Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 367: It's Okay to Be a Little Less Cool
Late at night, Bih Sa-in was wandering alone in the courtyard of the safehouse.
Tomorrow was finally the day the Alliance Leader would leave the Main Division.
Though he had said he would sit this one out.
‘Should I have said I’d go?’
The reason he said he wouldn’t go was because he worried he’d only be a burden, given his still-healing body.
But if something were to happen to the Alliance Leader—no matter how slim the chance—he would live the rest of his life regretting not being there.
Strangely, he wasn’t worried about Geom Mugeuk. He’d probably flee just fine on his own. Even if he fell into a river, he’d find a way to persuade the fishes and slip out. 1
‘Will the Alliance Leader understand my feelings someday? What if he misunderstands and thinks I was too scared to come?’
Bih Sa-in shook his head. Worrying about himself in a moment like this…
Then someone stepped out from behind and spoke.
“Your mind’s troubled, so you can’t sleep too, huh?”
He turned around. It was Monster Evil.
“Is it tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Bih Sa-in wanted to ask Monster Evil to go help the Alliance Leader. He even wanted to say, ‘This is a direct order from the Young Leader. Go.’
But he couldn’t say that. He wasn’t going himself—to send someone else into a place where they might die wasn’t something he could bring himself to do. If Monster Evil truly intended to help, he would’ve said so himself. That he would go.
“Don’t worry too much. You know what kind of person the Alliance Leader is, don’t you?”
He did. Better than anyone. That’s why he was worried. The Alliance Leader was not someone who ever backed down. Cold and realistic in everyday matters, but when it came to fighting, he was fire itself. The most manly person Bih Sa-in had ever known.
And as always, there was someone else who came to solve his troubles.
“If you’re worried, let’s go together!”
Startled, he turned around to see Geom Mugeuk entering the courtyard.
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you think? I came to take you with me.”
As he said that, he held something out. In his hand was a protective armor.
It was the very same one that had saved his life earlier, when he wore two layers of it. Once soaked in blood, now it was spotless.
“I came earlier and washed it down by the stream. You can’t go see your Master after so long smelling like blood, can you?”
It was indeed thoroughly washed and completely dry.
“I wore it myself and used Heat Qi to dry it—just in case it’d smell if it wasn’t fully dry.”
“What?”
“I made a whole fuss by myself in the middle of the night.”
He imagined Geom Mugeuk standing by the stream, washing that armor, then wearing it to dry it with Heat Qi.
Surprise, confusion, gratitude—all kinds of emotions surged at once, and Bih Sa-in stood there blankly for a moment.
Really, this Young Cult Leader was a man who could never be predicted—not in the slightest. And the final emotion that followed them all… was always joy.
A bright smile spread across Bih Sa-in’s rugged face.
“All right, let’s go.”
This was the right choice. The joy he felt confirmed it.
“Exactly. This is Unorthodox Alliance business, so of course you should go.”
Bih Sa-in nodded firmly.
As the fog in his heart lifted, there stood a man—someone who wanted to protect his master, someone who wasn't afraid to lose his life.
Yes, let’s do it. Just once, give it a shot. Even if I die, let it be there.
“Lend me your strength, my friend.”
At the added word "friend," Geom Mugeuk beamed with a broad smile.
“Of course. Who else is your true friend if not me? Don’t ever forget—I’m the only one who risked his life to help you when you were in trouble! And one day, the friend who’ll run along the beach with you—that’s me too. I’ll charm all the ladies for us!”
Bih Sa-in knew that, unexpectedly, Geom Mugeuk had a soft spot for getting credit. He was uncomfortable with receiving thanks and disliked bragging. 2
Hidden behind that chatter, there might just be a man even quieter and more taciturn than himself.
Bih Sa-in put on one of the protective armors and held out the other to Geom Mugeuk.
“You wear this one.”
“I’ve already got one on. So you should wear two again this time.”
The crimson Supreme Heavenly Silk that had been tied to the hilt of the Black Demon Sword was already wrapped around the vital parts of Geom Mugeuk’s body, hidden under the patched up Ghost Protector Garment that Gu Cheonpa offered him.
At that moment, Monster Evil, who had been listening to the two of them, chimed in.
“There might be poison rubbed inside the armor, you know.”
It was a joke, but one with a sharp edge. A warning not to trust Geom Mugeuk too completely.
“With you here, at least there’s no chance the Young Leader will die from poison.”
Geom Mugeuk genuinely hoped the relationship between these two would grow stronger. Bih Sa-in, it’s in your hands now.
Bih Sa-in spoke to Monster Evil.
“Will you help me tomorrow and come with me?”
Monster Evil answered without hesitation.
“Wherever the Young Leader goes, I go.”
