Chapter 710: The One to Pull Me Out of Hell

TL: FoodieMonster007

"So you still haven't given up on the Young Cult Leader."

Hwa Domyeong interpreted Cha Yiran's joke in that specific way. She was not the type of person to jest about not returning money in a crisis like this. And for her to smile so alluringly at him?

"To be honest, I was hoping you wouldn't fall for it."

Hwa Domyeong slowly approached and came to a stop before Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk's eyes were shut, and his entire body was soaked in sweat.

"He's holding out for a long time. The blood threads should have settled in the Young Cult Leader's heart by now."

CHWAAAK.

Hwa Domyeong opened his fan and used it to cool Geom Mugeuk's face.

Just then, Cha Yiran's voice sounded from behind him.

"I'd like to finish the rest of the wine."

Her paralysis acupoint was suppressed, leaving her unable to move her body.

Hwa Domyeong shot a finger qi bullet to release her acupoints, allowing her to move. Of course, her inner arts remained suppressed.

Cha Yiran took the wine bottle from the table and poured a glass. It was the same wine they had ordered while dining with Geom Mugeuk. The two had rented a private room at the restaurant, and all of this had transpired just after their meal concluded.

Without turning around, Hwa Domyeong spoke.

"Well, at least you had a nice last meal."

His words carried the clear implication that he intended to kill them both once this was over.

When his comment received no reply, Hwa Domyeong glanced back at Cha Yiran. She did not plead for her life, nor did she show any will to fight, appearing to have given up quickly.

She was simply leaning back in her chair, drinking her wine in silence while gazing out the window.

She found herself recalling the moment she sat beside Geom Mugeuk in the manor's garden, looking up at the sky.

At that time, she never imagined she would abandon the contract.

She had once inwardly mocked the Mythical Sect Leader for changing his own destiny without hesitation, yet she was proving to be no different.

"What are you thinking about?"

In response to Hwa Domyeong's question, Cha Yiran refilled her glass and replied.

"I'm not thinking about anything."

Cha Yiran treated him with an air of indifference. Just as he knew her well, she also understood Hwa Domyeong completely.

He was a man who always hid behind his fan, feigning shyness, but he truly wanted to stand at the center of the world. He would be hoping for her acknowledgment and applause in this moment of success.

However, she had no intention of giving it to him.

Seeing her resigned to her fate, Hwa Domyeong finally raised a topic he knew would capture her interest.

"When Ak Gunhak retrieved the Secret Box…"

The glass Cha Yiran was lifting to her lips paused in mid-air.

"The old man was truly delighted. That alone more than compensated for returning without killing Geom Mugeuk. However, the Secret Box he brought back was a useless thing that had no effect."

Although she was unaware of what the Secret Box was, she listened intently, thinking it might be something that could aid Geom Mugeuk.

"He was tricked by that Young Cult Leader again."

What Cha Yiran was truly curious about was this.

"What was that red energy in the orb?"

The energy she had first sensed was genuinely pleasant, though its nature had changed once the red snake emerged.

"It's the power to stop the apocalypse."

The word 'apocalypse' once again came from Hwa Domyeong's mouth.

"From whom? From the Evil Alliance Chairman?"

Hwa Domyeong nodded before looking over at Geom Mugeuk.

"It all ends today."

The blood threads traveled through the entire network of Geom Mugeuk's meridians as if it was their own home. The entity was as flexible as a water snake, swimming swiftly through a narrow cave.

The power and vitality it radiated were completely different from its appearance.

Condensed within it were all sorts of murim's miracle herbs, rare flowers and grasses, and the mystical power of various artifacts. He felt that if he could just destroy and absorb it, he would gain an energy more potent than any miracle herb he had ever taken. That was, if he could catch it.

The thing was fast.

SHASHASHAK.

It navigated his meridians with incredible speed, aiming for his heart and nothing else.

Geom Mugeuk used his qi to block the major meridians that led to his heart. His profound and pure inner arts enveloped his heart in a protective layer.

The blood threads, swimming rapidly, collided with the qi that was guarding his heart.

"……"

A shockwave coursed through his meridians, and Geom Mugeuk gritted his teeth. He tried to capture the retreating entity with his qi, but it was unbelievably fast.

SASASASAK.

Like a loach slipping through his grasp, it escaped Geom Mugeuk's qi and resumed its journey through his meridians.

The problem was that this was not his only concern.

The roaming blood threads were causing another issue.

Inside his body, the five energies he had absorbed from the Secret Box were now raging through his meridians. He guessed they were churning throughout his entire system.

He attempted to calm them, but it was futile. Only by completely dissolving the blood threads would these five energies settle down again. He was forced to fight a defensive battle to protect his heart in the middle of a raging storm, while also trying to capture his target.

KWAAAK!

The second collision was even more powerful than the first. Geom Mugeuk clenched his teeth again.

