Had there been a time in recent days when he had been this surprised?
Geom Mugeuk had truly never dreamed he would see Ak Gunhak in this room.
His voice rang thunderously through the place as he called out to him.
“Brother Ak!”
Geom Mugeuk called him Brother Ak with ease. They had agreed that, when they met again, they would be friends. So now he was not the Sword King, but Brother Ak.
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes trembled as he looked at him. He did not hide his joy at seeing him. He forced himself to hold back the urge to run over at once and throw his arms around him.
Do you remember what I said?
See each other when we miss each other, help each other when help is needed. At times, even throw shoes at one another—be that kind of friend to me.
He was someone Geom Mugeuk had truly missed. But he was not someone he should be seeing here.
“When we met again, I thought we’d run into each other while roasting meat out in a field. I thought we’d meet again drunk in a tavern, bumping shoulders. No, I even thought it would be fine if we never met again.”
Geom Mugeuk let out an exaggerated sigh and said,
“But why are you in this gloomy underground place? No matter how much you like the underground, this isn’t it, is it?”
He was referring to the time they had broken through the underground gate of the Yellow Dragon Martial Hall. The moment they had climbed up together and looked at the stars, the moment they had stuffed themselves full of elixirs until their bellies nearly burst, came back to him as if it had happened only yesterday.
“I’m sorry.”
How could Geom Mugeuk not know? There had to be some reason he had been unable to leave.
“Were you unable to repay all your debts?”
After a brief pause, the Sword King answered.
“I repaid them all.”
“Then why couldn’t you leave?”
The Sword King did not tell him.
What on earth had held him back? What could have shackled the feet of someone this strong, someone who dreamed so fiercely of freedom?
“If a man said he was leaving, he should have left. You should have smacked anything that blocked your way over the head with those shoes and gone.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze fell on the Sword King’s shoes. They were new, as if he had never worn them even once.
“I bought them for you to wear, but you didn’t even wear them. I held a gathering of friends, and you didn’t even come. You knew I held that gathering, didn’t you?”
To his surprise, the Sword King nodded. It meant he had been paying attention to Geom Mugeuk.
“I was afraid you’d make me dance, so I couldn’t go.”
“You can’t dance, you can’t leave—what is this!”
Yet contrary to his words, Geom Mugeuk’s face was filled with happiness. How could he possibly hide this joy?
“Still, I’m so glad to see you again.”
Everything he had said before had been for the sake of saying this.
The two of them looked at each other and smiled brightly. Whatever position they each found themselves in now, being glad to see each other was being glad to see each other.
By contrast, the expression of the Blood Heaven Saber Demon, who had been watching them, hardened. He had guessed who the other man was.
—It’s him.
Since Geom Mugeuk told him all sorts of stories whenever he left the cult and returned, he knew this man was the master swordsman who had survived the battle at the Yellow Dragon Martial Hall.
He could feel it just by looking. He could feel how strong this barefoot master was. Among all the enemies he had met so far, this man radiated the most powerful presence.
—Yes, that’s right. It’s him.
The One Flower Sword Venerable had met the Sword King together with the Fist Demon during that battle.
Because Ak Gunhak had emerged from the underground first, a fight had nearly broken out. In that hair-trigger situation, Geom Mugeuk had followed him out, and fortunately, no fight had occurred.
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon looked displeased. This felt different from Geom Mugeuk being friends with Jin Hagun or Bisa-in.
—He looks dangerous.
—He’s strong.
In truth, he had not said the man looked dangerous because he seemed strong. It was because he sensed that Geom Mugeuk was opening his heart too defenselessly to an enemy.
—Those bare feet are dangerous.
The One Flower Sword Venerable looked at the Blood Heaven Saber Demon. He was seeing something she could not.
Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King’s conversation continued.
“In the meantime, our Brother Ak even gained a woman who likes him.”
“Me?”
“We talked about Brother Ak so much. Because of Brother Ak, one woman’s life changed.”
Cha Iran should have been here. He found that truly regrettable. Would she be embarrassed? Flustered? Or would she, unexpectedly, handle the atmosphere with ease?
“Is she pretty?”
“You’re supposed to ask who she is!”
The two of them laughed together.
Of course, the Sword King knew the woman he was talking about was Cha Iran. She was the woman who had left the organization after fighting him.
“After this is over, let’s go meet her together.”
The Sword King did not answer that they should. Knowing that this silent answer was not because he disliked her, Geom Mugeuk insisted to the end.
