Chapter 884: You've Been Swayed by That Signboard, Haven't You?

TL: FoodieMonster007

Cha Yiran smiled and rose from her seat. "As you can see, I have a very important guest."

Indeed, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was the most important guest Sa Juyeong and Lee Gaek had ever seen.

"Don't mind us, please go ahead," Sa Juyeong said.

"Thank you for understanding." Cha Yiran got up and walked over to the table where Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn were sitting.

Sa Juyeong glanced at Lee Gaek.

Lee Gaek gave him a nod as if to say, good job. His young master often acted clueless, but he knew how to read the room in moments like this…

Sa Juyeong sent a telepathic message to Lee Gaek. [Do you think we can still get money from them like this?]

Lee Gaek instantly took back his previous thought. Sa Juyeong still had a long way to go. [You want to collect protection money from a friend of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? We'll be lucky if we don't get shaken down ourselves.]

Sa Juyeong peeked at Geom Mugeuk. It wasn't just him, every guest in the inn was stealing glances at the Young Cult Leader. The chance to see such a famous person up close was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A Young Cult Leader who follows the rules and checks in the Black Demon Sword wouldn't kill anyone in this inn, would he?

Reassured by that thought, they all pretended not to look while furtively watching him.

Sa Juyeong asked, [Is he really the Young Cult Leader? He's so different from what I imagined.]

They had expected the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult to be terrifyingly fierce, cold and unapproachable, someone you could not even dare to meet eyes with. Instead, he was so… cheerful and easygoing?

And the woman beside him, was she his bodyguard? It didn't seem like it. They looked more like friends, or perhaps lovers.

[The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult is traveling around like this without a bodyguard?]

Lee Gaek shrugged, sharing the sentiment.

First Yeom Hwain, and now this Young Cult Leader. Certain things made them question whether these people were real, but they couldn't be fakes. If someone impersonated the Young Cult Leader, would the Demonic Cult ever let them be?

Geom Mugeuk even bought a round of drinks for everyone. "Ak-hyung, give everyone here a bottle of wine!"

Waiters fanned out across the inn, distributing drinks.

Ak Gunhak and Cha Yiran both understood why Geom Mugeuk was doing such a thing. He wanted the rumors to spread faster. After all, who could resist bragging about getting a drink from the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

Only then did Geom Mugeuk turn to Ak Gunhak and begin talking in earnest. "You've decorated the inside of the inn beautifully."

Lee Ahn looked around the interior, equally impressed. "Yes, I've never seen such a wonderful inn before."

"Young Lady Lee, let's just live off him here. He'll probably give us a job."

Cha Yiran flinched. "Wait!" She narrowed her eyes and fixed Geom Mugeuk with an interrogating look. "Young Lady Lee? Did you just say Young Lady Lee?"

Geom Mugeuk feigned surprise. "Did I say Young Lady Lee?"

"And you used formal speech, too."

"Oh no, I made a mistake!"

Lee Ahn shook her head. Such awkward acting.

She knew this was a planned performance, designed to let Geom Mugeuk's feigned surprise be seen through. He was doing it on purpose to boast about their relationship.

Cha Yiran looked at Lee Ahn. She said nothing, but she could read the truth plainly from Lee Ahn's expression. "Congratulations to you both."

Finally, Ak Gunhak caught on. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Ak-hyung!" Geom Mugeuk confessed his true feelings to Ak Gunhak. "I've been dying to brag about it. I wanted to shout it the moment I walked through that door."

"It's worth bragging about. Congratulations too, Young Lady Lee."

Lee Ahn bowed. "Thank you."

Ak Gunhak shared a story for Lee Ahn's sake. It wasn't the sort of thing he would normally say, but he felt he had to this time. "When Mugeuk and I were enemies, I once asked him what his relationship with Young Lady Lee was. He told me you were his heart."

Lee Ahn was deeply moved. To think he had said that to the great Ak Gunhak when I wasn't around. It wasn't just one of his usual jokes.

"You've chosen a difficult path," Cha Yiran added. She had congratulated Lee Ahn sincerely, but she knew better than anyone that the road ahead would not be easy.

Lee Ahn returned the sentiment. "Isn't it the same for you, Martial Artist Cha?"

"Still, this side is a bit easier."

"I'm a much easier person to deal with than Ak-hyung in many ways!" Geom Mugeuk butted in.

Lee Ahn, Cha Yiran, and even Ak Gunhak all shook their heads at once.

Geom Mugeuk's jaw dropped. "Are you really saying I'm more difficult than that free spirit?"

Cha Yiran nodded firmly. "The fact that you didn't know that is more surprising."

"By the way, does the Cult Leader know?" Ak Gunhak asked.

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. "Not yet. I'll tell him when I get back."

Lee Ahn's heart pounded. Just imagining the moment they would tell the Cult Leader they were dating made her feel like her heart would burst.

And how would my father react, too?

Ak Gunhak turned to a waiter. "Bring out the best wine we have. We have to have a celebratory drink."

The waiter returned with the most expensive bottle of wine in the Hero Inn, and the four of them raised their glasses for a toast.

Just then, a man stepped into the inn. He was a well-dressed, middle-aged man with unnaturally smooth skin.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the man and smiled enigmatically. "All sorts of strange things are showing up, huh?" he remarked, having seen right through the man at a single glance.

Lee Ahn, having developed her own eye for such things, also sized the man up in a single glance. "It must be really hard to run a business."

Ak Gunhak sighed. "Still, he's a customer, so I have to serve him."

He rose from his seat, walked over to the man, and asked, "Is this your first time at our inn?"

"Yes."

"Please read the rules over there first."

The man read the rules. He showed no surprise, which suggested he had come already knowing the regulations. "I don't use weapons, so that doesn't apply to me. I have no intention of fighting or killing anyone, so that's fine too. And I won't be causing any trouble, so it doesn't matter."

"How many days will you be staying?"

"About two days. I'll have a drink before you show me to a room."

"Please, take any seat you like."

The man walked into the inn.

[Don't make eye contact with that man,] Lee Gaek told Sa Juyeong, recognizing the man instantly.

Sa Juyeong tilted his head. [Who is he?]

[The Handsome Wraith!]

Sa Juyeong searched his memories. The Handsome Wraith was a notorious lecher in the murim. He had violated and murdered countless women, and had become a public enemy whose whereabouts had been unknown until today. [If he's a lecher, he must be here for the innkeeper, right?]

[Most likely.]

[We have to warn them.]

[Be careful. He's known for his insidious and vengeful nature. He looks like he's in his thirties, but he's actually well over seventy.]

[Over seventy?]

[That's how profound his inner qi is.]

Lee Gaek was troubled. If they interfered and earned the Handsome Wraith's grudge, Sa Juyeong could be in danger. The man's infamy was that great. [Well, they have the Young Cult Leader with them, so let's just watch for now.]

Still, he wondered, Will those people even be able to tell that this man is a lecher?

The man who had just entered the Hero Inn grinned. He was indeed the Handsome Wraith.

He had come after hearing rumors that the innkeeper of the Hero Inn was exceptionally beautiful. He had not appeared in such a crowded place since becoming a public enemy of the murim, but today he had taken the risk.

It was worth it.

The moment he saw Cha Yiran's face, he was ecstatic. For a woman so beautiful, he thought he would have to break his principle of not keeping one for more than a day and live with her for a while.

Suddenly, Lee Ahn, who had her back turned, glanced to the side.

The Handsome Wraith's expression brightened further. Today will be the best day of my life! Though, peerless beauties like these are bound to have bodyguards.

Resolving to kidnap both women if he could, he glanced at Geom Mugeuk and Ak Gunhak. The young man with the innocent, cheery face looked like the pampered son of some prestigious family. The man with the ponytail who had made him read the rules did not seem like a great martial master either.

I can't let my guard down just yet. An inn with rules like this must have a master standing by somewhere.

He surveyed the inn cautiously. No matter how carefully he looked, though, he could not spot anyone guarding the women.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Now that his lust was ignited, he was determined to take the women regardless. As a public enemy of the murim, he had nothing left to lose.

Cha Yiran stood up from her seat. "I'm going to the back garden for a moment. I have some unfinished business from earlier."

She walked toward the back garden.

The Handsome Wraith, who had been surveying his surroundings, stood and pretended to head for the outhouse before following her.

His heart pounded. It had been a long time since he had felt this thrilled while hunting a woman.

He passed through a hallway and emerged into the beautifully decorated back garden. Cha Yiran moved through it at an unhurried pace, and he crept after her in silence.

When he rounded a corner, he found her standing there, waiting for him.

Cha Yiran smiled mysteriously. "Were you following me?"

Sensing no other presence nearby, the Handsome Wraith let his mask slip. "It's your fault for being born beautiful."

"And not your fault for being born hideous?"

The Handsome Wraith's eyes sharpened. For some reason, the innkeeper showed no sign of fear.

Cha Yiran continued, "Regardless, allow me to first finish what I was doing before."

She stepped aside, and the scene behind her came into view.

The Handsome Wraith's eyes widened in shock. A deep pit had been dug into the ground, and beside it lay a corpse.

Cha Yiran walked over to the body.

The Handsome Wraith remained where he was. "Who is the dead person?" he asked coldly.

Cha Yiran replied casually, "Just someone who didn't follow the third rule of this inn."

The Handsome Wraith stiffened. In other words, that person murdered another guest.

"The front of the inn may be splendid, but there's always another side to it," Cha Yiran explained. "You should know that well, right? Since you're hiding so much ugliness beneath your smooth face."

