Pyo Gi-gwang realized the moment had come to reveal the name.
Finally, the name of the mastermind came from his lips.
“The one who came to me was Hwang Seok-gyeong.”
“Who is Hwang Seok-gyeong?”
“He is an Instructor at the Unorthodox Alliance Hall.”
It was a truly unexpected name.
Upon joining the Unorthodox Alliance, one enters a place called the Unorthodox Alliance Hall for a while to receive basic education as a member and get assigned to an organization.
A proper test is conducted there, and naturally, those with better skills go to elite units.
Hwang Seok-gyeong was an instructor there.
It was completely unexpected.
Geom Mugeuk had thought the mastermind was at least at the Division Lord level, perhaps a Pavilion Lord, or even an Elder.
But an instructor who tests and assigns martial artists?
For that reason, it felt even more dangerous.
“You believed the words of a mere instructor?”
“He is no mere instructor. His skills are so good that there is no one who doesn't know of Instructor Hwang. That's why I believed him.”
In fact, he had trusted him more precisely because he was an Unorthodox Alliance Hall instructor.
For some reason, he thought an Unorthodox Alliance Hall instructor was a fitting role for someone creating a secret organization.
And since he was an Unorthodox Alliance Hall instructor, he naturally believed he had the Alliance's permission.
Pyo Gi-gwang looked at Geom Mugeuk with a sense of relief.
“Now that you have the name, you should escape from this net. Go and tell the Young Alliance Leader who the mastermind is. And also tell him that I will gladly accept my punishment.”
If he was found guilty of participating in treason, he would have to live the rest of his life in the Thunder Prison.
Pyo Gi-gwang looked up at the sky.
The heavy rain was starting to let up.
‘It’s all over now.’
He felt relieved, yet strangely angry.
He was supposed to live his own life, but he had been played by someone else.
Yet, he couldn't get revenge himself.
He couldn't take down Instructor Hwang with his own hands.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected.
“He is likely just a subordinate.”
“Just a subordinate?”
“The Flowing Sword Sect Master said so. He said he received benefits from the Alliance. Even if Instructor Hwang is skilled and famous, he is not powerful enough to grant benefits from the Flowing Sword Sect.”
Hearing it, it made sense.
How did this young martial artist grasp a point he hadn't even considered so timely?
“We need to find out who the mastermind is through him.”
He had lived thinking that knowing Instructor Hwang's existence was a great secret, but he too was just a disposable pawn following someone's orders?
If so, if it was revealed that Instructor Hwang's identity had been exposed, would an assassin be sent for him too?
“There’s another problem.”
Geom Mugeuk confirmed a point that had been missed.
“Is there any evidence that Instructor Hwang entrusted the task to you, Division Lord? A secret letter written by him, or did he give the order in front of witnesses?”
Pyo Gi-gwang shook his head.
How could there be such a thing?
“Then Instructor Hwang will flatly deny ever ordering such a thing.”
It seemed likely.
He had even sent an assassin to kill him.
Having already feigned ignorance, what conscience would he have to speak honestly?
On the other hand, he was a man who had lived like a wreck.
Would they believe Instructor Hwang's words, or his? The outcome was obvious even without experiencing it.
“So, in the end, we can’t catch him?”
“No, we have to.”
“How?”
“We have to make him confess that he ordered this. And find out who the mastermind is.”
“So, how?”
Geom Mugeuk seemed to ponder for a moment.
“If he is dragged to the Young Alliance Leader, he will never open his mouth.”
That was likely.
If he had raised a private organization without the Alliance's permission, he would be sentenced to death.
There was no reason for him to talk.
Geom Mugeuk silently looked at Pyo Gi-gwang.
“Don’t tell me? You’re not suggesting we meet him together, are you?”
“No.”
A startling statement flowed from Geom Mugeuk's lips.
“Division Lord, you must meet him alone.”
Pyo Gi-gwang was shocked.
“If you don't meet him alone, he will never confess the truth.”
“But he will try to kill me?”
“I will hide and protect you.”
Pyo Gi-gwang had not expected Geom Mugeuk to make such a suggestion.
This young martial artist had truly never acted as he predicted.
“So you mean you’ll hide from Instructor Hwang’s sight and appear to save me when he tries to kill me?”
“That's right. You must make him admit he ordered this. It would be even better if he reveals the mastermind.”
Pyo Gi-gwang was worried inside.
To avoid being detected by Instructor Hwang, he would have to be quite far away.
Could he really protect him when he suddenly tried to kill him?
Then, a thought occurred to him.
Yes, what if he died at the hands of Instructor Hwang? His life was supposed to have ended today anyway.
Yes, this was a chance to confront that bastard.
He had to make him confess somehow and pay for his crimes.
He would not go down alone.
Pyo Gi-gwang stared at Geom Mugeuk for a moment.
When they first met yesterday, he never imagined he would reveal the mastermind to him.
He didn’t know he would save his life several times.
And more than anything, he was grateful that he had listened to his story.
“Alright. Let's do that.”
As if the heavens knew of his resolve, the rain stopped, and the sun began to shine.
“Well, let’s go.”
As he walked forward with confident strides, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“The way down is this way.”
