Chapter 359: The Best Young Alliance Chairman I've Ever Seen

TL: FoodieMonster007

Before the fight, the Thousand Armed Sword had one question.

"I heard earlier that you seem to hold a grudge against us?"

He racked his brain but could not recall any grudge with the Evil Eccentric. How could he possibly forget something involving the Evil Eccentric?

The Evil Eccentric did not explain why he wanted to kill them. The Thousand Armed Sword would not understand and would likely just laugh at him.

There was a woman the Evil Eccentric cared for. She was a widow who ran a small restaurant while raising a child. He would occasionally stop by for a meal.

He had no special relationship with the woman. They were simply the restaurant owner and a customer.

Strangely, he felt drawn to her. He could have taken her if he had wanted, but he did not. Just watching the woman and her child put his heart at ease.

For him, who had lived a life of evil, she and that space were a sanctuary.

Then, the incident occurred.

The Hellish Dual Swords, branded as a public enemy of the murim, were on the run. They massacred the customers in the restaurant. The woman and her child died then as well.

Even though he had no relationship with her, the Evil Eccentric decided he had to kill the Hellish Dual Swords to avenge her.

He still did not understand the feeling. He did not know if it was for her sake, or because he could not stand seeing the two of them run rampant as the Seven Evil Masters.

Later, he heard news that the Hellish Dual Swords had been trapped and killed.

However, the Evil Eccentric did not believe it. They were not the type to die so easily.

Heaven had finally brought them before him. It seemed she truly was a significant person in his life.

The Evil Eccentric explained his revenge this way.

"Did we ever have a grand reason for killing people?"

The Thousand Armed Sword laughed, but his eyes did not match his mouth.

"That's true."

The fight between the Evil Eccentric and the Thousand Armed Sword began.

The Evil Eccentric was a man who did not fear swords, but the Thousand Armed Sword's blade was terrifying. Just as rocks turned to tofu under his fists, iron bars turned to radishes under the Thousand Armed Sword's blade.

It was the same for the Thousand Armed Sword. How dare this man prance around bare-handed in front of his sword? He would dice him up in an instant, leaving not even a trace behind.

However, if his opponent was the Evil Eccentric, he could easily end up looking like a fool who relied solely on his sword.

They knew each other too well. They knew the skills of the Seven Evil Masters.

The skills of the two men were evenly matched.

It was a confrontation between close-combat arts and swordsmanship, both at their peak.

Dazzling techniques hid deception, and light movements concealed fatal moves filled with killing intent. Having fought their way across the Central Plains their entire lives, their skills were as outstanding as their infamy.

Ultimately, this fight was about who could better control their inner arts and who would make the first mistake. Even the smallest mistake meant death.

All this flashiness was part of the process. In the end, a single, simple technique would decide life and death.

Even while fighting, the two men watched the battle between Bi Sayin and the King Yama Sword.

He wanted to kill the Thousand Armed Sword as quickly as possible and save Bi Sayin, but it was not going as planned.

The only relief was that Bi Sayin fought unexpectedly well.

Just hold on a little longer.

The fight raced toward its climax.

The two men created some distance and briefly separated. He saw the Evil Eccentric's gaze turn to the sky behind him.

At that moment, the Thousand Armed Sword read the word formed by the Evil Eccentric's twitching lips.

He's coming.

Yes, the Evil Eccentric had definitely muttered 'He's coming' to himself.

He could not turn to look at the sky. He suspected it might be a trick to distract him for a surprise attack. Who was coming?

What made him more uneasy was the joy blooming on the Evil Eccentric's face. It could not be faked.

Then, he heard a faint, unfamiliar sound of wind.

SHWIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

It was a sound he had never heard before. Something was truly coming. It was a sound from a great distance that he would never have noticed if the Evil Eccentric had not pointed it out.

However, he had no time to look back. The Evil Eccentric began to pour out his last ounce of strength, pressing him relentlessly.

In a fight between masters like them, overexerting oneself always came with a price.

However, the Evil Eccentric pushed himself, unleashing a barrage of attacks. He seemed to be trying to prevent him from looking back, certain the fight was about to end.

What in the world was coming? Was it the grim reaper himself?

In the midst of that fierce battle, he heard it.

The wall behind him crumbled.

Someone really came.

He saw someone fly in, leap off the wall, and rush toward the King Yama Sword. He wanted to help, but he could not. The moment he registered what was happening, the newcomer already had a hold of the King Yama Sword's arm.

PUUUUK!

He saw Bi Sayin's sword pierce through the King Yama Sword's heart.

The Thousand Armed Sword's concentration shattered.

That fleeting moment was what the Evil Eccentric had been waiting for throughout the entire fight.

"……"

The Evil Eccentric's elbow slammed into the Thousand Armed Sword's jaw.

Despite the soul-shattering impact, the Thousand Armed Sword struggled to keep his senses.

The moment he swung his sword to defend against a second attack, the Evil Eccentric was nowhere to be seen.

No!

The Thousand Armed Sword despaired. For masters of their level, losing sight of an opponent was the same as losing their life.

