His presence grew as he approached.
It was as if he was pushing the very space aside with his presence as he walked.
The Martial Alliance Leader, Jin Pae-cheon, who was sitting across from Geom Woojin, rose from his seat.
This was not a presence one could face with the leisure of sitting down, and besides, the host welcoming him here today was, after all, Geom Woojin.
He and Baek Ja-gang had come solely to help Geom Woojin.
Jin Pae-cheon stood a short distance from the table.
Swish.
A cleaver emerged and lifted the beaded curtain hanging over the kitchen entrance.
Standing behind it, Baek Ja-gang spoke with a hint of regret.
"I made a delicious stew."
Though he spoke casually, his eyes shone sharper than ever before.
He extinguished the fire under the pot, set down the cleaver, and walked out of the kitchen.
The Sword King slowly moved to stand by the back wall.
It wasn't far from the corner where the Poison King was sitting.
He didn't know how the Poison King would fight, but he thought someone needed to block the opponent if they pushed in, to allow the Poison King's Poison Arts to shine.
Perhaps sensing this intention, the Poison King glanced at the Sword King before turning his gaze back to the entrance.
In that time, the man arrived in front of the Flowing Wine Tavern, carrying a tension that felt like it could explode at any moment.
A man stepped into the Flowing Wine Tavern.
He had long, flowing dark hair and a towering height.
At a glance, his physique was perfect for practicing martial arts.
His gaze was intense, and a red energy swirled in his pupils.
It wasn't killing intent or aura.
It was not an energy a person could intentionally manifest, but an innate energy.
Everyone could tell.
That was the energy of the Heaven Killing Star.
This was the first time any of them had seen it in person.
He wore a single sword at his waist, its scabbard black.
And what was most striking was that he was younger than they had expected.
As the man entered the tavern, his immense presence vanished.
This meant he could reveal his presence at will, which made them even more unable to relax their guard.
The man walked without hesitation toward the table where Geom Woojin sat, and fearlessly sat down in the seat Jin Pae-cheon had just vacated.
To sit down next to standing enemies was an act of madness.
Especially when the ones standing were the Martial Alliance Leader and the Fist Demon.
If not for the presence he had shown earlier, one might have thought a passing drunkard had wandered in by mistake.
The man picked up the teacup that had been poured for Jin Pae-cheon and drank it all.
Then, he set the cup down and said politely.
“Not bad.”
It was unclear whether he meant the taste of the tea wasn't bad, or if he was referring to the people waiting for him here.
The man's gaze turned to Geom Woojin.
“So you are the Demon Cult Master of this era.”
His voice was as calm as his gaze.
He didn't intentionally act imposing, nor did he display a rough or ferocious demeanor.
He didn't deliberately act flippant either.
An opponent whose weight was difficult to gauge.
That was the first impression of the man.
Geom Woojin nodded and replied.
“So you are the Heaven Killing Star.”
At that, the man gave a gentle smile and spoke.
As if he had been part of the conversation all along, his words were natural.
“Isn't it funny? The idea that a person is born with a destiny? No matter how much I try to live a good life of my own will, in the end, I am meant to cause bloodshed. Cult Master, do you also believe that destiny cannot be defied?”
Geom Woojin said quietly.
“Why do you ask? You've already proven it by coming here.”
The gazes of the two men locked in mid-air.
“If you don't want to be called the Heaven Killing Star, state your name.”
“You, of all people, are qualified to hear my name.”
The Fist Demon, standing next to Geom Woojin, was ready to throw a punch at any moment.
To him, that calmness was the epitome of danger and arrogance.
"Hwa Mugi."
The man was none other than Hwa Mugi.
The very same man who had killed the Cult Master and the Alliance Leaders in Geom Mugeuk's life before regression had appeared at the Flowing Wine Tavern.
Hwa Mugi held the empty teacup to the side and then opened his hand.
Clang.
The teacup fell to the floor and shattered.
“Yes, just as this cup fell and broke, I could not defy my destiny.”
Then, Geom Woojin slowly drank his tea.
And just like Hwa Mugi, he dropped the empty cup to the floor.
But this time, it did not break.
Just before the cup hit the floor, it flew up as if by an unseen force and settled back in its original spot.
“Destiny can be defied.”
Geom Woojin added, looking at Hwa Mugi.
“There was a time when I, too, enjoyed the sound of shattering."
