Chapter 116: Why Are You Whispering?
Chapter 116: Why Are You Whispering?
The woman hammering away with all her might was none other than Lee An. She was currently working in a small smithy that produced basic agricultural tools like hoes and sickles.
Being naturally gifted with her hands, she had mastered the trade quickly and was already forging hoes of respectable quality.
This place served as a safe house for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Safe houses came in many forms; some were tucked away in desolate regions where no human foot ever stepped, while others, like this one, were disguised as ordinary shops in areas with heavy foot traffic.
Just then, someone entered the workshop.
“Eat before you get back to work.”
Lee An turned to see the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master, who had brought a meal.
“Thank you.”
Lee An handled most of the blacksmithing, while the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master took charge of the cooking. Blue Face, who never removed his mask, moved through the shadows and avoided showing himself whenever possible.
Lee An noted the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master’s attire and asked, “Are you going somewhere?”
Usually, the woman wore the plain, drab clothes of a commoner, even wrapping her head in a simple kerchief. Today, however, she had applied makeup and was dressed in elegant finery.
“No, I just put this on for a change of pace.”
As long as they were in the safe house, the rules were strict: going out was forbidden.
Lee An could tell, though. Today was a special day for her.
“Is it your birthday, perhaps?”
“No. I simply had a good dream. Now, eat before it gets cold.”
“Yes, thank you for the meal.”
Lee An picked up her chopsticks. “Please, eat with me.”
“I nibbled on a few bites while cooking, so I’m full. You have plenty.”
“You really have a natural talent for cooking. This is much better than anything I could buy.”
“Actually, when I first started this kind of work, I worked in a kitchen.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I went through a lot of hardship back then.”
Lee An could feel the weight behind those words. It was that experience of struggling from the bottom that had paved the way for her current success.
The food was delicious, but Lee An couldn’t eat much. Ever since arriving here, she had lost her appetite out of constant worry for Geom Mu-geuk.
“Did you hear what I told the Second Young Master?”
“Yes. I heard you said I was someone who would do great things in the future. Why did you say that?”
“I have a good eye for people.”
“Thank you for thinking so well of me. But I think it’s far more praise than I deserve.”
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master gazed at Lee An with a calm, steady look.
“You are a precious person. So, you must always hold yourself in high regard.”
Lee An was deeply grateful for the encouragement.
While hiding in the safe house, Lee An hadn’t let it show, but she was consumed by anxiety regarding Geom Mu-geuk. Sometimes she was so restless she couldn't sleep. Every time that happened, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master would comfort her, insisting that nothing would happen to him.
Her comfort was strangely empowering. Perhaps it was because of the mysterious, indescribable aura the woman possessed.
At that moment, Blue Face, who rarely showed himself, entered the room.
Startled, Lee An asked, “What is it?”
“An emergency has been declared at the Unorthodox Path Alliance headquarters.”
“Do you know the details?”
“No. I only received word that an emergency was called.”
Lee An tried her best to steady her racing heart.
“The Young Master will be fine. Lord Smiling Demon is protecting him.”
It was then that a welcome voice drifted in from the entrance.
“Why don't you consider the opposite? I might be the one protecting Lord Smiling Demon.”
Lee An turned to see Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon walking in side by side. Both of their outfits were splattered with blood, but Geom Mu-geuk’s were particularly soaked. A shocked Lee An ran to him and began checking his body.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Geom Mu-geuk slumped to the floor, and Lee An inspected him frantically. He had sustained sword wounds in several places, but he had managed to avoid any fatal injuries.
“I’m hurt bad. My arms and legs were almost cut off!”
“…I don’t think it’s quite that serious?”
“No, look closer. Check if my fingers and toes are all still attached.”
Lee An turned her head and bowed politely to the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon.
“Thank you for saving our Young Master.”
“I told you! It was the other way around!”
Geom Mu-geuk joked around, while the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon remained silent and calm. To any observer, it certainly looked as though the Smiling Demon had been the one to save Geom Mu-geuk.
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon stared at Geom Mu-geuk in silence. The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master could sense a change in him. It was as if the mask he wore had shifted; the way he looked at Geom Mu-geuk was different now.
She took the Smiling Demon’s arm and asked, “Brother, you aren’t hurt anywhere, are you?”
“I am not.”
“Then can we return to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion now?”
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon nodded, and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master beamed with joy.
