Chapter 307: Why Are the Flowers Entrusted to Me...
Chapter 307: Why Are the Flowers Entrusted to Me...
To make a natural visit to the flower garden, I needed someone’s help.
“Are you moving out?” I asked, stepping into the room.
Lee An looked up from the piles of clothes and luggage strewn across the floor. “Oh, you’re here?”
She was in the middle of preparing to leave the Cult. Her mission was to set out and meet Seo Jin, the younger sister of Gwi Ryeongja.
“There’s so much to prepare for such a long journey,” she muttered, ticking items off a mental list. “I need changes of clothes, a formal outfit for when I meet Miss Seo, snacks for the road... I’ve already packed the golden wound medicine and antidotes. I probably won't need medicine for the local water, right? I’ve got the map. And...”
“What are these?” I interrupted, pointing at a pile.
“Ah, those are dishes in case I have to camp out, and these are seasonings. This leather sheet is for sleeping on the ground.”
I began pulling the dishes out of her leather pouch. “Don’t cook anything that requires dishes. For seasonings, just take salt. And what’s this?”
“A book to read when I can’t sleep.”
“Since when did you read so much? Pick just one!”
I helped her pack—or rather, I helped her unpack.
“When are you leaving?” I asked.
“Tomorrow morning. I was actually planning to come and say goodbye.”
“Are you going alone?”
“Yes. I want to try persuading her woman-to-woman.”
If Seo Jin, a descendant of the Ghost Gate, joined the Ghost Shadow Squad, our strength would increase significantly. She was not only proficient in formations but also highly skilled in Ghost Arts.
“No matter how much luggage you have, you can carry this much, right? Here, put this on.”
I handed her a gift. It was a leather belt lined with small, sharp daggers.
“I had Master Gwak at the forge make these specifically for you. Use them when you’re in danger. Consider it a departure gift.”
“Oh! Thank you, Young Master!” Lee An was visibly moved by the unexpected gesture.
After fastening the belt around her waist, she swiftly drew a dagger and flicked her wrist. Four daggers thudded into the wooden wall in rapid succession. If a human silhouette had been drawn there, the blades would have pinned the arms and legs.
I pulled a dagger from her belt and threw it. It embedded itself exactly where the throat would be.
“Always aim here,” I said. It was a reminder to be cold-hearted when dealing with enemies. “Remember this: misplaced mercy can lead to the death of your allies.”
Lee An nodded solemnly and threw another dagger. It landed right next to mine.
I gave her a nod of approval. She retrieved the daggers from the wall and slid them back into her belt.
“I really love them! Thank you, Young Master.”
“Don’t feel like you have to save them. I’ll have more made for you once you use them all.”
“I’ll be careful and return safely. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried. Why would I worry about the daughter of the Fist Demon and a captain directly under the Young Cult Leader? On that note, shall we take a short walk?”
“As you can see, I’m busy,” she teased. “Please pick that up for me. And bring me those hanging clothes too.”
“A woman who turns down the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult!” I laughed.
Of course, Lee An’s "busy" act was just a joke.
“Even if you asked me to walk all the way to the Outer Lands, I’d go,” she said, coming to my side. She started to link her arm with mine but then flinched. In the past, she would have hopped on my back or linked arms without a second thought, but it seemed that after I became the Young Cult Leader, she found it difficult to treat me so casually.
When we stepped out of her quarters, the guards waiting outside bowed deeply. Lee An greeted them in return. Since the guards and the Ghost Shadow Squad were the two organizations closest to me, they were subtly competitive. To be precise, Jeok-yeon, the head of the guards, tended to be particularly attentive.
As the guards followed us, Lee An looked slightly puzzled. She probably hadn't expected me to bring guards along when it had been so long since we’d had time alone. I felt bad for not telling her in advance, but today’s outing was more of a public matter than a private one.
After leaving the main headquarters, we entered Ma Clan Village.
It felt good to walk with Lee An after so long. We browsed the market stalls and chatted about nothing in particular until we reached the Pungryu Tavern. When I walked right past it, Lee An asked in surprise, “Huh? Weren't we going to the Pungryu Tavern?”
“No.”
She must have assumed we were going there since we were in the village. We kept walking until we reached the flower garden on the outskirts mentioned in Seo Dae-ryong’s report.
“Buy a flower,” I said. “Something that blooms well through the winter.”
“No way... Did you come all this way just to buy me a flower?”
When I nodded, she looked even happier than when she had received the daggers.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been gifted a flower!”
Before we entered, the guards went in first to sweep the interior. A woman with a plump, kind impression, who appeared to be the owner, came out from the backyard carrying a flowerpot.
The moment I saw her set the pot down in surprise, a jolt went through me.
‘She looks familiar.’
I had definitely seen this woman somewhere before. But I couldn't remember where. It certainly wasn't because I had bought flowers from her in the past.
‘There’s something here.’
I examined her aura. If I hadn't been looking closely, I wouldn't have realized she was a martial artist. The woman was hiding her presence incredibly well.
That meant my hunch was right. The reason Sa U-jong stopped by here every time must have been because of this woman. If it were a simple contact point, he would have only come once or twice, but he was said to have come almost every day. That meant he was definitely receiving something from her.
“Shopkeeper, please recommend a flower that suits this beautiful lady here.”
The middle-aged woman bowed politely. “I have flowers that would suit someone so noble and beautiful. Please, come this way.”
She led Lee An away and began introducing the plants. Judging by her vast knowledge, anyone would have taken her for a simple florist.
‘If she’s a master capable of disguising herself to this extent, I should be able to remember her.’
I looked around the garden with a sense of doubt. In Baek Cheon-gyeong’s workshop, I had felt a strange energy from the dolls. But here, there were only ordinary flowers and trees. She wasn't one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings who followed Hwa Mu-gi.
Then, was she someone I saw during my days as a ronin? Or perhaps when I was searching for materials for the Great Regression Art? I even examined her physique. If it wasn't her face, I thought her body or gait might remind me of someone, but still, no one came to mind.
In the meantime, Lee An picked a flower.
“She says this is the hardiest flowering plant. A really beautiful flower will bloom from this bud.” Then, she suddenly looked startled. “Ah! Come to think of it, I have to leave the Cult tomorrow.”
I replied with a smile. “Don’t we have an expert at tending flowers?”
Realizing who I meant, Lee An laughed in relief. I paid the middle-aged woman for the flower.
She might find my sudden visit suspicious, but she would also be confused. Because I had brought Lee An without saying a word, her joy wasn't an act; she was genuinely happy. Furthermore, I had intentionally brought guards. The woman would likely overthink it, assuming that someone coming to investigate wouldn't arrive with such a grand entourage.
Hey, who are you? If this is the first time we've met, why do you look so familiar?
*
The next day, when I stopped by Seo Dae-ryong’s office, he was watering a flowerpot. Now, there were two pots on the windowsill.
“This is the pot that girl left in my care,” Seo Dae-ryong grumbled playfully. “Do you know what she said when she left this with me?”
“That she wouldn't leave you alone if you let the flower die?”
“I wish it had been that. Then I could have at least protested against being threatened while being asked for a favor.” Seo Dae-ryong mimicked Lee An’s voice. “‘Oh! Look at this bud. Won't it be so pretty when it blooms? I’m so, so excited. It’s the first flower I’ve ever received from the Young Master. It’ll be in full bloom by the time I get back, right?’”
Seo Dae-ryong shook his head. “You should have seen her eyes. They were sparkling with anticipation, yet there was a hint of a tear. Argh! How could I possibly let this flower die?”
Seo Dae-ryong had been completely defeated by Lee An’s high-level tactics, which were far scarier than any threat.
“Why are the flowers entrusted to me always the ones I can't let die!” Sighing, Seo Dae-ryong looked at the pot and said, “Grow well here next to your big brother.”
“Why big brother?” I asked.
“Don't they look alike? The plant the Sword Venerable gave me and...”
The next moment, I was sprinting out of Seo Dae-ryong’s office.
I remembered who she was.
Hwan-yeo!
I had never actually seen her. The reason I mistakenly thought I had was because I knew someone who looked just like her. One of the Five Kings among the Twelve Zodiac Kings who followed Hwa Mu-gi. The absolute master of illusions and soul-seizing: the Illusion King.
Hwan-yeo and the Illusion King were twins.
The fact that the Illusion King had a twin sister was only revealed long after he had made a name for himself as one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings. The reason the Illusion King had been so successful and rose to such a rank was because of Hwan-yeo, who operated in the shadows.
Furthermore, the Illusion King and Hwan-yeo were famous for being terrifying and cruel. They ruthlessly killed anyone who stood in their way. They were cold-blooded and heartless, using soul-seizing techniques to make parents kill their children, wives kill their husbands, and friends kill their friends. Everyone feared them.
‘The person Hwan-yeo is targeting is the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord!’
*
“The Sword Venerable has a message to deliver in secret.”
Upon seeing the Blade Demon who had come from the Northern Heavenly Sword House, Cheong-seon sighed. The person who had bowed and greeted her was none other than Sa U-jong. After she had refused to meet him, he had come openly under the pretext of running an errand for the Sword Venerable.
“Follow me.”
