When Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong came out of Nam Dojong, their surroundings had grown dark.
Seo Daeryong, who had been walking lost in thought, looked as though he had something troubling him.
“Now that you’re actually getting married, all sorts of worries are cropping up, aren’t they?”
“My youngest sister-in-law once subtly mentioned something like that before.”
Seo Daeryong was now calling Danyeon—whom he had previously addressed as his elder brother’s wife—even more comfortably “youngest sister-in-law” than before.
“She said her sister was feeling burdened about holding the wedding ceremony.”
Geom Mugeuk could understand that feeling. She didn’t know anyone here, and her only family was her two younger siblings.
“She said she herself wasn’t ashamed of having no wedding guests, but she was worried it might somehow be a burden to me. Back then, I just laughed it off, saying I had neither friends nor family either.”
But even so, Seo Daeryong had I-an and Jang Ho, as well as investigators and enforcement martial artists. With just them, the groom’s side would have no shortage of guests.
“I will resolve the issue of guests for Miss Danyeon.”
“Would you really do that?”
When Geom Mugeuk nodded, Seo Daeryong’s face brightened brilliantly.
“When talk of marriage really gets going, you might get hurt over nothing. Be careful with your words, no matter what.”
“Yes!”
“Then, see you tomorrow.”
“I will see you tomorrow!”
Watching the back of Seo Daeryong running off excitedly, Geom Mugeuk smiled.
That’s right. Marriage is something you should do blissfully while it’s this good, without overthinking.
Geom Mugeuk moved his feet again. The place he headed toward was not his own residence, but Magachon.
* * *
The lights of Pungnyu Tavern had gone out.
Jo Chunbae was alone cleaning up the empty tavern, the waitstaff having already returned home.
Just then, an all too welcome voice came from outside.
“Innkeeper.”
The moment he heard that voice, Jo Chunbae shouted and ran outside.
“Young Cult Leader!”
But he had come out in too much of a hurry and tripped on the threshold.
“Oops!”
At the moment he was about to tumble forward and crash to the ground, he stopped in mid-air.
A gentle energy supported him.
He flew through the air as if riding a soft cloud and landed before Geom Mugeuk.
“I was just so overjoyed! Thank you, Young Cult Leader!”
“Our innkeeper must now be more careful of tripping than of a flying sword.”
The two looked at each other and smiled brightly.
Jo Chunbae was so delighted to see him that one wondered what he would have done if Geom Mugeuk had not come. When Geom Mugeuk had returned last time after leaving the cult, he had been too busy to see Jo Chunbae, so this was quite a reunion after a long while.
“Have you been well?”
“I’ve been well thanks to you. Our Young Cult Leader has become even more dashing and impressive.”
“If only the women of the world had eyes like our innkeeper.”
After exchanging such greetings, the two went inside. Though business had already ended, Jo Chunbae rolled up his sleeves.
“How many will be coming? I shall prepare the food in advance.”
“There is no one to meet. I just came because I wanted to have a drink with the innkeeper.”
In that moment, Jo Chunbae’s heart welled up with emotion. Who was he but a mere old tavern keeper? He was truly grateful to Geom Mugeuk for not forgetting him and seeking him out like this.
“I need no side dishes. Let us just have a drink.”
Geom Mugeuk went up to the upper floor. The seat he always sat in was spotless, without a speck of dust. Even if no guests were received there, one could tell how much Jo Chunbae cared for that spot.
Jo Chunbae brought out liquor and simple side dishes.
“Here, innkeeper. First, receive a drink from me.”
As always, Jo Chunbae received the drink with gratitude and respectfully poured the liquor.
“Now, let us drink.”
After toasting, the two emptied their cups. Jo Chunbae turned and downed his.
“Did the matter you went out for go well?”
At Jo Chunbae’s question, Geom Mugeuk looked back at the characters written on the wall and spoke.
“I went and rescued one of those who left words there.”
“Oh my!”
Jo Chunbae shook his head with a surprised face, saying it was something he could not even imagine.
