novelraw Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Fate (1)
Somewhere in the western reaches of the Central Plains lay the Ten Thousand Mountains.
At the heart of that vast and treacherous land stood a harmonious cluster of grand structures.
This was the stronghold of the Demonic Cult, a place steeped in ancient history.
Within the highest building, inside the Cult Leader’s office, the laughter of a woman rang out.
“Hahaha! You have been outplayed, Father!”
The middle-aged man watching the laughing Sama Seorin narrowed his eyes coldly.
Fine wrinkles rested upon his composed face.
Though he appeared somewhat frail, his neatly combed, half-white hair gave him the presence of a peerless sword sheathed within an old scabbard—quiet, yet heavy with menace.
Sama Jiryang.
The Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
Though his martial prowess was weak, he wielded absolute authority.
He spoke to his daughter in a tone of disdain.
“This is hardly a situation for laughter. You were cast aside before the wedding even took place.”
“….”
Her expression darkened, and she fell silent.
After a brief pause, Sama Jiryang spoke again.
“You will go and find him as well. He is a necessary ‘material’ for the great undertaking.”
“…Sigh. That ‘great undertaking’ again.”
Letting out a bored sigh, Sama Seorin turned and exited the room.
In the end, she could not defy her father’s command.
Step. Step.
Her footsteps were sharp, her face filled with irritation.
As she wondered why she had to endure such a troublesome task, her father’s words resurfaced in her mind.
—Cast aside before the wedding.
“…Now that I think about it, that is rather insulting. How dare he?”
Frowning, Sama Seorin drew up her Inner Energy.
WHOOSH—!
As her foot struck the ground, her body shot into the night sky as if reaching for the moon.
Cutting through the wind, she landed lightly upon a tree branch, then leapt again, dashing forward like an arrow.
***
Tianshui City, Gansu Province.
Clad in simple black attire and a veil covering her face, Sama Seorin walked through the streets.
Yet despite her concealment, passersby could not help but stare, their attention drawn to her. As she passed, the once-bustling street would momentarily fall silent.
‘…How tiresome.’
Of course, she paid them no mind.
Among the three cities Jin Yun was most likely to have headed toward after leaving the Black Blood Clan, this was one.
Having already searched one without success, her mood was far from pleasant.
“Il-sal.”
—Yes, my lord.
At her quiet call, a voice responded through telepathic transmission.
“Gather all unusual occurrences in this city.”
—As you command.
Sama Seorin was employing the Dark Fragrance Seven Killers, the Demonic Cult’s elite assassins, as her errand runners.
Though she had searched personally, she had found no meaningful traces.
The following morning.
Leaving the inn, she headed toward the government office.
‘If he is not a fool, he would avoid unnecessary conflict while fleeing…’
But as a martial artist, the likelihood of being caught in incidents remained high.
Thus, upon arriving at the office, she bribed an official and made her way to the morgue.
Step. Step.
Descending the stairs, she entered a wide underground chamber filled with numerous corpses.
“…Take your time and come back up when you are finished.”
The middle-aged official left her alone.
Wrinkling her nose at the stench of decay, Sama Seorin began examining the bodies one by one.
“Hmm.”
There were not many corpses that appeared to be martial artists.
With the Orthodox Alliance and the Unorthodox factions in a ceasefire, clashes between martial artists were rare.
Step—
She halted before a headless corpse.
Though decomposition had begun, it could not escape her keen eyes.
“…Heh.”
Rather than recoiling, she smiled faintly.
It was unmistakable—the head had been completely destroyed by the Blood-Shattering Strike of the Black Blood Asura Martial Art.
Shifting her gaze to the identification tag, she read:
—Baek Ujin of the Three Ghosts of Sangsan
“Il-sal.”
—Yes.
“Capture the remaining two from the Three Ghosts of Sangsan.”
—As you command.
With a satisfied expression, Sama Seorin left the morgue.
Exactly two days later.
After interrogating the two surviving members captured by the Dark Fragrance Seven Killers, she learned that the assassination request had come from the Golden Toad Merchant Guild.
“The man you hired the Three Ghosts of Sangsan to kill—hand over all information regarding him.”
Having been led into the guild master’s office, she spoke bluntly.
Jeong Manbok smiled, his fleshy lips curling.
“I have suffered losses as well, so I cannot simply give it away.”
“How much do you want?”
Finding even the negotiation tiresome, Sama Seorin asked irritably.
“Two hundred gold ingots.”
“….”
At the excessive demand, her brows knit slightly.
Then, a cruel smile formed on her lips.
“You are a merchant, yet you do not even know the value of your own life?”
“Haha.”
Chuckling, Jeong Manbok snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Two men who had been waiting revealed themselves.
One was a middle-aged man in refined martial attire, a sword at his waist.
The other was a burly man with bulging muscles and a fierce appearance.
Judging by their aura, both had reached the level of first-rate martial artists.
“I spent a great deal to hire experts because of that man. If you do not have the money, then leave.”
The moment he spoke with confidence—
WHOOSH—!
A sudden gust of wind swept through.
Thud. Thud.
“…Hm?”
At the sound of something falling, the man turned in confusion.
Then he saw them.
The heads of the martial artists he had hired.
“AAAHHHH!!”
Thud. Thud.
Their headless bodies collapsed shortly after.
Unperturbed, Sama Seorin narrowed her eyes calmly.
