Chapter 340 : If you confess, it's to the Martial Alliance

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 340: If you confess, it's to the Martial Alliance. If you endure, it's to the Demonic Cult

Taejo looked at Geom Mugeuk with a surprised expression.

What on earth is that young guy saying?

That silencing through wiping him out was impossible? Ridiculous.

There wasn’t a person he couldn’t kill if he set his mind to it. He had lived exactly that kind of life. 1

Those he could defeat, he mocked and killed in front of everyone, and those he couldn’t, he stabbed in the back to finish. If even that wasn’t feasible, he would hire assassins through a killer syndicate, or bribe someone close to the target to poison them.

To someone who had lived such a life, what? Silencing through murder was impossible? It was nothing short of laughable.

‘Bluffing. He’s trying to drag a confession out of me somehow.’

With a relaxed smile, Taejo asked Geom Mugeuk,

“Judging by how highly the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader regards you, you must be someone exceptional. Who exactly are you?”

Geom Mugeuk nonchalantly revealed his identity.

“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

Taejo, whose mind had gone blank for a moment, burst out laughing. It was the most absurd and random answer he had ever heard in his life.

“Right, it would take a title of that level for the words of the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader to make any sense.”

He sounded as though he acknowledged it, but he didn’t believe it at all.

“Then let me ask you just one thing. What is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult doing with the Demon-Slaying Brigade, which was created to eradicate demons, of all people?”

Geom Mugeuk opened a box and looked down at the sleeping child as he answered.

“We’re conducting a trash cleanup operation.”

For a moment, Taejo’s expression twitched.

Geom Mugeuk gently repositioned the uncomfortably lying child and continued.

“If you ask martial artists who they think the most evil people are, most would say us. It’s really an unfair claim. Once you’re out in the world, you meet all kinds of revolting people who make you wonder if they’re even human. This case is no different. Kidnapping other people’s children, selling them off for money, and not even wondering what they plan to do with the child they bought? This is filth we don’t even stoop to.”

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze shifted from the child to Taejo.

“What exactly were you trying to do?”

To ask that after calling him trash was the same as calling Taejo trash himself.

Taejo, truthfully, wanted to rush at the man and shred him to pieces.

But he couldn’t. The box with the child had been found in his own warehouse—he had to find a way out of this moment somehow.

He quickly sent a telepathic message to Manhong.

―You’ll have to suffer a bit. I’ll get you out as fast as I can.

―Yes, Sect Leader.

Manhong truly didn’t want to. This was an incident where the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader had personally come crashing in—there was no telling what would happen if he were dragged away like this. But he couldn’t disobey the Sect Leader’s order. The only options were death or being taken away.

Manhong stepped forward.

“It was actually me. I’m the one who committed the crime. I’m sorry.”

Taejo pretended to be shocked and scolded him.

“Is that true?”

“I didn’t know the children were kidnapped. I only requested that they find some children for me.”

“You fool! You should’ve checked thoroughly before going through with it!”

“I’m sorry.”

Taejo also wore a remorseful expression.

“My subordinate says he didn’t know they were kidnapped children either. It’s my fault for not verifying in advance.”

He tried to brush it off as a minor mistake that happened during the process.

The subordinate insisted he didn’t know the children were kidnapped, and Taejo insisted he had no knowledge of it either. Now then, what would you do about that?

Unfortunately for them, the person they were dealing with wasn’t just Jin Hagun.

Geom Mugeuk raised his hand high.

“That’s why we need a witness. Here’s your witness. I heard everything. I even heard the part where you said to call you when the child wakes up.”

Taejo glared sharply at Geom Mugeuk, but the man looked completely unfazed, like a madman. Of course—this was exactly the type of person you'd assign the role of a witness.

“Since there’s a witness, you’ll have to come with us.”

“I’m not going.”

Tension surged between Jin Hagun and Taejo. Taejo knew full well that the moment he was dragged away, things would get complicated.

“You will come.”

“Are you threatening me right now?”

“If you’ve committed a crime, it would be a threat. If you haven’t, then it’s simply cooperation.”

Taejo could feel it. This wasn’t going to end politely.

