The Former Supreme Master [Novel] Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Heavenly Pole (2)

As soon as Beon Saeng returned from running the errand, he sought out Baek Socheon together with Lim Chung.

“I delivered the dagger to the Nine Dragons Inn as you ordered. The innkeeper there looked pretty ordinary, though. Who is he?”

“To someone who doesn’t know, he’s just an innkeeper; to someone who knows, he’s a terrifying person.”

Beon Saeng turned to Lim Chung. He wondered if Lim Chung had heard anything in the meantime, but Lim Chung hadn’t heard anything related to it either.

“If you deliver it properly, the most terrifying person in the Jianghu will come visit within a few days. Receive them carefully.”

Just what kind of person earned the modifier ‘the most terrifying person in the Jianghu’?

“Who is it?”

“If you judge them solely by their outward appearance, even having ten lives wouldn’t be enough. I’ve clearly warned you.”

Leaving only those words behind, Baek Socheon retreated into his room.

“It doesn’t sound like a joke, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t. It seems someone terrifying really is coming.”

“Branch Master, do you notice something? I hummed a tune while running around to summon the most terrifying person in the Jianghu. Goodness! Is it really okay to boss around a rural squad leader like me for such an errand? Is it right not to tell me when assigning such a scary task?”

“I would have told you. No, in the first place, I wouldn’t have ordered such a dangerous task.”

“I want to go back to the old days, back when I spent peaceful days with you, Branch Master.”

“It seems a bit too late for that, doesn’t it?”

Contrary to the contents of their conversation, both men wore bright expressions. Ever since meeting Baek Socheon, there truly hadn’t been a single day when their hearts were at ease, but this tension didn’t feel bad.

If Baek Socheon left one day and they returned to how things used to be… would that life truly remain under the name of ‘peace’?

“By the way, the most terrifying person in the Jianghu? Who could it possibly be?”

When such curiosity tempted a person, how could they dislike it?

—

Two days later, the awaited person visited the branch.

Surprisingly, the most terrifying person in the Jianghu was a woman.

She wore a bamboo hat with a face veil, so her face couldn’t be seen, but her figure was so voluptuous and alluring that anyone looking at her would gape in awe.

Only then could Lim Chung and Beon Saeng understand why Baek Socheon had warned them not to judge carelessly by outward appearance alone. It meant that if someone failed to read the room and threw out a careless joke, their head would fly off.

Even having heard those words, Beon Saeng’s mouth itched. He really wanted to say just one sentence, You are truly beautiful.

“You two, step outside. Make sure no one comes in.”

“Yes.”

When the two left and only the two of them remained, the woman finally opened her mouth,

“It really is you.”

Her voice was trembling slightly.

She pulled out the dagger, the very dagger Baek Socheon had handed to Beon Saeng to deliver.

“Even after receiving this, I doubted it. Could it really be you? You truly haven’t changed one bit.”

“Sit.”

“Then again… who else but you would dare order me to come and go as you please?”

“I said sit!”

“Stop shouting. I’ll sit. What choice does a powerless woman have? When told to come, I must come; when told to sit, I must sit.”

After taking a seat, the woman removed her bamboo hat.

The moment her face was revealed, the surroundings seemed to brighten. She was truly beautiful.

She possessed an appearance where even if someone said, ‘Being the world’s most beautiful woman is only temporary. How many young and beautiful juniors are there nowadays?’, it wouldn’t feel out of place in the slightest.

Had she merely been beautiful, it would have ended right there.

However, she possessed one more charm added to it.

Her beauty didn’t stem solely from the aspect of ‘femininity’.

‘Strength’, a quality that seemed ill-matched…formed one pillar of her beauty. Though her appearance was delicate and slender, she gave off the feeling that she would survive even if thrown into hell. Beauty and strength blended exquisitely, bestowing upon her a unique charm.

Thus, her martial arts seemed formidable as well, and an authority that couldn’t be treated lightly radiated from her.

That feeling could be considered entirely accurate.

She was none other than the Alliance Leader of the Central Plains First Assassin Alliance, commonly known as the Assassin Alliance…and the current Assassin King, Cheon Geuk (千克).

Since people naturally held the prejudice that an Assassin King would be a man, and the name Cheon Geuk sounded like a man’s name, everyone assumed the Assassin King was male.

Yet the current Assassin King was a woman, an open secret known only to the high-ranking leadership of assassin organizations.

“Why are you so angry?”

