Chapter 767: The Father of a Son Like You

TL: FoodieMonster007

The next morning, Ji Han woke at dawn and prepared thoroughly for their departure. He fed the horses until they were full and cleaned the carriage until it was spotless. Soon, the carriage stood ready in front of the inn, and all that remained was to get in and leave.

However, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme didn't board the carriage.

"You go on ahead. We'll get some more air before we return."

The Flower Sword Supreme had said something unexpected during their walk last night.

[Since we've come this far, let's visit Lake Tai for the first time in a while before we go back.]

Lake Tai was in the northern river region of Zhejiang province. In the past, when Geom Woojin and the Fist Demon roamed the jianghu, the four of them, including the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme, had met there. She couldn't remember why, but she vaguely recalled that they had an enjoyable time.

It was one of her few youthful memories with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

[I wonder how much it has changed.]

[Let's go.]

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon agreed without hesitation. As enjoyable as the journey with Geom Mugeuk was, it couldn't compare to a trip with just the Flower Sword Supreme.

Normally, Geom Mugeuk would have made a fuss, demanding to be taken along. This time, however, he readily let the two of them go. "Since it's been a while since you've been out, please take care of all your business before you come back. No, you don't have to come back for a year if you don't want to. I realized something after being away from the Cult for so long. Strangely enough, the Cult runs just fine without us."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme gave the Sword King a simple nod of farewell.

As he turned away, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a telepathic message to the Sword King. [The Young Cult Leader likes you a lot. Stay by his side as much as you can.]

Without waiting for a reply, he started walking, and the Flower Sword Supreme followed him.

Geom Mugeuk stood for a moment, watching them go. I hope you make many memories and return safely.

"Alright, let's get going too," he finally said.

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King climbed into the carriage, and Ji Han took the driver's seat. It was still a group of three, but he was returning with two different people than when he had left the Cult.

Geom Mugeuk stuck his head out of the carriage window and shouted loudly, "Let's go! Back home to the Cult!"

Nevertheless, the carriage didn't move.

"Why aren't we going?" he asked in confusion.

Ji Han looked back with a slightly flustered face. "Uhm, I don't know where the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is."

Geom Mugeuk laughed. "When in doubt, just charge ahead!"

Inside the carriage, the Sword King smiled. Those words were meant for his hesitating self as well.

Is it really okay for me to go to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? But he's telling me, what are you hesitating for? Just go!

And so, the carriage began to pick up speed, racing toward the place where a new life awaited.

Darkness shrouded the Darkness Palace Lord, Hwa Mugyeong, stirring as if in turmoil. A low groan escaped from the shadows that coiled around his body like smoke, "Ugh!"

The Saintess Ga Ye, who sat a short distance away with her eyes closed, opened them.

"Are you having a nightmare?"

SSSSSSH…

The darkness enveloping Hwa Mugyeong parted, revealing his face. The sweat beaded on his deeply furrowed brow hinted at the kind of dream he was having.

He habitually raised his head to look at the ceiling. Countless constellations were already shining, but thankfully, no new stars had lit up compared to before he fell asleep.

After giving his last command, he hadn't left this room at all. This room held the large Secret Box, the mural of the six orbs on the back wall, and the constellations on the ceiling that showed how much of the seal had been released.

"You're the one who should be having dreams," he replied in a deep, resonant voice.

Ga Ye could guess what he meant. He was implying that she should be the one receiving prophecies.

Yes, a prophecy was desperately needed at a time like this. She didn't even have a clue where this situation was heading.

SSSSSSH…

A black hole formed on the floor, and Hwa Mugyeong's subordinate, Hoe, rose from it.

The outcome was clear in the brief silence and the look in his eyes before he even gave his report.

"We've failed."

"Sigh…" Ga Ye reacted first, sighing deeply as she sat in the back. They had failed to find the last orb, the Purple Orb. Naturally, they must have also failed to extract the energy from Geom Mugeuk's body.

Their last hope had vanished.

She expected Hwa Mugyeong's anger to explode, but surprisingly, he was calm. No, that made it even more terrifying. She couldn't predict what he could do next.

"Did you summon all the souls of the dead?"

"Yes."

"And you still failed?"

Hoe replied gloomily, "All the souls were annihilated. Ak Gunhak survived and has joined the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult."

Hwa Mugyeong didn't get angry about that. If this mission failed, that was a natural consequence. Ak Gunhak's betrayal had been expected from the start, and he had been sent for the purpose of summoning the souls anyway.

Hoe prostrated himself on the spot. "I'll find the Purple Orb somehow before the seal is completely broken."

