“Did you just say Murong Sang-a of the Murong Family?”
A few days before Jeok Na-chal Dan Seo-wol informed Cheon So-hee about her mission, Dan Seo-wol couldn’t help but ask again at the unexpected name that slipped from the mouth of Master Salmak.
“They say she’s now called ‘Tang Hyi’ in the Martial Arts World.”
“I’ve heard of her in passing.”
Tang Hyi (螳姬). Although it’s a derogatory nickname, even someone as uninformed as Dan Seo-wol could immediately imagine who she was referring to, as it meant ‘mantis assassin.’
“One faction wants her dead, while another wants her protected.”
Master Salmak waved the requests that had come in simultaneously in both hands.
“Do we have grounds for assassination?”
If you recklessly accept money and lend a blade, you can easily end up stabbed by a knife filled with resentment. When an assassination request comes in, you must thoroughly investigate whether the target truly has committed a punishable offense.
That was the reason why Salmak had survived as an assassination organization in the Martial Arts World for so long.
“I’ve heard there’s a grudge against Murong Sang-a that makes her unable to live under the same sky. But that’s just a surface reason.”
“Surface reason?”
“Even if there’s a grudge against Murong Sang-a, it must be from the black-haired barbarians. What money would those already ruined have to place a request? And it’s not even their own country; they placed a request with our Salmak? That’s just ridiculous.”
Master Salmak laughed scornfully.
“It’s typical of proxy actions. Do you know who made the request?”
“Murong Bi. He’s also her older brother. It was easy to find him.”
“……How commonplace.”
While it might surprise someone, it was common in the assassination organization’s context. There’s a saying that power shouldn’t even be shared among family.
Though they shared blood, if they couldn’t share power, people would inevitably seek out Salmak for dealing with unsavory business.
“Those righteous faction bastards are cunning. They’ll kill their own sister and claim that the grievance of the black-haired ones reached the heavens and led to her assassination. They’re trying to sway public sentiment.”
Master Salmak shrugged, as if he had seen such fools too many times before.
“Why are you telling me about this?”
It was indeed an interesting request. However, there was no reason for him to know. If there was a reason to know, there was only one. Dan Seo-wol hoped her bad feeling wasn’t true and asked.
“I hope the Heavenly Killing Star will assist the Murong Family.”
“Master.”
Her bad feeling was not wrong. Dan Seo-wol tensed her brow and called out to Master Salmak.
“Calm down and listen.”
Seeing his younger sister ready to boil over, Master Salmak raised a hand to stop her.
“She’s finally found her way……!”
“If she’s found her way, she should think about walking. Is she just going to sit there and knock on the door to see if it’s the right path?”
“……!”
With that one remark from Master Salmak, Dan Seo-wol’s eyes shifted, as if she were about to grab her brother by the collar.
“Whether she takes refuge in a Buddha or becomes subjugated under a demon, the end of the Heavenly Killing Star will be the same. If she just sits and waits, she’ll be devoured by the approaching Heavenly Killing Star.”
The face of Master Salmak looking at Dan Seo-wol didn’t resemble that of a leader of a ruthless assassin group, but that of an older brother worried for his overly protected sister.
“There’s a solution.”
“I’ve heard Cheon Gi-ja has provided a good answer. That’s why I’m giving you this mission as an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“This mission will be a disguise mission. You’ll have to mingle with people, whether you like it or not. If the Heavenly Killing Star has truly found its way, it must also learn how to blend in without causing any issues among the crowd.”
“You want me to train in handling humanity among people?”
Master Salmak nodded at Dan Seo-wol’s words.
“Right. I’ll provide assistance whether you choose one side or the other, while the Heavenly Killing Star gets some good social adaptation training.”
“Truly……”
Dan Seo-wol finally nodded along with Master Salmak’s words.
The disciple had found a way to avoid being consumed by hostility through secluded training. However, the Heavenly Killing Star isn’t just a wooden puppet waiting to be given a cut.
Simply meditating in the main temple wouldn’t lead to progress any further. And now, even in this moment, the Heavenly Killing Star was approaching the disciple who was standing still.
If she had barely found the path in the fog, it was time to walk it.
“Even if it fails, she’ll rampage through the Murong Family. And the aftermath will be cleaned up nicely.”
Master Salmak smiled slightly at his sister, who looked infinitely serious.
