Chapter 570: I Survived Thanks to That Imagination

TL: FoodieMonster007

Lee Ahn conveyed her honest feelings to Geom Mugeuk.

[I'm afraid I'll mess things up if I handle it my own way.]

Geom Mugeuk knew her better than anyone else. If she were alone, she would handle things better than anyone, without this fear. The fact that he, the Young Cult Leader, was watching was putting pressure on her. There must also have been the pressure to do well.

[Lee Ahn, what was your weakness?]

[Wouldn't you say my weakness is my own carelessness? It makes me want to joke that my pretty face is my only flaw, even in a situation this urgent.]

[Nine tails and carelessness don't go well together, do they?]

[Then what is my weakness?]

Lee Ahn was curious what weakness Geom Mugeuk thought she had.

[Your weakness is me.]

Lee Ahn was surprised by the unexpected answer.

[The Young Cult Leader?]

[Yes, it was me. Your sense of duty and spirit of sacrifice to protect me was the biggest weakness in your life.]

Lee Ahn's gaze toward Geom Mugeuk trembled slightly. She knew it, too. That was why Geom Mugeuk had her step down as his bodyguard and placed her in charge of the Ghost Shadow Squad. Of course, that was all from Geom Mugeuk's perspective.

The duty to protect the Young Cult Leader was the driving force of my life. It's not much different now, either.

Geom Mugeuk's telepathy continued.

[Your second weakness was your lacking inner arts. But that's been resolved. The third is experience, which I believe you've gained a fair amount of since leaving the cult on your own recently.]

Geom Mugeuk knew that what Lee Ahn needed right now was not a clue on how to handle this situation. What did it matter if she made a mistake or took a roundabout path? He was there to protect her. Even that would be a great learning experience for her.

What she really needed right now was this.

[Do you know how strong you are?]

With her weaknesses addressed, she had achieved complete mastery of the Soaring Sky Sword Art.

[How strong am I?]

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned to Pyo San standing over there, then back to Bang So.

[People like them aren't even worth comparing. The Seven Instructors of the Yellow Dragon Academy? The Grand Master? To compare you even to them would be to greatly underestimate the Soaring Sky Sword Art.]

He dismissed even those she had yet to meet.

[If we're going to talk about your strength, this is the question we should be asking.]

Geom Mugeuk paused for a moment before speaking.

[In how many techniques could you kill the Principal of this Yellow Dragon Academy?]

Since she had yet to properly fight a true master, she did not know how strong she was. The stronger her opponent, the more she would come to understand her own strength.

Geom Mugeuk instilled in her the greatest possible confidence.

[Lee Ahn, this murim is now yours.]

He could say that to Lee Ahn. She was not the type to become arrogant, no matter the situation.

Lee Ahn's eyes trembled. It was likely the first time in her life she had heard such words.

[This is too much pressure, I can't take it. This murim, how much will you buy it for?]

Hearing her joke, he could tell she had relaxed.

Lee Ahn looked at Geom Mugeuk and nodded. Her eyes said it all.

Yes, Young Cult Leader. I will do it.

While the two were conversing via telepathy, the instructor, Pyo San, personally paired everyone up for their duels. Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn were made a pair, and as expected, Bang So was paired with Seo Jin.

Geom Mugeuk was certain.

He really intends to kill her.

Bang So, who had killed Lim Hyeon, just happened to return today and just happened to be paired with Seo Jin. There was no way so many coincidences could happen at once.

If the duel proceeded as planned, Bang So would certainly kill Seo Jin. Unless she used her ghost arts from the start, Seo Jin's martial arts skills were no match for Bang So.

Lee Ahn, what are you going to do?

He had thought she would make some excuse to switch partners and face Bang So herself. For some reason, however, Lee Ahn simply stood by and watched.

"The promised duel consists of three stages. Attack, block, and counterattack. New recruits who haven't learned it yet, follow the demonstration!"

The ones demonstrating were Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok, the longest-standing members of the White Dragon Class.

"Begin, and be careful not to hurt each other!"

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok began the promised duel. One blocked a sword aimed at a designated spot, and then in turn, thrust their own sword at their opponent. The swords went back and forth between them.

When the two got close, Yoo Gwang whispered.

"I think something's about to happen."

"Shh! Be quiet!"

"I have a bad feeling!"

"Please!"

At the source of that bad feeling, the promised movements were also continuing.

Bang So was looking for a chance to kill Seo Jin. After killing her, he was supposed to escape this place. His superiors would take care of the aftermath. The madman of the White Dragon Class would be declared dead, his death staged with a fake corpse that had fallen from a cliff.

Farewell!

Just as he was about to kill her with his next move, Bang So's eyes widened in shock. Something was stuck to the back of his sword hand.

The moment he identified what it was, he let out an involuntary scream.

"Aaargh!"

It was a large, brilliantly colored centipede. It was not an illusion. There was even an unpleasant sensation. He was not the type to scream at something like a centipede, but it was too sudden. Furthermore, the moment he saw its colors, he was even more startled by the intuition that it was a lethally poisonous centipede.

