Chapter 787: You Came Alone, How Bold of You
As the small boat carrying Geom Mugeuk approached the Ship of Wealth and Honor, a martial artist appeared on the deck.
“Do you have an invitation?”
Geom Mugeuk took something out from his robe.
“Here, the invitation.”
Whoosh.
The paper Geom Mugeuk flicked through the air flew toward the martial artist standing on the ship. When the man caught it and checked, it turned out to be a promissory note worth one hundred nyang.
While the martial artist was confirming the note, Geom Mugeuk and the two women were already standing before him. Just from their silent, instantaneous leap, it was clear what level of skill they possessed.
“Take me to the ship owner.”
With skill like this, he could have easily overpowered the man and forced him to guide them, yet he offered money and asked politely?
“I must inform the ship owner first.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Please, follow me.”
The three followed the martial artist into the ship.
The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme and the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress, who were trailing behind, found it unexpected. They hadn’t thought Geom Mugeuk would immediately seek out the person running the ship as soon as he boarded.
As they opened the first door and entered, a wave of heat hit them.
The large hall, like a grand reception room, was arranged as a gambling den, where over a hundred people were deeply absorbed in gambling.
It was not something to look down upon just because it was on a ship. In fact, the facilities were far better than most gambling dens on land.
Women carried trays of liquor glasses back and forth, while martial artists stood guard everywhere, watching for anyone who might cause trouble.
Sighs of regret, cries of joy, curses of fury echoed all around.
Even without seeing their faces, one could tell what they were feeling and in what situation they stood.
Though Geom Mugeuk and his companions walked straight through the hall, no one paid them any attention. Everyone’s gaze was fixed only on their own cards, their opponent’s expression, and the rolling dice.
Without being asked, the martial artist began explaining, fully revealing the influence of that hundred nyang.
“There are seven more gambling dens like this one aboard this ship. This is the lowest-level hall, and only those with at least five hundred nyang can enter.”
Five hundred nyang — an enormous sum for ordinary people, almost unthinkable.
As they walked through a narrow corridor, the martial artist knocked on an iron door. When he followed the prearranged pattern, the thick metal door opened.
It was another gambling hall.
The man continued his explanation. The one they had just passed required five hundred nyang to enter, while this one required two thousand.
“If you win here and make five thousand nyang, you can move up to the next floor. Or, you can simply come with five thousand from the start.”
It meant that one could continue ascending in that manner. Naturally, the higher the level of the gambling hall, the greater the stakes became. It was a structure designed to exploit the greed of gamblers who wished to earn vast fortunes in the grandest of games.
I’ve made it this far!
That desire — the yearning to reach the very end — was precisely what they were skillfully exploiting.
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress felt puzzled once again. It was not just anyone they were here to meet, but the Priestess herself.
‘Why did she choose a place like this?’
No matter how much she thought about it, she could not find an answer.
She cast a brief glance at Geom Mugeuk. Believing that he surely had his own reasoning behind it, her heart found some measure of ease.
They passed through several more rooms. The one they were walking through now required thirty thousand nyang just to enter.
With such wealthy people gathered, one might expect a relaxed atmosphere — yet it was anything but. Though not as noisy as the first hall, the air burned even hotter with intensity as the stakes grew higher.
It was suffocatingly tense, the kind of pressure that choked the lungs. Regardless of the sums involved, gamblers were gamblers all the same.
Eventually, the three were led by the martial artist into the ship owner’s office.
The one in charge of the Ship of Wealth and Honor was Yang Dong.
With a solid, sturdy frame, he was among the top three masters of the Water Dragon Gang and enjoyed both the trust and favor of its Gang Leader.
Yang Dong examined Geom Mugeuk, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress, and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. At a glance, he could tell — these were not ordinary people.
“Where do you hail from?”
“When you come to a gambling den, what does one’s origin matter? What matters is how much money you have.”
“For us, origin matters more. There are many who try to reclaim their lost money by… other means. If you don’t reveal your true identity, you’ll have to disembark.”
As if he had already intended to reveal it from the start, Geom Mugeuk replied without hesitation.
“We are from the Divine Cult.”
Yang Dong flinched in shock at once. That unfeigned reaction made it clear — this man had no connection to the Dark Palace.
“How can I trust that?”
Flash!
Before he realized it, Geom Mugeuk’s sword was already at Yang Dong’s throat. From the tip of the blade seeped a faint demonic energy.
Yang Dong hadn’t even seen him draw the sword. He, one of the top three masters of the Water Dragon Gang!
‘A supreme master!’
This was an expert utterly beyond comparison to himself.
Click.
Just as he hadn’t seen the sword drawn, he couldn’t see it being sheathed again.
Yang Dong clasped his fists together respectfully and bowed.
“What brings such esteemed guests to this place?”
“Don’t be nervous. We haven’t come to ruin your business. In fact, we’re here to capture those who intend to do exactly that.”
Yang Dong was not only skilled in martial arts but also sharp-witted. That was precisely why he had been entrusted with managing the Ship of Wealth and Honor, the vessel that generated the most profit. At the very least, he clearly understood that the demonic masters before him had not come to harm him.
