Chapter 531: Even if the Entire Murim Blocks the Way

TL: FoodieMonster007

At the branch entrance, they separated and went in three different directions. The carriage with his father and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon traveled toward the Cult. Seo Daeryong and the three women left for the safehouse, and Geom Mugeuk and Cho Hwi departed for the Thousand Flower Palace.

A short time after his father's carriage left, Jang Ho and the Demonic Army completed their own preparations. They would follow the first carriage back to the Cult.

Before leaving, Geom Mugeuk went to say his farewells to Jang Ho. The contributions from Jang Ho and the Demonic Army had been immense this time. He was, after all, the one who had saved Seo Daeryong's life.

"General Jang."

"Yes, Young Cult Leader."

Their eyes met, and in that shared gaze, they both understood the depth of the other's care without needing to speak a word.

Geom Mugeuk always drew a sense of stability from Jang Ho's loyalty. He felt that he could entrust absolutely anything to this man.

He knew Jang Ho would understand his feelings from his gaze alone.

Geom Mugeuk's attention then shifted to the Demonic Army arrayed behind Jang Ho. He chose this moment to express his gratitude to them.

"You are a wall. An iron wall that protects me, my father, and all the followers of our Cult. Because of that unbreakable wall, we were able to resolve the matter safely. Thank you, all of you."

Geom Mugeuk offered his thanks with a formal clasped hands greeting, the first time he had ever done so.

The Demonic Army, their eyes filled with valor, returned the greeting in perfect unison to show their respect.

"We pledge our loyalty!"

Jang Ho gave his own final farewell.

"Then, I'll see you at the Cult!"

Jang Ho made sure to look after Seo Daeryong until the very end. He bowed with extra politeness toward Seo Daeryong, knowing the Dan sisters were watching.

"When you come to our Cult, let's have a drink. I'll buy."

"I'll send word when I get back. I promise!"

Seo Daeryong emphasized the word 'promise' with an expression that suggested he had much more he wanted to say. He felt so grateful that he, an unorthodox man, thought he should be the one buying the drinks. He resolved to drink with Jang Ho all night long.

And so, the Demonic Army departed, followed by Seo Daeryong's group, and finally Geom Mugeuk.

Only Kang Dal and his subordinates now remained. It felt as if a great storm had truly passed. The recent events had seemed like a dream, but the sudden emptiness made them feel even more surreal.

One of the subordinates watched the carriages disappear into the distance and commented.

"The Branch Manager showed us firsthand how to get to Headquarters, but it requires so many things."

To make something like that happen, you needed women on the run, the Sanzu Hall Director, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, the Demonic Army and its General, and even the Demon Supreme and the Demonic Cult Leader. Oh, and a well-prepared Branch Manager, too.

"We can't go. So please don't forget and be sure to come visit."

Kang Dal spoke as he headed back inside.

"You've all worked hard, so tonight, we'll have a company dinner!"

Everyone cheered and followed him in.

"I'll drive the carriage."

Having lived as a mercenary for a long time, she was naturally skilled at handling a carriage.

"No, it's alright."

When Seo Daeryong firmly refused, Dan Ah ended up taking a seat next to him in the driver's box. She couldn't bring herself to sit comfortably in the back while a high-ranking member of the Demonic Cult was driving.

"Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, so please go inside and rest comfortably."

"I'm fine. I can at least be your conversation partner."

Seo Daeryong was both grateful and happy that she sat beside him. The only problem was that he was far too nervous.

He couldn't even bring himself to look at her, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as he drove.

What should he say? Should he ask about her work as a mercenary? Or about her sisters? He worried that she would be annoyed if he tried to start a conversation.

All sorts of thoughts raced through Seo Daeryong's mind. His brilliant intellect was completely useless at the moment. If anything, it was just creating more distracting thoughts.

Dan Ah was the first to speak.

"You're a good carriage driver."

"……"

Seo Daeryong let out an awkward laugh. His gaze remained locked on the road ahead.

He might not look it, but he was a man who had driven the Cult Leader's carriage before. He skillfully put the techniques he learned from Hwi to use. He imagined that if Geom Mugeuk saw him now, he would tease him for driving with more care than he would for his own father.

But what was the point of being a good driver? He couldn't even manage to say a single word to her.

There were observers watching the two of them.

If they were on the outside, it would have been a crisis, but the observers were inside the carriage. Dan Bi and Dan Yeon were watching the pair through the small window between the driver's seat and the passenger cabin.

The two whispered to each other, venting their frustration.

"He's just staring ahead and driving the carriage."

"How can he be so clueless about a woman's heart? If she's sitting next to him, he should at least say something."

"Please, just look to the side!"

Once again, Dan Ah was the one to speak first.

"You seemed to be close with the Young Cult Leader."

If it had been any other topic, he might have been at a loss for words. But when the subject was Geom Mugeuk, he had plenty to say.

"He's the one who saved me from depression and pessimism. I will be loyal to him, even if it means sacrificing my life."

Dan Ah quickly covered the small opening behind the driver's seat with her hand.

She did it because the sound of her sisters' grumbling had leaked out.

She could guess what they were saying without even hearing it. They were probably complaining about how he was talking about dedicating his life to another man in front of a woman he was just getting to know.

"By any chance, do you have someone like that, Young Lady Dan?"

Dan Ah answered Seo Daeryong's question.

"Not yet. I'll have to find one in the future, right?"

As she spoke, Dan Ah glanced at Seo Daeryong. He was still staring straight ahead, focused on driving.

The clueless Seo Daeryong might not have known, but her sisters could tell what was on their Unnie's mind.

She definitely had feelings for Seo Daeryong. They weren't particularly perceptive either, but they thought a pure-hearted person like him wouldn't be so bad.

But this was the problem.

"He's a demon, is that okay?"

And he wasn't just any demon, but a high-ranking one.

As always, the youngest did not hesitate.

"If Unnie's happy, then I'm okay with it."

Dan Bi, the most cautious of the three, also nodded. For any other matter, she would have insisted they never get involved with the Demonic Cult. She believed that getting entangled with a demon always ended badly.

But this was for their Unnie's happiness.

After losing their parents at a young age, their Unnie had sacrificed her entire life for her younger sisters.

She had never even properly dated a man because of them. Even when a good man showed interest, their Unnie had always avoided it.

"For Unnie's sake, I could let her go."

Could she really endure a life without seeing her Unnie? She wasn't sure. It would probably be difficult. Nevertheless, if their Unnie could be happy, she would gladly accept that hardship.

Then, the youngest, Dan Yeon, spoke up.

"Why would we let her go?"

In response to Dan Bi's questioning look, Dan Yeon explained.

"We can just do the God of War in the Demonic Cult."

Dan Bi looked blank for a moment before a smile spread across her face. It was something she had never considered. Yes, her sister was right. They could just become demons too.

They peeked through the opening again to look at the front.

Please, look to the side!

After driving for a long while, Seo Daeryong suddenly spoke.

"I'm more shy than I look, and I'm not good at dealing with people."

As if to prove his point, Seo Daeryong's gaze was still fixed straight ahead.

"I've gotten this much better thanks to the Young Cult Leader's influence. The poem I recited that day, I just happened to have memorized it the day before."

He just said everything honestly.

Dan Ah did not answer.

Did I say something I shouldn't have?

Just as a wave of regret washed over Seo Daeryong, Dan Ah spoke calmly.

"I'm the one with plenty of tricks."

Surprised, Seo Daeryong turned to look at her.

"Since I've lived as a mercenary for a long time, I know how to use too many tricks. If the Director were to see me, he might be disappointed."

"No! That's not possible! I think you're great no matter what!"

Seeing the flustered Seo Daeryong, Dan Ah smiled.

"Please memorize another poem and recite it for me again."

Seo Daeryong's eyes trembled as he looked at her.

Just then!

THUD!

He was so focused on her that the carriage hit a stone on the ground and shook violently.

From behind them, her two sisters shouted.

"Look ahead!"

The carriage carrying Geom Mugeuk and Cho Hwi sped down the main road.

The carriage Geom Mugeuk had chosen was a small one. It couldn't carry luggage and only had room for two in the driver's seat, but it was exceptionally fast.

Half a day after they departed, Cho Hwi came to a conclusion.

This Young Cult Leader is special.

Having dealt with many men as clients, she prided herself on her ability to judge them, believing it was second to none.

However, he defied her expectations in more ways than one.

First, he drove the carriage too well. It wasn't just good, it was exceptional.

As if his only goal was to go fast, Geom Mugeuk focused solely on driving.

DUDUDUDUDU.

The carriage left the main road and entered a narrow path, one so tight that a single carriage filled it completely. Even on such a road, where a slight mistake would send them into a ditch, Geom Mugeuk drove skillfully.

She thought someone like the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would only ride in high-class carriages driven by his subordinates.

