Chapter 671: I Intend to Let Him Go First

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk stepped out from the Murim Vault.

Waiting for him was Jin Paecheon, whose back was turned to the entrance.

"Chairman, I'm out."

Jin Paecheon was curious about his choice, wondering what items he had brought out.

When Jin Paecheon turned to look at Geom Mugeuk, his mind went blank for a split second. The lapse was so complete that his life would have been in danger during a real battle. For that single instant, his mind was utterly empty.

The Gentleman Sword?

A wave of astonishment washed over him. He did not let it show on his face, but he was genuinely shocked. He had nearly let out an audible gasp.

"These are the three items I have chosen."

The Gentleman Sword was laid horizontally across Geom Mugeuk's outstretched arms. A bottle containing the Blue Sky Stone Essence rested upon the sword, and beside it hung the Saintess's Dream.

Stunned, Jin Paecheon found himself unable to speak for a moment.

He brought out the Gentleman Sword?

He had never considered the possibility that Geom Mugeuk would bring out the Gentleman Sword. The thought had not even crossed his mind.

The Gentleman Sword was a blade that served as a practical symbol for the orthodox sects. It was a sword he himself had only ever observed, never once attempting to draw it.

Is that really the Gentleman Sword in front of me?

He looked once more, and it was undeniably the Gentleman Sword.

"Do you know what kind of sword that is?" he asked, just in case Geom Mugeuk had taken it without understanding its significance.

"Of course," Geom Mugeuk replied, his eyes looking down at the Gentleman Sword.

"It's the Greatest of All Time, the Gentleman Sword."

His gaze lifted from the sword and returned to Jin Paecheon.

"I brought out the best sword among all the swords."

Even though he had told him to choose anything he desired, who would have thought he would actually bring out the Gentleman Sword?

Jin Paecheon was flabbergasted and bewildered. He was unsure how to process the situation. Why had he never considered that Geom Mugeuk might choose this?

Jin Paecheon's gaze shifted again, this time to the Blue Sky Stone Essence. It was the most precious of all miracle herbs.

This choice seemed less surprising, perhaps because he was still so shocked by the Gentleman Sword.

Right, he could give him the Blue Sky Stone Essence. After all, the young man had saved his grandsons and, by extension, the fate of the Murim Alliance.

However, the Gentleman Sword was the symbol of the orthodox sects. For that sword to fall into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

The martial artists of the orthodox sects would surely be in an uproar if they discovered this. The consequences might be even greater than when the truth about the Heaven's Edge Hermit was revealed.

I have to tell him no, even if it's now.

Jin Paecheon's eyes met Geom Mugeuk's. He was looking back at him with a mischievous expression, as if he found something incredibly amusing.

Yes, he must be very pleased.

"What is that cloth?"

"It is a sacred artifact named the Saintess's Dream."

Geom Mugeuk handed the Saintess's Dream, which was draped over the sword, to Jin Paecheon.

"Three hundred years ago, it was a relic of the Saintess Palace, one of the three organizations that protected the Heavenly Fate Palace."

As Jin Paecheon inspected the Saintess's Dream, he could not find anything special about it.

It's just a piece of cloth with historical meaning but no special powers.

Geom Mugeuk could guess this from Jin Paecheon's expression and reaction. He was the only one who could sense its sacred energy.

"May I ask why you chose this?"

"Because there is someone I want to give it to."

Jin Paecheon handed the Saintess's Dream back. He did not ask who that person was.

That was not the important part. He needed to make a decision right now. Once they left this place, there would be no going back.

In the end, however, Jin Paecheon did not speak the words that would forbid him from taking the Gentleman Sword.

A promise was a promise.

This was not just any promise. It was a promise made by the leader of the Murim Alliance to the Acting Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

"An excellent choice."

Yes, how could a martial artist who wields a sword be wrong for choosing the Gentleman Sword?

Jin Paecheon shook off his lingering attachment and regret, offering Geom Mugeuk his sincere congratulations. He steeled his heart, determined not to regret this decision.

