Chapter 18

Chapter 18
Having finished his outside task, Beon Saeng came back and headed straight to Baek So-cheon alongside Im Choong.

“I dropped off the dagger at Gu-ryong Inn exactly as directed. Still, the proprietor struck me as entirely ordinary. Who actually is she?”

“To someone passing through, she appears to be merely an innkeeper. To anyone who truly knows the truth, she is terrifying.”

Beon Saeng exchanged a look with Im Choong. He attempted to see whether the man had picked up on any details beforehand, but no clues emerged.

“If that delivery was handled properly, the most frightening individual across the entire jianghu will arrive within a few days. Mind your manners when receiving her.”

What kind of person could possibly hold the distinction of being the most frightening individual in the whole jianghu?

“Who on earth is it?”

“If you dare evaluate her by her looks alone, having ten spare lives won’t keep you alive. Consider yourself warned.”

Having spoken his piece, Baek So-cheon retreated into his quarters.

“He certainly wasn’t joking around just now, was he?”

“Not at all. It sounds like an absolute monster is on her way here.”

“Branch Chief, do you realize what just happened? I strolled along whistling to myself while delivering a summons to the most terrifying person in the jianghu simply because you commanded it. Merciful heavens! Is it truly wise to send an ordinary outpost squad leader on an assignment like that? A person shouldn’t dispatch a subordinate into sheer terror without laying out the facts first, shouldn’t they?”

“Had I known, I would have informed you. Frankly, I wouldn’t have assigned you something so hazardous in the first place.”

“I honestly yearn for the old days. Just relaxing in peace alongside you, Branch Chief.”

“I suppose it’s a bit late to wish for that, isn’t it?”

Yet despite their banter, both men wore cheerful expressions. Ever since encountering Baek So-cheon, their daily routines had been packed with heart-racing tension—yet they couldn’t call it unpleasant.

If Baek So-cheon were to pack up and depart at some point, would going back to their past mundane life truly feel like peaceful living anymore?

“Even so, the most fearsome figure in the jianghu? Who could that possibly be?”

Such an intriguing riddle proved impossible to ignore—after all, who could suppress that kind of curiosity?

Two days afterward, the expected visitor stepped into the branch premises.

Astonishingly, the most formidable figure in the realm was a woman.

A delicate drape of silk hung down from her wide bamboo hat to conceal her face, yet her striking, sensual figure was stunning enough to make anyone stop and stare in disbelief.

Only at that moment did Im Choong and Beon Saeng finally grasp the reason behind the prior caution against judging someone solely by outward charm. If someone carelessly approached without reading the room and offered a lighthearted tease, their head would tumble to the floor.

Even with that realization firmly planted, Beon Saeng felt an irresistible urge to speak. He could hardly suppress the impulse to tell her how breathtaking she looked.

“Clear out, both of you. Ensure nobody steps foot inside.”

“Understood, ma’am.”

The instant the two guards withdrew and quiet settled over the room, the woman at last broke her silence.

“It truly is you.”

A faint tremor ran through her tone.

She produced the blade—the very dagger that Baek So-cheon had dispatched through Beon Saeng.

“Even with this weapon placed in my hands, I remained skeptical. Was it truly you? You haven’t altered in the slightest.”

“Take a seat.”

“Tell me, who else under the heavens could bark orders at me like this except you?”

“I said sit down!”

“Lower your voice. I’m taking a seat, aren’t I? What choice does a frail girl like me possess anyway? You beckon and I appear; you command and I sit.”

Settling into the chair, she drew off her bamboo hat.

Her unveiled countenance seemed to instantly brighten the entire space.

She was remarkably gorgeous.

She possessed the kind of allure where murmuring that the realm’s foremost beauty was a passing title, readily contested by fresh generations of breathtaking maidens, felt entirely fitting.

If raw physical beauty had been her only trait, that might have been the end of it.

Yet she bore an additional, captivating edge.

Her appeal stretched far beyond conventional womanly charm.

A raw inner steel—an unexpected quality—stood as the cornerstone of her presence. Her refined visage gave the clear impression that she could endure even if dropped into the fires of the underworld, presenting an exquisite union of elegance and unyielding grit that yielded an irresistible magnetism.

It projected the undeniable air of a supreme martial master, radiating a dangerous aura that warned everyone against taking her lightly.

And that initial reading hit the mark without fail.

She was Cheon-geuk herself, Alliance Lord of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng—the central territory’s preeminent coalition of blades, widely recognized as the Killer League—and the reigning Killer Queen of this generation.

The broader public assumed the title of Killer Queen belonged to a man due to lingering assumptions and her distinctly masculine moniker, yet the contemporary sovereign was in fact a woman. It remained an open secret known solely to the highest authorities of the brotherhood.

“What has made you so thoroughly enraged?”

“I was left waiting for two full days.”

