“Love at first sight?”
At that ridiculous excuse, Soyou furrowed her brow deeply.
Even though her reaction must have been plainly visible right in front of him, Jin Cheong-ak didn’t stop his nonsense. No—in fact, he deliberately piled on the grand nonsense, clearly doing his best to irritate her.
“Were you surprised by such an obvious reason? Understandable. How often does one meet a lady as beautiful as Lady Namgung Soyou in their lifetime? I’ve traveled across the continent for years and met many women, yet never have I seen such a celestial maiden who could make a man want to devote his life to her.”
“Enough.”
“Lady Namgung must be shy. Even that shyness is dazzlingly lovely to me. If this isn’t what they call love at first sight, what else could it be? To confess the truth, even when I offered my body at Cheonjusan, it was all to win your favor—”
Thankfully, Namgung Jeokmyeong still had enough decency left not to let the nonsense go too far.
“Enough! As Soyou said, that’s enough. I understand now—there’s no need to explain what about her you fell for…”
“Oh, what a shame. I was just about to start reciting poetry.”
“Restrain yourself.”
“If you doubt my sincerity, feel free to test me anytime. I’d give my life for Lady Namgung Soyou. From poetry to—”
“I said I get it!”
Namgung Jeokmyeong hurriedly left the room like he was fleeing from a pile of dung.
For a brief moment, Soyou carefully observed the sound of his footsteps fading.
“Did he leave empty-handed?”
“Hmm. Maybe, maybe not.”
A half-hearted answer.
Though Jin Cheong-ak’s interruption had helped Soyou avoid a needless head-on clash with Namgung Jeokmyeong…
His steps seemed lighter, if anything.
For someone who had gone so far as to threaten her with his hand on his sword, the ending was far too anticlimactic. Could he have pulled something behind her back in that short moment?
Even if he had, Soyou had no need to act hastily. The one in a hurry was always on the other side. If she waited, the next move would reveal itself.
The real problem was something else entirely.
The Heavenly Demon Cult… I’ve ended up entangled with something I hadn’t expected.
The Heavenly Demon Cult.
A force that built an invisible wall in Xinjiang, with tens of thousands of followers coiled under its leader, the Heavenly Demon himself—a demonic stronghold.
Even Salmak, once poised to crush the Nine Great Sects and swallow the Central Plains, hadn’t dared lay a hand on them. Since the great war between orthodox and demonic forces 18 years ago, the cult had remained quiet. It was so quiet she often forgot they even existed.
Ah yes—when asked by Emperor Wu, Master Bodhidharma replied:
“Roaming the Jianghu is a path of suffering.”
***
That night, Soyou cultivated her inner energy for the first time in weeks.
Perhaps it was due to her negligence in training, or the resurfacing of ghosts from her past—Salmak and now the Heavenly Demon Cult.
As she stood at the edge of a familiar internal nightmare…
Soyou—or no, I—was forced to face a person I had no desire to see again.
[You’re asking if there’s a third Kill List?]
Soaked in black bathwater, long black hair twisted slowly.
The man’s pale face turned toward me. It took a while before the probing look in his eyes faded.
[Unexpected. You, Yeo Il, showing interest in something like that.]
I had to remain calm.
That sole conviction kept me composed, resting my chin on my hand as if it meant nothing, staring at the man.
He seemed lost in thought as he gazed into the distance, then slowly stood. Through the rising mist, his muscular body, like that of a demon, writhed.
Attendants silently approached to drape a violet robe over his naked form.
One massaged camellia oil into his hair. Another poured pungent liquor into a goblet and offered it to him.
Though he was a mere assassin, the man always dressed in embroidered robes or luxurious garb befitting a noble.
No—he wasn’t just an assassin.
He was a swordsman. A born killer. A madman with no trace of morality.
[Truly unexpected… That you’d undergo a change of heart outside my sight. I don’t like it.]
I admitted it. A few days ago, I wouldn’t have cared one bit.
But not anymore.
Now that I understood the purpose and difference between the first and second Kill Lists, I couldn’t help but suspect a third existed.
If I was to dismantle Salmak, I had to know.
[If you’re going to give so much weight to a trivial question, just ignore it.]
[Trivial?]
[…]
[Yeo Il. Do you not realize how unlike you that sounds?]
At the point where I considered dropping it to avoid further suspicion—
[Of course there is A third Kill List.]
The cup in the man’s hand floated gently through the air, landing softly on the table before me.
[Curious what’s written on it? No reason not to tell you. It’s a Kill List for the Heavenly Demon Cult.]
I couldn’t hide my reaction this time.
A Kill List for the Heavenly Demon Cult meant one listing members of the cult.
I already knew he was insane, but to compile a Kill List targeting them?
Did he dare include even the cult leader?
How far could this man see?
What exactly was Salmak for?
From the moment I encountered an unexpected truth in the middle of a mission, the question grew uncontrollably, disturbing the rigid framework of my life.
And at the center of it all—there was always him.
[Now that I’ve answered your question, I’ll give you a task. Don’t worry—it’ll be simple. And interesting.]
Yes. That man, towering like Mount Tai.
My reflection appeared in his gleaming eyes.
Grotesque.
A horrific scar slashed from beneath his left eye, down past his nose, lips, and jawline.
A face no one could forget upon seeing it once. It belonged in the abyss.
[Yeo Il.]
CRACK.
“Ah!”
A violet sleeve stretched out and clamped down mercilessly on the face of one of the attendants.
Just moments ago, she’d been quietly pouring his drink.
[Do you know even vermin squirm when crushed?]
His hand was massive—worthy of his towering frame—and the woman’s skull looked like a toy in that grip.
[And when vermin squirm… it means they carry revenge in their hearts: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.]
“Ah… ugh…”
Red veins spread across his hand like spilled blood. The crushing grip triggered tortured moans throughout the room.
And I, waking from one nightmare into another, clenched my chin-tightening hand with all my might.
The man’s glowing eyes stayed fixed on me.
[You do realize someone is coming for my head… don’t you?]
