Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 276: Shut That Mouth for Once
The three stood there, looking at each other.
To be precise, Jin Hagun and Bih Sa-in were staring at Geom Mugeuk.
Jin Hagun's gaze toward Geom Mugeuk had changed from meeting him one hour ago.
Suddenly, his younger sister's words from before he left came to mind.
—You need to abandon any preconceptions when dealing with him. Don’t assume that just because he’s a demonic practitioner, he must act a certain way. He’s not the person you think he is.
Now, Jin Hagun clearly understood why his sister had said those words. Geom Mugeuk wasn’t the man he had imagined, and dreaded. An intense curiosity sparked in him toward this man who might become his lifelong rival.
Just then, someone spoke.
"...It's unfair."
Everyone's attention turned to the person who had spoken.
Seo Cheong, still collapsed on the ground, was staring at them. The blood seeping from Seo Baek-jung's body had soaked his clothes, but he appeared half in a daze.
"I'm telling you, it's unfair."
A moment ago, shouting had felt cathartic. He had felt a sense of relief. Hypocrites! Didn’t any of you kill someone, too?
But that was all. The moment that feeling passed, he was overwhelmed by a deep emptiness. No one was paying any attention to him. It was as if the things he had yelled about hadn't even happened.
He had always lived as the center of attention.
Now, not a single person in the banquet hall cared about him.
He should have been enraged by his father’s death and terrified at the prospect of spending the rest of his life imprisoned. But instead, he was consumed by a sense of victimhood, feeling ignored and abandoned.
"So just spare me."
Geom Mugeuk stared at him with emotionless eyes. If Seo Cheong had clung to his father’s corpse and cursed him, perhaps Geom Mugeuk might have felt a sliver of pity.
But even at the last moment, Seo Cheong could only think about himself.
With an eye flicker from Geom Mugeuk, two of his guards suppressed Seo Cheong’s inner energy and dragged him out. They blocked his pressure points to stop him from shouting, leaving him powerless as he was hauled away. Soon, through the demonic practitioners of the Honam branch, Seo Cheong would be dragged to the hellish prison of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s headquarters.
Geom Mugeuk didn’t say a single word to Seo Cheong. He didn’t acknowledge his pleas. He didn’t care about him at all.
He simply cast him into hell without any meaning or consideration. 1
This was Geom Mugeuk’s consistent attitude toward wicked people who deserved to die.
From his demeanor, Jin Hagun could somewhat grasp what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was. If it had been him, he would have definitely said something like, ‘Because of you, your father died, so live the rest of your life in regret’. But Geom Mugeuk, without even giving a cold glance, completely ignored him. That felt even more frightening and cruel.
Jin Hagun felt that today he had truly experienced what the martial world was like. It was a very spicy taste, but not an unpleasant one. It was a taste he wanted to experience again.
At the same time, he also felt a desire. Next time, he wanted to cook the dish himself and show its proper flavor.
"I won’t forget what happened today."
Though it sounded like a vow of revenge, it was actually an expression of gratitude towards Geom Mugeuk. Without him, Jin Hagun would have surely fallen out of favor with his grandfather.
Geom Mugeuk responded with a gentle gaze and a smile.
"Become a good leader."
Jin Hagun decided to only half-believe the sincerity in those eyes. He had never heard of a successor from the Demonic Cult advising someone to become a good leader. 2
Behind them stood the Demon-Slaying Brigade, the Heavenly Demon Pavilion guards, and the Thirteen Wolves, all staring at one another. They knew this wouldn't be the end of their encounters. When would they meet again?
At the final moment of farewell, Geom Mugeuk couldn't help but crack a joke.
"It's a pity to part ways like this. Let’s go for a drink!"
But Jin Hagun pretended not to hear him and bid farewell to Bih Sa-in.
That silent drink Bih Sa-in had offered earlier had been a great comfort.
"Next time, I’ll pour you a drink."
At his words, Bih Sa-in nodded slightly. Would the day ever come when a successor for the highest position of the orthodox faction poured him a drink? Perhaps it might. Ever since meeting Geom Mugeuk, unimaginable things had kept happening.
