Chapter 343: Today, It's the Fifteen of the Evil Path

TL: FoodieMonster007

The gazes that had been watching the stars now gathered in one place.

Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun looked at Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk still looked up at the night sky with clear, deep eyes.

The word 'friend' sounded incredibly unfamiliar. Did that man really say the word we think he did?

"Since when were we friends?" Bi Sayin asked bluntly.

Jin Hagun felt the same way and waited for Geom Mugeuk's answer.

"Was I the only one who thought of us as friends?"

"Do you really think we can be friends?"

"I think we can."

After a brief pause, Bi Sayin asked again, "What if someone betrays you, thinking you were friends?"

Even neighborhood friends experienced turmoil, questioning if someone had changed or betrayed them, yet the three successors of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic paths were supposed to become friends? A betrayal between them would put the lives of thousands, even tens of thousands, at stake.

"Then let's think of it this way. Oh right, we were enemies, weren't we? Let's not get upset. Let's not even think of it as a betrayal."

"Your sword would already be piercing my heart. Would I even have time for such thoughts?"

Though Bi Sayin's expression was fearsome and his words were grim, his gaze was softer than ever. He imagined a life where he was friends with Geom Mugeuk.

He pictured a scene where Geom Mugeuk, the future Heavenly Demon, himself, the future Evil Alliance Chairman, and Jin Hagun, the future Murim Alliance Chairman, all met to laugh and chat together. He saw himself, even with white hair, looking dumbfounded at Geom Mugeuk's unchanging banter.

However, just as ideals differ from reality, the words that left his mouth were different from his heart.

"If rumors spread that I've become friends with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, I'll be kicked out of my position as Young Alliance Chairman."

Jin Hagun then joined the conversation.

"What about me? Becoming friends with the successor of the Demonic Cult and the successor of the Evil Alliance? Forget becoming the successor, my grandfather could beat me to death."

Geom Mugeuk looked at Jin Hagun.

"Come to think of it, Commander Jin hasn't become the successor yet. Let's help him become the successor."

Jin Hagun replied with a serious face.

"It's not a position I can get just because you help me. I can only ascend to it when I have the qualifications to become the Chairman and have become a vessel of that caliber."

A sense of pride was evident in his voice, implying that the successor of the orthodox sects could not be chosen so easily.

"As expected, you're drawing a line between us."

Geom Mugeuk moved right next to Bi Sayin and acted friendly.

However, Bi Sayin took a step to the side, avoiding Geom Mugeuk.

"You're all so cold!"

The three men now stood facing each other in a circle.

Jin Hagun asked Geom Mugeuk, "What kind of murim do you dream of?"

It was a question Bi Sayin had also wanted to ask.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze once again turned to the stars in the night sky.

"The murim I dream of is one where your righteous path, your evil path, and my demonic path harmonize. I believe fate gave us these statuses and heaven-shaking martial arts not so we would dream of unifying the murim by sacrificing countless people."

A relationship of mutual trust would only be possible if they were all convinced that none of them dreamed of unifying the murim.

"I wasn't close with Father, nor was I close with my brother. I lived without understanding the heart of a bodyguard who would lay down his life for me. So I always ask myself. What in the world do you plan to do by unifying the murim when you can't even take care of those around you?"

Geom Mugeuk's gaze left the stars and returned to the two men.

"I think becoming friends with you is more difficult than unifying the murim."

He said it like a joke, but his words were filled with sincerity.

"Because the easiest thing for a martial artist is to fight and kill each other. So instead of this easy life, let's take on a more difficult challenge. Let's try to become real friends."

"!"

Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun had never considered such a thing. Geom Mugeuk was right. Becoming true friends was a hundred times more difficult than fighting.

"There is too much evil in the world that we must kill. There is also absolute evil that cannot be killed unless it's us. Look, isn't there even evil that tries to devour us? Let's live while beating them down. Let's gather and drink, gossip about our subordinates. Let's travel together. The murim I desire is that kind of murim."

Could that really be possible?

Bi Sayin muttered without realizing it, "It's like a dream."

"Then let's live our whole lives dreaming."

Just then, as Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun were lost in their thoughts, a meteor shot across the night sky.

Geom Mugeuk clapped his hands together and quickly made a wish.

"Please let me unify the murim!"

Jin Hagun shook his head with a dumbfounded expression, and Bi Sayin smiled faintly.

They stood there for a long time afterward, under the pouring stars.

The leader of the Black Snake Society, Chu Gwong, hardened his expression as he looked out the window.

