The chief steward of Muso Manor, Ju Somyeong, was racing down the mountain road, fleeing Wuhan.
―If the Black Pearl breaks, it means I’m dead.
After Hwa Yulcheong had gone out to fight a great battle that would change his fate, the sacred Black Pearl had shattered.
He had never dreamed that the leader, Hwa Yulcheong, would be defeated. If his identity had been exposed, then it would only be a matter of time before the fact that Ju Somyeong had been his subordinate was revealed as well.
‘That damned young master of the Demon Cult!’
Everything was the fault of the young master of the Demon Cult.
When he had failed to sense the young master’s presence in the corridor of their residence, and when Hwa Yulcheong had told him that the young master knew about him—that had been his chance.
He should have urged Hwa Yulcheong to leave Wuhan first and return after the young master had departed. The problem was that he had trusted Hwa Yulcheong’s abilities too much.
‘I’ll kill him no matter what!’
Ju Somyeong vowed to avenge Hwa Yulcheong. He intended to strongly report to the organization that the young master of the Demon Cult had to be killed first.
Even as he ran along the deserted forest path, he kept watch on his surroundings.
Considering the recent circumstances, the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Church must have spread their surveillance networks like spiderwebs.
If the two sides happened to exchange information, it would be impossible for anyone to escape Wuhan. He could only pray that such a situation had not come to pass.
As he ran, he suddenly stopped.
Ahead, he saw two people gathering herbs. They possessed appearances that immediately drew the eye.
The older one was extremely short, while the younger one was an exceptionally handsome boy with a pouch for herbs hanging from his waist.
Their appearances were so conspicuous that Ju Somyeong flinched, but they were definitely herb gatherers.
They paid him no attention whatsoever, gazing only at the herbs in wonder.
“To think we would find a Netherblood Herb in a place like this! How remarkable.”
“Wuhan truly seems to be a treasury of poisonous herbs.”
“It is not a treasury open to just anyone.”
“We were simply lucky. Come, dig it up.”
“Are you sure?”
Perhaps there was some pleasure in digging up herbs. When the short man yielded the task to him, the young man beamed with delight.
Watching them, Ju Somyeong veered to the side and darted into the forest. Their appearances were unusual, but they looked like genuine herb gatherers.
There was no need to confront them. If they had turned their heads and seen him, he would have killed them on the spot. They might have alerted those tracking him that he had escaped along this route.
But they were completely absorbed in gathering herbs.
‘Consider yourselves lucky that this saved your lives.’
He detoured around the path and was making his way out of the dense forest when—
He heard voices again.
“There’s another one here!”
“This time, it’s an Everlasting Flower!”
The Everlasting Flower was a poisonous herb as precious as the Netherblood Herb.
The two men were delighted, but Ju Somyeong’s expression stiffened completely.
He had clearly come from a different direction than they had. Had these skilled herb gatherers made their way here while cutting through the forest?
With a sense of foreboding, Ju Somyeong turned around and ran back the way he had come.
When he branched off onto a completely different path and continued running, a chill crept up his spine.
They were there again, ahead of him.
At this point, how could Ju Somyeong fail to understand what was happening?
‘Masters!’
They were true masters, people whose identities as martial artists could not be recognized simply by looking at them.
Of course, they were the Poison King and the Demon Buddha.
“Is this really necessary?”
In response to the Poison King’s question, the Demon Buddha looked at Ju Somyeong and answered,
“Wouldn’t it be all right to give him one chance, at least?”
“He looks rather stubborn.”
Ju Somyeong understood. Those words were referring to him.
There was no need to exchange blows to know the difference in martial arts.
‘In that case?’
Without hesitation, Ju Somyeong pulled something from inside his robe.
What he drew and pressed against his own head was a counterfeit hidden weapon called the Piercing Fang. It was the very same Piercing Fang that had been used when Hwa Yulcheong had pretended to be ambushed.
“There’s nothing you can learn from me.”
The hand holding the Piercing Fang trembled. Now that he realized he might actually die, he was afraid.
