Geom Mugeuk lay there for a while, gazing up at the falling snow.
Except for the time he had spent replenishing his inner energy, he had run all the way here without resting for even a moment.
Thanks to that, his Swift Footwork had broken through the limits of the tenth-stage mastery and entered the eleventh stage. He had taken his first step toward the twelfth-stage mastery. Just how fast would Swift Footwork be once he achieved the twelfth stage?
Of course, what pleased him even more was the fact that he had arrived in time. Geom Mugeuk thanked the heavens. Thank you. He also thanked Jo Chunbae. Thank you for holding on so well.
As though answering his gratitude, the snow continued to fall softly upon Geom Mugeuk’s face, hands, and body.
After lying there for a moment and gazing up at the falling snow, Geom Mugeuk rose to his feet.
Even then, everyone there was staring at Geom Mugeuk, who had suddenly fallen from the sky.
Geom Mugeuk smoothed his disheveled hair. Everyone wore surprised expressions at the sight of his younger-than-expected face.
Geom Mugeuk looked toward Jo Chunbae. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.
‘That man is the standard for my demonic path. When tears no longer flow from that man’s face, I will know that my demonic path is being properly established.’
Jo Chunbae could barely get the words out.
“How… how?”
He truly had never even imagined that Geom Mugeuk would appear here.
Looking at him, Geom Mugeuk smiled and said,
“I came to see the owner.”
The moment he heard those words, Jo Chunbae was overcome with emotion once more.
“I went to have a drink, but you had already closed.”
Jo Chunbae was deeply moved by the fact that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had rushed all the way here for his sake.
‘Young Cult Leader!’
He could not think of what to say. He was simply grateful—so very grateful. He did not need to say anything. His tears and expression were already answer enough.
Gong Chan, the escort captain who had been about to cut out Jo Chunbae’s tongue, stepped forward.
“Who might you be, young hero?”
If he was acquainted with the tavern owner, then he ought to be insignificant. Yet the young man’s appearance had been far too dramatic.
At first, they had thought he had fallen from the sky. The impact should have badly injured even a master, but he looked perfectly fine on the outside. How was that possible?
The problem was that the young man did not appear to have practiced martial arts at all. He could not possibly have reached the Returning to Simplicity realm at such a young age.
Rather than answer Gong Chan’s question, Geom Mugeuk walked over to Yun, Jo Chunbae’s mother-in-law, who was lying facedown on the ground.
“Please rise, Mother. Your sons-in-law will be all right now.”
Geom Mugeuk helped Yun to her feet, then helped Yangin and Yangseon up as well.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Geom Mugeuk, Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Silence descended upon the place.
The instant Gong Chan heard those words, he was so shocked that he nearly stopped breathing. The escorts around him were too stunned to say anything.
Clang.
One of the escorts dropped his sword in his astonishment, but no one paid him any attention.
If Jo Chunbae had not previously said that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would never let them off, they would all have thought they had misheard or that the young man was insane.
Yet the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult whom Jo Chunbae had spoken of had truly dropped out of the sky.
Naturally, Gong Chan did not believe him.
“You’re lying! There’s no way the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would come here alone looking like that!”
His clothes were filthy with dust, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and even his hair was disheveled. No one would have called him the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult at a glance.
Geom Mugeuk explained himself to the three women.
“I ask for your understanding regarding my disheveled appearance. I heard that the family of someone I love and respect had fallen into danger, so I rushed here as quickly as I could.”
As though the person he loved and respected was none other than that man, he looked toward Jo Chunbae.
Ordinarily, he would have handled the matter without revealing his identity.
But he had revealed himself today for Jo Chunbae’s sake. He wanted to show his family that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had rushed here like this to save him. He wanted to show his wife, his mother-in-law, his sister-in-law, and his brother-in-law. He wanted to show them all.
It was Geom Mugeuk’s consideration and courtesy toward Jo Chunbae, who had always welcomed him with the same unchanging warmth.
Because Jo Chunbae understood his feelings, he clenched his molars once more and restrained the emotions surging within him.
“Mother, I like the food and liquor my brother-in-law makes more than anything else. Even my father, the Heavenly Demon of our cult, goes there to eat his food and drink his liquor. He is truly precious to me—and to our cult as well.”
Yun was so shocked and moved that she did not know what to do. She looked once at her son-in-law, then once at Geom Mugeuk. She looked once at her daughter, then once again at her son-in-law.
Not knowing what else to say, she could only repeat, “Such an honored person, such an honored person.”
In truth, she did not know what it meant for someone to be the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. She merely sensed that he must be an extraordinarily important person.
Jo Chunbae’s wife, Yangin, on the other hand, was genuinely astonished.
She had heard her husband talk a great deal about the Young Cult Leader. But deep down, she had thought he was exaggerating. The Young Cult Leader may indeed have come to the tavern, but was he really that close to her husband?
Her husband had said that the Young Cult Leader treated him like a friend. No way, surely? Yet that very impossibility had now become reality before her eyes.
“We pay our respects to the Young Cult Leader.”
