Chapter 878: Today Was the First and Last Time He Served as a Subordinate
The Blood Shadow Sect Master, Geobaek, instantly realized that the young man who had appeared was no ordinary figure.
It was clear just from the internal energy carried within his voice.
In that place where silence had settled, the trembling voice of Tae Soo rang out.
“Young Cult Leader?”
Tae Soo was truly shocked. He had never even dreamed that he would see Geom Mugeuk here.
“Are you truly the Young Cult Leader?”
At the mention of the title “Young Cult Leader,” everyone was stunned.
Earlier, he had claimed to be a direct subordinate of the Demonic Cult’s Young Cult Leader. Yet now, someone was addressing him as “Young Cult Leader.”
The gathered martial artists broke into a stunned uproar.
Geom Mugeuk greeted Tae Soo warmly.
“Tae Soo, have you been well?”
At those words, Tae Soo’s chest tightened. The tears that had retreated in shock now threatened to spill again.
“No, I haven’t been well. As you can see, I haven’t been well. I’m sorry, truly… I’m so sorry.”
Even after hearing the title “Young Cult Leader,” Geobaek did not believe it.
“Who might you be, young man?”
“Can a parent fail to recognize their own child?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s joke, Geobaek’s expression stiffened. It was the most unpleasant and unsettling joke imaginable.
For some reason, Geom Mugeuk calmly revealed his identity in front of so many people.
“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Geom Mugeuk.”
Silence, born from shock and disbelief, spread across the area.
Geobaek examined his surroundings. There were no visible guards. The people nearby were also staring at him with stunned expressions.
Geobaek reached a single conclusion.
“These swindlers put some thought into this.”
He believed the son had staged the whole thing to save his father, pretending to be the Demonic Cult’s Young Cult Leader in order to get them out of this predicament.
“You thought that if you pretended to be the Young Cult Leader here, I’d go ‘Oh my, Young Cult Leader!’ and let them go?”
There was one decisive reason why Geobaek did not believe him.
“Would the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult wander around alone like this?”
He must have found some young expert and made him act the part to save his father.
As the gathered martial artists murmured in agreement, Geom Mugeuk raised a question.
“If they were going to pull off a deception of this level, wouldn’t they have brought subordinates along as well?”
That explanation made sense, but even so, how could they possibly believe he was truly the Young Cult Leader?
“They probably couldn’t find anyone bold enough to commit such an act.”
Many among the crowd felt regret. They wished the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would truly appear and save the father and son.
But even to them, it seemed unlikely. Why would the Young Cult Leader come to save a pair of thieves? And alone, at that? If he were traveling, wouldn’t he at least have as many followers as the people gathered here?
Geom Mugeuk slowly stepped forward and climbed onto the stage.
The Blood Shadow Sect martial artists on the stage moved to draw their swords.
“If you draw those swords, there will be no turning back. Have your subordinates stand down.”
Geobaek misunderstood that warning in the opposite way.
‘He’s definitely a fake.’
If he were the real Young Cult Leader, he would have simply demonstrated his strength.
So Geobaek waved his subordinates back.
“It’s fine. Stand down.”
After stepping onto the stage, Geom Mugeuk paid them no attention and walked toward Tae Soo and his father, who were kneeling side by side.
He helped both men to their feet.
“Did my subordinate do something wrong to you?”
Geobaek scoffed in disbelief.
“You intend to keep up this Young Cult Leader act to the very end?”
Fine, I’ll play along. But you won’t leave this place alive today.
After all, this stage was his domain. No matter how strong the opponent was, he could not withstand their combined assault.
“He committed the crime of being born to the wrong parents.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze shifted to Tae Gon beside him. Tae Gon stared at him in shock.
The moment he saw Geom Mugeuk’s clear and deep eyes up close,
‘He’s no ordinary person.’
Then he looked at his son’s face as he gazed at Geom Mugeuk.
The reverence and awe in his expression made it clear.
‘He truly is the Young Cult Leader.’
His son was not someone capable of faking such a look.
‘Tae Soo really became a direct subordinate of the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?’
What on earth had happened? Even so, how had the Young Cult Leader personally come to save them?
Everything was confusing, but one thing was certain. There was a trace of goodwill in the Young Cult Leader’s gaze as he looked at him.
He thought it was because of Tae Soo, but that goodwill was directed at him personally.
It had been a long time.
In his life before regression, Geom Mugeuk had once received help from Tae Gon. At the time, he had been too focused on moving forward to repay that kindness.
And now, fate had brought him before him once more.
“Do you think you were born to the wrong parents?”
At the question, Tae Soo spoke the truth he had never been able to tell his father.
“No. The greatest blessing of my life was meeting my father.”