He thought that if he hadn't strengthened his meridians with the Meridians Strengthening Art, and if he hadn't accumulated more profound and pure inner arts from his various encounters, he would have been pierced by that single impact.

He tried to catch it again, but the blood threads quickly slipped away once more. This time, he sent his qi in pursuit of the entity.

The thing was intelligent and possessed a strong will to survive. It evaded his qi's pursuit, weaving through the countless meridians in his body to find a path to safety.

It primarily fled into meridians where his inner energy did not flow naturally. It knew this instinctively. It knew where to go to escape.

For its third attack, Geom Mugeuk launched an encirclement operation.

He sent his qi from all directions to corner it, but this time, it used the five energies churning inside his body to break through the encirclement.

The paths the blood threads took to escape were mostly routes that reversed the flow of true qi. Among them were acupressure pathways he could have taken but had never considered exploring.

Ah! So there was a path like this.

The paths the blood threads revealed out of its desperate will to survive were, in their own way, also paths that gave Geom Mugeuk a new enlightenment.

After making another circuit, the blood threads charged at his heart again.

Four times, five times, ten times, twenty times…

Perilous situations unfolded one after another, but Geom Mugeuk defended himself well. As the process repeated, Geom Mugeuk discovered new acupressure pathways.

The blood threads did not tire. However, the same was true for Geom Mugeuk.

You say you were painstakingly created over decades?

Sorry, but the same goes for me.

So bring it on!

Finally, Geom Mugeuk began to open his eyes.

Hwa Domyeong stood before him, his face filled with anticipation.

Standing behind them, Cha Yiran prayed with desperation.

Please!

The moment of destiny had arrived.

A cry of joy escaped Hwa Domyeong's lips, while a sigh of despair came from Cha Yiran.

Both of Geom Mugeuk's eyes were completely stained with red energy.

"It worked! The blood threads have completely taken control of the Young Cult Leader."

Cha Yiran clenched her fists. She had truly believed Geom Mugeuk would overcome it.

You told me to trust you!

She fell into despair, while Hwa Domyeong's face was filled with ecstasy.

The red energy that had bloomed in Geom Mugeuk's eyes soon vanished.

He then returned to his normal state, looking at Hwa Domyeong with a calm expression.

An unconcealable thrill spread across Hwa Domyeong's face. Everyone else had failed to eliminate the Young Cult Leader, but he had succeeded in getting the Young Cult Leader in the palm of his hand.

"We've been waiting for this one chance. In the end, you're nothing but a servant who did our work for us."

Geom Mugeuk simply stared at him, displaying no emotion.

Hwa Domyeong issued a cold command.

"Go and… the Evil Alliance Chairman…"

Just then, Cha Yiran cut him off.

"If the Young Cult Leader kills the Evil Alliance Chairman, a war will break out."

"I suppose it will."

Cha Yiran spoke with a look of contempt.

"To prevent the apocalypse? You should cover that mouth of yours with your fan."

Hwa Domyeong feigned covering his mouth with his fan and finished giving his order to Geom Mugeuk.

"Kill the Evil Alliance Chairman and return to me."

Geom Mugeuk slowly turned around.

Hwa Domyeong then turned toward Cha Yiran and said.

"Now, shall we have our last drink?"

It had been decided from the start that if the plan succeeded, she would betray them, and the traitor would be eliminated.

Cha Yiran silently stared at Geom Mugeuk's back, which was visible over Hwa Domyeong's shoulder.

She was infuriating him to the very end.

Hwa Domyeong stared into her pupils, noting her eyes were watching the Young Cult Leader until the last moment.

Just as he was about to kill her while looking into those pupils.

Hwa Domyeong saw it. In the reflection of her eyes, a flash of something flew toward him.

SHWIIIIIIK.

Hwa Domyeong desperately twisted his body.

PUUUUK!

The Black Demon Sword pierced his shoulder.

It was a strike that would have pierced his heart if he had not dodged at the last second.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been walking toward the door, had silently turned and attacked him. The technique he used was the Hell Step from the Four Strides of the Wind God.

Hwa Domyeong, his shoulder pierced, was overcome with shock and terror.

"…I told you to kill the Evil Alliance Chairman."

He thought Geom Mugeuk must have misunderstood the command.

That was why he could not immediately counterattack. He needed to figure out what went wrong and send him again. The blood threads, which had taken so long and so much effort to create, could not be made again in this era.

"I am your master…!"

The moment his eyes met Geom Mugeuk's, Hwa Domyeong's entire body trembled as if struck by lightning.

The composure in those eyes was something that not even ten blood threads could ever create.

"Don't tell me… the blood threads didn't work?"

A bright smile spread across Geom Mugeuk's face.

"The Red Orb and the blood threads. I enjoyed them both."

