"Did he ask who I wouldn't be able to bear losing if they died?"
Jin Paecheon could not answer easily. It was not because he had never thought about it before.
Losing someone precious.
He was a man who had felt grief deeper than anyone else in the world because of this very matter. People try in some way to forget sad things, but how could one forget a child laid to rest in one’s heart?
That was why, throughout his life, worry had tormented him countless times.
What if he were to lose even his grandchildren?
How could Geom Mugeuk not know that heart?
Because they had once spoken openly about the death of Jin Paecheon’s son and daughter-in-law, he understood that heart better than anyone.
He knew his question would dredge up old wounds, but he had no choice.
Right now, they were facing treacherous enemies who sought only to find wounds and stab at them.
He knew all too well that it was a question far too inconsiderate of the Alliance Lord.
"Please just tell me the first person who comes to mind."
Jin Paecheon had no intention of answering. He had already said more than enough to this young cult leader today—things meant to be said and things best left unsaid.
"Do you truly believe their reason for coming is to kill my people?"
Geom Mugeuk nodded resolutely.
"Yes, that is what I believe."
"What is the reason for your certainty?"
"Because I cannot find any other reason."
He wished he could say, "Couldn’t it be for this reason?" but Jin Paecheon likewise could not find any other reason.
"I would rather they came to kill me or my brother."
But it was not so. If their goal had been to kill him, So Jeongrak’s movements would have been different from the start.
A name that had not come from Jin Paecheon came from Geom Mugeuk.
"Where is Young Miss Jin right now?"
The next moment!
A powerful aura burst forth from Jin Paecheon's body.
Swoooooosh!
The bamboo groves tilted all at once under Jin Paecheon's aura that extended in every direction.
Geom Mugeuk's hair and the hem of his clothes whipped violently, as if about to be blown away by a storm.
It was a terrifying aura, one that seemed ready to draw a blade and behead at any moment.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The guard warriors who sensed Jin Paecheon’s aura flew in and landed around him. The aura had extended even to those guarding outside the bamboo forest.
Jin Paecheon spoke to the guard warriors.
"Find Haryeong and bring her to the Alliance Lord's residence."
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Half of the guard warriors flew off and disappeared from the spot.
Jin Paecheon did not bother to determine whether Geom Mugeuk's words were true or not.
"Next will be Great Lord Jin."
Again, the truth of these words was a matter for later.
"Deliver word that the Devil Flame Lord and the White Bone Soul Demon may be targeting Great Lord Jin and the Demon Extermination Squad."
Another guard warrior flew off and disappeared from the spot.
Only then did Jin Paecheon dismiss the guard warriors to a distance.
Jin Paecheon withdrew his blade-sharp aura and asked.
"Does this now serve as an answer to your question?"
"Yes, it is more than sufficient."
Though outwardly calm, turbulent waves were surging in Jin Paecheon's heart. The thought that his grandchildren's safety hung in the balance made him feel as if fog were clouding his mind.
When the question of who he would be most unable to bear losing had come up, it was an order he should have given right then.
When Geom Mugeuk asked where Haryeong was, his senses had snapped into focus.
"There is one more thing I must tell you."
This too would be a great shock to the Alliance Lord. But it was something he absolutely had to know.
"Do you know So Jeongrak of the Myeongsim Medical Hall?"
When So Jeongrak was mentioned, Jin Paecheon’s gaze sank coldly. It was not a name that should have emerged in this messy quagmire of conspiracy.
"I know him well."
"What kind of person is he?"
Jin Paecheon grew uneasy. What was he trying to say now?
"Do not beat around the bush. State your business."
After Cheonae Geosa, now even So Jeongrak. The Alliance Lord's trust in him might fall further, but Geom Mugeuk had no choice.
"He too is one of the forces behind this. He is also a master of poison arts."
He had expected an explosive, violent reaction.
Jin Paecheon, who had been quietly staring into Geom Mugeuk's eyes, turned his head to look at the bamboo forest. His gaze was endlessly calm.
"You are not surprised."
"When my only friend may be the enemy, what is there to be more surprised about?"
Though he spoke thus, Jin Paecheon's heart was complicated.
So Jeongrak was a physician who did as much good as Cheonae Geosa. Jin Paecheon had praised him to people countless times and had met him several times.
And yet, he too was behind this?
It was so absurd that he could not even get angry.
The fog that had scattered under his aura began to fill the surroundings again. The area became shrouded in fog once more.
"Do you have proof?"
"I have the most certain proof."
"What is it?"
"It is me."