“Was there nothing out of the ordinary at Magachon?”
“With so many people living crowded together, there are always matters.”
“Tell me some stories.”
Jo Chunbae told him this and that. A child was born at some merchant’s house, someone else had injured their leg, and someone else had moved away.
Even as a conspiracy to kill the Evil Sect Leader was underway, their lives continued. Even if another conspiracy unfolded tomorrow, even if the Great Demonic War broke out, Jo Chunbae would open the doors of Pungnyu Tavern in the morning.
Only then did Geom Mugeuk truly feel that he had returned home. When he set aside the ambition for Greater Achievement that had clouded his eyes, Jo Chunbae’s figure came into clear view.
“You know the person selling dolls up ahead, don’t you?”
“Of course I know.”
“A new Eldest Young Master doll has come out.”
“Ah! So it’s finally out.”
Jo Chunbae ran over to the counter and brought back a small box.
“I bought it in case you came by, to give to you, Young Cult Leader.”
Geom Mugeuk opened the box. The sullen face was unmistakably his elder brother.
Geom Mugeuk recalled the dolls displayed in his father’s room. Perhaps this doll was already standing on his father’s display shelf.
“Come to think of it, innkeeper, you didn’t buy my doll, only my brother’s.”
As if he had expected this.
“I already bought three of yours, Young Cult Leader. I have one at home, and I sent one to my hometown.”
After chatting about this and that, Jo Chunbae went down to the first floor, telling him to drink comfortably alone. He had declined to drink, saying he made mistakes when he drank on days like this, so Geom Mugeuk did not force him. He had only the first cup, exactly one cup.
Thus, as Geom Mugeuk drank alone, he looked down at the first floor.
Jo Chunbae sat at the counter bathed in moonlight, gazing out the window.
Suddenly, the image of Hyeolcheon Doma reading a book overlapped with his figure.
Geom Mugeuk understood.
That what Hyeolcheon Doma had spoken of was that very image of Jo Chunbae now.
No matter how glad he was, no matter how much he wanted to drink together.
Jo Chunbae did not sway to momentary emotion, but unchangingly protected his life according to his principles.
That very appearance now was Hyeolcheon Doma’s teaching itself. Innkeeper, you have already achieved Greater Achievement.
“Innkeeper.”
When Geom Mugeuk called, Jo Chunbae looked up at the upper floor and asked.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Please prepare some good liquor.”
“You must be going to meet someone good.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and conveyed words of inscrutable meaning.
“I’m trying to run even farther from Greater Achievement.”
* * *
At the training ground illuminated by torches, martial artists trained deep into the night.
Twelve martial artists.
They, who unfolded a single sword formation and struck out with their swords simultaneously, were none other than Geom Mugeuk’s guardian martial artists.
Without distinguishing between day shift and night shift, they were all training together.
Drawing a round circle, they thrust their swords simultaneously in all directions.
The sword formation they unfolded was a guardian sword formation that protected one person.
The life of a sword formation lies in harmony and connection. They covered each other’s weaknesses and moved as one body.
The momentum carried by their swords was no ordinary thing. They displayed a sharpness of spirit incomparable to when they had first come to Geom Mugeuk.
Thus, after one round of training.
Hah, hah, hah.
Only the sound of held-back breathing echoed there.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Now you’re quite something.”
In that instant, the guardian martial artists turned around in surprise.
Geom Mugeuk was sitting in the center of the space they had been guarding with their sword formation.
“Young Cult Leader!”
At the shout of Jeokyeon, the guard captain, Geom Mugeuk spoke with a smile.
“Everyone remain seated as you are.”
The guards sat in their places, facing inward toward the circle. Everyone had surprised faces. Though there were twelve of them, no one had noticed until the Young Cult Leader had entered and sat in the center.
“Everyone finds it difficult, don’t they?”
“It is not difficult!”
At the hearty reply, Geom Mugeuk started with Jeokyeon.
“Guard Jeokyeon, I know you suffer the most.”