“Master!”
“That’s just how it is. Can’t even make a joke here?”
“I have no intention of losing my disciple.”
Dan Seo-wol’s resolve was firm.
Seeing his little sister, Master Salmak let out a deep sigh and opened his mouth.
“Does anyone not feel that way? I hurt each time I lose one of them too. Those damn old fogeys. Master. Being an assassin is just like that, really. With all this crap going on. You know how much money it costs to raise a decent assassin?!”
“I understand your point.”
As Master Salmak was about to start lamenting, Dan Seo-wol hurriedly cut him off.
“Anyway, whether it’s protection or assassination, it’s all fine. Just explain it well.”
That was the end of the conversation between the siblings.
——
“Murong Family?”
After days of contemplating how to explain it to her disciple, Dan Seo-wol finally revealed the mission details along with her opinion.
“It will take over half a year just to reach the destination, so consider it as moving while training.”
It was training, not a mission. Dan Seo-wol emphasized this once more to her disciple.
“…….”
Jeok Na-chal noticed her disciple struggling to respond to the sudden proposal, and found it hard to continue speaking.
It hadn’t been long since she exited her isolated training. It was also just recently she heard news of her Beloved. Plus, her disciple was entering that stage just like other girls her age.
Though Dan Seo-wol understood she had to let her go, she felt crushed that she couldn’t protect her disciple.
“Are you confident you won’t lose yourself among people?”
“I’ve found my path. My brother’s energy is still within me.”
Cheon So-hee placed her hand on her chest as if cradling something precious. Inside it was the powerful ally capable of facing the intimidating Heavenly Killing Star, contained in merely a strand of energy.
“Alright. I’ll give you the choice between protection and assassination.”
If she’s ready, it’s time to send her off. Dan Seo-wol steeled her heart and spoke to her disciple.
“Do we have to leave right away?”
“I’ll give you time to think. Choose whatever’s easier for you.”
Cheon So-hee stood up after receiving an extra day from her master.
————
“Ha! The Murong Family? It looks like a tough spot!”
It was not hard for Seol-ja to notice the puzzlement etched on Cheon So-hee’s face when she was told to choose amidst the sudden mission.
“They say it’s going to take more than half a year.”
The Murong Family was far to the east even within the Central Plains. It was a distance daunting even for Cheon So-hee.
“Coming back will take over a year! Isn’t that right? Ah! Then I won’t be able to hear news about my Beloved!”
“Uh…….”
Cheon So-hee had never particularly shied away from missions. She was raised as an assassin in Salmak, so it was natural to receive missions and move. But this time was different.
She’d be too far from Yoon-ho oppa. She wouldn’t be able to receive any letters. She wanted to hear about her brother. She wanted to read the novels written by her brother.
She wouldn’t be able to hear news from her brother until she returned to the main temple. That was why, even under normal circumstances, Cheon So-hee would have set off immediately towards the Murong Family, but she lingered in her thoughts all night.
“Yukiko! It’s such a pity! There’s still a mountain of things left to teach my disciple! Ninin!”
Cheon So-hee, seeing Seol-ja looking utterly disappointed, couldn’t help but smile gently.
“I’ll learn when I come back. I’ll be alive.”
“……!”
“……?”
Seol-ja took some time to understand the unexpected words that had just come out.
“Yukiko! The 5th has been worried about me! How touching! It’s incredibly touching! Ninin!”
Being an assassin meant never knowing when one might die. Seol-ja was practically ready to embrace Cheon So-hee at the thought of being cared about.
“Take care.”
Cheon So-hee was not Kang Yoon-ho. Even if a blade was drawn at her throat, even if she was suspicious and mad, there was no way she knew how to embrace someone with a smile.
Kindness is met with kindness.
Cheon So-hee had learned at least that much about how to treat her destined partner.
“Ninin! Of course! Yukiko will live a long life! I’ll have a great love affair with a tall, handsome, and kind man too!”
Seol-ja’s expression was on the verge of tears filled with emotion.
She expressed her preference for older men, hoped her name wouldn’t make anyone laugh, and wished for a man who wouldn’t feel saddened when she disappeared on a mission, but would embrace her when she returned.
Seol-ja rambled on with her conditions, but oddly, Cheon So-hee listened to all of her words today.
“Yeah. Go for it.”