“You summoned me all the way to this remote corner of Jeol-gang Province. Had it been anybody else making the call, two days would never have sufficed. And speaking bluntly, you aren’t the Bi-gak Lord any longer, are you?”

She openly brought up Bi-gak.

“Stripped of status and removed from your post as leader of the Cheol-geom-dan, isn’t that right?”

She was intimately aware of the circumstances surrounding Baek So-cheon’s recent downfall.

“I am in no mood for trivial games. That’s enough.”

“For what reason did you demand my presence here?”

Baek So-cheon stood up and stepped toward where she sat.

He closed the distance entirely, fixing her with a steady, quiet glare—and then—

Smack!

Baek So-cheon delivered an uncompromising blow across her face.

Her face slowly drifted back toward his direction. Her flushed skin reflected a turbulent storm of unspeakable sensations.

Fixing him with an intense glare, she cried out.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Right at that split second!

A sudden rush of displaced air stirred.

Four cold steel edges instantly rested against the skin of Baek So-cheon’s neck. Four shadow-draped figures had materialized out of flawless concealment to hem him in: three men and a single woman. They were Cheon-geuk’s personal sentinels, the renowned Sa-cheon-sal.

Trained solely to shield the Alliance Lord with their lives, their mastery of hidden movement and combat stood at the absolute zenith.

With cold metal touching his throat from four angles, Baek So-cheon displayed not a single trace of dread. Instead, he snapped at them with fury.

“Insolent fools! Sheathe those weapons this instant! Who dares to aim cold iron at my neck?!”

The Sa-cheon-sal practically radiated lethal intent, poised for Cheon-geuk’s signal. It seemed as though they would sever his head from his shoulders in a heartbeat.

Cheon-geuk addressed them sharply.

“Stand down.”

Yielding to her directive, the four figures melted back into nothingness like apparitions, departing just as abruptly as they had arrived.

Cheon-geuk locked eyes with Baek So-cheon, fuming.

“You had better provide a valid justification for laying your hands on me. Otherwise, your life ends beneath my fingers this very day.”

Baek So-cheon roared back at her without yielding an inch.

“You insolent wretched girl. Are you courting death? I issued a clear command before—under no circumstance were you to butcher those lacking martial arts or touch innocent youths, no matter what assassination contracts your subordinates accept!”

His declaration caught her completely flat-footed.

“We haven’t struck down anyone of the sort.”

“Are you prepared to stake your oath on that? Across every single assassin syndicate operating beneath your command?”

She fell completely silent. Could she truly account for every individual faction under the vast reach of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng?

“Do you believe that just because my internal energy is shattered, you’re free to discard our pact? Is that your thinking?”

“No! You insufferable bastard! Cease cornering me! Allow me a moment to gather my thoughts.”

She flared up in defense, prompting Baek So-cheon to quiet down.

She raised fingers to brush her burning cheek.

“How infuriating. You actually struck me? Using that empty husk of a body that holds no inner strength whatsoever?”

She spoke in utter bewilderment. No living soul aside from Baek So-cheon could have struck her and survived.

“You brought it on yourself. It wasn’t an issue of frailty—you had that strike coming.”

“Have you forgotten my standing? I happen to be the Killer Queen.”

“I am the one who elevated you to that throne.”

Cheon-geuk’s gaze flickered with conflict. Yet she fired back with defiant obstinacy.

“That fact alone is the sole reason your neck remains intact.”

A heavy silence enveloped the room.

Before long, she reigned in her boiling temper, allowing her tone to return to a measured state.

“Where was this violation of our Sal-beop committed?”

The Sal-beop represented the sacred, unbending statutes of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng. Its primary edict: under no conditions shall one end the lives of children or individuals untainted by martial prowess.

“The Chil-geom-hoe.”

Her features stiffened slightly upon hearing the name.

Out of all possibilities, it had to be them.

They were undeniably among the most unruly and troublesome factions answering to the alliance.

Being career slayers, they possessed none of the unthinking reverence seen among adherents of the Murim Alliance. She was constantly forced to employ sheer force, dread, and delicate persuasion to keep their loyalty aligned with the broader league.

“Are you aware of who commissioned the contract?”

“The Shin-hwa-bang.”

“What outcome are you demanding from me?”

“Undeniable evidence confirming that the Shin-hwa-bang commissioned the annihilation of the Yang Chu household.”

“Very well. I will conduct an internal inquiry and report the findings back to you.”

Pausing near the entrance, she turned back.

“Should you ever lay another finger on me or hurl insults again, your existence ends.”

Baek So-cheon showed zero remorse, returning her statement with a far harsher decree.

“If such a failure repeats itself, you will be thrashed like a stray hound.”

“You!”

Her self-control snapped as she shouted. Across the entire land, this very man was the sole individual capable of completely unraveling her composure.

In a blur of motion, her fingers clamped onto his throat. The speed she demonstrated soared past the boundaries of the peak realm, stepping cleanly into the transcendent tier.

