“What are you thinking so hard about! What’s wrong with you today?”
Sa Chu was still half in a daze even after leaving the guest hall.
At An Hu-pyeong's displeased look, Sa Chu lowered his head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Go find Master Yong right now. Find out where in the world he is and drag him here immediately!”
How could he find someone who wasn't there? Whether he had been melted down with Bone Melting Powder and washed away, or buried somewhere in this rear garden.
Sa Chu hesitated.
Normally, he should have told the truth.
That it seemed Master Yong had been killed by them.
That they had even warned him to keep his mouth shut.
What would happen if he spoke honestly?
An Hu-pyeong would immediately run and tell the Lord, right? And how would the Lord react?
Master Yong was a man kept alive despite his arrogance and willfulness solely because of his martial arts.
An order would surely come down, scolding him for getting Master Yong killed by assigning him a useless task.
And then? Would he mobilize all the martial artists to go and kill them?
Or would they conclude to leave them be until the contest was over?
That was entirely possible.
This contest was far too important, having already been widely announced in the martial world.
Besides, they still didn't even know why the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress had been invited as a judge.
So, if the matter of holding them responsible for Master Yong’s death was postponed?
Sa Chu thought of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and the Faceless Ones.
For those who could kill Master Yong without a trace, killing him would be an easy task.
In the end, he would pay the price for ignoring their warning to keep silent.
Even if a decision was made to capture them immediately, could they really be caught?
A few masters wouldn't be nearly enough.
And they wouldn't start a war right before this major contest.
No matter the outcome of his words.
'I will die.'
If An Hu-pyeong had been a leader who usually cherished him, this wouldn't have led to the conclusion that he had to save himself first.
“I don’t think we will be able to find Master Yong.”
"What do you mean?"
He said this not because the man was dead, but for his own survival.
“I believe the Lord may have intervened and sent him back.”
"My father?"
“You know Master Yong’s personality, don’t you? It’s unlikely he wouldn't have come after saying he would. And seeing as he’s not here… who else could have stopped him midway?”
It was a plausible guess, so An Hu-pyeong nodded.
It was strange from the start that his father had summoned Master Yong in advance.
He must have done it to prevent him from using the man for such things.
“Fine, forget about Master Yong. Just find out who those veiled bastards are. They’re clearly not ordinary people.”
An Hu-pyeong started walking, then added as if he had just remembered.
“Oh, and find out where the woman from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect attending this contest is staying.”
A beauty from the Demon Sect? He had never dallied with a woman from the Demon Sect before, so this was an opportunity.
Even in this situation, his lust and desire for women remained unchanged.
“Yes, I understand.”
Sa Chu sighed and glanced back at the guest hall far behind him.
Suddenly, Sa Chu was startled.
A gasp escaped his lips.
The Faceless Ones were plastered against the guest hall window, staring at him.
So many of them that he wondered if that many faces could even fit in one window.
The sight was as bizarre and terrifying as their earlier 'shushing' gesture.
Sa Chu turned abruptly and quickened his pace to get away from there.
Find out who they are?
Ah, he really didn't want to know.
Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn took a room at an inn in the marketplace.
“A large room with two beds, please.”
Lee Ahn was startled.
She had naturally assumed they would get two rooms, but Geom Mugeuk had only gotten one.
“We’ll sleep in the same room until this contest is over.”
Having confirmed their opponents were assassins, he had no intention of letting her sleep alone.
Feeling unnecessarily shy, Lee Ahn said.
“You still don’t trust my skills.”
“That’s not why. I need you to protect me.”
The innkeeper smiled warmly, his expression saying, ‘I know exactly what you’re up to.’
“Let’s eat first. You’ve never had the cuisine of Anhui Province, have you?”
“No. Have you, Young Master?”
"Of course, I have."
Geom Mugeuk called over a tavern boy and skillfully ordered the food.
He knew the famous local dishes well and promptly ordered ones that would suit Lee Ahn’s palate.
“My, when did you come here and try these?”
I got to try them thanks to you.
Because you saved my life.
The inn was filled with people who had come to participate in the contest.
Lee Ahn’s gaze deepened as she looked at them.
Geom Mugeuk had said earlier that these streets were full of beautiful assassins.
If so, the assassin she led might be among those eating next to them.