Hwa Mugyeong shook his head. How could he accomplish something that couldn't be done even by summoning the souls of the dead? This is not a matter that can be solved by loyalty alone.

FWOOSH!

Suddenly, a light burst from the Secret Box depicted on the mural behind Ga Ye. The source of the light was, surprisingly, the last remaining circle.

Purple light filled the room, coloring their shocked faces.

"The energy of the Purple Way has appeared in the world," Ga Ye announced.

Hwa Mugyeong asked, "Don't tell me… the Young Cult Leader found the last energy?"

The mural on the back wall answered his question.

FWOOOOSH!

The six circles began to glow in unison, and light poured out from the square shape in the center. As the central square lit up, the six surrounding circles lost their light.

"The Six Elements Origin Qi has merged into one!"

Five of the energies were with the Young Cult Leader, so for the six to merge into one meant…

"The Young Cult Leader has absorbed the power of all Six Elements Origin Qi," Ga Ye shouted. She hesitated for a moment, then repeated, "…Oh no, the power of the Six Elements Origin Qi now belongs to the Young Cult Leader."

A heavy silence fell upon the room.

Hwa Mugyeong slowly looked up at the ceiling, speaking coldly to the heavens beyond it. "Is this all your will? Is this pathetic reality all you left for three hundred years later?"

The prophecy passed down for three hundred years was wrong. The power had been claimed not by them, but by the Young Cult Leader.

Until now, even if the Young Cult Leader intercepted the power of the orbs, he had considered it fate. A fate where he would claim it all at the end after the Young Cult Leader had painstakingly gathered it, because there was a prophecy that the Heavenly Fate Palace would rule the murim.

"Is this your heavenly will! You damn heavens! Do you think I'll give up? Don't make me laugh! This isn't your will, but my will, the will of our three hundred years of effort!"

POP!

As if in response to his shout, another star lit up.

Hwa Mugyeong's eyes trembled. He made a decision.

SSSHHH!

The dark energy that had been enveloping him vanished in an instant, revealing his true body. Layers upon layers of fine wrinkles, the marks of time, coated his skin.

Ga Ye blinked in surprise. She had never seen him with the darkness completely gone before. It had always lingered around him somehow.

However, she knew why he had cast off the dark energy. It was because soon, darkness itself would emerge into the world.

Hwa Mugyeong's will to achieve his goal, even if it meant succumbing to darkness he couldn't control, showed that he, who once ruled the darkness, was now prepared to be ruled by it.

He hadn't given up yet.

The carriage continued toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Headquarters.

Geom Mugeuk cherished his time with the Sword King. He cooked for him personally and lit a bonfire in a scenic field at night. They discussed martial arts as the cool breeze blew through the carriage window. More importantly, they could test their skills against each other.

"Ak-hyung, how about a duel with me for the first time in a while?"

Geom Mugeuk was curious about the changes in his fighting style after his Body Reformation. He had the perfect person to test it against, and he couldn't just let the opportunity pass.

He also made sure Ji Han couldn't watch the duel.

"It's not because I'm trying to hide some great martial arts, but because watching it would actually hinder your future training."

A difference in skill was only helpful up to a certain point. Watching a duel between himself and the Sword King would only be a hindrance to Ji Han's training.

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King stood facing each other in a windy field.

Both men knew how precious this moment was. Nowhere in this murim would they find an opportunity for such a duel with such an opponent.

The Sword King silently stared at Geom Mugeuk. Swords hadn't been drawn yet, but he could feel the difference in Geom Mugeuk's stance alone.

The pressure is different.

It was a completely different feeling from the last time they had crossed swords. Because of that, he couldn't help but ask, "Shall we fight for real?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled gently. "Why are you being so scary?"

SHIING!

He drew the Black Demon Sword.

The Sword King tensed. The Geom Mugeuk who was just standing there and the Geom Mugeuk who had drawn his sword were two different people.

You're the scarier one.

He had a feeling that Geom Mugeuk could kill him with that playful face.

He too slowly drew his iron sword.

The two men gauged each other with deep gazes, then moved at the same time.

CLANG!

Sword met sword, but Geom Mugeuk didn't follow up with another move.

The moment their swords clashed, he closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

The Sword King had no choice but to wait for his opponent to open his eyes. He could predict the result of the duel from one clash.

He has already surpassed me.

From that one strike he had delivered with all his heart, Geom Mugeuk had clearly gained some sort of enlightenment. Perhaps through that single strike, he was envisioning a battle of hundreds of moves in his mind.

