Chapter 570: I Lived Thanks to That Imagination
Chapter 570: I Lived Thanks to That Imagination
Lee An conveyed her honest feelings to Geom Mu-geuk via voice transmission.
— I’m afraid I’ll ruin everything if I try to handle this alone.
Geom Mu-geuk knew her better than anyone. If she were truly alone, she was the type to handle matters more efficiently than anyone else, without a hint of such fear. But because he, the Young Cult Leader, was watching, she felt the weight of his gaze. She felt the pressure to perform perfectly.
— Lee An, what did I say your weakness was?
— Even in this urgent situation, are you going to joke that my weakness is this pretty face?
— A nine-tailed fox and a "lack of seriousness" don't really go together, do they?
— Then what is it?
Lee An was genuinely curious about what Geom Mu-geuk considered her flaw to be.
— Your weakness is me.
Lee An was startled by the unexpected answer.
— The Young Cult Leader?
— Yes, me. Your sense of duty and your spirit of sacrifice to protect me have been the greatest weaknesses of your life.
Lee An’s gaze trembled slightly. She knew this. She knew that was why he had removed her from his personal guard and appointed her as the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader. Of course, that was strictly from Geom Mu-geuk’s perspective.
‘That sense of duty to protect you was the driving force of my life. It’s not much different even now.’
Geom Mu-geuk’s voice continued in her mind.
— Your second weakness was your lack of internal energy, but that has been resolved. The third was a lack of experience, and I believe that has been remedied to some extent by your recent travels outside the Cult.
Geom Mu-geuk knew that what Lee An needed right now wasn't a clue on how to handle the situation. What did it matter if she made a mistake or took the long way around? He was there to protect her. Even a mistake would be a valuable lesson.
What she truly needed was confidence.
— Do you have any idea how strong you are?
With her weaknesses compensated for, she had already achieved Great Achievement in the Flying Heaven Sword Technique.
— How strong am I?
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted toward Pyo-san standing ahead, then back to Bang So.
— Those people aren't even worth comparing. The Seven Masters of the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall? The Head Master? Even comparing them to you is an insult to the Flying Heaven Sword Technique.
He dismissed people she hadn't even met yet.
— To speak of your strength, I must ask you this.
Geom Mu-geuk paused for a moment before continuing.
— In how many moves could you kill the Hall Master of this Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall?
Since she hadn't properly fought against true masters yet, she didn't realize the extent of her own power. The stronger her opponents became, the more she would realize her own strength.
Geom Mu-geuk instilled as much confidence in her as possible.
— Lee An, this Murim is yours now.
He could say such things to Lee An because she was not the type to become arrogant, no matter the praise.
Lee An’s eyes wavered. It was likely the first time in her life she had heard such words.
— This is far too burdensome. How much are you planning to sell this Murim for?
Hearing her crack a joke, he felt her tension ease. Lee An looked at Geom Mu-geuk and nodded. Her eyes said it all.
‘Yes, Young Cult Leader. I will try.’
While the two were conversing via voice transmission, the instructor, Pyo-san, personally paired everyone up for sparring. Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An were made a pair, and as expected, Bang So was paired with Seo Jin.
Geom Mu-geuk was certain.
‘They really do intend to kill her.’
Bang So, the man who had killed Im Hyeon, coincidentally returned today and coincidentally paired up with Seo Jin. Such coincidences did not happen in succession.
If the sparring proceeded like this, Bang So would undoubtedly kill Seo Jin. Unless she used Ghost Arts from the start, Seo Jin’s current martial arts skills were no match for him.
‘Lee An, what will you do?’
He thought she would use some excuse to switch pairs so she could face Bang So herself. Instead, Lee An just stood by and watched.
“The choreographed sparring consists of three stages: attack, block, and counterattack. Newcomers who haven't learned the forms yet, follow the demonstration!” Pyo-san commanded.
The ones giving the demonstration were Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok, the seniors of the White Dragon Unit.
“Start carefully so no one gets hurt!”
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok began their choreographed spar. They blocked sword thrusts at predetermined spots, then thrust back in turn. The blades moved back and forth in a rhythmic dance.
When the two drew close, Yu Gwang whispered, “I feel like something’s going to happen.”
“Shh! Be quiet!”
“I have a bad feeling!”
“Please, just focus!”
At the source of that bad feeling, the choreographed movements were also underway.
Bang So was looking for an opportunity to kill Seo Jin. His plan was to escape the grounds immediately after the deed. The higher-ups would handle the aftermath; the "madman" of the White Dragon Unit would be reported dead, with a fake corpse planted at the bottom of a cliff.
‘Goodbye!’
Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow with his next move, Bang So’s eyes widened in shock. Something was stuck to the back of his hand holding the sword.
The moment he identified what it was, he screamed involuntarily.
“Aaaagh!”
