The Unseen Favor
I thought there would be no regrets...
The warriors of the Sichuan Dang Family stood before the letter in their hands, their faces etched with deepening bewilderment.
“W-what is this…?”
“No, is this really true? Did the young lady really send a letter like this?”
“Yes… it is confirmed. The young lady personally delivered this letter, instructing us to open it when the sun rises.”
The letter bore the unmistakable seal of the young lady and the firm confirmation of the vice-chief. Yet despite its flawless authenticity, the warriors could not bring themselves to believe its contents.
The message was simple: they were to handle the matter alone, stay hidden, and not interfere.
Even on its own, the order sounded recklessly audacious. The warriors felt a heavy wave of unease wash over them.
“No… even if he is to become the next sect leader, this is far too reckless.”
“We all know his strength, but how can he…”
“He intends to march in alone? Does that even make sense?”
“Hah… I wonder what he’s thinking…”
The more they heard, the more preposterous the situation seemed. Yet despite their doubts, they could roughly guess what the young lady intended.
They knew the dangers of the coming conflict. In the war that demanded a sacrificial lamb from the Sichuan Dang Family to appease the Murim Alliance’s wrath, Dang Miryeong had chosen to sacrifice herself to minimize the family’s losses.
If fortune favored them and the plan succeeded, so much the better. If it failed, her death would serve as a powerful protest, exposing the injustice to the Murim Alliance and easing the Sichuan Dang Family’s long-standing grievances.
Feeling a mixture of concern, sorrow, and gratitude for her sacrifice, the warriors could only obey and hide themselves, praying her sacrifice would not be in vain.
Please return safely…
Damn it… those filthy Murim Alliance bastards… this debt will be repaid one day…!
*
Concealing themselves in the shadows and carrying out their operations in secret had been Dang Miryeong’s plan from the start. She and the family’s assassins had executed it that way for some time.
But at this moment, the plan had taken an entirely different turn, leaving her with a deep sense of unease.
The scheduled infiltration of the Demon Cult’s headquarters had been set for the day before the battle. It was Yang Soyu and herself.
Yet now, far from the cover of darkness, the sun hung high in the sky above them.
The location they had chosen was not a roof or a ventilation shaft, but directly in front of the Demon Cult’s main gate.
Those who might have drawn their swords at the sight of them were now standing frozen, weapons still sheathed, heads bowed low in confusion.
“So I told you, right? To follow me properly from the beginning.”
“I-I’m sorry, my lord! I-I never expected guests from the Black Dragon Faction to arrive at such a dangerous time…”
“Hah, that’s why I said I didn’t want to go see the sect leader. In times like these, everyone starts suspecting things. If a fight had broken out and I’d killed half of you, how would the plan have fared?”
“I-I have no face left to show. Please, with a merciful heart, forgive us just this once?”
Yang Soyu spoke in a cold voice, his entire body radiating killing intent.
The gatekeeper, trembling violently, offered repeated apologies.
Observing him, Soyu let out a long sigh and spoke calmly.
“Hah… well, people make mistakes. We’ll wait inside. Please handle the rest on your own.”
“Yes! Thank you! Truly, thank you!”
Yang Soyu and Dang Miryeong entered the Demon Cult’s headquarters with nothing more than a polite greeting, their presence completely unopposed.
Feeling a profound shock and disbelief at this unbelievable situation, Miryeong sent a cautious message through their private link.
-“H-how did this happen? How did they recognize us as Black Dragon Faction members?”-
-“When we raided their branch headquarters before, we obtained their seals. Thanks to the personal letter from their sect leader, we could imitate the handwriting and forge the documents.”-
-“Ah…”-
-“Even if this isn’t perfect, once it’s verified it will be exposed. But fooling them for a day or two should be no problem, especially in a situation as tense as this.”-
Yang Soyu spoke of the deception as if it were nothing, revealing the extraordinary power he carried.
Realizing his abilities were far greater than expected, Miryeong also wondered how he had survived so many hardships.
With nothing but pure admiration in her heart, she followed quietly behind him.
They had successfully infiltrated the enemy camp without a single casualty.
After a short time, as the sun set and darkness fell, they moved according to the plan.
*
Among the Demon Cult’s executives, the warrior Heukgye stood at the peak of Hwagyeong, sword drawn, ready for the bloodbath with the Murim Alliance.
From the window, he could see the overwhelming force of the Murim Alliance army.
