Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 282: What Kind of Person Are You?
Had I ever been this excited in recent times?
My heart pounded like it was going to explode.
Hwa Moogi.
Finally, the moment had come to witness your fragment.
Where are you right now, and what are you doing? How powerful are you at this moment?
The thought of him caused rage to boil within me like molten lava. Could this intense emotion be felt?
Ssssss.
Branches stretched out from all directions, pressing in on Geom Mugeuk. With hundreds, no, thousands of branches closing in, dodging or cutting through them all was impossible.
At that very moment!
Chak! Chak! Chak! Chak!
Four entities suddenly appeared in all directions, front, back, left, and right, centered around Geom Mugeuk. Shockingly, they were the Four Demonic Ghosts of the Human Annihilation First Form of his Nine Calamities Demon Art.
Like a shield, North, South, East and West stood in the way, and the branches dared not rush forward, retreating instead. They were terrified by the fierce aura emanating from the ghosts.
Geom Mugeuk never imagined that the Four Demonic Ghosts would appear to protect him from the Wood King's technique. These terrifying, handsome, mysterious, and intelligent beings. If they were this formidable, how fearsome must the complete Heavenly Demon Spirit be?
At the same time, Baek Cheongyeong was sinking deeper into the abyss.
‘Powerful Ghosts like this at such a young age?’
There was no end. Just as Geom Mugeuk walked endlessly through the forest, Baek Cheongyeong swam deeper and deeper into the bottomless abyss.
He wondered what lay at the end of that darkness.
His instincts warned him. It told him that going deeper would be dangerous.
But Baek Cheongyeong couldn't resist his curiosity. He had a hunch that something monumental was hidden deep within that darkness.
The air became stifling, and the growing pressure felt like it would burst his body, yet Baek Cheongyeong continued downward.
Just as he was about to give up, thinking he could endure no longer...
Pop!
It felt as if the world flickered, turning off and on again.
Baek Cheongyeong found himself standing in the middle of a battlefield. Blood flowed like rivers, and corpses lay scattered everywhere. There were human bodies, ghostly bodies, and demonic bodies. No one alive remained. No, there was one.
A man stood with his back turned, looking up at the sky.
Was it Geom Mugeuk?
But the man’s back seemed to bear the weight of all the hardships of the world, the kind only someone who had overcome endless suffering could have. No matter how extraordinary the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult was, such a young person could never possess a back that exuded this much history. 1
Then, who could it be?
Just as Baek Cheongyeong tilted his head in confusion,
The scene disappeared, and he was once again in the deep abyss.
Shwaaaa.
And then, he was pulled towards the surface at a terrifying speed. The moment the abyss spat him out, Geom Mugeuk’s presence vanished.
At the same time, Baek Cheongyeong's presence also disappeared.
Both Geom Mugeuk, who had been in the forest, and Baek Cheongyeong, who had been underwater, returned to reality.
The two men silently stared at each other.
Geom Mugeuk’s heart was still pounding heavily.
One who had once followed Hwa Moogi.
What are you doing here now?
There were so many things he wanted to ask. But none of it could be spoken.
Whether he killed him, spared him, or tried to uncover his secrets, anything connected to Hwa Moogi required caution.
Suppressing his rising anger with a calm smile, Geom Mugeuk spoke first.
"I am Geom Mugeuk, from the Divine Cult."
"I'm Baek Cheongyeong."
He only gave his name without any further explanation.
"Your disciple mentioned you as we arrived."
At that, Baek Cheongyeong's gaze shifted toward Jin Hagun. At this moment, Jin Hagun felt a surge of tension. He worried about what Geom Mugeuk might say.
"What did he say?"
"He said you are the person he trusts the most."
Baek Cheongyeong's gaze returned from Jin Hagun to Geom Mugeuk.
"You came to see Haryeong?"
"I’ve traveled far to find the one I long for."
To Baek Cheongyeong, those words sounded like a joke, and he stared at Geom Mugeuk with his small, sharp eyes. As he looked into those deep eyes, the image of the man he had seen in the abyss merged with Geom Mugeuk’s.
The young, bright appearance before him was vastly different from the man he saw in the Intent.
‘Who is that man?’
Baek Cheongyeong walked over to the table where he welcomed his guests.
"Have a seat. Since we have a guest, I should offer some tea."
"I’ll prepare it, Master."
"I’ll do it. Just stay seated."
"Yes, Master."
Jin Hagun sat down with Geom Mugeuk, avoiding any eye contact. He was entirely focused on his role for today, his attention sharp to the undercurrent between Geom Mugeuk and his master.
Baek Cheongyeong brought the tea.
"Thank you."
Geom Mugeuk tasted the tea Baek Cheongyeong had brewed without checking for poison.
"What if it were poisoned?" Baek Cheongyeong asked. 2
"Did you poison it?"
With that, Geom Mugeuk took another sip.
Jin Hagun could sense it. Beneath this seemingly trivial conversation, there was a subtle, intense tension brewing.
As Geom Mugeuk sipped his tea, he looked around the workshop.
"You have a fondness for woodcraft, I see."