After finishing his words, Geom Mugeuk pulled out his sword.

PAAAAK!

Blood spurted from Hwa Domyeong's shoulder. Geom Mugeuk even allowed him time to stanch the bleeding.

"Get lost while I'm letting you live."

Even though he was in an absolutely advantageous position, Hwa Domyeong did not believe he would truly be spared. He assumed it was a trick to make him lower his guard for a surprise attack.

Geom Mugeuk told him the reason.

"Thank Young Lady Cha. She told me not to kill you."

Indeed, she had told him not to touch Hwa Domyeong. However, even Cha Yiran did not know he would actually spare him in this moment.

Hwa Domyeong looked at Cha Yiran. She was unaware of Geom Mugeuk's intentions, so she just stared back at Hwa Domyeong in silence.

CHAAAK.

As the fan opened, Hwa Domyeong vanished.

This was not just to make Hwa Domyeong owe Cha Yiran his life.

As soon as he confirmed Hwa Domyeong had completely disappeared from the room.

"……"

Geom Mugeuk dropped the Black Demon Sword to the floor and suddenly vomited blood.

"Young Cult Leader!"

The moment she supported Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk's eyes were about to turn red again. Cha Yiran gripped Geom Mugeuk's arm tightly.

"Get a hold of yourself!"

Geom Mugeuk barely managed to push back the red energy. He still had not gained complete control over the blood threads.

"I've only given it half of my heart."

He said he had given it, but he had actually used half his heart as a prison to lure it inside. It was the only way to catch the thing.

Because he was in a tense standoff within his heart, he could not execute the next move to kill Hwa Domyeong. If he had tried, he would have completely surrendered his heart to the blood threads. Even the initial Hell Step was a move he had used recklessly just to save her.

Cha Yiran could tell. Geom Mugeuk could have just quietly left. He could have pretended to go kill the Evil Alliance Chairman and then sought treatment from the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon or the Evil Alliance Chairman.

Instead, he had recklessly used his inner arts to save her.

"Why on earth did you do that?"

With a trembling hand, Geom Mugeuk released her inner arts.

"No need to be moved. Now you have to save me."

Even as he spoke, the red energy repeatedly invaded and receded from Geom Mugeuk's eyes.

"When I open my eyes again…"

Geom Mugeuk spoke his last words as he closed his eyes. The sight of red energy seeping from between his closing eyelids was like the gates of hell closing. There was only one person who could pull him out of that hell.

"The Smiling Demon must be in front of me."

Geom Mugeuk intended to follow where the prophecy led. After delivering his final words, Geom Mugeuk completely closed his eyes.

Cha Yiran could tell that the time he had left was not much.

Cha Yiran sheathed the Black Demon Sword and then carried Geom Mugeuk on her back. Because her opponent was Geom Mugeuk, she could afford to make such a joke.

"Hiring me for a job without even paying the fee?"

She then leaped out through the window.

Just then, she saw it. Someone was looking down at her from the roof of the building across the street.

It was Hwa Domyeong, who had not yet left.

Cha Yiran leaped away without a word.

From the sight of Geom Mugeuk being carried on her back, Hwa Domyeong realized he had been tricked. He had not been spared. He just could not be killed.

Behind him, martial artists dropped their concealment and appeared as if gods descending from the heavens. Their concealment and lightness skills were extraordinary, and their presence was also formidable.

"Stop her! We must not let the Young Cult Leader be handed over to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon!"

The martial artists leaped in unison after her.

When Hwa Domyeong also tried to leap after them, his remaining subordinate stopped him.

"Your wound is deep."

The sword wound on his shoulder was deep, and he had only stopped the bleeding by pressing on his acupoints.

He was in a state where a careless move could lead to a more severe injury, but he could not just stand by.

"The Young Cult Leader's condition is worse."

Even if he had to give up on killing the Evil Alliance Chairman, he could not give up on Geom Mugeuk. He had to retrieve the energies dwelling in his body.

"Release the seal."

PIIIII, PEPEPEPEONG!

The Crescent Moon Faceless Warrior, who was sitting by the window looking outside, heard the distant sound of fireworks.

It was a peculiar sound.

It was the very same firework sound he had heard during the operation to capture the Beautiful Bridges assassins.

The Crescent Moon Faceless Warrior looked back at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was meditating with his eyes closed, circulating his energy.

"It's a distress call from the assassins."

Behind his mask, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes flashed open.

As he rose from his seat, the Faceless Warriors, who had been occupied with their own tasks around the room, also rose in unison.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked at the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, who was drinking tea with Lee Ahn.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman slowly nodded. She could feel it, as if by fate. The moment of the prophecy had finally arrived.

"Let's go!"

As the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon leaped through the window and soared into the sky, all the windows opened, and the Faceless Warriors also leaped out in unison.

Far beyond them as they soared, fireworks were exploding.