Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker/Notes : Saphartlantis
========================
Chapter 379: Are Your Eyes Still the Same?
Geom Mugeuk asked Jin Haryeong instead of answering.
“Which do you think is harder? Getting permission or inviting the Alliance Leader?”
Though she couldn’t answer the comparison, one thing was certain.
“Both are impossible. There’s no way Grandpa would drink with the Cult Leader or the Unorthodox Alliance Leader in the same room.”
Geom Mugeuk lowered his head and let his shoulders droop.
“Alright, I guess I’ll go see the Alliance Leader to carry out an impossible mission. All alone, lonely, and in solitude.” 1
Even when he slowly walked all the way to the entrance, the two didn’t stop him, so Geom Mugeuk quickly returned to his original spot.
“That’s cold. Is this how friends treat each other?”
At that moment, Jin Hagun asked.
“Why did you invite the Unorthodox Alliance Leader? You didn’t call someone to the Demonic Cult just to serve them a drink, did you? No, even if that was your intention, the Unorthodox Alliance Leader wouldn’t have agreed. How did you persuade him?”
Geom Mugeuk answered honestly.
“Because I hoped there wouldn’t be a war.”
Of course, the two wouldn’t understand the deeper meaning of those words. He couldn’t tell them that his father or the Unorthodox Alliance Leader were dreaming of unifying the martial world.
“You think drinking with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will stop the war?”
“I believe it will.”
Jin Haryeong believed it too. That unbelievable answer. Not because Geom Mugeuk spoke with conviction.
The reason was simple. If he hadn’t saved her life, she wouldn’t be in this world.
“Did you mean it earlier? That if I get kicked out of the Alliance, you’d take me in?”
“I’ll even throw a welcome ceremony.”
Jin Haryeong pictured the scene for a moment. Herself kicked out of the Alliance, carrying a bundle on her back, standing in the rain at the main gate of the Demonic Cult with her escort Choo Ho.
Then, Geom Mugeuk would open the door and joke around.
―From now on, you’re my maid.
He’s the kind of person who’d joke like that. Yes, her trust in Geom Mugeuk wasn’t just because he saved her life. 2
“Alright, I’ll help.”
Feeling her heart lighten, she thought the decision must be right.
“You stay out of this, big brother. If you get involved, you’ll really lose your successor position.”
Jin Hagun looked at his sister.
‘How can she be so free?’
His heart had such clear limits. Boundaries drawn all around him.
He’d never crossed them. He’d never imagined a life where he wasn’t the successor. Just like he’d never imagined rebelling against Grandpa.
But his sister leaped over those lines so effortlessly. In that way, Geom Mugeuk and Jin Haryeong were very alike. 3
Jin Hagun quietly looked into his own heart. What did he truly want? Was crossing that line just recklessness? Or was it a new challenge? Because he couldn’t know without trying, Jin Hagun was torn.
“Big brother, I told you not to worry. You understand your own situation too, don’t you?”
Instead of saying he understood, he noticed Geom Mugeuk looking at himself. His gaze was one that wished he would go beyond his limits.
‘Why do you look at me like that when you’re not going to take responsibility for my life?’
Jin Hagun’s eyes turned to Jin Haryeong.
“You can’t do it alone.”
“What?”
“If you go alone, you’ll really be kicked out. But if the two of us go together, at least we won’t be kicked out.”
“You’re saying you’ll help too?”
Jin Hagun nodded.
She hadn’t expected her brother to make that decision.
“Did you actually let go of your ambition for power?”
“It’s the opposite. I’m doing this to protect my power.”
Jin Hagun’s reason for helping was just as simple.
“Because I don’t want a war either.”
In the end, it meant he believed Geom Mugeuk’s words too. That there had to be a reason to invite someone.
Geom Mugeuk understood how big a decision Jin Hagun had made. He was putting his successor position on the line.
“If you get kicked out, I’ll protest in front of the Alliance and demand they reinstate you.” 4
Earlier, when Jin Haryeong had imagined standing at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s main gate, Jin Hagun imagined himself at the Alliance’s main gate.
Picturing Geom Mugeuk at his side, waving around a banner that read, ‘Reinstate my friend Jin Hagun as the successor!’.... It was embarrassing just to imagine it.
‘But this guy would actually do it.’ 5
Geom Mugeuk said to Jin Hagun.
