The atmosphere around Hwamugi changed.
Now that his killing intent had completely vanished, he felt far more terrifying than when his killing intent had run rampant.
The fact that he had withstood the combined assault of Gwonma and Baek Jagang, and had even recovered his internal energy in the process, was enough to crush the momentum of everyone present.
It was Gwonma who broke the heavy silence.
“I apologize. I should have noticed it first.”
When he had struck Hwamugi’s body with his fist earlier, Gwonma had experienced a protective astral qi unlike anything he had felt in his entire life. He should have realized it then.
Facing Gwonma’s self-reproach, Geom Ujin spoke firmly.
“It was something difficult even for those watching from the side to figure out. It would have been impossible to know while fighting such a difficult battle.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded.
“None of us who fought earlier noticed either.”
Who could have imagined that such an incredible martial art existed?
That was why those words had naturally escaped the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“If one must be at this level to cause a Blood Calamity, then I will never cause one in my entire life.”
As if this, with one layer peeled away, was his true self, Hwamugi no longer smiled.
“Not just the righteous and demonic sects, but even the mundane world has gathered to wait for me. Are you lot truly sane?”
As he had said before, those words carried the meaning that they were the ones who had created him.
As Jin Paecheon watched Hwamugi’s cold gaze fly toward him, he thought he had been right to come here.
If he had not come to help the Demonic Cult Leader?
Could the Heavenly Devil Divine Cult have truly faced that monstrous man alone?
And if that Heavenly Slaughter Star who swept through the demonic cult came to the Murim Alliance? Could he himself have stopped him?
He had come for his grandson, but as a result…
‘Hagun, you sent these people to save this old man.’
And with the Gentleman Sword in tow, no less.
Geom Ujin asked Baek Jagang.
“Will you continue to fight?”
Though he himself had discovered the secret of the protective astral qi, this was still a fight between Baek Jagang and Gwonma. Whether to stop fighting was for the two of them to decide.
Before answering, Baek Jagang looked at Gwonma. Before making his own decision, he first asked Gwonma’s intentions. It was his courtesy toward Gwonma, with whom he had fought together.
Under normal circumstances, Gwonma would have naturally answered that he would keep fighting. Ending the fight after merely allowing his opponent to recover internal energy? That would have been an unbearable humiliation.
But seeing Baek Jagang’s choice to join forces with him had given him a realization.
Baek Jagang was someone who prioritized reasonable gain over pride or honor. Yet that did not make him seem like someone with low self-esteem or a dishonorable person.
His instincts told him there was no way to fight this opponent, so he would just fight blindly? Merely because he had been in the middle of fighting?
Thinking of gain rather than pride, Gwonma too took a step back.
“I will follow the Alliance Leader’s will.”
Baek Jagang did not immediately make a decision. He turned around and asked the others.
“Do any of you have a good idea?”
Since he had no intention of trying to look good to anyone, his demeanor was rather trustworthy.
Jin Paecheon spoke in a low voice.
“The more extreme the effects of a demonic art, the greater its side effects.”
Jin Paecheon was certain that since Hwamugi had absorbed internal energy, there must be something he had sacrificed in exchange.
“We must find that weakness.”
At that, Hwamugi began to reveal his killing intent once more. It was a killing intent completely different from what he had shown before.
It was his true killing intent, and also the killing intent of the souls dwelling within his body. That killing intent contained the power of the ages.
Making them feel the stride of death’s approach, killing intent accumulated over three hundred years drifted through the air.
That killing intent spoke thus.
I have no weakness!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke as if sighing.
“Just where in the world is the Little Cult Leader? With that clever head of his, he should be saying this is this, and that is that! That this is how you fight that monstrous wretch! He should be telling us. He’s never around when you need him, but without fail he shows up when I’m taking my divine artifacts. When I took Gowol, he came flooding over with an entire crowd! He always appears whenever I’m cursing and complaining, doesn’t he? Hurry up and show yourself, Little Cult Leader!”
The Sword King looked at the Pungcheon Cult Leader with an expression that said he couldn’t be stopped. Cracking such jokes at a time like this?
The Pungcheon Cult Leader even turned around.
He desperately hoped to see him walking from the end of that Magachon road, but such a thing did not happen.
‘What kind of absurd expectation is this?’ Though he thought this, the Sword King’s gaze also followed the Pungcheon Cult Leader into the distance. He too wanted to see Geom Mugik.
Was the Sword King the only one? Jin Paecheon and Baek Jagang’s hearts were not much different. They harbored such expectations because of the amazing displays Geom Mugik had shown until now.
Surely, if it were the Little Cult Leader, he would find the answer to this battle.
At that moment, Jin Paecheon and Baek Jagang’s gazes briefly met. The two realized they had just had the same thought.
The Murim Alliance Leader and the Deputy Alliance Leader were waiting for a young Little Cult Leader old enough to be their grandson or son?
That fearful heart—wondering who might find out—was their shared sentiment.
Then Geom Ujin opened his mouth.
