Chapter 356: I Know Who He Is

TL: FoodieMonster007

Three people sat inside the carriage, each lost in thought.

Geom Mugeuk cultivated the Heavenly Demon Defense Art with his eyes closed. He never wasted a single moment, focusing entirely on his training.

Learning martial arts sometimes brought a certain feeling. It was a tingling sensation, a moment like a flower bud about to burst, the feeling right before reaching the next level. The Heavenly Demon Defense Art felt exactly like that to him now.

Haven't we gotten pretty close? Just take one more step.

The Heavenly Demon Defense Art remained just one step from complete mastery, teasing Geom Mugeuk whether it knew his feelings or not.

The person who had actually taken a step closer to Geom Mugeuk stared out the carriage window, lost in an absurd thought. He imagined himself dancing in front of people.

He hated people who broke their promises more than anything. He could treat it as a joke and endure Geom Mugeuk's pestering, but he didn't have to force himself to dance. Still, he wanted to show Geom Mugeuk that he was a man of his word. He always kept his promises, no matter how unpleasant the task.

Of all the things I could have said, why did I have to say I'd dance.

While Bi Sayin looked profoundly contemplative, he was actually dancing in his imagination. Next to him, the Evil Eccentric thought of the Light Flash and made a silent vow.

I will never let my guard down again.

He believed humans were a species not to be trusted. He had lived his whole life that way, but perhaps age had softened his heart for a moment.

This was why he worried about Bi Sayin. He could feel that Bi Sayin trusted Geom Mugeuk.

Young Alliance Chairman, if you trust people carelessly, you will regret it greatly.

He had been tricked by a man of too few words, and now Bi Sayin was being tricked by a man of too many.

He did not share these thoughts with Bi Sayin. He was not the kind of person to say such things. This was his true nature.

Inwardly, however, he paid close attention to the relationship between Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sayin. The life debt he owed Geom Mugeuk was one thing, but he still had ties to the Evil Alliance and martial arts he needed to receive.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk spoke, his eyes still closed.

"What do you plan to do now?"

Bi Sayin looked at Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk was asking for his opinion first again. In the past, he would have accepted it without a second thought. Now, he understood that asking him first was a sign of consideration.

Geom Mugeuk surely had a better plan, yet he asked anyway. Bi Sayin knew Geom Mugeuk was truly intelligent, which made such consideration even more difficult for him.

"Since he tried to kill me, I'll kill him too."

All that remained was a fight to the death.

The only problem was Hwang Seokgyeong's skill. His skill was so great that the Light Flash, one of the Seven Evil Masters, had fought him, lost, and come to respect him.

Even so, he couldn't just ask Geom Mugeuk, 'Please kill him for me.' It wasn't a matter of pride. With no guarantee of victory, he could be putting Geom Mugeuk in danger, which was the last thing he wanted.

Besides, this was a matter for the Evil Alliance.

How should I resolve this?

He had sought help from the Light Flash and the Evil Eccentric, but now only the Evil Eccentric remained. He alone was not enough.

He thought of other masters in the Evil Alliance who might help. The problem was that some might have already joined Hwang Seokgyeong. Since the Light Flash had been recruited, it wouldn't be strange if others had been as well.

"I just want to take care of everyone who joined that bastard. I was wondering how to find them."

He didn't want to ask Geom Mugeuk for a solution, so he turned to the Evil Eccentric.

"Senior, I'd like to ask for your opinion. Is there a way to root them out?"

It would have been a great time to propose a brilliant plan and prove that old ginger is spicier, but the Evil Eccentric couldn't think of anything.

"Leave the thinking to the young folks. When it's time to beat that bastard down, I'll take the lead."

The Evil Eccentric clenched his fist. The Qi Dispersing Poison was gone, but the unpleasant feeling remained. He would not let the bastard who recruited the Light Flash get away. He had always lived by repaying those who harmed him with a hundred times the pain.

"I'll contemplate it a little more."

Bi Sayin turned to look out the window, his heart anxious and frustrated. If they tried to kill him, they might also try to assassinate the Chairman. The Evil Alliance Chairman he knew wouldn't be taken down by a simple ambush, but their opponents were no ordinary bastards.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk questioned Bi Sayin as if scolding him.

