Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 325: This Is What You Say in Times Like That.
The two of them were inside the painting.
The images looked just like real people, and their movements were vivid and lifelike.
While Jeong Dae was staring at So Baekta, I looked at Hwan Wang.
It was the same Illusion King that I had seen before the regression.
Hwan Wang, so you were here at this point in time.
Inside the painting, Hwan Wang led So Baekta through a door and vanished.
Naturally, both my gaze and Ma Bul’s shifted to the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.
The look in the cult leader’s eyes deepened as he stared at the painting. He must have sensed the ominous energy beyond that door.
“You’re quite something.”
It was a statement recognizing Hwan Wang. And yes, of course he would. After all, it was a world Hwan Wang had created. He was the superior master, even more than Hwan Yeo. That was why it had ultimately been him whose name spread across the world.
“It’s dangerous. I’ll go alone.” 1
At those words, I laughed and replied.
“I was wondering who your disciple took after.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you truly wanted to go alone, you wouldn’t have mentioned it was dangerous, would you?”
It was the same as when So Baekta, while being dragged away, shouted for us not to come. Words more burdensome than a plea to be rescued. Just like saying it’s dangerous and that you’ll go alone. 2
“You already know that even if you tell us to stay behind, we’re not the kind of people who’ll listen, right?”
“We came together, so we’ll finish this together.”
There was no way I’d let Jeong Dae enter that painting alone.
“Are you ready?”
“I am.”
The Demonic Buddha also nodded in agreement.
The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader recited an incantation in front of the painting.
Hoooooooom.
With a deep reverberation, we stood before the door.
In an instant, we had entered the painting.
The illusionary world cast by a master who had reached the pinnacle of its art—this was true artistry.
From all directions, massive beasts bared their fangs and gathered.
However, perhaps frightened by the aura emitted by the cult leader, none dared to attack him.
In contrast, they looked ready to pounce on Ma Bul and me at any moment.
The Demonic Buddha strode straight toward them. They growled and showed their teeth, but still didn’t attack him either.
He reached out and gently patted one of the beasts on the head. To our astonishment, the beast remained still.
It was a moment that proved just how resilient Ma Bul was against illusion arts.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader approached the door.
He closed his eyes briefly, calming his mind, then placed his palm on the door.
As he recited another incantation and gently pushed, the door began to open with a loud rumble.
Shoulder to shoulder, we stepped inside.
Beyond the door, a long hallway awaited us. A hallway so endless it felt like there would be no return once we passed through it.
“When I saw that man’s face, he looked far too similar to the woman from the flower shop. They’re probably twins—or at least siblings.”
As we walked down the corridor and looked back, the door we had entered through was gone. It was no longer possible to turn back.
While we continued walking, I suggested to the two of them that Hwan Wang and Hwan Yeo were related by blood.
“Then this place is even more dangerous.”
At the Demonic Buddha’s comment, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader nodded. He must have sensed it as well—that because he was the one who had killed her, only one of the two could leave this place alive.
“You don’t seem nervous at all.”
“With the two of you here, why would I be?”
This time, the cult leader turned to Ma Bul.
“And you? Why aren’t you nervous?”
“With you two around, I figured you’d handle it.”
Then I asked him a question in return.
“What about you, master?”
“Well… I’ve got me. Damn it! Feels like I’m the only one losing out here!”
I let out a pleasant laugh at the cult leader’s joke. But I could sense it—compared to when he had faced Hwan Yeo before, Jeong Dae was clearly more tense this time. There must be something only masters of illusion can feel.
And so, we continued walking down the long corridor.
“This illusion art was once practiced in the Blood Cult as well.”
“I’ve sensed it before, but you seem to have a deep understanding of Blood Cult martial arts, Cult Leader.”
“That’s because we are the Blood Cult now.”
The Heavenly Wind Cult had once been the Blood Cult.
“Long ago, during the war with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, all of the Blood Cult’s leadership was wiped out. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult knew they couldn’t completely annihilate the Blood Cult. Killing every last one of their scattered members would have come at too great a cost. So instead, they wanted the Blood Cult to be reborn.”
“And that became the Heavenly Wind Cult.”
“Exactly. In the beginning, there was a strong divide—those who wanted to preserve the Blood Cult’s legacy versus those who believed the name itself should be discarded. But since the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult supported the side building the Heavenly Wind Cult, the cult was ultimately reborn with that name. For a while, the cult retained a pro-Heavenly Demon faction ideology, but over time, it broke away from that influence.”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had undergone many changes throughout its long history.
“This person we’re up against… they’re a true successor of the Blood Cult’s martial arts. Without a doubt, there’s a faction trying to revive the Blood Cult.”
“You mean a secret organization?”
“It's not much of a secret anymore. They’ve kidnapped the current Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and even dragged the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult into this mess.” 3
Before we realized it, we had reached the end of the corridor.
