Chapter 829: You've Suffered Dealing with Talkative Me

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Father, you were truly magnificent!" Geom Mugeuk cheered joyfully. "Thank you!"

The Fist Demon and the Poison King bowed their heads to Geom Woojin in respect. For them, as Demon Supremes, watching the Cult Leader fight was a great honor.

Geom Woojin's expression didn't change, but the Fist Demon could feel it. The Cult Leader was in a better mood than ever before. He knew that if prodded even slightly, those emotions would pour out, so he was deliberately maintaining a stoic facade.

He felt a sense of relief. If the Cult Leader had lost to Hwa Mugi, it would have weighed heavily on his mind, even if Geom Mugeuk might not have cared.

You fought well, Cult Leader.

Geom Woojin responded to the Fist Demon's gaze. "How was it? The skills I learned from you haven't gotten rusty, have they?"

The two men looked at each other and smiled.

Meanwhile, Hwa Mugi's face was contorted in a grimace. The Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art has been broken.

The Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art had a side effect. As Jin Paecheon had said, a demonic art with such incredible effects was bound to have a corresponding consequence.

Its side effect was that when the art absorbed an external blow, converting defensive enhanced qi into inner qi, it transmitted pain far greater than the original impact. It seemed as though the defensive enhanced qi was striking water and wouldn't hurt at all, but each blow inflicted excruciating pain.

By enduring that pain, however, the user could make their opponent fall into despair as they realized their attacks were useless. That was the true terror of the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art.

If he failed to endure the pain and stopped, he would suffer internal injuries, and the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art would be broken.

Thus, Hwa Mugi had endured all the preceding attacks with extreme fortitude.

Considering whose attacks they were, Hwa Mugi was a truly formidable martial artist just for withstanding them.

At first, Geom Woojin's fists were bearable, but as he was struck again and again, the impact became extraordinary. Having withstood the combined attacks of the Evil Alliance Chairman and the Fist Demon earlier, he couldn't understand why these fists hurt so much.

He had forced himself to endure the pain until, finally, the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art shattered.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art, as its name suggested, was just another a demonic art in the end. Although he had created the martial art with the help of all the souls in his body, Hyeok Docheon had provided the most assistance.

That was a mistake. As the foundation of the art was demonic, it couldn't handle the fists of Geom Woojin, who had mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art—the supreme demonic art.

Moreover, it wasn't just any Nine Calamities Demonic Art. These were the fists of Geom Woojin, who had achieved the Twelfth Star mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

The fact that Hwa Mugi had endured for so long was, in itself, quite remarkable.

Hwa Mugi's gaze turned to Geom Woojin. Now that the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art was broken, his plan to kill his opponent by completely depleting their inner qi was ruined.

In the end, there's only one way to defeat this man!

Hwa Mugi thought of a certain martial art.

"See? You see what my father is like when he fights?" Geom Mugeuk boasted to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader nodded with a surprised expression. Just as Geom Mugeuk had said, Geom Woojin hadn't fought emotionally because of his son.

Was he the only one surprised? Jin Paecheon and Baek Jagang were also astonished.

Although it was a fight without drawn swords, Geom Woojin had overwhelmed Hwa Mugi. What was even more surprising was that he had found his opponent's weakness. If it had been them, they would have retreated to avoid consuming more inner qi.

Until now, they had only thought of Geom Mugeuk as special.

The Young Cult Leader truly inherited his father's blood.

The thought came to them naturally.

Hwa Mugi looked at Geom Woojin and said coldly, "Let's fight with swords now."

Geom Mugeuk wasn't about to let that slide. "Wipe the blood from your mouth first."

Blood trickled from the corner of Hwa Mugi's mouth. He had coughed it up from internal injuries when the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art was broken.

"And you have to keep your promise. Didn't you say that whoever draws their sword first loses?"

Hwa Mugi stood his ground, refusing to acknowledge it. "Should a man who will leave an unparalleled name in the history of the murim break his promise?"

"If you all die, it's a history only I will remember anyway. Also, there are people watching you here besides us, you know?"

Who else is here? Hwa Mugi and the others wondered.

Geom Mugeuk answered, "The souls dwelling in your heart are watching, aren't they?"

"!"

"You can just kill us and be done with it, but they're watching to see what kind of person you are." Geom Mugeuk added with a sincere gaze, "Just like me, you have to think about life after you kill us."

Life after killing them? Hwa Mugi had never once seriously considered it.

Geom Mugeuk continued, "I consider the life after I kill you to be more important. I've lived that way until now."

