Chapter 568: You’re Actually Not Good at Swearing, Are You?
Yeon Baekjin let out a laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, he wore a scornful expression.
“They say the three newcomers are going to take over the Golden Dragon Martial Hall. How can I not laugh?”
“Then will you help us?”
“What?”
Geom Mugeuk looked at him and asked.
“If you were to help us, wouldn’t we be able to take it over?”
In that moment, Geom Mugeuk saw it. A faint flicker in Yeon Baekjin’s eyes. A moment that should have passed with a chuckle and a dismissive remark—Don’t be ridiculous.
This unrest, impossible to hide, clearly stemmed from a long-accumulated, unresolved regret.
With a thud, Yeon Baekjin placed his liquor cup down with an audible sound.
Geom Mugeuk quickly spoke to him.
“I apologize. I’m just nervous about tomorrow’s test and spouted nonsense.”
Yeon Baekjin glared at Geom Mugeuk as if to pierce through him. The one who dared to request a seat at his table alongside a woman whose beauty could be called the greatest in the world.
“Who are you?”
The sharp suspicion, momentarily suppressed by Lee Ahn’s appearance, surged once again.
“I’m Geom Yeon. Not ‘Yeon’ as in fate, but the ‘Yeon’ that means smoke. Once this is over, I’ll disappear like smoke.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Yes. My apologies.”
Yeon Baekjin’s suspicion soon subsided. If someone had been deliberately trying to approach him, they wouldn’t have sent such an odd fellow. And most certainly, they wouldn’t have sent such a stunningly beautiful woman with him. These two stood out—too much.
Yeon Baekjin stood up and spoke to Seo Jin.
“Let’s have a drink sometime when things are quieter.”
Seo Jin silently lowered her head ever so slightly. The fact that he asked her to drink with him even with Lee Ahn by her side meant he didn’t see her as merely an object of desire. If that were the case, he would have flirted with Lee Ahn instead.
Just before leaving, Yeon Baekjin cast a brief glance at Lee Ahn. No matter how many times he saw her, she was beautiful. If this woman entered the martial hall, it would surely be noisy for a while.
After Yeon Baekjin left the inn, only the three of them remained.
Seo Jin had seen it. The change in Geom Mugeuk. Before Yeon Baekjin, he truly looked like a greenhorn on the eve of his entry exam. It really seemed like a slip of the tongue, and he truly looked flustered. But now, there wasn’t a hint of such carelessness in Geom Mugeuk’s demeanor.
“He regrets not becoming the Hall Master of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall.”
Seo Jin confirmed that Geom Mugeuk had assessed him correctly.
“You saw right. When he introduced himself to me, he said he was someone who couldn’t become the owner of this place because he was born too late.”
Geom Mugeuk nodded. Back when Seo Jin sought revenge, he hadn’t looked deeply into this man named Yeon Baekjin or the Golden Dragon Martial Hall. At the time, revenge had been the priority. Now, it was time to observe him calmly.
Seo Jin spoke to Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn.
“Shall we go up to my room for a moment?”
Seo Jin led the two of them to her room on the second floor of the inn.
She offered Geom Mugeuk a formal bow, showing the utmost courtesy she could.
“I will formally introduce myself. Squad Leader Seo Jin of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps greets the Young Cult Leader.”
Geom Mugeuk welcomed her with a smile.
“Welcome to the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.”
She would never know—just how deeply moved he was at this moment. The emotions with which he was looking at her.
‘In this life, I won’t get to hear the heartfelt words you once said to me as a friend.’
That was regrettable, but a life incomparably better awaited her now. She would serve under Lee Ahn as a leader, alongside Cheong Myeon as her fellow Squad leader, and eventually meet other comrades too.
‘There won’t be a future where she dies as a wanderer in an unnamed field.’
Seo Jin then respectfully bowed to Lee Ahn.
“Squad Leader Seo Jin greets the Division Leader.”
“Thank you for believing in me.”
“Please speak comfortably now, Leader.”
“I will, Squad Leader Seo.”
