Episode 324: Today, I think of you as my enemy.
Sobakta couldn’t make a decision right away.
Instead, he asked for some time alone with his master. That was what Geommu-geuk had wanted.
When Geommugeuk and Mabul went out, only Pungcheongyoju and Sobaekta were left there.
The one who broke the long silence was So Baek-ta.
“If you really go back, will you still make me your next leader?”
“okay.”
“Me, who dreams of unifying the martial arts world?”
“Yes, but I will still make you the next leader.”
Despite the resolute answer from the leader of the Pungcheon sect, So Baek-ta was still suspicious.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I believe you will be the best at protecting Pungcheon Bridge.”
“Is it protecting to start a war?”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church conveyed to his disciples the reflections and regrets he had felt.
“If I go back, I would ask you what your dream is. If you say it’s to advance to the Central Plains, I would tell you this. That dream is not ours, but a dream that someone from our ancestors had. So I will walk through the wasteland with you and show you how wonderful Sae-oe is, and how strong the people who live in this sandstorm are. Because I believe that you can protect and nurture Sae-oe better than anyone else.”
Sobakta was angry.
“Are you saying that now? If you hadn’t come back like this, wouldn’t this still be something you wouldn’t have told me?”
“Because I believed you were doing well. I didn’t know you were feeling this way. If I had known, I would have come running to you a long time ago.”
The leader of the Fengchun sect looked at his disciple and said.
“That’s why I said I was sorry. I’ll keep doing it until you feel better.”
Their gazes met in the air. A sandstorm was blowing through the window behind them.
* * *
Geommugeuk and Mabul were standing side by side in the yard, looking up at the sky.
It seems like only yesterday that I was lying on the rock with him and looking up at the sky, and now we’ve come all the way here to look at the sky together.
Mabul suddenly said.
“That guy’s fate will change today too.”
It may have meant So Baek-ta, but his fate would also have a great impact on the leader of the Pungcheon sect. That was why Geommu-geuk hoped that their relationship would end well in some way.
“I am worried about the former leader.”
Then Mabul said, still looking up at the sky.
“Little Leader, don’t mess with me! That’s what adults worry about for you.”
The sword dance smiled faintly.
“Like how Ma-Bul-nim is worried about me?”
“I only worry about your brother.”
I appreciate your cool words even more. He has always taken good care of my brother.
“Did you say that your brother brought up my story while drinking?”
Ma-bul nodded to Geommu-geuk’s question.
“That’s right.”
“Aren’t you worried about how you can regain the position of the sect leader?”
“I thought it would be better if it were like that.”
Ma-Bul’s eyes towards Geommu-geuk were filled with worry.
“When people suddenly lose their goals, their lives are bound to be shaken. Even if you pretend to be calm on the outside, it’s going to be very hard. So don’t be so arrogant and worry about the adults, and take good care of your older brother.”
“As expected, Mabulnim is a little giant to me.”
“Another useless talk!”
Mabul looked away with an awkward expression, but Geommu-geuk knew that he liked the word “little giant” the most. In the past, the giant stood tall out of flattery, but now he was speaking sincerely. To Geommu-geuk, Mabul was a little giant.
He feels that he has now begun to build his own home after coming out of the cave. He takes care of his brother and tamps the floor, he answers that he will go with him to the new world and sets up the pillars, and he covers the roof by promising to gather herbs. In this way, he is building his own home.
When the house is completed, I hope to invite my brother, the leader of the Fengchun sect, the Poison King, and myself to a small banquet. I sincerely hope that he will live a golden life.
The gaze of the swordsman followed the horse and turned towards the sky again.
At that time, the escorts including Jeokyeon approached and expressed their gratitude.
“Thank you for the sword as a gift!”
“Why are you thanking me?”
“I heard that the head monk gave it to me as a gift.”
Then Geommugeuk shook his head.
“The leader of the Pungcheon sect bought it for you.”
“Ah! The leader said that the sub-leader bought it for him.”
“I guess you didn’t want to make a fuss. I’ll say hello next time I see you!”
As they stepped back, Mabul laughed.
“Why are you laughing?”
“That guy from Pungcheon may have paid the money, but you were the one who tried to buy it, right?”
As expected, Mabul is incredibly quick-witted.
“Why do you think so?”
“That person is not the kind of person who would take care of your security. Even if he changed a lot, people don’t change that much all at once. He must have grumbled while paying.”
At that moment when Geommugeuk was smiling, the leader of the Pungcheon sect and Sobaekta walked out.
Sobakta walked to Geommugeuk and said.
“I think it’s time to find out if I’m really that stupid after all.”
He spoke while releasing the internal energy that the swordsman had suppressed.
“You may have only seen him as an ally up until now, so at least for today, think of him as an enemy and look at him.”
* * *
The king was drawing a picture.
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He resembled Hwan-yeo exactly, was tall, and had a manly and bold appearance.
