The Demon Extermination Squad raced ahead, and behind them followed the martial artists of Wuhan led by the One Sword Sect Master.
The One Sword Sect Master believed the demonic practitioners he was pursuing were the ones who had attacked Cheonae Geosa, and so he was desperate in the chase.
“We must not let them get away!”
At the shout from behind, Jin Hagun’s expression hardened. If it had only been Geom Muyang and Mabul, they would not have been able to catch up, but they had the Earth Battalion martial artists and even Gwak Yeong with them.
Because of that, they would not be able to shake off the pursuit so easily.
Just then, a fork in the road appeared ahead. One of the Demon Extermination Squad martial artists running at the front examined the ground and the surrounding grass and trees, then looked toward the left path. As the one most versed in tracking arts among the Demon Extermination Squad, he had discovered where Geom Muyang and his group had gone.
Soon after, the One Sword Sect Master and the Wuhan martial artists following behind arrived.
Jin Hagun urgently said to the One Sword Sect Master,
“From here, let us split up and pursue them! We will take the left path. Please take the right.”
“Squad Leader Jin, be careful!”
Fortunately, the One Sword Sect Master immediately led his martial artists and ran to the right. It seemed he never imagined that the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad was deliberately trying to shake him off.
Jin Hagun and the Demon Extermination Squad martial artists ran even faster than before. Until now, they had not been pursuing at full speed.
Once they ran like that, they could see Geom Muyang and his party running ahead. Just from this lightness skill alone, it was clear that there was a definite gap in ability between the Earth Battalion martial artists and the Demon Extermination Squad martial artists.
Mabul, who had been running, looked back.
After confirming that only the Demon Extermination Squad was chasing them, he slowed down, and the entire group came to a stop. The Earth Battalion martial artists, who had run without rest, panted for breath.
Geom Muyang set down Gwak Yeong, whom he had been carrying on his back.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Are you all right?”
No matter how uncomfortable it had been for her to be carried, how uncomfortable could it really have been? She was worried about Geom Muyang, who had carried her and run.
Geom Muyang nodded with an impassive face. His breathing was calm.
To think she had actually been carried on the back of the Demonic Cult’s eldest young master. Truly, no one would ever believe it.
Gwak Yeong expressed her sincere gratitude.
“Thank you so much.”
If the Demon Extermination Squad had not arrived right then, she would have added a joke.
Thank you for not abandoning me to the orthodox faction.
No, perhaps it was not a joke but her true feelings. Astonishingly, she felt more at ease being with these demonic practitioners.
The Demon Extermination Squad arrived behind them and stood guard over the surroundings, while Jin Hagun approached Geom Muyang.
Geom Muyang thanked him.
“Thank you.”
Geom Muyang knew well that Jin Hagun had controlled the speed of the pursuit, and that now he had shaken off the other martial artists to come meet him.
Jin Hagun also thanked him.
“Thank you for coming without killing anyone.”
In the process of escaping, they had gotten out without killing any of the orthodox faction people.
In truth, the one who had far more reason to be grateful in this situation was naturally Geom Muyang. Geom Muyang knew that Jin Hagun was overextending himself greatly right now.
If it became known in the murim that he was conversing with him like this, he would be embroiled in tremendous scandal. After all, the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad was holding a secret conversation with the eldest young master of the Demonic Cult. He had intentionally let the demonic practitioners he was chasing go free. He was staking his position as successor.
“By the way, how did you know to come to our residence?”
At Geom Muyang’s question, Jin Hagun shook his head.
“I do not know either. One of the One Sword Sect Master’s subordinates brought word of the location.”
Before he had even had time to ask what had happened, the One Sword Sect Master had led the martial artists and charged out.
“Do you think the One Sword Sect is in league with them?”
This, too, could not be said for certain. The One Sword Sect was an old sect in Wuhan.
And the reason the One Sword Sect Master was being so proactive was also because his arm had been cut off by a demonic practitioner. For that reason, they could not conclude from this situation alone that they were the organization behind everything.
“The martial artists of Wuhan are in an excited state right now. You must be careful.”
Jin Hagun hurriedly bid farewell. In a situation where the One Sword Sect Master might return to this place at any moment, they could not leisurely stand around and talk.
“If you circle around that ridge and descend, you can return to Wuhan again.”
Jin Hagun told him a path by which he could return to Wuhan without being seen.
Geom Muyang and Jin Hagun cupped their fists to each other.
“Thank you.”
“Let us meet again later.”
After respectfully greeting Mabul as well, Jin Hagun finally looked at Gwak Yeong. He did not say anything else to her. He merely nodded once, then led the Demon Extermination Squad away from that place.
Gwak Yeong could tell. It meant that he had not forgotten about saving her younger sibling, so she need not worry.
After he left, Geom Muyang looked at Mabul. At the look in his eyes asking what they should do now, Mabul calmly said,
“First, you should send that woman and your subordinates to a safe house.”
In a situation where the martial artists of Wuhan were searching for demonic practitioners with their eyes wide open, moving around with his subordinates and Gwak Yeong would pose too great a risk of drawing attention.
