The carriage raced vigorously toward the main compound of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Geom Mugeuk, Geukak Soma, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Lord, Ian, and Chairan rode in the lead carriage. Originally, they would have split between three carriages, but so many were injured that they had squeezed into one.
Geukak Soma and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Lord sat side by side, while Ian, Geom Mugeuk, and Chairan sat across from them.
Chairan was able to see an unexpected side of Geom Mugeuk on this carriage journey. It was the sight of him working.
From Eunwol, letters continuously arrived for him.
The missives that had ceased while fighting the enemy now resumed; with him free, the backlog of intelligence was reported to him. What had happened in which region, which master had died at whose hands, what transactions were being completed in the merchant caravans. Gowol was sending only the choicest information.
Fwoosh.
Each time he read a letter, he channeled his Scorching Yang energy and burned it. For contents requiring a reply, he immediately wrote a response and sent it off.
Sometimes he exchanged telepathic messages with Geukak Soma regarding intelligence. It was her first time seeing him work so seriously, and she couldn't quite adjust to it.
Moreover, she came to realize just how vast Geom Mugeuk's experience truly was.
"There's a place called Gwanho Banjeom in that village. It's an eatery run by brothers, and their fish dishes are truly exquisite. Next time you have the chance, you must try it. In the next village, there's a physician called Gu who is incredibly skilled. If you're injured around here, rush to that village."
But that wasn't all. He even knew every backroad and hidden corner.
"Rather than that road, if you turn left and take the lower path, you can get there much faster."
He even gave directions to the Faceless Guest driving the carriage in this manner.
"I'm truly envious of your sharp eyes for the road. My own sense of direction is so poor."
When the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Lord expressed her admiration, Geom Mugeuk spoke with a smile,
"Doesn't the Pavilion Lord see roads far more important than the ones I see?"
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Lord broke into a pleasant smile. Yes, there are people who make you want to strike up a conversation even if you only exchange a single word with them.
Before the sun set, Geom Mugeuk ordered the carriage to halt.
"Now, let's rest here today."
They were moving while avoiding villages whenever possible. With so many of them, they were bound to attract attention, so they intended to make their way back by camping, inconvenient as it may be.
Leaving a space in the center, they arranged the carriages in a circle, then turned the horses loose in the field to rest.
They lit a large bonfire in the center and prepared places to sleep. The Faceless Guests and assassins were all adept at everything, moving smoothly of their own accord without needing to be told.
"Now, tonight I shall show off my skills."
Geom Mugeuk rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. Chairan whispered to Ian with an expression that seemed to say, 'Surely the Young Cult Leader isn't good at cooking?'
"It's not going to be a dish we have to force down out of loyalty, is it?"
At Chairan's worry, Ian spoke highly of Geom Mugeuk's culinary skills.
"If you taste it, you'll find loyalty you never knew you had sprouting on its own."
Chairan thought it was an exaggeration. She knew Geom Mugeuk was talented in many ways, but she couldn't believe he was good at cooking as well.
The Faceless Guests and female assassins who had gone out to find provisions returned having hunted a wild boar and gathered vegetables and fruits.
Geom Mugeuk looked for help with the cooking.
"Now, someone who's cut meat and vegetables before, not just people!"
They merely glanced at one another and no one stepped forward. Volunteering to play assistant to the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was no trivial matter.
"Then it can't be helped. I shall choose just two people to assist me."
Geom Mugeuk chose one from the Faceless Guests and one from the assassins. Naturally, the two were the Crescent Moon Faceless Guest and Sipchilgyo.
"Now, you two, go wash those vegetables and trim them for me."
They could tell Geom Mugeuk had deliberately chosen them because the three of them had met at the pavilion.
Though they had laughed and chatted at the pavilion, they now began working without so much as glancing at each other.
Just then, a telepathic message from Chairan arrived.
—You're too tenacious.
—I must hear what they are talking about!
Chairan shook her head with an expression that said there was no stopping him.
However, Geom Mugeuk's fixation was merely talk; he focused on the cooking. There were far more than just one or two mouths to feed.
Geom Mugeuk began handling the wild boar.
Shhk, shhk, shhk!
His hands moved with blinding speed. In an instant, he trimmed the fur, split the belly, removed the entrails, and drained the blood. Geom Mugeuk was showing off his true skills for the first time in a long while.
After handling the meat, he began making a secret seasoning marinade.
Chairan learned for the first time that there was no seasoning absent from the Young Cult Leader's leather pouch.
He repeatedly coated the meat with the seasoning he had made.
