Seventeenth Assassin could now tell them apart.
At a glance, the ten Faceless Ones were indistinguishable, but upon closer inspection, each had their own unique characteristics.
Their heights were different, as were their builds.
Most importantly, their masks had tokens.
A small picture was drawn on the edge of the masks.
There was a mask with a small drawing of a fox, and others with clouds, flames, venomous snakes, and spiders.
If those were their individual symbols, she guessed that they might also have masks where the entire surface was covered by that drawing.
For example, a fox mask, or a flame mask that looked as if the entire mask was ablaze.
And the mask of the Faceless One who had saved her had a small Crescent Moon drawn on it.
As Seventeenth Assassin looked at the Faceless One, her eyes met with Fifth Assassin's.
He had been captured with her and was a senior she respected.
Fifth Assassin looked at her and slightly shook her head.
Seventeenth Assassin knew what that gesture meant.
It was a warning not to get unnecessarily personal.
It meant that she had been staring at him so much, both in the carriage and here, that her inner thoughts had been exposed.
Seventeenth Assassin gave a slight nod.
Right, in a situation where I could die at any moment, what kind of crazy thought is this? It was fine because it was Fifth Assassin, but if someone else found out, I could be severely disciplined for colluding with the enemy.
Just as she resolved not to look anymore.
As if it were fate, the Crescent Moon Faceless One, who had been looking out the window, tapped the wall twice, drawing everyone's attention.
He was signaling that someone was approaching.
Sure enough, a moment later, the door opened and someone entered.
"Is Chief Steward Jo here?"
It was the Young Lord of the Divine Flower Sect, An Hu-pyeong.
He had come to watch after hearing that the women who had advanced to the main round were gathering for the final stage.
An Hu-pyeong flinched for a moment.
The women were sitting in chairs.
The thrill of receiving the undivided attention of dozens of beautiful women!
But the problem was the men standing around.
All over the guest hall, men wearing masks stood about.
Some leaned against the wall, some were squatting in corners.
Some stood with their arms crossed next to the women.
All of them were staring at him.
It was a chilling sight just to behold.
At this point, he should have realized something was wrong.
"Chief Steward Jo is preparing something interesting."
He had mistaken it for a performance being prepared for the final stage.
"Villains and beauties! Not a bad idea, huh? Who is it? Who's playing the role of the leader?"
An absurd silence flowed through the room.
Just then, Third Assassin turned his head to look at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, and the other assassins followed suit.
Third Assassin was hoping that his appearance would create some kind of variable in the situation.
An Hu-pyeong fearlessly walked up to the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
He looked at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and exclaimed in admiration.
"I don't know who made it, but this mask is really well-made."
The two eyes behind the mask smiled widely.
If he were someone who could recognize what kind of smile that was, Sa Chu would never have left in the first place.
Seeing that smile, An Hu-pyeong even issued a warning.
"They are precious ladies, so don't even think about pulling any tricks."
As if he had forgotten something, he turned to the women and revealed his identity.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I am An Hu-pyeong, the Young Lord of the Divine Flower Sect. If you have any problems, feel free to find me and let me know anytime."
The women just stared at him, none of them speaking.
Even if their mute points hadn't been sealed, what could they possibly say to such a clueless man?
The continued silence slightly annoyed An Hu-pyeong.
But he soon found the cause of this strange atmosphere within himself.
Right, it wouldn't be easy for them to dare speak to the Young Lord.
After sweeping his gaze over the women one last time, An Hu-pyeong bid his farewell.
"Well then, practice well."
An Hu-pyeong stepped outside.
No matter how he looked, he couldn't see any beauties like Lee Ahn or Cha Iran.
'While I'm at it, should I go look for them?'
He started walking to find Lee Ahn.
Just then, a figure in the distance caught his eye.
An unfamiliar martial artist was walking in the lead, followed by martial artists of the Divine Flower Sect.
They were following with their heads bowed as if they had committed a crime.
"I've never seen that person before."
In fact, it was not the first time he had seen him.
It was one of the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path he had seen when he met Bi Sa-in.
That day, he had been so focused on Bi Sa-in and the women that he didn't remember their faces at all.
Just then, from the opposite building, a martial artist shot out using his lightness arts.
Seeing An Hu-pyeong, he shouted urgently.
"Go to your father at once!"
At that moment, one of the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path shot out from the building even faster and subdued him in an instant.
