Chapter 4
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: An Unfunny Disaster (3)
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Three months later.
“Strange.”
A faint smile graced the face of the young man gazing out the window, his voice languid.
“Not three days, not even a month. Three months have passed, yet nothing seems amiss?”
“…”
“His condition has even improved?”
“That is correct.”
The young man tilted his head.
“How can that be?”
“…”
“Didn’t they say the stronger the traces of demonic arts, the more fatal it would be?”
“That is indeed what was said.”
“Even with his internal energy gone and his dantian destroyed, he is still a demon practitioner. The traces of demonic qi must surely remain in his body. Shouldn't he be wasting away?”
“…”
“What a peculiar fellow. Even in such a state, he continues to exceed all expectations.”
“…Young Master.”
“Hm?”
“I have a question, if I may be so bold.”
“Haha, by all means.”
“Why are you so concerned with the Third Young Master?”
It was a rather dangerous question. At the very least, it was not something a subordinate could easily ask.
The young man let out a soft chuckle.
“Have you forgotten everything I just said?”
“Pardon?”
“When that man fell into qi deviation, the Master of the Blood Soul Pavilion said it himself.
The chance of recovery was next to none. Even if he were lucky enough to awaken, he would be half-paralyzed or suffer from madness. But how is he now?”
“…”
“It was always like this. He always defied my expectations. Frankly, who’s to say he won’t have grown as strong as he once was a year from now?”
“That would be impossible.”
“I know, I know. It’s not something that can be overcome by human effort. I know all that… but he continues to make me anxious.”
“…”
“And it’s not just me. Most of the people who were at odds with him are probably feeling anxious too. That bastard, he’s always been incredibly lucky.”
The young man was still smiling.
But his eyes were slowly, gradually, growing cold.
“When will Rin arrive?”
“It is reported she entered Guangdong this morning. She is expected to arrive at the main fortress around noon tomorrow.”
“Her first time back in half a year?”
“Yes.”
“When she arrives, tell her to stop by my room.”
The young man’s smile deepened.
“I need to see for myself whether that once-famous treasured sword has grown rusty, or if it has broken.”
* * *
Fwoosh!
The sudden gust of wind made the maid, Aeng-hwa, squeeze her eyes shut.
Cheon Hajin frowned.
“Is this still all I can manage?”
The pressure from the punch he threw into the air was unsatisfying. It was proof that he hadn't loosened his muscles and joints as much as he wanted.
“Well, it’s at least passable.”
For the past three months, he had gone to great lengths to return this wretched body to normal.
Truly, he would have been in deep trouble without the Unhindered Arts.
Thanks to it, he had managed to expel not only the turbidity in his body but also the lingering traces of demonic qi. He felt as if he had scrubbed off a decade’s worth of grime.
‘The Strengthening Decoction, was it? That helped a lot, too.’
They said it was a medicinal soup permitted only to the highest echelons, and its effects were certainly top-notch.
After cleansing a significant amount of turbidity and a large volume of demonic qi, it had vigorously restored his vitality, as if with a vengeance.
He had even begun to feel the medicinal power he hadn't noticed at first about two months ago.
The concentrated medicinal power had improved the quality of his muscles and invigorated his internal organs.
The most encouraging thing was that most of his internal injuries had healed. He could finally say he had a body befitting his age.
‘Right. It’s all good. Everything is good, but…’
Cheon Hajin grabbed his hair.
‘Aaargh! I want to get out of here right now!’
He hadn't just been healing his body for the past three months.
He had sacrificed sleep to rack his brain for a way to escape this hellhole.
After hearing about the personality of the man named Seo Ryang, he had boldly ventured out into the front courtyard to wander about. Thanks to that, he had managed to firmly memorize the surrounding terrain.
And the conclusion he reached after all that?
‘There’s no way I can get out in this state.’
Whatever orders had come from above, some thirty demon practitioners were standing guard outside his residence.
They weren't simple bodyguards. They meticulously screened everyone who came and went, while simultaneously keeping an eye on him, the Third Young Master.
Two months ago, a guard had stopped Cheon Hajin when he had steeled his resolve and tried to leave. He had said:
- We have orders to forbid the Young Master from going out until you have fully recovered. We apologize, but you may not proceed any further.