"It should really be aged for the best flavor, but we haven't the time."
Geom Mugeuk stretched out his hand. The energy emanating from his hands enveloped the meat.
"Ah! So that precious martial art is being used to make the marinade seep into the meat."
Geom Mugeuk replied to Ian's jest, which sounded like a sigh.
"Since it's going into your mouths, it's being put to its most precious use."
Geom Mugeuk picked up a log that had fallen on the ground and addressed those around him.
"Now, now, prepare to applaud!"
Having drawn all eyes to himself, he tossed the log into the air.
Whoosh.
The Black Demon Sword was drawn with lightning speed.
In an instant, dozens of sword beams flashed, surrounding the log in the blink of an eye. Then, something showered down.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
What fell into Geom Mugeuk's hand was, amazingly, dozens of chopsticks.
It was a feat so effortlessly accomplished that one might think they could do it too.
But those who witnessed it firsthand stood with jaws dropped. They were people who would know that this was by no means a feat achievable by just anyone.
They had just watched chopsticks being made with a realm of mastery they might only see once in their entire lives.
Geom Mugeuk did not stop there. He scattered the chopsticks in every direction.
Swishhh.
The chopsticks flew like scattered hidden weapons, landing precisely before each person.
Chairan looked down at the chopstick held in her hand with a startled expression.
The chopsticks were uniform in size and thickness. They were so perfect that one could almost believe he had switched them for purchased goods after dazzling their eyes with sword light.
The Faceless Guests erupted in applause. The assassins joined in as well.
To their sincere admiration, Geom Mugeuk waved his hand with a boastful air, as if it were nothing.
And so ended Geom Mugeuk's cooking, which had been a rampant display of all sorts of secret techniques.
"Eat without feeling burdened. It's not an opportunity that comes often."
The Faceless Guests were one thing, but the assassins of the Gain Sect truly agreed with those words. When in their lives would they ever taste the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's cooking?
Amazingly, the food was truly delicious. Chairan felt she had never tasted such delicious meat, even at an inn.
But what truly surprised her was neither the exquisite taste of the meat nor the chopsticks he had made by hand.
Geom Mugeuk distributed the food he had made to each person separately. On large, cleanly washed leaves, he placed meat, rice, and vegetables and handed them out. Like a supply veteran dispatched to a battlefield, he served everyone and spoke. Chairan was surprised by what he said.
"I prepared them separately, thinking you are all people who prefer solitude."
It was his consideration, allowing them to take their meals and eat quietly wherever they pleased.
Chairan imagined. If she had been camping and eating with her subordinates?
She probably would have eaten the food her subordinates brought her. She would have eaten with the First or Second Elder. She wouldn't have given the other subordinates a second thought. She would have figured they would fend for themselves.
Yet Geom Mugeuk had even noticed what kind of people the Faceless Guests and assassins were. It was something she herself had never thought of, despite having been with them for so long.
"Hold on to those chopsticks. When I become the Cult Leader later, they'll fetch an incredible price."
After seeing to the Faceless Guests and assassins, he next prepared food for Chairan, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Lord, and Ian, before finally preparing food for himself and Geukak Soma.
"The three of you, please enjoy your meal. I will eat separately with Lord Soma."
And so, Geom Mugeuk and Geukak Soma flew to a distant hill and made their seats.
Once they were alone, Geukak Soma slowly removed his mask and rested it atop his head. He was mimicking what Geom Mugeuk often did when he wore a mask.
How could Geom Mugeuk forget to praise Soma's face once more?
"Should you ever find yourself cornered by a female enemy, use the strength of your final palm strike to tear off your mask. Then an opportunity to turn the tables will arise."
The Young Cult Leader's praise was always pleasant to hear, so Geukak Soma smiled radiantly.
The two ate together. Geom Mugeuk was overjoyed that Geukak Soma had removed his mask before him. He was so glad to share the joy of eating and drinking together with him.
When they finished their meal, Geukak Soma spoke the words he had been unable to say.
"When I stabbed at the Young Cult Leader's heart…."
The honest confession that followed.
"I was frightened."
Geom Mugeuk fell into thought in silence for a moment, then:
"I am sorry. I was not worried in the slightest."
"What if I had made a mistake?"
Having spoken, Geukak Soma put the mask he had rested on his head back on. At least during this hypothetical moment, he could not control his expression. He had not realized it when he stabbed, but afterward, that moment kept recurring in his mind.
Having sensed Geukak Soma's heart, Geom Mugeuk calmly conveyed his own feelings.