"See you again, then."
Jin Hagun walked off with long strides. As the Demon-Slaying Brigade prepared to follow, Geom Mugeuk called out to them.
"Now that your leader's gone, why don't we have a drink together? Let's sit with our guards, drink, and talk. I'm curious about how much you earn, whether your pay comes on time, and what your work conditions are like. Aren't you curious too?"
The Demon-Slaying Brigade followed Jin Hagun out, some wearing baffled expressions. One of them unknowingly let out a chuckle, then quickly straightened their face. The idea of the Demon-Slaying Brigade, the Thirteen Wolves, and the Heavenly Demon Pavilion guards drinking together? Could such a thing even be possible? 3
The last person to leave from the orthodox faction was the Sword Immortal.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon bade him farewell first.
"Let’s meet again. Take care of yourself."
"Don’t worry. I have a reason to live long now."
"You know they don’t like it when seniors interfere with their juniors’ matters."
"You should put on some weight."
Lee Hak-shin briefly glanced at the reason he had to live longer before leaving the place.
Geom Mugeuk turned to Bih Sa-in and said, "Now that all those uptight orthodox folks are gone, let’s have a drink, just us men!"
But Bih Sa-in also ignored him and continued walking away. 4
Bih Sa-in knew. He knew that Geom Mugeuk had intended to give the Heavenly Flower Sect to him—if only Seo Cheong hadn’t acted out at the last moment. Well, how could one beat someone with such good fortune?
Still, this time he had made a significant contribution by expanding into the Honam region and acquiring fifteen sects for the alliance.
"Come on, let’s have a drink before you leave. Don’t be so cold-hearted!"
Despite Geom Mugeuk’s call from behind, Bih Sa-in walked away with long strides. There was no need to say thank you. Geom Mugeuk would show up in front of him again someday soon. He could already imagine him sitting on that cliff, catching him off guard again with that back he just wanted to shove. Bih Sa-in found himself looking forward to that moment. He would repay his debt then.
Behind him, the Thirteen Wolves followed, with Monster Evil and Flash of Light trailing behind. The two experts, too, carefully observed Geom Mugeuk instead of Gu Cheonpa or Dan Woo-gang as they left. Everyone could feel it. The person responsible for today’s outcome was solely Geom Mugeuk.
After everyone had left, Geom Mugeuk laughed heartily and said, "As expected! Only our trusty Demon Supremes stick with me."
However, the Blade Demon and the Fist Demon King were already gone. The two of them were heading toward the exit. 5
"Where are you going?" he called out.
"We’re leaving. The job’s done," came the reply.
"Wait, did you all plan this? Why are you treating me like this?" 6
Geom Mugeuk hurriedly dashed forward to block their way.
The guards moved as well, lining up to form a formation. Dohyeon glanced at Jeokyeon and exchanged a wordless conversation through his eyes.
—He really isn’t easy to serve.
Jeokyeon’s eyes answered back.
—But isn’t that what makes him fun?
Despite being someone with an awe-inspiring presence that even other successors, and the Sword Immortal, couldn’t easily contend with, Geom Mugeuk could shift into a completely different person when he started bantering like that.
Geom Mugeuk spoke to the two Demon Supremes.
"Ah, my mouth is so tired from all the talking. I thought I’d die from it."
It truly had been a battle of words from start to finish.
The Fist Demon King clenched his fist.
"Thanks to that mouth, I didn’t need to use this fist."
Though his expression remained stoic, his eyes conveyed a sense of approval—'You handled it well’.
"I was only able to endlessly chatter because I trusted that fist," Geom Mugeuk replied.
Old man Blade was about to leave through the door.
"Give your mouth a rest now. We’re leaving."
"Why are you so eager to go? Isn’t the world a leisurely place for you?"
"I’ve got to train Daeryong and read some books. I’m busy too."
Then the Fist Demon King added his own reason.
“I need to attend the Midnight Training as well.”
Geom Mugeuk grabbed hold of both of them.
