Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 269: I Saw Your Father Again
Step, step.
A steady sound of footsteps echoed as a man wearing a bamboo hat arrived at a small workshop.
The man removed his bamboo hat and tossed it towards the wall. The hat lightly hung on a yellow monk's robe that was draped over the wall.
He was a middle-aged man with narrow, elongated eyes. His gaze exuded a mysterious aura, reflecting the wisdom of someone who had overcome countless schemes. The dark expression etched on his face hinted at the storms he had weathered in life.
The man sat on a small chair and began crafting a wooden figurine.
Scrape, scrape.
In the confined space, only the sound of a carving knife slicing through wood could be heard. His skillful hands moved fluidly, carving out a wooden figure no larger than a finger.
At that moment, a young man silently entered the room. His eyes gleamed with energy, and he had the appearance of a bold, strikingly handsome man. He approached the middle-aged man who was carving, making no sound, not even as he walked or drew his sword.
Shhhk.
The young man's sword extended and touched the side of the older man's neck.
The scraping sound stopped, but it wasn’t because of the sword at his throat. The carving knife, which had been in the middle-aged man’s hand, was now floating directly in front of the young man's eyes.
The young man withdrew his sword and reached out to grab the knife hanging in midair. However, it wouldn’t budge, as if something unseen was holding it in place.
He even attempted to move it with his inner strength, but to no avail. When the young man finally gave up trying to move the knife, the older man spoke.
“A true master is never struck by an attack from behind. That's why they are called masters. If you want to kill one, you must look them in the eye when you do.”
At those words, the young man asked, “Isn’t that even more difficult?”
“It’s actually easier. Understanding that is what makes a person a true master who can kill another master.” 1
Scrape, scrape.
The sound of carving resumed. At some point, the carving knife, which had been floating in the air, was back in the middle-aged man's hand. It was so natural that it felt as if the knife had never left his grip in the first place.
“I’ll remember that, Master.”
The young man bowed his head respectfully.
The two shared the relationship of master and disciple.
Through the window, figures of martial artists standing around the workshop came into view. The characters engraved on their chests matched the ones on the young man's: Demon Vanquisher.
These were the elite martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade, the very best of the Martial Alliance.
The young man was none other than Jin Hagun, the grandson of the current leader of the Martial Alliance and the leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade. He was also the elder brother of Jin Haryeong, who had a connection with Geom Mugeuk. After joining the Demon-Slaying Brigade, Jin Hagun had risen to the position of leader solely through his own abilities.
The middle-aged man was his master, Baek Cheongyeong. 2
“You haven’t been neglecting your training lately,” Baek Cheongyeong observed.
Jin Hagun had yet to receive martial arts training from his grandfather, Jin Paecheon, the leader of the Martial Alliance. His grandfather had publicly declared that he would not show any favoritism, wanting his grandson to become a rightful successor through his own merits.
“I’ve been cutting back on sleep to train,” Jin Hagun responded as he walked over to the display stand in the center of the workshop. On the stand, figurines meticulously carved by Baek Cheongyeong depicted a fierce battle between martial artists.
The scene was so vivid that it seemed like a real fight was taking place. The combat between warriors dressed in white and black looked like a perfect representation of a struggle between light and dark. 3
As he gazed at the figures, Jin Hagun spoke, “There are troubling rumors coming from the Demonic Cult.”
Baek Cheongyeong remained silent, focusing on his carving.
“They say that after Geom Mugeuk became the new Young Cult Leader, he has taken control of all the Demon Supremes and has been expanding his power.”
Even with this revelation, Baek Cheongyeong didn’t react. He merely examined the wooden figure he was carving, turning it in his hands to check its quality.
“To be honest, that man worries me,” Jin Hagun admitted. 4
This time, Baek Cheongyeong’s hands stopped. He stood up and walked over to where his disciple stood by the display stand.
“What do you make of this battle here?” he asked.
“The warriors in white seem to be at a disadvantage,” Jin Hagun replied.
“There are more white-robed warriors. Why do you think they are losing?”
“Because of him,” Jin Hagun answered, pointing at a black-robed warrior who was leading the fight, his sword swinging decisively.
“You’ve observed well. It’s because of him. He has seized control of the battlefield and is dictating the flow of the battle.”
Baek Cheongyeong crouched down, his narrow, elongated eyes focused on the black-robed figure.