Emotion flickered across Tae Gon’s face. It was the first time he had ever heard such words from his son, words he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
“Not meeting me?”
Nervous, Tae Soo failed to realize Geom Mugeuk was joking and answered seriously.
“No, Young Cult Leader. You are second.”
“I’ll let it slide since he’s your father.”
Geom Mugeuk turned back to Geobaek. Geobaek listened to their exchange with a mocking expression.
“It doesn’t seem my subordinate was born to the wrong parents.”
“Having parents who teach theft doesn’t seem like a blessing either.”
“If I have a child, I’ll teach them to punish bad people.”
Geobaek’s eyes twitched.
Before his anger could erupt, Geom Mugeuk reprimanded him first.
“Earlier, when you tried to kill my subordinate, you said this, didn’t you? Watching one’s child die would be the greatest pain.”
Shaking his head, Geom Mugeuk spoke coldly.
“Even for the Unorthodox Faction, that’s excessive.”
Among the onlookers, those with children silently agreed.
Killing intent now filled Geobaek’s eyes.
Who did this brat think he was, daring to judge and reprimand him?
“Make that bastard kneel before me immediately.”
The Blood Shadow Sect martial artists on the stage all drew their swords at once.
Seeing this, the gathered martial artists felt regret. Even this young man who spoke justly would die.
At that moment, another voice rang out from among the crowd. It was the clear, beautiful voice of a woman.
“How dare you draw your swords at the Young Cult Leader!”
As soon as the words ended, a woman shot through the air and landed on the stage.
“Protect the Sect Master!”
The experts on stage rushed at her with drawn swords.
In a flash,
Over a dozen streaks of sword light flashed.
The Blood Shadow Sect martial artists who had rushed forward froze in place, unable to move.
Only then did the onlookers notice the woman standing among them like statues.
Lee Ahn stood there, her sword lowered.
She had used sword energy to suppress their Devil’s Hole.
Even the slightest miscalculation would have pierced flesh, making it far more difficult than suppressing acupoints with fingers or techniques.
Geobaek stared at her in shock. What she had just demonstrated was a level even he, the Sect Master, could not imitate.
If this was not a dream or illusion,
‘…a Martial God!’
The crowd erupted in cheers. They were astonished by her skill and captivated by her beauty.
Lee Ahn’s sword pointed at Geobaek’s throat. Never before had he been rendered so helpless.
While subduing his subordinates, she had also sealed his Devil’s Hole.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk smiled and said,
“If I’m not the Young Cult Leader, that would be an even bigger problem, wouldn’t it? By your logic, the experts of the Blood Shadow Sect were defeated by mere frauds.”
Geobaek could now tell from her skill.
“You truly are the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
No mere thief could have brought someone like her for a deception.
“I’ll be taking my subordinate now. That’s fine, isn’t it?”
Normally, he would have had to let them go. But before so many people, Geobaek could not simply back down.
“You may take your subordinate, but not that man’s father. He infiltrated our sect to steal a treasure. I cannot simply release him.”
He had something he relied on. As a member of the Unorthodox Alliance, he could not be killed lightly.
Otherwise, they would have already been dead instead of merely having their Devil’s Hole sealed.
“Surely the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult does not intend to violate the laws of the martial world?”
“You want to clearly determine right and wrong?”
“That way, all these people will remember the Young Cult Leader as someone who understands the ways of the martial world.”
Geobaek felt pleased inwardly.
Today’s events would spread across the Central Plains, and no one would fail to hear of how he had stood boldly against the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
“Do not forget that our sect belongs to the Unorthodox Alliance.”
“Ah, I was just about to contact them.”
Geom Mugeuk gave an order to Lee Ahn.
“Send word to the Unorthodox Alliance immediately.”
As everyone wondered what message he meant,
“Tell them that the Blood Shadow Sect Master has committed a grave sin against our cult and will be punished.”
Geobaek was startled.
“What are you saying? That I committed a grave sin?”
Geom Mugeuk looked at him with cold eyes.
“The crime of impersonating the exalted Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”
“!”
An even more shocking statement followed.
“I will execute you for the crime of impersonating the Heavenly Demon!”
At the declaration of death, Geobaek recoiled in shock.
“That was said as a joke, wasn’t it?”
“A joke? You dared to make the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult into a joke?”
Geobaek could not refute that. If the other pressed like this, even the Unorthodox Alliance would have no choice. After all, this concerned the Heavenly Demon.
‘Damn it!’
At that moment, Lee Ahn revealed her killing intent. It seemed as though she would kill him the instant the order was given.
Geobaek trembled in fear. He had never imagined he would die like this.
Then Geom Mugeuk’s voice transmission reached him.
—Do you want to live?
