Chapter 844: I Can't Give Up Because of You

TL: FoodieMonster007

"I thought you said you were going to play like there's no tomorrow. What are you doing here?" the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked Geom Mugeuk, his eyes still fixed on his book.

Geom Mugeuk sat across from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, diligently writing on a piece of paper. "I'm organizing what I need to do from now on."

"What's there to do that's so much?"

The paper was filled with a to-do list, detailing everything he had put off until after Hwa Mugi was captured.

First, there were many people to meet. He wanted to meet Jin Hagun and Bi Sayin for a celebratory drink. Although the Cult had finished the job, his two friends had been part of that long process. If not for his connection with them, the Murim Alliance Chairman and the Evil Alliance Chairman would never have come to their aid. Oh, and he also wanted to see Jin Haryong and Han Seol of the Ice Palace.

Second, he wanted to have a drink with Seo Daeryong and Jang Ho for the first time in a while, and he planned to have one with the Sword King and Cha Yiran as well.

Third, he had to meet with the Demon Supremes. He wanted to talk privately with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, and drink with the Drunken Demon once he arrived at Headquarters. He also had to check on the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme, who had fought splendidly as the youngest, and he wanted to visit the Poison King to discuss the recent battle. Since he hadn't done anything, he might paradoxically have the most to say.

"Who else do you have to see?" the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, glancing from his book to the paper. "What's that one there? The Handsome Foursome's Central Plains Outing?"

That was the most eye-catching item on the list.

"Ah, the Cult's most handsome men are planning a trip to the Central Plains. It's a plan we made a while ago."

A flicker of curiosity crossed the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's face. "Who's in this foursome?"

"Of course, I'm included. Next is the Smiling Demon, then the Poison King, and finally the Drunken Demon. That's the four of us. To be honest, I once lost to my father in a popularity contest, but that was only because of Daeryong's sister-in-law's unique taste."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had one question. "Is the masked man really that handsome?"

"Yes. It's no joke."

The displeasure on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's face was clear. A masked man, a drunkard, and a poisoner are in the foursome, but I'm left out?

In the end, he couldn't hold back and asked casually, "What about me?"

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Blade Demon and smiled. "Judging by your taut skin right now, you'd naturally be next after me, Elder, but if we went as a fivesome, would the Sword Supreme be okay with that?"

Of course she wouldn't be. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's gaze returned to his book.

Geom Mugeuk asked with a smile, "How was your trip?"

"It wasn't bad," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said, but it had been the most enjoyable trip of his life.

He had seen many places he thought he would never see again. Above all, he was just happy to be with the Flower Sword Supreme. He found it hard to adjust to her kindness at times. His only regret was wondering how much better it would have been if they had come when they were a little younger.

He advised, "Travel a lot while you're still young."

At those words, Geom Mugeuk began writing again. A trip with the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, Go Wol. A trip with just his brother. A trip with Lee Ahn, and traveling with his father.

"Why are you so concerned with all the men? Just go have fun with Lee Ahn."

Geom Mugeuk paused. If he asked Lee Ahn to go on a trip with him, she would be overjoyed. She was the woman who had followed him like a shadow her whole life, silently protecting his side. If she were with another man, she would surely show off all nine of her tails and be far more charming, but in front of him, the Young Cult Leader, she was always busy hiding them.

"Elder, have you ever thought about getting married?" he suddenly asked.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's hand paused as it turned a page. "Marriage? At my age?"

"What does age matter?"

"People will point fingers."

"I'll cut off all those fingers myself."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon raised his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk. "What about you?"

"Me? Marriage at my age? It's still too early. My brother isn't married yet either."

"Do you even want to get married?"

Geom Mugeuk looked out the window. A bright, full moon hung in the sky. "I don't know if I can make someone happy."

"What do you mean, 'make' them happy? Marriage isn't about keeping your partner from getting wet in the rain. It's about willingly getting soaked together." The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's gaze returned to his book.

Geom Mugeuk looked at him and said, "Perhaps the Sword Supreme is also waiting to get soaked in the rain with you, Elder."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon laughed self-deprecatingly. "We're just… pathetic."

After watching the Blood Heaven Blade Demon for a moment, Geom Mugeuk began writing again. Beneath 'Get my brother married' and 'Get Ak Gunhak married', he added in very small letters, 'Get Elder married, definitely.'

Was that all there was to do?

There was also the task of achieving the twelfth star of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. During the recent battle, he realized that he had already reached the eleventh star. This was something he had to achieve in the shortest time possible using the Heavenly Space Secret Art.

But he really wanted to laze around all day by himself within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique. One day on an island under the scorching sun, the next in a hot spring amidst a snowy landscape.

Watching the diligently writing Geom Mugeuk, a faint smile touched the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's lips. He was grateful that Geom Mugeuk had come to see him first. Even when pondering what to do, he had come here to do it. He felt a sense of pride in being the Young Cult Leader's first choice.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been writing his to-do list, walked over to the window. After standing there for a moment and gazing at the bright moon, he called out calmly, "Elder."

"What is it?"

"I wanted to save this for much later, but I feel you'd know best about this."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon raised his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk asked seriously, "Do you think Father will really try to conquer the murim? He knows I'm dead set against it, and he's gotten closer to both Chairmen. Will he still do it?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was lost in thought for a moment, then finally replied coolly, "Conquering the murim, huh…" After a brief pause, he added firmly, "He will push for it."

There was no hint of a joke on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's face. He truly believed it.

"He'll find a way to convince you and then act."

Just as I thought! Geom Mugeuk's shoulders slumped as he sighed. "Ah! If someone was going to conquer the murim, they should have done it long ago. Why did it have to be passed down to my father's generation to make things difficult for me?"

"Do you know why our Cult hasn't been able to conquer the murim until now?"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't end just by killing the Murim Alliance Chairman and the martial artists of the Murim Alliance. That number is only a very small fraction of the whole. The jianghu is filled with as many martial artists as there are grains of sand on a beach. If a war between the demonic and orthodox factions were to break out, countless hidden masters from the orthodox sects would emerge. Do you think the orthodox sects are strong in a crisis for no reason?"

That wasn't all. Even if the Demonic Cult won the war and took control of the Central Plains, there would be endless resistance afterward. Assassination attempts targeting demonic practitioners would continue, and countless demonic followers would lose their lives.

This was a different situation from before his regression, where an overwhelming being like Hwa Mugi had appeared and closed off both the demonic and orthodox factions. There was long-accumulated resentment and anger between the two sides.

"Furthermore, the unorthodox sects will never side with our Cult. They know it'll be their turn to be wiped out after the orthodox sects. In the end, it would be a war against a combined orthodox and unorthodox alliance."

"Please, say exactly what you just said to Father."

"Do you think the Cult Leader doesn't know that?"

Geom Mugeuk pouted. Yes, that was true. His father would know better than anyone. "I thought he would give up because of me…"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked up and stared at Geom Mugeuk. The exact opposite of what he expected came from his mouth. "He can't give up because of you."

"What?"

"He'll push even harder because of you."

Geom Mugeuk's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean? Because of me? Why?"

"Stop thinking only about yourself and try to see it from a different perspective. From the Cult Leader's perspective."

Geom Mugeuk tilted his head. From Father's perspective?

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon explained, "If he can just convince you, he can wage the war against the orthodox and unorthodox factions with you by his side. If you help, that war will be several times easier. Because of you, wouldn't this war be tempting?"

Geom Mugeuk couldn't answer. He had never once considered this perspective, but thinking about his own martial arts now, it wasn't wrong.

"It's not just because you're strong," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon added. "With you, he could achieve victory with far fewer casualties. That's something you desperately want, after all. Wouldn't you use that clever head of yours to wage the war with minimal damage?"

Geom Mugeuk was speechless. This was also something he had never considered. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon understood his father perfectly.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sighed, "If I had a son like you, I'd want to give it a try too. Because with you, it feels like nothing is impossible."

"!" Geom Mugeuk, who had been staring silently at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, chose to escape reality. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear what you said today. Father has abandoned his dream of conquering the murim!"

"If that makes you feel better."

"I shouldn't have asked. This is why I was going to bring this up after I'd had my fun." Geom Mugeuk tucked the paper from the desk into his clothes and bid a listless farewell. "I'll be going now."

"Where are you going this late at night? To see the masked man?"

"No. For today at least, I want to see someone who has absolutely no connection to our Cult or world domination."

"And who might that be?"

Geom Mugeuk spoke as he opened the door and left. "There is. Someone who dreams of being the world's strongest tavern owner."

The Sword King was sitting on a rock in the courtyard of his residence, looking up at the moon.

Geom Mugeuk entered the space. "What are you doing all alone looking so melodramatic? You should at least have a drink."

"I don't really like alcohol that much."

Geom Mugeuk sat down next to him on the rock. "How can someone who doesn't even like alcohol say they're going to run a tavern? If someone who likes to drink opens a tavern, they'll go broke. Either the business will fail, or their health will."

From what the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had said earlier, he knew that the Sword King wanted to open a tavern.

He added, "Okay, I'll give you that, but why does a tavern owner need to be good at fighting? The stronger you are, the less suited you are for the job, isn't it?"

The Sword King, who had been listening, said abruptly, "You can speak comfortably to me now."

"Pardon?"

"You said we were friends."

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sword King with a surprised expression. The Sword King was trying to change the nature of their relationship. "Is that really okay?"

The Sword King nodded. Geom Mugeuk had given him a completely new life by killing the Celestial Killer Star. If Geom Mugeuk had told him to serve him as an older brother, he would have been willing to say, "Yes, I will."

If it hadn't been Geom Mugeuk, he wouldn't have told him to drop the formalities, and if it hadn't been the Sword King, he wouldn't have done so.

"Ak-hyung, I'm going to speak comfortably from now on. It feels like we're really friends now. But are you really going to open a tavern? It didn't sound like you were just saying it."

"I wanted to try living a different kind of life."

"Why a tavern, of all things?"

"It seems like it wouldn't be boring. I could hear about what's happening in the world through the customers."

Geom Mugeuk tried to imagine a tavern run by the Sword King. Ak Gunhak, with his horsetail hair and bare feet, seemed like he would fit the part better than anyone at first glance. "A retired supreme master opens a tavern and lives an ordinary life? It sounds cool, but…"

"But?"

"Won't you get tired of that ordinary life pretty quickly? I think I'd get sick of the smell of food after just a month, and you'll have to deal with all sorts of troublemakers. With your temper, could you really put up with them?"

The Sword King couldn't say no. Right now, it wasn't a matter of 'I must do this,' but more of a 'Should I give it a try?' In the end, he said, "If it's not fun, I can just quit."

Geom Mugeuk, who was quietly staring at the Sword King, offered some unexpected advice. "Instead of that, why not try doing it properly?"

"Properly? How?"

"Build it on a grand scale, the biggest inn in the Central Plains. You've saved up enough money for that, right?"

The Sword King was astounded. He's telling someone who said he'd quit if it wasn't a good fit to build the biggest inn in the Central Plains?

Geom Mugeuk rambled on, "Build it to be top-class and charge high prices. Sell high-end cuisine, and make the guest rooms have the best facilities. Differentiate the waiters from other places by training them to be impeccably polite. Make it the kind of inn that people say is the best in the Central Plains, a place they'd want to visit at least once if they make enough money, and the most important thing is this: When entering this inn, everyone must check their weapons at the entrance, and you'll set a rule that there's absolutely no fighting inside. All martial artists, whether from the demonic or orthodox factions, can enter, but they must never fight, but what if someone breaks the rule? You know what you're good at, Ak-hyung, right?" Geom Mugeuk drew the side of his hand across his neck. "You'd be establishing the safest inn in all of murim."

The Sword King's expression showed a hint of interest. It was a rule that had never been seen in an inn before. "If word gets out, all sorts of funny characters will flock to it."

Geom Mugeuk grinned. There was a reason he was telling him this. "That's the fun of it. Wouldn't every day be interesting? Ak-hyung, with your martial arts, it's difficult to live an ordinary life and suppress your killing intent. Since you only live once, live it in a cool and fun way. You're the type of person who wants to just disappear somewhere, right? I think people like that need to live loudly like this."

"……" The Sword King considered the idea. In any case, his was a life where he couldn't just disappear to a place where no one knew him. He had made a promise to the Demonic Cult Leader to protect Geom Mugeuk. No matter where he was or what he was doing, if Geom Mugeuk needed help, he would come running.

"And don't think about doing it alone. Do it with Division Leader Cha. Ak-hyung, you have a surprisingly soft side, so if you do it alone, you'll just end up losing money all the time."

"!" The Sword King flinched at the mention of Cha Yiran.

"You don't dislike Division Leader Cha, do you, Ak-hyung? If word gets out that the inn even has a peerless beauty like Division Leader Cha, you'll probably make a fortune. You'll become a tycoon through the inn."

"Hahaha!" The Sword King laughed out loud. It was truly advice worthy of Geom Mugeuk. The problem was that this ridiculous advice was tempting. There had been moments in the recent battle where he had been prepared to die. After a life like that, what couldn't he do?

Just then, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader walked in and said, "The name of the inn is decided. How about the Hero Inn?"

He had originally prepared a different name, but on his way over, he heard Geom Mugeuk's words and changed his mind.

Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly. "I like it. The inn run by the world's greatest swordsman and the world's most beautiful assassin is called the Hero Inn! Which martial artist could resist that?"