Chapter 525: This Connection Isn't Over Yet

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Woojin cast a glance toward the table where the women were sitting.

He did not smile, nor did he offer a nod of thanks. It was only a single look, but Hwi was inwardly surprised.

That gesture alone was truly astonishing. It meant the Cult Leader was accepting the cheerful atmosphere.

The women would never realize whose gaze they were currently under.

When their eyes met Geom Woojin's, the women gave a clasped hands greeting. Their resemblance made them look like sisters as they did this.

They all appeared to have bright and pleasant personalities. One could sense they were not people bound by strict formalities.

Geom Mugeuk admitted defeat when he saw the expressions on their faces as they looked at his father. The youngest-looking one among them had a face that seemed ready to cheer at any moment if he were to speak to her.

"So the innkeeper wasn't mistaken."

Following Geom Mugeuk's comment, Seo Daeryong lamented through telepathy.

[This is a cruel jianghu where only the handsome survive.]

[I even lost despite being handsome! That makes me feel even worse!]

[You wouldn't be saying that if you'd lost after reciting a poem.]

The two men, now comrades in defeat, made sour faces and raised their cups in a toast.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon laughed as he watched their pathetic display. He could easily imagine what kind of telepathic conversation they were having.

Geom Woojin called for the innkeeper. As a gesture of gratitude, he ordered a bottle of fine liquor to be sent to the female martial artists.

Then, he rose from his seat.

"That's enough for today."

Geom Mugeuk looked at his father and made one last jest.

"The victor makes his exit."

His father responded by pushing a dish that had been in front of him toward Geom Mugeuk. After delivering that final blow, he went up to the second floor.

"That's too much!"

Hwi gave Geom Mugeuk a smile before following his master upstairs. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon also got up, having a word for Seo Daeryong.

"Still, read diligently."

"Yes, Master. Please rest well."

Geom Mugeuk silently watched the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's back as he ascended to the second floor.

He was a man who believed in the beauty of poetry and the power of reading. The Elder probably did not realize just how wonderful that was.

After the Blood Heaven Blade Demon also went upstairs, only Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong were left.

"Well, let's have a drink, just us losers."

He said that for effect, but Seo Daeryong was not bothered in the slightest. How could he possibly compete with the two Cult Leaders, even if he had memorized an entire collection of poems instead of just one?

In fact, he was pleased at the thought of having a new story to tell at a future drinking session. The real story, however, was just beginning.

As the female martial artists were about to leave after their meal, one of them approached Seo Daeryong and spoke politely.

"I enjoyed your poem earlier. It was wonderful."

Seo Daeryong was flustered by the unexpected compliment. He was so taken aback that he did not know what to say and simply remained seated.

"Ah, yes."

The woman offered a polite clasped hands greeting and then bid him farewell.

"I hope that someday, if fortune allows, I'll have the chance to hear another of your poems. Until then."

She then turned and strode out of the inn.

Seo Daeryong was half-dazed. Normally, he would have teased Geom Mugeuk, saying that the Young Cult Leader was the real loser, but he was not in the right state of mind for that.

"What could that woman want from me? Has a rumor spread that my poetry collection is a treasure map?"

He was referring to a woman who had intentionally approached him during a duel tournament in the past.

Was that the only time? In his entire life, no woman had ever shown him genuine interest first. The closest relationship he ever had was being a good Senior.

After becoming the Sanzu Hall Director, he had cut off even those kinds of senior-junior relationships. He had completely stopped paying attention to the women within the cult, not wanting to burden anyone. He was also busy with his work.

"Stop talking nonsense and go ask for her name! And arrange to meet her next time. Go on!"

At Geom Mugeuk's urging, Seo Daeryong ran outside with a dazed expression on his face.

He stood on the street and exchanged a few words with the woman before returning to his seat. Seo Daeryong's face was flushed.

"It was Young Lady Dan."

Her name was Dan Ah.

"Was she the one you were interested in at first?"

"It's never happened in my life until now. Even if someone had approached me, it would have been a different woman. But today, it was her."

The very woman he had been interested in had come and spoken to him.

"Congratulations, my right-hand man!"

Unlike the delighted Geom Mugeuk, Seo Daeryong was calm.

"You arranged to meet again, right?"

"No."

"Did you ask where she's from?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Seo Daeryong paused for a moment before he spoke.

