Chapter 324 : Just for Today, Think of Me as Your Enemy

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 324: Just for Today, Think of Me as Your Enemy

So Baekta couldn’t make a decision right away.

Instead, he asked for some time alone with his master. That was exactly what Geom Mugeuk had hoped for.

Once Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha stepped outside, only Jeong Dae and his disciple remained inside.

The silence dragged on for a while until So Baekta finally broke it.

"Will you really make me the next Cult Leader even if we could return to that time?"

"I will."

"Even though I dream of uniting the entire martial world?"

"Yes. Even so, I will make you the next Cult Leader."

Despite the firm answer from the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, So Baekta still looked unconvinced.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I believe you're the one who can protect the Heavenly Wind Cult the best."

"Is starting a war what you call protecting?"

The Cult Leader conveyed to his disciple the regret and reflection he had felt.

"If I had the chance to go back, I would have asked you—what is your dream? And if you had said ‘advancing into the Central Plains’, I would’ve told you this: That dream isn’t ours, but one dreamed by someone from the previous generation. Then, I would’ve walked with you through the Wastelands and shown you what a great place the Wilderness is, and how strong the people living in this sandstorm are. I believe you’re the one who can protect and cultivate this the Wilderness better than anyone else."

So Baekta grew angry.

"And you’re only telling me this now? If you hadn’t come back like this, you still wouldn’t have said anything, would you?"

"Because I believed you were doing well. I didn’t know this was how you felt. If I had, I would have come to you long ago."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked his disciple straight in the eye and spoke.

"That’s why I said I was sorry. I’ll keep saying it until all that’s in your heart has been released."

Their gazes locked in mid-air. Beyond the window behind them, the sandstorm raged on.

*         *         *

Geom Mugeuk and Ma Bul stood side by side in the yard, looking up at the sky.

It felt like just yesterday they had lain together on a boulder, staring up at the sky—and now, even all the way out here in the Wilderness, they were looking at the same sky again.

The Demonic Buddha spoke out of nowhere.

"That guy’s fate will change today too."

He was likely referring to So Baekta, though his fate would deeply impact Jeong Dae as well. That was why Geom Mugeuk hoped that, no matter how things ended between those two, they would find closure.

"I'm worried about the former Cult Leader."

Still staring at the sky, Ma Bul responded.

"Young Cult Leader, don’t get ahead of yourself! Worrying is what grown-ups do for you."

Geom Mugeuk gave a faint smile.

"Just like you worry about me?"

"I only worry about your brother."

The bluntness was more comforting than anything else—because it meant he was still looking out for his brother, just like always.

"Did my brother really bring me up during drinks?"

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Demonic Buddha gave a silent nod.

"That's right."

"He’s not scheming how to steal back the Young Cult Leader title?"

"I actually wish he were."

The look in Ma Bul’s eyes as he glanced at Geom Mugeuk held a trace of concern.

"When someone suddenly loses their goal, their life tends to shake. Even if he acts like he's fine on the outside, it’s probably taking a toll on him. So don’t get ahead of yourself worrying about adults—just focus on taking care of your brother."

"As expected, you're a little giant to me, Lord Demonic Buddha."

"More of that nonsense!"

Though the Demonic Buddha awkwardly turned his gaze away, Geom Mugeuk knew he loved being called a little giant. Once, that title was just flattery, but now it was spoken from the heart. To Geom Mugeuk, Ma Bul truly was a little giant.

He felt that the man who had once emerged from the cave had now begun to build a home of his own. By looking after his brother, he was laying the foundation. By agreeing to go to the Wilderness, he had erected the pillars. And by promising to gather herbs, he had covered the roof. Like that, he was building his own home.

And when that home was complete, he hoped to invite his brother there, invite Jeong Dae, invite the Poison King, and even invite himself—to hold a small feast. He sincerely wished for the man to live a golden life.

Following the Demonic Buddha's gaze, Geom Mugeuk looked up at the sky once more.

Just then, Jeokyeon and the escorts approached and expressed their gratitude.

"Thank you for the sword gift!"

"Why are you thanking me?"

"We heard the Young Cult Leader gifted it to us."

Geom Mugeuk shook his head.

