Chapter 875: Turning a Friend Into the Public Enemy of the Murim

TL: FoodieMonster007

The water dripping from the edge of the roof looked like tears.

Jin Hagun swiftly lifted a collapsed roof to check for anyone trapped underneath. Fortunately, no one was there. He was covered head to toe in muck, looking as if he had just emerged from a mud pit, with only his eyes visible.

A short distance away, Bi Sayin lifted a large, uprooted tree that had drifted by and moved it aside. He too was covered in mud but worked on, completely unfazed.

Bi Sayin glanced at Jin Hagun, whose expression revealed he was deeply upset. When they first saw the devastated village, Jin Hagun had been the first to rush in.

Han Seol brought a large jar of clean water and began washing and treating the injured. She applied healing salves to their wounds and wrapped them in clean bandages. Beside her, Jin Haryong cooked soup and rice in a large cauldron.

The people who had lost their homes had no appetite, but eating was crucial. Everyone was exhausted enough to collapse, and the children, above all, needed to be fed.

Lee Ahn looked after the children who had lost their parents, holding the crying ones in her arms. She understood their feelings better than anyone. She knew the fear that came from realizing no one was left in the world to care for them, a terror that would affect them for the rest of their lives.

"It's okay, it's okay. Everything will be all right," she comforted, hugging each of the children one by one.

Geom Mugeuk shouted from a distance, "Everyone, come over here for a moment."

Everyone paused their work and walked over to him.

Geum Arin stared at them, utterly astonished. He really brought his friends!

What was even more surprising was that they were working alongside everyone else on the recovery efforts.

When she first saw the Bloody Wallet, she had recognized that he was a master superior to her. However, she couldn't sense the level of these five people. They seemed like they could be masters greater than her, yet they also seemed like people who had never learned martial arts at all.

If she hadn't known about the man named Geom Yeon, she would have assumed they were just ordinary people. The chances of five absurdly powerful young masters and mistresses gathering together, all so skilled she couldn't even sense their power, seemed impossible, but considering Geom Yeon had brought them, and judging by his own prowess…

All of them are far greater masters than me, and even greater than the Bloody Wallet. But they're so young! Who on earth are they?

"I'll somehow try to stop those angry friends of mine," Geom Mugeuk said, sidling up to the Bloody Wallet as if they were on the same side. Pointing at Jin Hagun, he tattled, "That friend over there is especially angry. You can tell he's stubborn just by looking at him, can't you?"

The Bloody Wallet tried to gauge Jin Hagun's skill but couldn't sense anything. Still, a true master would never do such manual labor, especially not while covered in mud. Because of this preconception, he didn't think the young men were superior to him. Still, just in case, he asked cautiously, "What kind of man is he?"

"He's a friend who has finally broken the chains that bound him and found freedom."

"Shouldn't he be happy about that, then?"

"This is his territory, you see. He's reverted to being a workaholic."

"……" The Bloody Wallet was thoroughly confused.

He couldn't possibly know Geom Mugeuk meant it was the territory of the orthodox sects.

Geom Mugeuk continued, "And you, Ahjussi, are trying to steal the money meant to rebuild the houses. On top of that, you even mentioned bribing a Murim Alliance martial artist to cover it up, so of course he's furious."

Jin Hagun strode toward the two of them. His aura was so imposing that the Bloody Wallet instinctively drew his sword and pointed the blade at Geom Mugeuk's neck. "Move a single finger, and this man dies."

Without hesitation, Jin Hagun raised his hand and wiggled a finger provocatively. Oddly, no one else watching showed any sign of anxiety.

"Hilarious," the Bloody Wallet snorted. "You think I'd fall for such a trick? This man must be your leader."

Geom Mugeuk laughed loudly, "See? Even a villain like this thinks I look like the leader!"

The Bloody Wallet flinched at the word 'villain'.

To his shock, Jin Hagun fanned the flames, saying, "If you can kill him, go ahead. No, please kill him. We'd love to see just how one goes about killing this friend of ours."

The Bloody Wallet was astounded. What on earth are they talking about? And why are the ones behind him all nodding?

In the end, he assumed they were mocking him, thinking he couldn't actually kill the man.

"How dare you brats…!"

SHING! THWACK!

The Bloody Wallet sliced through Geom Mugeuk's neck without hesitation. Geom Mugeuk collapsed, clutching his throat.

"There. I've killed him as you wished," he said, expecting everyone to be shocked and horrified.

However, not a single person watching was surprised.

Was that talkative bastard just an insignificant nobody to them?

He thought at least one of them would be. Nevertheless, having easily killed one of their party, he was now certain they knew no martial arts. If there had been a true master among them, they wouldn't have just stood by and watched their friend die.

"Who should I kill next?" he sneered. The moment he slit Geom Mugeuk's throat, he had already decided to kill them all.