“Ugh! The composure of a winner! My eyes are dazzled! I’m so envious!”
“I’m going.”
“Come back safely! Next time, I’ll definitely teach you the hot spring enthrallment technique!”
Waving goodbye to the disappointed Seol-ja, Cheon So-hee left Seol-ja’s room. As she stepped out, a familiar figure greeted the Heavenly Killing Star.
“Have you made your decision?”
Jeok Na-chal Dan Seo-wol cautiously asked as soon as her disciple emerged from the room.
“…….”
“Let’s exchange blades for a moment.”
The master and disciple headed to the training hall.
—————
“You’ve grown even more.”
“I’ve found my path.”
Cheon So-hee replied as she breathed heavily. There was indeed still an unreachable gap between them. However, she had closed the distance by a step.
Cheon So-hee felt satisfied as she put her blade away, witnessing the unfamiliar beads of sweat on her master during their duel.
“There’s been another report regarding your Beloved from Yichang.”
“Another report?”
Cheon So-hee responded to the news of her Beloved, like a cat that typically responds hastily at the sound of snacks being opened.
“They’re apparently facing some inconvenience due to the Hao Moon.”
“Because of Hao Moon?”
Cheon So-hee’s eyebrows twitched.
“If you have found your path, there’s also a way to be by your Beloved’s side, not just at the Murong Family.”
Seeing his disciple’s expression, Dan Seo-wol presented another suggestion.
“No way. Yoon-ho oppa could be put in danger.”
There was no hesitation in her response whatsoever.
Cheon So-hee recalled Kang Yoon-ho as she looked at her master, who wore an expression of surprise.
She wanted to rush to Yichang right away. She wanted to see Yoon-ho oppa’s face. She wanted to hear her brother’s voice. She wanted to eat delicious food together with her brother. But she couldn’t do that.
‘The Heavenly Killing Star within me is lurking.’
If the Heavenly Killing Star aimed to kill just one person, it would be her brother. Just keeping silent and holding her breath was never an option to let her guard down.
She could never allow her brother to be put in danger.
“Right. I’ve heard that you are managing things wisely.”
Dan Seo-wol nodded along with his disciple’s words.
Since she had found her path, he had thought there might be a way to master the hostility next to the Reverse Heaven’s Decree. However, it seemed that his disciple did not want to see her Beloved in danger, even if it meant distance.
Jeok Na-chal realized anew just how deep his disciple’s feelings for her Beloved were.
“Yoon-ho oppa.”
Cheon So-hee called out to her master, as if there was something she wanted to ask.
“Do you have a question?”
“Can I become famous?”
At the worried tone in his disciple’s voice, Dan Seo-wol broke into a small smile. Then, with a confident gaze, he looked back at his disciple.
“I was also initially skeptical about the promises made by your Beloved. But after seeing that book he wrote, my perspective changed.”
“The Rise of the Tang Family?”
“Exactly. I’d never seen or heard a book like that before. He’s an unparalleled author. If that person is your Beloved, it might not just be a dream.”
Cheon So-hee nodded at her master’s unwavering words.
She had seen it as well. It had been so interesting that she could binge-read it overnight.
Though she wasn’t pleased that the protagonist met another girl, the mere news of the next volume being released stirred her interest, even if it wasn’t written by her brother.
Cheon So-hee recalled the conversation she had with Kang Yoon-ho before parting ways.
“I’ll do my best for So-hee as well. I will ensure that my name reverberates across the lands and ten provinces. So, promise me you’ll return to my side, dear So-hee.”
Yoon-ho oppa was making an effort. Even at this very moment, he was working hard for her sake.
‘It may not just be a dream.’
The day when she would be by her brother’s side might not just be a fantasy. If that were true, then she couldn’t afford to stop either.
“I’ll be heading off. To the Murong Family.”
If she had found her path, it was time to walk it. Cheon So-hee declared the beginning of a new mission.
“The opponent is Murong Sang-a of the Murong Family. Will you kill her, or protect her?”
Killing was easy.
To quickly hear news about her brother when she returned, this would be the faster route.
However.
“I’ll protect her. I’ll take on the guarding mission for Murong Sang-a.”
She wanted to be by Yoon-ho oppa’s side. She wanted to guard the area beside her brother. That was her new form of training required for that purpose.
Cheon So-hee accepted the mission, ready to take a new step toward the future.
