Chapter 265 - I'm a Demonic Martial Artist—What's Wrong with Killing a Few People?

Geom Mugeuk returned to the seat of honor. When Yeo Sogwang tried to sit beside him, he seated Yakran there instead.

Despite being displaced from his usual seat, Yeo Sogwang was not offended in the least. If anything, he admired Geom Mugeuk.

To run off to a bedroom with a woman in his arms while so many people watched? Then seat her openly beside him like this? He could never have imagined doing such a thing himself.

In any case, everything was going just as he had intended.

'I've won him over completely.'

With someone so unconventional and impulsive, perhaps he could seize an opportunity to move up to Cult headquarters this time. Buoyed by that hope, Yeo Sogwang tried to butter Geom Mugeuk up with even sweeter words.

"Look at the dancer's face. She's lost in bliss. But then, what woman could possibly resist our young lord's manliness?"

Yeo Sogwang looked at Yakran.

Her expression was different from usual. She was always frightened when she saw him, but now there was something assured about her.

'Stupid bitch. You think you've made the young lord yours just because you slept with him once.'

She did not realize that becoming involved with the young lord had shortened her life. When he eventually ended the relationship, he would never leave her alive. Even if he did not do it himself, one of those guards would take care of her.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk asked Yeo Sogwang a question.

"What do you hate most, Commander Yeo?"

Yeo Sogwang racked his brains, trying to work out why the young lord had asked that.

But he could not fathom his intentions. The young lord seemed obvious in some ways, yet had an unpredictable side.

"I..."

Things he hated? Of course there were. He hated anything that obstructed his advancement. He hated anything that interfered with amassing money. And he hated it even more when someone saw through his duplicity.

Since he could not voice any of those things, he said,

"I hate those bastards from the orthodox factions who seek to bring down the Cult. I hate their hypocrisy."

"As expected! It's reassuring to have you with us, Commander Yeo. Here, let me pour you a drink to that."

"Thank you."

As Geom Mugeuk poured him a drink, he casually asked,

"Have you made much money, Commander Yeo?"

Yeo Sogwang flinched inwardly, but immediately began complaining.

"If only I had. As you can see, I have quite a few subordinates to support. Perhaps money and I simply aren't meant to be. It all slips away as soon as it comes in."

"Don't exaggerate, Commander Yeo. Lend me some money."

A sudden request to borrow money? Was he asking for a bribe? Or was this a drunken joke?

Yeo Sogwang tried to discern his real meaning, but he simply could not read this young lord's mind.

Smiling, Yeo Sogwang took a money pouch from inside his robe.

"If our young lord needs money, I ought to offer even my pocket money."

He opened the pouch and said,

"There's eighty taels here. Let me lend you this, at least."

Geom Mugeuk accepted the money, then shook his head.

"This isn't enough."

Did he really want a bribe?

Yeo Sogwang had risen to his present position by paying countless bribes. A few words were usually enough for him to calculate how much someone wanted. In fact, he could generally work out how much to give without them saying a word.

But the young lord wanted a bribe? And in such a public setting?

It defied common sense. No matter how hard he tried, he could not fathom the young lord's intentions.

'Fine. Let's see, then.'

Yeo Sogwang rose with a smile.

"Please wait a moment."

He left the hall.

Yakran, seated beside Geom Mugeuk, gave him a puzzled look, but he offered no explanation.

The guards exchanged glances as well, yet none of them could guess what he intended.

A short while later, Yeo Sogwang returned with a small box.

"Here you are."

During his brief absence, Yeo Sogwang had reached a conclusion. Running off with Yakran in his arms, and now this...

'The young lord enjoys the attention. He likes standing out far more than I thought.'

What did a young lord have to fear? Look at me, taking bribes right out in the open. He thought it made him look impressive.

'You foolish young lord. You're leaving yourself vulnerable. If this causes trouble later, will you kill all these people to silence them?'

Geom Mugeuk looked inside the box.

"Oh, you've saved quite a lot."

"I'm giving you everything I've saved."

Geom Mugeuk closed the box and spoke again.

"Commander Yeo."

"Yes, young lord?"

"Give me more."

For an instant, Yeo Sogwang's face tightened. But even faster than the frown had appeared, his genial smile returned. Making his expression freeze like that was quite a talent in itself.

"Didn't I tell you that was my entire fortune?"

"I know you have another fortune tucked away."

"I don't."

Just as Yeo Sogwang smiled and waved his hands in denial, Geom Mugeuk said,

"What about the money you made working with the master of the Heavenly Harmony School?"