"I told her the truth. That I belong to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. She was surprised."

"Why'd you do that? You usually pretend to be from the Western Blade Sect in these situations, don't you?"

Seo Daeryong answered honestly.

"I don't know either. In that moment, I just felt like I wanted to be honest with her. Besides, I've only just met her, what do I know about her to like her? It's just a passing connection."

His words were essentially asking, 'I'm a demon cultist, so it won't work out between us, right?'

He spoke as if he were giving up, but Geom Mugeuk could sense it was the exact opposite.

It seemed he had truly fallen for her at first sight. On top of that, she had even told him she enjoyed his poetry recital. The combination had hit him so hard that he pushed her away instead. He was scared.

"If you're fated to be with her, you'll meet again."

"There's no reason we'd meet again, and even if we did, it wouldn't work out anyway."

"If that really becomes an obstacle between you two, you can just quit being the Sanzu Hall Director."

By now, Seo Daeryong knew that words like these were no joke.

If he truly found someone he loved, he was allowed to leave the cult. That was the kind of person Geom Mugeuk was. He was someone who would gladly let him go.

He would even send him off with money to help him get started.

"Are you going to do this? 'Sorry, but I have no choice in order to protect the cult's secrets. I'll plant the flower from your pot by your grave, SWISH!'"

Geom Mugeuk feigned a flinch.

"So, I'm not quitting."

He would live alone if he had to. He would never leave the Young Cult Leader or the cult.

Despite his resolve, Seo Daeryong was plagued by nightmares all night.

He dreamt he was reciting poetry in front of a large crowd.

Sometimes the listening crowd would cheer and applaud, and other times they would jeer.

She was also among them. And she only ever jeered.

When he finally opened his eyes after being tormented by the dream, it was morning.

Staring up at the ceiling, Seo Daeryong let out a sigh.

"Pathetic. So pathetic. How could I even dream about that?"

Seo Daeryong got out of bed and walked to the window.

The sun was shining brightly, as if it had never rained so hard.

A carriage was waiting at the inn's entrance, and Hwi was preparing for their departure.

"I'll be right down."

At Seo Daeryong's words, Hwi replied calmly.

"It's alright. All the preparations are finished, so please come down at your leisure."

Seo Daeryong quickly got ready and went downstairs.

Fortunately, the Cult Leader and the Master had not yet come down.

What was he thinking? Hwi made an unexpected offer.

"Would you like to take the reins today?"

He had never once offered him the reins before.

"Yes, I'll do it."

And so, Seo Daeryong sat in the driver's seat and took the reins. His heart trembled, afraid he would make a mistake. Just then, a voice came from his side.

"The poem. I enjoyed it as well."

At first, he thought he had misheard. Hwi had never once initiated a personal conversation with him on their entire journey here.

"Th-thank you."

The flustered Seo Daeryong even stuttered as he looked at Hwi, but Hwi said nothing more.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk leaned out of the carriage and said.

"Let's go slowly, Director."

"Understood."

A moment later, Geom Woojin and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon came down and boarded the carriage.

"We will depart now."

Before setting the carriage in motion, Seo Daeryong took one last look back at the inn.

Sensing his deep regret, Geom Mugeuk sent a telepathy.

[It was a poem that moved even Uncle Hwi. This connection isn't over yet.]

As if to declare he would no longer harbor false hope, Seo Daeryong set the carriage off with vigor.

[This connection is over.]

The connection that was supposedly over was walking down the road.

They were the three women who had just met Geom Mugeuk's group at the inn. They had a name by which they were known in the jianghu.

The Three Dan Sisters.

Comprised of three sisters, they were mercenaries. They were mainly bodyguards-for-hire who took on bodyguard missions. Because they were skilled and responsible, they had an excellent reputation in the world of mercenaries.

Moreover, they were never short of work. There were always those who felt uneasy about hiring male bodyguards for a woman traveling alone. In such cases, brokers would invariably introduce the Three Dan Sisters.

This was the reason for the cheerful impression they gave at the inn. They were not women who belonged to sects and valued their family's honor, but mercenaries who roamed the jianghu freely. Furthermore, the three were so close that it was a daily routine for them to put their heads together and whisper.

"Unnie, you sure have a peculiar taste in men. He's short and has a small build, do you think he can even use his strength properly?"

