Chapter 599: I Have Never

Cheon Mugyeol smiled in a chilling way, his eyes gleaming with a cold light, as he leaned slightly toward Baek Suryong. “When did you find out? At the Ak Clan? While hunting the Blood Cult elders? Or was it at the Namgung Clan? Or was it much earlier than that?”

Instead of answering, Baek Suryong slowly sipped the liquor that Cheon Mugyeol had poured for him. His lips curved into a smile, but a frigid light radiated from his eyes. “You killed the Blood Cult’s Head Elder, didn’t you?”

Baek Suryong said, "Shame on you!"

That was a statement, not a question, but Cheon Mugyeol shrugged as if he had expected as much. “If I answer you, will you answer me?”

“Don’t try to probe me so blatantly. You should know it won’t work.”

Baek Suryong frowned grimly.

Cheon Mugyeol chuckled, unfazed. As they were very much alike, they both knew prying into each other’s thoughts with mere words was nearly impossible. “It might not work, but I think I can shake you enough.”

“Let me tell you in advance. You’re mistaken.”

“Baek Suryong, do you know the crucial difference between you and me?”

Cheon Mugyeol exuded no particular aura and made no threatening moves. He simply stared at Baek Suryong with his clear eyes. “I have never kept anyone by my side. That means I have no weaknesses. But you...”

He glanced around. The boisterous celebration had become deathly silent the moment he arrived. Everyone seemed crushed beneath his imposing presence. A few instructors glared at him fiercely, but they couldn’t bring themselves to speak.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can deceive the world,” Cheon Mugyeol chuckled.

Cheon Mugyeol offered them a smile devoid of malice, then refilled his empty cup. “You’re a bit different, it seems. You’re highly respected. It looks like that’s benefited you greatly until now, but...”

“Get to the point,” Baek Suryong snapped irritably.

Cheon Mugyeol chuckled and drained his cup in one go. “Have you never considered that such attachments might one day become a noose around your neck?” he asked in a low voice. “For example, like right now.”

They were now far closer than when they had last met, close enough to strike at any moment. A clash here, however, would involve the entire area in the crossfire, and he couldn’t guarantee the safety of his nearby acquaintances.

Still, he was positive that Cheon Mugyeol wouldn’t do anything reckless. After all, he himself would never risk starting a fight in such an exposed location.

“Let me tell you in advance.

“What a pathetic threat,” he sneered. “Did you think I’d be scared?”

“Why are you so sure I won’t?” Cheon Mugyeol grimaced. “Since you even know about Dimensional Travel, you must know what kind of being you are and what you can do. You must have at least an inkling, and yet you...!”

“What right do you have to disrespect the students’ efforts?”

His speech quickened, and the smirk on his face warped into something hideous. He looked more like a demon than a human. Even Baek Suryong’s eyes widened at the sheer violence of the shift.

Cheon Mugyeol snarled, “You knew everything and were still happily indulging in this childish game?”

CRASH!

He slammed his fist down, sending a tremor through the table. The only reason the table survived was because Baek Suryong quickly dispersed the explosive force. Had he been even a moment slower, the shockwave would have spread and destroyed much more than just furniture.

Baek Suryong’s eyes flashed with anger. “...What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Cheon Mugyeol?”

He just had to ruin all the wine before leaving.

“Why would I miss this golden opportunity to completely eliminate my enemy on such a favorable battlefield?” Cheon Mugyeol shot back, his eyes fiercely upturned and his voice tinged with a terrible fury.

The two men locked gazes, ready to explode into violence at any moment.

“Aren’t you overreacting?!” Sin Yeonho shouted. He shot up from his seat, cold sweat beading on his forehead from the pressure of Cheon Mugyeol’s aura. “The Heavenly Martial Festival, a mere childish game? I don’t know what you two are talking about, but I can’t forgive you for dismissing all our hard work!”

He just had to ruin all the wine before leaving.

Myeong Il’oh, Kwak Duyong, Sama Yeong of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy, and Tang Baekho of the White Tiger Academy followed his lead, forcing themselves to stand despite the obvious strain.

“That’s not something you should say to people who worked hard for a year preparing for the Heavenly Martial Festival!”

“What right do you have to disrespect the students’ efforts?”

“Aren’t you an instructor, too? I will formally lodge a complaint with the Heavenly Martial Principal.”

Namgung Su shook his head in disdain. The ones who are seeing this have disappointed him.

“Stop muddying the waters, and leave this place right now!”

Everyone spoke their minds, despite the peerless master’s aura leaving them breathless, weak-kneed, and covered in cold sweat.

“...You’re all quite spirited,” Cheon Mugyeol chuckled. “I don’t know if that will be enough to save your lives, though.”

Baek Suryong frowned grimly. “All of you, stand back. Please. This man is extremely dangerous.”

He could guess why Cheon Mugyeol had come looking for him.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can deceive the world,” Cheon Mugyeol chuckled.

If I had escaped the Blood Cult in my previous life and devoted myself to seeking revenge, I might have turned out exactly like him, stopping at nothing to achieve my goal.

After ensuring his colleagues had retreated further back, he leveled a sharp glare at Cheon Mugyeol. “Let me ask you one thing. Do I seem that dangerous to you?”

Namgung Su shook his head in disdain. The ones who are seeing this have disappointed him.

SSSSS...

A red energy began to seep out of Baek Suryong’s eyes like a drop of blood diffusing through a cup of liquor.

He had never been interested in anything like the Heavenly Martial Festival. He had only joined the Heavenly Martial Academy for his own purposes, playing the part of an apathetic instructor and nothing more. He had devoted his entire life to finding the Blood Demon and killing him, and at long last, his goal was within reach.

I know better than anyone that the Blood Demon’s presence grows stronger every single day.