Chapter 143. You Should Have Allowed My Retirement.

Even while heading to Sichuan, Jin Cheon did not let go of his training.

On the ship, he trained his body with Yeom Bi through the bare-handed Body-Fortifying Prescription, and in his spare time, he quietly meditated, contemplating the martial principles he had realized so far.

Since leaving the Black Bamboo Forest, he had been wandering all over the world, so he hadn’t had proper time to train.

Therefore, he had no choice but to train whenever he had a spare moment like this.

‘They say there’s a time for everything, including studying.’

Jin Cheon wholeheartedly agreed with the words of the ancient sages.

In the Black Bamboo Forest, he could focus solely on polishing his martial arts, but after his debut, he had hardly ever been able to train with a peaceful mind for even a few days.

The only time was the few months he received teachings from the Iron-Blooded Demonic God; after that, he rarely had the time.

‘Can’t be helped. The world doesn’t wait for me.’

Thinking so, Jin Cheon focused on his training, even if it was for a short time.

The hundreds of years of enlightenment of the first Heavenly Demon Dokgo Seong, written in the Heavenly Demon Scripture.

The enlightenment of the former best swordsman under the heavens, Mysterious Heaven Jin-in of the Kunlun Sect, from the secret manual of the Great Void Dragon-Slaying Sword Art.

And the enlightenment of his master, the Azure Heaven Divine Warrior, through the Oppression Suppression Divine Qi.

The martial principles he had to understand and realize were like a mountain.

The problem was that with Jin Cheon’s current realm, it was impossible to fully understand those principles.

There was some progress, but it was hard to deny that it was slow.

“Hoo.”

Jin Cheon, having finished his meditation, took a deep breath.

“Nothing is easy… what on earth are you doing there?”

Jin Cheon stopped his muttering and crumpled his face.

When he opened his eyes after finishing his meditation, Blood Qilin was thrusting his face right in front of him.

“What am I doing? Our cute youngest was sleeping without a care in the world, so I was standing guard. Hehe.”

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

“You weren’t?”

“No.”

“You shouldn’t lie.”

“When did I ever lie?”

“How can a person sit in a cross-legged position for two hours? When you’re not even circulating qi?”

“I was meditating.”

“Lying again.”

“……?”

“A person meditating doesn’t even flinch when poked from the side?”

“Senior Brother, have you not heard of a state of selflessness?”

“State of selflessness?”

“Sometimes when I meditate, I fall into a state of selflessness.”

“Ayy~”

Blood Qilin said as if that was utterly ridiculous.

“Things like a state of selflessness are just made-up words. Where in the world is such a thing? I couldn’t even last for a moment like that.”

“……I’m sure you couldn’t.”

Jin Cheon just gave up on the conversation.

It would be a meaningless task to argue about meditation or a state of selflessness with someone who, by his own words, couldn’t sit still for even a moment.

“Anyway, you don’t have to stand guard for me in the future. What could possibly happen on the Cult’s ship?”

“Don’t be so naive. Did you forget you almost died a few days ago?”

“Ah?”

“Just in case, I should protect you.”

Blood Qilin said with a grin.

Jin Cheon was sincerely grateful for Blood Qilin’s sentiment.

He had always thought he was just a frivolous troublemaker, but to think he was worried about him on the inside…….

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

“It’s nothing.”

Blood Qilin shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

Jin Cheon chuckled at Blood Qilin’s appearance and thought.

This childish senior brother could be dependable at times…….

***

Upon arriving in Sichuan, Jin Cheon’s group unpacked and rested at the Seochok Inn, a secret branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Jin Cheon called Shadowless, the special-grade assassin of the Heavenly Killing Sect who had come with them, to his room and had a conversation with him.

“The martial arts level of the Heavenly Killing Sect Leader?”

“I do not know.”

“You have no idea at all?”

“I do not know his identity, nor even the location of the headquarters, so how would I know? As you know, the Heavenly Killing Sect is a group that operates strictly in a cell-based structure.”

“Of course.”

Jin Cheon nodded his head as if in agreement.

“But that’s a story limited to the assassins.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Think carefully. About when you were being trained as an assassin.”

“……!”

“There were quite a few instructors, right? There must have been at least twenty.”

“Ye-yes.”

“There was also a place set up for training.”

Jin Cheon said, recalling the memories of the assassin he had absorbed through the Soul-Demolishing Brain-Reading Hand.

“Looking at it like that, the headquarters of the Heavenly Killing Sect definitely exists. It means that security is strictly maintained only for the assassins who actually go out on missions. In the case of support personnel, they don’t go on missions, so as long as they are kept on a tight leash, there will be no secrets leaking out.”

“Aah.”

Shadowless nodded his head as if he understood what he meant.

“You are right about that. Thinking about it now, that seems to be the case.”

“Your words are a bit short.”

Jin Cheon warned Shadowless.

“I am the Seventh Young Master of the Great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Do I really have to tell you to show respect with my own mouth?”

“……My apologies.”

Shadowless changed his words as if realizing his mistake.

It was only right; for a captive to dare to address the Seventh Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult so informally was absurd.

“Be careful from now on.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“First, let’s go to the place where the children you are looking after are.”

“That was my plan. I usually stay there…….”

“Then someone from the Heavenly Killing Sect will come.”

“That is correct.”

“If you try any funny business… I suppose I don’t need to spell this out either.”

Jin Cheon’s eyes shone coldly.

The reason he was showing mercy to Shadowless was because of that unpleasant feeling when using the Soul-Demolishing Brain-Reading Hand, not because he was soft-hearted.

“I swear, there is not a shred of falsehood.”

Shadowless said with sincerity.

“If you cannot believe me, you may absorb my brain matter right now. I only hope that you will show mercy to the children I was looking after.”

“Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll believe you. But it would be best not to try any funny business.”

“Yes, Seventh Young Master.”

Jin Cheon decided to trust Shadowless’ words, taking a leap of faith.

Why?

Because he was somewhat impressed by what Shadowless had said.

‘It was just because they weighed on my mind. If left alone, they would die, become beggars, join the Rogues’ Guild and become petty thieves, or become assassins like me.’

‘Who would have wanted to become like this? I lost my parents at a young age and was wandering around when I was noticed by the Heavenly Killing Sect and became an assassin. It was not a life I chose. Do you think I would have sought retirement for no reason?’

If you are noticed by a martial artist, you become a martial artist. If you are noticed by a beggar, you become a beggar. If you are noticed by the Rogues’ Guild, you become a petty thief, and if you are noticed by an assassin sect, you become an assassin.

That was the fate of orphans who wandered without a home.

Their lives were decided by a third party, regardless of their own will.

And even that was if they were lucky; wasn’t it the predetermined course for them to starve to death?

“We’ll go tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Shadowless’ claim of caring for orphans with nowhere to go was not a lie.

Shadowless’ cover identity was a young Taoist master running a small Taoist temple, and there lived eleven children who had been taken in by him.

“Master!”

“Yay! Master is here!”

When Shadowless appeared, the children ran out barefoot to greet him warmly.

They had no idea that the young Taoist master they trusted and followed was actually a special-grade assassin of the Heavenly Killing Sect.

From a distance, Jin Cheon watched Shadowless and the children, confirming that his words were not lies.

“He has a lot of affection for an assassin.”

Blood Qilin said as if in disbelief.

“To think a guy who kills people for money is acting like a saint.”

“I think so too, but since he wishes to retire, I’ll just let it be.”

“He wants to retire?”

“That’s what he says. He said he didn’t become an assassin because he wanted to.”

“Ah?”

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see if he’s being sincere or not, but for now, I’m going to try and believe him.”

“What if that bastard backstabs us and things get complicated?”

“Then I’ll have to kill him.”

Jin Cheon replied simply.

“Can’t you just use the Soul-Demolishing Brain-Reading Hand?”

“I don’t really want to use it unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Why?”

“It feels like my head is all jumbled, and it’s a filthy feeling. It’s hard to express in words… just take my word for it.”

“Really? Then I guess it can’t be helped.”

After that, Blood Qilin didn’t say much and watched Shadowless’ Taoist temple with Jin Cheon.

***

That night.

Flap!

Shadowless awoke from his sleep at the sound of a carrier pigeon’s flapping wings and headed to the backyard of the Taoist temple.

There, a man in black with a mask covering his face was waiting for Shadowless.

“You finally completed the mission.”

“I barely got out.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

“The rest?”

“They are all dead.”

“It seems it wasn’t easy.”

“Given the opponent, the resistance was fierce. His breathing didn’t stop even when his heart was pierced.”

“Even when his heart was pierced?”

Surprise was laced in the man in black’s voice.

However, it didn’t seem like he didn’t trust Shadowless’ words.

“Indeed. It’s not like such martial arts don’t exist.”

“Thanks to that, the brothers died.”

“It’s a relief they died. If they had been captured, they would have been subjected to terrible torture.”

“I agree.”

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. This job was truly not an easy one, but you did a really good job.”

“Thank you.”

“What is there for you to be thankful for? You finished the job successfully, so it is the sect that should be thankful.”

“Then what about the payment?”

“The payment, right, I should give it. How could I ignore what you’ve done for the sect? You succeeded in one of the biggest cases in the sect’s history, so you deserve a huge reward.”

The man in black said, nodding his head.

But the words that followed had a completely different meaning from what he had said before.

“The sect will raise the children you’ve gathered well, so don’t worry too much.”

“What do you mean by that? I did not gather those children with the intention of raising them as assassins. And what do you mean, don’t worry? What on earth does that… don’t tell me.”

Shadowless’ face hardened.

When he mulled over the words of the man in black, their meaning was all too clear.

Rustle, rustle.

Soon, those who had been hiding one by one appeared and surrounded Shadowless.

They were more like martial artists than professional assassins, and they were clearly members of the Heavenly Killing Sect.

“It is an unavoidable choice, so I hope you understand. There are no personal feelings involved.”

“Are you trying to kill me to silence me?”

“Given the gravity of the matter, it would be troublesome if word of this were to get out, wouldn’t it?”

“Heuk…….”

“Farewell. When you meet the brothers who have gone ahead, send them my regards. You’ve worked hard.”

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, the martial artists of the Heavenly Killing Sect approached Shadowless one by one.

“Hoo.”

A deep sigh escaped Shadowless’ lips.

“It would have been nice if you had just allowed me to retire earlier.”

“Heh heh.”

The man in black laughed.

“Retirement? What nonsense. Do you think it’s easy to raise a special-grade assassin like you? Originally, there is no such thing as retirement for a special-grade assassin. We can’t just let a talent like you go.”

“I’m not saying I don’t understand, but you should have allowed my retirement. Then something like this would not have happened.”

“What do you mean by that…….”

Just then.

Thump, thump!

The sound of dozens of people approaching the backyard of Shadowless’ house could be heard.

“You, you bastard.”

The man in black shouted, glaring at Shadowless.

For a third party to appear at a time like this?

There was no need to even mention who they were.

“Did you betray the sect and join hands with the Demonic Cult?”

“I told you, didn’t I? You should have allowed my retirement.”

Shadowless said in a cold voice.

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