Chapter 85

Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Kill Me (2)

Kill Me (2)

The pair stood face-to-face.

Baek So-cheon was not merely bluffing. The presence radiating from him had transformed into the distinct, merciless aura he reserved exclusively for his true adversaries.

It was the genuine murderous aura of an individual who possessed the absolute capability to end her life.

Cheon-geuk felt her heart hammering fiercely against her ribs. Never in all her days had she experienced such an overwhelming tremor running through her spirit.

The surrounding space gradually grew thick and heavy. The air itself began to stagnate, suffocating in its intensity. This was not a sharp, piercing bloodlust cleaving the empty air. Instead, it was an all-encompassing weight that clouded the mind and numbed physical sensation, bearing down heavily across her entire being.

Cheon-geuk recognized it by raw intuition. An aura of this nature posed a danger far greater than any sharp manifestation of murderous intent.

A sharp edge of bloodlust would shock the senses into heightened awareness, driving a warrior toward frantic struggle and desperate resistance.

Yet this heavy pressure slowly eroded the very will to survive.

Baek So-cheon appeared almost completely unrecognizable. The crushing weight he exerted was so suffocating that every gentle mannerism he had displayed before seemed like an elaborate pretense. It was as though all his actions until this moment had been carefully staged solely to strike her down on this field.

Even so, Cheon-geuk had no intention of collapsing under the strain. With great effort, she fought to anchor her wavering thoughts.

The oppressive atmosphere flowing from Baek So-cheon deepened further, pressing her down with renewed force.

Despite the crushing force, Cheon-geuk kept her concentration fixed on the precise moment he would strike. Maintaining such an overwhelming presence would make launching an attack impossible.

The very instant the characteristics of that crushing aura underwent a subtle shift—

A flash of steel screamed through the empty space.

Baek So-cheon’s blade swept perilously close across her features. Had she not contorted her body in sheer desperation, that strike would have stripped the flesh from her cheek—a stroke delivered with genuine lethal intent.

A wave of dread washed over her. To a woman, receiving a disfiguring mark upon her countenance was a devastating blow, an attack calculated to shatter her resolve before the fight truly began.

The sole mercy was that Baek So-cheon was holding back the traditional katas of the Thousand-Handed Asura God.

Even without them, the blow had nearly severed her face in a display of terrifying precision.

Another blinding arc erupted from Baek So-cheon’s weapon.

On this occasion, the razor edge skimmed directly past her bosom.

Cheon-geuk refused to merely endure his assault. Narrowly evading his cut, she lashed out with the Death King’s Edge.

Accompanied by a sharp whistle of displaced air, her short blade darted toward Baek So-cheon’s lower limb.

A gleaming arc traced by Baek So-cheon’s own steel manifested instantaneously before his leg.

A crisp metallic ring chimed as brilliant sparks scattered in the air. Baek So-cheon had cleanly parried her incoming strike using his own weapon.

Cheon-geuk could afford neither the regret of a missed opening nor the time to plot another maneuver.

Baek So-cheon’s weapon was already plunging downward once more, seeking to impale her flesh.

She threw herself backward with sudden agility. Her movement resembled a swallow lightly touching the calm surface of a lake, while Baek So-cheon’s pursuing edge tracked her like a descending bird of prey.

Loud concussions tore through the ground as the earth was brutally gouged open. Had any of those impacts connected with her back, her torso would have been ripped to pieces.

A desperate cry almost escaped Cheon-geuk’s lips, urging her to surrender to despair, yet she held firm.

She understood with absolute certainty that this encounter represented the sole, fleeting turning point of her life. For a martial artist at her tier of cultivation, progressing even a single step demanded an exceptional windfall that might never appear in a lifetime.

And that windfall stood right before her—fraught with unimaginable peril.

A low hiss accompanied the thrust of her short blade as it targeted Baek So-cheon’s throat. She held nothing back. She believed whole-heartedly that Baek So-cheon was far too formidable to perish even beneath her most lethal execution. In truth, the clash bordered on absolute insanity.

She channeled every shred of her willpower, releasing an overwhelming display of martial might. Every form and technique in her repertoire was brought to bear. Never in her existence had she engaged in battle under the shadow of such frantic urgency and stark fear.

Both figures vaulted into the open expanse above.

When engaging in direct collisions, a short weapon stood at an undeniable disadvantage against a full-length blade. Yet Baek So-cheon displayed no leniency whatsoever. He pressed his advantage ruthlessly, cornering her with relentless momentum.

How many maneuvers had passed between them? Which forms had she executed, and what counter should follow?

She fought in an absolute trance, stripped of conscious deliberation. A single heartbeat of divided attention would mean handing her life over to death.

Intricate patterns traced by sword and dagger intersected constantly, erupting into fierce collisions. It was a desperate clash with mortal doom shadowing every exchange.

And right at that absolute threshold of extremity, Cheon-geuk perceived something entirely unprecedented.

