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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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“Come to think of it, before we get to the main topic, there’s one more thing I should ask.”
Every word that left Hongryeon’s lips pierced the assassins’ hearts like daggers.
Though she had no intention of threatening them, her innate aura of killing intent forced the already sensitive assassins to shrink back as much as possible.
Of course, even as she dragged out the moment like this, none of them dared to harbor the slightest complaint.
They’d rather shed another drop of sweat than waste time on such thoughts.
Though, naturally, no martial artist here would be foolish enough to let a single drop of sweat hit the floor and shatter the already tense atmosphere.
Drip—hiss.
Perhaps because of that.
Though the martial artists were sweating profusely, not a single drop reached the ground.
The heat they secretly emitted evaporated every bead of sweat before it could fall.
Hiss—ssss.
A small glimpse of the level of the assassins gathered here—each standing at the pinnacle of the underworld.
And above them all, the Killing Star, suppressing them with nothing but her presence, was truly a being beyond the heavens—worthy of the title One of the Five Supremes.
—
“How much wealth have you all accumulated? Thirty percent of every contract fee goes to you, so at your level, you should have enough to live comfortably for the rest of your lives, no?”
Hongryeon, the current Star Lord of Salgak, lounged lazily in her seat, her pink eyes gleaming with amusement.
“……”
Silence.
The atmosphere here was nothing like the relaxed meetings of the orthodox martial alliance.
These were people who killed for a living. One wrong word, and someone could die—and no one would bat an eye.
So no one dared to stand out.
They all tried their best not to catch the Star Lord’s attention.
Of course, this was selfish. If everyone acted this way, refusing to answer, it would lead to situations like this—where no one responded to the Star Lord’s words.
“Really? Not a single one of you?” Hongryeon sighed, twirling a strand of her pink hair. “I’m giving you a chance here.”
“……! Ah, no! Everyone must have enough wealth by now! None of them gamble either!”
Finally, the Thousand-Kill Sword King—now an elder of Salgak—mustered the courage to answer.
If not for him, this meeting would have dragged on much longer.
“I figured as much. Most of you have no emotions—what use do you have for money? Tsk tsk. Pitiful creatures.”
“……”
“Well, that’s not important now. In fact, it’s a good thing.”
“…What exactly did you summon us here to order?”
“Nothing major. Just need you to keep an eye on someone.”
“Keep an eye… on someone?”
“You know Namgoong Bin of the Namgoong Clan? Former strategist of the martial alliance, one of the Nine Dragons—the Sword Dragon. I want every single move of his monitored. Divide into three shifts, day and night—figure it out yourselves.”
“……!”
This was the first time all of Salgak’s executives had gathered for a meeting.
They had come prepared for war—against the martial alliance, the imperial court, or any other major force.
But their resolve took an odd turn at the word “surveillance.”
“J-Just how… how significant is this Namgoong Bin for the Star Lord to issue such an order…?”
“D-Don’t tell me… does he know our secrets…? Even the locations of our branches…?”
“Now that you mention it… Namgoong Bin has always been suspicious. I can’t put my finger on it, but the more you dig, the more unsettling he feels…”
The assassins, who had been silent until now, began to sweat profusely, each adding their own paranoid theories.
Ignoring their wild speculations, Hongryeon finally added the crucial detail.
“More importantly, focus on whether he’s slandering the Sword Saint. If he so much as breathes a word against him, report to me immediately. You’ve all got enough wealth—it’s not like you’re living paycheck to paycheck anymore.”
“……? The Sword Saint…?”
At the sudden mention of the Sword Saint, the assassins exchanged meaningful glances.
“Don’t tell me… Star Lord? Am I understanding this correctly…?”
The elder, sensing something, cautiously ventured another question.
Hongryeon’s face flushed pink as she answered.
“What, are you planning to disobey your Star Lord’s orders?”
The elder sighed deeply, his expression screaming “Of course it’s this again…”
“Sigh… Star Lord…”
“That face looks like it’s full of complaints. Should I skin it and hang it in the imperial palace?”
“Everyone, out. I need to speak with the Star Lord alone.”
“Oh? What’s this? Planning a rebellion?”
“I’m considering your dignity, Star Lord. Ugh, what karma did I accumulate to serve such a superior in my old age…”
“Haha, if you’re unhappy, challenge me. I’ll accept anytime.”
“Out. Now. Don’t make me say it twice.”
With Hongryeon’s arrogant smile and crossed legs as their cue, the assassins quickly filed out.
Once the last one left, the elder—now alone with Hongryeon in the vast meeting hall—let out another sigh.
“Just when do you plan to move on from the Sword Saint?”
His tone was almost pleading as he broached the topic he couldn’t bring up in front of the others.
“Why should I move on? He’s finally at the right age.”
“Star Lord, this is too much. Even this order is for the Sword Saint’s sake, isn’t it? How can the entire Salgak revolve around your personal feelings?!”
“Didn’t I say it earlier? If you’re unhappy, challenge me. A loser should know his place and just follow orders.”
“Star Lord… I wouldn’t have brought this up if it weren’t serious. But the Sword Saint is finished! He has no power, no wealth—he’s hit rock bottom! And it’s not like he even has ambitions anymore! What’s so great about a man with zero chance of a comeback that you keep chasing after him?! You can’t even face him properly out of shame!”
Hongryeon frowned, as if she couldn’t understand what the problem was.
“That’s why I’m making my move now. And since when does love need a reason? Why are you meddling in my affairs?”