I won't miss the scenery flowing past the carriage window while only thinking of the destination. I won't neglect the breathless moments on the mountainside for a brief moment of joy at the summit.

"After I kill you, I'm going to travel with Father and Master. I'll go digging for medicinal herbs with the Poison King, and I'll send the Murim Alliance Chairman on a trip with Hagun and Haryong. I'll visit the Evil Alliance Chairman and eat the food he cooks himself, and I'll also go on a trip with the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and Strategist Go. I'll drink and have fun all night with Division Leader Cha, who likes my Ak-hyung, and Lee Ahn. Those things are a thousand, ten thousand times more important than killing you."

In truth, he wasn't saying this to Hwa Mugi. It was a promise to his father and the others present about how he would live in the future.

"Just as I have these people, you have those people, don't you? You wouldn't want to show them the pathetic sight of you breaking a promise, would you?"

Hwa Mugi's face twitched. He didn't like how Geom Mugeuk spoke as if he knew him so well. "Do you think the ones inside me mean something significant to me?"

The listening Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had a retort on the tip of his tongue. If you disregard them, then you shouldn't use their inner qi or martial arts! He naturally assumed Geom Mugeuk would retort in the same way.

"They do have great meaning, don't they?"

Hwa Mugi flinched.

Geom Mugeuk added with conviction, "If they were people who meant nothing to you, you wouldn't have let them come out and speak freely earlier."

Even if that weren't the case, how could his relationship with them be meaningless? They must have fought, reconciled, and ignored each other. After going through all sorts of things, they would have developed a complex bond of both love and hate.

Hwa Mugi, who had been staring silently at Geom Mugeuk, took a step backward. "Fine, I'll keep my promise."

Surprisingly, he was the first to walk back into the tavern.

When Hwa Mugi first came here, he could never have imagined the fight proceeding like this.

Am I going crazy too from dealing with a madman?

As he sat at the table where he had first been seated, Geom Mugeuk and the others also came inside and returned to their original seats.

In effect, Geom Mugeuk had beaten him into taking a seat. "I'd like to hear your story too," he said, repeating his earlier words.

A corner of Hwa Mugi's mouth twitched upward slightly, and his gaze changed in an instant. "Did you say you were there three hundred years ago?"

Geom Mugeuk instantly knew that the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord, with whom he had not yet spoken with, had appeared. "That's right," he replied.

"Did you see me there?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded. He had infiltrated the Heavenly Fate Palace's camp and seen him at the time. "At that time, the Saintess denied her own prophecy."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord knew for certain that Geom Mugeuk's claim was true, because that was something only he knew.

"Yes. Just as the Saintess prophesied, I failed to achieve the Heavenly Will."

A deep regret crossed the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's face.

What would have happened if I had listened to her back then? I probably would have died already, and a descendant of the Heavenly Fate Palace would be trying to achieve the Heavenly Will.

"Do you know why I've been able to hold on until now?"

"I have an idea."

"What do you think it is?"

"It must be because you wanted to see if the Heavenly Will would truly be achieved."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord nodded as if to say he was correct. "As the Saintess prophesied, only now, after three hundred years, has it become possible to achieve the Heavenly Will," he said as if the Heavenly Will had already been achieved.

Geom Mugeuk snorted. "Because you're in that body, you believe you are the one achieving the Heavenly Will."

Perhaps finding those words uncomfortable, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's reply was sharp. "You will all die today, fulfilling the prophecy."

Geom Mugeuk firmly denied his words. "That prophecy is wrong."

"Prophecies are never wrong!"

"Are you talking about the same prophecy you denied three hundred years ago?"

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's expression hardened.

Geom Mugeuk continued, "The Darkness Palace Lord, who succeeded the Heavenly Fate Palace, is dead. All of his subordinates are dead too. All that's left is your soul and this Celestial Killer Star."

"As long as my soul lives, the Heavenly Will will be achieved."

Geom Mugeuk chuckled. "I'm sure you remember, but didn't the Protection Palace Lord tried to protect you until his last moment, even as his arm was being cut off?"

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's pupils wavered as the image of the Protection Palace Lord trying to protect him came to mind.

Geom Mugeuk poured him a cup of liquor. "This is a toast to him."

Until now, he had repeatedly offered liquor and food to the souls, but the cups and dishes had all been thrown to the floor and shattered. He thought one of them might finally have a drink.

However, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord refused. "There's no need for that."

Geom Mugeuk guessed why he wouldn't drink. "Do you know how he died?"

