The safest place in this Martial World?
Ju Hyang-wol did not take his words as a bluff or boast, but rather like this.
'This person truly trusts his father that much.'
She knew what that felt like.
Because she had been the same.
To her, her father's embrace was the safest place.
Like a panorama, memories of her father surfaced.
The image of him teaching her martial arts when she was young.
The image of him leading the martial artists of the Sword Clan with dignity.
The sight of his back as he stood alone in the courtyard, looking up at the moon.
Even the image of him suffering from illness before he passed away.
In all those various scenes, she had never been proactive.
She had never taken the initiative to ask her father for a meal, nor had she, like these people, taken the initiative to ask her father to travel with her.
When she was young, there were so many things she wanted to do with her father, but as she grew up, those desires faded.
Even if there was something she wanted to do, she probably would have postponed it.
Because she thought her father would always be by her side.
‘Father, I miss you.’
Her gaze turned to the person who had made her miss her father so much today.
To the one who had silently held out his hand and taken the contract.
The first time she saw him in front of the inn, an indescribable emotion had surged up and then vanished.
A feeling she had never felt before.
Was it because they were destined to have this connection?
Then she realized she hadn't properly thanked him.
She abruptly stood up and politely expressed her gratitude.
“Thank you sincerely for taking the contract."
Geom Woojin raised his head and looked at her.
"It's fine."
It was a short remark, but it sounded incredibly reassuring and gentle.
Geom Mugeuk sensed that the way she looked at his father was unusual.
It wouldn't be Geom Mugeuk to just let something like this pass.
-What am I to do if you're more popular with women than your own son?
At Geom Mugeuk’s telepathic message, that familiar smirk appeared on Geom Woojin's lips.
Surprisingly, the smirk did not deny his son's words.
You're saying that you're a man too, Father, is that it?
As he was staring with such a look, Ju Hyang-wol, who was beside him, spoke to Geom Mugeuk.
“Young hero, it seems you like your father very much."
“You can feel that?"
When she nodded, Geom Mugeuk raised his voice toward his father.
“Did you hear that? The whole world knows how much I love you, Father.”
Of course, this plaintive echo did not reach his father.
Geom Woojin, as if uninterested, said to Hwi.
"Pour some tea.”
Hwi picked up the teapot and respectfully poured it into Geom Woojin's cup.
Though they were in the same place, the two of them seemed to be in different worlds.
‘Acting like you're not looking, like you're not interested, when you even read every clause of the contract!'
That's why every moment of this journey with his father was enjoyable.
“It's enough that at least you understand, Miss.”
“Come to think of it, I don't even know your name.”
"It's Geom Yeon.”
He used the alias he always did, and added the line he always said when giving this name.
“Not the 'yeon' for destiny, but the 'yeon' for smoke. We met like this, and I will disappear like smoke.”
Geom Mugeuk introduced his father and Hwi.
“As you may already know, that heartless man is my father, and that man is my Uncle."
At the introduction as 'Uncle', Hwi could be felt flinching.
He must have expected to be introduced as a clan martial artist or an Escort Martial Artist, so how flustered must he have been to be introduced as the father's brother?
He was flustered, but the father had an expression that said, 'Well done'.
Uncle Hwi, you can be my uncle.
You're more than qualified.
“If there was a competition for being taciturn, these two would take first and second place.”
Ju Hyang-wol smiled in agreement at Geom Mugeuk's words.
The two men really were taciturn.
The man he called Uncle, in particular, hadn't said a single word.
But she sensed one thing.
He was seeing everything, and hearing everything.
“Of course, I'm doing all the talking for both of them.”
Ju Hyang-wol laughed.
He was indeed quite talkative.
But then her expression hardened.
This wasn't the time to be sitting around laughing, yet here she was, laughing thoughtlessly again.
In the meantime, the newly ordered dishes arrived.
The new dish was placed in front of Ju Hyang-wol, and Geom Mugeuk ate the leftover food he hadn't been able to eat while they were talking.
His father and Hwi had set aside some food for him.
Even though time had passed as they talked, the food hadn't grown cold; it was still warm.
Geom Mugeuk could tell.
His father had used Extreme Yang Energy to keep the leftover food warm.
'No one would believe it, but I think I take after my father.'
During this journey, Geom Mugeuk was seeing new sides of his father, little by little.
Ju Hyang-wol ate her food in silence.
There was a strange comfort in this place, but her heart was filled with worry.
How could Geom Mugeuk not read such feelings?
“Are you worried?"
"To be honest, I don't know what I should do from now on.”
