Chapter 864: Wipe Your Mouth First

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk frowned. "This is disappointing."

He and Lee Ahn put down their chopsticks at the same time. They had not even eaten half of the meal.

"It doesn't suit my palate either," Lee Ahn concurred. "And we're not the type to leave food we paid for."

"Are you sure this is the right place? Isn't there an inn with the same name in the next town over?"

"No, this is it."

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn sat side-by-side, looking down at a booklet entitled "The Central Plains' Guide to Cuisine". He had bought the guide long ago at a bookstore recommended by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon while with his father. He had intended to take his father to the listed places, but he had come with Lee Ahn first to check it out while passing through.

"I guess our expectations were too high," he sighed.

"Just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's delicious, but I thought it would at least be decent."

"Still, that last place was good, wasn't it?" Geom Mugeuk drew a line through the name of the inn in his booklet. "It's a good thing we came to check first. If I'd brought my father here, he would've sacrificed the cooks and a Great Demonic-Orthodox War would've broken out on the spot."

Lee Ahn laughed at Geom Mugeuk's joke.

Since leaving the Cult, the two of them were simply enjoying themselves. They sought out inns and restaurants famous for their food and made sure to visit any place known for its spectacular scenery.

When they camped, they fell asleep watching the stars and even swam together in clear water. Geom Mugeuk showed off his skills and cooked for her. In one kind-hearted village, they had even stayed the night and helped with the farm work.

Geom Mugeuk was in no hurry. He traveled with her at a leisurely pace and did not worry about what might be waiting at the end of their journey.

Lee Ahn could feel it. Geom Mugeuk was making this a trip for her.

The thought made her happy, but also a little anxious. She had never enjoyed such a relaxed time with Geom Mugeuk before. She had never been this happy in her life.

Just then, a waiter set down a dish and some liquor.

"This isn't what we ordered," she said.

Geom Mugeuk opened his mouth, ready to say, 'You punk! We already said the food was bad, why are you bringing more!'

Before he could voice anything, though, the waiter glanced at a corner table and explained, "That customer over there sent this dish especially for the young lady."

Looking over, they saw a middle-aged man watching them.

Lee Ahn gave a slight nod to express her thanks, then turned to Geom Mugeuk and boasted, "See? How many times has this been? The eighth time?"

"It's the sixth."

Truly, eyes followed Lee Ahn wherever she went. This was not the first or second time someone had sent them a dish. Lee Ahn had called it a nuisance and offered to wear her bamboo hat, but Geom Mugeuk had her go without it.

"Enjoy it. Enjoy it to your heart's content," Geom Mugeuk chuckled.

Lee Ahn asked, "Aren't you the one enjoying it more, Young Master?"

"Was it that obvious?"

In truth, Geom Mugeuk was enjoying it more. The gazes would land on the beautiful Lee Ahn, then without fail, they would turn to him. At times like that, Geom Mugeuk would wear a proud expression, a look that said, 'I'm the one traveling with this beauty.'

"Oh, that man is coming this way."

The man who had sent the dish was walking toward them. He was a rather handsome, middle-aged man wearing expensive clothes and accessories adorned with gold and jade.

Geom Mugeuk stared at him for a moment, then looked at Lee Ahn. His eyes seemed to ask, 'You get it, right?'

Lee Ahn smiled and nodded. "You've gotten much better at recognizing them, even from a distance."

"You know one when you see one."

The man arrived in front of them. "Is this your first time in this town?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly and held up the booklet. "As you can see, I'm traveling with my junior sister."

The man introduced himself. "My name is Dam Ho."

"I'm Geom Yeon," Geom Mugeuk said. "The 'Yeon' for smoke, not the 'Yeon' for destiny."

Lee Ahn also introduced herself. "I'm Lee Ahn."

Geom Mugeuk used the alias Geom Yeon because his own name was well-known, but Lee Ahn used her real name and showed her real face.

"Seeing you two reminds me of the old days, so I sent over some drinks and food," Dam Ho said. "Since fate has brought us together, let's share a table. They say there's nothing more meaningful in the murim than forging new connections, wouldn't you agree? Drinks and food are on me tonight."

He did not wait for permission before sitting opposite them. His words and actions were full of confidence.

"I must have had a good dream last night for something so wonderful to happen!" Geom Mugeuk exclaimed.

One would think he would be annoyed at having their private time interrupted, but for some reason, he welcomed the man without protest.

Dam Ho looked at Lee Ahn with admiration. He did not hide his feelings. "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful Young Lady. What is the relationship between you two?"

Geom Mugeuk replied, "She is my junior sister and my friend."

"Aren't you anxious traveling with such a beautiful junior sister?" Dam Ho asked.

"What's there to be anxious about?"

"I mean, don't people come and pick fights? All sorts of riffraff tend to flock to a beautiful woman."