The workshop was decorated with various wooden crafts that Baek Cheongyeong had carved. Traces of energy, detectable only to someone who had the Nine Calamities Demon Art, lingered everywhere.
The wooden tiger carved from wood will only reveal how it changes and attacks after we fight.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted to the decorated stand covered with black cloth.
“What’s underneath that? May I open it?”
When Baek Cheongyeong remained silent, Geom Mugeuk stood up and walked toward it. Since he wasn’t stopped, he took it as permission to proceed.
Geom Mugeuk lifted the cloth off the stand.
The dolls were still engaged in battle, but Jin Hagun noticed a change.
‘The dolls have moved!’
The hero doll, which the master had referred to as Geom Mugeuk, was now on the opposite side. It was right next to the Jin Hagun doll that had fallen earlier.
In the place where the hero doll originally stood, there was a new doll. Judging by its appearance and features, it was unmistakably Baek Cheongyeong himself.
In the end, Baek Cheongyeong was speaking through the dolls. He believed Geom Mugeuk and Jin Hagun were on the same side. 3
When the cloth was pulled back, Baek Cheongyeong revealed his true intentions.
"Young Cult Leader, have you come to kill me?"
Baek Cheongyeong didn’t believe Geom Mugeuk had come because of Jin Haryeong. It was a question he could only ask if he thought he was being targeted.
Despite the suddenness of the question, Geom Mugeuk remained calm.
“If that’s what you thought, why did you agree to meet me?”
“If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wanted to kill me, is there any place in the world where I could hide?”
As Baek Cheongyeong’s gaze turned toward him, Jin Hagun expressed his frustration.
“You still don’t trust me, do you?”
Geom Mugeuk, while looking at the dolls on the stand, spoke up.
“Your master has likely never truly loved a woman, that’s probably why. Don’t worry. I came to the Murim Alliance to see Miss Jin. If I wanted to kill you, would I have gone through such unnecessary and complicated steps? Don’t forget who I am, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
That was the reason why this meeting had taken place. Baek Cheongyeong wanted to know exactly what Geom Mugeuk's intentions were.
“By the way, these dolls are truly well-made.”
Geom Mugeuk crouched down to closely examine the dolls.
“They seem like they could come to life at any moment.”
Geom Mugeuk knew. Of all the crafts in this room, these small wooden dolls were the most terrifying. He wasn’t just carving dolls; he was shaping his subordinates. In his lifetime, how many more things had he carved other than these? 4
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk pointed to one of the dolls and asked,
“Who is this doll?”
The figure that Geom Mugeuk pointed to among the dolls on the stand wasn’t the hero doll, the Jin Hagun doll, or even the Baek Cheongyeong doll that was facing them. It was one of the many dolls standing around them!
“This doll’s face hasn’t been carved.”
It was the same faceless doll that Geom Mugeuk had seen in Baek Cheongyeong’s prayer room. There was no doubt that this doll carried some significance. 5
“Who did you make it for? Is it you?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Baek Cheongyeong’s face. Of all the many dolls, it was astonishing that Geom Mugeuk had focused on that particular one.
“It could be anyone.”
As Baek Cheongyeong responded, Geom Mugeuk bent down to take a closer look at the doll.
“It seems like this one is the only doll not caught up in the fight.” 6
Even without an expression, the doll exuded a sense of composure.
From behind, Baek Cheongyeong asked, “In a battle, there are always those who observe. Are you a fighter or an observer?”
After watching the dolls for a moment, Geom Mugeuk picked up one of them. It was the Jin Hagun doll, which had fallen next to the hero doll.
Geom Mugeuk alternated his gaze between the doll and Jin Hagun. Anyone could tell that the doll was modeled after Jin Hagun.
He placed the Jin Hagun doll upright next to the hero doll.
In doing so, he showed that he wasn’t a fighter or an observer, but someone who helps others stand up.
Jin Hagun looked at the doll representing him. It was a small gesture, but his heart was moved.
No, it wasn’t a small matter at all. His master, who had taught him for ten years, had created a doll in his likeness only to leave it toppled over. 7
“Well, I’ve seen enough.”
After covering the stand with the cloth again, Geom Mugeuk turned back to Baek Cheongyeong.
“The only reason I’m here is because the leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade insisted I had to meet you before I could see Miss Jin. So, say what you must. I have to go meet her.”
Jin Hagun sent a telepathic message to Baek Cheongyeong.
— Master, say something that’ll put him in his place.
Despite the message, Baek Cheongyeong said nothing. Instead, he turned his gaze away from the two and looked out the window.
“Well if you’ve nothing to say, I’ll take my leave.”
Without hesitation, Geom Mugeuk walked out.
Jin Hagun stayed behind, ready to protest about why nothing had been said, but Baek Cheongyeong continued to stare out the window. It was a clear signal to leave him alone, so Jin Hagun quietly exited as well.
Jin Hagun, who had followed Geom Mugeuk outside, walked alongside him. Once they were far enough from the workshop, Jin Hagun finally asked,
"Is he someone to be killed, or someone to be saved?"
Jin Hagun was curious about what Geom Mugeuk thought of his master.