He hadn’t volunteered to move for the Alliance Leader’s sake, but at the very least, he had the heart to move for Bih Sa-in.
And Bih Sa-in realized something. If he had forced him to go earlier, this wholehearted answer would never have come. Because he held back then, he had gained this now. He must not forget this. When we’re in a rush, we often forget the distance between ourselves and others.
The one who had influenced this realization the most—especially with how busy he always was—took his leave. Geom Mugeuk said his goodbye.
“Then I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll come get you.”
“Where are you going at this hour?”
Geom Mugeuk said something cryptic and vanished in an instant.
“You’re not the only one I have to help put on an armor.”
* * *
Late at night, Baek Jagang was training in his private training ground, shirtless.
His opponent was the iron mannequin, forged with a mix of Millennium Cold Iron.
The iron mannequin transformed—one moment it became Geom Woojin, another moment Hwang Seokgyeong, and then it even became himself.
He could have sliced it cleanly with a single stroke, yet only sharp metallic clangs continued to echo from the iron mannequin.
After a flurry of sword strikes, Baek Jagang approached the mannequin.
He gently traced the marks that had just been engraved onto it with his hand. So many lines had been etched that it now felt like those lines had merged into a surface.
But Baek Jagang knew precisely which marks were his, freshly left behind.
It was a level beyond simply cutting through Millennium Cold Iron, and what enjoyed this grand level the most was his own finger, tracing along the path of the blade.
The lines spoke for themselves. They declared that he hadn’t inherited the position of Alliance Leader easily. That he, too, had walked the Path of Wolves and reached the Dark Tyrant Throne.
Just then, the voice of Ingung called out from outside.
“The Young Cult Leader has arrived.”
* * *
Geom Mugeuk was once again standing before the steel wolf.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came to see you.”
If it were anyone else, Baek Jagang would’ve assumed it was due to nervousness. But not with Geom Mugeuk. There had to be a reason for the visit.
“You’re not coming inside?”
“Ah, I like it better out here.”
Baek Jagang stepped up to stand beside Geom Mugeuk.
“You say this wolf will come back to life?”
The Guard Captain must’ve passed along those words.
“Somehow, I started to feel like it would be nice if it did.”
“Are you hoping a crisis befalls the Alliance?”
“Ah, maybe so. Somehow! It just felt like it would spring back to life with such intensity.”
This was why conversations with Geom Mugeuk were so entertaining. He said the kind of things no one else would dare, so casually.
“You said it was a formidable enemy?”
Geom Mugeuk spoke to the air.
“Don’t you think you’re telling the Alliance Leader a little too much of what I say? Is there no such thing as a secret between us?”
Only after cracking the joke did the mischief fade from Geom Mugeuk’s face.
“Yes, I think among all the enemies the Alliance Leader has faced, this one will probably be the strongest.”
“As strong as your father?”
“Not quite to that level.”
Before the relaxed smile could form on Baek Jagang’s lips, Geom Mugeuk added,
“But that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down.”
He knew this could wound the pride of the Unorthodox Alliance Leader, but he still offered the warning.
“Are you afraid I might die?”
After a short pause, Geom Mugeuk answered.
“Yes.”
Baek Jagang’s ears felt nothing; this Demonic Cult Young Cult Leader was sincerely worried he might die. How was he supposed to take this?
“There’s a protective armor for you. Please wear it when you leave the Alliance.”
“Why an armor?”
“Because the enemy will be wearing one too.”
It was already something he knew from his life before the regression: the Battle King wore a protective armor. Not just that—he never hesitated to use any tool or sacred item available to him if it meant winning a fight.
And the reason this was common knowledge was because the Battle King had no shame about it whatsoever. The only thing he considered shameful was losing.
That’s exactly why he was worried about the Unorthodox Alliance Leader—because someone as strong as the Demon Supreme also used top-tier gear.
“I’ve felt this before too, but you seem to know a lot about that man.”
How should he respond?
“Yes, I have information on him.”
The longer he talked, the more chances there were for holes to appear, so he left it at that. He’d already mentioned that similar conspiracies had occurred involving the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Martial Alliance, and even the Heavenly Wind Cult of the Wilderness. They’d probably assume he learned about it during the resolution of those incidents.
“Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t say this out of any disrespect toward the Alliance Leader.”
“I know that. But let me ask you this.”
Baek Jagang looked directly into Geom Mugeuk’s eyes.
“If it were your father, would he have worn it?”
Geom Mugeuk thought of his father for a moment, then shook his head.
“He wouldn’t have worn it.”
Baek Jagang exhaled a cold breath of Qi.
“Then why tell me to wear it?”
“Because I would’ve told him to as well.”
If it were the same situation, he would’ve advised his father too. Even though he knew he never would have listened.
