Chapter 717: Hold That Hand Tightly

TL: FoodieMonster007

Could she handle him?

Cha Yiran stared silently at Geom Mugeuk.

He was a man who said that living a life of fishing with his father was more difficult than unifying the murim. He was a man who would create such an opportunity for a subordinate, and not even his own, but a mere assassin. He was a man who would run off to buy alcohol, hoping the two of them would elope. He was a man who would extend a hand to someone who tried to kill him. And such a man's identity was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Young Cult Leader.

Living as a martial artist, she had never seen someone like him. How could she possibly handle him?

"You don't really need an assassin group, do you?"

She had a feeling that if this Young Cult Leader before her truly wanted that kind of life, he wouldn't be fond of assassins.

Geom Mugeuk readily admitted her speculation.

"That's right. I don't need an assassin group. I need you."

"Why me? You must have countless masters who can carry out your orders."

"To be honest, at first, I was concerned because you liked that man, Ak Gunhak. Then, I was impressed by your courage in boldly giving up the contract. And now, you've saved my life."

In truth, that alone should have been enough explanation. But there were more reasons.

"You're beautiful enough to compete for the title of world number one, and your martial arts skills are excellent. And above all else, there is one more reason I like you."

Cha Yiran wondered what it could be. It seemed like everything that could be said had been. No, so much had been said that it was almost embarrassing.

The decisive reason Geom Mugeuk stated was something she had never expected.

"Because you're the kind of leader who tells her people that if they have the strength to bite down on a poison pill, they should grit their teeth and strive to live until the very end."

!

"I want to make a person like that one of my own."

Cha Yiran could now understand for certain why Ak Gunhak hadn't killed this man.

No, she even began to think that perhaps, just as Ak Gunhak had said, it was this man who had not killed him.

Of course, that didn't mean she could just accept his offer.

"In that ordinary life you're pursuing, will I really be necessary?"

"Didn't I say it earlier? That life feels more difficult than unifying the murim."

Getting rid of the forces behind the scenes wouldn't be the end of it.

His promise to his father.

If he couldn't persuade his father, a war would break out. Geom Mugeuk still considered preventing that to be a more difficult task than eliminating the masterminds.

"I'm not trying to negate the life you've lived as an assassin. If you come with me and decide this isn't the path for you, then I'll truly let you go."

The offer was made because he needed her, but it was also for her sake. Since they were now connected by fate, he hoped she would try living a life that wasn't that of an assassin. In his life before regression, she had lived her entire life as a nameless assassin. He believed that if she was someone who could silently endure such a life, she could live any other life well too.

"If you're worried about your subordinates, give them a choice."

It meant that anyone who had no intention of joining the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult could be freely sent away.

"Please give me some time to think."

"Take your time. We have to return to our Cult together for now anyway."

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned back to the pavilion on the lake.

The Seventeenth Bridge and the Crescent Moon Faceless Warrior were still there. He thought they would part ways soon out of awkwardness, but the two of them were still there, talking about something.

When Geom Mugeuk used the Divine Eye Technique to look, he saw that the Seventeenth Bridge was smiling. Just what could that blunt Faceless Warrior have said to make the assassin laugh!

"Ah! I'm dying of curiosity. I need to hear what those two are talking about! Is there really no secret assassin martial arts for eavesdropping from a distance?"

That night, Cha Yiran couldn't sleep, her mind filled with various thoughts.

She eventually left her quarters to get some fresh air.

She wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep late into the night.

In the courtyard of the inner residence, Lee Ahn was looking up at the night sky.

As Cha Yiran walked toward her, Lee Ahn greeted her first.

"You're not asleep yet?"

Lee Ahn's gaze toward Cha Yiran was incredibly gentle. There was a good reason for it.

"I didn't know earlier. That you, Young Lady Cha, had taken such a risk for the Young Cult Leader."

Lee Ahn bowed her head politely to Cha Yiran.

"Thank you so much for saving the Young Cult Leader."

From her extremely polite greeting, Cha Yiran could tell that she genuinely cared for the Young Cult Leader. She thought the Young Cult Leader was quite greedy, trying to take her as a subordinate when he already had someone like this.

"I did it for myself as well, so you don't need to worry about it too much."

Nevertheless, Lee Ahn's eyes were filled with gratitude, so Cha Yiran changed the subject by looking up at the sky.

"What were you looking at so intently?"

"No matter how busy you are, look up at the sky at least once a day! That's what the Young Cult Leader always says. I forget all the time, so there are many days like this when I end up looking at the stars late at night."

