Chapter 235: Don’t Smile With That Face

Lucas Pereira was the sort of man who seemed to embody the word larger-than-life.

“Hahaha! You’re an interesting guy! What was your name again? Ki?”

“Kim Muhyuk, Lucas. I’ve told you three times already.”

“Kimuhyuk? That’s way too hard to pronounce. I’ll just call you Ki. Much friendlier!”

Within thirty minutes of meeting Kim Muhyuk, Lucas had already thrown an arm around his shoulders and begun leading him around the party hall, introducing him to one person after another.

“This is Ki. An exceptional young rising star from Korea. Better get on his good side now, or you’ll regret it later.”

“I’m Kim Muhyuk, a newcomer to the martial world. It’s an honor to meet heroic swordsmen from the orthodox martial world across the globe.”

Thanks to him, Kim Muhyuk was able to make the acquaintance of all sorts of figures from the global martial world and leave an impression on them.

At his side, Lucas whistled and kept talking him up.

“See? Handsome, and polite too. You sponsor reps had better start staking your claims early. This guy’s already—”

Then Lucas caught the uncomfortable look on Kim Muhyuk’s face. He grinned and smoothly turned it into a joke.

“—going after all the beauties I had my eye on! You bastard, anything but that. I’d rather you steal my martial arts!”

Laughter erupted through the crowd.

Hahahahaha!

Lucas Pereira was one of the most famous people at the party.

A peerless master known as the Overlord of South America, and a social butterfly with connections everywhere.

He was also a wealthy businessman who owned several companies bearing his name.

A successful martial artist anyone would envy, Lucas seemed to have taken quite a liking to Kim Muhyuk.

He noticed I’m a supreme master, but still kept it secret in front of everyone. If I didn’t know who he really was and had met him here for the first time...

Kim Muhyuk probably would have liked Lucas Pereira just as much as everyone else did.

But because he knew that the man would become a high-ranking member of the Heavenly Demon Cult in the future, Kim watched Lucas’s every move closely.

“My beautiful blonde lady, would you honor me with your name?”

“We met in Spain last time. You already forgot?”

“Oh, Sally! I only asked because I wanted to hear it from those pretty lips of yours.”

“My name is Linda, you womanizer.”

Lucas Pereira playfully flirted and traded jokes with women from all over the world who had come to the party.

Yet somehow, he never came across as unpleasant.

It was that characteristic openness of his, combined with his overflowing confidence.

He draws people in with a completely different kind of charm from Richard Han. And...

Every peerless master gave Kim a different sensation when he faced them.

Looking at Choi Geon felt like falling into a bottomless abyss. Sunwoo Jeha gave him the chilling sense that he could be cut down at any moment. Richard Han, strangely enough, gave off nothing at all.

Lucas Pereira, on the other hand, felt like an enormous wall of solid iron.

He’s hard. I can’t even imagine cutting through him.

There was a reason he was a regular in the main tournament of the World’s Strongest Sparring Tournament.

Especially this year, when he’s considered to be in his absolute prime. He ends up taking second place in the tournament.

Naturally, one possibility after another began forming in Kim Muhyuk’s mind.

Then was this year’s final a fight between two Heavenly Demon Cult believers? It’s also possible Lucas hasn’t become a high-ranking member yet at this point. Or maybe they were fighting over status within the Cult...

The questions kept multiplying because he simply lacked information.

He only assumed Lucas was a high-ranking member because he remembered seeing the man destroy the Statue of Liberty. Beyond that, Kim knew very little about Lucas’s exact position within the Heavenly Demon Cult.

I’ll get another chance to investigate him properly later.

Kim Muhyuk ended up making almost a full circuit of the party hall with Lucas Pereira.

For someone whose goal was to build a favorable image and expand his influence across the world, the introductions were undeniably valuable.

“Thanks, Lucas.”

When Kim thanked him separately, Lucas gave him a friendly jab in the side and lowered his voice conspiratorially.

“Ki, if you’re really grateful, how about setting up a dinner with Sunwoo Jeha for me sometime? Maybe she’s shy, because she keeps turning down my invitations.”

“That’s...”

For a moment, Kim Muhyuk genuinely wondered if Lucas was simply that interested in Sunwoo Jeha, leaving him at a loss.

But then, something about Lucas Pereira’s sly smile suddenly struck him as wrong.

Because Kim already knew the man belonged to the Heavenly Demon Cult, one possibility flashed through his mind.

...What if he’s trying to bring Sunwoo Jeha into the Heavenly Demon Cult?

If they succeeded in recruiting Sunwoo Jeha, the Cult would gain tremendous influence over the Korean martial world.

After all, she would soon be recognized as the only Korean citizen who was a peerless master.

It would be more than enough to make up for the failure of withdrawing all Heavenly Demon Cult forces from Korea in one stroke.

That would also explain why he took such an interest in me and went out of his way to help me when we only met today.

The realization that he had nearly been fooled by that hearty, good-natured smile sent a chill down Kim’s spine.

He showed none of it.

Instead, he smiled brightly.

“Sure. I’ll try to arrange something. As you already know, though, it won’t be easy.”

“Haha! I’m counting on you, Ki. Even traveling all over the world, you don’t meet women that captivating very often.”

Lucas winked and pulled out his phone.

“Then how about we follow each other on social media?”

“I don’t use social media. Let’s exchange emails or phone numbers instead.”

“...Even I use it, and I’m in my forties. What, have you been training on some mountain your whole life?”

