Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
========================
Chapter 359: Of all the Young Leaders I’ve seen, he’s the best
Before the fight began, the Thousand Hands Sword had a question he was curious about.
"From what I heard earlier, it sounded like you had a grudge against us?"
No matter how hard he tried to recall, he had no personal enmity with Monster Evil. It wasn’t just anyone—it was Monster Evil. There was no way he could forget something like that.
Monster Evil never explained why he was trying to kill them. Not only would Thousand Hands Sword never understand it, he would surely only mock him if he answered.
There had been a woman Monster Evil secretly held in his heart. She was a widow who ran a small diner while raising a child, and he would occasionally stop by to eat.
There wasn’t anything special between them. She was the diner owner, and he was a customer.
Strangely, he found himself drawn to her. If he’d wanted, he could’ve taken her, but he didn’t. Just seeing her and the child made him feel at ease.
To someone who had lived wickedly his whole life, she and that space were a kind of refuge for his weary heart. 1
And then, the incident happened.
While the Flame Sky Twin Swords were fleeing after being branded public enemies of the martial world, all the customers at the diner were slaughtered. She and her child were among them.
They had no real connection, yet Monster Evil resolved to kill the Flame Sky Twin Swords for revenge.
Even now, he didn’t understand what that feeling was. Was it for her? Or did he simply hate the sight of those two flaunting their status as members of the Seven Great Unorthodox Masters? 2
Later, he heard news that the Flame Sky Twin Swords had died, trapped within the Heavenly Net.
But Monster Evil didn’t believe it. Those two weren’t people who would die so easily.
And now, seeing how the heavens had brought them before him like this, he realized that perhaps she truly had been someone truly meaningful in his bleak and empty life.
Monster Evil explained this revenge like this:
"Do we need some grand reason to kill someone?"
The Thousand Hands Sword laughed. It was a laugh where his eyes and mouth didn’t match.
"Fair enough."
The fight between Monster Evil and the Thousand Hands Sword began.
Though Monster Evil had no fear of swords, the Thousand Hands Sword’s blade was terrifying. Just as rocks turned to dust against his fists, steel turned to tofu before the Thousand Hands Sword’s blade.
The Thousand Hands Sword felt the same. To dare act up bare-handed in front of his sword? He’d shred him to pieces in an instant, not leaving even a corpse behind.
But if the opponent was Monster Evil, then perhaps he was the one acting up, trusting too much in his blade.
They knew each other too well. What kind of skill Seven Great Unorthodox Masters like them possessed.
The strength of the two was evenly matched.
It was a battle between martial arts and swordsmanship, both having reached their ultimate forms.
There were tricks hidden in the flashy forms, and in light movements lay the subtle skill of a one-hit kill. Having spent their lives wandering the Central Plains in battle, their skills were just as formidable as the infamy they had earned.
In the end, this fight came down to who could control their internal energy better—and who would make the first mistake. Even the slightest slip would mean death.
All of this flashiness was just the buildup. Ultimately, what would determine life or death would be a single, simple technique.
Even in the middle of the battle, both of them kept paying attention to the fight between Bih Sa-in and the Flame King Sword.
He wanted to kill the Thousand Hands Sword quickly and save Bih Sa-in, but things weren’t going as planned.
The only consolation was that Bih Sa-in was fighting far better than expected.
‘Just hold on a little longer.’
Then, just as the fight reached its peak—
When the two briefly separated and gained some distance, he saw Monster Evil’s gaze shift to the sky behind him.
At that moment, the Thousand Hands Sword read the words Monster Evil's slightly parted lips formed.
He's coming.
Yes, he was sure Monster Evil had said “he’s coming,” like a whisper to himself.
It might have been a trick to divert his attention and launch a surprise attack, so he couldn’t afford to turn and look at the sky. But who was coming?
What unsettled him even more was that the joy blooming on Monster Evil’s face wasn’t something that could be faked.
And then came a faint, alien sound of the wind.
Ssshhhhhhhhhhh.
A sound he had never heard before. Something was truly approaching. If Monster Evil hadn’t pointed it out, he never would’ve noticed—it was that far away.
But there was no time to look back. Monster Evil had begun pressing him hard, pouring out his last reserves of strength.
In fights between masters like them, pushing beyond limits always carried a price.
