Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 346: Let’s Kill First
The carriage rushed toward the Unorthodox Alliance.
Bih Sa-in silently stared out the window, reflecting on who could be behind this incident.
The enemy plotting against the entire martial world—how grand.
Looking back at the history of the martial world, there were always those who caused such massive incidents every few generations.
Had it gone as intended, the scheme would have continued. But it got exposed because of one person. Of all times, they had to enact their plan during the era when that person existed. 1
Bih Sa-in's gaze shifted to Geom Mugeuk, who was sitting across from him.
Geom Mugeuk had his eyes closed. Even in the midst of conversations, whenever he had the slightest bit of free time, he would mutter some incantation and fall into training. He seemed like someone wholly composed of talent, but this occasion revealed that he was, in fact, entirely forged through effort.
Bih Sa-in's eyes moved to the seat beside Geom Mugeuk. The Sun and Moon Sword box, which he had given as a gift, was placed upright next to him. Even though he told him to load it in the carriage's baggage compartment, he insisted on keeping it beside him like a stubborn child.
At that moment, the carriage jolted violently.
People’s hips lifted off the seat, and the sword box next to them floated into the air.
It looked like the box was about to crash to the floor with a bang, but it simply hovered in the air and then quietly returned to its original position.
Geom Mugeuk had protected the sword box using Void Telekinesis. Bih Sa-in had assumed he was either circulating energy or asleep. Yet even in this moment, Geom Mugeuk had paid attention to the sword box.
“I appreciate that you treasure my gift, but wouldn’t it be more convenient to carry just the sword and discard the box?” 2
To that, Geom Mugeuk replied with his eyes still closed.
“I’m giving the sword as a gift. Wouldn’t it be better to place it in the sword box?”
It was the official box meant for storing the Sun and Moon Sword, and the sun and moon were beautifully engraved on it.
“To whom are you giving it that you’re being so thoughtful?”
“To my heart.” 3
When Bih Sa-in looked at him with a face that said, What kind of joke is that?, Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes.
“There’s someone as important as my heart. Would I give such a precious sword to just anyone?”
Seeing him earnestly caring for someone suited him well. But on the other hand, Geom Mugeuk also gave off this kind of impression.
“You seem like the type who would hand over a treasured sword even to a stranger passing by on the street.” 4
“You’ve misunderstood me. I don’t like being on the losing end. If I gave a sword to someone I didn’t know, it would be because I was after something at least ten times more valuable that they had.”
“Then what are you after in giving it to that heart of yours?”
“The heart is an exception. Even if I’m not after anything, they’re the kind of person who would try to give me everything they have.”
At those words, Bih Sa-in wondered who he would give a gift to, if it were him.
No one came to mind.
If he absolutely had to give it to someone, it might be Il-rang among the Thirteen Wolves. Come to think of it, he realized he didn’t have any friends who would willingly give him such a precious gift either.
He hoped the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult wouldn’t end up being his only friend.
Bih Sa-in looked at Geom Mugeuk again. Geom Mugeuk wasn’t wearing his usual playful demeanor, but was quietly gazing out at the passing scenery with a calm and profound look in his eyes.
Just as Bih Sa-in turned his head toward the window on the opposite side, Geom Mugeuk suddenly spoke.
“My demonic path and your unorthodox path both still have a long way to go. If they’re built wrong, rebuild them. If a better idea comes along, tear it all down and build it again. So let’s not rush.”
“Why say something like that all of a sudden?”
“It just came to mind. I’ve learned that when I say, ‘I’ll tell them later,’ I end up forgetting and never saying it. So these days, I try to say everything the moment I think of it.”
“That’s why you talk so much.”
“Isn’t a chatty Young Cult Leader better than a silent one whose thoughts you can’t read?”
“The problem is, even though you’re chatty, I still can’t read what’s going on inside you.”
With an unreadable smile, Geom Mugeuk turned his eyes back to the window.
Bih Sa-in wouldn’t know. Just how lonely his silent life had been before the regression. How precious this talkative life now felt to him.
“What did the Flowing Sword Gate Master confess?”
