“There’s a separate place prepared for the performers after the show. You should wait for your husband there.”
The warrior spoke to Cheon So-hee, who was waiting aimlessly near the entrance.
“Yes.”
Cheon So-hee obediently turned her body as the warrior told her not to fidget.
‘It’ll be fine.’
As she walked toward the banquet hall for the performers, she thought.
She just had to get through the performance. Yoon Ho had promised that the client would protect them.
Even if something went wrong, it would be a problem between the family head and the client, not Yoon Ho.
If he could successfully finish the performance and she could successfully carry out the assassination, her business here would be done.
Once she confirmed that the killing intent had decreased, she’d just have to go around assassinating again. Even if it didn’t decrease, that was fine too.
‘Promise me, oppa. I’ll give up trying.’
She just needed to figure it out together with Yoon Ho.
‘Yoon Ho.’
Remembering the events of a few nights ago made So-hee’s heart swell, and she quietly placed her hands over her chest.
His broad embrace. The warmth of each other in the cold night. His breath brushing against her ears. And his sincere heart.
Just as Yoon Ho needed her, she needed him too.
That single fact gave So-hee the courage to move forward.
Even if the path led to catastrophe, she wouldn’t be afraid as long as she was with him.
With that thought, she took a step forward.
[Kill.]
“Ugh!”
The Heavenly Killing Star suddenly sensed the killing intent and quickly stepped back.
[Let’s kill.]
The Heavenly Killing Star stepped back again.
[Let’s kill them all.]
So-hee hurriedly activated her inner power through the Yongcheon point under her feet, retreating swiftly.
‘What’s happening?’
The range of killing intent was sharply decreasing. Each step back corresponded to a decrease in the intended range. It had never diminished this rapidly before.
“There’s a fight at the inner courtyard!”
“A knife fight is happening!”
Commotion arose from afar.
Dramatically decreasing range. Noise. Knives.
It all meant one thing.
“Yoon Ho!”
The Heavenly Killing Star turned her footsteps and began to run toward the banquet hall.
——-
The range of killing intent continued to shrink.
[Let’s kill.]
Shut up.
Cheon So-hee controlled her internal killing intent and hurried to the banquet hall.
“You madmen! Run away!”
“Quick, grab your swords and go in!”
There were too many people coming and going through the door. So-hee swiftly vaulted over the wall and entered the banquet area.
“For Seong Se-hwi, nobleman!”
“To betray the head of the family!”
Even though they were already stabbing each other, So-hee didn’t pay any mind to it.
‘Where is Yoon Ho?’
Yoon Ho’s smell. Where could he be? So-hee turned her head, looking toward the strong scent of Cheon Ri Chujong Hyang coming from one direction.
There he was.
Lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood, clutching his chest.
“Yoon Ho!”
No! The stage is drenched in blood. So-hee quickly tried to approach him.
[Let’s kill.]
No! The killing intent surged.
There’s no time for this. Right now. Yoon Ho. He needs treatment.
Cheon So-hee forced herself to reach Yoon Ho. But even as she approached, the killing intent refused to dissipate.
Why?
She knew. She desperately controlled the killing intent.
It was already too late. It was her fault.
‘Why did I think it would be okay?’
So-hee stopped in her tracks. She had promised never to make a mistake again. So why did she think that?
Because of her greed.
She thought that once this mission succeeded, she could return to her daily life with Yoon Ho.
She wanted to see him shine more than anyone else during his performance, and when it ended, hear him say, “You did well.” She wanted to return to that kind of life, with him smiling at her.
That greed…
Would cost her everything.
[Let’s kill.]
Who?
[The one who killed him.]
How would she know?
[Just kill everyone.]
That’s right.
[Let’s kill.]
Let’s kill.
[We’ll kill them all.]
Let’s kill them all.
Kill.
And die with him.
———-
Screams echoed.
“Help!”
“Who is that girl!”
Voices of dying people. Despair. Hundreds of screams filled the air.
If she stayed like this, she felt like she would meet the same fate.
“Ugh!”
Pain blossomed from her chest and awakened her entire body. She must have been hit. Cautiously lying down, she touched her chest. There was no blood flowing.
Was it because of the Jade Face Protective Technique? So-hee had claimed to be the best among external martial artists, and it seemed to be true.
Cautiously lying flat, she turned her head toward the front of the stage.
What was happening? Was Seong Se-hwi winning? Was Seong Ji-ru winning?
It would be great if our side was winning, but if Seong Ji-ru was winning, she’d have to crawl away.
“AAAAH!”
“Everyone, charge!”
“Help meee!”
What she saw was an unexpected sight.
“……. So-hee is winning.”
She had once visited a slaughterhouse on a school trip, where she saw butchers break down beef, but So-hee was dismantling people with even more skill.
“Help me!”