Some time later, Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes. The two men's swords were still crossed.

"Why are you so strong?" the Sword King complained, acknowledging how Geom Mugeuk had gained some realization from that last strike.

Geom Mugeuk replied, "This iron sword, you should switch it for a legendary sword!"

The Sword King shook his head. He had never once thought of changing his sword. This old iron sword had always been sufficient.

"No, I want to see Ak-hyung holding a legendary sword," Geom Mugeuk insisted, telling him to wield a stronger sword and display stronger swordsmanship.

The Sword King could feel it instinctively. For a swordmaster to wield an old iron sword certainly made for a cool look, but even that coolness was a mold he was trapped in. He had to break that mold to become stronger. It was time to wear shoes again.

The next time he took off the shoes he had put back on, he wouldn't even need an iron sword.

"I'll get you a legendary sword," Geom Mugeuk offered.

The Sword King replied, "I have a lot of money."

"I'll get you something money can't buy."

"You buy me shoes, a sword, and introduce me to a woman. Why are you doing all this for me?"

Sheathing his sword, Geom Mugeuk walked towards the carriage. "To keep you tied tightly by my side, I have to show my sincerity, and that sincerity hasn't even begun!"

The carriage traveled on, finally arriving at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Headquarters.

The moment he saw the magnificent buildings beyond the high walls, Ji Han's heart pounded as if it would burst.

I'm finally here.

The cultists standing guard at the main gate radiated truly terrifying demonic qi.

He had practiced what to say in his mind countless times from afar.

The Young Cult Leader is in this carriage. No, that's not right. The Young Cult Leader is in this carriage, move aside! Should I say it that strongly?

He couldn't ask Geom Mugeuk about something like this, so his heart just kept pounding.

He also thought that since he was new to the Headquarters, they might ask him to get out and investigate him. He had worried and imagined all sorts of things, but the actual result was anticlimactic.

The gate opened, and the cultists said politely, "Please proceed straight down this path."

They already knew that Geom Mugeuk was inside.

The moment he entered the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a gasp of admiration escaped Ji Han's lips. "Ah!"

A vast, open space unfolded before him. Endless buildings scattered across the landscape, with towering and fearsome demonic statues standing between them. Countless cultists were coming and going. Opening the gate felt like stepping into another world.

Geom Mugeuk stopped the slowly advancing carriage. "Let's get out and take a tour of the Cult!"

Geom Mugeuk, the Sword King, and Ji Han got out of the carriage.

When the passing cultists saw Geom Mugeuk, they respectfully greeted him.

"We greet the Young Cult Leader!"

"Have you been well?"

"Of course!" Geom Mugeuk waved to each of the cultists who recognized him from afar and greeted him. He then turned to the Sword King and added, "Oh, I'm not creating a good atmosphere just to make our Ak-hyung attached to this place! Don't misunderstand!"

"I wasn't thinking that," the Sword King replied.

Geom Mugeuk at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was exactly as he had expected. He wasn't the type of person to treat masters well and subordinates poorly. He could feel that the bright expressions directed at Geom Mugeuk weren't fake.

Geom Mugeuk asked Ji Han. "What about you? What do you think?"

"I'm still dazed."

"From now on, this is your home."

Ji Han blinked in confusion. The reality that he had attacked the person who would become the master of this incredible place, and then became that person's subordinate, hadn't yet fully sunk in.

Overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Divine Cult, they arrived at the Heavenly Demon Hall.

"You wait here. There's someone I want to introduce you to later," Geom Mugeuk told Ji Han.

"Yes, Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sword King. "Ak-hyung, let's go."

The Sword King looked up at the towering demonic statue at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Hall. He truly never thought the day would come in his life when he would meet the Heavenly Demon.

"Are you nervous?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

The Sword King shook his head. "No."

"As expected! Our Ak-hyung is the most courageous person of all."

The Sword King sighed. That wasn't the reason. Geom Mugeuk had completely misunderstood. "It's not that I'm nervous, I'm scared. See my hand trembling?"

"Why are you so scared?"

"Because I'm about to meet the father of a son like you."

Geom Mugeuk laughed, "Don't worry. Aren't I the blue that comes from indigo, the tiger son of a tiger father, and the back wave of the Yangtze River?¹ Besides, my father is a surprisingly ordinary and kind person."

The two of them entered the Heavenly Demon Hall.

Far in the distance, beyond the blood-red path, Geom Woojin could be seen on the grand throne.

Feeling the Heavenly Demon's suffocating presence, the Sword King whispered in terror, "You're a damned liar."

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