Chapter 336: I Like the Food My Son-in-Law Makes

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk lay there for a moment and stared up at the falling snow.

He had run the entire way without rest, only stopping to replenish his inner arts.

The constant running pushed his Swift Step past the tenth stage of complete mastery into the eleventh, the first step toward the twelfth. He wondered just how fast the Swift Step would be when it finally reached that level.

More importantly, he was happy he had arrived in time. Geom Mugeuk thanked the heavens.

Thank you so much.

He was also grateful to Jo Cheonbae.

Thank you for holding on.

As if answering his gratitude, snow gently settled on Geom Mugeuk's face, hands, and body.

After another moment of watching the snow, Geom Mugeuk pushed himself up.

Everyone present still stared at Geom Mugeuk, who had fallen from the sky.

Geom Mugeuk straightened his messy hair. Everyone looked surprised at his unexpectedly young face.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Jo Cheonbae. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

That man is the standard for my demonic path. When tears no longer flow from his face, my demonic path will be properly established.

Jo Cheonbae could not form a proper sentence.

"How…… how."

He had never imagined Geom Mugeuk would appear here.

Geom Mugeuk smiled at him and said, "I came to see the owner."

Hearing those words, Jo Cheonbae was once again overcome with emotion.

"I went for a drink, but you were closed."

Jo Cheonbae was deeply moved that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had run all this way for him.

Young Cult Leader!

He couldn't think of what to say. He was just so grateful. He didn't need words. His tears and expression said everything.

Head Escort Gong Chan, who had been about to cut out his tongue, stepped forward.

"Who might you be, Master?"

If he was an acquaintance of the tavern owner, he should be a nobody, but this young man's appearance had been too spectacular.

He first thought the man had simply fallen from the sky, but the impact would have severely injured even a master, yet this man appeared unharmed. He wondered how that was possible.

The problem was the man showed no signs of martial arts training. There was no way he could have reached Origin Reversal at such a young age.

Geom Mugeuk ignored Gong Chan's question. He walked over to Jo Cheonbae's mother-in-law, Mrs. Yun, who was prostrated on the ground.

"Please get up, Mother. Your sons-in-law will be fine now."

Geom Mugeuk helped Mrs. Yun to her feet, then did the same for Yang In and Yang Seon.

"Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Geom Mugeuk, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

Silence fell over the area.

Gong Chan was so shocked he could barely breathe. The surrounding escorts were also too stunned to speak.

"……"

One shocked escort dropped his sword, but no one noticed.

If Jo Cheonbae hadn't mentioned the Young Cult Leader earlier, they would have thought they misheard or that this man was a lunatic.

But the very Young Cult Leader Jo Cheonbae had spoken of had just dropped from the sky.

Gong Chan, naturally, did not believe it.

"It's a lie! The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult wouldn't come here alone looking like that!"

His clothes were caked in dust and mud, his body was drenched in sweat, and his hair was a mess. No one would mistake him for the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

Geom Mugeuk explained to the three women, "Please understand my unsightly appearance. I rushed here as soon as I heard that the family of someone I like and respect was in danger."

He glanced at Jo Cheonbae, indicating that Jo Cheonbae was the person he liked and respected.

Normally, Geom Mugeuk would have handled this without revealing his identity.

But he revealed his identity today for Jo Cheonbae. He wanted to show Jo Cheonbae's family. He wanted to show his wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had rushed here to save him. He wanted everyone to see.

This was Geom Mugeuk's consideration for Jo Cheonbae, who had always welcomed him with an unchanging demeanor.

The sentiment reached Jo Cheonbae, who clenched his jaw to suppress his surging emotions.

"Mother, I love the food and drinks your son-in-law makes the most. Even Father, the Heavenly Demon of our Cult, goes to enjoy your son-in-law's drinks and food. He is a truly precious person to me, and to our Cult."

Mrs. Yun was so shocked and moved she didn't know what to do. She looked from her son-in-law to Geom Mugeuk, then to her daughter, and back to her son-in-law.

She didn't know what to say and just kept repeating, "Such a noble person, such a noble person." In truth, she didn't know what 'Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult' meant. She just felt he must be someone important.

Jo Cheonbae's wife, Yang In, was truly astonished.

She had heard many stories about the Young Cult Leader from her husband, but she had secretly thought they were exaggerations.

He might have come to the tavern, but is he really that close to my husband?

Her husband said the Young Cult Leader treated him like a friend.

No way, really?

That 'no way' was now becoming reality right before her eyes.

"Greetings, Young Cult Leader."

Yang In tried to prostrate herself again, but an invisible force lifted her up.