It would not be a waste to give him not just the Gentleman Sword, but all the treasures and sacred artifacts in that vault. He had saved his grandsons' lives.

If giving away the Gentleman Sword became an issue, he would gladly accept full responsibility. This was his problem to bear, not Geom Mugeuk's.

Now was the time to show his sincere gratitude.

"Thank you for what you've done."

Geom Mugeuk looked at Jin Paecheon with a moved expression before he bowed his head respectfully.

"Please stay healthy for a long, long time and watch over us."

"Hey, you punk. Is that something the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult should say to the leader of the Murim Alliance?"

The two men looked at each other and laughed.

"Let's head back now."

"Yes, Chairman."

Geom Mugeuk tucked the Saintess's Dream and the Blue Sky Stone Essence into his robes, then fastened the Gentleman Sword to his waist.

Although Jin Paecheon had firmly resolved to give it to him, his gaze still drifted unconsciously toward the Gentleman Sword. A sense of attachment lingered.

He felt his heart stir once more.

Ah! I can't be a true gentleman!

Jin Paecheon let out a dry laugh and started to walk.

SHHH…

Just as when they had entered, the mist within the formations parted on its own to create a path.

"Are you going back now?"

"No. As I mentioned before, I plan to call my friends and hold a celebratory feast for Hagun before I leave."

When he first heard this, he had assumed it was just something he said. It appeared he was truly planning to hold a celebration.

"If someone doesn't raise a flag and tell everyone to gather, we might never see each other again. I'm usually the one who holds that flag."

Jin Paecheon understood how difficult that role was. It was true for him as well.

I am Jin Paecheon, so why should I? If you want to see me, you should be the one to contact me first.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say he never had such thoughts.

"Why do you try so hard to gather everyone?"

"Because I like them. I like my friends. I like Hagun, and I like the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance. I like my other friends too. It's fun and enjoyable to see them. That's why I raise the flag. Of course, you, Chairman, might suspect that flag is a charge banner for a battlefield, but it's just a 'let's all gather here' happy-go-lucky assembly flag."

Jin Paecheon smiled faintly at Geom Mugeuk's joke.

"Don't you have friends like that, Chairman?" Geom Mugeuk asked, fully aware of the situation with the Heaven's Edge Hermit.

As always, this was Geom Mugeuk's effort to prevent the wounds of the heart from being buried, even if the body was. If you have sent one friend off, you should make new ones.

"Why don't you try raising a flag yourself, even now?"

Jin Paecheon stared at Geom Mugeuk with a surprised expression. Telling him to raise the flag himself?

"If you raise a flag, Chairman, the entire murim will be shocked, so you'll have to write in big letters on it. 'Absolutely no other meaning. This is a flag for having fun!'"

Jin Paecheon laughed out loud. This Geom Mugeuk was truly the only one who could make him laugh like this. And he was doing it while wearing the Gentleman Sword, no less.

"If I raise a flag, who would come?"

Then, Geom Mugeuk mentioned people he had not expected.

"There's my father, isn't there? And the Evil Alliance Chairman is here too."

"!"

Geom Mugeuk added, as if he were being completely serious, "They might be secretly waiting for someone to raise a flag for them."

Jin Paecheon started walking again with an expression that suggested he could not be helped. He thought it was nonsense, but he suddenly found himself recalling the tripartite meeting.

It had been more enjoyable than he had anticipated. Just as he thought it might be nice to gather once more, Jin Paecheon flinched.

What kind of ridiculous thought am I having!

As the two of them walked out of the formations and across the inner courtyard, someone was waiting at the spot where he had parted with Jin Haryong.

"Chairman."

The person who greeted Jin Paecheon politely was none other than Jin Hagun.

When he entered the training grounds, he had ordered his subordinate to call him without fail if Geom Mugeuk came to see the Chairman. He wanted to see Geom Mugeuk's face before he went back to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Jin Hagun asked Geom Mugeuk, "Did you pick a good gift?"