Geom Mugeuk had already suspected that Taejo, the Flowing Sword Gate Master, had revealed something.
“He said the one who arranged the job of retrieving children from the Sword Gate was the former Black Dragon Branch Leader, Pyo Gigwang.”
Pyo Gigwang.
An unfamiliar name in Geom Mugeuk’s memory. Most likely someone who had been used up as a disposable pawn and then discarded.
“He stepped down from his position as the Black Dragon Branch Leader over ten years ago due to a serious injury, and has been living like a broken man ever since.”
“Someone must’ve recruited him.”
“That’s what it seems like. Judging from how he arranged for the Sword Gate to receive various benefits, the person behind Branch Leader Pyo must be someone with significant power.”
Geom Mugeuk naturally assumed as much.
“Perhaps it’s someone you know well.”
Bih Sa-in nodded in agreement with Geom Mugeuk’s words. If it was someone with power within the Unorthodox Alliance, there’s no way he wouldn’t know. The issue was—who was it?
“What did they need the children for?”
Bih Sa-in hesitated for a moment on whether he should answer this question. If this incident had nothing to do with the mysterious organization that had infiltrated both the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance, and was truly a secret group within the Unorthodox Alliance—then revealing it would be the same as exposing his Alliance’s secrets to the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
“Did they say they were trying to form a secret organization?”
Bih Sa-in flinched for a moment. Truly, Geom Mugeuk was so perceptive that even if one wanted to hide something, it was impossible to get away with it.
“That’s right.”
Bih Sa-in answered honestly. Geom Mugeuk had read his concerns precisely.
“Are you worried that this secret organization might not be related to the group I mentioned?”
“Yes.”
“Even if that’s the case, wouldn’t a secret organization being prepared without your knowledge already be a problematic one? Sharing information with me will benefit you as well. So try to think of it positively.”
Had Geom Mugeuk gotten angry, saying, ‘I followed you all the way to the Unorthodox Alliance just to help, and now you’re hiding information?’, Bih Sa-in would have had no excuse.
But instead, Geom Mugeuk was looking at the matter with consideration for him.
“If it truly weighs on your mind, handle that part discreetly. Let me know if you need help.”
He was still treating Bih Sa-in as the protagonist.
Yes, if I had intended to calculate gains and scheme behind Geom Mugeuk’s back, I should never have brought him along in the first place.
“No, I’ll share all the information with you. So please help me.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled. It was the same smile he had shown earlier, when they had handled the issue with Taejo openly.
You’re doing well. 5
It was a smile that seemed to say just that.
Whether he knew his heart or not, Geom Mugeuk began sorting through the possible culprits behind this incident.
“If a secret organization is indeed being formed within the Alliance, who would be in a position to know?”
“Most major information comes to me as well. But if something is being carried out without my knowledge, then it must have been led by the Alliance Leader or the Grand Commander.”
Two of the most difficult people to confront in the Unorthodox Alliance had just been named.
Could they be involved?
Geom Mugeuk ruled one of them out immediately.
The Alliance Leader—he had died at the hands of Hwa Moogi before the regression, so he couldn’t be one of his allies. 6
“What kind of person is the Grand Commander?”
“He’s someone with very strong loyalty toward the Alliance Leader. If you’re suspicious of the Grand Commander, I’d say that’s a waste of time. His loyalty isn’t just toward the Alliance Leader, but toward the entire Unorthodox Alliance.” 7
You never truly know a person’s heart. But if we set aside the Grand Commander as Bih Sa-in says—
“Then who else could there be?”
“What do you mean, who else?”
“Isn’t it possible that someone carried this out without either of them knowing?”
If things were being carried out without the knowledge of the Alliance Leader or the Grand Commander, then this could be considered an act of treason. In that case, it would most likely be the work of those people Geom Mugeuk had mentioned before.
“If it’s someone with the authority to grant rights to the Flowing Sword Gate, it could be someone at the Branch Leader or Division Leader level. It might also be a senior elder.”
“Let’s keep multiple possibilities open and think it through.”
“I’ll begin by quietly investigating Branch Leader Pyo.”
