Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 264: My Reputation Rests on You
Geom Mugeuk entered the Hunan Branch with an imposing presence, flanked by his bodyguards.
Yeo Sogwang, also accompanied by his subordinates, came forward to greet the Young Cult Leader.
The warriors of the Hunan Branch lined up on both sides shouted in unison, "Greetings to the Young Cult Leader!"
Yeo Sogwang stepped forward to greet Geom Mugeuk. This was his first time seeing him in person.
'He's really handsome.'
It wasn't just that he was handsome—he had a striking appearance that immediately stood out. Plus, that confident gaze of his... This could work in his favor. People who are useful to manipulate tend to either have immense pride or deep inferiority complexes.
Yeo Sogwang, in particular, excelled in dealing with those who had strong pride. He knew how to stroke their egos better than anyone else, which is how he'd risen to his current rank as Branch Leader.
"It is an honor to meet you, Young Cult Leader," Yeo Sogwang said, bowing deeply. His flexibility, honed through a lifetime of political maneuvering, showed in the ease with which he bent his waist.
Geom Mugeuk stared intently at Yeo Sogwang.
"You have a very pleasing face," Geom Mugeuk remarked.
"I hear that from time to time," Yeo Sogwang replied.
"I've heard that when one encounters such a face in the martial world, one should be cautious."
Despite Geom Mugeuk’s provocative comment, Yeo Sogwang smiled.
"You’re right. Everyone should be cautious. But, there are only two people in this martial world exempt from that rule. And one of them is you, Young Cult Leader. Shall we go inside?"
With that, Yeo Sogwang led Geom Mugeuk into the main hall.
A banquet had already been prepared there.
As Geom Mugeuk entered, musicians began to play, and dancers started their performance. The cooks heated and began to serve the dishes.
"Please, take the seat of honor."
Normally, when receiving an esteemed guest, they would let them rest for the first day and host a banquet the following evening. However, this was different. This was the Young Cult Leader—surely he had come in comfort, and besides, he was still young.
They would show it from the beginning: that life would be enjoyable when working with the Hunan Branch Leader. If he said he was tired and wanted to rest, they could simply hold another banquet tomorrow. When it came to entertaining guests, Yeo Sogwang was more confident than anyone in the martial world. 1
Geom Mugeuk took the seat of honor, and Yeo Sogwang sat next to him.
At that moment, Jeokyeon pulled out silver needles and checked each dish for poison. The other bodyguards stood at a slight distance, surrounding Geom Mugeuk as they kept watch.
Watching them, Geom Mugeuk smiled. When he was alone with them, they were like mere children, but seeing them now among other people, they were undeniably different. Their aura was anything but ordinary.
"Your bodyguards are quite young," he commented.
"They’re young, yes, but their skills are exceptional to have been chosen to guard the Young Cult Leader. They would be a match for any elite unit within the Cult."
Geom Mugeuk raised his voice so that all his bodyguards could hear him.
Seeing this, Yeo Sogwang misunderstood.
'As expected! Youngsters do have their own brand of bravado.'
What Yeo Sogwang didn’t realize, however, was that Geom Mugeuk had genuinely praised his subordinates to boost their pride.
“Each and every one of them has an extraordinary aura.”
Yeo Sogwang played along with Geom Mugeuk's compliment.
This time, Geom Mugeuk made a courteous remark.
“Hunan Branch is the strategic point from which our Cult keeps the Martial Alliance in check, is it not? It’s the reason I visited here first before any of the other branches.”
“You’ve entrusted such a critical mission to someone as lacking as myself, and I feel the weight on my shoulders.”
“As long as it’s not weighed down by anything else, I’m sure you’ll manage.”
Even with the underlying tone of Geom Mugeuk's words, Yeo Sogwang remained unfazed.
“My loyalty lies solely with the Cult.” 2
“As expected! The headquarters has placed its trust in Branch Leader Yeo for a reason. Let’s have a drink.”
The two shared a toast and drank together.
As Yeo Sogwang set down his cup, he began his subtle manipulation. 3
“Your reputation has reached even as far as Hunan.”
