“Brother! I made it back alive!”
When Geom Mugeuk entered the room with a cheerful greeting, Geom Muyang was standing by the window.
Without turning around, Geom Muyang said,
“I heard everything.”
“What?”
“You bad-mouthing me.”
“I forgot to say that. My brother’s ears are so sharp he even hears people talking behind his back. So if you’re going to curse him, do it from far away.”
A faint smile formed on the lips of Geom Muyang, whose back was still turned.
Geom Mugeuk collapsed limply into a chair like laundry tossed over it.
“Ah, it’s finally over! Now, let’s rest for a while! I’m going to play, so don’t stop me! I’m going to play with my friends, play with the Demon Venerables, and play with Father too. I mean it! Schemes, masterminds, plots—don’t even bring them up! Brother, play with me!”
Geom Muyang turned back and looked Geom Mugeuk over.
“For someone who just finished a tremendous fight, you don’t have a single drop of blood on your clothes.”
“Refined people like us fight in a refined manner too.”
Just then, someone opened the door and entered, saying,
“Is that really why? Or is it because you had other people do the fighting while you stood behind them with your arms crossed, just watching?”
Geom Mugeuk’s face brightened. It was a welcome voice he had not heard in far too long.
“And of course, while others were fighting, I’m sure that mouth of yours didn’t stay idle.”
Geom Mugeuk sprang to his feet and turned around to see the Pungcheon Cult Leader and the Seophon Demon Venerable entering the room.
“I missed you so, so much, Cult Leader.”
Geom Mugeuk spread both arms and ran toward the Pungcheon Cult Leader. The Pungcheon Cult Leader used his footwork and deftly dodged aside.
“Don’t pretend you’re happy to see me. I know you’d completely forgotten all about me. Just now, when you saw my face, you thought: Who is that? Ah! It’s that cult leader from back then!”
Geom Mugeuk shouted,
“I am that Second Young Master from back then!”
As Geom Mugeuk charged at him again, the Pungcheon Cult Leader evaded once more with footwork.
“Enough! It’s disgusting!”
But contrary to his words, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s face was filled with delight. Joking and playing around so comfortably after so long felt as if something that had been blocking his chest had suddenly cleared away.
While he had been in the Pungcheon Cult beyond the borders, teaching that disciple of his, had there been anyone he could treat this casually? He had missed this moment.
Yes, this was the feeling. It was for this feeling that he had abandoned everything and come here.
To meet someone to whom he could freely convey his heart, and who would accept it all and correct him even if misunderstandings and mistakes arose in the process.
It would have been tremendous luck to have even one such person, yet he had two.
At that moment, another person entered the room and clicked his tongue.
“You fell completely for that little performance.”
The one who entered was Mabul.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader and Mabul greeted each other with their eyes. Their relationship had been good, then bad, and had now recovered to some extent.
“Wouldn’t a performance like that be worth falling for?”
Mabul could not say it was not.
After he finished greeting Geom Muyang and the Seophon Demon Venerable as well, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“What about the Poison King?”
“He went to his room.”
The Poison King would be in his room, spreading out the poisonous herbs he had gathered.
“I tried to bring that chief steward bastard back alive, but things didn’t work out.”
“You did well. He probably didn’t know anything anyway.”
Geom Mugeuk formally expressed his gratitude.
“Thanks to you, we were able to handle this matter easily. Thank you.”
“I didn’t come because of you.”
As he said that, Mabul looked at Geom Muyang.
Geom Mugeuk felt he now understood what sort of feeling Mabul’s unwavering loyalty toward his brother came from.
Mabul had lived a lonelier life than anyone since childhood. That was why he knew what loneliness was to a person.
Because he himself had shut himself away in a small cave, he must also know what sort of loneliness his brother felt after being pushed aside in the succession struggle.
“That’s all right. There are two people here who came for me.”
When Geom Mugeuk looked at the Pungcheon Cult Leader, he firmly shook his head.
“Sorry, but I came to see Strategist Go.”
“That’s too much!”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned toward the last remaining person, the Seophon Demon Venerable.
