Chapter 877: A Direct Subordinate of the Young Cult Leader?

TL: FoodieMonster007

When Tae Su returned, he braced himself for a fiery scolding. His father knew he'd gotten involved with the treasure map, the very thing he had forbidden.

However, his father's reaction was not what he had expected.

"You're back?"

"Yes."

SCRAPE! SCRAPE!

His father sat with his back to him, tending to his equipment.

The entire way home, Tae Su had resolved to apologize first, but the sight of that stubborn back made his anger flare up again.

Shouldn't Father at least ask if I had been in danger, or how I had escaped?

But all he said was…

"Have you eaten?"

"A thief never starves."

Originally, Tae Su had planned to tell his father everything. He wanted to talk about meeting the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult while escaping with the treasure map, and about the incredible things he had experienced in the pond beneath Mount Tianmu. He had intended to tell him all about the miracle of returning alive despite getting entangled with the Demonic Cult.

In the end, though, he couldn't even manage a single "I'm sorry."

He moved to leave the room.

"There's a job. It's one that will take time to prepare…" Tae Gon said abruptly.

Tae Su shivered. Before he had run away, he had always worked with his father as a two-man team.

"No. I have some things to think about for a while."

He didn't ask where or what the target was.

"I see."

His father's simple reply only angered him more.

"Make sure you eat."

Tae Su left his father behind and went outside.

He didn't know it then. He didn't know that his father was deeply hurt, or that while the wounds parents leave on their children might scar, the wounds children inflict on their parents leave no trace at all.

After that, Tae Su wandered for a while. He considered just leaving for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, when he suddenly remembered what the Young Cult Leader had said.

"Come find me when you're ready to take responsibility for your own life."

I'm not ready yet. How can I take responsibility for my own life when I couldn't even properly apologize to Father?

His father was often away from home, and time continued to pass.

Tae Su realized he was using his father as an excuse again. It wasn't because of his father that he couldn't go to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He couldn't go because he was afraid of the life there.

The Young Cult Leader had said it when they parted.

"Accepting you into our Cult is possible through our connection, but once you enter the cult, you must live your own life, separate from me. You might find it difficult to even see my face once. I am only the catalyst. You are the one who has to live the changed life. Don't forget, if you don't change, nothing will, even if your environment does."

As time went on, one part kept bothering him.

You might find it difficult to even see my face once.

Could he really survive among those rough demonic practitioners without the Young Cult Leader by his side? No, he wasn't confident. That was why he had made the excuse that he couldn't go because he hadn't reconciled with his father. He was intentionally delaying the reconciliation.

I haven't changed at all.

Even the hurtful words he had said to his father had been an excuse.

"Is that principle of yours for the sake of good deeds? Or is it to justify your thievery?"

He had no interest in his father's morals. He was just frustrated. His father could become the greatest legendary thief and steal everything, so why did he only steal from the wicked? Why did he share what he worked so hard to steal?

He should have just said, "I'm greedy," and in return, received the scolding, "No, son. You must live with at least this much integrity."

But no. Instead, he had hurt his father.

Damn it!

A messy period of time flowed by.

Yes, it was okay. He could say hurtful things to his father, and he could take a step back from a chance to change his life. So what if he drank and wandered a bit? He was still young.

However, there was at least one thing he shouldn't have done. He shouldn't have let his father go there alone.

Lim Ju, the Shanyang Branch Manager of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, stared silently at Tae Su. "You're whose son?"

"I am Tae Su, son of the legendary thief Tae Gon."

Tae Su was a mess. His hair was disheveled, and a scruffy beard covered his face. Only his eyes shone like those of a wounded beast.

"What proof do you have that you're Tae Gon's son?" Lim Ju asked suspiciously.

Tae Su took out a wallet from his robes, which contained payment slips.

Seeing it, Lim Ju's gaze sharpened. It was his own wallet, the one that had been in the Branch's safe.

Tae Su knew this would displease Lim Ju, but there was no surer way to prove he was Tae Gon's son.

"Why have you come to me?" Lim Ju asked, though he already guessed the reason.

"It's because of my father."

Lim Ju nodded, having expected this. After all, the entire region was in an uproar over Tae Gon. The legendary thief had been caught infiltrating the Blood Shadow Sect, and the murim was buzzing with the news that he, who had never been caught before, had finally failed.

The Blood Shadow Sect was a notoriously infamous sect belonging to the Evil Alliance. They never allowed themselves to suffer a loss and were mercilessly cold to the weak. That was how they had expanded their influence so quickly.

And this very sect had announced they would publicly execute Tae Gon in front of a crowd.