The Poison King and the Demon Buddha, on the other hand, merely stared at him blankly.
The first to speak was the Demon Buddha.
“That thing is going to hurt.”
The Demon Buddha gestured for him to aim a little lower.
“The bone there is the hardest. If it gets lodged instead of piercing through in one go, you’ll die after experiencing the pain of your skull melting down.”
The Poison King, who had been listening, added a word.
“The poison is cheap, too, so it’ll hurt even more.”
From their words, Ju Somyeong realized that his opponents were masters of the Demon Cult.
“You damned Demon Cult bastards! Do you think I’ll be frightened and obediently confess just because you threaten me with some bullshit like that? Take one step closer and I’ll pull the trigger!”
Silence descended for a moment.
The Demon Buddha and the Poison King no longer paid him any attention.
“Let’s take that ridge when we head down.”
The direction the Demon Buddha indicated was one they had yet to explore, and the Poison King’s face brightened.
“Sounds good.”
The two of them then left the area.
Left alone, Ju Somyeong was bewildered.
‘They’re letting me live? Really?’
But before long, he understood their intention.
‘These bastards! They’re planning to follow me and find out where our base is.’
It was a tactic that showed they knew far too little about him.
‘What idiots! Do they think I’ll obediently return just because I’ve fallen for such a shallow trick?’
They also knew far too little about the organization. Ju Somyeong himself did not know where it was, either. He merely left word so that he could submit reports.
But there was something he did not know.
He knew far too little about his opponents.
His feet would not move.
‘Why?’
Why wouldn’t his body move?
That was the last thought Ju Somyeong had while he was still alive.
Sluuurp.
In an instant, his body melted away.
He felt no pain, and not even a trace remained.
* * *
The carriage arrived at the residence where Geom Muyang had been staying.
Gwak Ju climbed down from the carriage with a flushed face. His heart pounded at the thought that he would finally be able to see his sister.
Jin Hagun did not enter. Instead, he sent a subordinate to announce his arrival.
A short while later, Geom Muyang came outside.
“Why don’t you come in?”
“My role ends here.”
Jin Hagun did not think that he had been the one to save Gwak Ju. Not because the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable had helped him.
“This man was saved by the Grand Young Master.”
Jin Hagun knew that it could not have been easy for Geom Muyang to entrust him with the task of saving Gwak Ju.
That proud man had lowered his pride and asked for his help because there was a greater chance of saving Gwak Ju if the Extermination Demon Unit took action.
That was likely the moment Gwak Ju had been saved.
It was something he would never have considered in the past. But he had changed after meeting Geom Mugeuk. As he tried to see people as they truly were, he had come to understand Geom Muyang a little more deeply as well.
He now knew that sometimes quietly enduring something could be more difficult than stepping forward to fight.
Geom Muyang examined Jin Hagun and the other martial artists of the Extermination Demon Unit. Their martial uniforms were soaked in blood, making it clear how hard they had fought.
What more needed to be said?
“Thank you. I will certainly repay this debt someday.”
The two men looked at each other and nodded once. That was enough. Their relationship would be different from before because of this incident.
Jin Hagun left immediately.
He wanted to see his grandfather as soon as possible.
When Gwak Ju entered, his sister Gwak Yeong was waiting inside.
She had originally been at the Heavenly Demon Divine Church’s safehouse in Wuhan, but after receiving Jin Hagun’s message that her younger brother had been rescued, she had come straight here to bring him back.
“Noona!”
His emotions surged to such an extent that he wondered whether he had ever been so happy to see his sister in his entire life.
Gwak Ju ran toward Gwak Yeong.
“You’re so disgusting. What’s gotten into you?”
Gwak Yeong evaded his embrace. Yet her face wore a broad smile.
Gwak Ju first said the words he had resolved to tell her when they met.
“I’m fine, Noona. Nothing happened to me.”
So you can be all right, too.
Gwak Yeong’s eyes reddened at his words. She had been pretending that everything was fine, but no one could know how worried she had been about her younger brother. To save him, she had even abandoned the honor of being the youngest master artisan of the Martial Alliance’s Forge Hall.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding!”
