Blood was spattered across the moonlit alley.
Cha Iran stood behind a martial artist who collapsed, clutching his throat.
She closed her eyes and sensed the energy around her.
She scanned the area with an assassin's unique senses, but there were no enemies to be found.
A moment later, the First Assassin came to her and reported.
“It’s all taken care of.”
Behind her, the assassins of the Cult of Beauties could be seen.
Because Cha Iran, the First Assassin, and the remaining assassins had returned to the alley without delay, they were able to minimize the damage.
However, several assassins of the Cult of Beauties had been killed or injured in this fight.
And the battle was not yet over.
“We’re going back.”
Cha Iran sent the severely injured to receive treatment and led all the remaining assassins who could still fight back to where they had been fighting Hwa Do-myeong.
She never thought her fate would be so entwined with the Demon Sect.
Either they would all die together, or they would all live together.
Today's battle was that kind of fight.
Trusting in the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, she had come here to save her subordinates.
But their opponent was Hwa Do-myeong.
This time, he had shown a new side of himself, disappointingly revealing his true nature, but the fact that he was a strong man remained unchanged.
The martial artists in bamboo hats with him were also formidable.
Most importantly, Hwa Do-myeong had not tried to flee even after seeing the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
It clearly meant he had something to rely on.
“Hurry.”
She used her lightness arts and ran at the forefront.
It was for Geom Mugeuk, which in the end, was also for herself.
She was already a traitor to her organization, so if something happened to Geom Mugeuk in this situation, her choice would become meaningless.
While Cha Iran was worrying about such things, the Seventeenth Assassin, who was following behind, was thinking of someone else.
She desperately hoped that the Crescent Moon Faceless One was alive.
She kept getting a bad feeling.
An image of herself discovering a mask with a crescent moon on it among a tangle of unidentifiable corpses flashed through her mind.
As they drew closer, the smell of blood grew stronger, and her heart pounded even harder.
Just as Cha Iran and the assassins left the alley and arrived at the previous battle site.
They stopped in their tracks.
The situation before them was completely unexpected.
First, Geom Mugeuk was still sitting with his eyes closed.
At that sight, Cha Iran felt a sense of relief.
'The Young Cult Master is alive.'
And the Evil Heart Laughing Demon was also alive.
He was sitting in front of Geom Mugeuk with his eyes closed.
It seemed he was circulating his energy to recover his inner energy.
And then there were the Faceless Ones around the two of them.
They were disposing of the bodies.
A large pit was already filled with corpses, and even as she arrived, the Faceless Ones were still carrying more bodies.
It was to prevent the Young Cult Master from seeing a scene littered with corpses when he opened his eyes.
The Seventeenth Assassin first looked for the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
She usually found him at a glance, but perhaps because her heart was anxious, she couldn't see him.
So she started counting the number of Faceless Ones.
One, two, three… eight, nine, ten!
Thankfully, all the Faceless Ones were alive.
Just then, her eyes met with a Faceless One who was moving a body nearby.
Only then did she realize he was the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
His clothes were covered in blood, but fortunately, he didn't seem to be seriously injured.
The Seventeenth Assassin gave a slight nod to the Crescent Moon Faceless One, who was staring at her.
The Crescent Moon Faceless One also gave a slight nod in return.
The Faceless One carrying the body with him glanced at the two.
They pretended not to notice and no longer looked at each other.
Meanwhile, Cha Iran was inwardly shocked.
'They killed them all!'
The first person she looked for was Hwa Do-myeong.
At first, she couldn't find Hwa Do-myeong's body.
Seeing three bamboo hats on the ground, it seemed all the men in bamboo hats were dead.
But Hwa Do-myeong's body was nowhere to be seen.
'Did he escape?'
Then, an object caught her eye.
It was a fan.
A familiar fan sticking out from the pit of corpses.
The person who died clutching that fan was a man with countless lines drawn on his face.
She hadn't recognized him at first because his makeup was gone, but upon closer inspection, it was Hwa Do-myeong.
The red lines that had crossed his face had all turned a grayish color.
What was more surprising than his death was that the Faceless Ones had casually tossed him and his subordinates into the pit of corpses.
The Faceless Ones.
Their leader, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Cha Iran thought she must not let her guard down.
Just because a person named Geom Mugeuk smiled and didn't act like a demonic practitioner, she shouldn't mistakenly believe that these people might also be good.
They were the demonic practitioners of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
And demonic practitioners from the Valley of the Wicked at that.
Watching the Faceless Ones begin to cover the pit of corpses, Cha Iran looked up at the night sky.
