Chapter 614: Wrinkles All Over This Handsome Face

TL: FoodieMonster007

The gazes of Ji Daehyang, the Agency Director, and all the Head Escorts focused on a single person: Head Escort Chung Baek, the man responsible for delivering goods to the Black Hand Sect.

A bewildered expression appeared on Chung Baek's face. He never imagined he would be singled out after following the Agency Director here.

"This is ridiculous slander!"

His shout trembled, matching the waver in his eyes.

Geom Muyang, in contrast, remained calm. He began to walk slowly toward Chung Baek, causing not only Chung Baek but also Ji Daehyang and the other Head Escorts to grow tense.

Stopping a few steps away, Geom Muyang stared at Chung Baek. Even without a deliberate glare, his gaze was naturally cold.

"Do we look like we have nothing better to do?" Geom Muyang asked, questioning if they would truly come all this way just to slander a mere Head Escort.

His calm words were persuasive. The listeners knew the Changsha Branch Manager, Ho Myeong, had come in person, and the man now speaking seemed to hold an even higher rank.

Before Chung Baek could offer an excuse, Geom Muyang continued speaking. His low voice carried a power that was all the more authoritative for its lack of disrespect.

"I won't question you about deceiving your Agency Director. That's an internal matter for your escort agency to handle."

Geom Muyang glanced once at Ji Daehyang before his gaze returned to Chung Baek.

"There's only one thing I want to hear. Who entrusted you with the goods?"

A moment of silence passed.

Ji Daehyang did not step forward to defend Chung Baek or tell him he didn't need to answer. He was not only overwhelmed by Geom Muyang but had also started to feel a subtle suspicion toward Chung Baek.

"It wasn't that kind of item! Agency Director! Please, believe me! They're slandering me right now. I'm being framed."

Chung Baek's excuse lacked specifics, which only made it more suspicious.

Still, they couldn't suspect him blindly, as their opponents were the ruthless Demonic Cult. Ji Daehyang stepped forward, deciding to question Chung Baek in a gentle tone. After all, he was still one of his men.

"Head Escort Chung. Calm down and tell me what happened."

"The goods were ordinary."

"What kind of item was it?"

Ji Daehyang had received several reports about recent escorts, but he couldn't recall any item needing special attention. This meant one of two things: either Chung Baek had filed a false report, or the Demonic Cult was framing him.

"The goods were standard weaponry."

"Who entrusted them to you?"

"I can't say in the presence of outsiders."

"It's fine. I give you permission, so speak."

Then, Chung Baek uttered words that should not have been spoken in this situation.

"Are you doubting me?"

He was, in fact, suspicious.

"No. If it's a conspiracy like you say, shouldn't we work to uncover it?"

"Very well. Then I'll tell only you, Agency Director. The person who gave me the item was…" Chung Baek lowered his voice and appeared to approach the Agency Director.

WHIIISH.

Chung Baek suddenly threw himself toward the entrance.

However, someone else moved faster.

THWACK!

A kick flew out before he could escape, sending Chung Baek tumbling to the floor. Just as he scrambled to get up, the person who had kicked him pressed his acupoints, suppressing his paralysis acupoint.

The one who had anticipated his escape and stopped him was none other than Ho Myeong, the Changsha Branch Manager. As the guard captain of the largest Branch in the Hunan region, his skills were formidable.

Ho Myeong grabbed Chung Baek by the scruff of his neck, dragged him forward, and forced him to kneel before Geom Muyang. Throughout this, not a single Head Escort dared to intervene.

If he hadn't committed a crime, he wouldn't have run. The moment Chung Baek tried to flee, the situation was already decided.

Geom Muyang spoke to Ji Daehyang. "I expect you'll believe our words now."

The words were polite, but Geom Muyang's gaze was cold. The meaning in his eyes was clear: if we have shown this much courtesy, you should do the same.

"We will take this man to the Changsha Branch."

Ji Daehyang didn't dare refuse. Ho Myeong, having already revealed his skills, was now exuding a rough demonic qi.

Geom Muyang looked down at Chung Baek and tilted his head slightly. "Are mere weapon forgers more frightening than we are?"

Chung Baek's face was filled with terror. The Demonic Cult members before him were terrifying, but so were the people he had dealt with.

Ho Myeong released the pressure on Chung Baek's acupoints just enough to allow him to walk. They began leading him out of the main hall and toward the main gate.

SHWAAAAAAAK!

An ear-splitting sound of wind was followed by the sound of that same wind tearing through flesh.

THUD THUD THUD THUD!

Everyone's gaze turned toward one person.

Chung Baek stared down at his own chest with a dazed expression.

TSSSSSSSK.

His chest, which had been struck by a concentration of hidden weapons, was melting away and leaving a gaping hole.

With a dull thud, Chung Baek's body collapsed forward.

Standing before him was an ordinary-looking young man who was aiming a cylindrical hidden weapon. Until a moment ago, he had been disguised as an escort agency worker sweeping the courtyard, from where he launched his sudden attack.

