Chapter 717: Hold That Hand Tightly
Could she possibly handle him?
Cha Iran silently gazed at Geom Mugeuk.
He was a man who said that living a life fishing with his father was harder than unifying the martial world.
He was a man who created such a place for one of her subordinates—not even his own—but just an ordinary assassin.
He was a man who would run far away to buy wine, hoping the two could elope together.
He was a man who reached out his hand even to someone who had tried to kill him. And that man’s position was none other than the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
How could she possibly handle such a man, when in all her life as a martial artist she had never met anyone like him?
“You don’t actually need an assassin squad, do you?”
If this Young Cult Leader before her truly wanted such a life, then he wouldn’t like assassins. That thought came to her mind.
Geom Mugeuk readily admitted to her guess.
“That’s right. What I need is not an assassin squad, but you.”
“Why me? You must already have countless masters who can carry out your commands.”
“To be honest, at first, it was simply because I liked that man, Ak Gunhak, so I kept paying attention. Then, I admired your courage when you boldly gave up the contract. And now, you’ve saved my life.”
The truth was, even that alone didn’t require further explanation. But there was more.
“You are beautiful enough to contend for the title of the Greatest Beauty Under the Heavens, and your martial skills are excellent. But above all else, there’s one reason you stand out to me.”
Cha Iran wondered what that could be. It seemed like he had already said everything he could. No, he had said so much already that it was almost embarrassing.
Yet the decisive reason Geom Mugeuk gave was something she had never imagined.
“Because you are the kind of leader who would tell others that if they had the strength to bite their own tongue, they should grit their teeth instead and fight to survive to the very end.”
“!”
“I want to make such a person my own.”
Cha Iran finally understood why Ak Gunhak had not killed this man.
No, perhaps—as Ak Gunhak had said—it might even be that this man had chosen not to kill him.
Of course, that didn’t mean she could recklessly accept his proposal.
“In that ordinary life you seek, do you truly think I am necessary?”
“Didn’t I already say? That life feels harder than unifying the martial world.”
Wiping out all the forces lurking in the shadows would not be the end of it.
There was his promise with his father.
If he failed to persuade his father, a war would inevitably break out. Geom Mugeuk still thought preventing that was far harder than destroying the powers behind the scenes.
“I’m not trying to deny the life you’ve lived as an assassin. If, while walking this path with me, you feel it isn’t the right one, then I will truly let you go at that time.”
It was a proposal made because he needed her, but it was also for her sake. Since fate had already tied them together, he wished for her to live a life other than that of an assassin.
In her life before the regression, she had lived as a nameless assassin until the very end. Because she was someone who could endure such a life in silence, he believed she could live another kind of life just as well.
“If you’re worried about your subordinates, then give them the right to choose.”
He meant that those unwilling to devote themselves to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult should be set free.
“Please give me some time to think.”
“Take your time. In any case, for now, we must return to the Cult together.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze drifted once again toward the pavilion on the lake.
Seventeenth Beauty and Crescent Moon of the Faceless Swordsmen were still there. He thought the awkwardness would make them part ways quickly, but the two were still talking about something.
When Geom Mugeuk activated the New Eye Technique, he saw Seventeenth Beauty laughing. What on earth could that blunt Faceless Swordsman be saying to make an assassin laugh?
“Ah! I’m dying of curiosity. I need to hear what those two are talking about! Is there really no assassin’s secret art for eavesdropping from afar?”
* * *
That night, Cha Iran could not fall asleep, lost in all sorts of thoughts.
Eventually, she stepped outside to get some air.
But she was not the only one unable to sleep so late into the night.
In the courtyard of the Inner Compound, Lee Ahn was gazing up at the night sky.
When she saw Cha Iran walking toward her, Lee Ahn greeted her first.
“You haven’t gone to bed yet?”
Lee Ahn’s eyes toward Cha Iran were filled with warmth. There was a reason for that.
“I didn’t realize it earlier. That you had risked yourself for the sake of the Young Cult Leader.”
Lee Ahn bowed deeply to Cha Iran.
“Thank you so much for saving the Young Cult Leader.”
From such a sincere greeting, Cha Iran could tell. This woman truly cared for the Young Cult Leader.
Young Cult Leader, you really are greedy. With someone like her by your side, you still want to take me in as well?
“I did it for myself too, so you don’t need to think too much of it.”
Even so, Lee Ahn’s gaze remained full of gratitude, so Cha Iran looked up at the sky to change the subject.
“What were you looking at?”
“No matter how busy you are, look up at the sky once a day! That’s what the Young Cult Leader always says. I forget most of the time, so often I end up staring at the stars late like this.”
As she stared at the stars alongside her, Cha Iran suddenly asked,
“What kind of person is the Young Cult Leader?”
