Chapter 525: This Connection Is Not Yet Over
Chapter 525: This Connection Is Not Yet Over
Geom Wu-jin turned to look toward where the women were sitting.
He didn't smile, nor did he offer a word of thanks; it was merely a brief glance, yet Hwi was inwardly astonished. That alone was a remarkable event. The Cult Leader was actually acknowledging the festive atmosphere.
The women would never know whose gaze they had just met. When their eyes locked with Geom Wu-jin’s, they offered a polite fist salute in greeting. Seeing them together like this, their striking resemblance suggested they were sisters. They all seemed to possess bright, cheerful personalities—the type who didn't care much for rigid formalities.
Seeing the way they looked at their father, Geom Mu-geuk conceded defeat. The youngest among them had a face that looked ready to burst into cheers if anyone so much as spoke to her.
“The innkeeper wasn’t seeing things after all.”
Following Geom Mu-geuk’s lead, Seo Dae-ryong lamented via voice transmission.
— It’s a heartless Jianghu where only the handsome survive.
— I’m handsome too, and I still lost! That makes it feel even worse!
— You can’t say that until you’ve recited a poem and lost.
The two comrades-in-defeat shared a tearful toast. Watching their pathetic display, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon chuckled. He could easily imagine the kind of voice transmissions they were exchanging.
Geom Wu-jin called over the innkeeper and ordered a bottle of fine wine for the young heroines as a gesture of thanks. Then, he stood up from his seat.
“Let’s call it a night.”
Geom Mu-geuk threw in one last bit of banter as he watched his father.
“The winner makes his grand exit, I see.”
His father simply pushed the dish sitting in front of him toward Geom Mu-geuk. Having delivered that final silent blow, he headed up to the second floor.
“That’s just mean!”
Hwi gave Geom Mu-geuk a small smile before following him up, and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon also rose. He left Seo Dae-ryong with a parting word.
“Keep up with your reading, regardless.”
“Yes, Master. Please rest well.”
Geom Mu-geuk silently watched his back as he ascended.
He’s a man who believes in the beauty of poetry and the power of literature. You probably don't realize just how cool that is, Elder.
With the Blood Heaven Blade Demon gone, only Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong remained.
“Well, shall we losers have a drink?”
Dae-ryong spoke lightly, but in truth, he didn't mind at all. Even if he had memorized an entire library of poetry instead of just one verse, how could he possibly compete with these two Cult Leaders? In fact, he was enjoying the thought that he’d have a story to tell over drinks later.
But the real story was only just beginning.
As the young heroines were finishing their meal and preparing to leave, one of them approached Seo Dae-ryong and spoke politely.
“I enjoyed your poem earlier. It was wonderful.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, Seo Dae-ryong froze. He was so flustered he didn't even know how to respond while sitting there.
“Ah... yes.”
The woman offered a polite fist salute and bid him farewell.
“I hope luck is on my side and I get to hear another of your poems someday. Until then.”
With that, she turned and strode out of the inn.
Seo Dae-ryong sat there, half-dazed. Normally, he would have teased the Young Cult Leader about being the true loser, but he didn't even have the presence of mind for that.
“What do you think she’s trying to get out of me? Is there a rumor going around that my collection of poems and paintings is actually a treasure map?”
He was thinking of a woman who had intentionally approached him during a past martial arts tournament. In his entire life, no woman had ever expressed pure, unsolicited interest in him. The closest he’d ever gotten was being called a "good senior."
Once he became the Huangquan Pavilion Master, he had cut off even those minor relationships. He didn't want to burden anyone, so he had completely lost interest in the women within the Cult. He was also simply too busy.
“Stop talking nonsense and go ask for her name! Set a date to meet again. Hurry!”
Pushed by Geom Mu-geuk, Seo Dae-ryong ran out with a bewildered expression. After standing in the street and exchanging a few words with the woman, he returned to his seat. His face was flushed.
“She is Miss Dan.”
Her name was Dan-ah.
“Is she the one you liked from the start?”
“She wasn't... not in my life until now. Even if someone had come, it would have been someone else. But today... yes, it's her.”
The woman he had taken an interest in had actually come and spoken to him.
“Congratulations, my right hand!”
Unlike the jubilant Geom Mu-geuk, Seo Dae-ryong remained calm.
“Did you promise to meet again?”
“No.”