But Monster Evil kept attacking recklessly. As if he didn’t want him to turn around. As if he was sure the fight was about to end.
What on earth was coming? A grim reaper? 3
Amidst their ferocious clash, he heard it.
The sound of the rear wall collapsing.
‘Someone really did come.’
He saw someone lunge off the crumbling wall and charge straight at the Flame King Sword. He wanted to rush to help—but he couldn’t. Because by the time he realized it, the attacker had already seized the Flame King Sword’s arm.
Thud!
Bih Sa-in’s sword pierced through the Flame King Sword’s heart.
In the moment he saw it—
The Thousand Hands Sword’s concentration shattered.
That single instant was exactly what Monster Evil had been waiting for the entire fight.
Boom!
Monster Evil’s elbow smashed into the Thousand Hands Sword’s jaw.
Even with the blow that nearly knocked his soul out of him, the Thousand Hands Sword fought to stay conscious.
As he swung his sword to block the next attack, he realized—Monster Evil was gone.
‘No!’
Despair surged through him. For masters like them, losing sight of an opponent was the same as losing their life.
Crackkkkkkk.
With the sound of bones breaking, the Thousand Hands Sword’s neck spun in a full circle. Behind him, he saw Monster Evil’s face, and then the scenery in front of him returned to view.
It had happened so fast that he didn’t even realize his neck had been shattered. In the distance, he could see the collapsed Flame King Sword, and he finally understood what it was that Monster Evil had said was coming. Just as he recognized that it was a young man—
A gust of wind blew past, and like a lantern snuffed out by the breeze, the world went dark in an instant.
The light faded from the Thousand Hands Sword’s eyes, and he crumpled to the ground like a bundle of straw.
“Haahhh.”
A long breath escaped from Monster Evil’s lips.
Looking down at the corpse of the Thousand Hands Sword, Monster Evil recalled the woman from long ago. The one who had beamed brightly as she served him an extra-large portion of lamb.
In that moment, he realized—he had truly liked her.
‘Honestly, that was too much lamb for me. Rest in peace now.’
He finally said the words he hadn’t been able to say to her back then in his heart. There are times when revenge is for someone whose hand you never even got to hold. 4
Monster Evil lifted his head and looked toward Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk was pressing down on Bih Sa-in’s acupoints to stop the bleeding from his unconscious body.
“Did you hear what the Young Leader said?”
“What did he say?”
“Battered and broken, he said this—‘Please save Senior Gwe.’”
Monster Evil’s pupils trembled slightly.
“What kind of nonsense is that, about someone I was just beating the hell out of?”
“It looked like you were really struggling.”
“I said no!”
Exhausted, Monster Evil collapsed into a sitting position. He, too, had been slashed in several places and had taken internal injuries.
On top of that, his energy was severely depleted. As the tension drained, sleep crept over him.
“To say that about someone I was clearly winning against…”
With his head dropping, his bluff fell asleep with him.
* * *
When Bih Sa-in opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed.
An unfamiliar ceiling. The pungent scent of medicine filled his nose.
‘I’m alive.’
The joy and relief of survival washed over him, too overwhelming for words. He’d really thought he was going to die this time.
He remembered the look on Geom Mugeuk’s face at the end. The way he’d been panting with exhaustion. The relief in his eyes.
‘If someone saw you, they’d think you were the one who fought.’
Bih Sa-in checked his body. His entire torso was wrapped in bandages, and the smell of healing salve was strong. Just how many times had he been cut? He could remember at least six.
Without thinking, he tried to sit up—and immediately screamed and lay back down. His whole body felt like it had been beaten with a stick all night.
Then, he spotted two suits of Protective Armor standing against the wall.
Seeing that blood-soaked armor made him realize once again just how intense the last battle had been. He couldn’t even remember how it had ended.
‘Ah! What about Senior Gwe?’
Worried about Monster Evil, he couldn’t bear to stay lying down.
Just as he groaned and tried to sit up again, Geom Mugeuk’s voice came from outside.
“Why do you keep wandering around when you're clearly still injured?”
Then came a familiar and welcome reply.
“I told you I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. If you don’t treat yourself properly now, your bones will ache when you're older.”
“I’m already old enough and aching plenty!”