"The public execution is in two days, isn't it?"

"It's tomorrow."

"Why have you come to me?"

Tae Su had only learned of his father's capture after the Blood Shadow Sect's announcement, several days late, having been lost in a drunken stupor.

It's because of me.

He believed his father was caught because he couldn't focus, all because of him.

He tried everything he could to save his father. He attempted to infiltrate the Blood Shadow Sect but ultimately failed. Having announced a public execution, they had anticipated a rescue attempt and set up an ironclad perimeter.

That was when he thought of asking the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult for help.

"I'm close with the Young Cult Leader," he said, making a life-or-death gamble. Daring to mention the Young Cult Leader's name was an audacity that could get him cut down in a single stroke.

Fortunately, Lim Ju was not a rash man. "You're close with the Young Cult Leader?"

"Yes."

Tae Su's mind raced. His father always used to say:

"To be the best thief, you must also know how to steal people's hearts."

Now, to save his father, he had to steal the heart of the Branch Manager before him.

"I am scheduled to be placed under the Young Cult Leader's command."

"Scheduled?" Lim Ju was baffled. The son of a legendary thief, set to be executed tomorrow, suddenly shows up and claims to be close with the Young Cult Leader?

"The Young Cult Leader said he would make me his direct subordinate." Tae Su met Lim Ju's eyes confidently, even though deep down he wondered, What if the Young Cult Leader has already forgotten about me?

Lim Ju frowned. What kind of madman would come to a Branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and try to pull a scam by mentioning the Young Cult Leader? There's only one answer, it isn't a scam.

If it were, this man would have forged some plausible evidence.

What does he mean by 'scheduled to be placed', though?

It was truly dumbfounding. Still, the man before him must have at least met the Young Cult Leader before.

"So? What do you want?" he asked.

"Please save my father."

Lim Ju stared intently at Tae Su. "Why not ask the Young Cult Leader for help directly?"

"This happened so suddenly that I don't have time to inform him. If you help me, the Young Cult Leader will surely reward you greatly later."

Lim Ju replied coldly, "You're one crazy bastard."

Tae Su flinched.

Lim Ju warned, "What if I make a move on the Blood Shadow Sect based on your word, and later the Young Cult Leader says he doesn't know you?"

"That's not true," Tae Su denied. "He really knows me. If my words are false, I'll accept death as my punishment."

"Of course you will. The problem is that it won't end with just your death."

The reason Lim Ju didn't immediately throw him out was not because he was worried about being on the wrong side of someone truly close to the Young Cult Leader. It was the opposite.

He was thinking of one person from the rumors—Gang Tal of the Zheng'an Branch. That man was the dream and hope of every Branch Manager in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. His tale of success, rising to the Headquarters through his connection with the Young Cult Leader, was a legend among them all.

Has such fortune found me? Or is this the temptation of terrible misfortune?

After careful deliberation, he came to a conclusion.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

If he later claimed it was hard to trust Tae Su, he could at least keep his position. However, if the man truly had no significant relationship with the Young Cult Leader, he would be cast out to be a stable hand in some backwater village.

For now, the legend among Branch Managers was a title held solely by Gang Tal.

The next day, a large stage was erected in the open space before the Blood Shadow Sect's main entrance. A huge crowd gathered there to see the legendary thief, Tae Gon.

Tae Gon was dragged onto the stage, his vital points for movement and speech sealed. He looked terrible, as if he had been tortured.

"Thieving bastard!"

"Kill him!"

While some jeered, others looked at him with pity. No matter what anyone said, he was a man who stole from the wicked to help the poor.

Tae Gon scanned the crowd of martial artists that filled the area. There were people cursing, people laughing, and people watching with sad faces. All sorts of people were there, but the majority looked at him with pity.

Suddenly, Tae Gon's eyes met someone's, and his heart sank. His son, Tae Su, was standing in the front row as if to make a statement.

Su!

He was relieved to see his son one last time, but at the same time, he felt a sense of dread.

He didn't come here to do something foolish, did he?

Tae Su was a smart kid, so he wouldn't. No matter how fast his movement arts were, he couldn't break through the countless Blood Shadow Sect martial artists deployed here.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked onto the stage. With his cold and merciless impression, he was none other than the Blood Shadow Sect Leader, Geo Baek, a man famous for his cruel and dispassionate nature.

Geo Baek looked at the gathered crowd. No one met his gaze, and not a single breath could be heard.

Finally, he spoke, "Where are the cheers bought with the money you stole? You only steal the wealth of the wicked? Then where are those who ate that rotten meat now? Where are the self-proclaimed guardians of justice?"

