Chapter 696: Who is Number One?

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk could perceive that the Evil Alliance Chairman was entirely serious.

He wanted to leap onto that stage immediately and kill Cha Yiran.

She was currently striding across the stage, capturing the attention of all the heroes. A woman who should have led the most clandestine life was now smiling brightly for the world to see.

It was all for the sake of killing the Evil Alliance Chairman and becoming the world's number one beauty.

A surprising word then came from Geom Mugeuk's lips.

"Kill her."

"!"

Baek Jagang's eyes widened slightly when Geom Mugeuk instructed him to kill her. The answer was completely unexpected.

"Kill her?"

"Yes! Kill her."

Baek Jagang could also sense it. This was not a lie. No shiver of deceit ran down his spine.

Baek Jagang's gaze shifted to Cha Yiran on the stage. She was smiling radiantly from the stage's center toward the judges' seats. She would be exiting the stage very soon.

The intense killing intent coming from Baek Jagang next to him was so taut it felt like it could erupt toward the stage at any moment.

Geom Mugeuk wondered how many moves an assassin, now exposed to the world, could possibly withstand against the Evil Alliance Chairman.

After stepping over her corpse, Baek Jagang would likely say something along these lines.

'I am the Evil Alliance Chairman. I congratulate you on the opening of the world's number one beauty pageant.'

The members of the unorthodox sects would erupt at the Evil Alliance Chairman's surprise appearance. They would cheer for him without even asking why he had killed her.

He was, after all, a man who commanded the absolute faith and support of the unorthodox sects.

SHHH.

The pupils in his eyes, which had been focused with murderous intent, dilated, and the powerful killing intent disappeared.

Baek Jagang calmly revealed his reason for backing down.

"If she was a woman who had to be killed, you would have already done it before I got here."

Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly at this profound display of trust.

Now, it was Geom Mugeuk's turn to reciprocate that trust.

"Yes, there was a reason I didn't kill her."

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned toward the stage. Cha Yiran was now descending from it amid a wave of cheers.

"Would they truly have given such a massive task to her alone? There is likely someone else behind this."

Baek Jagang nodded. He understood the plan was to lure out the other mastermind so they could be eliminated together. Another conspirator could be hiding somewhere among these heroes.

"There's an even greater reason than that. Why would they target you, Chairman? Even if the assassination were to succeed, Sayin would simply take over the Chairman's position."

In truth, that was also why Baek Jagang had not killed her. He wanted to uncover the reason, even if it meant killing her later.

"Dying at the hands of the world's number one beauty wouldn't be so bad."

It was a joke that carried his true intention to wait instead of killing her first.

As he prepared to depart, Baek Jagang asked one final question.

"What would you have done if I had actually killed that woman?"

Geom Mugeuk considered this for a moment before speaking calmly.

"If you had killed her, there would have been another way."

He looked at Baek Jagang and then added another comment.

"With you here, Chairman, what is there to worry about?"

This statement also failed to send a shiver down his spine. He could tell that Geom Mugeuk's trust in him was genuine. For someone who talked so much, it was a rare occasion for Geom Mugeuk to say something that did not make one's skin crawl.

Baek Jagang, pulling his bamboo hat down, vanished into the crowd.

No further incidents took place before the main stage event concluded.

The eight beauties who would move on to the final stage, scheduled for three days after the competition, were announced.

Along with seven other beauties, Cha Yiran was named.

Lee Ahn advanced to the finals.

There were no surprises.

Ahn Hupyeong sat with a swollen face near the front of the stage.

He had come out to watch the competition even in his current state. He needed to show Lee Ahn that he had watched, and he was also curious to see what other pretty beauties were present.

He ignored the stares from those around him.

He had always carried the mindset, 'I'm the 소Chief of the Mythical Sect. No matter what state I'm in, I'm better than you, right? Can you look down on me? You can't, can you?'

Of course, his mood right now was the absolute worst.

Earlier, he had been too shocked and confused to think clearly, but as time went on, the situation became incredibly painful and felt deeply unfair.

