Chapter 692: Aren't You All Just That Foolish?
Chapter 692: Aren't You All Just That Foolish?
After bidding farewell to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master, An Hu-pyeong stepped outside and finally voiced the invitation he had been holding back.
"Now then, why don't we head to my quarters for a drink?"
He had only endured those meaningless pleasantries with the Pavilion Master for the sake of saying this to Lee An.
He had already sent word ahead, so fine wine and delicacies would be waiting. If he summoned a musician to play some atmospheric melodies, there was no way she wouldn't be charmed.
An Hu-pyeong took it for granted that Lee An would agree. Since he had introduced her to the judge, he assumed she would be eager to stay on his good side.
"Perhaps another time," Lee An replied, cutting him off flatly.
"If you dislike alcohol, then perhaps a cup of tea..."
"Another time."
An Hu-pyeong was flustered; no woman had ever rejected him so overtly. Had it been anyone else, he would have exploded in a fit of rage, but not this time. Not only was she a demonic practitioner, but he was truly infatuated with her. He still wanted to make a good impression.
As he stood there, unsure of how to react, Lee An stepped closer. A pleasant scent wafted from her as she approached. He was thrilled when she leaned in to whisper so that only he could hear.
"The next time we meet, tell me the real reason you’re holding this tournament. I can't stand it when my curiosity goes unsatisfied."
With those words, Lee An gave a light bow and walked away. Geom Mu-geuk followed silently behind her.
That bastard! I really want to beat the hell out of him!
His misplaced resentment shifted toward the innocent Geom Mu-geuk, but the fire died out before it could even flare up as the pair vanished from his sight.
The only person left with him was Sa Chu. Sa Chu was standing in a daze, staring toward the guest hall. Wondering what he was looking at, An Hu-pyeong followed his gaze. The Faceless Guests were looking back at them from a window.
"What? Do you owe them money or something?"
Startled out of his trance, Sa Chu snapped to attention. "No, sir."
"Then why are you staring like that?"
In truth, Sa Chu was recalling the incident in the courtyard. When he had woken up from his faint, one of the Faceless Guests had reached out a hand to him. He had felt as though he would die if he didn't take it, so he had grabbed the hand and stood up.
Now, I’ve truly joined hands with them.
If before he had kept his mouth shut out of fear, he now felt as if he were truly on their side. The feeling that he had to protect their secrets even more fiercely was an added bonus.
"What's wrong with you lately? Are you getting worked up because you saw a pretty woman for the first time in a while?"
"No, sir."
He wished that were the case. Right now, women were the last thing on Sa Chu's mind. As the only person who knew that Teacher Yong had been killed by them, he was in the midst of a silent life-or-death struggle.
"But where are you going, Young Master?"
"To see my father."
Judging by the atmosphere, An Hu-pyeong looked ready to demand answers from the Guild Master. He wanted to know exactly why the tournament was being held—all so he could tell Lee An the reason. He was acting like a man truly possessed.
"You mustn't. The Guild Master will be furious!"
When Sa Chu blocked his path, An Hu-pyeong barked at him, "Have you lost your mind?"
Sa Chu hurriedly stepped aside. His behavior was certainly out of character.
"What's gotten into you? Since when did you start worrying about me?"
It was true; Sa Chu had always just followed An Hu-pyeong around to protect him. No matter what the Young Master did or what nonsense he spouted, Sa Chu had simply acted as his guard. But without realizing it, he was becoming deeply involved in An Hu-pyeong’s affairs. He had never been the protagonist of his own life, yet he felt a strange urge to keep stepping forward.
"I apologize."
With that, An Hu-pyeong headed to the main hall to find his father.
Contrary to Sa Chu's fears, An Cheong-gwang did not get angry.
"Were you truly that curious?"
An Hu-pyeong was inwardly taken aback by his father’s calm question. He had expected his father to roar at him, asking if he hadn't already been told it was none of his business. He had come prepared to face a thunderous scolding.
"Yes. I heard you changed the judge at the last minute."
An Cheong-gwang answered calmly. "There were circumstances."
Furthermore, An Cheong-gwang had a good idea of why his son was taking an interest in this matter.
"It is not what you think, so do not worry yourself over useless things."