After staring at the stars for a moment, Cha Yiran asked abruptly.

"What kind of person is the Young Cult Leader?"

Was it because of the sudden question? Lee Ahn couldn't answer easily.

"I asked too suddenly, didn't I? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

That wasn't why Lee Ahn didn't answer.

"No. It's not that I don't want to answer. It's just that he's a difficult person to describe in a few words."

Cha Yiran understood Lee Ahn's words. Yes, Geom Mugeuk wasn't someone who could be easily explained, even if you had known him for a long time.

"The Young Cult Leader made an offer. He said he wants to make me his subordinate."

Lee Ahn nodded with an expression that said she had expected it.

"Did the Young Cult Leader perhaps tell you?"

"No."

"But you're not surprised."

"Because I think I would have done the same if I were the Young Cult Leader."

After looking at Lee Ahn for a moment, Cha Yiran said.

"You've learned something bad from the Young Cult Leader. Saying things the other person wants to hear."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Lee Ahn stared at her and said.

"It's an effort, isn't it? At the very least, it means you've thought beforehand about what the other person wants to hear. It would be bad if those words caused harm to the other person. But I don't think becoming the Young Cult Leader's subordinate is a bad thing."

Cha Yiran got a slightly different impression from the Lee Ahn she had seen until now. When Lee Ahn talked about the Young Cult Leader, her eyes shone.

"Are you perhaps afraid of your past life changing?"

Cha Yiran didn't answer Lee Ahn's question. Yes, if she was hesitating, that would be the biggest reason. To go from living the life of an assassin to becoming the Young Cult Leader's sword? The words to agree readily wouldn't come out, no matter how special a feeling Geom Mugeuk gave her.

"I had lived my entire life as the Young Cult Leader's bodyguard. It was a job I loved, and I had never even considered any other life."

As if she had made up her mind today, Lee Ahn spoke more than usual. At first, it was because if Geom Mugeuk wanted her, she wanted to help him, even in this small way. But as they talked, her true feelings came out without her realizing it.

"But the Young Cult Leader changed that life for me. Now, I'm not the Young Cult Leader's bodyguard, but the leader of the Ghost Shadow Squad. Do you know what I felt during that process?"

"What did you feel?"

Lee Ahn's gaze turned once again toward the stars in the night sky, deepening.

"A life doing what you love is not so much enjoyable as it is truly arduous."

This was the feeling she had right after she quit her bodyguard duties and became the leader of the Ghost Shadow Squad.

"Because it's something you love, you want to do it well, and to do it well, you have to work really hard. You have to endure things you dislike. I thought that if you do what you love, it would be nothing but enjoyable, but it's actually a very difficult thing. It's difficult precisely because you love it."

Lee Ahn's gaze, which had been on the stars, turned toward her.

"Do you know what I think when I open my eyes in the morning these days? Ah! I don't have to protect anyone. I just have to take care of myself and live. You wouldn't know how much relief a thought like that brings. It's a feeling I never knew when I was actually working as a bodyguard. I also learned this time that some feelings can only be felt when you quit the job."

Her words were contrary to the image of her who had so diligently protected the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman. But that effort, and also the words she was saying now, were all sincere.

Hearing Lee Ahn's honest words, Cha Yiran thought to herself. What would a life without contracts be like for her? Would she really feel a sense of relief like Lee Ahn?

"You should try feeling what it's like at least once. Even if you go back to living as an assassin, it will surely be helpful to you, Young Lady Cha."

Cha Yiran could feel that Lee Ahn sincerely wanted her to become Geom Mugeuk's subordinate.

"Why are you telling me this? There's no advantage for you if I become the Young Cult Leader's subordinate, is there?"

"If you're asking if the Young Cult Leader's affection might be divided."

Lee Ahn added with a smile.

"You must not know the size of our Young Cult Leader's heart yet. His heart is big enough to contain the whole world and still have room to spare."

"And it's not that your heart is big?"

"I'm just pretending that it is."

Lee Ahn bowed her head in farewell and walked away.

As she was walking away, Lee Ahn turned back and said.

"Oh, and don't worry that you won't be able to leave. The Young Cult Leader is someone who tries his best to send the people around him away."

In the beginning, he had told Lee Ahn to leave for the sake of her own happiness.

And that was something Cha Yiran already knew. He was the one who had tried so hard to let Ak Gunhak go.

Lee Ahn's words today were ultimately to say this.

"So when he holds out his hand, hold it tight."

The next morning, preparations for departure were in full swing at the Mythical Sect.

Geom Mugeuk's party was preparing to return to the Cult.