“What kind of rumors have you heard?”
“They say you’re the greatest talent among all the previous successors.”
Geom Mugeuk's expression brightened at the compliment.
“And you’re exceptionally handsome. I daresay, you are the most handsome among all the young martial artists in the world.”
“You’re certainly gilding this ugly face, Branch Leader Yeo.”
“I assure you, it’s the truth. Ask my subordinates. I’m not one to lie.”
Yeo Sogwang called upon his right-hand man, Hwang Pyo, and asked him.
“What do you think?”
“He’s not just the most handsome among the younger generation, but among all martial artists.”
At his words, Yeo Sogwang burst into loud laughter.
“Well, it seems I made a mistake. Not the younger generation, but indeed among all martial artists.”
This routine was one Yeo Sogwang had performed many times before. He would offer praise, and Hwang Pyo would step in to deliver even greater flattery. Then, they’d laugh together and repeat the praise once more.
It was their typical method of entertaining guests. After all, compliments about appearance are some of the most effective, especially when the other party is as young as Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk laughed heartily.
Yeo Sogwang believed it was because of the compliments about his appearance, but Geom Mugeuk was laughing for an entirely different reason.
“So, this is what it feels like. Everyone must have enjoyed it.” 4
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. Let’s have another drink.”
“Gladly. To the rise of a new martial hero!”
Yeo Sogwang was quick to respond to Geom Mugeuk's words, affirming them eagerly. He never missed a chance to agree wholeheartedly, always praising Geom Mugeuk for thoughts he claimed never crossed his mind. He truly was a master at groveling.
Yeo Sogwang was a master of flattery. But what he didn’t realize was that the person smirking at his compliments was none other than the true embodiment of the art of flattery. 5
"Our dear Branch Leader Yeo, have another drink!"
Hearing Geom Mugeuk refer to him with "our dear," Yeo Sogwang secretly smiled.
Now it was time to add the finishing touch to the drinking session.
As the alcohol flowed and the atmosphere ripened, Yeo Sogwang gestured for a woman to come over. She was one of the dancers from earlier—by far the most beautiful among them. Slowly, she made her way toward them.
Yeo Sogwang introduced her.
"She said she has been eager to greet you, Young Cult Leader. If it’s not too much trouble, would you offer her a drink?"
The woman approached Geom Mugeuk and bowed respectfully.
"My name is Yaklan."
She was stunning—her beauty was enough to make one think that no man could resist her charms if she truly set her mind to seduce him. 6
Yaklan approached with a bottle of wine.
"Allow me to serve you a drink, honored guest."
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk suddenly stood up, swept her into his arms, and lifted her. His unexpected action shocked everyone.
"Forget about the drink for now. Branch Leader Yeo, wait here."
With Yaklan in his arms, Geom Mugeuk dashed outside the hall. His bodyguards, startled, scrambled to follow him.
Yeo Sogwang, although taken aback, quickly raised his voice with a loud laugh.
"As expected, heroes love beautiful women! The sleeping quarters are in the left building outside!"
He couldn’t help but smile at how smoothly things were going.
‘Wine and women, they always work.’
Of course, he hadn’t expected it to work this quickly and decisively.
Meanwhile, Yaklan was completely stunned.
At first, it was Geom Mugeuk's sudden actions that shocked her. But what amazed her even more was that as he ran toward the quarters, she had been floating in the air. Geom Mugeuk appeared to be holding her, but he hadn’t actually touched her body.
The situation took yet another unexpected turn when they entered the room.
Judging by the way he had rushed inside, she had thought he would throw her onto the bed. Instead, Geom Mugeuk gently placed her in a chair. Or more accurately, an invisible force sat her down.
That’s when she saw it. She no longer noticed his handsome face, but rather his eyes. His gaze was so pure—could a person from the Demonic Cult have eyes this clear?
In a tone as gentle as his gaze, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yes."
His voice was soft, but for some reason, she felt an overwhelming pressure, causing her voice to tremble.
"How many times has this happened?"
"What do you mean?" Yaklan asked.
"In the past, Yeo Sogwang must have forced you into this kind of situation, right?"