Yeo Sogwang was utterly shocked. So shocked, in fact, that he nearly blurted out, "How did you know about that?"

But seasoned schemer that he was, he responded without betraying his surprise.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Why act like this between friends? I understand completely. With such meager pay, you need some extra income to look after your subordinates. Don't you?"

The sum he had made through the Heavenly Harmony School was far too large to excuse that way. Besides, he had killed more than twenty people to bury the secret. It must never come to light.

'How much does he know?'

For now, Yeo Sogwang flatly denied it.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I have indeed had dealings with the Heavenly Harmony School, but only to conduct the chapter's business."

He had prepared a false ledger for precisely this sort of situation. It made the incoming money look as though it had been spent on the chapter.

Geom Mugeuk beckoned him to bring his face closer. Inwardly tense, Yeo Sogwang leaned in, afraid a fist might fly at him at any moment.

Fortunately, no fist came. But something more frightening did.

"Then how much did you pocket from the leader of the White Night Gang?"

"!"

"You don't remember? Then do you remember the money you received from the deputy master of the Western Spear School?"

Several more names followed in succession.

Listening beside him, Yakran was secretly astonished. Those were the names she had written down. He had seemed to give the paper only a cursory glance when she handed it over, yet he had memorized every name precisely.

Yeo Sogwang's gaze wavered. He was rarely flustered, but this time his composure broke.

'What? How on earth did he find out?'

No, that was not what mattered. What mattered was how to get out of this situation.

"Your expression has gone stiff, Commander Yeo. I always liked that smiling face of yours."

Yeo Sogwang forced a smile. He needed to think on his feet, but with so many names coming out, his mind was too tangled to find an answer. The greatest crisis of his life had struck without warning.

"Now I understand what you hate most, Commander Yeo. Giving up your own money. Am I right?"

With nowhere else to turn, Yeo Sogwang's gaze drifted to Yakran, seated beside Geom Mugeuk.

Their eyes met. The instant he saw her confident gaze, he realized.

'Damn it! That fucking bitch told him everything!'

She had obediently done as she was told for so many years that he had never dreamed something like this might happen.

"Did that dancer say something to slander me?"

"Why bring that up all of a sudden? Do you happen to have some connection to this woman, Commander Yeo?"

Yeo Sogwang instantly realized his mistake. He should have denied everything outright. Above all, he must not become entangled with Yakran.

But the pressure on him did not end there.

"Where is the shipment from Hunan's Foremost Escort Agency?"

Yeo Sogwang's vision went dark. The young lord knew all about his corruption.

"It's slander. Someone is plotting to bring me down!"

"Who?"

Yeo Sogwang looked at Yakran again.

"Is it this dancer's doing?"

He could not say yes. That would expose all the times he had forced her to entertain guests. Worse still, it would reveal that he had introduced such a woman to the young lord. He had a better chance of survival as a corrupt martial artist.

'He knew before he came. He's here to arrest me. In that case...'

Yeo Sogwang dropped to his knees where he stood and bowed his head deeply.

The music filling the hall stopped, and everyone held their breath. The sight of Yeo Sogwang kneeling was utterly unfamiliar. Here in Hunan, he had wielded absolute power.

"Please show mercy and forgive me. I was blinded by greed for a moment."

He could only hope the young lord's impulsiveness and eccentric character would assert themselves. He prayed for a hearty laugh and words like, That little matter is nothing. Didn't he like to stand out? Please! Stand out by forgiving me! Show off how great you are!

But at the very moment he ought to have shown off, Geom Mugeuk instead grew calm and cold.

"Where is the money you've amassed?"

"... In a money house."

"Not that. Not the money you keep for show in case Yellow Springs Pavilion audits you. I mean the money you've scraped together so relentlessly."

Yeo Sogwang said nothing. No, he could not. To survive, he had to hand over the money immediately, but did the young lord know what that money meant to him?

Geom Mugeuk beckoned Hwang Pyo, who stood some distance away.

Hwang Pyo hurried over, his face taut with apprehension, and knelt beside Yeo Sogwang.

"You know where he hid the money, don't you?"

Geom Mugeuk directed his killing intent at him. Every hair on Hwang Pyo's body stood on end. He felt as though blood were running down his entire body. The chilling realization that he might truly die seized him.

"Tell me the truth, and I'll spare you."

Hwang Pyo's heart pounded. He had always believed he could die for Yeo Sogwang. But now that death was truly before him, he was afraid. Had Yeo Sogwang really treated him well enough to deserve his life?

Geom Mugeuk read his wavering heart precisely.

"You watched your master accumulate immense wealth. What did he give you?"