Just as she had sensed the change in the Smiling Demon, Lee An realized something as well. Perhaps the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master had known all along that the two of them would return today.
“Are you all leaving right away?”
“Let’s go first.”
When the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master looked back at the Smiling Demon’s gesture, she saw that Geom Mu-geuk had already fallen asleep, leaning against Lee An’s back.
Lee An gestured for them to go ahead, indicating she would stay like this for a while.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master whispered to the Smiling Demon, “Let’s have a drink with the food I made. It’s been a while.”
“That sounds good.”
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master, and Blue Face departed.
Lee An sat perfectly still, barely breathing so as not to wake Geom Mu-geuk. Finally, the tension that had gripped her face for so long relaxed into a peaceful expression.
Welcome back, Young Master.
*
I was dreaming.
In the dream, I was fighting Baek Mang-gi. It wasn't a new fight, but a perfect reenactment of the one we’d just finished.
Baek Mang-gi’s sword techniques, which had been too fast to track during the actual battle, unfolded like a slow-motion film. My own forms were moving slowly as well.
I felt like a detached observer, watching the fight objectively from the sidelines.
The techniques I thought I’d forgotten because they’d flashed by in an instant came back to me with perfect clarity. Like a grandmaster replaying a match of Go in his head, I was replaying the fight. My subconscious had recorded the battle with Baek Mang-gi perfectly.
I could even control the speed of the fight. The moment I wished for it to stop, the dream-version of myself and Baek Mang-gi froze mid-motion.
Thanks to that, I could examine the position and angle of the sword in excruciating detail. The fight moved according to my will. I could watch it in slow motion or stop it entirely.
In this way, I was able to compare how the Sword Emperor’s martial arts differed from my own. This process granted me as much enlightenment as the actual experience of fighting him.
In truth, there had been a new experience during the fight itself. That moment at the very end when I fought Baek Mang-gi—the moment when only he was visible and the rest of the world went dark.
I knew why. These mysterious occurrences were changes brought about because my Flying Heaven Sword Technique had reached Twelve-Star Great Achievement, my internal energy had surpassed a certain threshold, and the teachings of the Mansa Sect Leader had been integrated into my foundation.
At the final moment, when my sword pierced his heart, I woke up.
My mind and body felt incredibly refreshed.
One might think fighting in a dream would be exhausting, but it wasn't like that. I’d had the dream just before waking, and it seemed I’d slept quite soundly.
“Young Master, are you awake? You must be hungry.”
“How long did I sleep?”
“You slept for nearly ten sijin.”
That meant I’d slept for almost an entire day. It was the first time I’d slept so deeply in a very long time. Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d had such a deep sleep since my regression.
My physical condition was excellent. Thanks to the Ghost Tiger Armor and the Supreme Heavenly Silkworm Thread, the wounds I’d received weren't very deep.
Thank you, Elder.
If the Blood Heaven Blade Demon hadn't given me the Ghost Tiger Armor, I would certainly have been more severely injured. I unwound the Supreme Heavenly Silkworm Thread and wrapped it back around the hilt of the Black Demonic Sword.
“It doesn't feel like I slept that long.”
“You must have been exhausted.”
“What about the Smiling Demon? Did he go to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion?”
“Yes, the two of them left first.”
The sudden thought that I wanted to see the Smiling Demon made me realize the saying was true: people really do become friends through life-and-death combat.
“Oh, and some news came in while you were asleep. Bi Sa-in killed Seok Gwan-chu’s grandson.”
I nodded silently. It was the moment the fate of the Unorthodox Path Alliance changed, along with Bi Sa-in’s own destiny. Originally, Seok Gwan-chu’s grandson was the one who was supposed to take the position of successor to the Unorthodox Path Alliance. I couldn't know how this change would affect the future.
“This is a good thing, right?”
“Probably.”
I flopped back down onto the bed.
Lee An pulled on the blanket. “No. You need to eat before you sleep any more.”
“Just a little longer.”
“I’m going to prepare a meal, so come out as soon as I call you.”
I called out to Lee An as she was leaving the room.
“Lee An.”
“Yes?”
“It’s good to see you again.”
Lee An gave a bright, genuine smile.
“You too.”
*
Chief Strategist Sama Myeong had come down to the operations room.
This operations room in the Tongcheon Pavilion was known to be even more secure than the Heavenly Demon Hall itself.
Hundreds of missives arrived here every day to be analyzed and sorted.
“Not yet?”
