Chapter 876: Even if I Become the Cult Leader and You Become the Chairman

TL: FoodieMonster007

The All-Knowing Hall's strategy room was always busy. Countless pieces of information continuously flew in, and Strategist Go analyzed and classified them.

Today though, an unexpected person paid a visit.

""Greetings, Cult Leader!"" The strategists stopped their work and greeted Geom Woojin in unison.

Head Strategist Sama Myeong rushed out of his office. The day shift had already been replaced by the night shift, but he had yet to leave. "What brings you here at this hour, Cult Leader?"

"I came to have a cup of tea with you."

"Please, come this way." Sama Myeong guided him to his office. "Please sit, Cult Leader. I'll prepare some tea."

While Sama Myeong personally brewed the tea, Geom Woojin sat and looked around the office, which was filled with books and documents. "Are you keeping up with your inner arts training?" he asked.

Sama Myeong nodded. "Yes, I practice every morning and evening."

The inner art Geom Woojin had specially taught him was an unrivaled technique any martial artist would covet. The more he practiced it, the healthier he felt, his body growing much lighter and more refreshed with time.

"You must get plenty of sleep," Geom Woojin reminded. "If you fall, our Cult falls with you. So take special care of your health."

"Thank you for your concern," Sama Myeong said.

He brewed the tea he had specially saved for visits from Geom Woojin or Geom Mugeuk. Staying up late was a lifelong habit for him, but lately it was the Cult Leader who had been losing sleep, the same Cult Leader who always fell asleep on time.

"Please, drink."

"It tastes good."

Sama Myeong knew exactly why the Cult Leader couldn't sleep. He understood the heart of the man who sought him out so late, a Cult Leader torn between his son's wishes and his own long-held ambitions.

As he drank his tea, his thoughts drifted to the past, back when he was a young man dreaming of becoming the Head Strategist.

"Do you remember the first thing you said to me?" he asked.

Geom Woojin nodded.

"You told me back then, 'If I lose this fight, you will die with me. Will you still be my strategist?'"

Geom Woojin also remembered that day. The succession war of his generation had been at its peak then, and the atmosphere was incomparably more brutal than his sons' little struggles. He gazed at Sama Myeong gently. "And in response, you said, 'I will make you, the Second Young Lord, the Cult Leader.' You kept that promise."

A peculiar look crossed Sama Myeong's eyes. "I sometimes wonder. Wasn't there a better way back then?"

Witnessing Geom Mugeuk's succession battle brought such thoughts to the surface more often. Surely he could have given better advice.

Geom Woojin set down his teacup. "We did our best."

Sama Myeong nodded. Hearing the Cult Leader say so was gratifying. Back then, they had believed they could change the world, and that belief alone had carried them this far.

Geom Woojin looked toward the strategic terrain map visible through the window, with blue lines drawn all over. "What are those blue lines?"

"The Young Cult Leader's tracks."

"Are you tracking all his movements?" Geom Woojin asked, surprised.

Sama Myeong smiled and shook his head. "The Young Cult Leader is the one sending word to the All-Knowing Hall whenever he can make contact."

Geom Woojin stepped out of the office and stood before the map.

Sama Myeong followed, stopping respectfully a few steps behind him. "He's wandering all over the place."

Geom Woojin understood. By sending word when he didn't have to, his son was showing him something.

'Father, this is the life I want.'

His son had told him as much, pleading with him to travel and enjoy the Central Plains as well. Through this journey, his son was sending a message.

'Father, let's live like this.'

"Is there any movement from the Murim Alliance or the Evil Alliance?"

"No, there is none."

Geom Woojin turned to Sama Myeong. The successors of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions were traveling the Central Plains together, yet everything was quiet. "Has this jianghu ever been so complacent?" he joked, smirking.

Sama Myeong joked back, "I can assure you, there has never been an opportunity like this."

Geom Woojin's gaze returned to the blue lines.

Sama Myeong turned to his subordinate strategists. "Everyone, go out and get some fresh air."

All of them filed out of the room.

Once they were alone, Sama Myeong operated a hidden device on the strategy room wall.

RUUUMBLE…

The wall with the map slid open, revealing a new map behind it. The other walls did the same, each one displaying different information.

The map, once covered in blue lines, was now awash in red. Red flags were planted across it.

Originally, the Demon Supreme flags each had their own unique color, but now, there was only red. On every flag was a single black character—Fist (拳), Blade (刀), Sword (劍), Poison (毒), Evil (惡), Buddha (佛), Wine (酒), Soul (魂).

This showed they were moving with a single purpose, with no regard for the individuality of any person or organization. And it wasn't just the Demon Supreme flags. Every organizational flag was the same. They were war banners, and the map was a battle map.

Cult Leader, which will you choose? Will you live freely like those blue lines? Or will you live waving this red flag? Sama Myeong wondered.