It was not something he should be saying, yet he said it with confidence.

Geom Mugeuk smiled. "My junior sister is a good fighter, so it's fine. Come now, let's drink and have a good time! Oh, by the way, since you're buying, could you buy it for us at the inn next door?"

A line of Murim Alliance martial artists had formed in front of the Chu Family Sword Sect. They had surrounded the area, standing guard to ensure no one could enter or leave.

Soon, another group of martial artists arrived, led by a man to whom everyone bowed in unison.

The man leading the Demon Slaying Brigade was none other than the Young Alliance Chairman Jin Hagun.

"What happened?" Jin Hagun asked.

A Murim Alliance martial artist answered, "The second son of the Chu Family Sword Sect has been taken hostage by unidentified individuals."

The regular Murim Alliance Branch martial artists could not handle the situation, so they had urgently requested help. Fortunately, the Demon Slaying Brigade had been on a mission nearby.

"A hostage situation in broad daylight? Who's the culprit?"

"Their identities have not yet been revealed."

Jin Hagun nodded. That means it wasn't a perfectly planned crime.

"There's a high probability it's related to a grudge," he said.

The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists nodded in agreement. There was no other reason for a hostage situation like this.

However, one thing was strange.

Jin Hagun asked, "Did the Chu Family Sword Sect contact the Alliance?"

The Chu Family Sword Sect was a renowned and prestigious orthodox sect. With their numerous masters, they were unlikely to ask for help. Besides, he had heard that the Sect Leader of the Chu Family Sword Sect was a man famous for his pride.

"It seems their rescue attempt failed."

"The Chu Family Sword Sect failed?"

"The retainers are barely managing to stop the Sect Leader from charging in to rescue him himself."

The Chu Family Sword Sect he knew had quite a few renowned masters. For them to have failed meant the opponent's martial arts were considerable.

"It seems they're having a hard time since his son is the hostage."

Jin Hagun nodded and asked again, "What are their demands?"

"They've requested delicious liquor and food."

"Liquor and food?"

Jin Hagun and the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists wore expressions of incomprehension. It was usually local thugs who demanded liquor and food when they took hostages. For masters strong enough to thwart the Chu Family Sword Sect's rescue to demand such things did not add up.

"That man over there is Sect Leader Chu."

The Sect Leader of the Chu Family, Chu Yeom, walked over to Jin Hagun. Given the circumstances, Chu Yeom's complexion was naturally not good.

The two men exchanged a polite clasped-hands greeting.

"It has been a while, Young Alliance Chairman."

"Sect Leader."

"I regret that we must meet under such circumstances."

"Right now, your son's life is more important." Jin Hagun carefully asked, "Are there any individuals who might hold a grudge against him?"

Chu Yeom shook his head. "My son, especially my second boy, is a truly bright and kind kid. He's never caused a single bit of trouble in his life."

Jin Hagun sighed inwardly. In his experience, parents rarely understood how much of a troublemaker their child truly was. Their testimony was often the most unhelpful. He asked, "Where are they?"

"They've taken over the rear garden's annex."

"We will take it from here."

"I'm counting on you."

Jin Hagun led the Demon Slaying Brigade into the rear garden. Befitting the Murim Alliance's finest elites, they moved without a sound.

After his martial artists secured the garden like an iron fortress, he led only a dozen members inside the building.

Still, there was no reaction from within.

Having completely erased his presence, Jin Hagun silently approached a window and peered inside through a small gap. He saw a young man kneeling in the distance, his face swollen from a clear beating. It was undoubtedly the second son of the Chu Family Sword Sect.

Thankfully, he's not dead yet.

He also saw martial artists collapsed around the room, likely the masters from the Chu Family Sword Sect who had attempted the rescue. He had a feeling they were not dead either. However, from this angle, the hostage-takers were not visible.

I need to hurry.

He gave a hand signal to his subordinates: [We all enter at once.]

The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists at the other windows nodded. One person slipped onto the ceiling.

Jin Hagun did not hesitate. He gave the signal.

CRASH!

He and the Demon Slaying Brigade burst in simultaneously through the doors, windows, and ceiling.

WHOOSH!

The martial artist hiding in the ceiling dropped down, wrapped his arms around the kneeling man, and pulled him back. "Hostage secured!" he shouted.

Normally, Jin Hagun would have launched his attack before the words were even out, but suddenly, he skid to a halt, staring blankly ahead. The other Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists were also dumbfounded, their swords frozen mid-swing.

The martial artist who had rescued the hostage finally glanced at the kidnapper.

"Gasp!"

He too froze like a stone statue. A scene that would make anyone freeze was unfolding before them.

Two people were looking at them from the front of the room. The young man holding a chicken leg in one hand and a liquor cup in the other was someone he recognized.

"You're here?" Geom Mugeuk said to Jin Hagun, licking his greasy lips. This was the first time they had seen each other since he had fought the Celestial Killer Star.

Jin Hagun had been wondering why he had not heard from him, but here the Young Cult Leader was, in a hostage situation with a chicken leg in his hand, asking with greasy lips, 'You're here?'

He was so shocked that at first, he thought it was just someone who looked like Geom Mugeuk. He could never have imagined that the person holding the son of the Chu Family Sword Sect hostage would be this guy!

He looked at the other culprit. In front of Geom Mugeuk, Lee Ahn was drinking. She too was holding a chicken leg, tearing into it with gusto.

Lee Ahn quickly put down the chicken leg, took a handkerchief from her robes, and wiped her mouth. She politely bowed her head to Jin Hagun in greeting.

Jin Hagun returned her bow, then looked behind him.

"…Please save me," the second son of the Chu Family Sword Sect, Chu Jung, said with difficulty. Not only was his face swollen, but several of his teeth were also broken.

"……" Jin Hagun looked back at Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk immediately tattled on his travel companion, "I didn't do it, Lee Ahn did. She said she just couldn't stand it and that she might not get another chance to hit him later."

Lee Ahn shot him a look of disbelief. Her expression clearly said, 'You're really going to tattle on me? Even repeating exactly what I said?'

Unfortunately, she couldn't deny that she had hit Chu Jung.

"Same goes for that one over there," Geom Mugeuk said, gesturing to the side.

Jin Hagun glanced where Geom Mugeuk indicated. A man was hanging on the back wall like a piece of clothing. Surprisingly, it was Dam Ho, the man they had met at the inn. He too was a complete mess, his head hanging low.

Looking at the scene, the Demonic Cult pair truly looked like a villainous couple.

CLACK.

Just then, the door opened, and Sect Leader Chu Yeom entered, followed by the martial artists who had been guarding the entrance. They were all shocked by the situation inside.

Chu Yeom ran to his son. "Jung, are you alright?" Seeing the state of his son's face, his eyes turned cold. "What are you doing? Why aren't you apprehending those fiends immediately?"

Jin Hagun asked Chu Jung in a low voice, "What did you do?"

Chu Yeom flinched in surprise. Why was his supposed rescuer not questioning the hostage-takers, but his son?

He demanded coldly, "Commander Jin, what do you think you're doing right now?"

When they had greeted each other earlier, he had called him Young Alliance Chairman, but now the title had changed to Commander as a sign of his displeasure.

Jin Hagun sighed. How could he not know what had transpired here? He understood what kind of people Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn were. For them, and especially Lee Ahn, to beat someone like this meant the person truly deserved it. Geom Jung had undoubtedly done something terrible.

"Even if you ask him, that punk will never talk. He did something unspeakable," Geom Mugeuk chimed in.

"Shut up! Who do you think you are to spew such nonsense?" Chu Yeom roared.

Lee Ahn took another handkerchief from her robes and handed it to Geom Mugeuk. "Wipe your mouth first."

"Thanks." Geom Mugeuk wiped the grease from his mouth.

That action made Chu Yeom even angrier. Who would dare to act like this in front of him?

"The crime of taking my son hostage and killing the martial artists of the Chu Family Sword Sect is an act of making an enemy of the entire orthodox murim…!" Chu Yeom's voice trailed off, and his heart sank as he met Geom Mugeuk's gaze. The words that were about to pour out of his mouth were swallowed back down.

Even without emitting any killing intent or aura, Geom Mugeuk overwhelmed him with just his gaze.

"You're wrong on both counts," Geom Mugeuk said firmly.

"What?"

"First, all those people who came in earlier are alive."

The nearby Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists checked on the fallen individuals. Indeed, just as Geom Mugeuk had said, they were all alive.

Geom Mugeuk added, "They're uninjured. Only their paralysis and mute acupoints have been sealed."

Chu Yeom's expression hardened. He knew very well that subduing masters without injury was far more difficult than killing them.

How on earth?

One could kill them in a surprise attack, but to seal the acupoints of those masters without injury was by no means an easy feat.

"And we didn't take your son hostage either." Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned to Jin Hagun. "We were simply waiting for the leader of the Demon Slaying Brigade to arrive."

Jin Hagun asked calmly, "Why were you waiting for me?"

"Because I missed you?" Geom Mugeuk answered with absolute seriousness.

Jin Hagun conveyed with his eyes, '…You crazy bastard! Is this the time for jokes?!'

Unfortunately, the martial artists behind him couldn't see the expression they would normally never get to witness.

Finally, Geom Mugeuk revealed the real reason. "There was an incident that shook the murim recently, wasn't there?"

Instantly, Jin Hagun's expression hardened, and the name of an organization escaped his lips. "The Beauty Appreciation Sect!"¹

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