Crumbs. And he had made a great show of his generosity even then.

Hwang Pyo looked at Yeo Sogwang, kneeling beside him. Seeing him so haggard, so unlike his usual self, Hwang Pyo understood. His loyalty had only held while Yeo Sogwang possessed the power of life and death over him.

"... He hid his fortune in a temple called Yangho Temple."

Geom Mugeuk sent Jeok Yeon a sound transmission.

—Notify Heaven-Reaching Pavilion immediately and have them recover all of it!

—Yes, understood.

Hwang Pyo pleaded desperately.

"I've told you the truth, so please spare me!"

At that very instant—

SLASH!

Yeo Sogwang drew his sword and slashed his throat. Blood spurted over Yeo Sogwang's body and face.

He wiped the blood from his face. Regret outweighed his resentment toward Hwang Pyo. He should never have trusted him. He should never have trusted either of them to the end. This bastard and that bitch alike. He should have used them for a few years, disposed of them, and found replacements.

Spitting on Hwang Pyo's corpse, Yeo Sogwang said coldly,

"Who do you take for a fucking idiot? You thought you could spout that shit right beside me and live?"

His perpetually smiling face had changed as though he had taken off a mask. This was his true face. He had never imagined his mask could be stripped away so easily.

It was all because of that strange young lord.

"Young lord, you never intended to let him live in the first place, did you?"

"You've spent your whole life flattering people and watching their reactions. Are you still trying to read other people's minds, right up to the end?"

The sword clenched in Yeo Sogwang's hand trembled. He spoke as though lamenting his fate.

"It's unfair. I never even got to spend the money I saved all my life."

"You became addicted to making money. You should have spent it and seen people and the world. But money was all you ever saw."

Yeo Sogwang thought that might be true. Earning money had always given him a greater thrill than spending it.

"I..."

He wanted to argue, but no words came. He was famous for his eloquence, yet before this damned young lord, he could think of nothing to say. The life he had spent so long building could collapse in a single instant like this? Really? It truly felt like a dream.

Yeo Sogwang screamed furiously.

"These things happen! I'm a demonic martial artist—what's wrong with killing a few worthless nobodies?"

He would never normally have said such a thing. Those were the words of a lowlife.

He might not have felt so wretched if Geom Mugeuk had at least played along and said, "Yes, I'm a demonic martial artist too. What's wrong with killing someone like you?" But Geom Mugeuk merely regarded him with impassive eyes.

Yeo Sogwang let out a desperate scream.

"Aaaaaaah!"

Just as Yakran had been helpless against him, he was helpless against Geom Mugeuk.

Yeo Sogwang lunged. His sword flew toward Geom Mugeuk as though to kill him, then changed direction. It was aimed at Yakran's heart. He blamed her for everything that had happened.

THUNK!

A sword pierced flesh with a tearing sound.

Yeo Sogwang's blade had stopped just before Yakran's heart. Instead, Geom Mugeuk's Black Demon Sword was buried in his.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Yakran.

"The specter that tormented you is leaving this world now."

When he withdrew his sword, Yeo Sogwang fell backward and died.

"Let the specter in your heart go with him."

Yakran understood why he was saying this. He meant that she should not spend the rest of her life suffering from the wounds Yeo Sogwang had inflicted.

Looking at Yeo Sogwang's corpse, she took a deep breath and said,

"I'll dance."

She had been waiting for this moment alone.

Then Geom Mugeuk said,

"Not here. Dance onstage later. A dance belongs on a stage, not in a place like this, where filthy blood flows."

"But I promised you."

As he silently looked at her, Yakran understood from his clear, deep eyes. He had made that promise so he could say this to her.

"You don't need to dance away your grief. He isn't worth it. Give your finest dance on your own stage."

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Why are you so kind to someone as insignificant as me?"

Geom Mugeuk stood facing her.

"Because the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon wronged you."

Looking her in the eye, he spoke with sincere courtesy.

"I'll apologize on its behalf. I'm sorry."

The tears Yakran had held back spilled from her eyes. The Demonic Cult's young lord was apologizing—to someone whose insignificant life could be snuffed out with a flick of his finger. In the face of this, how could she remain bound to her past wounds?

She prostrated herself before Geom Mugeuk.

"I will never forget your kindness. Please come and watch me dance someday."

The dancers and musicians present bowed their heads with her.

Watching them, Jeok Yeon could feel it. Geom Mugeuk's Demonic Path, which had rested in the meal Third Tiger's mother had cooked, rested today in this woman's dance.

And now he felt he could see, if only a little, what it was they must protect. The eye that had hurt as though it might fall out ached less.