"The Young Cult Leader is desperately trying to prevent a war, but the more he moves, the greater our chances of victory have become," he said, musing at the truly paradoxical result. "The martial strengths of the Demon Supremes has continued to rise, and with the eradication of corruption within the Cult, our military strength has been continuously reinforced. On top of that, both you, Cult Leader, and the Young Cult Leader have achieved Twelfth Star mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. I can state with certainty that our Cult's current power is the strongest in its history."

Geom Woojin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, silently staring at the battle map. Sama Myeong's words meant that, barring any unforeseen events, the unification of the murim was a foregone conclusion. One decision was all it would take to carve a new history in the murim that would never be seen again.

Sama Myeong could tell. As the Young Cult Leader's activities increased the probability of victory, the Cult Leader's desire for war had decreased. By that same measure, his love for his son must have grown.

What are the chances that the Cult Leader will start a war now?

Sama Myeong could perform difficult calculations in all sorts of situations, but reading Geom Woojin's heart was not easy.

He operated the device again. The walls returned to their original state, the red flags vanishing and the spreading blue lines taking their place once more.

Geom Woojin looked at the blue journey again. "What is the boy doing now?"

SPLASH!

Geom Mugeuk threw himself into the river. He had been washing mud off by the riverbank and simply decided to jump in.

SPLISH! SPLASH!

Seeing him cut through the water with cool, easy strokes, Lee Ahn rushed forward. "I'm coming too!"

The moment she jumped in, Jin Haryong jumped in right behind her. "I'm going too!"

"You can't!" Jin Hagun shouted, worried that her wet clothes would cling to her body. The moon is shining brightly overhead! Everyone will clearly see my sister's figure…

Geom Mugeuk instantly stopped swimming. With his head above water, he looked over. "So it's not okay for Haryong, but fine for Lee Ahn?"

Lee Ahn, her head also above water, played along. "That's too much, Young Alliance Chairman."

"That's not it…" Jin Hagun went slightly flustered. He had blurted it out without thinking the moment his sister jumped in.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Bi Sayin. "Look at dependable Sayin over there. He doesn't say things like that to Young Lady Han, does he?"

Right on cue, Bi Sayin turned to Han Seol and played along, saying, "You can't do that."

Han Seol smiled faintly. "I'm the type who does things more when someone tells me not to."

SPLASH!

She jumped straight into the water.

Han Seol, who came from the North Sea, was a far better swimmer than expected.

"I thought you couldn't swim since you came from a cold place," Geom Mugeuk remarked.

Han Seol laughed at the prejudice. "Did you forget who I am? The colder the water, the more it's my world."

She gestured for Bi Sayin to come in.

How could he ignore that? Bi Sayin jumped in with a splash.

Now, only Jin Hagun remained on the riverbank. Since he had told his sister not to go in, it felt wrong to join them himself, so he simply washed his clothes instead…until Geom Mugeuk slapped the water's surface with his palm.

WHAP!

And flicked the splashing droplets with his fingers.

ZING!

A single water droplet shot toward Jin Hagun like a hidden weapon.

Jin Hagun turned his body slightly and dodged it. "Stop!"

ZING! ZING!

Geom Mugeuk flicked two this time. "You villain who only favors his own sister!"

ZING! PING! PING!

After dodging a few more, Jin Hagun finally gave in and jumped into the river. "You damn punk! I told you to stop!!!"

"See? This guy's evil nature has finally awakened!"

Jin Hagun chased after Geom Mugeuk, who was already swimming away.

"Why are you so fast? Did you learn water arts or something?" Jin Hagun roared, though he smiled happily as he gave chase. He had wanted to jump in and play with them, and he was grateful to Geom Mugeuk for giving him the excuse to do it.

The real water play began the moment Geom Mugeuk started running across the surface of the river.

"Lee Ahn, the Murim Alliance is attacking!"

"Haryong, let's join forces and strike the Divine Cult!"

Jin Haryong laughed. This was the first time she had seen her Orabeoni play so brightly. For the first time in a long while, she was reminded of how he had been when they were young.

Geom Mugeuk and Jin Hagun drew on all their movement arts skills from Stepping On Water and Flying Over Water to River Crossing on Reeds, and even Air Treading and Sky Traversal. They tore across the river in every direction, putting their divine skills on full display.

"Hey, is this something to run away from using the Heavenly Demon Flight Step?"

"You shouldn't say that while chasing me so fiercely. Lee Ahn, ask the Evil Alliance for help."

"Haryong, we'll call the Ice Palace!"

Geom Mugeuk stopped dead and said with complete seriousness, "Take that back. That would make those two tragic lovers."

"Ah, I take it back."