Until now, they had been staying in an ordinary hideout in Wuhan, but now he intended to send them to a secure safe house.
Geom Muyang said to Ho Myeong,
“Go to the safe house with Artisan Gwak.”
If Mabul had not come, Ho Myeong would have said he would remain behind even if he had to do so alone, but with a Demon Venerable protecting him, there was no need to worry.
Gwak Yeong was grateful to Geom Muyang for looking after her until the end. She was even more grateful that he had called her Artisan Gwak instead of that woman.
Yes, she believed this connection would work out well until the end. After all, it was a connection that had begun on a day when good iron had come in.
She did not tell him not to leave everything to the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad and to please take good care of her younger sibling.
After watching this man, she could tell that such words were unnecessary with him. If he saved someone, he would not boast of it, and if he failed, he would not outwardly apologize.
No other words were needed for someone like this. She bowed respectfully and said,
“Please be careful.”
And so Ho Myeong and the Earth Battalion martial artists took her and left for the safe house.
When Geom Muyang and Mabul circled around the ridge and stepped onto the road leading to Wuhan, a man appeared before them. He was a martial artist of Tongcheon Pavilion who had continued to deliver information to Geom Muyang.
“There is a message asking the two of you to meet immediately.”
“From whom?”
“It is an order from the Acting Cult Leader.”
Geom Muyang said to the martial artist,
“Tell him I cannot return right now.”
He had expected to be told to come back. But he had no intention of returning now. He was determined to resolve this matter no matter what.
“No, he did not say to meet at the main cult.”
“Then?”
From the mouth of the Tongcheon Pavilion martial artist came a place he truly could never have imagined.
“He said to meet at the tavern with the best atmosphere in Wuhan.”
Ah! It was definitely a message sent by his younger brother.
* * *
“Those female heroes over there are looking at us. Don’t look. Ah, do you see that woman in the pale pink martial attire on the other side? She has been looking at us—no, to be exact, at me—for a while now. As expected! This face works regardless of region! Regardless of age! It works everywhere.”
At that, the Poison King, who had been looking outside the tavern, replied indifferently.
“She must have been looking at me.”
“If it were anyone else, I might deny it, but I cannot. I will acknowledge half.”
The Poison King was still looking outside. The noisy tavern packed with customers was chaotic. Truly, if he had not come with Geom Mugeuk, there would never have been a moment in his life when he would sit in a tavern like this.
“You do not even like women.”
At the Poison King’s words, Geom Mugeuk said,
“What kind of misunderstanding is that! I do like women.”
The Poison King snorted.
“I really do like them, you know?”
Of course, Geom Mugeuk knew those words would not work. As long as he left the beautiful Ian alone, saying he liked women could never work.
Geom Mugeuk naturally changed the subject.
“You have never been to Wuhan, have you?”
The Poison King hated going outside. Naturally, Geom Mugeuk had assumed that such a man had never come before the headquarters of the Murim Alliance.
“I have.”
“When?”
“In the past.”
“With whom?”
At that, a truly unexpected person came up.
“With the Cult Leader.”
“Father?”
The Poison King nodded. His gaze was still directed outside.
“When?”
“When I had just ascended to the position of Demon Venerable.”
He had come to Wuhan with Father back then? It was truly something he had never imagined.
“Though it may not seem like it, our father is surprisingly diligent. What did you come for? Please tell me about that time.”
But the Poison King did not tell him.
Geom Mugeuk imagined his father and the Poison King walking down the streets of Wuhan.
Because he had thought his father looked upon the Poison King unfavorably, he had considered it a truly ill-fitting sight.
But when he actually imagined the two of them walking down that road, he thought that, unexpectedly, they might have suited each other. Then again, they were two people who had once dug up poisonous herbs together.
Just then, a group of martial artists ran past the front of the inn.
“Move aside!”
The people walking along the road stepped to either side.
“The Demonic Cult bastards have appeared!”
They probably looked like people joining in the chase after his elder brother. Martial artists who had been walking on the road blindly ran after them. Wuhan was gradually boiling over.
Rumors spread extremely quickly, and the enemies were using those rumors to pressure them. They were rumors stronger than blades.
At that moment, two people entered the tavern. They came in with bamboo hats pulled low over their faces; they were Geom Muyang and Mabul. Since their faces were not revealed, at a glance it looked as if he had come with his son.
As he sat down, Geom Muyang respectfully greeted the Poison King.
“You have come.”
“It has been a while.”
The Poison King nodded and accepted his greeting.
“On the way here, I also heard about Han Wolgaek from Mabul. Thank you for your concern.”
“Do not mind it.”
After exchanging greetings like that, Geom Muyang poured wine for Mabul seated beside him.
He did not greet Geom Mugeuk at all.
“Brother, I’m here too!”
With an expression that asked whether he was invisible, Geom Mugeuk waved his hand in front of Geom Muyang.
“I told you, I’m right here. Is your bamboo hat covering you so you can’t see this side?”
But Geom Muyang pretended not to see or hear him and emptied his cup.
