Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Inevitability Disguised as Coincidence (4)
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“There was something I wanted.”
It was a peculiar statement. So Yeonsim tilted her head.
“Does that mean you've had a change of heart?”
“Hmm.”
Seo Ryang stroked his chin for a moment, then nodded.
“To be honest, I was debating it, but I've decided to drop it.”
“So, you’re saying you intended to gain something in exchange for giving me the secret martial arts manual, but now you’ve decided against it.”
“That is correct.”
“Are you saying you'll give me this precious manual for free?”
“Yes.”
So Yeonsim spoke, unable to comprehend.
“Why are you showing me such kindness?”
“Well… this is rather complicated to explain.”
Seo Ryang scratched his head. His expression was a mixture of awkwardness, relief, and a hint of lingering regret.
Even in her surprise, So Yeonsim didn't miss his expression, nor the sincerity it held.
After a moment of thought, Seo Ryang asked.
“About the person afflicted with qi deviation.”
“Yes.”
“You must be trying to obtain the Four-Leaf Clover Herb because that person is precious to you, Lord of the Garden, correct?”
So Yeonsim didn't answer. It was a silent affirmation.
“Well, if they had harmed me or were someone anyone would consider trash, I wouldn't be doing this, but you're not that kind of person, are you, my Lord?”
“What do you mean by that….”
“If I didn't know, it would be one thing, but now that I do, I don't want to bargain with someone's life.”
“……!”
“It feels like I'm taking a bit of a loss, but as I said, I've left out the core secrets anyway. So…”
Seo Ryang smacked his lips.
“Well, I wish for your precious person's speedy recovery.”
“……”
So Yeonsim's face flushed with bewilderment. She couldn't tell if she was conversing with the Third Young Master of the Divine Cult or a soft-hearted rookie merchant.
Seo Ryang sighed inwardly.
‘Damn it, what kind of foolishness is this?’
The human heart is a strange thing. Even when reason says you shouldn't, if your heart feels uneasy, you find yourself hesitating.
This was one of those times.
He had lived his entire life as an assassin and died with nothing to show for it. Naturally, he despised his profession to the very bone.
His life was more important to him than anyone else's, but that didn't mean he wanted to destroy the lives of others. He wanted to be an individualist, not a selfish person.
That was the decisive reason he hated being an assassin. He had to extend his own life by harming people he didn't even know, let alone hold a grudge against.
One such experience was enough. Unless he himself was in immediate danger, he had no desire to play games with the lives of nameless strangers.
‘It would just weigh on my conscience anyway.’
Better to follow my heart, even if it feels like a loss now, than to be tormented by a nagging feeling that pops up unexpectedly.
“Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“Are you being serious?”
“On a fine, moonlit night with drinks laid out, do you really think I'd spin a lie that's bound to be exposed?”
So Yeonsim spoke, her face a mask of disbelief.
“You’re showing me this kindness because you feel bad?”
“Honestly, that’s what I said.”
“If you didn't like the deal, couldn't you have just not made the deal at all?”
“……Huh?”
For a moment, Seo Ryang’s face went blank.
Seeing his expression, So Yeonsim couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
“Uh… well, that's true, but…”
“……”
“You’re right. That's true.”
Staring sullenly at his cup, Seo Ryang let out a sound like, “Ah, screw it!” and drained it in one go.
“Hah, forget it. Just take it.”
“Because you feel bad? But Young Master, you’ve never even seen this person.”
“It’s a world where people kill those they’ve never seen. What’s wrong with saving one?”
He wasn't wrong, but she never imagined such words would come from the mouth of the Third Young Master, a man known as a tyrant.
Seo Ryang grinned.
“Besides, thanks to you, my Lord, my mood has improved quite a bit.”
“Your mood has improved?”
“I never expected you to be meeting with that fellow. It was refreshing to land a punch on the face of a guy who was sharpening his dagger behind my back.”
So Yeonsim’s expression hardened.
It was common in the Demonic Sect for succession candidates to engage in bloody, clandestine struggles. No, it was likely the same anywhere in the world.
But no candidate with any sense would speak of it so openly. Such words could easily circulate and return as an arrow aimed at oneself.
In the previous meeting, it could have been dismissed as posturing between candidates, but now there were no other candidates present.
‘What on earth….’
Was he thoughtless, or was this some kind of trap?
‘A trap? A highly calculated one?’
So Yeonsim’s eyes narrowed.
‘Is he after something else entirely?’
Thinking back, there were more than a few strange things.
There's a limit to how much a person can change. Although they had never met privately, she knew well what kind of person the Third Young Master was.
A cold, vicious, and unforgiving nature. A man with a relentless desire, never satisfied with anything less than first place.
But now, this same person was showing one vulnerability after another. People can change given the right catalyst, but this was a bit much.
“Are you feeling anxious?”
So Yeonsim flinched at the sudden question.
Seo Ryang smiled.
“It seems you're not used to receiving kindness without strings attached.”
“……It’s not that I haven’t, but it has never been this sudden.”
“I suppose I would feel the same.”
Seo Ryang refilled his cup and continued.
“If you're that uncomfortable, then just serve some milder side dishes at the inner court's dining hall more often. The Garden of Joy manages the ingredients, doesn't it?”
“……”
“The food is tasty, but the flavors are too strong. You should consider the people who prefer lighter meals.”
So Yeonsim quickly composed herself.
As Seo Ryang emptied his cup, his face was perfectly serene. His qi was calm, and his eyes were clear.
After watching him for a moment, So Yeonsim let out a sigh.
“This is uncomfortable.”
“I thought it might be.”
“To alleviate this discomfort, I suppose I should offer something in return, shouldn't I?”
“Now that you put it that way, I'm less inclined to accept.”