He had heard from Jin Haryong that his grandfather had taken Geom Mugeuk to the Murim Vault.

"I only brought out the most awesome stuff."

Jin Hagun glanced at the Gentleman Sword hanging on the opposite side of the Black Demon Sword. He did not recognize it as the Gentleman Sword, since he had never seen it in person.

One thing was certain. No matter what treasure Geom Mugeuk took, it would not be a waste.

"Thank you for everything."

He knew that he could become the successor entirely thanks to Geom Mugeuk.

"Are you going back right away?"

He naturally assumed that he would now be returning to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

"Me? I'm not leaving."

"What?"

"I'm going to your celebration party before I go. You've become the successor, so you have to have a party. I've already called all our friends."

"Which friends?"

"You don't even have that many friends, what are you asking for?"

Flustered, Jin Hagun looked toward his grandfather. Jin Paecheon simply watched the two of them in silence.

"Why? You don't like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it, but."

Honestly, he was happy. This celebration would be a gathering of those who would offer the most sincere congratulations.

"Here, and this is."

Geom Mugeuk unfastened the Gentleman Sword from his waist and held it out to him.

"My gift to commemorate you becoming the successor."

The person who was truly shocked at this moment was Jin Paecheon. It was a shock that went beyond mere surprise. He had never dreamed that Geom Mugeuk would give the Gentleman Sword to his grandson as a gift.

Jin Hagun waved his hands in refusal.

"No, what's with the gift!"

At that moment, Jin Paecheon's face twisted with frustration.

Geom Mugeuk teased him slightly. "You'll regret it later."

"I won't regret it. It's your gift, so you should take it."

Geom Mugeuk began to fasten the Gentleman Sword to his waist again. Jin Paecheon watched him with eyes full of lingering attachment.

Just as he was about to fasten it, Geom Mugeuk once again held the Gentleman Sword out to Jin Hagun.

"Take it. I chose it to give to you. Don't ignore a friend's sincerity."

Jin Hagun, who had been looking at Geom Mugeuk, glanced at his grandfather. He wondered if it was alright to accept this, since his grandfather was the one who gave the gift.

His grandfather said nothing and just stared at the sword. For some reason, he seemed more tense than usual. This was not a man who would be tense even when facing thousands of enemies.

Geom Mugeuk pushed the sword toward Jin Hagun.

"I received other good gifts from the Chairman. So don't feel burdened and take it. It's nothing special, and if you keep dragging this out, I'll just get embarrassed. Come on!"

"Thank you. Then I'll gratefully accept it."

In the end, Jin Hagun accepted the Gentleman Sword.

The moment he took the sword.

"!"

The look in Jin Hagun's eyes changed. He knew the instant he held it.

This is no ordinary sword.

Jin Hagun slowly drew the Gentleman Sword.

SHIIING.

The Gentleman Sword finally revealed itself to the world. After long years, the Gentleman Sword showed its form once again.

"Ah!"

A gasp of admiration escaped Jin Hagun's lips. The sharpness flowing from the blade was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. It truly felt as if it could cut through the heart of the person looking at it.

He could feel the sword's breath. It was a deep and Dan Ah breath of the sword.

This was the first time he had ever felt such a thing from a sword. He had not seen every sword in the world, but he could still tell. This sword was the best of the best.

Jin Hagun slowly infused his inner arts into the sword, introducing himself.

As if responding to his greeting.

"……"

The sword let out a short cry. After that first communion, he returned the sword to its scabbard.

Jin Hagun's heart pounded as if it would burst.

"You said it was nothing special?"

At Jin Hagun's question, Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied, "It doesn't suit me. I'm too far from being a gentleman."

A gentleman?

Instantly, Jin Hagun's eyes widened, and he shouted, "The Gentleman Sword!"

At his surprised cry, Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"Yes, it's the Gentleman Sword."

