The warriors of the Demon Slaying Branch took the children out of the boxes and carefully moved them to the carriages waiting outside.
Geom Mugeuk and Jin Ha-gun stood side by side, watching the scene unfold.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking why you even called the Unorthodox Alliance.”
Given his earlier display of power that made even the Blue and White Twin Swords back down, he could have just taken Taejo away.
Yet, Geom Mugeuk had insisted on calling the Unorthodox Alliance.
“He claims he’s being wronged, so I’m trying to handle this fairly.”
“As if you’d care about the feelings of an evil man.”
Jin Ha-gun sensed it.
There was surely another reason why Geom Mugeuk had called for the Unorthodox Alliance.
‘Could it be that he wanted to see Bi Sa-in?’
He could only guess, but he couldn't figure out Geom Mugeuk's exact intentions.
This time, Geom Mugeuk asked a question.
“What do you plan to do about those Black Snake Gang bastards?”
The ones who had kidnapped the children were the Black Snake Gang.
They must have made a lot of money from it, so even if it wasn't for the Flowing Sword Sect, they would continue their kidnappings.
“Once we secure evidence through the Flowing Sword Sect Master, I will punish them for certain.”
Jin Ha-gun stated his resolve firmly, but it would not be an easy task.
The Black Snake Gang was a vast organization with roots all over the Central Plains.
They had recruited many masters with the enormous profits earned from various interests and were also known to provide significant financial support to the Unorthodox Alliance.
“It won’t be easy.”
“Even so, we can’t just let those who kidnap children go free, can we?”
Geom Mugeuk smiled at Jin Ha-gun’s spirit.
Sensing that it was a smile of acknowledgment, Jin Ha-gun felt pleased inside.
There is a certain thrill in being acknowledged by an enemy.
Especially if that enemy was Geom Mugeuk.
“Let’s start by changing the name of the Demon Slaying Branch."
"How about the Evil-Eradicating Branch or the Evil Annihilation Branch? Is there any need to slay us when we’ve been so well-behaved lately?”
Jin Ha-gun gave Geom Mugeuk an exasperated look at his jest.
But inwardly, he agreed.
He thought that with Geom Mugeuk leading the Demon Sect, the term ‘Demon Slaying’ was unnecessary.
Of course, he didn’t show it.
“You’re only well-behaved these days. How do we know when you’ll cause a ruckus again?”
“Don’t you know? How much I love peace.”
“I do not. I only know that wherever you go, blood flows.”
“That’s because wherever I go, evil men are swarming.”
As they talked, Jin Ha-gun had a thought.
At this rate, he might really have to change the name of the Demon Slaying Branch.
The Demon Sect of today was certainly different from before.
While the Demon Slaying Branch warriors were taking the children out, only three or four of them remained by Jin Ha-gun’s side.
On the other hand, the masters of the Flowing Sword Sect were still numerous.
An invisible war of nerves was unfolding between them and the Demon Slaying Branch warriors, but despite being outnumbered, the Demon Slaying Branch warriors showed no signs of fear.
It was a testament to how well-trained they were.
Taejo walked up to the two men.
“I’ve sent an urgent dispatch to the Unorthodox Alliance, so someone should be here as soon as possible.”
Unlike when he was pleading earlier, Taejo now seemed relaxed.
Jin Ha-gun said to him.
“Until then, it seems our Sect Master will have to stay with us.”
“I wouldn’t leave even if you pushed me out.”
His attitude had changed from when he was begging them to call the Unorthodox Alliance.
“It will be a long wait for someone from the Unorthodox Alliance to arrive, so I will take good care of you until then. Let’s go inside and have a drink first.”
He was confident that this problem would be resolved once someone from the Unorthodox Alliance arrived.
Having explained the situation here, at least someone of Division Lord rank or higher would come.
The Unorthodox Alliance would never let him be taken away by them.
“It’s stuffy, so let’s get out of here first.”
Geom Mugeuk walked out of the warehouse.
The Flowing Sword Sect martial artists gathered at the outer entrance parted to the left and right, making a path.
Among them were the Blue and White Twin Swords.
They were the ones who had rebuked Taejo for making them step forward without knowing he was the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect.
It seemed like they would have left in anger, but they remained around Taejo.
Whether for money or some other reason, Geom Mugeuk guessed they had deep ties with the Flowing Sword Sect.
The Blue and White Twin Swords still found it hard to believe that Geom Mugeuk had overwhelmed them with his presence alone.
Had they been tricked by some technique? Or was it a momentary illusion?
As he walked out, Geom Mugeuk glanced at the two of them.
The moment their eyes met, all the doubts of the Blue and White Twin Swords vanished.
Their survival instincts scolded them.
For masters like you, feeling it once should be enough!
Following him, he came out with Jin Ha-gun.
In the meantime, the carriage carrying the children left the place, escorted by some of the Demon Slaying Branch warriors.
Taejo casually asked Geom Mugeuk.
“Young Cult Master, why do you not call for your demonic practitioners?”
“That’s because of you, Sect Master Tae.”
“Because of me?”
“The fewer people there are, the more options our Sect Master has, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Options?”
“The option to kill us.”
“No matter how bold I may be, how could I dare commit such an act?”
Taejo was inwardly surprised.
Geom Mugeuk’s reason for why the demonic practitioners weren’t coming contained a small part of his own intentions.
One had to be prepared for every possibility, after all.
“Now seems like the perfect opportunity. Many of the Demon Slaying Branch warriors are away escorting the children. How about it? You could kill us all and then insist that the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect and the Demon Slaying Branch Master fought and destroyed each other. You seem to have a talent for making shameless claims.”
If the Blue and White Twin Swords hadn't been overwhelmed by Geom Mugeuk's presence, that might have been his final option.
“How could I possibly dare to do such a thing? Now, it’s cold, so please come inside.”
Jin Ha-gun said.
“We will stay here.”
“The weather is cold, please come in.”
“It’s fine.”
The Demon Slaying Branch set up tents in the Flowing Sword Sect's training grounds to make their quarters.
They didn’t want to be entertained by members of the Unorthodox Faction, and it was safer to be in an open space like this rather than inside the enemy’s territory.
“Then, Young Cult Master, you should go inside.”
“I will stay with them.”
Jin Ha-gun nodded to his subordinate and gave an order.
“Prepare a place for the Young Cult Master to rest as well.”
The Demon Slaying Branch warriors lit a bonfire in the training grounds.
Although he had given the order himself, Jin Ha-gun found this scene very unfamiliar.
Setting up a bonfire and camping in the training grounds of an Unorthodox Faction sect? He felt like he was having all sorts of strange experiences since meeting Geom Mugeuk.
The more he got to know the man named Geom Mugeuk, the more surprising his experiences became.
That was probably why.
In a situation like this, where he normally would be on edge and unable to sleep a wink, his mind was at ease.
And through this camping trip, Jin Ha-gun learned one thing for certain.
Geom Mugeuk did not waste a single moment.
Judging by his usual behavior, one would expect him to wander around teasing the Flowing Sword Sect warriors or pestering him for a drink, but Geom Mugeuk holed himself up in a tent and quietly immersed himself in training, circulating his energy.
His leisure and confidence must stem from this effort.
This man, he was truly not easy to deal with.
A message finally reached Taejo that someone from the Unorthodox Alliance had arrived.
“Who came?”
His subordinate, Manhong, reported with a shocked face.
“The Young Alliance Leader has come.”
“What?”
Taejo was stunned.
He had requested they send someone of high rank, but he never expected the Young Alliance Leader himself to come.
“Why did the Young Alliance Leader come?”
“It seems he came personally after hearing that the successors are here.”
“But why?”
For someone who didn't know the relationship between the three, it was a natural question.
Originally, he planned to bribe whichever Division Lord-level figure came to escape this crisis.
‘Is he trying to abandon me?’
An unknown suspicion bloomed in Taejo's heart.
“Let's go out first.”
Taejo hurried outside with Manhong.
A group of martial artists entered the Flowing Sword Sect.
The one leading them was the Unorthodox Alliance’s successor, Bi Sa-in, and those who followed him were the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path.
The scars on Bi Sa-in's cut, crushed, and distorted face were so terrifying that one could hardly bear to look at him.
His aura was also dark and cold.
His appearance was unchanged, but his gaze was different from the last time he met Geom Mugeuk.
His eyes were much more mature than before.
“We greet the Young Alliance Leader!”
The Flowing Sword Sect martial artists all prostrated themselves, paying their respects.
The Blue and White Twin Swords were no exception.
To the martial artists of the Unorthodox Faction, the successor of the Unorthodox Alliance held absolute authority.
Taejo prostrated himself along with them to greet him.
“It is truly an honor to meet you, Young Alliance Leader.”
“It is good to meet you. Rise.”
Taejo and the Flowing Sword Sect warriors all rose from their positions.
“I don’t know if you remember me, but I met you at the Unorthodox Alliance when you became the successor.”
“I remember.”
“It is such an honor for a person of your stature to come here in person.”
Taejo bowed his waist deeply once more.
An unexpected person had arrived, but his life was now in Bi Sa-in’s hands.
Bi Sa-in's gaze turned towards Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk was squatting in the yard, warming himself by the bonfire.
He had come knowing that Geom Mugeuk was here.
If it weren’t for him, he wouldn't have come himself.
Even knowing this, the moment he saw Geom Mugeuk, he couldn’t stop the turmoil in his heart.
“It's cold, come over here and warm yourself by the fire.”
Geom Mugeuk waved his hand and smiled brightly.
Unaware of their relationship, Taejo’s voice grew loud.
“This is the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance. Show some respect!”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Bi Sa-in and said.
“Your Young Alliance Leader isn’t the only precious one here. We’re precious people too.”
Seeing his eyes sparkle with a desire to play a prank, Bi Sa-in knew he had met Geom Mugeuk again.
Geom Mugeuk shot up and paid his respects with exaggerated formality.
“It is an honor to meet you, Young Alliance Leader!”
As he playfully bowed his waist deeply, Taejo made a big mistake.
‘It worked! He’s scared! The Young Alliance Leader’s foul appearance worked.’
He couldn't imagine that the two were exchanging such telepathic messages.
—Are you eating well? Not being a picky eater?
The first telepathic message was about his picky eating habits? Seriously, I’m going to push him off a cliff one day.
—Seeing as your nagging is as tiresome as ever, you must not be a fake Young Cult Master.
—You’ve become more handsome than before.
—What are you trying to ask for this time, laying the groundwork like this?
—You, and Branch Master Jin too.
You all know me too well now!
Just then, Jin Ha-gun walked out from inside the tent.
Of course, Bi Sa-in knew Jin Ha-gun was here too.
But he didn’t know they would be camping in tents.
Bi Sa-in and Jin Ha-gun exchanged silent greetings with cupped fist salutes.
They were not on terms to treat each other as comfortably as they did with Geom Mugeuk.
Of course, they had a conversation with their eyes.
—Are you caught up in this person's schemes again?
—You know it too, don’t you? You can’t avoid it even if you try.
—That’s right.
If I could, I wouldn’t be here either.
After exchanging greetings with their eyes, Bi Sa-in walked towards the bonfire.
And he sat down in front of it.
“Sect Master, you come here too.”
“Yes.”
Taejo headed there with a bewildered heart.
Why the bonfire, of all places? He had a bad feeling.
They all sat around the bonfire.
Behind Bi Sa-in stood the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path, and behind Jin Ha-gun stood the Demon Slaying Branch.
A tense atmosphere flowed between them.
Regardless of the relationship between their leaders, they were like sworn enemies.
“What happened?”
At Bi Sa-in's question, Taejo explained the situation.
Of course, it was an explanation favorable to himself.
“My subordinate made a mistake in the process of finding children with martial talent. He failed to confirm that the children were handed over by the Black Snake Gang after they had been kidnapped. I knew nothing about it. Yet, they are trying to frame me and drag me away.”
Bi Sa-in looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“That’s a lie. I personally heard the Flowing Sword Sect Master talking with his subordinate. That man knew the children were kidnapped.”
Taejo flatly denied it.
“That is a lie. I knew nothing of it. This is a conspiracy by the Righteous Path and the Demon Sect to eliminate my sect.”
He desperately tried to escalate this issue into a conflict between the Righteous and Demonic factions.
“Young Alliance Leader, do you believe me? Or do you believe the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect?”
“Of course, I believe our Sect Master.”
But Bi Sa-in’s gaze was on Geom Mugeuk.
He trusted Geom Mugeuk.
—What is it you really want?
There must be a reason why Geom Mugeuk had called him.
Then, instead of an answer, Geom Mugeuk asked Taejo a question he hadn’t asked before.
“Why did you look for children with talent in martial arts?”
“I intended to raise them as the elite of my sect from a young age.”
“Then let's see the kids you bought before.”
At that moment, Taejo flinched.
“This is the first time I have bought a child.”
Geom Mugeuk stared at him intently and said.
“It’s not the first time, is it?”
“It is the first time. Why do you think it isn’t?”
“Because I heard the Sect Master talking with his subordinate.”
Their conversation wasn't one of someone buying a child for the first time.
It was clearly something that happened often.
“The children you bought before, where are they now?”
“I told you it was the first time.”
Then, words that were truly unexpected came from Geom Mugeuk's mouth.
“The truth will be revealed if we have a confrontation with the Black Snake Division Lord.”
At the mention of summoning the Black Snake Division Lord, Taejo was startled.
Bi Sa-in and Jin Ha-gun were also surprised.
“Would the Black Snake Division Lord come to a place like this?”
Even Jin Ha-gun, who asked the question, thought he wouldn’t come.
“He would never come if we called him. But the person who can summon him just arrived, didn’t he?”
Everyone's eyes turned to Bi Sa-in.
“Would he really be able to ignore a summons from the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance?”
Jin Ha-gun finally understood.
He understood why Geom Mugeuk had brought Bi Sa-in here.
It was to make him personally summon the Black Snake Division Lord.
To call him here personally and stop him from kidnapping children.
It was to deal with not just the Flowing Sword Sect but also the Black Snake Gang at the same time.
If he could persuade just one person, he could stop both the seller and the buyer.
‘This person, truly.’
He felt that this was a man who thought in ways beyond his own imagination.
Meanwhile, Bi Sa-in's expression turned serious.
—Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause me?
—Isn’t it more troublesome that your people are kidnapping and trading children?
There was no longer any hint of playfulness in Geom Mugeuk's expression or voice.
Bi Sa-in remembered.
That look in his eyes was the same as when he had asked that question before.
What is your Unorthodox Path?
Now, he was waiting for the answer.
He was asking if his Unorthodox Path was one that allowed the kidnapping and trading of children.
As the atmosphere turned towards summoning the Black Snake Division Lord, Taejo became desperate.
If the Black Snake Division Lord came and revealed that he had sold children many times before, his crime would be confirmed.
And there was a more serious problem than that.
Taejo’s urgent telepathic message flew to Bi Sa-in.
—Absolutely not.
As Bi Sa-in's gaze questioned why, an unexpected telepathic message was added.
—Those children, they were being sent to the Unorthodox Alliance.