Yet to him, who had been tasked with defending the Demon Cult’s headquarters, such numbers were nothing to fear.
Fools. This place will be your graveyard.
The master who held the title of Unrivaled Under Heaven, the Heavenly Demon, would arrive in two days. If they could hold out until then, this war would become a devastating blow to the Murim Alliance.
I will endure. As long as I live, you will never succeed here.
Having steeled himself for a possible end, Heukgye spoke in a cold voice.
“Bring my armor. It’s time to prepare for departure.”
Heukgye ordered his men to equip themselves for the coming battle.
But…
“…?”
No sound came from outside the door despite his command.
Heukgye felt an ominous premonition and shouted again.
“Is anyone there? I told you to bring the armor!”
His voice carried anger and urgency.
Yet no one entered.
Heukgye gripped his sword tighter, unease growing.
Extending his senses, he stepped forward cautiously.
His senses detected nothing.
Relieved that no one was there, he wondered why no one had come at all.
Then…
Whoosh!
“!”
A sudden gust of wind beside his ear.
Heukgye instinctively turned.
And there…
“You’re late.”
“! Kugh!”
In the next instant, a dagger pierced his heart and dantian before he could react.
His body collapsed to the floor.
In his final moments, filled with confusion and shock at the fact that he had sensed nothing despite spreading his senses…
*
The battle between the Murim Alliance and the Demon Cult, which was expected to last half a day or even a day, ended in an instant.
Just before the fighting began, the head of the Demon Cult’s defense force, Heukgye, was beheaded by the hand of Dang Miryeong, the next sect leader of the Sichuan Dang Family.
The unexpected result left the Murim Alliance’s leaders in deep confusion, while simultaneously drawing intense interest toward Dang Miryeong, who had orchestrated the event.
“Truly… you’ve accomplished something remarkable. Who would have thought you could end the battle in a single breath?”
“We’ve committed a grave offense against the Sichuan Dang Family for too long. We won’t do it again. Please accept our apologies.”
With such overwhelming results, the Sichuan Dang Family and Dang Miryeong, who had been ignored for so long, suddenly became the center of attention.
And at the heart of it all, Dang Miryeong felt a surge of excitement at the fact that every martial artist in the place was now focused on her, not the family.
“Thank you for your kind words. Indeed, we Sichuan Dang Family have not received the respect we deserve relative to our strength and efforts. I hope this opportunity allows our sect to finally receive proper recognition.”
“I will remember that. We will be careful not to repeat such offenses.”
“Originally, even though the Sichuan Dang Family has declined somewhat recently, it has always been a prestigious sect. Seeing the Sichuan Dang Family that once dominated the Murim world fills my heart with joy.”
Hearing the fervent praise she had never received before, Dang Miryeong felt her heart swell with emotion.
But at this moment, deep within her heart, even amid the joy and excitement, a hesitation lingered.
It was…
regarding the man who, at this very moment, had not even been invited to the banquet but was instead being ignored somewhere else.
Yang Soyu.
In truth, he was the one who had provided the decisive help in taking Heukgye’s life.
Although Dang Miryeong had mastered the art of concealing her presence even in the most perfect stealth, it could only last for mere seconds.
Without his help, they would never have reached the Demon Cult’s headquarters, let alone approached Heukgye’s location without any hindrance. Approaching him while he was using his stealth would have been impossible.
Yet at this moment, Dang Miryeong chose not to reveal that fact here.
Or rather, she did not want to reveal it at all.
If I mention Yang Soyu here… and say that we received help from the Unorthodox Faction, this achievement will be greatly diminished, won’t it?
I know it’s shameless to say so.
The help Yang Soyu gave her went beyond simply helping her gain credit; it even saved the lives of the family’s warriors.
But still…
At this moment, instead of honoring her bond with that man, she chose to elevate the Sichuan Dang Family’s… her own name.
I’ve worked so hard to raise the family’s prestige. I can’t lose it here. I feel sorry for Yang Soyu… but in the end, he’s just a lowly Unorthodox man, isn’t he? What good could come from me, the next head of a prestigious family, getting entangled with him…?
With that excuse in mind, Miryeong indulged in the sweetness of the moment and abandoned her loyalty to Yang Soyu.
At that time, she was convinced that her choice was right and that there would be no regrets in this matter.
And when she realized that this decision from that day would become the worst choice of her entire life…
it was already far too late for everything.