“Do you truly seek your own demise? Must you perish at my hands to finally be content?”

Yet as she spoke, she observed his eyes: Baek So-cheon didn’t hold an ounce of terror.

She unclasped her fingers and pulled away.

Adjusting her bamboo hat once more, she strode out into the open.

“I won’t grant you death. I intend to linger and watch you scrape by in utter wretchedness.”

Once she had cleared the area, Baek So-cheon exhaled a heavy breath of tension.

“Phew, that was truly dancing on the edge of the grave.”

A solitary vessel floated upon the gentle ripples of the water.

Stationed at the prow and stern, the Sa-cheon-sal remained visible, having discarded their shadowy concealment.

At the center of the craft, Cheon-geuk sat nursing a drink. She observed the pale moon shimmering against the surface of her cup, while her personal retainers carefully monitored her demeanor.

Her injured cheek remained visibly swollen, yet not a single soul among them dared draw attention to the wound.

“Take a cup.”

Dong-seong, positioned at the vessel’s bow as commander of the Sa-cheon-sal, courteously received the offered drink.

“Much obliged, Alliance Lord.”

“You find yourselves harboring questions regarding Baek So-cheon, don’t you?”

“Indeed we do.”

To watch Cheon-geuk absorb a physical blow and depart without retaliation was unthinkable; having guarded her closely, they understood her character better than anyone. Her fierce pride should never have tolerated such an affront.

As her sworn protectors, understanding the identity of such a man was vital, yet none had dared pry until she broached the matter herself.

“What manner of person is he truly?”

Cheon-geuk casually turned the vessel in her fingers.

“How much time has elapsed? Since you took up your posts as my Sa-cheon-sal.”

“Five years have passed. Exactly five years and four months to the day.”

That was the precise duration of her reign as the Killer Queen.

“When the preceding Killer King met his demise, his personal retainers perished alongside him.”

Consequently, with Cheon-geuk assuming the supreme seat, these four had been chosen to form the newly forged Sa-cheon-sal.

“You four were secluded in deep martial contemplation back then, meaning you remained unaware of the truth…”

From her lips flowed a startling reality, carefully concealed as the most closely guarded secret within the brotherhood.

“Baek So-cheon was the one who ended the previous Killer King.”

“He single-handedly dismantled our ranks. Ninety-seven veteran assassins of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng lost their lives beside the king during that encounter.”

Dong-seong was far from the only one stunned; sharp intakes of breath escaped the other three sentinels as well.

“That defies all reason.”

The former sovereign, his devoted Sa-cheon-sal, and the formidable cadres surrounding them had all fallen.

“It sounds entirely impossible, yes. Yet it happened without question. I witnessed the slaughter with my own eyes.”

She lifted her palm, revealing a subtle, uncontrollable tremble running through her fingers.

“Do you see? Even summoning the memory of that day causes my hands to shake.”

“What drove him to assault our organization?”

“We relentlessly sought to claim his life without end. The Black Heaven Alliance had placed a staggering bounty of three million nyang upon his head.”

“Three million nyang?!”

“Precisely. The greatest bounty ever registered in the annals of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng.”

Growing exhausted by the relentless waves of murderers sent his way, Baek So-cheon bypassed all formal restraint and directly decimated the guild’s stronghold.

That unfolded five seasons past, back when his name occupied the absolute peak of the Murim Seol-yeol-log.

“Yet by all accounts, his internal power is entirely extinguished today.”

“Indeed. He barely crawled out from the clutches of the grave. Not a drop of inner energy remains within him. Even so, he had the audacity to beckon me to this Jeol-gang backwater and strike my cheek. What conclusion do you draw from that?”

“A deranged lunatic? Or a man harboring a death wish? Most likely a blend of both, stubbornly clinging to the illusions of his former dominance.”

“Perhaps so.”

She refilled her cup and tilted the liquid down her throat.

“If you merely grant the command right now…”

“Certainly, ending Baek So-cheon would pose no difficulty for us.”

“Then what stays your hand?”

“Even a disgraced killer of dubious origins like myself cannot bring herself to execute the very man who spared my life and placed me atop the mantle of Killer Queen, simply over a petty strike to the cheek.”

Baek So-cheon had acted with the absolute certainty that she would not strike him down. That uncanny perception was the most unnerving aspect of his character—his uncanny capacity to dissect human nature flawlessly.

“When he permitted me, the chosen heir to the former sovereign, to ascend as the Killer Queen, he bound me to a single condition: that we would never take contracts targeting ordinary individuals lacking martial training, nor lay hands upon children. I pledged that promise upon my very identity and the sacred pride of an assassin. If our subordinates dared shatter that edict… then absorbing a single strike and enduring a handful of curses is an exceptionally cheap price for us to pay.”

Placing her cup upon the wood, she commanded:

“Steer our path toward the Chil-geom-hoe.”