“You asked me to protect you, Young Master, but I didn’t even realize that woman was an assassin.”
A bodyguard was supposed to be skilled at sensing assassins.
They had to be, but she hadn’t sensed anything from her at all.
She had even felt a pang of jealousy towards her.
Thinking about it now, it was so embarrassing.
It would be embarrassing for a long time.
“That’s because they are special assassins.”
“That’s right.”
“But you still recognized her, Young Cult Master?”
That was because he already knew.
“That’s because I’m special.”
Lee Ahn smiled at Geom Mugeuk’s boast, which she hadn’t heard in a while.
“They probably didn’t receive the standard training that assassins go through. That’s why you can’t sense the unique habits or aura of an assassin from them.”
Because she and the Cult of Beauties she led were not ordinary assassins.
Lee Ahn nodded and said.
“They wouldn’t have needed assassin training. They possess a weapon more powerful than any other.”
The price for that enchanting smile would be one's life.
Three days later.
Lee Ahn’s expression was grim as she walked out of the building where the preliminaries were held.
She walked out with her head bowed, trudging along.
“I knew this would happen. Me, the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven? I knew it when you made such a fuss before it even started! That’s why I said I wouldn't do it!”
She waited for words of comfort, but there was no reaction from Geom Mugeuk.
When she lifted her head, she saw Geom Mugeuk crossing the training grounds, already walking ahead.
"Huh?"
Lee Ahn hurriedly ran to Geom Mugeuk.
“Where are you going?”
“Where else? We have to prepare for the main competition.”
“I told you, I was eliminated.”
"A monkey can fall from a tree, and the Sword King might drop his sword, but there’s no way you’d be eliminated from a beauty contest. Especially not in the preliminaries.”
A flicker of joy crossed Lee Ahn’s face.
She was more pleased by Geom Mugeuk’s words than by the joy of passing the preliminaries.
“Don’t praise me too much! I’m really getting my hopes up.”
“All the better to tease you with later.”
The preliminaries had ended the moment she removed her veil.
She had hoped to at least see the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress’s face, but she wasn’t at the preliminary judging.
It seemed she would only be judging from the main competition.
“So, where are we going now?”
"Didn’t I say we’re going to prepare for the main competition?”
"Where?"
The place Geom Mugeuk took her to was a building a little away from the marketplace.
From the outside, you couldn't tell what it sold, but upon entering, it was a shop that sold clothes.
The place was different from the other shops in the marketplace.
It handled very precious clothes.
They were clothes made by renowned artisans from various regions, and naturally, the prices were high.
"How did you know about this place?"
“The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress told me. She said to bring you here later and buy you some clothes.”
“Ah, I see.”
It seemed the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress, unable to take care of her personally, had spoken to Geom Mugeuk in advance.
And she hadn't only spoken to Geom Mugeuk.
“Welcome.”
A middle-aged woman who appeared to be the owner came out to greet the two.
She too seemed to have received word from the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress, as her attitude towards them was very polite.
“Please choose any clothes you like.”
Lee Ahn looked around inside.
There were so many gorgeous and beautiful clothes that she was rather flustered.
“I’ve, I’ve never been to a place like this.”
Was Lee Ahn the only one? This was a first for Geom Mugeuk as well.
"Take your time and choose."
The middle-aged woman held back for the time being, watching to see what kind of clothes she would choose.
Lee Ahn looked at the clothes.
Since they were made by artisans, how good must the quality be?
But as someone who had only ever worn martial robes, she couldn’t quite judge which clothes were good or which would suit her.
Then, Lee Ahn’s eyes were drawn to a pure white palace gown.
It didn’t have any fancy patterns, but it was a garment that accentuated the figure more than the clothes she was wearing now.
“Could I wear something like that?”
Her face was already blushing as if just imagining it was embarrassing.
“If it’s just once in a lifetime, wouldn’t it be alright to try wearing it once?”
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Ahn made her decision.
Geom Mugeuk’s words helped her decide.
“I’ll take that one, please.”
At that, the middle-aged woman smiled.
“An excellent choice. It’s a piece of clothing made stitch by stitch by an artisan.”
Lee Ahn had never had such expensive clothes.
Wearing that, she wouldn’t even be able to draw her sword for fear of tearing it somewhere!
Just then, someone spoke from behind.
“I’ll buy those clothes.”
Turning around, she saw a woman entering the place.
Surprisingly, it was Cha Iran.
Though she now knew the other was an assassin, Lee Ahn acted naturally towards her.
“They say if a coincidence repeats, it’s no longer a coincidence. We meet again.”
To which Cha Iran honestly revealed about this meeting.
“This time, it’s not a coincidence.”
It probably wasn't last time either.
“I saw Miss Lee enter this place and followed you in.”
"Why?"
“To scout what my competitor is buying.”
Cha Iran gave Geom Mugeuk an enchanting nod.
“And to have that meal we missed.”
She was honest.
At her open display of interest, Lee Ahn showed an unexpected reaction.
“May I ask you for a favor?”
"Go ahead."
Please stay away from my guard! Instead.
“Please help me pick out my clothes.”
At the unexpected request, Cha Iran looked intrigued.
"That’s not a request one makes of a competitor, is it?”
“Inviting a competitor’s bodyguard for a meal isn’t something one does either.”
Cha Iran smiled as if in acknowledgment.
“You’re right.”
The smile suited her well; she was charming no matter how she smiled.
“Alright, I’ll pick one out for you.”
She scanned the clothes hanging inside.
First, she dismissed the dress Lee Ahn had initially chosen.
“No matter how meticulously an artisan crafted it, it’s not a dress that suits Miss Lee.”
She also explained why.
“Miss Lee has an innocent face, but if the clothes are also innocent, it becomes cliché and boring. That dress over there would suit you better.”
She chose a magnificent red palace gown hanging on the opposite side.
It was more revealing than the white palace gown and much more ornate.
After hesitating between the two dresses for a moment, Lee Ahn spoke to the middle-aged woman.
“I’ll take both, please.”
She also explained why she was buying both.
“Whether I believe Miss Cha’s words or not, I should buy both.”
"What do you mean?”
“If you are right, then this white palace gown will suit you, so I should buy it. And if you were lying, it will suit me, so I should buy it.”
Cha Iran laughed brightly.
How could one look at a woman laughing like that and think of an assassin? It was that kind of laugh.
Lee Ahn sent a telepathic message to Geom Mugeuk.
—I couldn’t help it, given the situation.
—One of them will be docked from your salary.
—No! I can’t walk around wearing a year’s worth of my wages!
The middle-aged woman wrapped the clothes in Lee Ahn’s size, and Geom Mugeuk paid for them.
After buying the clothes, the three of them left the place.
Cha Iran spoke to Geom Mugeuk.
“Let’s have a meal. You promised, didn’t you?”
Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly and declined.
“I never made such a promise.”
"Just for a moment."
She glanced at Lee Ahn.
“No. Even if my lady gives her permission, I will not.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s firm words, Cha Iran smiled and said.
"This just makes me want to be with you more, doesn’t it?”
Lee Ahn smiled and then bid her farewell.
“I suppose I should have let you have the white dress.”
She turned and walked away, leaving behind the implication that Cha Iran needed to be prettier to seduce her guard.
Geom Mugeuk followed behind her, carrying the clothes in both hands.
Watching their retreating figures, Cha Iran smiled.
"Cute."
Cha Iran lifted her head and looked up at the sky.
As her expression became blank, she looked like a different woman.
Her eyes were clear and cold, the bright enchantment replaced by a dark, demonic allure.
“No matter what clothes you wear, a person fated to die will die.”
The walk back to the inn was a path of regret.
“I’m ruined! I’m the kind of person who saves money even when buying a single meal. Ah! Style is fleeting, but debt is eternal.”
“And you weren’t even stylish.”
“This won’t do. I’m going back to return them right now.”
“That elegant and kind-looking owner said this when I was paying. I’m sorry, but no returns allowed!”
“She didn’t even seem to want the white dress!”
As she agonized, Lee Ahn’s eyes sparkled.
“In that case, there’s only one way.”
"Yes, thirty thousand Nyang!"
And so, proclaiming this was their one shot at life, the two returned to the inn.
Unexpected people were waiting for them at the inn.
It was none other than Young Lord An Hu-pyeong and Sa Chu.
“They’re here.”
At Sa Chu’s words, An Hu-pyeong, who was sitting with his back to them, did not turn around but suavely lowered his voice.
“You are the first woman to make me wait like this.”