Lee Ahn replied with a smile whose meaning was unclear.
“You do know how much trouble you caused me, right?”
The two women looked at each other and smiled. It was a statement that showed just how hard Lee Ahn must have worked to persuade her. Seo Jin was never one to yield easily.
“Still, I wanted to make you one of mine, even a single day sooner.”
“Thank you.”
After they finished exchanging greetings, Lee Ahn asked,
“Squad Leader Seo, tell me what the situation is right now.”
Seo Jin recounted everything that had happened since arriving at the Golden Dragon Martial Hall.
“So your instructor Gi Seok and Master Pyo San are hiding something, and that Yeon Baekjin we saw today also seems to know something.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lee Ahn looked at Geom Mugeuk. With just a glance, she asked what to do next, and Geom Mugeuk took a step back.
“Don’t look at me. This is Tenebrous Ghosts Corps business—handle it yourselves. I’ll just be your sword and shield.”
That was exactly what Lee Ahn wanted. She wanted to resolve this together with Seo Jin, as much as possible.
“With the strongest sword and shield in all of the martial world, there’s nothing to fear. Should we go conquer the world now?”
She hadn’t been joking.
“Let’s get through tomorrow’s entry first, and then decide what to do.”
“Sounds good!”
Geom Mugeuk, saying it was his first time entering a martial hall, looked thrilled.
But he didn’t let his guard down. Geom Mugeuk went downstairs and asked the innkeeper for the room next to Seo Jin’s.
“It might be a bit uncomfortable, but you two share a room. I’ll be staying next door.”
Even in the unlikely event of a surprise attack, it would be safer if they were together. It would also give the two of them a chance to grow closer.
Later that night, Geom Mugeuk trained by activating the Heavenly Time Secret Art within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.
He repeatedly strove to break through the Seventh Star of the Nine Calamities Demon Art and ascend to the Eighth Star. Since he was granted far more time than others, the intensity of his effort was likewise multiplied many times over.
This was a space that belonged to him alone.
To Geom Mugeuk, the true martial hall was this place.
* * *
The next day, Seo Jin was attending a martial arts class taught by Pyo San of the White Dragon Class.
“With force! With discipline!”
The number of disciples in the White Dragon Class under Pyo San’s instruction was a little over thirty.
Because he was tasked with keeping an eye on Seo Jin, he had been assigned to teach the incoming newcomers. Those who proved themselves capable were promoted to the next level. After passing through several stages within the White Dragon Class, they would eventually be tested to enter the Blue Dragon Class.
The disciples feared their instructors and did their best to remain in their good graces. To fall out of favor meant forfeiting the right to take the class advancement exam. Today, too, everyone was sweating with effort, fearful of offending Pyo San.
Just as the class was nearing its end, an instructor approached, bringing two people with him.
One of the disciples misstepped while practicing a technique, causing his stance to break.
But no one paid him any mind. Everyone’s attention was fixed on the two figures approaching them.
“These are the new recruits for the White Dragon Class.”
The ones who drew everyone’s gaze were none other than Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn. They had passed the entrance test and joined the White Dragon Class.
Not just the disciples, even Pyo San—who had been instructing them—had his gaze drawn to Lee Ahn. Soon, Pyo San addressed the two.
“Step forward and introduce yourselves.”
Geom Mugeuk stepped forward first and gave a greeting.
“I’m Geom Yeon.”
“I’m Lee Ahn.”
Pyo San instructed them,
“Starting tomorrow, report here.”
With vigor, Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn replied,
“Yes, understood!”
Pyo San’s gaze then turned to Seo Jin, who was already looking at Lee Ahn. Like the other disciples, she acted completely normal.
“That’s all for today’s training.”
Once Pyo San stepped away, attention turned back to the newcomers. Some looked openly, others peeked from the corners of their eyes.
Among them, one person took the lead in overt boldness.
“I’m Yu Gwang.”
He had a somewhat swaggering demeanor, with a broad frame and a loud voice.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I like you.”