At those words, Jeokyeon was happy. He didn’t go through this hardship to be recognized, but he was truly grateful to be told he was understood.
“I also know well that it is not easy living as my guard.”
When they had been assigned the mission of being the Young Cult Leader’s guards, they must have imagined a different scene from now. They had imagined roaming the Central Plains with the Young Cult Leader and experiencing all sorts of things.
But except for the time when he left the cult once and the temporary leadership period guarding within the cult, they had spent most of their time doing martial arts training.
Jeokyeon spoke to Geom Mugeuk.
“I trained with the single-minded determination that I had to become stronger to protect the Young Cult Leader. However…”
With an expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Jeokyeon spoke.
“You have returned even stronger.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Jeokyeon and smiled.
“Am I someone who would easily accept just anyone’s protection?”
Geom Mugeuk opened the bundle he had brought beside him. What was inside flew out to everyone.
Srrk! Srrk! Srrrk!
What flew simultaneously were liquor cups.
He had prepared twelve cups, having decided to drink with them.
The cups did not fly all the way but floated before them.
The guards looked at the cups floating before them with surprised faces. The thought that arose in everyone’s mind:
Is this even possible?
Geom Mugeuk was now displaying divine prowess, moving twelve objects simultaneously through the air with void control.
Adding his own cup made thirteen, which soon became fourteen.
A liquor bottle slowly rose into the air and began pouring into the cup floating before Jeokyeon.
Clink.
The bottle, having finished pouring, moved toward another martial artist’s cup. It did not go to the martial artist right next to him. The cup the bottle sought was I-ho’s cup.
When they had gone outside before, they had told Geom Mugeuk that they were called by operation names from Il-ho to Sip-i-ho.
The bottle that filled I-ho’s cup then moved to Sam-ho’s cup, who sat a little further away, and then to Sa-ho’s cup.
Geom Mugeuk remembered exactly what he had heard then, from I-ho to the youngest, Sip-i-ho.
Because they had thought the Young Cult Leader didn’t know them well, the guards were inwardly moved.
“You remembered all of us.”
At Jeokyeon’s emotion, Geom Mugeuk made an apologetic expression. How indifferent must he have been to move them with something like this?
“Become stronger. That is how you protect me!”
Geom Mugeuk was not apologetic toward them. An apology like “I made you train just so I could travel comfortably” would only hurt their pride more.
He had made a great resolution today that he must never be impatient, but.
“Be impatient. Be more impatient than others. Who knows when our Young Cult Leader will become Cult Leader! Jump up from your sleep and swing your swords! Understand?”
“Yes!”
When Geom Mugeuk grabbed the cup floating before him, the twelve guards likewise grabbed their cups.
The Young Cult Leader they were to protect was someone who spoke like that while keeping thirteen cups suspended in the air. How could they not be motivated to protect such a person, and when such a person told them to become stronger?
“I permit it. Continue to become stronger.”
Having finished speaking, Geom Mugeuk drank, and the guards also emptied their cups simultaneously.
“And since we need to carry ourselves with dignity tomorrow, make sure to press your clothes properly!”
* * *
Cha Iran was looking out the window.
The first day after arriving at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had dawned. The lodgings Geom Mugeuk had prepared were truly excellent.
It wasn’t just her own room that was good.
The rooms provided for her subordinates were also clean and tidy. The beds and bedding in particular had been attentively prepared as new.
Knowing one reveals ten. There was a reason she had come here.
Just then, Il-gyo came and reported.
“We are prepared.”
“Let’s go.”
Geom Mugeuk had summoned them all. They wore martial attire instead of splendid clothes.
Now a new life was beginning.
When they arrived at the training ground located a short distance from their lodgings, there were people already waiting.
It was none other than the Ghost Shadow Squad led by I-an.
Ghost Shadow First Team led by Cheongmyeon and Ghost Shadow Second Team led by Seojin stood with an extraordinary spirit. They were truly showing what kind of organization a disciplined organization was.
