Chapter 406: Let Yourself Be Deceived by the Young Cult Leader

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk could feel the Drunken Demon's resolve. He had made up his mind to kill everyone involved in this matter. Once his mind was made up, it was a decision Geom Mugeuk could neither intervene in nor should. This was a Demon Supreme's decision, after all.

Geom Mugeuk glanced at Lee Ahn. She was looking at the Drunken Demon, her face flushed. Lee Ahn, too, instinctively sensed the Drunken Demon's resolve, a determination even more terrifying because he wasn't drunk.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Han Seol, wondering, do you feel it?

How could Han Seol not feel the Drunken Demon's emotions? She simply couldn't understand, however, why he would go so far.

Why go this far?

It didn't seem like a relationship that warranted such extremes. If he truly loved a woman, he wouldn't have stayed apart from her. They merely exchanged letters and drinks once or twice a year. Wasn't that all their relationship amounted to? Humans deceived and lied even while looking directly into someone's eyes. What could possibly be in a relationship where they hadn't even seen each other's faces?

She agreed on one point, though.

"It's true that the Brewmaster's death is suspicious."

Geom Mugeuk urged her, "Please have the Ice Palace actively assist us in resolving this incident."

"What do you want?"

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Drunken Demon, intending to entrust the entire matter to him.

The Drunken Demon, however, reacted unexpectedly. "Let the Young Cult Leader decide. The smarter person should use their head."

"Even though you just made such a brilliant deduction?"

"That was because I know the Brewmaster well."

The Drunken Demon's intelligence was evident just from making such a judgment. He looked at Geom Mugeuk and conveyed with his eyes, 'Take me to those bastards.'

Geom Mugeuk replied with his eyes, 'I will.'

Geom Mugeuk then told Han Seol, "Please grant me one favor. No other help is needed. Just that one will suffice."

Han Seol wondered. What kind of favor would be just 'one'?

"Princess, please join our investigation team."

Han Seol's eyes widened at the unexpected request.

"Let's solve this, the four of us!"

The Drunken Demon and Lee Ahn were greatly impressed. If Han Seol joined, they wouldn't need to make various separate requests to her in the future. Moving with her would allow them to handle most of the tasks that could be done from the Ice Palace.

It was truly the moment when a demon tempted her, saying, 'I want you.'

Furthermore, hidden within this request was another ulterior motive of Geom Mugeuk's, unknown to Lee Ahn and the Drunken Demon. He intended to keep her close because the Blood King might target her.

"Are you serious?"

"I am."

The words of refusal rose to Han Seol's throat. Her instincts rejected the idea of socializing with others. Nevertheless, the reason she didn't immediately refuse was that she, too, suspected the Brewmaster hadn't committed suicide. If that were the case, she had to find the culprit, even for the sake of the Ice Palace.

"But I'm already helping, aren't I?"

"But you're not helping as one of us, are you?"

"!"

He was right. She had unilaterally accepted this proposal and told her mother that she wanted to find out what kind of person the Young Cult Leader was. In truth, a more accurate expression would be that she wanted to show she could see through the exaggerated rumors.

Me? Become one of them?

Han Seol looked at the three people with a fresh perspective. It was truly a strange combination.

That excessively beautiful subordinate had come all the way to the North Sea to save the husband of a woman who had offered him a cup of water. The Drunken Demon, who was supposedly abstaining from alcohol, vowed revenge for someone with whom he had occasionally exchanged drinks and letters. And that swindler-like Young Cult Leader, praised as a transcendent being, was asking her to join them.

Han Seol shook her head with an expression of disbelief. Her decision, however, contradicted that action.

"Alright, I'll join. However, I have a condition."

"State it."

"While handling this matter, you must not hide anything from me."

"Very well, I will tell you everything without omission. In return, promise me that you mustn't avoid it if you dislike hearing it, nor complain that it hurts your ears."

Thus, Han Seol also became a member investigating this incident. The real challenge she had to overcome, however, was only just beginning.

"Then please move immediately. You can share a room with Lee Ahn."

