Chapter 35 – Returning to the Cult
“Mm…”
I kept my eyes closed.
Ever since I fell into the world of Return of the Murim, I’ve had the same thought every day—no, let’s be honest, every single day. That maybe, just maybe, when I opened my eyes again, I’d be back in my old semi-basement room. That all of this was just a dream.
The life of Kim Dong-yun in reality was practically rock bottom. I chased after dreams only to hit wall after wall. But at least, my life wasn’t on the line every damn minute.
With that thought, my eyes opened.
Not to the moldy ceiling of my old room, but to a worn, Eastern-style wooden one.
Of course. This couldn’t be a dream.
I sat up and saw a mirror by the bedside.
In its reflection sat not Kim Dong-yun, but Sado Hwan.
“Huu…”
I let out a long breath.
If there was one thing I could call a weapon in this world, even as someone with absolutely nothing—it would be my willpower. Grit. Stubbornness.
I killed someone to survive. Sure, she was more monster than human, but that didn’t change the fact.
My goal is survival. So I had no time to sit here dazed.
I had to keep moving, to find a clue that would get me out of this place.
Just then, Skybreaker floated up before me. Judging by that, it seemed no one else was nearby.
[You’re awake.]
“Yeah. Where are we?”
[A guesthouse near the cave. You wouldn’t wake up, so Tak Horak carried you here.]
“How long was I out?”
[A day. You were basically passed out. Understandable, really.]
What happened in the ruins had been the toughest ordeal since I arrived in Return of the Murim. It was the first time I could say I’d truly “fought.”
And I was seriously injured, too.
Still, maybe because of that, some of the fear I’d had about fighting real martial artists was gone. Sure, I’d still get wiped out in 3 seconds in a real match, but my mindset had changed.
Plus, I now had the Blink ability and the Puppet Flute, which let me send my voice mentally—an incredible haul, honestly.
Which meant it was about time.
Time to go back—to the Heavenly Demon Cult.
But first, I needed to tie up a few loose ends.
I took off my shirt. A lean, sculpted body was revealed—trained like a statue. I unwrapped the bandages from my upper body.
“It’s healing faster than I thought.”
The wound on my shoulder from Saweol’s dagger had improved significantly. It had been torn wide open, grotesquely so—but now it was much better.
Though it still restricted movement. If I moved too hard, it would likely reopen.
[As expected of the Sura Demon Emperor Art.]
Skybreaker muttered in admiration. He called it Sura Demon Emperor Art, but whatever. I didn’t correct him—it was still too early for that.
He wouldn’t be able to accept that everything about his identity, his life, had been fabricated.
“What about the others?”
[Resting on their own, I imagine. Ah, that Paeng girl said she’d be leaving around noon.]
“That’s now!”
I scrambled to get dressed, rushed out of the room, and headed downstairs. Sure enough, the place was noisy.
“Stop eating and get up already!”
I heard Paeng Soso’s annoyed voice first. The place was packed with people shoveling food into their mouths while she sat with a frustrated look, almost in tears.
“You’re awake.”
Saweol bowed as she appeared at my side.
“Yeah.”
I brushed past her and went to sit across from Paeng Soso.
“You haven’t left yet.”
“Huh? Brother Kim, you’re up?”
“Looks like everyone’s already eaten.”
“Someone’s gotta pay for all these freeloaders. That’s the burden of being party leader, I guess.”
She sighed heavily. Well, since the ruin expedition had been a total failure, that made sense.
“You still have Jo Yang’s belongings, right?”
Normally, taking stuff from the dead would be unethical—but not in ruins. It was considered proper to take anything valuable.
Paeng Soso shook her head.
“Everything but one thing was junk. Just a ring with ‘Sohyang’ engraved on it. Gave me the creeps, so I tossed it off a cliff.”
Sohyang—the real name of the Witch of the Small Marsh, Jo Yang’s lover.
“Anyway, this sucks. All those guys are good for is eating and shitting.”
The Treasure Hoarders was originally formed with mercenaries using funds Paeng Soso stole from the Paeng Family. Sure, they’d cry “Big Sis!” in danger, but they’d vanish the moment the money ran out.
With multiple failed expeditions, her position was likely getting desperate.
“Do you need money?”
“Of course I do.”
She sighed again.
“I mean, I’m actually good at this, y’know? I thought it was my calling. I have good instincts—or so I thought. Ugh, can’t believe I didn’t spot a scumbag like Jo Yang… Maybe ruin exploration isn’t for me.”
“That’s not true.”
“Huh?”
I spoke with conviction.
“You’re talented at ruin exploration. In fact, people like you are rare.”