But the picture he was drawing did not match his appearance at all.
It was a dark and grotesque picture, full of the aura of death.
There was a gate reminiscent of the gates of hell, and around it were drawn gruesome corpses and wild beasts.
But the weirdness started from now on.
The picture moved. A man depicted in the picture walked out of the small path next to the door, looked this way, and spoke.
-All preparations are complete.
His voice was heard only by King Huan.
– However, he says that we should not touch the younger sect leader yet.
-Any other comments?
– None. You only mentioned the minor cult leader.
-Is it certain that Pungcheon was the one who killed Hwan-yeo?
– In the circumstances, yes.
As the King nodded, the man finished his report and disappeared back down the path he had come from.
At that moment, a noise was heard outside and Sobakta came inside.
“Master.”
He was calling King Huan as his teacher. King Huan got up from his seat and bowed deeply to Sobaekta.
“Welcome, Master.”
“What were you drawing today?”
King Huan showed him the painting. So Baek-ta was startled when he saw the painting.
“Your painting style is different from usual.”
He usually drew beautiful scenery outside of the bird. He drew smiling people, dogs, and cats. But today’s painting was very different.
“Sometimes I want to draw pictures like this too.”
Why was he drawing this picture on the day he came to see me?
“Where does this door lead?”
“This is the door to my hell.”
Sobakta looked at Hwanwang at the meaningful answer.
But the only difference was the picture, and King Huan offered him tea as usual with a good-natured smile.
So Baek-ta fiddled with his teacup and recalled what Geommu-geuk had said.
– If there was tea or alcohol given to you, there was probably some drug in it too.
It was one of the few things Geommu-geuk said to me before I came here. Now that I think about it, he always offered me tea when I came here.
At first, the guards would check for poison, but after he taught them martial arts, that process was omitted. In the end, they drank it without any suspicion of what was in it.
If you think of your opponent as an enemy, as the saying goes, it will send shivers down your spine.
“Here you go, a new car has arrived and it tastes really good.”
“It smells really good.”
After savoring the fragrance of the tea, Sobakta put down the tea and continued talking.
“The leader of the Demonic Cult came to me alone earlier and asked for permission to join the Sae-oeil Tong.”
“So what did you say?”
“He asked me to show him my abilities. He wanted to see if I was worthy. So I used the Angcheonhyeolryungjutsu to show him my strength.”
Then King Huan’s expression hardened.
“Didn’t I tell you not to use the Angcheonhyeolryongjutsu as much as possible?”
“I had no choice.”
Sobakta imitated what Geommugeuk had said.
“The church does not permit it. So go wash up and come back. You are such an arrogant little cult leader!”
Sobakta, unable to control his anger, slammed the table on which the tea was placed. The table shattered and the tea spilled out.
“If I ever invade the Central Plains, I want to wipe out the Demonic Cult first.”
After calmly wiping and cleaning up, Hwan-wang got back in the car. In the past, he would have felt sorry and grateful, but So-Baek-Ta’s feelings were different now. Just like the saying in Geommu-Geuk, he thought of him as an enemy and looked at him.
‘Are you trying to make me drink tea until the end?’
It was the same action, but the feeling of receiving it was completely different.
The King of Huan asked as he put down the tea on the new table. It was more frightening that he was persistent but did not force it.
“So what happened?”
“The young sect leader destroyed my Angcheonhyeolryongjutsu.”
“That can’t be true.”
“I experienced this myself.”
“Then I would have fallen for his tricks.”
Sobaekta questioned the king’s decision.
“Why are you so confident? You haven’t even experienced the Nine-Handed Demonic Cultivation yourself.”
In an instant, the King of Hwan’s expression hardened. He usually showed discomfort whenever the Nine-Hwa Demon was mentioned, but today he looked even angrier than usual.
Sobakta quickly apologized to him.
“I’m sorry, Master. I was rude and sensitive because the Angcheonhyeolryongjutsu didn’t work.”
The King asked with his expression still hardened.
“Why do you think the new leader came to the new place?”
“I don’t really understand your intentions.”
Of course it was a lie. I heard that you came to catch this person who was in front of me right now.
At that time, King Huan took a sharp turn.
“They came to get me.”
Sobakta was startled. He had revealed something he thought he knew how to hide.
“How do you know of the Master’s existence?”
“I planted my person in the Demonic Cult. But recently, that person was captured and my existence was revealed.”
“Why did you plant people in the Demonic Cult?”
“Do you know why I am so sensitive to the Nine-Handed Demonic Cult? It is because the Nine-Handed Demonic Cult has fallen. Our sect and the Demonic Cult are mortal enemies. No amount of reconciliation can wipe away that blood. How could I, the last descendant of the Nine-Handed Demonic Cult, just sit back and watch them?”
The material of a perfect lie is the truth of the matter.