“Did you ask what sect she belongs to?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Seo Dae-ryong paused before answering.
“I told her the truth. That I belong to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. She looked surprised.”
“Why would you do that? Usually, you’d just pretend to be from the West Blade Sect in these situations.”
Seo Dae-ryong spoke honestly.
“I don’t know. For a moment, I just felt like I wanted to be honest with her. Besides, she’s a woman I’ve only just met; what do I know about her to say I like her? It’s just a passing connection.”
I’m a demonic practitioner; it would never work between us, right?
He spoke with an air of resignation, but Geom Mu-geuk could feel it. It was actually the opposite. He must have truly fallen in love at first sight. To top it off, he’d been told she liked his poem. Because it hit him so hard, he had pushed her away instead. Out of fear.
“If you’re meant to be, you’ll meet again.”
“There’s no reason to meet again, and even if we did, it wouldn't work out anyway.”
“If that’s really the obstacle between you two, you can just quit being the Huangquan Pavilion Master.”
Seo Dae-ryong knew now. He knew those words weren't a joke. If he truly found someone he loved, he was allowed to leave the Cult. That was the kind of person Geom Mu-geuk was. He was someone who would send him off gladly, probably even pressing some money into his hands to help him start his new life.
“Is this your plan? ‘I’m sorry, but to protect the Cult’s secrets, I have no choice. I’ll plant the flowers from your favorite pot by your grave. Slash!’”
Geom Mu-geuk put on a dramatic performance of being startled.
“So, I’m not quitting.”
I’d rather live alone. I will never leave the Young Cult Leader, or the Cult.
*
Despite his resolve, Seo Dae-ryong was plagued by nightmares all night. It was a dream where he recited poetry in front of a massive crowd. Sometimes the crowd would cheer and applaud; other times, they would jeer. She was among them. And she did nothing but jeer.
When he finally opened his eyes after struggling through the dream, it was morning. Staring up at the ceiling, Seo Dae-ryong let out a heavy sigh.
“Pathetic, truly pathetic. Dreaming about it now?”
Seo Dae-ryong got out of bed and walked to the window. As if the heavy rain had never happened, the sun had risen brightly. A carriage was parked at the inn’s entrance, and Hwi was preparing for departure.
“I’ll be right down.”
At Seo Dae-ryong’s words, Hwi spoke calmly.
“It’s fine. Everything is ready, so take your time.”
Seo Dae-ryong quickly got ready and headed downstairs. Fortunately, the Cult Leader and his master had not yet come down. Then, Hwi made an unexpected suggestion.
“Would you like to take the reins today?”
It was a position Hwi had never yielded before.
“Yes, I’ll do it.”
Seo Dae-ryong took the reins and sat on the driver’s seat. His heart fluttered with the fear of making a mistake. Then, a single sentence came from beside him.
“The poem... I enjoyed it as well.”
At first, he thought he had misheard. Hwi had never initiated a personal conversation during the entire journey.
“Th-thank you.”
Flustered, Seo Dae-ryong looked at Hwi while stammering, but Hwi said nothing more. Just then, Geom Mu-geuk leaned out of the carriage and spoke.
“Drive slowly, Pavilion Master.”
“Understood.”
A moment later, Geom Wu-jin and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon came down and boarded the carriage.
“We’re departing.”
Before setting the carriage in motion, Seo Dae-ryong took one last look back at the inn. Sensing that deep lingering regret, Geom Mu-geuk sent a voice transmission.
— It was a poem that even moved Uncle Hwi. This connection is not yet over.
As if determined not to harbor any more vain hopes, Seo Dae-ryong set the carriage off with vigor.
— It is a connection that has already ended.
*
The "ended connection" was currently walking down a road. They were the three women who had met Geom Mu-geuk’s group at the inn. In the Jianghu, they were known as the Three Dan Sisters.
Consisting of three sisters, they were wandering martial artists—specifically, freelance escorts who mainly took on protection missions. They were highly skilled and responsible, earning them an excellent reputation among ronin.
Furthermore, they never lacked for work. There were always those who felt uneasy about male escorts when a woman had to travel alone; in such cases, brokers invariably recommended the Three Dan Sisters.
Their cheerful demeanor at the inn was a reflection of their lifestyle. They weren't bound to a sect that prioritized family honor, but were free spirits who roamed the Jianghu. Moreover, the three of them were so close that whispering and gossiping together was a daily occurrence.
