Chapter 816: I Could Be the Demonic Cult Leader, but Not the Murim Alliance Chairman

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Woojin intuitively sensed that figuring out what resided within Hwa Mugi's body was the key to victory or defeat.

There was a reason he tried to analyze his opponent so calmly. Could the Celestial Killer Star have come here without knowing he had mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art? No, that was impossible. He knew about the writing on the second floor of the Alluring Inn.

Still, his opponent's relaxed demeanor meant he was prepared.

Why are you so confident even against the Nine Calamities Demonic Art?

He had to find the answer before they fought in earnest.

Suddenly, Hwa Mugi laughed like a madman, then stopped just as abruptly, his expression returning to normal. "Friend? Why are you talking about friendship nonsense at your age?"

Jin Paecheon stared at Hwa Mugi, bewildered. Just a moment ago, Hwa Mugi had sounded like a senior from the orthodox sects offering advice. He had sensed the desperation of someone ruined by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Evil Alliance, warning him not to follow the same path, but the Hwa Mugi before him now felt completely different.

Hwa Mugi calmly dug into Jin Paecheon's psyche. "Chairman Jin, you're lonely right now. Looking down from a high mountain, you see beasts and people living side by side. They all live on your mountain, but what about you? There's no one there, is there? Since you've lived your whole life under the sun, you don't even have a single cloud to share a word with, do you? Still, no matter how lonely you are, should you befriend a dark cloud full of thunder? The heavy rain from that cloud will sweep away everything living on your mountain."

Hwa Mugi knew Jin Paecheon's past well. Despite his apparent youth, he spoke like an old man, so much so that one might think he had truly undergone rejuvenation.

In fact, he was so eloquent that his earlier words seemed like a performance designed to mock Jin Paecheon.

Normally, the remark about being lonely would have pierced deep into Jin Paecheon's heart. After all, he should never have formed a good relationship with Geom Woojin in the first place.

He glanced at Geom Woojin, who was watching Hwa Mugi with calm eyes, and recalled the telepathic message from earlier.

[Let's be friends just for today.]

That statement became a shield. Hwa Mugi's words could not pierce him, at least not today.

Although I came for my grandson, what does it matter if I become friends with the Demonic Cult Leader for a day?

"I guess you have to be this crazy to become the Celestial Killer Star." The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader stepped forward, provoking Hwa Mugi on Jin Paecheon's behalf. "What about you? Do you have any friends?"

Hwa Mugi was speechless for a moment.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader smirked. "Right, I knew you wouldn't. Who are you to lecture anyone when you don't have a single friend? Me? I have one."

Hwa Mugi's target shifted from Jin Paecheon to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. "I heard you threw away the Cult Leader position just to make that one friend?"

"You must have heard wrong. I threw away not only my position as Cult Leader but also my sacred artifacts and my pride," the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader added cheerfully. "Now, without those things, I'm living a more interesting life. If I were still in the Outer Regions, I wouldn't have been able to see this interesting spectacle."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wasn't scared at all. He usually spouted nonsense, but when an enemy appeared, he was the first to step forward.

Hwa Mugi recalled what the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had said earlier. "Didn't you say that if the Young Cult Leader loses his father, he will make that wound into armor and become a better Cult Leader?"

He walked over and threw the inn's window wide open. In the distance, smoke from the Demonic Flames rose from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Headquarters.

"I'll kill all of you here, and then I'll kill all those guys over there too. Those who learned martial arts, those who didn't—everyone, without exception. I won't even leave a single dog alive."

A subtle killing intent radiated from his body. It was intense, yet unlike any they had experienced before. The killing intent held a promise, a vow that he would see his words through.

Hwa Mugi grinned. "If the Cult disappears entirely, then he can't become a good Cult Leader, right?"

It was an arrogant declaration that he would massacre the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult single-handedly.

In the previous timeline, he had killed only the Heavenly Demon's family and bodyguards, but now he intended to massacre the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Hwa Mugi's fate had also changed due to Geom Mugeuk's regression.

Geom Woojin, however, showed no reaction to the threat. He simply watched Hwa Mugi's every move in silence.

The Fist Demon, who was next to him, sensed that Geom Woojin was different from usual. The Heavenly Demon was not angry right now. He had set even his emotions aside.

Cult Leader, what are you thinking right now?

Meanwhile, Hwa Mugi's arrogance did not stop at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. His gaze turned to Jin Paecheon. "Next, I'll go to the Murim Alliance and kill all the orthodox sect bastards there."

Finally, the subtly flowing killing intent settled on Baek Jagang. "You guys are last."

It was the most arrogant threat in the history of the murim. A promise to massacre the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions.

Hwa Mugi looked back at the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. "Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, because you ran your mouth, now even the people of the Outer Regions will all die."

