Chapter 40: Assassination (2)

Despite having a new goal of assassinating the Flying Dragon Pavilion Lord, there weren't any significant changes to my daily life.

Which was truly fortunate.

I was trying to turn my daily schedule into a new obsession, so if my routine got messed up now, it would have been a real headache.

But just because my life was the same as always didn't mean things weren't changing for the people who hung around Windrock Palace.

Jin Hayeon, who lived with me in Windrock Palace, the two guardian warriors, and Seon-ah and Master, who appeared at the same time every day, were the constants in my life.

Except for these five, everyone else varied from day to day.

"Hahaha. A mission has been assigned to the White Tortoise Corps, so I won't be able to visit for a while, Young Master."

"I see."

Ouyang Mun occasionally dropped by like this to inform me of his absence.

Well, he was only reporting to me for appearance's sake as his eyes kept darting toward Jin Hayeon while speaking.

"Hoho. Travel safely, Young Warrior Ouyang."

And then there was my Third Senior Brother, who was apparently his new bestie, seeing him off with a smile. He was often gone too, on business for the Dark Shadow Pavilion.

‘I couldn’t bring myself to ask what his missions were about.’

Considering Third Brother’s Demonic Art and the Dark Shadow Pavilion’s reputation, the word 'assassination' kept flashing in my mind.

Clad in black, swords coated in charcoal to prevent reflection, moving like shadows in the dead of night, or holing up somewhere for ages.

Then, after all that tension and suspense, the moment their target walks past, he'd drop dead—just like in the movies.

It was jarring to imagine the gloomy but kind Third Brother doing jobs like that.

Once Ouyang Mun left, I turned to Seon-ah beside me.

"Seon-ah, where would you like to go after you graduate from the Hall of the Demonic Way?"

This curiosity arose because I’d recently finished historical texts and started learning law books, which taught me about all the organizations within the Demonic Cult.

The issue was the limited career options within the cult.

As if intrigued by our conversation, Eldest Brother suddenly boomed with laughter.

"Huahahaha! How about the Red Tiger Corps that I lead? If it's the young lady from the Hyeokryeon Family, with your outstanding talent, you'd be most welcome! Hahahaha!"

(TL Note: Yes, it's a tiger. I guess the author was having a second thought about which unit he was leading. I even double-checked the previous chapters to be sure. It was Red Dragon Corps 적룡단 (赤龍團) in chapter 23, but tiger here.)

The armed forces of the Demonic Cult were organized into sixteen units, combining the colors red, blue, black, and white with the Four Divine Beasts—Dragon (龍), Tiger (虎), Tortoise (龜), and Bird (雀).

Like Eldest Brother's Red Tiger Corps, or Ouyang Mun's White Tortoise Corps.

Each corps typically consisted of about forty members, and each corps had different roles.

Some units, like the White Tortoise Corps, were always heading out on missions, while others patrolled a wide area around the main headquarters.

Nestled in the Tianshan Mountain Range, on the edge of the Central Plains' Outer Regions, the cult's forces functioned much like a border patrol.

Beyond the peak where the main headquarters was located, there were various other areas within the Tianshan Mountain Range.

The Hall of the Demonic Way, which I was supposed to enter, was also located on another peak in the Tianshan Mountain Range, along with a very dangerous peak called Oblivion Ridge (忘我嶺).

Their duties extended beyond the headquarters to include sites like the Hall of the Demonic Way and Oblivion Ridge.

'For Oblivion Ridge, it feels more like monitoring than protecting.'

Recalling what Jin Hayeon had told me about Oblivion Ridge, I couldn't help but shiver.

Seon-ah clung to my sleeve and shook her head vigorously.

"I-I don't want to join the Red Tiger Corps because I'd have to leave the cult often."

"!!!"

Eldest Brother’s eyes went wide at Seon-ah's rejection, but then he just laughed it off.

“Hahaha! Nonsense! To grow as a martial artist, you need diverse experiences! No matter how cozy the cult is, holing up here won’t get you anywhere!”

A forty-something man giving advice to a pre-teen looked exactly like the epitome of a condescending old fogey.

And to top it off, Third Brother who'd suddenly gotten all gloomy, chimed in.

"If you don't like going outside, you probably wouldn't like our Dark Shadow Pavilion either..."

His pavilion was essentially an intelligence agency, with a side of assassination. Naturally, they traveled frequently.

But more importantly.

‘You can't recommend a career in spying and assassination to a twelve-year-old!’

Worried that those men would negatively influence Seon-ah, I quickly stepped in.

"Hahaha. Eldest Brother, you'll be transferred soon anyway, right? And Third Brother, Dark Shadow Pavilion work seems too dangerous for young Seon-ah."

Honestly, the title of Red Tiger Corps Leader felt a bit low for someone like Eldest Brother.

Rumor had it that his unit was sidelined while he was dealing with the school program at headquarters.

So I concluded that there might be a personnel transfer soon.

"And Seon-ah, if you don't want to leave the cult, how about joining the Sacred Order or the Law Enforcement Hall?"

The former were bodyguards for key figures and facilities, while the latter dealt with apostates and managed the prison.

Beyond those two, there were other options within the Demonic Cult, such as the Hyeokryeon Family she belonged to, the Logistics Office that managed food in the Demonic Cult, the Hidden Guard Pavilion (隱衛閣) that Jin Hayeon belonged to, and the Council of Elders. However, Seon-ah wouldn't be joining the last.

The Council of Elders of the Demonic Cult was a unique entity. From my modern perspective, it was like a gathering of honorary retirees who couldn't make it to the executive level.

It was a place for those who had risen through politics and such but lacked the Transcendence-level skills to lead. So, they stepped down for the younger generation and gathered there.

Before Seon-ah could answer, Eldest Brother interjected.

"Hmm. The Sacred Order and Law Enforcement Hall also leave the cult from time to time."

It was an unusually sharp observation from Eldest Brother.

'Guess he's not completely clueless.'

Eldest Brother was right.

If the person they were guarding had to leave the cult, the guards would naturally accompany them, just as Jang Hwi and Kwan Mu-yeol had traveled around Xinjiang with me.

And the Law Enforcement Hall often pursued fugitives beyond the headquarters.

Well, Eldest Brother probably had another reason for pointing that out.

'Kids these days! They just try to avoid hard work! Back in my day~'

That kind of vibe was radiating off Eldest Brother as he looked at Seon-ah.

I had thought only Master was old-fashioned, but Eldest Brother was quite the old fogey too.

Well, generational disdain was a time-honored tradition.

Complaints about the younger generation were as old as time itself.

To everyone's surprise, Seon-ah reacted to Eldest Brother’s comment with bright, sparkling eyes.

"I want to join the Sacred Order!"

"The Sacred Order also has to go outside a lot!"

"That's okay! If I can go with Big Brother."

She said this while looking at me with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Ehahahaha! So, she doesn't hate leaving the cult; she hates being away from our youngest! Khahahaha!"

Eldest Brother laughed heartily, having finally realized Seon-ah's true feelings.

Embarrassed by his blunt statement, Seon-ah clung to me tighter.

As I stroked the cute little one's head, I glanced to the side.

Kwan Mu-yeol was there, staring blankly into space, as if our commotion had nothing to do with him. Then, I pictured Jang Hwi, the other pair of our human doorbell at Windrock Palace's entrance.

It hit me then.

'Maybe it would be better to have Seon-ah as my guard rather than being stuck with these gloomy men.'

Above all, Seon-ah gave me the definite feeling of being on my side, so I thought I could truly relax with her around.

***

Days blurred into weeks, then months.

Over half a year had passed since Il-mok was dragged to this house of madmen called the Demonic Cult, and Il-mok finally managed to complete not only the scriptures and historical texts but also the law books.

Of course, it's impossible for anyone but a genius to memorize everything perfectly after reading it once. Consistent review is necessary until the entrance examination.

Anyway, Il-mok felt the need to tweak his daily routine a bit.

He reduced his morning study time a bit and increased his training time.

While still concerned about the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's side effect, Il-mok had realized something simple yet crucial—the severity of the side effects was directly proportional to the level of his mastery.

In other words.

'As long as my level doesn't increase rapidly, the possibility of the side effect running wild is low.'

Il-mok had strongly experienced side effects twice: when he first used his internal energy and when he absorbed the Explosive Demonic Pill and received the Bone Marrow Cleansing.

Both times, his skill level rose explosively.

As long as his skill level wasn't increasing too drastically, the risk of going crazy from side effects or Qi Deviation was low.

On the other hand, slow growth meant the side effect would creep in without him noticing.

But despite knowing this fact, Il-mok chose to raise his level slowly for now.

Entering the Hall of the Demonic Way and getting revenge on Uncle Taehyun. To succeed at least at those two things, it was something he had to do.

And so, after finishing his daily routine as usual, Il-mok went to bed.

How much time had passed?

Once a month, the moon would hide itself in the darkness, signifying the new cycle of the moon.

Taking advantage of the particularly dark sky, a shadowy figure cautiously slipped into Windrock Palace.

That presence, devoid of any human presence, moved silently towards Il-mok's quarters like a shadow.

Whish.

Under the cover of the night breeze, that presence stealthily opened the door and slipped inside.

And what greeted the intruder was the sight of Il-mok calmly rising from bed.

"Yaaaawn. Third Brother. You're here?"

Il-mok stretched languidly as he greeted him.

Third Brother, who had left for a Dark Shadow Pavilion mission a few days ago, was returning today.

So, just in case, Il-mok had tied a thin thread to the door and looped it around his wrist.

That way, if the door opened even a crack, he'd feel the vibration on his arm.

Thanks to his experience of being startled by Third Brother’s nocturnal visits several times before, he'd devised this plan to wake up calmly.

Waking up in a panic disrupted his sleep, which then disrupted his daily routine the next day. In a way, it was a desperate measure born of necessity due to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

But for some reason, despite Il-mok's greeting, the shadow showed no response.

It just stood there, looking down at Il-mok for a moment as if contemplating something.

The shadow that had seemed to be pondering finally moved.

Pop!

"!!!"

The shadow closed the distance in a flash, pulling a blackened sword that didn’t reflect any light from its hip.

Il-mok instinctively rolled his body, narrowly avoiding the first strike.

Slash!

Or not. He thought he’d dodged, but he felt a sting on his forearm.

'Motherfucker. Has he finally gone mad?'

The thought barely registered before he drew his own sword.

Rolling away just now wasn't just to dodge the surprise attack, but more so to grab the sword by his bedside.

And faster than Il-mok could draw his sword, the crazed senior brother swung a second killing blow at him.

Despite the charcoal coating making its trajectory barely visible, Il-mok's eyes were faintly able to read the sword's path.

Clang!!

With a sword he hadn't fully drawn, he managed to block that killing sword just in time.

Creak.

Slash.

However, even while circulating his internal energy to the maximum, his sword snapped in two after just a brief clash.

And as the crazed assassin who had cut Il-mok's sword lunged forward.

Il-mok realized something crucial.

'This guy. He's not Third Brother.'