Chapter 289: It Wouldn’t Have Happened That Way |
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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As the joy of surviving mingled with the overwhelming presence of the two Demon Supremes, Jin Haryeong’s heart began to race even faster.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, standing beside her with his saber strapped to his back, and the Fist Demon King, who was slowly walking toward them—both of them were truly terrifying.
‘So these are the Demon Supremes!’
Until now, the Demonic Cult had been an abstract concept for her. She had heard only rumors of their fearsome and cruel nature, but the only member of the cult she had actually encountered was Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn. He was young, handsome, and quick with a joke, while she was kind, beautiful and determined.
But today, she felt like she was seeing the true face of the Demonic Cult.
Dan Woo-gang’s face, as he approached, was indeed terrifying, but Jin Haryeong tried her best to maintain a calm expression.
Her gratitude was directed toward both Demon Supremes as well as Lee Ahn.
“I will surely repay this debt.”
Although she feared the two Demon Supremes, she didn’t dislike them for having saved her life.
The Demon Supremes merely nodded once, without making any fuss about the identity of the person they had just saved.
If her brother had heard, he would have scolded her, calling her crazy. But Jin Haryeong found herself growing curious about these Demon Supremes.
After bowing to the two of them, Jin Haryeong looked over at Lee Ahn.
She knew how dangerous it was to fly in, clinging to a saber like that, especially while killing enemies along the way.
Lee Ahn, just like the Demon Supremes, didn’t make any big deal about saving her life either.
As Lee Ahn released Jin Haryeong’s inner strength, she cracked a joke.
“Friend! What’s with standing me up after we agreed to meet ?”
Of all the words Jin Haryeong had heard in her life, none hit her as deeply as that one word, ‘friend.’ It was a moment that brought the friendship between the two women one step closer.
Jin Haryeong touched her own face as she responded.
“And this is what I end up looking like? The only thing I’ve got left is my face.”
Half joking, half self-deprecating, her answer prompted an unexpected reply from Lee Ahn.
“Then, from today, you’ll have to show something else.”
Jin Haryeong understood then. Lee Ahn didn’t rely on her beautiful appearance as a weapon. That’s why she was so strong, and that’s why she could sincerely tell her that she was beautiful. And now, she was saying it again—appearance doesn’t matter to us.
That’s right. From today, the most beautiful woman of Hubei no longer exists. I will become the best swordswoman of Hubei, and I will aim to become the greatest swordswoman in the world. Never again will I face death at the hands of someone like Chorin.
Moreover, she had learned a great lesson today.
Life and death had been separated by the thinnest margin. If she had simply given up and resigned herself to death, she would have died before Lee Ahn and the Demon Supremes even arrived.
However, because she fought until the end, she was able to survive. She truly felt that when the heavens chooses someone to bestow fortune upon, it always picks those who don’t give up until the last moment. 1
Just then, something blindingly fast surged toward them.
*Shwaaaaaaak.*
Geom Mugeuk descended upon the scene with his Star Light Step. His landing was so smooth and natural that it felt like he had been there with them all along.
Geom Mugeuk quickly glanced around and then let out a sigh of relief. He could tell that the Demon Supremes and Lee Ahn had arrived just in time to save Jin Haryeong.
“You sure got here fast. If it weren’t for these people, I’d already be dead.”
At Jin Haryeong’s joke, Geom Mugeuk laughed.
“That’s why I’m close with them.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon King. His trust in their judgment had been spot on. They had repaid his trust with trust of their own.
“You can hold your head even higher. You were truly magnificent!”
“Where were you dawdling that you only arrived now? You’ve just been making an old man suffer.”
But Gu Cheonpa’s concerned gaze was fixed on the blood staining Geom Mugeuk’s clothes.
“At least that old man’s suffering wasn’t in vain, was it?”
“You little brat!”
At that moment, Dan Woo-gang asked Geom Mugeuk, “Are you injured?”
“It’s not my blood. I’m fine.”
The Fist Demon King nodded.