Following that, a line of Divine Flower Sect martial artists walked out of the building with their heads bowed, and at the very end, another of the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path walked out.
Startled, An Hu-pyeong ran towards the Lord's Hall.
The martial artist from the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path who had subdued the man who shouted only glanced at him once but did not pursue An Hu-pyeong.
By the time An Hu-pyeong reached the Lord's Hall, Bi Sa-in was standing at the entrance.
Behind Bi Sa-in, the Alliance Leader’s guards were lined up.
"Young Alliance Leader! Please help me!"
He ran towards Bi Sa-in.
"Suspicious people have infiltrated our sect!"
Before An Hu-pyeong could even get close to Bi Sa-in, he was captured by those suspicious people, his mute point and vital blood point sealed, and dragged away.
Just then, the door opened, and Baek Ja-gang came out from inside the Lord's Hall.
He walked out with his hands behind his back as if he had just been for a stroll, but a thick scent of blood wafted out with him.
The scene inside was visible to Bi Sa-in.
The Divine Flower Sect Master was dead, still sitting in the Grand Advisor's seat, and on the table where they had been drinking, the head of the Iron Cold Blade was placed.
Behind the table, the body of the Flame Serpent Sword could also be seen lying there.
With those corpses at his back, Baek Ja-gang asked.
"Where is the female assassin who planned this now?"
Bi Sa-in could guess that the Alliance Leader had heard something important related to her.
"The Young Cult Master is probably meeting with her now."
*
When Geom Mugeuk went to find Cha Iran, she was buying new clothes.
This was the very same place where he had bought clothes with Lee Ahn before.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Have you already forgotten? I was there when you were so drunk you were crawling on the floor."
Now, instead of the glamorous dress she had worn before, she was wearing a plain black martial robe.
Was it because it was the first time he had seen her in martial robes? This look seemed even more refreshing and charming.
"Alright, since you're here, help me choose."
Cha Iran showed him the two dresses she had picked out from the shop.
"Which one do you think would suit me better?"
Both were splendid dresses.
"The martial robe you're wearing now seems fine too."
"This is my martial robe. Hurry up and choose."
When Geom Mugeuk pointed to the dress on the left, she chose the one on the right.
"Because you'd want Miss Lee to win."
Geom Mugeuk watched as she paid the shop owner for the dress.
'You won't have a chance to wear that dress in the contest.'
After paying, she said to Geom Mugeuk.
"Wait a moment. I'll change and come out."
As she was about to go inside, she took something out and placed it on the table.
"Hold onto this for a moment."
Then she went inside to change her clothes.
Geom Mugeuk silently stared at the small box she had left behind.
Hummm.
The Secret Vessel reacted again.
Surprisingly, she had left the box containing the orb.
What was really on her mind? Did she really want him to take it?
Both last night and now.
She was blatantly tempting him with the orb.
When Geom Mugeuk gently waved his hand, the box lid opened through telekinesis.
Inside was a red orb, the Red Essence Orb.
Woooong.
The Secret Vessel reacted even more strongly.
Looking at the orb, he felt a powerful temptation to absorb its energy immediately.
The dormant energies within his body were about to awaken.
But Geom Mugeuk waved his hand again, and the lid closed.
There was one thing she didn't know.
How difficultly he had obtained the previous orbs.
This orb could never be obtained so easily.
'So, Secret Vessel, let's be patient.'
As Geom Mugeuk calmed his mind, the awakening energies went back to sleep, and the Secret Vessel also calmed down.
A moment later, she came out after changing her clothes.
Dressed in the beautiful garment, she looked like a completely different person.
Instead of the clothes she had changed into, she asked about the box.
"Did you open it?"
"I did."
"How was it?"
"I wanted it."
"You wanted it. What sweet words."
Cha Iran picked up the box and sat down on a chair in the corner, crossing her legs.
Her exposed thigh was incredibly sensual.
"Why didn't you take it?"
"I already took it. That's an empty box."
Cha Iran put it away without checking inside.
"Do you trust my conscience?"
"No, it's a box that explodes if you open it."
Their gazes intertwined in mid-air.
Their eyes were so deep that it was impossible to know the other's heart just by looking.
"I didn't expect you to come this early."
They had drunk all night yesterday and parted ways so drunk.
She had thought she wouldn't see him until tomorrow at least.