He placed the responsibility for their deaths on the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wanted to retort, but he held his tongue since the lives of the Murim Alliance and Evil Alliance martial artists were at stake.

Hwa Mugi was truly unpredictable. One moment he would smile brightly, endlessly relaxed, and the next he would sincerely threaten to massacre countless people.

Baek Jagang snorted. "He's a guy who came to kill everyone in the first place, so why should we even bother listening to his crap?"

Just as the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had stepped forward for Jin Paecheon, Baek Jagang now stepped forward for him.

"That Murim Alliance Chairman over there said he came because of a friend, but what did you come for, Evil Alliance Chairman?" Hwa Mugi asked,

Baek Jagang answered leisurely, "I came to see what the Celestial Killer Star looked like, obviously."

"And what do you think, now that you've seen me in person?"

"You're younger than I thought, and more talkative than you look. Ah, but you might be old, seeing how much you love the sound of your own voice."

"Isn't this an enjoyable occasion that won't happen again in a lifetime?"

The remark implied he would play with them to his heart's content before killing them.

Hwa Mugi provoked Baek Jagang just as he had Jin Paecheon. "What would the unorthodox martial artists think if they saw you caught between the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult, trying to read the room?"

"What would they think? They'd say, 'You're reading the room well to survive! Well done!' I only pick guys like that to work under me," Baek Jagang laughed.

He was different from the prideful Jin Paecheon. He felt no inferiority from such words. That was a side of him Bi Sayin had always liked.

Baek Jagang did not wish for the sun, nor did he want to become darkness. He lived like the wind with his feet on the ground. This was the path he had chosen to walk.

"Just because you're a Cult Leader, a Chairman, or a Celestial Killer Star doesn't mean you're automatically above others."

Geom Woojin and Jin Paecheon blinked in shock. Today, they were seeing a whole new side of Baek Jagang. He never usually said such things, so they were learning about this part of him for the first time.

Jin Paecheon, in particular, reflected on himself. He couldn't speak so freely, but he felt he had been living too rigidly as a Chairman.

Can I say this when I'm the Murim Alliance Chairman? How will others view me? Will this remark disgrace the honor of the orthodox sects?

He realized he had bound himself with too many constraints.

Come to think of it, he had been a truly free person in his youth. However, at some point, he had started living only the life of the Murim Alliance Chairman, not Jin Paecheon.

He sighed. He was feeling more emotions in this small inn than he had in his entire life inside the vast Chairman's Hall of the Murim Alliance.

Coming here was a good idea, if only for this realization.

Hwa Mugi, on the other hand, smiled brightly, pleased by Baek Jagang's answer. "The unorthodox martial artists I knew were all gloomy and inscrutable. I like you! You're refreshing!"

"You're also different from the Celestial Killer Star I imagined."

Curiosity flashed across Hwa Mugi's face. "What was the Celestial Killer Star you imagined like?"

"The Celestial Killer Star I envisioned doesn't run wild, vowing to kill everyone just because they were born the Celestial Killer Star. I thought the Celestial Killer Star would be someone who can't adapt to the world, is excluded from relationships, and inevitably causes a bloodbath in rage, but you don't seem to have any mental trauma. You're just a homicidal maniac who never even tried to live a good life."

Baek Jagang's provocation was sharp, yet Hwa Mugi seemed even more delighted.

"Oh, smart too! I like it." Hwa Mugi stared quietly at Baek Jagang, then said abruptly. "Shall I spare you today?"

The remark was filled with the certainty that everyone else would die.

Baek Jagang nodded. "Such words are always welcome."

Hwa Mugi strode toward Baek Jagang. Tension instantly crackled between them, and Baek Jagang's eyes narrowed, but Hwa Mugi closed the distance until he was within striking range, then stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Baek Jagang.

He looked at Jin Paecheon as if he and Baek Jagang were now friends.

"What do you think of this, Murim Alliance Chairman? Compare to your hypocritical justice, wanting to befriend the Demonic Cult Leader while protecting the murim."

"……" Jin Paecheon said nothing and listened silently.

Baek Jagang's gaze shifted to Jin Paecheon. "I think I could be the Demonic Cult Leader, but I couldn't be the Murim Alliance Chairman. You can't do bad things. You have to help total strangers and sacrifice yourself for chivalry, even if it means you'll die. Isn't that a path you can barely walk even by being a hypocrite? Damn, it's a path I couldn't walk even if I were a total, unsalvageable hypocrite."

It was the first time he was revealing his true feelings to Jin Paecheon.

He glanced back at Hwa Mugi. "Honestly, you can't walk that path either, can you?"

Hwa Mugi's bright smile twisted into a strange one. "This is disappointing. I thought we were kindred spirits."

Their gazes locked, and the tension thickened. They were so close that a fight seemed imminent.

