of the continuing truth, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“Cult Leader, have you ever once doubted him?”
Of course he had not. In that instant, his heart sank. Come to think of it, he had never once doubted that man. He had come to know him naturally, then came to trust him, and that had led him to this point.
So Baekta tried hard to deny Geom Mugeuk’s words.
“What scheme are you trying to play now?”
He was the sort to suspect others first like this, so why had he not suspected that man?
“The one who played a scheme was him. He dug into your resentment toward your master and won your heart. If my words are false, then by the authority of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I will permit your unification of the lands beyond the borders. No, we will support your unification.”
So Baekta was astonished.
“Are you sincere?”
“I am.”
Geom Mugeuk revealed his honest feelings.
“Do you know why I am proceeding with this matter in such a troublesome way? I could simply press your sleeping acupoint, put you to sleep, and deal with him.”
It was true. His internal energy was still sealed. If Geom Mugeuk put him to sleep and the three people here went after him, he would not be able to handle them.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Your master said this. Even if he could return to the past, he would still make you his successor. He said there was no one but you.”
“!”
“I am not doing this for you. I want to prove that he chose his disciple well. I do not want this matter to leave him with a wound in his heart for the rest of his life. For his sake, I can endure even greater trouble.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Cult Leader Pungcheon was inwardly overcome with emotion. It moved him more deeply than anything Geom Mugeuk had ever said to him. It was a moment when the distance between the two of them narrowed by another step.
As for So Baekta, he looked at Cult Leader Pungcheon with subtle and complicated feelings.
“You said that person told you how you should live, and how extraordinary a person you were?”
Geom Mugeuk remembered exactly what he had said inside the Space-Time Illusory Shift Art.
“You should not compare that person and your master in that way. When someone needs someone to lean on, it is not difficult to become a hero to them. If you are going to compare them, compare what that person can give up for you. Your master gave up the position of Cult Leader. The moment he learned that you were in danger, he rushed all the way here. Now then, as for what that person can give up, and what he can do for you—test him yourself.”
Only now did So Baekta understand Geom Mugeuk’s intention. He meant for So Baekta to uncover that man’s true identity himself, out of the hope that he and his master would reconcile.
“What if I pretend to test that man while secretly informing him of all this by voice transmission?”
Then you would die by my hand together with that villain.
Instead of conveying that cold reality, Geom Mugeuk looked at Cult Leader Pungcheon and spoke calmly.
“What I trust is not you, but your master. At the very least, I do not believe he would have passed the position of Cult Leader to someone who was a fool to the very end.”