He thought watching the beauties might improve his spirits, but the fervent energy and cheers only made his mood sink further.

That's right, when you are in a bad mood, you should not look at happy things. You should look at things more miserable than yourself.

Just then, someone offered something to him. He turned his head and saw Sa Chu holding out a cloth-wrapped bundle of ice.

"Put this on your face."

"I'm fine!"

He responded with irritation, but Sa Chu kept holding the pouch out.

"I said I'm fine! Are you mocking me?!"

Ahn Hupyeong angrily threw the pouch onto the ground.

His face throbbed from the effort of shouting.

"Damn it, that hurts."

Sa Chu simply stared at Ahn Hupyeong without saying a word.

He felt that Ahn Hupyeong deserved this, but seeing him in such a state still did not feel good.

"How much money do I have in the bank?"

"About twelve hundred taels."

"Is that all?"

Considering his usual extravagant spending, it was a relief that even that much remained.

"What kind of gift can I buy with that?"

"What kind of gift are you talking about?"

"What do you think! It's for the Young Alliance Chairman. I have to cheer him up, don't I?"

He had to do something. He had cursed at and even tried to strike the Young Alliance Chairman, so he was on his bad side, and it was a very bad side to be on.

"It will be difficult to buy something the Young Alliance Chairman would like with that amount of money."

"Damn it!"

At that moment, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

He raised his head and looked at the stage, where he saw Cha Yiran making her appearance.

"That woman?"

It was the woman who had been speaking with Lee Ahn's bodyguard. For some reason, he had found her difficult to approach.

Seeing her overwhelming beauty, a single thought flashed through Ahn Hupyeong's mind.

"Yes, that's it! I have to find that guy!"

Ahn Hupyeong shot to his feet and ran into the crowd of heroes.

Sa Chu sighed, wondering what sort of trouble he was about to stir up now, and followed after him.

After a period of wandering and searching, the person Ahn Hupyeong finally located was none other than Geom Mugeuk.

"What on earth happened to your face?"

Of course, Geom Mugeuk had a good idea why. It would have been fortunate if he had come to his senses after the beating.

"None of your business! You know that person who spoke to you earlier?"

"You mean the scary-looking person?"

"Did he really ask if a lot of beauties came?"

"Yes. He said he had a hard time rushing here to not be late."

Ahn Hupyeong's eyes began to sparkle.

"You said you were going drinking tonight, right? Where are you taking the Young Ladies?"

"We haven't decided yet. If we go, we're thinking of renting a room at a nearby tavern."

"Come to the Bright Flower House! I'll rent out the whole place."

The Bright Flower House was the largest and most expensive tavern in the entire marketplace.

Ahn Hupyeong had decided he would make up for his mistake by introducing Cha Yiran to Bi Sayin.

Yes, if he was fond of women, this meeting was sure to work.

When Geom Mugeuk showed a troubled expression, Ahn Hupyeong scowled.

"An important guest will be there too."

"Who might that be?"

He's a bodyguard, after all. If Ahn Hupyeong did not tell him who it was, he would never bring Lee Ahn and Cha Yiran.

Ahn Hupyeong held up two fingers.

"The person who is second among the murim prodigies."

"Who is that?"

"The Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance."

This was also an opportunity to show Lee Ahn what a great person he associated with. He could get on the Young Alliance Chairman's good side and Lee Ahn's good side at the same time.

He was a little worried that Bi Sayin might take a liking to Lee Ahn.

Well, if that happened, so be it. He would just switch his focus to Cha Yiran then. Right now, getting on the Young Alliance Chairman's good side was more important.

"You just have to bring them. I'll let you eat and drink all the expensive liquor and food you've never had in your life."

Ahn Hupyeong threatened in a low voice.

"If you don't come, I'll really rip that mouth of yours!"

At the mention of ripping his mouth, Sa Chu, who stood behind Ahn Hupyeong, flinched.

His eyes met Geom Mugeuk's.

Sa Chu covered his own mouth with his palm. It was a signal that he had absolutely not said anything.

As Ahn Hupyeong turned to leave, Geom Mugeuk asked a question.