It was a large, vividly colored centipede. It didn't look like an illusion; he could even feel its disgusting, multi-legged texture. He wasn't the type of man to scream at a mere insect, but the appearance was too sudden. Moreover, the moment he saw those toxic colors, his intuition screamed that it was lethally venomous.
In the next instant, his body lunged toward Seo Jin.
‘What is this?!’
His body wouldn't listen. An invisible force was constricting his limbs and shoving him forward.
“Aaaaaah!”
At Bang So’s scream, everyone stopped and looked at him. To the others, it looked like Bang So was charging at Seo Jin while letting out a bizarre, murderous shriek. To any observer, it appeared he had lost his mind as the trauma of his previous "incident" resurfaced.
Swish!
Bang So’s sword grazed Seo Jin’s face. At that exact moment—
Thuck!
Seo Jin’s sword pierced his heart.
When Bang So tried to swing his sword again even after being impaled, Seo Jin pulled her blade out and retreated.
Spurt!
Bang So collapsed, spraying blood in all directions. Until the moment he died, he could not comprehend what had happened. In his fading vision, he saw the centipede on the back of his hand burst with a pop, scattering in a brilliant, five-colored spray. It was a sight only he could see.
Several students screamed. Those far away ran over, while those nearby backed away in horror.
The most shocked person, of course, was Pyo-san. When Bang So first screamed and charged, he thought the man was a genius. Did this guy know how to act so realistically?
But then, he had been pathetically stabbed to death by a novice.
Pyo-san stared at Seo Jin in disbelief. ‘Was she a master capable of killing Bang So in a single move?’
In truth, the centipede on Bang So’s hand was Seo Jin’s Ghost Art. Lee An had sent a voice transmission to Seo Jin before the sparring began.
— Team Leader Seo, can you use a Ghost Art to make that fellow scream?
— Yes, I can.
The Ghost Arts of the Ghost Gate could manifest illusions of insects crawling over a body or even make the target physically feel them. The moment Seo Jin unleashed her Ghost Art, Lee An used Telekinesis to suppress Bang So’s body and hurl him toward Seo Jin’s blade.
Lee An had been confident she could do it, but she hadn't been certain it would work so perfectly. If Geom Mu-geuk hadn't instilled confidence in her, she might not have attempted such a bold move. She had ultimate faith because she knew Geom Mu-geuk was watching.
Startled by the Ghost Art and unable to overcome Lee An’s overwhelming internal energy, Bang So had moved like a puppet and lost his life.
Lee An had turned their own plan against them. They had intended to show an agitated Bang So killing Seo Jin, but instead, it became a situation where Seo Jin was forced to kill a "mad" Bang So in self-defense. The villains had inadvertently provided the perfect stage for her revenge.
“What on earth happened?” Pyo-san asked Seo Jin, pretending to be flustered. In reality, he was genuinely panicking.
“I don't know. He suddenly screamed and lunged at me,” Seo Jin replied.
She didn't even need to act. She had intended to kill him, but now that she actually had, the hand holding her sword was trembling. The wind from his blade as it grazed her face was still vivid. Of course, that close call had been realistically staged by Lee An using Telekinesis.
Seeing her look so shaken, Pyo-san felt a seed of suspicion. ‘No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like she killed him with skill.’
Then why did Bang So die? Bang So was a professional. Regardless, he had to settle the situation.
Pyo-san warned the students sternly. “Everyone, return to your quarters! If anyone speaks a word of this, you will be expelled immediately!”
He dismissed the entire White Dragon Unit. “You, stay,” he commanded, pointing at Seo Jin.
He intended to take her away and lock her up before reporting to Gi Seok. If they decided she had to die, they could frame it as a suicide out of guilt during the investigation. There was still a chance to fix this.
At that moment, Lee An stepped forward.
“I will go as well. I witnessed it from right next to them. My testimony will be more useful than my flustered friend’s.”
Pyo-san was suspicious of Lee An as well. Was it really a coincidence that such a beautiful woman entered the hall right after Seo Jin? “Wait until you are called.”
“I have a question before I leave,” Lee An said, cutting him off. “Why did you pair someone so mentally unstable with a newcomer who just joined?”
Pyo-san’s expression hardened.
“Shouldn't both of them have been paired with someone experienced?” Lee An pushed.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Pyo-san. They had been too distracted by the death to think clearly, but hearing Lee An’s words, the situation felt incredibly strange. Despite her pointing out the glaring flaw in the incident, Pyo-san remained cold.
“Are you suggesting I killed Bang So on purpose?”
The students didn't think that was possible. There was no reason for an instructor to do such a thing.
“Don't you all know that unavoidable accidents have nothing to do with experience?” Pyo-san countered, referring to Instructor Im’s death. He was implying that those destined to die would die, regardless of who they were with. “Now, go back.”
