Chapter 324: Just For Today, Think of Him as an Enemy

TL: FoodieMonster007

Jo Baekta could not decide immediately.

Instead, he asked for some time alone with the Master. This was what Geom Mugeuk had wanted.

Once Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha went outside, only the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and Jo Baekta remained in the room.

Jo Baekta broke the long silence.

"If we really go back, will you still make me the next Cult Leader?"

"……"

"Even me, who dreams of unifying the murim?"

"Yes. Even so, I will make you the next Cult Leader."

Despite the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's firm answer, Jo Baekta remained suspicious.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I believe you'll protect the Heavenly Wind Cult the best."

"Is starting a war what you call protecting it?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader directly conveyed his remorse and regret to his disciple.

"If I could go back, I would have asked you. I would have asked what your dream was. If by chance you answered that it was to advance into the Central Plains, I would have told you this. That dream isn't our dream, but a dream that one of our ancestors once had. Then I would walk the wastelands with you and show you what a wonderful place the Outer Regions is, and how strong the people who live in these sandstorms are. Because I believe you, more than anyone, can protect and cultivate these Outer Regions."

Jo Baekta was angry.

"You're only telling me this now? If you hadn't returned like this, isn't this something you would have never told me?"

"Because I would have believed you were doing well. Because I didn't know this was how you felt. If I had known, I would have rushed here long ago."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader gazed at his disciple and said, "That's why I said I was sorry. I'll keep saying it until your heart is at ease."

Their gazes locked in midair. A sandstorm blew beyond the window behind them.

Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha stood side by side in the courtyard, looking up at the sky.

It felt like only yesterday they had lain on a rock looking at the sky. Now, they stood together in the distant Outer Regions, doing the same.

The Demonic Buddha spoke abruptly.

"That fellow's fate will change today, too."

He must have meant Jo Baekta, but his fate would also greatly affect the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. For that reason, Geom Mugeuk hoped their relationship would conclude well.

"I'm worried about the Cult Leader."

The Demonic Buddha replied, still looking at the sky.

"Young Cult Leader, don't be cheeky! That kind of worrying is for adults to do about you."

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly.

"Like how you worry about me, Demonic Buddha?"

"I only worry about your brother."

The cold words were, in a way, more comforting. He was, as always, taking good care of his brother.

"Did you say my brother brought me up during a drinking session?"

The Demonic Buddha nodded at Geom Mugeuk's question.

"He did."

"He wasn't wondering how to take back the Young Cult Leader position?"

"I almost wished he was."

The Demonic Buddha's eyes filled with concern as he looked at Geom Mugeuk.

"When a person suddenly loses their goal, their life is bound to be shaken. He might pretend to be fine on the outside, but it must be very difficult for him. So don't you be arrogant and worry about your elders, just take good care of your brother."

"As expected, you are a little giant to me, Demonic Buddha."

"More nonsense!"

The Demonic Buddha averted his gaze with an awkward expression, but Geom Mugeuk knew he loved being called a little giant the most. The giant of the past stood tall through flattery, but now, these words were spoken with sincerity. To Geom Mugeuk, the Demonic Buddha was a little giant.

He felt that the man who had emerged from the cave was now beginning to build his own house. He was laying the foundation by taking care of his brother, raising the pillars by agreeing to go to the Outer Regions together, and covering the roof by promising to gather medicinal herbs. In this way, he was building his own house.

He hoped that when the house was complete, he would invite his brother, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, the Poison King, and even himself to hold a small banquet. He sincerely wished for him to live a golden life.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze followed the Demonic Buddha's back to the sky.

Just then, Cheokyeon and the other bodyguards approached to express their gratitude.

"Thank you for the gift of the swords!"

"Why are you thanking me?"

"We heard that the Young Cult Leader gave them to us as a gift."

Geom Mugeuk shook his head.

"The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader bought them for you."

"Ah! The Cult Leader said that the Young Cult Leader bought them."

"He probably didn't want to take credit. Make sure to greet him when you see him later!"

As they withdrew, the Demonic Buddha laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"That man Pungcheon might have paid the money, but you were the one who wanted to buy them, weren't you?"

The Demonic Buddha's intuition was, as expected, astonishingly sharp.

"Why do you think so?"

"Because he's not the type of person to look after your bodyguards. Even if he's changed a lot, a person doesn't change that much all at once. He probably paid while grumbling."

Just as Geom Mugeuk was smiling, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and Jo Baekta walked outside.

Jo Baekta walked up to Geom Mugeuk.

"I think it's time to see if I'm a fool to the very end," Jo Baekta said.

Geom Mugeuk released the inner arts he had suppressed in him.

"You've only ever seen him as an ally until now," Geom Mugeuk said. "So for today at least, try looking at him as an enemy."

The Illusion King was painting a picture.

He looked exactly like Hwan Yeo, tall and with a manly, magnanimous air.