“Thank you. I’ll never forget what you risked for this decision.”
This is what Jin Hagun had learned.
Who needs words between us? Geom Mugeuk says it like this. Thank you. I won’t forget.
Now that they had decided to help, both Jin Hagun and Jin Haryeong naturally turned their eyes to Geom Mugeuk.
“So? What’s your plan?”
* * *
The first person to visit Jin Paecheon was Jin Haryeong.
“What brings you here?”
“I came because I wanted to see Grandpa.”
Though he had quite a tyrannical personality, Jin Paecheon’s love for his granddaughter was certain. Besides, though she used to act so prickly, she had clearly matured lately.
“Didn’t you have a Posthumous Will Gathering today?”
“Yes, it ended well.”
“Do you still have those fellows from the Gathering who like you?”
“Of course. There were a few today too.”
“None you liked among them?”
“It’s hard to find a man as charming as you, Grandpa. You were popular with the heroines back in your youth, right?”
A bright smile crept onto Jin Paecheon’s lips. A smile reserved only for his granddaughter, one that few others ever saw.
“You’re being so sweet today—must mean you’re about to ask for something.” 6
“That’s a misunderstanding. I mean every word.”
“As long as you’re happy, I won’t be greedy. You know that, don’t you? I even accepted an attendant as a potential grandson-in-law.”
Jin Paecheon subtly mentioned Geom Mugeuk and studied his granddaughter’s expression. He was worried she might be conflicted because of Geom Mugeuk.
“That time, I should’ve held on to him.”
At those regretful words, Jin Paecheon stared intently at his granddaughter.
“I’m joking, Grandpa.” 7
“It better be a joke.”
Of course, Jin Paecheon felt regret too. If the boy had at least come from a regular martial background instead of the Heavenly Demon bloodline, he might’ve forced a way to make it work.
No, what nonsense. How could he marry off his granddaughter to someone from the Demonic Cult? It was only because the boy named Geom Mugeuk was so exceptional that such lingering thoughts arose.
Just then, Jin Hagun entered the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
After greeting Jin Paecheon respectfully, Jin Haryeong asked,
“Our big brother’s face is hard to see these days.”
The two acted as though they had bumped into each other by chance.
“There’s a rumor going around that you've been lost in deep training.”
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see Grandpa. And you, big brother?”
Jin Hagun turned to Jin Paecheon.
“The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult is here. He says he came with a request for the Alliance Leader.”
If all three had shown up together, it would’ve looked like a plotted scheme, so they had arranged to arrive separately.
Jin Haryeong played surprise convincingly. Her heart trembled at the thought that Geom Mugeuk might be standing just beyond that door. She didn’t need to act.
“Before we let him in, I have a request for the Alliance Leader.”
“Speak.”
“I don’t know what kind of request the Young Cult Leader will make, but if it’s something worth granting, please lend him your support.”
There was a reason he made such a rare request.
“You may remember the operation carried out by the Demon-Slaying Brigade to handle the child abduction case. On the way here, I asked the Young Cult Leader about it. He said all the children have been retrieved and freed from their brainwashing, and each one has been returned to their home with the excuses of the Unorthodox Alliance. Were you aware of this?”
Jin Paecheon nodded. He had already received reports about it. He had been truly pleased to hear every children had been safely rescued. That was why he felt a quiet joy upon hearing Geom Mugeuk had come.
“That was the Demon-Slaying Brigade’s operation, so in the end, I owe the Young Cult Leader a debt. I’d like to repay it with this opportunity.”
Jin Paecheon gladly accepted his grandson’s request.
“So be it.”
Moments later, Geom Mugeuk entered the hall.
He bowed deeply and greeted with respect.
“Alliance Leader, have you been well?”
“Welcome.”
Jin Paecheon looked Geom Mugeuk over with a calm gaze. His eyes were clearer and deeper than the last time they met.
‘He’s reached a higher state of martial arts than before.’
The more he looked, the more tempted he felt—making the regret all the deeper.
Geom Mugeuk greeted Jin Haryeong as if they were meeting for the first time since he had come to save her.
“Lady Jin, it’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“It’s inconvenient without a personal attendant.”
To her joke, Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied,
“If it’s Lady Jin, I can be your attendant anytime.”
