Chapter 587: Because a Clean Break Makes You Think of Them More

TL: FoodieMonster007

The inside was filled with a dazzling radiance. A pile of gold was heaped in the center. It was literally piled high. Jewels were displayed in cabinets that surrounded the room on all sides. There were top-grade luminous pearls, of course, along with rubies, sapphires, jade, pearls, and crystals. Truly, all sorts of gems were showing off their beauty.

It was, in the truest sense of the word, a treasure vault.

"I saw people I missed in my dream last night, and now I've hit the jackpot!"

Geom Mugeuk glanced at the Sword King. He too was surprised by the immense treasure, but there was no greed in his eyes. One could tell just by his calm expression that wealth was not what he pursued. That was what made this fight difficult. He was no ordinary villain.

"Do you regret promising to split it in half?"

At Geom Mugeuk's question, the Sword King nodded his head.

"It's much more than I thought."

"No take-backs."

Geom Mugeuk flopped down on the pile of gold.

"To sleep in gold! There's probably no bed more magnificent than this."

Then, the Sword King's voice was heard.

"Don't you like a cotton quilt more than that gold?"

Geom Mugeuk, still lying down, lifted only his head and asked as if to argue, "Who told you that?"

"Am I wrong?"

"I'm called the incarnation of greed, you know?"

"Who calls you that? You probably just go around saying that about yourself."

Looking at the Sword King who was staring at him, Geom Mugeuk spoke firmly.

"You're starting to play tricks to avoid giving me the treasure, but it won't work. Half of this is mine."

Geom Mugeuk comfortably laid his head back down again. How could there be such a high and ornate ceiling in a place like this underground? Looking up at it, the question naturally arose.

Who on earth built this place? Was it the secret vault of some ancient tycoon? No. The Sword King wouldn't have been digging into the earth just to take over a rich man's treasure vault. There was clearly something else he wanted.

Then who could have made it? The external formations, the illusions in the passage. The greatest powers of that era were put into this place.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sword King from his lying position. He then noticed the rope that had connected his waist to the Sword King's was cut. Seeing his gaze fall to his waist, the Sword King answered.

"I cut it when we were fighting earlier."

"I know you cut it so we could fight more comfortably, but it feels like the bond between us has been severed, which is upsetting. Surely you're not going to cut your relationship with me off so cleanly, are you?"

Of course, the Sword King was not the least bit upset.

"As you can see, I would cut it with a single stroke. I'm a man who cuts things cleanly and forgets."

Geom Mugeuk let out a deliberate sigh and said, "In human relationships, cutting ties is harder than being tied down."

Then he threw an unexpected question.

"If you cut off a relationship with a single stroke, don't you end up thinking about that person more?"

The Sword King's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk, waiting for his explanation.

"If you cut them off abruptly because you can't stand the sight of them and want to avoid them, you actually end up thinking about them over and over again. Phew, you think of them while saying it's good not to see them. You think of them while saying you did the right thing cutting them off. You think of them while wondering why you didn't cut them off sooner."

This time, the Sword King asked, "Then how do you sort things out?"

"The more I hate someone, the better I plan my withdrawal strategy."

At the word 'strategy', the Sword King let out a dry laugh.

"Do you really need to devise a strategy just to sort out one relationship?"

"Of course. If you just cut it off, you'll never be able to forget them for the rest of your life. That's why relationships that aren't even worth remembering often linger in your heart until the very end, isn't it?"

"!"

"Cutting it off abruptly doesn't mean you'll forget it quickly. You have to slowly let go of your feelings, a little at a time. Slowly, without rushing, until you even forget that you were ever tied to that person. The more you hate them, the slower you must go."

"If you put in that much effort, you'll think of that person even more."

"You do. But the quality of those thoughts is different."

"How so?"

"They're not sticky. They don't suddenly hit you out of nowhere. They don't suddenly make you clench your fists."

The Sword King stared at Geom Mugeuk in silence for a moment.

"So don't try to cut me off so cleanly. You'll just keep thinking of me."

The Sword King placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and asked, "And after all this, you're going to cut me down with a single stroke, aren't you?"

"Ah! How are you so quick-witted?"

The Sword King scoffed and walked to a corner. There was a door there.

"Let's get going."

"What's the rush? Why don't you enjoy these treasures a bit more before we go?"

"What we're here to enjoy isn't in this room."

Geom Mugeuk got up from his spot and walked towards the door.

"Don't tell me we have to break through another gate if you open that door?"

The Sword King opened the door. Then, the dark passage they had seen before revealed itself again. An even more powerful energy than before was flowing out. The tempting aura beckoning them to enter was also stronger than before.

"What in the world is at the end of that?"