KWADEUDEUDEUK.

With the sound of breaking bone, the Thousand Armed Sword's neck spun around a full circle. He saw the Evil Eccentric's face behind him, then the original scenery in front of him again.

It happened so fast that he did not even realize his neck was broken. He saw the fallen King Yama Sword in the distance and could finally confirm who the Evil Eccentric had said was coming. He recognized it was a young man.

Like a lantern flame extinguished by a sudden gust of wind, his world instantly went dark.

The life vanished from the Thousand Armed Sword's eyes. His neck broken, he collapsed like a bale of straw.

"Haaaaa."

A long breath escaped the Evil Eccentric's lips.

Looking down at the Thousand Armed Sword's corpse, the Evil Eccentric recalled the woman from long ago. She had smiled brightly, saying she had given him a double portion of lamb.

Thinking about it now, he realized he had liked that woman.

Actually, the portion was too much for me. Now, may you rest in peace.

He now said the words he could not say to the woman back then. In this world, there is such a thing as revenge for someone whose hand you have never even held.

The Evil Eccentric raised his head and looked toward Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk staunched the unconscious Bi Sayin's wounds by pressing on his blood points.

"Did you hear what the Young Alliance Chairman said?"

"What did he say?"

"He was a complete wreck, and he said, 'Please save Senior Goe'."

The Evil Eccentric's eyes trembled slightly.

"What kind of thing is that to say to the person who was beating the hell out of him?"

"It looked like a close call."

"I'm telling you, it wasn't!"

Completely exhausted, the Evil Eccentric also collapsed to the ground. He had been cut in several places and had suffered internal injuries.

Moreover, his mental energy was severely depleted. As the tension left him, sleepiness washed over him.

"To the person who was winning just fine, what kind of…"

As his head drooped, his bravado fell asleep with him.

When Bi Sayin opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed.

He saw an unfamiliar ceiling and smelled the pungent scent of medicine.

I'm alive.

An indescribably joyful relief washed over him. He really thought he was going to die this time.

He remembered Geom Mugeuk looking at him at the end, panting from exhaustion. He remembered the look of relief in his eyes.

Anyone who saw you would think you were the one who fought.

Bi Sayin examined his body. He was covered in bandages, and the smell of wound salve was overwhelming. How many places had he been cut? He could remember more than six.

He tried to sit up but cried out in pain and lay back down. His whole body ached as if someone had beaten him up all night.

Just then, Bi Sayin's eyes caught sight of two sets of protective armor leaning against the wall.

Looking at the blood-soaked armor, he was struck anew by how fierce the last battle had been. He could not even remember how he had fought at the end.

Ah! What about Senior Goe?

He was so worried about the Evil Eccentric that he could not stay in bed.

As he was groaning and trying to sit up again, he heard Geom Mugeuk's voice from outside.

"You're injured, where do you keep trying to wander off to?"

Then, a welcome reply came.

"I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"I'm telling you, you're not. If you don't treat this properly now, your bones will ache when you get older."

"I'm already old enough, and they already ache enough!"

Bi Sayin lay back down on the bed. A smile had unknowingly formed on his lips. Though he was injured and a powerful enemy still remained, for this moment, his heart was at ease.

When he fell asleep and woke up again, Geom Mugeuk was in the room.

"You're awake?"

"How long was I asleep?"

"You slept for almost a full day. Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm fine."

Sometimes, when you feel really good, you do not even realize you are hungry. It was exactly like that now.

"By the way, where is this?"

"It's one of our safehouses."

To think I'd live to see the day I'd be in a safehouse of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

"Help me sit up."

As Bi Sayin tried to get up, Geom Mugeuk gently pushed him back down.

"Are people from the unorthodox sects always this impatient? You seem even more hot-tempered than the people of our Cult."

"That doesn't sound like something the person who flew here in such a hurry yesterday should say."

He postponed saying 'thank you' again. He felt that settling his debt of gratitude could not be done in a single day. He would have to take out the thanks from his basket of gratitude one by one as he lived his life.

Geom Mugeuk opened the window wide.

"The weather is really nice today, too."

He watched Geom Mugeuk's back as he gazed out the window.

He did not know why, but when Geom Mugeuk was silent, he seemed lonely, especially when looking at his back as he stared at something in the distance.

"How did you know to come?"

Geom Mugeuk answered, still with his back turned.

"I rushed over because I missed you."

"Stop with the nonsense."

The moment he confirmed that Hyeok Sagun, the Head Strategist, had joined hands with the Brawling King, Geom Mugeuk had dashed toward Bi Sayin's safehouse using the Swift Step.

Hyeok Sagun would have known that Bi Sayin was alive, and he would also have known the location of the safehouse.

If not for that split-second decision, Bi Sayin and the Evil Eccentric would have died.

"The person who joined hands with Hwang Seokgyeong is…"

Bi Sayin tensed. Not many people knew the location of the safehouse and could dispatch the Hellish Dual Swords.

Geom Mugeuk turned to face Bi Sayin and said, "It's Hyeok Sagun."

