There was a seductive woman wearing provocative clothes that revealed her cleavage, massaging someone’s legs.

Her name was Ha Chae-rin.

She was the heir to the Flying Killing Sect and destined to inherit the title of Flying Killing Yama’s Guest, one of the Four Great Assassins of the current era.

Why was someone like her in this situation?

‘shit all.’

Ha Chae-rin had cursed inwardly dozens, no, hundreds of times.

If she had just chosen a different final target for her Hundred Days, Hundred Kills, she would have already ascended to become the sect leader.

However, she had failed the Hundred Days, Hundred Kills.

Moreover, her memories were incomplete ever since she visited the Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

She still couldn’t understand why she was here in the Heaven and Earth Society.

‘…Can I escape from here?’

Honestly, there was no hope.

Even though she was the heir destined to inherit the title of one of the Four Great Assassins, this was the Heaven and Earth Society, one of the three major powers dividing the current martial arts world.

And the person whose legs she was massaging was a disciple of the Society Leader who ruled this massive organization.

‘Should I be satisfied just to have prolonged my life?’

For someone as hot-tempered and proud as her, this was an utterly unacceptable situation.

If this damn bastard wasn’t a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society’s Society Leader, she would have attempted to escape by any means, whether through poisoning or assassination.

However,

“Ahem. Can’t you massage properly?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

‘Ugh…’

Honestly, she was terrified.

She had tried to escape and rebel several times, only to have her facial bones nearly caved in from the slaps she received from this man.

After repeating this a few times, she became so scared that she would flinch reflexively just from him raising his hand.

Seeing her become so docile, Go Chan, who had possessed the body of Jang Neung-ak, the second young master of the Heaven and Earth Society, snickered.

It was truly a sight to behold.

When he saw her again at the Yeon Mok Sword Manor after his retirement, he thought everything had gone awry.

But now, the tables had completely turned.

The heir destined to inherit the title of one of the world’s Four Great Assassins was now reduced to massaging the legs of a retired assassin from the Flying Killing Sect while constantly watching his mood.

‘Hehehe. The fortunes of war are unpredictable indeed.’

The ways of the world were truly unpredictable.

It had been worth enduring all sorts of hardships while possessing that wench’s body, thanks to his master, Mok Gyeong-un.

Just as he was feeling satisfied with controlling her, suddenly—

-Woong!

At that moment, the space rippled, and a door made of smoke opened. Someone hurriedly rushed in.

It was a cute-looking girl with short hair, dressed as a diviner.

Go Chan recognized her immediately.

“Yeo Su-rin?”

Yeo Su-rin.

She was a diviner dispatched under the orders of her master, the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion Leader.

She had formed a contract with Mok Gyeong-un and was controlling In Seo-ok, the leader of Primal Killing Pavilion who had become a living corpse spirit through the Six People Spirit Summoning Technique technique, managing the Primal Killing Pavilion.

Why had she suddenly appeared here using her technique?

“You… Are you hurt?”

Go Chan jumped up in surprise and asked.

Judging by her pale face and the blood spreading on her shoulder and abdomen, she seemed to be injured.

Then she urged,

“Step back!”

“What?”

Along with this, Yeo Su-rin hurriedly rotated in a circle with her hand holding a protective charm.

The door made of smoke quickly closed and disappeared.

As it vanished completely, she exhaled roughly and slumped to the floor.

“Haa… Haa…”

“No, what on earth happened for you to be in this state…”

“We’re in big trouble.”

“Big trouble? What do you mean?”

“They found out that the Primal Killing Pavilion leader has become a living corpse spirit.”

“What? Is that true? More importantly, who discovered it?”

Wasn’t it said that unless it was a diviner skilled enough to be called a high-level diviner or whatever, it wouldn’t be discovered?

As he wondered, Yeo Su-rin answered in a serious voice.

“I don’t know. It was an incredible monster who could break my technique with just spiritual power in an instant.”

“…I’m not sure exactly, but you’re saying they’re formidable?”

“It’s not just formidable. Maybe…”

“Maybe?”

“They might be a Divine-level diviner or close to that level. How could such a diviner be here… Ugh.”

Go Chan quickly supported Yeo Su-rin as she was about to collapse.

She asked him,

“Young Master Mok… Where is Young Master Mok?”

