Chapter 818: You're An Embarrassment to All Heavenly Demons

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Fist Demon's gaze turned toward Geom Woojin. It had been a long time since he had heard the Cult Leader curse.

The Cult Leader used to curse quite often in his youth. Before becoming the Young Cult Leader, and even during his time as one, the Cult Leader had a very different vibe than he did now. He said whatever he wanted and expressed his emotions freely. There was even a time when he called the Blood Heaven Blade Demon 'Hyung'.

Anyway, one thing was certain. In their entire lives, the Cult Leader had cursed far more than he had, though no one would ever believe it.

The person most surprised by Geom Woojin's words was Jin Paecheon.

To think that person knows how to curse like this?

Jin Paecheon stared blankly at Baek Jagang, who shook his head in response to the unspoken question.

However, he knew one thing. Only someone who used to curse a lot could do it so naturally.

Was the Cult Leader always that foul-mouthed? How on earth did he hold it in until now?

The more he looked at him, the more unfathomable he seemed.

The others, who hadn't heard the telepathic exchange, finally understood from Geom Woojin's words that Hwa Mugi wasn't acting, he was possessed by multiple souls.

The Sword King stepped forward and looked at the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who had blocked the attack for him. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader met his grateful gaze and gave a single, reliable nod.

If Hwa Mugi's second and third attacks had followed, it was impossible to know how the fight would have ended. He had only blocked a single attack, but he knew the moment their swords met.

He's strong!

This was the first time he had ever felt such profound inner qi.

Moreover, the inner qi wasn't the only surprising thing.

His movements are so clean!

The Sword King felt a desire to keep fighting him. Meeting a strong opponent made his own blood boil.

The Poison King silently watched Hwa Mugi turn away from him. He could tell that the Cult Leader had diverted Hwa Mugi's attention.

He had known from the start that the Cult Leader didn't want him to actively participate in this fight. What the Cult Leader wanted from him was to protect the Young Cult Leader if he lost this fight. When the Cult Leader gave that order earlier, the Poison King had declared he would protect the Young Cult Leader, even if it meant threatening to kill everyone in the world.

Still, the Cult Leader made him sit here today so he could clearly observe their opponent. After all, one could only prepare properly if they knew what they were facing.

Hwa Mugi slowly turned toward Geom Woojin, and the air instantly grew heavy. He was no longer interested in the Poison King, his initial target, nor the Sword King or the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader who had intervened.

This was natural. It wasn't Hwa Mugi glaring at Geom Woojin, but another soul entirely.

"How dare you, knowing who I am?!" he roared.

Geom Woojin knew who had emerged. It must be the Demonic Cult Leader from three hundred years ago.

He shook his head in mock exasperation. "Where did you learn to speak like that?"

They were in a tense standoff, ready to clash at any moment.

Geom Woojin asked again, "Who are you?"

None of the souls had revealed their identities yet. Aside from the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord, who had been enraged at the Sword King over an interpretation of Heaven's Will, none had even drawn a sword.

However, Geom Woojin could tell. The souls were restricted.

I must break those restrictions.

He had to make them go crazy and rampage, because the more the souls inside the Celestial Killer Star rampaged, the greater the chance of defeating it.

Normally, a confused and unpredictable opponent would be a disadvantage. However, with the skills of the seven masters present, that confusion would work in their favor.

"I asked you who you are," he repeated.

"I am… ugh…"

The demon inside Hwa Mugi couldn't reveal his identity. The restriction was powerful enough to silence even him, a former Demonic Cult Leader.

Nevertheless, Geom Woojin provoked him further. "I see. You're a coward who doesn't even dare say his own name!"

SHATTER!

The restriction broke, and demonic qi began to settle in Hwa Mugi's rippling red eyes.

Until now, only Geom Woojin could feel a faint energy, but now the demonic qi was revealed in earnest.

The soul inside Hwa Mugi shouted, "I am Hyeok Docheon, the man who led the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult three hundred years ago!"

He might have tolerated it from someone else, but he couldn't bear such insults from a later-generation Demonic Cult Leader. His pride wouldn't allow it.

Having revealed himself, Hyeok Docheon spoke sternly, "Kneel immediately and apologize!"

SWAAAAAAH!

Tremendous demonic qi poured out toward Geom Woojin.

Everyone in the tavern simultaneously raised their defensive qi. Even though the demonic qi was directed only at Geom Woojin, just being in the same space was suffocating.

Geom Woojin snorted derisively. "No."

Hyeok Docheon's face hardened. His expression was more one of absurdity than anger.

He didn't know. He had no idea that the Demonic Cult Leader he was facing was the person who had scrawled insults on the wall of the Little Heaven Cave, calling all the previous Cult Leaders retards.

Geom Woojin grinned. He had no intention of going easy on his opponent just because he was the Demonic Cult Leader from three hundred years ago. Instead, he exploited the man's fiery personality and provoked him further.

"Why should I? You are not the Heavenly Demon."