The Seophon Demon Venerable smiled. He had naturally expected her to say she had come because of him.
“I wanted to see my master after so long.”
Seophon, even you! Only when she saw that look in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes did she smile.
“I’m joking.”
There was no way the Pungcheon Cult Leader would miss such a fine opportunity.
“Joking? You didn’t come to see me?”
“No. I came to see you, Master.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader teased Geom Mugeuk.
“Life is something one must walk alone, after all.”
Geom Mugeuk walked to the window.
“Brother, let me borrow the window for a moment.”
Then he gazed outside, pretending to be lonely.
Watching that sight, the Seophon Demon Venerable felt it.
Geom Mugeuk’s back truly looked lonely.
It felt similar to when she had seen Geugak Soma standing alone on a rooftop.
Perhaps that was why the two of them got along the best, she suddenly thought.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader asked Geom Mugeuk,
“Where is Strategist Go?”
“I don’t know. Am I not a man who walks life alone?”
“Let Strategist Go walk with you.”
At those words, Geom Mugeuk turned around with a laugh.
“We agreed to meet at the main cult. He said he would take care of his work and come.”
The hidden contributor who had allowed this matter to be resolved smoothly was Go Wol. He had shared all of Eunwol’s information with Tongcheongak and relayed information to Geom Mugeuk.
“So he was still being overworked by a heartless leader.”
Geom Mugeuk did not deny it.
“That is why we need you, Cult Leader. No matter how much I tell him to slack off while working, he doesn’t listen to me.”
“Does that stubborn man listen to me?”
“Still, he listens to you better than he listens to me.”
After exchanging greetings with the Pungcheon Cult Leader like that, he looked at the Seophon Demon Venerable. He could feel that her aura had changed greatly from before. She was not the same woman she had once been.
“Thanks to you, we resolved this matter well. Thank you.”
The Seophon Demon Venerable thought Geom Mugeuk was truly meticulous. Every time he looked at a person, he did not forget to offer his thanks. Even after everything was over, he never overlooked something that could have simply been brushed aside.
“I believe it was possible because you were there, Young Cult Leader.”
She knew. The person who had overseen this entire affair and ultimately stopped every plot was Geom Mugeuk.
From the very beginning, she was someone who should not have been here in Wuhan. And was it only her? The Poison King, Mabul, the Pungcheon Cult Leader, the First Young Master, and even the successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were here.
The one who had made this possible was that Young Cult Leader. The future cult leader she would serve for the rest of her life.
At her words, Geom Mugeuk was delighted.
“As expected! The only one who recognizes my worth is the Seophon Demon Venerable!”
After the reunion, which was more like an uproar, came to an end, the Pungcheon Cult Leader casually asked,
“How was things on that side?”
What he was curious about was the strength of the Murim Alliance Leader.
“The Alliance Leader’s skill is no ordinary thing, is it?”
Since everyone was curious, they focused on Geom Mugeuk’s answer.
“I’ll have to tell Father to postpone the unification of murim.”
That meant he was that strong.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader immediately shook his head.
“Your father is even more frightening.”
“You haven’t fought either Father or the Murim Alliance Leader, have you?”
“Do I have to fight them to know? If I had to face the Alliance Leader, I’d start by worrying and thinking about how I should fight him. But if I had to face your father… Ah, I don’t even want to think about it. That’s exactly the difference.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader feared the Demon Cult Leader more than the Murim Alliance Leader.
“Now, let’s head back. We should go meet that poor strategist being overworked.”
The Demon Cult masters could not remain in Wuhan for long.
Then Geom Mugeuk sent him and the Demon Venerables back first.
“You all go on ahead. Brother and I have something to do here.”
When Geom Muyang looked as if to ask what he was planning now, Geom Mugeuk said,
“Soon, good news will come from the Murim Alliance.”
“What news?”
Geom Mugeuk smiled meaningfully.
“Since we’ve come all the way here, we should give proper congratulations before leaving.”
* * *
Jin Hagun returned to the Murim Alliance.
