Chapter 309: No Evil Person Loves Flowers 1 |
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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When I visited, So Yeonrang was, as always, devoted to her sword training, her face bare of any makeup.
I understood well why she was so immersed in martial arts. For experts of a level comparable to the Demon Supremes, the mastery of martial techniques was something akin to a rare and fleeting chance. And the One-Slash Sword Supreme was the kind of person who, whenever such a moment came, would absolutely ensure to make that mastery her own.
After she leapt through the air and swung her sword in a grand arc, she turned toward me.
The look in her eyes as she faced me was provocative, just like that.
Come!
If she was asking for a match, I had to give her one. Without hesitation, I kicked off the ground and shot toward her.
Acknowledging how much stronger she had become, I pushed my power and speed even higher.
Our swords collided so rapidly that instead of a flurry of clanging sounds, a single, drawn-out chaeeeng echoed, like one continuous note. 2
Dozens of sword trails bloomed and vanished like bursts of fireworks. To any observer, the pace would have been too fast to follow—no one could tell where we were attacking or defending.
The speed at which we swung our swords kept rising.
But this wasn’t a fight between me and the One-Slash Sword Supreme. It was our instincts battling each other—my instincts thrusting the sword, her instincts deflecting it. A match where a single misstep could cost an arm or slice a throat. It was a duel more real than any real battle.
When the speed reached its peak—
Ddang! A strange, discordant sound rang out, and we both landed back on the ground.
Thud.
The One-Slash Sword struck the ground.
So Yeonrang had dropped her sword again.
From her, I sensed no frustration or shame in defeat. Even though she lost, she wore a satisfied expression because she had fought so well. In that recent exchange, she had likely displayed a level of swordsmanship more brilliant than anything she had ever wielded in her life.
She asked me,
"How far are you planning to take me?"
She understood my intent perfectly—to push her to her limits. That I didn’t want her to be satisfied. That I didn’t want her to stop.
"All the way."
To the very end.
Yes, I planned to go all the way with these Demon Supremes.
"Why?"
"I’ve said it before. You’re the only one who can push me like this when we cross swords. The only ones I can truly test my sword against are my father and you. But I can’t spar with my father this often, and even when I do, it’s a different kind of battle. That’s why these matches with you are incredibly precious to me."
I paused briefly and conveyed my true feelings.
“I want to walk with you until the day we lay down our swords.”
A flash of fierce emotion crossed the One-Slash Sword Supreme’s face.
She looked down at her empty hand and asked,
“Do you remember the first time we dueled?”
“I remember.”
She, too, spoke honestly about her feelings.
“Around that time, I was thinking this—just stay as a Demon Supreme for another ten years or so, then hand over the position to a successor and enjoy a peaceful retirement.”
Still looking down at her empty palm, she slowly raised her head and looked at me.
“Back then, I could see my destination. As a martial artist, and as a Demon Supreme. The finish line of my life, where people would line up to cheer and congratulate me. I can still see it. It’s a path that I could walk without a care, without any thought, just putting one foot in front of the other. But you, you’ve placed me back at the starting line. Right now, I feel like I’m standing at the start all over again.”
I met her gaze and calmly spoke.
“Crossing that finish line might feel pleasant and easy. But that’ll last only about a month. From the next day on, you’ll be bored, restless. You’ll think, ‘I should’ve done more while I was still young.’ Ending it like that—doesn’t it feel a bit empty? All kinds of regrets and distractions will eat at you.”
A faint smile curved at the corner of So Yeonrang’s lips.
“You’ve never even been there, though.”
“I’ve got quite the imagination.”
To live a life cornered by people like Sa Woojong, caught up in ambitions that didn’t suit her—she was far too valuable for that.
The One-Slash Sword Supreme held out her hand. Then the One-Slash Sword, which had been embedded in the ground, dislodged itself and flew straight into her grasp. With the sword in her hand, she declared,
“I’m standing at the starting line again. Until the moment I die, I won’t let this hand be without a sword.”
