Chapter 420: Of Course, the Young Cult Leader Should Be Terrifying

TL: FoodieMonster007

As the drinking party drew to a close, Geom Mugeuk was acting like an old friend with Yang Seok.

"Young Lord Yang, come with me to the Central Plains."

"I'd be delighted. Please broaden my narrow horizons."

A few more drinks and they seemed ready to call each other brothers.

Throughout the drinking party, Han Seol tried her best to fulfill her role. She empathized with Yang Seok and occasionally took his side. While her actions were an attempt to understand him, they ultimately became an opportunity to understand herself.

So this is the kind of person I am. I can say things I don't mean, lie without trembling, and even observe Geom Mugeuk's intentions behind his words. I thought I was a truly cold person, but I've discovered other facets to myself.

Until now, she had always examined herself alone. Naturally, she had drawn her conclusions by herself.

This is the kind of person I am.

However, the conclusion she had reached then was clearly different from the one she discovered today.

Perhaps understanding oneself wasn't a conclusion reached by staring into a mirror alone. Was it not in the midst of people, seeing how one appeared, that the true self was discovered?

As Han Seol pondered this, her eyes met Geom Mugeuk's.

"Princess, you should return now."

"And you, Young Cult Leader?"

"I'll be drinking with Young Lord Yang all night."

The moment he heard those words, Yang Seok felt overwhelmed by Geom Mugeuk's aura.

He's truly extraordinary. Even with the Ice Palace Princess here, how can he possibly be fine with drinking alone in this place without a single bodyguard? What if someone poisoned his drink? What if he was ambushed while drunk? Is he that confident he can handle it all?

…Yes, this is how it should be. Only someone of this caliber can cut down everything with his sword.

Yang Seok politely suggested, "We've had quite a bit to drink today, so how about we continue another time?"

Unfortunately, Yang Seok, who was trying to restrain himself, was also quite drunk. He might have thought he wasn't intoxicated, but from Han Seol's perspective, he was completely inebriated. He was simply too excited by the presence of the Young Cult Leader to realize how drunk he truly was.

"Another time? This is just the beginning!" Geom Mugeuk exclaimed regretfully.

Yang Seok wanted to shout at Geom Mugeuk, 'Are you the Drunken Demon?', but he held himself back in time.

"I'll arrange another gathering," he said.

"Ah, that's a shame. Very well, let's meet again soon."

As Geom Mugeuk prepared to bid farewell and depart, he turned back.

"Oh, and be sure to contact me if you find someone with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

"Of course."

Geom Mugeuk departed from the Northern Blood Sect with Han Seol.

Suddenly, he, who had been laughing and chatting casually during the drinking party, returned to his calm demeanor as if nothing had happened.

"Were you really planning to drink all night?" Han Seol asked.

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. "How could that be? Drinking is only enjoyable with good company, but I was stifled there!"

Han Seol nodded. She had thought as much. She had only asked because he was such a good actor.

"I had no intention of sending you off alone."

"Really?"

"Given the current situation, with no knowing how our opponents will act, how could I leave you alone? You must never move alone from now on. I even told Lee Ahn to stick close to the Drunken Demon."

Geom Mugeuk remained vigilant until this matter concluded. He had to be even more cautious because their opponent was the Blood King.

"To worry about the North Sea Ice Palace Empress's daughter in the North Sea…"

"That North Sea Ice Palace Empress even made her daughter wear armor."

There was no refuting that statement. Nevertheless, walking with Geom Mugeuk somehow felt reassuring.

Today, she had clearly witnessed how Geom Mugeuk manipulated Yang Seok, but the important thing wasn't that he deceived him. No, it was making Yang Seok believe he was using Geom Mugeuk.

Han Seol halted her steps.

Geom Mugeuk stopped, following her lead.

Their gazes intertwined beneath the moonlight.

"The more I see of you, the more terrifying you become."

It wasn't a joke. She never thought she would say such a thing to anyone. Even if she felt such fear, her nature was to conceal those emotions.

For some reason, though, she found herself being honest with Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk offered a smile. "Of course, I should be terrifying. I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

Han Seol smiled faintly.

Geom Mugeuk continued, "And you should indeed be terrified. Consider the enemies we face. They gather people, experiment on them, and then kill them to find the special body constitution they desire. They use the Self Destruction Art without hesitation and even murder their own kin. Can a normal person possibly confront such individuals?"

Even while laughing, chatting, and drinking, he was thinking such thoughts.

Realizing this, Han Seol felt that Geom Mugeuk was indeed more terrifying than their enemies. She would rather face those enemies than Geom Mugeuk.

"If he finds the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, will he contact us?"

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. "He will never contact us. He'll believe the Extreme Cold Body Constitution is his only trump card for protection. There will also be the expectation that it might make him stronger."

"Then why did you repeatedly mention the Extreme Cold Body Constitution?"