"What?"

"Why are you so surprised? From now on, we're one family, so naturally, we should sleep together, eat together, and think together."

One family? Han Seol immediately regretted her decision to join them. Just agreeing to become a member was a huge decision for her.

What exactly do you want from me?

Despite sensing her resistance, Geom Mugeuk feigned ignorance, telling her, "There will be strength gained from the experience of eating and sleeping together. Try it this time."

Han Seol looked at Lee Ahn. Sleep with that woman? She had never slept in the same room with anyone else.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Lee Ahn. "I'm sorry for making this decision without consulting you beforehand."

"No, I'm fine," Lee Ahn replied, then told Han Seol, "Please grant me the honor of staying with the Princess."

The Drunken Demon also chimed in, "This is important to me, so Princess, please make an exception this once."

Though reluctant, Han Seol eventually agreed. "Alright, I will."

It wasn't because of the two of them. Han Seol had just begun a duel with Geom Mugeuk. She would definitely prove that Geom Mugeuk was someone who swayed and used people with his words.

"What should we do now?"

Not only Han Seol, who asked the question, but also the Drunken Demon and Lee Ahn felt lost. What kind of investigation should they conduct now? Should they meet more people around? Or should they examine battle records?

Fortunately, Geom Mugeuk already knew the path forward. "We must search for the motive. Why the Brewmaster? Among all the people in the Ice Palace, why specifically kill the Brewmaster of the Hundred Wines Snow Cellar?"

And Geom Mugeuk found the answer in one person, stating it politely in Han Seol's presence.

"I believe the Demon Supreme already knows the answer."

The two women's gazes turned to the Drunken Demon. Everyone was surprised, but the Drunken Demon was the most astonished.

"I know the reason?"

"Yes. You might not know who killed her, but you know why she was killed."

"No? I don't know?"

The Drunken Demon was flustered, as if he had been accused of being the culprit, but Geom Mugeuk was resolute.

"No, you do know."

There was a reason Geom Mugeuk believed this.

"The Brewmaster had no problems within the Hundred Wines Snow Cellar, nor was she someone who had mastered powerful martial arts. She held no power, harbored no grudges, and possessed no secrets. So, what could be the reason?"

The reason the Drunken Demon knew was embedded in that final statement.

"Her death must certainly be related to alcohol."

As the carriage entered the Northern Blood Sect, Yang Chung finally felt a sense of relief.

I'm home.

The carriage stopped only when it reached the grand hall deep within the inner compound.

Yang Chung disembarked from the carriage. His father had not returned in the same carriage.

They could have had various conversations on the way back together, which meant his father was angry.

Yang Chung understood him. The Northern Blood Sect was more precious to his father than his own children. Since this incident had caused significant damage, it was natural for his father to be angry with him.

Conversely, once Yang Chung returned home, his resentment towards his father faded. When a hostage exchange was demanded, his father had abandoned him. Still, he was the father who had traded with the North Sea Ice Palace to save him. At least he had survived, so that was enough.

His father was alone in the grand hall. He had dismissed all the martial artists who usually guarded the place.

He intends to reprimand me for my mistake.

He wouldn't want to tarnish his son's honor in front of his subordinates. Feeling his father's consideration, Yang Chung's heart eased further.

"Father."

His father stood silently with his back turned, gazing out the window. Today, his back felt even more unfamiliar and terrifying.

Yang Chung immediately shifted the blame entirely onto the Demonic Cult.

"I truly didn't expect those Demonic Cult bastards to get involved."

The Northern Blood Sect Leader then asked coldly, "Why did you tell them?"

"What do you mean?"

"The location of the laboratory."

In that instant, Yang Chung's heart sank. He had forgotten. Forgotten the fact that he had told them all the possible locations where the captured people might be.

I told them out of spite. You refused the hostage exchange and abandoned me, so I did it out of spite!

The two of them usually did not have such frank conversations, however. Suppressing the surging emotions, Yang Chung spoke as Geom Mugeuk had instructed him.