At Bih Sa-in’s words, Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“We don’t have that kind of time. By the time we arrive at the Unorthodox Alliance, the person behind this incident will already have heard that the Yellow Dragon Escort Bureau Leader is dead, and the Flowing Sword Gate Master has been taken into custody by the Alliance. That person will assume they can no longer retrieve the children, and they might also suspect that their identity is about to be exposed.”
It was a valid point. A covert investigation would only give the enemy time to prepare.
“Let’s break through head-on. The martial strength of those who had been active in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Martial Alliance, or the Heavenly Wind Cult was nearly on par with the Demon Supreme. Their infiltration methods were also far from ordinary. If we don’t push forward swiftly and decisively, they’ll cut off the tail and vanish.”
Bih Sa-in agreed with Geom Mugeuk’s words. But there was a problem.
“Capturing and interrogating Branch Leader Pyo is not difficult. However, there’s something he said that’s been bothering me. When the Flowing Sword Gate Master confessed, he said Pyo had claimed that the fate of the Alliance rested on the secret organization he was building. If he genuinely believes he’s carrying out a covert operation for the good of the Alliance, he won’t confess easily. He might even take his own life.”
That wasn’t the only concern. Bih Sa-in had another worry.
“The one behind all this might try to kill Branch Leader Pyo to sever the tail.”
To that concern, Geom Mugeuk offered a solution—an unthinkable one.
“Then let’s kill him first.”
“What?”
Bih Sa-in stared at Geom Mugeuk with wide eyes, but the only response was yet another line that made no sense.
“Let’s cut off the tail ourselves and claim it.”
* * *
“How much longer are you going to live like this?”
At someone’s outcry, the once noisy banquet hall fell silent. All eyes turned to the two standing at the center of the hall.
“You were someone I once respected—why have you fallen so far?”
As always, Pyo Gigwang had gathered martial artists at the banquet to boast about his past feats as a Branch Leader. Maybe he had gotten too carried away with the alcohol. Someone finally stepped up to rebuke him.
“Aren’t you ashamed in front of your juniors?”
And it wasn’t just anyone—it was a martial artist who had once served under the Black Dragon Branch. Just like he said, he had been someone who followed Pyo’s orders faithfully.
‘Ashamed in front of juniors? Ashamed of what? Of having a few drinks and telling old stories? What’s so shameful about that?’
He wanted to shout.
‘Do you even know how much I gave for the Alliance? You can’t even listen to a little reminiscing?’
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. The gazes around him were all looking at him with pity and contempt. This wasn’t the first time he had made a scene like this.
Pyo Gigwang staggered out of the room. He wasn’t even that drunk—but he deliberately stumbled. If he didn’t do at least that much, it would’ve felt even more pathetic.
In the past, he had truly lived like a broken man. But lately, he had only been pretending to live that broken life. It was all an act—to show that he was still a useless man.
But after experiencing something like today, his heart sank in a cold and heavy place. At the very least, he hadn’t intended to suffer such reproach and humiliation from a valued former subordinate.
If he had still been a true broken man, he might have shattered a bottle or yelled back. But now, with bitter feelings, he simply turned away.
‘If my martial arts were still what they once were… would you people have dared treat me like this?’
As long as that thought lingered, his bitterness could only deepen.
It was as he turned onto a quiet forest path.
Suddenly, a masked figure appeared and blocked his way.
Before he could even ask who it was, the masked figure drew a sword and charged.
He reached to draw his own sword to block, but the attacker’s movements were too fast. So this is how I die! Just as despair swept over him—
Clang!
Someone intercepted the blow, stepping between him and the masked figure.
Having failed in the surprise attack, the masked person immediately fled from the scene.
The man who had blocked the strike turned to face Pyo Gigwang. The moment he saw who had saved him, Pyo Gigwang’s eyes went wide in shock.
“Young Leader?” 8
A few martial artists of the Thirteen Wolves darted after the fleeing masked attacker.
“Are you alright?”
“Thanks to you, I survived.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t too late.”
Pyo Gigwang was inwardly both surprised and confused.