"It was the Cult Leader who bought it for you all."

"Ah! But Sir Jeong said the Young Cult Leader was the one who got it for us."

"Must’ve been he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Make sure to thank him properly when you see him later!"

Once they left, Ma Bul let out a laugh.

"What’s so funny?"

"The money might’ve come from that guy, but the one who wanted to buy it was you, wasn’t it?"

As expected, the Demonic Buddha’s intuition was uncannily sharp.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because that guy wouldn’t bother taking care of your escorts. Even if he’s changed a lot, no one changes that much overnight. He probably grumbled the whole time while paying for it." 2

Just as Geom Mugeuk was smiling, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and So Baekta stepped outside.

So Baekta walked over to Geom Mugeuk and said,

"I think it’s time to find out if I’m truly a fool, or not."

As Geom Mugeuk released the suppressed energy within him, he replied,

"You’ve probably only ever seen him as an ally until now—so, at least for today, try looking at him as an enemy."

*         *         *

Hwan Wang was painting.

He bore a striking resemblance to Hwan Yeo—tall, manly, with a bold presence.

But the painting he was working on didn’t match his looks in the slightest.

It was dark and grotesque, filled with the aura of death.

A gate reminiscent of hell loomed in the center, surrounded by mangled corpses and savage beasts.

But the grotesqueness was only just beginning.

The painting moved. From a narrow path beside the gate, a man drawn into the artwork walked out and looked this way, then spoke. 2

—Preparations are all complete.

His voice was only audible to Hwan Wang.

—However, they say the Young Cult Leader is not to be touched yet. 3

—Any other instructions?

—None. Only that the Young Cult Leader is not to be harmed.

—Is it certain that it was the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader who killed Hwan Yeo?

—The circumstances point to it.

As Hwan Wang nodded, the reporting figure turned back and disappeared down the same path from which he had come.

Just then, footsteps approached from outside, and So Baekta stepped in.

"Master."

He addressed Hwan Wang as his teacher. Rising from his seat, Hwan Wang greeted So Baekta with polite formality.

"Welcome, Cult Leader."

"What kind of painting are you working on today?"

Hwan Wang showed him the piece. At the sight of it, So Baekta flinched slightly.

"This style is quite different from your usual."

He had typically painted the beautiful scenery of the Wilderness—smiling people, dogs and cats. But today's painting was starkly different. Too different. 4

"Sometimes I feel like painting things like this too."

Of all days, did he have to be painting something like this when So Baekta happened to visit?

"Where does this gate lead?"

"It leads to my own hell."

The cryptic answer made So Baekta glance at Hwan Wang.

But aside from the painting, Hwan Wang seemed the same as ever, serving tea with his usual kind smile.

So Baekta, while toying with the teacup, recalled something Geom Mugeuk had once said.

—If he ever offers you tea or liquor, there’s probably some kind of drug in it.

It was one of the things Geom Mugeuk had told him before he came here. Now that he thought about it, he was always served tea upon arriving.

At first, his escorts would test it for poison. But after he started learning martial arts from Hwan Wang, that procedure was skipped. In the end, he had drunk whatever was served, without a shred of suspicion.

If he really thought of the man as an enemy, as Geom Mugeuk had said… it was a chilling thought.

"Please, drink. It's a new batch—quite a fine flavor."

"The aroma is lovely."

So Baekta merely savored the scent and set the cup down before continuing.

"Earlier, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult came to me alone, and I asked him to permit the unification of the Wilderness."

"And what did he say to that?"

"He told me to show my strength. Said he’d judge whether I was worthy. So I used the Blood Spirits of Heaven-Shattering Art to demonstrate it."

At that, Hwan Wang's expression hardened.

"Didn’t I tell you not to use the Blood Spirits of Heaven-Shattering Art unless absolutely necessary?"

"I had no choice."

So Baekta mimicked Geom Mugeuk’s voice.

"'The cult does not permit it. So go wash your face.’ This arrogant fucker!"

Baekta couldn’t contain his anger and slammed down on the table where the tea had been placed. The table shattered, and the tea spilled everywhere. 5

"If we ever march on the Central Plains, the first ones I want to wipe out are the Demonic Cult."