I could feel it. The woman before me now was not the same One-Slash Sword Supreme from before my regression. A person’s life truly does change depending on who they meet and who stays by their side.
“Why did you come today?”
“Sa Woojong was killed by the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.”
At that unexpected answer, So Yeonrang flinched slightly.
“What happened?”
I told her everything, excluding the parts related to Hwan Yeo. That made it sound like a death driven by a love affair.
“Sa Woojong threatened and insulted a Demon Supreme. That’s a grave enough sin to warrant death. However, the fact that a Demon Sword was killed by another Demon Supreme’s hand… that could still tarnish your reputation, or that of the Northern Heavens Sword Family.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, she asked me,
“What would you like to see happen with this matter?”
“For the sake of the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, I’d like to ask you to let it go just this once. She’s currently establishing herself within the Western Illusion Formation. If this incident draws attention, her position will become unstable.”
So Yeonrang accepted my request.
“Handle it quietly.”
“Thank you.”
“But at least tell me where he’s buried. He once served at my side… I should at least pour him a farewell drink.” 3
With those parting words, she resumed swinging her sword.
I gave her a respectful bow and left the place.
Just before I exited the One-Slash Sword Supreme’s residence, I turned back.
She stood there with her sword lowered, gazing up at the sky. There was a tangled, complicated air about her. I didn’t want to know what kind of relationship she had with Sa Woojong, or what weaknesses he held over her.
I only hoped this incident would become a turning point in her life. One that would even change her swordsmanship.
As I stepped out of the Northern Heavens Sword Family grounds, Seo Daeryong was waiting.
“We’ve received a report from those monitoring the flower garden. The medicinal herbs that came in daily didn’t arrive yesterday or today.”
There was only one meaning to that.
“She’s trying to leave.”
I couldn’t let her go like this. I had to stop her, no matter what. There was a chance that Jeong Dae wouldn’t be able to undo the Soul Reaping Art, or that he’d need her to break it. And if we were going to find out where Hwan Wang was, we needed her.
“What are you going to do?”
Walking towards Maga Village, I replied,
“What else? I’ll stop her from leaving. Send any available Enforcement Martial Artists to me.”
* * *
Hwan Yeo was preparing to leave the flower garden.
She had received the report that Sa Woojong was dead. His death meant one thing—the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art had succeeded. She would retreat for now and return in a year to confirm whether it had taken effect on her.
A regular martial artist would be turned into a puppet with a single, successful Soul Reaping Art. But the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, who had learned the art herself, couldn’t be controlled so easily. The Red Soul planted in her mind needed time to take root and grow. It was like sowing a seed and raising a flower. When the bud bloomed into a full flower, then the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme could be completely under their control.
Just then, a crowd of martial artists surged into the area—and among them, one person stepped forward.
When Hwan Yeo saw who it was, she was visibly startled. Geom Mugeuk had arrived—not only with his personal guards but also accompanied by Enforcement Martial Artists from the Underworld Pavilion.
“A rare guest has graced us once again.”
“You seemed to recognize me immediately that day. Though this is our first meeting, how did you know who I was?”
“In this Maga Village, there isn’t a single merchant who doesn’t know the Young Cult Leader. It’s an honor to meet you again.”
While carrying out her plans in this place, the name she had heard most often was Geom Mugeuk. Most of the rumors sounded far-fetched, yet she knew. She knew they were all true. And that meant dealing with Geom Mugeuk required the utmost caution. 4
That’s why Hwan Yeo was suspicious of his visit. Once could be brushed off as coincidence. But twice?
‘Did he catch on to something?’
Otherwise, there’d be no reason for the Young Cult Leader to show up in person.
Even so, she wasn’t rattled. There were many ways to escape if needed. If it came to it, she could use the Soul Reaping Art on the guards, make them draw their swords and kill the Young Cult Leader. She could then slip away in the chaos. 5
“My subordinate really liked the flowers you sold us that day.”
