Chapter 840: I'm the Only One Protecting You

TL: FoodieMonster007

"What do you mean, we're the exit?" the Divine Sword Martial Emperor asked.

Geom Mugeuk calmly answered, "It's just as I said. The key to finding the exit is me and the four of you."

Everyone still looked confused.

Geom Mugeuk grinned. When Hwa Mugi had used the Dark Heaven Soul Binding Art, the mysterious energy in his qi center had reacted. That was why he had accepted the attack without dodging.

Earlier, when he met Hwa Mugi in the room, his body began circulating energy on its own, using the oral formula he'd learned from the Saintess. It was as if his body was confirming his choice had been the right one.

The energy of the Six Elements Origin Qi, which had merged into one and settled in his inner qi, then began to circulate through the blood vessels of his entire body.

That wasn't all. The energy, containing that mystical power, was released outward.

SWAAAAAAAH!

As the energy emerged, its mystique reached its peak. It shone brilliantly, like a light bestowed upon a chosen one.

Surprisingly, no one else could see or feel the energy. Even Hwa Mugi, the master of this space, failed to notice. Only Geom Mugeuk saw and felt it.

The light emanating from Geom Mugeuk extended to the four people who had come with him. They didn't feel the Six Elements Origin Qi enveloping them.

The moment he saw it, though, he knew.

Ah! So this technique is the key to finding the exit!

He could tell that the energy of the Six Elements Origin Qi completely overwhelmed the Dark Heaven Soul Binding Art. He felt it instinctively. This newborn, star-like energy would free them from this place.

He also understood why it was said that the Six Elements Origin Qi could control Hwa Mugi. When they were freed, he would likely claim all the innate life qi, inner qi, and martial arts that had gone to Hwa Mugi. It would all become his own power.

"If you can merge these six energies into one, you will be able to possess the greatest power of all."

Now he clearly understood what the Secret Box had meant.

"How are you going to break it?" Hyeok Docheon asked urgently. He couldn't hide his excitement. Just as he was about to give up, hope was reignited in him.

"A moment ago, a technique I learned began to circulate energy on its own," Geom Mugeuk replied. "I believe this is what will let you all out of here."

"What kind of technique is it?"

"It's a technique I learned from the Saintess."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord recalled the Saintess who had tried to stop him until the very end. This was a technique taught by her descendant.

Had she foreseen even this moment?

Hyeok Docheon continued asking, "What happens when you circulate that technique?"

Geom Mugeuk shrugged. "As I've said before, I don't know. Your souls could be extinguished and you could fall into an eternal sleep, be reborn as a baby, return to the past, or go to heaven or hell. Or perhaps you'll enter someone else's body. The heavens will decide your fate." He didn't forget to add a joke. "If by any chance you enter someone else's body, please find me and give me a little signal. Wouldn't that be a connection worthy of sharing a drink?"

He said it so casually that it seemed like it could actually happen.

He turned to Hyeok Docheon. "And please call your Heavenly Demon Soul as well."

Hyeok Docheon blinked in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

As if connected to Hyeok Docheon by soul, the Heavenly Demon Soul immediately appeared.

"You've been with these guys all these years, so you should have the chance to choose too."

The Heavenly Demon Soul looked somewhat surprised, as if it hadn't expected to be included. "But I tried to kill you?"

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. "That doesn't matter. This is a courtesy to the Heavenly Demon Soul. You Heavenly Demon Souls are not beings that should be discarded so carelessly, are you?"

The Heavenly Demon Soul's gaze wavered slightly. When Geom Woojin's Heavenly Demon Soul had forgiven Hwa Mugi's, he had been reminded of what kind of being he was. Now, he felt that same emotion through Geom Woojin's son.

Geom Mugeuk added, "Like I said before, I don't know what will happen to you. It might be the same as the others, or not."

He looked up at the sky through the window, where mountains floated upside down and the sun and moon hung together.

"But I believe one thing. The sky you'll see won't be as strange as this one. I'll ask you last, so take your time and think about it."

He turned to Hyeok Docheon.

"Since you have the most straightforward personality, I'll ask you first. Cult Leader Hyeok, will you trust my solution?"

"Are you sure I won't go to hell?" Hyeok Docheon asked.

The thing he still feared most was this. Earlier, Geom Mugeuk had said that since being trapped for three hundred years was like hell itself, he wouldn't go to hell, but now, he spoke honestly.

Geom Mugeuk said seriously, "Honestly, I don't know. How could I?"

Paradoxically, that strengthened Hyeok Docheon's resolve. He was a man who had always lived as he pleased, and he didn't want to be here any longer.

"Right, how would you know? Okay, I'm going! Hurry up and get out of here before it's too late!"