“Come on, don’t leave so soon! You've come all this way, stay a bit longer. Who knows? You might get a chance to use that fist of yours in a satisfying way.”
At those meaningful words, Dan Woo-gang asked,
“Is something going on?”
“Come along, I’ll tell you.”
Geom Mugeuk wedged himself between the two of them, linking arms as they walked out together.
“You should make the most of your youth by staying active. If you start enjoying staying at home too much now, what will you do when you’re older and can’t go out even if you want to?”
Watching this rare scene of Geom Mugeuk walking with two Demon Supremes, who most people wouldn’t dare to face directly, the guards followed them out.
* * *
We returned to the Honam Branch.
I immediately dismissed all the guards, telling them to rest.
If I were to die even with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon King by my side, then the guards wouldn’t have made any difference anyway.
The guards, given the chance to relax, took their rare free time. Some slept, some drank, and others practiced martial arts.
Meanwhile, I sat down for a quiet drink with the two Demon Supremes.
Though they didn’t seem like they’d make a good pair, they actually got along quite well. Despite Gu Cheonpa’s strict and elderly appearance, he had a rugged masculinity that meshed well with Dan Woo-gang’s temperament.
We shared our first round of drinks.
“Thank you both for coming. Thanks to you, things went smoothly.”
Just their presence alone was a source of strength. By now, I could say anything to them and fully rely on them.
“So, what’s your next move?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked as he set down his glass.
“I have to go to the Jiangxi Branch.”
After all, the purpose of this outing was to meet with the leaders of both the Honam and Jiangxi branches.
“I bet the Jiangxi branch leader’s heart is pounding right about now.”
The Honam branch leader was dead, and so was the Heavenly Flower Sect’s leader, the most prominent sect here.
“If they haven’t committed any crimes, they have nothing to fear.”
“They’ll still be nervous. Word is that someone who brings a storm of blood is coming for them.”
“That’s unfair. Where in the world is there someone who loves peace more than I do?” 7
As I poured another drink for the two, I continued,
“Before we head there, though, there’s something that needs to be dealt with. That’s why I asked the two of you to stay.”
I told them about the person behind all this.
“There’s someone who connected the Heavenly Flower Sect leader and Jin Hagun. The leader sought help from this person, and they immediately moved the Martial Alliance.”
“That means they’re someone with power.”
Sensing instinctively that this was someone hiding their true claws, Gu Cheonpa’s eyes gleamed. It hinted that this incident might not be as simple as it seemed, starting from the Honam Branch leader’s corruption.
“When I probed Jin Hagun earlier, I realized he’s very close to this person.”
“It’s highly likely they’re someone from within the Martial Alliance.”
“Yes, that’s highly probable.”
Old man Blade quickly caught on to my intentions.
“You’re planning to catch them, aren’t you?”
“At the very least, I need to find out who they are. It’s not just because they’re a threat to me. What bothers me is that someone like this is close to Jin Hagun. In other words, they might try to manipulate the future leader of the Martial Alliance.”
Both the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Dan Woo-gang nodded in agreement.
“How do you plan to find out?”
“Well, that’s for you, Elder, to tell me. Why else do you think I brought you all the way here? I needed your wisdom on how to handle this.”
“You’re trying to make an old man work for you. Well done.” 8
Despite his words, Gu Cheonpa seemed pleased. After all, isn’t it always gratifying to feel recognized and needed by someone?
After pondering for a moment, he raised a question.
“But why go to such lengths?”
“What do you mean, Elder?”
“Why involve Jin Hagun in all this? Was he that close to the Heavenly Flower Sect leader?”
“The investigation by the Heavenly Communication Pavilion didn’t find any Martial Alliance figures who were that close.”
“Then why? It’s not like they’d get the credit for this—it would all go to Jin Hagun. The Martial Alliance would reap all the benefits.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s point was sharp. I had been focusing on ‘who’ the person was, but he was focusing on the ‘why.’
“It could be someone who wanted to build up Jin Hagun’s achievements…”
“Or someone who absolutely needed the Heavenly Flower Sect leader,” he finished for me.
At my words, old man Blade nodded.