Neither Ho Myeong, who walked beside Chung Baek, nor Geom Muyang, who followed behind, had been able to stop the surprise attack.

"This bastard!"

Just as Ho Myeong was about to charge forward, Geom Muyang shouted.

"Be careful. He's holding a Blitz."

Ho Myeong froze for a moment. As a Branch Manager, he knew exactly what the Blitz was. It was one of the Ten Great Forbidden Hidden Weapons designated by the Murim Alliance.

The man turned the Blitz, which had been pointed forward, and aimed it at Geom Muyang.

Geom Muyang, however, showed no fear. His expression seemed to dare the man to shoot.

Just then, Ho Myeong drew his sword and moved to stand in front of Geom Muyang, ready to block any attack with his own body if necessary.

The man looked at Geom Muyang and grinned. It was the silly laugh of a madman.

He then brought the Blitz he had aimed at Geom Muyang up under his own chin.

SHWAAAK!

THUD THUD THUD!

Before anyone could stop him, he used the Blitz to kill himself. It seemed his goal from the very beginning was to kill Chung Baek and then commit suicide.

Ho Myeong rushed over to examine the body, but there was no way the man could still be alive.

Geom Muyang walked over, picked up the Blitz from the man's hand, and examined it. It was the same type of counterfeit Blitz that had nearly killed his younger brother.

Geom Muyang's gaze turned icy cold.

The fact that they were monitoring his arrival, combined with the assassin committing suicide after the attack, was significant. Suicide sounds easy, but forcing someone to kill themselves after completing a goal was no simple task. This meant their opponent was no ordinary organization.

Sensing this would not be an easy matter to resolve, Geom Muyang immediately gave an order to Ho Myeong. "Report this situation exactly as it happened to the All-Knowing Hall. And from the Branch's martial artists, select only the elites."

"Yes, I understand."

After that, Geom Muyang turned back to Ji Daehyang, the escort Agency Director.

With a shocked and bewildered face, Ji Daehyang shouted, "That man isn't one of ours! We have nothing to do with this."

Since the incident had occurred within the escort agency, he was terrified they might misunderstand and believe his people were involved. If the Demonic Cult decided to fabricate a crime and pin it on them, it would be difficult to escape.

"I know."

At Geom Muyang's calm words, Ji Daehyang breathed a sigh of relief.

He had harbored a suspicion that the Demonic Cult might be pulling some kind of trick, but the assassination completely erased that doubt.

"They wouldn't have silenced him just for transporting an item once."

Ji Daehyang agreed. If it had been a single mistake, Chung Baek would have begged for forgiveness instead of fleeing. This meant he must have delivered items disguised as escorted goods multiple times.

"Can you hand over the escort records from the time that man was a Head Escort?"

In this situation, Geom Muyang could have simply demanded the records, and they would have had to comply to survive. Yet, he handled the matter politely and rationally.

"Don't worry about the list being leaked. Our only purpose is to use it to find the ones who killed that man. Your Head Escort is dead, so shouldn't you also want to know the truth?"

Ji Daehyang agreed readily and without hesitation. "Understood. I'll give you the records."

"Please send them to our Cult's Changsha Branch."

"Understood."

Geom Muyang turned and left the escort agency. Ho Myeong, following behind him, asked a question.

"Where are you going?"

He had visited the side that delivered the item, so now he had to go to the side that received it.

"I'm going to the Black Hand Sect."

As Geom Mugeuk was coming out of the Heavenly Demon Hall, someone appeared before him. "Young Cult Leader!" It was none other than Seo Daeryong.

"My right arm! Have you been well?" Geom Mugeuk greeted him warmly. Seo Daeryong ran over with a bright smile.

"I must have debated a hundred times whether or not I should visit the Heavenly Demon Hall to greet you."

"You should have come."

"You've become the interim Cult Leader, so I felt like I shouldn't go for some reason."

Seo Daeryong looked up at the Heavenly Demon Hall. The magnificent hall, guarded by the giant stone statue of the Heavenly Demon Soul, was intimidating to behold.

"How could I? It's a scary place just to look at."

At that, Geom Mugeuk gave him a suspicious look. "That's not the real reason, is it?"

"What do you mean, it's not?"

"Weren't you too busy with Young Lady Dan to remember me?"

Seo Daeryong's face turned slightly red, as it wasn't untrue. He spent every free moment he had with Dan Ah.

The Dan sisters were all busy. The second sister, Dan Bi, worked hard as an executive martial artist of the Sanzu River Hall, while the youngest, Dan Yeon, monopolized all the affection in the Ghost Shadow Squad.

The eldest, Dan Ah, had visited the Flower Sword Supreme for a swordsmanship lesson and had since devoted herself to her training.

Then, late at night after Seo Daeryong's work was finished, they would meet to nurture their love. Because they only met for brief moments amidst their busy schedules, that time was all the more precious.