“Eldest Sister, you really have strange taste in men. He’s short and has such a small frame. Could he even use his strength properly?”
The youngest, Dan-yeon, couldn't understand her sister’s taste. Knowing Dan-yeon was the type to speak her mind directly, Dan-ah simply smiled.
“There was a handsome young master right next to him, too.”
“Then why did you insist on giving that other man our food? You’re the youngest of us.”
The reason the dish had gone to Geom Wu-jin was entirely due to Dan-yeon’s stubbornness.
“He was cool, wasn't he?”
Dan-yeon’s ideal type had always been men who gave off such an intense, overwhelming aura.
“I did it because he was cool, too.”
“Don't even try to compare the two.”
Dan-ah had felt Seo Dae-ryong’s gaze the moment they entered the inn. What had captured her heart wasn't anything else, but the shyness in his eyes. Usually, when you meet martial artists, they try their best to look intimidating. She was sick and tired of those "strong" gazes. A shy gaze was something she hadn't seen in a very long time, and it was refreshing.
And most decisively...
“Have you ever seen a man carrying a sword who memorizes poetry?”
She could tell the poem had been recited because of her. That sense of purity felt wonderful.
“Well, Eldest Sister has always liked kind people.”
At the second sister Dan-bi’s words, the youngest, Dan-yeon, shook her head.
“Kind? He said he was a demonic practitioner.”
The three sisters fell silent for a moment. It was a saying passed down through generations of contract warriors that nothing good ever came from getting involved with the Demonic Path.
“Why is everyone making such a fuss? I just went over to tell him I liked his poem.”
“You went out of your way just for that?”
“We’re here. Let’s get to work.”
The place the three of them arrived at was a small hermitage in the mountains. It was the location designated by the brokers, so there shouldn't be any issues, but the three of them fanned out to scout the surroundings regardless.
Once they entered work mode, they became different people. A sharp edge emanated from them, making it impossible to imagine they were the same women who had been chatting just moments ago. The youngest had been doing this since she was fourteen, so it had already been ten years. In that time, they had brushed with death countless times.
They knew that no matter how careful you were, death could come in an instant. Because they understood the preciousness of the moment, they tried to live as cheerfully as possible. When you live a life where you could die tomorrow, you can't spend today fighting. They couldn't let their last moment with someone be a conflict.
The client waiting at the meeting place was a woman—young and beautiful. She was trying her best to remain calm, but Dan-ah could sense her tension and fear.
She’s being pursued.
With her long experience, Dan-ah could tell at a glance.
“We are the Three Dan Sisters.”
The three women offered a light fist salute. The woman bowed her head in return.
“I heard your destination is Guizhou.”
The woman nodded, keeping her words to a minimum.
“May I ask what business takes you there?”
“Must I reveal my business as well?”
“What is your exact destination?”
“I will tell you once we enter Guizhou.”
From the woman’s caution, Dan-ah could guess the situation. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but rather that she was so afraid of those pursuing her that she had to be this careful. Dan-ah felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Usually, it was clear whether a job was dangerous or easy. This one was definitely on the dangerous side.
“I’m sorry, but if you don't reveal exactly who you are and where you’re going, we will decline this contract. Please find someone else.”
In most cases, they would proceed without asking. But when their intuition was this bad, they had to be careful. As expected, the woman was greatly shaken. That reaction alone confirmed it—she was in serious danger.
If so, they needed to know more. Dan-ah couldn't put her sisters at risk. The two younger sisters left the decision to their eldest, silently drawing their swords and scanning the perimeter.
“I’ll contact the broker again and have them send someone else. We’ll protect you until then.”
At that, the woman relented. There was no more time to waste.
“Fine, I’ll tell you who I am. I am a courtesan from the Heavenly Flower Pavilion in Phoenix, Hunan.”
There were seven Heavenly Flower Pavilions in Hunan alone. She was a courtesan from the one in Phoenix. Dan-ah could tell by her beauty that she was a very high-ranking courtesan.
Is she eloping?
However, the place the woman wanted to go was unexpected.
“Please take me to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion headquarters in Guizhou.”
From her lips flowed words that reconnected a bond severed in the rain.
“I must see the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master as soon as possible.”
For the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master was none other than Yeo-jeong, the woman who loved the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon.