Chapter 887: At Least You Avoided the Fate of That Cult Leader From Back Then

TL: FoodieMonster007

When Geom Muyang returned to his residence, he found Geom Mugeuk sitting on a rock in the courtyard, looking up at the moon.

"Are you doing all the Cult's work by yourself? Why are you so late?" Geom Mugeuk complained.

Geom Muyang ignored him and asked directly, "What brings you here at this hour?"

"I missed you, Hyung, and I have something to talk about."

Geom Muyang already knew what his younger brother was about to say. "You're getting married?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

"Is there anyone who doesn't know?"

"Seriously, there are no secrets in our Cult."

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. News of his marriage was already the talk of the cult.

Geom Muyang walked over and sat next to Geom Mugeuk.

The simple act, so natural for brothers, deeply moved Geom Mugeuk. It meant their relationship was finally open.

"Sorry for cutting in line," Geom Mugeuk said.

Geom Muyang replied, "It's fine. I have no intention of getting married."

"I used to be the same."

"?" Geom Muyang glanced at his younger brother.

"But when I came to my senses, I was already saying, 'Please give me your daughter's hand in marriage.'"

Geom Muyang laughed at the joke. "You'll do well in your marriage."

"You think so?"

"You'll be a good husband and a good father."

Geom Mugeuk turned his gaze from the night sky to his brother. "I think you, Hyung, would be a really good father. I'm not so sure about being a good husband, though."

"?" Geom Muyang gave him a questioning look.

"You're just like Father, aren't you?" Geom Mugeuk teased.

Geom Muyang fell into deep thought. Am I really like Father? The Demonic Buddha always said I resembled the Cult Leader more than Geom Mugeuk did. Now that I think about it, Jin Paecheon, the Murim Alliance Chairman, said something similar.

"Do you really think I'm similar to Father?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded. "I think if you keep aging like this, you'll become exactly like him."

"Father would hate to hear that."

"He'd love it. I say it all the time, don't I? No one can stop our father's love for his eldest son."

A faint smile appeared on Geom Muyang's lips.

Geom Mugeuk continued, "You should get married too, Hyung, so we can shower him with grandsons and granddaughters. He won't be able to draw his sword with grandchildren in both arms, right?"

"He'd probably fight using the Sword Levitation Technique while holding them."

Geom Mugeuk burst into laughter. It felt good to talk with his brother like this after so long.

Now, even sitting in silence was not awkward. They watched the moon together for a while.

"You must be tired, so get some rest. I'm leaving." Standing up, Geom Mugeuk turned to head out.

Geom Muyang called from behind him. "Geuk."

Geom Mugeuk paused. It was the first time his elder brother had called him that since they were little kids.

"Congratulations."

Geom Mugeuk turned his head. Under the moonlight, his brother looked more dependable than ever. "Thanks, Hyung."

When Geom Mugeuk visited, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was packing his belongings.

"Where are you going?" Geom Mugeuk asked, surprised.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader gave an unexpected answer. "I'm thinking of going on a trip by myself. Don't worry. I'll be back before your wedding."

"By yourself?"

"Of course, all. by. myself." The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's lingering resentment flared up. "You said it, didn't you? That the three of us—you, me, and Go Wol—should go on a vacation together."

"I remember."

"Go Wol is too busy to go, and you can't go because you're getting married now. What choice do I have? I have to go alone!" The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader smiled mysteriously. In truth, he was just planning to visit the Hero Inn. He had named it, so of course he had to go see it. "By the way, what brings you here?"

"I came to ask a favor." Geom Mugeuk said. "Please officiate my wedding."

"You want me to what…?" The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was stunned. He was so surprised he thought he had misheard.

"Officiate my wedding. Please do it for me, Elder."

"Aren't there many Demon Supremes you're close to besides me?" The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was taken aback. He had expected that if Geom Mugeuk were to ask someone to officiate, it would be the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. "Did you perhaps ask the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and get rejected?"

"No. I haven't spoken to Elder Blade Demon. You are the first person I'm asking."

The fact that he had come to him first made the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader feel both thrilled and puzzled. "Why me?"

"Is there a reason why you can't? Didn't you tell me to stop the unification of the murim by giving Father a grandchild?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader nodded. Yes, he had certainly said that to Geom Mugeuk.

"I'm doing as you told me, Cult Leader. I'm getting married because of you. You'll have to take responsibility if I regret it later."

"What kind of nonsense is that! And how can someone who has never been married officiate a wedding?"

"A martial artist is not bound by common laws and etiquette. Didn't Elder Blade Demon officiate the Sanzu Hall Director's wedding a while back?"

"That's because they have a master-disciple relationship."

"Aren't you my master as well, Elder?"

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader finally recalled that little fact. A long time ago, they had agreed to treat each other as master and disciple within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique. He had thought it was more of a joke, though.

"Thanks to the Spacetime Manipulation Technique and the Heavenly Space Secret Art, I was able to kill the Celestial Killer Star. Not only that, but I also overcame several other crises." Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. "Just like the Fist Demon, you are also my Master, Cult Leader."