“You changed a woman’s entire life, and now you’re acting this shamelessly? No, that won’t do! I’ll make sure to take you with me.”
Still, the Sword King said nothing.
I don’t know how you see the end of this fight, but I’m taking you back to our cult with me. If you’re going to leave, leave from there.
The Sword King, reunited with Geom Mugeuk like that, turned his gaze toward the two Demon Supremes.
The Sword King clasped his fist first and paid his respects to the two of them.
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon glared at him without hiding his displeasure, while the One Flower Sword Venerable lightly clasped her fist and returned his greeting.
Geom Mugeuk asked the Sword King the most important question.
“Why did you come here?”
An astonishing answer flowed from the Sword King’s mouth.
“To protect the person trying to kill you.”
Geom Mugeuk was not particularly surprised by those words. He had already expected as much the moment he first saw him.
“Then we’re in trouble. If Brother Ak is protecting him, no one will be able to kill him.”
At that moment, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon’s cold words came from behind.
“I’ll kill him.”
Geom Mugeuk knew he meant it.
“While I hold this man here tight, please kill him quickly.”
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon spat out,
“For heaven’s sake, make friends with normal people!”
Geom Mugeuk turned back to the Blood Heaven Saber Demon and answered,
“I buttoned the first button wrong, you see.”
Knowing that he meant him, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon shook his head.
Taesu, who had been watching everything until now, felt his heart pounding wildly.
It was not because Geom Mugeuk had met some unknown person in a place like this.
It was because, watching the doll being attacked from all sides, his heart was pounding for no reason. He had seen Geom Mugeuk in action several times before, but he had never felt this kind of pounding then. Was it because Geom Mugeuk had dealt with them too quickly?
But seeing him fight alone among terrifying-looking masters, for some reason he felt like a person of a heaven beyond the heavens, someone he could never approach.
Originally, once this matter was over, he had intended to meet his father and tell him that he would quit being a thief.
But now, a thought like this came to him.
‘Can I tell this man I want to become his subordinate?’
He wondered if he had been gazing up at a sky he could never reach, grasping alone at drifting clouds.
Taesu looked at Jihan.
‘Don’t you feel the same?’
Jihan, on the other hand, was watching the situation with calm eyes.
Because he knew Geom Mugeuk’s identity, he was not surprised by this situation at all.
A doll being attacked from all sides? Of course he should be the protagonist among those dolls. The person he served was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, after all.
However, because he had no idea how this situation would unfold, he was inwardly tense.
Was it really all right for his first battle serving the Young Cult Leader to become something this grand?
If the two of them felt this way, how shaken must the other martial artists have been?
The martial artists were greatly flustered by the unexpected situation. They had thought that if they opened this room, there would be mechanisms, and treasures would be waiting for them.
They had expected a scene where there was not one skeleton, but dozens, with all kinds of treasures piled beside them.
But reality did not forgive dreamers.
‘We were deceived!’
They thought Geom Mugeuk had deceived them and brought them here. The doll was one thing, and the fact that he was greeting someone who had been here so warmly was another.
But soon they realized that the person who had led them here was not Geom Mugeuk.
The iron-masked man respectfully greeted the Sword King and revealed his identity.
“It has been a long time.”
“Isn’t it hot walking around with that mask on?”
“I am fine.”
Judging from the casual exchange, the iron-masked man’s position did not seem very low.
“The person you’re looking for?”
“He should be among them.”
The iron-masked martial artist walked toward the martial artists.
He took an incense stick from his robe and lit it.
“This is Soul-Seeing Incense. It will react to the person we are looking for.”
The smoke flowing from the incense stick slowly spread around them.
As the martial artists watched the smoke approach them, they all felt fear. A situation they truly could not have imagined was unfolding.
Geom Mugeuk could tell. The person the iron-masked man was searching for was none other than Dan Sojin, the one who had sent him a voice transmission.
Srrr.
The smoke that had been slowly circling around began to coil about one person as if it were alive.
The person the smoke chose was Dan Sojin, just as Geom Mugeuk had expected.
Geom Mugeuk prepared for the worst.
If the iron-masked man tried to kill him, he intended to save him for now. Of course, that did not guarantee Dan Sojin was not an enemy.
After all, all he knew about him was his name. Even so, instinctively, he felt he had to keep him alive.
Fortunately, the iron-masked man had no intention of killing him.
“Come out.”