“Because I waited for two days.”

“That’s because you called me to a remote corner of Zhejiang Province. Only someone like me could have arrived in two days. Frankly speaking… you aren’t the Secret Pavilion Master anymore, are you?”

The Secret Pavilion was mentioned by her.

“I heard you were even demoted from Iron Sword Squad Leader, weren’t you?”

She was well aware of Baek Socheon’s current situation.

“I’m in no mood for jokes, so leave it at that.”

“Why did you call me?”

Baek Socheon rose from his seat and approached her.

He stepped right up to her and seemed to quietly stare at her for a moment, when…

SLAP!

Baek Socheon slapped her cheek without mercy.

Her head slowly turned back toward Baek Socheon. On her face, which now bore a bright red handprint, an indescribable mix of emotions swirled.

Glaring at Baek Socheon, she shouted,

“Are you crazy?”

In that instant!

SWOOSH!

The sound of wind cut through the air.

Before anyone knew it, four iron swords were leveled at Baek Socheon’s neck. Four figures appeared, breaking their miraculous stealth to surround Baek Socheon, three men and one woman. They were none other than Cheon Geuk’s Guardian Assassin Stars, the Four Heavenly Kills (四天殺).

They existed solely to protect the Leader of the Assassin Alliance, possessing the ultimate techniques of stealth and peak martial arts prowess.

Despite four swords leveled at his neck, Baek Socheon showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he bellowed at them,

“You bastards! Clear those swords away! How dare you point your filthy blades at my neck!”

The Guardian Assassin Stars unleashed their killing intent, awaiting Cheon Geuk’s command. They looked ready to sever his neck at any moment.

Cheon Geuk said to them:

“Stand down.”

The moment the command was given, they vanished like ghosts, just as mysteriously as they had appeared.

Glaring at Baek Socheon, Cheon Geuk asked,

“Give me a proper reason why you hit me. Otherwise, you die by my hands today.”

At that, Baek Socheon roared in anger,

“You wretched bitch! Do you want to die? Didn’t I warn you? Even if you make a living as assassins, never kill kids or people who don’t know martial arts!”

At Baek Socheon’s words, she was momentarily flustered.

“We never killed anyone like that.”

“Can you guarantee that? That every single assassin organization under you abides by that?”

“…”

Speechless, her mouth shut tight. Were there only one or two assassin organizations belonging to the Assassin Alliance?

“Did you throw away your promise just because I lost my internal energy? Is that it?”

“It’s not! You damned bastard! Stop cornering me! Let me think for a moment!”

When she snapped in anger, Baek Socheon closed his mouth for a moment.

She caressed her stinging cheek.

“Ah, I’m really furious. You hit me? With that empty, reed-like body of yours?”

As if finding it utterly absurd, she repeated those words several times. It was truly something that could never happen unless it was Baek Socheon.

“You got hit because you deserved it. Not because you were weak.”

“Did you forget who I am? I am the Assassin King.”

“Right, and I was the one who put you in that seat.”

For a moment, Cheon Geuk’s eyes trembled. Soon, she said sharply,

“That is also the sole reason your neck is still attached right now.”

Silence fell.

After a moment, she regained her composure along with her initial calm tone.

“Where is it? The place where the assassin laws were broken.”

The Assassin Law was a set of rules within the Assassin Alliance that had to be strictly observed. ‘Never kill children or people who do not know martial arts’ was the very first clause of the Assassin Law.

“The Seven Swords Association.”

In an instant, her expression hardened slightly.

‘Of all places.’

Among the assassin organizations belonging to the Assassin Alliance, it was one of the most troublesome.

Since its members were assassins after all, absolute loyalty like that of the Murim Alliance couldn’t be expected. She had to pressure them, intimidate them, and sometimes placate them to lead the alliance.

“Do you know who the client is?”

“The Myth Sect.”

“What do you want?”

“Proof that the Myth Sect commissioned the murder of Hero Yang’s family.”

“Understood. I’ll investigate internally and contact you again.”

Stepping toward the door, she paused before exiting.

“Curse at me or hit me one more time, and be prepared for what comes next.”

Far from apologizing, Baek Socheon warned her in an even harsher tone:

“If something like this happens one more time, you’ll be beaten like a dog.”

“Hey!”

Unable to hold back, she shouted angrily again. Truly, the only person in this world who could shatter her composure was this very Baek Socheon.