I knew the future of Paeng Soso in Return of the Murim. Though her personality was different from this version, she was famous for raiding every major ruin—even those belonging to great sects and noble families.
At my words, Paeng Soso blushed awkwardly.
“What the heck… why the sudden praise?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“Oho? You trying to propose now or something?”
Ahem.
Saweol coughed behind me. A loyal subordinate, voicing her superior’s discomfort.
“Enough nonsense. Let’s talk business.”
“Nonsense? Was I the only one being sincere here?”
“Anyway, what do you need most right now?”
“Most needed… huh…”
She tilted her head, then replied.
“Still money. I need it to feed these guys. And with Jo Yang dead, I’ll need money to hire a decent formation expert too.”
“I’ll cover the cost.”
“You?”
She looked me up and down.
“Well, you do look expensive. But do you know how much it takes to run a group like this? At least 300 silver taels a month, minimum.”
In this world, 1 silver tael = about 100,000 won. So that’s about 30 million won a month. Honestly, cheap for running an organization.
“And in case you forgot, I’m the adorable daughter of the Paeng Family.”
“You planning to return to your family for money?”
“That’s… not an option.”
Even the simple-minded Paeng Family would punish her for stealing and running off with their funds. She might not be able to keep the Treasure Hoarders at all.
I pulled something from my pocket. A silver toad-shaped token.
“You know Silver Toad Merchant Guild?”
“Of course. Not huge, but I hear they’re reliable… Wait, don’t tell me—”
“This is a credit token guaranteed by a branch chief of the Silver Toad Guild. There are only about thirty of these in all of Jianghu.”
I had taken it from Gwak Jin, the cultist stationed as branch chief in Taeryeong.
Paeng Soso’s eyes were already locked on it.
“There’ll be a limit, of course, but it should give you enough funds to operate comfortably.”
Of course, Gwak Jin would be the one footing the bill. In other words, I was showing off with someone else’s money. The funds were from the Gwak Family, not mine.
[Truly a sly devil, you monster.]
Call it strategy, please.
Paeng Soso reached toward the token. I snatched it back.
“Of course, it’s not free.”
“What is it? Name it.”
“You’re in my debt. Right?”
“…I’ve got nothing to say to that. Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“Then let’s do this.”
I explained.
“I’ll sponsor you with this money. In return, you’ll share the list of items and relics you obtain from ruins—and give me priority on the ones I want.”
Just like how kings sponsored explorers in the Age of Discovery.
In modern terms, it was like outsourcing.
I had to return to the cult soon. Sure, I could get valuable artifacts there—but there were still countless treasures scattered throughout Jianghu.
And if I had a reliable alternative exploring ruins for me, it was an obvious win.
“You think that’ll work?”
“Why wouldn’t it? Without money, you can’t explore anyway.”
“True… But.”
She asked with clear eyes:
“What if I just run off with the money? What if I stay quiet and disappear?”
“Would a child of the honorable Paeng Family do that?”
“You saying you trust me?”
I shrugged.
Of course I didn’t trust her completely. But once I was back in the cult, I could easily track her down through the Black Shadow Corps. That was their specialty, after all.
Once I found her, I could use the Sado Family’s power or whatever it took to reclaim what I was owed.
“You’re the first person to trust me like this—aside from my grandpa, I mean.”
She seemed genuinely touched. Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
“Alright. I accept. How should we stay in contact?”
“Saweol.”
At my call, she placed a folded map on the table with a thud. It was the location of one of the Sado Family’s secret safehouses—known only to direct descendants and Saweol.
Her face was expressionless. It seemed she didn’t like dealing with someone from an orthodox faction.
“Send word here. And this arrangement is a secret between us.”
“With this many people watching? Should I kill them all for secrecy?”
“They’re too busy stuffing their faces to care.”
“I’m joking. So… where’s the next ruin, then? Got any tips? You seem oddly knowledgeable.”
I was planning to bring this up anyway. I needed to test her first, so I gave her info on two decent ruins. If she proved reliable, I’d give her better leads.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Those details… You sure you’re not some relic thief from the East?”
I just shrugged again. As a Return of the Murim veteran, this was expected.
“Any chance you know a good formation expert?”
“You expect me to spoon-feed you that too?”
“Cheh. So stingy. Fine.”
Just then, the Treasure Hoarders finished eating. Unlike before, when she looked dejected, Paeng Soso now paid the tab with a hearty laugh.
“We’re off! See you next time, Brother Kim!”
She left without looking back.
It felt like a storm had passed.
“Saweol.”
“Yes.”
“Where’s Horak?”
“With the main unit.”
“I see. Call him.”
I said:
“Tomorrow, we return to the cult.”