"Who else!? You should start with that heartless bastard over there who asked you to kill his friend."

"…?" The Bloody Wallet's eyes widened as he stared at the speaker. The man he thought was dead was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow with his head resting in his palm. "But… I'm sure I cut your neck…?"

He had even felt the blade slice through.

How is this young man still alive? If he tricked me, how did he do it?

Geom Mugeuk added, "After you're done with the first bastard, let's go with that savage brute who just watched from the sidelines without trying to stop his friend from being killed."

SWOOSH!

The Bloody Wallet swung his sword at the reclining Geom Mugeuk. In the next instant, though, Geom Mugeuk was standing beside him. He hadn't seen how the man dodged. It felt like a dream.

"Hey, what are you doing? I'm on your side!" Geom Mugeuk protested. "Ahjussi, do you think you can handle that friend over there by yourself?"

The Bloody Wallet spun around. Jin Hagun was striding forward.

This time, he thrust his sword toward Jin Hagun at the fastest speed he could manage.

SWISH! SWISH! TAP!

However, Jin Hagun easily dodged, countered, and in a single move, sealed his paralysis acupoints.

Only now did the Bloody Wallet understand. These people were all masters beyond his comprehension.

"Which arm did you say you were? The right arm? Just cut one off!" Geom Mugeuk cheered.

The Bloody Wallet flinched. That's right. Didn't he say he'd cut off all my limbs?

The thought of himself with both arms and legs severed was horrifying.

"If you touch me, you'll have to deal with the Murim Alliance," he screamed reflexively.

Geom Mugeuk sighed deeply. "Hey, I told you not to bring up the Murim Alliance."

WHOOOOSH! THWACK!

Jin Hagun's fist flew toward the Bloody Wallet's abdomen. With that single blow, his qi center was shattered.

"Aaaaaargh!" The Bloody Wallet writhed on the ground, screaming. For a martial artist, the pain of a destroyed qi center was far greater than losing a limb. Not only was the physical pain immense, the despair of losing all his accumulated inner qi and knowing he could never possess it again was an even greater agony. "Fuck you! You son of a bitch, I'll kill you! Aaaaaaaargh!"

Looking down at the man thrashing on the ground, Jin Hagun said coldly, "Why cut off your limbs? You should pay for your sins with your body intact. I won't let you just lie around and be fed."

He had decided that the Bloody Wallet would be sent to the harshest of the Murim Alliance's prisons to die after a long life of non-stop hard labor.

"You motherfucker, I will have my revenge!" the Bloody Wallet growled, his eyes blazing with hatred. There was a reason he could still boast despite his shattered qi center. "You have no idea who I've been bribing all this time. You don't know how powerful they are. No matter how skilled you are, you can't handle an organization as large as the Murim Alliance. Kuhahahaha! I'll make you the public enemy of the murim."

Jin Hagun declared icily, "They'll all be joining you in prison. I will hunt down every single person connected to you without exception."

"Hah! How could someone like you…?"

Jin Hagun turned to Lim Hyuk. "Please take this man to the nearest Murim Alliance Branch. Tell them that Commander Jin Hagun of the Demon Slaying Brigade sent you, and instruct them to transfer him to Headquarters."

""!!!""

Not only Lim Hyuk but Geum Arin too was stunned. There wasn't a martial artist alive who didn't know that the head of the Demon Slaying Brigade was next in line to become the Murim Alliance Chairman.

The Bloody Wallet's eyes bulged. This punk was the Young Alliance Chairman of the Murim Alliance?

"Nonsense!" he cried.

Geom Mugeuk crouched beside the fallen man, looking into his disbelieving eyes. He said sorrowfully, "That's why I told you not to bring up the Murim Alliance. Why did you keep talking about it?" He then whispered, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to sabotage that friend of mine and turn him into the public enemy of the murim! Tsk tsk, he's slowly returning to his true nature."

"…Who in the world are you people?"

"We're just some youths who ran away from home."

That was the end of the conversation.

Geom Mugeuk sealed the Bloody Wallet's vocal acupoints. He guessed Jin Hagun hadn't cut off the man's limbs because the children were watching from a distance, and was worried they might see such a gruesome sight. This was the true nature of his friend, Jin Hagun.

Besides, the life that awaited the Bloody Wallet would be far more difficult and miserable than one spent without limbs.

"Now, everyone, please introduce yourselves to my lady friend here!" he sang cheerfully.

Bi Sayin introduced himself to Geum Arin. "I am Bi Sayin of the Evil Alliance."

Geom Mugeuk added from the side, "And he's the one who will become the next Evil Alliance Chairman."

Geum Arin's and Lim Hyuk's eyes widened even further. It sounded like a joke, but they could tell it wasn't. The fearsome, silent man standing there seemed to confirm the statement.

