Chapter 337: Because I Thought My Sword Would Hurt Less

TL: FoodieMonster007

Woo Sochu was confused. He hesitated for the same reason Gong Chan had.

Is this man truly the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?

Fine, maybe the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would come alone. Maybe his appearance could be disheveled, but would he rush here to save a tavern owner's family? Would he stand while lowly people sat in chairs? Would he brush snow off a porter's shoulder?

This was impossible by Woo Sochu's common sense.

He is not the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. It can't be.

He was certain. Still, he could not refuse the man's demand. The martial arts used to subdue Gong Chan were not fake. Woo Sochu had watched from inside and couldn't see the details, but he saw Gong Chan go down without a fight. This was no ordinary skill.

"If the Young Cult Leader tells me to come down, then I must come down."

Geom Mugeuk watched him slowly walk down the stairs and spoke coldly. "You shouldn't be coming down because I told you to. You should be coming down for your subordinate whose life is on the line. You shouldn't be walking so leisurely. You should've leaped down to check on him first."

Woo Sochu felt a surge of irritation. The man had called his name, ordered him down, and now spoke words he could not refute. It was humiliating. His escorts and the village residents were watching, which made his anger boil.

This made the five people sitting behind Geom Mugeuk an even greater eyesore.

Insignificant wretches!

He had never been humiliated like this by his inferiors. Once this was over, he would make them pay.

The other three, besides Jo Cheonbae and Yang In, did not dare to meet Woo Sochu's gaze.

The Head of the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency was the most powerful person in the region. Now, they were sitting while the Agency Head stood.

"It hurts," Yang In's younger sister said. Frightened by Woo Sochu's glare, she had squeezed her sister's hand too tightly.

"Sorry."

"Seon, it's okay now," Yang In spoke confidently, even with Woo Sochu listening. She was certain the man was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, so she truly believed everything would be okay.

Yang In looked at Jo Cheonbae, her eyes asking a question.

It's going to be okay, right?

Jo Cheonbae nodded vigorously, reinforcing his wife's comfort. "Don't worry, sister-in-law."

"Brother-in-law!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. You can enjoy it."

Jo Cheonbae knew what kind of person stood before them like a fortress wall. A fortress might crumble, but that back would not.

This was the man who made the Demon Supremes visit his shabby Alluring Inn and leave their words on the wall. This was the man who brought the Heavenly Demon to his tavern.

His strength was entirely different from martial arts prowess. He was the one and only Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, a man who had never existed before and would never exist again.

This gave Jo Cheonbae a desire to live a long life. What will the Young Cult Leader be like when he becomes the Heavenly Demon? What will the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult be like under his leadership? What will become of the demonic practitioner murim he creates? He wanted to see it all.

Yang In gazed quietly at her husband. He never spoke about the tavern's affairs, but she knew how hard it was to deal with drunkards. He had changed after the Young Cult Leader came to the tavern. On days Geom Mugeuk or a Demon Supreme visited, her husband's eyes would sparkle like stars as he excitedly recounted the day's events. He looked at Geom Mugeuk now with those same eyes. Today, the star was at its brightest.

Geom Mugeuk became polite and calm again. His primary goal, before any punishment, was to clear Chong Hak's name.

"Now that you're down here, let's hear it together. Aren't you curious, Agency Head? Why did Head Escort Gong try to murder an innocent porter to silence him?"

Woo Sochu immediately retorted. "I wasn't trying to kill him. I was trying to cut off the hand that committed theft. Murder to silence him? A man doesn't die just because his wrist is cut off, does he?"

Geom Mugeuk was certain Gong Chan had intended to kill Chong Hak. "Could he survive getting both hands cut off here and make it to a physician? Let's say I cut off both of your hands. Are you confident you could run to a physician and survive without using movement arts? A person who hasn't learned martial arts would pass out the moment their hands were severed."

Woo Sochu could not argue. The blood loss would be so severe that even he would struggle to survive without proper help.

The watching residents looked at each other and murmured. They thought they were summoned to see a thief punished, but an unexpected truth was being revealed.

The escorts already suspected a conspiracy from Gong Chan's and Woo Sochu's reactions. They watched for now. Their opponent was, after all, a very special Demonic Cultist.

Geom Mugeuk said to Gong Chan and Woo Sochu, "You tried to kill not only a man's life, but also his honor."

Chong Hak sighed deeply. Hearing Geom Mugeuk's words in front of everyone felt like a weight lifting from his chest. The false accusation of theft had tormented him most, especially since he had never coveted what belonged to others.

Geom Mugeuk approached and once again brushed the snow from Chong Hak's shoulder. TUK, TUK.