There was no turning back now.
Since their blood relative, Hwa Do-myeong, was dead, the organization behind him would surely try to kill her.
The moon had already begun to wane, and twinkling stars had become the new masters of the night sky.
The energy of the Flying Blood Snake was completely converted into inner energy and stored in his energy core.
Geom Mugeuk could say with confidence.
In terms of inner energy alone, he was now the best in the Martial World.
Of course, one never knew about the world… no.
At this level, he was the best.
The five energies that had been rampaging inside his body had also quietly fallen dormant.
Now, only one energy remained.
Where could the last orb be hidden?
And what would happen when he gathered all six energies?
With that last thought, Geom Mugeuk slowly opened his eyes.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon was looking at him.
He was there when he closed his eyes, and he was there when he woke up.
“Are you awake?”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's eyes were smiling in welcome.
Geom Mugeuk, who had been staring quietly into those eyes, stretched widely instead of saying thank you and spoke.
“Thanks to you, I slept well.”
Geom Mugeuk rose from his spot, and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon followed suit.
His body felt more refreshed than ever before.
Of course, it wasn't just because he had slept until dawn.
The pure inner energy filling his energy core was as vast and deep as the sea.
The sense of stability and confidence that came from this vast inner energy, which felt like it would never run out no matter how much he used it, was indescribable.
What if he were to unleash the Sixth Form of the Nine Calamities Demon Art, Heavenly Demon World Annihilation, with this inner energy?
What if Heavenly Demon World Annihilation, which required most of his inner energy, was unleashed with this immense power? Even before, everything in sight had been annihilated.
Now, a result beyond imagination would occur.
What if he could control Heavenly Demon World Annihilation at will like his father?
What if he could create the sword of light with this inner energy?
Geom Mugeuk’s heart pounded.
As Geom Mugeuk awoke, the Faceless Ones lined up in a row and respectfully clasped their fists in greeting.
Joy could be felt in their eyes.
Geom Mugeuk checked their condition.
His own body felt so light, but the Faceless Ones' martial robes were covered in blood.
There were many injured people as well.
He could guess how fierce a battle they had fought.
“You all worked hard protecting me, didn't you?”
At those words, the Faceless Ones smiled brightly.
This one sentence from the Young Cult Master was enough.
As long as the Young Cult Master acknowledged them, they were willing to lay down their lives at any time.
On the opposite side of the Faceless Ones were the assassins.
Among the lined-up assassins stood Cha Iran.
Geom Mugeuk walked over to her.
"Wasn't I heavy?"
“You were incredibly heavy.”
She had fulfilled his request.
“You kept your promise that the Laughing Demon would be here when I opened my eyes.”
“I’m the type to always keep my promises.”
“Then let’s make one more promise.”
“To let that person go?”
She had expected him to suggest they go and rescue Ak Gun-hak together.
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
His promise was something she had not expected at all.
“Rest in the shadow of our sect until we have dealt with all of them.”
Though he put it nicely, what Geom Mugeuk was saying was this.
I will protect you all.
Yes, only the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect could say such a thing to them.
“Are you worried about us as soon as you woke up?”
Geom Mugeuk replied with a deepened gaze.
“Because you're the reason I was able to open my eyes.”
This was Geom Mugeuk's way of saying thank you.
Formally establishing a connection with the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was something that needed careful consideration.
If the person making the offer hadn't been Geom Mugeuk, she would have politely refused.
But she didn't let pride or her organization's honor get in the way of this matter.
When she thought only of the lives of her subordinates, the answer was not difficult.
“Then we will entrust ourselves to you for a while.”
Cha Iran respectfully clasped her fists in a formal greeting.
The female assassins behind her also bowed in unison.
Among them was one woman with an unreadable smile.
Geom Mugeuk also returned their formal greeting.
“Once we’ve eliminated them all, you are free to leave whenever you wish. I give you my word on my name as the Young Cult Master.”
And so, the assassins of the Cult of Beauties decided to take refuge with the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect for the time being.
Geom Mugeuk asked the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
“What happened to the one with makeup on his face?”
"He is dead."
"Well done."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon nodded and pointed out one thing.
"From the way he spoke, he seemed to be a blood relative of an important figure."
Geom Mugeuk remembered what Cha Iran had said.
That it was better not to touch him.
He was surely a blood relative of the Hwa Clan.
“No matter what, could he be the blood relative of someone as important as me?”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon laughed at Geom Mugeuk’s joke, and Cha Iran also smiled.
She felt it.
With Geom Mugeuk around, the atmosphere changed.