She knew it was playful banter, yet the words still made her heart flutter and her spine shivers. 8
“I heard about your achievements with the Unorthodox Alliance. You saved all the children, didn’t you? Truly admirable.”
She praised Geom Mugeuk once more. Today wasn’t about getting her grandfather’s permission—it was about earning his heart. 9
“I was just lucky. The Unorthodox Alliance Leader offered generous support as well.”
After exchanging greetings, Geom Mugeuk calmly stated the reason for his visit.
“While handling the recent affair for the Unorthodox Alliance, I became indebted to the Unorthodox Alliance Leader. So, I’ve invited him to my regular tavern in front of the cult.”
Jin Paecheon said nothing. His composure began to settle low.
Like opening a window in the dead of winter, the atmosphere chilled in an instant.
The Alliance Leader’s once gentle gaze turned sharp as an icy dagger, but Geom Mugeuk continued speaking.
“The Unorthodox Alliance Leader said he didn’t want to cause any misunderstanding with you, sir. So I told him—let me go and explain it properly. That’s why I’ve come. It’s nothing serious, so please don’t misunderstand.”
Jin Paecheon’s expression stiffened and his gaze turned colder. To him, it now sounded like the Demonic Cult was aligning itself with the Unorthodox Alliance.
Jin Hagun and Jin Haryeong thought things could’ve gone worse. If it hadn’t been Geom Mugeuk, he would’ve already been scolded and potentially attacked.
In place of her grandfather, Jin Haryeong spoke coldly.
“So you're saying this is a secret meeting with the Unorthodox Alliance? Since it would be exposed anyway, you’re confessing first?”
“It will be exposed, yes. But this isn’t a secret meeting. It’s something personal between me and the Unorthodox Alliance Leader. We’ll meet at a tavern where everyone can see us, so I imagine the whole martial world will know.”
Geom Mugeuk stressed it was not a secret rendezvous.
“If it really were to be secret, would I have chosen a tavern in Maga Village?”
“Why did you choose that place?”
It wasn’t a planned question. It was her own personal curiosity. After all, it was the same place he had once said he wanted to invite her to.
“The place I plan to welcome the Unorthodox Alliance Leader is a tavern called Flowing Wind Tavern. The owner is named Jo Chunbae. A good man, with great skills and a warm atmosphere. When you sit upstairs with a glass in hand and look outside, you can find a reason to keep living.”
Jin Haryeong found herself wondering.
What does he see from there?
“The tables are sturdy—they won’t break even if a martial artist leans on them. And the guests there, even if the Unorthodox Alliance Leader shows up, they might be surprised, but they won’t be afraid.”
“How is that possible?”
Then came Geom Mugeuk’s heartfelt answer.
“Because my Demonic Path lies there.” 10
A moment of intense silence followed.
Who could truly grasp the weight of those words?
But precisely because those words were incomprehensible, Jin Haryeong only felt more drawn to go there.
She returned to the original plan and showed a coldness that didn’t match her true feelings.
“You try to mislead us with plausible words, but this is something we can’t approve.”
There was a reason Jin Haryeong stepped forward to oppose him. If she showed even the slightest sign of agreeing with Geom Mugeuk’s opinion, her grandfather would grow even more worried and angry.
Meanwhile, Jin Hagun remained silent. Since he had already said he owed a debt, he only revealed a hint of discomfort.
“Whether you join hands with the Unorthodox Alliance or not is your business, but don’t deceive us in the process!”
Her sharp voice rang throughout the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
“Deceive you?”
“You say it’s a personal meeting, but there’s no way the Cult Leader wouldn’t come to see the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.”
Jin Paecheon was concerned about the same thing. In the end, this would become a meeting between the Heavenly Demon and the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
“If they meet, they’ll exchange secret messages, right? Their martial skills are so refined, the only person who could detect that would be Grandpa. So in the end, you and the Unorthodox Alliance might secretly plot something.”
She subtly emphasized that without her grandfather’s presence, no one could stop a possible conspiracy.
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
Jin Haryeong spoke to Jin Paecheon.
“Grandfather, please don’t give your permission under any circumstance.”
Her outburst and anger came first, which left Jin Paecheon no room to lash out. Because the one he thought might take Geom Mugeuk’s side got angry, it worked all the more effectively. 11
“Ryeong-ah, calm your temper for a moment.”
“This is an act of deception against you and the Alliance!”