“I tried to be understanding out of respect for Commander Jin’s will to save the children, but your stubbornness makes that impossible. Commander Jin, do you understand the situation you’re in right now?”

“Go ahead and explain.”

“The Martial Alliance has attacked the Unorthodox Alliance. This could be the beginning of a war between the orthodox and unorthodox sects.” 2

He intentionally mentioned the provocative phrase “war between the orthodox and unorthodox sects”. It was time to apply serious pressure.

Taejo knew Jin Hagun’s weaknesses well.

“Commander Jin is not yet the official successor. If you cause such a major conflict with the Unorthodox Alliance, what do you think will happen? Don’t you think you should act carefully, if not for the alliance, then for your own sake?”

Just then, Geom Mugeuk cut in with an annoying tone.

“What about you? Are you going to be okay if you start a conflict with the Martial Alliance?”

In the end, Taejo couldn’t take it anymore and shouted.

“Will you just shut up?!”

Unable to stand Geom Mugeuk’s constant interruptions, Taejo finally lost his composure. Every time he tried to take control, the man would completely derail him.

Seeing Taejo bursting with rage, Jin Hagun inwardly chuckled. Yeah, of course you're mad. I know that feeling well. 3

Apparently deciding that words wouldn’t work anymore, Taejo shouted toward the outside.

“Come in!”

Then the martial artists from the Flowing Sword Gate, who had been waiting outside, came rushing in.

The Demon-Slaying Brigade showed no sign of fear as they stood in formation with their swords drawn, confronting the enemy. The number of Flowing Sword Gate martial artists who had rushed in was more than expected. Moreover, their aura was not ordinary. It naturally made one think:

‘Does the Flowing Sword Gate have this many elite masters under its command?’

That was the reason Taejo could remain so composed. He was confident he wouldn’t be dragged away—at least not here and now.

“You think we’d tremble just because you’re the Demon-Slaying Brigade?”

They weren’t the only ones. The two individuals Taejo truly placed his trust in stepped in last. Two elderly men in distinctive outfits.

Jin Hagun recognized them at a glance.

“The Twin Swords of Blue and White!”

As their title implied, one wore a blue martial robe and the other a white one. Even their shoes and sword sheaths matched—one in blue, the other in white.

They were infamous experts in the unorthodox world. If the Demon-Slaying Brigade was composed of young and promising talents, these two were seasoned masters of the martial world.

The Twin Swords of Blue and White radiated an aura that overwhelmed the Demon-Slaying Brigade martial artists. If they were to join forces with the Flowing Sword Gate elites, it would no longer be an easy battle.

“I didn’t expect to find you two in the Flowing Sword Gate.”

Taejo took Jin Hagun’s comment as a form of reproach.

“You two? These two seniors were roaming the martial world before you were even born, Commander Jin. Show some respect.”

He clearly wanted to be treated as a senior through their presence, but Jin Hagun’s response was cold. He had no intention of showing respect to such notorious figures.

The two elderly men spoke loudly, as if for all to hear.

“How many years younger than us is the Martial Alliance Leader again?”

“I think three or four years.”

“He had quite the personality even in his youth.”

“Who would’ve guessed he’d become the Martial Alliance Leader?”

Even though they had probably never met him, hearing them talk about his grandfather like that made Jin Hagun’s gaze turn icy.

“He is not someone you should speak of so carelessly.”

In response, the White Sword smiled gently and said in a soft tone,

“You’re right. He’s someone worthy of deep respect. I meant no insult to your grandfather. Likewise, we have no desire to be insulted either. What happened here—we’ll handle it and report accordingly, so why don’t you step back?”

“You, who represent the face of the Martial Alliance, coming to the Flowing Sword Gate, which inherits the legacy of the unorthodox sects—what kind of disrespect is this?”

“If you keep this up, you’ll only cause trouble for the Alliance Leader.”

“Look here, we have nothing left to cling to in this life. If you and we were to clash, who do you think has more to lose?”

The two old men alternated back and forth, attacking Jin Hagun with a relentless barrage of words. 4

Each statement was aggravating, but they were recognized veteran masters even among the unorthodox sects. Jin Hagun couldn’t treat them recklessly.

Of course, one person didn’t care.

“Obviously, you’ve got more to lose.”

