Chapter 567: Even Ghosts Can’t Stop Human Greed
Chapter 567: Even Ghosts Can’t Stop Human Greed
Upon seeing the man, the martial artist on guard duty bowed deeply.
The expressions of the surrounding martial artists brightened at his arrival. From their reactions alone, one could easily guess the high esteem in which his subordinates held him.
“I asked if you were new.”
Seo Jin replied politely, “Yes, I joined today.”
The man’s skin was taut, giving him a youthful appearance, yet the maturity reflected in his eyes suggested he was far older than he looked. His flowing white hair made his true age even more of a mystery.
“Are you curious?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if you’re curious about what’s inside.”
Before she could even answer, the man strode past her, speaking over his shoulder. “What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“Yes, sir.”
Seo Jin followed him inside. Though she had no idea who he was, the atmosphere wasn't one where she could easily refuse.
The Yellow Dragon Squad’s sector was worlds apart from the rest of the grounds. Unlike other areas that consisted strictly of functional training halls and barracks, this place was beautifully landscaped. The buildings were larger and more elegant, with ancient ginkgo trees lining well-maintained gravel paths. Private training grounds had been constructed amidst gardens filled with vibrant blossoms.
The message was clear: Train hard and rise through the ranks if you want to earn a place here.
Passing martial artists from the Yellow Dragon Squad bowed their heads respectfully to the man as he walked by.
He’s clearly not a regular member of the Yellow Dragon Squad, and he doesn't look like an instructor. Is he one of the Seven Masters? Who on earth is this man?
The security grew tighter the further they ventured. At the end of the path stood a structure as grand as a fortress.
“What is that place?” Seo Jin asked.
A strange emotion flickered in the man’s eyes as he looked at the building. “That is the Hall Master’s Palace. It is where the master of this place resides.”
At that, a single sentence flowed naturally from her lips. “The true masters of a martial arts hall are its students.”
The man turned to look at her.
“That was written at the very top of the enrollment forms I filled out yesterday,” she added.
A peculiar light flashed in the man’s eyes—an emotion closer to curiosity than anger. “And? Do you truly believe you are the master?”
“I don’t know yet. As I said, today is my first day.”
Finding it burdensome to meet his intense gaze, she shifted her eyes back toward the palace.
The man asked abruptly, “Do you want to go inside?”
“Would I even be allowed?”
“You don’t seem to respect the authority of the master of that place anyway, do you?”
She politely declined. “You misunderstand. Seeing this much today is more than enough for me. Thank you for the tour.”
While she did have a desire to enter the Hall Master’s Palace, doing so on her first day would be far too conspicuous. She was already standing out more than she liked.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Just as she bowed and prepared to turn away, the man’s voice rang out from behind her.
“Who said you could leave?”
Startled, she turned back.
“I haven't given you permission to go yet.”
Seo Jin stared straight at him and asked, “May I go now?”
Perhaps because she showed no sign of fear, the words "you may go" did not leave his mouth.
It was then that someone approached them.
“Great Hero Yeon.”
The newcomer was Gi Seok, one of the Seven Masters. Standing a short distance behind him was his right-hand man, Pyo-san.
In that moment, Seo Jin saw it—the man’s expression toward Gi Seok was far from pleasant. He didn't even bother to hide his disdain.
“It has been a long time,” Gi Seok greeted him respectfully, but the white-haired man merely gave a slight nod.
As if this wasn't the first time he had been snubbed, Gi Seok showed no sign of offense. His calm gaze shifted toward Seo Jin.
“What are you doing here?”
“This gentleman was showing me around.”
Gi Seok spoke to the man. “She is a child on her first day of enrollment. Is it right to begin by teaching her how to break the rules?”
After saying that, he looked back at Seo Jin. “Withdraw!”
“Yes, Master.”
At this, Seo Jin realized one thing. Gi Seok wasn't stepping in for her sake; he simply disliked her being with this man.
At the very least, they aren't on the same side.
Of course, she couldn't jump to conclusions. This was the Murim—a place where people could feign enmity while being allies, and where mortal foes could become friends overnight.
As she turned to leave, the white-haired man spoke again. “I haven't told her to leave yet.”