"Why don't you ask me for a method?"

Bi Sayin felt too ashamed to ask for another favor. He had just incurred a life debt moments ago.

"I see you don't want to see the stars or the clouds," Geom Mugeuk joked, implying Bi Sayin didn't want to be dragged along by him.

"If you don't want to, then don't. I just had a good idea."

Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes again.

Geom Mugeuk waited for a long time, but Bi Sayin didn't ask. He opened his eyes again. Bi Sayin still stared silently out the window.

"Hey, I said I had a good idea!"

"I heard you."

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"I'm not going to ask."

"I want to act smart. Please give me a chance!"

A faint smile touched Bi Sayin's lips as he looked outside. This was just like Geom Mugeuk. He could have taken credit but humbled himself instead. Bi Sayin realized anew that true self-esteem doesn't need to show off.

"I don't want to! I don't want to see you acting smart."

"Just listen this one time."

"Fine. Let's hear it."

"Until now, Hwang Seokgyeong probably hasn't been meeting with his allies. He'd assume you're watching him."

"That's likely."

Then, Geom Mugeuk made an unexpected suggestion.

"What if you were dead?"

"!"

Bi Sayin wasn't the only one who was startled. The Evil Eccentric, listening nearby, was also surprised.

Bi Sayin understood what Geom Mugeuk meant.

"Are you suggesting we trick Hwang Seokgyeong into thinking I'm dead?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"If he believes you're dead, the bastard will definitely contact his collaborators. He'll need to discuss what to do next."

It was a plausible plan. The idea was to take advantage of the carelessness that would come when the obstacle disappeared.

"To do that, wouldn't we have to inform the Chairman?"

"That's for you to decide."

Bi Sayin thought for a moment. Informing the Chairman meant involving him from now on. He had wanted to resolve this himself, but the enemy was powerful. He felt the time had come to ask for the Chairman's help.

One concern was that acting according to a script might make their reactions seem unnatural, but what would happen if they proceeded without informing him? He couldn't predict the reaction, especially from the Evil Alliance Chairman. What if he didn't feel sad at all about his death? The human heart was pathetic. Even with the Evil Alliance's fate at stake, he worried about his own feelings getting hurt first.

"He might just appoint a new Young Alliance Chairman."

It was unlikely, but the Evil Alliance Chairman was the kind of person who might do just that.

"Take this opportunity to see who's next in line after you."

Bi Sayin smiled faintly at Geom Mugeuk's half-joking, half-serious words.

After a moment of thought, Bi Sayin made a decision.

"I'll inform the Chairman and proceed from there."

Bi Sayin had another reason for his decision.

"If I go missing, First Wolf will be summoned to the Chairman's Hall."

"He'll talk about me?"

Bi Sayin shook his head.

"It's the opposite. I can't let that happen. First Wolf will never speak about you."

He had faith in his subordinate's loyalty. He believed First Wolf would keep the secret even if the Evil Alliance Chairman asked.

"I can't make that man lie to the Chairman."

Lying to the Chairman was a grave crime, regardless of the reason.

Geom Mugeuk smiled.

"Your care for your subordinate is admirable."

"Stop with the nonsense and do me one favor. Please keep an eye on Hwang Seokgyeong. It's my job, but as you can see, I'm a dead man."

He knew it was a difficult task, given his opponent's martial skill. That was why he asked Geom Mugeuk. He didn't want to, but he had no choice. The person he trusted most right now was Geom Mugeuk.

"Alright, let's do that."

Seeing Geom Mugeuk agree so readily, Bi Sayin had a thought. He might have to seat him in the front row and perform that dance someday. He didn't want to be someone who broke a promise to a person like this.

"A rumor is circulating that the Young Alliance Chairman is dead."

Sahon's report was startling, but the Brawling King showed no agitation.

"The atmosphere in the Chairman's Hall is unusual. The ant swarm has been released, and the Evil Squad Commander has been summoned."

The Blood Ant Army, also known as the ant swarm, were Evil Alliance elites specializing in search and investigation. The Evil Squad was an organization directly under the Chairman's Hall, elites who followed only the Evil Alliance Chairman's orders.

"Is he really dead?"