The father he knew was never one to offer such explanations. Usually, he would have already been screaming about how he’d told him not to interfere. An Hu-pyeong had even come prepared to be struck. If that had happened, he felt he would have had something to say to Lee An—that he had gone to such lengths for her. He was enjoying this pure emotion he was feeling for the first time in a long while—perhaps ever.
But his father was treating him with composure. It was disconcerting.
"I will tell you the rest of the story later."
An Hu-pyeong was moved by the gentle look in his father's eyes. His father had never spoken to him so kindly before. He had always looked at him with pathetic disappointment. At least for this moment, he forgot about Lee An. Even though he hadn't heard the words he wanted to tell her, it was alright.
"Thank you for telling me."
An Hu-pyeong bowed politely and left. As he watched his son’s retreating back, the gentleness vanished from An Cheong-gwang’s face.
To think he would back down so easily just because I softened my tone. To be moved so simply.
He couldn't help but sigh, looking at a son who wore his heart so plainly on his sleeve. Just then, a woman's voice drifted from behind him.
"A man in love can never hide his true feelings."
The person who appeared soundlessly was Cha Yi-ran. An Cheong-gwang looked at her with a steady gaze.
"The same goes for you."
When he first learned that the Young Cult Leader was involved, he had cursed her as a madwoman. Now, he had finally calmed his mind.
"You are also failing to hide the fact that you are hiding something from me. What is it that you are so obsessed with?"
Instead of answering, Cha Yi-ran smiled and asked, "Do you regret joining hands with me?"
That wasn't it. One night, he had opened his eyes to find her looking down at him. If she had intended to kill him, he would already be dead. She had looked down at him and said:
— If you refuse my proposal, I will go to the Black Heaven Sect.
The Black Heaven Sect was the largest and strongest sect in Anhui. An Cheong-gwang had built the Sinhwa Guild into a great power, but he had never been able to surpass the Black Heaven Sect. He simply couldn't win. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't achieve what the Black Heaven Sect Leader had. He felt the difference in their innate talent and capacity. The Black Heaven Sect Leader was a wall—an indestructible wall.
In response to her words, An Cheong-gwang had said:
— Do not go.
The woman's proposal was truly astounding. The plan was for the Sinhwa Guild to host the World's Greatest Beauty Tournament and invite the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader. Then, they would eliminate the Alliance Leader and frame the Black Heaven Sect Leader for the crime.
He hadn't deliberated long before accepting. He had lived his life by any means necessary, and his dream was to crush the Black Heaven Sect and become the number one sect in Anhui—and eventually, the greatest in the entire Unorthodox Path.
And above all, if he refused, this woman would have gone to the Black Heaven Sect and made the same offer. No, she wouldn't have even gone to the Black Heaven Sect. She had come to him knowing he would accept. She had come because she smelled the scent of the ambition he had nurtured for so long.
"Do not touch the Young Cult Leader."
"You accepted the task of killing the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, so what are you afraid of now?"
At first glance, he thought the Young Cult Leader's involvement might actually be a good thing. People would assume the Demonic Cult was involved in the Alliance Leader's death. In that chaos, the fact that he had helped would be buried forever.
Except for one possibility. What if the Young Cult Leader died?
Would the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult truly leave those involved alone? Wouldn't an order be issued to kill everyone connected, regardless of guilt? If it was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult he knew, they certainly would. They would destroy the Sinhwa Guild simply for the fact that they had hosted the tournament.
"Killing the Young Cult Leader is absolutely out of the question."
"I'm not going to kill him."
"It must not happen!"
In response to his repeated warnings, Cha Yi-ran left a spiteful remark before vanishing from his sight.
"You keep saying that, and it makes me actually want to kill him."
*
Cha Yi-ran stood alone in a field under the bright, full moon. The grass swaying in the wind felt as if it were breathing. Parting that breath, a man walked toward her from the distance.
He was a man who had dressed himself up to the nines. Expensive clothes, accessories, and even a folding fan painted with a portrait of a beauty. Furthermore, his face was covered in thick makeup—the white powder was so excessive it seemed like a bizarre form of self-expression. Because of it, his true face was impossible to discern.
The man fanned himself gently as he walked up to her.
"It's been a while, friend."
Cha Yi-ran looked surprised by the man's greeting. "I didn't expect you to bring it yourself."
"I said I'd deliver it. I wanted to see your face."
The man's name was Hwa Do-myeong. The two, who seemed like they would never get along, shared a relationship akin to friendship. Surprisingly, they communicated well. Perhaps that was why Cha Yi-ran’s expression was more relaxed than usual.
