Chapter 18: Jaseung, Annoyed

“If not, I’d already be dead.”

Lee Jaseung’s reply was as cold as ever. Baek Seolyoung’s lips pouted slightly under her hat.

For a man to be so petty… huh? That means he’s the one who dealt with those assassins?

When she first heard from him, she thought he had just gotten lucky and escaped.

But now, it sounded like he was saying he killed them with his martial arts.

However, she felt no Qi from Lee Jaseung because of his mastery of his Qi control, so it didn’t seem like he learned martial arts at all.

On top of that, the assassins chasing her weren’t amateurs. They were at least First-rate martial artists.

“You used that dagger?”

Lee Jaseung nodded. The deeper truth had to be concealed, but there wasn’t much to hide for now.

“That’s impressive.”

“I get that a lot.”

Though most people who had said that were dead now.

Baek Seolyoung slightly lifted her veil and looked at Lee Jaseung.

What is this guy?

She started to wonder if he was bluffing. He didn’t seem like someone from the Orthodox Faction. Perhaps he was a scheming scoundrel up to no good?

While she was thinking, two men sat at the table next to them.

They were Baek Manchung, the head of the Grand Heaven Sect, and his top disciple, Du-eok.

The Grand Heaven Sect was a sect that belonged to neither Orthodox or Unorthodox Faction. They shifted allegiance depending on the situation.

At least in Baek Seolyoung’s eyes, they clearly looked to suit the Unorthodox Faction more. The two men looked similarly to each other, not so much in appearance, but the despicable air they exuded.

They looked like they would stay a young scumbag in maturity even if they aged.

“Defeating the Stormwave Sword in just seven moves! You’ll win this tournament for sure, Leader!”

Baek Manchung grinned smugly after hearing Du-eok’s praise.

He had slit eyes, a large, round nose, a protruding jaw, and yellow teeth. He was not only extremely ugly, but even his voice grated like metal scraping.

“Keh keh keh, if I win, I’ll let you take control of the Northern Sky Clan.”

“Thank you, Leader.”

They laughed as if they’d already won.

“I heard Baek Seolyoung is quite the beauty, is that right?”

“That’s what they say.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t have spoken so casually about the future wife of my Leader.”

But Baek Manchung didn’t care at all.

“Wife my ass. She’s just a woman to sleep with. Keh keh keh.”

His lewd laughter passed on to Du-eok.

“Hehehe, our Leader is going to feel young again huh?”

Starting with talk of soft, supple skin, their conversation devolved into vulgar banter.

Baek Seolyoung put her chopsticks down. She already felt unpleasant at their first words, but now she completely lost her appetite.

She expected this to happen, but hearing it firsthand made her feel uncomfortable.

‘How many of these kinds of men gathered here? What if, by some chance, one of them really wins? Could I live with someone like them? Even for a day?’

Just then, Lee Jaseung suddenly spoke to them.

“Hey.”

The two men looked at him. He spoke informally toward them, so their faces already seemed offended and irritated.

“Shut those filthy mouths of yours.”

Du-eok cursed out immediately.

“You son of a bitch!”

He was able to explode partly out of anger, but mostly because Lee Jaseung looked easy to deal with.

It was just a young brat with a dagger, not even a real sword, trying to show off in front of a woman.

At least that’s how Du-eok saw Lee Jaseung.

Then, Baek Seolyoung stood up and spoke.

“Let’s leave.”

She didn’t expect Lee Jaseung to provoke them so recklessly. She wanted no trouble.

The host of the tournament getting into a dispute with a participant? Even the thought of the rumors made her head hurt.

“Alright.”

Lee Jaseung stood with her.

Du-eok jumped up from his seat to stop them, but Baek Manchung held him back by pulling on his robe.

His eyes were glued to Baek Seolyoung as she walked away. Her face was hidden under her hat and veil, but she had a gorgeous body that he couldn’t look away from.

Du-eok realized that his Leader was completely charmed by that woman, judging by how he was gulping.

“Let’s go teach them a lesson.”

Baek Manchung stood up as if he was waiting for Du-eok to say it.

The two men trailed them from a distance. They hoped that she would head somewhere quiet, where they could act without people watching.

And she did, walking into a forest without anyone around. Lee Jaseung silently followed her.

Baek Seolyoung stopped, waiting for Baek Manchung and Du-eok to show up.

Du-eok spoke with a nasty grin.

“Hehe, nice and quiet here.”

Baek Manchung’s face was already red, thinking of what he would do after he dealt with them.

“I’ll handle those brats.”

Du-eok walked forward.

It was then.

Ten men appeared around them.

They were the guards of the Northern Sky Clan, led by Chu Sang-gi.

“Stop right there.”

They were all Peak Realm martial artists. Baek Manchung and Du-eok were stunned at their arrival.

“Who are you people?”

Chu Sang-gi answered coldly.

“We serve a noble lady.”

Baek Manchung and Du-eok quickly exchanged glances. Their attitudes changed instantly.

“Aha, I see. This gentleman is the Leader of the Grand Heaven Sect, Baek Manchung.”

Chu Sang-gi remained cold.

“You seem to be from the Orthodox Faction, so how dare you try to do such vile things?”

“What are you talking about?”

Du-eok denied his claim.

“We know what intentions you had.”

“I’m not sure what you are talking about. We just followed that young man to offer some advice. Now, we’ll be on our way since we are busy.”

Chu Sang-gi couldn’t do anything with the two men coming out like this.

He had shown himself too soon. But still, he couldn’t risk even a touch or a word of filth reaching Baek Seolyoung, so he was impatient with his decision.

