Teacher Jong (3)
When Teacher Jong opened his eyes, he found himself seated in a chair with his acupoints sealed.
'Why me?'
Fuzzy memories from atop the cliff began to surface.
'Those bastards! Who the hell were they?'
The man who had appeared without a sound and leveled his sword at him had been formidable enough, but the woman who came afterward possessed an overwhelming aura. She exuded no killing intent whatsoever, yet just looking at her made his breath catch in his throat. And she was a peerless beauty to boot. He was well-versed in the Jianghu's intelligence networks, but no name came to mind.
'Baek So-cheon's old subordinates?'
No, that didn't add up. Real subordinates wouldn't have talked about wanting to crush him underfoot.
By then, Teacher Jong had grown accustomed to the darkness.
'......!'
Only now could he make it out—dozens of people encircling him.
And directly in front, one woman standing tall.
'It's her!'
He couldn't see her clearly in the gloom, but he knew it by feel alone. Even through the vague outline, she asserted her presence. It wasn't just because she was a woman or because she radiated some special aura. She simply had presence.
Teacher Jong gathered his strength in his core and demanded,
"Why did you capture me?"
But no one answered.
"I don't know what you want from me, but you won't get a damn thing. And just so you know, torture won't work either."
At last, the woman in front spoke.
"They say you're a man without a drop of blood or tear to shed, yet here you are, caught and running your mouth."
As he'd sensed, it was Cheon-geuk.
"You don't need to confess."
"Then why bring me here?"
"Because there's something you need to hear."
Teacher Jong couldn't make sense of it.
'If I'm not confessing, how the hell are they going to hear anything from me?'
As his eyes adjusted further to the dark, he spotted a slumped corpse nearby. Shockingly, it was his own informant—the one who'd sold him information.
'How did they track down that guy?'
The man had been paranoid and a master at hiding his identity. Naturally, his fear of these people deepened.
Just then, a young girl entered the chamber.
"You're awake?"
She looked about twelve or thirteen, an adorably cute child.
"I'm Na-sa-rin."
Her voice rang clear like a cuckoo's call. The girl who called herself Na-sa-rin stepped right up to Teacher Jong and peered straight into his eyes.
"So murky. It's rare to see a soul this impure."
The moment their gazes locked, a shiver ran through his entire body. Those weren't the eyes of an ordinary child.
"You're... no child, are you?"
"Good eye. It would've been nice if my growth had stopped around twenty. Oh well, no big loss."
Her words revealed a heavenly punishment that had halted her physical development since childhood.
Incredibly, she was a grandmother over eighty years old—the eldest among everyone gathered here.
She was a grandmaster of Seop-hon-sul, renowned for dominating souls to extract confessions. Her stunted growth was a side effect of mastering such sorcery far too young.
Soul domination for forced confessions. Drains immense inner power and mental energy per use.
In this situation, Teacher Jong found her far more terrifying than some brute with torture tools at the ready.
"What are you planning to do to me?"
"What did you do to end up in front of me?"
"I..."
Truly, he had sins enough to confess all night and still not finish.
"It's fine, child. No need to speak. I'll take care of it."
The moment Na-sa-rin's words ended, a red flash erupted from her eyes.
Red radiance shoots forth, piercing the target's pupils like a crimson thread linking souls.
Whoosh!
The crimson beam lanced straight into Teacher Jong's pupils. From afar, it looked like a red line connected their eyes.
As Teacher Jong's eyes turned red, Na-sa-rin asked,
"Was it you who put out the hit on the Yang Chu family?"
Her once clear, innocent voice now echoed like thunder in a cavern.
"Yes, it was me."
The truth spilled forth unbidden, resounding from the cave's depths.
"Where did you place the contract?"
"With the Seven Swords Society."
"Did the Seven Swords Society accept it?"
"They did."
"Did they kill even those ignorant of martial arts—and children?"
"Yes. That was the contract's condition."
"Why?"
"To make it look like a personal grudge gone wrong."
"Who ordered you to place the contract?"
"The Shin-hwa-bang Lord."
Na-sa-rin turned to Cheon-geuk behind her. Her eyes asked if that was enough. Cheon-geuk glanced around at the others.
Those gathered were the Sal-su Yeon-maeng's leadership, including the Ho-beop Won-ju.
They nodded in agreement—it was sufficient. Some faces brightened, others darkened. The bright ones were pro-Cheon-geuk faction; the dark, anti-Cheon-geuk, those with deep ties to the Seven Swords Society.
Regardless of their moods, this proved the Seven Swords Society had violated the assassin code.
At Cheon-geuk's signal that it was enough, Na-sa-rin sighed and stepped back.
She was unrivaled in her generation at Seop-hon-sul, but extracting truth still took a heavy toll in inner power and mental strain.
Cheon-geuk bowed deeply in respect.
"Elder, you've done well. Thank you."
The other assassins bowed alongside her.
All present held unshakeable faith in Na-sa-rin.
She was the supreme elder among the Sal-su Yeon-maeng's veterans, having served through multiple Meng Lords purely for the alliance. She commanded the assassins' deepest reverence.
Na-sa-rin returned a light clasped-hands salute to Cheon-geuk before departing, her disciples emerging to support her.
As she left, lights illuminated the chamber, banishing the gloom.
With the Seop-hon-sul concluded, Teacher Jong lay fainted in his chair.
Moments later, another figure arrived.
The man summoned by Cheon-geuk was none other than the Seven Swords Society Lord.
His expression darkened as he surveyed the scene.
Why do these bad feelings always hit the mark?
Cheon-geuk had sent a carriage inviting him for a private drink. He had his suspicions, but refusal wasn't an option—defying the Meng Lord meant challenging the entire Sal-su Yeon-maeng.