“What do you think?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Geom Ujin. Surely he knew Hwamugi would not answer if he asked him that.
“Do you think I would answer that?”
Hwamugi too had thought he was being asked.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Geom Ujin’s gaze passed beyond Hwamugi to the roof of a distant building.
When everyone’s gaze turned there, someone was happily waving toward them from that far, distant roof. He was so far away that he looked like a dot.
“Come quickly.”
It was a soft utterance, yet the one waving seemed to have heard those words as he shot forward.
A flash of light.
He flew over in an instant as if traversing space. Truly, none of the masters present could display movement arts as fast as this.
And as far as they knew, there was only one person who could show such divine movement.
“I have returned, Father.”
The one who landed before Geom Ujin was none other than Geom Mugik.
Everyone looked at Geom Mugik with surprised faces. The Pungcheon Cult Leader in particular gaped wide. Surprise and joy filled his face. He wanted to shout out right then.
‘He’s here, he’s here! The Little Cult Leader really came!’
At long last, the long-awaited Geom Mugik had arrived.
“I rushed over so quickly that I couldn’t even buy Father a gift.”
The fact that he started with the story of not being able to buy a gift in this situation proved he was unmistakably a son.
“How long have you been watching?”
“I arrived when the fight broke out outside the tavern.”
Geom Mugik had arrived in Magachon when the Deputy Alliance Leader and Gwonma were fighting Hwamugi.
“Why were you hiding?”
When he arrived, his internal energy happened to be completely depleted.
No matter how urgent it was, he needed to restore his internal energy, so he recovered it through qi circulation at a distance so far that even Hwamugi or his father couldn’t sense him.
While watching the situation here with the Divine Eye Technique, he notified his father that he had arrived as soon as his circulation ended—using the technique he had learned when he first climbed the mountain with his father.
He had sent his father that same sensation with which he had detected wild boars from several dozen jang away.
“I wasn’t hiding. It’s been a while since you fought, so you should display your full strength. That way you can show off a little for your son too. So please fight later as well, Father. I’m yielding to you because I’m a dutiful son.”
A smirk formed on his father’s lips. Seeing that smirk for the first time in a while, Geom Mugik smiled together with him.
You’ve come at a good time.
Yes, Father.
Now they could tell each other’s hearts just by looking at their eyes.
Geom Mugik was relieved and happy.
‘I wasn’t late!’
Afraid someone might have died. Afraid someone might have suffered an irreversible wound. Afraid he would arrive only when everyone was already in shambles.
He had run without resting for a single moment, excluding the time taken to recover internal energy. He hadn’t slept or eaten.
The worrywart Geom Mugik had harbored all sorts of dark thoughts on his way here.
But there was one person who ripped through those distracting thoughts.
Because his father was here, everything would be fine.
And surprisingly, there were also unexpected people at this place.
“Alliance Leader!”
Geom Mugik continued greeting with his back to Hwamugi. Hwamugi watched such a sight silently.
Hwamugi was not angered by this thoroughly intentional slight. He stared at Geom Mugik with a cautious gaze he had never shown before.
Geom Mugik politely greeted Jin Paecheon.
“It has been a while!”
Geom Mugik’s gaze moved to Jin Paecheon’s wound, and then to the Gentleman Sword at his waist. Just from that, he could tell what frame of mind he had come with and what had transpired.
“Thank you for coming.”
Jin Paecheon looked down at his Gentleman Sword and spoke.
“Give your thanks to Hagun.”
“At this gathering, I will seat Hagun at the seat of honor. Though of course, as the price of my boasting, he must buy the drinks.”
This time, he politely greeted Baek Jagang before continuing the banter.
“What about Sain?”
“He told me not to go because I might get hurt.”
“Then I shall seat him at the lowest seat.”
Surprisingly, Geom Mugik was chatting as if at a gathering of friends with Hwamugi behind his back, even cracking idle jokes.
And then came a single promise.
“I will never forget the grace of you two coming today. If the day comes when I must go somewhere, I will be the first to arrive!”
There was no greater repayment for Jin Paecheon and Baek Jagang. Because it was a promise that this Little Cult Leader would come to rescue them if Jin Hagun or Bi Sain ever fell into danger.
“Come to our side first.”
Jin Paecheon also smiled at Baek Jagang’s joke.
At the sight of the two Alliance Leaders’ tension easing, Hwamugi’s eyes gleamed sharply.
They who had been so serious.
‘Smiling?’
The moment Geom Mugik arrived, the atmosphere truly changed completely. The gloomy battlefield somehow felt surprisingly bright.
Though it would have been natural to shoot a remark back at Hwamugi, Geom Mugik continued his greetings without turning to look at him.
No one would know how many times Geom Mugik had thought of Hwamugi from his pre-regression life until now.
No one here would know how fateful and important this meeting was. No one would know how much he had feared and yet awaited this moment.
But Geom Mugik did not give him a single glance.
Because the people here were more important than Hwamugi.
One mindset he had maintained ever since his regression.