“It’s not my blood. The Extermination Demon Unit Leader saved me.”
He would never forget how the man had looked after him until the very end.
“Where is the unit leader?”
“He left ahead of us.”
Gwak Yeong looked disappointed. She had wanted to at least thank the leader of the Extermination Demon Unit.
That was also why Jin Hagun had left without coming inside.
He wanted her to offer all her thanks to Geom Muyang, so that Geom Muyang’s efforts to save her would not be overshadowed.
Gwak Yeong walked over to Geom Muyang.
She knew that all of this had begun with the meeting between herself and this Grand Young Master.
After all, it had started when he tracked down the counterfeit hidden weapons she had made.
Gwak Yeong bowed her head to Geom Muyang.
“Thank you.”
Geom Muyang attributed the credit to Jin Hagun, who was not present.
“The Extermination Demon Unit Leader saved your brother, so there is no need to thank me.”
Gwak Yeong knew that if not for Geom Muyang in the first place, her brother could never have been saved. She, too, would have been used by those people until they eventually killed her.
“Now, return to the Martial Alliance with your brother.”
At Geom Muyang’s words, Gwak Yeong revealed her decision.
“I’ll follow you to the Divine Church, too.”
Gwak Ju was startled by his sister’s unexpected declaration. Geom Muyang, however, was not surprised.
“I promised, didn’t I? I said I would make weapons for you.”
Geom Muyang spoke to her.
“There’s no need. It’s all in the past.”
“Please let me keep my promise.”
She had already made up her mind.
Gwak Yeong spoke to Gwak Ju, who was merely standing beside her and watching.
“Why aren’t you trying to stop me?”
He should at least know that this place was a den of demonic practitioners. Yet her younger brother only stood there watching.
“Noona, you’ve always made the right choice.”
“You have to come with me, too.”
Even though she was saying that he would be joining the Demon Cult, Gwak Ju was not surprised.
“If you’re going, then I have to go, too.”
He could not send his sister alone to such a dangerous place.
Gwak Yeong’s eyes trembled as she looked at her brother.
“Hey, you!”
“Yeah, you’re grateful, aren’t you? Where could you find another younger brother like me? I don’t even resent you for being kidnapped because of me, and I came out of it strong and well. Right?”
Gwak Ju had inherited his sister’s cheerful personality.
Gwak Yeong spoke to Geom Muyang again.
“Please take both of us with you. We’ll take care of our own livelihood. We won’t be a burden.”
Geom Muyang gave her one final chance.
“When war breaks out, the weapons you make will kill people you know.”
Gwak Yeong had already steeled her heart.
“Then I’ll have to go to the Demon Cult and make lots of acquaintances.”
At her words, Geom Muyang gave her an incredulous look.
“To be honest, I’m looking for a way to survive.”
She conveyed her honest feelings.
“I abandoned the honor of being a Forge Hall master and made counterfeit weapons.”
“Your brother had been kidnapped. The Martial Alliance will understand.”
“Even so, I won’t be able to become a Forge Hall master of the Martial Alliance again.”
She was probably right. No matter that she had done it for her brother, the Martial Alliance would not take someone who had made counterfeit hidden weapons back as a Forge Hall master.
“I can’t spend my life making weapons for the Martial Alliance’s elite and then go make hoes in the marketplace. I’m holding on to this for my own survival. If you’re going to curse me as a selfish bitch, I was even prepared to grab on to your trouser leg.”
Geom Muyang could tell that her resolve was firm.
“You may have to start from the beginning.”
“I don’t think so. My skills are far too exceptional for that.”
As she said this, she smiled slyly. Beside her, Gwak Ju clasped his hands together and bowed his head with an expression that seemed to apologize for his sister’s shamelessness.
“The Forge Hall of the Divine Church will be even more difficult for a woman to endure.”
“You’ve never worked there, have you? Men and women, masters and newcomers—all of them have a hard time there. No one has enough energy left to torment other people.”