This was also a statement that would tarnish the honor of the Ju Clan Sword Family.
Such worries were meant to be shared with her mother or the masters of her clan back home.
But she could already picture the situation she would face upon her return.
Her mother would be displeased that the meeting fell through, but if she told her she had entrusted that important contract to someone she'd just met, her mother would truly raise hell.
She pictured her mother screaming and getting angry.
But her mother wouldn't know.
Her suspicion that the alliance with the Hwangdo Merchant Group was the wrong choice from the start stemmed from her lack of trust in her mother.
A mistrust created by her mother's habit of pouring out her unfiltered emotions onto her child at the slightest provocation.
This time, too, that mistrust was accurate.
Her mother had misjudged her opponent.
Moreover, although she couldn't know their exact intentions, the situation was more serious than ever before.
Because she felt that, she didn't want to leave this place.
The moment she stood up, that grave situation would become her reality.
She wanted to rely on these people.
Even though she knew she shouldn't, she kept wanting to escape.
“Go back and prepare."
Ju Hyang-wol, who had been silently looking down at her food, raised her head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“The opponent has bared its fangs to devour you. Then you must prepare to fight.”
Geom Mugeuk's words should have given her strength, but instead, she only grew more worried.
“My mother won't believe me.”
That one sentence was enough to guess the kind of relationship she had with her mother.
Geom Mugeuk, who was staring at her for a moment, brought up something unexpected.
“Parents usually don't believe their children's words. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
“Because they've lived through those times themselves. We talk nonsense, we argue, we lie, we rebel. They're the ones who've watched us through all our growing years, aren't they? How can they believe the words of such a kid who claims to have matured a little? Isn't it a child's lot to be told to watch out for carriages when crossing the street, even after claiming to have mastered the greatest lightness arts under heaven? Because they remember us running forward, looking neither left nor right.”
Ju Hyang-wol smiled faintly and said.
“You speak as if you've raised three children yourself."
“Because the relationship between a parent and child goes both ways. We just tend to forget."
Why was it? The moment she heard those words, Ju Hyang-wol thought of her mother.
Geom Mugeuk looked at his father.
"My father doesn't believe me either.”
He was referring to the time he had stepped back from a dangerous spot while training in the Nine Calamities Demon Art.
At that, Geom Woojin casually tossed a remark at Ju Hyang-wol.
“Miss, you shouldn't believe that fellow either."
At those words, Ju Hyang-wol found herself smiling.
“That's too harsh!”
Contrary to his words, Geom Mugeuk's gaze towards his father was gentle.
You can believe me slowly.
You can believe me after this journey is over, much, much later.
Even if you tell me, 'I believe you,' some five years from now, that will be fine.
Geom Mugeuk spoke to her again.
“So go back and have a talk with your mother."
“I don't have the confidence to persuade my mother.”
“That merchant who left earlier will also go back and persuade someone."
“What do you mean?”
“Since he failed to reach an agreement today, he'll have to explain and persuade someone. He'll ask to be entrusted with the task again, promising to succeed next time. Even your enemy, who is in a more advantageous position than you, is making such an effort, so why are you trying to give up already?"
"!"
It was an unexpected rebuke.
“It's because you're only thinking with your gut. Don't do that.”
Geom Mugeuk stood up, went over to the seat where Hwang In and she had sat earlier, and brought back the brush she had been about to sign with.
“Write it down. What you're going to say and how. How you'll start, what you'll do if your mother reacts this way. Write it all down.”
Ju Hyang-wol looked at Geom Mugeuk with a surprised expression.
At first, she thought he was joking, but he was serious.
“What if it still doesn't work?"
“Write that down too. What you'll do then."
"!"
“It may seem easy, but there's nothing harder than persuading people. And among them, persuading family is the hardest. It's difficult precisely because you know each other too well. So don't try to persuade her; approach it with the mindset of having a long-overdue conversation. Have you ever asked your mother what's been worrying her lately? Do you know if she's even eating properly?”
Ju Hyang-wol couldn't say anything.
Since sometime ago, she had only been glaring at her mother's mistakes while missing her father.
Ju Hyang-wol stood up.
The words that Hwang In would also be persuading someone, and the advice to have a conversation with her mother instead of trying to persuade her.
It made her stand up abruptly.
Yes, this is no time to run away.
I will not become such a weak person.
“Thank you for the advice.”
She looked at Geom Woojin.
The image of her father overlapped with his again.
Father, I will be strong.
“Thank you so much for today.”
As she was about to turn and leave, she glanced back and said.
“By the way, this safest vault in the Martial World... I can find it when I want to, right?"