Hwan Wang calmly cleaned up the area and brewed a fresh pot of tea. In the past, So Baekta might have felt sorry and grateful for the gesture—but now, his feelings were different. Just as Geom Mugeuk had said: looking at this man as an enemy changed everything.

‘Is he really trying to make me drink the tea no matter what?’

It was the same action, yet it felt entirely different now.

As Hwan Wang placed the new teapot down on a different table, he asked another question. The way he persistently offered it—without ever pressing—made it all the more unsettling.

"So, what happened?"

"The Young Cult Leader countered my Blood Spirits of Heaven-Shattering Art."

"That’s impossible."

"I experienced it firsthand."

"Then you must have fallen for some trick of his."

So Baekta pressed, unable to hide his frustration at Hwan Wang’s certainty.

"Why are you so sure? You’ve never faced the Nine Calamities Demon Art yourself."

At that, Hwan Wang’s face darkened. He always seemed uneasy when the Nine Calamities Demon Art was mentioned, but today, his reaction was even more intense—he was visibly angry. 6

So Baekta quickly apologized.

"I’m sorry, Master. I acted rudely and overly sensitive because the Blood Spirits of Heaven-Shattering Art didn’t work."

Still stone-faced, Hwan Wang asked,

"Why do you think the Young Cult Leader came to the Wilderness?"

"I don’t know his real intentions."

Of course, that was a lie. He had been told the real reason—the man was here to capture the very person standing before him.

Then Hwan Wang struck directly at the heart of the matter.

"He came to capture me."

So Baekta flinched. He hadn’t expected him to reveal something he thought would be hidden.

"How did they find out about your existence, Master?"

"I had a man planted inside the Demonic Cult. But he was recently captured, and that exposed me."

"Why did you place someone in the Demonic Cult?"

"Do you know why I react so sensitively to the Nine Calamities Demon Art? It’s because the Blood Cult was destroyed by it. Our Cult and the Demonic one are mortal enemies. No reconciliation can cleanse the hatred between us. As the last surviving heir of the Blood Cult, how could I just sit back and let them be?"

A perfect lie is built on truths that belong to someone else.

Mixing in just enough facts, Hwan Wang threw So Baekta into a whirlwind of doubt. Maybe this was right. Maybe the other side was wrong. So Baekta struggled to discern the truth.

"I will never give up."

"You mustn’t. I'm sure you will achieve greatness, Cult Leader."

"But there’s a problem. I recklessly revealed that I had learned another martial art. Knowing my master's temperament, he won’t leave me alone now. Please, Master, I need your help."

Hwan Wang stared at him for a moment, then pulled out a vial smaller than a pinky finger from within his robe.

"Give this to your master. It’s colorless and odorless—if you mix it in his drink, he’ll never notice."

So Baekta was shocked. He didn’t need to ask—he already knew. It was poison meant to kill his master.

"It won’t take effect immediately. The poison activates after three days, so no one will suspect the Cult Leader was the one who spiked the drink."

He never imagined that he would be told to poison his master to death.

"If you're not ruthless, you're no real man. If you don’t kill him, the Cult Leader will be the one to suffer."

At that moment, So Baekta felt a cold chill settle deep in his chest. What could be more cowardly than killing your enemy by slipping poison into their drink? 7

And this was the man he respected, admired, and fully trusted not even half an hour ago?

Hwan Wang had read his heart perfectly.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

So Baekta answered honestly.

"I didn’t think you’d tell me to poison him."

"If you're going to face him, it will be a matter of life or death. But if the Cult Leader poisons him, it becomes a guaranteed win. So shouldn’t you do it? What’s more important than your life?"

After a moment of silence, So Baekta asked with a cold gaze,

"Is this really about me? Or is it about saving yourself, Master?"

"We're already in the same boat. Is there even a difference between the two?"

"You're right. Then let’s hope this boat doesn’t sink. Though in which case I’ll forever be remembered as the man who murdered his master over drinks."

There was no longer any need to compare the two. Like the tearing of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmitting Wall, the haze clouding So Baekta’s eyes was ripped away.

Even so, Hwan Wang remained composed.

"They’ve already sown the seeds of doubt in our Cult Leader’s heart, I see."