"Because it's an important card for us too."

Geom Mugeuk smiled. He had already anticipated Yang Seok's next move.

"His desire to survive will lead us to the person with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

Early the next morning, Yang Seok headed towards the Sect Leader's Hall. He suffered from a hangover due to excessive drinking, but the thought of meeting his father made him extremely nervous.

I must secure the person with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution.

He didn't know why his father so desperately desired the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, but he had to acquire it no matter what. He couldn't let Geom Mugeuk get his hands on it either. The Extreme Cold Body Constitution would be his ultimate trump card for protection.

Yang Seok entered the Sect Leader's Hall.

His father was seated on the grand chair at the front.

His heart pounded with a tension he had never felt before. He had never entered this place with such a feeling.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Yang Seok walked up to the grand chair and greeted his father respectfully.

Seeing his father, all sorts of thoughts flooded his mind, and his mouth itched to speak.

Did you truly name Ha Jyeol as your successor?

He wanted to ask. He wanted to know why his father had abandoned his own son to make Ha Jyeol his successor.

Normally, he would have demanded an explanation. He should have been scolded, 'How could you misunderstand me so?'

However, his father and he were not on terms to have such a conversation.

Perhaps relationships weren't ruined simply because an incident occurred. He believed it depended on what the relationship was like before the incident, and at least in this case, that was true.

"Yesterday, the Young Cult Leader and the Princess visited and we drank late into the night."

Naturally, the Northern Blood Sect Leader was aware of this fact.

Frankly, Geom Mugeuk's visit was unwelcome. In just one day, the Extreme Cold Body Constitution would arrive at the Northern Blood Sect. After tomorrow, not only his own fate but also the fate of the North Sea would change. After tomorrow.

"How was he?"

"He's an extraordinary individual, just as the rumors claim."

"What was the reason for his visit?"

Yang Seok lied, "He asked about Elder Seo. He seemed to suspect if there was any connection to us."

In truth, the Northern Blood Sect Leader secretly welcomed Seo Nak's death. He and Seo Nak were the two Bloodmen who had joined hands, and now that Seo Nak was dead, his own importance had increased even further.

Just like the Outer Regions murim, the North Sea murim was an extremely conservative place. For someone new to establish themselves without the help of existing powers was several times more difficult than in the Central Plains. Furthermore, neither the Demonic Cult nor the Murim Alliance would stand idly by while a new power grew.

That made Seo Nak's death a great opportunity for him.

Yang Seok cautiously asked, "By the way, have you found the Extreme Cold Body Constitution?"

"Not yet."

At that moment, Yang Seok was deeply disappointed on two counts.

First, his father had lied. He already knew his father had found the Extreme Cold Body Constitution and was having it escorted here.

Second, the lie had come without a hint of hesitation. That was even more disappointing than being lied to directly.

Don't resent me later.

Yang Seok concluded that his father had abandoned him. This was the moment the tower of distrust, which Geom Mugeuk had built late into the night yesterday, was completed.

Thanks to that, Yang Seok actually felt a sense of relief. There was no need for complicated thoughts, all that remained was to fight and survive.

"Avoid getting entangled with the Young Cult Leader if possible. Nothing good will come from it."

"I will keep that in mind."

Yang Seok bowed respectfully, turned, and exited.

His father should have been honest today. He should have said, 'The person with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution is arriving now, so we must be fully prepared. I'm telling you now, the Extreme Cold Body Constitution will be used for such-and-such a purpose. I apologize for telling you late.'

You shouldn't have done this to me, Father.

In this way, Yang Seok steadily built up justification for the betrayal to come.

The next day, a carriage sped towards the Northern Blood Sect.

Around the carriage, driven by a coachman with cold eyes, two martial artists followed on horseback. They had ridden without rest, changing horses periodically. Now, their destination, the Northern Blood Sect, was less than fifty kilometers away.

The speeding carriage slowed and came to a halt. A fallen tree blocked the path.

The three martial artists, including the coachman, scanned their surroundings with tension.

The guard captain, a martial artist seated in the driver's seat, warned the two martial artists, "Prepare for an ambush."

SWISH! SWISH!

At that moment, an unavoidable attack flew forth, despite their preparations for an ambush. A man, hidden behind a rock on the opposite side, suddenly rose and launched a surprise attack.

The two martial artists couldn't evade the rapidly flying hidden weapons in time, twisting their bodies as they fell.

The one who launched the surprise attack was none other than Yang Seok. In his hand was the Seven Steps Sure Kill, a forbidden hidden weapon in the murim. It was known that if launched within seven steps, it would invariably kill the opponent.

By then, the martial artist in the driver's seat had lunged at Yang Seok, swinging his sword.

Yang Seok, whose hidden weapon launch was delayed, met the attack with his sword.

A battle erupted between the two. The martial artist in the driver's seat was a master, but he was not strong enough to contend with the Northern Blood Sect's successor.

