Chapter 890: The Bastards of the Central Plains Are All Beneath Me!

TL: FoodieMonster007

All eyes were on the bride.

Lee Ahn entered, her face veiled and dressed in a splendid wedding gown.

Female bodyguards from the Heavenly Demon Hall, also in formal attire, followed her like personal guards. As the Young Cult Leader's bride, she had been assigned her own security detail.

Lee Ahn walked slowly, more nervous than she had ever been in her life. Geom Mugeuk stood waiting for her ahead, not as the Young Cult Leader or a young master, but as a man.

Mugeuk.

Lee Ahn slowly approached and stood before him. One of the women who had accompanied her lifted the veil.

""WOOOOOW!""

The moment her face was revealed, a collective gasp erupted from the guests. Lee Ahn, her bridal makeup perfect, was truly stunning.

Just then, a woman among the guests shouted, "She's so beautiful!"

The Chairmen, the Empress, and the Cult Leader, all sitting with her in the front row, turned to look at the speaker. It was Jin Haryong.

Jin Haryong immediately grew awkward under their focused gazes.

Noticing his sister's dilemma, Jin Hagun shouted, "The groom is handsome too!"

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn heard both shouts. Geom Mugeuk turned to Jin Hagun and Jin Haryong and smiled brightly. However, with everyone watching, even he couldn't bring himself to shout back, 'Thanks, my friends!'

Lee Ahn was especially grateful to Jin Haryong for the compliment. She knew how difficult it must have been for her to say those words.

Thank you, Haryong.

Ak Gunhak and Cha Yiran were also among the guests. Geom Mugeuk had invited them and arranged seats in the second row with the Demon Supremes, but they had adamantly refused and sat in the back. After leaving the cult, they felt they could not receive the same treatment as the Demon Supremes.

Back when Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn had come to the inn and announced they were dating, they had never imagined the pair would get married so quickly.

"Aren't you envious?" Cha Yiran asked.

"?" Ak Gunhak stared at her, confused.

"The wedding,"Cha Yiran clarified.

"Isn't that a question a man usually asks a woman?"

"Well, since the man isn't asking, I might as well ask him."

Ak Gunhak turned his gaze from Cha Yiran back to the couple. Watching Geom Mugeuk's beaming smile, he said, "Seeing how happy he is, I guess I am a little envious."

"Should we get married too?" Cha Yiran asked eagerly, as if she had been waiting for the chance.

"!" Ak Gunhak flinched in surprise.

Cha Yiran chuckled. "Just joking. From the look on your face, one would think I ambushed you. Why are you so startled?"

Smiling bitterly, she turned her attention back to the ceremony.

Ak Gunhak asked unexpectedly. "You won't regret it?"

"!" Cha Yiran stared at him, shocked. "Well… They say you regret it if you get married, and you regret it if you don't, right? My personality is to just go for it first."

Ak Gunhak smiled at her straightforward answer.

Cha Yiran thought the conversation would end there, but Ak Gunhak surprised her again with the words she had been waiting for more than anything.

"We won't be able to have a ceremony as grand as this, though."

"Let's just invite those two. They'll be guests worth a hundred people each."

They both looked back at the wedding.

Cha Yiran's heart began to pound as hard as Lee Ahn's had during her entrance. From that moment on, she could no longer focus on the ceremony.

"The bride and groom will now bow to the parents of both families."

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn bowed to their parents, greeting Geom Woojin first.

"Father, we will live well."

"Father-in-law, we will live well."

An emotion Geom Mugeuk had never seen before flickered across Geom Woojin's face.

It was happiness.

Father, you were capable of feeling happiness?

What moved Geom Mugeuk even more was seeing this emotion for the first time at his own wedding.

Father, I saw it. I saw it clearly! From now on, I'll work hard to see that expression more often.

"Live well from now on," Geom Woojin said calmly to his son, then whispered only to Lee Ahn, "Please inform me if that rascal gives you any trouble."

Lee Ahn fought back tears. How can I ever repay his kindness?

"Yes, then you can scold him for me, Father," she replied softly.

Geom Woojin smiled brightly.

Geom Mugeuk was hit by a pang of jealousy. Father, you should smile at your son like that too!

He sensed Hwi's presence concealed behind his father. Hwi had intentionally revealed his aura, and he understood it was his uncle's way of congratulating him.

He looked in that direction and bowed his head slightly.

Thank you, Uncle Hwi.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn turned and walked toward the Fist Demon.

"Father-in-law, we will live well."

"Father, we will live well."

The Fist Demon's eyes reddened slightly as he saw the bride and groom standing side by side in their wedding attire, even though he was a man who wouldn't bat an eye if the world collapsed.