"Now they're watching us openly."

Across from his building, two martial artists from the Murim Alliance's Demon Slaying Brigade were looking their way. They had started pressuring the Black Snake Society a few months ago, and now they were conducting open surveillance.

Chu Gwong was a man who broke the stereotype that a large, hot-tempered person was ignorant. He was quick-witted and skilled at cunning tricks.

In business, he was heartless and cruel, eliminating competitors by any means necessary.

However, even he could only watch the observers across the street. As long as that thorn in his side was called the Demon Slaying Brigade, he could not simply pull it out.

"What about the Thirteen Black Hands?"

"There's no news yet," answered his right-hand man, Song Chung.

Contact was lost with the Thirteen Black Hands after they went to deliver the kidnapped children to the Yellow Dragon Escort Agency.

"It seems those bastards from the Demon Slaying Brigade took them down."

The leader of the Black Snake Society scowled. The very thought of the Demon Slaying Brigade made him shudder.

"It seems we'll have to ask the Evil Alliance for help."

This was not a decision to be made lightly. The Evil Alliance never helped for free. If they received help, they would have to provide a huge sum of money disguised as a donation, and they already gave a lot of money to the Evil Alliance.

Just then, another subordinate entered, delivered a messenger pigeon, and left.

"It's a messenger pigeon from the Evil Alliance."

Since the pigeon arrived while they were discussing the Evil Alliance, the leader of the Black Snake Society and Song Chung were startled.

After reading the message, the leader of the Black Snake Society irritably crumpled the letter and threw it at Song Chung.

"Insolent bastard!"

Song Chung unfolded the crumpled letter and read it.

It was a message from the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance requesting a meeting. It included a note saying that if he did not show up, the Young Alliance Chairman would eliminate the Black Snake Society from the murim.

Song Chung first tried to soothe his enraged leader.

"It seems the young brat has gotten arrogant after becoming the successor."

Killing intent radiated from the body of the Black Snake Society's leader. Normally, when he got this angry, bodies would be piling up, but given the opponent, only his anger piled up.

"But why does the Young Alliance Chairman suddenly want to see me?"

The message only contained the demand, time, and place for the meeting. No reason was given. This made the leader of the Black Snake Society even angrier.

"Isn't it a ploy to establish discipline?"

"We're not even directly under the Evil Alliance, so what's with this discipline?"

"When have those bastards from the Evil Alliance ever cared about such things?"

Compared to the offended leader, Song Chung saw this message as an opportunity.

"If you invest in the Young Alliance Chairman now, it will be easier to expand your business in the Central Plains. When you meet, you should also subtly ask for help with the Demon Slaying Brigade problem."

Being offended was one thing, but this was the obvious course of action. Business was business.

"This year's harvest is a waste. In the end, I'm getting fleeced one way or another. How much will be enough?"

He believed in one immutable truth. The surest way to win someone over was money. If you failed, it was because you did not have enough money.

"He's not a man who lacks money, so why not give him something else?"

"Like what?"

"Give him the Sun Moon Sword."

"Are you crazy?"

There was a reason to snap. The Sun Moon Sword was the most cherished of all his treasured swords.

"Will there be many opportunities to meet the Young Alliance Chairman? Let's make him our man for sure this time."

"What if he fails to become the Chairman? We won't know until the day he ascends to the Chairman's seat, will we?"

"Isn't that what makes it a difficult investment?"

After a moment of contemplation, the leader of the Black Snake Society made his decision.

"Fine, let's give him the Sun Moon Sword."

There was also the problem with the Demon Slaying Brigade. It was a waste, but the opponent was worth that much. I'll give it to him and then squeeze everything I can out of him one way or another.

"Instead, I'm taking everyone from Heuk Il to Heuk Sip. Call Heuk Ya and Heuk Gyeon too."

Song Chung was startled. "That's too excessive."

"It has to be excessive."

"You know Heuk Gyeon's personality, don't you? We don't know what kind of trouble he'll cause. He's the type of bastard to go berserk even in front of the Evil Alliance's Young Alliance Chairman."

"That's why I'm taking him," the leader of the Black Snake Society said, refusing to yield.

"Even when we're giving things away, we can't look like pushovers. He needs to be tense, knowing how dangerous we are, for the value of the gift to increase."

Knowing his leader never changed his mind once it was made, Song Chung accepted his will.

"Understood. I will follow your orders. Shall we depart now?"

The leader of the Black Snake Society rose from his seat.

"We have to go. He said he'd erase us from the murim if we don't."