With an expression asking what he meant, Jin Paecheon turned his head to look at Geom Mugeuk.
"He personally poisoned me."
!
Where could there be more certain proof than this? If one sincerely trusted Geom Mugeuk.
But if not?
"Is that not the most uncertain proof?"
Because he knew what the Alliance Lord meant, Geom Mugeuk merely formed a faint smile.
"If you were poisoned, how are you so unharmed?"
Geom Mugeuk let out a light sigh.
"You may become very angry at what I am about to say."
Having laid that groundwork.
"The Poison King has come to Muhan."
It would be a continuous series of shocks for the Alliance Lord.
Cheonae Geosa, the Golden Demon Command, So Jeongrak, and the Poison King.
Huu.
The low breath Jin Paecheon exhaled reverberated around them. Geom Mugeuk could feel how hard the Alliance Lord was striving to govern his heart right now.
The Poison King's presence was a different matter from other demonic ones arriving here.
"There was a powerful poison applied to the forged memorandum. Because it concerned my brother, I asked the Poison King to protect him."
Geom Mugeuk bowed respectfully.
"I apologize for not informing you in advance."
Jin Paecheon asked in a cold tone.
"You said you trusted me. Why did you not tell me?"
Geom Mugeuk raised his head and looked at Jin Paecheon. It was the coldest gaze since they had met.
"After learning that Cheonae Geosa was behind this, I judged that I had to move cautiously. Until then, I could not leave the cult empty."
It was an excuse spoken truthfully, but Geom Mugeuk did not end with that.
"At the time, I thought that was the best course, but thinking on it now, I should have found a way to inform the Alliance Lord first. I am sorry."
Geom Mugeuk conveyed his true feelings exactly.
"To be honest, I was worried. The one behind this is someone who has been friends with the Alliance Lord for decades, and I feared that if I spoke rashly, I might ruin everything. In short, I could not trust you. I am not qualified to speak of trust to the Alliance Lord."
Jin Paecheon silently looked down at the back of Geom Mugeuk's bowed head.
How much time passed like that?
"I accept your apology."
"Thank you."
The matter of the Poison King was something he could have been furious about.
No matter the circumstances, it should never have happened for the Poison King to enter this place, Muhan, without his permission.
Nevertheless, there was a reason Jin Paecheon accepted the apology.
"Looking at the back of your mischievous-looking head, a thought suddenly came to me. What if everything you said is true? If you had not told me these things? Then I would have faced this matter knowing nothing at all."
A truly unwelcome line of imagination followed.
"My friend Hwa Geosa being the enemy, So Jeongrak being the enemy, and the old demon who broke the Golden Demon Command coming to kill Haryeong and Hagun—what if I had known nothing of this?"
Jin Paecheon felt a chill run down his spine even as he spoke.
Jin Paecheon asked with his eyes.
Is it all really true?
Then Geom Mugeuk, who had been serious throughout, smiled brightly and spoke.
"If I were the Alliance Lord, I would truly be happy. I would think, 'Heaven has granted me the opportunity to protect that which I cherish,' and I would have danced in the middle of Maga Village."
Geom Mugeuk pulled Jin Paecheon into that dance.
"So if I rescue Great Lord Jin and Young Miss Jin, will the Alliance Lord not dance?"
Though bewildered by the unexpected question, Jin Paecheon’s answer was decisive.
"I'll dance. If the children are safe, what can't I do?"
"Yes, it is the same for me. If everything I say is true, and thanks to that, we rescue Young Miss Jin and Great Lord Jin, then dance with me! That is a promise!"
Seeing Geom Mugeuk smiling broadly, he could not bring himself to say, "No, I didn't promise!" Perhaps because it was a matter of the children's lives.
"If my words turn out to be false, wouldn't it be the perfect opportunity to pull this dangerous friend from the demonic cult away from your grandson? So please, be happy. Whether I am right or wrong, it is a joyous occasion either way."
The gaze with which Jin Paecheon looked at Geom Mugeuk deepened.
Was it because of those clear, profound eyes? Or because of those unhesitating words?
Listening to Geom Mugeuk's words, they all sounded like the truth. They were so captivating that they swept even an old man like himself along.
"There is one last thing I must say."
At those words, Jin Paecheon made an incredulous expression.
"You've spoken so much, and there's still more?"
"It is something I must tell the Alliance Lord."
It was a matter concerning trust with Jin Paecheon.
"From now on, I will trust the Alliance Lord. Therefore, no matter what happens going forward, I will tell you everything so that no misunderstandings arise. Please watch."