Hyeok Docheon flew into a rage. "Are you saying you don't believe me? I am Hyeok Docheon!"

CRACK!

The floor split and began to crack. It wasn't broken by inner qi, but by the sheer pressure of his demonic qi.

In fact, the demonic qi alone was enough to prove he was Hyeok Docheon. It wasn't just strong because of its profoundness. It contained a dignity that only a Demonic Cult Leader could possess, unlike ordinary demonic qi.

However, far from being scared, Geom Woojin poured oil on the flames, saying, "If you were a real Heavenly Demon, you would've already escaped from there. You wouldn't still be trapped in someone else's body, tarnishing the honor of our Cult."

Hyeok Docheon's anger at the insult soared like wildfire. He raised his black sword, pointing it at Geom Woojin and looking ready to pounce at any moment.

Geom Woojin was inwardly pleased by the reaction. Yes, go crazy! Reveal your emotions! Explode your demonic qi and stir everything up! Tear apart the other souls!

He continued his train of insults, "If, by some chance, you are a real Heavenly Demon…"

Everyone expected him to say something along the lines of 'show me proof', but instead…

"…Then you should go kill yourself, because you're a fucking embarrassment to all Heavenly Demons."

"!"

A heavy silence descended.

Jin Paecheon gulped. Judging by the situation, the soul was undoubtedly the Demonic Cult Leader Hyeok Docheon from three hundred years ago, just as he claimed.

But telling him to commit suicide? When the opponent is just a soul?

On the other hand, Baek Jagang almost laughed out loud despite the tense atmosphere. He didn't get goosebumps, so that meant Geom Woojin was being sincere, not just making empty threats.

"Hahaha!"

Well, someone did actually laugh out loud—Hwa Mugi.

Just as the demonic qi was about to explode, Hwa Mugi laughed. The enraged Hyeok Docheon receded, and he reemerged as the dominant personality.

"They say the Young Cult Leader acts like a madman and makes people laugh. Now I realize he's just a chip off the old block."

Geom Woojin's eyes flickered. Now he was sure. Although the souls appeared randomly, ultimately, Hwa Mugi was the one in control. After all, if he hadn't been in control, Hyeok Docheon would have already lunged at him.

Hwa Mugi walked to the kitchen and found some alcohol. He poured the alcohol into a large cup and drank it, as if to soothe the enraged Hyeok Docheon.

He then held up the bottle toward Geom Woojin, his expression asking if he wanted a drink.

Geom Woojin shook his head. "No style at all. If you're the Heavenly Demon, you should drink straight from the bottle!"

Hwa Mugi scooped up some of the soup Baek Jagang had made earlier for a snack. "It's a bit cold, but it's tasty. Who made this?"

He was still relaxed.

Geom Woojin had a question about the composure Hwa Mugi had shown since his first appearance.

Why doesn't he attack us right away? Is it because he wants to enjoy being out in the world after so long? To toy with us and revel in his strength?

At first, he thought so, but now, he found another answer in the monster's gradually rising killing intent.

He's building up his power.

He could feel it. Though Hwa Mugi appeared calm, his killing intent was steadily escalating. He was deliberately stirring up the emotions of the souls inside his body for a powerful outburst.

So this is the nature of the Celestial Killer Star.

This murderous nature, a gift from the heavens, would exert its greatest power when his accumulated killing intent reached its peak. Hwa Mugi would move at that exact moment.

Geom Woojin guessed one more thing from this observation.

If this fight were easy for him, he wouldn't need to gather his killing intent like this.

Now, he had two choices. Fight before the killing intent grew any stronger, or continue agitating the souls dwelling within Hwa Mugi's body in the hopes that he would self-destruct.

He chose the second option.

On their side was himself, the Murim Alliance Chairman, and the Evil Alliance Chairman. On the other side was the Demonic Cult Leader from three hundred years ago and the two former Chairmen.

If fate had brought them together like this, he believed the souls must have a role to play.

He didn't know how many souls were inside, but three had revealed their identities so far. They were the Divine Sword Martial Emperor, Hyeok Docheon, and the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord.

The soul he presumed was also there, but had not yet been revealed, was the Evil Alliance Chairman.

The next soul Geom Woojin targeted after Hyeok Docheon was the most disparate person among them.

Geom Woojin sent a telepathic message to Jin Paecheon. [Don't you want to see the Divine Sword Martial Emperor?]

Jin Paecheon understood. He didn't know Geom Woojin's intention, but he knew it was a request to draw out the soul of the Divine Sword Martial Emperor. Besides, even without the request, he wanted to properly meet the Divine Sword Martial Emperor again.

He said to Hwa Mugi, "Give me a drink."

Hwa Mugi looked at Jin Paecheon and laughed heartily. "Good! The Demonic Cult Leader looks like he'd drink like a hero, but he's instead cautious. Meanwhile, the Murim Alliance Chairman, who looks like a great scholar, is quite the hero!"

He shook the bottle and beckoned for Jin Paecheon to come closer.

"Come here! I'll pour it myself."