The Brawling King slowly nodded. They said he would die if left alone, and indeed, the Young Alliance Chairman was dead.

"How on earth did you take care of him?"

The Light Flash had used Qi Dispersing Poison. It was a task impossible to fail.

"They're investigating while keeping the Young Alliance Chairman's death a top secret, but the matter is so grave that the Chairman's Hall is already in disarray."

The Light Flash had decided to cut contact and go into hiding after this job. No matter how much they investigated, they would not uncover the truth.

"He should have reported to the Evil Alliance Chairman sooner. The Young Alliance Chairman made a foolish choice."

The Brawling King disagreed with Sahon. He would have handled it alone too. Of course, he wouldn't have died like that. He would not have lost any fight.

"And he has requested to see you."

"In a situation like this?"

The Brawling King tilted his head. He had expected not to be contacted for some time, given the circumstances. Since the man was cautious, there had to be a reason for the meeting.

"Tell him we'll meet tonight."

"Yes, I understand."

The Young Alliance Chairman's death pushed the situation into a new phase.

That night, the Brawling King stood in a field far from the Purple Orb, the Evil Alliance Headquarters. The area was open on all sides, a place where no one could hide and watch.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and looked up at the moon.

A man appeared. He wore a bamboo hat pulled down low and walked slowly to the Brawling King's side.

"It has been a while, Liege."

The voice belonged to a middle-aged man. He addressed the Brawling King as Liege, and his steady tone suggested a calm personality.

"There's no one around. You can take it off."

"I know your martial skill better than anyone, Liege, but it's still best to be cautious."

Not trusting his skills was a breach of etiquette, but the Brawling King was not displeased. The man was just that important.

"What did you want to see me about?"

"I'm here to inform you of an important fact."

"Speak."

The man in the bamboo hat revealed an astonishing fact.

"The Young Alliance Chairman is alive."

The Brawling King's expression hardened at the unexpected words.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. The Young Alliance Chairman contacted the Chairman directly through First Wolf."

The man surprisingly knew the secrets of the Chairman's Hall in detail.

The Brawling King finally understood why the man had requested this critical meeting.

Does that mean the Light Flash is dead?

The Light Flash he knew would not have been defeated so easily. Moreover, he was the one who decided to use Qi Dispersing Poison.

"Then why did the Young Alliance Chairman pretend to be dead?"

Amazingly, the man in the bamboo hat had accurately grasped Bi Sayin's intentions.

"It must be to uncover my existence behind you, Liege."

All of this pointed to one fact.

"I don't know who it is, but a very intelligent and powerful master is helping the Young Alliance Chairman."

Then, after the bad news, came good news.

"I know who that person is."

The man finally took off his bamboo hat, revealing his identity. His action emphasized the importance of his next words.

Their gazes met under the moonlight. This was the man the Brawling King had worked hardest to recruit. The Brawling King was smarter than anyone, but the person before him was far more intelligent.

The answer to how he knew the top secrets of the Chairman's Hall lay in this man's identity. He was Hyeok Sagun, the Evil Alliance's vice strategist. Surprisingly, he was the vice strategist of the Evil Alliance. Since Head Strategist Hwang Seocheong had been suffering from old age for the past two years, Hyeok Sagun had been acting as the Head Strategist. As the illness worsened, all that remained was for him to be officially appointed.

"The one helping the Young Alliance Chairman is…"

The Brawling King had heard many surprising things today, but Hyeok Sagun's next words were the most shocking of all.

"The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, Geom Mugeuk."

It was Hyeok Sagun, the man who knew everything.

Yet, there was one fact he did not know. Someone was watching him right now. From a distance so great that even the Brawling King could not detect it, someone was clearly seeing his face.

From a great distance, where they looked as small as ants, Geom Mugeuk used the Divine Eye Technique. He saw the man's face clearly when he took off his bamboo hat.

Geom Mugeuk did not know the faces of all the masters in the Evil Alliance. However, he knew who this person was. He never thought this person, of all people, would have joined the Brawling King. He was more difficult to deal with than anyone else in the Evil Alliance.

The Brawling King joined hands with Hyeok Sagun?

In that moment, the identities of both Geom Mugeuk and Hyeok Sagun were revealed.