Bih Sa-in lay back down again. Before he realized it, a faint smile had crept onto his lips. He was injured, and formidable enemies still remained—but in this moment, his heart felt at ease.
When he drifted off again and later awoke, Geom Mugeuk was in the room.
“You’re awake?”
“How long did I sleep?”
“Almost a full day. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m fine.”
There are times when you're feeling so good you don’t even realize you're hungry. Right now was exactly like that.
“Where is this place, anyway?”
“One of our cult’s safehouses.”
Funny how life turns out—he never imagined he’d end up in a safehouse of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Help me up, will you?”
As Bih Sa-in tried to rise, Geom Mugeuk gently pushed him back down.
“Are all people from the Unorthodox side this impatient? You lot seem even more hot-tempered than my cult’s own demons.”
“You’re not exactly one to talk, considering how fast you flew over here yesterday.”
Once again, he put off saying thank you. It was becoming clear that the gratitude he owed couldn’t be repaid in just one day. He’d have to live on all the rest of his life, slowly drawing one token of appreciation at a time from his basket of debts.
Geom Mugeuk opened the window wide.
“The weather’s beautiful again today.”
Bih Sa-in looked at Geom Mugeuk’s back as he stared out the window.
For some reason, when he wasn’t talking, Geom Mugeuk always felt lonely. Especially when he was turned away, gazing into the distance. 5
“How did you know to come?”
Still facing away, Geom Mugeuk answered.
“I rushed here because I wanted to see you.”
“Stop saying nonsense.”
The moment he confirmed that the one who had joined hands with the Battle King was Hyeok Sagun, he had raced toward the safehouse where Bih Sa-in was staying using the full speed of his Star Light Step.
Hyeok Sagun surely knew that Bih Sa-in was alive, and he likely knew the location of the safehouse as well.
Had it not been for that split-second decision, Bih Sa-in and Monster Evil would’ve both died.
“The one working with Hwang Seokgyeong is…”
Bih Sa-in tensed up. There weren’t many people who knew the location of the safehouse and had the ability to send the Flame Sky Twin Swords.
Turning to face Bih Sa-in, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“It’s Hyeok Sagun.”
“!”
Bih Sa-in was shocked. He had suspected it would have to be someone of that rank for it to make any sense—but he never imagined it would actually be Hyeok Sagun.
"Is it true?"
"I saw it with my own eyes."
Bih Sa-in felt a tightness in his chest and couldn’t stay lying down any longer. Enduring the pain, he forced himself upright.
This time, Geom Mugeuk didn’t stop him. When Bih Sa-in reached out, a soft, cotton-like energy flowed from Geom Mugeuk’s hand, helping him to rise.
Bih Sa-in leaned against the wall and fell into a moment of contemplation.
He recalled the sight of Hyeok Sagun smiling at him. Whenever he saw the younger man, it gave him a good feeling—like once he officially became Chief Strategist, the Unorthodox Alliance would transform into something new.
But was all of that just pretense and lies? 6
More than anger, it was unease that came first. Hyeok Sagun was a more difficult opponent than any enemy of the Unorthodox Alliance. Because he was closer to the Alliance Leader than anyone else.
"Are you worried?"
Bih Sa-in nodded. He would now have to face Hwang Seokgyeong’s martial skill and Hyeok Sagun’s cunning.
"I owe my life to you again."
"No, this time, you survived on your own."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You faced an enemy stronger than you and held out until the end. All I did was grab his arm once. You’re the one who killed him."
Geom Mugeuk gave all the credit to Bih Sa-in. And with that, another piece of gratitude was placed in the basket for later.
"You really fought well. Of all the Young Leaders I’ve seen, you’re the best."
A smile appeared on Bih Sa-in’s rough face.
"You’ve only seen one Young Leader."
This time, it was Geom Mugeuk who laughed wide and bright. Seeing that smile, Bih Sa-in finally felt the reality of survival sink in.
Just then, Monster Evil entered the room.
Bih Sa-in tried to bow from his seat with a clenched fist salute but let out a groan instead. Come to think of it, both of his arms had been slashed.
"It’s fine. Just stay where you are."
"Are you alright, Senior?"
Monster Evil, too, was wrapped in bandages and reeked of medicinal salves.
"I’m alright."