"It seems I feel more at ease now that you've revealed your identity."
Of course, that wasn't why he had come.
It was because the operation had begun.
At this very moment, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and the Unorthodox Alliance would each be carrying out their assigned tasks.
His task was to first find out if Ak Gun-hak also liked her.
Geom Mugeuk first took care of her stomach.
"Did you get over your hangover?"
"I did."
"Good. You have to take care of your stomach from a young age."
At that, Cha Iran smiled mysteriously and asked.
"Do you think you or I will live to be old?"
"I will live, until I'm old."
"You're very greedy."
"That's right. I'm greedy for martial arts, greedy for people, greedy for money, greedy for health, greedy for a long life. I'm the man called the Incarnation of Greed."
Then Cha Iran smiled and said.
"The rumors say you're greedy with words."
At that, Geom Mugeuk moved his jaw left and right, loosening up his mouth.
"My mouth was itching to talk all this time."
Cha Iran thought that by talking with Geom Mugeuk, she might be able to understand why Ak Gun-hak hadn't killed him.
Separate from the mission, there was a single line connecting her and Geom Mugeuk: Ak Gun-hak.
The moment that line snapped, there would be no common story to share with him.
All that would remain would be a matter of killing or being killed, of completing the mission or not.
"Why couldn't that person leave?"
Geom Mugeuk now asked the question he hadn't asked last night.
"What other reason could there be? The organization wouldn't let him go."
"Is there any need to be loyal to such an organization?"
At that, Cha Iran raised her eyebrows slightly.
"Loyalty? I'm not loyal to anyone. I work in exchange for payment."
Her words were likely sincere.
In her life before the regression, she had died as an assassin until the very end.
The fact that her life was only revealed after her death was probably due to this way of thinking.
The organization never liked her.
"It sounds like I can hire you if I pay the price."
"If you have the ability to do so."
"I'll hire you right now. Name your terms."
Of course, he said it knowing she would never accept.
As expected, she refused at once.
"If I were the kind of person to abandon my mission and quit in the middle, I wouldn't be worth hiring in the first place."
That was why she would surely try to carry out her mission.
She would surely try to kill the Unorthodox Alliance Leader, and perhaps even himself.
"Do you know where he was planning to go?"
Instead of answering, Cha Iran asked a question back.
"You would be the one to know that."
He could tell from her eyes and expression.
That she really didn't know where he was going.
Rather, she was the one who was curious.
"That person didn't know you liked him."
If they were truly in a relationship, they would have surely talked about it.
No, he might not have even thought of leaving in the first place.
Unless they were planning to leave together.
"That's right. He doesn't know."
Cha Iran didn't try to hide that fact.
She didn't try to use it as a shield to protect her life.
"Why didn't you tell him?"
To think she would be talking about this with Geom Mugeuk.
"We were both busy. And the organization didn't like it either."
But because he was an enemy she had to kill, she could speak more comfortably.
"Why didn't the organization like it?"
"Because then there would have been two people wanting to leave."
Geom Mugeuk liked her honesty.
Real charm doesn't come from those smooth thighs.
Cha Iran asked, as if curious.
"Why are you so concerned about him? He's already left you."
An answer she had never expected came from Geom Mugeuk.
"That person, he was a cool person."
"I'll admit that."
"I like cool people. When I see someone like that, I want to be like them, I want to learn from them."
Geom Mugeuk sat on the decorative stand directly in front of her.
"In that sense, you were cool too."
At her questioning gaze, Geom Mugeuk answered honestly.
"I don't have the courage to get that drunk in front of an enemy."
It was a joke, but she didn't laugh.
"Why can't you be honest?"
"What do you mean?"
"The reason you're paying attention to him isn't because he's cool, but to keep such a strong master by your side, right? Since he's even an enemy, the effect would be double, triple. Am I wrong?"
After staring at Cha Iran for a moment, Geom Mugeuk asked abruptly.
"Could you keep that person by your side?"
Cha Iran couldn't say yes.
It was also because she liked that wind-like aspect of Ak Gun-hak.
"That person was barefoot from the first time I saw him. How can you keep someone who walks around barefoot by your side?"
What if that was the truth? If it wasn't about possessing him, then what could be the reason?
"Then why?"
After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
"Because I want to help him leave."
As if to prove his words were sincere, a surprising proposal was added.
"Let's help him leave."