Chapter 706: If You Die at the Hands of the Handsome Young Cult Leader
Chapter 706: If You Die at the Hands of the Handsome Young Cult Leader
"Warrior Lee."
At the call of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master, Lee An—who had been stationed by the door monitoring the hallway—turned her head.
"Please, get some rest."
Ever since receiving the mission to protect her, Lee An had not allowed her focus to waver for a single second. She had secured the windows, inspected the ceiling and walls, and constantly listened for any presence outside. She repeated this cycle tirelessly.
Lee An pressed her ear to the door once more before speaking.
"There is a saying among escort warriors: disaster strikes the moment you look away."
Only after checking the perimeter one last time did she fully face the Pavilion Master.
"I am fine, Pavilion Master."
"Being an escort is truly no easy task."
"Thank you for your concern."
Lee An felt a sense of peace when she was with the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master. When they first met, Lee An had been suffering from the debilitating side effects of a technique. Since then, the Pavilion Master had always looked upon her with such kindness that she felt more like an older sister or a close friend than a client.
That was why Lee An was even more meticulous in her duties. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her simply because she had been too tired to stay vigilant.
"Do not worry. After all, I was once the personal bodyguard to the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult…"
In that instant, Lee An’s instincts screamed.
She spun around with explosive speed and drew her sword.
Shweeeeeeek!
Her blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the air.
Slide, thud! Thud-thud!
The door was sliced into a perfect cross and collapsed inward. However, there was no one standing behind the fallen wood.
"Come out."
At Lee An’s command, a figure emerged from the wall beside the door frame.
Chrararack.
A fan decorated with a painting of a beautiful woman snapped open. The person fanned it gently, as if waving a white flag of surrender. The man who poked his face out was none other than Hwa Do-myeong. He greeted Lee An warmly, as if they were old acquaintances.
"Warrior Lee, congratulations on making it to the finals!"
His makeup was applied so absurdly thick that it was impossible to discern his true features or his current expression. However, one thing was certain.
He is no ordinary master.
When she had sliced the door, he had definitely been standing directly behind it. He had evaded her strike in that split second. The fact that she couldn't gauge the depths of his strength meant he was certainly not inferior to her.
"Of course, the tournament was turned upside down because you people turned everything else upside down first."
Hwa Do-myeong inspected the clean-cut edges of the door lying on the floor.
"To reach such a realm at your age... truly impressive."
He walked inside, fanning himself nonchalantly. Lee An slowly backed away, focusing all her senses on her sword and her opponent.
"With those looks and that level of skill… you have every right to be arrogant. Marvelous!"
He folded the fan and tapped it repeatedly against his palm as if applauding.
Lee An reached into her robe and popped a small object into her mouth. It was a Poison-Repelling Pearl. She was preparing for the possibility that he might release a toxin through the movement of his fan.
In a crisis like this, an escort does not check on their charge first. If the protector falls, the protected inevitably follows. She had to secure herself first.
Only then did she use her free hand to signal the Pavilion Master behind her back. Since the opponent might exploit the moment she spoke to launch a surprise attack, she used silent hand signals instead.
The Pavilion Master followed suit, placing a Poison-Repelling Pearl that Lee An had provided earlier into her mouth.
Seeing this, Hwa Do-myeong waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry. I don’t use poison. I’m not exactly the meticulous type. I’m so clumsy I’d probably end up poisoning myself first."
Lee An, listening intently, asked curtly, "Who are you?"
Since the opponent was maintaining a veneer of courtesy, Lee An responded with basic politeness.
"Let’s just say I’m a messenger for today. Or perhaps a well-wisher."
"You’ve already offered your congratulations. State your business."
"Before that, let’s put the sword down. Just looking at the edge of a blade makes my stomach churn."
Lee An did not lower her weapon. It would have been nice to match his relaxed demeanor, but he was not an opponent she could afford to underestimate.
Then, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master spoke calmly from behind her.
"Are you the one who called me here?"
She was asking if he was the shadow behind her summons as a judge for the tournament. She had a hunch that this strange man had been looking for her specifically.
As expected, her guess was correct.
"You could say it’s something like that."
The Pavilion Master looked at him, then walked to the table in the center of the room and sat down.
"Sit."
She then looked at Lee An.
"It’s alright, Warrior Lee."
Normally, Lee An would have blocked this mysterious man from getting anywhere near her charge, but she sensed that the Pavilion Master had a specific reason for acting so boldly. Lee An stepped back, allowing Hwa Do-myeong to take a seat.
Once seated, Hwa Do-myeong stared intently at the Pavilion Master.