"No."

Geom Mugeuk smirked. Even though the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's voice didn't tremble, it was clear he was lying. If he truly didn't know, he would have asked how he died.

"The Darkness Palace Lord killed him," he answered. "He killed him and obtained the orb containing your souls."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's gaze wavered. It was a truth he had desperately tried to deny. In his mind, he had often imagined the Protection Palace Lord leaving the murim to live a long, happy life. He imagined him living as the principal of a martial arts academy, having children, and living well before dying. He also imagined him becoming rich and living in luxury before dying.

Still, he had suspected the truth. That the man had died at the hands of the Darkness Palace Lord.

He had simply desperately denied that fact because the reality was too difficult to accept.

"The Protection Palace Lord died with his eyes open." Geom Mugeuk paused briefly, then added, "I was the one who closed them."

Not just Geom Woojin, but everyone listened to Geom Mugeuk's words in astonishment. It was surprising enough that he had gone back three hundred years, but to think he had been at the center of the incident and even closed the Protection Palace Lord's eyes!

"And now you claim you want to achieve the Heavenly Will inside the Celestial Killer Star, a creation of the descendants of the very people who killed the Protection Palace Lord. Did the Heavenly Will tell you to become a Heavenly Killer?"

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord was engulfed in passion and rage. "You think all of this is my fault, don't you? That's why you resent me, right?"

"I don't resent you. Thanks to you, I've gained so much, but who do you resent?"

"I…" The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord couldn't answer easily.

Who should I name? The Darkness Palace Lord who betrayed me? The Murim Alliance Chairman who involved the Demonic Cult? The Secret Box that drew me in? The heavens above? Or… myself, for having a futile dream?

His gaze changed, and he reverted to being Hwa Mugi.

"Do you think you can beat me by provoking them like this?" Hwa Mugi asked.

Geom Mugeuk replied calmly, "That's not why I'm talking to them."

"Then why?"

"They've been trapped in there for three hundred years. They deserve to know the truth before they die. They deserve to leave behind their last words."

Hwa Mugi could feel that Geom Mugeuk was being sincere, which made it all the more incomprehensible to him. "What's the point of something like that?!"

"It's important to say the words you've kept in your heart before you die."

Hwa Mugi still couldn't understand. "Why are you going this far? He's an enemy you're going to kill anyway, so why!"

"That's right. After today, I'll never think of you or those people again. That's why I'm getting it all out today. If you have something to say, say it all."

Hwa Mugi had no intention of being swayed by Geom Mugeuk. "I have nothing to say."

"Then say it to them, not me. They might seem like your enemies, but weren't they also your friends and your masters? Don't take my words the wrong way, just do it while you have the chance. Speaking of which, I should say something too."

Geom Mugeuk turned to the crowd. "As you know, that man has achieved complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. It's possible we could lose if things go wrong. I'm saying this in advance, just in case I die without getting to say my farewells." He bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you for graciously tolerating this young, immature brat as he recklessly stirred up trouble."

His gaze swept over each person one by one. Finally, it rested on his father. "You know my heart, don't you?"

Geom Woojin blurted out, "I don't."

"Hey, that's too harsh!"

The Fist Demon, standing beside him, smiled faintly.

"You know, don't you, Master?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

"I don't know either."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who hadn't even been asked, shook his head, claiming he knew the least of all.

"You're all so mean!" After bidding farewell to everyone, Geom Mugeuk looked up at the sky through the gaping hole in the ceiling.

What is he thinking? Everyone thought. His gaze as he looked up at the sky was impossibly deep.

Geom Mugeuk smiled. Since fate has allowed me to arrive on time…

"Allow me to have the honor of the final fight," he declared coolly.

With his father here, he could fully immerse himself in the battle. No matter what unexpected situation arose, his father would handle it.

No one objected. Although Geom Woojin had originally intended to finish off the Celestial Killer Star himself, but after seeing his son arrive and listening to their conversation, he knew this fight was truly his son's to fight.

Geom Woojin's gaze on his son was deep, but he said only one thing. "Be careful."

"Yes, Father."

As Geom Mugeuk rose from his seat, Hwa Mugi also stood up.

Before the fight, Geom Mugeuk poured liquor into the cup placed in front of Hwa Mugi. "If you don't want to talk, at least have a drink."

TRICKLE…

He filled Hwa Mugi's cup, then his own.

"You've suffered a lot dealing with talkative me." Geom Mugeuk drained his cup. "Now, let's end this."