Yaklan was stunned. She was shocked that Geom Mugeuk had figured it out, and even more so that the Young Cult Leader was digging into Yeo Sogwang’s actions.
Fear crept into her. If she got caught in a power struggle, she would surely end up dead.
"Even with my status, I can’t seem to make you speak."
Who would dare refuse to answer in front of him?
"It’s not that… It's just, if Branch Leader Yeo finds out what I’ve said... he’ll kill my family back in my hometown."
"He threatened to kill your family?"
"Yes."
"How did that make you feel?"
"I was scared. And... angry."
Was it because he was the imposing Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? Or was it because of those deep eyes that seemed to see right into her soul? Whatever the reason, the answer she struggled with came out easily.
"Good. You should be angry. You should get angry at the one who threatens to kill your family."
She had been threatened by Yeo Sogwang from a young age. If he told her to attend a banquet, she went. If he told her to pour drinks, she obeyed. He had even forced her to share a bed with him.
But she couldn’t refuse.
Yeo Sogwang didn’t just hold her life in his hands—he held the lives of her family. Her sick father, her younger siblings, and her hardworking mother.
He had threatened and brainwashed a young girl, making her believe this was how the world worked. He told her that staying close to power would bring money, that sending more for medicine could save her father.
She hated it. Serving drinks to strangers disgusted her to the core. She had thought of ending her life many times, but she couldn’t because of her family.
She had begged Yeo Sogwang to stop, but a pure-hearted young girl was no match for a man like him.
After hearing her entire story, Geom Mugeuk approached her. He gazed at her silently for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
"I'm sorry. I came too late, didn’t I?"
The moment those words left his lips, something deep inside her surged to the surface. Tears began to stream down her face. She had thought she had no more tears left, but once they started, they wouldn’t stop.
She tried to control herself, to stop the tears, but it was futile. She wanted to scream at Geom Mugeuk. ‘Why did you come only now? Why only now?’
Had it been her younger self, she would have screamed those words at him.
But the innocent young girl she once was no longer existed.
"…I’m sorry," she whispered.
Even as the victim, all she could do was apologize. 7
In the next moment, her head lifted involuntarily as a gentle energy enveloped her. It was a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before, and for the first time in a long while, her mind was at ease.
Perhaps it was this comfort that gave her the courage to ask the one thing she had been curious about.
“Why did you force me to come here?”
After all, Yeo Sogwang had introduced her as a dancer eager to meet the Young Cult Leader.
“It was the way you looked at me when you walked up to greet me.”
“The way I looked at you?”
“I saw the anger in your eyes.”
She was taken aback. She had thought she was looking at him softly, gently, yet he had seen through to the anger hidden within her heart?
“My right-hand man had the same look in his eyes when I first met him. He was consumed by anger and defeatism, convinced that nothing in his organization would ever change.”
Yaklan no longer looked fearful as she had earlier.
“What will happen to me if I don’t tell you about Branch Leader Yeo?”
“I’ll let you go.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll find other ways. Someone like him, who has many skeletons in his closet, will eventually pay for his crimes. I’ll find evidence sooner or later.”
Yaklan hesitated, still unsure, but Geom Mugeuk didn’t press her further. He rose from his seat.
“All you need to do is forget about this conversation and act as if nothing happened. I promise, I’ll make sure he faces the consequences for his sins.”
As Geom Mugeuk turned to leave, she suddenly spoke up.
“Wait.”
He paused and looked back at her, and she asked, “The person you said had the same eyes as me... what happened to them?”
“They rose to the position of Lord of the Underworld Pavilion. It’s their job to punish those who’ve forsaken their humanity.”
Her eyes widened at his words. After a moment, something unexpected escaped her lips.
“Wait, if you leave now, they’ll think the Young Cult Leader’s stamina is lacking.” 8
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes widened at her bold joke. Of course, someone like him couldn’t just let such a comment slide.
“You’ve just become the first woman to preserve the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s most important reputation.”
Yaklan laughed at his response.
“I once dreamed of dying on stage while dancing, but it seems I’ll meet my end doing something as crazy as this.”
