“What are you thinking so hard about! What’s with you today?”
Even after leaving the guest hall, Sachu was half-dazed.
At An Hupyeong’s displeased gaze, Sachu lowered his head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Find Teacher Yong immediately. Just what is he doing and where has he gone—bring him here at once!”
You have to exist to be found. Whether he was melted away and washed down Mount Hwagol, or buried somewhere in this rear garden.
Sachu hesitated. Ordinarily, he would have spoken honestly. That Teacher Yong had likely been killed by them. That they had even warned him to keep his mouth shut.
What would happen if he spoke honestly?
Wouldn’t An Hupyeong run straight to the Pavilion Lord? And if so, what would the Pavilion Lord do?
Teacher Yong was someone kept alive solely because of his martial arts, despite acting arrogant and willful. If he had died because of a pointless task, a furious order would come down.
And then? Would he mobilize every martial artist to go kill them?
Wouldn’t the conclusion be to leave them be until the tournament ended?
It was entirely possible. This tournament was far too important, being already widely known throughout the martial arts world.
Besides, they still didn’t know why the Cheonhwaru Lord had been invited as a judge.
So if the matter of holding someone responsible for Teacher Yong’s death was ultimately postponed?
Sachu thought of Geukak Soma and the Faceless Guests. If they were people who could kill Teacher Yong without leaving a trace, killing him would be child’s play. In the end, he would pay the price for ignoring the warning to keep his mouth shut.
Even if an order was given to capture them immediately, could they really catch them all?
A few experts going in wouldn’t stand a chance. But they wouldn’t wage war right before this great tournament either.
No matter what result came from speaking up.
‘I die.’
Had An Hupyeong been his caring superior as usual, it would not have driven him to the conclusion that he simply needed to look out for his own survival.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to find Teacher Yong.”
“What do you mean?”
It was not because the man was dead, but because he himself wanted to survive.
“I believe the Pavilion Lord must have intervened and sent him back.”
“Father?”
“You know Teacher Yong’s temperament, do you not? He said he would come here, so he couldn’t have failed to come. Yet since he is nowhere to be seen… who else could possibly stop him midway?”
It was a plausible enough guess that An Hupyeong nodded.
From the start, it had been odd that his father had summoned Teacher Yong in advance. He must have done so to prevent him from being used for such matters.
“Right, forget Teacher Yong. Find out who those masked fellows are. They are definitely not ordinary men.”
An Hupyeong started walking first, then added as if he had just remembered.
“Oh, and there’s a woman attending this tournament from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—find out where she’s staying.”
A beauty from the Demonic Cult? He had never enjoyed himself with a woman from the Demonic Cult before, so this was an opportunity.
Even amid all this, his lust and desire for women remained as ever.
“Yes, I understand.”
Sachu let out a sigh, then looked back at the guest hall far behind him.
In that moment, Sachu was startled. A gasp involuntarily escaped his lips.
The Faceless Guests were clinging to the guest hall windows, staring at him. There were so many faces pressed to the glass that he wondered if so many could even be visible there.
The sight was as bizarre and terrifying as the shushing gesture they had made earlier.
Sachu whipped around and quickened his steps to escape that place.
Find out who they are?
Ah! He truly did not want to know.
* * *
Geom Muguk and Ian took a room at an inn on the main street.
“One large room with two beds.”
Ian was surprised. She had naturally assumed they would take two rooms, but Geom Muguk had taken only one.
“We sleep in the same room until this tournament ends.”
Since he had confirmed that the opponent was an assassin, he had no intention of letting her sleep alone.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Ian spoke.
“You still don’t believe in my skills.”
“It’s not that. You’re supposed to protect me.”
The innkeeper smiled in satisfaction with an expression that said, ‘I know exactly what’s on your mind.’
“Let’s eat first. You’ve never tried Anhwe cuisine, have you?”
“No. Have you, Young Master?”
“Of course I have.”
Geom Muguk called the waiter and skillfully ordered dishes. He knew this region’s famous cuisine well, and he promptly ordered dishes that would suit Ian’s palate.
“Wait, when did you come here and try it?”
I was able to try it thanks to you. Because you saved me.
The inn was full of people who had come to attend the tournament. Ian’s gaze deepened as she looked at them.
Earlier, Geom Muguk had said that this street was full of beautiful assassins.