“You said you didn’t believe me?”
“I’ll just take it into consideration.”
Of course, Baek Cheongyeong was someone who needed to be killed.
But instead of answering, Geom Mugeuk showed Jin Hagun something he held in his hand.
“When did you take that out?”
Jin Hagun was startled because what Geom Mugeuk held was one of the dolls from the stand—the faceless one.
“Why did you take that?”
Geom Mugeuk stared intently at the doll.
“Aren’t you curious? Who he had in mind when he made this doll?”
“If you were curious, you should’ve left it there.”
“Should I carve a face onto it?”
“What?”
Jin Hagun couldn’t understand what Geom Mugeuk was talking about. He was a man Jin Hagun couldn’t easily grasp.
“One thing’s for sure—your master isn’t an ordinary person. At the very least, he shouldn’t be the master of the Murim Alliance Leader’s grandson.”
“Did you exchange any telepathic messages with him?”
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“Then what gave you that impression of him?”
“Honestly, I can’t say for certain from just this one meeting whether he’s truly evil and needs to be killed.”
Though of course, Baek Cheongyeong would die by his hand eventually. It was only a matter of when and how.
“But the way he treated you was definitely a problem.”
Geom Mugeuk pinpointed the part that Jin Hagun would understand most easily.
“The look in his eyes and his attitude towards you weren’t what I’d expect between a master and a disciple. It was cold and distant. Even if you’d made a grave mistake, he should’ve covered for you in front of others, but your master focused solely on me—or rather, on himself. That man doesn’t see you as his true disciple.”
Jin Hagun had thought that hearing a conclusion would ease his mind. But his heart remained heavy, unchanged. 8
This time, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“What do you think of your master? You must have had many thoughts.”
Jin Hagun spoke honestly about his feelings.
“I don’t know. I still have doubts about my master, and I’m also unsure about you.”
That sense of being lost stemmed from this very uncertainty. He felt that his master had changed, his survival instincts were on high alert, but he had no concrete proof that his master was a bad person. That’s why he had called Geom Mugeuk. He feared he might be used or might have misjudged the situation. These thoughts constantly trapped him in a fog of doubt.
Geom Mugeuk spoke calmly, with an expression that showed he understood.
“That’s why it’s better to have a clear enemy than a vague friend.” 9
Jin Hagun realized that his struggle came from not knowing who his friends or enemies were. And why was it that the one who made him aware of this was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
At a crossroads, Geom Mugeuk stopped.
“Go on ahead. I have somewhere to go.”
“Where are you going?”
Instead of answering, Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected.
“The thing about me being good with directions and never getting lost—that was a lie.”
This was what he wanted to tell Jin Hagun.
“I get flustered, wander aimlessly, and I lose my way often. Maybe that’s why I don’t really like people who loudly claim they’re on the right path.” 10
“Why are you suddenly saying this?”
“It just came to mind.”
With that, Geom Mugeuk leapt into the air with his lightness skill, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
Watching him vanish, Jin Hagun looked up at the sky. Geom Mugeuk’s words replayed in his mind. When lost, you ask people for directions, look to the sky, and if that doesn’t work...
Thinking this was absurd, he took off his shoe.
Then, he tossed it into the air. The direction the shoe pointed after falling was the same direction in which Geom Mugeuk had disappeared.
‘Of all directions.’
Was fate really saying he should follow Geom Mugeuk? No way. The first throw was just a practice round.
Jin Hagun threw his shoe again, this time higher. But fate repeated itself. Again, and again, the same direction.
Finally, when he got the direction he wanted, he put his shoe back on. 11
“You’ve probably wandered and gotten lost plenty. Don’t bother comforting me. I’ll find my own way.”
With determination, Jin Hagun headed back toward his residence.
Even though he tried not to think about it, the image of his doll, which had been lying down and was now standing, kept coming back to him.
1 : Good representation of repressing trauma. He always dreamed of being as free as the sky, but his burden weight heavy on his heart. Instead of the ones he killed, it’s the ones he couldn’t save, those he must protect that tie his wings.
2 : Naaah, too obvious. Your kind prefer to hide behind schemes and conspiracy, something as simple as poison would attract attention to your actions.
3 : Perceptive, truly perceptive. Even if he wasn’t the Wood King, he would be plenty troublesome, now he’s just outright dangerous.
4: It’s a good thing, he’ll be able to catch him, if not off-guard, at least with much less preparations than in his past life. One of the many advantages of going back in time.
5 : Hello, Hwa Moogi. *Ominous SFX INTENSIFIES*
6 : The mantis stalks the cicada, without noticing the HUMONGOUS oriole behind it. You know, like ‘Look out Guignol !!! Behind you !!!’
7 : Don’t forget that he coldly stopped you from uprighting it.
8 : A one-sided relationship always hurts, even if it’s not romantic love. For example, getting abandoned by your family, blood related or not, is a freaking agony.
9 : And to have a God-like rival instead of a pig teammate. We’ve all experienced it once. *nods somberly*
10 : Especially since most who claim that are just zealots.
11 : Same principle as using heads or tails and choosing the option you’re most comfortable with instead of the true result.