“No! Please, spare me!”
Words begging for his life spilled naturally from Heuksa Danju’s mouth.
The youngest of the Young Lord’s escorts had left Heukgyeon a mangled wreck before slitting his throat. During that entire process, Heukgyeon had not managed to swing his sword properly even once.
So how could he possibly think of resisting?
Moreover, the killing intent radiating from Bi Sain’s body oppressed Heuksa Danju terrifyingly.
As a martial artist of the demonic path, Heuksa Danju had encountered his share of killing intent, but what he felt now was more powerful than any he had ever experienced. Thick with the stench of blood, it poured from an enraged Bi Sain.
“Then you mean your subordinates acted on their own accord?”
Cornered, Heuksa Danju dragged in an innocent party.
“What the hell is going on?”
The man at whom Heuksa Danju roared was Songchung. Dragging him into this situation? Even though he knew full well that Songchung and Heukgyeon were not on such bad terms? It was absurd, but this was hardly the time to blame Heuksa Danju.
“Even I failed to know of this. Heukgyeon is an uneducated, lowly man. It seems he committed wicked deeds behind the Danju-nim’s back.”
Was there anyone present who did not know of his evil deeds? Yet if he admitted that Heukgyeon had always been that sort of man, the backlash would demand to know why he had not stopped him.
Bi Sain sent a telepathic message to Geom Muguk.
—The information written here—how accurate is it?
Since it came from Eunwol, its reliability went without saying.
—Information sent by the person I trust and cherish most. Consider it on par with the intelligence from the Tongcheon Pavilion of the main cult.
Having confirmed the reliability of the information, Bi Sain asked Songchung, “What is your name?”
“I am Songchung.”
Bi Sain flipped through the paper in his hand, searching for Songchung’s information.
Songchung’s heart began to pound wildly. Depending on what was written there, his life or death would be decided. That paper was truly the Book of Life and Death held by the Grim Reaper.
Fortunately, no sword came flying. The evil deeds recorded there were apparently not severe enough to warrant death.
In the meantime, having caught his breath, Heuksa Danju prostrated himself on the spot and vowed, “There will be no more kidnapping of children. I will also properly restrain my subordinates from crossing the line.”
Instead of answering, Bi Sain walked toward where Heukgyeon’s corpse lay. One might have thought he went to look at the body, but that was not the case.
Bi Sain drew his sword and stained its tip with blood. Then he drew three lines in blood across the paper he held.
He handed that paper to Heuksa Danju.
Three names had lines of blood drawn through them. They were ones whose evil deeds were severe even within the Black Fiend Squad. Without saying a word, Heuksa Danju understood what Bi Sain meant to convey.
“Heukya, come here for a moment and look at this.”
He called over Heukya, who had been standing there in silence until then.
The moment Heukya walked over and saw what was written on the paper—
Sshick!
Heuksa Danju’s sword was drawn by surprise, slashing at his chest.
But Heukya seemed to have sensed it beforehand and evaded the attack.
“I expected as much.”
“Do not resent me! It is because your evil deeds run deep.”
The two engaged in a bloody battle.
Since the two strongest members of the Black Fiend Squad were suddenly waging a bloody battle, the squad’s martial artists were bewildered, at a loss for what to do.
“Kill Heukya!”
“Kill the Danju! He’s trying to have us all killed!”
“It’s a lie! Join forces and kill Heukya! That is an order!”
In an instant, the place became a scene of utter chaos.
Heuksam, who had quietly slipped to the rear, tried to leap away to escape. He knew well that avoiding the situation first was the best course of action.
But the First of the Thirteen Apostles, having received Bi Sain’s order, was already blocking his path.
Unable to even think of breaking through, Heuksam retreated. Having seen Heukgyeon die without putting up a single hand, no one today would dare draw their sword against the Thirteen Apostles.
The other Apostles also surrounded the area perfectly, making escape impossible.
Bi Sain watched the fight silently, arms crossed.
Though Heukya’s martial arts were inferior to Heuksa Danju’s, the rage of being betrayed drove him to frenzy. Since it was a fight to the death, sword energy flew wildly.
Geom Muguk and Jin Hagun watched the battle from outside the Thirteen Apostles’ encirclement.
Swoosh.
Jin Hagun pulled Geom Muguk’s sleeve toward himself.
A stray blade of sword energy flying from afar brushed past where Geom Muguk had stood.
“You saved my life!”
“You say that boldly. You could have dodged it ten more times on your own.”
“Great Lord Jin.”
“Why are you raising your voice?”
“I truly hope you become the successor.”
“Why so sudden?”
“It just suddenly came to me that I would like that. I say it whenever it comes to mind.”