I-an stood before them.
Cha Iran felt that I-an’s appearance standing before his subordinates was different from when she had seen him in Anhui.
‘So he wasn’t revealing his true spirit back then.’
I-an introduced Cheongmyeon and Seojin to Cha Iran.
Cheongmyeon was someone who could have become the next Extreme Evil Demonic Successor, so his spirit was no ordinary thing, and Seojin too had changed in spirit through bloody martial arts training and ghost arts training after returning from the Yellow Dragon Martial Hall.
Unlike Cha Iran, who looked at them calmly, the female assassins felt a competitive spirit they could not understand.
Now she had to live not as an assassin, but as a martial artist. It was time to turn the confidence that she could assassinate anyone into the confidence that she could fight and defeat anyone.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk appeared there.
Behind Geom Mugeuk followed twelve guards, all wearing the formal uniform of the guard corps.
The emblem of the Heavenly Demon Hall Guard Corps was embroidered on their chests.
An evil spirit drawn within a shield.
And on the black masks they wore, the single character ma (魔) was embroidered in vigorous strokes.
Everyone gathered here was formidable, and the guard warriors were no less imposing.
Seeing them, Cha Iran and the assassin women were once again made keenly aware that Geom Mugeuk was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
When Geom Mugeuk arrived, everyone present bowed respectfully at once.
“We greet the Young Cult Leader!”
Today, Geom Mugeuk also cupped his fist lightly and formally accepted their greeting. Given the occasion, he even gave a nod of acknowledgment to Dan Yeon, the youngest member of the Ghost Shadow Unit.
Then he asked Cha Iran,
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Thanks to your consideration, I slept very soundly.”
The women standing behind her also bowed their heads in unison to express their gratitude. How could they not know? He had taken special care of them.
“I intend to give you the position of unit leader. However, I’ll need the Cult Leader’s permission, so you’ll have to wait a bit. In the meantime, choose a name as well.”
Then Cha Iran said something unexpected.
“If possible, we would like to enter the Ghost Shadow Unit.”
It was truly unexpected.
“Do you know what that means?”
“I do.”
It meant placing herself under Ian.
Cha Iran’s gaze turned toward Cheongmyeon and Seojin.
“Those two do not appear to be people who should remain mere squad leaders either.”
At that, Geom Mugeuk properly introduced the two of them.
“The First Squad Leader is someone who gave up becoming the next Geugak Soma, and the Second Squad Leader is a descendant of the Ghost Gate.”
As expected! Cha Iran nodded with that expression.
“For those of us who have lived as assassins to live as martial artists, it will take much effort and time. We will learn under Lady Lee—no, under Unit Leader Lee. And since we have decided to serve the Young Cult Leader, I do not believe rank is important.”
Geom Mugeuk thought her choice was truly wise. But he was not the one to make this decision.
“Ian. Will you accept them as the Third Squad?”
Ian looked at Cha Iran. There were reasons to take them in, and reasons to refuse them. Her deliberation did not last long. For Geom Mugeuk’s sake, and for Cheongmyeon and Seojin’s sake as well, she had to accept them. These burdensome squad leaders of hers!
“I will accept you as the Third Squad Leader of the Ghost Shadow Unit.”
Cha Iran showed Ian the same respectful courtesy.
“I greet the Unit Leader.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
With Cha Iran’s joining, the Ghost Shadow Unit was finally completed in earnest.
Inwardly moved, Geom Mugeuk looked at the three women.
Ian, Seojin, and Cha Iran.
The three women who had saved his life, both in his life before regression and in his present life, had gathered under the name of the Ghost Shadow Unit.
Geom Mugeuk said to Cha Iran,
“I have a first mission to personally assign to the Third Squad of the Ghost Shadow Unit.”
“Please tell me.”
Geom Mugeuk’s mission was truly something she had never imagined.
“I need you to become guests at a wedding ceremony.”
Cha Iran flinched in surprise, then asked in a cold voice,
“Is the person we must kill the groom? Or the bride?”