Chapter 703: If You Don't Answer After Being Asked Twice
Chapter 703: If You Don't Answer After Being Asked Twice
The 17th Gyo’s footsteps slowed.
The Faceless Guest followed behind her, oblivious to the turmoil raging within her.
If there was anyone she wanted to save, it was this particular Faceless Guest. But she couldn't. Her speech acupoint had been struck, leaving her mute, and even if she could find her voice, attempting to warn him would surely cost her her own life.
Her entire life had been spent contemplating how to kill others. Thus, the desire to save someone felt utterly foreign—it was a first.
Just then, the Faceless Guest nudged her back. Her pace had slowed too much as she sank deeper into her thoughts.
The 17th Gyo looked back.
Though they had shared a carriage for the entire journey, this was the first time their eyes had truly met. Until now, he had done nothing but stare out the window.
She turned back around and resumed walking.
They eventually entered the guest hall. Upon stepping inside, the 17th Gyo flinched. Another Faceless Guest was standing right behind the open door.
And there was yet another by the window, leaning against the wall and surveying the room. The 17th Gyo knew instantly that he was no ordinary Faceless Guest.
His sheer presence was on an entirely different level from the others. That aura naturally brought one name to mind.
‘The Smiling Demon!’
Perhaps it was because of the pristine white mask. The moment she saw the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, she was reminded of a massive white wolf—a lone predator standing amidst a snow-swept plain.
Only then did she truly see her comrades. They were all staring toward her, their expressions frozen in terror.
She finally understood. All twenty assassins of the Beauty Cult, including the 3rd Gyo, had been suppressed. Why hadn't she considered the possibility that they might have already been captured?
At that moment, the Smiling Demon spoke.
"Are you alright?"
For a brief second, the 17th Gyo wondered if he was speaking to her, but a voice answered from behind.
"Yes, I am fine."
The 17th Gyo spun around in shock.
The Faceless Guest who had saved her was answering with a polite fist salute. The Smiling Demon had been asking him if he was okay, seeing as his martial robes were soaked in blood from various wounds.
The 17th Gyo was stunned once more.
‘He can speak!’
Until now, she had assumed the Faceless Guests were mutes—men whose tongues had been pulled out and whose emotions had been erased.
But he even exchanged a nod with the Faceless Guest who had been waiting in the hall. To her amazement, they even shared a small smile.
‘What? They know how to laugh?’
The Faceless Guest led the 17th Gyo to a chair and sat her down. Only then did the reality of their situation sink in. They were captives of the Demonic Cult’s terrifying Smiling Demon and his Faceless Guests.
Her gaze drifted toward her seniors and juniors. Since none of them could open their mouths, they silently exchanged looks. It was then that she noticed it: a single, thin blood thread etched across everyone’s neck.
‘Could it be?’
The 17th Gyo realized it instantly. These were wounds inflicted by a single person.
‘The Smiling Demon did this.’
The Smiling Demon she knew was a man who had nothing to do with saving lives. He was rumored to be the most cruel among all the Demon Lords.
‘Then why hasn't he killed us?’
In the meantime, more carriages arrived one after another. More suppressed assassins disembarked. Every Beauty Cult assassin mobilized for this operation was being brought in.
The Faceless Guests seated the captives in the remaining chairs. The later the assassins arrived, the greater their shock at seeing the sheer number of their captured comrades.
Were we truly such a helpless organization?
They were women who had been confident they could kill any man in the world if they set their minds to it. However, their beauty held no sway over these masked men. It was blocked by those masks, as if they had met their natural antithesis.
Eventually, all the Faceless Guests who had gone out returned, having suppressed every assassin. Looking at the captives, the 3rd Gyo could tell.
‘Everyone except the 1st and 2nd Gyo has been caught.’
It was a relief they weren't killed immediately, but she wasn't naive enough to think the Demonic Cult would simply let them go. Since they had been targeted, Cha Yi-ran and the 1st and 2nd Gyo were likely in danger as well. She worried they might be used as hostages to manipulate Cha Yi-ran.
