Geom Mugeuk had called her name for the first time.
Cha Iran stared at Geom Mugeuk with a surprised expression.
As if nothing had happened, Geom Mugeuk treated her with the same formality as before.
“From now on, you will have to get used to those demon statues.”
Cha Iran recalled the words Geom Mugeuk had just spoken.
Cha Iran, welcome home.
She had never been under anyone’s protection before.
Her life had been one of self-reliance ever since she could remember.
But hearing Geom Mugeuk’s words just now, she felt a strange emotion.
For some reason, she felt as if she was being protected.
It was the feeling of a true adult stroking her head and telling her, "Welcome."
“Now that I am the Young Cult Master’s subordinate, please speak comfortably.”
“Let us not do that and continue as we have been.”
“Why is that?”
“Sometimes, a leader needs a subordinate who is not entirely comfortable to prevent complacency, would you not agree?”
Geom Mugeuk said, looking at Lee Ahn.
“Just as there are subordinates who are unconditionally on my side, there must also be subordinates like you.”
In truth, it was because of Ak Gun-hak.
One never knew what the future held, and there was a possibility she and Ak Gun-hak could end up together.
Out of consideration for him, he could not simply speak to her informally.
He had taken her as a subordinate to offer her the most certain protection.
“Do as you please.”
Cha Iran looked back at her subordinates.
Unlike their usual selves, they looked tense and intimidated.
It was only natural.
No matter how experienced these assassins were, how could they not feel small under the overwhelming pressure of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?
The endlessly towering buildings, the terrifying demon statues erected between them, and the fierce-looking demonic practitioners coming and going in all directions.
And the countless Faceless Ones standing before them.
“You heard the Young Cult Master, did you not? This is our home now.”
“Yes!”
The assassins answered vigorously.
She had come here trusting Geom Mugeuk, but her subordinates had come trusting her.
She was the one who had to protect them.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk spoke to her.
“Now that you are home, you must greet Father first. Let us go together, Miss Cha.”
At his words, Cha Iran flinched in surprise.
Go to meet the Demon Cult Master? The Heavenly Demon?
“Why me?”
“It is customary to pay respects upon returning from a mission. Since you are now my subordinate, Miss Cha, should you not pay your respects as well?”
His words were reasonable, so Cha Iran could not refuse.
She had her subordinates wait there and followed Geom Mugeuk, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, and Lee Ahn toward the Heavenly Demon Hall.
As they drew closer to the Heavenly Demon Hall, Cha Iran’s heart pounded even harder.
She had never trembled this much, not even when embarking on a difficult assassination mission.
As they walked, Cha Iran carefully asked.
“What does the Cult Master think of assassins?”
“He hates them.”
The reply was so firm that she thought she must have misheard.
“How much?”
“He hates them very much.”
“Please be specific.”
The answer that followed made her wish she had not asked.
“I do not know for sure, but probably second most in the world?”
The Heavenly Demon hated her kind second most in the world, and she was on her way to meet him? Even in this situation, she could not help but ask.
“Then who is the first?”
“Those who use poison. Our poor Poison King.”
With such a specific first, she could tell that he truly did hate assassins second most.
As she stood there, bewildered, Geom Mugeuk added insult to injury.
“Is it not more comfortable this way?”
How could he say it was more comfortable when she was so worried and uneasy?
“He will dislike you anyway, no matter how hard you try to impress him, so you can just give up comfortably. Is there anything more tiring than trying to curry favor with someone?”
Cha Iran shook her head as if in disbelief.
At the same time, his words were strangely persuasive.
“Lee Ahn is probably more uncomfortable. Father has been fond of her lately.”
Her father had become much gentler in his treatment of Lee Ahn after she became the Fist Demon’s adopted daughter.
Hearing this, Lee Ahn sighed.
“I was not thinking about anything until just now, but hearing you say that has made me uncomfortable.”
After Cha Iran and Lee Ahn, Geom Mugeuk now dragged the Evil Heart Laughing Demon into it.
“You are comfortable, are you not, Laughing Demon? You have certainly been marked by Father.”
He was the one who had stood alone on Geom Mugeuk’s side before his father.
Then, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon said something unexpected.
“I am not comfortable either.”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon added, as if he truly meant it.
“Being marked is a separate issue. I am always trying my best to curry favor with the Cult Master.”
Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon smiled with their eyes.
Geom Mugeuk knew.
His father liked people with deep loyalty like the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
He was not one to hate someone just because that loyalty was not directed at him.
That was why he could casually say he had been marked.
Knowing this, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon was also making an effort.
In the meantime, they arrived at the Heavenly Demon Hall.
There was no one guarding the place.
Only pillars in the shape of demons supporting the high ceiling stood in rows, and at the end was a huge door.
But Cha Iran could feel it instinctively.
This space was by no means empty.