When the warriors of the Murim Alliance saw Jin Hagun and the warriors of the Demon-Extermination Unit drenched in blood, they respectfully cupped their fists in greeting.
Because they knew very well that the blood had been shed to protect innocent lives.
Recently, Jin Hagun had been making an effort to change himself. As a result, his relationship with the warriors of the Demon-Extermination Unit had deepened, and that change had transformed the Demon-Extermination Unit into an even stronger organization.
Naturally, the way people within the Murim Alliance looked at the Demon-Extermination Unit had changed as well.
After entering the inner compound, he dismissed his subordinates.
“Go treat your wounds and rest well! You truly worked hard.”
“You worked hard as well, Unit Leader!”
Thus Jin Hagun headed to the Alliance Leader’s Hall alone.
All the way back, he had thought of his grandfather.
He did not know what sort of battle had unfolded against Hwa Yulcheong, but considering the fight on their side, his grandfather’s battle must not have been easy either.
In particular, Jin Hyu had said he would take him hostage and use him to threaten his grandfather. What if his grandfather had been injured because of that?
That was why, this time, he trusted Geom Mugeuk even more. He believed that Geom Mugeuk would have protected his grandfather so that he would not waver.
Jin Hagun entered the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
Creeeak.
The moment the door opened, he instinctively sensed that the air inside was different.
Jin Hagun’s heart began to pound.
At the sight inside the Alliance Leader’s Hall, Jin Hagun’s heart sank.
The grand chair was empty.
If that had been all, he would have thought his grandfather had stepped out for a moment.
However, beneath the grand chair stood dozens of warriors lined up on both sides.
They were no ordinary warriors. They were the heads of the various organizations of the Murim Alliance.
First were the four elite organizations that represented the Murim Alliance.
The leaders of the Blue Dragon Corps, White Dragon Corps, White Tiger Corps, and Vermilion Bird Corps were standing there.
And not only them.
The pavilion masters of the Heavenly Wind Pavilion and the Secret Pavilion, elite organizations that moved in secrecy, were also there.
In addition, all the heads of the other organizations had gathered, including the commanders of the Iron Cavalry Unit and the Secret Shadow Unit.
And before them stood the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance, Jegal Hyeon.
Jin Hagun’s heart began to hammer wildly. He was even more surprised to see his younger sister, Jin Haryeong, standing there too.
‘No way.’
Had something happened to his grandfather?
His steps toward them quickened.
The leaders of the Murim Alliance lined up on both sides silently watched Jin Hagun.
When Jin Hagun arrived beneath the grand chair,
the door used by the Alliance Leader opened, and Jin Paecheon walked out from within.
The moment he saw his grandfather, Jin Hagun let out a sigh of relief. The brief time it had taken him to walk from the entrance to this spot had been the most nerve-racking moment of his life.
“Alliance Leader!”
Jin Hagun looked at Jin Paecheon with trembling eyes.
Seeing him safe and sound, one person’s face came to mind.
‘Thank you, Mugeuk.’
This time, you may boast to your heart’s content. I will accept it all.
Jin Hagun bowed respectfully with proper etiquette.
“Jin Hagun, leader of the Demon-Extermination Unit, has returned after carrying out his mission.”
Jin Paecheon silently looked down at his grandson. At the gaze and atmosphere different from usual, Jin Hagun grew tense. His grandfather was safe, so why had everyone gathered like this?
At last, astonishing words flowed from Jin Paecheon’s mouth. Jin Paecheon was not a man who postponed something once he had made up his mind.
“From this moment onward, I designate Jin Hagun, leader of the Demon-Extermination Unit, as the next Murim Alliance Leader!”
Because it was something he had never expected, Jin Hagun’s eyes widened.
What his grandfather had just said meant that he would make him the official successor to the position of Alliance Leader.
As the moment he had longed for so dearly arrived without any warning, he was both shocked and flustered.
Jin Haryeong sent a voice transmission to her elder brother.
—What are you doing, Brother!