"I have to ask the others, too."

Hyeok Docheon shouted at the others, "Stop dawdling and decide quickly! If you don't want to leave, then get lost!"

The Divine Sword Martial Emperor did not hesitate. It wasn't because of Hyeok Docheon's urging, but because he had already made up his mind.

He expressed his gratitude with a polite clasped hands greeting, saying, "Yes, let's go. It's time to see the end. Thank you."

He had no desire to go to paradise. Thanks to Geom Mugeuk, the anguish that had plagued him for so long had vanished. Whether he went to hell or simply fell into an eternal sleep, it was time to end this life.

"I will gladly go wherever you send me," he added.

Geom Mugeuk returned the greeting. "I truly hope to see you again and treat you to a proper meal."

Next was Ju Gasin. He found it strange that Hyeok Docheon and the Divine Sword Martial Emperor had made the same decision.

"This is the first time those two have been of one mind in all these long years," Ju Gasin exclaimed. He then conveyed feelings he had never once revealed to them. "You thought of me as an inscrutable, sinister man. I just disliked you and found you irritating, so much so that I didn't even want to speak with you."

The Divine Sword Martial Emperor was surprised. "Why didn't you just show your irritation sooner?"

Hyeok Docheon also chimed in. "And you still say you're not an inscrutable, sinister man? Saying that at a moment like this makes you exactly that kid of person."

Ju Gasin finally accepted the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's suggestion. "You fucking irritating bastards!" he swore, before turning to Geom Mugeuk. "Tell the current Evil Alliance Chairman to be sure to achieve what he desires. He'll know what you mean if you say that."

Geom Mugeuk could guess what that was. "That wish may threaten us and the murim, but I will be sure to deliver your message."

Ju Gasin nodded. Still, the last thing he wanted to see was not a person, but the red wolf he used to travel with. If he were to be reborn as an animal, he hoped it would be as a wolf.

This time, Geom Mugeuk looked at the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord. Although the man had mocked him earlier, his eyes held no hostility. "Everyone else is going, so you should go too, Lord."

From Geom Mugeuk's attitude, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord could tell this was not pretense.

He was a person of a different caliber from the very beginning. Why on earth is this man like this?

He felt that harboring such thoughts was like a small bird watching a giant roc soar through the sky and wondering, 'Why does it struggle to fly so high?'

"Perhaps the Heavenly Will of three hundred years later was with you all along," he muttered, obsessed with the Heavenly Will until the very end.

Geom Mugeuk conveyed his honest feelings. "To be honest, I'm not interested in the Heavenly Will. It's hard enough to protect my own will, so how can I live while worrying about the will of the heavens? Of course, there are times when I lean on fate. Times when I just want to think, 'This must all be destiny.' Looking back, those were always the times when I was struggling. When life was so arduous that I wanted to run away."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's expression was stiff. Geom Mugeuk was essentially asking if his Heavenly Will wasn't just a form of escapism.

Is he saying this to mock me? But his eyes are too clear and deep for that.

Geom Mugeuk asked, "You consider the Heavenly Will to be so important, Lord, but what about them?"

"Who are you talking about?" the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord asked back.

Geom Mugeuk explained, "I'm talking about the Protection Palace Lord who tried to protect you, and the countless others who died in that war. Do you really think they gave their lives for the Heavenly Will?"

"!"

"I don't think so. They simply believed in and followed your will, Lord. They didn't trust some prophecy that fell out of the sky one day, but the judgment of the leader who had looked after them their entire lives." Geom Mugeuk stared into the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's eyes. "Do you remember what was in your heart before you spoke of the Heavenly Will to those around you?"

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord couldn't answer. Instead, he asked in a subdued voice, "If I leave this place, will I be able to meet them?"

Geom Mugeuk gazed at him silently for a moment. "There are no more prophecies, so please don't ask me that. From now on, do as you will, Lord."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the Heavenly Demon Soul. "Will you go with them?"

Surprisingly, the Heavenly Demon Soul shook its head. It was a decision made because it remembered its great nature. It hadn't lived honorably for the past three hundred years, but at least in its final moments…

"My spirit has become too corrupted. I should not be reborn."

In the end, it would rather disappear as a dignified Heavenly Demon Soul than be reborn a mongrel.

It looked at Hyeok Docheon for a moment, but left no words for him. After gazing at him silently for a moment, it vanished without a sound.

Geom Mugeuk sighed. It was a shame, but this was not the time to dwell on this.

"We don't have much time left," he said, extending both hands. "Form a circle and hold the hand of the person next to you."

Hyeok Docheon scowled. "We have to hold hands again!?" he complained loudly.