"I simply had this conviction. I may die at any time, but I will not die by Lord Soma's dagger. I may not know who will kill me, but at least it will not be Lord Soma. Isn't that obvious! Thinking so put my heart at ease."
Darkness began to settle around them. They could have lit a small campfire, but they did not.
They savored the darkness and silence. Geom Mugeuk, who laughed and chatted cheerfully in front of others, was now incomparably calm and quiet when alone with Geukak Soma.
Geukak Soma knew. He knew that this was Geom Mugeuk's true self. He might even be a more taciturn person than himself.
That was why he wanted to let him rest quietly, if only when they were together.
Geukak Soma did not speak a single word until they left.
* * *
The carriage was now one day away from the main compound of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Today, Geom Mugeuk prepared his final meal for them.
"Now, regrettably, my fantastic cooking ends today."
Everyone was disappointed, but one person was the most dismayed: Sipchilgyo, who had continued to assist with cooking alongside the Crescent Moon Faceless Guest since the first day.
Thanks to Geom Mugeuk, she had been able to make memories washing and trimming vegetables together with the Crescent Moon Faceless Guest.
'Thank you, Young Cult Leader.'
She was sincerely grateful for the Young Cult Leader's thoughtfulness.
Just then, Chairan approached Geom Mugeuk and asked,
"Aren't you tired?"
At her words, all eyes focused on her. She had spoken provocatively where all could see.
The entire journey, Geom Mugeuk had treated everyone with energy. He had cooked for them with his own hands and loosened the mood with jokes and banter.
The Faceless Guests had always liked the Young Cult Leader, but now it was evident the assassins felt goodwill as well.
"I've had no time to tire from the fun of scoring points with all of you."
If that had been an act to score points, they were witnessing the greatest actor in the Central Plains. No one considered it an act.
"And with my internal energy overflowing, what would tire me?"
After a brief pause, she asked,
"I meant, aren't you tired of people?"
It was not a question limited to this occasion.
She cherished her subordinates, but she had no faith in people, which was something else entirely.
Would anything change just because he fed them so sincerely? When the time came to betray, they would apologize even as they betrayed.
"Aren't I cheating?"
"What do you mean?"
"Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. I'm saying these seven characters are a shield that protects me. There are no situations that would be difficult or tiresome for me."
It was his way of saying he would never be worn down by people.
But Chairan knew. She knew those seven characters contained more than just a shield.
Within them was also the blade of desire—that wanted to dominate, to show off, to indulge. It was also the blade of a primal desire to reign through terror.
He did not swing it. Yes, perhaps the very reason she had come this far, that she was standing here having this conversation, was because he had never swung that blade even once.
He had used that blade to carve chopsticks.
Geom Mugeuk turned the question back with a deep look in his eyes.
"Aren't you tired?"
A faint sigh escaped Chairan's lips.
She straightened her back and looked up at the sky.
After gazing silently at the sky, she finally reached her decision.
"Until now, the bridge we crossed was a bridge of death. From now on, I shall build a new bridge to cross."
Chairan respectfully bowed to Geom Mugeuk.
"I, Chairan, dedicate this body to loyally serving the Young Cult Leader."
The female assassins lined up behind her all bowed as one.
"We shall loyally serve the Young Cult Leader."
On the way here, they had already decided to act according to Chairan's wishes.
Geom Mugeuk smiled radiantly and raised Chairan to her feet. His face was filled with joy.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Chairan looked at Ian standing before her. Her face, too, was filled with joy.
"Someone once said, 'When they reach out, hold that hand tight.'"
* * *
The next day, the carriage arrived at the main compound of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Chairan and the assassins were astonished by the overwhelming scale of the headquarters.
The carriage entering the headquarters came to a halt. Chairan and the assassins who disembarked were amazed by the sight before them.
There, all the Faceless Guests of the Valley of Villains had come out to wait. Having seen but ten Faceless Guests before, they were overwhelmed once more by the countless masks filling their vision.
No! In truth, Sipchilgyo was the most startled. She felt that if she were mixed in among them, she would never find the Crescent Moon Faceless Guest again.
At that moment, Chairan was looking elsewhere. Among the giant demonic statues erected around them, one caught her eye.
One demonic statue stood with its hand stretched forward.
Looking up at that giant demon's hand, Chairan could truly appreciate what kind of hand it was that she had grasped.
Beside her, Geom Mugeuk stood shoulder to shoulder with her, looking up at the demonic statue.
"Chairan, welcome home."