The third sister, Dan Yeon, could not understand her Unnie's taste. Knowing that her sister had a blunt personality and never minced her words, Dan Ah simply smiled.

"There was that handsome Young Lord next to him, too."

"Then why did you tell them to give the dish to that man? You're the youngest among us."

The dish had gone to Geom Woojin entirely because the third sister, Dan Yeon, had insisted.

"He's cool, isn't he?"

Dan Yeon's ideal type had always been a man who gave off such a powerful aura.

"I did it because he was cool, too."

"You can't compare the two."

Dan Ah had felt Seo Daeryong's gaze the moment she entered the inn.

What had captured her heart was not something else, but the shyness in his eyes.

Usually, when she met martial artists, they would try their best to look strong. She was sick and tired of that look of trying to appear strong. A shy gaze was something she had not seen in a long time, and it was refreshing.

And crucially.

"Have you ever seen a man who carries a sword and recites poetry?"

She could also tell he had recited the poem because of her. She really liked that pure feeling.

"You've always liked nice guys, Unnie."

At the words of the second sister, Dan Bi, the youngest, Dan Yeon, shook her head.

"Nice? Didn't he say he was a demon cultist?"

At those words, the three sisters fell silent for a moment. It was a saying passed down for generations among contract martial artists that nothing good ever came from getting involved with demon cultists.

"Why are you all making such a fuss? I just told him I liked his poem."

"You went out of your way to do it?"

"We're here. Let's get to work."

The place the three arrived at was a small hermitage deep in the mountains.

It was the location designated by the brokers, so there should not have been any problems, but the three of them spread out and surveyed the surroundings.

Once they started the job, they became different people. A sharpness that was unimaginable from the ones who had been chatting earlier could be felt from them.

The youngest had been doing this work since she was fourteen, so it had already been ten years.

During that time, they had overcome near-death experiences several times.

They knew. This was a job where you could meet your end in an instant, no matter how careful you were. That was why they, who knew the value of each moment, tried to live their lives as cheerfully as possible.

How could they fight today when they were living a life where they could die tomorrow? They could not let their last moment with someone be a fight.

The client waiting at the meeting place was a woman.

A young and beautiful woman.

She was trying to appear calm, but Dan Ah could sense her tension and fear.

She's being threatened by someone.

She could tell at a glance from her long experience.

"We are the Three Dan Sisters."

The three women gave a light clasped hands greeting. The client also bowed her head to receive their greeting.

"I heard our destination is Guizhou."

The woman nodded. She was being as tight-lipped as possible.

"May I ask what business you have there?"

"Do I have to disclose my business?"

"What is the exact destination?"

"I'll tell you once we enter Guizhou."

From the woman's caution, Dan Ah could guess. It was not that she did not trust them, but that she was being so careful because she feared those who were pursuing her.

Dan Ah felt an unidentifiable sense of unease. Usually, when taking a job, she could tell right away if it would be dangerous or easy. This job was on the dangerous side.

"I'm sorry, but if you don't clearly state who you are and where you're going, we will have to refuse this contract. Please find someone else."

In most cases, they would proceed without asking. However, when she had a bad feeling, she had to be careful.

As expected, the woman was greatly agitated. From her reaction alone, it was clear. She was in danger.

If that was the case, she needed to know more details about this job. She could not put her younger sisters in danger.

Her two younger sisters, leaving all decisions to their Unnie, had quietly drawn their swords and were surveying the surroundings.

"I'll contact the broker again and have them send someone new. We'll protect you until then."

At that, the woman took a step back. There was no more time to delay.

"Alright, I'll tell you who I am. I am a courtesan from the Thousand Flower Palace in Fenghuang, Hunan Province."

There were seven Thousand Flower Palaces in Hunan alone. She was a courtesan from one of them, the Fenghuang Thousand Flower Palace.

Dan Ah could tell. Judging by the woman's beauty, she was a very high-ranking courtesan.

Was she perhaps eloping?

However, the place the woman wanted to go was unexpected.

"Please take me to the Thousand Flower Palace Headquarters in Guizhou."

Words that would reconnect a bond once severed in the rain flowed from her lips.

"I must see the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman as soon as possible."

Because the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman was none other than Yeo Jong, the woman who was in love with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.