The one who cut in was Geom Mugeuk. Jin Hagun was still too young to deal with the old men of the unorthodox sect.

“How greedy must you be to show up in a warehouse stuffed with nothing but lust and desire? Wouldn’t it be more dignified to just wash your hands of it all and live out your days like an old story painted behind a folding screen? What makes you so hungry that you’ve torn the screen and stepped out?”

The expressions on the two men’s faces froze coldly, but Geom Mugeuk continued without pause.

“You must have hoarded a lifetime’s worth of things somewhere, stockpiled in secret. I bet you didn’t even tell each other how much you’ve hidden or where, because you didn’t trust one another. Am I right?”

The two men’s faces flushed red. 5

The Blue Sword, with an overt display of killing intent, asked,

“Who is that ill-mannered brat?”

Taejo responded with a smile.

“He calls himself the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”

The Twin Swords of Blue and White wore astonished expressions, but Taejo quickly added,

“Delusional nonsense.”

Only then did the Twin Swords understand the situation. No sane man would dare mock them in such a way.

“That bastard is someone the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader hired to serve as a witness, to pin the blame on me.”

Taejo swiftly sent a telepathic message.

―Take that bastard out.

He had been an eyesore from the start, and now, thankfully, the man had been rude enough to justify eliminating him. Now there was enough cause to kill him.

As the Twin Swords stepped forward, the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade simultaneously moved to block them.

The White Sword spoke to Jin Hagun.

“As Commander Jin has heard, that fellow has offended us gravely. Regardless of orthodox or unorthodox, there is still martial decorum that every martial artist must uphold. Don’t you agree this can’t simply be overlooked?”

Then Geom Mugeuk laughed and said,

“Step aside. Let’s see if what you said earlier is true—whether you really have no lingering attachments to this life.”

The Demon-Slaying Brigade looked toward Jin Hagun, and he glanced at Geom Mugeuk once.

Even in this situation, Geom Mugeuk was brimming with composure. Right, to a stranger he might look like a complete madman. But once you got to know him, you'd realize—that composure was the result of meticulous calculation. 6

“Let them through.”

At Jin Hagun’s command, the Demon-Slaying Brigade split left and right, forming a path.

The Twin Swords of Blue and White began walking down that path slowly. Even as they passed between members of the Demon-Slaying Brigade, they showed no fear at all.

But as they walked, their steps suddenly halted.

The Blue Sword looked down at his own hand. His hand was trembling slightly, twitching like a spasm.

The White Sword looked at him with a startled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

The Blue Sword shook his head. This was the first time his hand had ever trembled like this without warning.

Now it was the Blue Sword’s turn to be shocked. The White Sword’s cheek was twitching.

“What about you?”

The White Sword’s whole body, not just his face, began to tremble. The same was happening to the Blue Sword. Their legs began to wobble. In all their years in the martial world, they had never experienced something like this.

―Is it poison?

―It’s not poison.

―Then what is it?

The two, exchanging telepathic messages, now turned their eyes toward Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk looked down at the child in the box, then slowly lifted his head and looked at the two old men.

The moment their eyes met with Geom Mugeuk’s, the Twin Swords of Blue and White understood.

‘It’s him.’

This was not the usual, all-encompassing murderous intent that Geom Mugeuk exuded.

What he had emitted toward them now was pure killing intent. A clear will to kill, declaring that the path opened by the Demon-Slaying Brigade was none other than a road to hell.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you coming?”

The Twin Swords of Blue and White swallowed hard.

Taejo, observing them, was puzzled. Because the killing intent was directed only at him, he had no idea why they had frozen in their tracks.

“What’s wrong, seniors?”

The one who answered Taejo’s question was Geom Mugeuk.

“Your precious seniors—are trembling.”

Taejo didn’t understand what that meant, but it was clear something was wrong. The moment of righteous fury that should’ve burst from the Twin Swords never came.

Geom Mugeuk took a step forward toward them.

Crushed by his overwhelming presence, the Twin Swords simultaneously stepped back.

“Didn’t you say you had no lingering attachments to life?”

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze sank with terrifying depth. The Twin Swords couldn’t meet his eyes and lowered their heads.

From that, Jin Hagun could tell.