He spoke as if joking, but one could feel he meant every word.
“How could that happen according to my will?”
His grandfather, the Alliance Lord Jin Paecheon, was a man who would ruthlessly push aside even his own grandson from the position of successor if he erred.
“Why do you wish for me to become the successor?”
Because I seem easy? He had expected an answer like that.
“Because I think you would do well.”
Jin Hagun looked at Geom Muguk.
“Be it friend or foe, one must be capable. Only then is it fun to play and worthwhile to fight.”
This time, Geom Muguk pulled him toward his own side.
Swoosh.
Another flying blade of sword energy passed through where Jin Hagun had been standing.
“I saved your life! Don’t you ever forget it!”
Listening to his banter, Jin Hagun wondered. How would his relationship with this man ultimately end? Could they truly become friends?
Meanwhile, the fight ended.
One man stood; the other had become a corpse upon the ground.
There was no upset. As expected from their skill, the victor was Heuksa Danju.
Heukya had fought many battles, but only battles he could win. Killing unrelated to skill was of no help in saving his own life.
That was not the end. Since there had been three names with lines drawn through them, Heuksa Danju ambushed and killed Ilsam and Ilpal as well. With skill lower than even Heukya’s, they could not endure Heuksa Danju’s surprise attack.
“It is all finished.”
In response to Heuksa Danju’s report, Bi Sain spoke.
“Now four of the five most vicious people in the Black Fiend Squad are dead.”
“Five? There were only three names with lines drawn through them.”
Even including Heukgyeon, that made four. Wondering if he had missed one, Heuksa Danju raised the paper again.
It was at that very moment.
Swoosh.
Slash.
Bi Sain’s sword split Heuksa Danju’s throat.
In the process, the paper Heuksa Danju held was also cut, and by coincidence, the part bearing Heuksa Danju’s own name was severed away.
Beneath it, a red line was visible.
That line, which looked as though someone had drawn a mark through it, was the line drawn across Heuksa Danju’s throat.
Puaaaak!
In the next moment, blood sprayed from that line and Heuksa Danju collapsed.
Bi Sain did not forgive him.
Though the evil deeds Heuksa Danju had committed to establish the Black Fiend Squad were evil in themselves, his greatest crime was his complacency in allowing the evil deeds of subordinates like Heukgyeon and Heukya to continue unchecked.
The remaining Black Fiend Squad martial artists trembled in fear. They were certain they would be massacred.
But Bi Sain did not kill them.
“From now on, do nothing and stay exactly as you are. Go back and wait without even breathing until someone from our side arrives!”
The Black Fiend Squad simultaneously bowed at the waist and shouted, “Thank you for sparing our lives.”
Having narrowly escaped death, they left that place.
From this time on, new tidings would spread through the demonic martial world. News that the Young Lord of the Apostles Alliance had personally delivered a crushing blow to evil deeds that had gone too far. There would be those who opposed it, and those who welcomed it.
One thing was clear: whether that evaluation was positive or negative, it would be a different evaluation from yesterday. Bi Sain had taken one step into another world.
Bi Sain walked over to Geom Muguk and Jin Hagun.
“You probably wanted to kill them all, but this was my best.”
“Kill them all? Did you take me for a murderer? Let us go look in a mirror together and see whose face is closer to a murderer’s.”
“People who look as upstanding as you often commit terrifying deeds once you get to know them.”
“It is infuriating, but I cannot deny it.”
After such an exchange, the playfulness vanished from Bi Sain’s face. Words he had hesitated to speak spilled from his mouth.
“This is our demonic path.”
He spoke not out of pride, but out of shame. At least for today, he felt deep self-loathing.
Jin Hagun had been about to say that just as there were bad men in the orthodox path, there were good people in the demonic path.
But before he could, Geom Muguk spoke.
“It was trash.”
Bi Sain did not get angry. Rather, having it said so openly made him feel at ease.
Watching that, Jin Hagun realized that the words he had been about to say would have been a completely useless comfort.
How did Geom Muguk understand people’s hearts so well? Despite being younger than him.
“Still, you have no reason to be depressed. That is not your demonic path.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is not your demonic path not over there, but right here?”
Wondering what he meant, he saw Geom Muguk look toward the Thirteen Apostles.
“Aren’t these people your demonic path? They are not even your direct subordinates yet, are they? You are not even the Alliance Lord yet.”
Jin Hagun thought inwardly, *Well done.*
Yes, this was exactly the kind of consolation Bi Sain needed right now.
One had to be able to call it trash. One had to be able to say, “You’re not even the Alliance Lord yet.”