"I hear you see things that we cannot," he said.
The Pavilion Master did not answer, merely meeting his gaze.
"Do you see anything on me?"
After staring at him for a long moment, the Pavilion Master shook her head.
"I see nothing."
Whether that was the truth was something only she knew.
This time, the Pavilion Master asked, "Why did you seek me out?"
"I have a message to deliver."
"Go ahead."
His eyes, hidden behind the thick makeup, suddenly turned cold and sunken. With just a shift in his gaze, the man who had seemed lighthearted moments ago now felt like a completely different person.
Chwaaaaak.
Hwa Do-myeong spread his fan, completely concealing his face. From behind it, a voice that was not his own—cold, eerie, and hollow—flowed out. It was a voice so natural that one might think it was his true voice, rather than an imitation.
"The Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader must die. If this fate is defied, the Murim will be destroyed."
The Pavilion Master’s eyes widened in shock. Lee An, listening from the side, was equally stunned.
The moment the startling message ended, the fan fluttered lightly.
Ssssss.
His figure vanished abruptly, as if a ghost had dissipated into thin air. Lee An surged her qi and searched the surroundings, but Hwa Do-myeong was already gone.
"Are you alright?"
At Lee An’s question, the Pavilion Master nodded and stood up.
"I must see the Young Cult Leader immediately."
*
"The Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader must die?"
Having heard the report, Geom Mu-geuk looked at the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon standing beside him. The Smiling Demon returned the gaze with an equally shocked expression.
The even more shocking part followed.
"He said that if that fate is defied, the Murim will be destroyed."
The one relaying the message was Lee An. The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master remained silent, lost in deep thought.
"What kind of man was he?" Mu-geuk asked.
Lee An described him. His characteristics were so distinct that he was easy to identify.
"He was a man, but he wore heavy makeup and flamboyant clothes with many ornaments. He carried a fan painted with a beauty, and his stealth and movement techniques were incredible. I couldn't even fathom the depth of his cultivation."
Mu-geuk looked at the Smiling Demon. Seeing the questioning look, the Smiling Demon shook his head.
Mu-geuk didn't recognize the figure from his life before the regression either. This meant the man was at least not one of the other Twelve Zodiac Kings. For someone with such skill and distinct traits to be unknown meant he was either someone who hadn't been active on the front lines of the Murim, or he had died before the era of the Twelve Zodiac Kings truly began.
Regardless, one thing was certain.
"It seems the reason they targeted the Alliance Leader is related to the message that man left behind."
The Smiling Demon and Lee An nodded in agreement. Then, the Pavilion Master spoke up.
"What he said was a prophecy."
She revealed a startling fact.
"The moment I heard it, I knew. I felt it in my soul that those words were a prophecy."
There was something only she could sense. Naturally, a question arose.
"Is there anyone else in this era besides you, Pavilion Master, who can make prophecies?"
At Mu-geuk’s question, she nodded.
"The Palace Master was capable of delivering prophecies. Since I left the Palace long ago, I do not know who holds that power now."
Mu-geuk could guess from her words that she was the one who was originally meant to become the next Palace Master. She had rejected the fate laid out for her and fled. Furthermore, another fact became clear: the reason she had been invited as a judge for this tournament was directly related to the prophecy the man had delivered.
The Pavilion Master looked at Mu-geuk with worried eyes. Her heart was heavy because she knew Mu-geuk and the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader maintained a good relationship. If the man’s words were truly a prophecy, then that fate would surely come to pass.
Though he read her anxiety, Mu-geuk maintained a relaxed smile.
"It’s alright. It’s not that I don’t believe your intuition, Pavilion Master, but I believe I can change it. If I couldn't change fate, wasn't I destined to have my chest pierced by the Smiling Demon’s dagger anyway?"
Mu-geuk could still feel the lingering worry behind the Pavilion Master’s forced smile. To her, these prophecies had always come true. That was why she was so concerned.
But Mu-geuk believed in something else. If prophecy charts the path, it is man who walks it.
I will find another way.
Mu-geuk left the room to meet a certain person.
"I must see the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader."
*
In a manor not far from the Sinhwa Guild, assassins of the Beauty Cult stood guard in all directions.
Cha Yi-ran was alone in a room. She sat silently, staring at a box containing pearls placed on the table. Mu-geuk’s words echoed in her mind.
— Since the leader came in person, I can’t exactly let your subordinates go without letting you save some face, can I?
She had certainly saved face in the eyes of her subordinates. To some, that might seem trivial, but to her, it was significant. She had become the leader who brought them out of the Smiling Demon’s den alive.