Geom Mugeuk laughingly accepted her first-ever joke.
“Look at that face and judge for yourself. In any case, I can't open it.”
As if she were really going to judge, she stared at Geom Woojin for a moment, then bowed politely and left the inn.
Now, only three people remained in the inn.
"Seeing as she has the composure to even make a joke, I think she'll do fine when she gets back.”
Apart from that, Geom Woojin had a separate concern.
"The Hwangdo Merchant Group are not people the Ju Clan Sword Family can handle.”
This statement made it certain.
The Hwangdo Merchant Group was somehow related to the hidden forces behind this matter.
“I suppose so."
“Knowing that, why did you provoke her?"
“We'll be taking the lead in handling this matter anyway, but they need to change too. If they can't, they'll be devoured by others someday.”
To that, he added a silly joke.
“She's a woman who likes you more than me, Father, so I have to help. I truly felt your popularity this time. I am undoubtedly my father's son!”
Just like before, this joke didn't land.
Nonsense! he might have said.
But instead, his father wore an expression that seemed to say, I was quite popular in my day.
In any case, no one could imitate that arrogant, smug look of his.
“What will you do now?”
Geom Woojin first asked for his son's thoughts.
“They'll probably come to take the contract first, won't they?”
This wasn't a guess based on their connection to the hidden forces.
It was because of what Hwang In had said earlier.
-I am a man who is meticulous about settling debts.
It was disguised with a merchant's smile, but that man was someone who couldn't stand being in debt.
“He seems like a cautious man, so he'll try to uncover our identities first."
Predictions born from Geom Mugeuk's vast experience flowed out smoothly.
"He emphasized that he's just a mere merchant, so he probably won't act directly. In that case, he'll likely entrust it to information brokers to figure out our identities.”
The one thing that absolutely could not be allowed was for his or his father's identity to be revealed.
“I plan to make a move with the information brokers beforehand. To make sure our fake identities are leaked to them.”
Geom Woojin silently nodded.
Hwi, watching this, could sense it.
The Cult Master was pleased with his son's judgment.
He had served the Cult Master for a long time, but he had never seen him express his emotions so clearly as he had recently.
Hwi understood this change in the Cult Master.
Having always been by his side, he had heard all sorts of information about Geom Mugeuk.
Where he eliminated someone, and where he eliminated someone else.
However, the Geom Mugeuk he heard about and the Geom Mugeuk he experienced firsthand were completely different.
Through this journey, he was feeling it clearly.
The Young Cult Master was a person whose process shone more brightly than his results.
If he had only heard the results of this incident at the Heavenly Demon Hall, he would have only known the fact that the Young Cult Master helped the Ju Clan Sword Family from the Hwangdo Merchant Group's schemes.
If that were the case, these things would have been omitted.
The fishing bet they made on the way here, the walks and martial arts training with the Cult Master, the advice he gave to Ju Hyang-wol.
Even the way he tried to find a place for Hwi, his escort.
All of that emotional exchange would have been omitted, and he would have never known.
If he hadn't experienced it alongside them, he would never have known how brightly those moments shone.
The Cult Master was now experiencing such a son.
The five years the Young Cult Master had requested were flowing by even at this moment.
Before this journey, Hwi had considered it an impossible challenge for the Young Cult Master.
He thought the Cult Master's heart would never change.
But during this journey, he felt the thought that perhaps it might not be impossible growing, little by little.
"We will disguise ourselves as the Western Dao Sect of Gansu.”
Whenever he used the name Geom Yeon, he always disguised himself as a member of that sect.
Since it was a sect actually run by the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, the more one investigated, the more solid the disguise became.
“A Righteous Path sect.”
As expected, his father had a displeased expression.
“If not for an opportunity like this, when would you ever get to act as the Clan Leader of a Righteous Path sect?"
Geom Woojin scoffed and asked.
“What's next?”
He looked curious about what choice his son would make.
“Behind those men are the ones we need to find, are there not?"
As if confirming his words, Geom Woojin silently waited for what he would say next.
"Dealing with these people is easier than flipping one's palm. But if we handle them recklessly, the hidden forces will hide themselves away or prepare for us.”
He had to approach them naturally and dig deeper.
To do that, the Hwangdo Merchant Group could actually be an opportunity.
Geom Mugeuk revealed his plan.
“So, I intend to have them write another contract. The kind of contract that is overwhelmingly advantageous to the stronger party.”
That meant he intended to make them draw in the Western Path Sect, the sect they were planning to disguise themselves as.
"And we will sign that contract, just as it is written.”