"Father, I will make Lee Ahn happy," Geom Mugeuk promised.

The Fist Demon nodded.

Lee Ahn could not bring herself to look at him. She knew that if she saw his face, she would burst into tears and ruin her makeup.

"You two, live happily."

"Yes, Father."

"……"

The Iron Fists of the Eastern Fist Garrison rose and let out a unified, powerful roar, led by Cheon Sohwi. ""Senior Brother, be happy!""

In that moment, Geom Mugeuk was not the Young Cult Leader, but the Senior Brother they had trained and sweated alongside. They were proud that Geom Mugeuk was their fellow disciple.

Among the guests watching were Green Mask and Seo Jin.

"Division Captain Seo."

"Yes, First Division Captain?"

"From now on, I want you to take charge of the Ghost Shadow Squad."

Seo Jin was startled. When Lee Ahn married, she had entrusted leadership of the Ghost Shadow Squad to Green Mask, but now, he was handing it to her?

"I've already spoken to Commander Lee and received her permission," Green Mask said.

"Why so suddenly?"

"I'm returning to the Valley of Evil. The Smiling Demon has agreed to take me back."

Green Mask had decided to return to serve under the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. When they met fighting the hidden forces, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had told him he could return if he wished. He had been conflicted, but Lee Ahn stepping down as leader prompted his decision.

He had taken the position of First Division Leader half for Geom Mugeuk and half for Lee Ahn. Now that one of those reasons was gone, he had decided to return.

Seo Jin was stunned. "Can I handle such a heavy responsibility?"

"You can. Besides, Commander Lee was already thinking of making you the Commander if it wasn't me."

And so, Seo Jin became the leader of the Ghost Shadow Squad.

The squad would continue to act as Geom Mugeuk's shadow organization and direct subordinate unit. They followed the Young Cult Leader for now, but the organization was destined to grow incomparably when Geom Mugeuk became the Cult Leader.

In the end, the position was taken by Seo Jin, Geom Mugeuk's closest friend. Fate, it seemed, was connecting the two of them.

Seo Jin asked cautiously, "First Division Leader, are you okay?"

"I'm not. How can I be okay when I'm about to become the prodigal son who returned?" Green Mask sighed. Behind the mask, though, his eyes were smiling. "Still, I don't regret my days here."

Seo Jin felt a pang of regret. If she had known they would part like this, she would have talked with him more. "Let's drink our fill at the banquet tonight."

"Let's do that, Commander Seo."

Meanwhile, the ceremony moved on to the next part.

"Now, we will have the officiant's address," Sama Myeong announced.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader took a deep breath and walked out from behind a folding screen, looking like a man heading into battle. He had stayed up all night practicing his speech.

Don't forget what you memorized!

With the most dignified expression he could muster, he walked out. For a moment, his eyes met with Jo Baekta, who was sitting in the front row.

[Disciple, have you been well?]

[Master, have you been well?]

[As you can see, I am doing fine.]

[I've missed you.]

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wanted to show Jo Baekta how well he was living here and what an important person he had become.

He stood facing Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn, the eyes of all the guests upon him. As the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, he was not one to be nervous under such gazes.

He looked at Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn. He was not their parent, but the moment was incredibly moving for him.

Just then, he saw Go Wol sitting among the guests in the distance, smiling at him. The moment he saw that smile, countless past events flashed through his mind, taking his memorized speech along with them.

Fuck. I can't remember a single thing!

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader grew flustered. How could he forget everything he had memorized so thoroughly? It was as if he had been struck by some evil art.

Say something, anything!

He needed to improvise, but his desire to do well was so strong that his mind went as blank as the walls in the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's room.

His face turned beet red. He truly felt like he wanted to hide using the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

Just then, a telepathic message from Geom Mugeuk reached him. [More than anyone else's, I want to receive your blessing, Cult Leader. A single word of congratulations is enough.]

The moment he heard those words, his flustered heart calmed.

[Sigh, to think I'm receiving your help even on a day like this!]

Geom Mugeuk was right. If it were anyone else, it might be different, but this was Geom Mugeuk. What need was there for a meticulously memorized speech? Just looking at Geom Mugeuk's face gave him so much to say.

Finally, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader opened his mouth. "For today's address, I will speak comfortably to the couple getting married. I ask for the guests' understanding."

He turned to the couple.

"I'm truly happy that the first wedding I've ever officiated is yours."

He gazed at Geom Mugeuk.

"I thought you would never get married."

He had his reasons for thinking so.

"You can't pass by a wicked person, ignore someone who's been wronged, or fail to help anyone who's stuck. You clear up misunderstandings and free those in shackles. Where on earth would you find the time to get married?"