Yangin tried to prostrate herself again, but an invisible force lifted her back to her feet.
Her younger sister, Yangseon, pleaded,
“Please save us. Please, save my husband and my brother-in-law.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled to reassure the three women, then turned back toward Jo Chunbae. Though he had been speaking with them, Geom Mugeuk had released his qi in several directions, allowing him to perceive even the slightest movements behind him.
Until then, two escorts had been gripping Jo Chunbae by both arms, while Gong Chan held a dagger in his hand. They were confused, wondering whether he truly was the Young Cult Leader.
“He’s a fake!”
Gong Chan came to his own conclusion. There was no doubt that Jo Chunbae and this young man had plotted this scheme to save Jonghak. He must have fallen so clumsily into the training yard because he lacked the skill to land properly. Now that he thought about it, everything fit.
“This was supposed to end with only your tongue and hands being cut off, but now it looks like your head will be cut off too.”
He looked as if he might stab Jo Chunbae in the neck at any moment, and the three women screamed.
Geom Mugeuk thrust both hands forward at once.
First came the astonishing result produced by his left hand.
Whoooosh!
The two escorts holding Jo Chunbae were sent flying backward. A fierce, invisible force had blown them away.
It looked as though they had simply been flung aside, but it was in fact a move that displayed the pinnacle of martial arts. In that brief instant, their hands gripping Jo Chunbae had been forcibly opened, leaving Jo Chunbae exactly where he was while sending only the two escorts flying. Even the two escorts rose without suffering a single injury.
His right hand displayed an even more astonishing feat than his left.
Ting!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the dagger in Gong Chan’s hand. The dagger had broken.
Gong Chan started violently and threw the broken dagger onto the ground.
Yes, he could understand using palm force to send the escorts flying. But breaking a dagger through Airborne Object Control?
Others might have assumed that he had thrown a concealed weapon to break it, but Gong Chan alone knew the truth. Nothing had flown through the air. The dagger had simply broken.
When Gong Chan, who had been distracted by the broken dagger, raised his head, Geom Mugeuk was already standing right in front of him. The instant their eyes met, an inexplicable terror overwhelmed him, and his body froze.
Only then did he understand.
‘He really is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult!’
Even so, he still could not comprehend it. The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had personally come to save a tavern owner? Looking like this? Alone? Why in the world?
When Geom Mugeuk took another step forward, Gong Chan shrieked in fright.
“Aaagh!”
Geom Mugeuk merely lightly subdued his blood points. He neither beat him nor tried to intimidate him. Once the truth of this matter came to light, only those who would live and those who would die would remain. He already had a feeling which side Gong Chan belonged to.
“Did you not hear me? I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Geom Mugeuk’s manner was calm and courteous. It was not out of consideration for Gong Chan, but for Yun, Jo Chunbae’s mother-in-law, and for his wife and sister-in-law, Yangin and Yangseon.
Geom Mugeuk looked around. Though he had not released any demonic qi, the overwhelming presence he possessed caused the escorts’ hearts to shrink.
The escorts threw their swords onto the ground. Then they lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. Even if he was a fake Young Cult Leader, it did not matter. They could not bring themselves to challenge someone with such skill.
Only then did Yun, Yangin, and Yangseon truly realize that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had come.
Geom Mugeuk spoke to the nearby escorts.
“Bring us five comfortable chairs.”
Without a word, the escorts hurried off to fetch them.
Geom Mugeuk released the acupoints sealing Jonghak’s voice and movement.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
As Jonghak expressed his gratitude, Geom Mugeuk smiled.
“Thank your elder brother instead.”
Jonghak’s heated gaze turned toward Jo Chunbae. Even before the Young Cult Leader had arrived, Jo Chunbae had stepped forward to save him.
“I truly made the right choice in this marriage.”
At Jonghak’s words, Jo Chunbae and his family laughed.
After speaking, Jonghak coughed painfully.
Geom Mugeuk quickly seated him, placed a palm against his chest, and infused a thread of inner energy into him.
His body had been badly damaged by the brutal beating, but fortunately, none of his injuries would leave him crippled. With some time to recuperate, he would regain his health.
After soothing his internal injuries, Geom Mugeuk led him over to where his wife was standing.
“Darling!”
“I thought you were going to die!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s all right. Thank goodness. Thank goodness.”
The family embraced Jonghak in one place and wept.
All the villagers watched the scene. Geom Mugeuk had deliberately not sent them away. They needed to witness Jonghak clear his name. Even after he left, these people would have to continue living here.
That was why Geom Mugeuk handled the matter with care. Without allowing emotion to take the lead, he proceeded calmly, steadily, and decisively.
Among the escorts watching were some who knew the character of Jonghak, the porter. They found the situation strange. It was strange that Jonghak would have tampered with the escort goods, and they also felt that the punishment of cutting off both his hands was far too severe.
In the meantime, the escorts returned with the chairs.
They arranged the chairs side by side and seated Jo Chunbae and his family.
“Please sit comfortably here.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, please sit down and make yourself comfortable.”