Perhaps because the question came so abruptly, Lee Ahn couldn’t answer easily.
“I asked too suddenly, didn’t I? If you don’t want to say, that’s fine.”
That wasn’t why Lee Ahn remained silent.
“No… it’s not that I don’t want to answer. It’s just… he’s someone so hard to describe in simple words.”
Cha Iran understood Lee Ahn’s words. Yes, Geom Mugeuk was not someone who could be easily explained just because one had seen him for a long time.
“The Young Cult Leader made me an offer. He said he wanted to take me in as his subordinate.”
Lee Ahn nodded with a look that said she had expected it.
“Did the Young Cult Leader tell you that directly?”
“No.”
“And yet, you don’t seem surprised.”
“If I were the Young Cult Leader, I would have done the same.”
Cha Iran looked at her for a moment before speaking.
“You’ve learned something bad from him. Saying the words the other person wants to hear.”
“Is that really bad?”
Lee Ahn looked straight into her eyes as she spoke.
“It’s making an effort, isn’t it? At the very least, it means he thought beforehand about what the other person wanted to hear. If those words bring harm, then yes, it’s bad. But becoming the Young Cult Leader’s subordinate—well, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Cha Iran felt something different about Lee Ahn than she had before. Whenever Lee Ahn spoke of the Young Cult Leader, her eyes seemed to shine.
“Are you perhaps afraid that your past life might change?”
Cha Iran gave no reply to the question. Yes, if she was hesitating, then that was the biggest reason.
To live as an assassin and then become the blade of the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? It was not easy to answer yes so readily. Even if Geom Mugeuk gave her such a special feeling.
“I spent my entire life as the Young Cult Leader’s bodyguard. It was the life I liked, and I never thought about living any other way.”
Perhaps determined to speak her mind tonight, Lee Ahn spoke more than usual. At first, it was because she wanted to help if Geom Mugeuk truly wanted Cha Iran.
But as their conversation went on, her true feelings slipped out.
“But the Young Cult Leader changed that life. Now I am no longer just his bodyguard, but the Commander of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps. Do you know what I felt through that process?”
“What did you feel?”
Lee Ahn’s gaze deepened again as she looked up at the stars.
“That living a life doing what you like isn’t so much enjoyable… as it is unbearably hard.”
That was the realization she had after giving up the life of a bodyguard and becoming the Commander of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.
“When you like something, you want to do it well. And to do it well, you have to work tirelessly. You even have to endure the things you hate. I thought doing what you like would always be joyful, but it’s actually exhausting. It’s hard because it’s what you love.”
Then, Lee Ahn’s star-gazing eyes turned toward her.
“Do you know what I’ve been thinking when I wake up in the mornings these days? Ah! I don’t have to protect anyone anymore. I only need to look after myself and live. You can’t imagine how much relief that thought brings me. It was a feeling I never knew back when I was still working as a bodyguard. I realized this time that there are certain emotions you can only feel once you stop doing something.”
Her words stood in stark contrast to the image of her tirelessly guarding the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion. Yet both that devotion, and these words now, were equally sincere.
Hearing Lee Ahn’s honesty, Cha Iran silently wondered. What would life without assassination contracts feel like for her? Would she be able to feel the same relief Lee Ahn described?
“Try experiencing that feeling once. Even if you end up living as an assassin again, it will definitely help you, Lady Cha.”
Cha Iran could feel it—Lee Ahn genuinely wished for her to become Geom Mugeuk’s subordinate.
“Why are you telling me this? If I become the Young Cult Leader’s subordinate, wouldn’t it only put you at a disadvantage?”
“If you’re worried that the Young Cult Leader’s affection might be divided…”
Lee Ahn added with a smile,
“You just don’t know the size of our Young Cult Leader’s heart yet. His heart could hold the entire world and still have room to spare.”
“And what about yours, Lady Lee? Isn’t your heart just as large?”
“I only pretend it is.”
Lee Ahn bowed politely, then began to walk away.
After walking a short distance, she turned back and said,
“Oh, and don’t worry about being unable to leave. The Young Cult Leader is someone who always tries to send those around him away, one way or another.”
At the beginning, he had also told Lee Ahn to leave, for the sake of her own happiness.
And Cha Iran already knew this herself. After all, he had tried to let Ak Gunhak go as well.
All of Lee Ahn’s words tonight had been building toward this final message.
“So when he reaches out to you, hold that hand tightly.”
* * *
The next morning, the Sky Flower Pavilion was bustling with preparations for departure.
Geom Mugeuk’s group was getting ready to return to the Cult.
Several carriages had been prepared. Aside from those reserved for leaders, the rest carried the injured.