“If that’s the case, they will certainly react to this situation. You just need to use that reaction as an opportunity to catch them.”
“As expected! You really are the best, Elder. How would I survive without you?”
“Masks, poisons, alcohol, and martial arts…”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced at the Fist Demon King sitting next to him.
I chuckled and added, “You forgot ‘fists’.”
“You’ll live well with your master.”
Still, since Dan Woo-gang was present, he showed some respect.
“If he weren’t here, you would’ve just said ‘fist man’, right?”
Gu Cheonpa simply took a drink in response, while the Fist Demon King, who rarely smiled, allowed a faint grin to appear on his face. 9
“I’ll inform the Heavenly Communication Pavilion and instruct my intelligence network to focus all their resources on this matter.”
At that moment, Dan Woo-gang, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up.
“I’ll watch how they react before I return.”
It seemed he had decided there might still be a need for his assistance.
“Truly! How could I live without my master?”
I wanted to hear him call me a ‘boot-licker’, but he silently tipped back his drink instead.
I joined in, emptying my glass. I couldn’t help but wonder how the other side would respond.
* * *
When Jin Hagun visited his master’s home, Baek Cheongyeong was carving a wooden figure.
“I’m back, Master.”
Baek Cheongyeong didn’t acknowledge the greeting, focusing solely on his carving.
Scritch, scritch.
Jin Hagun tried to gauge his master’s mood. He wasn’t sure if Baek Cheongyeong hadn’t yet heard the news from Honam, or if he already knew and simply wasn’t showing it. Jin Hagun had come straight here after greeting his grandfather.
His grandfather’s reaction had exceeded his expectations. When Jin Hagun told him about the crimes of the Heavenly Flower Sect successor and explained that he couldn’t let such sins pass, his grandfather had seemed genuinely pleased with his decision.
Jin Hagun shuddered to think what kind of expression his grandfather would’ve worn if he had returned having taken over the Heavenly Flower Sect. Once again, he felt grateful to Geom Mugeuk.
‘I’ll repay you one day.’
The problem now was his master. After all, he had failed to accomplish what his master had suggested.
‘But he’ll understand, right?’
The purpose of the mission had likely been to solidify Jin Hagun’s position as a successor anyway.
Scritch, scritch.
As he stared at his master’s back, Geom Mugeuk’s words once again came to mind.
―Have you ever truly looked your grandfather in the eye?
It wasn’t just his grandfather. Jin Hagun realized he hadn’t been truly looking at his master either.
Because it was his grandfather. Because it was his master.
But now, he would see them clearly, without any preconceptions.
Baek Cheongyeong continued to concentrate on his carving, so Jin Hagun, like always, wandered around the workshop, eventually reaching the display of carved figurines.
There was a small figurine lying on its back in front of the leading figure of a heroic battle. It hadn’t been there when he left.
Jin Hagun reached out to set the fallen figure upright, but just as he was about to, his master spoke from behind him.
“Leave it as it is.” 10
1 : A silent exit, the only one someone like him who lives to be the center of attention deserves. He doesn’t even warrant a flicker of my scorn and interest.
2 : It’s a better and more logical attitude to have towards someone potentially dangerous, but who's been cooperative all the time.
3 : Soon, soon ^^ And I like that guard with the good sense of humor ^^
4 : Hey, it’s not like he tried to do a speech, you know ? XDXDXD
5 : How cruel XDXDXD
6 : I mean, yeah, it’s impressive how everyone ran away without any communication between them. The Speech Aura XDXDXD
7 : That’s an MC bad luck, no matter how much they want to be left alone, problems just fall on them from the heavens XDXDXD
8 : Can’t even take a vacation ^^
9 : So many mentions of tea sipping reminds me of Mentalist. Good times…. Though the ending was a bit rushed, and the last villain not really impressive, it’s nothing critical compared to the rest of the show. Many have done worse with far more (looking at you, Lost…)
10 : DUN DUN DUN *Ominous SFX* (I always have the ‘Dramatic Music Piano Monkey’ Gif in head when I use this SFX, I really like it ^^)