The next moment, his body flew towards Seo Jin.

What is this?

His body would not obey him. An invisible force was constricting and pushing him forward.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

At Bang So's scream, everyone stopped and stared at him.

To the others, it looked as if Bang So was letting out a bizarre scream as he charged at Seo Jin. To any observer, he looked like a man who had gone mad, the shock of the previous incident having resurfaced.

SHWIIK!

Bang So's sword grazed past Seo Jin's face.

At that very moment.

PUUK!

Seo Jin's sword pierced his heart.

As Bang So tried to swing his sword again despite being stabbed, Seo Jin pulled her sword out and retreated.

PAPAPAK.

Bang So collapsed, spraying blood in all directions. Even in the moment of his death, he could not understand the situation. In his eyes, which were growing cold, he saw the centipede that was still on the back of his hand go POP, bursting and scattering in a brilliant array of colors. It was a sight visible only to him.

A few of the cadets screamed. Those far away ran closer, while those nearby backed away.

Of course, the most surprised person was Pyo San. When Bang So first screamed and charged, he had thought it was unexpected.

Who knew he could act so realistically?

However, he had died so futilely, stabbed by Seo Jin's sword.

Pyo San stared at Seo Jin with a shocked expression.

She was a master capable of killing Bang So in a single move?

In truth, the centipede on the back of Bang So's hand was Seo Jin's ghost art. Lee Ahn had sent a telepathic message to Seo Jin before the promised duel began.

[Division Leader Seo, can you use your ghost arts to make him scream?]

[Yes, I should be able to.]

The ghost arts of the Ghost Sect could create the illusion of insects crawling all over one's body, or even make one actually feel the sensation.

The moment Seo Jin unleashed her ghost art, Lee Ahn used telekinesis to subdue Bang So's body and send him flying toward Seo Jin.

She had been confident she could pull it off, but she had not been certain it was truly possible. If Geom Mugeuk had not instilled that confidence in her, she would never have attempted it. And she had the ultimate faith that Geom Mugeuk was watching.

In the end, startled by the ghost art and unable to overcome Lee Ahn's inner arts, he moved just as Lee Ahn controlled him and lost his life.

Lee Ahn had turned their own plan against them. They had intended to show an agitated Bang So killing Seo Jin in front of everyone, but instead, it became a situation where Seo Jin had no choice but to kill Bang So. In a way, the enemy had created the perfect stage for her to exact her revenge with impunity.

"What in the world happened?"

Pyo San asked Seo Jin, pretending to be flustered. No, he was genuinely flustered.

"I don't know either. He suddenly screamed and charged at me."

She, too, had no need to act surprised and flustered.

She had resolved to kill him, but now that she actually had, her sword hand trembled. The rush of wind from his blade as it missed her face had felt so real. Of course, it was a situation Lee Ahn had realistically staged with her telekinesis.

Seeing her shocked appearance, Pyo San was inwardly puzzled.

No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like she killed him with skill.

Then why on earth did Bang So die? When it came to killing people, Bang So was someone who could be trusted. Regardless, he had to sort out this situation first.

Pyo San calmly warned the cadets.

"Everyone, return to your quarters! If a word of this gets out, you'll be expelled immediately!"

He first had the entire White Dragon Class withdraw.

"You stay."

Pyo San made Seo Jin stay behind.

He intended to take her away and lock her up before reporting to Gi Seok. If they concluded that she must be killed, they could stage it as a suicide driven by guilt during the investigation. There was still a chance.

Just then, Lee Ahn stepped forward.

"I'll go with you. I witnessed it from right beside her. My testimony will be more useful than that of my flustered friend here."

Pyo San was also suspicious of Lee Ahn. Was it really a coincidence that such a beautiful woman had entered the academy right after Seo Jin?

"Step back. I'll call for you later."

"Before I step back, I have a question."

Before Pyo San could ask what her question was, Lee Ahn spoke first.

"Why did you pair such a mentally unstable person with a brand-new recruit?"

Pyo San's expression hardened.

"Shouldn't both of them have been paired with more experienced partners?"

All eyes turned to Pyo San. They had been too distracted by Bang So's death to think about it, but hearing Lee Ahn's words, they definitely felt a sense of suspicion.

Even though she had pointed out the biggest potential flaw in his story, he remained calm.

"Are you saying I deliberately had Bang So killed?"

Of course, the cadets thought that was impossible. He had no reason to.

"Don't you all know that unavoidable accidents have nothing to do with skill?"

He was referring to the death of Master Lim. It meant that even if paired with an instructor, a person fated to die will die.

"Now, go back."

Just as the cadets were about to turn away, someone shouted.

"This man has a white snake tattoo on his chest!"

When Pyo San turned in surprise, Geom Mugeuk was already squatting down and rummaging through the corpse's clothes.

"Get your hands off him!"

Geom Mugeuk pulled his hands away, feigning surprise.

