“T-the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Go Chan?”

“The right-hand man of the Greatest Under Heaven?”

The assassins stirred.

At their reaction, the current Sect Leader of the Flying Killing Sect, Oh Yeosoo, couldn’t hide his bewilderment with a hardened expression.

What kind of nonsensical situation is this?

Ha Chaerin, who they thought had died after failing the final assassination of the Hundred Kills, not only got married, but her husband is the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, called the right-hand man of the Greatest Under Heaven? Does this make any sense?

Momentarily flustered, he soon denied it.

“Nonsense! Why would the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s leader come here? Do you think we’ll believe that?”

No matter how he thought about it, it couldn’t be true.

Why would the Great Commander of the Guards, who should be protecting the Sect Leader, come here?

And married to a girl from an assassin background, no less.

-Swish!

Flying Killing Sect assassins, surround them.

Raising his hand to signal, at Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo’s command, the assassins hesitated for a moment before drawing their weapons and surrounding Go Chan and Ha Chaerin.

At first, they had some doubts, but they too found this strange.

“How very amusing.”

Go Chan snorted and then whistled.

“Phweee!”

As soon as the sound echoed around,

-Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!

As if they had been waiting, dozens of warriors revealed themselves on the walls surrounding the Flying Killing Sect.

‘!’

The expressions of the assassins, including Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo, hardened at their appearance.

This was because each of the warriors was a master who had reached the Peak Realm.

Moreover,

-Zing zing zing zing zing!

Those who had been surrounding Go Chan and Ha Chaerin were suddenly trapped by extremely sharp silver threads, unable to move.

The identity of the woman who had instantly subdued them with silver threads was Mo Ha-rang.

She was the Vice Commander of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Guard.

However, what surprised the assassins even more was the silver thread she was using.

“T-the Demon Fire Hall?”

It was undoubtedly the Silver Thread Net, called the treasure of the Demon Fire Hall, one of the Four Great Assassin groups.

The Demon Fire Hall, known to have inherited the secret techniques of the Flying Killing King, who was called the pinnacle of the assassin world in the ancient martial arts era, was also famous for becoming part of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

With this, the assassins and executives of the Flying Killing Sect, including Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo, could recognize the reality.

These people were not impostors.

They were the real Guard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s leader.

“W-why is the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in a place like this?”

Although they were one of the Four Great Assassin groups, there was no way they could compare to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, called the greatest power in the current martial arts world.

If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult decided, they could annihilate them within an hour.

That’s why the assassins couldn’t help but be terrified.

At that moment, Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo spoke with a distorted face.

“Why does the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult interfere in another sect’s affairs?”

“It’s not another sect.”

“What?”

“What’s wrong with me being involved in my wife’s sect? And strictly speaking, I was originally from here in my past life.”

‘Past life?’

What is happened is he talking about?

As they were trying to understand, Go Chan spoke with his hands behind his back.

“Well, to cut to the chase. The rightful owner of the Flying Killing Sect is my wife. So step down from that position.”

-Grind!

Rightful owner, what nonsense?

Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo felt a surge of anger for a moment, but since he couldn’t fight against the Guard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s leader, he had to endure it with extreme patience.

Then Oh Yeosoo finally managed to speak.

“It seems the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has heard something that might cause a misunderstanding about your wife, so let me explain. To become the Sect Leader of our sect, one must achieve the Hundred Kills. However, your wife…”

“She achieved it.”

“What?”

“No, it was achieved from the beginning. Because the real Mok Gyeong-un died before that.”

‘!?’

At Go Chan’s words, the surroundings stirred.

She achieved the Hundred Kills?

If so, it meant that Ha Chaerin had also fulfilled the qualification to be Sect Leader.

“And decisively, my wife can be said to be the legitimate successor of the Flying Killing Sect.”

At Go Chan’s words, Ha Chaerin showed the bracelet on her wrist.

The bracelet containing the Spirit Shadow Needle, it was a treasure that was like the symbol of the Flying Killing Sect.

Seeing this, the assassins of the Flying Killing Sect were shaken even more.

-Murmur murmur!

Go Chan urged them.

“Do you still not know who the true master is?”

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

Then, the assassins of the Flying Killing Sect knelt and paid respects to Ha Chaerin.

Seeing this, Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo closed his eyes with a distorted face as if in anguish.

In just a year and a half, his era had come to an end.

Unable to overcome the disappointment, he moved his hand to his neck to take his own life,

Thud

At that moment, a needle hidden weapon pierced the back of his hand.

It was the Spirit Shadow Needle.

The back of his hand hit by the Spirit Shadow Needle began to rapidly paralyze.

Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo looked at Ha Chaerin with incomprehensible eyes.

He was going to take his own life because he had to step down anyway now that she had reclaimed her position, so why did she stop him?

Then she spoke.

“I’ll step down from the Sect Leader position and pass it on to Special Grade Assassin Number Two, who achieved the Hundred Kills after me.”

‘!?’

At these words, the eyes of Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo and the assassins widened.

What is happened is she saying?

Is she saying she’ll step down right after reclaiming her position?

Oh Yeosoo, who had already been prepared to take his life, revealed his true feelings out of sheer bewilderment.

“Are you toying with us now?”

“I’m not toying with you.”

“Then what exactly are you doing?”

At his angry outcry, Ha Chaerin spoke with a rather serious face:

“I’m just trying to fulfill my grandfather’s last wish.”

“…The previous Sect Leader’s last wish?”

“Grandfather wanted me to become the Sect Leader of the Flying Killing Sect and avenge his son, my father.”

“Then why?”

“I’ve avenged him. No, they avenged him for me. My husband and his lord.”

‘!?’

By husband and lord, does she mean the Great Commander of the Guards Go Chan and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s leader?

What is happened is going on here?

As they wondered, Ha Chaerin said:

“Three-Eyes (目三)… The true culprit my grandfather wanted to point out was Mok Gan (Third-Eyed), the one who truly had a third eye.”

That was her family’s true enemy.

That enemy had such absolute power that neither her grandfather nor she could have the ability to repay it.

However, coincidentally, it was the current Greatest Under Heaven, the Heavenly Demon, who avenged this, and his right-hand man Go Chan played a decisive role.

-Cling!

Ha Chaerin clung to Go Chan’s arm and said:

“So I’ve inherited the Sect Leader position as per my grandfather’s last wish, and now I plan to retire and spend my life supporting my husband.”

‘I also have a debt to my husband that I can’t repay even in a lifetime…’

She couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud.

[Hey. Let’s live together for the rest of our lives.]

A completely unexpected, blunt proposal.

At first, Ha Chaerin found it difficult to accept.

[But I made you like this.]

[Well, what can we do? It’s already in the past. And thanks to that, it turned into a blessing in disguise, so I’m going to keep you by my side and torment you for the rest of our lives.]

“…Lord Go Chan.”

She was grateful to Go Chan for that.

Although Go Chan said he had forgiven her, she considered it a lifelong task to repay him.

“Haa…”

Sect Leader Oh Yeosoo’s mind became complicated at her conclusion.

He had desperately wanted to become Sect Leader all his life and had worked hard to seize that position, but he was about to take his own life out of the sense of loss from losing it in an instant.

But when she tried to brush it off so casually, his feelings became mixed.

However, thinking about it, Ha Chaerin’s position wasn’t incomprehensible.

Although being the Sect Leader of the Flying Killing Sect was his dream and for her, it was the last wish of her grandfather, the previous Sect Leader, now she was the wife of the Great Commander of the Guards of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

It might be natural for this position not to appeal to her eyes.

‘Somehow, it feels even more empty…’

Why does it feel like she’s more successful?

Once they had competed for the Sect Leader position, but now all of that seemed futile.

-Swirl!

‘!?’

Suddenly, crimson smoke began to flow out where they were, forming a circle and creating an entrance.

The assassins who were unfamiliar with this sudden strange phenomenon couldn’t hide their surprise.

Meanwhile, a short-haired woman with a cute appearance dressed as a diviner emerged from the smoke entrance.

“Diviner Yeo Surin?”

Go Chan recognized her.

Then Diviner Yeo Surin urgently said to him:

“Guard Go Chan. Please ask the Cult Leader where he is through your mental connection right away.”

***

Cheong-ryeong smiled and shook her head as Go Chan scratched his head sheepishly.

She thought that something felt odd, and in the end, it turned out like this.

Then the Heavenly Demon asked Diviner Yeo Surin:

“What do you mean someone took the Killing Stone statue of Great Strength King?”

“It’s exactly as I said. They burned all the diviners and… Ah!”

Yeo Surin sighed as she noticed the traces of melted cliffs around them.

Although there was no heat left, she realized that a similar aftermath had swept through this place as well.

“What is this place?”

“The demonic beast Alyu was attacked.”

“Alyu? Isn’t that the Cult Leader’s familiar?”

“Look at that.”

The Heavenly Demon pointed to the words engraved on the cliff. Her expression hardened when she saw it.

“It seems the purpose of whoever did this is quite clear.”

“They’re trying to awaken the sealed Great Strength King, I suppose.”

Before they knew about the disappearance of Great Strength King’s statue, they couldn’t understand why someone was looking for the White-Faced King, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

However, since only she could restore the Killing Stone statue of Great Strength King back to its original form, the purpose was now clear.

Cheong-ryeong asked curiously:

“Could it be the work of those related to Three-Eyes?”

“Three-Eyes…”

During the great war between the righteous and unorthodox sects, most of the Imaemangyang in the Central Plains had gathered at the Ten Thousand Great Mountains due to the great calamity caused by Three-Eyes.

Even four of the Six Demons, known as the pinnacle of Imaemangyang, had gathered.

Among them, Lion-Grasping King and White Phoenix Demon King were annihilated in the war, and Great Strength King was sealed in the Killing Stone.

Each of the Six Demons was like a natural disaster that could destroy a country, and it was impossible for ordinary humans to dare to touch or try to awaken them.

That’s why both Cheong-ryeong and the Heavenly Demon couldn’t help but associate this with Three-Eyes.

But then,

“It might not be related to Three-Eyes.”

“Isn’t it too early to be certain?”

“…Although it had almost disappeared even in ancient records, so I thought it couldn’t be, but seeing those words ‘Lava Cave’ engraved on the cliff, I think it might be that being after all.”

“That being?”

What is happened is this being she’s talking about?

As he wondered, Yeo Surin looked at the wheel marks on the ground and spoke:

“There are records remaining in some ancient books predating the Classic of Mountains and Seas. About a being that once rivaled the Six Demons.”

“Rivaled the Six Demons?”

“Yes. They say there was an Imaemangyang called the worst and strongest without dispute, before the current Six Demons.”

“This Imaemangyang is said to have been born from a stone where all the energy of heaven and earth converged.”

“Are you saying that being did this to this place?”

“No. That being was so strong that even the Great Strength King, known to have no equal in strength, couldn’t do anything against it, but I heard there was an Imaemangyang that managed to trouble that being for a moment.”

“…So what exactly is this being you’re talking about?”

To this question from the Heavenly Demon, Diviner Yeo Surin answered in a meaningful voice:

“The Red Boy^[1].”