The Faceless Swordsmen who were unharmed and the assassins of the Court of Beauties all mounted horses to escort the carriages. Every one of them wore bamboo hats and face veils.
Before Geom Mugeuk departed, Bih Sa-in came to see him—both to bid farewell and to express his gratitude.
Thanks to that, the assassins of the Court of Beauties witnessed the rare sight of the successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the successor of the Unorthodox Alliance standing side by side in conversation.
Bih Sa-in expressed his thanks.
“Once again, I’m grateful.”
If he had not been warned in advance this time as well, no one could tell what might have happened to the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.
“This time, it’s me who should be thankful. Because the Alliance Leader entrusted me with this matter, I’ve gained much from it.”
Bih Sa-in truly liked Geom Mugeuk’s straightforwardness. Living in the martial world, one came to realize something—people always tried to show off favors, always tried to put others in debt, always tried to bind them with obligations.
But Geom Mugeuk was different. There was no distortion in the bonds he offered.
“I believe the schemes targeting the Alliance Leader are still ongoing. So you must remain vigilant.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Bih Sa-in nodded. Until the whole truth behind this matter was revealed, he intended to guard Baek Jagang alongside the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Alliance.
“If the Heavenly Communication Pavilion finds any information related to the Alliance Leader, I’ll send it immediately.”
“Much appreciated. We’ll respond in kind.”
The two exchanged a firm and reassuring gaze. But when a playful glint surfaced in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes, Bih Sa-in cut him off in advance.
“Don’t. Just leave already!”
Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not the sort to just leave quietly.
“You need quick wits like that if you want to sneak in some romance.”
Having teased Bih Sa-in one last time, Geom Mugeuk climbed into the carriage. Leaning his head out the window, he called out loudly to all.
“Now then, let’s go home!”
* * *
The ceiling was high.
Massive stone pillars supported the rounded dome above.
The walls and ceiling were painted with constellations. It was as though the night sky itself had been brought inside, countless stars spread across the surface. But the stars depicted were not random—they were those bearing martial significance and special meaning.
And here, there were two things that Geom Mugeuk would have recognized immediately, had he been present.
First, in a corner of the chamber, a large Secret Box had been placed. The very one that Ak Gunhak had carried back—it had been stored here all along.
Second, on one wall of the chamber, a symbol had been drawn.
It was the very same symbol Geom Mugeuk had seen beneath the Golden Dragon Martial Hall.
At the center was the Secret Box, encircled by six round orbs.
Of these, four emitted a faint glow.
Black, blue, white, and yellow.
Astonishingly, those were the very colors of the orbs Geom Mugeuk had absorbed.
Before them sat a middle-aged woman. Serene yet radiating a sacred aura, she was none other than Gaye, descendant of the Priestess Palace and the current Palace Mistress of the Priestess Palace.
Before her rested a large vessel, filled to the brim with blood.
Across from her, hidden in the darkness, sat an old man. His back was straight, his hands calmly placed before his lower abdomen. Even in the shadows, his eyes gleamed—black pupils that were a darkness which suppressed all other darkness.
Just then, the Secret Box drawn on the mural behind Gaye seemed to glow.
Hwaaah—
The fifth circle began to shine with a crimson light.
In a calm voice, Gaye spoke.
“The energy of the Red Path has appeared in the world.”
Astonishingly, the mural was revealing when the energies sealed within the orbs emerged outside.
Then, from within the darkness, the old man spoke in a low tone.
“So the Young Cult Leader will now absorb even the energy of the Red Path.”
His voice carried a deep resonance, like the toll of an ancient bell.
“The Flying Blood Serpent must have ridden the Red Path’s energy into the Young Cult Leader’s body.”
At her words, the old man in the shadows nodded.
For this plan, they had used the Flying Blood Serpent, which could only be employed once in their generation. If this endeavor succeeded, all their past failures and sacrifices would be redeemed.
How much time passed like that?
Ssssss—
The vessel of blood placed before Gaye began to darken. As she looked down at it, her eyes widened in shock.
“The Flying Blood Serpent is dead.”
At her report, the old man’s eyes gleamed with a fierce brilliance. The energy that burst forth was so overwhelming that Gaye had to shut her eyes and bow her head.
“If the Flying Blood Serpent has perished… then this means the plan has failed again.”
To his words, Gaye could only stare at the now-blackened liquid, her eyes trembling. She still could not believe it.
Then, from the old man came a faint murmur, heavy with contemplation.
“In the end… must we awaken him?”
Immediately, Gaye prostrated herself before him.
“You must not. Without the Six-Origin Energies, there will be no way to restrain him. If you release him as he is…”
On this point, she was absolutely certain, and so she added firmly:
“This martial world will drown in a sea of blood.”