Hwa Mugi recalled Geom Mugeuk's words.

"I'll listen to you."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

How dare that arrogant bastard pity me?

He knew that when Geom Mugeuk said those words, the young man had been sincere. He genuinely wanted to listen to his story.

It made him so angry just thinking about it that he had tried his best to forget, but he couldn't forget. The more he tried, the more vividly it was imprinted on his mind.

What the hell is there to talk about!?

Hwa Mugi clenched his fists tightly.

"There is only fifteen minutes left," the Fist Demon suddenly said.

The tension heightened. Two hours had almost passed.

Geom Woojin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking up at the sky.

The Fist Demon knew the Cult Leader better than anyone, but at this moment, he couldn't even begin to imagine what he was thinking.

Just then, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader approached Geom Woojin and asked in a whisper, "You're not really planning to kill him, are you?"

Geom Woojin did not answer.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader felt a pang of anxiety. He should have at least shown a look that said, 'How could I possibly kill him?' Instead, a certain resolve could be felt from Geom Woojin's tightly sealed lips.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Even if the Young Cult Leader gets trapped in that body, there must be a way to get him out. You know what your son is like, don't you? He'll wake up saying, 'Sorry I'm late, there were too many people to chat with inside'."

Geom Woojin stared at him.

The moment their eyes met, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader knew. Geom Woojin had truly decided to kill Hwa Mugi if his son failed to escape.

"Are you crazy?" he roared.

This was the first time the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had spoken rudely to Geom Woojin, but no one, not Geom Woojin, the Fist Demon, or anyone else, said a word.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader shouted at Geom Woojin and at everyone else. "It's fine to be cold-hearted, and it's fine to keep your word, but what on earth are you trying to do right now? …Don't even dream of it."

He strode forward, stood in front of Hwa Mugi, and unleashed his aura.

"If you want to kill this man, you'll have to do it over my dead body."

Everyone stared at him in silence.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader asked for help from the Sword King, with whom he had grown quite close. "You're going to help me, right?"

The Sword King did not immediately agree. If Geom Woojin had decided to kill his own son, he wouldn't have made such a decision lightly. There was surely some plan he was unaware of.

Of course, if Geom Woojin really tried to kill Hwa Mugi, he wouldn't just stand by and watch.

Still, he couldn't step in now. For the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's sake.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader raged, "And you call yourself a friend! After receiving a sword and even shoes from the Young Cult Leader! If you act like this, I'm not going to name your tavern!"

He turned to the rest.

The Murim Alliance Chairman Jin Paecheon remained silent, but he felt similarly as the Sword King. He believed that Geom Woojin would not kill Hwa Mugi.

Just then, the Evil Alliance Chairman Baek Jagang, who had been silent, stepped forward. "You must not protect that man."

All eyes turned to him.

Baek Jagang, who could clearly feel what thoughts the Celestial Killer Star was harboring with his goosebumps, said, "That man plans to kill us all. You know that better than anyone, don't you?"

After all, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had deep knowledge of the Pitch Black Demonic Art.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader glanced back at Hwa Mugi. "Of course he has a plot. A grand and magnificent plot. Otherwise, would he be in this state? He'd probably try to strike down me, the one protecting him, first."

"Then why are you doing this?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader said to everyone, "Even so, we can't kill the Young Cult Leader."

Everyone stared at the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader in silence. This would have been expected from the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, but it was surprising coming from the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

They realized it anew. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was a man who protected Geom Mugeuk just as much as he cursed him behind his back.

Just then, Hwa Mugi's voice came from behind. "What on earth is the Young Cult Leader to you that you'd go this far for him?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader turned to Hwa Mugi.

Hwa Mugi asked again, "Did you also fall for the Young Cult Leader's tempting words meant to curry favor?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader snorted. "And you? Have you ever said even a single tempting word for someone else's sake?"

Hwa Mugi couldn't answer. He truly couldn't understand Geom Mugeuk's relationships with others.

No, it was starting to make sense, and that was irritating.

That damn Young Cult Leader!

He looked into his own mind. He had been so focused on their conversation that he hadn't paid attention to Geom Mugeuk.

He froze in shock. All the people inside him were standing in a circle, holding hands.

A sense of foreboding washed over him.

He muttered unconsciously, "No…"

His voice was soft, but the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who was right in front of him, heard him clearly.

"Yes!" The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader turned to him and shouted, "It's the Young Cult Leader, isn't it? The Young Cult Leader is finally making his move, right? Young Cult Leader, come out and see!" He looked into Hwa Mugi's eyes and shouted even louder. "I'M THE ONLY ONE PROTECTING YOU!"