“Do you want to take on that role?” he asked.
“Yes. I want to stand in that place. No, I will stand there,” Jin Hagun responded with determination.
“Yes, you’ve always been like that since you were a child. You never shied away from a challenge, and you never gave up,” Baek Cheongyeong remarked.
Whenever his master praised him like this, Jin Hagun’s heart swelled with pride. It made him work harder, train more diligently, and strive never to give up. Ever since his parents passed away when he was young, he had regarded Baek Cheongyeong as his father. 5
“The one standing in that position now is Geom Mugeuk.”
Jin Hagun couldn’t refute the statement. He was well aware that Geom Mugeuk had ascended to the position of Young Cult Leader with unprecedented splendor among all previous successors. 6
And yet, what about himself? He had not even formally secured his position as the official heir.
Baek Cheongyeong slowly ran his fingers over the wooden figurine.
“How do you plan to break his momentum?” he asked.
Jin Hagun responded as if he had been waiting for the question.
“I’ve received reports that Geom Mugeuk is currently in the Honam region. It seems he is pressuring the Heavenly Flower Sect by holding the son of its leader captive.”
He was closely monitoring the movements of Geom Mugeuk, whom he regarded as a rival.
“The Heavenly Flower Sect is a powerful sect, but it’s impossible for them to face the Demonic Cult alone. If you can rescue them from the clutches of the Demonic Cult...”
Baek Cheongyeong’s gaze shifted to the hero figurine.
“Then you’ll be able to take the lead in the upcoming fight.” 7
Jin Hagun asked cautiously, “But isn’t the Heavenly Flower Sect a sect that’s always wavered between the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance?”
It was well-known that the Heavenly Flower Sect maintained connections with both the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance, while also interacting with the Martial Alliance.
Baek Cheongyeong’s gaze returned to the figurines.
“Do you think you can take that position by doing something easy?”
Though Jin Hagun was typically confident, he couldn’t boast about this matter.
“In my heart, I’d like to lead the Demon-Slaying Brigade to attack Honam and rescue the Heavenly Flower Sect leader’s son, but...”
Doing so would likely spark a war with the Demonic Cult. Rather than being hailed as a hero, he might end up becoming an eternal sinner.
After pondering for a moment, Jin Hagun spoke cautiously.
“There is a special authority that the leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade can exercise during their term. If the leader of the Martial Alliance agrees to grant me this special right, I could apply pressure on the Demonic Cult in the name of the Martial Alliance. But I’m not certain if the Heavenly Flower Sect is a sect worth that level of effort.”
“The Heavenly Flower Sect is a large sect in its own right, but it also commands the loyalty of dozens of smaller factions. If you manage to turn the Heavenly Flower Sect towards the righteous path, there’s no greater achievement than that.”
“I’ve heard the leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect is not an easy man. He’s been adept at walking a fine line between the orthodox and unorthodox sects, and he might later ally with the Unorthodox Alliance, ignoring our assistance altogether.”
Jin Hagun considered the Heavenly Flower Sect leader to be a fox-like figure who had a foot in both camps.
Then, Baek Cheongyeong said something surprising.
“I’ll handle that.”
Jin Hagun was taken aback. Though his master was well-versed in the shifting tides of the martial world, he rarely intervened directly in the affairs of the martial sects. The reason behind his offer was something that deeply moved Jin Hagun.
“If you succeed in this task, it will be the decisive merit that secures your position as the successor of the Martial Alliance. That’s the reason I’m stepping in,” Baek Cheongyeong said. 8
Jin Hagun bowed deeply, pressing his fists together in respect.
“Thank you so much, Master.”
With his master stepping forward like this, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.
“Then, I will begin the preparations immediately.”
As he turned to leave, Jin Hagun casually flicked the hero figurine with his finger, causing it to topple over.
After Jin Hagun left, Baek Cheongyeong continued carving the wooden figurine.
Scrape, scrape.
How much time had passed as he carved?
Baek Cheongyeong approached the display stand and picked up the fallen figurine, setting it upright. Then, he placed the newly carved figurine in the center of the battlefield. It was impossible to tell whether the figure represented himself or Jin Hagun, but the figurine stood confidently, its arms crossed in a proud stance. 9
* * *
Several days had passed since Seo Baek-jung, the leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect, had visited. He had taken no action to rescue his son. Though it was unlikely that he would simply abandon his child, Geom Mugeuk quietly waited, curious to see how Seo Baek-jung would respond, while continuing to patiently train in the Heavenly Time Secret Art.