"Then who is the first among the prodigies?"

As if asking how he could possibly not know, Ahn Hupyeong replied while striding away.

"Wouldn't you, a demon, know better?"

A table was set up in the center of the Bright Flower House.

All manner of delicacies were spread across it, and fine liquor had been prepared.

"If you make a mistake, you'll all die today!"

At Ahn Hupyeong's shout, the cooks and waiters of the Bright Flower House grew tense.

Then, Ahn Hupyeong's gaze fell upon Sa Chu, who was standing there with a blank expression.

Ahn Hupyeong grabbed Sa Chu's shoulders from behind and shook him.

"What is it now? What's wrong?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

"Scared because the Young Alliance Chairman is coming? You just stand there quietly."

In reality, Sa Chu's heart was trembling not at the thought of the Young Alliance Chairman, but at meeting the Thirteen Evil Wolves up close. He wondered why so many surprising things had been happening lately.

Just then, Bi Sayin entered the room. Ahn Hupyeong rushed forward to greet him.

"You've arrived?"

The Thirteen Evil Wolves followed behind Bi Sayin. They scattered and took up positions around the room, ready to respond instantly if any trouble were to befall Bi Sayin.

Sa Chu bowed politely to Bi Sayin, then turned and offered a clasped hands greeting to the Thirteen Evil Wolves as well. He greeted them once in each direction. It was not common to greet them so thoroughly, and the First Wolf watched him with interest.

"Have the other guests not arrived yet?"

Ahn Hupyeong quickly answered Bi Sayin's question after he sat down.

"They should be on their way now."

Ahn Hupyeong looked at Sa Chu, about to signal for him to go and check.

However, Sa Chu was too preoccupied with staring at the Thirteen Evil Wolves to notice him.

Sigh, is he spacing out again?

Sa Chu was feeling a mixture of awe and sorrow.

They were the ones he had truly admired and looked up to since he was young.

The name, the Thirteen Evil Wolves, was an unfulfilled dream for him.

If I had tried harder back then, could I be standing in that spot now?

Just then, Geom Mugeuk stepped inside.

Ahn Hupyeong, who had been delighted, was suddenly taken aback. Only Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn had arrived.

Ahn Hupyeong rushed over to Geom Mugeuk and asked.

"Where is Young Lady Cha?"

"We arranged to meet her here."

"You made sure to tell her to come, right?"

"She'll come."

It was a conversation they could have had after greeting the Master. But his desire to introduce Cha Yiran to Bi Sayin was his first priority.

The next thing on his mind was the introduction.

"This person here is the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance."

Ahn Hupyeong puffed out his chest. 'This Young Lady, I am someone who associates with the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance.'

"This is Young Lady Lee Ahn, who has advanced to the finals."

This time, he looked at Bi Sayin and puffed up his neck. 'I am someone who socializes with such beauties!'

"Now, please have a seat."

As everyone began to take their seats, Geom Mugeuk swiftly claimed a spot for himself.

"Do you know what kind of gathering this is! How dare a mere bodyguard butt in?"

Geom Mugeuk spoke as if he had been wronged.

"Didn't you say you'd treat me to liquor and food I've never had in my life? Didn't you say the number two prodigy was coming?"

"Has this bastard lost his mind!"

Bi Sayin asked in a low voice.

"Who is number one?"

Ahn Hupyeong was horrified and waved his hands dismissively.

"This man is talking nonsense!"

Watching the commotion, Sa Chu frowned. More than any other mistake, those words stuck in his ear.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves were standing right there, yet he was carelessly using words like 'mere bodyguard'.

Sa Chu gave a slight bow to the First Wolf, who was standing a short distance away, as if to apologize on Ahn Hupyeong's behalf.

Just then, the First Wolf's telepathy reached Sa Chu.

[Are your younger siblings well?]

Sa Chu looked at the First Wolf in shock. What did he mean by that?

In that moment, Sa Chu's eyes widened in astonishment. He sent a telepathic message back with a trembling voice.

[You remember me.]

He recalled that day from long ago.