Hearing the word "Master" outside the Spacetime Manipulation Technique deeply moved the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. Regardless, as if to hide his emotions, he put on a suspicious look. "Tell me honestly. What are you up to?"

"You abandoned everything and came to me, Cult Leader."

"I stuck around because of Go Wol, not you."

"You gave me precious divine artifacts without hesitation."

"Go Wol made me give you those, too."

"You fought against the Celestial Killer Star for our Cult."

"Because Go Wol would have died if this place was breached."

Geom Mugeuk smiled. "This is why I'm asking you to officiate my wedding. You do all these things that others would find difficult to do even once, yet you're a wonderful person who never boasts about it."

"!" An even greater wave of emotion washed over the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's face. Hearing such words from Geom Mugeuk, of all people, felt good.

"Just as you gave Ak-hyung a name for his inn, please mark my new beginning, Cult Leader. I really respect you."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's heart skipped a beat. How could he refuse when respect was mentioned?

"Very well, I will officiate your wedding," he said.

"Thank you." Geom Mugeuk bowed his head to express his thanks.

Right after, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader rushed straight to the Hidden Moon. Calling for Go Wol, he immediately started bragging. "The Young Cult Leader asked me to officiate his wedding. He said he respects me!"

Watching the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, who seemed ready to fly with joy, Go Wol smiled. "You're that happy?"

"Of course, I am. It's not just anyone's wedding, it's the Young Cult Leader's wedding, isn't it? People from both the orthodox and unorthodox will surely attend. It will be a wedding attended by the entire murim, and I will be the one officiating it."

Go Wol knew the real reason for his joy. "It's not because the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader from the Outer Regions is coming?"

"!" The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader flinched. His disciple and the current Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, Jo Baekta, would certainly be invited and would attend.

"You don't want to show off to him?" Go Wol teased.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader could not deny it. How humiliating would it be for his disciple to see his master, who had abandoned everything, sitting unnoticed in the crowd? It would wound both his pride and his disciple's. "F-Fine, you win! I want to show that punk that I'm not dead yet."

Go Wol smiled. "Cult Leader."

"What is it?"

"This is what I call success."

"What is?"

"You may not have become the Young Cult Leader's right-hand man, but at least you avoided the sad fate of the Cult Leader from back then."

"The same goes for you. Your organization is established right here in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Headquarters, so you've avoided the fate of that shackled prisoner from back then. At this point, we've both succeeded!"

The two men faced each other and laughed heartily, feeling great.

"This is no time for me to be standing around. What should I wear? Have I gained some weight lately? Should I get a new formal robe tailored?"

Finally, the day before the wedding arrived. The Demon Village was a sea of people, with guests from all over the Central Plains. Every inn was full, and the Divine Cult provided temporary lodging for those who could not find a place to stay.

To prevent any unfortunate incidents, the Demonic Army itself stepped in to manage everything. Thanks to them, everyone kept their tempers in check, and there were no unpleasant events.

"I wonder if we'll even be able to see properly with so many people," Yang In, Jo Cheonbae's wife, said worriedly.

Jo Cheonbae nodded. "We have to go even if we can only see from a distance. How can we not attend that person's wedding?"

The two had even bought new clothes to attend the wedding the next day.

"You're attending too?" a nearby customer interjected.

It was near closing time for the tavern, so only the last few customers remained. Jo Cheonbae had spoken softly, but his words were overheard.

The two men at the table were guests from afar who followed the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Sect Leader of the Iron Claw Sect, Hyeong Soin, and his son, Hyeong Dae. The one who had just spoken was the son, Hyeong Dae.

"How can a tavern owner attend? Is that even possible?"

Jo Cheonbae politely explained. "We were told that the residents of the Demon Village are free to attend the wedding tomorrow."

"Who said that?"

"The martial artists from the Sanzu River Hall came and informed us themselves."

Hyeong Dae blinked in utter incomprehension. "So? You're just going to go because they told you to?"

His father, Hyeong Soin, tried to stop him. "Dae, that's enough."

"No, isn't it true? Does a tavern owner even know what kind of event he's going to?"

Although Hyeong Soin was stopping his son, he secretly felt the same. If even a tavern owner could attend so freely, it devalued their own invitation, which they had bragged so much about.

Jo Cheonbae sighed. This was exactly what the residents of the Demon Village had been worried about. Not only would the crowd be too large to see anything properly, they were also afraid of getting into a fight with the martial artists if they went.

And here a fight was, breaking out before they even went.

Jo Cheonbae bowed his head. In times like these, it was best not to make excuses. He bowed as if to apologize, but Hyeong Dae persistently demanded an answer.

"So, are you going or not?"

If he said he was not going and then ran into them there, it would be a huge problem. Jo Cheonbae stood there not knowing what to do, when someone spoke from behind him.

"Of course the owner will be attending," Geom Mugeuk insisted.

"Young Cult Leader!"

At those words, the two from the Iron Claw Sect shot up from their seats.

Jo Cheonbae was shocked. He had never expected Geom Mugeuk to visit the day before his wedding. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see my dear tavern owner's face. I also have something for you."