She walked over to the table, picked up a sheet of paper and a brush, and began writing down names. She started with the most recent names, and Geom Mugeuk immediately recognized one.
The Bloodhand Sword.
Just the fact that he had been entertained here was evidence enough that Yeo Sogwang was involved in this whole affair. No doubt Yeo Sogwang would come up with all sorts of excuses, but against someone like Geom Mugeuk, wriggling out of it wouldn’t be so easy.
In addition to the Bloodhand Sword, she wrote down the names of several other powerful figures in succession.
She then wrote down in detail the things she had endured. Writing it all meant she was risking her life with this decision.
As Yaklan handed the paper to Geom Mugeuk, she spoke.
"This is... my life."
"No. This is your old life," he replied.
From now on, she would be able to live a new, different life.
Geom Mugeuk called for Dohyeon.
"Escort this young lady to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. Have the martial artists there take her safely back to her hometown. Also, find a way to treat her ailing father."
Yaklan's eyes widened in shock. It was such an overwhelming offer that she found it hard to believe.
"He won’t follow me and kill my family, will he?" she asked, half-joking but also half-afraid.
In response, Geom Mugeuk turned to Dohyeon and said coldly, "Dohyeon, slaughter her entire family and return!"
Dohyeon, without missing a beat, replied to Yaklan in a blunt tone, "I recently visited my mother after three years."
Startled, Yaklan looked at him.
"She’s grown much older in that time. Money is important, but... I’d recommend you visit your family before it’s too late."
Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly, observing Dohyeon for a moment. He had gotten a brief glimpse of the kind of man Dohyeon was.
Seeing Yaklan’s eyes well up with tears at the thought of her family, Geom Mugeuk laughed and said, "If you were worried about that, you shouldn’t have written anything in the first place. Besides, do you really think the Cult couldn’t find your home if you didn’t tell us?"
Yaklan gave an awkward smile in response.
"Are you going to punish him today?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I want to see it. I want to watch him die."
Even though his death wouldn’t heal her wounds, she wanted to witness it. If the scars were going to remain anyway… 9
"In return, I’d like to see something from you. When he dies, show me your dance."
Yaklan nodded slowly.
"Yes, I’d like to perform for you. I’m not sure how well I can dance in front of a corpse, though."
With that, Geom Mugeuk and Yaklan walked out of the room.
His bodyguards looked at him with newfound reverence. They had been startled when he first dashed out carrying her, but after overhearing the conversation in the room, their admiration for him deepened further. The more they learned about Geom Mugeuk, the more their loyalty grew. 10
Geom Mugeuk playfully teased Yaklan.
"Your expression now carries my reputation for virility."
Yaklan smiled and replied, "Don’t worry, I’m a performer after all."
The two returned to the banquet hall.
Geom Mugeuk strode in confidently, his chest puffed out, while Yaklan followed behind with a satisfied smile, her head slightly bowed.
Yeo Sogwang sidled up next to Geom Mugeuk and cautiously asked, "You seem to be in a good mood?"
Geom Mugeuk nudged his side and grinned.
"I’m about to witness the best dance of my life tonight." 11
1 : I must admit that he’s great at non-obnoxious bootlicking.
2 : No. It lies with yourself. You’re using the cult ressources and reputations to follow your own goals, that’s not loyalty.
3 : Lol, he’s trying to use manipulation of the one who can make whales dance XDXDXD
4 : Indeed, except that you made sure to only use the truth in your praises, contrarily to them. You might be handsome, but your true strength is your unending charisma.
5 : “You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it.” (The Dark Knight Rises, for those who forgot)
6 : Hehehe, he’s immune, he have Lee Ahn ^ ^
7 : I want to headpat her, but she probably hates a man's touch now…. *Compassionate silence*
8 : *Collapse from laughter* Don’t let Lee Ahn know XDXDXD
9 : Might as well be there to dance on his corpse.
10 : It’s a virtuous circle, interacting with Mugeuk increases your loyalty, and the more loyalty you have, the more you interact with him.
11 : And you, will witness your last ^ ^