The successors of the Murim and Evil Alliances are together?

Geum Arin's eyes trembled. These two are Geom Yeon's friends!?

That wasn't even the end.

"I'm Han Seol of the Ice Palace."

Again, Geom Mugeuk revealed her identity. "She is the Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace."

Geum Arin was bewildered. Even the legendary Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace was here. Her white robes were stained, but the cold energy in her eyes proved his words were not a lie.

She then learned that Jin Haryong was Jin Hagun's younger sister and the leader of a group of prodigies, and that Lee Ahn was the head of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Ghost Shadow Squad.

Naturally, Geum Arin's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk. How could you be friends with all these people? Just how did you bring such incredible individuals all the way here?

"Who are you really?" she asked hesitantly.

Geom Mugeuk looked at her and said calmly, "I am Geom Mugeuk, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

"!" Geum Arin was so shocked that her legs gave out. She couldn't believe it.

The Murim Alliance Young Alliance Chairman, the Evil Alliance Young Alliance Chairman, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Young Cult Leader? The entire future of the murim is standing right before my eyes!

Geom Mugeuk had literally brought the entire murim to find her. People of such incredible status were covered in mud, helping the common folk. Masters like them could have handled everything with a flick of their wrists using telekinesis. They could have been like her, simply ordering new houses to be built.

Yet, they all worked directly alongside the people, cooking meals for them and their children.

Lim Hyuk sent a telepathic message his dazed mistress. [Hurry and greet them!]

With a trembling voice, Geum Arin clasped her hands in greeting. "I am Geum Arin of the Golden Dragon Clan." She looked at Geom Mugeuk and revealed her honest feelings. "Who am I to be introduced to such incredible people?"

Geom Mugeuk stood seriously before her, the playfulness gone from his face. "Young Lady, you're doing really well. Far better than I had expected."

When they arrived, he had already seen the evidence Geum Arin's prior good deeds. He had also heard she was planning to spend a great deal of money to help the people here.

He added, "I'm glad I chose you back then."

A wave of emotion surged through Geum Arin's chest. Those words were more empowering than any others.

Geom Mugeuk turned back to his friends. "Okay, okay, we've made our introductions, so let's get back to work!"

Geum Arin also joined the recovery work, the first time in her life she had ever done such a thing. She carried loads as instructed and looked after the children, working with all her might.

They also ate their meals together there.

When Geom Mugeuk first suggested they eat, Geum Arin had momentarily thought of the best restaurant to host them. However, Geom Mugeuk had meant for them to eat the food cooked right there, together with everyone else.

In that moment, Geum Arin felt a sense of shame.

I still have a long way to go.

It bothered her throughout the meal, so she confessed that she had had such a shameful thought.

At that, Geom Mugeuk soothed her embarrassment with a joke. "You should have said so sooner! The work was hard, it would have been nice to eat at a good place."

After eating, Jin Hagun looked at the collapsed floodbank in the distance. "I didn't know there was a floodbank here. I only just learned that there have been several floods."

He blamed himself. This was clearly the Murim Alliance's territory, and he felt guilty, thinking that a more sturdy floodbank could have prevented innocent people from dying.

Geom Mugeuk comforted him. "Is that the only thing we don't know? We'll have to face countless similar situations in the future."

"Still, I can't help but be angry."

"That anger will guide you to become a good Chairman."

Jin Hagun stared at Geom Mugeuk. "And not guide me to join the unorthodox?"

Bi Sayin responded to his joke. "You becoming part of the unorthodox is about as likely as Mugeuk becoming a man of few words."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

As their journey continued, their friendship deepened.

After finishing their meal, they parted ways with Geum Arin.

"From now on, the 'Yeon' in my name is not the 'Yeon (煙)' for smoke, but the 'Yeon (緣)' for destiny," Geom Mugeuk said in farewell.

Geum Arin bowed her head respectfully. "I will cherish the lesson you have given me for the rest of my life."

Geom Mugeuk hadn't said a single word about how she should live. Instead, he had shown her through his actions. He showed her how one should live. Even these incredible people were living so passionately, finding their own paths. Even this incredible man had come all this way to keep a promise made in passing.

Leaving behind a great lesson, Geom Mugeuk and his companions departed.

Geum Arin and Lim Hyuk stood there, watching until they disappeared into the sunset.

"Uncle."

"Yes, Young Lady?"

"This isn't a dream, is it?"

"It is not."

A bright smile appeared on Geum Arin's face, along with a flash of determination.

Geom Mugeuk had taken the dirt that was the Bloody Wallet away, and left behind a new shining dragon pearl in the heart of the Golden Dragon Clan's Young Lady.

"The heavens must have given me this incredible connection so that I might live a magnificent life, right?"