“Please, just give the order.”
“Take us to the VIP chamber.”
Yang Dong flinched for a moment.
“How did we know there was a VIP chamber? Have you already forgotten who we are?”
A faint smile touched the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme’s lips. Before boarding the Ship of Wealth and Honor, when Geom Mugeuk had said he intended to show off, she had naturally assumed he meant to display his prowess among the gamblers.
But she was wrong. The one Geom Mugeuk intended to impress was none other than the owner of this ship. His every move continued to defy her expectations.
If it had been her, she would have quietly infiltrated, started gambling in the lowest hall, and gauged the situation.
By now, she would probably still be in the first room, trying to gather information about the second.
Yet Geom Mugeuk was already heading straight for the chamber where only the wealthiest of the wealthy gathered.
Thinking about it, the Young Cult Leader’s choice was the right one. After all, if the meeting had been arranged on this ship, the intention couldn’t have been to meet in some deserted corner. If privacy were the goal, they would have chosen a quiet ship elsewhere.
If it wasn’t about secrecy, then the most logical move was to go directly to the core — the very heart of the place. Even if the target wasn’t there, it made sense to start from the top and sweep downward.
Thus, the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme found herself quietly learning how Geom Mugeuk handled matters.
“Lead us there.”
“What business do you have in that place?”
What lay within were the magnates — the kind of people he could never afford to hand over, even at the cost of his own life.
That was why Yang Dong did not easily yield.
“No matter who you are, I cannot possibly take you—”
Geom Mugeuk cut him off and revealed his identity.
“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Yang Dong’s eyes widened. No demonic cultivator would dare impersonate the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
He had known this man was formidable — but never had he imagined he was that man!
“I despise gambling. I despise gamblers even more. And those who establish gambling houses like this? I loathe them most of all. A murderer kills only his victim, but you people drag their families and friends into ruin.”
That was Geom Mugeuk’s personal doctrine on gambling.
“So stop making me angry. I’ll finish my business quietly and leave.”
If the one before him was truly the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, there was no room for refusal.
“Please, handle your affairs quietly.”
Had he been bolder, he might have added — If you cause trouble, even we won’t stand idly by.
But he dared not say it aloud. All he could do was endure.
Yang Dong personally escorted Geom Mugeuk and the two women to the VIP chamber.
After winding through complex corridors and passing through a hidden door, they arrived at the secluded room.
“Now then, we have new guests.”
At that moment, all eyes within the room turned toward Geom Mugeuk and his companions.
In the center stood a large round table, around which seven people were seated.
There were elderly men, middle-aged men, and even young ones. All were dressed in fine, luxurious garments — anyone could tell at a glance that they were people of wealth.
Among them sat a single woman.
The instant the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress laid eyes on her, she knew. That woman was the Priestess Palace Master. Though she had left the palace at a young age and had never seen her before, she could recognize her at once.
In a low voice, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress informed Geom Mugeuk and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.
“That’s her.”
Indeed, she was the Priestess Palace Master — Gaye.
The same woman who had once gazed upon the constellations before the Dark Palace Master was now seated amidst a gambling table.
Gaye turned her gaze toward the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress.
“You came? Much sooner than I expected.”
Her tone was unexpectedly calm and bright.
“Have you ever tried this? It’s more fun than you’d think. Come, join me for a round.”
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress didn’t know how to respond to such an offer. She had never imagined that Gaye would be sitting at a gambling table.
Instead of her, Geom Mugeuk strode forward and drew his sword.
“Anyone here who has nothing to do with this woman — leave. If you stay, I’ll consider you her ally.”
A chilling demonic energy poured from his blade.
“No matter how mad you are about gambling, you should at least know when to read the room.”
The demonic aura radiating from Geom Mugeuk’s sword was not something ordinary people could withstand.
The others seated around the table rose to their feet, trembling, and Yang Dong hurried to escort them out.
To Yang Dong, this was actually a relief. If those precious guests had remained and ended up caught in a fight — and if word of it ever spread — the Ship of Wealth and Honor would be finished that very day.
‘All I need to do is make sure they survive.’
Once outside, the wealthy guests finally exploded in anger.
“Is this how you treat your guests?”
“I sincerely apologize. There are special circumstances — please grant us your understanding, just for tonight.”
“You’ve got another room, right?”
Even in such chaos, rather than thinking of returning home, these people wanted only to continue gambling.
Yang Dong smiled.
“Of course. This way, please.”
He led them away. What mattered more than whatever was about to happen inside that room was keeping these wealthy fools addicted to their game.
Now, only one person remained within — Gaye. She truly had come alone; there was no one else left in the room.
Geom Mugeuk, however, did not take that as a good sign. Being alone meant she was confident — trusting in some unseen safeguard.
The Priestess Palace Master’s gaze turned toward Geom Mugeuk.
“You’re even more handsome than I imagined.”
But Geom Mugeuk’s assessment was far less generous.
“You’re far more shameless than I expected.”
“Shameless?”