He seated Yun in the most comfortable chair, then had the rest of the family sit as well.
Once Jo Chunbae sat down, his heart began to pound with a different kind of tension.
Just then, his wife Yangin, seated beside him, quietly took his hand. Her hand was trembling as well. Jo Chunbae struggled to calm his own fear. The people he had to protect were beside him.
Yangin mouthed the words,
‘You were wonderful, dear.’
Jo Chunbae gripped her hand more tightly. He was glad that his life had been saved, but he was even happier that he had been able to protect his family. He was also deeply pleased to have earned the approval of his wife and her family.
‘Thank you, Young Cult Leader.’
Geom Mugeuk spoke to Jo Chunbae.
“Now, let us hear what happened.”
Jo Chunbae calmly explained the situation.
“My younger brother-in-law works as a porter for the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency here. During this escort journey, he was accused of being a thief and nearly had both hands cut off.”
Jo Chunbae told him everything he had heard when he met Jonghak. Geom Mugeuk was the sort of person who could predict ten things from hearing one, so he understood the gist even from the rough explanation.
“So it was not because your younger brother-in-law tampered with the escort goods. This whole mess began because he happened to see something he should not have seen.”
Geom Mugeuk asked Jonghak,
“What did you see?”
Jonghak looked at Gong Chan and said,
“By chance, I saw Chief Escort Gong secretly meeting some man. The look in his eyes when he saw me was so sharp that it frightened me. I thought the matter had passed, but after we returned from the escort journey, I had become a thief. No matter how I think about it, that is the only reason I could have been framed.”
“Did you know the man Chief Escort Gong met?”
“No. I had never seen him before. But he had a large mole on his forehead.”
That mole must have been the root of the trouble. The story had not become that he had met someone, but rather that he had met someone with a mole.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Gong Chan. He could do nothing but glare at Jonghak with a hardened expression. He was regretting it.
‘I should have disguised it as an accident and killed him there.’
The reason he had been unable to do so was that he had been required to report to someone within the escort bureau. They had told him never to handle even the most trivial matter alone, but to report it.
What happened afterward had also been a problem.
He had suggested making it look as though a band of bandits had invaded and killing the entire family. But Jonghak had said that if they were going to kill them anyway, they should make it serve the escort bureau’s interests. If they cut off his hands and failed to stop the bleeding, he would die in no time. That way, they could both reinforce discipline within the escort bureau and kill the man. He had thought it would kill two birds with one stone.
Geom Mugeuk approached Gong Chan and asked,
“Why did the matter of you meeting someone become grounds for cutting that gentleman’s hands? Who on earth was it? To be honest with me, and I’ll spare your life.”
His unspoken words were: I’ll still cut off both your hands and your tongue.
Since he did not know what had been omitted, Gong Chan’s eyes wavered.
It was at that very moment.
The door of the escort bureau opened, and someone stepped outside.
“Stop for a moment.”
The middle-aged man who appeared had a massive build and an intense gaze. He was none other than U Sochu, chief of the Hwangnyong Escort Bureau. For the chief of a mere escort bureau, he possessed an impressive air of authority.
“I am U Sochu, chief of this bureau.”
He had not stepped forward until now, choosing to appear at this decisive moment.
“A distinguished guest has arrived, so I would invite you inside. Please, come in.”
Geom Mugeuk politely refused.
“I have my people here, so that would be difficult. Let us speak here. It is snowing, and the atmosphere is rather pleasant.”
U Sochu took Geom Mugeuk’s refusal as an act of coercion.
“Even if you are the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, is it acceptable to oppress an escort bureau of the Orthodox faction like this?”
“Oh, is the Hwangnyong Escort Bureau part of the Orthodox faction? Seeing you frame someone and try to cut off his hands, I thought you were from the Unorthodox faction.”
U Sochu’s expression stiffened slightly.
“If you lay a hand on us, the Alliance Leader will never forgive you.”
Geom Mugeuk looked up at him and smiled.
“Have you ever met the Alliance Leader?”
U Sochu could not answer. He had seen the Alliance Leader from a distance while attending a major event. But he had never once met with him alone.
“I thought as much. You must be saying that because you have not. If the Alliance Leader knew that you were trying to cut off the hands and tongue of an innocent man, your heads would already have been smashed to pieces by his hand. Now, stop making empty threats and come down here.”
Geom Mugeuk walked across the snow that had only just begun to pile up, crunching beneath his feet, and went to stand before Chochunbae’s family. He lightly brushed the snow from Jonghak’s shoulder as he spoke.
“You defend your man, and I defend mine. So let us determine who is right and who is wrong here, upon this pure white snow.”
U Sochu continued to look down at Geom Mugeuk from where he stood.
“I have been treating you with courtesy, so you do not seem to understand the situation. The man standing before you is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, who nearly lost a friend. Therefore…”
Geom Mugeuk, who had remained polite throughout, added in a low, cold voice,
“Come down while I’m asking nicely, U Sochu.”
Absolute Regression — Chapter 337