After all, his mission was protecting her, not punishing.

He looked back at Baek Seolyoung and waited for an order. He was ready to kill them if she wanted him to.

“Let them go.”

It was only the first day of the tournament. She didn’t want to ruin her mood by dealing with that trash.

Besides, they couldn’t afford to kill them because they hadn’t actually done anything yet. They only spewed filthy words.

Chu Sang-gi put his hand on his forehead and shouted at the two men that ran away.

“Next time, you won’t be forgiven.”

After they left, Baek Seolyoung turned to Lee Jaseung.

“That was reckless.”

“Brave you mean.”

She tried to say something else, but he spoke first.

“Look, I’m not the one you should be annoyed at.”

Baek Seolyoung held back her words after hearing him. He wasn’t wrong, as it were the two bastards that started this whole thing.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Lee Jaseung turned and walked away.

Baek Seolyoung stood still and watched him.

Still rude to the end.

She was annoyed that he left only after saying his piece, but she smirked after.

They weren’t going to meet again anyway.

The two walked off in opposite directions.

* * *

How long has it been since then?

Baek Manchung and Du-eok blocked Lee Jaseung’s path. The emotion on their faces could be summed up in one word, resentment.

Especially on Baek Manchung’s face, it was filled with rage, having lost his prey. Her slender figure kept haunting his mind.

He seriously wanted to turn back and settle it once and for all.

But he couldn’t afford to do such a thing. The guards he saw were all similar to him in strength. Their leader especially, seemed superior than him.

In the end, they chose to take their anger out by killing Lee Jaseung. Otherwise, they felt like they would go mad.

Lee Jaseung’s face twitched in irritation.

“Get lost.”

His cold eyes looked at them as if they were insects, so Du-eok shouted in anger.

“You bastard! You really have a death wish huh?”

Lee Jaseung ignored him and continued walking.

The two men drew their swords and rushed at him at the same time.

“Die!”

Lee Jaseung didn’t even dodge. But it was that moment.

Someone stepped in front, blocking them.

Flash! Flash!

Cold blue sword flux flashed in the air.

The next moment, Baek Manchung and Du-eok screamed shortly and collapsed at the same time. A large pool of blood quickly spread beneath them. It was Mook Young who cut them down in a single stroke.

Lee Jaseung stopped walking for a moment and spoke without hiding the irritation on his face.

“Bastards like them are the reason why the Orthodox Faction treats us like trash.”

He resumed walking after.

Mook Young said nothing, took out the Bone-Melting Powder and poured it onto the corpses.

Chhhh!

Their flesh and bones melted away with a horrible stench.

As the dust sunk into their pool of blood, Mook Young quietly muttered.

“So please, advance us forth, my Lord.”

* * *

“Smells like blood.”

Mujin spoke as soon as Lee Jaseung entered the inn. Mujin came close, sniffing the air near Lee Jaseung.

“Two people huh.”

Lee Jaseung smiled faintly.

What a sharp guy.

Dan Woobin opened his eyes wide. Before he could say anything, Lee Jaseung spoke first.

“They are just trash, no one you should be worried about.”

“They weren’t some Elder of the Demonic Cult, or a high monk from Shaolin, right?”

Lee Jaseung smirked at Dan Woobin’s joke and spoke.

“No.”

“Then it’s fine. I’m sure they deserved it. You cleaned up properly after, right?”

Then, Mujin joined in, squinting his eyes.

“I knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“Your standards change when it’s about our Lord. If it were me, you wouldn’t have let it slide so easily, right? You would’ve lectured me non-stop, saying I shouldn’t have caused such trouble on the first day. I get that he is the Senior Brother, but isn’t it unfair?”

“Of course it has to be unfair.”

The reason for that changed from before. In the past, he would have just teased Mujin, saying that he was like a firefly to the Lord’s full moon.

But it was different now.

“He’s the man who will claim the world. Anything that blocks his path must be wiped out.”

Dan Woobin asked as Mujin smiled.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I like that answer.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Dan Woobin couldn’t help but smile himself.

This time, Mujin approached Lee Jaseung and asked casually.

“How did it go with that lady?”

Dan Woobin’s curious eyes joined in.

Lee Jaseung answered nonchalantly.

“We just parted ways.”

“I’m sure. Did you promise to meet again?”

“No.”

Dan Woobin, who was tense, let out a sigh.

“Of course it would be like this.”

Unlike him, Mujin burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha!”

“What’s so funny? Why are you laughing!”

“He’s our Lord for a reason. He’s overflowing with confidence. He’ll marry Baek Seolyoung anyway after winning the tournament.”

“Something like the composure of the strong?”

“Yes, the composure of the strongest. Hahaha!”

Lee Jaseung ignored the two and walked toward the window.

“Anyway, for them to meet twice must mean fate.”

Mujin played along to Dan Woobin’s words.

“Of course. Have you ever met a stranger twice? No, right?”

“I have. Three times. When I was six, I saw a merchant on my way from school, then again four years later at the Uichang market. The second time was when it was my thirteenth birthday- “

“Ugh! Do you want to die?”

“Don’t blame me for remembering even though I want to forget it!”

Lee Jaseung chuckled at their antics.

Then, Dan Woobin asked with a more serious tone.

“What if you run into her again? Would it still be a coincidence?”

Her image floated in the night sky. He was reminded of the moment she removed her veil, revealing breathtaking beauty.

But Lee Jaseung answered without a change in tone.

“Of course it would be a coincidence.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep