Chapter 743: This Is Why People Line Up for This Taste
The carriage sped toward Zhejiang.
“I’ll drive the carriage. You should head to the back and get some rest.”
Ji Han felt uneasy seeing Geom Mugeuk still holding the reins.
“I’m fine.”
When Geom Mugeuk declined, Tae Soo quickly stepped in, acting like he knew everything.
“To introduce this man properly, he’s from an escort bureau, a man who’s been all over the Central Plains since his youth. You’ve never seen anyone drive a carriage like him.”
Geom Mugeuk had never said such a thing, but Tae Soo firmly believed it.
Ji Han glanced sideways at Geom Mugeuk.
No matter how many times he looked, the man didn’t seem like someone from an escort bureau. No, in what world could any escort or head guard drive someone like the Man of Ten-Thousand Evils to commit suicide?
‘For a thief, he’s quite clueless.’
Unaware that he was coming off as clueless to Ji Han, Tae Soo continued to act as if he knew everything.
“You wouldn’t believe how well he knows the roads, too.”
While bragging about Geom Mugeuk, Tae Soo felt a twinge of emptiness. After all, Geom Mugeuk’s subordinate wasn’t him—it was Ji Han.
“And you wouldn’t believe how good he is at cooking, either. You’ll be shocked once you taste what he makes.”
Ji Han grew curious about Geom Mugeuk’s background. Every leader he had seen so far neither drove their own carriage nor even knew the roads well. Those were tasks for their subordinates.
But cooking? And cooking personally for his subordinate?
Ji Han couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of anticipation. As a martial artist, when would he ever get to meet a leader like this again?
‘No, don’t expect too much.’
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He didn’t even know what kind of person this leader truly was yet.
Then, Geom Mugeuk suddenly asked Ji Han,
“You were the one who applied the Soul-Chasing Incense on the Treasure Map in the beginning, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how the Evil King Sect managed to obtain the Treasure Map?”
“No, I don’t. At the time, someone from the upper ranks came to me with the map. He told me it was something that must never be lost and ordered me to use the most effective Soul-Chasing Incense on it.”
“Do you know who that person was?”
Ji Han shook his head.
“No, he was wearing a bamboo hat pulled low. I couldn’t see his face properly.”
“He deliberately hid his identity, then.”
Ji Han hadn’t thought much of it at the time. The Evil King Sect was full of secretive figures.
“But if I see him again, I think I’ll recognize him.”
Geom Mugeuk turned his head to look at Ji Han and said,
“You remember that man’s scent, then.”
“Yes, he had a very distinct smell.”
This time, Ji Han was the one asking.
“But why are you asking about that?”
“Because it’s strange. The Evil King Sect managed to get their hands on the Treasure Map—and then lost it again? That doesn’t make sense.”
Ji Han flinched and asked,
“Surely, you’re not saying that the Evil King Sect intentionally released the Treasure Map into the Central Plains, are you?”
Tae Soo, who was listening from the driver’s seat, also turned tense as he waited for Geom Mugeuk’s response.
If that were true, then he had been moving exactly as those bastards intended.
“There’s a possibility,” Geom Mugeuk replied, his gaze deepening.
“The struggle over the Treasure Map drew even our attention, after all.”
Hearing that, Ji Han suddenly had a thought.
‘Who exactly is this “our” he’s talking about?’
He was now part of that “our,” whatever it was.
—
They stopped the carriage in the open field.
While the horses grazed and rested, everyone took a short break of their own.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme went for a walk together, and Tae Soo lay down in the grass for a nap.
Geom Mugeuk stood atop a small hill, gazing up at the sky.
Ji Han approached him quietly, indicating that there was something personal to discuss.
“When was the last time you looked up at the sky?”
Ji Han followed Geom Mugeuk’s gaze and answered,
“I can’t remember.”
“From now on, make an effort to look often. Everyone under my command is required to look at the sky at least once a day.”
“Yes, I’ll remember that.”
“If there’s something you wish to ask, do so.”
It was the perfect time—away from Tae Soo—to ask what had been on his mind. It seemed the man hadn’t revealed his identity to him yet.
“I’d like to know my lord’s name.”
Songno had once said that a man’s two words—his name—defined him completely.
Though Ji Han asked cautiously, Geom Mugeuk replied without a hint of weight.
“I’m Geom Mugeuk. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“It sounds great,” Ji Han replied absentmindedly—then froze.
Geom Mugeuk?
He was sure he’d heard that name before.
Before his memory even caught up, his body reacted first. A dark, indescribable pressure engulfed him. His spine turned cold, and every hair on his body stood on end.
Geom Mugeuk… Geom Mugeuk… Where had he heard it?
“!”
A flash of realization struck him like lightning. The name was far too famous for him not to recognize—it just hadn’t occurred to him sooner because it was so unbelievable.
To think he’d hear that name spoken by the very man who had just become his leader, out here in the middle of an empty field, with no one else around—he could never have imagined it.
‘No, it can’t be. That’s impossible!’
