Chapter 737: The Only Possible Person
“Have you perhaps met my father before?”
To think he was saying the exact same words his father once did! Was it truly a coincidence? Or could it be that this man actually knew his father?
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“No.”
At least, not in this lifetime.
“But I’ve heard that he was a man of firm principles.”
When the word “principles” came up, Tae Soo’s expression stiffened slightly.
“They say he only stole from the unjust, and that he shared part of what he stole with the poor, didn’t he?”
Tae Soo silently nodded.
His father had taught him never to break that rule.
But Tae Soo had always been dissatisfied with that teaching.
If he wanted to do good deeds, he should have lived as a righteous hero instead. How could a thief talk about conscience? If he was going to be called a thief anyway, then he might as well steal everything without distinction.
With such feelings bottled up, there finally came a day when he exploded.
—Father, is your rule for the sake of doing good, or just to justify stealing?
His father had given no reply. But Tae Soo had seen it then—the anger, disappointment, and confusion that crossed his father’s face.
Since that day, he hadn’t seen his father again.
“My father is……”
He had wanted to say, “He is a great man.”
After all, when Geom Mugeuk pointed his sword at him earlier, the person he had used as a shield was also his father.
But the words caught in his throat and wouldn’t come out.
It was Geom Mugeuk who continued the halted words.
“Fathers are difficult… for us sons.”
Tae Soo’s hardened expression unconsciously softened a little. At that moment, he saw once again that strange look in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes.
‘He’s looking at me like that again.’
It was a look that said there was something he wanted to say but didn’t.
“Well then, now that we’ve eaten, shall we get going?”
Geom Mugeuk took the lead, with the two Demon Supremes following behind.
When he turned back after walking some distance, Tae Soo was still standing there.
“What are you doing? Not coming?”
“You have to release my internal energy first before I can move.”
“It’s been released for a while now.”
The technique that had restrained him was already undone. He simply couldn’t use his inner energy, but his body was free to move.
‘When did he…?’
He hadn’t even sensed the moment it was undone. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme understood better than anyone just how incredible that was.
After descending from the mountain, Geom Mugeuk’s group found the carriage they had left in the village and resumed their journey.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme rode inside the carriage, while Geom Mugeuk and Tae Soo sat in the driver’s seat.
When Geom Mugeuk started the carriage on his own accord, Tae Soo asked with a puzzled expression,
“Do you even know where we’re headed?”
Tae Soo had expected him to ask that. At the very least, he should have asked if they were going in the right direction.
“I’ll go wherever I feel like until you tell me. If we start heading too far the wrong way, just quietly tug on the reins.”
Looking at the man beside him, who seemed ready to poke at his side again at any moment, Tae Soo realized it would not be easy to figure out what kind of person this young man truly was.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t even know your name.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze deepened slightly. After staring ahead at the open road for a moment, he finally spoke.
“It’s Geom Mugeuk.”
Inside the carriage, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme exchanged looks.
They both knew that Geom Mugeuk usually went by the name Geom Yeon after leaving the sect. For him to reveal his real name meant he was willing to disclose his true identity as well.
Of course, Tae Soo had no idea that the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was named Geom Mugeuk. Even if he had known, he would have assumed it was just someone with the same name. After all, there was no way the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would be carrying luggage and cooking mushroom dishes to serve him himself.
Tae Soo glanced at Geom Mugeuk.
“Would you tell me which sect you belong to?”
“I could, but it’s better if you don’t know.”
“And why is that?”
“Because once you know, it’ll be much harder for you to steal my heart. Just move as your heart tells you.”
Tae Soo misunderstood Geom Mugeuk’s refusal to reveal his sect.
‘So he’s from the Orthodox Factions.’
If they had been from the Demonic Cults or Unorthodox Sects, they would have revealed their identities right away—if only to intimidate him.
‘He must be from a prestigious family.’
If so, then what he needed to find out was who among the three was their leader.
At first glance, it seemed to be the old man. But when Tae Soo had seen them eating together, that didn’t seem to be the case. The young man not only carried the luggage and cooked the meal, but somehow, he gave off the feeling of being the one in control.
“Then, may I ask what your relationship with those two is?”
Elders of the family? Masters? Yet Geom Mugeuk’s answer was entirely unexpected.
“They are my two wings.”
At those words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme both burst into laughter. After all, the two of them were the very people who had once competed to see who would be his left or right wing.
“With just those two by my side, I could devour the entire Central Plains.”
“The three of you?”
“You’ll be one of us soon enough. That makes four.”
Tae Soo turned his head in the opposite direction from the carriage.
‘I am being asked to steal the heart of someone this unpredictable?’
At that moment, he realized that what lay ahead of him was going to be the hardest theft he had ever attempted.
* * *
The carriage came to a stop beside a lake.
“Get down and take a look over there.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme stepped out of the carriage.