“I understand. I know well the pride and dignity you hold as a martial artist. Even if your opponent showed up wrapped in every rare artifact in the world, you’d still face him with nothing but a single sword. I know that both my father and you are such men. That’s why he’s the Cult Leader, and that’s why you’re the Alliance Leader.”
“Then why insist I wear it, knowing all that?”
“Because I’ll be wearing it. I’ll go out there wearing two layers of the best protective armors. And I’d do the same even if I became the Cult Leader.”
Baek Jagang stared into the unwavering eyes of this young man, who would carry the future. He wondered why this Young Cult Leader was saying all this.
“The honor I believe in for a Cult Leader… isn’t about looking cool by winning under disadvantageous conditions.”
“Then where does your honor lie?”
“It lies in the result of killing the one who absolutely must be killed. That’s why it’s okay to be a little less cool. I don’t need to tell heroic tales. I just want to return safely and see my people again. Come back safe, drink with them, talk with them. I won’t say a single word about the enemy I killed. I’ll just take off the bloodstained armor, laugh, and chat. And people will think to themselves, ‘Yeah, if it’s the Cult Leader, of course he’d be able to kill him’. That’s where my honor lies.” 3
It was something Baek Jagang had never once thought about before. When he was with Geom Mugeuk, things he didn’t have kept being laid bare before him.
Everything Geom Mugeuk had said earlier—all of it led to this one conclusion.
“I don’t want a single hair on your body to be harmed, Alliance Leader. I want that to be your honor.”
From the moment Geom Mugeuk began speaking to the moment he finished, not even the faintest tremor stirred in Baek Jagang’s ears.
* * *
The next day, the carriage carrying the Unorthodox Alliance Leader was on the move.
The handful of martial artists running alongside the carriage were the Alliance Leader’s personal escorts. For this secret mission, only the most skilled among them had been selected.
Inside the carriage sat Baek Jagang and Deputy Strategist Hyeok Sagun.
“Nervous?”
At Baek Jagang’s question, Hyeok Sagun turned from gazing out the window.
“No, sir.”
“You seem more tense than usual.”
Of course, Hyeok Sagun was nervous.
Today, his fate would be decided.
He believed Hwang Seokgyeong would win, but it was going to be an incredibly dangerous fight. No one knew what kind of unexpected variable might endanger him.
“May I speak honestly about something regarding this matter?”
“Go ahead.”
“To be frank, I was a little hurt. I thought… if you trusted me, I wish you’d trusted me completely.” 4
“You’re talking about how I didn’t tell you the Chief Strategist’s whereabouts.”
“Yes.”
Hyeok Sagun quickly lowered his head in apology.
“I apologize for my disloyal words, my lord.”
“No need. You’re human. It’s only natural to feel that way.”
Hyeok Sagun was doing his best to conceal himself. The Alliance Leader was a sharp man. Someone who could pierce through people with those small eyes of his.
That was why he was disguising his excitement as disappointment today. He had to make it to the place where Hwang Seokgyeong was waiting.
How long had they been riding?
As the carriage began to slow, Baek Jagang suddenly brought up something unexpected.
“Isn’t today the day the Alliance Training Center accepts new recruits?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
When the Training Center was mentioned, Hyeok Sagun grew tense on the inside.
“I heard Instructor Hwang took a day off today?”
“Yes, I was told this is the first time that’s ever happened. But… how did you know?”
“Isn’t he famous for being diligent? Do you know what happened?”
“I heard it was an urgent personal matter.”
“I think I know where that man went.”
At some point, the carriage had come to a stop.
Baek Jagang’s gaze turned toward the window.
“There he is.”
Up ahead, the Battle King stood blocking the road.
Radiating his Qi fully, the Battle King was exuding a terrifying presence. Just from the energy he released, it was clear why Geom Mugeuk had been so concerned.
The escort martial artists, having already been briefed by Ingung, showed no signs of disturbance.
Baek Jagang slowly stepped down from the carriage. Though the Battle King’s killing intent swept through the air like blades, Baek Jagang spoke with unshakable calm.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit too flashy for a vacation?” 5
1 : The legendary protagonist move ‘Falling from cliffs only makes me stronger !!!’ due to conveniently placed Heavenly Treasures (aka plot armor ^^)
2 : Mostly because the most important work of his lives was done in silence and loneliness.
3 : “I do not need heroic tales, I just need to save the world and have fun with my friends and family.”
4 : After reading so many betrayals stories, I KNOW I shouldn’t trust completely if I were in the same situations. But to succeed in doing so…. I have no confidence. I have no political nor social sense, and I’m much too soft for my own good. At least I’m smart enough to reject any position of leadership XDXDXD
5 : Lol, he got infected by Mugeuk XDXDXD