The more one practiced this secret technique, the more they could start to notice small differences in time. The moment the practitioner could compare the time spent recovering internal energy with the time gained through the technique, they would be able to use it exclusively for their cultivation. As a technique that defied the heavens by reversing time, it was not an easy skill to master, but Geom Mugeuk persisted, training over and over.
After finishing his training, Geom Mugeuk sat in the main hall, sipping tea, when Jeokyeon entered with Seo Cheong in tow. Seo Cheong had begged to meet Geom Mugeuk, and Geom Mugeuk had allowed him to be brought in.
As soon as Seo Cheong entered, he shouted in protest, “Why haven’t you contacted my father?”
Despite being held in the prison beneath the sect’s headquarters, Seo Cheong showed no signs of being cowed.
“I did contact him.”
“Don’t lie! If you had, he would have already come. Young Cult Leader, my father isn’t such a stubborn man. If you have an open and honest conversation with him, you’ll be able to get what you want.”
This was the conclusion Seo Cheong had reached while imprisoned. The Demonic Cult wasn’t holding him just for the sake of it—they must be trying to bring the Heavenly Flower Sect over to their side. Otherwise, why would they imprison him? They wouldn’t have locked up the heir to the Heavenly Flower Sect just for killing a few low-ranking martial artists or insignificant bystanders. 10
“Your father has already been here,” Geom Mugeuk said.
Seo Cheong’s eyes widened in shock.
“What do you mean? Are you telling me he came here without even meeting me?”
When Geom Mugeuk nodded, Seo Cheong was both startled and confused.
“That’s impossible!”
For a moment, Seo Cheong stood there in a daze before he began pacing back and forth, muttering nonsense.
“If you’re going to sow discord, do it properly! You’re the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult—act like one and contact my father, as you promised.”
He walked over to the table, trying to pour himself tea with trembling hands. However, when he realized how much his hands were shaking, he turned around again. He fluctuated between disbelief and belief over whether his father had truly visited.
“No matter who you are, you’re in trouble now. If my father came here and left without seeing me, it means he’s extremely angry.”
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk asked bluntly, “How well do you really know your father?”
Seo Cheong flinched at the question.
“And how well do you know him, Young Cult Leader?”
Geom Mugeuk thought to himself that Seo Cheong’s behavior wasn’t much different from how he himself had acted before his regression. If he had faced a similar situation back then, he would have responded in the same way—challenging the person, angrily insisting that they knew nothing about him. The frustration would have stemmed from having little to say about his own father. 11
Just then, one of his subordinates arrived with an urgent message from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. It was a letter, far different from what Geom Mugeuk had expected. He thought it might be information about who had been appointed as the leader of the Honam branch, but its contents were completely unexpected. The letter instructed him to release Seo Cheong.
This surprised Geom Mugeuk greatly. The fact that such an order had come from Heavenly Communication Pavilion meant that his father had given his approval. And that implied significant power had intervened in the situation. The fact that the letter didn’t include any detailed explanation likely meant that this too was part of his father’s will.
Now, how would he handle this situation?
Even after becoming the Young Cult Leader, his father’s tests continued.
“Release Young Master Seo,” Geom Mugeuk ordered.
Jeokyeon was equally shocked by the command. Nonetheless, he quickly undid the energy constraints binding Seo Cheong’s internal power.
Seo Cheong, now visibly overjoyed, raised his voice triumphantly.
“Didn’t I tell you? I said this would happen!”
With a swagger, he walked back to the table and poured himself more tea.
“Care to join me for a cup?”
Laughing loudly, Seo Cheong drank his tea, regaining his former arrogance as if nothing had happened. He then glared at Jeokyeon, his tone taking on a threatening edge.
“I remember every face I’ve seen here.” 12
Jeokyeon’s gaze turned even fiercer, his eyes filled with menace. Intimidated, Seo Cheong shifted his focus to Geom Mugeuk instead.
But Geom Mugeuk was merely smiling at him.
“What are you laughing at?” Seo Cheong asked.
“It’s amusing. Up until now, everything felt dull. Capturing you, Young Master Seo, isn’t the end, is it? There’s Young Master Yang, Young Master Jin, Young Master Cheon... No matter how many young masters we pluck, more will keep sprouting. But to think your father moved the entire Cult... Disrupting something I, the Young Cult Leader, was personally handling?”