As Jin Haryeong watched their conversation, she finally grasped the reality that Geom Mugeuk was the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult. The rumors that he had subdued the Demon Supremes seemed wrong. Rather than subduing them, it was more accurate to say he had made them his people. The look in the two men’s eyes toward him was the same as the look her grandfather, or her brother, would have given her.
She now understood. While it was Lee Ahn and the two Demon Supremes who saved her, ultimately, it was thanks to Geom Mugeuk that she survived. If it hadn’t been for him, they wouldn’t have acted. 2
“The granddaughter of the Martial Alliance Leader, indebted to demons twice for her life! I’m completely doomed.”
At her playful lament, both Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn laughed.
Geom Mugeuk turned to the two Demon Supremes.
“Please wait with Lee Ahn at the retreat. I will escort Lady Jin to the Martial Alliance and then return.”
“Is it all over now?” one of them asked.
“No, there is still one thing left to confirm before I go.”
He needed to confirm whether the Martial Alliance Leader had truly exterminated the Wooden Heaven Family.
Although he found it hard to believe that Jin Paecheon would commit such an act, if he had been ensnared in someone’s plot, it was possible.
Looking far off in the distance toward the Martial Alliance, Geom Mugeuk spoke words that had once been a joke, but now sounded serious.
“This time, I might really have to run away, Elder! It might come to that.”
* * *
Jin Hagun strode into the Alliance Leader’s chamber.
Jin Paecheon, who had been standing by the window staring outside, quickly turned around.
“How did it go?”
“We mobilized the Demon-Slaying Brigade and searched the entire Dongho region thoroughly, but we couldn’t find her. Has there been any word from the Azure Dragon Unit?”
Jin Paecheon shook his head.
“What about the Flying Tiger Brigade?”
Another shake of the head. Despite mobilizing all the elite forces of the Martial Alliance, they couldn’t find any trace of Jin Haryeong’s whereabouts.
There hadn’t been any demands from Baek Cheongyeong, who was suspected of kidnapping her. The situation was eating away at him with worry.
“Why don’t we make it public?”
Right now, their search was limited because they were conducting it in secret. If they made it public, they might get a witness.
But Jin Paecheon shook his head again. Whoever dared to kidnap the granddaughter of the Martial Alliance Leader wouldn’t have left any witnesses. If they recklessly publicized the search, it might even draw the attention of the Unorthodox Alliance or other evildoers.
Jin Hagun briefly wondered if his grandfather was going to say, ‘This is all your fault!’, but it seemed that was just his own narrow-minded anxiety. Jin Paecheon didn’t say anything of the sort. He wasn’t the type to shift blame onto others, even when cornered.
“Is there still no word from Geom Mugeuk?”
Jin Paecheon nodded silently.
The situation was steadily making Geom Mugeuk their last hope.
But the more this went on, the more Jin Hagun’s mind grew conflicted.
‘Have I really been deceived?’
What if this was all part of Geom Mugeuk’s scheme?
The image of his sister, possibly held captive in Geom Mugeuk’s grasp, flashed through his mind repeatedly.
He couldn’t help but think that, at some critical moment, Geom Mugeuk might use her to blackmail him.
The fear of losing his sister filled him with endless, swirling thoughts. She was the only person in the world who truly understood him.
Never in his life had he imagined losing her. But now that the possibility seemed real, he couldn’t control his mounting terror.
What would happen if he lost his sister?
His life would change drastically, and not for the better.
Meanwhile, Jin Paecheon’s thoughts were running in the exact opposite direction.
“He was confident that only he could save her.”
Jin Hagun could sense that his grandfather was placing his trust in Geom Mugeuk.
When he had rushed back after hearing the news that his sister had been kidnapped during his absence, at that time, his grandfather hadn’t trusted Geom Mugeuk.
When asked who was responsible, he had given this answer:
—Either Geom Mugeuk or Baek Cheongyeong.
And then, looking directly at him, his grandfather had asked:
—Who do you think it is?
At that time, Jin Hagun hadn’t fully trusted Geom Mugeuk and still held onto the hope that the martial artists of the Martial Alliance would find her.
But now, his grandfather trusted Geom Mugeuk. Not because of blind faith, but because the situation was so dire that he had no choice but to believe. Though his grandfather was one of the strongest men in the world, with his granddaughter’s life on the line, he had become an ordinary, concerned grandfather. 3
“I will go and search again,” Jin Hagun said.
Just as he was about to leave, a martial artist from the Heavenly Dragon Guard rushed into the chamber with a report.
“Lady Haryeong has returned.”
Both Jin Paecheon and Jin Hagun were taken aback.
Jin Paecheon jumped up from his chair in the study and leaped down to the lower level.
Shortly after, Jin Haryeong entered the room.
She walked in first, and Geom Mugeuk followed behind her.
“Grandfather!”
Jin Haryeong ran to Jin Paecheon and threw herself into his arms. As soon as she saw him, tears flowed uncontrollably. After narrowly escaping death, she realized just how important her grandfather was in her life.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
Her face and body were scratched and bruised, but she hadn’t suffered any internal injuries.
“You did well to come back, you came back well.”
Tears welled up too in Jin Paecheon’s eyes. Though he had a heart of iron, seeing his granddaughter return safely overwhelmed him with emotion. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had cried.
Jin Haryeong then reunited with Jin Hagun.
“Brother.”
Jin Hagun hugged his sister tightly.
“I’m sorry.”
This had all happened because of him. It all began when he started doubting his master.
“Why should you be sorry? It’s my fault for being captured so carelessly.”
“Don’t say such things.”
Once the emotional reunion, which had shown them just how precious they were to each other, came to an end, both Jin Paecheon and Jin Hagun turned their heated gazes toward Geom Mugeuk.
The fact that he had saved Jin Haryeong was more important to the two of them than anything else—more important even than saving their own lives.
“Thank you so much for rescuing Haryeong.”
Jin Paecheon formally expressed his gratitude with a respectful bow.
Geom Mugeuk also bowed respectfully and replied, “Lady Jin is not only your granddaughter, Alliance Leader, but she is also my friend. Please don’t worry too much.”
There is a saying that a debt of life is repaid by saving a life. Jin Paecheon resolved that one day, he would repay this debt by saving Geom Mugeuk’s life. 4
Meanwhile, Jin Hagun felt ashamed for having doubted Geom Mugeuk, even for a moment.
‘I’m still far from where I need to be.’
In the past, such feelings would have ended in shame and inferiority, but now things were different. Instead of feeling defeated, he was filled with a determination to work harder and push himself further. Geom Mugeuk, even at this moment, continued to inspire and challenge him. Truly, his very existence was a tremendous source of motivation.
“First, get treated and rest. We can catch up on everything later. As for you, I’d like to speak with you for a moment,” Jin Paecheon said, gesturing toward Geom Mugeuk.
Jin Hagun and Jin Haryeong both understood that their grandfather wanted a private conversation with Geom Mugeuk. Since their conversation could wait, the siblings left without protest.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
As they walked away, Jin Haryeong turned back and said, “I’m so happy to see you again, Grandfather.”
Jin Paecheon nodded with a smile. The thought of what would have happened had he never seen her again sent a shiver through his heart.
And so, only two people remained in the Alliance Leader’s chamber.
“What happened to Baek Cheongyeong?” Jin Paecheon asked.
“He’s dead.”
Although Jin Paecheon had expected as much, hearing it directly from Geom Mugeuk gave him a strange feeling.
“Why did he say he kidnapped Haryeong?”
Then, Geom Mugeuk spoke words that took Jin Paecheon by surprise.
“Baek Cheongyeong was part of the Wooden Heaven Family.”
In that moment, Jin Paecheon’s eyes widened.
How could he forget the Wooden Heaven Family?
“They were all killed.”
“No, one person survived—the head’s younger brother.”
“I thought he was dead too.”
“He faked his death.”
Jin Paecheon now understood Baek Cheongyeong’s dual nature. Could it be that all of this was connected to the death of his son? 5
Then came the most important question of their conversation.
“Let me ask you directly, Alliance Leader. Were you the one who exterminated the Wooden Heaven Family?”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Geom Mugeuk didn’t take this silence as an admission of guilt. If Jin Paecheon had truly committed such an act, he wouldn’t have fallen into this kind of questionable silence. This silence held a story—his history.
Finally, Jin Paecheon let out a brief sigh and began to speak.
“That day, I went to seek revenge. It was for my family’s vengeance, so I went alone.”
His expression darkened, as if the memory of that day vividly resurfaced.
“When I arrived, they were already dead.”
Jin Paecheon spoke the truth as forcefully as he could, making it clear that this was the reality of what had happened.
"I swear on my dead son and daughter-in-law. I did not kill them."
For a man like Jin Paecheon, who placed great importance on honor and loved so much his family, invoking the memory of his son meant that he was speaking the truth. He knew how crucial it was to clarify the truth.
The events of that day had left a deep wound in him.
“When I saw that scene, I suddenly felt a strange clarity. Do you know what I thought as I stood there, like a madman who had rushed there for revenge?”
Jin Paecheon paused for a moment and let out a long sigh, pouring the emotions of that day into his breath.
“I thought to myself... thank goodness.”
Geom Mugeuk remained silent, simply listening.
“As the Alliance Leader, I thought I was fortunate. I realized that if this hadn’t happened first, I might have done something just as horrible. I, who should have mourned and been furious at the needless deaths...” 6
Jin Paecheon’s expression hardened. The torment of that moment was etched across his face.
“You did not wipe out their family, Alliance Leader.”
Jin Paecheon stared directly at Geom Mugeuk and asked, “Do you truly believe that?”
It was hard to be certain. After all, who could predict how far a grieving parent might go? Yet, Geom Mugeuk replied firmly.
“Yes, because that’s not the kind of person you are.”
Jin Paecheon sighed deeply once again. It was a stark contrast to his usual commanding presence. This incident had clearly left a profound scar on his life.
The thought that he might have been capable of wiping out an entire family, and the relief he felt upon seeing that he hadn’t—those conflicting emotions had likely tormented him for years. For someone who had lived his life in justice, such a wound cut even deeper.
Geom Mugeuk repeated his words once more.
“You wouldn’t have done it, Alliance Leader.”
Jin Paecheon’s eyes trembled slightly. In that moment, he realized something. For a long time, he had been waiting to hear these words from someone. And now, he realized he had been longing to say them himself. 7
‘Yes, I wouldn’t have done such a thing.’
Jin Paecheon gazed at Geom Mugeuk with deepened eyes.
“Why do you trust me so much? You barely know me.”
“That’s true, I don’t know you well. But there’s one thing that’s clear, isn’t there?”
Geom Mugeuk calmly added, “The only reason I could stand in the middle of the Martial Alliance by myself is because I know you wouldn’t have done such a thing, Alliance Leader.” 8
1 : Yup, Mugeuk can confirm that.
2 : I mean, they don’t know you and apart from Mugeuk nobody asked them to look for you, so yeah.
3 : Which is nice. Not the kidnapping part, of course, but the being vulnerable thing. Being flawless and out of reach all the time must be exhausting.
4 : Well that’s ominous. Please don’t die against Hwa Moogi.
5 : Still, that was like, 10 or 15 years ago. Amazing that the conspiracy goes so far back.
6 : I mean, it’s normal. You reached a crossroad, and realized that you almost lost yourself without noticing. It’s like getting lost in a deep fog, dropping your phone and when you kneel to pick it up, you notice you’re one step from falling off a cliff, that kind of chills. This kind of sin is not something you can easily forgive yourself off if you’re a good person.
7 : Let’s follow Mugeuk principle : it’s always better to not bury emotional wounds, it will only delay the recovery.
8 : Yeah. I mean, he can totally run away, but with difficulty, so it’s better that way.
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I’ve seen a lot of people say they appreciate all the comments.
Well thanks, I’m happy to make them too !!!
That said, I’m not the translator, FenrirTL, but the editor, Saphartlantis.
Sorry to disappoint you~~
Though I do agree that FenrirTL is cool, both as a translator and as a friend.
He laughs at my jokes, that says it all XDXDXD
Alright then, see ya !!! ^^