It was a stance that walked the line between bravery and rudeness, but to Lee Ahn, it was simply cute. Moreover, the boy who was trying hard to assert himself had a voice that trembled ever so slightly.
“Alright.”
“Alright?”
“I get how you feel.”
Yu Gwang seemed flustered—it wasn’t quite the reaction he had expected.
Was it because all eyes were on him? He didn’t back down.
“As a welcome, how about a drink?”
“With everyone?”
“No, just the two of us.”
“I’m not really in the mood for a drink on the first day. Maybe another time.”
A polite refusal should’ve led to a casual “next time, then,” but Yu Gwang acted like a man with a mission.
“Refusing a senior’s invitation on your first day? You’ve got guts.”
Though they were both in the White Dragon Class, he was trying to play the senior just because he had joined earlier.
Lee Ahn glanced at Geom Mugeuk. He was watching the scene unfold with Seo Jin, both of them wearing amused expressions.
“I like women with guts.”
It was at that moment—
“That’s enough, isn’t it?”
The one who stepped forward this time was Gyo Seok. Compared to the previously outspoken Yu Gwang, he was a disciple of rather smaller build. And yet, he was bold.
“Why force someone who said no?”
Yu Gwang’s face instantly stiffened. The anger of being rejected shifted toward Gyo Seok.
“This bastard always has to butt into my business, doesn’t he?”
From the way he cursed right away, it seemed clear their relationship wasn’t good even before this.
“I’m not butting in. I’m saying don’t harass people.”
“What harassment? I just asked her for a drink, and now you’re losing your mind.”
“That is harassment.”
Apparently, like Yu Gwang, Gyo Seok had also fallen for Lee Ahn at first sight. He didn’t seem like the type to step in like this otherwise.
“You’re gonna get yourself hurt showing off just because of your family.”
That line made it clear that Gyo Seok came from a well-known prestigious clan.
“There you go again!”
“What do you have besides your family name, huh? You idiot! If you’re so upset, come at me!”
Geom Mugeuk and Seo Jin were enjoying the scene from a bit of a distance.
“Looks like chaos is unfolding.”
“She’s got a face that starts brawls, doesn’t she? I mean, if the youth’s blood doesn’t boil at the sight of Lee Ahn, that’d be strange.”
Seo Jin agreed. Even as another woman, she had no choice but to acknowledge her looks.
“Unit Leader Seo, you like pretty women too, don’t you?”
“How did you know?”
How? Because you told me.
Before the regression, Seo Jin had loved pretty women. She used to say seeing beautiful things made her happy. Not just beauties, but also flowers and pretty clothes.
As she met the deep gaze fixed on her, Seo Jin felt something strange. The Young Cult Leader’s gaze wasn’t that of a man burning with passion or recklessness. And yet, looking at her brought a mysterious resonance.
Seo Jin looked at Lee Ahn and asked,
“You knew it would turn into this mess. Why didn’t you at least disguise her to look ugly?”
To that, Geom Mugeuk replied with an unexpected answer.
“She was born beautiful. She should live enjoying that beautiful face.”
Because of the side effects of the All-Body Petrification Technique, Lee Ahn had spent such a long time ‘disguised’—Geom Mugeuk wished she would enjoy moments like this now.
“She lived her whole life protecting me, so she never experienced things like this—guys fighting and lining up because they liked her. Isn’t it the kind of memory that’s perfect for bragging to your kids later?”
Geom Mugeuk hoped she would continue living confidently with her own face. Instead of wasting time on disguises, she should train her martial arts so that living with that face wouldn’t be inconvenient or exhausting.
Seo Jin glanced at Geom Mugeuk with a brief, puzzled look.
‘He really considers even that kind of thing for one of his subordinates?’
She still didn’t know Geom Mugeuk very well.
At that moment, a woman from the White Dragon Class started walking toward Geom Mugeuk.
“She’s coming this way. Well, she’s a young woman too—of course her blood’s running hot.”
The woman stopped in front of the two.
“You said your name was Geom Yeon, right?”