She observed her own figure with complete detachment. As if her spirit had detached from the mortal vessel facing imminent demise to look down from overhead, she watched the rhythm of her own combat.

It was an impossible occurrence, especially in a life-and-death clash that left no room for wandering thoughts.

In that single instant, the missing realization struck her. She finally saw the true nature of the barrier that had obstructed her path.

The exact moment clarity dawned, the invisible barrier that had confined her shattered into nothingness.

Then came the sudden impact.

A dull sound echoed as steel pierced flesh, jolting Cheon-geuk’s consciousness back into her body.

The pair, caught in the midst of fierce contention, abruptly ceased all movement.

Her eyes gradually traveled downward.

Baek So-cheon’s weapon remained lodged directly into her flank.

Swiftly and deliberately, Baek So-cheon struck her pressure points, instantly staunching the flow of crimson. Fortunately, the blade had slipped cleanly through the space between her ribs, sparing her from a fatal injury.

“Pull yourself together, Cheon-geuk.”

Cheon-geuk lifted her chin slowly, meeting Baek So-cheon’s gaze. The entire scene carried the haze of an illusion—she could scarcely tell if this reality was tangible or a dream.

“……You only speak my name for the very first time when you are on the verge of taking my life.”

“If you still have the breath to trade barbs, you certainly will not perish.”

A quiet breath of relief escaped Cheon-geuk. Now that the mortal contest had concluded and her survival was certain, the suffocating tension dissolved completely, draining the last remnants of her physical stamina.

“You have left a blemish upon my flesh. You must answer for this.”

“In what manner?”

In the following heartbeat, Cheon-geuk hooked her arm around Baek So-cheon, pulling him down toward her.

Cheon-geuk pressed her mouth to his.

Her exceptionally tender lips quivered against his own.

Moments later, still held within his embrace, her awareness faded into total dark.

Cheon-geuk found herself caught in a dream.

She saw herself as a small child.

She was pacing along an interminable walkway, her small hand clasped within someone else’s grip.

She glanced upward toward the figure holding her fingers.

The individual did not even spare a downward glance as he spoke with chilling detachment:

“Embrace heartlessness, or meet your end.”

What was her age at that time? Was she six, or perhaps seven? Could a child of that age even comprehend the true weight of heartlessness?

Once she ascended to the seat of alliance leader, she abolished the practice of taking young children against their will. From that point forward, the organization accepted only those who willingly sought the path of an assassin.

Cheon-geuk offered a faint smile within the dream. Even deep in slumber, she recognized that decree as the single righteous act of her existence—and chuckled inwardly at the thought.

The surrounding scenery dissolved, and the dream shifted once again.

This time, she revisited the day her predecessor—the former head of the alliance—had selected her.

She had been approximately thirteen years old, surrounded by the lush green hues of that youthful summer.

“Is it this young one?”

The former alliance leader fixed a piercing gaze upon Cheon-geuk. She met his examination directly, showing no trace of intimidation.

“Do you not find me terrifying?”

“I do.”

Her small voice quavered slightly.

“If so, why do you gaze upon me with such defiance?”

“So I may strike back should you seek to end my life.”

An expression of intrigued wonder passed over the former leader’s countenance. No operative—much less a novice barely beginning her path—had ever displayed such an attitude.

“By what means can you discern if someone intends to slay you?”

“Through the look within their eyes.”

“And what of my eyes right now?”

Cheon-geuk held his stare and answered steadily,

“You harbor no intention of killing me.”

The former master quickly caught her wrist in a sudden grip. A sharp, concealed needle was revealed tucked securely between her small fingers.

“If that is what you believe, why do you conceal such a weapon?”

With lingering apprehension in her eyes, she answered,

“A person’s heart can waver at any given moment.”

The former alliance leader paused in sheer astonishment before letting loose a hearty burst of laughter.

“Hahahahaha.”

The vision dissolved once more into another memory.

Baek So-cheon stood completely solitary, surrounded on all sides by fallen forms. The dreaded harvesters of life, recognized under countless grim appellations, lay scattered in death. Not a single assassin of this generation possessed the might to claim his breath.

Enticed by the three million nyang reward posted by the Black Heaven Alliance, the Assassin Alliance had gambled everything they had—and paid the ultimate toll for their ambition.

Baek So-cheon strode toward her position, fresh blood running down the length of his steel.

Halting just steps before her, he uttered words that lingered in her memory.

The next second, Cheon-geuk’s eyelids fluttered wide.

Baek So-cheon was peering down at her—no longer bearing the terrifying countenance of that bloody battlefield, but wearing an expression filled with unmistakable tenderness and concern.

‘Indeed. When I was merely thirteen, I came to comprehend the fundamental nature of this world. That the heart of a person can change at any moment.’

Observing Baek So-cheon’s softened gaze, Cheon-geuk felt a tranquil calm wash through her soul.

“How many days have I slept?”

