Cheon-geuk (3)
Cheon-geuk remained lost in thought until they arrived at the Seven Swords Society.
'...The Seven Swords Society, huh. So they're the ones who broke the assassin laws.'
The Seven Swords Society was the premier assassin organization in Jeol-gang Province and ranked among the top five within the Sal-su Yeon-maeng itself—a massive outfit.
They weren't some pushover you could just storm in on, point fingers, and demand accountability from.
What if it's confirmed they broke the assassin laws?
The first law forbade killing children or those ignorant of martial arts. Violate that, and there were no exceptions—execution without mercy. For a group like the Seven Swords Society, all seven leaders would die, and the underlings scattered to other organizations.
'This could actually be a golden opportunity.'
After the previous Alliance Lord's system suddenly collapsed and a young woman like Cheon-geuk ascended to leadership, dissident assassin groups had emerged within the Alliance.
The Seven Swords Society stood at the forefront of the anti-Cheon-geuk faction.
'If I can use this chance to eliminate them...?'
It would solidify her position within the Alliance.
But mishandle it, and her own seat could be threatened. The opposition centered around the Seven Swords Society would come demanding accountability.
If internal strife sparked outright war, it would provoke the Murim Alliance. Should they launch an assassin purge, she might have to step down and take the blame.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario, but unforeseen variables had a way of cropping up. Just Baek So-cheon summoning her was something she couldn't have imagined mere days ago.
"Tell me about Shin-hwa-bang."
North Star, one of the Four Heavenly Assassins, replied from the air. He handled most intelligence matters.
"According to the initial report, Shin-hwa-bang is a rising sect that's grown explosively in recent years. They've become a force to be reckoned with here in Jeol-gang Province."
"No way the other sects just sat by and watched them grow. Are Jeol-gang's martial artists all idiots?"
"We'll dig deeper and report back with details."
Even now, information related to this incident was being gathered.
"Do that. There has to be more to it. If they took the commission, who placed it?"
"Yang Chu lived in Mun-seong, so Wang Gon, the local branch head, might have done it. Or someone from headquarters could have come down personally."
"So it's at the sect level, either way?"
"Yes. Given the gravity, we'd expect the Shin-hwa-bang Lord's approval."
"And killing the whole family?"
"Likely to disguise it as a grudge killing."
With their vast experience in commissions, they had a sharp read on this one.
"Fine. Shin-hwa-bang aside—"
This was the core issue from her perspective.
"Why would the Seven Swords Society risk breaking the assassin laws to take this job?"
"Shin-hwa-bang grew too fast. Could they really have done it on their own?"
"With Seven Swords Society backing?"
"If Shin-hwa-bang is their biggest client, turning down their request wouldn't be easy."
"I doubt the Seven Swords Society Lord would risk breaking the laws just for money."
"They must have thought they wouldn't get caught."
Cheon-geuk nodded. Those who committed great crimes seemed like they'd overthink it, but surprisingly, the spark was often simple.
—As long as we don't get caught, right?
If this hadn't involved Baek So-cheon, she might never have known.
"Be cautious, my lord. If the Seven Swords Society isn't involved, the opposition—including them—will rise up in unison."
"I know. We have to be careful."
By then, the carriage had arrived at the Seven Swords Society headquarters, disguised as an ordinary martial arts hall.
The Seven Swords Society Lord had no name.
Not just him—the other six leaders were known only as First Sword through Seventh Sword.
But lately, the Lord had begun craving a name.
Not the pitiful one from his wretched childhood, nor the aliases he'd worn as an assassin—just one true name.
Sal-su Yeon-maeng Lord.
Having spent his life as an assassin, he wanted to claim that title before death. He hadn't harbored such ambition under the previous Lord. It bloomed only after Cheon-geuk took the throne.
Then First Sword's voice came from outside.
"Lord."
"What is it?"
"The Alliance Lord has arrived."
"What? Bring her in at once."
The sudden visit from Cheon-geuk startled him.
As the Lord rushed out, Cheon-geuk—her bamboo hat pulled low—crossed the courtyard alone.
"No prior notice, my lord. What brings you to our humble hall?"
"I had business in Jeol-gang Province and stopped by."
Her words were soft, but her bearing exuded an authority utterly unlike how she faced Baek So-cheon.
"We're honored. Thank you for remembering us."
"Forgive my unannounced visit."
"No need for such words. Please, come inside."
The Lord was impeccably polite.
He coveted the Alliance Lord's seat, so he knew her better than most.
She looked young but wasn't naive; seemed kind but wasn't soft. Brilliant yet humble, resolute without rashness.
And her assassin talent was innate. In one-on-one fights, no contemporary assassin could match her—or so the rumors went.
The previous King of Assassins had named her successor precisely for that genius.
Countless fools had fallen to her beauty, dropping their guard or acting arrogant, vanishing without a trace.
Seated, the two conversed amiably. Hidden blades aimed at each other's hearts made their tongues all the smoother.