An extreme danger that would only be revealed to an uninvited guest lurked in every corner.
Indeed, as the four of them arrived, the door opened on its own.
It meant that someone was watching.
As Cha Iran stepped into the Heavenly Demon Hall, the first thing she saw was the red carpet.
And at the end of that path of blood, she saw a man sitting on the Grand Advisor's seat.
‘So that is the Demon Cult Master.’
His presence was palpable even from a distance.
It was a powerful presence she had never felt in her life.
Usually, when one’s martial arts reach the ultimate state, they hide their presence, but the Demon Cult Master now seemed to be saying.
Why should I hide?
The four of them walked the path of blood and arrived below the Grand Advisor's seat.
Geom Mugeuk loudly greeted his father, who was sitting in his usual place.
“Father, have you been well during my absence? I have returned safely.”
Their gazes locked in mid-air.
Geom Woojin immediately recognized his son’s achievement.
“You have made progress.”
Geom Mugeuk looked back at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon and said.
“Thanks to the Laughing Demon, I have obtained a great opportunity.”
He had not yet given a detailed report regarding the Flying Blood Snake.
Even for his father, a report that his son’s heart had been pierced would be shocking, so he intended to tell him in person.
When he gave the credit for the opportunity to him, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon calmly said.
“I only helped for a short while as ordered.”
After speaking so humbly, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon bowed respectfully.
“I have returned, Cult Master.”
“You have worked hard.”
Indeed, what Geom Woojin’s eyes held for the Evil Heart Laughing Demon was trust.
If he had not trusted him, he would not have sent him out alone with the Young Cult Master.
Next, Lee Ahn greeted him.
“Lee Ahn, I have returned from my mission.”
Indeed, as Geom Mugeuk had said, Geom Woojin’s gaze as he looked at Lee Ahn was gentle.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Thanks to your concern, I returned safely.”
Finally, Geom Mugeuk introduced Cha Iran.
“This is a person who became my subordinate during my mission.”
Cha Iran bowed respectfully and greeted him.
“My name is Cha Iran. It is a true honor to meet such an esteemed person.”
Of course, Geom Woojin had already received a report about her from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion.
Cha Iran said in a trembling voice.
“Although I was an assassin, I intend to live a new life from now on.”
But Geom Woojin’s expression held no welcome whatsoever.
He did not even hide the fact that he found her disagreeable.
At that cold gaze, Geom Mugeuk said to Cha Iran.
“Perhaps the rank of people Father dislikes is not second, but first.”
Geom Woojin’s gaze, which had been on Cha Iran, moved to his son.
The reason for his father’s coldness was clear.
“What will you do if this woman’s objective was to infiltrate the Main Sect?”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon looked at Geom Mugeuk, and from the other side, Lee Ahn looked at him.
The moment she heard Geom Woojin’s words, Lee Ahn’s heart sank.
What Geom Woojin just said meant that the assassination mission could still be ongoing.
This was a part Lee Ahn had never once considered.
“What will you do if this woman exploited your cheap sentimentality that makes you easy to kill?”
Recently, his father had stopped using the word ‘cheap’ when talking about his sentimentality.
Now, his father was using the expression ‘cheap sentimentality’ again as he questioned him.
He was reprimanding him.
Cha Iran turned her head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
On the contrary, she agreed with Geom Woojin’s words.
An assassin was someone who would kill their target by any means necessary.
If she had truly been hired to kill Geom Woojin, she could have gained Geom Mugeuk’s trust to get close like this.
As everyone wondered how he would explain himself, an irresponsible answer flowed from Geom Mugeuk.
“I did not think that far. If that is the case, Uncle Hwi will protect you, Father.”
In fact, he had thought about it.
How could he not, when bringing an assassin into the Main Sect?
But this time, he knew that her target was definitely the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
Because there was a prophecy.
Even though he had reported this entire process to his father, for him to speak like this was not just about this incident, but a warning to be careful in the future as well.
He was worried that his son’s lack of coldness would cause him to ruin things.
Since the other party was an assassin, he was using this opportunity to properly emphasize his point.
Normally, even if he was displeased with Cha Iran, he would have just nodded once and let it go.
That was his father’s way of dealing with people he disliked.
It was because he had a heart that worried for his son that such a question even existed.
“For what reason did you choose the Young Cult Master?”
After pondering for a moment, she gave an unexpected answer.
“It was because of the chopsticks.”
At Geom Woojin’s gaze, which seemed to ask what she meant, Cha Iran explained.
“The Young Cult Master cut a log to make chopsticks when we were camping. Looking at those chopsticks, I thought that I could trust and follow this person.”
She did not avoid Geom Woojin’s gaze, which felt like it could see right through her heart.
“And the Young Cult Master’s cooking, which I ate with those chopsticks, was very delicious.”
Cha Iran said no more, as if that was the entire reason.
