Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 307: Why Were the Flowers Entrusted to Me
To visit the garden without being seen suspiciously, I needed one person's help.
"Are you moving out?"
From amidst the clothes and luggage filling the room, Lee Ahn raised her head.
"You’re here?"
Lee Ahn was in the midst of preparing for her departure. She was about to leave to meet Seo Jin, the younger sister of the Spirit Master.
"There’s so much to prepare for a long journey. A change of clothes, a formal uniform for when I meet Miss Seo, something to eat in case I get hungry along the way, I’ve also packed healing pills and antidotes, and I probably won’t need anything for adjusting to different water. I have a map too. And…"
"What’s all this?"
"Oh, those are dishes for camping, just in case. And these are seasonings. That over there is a leather mat for sleeping."
I took the dishes out of her pack.
"Don’t bother cooking anything that needs dishes. For seasoning, just take salt. What’s this?"
"A book to read if I can’t sleep."
"As if you’ve ever read that much! Pick just one!"
I helped her pack. Or rather, I helped her unpack.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. I was actually planning to come say goodbye."
"You’re going alone?"
"Yes. Woman to woman, I’m going to try and persuade her."
If Seo Jin, blood relative of the Ghost Clan Lord, were to join the Haunted Shade Corps, our strength would greatly increase. She was skilled not only in formation arts but also in ghost magic. 1
"No matter how much you’re bringing, you can carry at least this much, right? Here, try this on."
I handed her something. A leather belt with small throwing knives neatly arranged along it.
"They’re throwing knives I specially requested from Master Gwak of the Iron Workshop. Use them when you’re in danger. It’s a graduation gift."
"Oh! Thank you so much, young master!"
Caught off guard by the unexpected gift, Lee Ahn was deeply moved. 2
After fastening the belt around her waist, she swiftly pulled out a dagger and threw it at the wall.
Four daggers stuck into the wall. If there had been a human-shaped target, they would have landed at the arms and legs.
I pulled one dagger from her belt and threw it at the wall.
It embedded itself deeply at the neck.
"Always aim here."
It was a warning to be ruthless when facing an enemy.
"Remember this. A half-hearted mercy you show might end up killing someone else."
Lee Ahn gave a nod and threw another dagger.
It landed right next to where mine had struck.
I nodded with approval, silently praising her.
Lee Ahn retrieved the daggers from the wall and reattached them to her belt.
"I really love it! Thank you, Young Master."
"You don’t have to be too stingy with them. If you use them all, I’ll have more made for you."
"I’ll be careful and come back safely. Don’t worry."
"I’m not worried. Why would I worry about the direct subordinate of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Young Cult Leader and the daughter of the Fist Demon King? Speaking of which, how about we go for a walk?"
"As you can see, I’m a bit busy. Please hand me that over there. And also bring me the clothes hanging over there."
"A woman who turns down the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult—unbelievable!"
Of course, Lee Ahn was only pretending to be busy as a joke.
"If you asked me to walk all the way to the Wilderness, not just a short stroll, I’d still go." 3
She came up beside me and started to link arms but hesitated. In the past, she would’ve let me carry her or held my arm without a second thought, but ever since I became the Young Cult Leader, it seemed she found it harder to treat me so casually. 4
When we stepped outside our quarters, the guards who had been waiting outside greeted her.
Lee Ahn greeted them back. Since these were two groups closest to me, they were subtly aware of one another. To be more precise, it was Jeokyeon, the head of the guards, who paid more attention.
As the guards followed us, Lee Ahn looked slightly puzzled.
It had been a while since it was just the two of us, so she probably didn’t expect me to bring them along.
I felt a bit bad for not telling her beforehand, but today’s outing leaned more toward business than pleasure.
We left the main compound and entered Maga Village.
It felt nice walking with Lee Ahn again after such a long time. We browsed the goods being sold in the market and shared some light conversation. Before long, we reached the Flowing Wind Tavern. When we passed by without stopping, Lee Ahn asked in surprise,
"Huh? Aren’t we going to the Flowing Wind Tavern?"
"No."
She had assumed we’d naturally be heading there, just by virtue of being in Maga Village.
Instead, we kept walking until we arrived at a small flower garden on the outskirts, the one mentioned in Seo Daeryong’s report.
"Pick a flower. One that blooms well in the winter."
"No way... Did we come all the way here just so you could buy me a flower?"
When I nodded, her reaction was even more joyous than when I gave her the daggers.
"This is the first time anyone’s given me flowers!" 5
Before entering together, the guards went in first to inspect the place.
A woman with a kindly appearance—presumably the owner—stepped out into the back garden carrying a flower pot.
The moment I saw her, startled by our presence and setting the pot down—
‘I know that face.’
I had definitely seen her somewhere before. But I couldn’t place where.
Of course, it wasn’t just because I had bought flowers from her before.
‘There’s something about her.’
I turned my senses to her Qi. If I hadn’t been paying close attention, I wouldn’t have realized she was a martial artist. That’s how well she hid her presence.
Which meant I had hit the mark.
The reason Sa Woojong had come here so often was undoubtedly because of that woman. If it had been a simple contact point, once or twice would have sufficed. But he had come nearly every day. That could only mean one thing—he must have learned something from her.
"Owner, could you recommend a flower that would suit this lovely young lady?"
The middle-aged woman bowed politely and replied.
"There are flowers worthy of someone so precious and beautiful. Please, come this way."
She led Lee Ahn away and began introducing her to the flowers. Her deep knowledge of the blooms left no doubt—she truly seemed to be the owner of this garden.
‘Someone capable of hiding herself this well… I should remember her.’
I looked around the flower garden with veiled suspicion. Back at Baek Cheongyeong’s workshop, I had sensed an aura from the dolls. But here, everything seemed like normal flowers and trees.
She wasn’t one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings who had followed Hwa Moogi.
Then was she someone I encountered during my wanderer days? Or perhaps someone I saw while collecting materials for other grand techniques?
I studied her body shape as well. Even if the face didn’t trigger any memory, perhaps her build or the way she moved might remind me of someone. But still—nothing came to mind.
Meanwhile, Lee Ahn had picked out a flower.
"This one is the longest-living flower tree. A really beautiful flower will bloom from this bud."
Then she suddenly froze.
"Oh! Come to think of it, I’m supposed to leave the cult tomorrow!"
I replied with a chuckle.
"Don’t we have a flower care expert with us?"
Lee Ahn, realizing who I meant, smiled in relief.
I paid the flower’s price to the middle-aged woman.
She might have found my sudden visit suspicious.
But she would also be confused. I hadn’t said anything to Lee Ahn, so her excitement and joy were genuine, not an act.
And I had deliberately brought my guards along. She’d be thinking—who would come so openly with guards just to scout someone? The whole situation would lead to many mixed thoughts.
Hey, who are you really? If this is the first time we’ve met, why do you look so familiar?
* * *
The next day, I dropped by Seo Daeryong’s office. He was watering a flowerpot. There were now two pots on the windowsill.
"This one’s the flowerpot that Lee Ahn entrusted to me."
Seo Daeryong grinned as he spoke.
"Do you know what she said when she left it with me?"
"'If you let it die, I won’t let you off'?"
"I wish! At least then I could’ve pushed back—‘what kind of friend threatens someone while asking for a favor?’ or something."
Seo Daeryong mimicked Lee Ahn’s voice.
"Ah! Just look at this flower bud. Isn’t it going to be beautiful when it blooms? I’m so, so excited. This is the first flower I ever received from the Young Master. By the time I come back, it’ll be in full bloom, right?"
Seo Daeryong shook his head.
"You should’ve seen her eyes at that moment. They sparkled with anticipation, and then… a tear slid down. How could I possibly let that flower die after seeing that?"
Completely outplayed by Lee Ahn’s masterful guilt trip—far more effective than a threat—Seo Daeryong was left speechless.
"Why is it that every flower entrusted to me must never, ever be allowed to die?!" 6
He sighed as he looked at the flowerpot and murmured,
"Grow well here, beside your big sister."
"’Big sister'?"
"They look alike, don’t they? The flower tree Sword Supreme gave me..."
The very next moment, I burst out of Seo Daeryong’s office and sprinted away.
I remembered who she was.
Hwan Yeo!
I had never seen her before. Yet I mistook her for someone I had seen—because I knew someone who looked just like her.
Among the Twelve Zodiac Kings who once followed Hwa Moogi was the Fifth King.
Hwan Wang, the Illusion King, a supreme master of illusion and soul-reaping arts.
Hwan Yeo and Hwan Wang were twins.
The fact that Hwan Wang had an older twin sister was only revealed long after he had risen through the ranks and established his name as one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.
The reason he was able to climb so high, so fast, was thanks to Hwan Yeo’s work from the shadows.
They were both known to be ruthless and cruel. Anyone who got in their way was killed without mercy. Using their soul-reaping arts, they made parents kill their children, wives kill their husbands, and friends kill friends. Cold-blooded and devoid of empathy—they struck fear into all.
‘Hwan Yeo’s target is the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme!’
* * *
"The Sword Supreme wishes to deliver a secret message."
Seeing the demonic sword emissary from the Northern Heavens Sword Family, Cheong Seon let out a long sigh. The man bowing before her was none other than Sa Woojong.
She had rejected his invitation to meet, and now he was using the Sword Supreme as an excuse to approach her in broad daylight.
"Follow me."
Cheong Seon dismissed her subordinates and led Sa Woojong to the guest hall.
Once they were alone, her expression turned cold.
"You do realize impersonating the Demon Supreme’s command is a serious offense, don’t you? If Lady Yeonrang finds out, she won’t let you go easily."
"Then go tattle to her."
Sa Woojong acted like a sullen brat, warped by heartbreak.
"Are you really going to keep this up? If you're a man, try to learn to give up with dignity."
"Not like you’re one to talk—kicking a man to the curb right after becoming Demon Supreme."
"You think I abandoned you because I became the Demon Supreme?"
A cold smirk flickered across Cheong Seon’s lips, as icy as the glare in her eyes.
"You always liked someone else, didn't you?"
She had only recently realized that Sa Woojong harbored feelings for the One-Slash Sword Supreme.