Her younger sister, Yang Seon, pleaded, "Please save them. My husband and my brother-in-law, please save them."

Geom Mugeuk smiled to reassure the three women, then turned toward Jo Cheonbae. Even while talking, Geom Mugeuk emitted several streams of qi, allowing him to sense the slightest movements behind his back.

Two escorts still held Jo Cheonbae's arms, and Gong Chan clutched a throwing knife. They were confused, wondering if he was the real Young Cult Leader.

"He's a fake Young Cult Leader!"

Gong Chan came to his own conclusion. This had to be a plot between Jo Cheonbae and the young man to save Chong Hak. His earlier crash must have been a clumsy fall from a lack of skill. Thinking of it that way, everything made sense.

"This was supposed to end with just your tongue and hands being cut off, but now it looks like your head will be chopped off."

The three women screamed as Gong Chan moved to stab Jo Cheonbae's neck with the throwing knife.

Geom Mugeuk thrust out both hands.

First, his left hand produced an astonishing result.

WHOOOOSH!

The two escorts holding Jo Cheonbae flew backward, blown away by an invisible, violent force.

It looked like they were simply flung away, but it was a move that displayed the pinnacle of martial arts. In that brief moment, their hands were forced open, and only the two men were sent flying while Jo Cheonbae remained in place. Even more astonishing, the two escorts got up without any injuries.

His right hand performed an even more astonishing move.

TING!

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

Everyone looked at the throwing knife in Gong Chan's hand. It was broken.

Startled, Gong Chan threw the broken throwing knife to the ground.

Sure, you can use a palm technique to send escorts flying, but breaking a throwing knife with telekinesis?

Others might think he used a hidden weapon, but only Gong Chan knew the truth. Nothing had flown toward him. The throwing knife had simply broken on its own.

When Gong Chan looked up from the broken knife, Geom Mugeuk was already in front of him. The moment their eyes met, an unknown fear seized Gong Chan, and his body froze.

Only then did he realize.

He's the real Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult!

Still, he couldn't understand.

The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult came in person to save a tavern owner? Looking like this? Alone? Why?

Geom Mugeuk took another step closer, and Gong Chan shrieked in terror.

"……"

Geom Mugeuk simply sealed Gong Chan's demonic acupoints. He didn't beat or intimidate him. When the full story came out, some would live and some would die. He already had a feeling which side Gong Chan would be on.

"Didn't you hear me? I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

Geom Mugeuk's attitude was calm and polite. This wasn't for Gong Chan's sake. It was for Jo Cheonbae's mother-in-law, Mrs. Yun, his wife, Yang In, and his sister-in-law, Yang Seon.

Geom Mugeuk looked around. He hadn't released his demonic qi, but his overwhelming presence made the escorts shrink back.

The escorts threw their swords to the ground. They lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. It didn't matter if he was a fake. They had no intention of challenging someone with such skill.

Only then did Mrs. Yun, Yang In, and Yang Seon truly realize that the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had arrived.

Geom Mugeuk told the nearby escorts, "Bring five comfortable chairs."

The escorts ran to get the chairs without a word.

Geom Mugeuk unsealed Chong Hak's acupoints and demonic acupoints.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

Geom Mugeuk smiled at the moved Chong Hak. "Give your thanks to your brother-in-law."

Chong Hak's fervent gaze turned to Jo Cheonbae. Jo Cheonbae had stepped forward to save him even before the Young Cult Leader arrived.

"I really did well with this marriage."

Jo Cheonbae and his family laughed at Chong Hak's words.

Chong Hak coughed painfully after he spoke.

Geom Mugeuk quickly sat Chong Hak down. He placed a palm on his chest and infused a stream of qi into him.

The harsh beating had severely damaged his body, but fortunately, the injuries were not crippling. He would recover after some rest.

After soothing his internal injuries, Geom Mugeuk led him to his wife.

"Honey!"

"I thought you were going to die!"

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm so glad. So glad."

The family gathered, embracing Chong Hak and crying.

The townspeople watched the scene. Geom Mugeuk hadn't sent them away on purpose. He had to show them Chong Hak being cleared of the false charges. Even after he left, these people had to continue living here.

That was why Geom Mugeuk handled the matter carefully. He acted not with emotion, but with calm and decisive composure.

Some of the watching escorts knew Chong Hak's character as a porter. They had found it strange that Chong Hak would touch the escorted goods, and they also felt that cutting off both his hands was too excessive a punishment.

Meanwhile, the escorts brought the chairs.

He placed the chairs in a row and had Jo Cheonbae and his family sit.