Yoon watched this silently before speaking softly to her eldest daughter. "He may be young, but he's like an adult."

Only the eyes of an old person who had weathered the world's storms could see such things.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk questioned Woo Sochu. "Agency Head Woo, I have a question. Head Escort Gong seems impatient and cruel. So why didn't he kill this man during the escort mission? He certainly has the personality for it."

Gong Chan, his face filled with fear, glanced between Geom Mugeuk and Woo Sochu.

Geom Mugeuk stared directly into Gong Chan's eyes. "Perhaps you had to return and report to someone?"

Who would a Head Escort have to report to? Naturally, everyone's gaze turned to Woo Sochu.

"Was that person Agency Head Woo?"

Gong Chan did not answer. His reaction was an answer in itself.

"A denial isn't coming out immediately, I see."

At that, Woo Sochu said quickly, "A confirmation didn't come out either. How can he answer properly when you're threatening to kill him?"

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The moment Gong Chan was about to answer, Woo Sochu had sent him a telepathy message.

"What did your Agency Head send you via telepathy? Did he threaten your life? Did he promise you a large sum of money if you get through this? Did he offer to make you the Grand Head Escort? Or all three?"

Gong Chan stared at Geom Mugeuk with a shocked expression.

What in the world is this man?

Amazingly, it was all three.

Gong Chan had reported to Woo Sochu upon his return. The entire affair was carried out under the Agency Head's strict orders.

The Agency Head had also just threatened him via telepathy. He offered a stick, saying Gong Chan would die by his hands if he confessed, and a carrot, promising a large sum of money and the Grand Head Escort position.

Of course, since his opponent was Geom Mugeuk, it was never going to work.

"I'm sorry, but it's useless even if he offers you a hundred million gold. If you don't speak honestly right here, you'll die by my hand."

At that, Woo Sochu tried to persuade Gong Chan. "If that person is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, he can never kill you. A demonic practitioner killing the Head Escort of an orthodox escort agency? The Young Cult Leader himself? The murim would be in an uproar. Trust me."

In the end, Gong Chan kept his mouth shut. If he could survive this crisis, he would gain immense wealth and the Head Escort position. He believed Woo Sochu would save him, if only to save himself.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned cold as he revealed his demonic qi.

"Indeed. If you were the type to listen to reason, you wouldn't have done this in the first place."

The demonic qi flew not toward the others, but solely at Gong Chan.

Gong Chan looked around and found himself standing in the sea. The thought that it was beautiful was fleeting. He began to sink under the water.

A black abyss awaited below, and he could see nothing. It was not an illusion. He truly could not breathe, just like drowning. How was this possible with qi alone?

The pain was too much. He wished for unconsciousness, but Geom Mugeuk's qi manipulation directly reflected Geom Mugeuk's will.

The excruciating pain continued. Just as he was about to die, he was given a few gulps of air, only to be dragged back into the agony of suffocation.

Please! Please! Just kill me!

The pain was so great that the words 'kill me' came out before 'save me'.

Then, Geom Mugeuk's voice was heard.

[Do you want to live?]

Will? Loyalty? If he could just breathe right now, he would even offer his soul.

Yes, please save me!

[Then speak honestly.]

Gasping for breath, Gong Chan snapped his eyes open and shouted, "The Branch Manager gave the order!"

Woo Sochu couldn't say a word. He looked as if he were admitting it.

But he was not admitting it. Without anyone knowing, Geom Mugeuk had sealed his acupoints for speech and movement.

This was the same tactic Geom Mugeuk used earlier, sealing their acupoints to make them look guilty as they tried to cut off Chong Hak's hand.

Woo Sochu was horrified. No matter how strong his opponent was, it should have been impossible to seal his blood dao without him noticing.

He really is the Young Cult Leader!

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk's questioning of Gong Chan continued. "Then who is the man with the mole on his forehead?"

"I don't know either. The Branch Manager told me to meet him, so I did. He told me when and where to receive the next shipment."

"Do you know what the shipment is?"

"I don't know."

"When are you scheduled to receive the next shipment?"

"We're supposed to receive it in three days at the Clear Water Forest."

Geom Mugeuk asked something more important. "What was the reason for trying to cut off Chong Hak's hand?"

"When I reported that Chong Hak had seen our rendezvous, the Branch Manager said to take care of it by cutting off his hand."

It was the moment Chong Hak was completely cleared of the false accusation.

The escorts and residents all turned to look at the Branch Manager. His face turned bright red, and he could not say a word.

"Which escorts were involved in this matter?"

"Only me. The other escorts just did as they were told. No, I'm the same. I only acted as the Branch Manager commanded."