Only then did Jin Hagun come to his senses. He bowed and shouted,
“Jin Hagun, leader of the Demon-Extermination Unit, will uphold this solemn command, protect the Alliance, uphold righteousness and chivalry, and continue to defend justice.”
Then the leaders gathered there shouted in unison,
“The Way of Righteous Chivalry! The Orthodox Path Under Heaven!”
Their resounding voices rang out, filled with spirit.
Jin Hagun was happy. So happy. He could not say how much he had wished for this moment. Since childhood, it had been his dream to succeed his grandfather and become the Murim Alliance Leader.
Originally, the position of Murim Alliance Leader was not something that could be inherited, nor could the previous Murim Alliance Leader decide it arbitrarily on his own.
According to the established laws of the Alliance, the nominated candidate could become the successor only if more than eighty percent of the Murim Alliance’s leaders, including the Chief Strategist, approved. Whether they had voted in favor or against was kept strictly confidential, so the selection process was extremely rigorous.
Jin Paecheon’s decision to postpone the selection of his successor had, in the end, been a wise one. In the meantime, Jin Hagun had steadily built up his fame and reputation while serving as commander of the Demon Extermination Unit.
Moreover, in the course of carrying out acts of righteousness, even his character had come to be acknowledged.
That was why everyone had already made up their minds.
“Unit Leader Jin, please ascend.”
At Chief Strategist Jegal Hyeon’s words, Jin Hagun climbed the steps and stood beside Jin Paecheon.
The assembled leaders all offered their respects at once.
“We greet the next Alliance Leader!”
Jin Hagun, too, returned their courtesy with a bow.
“I sincerely thank you for looking so favorably upon someone as lacking as myself.”
Jin Haryeong also offered her congratulations. Under ordinary circumstances, she too should have shown formal respect, but in this moment, she wanted to congratulate him as his younger sister. She knew better than anyone how long her elder brother had looked forward to this day.
“Congratulations, Orabeoni!”
Jin Hagun looked at her and smiled brightly.
The leaders each offered their congratulations. Jin Hagun descended and greeted them one by one, expressing his gratitude.
With this, the three successors of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions had been decided. Soon, an official announcement would be made, and all of murim would come to know of it.
A grand festival would be held at the Murim Alliance.
* * *
After everyone had withdrawn, only Jin Paecheon and Jin Hagun remained in the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
“Hagun, there is something I must tell you.”
“I will engrave it deep in my heart.”
He thought his grandfather would speak of the sense of duty and attitude an Alliance Leader must possess, and of Geom Mugeuk and the peace of murim.
But his grandfather brought up something he had never expected.
“There was a part of me that hoped you would not sit in this seat. Half of my heart felt that way.”
For the first time, Jin Paecheon spoke honestly of how he felt about the position of Alliance Leader.
“This is a seat that comes with an unbearably heavy responsibility. It is a seat where one must restrain one’s desires to the utmost, and carry the burden of protecting countless lives. Even when something is not your fault, the responsibility will come flying to you, and every manner of resentment will be yours to bear.”
Jin Paecheon conveyed his feelings to his grandson with all the affection in his heart.
“It may seem exciting and wonderful, but that lasts only a day or two. You must live your whole life conscious of others’ gazes. You must mind yourself even when you eat, and you cannot even curse to your heart’s content. Because of all the tangled relationships, you cannot even show that you hate someone you hate.”
Then came a startling confession.
“There were many times I wanted to run away.”
Jin Hagun could hardly believe that his grandfather had ever thought such a thing.
“Those people who congratulated you earlier—if you offered them this seat, more of them would run away than accept it. The more one knows about this position, the more one would flee from it. It is not a seat to covet.”
Jin Hagun understood what he meant. Even the position of commander of the Demon Extermination Unit was unbearably difficult at times; how much more so must the seat of Alliance Leader be?
“Do you know how I endured it?”
“How did you endure it?”
Jin Paecheon’s gaze grew intense.
“With strength.”
Jin Paecheon did not intend merely to give his grandson this arduous and difficult position. He would also give him the power to protect it.
“I will transmit the Imperial Sword Style to you!”