When they had almost arrived at the meeting place, Geom Mugeuk had the carriage stopped.

He then said to Jin Hagun, "Let's change our clothes for today's main character."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't today's meeting a place for the Evil Alliance's Young Alliance Chairman to teach the mafia sects a lesson? It's not a place for the Demon Slaying Brigade. We should have the Demon Slaying Brigade wait and change into the attire of the Thirteen Evil Wolves."

Jin Hagun had planned to go with Bi Sayin to pressure them. He thought that if the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance and the leader of the Murim Alliance's Demon Slaying Brigade warned them together, the effect would be doubled.

However, Geom Mugeuk was trying to elevate Bi Sayin's authority.

"Fine, let's do that."

Jin Hagun readily accepted his opinion.

Bi Sayin felt Geom Mugeuk's consideration for him, but he pretended not to notice and said nothing.

"Give us two sets of clothes."

The Thirteen Evil Wolves gave the two men spare sets of clothes.

As they changed, Geom Mugeuk said, "Today, we won't be the Thirteen Evil Wolves, but the Fifteen of the Evil Path. Let's welcome the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Wolves!"

In truth, it took great courage for Jin Hagun to wear these clothes. He himself did not mind, but if someone found fault with it, he could be heavily criticized.

However, watching Geom Mugeuk change while bantering about the pants being too short for his long legs and the color not suiting him, Jin Hagun reflected on himself.

This is nothing. What's truly important is who is inside the clothes. Is it a timid person who worries about things that will seem trivial later, or a great person who willingly wears another's attire out of consideration?

After he finished changing, Geom Mugeuk did not forget one last piece of banter.

"So, will you be the Fourteenth or the Fifteenth?"

The leader of the Black Snake Society had arrived first and was waiting.

Around him, the elites of the Black Snake Society stood in rows.

In the murim, the Black Snake Society was seen as a pack of wild dogs. They were an organization that swarmed any profitable venture to tear off a piece, pushed forward with numbers, and kept crawling back no matter how many times they were killed.

However, that was only half the story of the Black Snake Society.

The leader of the Black Snake Society was not a dog, but a tiger. He was a clever tiger who knew that acting like a dog was the way to survive for a long time.

Heuk Il through Heuk Sip were also tigers. Beyond those ten, they might have been wolves, foxes, or dogs, but the ones the leader cherished were respectable masters.

Of course, the most reliable person was Heuk Ya.

In terms of martial arts skill alone, he was the strongest person after the leader of the Black Snake Society.

He was a man of few words with a quiet personality, but he loved slaughter and enjoyed stepping into fights he did not need to, just to create a sea of blood.

The last to appear was Heuk Gyeon.

He too was second only to the leader of the Black Snake Society. If Heuk Ya was second in martial arts, Heuk Gyeon was second in having a foul temper.

He was a villain famous even within the Black Snake Society, a group that committed all sorts of evil deeds like murder, assault, and rape. He was in charge of the tasks that a human being could not possibly bring themselves to do.

"What in the world did you call us all here for?"

He was the only one who spoke to the leader of the Black Snake Society so familiarly. Having served the leader since their youth, he was also the only person who was not intimidated by him.

"The Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance contacted me, asking for a meeting."

"Why would he do that?"

"He's probably thinking, 'I've become the successor, so where's my tribute?'"

Heuk Gyeon's gaze turned to the long box placed next to the leader of the Black Snake Society. Seeing the sun and moon crest on the box, Heuk Gyeon asked with a look of disbelief.

"Don't tell me that's the Sun Moon Sword?"

"It is."

"You're going to give it to the Young Alliance Chairman?"

When the leader of the Black Snake Society nodded, Heuk Gyeon shouted furiously.

"No! Why would you give that precious sword to that bastard? Just give him some money and send him away."

Heuk Gyeon knew very well how much the leader of the Black Snake Society cherished this sword. He glared at Song Chung and said, "That bastard with nothing but a mouth must have told you to give it away."

Heuk Gyeon hated Song Chung. He was originally the one beside the leader, but Song Chung had pushed him aside.

Song Chung's expression stiffened.

This ignorant bastard is already running wild.

This was why he had said they should not have called Heuk Gyeon.

Just as the two men were tensely confronting each other, someone spoke.

"Here they come."

In the distance, a carriage and its guarding martial artists appeared.

The leader of the Black Snake Society said to his subordinates, "We should at least let our esteemed guest know this much. Just how dirty his hands will have to get to erase us from the murim."