‘Has she awakened as the Heavenly Killing Star?’
So-hee was killing people. Literally tearing them apart.
It was clear that she was out of her mind. She didn’t know the details, but it must be because of her.
‘What to do?’
If in front of her was the Heavenly Killing Star rather than Cheon So-hee, then Cheon So-hee was dead. There was no way to bring the dead back to life. So Yoon Ho had to escape.
A couple of days ago, So-hee had earnestly begged him not to take any unnecessary risks and to run away.
“Ugh!”
Using all her strength, she managed to rise. Even if the bleeding stopped, her chest felt prickly. The lack of blood made her head spin.
‘Am I supposed to run away?’
This time, she didn’t even need a fake corpse. If she ran behind the stage, she could easily escape.
The situation after escaping would be better than ever. She had mastered martial arts and gained inner strength. Working as a negotiator, she wouldn’t go hungry.
‘I wanted to run away.’
The Heavenly Killing Star could kill her. Even if she didn’t, she might lose control at any moment. In the beginning, she had trembled in fear.
Now she only had to take a step back.
Though it was regrettable that history hadn’t changed, if she moved now, she could save her life.
‘So-hee might be the true heroine.’
She was a girl destined to live as a mad killer and die.
If that fate could be altered because of her, she likely was the true heroine.
‘If I don’t turn So-hee back now, I might never see the true heroine ending.’
The Heavenly Killing Star she knew and the Cheon So-hee she had experienced were two separate individuals.
If she was indeed the true heroine, then she needed to turn her back now.
‘It’s a choice between two options.’
My life or the true heroine.
Which should she choose?
“Because I want to save her, that’s why I will save her. What’s so great about trying to find a reason?”
As she dusted herself off, she self-deprecated.
She wanted to save So-hee.
That was enough.
‘As long as I don’t die and can save her, that’s all that matters.’
Why think of it as a choice between two options?
There’s a way.
As she stirred the banquet hall and walked a few steps toward the Heavenly Killing Star, she saw her stumble and quickly step back.
As expected.
The startled Heavenly Killing Star looked at her, raising her guard to the max.
“Die!”
The Heavenly Killing Star kept her eyes on her while fending off the warriors beside her.
The killing star was locked onto her like a hawk targeting prey.
‘Seems like she wants to kill me here.’
The greatest foe to the Heavenly Killing Star was probably her. Is she plotting to kill her amid her moment of weakness?
If that was the case, she needed to have a safety measure.
“Benefactor! You’re alive? Your wife is indiscriminately slaughtering people!”
Seong Se-hwi spoke to her from the stage with a shocked expression.
“I think she believes I’m dead! Please bring a black rope to my lodging!”
“Why would you need a black rope?”
“To bring her back to her senses, I need to tie her up with that!”
“Understood! I’ll make sure to grab it!”
Seong Se-hwi looked around and then vanished from his spot. Shouldn’t you have protected her and sent people to help?
“I’ll take the lead! Everyone, work together!”
The family head, unable to watch any longer, began to step forward with the warriors.
Is it a one-on-many raid? She didn’t know if she should cheer for So-hee or the family head.
At the very least, she hoped that So-hee would exhaust some of her stamina.
“GRAAAAH!”
The fight had lasted longer than expected against the other warriors, but the outcome remained unchanged.
The clan head’s head rolled on the ground, marking the end of the battle.
Now, only bodies and she remained around the Heavenly Killing Star.
She quietly watched as the Heavenly Killing Star gripped her sword, looking at me.
——
It seemed like a wild beast was prowling.
The Heavenly Killing Star began to circle around her at a distance that was neither far nor near.
‘She’s monitoring the range where the killing intent dissipates.’
Just by approaching her a few steps, the Heavenly Killing Star lost her balance for a moment.
Simply being within her range must have a debuff effect on her.
“So-hee! Pull yourself together!”
She shouted loudly, but the response was nonexistent. Like a predator stalking its prey, the Heavenly Killing Star ambled around her.
‘She has to be kept within the range where the killing intent fades.’
The Heavenly Killing Star wants to kill her, the only weakness. But the Heavenly Killing Star was afraid of her.
If she could keep her from moving in close proximity to her, So-hee might return to her senses.
The Heavenly Killing Star’s red eyes watched her.
‘Can I handle this?’
An absurd laugh escaped her lips. Countless warriors couldn’t withstand So-hee’s first strike and fell.
Her chest ached. She grasped at her consciousness.
‘Once is enough.’
If the Heavenly Killing Star wants to swing her sword at her, she must take the risk of getting into her range.
Once she enters the range where the killing intent diminishes, the Heavenly Killing Star will be significantly weakened.
She waits for that moment.
—The opponent may not be able to react to her speed, so quickly assess where she’s aiming.
‘She’s coming.’