Bih Sa-in was grateful he was alive. If he had survived while Monster Evil died, he would’ve carried that guilt with him forever.
"You saved me, Senior. That’s the only reason I’m still alive."
"How could that be because of me?"
Saying that, Monster Evil looked at Geom Mugeuk. Thanks to Geom Mugeuk arriving in time, both he and Bih Sa-in had survived. That was now the second life debt he owed him.
Just as he was about to say thank you, he suddenly felt annoyed.
"When can I leave? The food in this demonic cult really doesn’t sit well with me."
He was clearly uncomfortable staying in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s safehouse. After all, before meeting Geom Mugeuk, he had always prefaced the word ‘demonic cult’ with 'damned.'
"I’ve finished what I needed to do, so I guess I’m free to go, aren’t I?"
Now that those who needed to die were dead, there was no reason to covet the secret manual.
"Thinking I might retire and live in a place with good mountains and clear water."
At that, Bih Sa-in spoke to him.
"Please postpone that retirement."
"Why? Did you suddenly get stingy about buying me the biggest golden basin in the world?"
"Of course not. Before you dip those hands into that basin, I’d like to borrow them for a while. You’ve already saved my life once—please take responsibility for it from now on as well."
Geom Mugeuk, more than anyone, understood what it meant to survive a brush with death alongside someone while living as a martial artist. That’s why he also understood just how important this moment was to the two before him.
Bih Sa-in bowed his head respectfully and made his request.
"Please help me become a good Alliance Leader."
He didn’t raise his head. There was resolve in his posture—as if to say he’d stay bowed until he received an answer.
"I’m someone with many enemies and plenty of flaws. If you keep me at your side, there will be a lot of pushback."
"I’ll just tell them all to get lost."
A faint smile rose at the corner of Monster Evil’s mouth.
"That’s how you feel now, I’m sure."
He didn’t accept it right away. After glancing down at Bih Sa-in, still bowing his head, he threw a quick look at Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk spoke up with a smile.
"I’ll pay you double what the Young Leader’s offering. Come to our side."
Still bowing, Bih Sa-in let out a quiet laugh. Geom Mugeuk was the kind of man who couldn’t stop cracking jokes, even in moments like this.
"The food on your side doesn’t agree with me."
With that, Monster Evil flatly rejected him, then approached Bih Sa-in and gently lifted him up.
"You don’t need to keep me close just because of what I’ve done. I’ll be able to help you more by stepping back."
He meant that he would support him quietly from behind, without stepping forward or flaunting the authority of the Alliance Leader’s name.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
"Don’t forget—the biggest and finest golden basin."
This was the moment when Bih Sa-in, who had once relied only on the Thirteen Wolves, gained his most reliable ally yet. 7
Geom Mugeuk celebrated the two of them with his eyes. And naturally, a few dear faces came to mind.
Just then, a cultist managing the safehouse arrived and handed over a transmission.
"An urgent message from the Unorthodox Alliance to the Young Cult Leader, sent through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion."
Geom Mugeuk checked the contents.
"What’s it say?"
At Bih Sa-in’s tense question, Geom Mugeuk responded with a look that said the moment had finally come.
"Your Alliance Leader wants to meet me." 8
1 : I understand that feeling, wanting to keep an eye on someone at a distance and secretly root for their happiness. F to them.
2 : I think it’s for her. Some relationships can’t be easily understood even by their own actors, no matter their length, and she was definitely that kind of person to you. Maybe a daughter figure, maybe admiration for her emotional strength or compassion for her hardship. Why try to define it if it’s meaningful to your heart ?
3 : Perceptive. It’s the weight of your karma catching up to you two.
4 : If old man Heavens is real, I wonder if there’s an afterlife too, and if she could watch how much she influenced him. At the very least, the memories of those we lost walk with us, nestled in our hearts.
5 : Well, although the chatter is a true part of his personality, it’s also a means to deceive himself from his loneliness. Mugeuk is far more complex than the carefree and joking side we all love.
6 : Well, no. The Alliance would definitely transform under him, but not in the direction you would like. Also, you would not be there to see it.
7 : Besides Muguk. But our Young Cult Leader is in a whole separate category XDXDXD
8 : At least it won’t be as awkward as being presented as the future grandson in-law of the Martial Alliance Leader XDXDXD