Her gaze turned toward the carriages parked outside. There was only one hope left.
Whether he received a report that a destroyed carriage had arrived at the Sinhwa Guild’s guest hall or that a fight had broken out between women, she hoped the Sinhwa Guild Master would lead his experts here personally.
No matter how powerful the Smiling Demon was, he wouldn't be able to touch the Sinhwa Guild Master with the tournament only two days away. She prayed he would arrive and change the tide.
But no matter how long they waited, the Sinhwa Guild Master did not come.
*
In the Guild Master’s hall of the Sinhwa Guild, three men sat drinking.
In the center was the Guild Master, An Cheong-gwang, flanked by the Yeomsa Sword and the Iron Cold Blade. These were the two experts who had helped An Cheong-gwang build the Sinhwa Guild into what it was today.
"Only two days left."
Cha Yi-ran had sent word of her plan to kill the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader on the final stage. Originally, the plan was to kill him a few days later at the celebratory banquet, but since the Alliance Leader had arrived early, the schedule had been moved up.
"Do not forget the promise you made us."
At the Yeomsa Sword’s words, An Cheong-gwang nodded.
"Have I ever broken a promise to you two?"
He had, many times. He likely didn't remember, or perhaps he was pretending not to. There was a reason they were demanding confirmation beyond just the promise itself. They knew all too well that An Cheong-gwang’s ambition was a fire that only grew hungrier the more it consumed.
With a man like him, one had to collect what was owed while the opportunity lasted. Otherwise, he would simply "forget" again.
An Cheong-gwang had promised them immense wealth and power. If the plan to assassinate the Alliance Leader and frame the Black Heaven Sect succeeded, the Black Heaven Sect would face total annihilation at the hands of Bi Sa-in, the next Alliance Leader.
In that vacuum, the Sinhwa Guild would rise as the premier power in Anhui, absorbing all the influence the Black Heaven Sect once held. If that happened, becoming the number one guild of the Unorthodox Path was no longer a distant dream.
"Come, let us have a drink."
The three men raised their glasses. Just as the cups clinked with a cheerful sound—
Creeeeak.
The door swung open, and someone stepped inside. The three men jumped to their feet in shock the moment they saw the intruder.
To their utter disbelief, the man who entered was the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, Baek Ja-gang.
If the Alliance Leader had arrived, the guards outside should have announced him. The fact that he had reached this room without a word meant he had come in secret. A sense of foreboding washed over them, but An Cheong-gwang rushed forward with a bright, welcoming expression.
"Welcome, Alliance Leader." An Cheong-gwang bowed politely with a fist salute. "What brings you here without any prior notice?"
Baek Ja-gang stared at his face in silence before abruptly asking, "Why did you do it?"
An Cheong-gwang’s heart skipped a beat. Did the Alliance Leader already know everything? Behind him, a cold shiver ran down the spines of the Yeomsa Sword and the Iron Cold Blade.
"I beg your pardon? What do you mean?"
A heavy silence filled the room. An Cheong-gwang did not look away, maintaining an expression of feigned innocence.
Baek Ja-gang’s narrow eyes crinkled into a smile. "If there was a drinking party, you should have invited me too."
Only then did An Cheong-gwang inwardly heave a sigh of relief.
"I simply didn't want to disturb such a distinguished personage. My apologies, Alliance Leader."
The Yeomsa Sword and the Iron Cold Blade bowed politely. "We greet the Alliance Leader."
Baek Ja-gang looked at them. Then, he repeated the same question he had asked An Cheong-gwang.
"Why did you two do it?"
When the same question was asked again, the Yeomsa Sword and the Iron Cold Blade were inwardly flustered. Their guilty consciences pricked them, but the Yeomsa Sword forced a smile and asked, "What are you referring to?"
Once again, as if it were all a joke, Baek Ja-gang laughed. "You should have greeted me first when I arrived."