"Please, sit here comfortably."

"I'm fine."

"No, you can sit comfortably."

He seated Mrs. Yun in the most comfortable chair and had the rest of the family sit down.

As Jo Cheonbae sat, his heart pounded with a new kind of tension.

Just then, his wife, Yang In, gently took his hand. Her hand was also trembling. Jo Cheonbae tried his best to control his fear. He had someone to protect right beside him.

Yang In mouthed the words, "You're amazing, honey."

Jo Cheonbae squeezed her hand tighter. He was glad his life was saved, but he was happier that he could protect his family. He was also very happy to be acknowledged by his wife and her family.

Thank you, Young Cult Leader.

Geom Mugeuk said to Jo Cheonbae, "Now, let's hear what happened."

Jo Cheonbae calmly explained the situation. "My younger brother-in-law is a porter here at the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency. He was framed as a thief during the last mission and was about to have both his hands cut off."

Jo Cheonbae recounted what he had heard from Chong Hak. Since Geom Mugeuk could predict ten things after being told one, he grasped the core of the explanation about the Insect Physician.

"So this whole mess isn't because my brother-in-law touched the escorted goods, but because he saw something."

Geom Mugeuk asked Chong Hak, "What did you see?"

Chong Hak looked at Gong Chan and said, "I happened to see Head Escort Gong secretly meeting a man. The look in his eyes when he saw me was so sharp that I got scared. I thought the incident had passed, but when I returned from the mission, I was a thief. No matter how much I think about it, that's the only reason I can think of for being framed."

"Was the person Head Escort Gong met someone you knew?"

"No, it was someone I saw for the first time, but that person had a large mole on his forehead."

The mole must have been the source of the trouble. It wasn't just that Chong Hak saw him meeting someone, but that he saw him meeting someone with a mole.

Everyone looked at Gong Chan. He glared at Chong Hak with a stiff expression, filled with regret.

I should have disguised it as an accident and killed him there.

He couldn't because he had to report to someone within the escort agency. He had been told to report even the most trivial matters and never handle them alone.

Handling the matter afterward was also a problem. He had suggested faking a bandit attack and killing the entire family. However, the other person said they should kill him in a way that benefited the agency. If they cut off his hands and let him bleed out, he would die soon enough. That would enforce discipline and kill the man. He considered it killing two birds with one stone.

Geom Mugeuk approached Gong Chan. "Why did meeting someone become a reason to cut off that man's hands? Who was it? If you speak honestly, I'll spare your life."

Though I'll cut off your hands and tongue.

Gong Chan, not knowing the omitted words, wavered.

Just then, a door in the escort agency building opened, and someone walked out.

"Stop right there."

The middle-aged man who appeared had a magnificent build and an intense gaze. He was Woo Sochu, the head of the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency. He possessed a formidable aura for the head of a mere escort agency.

"I am Woo Sochu, the head of this agency."

He had hidden himself until now, only appearing at the decisive moment.

"A distinguished guest has arrived. I will escort you inside. Please, come in."

Geom Mugeuk politely refused. "That will be difficult, since my people are here. Let's talk here. The snow makes for a nice atmosphere."

Woo Sochu interpreted Geom Mugeuk's refusal as an act of oppression.

"Even if you're the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, is it right to oppress an orthodox sect's escort agency like this?"

"Ah, so the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency is with the orthodox sects? After seeing you frame an innocent man and try to cut off his hands, I thought you were part of the unorthodox sects."

Woo Sochu's expression hardened.

"If you mess with us, the Murim Alliance Chairman won't forgive you."

Geom Mugeuk looked up at him and smiled. "Have you ever met the Murim Alliance Chairman?"

Woo Sochu couldn't answer. He had seen the Chairman from a distance at a large event, but he had never met him privately.

"I thought so. You probably say that because you haven't. If the Murim Alliance Chairman knew you were trying to cut off an innocent man's hands and tongue, he would have smashed your heads to pieces himself. Now, stop with the empty threats and come down here."

Geom Mugeuk walked across the fresh snow toward Jo Cheonbae's family. CRUNCH CRUNCH. He lightly brushed the snow from Chong Hak's shoulder and said, "You defend your person, and I'll defend mine. Let's determine who is right and who is wrong here on this pure white snow."

Woo Sochu remained where he was, looking down at Geom Mugeuk.

"I've been treating you with courtesy, so it seems you're failing to grasp the situation. The person standing before you is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, who almost lost a friend. So…"

Geom Mugeuk, who had been polite until now, added in a low, cold voice, "Get down here while I'm asking nicely, Woo Sochu."