Just as she thought that, the Heavenly Killing Star lunged at her.
—I tend to target the opponent’s neck first.
The neck. So-hee’s Hidden Knife aims for her neck. A half-step back. Twist her ankles. Turn her body. The knife barely grazes the skin of her neck.
She caught a glimpse of the red eyes gliding past her.
‘Can’t let her get away.’
She barely grabbed her as she attempted to escape the range where the killing intent diminished.
“Gahk!”
She twisted her body, swinging the Hidden Knife toward her arm. The Jade Face Protective Technique managed to hold for one more hit. But if she exerted her strength like this, her arm would be severed.
But she had a hidden weapon.
“Now!”
“Understood!”
Seong Se-hwi, who had been secretly waiting for an opportunity, rushed in. He threw a noose made of black rope around the Heavenly Killing Star’s neck.
She wobbled for a moment.
“So-hee!!! Pull yourself together!!!”
She held on to the Binding Technique. Her body shook violently. Was it working?
Cheon So-hee tried to cut the Binding Technique with the blade, but the Binding Technique wouldn’t break. As expected, artifacts remained artifacts.
“GRRR!”
So-hee let out a strange beastly sound and lunged at her, knife in hand.
“That’s dangerous!”
Seong Se-hwi stepped in to block So-hee’s blade.
Thank you! At least someone is standing up for her!
She had thought he was a bad guy, but he was just a friend who was only a little short of being the family head!
Pulling on the Binding Technique around her neck made her red eyes waver a little.
‘I have to embrace her!’
With the Binding Technique still in hand, she wrapped her arms around So-hee. Please, come to your senses.
“Gah!”
A fiery pain shot through her lower abdomen. Did she stab me?
‘I’m really going to die.’
One hit to her chest. One hit to her abdomen. It’s a miracle she’s still conscious.
‘Then I have to save So-hee.’
Months spent together with her.
Throughout those last few months, did she only feel threatened for her life?
No.
She was a different woman than the Heavenly Killing Star she knew. Although she was clumsy in expressing her feelings, she was a girl who felt more deeply than anyone else.
Those months spent with her.
In this world where she believed there was no one to rely on, now there was someone who always rushed to help her in danger.
Being together felt joyful.
What began as a false relationship had now turned into something precious for both of them.
“So-hee! Are you really going to lose another precious person right in front of you!”
She screamed until her throat felt raw.
So-hee’s body trembled. It was a meager power compared to what she possessed, but she couldn’t resist.
“Y-yoon……”
Her gaze changed by the moment. She was fighting within herself too.
“So-hee!”
Is there nothing she can do to pull So-hee out?
She needs a shock therapy to quell the Heavenly Killing Star’s killing intent!
A method to awaken the sleeping So-hee!
Is she sleeping?
In an instant, So-hee’s face came to her mind.
Whatever, I’ll do it.
“Ugh!”
She boldly kissed So-hee.
Their eyelashes brushed against each other. The Heavenly Killing Star’s eyes widened momentarily.
In those eyes, she saw not the Heavenly Killing Star, but a glimpse of Cheon So-hee.
The gaze of the Heavenly Killing Star faded away.
As her tongue entered, she hesitated, worried about being cut, but the bloodthirsty red eyes of the Heavenly Killing Star soon changed into the startled eyes of Cheon So-hee.
Could it be working?
“Y-yoon…….”
Once the resistance of the Heavenly Killing Star faded, she quietly released her lips.
So-hee’s voice trembled. Did she come back?
“You’re here.”
Welcome back. Even though this isn’t really the time to say it, she still smiled at her.
“I told you to run away.”
She was going to scold him even after saving her.
Her consciousness was slipping away.
She had to say something poetic before everything ended.
She gently caressed her cheek.
“So-hee, didn’t I tell you? You’re the only sister I have left in this world.”
If all those who remembered Kang Yoon-ho were dead, it was worth saving the last person who remembered him.
With a warm smile, she showed So-hee that she was doing what any older brother should do.
“Yoon Ho.”
“Ugh!”
“Yoon Ho!”
It seems this is where it ends.
At least, she could feel content knowing she had accomplished something before losing consciousness.
*
A month passed.
Cheon So-hee escaped with the unconscious Kang Yoon-ho to the hidden residence of the Salmak in Daeheung County, dedicating herself to his healing.
‘The medicine is out.’
Cheon So-hee transformed using her Transformation Technique and entered a pharmacy.
As she stepped out with the medicine, a familiar face reached out to her.
“Hmmm. As expected. They said if you come here, you will meet a noble person. This time it was quick.”
“Cheon Gi-ja?”
The man before her was Cheon Gi-ja, who had given Cheon So-hee her fortune in Chilgok County.
Why was he here?
“It’s been a while. Could you spare me a moment?”