The more he tried to deny it, telling himself it must be someone else with the same name, the faster his heart pounded.
Ji Han looked at Geom Mugeuk, half in disbelief.
Geom Mugeuk smiled.
“Yes, you’re right.”
That answer—so calm, as though he could read Ji Han’s every thought—left no doubt. That composed face confirmed it.
This Geom Mugeuk was *that* Geom Mugeuk.
“Do you regret choosing to become my subordinate?”
That question sealed it.
‘He really is the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!’
Ji Han’s body trembled like an aspen tree.
“No, I do not regret it. It’s just… I was merely surprised.”
Ji Han was half out of his wits.
He had imagined countless possibilities for who his new leader might be. A descendant of a prestigious orthodox sect? A renowned master from the unorthodox world? Perhaps an aged hermit who had emerged from seclusion after regaining his youth? He had entertained every possible thought.
But among all those guesses, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had never once crossed his mind.
He had never imagined that the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would greet anyone with such a bright smile. Such a version of the Young Cult Leader simply didn’t exist in his head.
Suddenly, Songno came to mind. When he had asked Songno to tell him the name of the Young Cult Leader, how laughable must that have sounded to him?
At the same time, Ji Han couldn’t help cursing inwardly. *That damned old man!*
What was he thinking—telling him to approach the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
But now that he knew the truth, was it even proper to stand beside him like this? Was it even right to look him in the eyes? Shouldn’t everyone in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult be bowing low before the Young Cult Leader?
“Then, who are those two over there?”
Pushing aside his spiraling thoughts, Ji Han gathered his courage to ask.
“They are the Demon Supremes—Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme.”
“Ah!”
They were the legendary Eight Demon Supremes he had only heard of in rumors.
Now he finally understood why the Man of Ten-Thousand Evils had taken his own life. He had dared to reveal his lustful intent toward One-Slash Sword Supreme—he had been doomed the moment he did. Knowing forgiveness was impossible, he had chosen to die by his own hand. Otherwise, he would have been torn apart limb from limb.
It astonished Ji Han that the Young Cult Leader and the two Demon Supremes were traveling through the Central Plains without any other subordinates. He had imagined they would be accompanied by hundreds, if not thousands.
Even seeing it with his own eyes, it still felt unreal. Who could possibly believe such a thing?
“I never imagined I would serve someone so great.”
“Yes, from now on, you must revere and uphold me as though I were the heavens themselves!”
Though Geom Mugeuk spoke in jest, Ji Han couldn’t possibly take it as a joke.
“I will devote my entire being to serve you with absolute loyalty!”
At that moment, what Geom Mugeuk truly felt was this:
“When you give your entire being, there will come a day when it feels unbearably hard. When that happens, don’t look at the ground, don’t look at your subordinates, don’t even look into your own heart—look there. Don’t look at me either, just look there.”
Ji Han followed Geom Mugeuk’s gaze and looked up at the sky.
In the vast heavens, scattered clouds drifted slowly by. A lone bird spread its wings and glided across the boundless blue.
“Even when you sigh, look there as you do. Even when you feel like bursting from frustration, look there before you vent it. When you do that, you’ll start to feel yourself become small—and with that, your troubles will shrink as well.”
The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—the one who told him to look up at the sky when times were hard.
That man was now his leader.
And at last, Ji Han had found his answer.
‘We are the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.’
That terrifying name had now become his own.
Just then, Tae Soo approached them.
“What were you two talking about so seriously?”
“Our lord was teaching me the way for a man to humble himself,” Ji Han replied.
Tae Soo blinked, not quite understanding, but Ji Han didn’t bother explaining.
Tae Soo felt a sudden pang of exclusion.
When he sensed Ji Han’s newfound reverence toward Geom Mugeuk—deeper, almost devout—that sense of alienation grew even stronger.
‘So this is what true loyalty looks like?’
Until now, the very thought of serving under someone had always suffocated him. But for some reason, toward this Ji Han, he felt a strange pang of jealousy. Geom Mugeuk’s favor should have been his—so why did it feel like he’d lost something instead?
“When this is all over and we return, you’ll be traveling across the Central Plains under the name of the Cheonma Escort Bureau,” Tae Soo said proudly.
Ji Han stiffened. To say the word Cheonma(Heavenly Demon) so carelessly!
‘You’ll get yourself killed!’
Completely unaware of the danger, Tae Soo went on with a hint of boastfulness.
“He even said he’d introduce me to the Leader of the Cheonma Escort Bureau someday.”
‘That’ll really get you killed!’
—
“There it is—the place famous for its Five-Spice Braised Pork!”
The front of the inn was packed with people, a long line stretching down the street with customers waiting to get in.
At the entrance, the attendant was shouting,
“Please wait a little! A table will open up soon!”
Geom Mugeuk stepped down from the carriage first and walked toward the people lined up outside.
Following behind, Ji Han grew tense.
What would Geom Mugeuk do? Would he scare the people away to make room? Or would he ignore the line and just walk straight in?
Neither option seemed like something Geom Mugeuk would do.