Geom Muyang’s deliberation was brief. Their bond ran deep enough that he could accept her.
“If you make shoddy weapons, you’ll be punished by me.”
With those words, Geom Muyang turned around.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Without looking back, Geom Muyang entered the building.
Only then did Gwak Yeong let out a sigh. It was a sigh filled with both relief at having gained permission and anxiety about her new life.
Once they were alone, Gwak Ju asked her,
“I’ll follow you because it’s your decision, but…”
Gwak Ju’s gaze turned toward Geom Muyang.
“Who is that person you’re saying you’ll follow?”
Judging by the aura he gave off, he did not seem like an ordinary person.
How should she explain this so that her little brother would not be startled?
“If you’re wondering who that person is…”
Just as she was cautiously beginning to explain, someone spoke from behind them.
“He’s my older brother.”
When Gwak Yeong and Gwak Ju turned around in surprise, Geom Mugeuk was walking toward them.
Gwak Yeong blinked for a moment.
‘The eldest young master’s younger brother?’
Her eyes widened. She already knew that the Second Young Master was the successor to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Before the stunned Gwak Yeong could say anything, Geom Mugeuk put an arm around Gwak Ju’s shoulders and acted like a friend tattling on someone.
“My brother looks respectable on the outside, right? But he’s got a foul temper and is full of wicked ambition. He’s especially harsh on his younger siblings. So when you go to the Main Cult, make sure you protect your older sister from my brother! Got it?”
After saying only what he wanted to say, Geom Mugeuk went inside. Gwak Yeong could only stand there blankly, never getting the chance to properly greet him.
Gwak Ju asked his sister again.
“What was that? He just said whatever he wanted and…”
“Shh! Be quiet! Shut up!”
His sister’s hand trembled as she desperately clapped it over his mouth. Just who was that person to make her this nervous?
“Who was he?”
Another person appeared just then.
“Who else? A good-for-nothing younger brother who badmouths his older brother behind his back.”
The person who had appeared was, at the very least, in no position to scold anyone for badmouthing others behind their backs.
He was none other than the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“Is that all? If there’s anything valuable, he snatches it all away, makes his subordinates go through hell while he folds his arms and watches. He’s a vicious leader. So you make sure to protect your sister from that man! He’s the more dangerous one!”
Gwak Ju had personally seen just how formidable the Pungcheon Cult Leader was. The sight of him riding up the waves and flying to their very crest was still vivid in his mind.
Frozen stiff, Gwak Ju answered loudly.
“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”
Following the Pungcheon Cult Leader inside was the Soul-Subduing Demon Venerable.
Gwak Ju bent so deeply that his waist nearly touched the ground. When he continued bowing until they entered the building, Gwak Yeong also bowed alongside him and asked her little brother,
“Who was that person?”
Gwak Ju answered in a trembling voice.
“That person is…”
Another person appeared just then.
“A fool.”
Someone perfectly suited to their lowered gazes passed by. It was none other than Mabul.
“The greatest fool in all the world. Because he was too good-natured, he let people take everything from him, even his liver and gallbladder, and he threw away all wealth and glory to come here.”
As the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s friend, he was in a position to say such things.
Mabul strode into the building.
Gwak Ju asked with a startled expression,
“Who’s that person now?”
Someone answered his question.
At last, the Poison King passed by them and said casually,
“They’re all crazy.”
Seeing Gwak Ju’s startled expression, the Poison King added,
“So you protect your sister.”
And with that, even the Poison King entered the building.
Gwak Ju blinked as he tried to sort out everything that had happened in the blink of an eye.
“So, to sum it up: the person my sister wants to follow has a younger brother who badmouths his older brother behind his back. Right? But then there’s a terrifying master who badmouths that younger brother again. He’s the person who saved me. Yet there’s also someone who calls that fearsome person a fool. And all of these people are crazy. Did I hear everything correctly?”
Just as Gwak Yeong was nodding, dark clouds gathered as if it were about to rain again, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Sis, where are we going?”