He had attempted to leave more than ten times since then, but failed every time. Their stubbornness was like a barren, rocky mountain where not even a blade of grass could grow.
They were a cold-hearted bunch, impervious to clumsy bribes and threats.
After agonizing over the problem, Cheon Hajin had reached a single conclusion.
‘Let’s heal my body first.’
He couldn't go out until his body was fully recovered? Fine, then he would just have to fully recover.
Besides, he couldn't live on with this body anyway. He might as well use this opportunity to heal it.
With a clear goal in mind, his recovery gained momentum. He also learned a lesson: a person’s life is all about perspective.
…If they pull that crap again this time, I’ll have to break their legs.
‘Anyway, my body is almost fully healed now. I should be able to just say I want some fresh air and slip out.’
His fists clenched on their own.
‘The moment I’m out, I head for the nearest safe house in the south.’
Dozens of safe houses for the world's greatest assassin were scattered across the Central Plains.
Half of them had been set up by the Righteous Heaven Alliance, but the other half he had secretly established himself.
He had prepared them over thirty years, step by step, in case he ever needed to flee the Alliance.
He had stashed away elixirs, medicinal herbs, and all sorts of supplies. Once he got there, it would only be a matter of time before he regained his former martial prowess.
‘I’ll sell off the valuables to raise a fortune. Then I’ll get the hell out of the Central Plains to somewhere far away.’
Better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon. He would escape this tiresome martial world and live like a king, wanting for nothing.
Of course, the Demonic Cult would send pursuers, but that didn't matter.
Not only did no one know about the existence of his safe houses, but once he regained his former skills, evading pursuers would be a piece of cake.
I just need to get to a safe house. My real life starts then.
“Alright. No point in wasting time.”
Cheon Hajin muttered with determination and stripped off his clothes. He intended to change into something more comfortable for moving.
“Hah!”
Aeng-hwa’s face turned red, and she scurried out of the room.
‘What’s her problem?’
She’s seen me like this for over three months, so why the sudden shyness? Could it be that the sight of me is so repulsive she had to leave?
Well, that’s possible.
The thought of leaving this place had put him in such a good mood that he could let such minor things slide.
Cheon Hajin hummed a tune as he changed into a simple martial uniform, stretching his body here and there.
‘Alright, I’m leaving legitimately. Surely they won’t stop me again, not after I’ve recovered this much.’
Cheon Hajin walked toward the door.
It was then.
Flinch!
‘…?’
Cheon Hajin’s eyes narrowed.
Even though he had cleared out much of the turbidity and healed his internal injuries, his body was still that of an ordinary person.
He had even formed a new dantian, but he hadn't accumulated even a speck of internal energy.
Despite that, his senses had become terrifyingly sharp.
The abilities of the world's greatest assassin didn't just disappear. Though he couldn't yet use his extrasensory perception, he was far more sensitive than any ordinary person.
A moment later, a voice came from outside.
“He’s inside, isn’t he?”
“Huh? Ah, yes! He… he is, but…”
“Move.”
“Well… I should inform the Young Master first…”
Smack!
“Ack!”
Cheon Hajin frowned.
Did Aeng-hwa just get slapped?
Creeak!
The door was roughly thrown open, and a woman appeared.
She couldn't have been more than twenty.
Her beauty was such that anyone, young or old, man or woman, would be struck with admiration.
Even her cold, unapproachable impression felt less like a flaw and more like a unique charm of her own.
A somewhat authoritative and languid air surrounded her.
A voice that perfectly matched that atmosphere flowed out.
“It’s been a while.”
Who the hell are you?
Cheon Hajin stared blankly at the woman. It felt strange to greet someone he didn't remember, but even stranger to tell her to leave.
The woman’s eyes deepened.
“You look better than I expected.”
“…Ah, well.”
“…”
“…”
“Are you going to keep me standing here? I’d like a cup of tea.”
What’s with this gangster attitude? She barges in without permission and demands tea.
Cheon Hajin waved his hand dismissively.
“Sorry, but come back later. I have somewhere to be right now.”
“…?”
“For now, please step aside.”
He didn't know who she was, but this was no time for idle chatter. His attention was focused solely on one thing: escaping the Divine Cult.
