Chapter 276: Give That Mouth a Rest

TL: FoodieMonster007

The three men looked at each other. More precisely, Jin Hagun and Bi Sayin stared at Geom Mugeuk.

The way Jin Hagun gazed at Geom Mugeuk had changed since they first greeted each other.

He suddenly recalled what his younger sister told him before he left.

"You have to look at him without any preconceptions. Don't think, 'He's a demon, so he must be like this.' He's not the kind of person you think he is, brother."

Now Jin Hagun understood exactly why his sister had said that. Geom Mugeuk was not the person he had imagined. Jin Hagun felt a growing curiosity toward the man who might become his lifelong rival.

Just then, someone spoke.

"…It's unfair."

Everyone's gaze turned to the speaker.

Seo Cheong sat collapsed on the floor, staring in their direction. Blood from Seo Baekjong's body soaked his backside, but he looked half-dazed.

"I said, it's unfair."

Screaming wildly earlier had felt good, a relief. These hypocrites! Haven't you killed people too!

But that was all. A terrible emptiness followed that moment. No one paid any attention to him. It felt as if he had never shouted at all.

He had always lived as the protagonist.

Now, no one gathered here gave him any attention.

He should have been enraged by his father's death and terrified of life in prison. Instead, he writhed with a sense of victimhood, feeling ignored and abandoned.

"So, spare me."

Geom Mugeuk stared at him with emotionless eyes. If Seo Cheong had clutched his father's corpse and spewed curses, perhaps a sliver of sympathy might have surfaced.

But even at the very end, Seo Cheong only thought of himself.

Geom Mugeuk nodded. Two bodyguards subdued Seo Cheong's inner arts and dragged him outside. They sealed his acupuncture points to stop him from shouting, so he was hauled away helplessly. He would soon be taken by the Hunan Branch's demons to the hellish prison at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Headquarters.

Geom Mugeuk said nothing to Seo Cheong and did not acknowledge his pleas. He gave him no attention at all.

He simply threw Seo Cheong into hell without attaching any meaning to it.

This was Geom Mugeuk's consistent attitude when dealing with a villain who deserved to die.

From that sight, Jin Hagun got a small sense of what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was. If it had been him, he would have certainly said something. 'Your father died because of you, so live the rest of your life in repentance.' But Geom Mugeuk completely ignored him, not even offering a cold glance. That felt more terrifying and cruel.

Jin Hagun felt he had gotten a proper taste of the murim today. It was a very spicy taste, but not an unpleasant one. It was a taste he wanted to experience again.

At the same time, he felt a desire. Next time, I want to be the one doing the cooking and show them a proper taste.

"I won't forget what happened today."

It might have sounded like a promise of revenge, but it was his way of thanking Geom Mugeuk. If not for him, Jin Hagun would have fallen out of his grandfather's favor.

Geom Mugeuk replied with a gentle gaze and a smile.

"Become a good Chairman."

Jin Hagun decided to believe only half the sincerity in that gaze. He had never heard of a successor to the Demonic Cult advising someone to become a good Chairman.

Standing behind them, the Demon Slaying Brigade, the Heavenly Demon Hall bodyguards, and the Thirteen Evil Wolves also stared at each other. They felt that this meeting was not the end. When would they meet again?

Geom Mugeuk bantered playfully as they said their final farewells.

"It's a shame to part ways. Let's go for a drink."

However, Jin Hagun pretended not to hear and bid farewell to Bi Sayin.

The cup of alcohol Bi Sayin had silently poured for him earlier had been a great comfort.

"Next time, I'll pour you a drink."

Bi Sayin gave a slight nod. Will the day truly come when I receive a drink from a successor of the orthodox sects? Perhaps it might. Ever since meeting that Geom Mugeuk, unimaginable things have kept happening.

"Well then, let's meet again."

Jin Hagun strode out first. As the Demon Slaying Brigade was about to follow, Geom Mugeuk spoke to them.

"Come on, let your Captain go and let's have a drink, just us. We can drink with our bodyguards and chat. How much is your monthly salary, does it come on time, what are the mission conditions like? Aren't we all curious about each other?"

The members of the Demon Slaying Brigade followed Jin Hagun out with bewildered expressions. One of them let out an involuntary chuckle before hastily schooling his features. The Demon Slaying Brigade, the Thirteen Evil Wolves, and the Heavenly Demon Hall bodyguards drinking together? Is that even plausible?

The last person from the orthodox sects to leave was the Sword Saint.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon greeted him first.

"Let's meet again next time. Take care."

"Don't you worry. I've found a reason to live a long life."

"The juniors don't like it when you meddle in their affairs."

"You should put on some weight."

The Sword Saint glanced at his reason for needing to live a long life, then left.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Bi Sayin.

"Now that all the stuffy orthodox sects people have left, let's have a drink, just us men!"

However, Bi Sayin also pretended not to hear and walked away.

Bi Sayin knew. He knew that Geom Mugeuk had intended to give him the Heavenly Peace Sect, if Seo Cheong hadn't acted out at the last moment. Yes, how can one defeat a lucky bastard?

Still, by coming out this time, he had gained fifteen sects in the Hunan region, a great contribution to the alliance.

"Come on, I said let's have a drink! How heartless!"

Despite Geom Mugeuk's shout from behind, Bi Sayin strode out of the place. There was no need to say thank you. Someday, Geom Mugeuk would appear before him again. He would show that back of his that made one want to push him right off, sitting on that cliff and surprising him again. Bi Sayin even looked forward to that moment. I'll repay this debt then.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves followed him, and the Evil Eccentric and the Light Flash walked out. The two masters also left after looking intently not at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon or the Fist Demon, but at Geom Mugeuk. Everyone felt it. The person who had created today's outcome was Geom Mugeuk.

Once they had left, Geom Mugeuk laughed heartily.

"As expected! I have no one but our Demon Supremes."

However, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon were not there. The two were already walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"The work is done, so we have to go."

"What, did you all conspire against me? Why is everyone doing this to me?"

Geom Mugeuk scurried over and blocked the two of them.

The bodyguards also moved, forming a line. The Third Tiger looked at Cheokyeon, his eyes conveying the words he had said before, 'Serving him is truly not easy.'

Cheokyeon replied with his eyes, 'Isn't that what makes it fun?'

He showed a dignity that not only other successors but even the Sword Saint could not treat lightly, yet when he joked around like that, he felt like a completely different person.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to the two Demon Supremes.

"Phew, I talked so much I thought my mouth was going to die."

It truly was the Battle of Ma Jang Hu, which began with words and ended with words.

The Fist Demon clenched his fist.

"Thanks to that mouth, I didn't have to use this fist."

However, the stoic Fist Demon's eyes held praise. You handled it well.

"I was able to chatter freely because I trusted in that fist."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon tried to exit through the door.

"Now, give that mouth a rest too. We're leaving."

"Hey, you're the least busy person in the world, why do you keep trying to leave?"

"I have to teach Daeryong, and I have to read books. I'm busy too."

Then the Fist Demon added his own reason.

"I have to do my late-night training too."

Geom Mugeuk held onto the two of them.

"Don't be so cold, leaving right away! You came all this way, stay just a little longer. Who knows? An opportunity to use that fist of yours refreshingly might come up."

At his meaningful words, the Fist Demon asked.

"Is something going on?"

"Let's go, I'll tell you on the way."

Geom Mugeuk squeezed between the two so they couldn't leave, linked arms with them, and walked out together.

"You have to travel diligently while you're even a year younger. What will you do if you already prefer being at home? Later, you won't be able to travel even if you want to!"

Watching the rare sight of him walking with the two fearsome Demon Supremes on either side, the bodyguards also left.

We returned to the Hunan Branch.

I immediately dismissed all the bodyguards and told them to rest.

If I were to die at the Hunan Branch while with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon, I would die anyway, even with bodyguards present.

The bodyguards withdrew and had free time for themselves for the first time in a while. Those who wanted to sleep, slept. Those who wanted to drink, drank, and those who wanted to train, trained.

I had a modest drinking session with the two Demon Supremes.

The two of them seemed like they wouldn't get along, but they were surprisingly compatible. Although the Blood Heaven Blade Demon seemed like a fussy old man, he had a manly disposition that matched well with the Fist Demon's personality.

I coolly emptied the first cup with the two Demon Supremes.

"Thank you for coming like this. Thanks to you two, things went smoothly."

They were truly people whose mere presence was a source of strength. They had now become people I could tell anything to and rely on completely.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon set down his cup and asked.

"So, what do you plan to do now?"

"I have to go to the Jiangxi Branch."

Meeting the heads of the Hunan Branch and the Jiangxi Branch was the purpose of leaving the cult this time.

"The head of the Jiangxi Branch must have a pounding heart."

The head of the Hunan Branch was dead, and the leader of the representative sect here, the Heavenly Peace Sect Leader, was also dead.

"If he hasn't committed any sins, there's no reason to be anxious."

"He'll be anxious anyway. Hearing that someone who brings a storm of blood with him is coming to visit."

I poured them another drink.

"That's unfair. Where else would you find someone who loves peace as much as I do?"