“You told our Pavilion Mistress to come alone, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Think about all the things your people have done up to now. And yet you told her to come alone? If we had invited you to the Divine Cult by yourself, would you have come so willingly?”
Gaye did not attempt to argue. Instead, she smiled.
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress slowly stepped forward and sat down across from the Priestess Palace Master. The two women faced each other — both priestesses, yet their lives had taken entirely different paths.
At length, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress spoke calmly.
“Why did you ask to see me?”
“You’re as impatient as the Young Cult Leader.”
“I became this way after all the storms you people put me through.”
“‘You people’? That sounds strange. Shouldn’t you and I be bound by the word ‘we’?”
“I left when I was young precisely because I hated that ‘we.’”
Though their words were polite, an invisible pressure clashed sharply between them.
“You must already know that the Heavenly Killing Star has appeared, yes?”
When the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress nodded, Gaye said something astonishing.
“I have received a new prophecy.”
From the lips of the Priestess Palace Master came a startling revelation.
“The one born under the Heavenly Killing Star will rule this world. That is the prophecy newly bestowed upon me.”
A heavy silence fell.
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress was the most shaken of all. Having lived her whole life believing in the infallibility of prophecy, her heart pounded violently in her chest.
That prophecy meant only one thing — that the Young Cult Leader and the Evil Smiling Demon would die.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“It is a prophecy of the Priestess Palace. If no one else, shouldn’t you at least know?”
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk walked forward and sat beside the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress.
“That prophecy is a lie.”
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress turned to him, startled.
“A priestess cannot lie about a prophecy.”
“Then she must have abandoned being a priestess.”
Geom Mugeuk’s tone was firm.
“If a prophecy were truly given now, it would have descended upon the Pavilion Mistress.”
Gaye’s expression showed genuine curiosity.
“Why do you think that?”
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes were cold as he replied.
“Because your life went astray.”
“!”
For the first time, Gaye’s calm expression faltered.
“I believe you’re worse than the Dark Palace Master. At least the Dark Palace Master has a clear purpose. But you? Was it ever the role of the Priestess Palace to help the Dark Palace conquer this world?”
“The Dark Palace inherited the will of the Heavenly Will Palace.”
By that, she meant she followed not the Dark Palace, but the legacy of the Heavenly Will Palace.
“Do you truly believe that?”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze pierced into her eyes.
“What do you think the former Priestess Palace Master — the one who once served the Heavenly Will Palace — would say if she saw you now? Do you think she would tell you that you’ve done well?”
A faint tremor ran through the corners of the Priestess Palace Master’s eyes. Geom Mugeuk pressed her even further.
“If the Dark Palace Master is trying to use our Pavilion Mistress to lure me here and kill me, aren’t you actually against it? Wouldn’t you rather kill the Pavilion Mistress than me?”
“Why would I want to kill her?”
“How would I know your heart? Perhaps because you no longer receive prophecies, while our Pavilion Mistress still does — and it angers you.”
“Silence!”
Gaye’s composure shattered, and her expression turned cold.
Srrrng—
Geom Mugeuk drew his sword halfway, its edge glinting before her face.
“I don’t believe Heaven would bestow a prophecy upon someone like you.”
Her face reflected faintly upon the distorted surface of the blade.
Beyond that edge, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“Instead of meeting our Pavilion Mistress and spouting false prophecies, you should have come to apologize. You should have said, ‘I’m sorry for luring you into this trap. I had no choice.’”
Clack.
Geom Mugeuk sheathed his sword once more and rose from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress glanced once at the Priestess Palace Master, who still sat motionless, and then asked Geom Mugeuk,
“Are we just leaving her here?”
“She’s already gone.”
“What?”
Whoosh—
The Black Demon Sword sliced through the air, a streak of sword qi flashing across the room.
Slash.
Her neck was severed cleanly, her head flying through the air. The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme both gasped — neither had expected Geom Mugeuk to suddenly behead the Priestess Palace Master.
Yet, no blood flowed from her neck.
Bang! Bang!
Her head and body burst apart into black smoke and vanished. The instant Geom Mugeuk had half drawn his sword earlier, he had felt it — her energy had shifted. Someone of remarkable skill had spirited her away.
“Something’s been activated around us!”
Sensing the disturbance, Geom Mugeuk stepped back and opened the door.
Beyond it, the hallway rippled with dark energy. Black smoke swirled across the floor like a fog.
“So that’s why she wanted to meet here.”
Geom Mugeuk recognized the sinister art that spread before his eyes.
“The Greed Annihilation Art has been cast upon this ship.”
The Greed Annihilation Art was one of the signature dark demonic arts inherited from the Dark Palace*.
The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme also knew exactly what that technique was.
“It’s a dark art that feeds on the most primal human desires. The baser the craving — for food, for lust — the stronger it becomes, and the greater its power… Ah!”
At that moment, she too understood why the meeting had been arranged here.
“This ship devours even the hunger and lust of men…”
Geom Mugeuk gazed down the corridor, now thick with dread and ominous energy, and spoke in a low voice.
“It is filled with desires far more persistent than those.”