Cheong-seon dismissed her subordinates and took Sa U-jong to the guest hall. Once they were alone, Cheong-seon’s expression turned cold and rigid.
“Do you not realize that impersonating a Demon Lord’s order is a grave crime? If the Sword Venerable finds out, he won't let you off easily.”
“Then go ahead and tell him,” Sa U-jong replied, acting like a spoiled child bitter over a breakup.
“Are you really going to be like this? If you’re a man, you should know how to give up gracefully.”
“That’s rich coming from someone who kicked a man to the curb just because she rose to the position of Demon Lord.”
“You think I abandoned you because I became a Demon Lord?” A cold sneer, as sharp as the look in her eyes, crossed Cheong-seon’s lips. “You have someone else you like besides me, don't you?”
She had belatedly realized that Sa U-jong was in love with the One Flower Sword Venerable.
“Did you think I wouldn't know you were thinking of that woman even when you were in bed with me?”
As a woman, it was a blow to her pride that she hated to even voice. In truth, she hadn't had the slightest clue at first. No matter how outstanding her appearance was, she never imagined he would love the One Flower Sword Venerable—who was old enough to be his parent—as a woman.
He would occasionally stare at the portrait on the wall with burning eyes, but she had assumed it was out of respect for the Sword Venerable. But once the scales fell from her eyes, she could see it was the gaze of a man looking at a woman. He had even stared at the Sword Venerable’s portrait while they were intimate. Thinking about it now, she wanted nothing more than to kill him on the spot.
However, as long as she had entrusted this matter to Geom Mu-geuk, she had to soothe him and send him back.
“You should be grateful I even let you live. Now, leave.”
Sa U-jong continued to provoke her until the very end. “I couldn't help it, could I? The Sword Venerable is more attractive. Any man would feel the same.”
Cheong-seon clenched her fists. It angered her even more that he thought he could spit out such words and she wouldn't kill him.
“You know what? Surprisingly, the Sword Venerable’s skin was better.” Sa U-jong chose the method that would infuriate a person the most. He compared and compared again.
“Stop it. Unless you want to die.”
Cheong-seon endured until the end. But Sa U-jong provoked her further, even making up things that hadn't happened. “The Sword Venerable smells so good. Is it because she practices the proper way? I never said it, but you had a foul stench. You might not have known, but there were times I held my breath while we...”
Cheong-seon whipped around. Both of her eyes had turned pitch black, even the whites.
Kieeeeeee.
A bizarre sound erupted as a dark energy billowed from Cheong-seon’s eyes.
Haaaaaaa.
At the same time, a red energy billowed from Sa U-jong’s eyes. If Cheong-seon’s soul-seizing technique sounded like ghosts, the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Technique echoed with the moans of a man and woman.
The red energy coiled around the flying black energy like a snake and surged toward Cheong-seon’s eyes. It was a one-time opportunity that only someone who had shared a bed with the target could seize.
‘I did it.’
When the red energy, traveling back along the black energy, pierced her eyes, Sa U-jong was overjoyed. He imagined the moment he would become a Demon Lord and make the One Flower Sword Venerable his woman.
Right then!
‘!’
Sa U-jong’s eyes widened. Regardless of his will, his right hand began to draw his sword.
‘What? No!’
The woman at the flower garden had clearly said that the moment the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Technique took hold, the soul-seizing technique Cheong-seon had cast would be broken.
‘The Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Technique definitely took hold!’
Even at this moment, the red energy was occupying her eyes and pushing out her black energy. Yet, Cheong-seon’s soul-seizing technique was still dominating his body.
Shring.
He aimed the drawn sword at his own throat. Only then did Sa U-jong realize.
‘You tricked me.’
He realized too late that he couldn't break the opponent’s soul-seizing technique. He had always been so cautious and suspicious, yet he had been deceived by that florist as if possessed.
‘Could it be me too?’
The moment the suspicion arose that the woman at the flower garden might have placed some kind of suggestion on him—
Slash!
He slit his own throat with his sword.
At that exact moment, Geom Mu-geuk burst into the guest hall. Sa U-jong was collapsing, a fountain of blood spraying from his neck. Beyond him, he saw Cheong-seon.
The red energy of the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Technique had now completely driven the black energy from her eyes. The red energy that had filled her eyes gradually shrank until it was as small as a dot, and then her pupils began to return to their normal state.
Geom Mu-geuk could tell.
‘Cheong-seon has fallen to a soul-seizing technique.’
Originally, their target must have been the previous Soul-Seizing Demon Lord. However, because I had killed the previous Soul-Seizing Demon Lord in this life, the target had naturally shifted to Cheong-seon. Now, I could be certain.
‘The traitor before the regression was the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord.’