The guests who knew Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly. Every word applied to them. Even those who did not know him could instantly understand what kind of person he was.

Yong Jinhu, in particular, understood why his father had wanted to introduce him to the Young Cult Leader. He also understood why the Murim Alliance Chairman had come here in person.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Lee Ahn standing beside him and shouted, "I couldn't help it, I love her too much!"

Laughter erupted from all around. Lee Ahn's face turned beet red, and she lowered her head.

As Geom Mugeuk lightened the mood, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader felt even more at ease.

"Of the many promises a person can make, I believe the most difficult one to keep is the promise to protect someone for the rest of your life."

His gaze shifted to Go Wol in the distance. He himself had abandoned his position as Cult Leader and come to the Young Cult Leader out of a desire to protect Go Wol.

Go Wol nodded, his eyes saying he understood his heart completely.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's gaze returned to Geom Mugeuk. "As far as I know, you're the person most likely to keep that promise. What do you say? Can you protect your heart for the rest of your life?"

"Yes! My heart will beat with me for the rest of my life."

This time, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked at Lee Ahn. "Your man is someone who meddles in everyone's business. If a beggar were crying and blocking the road, I'd kick him out of the way, but your man is the type to squat down next to him. You know this, right? And you're still marrying him?"

"Yes," Lee Ahn answered softly.

"Then that's all that matters." The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader smiled brightly. "Please, be happy."

With that, the address was over. Applause and cheers erupted from all sides.

As the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader stepped down from the platform, Jo Baekta bowed his head to him.

[Master, you were magnificent!]

[You brat, who do you think I am? The bastards of the Central Plains are all beneath me!]

"……" Jo Baekta stared at his master skeptically. The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's back was soaked with sweat.

The ceremony moved on to the next part.

The Jo Cheonbae couple watched the ceremony with ease. Normally, they would have felt uncomfortable sitting so close to the front, but the families of Jang Ho and Seo Daeryong were seated on either side of them.

Next to them sat Kang Dal, formerly the head of the Zheng'an Branch and now the Third Combat Squad Captain of the Sanzu River Hall. Smart and diligent in all he did, he was expected to eventually rise to the position of Combat Division Commander.

Nearby, the Insect Physician and the Demonic Doctor were discussing medicine. Geom Mugeuk had arranged for them to sit together to discuss their arts. The Demonic Doctor, having heard she was coming, had greeted her first, and the two had been talking about medicine ever since.

The Insect Physician's back was straight, and she no longer needed to rub her aching limbs. The Demonic Doctor, too, had completely overcome the wounds of his past and seemed like a different, brighter person.

Pyo Jigwang, the Insect Physician's disciple, had never seen his master discuss medicine so excitedly. His gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk. He could not help but admire Geom Mugeuk's consideration, even on his own wedding day.

Next to them sat the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, whose emotions were different from everyone else's. This was the moment the fate she had foreseen became reality, yet the one who had shown it to her was not Geom Mugeuk, but Lee Ahn. She had told Lee Ahn she was special precisely because she had foreseen this destiny.

Beside her sat the Evil Eccentric, a master of the unorthodox sects. After helping Geom Mugeuk, he had left, but he felt he had to attend the wedding. He had rarely attended another person's wedding in his life, and this was the first time he had ever sat so quietly.

In the row behind them were Master Gwak from the smithy and Gwak Yeong, the former Murim Alliance's Iron Abbot. She had come at Geom Muyang's invitation.

"Starting tomorrow, you will also participate in the creation of the treasured sword,", Master Gwak said to her.

Gwak Yeong's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Master Gwak nodded. Gwak Yeong talent was too exceptional to waste on only making iron swords just because she came from the Murim Alliance. "In return, I will manage you more strictly."

"Thank you."

Gwak Yeong was overjoyed. She thought she might finally forge a proper sword for the First Young Lord, fulfilling a promise she had made to her friend in her heart.

Meanwhile, the wedding ceremony came to an end.

"The bride and groom will now greet the guests."

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn bowed their heads respectfully. ""Thank you!""

After thanking them loudly, Geom Mugeuk looked out at the guests who had come to congratulate him. All the people who had died before his regression were alive and smiling at him.

He smiled brightly back. They probably thought he was smiling because he was happy to be married, but this smile held a different meaning.

His gaze finally landed on Lee Ahn.

The moment their eyes met, they naturally moved toward each other and kissed.

In that instant, the countless gazes watching them disappeared. Only the two of them remained in the world.

WOAAAAH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! WOAAAH! BOOM BOOM BOOOOOOOM!

Cheers erupted from all sides, accompanied by beautiful fireworks exploding in the sky.

Beneath the colorful kaleidoscope, a voice announced, "Now, let the celebratory banquet begin!"