He passed all the responsibility onto the Branch Manager.

"I've told you everything, so you'll let me live, right?"

Gong Chan was not the only one tense about the answer. Jo Cheonbae's family, standing behind Geom Mugeuk, was even more nervous.

Chong Hak, in particular, prayed in his heart. Please don't let that man live! He feared Gong Chan would seek revenge later if spared.

"Why should I?"

When Geom Mugeuk asked back, Gong Chan raised his voice. "Didn't you say you'd let me live if I told you everything?"

"You didn't speak when I told you to, did you? You only spoke because I pressured you with my demonic qi. Isn't that right?"

Gong Chan could tell Geom Mugeuk had never intended to let him live. The moment he tried to curse Geom Mugeuk, he found his speech acupoint sealed. It was a skill so uncanny it could make a ghost weep, a skill that could seal even a ghost's acupoints and render it helpless.

There was no word of advice, no 'be a good person in your next life'. Geom Mugeuk thoroughly negated Gong Chan's existence.

WHOOOOSH!

Geom Mugeuk's merciless fist flew toward him.

KRRRRRUMBLE!

At the same time, a sound like thunder echoed, as if divine punishment were descending.

PWAAAK.

A single blow shattered his ribs. Gong Chan flew backward and slammed into a building wall, already dead before he hit it.

"You tried to cut off an innocent man's hand, and you tried to cut out my friend's tongue. You were already a dead man."

He said this for the residents and escorts to hear. They needed to understand what this death meant so Chong Hak's family could continue to live here.

The escorts and residents who were watching thought it was a just outcome.

Chong Hak let out a sigh of relief.

Knowing how he felt, Yangseon hugged her husband tightly.

Yang In felt it. The moment Geom Mugeuk said 'friend', her husband's hand, which she held, tensed.

Jo Cheonbae said in a trembling voice, "You're too good a friend for me."

Geom Mugeuk turned to him and smiled. "Of course. Am I not the man who will become the Heavenly Demon? I'm too good a friend for anyone."

Geom Mugeuk's pleasantry put Jo Cheonbae at ease, and he felt good.

"You have no idea how grateful I am."

Jo Cheonbae would live the rest of his life with a grateful heart.

Then, Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected. "I should be the one thanking you."

"Pardon?"

"Rather, you saved me, Innkeeper."

Geom Mugeuk gave a faint smile to Jo Cheonbae, whose eyes had widened in confusion, and then turned away.

Thank you for allowing me to protect my demonic way, Innkeeper.

Geom Mugeuk walked up to Woo Sochu.

"Fortunately, it seems the matter of right and wrong has been clearly settled."

That was not the only thing released. Woo Sochu's blood dao had also been freed at some point.

"You! Do you know what you've done? You just killed the Head Escort of the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency!"

He shouted, looking at the escorts.

"This is a separate matter from Gong Chan's crimes! A demonic practitioner has killed an orthodox martial artist! This is an attack on the orthodox sects by the Demonic Cult!"

His shouts echoed emptily. No one agreed. The moment his order to cut off Chong Hak's wrist was revealed, the Branch Manager's authority vanished. He was just a hypocrite who tried to kill an innocent person for his own gain.

"If you touch me, the Great Orthodox-Demonic War will break out! Countless people will die because of you!"

Compared to the agitated man, Geom Mugeuk was calm.

"It's already clear you can't grasp the situation and won't listen to reason, so I'll do things my way. No, I suppose it's your way."

Just as Woo Sochu was wondering what that meant.

SWOOOSH.

Woo Sochu's left hand extended forward on its own. His movement acupoint was already sealed, so he could not resist.

"What are you trying to do?"

"What you were trying to do. Didn't you gather all these people to show them that sinners receive punishment?"

Geom Mugeuk held out his hand. The sword at the waist of Gong Chan's distant corpse unsheathed itself. It flew through the air and into Geom Mugeuk's hand.

"My sword is too sharp, so I thought it might hurt less."

Realizing Geom Mugeuk's intention, Woo Sochu was terrified.

"Stop! Don't do it! Stop!"

"It's fine. You said it yourself, didn't you? You don't die from having your wrist cut off."

"Why are you doing this, Young Cult Leader! Young Cult Leader! Please!"

"Fine, I'll give you a chance."

Words as terrifying as his cold gaze flowed from Geom Mugeuk's lips.

"If you don't answer my question by the time I count to three, I'll cut off your left hand first and then ask again."

Geom Mugeuk raised the sword, ready to strike at any moment, and asked, "Who is the man with the mole on his forehead? One, two…"