By Zephyria 
“What is this?”
Chun-wol asked with a puzzled look. It seemed that even the Demon Cult’s Intelligence Division would have difficulty uncovering such a secretive organization. If so, that was all the better. He had only asked in case Chun-wol recognized the mark, which would have meant he already had connections to the Demon Cult. He didn’t want to involve him too deeply in this matter.
Ak Mujin and Jin Geum-ryeon exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
“Then it’s nothing. Well, then… would you like to go see Seo-mok with us?”
As if it were nothing important, Ak Mujin took the paper back. Chun-wol immediately changed his expression and looked at him. Having worked in intelligence for so long, she seemed to realize that it wasn’t a small matter, despite Ak Mujin’s tone.
“What’s going on? Please tell me. I want to help if I can.”
Chun-wol’s voice was almost desperate, but Ak Mujin shook his head firmly.
“All you need to do now is hide. The entire Demon Cult is after you. How could you possibly get involved in this…”
“I’m tired of hiding here.”
Chun-wol leaned forward, speaking to him. His eyes sparkled, and he looked at Ak Mujin as if he would never let go of the opportunity to do something.
“I’ve fully recovered. I still have an intelligence network I can use. I’ll be as careful as possible. So please, give me even a simple task.”
Ak Mujin was quite troubled by his words. He looked at Jin Geum-ryeon, who seemed to be thinking for a moment, his eyes lowered.
“…It’s dangerous to use your own intelligence network. I’ll lend you the hands of an organization under the Haoh Gate, so please move as discreetly as possible.”
At those words, Chun-wol smiled brightly at Ak Mujin. Jin Geum-ryeon had said so, so Ak Mujin couldn’t refuse any longer and sighed.
“…That is the mark of a secret organization under the Martial Alliance Lord. There was a trace of contact with Joo Mu-jeong recently.”
“……!”
“So, I would appreciate it if you could find solid evidence of that.”
At the mention of ‘Joo Mu-jeong,’ Chun-wol showed even more enthusiasm and nodded. He immediately got up from his seat. Then, as if he had remembered something, he hesitated, said a few words to Ak Mujin, and disappeared out the door.
“Tell Seo-mok that I’ll visit her later.”
Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin, left alone, sat there for a moment as if a storm had passed.
*
Ak Mujin, having looked in on Seo-mok once more and gained a moment to rest, put down his sword and sat down, looking around the room. The neat inner chamber was used to receive guests, so it was uncluttered.
How long had it been? Soon, the door opened and Jin Geum-ryeon entered. He was holding a tray in one hand, and judging by the smell of food, he had brought a simple meal. Jin Geum-ryeon closed the door and placed it on the table, saying to Ak Mujin.
“You must be hungry, so please eat something. I asked them to make something simple since you’ll be resting soon.”
“Ah, thank you.”
That was welcome news. He hadn’t eaten anything for days while urgently chasing Seo-mok, so Ak Mujin slowly approached the table and pulled out a chair. What Jin Geum-ryeon had placed down was a clear soup and two rice balls made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Ak Mujin naturally picked one up and handed it to Jin Geum-ryeon, but he simply shook his head without sitting down, politely declining and urging Ak Mujin to eat.
“I brought it for you to eat.”
“But haven’t you been without a meal either?”
“Isn’t this the Sandow Union? Everyone is eager to give the Lord tasks to do.”
Jin Geum-ryeon replied with a gentle smile to Ak Mujin’s worried voice. He poured tea into an empty cup and then walked back to the doorway.
“Don’t worry about me. My subordinates have already brought documents and snacks to the study. So please, rest comfortably.”
Ak Mujin, who had been thinking of eating together no matter what, felt strangely disappointed and fiddled with the teacup. Jin Geum-ryeon was about to pull the doorknob when he suddenly turned his head and said to him.
“Now that the Vice-Leader is dead, it wouldn’t be strange if the Demon Cult attacked you at any time.”
Ak Mujin agreed with that. No matter how thoroughly Jin Geum-ryeon had eliminated Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinates, it was only a matter of time before the news reached Heavenly Mountain, as there were Demon Cult branches in the Central Plains as well. He nodded heavily and looked at Jin Geum-ryeon with determined eyes.
“If that happens, I will also…”
But Jin Geum-ryeon cut him off.
“I only want you to be safe.”
The look in his eyes was so strong and direct that Ak Mujin couldn’t add anything. As he closed the door and left, Ak Mujin, left alone again, looked down at the clear, almost transparent soup and pondered.
***
The news from Joo Mu-jeong, which had been coming every other day at the latest, had stopped, and it had been refreshing, like exterminating annoying gnats. But as the days passed, it felt a little suspicious, so the Cult Leader summoned all the Elders of the cult and Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinates. And what he heard was very annoying news.
“I, I am sorry, Cult Leader. The deceased Vice-Leader told me never to disturb him unless it was a major issue… I didn’t even think to investigate until I received news from Hebei.”
The subordinate directly under Vice-Leader Joo Mu-jeong, who had reported his death, stammered out excuses, constantly watching the Cult Leader’s expression. He glanced at the throne, but the Cult Leader seemed indifferent even after hearing of his disciple’s passing. He rested his elbow on the armrest, propped his chin on the back of his hand, and stared silently at Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate.
As soon as their eyes met, the subordinate quickly lowered his head and couldn’t say anything more. Then, he heard footsteps coming down from the platform above. The approaching sound made Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate shrink back.
The Cult Leader bent down in front of him and looked closely at his face. The subordinate began to repeat the same words over and over.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Cult Leader… Keuk…!”
The Cult Leader’s hand effortlessly gripped his neck, and as he straightened up, the subordinate’s body was pulled up, tense. As the Cult Leader raised his arm high, Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate struggled, trying desperately to remove his hand, but it was no use.
“I hate incompetent fools. He’s Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate, so that says it all. He wasn’t very useful even when he was alive.”
As he muttered, the Elders, seated in their respective positions, began to murmur in agreement. Now, Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate scratched at the Cult Leader’s hand in a final act of desperation, but the Cult Leader didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. Rather, he seemed to tighten his grip, then slightly loosened it, watching with interest as Joo Mu-jeong’s subordinate gasped for breath.
Finally, after a long time, he confirmed that he had stopped breathing and threw the limp body to the floor. Then, the followers standing nearby quickly came forward and disposed of the body.
The Cult Leader strode back to the throne and sat down.
“Does anyone know Ak Mujin’s location?”
At that question, the Elders stirred.
“Does no one know?”
“The 3rd Young Master investigated that matter alone, so not many of the Elders know.”
“Ha, with so many followers, is Joo Mu-jeong the only one who knew his whereabouts?”
The Cult Leader scoffed in disbelief. Then, one of the Elders came forward with a smooth gait and prostrated himself before him. It was Elder Yeo Il-san.
“Leave it to me. The Second Young Master… no. Ak Mujin must not be left alive.”
“Hoo? Are you saying you’ll bring back his head?”
“If you allow it, I will.”
The Cult Leader stared down at Elder Yeo for a moment, stroking his chin with his index finger, as if lost in thought. Then, he spoke again.
“Capture him alive.”
“Yes?”
It was an unexpected answer, so Elder Yeo and the other Elders reacted with surprise. Yeo Il-san hesitated for a moment and then asked cautiously, as if he had been curious all along.
“Cult Leader… why do you cherish him so much? There are plenty of skilled people like him on this Heavenly Mountain.”
Certainly, Ak Mujin had awakened to the teachings early and was a promising talent when he became the Vice-Leader, but after losing his Martial Arts, he was no longer a top-ranked master. But the Cult Leader smiled.
“Yes. I cherish him very much.”
The Cult Leader muttered, then slid off the throne and looked around.
“And I have lost all my disciples. He’s the only one left.”
At those words, the Elders all gasped.
“But it’s also true that Ak Mujin dared to betray me. Death would be too comfortable a rest for him. He has escaped my grasp many times, so now I will break his ankles and keep him by my side. I was going to pair him with a successor, considering his age… but now it doesn’t matter.”
The Cult Leader glanced at the Elders and added.
“Does anyone disagree with this idea?”
The Cult Leader’s eyes were filled with obsession as he spoke, and no one dared to answer.