For that to be possible, all the many things Geom Muguk had done for Bi Sain up to now had to serve as the foundation. Tirelessly coming to find him, tirelessly exchanging banter, tirelessly showing consideration.
And so the word “trash” became a jewel lodged in Bi Sain’s heart.
“Great Lord Jin, say something as well.”
Even in this situation, look at him looking out for him.
“I am not yet prepared to say the word trash.”
Geom Muguk smiled at Jin Hagun.
“This is why you must become the Alliance Lord. Only if you become an interesting person will life as an Alliance Lord be enjoyable.”
“It is the first time in my life I have heard the word ‘interesting.’”
A faint smile formed on Bi Sain’s lips as he listened to their conversation. When he was with Geom Muguk, he found himself smiling like this without realizing it.
Geom Muguk said to Bi Sain, “You handled today’s matter well. I could not have made such a wise choice as you.”
Bi Sain knew. It had only been possible because of Geom Muguk’s concession. Thanks to that, he had been able to preserve his authority before his subordinates.
And then the decisive words that followed.
“Your apostles—I like them.”
Though he showed nothing outwardly, Bi Sain was deeply moved. It was a more pleasant thing to hear than a hundred words of praise.
Geom Muguk asked Jin Hagun, “What do you think?”
“I am not someone who easily says ‘I like them’ to a person’s face, as you do.”
Jin Hagun spoke, looking at the corpses scattered in the distance.
“But I do think the Black Fiend Squad matter was handled very well today.”
Then Geom Muguk smiled and said, “Do you understand why he is going on at such length?”
The three of them smiled together.
Geom Muguk returned the box containing the Sun-Moon Sword to Bi Sain.
“Here, take this.”
But Bi Sain uttered unexpected words.
“This is your gift.”
“A gift?”
“A commemorative gift for entering as the youngest of the Thirteen Apostles.”
Everyone present knew well how great the value of the Sun-Moon Sword was. A treasured sword that could not be easily obtained no matter how much money one had. Thus, they could also tell how grateful Bi Sain was to Geom Muguk.
“Tonight you will regret giving it away needlessly and be unable to sleep.”
“That may be so.”
“Are you still fine with that?”
Bi Sain nodded.
“Have I ever told you? Not because I gave you a gift, but your face—you look magnificent. The Fist Demon Master, the Demon Lord, and you. Three great figures who are grotesque and fearsome, yet more magnificent the more one looks upon them.”
“That is praise because you gave me a gift. Admit it.”
Geom Muguk hugged the box containing the Sun-Moon Sword happily. He was so happy that he truly felt he had given a good gift.
“Having received such a precious gift, I cannot simply stay still. From now on, boast about it. Spread rumors far and wide that the Demonic Cult’s Young Lord came and went as the youngest member of your Thirteen Apostles. Spread them to your heart’s content.”
The Thirteen Apostles had already experienced Geom Muguk and knew him well enough, so they took his banter as mere banter.
“If such rumors spread, will you not be chased out of the Young Lord’s position?”
To Bi Sain’s concern, Geom Muguk replied, “Then I will come find you, so accept me. Let us play together for the rest of our lives.”
Shaking off the absurd thought that he would truly like that, Bi Sain spoke to his subordinates.
“You heard how troublesome it would become, so none of you are to spread rumors.”
“Yes!”
A thunderous reply rang out.
Bi Sain spoke to the two of them. “I intend to return to the main alliance.”
It was time to root out those lurking within the Apostles Alliance.
Geom Muguk added, “Let me go as well.”
Since this matter was not merely the Apostles Alliance’s problem, Bi Sain nodded. If they were enemies scheming against the entire Murim, insisting on solving it alone out of pride was something only fools would do.
“I will gratefully accept your help.”
Now only Jin Hagun’s decision remained.
“I shall return to the Murim Alliance now.”
Truthfully, coming here dressed as one of the Thirteen Apostles had already been a tremendous strain. Moreover, he could not take the Demon Extermination Corps to the Apostles Alliance headquarters.
Bi Sain conveyed his gratitude to Jin Hagun.
“I am grateful.”
“Think nothing of it. Be more careful of that person than of your enemies.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
Geom Muguk, who had been listening, said, “At least pretend to whisper!”
And so, Jin Hagun left that place.
The martial artists of the Demon Extermination Corps, who had been hiding in the distance, revealed themselves and welcomed Jin Hagun.
Before leaving, Jin Hagun lined up on the ridgeline with his subordinates and watched the carriage rushing toward the Apostles Alliance in the distance.
The sunset, embodying Jin Hagun’s wish to go with them, dyed the world red and began to swiftly chase the receding carriage.
Absolute Regression — Episode 346