Chapter 628: I Intend to See This Through to the End

TL: FoodieMonster007

It took only fifteen minutes.

Everyone stared at Geom Muyang in shock, noticing the blood on his hands. It was obvious he had performed the torture himself.

Geom Muyang slowly walked toward Jin Hagun.

Jin Hagun was inwardly relieved to hear that the White Dragon Commander had confessed.

He had suspected the man might be lying, and if that suspicion had been wrong, the outcome would have been irreversible.

His first question was about the White Dragon Commander's condition.

"Is he alive?"

Geom Muyang's expression made the answer seem obvious.

"His life isn't in any danger."

Killing the man would have been a great discourtesy to Jin Hagun, who had entrusted him with the task.

This made the result even more surprising. Geom Muyang had extracted a confession from someone who seemed unbreakable, and he had done so without causing any serious harm.

"What did he confess?"

When Jin Hagun asked his question, Geom Muyang glanced around. His look silently questioned if it was safe to speak in front of the Demon Slaying Brigade's subordinates.

Jin Hagun gave a single nod, signaling that it was fine.

"The mastermind wasn't one of your high-ranking officials. It was someone with no official position in the Murim Alliance."

Jin Hagun felt a wave of relief, but he was also puzzled. If the mastermind wasn't one of the Alliance's leaders, why would the White Dragon Commander have been swayed?

Then, Geom Muyang spoke an unimaginable name.

"The Heaven's Edge Hermit, Hwa Yulcheong."

Jin Hagun's eyes widened in shock.

He never thought he would hear that name. It was a name that should never have been spoken in this context.

Is it true? Really?

Jin Hagun stared at Geom Muyang, his gaze turning into a glare.

"That's impossible."

On the contrary, Jin Hagun's shock gave way to a strange calm. The accusation was simply too absurd.

Hwa Yulcheong was an absolute master among the orthodox sects. Countless martial artists respected him not just for his skills but for his outstanding character. He had no desire for wealth or power. He would use any money he acquired to help the poor and was known for never forgiving evil deeds.

And the most decisive fact was this.

"He is an old friend of my grandfather."

He was the closest friend of Jin Paecheon, the leader of the Murim Alliance. They had spent many years together, and Jin Hagun's grandfather likely trusted Hwa Yulcheong more than his own grandson.

How could Jin Hagun possibly believe it when such a man was named as the mastermind?

The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists were not the only ones in disbelief. Gwak Yeong also found it hard to accept. After all, was there any martial artist in the orthodox sects who didn't know of the Heaven's Edge Hermit?

Jin Hagun stated firmly.

"That man must have lied."

Jin Hagun even grew suspicious of Geom Muyang, wondering if he was being manipulated for some nefarious reason. No, this was a name too significant to be used in a simple deception.

"I need to hear it directly from the White Dragon Commander."

"As you wish."

Jin Hagun strode into the building, and Geom Muyang followed close behind. The members of the Demon Slaying Brigade and the Branch martial artists trailed after them.

The White Dragon Commander was sitting on a chair in the middle of a spacious room.

Although Geom Muyang had said he was fine, Jin Hagun had expected to find him half-dead. To his surprise, the man was perfectly alright.

His face was unblemished and his eyes were lively, though his clothes were soaked in blood.

The man's pleased expression at seeing Jin Hagun vanished the moment Geom Muyang entered behind him. He flinched, avoiding eye contact, now utterly terrified. This was a stark contrast to the boastful White Dragon Commander from before.

Jin Hagun approached him.

"Commander Do, are you alright?"

The White Dragon Commander was overwhelmed with emotion but could not show it. His fear of Geom Muyang, standing right behind him, was too great.

"You're safe now that I'm here. So, tell me again. Who is the mastermind?"

With eyes full of both fear and resentment, the White Dragon Commander finally spoke.

"The pain was so great, I just named anyone! I'm ashamed."

He burst into tears after speaking, looking for all the world like a man filled with a sense of injustice.

Jin Hagun turned to look at Geom Muyang. Even though the White Dragon Commander had recanted, Geom Muyang didn't pressure him. He seemed to have expected this change in testimony.

Indeed, Geom Muyang said nonchalantly.

"This is why I don't trust people."

He added nothing else, as if to say, "It's your choice who to believe."

Jin Hagun had trusted Geom Muyang up until he handed over the White Dragon Commander. He had done so precisely because of that trust.

But now, he was conflicted. Should he really believe what Geom Muyang said?

It was all because of that one heavy name, the Heaven's Edge Hermit.

The White Dragon Commander pleaded through his sobs.

"Please believe me. Please believe in my loyalty."

After a moment of thought, Jin Hagun spoke to the White Dragon Commander.

"It seems I've misunderstood you."