"But there's something I need to take care of before I go. That's why I hoped you two would stay."

I told the two of them about the mastermind behind this incident.

"There's someone who connected the deceased Heavenly Peace Sect Leader and Jin Hagun. The Heavenly Peace Sect Leader asked him for help, and he immediately moved the Murim Alliance."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's eyes glinted. He instinctively felt this was someone hiding their claws.

"Then he must be a powerful person."

This meant the incident might not be a simple case that started with the Hunan Branch head's corruption.

"When I sounded out Jin Hagun earlier, I noticed that he is very close to that person."

"The possibility of him being an insider in the Murim Alliance is high."

"Yes, that's highly likely."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon immediately understood my intentions.

"You intend to catch the bastard."

"At the very least, I have to find out who he is. It's not just because he's a threat to me. It bothers me that such a person is around Jin Hagun. In other words, it means he could manipulate the person who will become the future Murim Alliance Chairman."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon nodded at the same time.

"How do you plan to find out?"

"That's what you have to tell me, Elder. Why else would I have brought you all this way? I brought you here to hear what I should do in a situation like this."

"Trying to work an old man to the bone. Good for you."

However, contrary to his words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked pleased. It is always enjoyable to be acknowledged by someone and have it confirmed that you are an essential being.

After pondering for a moment, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon raised a question.

"But why did he go this far?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did he get involved in this matter, even mobilizing Jin Hagun? Was he that close to the Heavenly Peace Sect Leader?"

"According to the All-Knowing Hall's investigation, there was no one in the Murim Alliance that close to him."

"Then why? It wouldn't be his own achievement anyway, but Jin Hagun's. The Murim Alliance would reap all the benefits."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's point was sharp. I had been focusing on 'who,' but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was focusing on 'why.'

"Either he was someone trying to help Jin Hagun build achievements…"

"Or it means he absolutely needed the Heavenly Peace Sect Leader."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded at my words.

"If that's the case, he will definitely show some kind of reaction to this incident. You can use that reaction as an opportunity to catch him."

"As expected! You're the best, Elder. How would I live without you?"

"The mask-wearer, the poison-user, the drunkard, the duel-addict…"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced at the Fist Demon sitting next to him.

I laughed.

"You should have said the fist-fighter."

"You'd live just fine with your Master."

Still, he showed some courtesy to the Fist Demon since he was right there.

"If he wasn't next to you, it would have been 'fist-fighter,' right?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon drank his alcohol instead of answering, and the rarely smiling Fist Demon showed a smile.

"I'll send word to the All-Knowing Hall and also order my own intelligence organization to focus all their networks on this matter."

The Fist Demon, who had only been listening until now, finally opened his mouth.

"I'll see how they react before I go back."

It seemed the Fist Demon had decided he might be needed to help.

"As expected! How would I live without my Master?"

I wanted to hear 'the bookworm' come from the Fist Demon's mouth, but he just silently tilted his cup.

I emptied my cup with him. I was curious to see how the opponent would react.

When Jin Hagun visited his master's house, Baek Cheongeong was carving a wooden doll.

"I have returned, Master."

Baek Cheongeong did not acknowledge the greeting and focused only on carving the wood.

SCRAPE, SCRAPE.

Jin Hagun watched his master's expression. He couldn't tell if Baek Cheongeong was still unaware of the news from Hunan or if he had already heard. Jin Hagun had met with his grandfather upon his return and had come straight here.

His grandfather's reaction was better than expected. When Jin Hagun told him that he had ultimately given up because he could not forgive the evil deeds of the Heavenly Peace Sect's successor, his grandfather's face clearly showed joy.

It was horrifying to imagine what kind of emotion would have shadowed that expression if he had returned after acquiring the Heavenly Peace Sect. He once again felt gratitude toward Geom Mugeuk.

I will definitely repay you someday.

The problem was his master. He had, in the end, failed the task his master had suggested.

He'll understand, right? The purpose of recommending this task was also to make me the successor, after all.

SCRAPE, SCRAPE.

As he stared at his master's back, he suddenly remembered what Geom Mugeuk had said.

"Have you been looking at your grandfather properly until now?"

It wasn't just his grandfather. He hadn't been looking at his master properly either.

Because he was my grandfather. Because he was my Master.

From now on, he would look properly. Straight at the other person, without any preconceptions.

Since his master was still focused on carving, Jin Hagun looked around the workshop as usual and went to the display shelf where the dolls were set up.

A small doll lay fallen in front of the hero doll that was leading the fight. It was a doll he hadn't seen when he left.

Just as Jin Hagun was setting the fallen doll upright, his master spoke from behind him.

"Leave it lying down."