"It was to lure them there and capture them. I believed that if the laboratory had been moved, you would surely have prepared a secret plan to counter any intrusion at the new location."

His father, however, was not swayed.

"If he threatened to kill you and you had no choice but to speak, you should have told him a location other than the laboratory. You should have insisted, 'I only know that one place.'"

It was a life-or-death situation, Father!

Yang Chung offered no excuses. The scolding should have ended there, but the real reprimand was only just beginning.

"Hwang Ju died because of you."

Hwang Ju was the person conducting experiments there.

So? Is his death more important? More important than your own son?!

These were words he had kept bottled up inside. He couldn't utter them, however. It would undoubtedly only provoke his father's anger further. His father would dismiss it as a childish tantrum, unable to distinguish between public and private matters.

"I was wrong. I will never make such a mistake again."

His father, however, did not forgive him.

"Leave."

"!"

"Go to Zhejiang and do not return until I tell you to."

Zhejiang was too far, impossibly far from here. Being told to go to Zhejiang was a declaration akin to death for Yang Chung.

He was shocked by the fact that his father intended to banish him. After all, his father had made his two sons compete for succession. He had not placed all his trust in his eldest son.

Because of this, Yang Chung had held onto hope. Hope that he, too, could become the successor.

Thus, he had truly done all sorts of things. For the Northern Blood Sect, and for his father. He had done all the things that should never be known to the world.

He realized now, however, that he hadn't dreamed with his father. He had dreamed alone.

"No! I won't leave!" Yang Chung screamed. He had never truly revealed his inner thoughts before, fearing his father, but now he wouldn't hold back. "I did everything Father ordered! If you told me to kill, I killed. If you told me to kidnap, I kidnapped. But now you tell me to leave? No!"

You used me like a hunting dog, then discarded me. If your son is a hunting dog, then what exactly are you, Father?

These were words he couldn't bring himself to utter. Considering what was about to happen, however, they were resentments he should have voiced.

STAB!

With the sound of flesh tearing, Yang Chung's words and movements ceased. His head lowered, and he gazed at the blood-stained blade protruding from his chest.

Was it because he was too shocked? It didn't hurt. He had seen swords pierce people countless times, yet this sight, now, was utterly unfamiliar.

Who was it? Someone who could enter this place?

Slowly, he turned his head to look behind him and saw that the person who had stabbed him was the very first person he had thought of.

It was Yang Seok, the eldest son of the Northern Blood Sect and his elder brother. His brother, who had always considered him a thorn in his side during the succession struggle, was certainly capable of such an act.

The person Yang Chung couldn't understand now was his father. His father, who was silently watching this scene.

His brother wouldn't have dared to commit such an act without his father's permission. He must have been told to kill him if he refused to leave.

"…If this was going to happen, why did you save me?"

A cold reply flowed from the resentful question.

"Because the bloodline of the Northern Blood Sect cannot be allowed to die by another's hand. They can only die by our own hands."

That was nonsense. If that were the case, he should have allowed the hostage exchange. Instead of killing him, he should have sent him to Zhejiang somehow. If he refused to go, he should have persuaded him. He should have forced him to go. His father, he would have…

Yang Chung's resentment ended there.

SPLURT!

The sword was roughly pulled out, and Yang Chung collapsed, spurting blood from his chest, and died instantly. Ju Gyo and Hwang Chu, who had been kidnapped along with Yang Chung earlier, had already been eliminated.

The Northern Blood Sect Leader told Yang Seok, "The Demonic Cult's Young Cult Leader has begun investigating this matter while staying at the Ice Palace."

"I will cut off all tails that could connect us."

"This is a matter of life and death for our sect, so it must be handled carefully."

"Leave it to me."

After Yang Seok left, the Northern Blood Sect Leader looked down at his dead son. His heart ached. The pain was bearable, however. If the Northern Blood Sect were to collapse, that would be unbearable.

The Drunken Demon was pacing in the courtyard.

I know the answer. The answer is within me.