Faces brightened, and there was a sense of vitality.
It felt like the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, the Faceless Ones, and even herself and her assassins were being influenced.
The sun rose brightly, illuminating the world.
The long night was finally over.
Lee Ahn stood by the window, watching the sunrise.
Geom Mugeuk would surely handle things well, and since the Evil Heart Laughing Demon went with him, it should be fine.
No matter how positively she tried to think, she couldn't help but worry.
Just then, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress spoke from behind her.
“I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”
"Pardon?"
When Lee Ahn turned with a questioning look, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress explained.
“You wanted to go with the Young Cult Master, didn't you?”
Lee Ahn smiled and replied.
“In my place, the Laughing Demon is probably fighting with a peaceful mind. It's better to have a comfortable Laughing Demon without me, than an anxious Laughing Demon with me.”
It was a statement that held the Evil Heart Laughing Demon in high regard and a humble one that downplayed her own importance.
It was also a statement that acknowledged the relationship between the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress.
Gazing at Lee Ahn with gentle eyes, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress asked.
"Are you worried the prophecy will come true?"
To that, Lee Ahn gave an unexpected answer.
“No, I hope the prophecy does come true.”
When the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress looked at her, asking for a reason, Lee Ahn revealed her honest feelings.
“The Young Cult Master already knows what the prophecy is. He must have prepared for it well. I’d rather no new variables pop up.”
With those words, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress could tell.
“Martial artist Lee, you trust the Young Cult Master more than the prophecy.”
Lee Ahn did not deny it.
Just as Lee Ahn turned to look out the window again, a happy exclamation escaped her lips.
People were walking into the courtyard.
Geom Mugeuk was in the center, flanked by the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and Cha Iran.
Behind Cha Iran were the assassins, and behind the Evil Heart Laughing Demon were the Faceless Ones.
Geom Mugeuk saw Lee Ahn at the window and waved.
At the sight, Lee Ahn felt so happy she could have burst into tears, but she managed to compose herself and waved back energetically.
Seeing them enter the guest hall safely, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress thanked the heavens.
She couldn't express how scared and anxious she had been, fearing that because she had made the prophecy, it would actually come to pass.
Seeing her, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon gave a bright smile.
If no one had been watching, she would have run into his arms.
Lee Ahn saw that Geom Mugeuk's chest was bandaged.
"Are you hurt?"
At Lee Ahn's surprised question, Geom Mugeuk clutched his chest.
“I was stabbed in the heart.”
At those words, not only Lee Ahn but also the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress was startled.
"The Laughing Demon really did stab me."
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress could see that the prophecy had come true.
She thought it would be a wrong prophecy this time.
But how did he survive?
“Are you alright?”
At Lee Ahn’s concern, Geom Mugeuk began to exaggerate.
“Alright? The Laughing Demon stabbed me so painfully. Phew, don't even get me started. I only survived because I have the strongest and most handsome heart in the world.”
Lee Ahn whispered to the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
“You should have stabbed him harder. Or maybe not his heart, but that mouth of his…”
Of course, her joke was loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Not the mouth. I’d rather you stab my heart!”
Geom Mugeuk played along, and everyone laughed.
“By the way, Lee Ahn, your prize money is gone.”
With the Divine Flower Sect Master dead and even Hwa Do-myeong dead, it was impossible for the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven Contest to continue.
Then, Lee Ahn looked at Cha Iran and said.
“Miss Cha must be disappointed.”
“Are you being serious?”
At Cha Iran's question, Lee Ahn laughed cheerfully and replied.
“About half-serious.”
Cha Iran smiled along with her.
If the final stage had really taken place, what would the result have been?
Geom Mugeuk said to Lee Ahn.
“Miss Cha will be with us for a while. Lee Ahn, you will be in charge.”
“Yes!”
Lee Ahn looked at Cha Iran.
The emotion in her eyes was one of welcome and pleasant greeting.
Cha Iran responded to the goodwill.
“I guess I’ll have to teach you in the meantime.”
Cha Iran looked down at her own blood-stained martial robes and said.
“That martial robes are something you only wear on rare occasions like today.”
She meant she would teach her how to choose clothes, apply makeup, and how a woman should adorn herself.
Lee Ahn smiled shyly and said.
“I do kind of miss the dress I wore on stage.”
As they engaged in such everyday conversation, everyone finally realized that this battle was over.
But one task still remained for Geom Mugeuk.
Now that he was back, there was someone he had to meet first.
The person who had been the cause of all this.
“I will go and see the Unorthodox Alliance Leader for a moment.”