If so, among those eating beside them, there might very well be an assassin led by her.
“Young Master, you told me to protect you, but I failed to realize that woman was an assassin.”
Bodyguards were originally adept at detecting assassins. They had to be.
But she hadn’t been able to feel that the woman was an assassin at all. She had even felt jealous of her. Thinking back now, it was utterly humiliating. She would be ashamed of it for a long time to come.
“It’s because they are special assassins.”
“But you, Young Cult Lord, recognized her, didn’t you?”
That’s only because I knew in advance.
“Because I’m a special person.”
Ian laughed at Geom Muguk’s rare display of cockiness.
“They likely haven’t undergone the standard training that assassins usually undertake. That’s why you can’t sense the peculiar habits or unique ki flow inherent to assassins.”
Because she and the Gain Sect she leads are not ordinary assassins.
Ian nodded and said.
“They wouldn’t need assassin training. Because they possess weapons more powerful than anything else.”
The price of that captivating smile must be one’s life.
* * *
Three days later.
Ian’s expression was not good as she walked out of the building where the preliminary round had been held.
She walked out with her head lowered, trudging along.
“I knew this would happen. Me, the greatest beauty under heaven? I could tell as soon as you made a fuss before it even started! That’s why I said I didn’t want to do it!”
She waited for words of comfort, but Geom Muguk did not react.
When she raised her head, she saw that Geom Muguk was already crossing the training ground and walking out ahead.
“Huh?”
Ian urgently ran after Geom Muguk.
“Where are you going?”
“Where do you think? I need to prepare for the finals.”
“But I got eliminated!”
“Monkeys may fall from trees, and a Sword King may drop his sword, but you couldn’t possibly fall from a beauty pageant. And in the preliminaries, no less.”
A hint of joy crossed Ian’s face. She felt happier at those words from Geom Muguk than at passing the preliminaries.
“Don’t praise me so much! I’m really getting my hopes up.”
“That way I can tease you even more later.”
The preliminary round ended the moment she removed her veil.
She had hoped to see the Cheonhwaru Lord’s face, but the Lord was not present at the preliminary judging. Perhaps she would attend the finals judging.
“But where are we going now?”
“Didn’t I say we’re going to prepare for the finals?”
“Where to?”
The place Geom Muguk took her was a building located a short distance from the main street.
From the outside, it was a building where one couldn’t tell what was sold, but inside, it was a clothing shop.
It was different from the other shops on the main street. It dealt in very precious garments. They were clothes made by renowned artisans from various regions, and naturally, the prices were steep.
“How did you know about this place?”
“The Cheonhwaru Lord told me. She said to bring you here later and buy you clothes.”
“Ah, I see.”
Since the Cheonhwaru Lord couldn’t look after her directly, she seemed to have spoken to Geom Muguk about it in advance.
And she hadn’t told only Geom Muguk.
“Welcome.”
A middle-aged woman who appeared to be the shop owner came out to greet the two. Perhaps she had received word from the Cheonhwaru Lord as well, for her attitude toward them was very respectful.
“Please choose clothes to your liking.”
Ian looked around the interior. There were so many splendid and beautiful clothes that she was rather flustered.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before.”
As if Ian would be the only one? It was Geom Muguk’s first time in such a place as well.
“Please take your time.”
The middle-aged woman did not step away for the moment and watched to see what clothes she would choose.
Ian looked at the clothes. Since they were made by artisans, how could the quality be anything but excellent?
But having always worn only martial attire, she couldn’t easily judge which clothes were good or suited her.
Then Ian stopped before an eye-catching white palace dress. It didn’t have ornate patterns, but it was a garment that accentuated the figure more than what she was currently wearing.
“Could I really wear something like that?”
She was already blushing, perhaps embarrassed merely by imagining it.
“If it’s just once in a lifetime, wouldn’t it be fine to try it on at least once?”
Ian, who had hesitated briefly, made her decision. Geom Muguk’s words had helped her decide.
“I’ll take that one.”
Then the middle-aged woman smiled.
“You’ve chosen well. It’s a garment the artisan made stitch by stitch with her own hands.”
It was Ian’s first time with such expensive clothing. She wouldn’t even be able to draw her sword while wearing it for fear of tearing it somewhere!
Just then, someone spoke from behind.
“I’ll buy that dress.”