The elder pressed on, undeterred.
“Because you’re mobilizing all of us for your love life! And this isn’t even the time for romance, Star Lord! Are you unaware of the current balance of power in the world?”
“Balance of power? What does that matter?”
“Star Lord! Just who do you think is the current Martial Supreme of the martial world?!”
“…Martial Supreme?”
The term piqued Hongryeon’s interest. As a martial artist herself, the title alone was enough to draw her attention.
Though her wide-brimmed hat obscured her eyes, the elder could tell from the curve of her lips that she was listening.
“Yes, the Martial Supreme! The one who stands above even the Five Supremes—the strongest martial artist in the world! To be more specific—the Heavenly Demon of the Northwest has secluded himself in the mountains, the Divine Monk has retired, the Sword Saint has fallen, and the last one was never part of the martial world to begin with! The only one left standing is you, Star Lord! You are the Martial Supreme!”
“……”
Hongryeon’s lips twitched downward slightly.
“The martial alliance, the Four Great Sects, the Green Forest—none of them have anyone who can compare to you! This world is ours for the taking! If you just show a little ambition, the entire world will fall into your grasp!”
“……”
The more the elder spoke, the more Hongryeon’s expression darkened.
“Even if the Sword Saint were at his peak, I’d still oppose this! The age gap alone is fifteen years! Frankly, Star Lord, you’re wasting yourself on him! And now, when he’s not just past his prime but ruined, you’re willing to throw away the world just to see him?!”
“…Tch. What nonsense.”
“Star Lord! Please, listen to me! You’re abandoning your duty for mere emotions! You’re not just a woman—you’re meant to be the Martial Supreme!”
Finally, Hongryeon’s face turned icy.
“Fool.”
“Fool?! I’m only—”
“My world is at the Seven Blossoms War. Why do you keep bringing up this empty ‘world’ nonsense?”
“……!”
“Do you know what the ‘ryeon’ in my name means? ‘Woman.’ Heaven decreed that I live as one, so what’s this nonsense about a Martial Supreme? I thought you’d come up with a way to ‘make the Sword Saint the Martial Supreme,’ but as usual, it’s all hot air.”
“……”
Realizing his words had fallen on deaf ears yet again, the elder fell silent.
Hongryeon, meanwhile, gazed out the window at the crescent moon, her cheeks flushing pink once more.
“Ah~ I wonder what my dear enemy is doing right now?”
A deep red—far more intense than before—spread across her face.
—
### Meanwhile…
“Young Lady, open up. Ah~”
“Ehh… I don’t like carrots…”
“You must eat them. It’ll help you recover faster.”
“Ugh……!”
Jin Gayoung clenched her eyes shut and accepted the spoonful of carrot porridge Byeokrak held out.
If not for his insistence, she would never have touched the carrot porridge she hated so much.
Munch, munch…
Gulp.
Watching her struggle to swallow the porridge with a pained expression, Byeokrak wordlessly prepared the next spoonful.
“Ugh… Why is my body like this…? I’m just causing trouble for you…”
She was half-leaning against the bed, exhausted.
“The problem was when you threw your axe at Baekhwa and Seolhwa during your spar with Okhwa. That great moon axe is too heavy for your body to wield normally. The only way you can wield it is by following the Frozen Flame Moon Art’s techniques.”
“I’m sorryyy……”
“And yet you not only wielded it in an untrained manner but also exhausted all your internal energy holding it up. It’s no surprise you’re suffering side effects now.”
“Sniff… I won’t be greedy like that again…”
“While you’re like this, the other Seven Blossoms are probably studying ways to counter your moon axe techniques. It’s concerning.”
“I’m really, really sorry…”
Too embarrassed to even lift her head, Jin Gayoung slumped further.
Just yesterday, she had been sleeping soundly—how had things turned out like this?
Worried that this might affect the upcoming Seven Blossoms War, she grew genuinely anxious.
Meanwhile, Byeokrak continued feeding her the carrot porridge with his usual stoic expression.
“Umm… I-I think I’m done…?”
Glancing at the now-empty bowl, Jin Gayoung cautiously spoke up.
Byeokrak set the bowl aside and began massaging her limbs.
Knead, press, knead—
“Ah! O-Ow! That hurts!”
“Endure it. Your muscle meridians are severely strained. At least your bones are fine, but muscle meridians are just as important.”
“B-But it’s too painful—Ack!”
Every time Byeokrak’s rough hands pressed into her sensitive muscles, Jin Gayoung gritted her teeth and let out pained whimpers.
Yet his touch was meticulous.
Press, press, press—
“Ngh… Ah… Ugh…”
“I’m channeling internal energy to soothe your meridians. Relax—it’ll speed up your recovery.”
“Ugh… O-Okay… I’ll try…”
But contrary to his words, Jin Gayoung’s forehead was soon dotted with sweat as her breathing grew ragged.
Then, a servant’s voice came from outside.
“Young Master! A guest has arrived!”
At the word guest, Byeokrak withdrew his hands and stood.
Jin Gayoung, still panting from the massage, blinked up at him.
“I’ll return shortly. Rest here.”
After instructing her, he opened the door—only to freeze.
“……!”
“……!”
Both he and the guest inhaled sharply.
Byeokrak instinctively reached for his mask, but it was too late—they had already seen each other’s faces.
“You… Why are you here…?”
“……Yoo So-eun.”
Inside the room, Jin Gayoung’s eyes widened in shock.
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