In a flash, she was clutching Baek Socheon’s throat before anyone could react. Her movement technique had reached a supreme level beyond even peak mastery.

“Do you really want to die? Will your heart only feel relieved if you die by my hands?”

At that moment, she saw it, Baek Socheon wasn’t scared at all.

She loosened the strength in her fingers.

Releasing Baek Socheon, she pressed down her bamboo hat and walked outside.

“I won’t kill you. I’m going to keep watching you live miserably.”

After she left, Baek Socheon let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, I almost died.”

—

A single boat drifted along, riding the gentle waves.

The Four Heavenly Kills, having broken their stealth, stood at the bow and stern of the boat.

In the middle sat Cheon Geuk, drinking liquor. She merely stared at the moon reflected in her cup, while the Four Heavenly Kills carefully gauged her mood.

Her cheek, struck by Baek Socheon, was swollen. Yet no one dared bring up the matter first.

“Have a drink.”

At her words, Dong Seong (東星), the leader of the Four Heavenly Kills standing near the bow, respectfully accepted the liquor cup.

“Thank you.”

“Are you curious about Baek Socheon?”

“Yes.”

Cheon Geuk taking a slap and letting it slide? They knew better than anyone what kind of person Cheon Geuk was. Given her pride, it was something that could never happen under normal circumstances.

As her bodyguards, they felt they needed to know about Baek Socheon, but hadn’t dared open their mouths. Now, Cheon Geuk had brought it up first.

“Just what kind of person is he?”

Fiddling with her empty liquor cup, Cheon Geuk spoke:

“How long has it been? Since you four became my Guardian Assassin Stars.”

“It has been five years. Exactly five years and four months have passed.”

It was also the duration she had been the Assassin King.

“When the previous Assassin King died, all the Guardian Assassin Stars protecting him died alongside him.”

Thus, when Cheon Geuk rose as the new Assassin King, these Four Heavenly Kills were born anew as well.

“You weren’t out in the world back then because you were training, so you wouldn’t know…”

From Cheon Geuk’s mouth flowed a shocking truth that had been buried as a top-secret matter within the alliance until now.

“The one who killed the previous Assassin King was none other than Baek Socheon.”

“…!”

“He killed them all single-handedly. On that day alone, ninety-seven assassins of the Assassin Alliance died alongside the Assassin King.”

Not only Dong Seong, but the remaining three Guardian Assassin Stars were also aghast with shock.

“That’s unbelievable.”

Against the previous Assassin King, the previous Four Heavenly Kills, and the skilled assassins gathered around the King…

“Right. It’s unbelievable. But you can believe it, because I saw it with my own eyes.”

Cheon Geuk held up her hand. Her fingers were trembling faintly.

“Look. Even now, my hands tremble like this when I recall that day.”

“Why did he attack us?”

“Because we tried to kill him endlessly. The Dark Heaven Alliance put out a contract worth three million taels.”

“Three million taels!”

“Yes, the highest amount in the history of the Assassin Alliance.”

Ultimately, enraged by the relentless assassination attempts, Baek Socheon obtained authorization from the Alliance Leader and struck the Assassin Alliance.

It happened five years ago, back when Baek Socheon occupied the very top of the Murim Ranks.

“As far as I know, he has lost his internal energy now.”

“Yes, he barely survived death. Right now, his body lacks even a handful of internal energy. Yet he’s the kind of man who proudly summoned me all the way here to Zhejiang and slapped my cheek. What do you think of that?”

“Is he not a lunatic? Either he’s crazy to die, or both. He simply hasn’t forgotten his past glory even now.”

“Perhaps so.”

She poured herself some liquor and drank it.

“If you give the command even now…”

“Yes, we could probably kill Baek Socheon.”

“Then why are you holding back?”

“No matter how much of a low-born assassin bitch I am, should I kill the person who spared my life and put me on the Assassin King’s seat just over a single slap on the cheek?”

Baek Socheon must have known, known that she couldn’t kill him. That was what made Baek Socheon terrifying, he read his opponent with absolute precision.

“When he acknowledged me…the successor of the previous Assassin King, as the Assassin King, he demanded one promise: never accept contracts to kill children or people who haven’t learned martial arts. I pledged my name and the honor of an assassin to keep that promise. If it is true that we broke that promise… then even after taking a slap and listening to some curses, we still got the better end of the deal.”

Setting down her final cup, she spoke,

“Let’s go to the Seven Swords Association.”