Dan Sojin trembled in terror. From the beginning until now, he had acted quite well.
“Why are you doing this?”
But it was already too late for acting.
“Stop and come out. You have to come out from there if you want to live.”
At those words, the remaining people were startled. Did that not mean he intended to kill everyone else?
The iron-masked man pointed out one more person.
“You come out as well.”
It was the man with the sword scar on his face. According to Dan Sojin, he was a martial artist from the Evil Alliance.
The iron-masked martial artist also knew exactly who he was.
“This man was sent by the Evil Alliance Leader. I was ordered to keep him alive as well.”
The scarred man who had been pointed out also walked forward and stood beside Dan Sojin. Now was neither the situation nor the atmosphere to resist.
After selecting those two, the iron-masked man walked toward the remaining martial artists. He intended to kill all the rest.
At that moment, the Sword King spoke calmly.
“It’s the day I met a friend after a long time. Don’t make it reek of blood.”
Understanding that he meant not to kill them, the iron-masked man was flustered.
“You must not do this.”
At that, the Sword King silently looked at the iron-masked man. He did not glare, nor did he reveal killing intent, but the iron-masked man immediately lowered his head deeply.
The Sword King spoke to the martial artists standing awkwardly.
“Leave without looking back.”
The martial artists rushed out along the path they had come.
“If I build up merit like this, won’t they dip me in a slightly less hot pit of fire in hell later?”
He spoke as though he had spared them for his own sake, but Geom Mugeuk could tell. He had let them go for him. Because he knew Geom Mugeuk disliked such indiscriminate slaughter.
It was right then.
Shwaaaaaak!
From the place where they had exited, the sound of astral qi whirling erupted.
Screams rang out, and the smell of blood suddenly wafted from that direction.
Soon after, four men entered the room.
Their attire was unusual. Two wore black martial robes with black cloaks, and black sabers hung at their waists. The other two wore red martial robes with red cloaks, and red sabers hung at their waists.
Between the two pairs, a man walked in.
He was a man with an absolutely overwhelming presence.
Tall and broad, with a solid build, he wore twin sabers at his waist.
The left saber and right saber he carried were each different.
The left saber was a jet-black Black Saber, and the right saber was a Blood Saber red as blood. On the black saber, a moon was drawn in pure white lines, while on the Blood Saber, a sun was drawn.
His features were sharply carved as if cut by a blade, and his pitch-black eyes shone like saber aura.
That gaze was so sharp that merely looking at it felt as though a blade had been placed against one’s throat.
The moment Geom Mugeuk saw him, he knew who he was.
The second of the Twelve Branch Kings, the Saber King Leng Wuxiang.
With those twin sabers, he had risen to the position of greatest master of saber arts during the era of the Twelve Branch Kings. His martial arts were so profound that it was rumored he possessed saber arts strong enough to rival the Sword King’s.
Everyone feared him. His terrifying saber arts were one reason, but even more than that, it was because of his cruel temperament, which at times approached madness.
The four martial artists who had entered ahead of him were absolute masters known as the Four Dark Blood Sabers, the Saber King’s hands and feet.
Now, following the Sword King, the Saber King had also appeared in this place. It was truly the moment when the first and second kings among the Twelve Branch Kings were gathered in one place.
The Sword King looked at the Saber King and said,
“The fires of your hell just grew hotter.”
The gazes of the two men intertwined in the air. In the Saber King’s eyes as he looked at the Sword King, there was not the slightest trace of fear. Nor was it a gaze that looked down on the Sword King.
At last, a low voice flowed from the Saber King’s mouth. His voice was sharp and dry, like the wind in the depths of winter.
“No matter how hard I tried to understand you, I could not.”
As if to say this person was the reason, the Saber King turned his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
Swaaaaaaa.
A strand of killing intent flew toward Geom Mugeuk. There was emotion contained in that killing intent. It was unpleasant, filled with hostility.
Just before that killing intent reached Geom Mugeuk—
Boom!
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber struck into the ground before Geom Mugeuk.
The energy emitted by the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber, still wrapped in cloth, repelled even that single strand of killing intent without allowing it through.
Before anyone knew it, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon stood in front of Geom Mugeuk, his aura colder than anything. He was not the gentle man who usually read books and drank tea.
“This place is full of bastards I don’t like, every last one.”
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon untied the knot binding the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber.
Sararararak.
As the wrapped cloth came undone, the form of the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber was revealed.
“Let’s say I lost this wager.”