“I told you to stop!”
“I’m sorry, Grandfather.”
Jin Paecheon turned to Jin Hagun, who had been quietly observing the situation.
“What do you think?”
Jin Hagun presented an entirely new angle.
“What’s your real intention? Are you planning to lure the Unorthodox Alliance Leader and kill him?”
For a moment, Jin Paecheon flinched inwardly. He had focused entirely on the idea that the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance were scheming together—he hadn’t considered the possibility that the Demonic Cult might be trying to kill the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
It was a question with enough weight that Jin Paecheon closely watched Geom Mugeuk’s reaction and response.
For a moment, Geom Mugeuk was too flustered to answer.
“Are you suggesting I plan to strike the Unorthodox Alliance during this opportunity?”
“Don’t misunderstand such an absurd suspicion.”
“If, during this meeting, an unfortunate incident happens and the Unorthodox Alliance Leader dies, then the Young Leader would rise to leadership. And isn’t that Young Leader quite close to you?” 12
Jin Haryeong picked up where Jin Hagun left off. This was the most critical moment in today’s plan.
“So you plan to take the Unorthodox Alliance into your grasp! Now I understand why you’ve been trying so hard to befriend the Young Leader.”
Jin Paecheon found the suspicion quite plausible. After all, who could guarantee such a thing wouldn’t actually happen? Moreover, Geom Mugeuk, who was usually so confident in everything, now looked slightly shaken—as if he’d been struck right in the heart. 13
“Am I wrong?”
“I only came to ask for permission. If you don’t want to grant it, just say no. There’s no need to go this far with wild speculation.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Jin Paecheon.
“If the Alliance Leader shares the same opinion as your granddaughter, then I’ll take my leave.”
His posture showed he had no intention of arguing any further. That attempt to withdraw without protest only made Jin Paecheon more suspicious. He became certain that there must be some scheme hidden behind this unusual request.
‘Is the balance between orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic forces breaking?’
Suddenly, Jin Paecheon recalled the image of Heavenly Demon Geom Woojin.
Whenever he thought of that man, what came to mind first were those cold, arrogant eyes. Eyes full of ambition that made it clear he’d never settle for just being the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
‘Are your eyes still the same?’ 14
Geom Mugeuk respectfully gave a martial salute and turned to leave.
“Then, I will take my leave.”
Just as Geom Mugeuk turned to leave in haste—
“Wait.”
Followed by Jin Paecheon’s shocking declaration.
“I will attend this meeting myself.” 15
Startled, Geom Mugeuk hurriedly spoke up.
“No, no, no, there’s no need for that. As long as there’s no misunderstanding between the Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance, that’s enough. You really don’t need to come!”
To Geom Mugeuk’s attempt to stop him, Jin Paecheon responded firmly, as if declaring it to the world.
“I said I will go!”
1 : Aren't all those adjectives describing the same thing ? XDXDXD
2 : It’s because he stole her heart too ^^ I’m sure a part of her would be happy if things turned out that way, she could seriously pursue Mugeuk without worrying over her position ^^
3 : Both are free spirits ^^ That’s why he became good friends with Seo Jin back then too ^^
4 : Notice the difference of treatment ^^ He”ll take Jin Haryeong in, but not Jin Hagun ^^ Then again, she would be happy to be with him while Hagun would be depressed, so it’s for his own good ^^
5 : Yup, no cringe can reach him thanks to his mastery of the Dao of Life.
6 : Family just knows when you want to ask something XDXDXD
7 : Eheheh ^^ You can’t hide it from us ^^
8 : She’s falling deeper and deeper all on her own XDXDXD Mugeuk just have to stay there and smile for her affinity to go through the roof XDXDXD
9 : *Cheerleader squad cheering her on in the distance*
10 : That, and the Heavenly Demon and Demon Supremes often come from a meal. It’s just a natural evolution.
11 : Well if she gets jealous, I can see her get angry like that too, but they aren’t at that point yet. YET .
12 : Bih Sa-in would never forgive Mugeuk for killing his Father. Not like it’ll happen anyways.
13 : It takes a true actor to deceive someone aware of your acting talent. How much to show, and how much to lie, the balance is extremely thin.
14 : The same question as Baek Jagang. Geom Woojin made quite an impression back then ^^
15 : He bit the bait, reel him in !!!