Chapter 582: Shouldn't You Take Your Shoes Off Before You Say That?

TL: FoodieMonster007

He wanted to go down to the basement together?

Geom Mugeuk was astounded. The Sword King should have been hiding the underground treasury at all costs, yet he wanted to dig it up with him?

"Are you serious?"

Even without asking, Geom Mugeuk could feel he meant it. The man wasn't just nodding his head in front of him. It seemed the Sword King had intended to take him to the basement from the very beginning.

"Why are you trying to take me with you?"

He understood that the Sword King must need him for something.

The real problem would arise after he found what he was looking for.

The Sword King couldn't possibly be thinking of sharing it. Did this mean he planned to use Geom Mugeuk to his heart's content and then kill him? Was he not concerned about the possibility of having it stolen?

The Sword King pointed a finger at Geom Mugeuk's chest.

"Because of that."

When Geom Mugeuk glanced down, he saw the image of a white snake through the opening of his robes. He had felt it was a waste to erase the drawing Lee Ahn had made for him.

"I didn't know you liked snakes."

Of course, Geom Mugeuk knew well that the man's comment had nothing to do with a fondness for snakes or the White Snake Society.

"You found the entrance, didn't you?"

Geom Mugeuk answered the Sword King's question honestly.

"Yes, I found it."

Geom Mugeuk walked over to the arranged chairs and activated the first mechanism, which was hidden beneath the chair for the Masters. He then returned to the Principal's seat and operated the handle.

SHHHHK.

The chair descended with Geom Mugeuk and then came back up.

In that short time, the Sword King had moved to stand before the Principal's seat. Looking down at Geom Mugeuk, the Sword King did not conceal the admiration that flickered across his face.

"You found this hard-to-find entrance and even devised a plan to send me outside in that short time. I need a smart person like you. It's a time when I need some smart digging."

"If that's the case, you've chosen very well."

"I'm a good judge of character."

The Sword King sat down in the seat next to Geom Mugeuk, the one designated for the Masters.

The two of them stared silently at the empty training ground.

"Who drew the picture for you?"

"My heart drew it for me."

He had already introduced Lee Ahn to the Sword King as someone who was like his own heart.

"That was a pretty good idea. If I had left for even a moment, there's no telling what you would have done down here."

That was not the only praise from the Sword King.

"On your way here, you used your quick judgment to let four potential hostages escape."

"I know you wouldn't have taken them hostage."

"Still, it must have been on your mind. That much would have been enough."

The gazes of the two men remained fixed on the empty duel stage.

"I understand you promised to give the Principal the ultimate martial arts. So what will you give me?"

"So greedy! And after you've already learned the world's number one martial arts."

"You might not have known, but my nickname is the Incarnation of Greed."

After a brief pause, the Sword King spoke. "You said it yourself. That you want to become stronger."

What he intended to give was also truly unexpected.

"You'll be able to become stronger down here."

If that's true, does that mean you'll die by my hands?

Geom Mugeuk intuited that he would not get any more details from the man.

"As expected of a great master."

Finally, Geom Mugeuk accepted his proposal.

"I made a promise, so I have to keep it. Let's go."

"Aren't you scared? How do you know what's down here?"

"There will be dirt to dig and exhausted trainees tired from digging."

"There might also be a master leading you into a death trap."

At last, Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted from the duel stage to the Sword King.

"I'm a very cautious person, not someone who would risk his life for pride or curiosity. The reason I'm still willing to go down is because there's one thing I believe."

The Sword King's gaze also turned toward Geom Mugeuk, awaiting his answer.

"I believe that the place where you intend to fight me won't be under this ground, at the very least."

Then came the unexpected reason.

"Because when you die, you'll want to die looking at the sky, not a stuffy ceiling of dirt."

"!"

"It's the same for me. So let's carry out the deathly digging or the scheme of drawing snakes on chests under this sky. No, how about we have our final battle on that duel stage? Aren't we both people of this martial arts academy?"

The Sword King looked at Geom Mugeuk but said nothing.

"Well then, the smart shovel is going down."

SHHHHK, Geom Mugeuk descended.

As he went down into the space below, Geom Mugeuk's eyes deepened. Despite his words, he could not forget for a single moment that the Sword King might kill him down here.

It was a risk he normally would not have taken. However, he thought he might be able to get information about Hwa Mugi and his organization through the Sword King this time. He judged it was a risk worth taking. He had also prepared something just in case.

Geom Mugeuk waited in the space below, and soon the Sword King came down on the other chair.

The two men boarded the mechanism that descended into the basement together. When they were both on, the space was completely full.

WHOOOSH.

The mechanism carrying the two men began its descent.

The Sword King spoke while looking straight ahead.

"You're too sentimental."

His face, reflected on the mechanism's metal surface, was smiling. Geom Mugeuk's smiling face was also reflected beside it.

"Shouldn't you take your shoes off before you say that?"

Yes, for now, these moments with him were enjoyable.

This was because they had not yet peered into the black holes in each other's hearts. They still did not know what they would see in that abyss.

And so, the mechanism carrying the two men continued its descent into the darkness.

"Where are you taking us?"

Gyo Seok asked Lee Ahn in front of the martial arts academy. They had been following their master when suddenly Lee Ahn and Seo Jin took them and left the academy. The two women had subdued their acupoints and inner arts, dragging them along so they could not resist being pulled away. They genuinely thought they were being kidnapped.

Only after leaving the martial arts academy did the women apologize and release their acupoints and inner arts.

"You'll know when we get there."

Unlike the anxious Gyo Seok, Yoo Gwang obediently followed where Lee Ahn led.

They soon met a man hiding in a private house on the outskirts, a short distance from the marketplace. It was Yeom Baekjin, who had been reported as killed by the White Snake Society.

"Master Yeom!"

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok were shocked to see Yeom Baekjin hiding in such a place. They finally realized that something serious was happening.

They had expected something like a conflict between brothers over the Principal's position, but completely unexpected words came from Lee Ahn.

"We're going to our Cult's safehouse right now."

Our Cult? Safehouse?

At those unfamiliar words, Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok looked at each other with wide eyes. They were words they knew but had never used or heard in real life.

Lee Ahn spoke calmly to the shocked men.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this. But from now on, you have to listen to me."

They had to listen whether they wanted to or not. The aura Lee Ahn was revealing was not that of a mere White Dragon Class trainee.

They had thought she was not an ordinary person before, but now she was revealing a presence even greater than that of the Principal's younger brother, Yeom Baekjin.

A carriage arrived, driven by an ordinary-looking farmer. It looked so ordinary that it felt extraordinary. There was no way a common farmer would appear in this situation.

As the five people climbed into the back of the shabby, windowless cargo carriage, it set off.

Gyo Seok asked cautiously, "What is all this about?"

If this were the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult from before Geom Mugeuk's time, they would have already had their demonic and blood acupoints sealed and been carried away. Even if their lives were spared, they would not have known who their opponents were or why this was happening.

But fortunately, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult they were experiencing was the one that existed after Geom Mugeuk.

"A jianghu conspiracy is underway here at the Yellow Dragon Academy. We came to resolve it."

Yoo Gwang turned to Gyo Seok with an I-told-you-so expression.

However, Gyo Seok had no time to worry about his conspiracy-theorist friend right now.

"Who are you people?"

Lee Ahn answered calmly and composedly.

"You'll find out when we arrive."

Just as Gyo Seok was about to ask where that place was, Yoo Gwang, who was next to him, pulled on his sleeve to stop him.

"We just go where fate leads us!"

You mean where the pretty girl leads!

The pretty girl, who was like fate, had her eyes quietly closed. She was recalling the telepathy from Geom Mugeuk she had heard at the last moment.

["There's an entrance under the Principal's seat on the duel stage. Go to the safehouse and deliver this message."]

While saying that, he had also relayed another message to her.

After hearing all of it, Lee Ahn was puzzled.

Who on earth am I supposed to deliver this important message to? A safehouse martial artist? Or is someone waiting at the safehouse?

After traveling for some time, switching carriages twice, and checking for tails, the carriage finally entered a manor.

Only Lee Ahn and Seo Jin felt that they had passed through formations upon arriving. In fact, Seo Jin felt it more accurately.

Having mastered esoteric arts, Seo Jin was also proficient in formations. She knew more precisely how formidable the formations they had just passed through were.

It was likely the same for the Murim Alliance and the Evil Alliance, but in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the safehouses were thoroughly protected.

A man stood in the safehouse courtyard with his back to them.

Seeing that familiar, large back, Lee Ahn was startled. Soon, her expression brightened. The person she had missed so much was waiting there.

"Father!"

The person who turned towards her was none other than the Fist Demon.

"Lee Ahn."

Lee Ahn ran and hugged the Fist Demon. When she had left the cult and then returned, they had only managed a brief greeting before parting, but now they were reunited like this.

On the Fist Demon's fearsome face, a gladness reserved for only one person blossomed.

Of course, the other three were terrified by the Fist Demon's frightening appearance. Even Seo Jin was overwhelmed by his intimidating looks. It was her first time meeting a Demon Supreme.

He's the Commander's father? How could such a daughter come from that face?