Pyo Gi-gwang changed direction and walked this way.
Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly at his awkward expression.
‘Don't smile so brightly. It makes me afraid to die, doesn’t it?’
*
Hwang Seok-gyeong was walking from a distance.
Pyo Gi-gwang waited for him in front of his residence with a trembling heart.
This was the first time he had sought him out like this.
He would be shocked to see him.
Whoosh.
As if he heard the sound of the wind, he was suddenly on a tree.
Someone had snatched him up and flown up.
In that instant, even his mute point had been sealed.
The person who had subdued him and brought him to the treetop was Geom Mugeuk.
He was making a shushing gesture.
‘What on earth is he doing?’
Until he came here, he had been full of confidence.
He had told him not to worry, that he would protect him no matter what.
‘But why so suddenly?’
Soon after, Hwang Seok-gyeong flew up to that spot.
There was no one on the tree where the two had been.
After Hwang Seok-gyeong jumped down again, he walked towards his residence.
Geom Mugeuk and Pyo Gi-gwang were already far away from there.
Only after they were sufficiently far from Hwang Seok-gyeong’s residence did Geom Mugeuk release Pyo Gi-gwang’s mute point.
“What on earth was that about?”
Why else? It was because he recognized the face.
Geom Mugeuk had seen Hwang Seok-gyeong walking from afar with his Divine Eye Technique.
And he recognized who Hwang Seok-gyeong was.
He was no mere subordinate.
The Third King of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.
The Martial King, Cheon Ya.
During the era when the Twelve Zodiac Kings ruled the martial world, the Martial King was called the god of fighting.
He loved to fight and hated to lose.
Countless masters lost their lives at his hands.
He was a man who bet his life on fighting.
His martial skill was said to be among the top three of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.
Some said he was the first, others said the third.
There was even a rumor that his dream was to defeat Hwa Mugi.
That Martial King was living as a mere instructor in the Unorthodox Alliance under the name Hwang Seok-gyeong.
A conspiracy was unfolding with him at its center.
“That man is not a fish you can catch with a net.”
Pyo Gi-gwang’s attention was no longer on Hwang Seok-gyeong.
“You’re not one of the Thirteenth Wolves, are you?”
Geom Mugeuk gave a faint smile.
“I’ve become more curious about who you are than who that man is.”
“If I reveal my identity, I will be silenced. Will that be alright?”
“Don’t worry. I have a knack for being silenced.”
After a round of banter, Geom Mugeuk revealed his true identity.
“I am Geom Mugeuk, the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect.”
For a moment, Pyo Gi-gwang froze.
Normally, he should have scoffed, saying it was nonsense and refusing to believe it.
“You really are the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect.”
He just knew.
That this person was the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect.
All the special things about him until now were understood with that one introduction.
And why he hadn't died.
A wave of shock followed.
The person who had listened to his story so well was the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect? The person who saved him was the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect?
“Why is the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect here?”
His voice trembled.
“I am handling this matter together with your Young Alliance Leader.”
Even after revealing his identity, Geom Mugeuk still treated him with respect.
“What happens to me now?”
Was he being taken to the Demon Sect? Was the talk about being silenced for knowing his identity not a joke?
“What would you like to happen?”
He had only thought of dying; he had never once considered a life after that.
“Think about it now.”
The first thing that came to Pyo Gi-gwang’s mind was this.
“I want to live a new life.”
He wanted to leave everything behind and start a new life.
“But my sins are too great...”
He had, in effect, helped those who rebelled against the Alliance.
Geom Mugeuk stared at him intently before uttering an incomprehensible question.
“By any chance, are you good at giving shoulder massages?”
*
“Aaaaaaaah!”
By the time his screams, while being carried on Geom Mugeuk's back, subsided, they had arrived somewhere.
It was the Swift Step of Geom Mugeuk, who had surpassed Ten-Star Great Mastery and now reached the Eleventh Star.
The running speed was so fast that not only could he not recognize the surrounding scenery, but he also felt the constant tension of falling off a cliff.
‘This is a dream.’
That was his only thought.
No matter how much of a master one was, they couldn't run this fast.
Especially while carrying a person.
There was one thing he didn't know.
That even while running, he was emitting inner energy to ensure the person on his back was comfortable.
Otherwise, an ordinary person could not withstand this speed.
The place they arrived at was a manor.
The name written on the plaque was Paradise Wish Manor.
This was the very place where Seo Daeryong had come when he was injured.
It was here that Geom Mugeuk became immune to all poisons.
As he entered the courtyard, an old woman walked out from the building and asked.
“Who have you brought on your back this time?”
It was the master of this place, the Insect Doctor.
She still had a bandage wrapped around her arm and was massaging her shoulder with her hand as if it ached.
“Doctor! I missed you.”
Geom Mugeuk ran up and lifted her into a hug.
“What are you doing? It’s embarrassing.”
“What do you mean? I’m just happy to see you.”
He was so glad to see her after a long time.
“Your skills have improved since I last saw you.”
She, who was also deeply versed in martial arts, recognized Geom Mugeuk's growth at a glance.