The woman’s face hardened.
He’s telling me to move aside?
“And where might you be going?”
“I just have somewhere to be. Stop blocking the way and move.”
“Surely you’re not planning to go see the Cult Leader?”
Cheon Hajin couldn't help but let out a strangled gasp.
The Cult Leader? I’d rather fall on my sword! Why would I go to him!
“No.”
“Then that settles it. Let’s talk.”
“I told you, I have somewhere to be.”
“If it’s not as important as seeing the Cult Leader, then talking to me is your priority.”
“Hey.”
“If tea isn’t to your liking, wine is fine too. Ah! But given the state of your body, perhaps wine is out of the question?”
Cheon Hajin’s face contorted.
On this historic day, the beginning of the second chapter of his true life, where did this vixen come from?
“You really don’t listen, do you?”
“…?”
“Tea or wine, drink it at your own place. Why are you here bothering me?”
“…What did you say?”
“I don’t want to waste my breath. Get out. If you really want something to drink, I’ll tell the maid to get it for you on your way out.”
What is this?
She was confused, wondering if the Third Young Master before her was really the man she knew.
‘Did going into qi deviation make him lose his mind?’
She remembered the old Seo Ryang.
The confident expression, the eyes burning with an unconcealable ambition.
The baseless confidence and the incredibly arrogant way of speaking, not to mention the beastly way he would scan her with a lust-filled gaze while pretending not to. There were many times she had felt uncomfortable.
Where had that man, who tried so hard to package it all under the guise of ‘ruthlessness’ and was so excessively faithful to his desires, gone?
‘And what’s with those foolishly desperate eyes?’
The woman, who had been staring at him, snapped her fingers.
Snap!
Cheon Hajin’s face contorted.
Beyond the open door, the sound of other footsteps could be heard.
Soon, two well-built warriors appeared. A single glance was enough to tell they were first-rate masters.
The woman kept her eyes fixed on Cheon Hajin as she spoke.
“I’m going to have a deep conversation with the Third Young Master. It might take a while, so stop anyone who approaches.”
The two warriors bowed their heads.
“As you command!”
Creeak.
The door closed.
The woman sat down in the chair by the table as if it were her own room.
Her posture, legs crossed leisurely and chin resting on her hand, was utterly captivating. She exuded the scent of a mature woman that no man could ignore.
“Let’s save the tea for later.”
“…”
“Sit down. Don’t we have things to talk about?”
It was then.
Cheon Hajin met the woman’s eyes.
The corners of the woman’s lips lifted slightly. It was a relaxed smile that only someone in a position of power could afford.
“You don’t want to talk to me?”
“…”
“You have no choice. You’re the one who broke the contract. The investment I’ve made in you until now…”
“What’s your name?”
“…?”
“I asked what your name is.”
“…In case you can’t tell, I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”
“Just answer the question. What’s your name?”
The woman’s face turned icy.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re joking, but you don’t seem to be in your right mind either. What is this rudeness?”
“Rudeness?”
“Even as the Third Young Master, such words to me are…”
Ignoring her, Cheon Hajin strode to the door and flung it wide open.
Creeak!
The warriors stared at him in surprise.
“Move.”
“…?!”
“If you don’t want to be beheaded for the crime of oppressing a disciple of the Cult Leader, you’d better move. Now.”
The warriors gulped. The woman’s brow furrowed subtly.
“Hey, Third Young…”
“Move. Now.”
“…”
“You’re not moving?”
Cheon Hajin scoffed.
“Look at that loyalty. Fine, I’m one to give credit where it’s due. I’ll make sure you get a reward befitting that loyalty. Aeng-hwa!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
Aeng-hwa, who had been standing to the side fidgeting, scurried over. She had been hit so hard that her cheek was swollen bright red.
Cheon Hajin’s voice grew cold.
“Go and tell everyone outside that there are some scoundrels here oppressing, detaining, and threatening the Third Young Master.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Also, let them know there’s some nameless wench who trespassed and assaulted the Third Young Master’s maid. Got it?”
“Ye-yes, I will carry out your order!”
Cheon Hajin smiled wickedly.
“I think your lives are a fitting price for such loyalty. What do you say? Sound good to you?”