“There’s nothing quite like gifting flowers to a beautiful woman.”
Had this been the only reason for his visit, she would have undoubtedly suspected him. But Geom Mugeuk was direct in his questioning.
“Let me ask you something.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Do you know of a martial artist who has visited here frequently as of late?”
The mention of Sa Woojong startled her inwardly, but not a trace of it showed on her face.
“Of course. He often came to admire the flowers and trees before leaving.”
“His name was Sa Woojong.”
“He never told me his name.”
“He died recently.”
“Oh my! What happened?”
Hwan Yeo put on a convincing display of sorrow. Her acting was so natural, anyone would’ve believed she had grown fond of the man who visited every day.
“The cult is currently investigating his death. My visit today is part of that investigation.”
“I see…”
Hwan Yeo bowed slightly, feigning fear.
“But if the Young Cult Leader himself is handling the investigation, he must’ve been someone important?”
“His death is tied to one of our Demon Supremes.”
Revealing this so openly actually confused Hwan Yeo.
‘Did he find out about the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme?’
No. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have come alone—he would’ve brought other Demon Supremes to capture her. 6
‘He doesn’t know about me yet.’
Geom Mugeuk’s demeanor toward her was cautious—he was clearly suspicious, but not outright accusing.
“So, I’d advise you not to leave the flower garden for a while.”
“I have nowhere else to go.”
“Then why have the medicinal herbs that used to come daily suddenly stopped arriving?”
Geom Mugeuk openly revealed that the flower garden was under surveillance from their side.
“I’ve been feeling unwell lately, so I decided to take a short break.”
He gave her a look of clear suspicion.
That was exactly the kind of response that would ease suspicion.
If he had come for a different reason and tried to act completely natural, she would have remained wary. But instead, saying plainly that she was being watched and telling her not to leave—that had a better chance of keeping her in place. To seal it, he added a critical warning.
“If you get scared and run, we’ll list you as an enemy of the cult and dispatch a pursuit squad. Your wanted poster will be spread all across the Central Plains, and there’ll be nowhere for you to hide.”
Geom Mugeuk had pinpointed her weakness with precision. People like her operated in secret. The thing they feared most was being exposed to the outside world. A wanted poster of her face plastered across the entire Central Plains? That was the last thing she wanted.
Sure enough, Hwan Yeo’s heart grew heavy.
‘Damn it.’
Being exposed was absolutely unacceptable.
Geom Mugeuk walked over to the flowers that Lee Ahn had bought and took in their scent.
“Do you know what I said when my subordinates reported that this flower garden seemed suspicious?”
“What did you say?”
“There’s no evil person who loves flowers.”
With that, Geom Mugeuk and his party left the flower garden.
Hwan Yeo silently watched their backs disappear.
* * *
“Ah! How long has it been since I last came to the headquarters?”
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader took a deep breath as he entered the compound. It wasn’t the Heavenly Wind Cult’s base, but the main base of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—and yet it still felt like the comfort of returning home.
The two who entered the inner court headed straight to Geom Mugeuk’s residence. Not his old one, but the large, luxurious quarters he had received after becoming the Young Cult Leader.
“Becoming the Young Cult Leader really upgraded his place, huh?”
Jeong Dae looked around Geom Mugeuk’s residence, which he had never cared about before.
“Power really is a fine thing.”
“If you’re that jealous, go back to the Wilderness. Didn’t the Cult Leader’s quarters there put this one to shame ten times over?”
“Who said I was jealous? I was just making a point.”
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked around from the window.
“Where’s the Young Master? If we had shown up early, he should’ve been here waiting. Don’t tell me he forgot he called us here. Ah, right, I was the one who called one of you? That matter’s been taken care of already. Since I’m here, how about you rest a few days and then head off on your next task? I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”
He had mimicked Geom Mugeuk so often that now, he could impersonate him better than anyone.