He considered Geom Mugeuk's conjecture plausible.

The Brewmaster wasn't someone who would incur anyone's grudge. If she had been caught in a conspiracy, it would surely be one related to alcohol.

As he paced, he took out a letter they had exchanged and read it. Then he walked again, stopped, and read another letter. He looked up at the sky, pondered various thoughts, and then continued walking.

Lee Ahn watched the Drunken Demon from the window inside the room. "The Drunken Demon seems to be deep in thought."

Han Seol sat on the bed, offering no reply. She hadn't even unpacked her luggage.

"Do you regret it? Your decision to join us?"

Han Seol merely gave her a cold look, remaining silent.

Lee Ahn stopped trying to converse and looked out the window again. The situation outside was serious, and so was the atmosphere inside. Geom Mugeuk, who had caused such great concern for the two women, had left, saying he would be back shortly.

Then, from behind, Han Seol suddenly asked, "Doesn't it occur to you that you're being deceived?"

Lee Ahn turned her head and looked at Han Seol. "By the Young Cult Leader?"

Han Seol nodded.

Lee Ahn understood how Han Seol perceived her. She believed Lee Ahn was being deceived and used by Geom Mugeuk.

She considered simply smiling and letting it go, but then decided against it. While she didn't mind being thought of that way herself, she couldn't tolerate Geom Mugeuk being perceived in the same light.

"Perhaps," she said, readily admitting it, but it was the beginning of setting Han Seol straight about Geom Mugeuk. "By letting myself be 'deceived', I cured the side effects of the martial arts I had learned. I hadn't mentioned it, but they were troublesome side effects."

Lee Ahn did not reveal the specific details of the side effects.

"By letting myself be 'deceived', I learned swordsmanship I could never have dreamed of, and became the leader of an organization I could never have dreamed of. By letting myself be 'deceived', I even became the adopted daughter of someone I could never have dreamed of in my entire life."

Han Seol wasn't curious about what kind of swordsmanship or organization it was, but she was curious about who this 'father' was.

"Who are you talking about?"

"It's the Fist Demon, our Cult's Demon Supreme." Lee Ahn answered honestly. It wasn't a secret, after all.

Han Seol was surprised to hear that Lee Ahn was the Fist Demon's daughter.

This woman is the Fist Demon's daughter?

Was that why the Young Cult Leader cherished this woman? No. Lee Ahn was saying that she was able to become the Fist Demon's daughter because she met the Young Cult Leader.

"By letting myself be 'deceived', I became drinking buddies with the Sanzu Hall Director and the Demonic Army General, and a Demon Supreme's disciple instead became a division captain in the organization I lead."

Since none of her continuous statements were ordinary, Han Seol suspected Lee Ahn might be lying. But would she dare lie so openly to her? About something that would be revealed if investigated?

"And now I'm having a conversation with the Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace. If I hadn't been 'deceived' by our Young Cult Leader, my life would have been spent guarding a doorway."

Lee Ahn's eyes were clearer and calmer than ever.

"At this point, isn't a life of being 'deceived' quite alright?"

It wasn't merely to clear up misunderstandings about Geom Mugeuk. It was something she might have simply overlooked if it were anyone else.

Strangely, however, she felt a desire to properly inform Han Seol. That cold Princess wasn't even someone whose personality she would normally like.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it? Sometimes, I can't believe it myself. There are many times I wonder if this is a dream. That's why I told you before to try believing. Ah, but now I should say it differently." After a brief pause, Lee Ahn said, "Try letting yourself be 'deceived' by the Young Cult Leader."

The two women's gazes intertwined in the air. Han Seol couldn't understand, nor could she believe it. Lee Ahn's clear eyes, however, showed no hint of falsehood as she looked at Han Seol.

Just then, the Drunken Demon rushed into the room, searching for Geom Mugeuk. "Where's the Young Cult Leader? Where is he?"

"He went out, saying he had something to attend to. What's the matter?"

The Drunken Demon was slightly agitated, and for good reason. "He was right. The answer was within me all along!"