Could it be that her not explaining at length was what pleased his father?
Unexpected words flowed from his father’s lips, which had been cold all along.
“That must be because you haven't tried my cooking.”
At those words, Cha Iran’s eyes widened in surprise.
Geom Mugeuk smiled and voiced his father’s feelings.
“If you had truly come as an assassin, you would not have given such a nonsensical reason.”
He added one more thing to that.
“You must never eat Father’s cooking. Because then you will pledge your loyalty to Father, not me.”
At his son’s flattery, which he had not heard in a long time, one corner of Geom Woojin’s mouth went up.
He did not say much to Cha Iran.
“Welcome.”
As Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon headed for the Heavenly Demon Hall, the Faceless Ones mingled.
The Faceless Ones who had come out to greet them came and greeted the returning Faceless Ones.
These ten Faceless Ones who had returned from their mission were the most skilled, from first to tenth rank, so many Faceless Ones followed them.
Seventeenth Assassin subtly glanced at the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
Several Faceless Ones also came to greet the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
At times, they were so strange they were bizarre, but at times like this, they seemed like perfectly normal martial artists with a proper senior and junior relationship.
Seeing that sight, Seventeenth Assassin’s heart was heavy.
Until she came here, there had been some hope.
Her feelings for him had grown even more while washing vegetables together as the Young Cult Master’s assistant.
But now that she had come to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and saw him among the other Faceless Ones, she had an ominous premonition that her relationship with him might be over.
Just then, someone beside her said softly.
“It was just a coincidence.”
When she turned, it was Fifth Assassin.
Having recovered somewhat from her injuries, she could now walk on her own.
“It was just a fleeting emotion.”
She had sighed at the sight of Seventeenth Assassin being chosen as an assistant with the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
He was someone to be avoided, yet they had gotten entangled.
She did not know that Geom Mugeuk had intentionally put the two together.
No, even if she had known, she would have said the same thing.
“If you get involved with a man like that, you will be unhappy.”
“And are our fates so grand?”
“You are different.”
Fifth Assassin was genuinely worried about Seventeenth Assassin.
It would be a strange thing to describe an assassin as pure.
But from her perspective, the person who fit that strange description was Seventeenth Assassin.
How could she not be worried when such a person was losing her heart to a demonic practitioner, and a demonic practitioner from the Valley of the Wicked at that?
Just then, Geom Mugeuk, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, Cha Iran, and Lee Ahn returned to that spot.
The Faceless Ones, who had been scattered at will, lined up in an instant.
“Then please rest, Young Cult Master.”
“Yes, thank you, Laughing Demon.”
The two said their goodbyes.
As the Laughing Demon walked away, all the Faceless Ones followed behind him.
Geom Mugeuk said to Lee Ahn.
“You guide Miss Cha to her quarters.”
“Yes, I will.”
He had sent word while on the way, so their quarters had been prepared.
He had said to give them each their own room so that everyone could rest comfortably.
As soon as his words were finished, Geom Mugeuk lightly leaped into the air and flew off somewhere.
“I wonder who he misses so much that he is in such a hurry?”
At Lee Ahn’s words, Cha Iran was reminded of what Geom Mugeuk had said.
That he would be too busy to see her often.
It seemed that abandonment had already begun.
Lee Ahn led Cha Iran and the assassins to their quarters.
Seventeenth Assassin could not leave the spot and was looking at the Faceless Ones walking far away.
When she briefly lost sight of them, she could not tell where the Crescent Moon martial artist was.
Seventeenth Assassin sighed without realizing it.
Fifth Assassin, who was behind her, said.
“Let us go, too. This place is so big, we will get lost if we are not careful.”
Getting lost among demonic practitioners was a thought she did not even want to entertain.
It was right at that moment when Seventeenth Assassin was about to turn around to follow Fifth Assassin.
From among the Faceless Ones walking in the opposite direction, one Faceless One pushed through his comrades and came out.
Surprisingly, it was the Crescent Moon Faceless One.
He took out the dagger that Seventeenth Assassin had given him as a gift.
Seventeenth Assassin despaired.
Now that they had returned to the sect, he was surely going to return the dagger to end their relationship.
But that was not it.
The Crescent Moon Faceless One cut his own finger with the dagger and then drew a long diagonal line on his mask with the blood.
Passion flickered across Seventeenth Assassin’s face.
She could tell.
The Crescent Moon Faceless One had just drawn a line on his mask to make it easier for her to recognize him.
This mask with the line, this is me.
After drawing the line, the Crescent Moon Faceless One turned around again and ran toward the Faceless Ones.
As Seventeenth Assassin watched that sight with trembling eyes, Fifth Assassin said from behind her.
“Seventeenth, no. He is a truly madman!”
It was a moment when a new life for some, and a new love for another, was beginning in earnest.