Chapter 656: You Wouldn't Have Invited Me to a Tragedy

TL: FoodieMonster007

Had he ever seen such an expression on his friend's face?

Jin Paecheon watched the man who was a friend, yet not a friend. An unfamiliar energy emanated from his old companion. In all his years as the Lord of the Murim Alliance, he had never encountered such a potent dark aura.

This energy alone was enough to prove that everything Geom Mugeuk had said was true. He recalled what Hwa Yulcheong had said only a moment ago.

'You've been friends for decades, yet you trust the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?'

Was that something Hwa Yulcheong should be saying to him? Not after deceiving him for decades.

Jin Paecheon struggled to suppress his boiling emotions.

"Yes, we were friends for decades," Jin Paecheon continued, staring at Hwa Yulcheong.

"In all those years, was there ever a single day we were truly friends?"

Instead of offering an apology, Hwa Yulcheong criticized Jin Paecheon.

"If we were truly friends, you wouldn't have hidden in the mist to spy on me."

Jin Paecheon found it difficult to adjust to the reality before him. After deciding to believe Geom Mugeuk, he had thought a moment like this might come. The reaction he had imagined from the Heaven's Edge Hermit was this.

'I'm sorry. I had no choice. Still, my friendship with you was real.'

However, that was a truly naive thought. In reality, Hwa Yulcheong was acting like a stranger he had just met yesterday. How could a person change their attitude so completely in an instant?

Because of that, the strongest emotion washing over him wasn't hatred or anger, but a sense of futility.

The two men's gazes locked in mid-air. They had never once argued in their entire lives, but now they were revealing completely different energies.

Jin Paecheon stepped onto Hwa Yulcheong's battlefield. Ashes and piles of corpses were scattered about, blood flowed on the ground, and screams echoed from all directions.

Is this your true self?

Standing alone in the center of that battlefield, Hwa Yulcheong's fervent gaze was so unfamiliar.

Jin Paecheon, who had been staring at Hwa Yulcheong, looked at Geom Mugeuk. Truly, if it hadn't been for Geom Mugeuk, he would have never discovered this true self.

"Young Cult Leader."

"Yes, Chairman."

Jin Paecheon didn't say anything else long-winded. His gaze contained all his emotions, so he said just this one thing.

"I owe you a debt."

Truly, if it hadn't been for Geom Mugeuk, he would have surely fallen to the Heaven's Edge Hermit one day. He would have aimed for only the most certain moment. He would have never dreamed that this friend would stab him in the back.

Geom Mugeuk had saved not only his life but also the Murim Alliance and the entire orthodox sects murim. It was a massive debt, but Geom Mugeuk immediately tore up the IOU he could have held over him for a long time.

"A debt? Not at all. It's thanks to you believing in me, Chairman. You're the one who figured it out."

It was the moment a great weight was lifted from Jin Paecheon's heart, and the small hole of doubt that remained was completely sealed.

Geom Mugeuk addressed Hwa Yulcheong.

"You've finally shown your true colors. Has it been years? No, has it been decades?"

Even in this moment, Hwa Yulcheong maintained his composure.

His opponents were the Lord of the Murim Alliance and Geom Mugeuk. He would have known very well how strong the Chairman's martial arts were, not to mention Geom Mugeuk's. To be so calm against these two men clearly meant he had his own preparations.

Geom Mugeuk made sure Jin Paecheon didn't let his guard down.

"This man knew from the beginning that you were here, Chairman. No, he might have come here already suspecting that fact before he even arrived."

Jin Paecheon understood what Geom Mugeuk was trying to say. It meant to be careful, as their opponent might have a backup plan. He didn't need to worry about that. His heart had already grown cold at Hwa Yulcheong's reaction.

Now, what Jin Paecheon was curious about was this.

"For what purpose did you approach me?"

Was he after his position? Or did he have a personal grudge? Or perhaps, was there some other unexpected intention? He was so curious about the reason.

However, Hwa Yulcheong silently looked up at the sky as if to say he couldn't tell him. The blue sky was visible between the bamboo stalks.

Then, a single phrase flowed from Geom Mugeuk's lips.

"The Dark Palace."

In that moment, he could see the shock quake across Hwa Yulcheong's face. He couldn't hide his surprise. It was a reaction that confirmed Geom Mugeuk had hit the mark precisely.

Jin Paecheon also knew of the Dark Palace's existence. As far as he knew, there was only one Dark Palace in the history of the murim.

"If you mean the Dark Palace, are you perhaps talking about the one that was one of the guardian families of the Heavenly Fate Palace?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"Yes, that's right. It's the very same Dark Palace from three hundred years ago."

Jin Paecheon was also well aware of the battle between the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Fate Palace three hundred years ago. The one who annihilated the mysterious sects' the Heavenly Fate Palace, which dreamed of conquering the murim at the time, was the then Lord of the Murim Alliance, the Divine Sword Martial Emperor. How could he not know of the greatest achievement of the greatest Chairman in the history of the Murim Alliance?