‘His skill has grown again!’

Geom Mugeuk was now utterly overwhelming veteran masters of the unorthodox sects with his presence alone.

This was a different version of him compared to the last time they met. The feeling was as though every time you took one step forward, he had already moved ten steps ahead. 7

“Who… who are you, sir?”

The White Sword didn’t call him “young hero,” but “sir”—a term of deep respect.

“He already told you, didn’t he?”

Startled, the White Sword quickly turned to Taejo and asked,

“Is he… is he really the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?”

Taejo, flustered, quickly replied,

“No, no! What are you saying…?”

But then he froze and this time, looked at Geom Mugeuk.

“You… really are the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?”

“I already told you. I’m the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

Without meaning to, Taejo’s voice trembled.

“Why is the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult here?!!”

“I already told you, didn’t I? I’m doing trash cleanup.”

The Twin Swords of Blue and White turned to Taejo and rebuked him.

“You dared to push us against the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?!!”

“I didn’t know either.”

The two exchanged glances, then quickly stepped back.

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. We ask for your understanding, Young Cult Leader.”

It wasn’t just that the opponent’s strength was overwhelming—they also knew that if they crossed the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult carelessly, they wouldn’t die a peaceful death. This wasn’t the time to cling to pride.

Only now did Taejo begin to understand what Jin Hagun had meant.

That statement—how it couldn’t be refuted, couldn’t be denied, and that even complete destruction wasn’t possible.

“I heard it myself. I am the witness.”

As Geom Mugeuk’s resounding declaration echoed across the silent room, Taejo understood something else as well. The meaning of those words—that everyone except him would believe it.

Who would dare dispute something heard by the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? Even the Twin Swords of Blue and White, who had just stepped in to assist him, had now backed down with their tails between their legs.

Geom Mugeuk said to him,

“If you confess obediently, you’ll be taken to the Martial Alliance. If you hold out to the end, you’ll be taken to our Cult. The choice is yours.”

Taejo’s heart sank. Not to the Martial Alliance—but to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? At least with the Martial Alliance, there was room for negotiation. But if he was taken to the Demonic Cult, that would be the end. Just look at the Young Cult Leader. That lunatic, shouting about trash cleanup while hanging around with the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader—he was mad. There was no way he could allow himself to be dragged into a den of madmen. 8

“You belong to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Martial Alliance, while I’m just a member of a small sect.”

“For someone from a ‘small sect’, you were trying awfully hard to intimidate us earlier.”

“A scared dog always barks the loudest.”

He was desperate enough to say something like that. And there was only one way left for him to survive.

“I request that this matter be handled under the mediation of the Unorthodox Alliance.”

The Unorthodox Alliance would never abandon him or the Flowing Sword Gate. He had contributed too much to them for that. He firmly believed they would protect him. 9

“I believe that would be the fair way to resolve this matter. If things proceed as they are now, this will be a grave injustice. Rumors will spread across the martial world that we were framed.”

“What if even the Unorthodox Alliance acknowledges your guilt?”

“Then I’ll accept it without complaint.”

Geom Mugeuk stared at Taejo for a moment, then nodded without hesitation, as if he had made up his mind.

“Fine, call them. Let all three sides gather and decide who the real villain is.”

1 : Hmpf, a big fish in a small pond who thinks he can take down a Megalodon, tsk tsk tsk.

2 : So what ? Just ask Bih Sa-in to let it go, and he will. Even if not out of friendship, I doubt he would let go of the kidnapping and selling of children, on a personal level.

3 : Lol, Mugeuk’s ‘victims’ club ^^ Going from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon to Jin Hagun XDXDXD

4 : Look at that gaslighting. There is a difference between showing respect to someone who deserves it, and those who run here like dogs as soon as they are called. Something called morals and values.

5 : Touche ^^

6 : Yeah, he can be quite cold and ruthless, but since it’s always limited to bad guys, it's cool ^^

7 : That’s thanks to his constant dedication and Heavenly Time Secret Art ^^

8 : Funny how such a madman has more common sense than you. Only mad people kidnap and sell children.

9 : Hehehe, watch them. It might have worked under Yarhuyan rule, but now ? Hehehe ^^