"We thought you were busy, so we intended to pay our respects at the banquet. We apologize."
After the greetings, the four men sat around the circular table. An Cheong-gwang poured a drink for Baek Ja-gang.
"Alliance Leader, please, have a drink first."
After receiving the drink, Baek Ja-gang poured for the other three. As he poured the first cup for the Iron Cold Blade, who was sitting to his right, he asked him:
"Didn't I ask why you did it?"
The three men flinched again. They thought that question had been answered and passed off as a joke, but now he was demanding an answer again.
"I don't quite understand..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a sharp wind sliced through the air.
Sshhhk!
Slice!
It was a sound that carried the Iron Cold Blade to a place where his answer would never be heard.
Thump.
The Iron Cold Blade’s head fell onto the table and rolled, coming to a stop right next to the wine bottle.
"Shit!"
With a sharp curse, the Yeomsa Sword kicked his chair back and retreated, while An Cheong-gwang sat frozen, his eyes wide with horror. He never imagined the Alliance Leader would cut down the Iron Cold Blade so suddenly, without warning. And with a single stroke.
Clink.
Baek Ja-gang sheathed the sword he had thrust into the air. Then, as if nothing had happened, he spoke.
"Perhaps I've become more short-tempered lately; my limit seems to be twice. I find I cannot contain myself if someone doesn't answer after I've asked them twice."
Baek Ja-gang picked up the wine bottle and looked at the Yeomsa Sword, who had retreated quite a distance. He was gesturing for him to come and receive a drink.
The Yeomsa Sword knew. Baek Ja-gang had come here knowing everything. He wouldn't have committed such an act otherwise.
‘If I take that drink, I die.’
The terror of death surged over him. He had lived his life dominating the Anhui martial world, fearing nothing. But the moment he realized he was about to die, his entire body began to tremble.
The Yeomsa Sword looked at An Cheong-gwang. An Cheong-gwang sat there in silence. What clever scheme could he possibly have in this situation? He was likely racking his brain for any way to escape this predicament.
The Yeomsa Sword walked back slowly and sat down. He was ready to draw his sword at any moment. Even if he died, he wouldn't go out so pathetically. He received the Alliance Leader’s wine over the blood-soaked table.
Perhaps it was because he thought it might be his last drink, but the wine that had been sweet moments ago now tasted incredibly bitter.
"...The wine is excellent."
Baek Ja-gang asked again. "Why did you do it?"
It was the second time he was being asked. He had to answer. He answered honestly.
"With money and power on the line, was there any reason not to?"
Baek Ja-gang nodded as if he understood. "You knew it was me, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't know that."
The moment he answered, goosebumps broke out on Baek Ja-gang’s arms. Baek Ja-gang stared at him quietly for a moment, then said calmly, "Give me a drink, and then you may go."
The Yeomsa Sword’s eyes widened. He’s letting me live? It was hard to believe, but he had to get out of here first. Whatever lay outside this hell, it couldn't be worse than this.
The Yeomsa Sword poured wine for Baek Ja-gang.
Glug, glug.
At that exact moment!
Flash!
Thrust!
In an instant, Baek Ja-gang’s sword pierced through the air and through the Yeomsa Sword’s heart. Blood trickled down the blade, but the wine from the bottle continued to fill Baek Ja-gang’s cup.
Glug, glug.
Baek Ja-gang finished the drink poured by the dead man and then pulled his sword from the heart.
Thud.
The Yeomsa Sword’s corpse toppled backward. An Cheong-gwang realized then. "Give me a drink and then you may go" didn't mean he could leave the room. It meant he was to leave this world.
Baek Ja-gang didn't waste time. He didn't try to test his opponent. He asked only what needed to be asked.
"Why did you do it?"
It was the second time he was asking An Cheong-gwang. An Cheong-gwang could no longer delay or gauge the situation.