Geom Mugeuk seemed genuinely delighted.
“This is far more impressive than if someone had stormed in here and rescued you. I’ve gained a newfound respect for your father.”
“You're just realizing that now? I am the rightful heir of the Heavenly Flower Sect!” Seo Cheong declared as he strode confidently toward the exit.
“You’ll never see me again.”
“Oh, we’ll be seeing each other soon enough.”
Without looking back, Seo Cheong ran out, and Jeokyeon turned to ask, “What just happened?”
“It seems that the leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect mobilized either the Martial Alliance or the Unorthodox Alliance.”
Otherwise, there was no way such an order would come from the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
“What are you planning to do?” Jeokyeon inquired.
“They blocked our Heavenly Communication Pavilion’s influence, so I’ll have to use my own resources now.”
Jeokyeon could sense that Geom Mugeuk was excited, almost exhilarated. It was the kind of thrill one felt when faced with a worthy opponent. In this situation, as Geom Mugeuk’s bodyguard, Jeokyeon knew he needed to remain rational. Yet, he realized that he too was becoming excited. He found himself quietly anticipating what would happen next, even though his duty was to hope for nothing to happen. 13
As Jeokyeon let out a soft sigh, Geom Mugeuk started walking toward the outside.
“Where are you going? I’ll accompany you.”
“You can’t come. Stay here and wait.”
“Shouldn’t I follow—”
But it was too late. The moment Geom Mugeuk leapt into the air, his figure turned into a speck in an instant and disappeared from sight.
“...I guess not. I’ll wait for your return,” Jeokyeon muttered.
Just then, Dohyeon, who had been standing in the yard, spoke to Jeokyeon.
“Not easy, is it?”
Jeokyeon rubbed his aching eyes and nodded. Truly, Geom Mugeuk was both the easiest and the most difficult leader to protect.
Staring at the vast sky where Geom Mugeuk had vanished, Jeokyeon whispered softly, “The enemies clearly won’t have it easy either.” 14
1 : Also, it’s more respectful than, say, poison, hostages, or ganging up on someone. Not like Mugeuk can say anything about that XDXDXD
2 : Hah, problematic. Especially since it counters my ‘too dumb to live specimen’ theory XDXDXD We can’t readily kill them now, since we need to avoid friendly fire…. Hmmm, I wonder if they already received special instructions about Mugeuk ? Or will they try to handle it based on their convictions ? Let’s find out….
3 : It’s… kinda petty ? Then again, classic Demonic Cult do act like that, so they’re not wrong, but compared to our new Demonic Path…. Lol, sounds so much like a slogan ^^ ‘Reform the Demonic Cult !!! To a world where we stop destroying tables !!!’ With banners and megaphones XDXDXD
4 : Yeaaaah, I can see why. But he’s doing it to save the world !!! Not like you can know… Look, just try to talk to him first. It’s always better to try to communicate, except with the trash that Mugeuk fights frequently.
5 : Which is a good thing, unless his Master is secretly manipulating him to do his bidding…. Even if you trust, it’s always better to check twice rather than lose everything due to an untimely betrayal. I miss childhood’s innocence, everyday, but to protect others and myself, I need to stay vigilant. Plus it’s totally not paranoia if I’m right~~ !!! ^^
6 : And notably NO bloodshed. Though I guess this fact must seem too ridiculous to be believed.
7 : This angle, huh ? They’re gonna regret not investigating in more detail later…. Though I can understand their haste and nervousness. Mugeuk generate an incredible amount of pressure by his sole existence *awkward smile*
8 : It could also be a fatal blow to your ambition. Maaan, I hope it’s just a misunderstanding and that he’s a good guy~~~ Seriously, how many more machinations could there be in Murim ? …..No, don’t answer that one, I know that question answered itself.
9 : DUN DUN DUN *Ominous music SFX*
10 : *Shake my head with sad pity at his blindness*
11 : *Bitter pity intensifies* How many people would have been spared if they had a proper, good relationship ? Tsk, the damage toxic peoples do just spreads endlessly.
12 : Can’t say this ordeal changed his ways in the slightest bit.
13 : Now that I think about it, these last few days must have felt indeed boring with everything going his way. Mugeuk thrives in adversity.
14 : *nods sagely*