Then, for the first time, the Sword King spoke about this place.

"Something that can change the fate of this murim."

Geom Mugeuk, still staring into the darkness, asked the Sword King, "For the better? Or for the worse?"

After a brief pause, the Sword King replied, "That will depend on what kind of people we are."

The two of them walked into the darkness again.

"Track them all down and get rid of them!"

At Yeom Baekyin's words, Gi Seok flinched for a moment. He had thought the same thing was necessary, but he hadn't expected Yeom Baekyin to make such a decision so easily.

When he received the report that all the officials from the underground had left, Yeom Baekyin's heart sank.

He just let that many people go?

At first, he thought it was a mistaken report. He couldn't imagine the man in the underground would just let them go. He naturally assumed they would be killed to silence them. But he even gave them money and sent them away?

It might not matter to him if he let them go, but it did to Yeom Baekyin.

There's a treasure vault in the basement of the Yellow Dragon Academy! If even one person let it slip, a pack of hyenas would flock to this place. Yeom Baekyin didn't believe they would keep the secret. Even if that place was now empty, they would come to see it with their own eyes.

Perhaps it was a ploy by the man in the underground to drive him into a corner.

He really screwed me over.

In any case, he would find them all and kill them. Didn't you say it yourself? That a villain walks his path while being cursed.

"Since we can't use the White Snake Society, I will look for another mercenary group and place a request."

"Hurry as much as possible."

Now Gi Seok could see it clearly. It wasn't that Yeom Baekyin had turned evil, but that this was who he had always been. An order to kill dozens of people was not something anyone could give easily.

Just then, the voice of a subordinate was heard from outside.

"A guest has arrived."

"……"

"They say they are the parents of a White Dragon Class member."

At the subordinate's report, Yeom Baekyin and Gi Seok looked at each other. He didn't meet with the parents of the members directly. There was no way his subordinate didn't know that. So why bother reporting it?

Then the door opened. It was unusual for the door to open before he had even given a reply. In other words, it meant the person was someone they dared not stop.

The person who opened the office door and stepped inside was a middle-aged woman. The moment he saw her, Yeom Baekyin's eyes widened. She was a truly elegant woman who captured one's attention at a single glance.

"I came to see you because of my daughter."

At her soft voice, Yeom Baekyin's hardened expression naturally relaxed.

"Who is your daughter?"

"It's Lee Ahn."

The woman who entered was none other than the Flower Sword Supreme.

Gi Seok, who was standing beside him, sent a telepathy message.

[She is the girl who was friends with Seo Jin of the Ghost Sect.]

Even without the telepathy, Yeom Baekyin knew about Lee Ahn. Rumors had spread about a truly beautiful new member.

Her beauty must come from her mother.

Yeom Baekyin readily said to her, "Very well. Please come in."

He thought she had come alone, but another person followed her in. Seeing the person who filled the doorway as he entered, Yeom Baekyin's eyes shot wide open. A muscular man who looked like a moving block of iron came in, and his face was so fearsome that he dared not even make eye contact.

"I'm Lee Ahn's father."

It was Lee Ahn's real father, the Fist Demon.

Only now did Yeom Baekyin understand. He understood why his subordinates outside hadn't been able to stop them beforehand. The fearsome face was one thing, but those huge fists?

As soon as he entered, the Fist Demon asked Yeom Baekyin, "Where is my daughter right now?"

The Fist Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme had come here for two reasons. First, there was a report from the All-Knowing Hall. It was a report that all the officials who had been in the underground had secretly come out. Now, even without being told, they knew that Geom Mugeuk had let them go alive.

A cotton quilt went into the basement, everyone came out and saw the stars. And the finale was letting them all go alive. It was truly a move worthy of Geom Mugeuk.

The problem was the Principal in front of them. Judging by his past actions and the words of his brother, Yeom Baekjin, it didn't seem likely he would spare the officials who came out of the underground. That was why he had come forward with the Flower Sword Supreme. To save them.

We'll leave them to the Demon Supremes.

That must have been his thought. In that moment, the two Demon Supremes were of one mind with Geom Mugeuk.

The second reason they had shown themselves was as a pressure and a warning to the forces behind the scenes. We are here, so do not act rashly! We are by the Young Cult Leader's side. It was to prevent other masters from lending their strength to the underground. Just as they were watching, the other side would be watching their movements as well.

The Fist Demon asked bluntly, "I heard she followed her instructor and hasn't returned?"

Yeom Baekyin was inwardly flustered. He hadn't expected a father with such a terrifying aura and such an elegant mother to visit. Truly, with parents like these, it seemed they wouldn't have needed to send their daughter to a martial arts academy.