“Not back yet.”

Go Chan shook his head as he answered.

He also didn’t know exactly where Mok Gyeong-un was or when he would return.

Cheong-ryeong had informed him of the purpose for suddenly leaving, but that was all.

“Is there no way to find the young master?”

“…How could we find someone who’s gone all the way to Kaifeng?”

Of course, being a spirit servant with a spiritual connection, he could find Mok Gyeong-un if he really tried, but the distance was too great now to pinpoint an exact location.

However, one thing was certain: the fact that he, as a spirit servant, was fine meant that Mok Gyeong-un was also unharmed.

“Oh no, this is terrible. Someone with that level of skill in the mystic arts will surely try to track us in reverse.”

At her concern, Go Chan asked,

“In reverse? Are you saying my master might be in danger?”

To Go Chan’s question, Yeo Su-rin answered with a meaningful voice.

“…If the opponent is truly a diviner who has reached the realm of Divine-level diviner, not just Young Master Mok, but all of us might be in danger.”

***

Two weeks later,

During this time, the interior of the Heaven and Earth Society was facing a period of rapid change.

The biggest incident was the rumor that spread about the Society Leader, who had been bedridden for three days, being in such poor condition that he had even lost consciousness.

Normally, if there were signs of such rumors spreading, the Society Leader’s direct squad and intelligence unit would move swiftly to cut them off in advance.

But this time was different.

Too many people had witnessed doctors frequently entering and exiting the inner sanctum where the Society Leader resided.

The Society Leader was someone who didn’t even allow doctors in when he was bedridden.

For doctors to be coming and going like this, the Society Leader’s condition must have deteriorated to the worst.

This rumor spread rapidly throughout the entire organization, causing the internal atmosphere to become increasingly unstable.

Even those who had firmly maintained neutrality until now were beginning to move.

In a situation where a successor had not been clearly determined, such internal movements might have been a natural progression.

Amidst this situation, there was another incident that caused an uproar within the organization, both openly and secretly, similar to the Society Leader’s illness.

It was the fury of Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang.

This was because his son, Ho Jong-hyeok, the Great Commander of the Indestructible Unit and known as the Five Steel Axe Slayer, had been murdered.

The child of Axe-Destroying King, one of the Five Kings who could be considered the highest-ranking officials of the organization and one of the Eight Stars regarded as the supreme masters of the current martial world, had been killed.

Naturally, the organization was thrown into chaos.

But here, another problem arose.

The prime suspect in this already major incident was none other than Woo Ho-rang, the chief disciple of Bright Blade King Son Yun.

The cause of death left on Ho Jong-hyeok’s body was traces of the Transcendent Realm Swordsmanship.

And those sword traces were none other than the Bright Sun Swordsmanship, the unique skill of Bright Blade King Son Yun.

Upon confirming this, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, without a moment’s hesitation, pointed to Woo Ho-rang, the disciple of Bright Blade King Son Yun, as the culprit.

[It wasn’t Bright Blade King himself. If it had been him, he would have cut down this child in three moves. Then, the only one who could have killed this child is that guy.]

He believed it was Woo Ho-rang, one of the Five Tigers.

It wasn’t someone like Yeop Wi-seon.

His level of martial arts wasn’t enough to kill Ho Tae-gang’s son.

Convinced that Woo Ho-rang was the culprit, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang immediately went to find Bright Blade King Son Yun to kill Woo Ho-rang, which led to a fierce clash between the two.

If Jang Neung-ak and Wi So-yeon, the two disciples of the Society Leader, hadn’t intervened, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang would have seen it through to the end.

[Please believe me. I am truly innocent.]

Of course, it also helped that Woo Ho-rang, who had been accused as the culprit, came forward to explain himself.

Ho Tae-gang, who had come mindlessly to kill him out of anger, regained his composure and also found his son Ho Jong-hyeok’s death suspicious.

Certainly, those sword traces were undoubtedly from the Bright Sun Swordsmanship, but Woo Ho-rang clearly had no motive or reason to kill him.

It might have been understandable before the second son Jang Neung-ak and the youngest Wi So-yeon formed an alliance, but not now.

Moreover,

‘…This is clearly intentional.’

Leaving the sword traces itself was full of malicious intent.

Since it happened within the organization, it should have been concealed so that the culprit’s identity couldn’t be known.