Three doors awaited us.
Radiating an eerie energy, the doors seemed to whisper: Your life or death will be determined by the door you choose.
“Which one should we go through?” 4
The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader stared at the doors, his gaze sharpening.
“It’s a trap. If we go through the same door, we’ll be split apart anyway. We have to enter separately if we want to meet again.”
“Then let’s each go our own way.”
“I’ll take the middle one.”
Jeong Dae chose the center door. Ma Bul and I each entered one of the doors on the left and right.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, I found myself in yet another corridor.
Just like before.
By the time I reached the door at the end, neither the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader nor the Demonic Buddha was in sight.
In that instant, I understood—he had tricked us.
He intended to face Hwan Wang alone. Those three doors had been a message left for Jeong Dae by Hwan Wang.
Come alone, without the others.
Because this fight was meant to be between the two of them. And because he wanted to protect Ma Bul and me. 5
The place I stepped into was a banquet hall. Dancers were swaying to the music, musicians played lively tunes, and young women holding bottles of liquor waved at me, beckoning me to join.
Just from the atmosphere alone, my earlier hunch was further confirmed.
You stay and rest here.
I scanned the area, searching for an exit. But there wasn’t a single trace of that familiar bluish glow.
This space, too, was constructed from illusion. Which meant—there had to be a way to break it.
Just then, a man from the banquet hall approached me and spoke.
“Please rest comfortably. If there’s anything you desire, simply tell me.”
“Where’s the exit?”
“The door only opens when the time comes. It cannot be opened before that.”
Shhhk! Slash!
I cut the man down with a single stroke.
With a thud, the fallen man vanished into black smoke.
In that instant, the music stopped. Everyone froze and turned to look at me.
Naturally, they weren’t human. They were evil spirits, bound together by ghost energy.
I glanced around and asked:
“Anyone here know the way out? Hands up!” 6
Instead of raising their hands, they all rushed at me from every direction. 7
* * *
While Geom Mugeuk had entered a banquet hall, the Demonic Buddha found himself in a far more ominous place.
Pitch-black darkness. A space where not even an inch ahead could be seen. Not even the radiant glow of his own body could pierce the veil.
But Ma Bul could feel it—something was here.
He swiftly formed hand seals with his fingers.
Transforming Law Light Seal!
In that moment, golden light burst forth from the Demonic Buddha’s body.
And then, the scene became visible.
Dozens of monstrous beasts, shielding their eyes from the light.
Reacting to the radiance, the creatures howled in unison. A deafening, piercing cry that felt like it could rupture eardrums.
Ma Bul formed a new seal with his hand. 8
Killing Law Repentance Seal!
In the next moment, golden energy surged from both his palms and blasted outward.
Swaaaaaaaash!
A tidal wave of overwhelming energy swept over the place, annihilating all the monsters in its path.
Thud! Thump! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The beasts dissolved into black smoke one by one.
The Demonic Buddha marched forward and opened the door to the next room.
It was a vast chamber—at least ten times larger than the previous space.
And then, all the evil spirits that had packed into the massive chamber turned to look at him in unison. Crimson eyes. Ripped, jagged mouths. It was the kind of sight that made one want to slam the door shut and run.
But Ma Bul curled up one corner of his mouth into a grin—and stepped inside. Rather, he slammed the door shut behind him, as if to say none of you are getting out of here.
The evil spirits shrieked as they rushed him from all directions, a flood of them trampling over one another in the frenzy.
And amid that hellish chaos, a new golden seal began to take shape.
* * *
Hwan Wang and So Baekta stepped into a grand ceremonial hall.
Bizarre statues lined the walls, alongside eerie murals, a massive throne, and indecipherable symbols. It was clearly So Baekta’s first time seeing this place—yet it felt strangely familiar.
“Where are we?”
So Baekta responded calmly. Screaming or lashing out wasn’t the smart move here. He had to wait, and find the right moment.
“Isn’t this the place you’re always in?”
“What? Don’t tell me... the Cult Leader’s Hall?”
It was different from the current Cult Leader’s Hall, and different even from the one in his master’s era.
“This must be the Cult Leader’s Hall of the Blood Cult.”
“That’s right. This is the true Cult Leader’s Hall.”
Deep emotion glimmered in Hwan Wang’s eyes as he looked around. He genuinely respected and adored this place.
“This is where the real minds of the Wilderness once lived. Not some pitiful brat like you.”
The word brat stabbed deep. But now wasn’t the time to act like one.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“To use you as a hostage.”
So Baekta’s chest tightened, but he replied without missing a beat.
“What a charming thing to say.”
“Your master isn’t someone who can be charmed with words.”
So Baekta could tell—Hwan Wang truly acknowledged his master. Even though he had cursed him up and down when speaking to him, in hindsight, those insults were probably meant for So Baekta rather than himself.
“My master won’t come.”
“He will.”