Jin Hagun's attitude toward Geom Muyang shifted abruptly.

"The Heaven's Edge Hermit is the mastermind? I was almost deceived by you demons."

He glared at Geom Muyang with cold eyes and continued.

"Did you think a trick like this would work?"

At his command, the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists drew their swords, pointing them at the Branch members. The Branch martial artists drew their own swords in response, creating a tense standoff.

However, the Branch martial artists were no match for the Demon Slaying Brigade in either numbers or skill. If an order to attack was given, their annihilation would only be a matter of time.

Geom Muyang simply stared at Jin Hagun with his deep eyes. Their gazes locked in mid-air.

Gwak Yeong was flustered by the sudden turn of events. She desperately wanted to step forward and shout.

I believe in the First Young Lord!

She had seen with her own eyes that the White Dragon Commander was not the man she used to know. She wanted to declare that she would stake her life on it.

However, she couldn't step forward. It was not her place to intervene. Besides, the leader of the Demon Slaying Brigade was the one who had promised to save her younger brother.

Jin Hagun turned to the White Dragon Commander, his tone gentle.

"Commander Do. I'm sorry."

"It's nothing. It's enough that you now recognize my loyalty."

He truly looked like a man who had returned from the dead. Normally, his personality would have compelled him to say something to Geom Muyang, but his fear was so deeply ingrained that he couldn't even meet the man's gaze.

"When you return, see a physician and get treated first. I'll report this matter to the Chairman."

The White Dragon Commander flinched. If this matter reached the Chairman, then the Heaven's Edge Hermit would also learn that he had confessed. He would know that he had blurted out the name under torture.

"Please don't mention that I named such a distinguished person."

"I can't do that. I must report the full details to the Chairman. But don't worry too much. He'll understand you were forced to name him under torture when he hears the circumstances."

The White Dragon Commander pleaded again, almost begging.

"Is there really a need to trouble such a noble person?"

Jin Hagun stared at him, his gentle gaze turning cold.

"Are you afraid you'll be killed to silence you?"

As Jin Hagun spoke, he did not miss the expression on the White Dragon Commander's face. It was the unmistakable bewilderment of a man who had been struck where it hurt most.

Jin Hagun pressed him.

"You couldn't bear the pain and just named anyone, but it just had to be the Heaven's Edge Hermit? Is that your excuse? Did you think I was foolish enough to believe that?"

The Heaven's Edge Hermit was the person least likely to be involved in a conspiracy. His was not a name someone would blurt out randomly.

Furthermore, Geom Muyang had said their leader was in the highest echelons of the Murim Alliance. The man could have named any of those giants.

His desperate attempts to keep the Heaven's Edge Hermit from learning of his confession proved he had indeed named the hermit as the true mastermind.

A chill ran down Jin Hagun's spine. He started to think that the Heaven's Edge Hermit might truly be behind everything. The name had come from completely out of nowhere.

The White Dragon Commander pleaded and made excuses to the very end.

"No, that's not it. Please! It's a misunderstanding! I was just…"

As if unwilling to hear more excuses, Jin Hagun pressed the man's acupoint, causing him to collapse.

Jin Hagun then ordered the Demon Slaying Brigade.

"Everyone, sheathe your swords."

The men surrounding the Branch martial artists sheathed their swords and stepped back. The Branch members also sheathed their weapons, relieved. They had just faced the brink of life and death.

Jin Hagun politely apologized to Geom Muyang.

"I was only acting to confirm that man's true intentions, so please understand."

Surprisingly, Geom Muyang had anticipated his intentions.

"I believed that would be the case."

"Didn't you say you don't trust people?"

After a brief pause, Geom Muyang replied.

"Because Mugeuk is my friend."

Just as Jin Hagun trusted Geom Mugeuk's brother, Geom Muyang trusted Geom Mugeuk's friend.

"My younger brother wouldn't befriend just anyone."

If Geom Mugeuk had heard that, he would have bragged about it for the rest of the day.

Although the misunderstanding was resolved, Jin Hagun's heart remained heavy.

Is it really the Heaven's Edge Hermit?

Even after confirming the White Dragon Commander's confession was genuine, he still couldn't bring himself to believe it.

"What will you do now?" Geom Muyang asked.

Jin Hagun shook his head, his expression showing he still didn't know.

He turned the question back to Geom Muyang.

"What will you do?"

Normally, Jin Hagun would have said, "This is our business, so you should all withdraw from Wuhan." But he didn't say that. Without Geom Muyang, he would never have uncovered this great secret.

Geom Muyang's gaze fell on Gwak Yeong in the distance.

He knew that even if he left now, Jin Hagun would protect her and rescue her brother.

There was no real need to help Jin Hagun. This was an internal matter for the Murim Alliance, something Jin Hagun himself had to resolve.

