Chapter 181: Mountain, Joins Hands Again

Sometimes being with her in bed came with a different feeling.

There were times when he drove forward with all his inner Qi raised, heart pounding to the brink under the Infinite Steps. There were times when a thrilling pleasure ran through him like an electric shock. There were times when he felt the precarious sway of a tiny skiff tossed on a storm-lashed sea. There were times when he felt the comfort of coming home. 

At times he worried she might not be satisfied. At times, watching her shiver with rapture, he felt a pride that went beyond the joy of the flesh. 

Like this, whenever Lee Jaseung lay with her, he became not the Black Way Alliance Lord, not the Murim Alliance Leader, not the man who dreamed of unifying the world, but simply a woman’s man. 

His hand slid down Baek Seolyoung’s arm and paused at her side. 

“It tickles.” 

Baek Seolyoung twisted shyly, and his fingers traced slowly from the curve of her back down toward her hips. 

“Stop.” 

When she curled up tighter, he drew her close and held her. 

In battle, Lee Jaseung had often felt what it meant to be alive. When blood spilled by his enemy ran hot across his own body, he felt the relief of having survived. 

Now it was different. 

Her warm body heat. 

Her breath. 

Her heartbeat. 

These were what made Lee Jaseung feel alive these days. 

Baek Seolyoung spoke softly. 

“You did well.” 

At that, a faint flush rose on Lee Jaseung’s face. 

“You even say things like that now huh. You’ve come a long way.” 

“What?” 

She blinked at him for a beat, then started and cried out. 

“Ah! That’s not what I mean.” 

Her face reddened as she hurried on. 

“I’m talking about how you wiped out the black society for the common folk this time. I said you did well for that!” 

“Oh!” 

Now his face turned red. Even for Lee Jaseung, it was an embarrassing misunderstanding. He searched for a way to say something that would smooth the moment, and this time she made it worse. 

“Of course, you did well today too.” 

The words slipped out and she winced. She had meant to keep him from taking it the wrong way, but once she said it, the words only drove them both straight into a carrot patch of blushes. 

With faces as red as carrots, the two of them stared off in different directions for a moment. 

Then Baek Seolyoung let out a quiet laugh. 

The fact that she was here like this with Lee Jaseung felt ridiculous, and it made her happy. The more new experiences she shared with him, the deeper her feelings grew. 

Lee Jaseung smiled along with her. 

For a while they simply looked at each other. 

“I only did what I should.” 

“You don’t suit the Black Way Alliance.” 

“Do I suit the Murim Alliance Leader then?” 

“…” 

For a moment she could not answer. She knew he was a good man. Even so, that did not mean he fit the image of an Alliance Leader she had in mind. 

“The truth is you don’t suit either.” 

At her words, he smiled faintly. 

She had said it half in jest, yet he wondered if she might be right. 

Then Baek Seolyoung spoke again. 

“You don’t suit being ruler of the Orthodox Faction or ruler of the Unorthodox Faction, so you should be ruler of everyone.” 

Lee Jaseung flinched. 

Hearing those words from her stirred something strange in his heart. 

“Would I suit that seat?” 

She gave a little shrug and answered. 

“Well, I’ll tell you after I see it happen.” 

This time, instead of laughing, he kissed her. 

* * *

Not long after the moans from the room rose to a peak, the door opened and Yeo Su-in stepped out. Over his shoulder a naked woman lay sprawled on the bed. She did not move at all, as if she were dead. 

A man waited outside the door. He was Do Cheolgi, Yeo Su-in’s right hand. 

“The investigation on Lee Jaseung is finished.” 

“Speak.” 

“Lee Jaseung, age twenty-nine…” 

“Hold it. He’s twenty-nine?” 

“Yes. The same age as you, Young Master.” 

“So he’s my age and he swallowed both the Black Way Alliance and the Murim Alliance? He’s really an impressive man. No, before that, I suppose I should reflect on myself, shouldn’t I?” 