"But you must be busy with the wedding preparations!"

"What's there for me to be busy with? It's the people preparing who are having a hard time. Ah, the bride was busy today, so she couldn't come. She asked me to tell you she's sorry for not being able to come with me."

"Oh my, you don't have to say that."

Geom Mugeuk greeted Jo Cheonbae's wife as well. "Have you been well, madam?"

"Greetings, Young Cult Leader."

Yang In's eyes filled with emotion and gratitude as she looked at Geom Mugeuk. This was the Young Cult Leader who had saved her husband and family, and he was the greatest source of pride in her husband's life.

After the greetings, Geom Mugeuk looked at Hyeong Soin and Hyeong Dae. The father and son held their breath, their heads bowed.

To make a mistake against someone the Young Cult Leader knows, right before his wedding?

It was clear this was no ordinary relationship. He had misspoken badly.

We'll be made blood sacrifices for tomorrow's wedding!

Hyeong Soin's heart sank. The fact that they had been caught misspeaking meant their deaths. It could even lead to the annihilation of his sect.

"I am fond of the people of the Demon Village," Geom Mugeuk said firmly. "I especially like the owner here the most."

Hyeong Dae stuttered, "I-I'm sorry. I failed to recognize a distinguished person and made a mistake."

Geom Mugeuk fixed him with a stern gaze. He could have spoken softly, but for the young man's sake, he let a cold demonic qi seep into his words. "This murim is a place where a single mistake can cost you your life. Today's mistake isn't that severe, but on an unlucky day, you can lose your life for a mistake much more trivial than this. The next time your reckless mouth feels the urge to speak, be sure to remember this moment."

Hyeong Dae nodded desperately. "I will keep that in mind."

Hyeong Soin bowed his head politely. "Thank you for your mercy."

Geom Mugeuk sent Hyeong Soin a telepathic message. [You should have stopped your son earlier, and more forcefully.]

[I'm sorry. It was my oversight.]

[If you raise him like this, you will one day lose your precious son. Use today's incident as an opportunity to educate him properly.]

[I will keep that in mind, Young Cult Leader.]

Hyeong Dae turned to Jo Cheonbae and apologized. "Owner, please forgive my rudeness."

"Not at all, not at all. I'm fine."

The two men bowed respectfully to Geom Mugeuk and then left.

Jo Cheonbae and Yang In looked at each other. This was why they respected the Young Cult Leader. He was a considerate person who handled matters smoothly to ensure no harm came to them.

As if nothing had happened, Geom Mugeuk looked around the interior of the Alluring Inn. The newly built interior was certainly more spacious and cleaner. The location of the kitchen and the arrangement of the tables were all decorated to resemble the old place as much as possible.

"You've made the inside just like it was before," he remarked.

"I did it that way because it's more comfortable for me," Jo Cheonbae explained. "Most of the people who visit my place are regulars, too."

Geom Mugeuk nodded, but something else had remained the same as well.

"Up there on the third floor, there's a seat reserved for you, Young Cult Leader."

Originally, the Young Cult Leader's seat was on the second floor, a place he would give up whenever the Cult Leader or a Demon Supreme came. Now, that seat had been moved to the third floor.

Geom Mugeuk went up to the third floor. Jo Cheonbae followed behind him. Yang In, thinking the Young Cult Leader might want a drink, followed with alcohol and simple snacks.

The third floor had only 2 tables prepared, one small and one large.

"We don't accept any customers here at all."

"You don't have to go this far. Owner, you need to run your business."

Jo Cheonbae smiled faintly. "To be honest, it's becoming too much for me to run the business up to the third floor. Even if I hire more people, I'd have to pay more attention. So I decided to make it a place just for you, Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk noticed that Jo Cheonbae had a lot more white hair than when he first saw him. "Don't you want to retire and rest comfortably now?"

"There's a saying among us businessmen. If a person who has worked their whole life suddenly rests, that's when they get sick, and then they die. For me, working is resting. In fact, I don't even know how to rest. Oh, but I will rest well for one day tomorrow. After the ceremony, I'm going on an outing with my wife."

Geom Mugeuk took a red envelope from his sleeve and handed it over. "Here, take this. I came to give you this."

Jo Cheonbae was startled when he checked what was inside. It was a formal invitation to Geom Mugeuk's wedding.

"If you show this to the martial artist at the entrance, they will guide you to a seat at the front where you can see the ceremony well. I've already told them, so our Cult's martial artists will take good care of you and your wife tomorrow."

"Oh my! This is something we humble people cannot accept."

Jo Cheonbae and Yang In were flustered and did not know what to do.

"Humble? You are such a precious person to me."

Jo Cheonbae looked at Geom Mugeuk, his eyes full of emotion. What merit did I accumulate in a past life to receive such a blessing? Do you know? Thanks to you, Young Cult Leader, the final years of my life are the most brilliant.

Geom Mugeuk filled 3 cups with the alcohol Yang In had brought and raised it for a toast. "I'll be busy tomorrow and won't be able to greet you two properly, so shall we share a celebratory drink in advance?"