The setting sun was casting its glow over the large lake beside the road. The rays stretching into the sky blended with the light sinking into the water, creating a breathtaking scene.
Geom Mugeuk lightly climbed up onto the roof of the carriage and sat there.
“It’s truly magnificent.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme both nodded. It was the first time the two of them had ever seen such a beautiful sunset together.
Geom Mugeuk had stopped the carriage for their sake.
‘Take in this moment as much as you can!’
While the three of them gazed at the spectacular view, Tae Soo sat on the driver’s seat, facing the opposite direction.
It made sense for the two great masters in the carriage to appreciate the scene—but what kind of young man would lose himself so deeply in a sunset?
To him, it all felt like pretense and hypocrisy. Probably just a show to curry favor with the two masters in the carriage.
‘How should I escape?’
If things went on like this, he would die at their hands. He would have to get to the Sword Tomb first and use the mechanisms there to either flee or eliminate them.
Just then—
Whoosh—
His body was suddenly lifted by an unseen force and drawn into the air, landing beside Geom Mugeuk on the roof of the carriage. Geom Mugeuk had used Void Telekinesis to bring him up.
“You just had an evil thought, didn’t you? Trying to figure out how to kill us and get away? Planning to use the mechanisms at the Sword Tomb?”
“N-No!”
Tae Soo’s voice trembled as if struck in the heart. The accusation was so precise, there was no way to deny it.
“You can think wicked thoughts later—but this, this is something you can’t see later. So see it while you can. There is no later.”
How could there be no later? He was living like this, risking his life every day precisely for that “later.”
Swallowing back the words that rose to his throat, Tae Soo turned to look at the sunset.
Just then, birds flying low over the lake brushed against the water’s surface, scattering droplets that glimmered crimson in the fading light. It truly was beautiful.
Suddenly, Tae Soo realized this was the first time he had ever seen such a sight. He had never stood before a sunset over a lake before.
His life had always been about chasing or being chased—too busy for moments like this.
“If I pretend to find that scenery beautiful while sitting next to you, would that be enough to steal your heart?”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and nodded.
“Yes. I’d at least think, ‘this kid is trying.’”
Tae Soo looked at him.
“Even if that means deceiving you?”
“Isn’t sitting still without trying anything the greater deception?”
Tae Soo bit his lip lightly, steeling his resolve.
“Fine. If that’s what you want, I can put on all the pretense you’d like.”
A faint smile curved across Geom Mugeuk’s lips.
“Good. Let’s see you try.”
Geom Mugeuk turned toward the sunset and waited.
But when the moment came, Tae Soo found that no words would come out.
“It’s not that hard, is it? Just smile and say, ‘It’s truly beautiful.’ That’s all it takes. If you add, ‘Thank you for letting me sit beside you,’ that’d be even better.”
Even though Geom Mugeuk had demonstrated it for him, the words still refused to leave his mouth.
When they had first met, he had even pretended to cry in an attempt to deceive him. He’d always prided himself on being a flawless actor. Was it pride stopping him now? Or something else entirely?
“I’ll do it later.”
“Suit yourself, then.”
Geom Mugeuk didn’t press him further.
Standing side by side below the carriage, looking out at the lake, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a voice transmission to the One-Slash Sword Supreme.
—That thief won’t have an easy time. After all, he’s been told to steal the hardest thing in the world.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon knew that although Geom Mugeuk seemed like someone who gave his affection freely, in truth, he did not. The demon knew better than anyone how difficult it was to truly win that heart.
—Only one person ever succeeded in stealing it.
—Who?
The One-Slash Sword Supreme turned toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
—Me?
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head, as if to say that was absurd.
—Not me. Maybe the Masked One, at best.
—Is that so? But I think it was my Orabeoni.
At the word “Orabeoni,” the Blood Heaven Blade Demon flinched. It had been a long time since he’d heard her call him that. She only used that word when she was in good spirits.
‘So you’re as happy as I am right now.’
Just then—
Dududududu—
A group of martial artists came charging toward them. There were dozens of them. In an instant, they surrounded the carriage, encircling it completely. Each one radiated an impressive level of power.
And from among them, a familiar face stepped forward.
“Hey, porter.”
The woman who came forth was none other than Chu Yeon, the daughter of the Flying Dragon Gang Leader.
Behind her stood the remaining four of the Flying Dragon Ten, the elite warriors of the gang. She had lost six of them in that cave.
“I couldn’t find your corpses anywhere.”
Not only the corpses—but also the Treasure Map—had been missing.
Her gaze turned toward Tae Soo.
“So, you took him with you.”
“I’m accompanying them to rescue my younger sister,” he replied.
Chu Yeon let out a mocking laugh.
“You must think me a fool. People of their caliber, moving for the sake of someone like you?”
She didn’t believe it. There were too many suspicious details.
Her sharp gaze shifted to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme, who were still standing there, eyes fixed on the lake, completely ignoring her presence.