"!"

Bi Sayin was shocked. He had thought it had to be someone of that caliber, but he never imagined it would really be Hyeok Sagun.

"Really?"

"I confirmed it myself."

Bi Sayin felt a tightness in his chest and could not bear to lie down any longer. He endured the pain and forced himself to sit up.

This time, Geom Mugeuk did not stop him. He extended his hand, and a soft, cotton-like energy flowed out, helping Bi Sayin sit up.

Bi Sayin leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

He remembered the way Hyeok Sagun used to smile at him. For some reason, he always felt good when he saw the young man. He had felt that once Hyeok Sagun officially became the Head Strategist, the Evil Alliance would be transformed.

But all of that was a facade, a lie?

Anxiety overshadowed his anger. Hyeok Sagun was a more difficult enemy than any other in the Evil Alliance because he was closer to the Evil Alliance Chairman than anyone else.

"Are you worried?"

Bi Sayin nodded. He would have to face Hwang Seokgyeong's martial arts and Hyeok Sagun's intellect.

"I survived again thanks to your help."

"No, this time you survived on your own."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Because you met an enemy stronger than you and held out until the end. All I did was grab his arm once. You were the one who killed him."

Geom Mugeuk gave all the credit to Bi Sayin. Another 'thank you' went back into the basket of gratitude.

"You fought really well. You're the best Young Alliance Chairman I've ever seen."

A smile spread across Bi Sayin's rough face.

"Even though you've only seen one Young Alliance Chairman."

This time, Geom Mugeuk grinned broadly. Seeing that smile from Geom Mugeuk made him truly feel that he had survived.

Just then, the Evil Eccentric entered the room.

Bi Sayin tried to perform a clasped hands greeting while still seated but let out a groan. Right, both of his arms were cut.

"It's fine. Stay as you are."

"Are you alright, Senior?"

The Evil Eccentric also reeked of medicine and was wrapped in bandages.

"I'm fine."

He was grateful that he was alive. If only he had survived and the other man had died, he would have felt guilty for the rest of his life whenever he thought of him.

"I survived because you saved me, Senior."

"How could that be because of me?"

As he said that, the Evil Eccentric glanced at Geom Mugeuk. Because Geom Mugeuk had arrived just in time, both he and Bi Sayin had survived. He now owed him his life twice over.

He wanted to say thank you, but he felt inexplicably grumpy.

"When can we leave? The food of the Demonic Cult really doesn't suit my palate."

He was uncomfortable staying in a safehouse of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Before meeting Geom Mugeuk, he was a man who always put the word 'damned' before the Demonic Cult.

"As for me, my work is done, so shouldn't I be on my way?"

He had killed the ones he needed to kill, so there was no need to be greedy for a secret manual.

"I'm thinking of retiring to a place with nice mountains and clear water."

At that, Bi Sayin said to him, "Please postpone that retirement."

"Why? Did you start feeling like buying me the world's biggest golden basin was a waste?"

"Of course not. Before you soak those hands in a basin, I'd like to borrow them for a while. Since you've already saved me once, please take responsibility for this life from now on."

Having lived as a martial artist, Geom Mugeuk knew better than anyone the significance of overcoming a life-or-death crisis together. That is why he also knew how important this moment was for these two men.

Bi Sayin bowed his head respectfully and made his request.

"Please help me become a good Chairman."

Bi Sayin did not raise his head. His posture conveyed his determination to remain bowed until he received permission.

"I am a man with many enemies and many flaws. Keeping me by your side will cause a great deal of backlash."

"I'll tell them all to get lost."

A faint smile appeared on the Evil Eccentric's lips.

"That's what you think now, I'm sure."

The Evil Eccentric did not accept easily. After looking at the bowed Bi Sayin for a moment, the Evil Eccentric glanced at Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk said to him, "I'll give you double what the Young Alliance Chairman is offering. Come to our side."

Bi Sayin, still with his head bowed, could not help but let out a dry laugh. Geom Mugeuk was someone who could not resist joking around even in a situation like this.

"Your food doesn't suit my palate."

After refusing flatly, the Evil Eccentric approached Bi Sayin and helped the bowed man to his feet.

"There's no need to keep me by your side just for my sake. In fact, I'll be able to help you better by taking a step back."

It meant he would help quietly without stepping into the forefront. It was also a sign of his will not to throw his weight around using the Chairman's authority.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"Don't forget the biggest and best golden basin."

It was the moment Bi Sayin, who had only relied on the Thirteen Evil Wolves, gained an ally more dependable than anyone else.

Geom Mugeuk congratulated the two with his eyes. Naturally, a few people he missed came to his mind.

Just then, a cultist who managed the safehouse came and delivered a messenger pigeon.

"This is an urgent messenger pigeon sent from the Evil Alliance through the All-Knowing Hall to you, Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk checked the contents of the messenger pigeon.

"What does it say?"

To Bi Sayin's tense question, Geom Mugeuk replied with an expression that said what he had been expecting had finally arrived.

"Your Chairman wants to see me."