The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult says he trusts the Murim Alliance Lord, asks him to watch, and asks him to dance together. Listening to him, he truly seemed like a man who would keep every word he uttered.
That was precisely why he had warned his grandson again and again to be careful of such a man.
And at that moment, Jin Paecheon thought inwardly,
'I should be careful myself.'
Geom Mugeuk bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
As he descended from the pavilion, Jin Paecheon spoke calmly from behind.
"Nevertheless...."
Geom Mugeuk stopped and turned to look at him.
"I hope your words are not all true."
Toward that gaze, half sincere and half in jest, Geom Mugeuk answered seriously.
"No, I hope all my words are true. If they are not... it means I am the enemy."
Geom Mugeuk let out a light sigh and added.
"Would that not be a problem in its own right?"
* * *
Geom Mugeuk, having returned to his quarters, summoned his brother and two demonic followers to one place.
"I told the Alliance Lord that Young Miss Jin and Great Lord Jin would be the targets, but there is one more person I have in mind."
Ma Bul read Geom Mugeuk's heart and named one person.
"Cheonae Geosa?"
Geom Mugeuk nodded with conviction.
"Yes, I believe he is the top priority."
The reason was easy enough to guess. If he died by the hands of the demonic ones, a great conflict would arise between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Murim Alliance.
"But why is he the top priority? The death of his own flesh and blood would seem to be a greater shock to the Alliance Lord."
Geom Mugeuk nodded at Geom Muyang's words.
"Yes, that shock would be incomparable."
"But why? Is it because Cheonae Geosa is more respected by the martial artists?"
"In that regard, the repercussions of Great Lord Jin's death would also be no small matter. Think about it—it was not just anyone, but the Demon Extermination Squad Leader, killed by our cult's martial artist. Judging by the symbolism, though it may not equal Cheonae Geosa, the righteous faction martial artists would rise up like wildfire at his death too. Besides, he is the Alliance Lord's grandson."
"Then why is Cheonae Geosa the top priority?"
This was the reason for Geom Mugeuk's judgment.
"Because of the Alliance Lord's justification."
Geom Mugeuk knew Jin Paecheon's personality well.
"Could the Alliance Lord truly start a war just because his own flesh and blood died?"
He was a man who had devoted his life to chivalry, righteousness, and the justice of Murim.
"He lived for the righteous faction martial artists. Could he drive them to their deaths just because his own flesh and blood died? With that noble character? It would be easier if it were a stranger."
On the other hand, if Cheonae Geosa died?
"A person respected by all righteous faction martial artists was killed by the hands of the demonic ones. If he endured this, he would be condemned instead."
Only then did everyone nod. If the goal was to divide the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the righteous faction, Cheonae Geosa indeed deserved to be the top priority.
However, there was this question.
"No matter what, would they sacrifice someone they raised for decades?"
Geom Mugeuk answered Geom Muyang's doubt.
"That is precisely why the significance would be so great. If the Demonic-Righteous Great War breaks out from the sacrifice of a single person."
Geom Mugeuk added another possibility.
"What if there is more than one death? If Cheonae Geosa dies and Young Miss Jin dies? If Cheonae Geosa dies and Great Lord Jin dies? Or if all three die? Not only would the Alliance Lord's rage be uncontainable, but no one would be able to stop the Demonic-Righteous Great War."
No matter how insane the demonic ones were, no expert would commit such deeds. But what about those who had nowhere to return?
Silence flowed for a moment.
Ma Bul, who had been listening to the brothers' conversation, asked.
"What are you going to do about it?"
Ma Bul did not know how fortunate it was that the target of this question was Geom Mugeuk. Because he himself had not been able to think the thoughts Geom Mugeuk had.
"We will have to handle them one by one."
Geom Mugeuk had already decided on the first target.
"Who in this place, Muhan, could possibly undo the prohibition of the Golden Demon Command?"
Then the Poison King answered curtly, as if there was nothing to consider.
"So Jeongrak."
Geom Mugeuk had thought the same. It was likely So Jeongrak who had performed the great cure to save the Fighting King when he was poisoned by the Poison King.
The Dark King had said so at the time. That he had performed the great cure several times to save him. Being able to perform the great cure meant he could also undo the prohibition of the Golden Demon Command.
Whether he did it alone or someone else was involved, it was certain that So Jeongrak was at the center of it.
"He dared challenge the Poison King, so let us deal with So Jeongrak first."
Though everything seemed separate, this matter was all organically intertwined. And if one of those threads were cut?
"If they truly cannot undo the prohibition of the Golden Demon Command, how will the two old demons react?"
Absolute Regression, Episode 644.