“Yeon as in smoke—Geom Yeon. I’ll vanish like smoke when this is all over. Want to have a drink? I don’t mind even if it’s the first day. By the way, what’s your name? What do you like?”
He poured out words she didn’t ask for, and a faint look of disappointment passed over her face. He was handsome, and had a nice aura… but for the first words out of his mouth to be this chatty?
The woman quietly took a step back.
“Something came up today.”
As she left, Seo Jin teased Geom Mugeuk.
“She vanished like smoke instead, didn’t she?”
Geom Mugeuk made a disappointed face.
Of course, Seo Jin knew. Geom Mugeuk had driven her away on purpose.
“You pathetic idiot! Just get lost!”
“You back off from the newcomer!”
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok, who had been arguing, now looked about ready to come to blows. Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk watched with a smile, as if it had nothing to do with him.
In the end, Seo Jin stepped forward. She was still a unit leader—she couldn’t just stand by when it came to the Leader.
“If you strike someone over a personal matter, you’ll be immediately expelled.”
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok turned to look at her after that remark.
“It was written in the entry documents. I’m the type to read those things thoroughly.”
Geom Mugeuk chuckled faintly. Even when she’d lived as a wanderer, Seo Jin had been the same. While most wanderers just signed contracts without reading, she would always read through every clause carefully and fix anything strange. She hadn’t changed a bit.
Even with talk of expulsion, neither of the two backed down.
“If you can’t even protect a newcomer, you’re not worthy of being called a senior. I deserve expulsion more than you!”
Then Lee Ahn spoke in a bright tone.
“For the sake of your passionate friendship, the two of you should have a drink together.”
The word “friendship” made both Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok flinch.
“Friendship?”
Yu Gwang asked as if demanding an explanation, and Lee Ahn gave an unexpected answer.
“Aren’t you two close friends?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Lee Ahn stepped toward Yu Gwang.
“You’re actually not very good at swearing, are you?”
Yu Gwang flinched. Despite all his earlier shouting and cursing, now that Lee Ahn had come close and was speaking face-to-face, he couldn’t even meet her eyes.
“I grew up in an environment where I heard a lot of swearing. I can tell real swearing from fake ones.”
Lee Ahn brought her face closer, aligning it with the direction Yu Gwang was trying to avert his gaze toward.
“You’re actually a good guy, aren’t you? That’s how it looks to me.”
Yu Gwang once again avoided her gaze. When Lee Ahn locked eyes with him again, he ended up squeezing his eyes shut tightly.
Then, Gyo Seok—who had been listening—confessed.
“Sorry. I asked my friend for help. I liked you.”
The plan had been simple: Yu Gwang would pick a fight, and Gyo Seok would step in like a righteous hero to rescue her. In truth, the two of them were best friends.
“How did you know?”
At Gyo Seok’s question, Lee Ahn smiled.
“The eyes looked too innocent, and the acting was awkward.”
Yu Gwang looked at Gyo Seok with an apologetic expression.
“Sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I messed it all up.”
Lee Ahn slipped herself between the two and linked arms with both.
“You two are just too cute.”
Startled, the two boys blushed a deep red.
“That’s right. This is how a martial hall should be. You’ve got to be this pure to be in a martial hall. Go get that drink. I’ve got a few things I want to ask you guys, too.”
With arms linked, the two were dragged off by Lee Ahn.
Those who had been watching were all stunned by this unexpected side of her. The stunning beauty, who seemed difficult to even approach for conversation, was speaking so warmly and playfully.
Seo Jin was also taken aback. She had already known Lee Ahn had a bright personality—but she hadn’t realized she’d figured out the boys had staged everything. Seo Jin hadn’t noticed at all. Even if she had been standing closer, she doubted she would have caught on.
‘I’ve still got a long way to go compared to the Leader.’
If the Leader had figured it out, did the Young Cult Leader know too? Seo Jin couldn’t help but wonder.
Up ahead, as she was walking away, Lee Ahn turned back to look at Geom Mugeuk.
With a beaming smile, Geom Mugeuk mouthed silently in her direction.
‘You can come down the mountain now, Lee Ahn.’