“It’s all thanks to you, sister.”
She shook her head with a look of disbelief at the banter of being called sister, but she was very happy to see Geom Mugeuk after so long.
Although she didn't show it on the outside, her joy was even greater than Geom Mugeuk's.
“Who is that gloomy soul?”
Just by looking at his face, she seemed to be able to see Pyo Gi-gwang’s life.
Geom Mugeuk introduced Pyo Gi-gwang.
“This is Pyo Gi-gwang, who served as the Black Dragon Division Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance. Here, please give your greetings. This beautiful lady is the Insect Doctor.”
Pyo Gi-gwang also knew about the Insect Doctor.
“The Insect Doctor? Are you not the Divine Doctor said to be skilled with insects? I heard your medical skills are so outstanding that you can cure any disease using insects and even bring the dead back to life.”
He thought she was a figure from rumors, so he was astonished that the Insect Doctor actually existed.
But why had Geom Mugeuk brought him here?
“I’m sure you’ve heard other rumors too?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Pyo Gi-gwang glanced at the Insect Doctor, unable to speak.
The person who answered for him was the subject herself, the Insect Doctor.
“They call me a money bug because I’m too fond of money, don’t they?”
Geom Mugeuk told him the truth.
“With that money, you sponsored abandoned children. You sent them food, sent them to schools, sent them to martial halls. You prepared a way for them to live and sent them out into the world. You are someone who has lived your entire life for orphans.”
“I didn't realize you were such a wonderful person.”
Pyo Gi-gwang respectfully clasped his fists and showed his respect.
“But why did you bring me here?”
“You said you’re good at giving shoulder massages, didn’t you? Elder Insect Doctor’s arms and legs always ache, so she needs someone to massage her shoulders.”
It meant he should become the Insect Doctor’s disciple and live a new life here.
“Let him have a trial period, and if he’s not a good fit, feed him to the bugs.”
“Couldn’t you have brought a younger one?”
“Would a young person these days stick around in a backwater place like this? And he’s younger than he looks.”
Pyo Gi-gwang couldn’t bring himself to protest, ‘What's wrong with my face!’ He had been told he looked old for his age a few times in his life.
The Insect Doctor sat down on a rock.
“Come here and massage my shoulders.”
Pyo Gi-gwang went over with a dazed heart and massaged her shoulders.
He could feel bones that were pitifully small and frail.
“Oh, that feels good,” the Insect Doctor said to Geom Mugeuk.
“You haven’t forgotten me.”
“How could I ever forget you, Doctor?”
She felt an overwhelming sense of emotion.
She thought it was just a passing connection.
But Geom Mugeuk hadn't forgotten and had come to see her.
Even bringing a disciple with him.
She had been feeling somewhat sad about being forgotten lately.
“I think I should get going now.”
“At least have a meal before you go.”
“This opponent is not an easy one. I might be the one carried back this time.”
Their gazes locked in mid-air.
Don’t get hurt.
The Insect Doctor’s worry was conveyed through her eyes.
“If you're in that much trouble, your opponent must already be on the road to the underworld.”
“Of course! The Divine Doctor is the only one who recognizes my true worth!”
While listening to their conversation, Pyo Gi-gwang was lost in his own thoughts.
To confess the mastermind overnight, and then suddenly become the Insect Doctor’s disciple.
Was it okay for life to change so drastically?
Then, his eyes suddenly met with Geom Mugeuk, who was standing in front of him.
Geom Mugeuk spoke with clear and deep eyes.
“Whether it’s the Demonic Path or the Unorthodox Path, we must protect the children, mustn't we?”
The moment he heard those words, Pyo Gi-gwang understood.
Why he had brought him here.
It wasn't for the Insect Doctor, but for him.
The Insect Doctor was a person who had lived her entire life for orphans.
Conversely, he was the person who was in charge of sending the children abducted by the Black Snake Gang to the Unorthodox Alliance.
Although it wasn't a crime he committed directly, he couldn't say he was blameless.
That was why he was brought here.
To atone for his sins while serving the Insect Doctor.
To live a second life here.
He had been given a new life, when he should have spent the rest of his days in the dark and deep Thunder Prison.
If it weren't for him, he would have already been dead.
A mixture of sorrow and gratitude swirled within him.
A complicated emotion that he couldn't put into words raged in his heart.
The single result of that emotion dropped below.
Drip.
A tear had fallen.
Pyo Gi-gwang was flustered, as he had never shed a tear in his life.
He hadn't cried even when he heard he could no longer use martial arts after being injured.
He hadn't cried even when facing death.
But now, tears were flowing.
Who was he to be given such a chance? A fool like me who just gets used by others.
When he, surprised, wiped his tears with his sleeve, Geom Mugeuk, who had been standing before him, was already a dot at the end of the sky.
He had disappeared before he could even say thank you.
The words he had said when they first met came to mind at this final moment.
When our meeting ends, I will disappear like smoke.
‘Thank you, Young Cult Master.’
The single teardrop he had shed earlier fell on the nape of the Insect Doctor's neck.
Feeling its warmth, the Insect Doctor said in a loud voice.
“You brat, if you don't want to become bug food, massage harder!”