"Who is it from?"
Geom Mugeuk answered the Fist Demon’s question honestly.
"It is a message from the Laughing Demon Sovereign. He is currently outside the sect to grant a request of mine."
The Fist Demon was well aware of the special relationship between Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
At first, he had found their relationship rather unexpected.
He had thought their personalities did not suit each other at all.
But now, his mind had changed.
For the more he came to know Geom Mugeuk, the more he sensed an indescribable loneliness about him, a loneliness he felt was very much like that of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
"Do you have to go out again?"
"It seems I must."
"Go well."
The Fist Demon’s concern was contained in his blunt farewell.
"May I ask one favor of you?"
The Fist Demon nodded.
"Please tell my father for me. That I have left the sect quietly on business."
He had to at least let his father know, even if no one else.
"Why not tell him yourself?"
"There is someone I must meet."
The Fist Demon spoke as if chiding him.
"Shouldn't you see the Cult Master first, and then deliver your message to that person?"
"The person I have to meet is my Master's daughter."
"..."
"I understand. I will tell Lee Ahn that I left without seeing her..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Fist Demon turned and started walking away, saying over his shoulder.
"I will deliver the message to the Cult Master myself."
Lee Ahn was in her residence.
Standing in the courtyard and looking up at the sky, her face was filled with worry.
Just as she let out a sigh she had been holding back!
Whoosh!
A surprise attack came from behind.
"Too late!"
Knowing she was too late to dodge, she summoned her Heavenly Dipper Body and threw herself forward to minimize the impact.
Thwack!
A palm struck her back before she could evade, but thankfully, the Heavenly Dipper Body protected her.
As she was thrown forward, she spun around as fast as lightning and drew her Sun Moon Sword.
Shhhhiiiik!
The Sun Moon Sword, exuding a cold energy, flew forward and stopped just short of her opponent's neck.
"Young Master!"
The person standing there, smiling without dodging, was Geom Mugeuk.
"Passed!"
To protect herself using the Heavenly Dipper Body and to stop the sword instead of recklessly striking down her opponent—it was all very impressive.
"What would you have done if I had cut you, even by mistake!"
Her sword, still in her hand, trembled with a sense of immense relief.
"You shouldn't play pranks like surprise attacks when you've reached that level of mastery."
It meant that at her current skill level, she couldn't kill him even by mistake.
As Lee Ahn sheathed her sword, her face filled with joy.
The person she had missed so much was standing right before her.
"You heard I was back, right?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't even come to see me. You're too much, Lee Ahn. Have you abandoned me now?"
"I went three times to see the face of the one who abandoned me. When you were out hunting, and twice more when you were away. Just what were you so busy with!"
In the past, she would have waited for Geom Mugeuk to come find her, worried that she might disturb him if he was busy.
But Lee Ahn did not do that this time.
"You should have at least left a letter saying you came by."
"What for? I could just visit again. And we would eventually meet like this."
"What's this? Did you attain enlightenment while I was away?"
At that, Lee Ahn sighed.
"If I had, I wouldn't have any worries."
"Is something wrong?"
She had been troubled by matters of the Ghost Shadow Branch lately.
Once she began to manage the organization in earnest, various unexpected issues arose.
A major problem had occurred recently.
A dispute had broken out between the First Squad, led by Blue Mask, and the Second Squad, led by Seo Jin.
It started as a trivial squabble between two ordinary squad members, but it gradually escalated and had now become a conflict between the squads.
"I was thinking of intervening directly, but for now, I'm pretending not to know. But I also feel like I shouldn't just let it be. It also makes me feel bad, like what do they take me for as their Branch Master."
Lee Ahn revealed her honest feelings.
It was something she would not have said to anyone but Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk fanned the flames.
"They see you as a pushover. Imagine if Lord Jang was in charge. Would they dare split into factions and fight? They see you as an easy target because you're kind."
"Right? Ugh, maybe I should just beat them all up."
"Then beat them up. Why haven't you?"
"Well... there are the squad leaders. And I didn't think it was my place to step in. And it's not something that can be solved by beating them."
Geom Mugeuk said with a smile.
"You already know the answer, so what are you worrying about?"
Lee Ahn smiled back.
'Why do you think I'm worried? It's because I want to do a good job.
It's an organization directly under the Young Cult Master, and I was entrusted with the position of Branch Master.
How could I not care?'