Because of this, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang backed down peacefully.

Or more precisely,

[As compensation, I’ll take your right index finger.]

In the end, he cut off and took one of Woo Ho-rang’s fingers.

Although Bright Blade King Son Yun raged and tried to stop this, even he couldn’t do anything when Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, one of the Eight Stars, was determined.

Or rather, since Woo Ho-rang himself cut off his finger, the fight had no choice but to subside.

However, this caused Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang and Bright Blade King Son Yun to completely turn their backs on each other, and the repercussions eventually led to the dissolution of the alliance between Jang Neung-ak and Wi So-yeon.

****

Gi Ok-ryeon, the first daughter of Gi Hae, the Sun Rock Valley Master who could be considered Wi So-yeon’s close associate, spoke to her with a somewhat disappointed tone.

“…Deception is fine, but Lady, was it really necessary to cut off Woo… I mean, Great Commander Woo’s right index finger? For a swordsman, the index finger is…”

“We should be satisfied with this much, Ok-ryeon.”

“But…”

“Originally, at least an arm should have been cut off. But Axe-Destroying King held back his anger and compromised.”

“He held back his anger?”

“Yes. If it had gone according to the enemy’s intentions, at least that much should have been done. That way…”

“The one who orchestrated this situation would be fooled, right?”

“Exactly. But Axe-Destroying King also didn’t like falling for the enemy’s ploy, and he felt it was excessive to cut off Commander Woo’s arm when he wasn’t the real culprit, so he ended it at this level.”

“…I see.”

Gi Ok-ryeon sighed.

Though she understood, as someone who admired Woo Ho-rang, it was just heartbreaking.

They were acting out breaking the alliance and cutting off Brother Wu’s finger to make the enemy reveal themselves.

“Do you think the culprit will move according to our intentions?”

“I’m not sure. As I said earlier, unless we had shown Bright Blade King and Axe-Destroying King fighting fiercely to the point where someone got hurt after cutting off at least an arm, I’m not confident that Elder Brother will be fooled by this much.”

The person they all considered to be the real culprit was Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s faction.

He was the only one who would gain the greatest benefit from the fight between Axe-Destroying King and Bright Blade King.

That’s why they had resolved it through dialogue, but they cut off Woo Ho-rang’s finger and officially broke the alliance for the sake of appearances.

“Young Master Na Yul-ryang will surely approach Axe-Destroying King, right?”

“Probably so.”

It was Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang who was in the position of having to be satisfied with just a finger despite losing his son and being unable to avenge him even in his anger.

Naturally, Na Yul-ryang had to approach him.

That would make it easier to draw him into his own faction.

If the Young Master approached in this way, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang planned to join his faction and implement a strategy of suffering a flesh wound.

However,

‘…Master’s worsening illness is a variable.’

After the sudden rumors of Master’s critical condition spread, the Young Master’s active movements had ceased.

For almost three days, at that.

It was unlike the Young Master.

They had anticipated that someone as cunning as him might notice their scheme, but his silence was making them uneasy.

If Master were to really pass away at a time like this, the situation would become uncontrollable.

“Haa…”

Wi So-yeon let out a deep sigh.

It was frustrating.

What would he have done if he were here?

If he were here at a time like this, it would have been reassuring and comforting no matter what happened, but now it was just bitter.

Where on earth had he disappeared to?

According to what she had heard from the Vice Society Leader before, it seemed he was absent for a confidential mission, but it was taking too long.

What kind of mission could he be on?

She worried that he might have gone outside the organization and something might have happened to him.

‘Gyeong-un…’

Just as she was inwardly longing for Mok Gyeong-un,

Someone urgently knocked on the door.

-Thump thump!

“My Lady!”

It was the voice of Yang Il, the small branch leader of the Transient Sword Group.

Hearing his urgent voice, Wi So-yeon frowned with anxiety and said,

“Come in.”

At this, Yang Il opened the door and entered, catching his breath after rushing here.

However, for someone who had come in such a hurry, his expression wasn’t that bad.

As she was wondering about this, Yang Il said,

“My Lady. Mok Gyeong… I mean, Young Master Mok has appeared.”

‘!!!!!!’

She, who had been sitting elegantly holding a teacup, forgot her composure and unconsciously jumped to her feet.