Seol-Hwi’s hands trembled. He wanted to kill the Pavilion Lord—if he could. But he wasn’t willing to.
No, I don’t want to intervene here…
The Supreme Pavilion Lord was strong. How was Seol-Hwi supposed to defeat such a peerless master? He’d die, and then Jeok Seong…
9… 8…
Seol-Hwi shook the thoughts out of his head. I’m overthinking it. It’s fine. Jeok Seong and Seol-Hwi were members of the Hidden Truth Corps, and Jeok Seong was his direct subordinate. Even with an ego as large as the Supreme Pavilion Lord’s, he had to have a good reason to try anything here. What Seol-Hwi was worried about was unlikely to happen.
<You have selected “Wait.”>
He watched Jeok Seong bite his lip as he stared at the sword lying on the ground. Both of them knew what that blade meant.
“Heeheehee.” Sama Gwi smiled eagerly.
Jeok Seong slowly reached for the sword and then paused.
“Why are you doing this?”
“What?” Sama Gwi gave him an incredulous look.
“I am a member of the Hidden Truth Corps, under the control of the Earth Demon. If you aren’t satisfied with my behavior, please submit a formal complaint to my superior. The Earth Demon wouldn’t sit idle if he heard that you raised your hand against me.”
Right! Seol-Hwi was relieved that Jeok Seong was leveraging the Hidden Truth Corps’s authority. Obviously you should follow the sect hierarchy, but the Hidden Truth Corps answered directly to the Fourth Disciple. The Supreme Pavilion Lord was obviously overstepping; no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t openly offend the Earth Demon.
“Huh. Ahahahah!” Sama Gwi grinned, but it was obvious his laughter wasn’t genuine. “Heuk Bi, come here.”
A shadow fell beside him. His vassal, a powerful body entirely concealed beneath her clothing, and completely undetectable until now.
“Our surroundings?”
“No one is nearby.”
“Is that so?” The Supreme Pavilion Lord smiled and nodded. Heuk Bi then picked up the sword.
Jeok Seong gulped nervously and his eyes quivered. So did Seol-Hwi; he didn’t expect Sama Gwi to try this.
Heuk Bi handed the sword to Sama Gwi, who then stabbed Heuk Bi.
W-What the fuck?! Seol-Hwi couldn’t believe his eyes. Stabbing his own vassal?
“…Ugh.” Heuk Bi stood tall even with blood dripping out of her chest.
“Now.” The Supreme Pavilion Lord handed the bloody sword back to Heuk Bi. “Kill that thing,” he said cheerfully.
The atmosphere twisted. Jeok Seong hurriedly backed away and drew his favored weapon, taking a defensive form. Both he and Seol-Hwi knew why Heuk Bi was stabbed: it was an excuse to have Jeok Seong killed.
<What would you like to do?>
▶ Bet on a fight
▷ Wait
Damn it… I fucked up! Seol-Hwi knew that Sama Gwi didn’t treat people like people—that was exactly why he hated him. The Pavilion Lord was having Jeok Seong killed just because he didn’t listen to his orders. Anyone who rubbed him wrong died.
It was the same thing that had happened to Seol-Hwi, when he wandered into the Supreme Pavilion back when he had no roots. And then he was discovered rooting through the office for martial arts books, and the torment began.
At first, I thought I was being punished for doing something wrong. But no, such a trivial thing didn’t warrant punishment. The Pavilion Lord just wanted to grind people under his heel; if he really wanted to punish Seol-Hwi, he would’ve just killed him immediately. Instead, he gave Seol-Hwi’s squad the most dangerous tasks and then sent him to die at the hands of another sect, simply because it was more shameful.
That was the kind of person the Supreme Pavilion Lord was. He tormented people and smiled at their pain, and, for some reason, he was back to trample on Seol-Hwi again.
9… 8…
Shit. Damn it! He wrestled with the choice. Was it right to intervene? If left alone, Jeok Seong would die, but Seol-hwi wouldn’t be able to change anything. The difference in power was too great.
[Status Summary]
Heuk Bi [Vallas of the Supreme Pavilion Lord]
Health: 5 million/7 million
Internal Energy: 7 million/7 million
Grandmaster
Coins: Life +4
Combat Power: 8.7 million
The wound Sama Gwi had given him had dropped Heuk Bi’s health, but she was still a formidable opponent.