"Does just thinking about it make you happy?"

Instead of answering, Seo Daeryong just grinned foolishly.

He was so happy to have a woman who was on his side.

"It's a good time in life."

"And yet, Young Cult Leader, you've never even experienced such good times yourself." Seo Daeryong shrugged.

"Finally, I have something where I've beaten you, Young Cult Leader!"

"Is it really winning, I wonder?"

"Don't say things like that with such a scary, meaningful expression!"

The two of them looked at each other and laughed. Seeing Seo Daeryong always lifted Geom Mugeuk's spirits.

"Is something going on these days?"

"Why do you think so?"

"I'm the right arm attached to your torso, Young Cult Leader, aren't I? I just know."

Was that really how he knew? In the past, they would have already had drinks at the Alluring Inn several times by now. As the years passed, everything changed, including people and situations.

However, Seo Daeryong was trying his best to slow that change. His reason for seeing Geom Mugeuk today was to block that wave of change with his entire being.

Even if everything else in the world changes, I don't want my relationship with the Young Cult Leader to change! I want to continue living a life where I have someone I would willingly give my life for.

How could Geom Mugeuk not know his heart? That was precisely why he could tease him like this.

"Now that my right arm has grown a heart, should I start thinking about detaching it?"

"I'm sorry, but even if that right arm grows not just a heart but a whole set of limbs, it's not coming off!"

Only after they exchanged such jokes did Geom Mugeuk speak honestly to Seo Daeryong.

"My brother has left the Cult."

This fact was a top secret that not even the Director of Sanzu Hall knew yet.

"Did he take on a dangerous mission?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm more worried."

If it were a confirmed dangerous mission, he could respond accordingly. This uncertainty was what weighed most heavily on a person's mind.

"Should I go out and assist the First Young Lord?"

"You find my brother difficult, don't you?"

"It's not just difficult. He's scary. The First Young Lord is."

"And you'd still go?"

"Because you're worried, Young Cult Leader. If a quick-witted person like me is by his side, I'm sure I'll be of help."

If it was truly for the Young Cult Leader, he could even travel with the First Young Lord. What couldn't he do?

"You have someone to protect now, so you should start looking after yourself."

Sensing that the words were not a joke but held sincere meaning, Seo Daeryong flinched.

"We haven't even properly started yet, and I already have to be careful?"

"Is happiness ever given so easily? When you gain one thing, you have to give up another. Look at me. I got the position of interim Cult Leader, and now I'm riddled with anxiety, right? Wrinkles are popping up all over this handsome face. Look, a new one is rushing over right now."

Just then, the Strategist from the All-Knowing Hall came running. "New information has arrived. I think you'll have to come with me."

As he walked away with the Strategist, Geom Mugeuk looked back at Seo Daeryong, who was watching him with a worried expression.

After he regressed, he had told his father.

I am going to be happy.

He remembered what his father had said in response.

If you are to walk this path, do not even think of happiness.

You were right, Father. Back then, I boasted that I would be happy, but the stronger my martial arts become and the deeper my relationships with people grow, the more I feel how difficult this path is. I also realize that it's easier to boast when you have nothing. Still, just as I have always done, I will find a way.

Geom Mugeuk said loudly to Seo Daeryong, "I'll go see the Elder soon. Let's have a drink then!"

"The Head Escort who delivered the goods to the Black Hand Sect is dead. Fortunately, the First Young Lord is unharmed."

Geom Mugeuk felt relieved at Sama Myeong's report and broke the frozen atmosphere with a joke.

"Didn't I tell you my brother is mean? He should have saved the man after catching him. He just dodged by himself."

Even though he knew it was a joke, Sama Myeong did not laugh.

"A counterfeit Blitz was used this time as well. The culprit committed suicide on the spot."

Both pieces of information were serious. This counterfeit was a Blitz as powerful as the genuine article.

What if that Blitz had been fired at his brother? Furthermore, their opponent was an organization that made its assassins commit suicide.

Sama Myeong cautiously suggested, "Will you send more support?"

Geom Mugeuk's deepened gaze turned to the Headquarters on the map, where Demon Supreme flags of various colors were stuck. His gaze fell upon the golden flag among them, the one that symbolized the Demonic Buddha.

If he sent support now, his brother would be furious. It was a matter of his brother's pride. The one person who could best appease that anger would likely be the Demonic Buddha.

"No, there's no need for that."

Even if the Demonic Buddha were to go, it should be to gather medicinal herbs, not to help.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze returned to the Changsha region on the map. Next to his brother's flag was a green one, the Demon Supreme flag of the Poison King.

The image of the Poison King, with twelve poison pouches strapped to him, superimposed itself over the flag. The Poison King had walked out of his own world, the Thousand Poisons Forest, and was now standing in the outside world. Geom Mugeuk knew better than anyone how strong a person he became when he did that. Yes, he had to trust him.

"If the Blitz had been aimed at my brother, it would have melted before the trigger was pulled."