Geobaek could not act on his temper. If he resisted here, he truly felt he would be killed.
At some point, he realized that his Devil’s Hole had been released, allowing him to use voice transmission. These people were handling his body like that of a child without leaving the slightest trace.
—I want to live.
—Sell the item that the thief tried to steal this time and use the money to help people. There are many here who lost their homes to floods, so help them.
From the beginning, Geom Mugeuk had never intended to kill him. If he had committed evil beyond the line, the Unorthodox Alliance should be the one to punish him. That was courtesy toward Bih Sa-in.
Geom Mugeuk had Lee Ahn withdraw her sword.
“It was a joke. How could I possibly kill someone of such renown within the Unorthodox Alliance?”
Geobaek forced a smile.
“I was joking as well. Since it is a request from none other than the Young Cult Leader, of course I must comply. Take both of them with you.”
“Thank you.”
As if they had merely exchanged jokes, the two laughed together.
Geobaek addressed the gathered martial artists.
“Since such an honored meeting has taken place, I will present the item that the great thief attempted to steal and use it to aid those affected by the recent floods.”
How could the onlookers not understand? Geobaek was performing a good deed because of the Young Cult Leader.
When one person began clapping, it became a signal, and everyone cheered. It appeared as though they were cheering for his charity, but most of the cheers were for the fact that he had submitted to the Young Cult Leader. It was proof of how excessive the Blood Shadow Sect’s usual atrocities had been.
Geom Mugeuk bid him farewell.
“Well then, until we meet again.”
“Safe travels.”
Even without turning back, he could tell what kind of gaze Geobaek was directing at them. Having overcome this crisis, he would likely continue committing evil. He might even dream of revenge against Tae Gon and his son.
But he did not know. The flood about to befall him had not even begun.
This incident would naturally reach Bih Sa-in’s ears, and Bih Sa-in would not let it pass. If an investigation revealed that they had committed evil beyond the line, he would not let them go.
That was precisely why Geom Mugeuk had revealed his true identity instead of acting as Geom Yeon.
—
Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn brought Tae Soo and Tae Gon to a nearby forest.
“Thank you, truly, thank you.”
The two repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Geom Mugeuk.
After doing so, Tae Gon suddenly embraced his son. He held him silently for a long time.
Eventually, Tae Gon spoke honestly to Geom Mugeuk.
“People call me a righteous thief and a great thief, but I do not deserve such words. I kept a portion of what I stole for my son. I stored it in a money exchange in the Central Plains under his name.”
Tae Soo was shocked. He had known that his father did not use all the stolen wealth from evildoers to help the poor. That was why he had once spoken words that hurt his father.
But he had not known that his father had kept that money for him.
“There is no need to justify yourself to me. Each person lives their own life.”
Tae Gon lowered his head.
Geom Mugeuk then asked Tae Soo,
“Will you become my subordinate?”
As if he had already made up his mind, Tae Soo shook his head.
“Today was the first and last time I served as your subordinate.”
It meant he would not devote himself to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“I want to live together with my father.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and supported his choice.
“If you live remembering the moment you risked your life for your father, you’ll live well from now on.”
“Why are you treating me so well?”
No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand why the Young Cult Leader had come to save him.
Then Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected.
“I did not save your father for your sake.”
“…What?”
Geom Mugeuk had become aware of this situation because he had been keeping watch on Tae Gon through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.
He spoke words Tae Gon could not understand.
“Long ago, I incurred a debt to you. With this, I will consider that debt repaid.”
Naturally, Tae Gon could not remember. When had the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult ever owed him anything?
But Geom Mugeuk did not explain further.
“My direct subordinate, live well!”
Leaving those words behind, Geom Mugeuk leapt away with Lee Ahn and disappeared.
Tae Gon, too, came to a decision.
“I will no longer steal.”
Tae Soo looked at his father in surprise.
“What you said before was right. Leaving money for you was, in the end, no different from leaving it for myself. I was merely rationalizing my theft.”
That was why his son’s words had hurt him even more.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s steal properly now.”
“What?”
Both father and son had lived their entire lives knowing nothing but theft. Would a different life truly bring happiness?
“Let’s become real great thieves now. The kind who have no regrets and no shame. I believe what happened today is the will of the heavens, telling us to live that way.”
Tae Gon did not hesitate long. Yes, this was the path they should have walked from the beginning.
He patted his son’s shoulder and nodded.
The two smiled as they looked toward the direction where Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn had disappeared.
Though they were already long gone, Tae Soo suddenly shouted in realization.
He had forgotten someone.
The friend with the keen sense of smell.
“Please make sure to pass this message to Ji Han!”
That when they met again, he would carry a good scent.
A great thief.