“May I ask why?”
“I can't stand feeling indebted.”
He was truly impossible to read. His tone was light, yet his expression was sincere. But it was hard to believe that a disciple of the Cult Leader would offer such a favor for no reason.
“I’d like to hear it first, anyway. What was it you were planning to ask of me?”
“I've already closed up shop, so what's the point?”
“There might be some ingredients left over.”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“I was just going to ask for an organizational chart of the cult and a diagram of the relationships between its key figures.”
“……?”
So Yeonsim tilted her head.
“An organizational chart and a relationship diagram… you say?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you…?”
“I have my reasons.”
So Yeonsim rephrased her question.
“I understand you must need it to have considered a trade, but… I’m curious why you thought to ask me for it, of all people.”
“I couldn't very well go to the Office of the Grand Marshal, could I?”
With that single remark, So Yeonsim understood.
And she thought she knew why the Third Young Master wanted it.
He wanted to see how the Divine Cult appeared through another's eyes, to obtain information from a third-person perspective.
“Enough of that. Just prepare a brush and ink. Or are you going to memorize it? It makes no difference to me.”
After staring at him for a moment, So Yeonsim turned her head.
From a distance, a masked man appeared. It was Yeon-il, So Yeonsim's most trusted subordinate.
“Prepare a brush, ink, and paper.”
“Yes, my lady.”
*Swoosh.*
As Yeon-il vanished like smoke, Seo Ryang smiled.
“That’s quite a high-level stealth art.”
“I was fortunate enough to acquire a decent one.”
“Have you learned it as well, Lord of the Garden?”
“No. I don't really have a need for it…”
“A wise decision. It seems to be a stealth art that originated from the north. While it may seem useful now, over time it will corrupt one's demonic energy.”
“……Pardon?”
Seo Ryang shrugged.
“Stealth arts, by their very nature, are not compatible with demonic arts. Fundamentally, stealth is an art of contraction, while demonic arts are arts of expansion.”
“……!”
“A high-level stealth art contracts one's true energy with extreme delicacy. Naturally, this suppresses the demonic arts, which are hell-bent on expanding and emitting energy. If you eat a meal while wearing a tight belt, do you think you'd be able to digest it?”
“Such a thing…”
“If you care for your subordinate, tell him to discard it immediately. He'd be a hundred times better off practicing his demonic arts in that time.”
So Yeonsim's mouth hung open. She had never heard of such a martial theory before.
Seo Ryang frowned and set down his cup.
“My goodness, this stuff doesn't even get me drunk, it just pokes at my stomach. I don't think I can drink white liquor anymore.”
Seo Ryang grumbled to himself.
As So Yeonsim stared at him blankly, a subtle demonic energy rose from her body.
It was an energy that even a master one or two levels above her would fail to detect. But Seo Ryang could read the flow of the demonic energy she was emitting.
‘She’s sending a telepathic message.’
A moment later, Yeon-il returned with a brush, ink, paper, and a thick stack of documents.
So Yeonsim laid a sheet of paper in front of Seo Ryang and began to grind the ink stick.
“I do not doubt the quality of the martial art you are bestowing upon me, Young Master, but circumstances force me to go through a verification process. I ask for your understanding.”
“That’s only natural.”
“And if, as I suspect, it is indeed a martial art maximized for healing injuries as you say…”
*Rustle.*
She placed the inkstone beside the paper and gestured to the pile of documents.
“I will give you these files, which detail the organization and relationships within our cult.”
Seo Ryang’s eyes deepened.
“That’s no small amount.”
“It couldn't be. It's because I've compiled detailed reports on the characteristics and secrets of each individual, categorized by item, as investigated by the Garden of Joy.”
Seo Ryang was shocked.
“You conducted your own investigations?”
“Yes.”
“You couldn't have done it in secret every time… Did people permit this?”
“To run a household, one must know the basics of what people like and dislike, wouldn't you agree?”
“Hoh.”
“It also contains my own deductions and things that are nothing more than rumors, so there is a fair amount of unsubstantiated information. It may be inconvenient for you to read.”
She said that, but this was information compiled with intent by the Lord of the Garden of Joy herself. It could be considered a treasure of considerable value.
Which meant one thing.
‘The person she’s trying to save is worth taking this much of a risk.’
He had intended to end things on a good note, and now he was receiving a treasure like this. It was a strange feeling.
Seo Ryang quietly observed So Yeonsim, then picked up the brush.
“I'm not bluffing, so you have nothing to worry about.”
* * *
So Yeonsim watched the receding backs of Seo Ryang and Ma Dongpil.
Yeon-il quietly voiced his concern.
“My lady.”
“Yes.”
“This could be dangerous.”
If that information were to fall into the wrong hands, she might not be attacked outright, but she could certainly face political pressure.
So Yeonsim smiled.
“I received a far greater gift. We must show our sincerity as well.”
“……”
“And…”
So Yeonsim’s lips parted and closed a few times before she finally turned away.
“I’m tired. I shall rest for today.”
“Yes, my lady.”
She looked up at the sky. The thick, full moon seemed much brighter than usual.
Perhaps it was the piercing light. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits.
“I wonder how he will move now?”
She had thought she knew everything there was to know about the key figures in the cult, but she had just met someone who shattered that confidence.
He was a man who was incredibly difficult to read. That was why she had taken a slight risk and revealed her information. She felt she needed to show that many of her cards to get a grasp on the Third Young Master.
After this, the information on the Third Young Master written in those documents would have to be completely revised.
“Ah, and Yeon-il.”
“Your command, my lady.”
“It would be best for you to discard the stealth art you are currently practicing.”
“Pardon?”
“It's not like you use it for anything other than startling people anyway.”
“……I will obey your command.”