Just as the students were about to turn away, someone shouted.
“There is a white snake tattoo on this man’s chest!”
Pyo-san spun around in shock to find Geom Mu-geuk crouching down, rummaging through the corpse.
“Get your hands off him!”
Geom Mu-geuk jumped back in feigned surprise.
Pyo-san felt a sense of impending ruin. He had only been distracted for a split second; when did that brat get over to the body?
“It’s a coiled white snake!” Lee An spoke up. “Isn't the White Snake Unit the organization that uses a white snake as their symbol?”
At the mention of the White Snake Unit, the students began to murmur. The White Snake Unit was one of the most notorious contract-killing organizations in the Murim.
“Everyone, be quiet!” Pyo-san roared. The composure he had maintained finally shattered. He marched toward Geom Mu-geuk, who backed away with a terrified expression. “Who gave you permission to touch the body? Before the cause of death was even determined, who—!”
“Didn't we all see the cause of death?” Geom Mu-geuk interrupted hesitantly, his face pale with "fright," yet he said everything that needed to be said. He even added a ridiculous observation. “I mean, we are the White Dragons, not the White Snakes, aren't we?”
Pyo-san glared at Geom Mu-geuk and spoke coldly. “Pack your bags and leave the hall immediately! We have no need for someone like you!”
Seo Jin stepped forward. “That is unfair treatment.”
Lee An also protested. It was a situation where she would naturally step in. Yu Gwang, who had shared drinks with them the night before, suddenly found his courage.
“It is unfair!” he shouted.
Pyo-san roared, “The three of you, pack your bags as well!”
Gyo Seok’s face darkened. Yu Gwang had stepped forward before he could stop him. He agonized over whether he should intervene. Yu Gwang shook his head, signaling him to stay back.
‘You idiot! If you do that, I can't just stay silent,’ Gyo Seok thought. He took a step forward, but tried a different approach. “My friends spoke out of turn. Please, forgive them!”
The other students didn't dare move in such a volatile atmosphere. Pyo-san was seething. Everything was becoming a complete mess.
“Everyone, withdraw and wait for disciplinary action.”
At that moment, a man appeared. “What is going on?”
The newcomer was none other than Yeon Baek-jin.
At his appearance, Pyo-san wanted to scream. Instead, he bowed politely and reported, “There was an accident during sparring practice.”
“Again?”
Geom Mu-geuk shouted, “There was a member of the White Snake Unit in the White Dragon Unit!”
Pyo-san had to suppress the urge to plunge a sword into Geom Mu-geuk’s heart right then and there.
Yeon Baek-jin glanced at the corpse. He didn't seem particularly shaken by the mention of the White Snake Unit. His concern was with the survivor. “Who was he sparring with?”
Seo Jin stepped forward. “It was me.”
Yeon Baek-jin looked her over. “Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
He didn't ask anything else. His gaze returned to Pyo-san. “Since the accident occurred during your class, you should be the first to be investigated. Follow me.”
Pyo-san’s expression froze. There was no way Yeon Baek-jin had just happened to be passing by. If so, Bang So’s death made sense.
‘This man helped her.’
It was a logical misunderstanding. Yeon Baek-jin, walking ahead, looked back at the instructor. “Do you intend to refuse my order?”
“No, sir.”
Pyo-san quietly followed. As they walked past the students, Yeon Baek-jin’s gaze briefly flickered toward Seo Jin. Pyo-san, following behind, glared only at Geom Mu-geuk.
‘That brat blew this out of proportion!’
Geom Mu-geuk’s act of avoiding his gaze while pretending to be scared was even more infuriating. ‘Just you wait!’
The two left, and martial artists appearing to be Yeon Baek-jin’s subordinates arrived to collect the body.
“See? Didn't I tell you? I knew something was going to happen!” Yu Gwang whispered. Gyo Seok forcibly dragged him away, his head throbbing at the thought of Yu Gwang’s conspiracy theories getting even worse.
The students scattered, leaving only the three of them behind. Lee An spoke cautiously to Geom Mu-geuk.
“This was the best I could do. With my poor imagination, I couldn't think of any other way to handle the man who came to kill Team Leader Seo.”
Seo Jin looked at Lee An with deep gratitude. “I lived thanks to that imagination.”
“It was also the first moment the Ghost Shadow Squad worked together to defeat an enemy,” Lee An added.
The two women looked at each other and smiled.
This was the life Geom Mu-geuk had wanted for Seo Jin—to live in this Murim with a smile, alongside a good person like Lee An. It was the reason he had traveled all this way.
“What will you do now?” Geom Mu-geuk asked.
Lee An pondered for a moment. “Didn't we just learn it in the choreographed spar? Attack, block, and counterattack. Since we’ve blocked the attack...”
Lee An looked toward the central buildings of the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall in the distance.
“Now it’s time to counterattack.”