She paused, looking between the two men.
The winner of this battle of nerves was decided from the start. Gi Seok immediately backed down.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Gi Seok walked away, Pyo-san trailing behind him. The man watched them for a moment before looking back at Seo Jin.
“Please let me go now,” she said. “It’s my first day, and I’m quite nervous.”
She remained calm and dignified, acting on her instincts. She felt that showing confidence was a better choice than appearing cowed before this man.
“Even if you leave, you should at least know who I am.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Yeon Baek-jin.” The man added nonchalantly, “The man who failed to become the master of this place simply because I was born too late.”
He was Yeon Baek-jin, the younger brother of the Hall Master. He was the most free-spirited person in the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall, as well as the most terrifying and the most popular. He was a man of many faces, depending on who he was dealing with.
Seo Jin bowed politely and turned around. After walking a few paces, she spoke over her shoulder.
“Don’t be too disappointed. It was clearly written that the students are the masters here.”
Yeon Baek-jin watched her leave in silence.
*
There were two others watching this scene from afar. Standing by a window in a corridor inside the building were Gi Seok and Pyo-san.
“It seems Great Hero Yeon has taken an interest in Seo Jin. There is quite an age gap between them,” Pyo-san remarked.
Gi Seok shook his head. “Everyone thinks Yeon Baek-jin is a gallant, free-spirited man—someone who likes women and enjoys playing around.”
Being the Hall Master’s brother and a master of high-level martial arts, many women were drawn to him. Consequently, he was often the subject of scandalous rumors.
However, Gi Seok’s assessment was different. “Yeon Baek-jin is more calculating and cold-blooded than anyone else.”
“Are you saying he approached Seo Jin intentionally?”
“Yes. He’s caught the scent of the matter regarding Instructor Im.”
Pyo-san’s expression hardened. If that were true, it was a serious problem. One was the daughter of the Ghost Gate Leader, and the other was the Hall Master’s brother.
“The final excavation isn't far off. What should we do?”
“We must divert their attention elsewhere,” Gi Seok replied, having already reached a conclusion. “No matter the circumstances, we cannot kill the Hall Master’s own flesh and blood, can we?”
*
That evening, Seo Jin was drinking alone at an inn.
She wasn't someone who particularly enjoyed alcohol, but today, she felt the urge. It was because of that man, Yeon Baek-jin.
I’ll use him to dig into this case.
That had been her first thought. If he truly didn't get along with Gi Seok, it was an angle worth pursuing. However, she felt a nagging hesitation. Whether it was survival instinct or a woman’s intuition, her gut warned her: Do not get close to this man. Don't even exchange an extra word with him.
Reality, however, was moving in the exact opposite direction.
“Do you stay at this inn?”
She looked up to see Yeon Baek-jin. He sat down across from her without asking for permission. Seo Jin remained calm, hiding her inner thoughts.
“I wasn't able to greet such a noble person properly earlier.”
“The same goes for you, doesn't it?” Yeon Baek-jin already knew her identity. “It turns out you’re the daughter of the Ghost Gate Leader.”
He spoke as if he had only just discovered it.
“Can you show me some of the Ghost Gate’s arts? I’ve never seen them before, so I’m curious.”
“I’m still unskilled,” she replied. “I might end up killing my opponent.”
Yeon Baek-jin poured himself a drink in a clean cup. “How arrogant.”
“I apologize if it sounded that way.”
After draining his cup, Yeon Baek-jin stared at her. “Can the name of the Ghost Gate truly serve as a shield to protect you?”
If taken poorly, it was an insult to her family. But Yeon Baek-jin continued his warning.
“Even ghosts cannot stop human greed.”
This man knows something.
Seo Jin felt it. He wasn't even trying to hide it. What was his intention in approaching her? Gi Seok, Pyo-san, and this Yeon Baek-jin—all of them were connected to the death of her brother, Im Hyeon, whether directly or indirectly.
She drained her cup and asked, “Why do you think the Ghost Gate is my only shield?”
“What else is there?”
She wanted to tell him right then and there: I am the 2nd Team Leader of the Ghost Shadow Squad of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
If she said that, would he still look at her with such arrogant eyes? She burned with the desire to reveal her identity and expose their plots. But she hadn't officially joined the Ghost Shadow Squad yet. She had decided to go only after finishing this business.