SLIDE…

However, Jin Paecheon didn't move closer. He used telekinesis to bring the bottle to himself.

Hwa Mugi feigned a pout. "How disappointing. You are a scholar, after all."

Jin Paecheon smiled, then raised the bottle and asked Hwa Mugi politely, "Chairman, would you accept a drink from me?"

A strange smile formed on Hwa Mugi's lips. In an instant, his eyes had changed.

"Pour me a glass."

From his calm voice, it was clear that another soul had emerged.

Jin Paecheon stared silently at Hwa Mugi for a moment. This wasn't a prank. The man had truly changed into someone else.

Geom Woojin secretly marveled how Jin Paecheon had summoned the Divine Sword Martial Emperor not through taunts, but by appealing to his personality with a single, polite remark.

Jin Paecheon approached Hwa Mugi with the bottle and poured him a full glass of alcohol.

After emptying the glass, Hwa Mugi asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"Aren't you the Divine Sword Martial Emperor?"

"How did you know it was me?"

Passion stirred in Jin Paecheon's heart at the realization that he was truly facing the Divine Sword Martial Emperor.

Cult Leader Geom's guess was correct.

With calm eyes, Jin Paecheon revealed his honest feelings. "The person I respect most is you, Chairman. Whenever anyone asks who I respect most, I always say your name."

For a moment, emotion flickered across the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's face. Considering all the bastards he was sharing a body with, it had been a long time since he had spoken with a member of the orthodox instead of a villain, and to hear he was so respected…!

"How did you end up in that body?" Jin Paecheon asked.

The Divine Sword Martial Emperor sighed. "The Heavenly Fate Palace had a divine artifact that absorbed evil spirits. While it was absorbing others, it sucked me in as well."

"Then why was that Demonic Cult Leader there earlier?"

He could understand why the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord was there, but why was the Demonic Cult Leader with them?

The Divine Sword Martial Emperor couldn't answer easily. He couldn't bring himself to tell the later-generation Murim Alliance Chairman, who respected him so much, that he had personally dragged the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Evil Alliance into that war.

"Was it you who called them, Chairman?" Jin Paecheon pressed, figuring there could be no other reason for his predecessor's hesitation.

After a brief pause, the Divine Sword Martial Emperor answered, "I remember the day I declared war on the Heavenly Fate Palace. I spoke confidently before all the members of the orthodox sects. I told them we would root out evil and protect the murim. I was so confident back then, sure I could end the war quickly with my own hands."

Darkness settled in the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's eyes.

"But the war didn't end quickly. Countless people died because of it. It's all my fault."

Jin Paecheon nodded. As a fellow Murim Alliance Chairman, he understood that feeling better than anyone. However, he wasn't curious about his feelings right now. He still hadn't received an answer to his earlier question.

"Was it you who dragged in the Demonic Cult Leader, Chairman?"

Eventually, the Divine Sword Martial Emperor answered honestly. "Yes, it was me."

Various emotions bloomed in the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's eyes, the strongest of which was a sense of injustice.

"I only wanted to minimize my subordinates' casualties. I hoped to end the war decisively so no more of them would lose their lives. Even if it tarnished my honor, I believed it was the right path for the orthodox murim. I did it to save the world!"

"……" Jin Paecheon said nothing, sensing the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's growing agitation.

"And yet! The heavens treated me the same as the Demonic Cult Leader and the Evil Alliance Chairman! It sucked me in along with the Heavenly Fate Chairman who started the war! Just because I was there!"

"……" Jin Paecheon struggled to swallow the words rising in his throat. Was that really the only reason?

The Divine Sword Martial Emperor took Jin Paecheon's silence as assurance that he was being blamed. "Would it have been different if it were you? You're working with the Demonic Cult Leader and the Evil Alliance Chairman, and a war hasn't even broken out!"

"……" Jin Paecheon still didn't answer.

But someone else did.

"Yes, it would have been different," Geom Woojin said.

Everyone's gaze turned to him.

"Chairman Jin is the kind of person who would run all the way here alone for his grandson, but wouldn't call me to aid his war."

Geom Woojin's and Jin Paecheon's gazes met.

Jin Paecheon was surprised that Geom Woojin understood him so accurately. The Demonic Cult Leader was right. If it were him, he would never have dragged the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult into his fight, even if it meant he and everyone else would die.

Anger, however, welled up on the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's face. Hearing such words from the Demonic Cult Leader, of all people, was a disgrace.

Geom Woojin grinned smugly. He pushed so hard because he hoped to create a variable within that body. As Hwa Mugi's killing intent accumulated, the confusion had to grow alongside it.

"You said you did it because you were worried about the murim?" He stared piercingly into the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's eyes, his gaze deepening. "Then prove it."

He didn't say what to prove or how. He knew that in moments like this, saying nothing had the most powerful effect. He wasn't forcing him to do something, but the opposite.

"If you can't… then quit your boring grumbling and let someone else come out, you old fogey."

He pushed the amalgamation that was Hwa Mugi to the edge.