Yet he couldn't bring subordinates to a "just us two" gathering. Before setting out, he'd summoned Yi-geom as backup, just in case.
But with the Ho-beop Won-ju here too?
This is bad.
Hiding his unease, he asked,
"Meng Lord, what in the world is going on?"
No one replied. Those close to him wore pitying looks—the closer the ally, the darker the expression.
This is really bad.
Finally, Cheon-geuk spoke.
"Society Lord, why did you do it?"
"This old man hasn't the foggiest what you're talking about."
"Do you know who that is?"
Cheon-geuk pointed to Teacher Jong, slumped unconscious in the chair.
"Who?"
"A Shin-hwa-bang warrior who placed a contract through your society."
"Plenty of people place contracts with us."
"True enough. Then let me ask again: Out of all those contracts, how many violated the code like this one?"
"Violated the code? We've never once broken it."
His voice boomed defiantly, but despair filled his heart. A full assembly like this meant ironclad proof.
"The elder's Seop-hon-sul is already complete. And we had ample circumstantial evidence before dragging him here."
"I know nothing about it!"
He raised his voice in feigned outrage. The Society Lord scanned the encircled faces—familiar ones, some like brothers. Yet none stepped forward to defend him.
"My subordinates must've botched it. I'll investigate and punish them myself."
Who would buy such blatant tail-cutting here? Everyone knew how assassin organizations worked. No leader operated in ignorance of code violations.
Cheon-geuk spoke calmly.
"I'm not asking you to plead innocence. This is your chance for last words before death."
Sensing the end, the Society Lord dropped all pretense and bellowed,
"I wanted to be Meng Lord too!"
"Then you should've challenged me fairly. Why break the code?"
"I needed Shin-hwa-bang to make that damned challenge viable. I'd have taken your seat eventually! If a young girl like you can lead, so could I!"
Her gender. Her youth.
The two sparks of his rebellion.
"I'd lead the Meng far better. The code? Why bother with that crap? Life's life—why spare the martial-ignorant or kids? If I'd been Meng Lord, I'd have made us all richer."
Cheon-geuk stared coldly.
"That's exactly why you couldn't. You don't even grasp the reason. Even if Shin-hwa-bang and the whole world backed you, you'd never sit here."
The moment her words ended—
Flash.
Cheon-geuk's form vanished from sight.
Swish. Slash. Air parts and flesh rends in near unison—the result is death.
Splatters echoed relentlessly!
Blood fountained from the Society Lord's neck as he crumpled sideways.
Thud.
Behind him stood Cheon-geuk, gripping a dagger dripping blood.
Blood pattered from the blade, sharp enough to slice with a glance alone.
It was her signature weapon, the Sa-wang-bi.
With this single dagger and her unique arts, she'd become the world's deadliest assassin and claimed the throne of Assassin Queen.
No one there had tracked her motion precisely—not even the Society Lord facing her directly. A transcendent peak lightness skill.
"This seat isn't for the likes of you."
Cheon-geuk, the Assassin Queen of her era.
Her supreme skill enabled a woman to command these brutal killers.
She issued a frost-edged command to the Ho-beop Won-ju.
"Ho-beop Won-ju, arrest the Seven Swords Society's remaining six leaders immediately. Eliminate any who resist."
"Understood."
"Furthermore, as of this moment, the Seven Swords Society is disbanded. All members will disperse into other alliance-approved organizations."
Irresistible authority poured forth.
"We shall obey."
The Ho-beop Won-ju and his assassins vanished in an instant.
With the Society Lord dead, the other six leaders' resistance meant nothing. Ironclad proof of code violation left no room to defy the Meng Lord's orders. Resistance would mobilize every Sal-su Yeon-maeng assassin against them.
Cheon-geuk's gaze turned to the rest of the leadership.
"Any who violate the code henceforth will face my personal judgment."
The remaining assassins prostrated themselves in unison.
"We receive the Meng Lord's solemn command!"
At last, a satisfied smile curved Cheon-geuk's lips. She'd officially purged the organization's strongest opposition.
When Cheon-geuk arrived, Baek So-cheon read the outcome from her expression alone.
"Good work."
"How'd you know? Was it on my face?"
"No."
"Then?"
"The people protecting you—their auras softened."
In other words, he'd read the four great assassins' qi.
Caught off guard, Cheon-geuk shook her head.
"Hear that? He sensed your qi and guessed the result."
Their auras vanished in a blink.
They usually kept them fully suppressed, revealing them only to Baek So-cheon as a warning after the cheek-slapping incident: She's under our watch—don't get bold.
Yet he'd detected the shift.
"No inner power, but you sense qi like a pro."
"Why need inner power? You feel qi intuitively."
"That's why not everyone can do it."
She formally expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you. This is all because of you."
Baek So-cheon extended his hand.
As she reached to take it, he slapped her palm lightly.
"Gimme the money."
"Ugh, really. You know just how to kill the mood."
She handed over an envelope from her bosom—ten 10,000-nyang banknotes.
"Clean money, unlinked to us. Spend freely."
"Thanks."
The Society Lord and his leadership were officially eliminated.
Baek So-cheon's descent to Mun-seong had triggered a chain reaction, ultimately dismantling Jeol-gang's largest assassin organization, the Seven Swords Society.
"Now, time to keep the rest of our deal?"
"You won't tell me why you're seeking Elder Gwang-sal, right?"
Baek So-cheon nodded. He'd never expected her to anyway. Cheon-geuk took the lead, striding forward.
"Fine. It's not far—let's go."
As the pair headed for the carriage waiting outside the branch office, Cheon-geuk said,
"Never imagined a day like this with you."
"Me neither."
"Let's live long. Go through everything together."
"Not words you'd expect from the Assassin Queen."
"Please!"
The carriage carrying the two sped out of Mun-seong.