“Now then… will you tell me?”
“If I tell you… will you spare me?”
Sweat poured down his face as he asked desperately.
Annoyed, she replied,
“You are a merchant, yet you still cannot grasp the situation?”
“…!”
Whether he liked it or not, he understood.
His choices were simple—speak and die quickly, or suffer before dying.
“Do not resent me. You had the chance to both profit and live.”
At her smiling remark, a voice surfaced in his mind.
—You were about to die because of money, yet you live because of it. You would do well to curb your greed.
Had he heeded that warning, could he have avoided this fate?
“Haha…”
Realizing such thoughts were now meaningless, he let out a hollow laugh.
***
Within the bustling inn, Sama Seorin’s cold gaze slowly swept across the room.
Amid the noise of laughter and the scent of alcohol, her dark eyes came to rest upon a single figure.
A man seated alone at a corner table.
His pristine white robe stood out even in the chaos. Like a freshly bloomed white plum blossom, he exuded a pure yet restrained elegance. The flowing lines of his attire traced his trained physique, evoking the image of a solitary crane.
Beneath the bamboo hat that partially concealed his face, his refined brows, contemplative eyes, and faintly reddened lips drew attention.
His dark hair contrasted sharply against the white robe, and an air of quiet melancholy surrounded him.
‘Found you.’
A faint smile touched Sama Seorin’s lips as her abyss-like gaze fixed upon him.
After searching with some difficulty, the sight of Jin Yun stirred even a trace of excitement within her.
With calm steps, she approached and took the empty seat across from him.
Through her veil, she smiled faintly and whispered playfully,
“Hello?”
“…!?”
The man stared at her with widened eyes, cold sweat forming on his brow.
The sight brought her a strange sense of satisfaction.
Then she asked the question she had intended from the beginning.
“Why did you run?”
The marriage had been forced upon her by her father.
Still, she was curious—why had he dared to abandon her and flee?
“….”
Jiwon felt the greatest sense of danger since his possession.
Instinct told him that a wrong answer here would mean the end.
‘Under no circumstances must I provoke her pride.’
Sama Seorin was the very embodiment of absolute supremacy.
Naturally, he could not say that he fled to avoid having his Inner Energy drained on their first night.
“…I wished to marry someone I truly loved.”
After careful thought, he gave the most conventional and safe answer.
For a moment, Sama Seorin looked stunned.
Then—
“Hahahahahaha!! What is that?!”
She burst into laughter, bending at the waist.
The reason was so ordinary that it felt refreshingly unexpected.
Even the irritation she had felt vanished.
‘So this man had the courage I did not.’
His choice, so different from hers, intrigued her.
Still, she composed herself and clarified,
“I have no desire to become your wife either. It was forced by my father.”
“Yes… well.”
Jiwon nodded indifferently.
Then, cautiously, he observed her expression.
‘Did this go well?’
Seeing her relaxed demeanor, he felt uncertain.
Then she spoke again.
“Since things have turned out this way, I will use you as an excuse to completely ruin the marriage.”
“…Pardon?”
Tilting his head in confusion, he was met with her confident smile.
“I will help you find your bride.”
Caught off guard, he tried to refuse.
“That is not really necessary—”
“Then shall I drag you back instead?”
She cut him off with a mischievous expression.
‘Damn it…’
How was he supposed to shake her off?
As he frowned in thought, a realization struck him like lightning.
‘…Wait.’
He reconsidered.
To have the strongest and most terrifying final antagonist as an early companion?
‘This might actually work in my favor.’
His goal was to disrupt the original story as much as possible.
Moreover, the woman before him could be utilized in countless ways.
With a smile, he clasped his hands.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“What is that supposed to mean? That is unsettling.”
Her expression soured at his sudden change in attitude.
With that, the matter of traveling together was settled.
Jiwon moved on to another topic.
“However, you stand out too much.”
He glanced around the inn.
The once-noisy atmosphere had fallen silent, all eyes fixed upon her.
She replied casually,
“I can disguise myself.”
“I see… but.”
Jiwon frowned slightly.
“Why do you keep speaking informally? We have only just met.”
“Then you may do the same.”
“….”
Her blunt response left him speechless.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he continued,
“Ahem. Then let us change your identity as well. A maid would be suitable.”
“A maid? Do you wish to die?”
BOOOOOM—!
A blood-like killing intent erupted from her.
His heart nearly stopped, yet he forced a smile.
“That is precisely why.”
“…What?”
“To disguise someone as prideful as you as a mere maid—no one would suspect it.”
“….”
“That is why you must become a maid. Do you have a counterargument?”
“…Hmm.”
His reasoning was surprisingly sound, and she could not refute it.
Still, dissatisfaction lingered on her face.
Seeing this, Jiwon offered a compromise.
“Well, considering your dignity and status, let us settle for being my subordinate.”
“Tch. Fine.”
Clicking her tongue, she reluctantly agreed.
“…Wait.”
But then, she frowned.
Even as a disguise, becoming someone’s subordinate?
As the thought began to form—
“Come. Let us move.”
Jiwon stood, cutting off the conversation.
Thus, she had no chance to protest and was forced to rise as well.
‘Heh.’
Glancing at her as she followed with a displeased expression, Jiwon smiled to himself.
It was a simple tactic—present the worst option, and the alternative would seem acceptable.