Then, Ji Han’s eyes widened.
Geom Mugeuk went to the *end* of the line and stood there.
‘The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is lining up… to eat?’
Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.
Alright, perhaps it was because this Young Cult Leader was an extraordinary person. But then an even more astonishing sight unfolded.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme followed Geom Mugeuk and stood in line behind him. Neither of them looked displeased—in fact, they seemed amused and curious.
“This is your first time waiting in line to eat, isn’t it?” Geom Mugeuk asked.
One-Slash Sword Supreme nodded.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon frowned, pretending to disapprove.
“To think we’re lining up just to eat a meal!”
“Go rest in the carriage. I’ll call you when it’s our turn,” Geom Mugeuk said.
“No, I’ll stay. It’s too much trouble to move.”
Though his words sounded irritated, in truth, Blood Heaven Blade Demon was enjoying himself. Just standing in line alongside One-Slash Sword Supreme brought him unexpected delight. This journey outside the cult was giving him a strange, refreshing experience he had never known before.
Then, One-Slash Sword Supreme lifted her hand, shading her face from the sunlight.
Then, Blood Heaven Blade Demon subtly lifted the great saber slung over his back and rested it across his shoulder. The massive blade blocked the sunlight that had been shining on One-Slash Sword Supreme’s face.
When she quietly stepped back, Blood Heaven Blade Demon, pretending not to notice, moved back with her.
One-Slash Sword Supreme looked at his broad back with a faint smile. Her gaze lingered on the knot wrapped in cloth, and she remarked,
“That knot has held together for quite a long time.”
Without turning around, Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied,
“There’s a bet on the line. Do you think I’d let it come undone?”
They were still as fiercely competitive as ever.
As they chatted and watched the crowd, the line moved faster than expected.
“Look,” Geom Mugeuk said, “there are now more people behind us than in front. This is why people line up for this taste.”
Hearing that, Ji Han couldn’t help but think to himself,
‘Do these people even realize? That they’re standing in front of and behind the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? That today, they’re sharing a meal with him?’
The line kept moving, and before long, it was finally their turn to go inside.
Just then, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of the inn.
From the number of armed guards on horseback surrounding it, it was clearly the carriage of a wealthy household.
A man and a woman stepped out.
The man got down first and courteously helped the woman descend.
The woman was dressed in rich, elegant clothing, adorned with glittering jewels on her neck and wrists. Every ornament she wore shimmered with wealth and extravagance.
The man, too, looked like the son of a noble family. His eyes never left the woman, showing how completely smitten he was.
“The Five-Spice Braised Pork here is truly worth recommending,” the man said.
The woman wrinkled her nose slightly as she looked at the inn.
“How disappointing. To think you’d bring me to such a shabby place before our wedding.”
Her tone, laced with disdain and irritation, revealed exactly what kind of person she was. It was a talent in itself—how one’s words could expose their character so clearly.
“Still, the food here is excellent,” the man insisted.
The woman’s eyes then swept over the people waiting in line, and her expression soured even more.
“I’m not going to wait in line just to eat.”
“Of course not,” the man agreed, and signaled his guards with a glance.
At once, the guards stepped forward and blocked the line in front of Geom Mugeuk with a threatening air.
The couple, acting as though it were their natural right, cut the line and entered the inn, followed by their escorts.
The attendant gave Geom Mugeuk an apologetic look.
“I’m terribly sorry, sir.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied,
“It’s fine. A skilled attendant knows when not to intervene—and when to close his eyes.”
Ji Han could not endure it while the attendant tolerated it, Geom Mugeuk tolerated it, and the Demon Supremes tolerated it.
“I will go in and give them a stern lesson.”
Judging by the level of the accompanying martial artists, it was something he could handle on his own. How dare they! He intended to teach them a proper lesson.
Then Geom Mugeuk said something strange.
“Why? To forgive them?”
“Huh?”
Ji Han thought Geom Mugeuk had misheard him. He had said he would go and give them a sharp scolding.
But Geom Mugeuk had not misheard.
“Just leave them be. If you step in and punish them, it might break the relationship between those two, wouldn’t it?”
Only then did Ji Han understand. Leaving them alone was not an act of forgiveness.
It meant letting two similar people meet and suffer together for a lifetime.
At that, Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head.
“What a terrifying fellow! This one’s worse than me. Right?”
Seeking agreement, Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked to One-Slash Sword Supreme, who only smiled.
Soon it was their turn.
When they opened the inn door and entered, the heat of the crowd and the smell of food hit them at once. The interior was very spacious and packed with people.
In the raucous atmosphere, people ate and drank, and attendants hurried between tables carrying dishes on trays.
Geom Mugeuk looked around the scene, which resembled a battlefield, and spoke solemnly.
“We won’t be able to come back here to eat. So even if someone steps on our feet, we’ll let it go; even if food is spilled, we’ll let it go; even if someone picks a fight, we’ll let it go. We’ll endure everything except insults to our parents! The important thing is that our elders get to eat the Five-Spice Braised Pork!”
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