This was her final task before becoming a demonic cultist.
I will resolve this and return.
Just as she set her empty cup down, a young man approached the table.
“Are you from the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall?”
He seemed to recognize her uniform.
“We’ve come to take the enrollment exam as well! What a pleasant surprise to meet you!”
A woman walked up behind the young man. “Meeting like this must be fate. Please, tell us how we should take the exam!”
Without waiting for an invitation, the two of them joined the table.
Upon seeing them, Seo Jin and Yeon Baek-jin were both startled for very different reasons.
Yeon Baek-jin was surprised because the pair was exceptionally handsome and beautiful. The woman, in particular, was indescribably stunning. The moment he saw her, the sharp rebuke he had prepared died in his throat.
Seo Jin’s surprise was of a different nature. The young man was Geom Mu-geuk, and the woman was Lee An. The Young Cult Leader and the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader had come for her.
Seo Jin was shocked but tried her best to remain composed. Although she knew through Lee An that Geom Mu-geuk—whom she had seen at her brother’s wedding—was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, this wasn't a situation where she could greet him with proper etiquette.
“Today was my first day at the hall,” she managed to say.
“Then that’s even better! Your memory of the exam must be fresh!” Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted to Yeon Baek-jin. “Then is this gentleman with the cool white hair also our senior?”
Seo Jin introduced him accurately. “This is Great Hero Yeon Baek-jin, the younger brother of the Hall Master.”
“Oh! You are a person of high status! It is an honor to meet you.”
Perhaps because his words and his gaze didn't match, Yeon Baek-jin asked coldly, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What was wrong with my gaze?”
When his eyes met Geom Mu-geuk’s, Yeon Baek-jin felt a wave of unease. That gaze felt as if it were peering into the deepest parts of his soul. It was the first time his heart had been so unsettled by a stranger.
“Please don’t misunderstand. Whenever I see someone handsome, I unconsciously feel a sense of rivalry,” Geom Mu-geuk said with a grin.
Yeon Baek-jin couldn't have known what Geom Mu-geuk was truly thinking as he looked at the two of them.
As I thought, their connection began here.
In the original timeline, Seo Jin’s death would happen much later, but the start of their ill-fated relationship was forged here. Geom Mu-geuk had rushed all the way here to sever this connection from the very beginning. He had been worried that his regression might have accelerated their meeting.
Seo Jin, I’m here now. It’s okay.
The moment he and Lee An joined this table, Seo Jin’s fate had already begun to shift.
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze turned back toward Yeon Baek-jin. And you? Are you destined to die by my hand again?
“Your hair is truly magnificent,” Geom Mu-geuk continued. “I’d like to walk around with white hair like that too.”
“Shut up,” Yeon Baek-jin snapped.
While Geom Mu-geuk was busy annoying Yeon Baek-jin, Seo Jin and Lee An were secretly exchanging Voice Transmissions.
— Squad Leader, how did you know to come here?
— Didn't I tell you I was going to handle some business here?
— I came because I wanted to see you even a day sooner. If we handle this business quickly, you’ll be able to join the Ghost Shadow Squad that much faster.
Seo Jin didn't quite believe that was the only reason. Lee An must have known she was in a difficult situation.
— You came to help me, didn't you?
— Do you need help?
The two women’s gazes locked. Seo Jin spoke honestly. To cling to pride now would be foolishness, not dignity.
— Yes, I do. Please help me.
Lee An’s voice softened in her mind. — Team Leader Seo’s business is my business as well. This matter will be the first official mission for our Ghost Shadow Squad.
Seo Jin felt a surge of relief. When she had wanted to tell Yeon Baek-jin her true identity earlier, she had thought of Lee An. And now, as if by magic, she had appeared.
Lee An raised her glass. “Now, let’s have a drink among future colleagues.”
Seo Jin knew that "colleagues" referred to the Ghost Shadow Squad, not the martial arts hall.
Following Seo Jin, who clinked her glass vigorously, Geom Mu-geuk also joined in.
“Let’s take over the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall!”