Not just Seo Jin, but everyone else looked back and forth between the two with similar thoughts.

Just then, a woman walked out of the building. She was a woman with a beautiful appearance, the complete opposite of the Fist Demon.

With snow-white hair that suited her deep eyes perfectly, she was none other than the Flower Sword Supreme.

Seeing her, Lee Ahn politely greeted her with a clasped hands gesture.

"Greetings, Sword Supreme!"

"Commander Lee, it's good to see you."

The Flower Sword Supreme smiled as she welcomed Lee Ahn. She knew well how much Geom Mugeuk cherished Lee Ahn, and now she was the Fist Demon's daughter. Naturally, her gaze towards Lee Ahn was gentle.

The presence of the two Demon Supremes was immense. They were two people who had recently achieved great accomplishments in martial arts through bloody training. And that effort was still ongoing.

The day Geom Mugeuk confirmed the Sword King was at the Yellow Dragon Academy, he had gone out and returned. At that time, Lee Ahn had guessed it was an outing to prepare for this matter. Geom Mugeuk had sent an urgent messenger pigeon to ask for help from the Fist Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme.

Once Geom Mugeuk knew his opponent was the Sword King, he did not think of facing him alone, especially since Lee Ahn and Seo Jin were with him.

He called the Fist Demon because of Lee Ahn, and he called the Flower Sword Supreme because the opponent was the Sword King. He had a premonition that this fight would be a great stimulus for all who used the sword.

Everyone held their breath watching Lee Ahn exchange greetings with the two.

The world's most fearsome man and the world's most elegant woman?

Who on earth are they?

Lee Ahn first revealed her and Seo Jin's identities to her two friends.

"I am Lee Ahn, Commander of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Ghost Shadow Squad, and this is Division Leader Seo Jin."

The shocked Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok were frozen and could not say a word. It was the moment they finally understood the meaning of 'our Cult' and 'safehouse'.

"You two… no, you two are from the Demonic Cult… no, the Divine Cult?"

Gyo Seok stuttered, trembling. He should have known when Yoo Gwang kept saying it was ominous. This is all your fault! Your conspiracy theories have drawn in the most terrifying beings in the world!

"Yes, as I said earlier, we came out to investigate something."

But the surprise was just beginning. Lee Ahn formally introduced the two Demon Supremes.

"These are the Fist Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme, two of our Cult's Eight Demon Supremes. Seo Jin, you greet them formally first."

At the words 'the Sword Supreme', she had thought, no way, but they were really Demon Supremes. Seo Jin politely greeted the two.

"I am Seo Jin, a Division Leader of the Ghost Shadow Squad. It is an honor to meet such esteemed individuals."

Her voice trembled. It was truly the moment she was seeing two of the Eight Demon Supremes, whom she had only ever heard of, in one place.

The Flower Sword Supreme was particularly impressive. So beautiful and elegant, it made her think that was how she wanted to age.

If Seo Jin was this surprised, how much more shocked must Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok have been? How could they have ever imagined they would meet the Eight Demon Supremes in their lifetime?

"Aigoo!"

"Please spare our lives!"

The two of them prostrated themselves flat on the ground. It truly felt like they were dreaming.

Of course, they were not the only ones who were surprised. Yeom Baekjin, who had been standing awkwardly, also bowed his waist in greeting. He too was so shocked his heart sank.

Normally, he should have been more surprised when Geom Mugeuk revealed his identity, but he was more surprised now.

When he saw Geom Mugeuk, it did not feel real. He gave off a feeling so far removed from the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. But it was different now. He realized he was truly dealing with the Demonic Cult and its members. Had he ever in his life met people so frightening, who gave off such an intense presence?

He could now feel that this fight had entered a new phase. It was not a situation where he could step forward and speak carelessly. The once-vague Demonic Cult had now revealed its true form before his eyes.

"Now, everyone, please go inside and rest."

Lee Ahn called a safehouse martial artist to take the others inside.

Now, only Lee Ahn, the Fist Demon, and the Flower Sword Supreme remained. Lee Ahn relayed everything that had happened so far to the two of them exactly as it was.

"It was the first time I've ever seen the Young Cult Leader so tense."

At those words, the Fist Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme looked at each other, exchanging glances. They sensed that this enemy was stronger than any before.

"Where is the Young Cult Leader now?" the Fist Demon asked.

To his question, Lee Ahn shook her head and relayed only the message she was told to deliver.

"He told me to tell you that there's an entrance to the underground below the duel stage."

This was the message Geom Mugeuk had told her to deliver at the end.

"And he said that if he doesn't show up at this safehouse after ten days, to please come and rescue him."