Blue Mask and Seo Jin must have their own thoughts, so they would probably resolve it well on their own.
She should think this way, but she was worried the matter would escalate and ruin the relationship between the two of them as well.
Always thinking of the worst-case scenario was an occupational hazard from her time as an escort martial artist.
Lee Ahn made a decision.
"Yes, I will just pretend not to know about this matter. There, worry over!"
"Then they'll think you know nothing. You'll become an indifferent and incompetent leader."
"Then what should I do?"
"You must make them realize that you are aware of everything, but are feigning ignorance. Only then do you become a leader who gives her subordinates the opportunity to resolve matters themselves. A leader who is not frivolous, who does not act rashly despite knowing everything."
Lee Ahn shook her head.
"It's difficult, so difficult. I thought I would do a great job once I became a Branch Master. It was better when I was just following you around without a care in the world, Young Master."
Geom Mugeuk, who had been staring at Lee Ahn, made a surprising proposal.
"Then let's do what was good."
"Pardon?"
"I'm leaving the sect right now. Let's go together."
Lee Ahn's eyes widened.
She did not ask where they were going.
"How much time do I have to prepare?"
"A quarter of an hour."
The moment he said that, Lee Ahn dashed into her house and started packing.
"You only show me a side of you that swings a sword in the training grounds, but I'm a woman too, you know! How could you come just a quarter of an hour before we leave!"
Though she said that, she moved like lightning, packing clothes and necessary travel items into a leather pouch.
"If we leave like this? What about your squad members?"
"What squad members? Did I have squad members?"
She finished her preparations in even less than a quarter of an hour.
"The frivolous leader who acts rashly, ready for departure!"
She was so happy, it made one wonder what would have happened if he hadn't asked her to come along.
"Are you that happy?"
"Of course."
"You don't like danger, do you? What if a terrifying danger is waiting for us?"
"Then please inform that terrifying fellow. That a high-strung woman, worn out by work and people, is also coming along. Tell him that this time, he'll be the one who has to run away."
The two of them looked at each other and laughed.
"But where are we going?"
"We are going to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion."
At the mention of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, Lee Ahn's expression brightened even more.
Was it because she had said kind things to her? Or was it because of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's mysterious aura?
She was one of those people who just felt good to be around.
And so, the two of them left the sect and began to run swiftly toward the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
The two ran and ran.
When it was time to rest, they would light a campfire and camp for the night.
While Lee Ahn was recovering her inner energy, Geom Mugeuk would hunt an animal and cook it for her.
They also sat side by side by the fire, talking about this and that.
These days, he was doing his best for his father, his brother, and the Demon Sovereigns.
But the person he needed to treat the best was Lee Ahn.
"Thank you."
"So suddenly?"
"Yes, suddenly, I'm thankful."
"You don't have to say that. I was going to do the dishes and clean up anyway."
Geom Mugeuk smiled at Lee Ahn.
Being with her was this comfortable and nice.
"Nothing has happened at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, right?"
"The Laughing Demon Sovereign is there."
That one sentence was enough.
This task was probably related to the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
Was she truly a descendant of the Divine Maiden Palace, as he had suspected?
After recovering their inner energy and resting, the two began to run again.
It was a busy journey with no time to properly enjoy the scenery, but Lee Ahn was happy nonetheless.
As long as she was with Geom Mugeuk, she was happy just because they were busy.
Finally, Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn arrived at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
In the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress, Yeo-jeong, who had received word of their arrival, were waiting.
"Welcome, Young Cult Master."
Following the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's greeting, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress, Yeo-jeong, also greeted him.
"I should have been the one to visit you. I'm sorry to have made you come all this way."
As expected, the reason she wanted to see him was undoubtedly because of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress.
"If my sister-in-law calls, I must come running."
Geom Mugeuk continued to treat her as his sister-in-law.
He probably did not know how much this small title moved Yeo-jeong.
"Branch Master Lee is here with me as well."
After greeting the Evil Heart Laughing Demon first, Lee Ahn greeted Yeo-jeong.
She was worried that bringing her along might put Geom Mugeuk in a difficult position.
"I pestered him to bring me because I wanted to see you, Pavilion Mistress. It's been a long time, Pavilion Mistress."
The gazes of the two women as they looked at each other were soft.
"Martial artist Lee, you've become even more beautiful."
At that, Lee Ahn looked at Geom Mugeuk and said.