“It isn’t certain that all of these things are true. The information on him is extremely limited. He kept everything to a minimum. If I exaggerate, he handled himself like someone who didn’t exist in the first place.” 

“He knows a thing or two I see. Fine. It’s about time a proper one came out of the Unorthodox Faction.” 

“Yet although he’s Unorthodox, there’s much about him that isn’t like the Unorthodox.” 

“In what way?” 

“A simple example. A strict order went down within the Black Way Alliance not to touch civilians. Recently the Murim Alliance carried out a sweeping purge of the black society, which looks like the same line of thought.” 

“A villain with refinement huh? I like him more and more.” 

For all the smooth words, Yeo Su-in’s eyes stayed cold and sharp. It felt like meeting a destined rival. He had never felt this kind of thrill before. 

“For a time he traveled throughout Jianghu and gathered key subordinates. Then through the Seven Year War he took the Black Way Alliance.” 

“Wait! That’s odd. With the skill he showed this time, there’s no way it took him seven years to seize the Alliance?” 

“There are two possibilities. A third master stepped in for this affair, or his skill soared after he became Alliance Lord.” 

“Which do you think it is?” 

“Both are possible. According to a man called Mountain, he entered the Seven-Color Hidden Land.” 

“The Seven-Color Hidden Land? That thing was real?” 

“It seems so.” 

“What a waste.” 

Yeo Su-in wore the look of a man who had let a prize slip through his fingers, then asked again. 

“And the other possibility?” 

“Yim Sayeon.” 

“That old hag? She’s still alive huh.” 

“Yes. Yim Sayeon is tangled up with the Black Way Alliance Lord. If she stepped in to help, the deaths of the Vice Leader and the Four Demon Lords make sense.” 

“Them too.” 

“Pardon?” 

“Mountain’s subordinates. They were there too.” 

Yeo Su-in made that point clear. 

“They said ten at Transcendent Peak and thirty at Peak Realm level. Whether they were there or not makes all the difference.” 

“Yes, I suppose so.” 

Yet what Do Cheolgi understood and what Yeo Su-in thought were worlds apart. Yeo Su-in narrowed that gap. 

“It isn’t simply that there are many more masters in arithmetic.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“They probably fought before the Vice Leader and the Four Demon Lords, yes?” 

“Of course. They were taken for that purpose in the first place.” 

“Then Lee Jaseung’s martial skill would have been exposed. No matter how great a master, you can’t hide your true level while fighting ten Transcendent Peaks. Yet even so, both the Vice Leader and the Four Demon Lords fell.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

Only then did Do Cheolgi grasp that the issue wasn’t a simple matter of numbers. 

He finished his summary of Lee Jaseung. 

“After unifying the Black Way Alliance, Lee Jaseung entered the Northern Sky Clan’s marriage tournament and won. On that foundation he rose to the position of Murim Alliance Leader.” 

“They say the head of the Northern Sky Clan is very beautiful, right?” 

“Yes. Her beauty is the stuff of endless rumor.” 

“Is that so?” 

For the briefest instant, possessiveness flashed in Yeo Su-in’s eyes. 

“Cheolgi.” 

“Yes, Young Master.” 

“They say three chances come in a lifetime.” 

“That’s right.” 

“It feels like one of them just arrived. I doubt I’ll ever meet a stronger opponent in my life.” 

In other words, if he killed Lee Jaseung, he would cement his place within the Demonic Cult. 

“Just as he took them one by one… we’ll break them one by one.” 

“Where do we begin?” 

At the question, Yeo Su-in closed his eyes and rolled his head as if loosening his neck. 

Do Cheolgi knew his habits well. When his master was thinking deeply, he waited in silence. 

After a moment, Yeo Su-in stilled. He opened his eyes slowly, and a keen light flashed. 

“If he left his main base empty, he should pay the price.” 

* * *

“I’ll set you free.” 