Only silence flowed through the area.

Geo Baek's gaze turned to Tae Gon. "I heard you have a son. They say he went thieving with you? Where is your son?"

Tae Su just stood silently in the crowd.

Fearing he would be caught looking at his son, Tae Gon looked elsewhere.

Geo Baek continued, "He's probably hiding somewhere here like a rat, watching his father die. If you were truly a man of courage, you would come out and save your father, but you won't, will you? Because you're all just trash who do nothing but steal."

Despite the provocation, Tae Su did not move.

Tae Gon's expression brightened. Well done, my son. Please, don't think of revenge, and don't steal anymore. Live as you wish.

Geo Baek drew his sword, intending to execute Tae Gon himself.

Tae Gon closed his eyes, refusing to look at his son. If their eyes met, it would only hurt his son's heart.

"Stop!" someone screamed.

The owner of the voice that echoed through the place was Tae Su.

Tae Gon's face hardened. No!

However, Tae Su was already walking forward and climbing onto the stage. "I am his son."

Gasps erupted from all around. Some cheered and clapped, while sighs of pity came from all directions.

"Though you inherited the blood of a thief, your filial piety runs deep?" Geo Baek sneered.

Tae Su grit his teeth. He didn't know how much he had agonized over it all night. Should he set off a smoke bomb and use the confusion to escape? Bribe one of their experts? Disguise himself as one of their subordinates?

Unfortunately, there was no method he could accomplish in just one day. The Blood Shadow Sect had too many experts. This was the last resort he came up with.

"I am a direct subordinate of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Young Cult Leader!" he shouted.

In front of the Branch Manager, he was a person who was going to be a direct subordinate. Now, he introduced himself as one.

I'm sorry, Young Cult Leader. This is the my only hope.

Geo Baek's face twitched. "You're a subordinate of the Demonic Cult's Young Cult Leader?"

Tae Su nodded. "That's right."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Geo Baek laughed out loud. He didn't consider for a second that it might be true.

His subordinates on the stage laughed too, and laughter erupted from all over the crowd.

On the other hand, those who felt pity felt it even more keenly. They understood his feelings. How could they not understand his desire to save his father, even by doing this?

In any case, one thing was the same. Whether they were laughing or pitying, no one believed his words.

Geo Baek gestured with his eyes, and the experts on stage rushed to force Tae Su to his knees.

"There is no greater punishment than watching your own child die first," Geo Baek said.

Tae Gon, whose speech acupoint was sealed, struggled desperately, pleading to be allowed to speak.

At Geo Baek's signal, a martial artist released his pressure point.

"Please, spare my son. Please, spare him! I'm the one who did the stealing! If you spare my son, I'll do anything you say."

Geo Baek, who was looking at him with a sneer, made an unexpected offer. "If I spare your son, can you steal from the good people too? Can you steal every last bit of property from kind and good people?"

Tae Gon's eyes wavered. The words "I can" would not come out.

"So you choose your pride over your son."

Finally, Tae Su delivered the words he hadn't been able to say to his father. "I'm sorry, Father. What I said back then wasn't what I truly meant. I like you because you're not the kind of person who steals just anything."

Even if he was going to die, he had to say these words.

Distraught, Tae Gon shouted, "Why did you come? Why! What do those words matter! What does this old father matter!"

Tae Su trembled. Tears streamed from his father's eyes, flowing freely. It was the first time he had ever seen his father cry.

Seeing his father's tears, his vision blurred. Yes, he could have let his father go alone, but maybe he shouldn't have stepped forward at this moment. Seeing his father's tears made him think that.

But I couldn't just let you go without even trying, Father.

Geo Baek grabbed Tae Su by the collar and hauled him to his feet. "A sniveling brat like you claims to be a direct subordinate of the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?"

Tears streamed from Tae Su's eyes as well. "Yes, I… am the Young Cult Leader's direct subordinate… so let my father go."

Some laughed at the pathetic sight, but most of the people watched in silence. They wanted to step up and protect him, but they couldn't. They hoped someone would step forward, but no one could.

"If you're a limb of the Demonic Cult's Young Cult Leader, then I'm the Demonic Cult Leader!"

"Father!"

A cheerful voice rang out, cutting through the noise and clamor of the massive crowd. A single phrase, imbued with profound inner qi, pierced the ears of everyone present.

"Father!"

The crowd's gazes turned toward the speaker.

Geom Mugeuk strode forward, parting the crowd as he went. He then stared at Geo Baek. "Huh? You're not my father."