Cho Hwi glanced down at the side of the carriage. They were staying on the path by a paper-thin margin.

The second special thing, and even more surprising than his driving skill, was his sense of direction.

Geom Mugeuk knew the roads too well. He would weave in and out of paths, rejoining the main road later. If a shortcut existed, he always took it to save time.

Is this a road he travels every day?

It was enough to make her wonder. But there was no way the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would have driven a carriage down this road every day.

Is he really the Young Cult Leader?

This was the reason for her suspicion, and at the same time, the third special thing.

"It's just the two of us going right now, right?"

As they sped along, she hadn't seen any bodyguards following them. She felt that even if they wanted to follow, they wouldn't be able to, given all the side paths they had taken.

"Yes, it's just us."

She had expected that answer, but Cho Hwi still looked at Geom Mugeuk with surprised eyes. She knew he was no ordinary person, but were they really going alone?

"I usually like to travel alone."

"Still, I thought you'd have at least a few bodyguards with you. You're a person of high status."

"It's my father's philosophy. The more precious something is, the less you should coddle it. Raise them to feel a sense of lack."

Of course, some parents might raise their children that way. But you're the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, aren't you?

The fourth special thing was Geom Mugeuk's attitude toward her.

The Young Cult Leader never lost his manners.

If he knew she was a courtesan, he might have betrayed a hint of disdain in his tone or gaze. From the beginning until now, the more she felt there was something special about the Young Cult Leader, the more her suspicion grew. This was true even after seeing the Heavenly Demon and the Demon Supreme at the branch.

Are you really the Young Cult Leader? The Young Cult Leader acts as his own bodyguard? The Demonic Cult Leader allows that?

Suspicion gave birth to more suspicion.

Is he perhaps scheming to extract the information I have?

Right, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious, especially considering the importance of the information she possessed.

Cho Hwi tried to hide such negative thoughts and said with a bright expression.

"Then again, you probably don't need a bodyguard. How could anyone attack us when you're driving on such a complicated road?"

"They can."

"What?"

"Because we're not alone right now."

Cho Hwi gave him a look that asked what he meant. Then, surprising words came from Geom Mugeuk's mouth.

"There is someone tailing us. They've been following us ever since we left the Branch."

Cho Hwi was startled.

"It's someone skilled in the art of pursuit."

The pursuer was so skilled that anyone less than a true master would not have noticed they were being followed.

"Does that mean they know that you, the Young Cult Leader, are taking me with you?"

"They might, or they might not."

The man was monitoring the outskirts of the branch before he started tailing them. With his father, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and the Demonic Army stationed there, the branch wasn't a place someone could just infiltrate to assess the situation.

So, he was watching from the outside, and when Cho Hwi came out, he began to tail her carriage.

Cho Hwi felt that the danger was not yet over.

In that case, the enemy could send people even stronger than the Seven Roads Pursuit Squad.

Realizing she was exposed to even greater danger, her nerves were on edge.

"Aren't you curious? About what it is that I know?"

Given the situation, it would be natural for him to urge her to reveal everything she knew.

"I am curious."

"Why don't you ask?"

"If you could have revealed it, you would have said it already."

Geom Mugeuk looked at her. His clear, deep eyes seemed to be looking right into her heart.

"I know that you, Young Lady Cho, are no ordinary courtesan."

For a moment, Cho Hwi flinched in surprise.

"What kind of ordinary courtesan would hire a mercenary to protect herself? What courtesan would try to keep a secret in a situation swarming with demons? You must be someone of special significance to the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman. Or someone acting under her orders."

Cho Hwi said nothing.

Geom Mugeuk asked her in a calm tone.

"Do you remember when I said I was acquainted with the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman?"

Cho Hwi nodded.

"Then it's time for you to ask me. How close I am with the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman."

She repeated Geom Mugeuk's words back to him as a question.

"How close are you with the Pavilion Master?"

Then, unexpected words flowed from Geom Mugeuk's mouth.

"Even if the entire murim blocks this path, I will take you to the Pavilion Master. That's how close we are."

"!"

He himself could get hurt or nearly die fighting alongside the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

But the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman could not.

Because she was the Smiling Demon's woman.

Only then did Cho Hwi understand. The reason Geom Mugeuk was taking her was because of the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman. She let out a sigh of relief. Her biggest question had been answered.

"That's a relief, then. The information I have to deliver is absolutely necessary for the Pavilion Master."

Cho Hwi added with a cautious gaze.

"So, even if the entire murim blocks the way, please make sure you get me there."