Before twenty moves had passed, the martial artist instinctively knew he couldn't defeat Yang Seok. He showed no hesitation in his final decision.

The martial artist's face flushed crimson.

Seeing the man attempt to use the Self Destruction Art right in front of him, Yang Seok was greatly alarmed.

Should I dodge, or should I block?

Just as he hesitated!

THWACK!

The martial artist's face shattered, and he collapsed. Someone had unleashed enhanced qi, killing the man before he could activate the Self Destruction Art.

A startled Yang Seok turned around to find Ha Jyeol standing there.

"You!"

Yang Seok was utterly shocked. He had not expected Ha Jyeol to appear here.

"Now you've finally done your job as a bodyguard properly."

However, Ha Jyeol hadn't killed the subordinate who was about to use the Self Destruction Art for Yang Seok's sake. It was because Yang Seok couldn't be killed yet. To continue using the Northern Blood Sect Leader, he needed to keep his son, who was a weakness, alive.

"How did you get here?"

"Am I not Young Lord Yang's bodyguard? Wherever Young Lord Yang goes, I must follow."

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

The smile vanished from Ha Jyeol's face. "Young Lord Yang, how did you know the carriage would come this way?"

"That's my question to you."

Yang Seok understood.

The dead men are his subordinates.

Otherwise, Ha Jyeol wouldn't have appeared here.

He uses people who employ the Self Destruction Art as subordinates? Just who are you?

Ha Jyeol's question, on the other hand, was how Yang Seok had discovered this location.

Although the escort mission had been hastily ordered upon news of finding the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, the three dead men were still individuals he trusted. He had used them to escort the Extreme Cold Body Constitution in utmost secrecy, yet Yang Seok had somehow discovered that it would pass through this location.

He immediately suspected there might be a traitor within.

However, Yang Seok had discovered the carriage's route through an unexpected method.

"As you know, my brother and I were long tasked with finding the Extreme Cold Body Constitution. Our main focus then was creating the shortest transport routes from various parts of the Central Plains to the North Sea."

They had to gather people, bring them to the North Sea, and experiment on them. Experiment, discard, then experiment again. The experiments themselves would finish within a few days, but the time it took to bring the subjects was too long.

"This time, you used your own people, but you utilized the transport routes we created. You ran along our routes, changing horses at the stables prepared in each region."

Only then did Ha Jyeol understand. Yang Seok had figured out which route they were taking through the records of horse changes. They had used those routes to arrive as early as possible, but he hadn't expected Yang Seok to notice that detail.

"You're smarter than I thought."

"If I were truly smart, I would have eliminated you long ago."

Ha Jyeol chuckled dismissively. That's something even your father can't do.

"Because of this incident, the Sect Leader will reprimand you severely, Young Lord Yang."

Yang Seok leveled his sword. "You'll be the one responsible for this incident."

He thought it was for the best. He intended to make it seem as though Ha Jyeol and these escorting martial artists had fought and mutually suffered severe injuries. Of course, he thought this because he was unaware of Ha Jyeol's hidden martial arts prowess.

"Before that, let's see who possesses the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

Yang Seok started to walk towards the carriage.

Ha Jyeol warned in a low voice, "If you open that door, you'll die by my hand."

A cold aura emanated from Ha Jyeol's body.

Yang Seok also drew upon his qi and turned towards him. As Ha Jyeol began to reveal his true nature, his qi was formidable.

Ha Jyeol hadn't even revealed a quarter of his qi, yet Yang Seok felt overwhelmed. Indeed, if he were an ordinary man, his father wouldn't have chosen him.

Astonished by his skill, Yang Seok once again realized that his father had abandoned him.

This man must die by the Young Cult Leader's hand. Should I abandon my sword now? Given that he saved me earlier, it doesn't seem like he intends to kill me.

Just as the two men faced each other in a standoff, a thick fog began to gather around them.

Yang Seok thought nothing of it. Fogs were a common occurrence at this early hour.

However, Ha Jyeol sniffed the air within the fog. "The smell of alcohol?"

"!" Yang Seok also caught the scent of alcohol clinging to the fog.

Realizing it wasn't just fog but a qi technique, Ha Jyeol shouted, "It's the Drunken Demon!"

Ha Jyeol's gaze darted towards the carriage. The carriage was already enveloped in the fog.

"Protect the carriage!"

At Ha Jyeol's cry, Yang Seok drew his sword and lunged towards the carriage.

WHOOSH.

Suddenly, the fog that had enveloped the carriage dispersed and vanished with the blowing wind.

Yang Seok, his sword still drawn, cautiously opened the carriage door. As he peered inside, his heart sank.

A person was seated, leaning against a chair, and wasn't the person he had expected.

Geom Mugeuk stared intently at Yang Seok. "I told you to contact me if you found the person, didn't I?"