He remembered the days of his youth, when he had waited persistently at the entrance of the Evil Alliance just to catch a glimpse of the Thirteen Evil Wolves' faces.

On the day he finally met them, Sa Chu had mustered the greatest courage of his entire life.

He had blocked the path of the Thirteen Evil Wolves. And he had asked something that no one around him could tell him.

"How can I become one of the Thirteen Evil Wolves?"

The one who had stepped forward and listened to him back then was that very same First Wolf.

"I heard that the best martial artists of the Evil Alliance are the Thirteen Evil Wolves. I want to become the best martial artist so I can feed my younger siblings until they are full."

They had left without a word, but surprisingly, the First Wolf remembered him from that day.

[How do you remember me?]

[Because you're the only one who ever blocked our path and survived.]

Sa Chu was incredibly grateful and moved that he was remembered.

However, because of that, he could no longer meet the First Wolf's gaze and lowered his head.

He, who had once dreamed such a grand dream.

Now his lot in life was to follow that scoundrel Ahn Hupyeong around, cleaning up his messes.

Just then, the First Wolf, as if surveying the surroundings, slowly walked past the deeply bowing Sa Chu and patted him on the shoulder.

It was a gesture more encouraging than any words in the world.

Sa Chu made a decision.

This robe, the one the First Wolf had patted his shoulder on, he would never wash it and would keep it safe for the rest of his life.

It was at that exact moment.

GRAB.

Just then, Ahn Hupyeong grabbed his shoulder from behind and said.

"Go to the kitchen and personally oversee things. Make sure there are no mistakes."

Of all places, he had grabbed the very spot the First Wolf had touched.

"Why don't you just say it instead of grabbing me!"

Sa Chu yelled. Ahn Hupyeong stared at him with a shocked expression. Everyone's attention focused on him.

"What in the world is wrong with you!"

It was the first time Sa Chu had ever shouted at Ahn Hupyeong. It was also a shout directed at himself.

After a moment of bewilderment, Ahn Hupyeong asked coldly.

"What's wrong with you?"

Just then, over Ahn Hupyeong's shoulder, Sa Chu saw Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk raised his palm to cover his mouth, the exact same gesture Sa Chu had made to him earlier.

Sa Chu understood. It meant he should not say anything right now.

Until now, everyone had told him to be quiet.

Shh! Shh, or they would rip his mouth.

But this gesture of covering the mouth was different. This was an action done for his sake.

Just let it pass quietly. Now is not the time. He could feel that sentiment.

"I'm sorry. I must have lost my mind."

Sa Chu ran to the kitchen with his head bowed.

It was not the time to berate him, so Ahn Hupyeong turned and said to everyone.

"Managing subordinates is so difficult these days. You all understand, right?"

He laughed out loud as he said it.

However, no one laughed with him. In fact, no one was even looking at him.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves were each staring straight ahead, and Lee Ahn and Bi Sayin were talking about something.

And Geom Mugeuk was watching Sa Chu walk to the kitchen.

Where is everyone looking?

In that brief moment, he felt completely abandoned. He had not even felt this way when his father beat him.

Just then, someone spoke from behind him.

"Excuse me, could you please move?"

Ahn Hupyeong turned to see Cha Yiran standing there. The woman who would be his salvation had finally appeared.

"Oh! Our Young Lady Cha has finally arrived."

He greeted her warmly, but Cha Yiran tilted her head.

"Who are you?"

"I am Ahn Hupyeong, the 소Chief of the Mythical Sect."

Instead of introducing herself, Cha Yiran just smiled sweetly.

"The face of such a noble person is quite swollen."

Cha Yiran walked past him.

Although Bi Sayin and Lee Ahn were there together, her gaze was fixed only on Geom Mugeuk.

"There are a lot of guests, aren't there? I told you we should meet alone."

Just as she walked up to the table where everyone was seated.

"……"

The Secret Box inside Geom Mugeuk's robes reacted faintly.

Cha Yiran smiled bewitchingly and said, "Who knows? Something good might happen if it's just the two of us?"