Jin Paecheon's gaze shone intensely.

The fact that the Heavenly Fate Palace, annihilated three hundred years ago, had survived until now and dreamed of revenge was beyond surprising, it was shocking. At the same time, he could now understand. He had wondered what reason could possibly allow someone to hide their identity for decades.

The grudge for their annihilation must have been passed down to this day. Furthermore, he could now clearly understand why Hwa Yulcheong's energy held such a dark aura.

Hwa Yulcheong's gaze also shone intensely. He had been half in doubt even when Geom Mugeuk had called him an incarnation of revenge earlier. He had thought that since he was such an intelligent man, he might have said it based on conjecture. But Geom Mugeuk knew his identity precisely.

Hwa Yulcheong looked at Geom Mugeuk, his eyes asking a question.

How in the world did you know?

Geom Mugeuk couldn't exactly say that he had gone back three hundred years through the Secret Box and witnessed the battle himself.

"Our Cult can find out anything if we wish to know," he answered by putting the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult forward instead.

"We've been fighting you for quite a long time. People this strong don't just fall from the sky. I predicted you must have a grudge against the orthodox and unorthodox."

Since Geom Mugeuk had been at the center of the fight against the hidden forces until now, it wasn't strange that he would have discovered this fact.

Jin Paecheon confirmed with Hwa Yulcheong again.

"Are you truly a descendant of the Dark Palace?"

Jin Paecheon wanted to hear Hwa Yulcheong's story. About the Dark Palace he spoke of. Something like, 'I am this kind of person, and I took on this task with this kind of heart.'

However, Hwa Yulcheong merely stared at Jin Paecheon with an indifferent gaze, as if he had no intention of saying such things. The friendship of past years was of no help here in any sense.

Geom Mugeuk addressed him.

"What meaning is there in settling a grudge from three hundred years ago now? What on earth did you sacrifice your life for? For ancestors you don't even know?"

Hwa Yulcheong looked like he wanted to say something. However, he didn't give a reason. Instead, he asked Geom Mugeuk with a strange smile.

"You think you've won, don't you?"

A gaze that clearly held some kind of plan.

"Do you really think I didn't know that man would come?"

Listening, Jin Paecheon felt a bitter pang inside. Hwa Yulcheong was referring to him as 'that man'. It seemed he was the only one who had considered them friends.

Jin Paecheon slowly stepped forward, revealing an even more powerful energy.

"Yes, if you came knowing I was here, you must have come to see this through to the end with me."

Jin Paecheon no longer had any intention of talking with him. He wasn't a friend, but something like a very patient assassin who had infiltrated for revenge. And Jin Paecheon decided to kill him with his own hands.

"This is our business, so we'll be the ones to finish it."

Hwa Yulcheong's energy was also formidable, and since it was unknown what kind of martial arts he possessed, it was a fight where he absolutely could not be careless.

Just then, truly unimaginable words flowed from Hwa Yulcheong's mouth.

"If you draw that sword, Jin Hagun dies."

In an instant, Jin Paecheon's gaze turned cold. This was the reason Hwa Yulcheong had been so composed in front of the two absolute masters.

"You think you created this situation today? Not a chance! I'm the one who created this situation."

It meant he had already predicted everything. In other words, this stage was Hwa Yulcheong's stage.

"Commander Jin is being protected by the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists. Even if you want to kill him, you can't do it easily."

Hwa Yulcheong laughed at Geom Mugeuk's words.

"Doesn't it occur to you that he's in danger because of the Demon Slaying Brigade?"

Geom Mugeuk immediately understood the meaning of those words.

"You intend to use Soul-Bewitching Arts."

It meant he intended to use the Soul-Bewitching Arts on the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists to kill Jin Hagun. And that wasn't Hwa Yulcheong's only plan for today. His real plan was this.

"If you want to save your grandson…"

Hwa Yulcheong's gaze shifted from Jin Paecheon to Geom Mugeuk.

"Kill the Young Cult Leader."

"!"

Jin Paecheon hadn't expected him to make such a demand. He was a man who wouldn't bat an eye at most things, but in this moment, even Jin Paecheon was flustered.

Geom Mugeuk, on the other hand, remained composed with an unchanging expression.

At his composure, Hwa Yulcheong asked coldly.

"Why? You think we can't kill Jin Hagun?"

To that, Geom Mugeuk answered honestly.

"No. I think you probably could kill him."

Hwa Yulcheong looked at Geom Mugeuk with an expression that said he was truly one of a kind. If they were trying to kill him using Jin Hagun's life as collateral, wasn't this the situation where he should be persuading Jin Paecheon that Jin Hagun would be safe no matter what?

"Now I understand."