"!" The Handsome Wraith twitched uncomfortably.

Cha Yiran looked down into the pit. "I was annoyed at being called away while I was working earlier, but this actually works out for the better. I won't have to dig a second grave."

After watching the two leave, Sa Juyeong said to Lee Gaek, [That woman must have been attacked! We should have warned them.]

[The woman will be fine,] Lee Gaek reassured.

[How can you be so sure?]

[The three people over there also saw him follow her, yet none of them even batted an eye.]

[That's probably because they don't know who he is.]

Lee Gaek shook his head. Perhaps that was it, but he had a feeling that wasn't the case. This was not an inn to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, all sorts of thoughts raced through Sa Juyeong's head. [Should we leave now? No, if we do, we might get framed for whatever happened, right? If something happens to her, that Young Cult Leader might kill us all. It's better to just leave, right? Right?]

Just as he was agonizing over it, the back door swung open and Cha Yiran walked inside. Her eyes met Sa Juyeong's as she crossed the room.

"Master Sa, are the wine and food to your liking?"

"They're excellent…!?" Sa Juyeong froze. The bloodstain on the innkeeper's sleeve had gotten bigger. "Erm… There's more blood on you."

"Don't worry, it's not my blood," Cha Yiran replied without a hint of concern, as if such happenings were a daily occurrence.

Sa Juyeong gulped nervously.

Cha Yiran smiled and added, "I'm kidding, just kidding. Please enjoy your meal."

When she had returned to her seat, Sa Juyeong turned to Lee Gaek. "Let's get out of this creepy place."

"Yeah, let's."

The two of them stood up and paid the bill. Before they could leave, however, the inn's door swung open and two men strode in with swords drawn, their killing intent filling the room.

"Back off! Anyone who moves from now on dies!"

Sa Juyeong and Lee Gaek stepped back again. This damn inn! they thought in unison.

One of the two martial artists leaped to the corner where Ak Gunhak usually stood and thrust his hand into the barrel of swords.

"Didn't I tell you I saw it here?" he said, pulling out the Soul Burning Flame Blade.

The other man asked, "Is it the real Soul Burning Flame Blade?"

The first man drew the dao from the scabbard. "Look, it's genuine… Woah! Look here! Over here!" He rushed toward the rack and his excitement surged. "This! This is the Sun Moon Sword!"

Ak Gunhak sighed. "Why is it especially chaotic today?"

The grand opening hadn't been long ago, and all sorts of characters had been turning up ever since. Even so, this was the first time so many incidents had erupted one after another in a single day.

"We have someone who brings storms wherever he goes, don't we?" Cha Yiran giggled, staring at Geom Mugeuk.

Ak Gunhak immediately turned on Geom Mugeuk. "You told me to open an inn like this just so you could watch me suffer, didn't you?"

"This is how you'll last a long time," Geom Mugeuk explained. "How could you two possibly run a normal inn?"

Cha Yiran nodded. "Thanks to that, we're making a lot of money. Oh, he just touched the Sun Moon Sword. You should go, Gunhak."

Ak Gunhak walked over to the man. "Sir, please put down that sword and read the rules written on the wall…"

Geom Mugeuk took a smug sip of his wine and watched Ak Gunhak work. "You don't need any side dishes here. The entertainment's enough of a side dish!"

That night, as Geom Mugeuk helped Ak Gunhak close the Hero Inn, he looked up at the signboard. The characters on the signboard were written in none other than Cult Leader Geom Woojin's hand.

"It seems my father likes you, Ak-hyung."

"I went to pay my respects before opening the inn," Ak Gunhak said.

Geom Mugeuk thought it was simply a farewell visit for leaving the cult, but it was not.

Ak Gunhak added, "I went to apologize for being unable to keep a promise."

"A promise? What promise?"

Ak Gunhak told Geom Mugeuk about the vow he had made with Geom Woojin. "I promised the Cult Leader that I would be on your side."

"You promised Father that? Why?"

"The Cult Leader wished for it."

Geom Mugeuk went still. He had not known his father had made such a promise with Ak Gunhak. "…What did Father say when you told him you were leaving?"

"He told me to do well in business and wrote those characters himself."

Geom Mugeuk smiled. This was just like his father. "Ak-hyung."

Ak Gunhak looked at him.

"On the day I'm set to have my showdown with my father, come and be on my side."

Ak Gunhak looked back up at the signboard and hesitated. "……"

"…Why aren't you answering? Don't tell me you've been swayed by that signboard?"

Ak Gunhak smiled. "It's just too cool, isn't it? Both the calligraphy and the Cult Leader who wrote it. So find someone else who will have more sway."

"Where am I going to find someone with more sway than you, Ak-hyung?!"

Ak Gunhak smiled enigmatically. "There isn't anyone yet, but I have a feeling there might be in the future."