The Mask Shattered
The voice coming from the room at the center of that grand estate was telling us that these rumors were quite exaggerated.
“What the hell is going on? We've given you so much time, yet you still can't find even the slightest trace of that man?”
“S-sorry, Miss Seonhwa.”
“I have no face left to show. We have done our best, but...”
Jang Seonhwa expressed her anger with a voice as cold as frost.
However, the executives of the clan could do nothing but bow their heads and apologize.
For the past six months, they had used the spiderweb-like information network of the Jang Merchant Alliance to try desperately to catch Yang Soyu's tail.
But even now, after quite some time had passed, the only news they received was that the residence where he originally stayed had become empty as if he had moved away, and there was no other useful information at all.
“Haa... That's enough. I don't want to hear any more excuses.”
“Y-yes, Miss.”
Feeling the trust in the executives she had relied on decrease, Jang Seonhwa dismissed everyone.
After that, alone once again, she felt the lingering frustration and slowly stood up from her seat and walked to the window.
The endless streets of Jang'an and the voices of people coming from between them.
Trade and commerce, which had been severely suppressed due to the Heavenly Demon's blood feud until recently, had become active again, bringing vitality to the city.
And while looking at this sight...
Jang Seonhwa once again recalled the person who had given her this fleeting happiness just by looking at it.
As she remembered the appearance of the person she was desperately searching for at this very moment, she slowly raised her hand to one cheek.
Really... Where are you... Yang Da-hyeop... What kind of strange thing have you done to me... Where are you...
Jang Seonhwa.
She had lived a life that had never experienced any lack since birth.
As the only daughter of the Jang family, she had enjoyed wealth that overflowed like a river, living a life that didn't even need to wash her hands in water.
Furthermore, from her childhood, her talent as a martial artist and as a merchant, which had been clearly evident, had made Jang Seonhwa the object of worship and admiration from others.
She had walked the path of gold, enjoying everything given to her from birth without any lack.
However, for her, responding to the Murim Alliance's call for the war against the Heavenly Demon had become the catalyst that made Jang Seonhwa experience the lack she had never experienced before.
No matter how much she was born with a golden spoon in her mouth, she couldn't even hold it in the battlefield.
The controlled daily life under strict discipline. The lack of food and the fatigue that required pushing body and mind to the limit.
This situation, which even ordinary people found hard to endure, had become an overwhelmingly huge pain for Jang Seonhwa, many tens of times more than others.
However, even in the midst of living through such unbearable hardships day by day, Jang Seonhwa could not show these emotions outwardly.
She had been raised from childhood as a strict merchant different from others, and there was one crucial principle she had: no matter what happened, she would not express her emotions in front of others.
Whether it was liking or disliking, she would approach the person in front of her with a demeanor opposite to her true feelings, hiding her true self as much as possible.
It was a rule that could be seen as somewhat ruthless, but for her, who was born and raised as a merchant, it was extremely natural and necessary.
For a merchant whose business was to take advantage of others, revealing her true feelings could become a fatal weakness.
If she showed her true self, it would reveal a gap to the other party, and that would cause a great disturbance to the merchant's original purpose of taking advantage of the other party.
Based on this principle, Jang Seonhwa never expressed it even while living a life full of torment day by day.
To not show weakness, she pretended to be unaffected in front of others, wearing a mask named "leisure" that said "this kind of thing is no problem."
Jang Seonhwa, who maintained aloofness as the successor of the Jang family.
However, even if she didn't express it outwardly, her fundamental pain did not disappear.
Although she was smiling on her face, inside, Jang Seonhwa felt as if her insides were rotting due to the limit of patience at every moment.
The extremely painful reality. Despite that, the unexpressible emotions, in between, she was.
On that day, in a place where no one was watching, she was enduring the day alone, sobbing with tears.
Denying as best she could the fact that she was in a situation so precarious that she might break at any moment.
In this endless war, sincerely craving the unknown ending...
And. The mask she had maintained with great difficulty.
On that day, through an opportunity that was both coincidental and extremely dangerous, it was shaken greatly.
The situation on the battlefield was always something that could change in any way.
There was quick advance and quick retreat, and depending on the situation, those who couldn't follow the retreating main force could be left behind.
And at this very moment, the situation Jang Seonhwa was in could be said to be exactly that.
“Tsk! Annoying guy. So this is the power of a Hwaryeong martial artist?”
“With that body, you endured this much. I'll give you praise. But that's it.”
“Kuk...”
Jang Seonhwa standing with her sword drawn, completely surrounded by the Demon Cult members in front of her.
At this moment, the others who were escorting her had scattered or been killed by the Demon Cult members' hands, and the only one left was her.
Moreover, she was currently in a serious injury from the previous battle.
No matter how much of a Hwaryeong martial artist she was, if she used her martial arts wrong from now on, she could fall into the state of maintaining the sword right away.
Jang Seonhwa could feel a heavy despair settling in her heart.
However, even in this situation, Seonhwa wore the mask of leisure that she always did, suppressing her emotions as much as possible.
Jang Seonhwa, who possessed the essence of a merchant and had acted according to that principle until now.
Her personality had started to make her calculate the situation coldly even in this desperate situation.
“So... army. There is definitely no power that can resist me any more than this. So? What are you going to do with me now? Are you going to hand me over to the Heavenly Demon like this? Or are you going to cut my throat right here?”
She spoke with an arrogant smile on her lips, as if this situation was also leisurely.
Although she couldn't be sure of anything, she maintained a bold attitude to find their gaps as much as possible.
However...
“Hahaha... Well, that's a problem to think about later. First...”
“!”
The next moment, the Demon Cult members started approaching her with a disgusting smile.
At the sight of their attitude, Jang Seonhwa realized that the situation was starting to go in a completely different direction from what she had thought.
“W-what? What are you trying to do?”
For a moment, Jang Seonhwa was gripped by intense bewilderment and fear she had never experienced before.
However, instead of answering her question, the Demon Cult members grabbed her body that couldn't use martial arts and threw her to the floor.
And...
“Huhu, I've heard the stories, but you're indeed a great beauty.”
“Your body is as artistic as your monstrous skill? It's been a while since I've been able to enjoy it.”
“! You... you... You know what you're doing right now... ! Kuuut!”
Starting to grope her body with their filthy hands, licking their lips.
At this, Jang Seonhwa, realizing what these people were trying to do to her, struggled to resist as much as possible, but her efforts were in vain, blocked by these ugly beasts who were suppressing her with martial arts.
What... No way... No way... Am I... am I going to... be done by these guys... by these dirty Demon Cultists...
An unbelievably horrific situation.
The despair and fear that started to wrap around her mind at that moment crushed her already tattered heart solidly.
This can't be... How much... how much have I struggled... No matter how hard and painful it was, I endured it by forcing myself to hold on... But... but why... why is this happening to me!
Jang Seonhwa, who had killed her emotions in the hellish pain until now and endured it to the best of her ability.
Despite that, the fact that the end was this miserably resulted in such a huge pain and despair for Seonhwa.
So, seeing the Demon Cult's hands reaching out to tear her clothes, Jang Seonhwa closed her eyes tightly.
At that moment...
“!”
The next moment, a miserable scream suddenly rang out.
At the same time, feeling the hot blood, Jang Seonhwa opened her eyes instantly.
“Eh?”
The scene that appeared in her two eyes right after.
It was a man with an extremely ordinary face and sharp eyes who was instantly beheading the Demon Cult members who were trying to rape her.