Geom Mugeuk naturally realized one thing. A master of the Soul-Bewitching Arts had previously shown him their skills. Geom Mugeuk had told the Poison King that they must have some kind of intention.

"Now I see why you showed me the Soul-Bewitching Arts beforehand. Wasn't it to let me know how formidable your skills are? To let me know that the Soul-Bewitching Arts would work even on the Demon Slaying Brigade."

"In your position, shouldn't you be hiding that fact?"

He had expected him to hide it, of course, and had intended to use the fact that he hid it to cause conflict with Jin Paecheon.

"Hagun is my friend. I can't do that."

Hwa Yulcheong gave a strange smile and then said to Jin Paecheon.

"He's truly a man worth cherishing. But no matter how much you do, you can't let your grandson die, can you?"

Jin Paecheon glanced at Geom Mugeuk before asking Hwa Yulcheong.

"And what will you do after I kill the Young Cult Leader?"

"It'll be as if nothing happened. I'll leave, and you can continue to protect the Murim Alliance with your grandsons."

"So what do you gain from this?"

"I get to kill the Young Cult Leader who has inflicted enormous damage on us."

Geom Mugeuk let out a smirk and interjected.

"Is that really the only reason? Would a person like that live hiding their identity for decades for something so trivial?"

Hwa Yulcheong ignored Geom Mugeuk's words and pressed Jin Paecheon.

"Don't think too hard about it. This will be our secret. As long as I don't say anything, no one will know you killed the Young Cult Leader for your grandson's sake. Even if the Demonic Cult claims as much, you can just dismiss it as a conspiracy."

To that, Hwa Yulcheong added a powerful reason.

"Think about what will happen when such an outstanding Young Cult Leader becomes the Demonic Cult Leader. If you don't kill the Young Cult Leader today, the orthodox sects will be destroyed by him anyway. So hurry up and kill him."

While he was persuading Jin Paecheon, Geom Mugeuk just listened.

Finally, Jin Paecheon made his decision. Even though his grandson's life and the future of the orthodox sects were at stake, his deliberation wasn't long.

"I will not kill the Young Cult Leader."

At the firm decision, Hwa Yulcheong poked at the Chairman's sore spot.

"Does this mean you truly cherish the Young Cult Leader more than your own grandson? What would the martial artists think if they heard this?"

"Cherish him more than Hagun! How could that be?"

"Then why are you trying to kill your grandson?"

It wasn't as if Jin Paecheon had made this decision prepared for his grandson's death.

Jin Paecheon's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.

"I came here today as a spectator."

The moment he heard those words, Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly. The Chairman hadn't forgotten what he had told him. Added to that was the Chairman's trust.

"I believe this stage will not end in tragedy. Because you wouldn't have invited me to a tragedy."

Hwa Yulcheong stared at Jin Paecheon with a surprised face. It was an unexpected variable. He hadn't realized Jin Paecheon trusted Geom Mugeuk to this extent. The Jin Paecheon he knew wasn't this kind of person.

Just as he hadn't known him, he too hadn't known him.

Naturally, Hwa Yulcheong's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.

How can this be?

Geom Mugeuk calmly explained to Jin Paecheon.

"Before So Cheongrak died, he said something. He said he concluded that if I die, my father will never stand for it."

Geom Mugeuk saw right through Hwa Yulcheong's plan.

"They've already calculated that if you kill me, Chairman, the Great Orthodox-Demonic War will break out."

Jin Paecheon nodded. Yes, if this wasn't his purpose, there was no way a man who had hidden his identity for decades would back down so easily.

How could Geom Mugeuk not have made any preparations for today's stage?

"Just as you predicted, I predicted it too," Geom Mugeuk told Jin Paecheon.

"Hagun will be safe."

Until he heard those words, Jin Paecheon had been extremely tense. No matter how much he trusted Geom Mugeuk, his grandson's life was still on the line. But Geom Mugeuk said it himself. That Hagun would be safe.

Geom Mugeuk told Hwa Yulcheong.

"Did you think I'd just stand by and watch you kill my friend?"

Hwa Yulcheong scoffed.

"I see you think the Demonic Buddha or the Poison King will stop it."

He had even predicted who might have gone to help from their side.

"Yes, those two are certainly Demon Supremes who are strong against the Soul-Bewitching Arts. But that only applies to the Soul-Bewitching Arts used on themselves."

Hwa Yulcheong smiled meaningfully.

"Can they really prevent Jin Hagun's death? The attack of a subordinate attacking his Commander right next to him? Or what if Jin Hagun decides to kill himself?"

It showed just how much he trusted the master of the Soul-Bewitching Arts.

Jin Paecheon tensed up again at Hwa Yulcheong's confidence. Naturally, his gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.

Just as he always had, Geom Mugeuk did not disappoint him in this moment.

"To help my friend…"

The meaningful smile that had been on Hwa Yulcheong's face now appeared on Geom Mugeuk's.

"Did they really go?"