Several carriages were prepared. Aside from the carriages for the leaders, the rest were filled with the injured.

The uninjured Faceless Warriors and the Beautiful Bridges assassins all rode horses, guarding the carriages. They all wore bamboo hats and veils.

Before Geom Mugeuk left, Bi Sayin came to see him. It was to say goodbye and also to express his gratitude.

Thanks to this, the Beautiful Bridges assassins were able to witness the rare sight of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's heir and the Evil Alliance's heir standing side by side, talking.

Bi Sayin expressed his gratitude.

"I'm grateful to you again for this."

If he hadn't told him about this matter in advance, there was no telling what might have happened to the Evil Alliance Chairman.

"This time, I'm the one who should be grateful. Thanks to the Chairman entrusting this matter to me, I've gained a lot."

Bi Sayin really liked this honesty of Geom Mugeuk's. Living in the murim, you come to realize it. People try to take credit for everything, and they try to make others indebted to them in any way they can.

But Geom Mugeuk was different. There was no distortion in his sense of gratitude and resentment.

"I believe the conspiracy targeting the Chairman is still ongoing. So you should pay close attention."

Bi Sayin nodded at Geom Mugeuk's words. He intended to guard Baek Jagang with the Thirteen Evil Wolves until the full story of this incident was revealed.

"The All-Knowing Hall will also send any information related to the Chairman immediately."

"Thank you. We will cooperate as well."

The two men faced each other, exchanging a look of reassurance. Seeing the mischief rising in Geom Mugeuk's eyes, Bi Sayin spoke first.

"Don't say it and just go!"

Of course, Geom Mugeuk wasn't one to just leave.

"You have to be this quick-witted to have a secret love affair."

After successfully teasing Bi Sayin, Geom Mugeuk climbed into the carriage. He stuck his head out the carriage window and said loudly to everyone.

"Alright, let's go home!"

The ceiling was high.

Large stone pillars supported the domed ceiling.

Painted on the walls and ceiling were constellations. It was as if the night sky had been moved indoors, with countless stars depicted, focusing on those with special significance to martial arts.

In this place, there were two things Geom Mugeuk would have recognized immediately had he been there.

First, a large Secret Box was placed in a corner of the space. The very one that Ak Gunhak had taken back with him was stored here.

The second was a symbol painted on one of the walls.

It was the very same symbol Geom Mugeuk had seen in the basement of the Yellow Dragon Academy.

Six round circles surrounded a Secret Box in the center.

A faint light was emanating from four of the circles.

Black, blue, white, and yellow.

Surprisingly, those were the colors of the beads that Geom Mugeuk had absorbed.

A middle-aged woman sat before it. Calm and filled with a sacred aura, she was Ga Ye, a descendant of the Saintess Palace and the current Saintess.

A large bowl was placed in front of her, filled to the brim with blood.

In the darkness in front of Ga Ye sat an old man. His back was straight, and his hands were calmly gathered in front of his qi center. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone, and his black pupils were a darkness that suppressed the dark.

Just then, the Secret Box painted on the mural behind Ga Ye seemed to glow.

HWAAAAK.

The fifth circle began to glow red.

Ga Ye said in a calm voice.

"The energy of the Red Way has appeared in the world."

Surprisingly, this mural was indicating that the energy within the bead was being released.

Then the old man in the darkness murmured.

"Now the Young Cult Leader will absorb the energy of the Red Way as well."

His voice had a deep resonance, like an ancient bell.

"The Flying Blood Snake must have entered the Young Cult Leader's body, riding the energy of the Red Way."

The old man in the darkness nodded at Ga Ye's words.

For this task, they had used the Flying Blood Snake, which could only be used once in a generation. If this succeeded, all past failures and sacrifices would be redeemed.

How much time had passed like that?

SSSSSSSS.

The bowl of blood placed before Ga Ye began to turn black. Looking down at it, Ga Ye's eyes widened in shock.

"The Flying Blood Snake is dead."

At her report, the eyes of the old man in the darkness shone intensely. Unable to withstand the energy radiating from him, Ga Ye closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"The death of the Flying Blood Snake means this attempt has also failed."

At the old man's words, Ga Ye could only stare at the blackened water with trembling eyes. She still couldn't believe it.

Then a low mumble of concern flowed from the old man in the darkness.

"In the end, must I awaken him?"

At that, Ga Ye prostrated herself before the old man.

"You mustn't. Without the Six Elements Origin Qi, he can't be controlled. If you just let him out…"

She didn't know about other things, but she was certain of this one thing, so Ga Ye added firmly.

"This murim will become a sea of blood."