Shit. What kind of vassal… The Supreme Pavilion Lord was one thing, but his vassal was tough too. Reaching that level needed a lot of hard work and dedication. Seol-Hwi wasn’t that strong.
4… 3…
Seol-Hwi knew that his best option was to leave Jeok Seong to die an honorless death.
…Sorry, Jeok Seong.
He made the cowardly choice. He let the timer tick down.
<You selected “Wait.”>
Jeok Seong resignedly drew his sword. Heuk Bi’s eyes—the only part of her body they could see—looked like they were smiling. The two warriors stood in silence for a brief moment.
Heuk Bi closed in instantly.
“Agh!” Jeok Seong was struck on the collarbone, unable to defend. On top of that, Heuk Bi drew a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen and thigh three times.
It was a frightening—but impressive—sight.
The difference in skill is too large. Jeok Seong had the potential to one day lead thousands, but he was powerless right now.
“Ugh! Ack!”
It was impossible, as far as Seol-Hwi could tell. Jeok Seong couldn’t even defend himself, never mind countering.
Fuck! Seol-Hwi’s nerves buzzed. Heuk Bi could’ve killed Jeok Seong right away, but she kept cutting at his skin, torturously bleeding him out. This wasn’t a fight, it was a hunt. It made Seol-Hwi’s blood boil.
“Enough.” Sama Gwi lifted his hand.
“Ugh! Ahhh…” Jeok Seong needed immediate medical attention.
“Do you want to know something?” The Supreme Pavilion Lord approached Jeok Seong. “The so-called vice-captain you’re so loyal to? The truth is, he abandoned his squad.”
Jeok Seong shivered ever so slightly.
“The one called Seol-Hwi is a bastard from my pavilion. You must know this. He had a small squad with small people called the… Flying Squad, or something. Do you know what he did when he got a mission? He thought it was dangerous, so he handed it over to his subordinates and ran to the Fourth Disciple. In the end, his entire squad died. And he made a name out of it, a career—a fucking vice-captain. Lucky enough to be taken in by you. How’s that? You still want to follow your captain?”
You fucker!
Seol-hwi was convinced now. This man knew everything. He knew that Seol-Hwi had joined up with the Fourth Disciple, and he was certain that Sama Gwi had killed every man sent to monitor him.
“Your wounds are serious. If they’re not treated, you’re going to die quickly. We don’t have much time, so don’t drag this out. Tell me, and you live.” Sama Gwi’s smile deepened as he leaned towards Jeok Seong. “Where is he? Where does he live?”
Jeok Seong’s eyes widened and widened. He struggled to stand, despite his wounds.
“I think… I know…”
“Oh?”
“…is…”
“Hmm? What was that?”
Jeok Seong let out an unintelligible grunt. Sama Gwi leaned in closer, trying to pick out his words.
“Are you excited?”
The Pavilion Lord gave him a puzzled look.
“Old bastard. Here’s my answer: Hakw-Pthhfw!”
A thick glob of saliva splashed onto Sama Gwi’s eyebrows and dripped down his face. Jeok Seong gave him a bloody smile.
“This is how I am. I might be peaceful normally, but I just can’t hold myself back when I see a bastard like you.” Jeok Seong’s hands trembled. He didn’t even the energy to wield his sword anymore, yet he pressed on. “Good. I like it. He’s just like me. He was even worse than me, once; now he’s stronger. How can I not admire him? He even made you come all the way here.”
Sama Gwi was furious. Jeok Seong was mocking him even under threat of death; he knew this was his last day, one way or another.
“The captain… is a great man.” Jeok Seong shook like a reed, but he didn’t care. Every last scrap of pride he had in him was on full display. “Desperate, huh? Good…”
He collapsed—but he didn’t let go of his sword, even as the light dimmed in his eyes.
<What would you like to do?>
▶ Bet on a fight
▷ Wait
Seol-Hwi had never waited for so long.
Everything in moderation; cowardice, too.
So was he going to fight? This bastard with only two lives left, versus that vassal?
<You have selected “Bet on a fight.”>
- Intervening.
Right. Go.
Supreme Pavilion Lord, you fucking bastard! Here I am!
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