Chapter 266: No Matter What Anyone Says, It's the Young Cult Leader

TL: FoodieMonster007

Only Geom Mugeuk and the bodyguards remained in the empty banquet hall.

Geom Mugeuk had the bodies cleared away, then sent everyone else out. He wanted to have a drink with the bodyguards.

I perched on a table and picked up a bottle of liquor.

"Your shift change is soon, right? Come on, everyone, have a drink."

Cheokyeon and the bodyguards silently accepted the drinks. They no longer argued that they couldn't drink on duty. A unique relationship had formed between us.

"You've all worked hard."

I raised my cup high, and they all raised theirs and drained them.

Drinking a single cup of liquor in the empty, storm-swept banquet hall had a strange charm.

You should at least rest at times like this.

Some might call being a bodyguard cool, but it's a difficult job without a sense of duty. They aren't main characters, supporting characters, or even minor roles. Their job is to be the background.

"Do you ever drink before going to sleep?"

Cheokyeon answered my question.

"We drink sometimes. On a day like today, we probably would have."

"A day like today?"

Instead of answering, Cheokyeon asked me a question.

"Doesn't punishing evil ever tire you out?"

"That's why we lose. Because we get tired. The other side is like weeds that grow back the moment you turn around, but this side is the farmer who has to pull them out one by one."

Cheokyeon's eyes trembled slightly. His gaze soon shifted to the bloodstain where Yeo Sogwang's body had been.

"When I first saw Yeo Sogwang, I didn't know he was that kind of person."

"You can't be fooled by first impressions. Petty men are skilled at disguise. If you meet someone and they give you an overly pleasant feeling, you should be cautious first."

"In that sense, I suppose I'm fortunate."

Being one-eyed, Cheokyeon made a strong first impression. He couldn't compare to the Fist Demon, but he had a slightly milder version of Jang Ho's look.

"You have a pretty handsome face when you take off your eyepatch, don't you? Manly, too."

"Me? This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Just as Cheokyeon's mood began to lift, I quickly added my warning.

"This is what I'm telling you to be careful of. Things that make you feel good for no reason!"

Cheokyeon and the bodyguards laughed together.

"Will you be departing for the Jiangxi Branch tomorrow?"

"I'd like to, but I have to finish things up here before I go."

Cutting someone down isn't difficult. The aftermath is always hard. You have to clean up the mess the bastard made and find a replacement.

"I'm not in a hurry. Let's take our time."

Would it be any different there? Good and bad people were all mixed together, just living their lives.

The next morning, a rumor spread through the Hunan Branch that the Branch Manager was dead.

Since so many people witnessed Yeo Sogwang's death, the details of why he died also became known. Today the rumor was confined to the Branch, but it would spread throughout the Hunan region within a few days.

Now, every Branch Manager in the Central Plains would fear me. I didn't think that was a bad thing. Discipline required them to be scared stiff and on edge.

That afternoon, the head of the All-Knowing Hall's Hunan region visited me again.

"We've recovered all the assets Yeo Sogwang hid in the private bank. What should we do with this money?"

"Send all the money to Headquarters."

"Understood."

Father, your son is out here working hard and earning money! I should boast playfully to him about it.

"Until the higher-ups appoint a temporary Branch Manager, you will have to stay here at the Branch for the time being, Young Cult Leader."

I had cut down the Branch Manager without appointing a successor, so it was unavoidable. Even without the All-Knowing Hall martial artist's words, I had already planned to stay and help with the aftermath.

They had entrusted me with selecting the Sanzu Hall Director, so they might accept my suggestion for the new Branch Manager here as well.

"When you return, immediately send me information on the executive-level personnel under the Branch Manager. Send all available information."

"Understood."

After receiving the information from the All-Knowing Hall, I immediately interviewed the potential candidates for the next Branch Manager.

A single interview couldn't reveal a person's true character, but their past actions offered clues.

I recorded my impressions of each person and sent the report to the All-Knowing Hall. The next step was up to Father and the All-Knowing Hall, whether they sent a new person or chose from my list.

After finishing my work, I went to the training ground to practice the Heavenly Demon Defense Art. Lately, I felt a tingling sensation whenever I trained, an instinct telling me a breakthrough was near.

My prediction was correct. On the third day of training, the Heavenly Demon Defense Art reached the next stage. I was now one step from complete mastery. Once I crossed that final stage, I would have two lives.

It's usually difficult to pinpoint the reason for an advancement in such a profound art, but this time I knew. It was the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Learning it had undoubtedly influenced my Heavenly Demon Defense Art.

I immediately performed the First Technique of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. I was curious what effect the advancement of the Heavenly Demon Defense Art had on it in return.

First Stance, the Human Destroying Stance.

The East Demon, West Demon, South Demon, and North Demon appeared at once, tearing space to shreds.

The fearsome one, the handsome one, the mysterious one, and the intelligent-looking one were all the same as ever.

Yet something had changed.

They lingered just a little longer than before. The advancement in the Heavenly Demon Defense Art had also affected the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

Of course, that didn't mean I was having an emotional exchange with them. It was still the stage of my one-sided courtship.

East, West, South, North, I'll be counting on you from now on!

Will the day ever come when those demons respond to these feelings of mine?

It was different now, of course, but that day would be when my Nine Calamities Demonic Art became completely different from Father's.

That day, after Geom Mugeuk finished training, two men came to see him. One of them introduced himself first.

"My name is Chungsik. I know it's rude, Young Cult Leader, but I've come to ask a desperate favor."

Chungsik's voice trembled with nervousness.

Geom Mugeuk recognized him.

"You're the musician from the banquet."

Chungsik looked startled that Geom Mugeuk recognized him.

"You recognize me?"

"I do. I don't easily forget a face. What brings a musician to see me?"

Chungsik glanced back at the middle-aged man with him.

"This is my friend."

The other man introduced himself.

"I am Haesong, a vegetable seller in the local market."

Haesong seemed even more nervous than Chungsik.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Geom Mugeuk."

"It is an honor to meet such an esteemed person."

"What business brings you to me?"

Haesong struggled to speak. He had practiced what to say, but now his heart pounded so hard that the words wouldn't come out.

Unable to watch any longer, Chungsik spoke for his friend.

"Before you came here, Young Cult Leader, this friend's son was unjustly assaulted. He was injured so badly that a physician said he might be crippled."

Haesong bit his lip hard. This was why he couldn't speak. Thinking of his son filled him with such indignation and emotion that he was on the verge of tears.

"Who was responsible?"

"There's an organization in the Hunan region made up of young martial artists. They call themselves the Martial God Society."

"Who led the assault?"

"The son of the Heavenly Peace Sect Leader and the son of the Clean Night Gang Chief."

The Heavenly Peace Sect and the Clean Night Gang. These were the same sects that had allied with the deceased Yeo Sogwang. They were already slated for investigation, and now they had revealed themselves in this unexpected way.

Since the heavens wouldn't let these sects slip through the net, I suspected their evil deeds were even greater than they appeared.

"We know how rude it is for lowly people like us to come and ask such a favor of you, Young Cult Leader, but that day, we saw you step forward for Yakran. We thought that if it was you, Young Cult Leader, you would be able to resolve my friend's unjust situation."

Chungsik's gaze turned to Haesong.

"I'm a man who has lived his entire life just playing music. This friend is the one who bought me an instrument when I was poor and helped me learn to play. I want to repay that kindness, even if it costs me my life."

Haesong lowered his head. Even a simple vegetable seller knew how burdensome and dangerous it was to approach the Demonic Cult's Young Cult Leader. His friend had risked his life for him, and in truth, Haesong had risked his own. He would never have come for any other reason.

Haesong's voice trembled as he spoke.

"Honestly, I was giving up. How could a mere market vendor stand against the Heavenly Peace Sect and the Clean Night Gang? But my friend told me your arrival, Young Cult Leader, was an opportunity from the heavens."

Haesong looked at Geom Mugeuk.

"I want to make them pay for their crimes."

He had trembled the entire time, but in that moment, his eyes were a father's eyes.

Haesong's wife was startled. When the musician suggested her husband see the Young Cult Leader, she had thought it was a fool's errand. She never believed the Demonic Cult's leader would meet a mere musician. She had worried they would only get a severe beating for their trouble.

But now the Young Cult Leader had come in person, and his bodyguards stood guard around her house. She was so shocked she was out of her mind.

Inside the room, Haesong's son, Haejin, lay groaning in pain.

His injuries were obviously severe. A physician had treated him, but he remained bedridden. In his current state, he couldn't dream of being a martial artist, let alone living a normal life.

Hearing the door open, Haejin forced himself to speak through the pain.

"Mother, I'm okay. I'm feeling much better."

Haejin tried his best to endure the pain so his mother wouldn't worry. Haesong's wife held back tears as she sat beside her son.

"Haejin, an esteemed person has come to see you."

Haejin opened his eyes then, but he was in too much pain to see clearly.

"Let me take a look."

Geom Mugeuk turned Haejin onto his side and placed a palm on his back.

He infused a bit of true qi to regulate the boy's qi and blood, and Haejin's ragged breathing immediately subsided.

Seeing this, Chungsik, Haesong, and his wife were relieved and overjoyed. It was the first time Haejin had looked so peaceful since the injury.

Geom Mugeuk cleared the blocked qi and blood channels and reset the broken bones. He performed the difficult treatment instantly with minimal pain. If not for the DUDUK, DUDUK sound, they wouldn't have known what he was doing.

"What happened?"

Haejin's expression eased, and he recounted what had happened.

"I went to work at the banquet hall. You can earn more money serving liquor and food at a prestigious family's banquet than working at an inn."

Haesong sighed. His son had used his hard-earned money to attend a martial arts academy. If Haesong had more money, his son wouldn't have needed such work. Chungsik had told him not to blame himself, but as a parent, he couldn't help it.

"My dream is to become a martial artist."

"You were born with a good constitution, so you'll be able to become a fine martial artist. You should thank your parents."

"Really?"

Haejin looked at his parents, a bit more clear-headed. The couple forced a smile, trying to hide their sorrow.

Geom Mugeuk asked again.

"What happened there?"

"I was carrying liquor for the banquet for a while, and during a break, I practiced the movement arts I had learned. I shouldn't have practiced…"

Haejin sighed with regret before continuing.

"Just then, a passing Young Lord Seo saw me and asked if I had learned martial arts. When I told him I attended a martial arts academy, he told me to have a duel with Young Lord Seok, who he was with. I insisted that I didn't want to, but…"

Haejin's expression turned indignant, then flickered with fear. The memory made his anger surge, but the fear of being beaten to death had also left a deep scar.

Now I understood. They used the duel as an excuse for the assault to avoid responsibility. This probably wasn't the first or second time they had done this.

"How is my body?"

"Fortunately, no vital blood vessels were damaged. I just cleared the vessels that were blocked by your injuries. You don't have to give up on your dream."

"Thank you so much."

Tears streamed down Haejin's cheeks.

Chungsik, Haesong, and Haesong's wife were also overjoyed. They had only hoped he wouldn't be crippled, but now their son could dream of becoming a martial artist again. They were even happier than their son.

"Are banquets held often?"

"They're held once every three or four days."

"Now, get some deep sleep."

Geom Mugeuk pressed one of Haejin's acupoints, and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Leave the rest to me, and just focus on your son's treatment."

The three of them bowed deeply to Geom Mugeuk. They never imagined the Young Cult Leader would help them so readily. It felt like a dream.

Before leaving, Geom Mugeuk said to Haesong.

"I came because I saw the look in your eyes. You are the one who saved your son."

As Geom Mugeuk stepped outside, he heard Haesong finally break down and weep. The cries of his wife and friend soon joined his.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Cheokyeon, who was waiting for him.

"Send word to the All-Knowing Hall again. Tell them to send over materials on the Heavenly Peace Sect and the Clean Night Gang, and find out when the next banquet is."

"Yes, I understand."

As they walked toward the carriage, Cheokyeon added a comment.

"You're truly amazing."

"What is?"

"The way you take care of all these matters one by one."

"I ride in a carriage you guys drive, treat someone with true qi, then ride back to punish some fools. What's so amazing about that? The musician's courage to seek me out for his friend, that's amazing. A father's courage to demand justice for his son against powerful sects, that's amazing. A son's endurance, pretending not to be in pain for his mother, that's amazing. The word 'amazing' should be for things like that."

But Cheokyeon shook his head firmly.

"No. No matter what anyone says, you're more amazing, Young Cult Leader."

Cheokyeon opened the carriage door. As Geom Mugeuk climbed in, he said, "Getting stubborn, are we? You're changing. It's a bit rebellious."

Cheokyeon closed the carriage door.

"And whose fault do you think that is?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled as he looked at Cheokyeon through the window. He felt that his bodyguards, once a gray background, were slowly filling with color.

And so, the carriage raced off to handle a matter that was both amazing and not amazing at all.