"See? This is what you're supposed to say when you see someone after a long time. Not just beat them up out of the blue."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon and Yeo-jeong smiled, having a rough idea of what had happened.
"Well then, please come in."
The four of them sat facing each other in the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's residence.
"As you might have guessed, the reason I asked my older brother to bring you here, Young Cult Master, is because of this."
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress brought out a jade box.
When she carefully opened the lid, the Heavenly Maiden's Dream was inside.
She had been keeping it very preciously.
"I have kept it just as it was since I received it from you."
Looking down at the Heavenly Maiden's Dream, Geom Mugeuk could feel it from the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's eyes.
She knew what this object was.
'My intuition was right.'
She was undoubtedly a descendant of the Divine Maiden Palace.
"Do you know what this is, Young Cult Master?"
"It is the Heavenly Maiden's Dream."
"Indeed, you knew what you were sending."
She couldn't express how surprised she had been when Geom Mugeuk sent her the Heavenly Maiden's Dream through the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Geom Mugeuk added an explanation about the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
"I only know that it is a divine relic of the Divine Maiden Palace, which was said to have been destroyed along with the Heavenly Will Palace three hundred years ago. I do not know exactly how it is used."
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress asked Geom Mugeuk again.
"Then why did you send this to me, Young Cult Master?"
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon sat beside them, watching the two in silence.
He thought to himself that his connection with Geom Mugeuk was so deep that it now extended even to Yeo-jeong.
"I happened to find this divine relic in a report from the Martial Alliance. And the moment I saw it, I thought it belonged to you, sister-in-law."
"May I ask the reason?"
"I suddenly remembered how you could see people's fates, sister-in-law."
Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned to Lee Ahn beside him.
"You saw Branch Master Lee's fate back then. So I thought that perhaps you might be a descendant of the Divine Maiden Palace."
He had already heard the answer from the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's expression.
If she wasn't, she would have denied it right away.
Yeo-jeong said nothing.
Finally, an astonishing secret was revealed.
"You saw correctly. I am a descendant of the Divine Maiden Palace."
After telling Geom Mugeuk, Yeo-jeong looked at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Geom Mugeuk could tell.
This was the first time she was revealing this fact to the Evil Heart Laughing Demon as well.
"I did not intend to deceive you. I had resolved to live my life forever forgetting that I am a descendant of the Divine Maiden Palace. I also just learned that the Darkness Palace was behind this incident."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's gaze showed that her identity did not matter to him at all; he remained completely unfazed.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's gaze turned to the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
"This Heavenly Maiden's Dream is a divine relic passed down to the Divine Maiden who can make prophecies. I had heard that it was lost long ago, but it was in the Martial Alliance's possession."
And then came a surprising statement.
"One can make prophecies with this."
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress raised her head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
"If I am a Divine Maiden who can make prophecies, that is. I have heard that even among the Divine Maiden's bloodline, there are far more who cannot receive prophecies."
Geom Mugeuk recalled the image of the Divine Maiden from three hundred years ago.
Her, with her eyes covered by the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
She did not look happy at all, for someone who knew the future, for someone who made prophecies.
"I did not give it to you to have you receive prophecies, sister-in-law. I simply returned it because it is yours. You may keep it in that box forever, or you may burn it here and now and forget about the Divine Maiden Palace forever. It does not matter."
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress looked at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
He nodded once, as if telling her to make the decision herself.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress slowly took out the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
"Honestly, I was curious, whether I am someone who can receive prophecies or not."
In truth, that was not the reason.
What if Geom Mugeuk sending her the Heavenly Maiden's Dream was fate? She felt that she should not avoid this fate.
For the sake of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, if for no other reason.
"And if heaven were to send me a prophecy, what kind of prophecy it would be."
As the Heavenly Maiden's Dream entered her hand, the mysterious spirit energy grew stronger.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress carefully covered her eyes with the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
Geom Mugeuk could feel the spirit energy blossoming all around her body.
A suffocating silence.
Geom Mugeuk, Lee Ahn, and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon watched her without making a sound.
How much time had passed?
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress removed the Heavenly Maiden's Dream.
When she slowly opened her eyes, they were filled with astonishment.
"I saw a scene."
It meant a prophecy had been sent down.
Surprisingly, she was a Divine Maiden who could deliver prophecies.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress's trembling gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
"I saw you there, Young Cult Master."