— If you fight by taking hostage the one thing your opponent can never give up, wouldn't that make for a very dull life?
She toyed with the box as she recalled his words. As her thoughts deepened, a voice interrupted her.
"Wasn't it 'The Heartless Assassin'?"
Hwa Do-myeong was standing by the door, having entered unnoticed.
"Assassins are supposed to be heartless. Sentimental assassins tend to die young."
Hwa Do-myeong walked over and sat across from her.
"What did the Young Cult Leader demand in exchange for releasing your subordinates?"
Cha Yi-ran replied, still looking down at the box.
"He told me to be sure to kill any rude person who enters a room without the owner’s permission."
Hwa Do-myeong spread his fan, covering his face.
"Don’t forget, I’m an observer, not an enemy."
The moment he appeared before the Pavilion Master, he had ceased being an observer and became an actor on the stage. Yet, before her, he still claimed to be a mere spectator.
"I asked what he demanded for releasing your subordinates."
When she still didn't answer, Hwa Do-myeong guessed.
"Did he ask for the pearls? Or what? To give up on killing the Alliance Leader? Or did he want to know who is pulling your strings?"
Still staring at the box, Cha Yi-ran answered.
"He didn't demand anything."
Hwa Do-myeong could tell from her expression that she was telling the truth. Scorn preceded his surprise.
"He’s playing with you. The Young Cult Leader is an arrogant man."
"Shouldn't I be grateful he’s playing along?"
"What?"
"If he wasn't, everyone would have died there."
A brief silence followed, and Hwa Do-myeong began fanning her as if to flatter her.
"You’re not someone who dies easily, are you?"
"The moment that Young Cult Leader, who had been talking nonsense, placed his hand on his sword hilt… that thought crossed my mind. 'Ah, I might actually die here.'"
"Were you scared?"
She shook her head, her gaze fixed on the box.
"If I die at the hands of that handsome Young Cult Leader, I wonder if a handsome reaper will be the one to push me into the pits of hell?"
Hwa Do-myeong laughed. "Then let me be the one to kill you."
Cha Yi-ran looked up and stared at him.
"Not now," Hwa Do-myeong said, avoiding her gaze. He turned his body to the side, fanning himself gently. Then, without looking at her, he asked abruptly, "When will you do it?"
The timing that would change everyone’s fate flowed from Cha Yi-ran’s lips.
"Tomorrow."
Hwa Do-myeong stood up. "I’d better sleep early tonight if I want to see a good show tomorrow."
Then Cha Yi-ran asked, "That man, Ak Gun-hak… where is he now?"
Hwa Do-myeong’s eyes darkened. "Why do you ask?"
"I thought I might try confessing to him before I die."
"Before who dies? You? Or Ak Gun-hak?"
"Who do you think will die sooner?"
Silence fell between the two. Eventually, Hwa Do-myeong turned away.
"Confessions don't suit you. An assassin only finds misery when they fall in love."
The moment Cha Yi-ran lightly bit her red lip, both of their gazes snapped toward the wall simultaneously. An immense, crushing presence was felt from far beyond the manor.
In the next instant—
Chwaaaaak!
Spreading his fan, Hwa Do-myeong vanished instantly.
Cha Yi-ran snatched the box of pearls from the table. Turning her back to the wall, she surged her Body Protection Qi to its limit.
KWA-AAAANG!
With an ear-splitting explosion, an entire wall was blown to smithereens. A massive storm of Gang Qi swept through the room.
KWA-AAAAAAAAAAAA!
Everything was pulverized by the sheer force. When the rising dust finally settled, the room she had been in was completely gone; nothing remained but rubble.
Only Cha Yi-ran stood there, her back still turned to the intruder.
"It was a new outfit, and I’ve ruined it again."
She slowly turned around. In the distance, a man in black martial robes was walking toward her. It was the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, Baek Ja-gang.
It wasn't a surprise attack. He had announced his arrival with his aura beforehand; this was his greeting.
The 1st Gyo led the assassins, flying in to block his path. Baek Ja-gang warned in a low voice.
"That boy went to the trouble of sparing you. Do not make me kill you with my own hands."
Cha Yi-ran could feel the killing intent. Baek Ja-gang intended to slaughter anyone who stood in his way.
Cha Yi-ran commanded the 1st Gyo.
"Fall back."
The 1st Gyo hesitated for a split second but soon obeyed. The Alliance Leader was not an opponent they could stop.
Baek Ja-gang strode forward until he was standing directly in front of her.
"I will ask you now."
Baek Ja-gang’s sharp gaze pierced through her like a blade.
"I will not ask twice."