"You think I didn’t know you were thinking about her whenever you were in bed with me?"
It was a humiliating thing to say—even just putting it into words as a woman hurt her pride.
In truth, she hadn’t suspected a thing at first. No matter how beautiful she might be, So Yeonrang was old enough to be his mother. Cheong Seon had never imagined he would desire her as a woman. 7
Sometimes he would stare at the portrait on the wall with burning eyes, but she had assumed it was out of reverence for the Sword Supreme.
But once the haze of infatuation was gone, it became clear—it was the gaze of a man desiring a woman. He had even looked at her portrait during their intimacy. Just remembering that made her want to kill him on the spot.
But since the matter had been entrusted to Geom Mugeuk, she had no choice but to hold herself back and send him away peacefully.
"You should be grateful I even let you live. Now leave."
But Sa Woojong had to keep pushing her buttons.
"Can you blame me? The Sword Supreme is just… more attractive. I mean, wouldn’t any man feel the same?"
Cheong Seon clenched her fist. What enraged her more than his words was that he truly believed she wouldn’t kill him for them.
"You know what? Shockingly, her skin was better than yours."
Sa Woojong chose the surest way to make someone explode. He compared—again and again.
"Stop it. Unless you want to die." 8
Cheong Seon held it in—barely. But Sa Woojong provoked her further, even inventing things that had never happened.
"The Sword Supreme had this lovely scent. Maybe it's her magic arts? I never said anything, but you… you had this repulsive smell. You probably didn’t notice, but I even had to hold my breath when we were—"
Cheong Seon spun around. Her eyes had turned completely black, sclera and all. 9
Kiiiiiieeeeee.
With a grotesque sound, black energy surged from her eyes.
Haaaahhhhhh.
At the same time, a red aura burst forth from Sa Woojong’s eyes. Where Cheong Seon's Soul Reaping Art released ghostly wails, his Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art resonated with the moaning of lovers.
The red energy spiraled like a snake, weaving through the incoming black aura as it shot toward Cheong Seon’s eyes. A single opportunity—one only possible with someone he had once shared a bed with.
‘I did it.’
As the red aura reversed along the path of the black and pierced into her eyes, Sa Woojong was elated, almost ecstatic. He imagined the moment he would take So Yeonrang as his own woman after becoming the new Demon Supreme himself.
Just then—
‘!’
Sa Woojong’s eyes widened in horror.
His right hand, acting against his will, began to draw his sword.
‘What…? No! Stop!’
The woman at the flower garden had told him clearly—once the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art was cast, Cheong Seon’s Soul Reaping Art would be nullified.
‘The Yin-Yang Soul Reversal definitely worked—didn’t it?’
Even now, the red aura filled her eyes, overpowering the black energy.
Yet Cheong Seon’s Soul Reaping Art continued to dominate his body.
Srrrng.
His hand drew the sword fully, and the blade turned toward his own throat.
Only then did Sa Woojong realize.
‘She tricked me.’
He had only just come to understand that he couldn’t dispel her Soul Reaping Art. Even with all his usual caution and suspicion, he’d been deceived—as if under a spell.
‘Don’t tell me… I was under one too?’
Just as the thought crossed his mind—that the woman at the flower garden might have planted a suggestion in him—
Shhk!
He slashed his own throat with the sword. 10
At that exact moment, Geom Mugeuk burst into the guest hall, the door fragments flying everywhere.
Sa Woojong collapsed, blood gushing from his neck like a fountain.
Beyond him stood Cheong Seon.
The red aura of the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art had fully expelled the black energy from her eyes. The crimson light that had once filled her irises began to shrink, fading to a dot, and then slowly returned to her normal pupils.
Geom Mugeuk understood immediately.
‘Cheong Seon has been struck by a Soul Reaping Art.’
Originally, the target must have been the former Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.
But in this life, because he had killed Yasuo himself, the target naturally shifted to Cheong Seon.
Now it was certain.
‘The traitor before the regression… was the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.’ 11
1 : Finally got the right translation for the Gwi/Gui Gate, after all this time. F for the Asura scans readers who still know Seo Gong the Spirit Master as Gwi Ryeongja. And F for me, who has to find all the previous mentions in 306 chapters !!!! Aaaaaaahhhhh !!!!!! Really, don’t hesitate to comment if you find one I’ve missed. That would be a HUGE help.
2 : How… romantic ? XDXDXD
3 : Taking about Wilderness, go watch the movie Wild Robot, it’s good ^^
4 : Sad, let’s hope it’s only temporary.
5 : It’s both extremely cute and extremely sad. God damn parents.
6 : And both came from powerful swordswomen too ^^ You are fated, Daryeong !!!!!
7 : Apparently the concept of Milfs doesn't exist in Murim. Which… is probably a good thing to be honest, it is waayy too overused.
8 : You could just punch him and leave, it’s obvious he’s trying to push you into using your martial arts.
9 : Welp. At least she held out as long as possible.
10 : A fitting end to a gaslighting manipulator.
11 : Well it’s nice to know for sure. Now, let’s hope Mugeuk can save Cheong Seon.