So Baek-ta was confused inside because he was telling the truth in such a mixed way. Could this side be right and that side wrong? So Baek-ta tried to find out the truth somehow.
“I will never give up.”
“That’s right. The leader will surely accomplish his great work.”
“But there is a problem. Since I have recklessly revealed that I have learned another martial art, my master will not leave me alone. Master, please help me.”
King Hwan, who had been staring intently at So Baek-tae, took out a vial smaller than his ring finger from his bosom.
“Give this medicine to your master! It is colorless and odorless, so if you mix it with alcohol, he will never notice it.”
Sobakta was shocked. He knew without asking. It was poison that would kill his master.
“It doesn’t take effect right away. The poison takes effect after three days, so no one will suspect that it was the cult leader’s medicine.”
I never thought you would tell me to kill my master by feeding him poison.
“They say that if you don’t poison yourself, you’re not a leader. If you don’t kill him, the leader will suffer.”
In that moment, So Baek-ta’s heart grew cold. What could be more cowardly than killing an enemy by mixing poison in alcohol?
Are you saying that you respected and liked this kind of person?
The King of Huan read his mind accurately.
“Are you disappointed in me?”
Sobakta answered honestly.
“I didn’t know you would tell me to put poison in my drink.”
“To deal with him, it’s a fight to the death. If the leader takes the drug, it’s a fight he’s sure to win. Then shouldn’t he take it? Is there anything more precious than life?”
After a moment, Sobakta asked with a cold look in his eyes.
“Is it because of me? Or is it to save yourself, Master?”
“We’re already in the same boat, what’s the difference between the two?”
“That’s right. Then the ship won’t sink. But I’ll end up being the one who poisoned my master while drinking.”
There was no need to compare further. It was the moment when the curtain of the Great Wall of Heaven was torn apart, and the bean husk covering Sobakta’s eyes was removed.
But the king was relaxed.
“They have already planted a seed of doubt in our leader’s mind.”
“It was a seed that I should have planted and nurtured in the first place.”
The King of Huan’s eyes grew cold. His face, devoid of politeness and smile, looked unfamiliar, as if he was looking at someone else.
“I knew I would fall for them. But I didn’t know it would be this easy.”
He had already guessed Sobakta’s intentions for coming.
The poison was a test by the King of Huan. It was a test to see if Baek So-ta had fallen to the So-gyo-ju.
Sobakta lamented his past foolishness.
“You really approached me intentionally.”
As I became a cult leader, I wanted to escape from the difficulties I was facing. This man in front of me was the best person to serve as my escape.
I used to curse at my master along with him. He was a coward, but I brainwashed him into thinking I would be a great leader. There was nothing more comforting to a weak heart than someone who curses at someone they hate together.
It was not a refuge. It was a hell with the name of a refuge.
‘Master!’
The person who came to Sobakta’s mind right now was the leader of the Pungcheon sect.
‘sorry.’
Sobaekta secretly raised his internal energy. He knew that Hwanwang was stronger than him, but he was not afraid at all. The excitement created by regret was dominating Sobaekta.
But the King of Hwan’s magic overwhelmed him.
Hooooooooooo!
The surroundings changed with a deep resonance.
The place where the two people were standing was not the residence of the King of Hwan a little while ago.
There were corpses strewn about, and beasts straight out of a painting were growling all around.
And the large door visible in front.
‘What about that door?’
It was the very same door that King Hwan had said was the door to his hell.
Surprisingly, it was the picture that King Huan had drawn.
“What are you trying to do?”
“What were you trying to do? Did you test me, believing that those humans would protect you?”
At those words, Sobakta turned his head urgently.
In the distance, in the sky, there was a giant-like sword dance and the leader of the Wind Heavenly Church, and beyond the horizon, a real giant, Mabul, was looking at him.
Sobakta could tell that the three people who had entered the residence were looking at the painting.
The King and himself did not move to this place, but actually entered the painting.
The leader of the Fengchun sect was looking at himself, not at the King of Hwan.
The look in his eyes was worry.
The moment I saw those eyes, I felt something in my heart completely melt away.
‘… Master!’
I felt so sorry for my master. I didn’t even realize how grateful I was for handing over the position of leader, and I just kept resenting him like a fool, and I ended up making a mistake. Even so, my master apologized to me over and over again.
‘I messed everything up. I’m sorry, Master.’
As if this were the result of that foolishness, the door began to open.
The King of Huan said in front of the open door.
“Your master knows how dangerous this place is. Even the leader of the Fengchun sect must risk his life here.”
As he stretched out his hand, the white-tailed deer flew helplessly toward him as if it was being sucked in.
The voice of the King of Hwan could be heard from beyond the door that was beginning to close.
“Will your master really open this gate of hell to save you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Sobakta’s desperate cry leaked out through the closing door.
“Don’t come, Master! You must not come… … .”
The door that had swallowed the two people closed with a loud noise.