"It’s a seed I should’ve planted and cultivated myself from the beginning."

Hwan Wang’s eyes turned cold. The courtesy and warmth vanished from his now expressionless face, making him look like an entirely different person.

"I knew you’d switch sides eventually. But I didn’t think it’d be this easy."

He had already suspected So Baekta's real motive in coming here.

Telling him to poison his master had been Hwan Wang’s test—to confirm whether So Baekta had been won over by the Young Cult Leader.

So Baekta cursed his past foolishness.

"You really did approach me with a dark motive from the beginning, didn’t you?"

Becoming Cult Leader had brought challenges he wanted to escape from. And this man in front of him had been the perfect escape.

They had mocked his master together. And Hwan Wang had continually fed him the idea that his master was a coward, while he himself would become a great Cult Leader. Few things comfort a fragile heart more than someone who joins in criticizing the ones you resent.

But that wasn’t a refuge.

It was a hell disguised as one.

‘Master…’

The person who surfaced in So Baekta’s heart now was the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

‘I’m sorry.’

So Baekta quietly gathered his internal energy. He knew Hwan Wang was stronger, but he didn’t feel afraid at all. The surge of remorse had ignited a kind of frenzy that now ruled him.

But Hwan Wang’s Illusion Art overwhelmed him.

Whoooooong!

With a deep, resonant hum, the surroundings changed.

The place where the two of them stood was no longer Hwan Wang’s residence from moments ago.

Corpses lay scattered across the ground, and grotesque beasts—like ones from paintings—growled and prowled on all sides.

And directly ahead stood the massive gate.

‘That gate…?’

It was the very same gate Hwan Wang had referred to earlier—the gate that led to his hell.

Astonishingly, they were now inside the painting that Hwan Wang had drawn.

"What are you planning?"

"What about you? Were you testing me, trusting those people to protect you?"

At those words, So Baekta hastily turned his head.

Far off in the sky, towering like giants, stood Geom Mugeuk and Jeong Dae—and far beyond the horizon, the truly giant form of the Demonic Buddha were watching him.

So Baekta understood instantly. The three who had entered Hwan Wang’s residence were now gazing into the painting.

He and Hwan Wang hadn’t merely been transported—they had actually entered the painting.

His master wasn’t focusing on Hwan Wang.

He was looking at him.

And in that gaze was worry.

The moment So Baekta saw those eyes, something frozen within his heart melted completely.

‘…Master!’

He felt overwhelming remorse. He had foolishly resented the man who had passed down the position of Cult Leader to him without ever appreciating that gift. And yet, despite everything, his master had apologized to him again and again.

‘I ruined everything. Master, I’m sorry.’

As if to manifest the consequences of that foolishness, the gate began to open.

Standing before the opening gate, Hwan Wang spoke.

"Your master will know—just how dangerous this place is. Even him, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult would have to stake his life to enter here."

When he reached out his hand, So Baekta’s body was pulled helplessly toward him, flying into his grasp.

From beyond the closing gate, Hwan Wang’s voice echoed.

"Let’s see if your master dares open the Gate of Hell to save you."

As his voice ended, So Baekta’s desperate cry slipped through the narrowing gap between the doors.

"Don’t come, Master! You mustn’t—!"

The gate slammed shut with a thunderous roar, swallowing both of them whole. 8

1 : He might not have thought about it, and he might have grumbled,

2 : Martial Arts can really do anything. Controlling trees, create living paintings…

3 : Lol, still trying to stay low ? Oh well, it just help Mugeuk hunt you all down one by one ^^

4 : Well it shows how much he hid his true nature from you. That gate is probably the true nature of the hole in his heart.

5 : Our Demonic Path doesn't break tables. Except if it’s to spill suspicious drinks.

6 : If he truly is a descendant of the Blood Cult, then yes, his ancestors experienced the full power of the Nine Calamities Demon Art when the Divine Cult purged them.

7 : I mean, it depends on who it’s used for and for what reasons. Killing Yarhuyan like that would have made everything much easier. Then again, I doubt this cold robot would have any need for food in the first place.

8 : Welp. Can’t say it was part of the plan. Now time for a rescue !!!