She turned to see a woman entering the place.
To her surprise, it was Cha Iran.
Now she knew her opponent was an assassin, but Ian treated her naturally.
“They say if coincidences keep happening, they’re not coincidences. We meet again.”
Then Cha Iran frankly revealed the truth about this meeting.
“This time, it’s not a coincidence.”
It probably wasn’t last time either.
“I saw you enter here and followed you in.”
“Why?”
“To scout what my rival is buying.”
Cha Iran greeted Geom Muguk with a bewitching glance.
“And to have that meal we couldn’t have.”
She was frank.
To her blatant display of affection, Ian showed an unexpected reaction.
“May I ask you a favor?”
“Go ahead.”
*Please back off from my guard! Instead—*
“Please help me pick out my clothes.”
At the unexpected request, Cha Iran showed an intrigued expression.
“That’s not exactly a request one makes of a rival.”
“Asking to share a meal isn’t something one says to a rival’s bodyguard either.”
Cha Iran smiled refreshingly as if conceding the point.
“True enough.”
Laughter suited her well; however she smiled, she was captivating.
“Very well, I’ll pick out an outfit for you.”
She looked over the clothes hanging inside.
First, she eliminated the clothes Ian had initially chosen.
“No matter how carefully the artisan stitched it, this dress doesn’t suit you, young lady.”
She even explained the reason.
“You have a pure face; if your clothes are pure as well, it becomes bland and boring. That outfit over there would suit you better.”
She chose a splendid red palace dress hanging on the opposite side. It was far more revealing and much more ornate than the white palace dress from earlier.
Ian, who had briefly hesitated between the two garments, spoke to the middle-aged woman.
“I’ll take both.”
She even explained why she was buying both.
“Even if I believe Miss Cha’s words, I have to buy both, and even if I don’t believe her, I have to buy both.”
“What do you mean?”
“If Miss Cha is right, this white palace dress would suit you, so I must buy it; and if your words were a lie, it would suit me, so I must buy it.”
Cha Iran laughed brightly. It was a laugh that made one wonder how anyone could think of assassins when seeing a woman smile like that.
Ian sent a telepathic message to Geom Muguk.
“—I had no choice, considering the momentum.”
“—I’m deducting one set from your monthly salary.”
“—No way! I can’t walk around wearing a year’s wages on my body!”
The middle-aged woman packaged the clothes to fit Ian’s measurements, and Geom Muguk paid for them.
Having bought the clothes, the three of them left the place.
Cha Iran spoke to Geom Muguk.
“Let’s eat together. You promised, didn’t you?”
Geom Muguk refused with a slight smile.
“I have never made such a promise.”
“Just for a moment.”
She looked at Ian.
“I cannot. Even if the young lady permits it, I cannot.”
At Geom Muguk’s firm words, Cha Iran said with a smile.
“This just makes me want to be with you more.”
Ian smiled and then bid her farewell.
“I suppose I should have yielded the white dress to you.”
Leaving behind the remark that Cha Iran would have to become even prettier to tempt her guard, Ian walked away.
Geom Muguk followed behind her, carrying the clothes in both hands.
Watching their retreating figures, Cha Iran smiled.
“Cute.”
Cha Iran raised her head to look at the sky.
As her expression turned blank, she looked like a different woman. Her clear, cold gaze; the bright allure transformed into a dark demonic nature.
“No matter what clothes you wear, those who are to die will die.”
* * *
The road back to the inn was one of regret.
“I’m ruined! I’m someone who even savors every meal when I buy food. Ah! Style is fleeting, but debt is eternal.”
“And it wasn’t even that stylish.”
“I can’t do this. I’ll go return it right now.”
“That elegant, pleasant-faced owner said so earlier when we paid. I’m sorry, but we don’t accept returns!”
“And she didn’t even covet the white dress!”
Ian, who had been agonizing, brightened.
“If it’s come to this, there’s only one way.”
“Right, thirty thousand taels!”
Shouting about the one big gamble of their lives, the two returned to the inn.
Unforeseen guests were waiting at the inn.
They were none other than the Young Pavilion Lord An Hupyeong and Sachu.
“They’ve arrived.”
At Sachu’s words, An Hupyeong, who had been sitting with his back turned, lowered his voice gracefully without looking back.
“You are the first woman to make me wait like this.”