"You didn't come to see me; you came to see the Young Cult Leader."
Hwa Do-myeong admitted it readily. "An event this entertaining only happens once in a lifetime. Are you really going to kill the Young Cult Leader too?"
An Cheong-gwang’s intuition had been correct. Her promise not to kill the Young Cult Leader had been a lie.
"The Alliance Leader and the Young Cult Leader. Isn't that a bit much for you to handle alone?"
"You're the one who gave the order knowing that, aren't you?"
"That sounds like you're saying I'm the one who gave the order."
"At the very least, you could have stopped it."
Hwa Do-myeong fanned himself rapidly as if feigning ignorance. "As you know, things are complicated on this side as well."
Cha Yi-ran looked as if she had no desire to understand. "You met the Young Cult Leader, didn't you?"
When she nodded, Hwa Do-myeong asked quickly, "How was he? Is he really as incredible as the rumors say?"
"If you're curious, go meet him yourself."
"I'm not curious enough to risk my life. I'm strictly here as a messenger and a spectator."
"So there are people even you fear."
At that, Hwa Do-myeong mentioned someone unexpected. "You haven't heard the story, have you? When Ak Gun-hak returned..."
At the mention of the First King and Sword King, Cha Yi-ran’s eyes flickered. Among all their allies, Ak Gun-hak was the only person Cha Yi-ran felt any affinity for. She always emphasized that it wasn't romantic, but rather a respect for him as a martial artist and a human being. And Hwa Do-myeong was the only one who knew that.
"The higher-ups interrogated him. Why did he return without killing the Young Cult Leader? Do you know what he said in response?"
"What did he say?"
"He said this." He cleared his throat and mimicked Ak Gun-hak’s voice. "It wasn't that I spared him. The Young Cult Leader spared me."
Cha Yi-ran’s eyes widened. "That's impossible."
She looked as if she couldn't believe it. It was unimaginable to her that the Ak Gun-hak she knew could lose to anyone.
"Right? With his skill, there's no way he lost to the Young Cult Leader. But he really said it. I was there."
Cha Yi-ran thought of the Young Cult Leader. Since she hadn't had a proper conversation with Geom Mu-geuk yet, she didn't know what kind of person he was. She knew he was strong, but still... that he had spared that Ak Gun-hak? It was unbelievable.
"There must have been a reason."
"That's not the only shocking news."
For Cha Yi-ran, the next words were even more startling.
"Ak Gun-hak declared right then and there that he was leaving the organization. It was truly something. He said that since he brought the Secret Casket, he had repaid all his debts to you."
Cha Yi-ran’s expression shifted through various emotions. Her first thought was: That sounds like him. She understood his resolve. Then: If even he leaves, only trash like us will remain. She felt a sense of self-loathing. Then: The higher-ups wouldn't have allowed it. She felt doubt.
Hwa Do-myeong watched in silence as her emotions shifted rapidly and complexly, unlike her usual self. It was a moment that reconfirmed that Ak Gun-hak was the only person capable of shaking her.
"Why do you think that? Do you think we are foolish enough to make an enemy of Ak Gun-hak?"
Cha Yi-ran nodded. "Aren't you all just that foolish?"
Hwa Do-myeong laughed out loud at her words. But Cha Yi-ran did not laugh. It was a problem if Ak Gun-hak left safely, and it was a problem if the organization tried to hold onto him. Perhaps an order would be issued for her to kill him.
Hwa Do-myeong pulled something from his robes. "Still, we aren't complete idiots. We finally managed to create this."
What he pulled out was a small box.
"Is this the turning point?"
He held the box out to Cha Yi-ran and asked, "Are you confident?"
"And if I'm not?"
"Then I'll do it instead."
Beneath the thick makeup, Hwa Do-myeong’s gaze turned cold and heavy. He felt like a completely different person from the one who had been fanning himself so airily.
Cha Yi-ran quietly took the box. "If you came to watch, then just watch. The Young Cult Leader will die by my hand."
"If you say so, then that's how it will be."
Hwa Do-myeong turned to leave. "I'll be watching closely!"
Hwa Do-myeong walked away with a light step, laughing and fanning himself. Watching his retreating figure in the distance, Cha Yi-ran slowly opened the box.
Inside the box lay a single red bead.