Chapter 153: I Didn't Intend to Take You With Me

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk deliberately provoked him.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had said the 'take you down with me' technique was unavoidable for those with weak inner arts. This meant even the Demon Supremes could be in danger. The Evil Valley Lord also couldn't die, because they needed the clue about the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman.

However, Geom Mugeuk was supremely confident in his own inner arts. He knew Yang Cheogi's power, no matter how profound, couldn't surpass his. Geom Mugeuk's inner arts already exceeded the Demon Supremes' and now included the power he absorbed from the Bewitching Nirvana Princess.

"Let's walk that road to the underworld together. I talk a lot, so at least you won't be bored."

Yang Cheogi took the words as mockery, and his eyes grew even redder. The Heavenly Light Slaying Technique felt seconds from being unleashed, yet Geom Mugeuk provoked him again.

"It seems you'll die dreaming only of things you could never achieve."

Those words were taboo for Yang Cheogi. Demon Supreme, Sect Leader, Chairman, and Valley Leader. He had achieved none of them, and the wound from that life was far too deep.

The moment Yang Cheogi decided, Alright, it's you.

WHOOSH!

The Evil Valley Lord saw his opportunity and launched a palm strike at Yang Cheogi's back.

The Evil Valley Lord knew he couldn't let Geom Mugeuk die. If Geom Mugeuk died, the Demon Supremes would surely kill him.

Yang Cheogi spun around like a thunderbolt and unleashed a palm strike of his own.

A deafening explosion threw both the Evil Valley Lord and Yang Cheogi backward. Yang Cheogi flew further, not because his inner arts were weaker, but because he was gathering energy for the Heavenly Light Slaying Technique. He couldn't use his full strength.

Enraged, Yang Cheogi shot out the Blood Calamity Finger.

"……"

The sound that followed was not a body pierced by the Blood Calamity Finger, but a sword running through flesh.

"……"

The Blood Calamity Finger missed the Evil Valley Lord's face by a wide margin. Blood splattered the tip of Yang Cheogi's outstretched finger.

He slowly lowered his head and looked at his chest. A sharp, gleaming blade protruded from it, thrust through his back.

With the sword still embedded in him, Yang Cheogi slowly turned around.

He thought one of the Demon Supremes or Geom Mugeuk had ambushed him, but they all stood in their original positions.

He saw the unfamiliar man who had attacked him. It was the Evil Valley Lord's last subordinate, a master of stealth and swordsmanship. The Evil Valley Lord's final move wasn't Seokno, but this man. The hidden trump card, concealed even from Yang Cheogi, had worked perfectly.

Yang Cheogi's knees slowly buckled. He had neither the strength nor the opportunity to turn his head and choose someone else.

"damn it… I… didn't intend… to take you… with me."

In that instant, a red light shot from Yang Cheogi's eyes.

POP! POP!

The eyes of the man who had ambushed him burst, and he fell backward. At the same time, Yang Cheogi unleashed the light and died as his own eyes burst.

If he hadn't done this, he would have died without using the Heavenly Light Slaying Technique at all. He had no choice but to use 'take you down with me' on the man who ambushed him, an opponent whose name he didn't even know.

He died without using his final secret technique on the person he wanted. Just as Geom Mugeuk had said, he passed away dreaming of things he could never achieve, even in his final moments.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon stared impassively at the corpse. His long-held grudge against his martial uncle had just ended, but he showed no emotion. He felt neither relief nor sadness.

On the other hand, the Evil Valley Lord smiled.

He was the one who survived. His subordinate, his trump card, was dead, but all that mattered was that he was still alive.

"As you promised, spare my life!"

The deaths of Yang Cheogi and his subordinate meant nothing to him.

Geom Mugeuk stared at him coldly and said, "Whether you live or die depends on you."

The Evil Valley Lord began to talk about the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman.

"The Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman never revealed his identity. He always wore a veiled bamboo hat when he met us. He wouldn't meet us if we contacted him. He always contacted us to set the time and place."

"How did the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman draw you in?"

"What else? Money."

He had offered a sum of money large enough to move him.

"But don't look down on me for it. Money is what keeps this position. You wouldn't know. You don't know how precarious this seat is. You don't know how many crazy bastards want to sit in it just once, even if it kills them."

Money was what allowed him to protect that position.

Both the Weird Demon and the Chainman were skilled enough to aim for the Valley Leader position at any time. The money that let them enjoy their pleasures was what kept their ambitions in check.

"Didn't you say you had a clue to find him?"

"That's right, but promise me here and now. That you'll let me live. Swear on your Divine Cult."

"I will swear on our Cult. If you give me a clue to find the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman, I will let you live."

Only then did the Evil Valley Lord reveal the clue.

"Do you think I would have blindly trusted a man like the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman? I secretly investigated him, but it wasn't easy. The men I sent to investigate either went missing or were found as corpses. Still, I sent more, and then more again, and in the end, I found out one thing."

An unexpected phrase came from the Evil Valley Lord's mouth.

"The Young Dragon Tournament."

The Young Dragon Tournament was a murim competition hosted by the Murim Alliance. It selected talented prodigies from the orthodox sects to become elites of the Murim Alliance.

"It's information my spies obtained with their lives. The Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman is definitely plotting something related to this year's Young Dragon Tournament!"

The Evil Valley Lord trembled with anxiety, afraid they would say it wasn't enough.

However, he didn't need to worry. Geom Mugeuk recalled a certain fact related to the Young Dragon Tournament.

Ah! Now that I think about it, this is that year!

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"That's enough. I'll accept it as useful information."

"Then you'll let me live?"

"I will keep my promise. I hope you survive."

"?"

As Geom Mugeuk and the Demon Supremes turned their backs and left the main hall, the villains waited outside.

The Ghostly Power Giant Spear and his subordinates stood with their spears. The Hidden Moon and his assassins were there, along with a group of drugged men and women, hunters, and beggars. They were the very ones who hadn't attacked us earlier.

The moment we stepped outside, they began to flock into the main hall one by one, their eyes filled with killing intent and greed.

Curses erupted from inside, followed by the sounds of fighting. The Evil Valley Lord's scream could be heard among the screams of several others.

The scene made it clear why the Valley of Evil could never unite and emerge into the world. This place was hell.

At the entrance of the Valley of Evil, I formally expressed my gratitude to the Demon Supremes.

"Thank you for your help."

Then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said, "What did we do? They just fought amongst themselves and died."

"It only happened that way because you were all there. Imagine if I had gone alone. I'd be covered in blood and causing a ruckus right now."

I met the eyes of each of the Demon Supremes one by one.

The eyes within the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eye sockets conveyed a deep gratitude.

This was something that would not have happened originally. However, with my intervention, he was able to end his long-held grudge.

The Flower Sword Supreme smiled and said, "Thanks to you, I got some fresh air. It was nice."

The Flower Sword Supreme, who had said she wouldn't become a wing, played the role of an excellent wing this time. People who say, 'I won't belong anywhere,' are sometimes the ones who fall into that 'somewhere' the hardest. Perhaps they are wary in advance because they know they will fall deeper than anyone else.

Next to her, the Drunken Demon drank his liquor. He was the one who had started to make a serious effort to reconcile the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme. Although he made a mistake in his youth, he now acknowledges his fault and is trying to correct it. I like that, Hyung.

Finally, my eyes met with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's. If he hadn't come to the Yellow River Inn earlier, I might have died.

I didn't say thank you. My gaze had already conveyed my feelings.

I don't know how things will end with these people. Our relationship is good now, but who knows what might sour it. Perhaps it will become a deeper relationship than I can even imagine.

I know what will happen at the Young Dragon Tournament, but this newly formed relationship with them is something that didn't exist before. I can only do my best in each moment.

"What are you going to do now?"

To the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's question, I answered without hesitation.

"I have to go to the Murim Alliance."

The Young Dragon Tournament will be held at the Murim Alliance Headquarters in about two months.

"It will be dangerous."

"This succession test is about catching the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman. Failing the test is more dangerous for me."

"So? You're going to participate in the Young Dragon Tournament yourself?"

"No, if I competed, I'd eventually be found out, so I need to be nearby. I have someone else to participate. Someone completely unknown in the murim."

"Who is that?"

Then, an unexpected name came from Geom Mugeuk's mouth.

"My Elder disciple."

Seeing the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's surprise, Geom Mugeuk said with a smile, "I'm going to have Detective Seo participate in this tournament."

I'll ask the All-Knowing Hall to create a perfect cover sect for us. Seo Daeryong will compete as a member of that sect.

"What role will you play?"

"If I act as an attendant or a bodyguard, I probably won't stand out."

The Demon Supremes gave him a look that said, Will you really not stand out just by doing that?

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked worried and tried to volunteer.

"I'll go too."

At that, Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted to the Heaven Destroying Dao.

"Everyone will think that sword is a fake, right? There's no way the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would bring the Heaven Destroying Dao all the way to the Murim Alliance. Right?"

It was a roundabout way of saying he was too conspicuous.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's mask and the Flower Sword Supreme's the White Flower Sword, engraved with a red camellia, were also too well-known in the murim.

If Lee Ahn went, she would draw all the attention, and the same went for the large Jang Ho's facial scar. Seo Daeryong was the perfect fit for this job.

"Sounds fun. Little Brother, I want to go too."

As if the Drunken Demon wouldn't stand out anywhere.

"I'll tell you everything that happened over drinks later. Oh, and I might need to ask for your help again, Elders, regarding the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman. I still have two of my three chances to ask for help left. I'll be counting on you then as well."

The Demon Supremes nodded. Geom Mugeuk felt reassured. With their help, he was confident he could even take on the Murim Alliance.

Alright, my right-hand man. Let's make a name for ourselves at the Murim Alliance.

After parting with the Demon Supremes, I headed straight for Wuhan in Hubei, the home of the Murim Alliance.

I sprinted, reveling in the extreme speed of the Swift Step. I ran between trees, through crowds of people, and over boulders.

No one could recognize me. Even a beast that was chasing me gave up, unable to catch me. In a flash, I disappeared into the distance.

The earlier I arrived, the more time I would have to train my martial arts, so I ran and ran, using the Swift Step to its absolute limit.

After arriving near the Murim Alliance Headquarters, I bought long-lasting food and supplies from the marketplace and went into the mountains to live.

It would be a while before Seo Daeryong arrived with the messenger pigeon, and the Young Dragon Tournament was even further away.

Until then, I planned to hole up quietly in the mountains and do nothing but train.

From that day on, I began my training.

I forgot about people, my mission, and my revenge.

I trained as if I were born only to practice martial arts. I trained with the mindset that I could sleep when I was dead. I ate and trained. I circulated my qi and trained. I trained and trained.

A month later, I walked through the marketplace as a bearded man.

I deliberately let my beard grow. I threw away my training uniform and bought a set of cheap, shabby clothes that wouldn't stand out.

When I went to the promised inn, Seo Daeryong was waiting.

He was visibly nervous, having entered the Murim Alliance's territory.

It was so good to see him after such a long time. Even though our eyes met briefly, he didn't recognize me.

Then, as I sat down in front of him, he finally recognized me and was startled.

"Direc…!"

I covered Seo Daeryong's mouth before he could say 'Director'.

"Do you want to spread the word that I'm here?"

"No, of course not. I was just surprised."

With my unkempt hair and a mountain bandit's beard, I knew no one would recognize me if even Seo Daeryong couldn't.

"But why do you look like this?"

"It's a disguise."

"Ah! What's with the beard? What kind of amateur disguise is this? People will stare at you more."

He said that, but he was just as conspicuous. He wore a white martial arts uniform with the character for 'Righteousness' (正) embroidered on the chest.

"Look at me. Anyone would think I'm a member of the orthodox sects, right?"

"Look around. Who else is wearing clothes like that? That's exactly the kind of outfit a rookie who just joined the Murim Alliance wears excitedly for a few days before shoving it in a corner."

"Still, I think it's better than that dirty beard."

"Not just messy, but dirty!"

We looked at each other and laughed together. After we happily attacked each other's appearances, Seo Daeryong asked seriously, "But why did you call me all the way out here?"

Seo Daeryong had come here without hearing any details beforehand. I gave the tense Seo Daeryong a meaningful smile and said, "Let's do a job together."