“Young Leader, why are you here?”
“I didn’t just happen to pass by and save you. I came here to meet with you, Branch Leader Pyo.”
“To see me?”
To Pyo Gigwang, it was something completely unexpected.
At that moment, the Thirteen Wolves who had gone in pursuit returned.
“We lost him. His lightness technique was exceptional.”
But Pyo Gigwang didn’t notice—there was one more person in the group than when they had left. The masked attacker from earlier had been Geom Mugeuk.
After pretending to flee, he had calmly changed into the attire of the Thirteen Wolves and returned with them.
Of course, Pyo Gigwang had no way of knowing this. He was still wondering why Bih Sa-in had come to see him.
“Who was the one that tried to kill you?”
Pyo Gigwang shook his head.
“I don’t know either.”
One thing was certain—they had truly intended to kill him. The sword that had flown toward him carried real killing intent and had aimed precisely for his heart. If not for Bih Sa-in, he would’ve died for sure.
“Why did you come to see me?”
“The name of Branch Leader Pyo came up during the investigation into the Black Snake Gang’s abduction of children and their handover to the Flowing Sword Gate. I also heard that you were the one who asked the Gate Master to retrieve those children. They say it was to form a secret organization—is that true?”
Pyo Gigwang was flustered. He hadn’t expected Bih Sa-in to suddenly seek him out and question him like this. As Geom Mugeuk had said, Bih Sa-in wasn’t wasting time—he was charging in head-on.
“The assassin earlier… I believe they were sent to eliminate you because I discovered this.”
Bih Sa-in deliberately emphasized the phrase kill and silence. It was part of Geom Mugeuk’s plan—to make it seem like those behind the operation had tried to eliminate Pyo Gigwang, and thereby draw out a confession.
“What kind of secret organization are you forming? What’s going on behind my back?”
Pyo Gigwang said nothing.
He didn’t for a moment suspect that the Young Leader had orchestrated the attack. Bih Sa-in had no reason to do such a thing. And most importantly, Pyo Gigwang had always anticipated a moment like this.
‘If the secret operation is exposed, they’ll try to eliminate me. So the day has finally come.’
A sacrifice for the grand cause. With that in mind, he accepted the moment, thinking ‘So it has come at last’.
“I know that Branch Leader Pyo has devoted himself to the Alliance. And that you don’t deserve to be treated like this. So please, let me protect you.”
Pyo Gigwang had already resolved to sacrifice himself for the Unorthodox Alliance, so he merely bowed his head, offering no response.
“I see. I’ll withdraw for now. But I’ll assign one of my subordinates to serve as your escort.”
“Don’t sacrifice your subordinate needlessly.”
“If that’s your concern, then tell him everything.”
Bih Sa-in turned to his subordinate and spoke.
“Protect Branch Leader Pyo well.”
“I will carry out your command.”
The one who stepped forward in response was of course Geom Mugeuk.
It was the moment when the operation began—to grab hold of a tail without knowing what head it was attached to, and follow it to find the body behind it all.
“I will protect you.”
1 : I wonder if all the other times such plans failed were due to regressors too. Logic says no, since the Great Regression Technique was only completed with Seo Gong’s work, but who knows, maybe old man Heavens helped them out without it.
2 : Unless the weapon is a bit too wilful to be touched by someone unworthy, like the Flame Dragon Blade ^^ (Ruler of the Land)
3 : Knew it !!! Lee Ahn was the only one among his crew to not have a treasured sword. Jangho might not have one too, but he’s less likely to accompany him outside the Cult.
4 : Can’t say it’s not true, he does give that kind of vibe XDXDXD
5 : I really like this kind of guidance, leading him to develop his own conclusions will let him mature faster than spoon-feeding him everything.
6 : Unless it was a scheme to boost Hwa Moogi fame, but in that case, that shows some nasty brainwashing practices.
7 : People following their own vision of their organization can be much more dangerous than people who betray out of envy. Let’s hope it’s not the case.
8 : Ah, I see, that kind of death. I thought they would kidnap him and create false evidence of his demise.