In the end, Kim Muhyuk hastily created a social-media account and followed Lucas Pereira.

“Keep in touch, Ki! See you next time!”

His business finished, Lucas left the party hall.

He had one arm around the waist of the woman he had mistakenly called Sally, still wearing that same hearty smile to the very end.

“...He’s a sleazeball. Stay away from him.”

Sunwoo Jeha, who had been avoiding Lucas for a while, slowly crept back toward Kim Muhyuk. Her brows were deeply furrowed in disgust.

Kim turned to her and nodded.

“I agree with you there, but isn’t Richard Han just as shady?”

Sunwoo Jeha firmly shook her head.

“No. Han Shinhu is dangerous, reckless, secretive, and insane. But he isn’t that disgusting or greedy.”

“...”

Kim was glad he had put up a qi barrier beforehand.

If anyone had overheard that, the Korean martial world’s reputation might have suffered a catastrophic blow.

Still, he couldn’t exactly deny what she had said.

“You’re not wrong. There’s something about Lucas Pereira...”

Kim brushed the shoulder Lucas had so casually wrapped an arm around and muttered coldly,

“...that makes me not want him anywhere near me.”

*****

After Sunwoo Jeha left to attempt her final peerless-master verification, Kim Muhyuk also departed the party.

When he returned to the lodgings, Choi Geon was waiting for his disciple in his familiar flight jacket.

“Did you enjoy yourself? I was just about to contact you... Hm? Why do you look so troubled?”

“Master. The Heavenly Demon Cult may have spread its influence much farther than we expected.”

“Explain.”

Kim shared what he had learned about the people he had met at the party.

Regarding Lucas Pereira in particular, he only said there was a possibility that the man might be connected to the Heavenly Demon Cult.

But Choi Geon trusted his disciple’s instincts more than anyone, and he took that possibility seriously.

“...There may be far more major figures involved than we thought. He may also have approached you because he knows who you truly are. Be especially careful.”

“I will.”

Kim nodded, then looked curiously at Choi Geon, who had changed into clothes suitable for going out.

“Why did you change?”

“They say the Black Restraint Band suitability assessment will begin tomorrow morning.”

Choi explained that Grace Taylor had stopped by earlier.

She had told him that once the assessment began, he would spend several days undergoing various examinations and evaluations under World Martial Alliance supervision.

“In other words, today is the only day I can move around freely without worry. I even received permission to go sightseeing tonight.”

“Then that means...”

Choi Geon nodded, a cold gleam entering his eyes.

After all, there was one major reason the two of them had come to America.

“It seems we’ll have to visit the Black Shop tonight. How much time do you need to prepare?”

Kim Muhyuk loosened the necktie that had been bothering him anyway.

“Give me ten minutes.”

A short while later.

Having changed into a black hoodie and jeans, Kim left the building with his master.

Whoosh!

The two raced through the nighttime streets, taking turns pulling ahead as they used their lightness techniques.

Their movements were so stealthy that ordinary people failed to notice them even when they passed right beside them.

[Disciple, your disguise skills have improved considerably. At this rate, you might even fool me.]

Choi Geon sent a private transmission while examining Kim Muhyuk’s face, now disguised as a completely different person.

Kim looked back at him and smiled.

[I’ve studied it quite a bit. It has to be this good if I want to fool them.]

[...Do not smile so carelessly with that face. I nearly drew my sword.]

Without slowing their pace, the two soon arrived in the heart of New York’s Chinatown.

Night had deepened, leaving the streets dark and sparsely populated. Dim lights leaked here and there from the narrow alleys.

The two naturally divided their roles.

[I’ll go in first.]

[I’ll follow quietly.]

Choi Geon’s presence vanished.

Kim Muhyuk pulled his hood low and began wandering alone through Chinatown.

They’re already watching me.

He could feel discreet gazes immediately following the unfamiliar visitor.

Low voices drifted from here and there—Chinese, Japanese, and occasionally Korean.

Kim carefully surveyed the streets while deliberately wandering around.

—The Heavenly Demon Cult operates Black Shops all over the world. If you want to make contact with them, you have to find one. And I’m the only one who knows how...

It was no secret among martial artists worldwide that New York’s Chinatown contained all sorts of black markets, including a Black Shop.

But the method for finding one operated by the Heavenly Demon Cult was rather unusual.

Sssst—

Kim placed a cigarette between his lips and kindled fire energy at his fingertip to light it.

The cigarette itself was ordinary.

But after several easily obtainable ingredients had been added to it, the smoke took on a peculiar color.

Fwoooosh—

A thick cloud of smoke rose, its color appearing different to anyone who had cultivated a particular Demonic Void Art.

Kim continued wandering Chinatown, burning through one cigarette after another.

By the time ten cigarette butts had been tossed to the ground—

“...I wasn’t told to expect anyone.”

A hunchbacked old man emerged from a dark alley, exhaling a long stream of smoke.

Fwoooosh—

The elderly Asian man had a long pipe clenched between his lips. He stared at Kim Muhyuk and asked,

“Who invited you?”

His gloomy voice carried considerable internal energy.

Kim dropped the cigarette from his mouth and ground it beneath his foot.

“Black Swallow. He was in Korea until recently. He referred me here.”

“...Your name?”

Kim pushed back the hood that had been pulled low over his head and looked at the owner of the Black Shop.

“Tell them Yang Seonu is here. They’ll know who I am.”

Beside the old man, reflected in the grimy glass window of the poorly maintained building—

was Yang Seonu’s face, smiling viciously.