However, the painting he created did not suit his appearance at all.

It was a dark and bizarre painting, filled with the aura of death.

A gate reminiscent of hell's gates stood in the center, surrounded by horribly dead corpses and beasts.

But the strangeness was only just beginning.

The painting moved. A painted man walked out from a small path next to the gate, looked this way, and spoke.

[All preparations are complete.]

His voice was audible only to the Illusion King.

[However, they say not to touch the Young Cult Leader yet.]

[Any other mentions?]

[None. They only mentioned the Young Cult Leader.]

[Are you certain that the one who killed Hwan Yeo was Pungcheon?]

[The circumstances suggest so.]

As the Illusion King nodded, the man who had finished his report disappeared back down the path.

Just then, he heard a presence outside, and Jo Baekta entered.

"Master."

He called the Illusion King 'Master'. The Illusion King rose from his seat and showed Jo Baekta courteous respect.

"Welcome, Cult Leader."

"What kind of painting were you working on today?"

The Illusion King showed him the painting. Jo Baekta flinched in surprise upon seeing it.

"Your style is different from usual."

He was someone who usually painted the beautiful landscapes of the Outer Regions. He painted smiling people, dogs, and cats, but today's painting was completely different.

"Even I feel like painting something like this sometimes."

Of all days, why is he painting something like this on the day I came to visit?

"Where does this gate lead?"

"It is the gate that leads to my hell."

At the meaningful reply, Jo Baekta stared at the Illusion King.

But only the painting was different. The Illusion King served him tea as usual, with a good-natured smile.

Jo Baekta fiddled with his teacup, recalling what Geom Mugeuk had said.

[If he offers you tea or alcohol, there will probably be some kind of drug in it.]

It was one of the few things Geom Mugeuk had told him before he came here. Thinking back, he was always served tea when he visited this place.

At first, his bodyguards would check for poison, but that process was omitted after he started learning martial arts from him. He had been drinking it all this time without any suspicion of what might be in it.

What if he thought of the other person as an enemy, just as Geom Mugeuk had said? The thought sent a chill down his spine.

"Please drink. We have a new tea, and it tastes excellent."

"The aroma is very nice."

Jo Baekta only savored the aroma before setting the tea down and continuing to speak.

"Earlier, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult came to see me alone, so I told him to grant me permission to unify the Outer Regions."

"And what did he say?"

"He told me to show him my ability. He said he would see if I was qualified. So I used the Angcheon Hyeolryeong technique to show him my power."

At that, the Illusion King's expression hardened.

"Didn't I tell you not to use the Angcheon Hyeolryeong technique if possible?"

"I had no choice."

Jo Baekta mimicked what Geom Mugeuk had said.

"Our Cult does not permit it. So go wash your face and come back. That arrogant Young Cult Leader!"

Jo Baekta couldn't contain his anger and slammed his hand on the table. The table shattered, and the tea spilled.

"If I ever get to strike the Central Plains, I want to wipe out the Demonic Cult first."

The Illusion King calmly wiped the area and cleaned up before brewing more tea. In the past, he would have felt sorry and grateful, but Jo Baekta's heart was different now. He was seeing him as an enemy, just as Geom Mugeuk had said.

Is he trying to make me drink the tea no matter what?

It was the same action, but the feeling it gave him was completely different.

The Illusion King asked as he placed the tea on a new table. His persistence, never forceful, was even more frightening.

"So what happened?"

"The Young Cult Leader broke through my Angcheon Hyeolryeong technique."

"That's impossible."

"I experienced it myself."

"Then you must have fallen for his trick."

Jo Baekta questioned the Illusion King's assertion.

"Why are you so confident? It's not like you've experienced the Nine Calamities Demonic Art yourself."

For a moment, the Illusion King's expression stiffened. He usually showed discomfort whenever the Nine Calamities Demonic Art was mentioned, but today his face looked angrier than usual.

Jo Baekta quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, Master. I was rude and sensitive because the Angcheon Hyeolryeong technique didn't work."

His expression still stiff, the Illusion King asked, "Why do you think the Young Cult Leader came to the Outer Regions?"

"I don't know his true intentions."

Of course, that was a lie. He had heard they came to capture the very man before him.

Just then, the Illusion King caught him off guard.

"He came to capture me."

Jo Baekta flinched. The Illusion King had revealed something Jo Baekta thought he would hide.

"How could he know of your existence, Master?"

"I planted one of my people in the Demonic Cult, but that person was recently caught, and my existence was revealed."

"Why did you plant someone in the Demonic Cult?"

"Do you know why I'm so sensitive about the Nine Calamities Demonic Art? It's because the Blood Cult fell to that very art. Our Cult and the Demonic Cult are mortal enemies. No reconciliation can wash away that blood. As the last descendant of the Blood Cult, how could I just stand by and watch them?"

The ingredient for a perfect lie is nine parts truth.

Hearing him speak with so much truth mixed in, Jo Baekta felt inwardly confused. Could this side be right and the other wrong? Jo Baekta tried his best to find the truth.

"I will never give up."

"As you should. The Cult Leader will surely achieve a great feat."

"But there is a problem. I rashly revealed that I learned another martial art, so given the Master's personality, he won't just let me be. Master, please help me."

Staring intently at Jo Baekta, the Illusion King took out a small vial from his robes, smaller than his little finger.

"Feed this medicine to the Master! It's colorless and odorless, so if you mix it in his alcohol, he'll never notice."

Jo Baekta was shocked. He knew without asking. It was poison to kill the Master.

"It doesn't take effect immediately. The poison will activate after three days, so no one will suspect it was a drug administered by the Cult Leader."

He never imagined he would be told to kill the Master by poisoning him.

"They say a man isn't a man if he's not ruthless. If you don't kill him, you, the Cult Leader, will be the one to suffer."

In that moment, Jo Baekta's heart grew cold. What could be more cowardly than killing an enemy by poisoning their drink?

Had he really respected and liked such a person?

The Illusion King read his heart perfectly.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

Jo Baekta answered honestly.

"I didn't expect you to tell me to poison his drink."

"To deal with him, you must fight a battle of life and death. If you, the Cult Leader, use the drug, it's a fight you'll win unconditionally. If so, shouldn't you use it? Is there anything more precious than your life?"

After a brief pause, Jo Baekta asked with cold eyes, "Is it for my sake? Or is it to save yourself, Master?"

"We are already in the same boat. Is there a difference between the two?"

"You're right. Then the boat won't sink. Instead, I'll become the man who poisoned the Master at a drinking party."

There was no need for further comparison. Just as the curtain of the Infinite Length Wall had been torn, the scales fell from Jo Baekta's eyes.

And yet, the Illusion King was composed.

"They have already planted the seeds of doubt in our Cult Leader's heart."

"They were seeds I should have planted and nurtured myself from the beginning."

The Illusion King's gaze turned cold. His polite smile vanished, making his face as unfamiliar as a stranger's.

"I knew you would fall for them, but I didn't know you would fall so easily."

He had already guessed Jo Baekta's true reason for visiting.

Telling him to use the poison was the Illusion King's test. It was a test to see if Jo Baekta had gone over to the Young Cult Leader's side.

Jo Baekta lamented his past foolishness.

"So you really did approach me intentionally."

He had wanted to escape the difficulties he faced after becoming the Cult Leader. The man before him had served as an excellent sanctuary.

He had badmouthed the Master with him. He had brainwashed him, saying the Master was a coward but that he would become a great Cult Leader. Nothing was more comforting to a weak heart than someone who would curse a hated person alongside you.

That place was not a sanctuary. It was a hell disguised as a sanctuary.

Master!

The person who came to Jo Baekta's mind now was the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

I'm sorry.

Jo Baekta secretly raised his inner arts. He knew the Illusion King was stronger than him, but he felt no fear. The excitement born from regret dominated him.

However, the Illusion King's illusion art overwhelmed him.

WHOOOOOSH!

With a deep resonance, the surroundings changed.

The place where the two of them stood was no longer the Illusion King's residence.

Corpses were strewn about, and beasts that looked like they came from a painting growled from all sides.

In front of them stood a large gate.

That gate?

It was the very same gate the Illusion King had earlier called the gate to his hell.

Amazingly, they were inside the painting the Illusion King had drawn.

"What are you trying to do?"

"What were you trying to do? Did you test me, believing those humans would protect you?"

At those words, Jo Baekta hurriedly turned his head.

Far away in the sky, a giant-like Geom Mugeuk and the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked down at him. Beyond the horizon, a Demonic Buddha who had become a true giant also watched.

Jo Baekta could tell. The three people who had entered the residence were looking into the painting.

He and the Illusion King had not moved. They had truly entered the painting.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was not looking at the Illusion King, but at him.

His gaze was filled with worry.

The moment he saw that gaze, something knotted up in his heart completely melted away.

…Master!

He felt so sorry for his master. He had been ungrateful for being given the position of Cult Leader. Like a child, he had only resented him and messed things up, and yet, his master had apologized to him again and again.

I ruined everything. Master, I'm sorry.

As if this was the result of his foolishness, the gate began to open.

In front of the open gate, the Illusion King spoke.

"Your Master will know. He'll know how dangerous this place is. It's a place where even the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader must risk his life."

As he stretched out his hand, Jo Baekta flew helplessly toward him as if being sucked in.

From beyond the closing gate, the Illusion King's voice could be heard.

"Will your Master truly open these gates of hell to save you?"

As his words ended, Jo Baekta's desperate cry flowed out from between the closing gates.

"Don't come, Master! You can't come…!"

The gate that had swallowed the two men slammed shut with a deafening roar.