"I wanted to take over the Anhui martial world, and then the entire Unorthodox Faction. The dream you once had—I had it too."
An Cheong-gwang stood up and walked toward the Grand Tutor’s chair at the back, recounting the day Cha Yi-ran had visited him. Though he moved, Baek Ja-gang simply listened.
"...If I hadn't accepted their proposal, they would have gone to the Black Heaven Sect. Then it would have been our Sinhwa Guild framed for the crime."
He spoke as if he were a victim, but it didn't work on Baek Ja-gang.
"That wouldn't have happened. The Black Heaven Sect Leader is a man loyal to me. They wouldn't have even approached him in the first place."
Trust for the Black Heaven Sect Leader and contempt for An Cheong-gwang flowed from him simultaneously.
"Temptation always chooses the easier path."
An Cheong-gwang’s face contorted as he sat in the Grand Tutor’s chair, and he let out a desperate roar. "You are far too arrogant!"
The moment An Cheong-gwang manipulated the armrest of the chair—
Rumble.
The walls around where Baek Ja-gang sat rotated, revealing hundreds of small holes. The ceiling opened as well, revealing hundreds more. It was a mechanical trap he had installed for such a crisis. A mechanism built in secret over a long time and at a massive cost.
Baek Ja-gang recognized the device.
"The Death Ten Thousand Needles Trap. A very fine mechanism. Did you know? It was created by a technician from my own Alliance."
The Alliance Leader's composure infuriated him, but An Cheong-gwang trusted this trap. He trusted the money and time invested in it.
"Stop pretending to be so calm! Even you won't survive this."
He had never intended to use this trap on Baek Ja-gang. He had planned to save it for Cha Yi-ran, should she betray him.
"Dammit!"
Even if the Alliance Leader died here and he escaped through the secret passage behind the chair, he would have to spend the rest of his life in hiding, changing his identity and face.
"You weren't supposed to die here."
The Black Heaven Sect was supposed to be the one to kill him.
"How could you not wait just two days and shatter my dream like this!"
Despite the hundreds of hidden weapon ports aimed at him, Baek Ja-gang remained completely unfazed.
"If you had used the money spent on this trap to grow the Sinhwa Guild, you might have achieved your dream. You simply chose the easy way."
In that moment, An Cheong-gwang could no longer contain himself and triggered the mechanism.
Click!
But the trap did not fire.
Click, click!
No matter how many times he pressed the trigger, there was only the sound of metal clicking; the trap did not attack.
Baek Ja-gang stood up and said leisurely, "I knew exactly what was in your heart. Do you think my guards would have let me come in here alone?"
His guards had already infiltrated the walls and roof beforehand to disable the mechanism.
"Dammit!"
An Cheong-gwang bolted upright. Should he flee through the secret passage? Or should he launch an attack? Before he could decide, a flash of light cut through the split-second gap.
Whoosh!
Splurt!
A blue sword qi, flying like a bolt of lightning, pierced through his chest. He couldn't even leap away before he collapsed back into the Grand Tutor’s chair.
Thud.
He looked down at the gaping hole in his chest and coughed up a torrent of blood. It was all so hollow. It had taken less than fifteen minutes to make the choice to join hands with Cha Yi-ran. That one decision had changed everything.
Life is long, but decisions are always made in an instant. What would have happened if he had refused back then?
Baek Ja-gang turned to walk away and said, "Dream your dream in the next life."
Then, An Cheong-gwang’s voice drifted from behind him.
"...That woman said something."
Baek Ja-gang stopped and looked back at the dying man. Words he truly hadn't expected spilled from An Cheong-gwang’s mouth along with the blood.
"...She said that only if you die will the Murim not be destroyed."
With those final words, An Cheong-gwang’s head slumped forward.
For the first time since entering the room, Baek Ja-gang’s small eyes narrowed into sharp points, gleaming with intensity. He hadn't felt a single shiver while hearing those words, which meant she truly meant what she said.
If I stay alive, the Murim will be destroyed?