Geom Mugeuk smiled wickedly. "So naive! Lee Ahn, the Murim Alliance has canceled their request for the Ice Palace's help. Let's continue our joint attack!"

There were no orthodox sects, unorthodox sects, or demonic cult there. Only youths who loved their friends and loved to play.

That night, they all sat around a campfire. They had played with great excitement and followed it with a delicious late dinner of hunted meat.

After the meal, Jin Hagun announced his decision. "I'll be heading back now."

It was unexpected, and everyone's gaze turned to him.

"It's not because I'm not enjoying this trip. It's the opposite. I feel like if I stay any longer, I won't want to go back."

In truth, there was another, bigger reason. It was because of the people who had been sacrificed by the collapsed floodbank. Perhaps because he had personally participated in the rescue and recovery, the dead and the children kept coming to his mind.

Of course, he wasn't going to return to Headquarters and immediately start building floodbanks. He simply realized there was so much he had to do.

Bi Sayin looked at Han Seol. She read the meaning in his eyes and nodded. The two of them also had a plan.

"Then we'll be going too. Since we're out, we were thinking of visiting the North Sea."

This meant he would escort Han Seol and pay his respects to the Empress of the North Sea Ice Palace.

"Should we tag along?" Geom Mugeuk asked suggestively.

Bi Sayin was about to agree when Han Seol cut him off. "We are allies with the Murim Alliance."

She used the joke from their water play to refuse him.

Geom Mugeuk glanced at Jin Hagun, his eyes saying, Hey! Sayin is already under her thumb!

Jin Hagun nodded in agreement.

Geom Mugeuk sighed. He already considered that they might part ways like this, but it wasn't time to end his trip yet. "Lee Ahn, our journey continues."

"Yes, Young Cult Leader."

Undeniable joy flashed across Lee Ahn's face. She turned toward one person. "Friend, let's go together."

Though she knew the words were sincere, Jin Haryong refused. "I'm a busy person too."

Jin Hagun stiffened. How could he not know his sister's heart?

"Why do you like Martial Artist Lee so much?" he asked.

He wasn't the type to ask such a question, but he did it for his sister's sake. Though he asked it as a joke, it was a difficult thing to bring up. His sister had set her heart on someone she could never have, and he wanted her to cut ties today.

It was the same for Geom Mugeuk. How could he not know why Jin Hagun asked that? It was time to make his feelings clear, for Jin Haryong's sake and for Jin Hagun's as well.

He looked at Lee Ahn, sitting next to him.

Why do I like Lee Ahn? Is it because all of this is possible thanks to her? Because she had thrown herself in front of Hwa Mugi's sword qi, allowing me to survive?

…No.

The reason he liked her wasn't just because she had saved his life. There were many other reasons, though he didn't reveal them. Those were words he would one day say to Lee Ahn when they were alone.

"Well, she's really pretty, isn't she?" he said superficially.

Though I would have chosen Lee Ahn even if her face had been ordinary, or even if she hadn't been cured of the side effects of the Self-Petrification Art.

Jin Haryong feigned a frown. "Tsk! Judging a woman by her looks alone!"

"If you're going to complain, you should've been born the world's greatest beauty, not just Hubei's greatest beauty!"

"You jerk!"

"Don't forget that we're the Demonic Cult!"

Jin Haryong was actually grateful he had put it that way. It let her console herself with the thought that she had simply lost on looks. No one could compete with Lee Ahn's face. She turned to her brother. "Orabeoni, are you just going to stand by while your sister is treated like this? You should say you're going to start the Great Orthodox-Demonic War."

Jin Hagun said cautiously, "Uhh… Honestly, Martial Artist Lee is beautiful, isn't she?"

"I can't believe you! Seriously! All you men are just…!"

Jin Hagun smiled. Deep down, he was grateful to Geom Mugeuk. A clean break like this would allow his sister to find a new love.

"So, is this our last night?" Geom Mugeuk muttered, sulking.

Bi Sayin replied, "Parting when you still long for more makes the next meeting all the more precious."

"Your face doesn't look like you're longing for anything at all!"

Han Seol smiled faintly.

Geom Mugeuk turned to the two of them and made a proposal. "Let's make a promise. Let's set a date once a year to travel together, even for just a few days. Even if I become the Cult Leader and you two become Chairmen."

Jin Hagun and Bi Sayin wondered if they could really manage that once they became Chairmen, but feeling as they did now, it seemed entirely possible.

"Let's do that."

"I promise."

Geom Mugeuk raised his cup high. "If you skip, the fine is one Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng Root. I'm not kidding!"

Everyone cheered heartily and drank.

"It's always the person who makes a rule like that who ends up having to miss it."

"Who's making ominous predictions?! Who!?"

Their farewells continued until dawn. Everyone was sharp-witted, but for all their sharpness, it wasn't enough to cut through the sorrow of a parting.