Jin Hagun was horrified. How could he not know of the Greatest of All Time, the Gentleman Sword? That legendary sword was now in his hands, given to him as a gift.

"The Chairman gave me three artifacts from the Murim Vault as a gift."

The words Geom Mugeuk was about to say were intended for both Jin Paecheon and Jin Hagun.

"He is a Chairman who has never touched a single item in the vault during his entire tenure. Considering his upright character, the Gentleman Sword would have remained stored there forever, right? You were raised under such a grandfather, so how would you be any different? The Gentleman Sword would have remained stored in the vault for the next generation too. So I caused a little trouble. I felt that I had to cause trouble for that sword to see the light of day. How is it? Now that you've greeted the Gentleman Sword. It's happy to be out of that stuffy place, isn't it?"

Jin Hagun did not know what to say.

"You really are something else!"

He was right. If not for him, this was a sword he could never have possessed. Furthermore, it was a gift given by forgoing one of the three items he could have had.

Jin Hagun looked at his grandfather. His eyes asked if it was really okay to accept this sword, and Jin Paecheon nodded.

Jin Paecheon did not show his emotions on the outside, but he was feeling immense joy. He was much happier than if it had simply been returned to the vault. The Gentleman Sword would protect his grandson more reliably than any other being.

Of course, the happiest person was Jin Hagun. What could be better for a martial artist than obtaining a great weapon? And what if that weapon was the Gentleman Sword?

"It's great, isn't it? So great you feel like you could dance, right?"

It was so great that he almost fell into that trap. He had nearly answered yes.

"I heard the Gentleman Sword is the history of the orthodox sects. From now on, my friend will be the one to continue writing that history."

Jin Hagun looked at Geom Mugeuk, who was happy as if it were his own achievement, with trembling eyes. He could not say anything. No words could possibly express this gratitude.

Jin Paecheon asked Geom Mugeuk, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Not knowing his intentions, he had needlessly worried about the Gentleman Sword going to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

"I wanted to surprise you, but more than that, it was because I trusted you, Chairman."

"You trusted me?"

"Yes. Even though I brought out something I absolutely shouldn't have, you didn't stop me at all. I believed you would do that, Chairman, and you kept your promise to the very end. Now, you hold an even greater place in my heart, Chairman."

Jin Paecheon silently regarded Geom Mugeuk. Regardless of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions, regardless of status, as a martial artist, no, as a human being, he was simply astounding.

"Then I'll be on my way."

Geom Mugeuk bid a polite farewell to the Chairman, then said to Jin Hagun, "It'll take some time for everyone to arrive. I'll send you the place and time later."

Jin Paecheon and Jin Hagun stood for a long time, watching his back as he ran off excitedly.

When Geom Mugeuk was no longer in sight, Jin Hagun spoke calmly.

"There were moments I gave up. I thought I could never beat that friend. That no matter how hard I tried, I could never win."

Jin Paecheon sensed that was not the end of it, so he asked calmly, "And how is it now?"

"Instead of giving up, I intend to let him go first."

At his questioning gaze, Jin Hagun smiled.

"A friend as brilliant as him deserves to go first. Instead, I will follow him silently."

It was by no means giving up. Nor was it a mindset of having to win at all costs. It was the will to walk alongside Geom Mugeuk. To walk silently in the same era, even if a little behind.

"Someday, in the distant future, I might see that friend with white hair, sitting on a rock waiting for me. I'll tell him then. Thanks to you, I made it this far."

Jin Paecheon felt that his grandson, who had always seemed so young, had grown up a lot. He had always been worried. Worried for the murim that Jin Hagun would lead, for his grandson who would have to face that Geom Mugeuk. However, today he had a different thought. I shouldn't worry about these children anymore, I should cheer them on.

Jin Paecheon said as he walked toward the Chairman's Hall, "When you meet him then, be sure to tell him. That I was on pins and needles, worried he was going to take the Gentleman Sword."