“Three full days.”

“I am as good as finished. My retainers have likely stayed awake from worry, completely unable to rest.”

“A message was dispatched.”

“Explaining that I suffered a wound?”

“Precisely. I had the elder convey the situation. I suspected she would attempt to take my head had I delivered the news in person.”

“You show surprising wisdom.”

A potent aroma of medicinal herbs drifted up from her side.

“The finest ointment available was applied—it will leave behind no mark.”

“And what will you do about the scars upon my heart?”

“Did I leave an injury upon your heart?”

“Hardly.”

Baek So-cheon let out a soft laugh, gently placing his hand near the mended wound.

“Has the discomfort lessened?”

“It burns fiercely. You of all people should understand, given how frequently you have received blades to your flesh.”

“That is true enough.”

Cheon-geuk reached up to clasp his wrist as his hand rested upon her injury.

Their eyes met effortlessly in the quiet space.

“You have my gratitude. The barrier obstructing my martial path has dissolved.”

“You have my congratulations.”

Baek So-cheon’s expression brightened with genuine delight. The perilous ordeal they had endured had yielded its reward. She had shattered her former constraints and ascended to a higher realm of mastery.

“Yet what of us? That kiss we shared—was it merely a phantom of my sleep?”

The memory of the embrace right before she succumbed to unconsciousness remained sharp in her recollection.

“It was no illusion.”

“Are you aware? Passing out at that exact moment brought me great annoyance. It would have served as the ideal opportunity to take things further. Did you manage to locate that hundred thousand nyang?”

“I did not. Should I set out to pursue it this instant?”

“There is no leisure for that. Simply account for it as the cost of my medical treatment—a full hundred thousand nyang.”

Cheon-geuk gathered his garments in her grip, drawing him close as Baek So-cheon met her lips once more.

A passionate embrace followed, both consuming each other with fierce hunger.

From that union of lips, a long-suppressed yearning broke free. Wordlessly, they cast aside each other’s attire, entirely oblivious to the consequences of the morrow.

Their figures gently rose into the open air above. Baek So-cheon had lifted them both using his inner art.

“With your fresh wound, the hard earth will not do.”

A gentle, cushion-like current wrapped around them, providing the softest resting place.

Her alluring figure, which had never been exposed to the sight of any living soul, lay unveiled before him.

A graceful sweep of her throat, full curves, a slender waist, supple thighs, and legs of exquisite grace. Her form was nothing short of miraculous.

Every caress from Baek So-cheon coaxed soft shivers and breathless murmurs from her throat. His passion mounted beyond anything he had ever felt before. Cheon-geuk possessed an arresting allure, and the bond tying their spirits ran remarkably deep.

Yet he showed great patience. Mindful that this was her first time, he engaged her form with deliberate slowness and delicate care, treating her with absolute gentleness.

Like converging breezes meeting from every quarter to form a unified current, the two merged into one entity.

Uneven gasps broke from their lips.

Their suspended forms gradually returned toward the ground beneath them.

Their scattered garments drifted down from the air, draping over their resting bodies.

The playful words that followed amused Baek So-cheon so greatly that he could not contain a burst of laughter.

“Haha.”

“Are you really laughing at a moment like this?”

“Forgive me.”

She had merely offered a jest to dispel the lingering tension, yet a quiet awkwardness still hovered between them. Nevertheless, it was a warm and comforting awkwardness.

They rested side by side, observing the ribbon of open sky visible through the towering cliffs above.

“Merely to be clear—sharing a bed does not mean the foundation of our relationship has shifted. Do you understand? Do not become overly dependent, babbling about your affections. I have no tolerance for fragile men.”

How could Baek So-cheon fail to read the intention beneath her words? She spoke that way simply out of fear that he would feel burdened by what had transpired.

“You remain silent?”

“I hear you clearly. Besides, a sum of a hundred thousand nyang is hardly trivial.”

“Is that not so? You may have offset the cost of treatment this once, but it is not as though I fall prey to such injuries every day. Though, in any case… you provided me immense aid, meaning I sit under a heavy obligation to you. You elevated my martial foundation by an entire tier—how much is such a feat worth? A million nyang? No, nowhere under the heavens could such an ascension be bought for a mere million. Very well, let us call it ten million nyang. What do you think? I shall consider myself indebted to you for ten million. I despise carrying debts…”

Baek So-cheon drew her closely into his embrace. Resting against his chest, she felt entirely relieved, her mind freed from tangled thoughts.

“I will be sure to collect every single coin of that debt.”

Cheon-geuk met his declaration with a gentle smile, gradually letting her eyelids slide shut. Ever since the day she had been dragged unwillingly into the path of murder as a young child, this moment marked the very first taste of genuine serenity she had ever known.

Held within his arms, she drifted off to sleep. For the first time in her existence, she abandoned all vigilance. For the first time, her dreams were untainted by slaughter or the scent of blood.