“He doesn’t care about me that much.”
“If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have come all the way to the Wilderness. The Young Cult Leader came to kill me, but your master came to save you.”
So Baekta stood silently for a moment, then suddenly spoke.
“Come to think of it, I think I’ve lived a better life than you.”
Hwan Wang stared at him without a word as his tone shifted.
“You’re full of fear, you’ve got no pride, and you’re a damn coward on top of that. You’re probably someone’s obedient little lapdog, right? A good little mutt who follows orders while pissing itself from contentment.”
So Baekta charged in fearlessly.
“You always groveled in front of me. ‘Cult Leader, have you arrived? Did anything good happen today, Cult Leader? You are the one destined to lead the martial world, Cult Leader. Cult Leader, Cult Leader.’ Yesterday you licked my dirty boots, today you licked again. If I told you to, you’d probably have licked the soles of my feet too while wagging your tail.”
Hwan Wang reached out his hand—and So Baekta went flying to hum.
Already suppressed in his inner energy, So Baekta was helplessly seized in Hwan Wang’s grip. The only thing he could fight with now was his mouth.
“What are you so scared of that you had to seal my energy? Isn’t this your hell? Cowardly inbred bastard! Go ahead and lick my asshole, you castrated dickhead!” 9
Despite the stream of ridicule, Hwan Wang didn’t show a flicker of anger. Instead, he laughed as he looked at So Baekta.
“Surprising. You care this much about your master.”
Hwan Wang had seen straight through him—he knew So Baekta was trying to provoke him into killing him.
“If you want to die so badly, go smash your head against the horn of that statue. Let’s see if you’ve got the guts for that.”
He flung So Baekta toward the statue.
So Baekta stared at it with trembling eyes. The horn on the creature’s forehead was sharp like a spear.
Just looking at the jagged horn made death feel all too real.
And in that moment, his life flashed before his eyes—memories of being with his master when he was young.
Looking back, his master had always shown him special care. He had acknowledged his talent and even praised him in front of the other disciples, telling them to follow Baekta’s example. On the days he received praise, he was so happy he couldn’t sleep.
When the Blood Divine Ritual struck the Thunder Bell, his master called him to join in.
And during those moments, his master had patted his head and said: You’ll inherit my place someday.
Yet after a single mistake among countless right decisions, he had blamed and resented his master. You dumb, foolish bastard! If someone does right ten times and wrong once, that’s still someone who’s done right nine times! 10
As he berated himself for his selfish stupidity, So Baekta tightly shut his eyes.
‘I can’t be a burden to Master any longer.’
He hurled his face toward the horn without any hesitation.
Thud!
He thought he was going to die—but the horn crumbled like soft clay.
From a distance, Hwan Wang clapped and laughed. He had altered the horn using illusion arts.
“This is why I can’t bring myself to kill you. Someone who thinks of his master like that... how could I kill such a precious hostage?”
So Baekta flung himself toward the wall.
But before he could hit it, he was yanked back into Hwan Wang’s grasp.
Holding him tight, Hwan Wang looked down and said,
“If your master dies, it’ll be because of you.” 11
Just imagining it was horrifying. So Baekta tried to bite his tongue, but he couldn’t even muster strength in his jaw.
“...Please, just kill me.”
And that was when—
A clear, cutting voice rang out as someone entered the hall.
“That’s not what you say in times like this.”
The man who strode in, bold and unshaken, was none other than the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.
“If your master dies, it’s because his martial arts weren’t strong enough. If he dies, it’s got nothing to do with you. And to bastards like him, who toy with human hearts, you say this: Get lost, asshole!”
Facing So Baekta’s tear-filled eyes, filled with raw emotion, Jeong Dae spoke gently but firmly.
“From now on, I’ll teach you everything again—one step at a time.”
1 : “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this !!!” *Hands over Mugeuk doll* XDXDXD
2 : Lol, truly his disciple XDXDXD
3 : True, not really secret anymore when they’re waving their death flags so enthusiastically XDXDXD Then again, it show how efficient Mugeuk is ^^
4 : *Wing it via coin toss*
5 : Well it’s nice, but Mugeuk kinda needs to use his whale dance move to get more infos on Hwa Moogi and the organisation backing him. And he need to transmit his twin sister last words.
6 : “Move those arms, people !!! I want hands in the air and see some waving !!!”
7 : How rude XDXDXD
8 : The Demonic Budha is so strong, he can form adult seals from nothing !!! But while commendable, he’s not at the Space Penguin level sooo…. XDXDXD
9 : I’ll admit, I spiced So Baekta insults a bit…. But not that much surprisingly ^^
10 : Depends on the gravity of said mistake but yeah, he resented his master way too fast. In a way, it also shows that Jeong Dae spoiled him a bit too much.
11 : “Son of a b*tch, if you want to torture someone, go torture yourself to death, it’ll make the world a better place.”