"Didn't you say that earlier? That the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic you know are not like this. As you can see, this is an exceptional situation. Why don't you try becoming friends withe everyone?"

Hwa Mugi had certainly said that while reading the writing on the second floor, but hearing his own words used against him was, naturally, extremely unpleasant. Baek Jagang's words had truly struck a nerve.

"Is that 'exceptional situation' being swept up in the Young Cult Leader's mess?" he snapped.

"Aha. You're afraid of the Young Cult Leader."

"!" For a moment, Hwa Mugi's expression hardened.

"Saying you'll kill the Cult Leader to hurt the Young Cult Leader… that's also because you're afraid of him, isn't it?" Baek Jagang met Hwa Mugi's gaze with eyes that, though small, were as deep and dark as an abyss. "Hey, why do you fear the Young Cult Leader so much?"

SWAAAAAAA!

Red energy spewed forth from Hwa Mugi's eyes, carrying with it killing intent more powerful than any they had ever felt. It surpassed the limits of what a human could emit, as if it alone was enough to kill a martial master.

Everyone present instinctively unleashed their defensive qi.

"You bug-like unorthodox mongrel!" Hwa Mugi bellowed. "Lower your eyes before I pluck those small eyeballs out!"

A moment ago, he was casually laughing off provocations, but he transformed into a terrifying person in the blink of an eye. A rough and violent persona, completely different from before, emerged.

Hwa Mugi poured out verbal abuse. "How dare an unorthodox bastard who should be selling alcohol in some back alley run his mouth in front of me? You rats commit petty crimes but don't have the guts to become truly evil! You're more pathetic than the orthodox riffraff!"

He looked ready to draw his sword and fight Baek Jagang at any moment.

The tension between them was stretched taut, but surprisingly, it did not break. Everyone thought Hwa Mugi was mocking Baek Jagang again, as he clearly seemed to be a madman with split personalities.

There was only one exception—Geom Woojin, who had been staring at Hwa Mugi's eyes the entire time.

For a fleeting moment, he saw demonic qi flashed in the man's eyes. It was an instantaneous reaction, one that would have been impossible to notice if he wasn't focused. It was like witnessing a soul change for a split second.

There is a demonic practitioner inside that body too!

Geom Woojin could tell it wasn't just an orthodox master inside Hwa Mugi's body. His earlier remark that the unorthodox sects he knew weren't like this confirmed that he also had an unorthodox master inside him.

That man's body contains the souls of an orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic master.

It was unbelievable, but on second thought, it seemed like exactly the kind of nonsensical being the Celestial Killer Star should be.

Is it really only three souls though?

Even Geom Woojin had never encountered a case where multiple souls resided in one body.

Then there's one thing I have to verify now.

He sent a telepathic message to the Fist Demon. [Land one solid hit on that guy.]

The Fist Demon had been waiting for this order.

WHOOSH!

His fist shot toward Hwa Mugi's face.

PAAANG!

Hwa Mugi, who was still facing Baek Jagang, leaned back slightly and caught the Fist Demon's punch in his palm. A tremendous shockwave erupted from the impact, sending chopstick cases and empty kitchenware flying from the other tables.

To everyone's shock, Hwa Mugi didn't budge an inch from the impact. The Fist Demon hadn't used his full power, but it was not a blow that could be blocked so easily.

"A mere Demon Supreme dares to throw a fist at me?" he snarled, turning around with terrifying eyes.

WHOOSH!

The Fist Demon's second punch landed squarely on Hwa Mugi's face.

THWACK!

Judging by his earlier skill, he could have dodged it, but Hwa Mugi took the hit intentionally. His head snapped back so violently it looked like it might fly off, but he slowly brought it forward again.

Despite the powerful impact, not a single scratch marked his face. His defensive qi was tremendous.

Hwa Mugi smirked and taunted, "It hurts less than the rumors say?"

The Fist Demon's fearsome expression hardened, but he quietly stepped back. The Cult Leader's order was to land a blow, not to fight a life-or-death battle.

Meanwhile, Geom Woojin carefully observed Hwa Mugi, who had returned to his original demeanor.

He had discovered two things during that brief exchange. First, although the personalities emerged abruptly, they could not act entirely on their own will. Otherwise, the demonic one would have surely gone on a rampage.

He recalled what the demonic master had said.

"A mere Demon Supreme dares to throw a fist at me?"

Dare? No ordinary demonic master would dare talk to a Demon Supreme like that. That means… a past Heavenly Demon is inside there!

He didn't know if it was the previous generation, the one before that, or one from long ago, but he was certain a former Demonic Cult Leader was inside Hwa Mugi.

What did that mean? The answer to his first question was now clear.

Why are you so confident even against the Nine Calamities Demonic Art?

This guy also uses the Nine Calamities Demonic Art!