Pyo San felt a sense of defeat. He had only been distracted for a brief moment, yet that punk had already made his way to the corpse?

"It's a coiled white snake!"

At that, Lee Ahn said.

"In the murim, isn't the organization that uses a white snake as its symbol the White Snake Society?"

At the mention of the White Snake Society, the cadets began to murmur. The White Snake Society was one of the most infamous assassin guilds in the murim.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

Pyo San roared. His composure, which he had maintained while dealing with the cadets until now, shattered.

Pyo San walked toward Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk backed away with a terrified expression.

"Who gave you permission to touch the corpse? Before the cause of death can even be determined!"

"Didn't we all see the cause of death?"

Pyo San's expression hardened even more.

"Right now, I think the important thing isn't whether someone touched the corpse, but figuring out why a member of the White Snake Society was in the White Dragon Class."

Geom Mugeuk stammered with a frightened look on his face, but he said everything he needed to. He even added a ridiculous joke.

"We're the White Dragons, not the White Snakes, aren't we?"

Pyo San glared at Geom Mugeuk and said coldly.

"You, pack your things and leave the martial arts academy at once! We don't need someone like you here!"

At that, Seo Jin was the first to step forward.

"That's an unfair punishment."

Lee Ahn also stepped forward, declaring it unfair. It was only natural for her to do so.

Yoo Gwang, who had been drinking with them the previous night, suddenly stepped forward.

"It's unfair."

He had shouted it out unconsciously when Lee Ahn stepped forward.

Pyo San roared.

"The three of you, pack your things as well!"

Gyo Seok's expression hardened. Yoo Gwang had stepped forward before he had a chance to stop him. He hesitated, wondering whether he should step forward or not. Yoo Gwang shook his head, silently telling him to stay out of it.

You bastard! Now I have no choice but to step forward.

Gyo Seok also took a step forward and spoke, though he took a different approach.

"My classmates spoke rashly. Please forgive them!"

The other cadets did not dare to step forward in this atmosphere.

Pyo San seethed with anger. Things were not supposed to go this way. Everything had gone completely awry.

"All of you, withdraw and await your punishment."

Just then, a person appeared.

"What is going on?"

The person who had appeared was none other than Yeom Baekjin.

At his appearance, Pyo San felt like he wanted to scream. Of course, showing no sign of his inner turmoil, he politely greeted him and reported.

"There was an accident during duel training."

"Again?"

Just then, Geom Mugeuk shouted.

"There was a member of the White Snake Society in the White Dragon Class!"

Pyo San had to forcibly restrain the urge to run over and plunge his sword into Geom Mugeuk's heart.

Yeom Baekjin glanced at the fallen corpse. He did not seem particularly perturbed by the mention of the White Snake Society. He was more concerned about the opponent.

"Who was he dueling with?"

Seo Jin stepped forward and said.

"It was me."

Yeom Baekjin looked at her.

"Are you alright?"

"……"

He did not ask anything else.

Yeom Baekjin's gaze turned back to Pyo San.

"Since this accident occurred during your class, you'll be the first one to be investigated. Follow me."

Pyo San's expression hardened. There was no way Yeom Baekjin had just happened to be passing by. If that was the case, then Bang So's death also made sense.

This man must have helped her.

It was a situation ripe for such a misunderstanding.

Yeom Baekjin, who was walking ahead, looked back at Pyo San.

"Do you intend to disobey my order?"

"No, sir."

Pyo San quietly followed behind him. The two of them walked past the cadets.

Yeom Baekjin's gaze subtly turned towards Seo Jin.

Pyo San, following behind, glared only at Geom Mugeuk.

That bastard escalated things!

The sight of Geom Mugeuk avoiding his gaze, as if to say 'Oh, how scary,' was even more detestable.

Just you wait!

And so the two of them left, and martial artists who appeared to be Yeom Baekjin's subordinates came and collected the corpse.

"See? I was right, wasn't I? Didn't I say something was going to happen?"

At Yoo Gwang's words, Gyo Seok forcibly dragged him away. His head ached just thinking about how much worse his friend's conspiracy theories would get.

And so the cadets all scattered, and now only three people remained.

Lee Ahn spoke carefully to Geom Mugeuk.

"This was the best I could do. With my poor imagination, I couldn't think of another way to deal with the man who came to kill Division Leader Seo."

At that, Seo Jin expressed her gratitude to Lee Ahn.

"I survived thanks to that imagination."

"It was also the first time the Ghost Shadow Squad worked together to defeat an enemy."

The two women faced each other and smiled.

This was the life Geom Mugeuk wanted for Seo Jin. For her to live happily in this murim with a good person like Lee Ahn. It was also the reason he had rushed here with Lee Ahn.

"What will you do now?"

At Geom Mugeuk's question, Lee Ahn seemed to ponder for a moment.

"We learned from the promised duel, didn't we? Attack, block, and counterattack. We've blocked their attack…"

Lee Ahn said, looking at the buildings of the Yellow Dragon Academy in the distance.

"Now it's our turn to counterattack."