At Yeo Su-in’s words, Mountain felt a quiet surge of satisfaction. When he first saw the man, he had felt a premonition that he would leave this place safely. 

Of course, he would not be released for nothing. 

‘He’ll probably name a condition.’

Yeo Su-in lifted a bottle and filled the cups. 

Mountain watched, uneasy. Yeo Su-in raised a cup and offered it. 

“Have a drink.” 

Mountain hesitated. He could only guess what might be in the liquor. Would they poison him in exchange for release? Most likely. 

‘They’ll use the antidote to control me, won’t they?’

If he used his trump cards, he could escape this place. He had several hidden methods. Among them was one that would let him escape even if this was the Demonic Cult’s main hall. 

If he fled that way though, the situation would be worse than before he came to the Cult. Now the Demonic Cult would be his enemy too. 

“Very well.” 

After a moment’s pause, Mountain drank in a clean swallow. If he was afraid of this, he should never have set foot in the Demonic Cult. 

“It’s good.” 

As he emptied the cup, Yeo Su-in smiled in satisfaction. 

He poured again, then drank this one himself. 

Mountain felt a flicker of surprise. He had shown there was nothing in the liquor. 

‘He’s still young… yet he knows how to handle people.’ 

It wasn’t a matter of age, it was innate temperament. 

One born a beast was a beast even as a cub. 

‘Lee Jaseung, this man is similar to him.’

Those born strong from the start. 

With a man like Yeo Su-in, it felt possible that Lee Jaseung could be killed. 

Yeo Su-in spoke evenly. 

“I heard you took heavy losses this time.” 

“When you work, you take losses too in life.” 

“Even so, if you took a loss on the first deal, you wouldn’t feel good about continuing.” 

“Indeed.” 

Mountain watched his eyes. He felt both fear and a spark of expectation. What was the man going to say? 

Yeo Su-in filled both cups, then lifted his own. 

“Strike the Black Way Alliance main base.” 

At the unexpected words, Mountain started. 

“There’s no need to be so surprised. Lee Jaseung left his seat, and the Divine Sword Regiment and Iron Cavalry Regiment, his main strength, left the base as well. If it’s you, you’ll be able to handle it.” 

“But… what if Lee Jaseung learns of it, even by some slim chance?” 

Under his counterattack, every force that struck would be annihilated. 

“I’ll keep him from looking that way. I’ll also hand over all the intel we have on the Alliance’s surveillance net.” 

Mountain asked bluntly. 

“What do I get for this?” 

“A promise.” 

“A promise?” 

“Once this matter is done, no one will ever touch you again. I promise you that.” 

Mountain swallowed. 

It was what worried him most. When the cooperation with the Demonic Cult ended, how would they treat him? Would they really let him live? He had brought water to put out the fire in front of him, but would he drown in that water. 

Mountain looked straight at Yeo Su-in. They had barely met, yet the man radiated great trust. If it was ability, it was remarkable. If it was nature, it was enviable. 

‘Lee Jaseung will die, and I’ll live?’

It was the best result he could hope for. 

“Could you give me a moment to think?” 

Yeo Su-in emptied his cup and answered. 

“There’s still liquor left.” 

He would give him time until the bottle ran dry. 

Mountain’s hesitation was natural. Even with the main force gone, it was still the Black Way Alliance main base. There would be at least several thousand warriors. 

What if he sent every master from his organization?

There was a real chance. If the Demonic Cult helped, the strike would be a true surprise attack. 

There were also bonuses to be had. 

The Alliance’s central storage. 

It would hold an enormous trove of coins and treasures. If the man’s words proved out, it would more than cover every loss so far. 

Yeo Su-in could have made him swallow poison to force this. 

Instead he was making a deal. That meant he wanted the job done with sincerity and full strength. 

At last Mountain made up his mind. 

“Is there still liquor left?” 

Yeo Su-in handed him a cup and smiled with a cool edge. 

“Let’s use this chance to wipe out the Unorthodox bastards.” 

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