Another telepathy message from Gi Seok flew in.

[Lee Ahn is currently in the underground.]

Since the Sword King had taken Geom Mugeuk, Lee Ahn, Seo Jin, Yoo Gwang, and Gyo Seok, they had not been attending classes. Not knowing they were at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's safehouse, Yeom Baekyin naturally assumed the Sword King in the underground had taken them.

"I'm asking you, aren't I? Where is our child?"

Normally, it was a situation where he should have demanded what kind of rudeness this was, but he didn't dare say that to the Fist Demon. Even without revealing his demonic qi, the Fist Demon's presence was pressing down on Yeom Baekyin, making it hard for him to breathe.

Just then, the Flower Sword Supreme stepped forward.

"Please understand, Principal. This man has a fiery temper."

How could there be such a contrasting couple? Looking at the woman made him smile, and looking at the man made his face harden.

The Flower Sword Supreme asked in a gentle tone, "I came to see my daughter, but no one even knows where she went, so I'm worried too."

Although she rarely went out, she was more skilled at dealing with people than anyone.

Then, Gi Seok stepped forward and answered in his stead.

"She has gone out for outdoor training with the White Dragon Class instructor."

"The other members of the White Dragon Class were attending class, though?"

"He specially selected a few people to go. It seems they displayed exceptional skills."

Gi Seok answered calmly, without flinching.

"If you wait a few days, she will return."

"Do they often go out for training like this?"

This time, Yeom Baekyin answered.

"Even I, the Principal, do not interfere with how an instructor teaches."

Yeom Baekyin looked at the two of them with a confident gaze.

"If you've entrusted her education to us, you should trust us."

The Flower Sword Supreme stood up from her seat with a pleasant expression.

"My husband and I were rude in our haste. We'll take our leave for today."

Before leaving, the Fist Demon left a final word.

"That's right. We entrusted our child to you, trusting you."

This meaningful statement was a final chance for Yeom Baekyin to live. A warning to never touch the members. But could the current Yeom Baekyin possibly grasp the meaning behind those words?

Only after the two left the office did Yeom Baekyin feel a sense of relief. The Fist Demon's aura had been so intense that his heart was still pounding.

"It's because that member, Lee Ahn, is so exceptionally beautiful."

He understood the Fist Demon's reaction. If he had such a beautiful daughter, of course he would be on edge. But to come and cause such a scene? This was all because they looked down on the Principal of a martial arts academy. Truly, if he just mastered the ultimate martial arts, he would never have to suffer such humiliation.

"Then only the White Dragon Class kids he took with him are in the underground now."

"That is correct."

He couldn't figure out what that man was thinking. In any case, seeing as he had sent the officials out, it was certain that the end was near.

"What will you do about that couple? They didn't seem like ordinary masters."

On the other hand, Yeom Baekyin already had a plan.

"The person who took the daughter should take responsibility."

It meant he would leave their disposal to the Sword King.

"You should take care of the members as quickly as possible."

Gi Seok, with his bamboo hat pressed down, walked briskly. The group he intended to hire this time was the Black Tiger Sect. Like the White Snake Society, they were a mercenary group that would do anything as long as the price was right. They were not on good terms with the White Snake Society, so they were the perfect choice for this request.

Usually, when meeting with mercenary groups, they would meet in a very secluded place or in a crowded place like this. Today, they were scheduled to meet at a teahouse in the marketplace.

Walking among the passersby, Gi Seok looked at the teahouse up ahead. A man was waiting at the promised window seat.

He was walking towards him when.

Huh? Aren't they?

In the distance were Lee Ahn's parents, whom he had seen in Yeom Baekyin's office. The woman recognized him and waved her hand cheerfully.

Gi Seok, who was about to greet her without thinking, flinched in surprise.

I'm wearing a bamboo hat, so how did she recognize me?

The man next to her, instead of waving, slowly extended his fist towards Gi Seok. A fist being extended slowly from afar, through the crowd of numerous people.

What is he doing?

Gi Seok thought he was being warned. A warning to find his daughter quickly.

And that warning was ticklish. No, it was actually ticklish. Gi Seok felt an unbearable tickle in his chest. Unable to stand it any longer, he opened his collar and looked down at his own chest.

"!"

Gi Seok's eyes shot wide open. His chest began to cave in, and an outline started to form. Amazingly, it was the shape of a giant fist. A huge fist that filled his entire chest.

But soon, that outline began to disappear.

When the fist-shaped outline vanished completely as if it were a lie, Gi Seok, who had been standing blankly in the middle of the road looking down at his chest, slowly sank to the ground. His head, already lifeless, dropped. It was a silent fist that left no sound of flight, no scream, and no trace on the body.