Hwa Mugi's expression brightened.
“I was right to come to you first. I feel better now."
But the red energy glowing faintly in his eyes grew even deeper.
Hwa Mugi met the eyes of each person present.
He met Jin Pae-cheon's eyes, then looked at Baek Ja-gang.
From the way he looked at them, they could tell.
Hwa Mugi knew that Jin Pae-cheon was the Martial Alliance Leader, and that Baek Ja-gang was the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
And yet, he remained completely unfazed.
His gaze then met the eyes of the remaining people.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader and the Fist Demon, the Sword King and the Poison King.
Even if he didn't know exactly who they were, he should have been able to guess their level of skill.
But Hwa Mugi's expression did not change in the slightest.
That was why his next words sounded like an understatement.
“You've overestimated me.”
“It wasn't me who overestimated you.”
The person Geom Woojin mentioned was none other than Geom Mugeuk.
“It was my son who overestimated you.”
From the very beginning, lighting the Demon Flame was because of Geom Mugeuk.
From bringing the various Demon Sovereigns, to leaving the Fist Demon and the Poison King behind.
He considered it all to be Geom Mugeuk's arrangement.
And his son's prediction was correct.
A man who could afford to be this relaxed even in this situation had truly come.
Son, was this the being you feared?
He was indeed a fearsome opponent.
The unknowable potential he felt from this man was something he had never encountered in his entire life.
He couldn't predict what might emerge from within him.
The mere fact that he was calm in this situation made him truly remarkable.
“Actually, the person I wanted to see most was your son.”
“Then why did you come looking for me?”
Unexpected words flowed from Hwa Mugi's mouth.
“To wound your son.”
Hwa Mugi looked directly into Geom Woojin's eyes and added.
“By killing you.”
Silence fell over the room.
It was the moment Hwa Mugi clearly stated the reason for his visit.
He had come to kill Geom Woojin.
In Geom Mugeuk's life before regression, he had gone to the Martial Alliance first, then the Unorthodox Alliance, and finally the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Now, he had reversed the order, coming to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect first.
The Fist Demon quietly clenched his fists.
He would kill the Cult Master to wound Geom Mugeuk?
Just then, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader spoke to Geom Woojin.
"What a relief.”
It was, as expected, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader who melted the suffocating atmosphere.
“Wouldn't it be unpleasant if the reason for trying to kill you, Cult Master, was something about heavenly destiny?”
Geom Woojin played along.
“So you're saying it's fine for my son to be wounded?”
“The Young Cult Master is one who will turn his wounds into armor, so it is fine. He will become an even better Cult Master.”
Listening to their conversation, Hwa Mugi smiled brightly.
He really did smile well.
Hwa Mugi looked around and changed the subject.
"I heard the three-party meeting was held here, is that right?”
Hwa Mugi suddenly stood up and walked toward the second floor of the tavern.
Normally, this was a place filled with opponents where one wrong step or one wrong breath could mean death.
The moment someone attacked, this place would become a hellscape.
But he moved naturally.
His movements were neither grand nor special.
He was so full of openings that it was, paradoxically, difficult to find a chance to attack.
On his way to the second floor, he met the eyes of the Poison King and the Sword King by the back wall.
After passing them, Hwa Mugi stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor and looked back at the Sword King.
"A ponytail and barefoot. So it's you! The traitor.”
The Sword King showed no reaction and remained standing still.
"You're brave.”
He meant that despite having betrayed them, he was waiting here like this.
The Sword King spoke for the first time.
Even though he had been a part of that group, this was the first time he had seen the man before him.
"I've never seen anyone as brave as you.”
Hwa Mugi smiled faintly and said to the Sword King.
“But I still won't go easy on you.”
Hwa Mugi went up to the second floor.
He looked at the words written on the wall.
"It's really here.”
It seemed he had come knowing the words were written there.
With his hands behind his back, Hwa Mugi read the phrases.
After slowly reading each one, he looked down from the second-floor railing and spoke.
“You people are different from the Righteous, Demonic, and Unorthodox Factions I know. They just fought each other relentlessly."
Everyone had a similar question.
He was young, so which Righteous, Demonic, and Unorthodox Factions was he talking about?
Could he be a master from a previous generation who had undergone rebirth?
It was a definite possibility.
For now, they observed Hwa Mugi cautiously.
They let him take the lead for the moment.
What they needed now was information about their opponent.
“I should leave a line of my own when I go."
One of the people downstairs couldn't stand his relaxed demeanor.
“If you have any last words, say them now. I'll write them down for you.”
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader had provoked him.
Hwa Mugi then leaned against the second-floor railing and asked the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
"Who?”
It wasn't an intentional provocation; he truly seemed not to know.
If so, it was certain that he had come without knowing exactly who was here.
He had simply stormed the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect's main headquarters alone, with just a single sword at his side.
“I'm not important, so you don't need to mind me. Just remember me as the one who records your last words.”
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader's pride was needlessly wounded, but fortunately, Hwa Mugi belatedly recognized him.
“Ah, you're the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.”
Hwa Mugi recognized the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
“I heard you were with the Divine Sect as well.”
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader's eyes were colder than ever.
This was not the man who had maintained a gentle atmosphere until now.
“And yet they sent you. It seems they want you to die here.”
Instead of taking the bait, Hwa Mugi readily admitted it.
“That's right. That person wanted me to die. Along with all of you.”
Hwa Mugi saw right through the Darkness Palace Master's heart.
“Do you know why I didn't kill him, even knowing that? He got on his knees and begged me to save him. He offered to bring me the Young Cult Master's head."
They could tell he wasn't lying.
This opponent was someone whom the mastermind of this whole affair, the Darkness Palace Master, would kneel and beg to.
The true leader was this man.
Realizing this for certain, Geom Woojin smiled.
'Well done, my son.'
It was praise for his son's choice to leave the real leader to him.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader was certain.
“Even if you didn't kill him, the Young Cult Master would have cut his head off.”
“You people really trust the Young Cult Master.”
He turned to look at the second-floor wall again.
“Well, it's not something just anyone could achieve.”
Hwa Mugi said, looking at the wall.
“Let's say having an exceptional child is one thing. But still, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect associating with the Righteous Path? Isn't that a bit shameful?”
He asked without turning around, but they knew who he was asking.
“Not at all."
Jin Pae-cheon was inwardly surprised by Geom Woojin's firm reply.
'The Cult Master answered with sincerity.'
He was not a man who lied; he would simply not speak.
Hwa Mugi then changed the target of his question.
"I should ask our Martial Alliance Leader this.”
Hwa Mugi turned to Jin Pae-cheon and asked.
“Why are you here?”
Not expecting to be suddenly asked why he was here, Jin Pae-cheon was inwardly flustered.
If he had asked if he wasn't ashamed, he would have answered that he wasn't.
But the reason he came here was a long story.
“Is it alright for the Martial Alliance Leader to associate with the Demon Cult Master like this?”
“I am not here as the Martial Alliance Leader.”
“Then in what capacity are you here?”
After a brief pause, Jin Pae-cheon answered calmly.
“I am here as that man's friend.”
Even as he said it, Jin Pae-cheon wondered if it was the right thing to say.
A friend? Their relationship was still too distant to use that word, and even if they became closer, they were two people who could never be friends.
But that Hwa Mugi fellow had pushed him, and the word "friend" had slipped out before he knew it.
Just then, a telepathic message from Geom Woojin arrived.
'Let's be friends, just for today.'
Hearing the message that understood his heart so well, Jin Pae-cheon looked at Geom Woojin and nodded.
It was at that moment.
Hwa Mugi suddenly shouted.
“What nonsense is this? Alliance Leader Jin! You shouldn't be here! You must never associate with that evil Demon Sect and that cunning Unorthodox Alliance!”
Jin Pae-cheon and everyone else watching were startled.
Hwa Mugi spoke with a feeling completely different from the one he had shown until now.
“If you associate with them, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Leave this place at once.”
He sounded as if he were genuinely worried.
As Hwa Mugi suddenly began acting like a different person, everyone there stared at him with bewilderment.
“I said leave! Hurry!”
For that moment, he looked like a madman.
Everyone assumed Hwa Mugi was acting to mock the Martial Alliance Leader.
But Geom Woojin alone saw it.
For a fleeting instant, the red energy in his eyes vanished, and in its place, the aura of the Righteous Path flickered past.
'That was definitely the aura of the Righteous Path.'
In other words, it meant he wasn't acting.
After a long wait, Geom Woojin had learned a crucial fact.
'There's something inside that man's body.'