Geom Mugeuk lowered his voice and said to his brother,
“How insolent! The Acting Cult Leader has graced you with his presence!”
At that, Geom Muyang looked around with an incredulous expression. He was worried someone might have heard.
“Even if I shouted that I was the Cult Leader, no one would care. It’s too noisy for them to hear anyway. And who would even imagine that we’d be here drinking?”
“Is that why you have your face so openly exposed?”
“There are four of us gathered here. If all four of us covered our faces, that would stand out more, wouldn’t it? If we are going to do this, the two handsome ones should show their faces.”
“Then you should have told us to meet somewhere discreet!”
He did not need to ask why his younger brother had come.
Since Cheonae Geosa had appeared, the cult must have been on edge as well.
What he was curious about was this.
“Did you run away from home or something?”
Advisor Sima would never have let him come.
“Run away? As if. I came with the advisor’s permission.”
There was no way he had granted permission easily. Geom Mugeuk must have persuaded him somehow.
In any case, the fact that he had ultimately sent Geom Mugeuk meant that Sima Myeong also regarded this matter as that serious.
“What in the world is going on?”
At his younger brother’s question, Geom Muyang emptied his wine cup and revealed his thoughts.
“I think they deliberately lured us into Wuhan.”
It was something he had also said to the Murim Alliance Leader. He had pursued the one who made the forged hidden weapon and ended up standing before the Alliance Leader. He was certain there was some intention behind it.
Seeing that his brother was properly reading the board, a faint smile formed at the corners of Geom Mugeuk’s mouth.
“Then this Wuhan has become one enormous trap.”
The eyes of the other two Demon Venerables sharpened. There was a great difference between coming here and getting dragged into a matter that had grown larger, and being deliberately lured in.
“Is that not why you came too?”
At Geom Muyang’s question, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned toward the Poison King.
“No. I came to see the Poison King. I wanted to give the women of Wuhan a feast for their eyes together with him.”
At that, the Poison King struck at the heart of the matter.
“You came to keep watch in case I caused trouble.”
Mabul, who was listening from the side, could not refute those words. There was certainly such a purpose.
Geom Mugeuk did not deny it either.
“You are the cult’s final bastion, so I should be beside you to stop you.”
Rather, he emphasized it even more.
“As you know, I am someone who even intends to stop Father’s unification of the murim. Do you think I would stand by and watch the murim be destroyed?”
At the words destruction of the murim, the Poison King’s expression changed subtly. Depending on how one heard it, those words could have been unpleasant, but the Poison King did not take them offensively.
As Geom Muyang listened, he could tell.
That, even if the meaning was the same, those words made the Poison King feel far better than saying, “The Poison King will handle it well on his own, so why stop him?”
They were words that naturally dissuaded the Poison King while putting him in a better mood. They sounded as if they had been tossed out lightly, but they had not been spoken carelessly at all.
“What will we do now?”
“I’m someone who’s only just arrived. You’re the one who should tell me what we’ll do from here, hyung.”
The situation was now frustratingly deadlocked.
In the past, relying on someone else in a situation like this would have wounded his pride terribly.
But Geom Muyang had changed enough to make such a joke now.
“I await the command of our august Acting Cult Leader.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled. He was so pleased by this change in his older brother. Hyung, you can change even more. You can keep changing.
“Then it seems the time has come for this Acting Cult Leader to step forward.”
Geom Mugeuk spoke calmly to his brother.
“Cheonae Geosa is a man who has lived frugally all his life. He hasn’t kept any subordinates of his own, either. But is he truly alone? When he’s someone playing such an important role?”
At that, Geom Muyang shook his head.
“There’s no way.”
Someone was surely guarding the area around him.
The Demon Buddha spoke cautiously to Geom Muyang.
“If so, it must be one of Wuhan’s sects.”
Then Geom Muyang pointed to one place.
“They said the One Sword Sect knew of our hideout.”
“They even pursued us.”
Just as the Demon Buddha was about to become certain it was them—
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“It won’t be. They’re in a position to freely use Wuhan’s orthodox sects. There’s no reason they would deliberately expose their own blade to us. They’ll use that blade at the very end.”
Hearing it, Geom Muyang and the Demon Buddha nodded, for it was true.
“Then it must be a sect among those following Cheonae Geosa, one that hasn’t stood out much.”
The Demon Buddha added to Geom Muyang’s conjecture.
“It would be a sect that established itself here in Wuhan around the same time as him.”
There would not be many sects that fit that description.
Geom Mugeuk admired the two of them.
“As expected, my brother and the Demon Buddha work perfectly in sync. Poison King, let us head back now. I think it will be more than enough to leave this place to these two.”
He had given the credit to them, but Geom Muyang and the Demon Buddha knew. They had reached this conclusion because Geom Mugeuk had been there with them.
“There is somewhere I must briefly visit.”
Geom Mugeuk looked toward the distant headquarters building of the Murim Alliance and added,
“When you come to a friend’s house to visit, you should greet the elders first.”
Absolute Regression, Chapter 637