They were exactly the same as they had been in the cave—utterly unconcerned with her existence.
‘Let’s see how long you can look down on me.’
Then, from behind Chu Yeon, an elderly man with graying hair stepped forward. It was Jongbaek, an elder of the Flying Dragon Gang.
He was the most trusted subordinate of the Gang Leader, Chu Yeon’s father—an expert of the Flying Dragon Gang, known not only for his formidable martial arts but also for his vast knowledge of the martial world.
His temper was fiery and fearsome, making him the one person Chu Yeon feared the most.
“Are you certain it’s them?”
“Yes. They must have the Treasure Map.”
Jongbaek infused his voice with inner energy as he spoke.
“I am Jongbaek, an elder of the Flying Dragon Gang. May I ask from where you esteemed ones hail?”
Though his tone was polite, a blade lay hidden behind his words.
No matter who the opponents were, he intended to secure the Treasure Map. The Flying Dragon Gang had staked its very survival on obtaining it. After suffering enormous losses in the Cave of Death, they could not afford to retreat empty-handed.
Jongbaek’s eyes turned toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme, who still stood with their backs to him.
‘These are no ordinary people.’
He could not gauge their strength from appearance alone.
But that was fine—his side was strong enough not to lose against anyone.
His gaze then shifted back to Geom Mugeuk.
“Then you, young man, answer me.”
“We are not from a great sect like the Flying Dragon Gang,” Geom Mugeuk replied calmly. “How could we reveal our identities in the midst of a Treasure Map dispute? I ask for your understanding.”
Jongbaek studied Geom Mugeuk carefully. But before he could respond, Chu Yeon stepped forward and spoke politely.
“He’s merely a porter. You don’t need to pay him much mind, Elder.”
However, Jongbaek could immediately tell she had misjudged him.
The young man before him bore no trace of martial cultivation—yet his presence felt heavier than anyone else’s here.
“Very well then. Is it true that you possess the Treasure Map?”
“There’s been a misunderstanding, young lady.”
“If you’re so confident,” Chu Yeon interjected sharply, “then you won’t mind letting us search your belongings.”
“I have no issue showing you my person or our luggage,” Geom Mugeuk said, “but those two cannot be searched. There is only one person in this world who could do that.”
At his refusal, the air grew taut with tension.
Just then, a calm yet graceful voice flowed through the standoff.
“It’s been a long time, Elder Jong.”
The One-Slash Sword Supreme slowly turned around to face them.
For the first time, Jongbaek saw her face clearly.
It was a face he was certain he had seen before, though he could not recall where. Her voice, too, was one he had heard somewhere in the past.
‘Who is she?’
His instincts screamed at him—he needed to remember quickly.
The One-Slash Sword Supreme began to walk toward him, her steps unhurried.
“I’ve changed quite a bit since then. I suppose it’s not easy to recognize me now.”
Then Jongbaek’s eyes caught sight of her scabbard—on it, a crimson camellia blossom engraved as vividly as blood.
His gaze darted back to her face, and when recognition struck, his body stiffened in shock.
“You—!”
Only then did Jongbaek realize who stood before him—it was the One-Slash Sword Supreme.
Just as she had said, she looked entirely different from before. In the past, she had worn heavy makeup and dressed in lavish clothes.
He had never imagined he would encounter the One-Slash Sword Supreme in a place like this, and that was why he had failed to recognize her earlier.
Before he could say anything, the One-Slash Sword Supreme turned calmly toward Geom Mugeuk and spoke.
“I’m traveling with an esteemed person.”
Jongbaek’s entire body trembled as if struck by lightning.
For the word “esteemed” to come from the mouth of a Demon Supreme—what could that possibly mean?
Looking back at her, Jongbaek spoke in a steady voice.
“Our sect has made a grave mistake. This old man shall sever one of his arms to beg forgiveness. Please accept it.”
Chu Yeon gasped in horror. The terrifyingly powerful Elder Jong, deciding to cut off his own arm without even fighting? Not just she, but all the martial artists with her were thrown into confusion.
Without hesitation, Jongbaek drew his sword.
“I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
Swish!
Before anyone could stop him, he swung the blade down toward his own arm.
“Ah!” Chu Yeon screamed.
Clang!
In that instant, Jongbaek was struck with an even greater shock than the pain of a severed arm—because his sword strike had stopped mid-swing.
Without him realizing it, Geom Mugeuk had appeared beside him, gripping his wrist.
He hadn’t perceived a single moment of movement. One blink—and his wrist was caught.
If that hand had aimed for his neck instead of his arm, he would already be dead.
‘…To him, I am nothing but a one-second target.’
It was beyond belief. This man wasn’t even the Cult Leader—merely the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
As Jongbaek stood frozen in shock, Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly and said,
“Elder Jong, that precious arm of yours still has something important to do.”