I did not regress to kill you. I regressed to live a happy life with these people.
Even at this final moment, Geom Mugik was upholding that principle.
The next person Geom Mugik greeted was Gwonma.
“Master, your disciple has returned.”
“Welcome back.”
He delivered the news Gwonma would like most first.
“Daeju has also completed the mission safely. She will arrive later with the subordinates.”
At the news that his daughter was safe, joy flashed through Gwonma’s eyes. And the fact that Geom Mugik’s expression was so bright meant that the Demon Lords and Demon Folk who had gone that way were all safe.
If it had been a fight with the Dark Palace Mistress, it wouldn’t have been easy.
Without a word, Gwonma patted Geom Mugik’s shoulder with his large hand.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Hwamugi, who had been watching, spoke in a low voice.
“Anyone watching would think the fight was already over.”
The truth was, he hadn’t expected his first meeting with Geom Mugik to be looking at the back of his head.
Without turning around, Geom Mugik spoke.
“I’m holding you in high esteem, aren’t I?”
“What?”
“Even if I die, I should pay my respects before I die.”
Because those words meant he might die at Hwamugi’s hands and wished to settle his farewells first, and because they showed exactly how seriously he took himself, Hwamugi could not argue.
Geom Mugik looked at the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
It was his turn now, wasn’t it?
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s face was full of anticipation.
Geom Mugik spoke as if complaining.
“Come now, Cult Leader, were you cursing me even during such an important battle?”
“I have to curse for you to show up!”
Their gazes intertwined in the air. The Pungcheon Cult Leader had never been so glad to see Geom Mugik. It seemed his divine artifacts were showing their efficacy—if he prayed like this, Geom Mugik appeared.
“As expected of the Cult Leader. In moments of crisis, you are always with our cult.”
“I came out against my will. If I want to keep mooching meals, I have to show up.”
In front of Geom Mugik, such jokes came naturally to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
Hwamugi watched with the thought, Surely he’s not going to greet everyone one by one? But Geom Mugik did just that, as if to show him.
The souls in Hwamugi’s heart began to clamor. Yes, how could anyone remain still after seeing this?
Now it was noisy outside, and noisy inside as well.
Next was the Poison King. The Poison King had been standing quietly behind the others.
“Why are you just standing back and watching? You should have melted them all with poison.”
What power do I have? With that look in his eyes, the Poison King glanced sidelong at Geom Woojin. The only time he could deliver such words, half joke and half sincerity, to the Cult Leader was when he was with Geom Mugeuk.
“Father, from now on, just send the Poison King. The rest of you can stay back at the cult and have a drink together.”
It was the highest praise he could give the Poison King. In truth, though he did not show it, the person happiest that Geom Mugeuk had come was the Poison King.
The moment the first casualty appeared in this battle, he had intended to slip quietly out of this place. To obey the Cult Leader’s absolute order to protect Geom Mugeuk.
He had been trapped in anxiety, thinking he might have to leave the battlefield without fighting, and even abandon the Cult Leader there. So Geom Mugeuk’s appearance was a joy like discovering rare poisonous insects one after another. About three of them.
Lastly, Geom Mugeuk looked back at the Sword King.
“Are you all right?”
No matter who looked, the Sword King was the one most badly injured.
“Brother Ak, why did you come out? You should have hidden away somewhere.”
“As you know, my looks stand out far too much. I couldn’t hide in time.”
Of course, joy at their reunion was one thing, but Geom Mugeuk did not miss this perfect chance to tease him.
“By the way, Squad Leader Cha is safe too.”
At the news that Cha Iran was safe, the Sword King grew flustered. He was teasing him with Cha Iran in this situation? And in front of the Cult Leader and the alliance leaders at that?
“……Why are you telling me that?”
Only after that noisy reunion did Geom Mugeuk finally turn toward Hwa Mugi.
Now he’s looking at me?
Hwa Mugi felt as if he had become some nameless nobody. Of course, that was precisely what the Young Cult Leader had intended.
Hwa Mugi did not know. In truth, Geom Mugeuk had wished he would become an existence even more insignificant than that.
Geom Mugeuk had dreamed of things turning out like this with Hwa Mugi.
Of saying, while playing Go with his father, I’ll step out for a moment, then going to kill him and returning. Of coming back as if nothing had happened and saying, It’s my turn, isn’t it?
But Hwa Mugi had emerged into the world sooner than he had expected, and so his fate and Geom Mugeuk’s had changed.
Geom Mugeuk looked at Hwa Mugi with a deepened gaze.
You do not know from where I came in order to meet you, in order to stop you. You do not know how far a road I have walked.
But Hwa Mugi, too, looked at Geom Mugeuk with eyes that seemed to have passed through an immeasurably long span of time.
“Strangely, you don’t feel unfamiliar.”
“That’s how it is when you see a handsome face.”
Then Geom Mugeuk smiled and made a request.
“I ran here without even eating, and I’m starving. I’m begging you.”
Now was the moment today’s battle moved on to its next stage.
“Let’s eat first, then fight.”