"You seem even more beautiful, my lord."
"And you've grown even healthier, Lord."
"It's time you married."
"Introduce me if you know someone good."
"With your beauty and talent, finding a worthy match is no easy task."
"Keep flattering me like this, and my standards will only rise."
"Hahaha. They should be high."
They shared a laugh, eyes warm like old friends—though each sought the first chance to eliminate the other.
As talk wound down, Cheon-geuk asked casually, as if it had just occurred to her.
"By the way, I've heard there's trouble between the local Murim Alliance branch and Shin-hwa-bang?"
The Lord replied deferentially.
"I heard there's friction between Shin-hwa-bang's South Branch Leader and the Mun-seong branch."
"So you knew."
"Of course. Anything in Jeol-gang Province catches our interest. Is that why you came?"
"Yes, actually."
"What are your orders?"
"The Yang Chu family massacre. Any involvement from your society?"
Cheon-geuk stared piercingly. The Lord showed no agitation.
"Impossible. None at all."
She smiled softly.
"I figured. You'd never break the assassin laws."
"Why the interest, then?"
"To be frank, I got a tip."
"A tip?"
"Some nonsense claiming the Seven Swords Society took the commission for the Yang Chu killings."
She didn't bother with clumsy lies. Against a seasoned fox like the Lord, truth was the better play.
"Fabricated nonsense. We've never broken the laws."
"I never believed it."
"Thank you for your trust."
He wasn't crass enough to say, 'If you really trusted us, you wouldn't have come.'
"I know a place with great liquor. Join me?"
"I have business left. Next time."
"I'll be waiting."
She left alone, as she'd arrived.
Once gone, the Lord's face hardened coldly.
First Sword appeared.
"The commission leaked outside."
An unthinkable blunder.
"Not from our side."
Only the Lord and First Sword knew of the Yang Chu commission—the one who'd carried it out was First Sword himself. A mark of its importance.
"They mentioned a tipster."
"Must've leaked from their end."
"Idiots! How do you handle things?"
Truth be told, he'd hesitated on this job multiple times. Slaughtering a whole non-martial family broke the laws.
But the client was Shin-hwa-bang.
Their biggest patron in recent years. Losing them would hurt too much. And they'd offered multiples of the usual fee.
But the decisive factor was his ambition.
He planned to seize the Alliance Lord's seat soon. When the time came, he'd need all his forces—and Shin-hwa-bang as backers. Having requested the Yang family hit, they'd have no choice but to support him.
Shin-hwa-bang likely thought the same. The moment the Seven Swords Society broke the laws, they were in the same boat.
"Find the tipster."
"I'll handle it."
"Careful. The Alliance Lord is watching us."
"Yes."
As First Sword withdrew, the Lord approached the window.
His heart raced ahead, yet obstacles abounded.
He despised the saying "the busier you are, the more detours." Busy meant run faster—why detour?
Even at over sixty, the Lord's mind charged forward.
As the carriage pulled away from the Seven Swords Society, Cheon-geuk finally spoke.
"It's definitely them."
Dong-seong, from the driver's seat, asked through the small rear window.
"How can you be so sure, my lord?"
"The Lord's personality—if it wasn't them, he'd have grilled me about the tipster. He'd have pried clues from my words, demanded I reveal them so he could punish the slanderer tarnishing their honor. Especially over the assassin laws."
"Ah, I see."
"That sly old fox didn't expect me to bring up the commission."
Caught off-guard, he'd fumbled his response.
"Even if it is them, finding proof won't be easy."
"True enough."
Breaking the laws meant staking their lives. No evidence left behind.
The hit would have been done by the Lord himself, his most trusted subordinate—or anyone involved silenced.
After a moment's thought, Cheon-geuk told Dong-seong,
"Back to Baek So-cheon."
"Why're you back?"
Baek So-cheon's first words to her return.
"Always so prickly. Greet me properly when you see me again."
"What, dying to see this face?"
"Same here? Why else would I come? Business."
"Figured it out already? Impressive."
"Gotta hustle if I don't wanna see your ugly mug."
"Let's save time."
"The Seven Swords Society definitely took the commission."
"I already said that."
"To prove they killed the Yang Chu family, we need to take down the law-breakers. But there's a problem."
"What?"
"Finding evidence is tough. They wouldn't leave any if death's the penalty."
"Raid them! Beat confessions out. You've got the power for that. That's why I called you."
"Not feasible. The Society's strong, and they have majority support in the Alliance."
"So?"
"Evidence won't be at the Society—it's at Shin-hwa-bang. You find it."
Baek So-cheon eyed her briefly, then agreed readily.
"Fine. Deal."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Cheon-geuk was surprised. This wasn't like him.
"No strings attached?"
"Of course there are. Nothing's free."
She smirked—thought so—and asked,
"What do you want?"
Baek So-cheon named a condition she never expected.
"Introduce me to Gwang-sal."