“No, sir.”
Sama Myeong was tense because of the last missive that had arrived. He hadn't been this nervous even when the news broke that Seok Gwan-chu was the mastermind. He had believed that Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon would be able to handle it.
However, when the name Baek Mang-gi appeared, the Tongcheon Pavilion had gone into a state of emergency. If Baek Mang-gi had truly made a move, the lives of Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon could not be guaranteed.
Yet, the Cult Leader had issued no orders. Given the opponent, it would have been difficult to dispatch a master from the vicinity to support them immediately, but he could have sent an urgent message telling Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon to abort and return. But Geom Wu-jin had not done so.
Sama Myeong thought it was very like the Cult Leader, but at the same time, he felt it was a decision he himself could never have made.
Does he trust them that much?
Since it was rare for the Chief Strategist to come down here and wait for a missive personally, the strategists working there were also on edge. The strategists who managed this place were those with the authority to handle the Tongcheon Pavilion’s highest secrets. They were the people Sama Myeong trusted most.
Just then, the missive they had been waiting for arrived. After checking the contents, a strategist reported in a joyful tone.
“Both Seok Gwan-chu and Baek Mang-gi are dead.”
Sama Myeong felt a wave of relief wash over him, but he was also deeply shocked.
“And our two?”
“Both the Second Young Master and the Smiling Demon are safe.”
Sama Myeong let out a long sigh of relief and slumped into his seat. With the tension gone, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
The two of them killed Baek Mang-gi and Seok Gwan-chu? That can’t be right.
Since the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path and Bi Sa-in were moving together, there must have been other variables. Perhaps a new master from the Unorthodox Path Alliance had stepped in. In time, the full details of what happened would come to light.
In the meantime, the strategist who had delivered the report organized the missive into a formal document for the Heavenly Demon.
Taking the report, Sama Myeong asked him, “What do you think of this incident?”
“I don’t know how Baek Mang-gi died, but one thing is certain. Recent news regarding the Second Young Master never fails to astonish me.”
Sama Myeong nodded in agreement and stood up.
However, as he left the operations room, he couldn't help but think that the Cult Leader, who seemed to have predicted this outcome today of all days, was even more astonishing.
*
A few days after arriving at the safe house, I went around the marketplace and bought various items. Since there was a lot to carry, I purchased a cart to load it all.
First, I stopped at a clinic and bought several new needle cases, then went to a medicine room and bought a large quantity of various herbs. Some were rare and expensive, while others were common.
After gathering the herbs, I bought a tub. It was a wooden tub large enough for three or four people to fit inside.
I bought new blankets and clothes, as well as food and wine to last for a while. Finally, I bought a large bronze mirror that could reflect one's entire body.
Lee An was shocked when she saw what I had brought back from the market.
“What is all this?”
“Take a guess.”
“These things don't seem related at all.” Looking at the piles of herbs, she asked with a worried face, “You didn't suffer an internal injury, did you?”
“I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to worry. I think I need to see the Demon Doctor right away.”
Lee An inspected the cart again. “You aren't hurt. So why did you buy so many herbs?”
Then, she picked something up from the cart.
“What’s this? Gasp!”
She put the item back where it had been and crouched down beside the cart, whispering.
“This is women’s underwear!”
“That’s right.”
I crouched down just like her.
“Why did you buy underwear?”
“Because it’s needed. But why are you suddenly whispering? Did an enemy appear?”
“Well… because something more shocking than a treasure map came out of the cart.”
“My back hurts, can we stand up now?”
“There are other clothes too! They’re so pretty!”
There was also a beautiful palace dress made of high-quality silk.
“Whose is it? It’s for a very slender woman.”
“I have someone to give it to.”
“If you’re giving underwear as a gift, it must be someone very close to you.”
“Very close.”
“There’s no way I wouldn't know someone that close to you. It wouldn't be the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master. Ah! Was there a courtesan at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion you took a liking to?”
“Shall I show you who it is?”
“Really?”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
I pulled the cart with Lee An and went to a modest manor located far from the village.
“Does the person live here?”
“You could say that.”
However, the manor was empty when we stepped inside.
“There’s no one here. It looks like no one lives here.”
“Someone will now. I’ve rented it for a few days.”
“Why?”
I spoke to the bewildered girl. The words that would change her life, the words she wanted to hear most, flowed from my lips.
“Because I intend to perform the Body Poison Purification Technique on you here.”