However, the reason he had personally left the Cult still remained.

He had nearly killed his own brother with his own hands because of those counterfeit weapons.

That rage would not fade until he had eliminated every last one of them. That alone was reason enough for his decision.

"I intend to see this through to the end with them."

The Demonic Buddha sat alone, lost in thought inside an empty hut in the mountains near Wuhan. He had been staying here for some time after sending the Blue Mountain Swordsman back to his hometown.

While he could control the golden aura that emanated from his body, he could not hide his short stature. Since Wuhan was a place where many masters came and went, he remained inside whenever people passed by to avoid being recognized.

Just then, he sensed a presence outside.

"Is anyone there?"

"Come in."

The person who entered was the Poison King. This was their first meeting since arriving in Wuhan. Back in the Cult, the Demonic Buddha usually visited the Poison King, but today their roles were reversed.

"The atmosphere is quite nice," he said, just to break the silence. What nice atmosphere could a desolate, abandoned hunter's hut possibly have?

An awkward silence settled between them. They had once gathered poisonous herbs together in the Thousand Poisons Forest, but they had not seen each other much lately. The distance had made things awkward, and they had reverted to their original, more formal relationship.

The Demonic Buddha then took something from a net bag in the corner, discreetly offering it to the Poison King.

"I happened to spot this while I was on a walk earlier."

It was a bundle of three or four poisonous herbs.

"It's the Demon Life Grass!"

This was a poisonous herb on the list of items the Poison King absolutely had to find in Wuhan. He had searched for it everywhere without success, yet the Demonic Buddha had spotted it easily during a simple walk.

"Thank you so much."

With the appearance of the poisonous herbs, the awkward atmosphere vanished completely.

The Poison King's eyes sparkled as he asked.

"Shall we go out for a walk?"

The Demonic Buddha smiled faintly, seeing the Poison King so eager to go out at once. His eyes always lit up when it came to poisonous herbs.

He couldn't help but think that a person truly had to love poison that much to earn the title of Poison King.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"I'm feeling a bit hungry. Let's have a simple bite and then go. Wait a moment. It won't be anything special, but it'll be enough for a meal."

The Demonic Buddha rolled up his sleeves and started to cook. In the net bag were several types of mushrooms, which he must have gathered along with the poisonous herbs.

He first started a fire in the campfire outside the hut, boiled some water, and began cooking the mushrooms.

"You gave me the Demon Life Grass, so I should be the one treating you."

"Do you know how to cook?"

The Poison King shook his head. Sangseon always prepared his meals. In contrast, the Demonic Buddha's hands moved with skill.

"You seem to have cooked a lot."

"I've had to eat alone often while wandering the Central Plains."

Due to his conspicuous appearance, the Demonic Buddha often had to camp out to eat. He had even brought basic seasonings with him for this trip.

How would the world ever know? That the short man cooking alone somewhere in a forest was the Demonic Buddha.

The Poison King watched the Demonic Buddha cook. He was normally uninterested in the other Demon Supremes, but the Demonic Buddha was an exception.

Though it was prepared quickly, the Demonic Buddha's mushroom dish was excellent.

"It's delicious."

"I'm glad it suits your palate."

The Poison King moved his chopsticks diligently, his only thought to finish eating quickly so he could go gather more poisonous herbs with the Demonic Buddha.

Just then, Sangseon arrived to relay the contents of an urgent message from the All-Knowing Hall.

"According to information from the First Young Lord, the Heaven's Edge Hermit is behind this incident."

Unlike the composed Poison King, the Demonic Buddha was startled. He was well aware of the Heaven's Edge Hermit's position in the orthodox sects and the depth of his friendship with the Murim Alliance's leader.

"That is truly unexpected."

At the Demonic Buddha's words, the Poison King simply mentioned two names.

"The Cold Moon Warrior and the Blue Mountain Swordsman."

The Demonic Buddha nodded. Yes, only someone with the Heaven's Edge Hermit's stature could summon both the Cold Moon Warrior and the Blue Mountain Swordsman.

What if he was really involved? This matter had just become far more dangerous.

"Even so, the First Young Lord will likely try to see it through to the end."

The First Young Lord he knew was not someone who would give up in the middle of a task.

The Poison King silently fiddled with the Demon Life Grass. The look in his eyes was different from when he had suggested a walk. He knew it as well. He might have to step forward himself.

The Demonic Buddha recalled the most important reason he had come.

To prevent the Poison King from stepping forward.

But what if the situation escalated like this? What if misunderstandings piled up and things went wrong?

The golden aura around the Demonic Buddha's body intensified.

"Our enemy won't be the Heaven's Edge Hermit, but the leader of the Murim Alliance."