“Maybe that decent Young Master has turned into a corrupt Young Cult Leader.”
Just then, a familiar voice called from behind.
“You never fail to badmouth me whenever I’m not around, do you?”
Jeong Dae grinned to himself without turning around. Yes, that voice—he’d missed it more than he cared to admit.
Turning around, he saw Geom Mugeuk standing there, as composed and unchanged as ever.
“For now, I’m still a tolerable Young Cult Leader. I think I’ve got a ways to go before I hit ‘corrupt’.” 7
“You never know.”
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, though he’d clearly wanted to see him, played the curmudgeon just for show.
“You’ve been through a lot, Jeong.”
The ex Cult Leader looked toward Gowol, who stood by his side.
“That kind of greeting should go to this one here.”
Geom Mugeuk turned his eyes to Gowol.
“You did well.”
Gowol smiled.
“I was only doing what I must.”
Jeong Dae cut in, praising him further.
“Even if it’s your job, not everyone would’ve done it so diligently. Young Cult Leader, make sure to buy him some good tonic. He went through hell.”
Gowol gave him a look, signaling him to stop with the unnecessary remarks.
“I’ll make sure to buy the very best tonic.”
“You’ll buy some for me too, right?”
Geom Mugeuk burst into laughter.
“Don’t just laugh—actually buy it. Nothing hurts more than getting left out of a meal. Now then, what do you need from this magnificent one?”
“It’s about the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.”
After the previous Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, Yasuo, had been killed, Cheong Seon had inherited the Soul Reaping Art from the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. The moment he realized it involved her, all playfulness vanished from his face.
“What happened to that child?”
Geom Mugeuk went straight to the point.
“A hidden person has cast the Soul Reaping Art on her.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the aura around Jeong Dae shifted.
Fwhooooshhh!
The energy he radiated struck at the primal fear within all living beings.
Dark clouds gathered from all directions, plunging the area into ominous twilight, as if a typhoon were moments away. A chilling wind swept in from the distance, carrying the echo of a bell’s toll.
And with each ring of the bell, black monstrous beasts of every shape and size began crawling out from cracks in the ground. It was as if the gates of hell were swinging open one after another.
The creatures burst forth at terrifying speed, charging their target without a hint of hesitation. Of course, they weren’t actual beasts—they were merely illusions shaped by Jeong Dae’s Intent.
Hundreds of monstrous figures surged toward Geom Mugeuk.
Every time one of them passed through his body, a chilling sensation gripped him, dulling his will and shaking his mental focus. Instinctively, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique activated.
Had he been someone with weaker inner strength or less resolve, he’d already be swinging his sword wildly like a madman—driven insane by that energy alone.
This was the first time anyone had witnessed the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s fury made manifest.
This wasn’t the joking, light-hearted man they all knew. He had returned to his true form—the supreme master of the Wilderness Martial World, who had perfected the First Technique of Wilderness: Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura. 8
His eyes glowed with a terrifying blue light as he spoke in an icy tone.
“Who dares lay hands on my disciple?”
1 : Yes, because it’s an action that requires empathy. True evil is too selfish to know compassion.
2 : It must be both beautiful ro see and absolutely horrendous to hear.
3 : He clearly doesn’t deserve it, but that’s your feelings to deal with.
4 : And even then you get dragged into his pace, trapped in his sly words, and play to his tune without even recognizing it.
5 : He could totally subdue them without a sweat, though not harming them too much could delay him enough for her to get into Maga Village and create a lot of collateral damage. Better to use his ‘dance like a whale’ persuasion check to keep her in place.
6 : Would have taken too much time, and she would have caught on to it. If she’s already aware of Sa Woojong’s death, it means she has a lot of informants and spies, though most of them are probably unwilling puppets.
7 : Lol, he can see the bar in his HUD, like the madness in Amnesia XDXDXD
8 : Jeong Dae is quite impressive when he’s not playing around.